ChasingBlueSky

relax, its a joke _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

http://www.scrappleface.com/MT/archives/001443.html Albright: 'Rings' Sequel Timed to Benefit Bush (2003-12-21) -- Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright suggested today that the Bush administration influenced the timing of the release of the blockbuster movie 'The Return of the King' to boost the economy before the 2004 elections. "In the first five days that movie has raked in $125 million," said Ms. Albright. "And that doesn't include popcorn, beverages and Sno-Caps. This is a major shot in the arm for the economy, and I find the timing suspicious. All three of these movies have been released during the Bush administration, and this one may create the economic tsunami that carries Bush to his second term." In related news, Democrat presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, who is boycotting 'The Return of the King,' said the film was a 'miserable failure' which sent high-paying American jobs to New Zealand. Senator John F. Kerry, also rumored to be considering a White House bid, said, "This is a great day for America. Of course, I was one of the early supporters of adventure movies. And while George Bush can get the vicarious rush of watching a filmed battle sequence, I actually left some blood on the battlefield." Rival Wesley Clark said, "I support this movie, and recommend that people go to see it, but they should leave the theater as quickly as possible." Candidate Dennis Kucinich said, "I told you Bush was false. I told you he was tricksy." _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I said basically the same thing in the incidents posting about this. Create a quick-list of questions for the reporter to ask, this way the correct questions are asked so the real story ends up in the paper. Also, add a line or two about keeping the name private until the family had been informed. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Normally I don't pay too much attention to Ridge anymore, but this press conference has used the harshest language I have heard in a long time. There are going to be a lot of our friends traveling over the next two weeks, and most will probably be hasseled about their rigs. Right now, I am glad I will be making the 1200 mile trip by car. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=542&u=/ap/20031222/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terror_threat&printer=1 Nation's Threat Level Raised to Orange By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Security is being increased at airports, borders and ports as the nation stands at "Code Orange," the second-highest alert level for terrorist threats. The upgrade Sunday from "Code Yellow," or "elevated" status, followed warnings from the government that al-Qaida militants may be plotting attacks on America during the holidays. The new designation indicates a high risk. "The information we have indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will either rival or exceed" the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in announcing the change. Some of the intelligence information gathered, Ridge said, indicates that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s terrorist network is seeking again to use planes as weapons. They are "constantly evaluating procedures ... to find gaps in our security posture that could be exploited," he said. The threat information comes from multiple, credible sources, but officials are unaware of a specific target or means of attack, said a senior law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Some of the intercepted communications and other intelligence mentions New York, Washington and unspecified cities on the West Coast, this official said. Authorities also are concerned about dams, bridges, nuclear plants, chemical facilities and other public works. Thousands of state and local law enforcement agencies have received an FBI (news - web sites) advisory urging special notice of sites that could be a conceivable target and potential security upgrades, the official said. In addition, Ridge has contacted his counterparts in Canada and Mexico about increasing border security. At a hastily arranged news conference Sunday, Ridge said credible intelligence sources "suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond." He said the government decided to raise the alert level after U.S. intelligence agencies "received a substantial increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports." Hours after Ridge's announcement, the State Department issued a worldwide caution warning U.S. citizens overseas that they may be terrorist targets. Echoing Ridge, the caution said officials "expect al-Qaida will strive for new attacks designed to be more devastating" than the Sept. 11 attacks. Ridge said officials did not see a connection between the recent capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and the heightened security alert. He also tried to reassure Americans traveling by plane for the holidays. "Make no mistake about it, aviation is far more secure than it's ever been in the history of the country," Ridge said. At the same time, he said security at airports can be ramped up a bit more. As a result of the change in threat level, all federal departments and agencies were putting action plans in place and stepping up security at airports, border crossings and ports, Ridge said. "Extensive and considerable protections have been or soon will be in place all across the country," Ridge said. "Your government will stand at the ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to stop terrorism during the holiday season and beyond." And he urged Americans not to disrupt holiday plans. "If you've got travel plans, travel," he said. In recent days, U.S. officials told travelers to be vigilant about the threat of attacks. The warning was prompted in part by a raised level of ominous intercepted communications that has not quieted for months. On Friday, the Arabic television network Al-Jazeera aired a new threatening statement from Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's chief deputy. The CIA (news - web sites) said Saturday it believes the tape is authentic. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday that officials were trying to determine whether the increased material detected was an aberration or something more serious. The alert level has previously been raised from yellow to orange four times — setting off a flurry of increased security measures by cities, states and businesses. The lowest two levels, green and blue, and the highest — red, indicating an imminent threat — have not been used since the system was put in place in March 2002. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

You know - I've never understood the thin skin that so many jumpers have. There is no room for thin skin in this sport, people die if you treat them with kid gloves. You need to tell people they are stupid and they are going to kill themself and possibly bring a few with them. This sport needs honesty, and not everyone at the DZ is going to be your friend, just like everyone you meet in life isn't going to be your friend. A family is a close knit group under one roof that shares a common cause, but it doesn't mean we all like each other and there won't be fights. A DZ is a nice escape from the real-world, but it isn't Utopia. There are going to be people that will tease you etc.....so what? Find another group of friends, or just wait, some more will show up in time. Every season at the DZ is something new. The people at the DZ are my friends and family. They have been there to tell me to go to hell, and have helped me thru some tough times, and I am not friends with everyone out there. In fact, there are a few that really annoy the hell out of me, but they are part of the DZ and are skydivers, so I can put up with their BS. Also, I've never understood the skydiver mentality of getting rid of all your whuffo friends. I've had the same group of friends for 17 years during HS, College, apartments, jobs, and now as we are all getting houses/families. Yea, they were tired of hearing me talk about jumping the first year or so, now, it's just a part of me and they accept it, simply because they are my friends.....and having those whuffo friends has helped me maintain a balance between the dz and the real-world. Skydiving has helped me put things in perspective over the years, and I am thankful for that. I realize now what is really important in life, and both the good and the bad experiences since my first jump have been worth it. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I've come close to quitting a few times. The DZ politics is something that is easy to ignore if you try hard enough....and I found that as long as you stay away from serious "team" stuff (ok, you won the gold, now whats next??) and keep the jumps fun...you will last longer. Also, don't live on the DZ, otherwise you will burn out quick. The losing friends part is the hardest to deal with, and I've lost too many already. During the worst of it I didn't jump for almost 9 months, and stayed away from the DZ for the most part. During that time, I found I really missed my friends, and the fun that I could only get at the DZ. Once I went back I found that A LOT of the faces had changed and many were making/talking about many of the newbie mistakes that we tend to bitch about on here. Team Funnel and the rest of the airport went into overdrive and led by example....now it's hard for most of the newbies to get away with those mistakes because everyone on the dz, one of the largest dz's in the country, has the safety mindset. It makes life a lot easier when everyone is working to prevent stupid mistakes...esp when the DZO's (Rook and Missy) are leading the pack. My attitude and perspective has changed drastically since that first jump I made 5 years ago....of course I can't go back to that newbie feeling, but change is constant and you have to stay in this sport for yourself. The fire and drive isn't as strong as it once was - but it has help me find a way to make skydiving a part of my life instead of all of my life. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I'm not big on calling the dog Bo. How about this from a favorite movie of mine: Navin Arf! Arf! Arf! Fire! It's a fire! Everybody! Wake up! It's a fire! This dog, he's saving everybody's life! He's unbelievable! This is some dog! He's a lifesaver! That's what I'll call him too! Ol' lifesaver! That's going to be your name. (the fire department shows up and checks the place out) Fireman Folks, false alarm. There's no fire. Guest Hey mister? Don't call that dog lifesaver. Navin No? Guest Call him Shithead. Navin Good. Shithead. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Odd - there is a big blank space over the Lakeland area on the coverage map....as well as the area that covers the back roads from Orlando to Zhills (if you don't take I-4 the entire way). Thankfully I don't go to Lincoln Park that much

I have AT&T GSM - have two phones, one that does TDMA/GSM so you don't need to worry, and a pure GSM phone. Since GSM phones work off of SIM cards, you can switch between phones by putting your SIM card in it. This is one reason why I am thinking of going to Cingular GSM. The AT&T GSM stuff worked great, and that is one reason why I am upset about the way I have been treated. It works at SDC, and it worked about 90% of the way on the drive from here to Tampa (and at Rantoul). It worked from Tampa to Orlando as well. This is the first year I didn't make it out to Hinkley, so I am not sure if it works there or not. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

care to post the picture since my spyblocker won't let me load the picture? _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Anyone have experience using Sprint in and around Tampa and Zhills? What about traveling from Tampa to Orlando? I'm looking at coverage maps right now and there seem to be big holes in coverage in that area.....I was wondering if it really is that spotty? _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

As I was driving around town the other day, I saw that they put up a KK in the parking lot of a health club. No joke - maybe eeneR can get a photo of it since she lives close to there (the one at seven bridges) _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I don't know why everyone is blowing snot bubbles over the butt band, it was a recommendation, I didn't see anything that said it was mandatory. Last time I checked, it wasn't hard to tie a piece of bungee cord to ones leg straps if you have the tabs. Sometimes some of you people amaze me. You have the opportunity to jump with 2 of the worlds greatest FFers and you're bitching about a piece of elastic/bungee on your leg straps? Come on people. Lets not make a mountain out of a mole hill. Once you get to Eloy you'll realize how utterly stupid this whole up roar is and wonder why you even bothered complaining. Relax, take deep breaths and you'll all be in Eloy shortly. Just my 2 cents here (from someone that isn't going to the boogie and could care less about who is doing what) - if they make if feel like a privledge to jump with them, then it loses it's appeal. In the past year I have seen the GK's ask people if they can jump with them, I had Rook ask if he could jump with me....and then gave me free coaching afterwards. Now that was a privledge and an honor! _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Let's not forget those that don't pay for any jumps while they are there and still complain. Eh, damn vampires sucking the life out of the fun. Maybe it will be more fun without them

Bill, I understand there is always someone trying to get around paying for the expensive jumps, etc. I know of at least one DZ they could go to that would never check.... However, that situation doesn't refer to me, my gear doesn't look shinny new, I know skydiving and could probably answer any question a manifest person could ask of me, I know a lot of people in the sport (however, none of those you mention in your post) since I haven't traveled out west yet) I have two log books, with 200+ jumps missing in between and the newest one has about 5 jumps in it, all with my signature. There has only been one time I couldn't get into a DZ because they were uncertain - I had them call SDC and talk to Roger who verfied that it was ok for me to jump there. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I didn't think I would ever hear the song from Waking Ned Devine in a skydiving video! Nice video - some really sweet edits in there as well. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Wow, talk about dirty business tactics..... I just tried calling in to check on the progress of getting my account working - to get into AT&T customer service, you need to enter your phone number. I entered mine in and the phone disconnected me. I figured it had to be a glitch and tried again....four times it did it to me. I called back in and entered my roommates cell phone number, also from AT&T, and now it lets me in to talk to them! _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

After I figured out that AT&T turned off my cell phone service today, I gave them a call. Now, after spending a very frustrating hour on the phone with AT&T trying to figure out their F*cked AP/AR system that turned off my service by mistake (they never changed my service plan and I was massively overcharged, and somehow I had a 2nd account that they never told me about) - and having a manager tell me it was my fault followed by him hanging up on me.....I'm hoping they turn my service back on soon.....they told me "maybe in the next 24 hours." I've had it with AT&T and will be switching companies as soon as I figure out which company is the lesser evil. I'm a bit worried about the number portability since AT&T was rated the worst company after the initial deluge of people changing. I realize every cell company has it's downfalls....but looking for opinions on cell phones that will work in the Chicago area and Tampa. From what it looks like, Sprint and Cingular may be my best bets, but it looks like Cingular has more fine print than any company I have delt with before in the past. Verizon has terrible coverage in my home neighborhood, therefore they will not be an option, and Nextel seems to have some of the most expensive plans. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Let's get this back on track. I don't keep a log book because at the moment I have no real desire to get any further ratings. I have my D and I am in the sport for fun. The only rating I am considering is Senior Rigger, and I don't need a jump log book for that. To me, logging jumps is not important anymore - if I can't recall the jump, then I will make another one to replace that memory. After a jump I am busy packing my canopy and usually a couple others and then it is time to jump again. I can't be bothered, and won't be bothered to log them. I know what jump numer I am at, and I know how current I am....and I am fine to sign a waiver according to Group Memeber DZ's rules. I don't remember the last time I have been asked by someone to see my log book - and I want to know, would I be able to jump there without a log book? Could they call my home DZ, etc.....I'm not looking to go around the system or anything...I just want to jump, pack and jump again. I don't want to argue why or how I should have a log book, or anything else. Yes or No. Would I be able to jump there without a log book, a current D License, current gear requirments, the willingness to sign whatever waiver they have, and talk to their camera to make the lawyers happy. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

How does that saying go??? If you have to ask..... _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Watch the "Making of the Boeing 777" documentary that is often showed on History channel as a Modern Marvel or even on Discovery Wings....they have video of the chicken gun shooting frozen chickens into the blades,and the engine keeps running. Those are the best engines in the world, and were designed to allow the 777 to fly on one of them for three hours. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Like WrongWay, I love the eyes....but as far as pure physical appeal? The Waist/Ass/Leg combo is the way to go......and the jeans need to be tight on the upper thigh. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Oh, I can just see it now....Dagny rushes to the plane, mowing Skybytch down and saying, " you got off on the last load, it's MY turn!" But somehow I think Lisa knows which seat it is and Dagny doesn't. Experience has its perks _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Why does it make sense at the Nationals but not at Perris? On a good weekend, Perris will have almost as many jumpers as the Nationals. Because records, bragging rights, etc are on the line at Nationals.....and there are some people out there that would try to cheat just to bring home a medal. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I can understand Nationals...that makes sense to me. But they didn't even ask for my logbook at Rantoul once I showed my D. I was hoping to visit Perris and Elisinore one day - I would just like to know if I need to create a log book to jump there.....IOW, I would need to transfer my protrack to paper. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....