NWFlyer

When were Halliburton or Cheney elected president? I don't see them on this list. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ And, really? 50% is lower than this? I know I'm just a girl (and a blonde girl at that) and math is hard ... but ... here's a pretty picture that even I can understand. http://www.hist.umn.edu/~ruggles/Approval.htm "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, don't go to Blue Skies like this four-year-old thread says. 2009 info is here: http://www.leapforlupus.org/lfl/index.php "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's that workin' out for ya? "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

Aww, man ... an icon of my teenage years ... gone. http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/08/77281/ "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

Taking them off would be fairly straightforward, but you might want to wait on that decision till you have a few more jumps. If the reason you don't like them is that the booties don't fit quite right they can be modified to fit better (easier if they're too long, but probably still possible if they're too short). If you plan to continue doing RW jumps I think you'll ultimately find that you want the booties and may regret chopping them off at this early point. "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 we're leading parallel lives. I did the same thing, and agree that Atkins as designed can lead to a good set of food choices (especially if you don't get caught up in buying all the low-carb processed stuff that's on the market). Though I didn't gain all the weight back, I gained a lot of it back. Struggled for a few years to refocus and lost/gained a few pounds here and there but never quite got it again. I've dropped about 35-38 lbs so far this year (much slower than I ever did on Atkins, but I hope more sustainable) and I'm now within about 20 lbs of my lowest weight on Atkins, and will hopefully get through that barrier and actually hit and maintain my goal weight this time. It sure *feels* more sustainable. On Atkins I was often worried, worried, worried. Even though I kept it up for a year and a half and thought I could do it forever, I was obviously deluding myself (not to say there's not people who can do it, but I'm not one of them!). "If someone invites me over for a meal how/what will I eat?" (Instead of just thinking "I'll make the best choices I can from what's available" or "I'll indulge in moderation." "I'm going out with a group and if they pick a pizza restaurant I sure hope they have chicken wings." (Instead of just thinking "A few slices of pizza is a reasonable dinner... not every night, but fine for tonight.") and the worst... "If I have one bit of sugar I'm going to go off the deep end and undo all the work I've done so far." So now, if anyone asks me about how I'm losing weight, I'll extol the virtues of my trainer and the additional training that I'm doing on my own, and I'll talk about trying to make good food choices, but never once do I say "I'm on a diet." Because I'm not. And while weight loss is *a* goal, it's not *the* goal. It's sooooo hard to escape the diet culture and just be okay with the idea that my body is pretty good at telling me what it needs if I just listen to it. So I don't do starvation (but I've learned what kinds of foods keep me most satisfied), I don't do deprivation (but I do try to do moderation), I don't count calories or carbs (though I try to be aware of calorie counts when I'm choosing what to eat), and if I'm truly hungry (and not just bored) I eat - there's no saying "Well, I've already gone over my calorie/carb/point/whatever count for the day, I can't have any more food." I think the only thing I'm even vaguely scared of right now is getting injured so that I can't continue to work out. Funny thing, though, is that while I worry about the impact that would have on my size, I'm more worried about the impact it would have on my moods... I can tell, very clearly, how much happier I am on days that I move.

Oh, I'm not either - sorry if it came off that way - just pointing out that I'm actually eating "cleaner" by not putting anything off limits. And Renee's allowing herself to eat "off-plan" too ... I think an all or nothing approach is where people tend to get in trouble. "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

So true. I think that the reason I've been able to make and stick to some positive changes this year is that 1) I'm working out 5-6 days a week and 2) no food is off limits. I'm losing weight, maybe not as fast as I would if I went on a true "diet" but this is something I feel like I can sustain. Funny thing is that the less I focus on restricting my food the less tendency I have to overeat and the better choices I make. "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 don't call it that, but most of the time, yeah. I make an effort to avoid processed stuff but don't kill myself if it's the best I can get in a certain situation. If I do processed I try to stick to minimally processed - short ingredient lists, avoiding certain ingredients (like HFCS), etc. "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 cut people some slack if English isn't their first language, but also find that most of them are doing better than a lot of people for whom English is the first/only language. "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 you've been reading the SIM you'll know that the USPA recommends a C license before jumping camera. I'd definitely encourage you to take advantage of on-the-ground coaching from the big names if they're available, but with 100ish jumps you can likely expect them to advise you to wait before you actually start jumping with one. "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 recommend just taking the tests. If you've done the reading, you'll be fine. Even if you haven't you'd probably be fine. The tests are multiple choice and on many of the questions, the wrong responses are so obviously wrong as to be laughable (though there are others where there are multiple plausible answers). If for some reason you don't get a passing score (which I believe is 75%), you can retake the tests. "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 not the instructor, who do you expect to take your son out of the aircraft and pilot him safely to the ground? That's what we mean when we say "saving his life." Tip or don't tip - that's your decision. "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

That seems like a more reasonable fine. I thought that's about what I'd heard from other friends who've gotten busted for the same offense. Bummer on the penalties - they really nail you on those! "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 did a no-no, was in the wrong and have paid for it. Other lesson, don't wait till it goes to warrant. Oh, so $452 wasn't the original amount? What was the original fine? "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

One more (as the video says skip ahead to minute 5). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSeWYBJQWLQ "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

Update as of just now - plane loaded and about to take off. "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

FB update from one of the jumpers from 11:05 a.m. Pacific said they're geared up and waiting to board. Looks like the clouds are starting to clear. "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 they're landing at Crissy Field the Golden Gate bridge one would be most likely ... but if it's not aimed in the right direction, it might not be that great. The second one labeled "San Francisco Bay" looks like it might have the right angle. "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 thought those landing areas sounded pretty sketchy myself. Crissy Field, on the other hand, is massive and open (though right next to the Bay and often windy as hell). Since Craig (topdocker) is the RD here and several of the jumpers are from his home DZ, I'm guessing he's more in the loop than the press, though it does seem weird that they'd announce those landing areas if they're not using them. "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

What did your doctor say? Ask him/her how much healing time you need to be able to jog and/or jump off a chair onto your ankle. That should give a rough approximation of how much healing time you need to be able to land a canopy (assuming it's appropriately sized for your weight and experience level, of course). Or, you could just get medical advice on the internet. "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

But then who would post here anymore? "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

Ya had to open *that* can of worms? "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

Well i sure as hell didnt see it being this much of a split. Remember that not everyone on here is skydivers who started at your age. Many of us are people who started well after our schooling was completed and can appreciate the benefits of an established career with solid work experience/skills that (at least in many cases) started with college and/or graduate school. It gives us the flexibility to support a nice lifestyle that includes skydiving. Personally, I like the fact that I don't have to scrimp and save and spend every extra penny I have on skydiving, and I like the fact that I can comfortably afford to travel to skydive. I have the cashflow to keep jumping my current canopy while my new one is on order, because fronting that kind of money isn't really a big deal for me. That's not to say there aren't plenty of people out there who have achieved similar or greater financial comfort without college degrees. But you really shouldn't assume that everyone here came to skydiving at the same point in their lives as you are. "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 used to be something that Skydiving magazine awarded. Maybe the folks at Blue Skies Mag can pick up the torch (with their own unique twist, of course!). Kudos to both John and Jeff for being heads up and helping out a fellow jumper in need. It was great to see Jim up and about and telling his "no shit there I was" story the next day. "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