NWFlyer

You're gonna have a hard time selling that idea here. There's good evidence to the contrary in my case. It would be more correct to say we're just less interested in arguing or trying to convince others. But see I could say that about myself as an atheist. I disbelieve what I disbelieve, but I have zero interest in arguing about it or trying to convince others to think the same way. This stereotype that atheists are the proselytizers of the non-believing world is just as broad and inaccurate a brush (IMHO) as saying "All Christians are evangelicals" or "All Muslims are terrorists." When it comes to my atheism, I'm really fucking passive. "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 it's because so many of the symptoms are so generic and can have so many causes that it's impossible to say the drug did or didn't cause them during the trial, so they have to list it as a possible side effect. I'm thinking things like headache, nausea, diarrhea, joint pain, etc., that could very well be side effects from food or day to day life, but because they occurred during the trial they become possible drug effects. "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, we've gone from underdiagnosis to probably a massive overdiagnosis. It's good that docs are keeping an eye on depression, because a lot of times depression will manifest itself in physical symptoms that you'd see your primary care doc about. Better to treat the underlying depression than throw meds at the symptoms. At the same time, like you said, we've probably overcompensated by overmedicating. "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 avoid it altogether, but I do what I can to minimize it. The things I take on a regular basis don't have any real side effects, and they help to improve my health and life. As for other meds (pain killers, muscle relaxants, etc.) I've always tried to take them for as short a time as possible; as soon as I can, I start cutting back the dose and/or frequency, till I can manage with just OTC drugs like Aleve. I really don't like the side effects, and I don't like the risk of chemical addiction. But, there have been a couple times in my life after accidents when I've been in intense enough physical pain that the painkillers and/or muscle relaxants took enough of the edge off of the pain to allow my body to rest enough to actually heal itself. If you can't sleep at all because of the pain, it's only going to prolong the healing process. In general, though, I try to mange my health proactively by eating healthy, non-processed or minimally processed foods, and exercising regularly to keep my body strong, reduce the risk of injury, and to keep the general aches and pains of aging at bay. I'd rather prevent than treat, any 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

For both: The loading process is different, but you should get a good briefing from the pilot and/or whoever is organizing the jumps. If you don't, ask for one. For both: The exit is different, but you should get a good briefing from the pilot and/or whoever is organizing the jumps. If you don't, ask for one. There are important exit safety considerations that the briefing should cover. For both: The exit feels very different because you're exiting into dead air rather than the relative wind. It's a cool feeling, but just something to be aware of as your usual "get stable" tricks won't work the same. For balloons: Your chances of an off-field landing are high given that balloons will go where they go and you may or may not be over the DZ when you exit. You should be comfortable enough with landings in general that the idea of an off landing is something you can handle, and you should be comfortable enough in assessing an exit point to say "Yeah, I can get to a reasonable landing area" or "Nope, this isn't good because there's major hazards in every direction." "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

Renew first then rating, since ratings are tied to your membership renewal cycle regardless of when you get the rating in the year. Otherwise, you'll pay a full year's of rating fees but they'll only be valid till you renew. Consequently, if you're already renewed, you could get a couple months "free" on the rating. (Though USPA only lets you renew a couple months early). IIRC I did just this in 2009 when I got my coach rating. Renewal month is Sept but I renewed in April or May (that was the year that renewal cost went up so I figured I'd do it early before the price increase). Got my coach rating in July, so my coaching rating was valid till my next renewal (from July 2009 till Sept 2010). If I hadn't already renewed, I would have been better off renewing first, otherwise I would have paid a full year's rating fees for a rating that was only valid July 2009 - Sept 2009. "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 love the first photo. Amy's looking at him like "Holy crap, what have we done?" "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 one that hosed himself in TX after being warned many times at home about aggressive canopy selection. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4189161;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread Last time I checked, Davis, CA was not in the PNW. (Nor is the guy in question a "kid," actually). Let's not set folks up there worrying about one of their own. "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

He's already more mature than many of the posters here. "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, the west coast doesn't know shit about BBQ. Though I do remember trying a BBQ joint in Issaquah, WA (suburb of Seattle) based on some online reviews. I considered it a good sign that the UT Alumni Club was having an event there. (And it was some pretty solid BBQ). Dixie's BBQ in Bellevue was standing-room-only good before its proprietor Gene Porter (creator of "The Man" hot sauce) died. Oh wow, I hadn't heard that Gene died. Though I loved the whole Dixie's experience, I honestly was never that blown away by the BBQ itself. "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, to me, is the major thing to focus on during your recovery. "I don't know why I didn't do the one thing that would have possibly saved me from breaking myself" translates to "I don't have enough experience for the right thing to do to be automatic." This is exactly why you were being cautioned to put in more jumps, more time, more effort, more patience on larger and more forgiving wings. It's so that "what to do" becomes almost automatic. I think back to when I first learned to drive. Situations that wouldn't cause me to blink an eye now were overwhelming in their sensory overload. I got into (relatively minor) accidents then because I didn't have the experience behind the wheel to be able to anticipate, to think ahead, and to react instinctively (in the correct way) that I have now. That's not to say that I believe I'm invincible now, after 25 years of driving, but I do have instincts that will both keep me out of the close calls and get me out of them as safely as possible. But like you, at 16 it took my first accident for me to realize that my parents were wise in trying to limit my driving to relatively controlled situations, so that I could take the time to build up that instinct that is born from experience. "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 baseball fans from Texas, the state that has turned football into religion. What more would you expect? "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, the west coast doesn't know shit about BBQ. Though I do remember trying a BBQ joint in Issaquah, WA (suburb of Seattle) based on some online reviews. I considered it a good sign that the UT Alumni Club was having an event there. (And it was some pretty solid BBQ). "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, what I pay in rent now is just about what I paid in mortgage + HOA fees in Seattle for my townhouse-style condo. I have about the same square footage, and about the same neighborhood amenities. I also have better weather and a 30% higher salary in CA (though there is income tax here, which there wasn't in WA). I rent here because I still feel like the Bay Area real estate market is overpriced (at least for the types of areas I'd like to live in. I think I'm better off not investing in it at the moment. I get more for the money as a renter at the moment. "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 sure you get enough of that being friends with me on Facebook. "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 is *excellent .... advice* ????? Holy crab. Sorry if my sarcasm didn't carry over on the internets. Photo came from a friend's Facebook page. I can't remember the last time I set foot in a Burger King. "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 excellent food/beverage pairing advice right here (see photo). "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

Sample size of one: I pay $2K for a 2B/2BA apt (about 1,400 s.f.) in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland (nice neighborhood) with private balcony, shared roof deck & patio, and a reserved parking space in the building's garage. I'd pay I think another $200 if I wanted a private one-car garage. I'd probably pay 50% more (at least) for the same amount of space in San Francisco; less in less desirable neighborhoods of Oakland or farther out in the suburbs. This is pretty typical for my neighborhood; a few buildings are more expensive, some less expensive (but I also know that I pay a bit of a premium for being in a building that allows pets). But I'm willing to pay for location - I like living in a relatively safe, pedestrian-friendly, urban location. I live a block from the lake, I can walk to a weekly farmer's market and lots of great shops & restaurants. I'm within a few blocks of local and transbay buses, and about a mile from a BART station. It takes me

I just cut off my cable and am trying a combo of Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime for my streaming video - seeing which service ends up having more of the shows/movies I enjoy (and since all of that is still shaking out as different services get rights to different media, I figure it'll take a while to be sure which ones I want to keep). I probably don't order enough on Amazon to justify the cost, but maybe the combo of shipping + video will pencil out over time. I'll try it out for a while and see how much I'm using 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

Skydance has regular RW organizing (about twice a month on average); the dates are on the Skydance web site. Mad John organizes from time to time at Byron - he typically sends out his updates to the NorCal Skydiving Yahoo group - I'd recommend joining that to keep up with what's going on (though lately a lot of activity at both dropzones also gets posted onto their respective Facebook pages). I've jumped with the groups at both places - I think they'll fit what you're looking for. http://skydanceskydiving.com/ http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/norcal_skydiving/ "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

Hmm... what about gas? http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx 50 cents + per gallon can hit the commute budget depending on how much driving you have to 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

You're right that those of us who have only ever been to Reno for (for example) PIA and have only seen the downtown/casino area probably give it an unfair rap since we haven't seen the parts of town where most people live & work. My brother was stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas for a while, and when I went to visit him I saw a whole different side of Vegas, too, that the tourists don't really see. (Probably still wouldn't want to live there but that's more because desert living's not my thing, but I can see how people can have nice quality of life there). "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

Grew up on the East coast, lived in Seattle from 1997-1998 and 2000-2008, LA in 1999, and Oakland, CA from 2008 till now. I also spend a lot of time in Southern California for work and to skydive. For reliable weather for outdoor activities year round, you really can't beat California. I was a skydiver for four of those years in Seattle, and when it's beautiful there, you really can't beat it - the air is clear, everything in view is green and lovely, and there's mountain and water views for miles. Then there's the rest of the year. Summers are pretty reliably good; fall & spring are hit or miss, and winter tends to be largely gray with the very occasional day of a clear blue sky and beautiful (if cold) jumping. But since I've lived down here in CA, I've been spoiled with largely great jumping weather (though December & January can often be rainy and/or windy). Seattle's expensive; the Bay Area (where I live now) even more so. If you're looking for lower cost of living and proximity to dropzones, you might try the Sacramento area. Assuming you've got to fly a lot for your job, the Sacramento airport is an easy in/easy out airport, though your flight options will be more limited than the Bay Area airports. Weather-wise, that area will be colder in the winter and way warmer in the summer than the Bay Area - where you can easily get away with no A/C in many parts of the Bay, it's a must-have as you go up towards Sacramento. (I've never lived there, but spend a decent amount of time skydiving in Davis, so I'd have to defer to folks that do live that way as to what it's actually like to live there, but having also been to Reno, my gut instinct is that it's WAY better than Reno). "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=3474564 Could be that one. It was on a tandem jump; instructor died, student was 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

Hence why 4way jumpers are cool. Well, some of us are anyway. I used to make fun of belly fliers for dirt diving......until I caught myself dirt diving my swoop. Oops. Eh, I think freeflying jumped the shark when VFS came into play. True story - waiting out a weather hold at Nationals last year. The DZ finally started putting up loads, but the first couple loads of the day were non-comp loads (since they needed to give the first teams appropriate notice/prep time before the first round). Standing around wondering when the first 4-way FS teams were going up, guy standing near me points across the hangar and says "Oh, there, it looks like the first teams are down." I looked over then said "Look closer." The team in question was a 4-way VFS team that had gone up to do a practice jump. But other than the child-sized rigs and lack of booties, at a quick glance ... they looked very familiar. "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