jdfreefly

If you could take a cross country trip as a black man with his white blond wife and stop at all the small towns along the way, you might find it's needed far more than you think. I see a few people have brought into the discussion PC rules that are enforced in an unfair way against Caucasians. I think you need to take a reasoned look at those things on a per case basis. Many times they are clear violations of the Civil Rights Act itself and it boggles my mind that they are allowed at all. If anything they should be proof that we still need the CRA in place. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I'll never be a guy who votes a straight party line. I never claimed to be a libertarian but I lean pretty hard in that direction and I am registered as one. I could go on at length and show you the issues I'm libertarian on, and the issues I'm liberal on and the issues I'm conservative on.......but then again, this post really wasn't about me was it? My biggest problem with the way people have reacted to this is reason and logic seem to have flown the coop. Maddow is acting like someone came in and asked to anally violate her sacred cow. Cries of racism seemed to have drowned out any reasoned conversation on the subject. I felt this article did a good job of bringing the focus to the core issues: Did we need that government intrusion back then? Do we still need it today? I know where I sit on this, and I'm interested in the opinion of this unruly mob as well the reason and logic behind their arguments. Methane Freefly - got stink?

There's been a lot of people banging their shoes on the desk over Rand Paul and his comments on the Civil Rights Act. I read this today and thought it was a rather fair and balanced look at the issue: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/23/jacoby.rand.paul/index.html?hpt=T2 I'm somewhat of a libertarian but I feel pretty strongly that at the time of its passing, the Civil Rights Act was a required intrusion of the government into the private lives of the citizens. While I am very much oposed to such parenting by the government, the reality is (and this is where many of the libertarian arguments break down) the the populace as a whole is sometimes incapable of the rational adult thought required for that kind of freedom. I think the question that now needs to be asked is, "do we still need this government intrusion in our lives?" Take it further and ask if we have matured as a society to the point where we can force equitable behavior through the mobs financial and social pressures without the government there to enforce it through law, that is the libertarian argument after all. While I dream of a world with little to no government involvement in our lives, I also believe the reality in this case is we are not ready. I live in one of the most ethnically diverse and socially liberal cities in the world, but I do not have to look very hard to see that blacks, whites and asians are still looking for a leg up on each other and there is a whole lot of the "us vs them" attitude. We could try and remove the legal obligation to equitable treatment, and in many places it may work the way the libertarians hope, but I feel there would be too many places where it would not. We've come a long way from my Grandfather's world, but we've got a long way yet to go. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I see your point, and it's a good one. If you're doing a proper check (more than just slapping the handles like a useless seal) and the entanglement had already occurred you probably would have noticed something was a miss, but given the angle it may be difficult to figure out what it was. I always did (I am retired

First off, it's supposed to be a government of the people, therefor, we are the government, therefor we can fuck it up and therefor...we are fucking it up. Second, I don't want the government to take care of me and provide me a "safety net". Every time they say they will it turns into a shell game where a few people get taken care of but most of us take it in the rear and it promotes a lack of accountability in the actions of the populace. Third, I'm all for opening the borders, if there is a job you want to do and its here in the us have at it, but the last thing some poor immigrant trying to get their feet under them in a new country needs is the government taking 25% of their pay. Fourth, if you fix the problem by increasing the number of people paying for the boomers you have not really fixed the problem, you've just put it off for a few more years and increased the size for the day the bill comes due. And finally, the rich don't get a tax break on social security, it's a cap on benefits and since the whole theory of the system is that you are supposed to get out what you pay in and your payments are adjusted based on how much you contribute, do you want to raise the caps on what we pay those that put in the most money too? Besides, I'm never going to be behind the attitude of "let the rich pay for it" when it's something I don't think we should be paying for in the first place. No flames, just my thoughts. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I would find it highly unlikely that this would be caught during a handles check, even if the tm was in the habit of doing multiple checks during freefall. I'm not saying people shouldn't do handles checks but this could be easily missed when doing one since the strands were wrapped around the end of the cable. Also, if you did notice this in freefall, what would you do? The only thing I could think of would be to grab a hook knife and cut the strands away. I'd be worried that I would actually fire the reserve trying to just rip them off. Methane Freefly - got stink?

They are the ones bitching the loudest about government waste and taxes. FINE! Continue to take from me until they all die out but come up with a plan to phase out the support for the next generation(s). Effectively each generation pays a smaller and smaller price to support those on SS and each generation gets a smaller and smaller payout...and my generation can continue to support and pay for the unrealistic and self absorbed baby boomers. Most of the teabaggers are fully out to fucking lunch, one party under the media created by the media and for the media...but some of them are good hardworking honest (even intelligent) people who want to be able to keep the fruits of their labor. God damnit, wholly fuck, hallelujah...I need a fucking beer. Methane Freefly - got stink?

So where is the party that says, "Go ahead and keep all the money you've taken from me over the years, I will forgo the social security and medicare benefits you promised me in exchange for putting an end to a broken and unsustainable system"? If you point it out to me, I will throw my support behind them tomorrow. I stopped expecting to see any of that money when I was 25. I'm fine with committing to this sacrifice now to stop throwing good money after bad. The populace should have learned after Katrina that if you are expecting to be taken care of by the US government you better have a plan b. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I remember seeing Burt at many of the bigway events at crosskeys around that time, so it's quite possible he was your wingman. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I've always believed that you catch more flies with honey so I'm not going to flame away on you...I will however give you the following advice: You really have no idea how far in over your head you are (all the way up to that stupid camera I'd wager) and there is a very good chance that you will die learning the lesson with only enough time in the end to say to your self, "I'm dumb." There is also a fairly decent chance that if you don't dies someone you become friends with will emulate your behavior and you will get to watch them die. The ground is absolute and completely unforgiving. The sky will always be there. What is so goddamn important about the next couple hundred jumps that you just have to video them? ps - I am 99% sure you won't listen to a word of this, I posted it for the kid with 20 jumps and an open mind who may be influenced by it. Methane Freefly - got stink?

The problem with snowboarding helmets in skydiving is that they often have something on the back to hold the snowboarding goggles in place. This usually presents a rather significant snag hazard that needs to be covered up and rarely is. Methane Freefly - got stink?

You forgot about those of us who bought responsibly during the bubble and our now are handling our financial responsibilities just fine. We are also losers here; some would argue we are the biggest losers since we did nothing to cause it but we are the ones paying for it. As far as governments forcing shady loans to happen, they didn't. They did however make it very enticing for banks to do it. When you dangle the carrot, you can't be surprised when the mule decides to chase it. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Thanks for posting this. Videos like this are a valuable resource for skydiving and we need to see more of this stuff posted and shared. That guy definitely was in the wrong and this very easily could have killed you and him. That said, when things like this happen to me I always like to look at things from the angle of what could I have done to prevent the situation from getting that close? How many people/groups were in the plane you jumped from? Even if it's an otter with a 5 four ways, you should be able to account for all the groups that are in the air with you. Figure out where they are early and start planning your spot in the pattern relative to them. I saw in your video a good bit of spiraling. Spirals are fun, but unless people are doing them with an eye on the other groups in the air, they tend to compress the pattern. Skydivers landing one after another is good, skydivers all on final at the same time is bad. Start building space in the pattern immediately after opening don't wait until 500 feet to find it, because by then your options are pretty limited. Once the chance of the collision became clear you had a few options. Good on you not burying a toggle on an avoidance turn and potentially making a bad situation worse. I saw you apply a little bit of breaks when you saw him which was also a good thing, it's usually a good idea if you can slow things down and buy yourself some time. The other thing you could have considered was making a slight correction in your heading, this can be done with a breaked turn or what I like to call the look and lean...aka look and lean in the direction you want to go. If you make that slight correction, once you're sure you've avoided the immediate threat realize that you may know be drifting into someone else's line of flight. Look over your left your shoulder for anyone you may be crowding and look to land to the left along that line of trees that was about 30% off the set pattern. You had the right of way here, and the other guy was definitely in the wrong, but that will be of little consolation to you if he takes you out and kills you. Remember, in every canopy collision there were at least two people who could have avoided it. Methane Freefly - got stink?

...and I am not for my Tax money going to fund wars I don't believe in so I guess were both fucked Methane Freefly - got stink?

I would have been happy with a bill that just covered this one thing: Although, I'm still not clear if "sick" == "seriously injured from a voluntary activity" And as far as paying for that...I'm pretty sure the contract I have with my insurer already says that I am paying for this and should remain covered, the difference now is that they can't just drop me to see if I have the money to fight them about it. This was all I wanted in the health care bill and I'm actually amazed to see it in there. I haven't spent much time looking over the rest of it yet. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Dearest sir, It is in best regards that I hope I am found thee. I am the son of the late venerial prince Philip Zimbosa of Nigeria. He has left me in posession of $15 million euros but they are unfortunately locked ina News Zeland bank account. In finest hours of need that we found the odds to help one another. Please respond with your correct contact details so I may initiate the extrication. Finalist Regards, Minister Desomina Stinkalot Methane Freefly - got stink?

Things I worry about wrt long term impact of skydiving: Hearing - Noise from engines and freefall Exposure to Toxins - I've been noticing lately that after a day of jumping my clothes smell of jet fuel...that's probably not good. Neck/Back - Even soft openings take their toll and the occasional slammer can't help. Knees/Ankles - Running out HP landings can take its toll after a while Shoulders - I love sitflying but I have a feeling it's taking a toll on my shoulders. Sinuses - There's no telling what the constant compression and decompression does to what is a very sensitive part of our body, although I'm sure they've done studies on military pilots that may provide info. That's about it... Methane Freefly - got stink?

When I actually get off my ass and post something in these forums it is not just for the benefit of the original poster and I think there are many people that feel the same way. So while you see it as flaming, I think some people see it as fulfilling their duty to the skydiving community as a whole. Onto the issue at hand.. What's the hurry? The sky and the skydivers in it will still be there a year and 200(more) jumps from now. You are adding risk to the equation when you jump a camera, and for what? You're still learning a lot about just flying your body so if the pictures or video are any good, it will be purely by accident. Is it really worth missing the chance to put the fear of god into your daughter's first boyfriend? Methane Freefly - got stink?

But will it help me downsize faster? Methane Freefly - got stink?

Pulling that thing down and stowing it behind your head increases the risk that it could entangle with your helmet should you need to cutaway. This risk increases if you jump a camera. I know of at least one death that was a direct result of this. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Interestingly, this was one of the key points of the dude that flew the plane into the IRS building. Prior to this move it was quite easy to work as an independent contractor in software engineering and reap pretty impressive income. This move by the IRS made the big contracting firms what they are today. I don't necessarily agree with the mans assertion that they made the engineers slaves to those companies as I've seen plenty with the determination and balls to do it create their own consultancies to be able to continue to act as a contractor...but they've certainly made it very difficult. Methane Freefly - got stink?

I call it the "Round the World" Start out both sitflying, one laying base and one is the person moving. The mover flies up and docks left hand to left hand. From there 360 to a right hand to right hand dock. Then cartwheel to right hand to right foot dock. Then 360 to a left hand to left foot dock. Finally, cartwheel back to initial dock...left hand to left hand. Find another sit flier that can lay a stable base and take turns being the mover and the base. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Make sure the handle can't twist up to the point where it gets locked onto your hand. That happened to a guy at the world freefall convention and he went in. You will want to use something like this to separate the tube from the handle. This will allow the tube to twist freely without binding to your hand. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Saw this today: http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/24/secure-your-checked-.html Apparently the safest way to check valuables on a US flight is to include a gun. I love unintended consequences. Now I'm thinking of purchasing a gun so I can start checking my rig when I fly. Methane Freefly - got stink?

Just flew home from the boggie in Puerto Escondido. Flew out of Mexico city where they showed us the official document that expressly forbid the carry on of parachutes (paracaidas). I had to go back to checkin and check our rigs and pay an extra bag fee...it was a complete pain in the ass and ate up all the time we had budgeted to drink before our flight, but at least the rigs arrived with us safe and sound in SFO. Methane Freefly - got stink?