tbrown

Shoulda made a poll of your question. Never been to a gay bar and I don't really go out to bars much anyway. But my wife's got an artist friend who used to take her out to the Seattle gay club scene now and then and she always had a great time. We also went to a big dinner auction for the Seattle Men's Chorus one year, as one of my wife's creations was up for auction and we had a blast. To be perfectly honest, the first few male couples I saw kissing caught me a little off guard, but not for long. I mean what the fuck, this was their event and nobody was trying to kiss me (but my wife). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

"We are the world !" Etc.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

If Ted Kennedy had driven a VW, he'd have been elected President ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

If you took the time to do this right and found all the parts, and used a FXC on the main you could jump it more then once. . Excellent point. A FXC can be manually re-set after each use, where you would have to replace (and spend mucho dinero for) replacement cutter units every time you drop the little guy. Should be plenty of FXCs kicking around for cheap and all the badmouthing aside, they're actually quite reliable, certainly for your intended purpose. You ask Sparky about any of this yet ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

A simple brake firing is easily fixed by pulling down on both toggles. But that's not what you had. If one of the toggles had migrated above the slider and wrapped around some lines, the jig was up. You absolutely did the right thing and good for you ! Now you won't have to go through the endless "first cutaway anxiety" that bugs so many of us for hundreds - or even thousands - of jumps waiting for it to happen. You know the system works and you have a sense of confidence that can only be earned through experience. The only thing I'd add is that you also learned how damn fast you were going down. You tossed it out at 4 grand, tried to fix a bad situation for just a little bit and found yourself at 2 grand before chopping. That's a bit low for a hard deck for someone with only 34 jumps. If you'd tossed at a legal 3 grand, you'd have been chopping at a grand - which still works, but is getting truly scary. Have you bought your own helmet yet ? If/when you do, I would urge you to also invest in an audible altimeter. You can get a simple Pro-Dytter for just a bit over $100. Of course you should never depend on an audible, or anything else but yourself. But having a little alarm clock shrieking in your ear (wear earplugs, by the way...) as a reminder is definitely a good thing. But again, congrats and welcome to the club ! Ain't it great to be alive ? Especially because you earned it ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I wonder if JK Rowling will write another series? Supposedly she'll be starting up a series about a boy archaelogist. Whether it takes off the way HP did remains to be seen, but I'd give it a good chance. Some HP titles I missed for not being written: Harry Potter and the Delta of Venus, Harry Potter Gets a Job, and The Pitter Patter of Little Potters..... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

It's also got several pages of the first jumps off El Capitan. The word BASE wouldn't even be invented for a few more years. There's more too, pics of The Herd and a formation load of three Skyvans exiting at a Herd Boogie. There are the big wing jumpsuits of the day and the obscenely huge Kreuger Balloon Suits. There are some record attempt bigways in the mid-sixties range, and a briefing for an attempted record 75 way, with a diagram on the side of a Skyvan (I was standing approximately behind the photographer, not participating, but observing in total reverence). Even the aftermath of the crash of 873 (the blue DC-3) at the 1978 Nationals in Richmond. This book is da' absolute shit, it brings back a flood of memories every time I open it. I got my copy hot off the presses in 1979 & still have it. It's a treasure trove of where skydiving was at in the late seventies, which is when the really huge changes came about. People were switching from gut gear to piggyback, from boots to sneakers, from round to square, from ripcords to hand deploy, capewells to 3 Rings, and the very first square reserves (5 cells). Plenty of Strato Stars and Strato Clouds to look at, as well as Units (great canopy, once it finally opened). There was a lot of experimentation and unfortunately things sometimes misfired with fatal results. But overall it was an immensely exciting time to skydive. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Good point Chuck, ididn't either, to tell you the truth. But I thought with all the "family values" crapola it might be newsworthy that "the boys" are keeping the escort services steadily empoyed. The ones that really crack me up are the ones who "confess" to "great sins", while their poor wives are standing by. I wish one of the poor wives would deliver a good networthy kick in the 'nads to hubby. And in the meantime, I see nothing wrong with the hookers finding gainful employment among a bunch of wealthy clients. As if it would ever stop. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

QuoteGood example here: -------------------------- Alan Cooperman Washington Post Posted June 1 2007, 10:44 AM EDT WASHINGTON _ Florida evangelist Bill Keller says he was making a spiritual -- not political -- statement when he warned the 2.4 million subscribers to his Internet prayer ministry that ``if you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!'' __________________________________________________ Has the IRS investigated this joker's tax exempt status yet ? Why, they haven't ? Even though they revoked the tax exempt status of an Episcopal church in Pasadena for a sermon that imagined God refereeing a debate between Bush and John Kerry the Sunday before the 2004 election ?? I am shocked, shocked I say, and dismayed. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Actually, I do jump out of it Here are some real pics of it from the inside at 17,999 feet while I was at work Dude, thanks for the wet dream. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

You are so forgetful. That was in May 2003. We just spent 4 additional years pissing away lives and money. I seem to remember a young woman soldier asking Rumsfeld how long we'd be there, just before the invasion in '03. The Rummy told her, and I quote, "It could take six days, maybe six weeks. I doubt it would take six months." In hindsight the guy was right. It DIDN'T take six months, but it will be almost six years before we're finally rid of the founder of this fiasco. 554 more days to be exact, Godspeed and God willing. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Because neither does his boss and the Congress hasn't got the guts to impeach the bastard. Next question ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I'm very sorry to have to spoil everyone's day, it being Monday and all. But it seems that some of our elected high officials are at it again, paying for sex in our nation's capital. Of course it only goes without saying that a lot of women (and apparently a few guys as well) would be out of work and on the public dole if the Congress were to clean up its act and honor the sanctity of their marriages they way they think we should. Can't these guys just table their motions a little more resolutely > Maybe there should be a sequesl called "Mr Smith Cums to Washington" ? I mean a little electoral polling should be acceptable as long as the lady's name is kept off the front page, am I right ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Get one of the "Yosemite" vanity plates with the number "LCAP159" I doubt anyone else would come up with that. Then drive into the park with some skydiving bumper stickers. Don't worry about getting mugged. You'll have 24 hour ranger supervision. Harry, you're a real peach. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I got started in the old days when everyone wore motorcycle helmets. Then everyone went to hockey helmets and finally to those stupid leather hats that contain the brain matter after you're already dead. Never did go for one of those, I wore a Protec instead. When I returned to the sport, I picked a Bonehead Mindwarp, just because I was used to always having jumped an open face hard hat. That and the extra expense of a full face didn't interest me. I'm not a competition jumper either. If I jumped on a team I would absolutely go full face, all those close in maneuvers really demand the extra prtection. But even on my weekend "fun" dives, I've already caught a few knees, feet, and elbows in the chops, so I'm still thinking this might be the year to make the big change and go with a full face. Better a full face than a broken one. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I don't think Bush is smart enough to be like Hitler. And honestly, Hitler was such and extremely bad - dare I say evil (duh) person whose legacy is so full of monstrosities that I get tired of hearing people being compared to him. Look, if you haven't wiped out tens of millions of people with acts of agression, PLUS murdered another 6 million people simply for being who they are, then you are not comparable to Hitler. The only comparable people I can think of would be Josef Stalin and Pol Pot. And that guy with the awful haircut in North Korea. Nobody else even comes close to making the grade. Now Dick Cheney could be another possible candidate if he goes on living long enough. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I wouldn't know about that, but the last big round of inflation in the seventies was brought about by the debts and deficits run up in the Vietnam War. The expenditures of the Iraq War, coupled with additional tax cuts (I mean who the hell cuts taxes in time of war ?) are going to kick in pretty soon and I'm not looking forward to it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

When I was in the 1st grade at a Catholic school, we were talking about Christmas carols and poor Joyce Williams had the misfortune to mention "Away In a Manger" (always one of my favorites). Whereupon Sister Mary Anunciata went out of her mind and started shrieking all red faced that we would never ever sing that song because Martin Luther had written it and even now as we spoke he was burning in eternal hellfire. Cool, huh ? Especially when you're just six years old ? Poor Sister Mary A had a nervous breakdown a year or two later. I couldn't tell you why, but even as a little kid I thought she looked young underneath the enormous habit she wore. This is just one more reason I'm sad that Deuce is gone, because he was able to give thoughtful answers about his religion of choice, which was the Catholic Church. Me, I'm a recovered ex-Catholic, nominal Episcopalian for over twenty years now, so I guess Joseph Ratzinger, aka Joey the Rat, aka Pope Benedict (the only Pope to ever man an anti aircraft gun defending the Dachau concentration camp) has a special pit of charcoal waiting just for me, the wife and kids. See you all there, hope someone brings the beer, we're going to need it ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

MooChooser has a good point here. I wouldn't rule out this rig you're looking out, it sounds like a very nice rig. First and foremost, get this rig (and any rig) into a rigger's loft and pay for a full inspection before agreeing to buy it. The harness should at least be a good fit to your body. If the fit is "just okay", i.e. safe but not great, you might do better with an older, less expensive harness. On the other hand, if the fit is good, then go for it. I'm 6'4" and 225 lbs myself and when I got a chance to buy a big guy's used Javelin I snapped it up - it fits me just great and there aren't that many big guy rigs around. A good reserve at a 1:1 WL would be a keeper, if your rigger likes it and it's new, or almost new you could keep it for years. Mains are a bit trickier. A used main is usually better for the price. Also you're still learning basic canopy flight, whether you like a 7 cell or a 9 cell better and so on. You will probably want to downsize after a year or two. If the new main is a 1:1 WL and not too expensive, you might as well go for it, but otherwise you should be able to find a good used ZP canopy for a good price. And please do spend the money on an AAD. Honestly, the debate is over. The things ave their limits and you should never depend on them. But they have saved lives by the thousnads and your life is worth every penny of the price. A good used one with even a few years left on it will do you just fine. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Whatever you get, have it rigger inspected. Some people think I'm against old gear, but that's not true. My own rig is a second hand beauty I picked up at a great price. The problem newbies have is that they don't know what to look for. Definitely read up on Lisa's articles, which are published here at this website. And don't scrimp on paying a rigger for a full inspection of any used gear before you buy. If you only want to belly fly, you can get along with some very nice older "velcro" gear. BUT if you have any ideas about freeflying, you'll need freefly friendly gear, which basically means that the velcro has been replaced with stiffened tabs and slots to hold it together at the higher speeds of vertical freefall. What newbies need to look out for is some unscrupulous tyoes who will try to sell real beater gear at a very low price, because they know they can't sell it to experienced jumpers who know what they're looking at. So whatever you think you want to buy, send it to the rigger first. And if the rigger doesn't like it, walk away. Don't EVER think you have to buy anything. If you can just be patient, you will find a very nice rig that you'll be happy - and safe - with. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I have a set of Mirage risers on my Javelin. they came with my Pilot canopy and had hard covers for the excess 3 Ring cable, which my original Jav risers didn't have. That and the Jav risers were starting to look a little beat, to me anyway. I've had no problems. And again, I did nothing to alter the basic harness, reserve, reserve riser, or RSL configuration, so there's no TSO issues involved. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Kris, you should get in touch with mjosparky and ask him about "Little Don". Little Don is an Air Trash mascot with a peg leg, modeled after AT member Don Vredenburg. Sparky has even built a small round canopy for Don. Don has some 20+ skydives by now. He is carried out the door by a live human jumper and is hand deployed and released in the air. I'm sure Sparky can give you all kinds of advice, especially since for your old Cypres you'll need to have your doll cooking along at least 78mph in order to scare the Cypres into firing. Send sparky a PM and he'll be happy to give you the lowdown, I'm sure. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Darius, I didn't take the time to watch the vid link now, but I'll get to it. But I have done plenty of other reading on the same topic and I am convinced that there is a great deal of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism among Israelis. I also happen to believe that racism is one of our more unfortunate human traits, found among all cultures. Personally, I think racism is an expression of ancient survival mechanisms, from a time in the distant past when different was dangerous, and it was better to kill first and ask questions later. A few years ago up in Seattle I made friends with a guy who had returned to the US after deserting from the Israeli Army. He had been posted to the West Bank and was a "rabbit" on nightime raids on people's homes, that is it was his job to jump the front gate and then admit the other soldiers to the front yard so they could kick the door in and arrest whoever it was they were after. He got so disgusted with the whole business that he deserted and was court martialed. fortunately he was American by birth and so was able to walk away from the whole thing and return a free man to the US. But I will also say that there is intense anti-Semitic racism throughout the Arab world. We have seen how Arab states continue to teach anti-Semitism in their schools and how they continue to permit publication of Arabic language editions of Protocols of the elders of Zion, and Hitler's Mein Kampf. The current Iranian denial of the Holocaust doesn't help things either. The other problem is that any time Israel gives back an inch of territory, two things happen. One is that any synagogues left behind are desecrated, the other is that"somebody: (Hamas ??) starts launching rockets ever deeper into neighboring Israeli territory. Now launching rockets is by any defintition an act of war. And when rockets are launched, without provocation, any act of retaliation necessary to stop those attacks is justifiable. that's what war is about. Wars are a lot easier to start than they are to stop. So if somebody wants to be cute and launch a truckload of Katyushas, they have no business complaining if the neighborhood gets taken out by an air strike. The Israeli government has an obligation to their people to protect them from these kind of attacks. War really sucks and people who want to commit an aggressive act need to consider the consequences it will bring on their own before they act. Of course the same goes for Israel. The other thing you need to understnad is that Israel is a much more western culture, both racially and in its cultural values. Islam is not a popular culture in the West these days and if on a broader scale Muslims choose war with the west, we will give it to them. And we will support Israel because we identify with their values over Islamic values. I'm not even going to say that's right or wrong (though I believe it's right), I'm just going to say that's the way it is. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Is it even lawful to criticize the Dear Leader ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The only 9/11 conspiracy was the bin Laden/al Qaeda conspiracy. Which unfortunately went off without a hitch for the most part, minus the ordinary Americans who gave their lives going in on a Pennsylvania farm rather than taking out the U.S. Capitol. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !