Flying_Penguin

I was a well-wisher, great to hear - CONGRATS.

Again, NEVER preform low turns, Only High ones

Great Pic, everything in it is right, full lenght pants, gloves, eye protection, jacket, well stowed -low and center gear. Right on Man!!!!!!!

Saddle bag Lover

TRUE STORY- CAUTION !!!!! a long time ago, there was a well-liked jumper, around 4000 jumps, RW stud, freefly god, swooper, etc. great reputation with all, ST&A loved him, AFF, the whole works. he would ride with his rig on with toothpicks or a little steel wire routed through BOTH the main and reserve closing loops, locking the rig shut one day, at nine grand, some one gave this stud a pin check, one he didn't ask for, and he said Ok probably to be nice to the newbie, (who was trying to show his safety by asking and offering a check) BOTH toothpicks where firmly locking his rig. He would have died in all likelihood. MOREOVER: a toothpick is not guaranteed to not fall out while at freeway speeds, so it is both stupid on the bike and dangerous in the air. A gear bag IS NOT MUCH BETTER, as aggie noted. If you study Dr. Hurt's report (yes, his real name and the most respected study on motorcycle safety) You will find that a backpack can be very dangerous in a motorcycle crash! A helmet is not enough (no, I do Not support helmet laws) full leathers is not enough, gloves and boots, man you slide A LOT - IF you are LUCKY, when you go down. a back pack will GET CAUGHT and Twist and flip you, it could KILL You. As Aggie does, do like the motorcycle safety foundation says and stow your load LOW and Close to the center or gravity. (I love bikes:15 years dirt, 5 street, from 50ccs, to rice rockets to Hogs) PLEASE KEEP the RUBBER SIDE DOWN, and excuse the caps, I just don't want you to get hurt. recap. 1. never ride with a rig on 2. Have proper shoes, gloves, full body leathers or at least jeans & Leather jacket. in addition to helmet. 3. DONATE to the American Motorcycle Association - Ralph Nadir wrote a book 'unsafe at any speed' arguing for the out law of two wheels, it could happen and helmet laws suck, even though I go full face all the time. 4. Buy Harley Davidson stock, symbol HOG on the NYSE, I she is one of the great success stories, over 2400% growth in the last 15 plus years. 5. don't ride with a backpack ether, but on a side note it would be cool to see a professional stunt where a guy deploys a base rig after ridding a Hayabusa off a cliff at 186 mph. that guy on stunt junkies kinda does this, its sick, search around for a link. have you *GASP* *horror* thought of saddle bags (yes, at first the chicks don't think it is cool, until you get to the mountain top an you pull out a huge blanket, two bottle of champagne, and tint, steaks, tools, lights, bed time stores. The next morning you make a Base, pack up and roll on. Saddle bags look ever sicker, when you smoke some newbie on his R-6, you know the kid is going 'What Da FVCK" (saving racing for Track day though) cool that you do both sports, I surprised that there is not more-overlap between the communities Remember that you are INVISBLE, an invisible magnet infact. Never assume that any vehicle, can see you or will stop for you. People die everyday because of left hand turns in front of them, people will look you right in the eye and STILL turn right AT you. You must have total awareness and never ride drunk, or almost worse Angry, emotion has no place on two wheels. Have fun and remember that there are old riders and bold riders, but no old bold riders. Blue ones Joe

yeah, thats why yoga is no good on the beach in the morining, or on a new york city rooftop, or by the waterfalls in the jungle...yup no spiritual experience there edit, thanks for posting it though...renaming phenomena does not explane it, psychology is often just renaming, nothing like a fancey lable - What is yoga?, yoga is breathing, breath is life, hence that nice feeling

Just like jumping, the before is the scarry -once your there no worries, at worst you get better at the process, and I bet you have great shot, where did you do Law school? Blue Skies

The last poll has the embedded premise that the only way to reduce or eliminate our dependence on ( overseas) oil is to "[Not] give up and go home" is this true ? Sorry for the bad speling above not sure how to edit the poll, ha

Just a detail, "Go get 'em boys" - sounds like you mean well and love america, as I'm sure most of us do. However, these brave young women and men are just that WOMEN and MEN, Marines, Soliders, Saliors and Airmen.

require all people to ride a motorcycle and DZ's could add 3000 foot hop 'n pop towers ...but my answers are in jest because your poll is misleading and hence I comment without voting edit: What about credits for personal use, ie you could drive a truck, or ride a motorcycle AND skydive. or you could ride a bicycle and your teenage daughters could both roll in hummers, perhaps one could sell their credits, so if you want to live in a tree you could make a living off some jumper- of course there is a wider debate about energy credits and for companies I'm not sure how good they are. how 'bout income tax credits for motorcycle commuters, bike commuters, train riders

Tom if this seems too close to site naming please remove

Seems rather un-academic to cut my sentence in half and add a question mark in the middle, but I guess that builds the effect of your terse one-liners and your love of ordinal numbers, and to think I was on your side. If you ever make your way out to Pasadena, come on down to 1200 East California Boulevard, we can have tea and a steel cage match if you so desire. Blue ones

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/contents.htm

Right, just 4th in the world, after Saudi, Canada, and Iran Right, still less than 10 percent,

Oil was definitely a factor. even if we got the production of Iraq's oil up to speed. they really have very little oil, more than my back yard granted, but there is really a larger issue of china and india getting oil hungry. I think it would have been Roman, brutal, barbaric etc. to go to war for oil, but at least in that dream world we would have the oil and the .49cent gas you speak of. We went to war out of ego, we had this memory of gulf one where we just kick'd ass, and George wanted to do a little better than his paw - all mental. Gravity Master, are you under 42? have you considered military service? What if each day we took the time we spend on one posting and wrote a postcard to a young woman/man in the field?

anyone know the laws for LA, seems like the got off light(thank heavens) for ny less than 25grams ( a getto once) is a misD. everthing else is a lot more trouble, 1.5 lbs/5 people is like 4-5 oz per person?

PM Sent, check 'yr box bro Cheers Joe

Submarines. Err.. ROTC = Army= no subs NROTC you mean? but yes you are correct

Not buying gas for a day? that does nothing. How about not using any gas for a day? No driving, possibly including mass transit. Ah…my dear, sweet, young logical-positivist, you know what I meant or else I feel sorry for you - what is the definition is? Since you seem to like philosophy, you should read Davidson "On the Principle of Charity" - you may well be convinced to speak naturally rather than be a prick after all, hopefully before grad school, military service or adulthood.

W.T.F. !?!?! Right after the Crock Hunter goes in... Dog the bounty Hunter gets kidnapping charges for arresting a Rapist now doing 124 years. I understand we want to keep good reciprocity and honor Mexico's request...but come on you think that we could call it even given their lack of effort on illegal immigration FREE DOG

It may be one of the ways to get out of our 2 TRILLION dollar debt. Tax the grass and not wast law-enforcement resorces A lot of young warriors are turned off of the military only because of their drug testing - testing that targets weed smokers because while nearly every other drug is clear within 24-48 hours only weed and injectable 'roids hang around so long

not a holiday because that validates the efforts of the 19, better to honor the day in another way...like not buying any gas for a day, donating blood, buying a drink for a young Marine... a New Yorker

or even motorcycle in the rain, or make some marginal (by the SIM) cloud jumps...Karen - did you go to school in portland or seatle? I like southbeach miami and beach front san deigo and downtown new york all are a little far to the DZ though, I used to live in Portland and the DZ is A+ and only 30 mins from downtown I would pick a city where you can learn something, could be spritual or a real job skill, but the fact that you are lucky enough to have your parents float the bill for a half-year of introspection is very rare, you should pick something whihc honors their investiment in you blue ones

So far its one of the most difficult factors in staying the course, I don't have the support from them as I did while in the Marines..and lord knows while I was deployed they went through some tough times. ....If...such an incident were to occur. I hope my family would understand that I went doing what I loved most. Semper FI - a day in the sand box is way more risky than playing in the sky. Pack you 'chute like you make your rack and maintain your gear just like you do your rifle and you will be fine. the biggest danger is the sh*ty aircraft at most dz's (that and ego). Just don't get a giant "blue sky BLACK death' tatoo I know we joke about 'kill em all and let god sort it out' but I would try to sound more like civilan about making jumps ... For me skydiving is a LIFEWISH, a sublime celebration, there is so much good and love in it, like the kiss-pass photo you have on myspace, keep those images rich and flowing, try not to tell them the 'once ...then his legs was sticking out..then his skull slide open.." Recon : Cocky obnoxious bastards