skykittykat

Check out Richard Branson's AFF jumps - can be viewed on the Wally Gubbins vids. Liz

Yet another top class 4-way team to compete in the Open class in Germany - it will be very exciting to watch and, of course, the best of luck to all teams involved who are fighting for the Gold. Liz

Quit picking on Niggle Soooo when will the Chinese to burst onto the skydiving scene? Do you think they are currently creating teams in all discplines with full intensive training (like their swimmers, gymnasts, skaters, etc) Liz

How do you deal with someone who constantly carries out of acts of unkindness to make themselves feel better? This is the situation I have found with someone involved in motorbike road racing and this person is now affecting my stepfather and friends. Amongst various things, these have been done: - Got someone fired by falsely claiming sexual harrassment (therefore taking over full power rather than sharing that job/power). - Dobbed someone into Immigration for no other reason than jealousy. - Recommending and being listened to into taking away an injured person's sponsorship although he would make a FULL recovery (again, through jealousy). - Being 2 faced, ie being nice to people's faces and then bitching about them behind their backs and trying to make their life as difficult as possible. - Creating false stories for a top team so as their sponsorship will be cut. - Various other "little" incidents that affect people in a significant way. Any advice? Liz p.s. I know I am not an angel and have done/said things, but I have always come forward and apologised (in case there are some glass houses, stones thrown comments!).

Ha, ha. The 3 leg symbol (not the pink one on your link!) on the Manx Flag is meant to signify "Wherever you may throw me, I will always stand" - which is a rough translation of the latin above it. Liz

Stupid question, but where the hell did you get a Manx cat in Illinois? Was it through a special breeder? Even in the Isle of Man there are not that many of them that are pets - most of them are are housed in the special Manx cat sanctuary. Liz

I think that you missed the humour and banter that was being passed to and fro from Matthewcline and G_Q Jumper. Liz

I totally agree. All of the French guys on the 8-way team know that I have a huge respect for them and really like them, but they also know which team I am batting for (Airspeed) and I am "British" into the bargain! Manu and Guillerme - Leetle Kirk!!!!! re World Cup 2005 - the photo still has to be unearthed! Liz

It was a play written in 1907 by Irish playwright J M Synge.. For those of you who have not read it, the "hero" of the story is feted by the village in which he is found (by the daughter of the most powerful guy in the village - the pub owner) and made into a celebrity for killing his father with whom he had lost his temper with and claimed his father was a bully. The tide turns when the people in the village find out that he has been lying about killing his father and he is ostracised. Even though it was written in 1907, it is chilling how the same concept applies today. How come more emphasis is put on celebs lying rather than the crime they have committed? Thought for the day!!! Liz

The point is NOT to lower oil prices. Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, George W Bush and many others in the US government have been at one time on a Board of Directors for oil companies (in some cases some people have been on more than one Board, and who I don't remember off the top of my head). I am sure that they retain those shares, but not in their own personal names. Apart from any fiscal interest, whoever controls the majority of the oil in the world can hold other countries to ransom to do what they wish. The US has enough oil for it's domestic and export markets, but it is reluctant to get to the stage of using it's reserves. There are actually tidal/earthquake monitors and warning systems in place: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4149201.stm Liz

Unfortunately when someone joins the military, they are told to do what their Superior orders (in most countries the Government are the Superiors). I lately asked a friend of mine who had been posted to Iraq about the morals of that war and could he justify killing an Iraqi when the invasion was wrong. He said that if someone was shooting at him, then he had a right to shoot back and save his life along with his mates' lives. Fair point. Another point he made was that the Kurds were incredibly grateful to the Americans and the British for toppling Saddam Hussein as they could now live without fear. After hearing that argument, it did make me think, in that, how many other people are being persecuted by other countries (eg, Nepal by the Chinese and various African countries) and the USA and the UK are doing nothing about it? The answer is simple - there is no monetary gain to be had by stepping into those situations. Iraq has oil and is a lynch pin of the Middle East. Also, about the time of the invasion, domestic policies in America and Britain were not going very well, so the best way to divert the public's attention is to concentrate on a foreign policy. Margaret Thatcher would not have been in power as long as she had if the invasion of the Falkland Islands had not have presented itself or the sabre rattling with Libya. I just feel sorry for all those troops and their families having to go through what they are now due to greed and a need for power from a few individuals. Governments were created for democracy and to hear the wants/needs of the people, rather than the priveliged few and unfortnately, the US and the UK do not have, at the moment, fully democratic governments (although on paper they do). Those familiar with George Orwell's Animal Farm will understand what I am saying - rather than me go into a thesis of Monarchy, God's Will and Absolute Power Liz

