vonSanta

Not here. Rainy and windy, and pretty cold. Haven't really been t-shirt weather for more than a few days, and I've jumped through next to so many clouds the inside of my nose is still wet. Who's stealing all the good weather? Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

That bloody brashnoovkian named Karry is a disgrace our good ole Dontgiveashitstan. An unpatriotic bastard who'll be the end of us all. He's the enemy of all lettuce-loving people and seem to change opinions like an Andgrukhian man with galopping explosive diahrrea whould change underpants. Man, we better get another 9.23 Nishpooks of Shrubbery. He keeps true to Grandoshlian values of family, unity, safety and the love of Nirfur, God Of All Things Yellow And Furry (and he who wisely decides what is yellow and furry). And the pursuit of lettuce, with or without complementary dishes. And he ain't gonna get his tongue frozen solidly to a fridge, like Kleeh' tohn. What a disgrace. He made the Fanghurians attack us. Of course, that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the material support of the Yuropheeans, especially the Fleehns. Bloody fungus eaters. They did it first, the Brashnoovkians. They did it just a second before we did whatever it was we did that made them point out that we'd done something else in the same spirit, prior to that, but before them. But, they're liars, and we're right, because we probably might potentially have done it before them. And if we did, it wasn't as bad as what they did before. What scandals. Bloody Bashnoovkians. Of course, I could have written a nice post about how posts tend to be ethnocentric, using big words. And postulated that widening the horizon a bit would not only be interesting, but probably also good somehow. But then I'd have responses about demographics and people telling me to bugger off, because when was the last time *I* made a contribution in that area (which was never), and my point and all my big words would have been for nothing. Think I'll have some lettuce now. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Ah, so if you're stupid or a bit confused in the head, you should lose your right to vote? . Amreekhans. Great Shaitans. Deth Boosh! Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Hm. Unfair, to be sure. On the other hand. You got your job, your responsibilities, your set of routines and rules. If they aren't good enough for you, regardless of how other people work, get a new job. Sometimes, one has to work more and harder for less than others. But, the responsibilities and privileges/paychecks of others matter little to me. I have my deal, which I can accept or discard, and whether others get another 0 at the end of their paycheck for 40 hours less doesn't change that deal. Nepotism is still ugly. I guess it's all about drawing the line and monitoring the situation, and planning for an out landing. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Ours went down from $20 to $18 for a ride to 14 000 feet . Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Well, crwmike still has a point about the tribal mindset, acceptable values and conflicts with ideals. One ideal being everyone is free to hold an opinion or value. This is fine as long as the opinion held concurs with the general values. Then, the opinion is accepted, even respected. Few of us accept or respect racist or sexist attitudes. Yet these are but value statements, personal preference or what have you. These can be inherently personal. In a truly free society, such opinion would have no less or more weight or value than more 'acceptable' ones. Pretty easy to rationalize about such negative personal values. It becomes more muddled when the values are half rejected/half accepted by the group as a whole - say homosexuality for example. But, in principle and thought, there's little difference. I don't see crwmike as a troll. He just points out a pretty funny contradictions in our values and how we are operating in our daily life. And I'm as guilty as anyone in that regard. In my not so humble opinion, whuffos don't know what life's about. And a whuffo who really likes gardening holds a similar opinion . So there we go. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Scenario: You and your three others. First jump with some of them, but you know something about how fast they fall, and they're all somewhat experienced skydivers. 4 way freefly. Breakoff altitude is agreed upon and there's a loose dive plan to "keep proximity and have fun". Bit of a screwed up exit perhaps, and big differences in fall rate. One guy is level vertically with you, but a good bit off horisontally. Another is below you, with a bit less horisontal distance. Last one is above you, say 300 feet, and quite close horisontally. Pre-determined breakoff altitude is approaching, but no one has reached it yet. What's the best course of action? Do you, upon seeing the low guy wave off and track away, break off early and track yerself? Losing sight of one of the jumpers might mean a freefall collision in this situation, it seems to me. Or do you keep your eyes open, awareness of the others at maximum, and wait for the predetermined breakoff altitude so you don't end up confusing the others with unpredictable behaviour? I guess what I am thinking is that while in an ideal situation, everyone should be aware of everyone elses position, but with both vertical and horisontal separation like that, sooner or later someone is gonna lose sight of someone else. Of course, proper planning and the right decisions should have been made to avoid this situation. More detailed dive plan, or breaking up the group (make it two 2 ways instead, with people jumping with a partner that most closely match in fall rate for instance), but from what I've seen, we're not always making good judgement calls. Overestimating our own abilities or just feeling good about playing with your friends in the air can lead to questionable decisions that most of the time are safe - most of the time. I'd be thankful if some more experienced people (or less for that matter) gave me some input on the best way of handling the situation. It should't have happened, but it did: now what? Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Let's say the reverse is true - you're the low man. One doesn't dump immediately of course, because that'd be inviting disaster. But if you get into one of those awkward situations like when you meet a person going in the opposite direction in a hall, and you both side stepp and keep blocking each others way, what options do you have as the low jumper, except sucking it low and wait for the other jumper to throw his pilot chute? Sooner or later you have to get something out, after all, and hearing the third YEEOYEEOYEEO dytter warning is sorta scary. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Great :D. I'll be very hard to miss. I use the CUC principle - Colour Un Coordinated. I'll be the dude in the yellow Tonysuits cargopants with blacks stripes, red or black T-shirt, pink and purple rig and worn-through-and-busted-up tennis shoes. Don't be shy anyone - come up and introduce yerselves when at the DZ :) This thing is gonna be cool Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Well, one of the +3 that comes with me is DrAvalanche, my sis. She rarely posts here though, since she's moved and she hasn't gotten around tog etting an internet connection. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Oh yeah; he's pulling hard for Borki, that's for sure :D. I'll very likely visit Borki for a weekend, but I gotta stick close to my other travel companions in general. Not to mention it'd be awfully lonely being the only foreigner at a DZ. Wonder if there would be any cute Rusian girls that could offer some comfort? Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Hah, funny how people praise Reagan, and then say Chirac a piss-ant. They're were/are the same kind of leader. Proud, stubborn, dedicated and absolutely convinced that their political ideal are right. They both often come off as arrogant, and they're loudspoken and do not shy away from controversial statements. Piss-ant indeed. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

N/A

Well, about 30 of us left this weekend or are leaving next weekend. Some stay more than two weeks but the majority leave before we arrive.. I and three others leave on July 1st, and stay til July 25th. Raistlin, being the nice guy he is, will meet us at the airport and make sure *he* is the Russian who'll rob us dumb tourists of our excess money. I reckon I'll know at least 6-8 poeple from my one little wee country over there, and they're far better drinkers than I am . Both my sis and I will celebrate our birthdays over there, so there'll be an excuse to drink, heh. Dunno the size fo the bonfires over there. if it's like the rest of the country, it has to be *big*. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Then have at it. I hope you don't have to go and explain this to the families of the dead from the next terrorist attack. Hm, well, to start off, you're using a logical fallacy. And you're wrong in your assumption that because I support the democratic principles and the freedoms I enjoy, I wish to use them for unsound reasons. Do a search on my handle and I think you'll find that I do not spout anti American rethoric. I'm critical from time to time, regardless of the subject at hand, but I tend not to get involved in appeals to emotion and the like (I'm very Danish that way). Perhaps I was a bit unclear in my previous post. I'll try to be more precise and explain my point of view. The freedom to freely assemble. This is great, since I do this at skydive boogies. It's also dangerous, because people intent on destroying democracy and all the values I hold dear can do the same. It is certain that should the government not only put surveillance on such gatherings, but also make them illegal and enforce that law with a heavy hand, less mischief can come from groups who congregate and motivate each other. I will not give up this freedom for more security. Freedom of religion, or from religion. It'd be safer if we had a religiously homogenous group which held shared values and beliefs. Potential terrorists or suspects could be deported based on their religious convictions. I'll have none of it, and will live with the added risk of having people of other religious persuasions in my country, even though they harbour ill feelings towards me and my countrymen. Freedom to make your own destiny - heavy state control throughout a persons life, along with surveillance, would mean added security. Determining what that person must do next is an addded layer of protection. Showing a unified face to the rest of theworld never makes them doubt our resolve. Silencing opposing views would greatly help show cohesion and unity, and therefore strengthen national security. Unfortunately, there are no checks and balances, so the gain will be short term only. And I'll have none of that, either. I'll rather be exposed to danger and free, but vigilant and ready, than cowering behind opression, apparently safer. You American had a great dude who said (paraphrasing) "He who gives up freedom for security deserves neither". I firmly believe in thus. GravityMaster, you're a Republican from what posts I've read by you. They've traditionally been, for the last couple of decades, the defenders of rights, against big government, pro maximum freedom. That is easy to be when the world is safe. I've seen the opinions change though: now many appear willing to give up some freedom to gain additional security. Why the change? Do you feel the same way, or am I reading your posts the wrong way? I sense that deep down, we're both pretty adament about the protection of our freedoms, to the point that'd we'd kill to preserve 'em. What I am trying to say is that I am well aware of the weaknesses our freedom loving ways have, and how they open us up to attack. But, this is more than countered by the knowledge that I am a Free Man, who does what he wants, and who can die fighting to maintain that priviledge if that is my desire. Are you also aware that our Military are being forced to take casualties because they have been ordered to reduce the number of civilian casulties who get caught in crossfires because you need to exercise your unresticted freedom of speech? They're soldiers. I expect them to do what they need to survive, without intentionally