dbattman

This is tomorrow- get out to the polls. It does matter. Vote third party, vote for your neighbor by write in, but vote!

Trick or Treat!

I'm back in a hotel in Wisconsin watching a crap small TV with no HBO, Showtime, or SCIFI. What else could I expect for $107 a night?

On November 5th you will have the opportunity to select the people that represent you in government. These are the people that spend your money, regulate your lives, and stand up for you and your interests. http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html These numbers show a very sorry state of this country. Fewer people are voting every year, particularly the younger voters. For those of you that slept through the 2000 election, a handful of votes decided who took the white house. YOUR VOTE COUNTS. Get out there and vote. Don't make excuses. If you can't get there on the 5th, vote absentee at your county office. Hate the Democrats and the Republicans? Than find a candidate that best supports your beliefs and principals and give them your vote. Don't believe that rhetoric about 'throwing your vote away'- this is bullshit that the major parties feed you to keep you away from the polls. Why? They don't want competition. To become eligible for federal campaign funds a party needs about 4% of the popular vote in a general election. If they keep people believing a third-party vote is a waste of time, they'll keep being the only ones who matter. Remember those figures about how 45% or so of the American people supported the current administration? If everyone gets out and votes their principles, those numbers will be down to 25% where they belong and our elected officials will start taking notice. Remember- people died for this. It is NOT a right, it is an OBLIGATION.

Leave one more message- if I do not get a response and/or my merchandise by xxxxx I am disputing the charges. That should get them going.

I don't know the statute of limitations, but perhaps one of our 'legal eagle' skydivers could comment. I would think the law would allow more than 8 months to file on something like this.

Of course they're going to say 'tough luck!' I was thinking along the lines of: "Your honor, here is the charge statments, here is the sales order with his name on it, he placed the order and received the merchandise, I want my cash!"

Have you thought about taking him to small claims court to get some of your money back?

Check please!

I am also a former fat guy. I've discovered a unique property of the universe: ([calories eaten]-[calories burned])/time=[rate of weight gain] Soooooooo, unless you've figured out how to extract energy from thin air it's nobody's fault but your own.

The powder on the rubber bands/gloves is corn starch that keeps them from sticking. That's why the rubber bands dry out your fingers and hands. Latex allergies develop when the latex proteins from the gloves are absorbed through the lungs by breathing the corn starch. I try to keep some lotion in my kit-particularly for the winter months when I must also deal with the cold air.

That's my understanding as well. Monroe had the rental/student gear rigged up this way. The concern here was a new jumper/student freaks out and grabs the reserve first. Normal pillow-handle cutaway procedures are still taught and I don't think they even mentioned the reserve/cutaway setup to the students. Just my $0.02

Left the laptop at the office and changed my voicemail to 'I will not be checking messages." Severed all corporate ties for a few days and headed North to Buffalo. Went to my cousin's wedding Saturday and got to see all my relatives- pretty rare that we all get together these days. Then, of course, hit another new DZ on Sunday (up to 14 now). Then by Monday afternoon I realized I was bored out of my skull and wanted my laptop to check email. Is this considered being institutionalized? Sounds like Raeford had fun- guess I picked the wrong week to pass through.

Tequila is evil It makes me stare at women's chests, must stay away.

Heh- I was up at Orange a week or so ago and the topic turned in that direction. Rather informative. If the 'substitutes' keep going in that direction the male species is trully doomed.

Hey- women with a little muscle are sexy as hell. I don't mean bodybuilder muscles. I mean the kind of muscle that is just barely visible rippling under the skin. Add a little definition in the shoulders and the biceps. I'll take that over an anorexic toothpick any day of the year. Assuming all things are equal, of course. Oops, almost forgot the butt

f) I quit trying. Whatever happens, happens.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Make it part of the daily routine. If you can find a low-cost gym get in there every day. And I don't mean a primped up 'country club' place- I'm talkin' 'Iron Gym' here. Lots of big plates and trashcan sized dumbells. Hit it five days a week and really work at it for 1.5 hours. Minimal bullshitting, hook up with a partner to stay motivated and do 30 minutes of good cardio at least three times a week with the weight training. Give it at least a month (it takes time) and eat a good diet and you will not recognize yourself in the mirror. You'll love walking around showing off your buffed up bod. Yes, 8-10 hours a week is a lot of time involved but it's better than sitting at home by yourself thinking how pathetic your life has become. It's done awesome things for me in the past and it will for you, too. And no- you won't start to look like Arnold on estrogen tablets.

Getting the job is a lot harder than the job itself. I've been there several times before. When I started my current job I decided that I will not leave voluntarily until I have another offer on the table. Remember- cover letters get you hired, not resumes.

Awww! Those are the best flights! I love a little turbulence on the airplane. Course I get some VERY dirty looks when we hit an air pocket and I stick my hands up like I'm at Six Flags. Wheeeee!

Maybe you can get An exclusive interview With that Irish chick

My understanding is that x00 jumps are to be done 'sans jumpsuit.' Heh heh heh. Wheeeeee! (pull) YEEOOWW!

I'm starting to look at my next rig. I currently jump a 1995 Talon with a BOC cover-flap (mine is the only one I've ever seen) and a Falcon 195. I want a true freefly rig since I've gotten mixed opinions on mine as I travel from DZ to DZ. So, looking around there's Voodoo, Wings, Odyssey, Mirage G3/G4, etc etc. Where the heck do I even start to compare, or are the differences relatively minor?

I hear a number of people on this board writing that their insurance companies are giving them problems with skydiving-related injuries. I would recommend that everyone do the following: 1- read your policy carefully for exclusions. Cheapo-types like student insurance have exclusions like motorcycles, snowmobiles, general aviation, and anything else that's fun. I know mine did. 2- Get a warm body to send you, in writing, confirmation that your jumping injuries are covered. Keep it forever. If your policy is through your employer get the HR people to make the inquiry. I did this as well. 3- If they give you problems about it call your local Blue Cross/Blue Shield provider for a quote on Hospital/Accident coverage. A $2 million policy should cost less than $100 a month. Some employment policies will let you opt out and take the money in your paycheck so you get your own insurance. I had one of these when I left grad school and it was only about $60 a month ($500 deductible). I know this has been said over and over, and yes $100 a month is quite a bit for a lot of people. Figure out how to get it. When (not if, but when) you get an injury that your insurance refuses to pay for treatment that extra bit a month will seem small compared to being in constant pain. The same goes for a disability policy- these are cheap. Please people, lets try to plan ahead a little bit. Someone cutting you off in the pattern is all it takes.

I don't know anyone that has tried this. I was visiting Taylorvile and one of the JMs was describing a professional DZ packer who used a shop-vac on the tandem rigs. He had a long wand attachment with a piece of mesh screen over the end to keep the material out. Flake it, lay it down and slide the wand under the center cell and suck the air out. I've been wanting to try it myself but I don't have the shop-vac.