MrFreefall383

And that alone is why V-day sucks the big one. Here comes a rant, you jokers asked for it. There's nothing more to the holiday than excessive generosity in gift-giving, which doesn't constitute a reason to have a national holiday, but public whipping of all the people stupid enough to give more of themselves than they normally would. Socio-economic bandwagoning is what that might be called. Whether or not you're already a giving and generous person, no reason to go above and beyond for one more day committed to corporate greed. Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, good enough. Birthdays, OK, that's an individual thing, but there's no reason to have any other gift-giving holidays than those. Independence Day is good for blowing things up, Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa is good enough for gift-giving, birthdays are personal, and Valentine's Day just doesn't fit in anywhere as far as I'm concerned. gonzalesna, that good enough for ya? "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Yes, I believe you are correct in the interpretation of the boycott. Now, the being alone on your birthday thing...that's not right. Birthdays are VERY important!!!!! Actually, birthdays aren't that important either. It's just another way society reminds you that you'll eventually be rotting 6 feet under. I really don't make much of my birthdays. My few closest friends and family know my birthday and always remember it. Everyone else... well, if they don't remember, I don't tell them. No reason to be reminded again of how old I'm getting. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

As if we need more emphasis on Valentine's Day. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

No polished ass here, it's actually slightly fuzzy. I said Polish, as in... from that place called Poland. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Thanks for adding a poll. Screw Valentine's Day. Cupid can kiss my mixed Irish, Lithuanian, Belgian, and Polish ass. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Of course it counts, and yeah, I don't think I've ever been seeing anyone on Valentine's Day either. I guess the little brat in the diaper shooting people in the ass with his bow and arrows doesn't like either one of us very much. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Well sure it bothers people that much. Do you really believe that everyone can just ignore that hollow feeling if they're single, or the guilty feeling if they're not? Might as well complain about it, best way to keep yourself from going insane. Too late for me, but maybe not for the rest of these semi-loons. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

4. MrFreefall383 Shitty holiday. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Sadly I'm in the middle of a bunch of books. Good progress on The Puzzle Palace by James Bamford, and Body of Secrets is the follow-up to that, so that's next. The Code Book by Simon Singh is still pissing me off. Common Sense on Weapons of Mass Destruction by Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. is nearly finished, and the next big one is Ghost Wars by Steve Coll. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Working at a paper producing company as an office assistant, one-man sample department, telecommunications bill handler, and other silly things. Temporary measure until I get into DC-Metro Police Department. Need to do some field work before hitting a desk again. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

any adult....that says they have "never" peed in the shower...or a swimming pool for that matter...is a damn liar "never" is a long time. I would never claim that. I've peed in showers and pools. Here's the thing about peeing in pools that most people don't really consider. Most pools, unless they're poorly maintained, have at least enough chlorine in the water put there by high capacity vacuum pumps, that any urine in the pool is effectively neutralized within seconds after you do it. Even if that wasn't the case, as a prior contributor noted, urine is almost completely sterile. It's completely safe to pee in a pool. As for showers, that water is headed into the sewer with nastier stuff, and all that gets filtered out before it comes back out of our faucets. Don't see any reason to suspect it would be unsafe. Ya gotta go, ya gotta go. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

If I heard that, it would be, "Fuck you bitch, get outta my house!" OK, well maybe not like THAT, but something along those lines. The bitch makes me give up skydiving, she's gonna regret it. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

I may not be doing as much distance running as normal. I'm starting a new workout to fill the next four months while I apply to become a police officer in Washington, DC. Although to be honest, I'm going to try to design a hybrid workout, because I love distance running, and I can't foresee doing less of it. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

2004 Acura RSX Type-S "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Excellent! 9 miles is quite badass. Very respectable. Keep it up. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

I feel like a real lazy asshole. Stress piled on from work for a couple months, started rock climbing again somewhere in the middle of that, and right when I was finally sick of not having run at all in recent memory, I got an ankle injury climbing. Just recovered from that, but it's strengthened my resolve. In two running sessions, Sunday and tonight, I managed to drop my 2 mile time from 17 flat to just over 15 minutes. I'm down to 7 1/2 minutes per mile again, even if it's just for 2 miles. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Good thread, and good advice from... well, most. Definitely worth reading. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Thanks. Don't know precisely where I'll be, because my parents have the itinerary somewhere hidden where they won't forget it and where I'll never find it no matter how hard I try. And they don't tell me jack shit. All I know is my brother is right near the Hempstead Station, so it's a good bet we'll be reasonably close to that area. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

A question. Anyone ever run in London and know any good spots to get in a 2-3 mile run on either a park path or track? I ask because in a couple weeks I'm headed to London to visit my brother for about a week. He's in a financial semester abroad program, so I'm headed over there with my parents to bug the hell out of him. So, anyone know of some good places to get in a little running while I'm there? "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Nice, sounds fun. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

I ask because I've been heavily researching the job with Washington DC-Metro. It has to be there because my future career plans have their root firmly in the nation's capital. As for the job, I've asked literally dozens of questions of the recruiting office, researched the website to the point where I could almost recite it in my sleep, and tried asking some questions of a duty officer at the training academy, although that didn't net any noticeable gains in my knowledge. Now I need opinions and viewpoints of people who have been officers before, and could shed light on what the job's actually like. Specifically, I'd love to know what part is boredom, and what percentage is sheer fucking terror and adrenaline. Also, benefits and drawbacks to working as a police officer, whether as a career or as a short-term booster into another job. Anyway, enough yattering by me. If anyone has experience and input that would be of value to me, please send it this way. Thanks, Dave "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Sad as it may sound, I haven't run since I started my new job. Ran the first few days of the job over a month ago, and haven't run since. Shit just keeps getting worse and worse, and I just haven't had one bit of energy to run after work anymore. To offset the possibility of becoming a fat-ass, I've been rock climbing 3 times per week and doing plenty of pushups, leg exercises, so with any luck I might be able to start running again soon. Things will settle down a little after Christmas, so my goal is to start running again just before the New Year, get back up to 3 miles if I can't still do 3, and keep working up from there, no matter what it takes. If I have to wake up at 6 in the morning to run before going to work, so be it. I'm not going to be a non-runner upon starting 2007. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

Always amazes me that something as bulky as the Orbiter can fly, but it seems to fly so well. It's time for it to retire though. We need something better. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

As for the choice of drink, my former co-workers in Washington were on my ass for a semester to try Maker's Mark. I didn't think I was that kind of person. Turns out it's pretty good. Next time I visit them, I'm bringing a fresh red-waxed bottle of that Kentucky yumminess. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

No pictures on this side of the fence. Sorry to disappoint. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche