Flying-Wench

i like your style!

yep ditto.. just had this same convo with someone here at work.. (your in my head? eek!) ive been doing this envi stuff for 11 years, paid and volunteer and its wearing thin. but what to do in my next adventure.. ideas??

I got a stalker - I got a stalker - he he he *stalks*

*agrees* Brute Force!

Im your worst nightmare.. the bane of your existence? a stalker at least?

Did you do tandems previously? Im doing AFF. I was SHITTING it about my first solo canopy flight. It was a little disorientating after i dumped and checked canopy, trying to work out where i was, but the Target Assistant on the radio talked me through it and prior to getting up there, id been through flight planning. Surprising how much one remembers under pressure. During flight planning, they should have you looking at aerial photos of the DZ, landmarks to look out for etc, they will also ask you to draw out the flight plan,based on current wind conditions so you will know where you will exit, open and land. They will also run through landing circuits with you. When your in the plane, the pilot will probably do a quick circle around the DZ and ther instrctors will point out land features to held locate the DZ. I did it under TA 3 times, im now landing myself unassisted. Student canopys are reasonably slow, and weather conditions for students are usually always good, so no worries. They will keep you on TA until your comfortable, and even once you start landing yourself, the TA will be there as backup in case you do something not quite right. Theres my 2 cents, but i am by no means an expert! Have fun and enjoy! FW

I am going to assume you are being sarcastic!!! Ther is one too many flaws in this argument for it to be serious *agrees* *nods*

*laughs* its not evil mate.. its life.. and a part of living. Everything plays its part.. shit happens.. why? dont really know. but thats life! Just got to deal with what happens.. But yes, amazing things viruses.. bacteriums.. FW

dont be sorry for me. (read previous posts - i HATE that) i have learnt my lesson. hopefully others will learn from my mistakes (thus this thread). my quality of life is pretty good, as i said, i have learnt much plus i have youth (im 28) and health on my side. At this point in time (still relatively new to me, im only 12 months since diagnosis) aside from the lifestyle changes i have had to make and some of the things i will/may miss out on (the whole pro-creation thing is not something i have decided upon), its not so bad. I am one of the lucky ones as compared to others out there that are truly suffering with it. It has led me to many learning outcomes, fantastic people and great pastimes, such as skydiving and various forms of volunteer work and research. I wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy, but i no longer fear it for myself, just other people. Cheers FW

yes getting better.. better at having a lot of fun.. but better at getting into much trouble having that fun lol but ALSO better at explaining my way out of it! as for the knowledge, wisdom etc etc.. erm.. no. sorry.. NEXT!

i meet alot of people in the things that i do. I have met my life partner soul mate.. and yes it is amazing! but ive met lots of soulmates over the years.. people ive bonded with and will stay in my heart for a long long time! However, ive had loads of fun with all of them! My soulmate MUST be able to have fun.. its a pre-requisite (as well as having a filthy mind!) you ARE having some profound thoughts tonite Jaden arent you.. what you drinking?

awww you guys are mean..

Im an AFF student, having trouble with stage 4 and stopping turns. Third attempt this weekend, and hoping to get video so that i can see what my legs are doing. Asa far as im concerned when i jump, i have nothing from the waist down! Hoping one of the instrctors can wear a cam (im back to two JMs until i nail it), as the cost of outside vid i can ill afford. Ive already spent much on the training, repeat levels plus two tandems and video that i did at the start. In the 2 months ive been at the DZ, i havent seen many AFF students getting outside video done, just short vids for debriefing. First tandems, first AFF jumps usually get the whole deal.. and first solos (which is what i plan on doing). This has been an interesting thread, an idea of what to ask my instrctor on the weekend. Thanks.

I didnt belt my instructor, but almost gave him a swift kick when he managed to get underneath me as i was in a flat spin (came in to steady me and missed!). The look on his face was priceless, "whoooooaaa, close one" - i was horrified! Needless to say, im doing Stage 4 for the THIRD time (AFF) and im back to 2 JM's until i learn to stop turning! Its a dangerous job you guys are doing!

sorry man.. i got 45 minutes to go before i can leave work. its been a long day and im delirious.

good. ypour safe then. carry on! (dont mind us)

um.. and with my last.. i didnt MEAN while your countring sheep.. unless you like that kind of thing.

count sheep? or do some er.. "solo" activities? guaranteed as soon as your supposed to be "on the job" youll go to sleep

aww... you need beer to help you sleep..

oh thats because your in the RIGHT timezone..

MORE RECENT NEWS news.bbc.co.uk Thursday, 8 June 2006, 00:54 GMT 01:54 UK Drug 'blocks the spread of HIV' Scientists are developing a new way of tackling HIV, using a drug which blocks the assembly of virus cells. US researchers, working with Panacos Pharmaceuticals which makes the drug, found it was effective in a small-scale human trial, New Scientist reports. PA-457 will now be given in combination with other HIV drugs to people whose existing treatment is failing. Experts said there was a lot of interest in PA-457, but warned it would not be available for some years. The demand for new forms of medication is great. About 80% of people being treated for HIV show resistance to one or more of their drugs, a spokesman for Panacos said. There are several existing ways of tackling HIV. Many medications work by blocking reverse transcriptase, an enzyme which enables HIV to replicate within a cell. Others disable protease, which helps to assemble the virus into particles to infect other cells. Shield 'disabled' PA- 457, a derivative of betulinic acid, is a cheap by-product of the paper industry and one of a new class of drugs called maturation inhibitors. It works by interfering with the production of the capsid protein, a conical "shield" which protects the genetic material of HIV inside it. The research, also published in the Journal of Virology, showed PA-457 binds to the protein at a key stage of its development, meaning it forms instead into a "leaky sphere" which leaves the genetic material exposed. Without its protective cone, HIV is defective and unable to infect other human cells. Previous lab work on human cells infected with HIV by the University of Oklahoma and Panacos researchers has shown that PA-457 is effective on strains of the virus which are resistant to other anti-HIV drugs. The small human trial of the drug last year reported that, given on its own, it rapidly clears most HIV from the blood. New class Further research, due to begin this month, will test how PA-457 works in combination with other drugs. Combination treatments are most effective because of the high levels of drug resistance seen in HIV treatment. Forty-eight patients whose current treatment regimes are failing will either be given PA-457 or a dummy version along with their existing medication. Even if results are positive, much larger studies will be needed to test the drug's effectiveness on more people and to see what combination of treatments works best. It will be at least 2009 before the drug is on the market, the researchers warn. HIV researcher Charles Boucher, of the University Hospital at Utrecht in the Netherlands, said: "It's a truly novel new class of drugs, and I really support their development. "If [PA-457] turns out to be non-toxic, easy to use and not to select for resistance, it will find good use." Keith Alcorn, senior editor at National Aids Manual (NAM), said: "This is a new class of drugs, and there is a lot of interest in this product. "It stops the virus by interfering in one of the final stages in its assembly and stops it from 'budding out' from the wall of a cell." He said much more research would be needed to show how safe and effective the drug was.

RECENT NEWS Posted to the web June 7, 2006 allafrica.com South Africa: Stronger Focus On Communication to Prevent More HIV Infections The Department of Health is to ramp up a communication and social mobilisation campaign aimed at preventing more HIV infections in the country, according to Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Delivering her department's budget vote speech in the National Assembly yesterday, Dr Tshabalala-Msimang said R200 million had been allocated to a communication and social mobilisation campaign for the next two years as part of an Accelerated HIV Prevention Strategy. "The campaign will improve the abstinence component of prevention, support the distribution of female condoms and seek to sustain the very impressive condom distribution rate which currently averages 350 million free male condoms per year," said the minister. She added that her focus on nutrition in the fight against HIV and AIDS had been vindicated by several international moves to support better nutrition as a basis for better health. Ms Tshabalala-Msimang told MPs that a report tabled by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to the World Health Assembly two weeks ago urged member states to integrate nutrition in their response plans. She added that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria "has urged that proposals for funding on HIV and AIDS should include a nutrition component". "We are honoured as South Africans to have led the way in this regard through our Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and AIDS," the minister said. South Africa's Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and AIDS is to be strengthened, the minister added, through strengthening the health system; social mobilisation and public awareness; increasing access to voluntary counselling and testing; prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; promoting human rights and access to care and support services; promotion of good nutrition; research and development of African traditional medicines and safe administration and monitoring of anti-retroviral therapy. Last month, government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said that South Africa now had the world's largest anti-retroviral treatment scheme, with more than 210 000 people initiated on to the antiretroviral drug combination therapy in the country's public and private health sectors. In this regard, the minister said that government was beginning to focus on closer cooperation with the country's advanced and well-resourced private health care sector. A Charter for the Health Sector is currently being negotiated "to provide a coherent framework for engagement between the public and private health sectors". This charter, she said "is an effort to deal with the inequities between the two sectors as well as the transformation of the private health sector". The minister added that her department had started negotiating targets with respect to elements of broad-based black economic empowerment in equity ownership of the sector. But "equally important", she said, "is the need for sharing of resources, experiences and competencies between the two sectors in the manner that strengthens the entire health system". "We are confident that we will be able to negotiate a Charter that stakeholders will feel comfortable to sign, noting that this is voluntary, within the next month." The longstanding issue of medicine prices was also covered by the minister, and she said that government was continuing with efforts to reduce the price of medicines in the country. Now, a new dispensing fee structure should be finalised soon following input from stakeholders to a draft dispensing fee structure published in March, she said. This follows a Constitutional Court ruling last year, which ordered government to review the dispensing fee that had been set at 26 percent of the single exit price capped at R26. Some pharmacists argued that these regulations if implemented would force them out of business. A pricing committee "is also developing a methodology for international benchmarking which will bring medicine prices in South Africa in line with those of other countries". "Patients can expect further cost savings when this methodology is implemented," the health minister added. On another issue, the brain-drain of skilled health professionals attracted often attracted by higher salaries in the industrialised northern countries, the minister said an agreement with Britain through which health workers can work in United Kingdom hospitals and return to South Africa's public sector without loss of employment or status - had started to show results. "Since we signed the agreement in 2003, the number of South African nurses registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in UK has decreased by more than 55 percent from 2 114 in 2002 to 933 in 2005," she said. Similar agreements with other countries which host a significant number of South African trained professionals, such as Canada, are being explored. During this fiscal year the department is also going to focus on traditional African medicines, specifically with regard to the establishment of a Traditional Health Practitioners Council as provided for in the Traditional Health Practitioners Act. An international workshop on traditional medicine is being hosted by South Africa in the next few days, which will "assist us to better understand the value and the use of traditional medicine and support the research and development of this important component of health".

Have you people all gone to bed then? mmm...

*collapses in a heap* will this day NEVER be fucking over.

bend over Ladies first... im NOT a lady