NWFlyer

The way it reads to me is that you don't really respect her right now. You're hoping that you can help "fix" her into someone you might respect. But I suspect that even if she does "fix" herself, you'll find some other thing that needs to be fixed. I dunno, maybe you're just reminding me of other men that I've known... there's two different types that have always frustrated me. One I call the pedestal guys. They put women up on this pedestal, create an image of them that may or may not have much basis in reality. When the women don't live up to that image (of course they don't - they're real people, not images) , the men are crushed and horribly disappointed. They either walk, or they try to "fix" the woman to get them back into that image that they originally created. They don't really see women as actual complex people, they're just archetypes. (Go watch the move Ruby Sparks for an interesting angle on that whole thing). The other is the hero, the one who is actively drawn to situations where he can "help." He never met a person (usually a woman) in crisis that he didn't feel the need to help out. And if there isn't a problem, he'll invent one in his head so he can come in and be the hero, even though the person never asked for help and might not even agree that the problem is one that needed fixing. The truth about that one is that for the most part, people need to self-rescue. They may need the support of family and friends, but they have to do the hardest work themselves; no one can do it for them. And they get to decide when it's a problem that they want help with. "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 should update my profile photo. I'm a ginger right now, which means I not only don't have as much fun, I have no soul. "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 stringing together a few of your phrases to see if you see a pattern. I do. "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

Some of this is about getting the best value for your money. Sure, you might be able to power through, but if you're so mentally and physically drained that you can't even execute a simple instruction from your coach, you're just basically throwing cash away at a very high per-minute rate. There's a point of diminishing returns, and they key to getting the most out of your training is not to go past that 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

Totally agree!!!! I agree too. I think we would both be better off right now trying to help each other, rather than jump back into something with bad feelings about each other. Whoosh. Missed the point entirely. I was saying you both need to be single and work on your own shit for a while. You strike me as that guy who has the hero complex. The guy who says "I'll be the first person to treat her right and I'll heal her." She needs to heal herself, with professional help. Probably alone. You need to step away from feeling like you can/should heal her. Probably alone. "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 been just 4 days since you started This Thread saying you were thinking about applying for the job, and basically asking what it was like. What's up? What's up? The troll-fu is weak on this one. And yet, it's still found plenty of food. "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

Who appointed you protector of DZ business models? But even so, you're thinking about Groupon and Living Social the wrong way. If you think about them as an advertising cost, for some businesses, they make sense. The reach of the Groupon and Living Social email list, smartphone push notifications, online ads, etc. is HUGE. SEO targets the person who says "I want to make a skydive - wonder where I can go?" Groupon/Living Social target the person for whom a skydive wasn't really top of mind, but who says "Hey, there's a dropzone not far away and this looks like a good deal - maybe I'll sign up!" That said, I see Groupon/LS type deals being most valuable for the type of business where repeat visits are likely. Get them in the first time at a discount, and if you give them a good experience, they'll come back. I've discovered several really good restaurants through those two services, and once I've found a restaurant I like, I'm likely to go back because eating out at restaurants is something I do relatively frequently. Skydiving is, for most people, a "one and done" experience, so it doesn't make that much sense from a "building repeat business" standpoint. But, if you're using Groupon and Living Social to let people know you're out there, build brand awareness etc. (which is the point of advertising), then maybe it makes sense in your business model. "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 usually just use "standard" and "alternate." Not particularly creative but people seem to understand 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

From hearing your side of the story and the way you describe both her and your actions, you both sound like people who don't need to be in any relationship right now, especially with each other. "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 assign the reports to someone else. Why is that not a viable option? It sounds like now you basically have two people (her and you) producing the reports; why is reassigning the one task to someone else not a more efficient solution? Assign her something else that she's good at. "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 known a handful of teen girls who've spent time on various dropzones. Each of them was the daughter of a longtime skydiver (or skydivers). The regulars at the DZ knew their parent(s) and in some cases the girls had grown up around the DZ so that by the time they were at the age of budding sexual attractiveness, they'd been known so long they'd become the "kid sister" of the dropzone. They were also, for the most part, raised to be smart, savvy, independent young women who were pretty capable of taking care of themselves around the DZ. In this case, it sounds like her dad's relatively new, but as others have mentioned, it'd be good if he made sure people know clearly that she's his daughter, and to make sure that (at least at first) he's always around the dropzone when he is. As others get to know her, she'll (hopefully) have a whole family of skydivers to keep an eye on her (there's usually plenty of people her parents' age and older who aren't interested in getting in her pants, and there are probably some women around who would be willing to take her under their wing). The key thing is just having her get to know people as part of the DZ family, not "fresh meat." And of course, after hours all bets are off. Just after jumping when people are having a beer or two and maybe grilling up some dinner, no big deal, but as night falls and people start to get rowdy, a dropzone's not a good place for a 15 year old. If you wouldn't take the kid with you a bar or party, don't have 'em around the DZ at party time, either. "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 can get elastic from a gear shop or rigger, or just use a large rubber band. What seems to work best for me is to fold and tuck the excess so that it lies nice and flat, then slide the elastic down as close to the leg strap pockets as possible. "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 if you're worried about the high guy, I would argue that the solution is not barrel rolls, but instead to think long and hard about who you're jumping with and why you don't trust them to not be on top of you at deployment. "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 said the exact thing after seeing the AAD fire at the American Boogie this year. It's the type of jump that I might have hopped on when I was in that 100-200 jump range, that I'd stay far, far away from now. I feel like we underestimate the potential for tracking dives to become shit shows. "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

Yes, tandem progression is a relatively common way to instruct. Not all tandem progressions are structured like yours, but they do exist at many DZs. "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 pale white and blonde, my family's been in the US for generations, and before that it was British/German ancestry. I can't recall the last time I put my hand over my heart during a performance of the National Anthem. Should I leave? Or is it okay coming from me because I'm not brown/don't wear a scarf? "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 I'll be honest with ya, Jan. I read the proposals and tried to formulate an opinion, but this all seems like relatively minor procedural stuff relative to the big changes that have come in the last few years. My opinions about all of them are kind of "yeah, could go either way and I probably wouldn't care that much." From this one member's POV, the N&E committee is a victim of its own success, and the rest of the changes are just cleaning up around the edges because of those changes. The board already made the three changes that I, as a member, cared about and had strong opinions on. 1) You got online voting working, and (from all reports) working pretty well. 2) You changed the term from 2 to 3 years. I think this will be a positive change, tbd of course as this is the first term that'll go that long and 3) You got rid of the petition process for RD candidates. I will say that moving the election cycle to somewhere in the late spring/summer/early fall time frame is a change I would wholeheartedly support as it moves the election cycle to within skydiving season for pretty much everywhere in the US. I think that's beneficial because it gives candidates a better opportunity to interact with voters in person at the dropzone, which may not be an option for cold-weather climates at the end of the year. The rest of it I just can't formulate a strong enough opinion/argument about one way or the other. Sorry. "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://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/12/19438748-boeing-787-dreamliner-catches-fire-at-london-heathrow-airport Quote from this article: "The aircraft was not blocking either runway, but with all the airport's fire crews tacking the Boeing 787 incident, authorities were forced to suspend all departures and arrivals because of safety rules." So, basically, sounds like it was all hands on deck dealing with this fire, which would mean no hands available for another emergency, so they just shut everything else down for an hour. "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 belt goes around your waist, so it should be well clear of the handles, particularly if you tighten the belt ensure that the belt is snug enough that it doesn't ride up. They're pretty low-profile - you'll hardly even notice it (but it's sure nice to have if you need 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

While I don't disagree that some people have an attitude about people who don't stay in the sport for very long, I think most of us who've been around a bit have seen enough people come and go to know that it is the pattern (and as I said upthread, that's okay!). I don't judge anyone for their choices about how much / how little to jump, or how long to stay in the sport. The only time I really care is when I'm deciding whether to jump with someone; I want to make sure their skill/currency matches the type of jump they think they can do. If you've got 5 jumps in the last year and 100 total, I probably don't want to be on a 20-way with you, regardless of whether you think you can handle it. Where it becomes mildly amusing is that almost every extremely enthusiastic newer jumper thinks they are the exception - that they are the one who is going to be doing this for the rest of their life, when the reality is, the majority will be done in a few years, wondering what to do with that 3-ring tattoo. Like others on here, I'm more of the long-term casual skydiver. I average 100-200 a year, weekends/vacations only, certainly not every weekend, and often only one day out of any given weekend. I have a day job, I have other interests, I like to do other things some weekends, even if that's just curling up on my couch with a good book and a cat at my feet. I like this sport a lot and love the people I've met through it, but I can also say that I really have no interest in doing it full time. Even if somehow I managed to figure out a way to skydive full time while maintaining my current standard of living (income, benefits, etc.) I probably wouldn't. Balance is what makes this a long(er)-term thing for 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

The brand people were discussing is Stearns Inflata-Belt. The vest folds up into a belt around your waist. "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 boys are both indoor-only (well, except for balcony time) and are both chipped. I considered it a great investment. Last summer I was at the emergency vet on a Sunday morning with one of my kitties because he'd managed to get himself a big gash. Waiting room was fairly busy when a guy walked in with a (clearly healthy and well-cared for) pup on a makeshift leash. He said he'd found her wandering in a park near his home, and wondered if they could scan her for a chip. The whole waiting room erupted in cheers when the scanner "beeped" indicating that there was a chip... I know I'd hope for a similar outcome if one of my guys ever got lost. "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 right. You'll probably be okay. If not, hope you've set aside some money for health insurance or it's provided with that job of yours.

There's a similar reference in this month's Blue Skies Magazine (mine just showed up sometime in the last couple of days) to BJ organizing his last event. "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 you don't. Medical bills can cost a lot more than gear. "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