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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/19/2023 in all areas

  1. 10 points
    Odd to even have to say this but - no blood libels. Your next ban will be your last. Either start discussing things without the Russian playbook in front of you or find a new forum to work on.
  2. 10 points
    On June 6, 1942, Adeline Gray made the first jump by a human with a nylon parachute at Brainard Field in Hartford. Her jump, performed before a group of Army officials, put the world’s first nylon parachute to the test. The Pioneer Parachute Company of Manchester fabricated the new nylon material, which was developed as an alternative to silk. Working in concert with the Cheney Brothers Company of Manchester and the DuPont Company, Pioneer Parachute developed a material that combined “compactness with lightness, resiliency and strength.” Gray, who was 24 years old at the time of the jump, was from Oxford and worked as a licensed parachute rigger and packer at the Pioneer Parachute Company. She began jumping at age 19 and at the time of the nylon “jump test” had completed 32 jumps and was the only licensed female parachute jumper in Connecticut. https://connecticuthistory.org/first-human-test-of-a-nylon-parachute/#:~:text=On June 6%2C 1942%2C Adeline,nylon parachute to the test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeline_Gray_(parachutist)
  3. 10 points
    Interesting how "life" is defined by these folks as a "heartbeat" at this point, but "not alive" is measured by brain activity. If you have to terminate a pregnancy at the 20th week, it's usually because there is no (or will be no) brain activity, but women have been forced to carry a non-viable fetus for several days/weeks because it is "alive." These morons should first agree on a definition of "life" that covers the whole span. If a heartbeat (don't even get me started on what that zygote really has at 4 weeks past fertilization) is the definition of alive, then we can stop learning CPR and dispose of all defibrillators. They're already dead, so you just have to call it when the heart stops. If you pound on someone's chest, or shock them, after their heart stops, then you should be charged with mutilating a corpse.
  4. 9 points
    Here’s my $0.02, for what it’s worth….if your faith makes your life better and you wanna share that then fill your fucking boots, I’m happy for you. If you want to start telling me I’m going to burn for eternity because I don’t believe in your imaginary friend, I’m happy to write you off as a person worth giving another minute of my time.
  5. 8 points
    dozens of felony counts. Trump is not walking away from this with no convictions. Pardons still mean you are guilty, so they don't mean shit to anyone with a fucking brain. He's a fucking crook. he always was. He's a fucking con man. He always was. Arguably he is guilty of sedition, given the Seditious conspiracy convictions of Jan 6 already... and that may be coming yet. 6 dozen felony counts might give the other prosecutors the balls to proceed as well. This is as close to actual treason as we could find if there is ever evidence that he shared any docs with a foreign entity. Fuck that seditious cunt. fuck anyone that supports that seditious cunt at this point. Stop making excuses for the worst president we have ever had in the white house. There is no comparison to this fucking mutt of a human being. When he dies (and he will someday) I will be hosting a neighborhood BBQ and open an 18 year old bottle of single malt. that.....fucking....seditious.....cunt.....
  6. 7 points
    I thought all the QAnon, MAGA nutters quit watching football when that negro boy took a knee.
  7. 7 points
    And have a great holiday season.
  8. 7 points
    Texas AG Paxton is threatening to prosecute regardless of te court's order. Beto O'Rouke summed it up nicely: “This is Texas AG Ken Paxton saying he’ll throw a woman’s doctors in prison for life if they perform a *court-granted* abortion on a *nonviable* pregnancy that risks causing her permanent infertility and death,” he said. “Still think the GOP is pro-life?” O’Rourke added.
  9. 7 points
    BREAKING; James Comer announces that they have found proof that Christmas presents Hunter Biden received in 1976 Were actually from Joe Biden And not in fact from Santa Claus Several elves are expected to give depositions
  10. 7 points
    These are the same people who think that The Donald is well-characterized by their T-shirts likening him to the second coming; who think that it's better to hurt someone you disagree with than it is to improve your own lot, because perception is reality. Me, I moved to a place where I can buy local produce and meat much of the year, and support local businesses instead of big box stores. Where I can hike and bike from close to home, and where small towns DO try things. Like setting up community care departments, to offload mental health calls from the police. Like improving rather than defunding their libraries. Like buying hybrid vehicles for public departments. Like helping to fund public transit. Like having local newspapers. Like valuing education to the degree that nearly every kid in the state has access to a good vocational school (most with a waiting list) as well as a regular high school. And, yes, studying reparations. Life is good. Wendy P.
  11. 7 points
    Donald Trump called Georgia looking for 11,780 votes. Fani Willis is only going to need 12.
  12. 7 points
    People like you that take great joy in such issues are what is dividing America. You lack the intelligence, empathy and courage to look at all sides of an issue. You think it’s fun that an entire section of America makes fun of a kind, loving, funny young girl. You have zero insight into why a music video with lyrics aimed at denigrating black America is disturbing. And energizing MAGA world. Filmed at the site of a lynching. Because you back the blue, unless they are defending the Capitol from a bunch of white folks you side with. Because those asshats spit on cops and used flags to beat them. I guess that wouldn’t have happened in a small town. so do you love or hate cancel culture? Such a conundrum. It must be painful to live life viewing everything through a left or right magnifying glass.
  13. 7 points
  14. 7 points
    Believing in a Creator is not following the science.
  15. 7 points
    So, being able to get pregnant is your standard. Okay. I can't get pregnant either. Does that make me a man? Then again, I did just retire from several decades in the Marine Corps, so maybe I have been mis-identifying all this time? I'm so confused.
  16. 7 points
    Initially. If all guns must be registered and accounted for cradle to grave, then when the police come across a gun that is not registered; they confiscate and smelt it. There will always be the "survivalist" mentality of keeping their guns locked away - in case. But, they would be locked away. It would take time, but as you say, "It's an entry point." If the NRA had a brain in their head, they would realize the amount of money they could make in education, training, etc. instead of "The libs are coming after your 2nd amendment rights!!!" I joined the NRA for one year back in the mid-80's. They must have spent ten times as much sending me fliers of fear a couple of times a month. And, we were done. Ya know, my plan is no different than what we had in the military, cradle to grave responsibility, proper training, maintenance and storage, personal accountability, no walking around base with a weapon on your hip, etc. I really don't see what the big deal is migrating that to a civilian populace.
  17. 6 points
  18. 6 points
    Democrats shouldn't be trying to negotiate exceptions, like 15 weeks; rape, incest or health of the pregnant person; etc. They should come at this from the other side: all medical procedures are allowable, with the decision resting between the person needing/wanting the procedure and the medical provider. If someone wants an exception, they have to show why any procedure should be prohibited or disallowed.
  19. 6 points
    There may be an easier way to stop being called a troll. Think hard and deep, it just might come to you.
  20. 6 points
    Federal funds for fuel retailers? Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 was considered a large Federal contribution of funds to support gas stations. PPP funds for fuel retailers? $380 BILLION???? Numerous States have provided funding for fuel stations to replace and upgrade fueling equipment. SBA provides low interest loans to gas stations. huh....it's just too easy. Every. Damn. Time. So yeah, ZERO efforts by some to investigate or put any effort into anything besides the "OMG THE SKY IS FALLING AND NOTHING WILL FIX THE WORLD SO I DON'T CARE YOU'RE ALL WRONG AND THE PLANET IS blah blah blah blah blah blah" Trolls gotta troll.
  21. 6 points
    As a person with eyes that can read the words you post here, it is obvious that you’ve got some balls to try to suggest that you’re an independent.
  22. 6 points
    And in the last 5 Presidential election cycles the Kentucky governor election predicted the presidential outcome, so this means it is like totally mathematically impossible for Trump to win.
  23. 6 points
    You made a very incorrect statement that I don't like to answer questions. The reality is that I refuse to get suckered into dead-end conversations with the "yeah, but" crowd. Look through the forums and you will see that I answer questions routinely for anyone with a desire to have a sincere conversation on any subject. When I sat down to write this, I planned to address your post in great detail. After re-reading my own words, I've changed my mind. I will not take the bait. You know as well as I do that there is no acceptable level of injuries or fatalities in skydiving. There is no skydiving discipline designed or intended as a tool for growth, so making a connection between them and any intended promotional value is a false narrative. Here are the facts: CP is a legitimate, internationally recognized discipline. In accordance with USPA bylaws, we support all ISC recognized disciplines. CP is dangerous. Statistically it's more dangerous than other skydiving disciplines. Welcome to reality. All forms of skydiving are dangerous. I wholeheartedly support all of them. Finally, you suggested that I must either believe that CP injuries and fatalities are "worth it", or that I haven't "actually thought about it seriously". Brother, you are way off base. There is NOTHING in skydiving that I haven't thought about seriously. Pretty much every moment of every day. Anyone who knows me and my priorities knows that. Five left and cut.
  24. 6 points
    That's a shame. :-( Proud Boys’ Enrique Tarrio gets record 22 years in prison for Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy
  25. 6 points
    Like a drunk using a light post. More for support than illumination.
  26. 6 points
    No. Ten years ago most conservatives, liberals, and moderates supported being able to have rational discussions with people that had disagreements on policies. They could disagree on issues without needing to vilify the individual. There was some common understanding of the importance of facts. Back then I would have considered myself a conservative except for my positions on personal liberties like marriage equality and abortion rights. Lots of my skydiving friends were way more liberal than 10 year younger me. I didn't want to destroy any of them, and I could have polite constructive conversations with them where we actually could debate the reasons behind our positions. Ten years later I absolutely wouldn't consider myself a conservative. Not because my views have changed that drastically, but because the right has sprinted off towards extremism while I remained mostly sane. I don't want to destroy the GOP, I just would like them to return to reality. I would like for there to be a sanity check around personal liberties, I would like a return to some amount of civility, and I would like people to go back to respecting facts and intellectual honesty. There are currently over a million conservatives who actually believe in the validity of QAnon. There are people way too many people that genuinely believe all of Trump's election fraud falsehoods. Lets not forget all of the anti-science and insane quackery during the peak of covid. Horse dewormer anyone? I didn't willfully sign up to have that be a significant part of my nations political environment. I don't want to destroy them, but some mental healthcare would be a compassionate response.
  27. 6 points
    You mean claim bone spurs and get a deferment?
  28. 6 points
    You mean she should fit your preconception, I imagine. So my friend who was born with both a penis (and balls) and a vagina (along with ovaries and uterus) wouldn’t fit your preconception, either, right? Would you agree more with her parents’ decision (to remove the female bits and raise as a boy because that’s what they wanted — she went on to an Army Special Forces career), or with her own adult-made decision, to live the rest of her life as the woman she always felt like? Yes, surgery and all Not everyone fits into the standard boxes. The problem is that those people still exist, and simply ignoring their reality isn’t much different from ignoring someone simply because they’re darker than you Wendy P
  29. 6 points
    Your using that word for something besides a muscle car transmission says a whole lot more about you than about whatever you're writing about. Do you use "bitches" for "women" in private? How about "queer," "faggot," "spic," "kike," and the best one of all (the n-word)? Or is "trannies" OK because it's still OK to hate them? Wendy P.
  30. 6 points
    If we, as a species, we’re worth half a shit at weighing long-term risks vs short term costs, there would be fewer McDonalds and Lipitor in the world. You’re focusing on the second half of the sentence quoted above: while it may unfortunately be true, it doesn’t negate the first half. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed back to my hotel in Ankara to take a shower. I’m a bit nasty from walking through a bunch of flooded streets today. While it’s not unheard of to flood here, apparently it’s happened more this year than anybody can remember. (I wrote that just for you Brent….this time, you can focus on the first half of the sentence and ignore the second). p.s. with only two bookends, it sounds like you have a pretty shite library.
  31. 6 points
    They are issued. Just like in the military. Officers must sign for them. They are accountable not only for their securing the weapons in a proper manner, just like in the military; they are accountable for every discharge. And, if they do not do these things, just like in the military - they can be subject to an Article 15 or court [martial] (civilian style). And, if every one was required to register their guns, ensure they were properly stored, and ammunition were to be signed for by lot number (just like in the military), and the signing party held responsible for their expenditure; then law enforcement would have a much better path to resolving crimes committed with the use of guns. A by-product of this would be people maintaining better control of their weapons and ammunition. Finally, if the police were to come across a weapon that is unregistered for any reason - it gets confiscated and smelted. Over time, the number of unregistered weapons would diminish. If we had started this after Columbine, some 350,000 children's lives would not have been impacted by gunfire and 379 school shootings would have been lessened. A by-product of this would be the ability to take a walk and not fear getting shot. But, of course as long as the other 24 states pass constitutional carry, then everyone can walk around like John Fucking Wayne and carry a gun on their hip - making the world a much safer place. /s
  32. 6 points
    He didn't claim otherwise. The defeat was of the "reich wing", which excludes moderate (traditional) Republicans. High time the moderate wing of the GOP got some balls and stood up to the MAGA loonies.
  33. 6 points
    I was reminded that lawn darts were banned after the deaths of three children. Did the ban happen because it was the right thing to do or did it happen because there was no National Lawn Dart Association with the cash to buy politicians?
  34. 6 points
    Does that mean you're gonna stop posting?
  35. 6 points
    And the avalanche of mental diarrhoea is back
  36. 6 points
    Gaetz, Boebert, MTG, Trump, Giuliani, Sidney Powell have no parallel among the Dems. Pelosi wasn't in thrall to the most extreme elements of her party when Speaker. No Dems ever rioted over bogus election fraud claims or put up slates of bogus "electors".
  37. 6 points
    HAPPY EASTER - EVERYONE.
  38. 6 points
    NPR gets less than 1% of its income from the government. It'd be much more accurate to call Clarence Thomas a donation-supported Supreme Court Justice. Wendy P.
  39. 6 points
    I suspect people who object to "Black Lives Matter" are subconsciously (or intentionally) adding in a word that isn't there, they think it means "Only Black Lives Matter". Of course that isn't what the expression says, or means. It does not mean "white lives don't matter", or "blue lives don't matter", or any other group of people anyone might care to reference. It isn't necessary to state "white lives matter" or "blue lives matter" because they have always mattered, at least in the US. It is necessary to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, because so much US history has emphatically stated that black lives don't matter.
  40. 6 points
    If you cannot understand the difference between "some impact" and "eliminated all mass shootings" then there really is no sense for you to participate in adult conversations.
  41. 6 points
    The only thing we know for sure is that whatever would have happened here, you would have blamed the Dem's....Suppose the Fed did nothing and SVB's collapse spurred bank-runs that tanked other small/mid-sized banks. You'd have been on here skewering Biden for not shoring up the financial system. Your one guiding ideology is 'Dem's Suck' and that makes it hard to take your schtick too seriously.
  42. 5 points
    Supporting Donald Trump is a condition that should be added to the DSM.
  43. 5 points
    I planted thousands of apple trees 2 weeks ago and they've produced zero apples so far. At this rate we will see the heat death of the universe before a single fruit has grown!! Grocery Stores are a scam! I gave my wife the grocery list and $200 a few mins ago and have no groceries in my pantry WTF? $200 is already gone from my wallet, you'd have to be delusional to make a list for groceries.
  44. 5 points
  45. 5 points
    I agree on not censoring. I also am not sure that some of the prolific posting is trolling but rather an indication of lack of critical thinking ability and being extremely gullible. I will admit I find some of the conspiracy posts annoying as they are devoid of any logic and end up being an endless loop of the same tired arguments and tit for tat insults.
  46. 5 points
    My first reaction is to ask why you would want to do this? It's a small industry with a limited market. I would not pick this as a high ROI opportunity. Most people that persue this are all ready involved and do it out of passion. That is why they tend to fail. They are skydivers not business men. Getting your rigging certificate is not the answer. I'm not saying that it's a bad idea just as general background and in theory could help you legally with the FAA. It's a weird gray area where all you have to do is say you are a manufacturer and you are. But in theory you need to be a rigger to do any kind of repair. But manufacturer trumps rigger... The logic gets convoluted and weird. Can you build it but then not fix it? In the end it doesn't matter. Half of your employees will be riggers. A rigging course has very little to do with what you will need to learn. Here is the real truth. There are lots of different types of riggers. And this isn't a senior vs master thing. Master means they can sign more paperwork. In theory they are more experienced and can do alterations, etc. In reality it just means they can sign things. But manufacturer tops master. A master can perform alterations approved by the manufacturer or can apply for an approval through the FAA. This gets into whether it's a TSO'd component. Non TSO'd, people just go to town on them although in theory some of these rules still apply. There are some very good master rigger manufacturers on here that will be happy to delve deep into that rabbit hole. Here is the honest truth as to what you need. You need a business degree. Or a degree in accounting. Running a business is a business in it self. Taxes payroll book keeping accounts receivable accounts payable suppliers PO's tracking records marketing finance. These are the actual skills that you need. You are going to hire someone to run production. That's a completely separate issue and the small of the two issues. Who do you need to hire. Remember I said there are different types of riggers. There are riggers that pack, there are riggers that sew, there are riggers that build, and there are riggers that design. There are ones that work in the sport industry. They pilot rigs are almost their own separate industry with limited crossover. Military is it's own thing. These groups have been cross pollinating but they are still very different from each other. Most riggers are glorified packers, and that's fine. A lot of them really are not comfortable doing even basic repairs or sewing. This is what all the classes turn out. You don't really learn to see and prepare things till you work in at least a medium size loft under the supervision of a master rigger. Some people get really into that and just live at a sewing machine. Note that they are probably not master riggers. You just need a master rigger around to theoretically be "supervising" and maybe sign something now and again. There are people that get into building things from scratch. Batches of risers jumpsuits sliders toggles pilot chutes etc. This is a different skill set. You mostly develop it from working for a manufacturer or in a larger loft. You don't learn all the secrets and esoteric knowledge from any course. There is a smaller group that delves deeper into the why rather then just the how. Designers are mad scientist with a sewing machine. You'll know them by the kackle in their laugh. All of these people have way over inflated egos for what they are. We are all a pain in the ass. There is another related category. Let's be polite and call them workers. The more common name that we often use is slaves. These are non skydiver non rigger 9-5 workers that set at machines doing repetitive tasks all day long. They are actually very valuable. If you get good ones treasure them. They come in diffrent varieties. I think Koreans are the best but any one (xxx) will do. LOL's (little old ladies) are very good if you can get them. The problem is that they are by definition old and tend to die. They are almost extinct. Wet backs are I think the last option but they can serve with enough supervision. Sewing machines. It has gotten progressively harder over the years to source good used machines. And you will need some one to work on them. I don't know what your going to do but you will be surprised at how many machines you will wind up with. Her as a thought. Don't start a company. Buy one. None of these companies are big. You might be surprised at how low an honest evaluation of their value would be. Some of these guys are getting old. Sandy Reed as an example. Or the dolphin rig. Or some one in a financial bind because they don't know how to run a business. You could pick up not just a turn key operation but maybe a TSO. That's fucking gold. All the old shit is grand fathered in and it's only getting harder to meet the new standards. Again my real advise is to go open a McDonald's or some shit like that. Any thing but a loft. If your not already married to this industry why would you dive into this water? Lee
  47. 5 points
    That assumes that they’re able to think past the current news cycle, which I think is giving them more credit than they deserve.
  48. 5 points
    Both Grinnell interview transcripts have been made available on the Facebook group. I asked Mr. Grinnell about whether the bundles were randomized (some with five, some with four, some with three, etc.). He said that he didn't see them close enough to know for sure if they were randomized or if they were the standard five packet bundle. He did say that the ransom money was kept in a safe within the vault in bags containing paper-strapped packets of various denominations and that money was then removed from those bags and packaged together. He cannot say exactly how those packets were bundled - only that typically they were bundles of five paper-strapped packets secured on either end by rubber bands. The upshot is that Mr. Grinnell explained clearly the standard operating procedure for bundling money (five paper-strapped packets secured on either end with rubber bands), but also said that he could not say for sure that was how the Cooper money was bundled. He left open the possibility that due to the emergent nature of the situation, bank employees bundled the money more quickly and thus differently than the SOP. It doesn't provide a clear answer, I know, but I think it's reasonable to assume that the money provided to Cooper on the plane was same as was found on Tena Bar.
  49. 5 points
    Analysis of the revenue generated by IRS audits vs. the cost of those audits. https://policyimpacts.org/research/67/a-welfare-analysis-of-tax-audits-across-the-income-distribution?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template Bottom line - the $20B the GOP cut from the IRS budget likely will cost the USA some $240B in lost revenue. So much for the GOP lip service about deficits and the debt.
  50. 5 points
    Both of my statements were for the sake of clarity - not for the sake of argument. I’d be willing to bet over half of the eight fatalities that occurred in 2022 were witnessed by unsuspecting bystanders who had no idea what swooping is. I’ve intentionally been terminal at <1k in both skydiving and BASE environments. I’ve also performed high performance landings with big turns on <100 sq ft canopies. I’d say the margin for error is pretty similar for all three. I don’t think the skydiving community has come to terms with this reality. The culture is, “Pulling low is stupid because there’s no point in it and you’ll eventually make a mistake and die.” Also, “BASE is extremely dangerous and if you BASE jump long enough you will eventually die.” But somehow, “Canopy Piloting is an exciting spectator friendly sport that has potential for inclusion in the Olympics and is used as a platform to promote skydiving to the general public.” There’s some serious cognitive bias occurring in the skydiving community and it contributed to the eight deaths that occurred in 2022.
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