algboy

I'd be the last to disagree. War IS going down--believe it. The 101st has its marching orders. I'm more concerned about a false-flag terror op happening to push the cause forward and silence the peace movement. "States should have the right to enact reasonable laws and restrictions particularly to end the inhumane practice of ending a life that otherwise could live." --Dubbya Bush, Cleveland, June 29, 2000 “Keep your elbow up!"

"To finish the statement... Those fuckers flew planes into our buildings and woke up OUR BEE HIVE.. Fuck them! We have to do what we have to do. As far as I am concerned it is them or us. I would rather say HIM or us. The money trail runs right through Saddhams pocket.. He's going down. All the backtracking in the world won't save his ass now.." Whoa, John Wayne! Grab a cold one. Where are you getting this crap? Our gov't hasn't even had an inquiry into 9/11 after nearly a year and a half! We're supposed to swallow the story, while the rubble was still smoldering, that al Quida did it (by the same vaunted spooks who didn't have a clue before?) and that by bombing Afghanistan we were striking at the heart of al Quida. New game in town: Where In The World Is Osama? Problem is, now Bush doesn't care anymore--oh, really?? It's Saddam who's the boogeyman. Yeah--and I've got some swampland in FL to sell ya. Have you even heard about the scandal rocking Britain right now? Probably not, if you're watching US media. Trouble is--Blair's vaunted dossier against Iraq and Saddam was a forgery and based upon 12-year old info. Ooops!!!. I guess Colin (Mai Lai) Powell shouldn't have praised the crappy research so highly. WAIT!!! It's Level Orange time! Everyone run for cover. Put on your tinfoil hats. Saddam is coming. U.S.A.---U.S.A.---U.S.A.--U.S.A.!!! “Keep your elbow up!"

"Damn their good." Call me pedantic---but Damn THEY'RE good. “Keep your elbow up!"

Yes, grasshopper, were (we're) on orange alert. So, don't forget your roll of tin foil to make hats out of. Ashcroft just mentioned that Saddam--er, Osama--er, Saddam--er, anyway . . . they can listen to your thoughts with their super, super, extra-super secret brainweapons that can read your thoughts. So cover up and wait for the next CNN broadcast to tell to you to "move along--there's nothing to see here. Now, that's a good patriot." “Keep your elbow up!"

"AMERICA - love it or leave it - if you are an American and vote, then you have a right to speak - if you don't vote - you have no right to open your mouth and spew obnoxious thoughts. If ya' don't like the way things are being done, get involved and make a change, peacefully, through the power of voting." Nice thought--tell that to the 57,000 "felons" who were kept off the Florida voter rolls before the 2000 "election" of Dubbya. Too bad that 95% of them were innocent of any crimes--other than being black and/or Democrats. I'm so embarassed and ashamed (and, no, I'm not leaving anytime soon, dipshit, because I still believe in the Constitution, what my country USED to stand for and making YOUR life a living hell) by my fellow Americans spouting the fascistic rhetoric so fashionable these days. Trouble is, I can't get a coherent fact out of any of these "patriots." They only believe in the Bill of Rights when it's convenient. They don't know history, not even recent history, and read or listen only to mainstream US media. Like someone once said, "the American people are the least informed of any people in the world" and I can vouch for it. I see the proof on this forum and hear it from my Joe Sixpack neighbors every day. God help us all. . . . “Keep your elbow up!"

Man, I'm OLD! Back in HS my best buddy and I (both trumpeters) saw MF at least 3-4 times (`73-74). Beside his awesome playing, I always admired how he nurtured the "kids"--bringing fresh faces into his band. "MacArthur Park" brings back great memories . . . . “Keep your elbow up!"

"hundreds of thousands of people die in vehicle accidents each year? " Is that right?? In the US? Hell, doctors and hospitals kill about a 100K+ a year--but I digress. Sounds a bit high to me. I do know that the stats for skydiving vs driving a car are about the same as far as deaths per total jumps vs deaths per car trips/miles driven (or some other such stat). Take out the the goofy hook turn burn-ins and the rare suicides--it comes out way safer than driving a car. I'm not worried. “Keep your elbow up!"

I'd have to say putting 2 packs of bottle rockets into a longneck Bud bottle and drizzling a starter fluid fuse down the driveway. Lit it just as a cop pulled into the driveway!! He was surpisingly cool. We WERE pretty obnoxious (drunk)--and sobered up immediately. Ahhh, youth.............. “Keep your elbow up!"

"Nice propaganda.....I suppose I'm a terrorist then too? I have been trained by the US Army. Do you think I'm a terrorist?" Reminds me of the schoolboy taunt that always ended with "You calling me a liar?" Answer: I don't know--who were you shooting at--and why? Propaganda--like "terrorism"--is also in the eye of the beholder, nyet? We used to laugh at Pravda--yet sit hypnotized by CNN. Go figure. "When the mass media in some foreign countries serve as megaphones for the rhetoric of their government, the result is ludicrous propaganda. When the mass media in our country serve as megaphones for the rhetoric of the U.S. government, the result is responsible journalism." -- Normon Solomon “Keep your elbow up!"

"we've had people ask us to sell stolen gear for them in the past. It's loads of fun to have the stuff and tell them "sorry, but we gave it back to the rightful owner." Oh man, I smell a serious "sting operation" going down!! Why not offer to sell "on consignment" used skydiver gear, get their names, addresses and ph #s, track down rightful owners and-------BUST their sorry a$$es. And maybe...um....cops don't even need to get involved............. “Keep your elbow up!"

The U.S. Army's School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia (http://www.soaw.org/index.html) has trained terrorists from Latin America for 55 years and the difference between terrorist and freedom fighter throughout the world is largely in the eye of the beholder “Keep your elbow up!"

