Xander

A pussy and a dog in the same picture ugh!

I'm so jealous! I don't know how people buy new jumpsuits, wing suits and canopies. I just don't think I could decide on what colours to have!

You mean the plastic trim that cars commonly have over steel wheels right? Or the actual centre cap in an alloy wheel covering the wheel bolts/hub nut? If it's the plastic trim ones try cable tying them onto the wheel in future, someone would have to cut the tie's to steal them and they won't just go falling off in future.

Why not a mac if you don't mind me asking? Posted from a 13' MacBook Pro..

Some amazing pictures from Japan comparing pictures taken across this year showing the redevelopment and recreation of what is one of the worlds most interesting countries to me. http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2011/09/japan-marks-6-months-since-ear.html

This thread makes me nervous about my first tandem. I hope I get a fun but respectful TI! I'm sure I speak for a lot of newcomers in saying that someone who is disrespectful and patronising on the ground prior is going to lose my trust before any altitude is applied. Then to jump out of a plane and place your life in that persons hands is a BIG negative. The perfect tandem instructor to me will be happy to have me there. Answer any plethora of questions, go through everything clearly and be focused. Keep me safe and show me what it's truely like to skydive. I don't want someone who's trying to organise lunch with his jump friends, can't really be bothered today I feel he's obliged to treat me however he fancies during intro stuff. Afterall if I enjoy it I'll be back for more! Unfortunately the memo regarding how freekin' short life is didn't get to everyone in this beautiful world. Some people are happy to just be and smile with anyone and everyone they meet, some are not. I guess that's always the gamble with meeting someone new.

And how many have puked up, pee'd themselves or blacked out?

If you have a problem with muscle tension and relaxing in general, maybe massages or hot baths would help ease that alittle?

Is there a specific sort of helmet you guys use? I know in motorsport there is a regulated strength of helmets that get certified with a type of stamp etc. Or is it just a case of get a skateboarding/snowboarding/whatever helmet you can get your hands on just for the extra protection?

I was thinking Lanyard But yeah Langar is the one thank you

Thanks for the kind welcomes guys, I live on the outskirts of Manchester, my gym is literally right next to Airkix tunnel! Planning to go up to Cark DZ or the one near Nottingham (I forgot the name ).

Truly inspirational! And yeah it's pretty common here in the UK, I've seen it around few times anyways.

Definitely, the mind has its way to sugar coat things. But actually putting it into words and on paper brings reality out. The same way with being love sick. Thinking about it your confused and disorientated, write it down and read your situation back to yourself in 3rd person makes it much clearer! Maybe a bad comparison What does everyone use paper wise to log? Just a small A5 size pad or something?

Humans are naturally very negative sadly. I got aload of ill informed bollocks off people in work last week when Dan Wheldon passed because they know I'm a car nut. Most are just naive and lack perspective in life. Oh well!

Thought I mights as well make one of these.

Seeing him laying on the track lifeless with mangled bikes 20 yards away is an imagine I will never forget sadly RIP to the owner of the craziest hair on the MotoGP grid!

Because the track wasn't heavily damaged. Moore's crash was as awful as anything I've seen (I was a few miles away when it happened) but it also occurred in the infield. Yeah fair point, They never leave it to chance which is a good thing, this years Le Mans 24 Hours they spent 4/5 hours under the safety car due to McNish and Rocky crashing and damaging barriers. Good to know that due care is taken in a lot of cases. Just a shame about this one really. If anything it needs to be a wake up call that what was going on in the race was unnessecery danger!

Typically over here in Britain/Europe it's traditional to continue with the race, as it's seen that no driver would want to be the one to stop it happening. US etc is a little different and typically the race is stopped like this event. I have no idea why it wasn't stopped at Fontana in 1999 though! I agree with what everyone else has said really. Packing 30 high aero dependant cars onto such a small space is what created this incident. The amount of down force and air pressure lost due to turbulent air from the front of the pack towards the back would have been enough to make a tiny tiny mistake by any driver easily turn into a huge out of control slide/drift causing pile ups. Similar theory to skydiving and flying directly behind someone! This is just adding to my confusion about my perspective on death. Especially in terms of whether to jump or not, the choices I make in life and the ultimate meaning and worth of living. RIP