Taz

Good questions! See, now we are all thinking critically about the issues I don't think Mr Bills would go so well, but you're welcome to try in your hypothetical scenario! Let me know how it goes... -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

We think very differently about what "fate" means, which in other contexts would not elicit such a protracted argument from me. You believe that your fate and that of your family is unrelated to the fate of the world. I believe that all of our individual fates necessarily depend on whether and what kind of world we create through our actions, our beliefs, and our votes. Using what you call apathy as an excuse, you have made some statements here that demonstrate the kind of prejudice that is spreading a fatal disease across the globe. Using Darwinism as an excuse, you have shown open discrimination towards people who are poor, uneducated, disenfrancished, and culturally different from yourself. Your assumption that people who suffer from HIV/Aids are "unteachable" and that the disease is "inevitable" reveals ignorance rather than apathy. I don't believe that as an individual you have an obligation to spend time educating people against HIV/Aids. But as a matter of policy, as I have said before, providing education and treatment to some populations and not others is an incredibly prejudicial form of judgment; one that does assume power over who will live and who will die. It seems that one of your underlying assumptions is that everyone in the world has an equal understanding or knowledge of the mechanisms and consequences of HIV/Aids: therefore, we can all be held equally responsible as individuals for getting the disease. Not so. There are still millions of people in the world who have no idea what HIV/Aids means; and those who have heard of it but don't know how it works. If you want to say that these people, whether they are white or black, American, African, Chinese, male, or female, are unworthy of the kind of knowledge you would pass to your daughter to keep her safe, then you are more than just apathetic. At worst, that would display tolerance for a kind of genocide (kill the ignorant by keeping them in the dark). At best, it would mean you have no disregard for the world that your daughter, and all of our children, will inherit; a world where, as someone earlier in this thread pointed out, someone with nothing to lose could show up on your doorstep and demonstrate his version of "apathy" with a gun. It's the Year of the Dragon.

How is a poor black person in Africa contracting HIV different from an experienced skydiver hooking in? Most skydivers have been educated, thoroughly, about the dangers of low turns. They have all undergone a course of study that they were able to pay for, in order to be cleared for jumping and landing a canopy. Most poor black Africans have little to no education about sex, its dangers, or how to make it safer. If they did, hypothetically, have this education, you assume they have access to affordable and quality contraception, i.e. methods of prevention, i.e. condoms, and in the case of most women, bargaining power in their relationships. This is just not true. In many places it's not true because people who give this kind of education are denied funding and access. Why? Because the United States goverment/USAID is currently staffed by people who think contraception and sex education is somehow morally wrong. They block funding at the United Nations for the exact kind of prevention that could empower people to save their own lives. Again, your formulation of HIV positive people is simplistic, and that is the biggest problem I have with your arguments: vs. It's more complicated than this. Women, a particularly at-risk group, do not have enormous power over their reproductive and sexual lives in most parts of the world. Does that mean they don't want to have sex? No. But it means they may not be able to negotiate condom use, or abstinence, or HIV testing, in a relationship whether it is casual or within a marriage. If they still willingly have sex with a partner, and contract HIV/Aids, which category do they fall into? In answer to your other question, my belief in God is irrelevant here. What I do believe is that we do not exist in isolation from each other. I believe that it is both naive and disastrous to assume that HIV/Aids is "someone else's problem" that will never affect me. I believe that I have no right to judge those who are HIV positive. Dispensing life-saving drugs, education, and prevention measures to some populations and not to others as a matter of principle is judgment of the most prejudicial kind. Throughout history, in times of upheaval there have been people who create stigma and blame to isolate minorities and those who suffer from both biological and social illnesses (like poverty). Those people are always proven wrong with the clarity of hindsight. William Sloane Coffin, civil rights and antiwar activist, in his most recent book defines hell as ''truth seen too late.'' -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

There are many reasons why this statement is clearly grounded in ignorance. Here are my top four. 1. Quoted from the paper I referenced, from an independent research organization, in an above post: "HIV/AIDS, as one of the infectious diseases to have emerged over the past few decades, is unique in several ways. In contrast to diseases such as Malaria and Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS does not strike hardest at the young, the weak or the elderly. As Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS argues, HIV/AIDS “is devastating the ranks of the most productive members of society with an efficacy history has reserved for great armed conflicts”. 2. Darwinism, from the American Heritage Dictionary: "A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Also called Darwinian theory. While often misused to justify everything from ethnic cleansing to apartheid to allowing the spread of AIDS in disadvantaged communities, Darwin intended his theory for use in a specific biological context, that of evolution. The application of Darwin's work in the "social" realm, as you have used it, has long been acknowledged as a cheap manipulation. 3. Taking your definition of Darwinism at face value however, your assertion raises a few other questions: do you believe in modern medicine? Do you believe that you have the right to be treated for a disease that does have a cure? After all, this just causes you to live longer, when you might otherwise have died to make room for the "stronger" of the species. Following this logic through to its conclusion, we would have no prevention or cures for any type of illness, since contracting an illness of any kind would be a sign of weakness. An argument that is both circular and counter-productive. 4. In your argument, you claim the right to "pick and choose" which sufferers are worthy of care and which are not. Ostensibly, those who contract HIV through unprotected sex, and in specific those who have contracted HIV through unprotected sex and are also from an "African culture" are not worthy of care and should be allowed to die, whereas one might assume you would take pity on a child who had been raped. Somewhere on the spectrum between your stereotypes of who has the disease lie the majority of those who are infected: white and black, male and female. Ask yourself this: There are four people in an airplane that is going to crash, and one parachute that will save someone's life. One is a child going to school, the second is a young woman supporting her entire family financially, the third is a successful businessman, and the fourth is an old man with children and grandchildren. If given the choice, who would you save? (Assuming the person who gets the parachute will use it and live). Does your opinion change if: the woman is supporting her family through sex work? If the old man is Nelson Mandela or some equally important and revered world figure? If the businessman is in the business of selling nuclear weapons to terrorists? If the child is mentally retarded? The point is, you never have enough information to judge someone's status or to judge whether they should live or die. By adopting a false Darwinian stance, and leaving it "to nature", you condemn some people to die and allow others access to the medicine, care, and education that would allow them to live. Examine your own prejudices before playing God. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

winsor Are you suggesting that the only way to slow the AIDS epidemic is through quarantine? If so, you are sadly misguided. Every disease requires multiple approaches to slow it down. We need to stop prejudice, ignorance, racism, and deliberate dismissal of the huge numbers of human beings killed by AIDS before the disease will be stopped. Just in case you or anyone else was thinking that this disease is something that only happens to other people and only affects those in South Africa or other "far-away" places, it is now widely acknowledged that the human security implications of HIV/Aids are going to affect everyone, including those in developed countries. With groups like teachers, parents, and police officers rapidly dying from the disease, the gaping hole in the social fabric of developing countries widens the gap between rich and poor, creates easy breeding grounds for conflict, recruitment of combatants, and illegal weapons trafficking, and ensures the perpetuation of global instability. Wake up. -T EDIT to add one good source: http://www.iss.co.za/Pubs/Papers/65/Paper65.html It's the Year of the Dragon.

The media has hyped this story, both nationally in SA and internationally. It makes for a good story, but it's not the whole story. People who rape and abuse children prey on the most vulnerable victims they can find. The rape and abuse of children is widespread regardless of what specific story is given for why people do it. It's something horrible and difficult to accept, and it seems that any explanation is better than none, or accepting the simple fact that in a place where violence is the status quo, children as young as 18 months become casualties. I take exception to the way the story of 'baby rape' has been used in the media because it portrays South Africans, and Africans in general, as somehow barbarically unique in their beliefs. There is evidence of similar abuses towards children during times of societal stress and disease in every part of the world, at every time in history, including in Europe during the Bubonic plague. That doesn't make it any better, but it also doesn't make it a "South African" belief, or, as is often implied, a black South African belief. South Africa has an Aids problem primarily because the government is in denial and refuses to actively facilitate both education and the distribution of affordable anti-retroviral treatment to people living with HIV. Imagine what the world would look like right now if SARS had gone unreported, untreated, and unchecked. An epidemic is an epidemic, and just because behavioral factors are involved in the spread of disease does not excuse any government or health official from recognizing it and acting to stop it. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

With pretty much anything: FIRST PRIZE: is a perfectly ripe, raw habanero to gnaw on. You can't tell me they don't have flavor--before the slow burn sets in, they taste fantastic. After the slow burn sets in, they taste fantastic while you cry (tears of joy, of course). It's good for your sinuses. SECOND PRIZE: is a sauce like Dave's Endorphin rush, or the homemade birds-eye-chilli sauce I get from a restaurant owner friend, which is good stuff to swig straight out of the bottle or douse your wings with. FOR COOKING: I like the concentrated stuff for cooking. Blair's 3am reserve is nice (1,500,000 scovilles). Blair's 6am Reserve, 16,000,000 scovilles, is nice for big pots of chilli, but only when you have a significant non-wuss to wuss guest ratio for sharing. It's the Year of the Dragon.

I'll second that Elsinore totally rocks... obviously you guys are just the most visitor-friendly DZ around. Every year since 2001, when I moved from NorCal to South Africa, I've made a plan to visit Elsinore when I'm back in the USA for the holidays. Whether I've done no jumps (the Santa Ana's last year were howling) or a bunch (the week before the fire this year!), I leave feeling both satisfied and sad to go. Y'all are just awesome. One of the best DZ's in the world. Wish I could be there for the boogie... but my registration money and spirit will be there anyway

After jumping a used Mirage G3 for my first 400 skydives, I received my new G4 4 weeks after placing my order. That means that four weeks after sending the order form through the fax machine, the rig was in my living room. It's an MXS-1/2, with a Stiletto 97 and PD113 reserve with Cypres. It's my first custom rig, and since I'm 5'4" and weigh about 105 pounds soaking wet, this is the first rig that has ever fit me perfectly. That bias revealed, I like this rig for a lot of reasons. Every detail on this piece of equipment has been thought out to the fullest. The risers with velcro-less toggles are the best I've ever seen. Hard housings for stowing excess cable ensure that if I need to cut away a spinning main, I will have no problem doing so. The toggles tuck securely into the risers with tabs at the top and in the middle, making them easy to grab after deployment without worrying about a premature brake release. There are convenient loops to put the excess brake line away after stowing the toggles. Pin coverage of both main and reserve is unsurpassed. One improvement from my old Mirage is that with the shorter reserve pin flap, coverage is just as secure but allows for an easier pin check without fumbling to tuck the flap back in. I ordered the hackey handle for my pilot chute, and even though I do a lot of freeflying I feel secure with this design that I will not have a premature opening. The back pad--wow. At first I noticed that it felt really comfortable in the air and on the ground walking out to boarding point. Last weekend, it occurred to me that I was enjoying my landings a lot more than usual, and realized that it's because of the way the rig sits on my back after opening. It makes flying and landing my canopy a whole new experience. The shape of this rig is less square than the G3, tapered at the bottom, and actually packs more easily with the split deployment bag. I got the full options with the Unisyn harness, which I love and recommend. I have never felt as mobile in the air as I do with this harness. It has actually made a difference in my flying. More importantly, my confidence in the care, testing, and improvements that go into Mirage products let me focus on my jumping. Mirage customer service is incredible. After plenty of phone calls with Justin and Trisha, while I was in both South Africa and the USA, I was more than impressed with how I was treated as a customer. No question was too stupid for a prompt and thorough reply, both on the phone and by email. Last week I got a follow-up call from Kim to see how I like the rig. That's a long-distance call, to my South African cell phone. When she missed me on the first try, she left a message and called back a few days later. Truly international service, too. No 3am "whoops, I didn't realize what time zone you were in" calls. This purchase did something that made the money totally worth it: it eliminated gear fear. Even if you go for fewer options and opt for the non-articulated harness, the Mirage G4 is a lot of rig (and peace of mind) for the money.

Hi Arthur Anderson

WISH I COULD BE THERE!!! I'll be there in spirit... hugs, love, more hugs... If I get a check out there, Lara will you save me a T-shirt for our annual rendezvous? I may have to wait to get it for months, but it would really be worth it. Lemme know. I had such a great time out there before shipping back to the Dark Continent... I know the fundraiser will be too much fun!! I'll get some money to you if you get me an address. Blue skies--T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Yahoo! Only one problem--I just got back to South Africa. Missed y'all in Eloy... but maybe when I'm back to the States again in June I'll come hunting you girls down Blue ones. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

That's awesome. Now I just need to meet some PMS's so I can join! Nice, Lew. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Happy Birthday, headdown Goddess! -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Just one more thing: A go-around would only have made this a better option if you had found a good spot to exit, clear of the other jumpers' airspace, that did not have thick and heavy cloud. If you had asked for a go-around and ended up in or right near the same kind of cloud, the right decision would be to NOT EXIT. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Hi peej, I understand the kind of advice you're looking for, but let me also point out a whole bunch of stuff that is wrong with what happened. Canopy size and/or wing loading are not on the list of factors we consider when determining exit order on a normal jump run. Lots of us fly small canopies: because I jump a Stiletto 97, can I get out first even though I'm freeflying? No. So you already "know" the spot is going to be bad, before it's even your turn to get to the door. Answer #1 is right there: listen to your internal alarm system. That's how events cascades start. Okay. Why are you getting ready to go in this situation? Is the potential to avoid serious, life-threatening danger somehow not worth sucking up the R145 if you ride the plane down and don't get your money back? Asking for a go-around would have been another option, as others have pointed out. This would have dealt with the spot, too. Yes, thunderstorms are common, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous, especially given that you were freeflying, had planned an unlinked exit, and are not at the experience level to be confident that you would maintain proximity throughout the skydive. Knowing your limits is a big part of staying alive. When it comes to freeflying, the higher speeds obviously mean more risk of separation in freefall and high-speed collision. Were you jumping with a Cypres? Was Pears? Have you thought about the fact that a collision could have killed you both? Especially if you are unsure of your ability to maintain proximity, quite simply don't go through with the jump. When the word "luck" factors heavily into why you did not die this past weekend, all I can do is seriously urge you to think about what made you exit the aircraft in obviously unsafe conditions. The club largely leaves decisions about boarding the airplane and jumping out of the airplane a matter of personal choice for licensed skydivers. Marginal weather conditions do not stop jumping unless the licensed jumpers decide to walk back from boarding point or ride the plane down, or ask for a go-around. As others have pointed out, the jump would never have been allowed in the US. Here, though, it's up to you. I don't think it can be over-emphasized that it is ALWAYS a matter of life and death. I've walked back from boarding point with winds up to 25, when the plane was ready to take off. I've ridden the plane down when golfball-sized hailstones were hitting the windscreen and other people were jumping out. There's always time for another jump, but only if you're not dead (or really, really bruised from getting hit with hail at 120mph). Thanks for posting. The fact that you're still thinking about it shows that you realize how serious the consequences could have been. Again, trust your instincts. Life or death can sometimes boil down to a simple choice. There were obviously several points before you left the plane when you knew it was probably a bad idea; the next step from there is to act on that information instead of ignoring it. I'm really glad you guys landed safely, and if I sound like a broken record, it's because I care that you continue to land safely. Blue skies. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

You're lucky... good thing we all got out of that night alive We still had the best trailer ever... I didn't see any other ones with pink knickers hanging off the front! Then pink knickers that had been blown up with dynamite... I miss QuickDraw -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Coming via PM, honey I always deliver! The chicken has flown. -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

I can't whistle, wink, or curl my tongue in weird way, but my talent turned out to be getting past Mocha in the trailer at Eloy... after she had gone to bed and threatened to f* up anyone who woke her up... Girl, I thought you were gonna shoot me -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Yeah, Ian, you still owe me a jump! I might turn up at the Ranch in July just to collect -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Let us not forget that those morning bunkroom chats were often facilitated by sunshine's good morning song... Nothing like the G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G, Good morning! Good morning! It's time to start your DAY!!! ...to get a person up at the butt crack of dawn

Well... I'm flying in on Thursday and have some Tiger Balm with me... I'd be happy to share.

OH, but that's all part of the fun!! -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

I don't have the sexy accent, but I do live in Joburg... I want to play with the tube! I'll be there the 25th... I will be trying to find my new red Mirage G4 that's being shipped to Square2 and get it assembled as quickly as possible... -T It's the Year of the Dragon.

Your rig is awesome! It takes your look from simply "hot" to "hot skydiving chick", which is a world of difference Blue ones--T It's the Year of the Dragon.