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Interesting - thank you. Ok, someone in his family has found a wheel that needed greasing & he's on his way to an apointment for an emergency update. Your ideas all helped, especially using the consular. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Thank you so much!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

My boyfriend is from Poland, he just learned that his dad died yesterday & now needs to fly there quickly. B/f is a US Citizen & has a US Passport but it expired this past April. All we can find is an 877 phone number to an automated system that tells us the next available appt to get an emergency renewal is 9/1!! (not what I'd call emergency timing). Since his dad died in Poland it'll be nearly impossible to get a death certificate copy quickly (B/F's words). There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

He looks like something mixed w/ a Basenji. I have a Basenji, they're intense dogs, full of life, friendly & very entertaining - but also DESTRUCTIVE!!! edited to add: http://www.basenji.org/ There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

EEK!! This is really intersting! It's great to hear real-life experiences. And that's the 2nd block against my downsizing (fear of the ground and no real reason). I've jumped a Spectre @ approx 1.38 for the last 450 jumps & want some sort of change - unfortunately I pretty sure a 9 cell 150 won't fit in my container (it's pretty ugly w/ an older Spectre & don't get me started on Mirage's customer service). I guess really the easiest way (well least expensive anyway) is to lose 15lbs & then buy a 135... in the meantime I investigate downsizing issues/concerns is my hobby. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

That is so true!! But then you have this: It's hard to sort through to the truth & from the legend. Other than hearing situations directly from people with crazy amounts of canopy time - not just a few here or there and other than just going for it, there's almost no way to tell. Well, I guess if I went & studied aeronotical engineering it might help, but I can't even spell it correctly. I've been thinking of downsizing for sometime now - but there are a few blocks to me, this being one of them. I watched a friend stall & then quickly turn his canopy @ approx 1000' & then spin into the ground... stalling scares me & I wonder if I have the right to be scared or should I just respect the danger of the situation? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I understand the value of learning deep break flight both on toggles & rears and have practiced both. That type of flight is both fun & a bit scary

In a different thread about downsizing someone posted the USAP canopy proficiency card attached. On the first page of canopy discovery skills there are quite a few that have the canopy in a stall or near one. This in addition to the "The Stall" article on the home page has me wondering. At some point I was under the impression that, on a modern (zp) parachute especially one that's not square or that is any type of elliptical, it's not safe to fully stall the canopy. That a stall may induce severe line twists or a line over or other things. I do KNOW you shouldn't stall your canopy or really anything for that matter below your decision altitude. I'm looking for opinions on flight further up, say bottom at 4k stalling or nearly stalling a modern zp semi to fully elliptical canopy? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Sorry I saw this thread late - I use to do about one triathlon/week (sprint distance that is) before I started skydiving - they are so much fun!! A few pointers, when swimming most triathletes leave their legs pretty still, using them as rudders rather than as power, save those muscles for when they're needed - biking & running. Also, to catch my breath I would swim breast stroke. Then i took the time to change socks between the bike & the run. Let all the sand/water soak into the biking socks then use the cleaner outside to wipe down before changing into clean fresh running socks. get the clip-in peddles & PRACTICE!! They will help so much! For the women, I wore a sports bra under my racing swimsuit. Then pulled on triathlon shorts - they have a SMALL amount of padding for the bike portion & they dry really FAST so they don't chafe druing the run. And since I'm self consious I'd grab a regular tank top & pull it on during the exit to the run - not taking extra time to stop & actually change. Get biking shoes w/ velcro & get fast laces for your run portion. having a towel @ your station is always handy as can be a small bucket of water. also tuck a goo pack or some other small energy thingie in with your water bottle on you bike, take it just after the half way point on the bike - that way it won't enterfear with your stomach on the run & will already be kicking in when you really need it. get the aero bars on your bike (and again - practice). i'm sure there are others but since I'm from this area there's www.chicagoaa.com spend the $ on a good set of shorts, you won't miss the pain the wrong pair can cause. For training for the run, if you must be on a treadmill, put the incline @ a 2.0. Using anything less than 1.5 is just allowing you to practice swinging you legs back & forth 1.8 is close to the actual force needed for road running, 2.0 allows a bit of extra training w/ out acutal hill work & it'll make a flat road feel like a breeze. Good luck, I know I'm not the only one on here that did tri's but I love to talk about them. Anyone can send me a PM or post for any questions/issues/concerns/discussion. Dang I sure do miss them! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I just got back from WFFC last night - the crowd is a bit on the light side, but it's still A BLAST! I don't think cookie composits is there. The jet is AWSOME!! Nothing quite like it - if I remember it was ground speed of about 165 & approx 140 knots, but then that whole conversion confuses me anyway. It was much more calm than a high speed CASA pass. A few other things the AN 2 is there & flying jumpers as is a modified GLIDER. Yup, a normal 2 seat glider - it was so awsome. Many of us contend with them on our home dz's I figured I may never again have the chance to jump outta one - it was marvelous! Oh, the jet was flew 3 loads on Sat & Sunday if I remember correctly, lotsa opportunity!! Holy adrenalin! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Is there any information on the freefly organizer(s hopefully) that will be there? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I too am O-, However I can't donate.... my veins collapse less than 1/2 through a bag. I've tried numerous times throughout the years. Starting in HS when you got outta class to donate, didn't work then & didn't work 3 months ago plus a couple dozen times in the middle. I've acually had the same nurse, super excited to see me on arrival (apparently O- is rare & we can only use that specific type) later apologize for not being able to use the blood taken since it was such a small amount. When they draw blood for simple tests (cholosteral...) my veins collapse a small amount, bout an inch on each side of the insertion point. When I try to donate the bruse goes almost all the way up & down my arm. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Not always mirage.... here's a copy of my complaint I've posted all over the place "I have a custom Mirage G4.1 - I love the way it fits on the ground & under canopy, ordered it to fit tight. The cut in laterals are WONDERFUL! The leg straps perfect - it's all good. For the first time I am comfortable for the whole ride during a cross country. However, in freefall, while transitioning to head down; the shoulder straps fall off one shoulder - ie. the yoke is too wide. I ONLY have this problem when cartwheeling to HD. During any other type of dive; I love the rig. I can get the shoulders to stay on, only if I tighten the chest strap so the MLW is about 3 inches apart accross my bust. This is uncomfortable for me (boobs directly under the metal rings), looks bad & I notice a (negative) difference in the way my canopy opens. Mirage called to ask if I was satisfied w/ my rig about 5 months after it was delivered. I brought up the above issue. So the man pulled my file, did some asking around & came back w/ this response. I have a bag size M1 (fits a spectre 150 tight as a brick, made for a 120 - 135 main). When Mirages are made, they figure someone using "this large of a main must be a larger person & therefore they do not pay attn to the measurements when determining yoke sizing." There's nothing I can do about this - I'm extremly frustraited. Now I have to learn hd while getting over any anxiety that I'm going to fall out of my rig. I know I can't if I'm strapped in correctly - but it's still freaky! Anyway - that's my only problem. Making sure the yoke is the right width. Why measure otherwise?" I won't buy one ever again. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

That's great!! Do you know if they'll have PD Reserves to demo as mains? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Why infinity over a Javelin or Mirage? Why not? C'mon, that's not a useful answer. JP is a regular advocate of Infinity containers, and I'd love to see him step up and say why he likes them so much. I don't know if it's JP's reason, but with an infinity you can chose whatever reserve size you want (with-in reason) it's not dependant on main size. IE you can have a tiny main 97 & still have a 135 reserve (a friend has this exact set up on his infinity). With most other mfg if you have a 97 main you can't have much over a 110 reserve (not specific, just general). There's the arguement for & against sizing discrepencies - that's not the point, options are. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

To quote myself from another thread There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Now THAT I like! Lisa, I'm actually going to a family reunion in a few weeks in nowhere Indiana just so we can go to a few amish restaurants & shop for some quilts & stuff. It's great when the Amish leave the traditional church & sell their wears... great quality!! Too bad for their families though. Oh, and it's so fun to go "mixed" swimming (boys & girls in the same water @ the same time) & FREAK out the locals!! It is amazing what the children go through growing up - in most of those communities. But one of the reasons the amish can drag their children outta school so young & a direct coolation to them not being able to profit from their ventures is that they don't pay taxes so the gov't leaves them alone. Basically they are in the country but have nothing to do with it. I'm pretty sure they don't vote, the use private schools, no gov't resources & so they don't pay taxes. We leave you alone, we leave you alone. I'm not sure how it works out in the amish areas that have grown so they start to turn a profit. At ages 3 the girls are prepairing full 5 course meals... well, ok 8 yrs not 3. But the boys sure know how to drive a horse by 5! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

No problem - you were 100% correct, most to decide to stay in the church. It's nice to have a place where I can spill all the useless knowledge stored in my brain. Both my parent's families are old order mennonites, dad's more so than mom's... they have so many amish neighbors & some distant relatives. When you go to parks & stuff used by them you run into all kinds - I'm sure there are more sects out there I just don't know them. It's amazing how different they can be depending on their geography, I only know Michigan/Ohio & Virginia/Pennsylvania types. One parent from each region, my parent's left the church cause neither church could accept the other's differences! That worked out for me. Seeing it from the inside - it's great how tight the community is, it makes a tough life much more pleasent, I still can't see chosing to go back other than for family. One thing I can say is DAMN those people can cook!!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

SOME amish communities participate in rumspringa, and even in those communities it is not a requirement. pretty much at any point in a amish person's life, they can chose to leave the community fully (out of town) or partially (just have a car & still stay at home) for a short time. If they decide to return to the church after this time all sins are forgiven - never to be thought of again. If this person even so much as positively thinks about their time outside the church it's considered lustfull & thus sinfull. There are varying degrees of "amishness" however a traditional amish can not be in a motorized vehicle of any kind. In fact, some communities don't even allow bicycles as those would easily transport a person into the outside world. The scripture the Amish base their religon on is "be in the world but not of the world", that is why they can't have anything considered modern - including electricity. There are numerous other religons that are similar to amish, including mennonite (of which my family are members - parents left though), beachy, and some penicostal (sp?). The beachy's wear the same garb & have many of the same rules, but they have electricity, running water, phones & usefull vehicles (boats, tractors...) and they can profit from their activities (sell stuff for $). Old order mennonites have the same rules as beachy plus cars but they have to paint anything flashy black (chrome on cars...) & can use zippers/buttons & have smaller head coverings, plus the men never have facial hair. Penicostals don't have to wear head coverings all the time, they don't paint their car's black & men can wear ties & have facial hair. For all of these religons on men other than the facial hair, buttons, short sleeves & the hats they wear & of course the mode of transport used - it is very difficult to tell them apart. One may look exactly like an amish & then get in a boat & is infact beachy. For women, there are so many more rules about clothing/hair/headcoverings - they're much easier to differentiate. If you know this fellow to have been amish & not one of the many others he must be some odd - "relaxed" amish & then I don't know what they're called. The whole point of being amish would have been nullified. There are many areas that have "jerked over" amish... the Mishianna area seems flush with them. Typically if a person leaves one of the churches they do not simply move down the ladder of strict sects, they rather just become regular christians of one sort or another or leave the church entirely.. ok, sorry - just needed to clear up some stuff. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I gave a boy up for adoption when I was 16 yrs old. We found a friend of a family friend's. I came to their home to meet them & make sure their life is one I'd want to give my child into. Then I lived with them the last 3 months of my pregnancy, we use to live 1500 miles apart. They took me to the hospital & they were my support system while in labor. Now, I live 20 minutes away from them. The mom is only 7 years older than me & we're actually good friends now. The boy has always know he "came from my belly" (early childhood wording) and the fact that his parents chose them cause they wanted a perfect boy & couldn't have one of their own. The mom & I hang out alone on occasion, shopping or dining or whatever. Every now & then this now almost teenag boy wants to chat with me typically to see if a particular trait he has is from me since his parent's don't have it, to take a personality text he's recently taken or just to wonder about his back-ground. For instance, he & I are both extreemly literal & don't take bull from anyone; while his partents are given to not-literal behavior. Or anything like that. I do not push myself into his life - but rather he comes to me on occasion. That family is so great, I almost wish they would adopt me as their sister or something - but that'd be weird. All in all, we have a marvelous & fairly unique situation that is wonderful for all parties involved. Well, all but the bio-father, only god knows where he is. At first we started on this way for health reasons, incase anything came up in the future. Now I have a wonderful family as my friends. I know this isn't your question, I just felt like sharing from the other side. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

one way that's easiest to use to remember this is that lose lost an o also between dessert & desert, in a deset an s deserted ran away... There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I love love love my Spectre!! I do nothing w/ the nose & while I quarter the slider, I DO NOT pull it infront of the nose, jsut leave it folded between the collapsed cells. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I asked my bluecross rep specifically if they excluded injuries from any extreem sports. She said she'd never heard of anyone being excluded for anything. I said if i break my leg skiing, snowboarding, motorcross, mountainbiking, bungee jumping, skydiving, race car driving, durby racing, horse back riding - any of those would be covered & she said yes, an injury in any of them would be covered. Alan, one other thing to consider is to make sure you have continuous coverage. If you have a break, once you get coverage they can basically not cover you for something like 3 or 6 months incase whatever you're asking them to pay for could be a 'pre-existing condition'... that would suck. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I'm 30 & even with my speakers on the lowest setting it's loud & anoying as hell!! But then again, when you turn off the cable but leave the the TV on - there's a slight buzzz & I can hear that from like 50' away - upstairs & down the hall it annoys me. It's a curse to be able to hear so well! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

My boss' husband has a crazy polish last name so she kept her nice easy 5 letter name.. I hear her on the phone all the time explaining why she has a different name than her children. It seems like a royal pain in the arse to keep your own name if you have children. A life time of explaining vs. a few weeks of updating id cards & whatnot. But then again, i really dislike my last name & can't wait to change it. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)