slotperfect

More: http://blogs.amctv.com/the-prisoner/ Arrive Safely John

I just read in TV Guide that AMC is remaking "The Prisoner." Jim Caviezel is #6 and Ian McKellan is #2. I was a little young to catch the original when it was on - it was probably past my bed time. I never saw a single episode in syndication either. I heard a lot about it, and look forward to watching the new one. The original is on DVD so I maybe I will rent it. http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Prisoner-Amc-Remake/800042468& Arrive Safely John

Even better, there is a separate forum dedicated to the USPA BOD elections (HH does this every year): http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?forum=49;

To me it is a very well crafted amalgamation of several different shows from the past: -Rockford Files (the living quarters, the car, the changing identities/role playing) -Miami Vice (the location, the fashion, and the candid snippets of the beach, the ocean, the club, etc) -The Equalizer (ex-spy who uses his old friends and connections to help others who can't otherwise help themselves) -The Fugitive (constant quest to clear his name) -Magnum PI (third person narration, calling on old friends for favors like Barry the money launderer) -MacGuyver (knowing a little about everything and making do in a pinch with household or readily available items) -Kojak (fixation with one type of food; Tootsie Popsyogurt) Arrive Safely John

The "hair pulling" as you call it is happening because the OP chose to out this incident the way he did fueled by personal agenda. Once the parties concerned have posted any relevant and factual comments to provide context from their side of the issue this flavor of conversation needs to stop completely. It doesn't need another thread, it just needs to be taken to private means of communication. Then we can continue with whatever learning we can glean from the incident. Arrive Safely John

I am hesitant to lock the thread because it does not give those who you have drug into the open to duke it out with any opportunity to provide factual comments (without perpetuating the dogfight). The end result would be an exposure of individuals in public and a retreat into private communication to finish the matter. This is like a politician making offensive comments in the international media and then later making an apology, but only on their website. Locking the thread also results in a loss of the benefit of discussing the incident from a safety/training/maintenance standpoint. For now it continues. I will decline your invitation for a phone conversation. Other than a couple of short chats at PIA Symposiums I do not really know you, nor am I a skydiver in your USPA region. In this case it is best if our conversation remains in this venue so it does not become personal for me as well, which would make it very difficult for me to moderate threads like this one objectively. Arrive Safely John

So why does Dave get singled out here when there are others who have replied with the same general opinion? It must be obvious to you that the list of those who don't approve of your method of handling this situation is longer than his name alone. Is this another personality conflict making its way into the forums? If so, I will restate my comment from yesterday: using the forums to leverage your personal differences with others is a definite no-go. And so I am clear that I am NOT singling you out here, that comment applies to all parties in any personality conflict. We learn from respectful and intelligent discussions of inceidents and their outcome; we learn nothing from DZ politics or individual soap operas. Arrive Safely John

We are leaving it up for now: 1) Majority opinion here and among those I have discussed this thread with is that this incident should have been dealt with differently, out of the public eye and among professionals, staff, and leadership at the DZ in question. Airing the incident in this public forum on behalf of the Instructor involved without his knowledge and without all of the facts to provide context unnecessarily put the Instructor under the microscope and opened the OP up for negative fallout for his choice of venue. 2) That being said, now that it is out and the Instructor has had a chance to chime in with background information and his own viewpoint and post-jump actions/lessons learned, locking the thread will only squash his opportunity to continue to explain himself and for the rest of us to benefit by learning from it. 3) There is an obvious personality conflict between the Instructor and the OP that extends well beyond this thread and this incident. Those personal differences need to stay within the confines of personal communication (PMs, email, and such) and stay out of these forums. This is not the place for that. 4) A lot of really good things have been said in this thread, which if removed from the surrounding incident are great tips for any Tandem Instructor. I may pluck them out and list them on their own later on - I see great value in that. Unless the thread gets out of hand or becomes a dead horse, there is no reason to lock it now. Arrive Safely John

Anybody else watching this show? I kinda like it. The season 2 premier is Thursday night at 10:00 EDT; I'm getting caught up on last season's episodes online. Arrive Safely John

Call Linda Hardesty at Bonehead and discuss your situation with her. They may be able to achieve a proper fit with more padding on the sides of the helmet. Surely they have encountered someone with your situation before. Arrive Safely John

Uh-oh. Arrive Safely John

Your best bet is tandem Tube Stoes on the first two locking stowa, then tandem bands on the other two locking stows and all the regular stows. Single wrap everything. Arrive Safely John

This conversation is no longer about gear - I'm locking it up. Arrive Safely John

It wasn't working yesterday, but only in one forum. It's seems to be working this morning. Weird. Arrive Safely John

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_Sucks_Night Arrive Safely John

Everything has been working fine for about a week!

There's only one DZ in the area. The one in Parkton closed two years ago: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2346059;search_string=parkton%20closed;#2346059 All AFF jumps include the packsjob and gear rental in the price. Post-AFF jump gear rental does not include the packjob - going rate is $6 but we encourage students to learn how to pack and pack for themselves (builds that skillset early). Altitude is 13,000 FT in both aircraft weather permitting. DZ is open Wed - Sun, busiest on the weekends (which includes Friday afternoons in warmer months). Arrive Safely John

The dropzone in Parkton has been closed for two years. If you want a cost breakdown to know what you will get for your money, you should contact Tony Thacker at (910) 904-0000 or jumpraeford@aol.com OR go out and pay him a visit. You will get a much more detailed and accurate answer than fishing here on dropzone.com. Skydiving is an expensive sport. Based on your posts here in the forums thus far I think you need to take a hard look at your own family financial situation and ask yourself honestly if you are ready to commit to this expensive hobby. Nobody is going to just give it to you. Arrive Safely John

What information are you looking for? Arrive Safely John

To all: this conversation about how the economy has affected the gear industry is welcome here in the Gear and Rigging Forum. Please keep it specifically oriented toward the skydiving industry - discussion about the political elements of the changing economy belongs in SC. Arrive Safely John

To all: in its current form, this post is in accordance with the forum rules on advertising. Please address specific questions about availability, ordering, pricing, etc to the OP via PM not in the thread. That will help keep the thread in line with the forum rules. Thanks, Arrive Safely John

That's because you spank with an accent. Arrive Safely John

I culled the PAs and re-opened the thread because there is some useful conversation in here despite the rants and raves. All: PAs are not permitted in the forums. To the individual I have told this more than once I gave a short break from posting here. To the individual I am telling this for the first time, I give a warning. If you can't have a conversation with opposing views without resorting to PAs then take it to PMs (and no, Moderators can't read your PMs). V-B: I would provide some input to this thread to answer your original question and the follow-ups, but I am weary from having to wade through 80 posts, 60% of which is noise that has nothing to do with the original question. I echo those who have said you are missing out on some great input because of your attitude. I try and give sound advice here, most of which I can back up with hard copy references or practical examples other than my own experience. I'm not even going to bother in this thread because quite frankly I am tired of it after spending so much time cleaning it up. The thread is unlocked and will continue unless it degenerates until another mess. Arrive Safely John

Calling a spade a sugar spoon still makes it a spade. [warning] PAs are not tolerated in the forums [/warning] Arrive Safely John

Wes, We have been down this PA road more than once before. Take a break and cool your jets. Arrive Safely John