jfields

I'm reassured. I wouldn't want your reputation to get associated with those... evil beverages of low quality.

Do it once, do it right, and be done. I'm with you on that one. I just had the bonus wisdom tooth.

Umm.... Erno.... I don't see any beer in that picture.

I had 5 wisdom teeth taken out at the same time. It was enough that they just put me under for the procedure. Decent drugs afterwards though. The dentist doesn't really bother me. My father is a dentist, so I spent more time hanging around a dental office than you can imagine. Fun toys like X-ray machines, mercury, plaster, etc.

Did you have to do that? Did you REALLY have to do that? Now I have the CHiPs theme running through my head, along with the visual of Ponch & Jon chasing the bad guys. I don't want that in my head!

Mark, They are your laws too. If you intend to separate yourself from the criminals you claim you need a gun to defend yourself against, you'll obey them. If you don't like the laws, then either move or work to change them. Violence is part of human nature. Does that mean it is sensible to allow those predisposed to be violent to have the greatest possible impact when they choose to hurt others? The aims of gun control are not contrary to human nature. Neither are the wishes of many gun owners. If we are to find a middleground that suits the human nature of the average individual, both sides need to swallow their egos and come to the table ready to compromise. Haven't we collectively been over this about a hundred times?

Dave, You ought to know better than that. I can write a piece just as easily for the opposing viewpoint. If you are going to toss out unsubstantiated opinion pieces with the intent that the be accepted as fact, be prepared to accept whatever is posted in response as equally true.

You don't need another one. Just drag Merrick to bed and tell him you need to "practice".

For those Californians unfamiliar with these things, this is called "Weather", and other places have it.

If you are sneaking into my house at night to teach somebody mischief, you might as come on into the bedroom and get a lesson from the master.

One pic of Lucy and I in Toronto. When she is in her Snugli carrier, doesn't she look ready for a tandem? The other pic is Lucy standing up in her crib. Who can resist that kind of cuteness?

So, when are you moving, Skreamer? Do you already have your plane trip booked for your pilgrimage to the "Land of Hermaphrodites"?

I'm mixed on that. I think a lot of the things that were posted in the forums shouldn't have been. In that sense, I agree with you. At the same time, he betrayed a sense of honesty that generally pervades these forums. We joke around a lot, but the outright lying to impress people with fictitious acts was as much a low point as the responses it generated. I'm glad he did help you out when you needed it. That was a nice gesture.

Maybe he was just sparing us. His post was long enough as it is. If he actually listed the porn, it would probably crash HH's server. Your school has marching fish? How the hell do they hear the music inside the aquarium?

You can find out anything on the Internet. Didn't you know that?

Not only that, but from the waist down, he is a Mexican woman.

Golf is intolerable. Forget the stupid dimpled balls and lopsided clubs. Let's just drive around as fast as we can in those cool carts!

Alternatively, the moral of the story is not to go to church. Seriously, crappy outcome. Sorry it happened.

Oh yeah? Well, if I don't do my job, then a handful of lawyers won't be able to write leases and sue people. Talk about important! Umm... Hmm... Maybe the world would be a better place if I DID lose all the files.

Damn, who do you work for?

Hmm. Having never been to a really big boogie, I thought they'd be swamped and have long lines. Kind of a side issue for me, honestly. Even if I use packers occasionally once I'm good at it, I had set myself a goal of being self-sufficient by Rantoul. Right now, my packing sucks. Really, really sucks.

That is a personal preference issue. The theory being that if you are doing a clear & pull, you have tons of altitude to play with. In the event of a malfunction at 12,000+, you don't have the same issue of getting your reserve open quickly that you do at normal pull altitudes. So disconnecting your RSL allows you extra time to separate from your main in the event of a mal, thereby reducing the likelihood of a main-reserve entanglement. It would also allow you to regain proper body position in the event of chopping from a spinning main, for example. But then you have to remember to pull your reserve (which should be part of emergency procedures anyway). Disconnecting the RSL gives you the option of delaying your reserve pull a bit. Pros and cons of both, of course. That is why I suggested talking to an instructor, rather than simply advising a person to do it.

I love doing clear & pull's from full altitude. Actually, it is my jump day ritual to do one for my initial jump each day, if possible. I especially like to do it when I get to a new dropzone. That lets me visually match things on the ground up with the aerial photo most places have. You'd be surprised how out of date they can be, with new developments in places that used to be open fields. They can also be misleading if they were taken in a different season. I can watch the jumpers below and view their patterns as well. Some of this has been mentioned in other posts, but I'll list off what comes to my mind: Before deciding on a Clear & Pull: 1. Check with the pilot, well before even manifesting. 2. Check the winds aloft. 3. Ask the opinion of the more experienced jumpers if the weather is suitable. 4. Review the aerial map. 5. Check to make sure you have adequate weather protection if it is cold. Remember, you're up there for a lot longer! 6. Talk to an instructor or experienced jumper you trust about the possibility of disconnecting an RSL if you have one. Once you've decided it's okay to Clear & Pull: 1. Disconnect your RSL, if you've come to that conclusion. 2. Let the pilot know you'll be doing it. 3. Get information on exit point from the pilot. 4. Check where you should be in the exit order (usually last). 5. Let other jumpers on the load know what you are doing. Have fun!

You've never seen me pack. Then again, pretty much nobody has, including myself. I generally know how, and have jumped my own pack jobs before. It takes me so long that I seldom do it because I don't want to spend my rare jump days packing instead of jumping. I just have to practice a ton before then to reduce my reliance on packers that I'm sure will be scarce or overloaded.

I plan to be at the WFFC for 4-5 days. My bankroll is ready. Now I just have to get better at packing, so I can make more than a couple jumps each day. I pack like frozen molasses flows uphill.