What's brown and sticky? A STICK, Sad, I know... Liz

Evil, isn't it, especially with all the backpackers and homeless crack heads in the area - it's all about catering for your market Since I will be back there in a month and my brother has made the hostel (not the office - hypocrite) non-smoking, I will have to do the same thing again. There will be a large congregation of my guests on the steps smoking and we have to entertain them after losing the drama of the ginger minger drug dealer harrassing/threatening his ex in the flat opposite and the police being called. Plus his being racist against all of our Saffas, Ozzies and Kiwis and trying to start fights with the guys. I hope you are going to come and visit when I get back - you know, spend the weekend in London just hanging out and chewing the fat over a few drinks, etc. Clint, et al are still there. Liz

C'mon - that is a bit over the top Maybe the crackers were SMOKED flavour, which is entirely different. I would ask the question - how does your daughter know what cigarette smoke tastes like, unless she has tried smoking.... Cigarette smoke does not infiltrate food and make the food smell or taste like cigarettes. Liz

I would say that most people would pick up a penny as it is considered good luck due to an old wives' tale. One summer, outside of my backpacker's hostel, we superglued a pound coin (worth about $1.85) onto the pavement in front of our steps and we had countless hours of fun watching people trying to pick it up Liz

It's the nature of the beast - even with booties, those laces come undone!!! Tie the laces triple or quadruple times or if you have shoes that have a loop at the back, tie the bow, thread the laces through the loop and then secure with another bow. The trick is to have as little of the ends of the laces in the wind flow. Top tip for peeps wearing rw suits - put a bit of tape near the top of the zip. There is nothing worse than your jump suit coming undone during flying in the tunnel - especially if you are a guy and the zip comes down and gets caught in the "you know where" (I've seen it happen to a guy and they had to stop the tunnel to let him out). Liz

I would say, at a guess, Eliana Rodriguez and Thomas Hughes, plus the "older" SVO tunnel rats, like Joe, etc, and Ray from SVA. Airspeed must be up there as well. My 45 hours is chicken feed to all of those guys!!! Liz

Hey, you promised me that gig - traitor!!! Liz

At this stage, it is impossible to predict who will win in the Open Class at the World Meet. Both Fire and Sinapsi are strong teams and have suffered setbacks in their line-up/training over the past few months. I think from the Shamrock meet, both are going into training for the World Meet with a clean slate. My 2 cents worth - it will be between those 2 teams for gold, and, Fire, I think will clinch it, but who knows on the day

OK, I'll behave from now on, although "Dan Fishing" is too much fun Liz

Do not discount Russia's Ladybirds and the UK's Airkix - both teams are very strong and I am sure that they have been putting in the training the same as the French. I think it will be an exciting world meet. Liz

My money is on the French 4-way women's team to get gold. I like all the peeps on Mauberge Huit (I think that is the name of the French 8-way team) and Airspeed 8-way teams, but Airspeed will kick ass!!!! Liz

The best tunnel rats and Airspeed members do more than that straight. Airspeed are full on atheletes - many people assume that atheletes are only the track/skiers, etc, but skydiving is an athletic sport. The top teams are not going to win gold unless they are in top condition - they are a bit like sprinters - top speed for a short period of time. In fact, sprinters have it easy - they only have to run their fastest in a straight line with only one "point". World champ skydivers have to perform their fastest in a short time, but also have to fly as part of a team whilst moving their bodies in different directions to get the points (which they have to memorise). Liz

Not all big way events are organised by the top big way peeps, like Kate, Tony, et al. The problems encountered are due to the organisers and their lack of knowledge and/or organisation. I've done a couple of the big way camps, plus JFTC, and I never found that the dirt dives were rushed. In fact, the dirt diving for big ways took longer than for 4-way jumps! Kate, Tony, Dan and Larry were very good about explaining the mechanics of the dives and the plane captains were stellar. Time is taken at the beginning of the camps to chat about big way flying and what it entails. Regarding a seminar in the evening - Kate and Tony sit down and watch each video over and over again to watch every person to determine how the line up is going to be for the next day. That is very time consuming and can take a few hours. When we finish jumping, our day is done, but theirs is not!!! Information for big ways is on-line for those that care to look it up. If anyone wants to get into big way stuff, do the big way camp at Perris - it is invaluable. An awful lot of people got invites onto JFTC and the World Team by doing these camps. Liz

Too right! Actually, he has improved since December - it is only the arms and hands that are twitching now To be fair, due to his jumpsuit, at times he did look like a member of Airspeed. Liz