TomAiello

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Everything posted by TomAiello

  1. TomAiello
    Come to Bridge Day and sell autographed first editions of your book. I'd pay a hundred bucks for one.
  2. TomAiello
    Honestly, I'd prefer that the politicians just stop trying to help or harm. I'd be pretty happy if they realized that I don't want their help--I just want the government to (what was it Jefferson said?) "leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  3. TomAiello
    Sure. That's a generalization. And like most generalizations, it's useful because it approximates the underlying facts. But to say that the problem is "democrats" is a bit overbroad. Politicians are people, and (thankfully), in the American system, they're still more to be taken as individuals than as parts of a larger political machine. That's why we cast our votes for a person, rather than a party (it's not that way everywhere). I guess what I'm saying is that anyone who thinks all democrats/republicans think alike is not really looking at the details. Zell Miller (Democrat, governor of Georgia 1991-1999), for example, is probably more conservative than George Deukmejian (Republican, Governor of California 1983-1991). And on the particular issue of gun rights, Miller is definitely to the right of Deukmejian. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  4. TomAiello
    There are Democrats who support the right to keep and bear arms, as well as Republicans who oppose it. For example, have you ever heard of Zell Miller? edit to add: Or Rudy Giuliani? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  5. TomAiello
    There's a thread in the BASE forum discussing the early Boenish cliff loads. I thought it might be of interest to folks in this forum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  6. TomAiello
    Wouldn't the bad guys just use real bullets? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  7. TomAiello
    Clicky: http://www.baserigs.com. Rob and Kathy are definitely good people. Give them a call. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  8. TomAiello
    I wasn't trying to say it wasn't an unfortunate phrasing. I was just pointing out that lots of other people have used similar symbology, and often in a much more threatening manner. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  9. TomAiello
    Like it or not (I don't really), men are judged, usually by other men, but also by women, on how attractive their wife/girlfriend/sex partner is. It's a fact of life. If I get judged by what my wife looks like (and I do), why shouldn't politicians? Do they have some kind of immunity to the societal crap the rest of us have to put up with? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  10. TomAiello
    I think that also carefully placing the tower in a state with appropriate legal rules would be important. For example, although it might do good business there, I'd _never_ want to put it in California. Idaho, on the other hand... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  11. TomAiello
    You can get around this by incorporating. Every person who wants to jump must buy a share(s) into the corporation. You can't sue yourself. Um, by that logic, shareholders couldn't sue a compay they were shareholders of. Didn't the shareholders sue Enron? What about the "corporate mismanagement" suits brought by shareholders? In other words--are you sure? edit to add: Google search for "shareholder lawsuit" turns up a lot of cases of shareholder's suing companies they own shares in. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  12. TomAiello
    Phil Smith (BASE 1) is still alive, but no longer jumping. Jean Boenish is also still around. I'm not exactly sure who jumped on that first day, aside from Carl and Jean. I'm sure someone out there can tell us, though. Somehow I doubt the first load was anywhere near as big as a skydiving boogie. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  13. TomAiello
    Hmmm. Does that also count for the (Spanish language only) T shirts I used to see in college, that had a picture of the then governor of California (Pete Wilson) in a crosshair, with the caption "Enemy of the Race"? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  14. TomAiello
    I think it depends on what you mean by "still about" as well as "first loads". Lots of people who jumped with Carl are still running around somewhere. Fewer are still jumping, but there are some of those out there as well. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  15. TomAiello
    I've got to go with Edwards. The man successfully sued the American Red Cross _three_ times. He's an ambulance chaser par excellence. He channels the voices of dead children while arguing in courts of law. The channeling thing alone puts him way out ahead of the pack, as far as satire goes. "Crossing Over" jokes, anyone? And I didn't even mention his wife... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  16. TomAiello
    I keep reading the headline: And the actual quote: And I just don't see how those two things are equivalent at all. Thinking _about_ new ways that terrorists (or whoever) could harm our country is a necessary pre-requisite to defending from such harm. He didn't say he was "seeking" new ways to harm the country. He said he was "thinking about" them. If I want to prevent my home from being burglarized, you can bet I'm going to think about how it might be burglarized. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  17. TomAiello
    We were looking for an object that met a _very_ specific criteria. And it was four states (MS, LS, AL, FL) as I recall. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  18. TomAiello
    Isn't it the purpose of those appointed to defend to think about new ways of causing harm? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  19. TomAiello
    I'm wondering why you decided to post this in Speaker's Corner, instead of the Bonfire? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  20. TomAiello
    Um, the state of NH has it's own passports? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  21. TomAiello
    Maybe. Maybe not. I think you'd want to also rent space on the tower to "normal" users. Things like microwave relay dishes that are directional don't present any significant health hazard to jumpers on the tower. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  22. TomAiello
    The first time I saw a "loyalty statement" like that, it was used by a democratic candidate for the House, when I was in college. In that case, as in this one, it was intended to prevent disruption of the speech. I know that because, as one of the College Republicans who arrived with signs, intent on disrupting the speech, I was told that I'd have to sign to gain admission to the speech. The spelling error is kind of funny. And ours had grammar errors, as well. You have to realize that the thing was hurriedly produced up by a junior campaign helper at the door--after seeing us arrive and deducing our intent. If you're wondering, I contacted the ACLU to ask if that was legal, and they told me that it was. Apparently folks making political (or other) statements (speeches, rallies, parades, etc) have a right to control the content of their expression. Go figure. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  23. TomAiello
    I'm looking for info on the opening altitude required for a diapered round. I know that this will vary with the particular round. I'm more interested in what happens when you put the diaper on, in terms of how much more altitude is used than with no diaper. Basically, here's the situation: I've got around 100 jumps on rounds. Virtually all of them have been from about 500', with no diaper (and a rubber band pushed down over the apex vent). If I use the diaper on a round that I'm already familiar with, how much slower will the opening be? For comparison, I'm using (among others) a Phantom 22. It takes about 200 feet to open in this situation. If I diaper it, and jump it from the same altitude as a go and throw, am I going to snivel into the ground (water, actually)? Thanks for any help! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  24. TomAiello
    How much would it cost to pour an appropriate pad for a freestander? I know the anchors for a guyed tower are _expensive_, and you (obviously) can't move them with the tower. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  25. TomAiello
    And that's opposite of Socialism how? In terms of economics, the two poles are really statism (i.e. control by the government, which is generally controlled by some privileged group) and anti-statism (i.e. individuals retain control over their own economic affairs). Both Socialism and Fascism are economically statist. What was it Jimmy Rogers said? Ah yes: "Statism is the great political disease of the 20th century." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com