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Option 2. Stay in Canada and just send your money to Florida. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Left to do are: St Andrews Silver Stars (website says they're not doing sport jumpers at this time) Headcorn Cornish Parachute Center Skydive UK in Devon UK Parachuting in Old Bucks If I have to stay much longer I may get over to NI for a weekend. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

My plans to jump all of the DZ's in Florida this year went to hell just after I ordered a new canopy. I'd gotten more than half way there when I had to go to U.K. in July on assignment. Not to be stopped I just readjusted the locale and started trying to visit all UK DZ's. Stats so far: 2 fer 2 on the tunnels (wind not rain) 16 of 22 DZ's on the big island 5 new aircraft types 2 night jumps (Thanks Nethers) 1 boogie (Thanks Langar) 2 bigways (Thanks British POPS) 2 Wingsuit flocks 1 very old question, "If you live in Orlando why are you here?" Great fun and good vibes from the whole U.K. skydiving crowd. I'm working at getting to the last 6 DZ's. But really hoping I'm back at Space Center for my 500th. If anyone knows where Mike X is please pass this on to him. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

It happened last weekend - high winds, first load of the day a formation 50-way attempt. Don't know what was going on in the planes, but on the ground we were all looking in one direction waiting to see canopies and then I glanced over my shoulder and saw them starting to pop way down wind - no chance of making the DZ with the winds. When someone jumps on a big way - everyone has to follow if the formation has a chance of working. If the key doesn't spot and goes on green the results have a chance of getting multiplied. Sure, veryone should look but what just happened at Couch Freaks with the Cypres fires would suggest that they don't. A 50-way landing off takes a long time to collect and check in. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

I'll be there - hopefully some flocking. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Just looking at this now. When I was here (U.K.) in July I just got a temp membership in the BPA. Now that I'm back in the U.K. for a while I went ahead and got full membership. It does seem steep, but the pages of their magazine are twice as thick as USPA's mag so maybe it's worth it . Since you just got you USPA "A", as near as I can tell it will be the equivilent of a FAI "A". I haven't found any way to "convert" it, but you should be able to jump at a U.K. DZ with it, log book, BPA membership, Fitness declaration (Doctor's endorsement require if ovr 50 AGE DISCRIMINATION , and a butt load of money. The next step may be to get your next level license in the U.K. since you got the expensive part out of the way. Then what you'll need is an application and proficiency cert and gues what ????? More Money! Maybe I'll see you around a DZ while I'm here - just look for the old guy with the white wingsuit and black canopy. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Delta didn't give me any miles when I was hijacked, and American didn't give me any when the engine blew up. No, thanks for the suggestion, but I think I'll just count my blessings and maybe head down to Sibson if the weather clears up before next July. Thanks for the vibes everyone. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Update Day 4 - After going to the airport and being told that they still have no information and it will be at least this evening before another folight comes in I returned home to contemlate my discontent. A few hours later the bell rang and a courier had arrived with my two wayword suitcases. With the exception of four special locks which could have been non-distructively removed having disappeared all was in order an relatively unmolested. I did have my haelmet in a bag in the suitcase with 2 ditters installed. the ditters had been removed and were laying loose in the helmet bag. Unfortunately we now have a cover of cloud that will likely be around for days. For all who voted yes - your were right.

Thanks for the vibes Paige - I'll give them your message. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Day 3 - Was kept on hold for Bitish Airways customer service for 2 hours then cut-off. When I called back the message said they were closed for the day. The service provider in Newcastle told me this morning that a truck was on the way with the bags, later at the airport they said NOT SO only bags from Heathrow. No news, no word no information. This is very sloppy indeed. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

On Wednesday before the news broke on the latest terror plot I departed Orlando for the UK. Because I will be here a while I purchased two special storm cases and packed my two skydiving rigs, suits, altimeters, wingsuit, and other gear. This was done in accordance with all CAA/BAA/FAA and TSA rules and regulations for checked baggage. It went through a special check by TSA and British Airways in Orlando. You all know what happened while I was blissfully asleep in my comfy Club Class seat over the Atlantic. I am now in Newcastle. I believe my bags are at Gatwick, and there is no news or clues as to when if ever I'll see them again. I was going to go to Cark this weekend, but that seems far far away. Do I say a tearful farewell, or will I be joyously reunited? Vote Now. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

I'm assuming you are coming over so that you can practice bagging my main. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Done about 80 jumps and no problems. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

