Douva

I always liked this one.... I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Ray Dream Studio 5 used to be pretty good (was about a $250 program, I think), but it may be a little dated now. It takes some real computer knowledge to start using it well--It's not just drag and drop like a lot of 3D programs. If you don't have the manual, try to track it down. The tutorials will help a lot. --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Short answer: Students are less likely to brain lock right out the door, if they've already made two jumps. Long answer: Students are able to slowly acclimatize themselves to the feelings of free fall and canopy flight without being responsible for their own lives from the very beginning. Student injuries go down, and instructors die of heart attacks less frequently. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Josh, Check your repack card to make sure you are in date. Then check your reserve seal to make sure the thread is intact--They break very easily, and it's common to not notice until you're getting a gear check. Be sure to bring your log book and your USPA membership card/license. When traveling to a new drop zone, always ask about the ground elevation at the DZ. If the elevation is considerably higher, your canopy will fly faster. If it's considerably lower, your canopy will fly slower. Skydive Dallas is only about 300 feet higher than Skydive San Marcos, so you shouldn't notice any real difference. If they forget to show you an aerial, be sure to ask to see one. Make sure you know the drop zone specific obstacles (the DZ I trained at was right next to a maximum security prison) and landing pattern rules. Other than that, just have fun, and don't be afraid to ask manifest for help finding someone to jump with. Blue skies, Douva PS. Directions to Skydive Dallas can be found at http://www.skydivedallas.com/directions.htm. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I go through all the trouble of competing at Nationals, and my Nationals T-shirt doesn't even say "COMPETITOR" on the back. All of the other competitors got Nationals T-shirts that say "COMPETITOR" on the back, but not me. Brains and I decided to be cool and both wear our "COMPETITOR" shirts on the airplane today, but when I went to put mine on, it was missing the "COMPETITOR." So, instead of looking cool, I looked like Brains's towel boy. --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

No skysurfing? Those bastards. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

All of the standings are on omniskore.com. Final skysurf standings were the same as the preliminary standings I posted yesterday. L.A.S.T. did indeed finish last (or, as we like to call it, fourth.) That was Rob Harris (no, not that Rob Harris; yes, that is really his name) skysurfing in his underwear with smoke cannisters tapped to the front and back of his board. The smoking underwear jump was his and Larry's big finale. He and Crazy Larry beat us out for the bronze (the only real competition in the event). After we were done competing, he and I tried a 2-way skysurf, but we never got together. We're going to try it tomorrow out of the Skyvan and see if that goes a little better. There should be plenty of fun jumping going on, so come hang out. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Skysurfing standings after 3 rounds: 1. Firestarter 2. Elsinore Electric 3. Crazy Lemur 4. L.A.S.T. (Ironic?) Most of us have already completed 4 rounds, but the 4th won't be scored until Firestarter has completed their 4th. We still have one compulsory and two free rounds to go. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Those adventure racers are amazing athletes. I'm sure his death will be a real loss for the sport. If someone on a "reality show" had to die, why couldn't it have been someone from Wife Swap or Extreme Makeover or one of those other stupid shows that really need an excuse to get canceled? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Tell you what, Lawrence--It doesn't look like we'll be competing until Saturday, so just holler at me on Thursday or Friday, if you need any tips. Seriously, though, I may be plying you guys with questions all weekend, so just whack me upside the back of my head with your board if I get to annoying. I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys, as well as the other skysurfers at Nationals. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Ok, how about smoking. What if the school banned the kid from getting a picture with him smoking and holding a packet of Marlboros into the yearbook. Would you support Philip Morris or some pro-smoking group taking the school to court? Basically substitute the gun with anything else that is forbidden on school premises and I think the school has a right to exclude it from the year book at their discretion. Would you agree that the same standard should be applied to a fencing champion pictured in his uniform, holding his sword, and wearing a gold medal? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I assume you mean this film and not the 1986 Chuck Norris/Lee Marvin action hit [url"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090927/"]The Delta Force[/url]. Were you a stuntman? Who did you used to work with? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

200 jumps (C license) is a good ballpark. You don't need to be a great freeflyer, but you need to be able to hold a stable sit and stand, and you need to be able to do standing layouts. I think Perris Valley (outside Los Angeles) is the only DZ that consistently offers skysurf training. Your other option, when you get the experience to start, is to rent a beginner board from SurfFlite and study the training video that comes with it. Or you can come down to Texas, and I'll teach you. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

One of the NRA's primary objectives is improving the image of guns and gun ownership in America. In pursuit of that objective, standing up against a school that disallows images of guns being used for lawful sporting purposes makes sense. The school has a zero tolerance policy toward violence, drugs, and alcohol. Skeet shooting doesn't fall into any of those categories. Are archery pictures also banned? What about Tae Kwon Do? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Something like 20 people from my DZ went and saw it together. It's Awwwessssommme! --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

You had one of the coolest looking SCR's I've ever seen. When y'all broke into two separate rounds and started rotating the pieces, at the end of the jump, you looked like an add for MasterCard. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Definitely an awesome time. Thanks for bringing that Skyvan to Texas, Aggieland--You pulled L.A.S.T.'s collective asses out of the "there are no f***ing tailgate aircrafts in Texas" fire. I really enjoyed meeting those of you who I met, and if you were there and I didn't meet you, I'll catch you next time. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Name your source. I decided to look it up myself. This false statistic is derived from the number of licensed gun dealers in the U.S., not the number of "gun retailer outlets." Just because someone has obtained a license to sell firearms, that doesn't mean they operate a "retail outlet" or even sell guns on a regular basis. Until recently, when the government started cracking down, obtaining an FFL was a popular way for people without criminal backgrounds to buy guns at wholesale prices. A quick search of the listings in Austin, Texas (a fairly gun friendly/health conscious city) shows almost twice as many McDonalds restaurants as gun shops. If you really stand by your stated statistic, do the research and name for me five US cities with populations over 500,000 that have more gun shops (actual retail storefronts dedicated to selling firearms) than McDonalds restaurants. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Name your source. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

moderate: 1. avoiding extremes I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Violence can sometimes lead to more violence. But it can also stop a violent offender in his tracks. Pacifism does absolutely nothing to stop violence and can, in some cases, allow violence to flourish. The truth is, violence is here to stay. Carrying or owning a gun, in and of itself, does not propagate violence. I can carry a concealed handgun day in and day out without anybody knowing about it. Having the gun doesn't inspire me to walk down dark alleys alone or start arguments with people who cut me off in traffic. It doesn't do anything whatsoever to spread violence. If somebody pulls a gun on me and asks for my money, I don't intend to test the speed of my quick draw against the speed of his trigger finger. Just because I have the gun on me, I don't have to draw it at the first sign of danger. But if I ever see a woman being dragged away kicking and screaming by a man with a gun, like the couple in the story saw, you had better believe I won't be left completely helpless the way they were. You can play the "how would a gun help you in this situation" game all day. Anyone with common sense knows a gun won't help you in every situation, but in many situations, it can even the odds or even slant them in your favor. If you don't want a gun, don't buy one, but quit working to take guns away from law abiding citizens who are of little or no threat to you or society. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Well, I know I'm a day late, but happy belated birthday, man. Enjoy those low car insurance premiums. --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Registration and licensing are only required to operate a vehicle on PUBLIC streets. Twelve year olds legally operate unregistered pickup trucks on farms all over the country. Likewise, most states require licensing to cary a gun in public. The anti-gun notion that we regulate guns less than cars really doesn't hold water. I've never seen a federal background check to buy a car, and I've never seen anyone wait over three months for two federal fingerprint checks and an extensive federal background check to be processed for their driver license. I can see your point about the flaw in my comparison, though. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

And a lot of 16 year olds aren't responsible enough to own cars, but we don't raise the driving age to 18 or 21 or 25 because of a few bad apples. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Do you understand the difference between being scared and being prepared? I really hate the "I refuse to live in fear" attitude as an excuse for refusing to be prepared. Wearing a seat belt is not living in fear. Teaching your children not to talk to strangers is not living in fear. Owning a fire extinguisher is not living in fear. Owning a gun is not living in fear. Keeping bottled water and canned food in your closet is not living in fear. The "I refuse to live in fear" argument is usually indicative of people who refuse to live in reality. They refuse to accept the fragile, random nature of life, instead claiming that to prepare for any uncertainty would be giving into fear. The truth is, people living today are safer than they have ever been; however, life still contains many variables beyond our control, and there is nothing wrong with taking steps to prepare for these contingencies. Contrary to what many proponents of gun control seem to believe, gun owners do not live in constant fear for their lives. Most of them feel fairly safe in their day-to-day lives. Rather, I would offer that it is the gun control advocates who are really living in fear. They are so afraid of what they don't understand that they wish to ban a tool that has been around for half a millennium, despite facts that, at best, offer flimsy support for their cause and, at worst, completely contradict their claims. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.