JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    Very nice. The TI's remarks were spot on.
  2. JohnMitchell
    NPR did a piece on the blood industry not too long ago. Very interesting stuff. Lots of cheap blood in the heartland, like Kansas, Iowa, etc. Lots of expensive demand in the big cities, like NY, LA, etc. Lots of blood flying around and markups being made. Once again, we have pretty good health care, but the costs can be outrageous, way more than they need to be.
  3. JohnMitchell
    Wow, very impressive. I've done it twice and it's a huge commitment. (I had problems one time with nausea and they decided I wasn't a great candidate for it.) The fact that you do it every 3 weeks is even better. You are saving more lives than you can imagine. Thanks, Monkey.
  4. JohnMitchell
    Oh yeah, didn't every boy love that show? Hi, Emma.
  5. JohnMitchell
    Well, you learn something new every day.
  6. JohnMitchell
    Yep, 'cause you're not an idiot.
  7. JohnMitchell
    Well, sounds like you'll pay attention to your instructors, won't you. Seriously, we all had a few self doubts to overcome when we started jumping. Practice hard, ask questions, and get the most out of your instruction. On the plane ride up, breath, and during your quiet time, visualize the skydive you're about to make, over and over again, going perfectly in slow mo. Don't clutter your thoughts with negatives. Just concentrate on the tasks at hand. Have fun.
  8. JohnMitchell
    And I meant to say Alti 3 altimeter, not Alti 2.
  9. JohnMitchell
    Damn, that sucks.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Boy, ain't that the truth/ Those of us that had the misfortune to learn on round parachutes tended to get pretty proficient at PLFs. I've notice people who have jumped only squares don't tend to PLF very well or when they should, leading to a lot of needless injuries.
  11. JohnMitchell
    I've owned a couple of Racers and others with pull outs. Luckily I have big long monkey arms. Dumbest skydiving injury. Trying to make a dive out the door but the lineup slowed. I still dove from my original point but didn't have the speed I wanted. Smacked my right thigh on the bottom of the door so hard I did 4 front flips before I could get stable. Took a month for that bruise to go away.
  12. JohnMitchell
    Make sure you tell him you're sorry he has a small penis. I love "dumb" questions. Those questions illustrate where my lesson plans may be weak and need improvement. I've been rewriting my syllabus for decades. Sounds like ineffective management there. I've seen others quit the sport because of abusive instructors. When I started, many were former airborne and "hazing" type of instruction was considered normal or even beneficial. It's totally the reason I became an instructor, to try to break that cycle.
  13. JohnMitchell
    Low D-ring front mount?
  14. JohnMitchell
    I've worked at quite a few DZ's and this is the one I chose to live closest to, skydive101.com in WA. They've got good aircraft, cooler temps in the summer, a great student landing field, a very experienced staff, and competitive prices. When you graduate AFF (7 jumps) and join the USPA, they even give you a free Alti 2 altimeter, about $165 retail. That's a sweet deal.
  15. JohnMitchell
    Good luck to you. You certainly have had a struggle to get going. Currency? At least one good day of jumping each month when you're new at the sport. More often, of course, would be better. You can mentally and physically review the procedures on your own when you're not jumping. I've seen people take a long time off but they kept it fresh in their heads. Others seem to forget everything quickly.
  16. JohnMitchell
    Vskydiver, due to her lupus problems, actually has the handicap parking pass. When she got it, she was told 3-4 times "Take it down when you drive." The tag itself says "Remove it before driving." Yet what do you see everywhere on the road, day and night? People driving all over with those tags hanging down, blocking part of their vision. I just want to holler "It's a parking pass, not a driving pass!"
  17. JohnMitchell
    I'll be damned. That's pretty cool.
  18. JohnMitchell
    I agree with everything you said. My 2 cents? Put your feet on your butt as you reach for the handles. This will help you arch as you cutaway. I've seen too many people chop and flop like rag dolls and then fight to get stable before pulling the reserve. Why not be stable the whole time and get that reserve out quickly? :)
  19. JohnMitchell
    Yeah, his sharpie marked tote lid really looked like an authentic roadsign, didn't it? Well, at least the cops could make some money giving HIM a ticket.
  20. JohnMitchell
    I'm saving that one.
  21. JohnMitchell
    I read an article on this very thing once, the basic premise being that your friends will make you fat. Who you hung out with seemed to be one the the biggest factors in obesity. When I look around our DZ I see, for the most part, very healthy, athletic people, much more so than any average trip to Walmart.
  22. JohnMitchell
    Vskydiver used to be a gymnast, and Tom Sawyer was her floor routine music. So that's another reason I like those guys.
  23. JohnMitchell
    Hi Kanye. How's Kim? You pay your money, you sign your release forms, you take your chances.
  24. JohnMitchell
    That's funny.
  25. JohnMitchell
    Truth. Start exercising. Anything. Today.