RevJim

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HE HE HE....GOOD OLE' 1980....me too!!!

I knew I was a monkey and my other sign, out of the earth/fire/water/air thingie is air. Can't tell you how many jokes I've heard about being blonde and my sign being air.

.....feeling older everytime I read this forum..... Damn, I'm a dog.

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Hey Jim, I'm also a USPA member! No ripping was intended, both Jan and Don are getting my vote!

Whew, had me worried for a bit there as being labeled a Brit basher.....

Don't forget Mullins and Welker....

I was never a history buff, as you know Jim.

How old are they?

Happy B-Day ya Jarheads!

I really prefer either the G3 or 4, but I'm stuck with a Vector II and a regular old Javelin now. Of those 2, the Jav is quite comfortable.

Need money quick, I want one of the Rodriguez Brothers G4s!

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Would you please inform me as to who made this decision so that I can make sure they don't get my vote when I send in my ballot?

I have a simple answer for that.

Blame it on a man you didn't elect. Nobody did. He was hired awhile ago by the BOD as Executive Director. He then hired Kevin Gibson. Between these 2, the USPA has gone the way of a for-profit corporation.

Well, that's what we are NOT.

Chris is attempting to build a large nest egg, in line with his eventual departure from the USPA, and most of the BoD are to scared to do anything about it. Either that or they have their hands in the cookie jar as well.

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This has been causing quite a stink on rec.skydiving by a guy who is running for th BOD, Don L. "Treetop" Jardine

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Any computer whiz out there already made the conversion?

Jan Meyer has, someone else who's running for the BOD.

Oh, that's nice, a BPA member ripping on our candidates?

Wow, are you way off base there Bill.

The "Mondays with the BoD" thread seems to be working quite well.

Those that do answer get the respect they deserve, and yes, some flak from time to time.

Those that do not answer, or only answer from time to time are the ones that worry me.

They will not answer questions from us? Why? Because they might get flamed?

Well, I've got some news for ya. If they were making intelligent decisions, on the behalf of the jumpers, there would be no flak. There would be far fewer flames. There might be some constructive criticism, but that's about it.

You see, when we have leaders that are clearly voting with their wallets, and not our interests, it makes sence for them to hide. they know they are in the wrong.

Didn't you notice the recent influx of current BoD members answering the "safe" questions?

Could it possibly be an election year?

Kudos to Mike Mullins, as he's always been there with his answers. Oh, yea, that's right, he's on OUR side. He answers all the time. Where are his flames and personal attacks? No, really, where are they? Simple, there are none, for the same reason there would be for other Bod members.

It's called accountability.

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In going with this topic what is the lowest anyone would cutaway. Its my understanding that a reserve opens in around 500ft so dependent on circumstances there's no way i'd cutaway below 1000. That said I am always open by 2 grand or a little over. Just wondering what you guys would do?..

Reserves are TSO'd. To gain this rating, and be able to be used as reserves, they must be fully open and inflated whthin 3 seconds of deployment, at terminal.

Remember that after a cutaway (well, most of them) you are doing way less than terminal, so your reserve opening may be unpredictable. It may inflate soft and smooth as the air enters it, or you may not have enough drag on the pilot chute/ freebag to get a clean deployment.

You take your chances with a low chop, as it could go either way.

I've seen a chop that was estimated at just over 300 feet. No RSL. The reserve opened, and she flared with rear risers. That one happened to work out. I also witnessed a chop at about 1100 (with an rsl). That particualr reserve made a snivelly Stiletto look like a fast opener. His heart was poundin' on the ground. All he could say was "Damn, 300 feet lower on that chop and I wouldn't be here anymore".

Like I said, ya take your chances on a subterminal (low) reserve deployment. They are designed and packed to get material over your head fast, but with terminal velocity in mind. Personally, if I find myself with a bad mal under 700, I'm going for 2 out.

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Hi, Rev...

See, you didn't quote the part where I admit to , did ya! LOL....

Ciels-
Michele

I'm waaaay too nice to re-quote people demeaning themselves!

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There's a new poll on the front page asking if people are going to vote in the upcoming USPA elections. The poll has only been there a short time and already there a few people who have said that they are not voting.

I ask those of you who have decided not to vote, why?

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Jim

I don't think you are going to get many answers to this Jim. Complacency breeds contempt (or something like that).

I am to the point that I really wish there was another association to choose from in the US. I jump primarily at non GM DZs, and have only had my membership checked once (at the Harvest Moon Boogie) since '98.

The only reason I remain a member is to eventually qualify for my pro rating. That's all I want.

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For the record, my lowest intentional pull to date is 3,600. That was low enough for me. Plenty low.

Ciels-
Michele

That was the aproximate altitude for my first (back in '98) freefall. 5 sec delay, and I waited close to ten.

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900 feet...:o)

Rantoul. Rod's 412. No freakin idea, but I reached up as it was opening to grab my risers at my altimeter said 750. Stowed slider, released brakes, turned onto final and landed, ON TARGET!

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Hey Rev,

Agreed.

The fact that they've gone to more trouble to make it available via HTML than they would have had to do to make it available via PDF really says something.

USPA for jumpers? These days, laughable.

Get out and vote people, it's time for new blood at HQ.

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Jim

That's right!

I urge everyone here, get out your November Parachutist, tear out the ballot, fill it in, and MAIL IT! Remember, it HAS to be in HQ BY Dec 31st, or it gets marked as invalid. Nice how Mr. Needels commented this month in his "Crapital Commentary" that we have until the end of the year to send it in, think it over, ect. He's wrong, and quite possibly trying to cut down on the number of votes that can be counted.

Remember, this is NOT the IRS. Postmarked by such and such a date does not cut it with them.

Figuring the typical lag in our postal system, coupled with the holiday season, all ballots should be IN THE MAIL no later than Dec 15th.

You people actually interested in taking back the USPA in the name of the jumpers? Well, remember, you have 8 votes for National Director, but you need not use all of them. In fact, if you only see 2 or 3 candidates that you agree with, by all means, vote only for them!

For those of you unsure as to who are for the jumper specifically, here's my ballot:

Chris Welker. Vote yes. Anyone who runs that is endorsed by Mike Mullins has my vote.

Danny Page. Vote no. Conflict of interest. He is an instructor Examiner and thus an employee of the USPA. Pure financial motovations. Also, he is a former board member.....FORMER.....is there a reason for this?

Jan Meyer. Vote yes. She has some financial interest related to skydiving, but not to the extent of a drop zone owner. She will vote with the jumpers interest first and formost.

Mike Mullins. Vote yes. 'nuf said. Yes, he is a multiple DZO, but he has the individual skydivers interests in mind, always. He's working on getting our SIM in *.pdf as we speak. Besides, are either of his DZs Group Members? Hmmm? That says alot right there.

Glen Bangs. Vote no. Another IE. Just reading his statement raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Look for higher dues to support his ambitions.

Madlyn Murdock. Vote no. Former DZO. Former BOD. Former Executive committee. Sorry, no second chance here babe. Nix the executive committee and ya might have had a chance.

John Desantis. Vote no. GOD NO! The man couldn't even write his own candidate statement!

B J Worth. Vote no. Former President? There is a reason for all these formers. Get the point yet?

Larry Hill. Vote no, just because I like Mike Mullins, and Larry has plenty of money without the ego trip of the USPA BOD. This is by far the biggest financial conflict of interest on the ballot.

Alan "Buzz" Fink. Vote no. Mandatory CYPRES ring a bell? It should, you need one to jump at his DZ. Do you want this kind of leadership dictating rules for the entire association?

Winsor Naugler III. Vote yes. One of, if not the brightest candidate, this man is pure fun jumper. Maybe you met him in the low timers tent at Rantoul? Highly intelligent, and would make an excellent spokesman for the fun jumpers.

Don L. "Treetop" Jardine. Vote YES! You may know him as Treetop Lord of the Sky over on the rec.skydiving newsgroup, or as Cloudseeder over here. You may love him. You may hate him. One thing is for sure, this man is a pure fun jumper, and he knows our governing rules and regulations better than our present BOD AND THEIR LAWYERS! He will raise hell. Probably call people names. I'm sure he'll stir up some serious shit, but through it all, he will have US in mind, not some dollar sign.

Remember, these are my opinions. They are factual, but may not agree with your views.

Please, PLEASE, regardless of how you feel about the candidates, how much you may hate them or love them, how much you may hate or love this long post, no matter what, VOTE!!!!!

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Eh, I didn't see the big deal either way.I knew it'd be useful to have on hand so I just went ahead and bought one. It should be here next week.

I've expended too much energy this week at work (yea, I'm still working, this post is coming from a hotel computer), but this deserves an answer also.

The SIM in general, and the BSRs (contained in the SIM) are chocked full of information we are EXPECTED to know. These are rules, regulations, programs, and suggestions the we, as members of the USPA, paid to have researched, formatted, and assembled.

How many of the questions on a B, C, or D liscense are directly SIM and BSR related? Hmm, if you want to be technical, all of them.

The BSRs also let us know EXACTLY what is expected of us by the US Government, typically in the form of the FAA. These are skydiving specific rules and regulations. Many of them reference specific parts of the SIMs.

Yes, boys and girls, if you want to stay legal, you need the SIM.

Remember, your dues paid for it.

Now you get to pay for it again.

Think about that.

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I wonder if there's anything new about his jump or if it's the same info?

What many do not realize though, is his jump was actually his jumps.

Jt, next time you see Bozo, ask him about it. It really amazed me.

Besides, the real DB is actually known as "The Old Man" at SEMO.

So, as referenced in another post, how many jumps can you really afford?

Since the USPA says that the average skydiver made about 65 jumps last year, and this figures in the people working at 1000 jumps a year, I figure the average jumper made considerably less than 1 a week.

I made about 70 last year, and that was crunched into a reletively short time. I would love to jump more, but even having my own gear......I have other bills to keep my family alive.

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However, I think a good idea could be to offer some sort of gold-membership. Doesn't have to give you any more rights, just another color on your name in the forums

I think this is brilliant. It would work and it wouldn't drive anyone away. No extra rights -- just peer recognition of who is and isn't a dues-paying member.

Brilliant!

Um, no it isn't.

The one thing I really enjoy about skydiving is the fact that in the air we are all equals. When I exit the airplane in a 4-way with myself (a truck driver), a tech school student, an Air Force Captain, and a brain surgeon, we are all equals in the air.

I drove my truck to the DZ. The doc drove his Vette. The Captain drove his Chev Malibu, and the student got a ride. At the DZ, none of this matters, but without seeing someone in person, like on this web community, monetary status can be nothing but detrimental.

Could I afford to kick in $25 a year? I could, if I had a way to hide it from my wife, like I did with my rig (She STILL thinks I owe a guy a grand for it, but it's paid for). We all have bills. Peer pressure to be "one of the crowd" would either push many away that really could not pay for it, or they would pay for it, and suffer somewhere else.

Say you, or anyone else, could not afford it. 90% are paid members, with color on their names (or whatever other perks they may get). Would you stay, while feeling like you were below all the others? I know I would not. I would send a simple email to Sangiro asking him to delete my account, and that I hoped to meet him at the DZ some day, where I could buy him a beer (the ONLY place I can spend copious amounts of money without reaping the wrath of the wife).

So, buy your t-shirts. Click through the sponsors (This is actually a big deal). Send an occasional donation. Do whatever you think you can, but please do not get, or expect, special treatment for having more disposable income than another person.

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Hey Rev.
what is that link you posted?
it keeps tyring to create some account for me. I dont wanna create anything that I dont know?

jt, I'm no sure what isp you are using, but that link invokes the resident newsgroup reader on your system. With most isp's, this service is free. If it is provided, it's almost always free. If it is not provided by your isp, then the link medic provided is the other free (but somewhat slower) way to access rec.skydiving.

The guy you met, JimBo (Bozo) is a regular over there, and one I have also met a few times. He's got some stories that will make your unborn childrens toes curl, just ask him.

All in all, it's not a bad place, but, a word of advice, lurk ALOT before you decide to post, unless you have REALLY thick skin. Remember, over there it is truely unmoderated. The people over here whom think they have flaming down to an art and a science would be in for a rude awakening over there.

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nope.... never (can I be clearer?). Heck, I've never even paid for any porn site either (back in my youth, usenet wasnt filled with spam lol)..... as far as I am concerned, asking me for $ to access a site is a 100% sure way of making sure that I will not visit that site again.

and if you ask me, it would pretty much manage to kill the site.

Free

...And if the X chromosome had replaced the Y chromosome here, my DNA would look like this...

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There is no right forum for advertising, Jim.

Feel free to post a classified ad though.

Ha ha ha! Sucker!

j/k

congrats on the new rig!

Well, chit, I tried.


Hey, I know, I can just hyperlink it into my sig line like eveyone else here that's trying to sell something.

Yep, the deal came through! I got a great deal on another rig!

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

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1 good ole PP&M concert attended Friday night:0:0

Peter, Paul, and Mary? Those people are still alive?

2:0:0

2.....days left till my b-day.......32......Woo hoo?

The rest is the freakin Wisconsin fall weather.

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Ya up for a Porn Star exit? ***
I love skydiving and any exit is cool with me its all good when you get to jump out of a plane I'd have my jumpsuit on .

OK, the 69 exit clothed is a good start, but the true Porn Star exit requires nudity on both parts....

I'm always game for nude loads, and a Porn Star exit is the tops of the possible nude loads!!!

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Lets skydive baby!!! The exit is my favorite part !! I'll do about anything there.

Ya up for a Porn Star exit? If so, I just might have to find the cash for a ticket to Houston!