skykittykat

The BPA does the most "screening" of any parachute association that I know of. I know a guy who jumped in the UK that was on anti-depressants, but if he divulged the fact, then he would not have been allowed to jump. He lied on his registration for BPA membership only because he knew that any hint of mental illness would prevent him from skydiving within the UK. Depression is still a huge taboo in the UK and it is not recognised like it is over here in the States. After recent contact with him, he is jumping very happily overseas and having the time of his life. Just because you are depressed does not mean you are going to commit suicide. Regarding the suicides in the UK and the media, skydiving has always generated negative media coverage due to the "man in the street" point of view of throwing yourself out of a plane! The Steven Hilder incident unfortunately brought skydiving into a bad light, but please note that he was part of the military and the military did not want any more negative press over murder accusations at that time - Deepcut, et al. The military have a bad rep for covering things up, especially as they can get away with it along the lines of "he said"..." they said"..."he said in front of witnesses"...., etc Liz

***trespass is a civil offence in the uk...*** Is a civil offence in the UK regarded as doing something illegally? I only ask as I am not a lawyer, and I stated in my post that trespassing is illegal in the UK, so is there a difference? If there is, apologies and please correct me if I am wrong - no harm intended. Thank you dmcoco84 for your pm - it was very friendly and informative. Liz

I am not a regular on this site, so rather than trawling through all the posts.... Eg, BASE jumping is NOT illegal in the UK, but trespassing is. Why all the secrecy over BASE jumping? Is all base jumping done by breaking the law over trespass/breaking and entering, etc. I am sure that there are a lot of sites that jumpers can legally jump off, so why make life difficult? Why not try and promote BASE jumping in a positive way. OK, the Yellowstone incident and Channel 4's Cutting Edge documentary did nothing at all to promote BASE jumping, rather the opposite.... Please don't flame me, but I am curious. Still on the fence over doing a BASE jump or not.... Liz

I hate the Blair government not just for what it stands for - champagne socialism - but for all the s**t that it has survived scandal wise. Also, the blatant "presidential" air that Blair has, including his wife, who, for the first time in British politics, has assumed a role that is more like a First Lady rather than just the wife of the PM. Private Eye sums up Blair perfectly - the Vicar of Albion. John Prescott is also the leader of the Working Men's Club!!!! Blair should have been gone long ago, but there wasn't a strong enough opposition - better the devil you know Rant over Now back to those affairs.... Didn't the Welsh First Minister (or whatever he was called) get caught cottaging on Hampstead Heath? Liz

David Blunkett was the male equivalent of a mistress and he is hardly an oil painting and remember David Mellor and his football strip shenanigans???? Liz

He's just a rather large lap dog to Blair and no threat to him on a political level (unlike Gordon Brown). The worst is he gets to run the country when Blair is off on his summer hols. Liz

I own a Backpacker's Hostel with my brother and from the first day we opened every room was no smoking - apart from the tv room or the kitchen (which was where the social nights/parties were held). After a couple of years, we both agreed to only allow smoking in the kitchen after 8pm at night (24 hours in the tv room). When I went to America, my brother made the whole hostel non smoking, apart from the office (he is a smoker as well). We butted heads as I disagreed with making people go outside, especially as winter in London is nasty. I felt we should have at least one area where people can smoke inside rather than outside. He made that rule when the majority of guests were non-smokers, but generally most of our guests are smokers. The UK is bringing in laws next year to ban smoking in public places, inc bars and clubs. I will not be giving up smoking in my office at the Backpackers as the Backpackers feel like my home. We do employ other people who are non-smokers, but when they are working, we do not smoke around them unless they allow us to. I think businesses should be allowed to choose between smoking and no smoking areas. If there is an enclosed room where smokers can go into whilst in a pub/club, then the owner can put a sign up stating that it is a smoking room and enter at your own risk. It keeps everyone happy and prevents a blanket ban on smoking. My 2 cents worth. Liz

He is now arresting and jailing illegal immigrants. He has asked that the police departments do the same. Basically, if an illegal immigrant is found by the Sheriff's department, they are arrested. If an illegal immigrant is found by a member of the Phoenix Police Department, they are handed over to Immigration and shipped back to their country of origin. How come Sheriffs have different powers than the police? I know that a Sheriff is elected, but what do they do exactly? How do they differ from the Police Departments? To Americans, these questions must seem dumb, but where I am from nobody in the judicial system is elected by a nationwide/statewide vote. Liz

My cousin was in the rugby club at Reading university and one night they had a dare night and each group had to steal and bring back something. The first group went off and brought back a cow. My cousin's group (which he led) had to do one better..... They did. They went to the local boys boarding school, broke in and grabbed a sleeping boy (who was about 11 yrs old) and took him back to the club house. My cousin did return him before the school's wake up time the next morning. True story. Liz

Dan, get your ass onto a rugby field and then comment I know you would enjoy the group "hugs"... From a chick's point of view, there is nothing like watching all those men playing a hard, sweaty, muddy game in shorts in the dead of winter

***Exactly right!*** Phew, my memory is still intact Liz

No shit sherlock Looking at the tattoo - you could probably re-tattoo the two N's into stein glasses with beer, but with the handles on the left side as you look at it. The A's would probably have to stay as is. If any future girlfriend gets peed off or feels insecure with a name of your ex tattooed on your arm, well that is their problem - you broke up with your ex for a reason and while you were going out with her you did something dumb that unfortunately was permanently inked onto your arm!!!! For future reference to avoid this headache, next time, try roses or something similar.... Liz

Have you seen Shane Warne??? The Barmy Army always sing the classic "Who Ate All the Pies" at him. The superbowl is the equivalent of the FA Cup final in the UK, but the Yanks use the word "World" rather than "National". From the various superbowl parties I have attended, my comment that American Football is rugby for pussies hasn't gone down too well Liz

Even though it wasn't govt money that paid, it is still mis-appropriation of Labour Party funds no matter how you "dress it up". I understand that whatever she looks like, then the media are going to comment. She should have stumped up the money herself from her own earnings especially as she frequently states her independence as a career woman. Considering the Cherie Gate property deal and various other nefarious situations (like freebie holidays), I guess no-one should be surprised. As a side, what is it about the Labour Party and hair??? Remember Two Jags (later 2 Jabs) Prescott and how his wife had to take a car to drive her so many metres from the hotel to the conference - he said it was to protect her hair from the wind. My memory is hazy, but I think that is where the 2 Jags came from - he took one Jag and she the other?? Liz

I agree, especially as it is being given the Hollywood treatment rather than in a serious news documentary. This is the sort of film/attitude that the movie Team America parodied. Please, do not think that I feel disrespect for the families of the victims on that flight because I do not - I think that those victims and their families would be better respected by an intelligent news report about that flight and what happened. I haven't seen the film so maybe what I am saying is a load of bollocks, but I am taking into account the principle of the issue and the history of Hollywood. Liz

I got the B1/B2 visa - if I had known that that visa was available I would have applied for it instead of the hassle of the B1/B2 visa.... I am not religious, but I am sure that a little white lie here and there would not have been an issue I know that this is not Speakers Corner, but if visas are easier to get due to religion rather than having to prove to be a tourist prepared to spend a whole heap of money in the US, then no wonder that terrorists can get into the US easier than bone fide tourist peeps. Long reign the religion of skydiving!!! Liz

Hey Dan, Where are you? Are you in hiding or working hard, or both? I briefly saw you walking back from the alternative landing area.... I heard about the night jumps last night with everyone missing the grass - doof, doof, doof on every surface Glad that there were no serious injuries, although it was great entertainment value, by all accounts. Liz

Here's another link to a bad trout pout and other celebrity plastic surgeries gone wrong: http://www.icircle.com/html/FEELGOOD/Cosmetic_surgery/SUBARTICLE/22121.html Liz

Rosa, you are prettier than Dan, but just to make sure, make him wear his Army shorts in any future photos (those shorts are ugly...) FYI for any further tunnel flying, kicking his pretty butt in hand tag is dead easy. Sorry I couldn't chat yesterday Liz p.s. Dan I love ya, only messing w/ u as I said I would!

Could Americans take another 4 years of "keep it in the Family" leadership? Bush - Father was President and Brother (Jeb) managed to get Jnr his Presidency (remember Jnr's first election and how the vote of Florida and lawyers got him elected???). Clinton - Hillary and Bill had decided early on that whomever got the furthest would support the other. Bill got there, but Hillary has shown that she influenced her husband's politics and even took on some power herself which could be questionable under the American democratatic policy (another argument). Soooo, America possibly has 2 front runners who influence or have influenced past leaders, so no matter which of the 2 you vote for, America will not change, especially in it's foreign policy. Liz

You wish Apologies for being harsh, although I think someone hacked into your dz.com account and posted replies under your name as those replies did not come across as being you. Dan replied to a post under my name when he was staying here due to him viewing dz.com in my account - luckily he didn't write anything contentious!!! Liz p.s. PM sent

Hey, you have to admit that your quoting my question and replying that I was a right-wing religous freak, etc, etc, was totally uncalled for. No matter whether you were joking or not, Nightingale summed up my question a couple of posts ago (Thank You Nightingale!). DO NOT try and redeem yourself by putting it back onto me by saying I am too serious, emoticon, emoticon, emoticon, etc. You have talked/posted total bollocks, but as I believe in freedom of speech and peoples' intellect - carry on. Liz

Wow... Thanks, I was just about to reply to rehmwa to question where his justification of me being a right-wing, religious freak, etc, etc comment came from!!! By the way, for the record, my question was intended to get intellligent answers and views and was not directed to the original poster over what she should or should not do. And, I am not right-wing or any wing for that matter and certainly am not religious, although I respect people's views on that matter. Liz

Why don't these people adopt? Why create a new life when there are many other babies/children out there that need good, loving, stable homes? Liz

Hey Rosa, Take a tent and pitch it in tent city on the dz - that way you avoid the expense and dodginess of the local motels. Otherwise, the Super 8 is fine - it is the closest to the dz (turn right, cross over the railway tracks onto the dirt road, turn left at end of said dirt road and carry on straight until you reach the dz) and with any motel anywhere, if you keep your door locked at night, you are safe!!! Looking forward to seeing you. Liz