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You were saying? http://www.badwater.com/ _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

SEE???? So stop dissin' my cats, Bobbi! :D _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

SHE'S NOT FAT!!! SHE'S FLUFFY!!! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

On my flight out of Flint... But not from the flight... A few weeks ago I bought "Cutaway," and finally got to watch it on my flight today... Got a 3rd of the way through it. Hoping to watch more on my connection to NYC in 20 minutes. I would burn out my Crackberry trying to comment on it... So I'll save that for another time. But my GOD... Where would I even BEGIN?? Its "Showgirls" bad. Wow. So bad it's good. Wow. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Yes, but when you're a cat, you're forever haunted by the "IT'S 9:30 ON A TUESDAY MORNING AND WE MUST SLEEP NOW" bug. Truly a terrible thing. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Quitcherbitchin, Sarah... I'm in (this is sad...) Frankenmuth, Michigan, speaking at a conference. I finish and go for a run. Up a rural road 5 miles, and back down the same rural road. All I could think about, other than the 96 degree heat, was two things: 1) Everything looks like a scene from King of the Hill 2) if I were jumping here, EVERYTHING could be an out!! _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

It should be mandatory. What a learning experience. I'm SO f'ing tired, but damn, I got SO much out of it. I collapsed my canopy for the first time. I flew back over a mile in deep brakes while losing a total of about 400 feet. I learned to say the word "Finish" upon finishing my flare, and not to let my hands up until my feet are 100% firmly on the ground. I learned at at 7k, you've enough time to do a minimum of three flips in the air before you have to straighten out for a 5k pull. I learned that my Safire 229 doesn't particularly like to collapse, and when I finally get her to, after 2 brake line wraps on each hand, she goes for about three seconds, then says "That's enough," and fights me back up. She's like an ex I once dated. All in all, a great class. Scott packs a TON of information into a day. I'm exhausted, but totally, totally worth it. If you've never taken it, it's really something to consider. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

It's also supposedly NFJ, but I jump. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Contact the fine people at AutismSpeaks.org - They're a wonderful place to start, and really good and decent people. Good luck! -Peter _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Good call, Squeak - BUT... I think there's a time/place for it. I'm all for trying different things - but it's a ratio - Will my trying something come back to bite me in the ass? If so, how hard? How much of my ass? He tried it. Props to him for doing it - but he should have asked - "what happens if it gets out?" And thus, there's nothing wrong with thinking differently - but sometimes, you pay for it. Lord knows, I've paid heavily - a LOT. But the good outweighs the bad for me, so it's ok.

This guy wrote a whiney-bitch letter when he didn't get a job he wanted. So let's say you wanted a job and didn't get it. Would you write the letter that this guy wrote, or would you just kinda ask why you didn't get it, and ask for pointers on what you could have done better. "I'll get hair transplants?!" Jesus http://prdifferently.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/07/what_not_to_do_.html _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Friend sent this to me. It's not entirely safe for work... So, NSFW, for those looking for that acronym specifically. The all nude firefighter calendar for 2007 comes in an all-male and an all-female version. All pics show full frontal nudity, for both female and males. Just click on the menu to select which one you want to view. They are available for sale on the site -- the calendars, not the officers. http://www.richstevens.com/NAKED.swf _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

UGH. Don't go to EITHER. TOURIST TRAPS, and perhaps HALF as good as ANY of the places listed below... Magnolia Bakery Crumbs Bake Shop And of course, for the best Pizza in Manhattan: Ray's Pizza _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

I don't know your daughter, but I highly doubt an 18-year-old is going to want to see them. The ESB is worth it for the view... Ellis Island is an island. The Statue of Liberty can be seen MUCH better by taking the FREE Staten Island Ferry. Just don't get OFF the ferry and walk around Staten Island - You don't have the proper vaccinations. Do have at least ONE NYC hot-dog from a vendor, just for the experience. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Also - You can take the AirTrain from Newark Airport to Penn Station. $11.55 a person, vs. $60+ for a cab, and it lets you off at Penn Station Manhattan, 6 very walkable blocks from that Four Points. Also, very close to other hotels, as well. Some other hotels to consider: The Hilton on 6th Avenue and 54th St.. You could surprise her one night by renting a suite at the W Hotel on 14th St. in Union Square - it'll be pricey as hell, but it's the ultimate in "NYC Chic." _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

OK... Here we go. Start by flying into Newark Airport on Continental. They virtually own that airport, so wherever you come in from, you can get a good deal. Book now. Once there, there are a few places to stay that won't break the bank. There's a Four-Points by Sheraton on 27th St. between 6th and 7th Avenues. That's at the high end of Chelsea, so you won't be paying a fortune, and it's an incredibly safe area, unless you're doing something stupid, like wearing white after Labor Day. Must-sees: Since it'll be around Christmas, obviously, go see the Tree in Rockerfeller Center. It's totally something worth doing. Do the 5th Avenue shopping walk, whether you buy anything or not, just to look at the windows. They're always gorgeous, and if you walk North, you can finish the walk with a Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity, on 60th between Lex and 3rd. Email me to remind me in November, and I'll work on getting you some tickets to Conan or Letterman, whoever is doing live and not repeats in NYC. That's relatively easy to do. NYC has more museums than Dunkin has Donuts. Why would an 18-year-old like museums? Aren't they "uncool?" Well, depends where you go. Whatever she's into, there's a museum for it. The museum of Sex. The museum of Tenements (how people lived in the 30's.) Anything you could imagine, there's a museum for it in NYC. Find them here. Finally, give them a night to roam (if she's coming in with a friend and you) by themselves (or just with you, if she's coming in with you only) and roam along Chinatown/Little Italy. Start in Little Italy, walk all around the area, finishing off the night with a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. The next morning, head back down and have Dim-Sum in Chinatown. Lastly, feel free to PM me with some more info about what your daughter likes/hates, and I'll put some ideas together for her. Is she a musician? Does she like the arts, drama, dance, whatever? Get her into a rehearsal at Lincoln Center (ask me) or have her sit in on a Drama Class at High School of Performing Arts (The Fame School.) She into Sports? Hook her up with a Rangers or Knicks game. Finally, dress warm one morning, and take the A train to 178th St., get out, hang a left, and walk over the George Washington Bridge. Stand in the center of the span, one foot in NY and one in NJ, and stare at the beauty and magnificence that is the city.

O+ - Universal Donor _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Dear God. He's back for VI. http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1445131&sdm=web&qtw=640&qth=400 _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Repost. This came up when I posted about ball waxing here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2322181;search_string=ball%20waxing;#2322181 Still thinking about doing it. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Amazing what they can do with CGI these days. :D _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Relative Work Canopy Relative Work No stupid questions. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

This is great. I'm a Mac. I'm a PC. I'm gonna kick your ass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA3NyRr4Eng _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

Well that's super. I'm glad that your club is so technically literate in the dark arts of packing. I've put it on my list of things to do, (even posted in other boards on this site for help to do it,) so it's not like I'm ignoring it. However, I am a perfectionist. I will sit and take days to get something perfect before I sign off on it. That's how I'm wired. If I have a packer at my DZ that I trust, and it's a gorgeous Saturday, I'm going to let him pack for me until I've learned the art well enough that a) I can do it in a shorter amount of time, and b) can do it without mistakes. By the way - I wasn't nitpicking your English - I was telling you not to call me lame. You don't know me. It's the same as my not knowing you and calling you a jack-ass. It's uncalled for, and there are better ways to make your point. I was even so much as giving you the benefit of the doubt, assuming you meant something less insulting. How long did it take you the first time you packed your canopy? The first time you learned? The first time someone supervised you? Exactly my point. I packed my own gear for my A, and I jumped my own pack job. It opened fine. My goal after that was to get better in the air. I can't pay someone to do my jumps for me, but I can pay someone to handle the job of packing when I want to. As I continue in this sport, (and have more rainy days) I'll learn to pack, to the point where I'm packing my own gear. You're quite talented at it too, I'll bet - Not a dig - I'm sure, since you've been doing it since age 12, you rock at it, no question. It's an amazing skill to have, and I'm sure you've only gotten better the more you do it, as NW mentioned below you. I fly to Japan a lot for work - I can say, in Japanese, "Please don't think I'm being disrespectful if I can't correctly speak your language - I'm still learning." That gets me a lot of leeway and slack when in business meetings. In a way, it's similar to a crutch. Like having a packer is. As opposed to having to learn, I can use that phrase. The right thing to do? No. I should be learning my Japanese. I've been speaking English since I learned to talk - I'm quite good at it - Much better than I am at Japanese. If I wasn't, there'd be a problem. But I've been doing it all my life. I've been in the sport for about 14 months, and am not that talented at it yet. And if I'm going to take my limited time at the Drop Zone on a gorgeous sunny day to pack my own rig, then I'm not jumping. Will I learn it? Yes. But the "Don't think I'm insulting you because I'm learning your language" crutch of hiring a packer is very tempting. Should I be learning to pack? Yes. Will I? Yes. Today? Probably not. It's gorgeous out. Disagree, respectfully - I know my gear intimately. I can tell you everything about it, I've worked with my rigger on my brake lines, how it feels, how specific types of packing produce specific openings, why they do, and the like. I'm also putting a 229 into a bag made for a 209, and quite frankly, it's a bitch to do. ZT (my preferred packer) knows this, and is good at it. I'm not looking at my rig and saying, "Oh, this thing? Oh, something comes out of it that saves my life, but I don't know how." I can take the entire rig apart, and I've cutaway on the ground to see how exactly it works, and put it back together, (with an instructor watching) just so I could learn how to do it. I do agree that I'll never get faster until I do it myself. I didn't get good at the Piano until I listened to my mom and started practicing every day. But, see above - as I continue to evolve in this sport, I'll continue to learn. And I'll get faster. And I'll pack my own gear. So... the vibe I'm getting here is because I don't pack my own gear, I'm not a "real" skydiver, or I'm more of a Ken doll skydiver to the sport? Not directed at you, NW, just a general feeling based on all the responses. That sucks, if that's what people think just because packing isn't my finest talent. PS: I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet, so forgive me if my spelling isn't 100% there. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

You are so lame. That's a shame and even proud of it. And I'll assume that your dig at me of "you are so lame" was not meant to be insulting, but rather ,was you not having a mastery of proper English, seeing how you're not from this country. That said, you get a pass. Don't do it again. _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

You are so lame. That's a shame and even proud of it. I'm sorry? Why is that a shame? If I can afford to pay a packer, and they're better at it, and it means I can get back in the air quicker and enjoy myself and LEARN more, why is that a shame? By your logic, anyone who isn't 100% a master at packing should be ashamed of themselves. I'm not a master of cleaning my apartment to spotless, either, so I have a woman come in once every other week. Could I learn to do it and save some money? Sure, probably. Is that worth my time? No. Will I learn to pack quicker at some point? Probably. Is it first and foremost on my mind? No, not right now. Could I do it if I landed six miles out and needed to hike back? Yup. But if I'm on the drop zone, and people are there to do it for me, exactly why is that shameful? _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."