mdrejhon

Corrected it for you as an insider, based on currently recently released devices. (i.e. 3D OpenGL graphics have now arrived on BlackBerry for example, did you know?) I program mobile devices for a living. BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone, you name it. I have both a recent BlackBerry and iPod Touch. They both have different advantages. Apple's App Store is amazing, but not the end all to end all. There are enough separate advantages for both devices to coexist. I type 75 words per minute on a BlackBerry thumb keyboard, something I cannot do with the iPhone. I do want more 3D OpenGL videogames to become available soon though. BlackBerry only got its first hardware-3D videogame recently (Need For Speed Underground on Storm2), and newer BlackBerries will implement many more iPhone-like features, but they definitely lag. They are NOT that behind as 2005, but they do need to catch up. RIM is continually in danger, however, of falling behind. Give BlackBerry credit -- they've had built-in multitasking since the first units in 2001. I can MSN, AIM, ICQ, at the same time as loading a webpage, while having an Idokorro MobileSSH/Telnet and a Mobile Remote Desktop session open simultaneously.

You're right, it definitely looks like a rug that probably looks at home in a 90's Trump casino floor: photo of a Rainbow Boogie 2009 hangar meeting at Cross Keys It looks like it's still in great shape. If so, that's one heck of a durable carpet. Probably gets less abuse from packers than casino-goers. They do both spill beer.

Only if you're rounding to integers. Technically, the first tiniest amount of unit of quantum time over 35.0000000(...) years, I was already over exactly 35 and therefore, closer to exactly 40 than exactly 30. Then throw in the fact that an Earth Year actually varies (in the order of picoseconds and nanoseconds), and we occasionally do leap-second adjustments. This then all complicates the definition somewhat for the first instant. However, once you're about a few seconds past your birthday, such calculations are irrelevant. In addition, your birthday is defined as the exact moment you were born. Exactness is up for debate, (is that when you're partially or fullly pop out of your mommy, or when the umbilical cord gets cut?) Anyway.... You're already at least several seconds after age 40, so go ahead and try to join. ...But that's only if POPS uses floating point ages, rather than integer ages.

Today's that big annual day that mere mortals call a Birthday. I just realized that I'm now closer to 40 than 30. Thank goodness I already had my mid-life crisis at age 30. 40 should be a piece of cake now! I guess that means 4 years till POPS?

Hello Billy, I never noticed until now, but I noticed you removed yourself from Facebook. Why would this be the case? It's a good recruitment tool for Deaf Skydivers and you can have a barebones account (minimal contact info, no revealing photo) if you're giving a rat's ass about Facebook privacy. The Rainbow Boogie is doubling in size thanks to Facebook Rainbow Skydivers group, you might need to take advantage of it for the next Deaf World Record to get it big enough, because there has been a long period since the last one.

