NWFlyer

Those look nice and warm. Also at REI, you can get these. I've had a pair for about 3 years now and love them in the colder months. "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 hmmm... I was told to wait until I was scared witless, then count to 3. Accomplishes the same thing. "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

Try the "oh shit" rule. When you feel like you need to flare, say "oh shit" three times. *Then* flare. That worked for me when I was a student and wanted to flare too high. "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 saw $2.12 near the Oakland airport last night, which means it's probably (finally) dropped below $2.00 in the outlying areas. I'll check on my way to the DZ. Damn west coast gas prices... "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

According to MEL's post, you're legal till next year. Me, on the other hand ... I have a 10 day period where I'm "grounded" then I can get back in the air for another 6 1/2 weeks. My reserve was packed on 8/11, so it expires on 12/9. I can get a repack then to meet the 120 day rule, or just wait till the 19th and jump it through the 180 days. I think I can take a week off to extend my repack. Of course, that assumes that dropzones are aware of the FAA's interpretation (hopefully PIA/USPA et. al. will issue some sort of broader communication about that). I'm planning to double-check before I run off to any boogies during that time period. "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 In-N-Out. But that was goooood. "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

Great idea. There's one right by the Oakland airport - I think I'll stop there when I get back tonight. "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

Assuming no cutaways, you only need to get three repacks a year under the current rules. So your math doesn't work - same cost at 3x $50 or 2x $75. "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

'Sup with the beard? We're going to have to start calling you Fuzz. "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

Based on everything you've posted about your employer, don't hold your breath for any positive feedback from this. Add this to your list of reasons to keep looking for another job, guilt-free. "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 see I'm not the only one who thought this trolling had a familiar tone. Put away the troll food, people. As to Phil's original question... I suspect you're seeing the combined effect of the economy and the change in seasons. Me, I've mostly been too busy/ tired since I moved to get out to the DZs as much as I would like, but things are settling down so I should be out more. "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 would be nice to be closer to my family again. But no, I'm not planning to apply - I just saw the article and thought it was interesting. "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

Many dropzones (you'll want to check with the specific one you're visiting) will accept your confirmation that you applied for membership. So if you go through the online process, I think there's a confirmation at the final step that you've submitted all your info and paid the fee. "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

Want to work in the Obama administration? First you'll have to fill out this: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/13/obamaquestionnaire.pdf.pdf Article with more detail: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/13/transition.questionnaire/index.html?eref=rss_topstories Wonder how posts on dropzone.com would be viewed as a response to Question #10? "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

Not sure what search terms you were using ... this has been discussed a lot, and I know I've posted a bunch of times about my experiences: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=traveling+with+rig&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=&sb=score&mh=50 Bring the Vigil card (I *have* had to show mine before), and bring the TSA policy in case you have to "discuss" the rules. Here's the USPA site that has the link to the TSA policy. http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/Membership/Travel/WithintheUS/tabid/311/Default.aspx "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 are correct. From the USPA web site: http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/Membership/Services/tabid/91/Default.aspx To Bill's point, I'm not entirely convinced that in our litigious society that, if USPA approved a waiver for 400-foot demos (thus giving organizational "sanction") and something went horribly awry, that USPA could protect itself from liability (even if its insurance company were off the hook). At the very least, I'm guessing the lawyers would come calling; even if USPA were able to prove itself not liable, the cost of defending said claim could be high. "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

Have you ever... Level 1 (X) Smoked A Cigarette (X) Smoked A Cigar (X) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex SO FAR: 3 Level 2 (X) Are / Been In Love (X) Dumped someone (X) Been Fired ( ) Been In A Fist Fight SO FAR: 6 Level 3 (X) Had A Crush On An Older Person (X) Skipped Class (X) Slept With A Co-worker (X) Seen Someone / Something Die SO FAR: 10 Level 4 (X) Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Myspace/Facebook Friends (X) Been To Paris ( ) Been To Spain (X) Been On A Plane (X) Thrown Up From Drinking SO FAR:14 Level 5 (X) Eaten Sushi (X) Been Snowboarding (X) Met Someone Through Internet (X) Been in a Mosh Pit SO FAR: 18 Level 6 ( ) Been In An Abusive Relationship (X) Taken Pain Killers (X ) Liked / Loved Someone Who You Can't Have (X) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By (X ) Made A Snow Angel SO FAR: 22 Level 7 (X ) Had A Tea Party (X) Flown A Kite ( ) Built A Sand Castle ( ) Gone mudding (X) Played Dress Up SO FAR: 25 Level 8 (X) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves (X) Gone Sledding (X) Cheated While Playing A Game (X) Been Lonely (x) Fallen Asleep At Work / School SO FAR: 30 Level 10 (X) Watched The Sun Set (X) Felt An Earthquake ( ) Killed A Snake SO FAR: 32 Level 11 (X) Been Tickled (X) Been Robbed / Vandalized ( ) Been cheated on (X) Been Misunderstood SO FAR: 35 Level 12 (X) Won A Contest ( ) Been Suspended From School (X) Had Detention (X) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident SO FAR: 38 Level 13 ( ) Had / Have Braces (X) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night (X) Danced in the moonlight SO FAR : 40 Level 14 (X) Hated The Way You Look (X) Witnessed A Crime ( ) Pole Danced (X) Questioned Your Heart (X) Been obsessed with post-it notes SO FAR: 44 Level 15 (X) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud (X) Been Lost (X) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World (X) Swam In The Ocean (X) Felt Like You Were Dying SO FAR: 49 Level 16 (X) Cried Yourself To Sleep (X ) Played Cops And Robbers (X) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers (X ) Sang Karaoke (X) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins SO FAR: 54 Level 17 (X) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't (X) Made Prank Phone Calls (X) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose (X) Kissed In The Rain (the best kisses) SO FAR: 58 Level 18 (X) Written A Letter To Santa Claus (X) Watched The Sun Set/ Sun Rise With Someone You Care / Cared about (X) Blown Bubbles (X) Made A Bonfire On The Beach Or Anywhere SO FAR: 62 Level 19 (X)Crashed A Party (X) Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People (X) Gone Rollerskating / Blading (X) Had A Wish Come True (X ) Been Humped By A Monkey SO FAR: 67 Level 20 (X) Worn Pearls ( ) Jumped Off A Bridge ( ) Screamed "Penis" or "Vagina" or "Dick" or "Pussy"...in public ( ) Swam With Dolphins SO FAR:68 Level 22 ( ) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/ice Cube ( ) Kicked A Fish (X) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes (X) Sat On A Roof Top SO FAR: 70 Level 23 (X) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs (X) Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel (X ) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours (I'm counting conference calls for all-day meetings here!) (X) Recently stayed up for a while talking to someone you care about SO FAR: 74 Level 24 (X) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree (X) Climbed A Tree ( ) Had/Been In A Tree House (X) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone SO FAR: 77 Level 25 (X) Believed In Ghosts (X) Have/had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes (X ) Gone Streaking ( ) Visited Jail SO FAR: 80 Level 26 (X) Played Chicken ( ) Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on (X) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger ( ) Broken A Bone (X) Been Easily Amused SO FAR: 83 Level 27 ( ) Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later ( ) Got asked to make a porn video ( ) Caught A Butterfly (X) Laughed So Hard You Cried (X) Cried So Hard You Laughed SO FAR: 85 Level 28 (X) Mooned/Flashed Someone (X) Someone Moon/Flash You (X) Cheated On A Test (X) Forgotten Someone's Name (X) French Braided Someones Hair (X) Gone Skinny Dipping ( ) Been Kicked Out Of Your House SO FAR: 91 Level 29 (X) Rode A Roller Coaster (X) Went Scuba-Diving/Snorkeling (X) Had A Cavity ( ) Black-Mailed Someone ( ) Been Black-Mailed SO FAR: 94 Level 31 (X) Been Used (X) Fell Going Up The Stairs ( ) Licked A Cat (X) Bitten Someone (X) Licked Someone SO FAR: 98 Level 32 ( ) Been shot at/or at gunpoint ( ) Had sex in the rain ( ) Flattened someones tires (X) Rode in a car/truck until the gas light came on (X) Got five dollars or less worth of gas TOTAL: 100 "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 no idea there was a formal term for it. I just call it nouning verbs and verbing nouns. "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

Congratulations to all involved! It's been killing me sitting in my cube all day refreshing Facebook to see Melanie's updates. Glad to see that it has come together so beautifully. Looking forward to photos soon. "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

Then you haven't been getting out enough. Sometimes people give strange looks if you sing the whole tune ... seems like many people have only ever heard the last line. Hooray for [insert jumper's name] Hooray at last Hooray for [insert jumper's name] He's a horse's ass. Him, him... FUCK him. "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

Not everyone lives near their families. I've long since given up on slogging all the way across the country on the busiest travel weekend of the year in favor of spending quality time with friends much closer to my home (and that might or might not be at the dropzone) and traveling to see my family at other times of the 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

To be fair (and I agree with Olbermann more often than not), that was a particularly non-ranty example of his work. He can be pretty shrill at times. Ben Affleck did a nice parody a couple weeks ago on SNL. http://www.hulu.com/watch/42024/saturday-night-live-countdown-with-keith-olbermann "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

Customs won't, but why don't you work out a payment plan with the hospital? Chances are very high that they'll write down a good portion of what you owe, and you can work out a payment plan that works with your budget - unless of course you're still working with the insurance company to try to get it paid. You *are* trying to get it paid, aren't 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

They're cats. Don't hold your breath that they'll *ever* know their names. (Or at least acknowledge that they know). "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 Doonesbury got it right yesterday. "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