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Main Canopy Size
190
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Reserve Canopy Size
210
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AAD
Cypres 2
Jump Profile
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Home DZ
Start Skydiving
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License
B
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License Number
33810
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Licensing Organization
USPA
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Number of Jumps
175
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Years in Sport
2
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First Choice Discipline
Formation Skydiving
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First Choice Discipline Jump Total
140
Ratings and Rigging
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USPA Coach
Yes
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On my 2nd AFF jump my instructor asked me if my furniture was in the middle of the room before he tightened down my leg straps. While I hadn't thought of that before hand, I haven't forgot to ask myself that question before every jump since... This shit, right here, is OK
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I figure since there's been no innovation in the last 50 years we might as well all go back to jumping rounds This shit, right here, is OK
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One of the things that bothers me about the “mandatory background checks” arguments is that it’s essentially 50% un-enforceable. In most places a background check is already required if you’re buying from a store/gun show (i.e. needing to go through an FFL). However, if I don’t own guns but want to buy one from a friend/relative/misc. acquaintance, there is very little the government can do to force that person to call in a background check on me. The background check solution would only work for guns sold commercially. I also don’t understand why everyone seems so focused on trying to stop guns from getting in the hands of people with mental disorders. Don’t get me wrong, based on previous shootings we should make it difficult for people with mental disorders to purchase firearms. However, this is a small part of gun violence. At least an equal amount of attention should be paid to adding hurdles for criminals to obtain firearms who will (typically) subsequently use them during violent crimes. On the topic of high capacity magazines/assault rifles: I don’t like the idea of posting a round count as a hard limit. If the magazine fits in the grip of my handgun with no extension I don’t consider it a high capacity magazine. Yes, the stock magazine in my handgun holds 15 rounds. It is the exact length of the grip and does not protrude from the bottom of the weapon. I don’t consider that to be a high capacity magazine. If I was limited to a 10 round magazine, the ~2 seconds it would take to swap mags would have a very limited impact on the outcome. The argument that “assault weapons” are more deadly than “regular” guns is silly. First the argument tries to ban military-style weapons. The Beretta 92FS is a military weapon. Is it any different from a Glock, Sig, S&W or H&K handgun? Hardly. If the aim is to go against military style rifles, the argument is still weak. Due to its length, in a close quarters situation (such as these shootings have been) a rifle hardly gives the criminal an advantage. Add that to the fact that the bullet in an AR-15 is roughly the same size as the bullet fired by the Ruger 10-22 my grandfather gave to me on my 10th birthday, a .45 cal 1911 would inflict significantly more damage (also negating the high-capacity magazine argument, because most standard .45 magazines have an 8 round capacity). As far as “Gun Free Zones” go, I think it is one of the dumbest things to post. This may be a bit of hyperbole, but bear with me because I feel it needs to be said. House A has a sign next to the front door that says “All weapons, including concealed firearms, are prohibited on these premises”. House B has a sign next to the front door that says “I exercise my right to bear arms”. As a criminal looking to commit a robbery, which house will be the easier/less risky steal? I think this concept transfers to places that post “Gun Free Zone” signs. Everyone knows that 99% of schools are weapon free. The criminal goes into this area knowing that law abiding citizens are not permitted to adequately defend themselves in this location and they take advantage of it. I would guess that there would be a statistically significant drop in mass shootings if such locations had a sign that allowed concealed weapons on the premises, or simply removed the advertisement that individuals inside are unarmed. This last point is mostly a semantics thing, but it still bothers me. The strongest supporters of stricter gun control often don’t understand simple terms, i.e. Semi-Automatic vs Automatic. I can’t count the number of articles I have read that call standard Bushmaster AR-15s automatic weapons. It would take a 20 second Google search for anyone to find the answer and delay the onset of everyone thinking that person is an idiot. Their argument becomes even more egregious when you read statements such as, “ban all semi-automatic weapons”. It’s pretty clear most people making this argument don’t understand this concept. To conclude, I don’t know what the solution is. Do I want criminals and people with mental disorders to freely wield firearms? Absolutely not. Am I biased towards my viewpoint? Probably. Do I believe banning “assault weapons”/magazine sizes/guns in general is the answer? Absolutely not. Should background checks be required? 100% yes. Maybe something that could help is widespread gun education. On day one of handling a firearm I was taught to respect and fear the power contained in my hands. It is not something to be taken lightly. I have taught many friends to shoot, and the first thing I do, every time, regardless of whether or not they have “shot before” is review safe handling of firearms. If fencing can be taught in gym class, why not spend a couple days covering safe handling and respect for firearms, followed by a session of even BB-gun shooting applying the safety concepts that were just taught. In my opinion, shying away from the problem only makes it worse (see putting your head between your legs during a nuclear bomb threat). I’m still thinking on the topic because I, as much as everyone else, want the shootings to stop. So far I don’t have a viable solution. I can only hope this post keeps the gears turning for everyone else, possibly clarifies details for people too afraid/lazy to ask/Google, and hopefully in the near future we can devise a feasible plan to address the issue. In the mean time, I will buy the guns the law allows me to, store them responsibly, and enjoy them safely. Because, America. This shit, right here, is OK
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As a civilian, did you have to use your gun ?
burtonjm replied to piisfish's topic in Speakers Corner
Yes, because I chose to put myself in the dangerous situation of sitting in my living room, had I been smart enough I may have gone to a safer location. Thankfully I called 911 and waited for them to arrive while someone with a gun threatened me and my family while stealing all my shit. This shit, right here, is OK -
"Cold Hard Facts the Anti-Gun Forces can no longer escape."
burtonjm replied to Shredex's topic in Speakers Corner
YEAH!! Fewer guns means fewer deaths by guns! Just like fewer air molecules means fewer deaths by suffocation...oh wait... This shit, right here, is OK -
I have worn the Liquid Player sunglasses in freefall without an issue. I much prefer these sunglasses over my old Oakleys (Minute). Also, a lot of people at my DZ have gone to Home Depot and bought a pair of the ~$9 tinted safety glasses. Super cheap so who cares if a pair falls off your head now and then ;) This shit, right here, is OK
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I've driven a stick for the last 7 years. And yeah, I suppose at 23 I fit into your youngster category. Wouldn't teach anyone to drive stick on my new car (Infiniti G35 Coupe) but definitely wouldn't mind teaching people on my old Saab This shit, right here, is OK
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http://www.eonline.com/news/rebecca_black_drops_out_of_school/257427 So does this mean there won't be a sequel to "Friday"? This shit, right here, is OK
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I had braces before my adult teeth came in but it was only for a very short period of time. Also had an expander...now that thing sucked! Ended up having "real" braces when my adult teeth came in and I think I had those for 1-2 years and I was completely done with them by the time I was 13. I'm no orthodontist, but in my opinion it was nice to have them done and out of the way with before I hit high school. 7 is probably a little early, but maybe they can do other things besides braces at this stage that would be cheaper and make the time spent with braces on the adult teeth less This shit, right here, is OK
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This dropzone is great! I started here as a student and all of the help I received from the coaches and instructors helped greatly as I was learning. There is a TON of organizing and teaching that goes on constantly at Start. If you live in the region and haven't been I suggest you go check it out and make a jump
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I was googling something today and one of google's suggestions as I was typing was "how to make suicide look like an accident" This shit, right here, is OK
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Just wait until you get to that extra week between the end of finals and graduation. My liver needed a nice long break after 10 days of that... This shit, right here, is OK
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I like it on mine. I've found that it doesn't stick to my body as much as the suit that I wore that didn't have it. Haven't worn it in winter. This shit, right here, is OK
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I like Grooveshark better because you can actually pick what songs you want and you can make playlists This shit, right here, is OK
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A year or two ago a group of friends and I were on a road trip and staying in a cheap hotel. We always booked an extra room to play drinking games in/make a mess of. So we go into the extra room and start moving the beds out of the way to set up a beer pong table. On the under side of one of the mattresses was a red stain the size of a body. I'm still convinced someone was murdered in that room... This shit, right here, is OK