tbrown

Blago just doesn't know when to shut the fup uck.... He's gone and made another grandstand play that could very well drag a good man's name through the mud. Forgive me if I can't recall the guy's name at the moment, it IS New Year's Eve, but apparently he is also untainted by all the recent Balgoyeblech... I would also rather that some other black Chicago politician hadn't got up and immediatley pleaded for the U.S. Senate to not "lynch" the nominee. The situation is already touchy enough without having to play the race card first. Fuck, we just elected Obama, didn't we ? I mean a few of us white folks voted for Barack too ? Let's just please give things a chance to shake out a bit without resorting to the Jesse Jackson bullshit.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Static line - the only way to go, in seventy fo'... And still a damn good way to go for ordinary kids who can't afford ridiculous AFF prices !!! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Practice makes perfect. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

True, true. The one thing that nags at me though about all the MARD systems in general is the possibility, however slight, of the system catching the reserve p/c in a total mal situation. I'm not just talking about incorrect installations either, though the record shows some of those have already been found and so far (thank God) corrected. Not to mention some of the rigging horrors with people's reserves that surface a couple times a year. Simple fact of human nature is that some people never learn. But as with anything new, there are sometimes the "surprise" scenarios that don't rear their ugly faces until even a few years pass. And that's why for now I think I'll give all the MARDS a pass and stick with my imperfect RSL, which "only" pulls my ripcord pin. The only time I ever used it, it had me to line stretch as I was finishing my ripcord pull and that impressed me just fine. Please don't get me wrong - I'm VERY impressed with Skyhooks and MARDS, especially some of the real life cutaway vids. The one of the guy who spun up his canopy at Skydive Long Island is especially fantastic. It's just the thought of something snagging my reserve in a total situation that stops me in my tracks. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Or else just wipe the place off the face of the earth. Innocent civilians in Gaza ? They ELECTED Hamas. Fuck 'em all. Where did you go to school anyway, Berkeley ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I don't like the show. Actually I can't stand it. The guy plays a nasty, cynical, drug addicted shit of a person who goes around accusing everyone of lying. I guess some people like that. I don't. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

First of all, according to his profile, Aresye not only has low numbers, but has only been registered here since 3/28/2008. Does this disbarr him from raising an important issue ? I categorically object to brushing off newbies with "it's already been discussed", as for many of them, all sorts of things have plainly NOT been discussed and need to be. This is a vitally important topic, especially as two experienced skydivers had an opening collision just last week, killing one of them and injuring the other. That said, I am of the belly flying camp that believes in tracking hard, face down, and watching out for those who might be below. Jan Meyers has spoken eloquently about how virtually all collisions on opening involved the upper jumper not seeing the one below until it was too late. Your point on freeflyers doing so many barrel rolls is well taken too. I was on a tracking dive with only seven people last weekend and the FF organizer of this dive was emphatic about everyone doing a barrel roll. Now I respect this guy and wasn't going to get into a big argument over it, so I just quietly nodded my head and did my usual forty way face down track and got excellent seperation. I HAVE been on some hybrids where the freeflyers have scared the living shit out of me with their so called "back tracking". As part of the belly base, I'd watch these people drop away vertically at 5500, while we'd hold the base 4 way to breakoff at 4500. Contrary to what I'd expected, I was horrified to see a bunch of clowns directly below, floating around on their backsides with shit eating grins on their faces. It's the main reason I won't jump on hybrids anymore, as I feel I simply can't trust people who won't get serious about tracking their asses off - face down. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Congratulations to Israel for socking it to Hamas in Gaza. After raining rockets on civilian Israeli towns, the Hamas fuckers are now whining about the inhumanity of Israel showing they mean business. Although I am generally opposed to the use of nuclear weapons, I think dropping one on Gaza would serve three useful purposes. First, it would put an end to the Hamas bullshit there once and for all. Second, it would establish beyond any doubt that Israel does indeed have the bomb, and finally that they're willing to use it. If that sounds extreme to anyone out there, maybe Hamas should get a new hobby and stop it with the rocketing bullshit. Fuck 'em. Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out. They want war, that's what war's all about. At least no Israelis are committing chickenshit suicide bombings in discos. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Spotted ? I always thought she was striped.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The founding fathers kept the list of qualifications short for a reason. Age 35, citizen from birth, and a resident of the US for at least 14 years. Period. If military service was required, Adams, Jefferson, and FDR would all have been ineligible, and that's just a very short list. Obama was clearly the electoral choice over an opponent who served in the Vietnam War, I think that should settle the question right there. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Presidential pardon season is always an outgoing President's opportunity to make an ass of himself one last time before getting out of town. It gives the rest of us something to fume about. But thankfully, they don't shape the future course of the country either, so I at least hope you're enjoying getting so pissed off about it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I think I'm in love.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Welcome to the dark side of skydiving. One of this sport's big secrets is that so many of us are conceited assholes. A lot of us aren't either, so hopefully you just stick with trying to sort out the ones you can talk to and the ones who aren't worth the time of day. The other thing is that a lot of people who paticipate in online web forums are assholes too. They think it's fun to insult somebody in front of everyone else and they know you're not going to kick down their front door and punch their lights out because you live 3000 miles away. I've been here on dropzone.com for almost six years now and have seen hundreds of people come and go. We get a lot of newbies who are very excited about discovering our sport and they have a lot of questions. I have always believed the old line from any standard FJC that "the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask". Especially in a sport where part of the fun is saving your own life every single time. I object to forum posters who blow off questions with "look it up, this has been discussed before". What if your instructors had told YOU that at the dropzone, or at your FJC ? It won't kill any of us to answer a simple question for maybe the 1200th time - and it might help save a life (wouldn't that be great, or do we even care ?). And if you can't keep a civil tongue in your head to an honest question, then don't answer. Sign off and go play with matches or something. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

a bad landing is one that injures you. If you can walk away from it, you've had a good landing. By the way, you left the "fuck you" option out of your poll, so I didn't answer. That's what I say to people who make a show of "noticing" mud and/or grass stains on any part of me. God gave you two middle fingers - USE THEM !!! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

My young nephew named their family cat "Dump Truck". You can just guess how that sounded.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Safety issues aside, I love Skyvans. Haven't been up on a CASA or a C-130, but running off a tailgate absolutely kicks the ass off of any other exit I've ever made (and I love Twin Otters, by the way, they're magnificent jumships and I feel a whole lot safer on them too). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Yeah, I was in the 8th grade that year and remember it well, especially the view of earth as a distinct planet. Also that some of the whiners immediately raised a stink about reading from the Bible on the taxpers' dime. And as always, that the space program was "too expensive", never mind that it was a drop in the bucket compared with Vietnam and yielded a great many more lasting benefits. Since then, a lot of Sci Fi "Star Trek" technology has come true, largely due to the R & D that went into the space program. But now we even have whiny scientists who wheeze and moan about unmanned probes being superior to manned space flight (THAT will be the day...). It's cheaper for sure, but the bean counters will lead us down the path to a soulless existence if we let them. I remember reading books in grade school that confidently predicted permanent colonies on the moon by the 1990s and dreaming that I'd find a way to go there and live and work for maybe a year someday. Now there's talk of that again, as a step to prepare for going on to Mars. But the Chinese will get there first. That's what astronaut Marsha Ivans told us when she visited our company last summer (we fabricate parts for the J2X engines that will power the next manned American flights to the moon). She's a veteran of five Shuttle flights, who has spent a couple months on the ISS and operated the arm that installed a major section of the station, and a fascinating person to talk to. It's still a matter of will, seeing the benefits, and sharing the excitement of human exploration. As skydivers, I don't think sharing the excitement should be a problem. But we have to do it, because the rest of the human race is more pre-occupied with Paris Hilton and "wasteful" government spending. The technology for the return is shaping up, but the funding is always in question. Especially now, with the economy in the shitter. It's going to take some noise and determined pressure on Congress to get us back to the moon. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Well, aside from having no Christmas or birthdays, I had no idea that Jay-Dubs don't go down on each other. I can't imagine God doesn't want married couples to enjoy each other. The wife and I are church going Christians, but we still get oral. And I'm quite sure God doesn't mind one bit, I think it pleases Him too. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Maybe. Especially if they're a total hottie and single (no drama). Yeah, but you're a young hottie. I'm a middle aged married guy. You're from Venus, I'm from Mars.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

29 Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

April 27, 1974 at Seneca Falls, NY. We trained on a Friday night and jumped first thing in the morning. The Seneca Club is gone now, but some of the people now make up the Finger Lakes Skydivers in Ovid. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

You COULD always take it back for a refund and get something sensible - and nice. Then she really doesn't ever have to know. unless you bought a stack of jump tickets. They're non-refundable. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Angelina would fuck a German shepherd if it had a big enough dick. But check out the latest issue of GQ. Now this is what I call a forty year old hottie ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

And if you do help someone out in spite of this, use a false name and exit stage right ASAP. Better yet, do what the dropzones do. Carry an eight page waiver and a videocam around with you. Then if you stop for an accident, cram the waiver and a pen through the window (but DON'T break the window to do this, knock politely). Then MAKE them watch a video of your lawyer explaining what the waiver means. You can have a lawyer video loaded into either your videocam or cell phone, preferably both, since you never know. Then start filming the victim as you ask them whether they understood the waiver and the lawyer video. Ask them to state their name, the date, and that they agree to the terms of your waiver, and that they are in fact requesting your assistance, then film them as they sign it. And meanwhile, if the car does catch fire, or the victim is not old enough to sign a legal contract, be sure to bring a bag of marshmallows with you, you can always offer one to the cops when they arrive. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I'm not sure I'd want to jump with someone who told me something like that. Here's another way of looking at it - would you tell someone you had a dream about fucking them ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !