MWGemini

I had a dream a few months back where I was flying a camera helmet for the first time, with one of the video guys/coaches from my DZ doing a two way with me. In freefall, the camera housing opens, so I take the helmet off and close the housing and put it back on my head. Since that incident I guess worried me, I decided to pull "high" (I think we were at like 3k at that point) despite the other guy telling me that i had plenty of freefall left (for some reason, we could speak normally to each other O_o?). SO I throw the PC and the chute opens and it's not attached and I just keep falling. At this point, I'm seeing myself from above as I drop away from the main. The reserve opens just in time for me to hit REALLY hard, but I stand up and I'm fine. As I finish collecting the chute, some girl comes running up to me apologizing to forget to connect the 3 rings when she packed it for me. That's all I remember. Very strange. Mike

And the thread about jumping into your backyard was a joke? And the one about not caring (not even KNOWING) what gear you jumped was a joke too? Doubt it. Troll or crater waiting to happen. Edit: And I posted that when it was still in general skydiving and not in SC. The reason why I think you're just some 14 year old kid is that there's no way you could be seriously asking these questions if you've ever jumped. So either you've never jumped or you're a troll, or both. Which is it? Mike

The more you post, the more I'm CONVINCED you're a 14 year old kid with too much time on his hands who needs to go do his homework. Not only is this the stupidest question I've ever read here (and that's saying a lot), but it is one you could easily have already found the answer to in any number of ways. Have you ever LOOKED at a tandem harness? Talked to a tandem instructor? Seen a tandem jump? Been to a dropzone? Or are Wesley Snipes and Steve Baldwin the ones who taught you everything you know about skydiving? Mike Edit: typo

I like the way Tonto thinks. My personal opinion is gather a concerned friend or two and have a "talk" with him. When I was in the military, one of the guys in my unit got a underage girl drunk and tried to rape her. By the time we finished with him (after the Army kicked him out), I think he would've preferred to be dead. We beat the hell out of him and destroyed the engine in his Z28, his only way home. Sometimes it takes learning the lesson the hard way for people to actually LEARN. On that note, however, cover your ass and don't get arrested. Be sure she gets a restraining order on him and make sure the abuse is documented so you've got a legal recourse to protect her, but he definitely has something coming. Mike

I think I may be able to get out there tomorrow, so if there's anything you need me to bring, Mike, let me know. I'll probably bring a few cases to finish off what I owe, so if anyone has requests, now's the time. I'll also bring a case or two of soda for the non drinkers (me). Mike- what time will you be doing all this? I just purchased the Gypsy Moths DVD off E-Bay for $10, so once I get it I'll let whoever wants to borrow it. Still looking for Fandango, however. Found it on VHS, but I only buy DVDs now, so still looking... Karen, it's good to hear Stuart is doing better, I hope he is able to make a fast recovery. Mike

I'm beginning to think it's a problem with the client's system, since he said that the client tried to open it from within QB and it failed. My guess is (as someone already said) corrupted file on incompatible versions. Try checking that. Mike

I'm still a student, with 26 jumps, and I, for one, think that a 30 day grounding is more than fair. If I ever become so fixated on the dive that my cypres fires, that means I was 3 seconds from being a stain on the tarmac. If I'm not freaked out enough to ground myself, I would HOPE my fellow jumpers/instructors/DZ would ground me and make SURE I take steps never to od it again. I've pulled lower than I was supposed to twice (3k instead of 3500) because I was tracking and couldn't see my altimeter well, so I misread it. I was reprimanded both times, and my pull altitude was still 500 feet above what the USPA requires for students. My instructors were perfectly justified in that, and I was wrong for going lower than I was supposed to. Regardless of reason, if you lose awareness, you fucked up. Admit it, accept it, and correct it. Be glad you had a device to save you from yourself. Not to mention the fact that I only jump on weekends, so I would be grounded for a week anyways, while waiting for a new cutter and repack, if not longer. Edit: Not only should you be grounded, but your first jump (or first several) back should be monitored by a USPA coach or higher, IMO.

Ditto. That's not an improper file association, that's QuickBooks with its head up it's ass thinking its RealPlayer. I have no idea why it would save them as the wrong filetype, my only solution to that would be to make a old DOS batch file to rename *.AIFF to *.AIF and just run that in the directory where all your QB files are, assuming that QB can properly open the .AIF filetype. Hope that helps. Mike

All my life, I've put all the laundry together, regardless of color or how dirty it is, and set it to the highest temperature possible, with regular soap (whatever happened to be available in the really big jug when I went to the store). Haven't had a problem yet. ALso, I dry everything (except brand new t-shirts) on permanent press (which I think is the hottest setting). Again, no problems there. My fiancee hates it when I do laundry, but there's yet to be any damage to any of either of our clothes. I figure if I can was a few sets of BDUs that are covered in mud and grease and have been in the field for a month with a nice set of clothes without any damage, anything will work. Your mileage my vary, but it's worked for me. Mike

Right click the file, select Open With..., select your QuickBooks program, make sure the "Always open with this program" box is checked, hit OK. Should fix it. If not, or if it does fix it and then later it is broken again, one of your audio programs (whatever program ends up opening the file) is changing the association. If you can't change the association through that program's settings, try uninstalling and reinstalling, just be sure to uncheck the relevant boxes for file type association when you reinstall. If that doesn't work, you can PM me (if you need to) and I will try to walk you through it. Mike

No, I need weights, I'm 5'10", 125lbs. For me to go fast, I need lead or freefly. But that doesn't answer the question about DZ.com, now, does it? Mike

My guess is that Sangiro used the money from the memberships, combined with switching to a lower cost "no frills" host to buy himself a house in the bahamas with its own airstrip, a Cessna to jump out of, and a pilot to fly it. Sound plausible to you? Mike

I've been noticing more and more lately that this site is having increased page load times and in the past few days, even a few requests have timed out. Is it just me, and my corner of the web, or is it the DZ.com servers, the backbone connecting them, what? Thanks, Mike

How long will frankenotter be there? I *MIGHT* be able to get out there this weekend if I feel better, but right now it looks doubtful. Speaking of which, I think I'm gonna have to stay home instead of going to bridge day with you guys. Being sick sucks. Mike

Totally off topic, but if any of you happen to be a halfway decent VB.Net programmer, please let me know. I agreed to write a program for my boss, since I'm sick, but it's been so long since I've written code that I forgot how to do what I need to do now. Thanks, Mike

Nope, no number yet. Maybe after i get my license, I dunno. Sorry to hear about the shoulder. How bad is it? Mike

BB? Don't you mean SKYBLADE? If I happen to make it out there tomorrow, I'll bring beer, since i still owe a few cases, but I highly doubt I'll be there :/ Mike

I wish I could say I'd be out there, but with the way I'm feeling now, I probably won't leave the house until next week. Ear infection plus severe sinus congestion/headache is not good for jumping. I hate being sick. Dropzone is a much better movie in terms of acting, but Cutaway has better actual jump footage, IMHO. The movie quote game is fun. "Pete, nobody cares about skydiving, SKYDIVING from a 747, alright, NOBODY!" I could give you more, but that should start you off. Have fun this week, everyone! Mike

What do you guys know about the back of the line-up? I just bought a new (my first) digital camera yesterday, in anticipation of bridge day, and since I'm sick and dying, I took the day off to play with it. Here's some of the results. Mike

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I got two jumps in today, now all that remains is my check dive and the test. I learn a lot every time I jump, so as long as I can keep that up, I should be ok. My accuracy is definitely improving, but it's been a while since I landed in the peas. I'm not going for PRO rating accuracy, I just want to be sure I can do a better job of judging the winds and altitude than I do right now. Practice, practice, practice. Hope you and Stuart are doing well. Mike

Only 3 more jumps til my A license, assuming I can improve my accuracy for at least two of those. I'm hoping to get one more in tomorrow if I can get off work in time, and MAYBE get the other two in next week sometime, but I really doubt it. Definitely the weekend of the 23rd if not sooner. So close and yet so far.... Mike

I got a ticket for 15 over on a highway way out in BFE, just like you. The cop wrote it low (I was actually about 20 over) so that I wouldn't have to appear in court. I called up a local lawyer and had her take care of it for me. About $150 plus the fine (another $150 or so) and it was reduced to a non moving violation and is not on my record. My advice is seek professional help, you stand a higher chance of beating it or getting it reduced further that way. Mike

I know that I'm far from experienced, but it seems as though President makes SkyHighKiy look like a conservative genius when it comes to skydiving and life in general. Am I wrong for saying this? Thanks, Mike Edit: Not to insult either of you, but where is your common sense?

I'm still a student, just did my 23rd today (and owe lots of beer for it). My first 5 jumps were all tandem. On each one, I was taught a lot of new things. I'm not sure if my home DZ offers AFF, but the tandem progression they have works very well in my opinion. Before i went on to IAF (Instructor Assisted Freefall, jumps 6-10), I was able to do pretty much all the basic movements, including torso and leg turns, forward/backward, and delta/track/dive. While the last three were not very effective due to the drogue, I was still familiar with all the basics before moving on to the more advanced things. The pre jump briefings, discussion while under canopy (including instruction on how to fly the canopy, how ti worked, how to fly a good approach, etc), and the post jump debriefs were all very helpful and informative every step of the way. I wouldn't change any of it. While the vast majority of the tandem students at my DZ are one time customers, or perhaps come back for a few more jumps, the long term instruction is, in my opinion, better, due to the pacing of the instruction. it's been my experience that people tend to forget a lot when they are presented with a hundred tiny details all at once, but give the same details over a longer time, and it becomes second nature. Mike

Karen, I can probably make the time to grab your rig and take it to the DZ if nobody else is able to, just send me a PM and let me know. I'd probably have to pick it up sometime during the evening one of these days and I'll definitely be back at the DZ before the 15th, if that gives you enough time. I just did my 23rd jump today, and I owe a lot of beer. At this rate, I might as well just buy a keg for the Thanksgiving boogie. If that is actually an option, let me know everyone, and I'll do it (if everyone can agree on a beer). Hopefully I'll be able to make it out there at least one day this weekend and finish off my license, depends on work. Seeya then. Mike