And then there was the time . . . I was on my way to Phoenix to meet with a customer and was wearing a suit. The guy next to me in First was headed to Eloy and enjoyed explaining to me in detail the wonders of skydiving. After the meeting I took a day and ran down to the DZ in Eloy for a few jumps. Turns out I was sitting next to him on a load and it took him a few minutes to recognize me. When he started to say, "Hey, weren't you the guy . . .?" I said, yeah. You made it sound so good I had to give it a try. Sometimes life is just too good to you. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Just hooked up my brand new 0 jumps Safire 2. Getting it in the bag was

Special effects like breaking mirror or sandstorm dissolve or assemble are very difficult without some plugins to help, but you can do some very nice effect titles with just premiere pro. To get started, assemble a title or line or even a word in a paint program of some sort, using a true blue or true green background. If you have photoshop you can use a layer. The keyed background can be keyed out in pp. You can then use motion, effects and zoom and pan the title into and out of position. Pan and zoom then tilt and pan out of the frame is a nice effect that resembles 3d type titling. You can use some of the video effects to animate the titles. I particularly like the effect that the evening news uses to constantly scroll their show logo in very small font through a colorbar that is semitransparent. There are many of ways to spice up your titles, even just using the editor. Think of it as layering keyed video rather than titling and you have a whole new tool set to play with. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

[reply . . . what is the the best method to teaching tracking to a dog... (I'd like to teach Karma... not necessarily for SAR but to give her another job... ) and I'm curious if there are any good websites/books that break down the process well? The best I've found is Scent & the Scenting Dog by William G. Syrotuck --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

If you are serious about SAR and Dogs then, like skydiving, do your homework first. A dog is for life and getting the right breed (there are many that are suitable) is only part of the equation. Since you can't get a dog now, it would be a great time to learn the basics of SAR, and get good at that before you expand to a dog program. California has a number of SAR teams and they are professional groups that make a significant difference. There are also wannabe's that do SAR and volunteerism no good. Choose wisely grasshopper. A good place to start is with CERT training which will help you network with local law enforcement and fire rescue. They in turn can steer you in the right direction. Some communities will use volunteer SAR and some will not. As for Dogs and Newfies, if you PM me I'll give you the name of a lady that trains for SAR with Newfies. I've known two people with Newfs that were both concientious and professional and very competent. The Newf is a specialist and has strengths and weaknesses. The expense in time and money is great. You are risking a persons life if you aren't trained to a high level and that training requires extreme commitment. FEMA dogs are also specialists and require testing and certification. Their handlers are often training 30 hours or more a month. SAR is a statistical exercise. Human ground search is slow but when done properly very effective. It is resource limited, so you put those assets in the highest probability areas. Dogs cover more ground faster but can be less effective so you put them in lower probability areas. It is as important to know where the lost person is not and clearing low probability areas is a job that must be done - dogs draw that assignment frequently. The result is - dogs usually do not find the lost person. The other truth is that most lost persons find themselves, then they are found by accident by others, then by human searchers, then by other means including dogs. It the statistical truth of the matter. With all that said, after spending 30 years doing search as a human responder, I finally had a dog that was trained to a level that could perform reliably. I was the most rewarding experience I have had doing SAR. It also ended my career when he died cause I just couldn't handle the inherent emotional load any longer without my partner by my side. If you get involved, God bless you. If you do some soul searching and find that fostering assistance dogs is more up your alley, God bless you. If you decide that owning a dog is an immense responsibility that does not fit your lifestyle and therefore forego getting a dog, God bless you. And, by the way, for looking before you leap, God bless you. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Thanks All --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

I'm likely to be in the U.K. shortly. Which DZ's are in the North (Newcastle on Tyne)? Thanks for the info. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

My daughters cat loves technology --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

If you are in the sky, you will be close to them. If you feel the wind in your face, you will be touching them. If you look toward the horizon you will see the wonder that is their spirit. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Limousin Cattle have been sugically altered. A plastic surgeon seperates the front half and the back half at the L-5 vertibrae and inserts sections of genetically grown cow until it is the length that the rancher has ordered, then sews it all back together. Stretch Limousin cattle can feed a family of 4 for a couple of years if they are extended to the max. For more information on Limousin Cattle check out www.pimpmycow.com/limousin Their server is a little flaky, so just keep trying if you have problems. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

What ever happened to plain old battery operated vibrators? --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

Just check'n out a rig, make'n a jump or two, maybe a wingsuit jump. Figured I'd check out who'd be there so I could put some names to faces. --------------------------------------------- Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.