Snowflake

Ben Harper kicks ass, just heard about Galactic and was told I'd love them. Other names I forgot Spearhead, Bill laswell and his funky gang,Talking Heads, Big Audio Dynamite, Billy Goat, and HairyApesBMX. I could go on but I'm lazy and sure that you wouldn't want to read th whole list. I loves my tunes they keep me going when life has gone to shit JG

In my quest for trivial knowledge I must pose the question to ya'll what music are you jamming too now or like to listen to. I listen to just about anything except pop. Funk is on the top of my list love the George Clinton the C peppers Fishbone etc... also listen to Dinosaur rock Yes, Led Zep, King Crimson. I like punk Clash, Violent Femmes, Black Flag. "Grunge"(I hate that term.....it was just some straight out rock with a dash of punk) Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Alice In Chains. Classical, Jazz(Miles rules), I guess I like anything that isn't watered down for the masses and that includes country. I'm listining to G Love and Special Sauce right now "Gregs gonna lay down the law" so what do ya'll listen to? JG

I'm not sure about girls but I know women are evil. Women=time x money time = money therfore women = money squared money = the root of evil money squared=evil therfore women = evil (works better with the symbols) Now for the ladies A man is driving up a steep, narrow mountain road. A woman is driving down the same road at the same time. As they pass each other the woman leans out the window and yells, "PIG!" The man immediately leans out his window and shouts back, "BITCH!" They each continue on their way, and as the man rounds the next corner, he crashes into a pig in the middle of the road. If only men would listen. JG

Cool I'm pretty easy to spot, just don't confuse me with Corey. I still haven't jumped with anyone from dz.com yet. I should be there around 11:00 Jess please show up should be fun. Theres a hit and chug contest at the end of the day wheeeee JG

So your telling me I'll have to figure this out on my own. Can't any of you tell my exit weight by my posts. I'll hope on the scale Saturday Tanx JG

ok now do I subtract the weight of my main? JG

I think DOM is 00 it was purchased brand new last year and has 17 jumps on the whole rig. I'm gonna jump it this weekend to see how it is, and check the DOM (I wouldn't have thought of that...thanx) the DZO who is the middleman told me it's new and I trust him though JG

phtttttt Beanpole JG

I will be there checking out my possible new rig yehaaaa. should be a goodtime theis a barbacue after 8 bucks a plate let me know if you want in on the grub and I'll see ya Saturday JG

I should know the awnser to this but I don't. What is a persons exit weight . I've gotten yyour weight plus 10-25 pounds. could someone please euclidate JG

I would have to agree with you Z blade running is something that most whuffos can relate to. I remember when the X games were on and we were in a local bar, I look up and am watching the most amazing skysurf I look over at my friends and say something like look at that is that not unreal and they look up go eh and go right back to beer and conversation. I'm like what the fuck is wrong with you people. This is amazing stuff. They just kinda shrugged it off. It must have stuck in my mind though, cause when I decided to start skydiving, I flashed back and skysurfing and freeflying were the first things I started looking for on the web after incident reports JG

If you don't say first no one will know thats my motto. I'm too poor to be buying beer for all my firsts. I mean lets face it every jump theres a first (first good track, first line twist first 2 way, first 3 way, first downwinder, it gos on and on) I wouldn't be able to skydive I'd be too busy buying beer. With that being said you said "first" BEEEERRRRRR!!!!!! JG

all the equipment was bought brand new less then a year ago. It fits me really goodThe guy who owns it didn't want to take a downwinder and tried to 180. He no longer skydives and needs to sell the gear. I was gonna buy a brand new container cause I was having a hard time finding one that fit and the DZO told me to look at this rig. I tried it on and it's being repacked and checked so I can jump it next week JG

I'm pretty sure I found my rig it's a Wings container (all stainless, with a backpad and hip rings). Cypress, Spectre 170, PD 180 reserve (never used) the rig has around 17 jumps. they want $3200. from the research I've done this seems like an excellent deal. I would appreciate any input that you peeps have Blue ones JG

Actually thats not RW thats SkyTag. JG

While jumping last weekend I met someone and discovered later that evening at the party that they did not really know how to track and furthermore that a lot of their jumps were with people using them as a swoop target to practice with. This really pissed me off (I'm gonna ramble here). This person had more jumps then my 37 and I was having to explain tracking, and the people from this persons home DZ let them go this route(I'm kinda gettin ticked thinking about this again). Tracking is one of the most important skills you can have in RW (I realize I'm preaching to the choir) and people were jumping with this person and not saying a word to them afterwards. I asked what number of jumps most of the people this person had been jumping with and got between 50-150 and most of the jumps were people leaving after this person and then saying they would come down to them(in other words "lets play Sky Tag"). I told them what one of my instructors told me "Don't waste your jump money being a swoop target". The point I'm trying to make is that when you see that person with a "hmmmmm I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do" look. help them out please this sport depends on it. The reason I feel like this is because I've been lucky enough to jump with people that are in the 1000+ (thats how I got my SCR on jump#23). These folks take care of me and make sure that I'm learning. when they could be out organizing fun for themselves. I in turn will do the same thing when I'm good enough. I was gonna jump with this person to help them, but thats like the blind leading the blind. I mean is giving 1 or 2 jumps every other weekend such a bad thing to give up. Just remeber your ass was a flailing, backsliding, no fallrate havin newbie at one point and someone helped you so give up some of that love Note this is directed at anyone person it applies to I personally have been givin all the love I need (well not all.....but almost) at my home DZ, and it's not something I run across a lot or ever for that matter but maybe someone will go out of their way to help some lost soul next weekend and that would make this post worthwhile instead of it being me getting on a soapbox "so this one time at bandcamp......" JG

Have you seen airspeed in a video yet. If not go get some then you wouldn't be asking this question. They are unreal (although at 37 jumps almost everyone seems that way) I saw them in crosswind and I wish I could move at a 1000th of their speed (slow is fast). I watched them frame by frame and their body control is awesome I bet you would get better just by touching them. JG

I would have to agree whole heartedly. I landed off Saturday on my first jump and when I downed my canopy it went into a mesquite tree, so it took me 15 or 20 minutes to get it loose. The people who jumped with me started getting worried. when they saw me they were all like what happened (I thought they were over reacting but what if I had broken my leg and was losing blood and they just let it go) now what if someone is jumping alone who will notice if their missing? JG

Jess sorry we didn't get to jump I came down from my SCS attempt( another game of skytag ) and you were gone. I should be in Dallas next month and then we'll definitly get some jumps in JG

heres the second half of that quote A day or two later, when I decided that I too must pass through the experience of a parachute jump, life rose to a higher level, to a sort of exhilarated calmness. The thought of crawling out onto the struts and wires hundreds of feet above the earth, and then giving up even that tenuous hold of safety and of substance, left me a feeling of anticipation mixed with dread, of confidence restrained by caution, of courage salted through with fear. How tightly should one hold onto life? How loosely give it rein? What gain was there for such a risk? I would have to pay in money for hurling my body into space. There would be no crowd to watch and applaud my landing. Nor was there any scientific objective to be gained. No, there was deeper reason for wanting to jump, a desire I could not explain. It was that quality that led me into aviation in the first place -- it was a love of the air and sky and flying, the lure of adventure, the appreciation of beauty. It lay beyond the descriptive words of man -- where immortality is touched through danger, where life meets death on equal plane; where man is more than man, and existence both supreme and valueless at the same instant. Boy Charlie was good JG

It's long but it's my Favorite I watched him strap on his harness and helmet, climb into the cockpit and, minutes later, a black dot falls off the wing two thousand feet above our field. At almost the same instant, a while streak behind him flowered out into the delicate wavering muslin of a parachute -- a few gossamer yards grasping onto air and suspending below them, with invisible threads, a human life, and man who by stitches, cloth, and cord, had made himself a god of the sky for those immortal moments. Charles lindburgh JG

Hmmmmm. I don't get that feeling, but there has been a lot of negativity floating around. I think it go's in waves(although I can't say I have been around that long) it's kinda like slow motion K-chat( you just came into a bad time). Like you said you've been away, and maybe the tone has changed while you were away(and what you take as rude is someone elses sense of humor ...../me shrugs). All in all I think everyone has been has been fairly cool and very supportive when others need it( see micheles posts or the post about Merricks leg). Anyawy does the offer for a place to crash if I come to Eloy still hold? you never returned my emails[sad] laters Beanpole JG

If you just wanna pass the tests find the transcender practice tests thats what I used for NT4. Then start on those Cisco certs cause you really don't wanna deal with end users unless your a masochist.....I'm outta here $10 jumps here I come JG

As I sit here at 8 am getting ready to go to work. I realize I'm starting to feel ill (I'll probably have to leave work early today). NIN is jamming "I was up above it now I'm down in it"(kinda fitting huh?). I've taken my half hour shower (it takes a half hour cause I have to practice form in the shower my track is looking good) and I'm ready to get at least a falcon this weekend. I will not be overwhelmed by my four way tasks this weekend. I will kick ass and take names (as good as a newbie like me can). I wanna know one thing people "ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE!!!! Yehaaaaaa the weekend is here so forget your problems grab your gear and get your ass to the DZ. Now I must go to work and look miserable for a while and then get the flock outta there. See ya in the air Blue Skies & Soft Landings JG

Lemme see if I can help you out on this one. Move a thousand miles away from your family. Then it's real easy to make excuses. For example "I really want to come home for >Insert silly Holiday name here< but I spent all my money jumping and can't afford a plane ticket". You must sound very sincere but if you think about the fact that you might be spending >Insert silly Holiday here< with your family instead of jumping I'm sure you will mange it. Hope this helps JG