airdvr

That is a good read. My personal experience was heavily laiden with drugs and alcohol prior to learning to jump. I can honestly say that jumping straightened my dumb ass out...at least the drug part Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I guess it depends on what discipline you're considering but my vote goes to Pat Works' "The Art of Freefall Relative Work". http://www.dropzone.com/gear/Detailed/208.html although it may be dated a bit Pat had a way of explaining the forces and energy at work that just clicked. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Just wondering what, if anything the USPA does to market the "one jump wonders" in an attempt to grow the association. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Mustard said "The only thing that I injured at Eloy was my neck, from trying to turn it in unnatural ways under canopy in an attempt to find all the possible threats to my safety. " Herein lies the key. Seems that swoopers are more intent on their landing set-up than they are in avoiding other traffic, sometimes with fatal consequences. In these cases they simply were not aware of the other taffic in their direct path, or the trafic did something unexpected. The canopy ride used to be a fun, relaxing finish to a jump. Not anymore. From the time I stow the slider and release the brakes I'm on the lookout for someone who's not paying attention. This is somethng that was drilled into our psyche as students and it's gotten worse with HP canopies buzzing around the sky. The USPA won't be able to do much about this. It has to be something everyone fears before it will be accepted by the masses. The old "low man has the right of way" rule just doesn,t work anymore. It also has to do with ego. Part of the reason people swoop is the attention it gets. Everyone loves to watch a good swoop myself included. So I let the swoopers land close and this old man is content to walk. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Those are definitely JiffyBoobs. You can see the scar around the aereola. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Dale Gates from Cleveland Parachute told me a long time ago that "those are the dreams that'll keep you alive." Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Nope...just an educated guess. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

The irony here is that Jesse Jackson, one of the biggest racists of all time, who has spent his life stirring the racism pot, has Richards on his show and basically coerces an apology. For sure Richards had already made a huge donation to Jackson before 'ol Jesse would agree to be seen with him. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Norway does not maintain military bases all over the globe and no one is attackking them? Hmm, interesting no? constitutional monarchy? Exactly where did I suggest that? Or perhaps you are having trouble understanding what I am writing. No trouble at all TK. I simply asked if that's what you are suggesting. You managed to dodge answering the question. How do you think we should be more like Norway? it IS actually our fault in this case. So why aren't we the only ones being attacked? If a foreign power invaded the US and as a result over 500,000 Americans were being killed each year (that's how the numbers scale from Iraq) I suspect you would be among the most angry. Let's see... a foreign army invades the US and as a result people die at a rate of 500,000 per year..sure I'd be mad. But that wouldn't be a parrallel. You leave a big gap between cause and result. It would only be the same if my neighbors began blowing people up. How about we lived under a ruthless dictator and a foreign army invades, removes the dictator from power, and a struggle ensues for control of the government. Call it civil war if that makes you feel better. It's a difficult struggle, thousands die as we try to form a new government. Eventually we are able to agree on a form of governence and a new nation is born, where you are free to take advantage of your abilities, worship any religion you choose, live under the rule of law, and not have the government dictate your future too much. While this struggle goes on the countries that surround us continue to try to destabilize the situation. The invading army noblely attempts to keep a lid on the situation while outside influences continually blow them up, and the people they are trying to help. You see, a free society in the middle of their religious dictatorships won't look good. The imams don't want the lemmings to see what their life could be like if they were able to do as they please. Is that what you're talking about? That would be a parrallel. In that case I would be glad someone wanted to help us, and if they had ulterior motives for modernizing our oil production capabilities that would be OK too. Without that help it could never be. As far as a source of information you guys are going to have to do a lot better than The Guardian. This is op-ed, one man's opinion. Napalm and Phosphorus as WMD's? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

actually - maybe its worth trying - perhaps the reason we have been under attack all over the globe is becauae we continuee to push our prescence (especially military) all over the globe. Ahh...the old "it's our fault" excuse. Using that line of reasoning we should be the only country suffering terror attacks. Are you really suggesting we become a constitutional monarchy with required military service, wage and price controls, and a tax rate of 48%? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

The US supported Saddam in this war. In fact, the US provided Iranian troop positions. Fact, Saddam was an ally of the US and much of his bio and chemical weapons came from the US. The US had a blind eye when it came to anything he did for years. Worse than a blind eye...we actively supported it. 30 years ago any enemy of Iran was a friend of ours. History is replete with examples of foreign policy that turned around to bite us in the ass. But you can't ignore the political climate then and it seemed like a good idea. I'm certain in 2040 we'll be able to look back at our policies now and do the same thing. The alternative is to do nothing. Isolationism doesn't work. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I think that happens because those people were, in fact, dead wrong. Once you fail continuously for three years straight, people start to think perhaps that your next decision will be a poor one as well. You have an intersesting viewpoint of failure. I fear you're a victim of what the media wants you to beleive. It's not hard to find successes in Iraq, you just won't see it on TV or in the papers. We have an excellent military when they are used as intended (i.e. defending the US from its enemies.) If we dedicate them to that task, they will be unbeatable. You honestly beleive we can retreat from the rest of the world and hide behind our own borders? It's been tried before. We've been under attack all around the globe for 20 years or more. The military is dedicated to the task of defending the US from it's enemies and they're performing that task right now. They just aren't very good at imposing democracy on people who don't want it. Please...is that what you think we're doing? But the worst thing we could do is more of the same. We need to do something radically different Agreed. We've been doing the same thing for 20 years now and look what it's gotten us. I liked your idea of moving everyone into Bagdad. I've never understood how this could work as long as the borders remained wide open. I know we have to try something different. I've felt that for a year now. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Was I wrong - did I miss a speech somewhere? You apparently missed alot of them. ..."Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons," Clinton said. The Iraqi dictator has used these weapons against his neighbors and his own people, he said, and "left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again." Bill Clinton Albert Gore, 16 December 1998 "If you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons? He's already demonstrated a willingness to use these weapons. He poison-gassed his own people. He used poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction against his neighbors. This man has no compunction about killing lots and lots of people." John Kerry, 23 February 1998 "Saddam Hussein has already used these weapons and has made it clear that he has the intent to continue to try, by virtue of his duplicity and secrecy, to continue to do so. That is a threat to the stability of the Middle East. It is a threat with respect to the potential of terrorist activities on a global basis. It is a threat even to regions near but not exactly in the Middle East." "We know that he has stored away secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002. Abu Nidal, one of the world's most infamous terrorists, moved to Baghdad late last year and obtained the protection of President Saddam Hussein, according to intelligence reports received by United States and Middle Eastern government officials." New York Times PBS television program "Frontline" in which he talked about a terrorist training camp in Iraq called Salman Pak. During this interview Khodada stated, "This camp is specialized in exporting terrorism to the whole world." It goes on and on. How quickly you forget. No one with a brain was prepared to see if these predictions would come true. I think it's telling that there hasn't been a terrorist attack on US soil in over 5 years. When the roaches are on the run they can't do much damage. Yes they've done some damage around the world but not here. Baby Doc was a tyrant, Fidel Castro is a tyrant, North Korea's leaders are tyrants - around and around we go again - but we are doing nothing about any of them. There's no oil there TK. I personally have no problem with that. Only a naive person would want anyone to beleive that oil isn't a factor here. It's one of many factors. When you make a decision you don't base it on one factor alone. It's fashionable to be against the war and you guys are wearing your Sunday best. Do any of you have children? How will you protect them? I was never prepared to sit back and wait until they're knocking at our door. We had a surprise visit in 2001...and 2000, and 1999...1998...1997. Did you think it would just stop? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Fuzzy math...try 600,000 + 500,000. Even if it was only 500,000...we should just let it continue? Between 400,000 and 900,000? Too big a spread to be even meaningful. Even at a rate of 3700 per month (high month due to the US elections) there's no way its 400,000. You have your opinion, I have mine. What do you think will happen if we leave? Will it just stop? Although it may be reprehensible to you that the US is doing a noble thing what it comes down to is you S-P's don't have the cojones to get the job done. Thankfully some in our country still do. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

It never ceases to amaze me how people assume they know more than people whose full time task is to figure this thing out. if we were never there in the first place - would 3700 have died last month? No not at all. Far more than that were dying there before we got involved. "Along with other human rights organizations, The Documental Centre for Human Rights in Iraq has compiled documentation on over 600,000 civilian executions in Iraq. Human Rights Watch reports that in one operation alone, the Anfal, Saddam killed 100,000 Kurdish Iraqis. Another 500,000 are estimated to have died in Saddam's needless war with Iran. Coldly taken as a daily average for the 24 years of Saddam's reign, these numbers give us a horrifying picture of between 70 and 125 civilian deaths per day for every one of Saddam's 8,000-odd days in power." GBN Isn't it strange that this is Muslims killing Muslims? Why do they do that? Could it be they know we don't have the intestinal fortitude to finsh this war? That all of you secular progressives will whine and cry until the din gets so loud people think leaving is the right thing to do. When will you figure out that this is the war that will never end? Iraq, Pakistan, the Phillipines, Iran...it doesn't matter. We'll be fighting terrorists forever; unless we just give in now. ANd if you think they'll be passified with an apology think again. They want us dead, and have for quite some time now. You can't negotiate with people whose starting position is that you and I don't exist. Don't misunderstand me...I don't like this war. I don't think it's been handled as effectively as it should have been. I was pleased to see Rummy go. Clearly we need a different tack. But I don't think leaving is the answer. In any war civilian deaths occur. Look at the numbers from WWII: Non-comabatant deaths Killed by the European Axis Powers. Jews At least 5.1 million according to Hilberg At least 5.75 million according to Gilbert. Reitlinger estimates 4,194,200 to 4,581,200. He also quotes the Anglo-American Commitees figures from April, 1946 of 5,721,800. He qualifies his own estimates with the note, "Owing to the lack of reliable information at the time of writing, these figures must be regarded as conjectural." Poles Approximately 5,384,000 about 50% of whom were Jews according to Lukas. At the siege of Leningrad approximately 1 million 3.3 million POW's according to Streit. Romani and Sinti 250,000-1,000,000 according to sources cited by Hancock Over 200,000 were killed in the official euthanasia campaign, 1939-41. There is no way to know how many were killed outside the campaign. "No reliable figures exist for the spontaneous killings." British and American POW's 8,348 according to Streit. Homosexuals 3,000-9,000 German homosexuals according to Whitman. 5,000-15,000 according to Lautmann The Nanking massacre: about 300,000 deaths and 20,000 rapes. Killed by the Western Allies. Japanese civilian dead: 2 million Hiroshima: about 138,890 according to Gilbert. Nagasaki: about 48,857according to Gilbert. Tokyo bombings: "On May 24, more than four hundred American bombers dropped 3,646 tons of bombs on central Tokyo, and on the industrial areas in the south of the city. More than a thousand Japanese were killed." Tokyo, March 1945: "83,793 Japanese civilians killed. That was the official minimum death toll; later, 130,000 deaths were 'confirmed' by the Japanese authorities." Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Kawasaki March-May 1945: "more than a quarter of a million" German civilians killed by bombing In total about 800,000 according to Gilbert. Hamburg, July 1943: 42,000 Dresden, February 1945: "39,773 'officially identified dead' were found in the city and registered, most of them burned to death. At least 20,000 more bodies were buried beneath ruins, or incinerated beyond recognition, even as bodies. Killed by the USSR. Germans Gilbert says that the German government estimates a total of 3.6 million German civilians were killed; he does not specify how many were killed by Eastern vs. Western allies. Katyn massacre of Polish prisoners. On 5 March 1940 L. Beria signed an execution order for 25,700 Polish captives. A 1956 memo from KGB chief Shelepin to Khrushchev confirmed 21,257 of these exections at the following sites. Katyn: 4,421 Starobelsk Camp: 3,820 Ostashkov Camp: 6,311 Other places of detention: 7,305. The Katyn murders were later blamed on the Nazis by the Soviets I'm not condoning it just showing that it can be worse. And it was far worse in Iraq under Saddam. Leave now and we might as well just turn over our country and start figuring out which direction we should be kneeling. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I guess you're suggesting peolple wouldn't die in Iraq if Saddam were still in power? To quote Marine Corporal Richard Gibson, "Today, the terrorists attack the government. In Saddam's day, they ran it." The argument, essentially, is that Iraqis were better off when they had a tranquil public life with 70 people being bumped off by their own government every day. It's easy for us to sit a pontificate about the situation. I still don't hear anyone who thinks this is not going to work suggesting an alternative other to cut and run. The thinking seems to be "People are dying, we better get out." If we apply that line of thought everywhere... Doctors are the third leading cause of death in the US. Guess we should get rid of them. 108,000 people died in "accidents" in 2004. Should we never leave the house? 29,000 by firearms. We know where you guys want to go on that one. "You should have disagreements with your leaders and your colleagues, but if it becomes immediately a question of questioning people's motives, and if immediately you decide that somebody who sees a whole new situation differently than you must be a bad person and somehow twisted inside, we are not going to get very far in forming a more perfect union. " Bill Clinton - May 2004 Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

The BBB is a good place to report your concerns. I think it is becoming less relevant in the information age. Not many people check a company's report anymore prior to doing business with them. There is also Angela's List or something like that. I guess it's some kind of ad hoc service reporting list of preferred businesses. That being said...be a good American, hire an attorney and sue those sons of bitches Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Considering satradio as a christmas gift. Interested in opinions. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Be there in early November. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Not meant to be disrespectful or anything, but I always laugh a little when I hear people discussing what they would do in this situation. Most are assuming that there would be time to decide or take action. Possibly, and in that case I'd get out and use my reserve as low as 500'. However, it is much more likely you won't have time to do much of anything. Personally I'm really beginning to hate takeoffs. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I dunno. If you look at the 12 0'clock position on the trash can you can barely make out...the severed head of the mother bird laying on the bench! You sick freaks,,, Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

The C130 Roger brought to the WFFC in '85. 150 jumpers to 15,000 in about 9 minutes! Woot! Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

When I stopped jumping for about 8 years I didn't feel right. It defines me. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

FROM THE A&ADD HANDBOOK How to know if you have A&ADD: Rule #1: You are a 'love sponge'. You suck up undivided attention and affection like a dry sponge, and regularly wring yourself out all over the person giving it to you. Even when you are sick, you feel better when someone is loving on your person. In addition to making you feel better, just holding you tells you that someone cares about you even when you're sick. Rule #2: We will call this rule "fools rush in", because you are a fool who rushes in. If you have A&ADD, you are passionate and romantic. If you click with someone, you fall head over heels in love and want to be with that person...as much as time and schedules permit. There is no such thing as too much time spent together. It is the only way to get your 'fix'. You can tolerate this sudden intensity, and in fact, you welcome it, because it means that there is a focus for all of your pent up affection. If it isn't released on a regular basis, you might implode. When you're not receiving attention and affection, you begin to wither and die. You need to feel like you matter, and you need to have someone who matters to you. Rule #3: You are a sex addict. After all, you can't get any closer to someone than when you are making love, right? And you are all about attention and affection, and know that the seduction, quite literally, never ends. Sex is the ultimate _expression of both, and you like it, no, love it...in any form. You are a 'touch ho' who admits that you have used sex to get attention and affection, but you are not proud of it. You are the kind of lover that members of the opposite sex dream about, because you are selfless and all about pleasuring them. After all, it is in their pleasure that you derive so much of your own. You also realize that falling asleep together when you are spent is a critical element of lovemaking. Without that, you might as well just masturbate. An addendum to rule #3...while you are a sex addict, even you have your limits. You love SA & A but also need NSA & A. That's because nothing says 'I care' quite like just laying in someone's arms without being handled like a piece of meat. NSA & A is not the same as SA & A, because while one says 'I care for you', the other says 'I want to fuck you'. Each has its place and they are not mutually exclusive, but both kinds of A & A are necessary for your mental health. Rule #4: When full body contact is not an option, you regularly employ other ways of showing that you care, and you like the same courtesy. We are talking about texting, and emails, and phone calls, and real mail. It is the little things that mean the most. All are ways of saying, 'I am thinking of you, and if I were in your presence, I would be loving on you right now'. Rule #5: You like to schedule regular 'appointments' for NSA & A and SA & A. You prefer to know when you will next see him/her again. This is imperative, because you need to know when you will get your next fix. This does not mean that you resist spontaneity...you love that..it's like a 'booster shot' of love. But it's only for in between times when you know for sure you're going to get your next fix. Rule #6: You have made bad relationship choices, because you are willing to pimp yourself out to get what you need. You have beat the proverbial dead relationship horse, because you cling to people who are obviously not well-suited for you. You have overlooked hypochondria, stupidity, selfishness, meanness, dishonesty, thinning hair and/or baldness, absence of personality, humorlessness, substance abuse, tastelessness, and a host of other significant and not-so-significant character 'flaws', and were willing to do so simply because that person attended to you. Something, even if it's clearly and fatally flawed, is better than nothing. Being alone is the enemy, and you are NOT meant to be alone...except when you use the bathroom, and even that may be negotiable. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Spent some time in MB a couple of years back. Problem I had was winds. The day was nice, but the DZ was so close to the ocean the winds were above minimums. Went to Raeford instead. It's about 2 hours. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne