Airman1270

...#1 No woman should give a blow job as a chore... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ If she regards it as a chore, then she's the one with the problem. I do things that, on the surface, might seem ridiculous and even unpleasant at times, but I do it because my wife likes it. This fact make it all worthwhile for me. Unfortunately, she won't reciprocate; a brief summary of our marriage could be described as "If she knows I like it, she won't do it for me." Damn shame. Yet, if I ever have have an affair she'll be real angry. Don't tell me we need to "communicate" or get counseling. Both are good ideas, but both require cooperation. If she were willing to do these things we probably wouldn't have a problem in the first place. It becomes especially maddening listening to women complain about how their husbands lack any romantic inclinations. Ladies, if you don't love your man enough to be a wife to him, then don't marry him. Do these things because you want to please him, not because it's your turn. We don't need (insert intimate suggestion here) every night or even every week, but once in a while would be nice, especially when we're plenty eager to rock your world. (We, uh, DO rock your world, right?) Blue (not blew) Jon

...I happen to like nice guys. And yes, I think they should finish last. Let the lady finish first ... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Agreed. The first hour+ is yours; the last 10 - 90 seconds is mine... I'm just a lesbian trapped in a man's body. Jon

...But they typically are more reserved than the dickchunks who are overly-agressive.. and then may be mistaken for gay cause theyre not pursuing as actively as some other guys... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Okay, here's a brief story. Not that I assume anyone cares, but this is an open forum... I was never the aggressive type. Sure, I was interested in the same things everyone else was, but I didn't want to be the guy the ladies talked about when they got into their "men suck" snit. No octopus here. (Okay, there were a few exceptions, but she was into it too so we can get off Jon's back....) It was not uncommon to date someone for awhile and later learn that, during those first dates, she wondered what was wrong with me. On several occasions I learned that she was receptive and was waiting for me to make a move. DOH!. Finally, one day in 1989, I met a woman who started hanging out in a bar at which I was spending a lot of time. Nothing serious, in fact nothing at all other than two people hanging together with no serious intentions. We ended up in one of those secluded parked-car situations, and I began to recognize the script. She was sending those signals I'd failed to respond to in the past. "Not this time" I said to myself. Older & wiser, having learned my lesson, I was not going to let this opportunity pass and decided I would give her what she wants. So I began to show her the attention she obviously desired, and, sure enough... she stopped me. In a rather awkward fashion, she said she wasn't really interested in supersizing our evening together. With a wry laugh I said "I give up." The perplexed look on her face was worth it. I explained everything I just told you. We had a giggle and apologized to each other for the misunderstanding. That marked the end of our "dating", but we remained bar buddies and enjoyed a pleasant rapport. She soon married another guy she later met at the same bar. Sure, this is boring and irrelevant, but I notice you're still reading. So anyway, I'm not gay and I'm not always a nice guy. But I have a lava lamp. Cheers, Jon

...The 30 currency rule is another hardship on low time jumpers, and I think it is extremely unfair. I have seen many jumpers who were active when "static line" was the only way to learn, and some left the scene for a month or two, came back and picked up where they left off, without any problem.... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Right on, Bill. I went through the static line course near Albany, NY in the early/mid 1980's. Due to money and a four-hour drive from Long Island, it was normal for me to go as much as two months or more between DZ trips. I'd just pick up where I'd left off, and didn't think anything of it. I knew my progression was not as dramatic as that of my peers who were jumping every week, but I never thought my safety was compromised. After graduation this schedule remained pretty much the same. In 1988-'89, when I had fewer than 150 jumps, I made fewer than 10 jumps per year (long story) and had breaks of up to seven months between jumps. When I was finally able to get to a DZ I received a short briefing followed by a solo delay. Piece of cake! No tandem, no "refresher" instruction, no added expense, no paranoid nail-biting that I was a hole in the ground waiting to happen. When we ask why the public schools censor references to Christianity, they claim they're trying to be sensitive to people who might be "offended." In reality this attitude is training people to interpret such things as "offensive" and encouraging them to react with hostility. In the same way, these recently-imposed ill-conceived regulations, such as the 30-day rule, mandatory AAD use, etc. encourage newer jumpers to interpret the failure to observe these regulations as "dangerous." USPA would do well to reconsider its current approach toward micro-managing DZ operations, or the only people considered qualified to skydive will be those who can afford to make 200+ jumps per year and who spend little time doing anything else. Cheers, Jon S.

...How many people on static-line can really SENSE the difference between being towed behind an A/C and/or freefall. I doubt the student with one or two S/L "skydives" can or that a military candy jumper can... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A similar incident occurred in the mid-1980's in New York, I believe it was at Paul Gath's DZ in Arcade. The story was published in PARACHUTIST. The jumpmaster said he pondered whether to chop the line; meanwhile, the first-jump student was looking at him with her hand on the reserve, tapping her helmet as she'd been trained to do (and presumably wondering why he wasn't cutting her loose.) He finally did. The harness had shifted somewhat and she had trouble pulling. The AAD fired around 1000'. Remember the photo in Dan Poynter's book showing the towed student & the Cessna descending under a 24' round chest-mount reserve? ("Military candy jumper..."?) Jon

...The law does not support people who take personal responsiblity. Corporate America is doing it's best to eradicate this "trait" in people.... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hmmm... I don't know - I think corporate America would like to see more emphasis on personal responsibility, as they take a beating whenever one of their own does something wrong. (Example: man makes inappropriate comments/advances to woman co-worker. In the old days, woman would slap him and get on with her life. Now she goes into an emotional freak-out and sues man's employer for failing to prevent man from being rude.) One problem is that the legal system has become dominated by a secular humanist religious philosophy that punishes people not only for doing bad things, but for failing to prevent bad things from happening. When selecting juries, lawyers seeking to milk this system are careful to weed out people who don't accept this philosophy, leading to ridiculous verdicts which cause us to scratch our heads & wonder what the hell's going on. I've been called for jury duty later this month. If asked about my hobbies, I will truthfully tell them I'm a musician. They don't need to know I skydive, as this will "red flag" me as someone who believes in personal responsibility. If the UPS truck runs a red light and hits someone, the driver is responsible, not UPS. Jon

Having been a student in upstate New York during the winter, I haven't had much of a problem jumping in Georgia winters. The problem is finding enough people to get the plane off the ground. After arriving in the middle of the afternoon, everyone who's not a cold-weather pussy has already made a jump or two and doesn't feel like putting themselves through that ordeal again, at least not today...

QuoteAlmost never - broke my ankle on my first jump (brainlocked on the PLF), sat there thinking "WOW, that was so cool!!!!"... No serious injuries since, thanks to a number of well-timed PLF's. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A comment from the doctor was noteworthy. This was the same guy who had treated me for another broken ankle several years earlier which occurred while playing baseball (outfield collision.) He told me I shouldn't be skydiving. I asked why he didn't tell me to give up baseball... Jon S.

Almost never - broke my ankle on my first jump (brainlocked on the PLF), sat there thinking "WOW, that was so cool!!!!"... No serious injuries since, thanks to a number of well-timed PLF's. Cheers, Jon S.

As for the "yuppie" argument by the preceding gentleman, forgive me for not recalling your name, I am no yuppie... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I'm sorry - I wasn't calling you a "yuppie." It was a reference I'd heard from others describing an attitude in which equipment once considered optional is being inerpreted as mandatory. This creates an atmosphere in which people who cannot spend unlimited money feel pressured out of the sport, leaving behind those whose lifestyles & priorities can support total immersion. These folks then become the norm and set the standards for newer participants. With regard to AAD's, I look at these as I do automobile air bags. They can be useful, and anyone who's ever been saved by one is quite grateful. They're also very expensive, and can cause problems by firing when they're not supposed to. I've made over 700 jumps without an AAD and have trouble understanding how experienced jumpers, who have several hundred jumps or more, become frightened to the point of refusing to jump if their Cypres is temporarily unavailable due to servicing, etc. Yes, it can happen me. I've had three reserve rides and am reasonalbly confident I can handle a situation without panic. Meanwhile, I trust the same God who watches the sparrows to help keep me safe, with the understanding that some events are out of my control. Jon S.

Once you have really seen how fast the ground comes...You will not want to do it again. BTW....all of those that have said they would go after someone....Whats your normal pull altitude, and whats the lowest you have pulled? Normal - 3000' ish. Only a handful of main pulls below 2000'. (Once got open at 1000' during an impromptu speed star competition when the other guys wouldn't let go of my arms- damn lucky it didn't snivel.) A few jumps later I rode a snivel from 5500' down to 2000'; it began inflating just as I was ready to pull handles. Once had a hard pull on the reserve - got open at 400'. , Jon

Its called a joke. Joke (jok) n. Something said or done to cause laughter, such as a brief story with a punch line; something not taken seriously. v. To tell or play jokes. jokingly (adv.) ohhhh...JOOOOKE! Hee hee hee hee ha ha ho ho yuk etc.... Seriously, if she turns out to be as nice & satisfying as my rig, I'll be a happy man. , Jon

Would you get married without sleeping with her first? Uh, actually, yes. If I ever do it again I will wait. Can't go into detail here, but speak with couples who waited and you'll get some very positive feedback. Immorality can have its thrills, but... Jon S.

...The situation we're debating here doesn't even have to happen if everyone would just cough up the $1250 it takes for a Cypres. All this blather about "depending" on AAD's is a bunch of crap... With all due respect, I believe this attitude is part of the reason skydiving has become an elite "yuppie" sport. I have successfully (?) found a balance between the DZ & family life. However, it is hard enough to "cough up" enough money to make 4 or 5 jumps a month without my wife complaining about all the time/money I spend on the sport. I could buy a Cypres, but I'd have to spend every Saturday afternoon for the next two years sitting at the kitchen table looking at it because there'd be no money to buy jumps. Perhaps I feel at ease without an AAD because I've been jumping for nearly 20 years without one. Nothing wrong with AAD's perhaps, but the real problem is that many people who use them become afraid to jump without them. I used to want an AAD, but have had a change of heart. On the one hand is the cost and the maintenance hassle; on the other is the fact that the manufacturer cannot guarantee its reliability after as few as 10 years. It's a basic cost/benefit situation. Also, while it might be extremely rare, I fear a misfire while diving head down or climbing out for exit. And don't get me started on the "mandatory AAD" nazis... Please forgive me if this is stretching the parameters of this post, but you guys started it. Cheers, Jon S.

Nope. I did some research, spoke with a few gear dealers, etc. I went with a Triathalon 220 after jumping a huge Star-Trac for 11 years and a Strato Cloud for the previous 8 years. Beautiful! It's exactly what I was looking for. I bought the Smart reserve based on these discussions; I'd never heard of the Smart before I began this process. If I have to use it I'm sure I'll be pleased. When choosing a container I spoke first to some riggers to find out what they hated to work with. Ended up with an Infinity. So far I'm quite pleased, except for the part about packing that %%#$@**&^ zero-P crap... Cheers, Jon S.

It might depend on which rig I'm using; my older rig has a round reserve, which I suppose might take an extra second or two to deploy. Most likely, I wouldn't take it down low enough for this to be a major factor. Remember Greg Robertson's save at a boogie in Arizona (4-18-87)? He followed a group out between 12,000' - 13,000' just to watch, in part because he wanted to observe a novice he thought might be in a bit over her head at a large boogie with 50-ish jumps. Shortly after exit, she smacked into another guy & went unconscious. Even though he was watching for trouble, and had all that sky to work with, he didn't dump her until around 3000'. I'm not sure I could do any better. By the way, I don't have an AAD. I appreciate all you guys who would at least make an effort, thanks. Cheers, Jon S.

Nice job. You took the time to see if you could fly the main before determining, at a safe altitude, that a cutaway was in order. An important milestone as well. My first reserve ride was in October 1983 on jump #14. I was a student doing a 10 second delay (T-10, chest-mount reserve.) Couldn't find the ripcord & spent another 10 seconds trying before I decided I'd spent enough time on the main & pulled the reserve around 1200', just before the AAD was about to fire. My first terminal opening. I thought it odd that people gave me congrats for pulling the reserve; eventually I began to learn about all the people who should have pulled a reserve and never did. It would be interesting to hear from others: When was your first reserve ride? Details? Cheers, Jon S.

Nice going. Here's something else to watch for: I usually glace at others' rigs too. A bunch of years back I noticed one guy had twisted his cutaway handle back behind the lift web as he geared up. There was no handle showing; it was hidden behind the harness in a fold of jumpsuit fabric. Jon S.

Don't forget Rome. A long-time DZ with a rich history, it's currently a smaller Cessna operation, but the people are great and the huge landing area can't be beat. Plenty of outs, and a halfway decent chance your cutaway main won't land in a tree. Jon S.

I don't know, the second one would help you to determine if the canopy was installed backwards. "Gee, isn't the stripe supposed to be on the other side?" Ummm... If you need to look at the color pattern to determine whether the canopy has been hooked up correctly, perhaps owning a parachute might not be in your best interest. Jon (Backward canopy ride 6-30-85)

Due to several factors, including money and long drives to the DZ, my student progression took over two years and 53 jumps. I performed well most of the time, but it wasn't unusual to go anywhere from three weeks to two months between DZ trips. It was routine to simply pick up where I'd left off. I had my first reserve ride on my 14th jump (chest-mount unmodified round) while on 10-second delays, made another 10 later that day, and returned over a month later to do 15's & a 20. Six weeks later I made a few more dives. Etc., etc. There was no hand-wringing about my "currency", no return to static-line, etc. After graduation, I continued to average a steady 20-30 jumps a year for many years afterward. Of course, I didn't try to get on a night 20-way with borrowed gear, but it is possible to take some time off without having to undergo intense retraining upon your return. Just a little common sense is required to perform safely. Cheers, Jon

No problem! If you knew how often I've been haunted by that "sinking" feeling in recent years, you'd understand how exhilarating it was to see you below, and have a chance to fly down for a quickie "plan B" round. My Infinity weighs ten pounds less than my old rig; it's like learning to fly all over, which sucks because it took so long the first time... I'll go base sometime with my Wonderhog, and see if you can keep up. BWUHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Cheers, Jon

Terrific weekend at The Farm. Damn shame about the other plane, but even with all those people sharing a single Caravan, it was a blast. Thanks Hans, etc. Congrats John on #500. Cheers, Jon S.

I've dropped a "Bart Simpson" doll rigged to an old pilot chute over Rome, GA. "Bart" has about a dozen jumps. I don't suppose this would create much of a hazard, though. Remember those training instructions to "throw away the ripcord" in the event of a cutaway? What would happen if the silver handle should strike someone on the ground. Would the emergency situation be taken into consideration, or could we expect to be prosecuted/sued (as we can be in so many other areas of life) for failing to prevent bad things from happening? Jon S.

3-way - didn't get in. The experienced guy caught up to me while I was tracking away and slapped my foot before I deployed. #500 was most memorable: Did a hop & pop from 13,500' on a July day with puffy clouds & no wind, drank two beers on the way down. Congrats on yours! Jon