DougH

34 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Keith,

Your suggesting an action plan that is nothing more than Pie in the Sky does not require me to present a plan.

Jerry Baumchen

The El Paso mayor already appears to have a workable and humane solution figured out.

I wouldn't call it migrant shipping though, sounds more like providing help with transportation for people interested in leaving American Taliban territory. 

5 hours ago, airdvr said:

No one seems to give a shit that Texas border towns are over run with these folks and can't provide the services they need.

Facebook is filled with MAGA cult members who are only concerned that points were "scored". 

If these individuals were considered anything other than a political pawns then there would have been coordination with the government agencies and non-profits in the areas where they were dumped as part of the political stunt.

I am all in favor for sending these individuals up to my area in a coordinated manner, if the individuals are fully informed and willing to make the move, and there is coordination ahead of time so services can be arranged. Not what happened here, not by a long shot.

22 hours ago, airdvr said:

I don't understand why you all seem to have a problem with this.  Don't you want to open your homes to them?

Because first and foremost they are human beings, and they should be treated with dignity.

How you treat individuals is a completely separate issue from the broader legal and political issues around immigration. 

If someone can't understand that then they are a huge fucking pile of garbage.

1 hour ago, lippy said:

 Do you realize how ridiculous your statement reads?

Don't feed the troll. Demand that the moderators give him the boot.

On 9/11/2022 at 6:19 AM, kallend said:

For only the 3rd time in 20 years I have added a name to my ignore list.  I choose to ignore obvious trolls.

I wish the mods would stop feeding him and would start swinging the ban hammer.

At some point it is for betterment of the site and the experience of all the other legitimate users. 

On 9/6/2022 at 9:03 PM, Slim King said:

https://rumble.com/v1in33d-joe-rogan-says-vote-republican.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=3

Joe Rogan embodies what a moron *thinks* an intelligent person would be like.

He is a good interviewer, and I find him entertaining. His popularity is a reflection of these skills.

The fact that a subset of the population thinks that he is also a solid source of information, not just entertainment, is a reflection of the fact that intelligence is on a bell curve so by numbers alone we must have a lot of idiots in this Country!

The site rules need to be updated to address blatant misinformation.

Differing opinions are great, but we could go to a million other places on the internet to read ridiculous horseshit misinformation.

The earth is Flat... poof, gone.

1 hour ago, SethInMI said:

I know supplemental policy providers like AFLAC exclude skydiving / general aviation related incidents, but are there any employer sponsored health care plans that exclude based on the activity that caused the heath care problem? I know smoking is cause for higher premiums, but I don't know of anything else. 

I am merely an anecdote, but I have never seen one at the five large companies that I received health insurance from as part of my employee benefits package.

If you do get hurt expect a call from the third party that your insurance company contracts with trying to sniff around to see if there is anyone else they can subrogate the expense to. 

Just like ambulance chasers they tend to go away after you explain that the DZ doesn't have liability insurance, and you signed a waiver.

On 8/26/2022 at 10:15 AM, ryoder said:

In the ongoing saga of Mesa County (CO) clerk, (and Trumpist wackjob), Tina Peters, one of her lackeys just rolled over on her:

Tina Peters’ deputy pleads guilty, agrees to testify against the indicted Mesa County clerk

 

From the Judge presiding over the case.

“Democracy will prevail. Our system of law will prevail. Because without democracy, without our law, we are nothing more than any other failed state in this world, run by the loudest of voices with the worst of intentions  — the mob who thinks they know what justice is without any regard of the facts, or worse.”

Bolding added. I think this perfectly describes the cancer that the Trump Cult represents.

On 9/1/2022 at 8:20 AM, Slim King said:

Do you believe the FBI found them this way or staged the photo? ... Easy question.

It is a stupid question, and it is irrelevant.

If you are knowingly in possession of stolen property (and on notice) it isn't relevant whether it was tucked nicely away in a desk drawer, or laying out on the carpet.

It also doesn't matter if the classified documents were in bankers boxes stored in a locked closet, safely in a locked high security safe, or laying out in the open on the front steps of shit bag manor.

They could have been kept more securely than the Mona Lisa, it doesn't matter, that isn't what the law required.

He broke the law, and was given ample opportunity to return the documents, and he did nothing because in his mind laws don't apply to him. If it was anyone other than the Mango Mussolini they would already be in their prison uniform. 

18 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

The mask was no more than a festoon of false moral superiority.

In many situations not wearing a mask was no more than a festoon of false scientific aptitude, and selfishness masquerading as commitment to personal freedoms. Depending on the context it was a scarlet letter for being huge piece of shit.

So what is the price tag of the student loan repayment?

I am not on board on this one. It is absolutely a regressive policy that targets individuals that have higher earning potential.

It doesn't solve the problem of students that really ran up loan balances chasing degrees that don't get them the wages they need to pay back their borrowings. The 10k will be a fraction of their debt, in that sense this is just a hand out to their lenders, but it doesn't leave the borrowers in a new financial position.

It gives a windfall to students that have high earnings potential, computer science, finance, law because their timing is right and they haven't reached into their earning potential yet with just a year or two in the workforce.

It sticks lower earners, and those who paid off their loans, with the bill for a small subset of the population.

Johnny finance student just graduated, he has 30k in debt and he is making 90k a year so he qualifies for this hand out. In 5 years he will be probably be making 150k plus, he will have no problem paying back his loans without assistance. Johnny doesn't need a taxpayer funded hand out.

Dawn with the masters in basket weaving just graduated. She has 80k in debt because she had to go to the out of state university, but she really loved her sorority. She won't be able to pay of her loans ever, unless you add another zero to the loan repayment.

Meanwhile this does nothing to fix the cost of education and how we approach higher education, as well as financial literacy, so we will be right back where we started in 5 or 10 years.

On 6/18/2022 at 9:27 PM, RolandForbes said:

Cant you just become your own rigger by buying a pencil?

...queue Dropzone.com Karens coming in to save the day

No we have a good sense of humor around here about things like that. Btw, pre-referencing the appearance of the Karens makes you a Sharon. We have more interesting things to bitch about.

10 hours ago, Bluejules8000 said:

RSL's are manditory here for less experienced skydivers but this is one time I wish I did not have one and had  waiedt for stability before pulling my reserve handle.

Sorry to hear about your accident.

Based on your account of the events I think there is a good chance that the RSL didn't activate your reserve, and played no role in the reserve malfunction. 

You could look at the reserve cable, they often get a kink in them when there is a RSL initiated reserve deployment.

But like you say in the quote before, you pulled the reserve handle, or at least that is what I interpret your comment "reserve deployment" to mean in that sequence.

On 6/10/2022 at 7:59 PM, Bluejules8000 said:

Remained this way for at least six seconds including a right head turn. Nothing felt so went to emergency procedures, cutaway, and reserve deployment.

This sounds like a pilot chute in tow, or potentially a pilot chute that is stuck in the low pressure burble above you or even sucked right on to your container. Pchapman's has a good potential account above for the PCIT scenario.

You did the right thing to initiate emergency procedures.

What happens next is a bit of luck. Once the reserve is deploying the main container may stay closed if there is a misrouted or pierced bridle, or it may open up and the main may start deploying because having the reserve tray open and the reserve out relieves some pressure and tension on the main container which allows the closing pin to finally clear the closing loop.

There may be things that you could have done differently, or it could have just been a spot of bad luck. You may never be able to determine exactly what happened here but you can talk with your instructors and experienced skydivers to help avoid it in the future.

• Know your gear, ensure that is is properly maintained, properly configured, and operate it correctly.
• Practice your emergency procedures. Review how you will respond to different circumstances.
• Plan your jumps from take off all the way till you are back safely in the packing area.
• Build awareness about what other skydivers are doing.

You may also want to talk about your accident with a therapist who specializes in traumatic accidents and events. Having an accident, especially one that has many questions, can leave you with a lot of mental stuff to process.

1 hour ago, jakee said:

availability of safe sex education in schools

You mean abstinence right? Everyone one knows that the only acceptable and proper form of safe sex in a Trump Loving Pro-life state is abstinence. Wait for marriage if you love Jesus, unless you want to consider "the loophole".

(If not glaringly obvious, the video contains language and imagery that may not be suitable for work.)

/

Just now, kallend said:

RBJ?

 

Typo  I was up all night writing memos on some income tax calculations, I may not be at my sharpest.

On 6/30/2022 at 1:49 AM, jakee said:

You say that - but shouldn’t taking responsibility for the consequences of your own actions be one of those beliefs? 
 

“Well sure I’ve spent my whole life voting for people who wanted to do exactly what they just did but it’s not my fault! That one old lady over there shouldn’t have let me get away with it!”

I have seen the same bullshit on Facebook from lots of old acquaintances that are conservative. Right now they are either giddy, or they are hiding from the reality of their bullshit by avoiding news coverage or downplaying the validity of the "lame stream media".

I will paraphrase poorly a recent meme that had great timing if you are a hypocritic asshole:

"Live your life, have fun, let others live their life... 

The media is trying to divide us.

Remember that the news is a scripted drama. If you care about the world off the tv and become the best version of your self".

What that really translates into is support people who want to control others lives and freedoms, that is OK if they don't want to control "yours". Ignore the reality of your actions, and the pieces of shit that you have aligned yourself with. Don't listen to the news, because they are telling the truth and using big words that make your head hurt.

On 6/28/2022 at 8:12 PM, JerryBaumchen said:

Looks poor for Biden:   since the ruling, (Biden’s) visibility as part of the response has been limited

Abortion-rights supporters vent their frustration at Biden and Democrats : NPR

One more nail in the 'I will not run again,' coffin.

Democrats/liberals have shown a knack for shooting themselves in the foot.

He might try to pull an RBG and try to stick it out to the very end, leaving the party in a really bad spot come 2024.

How long ago was this? Dez flew for one of my local DZ's in CT for a season or two, I think with his own plane. That must have been back around 2008 2009 but the years blend together.

Wait long enough and there is always a huge amount of turn-over at a DZ, even without something as major as a change in ownership. The population of people that stays the same is small, and it isn't hard to have the whole atmosphere and vibe change if you switch up a few of those core individuals.

14 hours ago, yoink said:

In your dreams. Even if he’s not directly involved in politics in the next few years (and I think he will be) the damage he’s done to societal norms will be felt for decades, if not longer.

I continue to believe that he is more symptom than disease, which is probably less comforting than attributing our current disfunction as direct damage from the Mango Mussolini. The only way I can reconcile where we are today is with the belief that there is a larger festering disease in our society and politics.

I used to consider myself more conservative and I can confidently say that 15 year younger me never would have voted for this clown or condoned any of these actions, and I would like to think that most of my friends and family would have also been horrified. 

Fast forward to more present day, and all through the primaries I had been telling my conservative friends that he was the biggest pile of shit in the long long history of that biological process, totally unfit to lead. Meanwhile they were turning the cognitive dissonance dial up to 11.

On 12/23/2021 at 8:08 PM, unam sanctum said:

Not sure why I need however many thousands of jumps when it all amounts to pulling the same device.  I get the risks, really.  But if I can pull a cord then I can pull it.   

This website would have been a hoot for you in its heyday.

I don't think you get the risks, but that is ok, how could you at this point.

The main reason is that skydiving and base jumping in real life isn't like some side mission in a video game where you push a button at the last second to "pull a cord" and avoid your avatar going splat. For starters there usually isn't a cord, and there is also a moderate amount of complexity beyond just opening a parachute that make up the rest of a skydive: planning, preparation, and execution of a jump. Each of which could result in a really terrible outcome if not adequately addressed. 

16 hours ago, Bigfalls said:

In the past, every time Saddam Hussein or some other leader in the middle east did something, the price of oil and gas went up immediately.  It was a knee jerk reaction and had nothing to do with the oil and gas that was already in the gas stations, storage tanks or refineries.  When Biden instituted his "war" on fossil fuels, a similar reaction took place.  I am not saying that was the only reason but it contributed.  Supply and demand keeps coming up.  There is an increased demand but I haven't seen and shortage of gas so far.  Somebody is making a lot of money off of the situation.

Demand is not outpacing supply. 

The oil companies answer to their shareholders, which include all of us if you are saving for retirement in some manner other than gold and silver, or real-estate.

The demand for gasoline and diesel is largely inelastic. There aren't alternatives thanks to a lousy public transportation system in many areas. People are resistant to carpooling and ride sharing. Sure some demand may fall off as that road trip becomes unaffordable, but overall people are going to keep using nearly as much gas as they did when prices were at 2 dollars.

We are getting squeezed because the oil companies can, and because investors, at least in the macro sense, are demanding that they squeeze us as hard as possible.

It is great to read this post from you Scott.

I took a few of your canopy courses when I started jumping in 2006, maybe one at my home DZ Danielson, and a few at Jumptown. I am grateful I had those opportunities.

You were a great teacher and your passion for the sport and for canopy flight was infections. Everyone leaves a small impact on others as they go through life, and your impact was a positive contribution for many many jumpers.

My commuter car is a 2010 Toyota Prius with about 250k miles on it. It isn't glamorous, but it had a low cost of entry when I bought it used, and a low cost of ownership since that point.

It has been a very effective personal solution to high gas prices.

Meanwhile the guy with the Lets Go Brandon bumper sticker who is on Facebook sharing memes about pipeline cancelations is driving what? A 60k 3/4 ton pickup that is used to tow and haul once a year?

I had a big lifted truck for my primary transportation that got 12mpg with a tailwind the last time the gas prices spiked relative to their norm, I think that was around 2007 - 2008. I learned my lesson, but it seems like a lot of other people didn't.

My astigmatism isn't that bad, only -2.75 sph on my worst eye, but I found it was better to jump with a full face, and either use my regular prescription lenses or sunglasses, or my contacts and cheap sunglasses like shady rays.

Full face helmets tend to press the frames pretty tightly to your temples, and they don't shift much at all.

Have you looking it whether you are a candidate for ortho-k. They are hard contacts that you wear over night and they give you a temporary physical correction to your vision that last for the next 24 hours.