"My dear Colette, don't worry," Lantos reportedly told Colette Avital, a member of Israeli Knesset who was visiting Washington with a delegation of the Peace Coalition. "You won't have any problem with Saddam. We'll be rid of the bastard soon enough. And in his place we'll install a pro-Western dictator, who will be good for us and good for you." -- U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-California as reported in the Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz “Keep your elbow up!"

I'd rather be tried by 12 (idiots) than carried by 6 (genuises) Gun control is a double-tap to the chest--two more to the head. HuuuuAHhhhhh!!!!!!

Just a followup thought: I wear contacts, should the DZ have to provide me with special goggles? My mom is environmentally sensitive. Should the DZ provide a "de-scented" KingAir for her and make sure every jumper is wearing no cologne? Should we provide gondolas up to Mt Rushmore for braillle readers? I mean where does this "equal access" h@rsesh!t end? Skydiving is not a need--it's a want--and one people can live without. In this schizophrenic world, all "wants" become "needs" and eventually become "rights." I say fight the good fight--make a stand! “Keep your elbow up!"

$400 paid out for the sign language interpreter-- $195 income for the tandem jump-- $205 "loss" to the Disability Nazis-- Free publicity for other Disablity Nazis to come to your dropzone and skydive, too? ..............Priceless “Keep your elbow up!"

I don't think I'm looking forward to my "fist 4-way", though!! OUCHHH!!! “Keep your elbow up!"

Oh well--it's the 4th. I'm gonna just raise a toast to the American flag. Wanna join me?? “Keep your elbow up!"

Better late than never. No, I didn't need help from the teenager. Just put the soundfile on my website and linking it here. It only takes 2-3 minutes to download, but I can listen to it over and over and it STILL cracks me up!! http://www.members.tripod.com/arizonaadventure/sound_advice.htm[/url] “Keep your elbow up!"

>Is a system like this too burdensome for jumpers?> For YOU maybe, and maybe my opinion is just that of a low-timer, but your opinion sounds a bit elitist. So I guess many of these "safety" posts are moot. I mean, after all, if every jumper's safety is up to him/her--what the hell? Check yourself and do your own thing. If you auger in--it's just more bad pub for the sport, right?? No one's to blame. I still say--if safety is what people believe in (and not just lend lip service to) we need to "buddy check" as a normal course of jumping. Like a scuba diver or climber. If a jumper leaves a plane without their cheststrap fastened--for example--I say shame and guilt on that entire load! “Keep your elbow up!"

Actually--despite every talking head/reporter/John Q Public in this country using the D-word--we are, in fact, a REPUBLIC. There's a difference. [A Lt. Columbo moment here] Let me get this straight. If America invades Afghanistan--or some other country--are the locals "at war" against US forces?? Maybe they don't get the NY Times or CNN. Shouldn't they be notified that they are the "enemy". It's only fair. [Hell--most of the "bad guys" were probably recently collecting (or still are) CIA payslips] Maybe they even think they're defending THEIR country?? As far as this current "dirty bomb" bad guy: "They first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up- because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up- because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up- because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up- because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me- and by that time no one was left to speak up." -- Nazi Victim, Pastor Martin Niemoeller I'll take the Bill of Rights and the Constitution over someone else's bogus "war" anyday. cha-CHING!! $.03 "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation." -- Howard Scott

My $.02 from my skydiving experience and other so-called high risk activities. First of all, I can't even conceive of how a chest strap could remain undone up until the actual jump!! What's wrong with THIS picture? Aren't jumpers supposed to be ready to jump when they board the plane? That's what I was taught (and it sure makes sense). Is there too much DZ "attitude" and the urge to be a bad-ass skygod keeping people from properly gearing up and checking with their fellow jumpers?? Too many "Cutaway" videos playing in the packing area? As a rock climber and sometime scuba diver, I realize that every sport has certain protocols. Here's a suggestion: in rock climbing (for example) we have certain commands Climber A: "Belay on?" Climber B: (after checking both climbers' harnesses, carabiners, rope and route above, says) "Belay on" Climber A: (ready to climb) "Climbing?" CLimber B: (after checking that his belay is ready and he/she is mentally "on", says) "Climb on!" Is a system like this too burdensome for jumpers? The "buddy system" is SOP in other high-risk sports. My experiences as a "newbie" solo jumper were a bit scary, as few seemed to care about my welfare and were more involved in their own thing. I, personally, made DAMN sure that I was ready to bail out of that plane the moment it left the runway! How many jumpers--having become cavalier from hundreds of jumps--would be ready to dive out the door at two grand if the pilot screamed "GET OUT!!"?? Unfastened chest straps--now THAT should get someone suspended from a DZ. "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation." -- Howard Scott

BTW, "Armegeddon" unfortunately stole the thunder from the nearly sumultaneously released, "Deep Impact". Same premise, but with a more believable delivery. A truly GREAT movie: believable plot, characters you can really give a crap about, great cinematography, sublime special effects--and no Bruce Willis!! Check it out. "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation." -- Howard Scott

Another "creative" use of Adobe Photoshop with perhaps a shot or two of Jose C? "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation." -- Howard Scott

Is it just me? Or did she (cut out through the miracles of modern video editing) do a mini-hurl just before she enthusiastically dove out of the plane? I DO kinda sympathize with her. It's such a mind-F#@$ that first time up in the plane: cold, wind, noise, bumping, Jet-A--and that vast nothingness outside the door. YIKES! Did she like it? Hate It? Doubtfull AFFer. "A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation." -- Howard Scott