tbrown

Yeah right - conservatives (presumably) leaving the US for the safe harbor of socialist Canada ? I don't think so. Even through all the Bush years, I only know of one couple who actually made the move to Canada for that reason. And I find them a little strange anyway, but I guess if it means that much to them they did what they had to do. Of course, Canada is considerably WHITER than the US, but THAT couldn't possibly be the reason for moving..... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The slider coming off the stops while packing is a very typical cause of hard openings. Any canopy can open hard at any time. The Pilot opens as softly as a Spectre, but the slammer I had on my 210 hurt like a mofo aside from that it blew out the canopy and required a cutaway. I do my own packing, so perhaps I was lax with making sure the slider was up against the stops. With that in mind, I reach inside and double check by feeling the grommets against the stops after I've laid the canopy down on the ground. haven't had another slammer now in 14 months. That said, Bill Booth has a theory that plastic tuck tabs on the riser covers can hang up. Or rather that one of the tabs hangs up, causing unequal loading on the lines, which can shake the slider loose as the canopy de-bags. It only takes 1 1/2 to 2 inches to do the trick, and voila - slammo ! Booth gives this as the reason for his developing magnetic riser covers, as he also states the problem was virtually non-existent in the good old days of velcro. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Excellent point Lou. Take Disneyland f'rinstance. While Disney has the kind of cash flow and legal staff that even the big DZs can only dream about, they are extremely aggressive in defending ALL lawsuits. Disney won't settle, period. Unless somebody's kid gets killed. Disney World once settled with a family when their kid slipped through the railing on the riverboat, fell into the lake and drowned. But that was a rare exception and the details were kept secret by court order. Mickey Mouse don't mess around, that rat has teeth. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Obama, decisively, for simply sticking to the issues. McCain indulged himself by slumming in the shitter, throwing handfuls of poop at Obama. It's ALL he has to offer - no new ideas, just slinging shit. I used to respect McCain, but no more. He's a nasty, spiteful bald faced liar. And he's going to be swept away in a landslide, just wait and see. The Supreme Court isn't going to bail this guy's ass out by one vote, not this time around. He's not going to be able to deny enough blacks or Hispanics their right to vote either. This time around the Republicans are going to have to hire a marksman, and I wouldn't put that past them either, not for one moment. Their dream of single party rule has collapsed and they'd be lucky to be elected dog catcher - and they know it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Hockey is da bom. I grew up in Rochester, NY and we had the American Hockey League, which was a farm league for the NHL. The Rochester Americans ("Amerks") were the farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of the great Maple Leafs came up through Rochester at one time or another. Then for some reason Jerry Cheever went to the Boston Bruins instead of Toronto, not sure how that worked, but he was one of the great goalies of the sixties and seventies. So I have to go with Toronto - and the Boston Bruins. My family lives around Boston now and if I don't go for the Sox/Patriots/Celtics and Bruins, they'd disown me.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Because a white whale bit off Gregory Peck's leg when she was a little girl ?? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Because the landslide is already happening. This endorsement, plus the $150 million flowing to Obama in September, more than half of it from NEW donors. As they say, "follow the money". Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Well, considering that this is a sport where people can get killed, what do YOU think ? I vote for the S&TA to speak up or turn in his/her rating. The person creating an unsafe condition isn't simply a danger to themself either, though even that should be enough reason to intervene. they pose a potential threat to everyone and anyone who may be in the air, or even onboard the plane with them. This is a sport where we cannot afford to allow ourselves to be burdened with protocol. Let me put it another way, how would you answer at an investigation into a fatality involving one or more people for the very thing you had prior knowledge of ? Enough people get killed inspite of everything we try to do to prevent it, no need to bump the stats because we're shy about speaking up. I did see a case of this once, where a visiting S&TA witnessed some idiot flying opposite to the pattern and cutting people off left & right. She was going to give the dude a good reaming until she found out he was the DZO.... Sometimes you just can't fight city hall. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

some would say that that is NOT a great thing. I mean. your own country going to war against itself under your watch. I'm just saying. It all depends on how you look at it. A lot of people hated Lincoln when he was President. Julia Grant (the General's wife) called Lincoln a butcher. Lincoln could have stood by and let our country fracture in two. From there, I think things would have gone to pieces even worse. In the end, things didn't work out the way Lincoln would have wanted. He wanted to bring the South back with all forgiven, but after his death the radical hardliners carried out a harsh and vindictive policy. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Good point. Our greatest President had very little prior experience, yet he saw our country through it's bloodiest war - against itself. And yet managed to hold the country together, even though his own life was ended within a week of the end of that war. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Her too, actually. Nothing wrong with wishing anyone a happier life. I think by now Chelsea would understand. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

This bullshit is all moot - Obama's going to win. good night everybody, sweet dreams of life on the breadlines. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I've been married to the same woman for 27 years. It hasn't all been skipping through fields of lillies in slow motion, but it's been worth it. We like it and will probably keep each other until one of us dies. I think a lot of people marry for the wrong reasons. But I also think there's a lot of irrational fear of marriage as well. It's what you want to make of it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

After today's news that the McCain campaign is pulling out of Wisconsin and Maine, I'm really wondering. Apparently their dwindling resources are needed to hang onto the red states, or at least that's what the "liberal" media is reporting. Anyway, although I am an Obama supporter, I'm trying to take a step back and ask myself what this is that we're seeing. I know a lot can happen in 3 weeks, and yes, I have seen the picture of Harry Truman holding up the "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline. But at the same time I'm seriously wondering if we're witnessing the beginning of a landslide in the coming election. I think the McCain campaign is about to run off the rails. Any thoughts on this ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

do you really wish death on the guy? that's harsh. Typical, though. Typical of WHAT, may I ask ? I thought I was being funny. Is there no humor in Speakers' Corner ? (Guess not.) Maybe a little waterboarding would've been more helpful for the dear Veep's ticker (now THAT'S FUNNY - admit it). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Maybe somebody should pop a paer bag behind the bastard. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

this is so hard to believe - of ALL people. I've known Harry for a very long time and will miss him deeply. Our prayers and love for Janna. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Every year since turning forty, on my dad's advice. Some years the shot has kicked my butt with what I call "flu lite", mostly being achey and out of sorts. But most years no after effects at all. The upshot is that I haven't been home with a puking, pounding headache sickness in all those years. Every year someone goes missing at work for a whole week and returns with a horror story about blowing it out both ends and a headache that made them wish they could die. So I suggest that maybe next year they should get a flu shot, and they tell me, "Oh, I NEVER get a flu shot !". All I can say is, "Apparently not...". Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I'm gonna throw this one out for discussion, especially from anyone who was on these jumps. At the poolside beer meltdown Sunday night, I was hearing some discussion among participants who said the formation was unecessarily complex for the number of people and too difficult to fly. I take NO side on this issue in any way, shape or form and intend no criticism of the organizers or their planning. But since I was hearing some talk along these lines, I'd be interested to know how other participants feel about this. Do they have a point, or is this just whining ? Joe ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I don't read lengthy diatribes, especially when I already know the basic premise isn't true. How could Obama possibly have been a Weatherman, even if he'd wanted to ? The guy is younger than me and I was only in high school - no, JUNIOR high school, when the Weather Underground was raising hell. Sarah Palin is a fucking liar and she knows it. They used to burn women like her at the stake, and maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to revive the custom just for her. Give the bitch a broom with a kick start and a headlight so she can fly home to her fucking igloo (yeah, I hate her THAT much). What a DESPERATE campaign she and McCain are running, so utterly avoid of ANY ideas that they have to engage in character assaination while our economy is crumbling around us by the minute. Excuse me, while I go write a check to the Obama-Biden campaign.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

My instructor congratulated me over a beer after my first freefall, telling me "You're a real skideever now". It was a hop & pop on my sixth jump and my first packjob as well (on a 28 ft. cheapo round). It sure made me FEEL like a real skideever... I suppose I think you're a real skydiver when you can start jumping with your friends as you choose, which nowadays means having your A license at most dropzones. It also means you've at least nominally had to pack one canopy that opened, though a lot of jumpers will never pack a canopy again as far as I can tell.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Depends on whether or not you need that extra $1000 to stay in the sport or not. As far as safety goes, both programs are just fine. But last weekend I was talking to this really nice kid who had to give it up after his third AFF jump, because he simply couldn't afford to go on with the program. He said he absolutely loves skydiving and desperately wants to trained and get his A license, but has to wait until he can save up more money to do it and by then will probably have start all over again. And you know what ?? That really SUCKS. I know skydiving's not cheap. It never has been and it's only getting worse. But it makes me sick that we're driving away motivated kids like this one because they simply can't afford it. And please don't tell me he can "get a job at the DZ". Maybe he can, but all those potential students we're driving away can't ALL get jobs at the DZ, unless we want somebody to kneel on all fours so we can sit or serve lunch on their backsides (as much as that might appeal to some jumpers that I know). I'm getting less and less impressed with AFF with each passing year. AFF is a money mill that works just fine for upscale students who want to depend on their instructors to make the lifesaving decisions. They don't want to pack, or even understand how their gear works. And they learn from their first jump to be absolutely terrified of being in freefall below 5 grand. I won't say AFF doesn't have its advantages, but it's created a list of unintended consequences that nobody seems willing to even recognize, much less deal with. And the biggest consequence is that it's needlessly restricting access to our sport to the very same rich fucks who are killing it at the same time. Static line makes every jumper responsible for their own safety right from the very first jump, because they are on their own. If they won't save themselves, nobody else will. And yes, I have seen static line students perform sucessful cutaways on their first jump - on the old Capewell gear ! Static line and graduated levels of freefall teach new lessons a bit at a time, without the total sensory overload. And finally, even with today's higher pull altitudes for students, a static line student starts off feeling comfy with 3500 ft instead of shitting their drawers an inch below 5 grand. Go for the static line program and be a REAL skydiver from the get-go. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Pulling a successful chunk out the back of a Skyvan. Unbeatable ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Yeah I would. Your rig is not just a spendy piece of sports equipment. It's that too, but more importantly, it's a piece of LIFE SAVING equipment. Because EVERY time you use it, it saves your life. Even when you're having fun and it opens perfectly at some ridiculous 3500+ ft of altitude. You need to give your roomate the briefing. And YOU need to take TOTAL control of your rig. It's YOUR life riding on that baby. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I've believed for years that my number was 159. Dave Schulz told me he got that over the phone straight from Jean Boenish. But my friend John Bull, who jumped the very next day is #172 and the Park Service was only granting a dozen permits a day. So I don't really know what my number is anymore, or if I even have one. But I jumped (legally) on Sunday August 10, 1980. I had gone back down the trail into the woods to try to find Jimmy Davis, who had fallen behind and never made it into camp the night before. Jimmy spent the night in the woods, sleeping in his canopy ( a Comet 300) and was packing it when we found him. We got him to hustle on the double and just got back in time to meet the 8:30 deadline by about 5 minutes. I did get a second permit for September, but that was followed by a polite but firm letter informing me that my permit was rescinded. One of the "abuses" I heard of that weekend was when the late Norton Thomas from Antioch apparently jumped without a permit and gave the Rangers his buddy Steve Haley's name. Not long afterward, Haley jumped and had to prove he was in fact the real Steve haley, and then the rangers wanted to know who the hell this other 13th guy was. Norton & Haley were also well known for their parts in the first CRW 8 stacks at Livermore and there are several pictures of their CRW antics in Andy Keech's "Skies Call 2" Norton later disappeared over the Pcific, flying a cargo plane to Hawaii. Norton was also a full fledged Hells' Angel, mentioned as "Norton Indian" in Sonny Barger's autobiography, for the Indian bike he drove. Barger mentions Norton's last flight in the book. As to whether there was any connection, who knows ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !