LyraM45

Funny... I was thinking the same thing about the super right wingers who post on here (RE: reason why you can't even reply to certain people and attempt to have an educated discussion). It's true for both sides of the extreme, IMO. Every single one of your posts is "us vs. them," just like this one is. There is common ground. There is grey area. Just because you refuse to try and get there to experience doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I have to disagree. I think it was exactly what he said (or how he said it) that some people are irked by. I have a feeling if it had simply stated, "I don't agree with that lifestyle. The bible considers that sin," instead of either lumping it, or coming on the edge of lumping it or even vaguely equating it some how with beasteality, I don't think there would have been a huge issue. So with that, it's not necessarily an attack for the beliefs, but more so what he said. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Do you know how much talk A&E is getting out of this? I didn't give a damn about that network before this, and now all I hear is A&E this and A&E that. And same with the Duck Dynasty brand. Guess what? It was on the front of my mind and I checked out the network for the first time in a long time AND, for the first time, was intrigued enough to see what Duck Dynasty was. I think in this case, there is no such thing as bad publicity. As others have stated above, they do not need one show to ensure their overall life as a network. These two bit reality shows are a dime a dozen now, and soon this one will be old news and a new one will take the throne for a while. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

One of the best TV shows ever!!

You simply do not know how to..... pick and choose what you want when its convenient for what you want to believe and argue. FIFY

So a person for whom tolerance is a value must be tolerant of those who are intolerant? Your argument has some logical force, I concede. But how, then, does a tolerant person express disapproval of a racist or a homophobe? On your logic, the truly tolerant person can never do this, but instead must stay silent even when faced with viewpoints directly opposed to their values. How can change ever happen on your logic, where no one can ever stand up to the bigot and say, no, your attitude is wrong and hurtful, and we will not tolerate it? ^^ This. This is kind of what I was trying to ask, but couldn't put together in words as nicely as Andy :) Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Thanks for hashing all of that out for me. I get where you're coming from with a lot of what you said. I don't think people are trying to claim tolerance is intolerance and vice versa. Just like you said, "I'm intolerant of racists." Well, me too, but I'm not trying to say I'm tolerant by being intolerant. And you can be intolerant and it's OK. I kind of feel like you're saying it's not OK and once you are intolerant of a situation, you are no longer a tolerant person overall. Yes, there are situations or certain viewpoints (IE, racism) that I am not tolerant of. Most things that deal with any kind of blatant discrimination I would consider myself not tolerant of. And if it's a statement somebody made, it's not something I'm perceiving, and something that would be absolutely undebatable because it was said as fact-- well, that has everything to do with the statement instead of a situation you perceived. I'm not saying what you mention in #6 never happens, but saying the opposite is not true either. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I might be misunderstanding this, but are you basically saying if somebody comes out and says "all back people are awful and don't deserve to vote, don't deserve to sit at the same counter, (insert whatever you want about african americans here)," and is met with backlash, that the side that is back lashing is wrong because they are back lashing against that statement? Can you never call a racist a racist, because at that point you would be considered intolerant of a racist? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

True. And I believe if just as I believed anything else on that website. I use it as a third party fact check and, good or bad to my argument, use it credibly. On the flip side, most of the conservatives on this website that bash it and continually say it's a far from truth liberal website..... well, you better not cherry pick this and run with it and then turn around and bash the site when it doesn't support your argument. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Not every single station is listed. Within our airspace here in Oakland Center we do a pretty good job of getting most of our stations in. We've done pretty well in other areas, but some of the stations either do not have the paperwork filed to have their station in the mesowest databse, which is what we code in from to produce the ob, and some stations just don't have the equipment to do anything for an ob. If you happen to see a station that you would like listed but is not listed, let me know and I can check to see if it's in the data base and if it is, it's as simple as changing the code to have it plot on that map. OR, you can click on any metar and get to a page, IE for SFO: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/zoa/getobext.php?sid=KSFO but change the KSFO in the address bar to whatever identifier you're looking for that isn't plotted. If it's in the database it will still come up for you. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Now that I am not sure you can access publicly. I think you're talking about ITWS or TDWR. Even in my office we don't have all the readouts from the tower. I have a panel that gives me five min observations from an asos we have on field, but sometimes the tower at SFO will call and say, "hey, we're seeing winds at 15kt out of the east, whats up?" and all I see on my five minute obs is 36006kt. I can't see his TDWR read out which gives them winds in each quadrant of the airport. If I don't have it, then the public definitely won't have it! I do have an ITWS (http://www.ll.mit.edu/mission/aviation/faawxsystems/itws.html), and you're right, the resolution is phenomenal. But we had to have a special install of it-- special computer and display to port in the data from the terminal. I don't think there is any other way to access that. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

This is my offices website. We code and maintain that here. If anybody has any questions about anything or has suggestions for improvement or something they'd like displayed, let me know and we'll make it happen. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

So YOU'RE the one!! Like she said, TAFs are predictions and usually end up a tad bit off. I always hated seeing TAFs that essentially show CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) only to run into some unforecast clouds popping up and messing up my days. Now I HOPE for some IMC. Haha-- yep, that's me! Ever delayed into SFO? Probably my fault Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Just make friends with a weather person. Bug them for a forecast I'll piggy back what others have said about the tafs/metars if the airfield you're jumping at is lucky enough to have the two. Aviation Weather Centers stuff is great, but my boss coded what all of the center weather service units use now (we're basically 23 units that work for certain chunks of airspace where as aviation weather center over sees the entire country, north pacific, and atlantic). IMO, our website is a little more user friendly: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/zoa/mwmap2.php?map=zoa&wfo=&plot=0&limit=1 So, Oakland Centers airspace (but you can navigate to any other center's airspace in the country from this website via the drop down menu at the top). You can mouse over any of those stations (or even click on the bay area for a zoomed in bay area map) and get a pop up of the current taf, metar, sunrise, sunset, etc. If you click on it, it will open up a box with the last days observations decoded from the metar (if you want to see the raw metar, just click on the link at the top of the box). There will also be tabs up at the top that will allow you to see the latest pireps in the area (sometimes you can get pireps for cloud bases/tops), and in particular a RUC sounding. I could spend an hour trying to explain how to interpret a sounding, but if you want a quick estimate on cloud heights, usually you'll see a cloud deck where the red and blue lines on that sounding touch or almost touch. Right now that is about 20,000ft on most of the northern CA soundings, which is exactly where the cloud deck is being reported right now. No metar to click on to see a sounding near your DZ? I hate to link you some place outside of NOAA, but this point/click user friendly sounding is great from Reed Timmers website: http://www.twisterdata.com/index.php?prog=forecast&model=GFS&grid=3&model_yyyy=2013&model_mm=12&model_dd=11&model_init_hh=02&fhour=00¶meter=TMPF&level=2&unit=M_ABOVE_GROUND&maximize=n&mode=singlemap&sounding=n&output=image&view=large&archive=false You can click anywhere on that map and get a forecast sounding. I write the taf's for the major terminals in the bay area. It's very difficult to get cloud heights down sometimes. I definitely would not take the the local taf for gospel and think it will be like that at your dz, especially if your dz is not very close to the taf location. If you're cutting the call to go jump or not close enough to where exact cloud decks make a big difference, then I think you're over thinking it. If it's mostly cloud or overcast in the forecast, maybe don't go. If it's party cloud to sunny, then maybe head out there for the day. That probably works for most people when they're looking at jumping forecasts

And this is exactly why you can't have an educated political discussion with people like you and a few others who frequent this board because you basically take the stance of, "I don't care if it's not true, I believe it anyway," with any b.s propaganda you sling around in your political fights (like the one you're being called out on now). How are you supposed to have a conversation with somebody like that? That would be like me sitting down with a classmate at school, arguing about a math proof with me insisting my answer is correct, and then when shown just how incorrect it is, saying "I don't care what you have to say, I'm just going to believe what I originally thought anyway and I'm right." Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

For what it's worth in response to the original post-- I guess I feel like employers should offer whatever they want. If I need bc coverage for my medical needs, then I can go apply to the next shop down the road if their coverage is better. That is a private sector issue. But for the people saying it shouldn't be a part of the ACA, that I disagree with. That is a nonsecular federal issue. If your argument is that "well, I don't want to pay for somebody's sexlife," then you can start applying that to everything, IE: "I don't want to be paying for somebody's antibiotics, muscle relaxers, pain pills, seizure medicine, etc." Where do you draw the line? BTW, for all you people having a cow about your money being spent to cover hormonal forms of bc-- you do realize tax dollars are already going towards that stuff right? I can buy condoms and bc with my pre tax FSA money tomorrow if I wanted to. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Only if you're working as a prostitute where your vocation requires having sex. Otherwise non-procreative sex is just an optional recreational pursuit like skydiving. We don't expect the government to pay for jumping out of airplanes and shouldn't expect it to pay for jumping between the sheets. Abstinence has fewer side effects than hormones and costs less. Please go see my original post. Saying abstinence would be better for me is just patronizing because guess what-- I would LOVE.... like, LOVE LOVE LOVE to not be on birth control. If it was as simple as divorcing my husband and not having sex for the rest of my life, or having sex and just using condoms.... welp, I'd be all for it. But had you read my posts, you would know this is not an option. My point, now three times said, is that there are millions of women like me. We are plagued with this lengthy condition that is guaranteed to kick you in the ovaries every 3 weeks- something none of us want and we seek relief from through the form of hormones that come in birth control. Yet quite a few of you on here want to treat every case of a woman needing birth control like some whore who gets around, and/or refuses to use non hormonal forms of birth control, and doesn't deserve to be treated like any other patient needing an rx for a medical problem. I really wonder how many of you who are adamantly opposed to birth control as a covered rx no matter what the case is also opposed to viagra being covered? Is ED a medical condition? Why should I have to pay for your sexlife, right? Better question-- I wonder if Hobby Lobby covers it? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

so because you don't have an insurance plan that pays well for your rx needs, you think everybody should have the same? There shouldn't be plans out there that offer different levels of rx covereage-- some better, some worse, you get what you pay for? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

You are assuming that no other options existed to handle her medical condition. . You obviously don't know much about issues surrounding women with menstrual issues - bc its the least expensive and easiest way to tweak the hormones needed to regulate the problems that arise from this kind of thing. So again, if you believe this shouldn't be at all covered under insurance plans or under the ACA-- think about this again next time you're in dire need of antibiotics. Glad your medical necessity is deemed worthy but mine is not. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Condoms are less expensive. Your FAVORITE form of BC costs you 80/month. Why should I be forced to pay for your BC? Why can't you and your sexual partner pay that cost? What other things do you think it would be nice to get others to pay for? I'd like you to chip in each month so I can have a few beers.... Is that OK to you? How about so I can make a few jumps? omfg...this is the second time I've been over this. Lets go over this again as I already did upthread: My birth control is a medical necessity! There is a favorite because I pick the one that has the least amount of side effects (some bc pills were absolutely devastating to me with the side effects, and if it were up to me I wouldn't be on it at all). There is no choice. I've been on birth control almost since I started my period and it was causing me to miss school days. I would LOVE to use condoms and have that regulate my period. Chemical free without the side effects? That would be AWESOME!!!! But sadly, that is not an option for me. So, if your beers were a medical necessity, I would be happy to chip in for them. Need antibiotics ever? Glad I can chip in for that medical necessity too. "My FAVORITE bc." Jebus, you guys have to be kidding me!!! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Really? My birth control is $80/month!!! Luckily my insurance pays for half of it, but I have friends who aren't so lucky! If that's the case and I have no reason to doubt you then what makes it someone else's responsibility to pay for you to have the sex life you desire to have? Since pregnancy is not a sickness or Disease then why should the prevention thereof be paid for by the rest of us? I guess along the same lines so as not to discriminate should employers be required to subsidize condoms? I still like the statement "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other peoples money". What does that have to do with my sex life? I've been on birth control since a very young age to regulate awful periods that would force me to stay home sick and miss school for a few days a month every single month. So excuse me, but that IS a sickness. I wasn't having sex when I was 13, but I was on birth control. ETA: So, if you're sick and need antibiotics, is it OK that it's somebody elses responsibility to pay for something to heal your sickness? I bet for you it is, so why not for me? No offense, but you sound really thick! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Really? My birth control is $80/month!!! Luckily my insurance pays for half of it, but I have friends who aren't so lucky! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I delivered solid for 2 years, and then for summers only when I was home for the next 2 years during college. Other than that, I also tended bar and served at restaurants all through college, so that said, my opinion on tipping may be slightly weighted one way due to my experience. For pizza-- I'll piggy back what others have said. I delivered for Dominoes both in FL while I was at school, and in little old williamstown NJ when home for the summers. Anybody who's been to xkeys knows williamstown-- it can get rural out the outskirts of town. So, for those of you like skymama who realized the further you live makes the driver have to go further, more wear and tear on the car, and more time out of rotation missing out on $$ on other deliveries. If you realize this and tip more, then that is super sweet! :) In general though on a normal order with a couple pizzas and a soda or something and you don't live 25 minutes round trip from the pizza place-- $2-3 is good. Hell, just a buck or two is good if it's close and an easy delivery. If it's a hefty order with quite a few pies, bunch of sides, and drinks that someone is carrying in the pouring rain to take to your door step, then $3-5 bucks is usually pretty good. And if you live on the edge of the delivery area? $3-5 is good even if it's a light order. I don't want to take this into an argument on tipping and why or how much people should tip, or why we have this tipping thing in this country anyway, but I will tell people that tipping gets you a long way when it comes to being a regular somewhere. Standing in the local pub that is crowded and trying to get up to the counter to get a drink? Guess what, if you are a regular and are known for stiffing, the person next to you who tips is going to get served first. Order pizza and don't even give a dime to the driver? I bet your food has some dna in it (for what it's worth, I have NEVER done anything like that, but being around the business, I've heard plenty of stories!) or if the driver is faced with multiple deliveries in one run, yours will be the last to be dropped off for sure. So, take it from me and take care of your servers and delivery drivers, especially if you are a regular!

+1, I suppose he has failed....which was predicted early on. Well, if it something you don't agree on, then I guess you won't see it as positive. Quick example-- I think equal rights/opportunity extended to all americans regardless of sexual orientation is a huge positive, but I'm sure there are people who don't agree with that and don't see it as positive at all. I don't like a lot of things this president has done. LOTS. But.... to say there is not one thing positive that has happened out of his presidency is exactly the kind of 'bullshit' you're talking about in your post, IMO. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I jumped a PD after I got my A license as the first canopy I could afford. Loaded very similar to you, I think. I got spanked so hard on an opening that I was out of jumping for about 3 months, and to this day still have issues where my neck/shoulder meet on my left side. It was packed by a packer that day, but it could have happened when I packed it too....and I'm sure my poor body position as a newly licensed skydiver did not help me either. Anywho, all I am going to mention is F-111 is definitely not as forgiving as some of the zp stuff....although there are zp canopies out there that are known for spanking too. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)