riddler

I agree - I'm disappointed that the focus of training programs like AFF is still on free-fall. Really, all that's needed for free-fall is making sure a student can get stable and deploy - perhaps also to track away. Other flying skills can be safely developed after AFF. I think all the time spent on fall-rate, etc might be better used to focus on canopy skills. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I was disappointed that the requirements were so high. I know it's for safety and all, but I was hoping to do this one. I've only got a C license and 5 night jumps. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I got this one too. Some freak got a spammer's CD (can be purchased for about $100-$300), and spammed everyone with his weird message. If you are on a lot of spam lists and have a lot of email addresses, you will get this one a few times. Either a joke or some deranged individual. Probably a 12 year old kid. Notice how jaded I am lately about the Internet ... Also, when you get weird emails, be SURE not to open the attachments. Right now, there is a nasty virus going around, and it looks to be getting worse: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.yaha.k@mm.html Or, if you hate M$ like I do, just use Eudora instead of Outlook. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Is it just me, or is there no Incidents page in this month's Parachutist? It's not exactly a "fun" page, but I do ge ta lot of valuable information from it. Maybe I've got some pages stuck together or something ... Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

This is a fun running-gag in the books as well. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

It was pretty dark when the DC-3 flew over on New Year's - I assume you're talking about the one a few days prior? The only one I have is with the otters (and porter?) Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I'm with you Canuck. I just got back a few hours ago. Jeannie and I are already missing the warm weather and great skydiving. I have several clients that are screaming that their world is going to end if I don't fix their problems and all I can think about is the great jumps and fun times I had there in Eloy. Was great meeting you all and see you in Rantoul, if not before! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Got to watch my two-year old niece rip open presents like a machine, and my three-month old nephew smile and giggle at me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. But I don't like the term post whore. I prefer net-walker. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Grew up in Denver - skiied 27 years. Still suck. Different resorts for what you want. 1. Byron has a point - Steamboat rocks and is pretty reasonable (truth is, they're all overpriced). But it's damn far from Denver - 3-4 hour drive. Most snow in the state, typically. 2. If you're staying in Denver, Winter Park might be your best bet. Great place, not too crowded, good prices. The only complaint is short runs, but if you don't ski all the time, you won't even notice. 3. Aspen is my favorite place all-around, but it's the most expensive and a four hour drive from Denver. 4. Avoid Vail. Some people like it - I think it stinks. Overpriced, lots of snobby tourists, probably the best ski instructors in the world, well groomed snow. Beaver Creek is a better choice than Vail. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Merry Christmas, Bytch. Boy, it sounds like I just said that to my ex-girlfriend. Virtual hugs to all. I'm staying up wrapping gifts and getting a computer ready for my sister tomorrow morning. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

The poll that the consumer-driven industry doesn't want you to see. I am surprised by the number of people I ask that wouldn't do it except for the fact that they feel obligated. I'm wondering how much this would change if we honestly only bought presents for the people we wanted to, and no one had hurt feelings or expectations on Christmas day. Just curious after buying some last minute gifts today with no small amount of associated stress. I am one of those that would buy for my nieces and nephews, and maybe a few others, but I always get presents for everyone due to the obligation. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Skratch!

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Saturn is a great company - I helped my mom buy two of them, and the company treats you well and the cars may have minor issues, but overall are great cars. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Think Rumsfeld has any German blood in him? They made that mistake twice! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Another tow-head, eh? Mine was WHITE until I turned four or five. Then brown, fading to darker brown over the next several years. At 30, I died my hair white again, and felt my IQ drop significantly But not being able to think clearly lends itself to jumping out of planes. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Have to admit, I was thinking boobies too. I feel pathetic. But thanks for the song! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I think relationships are SO important to people, that we make a lot of crazy rules and procedures around them. Such as "it's embarrassing to even admit I'm alone in the first place". And "I can't tell this person I just met that I like them, because somehow, I'm supposed to magically know if they are already in a relationship". Truth is, we all probably spend way too much time thinking about details like this. Combine this with the alienation of our society (a good book is "Bowling Alone"), and you have lots of lonely people. When Internet dating first came out, I thought it was a great idea. But I heard so many people snicker about it and make jokes about it. To me it seems obvious - put all the people who want a relationship but have exhausted their personal contacts together in one place. But I think many people that did were emabarrassed about that too. I'm glad to see that this is changing - I hear more couples that have met on dating sites. Too bad so many of them don't seem to work But I guess that is like any other type of dating. I honestly think people have much higher standards today than our forebearers did (probably a good thing). Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

People in the media work hard to sell you tripe. The product of a media in a capatilistic society - not that the media in a any other society is good. They don't work hard at all, except to fabricate the most sensationalist story possible to get viewers and readers sucked in. And yes, the details about opening make a big difference in public opinion. The common thinking among people that are considering tandems is "what if the chute doesn't open", and the media loves to play into misunderstood fears like that. 98% of whuffos probably don't know that the canopy almost always comes out, and there are procedures for dealing with that situation. About half of whuffos I talk to don't even know that we all wear reserves (followed usually by the question "what is a reserve?"). Stories like this are bad for our sport. The fact that it happens should be reported, but not in a way that makes people afraid. Unfortunately, the news is trying to sell you afraid. Fear is a great marketing tool for them. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Well, OK - this needs more explanation. On inspection day, we turned off the water, flushed the tank and put ice in the back to chill the beer until after inspection. Then we prayed that they wouldn't flush the toilet Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Moment of silence for a good jumper and someone not too afraid to live her life. Now, that having been said, I didn't want to post this to incidents because it's not directly related to the incident. Can I just say for the millionth time how much I hate the media and give yet another example of why I don't watch TV, don't read the newspaper and don't listen to radio stations? Here is the an excerpt from the news report so far: "when their parachutes did not open and the two were killed. The accident happened at 2:35 p.m. According to emergency personnel at the scene, the parachutes were tangled or did not open in the proper sequence." The first paragraph says that the parachutes did not open and the second says that they were tangled. I guess it's more sensational to say that "THE PARACHUTE DIDN'T OPEN!!!", even if immediately followed by a statement that it did. The sad thing is that most people that don't understand skydiving will remember the first thing and completely gloss over the second. The media has got to love skydivers. Everyone has heard of it, few people understand it, and everyone thinks it's incredibly dangerous. They can fabricate anything they want to about skydiving to sell a story. I hope that each of you gets to experience the media directly as I have, not only in skydiving, but in other facets of your life. Pretty soon you realize that they are wrong about EVERYTHING. Then you have to ask yourself, is it really worth polluting your mind with non-sensical half-truth garbage? K, I'm getting of the ol' soapbox now Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Hate those things. We used to hide beer in the back of the commode on dorm inspections. Had to stop when they put those damn blue things in there. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

So far, about three to one for swallow. Have I mentioned how much I like skydiving women? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

One! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD