RhondaLea

In the immortal words of John Walton: "You can't keep life from happening to your kids." That goes double for your sister. If you set yourself up as her protector, she'll never learn to protect herself. Then, the one day you have something else to do, she's meat. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Let me give you some rough numbers to add to your theory. In 1995, there were, I think 32 names on The List, the base numbers were in the low 400s, and an awful lot of people were still jumping gutter gear. Eleven years later, we have 99 dead, and the base numbers are a little over 1000. Now I realize that not everyone gets a base number, but that was true in 1995 too. And I am also aware that more people are making more jumps than they were in 1995. But there is something very wrong with this picture, because with all the talk of risk managment and technique and all the brand new shiny gear that's not supposed to kill in and of itself, the fatality rate is ridiculous. Which brings us back to the question that started the thread. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

This is definitive, TripleF. Ron and I never agree on anything (well, okay, we did once, but it was an aberration), but we agree on this, so it must be true. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

is that right? I'm replying to this one before you delete it, you fucker. Oh I've missed you, GTA. (And no, I didn't. I'm saving myself for a guy with a tinfoil hat. ) rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Damn! I didn't even think. What a dumbass I am. OK so you didn't think of it, but does your daughter know you didn't Unfortunately, she read the thread before she went to work. I blew it. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Just wait until yours get big, daddy. My mother also said, "I'm so glad your father doesn't get up early." Me too. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Damn! I didn't even think. What a dumbass I am. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

At first she said, "You didn't post it, did you?" And I said, "I thought about it, because everyone needs a laugh, but then I didn't want to embarrass you." Knowing how things are right now, however, she has agreed to sacrifice herself on the altar of self-humiliation for your enjoyment. Shannon would have laughed her ass off. That's the real reason. As everyone knows, I came home in March. I'm living in my grandmother's house, as Beck has been for the past couple of years. My grandmother is senile, and my 67-year old, born-again mother comes over five or six times a day to feed her and check on her. So last night, Beck had a "friend" over. And they got a little tanked. Innocent old me walked down the stairs this morning and as I started through the foyer into the kitchen, I looked into the living room. The first think I saw was Beck on the couch. She was wearing a shirt. That's all. A shirt. The next thing I saw, prone on the floor, within stepping distance of my foot was a butt. A male butt. At least it wasn't an ugly male butt. That would've been too much. The bad news is that I got up late this morning (8 am) and my mother had already been over to check on my grandmother. I woke Beck up (she doesn't remember this--did I mention they killed a rather large bottle of Captain Morgan?), and I went on to make my morning coffee. Later, my mother came upstairs, and she said, "You'll never guess what I saw this morning...." She was laughing, but when she started to get to the punchline, I said, "I saw. I woke Beck up." My mother said, "I'm not going to say anything to her, but I thought about going in there and giving them both a swat to the butt." Beck is now trying to figure out if she's ever going to be able to look her Nannie in the eye again. And her current conversation with me goes like this: "I hate you." "I didn't do anything." "I don't care, I hate you." I don't think I've ever seen her blush so red. My mother is still having a private chuckle imagining how things would have been had my grandmother gotten the "night wanders" last night. And I'm trying to decide on the most effective eye-bleaching technique. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Hang in there, Dave. Just like everyone else, I'm thinkin' of you. Hugs, rl

Somehow, I think you're being too hard on yourself. I can relate to "never knowing what to say," because I don't. Everything I do say sounds really lame to my own ears, and it probably is, just by virtue of the fact that it's all been said before. (And I'm pretty sure that some people are utterly disbelieving about the above, but writing a post is a whole lot different from making conversation. I can get testimonials. Trust me.) But as awkward as you feel, sometimes what is heartfelt is best, because no matter how clumsy it may seem to you, most of us know when the feeling is sincere. I know you believe that the third line of your post is true, but it's not true, just from what I've seen from you here. And the fourth line of your post brought tears to my eyes. rl

This is wonderful news. Enjoy every minute of it. :) rl

I'll send money as soon as I'm functional. Well, okay, I'll send it sooner than that, but I'm on overload right now, and I need to take a break. Just please consider putting a picture of her... avocado tree in the page--and don't forget the caption to go with it. She was full of wonder, our girlfalldown.

Well...I think you've got the roles reversed, dude.

No. It isn't. This is one of those "let no good deed go unpunished" scenarios. I'll just never understand how sometimes helping can create such a disaster for the person offering the help. Your friend is angry with you because he can't deal with the situation--his need for denial is great, and anyone who has ever been in his shoes will understand why. But it doesn't excuse his behavior. You haven't done anything wrong. Nothing. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Are you totally oblivious or are you artistcalledian come back to haunt us? Please stop.

She'll be fine. Don't let her see how scared you are. She'll be fine, Michael. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I'm a Mac person at heart...but Mac is next. Not to mention that the first "in the wild" computer viruses were found on Apple computers. And as Apple gains in market share, we are heading that way again. Things have changed a lot with malware in these last years. People who don't do everything to protect their computers from invasion are not being responsible. Where do you think all that spam you're getting comes from? The zombied computers of people who didn't take precautions to protect their operating systems and data. rl P.S. Don't mind me, I needed to rant just a little. The whole thing is probably full of typos anyway, because I can't see the friggin' monitor very well. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Under the circumstances, don't you think we could afford the centerfold? Either that, or a page in both Parachutist and Skydiving? rl

Y'know what? Before you do anything else, go here, and follow the directions: http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction Apparently you have a Smitfraud/Spy Sherriff problem. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Edited to add: I think this is all good advice, so I'm going to leave it here, but I don't think it's what you need, John. Please see my follow-up post. Is your data backed up? Reformat and reinstall. But I don't think this is a virus, exactly. It sounds like you changed a registry entry You might just want to try system restore to the restore point immediately preceding the blue cube (which appears to be a reg file). If that fixes the immediate problem, try the following (program and instructions from David Lipman): Download MULTI_AV.EXE from the URL -- http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe To use this utility, perform the following... Execute; Multi_AV.exe { Note: You must use the default folder C:\AV-CLS } Choose; Unzip Choose; Close Execute; C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS } NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE to go through your FireWall to allow it to download the needed AV vendor related files. C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT -- { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS} This will bring up the initial menu of choices and should be executed in Normal Mode. This way all the components can be downloaded from each AV vendor's web site. The choices are; Sophos, Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Exit this menu and Reboot the PC. You can choose to go to each menu item and just download the needed files or you can download the files and perform a scan in Normal Mode. Once you have downloaded the files needed for each scanner you want to use, you should reboot the PC into Safe Mode [F8 key during boot] and re-run the menu again and choose which scanner you want to run in Safe Mode. It is suggested to run the scanners in both Safe Mode and Normal Mode. When the menu is displayed hitting 'H' or 'h' will bring up a more comprehensive PDF help file. http://www.ik-cs.com/multi-av.htm Additional Instructions: http://pcdid.com/Multi_AV.htm I assume you have a firewall and antivirus (if you don't, you need to), so you might also want to download and run at least three of the following: Spybot Search and Destroy Adaware SuperAntiSpyare A-squared Ewido After you get all that done, there are other things you can do to lock it down so this doesn't happen again. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

One of my favorite singer/songwriters wrote this more than thirty years ago. And since last night, it won't stop playing in my head. For A Dancer Jackson Browne Keep a fire burning in your eye Pay attention to the open sky You never know what will be coming down I don't remember losing track of you You were always dancing in and out of view I must have thought you'd always be around Always keeping things real by playing the clown Now you're nowhere to be found I don't know what happens when people die Can't seem to grasp it as hard as I try It's like a song I can hear playing right in my ear That I can't sing I can't help listening And I can't help feeling stupid standing 'round Crying as they ease you down 'Cause I know that you'd rather we were dancing Dancing our sorrow away (Right on dancing) No matter what fate chooses to play (There's nothing you can do about it anyway) Just do the steps that you've been shown By everyone you've ever known Until the dance becomes your very own No matter how close to yours Another's steps have grown In the end there is one dance you'll do alone Keep a fire for the human race Let your prayers go drifting into space You never know what will be coming down Perhaps a better world is drawing near And just as easily it could all disappear Along with whatever meaning you might have found Don't let the uncertainty turn you around (The world keeps turning around and around) Go on and make a joyful sound Into a dancer you have grown From a seed somebody else has thrown Go on ahead and throw some seeds of your own And somewhere between the time you arrive And the time you go May lie a reason you were alive But you'll never know If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

No, LisaMarie. That's not true. Shannon's spirit lives on in every single life she touched...and she touched many. Profoundly. rl

Me too. But I can't help thinking that she would be pleased her thread went hot. I know we can't turn this into the "Christian thread," but I think we will do her proud anyway. I said this over in the Base Zone, that I've lost a lot of friends in the last few years...and some of those relationships were profoundly important in my life...but for me, this is the worst. Much like Dave said, I want a "do over." I owed her a PM. I want her to be here to read it. I want her to be here six days from now, so I can wish her a happy birthday. I want her to go on enriching all the lives she touched in her all too brief time here on earth. Shannon was a riot. But she was also a thoughtful, insightful, loving person, and there is a gaping hole in the fabic of the universe right now. I want her back, dammit. Just like everyone else. rl (I had to proofread this twice, and I'm still not sure I got all the typos. And it is still an effort of will to breathe and to not break things.) If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Your post should be permanently stickied at the top of this forum. rl