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TSA To Permit Pocket Knives And Golf Clubs On Planes (But Still Not Liquids) {Gadling}
Mar 5th 2013 3:46PM I think it should be required that every passenger carry a loaded pistol aboard every flight. This would gaurantee there will never be another hijacking, and passengers will likely be a lot more polite and considerate to one another. Peace through mutually assured destruction.
Scariest Skydiving Video Ever! {Gadling}
May 26th 2012 11:45AM Hey Eatahabanero
She did NOT try to work her way out of the harness.....watch it again....even while she was still seated, BEFORE she even started to approach the door, her left shoulder strap wasn't even over her sholder...it was slid down nearly to her elbow. Tandem jumps are not JUMPS......they are RIDES, and the RIDER goes into it having every expectation that the TANDEM-MASTER, who is IN CHARGE of the RIDE, will take all safety precautions necessary; INCLUDING (but not limited to), CHECKING HIS RIDER'S HARNESS; and more importantly, HEEDING THE RIDER'S WISHES TO ABORT of THEY SO CHOOSE. The more I watch this....the more appalled I become. This tandem-master should lose his USPA license, permanently.
Scariest Skydiving Video Ever! {Gadling}
May 26th 2012 11:34AM I just watched this again, and I have no words....really. My previous post was slightly in error. This looked like a King Air....a common jump plane. There was plenty of space aft of the jump door; where the tandem-master should have taken this reluctant woman to sit out the jump; while the others exited the plane in front of them. He also clearly did not check her harness properly before making what amounted to an improper exit.
Also, in the video, it appears that the woman was shouting "No"...."No", and even looked down at her face to communicate. I'm not an expert lip-reader, so I can't say that's a legally admissable assertion, but it looked like she was shouting NO. At the end of the day....this woman CLEARLY, had changed her mind. This tandem-master intentionally FORCED this woman out the door. There is no reasonable excuse for this, especially since they had a perfectly safe alternative to abort. He's lucky she didn't have a heart-attack or stroke in-flight. Imagine this was your mother, your granmother, or your wife.
Scariest Skydiving Video Ever! {Gadling}
May 26th 2012 11:12AM I jumped for 12 years with 500+ jumps, but never instructed. Some of my best friends are AFF instructors / tanem-masters. Based on what is visible on the video..... The actions of this tandem-master are about the most irresponsible I've ever seen. This was just WRONG -- in every sense. It appears from the video; that the only reason the tandem master FORCED this woman out the door AGAINST HER WILL; is becuase the type of aircraft was such that the rest of the jumpers would have been obstructed from leaving, had she not exited. This is WRONG ALSO, procedurally from the standpoint of the drop-zone operator. THEY MUST ALWAYS, have a provision for a jumber to ABORT a jump before exiting.....particularly in the event a jumper recognizes a defect in their rig BEFORE exiting. Finally, in SKY-Diving.... Just because it ends well....doesn't mean ALL IS well. The procedure of the operator, and the actions of the tandem-master; were BOTH unsafe and irresponsible. This was a 80-year old woman for pete's sake. This tandem-master should have his license revoked; and the drop zone suspended from operations until their procedures and safety protocols reviewed with corrective actions implemented so that somehting like this NEVER happens again. This could have ended VERY badly, and it is a very UNFORGIVING sport.....they are both VERY LUCKY. Survival in this sport, should never depend on LUCK.
After Slowdown, Foreclosures Rise Again {AOL Real Estate}
Nov 10th 2011 2:52PM
Foreclosures are not "killing" the economy. What is "killing" the economy are the following: 1) People living beyond their means on credit. 2) Banks being forced to provide easy credit by the banking regulations that were perverted by: Bill Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and Barney Franks back in the mid-90's 3) The ARTIFICIAL and ENGINEERED INFLATION that was targeted solely at homes since that time and for that purpose in order to 4) Concurrently INFLATE the property tax rates assessed for all of those inflated homes. In FACT; homes REMAIN GROSSLY OVER-VALUED as compared to REAL INCOMES and REAL ECONOMIC VALUE; and the foreclosure process should have been ACCELERATED a long time ago; rather than keeping people inside of homes they couldn't afford in the first place. Home ownership is NOT AN ENTITLEMENT, NOR IS IT EVEN A PRIVILEGE.....it is SOMETHING YOU EARN. If you can't afford to buy a house (that means BUY and OWN....not Mortgage and BORROW)....then YOU HAVE TO RENT. Those are the realities of LIFE. Get over it, and stop expecting the government to tax those of us who work, and live responsibly within our means, to keep footing the bill for all those of you who don't, or won't, while expecting to be entitled to anything for which you didn't WORK and PAY FOR. Everyone who is in a house in which they are NOT making their mortgage payments, needs to be thrown out, since THEY DO NOT OWN IT, and they must then downsize their lives, get rid of their 3 big-screen TV's, their 2 SUV's, their room full of Fisher Price Toys for their 3 kids which they too can't afford to raise....and they need to move into rental apartments like they should have been IN THE FIRST PLACE. After which, Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Bill Clinton, Alan Greenspan, and the others who perpetrated this huge financial FRAUD, should be prosecuted and put in prison for the rest of their natural lives; for having STOLEN THE WEALTH OF THIS NATION and then giving it to their friends and GOLDMAN SUCKS. And Finally, The Federal Reserve PRIVATE Banking Cartel must be abolished, and this country returned to a REAL SOUND MONEY POLICY, free of ARTIFICIALLY CREATED INFLATION.
Mildred Baena on Love Child: 'It Wasn't Arnie's Fault, It Takes Two' {PopEater}
Jun 16th 2011 10:50PM This is worst for Arnold and Maria's children. I am a fan and admirer of Arnold the actor, governor, and businessman; but he definitely screwed up here. As a husband, but more so as a father, he should have been stronger and resisted the temptation to stray; because when you cheat on your spouse, you are also cheating on your children. The greatest gift a father can give his children, is to love and respect their mother. Unfortunately, Arnold didn't have the self-control to put his children before himself. Unfortunately, this is a lesson learned only after irreparable damage has been done. Cases like this should serve as example to all fathers out there, to learn from Arnold's mistake and avoid making the same one. Think of this on Sunday, as you celebrate Father's Day.
Pal: 'Heartbroken' Hef Thought Crystal Was the One {PopEater}
Jun 15th 2011 3:45PM This is not unlike J. Howard Marshall, having married Anna Nicole Smith. He was ridiculed (and rightfully so); and was accused of being feeble of mind and senile for falling into the trap of a much too young gold-digger. That was the case then, and it is no different here. But it's not her fault for wanting to better her lot in life on the coat-tails of an icon. It's he that should know better. There is nothing dignified, or manly, in an 80-something highly successful business tycoon being snookered into a ridiculous marriage that has clearly no real romantic basis. Just as with J. H. Marshall...it just makes him into a charicature. With all due respect for Hugh; he should know better by now, that if it flies, floats, or f****s,.... you should rent and never buy. I would bet money, that her departure was over terms of a prenup that she was not satisfied with. Hugh, I'm nearly half your age, and I wouldn't marry a chick like that if my life depeneded on it. It's far better to just stay single, and act your age. Look out for yourself, and your sons, because nobody else will. They don't really want YOU...they just want what You Have.
Starbucks Jumps Burger King & Wendy's To Become No. 3 U.S. Restaurant Chain {Slashfood}
Apr 28th 2011 4:40PM Starbucks hitting the top 3 in terms of revenue can't be difficult, when you're selling $5 cups of coffee (nothing more than hot water strained through some coffee grounds). This news only highlights the obscene rip-off you incur during a Starbucks visit.
Are You a 99er? Unemployment Benefits Are Over, What to Do? {AOL Jobs}
Jul 8th 2010 1:10PM Claiming that Republicans voted agains an unemployment extenstion because "they believe that those receiving benefits are too lazy to look for work" is ludicrous, and is the same bitter propaganda to paint republicans as being beneath their "more human" democrat counterparts. First of all, democrats are the SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY in both houses of congress, and this was voted down in a bi-partisan act. More important to understand, is the NEITHER Democrats NOR Republicans, are AT ALL INTERESTED in reducing unemployement, or in improving the quality of life for ALL Americans. These are unilaterally CAREER POLITICIANS, interested in keeping their own power in an already corrupt model of government that his so perverted the intentions of the Constitution and founding documents, so as to render the former USA into a contemporary version of the former Soviet Union.
Make no mistake, the lip service our "elected" representatives give to wanting to create jobs is just that...lip serice. Behind the scenes, they WANT high unemployment. They WANT to eradicate SELF-RELIANCE as an American value, and replace it with total NANNY-STATE Dependency. With High-Unemployment, and a desparate and destitute citizenry, they can achieve their aim: A CONTROLLED LABOR MARKET. Indirectly controlled perhaps, but controlled nonetheless, where workers have to accept the few peanuts thrown to them, rather than be able to compete for a fair income based proportaionally upon ability, productive capacity, skills, etc. THESE CORRUPT CAREER POLITICIANS, Democrats and Republicans alike, are systematically and intentiontally degenerating the socio-economic fabric of this country on behalf of their central bank handlers who keep them in power; in order that EVERYONE is reduced to little more than a wage slave to some corporation, that is owned by a large commercial bank which in turn is part of the Fed. And don't mistake "common stock ownership" as a moderator in the sense that we "common folk" own more of these corporate shares than do the banks. The corrupt bankruptcy laws in this country ensure, that common stockholders' shares are worthless in the long term (they are subbordinated to debtors and PREFERRED share holders.....all of which are held by ..BANKS).
Blaming Republicans singularly for your difficulties with being unemployed is a consequence of your one-dimensional thinking, and it is a simplistic while distorted view at what our government REALLY does, and what it's TRUE PURPOSE has become. Congress is NOT OF THE POEPLE, BY THE POEPLE, NOR FOR THE PEOPLE.....Congress is there to ENSLAVE AND USE THE PEOPLE, by enacting UNConstitutional laws, and enforcing the will of their handlers AGAINST a once free people, at the point of a gun if necessary.
Top 10 Rules We Wish Airlines Would Enforce {AOL Travel News}
Apr 7th 2010 11:25AM When I was a kid, it was a once-in a lifetime adventure for some, to go on an airline trip somewhere, especially to Europea. Now, every Tom, Dick, and Harry earning a union wage piles his wife "Tammy" and their 5 kids into a plane bound for Oktoberfest or Orlando 2 or 3 times every year. These are the unintended consequences of today's voodoo economics of air travel.....more on that later, as among those faux-pas mentioned in this artile.....the 1 thing that irks me most when it comes to air travel (which I MUST do for work about 3 times per week), is when I get crammed into these now tiny seats with 0-shoulder room, next to some inconsiderate old bag, or perhaps a toddler (with inconsiderate parents) who is coughing, sneezing, blowing into their paper hankies....and spewing their disgusting and diseased phlegm and snot all over the place, so that I wind up infected carrying their disease back to my home to infect my own baby. Anyone who has a COLD, FLU, or some other respiratory illness SHOULD BE BANNED from flying until they are completely clear of disease.....but THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN..... WHY?... IT IS ECONOMICS:....... The airlines have BROKEN what was once a common-sense economic model. Now that airlines have crammed every type aircraft with as many coach seats as possible...and are selling $69 tickets to cross the continent while trying to ensure that EVERY SEAT IS FULL ....... EVERY TRAILER-TRASH WELFARE DORK that barely passed the 9th grade, and who doesn't have the common sense to invest their money in their education or future, flies to Disney World or Las Vegas every chance they get (in most cases, 3 or 4 times per year.....and these are the folks with the sense of ENTITLEMENT which renders their inconsiderate character, who have no manners, no common sense, no decorum, no personal hygene, and don't give a flying crap about anyone but themselves. So you wanna call me a bigot ? Go right ahead, because the inconsiderate, degenerates that have taken a front seat in our society have indeed turned me into one. Sorry for this harsh reality, but MOST PEOPLE REALLY DO SUCK. The top management of these major airlines have SCREWED the business model up so badly, that they now have to practically give seats away in order to fill them and remain competitive, while at the same time......the ONLY REAL economic BENEFICIARY of their model.....is THE GOVERNMENT. Have you ever looked at what proportion of your ticket price is TAXES? The airlines are making LITTLE if any money in terms of profit margins.....the aircraft manufacturers are losing money while being pressured to INNOVATE and invent new "environmentally friendly" technologies..........even the jet fuel suppliers make tiny profits, and caterers have gone out of business because AIRLINES WON"T FEED YOU ANYMORE...... .. while the ENTITLEMENT CULTURE expects to pay less than $100 to FLY ACROSS THE CONTINENT AT 500+ MPH......and all the while.....it is THE Government Tax Collectors......who have NO ECONOMIC OR BUSINESS RISK WHATSOEVER in engaging in this business....REAP MORE OF THE BENEFIT THAN ANY COMPANY INVOLVED IN THE AIRLINE BUSINESS.......
You Want to FIX the broken airline industry...? You want to re-instill a sense of value and decorum to the standard of behavior of passengers..... THEN YOU NEED DIFFERENT PASSENGERS..... YOU NEED A NEW BUSINESS MODEL.....AND YOU NEED THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT TAX AUTHORITIES TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY OF REAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, and the airlines need to start selling tickets in accordance with THEIR REAL COST MODEL.
