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Because it is a speakers corner thread about how we all suck, and you keep bringing up a technical analysis of skydiving? You didn't understand the assignment, please address the fact that we suck, and take skydiving to the subject matter forums.

Good question, but the problem is that just running into it might not be the right way (if there is a right way). Yes, you can dive right into the cold water, but there might be sharks down there. We really don't know enough about sharks yet. And we don't know how long any potential immunity to COVID is conferred by catching it, or how general that immunity it. I personally know a couple of people who had it twice almost certianly, and we're a highly vaccinated group around here. They aren't certain because the first time, we were still in detect-by-symptoms unless you're in the hospital mode (March 2020). The symptoms were what are commonly described -- loss of smell and taste, severe cold/flu-like symptoms, and both parties work in public-facing jobs, for for a veterans' club, and the other for the local food bank. The second time, about 8-9 months later, it was tested and confirmed, and much more serious. This is anecdotal, but there isn't enough data on the real world population to know how strong, long-lasting, or universal the natural immunity is. So until there's a chance for either science to figure it out, or other people to go ahead and jump into the possibly shark-infested cold water, and find out the (possibly) hard way. Wendy P.

Well there's a spectacular lack of self awareness on your part.

Two notes from the article: "We don't know yet anywhere near enough" to make decisions about closing borders. Well, that's the problem, isn't it? We don't know. If we close the borders and it turns out to be (say) less dangerous than Delta, we've created some economic and personal misery for minimal additional protection. If we leave the borders open and it turns out to be significantly MORE dangerous, tens of thousands of people might die. Which option there is preferable? "If Omicron turns out to be a fast spreading virus with mostly mild symptoms for the majority of people who catch it" then it could get us to herd immunity. Yes, that would be great. But there's that very important word "if" in there. It would be just as valid to say "if Omicron turns out to be a fast spreading virus that's more deadly than Delta, then opening borders prematurely could result in tens of thousands of deaths." Again, we don't know yet. She also says that in two weeks we will know more. THAT would be a good time to open up borders again if it turns out to be less deadly than COVID. But let's say it's about as deadly as the original strain and it also evades vaccine-based immunity. Wouldn't it make sense to use the same precautions we used back then to reduce serious illness and death? I would also note that she is basing her opinion that it's not dangerous on a total of about ten patients. (She doesn't mention the number, but she mentions that she just started to see them in ones and twos, and on one day saw five patients with it.) Keep in mind that the original strain was about 1% fatal and 5% hospitalization - so if she saw 10 patients (and all were healthy) she wouldn't be able to tell if it were any more or less dangerous than the original strain. You'd expect them to all have non-serious disease. Once she sees (say) 100 patients with it, we might get better data. Also keep in mind that even if it is exactly as dangerous as the original strain, we have better drugs/procedures/ventilator best practices/data from ECMO support, so that they are more likely to survive even if omicron is just as virulent as the original strain. That's a good thing - but it also means that if we see 1% death/5% hospitalizations from this variant, it's considerably worse than the original variant was. It sort of "resets" the advances we've made in treating it. But again we just don't know yet. It's likely that at some point most people will get a variant of this. If they get it after vaccinations, and after drugs like Paxlovid and molnupiravir are approved, then the death toll will be greatly reduced. Delaying pandemic waves until after that happens (i.e. most people are vaccinated and new drugs are available) the death toll will be greatly reduced. That seems like a worthwhile goal.

I’m going to wander over to General Skydiving and see how their thread on the January 6th Committee is going.

2014, Easter weekend.. I was doing a hop and pop. Everything felt great prior to jumping. I did not party the night before, I was hydrated and everything. I jumped out, did my checks and next thing you know I passed out. I remember seeing the DZ and I was above a cloud. It was beautiful. I was in and out.. I remember briefly waking up, seeing the sunset and people around me and then lost consciousness. I woke up again for a few seconds and I was in a helicopter. Lost consciousness again and finally woke up in the hospital with people taking off my wig. lmao. It's a miracle that I did not die and had no broken bones. All I had was a severe concussion and a few torn ligaments that required therapy. All of my friends panicked and raised money for me They thought the worse. From what I was told, the pilot was made aware of me passing out, they said I began to head towards a forest.. and I was going downwind, I went through the trees and then I just dropped. I have no idea how high this was.. We concluded that it was my safety straps and possibly my helmet. It was my first time with a closed face helmet. Upon opening I immediately felt dizzy but, I tried to stay calm. After my checks I felt I was about to puke, and I could not breathe and I began to panic a little. It was clear my straps were the problem though because I had bruises. I think there were a few tandems on that plane and I really hope I did not scare them. I believe this was jump #55. A lot of people thought I faked passing out which is beyond me. Why would I fake something like that.. we know there are assholes everywhere but, God shielded me that day. After the incident.. I believe it was about 3 months later I decided to get back up there. I did a few tandems to make sure I did not pass out, did my check dive and then I was cleared to jump solo again. I jumped 10 more times and it's safe to say I am no longer jumping. Unless I do a tandem with my boyfriend or I'm indoors. but, mother trucker. It's safe to say I have lived . I donated my helmet to ( I forgot her name but, she turns helmets into works of art). Stay safe out there friends!! <3

Add me to the list, I guess. I hate Joe Biden. I hate his damn beady eyes. I hate his tired ass kind uncle schtick. I hate that he cannot navigate a set of stairs. I hate that he hasn't solved immigration, Covid and string theory. I hate that he can't do the Vulcan Mind Meld and give empathy, brevity and an understanding that guns don't load and defend themselves to certain posters on DZ.com. On the other hand I love that I never wake up wondering what new democracy killing, soul crushing, mind numbing stupidity he tweeted out at 4 AM whilst I was nightmaring peaceably. That much for me and me alone, in the pure winsorian sense, is enough.

No. While the possibility isn't 'super big', you risk a baglock if something breaks 'weird'. Not worth the risk. General reply: There are two common sizes of rubber stow bands. Small (will fit around the top of a beer bottle) Big (will fit most of the way down the neck of a beer bottle). There are also 'tandem' bands that are the same circumference as 'big' but much wider. Those aren't normally used on a sport rig. Personally, I use the big ones for the locking stows and the small ones for the rest. I single wrap the first two locking and double wrap the second (above & below cascades). I single wrap the small ones the rest of the way. I know that some folks disagree with this, and that's fine. This is the way I've done it for a very long time and it's worked well so far. I replace the bands that are partially torn. I usually pull on them pretty hard to get the bights (not "bites") in, so ones that are damaged often break. I get that it's winter and you don't have much access to 'professional advice', but the stowing of the lines part of packing isn't the part that's tough to learn (not that it isn't important, it's just pretty basic). For practice packing, getting the folded canopy into the bag & the first two locking stows is a good place to stop (and rip it open to start over). Stowing all the lines is a bit of overkill and uses up rubber bands. As always, my $0.02, worth about what you paid for it, not a professional, didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn last night.