Hey Kate! Yes, that'd be cool! However, I got my hands full in August unfortunately: I am organizing Rainbow Boogie 2010 at Skydive Cross Keys on August 26th-29th, and the remainder of my finances for September are being saved fo the major big way events in October. Which means, my word-of-mouth social networking resources are being tied up between RainbowSkydivers (125 members) and the growing CanadaBigWays movement. I spend too much time in front of my computer already, so my online socializing is already hitting its limit. However, for those organizing PUPS, here are my recommendations: (This is addressed to OP) ... Create a PUPS Facebook group. Under 40-people are BIG users of Facebook. Become a good moderator and generate buzz. Send out newsletters no less often than once every two months; to help subsconsiously remind them that the PUPS event exists. It will take one year to hit critical mass. (Example: Most of my Rainbow Boogie attendance is from Facebook networking now!) ... Don't depend on Facebook, so also maintain an independent parallel PUPS mailing list. (That's why I also paste the Facebook Rainbow Skydivers newsletter to the Yahoo mailing list too, for those who prefer email.) ... Once you've drummed up enough interest, and set the date, begin having a simple Word document that's a registration form. This is also doubles as a tertiary backup for those who don't like Facebook or mailing lists too. (You can also even require all your Facebook and mailing list members to use it too, so that everyone is using one format to register for the event.) ... Encourage people to express interest even if they are unsure. The Facebook group and the mailing list captures this audience. Example: I myself can't express my definite interest (due to competing events), I'd definitely join such a Facebook group or mailing list, to keep tuned for future PUPS I am able to squeeze into my schedule if the dates/locations announced are favourable (i.e. a Perris piggyback). ... Make sure you're mentioned at places like bigways.com sooner than later. ... Get a volunteer to write an article for Blue Skies magazine and Parachutist. Any extra buzz helps. ... Young people are less likely to have spare time (more likely to be working people, more likely to have young kids; less likely to be retired spending their money being skydivers); PUPS like me usually can only afford the Perris big ways. You may have to piggyback off existing events. .... Optionally, but I agree with Kate Cooper's recommendation to piggyback off the Perris 100-way, or some pre-existing boogie or record event. It may be the only way to squeeze a PUPS record attempt into my budget/schedule for that timeframe too, if it's farther away than driving distance. Other PUPS may agree. Set it right before the 100-way event (of which 200 attend); anyone good enough to be approved for the 100-way has likely already done a 50-way on the prior weekend's event, or is otherwise a known 100-way jumper. You would therefore only need to schedule one day for the event, rather than a whole series of 3 or 4 days. (Or piggyback off the Eloy 200-way, or a different bigway that has a good critical mass) ... Personal word of mouth. Tip: If PUPS is being organized as a piggyback on October Perris event, pre-announce the date BEFORE the May Perris big way event. That way, you can generate BUZZ at the May Perris big way event. Attend the big way. Get a big way organizer to endorse your event for you (use Kate Cooper!). Ask the organizer to briefly announce the PUPS event for you at one of the 200-person gatherings of big way jumpers at the May perris event. Tick tock, tick tock -- set the date now! ... Start simple/realistic. Aim for a PUPS "20-to-40-way". Prepare for both scenario (use a DZ with at least two full-time planes so they don't get upset if they wasted a plane). Don't be dissapointed if fewer than expected show; end up actually having 24 attend. Jump two groups (equally split) and winnow that to a 20-way for 2010 with a bench team doing concurrent jumps. Use the world's first PUPS recordholders to generate facebook buzz for next year's PUPS 40-way in 2011. (This is how I am doubling Rainbow Boogie 2010 RSVP's - more than double the amount of buzz for my boogie this year than last; I used the last event t generate buzz for the next event and building the Facebook group to 125 members) ... To get anywhere near 40-way, you may need to get a well known organizer that will attract people. It will help spread word of mouth too. Josh is probably going to help Kate Cooper organize the Perris big ways, and Josh to the best of my knowledge is a PUPS who also happens to organize 100-ways. ... Optional, but if you have the funds, provide ome incentives to be at PUPS somehow. Certificate, prize, T-Shirt, exclusive party, or whatnot. Give it an air of officialness somehow, even if just a congratulatory article written on a major dropzone news resource.) Obviously, some recommendations are common senes and some might be overkill (if you don't have enough time/money). Those are my recommndations as the organizer of three Rainbow Boogie's... It is a lot of personal time and effort, but is worth it. Also: Rob Deselits is also a PUPS, and has co-organized a 40-way. He operates the www.formationskydivers.com website. Maybe get in touch with him too?

Practice seems to make perfect. I usually don't think it; it's now automatic. It seems most of what I learned to do in tracking abilities is during big way events. Once someone has enough skydives, try the Perris Big Way Camp. They teach you to stick close together in tracking teams for the first 3 to 5 seconds of your breakoff wave, before spreading out to clear airspace. This tends to reduce the chaos at the outers of a 100-way or bigger formation, and is technique taught by JFTC and World Team in the past. Over the last few hundred jumps I've tracked towards the end of almost every jump, often with some people within view to the left and right of me. It helps me learn how to adjust my tracking angle. BUT, a good coach will do too -- or skydiving buddies -- but you need to tell them to slow down for you (so, easier to use a coach) so that you can more easily catch up with them and experiment with tracking angle/speed changes. Most of the time, I just adjust my tracking angle, but sometimes I have to adjust my tracking speed. At certain angles, I can adjust the speed of my track without changing the angle. Most can easily change tracking angle easily, but it's much tricker to change speed of your track independently of the tracking angle. To be able to adjust tracking angle semi-independently of tracking speed, it is mostly an instinctive automatic superimposition of your body between a track (ranging from steep delta to efficient track) and a bellyfly (with some variations thrown in, including a flare-like position, if you suddenly need to slow down an efficient track down to a slower track if you're catching up with someone who's tracking more slowly than you are). I've also found the most efficient track is where you get the shallowest angle away from the formation (more distance travelled versus altitude), which isn't necesarily the fastest possible track. One example: I'm tracking fast to catch up with a slow tracker at near the same angle as I. If he's above and ahead, I go to efficient track, which usually build enough speed into the track, but not too much. That's often by going to a good flat track position. If we're now at the same angle but I am going too fast (like when I exited too early and need to catch up with someone far away), I switch to a semi-flare position and I adjust my arching (flatter versus arched) and leg apartness to try to maintain my angle while I'm braking, depending on whether I'm too efficient or too inefficient. So sometimes I have to add/remove efficiency to my track depending on what I am trying to do. Arching and dearching can help adjust my angle, as moving my arms forward and back (between flare position and track position), moving my arms up and down (between delta and floater), to help me adjust my angle and speed. I mix all of these all simultaneously, all subconsciously, like any experienced tracker would do: Lots of these relationships are very nonlinear so you really need to get "out there and feel it". - Body arching versus flattening - Arms up and down (i.e. delta vs floater) - Arms slightly forward vs all the way back (i.e. slightly forward, like you're just about to flare your body) - Legs apart or closer together - Twisting your booties to catch more/less air So you can see it gets complex. The purpose of combining some of these change your speed, or your angle, or both, or helps you change/accelerate/brake your tracking speed during mid-track. And depending on the position of your buddy you are trying to catch up with, the fastest way to intercept someone in a track isn't always a straight line (i.e. the divebomb -- steep delta to help build vertical speed then gradually flattening out to convert the vertical speed into forward speed in an efficient track to catch someone who's very, very, very, very far below you but not too far ahead of you yet -- i.e. delayed exits). And in addition, you also have momentum in your body, which means it takes finite time to accelerate/decelerate/change direction. Therefore, too complex to remember 'rules', and best to get out there, do it with a coach, tell them to track slowly for you so it's easy for you to catch up -- and to let you experiment with your body next to him/her. It all becomes second nature, eventually, you eventually figure out how to fly your body for the speeds and angles. And becomes pretty simple. I once accidentally exited 2 second early on a 23-way tracking dive -- I left on (or just before) "ready" of the "ready-set-go" countdown -- totally messed up interpreting the countdown. It looked hopeless at first, staring at skydivers 100 feet above standing in a tailgate. (I flew bellydown for 2 seconds waiting for them to exit, not having yet started my track!) However, at the end, I successfully caught up with the leader by the end of the tracking dive, and was able to move into position #3 behind the leader in the "V" shaped formation, before breakoff! Spetacular jump. I'm, however, a *very* crappy freeflyer. (Maybe that will change this year? We shall see.)

I'm a PUPS for the next 4 years. There's enough PUPS at the Perris 100-ways to fill a 40-way PUPS event. It's almost as difficult to herd baby canines as it is to herd cats, though (pun intended)

Don't use that stuff either... no medications, no treatments, no drugs (of any kind), no nothing. The most noxious chemical at the time was simply one cup of coffee... I did not even drink a single beer or alcoholic beverage during Z-Team 2010.

Do you hang out a lot with BASE jumpers, or at major boogies, or at major dropzones? I am For me, I'm in the sport 5 years and I know only one person personally who has passed away skydiving. Then again, I don't tend to go to swooper events, or WFFC/Skyfest sized events -- not at this time yet (except JFTC, which at almost 10K skydives total over two weekends, easily could have raised odds). Scuba diving of the more extreme kind (danger), are usually not in large groups like in major boogies, I find skydivers know more skydivers than scuba divers know scuba divers. There's more dive sites than dropzones. It spreads out, so less likely to know dead scuba divers, me thinks.

Somehow, at the moment, since Christmas, Canadian airports have better security than American airports for some reason. Normally you American spend more on security... Montreal spent 3x the time analyzing my bags, and they have full body scanners, and asked me to open up the laptops and small camera pouches, and nitpicked over a small tube that was not in a plastic bag. They were friendly though, except for your friendly neighbourhood "carryon nazis" at the front before the security area that seemed to be party poopers for a lot of traveller. (Ok, ok -- they were just doing their job.) It'd be nice to have a large flashing banner above the entrance, "WARNING: Carryon rules are being strictly enforced today!" I think this may be an overreaction mode, from some recent controversy expediting a famous celebrity person through security, not just the Xmas eve scare... The body scanner is interesting and not intrusive at all IMHO, and was the most pleasant part of the security experience. Just stand there, 3 seconds, whirly-whoosh, step out.

Hadn't taken anything... I actually avoid pharma until I really need it, like an allergy pill, or an essential prescription. None had been taken in the last week, though. There, however, is, indeed a known contributing factor: My nosebleeds that rarely happens otherwise, occurs if I am in a weakened state by overwork or lack of sleep. Even if I am not skydiving, although in this case that was the knockout punch for some small rupture, I guess. As it was indeed the case, I had a rental car hassle and was not at the DZ until 430am and I slept in the car the first morning, being too late to bother to find a hotel to just do 2 hours, campground office closed for the night, etc..... It was not a gusher (mostly stuff that can be absorbed in one kleenex.). If it were, I would had been much more worried... Again, it can be unsafe, but it had been my decision to follow through with the Team. I drank zero beers during the event, and slept in a couple nights, by the way, to catch up, health-wise.

Hey, thanks for hosting me at the last minute in your converted fallout shelter bunkhouse, for the remainder of the event. (After my rental car hassles that made me arrive at 430am the first day of the event!) Nobody got eaten by alligators in the out landings, so therefore, the event was a success!

I think it's still apples to apples in a way, because a skydiving trip can take as long as a scuba trip. I observe that the duration of skydive trips (weekend trips, etc) of a regular skydiver is very similiar to the duration of a regular scuba diver. Hard core people can take more than a week, while weekenders can just spend a few hours a day doing either. Sure, the daytime risk graph chart (RISK on Y axis, TIME in X axis) is more bumpy and peaky on a minute-to-minute basis for skydiving than for scuba. But average out the risk on a daytime basis, it's really surprisingly similiar.

Just so you know -- it usually happens once a year for me. Unexpectedly if you're in the middle of a big way event or competition event, there's also the difficulty of deciding to let your team mates down. Seeing a doctor is recommended (I may do just that), but you can't always know that in advance and there are times you feel you need to follow through, especially if it is not a gusher of a nosebleed.

Okay, they ARE more strict now! I was forced to turn back and check the skydiving rig in its backpack, fortunately they caught me early and I lost only 5 minutes. Montreal's International Airport now has "carryon police" before every lineups, to verify your carryon is to far stricter regulation. Thankfully they didn't even open the bag, I wrapped the rig in its TSA/Cypres2 printout so they would recognize it, and the piece of paper was undisturbed. And a lot of us skydivers throw our gearbags around anyway or drop our rigs onto packing mats from 2-3 foot up -- thankfully baggage handlers were far more wimpy with the bag than I was. My main concern is them trying to give my reserve an "inspection" (resulting in a hard-to-stow mess of fabric, and an expensive repack for me) All went well, but I will be changing my baggage packing procedures, to allow me to carryon my rig and laptop in the same bag.... (Thankfully I carry a 3 pound high performance Core2 ultraportable -- netbook sized full performance machine)

