skydiver30960

Skybytch has the order nailed, except I say go for the helmet before the altimeter. There's nothing worse on a hot summer day that having to stick your head in a ProTec that the last guy had deposited about a liter of sweat into... Elvisio "protect your melon" Rodriguez

You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Your answer lies in your own words, the part about most/all of them never having been in competition before. Even though it was an "intermediate" comp, in a sense they were 'newbies' and you helped 'em out. Good show of sportsmanship. For the record, if they were skygods, or if they shot you any attitude when you interjected, then screw 'em and let them bust all day long... Elvisio "teach your children well" Rodriguez

1:4:1 Beer for my first official it's-now-my-home-DZ jump at Skydive Orange! Elvisio "they're stuck with me now" Rodriguez

Used to do front filps all the time, because I had just moved to a turbine DZ and figured I had the extra altitude so let's have some fun! But after a while it got to be too much, we were burning up so much altitude in the flips and recovery that the videographers were wasting face-time getting to us, even when they knew the flips were coming. Now I usually just "poise" them off the plane and the exits (and videos) have been SO much better... Elvisio "more of my .02 on tandems" Rodriguez

Had a sidespin once, but I saw it coming and was able to head it off before it good too bad. The recovery procedures work! Had one or two give me some work, usually little girls: their legs are so short (and mine so long) it's a pain in the ass getting the legs trapped if they start wandering... Elvisio "ride 'em, cowboy" Rodriguez

Cross arms but don't grab the mudflaps or MLW. If the grab on it's just that much harder to get them to let go. As soon as we're out the door, go to the boxman. If they forget (probably 50% of the time) assist them into the boxman. Elvisio "tandems rock" Rodriguez

QuoteIf I went to cable I'd have to order it and I'm sure that would cost an arm and a leg! Quote OK I'm confused. I'm using cable and there was no installation. Make a call, they drop off the modem, and bang. It just rolls in on the same coax that the cable comes in on... does it work differently for different systems? Asking for my own education... Elvisio "not compter saavy, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night" Rodriguez

I had a WICKED case a few years ago... all over arms and legs. The two products I used: Tecnu - I'm pretty sure that's how it's spelled. S'posed to help pull the oils that cause the reaction out of your skin. Rub it onto the infection, wait a few minutes, then hop in the shower. I did this before every shower. Rhuli Gel - mostly just an alcohol gel. It says it helps relieve the symptoms... but I think mostly what it does is cool your skin when the alcohol evaporates. Feels good, even if it is just a placebo. CVS or another pharmacy probably has both products. Wish I had more info... it took a while for mine to heal, but different people react differently. Continue NOT scratching, and change your sheets more frequently... it's possible to deposit the oil onto your bedding and furniture and actually re-infect yourself. Later; Elvisio "scratch master" Rodriguez

Ok, ok, ok... here's a good one. This one still makes me laugh, but probably just because it happened to me. All through college I was the typical poor college kid with just enough money to get drunk on bad beer every weekend. $6.36 got you a case of Beast or Beast Light (aka Beast Least) whichever you preferred. Well, once I graduated, I rewarded myself and my newfound financial freedom by moving up to bottled beer. It was like a principle for me, it had to be in a bottle or draft, nothing from a can. This went on for a year or so, then I headed home to see the hometown crew. We went to the local hangout, which has a sand volleyball court outside, and whenever the court is open they don't allow bottles ANYWHERE in the club for fear of broken glass in the sand. So, I am, by default, back to cans for the evening. Everything is fine, I'm only on my second beer or so and I'm not even buzzed yet, me and the guys are talking to a few very attractive club attendees (and not making TOO big a fools of ourselves I might add) and I decide it's time for a swig of beer. Well, muscle memory took over and my mind told my arm to move that CAN of beer to "bottle distance" from my mouth and tip that bad boy. About half the can went down my shirt before I registered that it wasn't reaching my lips. I tried to explain... the girls smiled good-naturedly about it and DID keep talking to me, but it was obvious that any doors that may have been open (however slightly) were now closed. D'oh! Elvisio "why is my chest cold and wet and I am still thirsty" Rodriguez

Schweet... thanks guys. Now, where the hell did I pack that Paragear catalog when I moved?... Thanks again to all; Elvisio "on ice" Rodriguez

OK, guys; time to use our rigging knowledge in another sport: hockey. I just needed to get a repair done to a hockey skate of mine: I'd pulled out one of the eyelets. A cobbler patched the leather, but didn't have an eyelet that could handle two layers of this particular leather. So, with the help of a sign shop, I used a #0 grommet. It held for a little while, but has come loose again. The problem is that the two layers of leather is just too think for a regular #0 grommet. There isn't enough room for the one side of the grommet to roll over the other side to hold it in place. Do whoever it is that makes grommets make "taller" grommets for thicker applications like this? If I can find anything, I can use the grommet presses at the DZ to give it another try... Elvisio "hockey is almost as cool as skydiving" Rogriguez

Go for the Gypsy Kings. Good stuff: I have three of their albums. Elvisio "nuff said" Rodriguez

See? Just one more reason to fly Hooters Air... "I swear honey, I chose this airline because it would keep me out of Chicago traffic." Elvisio "excuses excuses excuses" Rodriguez

FANTASTIC! Hey, to everyone flying to the Convention, Gary IN (served by Hooters Air) is (according to Mapquest) the same distance from Rantoul as Chicago. SO... if you were flying into Midway or O'hare on some boring normal airline you COULD fly Hooters Air without any penalty in drive time! The nearest airport served by Hooters Air for me is BWI, and it's about three hours in the WRONG direction, but it might be worth it... (begin dream sequence with lulling harp music) Ah, sweet airline Nirvana: peanut shells all over the floor of the cabin, big screen TVs with the games on, and stewardesses (properly attired OF COURSE) walking up and down the aisle with platters of wings and pitchers of draft beer. Count me in! (dream sequence ends) Finally, an airline that would actually have me paying attention during the preflight briefing! Elvisio "lift up on the flap to release" Rodriguez

I'm with a couple other people in the discussion already that when and where I started jumping, when I was off student status people helped me for free because when THEY were off student status people helped THEM for free. And, sure enough, at least until the coach rating came along, I jumped with newbies for free because it was done for me. Now that there is a coach rating I don't feel as comfortable doing this for free anymore (I'm an instructor) because I'm afraid I'll piss off the coaches who do this for jump money. I think it's a valuable resource to guide AFF grads with only 8 jumps. I came through static line, and even though I may only have had the same "skill set" as an AFF grad, fact of the matter is when I got signed off student status I had something like thirty jumps, instead of just eight. I think that in itself made me a safer, more aware skydiver than if I had gone AFF. Again, it's not the greatest thing in the world when a lot of jumps were S/L and short delays, but they give you awareness and confidence that you just can't have after eight jumps. BUT, that being said, it sucks that people have to pay big bucks to get coach jumps while their wallets are still empty from student status. It seems to me that what people are getting for a coach jump might be a little on the steep side. Ticket plus $20? Ticket plus $25? Hell, there are INSTRUCTORS not pulling down that kind of ching. If you're a badass RW, freefly, or canopy control guru then fine I'd be happy to pay slot plus $40 to pay you for your own investment in your expertise, but if we're talking USPA rated only with a couple hundred jumps, then buying the coach's slot and maybe paying for his packjob should be enough. To sum it all up it's a good program and a good rating, but we need to make it cheaper for the end consumer (i.e. the poor bastard who just got off student status and is living off ramen noodles and TANG three meals a day in order to keep jumping) Elvisio "taking my turn stirring the pot" Rodriguez

Very cool. I agree that there HAS to be other life out there... the universe is just too cool to be wasted completely on humans. Hmm... the Sombrero Galaxy huh? I guess the Rodriguez Brotherhood is spreading even faster than we thought! elvisio "beam me up" rodriguez

Hot weather can be rough, but it's WAY better than winter! Elvisio "summertime" Rodriguez

When I was getting my last job, I went clean as soon as I started looking for work. When I had the offer in hand, it had been about three months off the goods. I figured I was fine until they said it was a hair test, at what point I pretty much lost it because I'm one of those "long haired hippy freak" types. The lady who took the sample said that they only check the 1.5" or so closest to your head. She said that they could check the whole length if they wanted to but it was typically too expensive. I dunno if that's true or not, only that my test came back OK. Take it for what it's worth... Elvisio "names changed to protect the guilty" Rodriguez

Great designs, guys. Sorry to hijack, but I have an HONEST question, although it sounds kinda weird... How does one (if one does at all) deal with the ash residue that may be left over in any kind of bag after it has been used? Do you need to do something "appropriate" with the bag and any residue (burn it, bury it, etc.). Or do you just feel that with the dispersal of the ashes, the loved one's essence has departed, the bag has done it's job, and there really isn't any significance to the leftover ashes? Elvisio "hope I never have to decide this for myself" Rodriguez

I'm with hookitt and sparky... if you can get it closed, the breeze'll get it open. Elvisio

I'm sitting in the "media lounge" with the chickie watching it now. She's a friends-fanatic. I've become really used to the fact that everything is postponed at 8PM on thursday, even you-know-what. Now tonight with the special beforehand and the long episode on now, it's going to be a long lonely night for Elvisio! Although, starting next week it'll be interesting to finally be able to get some during primetime on Thursday! Elvisio "now if I can just do something about ER" Rodriguez

My girlfriend and I are bickering about whether or not the pressure changes you would feel in the plane and freefall could cause you to throw a clot, but here's one thing we both agree on: HELL NO, you definitely should not jump while taking an anticoagulant. With two blood thinners in your system there is no way you would survive a severe skydiving accident like a broken limb or puncture wound. It's not a question of whether or not the doctors would get the bleeding stopped; you'd be dead before the EMTs even got to you. I had a buddy who, at the WFFC, went to the First Aid tent to have them look at what he thought was an infected tick bite. The end result was that it was actually a clot and he was in the hospital at Quincy for a few days and left on blood thinners. The folks at Quincy knew skydivers and the fact that even if we're told not to jump that we usually will. But he was told that even a small injury could cost him his life as long as he was on the thinners. It killed him to do it, but he sat on the ground, and ended up leaving early. Play it safe, dude. Wait until the thinners are out of your system, and then jump your ass off. Elvisio "my .02" Rodriguez

"PC Load Letter? What the hell does that mean?" Elvisio "unemployed: living the movie in real life" Rodriguez

It's almost always the tandems, and it's always under canopy not in freefall. I've made some big improvements in how I put on the harness, and was doing really well, and finally had my first student pukejob in the landing area a couple weeks ago. Damn, that's beer. Elvisio "caesar vomitus" Rodriguez

I'm probably shooting my mouth off here, but here's what I figure so far. Stupid-ass, sick-ass reply: It's a 19th century butt plug! More serious, more thought out reply: I'm a metallurgist who spent the past seven years working in foundries, the first six of which were in cast iron. When I look at this particular piece I notice a couple things: 1.) Good formation of detail and thin cross section. The thinner a cross section gets in a casting (typically) the harder it is to form. This would be particularly true in the 1880s when metallurgical chemistry was 99% alchemy (as opposed to today, where it's only about 75% alchemy). Non-fills (a casting that is poorly or incompletely formed) and/or carbides (i.e. weak iron) would have been the result. 2.) Overall the surface finish and edge definition is really good. This suggests to me that there was really good sand control in the making of the casting. i.e. notice that there are no washed out areas, or places where the mold was damaged or fell out prior to pouring. Sand chemistry is just like iron chemistry, you REALLY have to know what you're doing to get it right, repeatably. 3.) The casting is rusty, but not REALLY rusty. Was it protected inside a building or something like that? I am used to seeing stuff that has been outdoors for more than a hundred years looking more like a lump of rust than an actual iron casting. If it were exposed to the elements for over a century, I'd expect more degradation, no? NOTE: this may be due to the predominant weather in the area. If south Texas is as arid as my Yankee-raised (albeit Louisiana born) prejudices would suggest it is, then maybe the rusting would not be as bad over a hundred years. How did the rest of the "iron hardware" you mentioned look? Gut feeling: this may not be from the 1880s. The overall condition of the piece including the lack of severe rust, good definition of corners and surface finish, and thin cross-sections suggest to me that this may be more recent manufacture. If you still have the item look it over for a "foundry mark": this would be anything from the honest-to-goodness full name of the foundry to just a symbol. It should be somewhere on the piece and is usually raised in the piece as it is usually stamped (or carved in the old days) into the mold before the piece is poured. Get me a photo or a sketch of the mark and I'll do a little homework... Elvisio "fun while I was in it, but having more fun as an unemployed bum" Rodriguez