lurch

Lioness, if that avatar pic is you, my god are you cute. As for jojo the lawsuit boy, Kansasskydiver, you have nothing to worry about. The mere idea of jumping was enough to scare him so bad he threatened you just for making him aware of the sport! This sad creature will spend the rest of his life on the ground where its nice and safe, occasionally looking up to the inaccessible blue, forever wondering what would have happened if he'd had the sack to follow that lust up into the sky with no safety line. Poor bastard sealed his own fate before he ever even checked out a dz. He has my pity...unfulfilled forever? The worst fate is reserved for those whose own decisions and attitude handicap them more effectively than a .357 round to the knees. Hes not a skydiver and never will be. Fortunately for the rest of us. My .02$ Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

this thought train strung out everywhere. bored minds with keyboards problem. gnite. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

say things in big clumps. so if i broke it all up this small id have,... Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

i have a tendency to, uh.... Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Ok let me see.... Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I can see this sort of thing getting entirely out of hand. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Wait a minute: using this more like a chat room somehow gains me status here? how strange. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Hey. I work. I skydive. I work nights so when I'm NOT working or jumping I'm at home, alone, bored, and fucked in the head from job induced jetlag and waaay too much caffeine. you should see my coffee....if the fumes don't burn your eyes. The rest of the internet is a banner and popup infested logo wasteland. Television is worse and more annoying, like riding in a car being driven hard by someone, and poorly. Where would you expect me to wind up....the mall? Unlike TV, here, when I scream at the screen the screen screams back. One of these days I'll get sick of saying things here and just vanish. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

This amy chick is just waay outta hand. I need a 6-kilowatt sound system to do justice to her skills. Headphones do NOT cut it...even huge ones. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

continuing to pirate evanescence as fast as I can slurp it i"m absolutely flabbergasted at how damn good this music is. Relentless drive, creative intros that leave me wondering whats about to hit me, (taking over me) and the punch doesnt disappoint. its viciously gloriously violent. pissed-off angelic nine inch nails. I'm ordering/buying this tomorrow. Any time I hear something THIS good I make sure the artist got paid by going and buying it, in any case I want a perfect copy. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

this one song just blew everything else on my current playlist clean out of the water. so far the audioslave isn't doing it though. Its basically relabelled soundgarden. same lead singer right? Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Ok so desperate for new and inspiring tunes I decided to go blindly download this evanescence you people are talking about with NO clue what to expect, half expecting some nasty half-assed limp biskit knockoff or some crap.... with lethal bandwidth available I summoned an assortment within 2 minutes of reading the name. First tune played: Bring me to life. verdict: HOLY SHIT!!!!!! YAAAAA!!!!!! FUCKIN AWESOME!!!!!! this is the most asskickingly awesome shit i've heard since andrew w.k!!!! I will GLADLY pay for this album! This is the first tune I've heard in years so good it hit me like a ton of bricks made me grab for headphones so I could really crank it at 12:30 am and reefed the volume up to 11! This is music for raging unchecked down the highway at 236 mph on a sick bike with no helmet. DAMN! If audioslave is anything like this I'm gonna scream. Commencing download: Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

relaxation and practice are ESSENTIAL. It feels great when you are on a jump and you know you found it. Hell yeah. Last jump I had held a semistable stand for awhile and felt the speed build up and felt like I was standing in this invisible pressure tube, but getting pushed around, fighting it trying to stay upright. Suddenly feeling like this was starting to get familiar, "at home" like bellyflying alone, i realized how tense I was from fighting to hold and thought "hey what if I really just relax now that I have something of a grip on it? Ease off." and relaxed. Wow. The invisible tube tightened up on me like heat shrink tubing, I stabilized right the hell out, got a LOT faster suddenly and I couldn't believe I was hauling ass at 160+ mph....and not moving at all. At the same time I stopped wobbling upward and levitated right down to the level of my partner some ways off. What a victorious rush standing there looking at that guy as I came down to his level for once under concious control at full stand speed. One thought in mind at the time like a burst of light: "I GOT IT!!!!!" Thats the reward I fly to seek. Made my day. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

...? I didn't make that clear, sorry, going into a stand was so I could at least get level with the group...I was about 100+ yards away by that point, after exiting I never even got within rock-throwing distance of them but didn't want to be "somewhere" above them and have lost visual contact by the time they deployed...so I elected to break form to get level with the group..... Second unclear point is the guy who approached me wasn't on that particular dive I referred to anyway. That one was months ago. I've never even jumped with this guy. He simply overheard me talking to another jumper about what I was doing in my freefly attempts and what I was shooting for on this dive....which was another solo freefly just to get a stable stand and hold it. I still don't trust my stand or sit enough to do more than solos or very distant 2-ways where I have a huge volume to cork and flail in and can't possibly hit anyone unless I go oblivious and head their way for 20 seconds solid. Since I will not allow THAT to happen I can flail in peace and not worry if I suddenly get flipped over out of control cork from 160 to 125 mph and sideslide 40 feet at the same time. I just try to stay in sit or stand and stay level with the guy alongside me a few hundred yards out. When I can get through several freefly jumps without corking out of level or going flat even once, THEN I will try freefly with others at closer range. I used to feel out of control when flying flat as a student. Now it's like riding a bike or walking. Comfort zone default secure position. I get that same "whoa" wobbly walking-a-tightrope-about-to-lose-it feel in a stand now that I used to get as a student...but just as in aff last year, that feeling grows less and less with every jump and by now I know its only a matter of time before I have the same familiarity comfort and control standing that i have now when flat....I have that same "just about got it" feel I had around aff 4 or 5. Last, I don't really WANT to join the RW guys, I haven't done any RW in awhile except my 100th, which was a chunky chaotic 8-way in which I picked a paperweight (thanks ken!) and used him to drag me up to speed for everyone else to dock on. The video was wild. I get the hunch jumping 100th alone would have been some kind of sacrilege. I've never been much for team stuff, turning points kinda leaves me wondering "huh? why?" Its just that theres this conflict...I keep getting hijacked when manifesting for solos by RW guys who tend to go "come on join us...you cant fly flat that fast? nah just float out after us, arch, youll be fine". Well, I've been told by every jumper I respect not to miss an opportunity to jump with more experienced others...which is in direct conflict with my desire not to wind up on dives where I know I can't fly that fast. After awhile I got more assertive about it and stopped letting myself get hijacked into small-ways. By then I knew better...and now I get hijacked from solos to 2-ways by freefly guys I can't quite keep up with yet.... but just about. Now I say ok, but keep your distance....long distance. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Ok pop quiz: who agrees with this and why? The background: I'm at 104 jumps. I'm both very light and built like a spider (5'10" 135 lbs no gear)so I float very badly...pro-track claims I go sub-100 without effort. After working on my flat flying for awhile after aff till flat stability and control became second nature I started working on a sit and a stand. Naturally corking is my big issue. I can get a stand fairly easily and even control it somewhat-but I keep falling over. I'm improving every jump and expect to have a workable sit/stand down well enough to jump with others and -NOT- cork within another 10-15 jumps. The idea behind this personal progression has been to get used to any of my possible fall rates so I can stay with the others no matter what they're doing. I've had belly dives where I got stripped off the clump instantly floated high above them and was only able to get level with them by standflying some distance off. Weird standing next to bellyflyers...and staying level that way. Some of these people bellyfly at 135-45! Until I start using weights I don't seriously expect to keep up with them...even a macaroni arch isn't enough. I can't accelerate fast enough out the door to even keep up. We all go out, I go steep steep dive to try to stay with em but watch the formation get further and further away.... so. I want speed and attitude control in any position, and am gaining it too. Pro-track tells me last standfly I topped out at 165 and I only fell over 3 times...Afraid of violently corking into someone, I've been doing this alone mostly and making fast progress at remaining upright for longer and longer and going faster and faster as a result...although lately I've added other freeflyers to the mix at a very safe several-hundred-foot distance. I just try to keep up....and am starting to succeed. So why was I approached by some older bellyflyer recently and informed loudly angrily and aggressively that I will learn NOTHING this way until I start jumping with others, preferably flying flat? I'm making FAST progress here at least by my standards. I consider this period my second aff, but vertical. How can I get it across to this guy that if I'd been freeflying with others at this skill level I'd have probably killed someone with some of my uglier corks/wipeouts? And that at this point I still simply can't stay with the belly guys when flat? Laws of physics buddy! You outweigh me by 96 lbs and you have a smaller surface area! I must have "wasted" 15 jumps where every time the result was the same...exit, and immediately turn into a hang glider and watch the rest of my formation plummet away below leaving me hanging up there arched to the max, and arms and legs pulled in small as I can get, helpless to do anything about it. Given enough time I can build up to their speed but it routinely takes me 7,000 feet to catch up with em. For awhile I used to do belly by going out linked and using the other guy as a paperweight to drag me up to speed, then levelling off and proceeding with the dive, but thats just a crutch, a workaround, and I find most people don't want to have to hack the dive to allow for a linked exit to compensate for this. So instead of trying to thrust myself where I'm not wanted and will only fuck up the dive, I freefly. So what was with the anger and aggression? Obviously I AM learning, and fast. Protrack and logbook tell the tale...my freefall times are getting shorter and shorter with the same exit and pull altitudes, and I can now keep other freeflyers in sight and mostly level with em, whereas when I started I watched the other freeflyers drop away, then got the hell out of their airspace cause I couldn't stay upright long enough to build up any real speed and stay down there level with em. I don't want to tell an older more experienced jumper he has his head up his ass, and I DO understand his point....with nobody to compare to you can't learn good relative fall rate control. But thats not my problem. For me -relative- fall rate control is easy...up a little, down a little, no problem. Its the gross fall rate control I suck at. And its THAT thatll make me collide with others and keeps me distant till I can keep up. Comments? Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Yeh. Don't trust kazaa. Took me a long time to find and purge the brilliant digital spycrap they hide everywhere in your box. Practically a virus. And it persists...uninstall kazaa and brilliant digital stays right there, hidden, watching you. creepy. . Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

blue hair? whoa. cool. I wanna paint my head now. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Let me get this straight: this guy has exactly two.. ( 2 ) jumps...so he should already be at least vaguely aware of the complexity of what he proposed to learn.... and he disses the masters he came to learn from by claiming their combined aerial survival skills are no more complicated than walking and chewing gum at the same time? Sure. And piloting cessna is simple as a go-kart...all it is is a couple more knobs and buttons.... Child's play huh? ok asshole, from the lofty height of your two jumps, go land a sub-150 canopy in a tight landing area while correctly predicting the courses of others avoiding traffic conflicts while in the middle of a pack of 17 canopies get it lined up level and on course for the peas with the correct glide slope and put it there while dancing on iffy winds. know when to hang back, when to full flight, how to crab, flat turn, fix a minor mal? Oh of course. He knows all this. canopy control is simple right? I got 104. I don't know shit yet. I'm under a 190. Cause I don't know shit yet. I don't want this guy anywhere in my sky when I'm skywalkin around... Fortunately his attitude has him solidly placed right where he belongs...on the ground. What a whiner...I paid about that same price he whined about to reach my A, and thousands more for hardware. Jet-A costs money. Aircraft cost money. His instructors have to eat and stay geared. Do the math. This sport is not for him. Hope it works out with the kayaks.... Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I just dug up the whole quote actually. It is written, Q has said: "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous; with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid." Now theres a deity with attitude. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Now, see, me? When I really need a deity to back me up with a little moral support I ask the advice of Lord Rayden. You know, god of lightning and guardian of the Realm of Earth? Medium built bipedal vaguely oriental flavored entity made out of electricity with a cool twisty accent and bears a strong resemblance to Christopher Lambert? He starred in several popular videogames and at least one movie. Everyone can agree on what he looks like, he's right there onscreen whether you believe in him or not. He's easier to identify than most deities, he has a viciously wicked sense of humor, he's generally benevolent and will occasionally turn into lightning and smite your enemies for you if they're threatening to attack you and it isn't time to start the Tournament yet. I have also occasionally solicited the advice and counsel of another favorite modern deity of mine, Captain Picard's eternal jokester nemesis/guardian, the indomitable "Q". I asked him what the hell I was doing and why I shouldn't turn back when I was sitting in the plane on my way up to aff level 1. He told me the same damn thing he told the Captain in that mocking teasing tone..."The wonders of the universe are not for the timid." Out the door I went. The asshole was right. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I have to admit I have enjoyed reading this thread. I am a Christian and you are not, and that's fine. I am not going to spend time trying to convince you of anything. It is clear to me from your posts that you are intelligent and capable of making your own decisions concerning religion. I did want to point out though that all of your arguments are based on mathematical proof and scientific evidence. Do you accept anything as true based on literary, archeological, or historical evidence? Hey, glad you enjoyed it and joined the discussion. Believe it or not I never even graduated from high school....like I said, I'm impatient. I wanted full control and responsibility, right now. I got it, but paid for it. RE: your question: I only accept it if it matches or closely matches the behavior profile the universe has a habit of absolutely NOT violating. For example, Lot's wife turning to a pillar of salt. Uh, can you say fairy tale? Where did her flesh go? where did the mass of salt come from? I can believe a nearby tectonic event destroyed a city with what sounds from the descriptions like a pyroclastic flow. I can't believe a human being suddenly transformed/transmuted into a solid mass of crystallized sodium chloride by looking at such an event, no matter the historical authority of the author. Where did the sodium come from? I'm no doctor but I know there isn't enough salt in a human body to build a pillar out of. A rather small pile, perhaps, but not a pillar. Same goes for everything from virgin birth to miracles. If the literary source has all kinds of evidence to back it up, I'll believe it depending on the solidity of the evidence...like the user manual and tech docs for an MRI scanner. Historical evidence usually contains much distortion, fantasizing or weighting to support the political agenda of the times. I find usually when you start questioning the specific dubious or unlikely sounding claims of old writers their claims and stories dissolve faster than a pillar of salt in a brainstorm. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Sadly I'm not a pure scientist. My common sense keeps me from rigidly refusing to acknowledge anything I cannot prove. The rigor of that sort of thinking is absolutely necessary when prying at the edges of things, no assumption can go unquestioned where there is uncertainty. But I'm impatient. If it looks like a duck quacks like a duck lays eggs like a duck has feathers like a duck and behaves like a duck I see no reason to go exhaustively trying to prove from every possible view that it is in fact a duck. I tend to stick to applied practicality...Looks like a duck there. Can I eat it? Is it a threat to me? do I need to eat it or can I just leave it alone? Will it be in my way or will I not have to worry about it? If it does anything unducklike, I will then question the basic assumption of duckhood and examine it more closely to see if it interferes with what I'm doing....or if I will have to modify my plans and procedures to account for sudden misidentified ducklessness. But that's just me. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

, like Planck's Constant. There's no reason (that we understand) it is actually 6.62x10-34 j*s; it just is. That's one of the things that makes the universe behave like it does. You just have to accept it; you can't explain it. Some people treat god the same way. ooo! Big hole in argument! ooo! Yeah but planck's constant is just that...a constant. like the laws governing the behavior of electromagnetic radiation or the behavior of moving masses, you can build real devices taking advantage of, manipulating and using those constants, and if the constants and understanding thereof were flawed, the machines would not work. Nobody ever built a machine that runs on God....because there's nothing real behind the concept to implement anything on. There's no specifying, no math, no relationships, no physics, no physical involvement and no way to establish a connection (like building an NMR detector) between the god theory and the physical real world. Maybe I should try to build a god detector..... Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

3 cheers for the beavers and their human defender. Isn't it nice to know what a free country we USED to have? Read between the lines: the arrogance astonishes me, it reads like a royal decree: We have been made aware you have allowed or perpetrated unauthorized construction. You require our permission before building anything. We checked, you did not ask us for our permission to build anything. We cannot allow things to be built without our permission. You will therefore dismantle this construction. you will finish this task no later than (arbitrarily decided action period). Please notify us at once so we can come to your place in person and make sure of your unconditional and total obedience. You will be punished for failure to obey. We anticipate that you will obey us fully, call us if we are not clear about this. sincerely, Inhuman Bureaucratic Functionary. ...and this is in America? I understand zoning laws and downstream environmental consequences, but jesus christ this is....horrible. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Locked or moved? Hell no! why? This is degenerating nicely into a total intellectual free-for-all and I see nothing wrong with that. Its not as if having an off topic debate in an abandoned corner of the forum is somehow disrupting everyone else's skydiving forum experience. I DO agree there is a feel of a certain element of having christianity thrust upon me...I've never run around seeing how everyone would like it if I set up an atheist booth. That salesman feel again. But hey we had a paintball area at the last boogie, it was totally nonskydiving related and nobody complained about it. Like I told steve, I'd just leave him alone if he came here...if someone set up a wicca/newage booth selling bead necklaces crystals pentagrams and silver jewelry I'd browse it once and leave it alone the same way as something cultural I don't buy into. This is cyberspace...it's not like we're even using up actual real SPACE for this discussion and its the most fun i've had in the forums yet. And its the first civilized war between the christians and the atheists i've ever seen and very thought provoking. Most of the time when people discuss this kind of thing it quickly degenerates into name calling and insults. I'm enjoying it and willing to contribute my .02$ as long as anyone still cares to read or reply...I think both sides are putting up one hell of a fight and although theres no "winning" the discussion its awesome to see people really think about this stuff instead of name calling. Wheres the problem? edit: when I say war I mean civilized conflict of opinion. Change and growth only come through conflict, and here we have a lot of conflicting opinions being compared and contrasted and there seems to be a lot of jockeying for the logical upper hand going on. This is cool as all hell and I invite anyone with ideas/thoughts from either side to contribute to toss them into the fray and see what happens. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.