pirana

Some great replies here, and a few good laughs to boot. The best things that happened to me as a student: 1 - Hooking up with experienced jumpers whenever offerred. (Don't ever say "Naw, I don't wanna screw up your dive, I'll just go solo." When they offer - - YOU GO!) I can't believe it when I offer to jump with a new person and they say no. Then buy some beer to share and listen to everything they have to say. I know, been said lots before, but still worth repeating. 2 - Identify who is in your skill level/jump number range and coming out regularly. (Very important that they are at least somewhat regular). Start jumping together, no more than 4-ways, and get video once in a while. I had a blast once I connected with a few others in my skill group. At first we were just thrilled to nail exits, and it just kept getting better. Funny, the other 4 or 5 have disappeared; but we had a good time and learned a lot by screwing up each other's dives on a regular basis. LOL on the everybody sucks comments. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Careful about the credit card debt, don't run up what you don't have relatively reliable income to pay off. I did put my AFF training completely on the card, sold my telescope to buy gear, and paid for the 1st season's jumpng out of existing savings. By the end of the 2nd year I had paid off the card, trimmed a few other hobbies back, and was able to jump on existing (and thankfully growing) discretionary income. I never seriously considered ratings or such only because I have just enough free time to make about 120 to 130 jumps per summer as it is. If I start taking time to "work" at skydiving, that time will have to come out of fun jumping. (Stealing hours from the family or career are very unattractive options). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Don't romanticize colonialism. The colonial period for those countries was not in any way some sort of Pax Romana (in case that was meant to imply that being colonized by European powers was some sort of good thing). Being colonized by a stronger nation-state for the purpose of their extracting cheap resources or exploiting cheap labor is hardly a good thing. Pax Romana as a term was invented long after the fact as an attempt to justify past empire building, the effort required to maintain the empire, and the military dictatorship that it had to become in order to do so. Irony is that those things along with the constant fighting at the edges; ensured the empires demise. All empiure building is by nature temporary, because you can only fuck so many people over for so long before the forces of revolution overcome the forces of subjucation. History proves it so. The long recovery Africa is enduring right now is the direct result of the end of the colonial era, which was nothing but exploitative. When the imperial powers lost control they left behind a really sick system which had no elements of fairness or equality. It was inherited by bullies and/or puppets that didn't use the opportunity to remake their people into a nation-state based on principles of freedom or liberty or justice or any of those good things. Instead they just put themselves in charge of the system. We will have to wait for more true leaders to emerge and overthrow the pretenders that inherited the ways of the colonial powers. It's a tough row to hoe though; because most of the programs that the naive good humanitarians of the world put in place only feed the problem, further lining the pockets of those in power. As mentioned, it takes a long time. Institutionalized evil doesn't go away just because it is ugly and fucks over a lot of people. It will take several more generations for meaningful recovery. A significant shift in how aid is provided would also help. Sad but true bottom line is they were royally fucked over and the recovery is going to stretch out for a long time to come. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Still a lot of nice weather left. Why do you think you won't finish? If that is the case, and you really have to start over completely; consider springing for a ticket and go to warmer climes to finish. It might be cheaper in the long run than starting from scratch. If some of the staff that has been training you heads south for the winter, follow them (to their winter DZ). I got licensed the last day of the season in WI; then made 3 or 4 trips to Z-Hills that winter to get some airtime, and benefited from some coached jumps with some of the same people that trained me. It was very worth it, and nice to have the continuity of some that knew me as a student. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

The only question I have is about you not saying you SOMETIMES want to be alone, or that you don't ALWAYS like to have company. Your statements, read literally, make it sound like you always want to be alone and never want company. If that were true, how do you have any friends to bother you? Hope you are not depressed, but it does read that way. If this is just a matter of not liking to be surprised (as an earlier post mentioned) then just let them know - - - call in advance. Then you can practice social avoidance by not answering the phone instead of not asnwering the door. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi. 2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. 3. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still. 4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption. 5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work. 6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery. 7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. 8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart. 9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. 10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. 11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it. 12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.' 14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. 15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: Keep off the Grass.' 16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.' 17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. 18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it. 19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. 20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran. 21. A backward poet writes inverse. 22. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes. 23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion. 24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects! Stop groaning. You asked for worst and corny. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Starting to read like a Wizard of Id strip. Flipping on the jim-jam, farking for the beach. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Wasn't that Matthew Broderick in Wargames back in 1984 or whenever that came out? Yep! You folks know Matthew Broderick too? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Ah yes, PFD. There must be somebody we can sue, or some government handout we can get. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

There's a good answer. Sometimes I wonder what the hell some people eat that makes their farts so incredibly horrid. I'd swear whatever they ate must have been rotten and decomposing before they even ate it. They must be feasting on week old road kill to smell that bad. If something that smelly came out of me I'd go see a doctor. Their large intestine must have the chemistry of a septic tank. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Interesting point about SAN storage. We record calls and 2 times that I am aware of we gave copies (.wav files) to the police upon their request. Our legal counsel said we could have denied until they got a subpeona, but there was no point in doing that. But the nature of that storage system dictates that what they get are copies. (Does "original" have much significance in that type of media?) I notice the distinction of crime scene pointed out a few times. It must make a difference as to whether what a person has was directly linked to the accident or the scene, versus just having something that might aid the investigation. You wouldn't believe this one idiot though. Our greeting, which can not be bypassed, clearly discloses that we record the calls. He then leaves a message that not only threatens, but describes in detail a crime already committed. Darwin's concept in action. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Isn't that a CSA flag? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Orange or lemon? I've found orange marmelade to be the the ultimate food fight weapon. You get a few big gobs of that shit in somebodies hair and they are finished. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Country/Party: USA, my loyalty is to principles and I do not see that political parties have any. They practice situational ethics at best; morally bankrupt is probably closer to the truth. Legislative preferences: I am for the maximum amount of individual liberty that does not infringe on the rights of others. Government should provide leadership, not mothering. Energy: Let the markets rule, which would most likely result in building more nuclear plants. Belief system: Naturalist. And atheism, . . . because it is a non-prophet organization. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Again, blanket statements should be avoided; or at least checked with a local expert. If you meant "In Ohio" then that should be stated before giving advice. For example, my policy, the max I could buy without having to qualify ($360K) does not exclude skydiving, or any extreme sports, and has no exclusions which could be used to do so. Also, the statement about an underwriter not caring is true, but the detail left out is that they are only involved in assessing the risk beforehand in order to determine if a policy should be issued. They are not typically involved with determining whether or not fraud took place after the fact. (Some companies do use an underwriter to review the initial application to see if material misrepresentation took place, but once they get past that point, a fraud investigator takes over). For #5, it depends on where you live and from whom you buy. Some states do not allow exclusionary riders. HIPAA has all but eliminated the routine reporting of identifiable personal health information (PHI) to data clearinghouses. (And it was never anywhere close to a universal practice to begin with). Information like that can only be shared if it is de-identified, or if it is established that fraud has taken place and the sharing of information is necessary to the completion of a specific case. Health insurance companies do not share PHI outside their organization where it can be gleened by anyone willing to buy it. Heck, in the places I've worked, it can not even be shared across departments without a well documented business need. Consider the information in this thread as issues to investigate; with a local expert you can trust. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

You've busted my covert Republican ass. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Very good to hear. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

If we're going to advertise skydiving as a "safe" thrill ride, is there not a duty to ensure that the elevator that takes these thrill seeking passengers to altitude is maintained according to a fairly high standard (ie what the manufacturer recommends)? Disneyland is required to maintain their thrill rides to a fairly high standard, aren't they? I wouldn't compare advertising to operations. No other business does. According to the commercials I see every product in the world is the best. Advertising is all BS with a lot of latitude for creative license. Skydiving is no different. Reality has proven that even the highest standards of maintenance will not eliminate mistakes and accidents. Even Disney has killed a few people. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I voted for McCain because he is listed first and I just wanted to see the poll results. I do not know how I'll vote this year. Policy-wise there are things I like and don't like about each of them. I've also become very apathetic about politics. Seems to be the same old bullshit no matter who gets elected, everything has gotten so polticized, and common sense seems to not matter. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Insurance is mostly regulated at the state level, so check with the local experts to confirm anything. Usually the regulatory body is the state's Dept of Commerce. Some general advice that is true in most places most of the time: Buy before you start skydiving. Rarely are policies cancelled once they are active, and in most places it is not allowed. Rates are better with a group; though they often have a base amount you get no questions asked, and additional coverage that you have to qualify for. You most likely will not qualify if you are already a skydiver. Also, you may be rated up severely or dropped once you are no longer employed. Check the rules for "conversion" if you leave employment. Once you start skydiving, IF you can buy as an individual it might well be rated up or include a rider excluding skydiving. Same rules are in effect in most places for activities like being a pilot, rodeo, cave exploring, scuba, any competitive motorsports, hang gliding, and a couple others. Beware of absolute statements (which is why I used so many vague terms); the rules can differ state to state and policies differ carrier to carrier. Best bet is to buy the biggest term policy you can afford before you take up skydiving. The last time I checked around there were no rules requiring you to report changes in activity once the policy is in place. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

So with 1 reserve ride in 710 jumps I am incredibly close to average. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

If any of our Spaceland/ex-Baldwin friends see this thread, post a note and let us know how you are doing. Everybody OK; any trailers still got the rubber side down? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

It's tough to calm people down when the media is doing so much that whips people into a frenzy. I don't think the media has that as a goal (which is to sell air time, newspapers and internet hits), but they are so intent on sensationalizing everything that comes their way that calmly delivered honest information just doesn't cut through the noise. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I've only done 4, but would do one every weekend given the opportunity. All mine have been done with clear skies and at least some moonlight, but I would think with enough experience you could do them with cloud cover as long as you could get altitude. Check with your local veterans/instructors. My 1st one I was very surprised at how well I could see with even just a quarter moon low on the horizon. For the full moon jump I think I could have seen everything even with sunglasses on. Perfect little mini-surf landing on both of them. Course there was also the one where I hammered in due to a late flare. I was trying to land near the bonfire and had been looking right at it. I turned my attention back to the upcoming Earth, but not in time for the eyes to begin recovery, so I kind of flared but mostly PLF'ed based on my position relative to the fire. That smarted. Love the Night Jump. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Isolatd from what? Companies that prey on uneducated consumers? Why is that a problem? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley