tbrown

My daughter plays both the clarinet and the bassoon in her college band and orchestra. I even tried the bassoon briefly myself when I was in jr high and only wish I'd stuck with it, especially when I hear how well my kid plays it. By the way, you left out the oboe, another beautiful double reed. But for jazz and rockin', nothing beats the saxophone. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

This guy Atkinson is unfortunately not only the leader of the Church of England, but the entire worldwide Anglican Communion. Which includes the Episcopal Church here in the US. As if it's not already an embarassment enough to admit to being Episcopalian, this asshole has to go and say we should accept a third world code of law that treats women like cattle ? Our whole denomination is doomed. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Geez, Dave. There I was trying to lead him to realizing for himself that maybe the real issue wasn't gear related and you go and put it out there... Protecting your handles is a very old and very basic is a very old and very basic safety issue. Unless somebody comes up with a revolutionary new system that does away with handles altogether, there will always be that risk, no matter what kind of handles you're using. Handles are an issue anywhere near or outside the open door and all the way down, even on the ground where you may need to use or prevent their use after you've landed. It has ever been thus. Changing your handles won't help as much as constant vigilance. Lets go back a second.... We are talking about the cutaway handle, not the ripcord. No, we're talking about handles, any and all of 'em. Pull any one of them loose and you've got troubles. They do different things, true. But handles is handles. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Anybody who wants sex with you who you don't wanna have sex with. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I think pro sports is basically an organized crime syndicate and almost never watch football. But as my family all lives in Massachusetts or Vermont and are all barking mad Patriots fans, I'll make an exception and go for the Pats. I also root for Navy every year for the Army-Navy game. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Perris has regular load organizers for both RW and Freefly. A lot of the locals jump with the organizers as a fairly steady group and we get a lot of visitors from all over the US and the world sent our way to jump with us. So whether you're local or just passing through, you'll always get on a load at Perris. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Geez, Dave. There I was trying to lead him to realizing for himself that maybe the real issue wasn't gear related and you go and put it out there... Protecting your handles is a very old and very basic is a very old and very basic safety issue. Unless somebody comes up with a revolutionary new system that does away with handles altogether, there will always be that risk, no matter what kind of handles you're using. Handles are an issue anywhere near or outside the open door and all the way down, even on the ground where you may need to use or prevent their use after you've landed. It has ever been thus. Changing your handles won't help as much as constant vigilance. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Good point. Lincoln himself was extremely unpopular, even hated, during his tenure. Small wonder with over 600,000 dead in our nation's bloodiest war. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

William Henry Harrison? Harrison barely lived for thirty days as President before dying of pneumonia. Hardly a fair way to evaluate anything he might have done, other than being the first President to kick the bucket. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Ganja does not smell bad. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

What, does Rambo have a wheelchair with a Vulcan gun mounted on it ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Clinton believed that his wife would lose because of racism. In a subtle way, he reminded the people of S. Carolina of the ethnicity of Obama. I think old Bubba Bill is going to finish off Hillary's campaign. I liked him when he was Presifent, and I missed him when the Chimpanzee took over the office. But I really do NOT want to see another 8 years, or even 4 years of a Clinton co-presidency. Nobody can seriously believe he's just going to sit around playing poker with the Secret Service. Then, he accused Obama of stirring up racial tensions. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

"Parachute woman, land on me tonight...". I named Gimme Shelter earlier but really...everything on Beggar's Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile is awesomely good. They put out some absolutely amazing albums in the space of 4-5 years...going back to their first albums up to Aftermath. Ain't that the truth. 1968 -'72 was the peak of British rock, as well as American. The Stones have been more hit or miss since those years, though I am partial to the Some Girls album - can you believe it will be thirty years old this summer ?!? I highly recommend their "Rock n Roll Circus" DVD, which was filmed in a circus tent in December 1968. It features a GLORIOUS lineup of the best of British rock, with performances by Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithful, Taj Mahal (the only American in the show), The Who, and an incredible pickup band of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell (Keith on bass, if you were wondering...). Also, unfortunately, a bit of Yoko shrieking like she's having a wide awake appendectomy - but it's worth watching Keith rolling his eyes at Clapton. The actual Stones songs are all Beggars and Let It Bleed era tunes. By the way, I've never seen the Stones live, but when I see them on the telly they disappoint me a lot. A whole lot of Mick running around and shouting, it doesn't sound anything like the great studio recordings. I'm generally a live music fan, but the Stones are the exception. Also, WTF is up with their not conferring "Stoneship" on their bass player ? It's only been 19 years since Bill Wyman retired. They've changed lead guitars twice and never had a problem with naming Mick Taylor or Woody as full bloodied Stones. Could it possibly be because they (especially Keith) don't like blacks ? Just wondering.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

My wife loves them, which is sort of funny, because the one time I shaved my head she cried. BTW, I also think some women look very sexy with shaved heads. For about a day after shaving, the head has a remarkably sensuous tactile feel that vanishes with one day's stubble coming back. I think a man and a woman who try making love with freshly shaved heads might find themselves in for a real treat. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Please don't jump it. I'd be genuinely surprised if you can find a rigger who would be willing to pack it for you. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

For the record, you can do the same thing with a Protec Absolutely ! I used to jump a Protec in the old days (1980) and was very happy. But I bought a Mindwarp five years ago and have no complaints. I have one audible on the left side and I wear earplugs. The only real issue I have at all with Protecs (which are a FINE helmet) is the open holes at the ears. I'm a little older and already have some hearing loss, so even with the quieter Mindwarp I still wear foam plugs. I can hear my audible just fine too, without its shrill tone drilling a hole through my head. I'm not sure how people set up their audibles with a Protec, but the pictures I see would suggest their ears are not protected and they get the full effect of engine and freefall wind shriek. Hearing loss over time is a very real hazard in our sport. Old farts know it, but I'm not sure the kids believe it. Of course we laughed all that off rocking out in our younger days.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I've said in different topics already, but this is NOT a case of RTFM, the problem stated: "If cypres does not say "0" you can't say if the unit is off, or maybe someone turned it on with an error in which case in can misfire at will" Well if this isn't a case of RTFM, then what is it, a case of WTFF ?? Consider the facts. First of all, this incident occurred with a single unit and is not a widespread problem, or at least has not been reported as one. The part I find truly APPALLING is that this unit was said to have had SEVERAL startup problems the day before, before appearing to give it up altogether before the jump where the misfire occurred. Continuing to use any unit that's exhibiting an inexplicable startup problem is morally indefensible. It puts the life of the user, as well as anyone who might be over the user's back, in mortal danger. The Manual sez that if there's a reading that can't be explained, don't use the thing until it's been examined by Airtech or SSK. I know that's a pain in the ass, but the Manual warns us that something like this could happen. And now they've had to give common sense the weight of a mandatory service bulletin. Sorry, but 3 years ago we had a RTFM fatality at Perris involving a woman who had apparently been turning on her Cypres at her sea level home before driving to the 1400 ft dropzone. The unit never fired, as it never read a 750 ft altitude before impact. RTFM. Of course the fact that she never pulled until about 100 ft didn't help things any either. Jumping an AAD - any brand of AAD - that acts up on being turned on is like jumping a rig with frayed risers. It's inexcusable. It's a matter of people taking responsibility for their own lives, as well as the lives of everyone else who boards the plane with them. And that includes RTFM. Read it, learn it, believe it, love it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Well, I DO need to replace the batteries in my Cypres. That and the repack should leave about enough for a dinner date and maybe a movie (she has a free pass worth $10) with the little lady. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Hell if I know...... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Interesting question. Unfortunately, as I am not a fucktard, I do not feel qualified to answer your question. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Ha-ha....I LOVE it when stuff like this happens. It restores my faith in human nature. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The numbers that are emerging on the day after are most interesting. As expected, Obama got solid support from black voters. But the real surprise is the support he got from white voters. In the final days before the primary, the predictions were that he might get as little as 10% of the white vote. Instead, he won 25% of the total white vote AND over 50% of the young white vote. And he crushed Hillary, 55% to her 27%, more than double her votes. The Orange County Register (certainly no great fans of Obama) noted this morning that Obama has more foreign policy experience than Bill Clinton did in the 1992 primaries. I think Obama's campaign as reached a point of liftoff that deserves taking a good hard look at him. Like him or not, he just might win this thing. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

More crap from the Clinton haters. But perhaps another reason why we don't need another Bill & Hills co-presidency. Can you say O-ba-ma ????? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Somebody should shoot the cocksucker (Delgado). He not only killed, he expects to be compensated for it. Fuck him - in the ass. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Yeah, yeah, and good fuckin' riddance. Not that I would have voted for him anyway, but from what I was hearing ut the man's own mouth, he was just a lazy candidate. We;'ve already had eight years of a lazy president, we don't need another one. Only 362 days of Bush to go folks. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !