NWFlyer

Closed as of last year. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Where did you get those statements from? They are not what the USPA doctrine says. . Here, maybe? http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Other_SDChesJudy.pdf "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Depends on how large it is. If it's within reason ... I'd think it was probably true. If the boss told me my salary was being doubled... I'd probably laugh. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

*golfclap* nicely done ... good details, a believably real amount, hook, line, sinker. We gotta hit Lucky Baldwin's again one of these days, my friend. It's not the lottery, but with a few of those beers we might feel like winners anyway. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Just ask Bill Dause whether AADs help to prevent lawsuits. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yep, I much prefer that. I'm very rarely sick, so I'd rather have more PTO that I can use for whatever I need it for. I can work from home if I just have a cold and not have to touch my time off (but also won't expose my coworkers to my germs). I also like that my company has an extended illness bank that you can use after a certain number of days (can't remember if it's 3 or 5 days) of illness or immediately in the case of surgery or hospitalization (using that requires a documentation from a doctor, I think). That way, if something more serious does happen, you're not required to use your PTO. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

And far too many people don't figure out how to value their contributions other than through how much/how hard they work, so they use that as their primary measure (and they continue to be drawn to employers who use that as their primary measure). Fortunately, I got over that really early in my career. I know and can demonstrate that I add a lot of value in the time that I do work - I don't need to be able to say "I worked 70 hours this week" or "I haven't been able to take a vacation in years" to know that. (All that said, my company mostly "gets it" though right now they're doing their best to burn through staff on this particular project that I'm on right now ... . Fortunately, I'm willing to push back and I'm fully into my toddler phase at work ... my favorite word these days is "No".) "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I haven't lived outside the U.S. in my adult life, but I recognize it as pretty bass-ackwards. For me, flexibility and time off are among the most important things to me when evaluating a job opportunity. I'll take more time over more money any day, and I appreciate working for a place now where not only do I get a good amount of time off, people actually use their vacation time. I also appreciate that I have a job that (most of the time) I can perform from anywhere. Right now I'm in a project phase that requires a lot of in-person time (and travel) but most of the time I can do my job online and over the phone and be just about anywhere. That gives me "time" in another way because I can work from home if I need to and multitask on the boring chores of life like laundry and not have to take up my precious evening and weekend time to do it. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'd agree. Three + seems to be more standard these days, at least for professional positions. I don't think I've had less than three in a long time; current job I got four to start, five after a year. Goes up again after 4 years I think. More companies now are doing a bank of paid time off to be used for both vacation and sick. The company I work for now has an extended illness bank that you only access if you get more seriously sick (e.g., 5+ days or in the case of a hospitalization). For the one- or two-day routine illness absence, you're expected to use your PTO. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yep. I tell people I scuba dive and they think it's cool and not out of the norm at all. I tell people I skydive and they think I'm some sort of crazy-ass daredevil. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You'll probably like this one too, then. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

This isnt the USPA, you people that quote your SIM need to pull your heads out your arse's. Its not only Americans who use this website, we know you think New York to LA is an around the world trip but the world is bigger. Happy Smile

Tickets booked a couple months ago. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yep, one of my favorite films of recent years. Most of the info wasn't new to me as I've been reading* about the food system for a few years now, but I enjoyed the way the information was packaged and presented. *various reads include The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan), Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser), The Compassionate Carnivore (Catherine Friend), Just Food - Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly (James McWilliams), The 100-mile Diet (Alisa Smith and JB Mackinnon). I've also heard Pollan on a bunch of TV and radio shows, as well as seen him speak up at UC Berkeley, where he's on the faculty. There's definitely some fundamental flaws in our system, but as books like "Just Food" point out, there's also not a lot of easy solutions. What all this reading has done for me has made me more conscious of where my food comes from and I'm making at least some different choices. I've started getting produce delivered regularly from a local CSA, which has been fun because not only am I supporting a local farm with fresh, in-season foods, it's challenging me to try things that I wouldn't ordinarily buy. I've started buying more organic dairy and cage-free eggs, and grass-fed beef, and locally-sourced produce from stores (in addition to what I get in my CSA box). It's not a wholesale change but I'm at least trying to change my buying habits. I travel so much that often I have to eat what's available and practical, but at least I'm trying to improve the quality and sustainability of much of what I bring into my home. It's a start, and I'm fortunate to live in an area with a lot of awareness (and thus a market, and thus availability), and also with year-round availability of fresh produce. For people who are interested in finding a local CSA or farmer's market, www.localharvest.org is a good place to start. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

The first review gets it right... "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

My little one, who was sick for most of her very short life, got to do lots of vet visits ... and HATED them. She would stress poop every time - if I was lucky it was only in one direction, but usually in both directions. She'd whine at the top of her tiny little lungs and pace in the carrier. Not a happy kitty. Franklin, fortunately, has been healthy so far so has only had to do annual checkups ... he's pretty chill, though he has a tendency to hid beneath the chairs in the exam rooms once you let him out of your grasp. Not a stress pooper, thankfully. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Probably coulda sent it to L&B and they would have sent a free replacement. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Welcome to DZ.com, Joe, and the beginning of the end of any idealistic notions you may have had about skydivers and skydiving. Let the more cynical enjoyment of the sport begin. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Similarly, a Pulse 170 from PD will pack like a 150. Demo 'em all! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

No RW organizing? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

And go to every Excel camp you can! The organizers there will make sure you get on safe, fun, skydives. And yes, I think that pushing outside of your comfort zone is important, but it's also important to be able to say "no" if it goes too far outside that zone. You'll gradually learn your limits by pushing on them gently. I've just seen too many newer jumpers stay quiet with something they're uncomfortable with rather than speaking up and getting to a comfortable place. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You're doing it exactly right. Keep the groups small, be up front about your experience level and things that are making you nervous, and don't be afraid to pull off or push back if something is outside of your comfort zone (for example, if that 4-way becomes an 8-way). When I'm organizing small groups, I always ask the least experienced person where they would like to break off and we go with that as a breakoff. If you're uncomfortable with the breakoff altitude that the group sets, ask if it can be bumped up to a more comfortable level. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You have to meet the requirements for all the previous ones to apply for a higher level license, but you don't have to apply for each. I didn't get water training till I had around 150 jumps so I never bothered applying for the B since at that point I was pretty close to the jumps I needed for a C. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Give it time. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1663957 Some great ideas here.