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And shady characters will entice you into dark alley to offer you DVDs like "Hang 'Em High", or "Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge", because you won't be able to rent them at video stores anymore. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

It is hard to try to justify the death of woman and children and the targeting of civilians. We knew we would kill lots of civilians but we did it anyway. We judge others who target civilians or are careless about killing civilians very harshly. It was a horrible time and hard decisions had to be made. When I look at our enemies in that war I am sure they would have used the bombs on us if they had them. WWII the good guys won. We did what we had to do. There were a number of options considered for using the bomb. One idea was a "demo" on some sparsely populated island. Another was to give a warning some days before the attack that a certain city would be targeted with a "new and very destructive weapon" and should be avacuated. Both of those ideas were turned down, as it was thought the Japanese would concentrate POWs in any selected area if a warning were given. As it happened, there were a few hundred American POWs in Hiroshima anyway, who suffered the same as their Japanese captors and civilians around them. It was decided that the only way to bring the reality of what the enemy faced unless they surrendered immediately home to them by destroying whole populated cities. Going back some 81 years earlier to the American Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman explained his March Across Georgia campaign, which targeted the civilian population of the Confederacy by saying, "As these people have chosen war, I intend to give it them in full measure". This should serve as a sobering reminder to ANY national leader who would lead his country into war that the blade cuts both ways and that he may bring great suffering on his own people as a result. Hiroshima in particular was deliberately spared from ANY air raids at all, in order to make a fuller demonstration of what just one bomb would do. It should also be remembered that Japan didn't surrender after Hiroshima. We had to drop a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki to make the Emporer and High Command wonder just how many of these bombs we had. truthful answer is at the moment we had no more that were ready to go. Back stateside, a "Little Boy" uranium bomb was being dismantled, so that the uranium could be converted into Plutonium sufficient for five "Fat Man" bombs, which were much more powerful. In recently released documents it has been shown that even after the loss of two cities, Emporer Hirohito's primary concern was whether or not he would be able to remain on the throne after a surrender. With two cities and their populations annihilated, it still took him the better part of a week to decide that maybe enough was enough. Nice fuckin' guy, really cared about his people. And we even let the fucker come & visit Disneyland... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

But what about Halloween ? We used to go to these great 4th of July parties hosted by two brothers who were Brits. They'd always fly the Union Jack and have a noose dangling from a tree limb, but it was always one hell of a party. As long as the noose doesn't go around anybody's neck, I think they're fun. As a 7 year old kid, I labored long and hard figuring out how to tie one, and when I finally figured it out I was so proud of myself. Fuckin'a assholes just want to make everything illegal, we can't do shit anymore without permisiions from ze authorities. Sieg fuckin' heil. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

>>>>>>Amazing and humbling document! Not so much. It is overstated and lacks much. For its time it was amazing, by today's standard it is poop. For example: 1) It was written by people who, after spending a dy guaranteeing freedom and liberty, went home to their slaves, often screwing them (rape). 2) Only the rich/land owners voted 3) At the writng, we were ~85 years away from abolishing slavery, which really wasn't abolished until the early 1900's, then racial oppression took over for another 60 years. Antimiscegenation (laws prohibiting white females to marry other than white males) werewitten post-Civil War. 4) Women were ~150 years from being able to vote. And in general, the constitution is a tool selectively used to enforce laws or enforce protections at the whim of who's in power. Also, the word, "privacy" is no where to be found in the Articles, Preamble, Amendments or anywhere in teh US Const. The document is like Paris Hilton; talked about too much for no good reason. Your list of America's faults are all true enough, in and of themselves. But your conclusion that the document is comparable to Paris Hilton is wrong. The Constitution did not and does not guarantee us a perfect world. It does not solve our problems overnight, or change the human nature of those in power (who are usually wicked, venal, and power hungry). What the Constitution DOES give us is a means and a vehicle to go on fighting for the better things and to reign in the excesses of an overreaching government by either party - or any party. The Constitution has gradually brought about the legal end of slavery (though not for almost a century) and the vote for women (which took even longer). It has brought about desegregation of public schools and accomodations in a country where race relations are a serious human problem. It HAS brought about serious reforms of defendants' rights in criminal cases. In other areas, it has not reigned in the ability of Presidents to make war on their own, and unfortunately it once forbade the sale of alcohol for several tragic years. The Constitution is a very real document that gives Americans a right to be heard in forums like the courts and the Congress. It's up to us to elect some decent people to office and to keep bringing test cases before the courts. Even though some good court cases will be lost and a lot of bums get elected (just look at who's in the white House - and the Congress - nowadays), we have the means to keep up the fight. It gives us a framework that most people in the world don't have. It's up to us to use it, often and vigorously in the face of our daily lives. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

That said.. I believe that future generations will judge our forfathers harshly for not using it on a non populated area instead of on our fellow human beings. That option was considered and rejected. It was the suffering the two bombs caused that brought about the swift end of the war. I'm not saying it was a good thing, war is not a good thing. But all estimates were that this war would drag on another seven years, until 1952. I won't go on all night about the atrocious behavior of the Japanese in WWII. But the U.S. didn't just decide to drop the bomb on Japan one fine day for no apparent reason. I may owe my existence to the bomb. On V-J Day my dad was on his way to his pre-induction physical and he would soon be drafted. But in closing, I'd like to add a different perspective. For all the death and suffering the two bombs caused the Japanese, has anyone ever considered how many Japanese lives were saved in the long run, by sparing them another seven years of horrific house to house fighting in their own country ? We didn't just end the war to save our asses, we saved theirs as well. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

GRATEFUL FUCKIN' DEAD !! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Yeah, that was the same band of wackos who were also making square throw-out pilot chutes. I still have mine (but never jumped it.) HW Jimmy Tavino used one of those to deploy his Papillon - probly the onliest skideever in history to deploy a round canopy wid' a square pilot chute ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

So do you think people can tell I'm a Republican now, just by looking at me? Like from across the street? Well, actually the horns on your head are a dead giveaway from a good hundred yards. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Why anyone would want to stir up this hornets nest is beyond me. A NATO ally with a growing Islamist government who is fed up with the Kurds in Northern Iraq. If Turkey spills into Iraq, Iran will do the same, and the super-success story of Northern Iraq will be gone in the blink of an eye. That about says it all. I once met an Armenian-American man who talked about the massacre at great length, and I have no doubt that it occurred. Or that the Turks were guilty as hell. But that generation is long gone and I see no value at all in dredging this up, other than placating some voters in a few Congressional districts. But then you can't argue with people who "know they're right", they just enjoy rubbing your face in their moral supremacy. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

3/4 Irish after 5 generations in America. My mom's English/Scottish. Altogether a convenient excuse to drink a lot. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I remember the ropes & rings well, back when I started in '74 that's all there was. I wasn't jumping squares in those days, my first square jump wasn't until '78 and by then sliders were the standard. But I remember the older Para-Plane Clouds used to open from one side to the other and not from the center out. And they still opened brutally hard, or so I was told. When the Strato Stars started coming around, people were raving about how SOFT the openings were, because the ropes and rings were a new system that had been moved to the bottom side of the canopy. I also remember that a lot of people would go through a learning curve with their Strato Stars, until they got the packing down it wasn't unusual for them to have a bunch of cutaways. But the openings were soft, softer than sliders, or so I was told. For a fact the serious style and accuracy jumpers stuck with their ropes and rings until almost the eighties, as they gave a marshmallow soft opening, especially after turning a hot style series. But then one day in 1975 I went out to the dropzone at Seneca Falls and saw the strangest site. Jim Parker was coming in on final under his black 7 cell Para Foil and there was this strange piece of fabric flapping at the top of his risers. "WHAT is THAT ?" I asked. "Oh, that's a SLIDER", was the reverential reply. "Parker picked one up at the Nationals. It does the same thing as ropes & rings, only it's so much easier". After that people started buying sliders and slider equipped Strato Stars like hotcakes. And the few jumpers with older Strato Stars and Clouds all whipped out their jack knives and started cutting off all those rings. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

My first encounter with The Herd was at the 1977 Z-Hills Easter Boogie. I remember them offering free T-shirts to any lady who would trade on the spot. Then one night, as we were lighting some fireworks, a bunch of them wandered through our campsight. An especially big guy took a lit firecracker out of my hand and attempted to smoke it. When it went off, he looked me in the eye and said, "Good shit, man !", and stumbled on his way. Also heard they got kicked out of a downtown bar, something about a tequila, salt & lime ritual with a topless woman. They retaliated by cutting the power main to the establishment. They were simply an inspiration. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

April Fool ! (In October - so double April Fool !) Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Nope. I have a family & you can't buy one of those. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The toggle was "stowed" securely in place but it wasn't placed through the loop in the brake line. With a brake fire during opening the toggle would have to become unsecured from the riser. Hope you didn't tear out the elastic keeper like I did when I made that mistake. It's a cheap repair, but takes time to get it done. Ever since I incorrectly stowed a brake, I've taken the time to give each brakeline a little tug after I've set it. It's not strength testing or anything, just enough of a tug to let you actually SEE that the brake is correctly set. And it only takes a moment. Anyway, good job on the cutaway, especially under a new and unfamiliar canopy with higher performing characteristics. You honored your hard deck and had too much on your plate with everything that was going on. Far too many skydivers have died trying to invent a fix for a canopy that wouldn't behave. The quickest, simplest, and most reliable fix is the two handles on your harness. You lived AND learned something you won't forget. Good job ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

As for the original question - these recent rentals are the only ones I've made. I used student gear (rental included in the price of all the jumps) before I got my A and had my rig pieced together before I was licensed. Most places aren't nearly as cheap as the $10 rentals and doing the math makes you realize pretty quickly that even if you have to finance the gear at a reasonable rate, you're STILL better off buying. When I came back four years ago I rented for most of the first year, while looking around. Found a beautiful used rig, complete for $3 grand and put it on my US Plastic. I'm 6'4" and 225 lbs, so a big guy rig for somebody like me was hard to come by - and when it did, I snapped it up in a hurry. If you charge your plastic, you can always throw a lot of cash at it and get it paid off quickly (yeah right...or else you can run it up some more on jump tickets...). But it's important to have your own rig. Having your own rig takes the guesswork out of what you'll be jumping from one day to the next. You'll know what you've got, it will fit you (it should anyway, before you pay for it). You'll know who packed your reserve and when it's due for a repack. And you'll get to know your main canopy. Being able to consistently jump the same canopy will help you develop your skills so much more easily. And another thing - save money and develop a RELATIONSHIP with your rig by doing your own packing ! Nothing will keep you closer or more in tune with your gear than packing it yourself every time. It's a huge confidence builder as well. And find a rigger who you develop a relationship with. Not just any loft that will repack your reserve on schedule, but a rigger who will tell you what they found and where your rig needs work. Never forget that your rig saves your life every single time you use it. Owning a rig puts the responsibility and the control squarely in your lap - where it belongs. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I wouldn't count Hillary out yet. I'll probably vot5e for Edwards in the primaries, but if Hillary's the candidate I'll vote for her later. Not voting for ANY Republican, I'll tell you that right now, not if they ran Jesus himself. I think the war in Iraq will drive the Republicans out of office. And if the Dems handle it skillfully, the overall stagnation in wages and erosion of the middle class could be another big issue that people are tired of living with (tried buying a house in California lately ? - we can't). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

A few years ago I returned to the sport after a 22 year break and I experienced dry mouth newbie fear all over again. The fact that I'd made over 500 jumps many years before was no help at all. And just like in the old days, I got used to it again. It never completely goes away and there are some days or some rides in the plane where it will just bug you more than usual. Just whatever you do, don't fart in the plane. That's what really scares people the most. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Great idea, but shouldn't that be 5318008 ? Just geekin' you babe... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Black Robe, Unbearable Lightness of Being, Red Dawn, Aliens. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

and no I am not talking about dressing like a Sailor while your SO dresses like a whore. You say that like it's a bad thing.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

That's a great costume. Reminds me of a "movie" I once saw where a guy was dressed like a giant pencil...... I've got this idea for something like a 3 ft dick made out of cushion foam and set into a wheelbarrow. The person sporting this costume would then wheel the thing around. I suppose some velcro extensions could attach to the person's (doesn't HAVE TO be a guy) hips. Would make a lovely ice breaker for introducing yourself around a place like The Bombshelter... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Further, if you wanted to remotely trigger something, why would you stop at being concerned over toys? Why not anything that can transmit or receive a signal; cell phones, laptops, pagers? Aren't cell phones the preferred trigger for IEDs ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

You would be thinking of the UT-15. You would be wrong. HW I was close though, it was an east bloc Commie canopy..... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Liberal schmiberal ! You think Bush is a conservative ?? He's a classic state authoritarian, an undisciplined deficit spender, and an idle privilidged son of the leisure class. Plus he's incompetent. I take great comfort in knowing that WHOEVER our next President will be, even if it's someone I genuinely dislike, we will have a better president than this frat boy idiot we have now. 483 days to go. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !