NickDG

Semper Fi, Brother . . . NickD

From CNN . . . >>Doug Dupont of Belvidere, Illinois, about 70 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, said the quake shook him out of bed and caused a 1-foot-long crack in the wall of his kitchen. "It was really scary. It felt like a train was going by our house," Dupont said. "This is not California. This is northern Illinois. We are not supposed to get earthquakes."

>>lutz was a lawyer? So did he file a suite or something?

I guess I'm the resident "explainer" on this one, so here it goes again . . . The JM's were Moley (MS) and Rocky (RS). Funny, but we just heard from Rocky last week. He's not jumping anymore and is now an NRA gun instructor! (This incident had nothing to do with his leaving jumping, and he ran his own DZ for awhile after this incident occurred.) At pull time Lutz (the level one student) reached in and grabbed his cutaway handle instead of his BOC main ripcord handle. (This was when they were still using ripcords). Moley tried very hard to stop Lutz from pulling the cutaway handle but couldn't. He then deployed Lutz's main correctly figuring his main would depart activating his RSL and deploying the reserve. And here's where it all really started going wrong. When Lutz's main left the RSL extended but the snap shackle on the RSL popped open and did not activate the reserve. (We stopped using those snap shackles on student gear after that, but it was normal at the time). Up jumpers still use them on experienced gear so I suppose you could call it a one in a million event. Then two other things occurred. Rocky, on the reserve side had his head buried and wasn't paying enough attention and didn't exactly ride completely through the opening like he should have. The second thing is now Lutz has no AAD back up. At Perris, at the time, they were only using a pin puller type AAD on the mains. Yeah, I know. They were already doing that when I went to work there and I argued 'till I was blue in the face over it. They changed over to Cypres' on the reserves after this event. Moley, god bless him, knew what the situation was and didn't turn and track away. It's up to debate whether Lutz would have ever woke up to the fact he needed to manually pull his reserve handle. As this wasn't exactly a situation that was covered in his FJC except in a when in doubt whip it out sort of way. So Moley tried to get to him. but when they started getting low he began making pulling motions on his on reserve handle in Lutz's sight line and Lutz clicked on to that and finally pulled his own reserve handle. I saw the reserve in the air and also the flash when Lutz hit the power lines just as I was landing, but I had my eyeballs on my own student and knew it wasn't him. That was a day I'll never forget. And it was the kind of day that gives an instructor night sweats . . . And yes, Lutz was a lawyer! NickD

I know you folks in the east are getting hammered with snow. But in So Cal here comes Rainageddon again. Over 500 homes are being evacuated (not us, so far) as there was some criticism the city didn't order them quickly enough last week. Right now we are getting some good east coast style thunder and lightning! Here's some photos of the damage from last week's storm. (Not mine). NickD

Preface: When I read a newspaper these days (actually everyday since Newt Gingrich made hate fashionable in modern American politics) I sometimes despair our future prospects. Politics has always been derisive, bare knuckled, and ugly, but today's media saturation makes it harder to ignore. When I read about T-baggers calling for a 2nd Revolution, I can't help but laugh. We already had the 2nd one. It occurred between the late 1950s and early 1970s and it was called the Cultural Revolution. That generation (my generation) addressed civil rights, marched against a war they didn't believe in, made sure the less fortunate among us weren't kicked to the curb, promoted woman's liberation, and many other social causes. In general we told the "establishment" to stick it you know where. However back then the differences between people weren't so much liberal/conservative, democrat/republican, or pro/con on any particular issue. It was basically the young against the old. I'm not saying that was good or bad, I'm just saying that's how it was. Today's ideologies cross race, age, social standing, intelligence and monetary lines. In a way you'd think that should be better for debate, but somehow it doesn't seem so. We really need to get away from exactly one way or the other. For instance while Obama is my guy I don't agree with everything he's doing. I'm not for the bank/Wall St. bailouts, I'm not for his health care program (in present form.) I'm also in general pro-gun, pro military (not pro-war) and anti abortion (although not to the point of forcing my view on anyone else or blowing some doctors brains out). And I consider myself a liberal democrat. So what T-baggers are proposing today isn't so much a 2nd Revolution as it is a 2nd Civil War. And that's dangerous. It's dangerous because the lines seem to be drawn (and this is a very loose analogy) between the North and the South again. It seems to be between the people who realize a functioning government is fundamentally necessary (with all the good/bad that brings) and those who want to basically see government abolished. I used to think that way in the 1960s, but I grew up. Besides I'm not too worried about a 2nd American Civil War, after all, we kicked your asses the first time. Now I've probably blown the premise of this whole thing by over explaining the above which would prove my belief that most on the right aren't engaged enough to follow anything but sound bites (or is that bytes?) So here's the deal. Say something good about someone on the other side of your political leanings. Effective debate (something we are taught America is built upon) just isn't possible without some mutual respect for each other. Without respect debate becomes a bar brawl. And I have a feeling most of us, on both sides, are more sick of that than anything else. If I'm wrong about that, and I'm old enough to realize I've been wrong about a lot of things, this will prove we haven't (as a society) reached that point of enlightenment. And also reinforce my fear we are in a lot trouble. I originally thought of keeping this limited to the living, but after a good deal of thought I'm making it any 20th Century figure. Now, of course, you don't have to agree with the person you name, it just has to be someone you can respect (or at least stomach) for whatever reason. This will take a few ground rules though. Please don't post, "No one, I hate you all!" Your silence will make your point more effectively. Just a name, a paragraph or two, a citation maybe, or a Youtube vid showing why you picked a particular person. You can put your digs in, but please keep it in the context of the premise. And don't post just to disagree with the last post. Pick a horse or stay out of the race . . . Okay, here goes my pick . . . William Buckley, Jr. I'm tempted to call him the Rush Limbaugh of my generation but that would be too unfair to the former and way too generous to the latter. I disagreed with him on just about everything but I could listen to him. He was eloquent to the point of making me say, "Wow!" He was a brilliant writer (I've read most of his books) and in any debate a more than worthy opponent. Your side should produce more like him and I think it's kind of telling that you seem not able to do so . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_F._Buckley,_Jr. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcB3t49Cd84 NickD

>>If a student can't trust their instructors with their lives, he/she needs a new instructor, not advice from dz.com

There's also the . . . United States Permafrost Association United States Psychotronics Association University Surplus Property Association United States Pilots Association United States Public Adjusters ® (USPA) United States Pilates Association - U.S.P.A.™ NickD

I was right behind that guy with another level one student in the Perris Otter. His name was Lutz. And no I didn't teach the FJC that day . . . And while he did receive a slight flash burn I wouldn't call it "electrocuted." And he didn't fall either. He was hung up in the wires until the fire guys got him down. NickD

I don't know Bill, something about you in a Micky Hat . . . NickD

You could have come up with a softer analogy like, “but most of you can't name your local U.S. government representative.” To your overall point - historically in war it’s always a small percentage of guys who get the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Whether shanghaied, conscripted, or volunteers soldiers in every war sit in holes, walk the deck of ships, or ride in humvees, wondering, “Why me?” They face the music while Jody-Tuna-Salad is back on the block partying and getting into the pants of the girlfriends they left behind. And when they get killed it’s not about you or anyone else knowing their names. Almost every generation has some Americans who pay the big price. And it wasn’t to become a “hometown hero” with their picture on some light pole. It’s simply because they are patriots and timing and events made it so . . . And if your idea had any merit outside of lame shit stirring instead of learning their ABCs our school children would recite the names of every American killed in all the wars we've fought since the Revolution. All 1,190,109 of them . . . And the first one killed was just as important as the last one killed . . . NickD

>>PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Do NOT do this!!!!!!!!!!!! Do not come on this web site and ask for advice about your AFF jumps.

I was 28 years old when the first shuttle went. Thanks for the perspective, asshole . . . NickD

Set my alarm for 1:15 AM (So Cal time) awoke and hit the snooze button out of habit. When it dawned on me why I set the alarm I missed the launch by 5 minutes . . . NickD

I think you can be an aggressive competitor and still display some class. Both Peyton and Eli just remind me of Ryan Leaf with better arms. Nothing more than spoiled babies. Julia went to school at Purdue with Drew Brees and the book on him is she found him modest, likable, and a team player. And it looks like he still is. And that's rare in the NFL . . . NickD

HA HA! Just goes to show good guys (Drew Brees) and not money grubbing glory hounds (Manning) do sometimes finish first! NickD

Most of us can probably agree conservatives aren't generally considered creative thinkers, and why the most interesting authors, artists, scholars, scientists, and men of peace, are usually liberals. But here's the exception that proves the rule and a good take on the republican pain of losing the last presidential election. The person who did it is a conservative using it as his sig line on another forum I follow. And he meant it as a knock on us liberals. But the unintended beauty is it works both ways. And I'll just suppose he wasn't creative enough to see that, LOL . . . In any case, it's well done, and both camps will enjoy it! http://i45.tinypic.com/53wn6c.gif NickD

Another illustration of how things can dramatically change in a single lifetime. I recall when the heads of Japanese firms with blood on their hands, would apologize and then to prove sincerity, pull out a big sword and run it through their own guts. I always respected them for that. And by that standard Toyota's Chairman saying, "We, the ones supposed to relay to people the attractiveness of automobiles, have, instead, imparted on them worry. I regret this more than anything." Doesn't really cut it, so to speak . . . NickD

Just proves our own Pharmaceutical companies have been trying to solve an issue from the wrong angle . . . NickD

And in the midst of the destruction came a smile . . . My mailman, covered to his knees in caked mud, just trudged up my driveway and handed me a letter. It was a Valentine's/Glitter Bomb that gave Julia and I the only smile we'll probably get today. Incredible timing! You ROCK LisaH !!! NickD

I'm in the La Crescenta\La Canada area west of Pasadena. The local paper used some photographs I went out and took earlier this morning. But that was only the beginning and things are much worse now . . . http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/02/06/2010/update-wet-weather-pounds-area/ NickD

Part Two . . . We are getting hammered and our fears of three weeks ago are coming true. The hillsides are sliding all around us in the foothills. So far several homes have been destroyed, there are cars piled up all over. NickD

No road lanes, no traffic lights, just horses, early automobiles, and pedestrians in a really cool free for all. Note: Some comments say fake, but don't they always? I do think it was staged, but that doesn't mean it's fake. And I know it's real because at 5:05 you'll see a very young Airtwardo plying his first trade as a Newsie while playing chicken with the street car! And just think. Only months later the great earthquake and fires of 1906 wiped most of this away . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINOxRxze9k&feature=player_embedded# NickD

Yeah, that's what it was, a 500, not a 900. It's to this day the fastest motorcycle I've ever ridden. NickD

I sort of like the second one. But, call me old fashioned, I wouldn't walk around in a shirt that says "Pussies." "Punks" would be okay though . . . NickD