causing unnecessary harm to civilians. I don't live in an ignorant state. War isn't just LGBs dropping on buildings full of Bad Guys. Our soldiers will kill civilians to survive. It's war, there are no rules. War quickly turns into your own survival and the survival of your group. Claiming something else would be intellectual dishonesty. I have Yossarian's attitude to war (Catch-22). The enemy is whoever is trying to kill you. Sometimes it's people on the other side, other times it's people on your side, giving you near suicidal orders. In such a situation I'll do what I need to ensure mine and my companion's survival. I don't believe in BS lines on a map. My resolve in in my ideals. It's worth remembering that our soldiers are there to, at least in part, *protect* our freedoms, to ensure we can enjoy them. They take this job, knowing they might die. They don't risk life and limb (and sometimes lose both) so we, in our fear, can just let the freedoms slide away. THAT is an insult to anyone who's worn a uniform and fought and bled for his country! I can affect the soldier's ROE? They're given to them by their military commanders, who are ordered by their civilian leaders. Which are voted in by the PEOPLE. I doubt you want to change *that*. The military's job is to do what their masters say, and everyone of us is a tiny little bit of that master through the wonders of democracy. And I'll fucking DIE to defend my right to make that statement. Perhaps you will volunteer to go and explain to their families they died so you could express your feelings unrestricted at a time of war. Soldiers that die in a war die for a couple of reasons, the two major being: 1) They're defending their homeland from invasion. 2) They're protecting national interests on orders by the commanders, who got their orders from the people we elect. 3) They die invading or occupying foreign lands, on orders made by their civilian leaders. No war, no soldiers dead, be it war with terrorists, another nation or what have you. But to say there'll be no war, or no NEED for war, is to be naeive. War is much preferrable to being a virtual slave. Please let me know when you come back from the first visit. I support your nations troops as well as my own. I support what's being done in Iraq. No matter if the motive is war for oil, personal vendetta or whatever, it brings the possibility of a democratic process in the Middle East. It's gonna be costly, and it already has been costly, but I support it. I won't volunteer for that job, though. If I am to be shot at, the reason's gotta be better than that. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

There are many drawbacks to a democracy that can easily beused by those wanting to do so. The question is: do we value the freedoms we have over the added security restricting them would give us? To me, the answer is simple. No doubt some will play it to reduce the chances of GWB winning the next election. Had Democrats been in power, the Republicans would have done the same. That being said, I think there was a misjudegment before the war - the administration genuinely thought they'd be seen as liberators, as of starting a democratic process that'd perhaps spread to the rest of the Middle East. Noble motives, perhaps, but not a proper judgement. GWB and the Republicans took a chance there. Had it paid off, reelection would be a near certainty. That's how the political game is played. Now, having their plans go awry, they cannot fault their political opponents for reacting. And I think everyone should think what restricting speech because of his actions would mean to him. Probably a lot more. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Heh, I sometimes get a post-jump depression. Well, almost always. The first couple of days after I've been at my club (where I spend the entire weekend) usually tend to suck. I have a bit of a problem coming back from "skydive" mode to "work" mode and my concentration ain't the best for one or two days. I also fail to prioritize work high enough and it takes me a while to realize that "this stuff is really important". Only takes a second to get back into the skydiving mindset. Quite odd. Ugh, gotta go to work :/ Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

I'll tell ya this: skydiving has a tendency not only to add value to your life, but also to change it. It'll affect the way you think and prioritize. To me, it's more of a life style than a hobby, and I cannot for the world understand how I got by without it before - or what I was thinking for that matter. This of course has an effect on your personal life. Non skydivers don't understand the apparent obsession or just how strong the passion for skydiving is. Whuffos will just get annoyed with the constant talk about how cool taking that grip in a sit was. The skydiver will feel disconnected from the whuffo, since she/he cannot grasp and relate to the experience described. I know; I got annoyed with my sis and her talk of skydiving all the time when I was a whuffo. No more, but I can (vaguely ) remember the whuffo perspective. So, if you plan on taking up skydiving, and plan to be serious about it: prepare to have your socks knocked off, and say farewell to your active social life in its current form. It'll be replaced by a better, improved one. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

I've been working on my sit for a few jumps now. A month ago, I got an opportunity to get 9 coached and videoed jumps in a row, and naturally took it . Those coached jumps (didn't have to pay the instructors; was arranged through our national skydiving organisation, which rocks :D) really helped a lot. went from a slow, crunched position to one where I fall at the same rate as the others, decent angles, and where I can adjust my horisontal and vertical speed somewhat. Unfortunately, the camp is a once-a-year thing, which is teh suxx0r$. Anyway. I've been fortunate that much more experienced people have been willing to jump with. On jump #111, my sister flew her foot to within a centimeter of my hand, thus enabling my pre-second toe-hold. In the absense of any skill taking grips with my hands, I resorted on my last jump to fly into a knee link with another jumper. Which made me want to learn how to take grips even more It was my sisters flying skills, not mine, that enabled the first pre-second toe-grip though. So I'm wondering; what can I do to practise grips in a sit? What should I be paying attention to? So far, I've been trying to follow the advice of my instructors and fly with my arse, thighs and feet as much as possible, so my arms are free. Not easy, but I can do a quick clap or two in front of the chest and still remain in a sit. Are there any more such exercises? My instructor mentioned practising passing a virtual stick from one hand to another, and I've been trying this too. Freeflying is getting really interesting now that I can (for at least part of the jump ) maintain proximity with the others - especially my sis whom I jump with regularly. Helps that she's rock solid in a sit, of course, heh. If I could work out how to use my arms properly, that'd be *really* good. Ugh, long post, sorry. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Yup Ian, in some countries there aren't very many jump planes with seatbelts. In Denmark we jump Cessna's, except at boogies, and none of the three I've jumped from has had seatbelts (a 182, a 206 and a Caravan). Only plane I've jumped from that has had any kind of seatbelt-esque thing installed was an AN-28 - and it was more of a thing you clicked on to your harness than a seatbelt. If I was adament about only jumping from planes where seatbelts are installed, I wouldn't get more than perhaps 10 jumps a year. I can make a request, but if it isn't heeded, my only choice is to make a risk vs reward judgement. Only jumping planes with seatbelts will severly limit your jump numbers in some countries. Of course, having a plane crash and not wearing a seatbelt will do that even more. A rock and a hard place. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Cool. I landed in a tree on my first jump Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Go to Russia dude . I have three weeks vacation, and I'm spending that (and two, ehm, "sick days" at Kolomna. You can get your 125-150 jumps in those three weeks, no problem. And it's cheaper than in the US. And they got an Mi-8 helicopter, and up to 5 AN-28's (20 skydivers, tailgate, 8 minutes to 14k). Hang in there. It's gonna get better. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

Attached pic should answer your question Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

There ain't that many freefliers in northern Denmark. We're a bit behind the times up north, so when DFU (Danish USPA) organized a freefly seminar, I signed up immediately. Cheap too. Pay your own slot + $3 - DFU pays for the instructors. 9 coached jumps with video. I love coaching. It's amazing how one can progress with a good coach. I went from having a bad body position (arms back, lower legs in), to semi proper position (good legs, but backsliding), to decent, stable position. My fall rate went from 225 km/h to 245-255 km/h. Then a few jumps later I was trying to apply what I learned together with my more experienced sister. On jump #111 we held level and proximity and she flew her wee little foot right next to my right hand. Pre-second sit-dock for me . So, what has your skydiving organization done for you lately? Got nothing but praise for DFU

Jump #111. Couple of jumps after a freefly seminar where I worked on my sit. Just sit-flying in the air with my sister, holding level and nice tight proximity. Then near breakoff altitude she gets a big shit eating grin on her face, goes up relative to me a tad bit, flies a wee bit forward, presents her foot and I make my pre-second dock in a sit . Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst