GeorgiaDon

I learned a new term yesterday: "hospital pass". Geoff Hoon, who was the British Defense Secretary when Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded (the British military was involved, not just the American), put the blame for the Afghanistan situation on the "peace treaty" Trump negotiated with the Taliban, and said Trump threw Biden a "hospital pass". I had to look it up as I had not heard the term before. A hospital pass comes from Rugby but it's sometimes used for other sports, it's when you avoid being tackled yourself by passing the ball to another player who then immediately takes a hard tackle that could put them in the hospital. Sounds to me like a good description of what has happened here. Don

I do wonder, though, what exactly the police are supposed to do in situations like this. Background for those who don't care to click on the link: House is up for sale and unoccupied. A couple of weeks before a squatter was living there, or the house was broken into (I've seen both reported in different stories). Squatter/burglar was arrested, and homeowner asked a neighbor to keep an eye on the place. Neighbor sees a black man enter the house and he (or she) calls the police and reports that the same squatter/burglar is back. Even reports the person is driving the same vehicle as they were when they were previously arrested. Very explicit that it is the same person back again. Neighbor then reports that two more people have shown up and entered the house. Police respond and surround the house. People inside see the police and come out with their hands up. They are handcuffed and put in patrol cars for questioning. It is quickly established that the first person is a realtor and the other two are clients (father and son) who wanted to look at the house (bet they aren't interested any more!). People are released and an apology is given. No question that the neighbor who called the police jumped to a conclusion, apparently based on nothing more than skin color. Even the report that vehicle was the same was wrong. So how should the police have responded to the neighbor's 911 call, given that the neighbor was very explicit that the squatter/burglar was back and had brought accomplices?

I am vastly more impressed with Victor Vescovo, who funded the development of a submersible vehicle he then personally piloted to the deepest point in every ocean. During these dives a lot of real science was done, including the discovery of over 50 new species of deep-sea animals. For his ~$50 million investment we have a submersible capable of reaching and exploring every point in the world's oceans. Don

You don't say if you passed the levels. What did your instructors say about how you did? Many jumpers experienced setbacks, less than perfect jumps during their AFF progression. Skydiving doesn't just come naturally to many people, it's something you have to work at to learn how to control yourself in the air. Just a guess, but your experience on your second jump may indicate you tensed up and were fighting the air, which isn't at all unusual. I think I was told I had to relax more after each of my first 3 or 4 jumps. Did you meet the goals of the jump? Were you aware of your altitude, and did you pull on time? If so you did fine. If not, it's common to have to re-do a level, or even multiple levels. You will progress faster, and have more fun, if you are in good shape so that is always a worthwhile goal. However you should be aware that if you take a long time off to get in shape you will have to go back a bit in your training. The point of having several levels to AFF is to build survival skills, and too big of a gap will interfere with that. If you are having trouble relaxing, maybe a tandem jump where you don't have the stress of performing can help you to relax and experience more of the fun, and help you get in the mindset to carry on with AFF. Also as has been suggested a better fitting jumpsuit could help you to fall faster and have better control without fighting a lot of flapping fabric. If you are very light, though, some added weight may still be needed so your instructors can fly with you. If you can't stop thinking about skydiving, and your instructors didn't give you the "take up bowling instead" speech, you can work past these very common early self-doubts.

It's tough when there is a delay between your class and your first jump, as there is a lot to remember. However the first jump course provides you with information you may need to save your life. What was it that you "didn't remember"? (Don't answer that, just think about it.) If it was emergency procedures, for example, not remembering could get you killed if you are unlucky and have a malfunction on your first jump. Your radio may malfunction, and you'll have to remember the landing pattern on your own. Did you review the material before going to the drop zone? Did you (perhaps unintentionally) convey the impression that you didn't take things all that seriously to your instructor? In any non-tandem jump, you are completely responsible for getting to the ground and back to the hanger safely. Your instructors cannot deal with a malfunction, or steer you back to the landing area, or ensure you flare on time etc. If they are not confident that you could do those things unassisted, they are doing their job to have you wait until you have mastered the first jump course material. If you really want to give skydiving a try, you won't let a minor setback like this discourage you. Assume your instructor has your best interests at heart, and they did not feel you were ready to jump. Review all the material, and go back with the goal of proving you are ready for the next step.

