NWFlyer

Nope - not worth my energy. And when I do find myself heading in that direction it's a sign that something else is "off" in my current situation ... and I try to figure out what it is. "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'm not so sure about that. I've hung out with billvon and I'm pretty sure that he was created in a lab. "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

It's always good to imply that a greenie used to be unattractive. That gets you lots of points.

I'm going to go with "the greenies did some research and things looked a little funky." But that's just me. "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

Any DZ that would have an issue with fun jumpers providing a welcoming atmosphere/attitude towards students isn't one I really would like to go to regularly. Obviously you've hit the nail on the head with making sure that you don't interfere with the instructional process, but as long as you're not running up to a student while they're giving their instructor a review of EPs and making crazy eyes and screaming "We're all gonna dieeeeeeee*" I'd imagine you're doing just fine. *Even though it is true - we all ARE going to die, someday - it's probably not the right time to point that out. "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

There's definitely a happy medium in between those extremes, methinks. I put my foot in my mouth more than I can remember, and I've probably offended quite a few people. I've gotten pretty good at laughing at myself, and am willing to accept responsibility if I genuinely hurt someone unintentionally (or intentionally). The key to keeping myself mostly happy is that I try really hard not to stress too much about how I'm going to be perceived. I am who I am, and I try to be true to that person as much as possible. I try to be appropriate to the situation, either in behavior or dress or speech, but it's just facets of me, not me trying to be someone I'm not. If that means some people perceive me as boring ... so be it. If it means some people perceive me as too outspoken... so be it. If it means people like me ... great. If it means they don't like me ... so be it; it's a disappointment but I can't waste a lot of energy trying to make people like me. The irony is, of course, the less I worry about it and the less I try to get people to like me (try too hard, as it usually turns out), the more people seem to actually like me, probably because if I'm nothing else, I'm genuine. There's always going to be people who aren't going to like who I am but if I have to spend a lot of energy convincing them of my worth and/or changing/suppressing who I am to make them like me ... I'm probably not going to enjoy the results after all. And to be honest, I think a lot of "trouble" comes from people spending too much time trying to be something they're not or trying to prove something to someone. As for staying "out of trouble" if there's one thing I've learned, we create a lot of trouble for ourselves or people around us because we crave drama. I was just thinking that the other day when I watched a Facebook friend's status change from "Single" to "It's Complicated." Seriously? That status only exists to point out "I have drama in my life! Ask me about it!" Same goes for "real life." There's always going to be someone in your life who's making a big deal about something or getting angry about something or spending a lot of energy wondering what "so and so thinks" or what "so and so said" or about who's sleeping with who or who's getting screwed over by the DZO or who thinks they're not welcome here or there or anywhere and ... there's just better ways to spend your energy! Pick your battles, the rest isn't worth the negativity. Edit to add one more thing: I think balance is also a key to keeping perspective on what's important and what isn't. If skydiving were the only thing in my life I suspect I'd find it a lot easier to get caught up in DZ drama. But it's not, I have friends outside the sport, I have hobbies outside the sport, I have a job outside the sport ... so I can step away and get some perspective. Same goes for work drama ... it's over at the end of the day because I have other stuff going on. Maybe it means I lack some sort of crazy passion for any of the things in my life but it also makes all of them a lot more sane and makes it a lot easier to step away and put things in perspective when I find myself getting worked up about something that's ultimately not that important; and it also gives me a perspective to know when getting worked up *is* the right thing to do because it is that important. "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

Of course you are, but there's a big difference between: and something like: "Since I'm new to the sport, I'm trying to understand the factors that drive the prices of skydiving equipment. It seems to me like the prices might be higher than they should be, but maybe there's a legitimate reason for the high price that I don't understand." Coupled with your whine about the cost of USPA fees (same thing - you can ask questions in a very different manner to get the same information), I can understand how cocheese formed his opinion of you. No one's going to fault newer jumpers for asking questions. But think about the way you express your questions, first, if you want to take advantage of the collective wisdom in the skydiving community, whether it's online or in person. There's a lot to be learned by listening more than opining for a while. "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

Nunya:3:0 Eked out one jump at the All of the Above Boogie between weather holds on Saturday (and I sacrificed to the weather gods by deciding to take advantage of one of them to get my repack done a couple days early - thanks, Ted! - of course once my rig was in pieces the weather cleared up again). Got two in yesterday after the skies finally cleared before we had to run to PDX. As always, thanks to Joe & Teresa and the whole crew at Skydive Oregon for throwing a great boogie and a fun party. "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

For every single one of those situations ... step away from the drama. Don't start it, don't engage in it if others start it, don't sweat 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

