brucet7

I started out because of the thrill and excitement. Now that is less important and the challenge of meeting licensing and personal goals keeps me in the sport. Skydiving was an interim reward to myself on a weightloss plan. 60 lbs later I still love it. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I have learned things that I didn't learn at the DZ. If I had asked, or known to ask, I am sure I could have received the information. I have also learned things that I had to unlearn at the DZ. I still trust the gang at the DZ simply because I know them personally. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I found this article at PDs website and found it interesting and helpful with the same question. www.performancedesigns.com/docs/survival.pdf POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I have experienced jump slumps several times. Usually not long after reaching some goal (A license, B license, Coach Rating) and having to find a new goal to achieve. Once I got over it by setting a goal (C license) another it was a random conversation with a couple of people at the jump center who were encouraging me and didn't even know about it. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Looking forward to the Android version. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I am not afraid of the door, either sitting by it or opening it. My only "fear" or worry is losing grip climbing out and taking people with me in an tumbling mass. Never happened, but I think about it every time. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I watched a couple of hours of Al Jazeera English tonight on Link TV. And Mosaic also has excerpts of the channel. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Night jump, concussion, broken nose, black eyes, busted helmet, loss of memory. I don't remember anything from 100 ft above the ground until I became aware in the catscan machine at the er. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Today is the one year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti. Remembering both my friend that still live there, (many still in tents and tarps) and celebrating the survival of my wife who had just arrived there that morning and learn died. Three buildings around her collapsed and the one she was in stayed upright. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

A little off topic, but as one flies to Alaska this time of year the light from the other side of the world if visible during the red eye flights. Take off from Seattle in the dark, see a dawn like glow, and land in the dark in Anchorage. Kind of cool. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I never said I was OK with his part in the pit bull 'murder'. I was sickened by it. I am not a fan of Vick or Eagles. My only statement is that I was glad the Eagles gave him a second chance. I said 'everyone' deserves a second chance. I allowed for a few exceptions. If at some point in the future Vick shows himself to not have changed and learned, throw away the key. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I was fortunate that my dz offered free coach jumps on Thursdays when I got my license. So I jumped a lot of Thursdays. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Finish C license and do 100 jumps this year. Also visit a couple of other dzs. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Yes "Everyone" is a rather broad brush. As with any general statement there are understandably exceptions. Manson and Ridgeway come to mind, but while I respect you opinion and will defend your right to have it, Vick falls into my second chance club. As to the light sentence, that is above my pay grade. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I don't care what what Obama did. I do applaud Vick's second chance. Everyone deserves at least one or more. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I am struck by the ranker of this thread. It seems that anyone who does not see things the way we do are some kind of _______. Each person fills in their own word. My favorite was whackjob. I am not sure what that means, but I assume it is not a compliment. It is a little hard to have an actual discussion of ideas when we dismiss each other, out of hand, without ever listening. I think this may be the problem we are having here in American politics. Conservatives are stupid and liberals are all communists. (I cannot speak of other countries) POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I have resisted contributing to these discussion as I think they rarely do much good. Still there are reasons (other than being whackjobs [not sure what those are exactly]) for believing in God. Here are three of mine. First, believing in God gives me a way to handle the problem of pain. I can deal with self-inflicted pain. If someone does something stupid and get hurt, fine. If we bad habits, and suffer the consequences, OK. I also accept that pain is actually a gift from God. It is a warning. Pain lets me know my hand is too close to fire, or that something is growing inside me that shouldn’t be there. The problem comes when so much suffering and pain is not self-inflicted. The evil of others, randomness, or genetics give me pause to wonder. I accept that part of the issue is that the enemy has usurped this gift for his ends. This problem has driven some, too many, to conclude that there is no God, or that He is not omni****. That does not give any help or answers either. Thus, believing in God provides me with some future comfort. God’s answer to this problem is not the ending of suffering here and now. Jesus did heal, and we see people healed all the time, but most suffering isn’t healed. God’s answer is, “Relief is coming.” Second believing in God helps me resolve the problem of injustice. Psalm 10 is David’s journey into injustice. Evil seems to prosper, goodness no so much. Innocense does not seem to always pay off. Injustice, as with pain, had caused people to deny God. God’s word affirms that God sees, and justice is coming. Good things are not overlooked. Bad things will be revealed. Finally, believing in God speaks about the problem of equity. There is such a disparity between the haves and have nots. Everyone has certain, likes and dislikes, based on education, history, tradition. Pretty people experience different from the not so pretty. I have noticed as I lose wait there is a difference in the way people act. Color, gender, economics, handicaps, are just a few of the things that experience inequity. Galatians tells us that in Christ there is no longer any difference. History has not caught up with God yet. One day we will see it. This is just the basics of each of these. Some will point to things on this list and point at that believers have been and are some of the most prejudice people they know. Sadly I admit the truth in that. Believers in God are rarely what they should be, none of us are. There is more than these points to my belief in God, but this is where I start. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

When I am solo, I enjoy opening high. Last summer we did a cross country. Got out 5 miles from the airport, open and under canopy above 10,000 ft. It was over my hometown and I got a great view. Opening was right over the house I lived it when I was in High School. Way cool. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

It is said that a smart person learns from their mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. Then there are those who know it all and won't learn from anyone. "Let him who has ears listen . . ." POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Seems everyone is in such a hurry to fly with a camera. While they are cool and I like seeing myself on other people's cameras, I figure a camera is 10 to 20 jumps. Frankly, I need the practice and experience more than showing other people what they look like in the air. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I am a big guy and have a suit that helps a bunch. That said, one thing you can do is learn good body position. The AFF arch works against your size. So get through AFF and then get some coaching on flatting out and cupping you shoulders a little. There are a couple of schools of thought and people will have advice for you. Another thing you can do is talk to other big people. There is more than just a suit to help. But get through AFF first. You might just need a bigger instructor. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I did a static line, so it was shorter than the AFF First Jump Course. Actually we attended the AFF class, but were dismissed when they got to the practice pulls, arch practice and exit routine. We were done and watching the AFF students head to the plane. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

I have a Sabre 2 230. I don't make that first S fold until I have the rest in the bag as well. Once the rest is in the bag, then I take the lines at the slider and push them in where that fold would be made as on the video. POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Random thought, another thread with a missing Russian jumper, now a missing Porter. Connection? POPS #10623; SOS #1672

Skydown Skydiving in Caldwell Idaho has one. (208) 455-2FLY [email protected] http://www.skydownskydiving.com they might have your answers. POPS #10623; SOS #1672