Apparently he also thinks that the people who were murdered in the Pulse nightclub mass shooting were the ones to blame. Perhaps if they weren't gay they wouldn't have needed killing? But really, I think that post was just his usual trolling, saying outrageous things to get a response. Pretty sad, really, that anyone needs that sort of validation.

If you are satisfied to be a minion and not the boss perhaps you need a bit of an ambition upgrade. If the felon was to pretend to be someone else (his or her wife in this case) in order to fraudulently claim and use a professional license, that would be identity theft and fraud, both felonies. Just keep digging that hole deeper and deeper! That is what is called a straw purchase. According to the Georgia Code: (b) Any person who is on probation as a felony first offender pursuant to Article 3 of Chapter 8 of Title 42 or who has been convicted of a felony by a court of this state or any other state; by a court of the United States including its territories, possessions, and dominions; or by a court of any foreign nation and who receives, possesses, or transports any firearm commits a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not less than one nor more than five years; provided, however, that if the felony as to which the person is on probation or has been previously convicted is a forcible felony, then upon conviction of receiving, possessing, or transporting a firearm, such person shall be imprisoned for a period of five years. The purchaser has also committed a felony. That hole just keeps getting deeper! Your "client" is an idiot. Don

Absolutely. A lot of this falls under what I called "tribalism". Also there is the celebration of individualism to the extent that it is seen (in some circles) as a sign of weakness to even acknowledge that one receives any benefit from living in a wealthy developed society. Many people take all the societal infrastructure for granted and assume that they achieved everything in their life alone, unassisted by anyone, and everyone around them is trying to take things away from them. Don

Here are some suggestions about factors contributing to the high rate of violence with firearms in the US compared to other first-world countries, based on my personal experience having lived in Canada for ~30 years, in Europe for a few years, and in the US for ~30 years. 1. Although there are angry people everywhere, there seem to be a lot more of them in the US. This includes everything from people who feel unfairly treated by the world to people who have learned that they can often intimidate other people and so get what they want by being hyper aggressive and threatening. Such people rarely if ever recognize that they contribute to their own problems in various ways and instead blame everyone else. Related to this is the fact that US culture is more competitive in a sink-or-swim sort of way, with almost all the emphasis on "you're on your own" and much less on "you're part of a society and we all need to look out for one another". 2. Economic disparities are larger in the US than in comparable first-world countries, with more barriers to moving out of the economic class to which you are born. The latter seems paradoxical in a country that prides itself on a culture that claims that anyone can get ahead by nothing more than hard work. However even a small contact with the "justice system" can create lifelong barriers to advancement, and such contact is much more likely for the poor, and for non-whites (although poor white people can be impacted for sure). As an example, in Georgia almost any felony conviction, which could be for possession of a tiny amount of pot, or (until recently) theft of anything worth more than $50, leads automatically to a lifetime ban on qualifying for a state license for anything. This means you can never work in nearly 80 professions state-licensed professions, including becoming a barber, cosmetologist, electrical contractor, plumber, conditioned air contractor, auctioneer, utility contractor, registered trade sanitarian, and scrap metal processor, among others (https://georgiaopportunity.org/access-professional-licenses-benefit-returning-citizens/). BTW this is the sort of thing that is included in "critical race theory"). These issues contribute to point 1. 3. The US is more tribal than any other developed country I have lived in. People tend to view members of other tribes with suspicion at best, and open hostility at worst. Members of other tribes are often seen as not fully human, and as undeserving of equal treatment under the law. Successful members of "other tribes" are often assumed to have gained their success unfairly (government handouts, affirmative action, white privilege, etc) rather than by honest effort. This contributes to point 1, and reduces "others" to "not really American" or "not fully human". 4. Although the US has laws against violent behavior, there is more acceptance of the idea that violence is sometimes necessary. American culture tends to celebrate the "outlaw", be it the John Wayne-style gunslinger or the hip-hop gangster. Cold-blooded killers who murdered numerous innocent people become folk heroes (Billy the Kid, Bonny & Clyde, etc). Although few would recommend using violence as the first resort to get your way, many quietly accept that sometimes you "just have to stand up and do what you have to do". We see this strongly in "stand your ground" laws that place "standing up and not allowing yourself to be pushed around" over retreating (even when it would be easy to avoid violence), even if the result is people being killed or maimed. The US entertainment industry is largely built around the idea that violence is sometimes the best response (probably because violence is more exciting and makes for more interesting story lines than negotiation and diplomacy). Also the US is much more militaristic than other developed countries, which (rightly or wrongly) supports the notion that violence is sometimes (or often) an appropriate way to respond to a challenge. 5. Firearms are easily accessible. Even if you are legally prohibited and so can't buy from a licensed dealer, you can easily get whatever you want through a private sale. Firearms are easily accessible in other countries. You can buy a semi-automatic rifle (but not a handgun) for hunting in Canada. So why is crime involving firearms less common by a wide margin in other countries? I suggest it's the combination of points 1-4, and no doubt others. How can this be fixed? I have no idea, certainly not in the short term. Perhaps that is why gun control is so attractive, it seems to be more "do-able" than fixing all the other things that lead to a relatively large population of angry people who can justify to themselves that violence is sometimes necessary, and anyway all those other people aren't really people, or Americans, or whatever. Don

Next summer I will be teaching a field biology course in the Ecuadorian cloud forest and the Galapagos. Currently Ecuador requires proof of vaccination against Covid-19, otherwise you have to test negative and quarantine before moving around within the country, which greatly complicates trying to get any of the coursework done. On the other hand here in Georgia the governor signed an executive order banning anyone (including universities) from requiring vaccination or even asking about vaccination status. I've no idea how this is supposed to work out. Fortunately I've got a while to figure it out.

When I applied for permanent residence I had to prove I had had all the listed vaccinations. Unfortunately my parents had misplaced by childhood vaccination records, as well as records showing I had had chicken pox and measles, so I had to get all the vaccinations done over. I wasn't too bad though, and now I'm nicely boosted for everything.

Yep, he knew he was throwing away the South. But he thought it would just be for a generation. Little did he suspect... Don

In part, it had to do with "shrink government to a size where you can drown it in a bathtub". Deeper, and more insidious than that, it goes back to white people not wanting to pay taxes to provide services to freed slaves. Boston historian Heather Cox Richardson writes about this from time to time on her blog/newsletter. And yes (before someone brings this up), this was the policy of the Democrats when they were dominated by Southern politics and the Dixiecrats, before the Democratic and Republican parties traded souls around the time Republicans went all in on the Southern Strategy. Hard to believe that at one time the Republicans were the party of civil rights. Also hard to believe they have become the New American Fascist Party, but there you go. Don

I disagree. A minimum tax could work. Don

She's in deep trouble then. Don

Sensory overload on jump 1 is very common. You may have done better than you think but just don't remember, a common byproduct of sensory overload. You did pull by yourself which suggests you were more aware than you remember. The overload thing should get better with each jump as you gain experience. I bet you will find your next jump to be a very different experience. Don

The "no jurisdiction excuse" is free license for a losing president to do absolutely anything in the lame duck session to hold on to power. Even worse, if the Senate is controlled by the same party as the outgoing president belongs to they can simply refuse to schedule the trial and allow an impeachment to "expire" without being addressed. This is of course what Moscow Mitch did. No doubt if the outgoing President was a Democrat they would have managed to get the trial done, just as they got Barrett confirmed to the supreme court after arguing a year was too rushed for Garland (among other excuses). The Republican Party has truly shown themselves to be the American Fascist Party, determined to hang on to power at the cost of American democracy. The next time we elect a Republican Senate and a Republican to the White House there will never need to be another legitimate election, as this batch of fascist hypocrites had laid out a road map to establishing a dictatorship.

Barry Manilow. Maybe put "Mandy" on a loop, over and over and over...

I agree with you that what he did to incite the mob and send them to attack Congress to stop the count of the electoral votes and to go after Pence, Pelosi, and other so-called "traitors" was obviously criminal. However Alan Dershowitz is already arguing that what Trump did was "protected political speech", perfectly legal under the first amendment. I expect that to be the main line of defense at the Senate trial, perhaps alongside the argument that it is unconstitutional for the Senate to try an ex-president. Dershowitz, you may recall, argued at the first impeachment trial that a president could violate any law so long as he believed that it would be in the interests of the country for him to do so, even if the President would also benefit. That was the ultimate get out of jail free card of course. In Dershowitz's world it seems the President can do anything, perhaps including leading an insurrection, as long as the President believes that the country will be better off if he stays in power (even as a dictator) rather than let Biden take over. The President, congresscritters, and many government officials enjoy broad immunity from prosecution or being sued for things they do while exercising their lawful duties. If it were not so, everyone in government would be buried alive under lawsuits brought by any and everyone who disagreed with their decisions and government could not function. The question re Trump is, will his lawyers (Dershowitz et al) be able to convince a court that he was acting in his legal capacity as President to summon a mob, get them enraged, and sic them on Congress to block an essential government function (the peaceful transition of power). This might be where we get to see if there really are "Trump judges" on the Supreme Court.

While I would be happy to see him rendered destitute I don't see that happening. His whole life has been spent around lawsuits, even when he loses he just appeals until the other side runs out of money. At his age he can easily use legal games to run out the clock. I would hope that felony criminal charges including incitement of insurrection and felony murder would be a different matter.

I wonder if Trump will have actual legal liability from the insurrection. Will he be able to claim immunity as he was performing an "official act" as President? I would like to see him charged and tried in court. The impeachment and Senate trial is purely political of course, with no criminal penalties. If I, as a private citizen, was to organize or participate in a crime and as a result people were killed, I would be charged with felony murder. It's not necessary to be the "trigger man" to be charged or convicted.

Well I suppose when they're covered in shit that might make them sticky.

These photos are emblematic of the damage Trump and his enablers have done to this country. There is no way such a military presence should be necessary at an inauguration, which should be a celebration of democracy. I hate it that they have created such an environment of alarm and fear. It also sickens me that after all this they are playing the "can't we all get along", "let's let bygones be bygones" tune. Republicans need to be treated as if they are the viper in the story about the "farmer and the viper" (or it's many variants, such as "girl and serpent" etc).

Bad cut and paste from the article. First they quote her sister, then her sister's husband. It's clear in the article that Cave is the husband of the dead lady's sister. Of course, in parts of Georgia anything is possible, he could be her husband, brother-in-law, and biological brother all at the same time I suppose.

Most of the fast turnover countries are parliamentary democracies as I am sure you know. The structure of government is very different and leadership can change unexpectedly, as for example with a vote of non-confidence or if someone calls a snap election and miscalculates/loses. Bureaucrats do all the day-to-day work and can carry on irregardless (there's a deep state for you!) so it's easier for politicians to play musical offices without gumming up the works too badly. Having lived under a parliamentary democracy (Canada) for half my life and the US system for the other half, I think the parliamentary system works better. If a leader is a total screw up it's a lot easier to get rid of them. Plus, I would have loved to see Bush or Trump be forced to appear in Congress to take questions from the "loyal opposition" at frequent intervals. Also minority governments force the ruling party to compromise and adopt at least some policy priorities of smaller parties in order to form alliances.