jerry81

Have you ever considered any form of alternative or complementary medicine? I know my mom (md and practicing homeopath) has cured some really weird continuing illnesses and that an hollistic approach works best with chronic conditions. Western medicine may know a lot about the human body, but it is definitely not the absolute shiznit when it comes to healing it.

I can relate completely; I've noticed lately that every bottle I touch seems to develop some sort of a leak or something...it'll be sitting on the table full of foamy delight, and when I pick it up a few minutes later it's empty. I had no idea this thing was so widespread.

When do line twists become a malfunction where you would have to execute emergency procedures of cutaway and pull reserve? Line twists- let's see; if I'm flying straight, that means I'm gliding and not losing much altitude. So if I'm almost untwisted by my hard deck, I'd risk the few 10 feet to finish solving the problem, but watch my main closely- any funny behaviour and I'm cutting. Of course if I'm spun up to hell at 500m, the main is gone, even if it's somehow not diving.

We got 5" of fresh powder today...if the weather clears any, I think I'll go carve up some slopes tomorrow.

I don't think there's a 'most important' thing on that list. Practically all those steps are necessary when you're pro-packing. I think Sid also posted something about compiling a collection of useful packing tips, but don't take my word for it.

Like this? Some useful stuff on the main site as well...

Hey man, I know how you feel...losing a loved one is like a void suddenly appearing in a part of your soul that you didn't even know could be torn away. But remember that you loved your grandfather because of the man that he was, because of all his past actions and because of what he has given you. That part of him will stay with you forever and can not be in any way lessened by the fact that he's passed away.

Although you're done for You still write proper haikus Congratulations!

Can you change your proxy settings? (I.e. have your browser use another proxy for connecting to the internet?)

Well, for one thing, I like the act of smoking, but feel that 'normal' cigarettes are disgusting. I've been bringing my marijuana intake down by using rolling tobacco whenever I'm not explicitly looking to get high. As for that, I like it best when I'm kicking back after a successful day or if I'm drunk. It was very good combined with ecstasy as well, but nowadays I might drop that stuff perhaps once a year, on really special occasions. Rave parties were much more fun back in high school. I'll also sometimes smoke to alter my way of thinking if I'm writing. (Both fiction and academic stuff.) And some of the most interesting and intellectually challenging discussions I've had with my friends were made 'under influence'. But we've always been a weird crowd... (Oh, and I fall into the "not avidly" category, just in case I came across as a regular toker )

How exactly was the footage used and is it possible to view the ads online somewhere? [edit: Thanks Videoscooter!

Had one on an Impulse 135 @ 1.6. The worst thing were the few choice words about the person who packed it that I uttered when the canopy opened and I noticed what had happened. But it flew and landed without a problem.

Did I misunderstand or are you saying that no canopy will, after control input (front riser turn), return to a glide flatter than its full-flight mode, if only for a short period of time, unless something is wrong with it?

So to what extent can dyeing or using a fabric marker actually damage the container? Is it possible to destroy it to tissue paper quality like a canopy left in the sun or are the consequences usually far less severe? I.e.; is deeming an unproffesionally-colored container unairworthy more often just a safety precaution or is it in most cases really dangerous to fly?

Actually, me and Grega had a discussion some time ago on this and the conclusion reached was that canopies with a positive recovery arc will plane out or go into shallower glide by themselves after diving, while 'negative' recovery arc means that a canopy will simply go back into full flight some time after you let go of the front risers. As for longer and shorter recovery arc- I was under the impression that a positive recovery arc invariably means it's shorter as well, but Grega says his Comp. Cobalt dives more and has a longer arc, but eventually starts planing out by itself. So does that mean that recovery arcs can be either long or short and either positive or 'negative' (or neutral, for want of a better word), making for a total of four combinations, or are there less?

You forgot one thing- no matter what cats do, purring in their owner's ear, snuggling up into her lap and acting all cute makes everything alright again- every time. Wanna bet how often that tactic would work for you or me?

Five months are more than enough to get in shape, even without doing any serious working out. Walking more is a good start. Weather and location permitting, you can also consider using a bicycle or rollerblades for transportation or, better yet, recreation. If you ride on a daily basis, even 30 minutes to one hour of moderate cycling should get you in shape within a month or two. As for your lower back- those pains are often caused by weak abdominal muscles. Still no need to join a gym, but I suggest you complement your program with some light workout exercises- sit-ups, push-ups, squats, pull-ups, stretching...stuff you can do at home and doesn't take much time. And don't get discouraged if you suck at first- as long as you keep to it, you should start seeing results in less than a month.

I've seen it once, but was advised against trying it out. Not that I was very serious about it, Bluetracks have a bad reputation around here. Seems like they were all the rage when first introduced, but if I recall correctly, a few people got broken after their canopies collapsed on final approach. Or was it end-cell closure in radical turns? Anyway, it is a tapered canopy with an interesting cell design. I have no idea how exactly it flies or what it could compare to. You might be better off buying something newer and, of course, listening to people more experienced than myself.

And there's your marketing slogan!

what really kills me is the after shave lotion! That hurts even when you're just joking about it! Apply some skin-soothing lotion afterwards and start using exfoliating soap on the area to prevent ingrown hairs. (Not pleasant and not very nice to look at, either)

I'll agree with that. Windsurfing can be a bore if the wind's not strong enough. With kitesurfing, if you have enough wind to get the kite in the air, you have enough wind to go fast. Otoh, you can always lift the sail on a surfboard, while dropping the kite in the water might leave you stranded among the gators. And that kitesurfing board is not much of a flotation device, either, so a boat crew is a must when you're kiting. As for sites- just throw 'windsurfing' or 'kitesurfing into Google and browse through the results. I'm sure you'll find lots of useful stuff.

I don't know what (if anything) would make Atmonauti NOT freeflying. But if we have expressions to describe flying with our heads or feet pointing at the ground, why not have another one for the ~45° angle? I know when I invent a cool new freefly position, I'll definitely give it a fancy name and use it everywhere, just to annoy people.

Question: would you otherwise consider voting for him? IMO, such mudslinging generally makes some people (in this case those against Kerry) feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Most on the other side will of course look on it as so much bs. A small percentage of those in the middle might actually make their decision based on it. And no matter how tempting, the effects of such a message shouldn't be measured by the levels of warm fuzziness achieved in people who agree with it in the first place, but by the number of those who will actually take it into consideration. So who has decided not to vote for Kerry after reading this?

So you're saying you want a special forum for Gaelic-speaking skydivers?

Oh Damn! First I find out I've more or less destroyed my chances of becoming a good BASE jumper by doing so many skydives, now you tell me I''m probably not fit for SCUBA as well. Next I suppose I'll find out my inability to run has something to do with me learning to walk when I was little.