lauras

You're right...the allusion that "Joe Six Pack aka the uneducated slob who's never driven passed county lines = The Average American" is just as dumb, insulting and bigoted as "Barack Hussein Obama = Terrorist."

No you shouldn’t. You should just be pissed and disappointed that more then half the population responds to such tactics. It's so damn depressing to me that this is a nation that can barely get off its collective ass to vote AND succumbs to such moronic and hysterical "reasoning" like "ooh, his name's Hussein which means he must be cousins with Saddam" or "McCain survived POW camp because he collaborated with the VC." I mean, really. I know that other countries have the very same issues with apathetic voters and smear campaigning but I keep holding out hope for something better from my fellow citizens. If you don't like a candidate because of his/her fiscal policies, stance on immigration, healthcare or any other important issue pressing this nation, or past illegal or morally questionable shenanigans which have been proven & documented by authorities other than Rush Limbaugh or Michael Moore, I'm ok with that! I'm not ok with the dumbed down and Entertainment Tonight-style media coverage of the political process. I think Americans deserve and should fight for better than that. We need to take it upon ourselves to be better educated and knowledgeable of what's going on in our nation and our role in the world at large so each of us can vote confidently and not wait for the "fair and unbiased" shills to spoon feed us more garbage. I honestly do believe that most Americans crave some intelligent discourse on our nation's future and who might best serve as our next fearless leader. The next 30 days can't pass by fast enough.

Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein, has been flogged during the entire campaign as if it were a rallying cry & mobilization tool for those Muslim terrorists lurking around decent God-fearing Joe Six-packs. I don't see it. Did Obama's parents look into the future in 1964 and say, "hey, we want to saddle our child with the same name as a mass murdering dictator that will wreak havoc in his country and abroad!" Are all men named Adolph destined to a career in genocide? i'm pretty sure the Coors family and other Germans had NO idea that was going to happen. Names like Vladimir and Joseph would probably be a bad idea for Russians or those of Russian heritage. Surely this doesn't mean that all men named Timothy will be bombing federal buildings in the near future. Are all women named Misty destined to a career in stripping or pornography just because that name is particularly common in those industries? Are all Hillarys ball-busting shrews? Is equating anyone with the name Hussein to Saddam Hussein just bringing the level of political discussion down to the lowest common denominator? Should I be even be surprised?

Take your pick! There's Sally Hathaway, 4 years on the US Women's 4-way team: www.tunnelcoach.com As suggested, Ari's a great choice: www.sebastiantempest.com Chromy at Skydive University is as well: http://www.skydiveu.com/directory.php?location=FL All three are at the Orlando tunnel nearly weekly, offer thorough coaching & are all very experienced 4-way competitors. They can help you out with whatever you need.

I'm going to try to squeeze in a couple of jumps tomorrow morning before running to the airport. Oren, Jody, Christine & I are BUMMED that we're missing this weekend! Maybe the Caribou can make another visit sometime this winter (hint hint)? Paul Bartkus, Roy Sr & Bu will be organizing RW & Martin & Michelle will be handling FF. I think Mikey & Patty Woods will be out as well to chunk some big fat exits. I'm sure there will also be more than a few WS organizers out since tailgates = instant nirvana.

Here's what I got out of the opening ceremony: China just put everyone on official notice. "We're big, really fucking big. We're an ancient society. We have all necessary natural resources. We have man power. We have money." China is a sleeping dragon and not to be taken lightly. Beautiful and a little bit scary.

*crying*

It's fun to have 60+ people crammed into the bar sing "Happy Birthday"! Random drawings make grown adults go completely nuts (in a good way). I found out that I'm TK's ex-wife. My favorite team names were "Butastic" & "Who Ate My Lunch." Bedazzlers are very useful instruments of torture. 3 of the video guys (Pip, Dave & Jody) made 15 jumps each; 3 on, 1 off. Dave now has more jumps on Oren's new Velocity than Oren.

We had a fantastic turn-out for the Scrambles Meet this year! 15 teams were put together and competed over 4 rounds. It took a little longer than usual since we didn't have a dedicated Otter this time but 3 teams were on every load from #4 through 23. Participant experience ranged from well over 5000+ jumps to as low as 39. Many, many thanks to the following people that made the event run so smoothly: Manifest: Debbie Dellibac & Laurie Clark Video: Jody Conn, Pip Redvers, Dave Colucci, SGM Russ, Martin Skrzypczak & Randy Lopez Our very generous sponsors: TK Hayes & Skydive City, Sunrise Manufacturing, Aerodyne, Larsen & Brusgaard, Sky Systems, Michigan Suits, Paragone Rigging & Nylon City. Coach: Sally Hathaway Judges/Organizers/etc: Oren Kalb & Mike Wolfe Team Captains: Karl Meyer, Rodney Cruce, Rick Ream, Leslieann McCormack, Jim "Bu" Klinge, Christine Freiherr, Alicia Wolfe, James Saine, Paul Bertorelli, Craig Sagelow, Paul Bartkus, Steve Rand, Keith Walter, Bill Bickner & Ryan Scarlett. The draw: E M J Q (meeker, star, donut, phalanx) P O 6 (sidebody, satellite, stardian-stardian) H D B A (bow, yuan, diamond, unipod) F N 7 (open, crank, buddies-buddies) This year's winning team was Smoking Aces AKA The Weiners. Team Captain Karl Meyer led Marty Hauser, Donnie Grenade & Mark Curto, scoring 31 points. Rodney Cruce's team, A Kept Woman, came in second, also with 31 points but Karl's team scored highest in the last round. Rodney, however, gets props for turning the 6 vertically! His team-mates were Quinn Lamb (who had 39 jumps when we started the day) Ryan Anderson & Yvette Walter. Rick Ream's team, Cath's Big Boy Toys, came in third with 30 points. Rick & his team-mates Chip Bowlim, Catherine Datte & Jon Sikorsky get props for making some of the funniest shaped formations as the 3 guys were between 6'2" & 6'8" & Catherine's barely 5' tall. No, this was not done on purpose. First Place Prize: 40% off Wings Certificates & Wings tee-shirts Second Place Prize: 30% off any Aerodyne Canopy Certificates & a free pack job from Nylon City Third Place Prize: 30% Michigan Suits Certificates & PD tee-shirts from Paragone Rigging Fourth Place Prize: 20% off Michigan Suits Certificates Last Place Prize: 50% off Michigan Suits Certificates A random drawing was held for: 2 free pack jobs from Nylon City, a helmet bag from Paragone Rigging, 2 30% off Certificates with tee-shirts, tube stoes & lanyards from Sky Systems, and a L&B Solo, Optima & Viso. Aerodyne also sponsored goodie bags for every participant. Almost forgot to mention that Oren had a great Cuban dinner catered (thanks Gabe!) for everyone afterwards as well. Thanks again to all of our participants, sponsors and Skydive City for making this off-season event so special for the local skydivers. It's great to see new faces and watch everyone help each other out.

ARE YOU READY?? According to NOAA.gov, the forecast is looking pretty good! Lots of prizes & goodies from Aerodyne, Wings, PD, Larsen & Brusgaard, Sunshine Factory, Skydive City, Michigan Suits, etc. Oren's also lined up a nice surprise after the meet for the Scrambles participants! Remember, all you need is an A license, 4 jump tickets, $25 & a willingness to talk all kinds of smack to the other teams on your plane. See you there! Sunday, May 25th 8am registration in the covered area.

Mark your calendars! Oren's running his 6th annual 4-way Scrambles this Memorial Day weekend. All levels are encouraged to participate - just have an A license, 4 jump tickets and $25 to cover video on every round. A number of freeflyers and CRW dogs have participated in the past so don't be shy if you think your RW skills are a little rusty. 11 teams were assembled last year and this year should be bigger! The Format: - Show up at Skydive City/Zhills at 8am, Sunday morning - Register with Oren & hand over your tickets & $25 (exact change would be great) - You will be assigned a team according to your experience level. Each team is comprised of an experienced 4-way competitor, 2 experienced/intermediate jumpers and 1 rookie. We try to distribute as evenly as possible to keep things fair. - 4 rounds are jumped during the course of the day & judged. There will be video on every jump. Points are tallied on a score board. - Sally Hathaway (former Team USA 4-way champion) will provide free coaching for the teams. - No ringer teams EVER. The competition is very tight and last year 1 or 2 points separated second through ninth place. Plenty of prizes as usual. Last year's top teams won 40% off Wings certificates, PD t-shirts, Skydive City jump tickets, Nylon City packing tickets, 20 to 50% off Michigan Suits certificates, Sunshine Factory vouchers, 30% off Javelin certificate, boxes of Sunpath beer koozies, as well as a random drawing of all the participants for 2 free Larsen & Brusgaard products. Bu Klinge is the current King of Scrambles (1st place in 2006 & 2007). The team captain that defeats him gets to throw him in the swoop pond (I haven't told him this part yet, shhhhh). Come witness the drama! Contact Oren at okalbATYahooDOTcom with any questions or if you'd like to register early.

http://www.laszloimage.com/March_2008_NEW/pages/March_29th_08_MG_9583.htm Ahmed's at 12:00 & I'm on his right. All I saw on every break off were the soles of his shoes. That man could track! My sympathies to his family and friends. This is very sad news.

Twoooo tings, Mark... #1) You need new slinks. Get a set & I'll slap them on for you. #2) Shorten your closing loop, biatch! #3) I know there's a #3 but I can't remember what it is so you'll have to settle for 2. Now, back to the Muff Brothers.

Win prizes by attending the seminars! If you attend 5 or more you will be entered into a draw for free tshirts & free jumps! 9:00: Aircraft Safety & Emergency Review by Mickey Macelli** 10:00: Gear Checks & Basic Maintenance by Jody Conn & Laura Song** 11:00: Freefly Safety by Dave Colucci Noon: Emergencies & Cutaway Reviews by Bill Brandon** 1:00: Canopy Control, Defensive Flying, Avoidance & Landing Patterns by Bram Clement** 2:00: Freefall, Tracking, AADs, RSLs, Skyhooks & Low Pulls by TK Hayes** 3:00: The Perfect Practice Flare by TK Hayes 4:00: Exits & Exit Separation by Oren Kalb 5:00: Wing Suit Primer by Chuck Blue ** AFF students can count these seminars towards refresher training! Be sure to pick up a Safety Day packet at Manifest at the beginning of the day & bring your log book to have it signed off. Manifest will be announcing start times and locations for each of the seminars throughout the day. Look for the flyer at Manifest.

So, you've discovered the not-so-secret secret!

Dude, I know at least a dozen people I could buy Star Wars bed sheets for. I've searched for king & queen size to no avail so I'm at the point of buying twin sized flat sheets & sewing them together. I can sew, no big deal...just a matter of actually doing it!

The concerns I had with delaying surgery were: - Permanent nerve damage (the longer you delay, the less likely it is you'll get all the feeling & strength back). - The amount of pain medication needed on daily basis. Vicodin Land is not for me. I used Ultracet since I didn't want a narcotic and that *barely* kept things manageable. Sleep was a joke. - Quality of life issues. I like skydiving. I like going out. I like being able to lift more than a t-shirt without being in pain. Yes, there absolutely is additional stress above & below the fused levels but for me, that's a calculated risk I'm willing to take. Life f*&%ing sucked and I wasn't willing to live with that kind of pain just to avoid having surgery. I won't lie - surgery isn't a cure-all. I still have discomfort at times and my body will let me know when I've been slacking on the PT. The week after surgery sucked and spending 6 weeks in an Aspen hard collar while everyone else was jumping made me a little bit mental. BUT, 4 years post-op and I'm a pretty happy gal. I might have to address another herniation I have down the road, but I'm ok with that. In my limited observation, half the people I saw at the doctor's complaining about lack of results were usually the same ones that were barely mobile and clearly not keeping up with PT. Seriously, if a person weighs 300+ lbs, the spine is going to take a beating and (s)he needs to get off his/her ass and move. The other half didn't obey post-op orders: not smoking, limited lifting, wearing the collar/brace religiously, keeping follow-up appointments, etc. Do your homework, research the docs you're talking to. I also talked to other doctors, nurses, x-ray techs, PT to feel out who I was dealing with. My surgeon, John Small at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, has a reputation of being a hard-ass, demanding perfectionist who gets the best results in central Florida. I like that. Check out www.spine-health.com

I posted this in Jan 2004: I took about 5 months to get back to jumping normally. I flew in the tunnel a couple of times first and then just a couple of jumps per weekend for a while. I stuck to the Spectre + Dacron until very recently. I've made around 700 jumps since my operation without any major issues. I listen to my body though - if I'm feeling sore & weak, I stretch a lot more and work on my shoulders & upper back strength. PT will be your friend forevuh!

Michel Lemay & his 3 sons (at Nouvel Air) are the Canadian national 4-way team, currently preparing for the World Meet. They do not suck. The Farringtons (at Kapowsin) are 3 generations of super active jumpers. They also do not suck.

Yes, same Danny. Just saw contact info in Gear & Rigging for the other Florida DPRE: GAINEY, MICHAEL E 6470 ROBIN AVE MILTON FL 32570 (850) 623-1741 (H) (850) 5163401 (C)

Finding a DPRE is going to be tough unless your friends can wait for the FAA to approve Marko Jakkola (who's in process). Of the 3 DPREs in our region, Danny Page & Don Yahrling have both passed on to the big boogie and no one knows how to get a hold of the third guy. I know some people have flown up to NJ to get Mark Kruse to give them any exams.

My prediction is: In 2008, IT geeks will remain IT geeks.

yeah, it's me!!

I really hope I never need it, but honey, I'll fork out the $15K! Get me on that helicopter, haul my ass to St. Joes and call everyone at Florida Orthopaedic Institute over, stat! Edit to add: Ok, I do have to say that since the hospital in Zhills changed ownership last year, I understand the service level has gone waaaay up. I just happen to be a frequent flier at Florida Ortho & their docs mostly work out of UCH, St Joes & Tampa General.

Hey Marc, I switched to FIOS about 6 months ago from a Brighthouse cable modem. I can't even begin to tell you how fast this thing is. I am averaging 15Mbits download and about 5Mbits upload. My cable used to get e about 4Mbits down and only about 250K up. ooops: just realized I posted this under Lauras instead of me okalb.