wolfriverjoe

Wrong! I'm not one of them Perhaps not one of them. Maybe eight of them? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

A magazine I get (RCHeli) skipped a month last winter. They just kept getting further and further behind, and decided to just say that January didn't exist. That put them right back on schedule. And yes, they extended everyones subscriptions by a month so that I will get all the issues I paid for. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

This is the end of the seller's reply. I don't see any anger or resentments from him, just a simple admission that it was his fault and an apology. I don't really see how anyone other than the seller has much grounds to bitch. Would it have turned out ok if the OP hadn't come on here and complained? I'm guessing probably. But it turned out ok in the end. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I would think the real heroes would be the cops who must have had superpowers to "manage to keep a straight face" when they showed up. And I bet that the thief get his ass kicked repeatedly in jail. He got caught by a bunch of geeks dressed as comic-book superheroes. How humiliating is that?? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Unfortunately, that is not true. I reviewed the WalMart returns policy and the OP is completely within his legal and moral right to purchase an item and use it fully knowing he is going to return it for full credit. It is not something I would do, but it isn't immoral. Speaking from first hand knowledge, Walmart negotiates returns, defects, and allowances from their Vendors (ours is 4.5%). This is accounted for in our margin calculation. I don't know what the actual return rate is at Walmart, but I strongly suspect it is under 4.5%. They make money, we make money, the consumer is happy. I agree that there's nothing in the WalMart return policy about this (i looked too). And that he is legally free and clear. And that WalMart probably expects a certain degree of this kind of behavior. My Opinion is that it is still fraud. And still morally wrong (again my opinion). It's intreresting that the thread title is "The diplomatic discussion...", but only those who agree with the OP have any brains. The rest of us are all wrong. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Your intent makes it fraudulent. If you purchased the items, intending to use them and keep them and later changed your mind, then that would be morally fine. That's not what happened. You purchased the items intending to use them and return them later, essentially "renting" them for free. Some stores do just that. Auto parts stores often have a "lending library" of expensive specialty tools. You can borrow them by leaving a deposit that will be returned when you bring the tool back in good condition. If you stole the item from WalMart, that would be theft, right? Would it be any different if you stole it, used it and then snuck it back? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong: Aren't most plea deals made with the guilty plea an exchange for reduction of charges (either in total number or degree of severity)? And often with a recommendation of lower sentence from the prosecutor? Polanski got six charges reduced to one (basically statutory rape). Although the prosecutor recommended no jail or prison time, the judge was still free to impose whatever sentence he saw fit. The deal wasn't no prison time. The deal was six charges down to one. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

The vast majority of US Citizens could not care less. It's not even on their radar. Unless it's women beating the crap out of each other on the field like Elizabeth Lambert or taking their shirts off like Brandi Chastain. Then it becomes interesting to people in the US. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Man, talk about double meanings! I'm pretty sure he means "methane". Now, here in Polk County "meth" could very well mean "meth" in the classical sense. Plenty of chickenhead families that "cook" together here. Once in awhile a house explodes. Have you seen the show? It is about methamphetamines. Breaking Bad "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Agreed. The current situation is horrible. A pathway to legal status (not citizenship), to include back taxes (although many currently pay them) and a hefty fine. You want to see a politician drool? How about a $5,000 fee to gain legal status. Make it for those gainfully employed, not in legal troubles, and payable in monthly installments. Multiply that times whatever percent of the extimated 12 million illegals is willing to go through the process (wild guess of half) and that's a boatload of money. Even after admin costs. Considering that many of them pay nearly that amount to be smuggled into the country, it isn't all that much. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Lead them to slaughterhouses?? No, they work there. It's one of the worst jobs out there. Low pay, horrible working conditions, long hours, hard and nasty work. That's why so many illegals do it. Nobody else wants to. They (mostly) are here, working hard and trying for the dream. They are here illegally because it is nearly impossible to get here legally. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, aren't most of them subject to labor laws now? Especially those using fake documentation? They would be far less likely to file any complaints, but the employer would still be required to follow the laws for employees he has on his books as legal. I'm sure there are some (a lot though?) of employers who know full well what the real immigration status is and take advantage of it. I don't think it would change the wages much. Supply and demand would still dictate how much a job pays. It may change costs, as unscrupulous employers would need to come into compliance with things like required breaks, workman's comp insurance and such. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Aug 18, 2002. Static line out of a 182. I was supposed to be part of a group of friends that got together and took the class, but they changed the date to one I couldn't make. So I just went. Too windy to jump on Sat, so I came back the next day. There were 3 others from "my" group that came back to do another jump, so I wasn't alone. Landed after the first jump, went to manifest and said "I gotta do that again!" The group is scheduled to do the 10th annual jump in June. Some have done it more than once, but most are trying it for the first time. There's only 2 of us that have kept at it and become "real" skydivers. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I wash and wax my Porsche every week. Vacuum the interior too. Shampoo the interior at least twice a season. I mop my kitchen floor maybe once every six months. I vacuum the living room about as often. It's all about priorities. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

0; 2; 0 Wind Dummy H&P and a 3way tracking attempt. Had a friend hit the runway really hard. If we hadn't had a lot of rain the past few days, he wouldn't have walked away. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

They haven't been dying at a rate of 1000 per day the entire time. They are reaching the age where they are far more likely to die, and are dying at a faster rate. They will soon be gone. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

They do jobs that others won't because employers are enabled to take advantage of them due to their status - they aren't likely to turn them in for violating workplace regulations. If those workers weren't around to be taken advantage of by employers, then prices would certainly rise. To say that our economy "needs" them is to say that you are OK with a permanent underclass that has no legal recourse for the sake of lower prices. I don't think that is a good moral position, and it isn't a "need" of our economy. The "need" I was referring to was the economic impossibility of simply throwing out 12 million plus illegal immigrants. Slaughterhouses was just the easiest job I could think of. There are lots of others. I haven't seen any older white people (men or women) driving lawnmowers yet, they aren't up on roofs nailing shingles either. Low pay, low skill jobs are historically the entry-level jobs for the immigrants to the country. Giving them some sort of legal status would empower them to force the employers to follow the rules. One of the most democratic ideals of this country has been clearly demonstrated by our immigrants (including my great-great-grandparents on both sides). They worked long hours at hard, low pay jobs in order to give their children a chance at a better life. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Thanks for the very clear and detailed reply. That's one of the things that is so cool about this site (and the sport). So many different people and backgrounds and experiences. And a willingness to share them

Not a welder or a metalworker. How does one shrink aluminum (or any metal for that matter)? And what would it be done for? My first thought would be for locking an outer piece around an inner piece. Is it something like that, or something totally different? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

You are wrong if you think the use of the word random prevents your words from being a personal attack. It certainly is fair to consider it casting stones, but the stones are facts, whether cast by a random or specific butthole. Much better than a random butthole spreading lies. You are quite sensitive to opposing positions in a discussion. I was not simply casting stones (as if you don't), I was telling the truth of the liberal viewpoint. They say the what is needed instead to address the concerns of the proponents of the Arizona law is comprehensive reform. That reform, if liberals have their way, includes amnesty. Just telling it like it really is. Conservatives in the past have proposed and enacted amnesty, but now it is just libs. By giving them amnesty, the politicians can look to all those votes they're going to get for getting the illegals a 'free ride' into this country. I look at that as a total feather-legged way out of a problem and a slap in the face to those people who chose to follow the legal path to citizenship status rather than stealing it or have it just given to them. Chuck The problem is that any plan to allow the illegals to stay legally is called "amnesty". Several of these plans included heavy fines, back taxes and being put to the back of the line for citizenship. But since those opposed to the plans called it "amnesty", the plans were scuttled. All the time the illegals were still here, often still working. While I don't approve of illegal immigrants claiming a "right" to stay here, the reality of the situation is that our economy needs them. They do jobs that others won't. Beef and poultry slaughterhouses are the easiest example. Finding a way to allow those here and working to stay legally, and finding a way to allow a certain number into the country legally is vital. It would allow us to truly secure our borders, and create a situation where seperating the sheep from the goats (or coyotes if you prefer) wouldn't be a problem because the only ones crossing illegaly would be the real criminals. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Sticky in Gear and Rigging. Members and non-members. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Only if one side of you is 5 foot and the other is 5 foot, five inches. Size doesn't cause instability, lack of symmetry does. Have you gotten any video? A lot of people have a hard time with body awareness (including me). Seeing how your legs, arms, hips and shoulders are on video may reveal where your problem lies. Tunnel time would help too, if you can get to one. Good luck, and it's good to hear you aren't willing to give up.

To be honest, not really. More luck than skill. Just like the underwear bomber, it looks like a "fizzle". I'll bet that it was activated, but didn't detonate. Very few bombs emit smoke before going "kaboom". Gas cans and propane tanks are pretty amateruish (any idea how easy it is to make ANFO?). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I think that's more of an instructor issue than a radio issue. We have a couple real good ones at my DZ (small DZ, static line) They will take a minute and talk to the student to get a "feel" for how much supervision they are going to need. Some need more guidance than others. They also remove the radio guidance slowly, and have the student do at least one jump with no ground commands, but with a radio, in case it's needed. They will also teach quite a lot about canopy flight. They have the student flare and then let up to understand how it surges. They have them hold longer and longer turns to show how turns increase speed. They have them do simulated patterns at higher altitudes to show how the wind affects ground track. Having the student doing the manuvers while the instructor is telling them (over the radio) what to do and is explaining what is happening and why enhances instruction. Although not every student is capable of learning all of that on the first jump, most are capable of learning at least some of it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

AggieDave is correct about the truth and right not mattering. But if he was entering your lane, it was his job to do so smoothly. You aren't required to let him in. You were driving along, minding your own business when he encroached on your lane and hit you. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo