skybytch

+1. If you have no medical training or you are not the DZO or S&TA, there is NO reason for you to be out there. If you really want to help, the best thing you can do is assist in keeping others who have no reason to be out there away from the scene.

Skydiving IS NOT SAFE. Tandem skydiving IS NOT SAFE. Those who advertise it as such are flat out lying to people so they can make money.

These forums are great for getting to know people but are not really the best place to get information at this point in your progression. A better plan would be to download and read the SIM as the previous poster suggested. There are also many articles on this website that will answer your questions (check out the "safety" section). Also pick up a copy of "Parachuting The Skydivers Handbook" and/or "Jump!" (both are available through Amazon and at many skydiving equipment retailers). Tandems use a drogue, not a pilot chute (although the drogue does act as a pilot chute once the drogue release is pulled). The drogue reduces the fallrate of the tandem pair to approximately the speed that one body falls at, which makes it easier for the video guy to fall with the pair and reduces the potential for equipment damage when the canopy is deployed. Depends on the dz. Some teach it during your student jumps, others wait until after you have done your supervised jumps. You will learn to pack prior to getting your A license regardless. The SIM will answer this question better, but you are basically correct.

You know what Bill Ottley's bald head was useful for. You remember seatbelts as those irritating bumps under the padding on the floor of the plane. You know why the preferred location for the Cypres control unit in the 1990's was under the reserve flap. You built your own camera helmet instead of buying one ready made.

Definitely visit other dz's. There's one just a bit south of you in Minden, NV (not sure if they will be operational through the winter or not). There are two more in the Sacramento area (one in Davis, the other in Lincoln). You'd be welcomed at any of them, even if you weren't planning to jump that day. Bill's right, currency is very important, especially when you are a novice. That said, once you're off student status it's not hard at all to do 8 jumps in a weekend (or even in a day). Depending on your cash flow/credit limits, you could easily bang out your supervised jumps in a couple of November weekends, then you could make one trip a month over the hill to stay current until road conditions improve in the spring. I'd also suggest not spending any more money on tandems. If they've been treating you as a student and not as a passenger on the ones you've done, you've already learned pretty much all you're going to.

Because ancient religious texts shouldn't have any bearing on the law. How does changing the wording on a LEGAL DOCUMENT mean that churches would have to "legitimize before God" relationships that are counter to their beliefs?

If the legal piece of paper that they get has different wording on it than does the legal piece of paper that you get, then yes, it does matter. Treating people differently based on sexual orientation is discrimination. Why should it matter to heterosexual couples if the legal piece of paper they get doesn't have the word marriage on it? Again, try not to reference ancient religious documents or "the way it's always been"...

And whose truth would that be?

I didn't want to sound too edumacated.

What is protected under the US constitution is equality under the law. If me and Bob can go to the courthouse and get a piece of paper that says we are now legally a single economic entity, then why can't me and Jane go do the same? If me and Jane can, then why shouldn't the piece of paper that we would get have the same wording on it as the one that me and Bob would get? If anybody can answer those questions without references to ancient religious texts and/or "the way it's always been", I'll be truly amazed.

Iran Iraq Along the same lines but far less modern - Sasanid and Caliphate. Sassy and Callie for short. I knew all these history classes would come in handy someday.

Nope. He has more money than I do, he can buy me one.

No one has been able to explain to me exactly how Joe and Bob getting married "corrupts" the word marriage without referring to ancient religious documents. Can you? Because something is long established does not make it right. Separate but equal is anything but equal. Equal protection under the law should by definition apply to every person and in every area of the law.

I agree, but that would require huge changes in numerous areas of both state and federal law. And I can't see our government giving up the benefits it gets from being in the business. Changing the wording from marriage license to something else would require only changing the wording in laws that refer to it. Seems to me that would be much more likely to be approved and much faster and less expensive to accomplish.

You are correct. My wording was not well thought out. I should have said "We then allow each couple and religion to define the term "marriage" as they see fit." The vocally religious appear to believe that they have a special claim on the word and they routinely claim their primary religious document as their reasoning. By removing the word "marriage" from the legal (secular) side of the process, the issue could be de-escalated from the political to the personal.

While discussing California's Prop H8 with some friends last night, one of them proposed something that even the guy who voted yes thought was a good idea. Perhaps it's time to rename the CIVIL portion of what we call marriage? As it is now, you go to the government to get a marriage license, then you can go have a ceremony in a place and following whatever religious tradition (or not) that you choose. The core of my friends idea is to change the wording on what you get from the courthouse from "marriage license" to "certificate of domestic partnership." All couples, regardless of race or gender, would receive the same legal benefits and have the same legal obligations. We then reserve the term "marriage" for those with religious beliefs, thus allowing each religion to define that word as they choose and follow whatever traditions they have established. As I see it, something along these lines would do several good things. It would increase separation of church and state. It would discriminate against no one. And it doesn't attempt to apply one religion's moral code upon the entire population.

Jump a variety of 210's, preferably in a variety of conditions (no wind, light wind, etc). Then, if you feel like you want to go faster, jump a variety of 190's, again preferably in a variety of conditions. After doing so, you should have a good idea which size is right for you. You shouldn't need to change your reserve at all.

Be a student, not a passenger. Insist on being given the training and the opportunity to deploy the main parachute and to help with canopy control after it is open. Ask lots of questions. Keep your eyes open. Smile. Breathe. Get video if you can afford it. And then after you land, head directly to manifest and sign up for your AFF first jump course.

Did that last week. Took about 5 minutes, including finding a stamp. First time I've bothered to vote since the days of Ronald Reagan. May the next 24 hours go by very quickly... and please, oh great spirit in the sky, don't let the assholes win!

No, I don't. But then again, I jump a canopy that is appropriately sized so that even if my weight varies by 10-20 pounds throughout the year I can still land it safely in whatever conditions I might be jumping in.

Congrats! I wish for you a long life together full of love and happiness.

Since when is a 1997 Javelin not freefly friendly?

If you're really 230 pounds out the door like your profile indicates... good luck with that.

Be safe, my son.

Happy happy birthday, now eat your fucking cake! Happy happy birthday or we'll punch you in the face! Don't work too hard.