skydiver30960

I would have to disagree. For me the issue is that this was done on private property. Doing something like this on state trust land or DNR or NP land: no problem, go for it. The other issue I have with this situation is that it should have been very easy for the DEA to get the warrants it needed. I'm sure a pittance of evidence would have been all that was necessary to justify placing the cameras with a warrant. Doing this very small amount of homework would have made the case much stronger, and eliminated this whole issue in the first place. Elvisio "it's like not filing your taxes because you think the 1040EZ takes too long" Rodriguez

No dime for human curiosity? Oh, come on. It's such a small part of the budget and science, even pure science, can eventually reap huge rewards. I agree with JM on this one. I also look at it the same way a sprint runner will improve his sprint times by running longer distances: it's sort of like cross training for the good of mankind. The expanding knowledge base provided by exploring space will help us down here. Finally, what NASA has accomplished in the "bang for the buck" category with their last few rover missions is INCREDIBLE. The Spirit and Opportunity were each slated for 90 day missions. The Spirit shut down (finally) after 2,695 days, and Opportunity is still going after 3200+ days! I think a huge part of why we undervalue these missions are is how little we (as average joes) understand about the subject matter. Elvisio "keep 'em roving" Rodriguez

I've seen pornos where women pleasure themselves with a bottle, but a WHOLE CASE? That takes... talent? Elvisio "or maybe she just has REALLY strong adductors" Rodriguez

Spent a year or so in Sumter, which is where Shaw is, IIRC. This was when Blue Sky Adventures was open, and it was heaven. Unfortunately BSA's gone now. For small DZ vibe, try Skydive Walterboro. I've never been but this is where a lot of the BSA locals ended up. For big DZ vibe, it's Skydive Carolina. AWESOME DZ with tons of great folks. Not the birthplace of, but unofficially the U.S. home of the Rodriguez Brotherhood. About a 2 hour drive from Sumter, it's worth driving three times that far. I'm jealous: I love South Carolina. Sumter is a nice central location: close to Charleston (my fav city in the state), Columbia, and I-95 for travel north and south. Sumter isn't exactly a bustling metropolis, but it has what you need to survive. Elvisio "much more humid than AZ, though" Rodriguez

Heh, we just got a new flatscreen at work (only 42" or so though, sheesh) but the yellow sticker on the front said it had an estimated yearly operating cost of... $9! Nine bucks to rot my brain for a YEAR? Yes, please! Elvisio "the opiate of the masses is getting cheaper and cheaper" Rodriguez

The most surprising thing for me is that more people DON'T. Especially in a "multiple votes allowed" poll, how can one NOT? Elvisio "motorboat" Rodriguez

Sunny and in the 80s here, not a cloud in the sky. I was this close ->

Thanks for the opinions, everyone. It seems that DZ.com as a whole has just about the same feeling that I do: that it seems interesting, but isn't working in its present iteration. ...which bothers me. I think I'm most enamored by what I think 3D SHOULD be, and maybe COULD be at some point in the future. But I think the sci-fi "holographic progression" kind of 3D isn't coming anytime in the NEAR future, and surely will require a quantum leap in equipment. So, I guess I'll take it off the "required" list but not be afraid to pick it up if the price is right for a novelty option on an otherwise solid TV. Thanks! Elvisio "and as far as Vivid in 3D is concerned, NO POV shots!" Rodriguez

Who wouldn't vote for boobies 60" across? I know, but also weigh in on the OTHER issue at hand. The wife and I are contemplating a new flatscreen and I'm wondering what everyone thinks about 3D. I'm aware of the different ways manufacturers generate the 3D image and the pros and cons of each. I'm more interested to hear what you all think about the movement in general: will we be seeing more and more 3D entertainment, such as movies, shows, and games? Or, is it a fad that's going to go the way of the Dodo and Betamax? Elvisio "Dude, you're smudging the screen" Rodriguez ETA: I know, I left off an option for "don't waste money on a TV at all" or "read a book." My addiction is simply far too well entrenched to suffer such frivolous thoughts.

...tell my wife I love her. Elvisio "so sweet it's sappy" Rodriguez

Definitely a repost. But, worth the second viewing. Elvisio "Fuck the world? No, fuck your L-spine" Rodriguez

...they're fun, but they're expensive as hell to have and maintain. ...and even if you do everything right, they can still hurt you badly. Elvisio "it's like the theater-mask thingies" Rodriguez

So, if 1,000,000 pounds Sterling is your best price for your "Spitfire found in Burma could be made airworthy" I will send you a certified cheque for 2.000.000 Sterling Currency drawn from an account in Madagascar, and kindly ask that you forward the product to my good friend who is in French Guyana and also kindly ask that you send me back the balance of the money to me via Western Union. I would also ask that you provide me your bank account and PIN numbers so that this transaction can best be facilitated quickly. Elvisio "sounds legit!" Rodriguez

Not dissing the DC-3 nor the Spitfire, but what about the B-52? Not nearly as romantic and ugly as hell, but... First flight in 1952 paired with USAF mumblings suggesting it'll be in service until 2040 or beyond... 88+ year tour of service? Impressive. Elvisio "E ticket?" Rodriguez

HEEEEEELLLLL no. For that price, I'd be flying the thing off the showroom floor myself! No chance I'd let somebody else's butt scuff up the seat of that bird. Elvisio "or let them scuff up any other part of it, either" Rodriguez

This is a great time in which to live. We're making advances that point to humanity moving in a lot of neat directions (space, medicine). Assuming we don't annihilate ourselves in the meantime... but that's a conversation for another thread, probably in SC. But WRT space exploration, I am honestly a little bummed: we're at a point where we can SEE all this really cool stuff out there, but we're not technologically advanced to GO there yet. It's like we're stuck outside the candy store, leaving smudges on the plate glass window, while all those tantalizing sweets are just out of our reach. And when I say "GO there," I mean ME. Going to other planets. Preferably in some sporty, faster-than-light spaceship, like anything from the Hitchhiker Guide series of books. Elvisio "Well, anything other than the ship powered by bad news, or a Vogon Constructor vessel" Rodriguez

A new game brought to you by Waltappel Elvisio "blast from the past" Rodriguez

Rook, Pawn? In bold above! Elvisio "I am now 'board' with this conversation " Rodriguez

Pilates? Seeing a chiropractor? Just standing straighter? Elvisio "shoulders back, head up" Rodriguez

I'll have to 'check' into this particular factoid to make sure you aren't rooking me. I hate being a pawn in the jokes of others. Elvisio "bishop knight king queen: there, said them all" Rodriguez

Good to see Leisure Suit Larry is making a comeback. I also thought I'd never see a site as archaic and labyrinthine as the OLD Skydive Orange site. I'm not sure, but Al Lowe's site may have at least TIED for that honor. Elvisio "Old School is Real School" Rodriguez

Not real engineers: their musical skills sucked, but they were still MUCH better off than ANY engineer I ever met. I never understood how men and women so mathematically inclined could have such terrible rhythm. Elvisio "wait, I was one of those" Rodriguez

If she wasn't such a good friend... Elvisio "nice try though" Rodriguez

Need a hand with a SERIOUSLY pointless issue. A friend wants to name her car. She drives a reasonably tuned white Mitsubishi so she wants to name it White Hotness. But, she wants to name it in Japanese, of course. So who speaks Japanese (or knows someone) well enough to translate White Hotness or something similar such as White Heat into Japanese? While the kanji would be seriously awesome from a graphics standpoint, I think the thing she'd like most would be the phonetic spelling so she'd know how to pronounce it. FOR THE RECORD: we DID try several online translators and our phone apps and of course none of them came up with the same answer, because as we know, translating apps suck. This place rocks! Elvisio "Bonfire: better than wikipedia" Rodriguez PS While not a sport jumper, the aforementioned friend did a tandem a few months ago at Eloy, so she's one of the fold.

WTF is that? Some sick cat based sauce? Kitten killer!!!!!!! So you're saying he covers his food with the "sauce" that comes from killing kittens? Elvisio "nobody seems to be on topic today, so just jumping on the bandwagon" rodriguez