livendive

Added D22369 because if Jess couldn't figure out how to add her name to the list, there's no fucking way in hell Roy would. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Actually? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

What was his level and how many jumps??? His level was "clear and pull". I don't remember exactly how many jumps, but it was more than 10 (static line progression). Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Or just change your screen resolution Or just go here Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

It's one of those thingies where you have to use the middle of the page scrollbar instead of your browser's scrollbar. Took me a minute to notice it too. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

And now we have the largest standing army in the region. We have enough weapons and munitions to invade Iran and Kuwait. And we have previously used nuclear weapons. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Badnarik ran. He got my vote. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Depends on who she (theoretically) runs against. Luckily GWB can't run again, as that would win Hillary an automatic vote from me. Against McCain, there's no way I'd vote for her. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

How about a little respect and gratitude?! Do you feel the same way about Marie Tillman? When our young troops are off dying in battle, some families are going to have to shoulder a burden of grief. Be grateful this woman is bearing that cross and you're not. I think we all owe at least a little fucking respect to the families who lose their loved ones in the advancement of our national agenda, whether we agree with that agenda or not. How do you feel about the people who spat on returning Vietnam vets and called them all manner of nasty names? I get a similar reaction seeing people here calling this woman an idiot, stink-hippy, attention-hound. Walk a mile in her shoes, lose your own child to the war, then come back and tell us whether you deserve to be the object of ridicule for not being very fucking happy about it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Bill, She didn't giver her son!!!!!!!!!!! HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THIS COUNTRY! Don't confsue his real sacrifice with her loss. She obviously never wanted him to go and might as well be pissing on his grave right now. Can you say "strawman"? Where did he say she "gave" her son? It looks to me like he said she "lost" her son. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I haven't gotten to that point, so I can't *really* say, but here's how I look at it. Evaluate current happy/sad meter. Try to forecast near-term and long-term future happy/sad levels. If the probable amount of long-term future happiness doesn't sound worth the current and near-term future sadness, opting not to take anymore might seem attractive. Obviously your friend wasn't happy about something, and didn't think it was going to turn around for him real soon. It sucks for those who are left behind, but at least whatever he was suffering has stopped. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Well, that's if you want to be all nicey-nice. When I have friends over I have no qualms about telling them "This is your beer/wine, and this is mine. If you want me to share my good stuff with you, you have to bring good stuff to share with me." Similarly when I go to a party at someone else's house, I'll usually bring my own dead stuff and beverages and I'll share with the host if they're interested. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

As has the US, back when bin Laden was fighting the Soviets. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

When do you suppose we started clashing with irregular forces? I suspect it was within the first day or so of our invasion, and if our military planners didn't expect that such combat would be part and parcel of the war than they were foolish indeed. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

After 24 jumps? I wouldn't let things become quite so "routine". Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Twice. One was a student who froze and took his clear & pull into AAD land. I didn't really have to tell him much. I asked him to meet me for a beer the next evening and he said he was thinking about quitting but was unsure whether he should leave now or do one more to prove himself. I encouraged him to just leave it alone and stick with mountain-climbing...adventurous while also having more opportunities to stop and evaluate the situation. He accepted the advice so I didn't have to tell him "No, I mean you're not allowed to jump with us again." The other was a novice who made safety errors on virtually every skydive. Low pulls, downwinding the road, cutting through traffic, etc, etc, etc. He took it personally and went to the DZ across town. I think it was about 6 weeks later that he finally earned his ride in a helicoptor. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I'm not sure everyone else's idea of cupping is the same as your's. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You're the second person to mention the "attention" aspect. Unless the slider is REALLY shaking the risers, I don't even look when picking up the flares. Plus, I usually pick them up well above my base leg. It's kind of interesting how every TI develops their own "routine". Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I don't let my students play with the toggles all that much unless they're progression tandems. I'll ask some of those who seems like once-and-done tandems if they want to help steer...probably 60% say something along the lines of "umm, no, I'll leave that to you." I do agree on the controllability check of the flare toggles up high now. Lesson learned - If there's a problem with them it's better to learn it at the top then at the bottom. As for the laterals, I include the loosening of them in my briefing so all I have to do is say "OK, now I'm going to loosen the bottom straps like I said I would. It feels a little odd, but don't worry, you're not getting away from me." I loosen rather than disconnect the laterals because a dangling lateral bit me in the ass once a few years ago. I was having a student help me land, and at 300 feet or so we made a turn. When I said "Stop turn", he kept holding the toggle down. I said somewhat aggressively "Let the toggle up NOW" and heard him kind of grunt and sputter "I can't". I looked down and the hook on the lateral had snagged the cuff of his jumpsuit and his wrist was bent such that the toggle was trapped. I dropped my toggles, punched the snag hard enough to rip the cuff off, grabbed the brake lines and flared. We walked away, but the potential existed for substantial injury. I don't let (non-progression) tandems help me land anymore, but I see the lower loop in the main toggles as having the same snag potential. For me, the extra 2 or 3 seconds disconnecting on the ground is worth not worrying about that possibility. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

So I'm not the only one who scoffs at the decimal system when referring to my age. I'm 24. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Now then Dave I wouldn't be posting your particular medical issues on a public site... Not me, the other guy! I have no heart disease that I'm aware of. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Therein lies the problem--I don't drink. Take it to the DZ and break it out after a few hours have passed around the bonfire. By then everyone should be sufficiently sauced to drink it and thank you for it! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Ahh...there's nothing like travelling to a DZ and having a jumper come up to me and ask my why I'm wanted by the FBI. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

The only problem with that is she thinks he's already married. She just thinks he's sexy and wants him to go out on a date with her. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Works for me! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)