skybytch

Yes. Perris usually has load organizers available for low timers. I was told recently that the jet would be flying loads during the week after Xmas. Don't know experience requirements though. I'll be there at least one day after Xmas so I can finally log a jet jump, too. December in California is a toss up. I jumped at Perris on Xmas Eve last year and it was 80+ degrees. OTOH, I was staying in a tent at Perris the year before and it rained so hard the entire dz flooded. To counter what another poster has said, that same year I went to Eloy after Xmas and it rained there too. Never know. People at Perris love the Skyvan; I have a feeling that despite the expense involved in fixing it, if it's possible to have it flying by then they will. Don't think you can be too early in scheduling tunnel time, especially if you want to work with a coach (as opposed to just working with the tunnel instructors, who are all capable of helping you with basic RW stuff). Be current when you get there. Recurrency jumps at Perris are pricey. A few other things to know/be prepared for - Expect that getting the waiver and gear check done will take an hour. Bring your logbook and be sure to have at least the last jump in it signed by someone other than yourself. Bring your current USPA card. Be sure your reserve is in date. They check the card and the seal and they don't let you slide if they think you've pencil packed it. Repacks at Perris are pricey. Perris is a great dz. That said, if you have more than one day available to jump while you're out here, I'd suggest spending at least one day at Elsinore as well.

Reading too much into it, I think. AFAIK, the only part of her research that involved child labor in any way would have been children working with their families in subsistence farming.

I'm in total agreement with you on that. What I found striking is that she seemed to equate this 12 year old cleaning bathrooms for pocket money to kids being forced to make Nikes in sweatshops to help support their families. I see a major difference between the two. Wow. One of the big themes of cultural anthropology is dealing with people from other cultures without being "ethnocentric" (ethnocentric is looking at another culture from the viewpoint that your culture is superior). While I think that her comments on this reflect some ethnocentrism on her part, in a way my comments here and in class reflect the same thing. One of the things I find most interesting about this class (and the intro sociology class I'm also taking this semester) is how it's opening my eyes to the differences in how people of differing nationality, culture and class see various situations. For that reason alone, hearing her opinion on this subject was a valuable lesson. India is where she's done the majority of her research work, and conditions there are very important to her. She was very upfront about child labor in India. But she is a US citizen, so the US is "her country." She has as much right to have and voice an opinion about things that happen in the US as I do.

That's weird, cuz it just worked for me.

You mean like this Web-based (Java) chat room?

LMAO! Yeah, I'm with ya on that.

No, I'm not in the mood for an ice cold beer at the moment. I am in the mood for an ice cold cockatillio, though. Maybe more than one. And I don't have to leave the house to get them.

We were discussing economies in my Cultural Anthropology class the other day, and one of the topics in the lecture was child labor. The instructor is from India, came to the US to go to college (earned a PhD), is married with at least one child and has become a US citizen - this may or may not be important, but I think it is. Anyway, she mentioned that she has cleaning companies come in to clean her house on an irregular basis. Recently, she used a family owned and run company. She told the class that she was "horrified" when she saw that the 12 year old daughter of the lady who owned the company was cleaning the bathroom. She said her 11 year old daughter was also "horrified" by this. She seemed to me to assume that all of us also considered this "horrifying." She made it pretty clear that it wasn't just the fact that the girl was working at age 12, it was also the fact that the girl was doing a less-than glamorous job. She went on to tell us that she informed the lady of how she felt, and told her that the 12 year old was not to have to clean the other bathroom. The lady replied along the lines of "my daughter wants to have extra money, this is a way she can earn it". Classroom discussion ensued. I was the only one who spoke up saying that I was NOT horrified; in fact, by the time I was 12 I was on my 2nd job (and the first job involved... you guessed it, cleaning bathrooms!). Her reply to that was along the lines of "generational differences" (yes, I'm a good 20 years older than most of the other students, but I'm also very close in age to the instructor). I know I wasn't the only person in the class who thinks the way I do (just the only one to speak up), as I discussed this with another student later on and she agreed with me. All of this got me wondering where the difference in our reactions comes from. I don't think it's a generational/age thing, I think it's a culture/class thing - I grew up in a working class family in the US, she grew up in an upper class family (that employed servants) in India. In my view, doing menial labor for extra money is a good thing for a kid. It teaches them the value of money in a way that an allowance for taking the trash out never will. It shows them what life might be like if they don't get an education. It builds the work ethic that is one of the things that people in the US value highly. As long as the work doesn't interfere with school, I'm all for 12 year olds having jobs - even if those jobs involve cleaning toilets. What do you guys think?

Sorry, can't do that. Every time we jump we risk serious injury or death; goes hand in hand with throwing ourselves at the ground at a high rate of speed, relying only on some fabric and strings to save our lives. That said, the majority of skydiving incidents (fatalities and injuries) are caused by operator error - ie we do something stupid or don't do something we should have done. There is a lot we can do to reduce the risks we take; some examples are getting gear checks before jumping, not doing things that are beyond our current skill level, flying our canopies in a conservative manner, etc. So no one can say categorically that your wife will be fine if she decides to pursue skydiving as a sport/hobby. What we can say is that if she actively manages the risks involved (ie decides the level of risks she is comfortable with and skydives respecting those risk levels), the likelihood of her dying or being seriously injured is less than if she doesn't actively manage the risks involved. My S/O has four times the number of jumps that I do. IBAD

The key word here is "Dacron." Canopies with dacron lines will have a larger pack volume than canopies with microlines. You might be able to do it, but you will not enjoy closing the container and you will be putting unneeded stress on the main side flaps and grommets.

HB, HH! HTMM!

Happy happy birthday! Now eat your fucking cake! Happy happy birthday! Or we'll punch you in the face! Love ya girl.

Chili dogs, with a side of History textbook. For dessert I'm multiplying polynomials.

Which week in December? The week after Xmas I'll be in Perris jumping the jet. If you can, jump at San Diego, Perris and Elsinore while you're out here. Perris and Elsinore are about an hour north of San Diego and about 20 minutes apart; you can jump at both in one day.

Some of the info in this article may be helpful. Since you jump in Eloy you can demo mains through Square 2.

Since he asked what it's worth, not who wants to buy it, colors and harness size don't really matter, even if it's some really horrible color combination (since what colors/combinations people like is entirely relative). Assuming manufacture dates within the past three years I'd figure the worth to be about $800-900 for the reserve, $1200-$1300 for the main and $1000-$1300 for the container. So low end, $3000, high end $3500. High end would assume very good condition (no scuffs or stains on the container, lines still white on the main, etc).

You may find some of the info in this article helpful. Since you live in the UK, I'd suggest buying from a company that is based in the UK - makes getting any alterations that may be needed after you receive the suit much less of a hassle. If you plan to belly fly with other people, you will be doing yourself and them a big favor by getting an RW suit - the right tool for the job.

You're reading too much between the lines. Saying "Go the fuck away, you fucking troll" - hostile. Suggesting that someone boycott something as a protest - not hostile. imho and ymmv, of course.

The best way to protest against this terrible injustice would be to never post on dropzone.com again. That'll definitely show that dictator who's boss!

$1200 for that rig is way overpriced. The container is not freefly safe. It's worth about $200. The main is all F111. Do not load it over 1.0. It's worth about $200. The reserve is an older design. Do not load it over 1.0 (ie if you weigh more than about 150 pounds, it is too small for you). It's worth about $300. The Cypres becomes a doorstop in about 3 months, assuming that it had it's 4 & 8 year checks and got a new battery within the past 2 years. It has no value. If you really can't afford anything newer, it will work to get you in the air. Be sure to have a rigger give it a complete inspection before making the sale final.

There's a surprise. What exactly are you implying here?

Coast Joint Union High School, Cambria, CA

And Square 2 is in Eloy. They not only sell used gear, they also offer a pretty solid guarantee on it. Well worth checking out what they have, especially considering that they also have access to what their parent store, Square 1, and sister store, Square 3, have in stock. I would not buy used gear long distance without being sure that the seller is willing to refund the purchase price (not including shipping or any rigging you may have done on it) if you get it and decide that it isn't right for you (ie doesn't fit, isn't in the condition described, etc).

Yeah, I know the Muffin man. You know him too. He was at Star Farms.

If everybody who is online right now would send me $2.50, I could buy my history textbook and repay the person who loaned me enough to buy the other three books. See, the financial aid office at my school doesn't seem to understand that some of us might need the money they're supposed to be sending us to get the things we need to actually do WELL in our classes. Aw, heck, it's only been a MONTH since classes started. I should shut up now.