Cashmanimal

I use iMovie for all my AFF and tandem videos. To be completely honest, I don't think most people who get the videos care much about the editing quality of the video. 90% of people completely overlook perfect music timing (which after an entire summer of videos, I have kinda given up on. VEry time consuming). Anyway, as far as iMovie goes, it works fantastic for me. Import the clip, drag and drop, a few fade in/outs, and done. One other videographer made a very nice intro/outro to his movies. He was kind enough to let me have those, as they were done rather professionally. So now I just have a template and basically copy and paste. It looks like: Into--student interview--fade to student practice climb outs-- fade to plane taking off (stock footage with an iMovie effect-sepia tone or somthing)--fade to student in the plane interview--black screen with fun text reading "and now... your skydive!!-- cue song #2 (timed approximately with the exit)-- fade to climbout/skydive, fade out during my opening--slow-mo skydive-- stock footage of my canopy flight and landing (with another iMovie effect, B&W or something)-- student landing/post-jump interview-- fade to outro-- raw jump footage (with original sound and all) they come out nice. But yes, very time consuming. The first save is always very, very slow. And then exporting it to iDVD makes the DVD itself very flashy and desireable, but once again, very slow. It is not the most efficient system, but it was free, and it works. Also, the files tend to be very large. Somehow the trashcan in iMovie HD always fills up with 1g+ of random crap. Also, when you adjust the length of a clip, it retains the entire clip instead of actually shortening it. Maybe this is normal, IDK. But it makes for huge file sizes. Overall coming from somebody who uses it, iMovie is a good free option. You bet your ass as soon as I get some spare cash I'll pick up Final Cut, though. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

I didn't fill out my logbook for about 45 jumps. I just stopped doing it, and assumed I would catch up every once in a while. I had my Altitrack, so I wasn't worried about keeping track of the jumps, it was just the time investment in filling it out. That eventually led to me NOT having signatures, which I never worried about because the subject of licenses didn't come up for a while. Now it's proving to be quite the pain getting my ducks in a row for my C.... I should point out that I sent my Altitrack away to get the newest one as a replacement.... yes, my old one had all my jumps logged on it. So now flipping through the manifest records at the three DZ's I jump at (across 2 states) is just simply not worth it. I wrote down my jump numbers for all my accuracy and what not for the license requirements, but I have no signatures. Thankfully, I have very friendly and willing pilots and instructors who will sign them for me as I re-organize myself. Just keep your logbook filled out. Fill it out after every jump and get somebody to sign it. It will save a lot of trouble and hassle down the line. Also, be sure you are putting the right license number down. Until about my 50th jump, I was signing people's logbooks as "A-USPA member number" (NOT my license number). You will notice my profile still reflects this screw-up. I really just leave it there as a joke now. By my estimates, my supposed "A" number makes me licensed years before I was born. Mind-boggling. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Nah, I give the bear a little bit more credit!!! Plus, c'mon... it's his first jump, and he was flying smoke, had a solid back-fly, and even had a little throw-back to some style in his stand. A true skygod indeed. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Sorry if this is a re-post... couldn't find any history of it being posted before.... http://youtube.com/watch?v=7gxWcL_ZYz8 It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Nice! One of my favorite episodes, actually. I love this classic. Seen it a thousand times, still gets me every time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KghzMaaJPRE&mode=related&search= When Peter pulls Brian's ears.... holy god, that's what comedy is all about. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

No worries. You get pied for your 100th jump, not for getting your A license. I don't know... we sure do enjoy our pies... and the horrific smell they leave when you get 'em at the beginning of the day... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

This guy was in my class in elementary school, the next time I see him he's closing in on his A. Well, he finally finished up on sunday, and I feel honored to have been there to help out for the tail end. Lookin forward to hittin' the skies with you for the rest of the summer! (and watch out-- we were out of whipped cream for your pies... and they will come.) Congrats again. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Awesome shot It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

I neither doubt, nor deny anything you said! Perhaps this is why karma murdered me here http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2888766;search_string=son%20of%20a%20bitch;#2888766 It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

This one should be hard to top... Got yanked over speeding out in the desert in my Camaro. No denying it, no trying to get out of it, I was caught with my pants down and my hand in the cookie jar. As the cop approached he asked if I knew why I had been pulled over, to which I lightly responded "Yes sir, I was speeding." Knowing all to well I was pretty much done for, I decided just to do the polite, light-hearted approach. "Do you know how fast I clocked you a few miles back?" and I gave him the completely true, 100% honest answer of: "No sir, I don not." "Were you not paying attention to your speed?" "Yes sir, I was. The problem lies in that once I pass 115 MPH my speedometer does not work correctly, it bobs back and forth between about 70 and 140 (pegged)." The cop actually gave a chuckle, and asked for all my info. He took my keys and walked me back to his cruiser to show me his radar gun. 133 MPH in a 65, baby. He told me to return to my car and wait for him. He ran my records and then came walking up to the car after about 10 minutes. He said that since it was such a serious offense, that my car could actually be towed and my license suspended. Then I got really nervous. But with all the optimism taken out of me, he continued to say: "It would be such a large investment of time to actually pursue this as an offense.... I suppose if there were any time to do it, this is the safest (7:30 on a sunday morning on my way to the DZ)....you are clearly not intoxicated.... If I ever catch you doing that kind of speed out here again, even 15 over, no mercy." He tossed the keys in my lap, and told me to have a nice, safe day. I will reiterate: i was given a verbal warning for 133 in a 65. You bet your ass it takes a lot of convincing for me to do much more than 70 through there any more... I know he's gonna be there the one time I do, and most likely will. Luckily for now, the camaro is in the garage... driving a little white Nissan Sentra that I don't think has the capacity to do much speeding. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Who is the guy skydiver on the side of the McDonald's cup? Just got one tonight and was curious... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

1) I would NEVER do anything to anybody that I would not accept having done to myself. We all trust each other whole-heartedly with our gear, and packing for each other (for free, even) is a very common practice or us. So if one day he does the same thing to me, absolutely fair and invited. 2) The jump was fantastic. Being a Vector 2, the flaps did not hold down as well as I thought they would, not too much coverage, so all morning anytime the rig was bumped the flour/baby powder hybrid would trickle out of the flaps. It was hard to keep it hidden. When he did his gear check, he noticed some of it, and got a bit susicous, and asked what was going on (in a fun, light way.). I got there early and went through it with the rigger, and the consensus is I should have put more flour in there. I has about 10 handfull's of flour, and most of a bottle of baby powder. For the dive we did a whip and it was extremely fun. Unfortunately the exit got squirrelly, and by the time we got it together I was the one who got whipped. I turned around real quick to get the shot of the opening, and it looked great from the sky AND the ground. The powder on top of the d-bag went first, with a slight delay for the powder inside the bag. It created about about a 300 foot tall column of white in the sky that people on the ground said was just hysterical. Before the jump we kept dropping hints, saying things like "remember the most important thing in skydiving is the pull. The pull is huge. Make sure you gt the pull right. Watch your opening...." He told me later he wished we hadn't said all that stuff, because he knew something was coming . He said the shock and amusement value would have been that much better had we not said anything. He had absolutely no problem whatsoever with what we did, which was no surprise to any of us as we know him and have this trust and respect for each other, no matter how other people may see it. He also got sneak-attacked with pies while he and I "rehearsed" a dive we did later with noodles. I will post the video when I get a chance.... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Ok, after one more round of speaking with the rigger, here is what I ended up doing: Instead of unpacking the entire thing, I just popped the pin and pulled the d-bag out using the slack to the risers to give me some length. I put about 7 or 8 handfuls of flower just inside the d-bag on top of the tail skin, so it is in between the fabric and the bag. Then, just before closing the flaps, I added about 4 handfuls of flower on top of the bag, planning on the flaps holding it down. But now that it's sitting here, I think he may get suspicious in the morning. any time you bump the bag a bunch of flower comes out from between the flaps. But the only real concern after that is what he actually wants to do for the jump itself. A lot of people are wanting to see this, which will be a piece of cake if we jump at our experienced jumper area. But all night he was thinking he may want to jump with toys, which means we will have to jump at our student area way the hell out in the middle of the desert, so a lot of people won't get to see it. I really just hope it makes a really big cloud, at least for a second. Because I took a handful of flour and just threw it, and it was a pretty good cloud, for a second. Then it was gone. So hopefully this is a flour explosion, then it's gone. I'll be sure to check back and let everybody know how it goes. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

How did they get set up with that gig? Actually, I really don't know. My roommate is on the basketball team on a scholarship, and since they know he has no time to go find a full time job they find him small filler jobs like that. He also does work and concerts and such. I am sure if you contacted Martinelli's they could give you some info. It doesn't sound that complicated It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

and by a miracle stroke of luck... He arrived and after some discussion told me he had paid for a pack job last time he jumped it, but the guy that packed it also packed a horrific opening for another buddy of ours that same day. I told him as a favor to him, I would re-pack it for him tonight, as a 100th jump gift And it's also funny somebody (sorry i don't remember who... think it was Airtwardo) mentioned flour. Because as we were sitting there with some drinks in the kitchen, and notice our jar of flour, and how obvious it was..... He's going to bed soon. edit for some clarity: the packer is NOT a skydiver, and it was his first weekend packing after taking the course... so questioning it, i think, is pretty fair It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Sounds like a successful plan to me! It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

I don't know how widespread the company is..... But in California a few of my friends (who are in southern, I am in northern) have a deal going with Martinelli's apple juice/cider. It's a piece of cake. THey send you packets with stickers for promotions and such. All you have to do is go to a grocery store and stick the labels and such on the product on the shelves, maybe hang a small sign or two. Then, get the manager to sign your checksheet with the store number, and bam. we make about $10 a store. It's a nice deal to have going because you can do it whenever you go shopping, or when you get bored. if you plot your course out right, you can make around 40 or 50 bucks an hour. It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

1) It's too bad... that had potential as well! 2) Great point! While I can confirm he does NOT have asthma from previous conversations (step-sister has asthma) I am not sure if he is allergic to anything. I will try and find out tonight.... have to slip it into some casual conversation somehow. Thanks! It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Would you have a suggestion as to something better? And I agree fooling with other's gear isn't a good idea, and I wouldn't be considering it if he hadn't just purchased it from me... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Well, you see, the deal being that my respect is stemming from looking into this before going "oh yeah, this'll make me laugh." It's just a shame that seeking information from what has potential to be a valuable source brings a personal attack upon myself. What if I was ignorant enough to just do things without looking into them? Or maybe I got that way because every time I look into something i get personally offended and attacked. It was my understanding by talking to who I know that this is something that has been done many times before, with no repercussions. Our ability to access a community where I could potentially receive input from thousands of people across the country is invaluable. I don't understand why some people feel the need to rain down their power trips. A respectable person says "Touching somebody else's gear isn't a good idea, I would suggest against it." versus "You're an idiot for thinking this is an okay thing to do and you suck and should probably just kill yourself." It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Yes. It will have a hint of white for about 5 minutes until he lands in the desert again, where it will quickly return to a nice tinge of brown... just like the other 365 days of desert jumping. Long term effects, it may smell like baby powder for two or three jumps after that. I figure it can't be all that bad--made a great absorbent for my hot air balloon any time unwanted liquids spilled on it. Continues to be a common practice today. He pointed out that baby powder would be a wiser choice than our original idea, which was confetti. Noting that confetti would be physical trash that we would be spreading, instead of a powder which will dissipate, as well as CAUSE NO LONG TERM EFFECTS, such as finding confetti in every pack job for the next year. You're right. Absolutely. I have no business whatsoever in this sport, and was an idiot for ever thinking I did. I will go ahead and cut this post short so I can hurry over to the classifieds and post my gear. Hurry, while it's cheap. Unless you want first dibs on it? Let me know, we can work out a deal. I'll make sure and never jump on any load you're on. I'm am obviously not good enough to jump with you, and you're head is too big to allow any other jumpers on the load, and I actually find pleasure in jumping with other people. I am sure if there was any fatal or significant danger here (and to clarify in THIS post instead of replying to another one of yours, I mean significant in the sense of more dangerous than any other calculated risk-- such as, you know, skydiving) that one of the many people on these forums with higher knowledge and authority, of which I know a good portion read this, would have said something along the lines of "don't do this." Instead, I am sure it passed over their head as something that has been done many times in many different ways and they could care less if somebody get covered in white powder. But I nearly forgot there for a second that my thought process is not sound, and that I am completely wrong. From now on, I will clear all my dive flows with the 110 jump skygod internet wonder. FYI I thought your post raised some good questions that ARE useful, and did in fact have a coherent point. I appreciate your concern. It was your sarcastic tone that tips the scale. But for your own sake, never, ever, insult anybody personally that you do not know. Wow, thanks for your input. What a thoughtful and helpful post. As a matter of fact, I have spoken with a rigger that points out no long term adverse effects to the canopy, it's fabric, it's FLIGHT OR OPENING CHARACTERISTICS. See? Things could have gone a lot smoother and you wouldn't have had to have made a complete public dunce out of yourself. Try to avoid the personal attacks where they are not necessary. It's just, immature. Internet power trips provide no real constructive... anything. Except maybe a bit of a boost to your unfortunately swollen ego. So notice what I have done here-- no claims to being better than you, better than anybody else. This post was an inquiry. If I posted this and received: "As a rigger, I would advise against this because..." -or- "This is what will happen, and why you shouldn't do it." Then I would have no problem landing and grabbing a pie and smashing it in his face. However, I DID receive (along the line of): "We did (this) once, and THIS happened. It's is possible, but may not be a good idea." -as well as- "(This other thing) used to get done all the time. It was funny, and everybody had a good laugh." This is what is referred to as "constructive" comments and/or criticism. They are actually quite useful if you ever get the chance to give or receive some personally. Once again, your post contained what I appreciate, covered in a thick layer of total ass clown. SO... does anybody have any personal experiences, suggestions, or questions that will not bring on an onslaught? and that is a serious question. I don't want one guy to ruin an opportunity to experience and learn things vicariously through other people. That includes other fun ideas as well... thanks! It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

