LyraM45

These are a lot of issues I have, but I can share my story about the day I got up and walked out of my church for the last time. I think I was in 8th grade, sitting in my youth group seminar before morning service on Sunday. The topic of gays in the church had been an issue lately, and our youth group leader choose that as our discussion topic. He talked about how you could not trust gays, you couldn't trust their heart, they shouldn't be allowed in the church, ect, etc. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was like "love they neighbor.....unless they're gay." I called my mother for a ride home and left before service. I never went back. This was back in 1997. I am happy to see more churches popping up with more of a "come as you are," mentality, but in general I feel like the church has done nothing but dig it's heels in and alienate good people even further. I don't want to be a part of a group that selectively loves and looks down their nose at others. They did that back in the day when it came to interracial issues in the church, and we see how well that all worked out Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Dont have to be a USPA member to jump in USA, just need to have a skydiving license (and an insurance?) from a member nation of FAI... or something like that... I think this is mostly incorrect. Group member DZ's (which are most DZ's) require you to be a uspa member if I am not mistaken. Not sure if that is a hard rule that group DZ's have to follow, or if they choose to go that way with it. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Ummm.... I too (and probably a LOT of others) have difficulty sharing your version of love if it means submitting and bowing to my husband. Pfft. Didn't you read the title? "For MEN only." You wimmen aren't capable of reading and understanding this kind of stuff. It's a man thing. Now go get me a sammich and a beer. And take off your shoes. It's winter time. We really need a sarcasm font. Note: I'm kidding. Unfortunately, others actually do hold this point of view. hahahaha... I was waiting for a reply like this. Good deal! ::walks away to kitchen to make a sammich for the hubby:: Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Ummm.... I too (and probably a LOT of others) have difficulty sharing your version of love if it means submitting and bowing to my husband. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

This has always been my thinking, especially being a jumper with lower jump numbers. When I had my one chop, I followed through. Glanced to see where my stuff was floating since I had plenty of altitude on the chop (opened a little higher on purpose since it was the first jump back 4 months after I torn my knee), and then immediately began focusing on getting safely back on the ground in a good spot. This isn't to say don't pay more attention to your gear if you're in a position to do so, but for me it's just almost a part of my EP's to not worry about it. In my mind it's the cost of doing business on a skydive knowing that if I chop, safely landing is my priority and I'll worry about the gear later. Be glad it all worked out, you saved your life, and worry about your shit later. If you find everything, great, and if not, then it's the cost of doing business doing what we do. Luckily for me a seasoned experienced jumper did pay attention to my gear for me and landed out with it.

'nuff said. If not for yourself, then do it for everybody else. Doesn't seem like a big deal on your average load with no incidence, but if you get the displeasure of being in an aircraft mishap, you'll be glad when you and your friends aren't being meat misseled into each other. Helmets too. Clip your belt and your helmet. Takes two seconds. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Skydance did it about two years ago for a bit in June when fuel prices had taken a temporary dip. I think $24 jump tickets were going for $18 cash price. Good forever like a regular jump ticket. I think me and my better half threw down for about 150. Tickets did go back up to regular price shortly after that and have been that way since. Airlines aren't dropping their prices with the fuel fluctuation either, but that is a much more complex scenario with fuel being pre purchased at bulk/hedging prices and all that jazz. You would think a smaller jump operation would be able to go up and down with the market more, but I am sure it's much more complex than it seems still. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I am the worlds most nervous jumper. I'm an anxious person to begin with, but I guess the anxiety of jumping is more of like a nervous excitement that is bad yet good at the same time. I've jumped on and off for 10 years, having to take breaks for various life reasons, and I'll echo what others have said for the cure-- jump more, especially multiple jumps in a day. When I show up and just do one here and there, it's almost not even fun because I am just a basket case and don't even get to relax and enjoy the jump. As soon as that one is done, it's MUCH more fun after that. I love the days where I can crank 4-8 jumps out. By the second or third one, it's just so much more relaxing and fun. Why is your season done in NH? I did my AFF through snow and winter conditions at Xkeys many years ago. It gets cold at my dropzone in norcal now too, but you just suck it up, layer up, and go on with your bad self. You make it happen if you want to jump bad enough. If the cold really is too much for you (it gets to that point for me now as I get older and spend more time in the sport, but definitely was not the case when I was young, new to the sport, and super excited), then definitely take the advice about going south for the winter for a week and just cranking out as many as you can. There are fabulous boogies in FL during the holidays! Just try to relax. Breathe. Visualize the skydive with a smile on your face. Good luck!

For the same reason we have black history month but not white history month. Typically when a group faces challenges and adversary, you hear statements such as, "well, I'm proud to be XX." I'm pretty sure if straight people faced the same challenges that gay people face, you'd be hearing more, "I'm proud to be straight," talk. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Naaa, but you can believe a physics professor. People who don't know what climate science is about tend to think that the Ph.D. Is important. Like unless you've got a ph.D. In climate science you've got no business commenting. That's like saying that climate models aren't done by computer engineers, so shouldn't be regarded. James Hansen was an astrophysicist. Think meteorologists don't know about mathematics? Chemistry? Atmospheric physics? Computer modeling? Clouds? Remote sensing? Instrument siting? I suggest they do. And I think that meteorology is vital to climatology. And who is it who is the arbiter of who is qualified or not to comment? I am not huge on jumping in on the climate debate. I try to stay out of it and I'm pretty open to both sides. But I can tell you about my meteorology degree-- it's definitely a physics/chemistry/math degree. If only somebody had warned me as a bright eyed bushy tailed 18 year old going for a met degree because they wanted to learn about clouds and why all this cool shit happens around us Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I purchased my helmet at a dropzone I was visiting because they had a lot in stock at their gear store vs. my home dropzone. The guy who worked the shop was super all about the Phantom. Glad he let me try it, because I saw the fogging issues right away. I had a Z1 a few years ago, and same issues. I ended up going with the G3 and couldn't be happier. Just spend the few extra bucks and get the G3-- zero issues with that thing. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Weird.... when I opened this thread I thought for sure it was going to be a poll concerning knowledge/IQ/test scores/etc. I continued to think so when I saw the first line of the editorial, "Democrats may not be quite as smart as they think they are." Maybe I'm not a "smart" independent, but I don't think smart is synonymous with being up on current events. I don't think that is the smart Democrats think they are or claim to be. It sure isn't the smart that these polls come out and talk about when they reference the most/least educated groups, states, areas, etc. I guess I am just confused about the editorial conveying the feeling of, "ha! So you (democrats) aren't up on as much current events as you walk around saying you are!" when I never really get the feeling that democrats are ever boasting "we know more current events than everybody else!" Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I don't understand what this has to do with anything. I know a lot of people out of college who are starting families and putting off getting legally married. Hell, I have friends who have been together for 15 years, kids, great jobs, but aren't married legally. I debated getting legally married at all.... only difference now is we pay taxes out the wazoo compared to when we were not married on the government's books. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I still stick to international news sources a lot for these reasons. Everybody here has some kind of schtick and group to appease.....some just more than others to the point where it's laughable. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Funny you mention that-- I was just watching CNN yesterday with a friend and they were crapping on Obama quite a bit. I've seen them report the numbers you're talking about. Both of us agreed it was nice to see them tell it how it is with regards to that. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

As an independent, I will definitely say I think she's got some work to do. BUT.... whoever the republican candidate is probably has a LOT more work to do. Especially on social issues. They are not winning independents over at all. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Did the president really try to pass Iraq as stable? I found this from a 2009 speech: " But let there be no doubt: Iraq is not yet secure, and there will be difficult days ahead. Violence will continue to be a part of life in Iraq. Too many fundamental political questions about Iraq’s future remain unresolved. Too many Iraqis are still displaced or destitute. Declining oil revenues will put an added strain on a government that has had difficulty delivering basic services. Not all of Iraq’s neighbors are contributing to its security. Some are working at times to undermine it. And even as Iraq’s government is on a surer footing, it is not yet a full partner – politically and economically – in the region, or with the international community In short, today there is a renewed cause for hope in Iraq, but that hope rests upon an emerging foundation. And then a speech in 2011: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/21/remarks-president-ending-war-iraq I never got the feeling were pulling out of Iraq because it was stable and time to go, and I never felt like I was being duped into thinking it was all this administrations idea. I got the feeling they were doing it to keep with the established time line the previous administration set up, AND because it was a campaign promise to focus more attention to Afghanistan and areas where terrorists who attacked us really might be this time. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

So what ever happened to governments in south america taking care of their own people? And furthermore, why is it the USA's responsibility to take care of these people? Can't we ask that for all of the countries we're involved with? Why can't Iraq take care of their own people? Or any other country we had to invade to be their police in the last few decades? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

If it cost less than $300 per year? Yes $300 a year? Where do you buy your birth control? Mine was $80/month before the ACA. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

+1 !!!! And there are a bunch of NorCal people who will agree with me. I learn so much more in the time out here that it makes the plane ticket and hotel worth it since I would pay more than that to spend more time learning the same thing at my home tunnel. I don't know what it is, but they definitely have the mojo that keeps bringing me and my friends back!

I really wonder what the logistics will be for that. I bet there will always be a ton of people wanting to go in. For shits and grins I just looked up the cruises on the two quantum options in 2016, and starts from $430 per person or something. If it ends up being a cluster and you only fly a normal two mins, then wouldn't be worth it for me. But for $430, if I could squeeze in a decent little amount of time, I'd totally go on a cruise with the tunnel option! I bet it's too good to be true though. Gotta be a catch somewhere. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I think it's hard for anybody to admit that kind of stuff But, gotta ask those questions or else how do we all learn? Flying big is basically presenting more surface area to the wind to get lift. In orlando I got really good at flying with my legs wider and knees and ankles tipped in a bit; presenting more of the inner calf/thigh to the wind. I wish I had a better set of pictures to describe what I'm talking about, but I just dug a few up from Orlando vs. a few from the last year or two in other tunnels. Maybe somebody else can help out if they have pics of video handy of what I'm talking about. First two pics in Orlando-- legs out a little wider and knees/ankles slightly tipped in. More neutral sitfly in the last 2 pics from faster tunnels. I don't have hundreds of tunnel hours and don't coach, but these are things I've picked up after starting in Orlando, so take it for what it's worth Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Yeah I have worked with a few of them. I think Curtis is leaving though. I am looking for a coach that doesnt work at the tunnel though. Not that those guys arent great (they are) but I want to work with one specific coach instead of whoever happens to be running the session I am in. As far as speed, belly wise yes its more than sufficient, but I am flying at 100% right now working on my sit and its super hard to get enough lift to get off the net unless im carving. I am going to try doubling up suits next time I go. I am also thinking of buying a tunnel suit from ouragan with double layers etc... I wouldn't waste your money on the tunnel suit. Try flying one of Orlando's bigger suits and try to fly big to get lift. Eventually you'll get off the net and get comfortable enough that you'll get by flying a bit smaller and learn to fly your body in a slower tunnel. You'll probably get comfy in your regular suit at that point too and you'll wish you didn't waste the money on that tunnel suit. Learn to fly your body, not the suit. You'll be a better flyer for it in the long run. I look back on my time in Orlando and I definitely think the challenges there made me a better flyer once I got to a better tunnel. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I think my thoughts are along the same lines as a few others where this isn't necessarily one or the others faults. You're probably both at fault since you're both new tunnel flyers (skill wise and not time wise anyway) and got in to attempt this together when you could probably use more time to boost your skills individually before you start flying with some other folks. Maybe I am just a conservative grandma when it comes to this, but I tend to wait a long time before pushing it with other fliers who are around my skill level. That being said, the Orlando tunnel will eat you up for a second if you get caught in that burble AND you're on the edge where you starve and cut off an engine for a second on top of it. Be comfortable flying in those conditions by yourself. When you have the skills to fly it, you'll be able to fly with other people and keep eye contact with your partner naturally, and move at the drop of a hat without even thinking about it (IE: when somebody gets burbled). Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)