Hey, I am currently at a skydiving event (at ZTeam 2010 -- we're grounded due to clouds). On the first day, I ended up having a nosebleed that occured on the way to altitude that started at 9000 feet. When it happened twice in a row, I seriously thought about standing down because of that. As it could potentially be a pressure equalization problem (some rupture in my ears and my sinuses). However, I put into fourth some tips from common sense (and as I am a deaf skydiver, I'm already deaf anyway). After three jumps that I had minor nosebleeds (only one person noticed), they stopped. For a nosebleed that's not extreme and regularly starts halfway to altitude, the tips I discovered were: THE TIPS - In the airplane, keep your chin up high. Blood is less likely to drip from nose. - Sit up and dont slouch. If you're sitting on the floor, find a way to sit up comfortably without needing to lean your back. The blood pressure in your head will go down the higher the head is above your feet. - Breath slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. It will help dry up the nosebleed faster if you breath dry air into your nose than breath out damp air out of your nose. - Have some kleenex in your jumpsuit pocket just in case. - Stay relaxed. That keeps your blood pressure down. - Do not blow your nose hard on the ground before jump. If you must blow your nose, blow very gently, through one nostril at a time. The high pressure of an aggressive nose blow may rupture something and cause a nosebleed. If you're breathing normally through both nostrils and you're not dripping, it may be best to skip blowing your nose, as to not aggravate any weak seal on a recent nosebleed. Then they may stop completely on your next jump, so you don't have to stand down. I think for me, specifically the cause was: - I had relatively few jumps in my winter layover (although lots of tunnel time) and suddenly was jumping 15000 foot jumps. Lesson: Try to do quite a bunch of 11000 feet jumps at your local Cessna dropzone on the weekend prior, perhaps with a high opening or two, to help more slowly re-acclimate your ear/sinus pressure equalization system for the season after a winter slowdown. You will have less ear pain too. - I had a rental car issue at the airport that resulted in a 5 hour delay, and gave me far less than half my usual sleep as a result. This may have compromised my sinuses a bit. Lesson: It was unavoidable, but do your best to have maximum amount of sleep, to keep your health in maximum shape. Warning -- There are info about the dangers of damaging your hearing if you jump congested and your sinuses cant equalize pressure, and it's a good idea to stand down. (My sinuses weren't blocked in this case, however.) In these borderline cases where you're not sure you're going to stand down, I've posted some tips to help prevent a reliable nosebleed that occurs on the clock (i.e. happens everytime you go above 9000 feet)

I think it is understandable until they have more advertisers and subscribers. Starting up a new paper magazine in this day and age, is quite difficult when you have all the stuff online to get...

They aren't online only. They mail out a paper magazine with your subscription. The first issue is an online PDF sample download -- but it is indeed a paper magazine you get in the mail. I really like Blue Skies -- we needed a magazine after Skydiving Magazine left the market. They published a 3-page boogie article of RB2009 in Issue #3. They do publish the mature-rated skydiving boogie images -- like the two straight girls wearing rainbow-painted Protec helmets with a dildo attached to the top of the helmets, who jumped at Rainbow Boogie 2009. That was an NSFW image, but very funny, everyone (including all the straight men) on the dropzone wanted their photo taken with these girls. See the photo in Issue #3 if you're curious about the funny dildo helmets.

Hey, Hello from Canada's first licensed deaf skydiver (me!). Make sure you join the Deaf Skydivers Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26496458736

I may be a bigway grasshopper (I'm the one of the few lowtimers in these sequentials), but Guy Wright actually said that. He may have actually been half joking.

To the best of my knowledge AAC is the world's best outdoor tunnel with no walls -- far better than the Aerodium of yesterday. A friend of mine flew in one of the first recreational outdoor tunnels -- an Aerodium unit -- up here in Canada sometime approximately 1980. It cost only $25 per hour back in that day! Nontheless, I have not heard of any better outdoor non-walled tunnels than AAC.

I'll order two, with fries. Biggie size it, please.

Good one too. Regardless, better to be either of your sites. I knew that 'skyride' searches do not happen often, but they still happen, according to Google analytics...

He's winning the Google SEO war in some states. Searching for "indiana skyride" in Google .... Jumpdude's sites show up first. That gotta mean a few less certificates for Skyride, if anything else.