hmm.... you know, it's sad that after talking to stacks of people, from tandem masters, AFFI and countless others.... you are the first to point this out. On one hand the toilet paper idea was hilarious, but yeah, it seems to have the same cutaway potential. And the playing card idea is great too... but, proven backfire already. I still have full intentions of doing it, because this guy actually kinda likes when he has dirt in his canopy and it puffs out on opening (we jump in the desert, it happens a lot). I am going to bank on the odds that he will see a plume of white and come to the conclusion that his orange/purple/green/black canopy has nothing to do with the issue at hand, and he won't chop it away. He is not very spastic, and will take the second or two it will take to figure out what is going on. Hopefully I don't end up paying for a reserve re-pack..... This is purely based off an "I know this guy's personality" decision. After having this pointed out, I will now be less inclined to encourage others to do it to people i don't know.... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

SO, my buddies' 100th is in the morning, first jump of the day. He is from out of town, so when he comes down he stays at my house. And I have formulated a nasty plan... So after interviewing many people, the final plan is to fill his canopy with baby powder. My understanding at this point is the best place to put it is in the tail as you pull it up to wrap it around the slider grommets during the pack job. However, I have also been hearing the slider itself is a nice place as well.... Anybody else here have some experience with this? Of course, I assume just about anywhere it goes it's gonna make a pretty nice cloud on opening. But I hear putting a ton of powder in the tail even causes some to fall on him....who knows? I don't. But any input on fun (but safe, of course) pranks would be greatly appreciated! The plan is when he gets here tonight to tell him to bring all his stuff inside to help us get moving faster in the morning. When he goes to sleep (which he will) I am gonna take his rig downstairs, unpack and load it with the powder. His rig is my ex-rig, so no worries about me packing it for him (old Saber 1... I showed HIM how to pack it for the non-whiplash flavor of opening.) And of course, plenty o pies will be present. And beer. Any helpful and fun hints/suggestions? Thanks! It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

When I moved to NorCal for college my mom was very seriously worried about earthquakes. I was actually excited to experience one. After a whole year, I never felt one. I leave to come visit family for a few weeks, and this is the third one I have heard of. My roommate called me to tell me I missed two small ones the day after I left his house. He lives in Salinas (Gilroy, basically.) I live in San Jose.... are they frequent there?... It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

Tally: -1 drunken night at college -1 stolen traffic cone -1 cop with nothing better to do and they all add up to: -Misdemeanor-- petty theft -2 years probation. -$200 fine That is so... just... ugh. It was a group of 5 of us that all received the same punishment. We didn't even get caught stealing it. We took it, then walked around with it for about 3 hours, and a cop on-campus stopped us to ask where we got it. It appears as though he decided it was worth his time to f*ck us all over. I guess we are the only people who have ever taken anything from a pile of construction trash. (and yes, it was trash-- we pulled it out of the big ass dumpster next to a house that had just been remodeled.) (at least, that would imply it is trash) It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye