Why are so few?

[Icon134 0]

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But........how do you know the cat is half dead? That would actually be some interesting conversation.

Its half alive too...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[droidicus 0]

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But........how do you know the cat is half dead?Tongue That would actually be some interesting conversation.

The cat isn't actually half dead, it is neither alive nor dead (or both alive and dead depending on your point of view) with a certain percentage chance of actually being alive or dead at any given moment. The only way to find out if the cat is ACTUALLY alive or dead is to open the box...

It has to do with collapsing the quantum wave field that comprises the system when it is outside any external observation... It makes more sense with the math that goes along with this stuff, but I won't go into that for now.

Aren't you glad you asked

~Droid

[President 0]

My $0.02:

To answer that question it helps to answer these first: which race has expanded so enormously over the face of the planet ? Which race established colonies accross the world ? Which race is driving the modern civilization ? Which race practically owns the world today ?

This is what we've got in our genes - this stuff drives us across the oceans and makes us do both good and evil on a much broader scale than all other races combined. We white people are willing to take the risks and we do take them. Extreme sports is a manifestation of the same genetic features that drove our nations in the past. Today we don't have a crusade to wage (or w/e - you get the idea) but our gene's still want what they need - great excitement that only comes with great risk.

For those of you non-whites who feel bad about this post, some consoling info: our demographics looks really really bad. We don't make babies as much as other races do. So, just hang on for another couple hundred years and there will be very few of us.

[Remster 24]

You're funny!

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which race has expanded so enormously over the face of the planet

You realize that its Africa and Asia who are the one doing most of the expansion thse days?

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Which race established colonies accross the world ?

You realize that its the people who originated in Africa that started the 1st Great Migration?

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Which race is driving the modern civilization ?

Asians? Definitly not us whities, we're in charge of its decline!

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Which race practically owns the world today ?

Again, Asian, if not the Chineese?

Remster

[ianmdrennan 2]

Now if we could rid the world of those damn canandians!

Performance Designs Factory Team

[billvon 2,400]

>which race has expanded so enormously over the face of the planet ?

The race that originated in Africa (Mesopotamia actually.)

>Which race established colonies accross the world?

See above.

>This is what we've got in our genes - this stuff drives us across the oceans
> and makes us do both good and evil on a much broader scale than all
> other races combined.

Those genes came out of the genes that drove humanity's ancestors millions of years ago to come out of Africa and spread throughout the world. As we traveled, we changed in superficial ways - skin color, fat distribution, bone thickness.

>We white people are willing to take the risks and we do take them.

If you try really, really hard, you can find any difference you want to find, and label the people with that difference superior or inferior. Doesn't hold up in the real world. Genes simply don't have much to do with our higher-level behaviors.

[wmw999 2,122]

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Genes simply don't have much to do with our higher-level behaviors.

Yeah, but tight enough jeans on a good-looking body can bring out lower-level behavior in almost anyone

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Remster 24]

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but tight enough jeans on a good-looking body can bring out lower-level behavior in almost anyone

Its about survival of the Species Wendy... Its really a noble behavior.

Remster

[billvon 2,400]

>Its about survival of the Species Wendy... Its really a noble behavior.

Are you kidding? Noble species won't combine with _anything._

[Kris 0]

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Are you kidding? Noble species won't combine with _anything._

I don't know whether to be proud of my geekdom for getting that one and the one about the half-dead cat or not.

Speaking of noble, anyone got any liquid He I can play with?

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[kelpdiver 2]

you might be reading too much into history there.

The English colonized North America in large part because they couldn't get along at home. The US became the dominant power after WWII by default and thanks to two oceans.

China was under attack from invaders for thousands of year, hence the various incarnations of the Great Wall. No shortage of would be conquerors across ethnic lines. It wasn't until 1492 that the Moors were finally defeated in Spain.

As for birth rates, I think you'll find that tends to followly inversely with wealth, or alternatively, when women achieve a greater level of self determination. (It may not be coincidental that wealth and women's rights coincide. )

[droidicus 0]

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Are you kidding? Noble species won't combine with _anything._

You are too funny

~Droid

[Remster 24]

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geekdom

I have bad news for you.. chemistry fall into the nerd domain, not geekyhood.

Seriously, about races, ethnies and minorities. There arent many of them. yes. So what.

Remster

[rav101 0]

Im asian, started skydiving last year, my cousin sister (if you havnt guessed is also asian) got qualified doin AFF quite a few years ago aswell, the reason that not many people in my family or asian side social circle of mine dont realy go skydiving is it do with upbringin and parents having more control over asian kids (or atleast in my family), for example it took me a month to convince my mom to agree to sign the concent form because im 17, and even when im 18 and i can skydivin on my own accord my parents would have a say and could say no im not doing it which would greatly effect my disision.

Overall in a sport which is thought to be dangerous due to media creating that perception then Asian people atleast where parents are alot more over protective are not realy goin to be giving it much thought.

My 2 cents,
Rav

[diverdriver 5]

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Overall in a sport which is thought to be dangerous due to media creating that perception then Asian people atleast where parents are alot more over protective are not realy goin to be giving it much thought.

My 2 cents,
Rav

It's not the media that's creating danger in the sport. It's that skydiving IS dangerous. Don't ever forget you can get killed doing this.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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Reverse the situation lets say you were to take up tidlywinks.....but all of the tidlywinks parlors are dominated by plutonians. After a good day of tidlywinks everyone is cooling out by the fire. Now the plutonians aren't trying to exlude you but they do tend to talk about pluto quite often. you try to understand and contribute but you just don't know that much about pluto.

The big fallacy here is that your correlation is lost.
I don't have anything in common with Plutonians.

A black person and I have no biological reason to lack things in common. We ARE BOTH HUMAN BEINGS. Other differentiating factors are purely superficial.

That's where your analogy falls flat on its face.

If the black person at the DZ sees the rest of the people there as PEOPLE, and vice versa, then they can yuck it up and have a few beers (or in my case Gatorades) and talk about the day's skydiving. Who has to give a flying fuck what ethnicity or race they all are?

I think it is insulting to even consider it, when we're all skydivers, and humans. Too much weight is being given to matters of skin color. Artificial divisions. Stupidity.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[thesaint 0]

Hi guys, well I’m black but my picture probably already gave that away. I was reading through the thread and laughing a bit along the way. My input here is in no way "THE" answer only my own thoughts and conclusions.
I think there are two main reasons why more blacks don't skydive. 1.) Ignorance, blacks just don't know anything about it. Anybody can tell you that folks tend to stay away from and fear what they don't understand. When I talk to my friends its obvious, but when I start to explain all of the safety procedures and protocols built into the sport and the equipment I see the fear melt away. Then as the ignorance is replaced by knowledge their whole demeanor shifts from "the arms folded in front" No Way in Hell posture to Hummmm I think I might like to try that. 2.) The lack of other blacks in the sport. I cannot explain this one but I do know it's a fact for SOME people. Some blacks just "need" to see other black people I guess they have their reasons. Personally it's not a problem for me. Seems like I gravitate at times to things that most black folks don't do. When my wife and I went to ski Europe it was the same way. Someone mentioned economic reasons and where in the past that was probably valid it is no more. Black people spend money on what they want to spend money on. At the end of the day Iam very happy to say that while I haven’t traversed the globe skydiving, at least not yet. I have been to a hand full of drop zones and have ALWAYS been WELL received and treated like just another skydiver part of the family and I really appreciate that. I have been able to convince a few of my black friends to experience the joy of flight and will continue to encourage others as much as I can; they don't know what they are missing. Skydiving is "DA BOMB."

"If a thousand people agree on a dumb ideal, it's STILL a dumb ideal."

Skully Bro #1 - POPS# 10440

[justdumi 0]

Yeah exactly.

I can only speak with regards to the corner of Africa where i am from.

1) History has meant that race differences have resulted in general social and economic variances to the point that i could comfortably issue a blanket statement like "blacks dont generally skydive in Africa because of the restrictive cost". This would be mostly true but not entirely so you would need to couple it with point 2 below...because effluent or well set locals exist but wouldnt embrace skydiving so whole heartedly.

2) There is a large degree of ignorance as to most western traits or habits. Some things just cant be fun or socially acceptable as they appear to be a waste of scarce resources (money and life) to be fun.

A large factor that causes 2 above is lack of education. Schooling doesnt occur whole-sale and across the board within the local circles and this would make the embracing of foreign concepts and ideology all the more unlikely or painstaking.

In a nut-shell...as long as fundamental activities such as making all your kids go to school aren't a high priority on poeple's agendas...people's minds cannot be expected to be generally advanced to the point of understanding skydiving.

I cant speak for any other ethinic group outside Zimbabwe/South Africa.

To summurise i say that..as a ethnic group..we are just not mentally ready for that level of exploration. It will come in due course..its just going to take time and a few strong pioneers.

to help your minds understand what i am saying..equate it to religion in Africa and the age of missionaries etc.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Saint, you seem like a really cool guy to know, period. Please, look me up if you're ever in Sebastian to skydive.
Blue skies,
-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Adonis 0]

This quote is taken from the movie Bullworth, but I totally agree with it.......

"Everybody just got to keep f*cking everybody
till we're all the same color."

Will that solve it? I don't know, but I'll die trying!

[lowie 0]

Hey Dumi
Good post man. I know we've spoken about this on the DZ with the Joyner bros etc but I think the costs of skydiving in Africa compared to earnings makes it pretty hard for anyone there, race aside. Just look at how much jumping all you saffers get done once the pounds start rolling in. I fully get your point about how it can seem like a wasteful sport - plenty of aviation fuel going up in smoke so divers can fall for a minute or so (not to mention the money that this sport gobbles up)

cheers

Mike

[KATO33 0]

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If the black person at the DZ sees the rest of the people there as PEOPLE, and vice versa, then they can yuck it up and have a few beers (or in my case Gatorades) and talk about the day's skydiving. Who has to give a flying fuck what ethnicity or race they all are?

With this I agree when the conversation is about Skydiving. When then conversation turns towards how hot Katie Holmes is or how awesome the XXXXXXXX Band is I tend to feel a little left out. I'm not asking anyone to change for me or any other Black person(I knew this would be the case coming in) I was simply attempting to answer the oringinal posters question.

Blue Skies Black Death

[Icon134 0]

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With this I agree when the conversation is about Skydiving. When then conversation turns towards how hot Katie Holmes is or how awesome the XXXXXXXX Band is I tend to feel a little left out.

ok, I a coupld of great non-skydiving conversations with my friend Sharon this weekend... and they weren't about skydiving... it seems she is a big fan of men that can cook... ... so we were talking about food that I can/and should make for her...

Anyone up for a fresh peach pie...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[Zenister 0]

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People go around saying "that bill guy is talking about half-dead cats again; I'm outta here."

hmm what is the potential that two separate but related 'half' conversations are taking place at the same time....

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[happythoughts 0]

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It may be that the embryo of our sport came from World War II paratroopers, who were overwhelming white (please corrrect me if I am wrong).

555th

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The all black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, also known as the "Triple Nickles", served in World War II from 1944 - 1947. They served in more airborne units, in peace and war, than any other parachute group in history.

They were entirely black, from commanding officer down to the newest private. They were pioneers, blazing new trails for countless black soldiers to follow. In a secret mission, Project FireFly, they protected Oregon from a new terror weapon - balloon bombs. Beginning in November, 1944, nearly 10,000 of these incendiary balloon bombs were released from Japan, riding the jetstream to the West Coast - the first intercontental missle. The Japanese hoped to start forest fires with them and the United States was concerned that the bombs contained a biological weapon.

The mission of the Triple Nickles, "Operation Firefly", was kept secret to avoid giving information to the Japanese. During the same period, a submarine-launched aircraft attacked Fort Stevens, the southern Oregon coast and an oil refinery in California. The submarine-based airplane also dropped incendiary bombs over Oregon forests. Eventually, the Triple Nickles would grow to more than thirteen hundred for duty, six hundred in jump training at Fort Benning and nineteen hundred on the morning report rosters.

My uncle returned from England after completing his missions. He flew smoke jumpers in the Pacific Northwest after the war. THe group of smoke jumpers was almost exclusively black.

Just some interesting history.

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