chuckakers

Whatever. And "deserves" is pushing it. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The other big difference is that one set of watwerboarders was doing it to run-of-the-mill criminals, while the other was doing it to highly trained members of an armed and very dangerous terrorist extremist group on a mission, with information that could save many thousands of lives if devulged. Uh yeah, there is a difference. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Don't forget your TeXXas 20-way stuff! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What about having to adjust for a different landing altitude (as happens sometimes at one of the DZ's close to me), or knowing when/when not the damn thing is going to reset itself? We had a demo jump where the pilot was told to fly over Schiphol Airport at 1000ft, which he did, and all neptunes on board reset themselves after a while to this new "ground level" also one time after a car drive: after getting checked in, getting my gear checked, once in the airplane for our first jump my Neptune, Wave and possibly Argus too were all set to -1200ft or something You make valid points, but I would defer to common sense. If a licensed jumper (theoretically the only kind jumping without Instructor supervision) buys any gear, it is their responsibility to understand its' operation and its' operational limits. Avoiding commonly accepted and technologically current equipment because it brings new complexities to the process is counterproductive to the goal of developing technology to increase safety and efficiency. Think of the altimeter question as an AAD question instead. Would you really suggest new jumpers not have an AAD for the same reasons you listed above? After all, the same issues exist on both pieces of gear. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Sounds kind of like what I said when I was a kid. "If you're ever in a plane that's going down, just jump right before it hits the ground!" Actually, I'm thinking Steve was hoping to reach the bag and clear it. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You can download the Skydiver Information Manual (SIM) at www.uspa.org. It has all the rerquirements for demos (in the US). Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Big Steve Hobbs went in under a bag-locked reserve after cutting away a main mal on a borrowed rig. When they found him he had climbed half way up his reserve lines. Guess we know what he was thinking. Never give up. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What aspect of a digital altimeter are you asking about? Not sure what reading manuals has to do with anything. I recently began using my wife's Viso and never cracked the manual. I turned it on, it calibrated itself, and I jumped it. I also own a digitude and there's not much to know about those either. I'm sure there are units that require some knowledge to operate, but none are rocket science. If you are worried about young jumpers reading a digital instead of the "needle on the dial", no need. There are many DZ's using digital altimeters on students without problems of any kind. I used them at my DZ very successfully. We liked the fact that the display reads the way students are taught to think of their altitude - 11.2, 5.5, etc. As for using whatever kind of equipment - students can typically use any equipment they are well trained to use. There was a time when everyone thought students should start on an SOS and then transition to a two-handled emergency procedure later. Now days many students/novices couldn't tell you what an SOS system is. Throwout pilot chutes were also dangerous for students - right up until they weren't. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Oops - did I say "American"? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6466430.ece Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

It will be the same noodle arrow system we used last year. There is actually 2 landing areas, 1 per plane. The S&TA is working on the flier as we speak. Should have it soon. Basically you land in the direction of the arrow, once turned on final you should not cross over it. Land parallel to it in same direction it is pointing. Thanks for asking When I learned to skydive, they said to use the windsock. Showing my age, I guess. By the way, did I mention I'm organizing TeXXas 20-ways Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday? Fun stuff, ya know. You in? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Does anyone know if USPA membership is required? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

And President Obama said "Hillary who?". Funny how little of her we've seen since the rock star took office. I hear he has her travelling the world preaching gay rights. Now there's hot button issue. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Good question, Michelle. Jump #'s aren't nearly as important as qualifications. I will be looking for people who have the skill to perform on 20-ways, nothing more, nothing less. If you have several successful 16 to 20-ways under your belt you will likely be fine. If you feel you have the skills but have been limited by your home DZ's aircraft capacity or talent pool, you will be considered. These jumps will be basic in structure and not complicated from an individual perspective, but the idea is to progress the talent to have some pretty hot skydives by the end of the effort, so folks will be asked to bow out if they are holding back the group. Since these jumps are also intended to identify talent for the weekend big-ways and ladies 20-ways, I will be giving new folks a try in the early stages. They will have earn their position to stay. The idea is to produce fun 20-ways and slowly increase the level of play. You don't need to be hot - just consistent and in your slot. For yourself and others interested in getting on, please PM me or e-mail chuckakers@comcast.net with your qualifications. Does that help? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Skyfest 2009 to Feature TeXXas 20-ways! Sound fun? I’ll be organizing TeXXas 20-ways at Skyfest Wednesday through Friday. I will be using formations from the old TeXXas 20-way competitions as well as others that are fun and very do-able. J says he has some TeXXas patches too. In addition to giving qualified jumpers a chance to do some solid 20-ways, these jumps will also be warm-ups for the weekend big-ways and pink patch Ladies TeXXas 20-way jumps, so plan on making some jumps with us. Also looking for a competent videographer. If you are attending Skyfest and are interested in getting on these loads, e-mail me. I am putting load one together now. Dirt dive Wednesday at 8am. Let’s boogie. Chuck Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

When I was in college, Robbie Conal did a poster of then-Gov Pete Wilson with mickey mouse ears. La Raza at my undergrad did volunteer work representing low-wage workers on claims for unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions. They represented not only Latin American and Mexican but also Asians, blacks, and lower class whites. They were involved in a successful claims against a number of downtown LA sweatshops in the garment district, including a couple of wrongful death suits for which the owners were found liable. /Marg Recruiting efforts under the guise of community volunteering for the underclass is one of La Raza's tactics. "Gee, how could these guys be bad? Look at l the good they do!". Enron gave tens of millions of dollars to charities around the world. Does that excuse their criminal activity? Sure La Raza does things to "help" the community - or at least the poor within the community. That doesn't excuse - only mask - their real underlying goals. Read up on La Raza and its offshoot, MEChA, in places other than their own propaganda laden websites. You will be surprised what kind of things these folks are into. Maybe.....just maybe.....you'll come away with the other side of their story. But then again, maybe you won't. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The SC doesn't hear cases it doesn't have a possible interest in changing. So that 60% needs to be measured against peers, not our notion of what a proper percentage should be. If you'd like to check her stats against her peers, I think you will find 60% is quite high. Actually she's below the average From Factcheck.org: In any case, 60 percent of the cases the Supreme Court has reviewed is not a particularly high number. In any given term, the Supreme Court normally reverses a higher percentage of the cases it hears. During its 2006-2007 term, for instance, the Court reversed or vacated (which, for our purposes here, mean the same thing) 68 percent of the cases before it. The rate was 73.6 percent the previous term. The question wasn't how many of her cases have been overturned relative to the courts overall percentage. The question posed was how many of her cases have been overturned vs her peers. Those are two entirely different questions. By the way, factcheck.org has lost a lot of credibility with real fact checkers due to their ongoing liberal slant on statistics. Using their "facts" doesn't make for a good argument. Don't be fooled by the domain name...unless you just like using stats that say what you want them to without respect to reality. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The SC doesn't hear cases it doesn't have a possible interest in changing. So that 60% needs to be measured against peers, not our notion of what a proper percentage should be. If you'd like to check her stats against her peers, I think you will find 60% is quite high. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

When I was in college, our campus chapter of La Raza made up shirts with a picture of the current governor of the state (a guy named Pete Wilson) viewed through a rifle scope reticle, with his head in the crosshairs and the caption "Enemy of the Race" (it was actually in Spanish, not English). One fine example among many. When will people wake up, eh? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Maybe you should read some more about the case. She didn't throw out the result of the promotions exam. The New Haven Fire Dept. threw them out because they were afraid of being sued based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The question before the three judge panel was whether or not New Haven had to comply with the Federal Statute. And while Ricci's story was very sad and had the court's sympathy, they ruled 3-0 that New Haven acted appropriately based on its obligation to protect itself from lawsuits pertaining title VII. So, in essence, you have provided an example of a judge NOT legislating from the bench and not allowing personal feelings to influence her decision. She upheld the letter of the law despite her empathy. Isn't that the sort of Judge you'd like to see on the SC? Link to the decision I am fully aware of the case as it was presented. I was too simplistic in my post for the sake of brevity - my bad. Nonetheless, the decision on the part of the city to throw out the tests was constitutionally wrong and her decision to let it stand was equally wrong. I didn't say she legislated from the bench. I believe she simply ruled unconstitutionally. The threat of a lawsuit is not a valid reason to discriminate against the firefighters who passed that test, and I would be willing to wager that the Supreme Court will agree with me. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

OK, she said this one thing that might be racist. Reading it in context, I'm not sure exactly what she meant, so I'm not sure whether it is racist or not. But let's just assume that it is. So now we've got one piece of evidence to back up the title of this thread. What else have we got? That comment stands on it's own. I'm not sure what context it could have been in that wouldn't have been racist. But since you ask, she made the comment in a speech at a symposium called “Raising the Bar: Latino and Latina Presence in the Judiciary and the Struggle for Representation.” The speech was regarding how issues of gender and race can be addressed by judges. As for other evidence of her racism, I suggest you read about her decision in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano, in which she threw out a promotions exam of firefighters when no blacks scored high enough to be promoted - even though the exam had already been modified to be "minority friendly". This case is now on the docket at the Supreme Court and - according to every legal scholar I've read from - it will likely get overturned because she wrongfully used race as the basis for her decision. Off topic, but important as it relates to her past decisions, is the fact that the Supreme Court has overturned her decisions in 60% of her cases brought before it. Not a very good track record of making constitutionally sound decisions for someone nominated for a seat on the high court. By the way, she is also a "proud member" of La Raza. Do some research and you'll find strong ties between La Raza and numerous anti-white, anti-American organizations. "La Raza", after all, means "THE Race". Sounds pretty racist to me. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Rather telling that you don't bother to correct the 95% mis-spelling rate in posts - and thread titles! - that a certain blog-brother of yours on here has. (Still trying to figure out WTF a "stimlas" is.) Not telling at all. Most spelling errors don't involve a major political figure whose name has been seen in print countless times. What is telling is that you chose to point out my correction, rather than the other 95% of spelling correction replies. By the way, I don't have any "blog brothers" and don't even know who you're talking about. Funny how you libs want to discuss everything BUT the OP's topic. Now back on topic. Sotomayor is on record as saying: “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” And Websters dictionary defines racism as: "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race" If a white man said the same thing in reverse, he would be fried for it. Racism is racism, even when the libs don't want it to be. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I think you mean the people pulling the strings. Who would that be? We know Chaney is busy saving his legacy on the talk shows. I haven't seen "Chaney" on a talk show. I have seen Cheney, and he doesn't seem too worried about his legacy. I don't think he cares if there is one. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I think you mean the people pulling the strings. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just a bit of sarcasm for one of skydiving's most high profile moments. Sure kick started AAD sales to experienced jumpers, though. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Tommy may not have had his Cypres turned on, but at least he wasn't wearing a helmet. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX