ntrprnr

Thanks. I've got a few more who came in late - I'll get them in - been a crazy 24 hours. -Peter _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

MSNBC piece is up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9dLMhVndo Headline news piece is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wclJyt5g7KM Doing Paula Zhan at 8pm, and G4 whenever it airs tonight. Fun! Sitting in the green room now with some Senator. Not sure which one. :) I should probably know. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

And as I just found out now, MSNBC at 2:30. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

All I asked was "email me your photos." Some of you couldn't even do THAT. JEEZ!!! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

You're right. I confuse the two. It's G4. Not Spike. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

3pm on CNN, 5:15pm on Headline News, 8:30ishpm on G4/Spike. Fun Thursday. :) _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

CNN just pushed to 3pm. Stupid scheduling. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

CNN this afternoon, Headline News tonight. Possibly CNBC, waiting for them to call me back. :) _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

And again throughout the day. I wanted to wear a DZ shirt, but realized I had to look appropriate.

OK, guys... The list is: Angus Dorbie Aaron Brown Jefff Standley Cody Cooper Thomas Karjola Sean EB Jarrod Humphrey John Wunderly Jack McCrary Scott Shell Mike Neal Jon Russell Jason Ahern Nicholas Gonzalez Apostolis Koustas Jacob Squeak Squeak Arthur Anderson Peter Shankman Or, otherwise known as: Dorbie Txhoss Brains Snowslider trophyhusband Monkeycndo Wildcard451 Jarrodh Johnsw71 Blind Brick Icon mnealtx shit flyingj gonzalezna bazelos jcecil Squeak Viking ntrprnr Photos are here: http://www.geekfactory.com/dzcbellyoff/ GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!! Remember - Be healthy, sensible, and smart. I'll post weekly check-in threads so we can comment, offer advice, etc. Remember -this isn't about losing weight - it's about getting in shape and getting healthy. Go kick some ass!!

Already got called from CNN, CNBC, and FOX asking if I'd go on and talk about it. I LOVE being in PR.

Final participant list will go up tomorrow morning. A lot of guys have emailed asking if they could send photos tonight. We're up to nine, not counting any of them. And thanks, Sunshine. :) _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Just as an aside - I didn't use it as a camera. I used it as a wrist-mounted video camera. I turned it on before I left the plane and turned it off when I landed. I wouldn't ever think of using it as a digital still camera. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

OK, gang... I've got photos from the following people: Dorbie Txhoss Brains Snowslider trophyhusband GaryC24 Monkeycndo Wildcard451 is sending them tonight. Squeak is emailing them to me. That gives us NINE guys so far. Anyone else? Get them to me - peter@shankman.com - today's the last day! -Peter _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

He did pull hard right to get out of the way, but he took the time to unstow his toggle and did it with that, as opposed to risers, something else I brought to his attention when we were talking afterwards. I don't know what I can attribute it to - I don't know his training or what he did or didn't learn - I just hope I was able to offer some insight to him from which he can learn something. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

I think it was just his first jump post AFF - no instructor, etc. Was an honest mistake. We've all done it. I'm glad it happened to him during his first jump. It won't happen again. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM4Pu3pFdEs Smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKghiRUBtZo - Check out Letterman at 1:20. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Normal jump the other day. Breakoff at 5,000, track, open at 4,000. Things you don't want to catch yourself saying after opening: "Whoa - Hello there. You're coming straight towards me, time for evasive action." Newbie tracked up the line of flight, (his first jump after graduating AFF) and as soon as I was open and looking straight ahead, he was coming right for me. Hard riser turn on my part took us far enough apart to not cause any grief, (knock on wood,) but it was a spine-tickler for a few seconds. Upon landing, we talked, and I explained line-of-flight again - also ended with "chat with your instructor about this, though - it'll help." He was gracious and apologetic - but yet again, just shows why we don't need to look up at our canopy during deployment. We should be looking AROUND. We can look up after our initial check/inspection of the air around us. Whew. -Peter _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Guys... Contest starts on Thursday. I've got TWO photos. ONE WORD: PUSSIES!!! Come on guys. We've got over $200 in prizes, bunches of jump tickets, a closing pin necklace... All stuff you can wear over your hot bods... BUT IF YOU DON'T SEND IN A PHOTO VIA EMAIL ON THURSDAY, YOU CAN'T WIN. Let's go, people. Stop being wimps. Post your fat selves up here, so you can post your thin selves in three months. You realize that the women are gonna kick all your asses before the game even STARTS unless I get photos, right? Sigh. Pathetic. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Just confirming - remster@dropzone.com, right? _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

With the exception being that the coke still in your system prevents the dopamine from being reabsorbed by your brain/body and the fun juice is destroyed....leaving you feeling flat and depressed and, eventually, unable to produce more dopamine. When you jump the dopamine is reabsorbed instead of destroyed and you stay happier and healthier! Agreed again!! I said that in my original post, albeit not as eloquently as you - that the dopamine occurance on a jump/run is natural. According to what I've read, the production when using drugs is forced, resulting in the crash. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Bump. Got one photo so far. Let's go guys... You all seemed really psyched about this before the photo call... _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

EXACTLY MY POINT!! It's just truly amazing to me how similar they are in terms of the action they both take. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Wow - Thanks for the clarity! I forgot you weren't only there ,but inside my brain, recording every action and reaction I had. Oh, wait. You weren't. You were just conjecturing about me when you know absolutely nothing about me. That's helpful. Extremely. The fact is, I've done it once or twice. And I remember that feeling specifically. I don't need to have done it "once or twice an hour" to have a specific memory about something. So thanks for trying to tell me what I'm thinking. Despite being wrong. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Actually, I don't know if "surprisingly" is the right word - I've always thought it was. Follow my rantings with me for a sec on this. OK. In my life, I've tried Coke once or twice. Never really held any massive appeal for me - but I do remember one specific feeling each time - The feeling of "wow - I'm so focused right now. I should totally write this down - email friends - whatever - this is a great feeling. I could totally work/focus/get tons of stuff done for the next hour or two or five... blah, blah, blah." OK. That said. As it's been discussed, I'm also massively ADHD. I've never taken meds for it (although I've always considered it) prefering to self-medicate by jumping/running, etc - i.e., raising my dopamine and balancing my seratonin levels through non-medicinal means. Logical, again. So here's where it gets interesting... Came down from my first jump yesterday since X-mas/Z-Hills. So about a month. I landed, dropped my rig, and was going to grab a soda. Took a deep breath, and thought to myself... Wait for it... "wow - I'm so focused right now. I should totally write this down - email friends - whatever - this is a great feeling. I could totally work/focus/get tons of stuff done for the next hour or two or five... blah, blah, blah." See a resembalance? I've always thought that skydiving/running/etc., is similar to Cocaine, as it's the massive push of the same chemicals that a line of coke would release - difference being that skydiving/running/etc. is natural - so there's no crash while the brain trys to rebalance. It just goes away naturally, without any depression or sadness or panic or fear or whatever. But the "high" feelings are shockingly similar. Yesterday was the first time I've ever actually felt it in a virtually 100% identical feeling - that "rush" of dopamine, of adrenalin, of seratonin balance, not from any drug, but from a jump. Normally the jump/run/bike ride/boxing match gives me a boost - but nothing like yesterday. Guess the point of the post - makes perfect sense to me now why people do cocaine or similar drugs - NOT ADVOCATING IT - but I understand it now - the rush is killer. Perhaps those of us with more means, or perhaps even more smarts - see that there's a better way to get that same rush - and choose jumping/base/running/kayaking/any adventure sport or adrenalin-inducing activity to achieve that same high. Discovery Channel once had a "Understanding" show on "risk takers." Some psychologist was on there saying that there are two types of adrenalin junkies/risk takers - he called them "type T+, the kind who take "good" risks to get high - jumping/running, etc, and T-, the kind who take "bad" risks to get high - stealing, drugs, violence, etc. I never realized how true all of that is until I walked towards the food-area yesterday at Sebastian and had that "rush." Wow. Very, very interesting. There's GOT to be more research on this, right? I'd LOVE to learn more. Any thoughts? Would love to hear comments from both sides - those more experienced in skydiving, and those more experienced in drug use. -Peter (sore as hell from the Miami-half marathon in the pouring RAIN. That was NOT a fun endorphin high.)