There are many ways to get better rates than $720/hour, but Dan's point still holds - when you are at the point where you're sharing time with one, two, or three others, the cost / "jump" becomes much better. But even paying "full freight" yourself, the tunnel learning environment is great because you get very immediate feedback (tunnel walls will let you know almost immediately if you're drifting) and can debrief in between blocks and be back in the tunnel a few minutes later improving your technique. Of course, this presumes you bring a coach along with you (and fortunately, the same local jumpers who provide organizing and coaching at Skydance also enjoy tunnel coaching as well). One of the things I like about it, too, is that I can be more focused on skill-building without the pressure of hurtling towards Earth - if I lose track of time in the tunnel there's a friendly tunnel rat there to remind me to get the hell out, instead of an angry planet ready to kill me. "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've had four different jobs (and six different insurance companies - five group plans and one individual) since I started skydiving and none of them has excluded skydiving. To tell people that "most" exclude it is possibly inaccurate. The key is getting your detailed certificate of coverage and reviewing it, not relying on blanket statements ... "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

If I have to put something (like in an online form) I find (Area Code) 555-1212 works well. "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

Yeah, I guess I've just been very fortunate - I do give my number out when necessary, but I was more referring to filling out "sweepstakes entries" and other random places where they're clearly just trying to get marketing info. "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

True - I am pretty fortunate. I try my best to be pretty careful about where I provide the number - I think that's helped. And I do occasionally get calls where the number shows as "Unavailable" so I suppose those could be telemarketers (I very rarely answer those and they don't usually leave messages). My work cell and desk phone were plagued for a while with those "Your car warranty is about to expire" calls ... THAT was annoying. "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

Simple solution - get rid of your land line. I went to cell-only 5 years ago and I can't recall a single telemarketing call that I've received since. "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 you. "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'm thinking that was the "other pussy" she referenced .... unless she's got a Fleshlight. "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 had a guess frrom context and a little medical terminology, but I had to look it up. Well, it was NPR. "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

Pulse has been added to the gear section, and I added the review. Yes, I ended up buying one. http://www.dropzone.com/gear/Detailed/585.html "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

NPR did a little piece the other day on the unassisted triple play recently pulled off by the Phillies, which ended the game with a loss for the Mets. The NPR guy, who was interviewing a sports writer about the rarity of the unassisted triple play, used the term "lachrymose" to describe the Mets. The sports writer actually commented that it's the first time he's fielded that term in a sports story. So I guess they figure the sports fans can't handle the big words (as your coworker demonstrated ). "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?do=advanced_search It's a premier member feature, and it has been fixed now. Thanks! "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

Yeah, they're probably technically correct but just weird. Specialty's seems to be doing quite well for itself, and it is really good grub. I'm certainly not going to boycott it because I'm not nuts about the name. I might, however, minimize my exposure because I am nuts about their baked goods and don't need to be over there every day indulging. "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 think you're thinking of Eunice who died recently. Joan was his first wife. Also forgot Patricia Kennedy, and Jean Kennedy Smith is still alive. Here's an outline that was put together when Eunice died: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_re_us/us_kennedy_siblings_glance JOSEPH P. KENNEDY JR., 1915-1944 A Navy pilot, died when an explosives-laden bomber he was piloting on a secret World War II mission exploded. Awarded the Navy Cross and the Air Medal. JOHN F. KENNEDY, 1917-1963 A U.S. senator from Massachusetts before he was elected the 35th president of the United States in 1960. Assassinated in Dallas, 1963. Married Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953. ROSEMARY KENNEDY, 1918-2005 Institutionalized through most of her life because of mental disability and a failed lobotomy. KATHLEEN KENNEDY, 1920-1948 Married to William John Robert Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington. Died in a plane crash; her husband had been killed in World War II. EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER, 1921-2009 Founder of the Special Olympics. Married to R. Sargent Shriver Jr., former Peace Corps director and unsuccessful candidate for president in 1976 and vice president in 1972. PATRICIA KENNEDY LAWFORD, 1924-2006 Married and divorced from actor Peter Lawford. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, 1925-1968 Former U.S. attorney general, a U.S. senator from New York and a presidential candidate in 1968. Assassinated in Los Angeles, 1968. Married in 1950 to Ethel Skakel. They had 11 children. JEAN KENNEDY SMITH, 1928- Served five years as ambassador to Ireland in the Clinton administration. Married Stephen Edward Smith in 1956; he died in 1990. EDWARD MOORE KENNEDY, 1932- U.S. senator from Massachusetts since 1962. Married Virginia Joan Bennett 1958; divorced 1983. Married Victoria Reggie in 1992. "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

How did I get dragged into this? And can you all believe there's a grammar thread I haven't commented on yet? While we're on the topic of the misunderstood apostrophe, I'd like to vent about two brand names that have troubled me recently. The first is a most delicious regional bakery/sandwich chain that just opened an outlet a block from my office. It's called Specialty's. Is it supposed to be a possessive or a warning? I'm so confused. The second is the Land O Lakes single-serve creamers, also known as Mini Moo's. Again - possessive or warning? "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

Um, both Wendy and I confirmed that he's not a douche. "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