Byron03

No verse can give pleasure for long, nor last, that is written by drinkers of water. -Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) Give me a woman who truly loves beer, and I will conquer the world. -Kaiser Wilhelm II It is better to think of church in the ale-house than to think of the ale-house in church. -Martin Luther God made yeast, as well as dough, and loves fermentation just as dearly as he loves vegetation. -Ralph Waldo Emerson The Puritanical nonsense of excluding children and -- therefore -- to some extent women from pubs has turned these places into mere boozing shops instead of the family gathering places that they ought to be. -George Orwell Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer. -Henry Lawson If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it makes beer -hoot out your nose. -Jack Handy Deep Thought Cheers,

Damn you too? 24 years ago today (well...yesterday now) I was born.

What ACMESkydiver said got me thinking, and what GravityGirl wrote kind of crystallized it for me. A lot of talk about this incident (and previous ones) talk about who should step up and try to prevent these things from happening. Some are of the opinion that the USPA needs to step up and create new BSRs. Some others say that the DZO or S&TA need to be more vigilant. My questions is: What can we do about this? Not 'we' as in experienced skydivers (I certainty don't qualify as one of those) but 'we' as in every single skydiver in this sport. From those who have just finished their AFF or SL progression, all the way up to those with 10s of 1000s of jumps. This is inherently a social sport. People get started in skydiving for the thrill but they fall in love with it and continue skydiving because of the people (at least that is what happened with me). If people are not worried about death or seriously injury as consequences of their decisions, can 'we' make them worried about some other consequences? I'm not sure...I don't have any answers or brilliant ideas. I just want to see if we can have a discussion on this, and see if there is anything that 'we' can do. Edit: Good post ChasingBlueSky. That is where I was trying to go with my comments.

Not to highjack Deuce's thread, but... I'm planning a trip to London next weekend for some RW (not the whole family, just 2 cousins). And if anybody would be interested in a night out for a good meal (read Guinness), and maybe even something to eat too, PM me and we can exchange phone numbers. I will be staying in Harrow, but most likely will be hitting up pubs and restaurants in the city.

Some of the best in the world:23:?? Pink Skyvan boogie in Damme, Germany. Some of the best in the world: If you are ever in northern Germany, go check out Damme. The people there rock! Nuf said. 23 jumps from the Pink Skyvan. 2 Thursday, 6 Friday, 8 Saturday, 7 Sunday. 1st/Beer: I have no idea how many 1st's this weekend but here are a few that come to mind. 1st Skyvan jump. 1st boogie. 1st jump on my ProTrack. 1st head down exit. 1st stable sit fly. 1st 2, 3, 4, 6 way free fly jumps. 1st jump with a full face helmet. 1st 7 way. 1st camera jump. My highest jump yet, 16000ft. Most jumps I have done in a single day, and the most in a weekend. I now have more jumps in Germany then in the USA. And I won a helicopter jump that might happen later this week, and that will be a 1st to. Many thanks to Heino, Grit, and all of the other people at FS-Damme. Now I'm just poor, sore, and extreamly happy.

I've traveled with my rig as a carry on both leaving and arriving at the airport in Atlanta (I think its called Heartsfield-Jackson-to-many-names-to-remember Airport). I've never had any problems, with Northwest or Delta from Atlanta. Watch out if you want to stretch your legs after a long flight, and decide to walk from the terminal to the luggage pick up area. It is a looooooong walk, but there are some cool sculptures to look at, at the end.

Umm...after reading this I have a question: Am I the only one left in America that is still using a razor with 2 blades? I am still using the handle from the razor that Gillette (or whoever it was) sent me in the mail around my 18th birthday. I just buy the replacement blades every once and a while. Does this make me completely behind in hair removal technology? Do I need to leave work right now to run out and buy a newer/better/vibrating razor?

0:7:1 7 awesome jumps in Damme. 1 belated case for my A license. (which I found out yesterday, is waiting for me back in the USA)

I just want to say that this is a really F-ed up thread to read 1st thing in the morning at work. and No.

My name is Brian Sheehan. I'm an Electrical Engineer specializing in automotive assembly controls.

This is the canopy that I currently have (my 1st). I load it at 1:1. Mine is in a little better condition then you describe the one you are looking at (no patches and a few less jumps). But my plan is the same as yours, 150 or so jumps and then move on to a newer canopy. I've had no problems whatsoever, so far. Just remember, after that 1st jump on it....!

Damn Mike, I wish I was going to be back in time. I'm still stuck here in the land of 22Euro jumps, and only getting 10k. But I am jumping every chance I get, and I did finally get my license. Say 'Hi' to everyone at NSC for me.

I always thought that was one of the best opening lines that I have ever read.

0:6:3 0: yah, yah, yah we all know about that 6: 2 each Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 3: 1st jump at Fallschirmsport Damme 1st jump out of a Porter 1st A licensed jump (who would have thought I'd get my license in Germany!?)

I didn't think I was that bad, but it is in a test on the internet, it can't be wrong. Eigth Level of Hell - the Malebolge I loved this question: "Could you picture yourself assassinating someone or ordering an assassination on someone if it meant that you would become very rich and powerful" All I could think of was scenes from The Godfather. --

2:4:0 2 more weeks tacked on to my business trip. Keeping me in Germany until July 1st. 4 jumps...2 on Friday, 2 on Sunday

At least once or twice a day, when I am walking down a hall at work or I am driving in my car, I'll realize that I am grinning like an idiot. I am just thinking about skydiving and smiling. Just remembering the last jump or thinking about the next one. Maybe this is because I am still very new to it. Maybe it will wear out in time and I'll take it for granted more. But right now...damn. It makes me smile and laugh all the time.

I just paid 65euro for 54 liters on Sunday. That comes out to somewhere between $5 - 5.50/gal depending on the exchange rate. I don't really mind, I'm on a business trip so I'll be reimbursed for it. The weirder thing was when I was at the pump, and the digits are flying by, I automatically put my hand on the trigger when it gets to 13 or so. I have a 15 gallon tank on my car at home and I am so used to the pump stopping there. When the numbers went past 30 I actually looked around to make sure that I wasn't spilling gas on the ground or leaking from someplace.

6:4:6 6 -- Weeks left to go on my German business trip 4 -- Jumps on Saturday 6 -- 1st jump in Germany 1st jump out of a C206. 1st freefall out of a C182. 1st jump out of a "Grand" Caravan. 1st jump with my new Z1 EVO. 1st jump through clouds. (Apparently they don't have the same rules about clouds here.) 100% overcast day. Solid clouds at 4000ft. Me: "So how do we spot?" Jurn: "GPS. When Steffen tells you to go, you go." Brian

I will be going to Bremen for business for 6 weeks or so at the end of this month and I am looking for fun DZs to visit. I have websites and phone numbers for the DZ in Ganderkesse and the one near Bremerhaven. Can anyone give me any recommendation about these places or any others. Driving a while is not a problem (there letting me use a company car) but I don't speak too much German so a few English speaking jumpers would be cool. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and repaid with beer! Thanks. Brian S.