CanuckInUSA

I have gotten lucky in the past as well with job transitions. But times have changed and things are not so simple. In a nut shell I am fucked. One must understand how the INS views Canuckleheads like myself versus Mexicans, Europeans and well the rest of the world. The INS doesn't want to make it easy on Canadians, so options that are available to the other groups are not available to people like myself. After all I was a NAFTA worker. Now that my job ceases to exist, the INS says it's time for me to leave. There is a difference between being a Mexican who's willing to work for peanuts and a technology worker. The Mexican has more rights and more political power. But I knew the rules before I started all of this, so I can't cry over the spilt milk here. And getting married? Hmmm ... haven't we already discussed this in other threads. Whuffo women want nothing to do with a skydiver and BASE jumper like myself and well there just aren't enough sky-girls around to share with everyone let alone one who would be interested in me. Looks like I can fill out the paper work to obtain a B-2 (visitors visa) without leaving the country. So as long as I can understand the legal mumbo jumbo, I will get that done today and shipped off with my taxes. And I'm getting conflicting replies in terms of looking for work under the B-2. So who knows what's going on there. I don't know ... time will tell ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I believe that I'd be using the B-2. I have another question out on that immigration web site about the ability to look for work but not accept work while under a B-2. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Well if Frank wants to offer me a job where he pays me the same amount of $$$ that a software engineer would be paid, then sure I think we could possibly fool the INS/IRS. But if he won't, then let's never talk about this topic of driving vans at the DZ ever again. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

If I had a job offer with a company doing my type of work, I would still need to apply for a new work visa. But if I got the visa, then yes I get to stay for the time period of the work visa. I posted a question on a website geared towards Canucklehead immigrants like myself (some immigration lawyer's website) and I might be mistaken about not being able to look for work while carrying a valid visitors visa. But I do need to act within the next 10 days. So we'll see. I've got enough savings to get me through a few rainy days and as long as I get a visitors visa, I can have some fun playing this summer. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Sorry about your news Weege. My 70 year old father passed away a couple of months ago after a 3 year battle with cancer. The price for life is death. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I've got some bad news that will effect my life. I lost my job again. Everyone at the company I just started working at in January just got laid off today. The entire company is no more. Kaputt!!! Don't show up to work tomorrow morning, nobody works here anymore. It was a good job, so I'm bummed to see it go. Don't worry about the things you have no control over right? I might be up late tonight, so I'm thinking of sleeping in tomorrow. I've been a temporary resident of the USA since 1998 working as a technology worker under a NAFTA TN-1 work visa. Now that I'm out of work, the INS says my work visa is no longer valid and I have 10 days to leave the country (no shitting you here). I'm not sure if my 10 days started today or if they will start tomorrow? But the clock is ticking. I knew these rules before I came here so I'm not surprised. I just got lucky with past job transitions. But not this time around and the INS isn't going to let me stay. So I will be leaving the country sometime within the next 10 days (I don't want to risk a permanent ban). The INS can be kind of anal if you haven't figured that out yet. Anyway, I will apply for a 6-month visitors visa and assuming I get it, it'll give me some time to settle my affairs here in the States and have a little fun as well. But I can't look for work under the visitors visa. So before the year is out, I will be back home in Canada. I'm thinking of selling my house in Calgary and moving to Vancouver as I think the jumping will be better in BC (plus I'll be close to the WA State jumping scene). So all is not lost. Hmmm ... this sucks ... I'll have to change my screen name when I leave right? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

You have a very disturbing idea of fun. I'm not shocked at the graphic nature of the pictures. I did after all work as ski patroller for 4 years back in the early 90s and saw my fair share of gore (of course nothing as bad as this motorcycle incident). But what disturbs me most is that some people look at this is say "let's have some fun with it". You've stooped to the same level that whuffos take towards us (and there was also a number of other people who've posted who've done similar). So tell me, when are you going to start posting graphic pictures of guys and gals who've died skydiving or BASE jumping so that you can increase your self-proclaimed "shock value" reputation? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I too own a 1996 Honda CBR600F3. Except it's been feeling rather neglected these last few years ever since I first took up flying airplanes, then skydiving, then BASE and now a little Ground Launching. Dang you've got to know that my mother wishes that I would get all of this danger stuff out of my system, settle down with a woman, have babies, work around the house, go shopping, watch golf on TV and ultimately die a very boring death in some old age home like the rest of the family seems to want to do. But I sure hope I don't kill myself on my bike (or jumping) anytime soon as I know some people here would take great pleasure in flaming me in death because I did something they deemed as dangerous and unsafe. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

But one only needs to read that fatal motorcycle thread in the Bonfire to know that flaming and judging others is a favorite past time of many (not all) DZ.COMers (despite what the results of this poll say). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Keep them coming Jamie ... you're on a roll. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I don't need this article to tell me something that I already knew. Shit I don't even have to be trying to impress them to know that whuffo women have absolutely zero interest in a skydiver/BASE jumper like myself. I see it every week at volleyball. I guess the guy with the fancy condo, luxury automobile and golf game makes for a better mate towards having a family where babies are the priority than someone who could die on their next jump. And should I even blame them for this? But I can't go back to that old "chase the Jones because everyone else is" lifestyle where comparing golf scores is the hilight of my Monday morning coffee break conversation. I like being in the air too much to give up jumping and am willing to risk my life in the sports of skydiving and BASE jumping. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

DZ.COM has no shortage of safety nazis ... and this isn't a bad thing. The safety nazis are just trying to make sure others know of the dangers of this sport and to not repeat the mistakes made by our predecessors. But what do you think would happen if [insert the name of your most/least favorite safety nazi here] was to mess up and hurt themselves jumping? Besides having to deal with the pain and agony, one of my biggest fears of messing up one of my jumps is having to deal with all the judgemental people out there. Maybe I'm mistaken but I've got to believe that if one of us was to show up on an incidents report after telling others to be careful, that the DZ.COM community would absolutely flame the shit out of this injured person. So would you flame an injured safety nazi after they got hurt? I'm guessing most of you would. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Going ultra fast on a public road with traffic, is not the smartest of things to be doing. But I have been 145+ mph on a motorcycle on a country road. Am I a moron and potential Darwin award winner because I did that one day? To some of you who like to judge people, I would guess your answer is "yes". Then again, I'm sure many of the DZ.COM people don't like myself to begin with. So they've already made up their minds about how they dislike me before they even get to know me or know why I have taken certain risks in my life. Bottom line is I don't like to judge people and we should stop all this talk which is doing nothing but slamming this guy. Remember anyone of us could get fucked up jumping this weekend. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

There are a lot of people in this thread judging this poor soul. Yes he fucked up, he did something stupid and paid the ultimate price. But don't judge the guy. Remember that there is likely some whuffo website out there which could be showing similar pics of a skydive/BASE jump gone bad. And just imagine the same comments there. "Yah those skydivers are morons ... aren't they stupid for risking their lives ... look another Darwin award winner ... etc, etc, etc" all the same comments some of you are making about this accident. Anyone whos does dangerous sports could very well mess up one day and end up dead. Let's try not to judge this guy anymore than we would judge ourselves. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

And for every reported incident, you know that there are unreported ones as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

No reply from you concerning Eric Rudoplh or that Boston Catholic Bishop? Hmmm ... I guess you only selectively decided to focus on the people who I already claimed were on the extreme side. Hey we actually can agree on something here. So when the history of humans is strewn with violence, war and death towards the different religious groups, why do you want to put so much emphasis on any one man made religion? Isn't religion a huge cause for violence thoroughout the history of the world? Wouldn't humans be better off if they had their own personal relationships with God instead of following questionable religious leadership? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Eric Rudolph can take a few of these. How about the Freemen, Branch Davidians, Jim Jones? Okay those last three were kind of extreme. But they all had Christian backgrounds. Oh and as far as exploitation is concerned can we speak of Baker and his lovely wife Tammy Fay? To name just a few corrupt Christian leaders. Shit Tammy Fay's face alone is enough to terrorize a child let alone having to listen to the rhetoric. How about that Catholic Bishop from Boston who's on the hot seat for his tolerance towards his sexually abusive Priests? Is child molestation not a form of trouble, mayhem, chaos and yes even terrorism? There's many more ... but maybe you get the picture by now? Nah ... not you. Hey the average Christian isn't to be feared. But one only needs to look at the TV to see Christian rhetoric all over the place, and in all forms. And many of them are preaching revelations. Of course I don't watch Al-jeezera. And I'm sure if I did (and if I understood arabic), I'd be disguisted at their garbage as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

For for those of us in the USA, this Friday is the deadline to file your 2004 tax return. Have you done yours yet? I am one of the world's greatest procrastinators as every year I always seem to wait for the last day (mainly because I'm usually having to pay the Feds $$$). Anyway, I jumped on Saturday. Got drunk Saturday night. Was totally hung over Sunday. Played volleyball tonight and am now drinking a beer saying ... "tomorrow". So if you need to file a USA tax return, have you done it yet? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

One doesn't need religion to have a relationship with God. As an agnostic, part of me accepts that maybe just maybe there is a being capable of reading my thoughts (ie: my prayers, which are rare, but I have been known to do it). But I don't need a man made religion to have a relationship with that being. Of course the another part of me looks at everything from the single cell organisms all the way up to the universe and it's galaxies and wonders why do humans think they are special? I guess we'll find out one way or another when we die. But you better believe than I'm not going to let a man made religion influence my future. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Not true at all. My old xFire2 139 (1.5:1) had enough performance for me to swoop 200+ feet. Don't let anyone make you think that xFire2's are dogs at lighter wing loadings. There's even oldish video on the net (skydivingmovies.com) showing one of those 200+ foot swoops under my old xFire2. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Started BASE at 40. Now I'm 41, but I still feel like I'm 20-something. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'd take his course ASAP. The information you will learn now can easily be transfered once you get your own gear. Plus why not take his course again in the future? I've received some form of canopy control coaching on four different occasions since I started jumping and will likely seek more coaching in the not too distant future once I've consistently fixed the issues myself and my coach were working on the last time I received his coaching (less than 2 months ago). It's never too early to listen to the guys who know what they are talking about. PS: My only concern about your situation is will the rental rig be available to you all day long? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Says who? You? Your God? That fictious book all you born agains preach as the truth? Whatever ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Keep in mind I got this from the "Fly like a Pro" video when I was a total newbie, but Kevin Gibson in that video makes one hell of a good point which is needed to learn how to swoop. He said "not enough people learn the slow flight characteristics of their canopy before they learn the high speed approaches". But as any good swooper knows, one of the keys to a good swoop is the setup (I'm guessing this is what you speak of when you talk about flying a pattern), and the setup is achieved through the slow flight characteristics of the canopy. People who are serious about learning to swoop need to put freefall on the back burner and dedicate jumps to canopy control. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I think ignoring them is the worst of the worst possible choices, because they will experiment regardless. I feel (keep in mind that I am not a canopy control guru) that education is the key. If someone at my DZ wants to know how to get into swooping, it's better to educate them ASAP and get them doing drills up high. It is also very important to get them to agree that one needs to learn to swoop with a big canopy. And that getting that pocket rocket is only after they have demonstrated the ability to swoop with a larger more docile canopy. A reasonably experienced skydiver (500-700 jumps?) at my DZ injured himself on Saturday doing a 270 too low to the ground. It's not that this guy wasn't ready to swoop (I believe he had been doing 90s and 180s before this). It's just that it appears that he tried to skip some steps along the way. I can't recall seeing him pulling high and wringing out his canopy to learn the performance envelop. So when it came time for him to do his 270 low to the ground he was not prepared. I also wonder if target fixation might have added to this accident as he was seen attempting to run our swoop course (I didn't witness the accident, so I am only going by 2nd hand info) and attempting to make the gates could very well have made him not notice the attitude he was eating up during his turn. Anyway, I am a firm believer that we need to educate people who are interested in getting into swooping. I know the four times I have received some form of canopy control coaching has done wonders to my knowledge and current skill set. But all swoopers need to know their personal limits. There is no way in hell that I can expect to do things that the PSTers can do just as the lesser experienced swoopers can't expect to do what I may be able to do. And as far as your poll is concerned, if you say that the person is only a 100 jump a year person, then maybe they should never get into serious swooping (don't do anything beyond 90s). How can anyone be expected to be able to fly a high performance canopy at 8 jumps a month? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over