wolfriverjoe

Very nice. A bit more stable than an old Honda Who did it? It looks like desert, SDAZ? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It just was on NPR here in the US. Syrte has fallen, but the reporter made it very clear that there are a wide variety of reports of capture, injury and death. Nothing confirmed as of yet. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

So don't just sit in the parking lot. Go in and introduce yourself. Ask if there's anything you can do. Learning to pack would be a good thing. Shagging tandems and helping students get back to the hangar (if and only if they are willing to let you) would involve a good bit of walking and/or running (you know, that exercise crap). Meeting and hanging out with a bunch of skydivers may motivate you to work harder to lose weight. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Like that would happen. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Somewhere in between. I used it a lot more when I was in a relationship. Messages and sharing pics and such. Now that we've split, the primary use is so that my mom can see pics of her grandkids (my neices and nephew) that live across the country. Oh, and stalking Nerdgirl too. She has a lot of fun stuff up.,

Ummm... maybe you need to look it up.. the Darlington Stripe has nothing to do with fender to fender contact, but fender to wall contact ... and I believe the passing technique you are referring to on short tracks is called the 'bump and run' and that has nothing to do with open wheel contact either, it's when you bump the guy in front of you going into a turn to force him to correct to the right and slide up the track while you go low and pass. Here, I looked it up: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/388136-the-darlington-stripe-damage-that-is-well-earned-and-well-respected Oops on the Darlington stripe. But the bump and run is part of what NASCAR can do that is not possible in open wheel. And there is a well known tire rub "donut" mark that shows up after contact in NASCAR that would result in an 'Up and Over" crash in open wheel. This is the best I could find in a quick search. It's a decal that fans can put on their own car, not a pic from a real race car. http://www.racingdonut.com/ "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It's been said a gazillion times, used makes more sense for your first rig unless you have a body size that's impossible to fit. You will beat it up, you will most likely downsize sooner or later and if you change rigs, new will take a big depreciation hit. However, nothing beats the fit of a new, custom fit harness (although it isn't too hard to resize a used harness). If you are planning on keeping it for a while (and I have to admit, I kept my first rig for 7 years) then I'd put the money into the nice things. Kinda like a car, spending a little money into making it nicer pays off in the long run. You won't have a "plain Jane" rig that makes you envious of all the nicer ones out there. But that's up to you. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

You are well within both PD factory rec's and Brian Germains sizing chart. As long as your instructors are okay with it, I really don't think that it could be called "agressive." "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I didn't ask you for your opinion. I wanted the other guy to answer it. Know-it-all. Fenders prevent the open wheels from contacting. Once the open wheels contact, they can, and usually do, climb on each other. Quite a bit faster too. Signed the "Other Guy" Sorry, I had to take my mom to get her hair done and to a couple stores. Seriously, NASCAR, with the full bodies can and do touch on a regular basis. On the slower short tracks they use it as a passing technique (look up the "Darlington Stripe") It may cause one or the other to spin out, but it won't cause the catastophic "cars flying through the air" like we saw in this crash. NASCAR also has full bodies and full roll cages (the entire frame is bascally a roll cage). The drivers are a lot, lot better protected. Even when they do roll or impact the walls hard, the driver is usually not hurt much. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Indeed. A 25 car field would be a better choice, I think. It wasn't just the speed but 15 cars indicates that the crowding was as much - if not a bigger - issue. How long is the track? Not very. 1.5 miles. You can't crowd open wheel cars that way. One touch is usually a disaster. It isn't NASCAR. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Good luck with it. It's a lot about desire. You have to want to quit. Like AggieDave said, you'll never be a non-smoker or an ex-smoker. You'll always be a smoker, just one who doesn't smoke. It may take a couple tries. If you give in and have one, don't give up, just quit again. Getting some help is a good idea. Here in the US there's lots of "quit lines" and "quit help" websites. They've got lots of good ideas on things to make it easier. Things will smell better, food will taste better. But most of all you'll feel better. No more coughing up yellow/brown/green shit in the morning. For me, I found that a few months later, I didn't run out of breath anymore. If I was on a bicycle, my legs called it quits before my lungs did. That was rather amazing. It's really worth it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

So go jump. Although it is falling straight down, it sure doesn't feel like it. A good understanding of the gear is smart. Brian Germain's book "The Parachute and it's Pilot" is a good place to start understanding the way canopies fly. The FAA Riggers Handbook is a book designed to teach riggers how to pass the written test. If you are a detail weenie (that's not an insult BTW) it's got lots of technical details. It's also a free download. The USPA Skydiver's Information Manual is the basic text for the rules and such. Also a free download. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Shared body heat is a very good way of staying warm. I'm sure you could find a kind and generous person to help keep you warm "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Pedigree isn't automatically necessary for competence. I'm not a lawyer, but I know a lot about how the courts function and how the laws work. I'm not a criminologist, but I know a lot about roots and solutions to crimes. I'm not an economist, but I know a lot about economics. And pedigree doesn't automatically make one authoritative. There's a lot of stupid people with degrees out there. I know lawyers who's advice isn't worth the effort to listen to it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Common question. Most recent discussion: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4198090;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, considering that the 19th century was in the midst (albeit towards the end) of the British Empire, I would think that millions across the world were praying for their demise. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

How about looking at it as an accomplishment rather than a let-down. How many people get through AFF? How many ever do more than just one tandem? How many ever jump at all? It is so tempting to want to encourage those who want to try, that sometimes I forget that there are people who really shouldn't be jumping. Remember, when (and it's a when, not an if) something goes wrong, you will have to react appropriately and quickly to make it through the emergency. You have commented about anxieties and panicking. If you aren't fairly confident in your abilities to react properly and in a timely fashion, then maybe you shouldn't do solo jumps. And I really have to remember that that decision is one that should be made between you and your instructors. Period. And if you are having fun, then keep doing tandems. Sure, some folks will look down their nose at you for it, but they are the same folks who look down their nose at those jumping larger canopies, belly flying, not being "cool". Screw 'em. The only thing that will matter to most is the fact that you love the sky. And if your limitations mean that tandem is the best choice for you and you are smart enough to know and do that, then the one who matter will applaud you all the more for making the right decision. Here is someone who did a whole lot of tandems. From the video, I don't think anyone on the DZ thought less of her for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTRGtqqDgRs&feature=related "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

All he has to do is log on, post "I'm sorry, I was wrong, you were right" AND MEAN IT. And stop being stupid in the future. Many will accept that, some won't. Some feel that his behavior towards those who were trying to keep this from happening means he deserves similar behavior now. If he's learned his lesson, great. If not... I hope he takes up bowling, but if he does, he'll probably find some way to kill himself sooner or later. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Come on Bry, this is the best little tune to hum while waiting in line somewhere. If you quietly sing the chorus it's even better... Nobody wants you behind them "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Excuse me? I don't get the joke.... Kids today... Sheesh Soul Man Yeah, Sam & Dave did it better, but I've always loved these guys. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I doubt you know what different people consider the appropriate weapon for personal protection. Hint: Hand guns have their limitations. Are you saying an AK-47 is an appropriate weapon for personal protection? That generally you'd carry one around with you at all times if you could? Read up a little on the aftermath of Katrina. Military-style rifles were very appropriate to that situation. It all depends on the situation. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I'm curious what your opinion of the Fast and Furious operation is then. I'm sure I've made myself clear on that. In fact I think I posted the first thread on the topic here on dz.com, though it was still called Gunwalker/Gunrunner at the time. I find it deplorable that federal law enforcement was ordered to allow smugglers to purchase rifles and transport them to cartels in Mexico. I'm not a fan of perjury, either. What does smuggling, preventing investigation, perjury, and arming organized crime have to do with the silly idea that "guns kill"? Either guns can or can't kill a person. If you don't think guns can kill a person, then you should have no issue whatsoever with what was done. Personally, I think that's the wrong way to go, but it's your argument. Wow. Of course guns can be used to kill. But the important words in that sentence are "can be used". It isn't the gun that kills, it's the person using the gun. Hammers don't pound nails, wrenches don't turn bolts, brooms don't sweep floors. They are all used by a person to do those things. You have made it pretty clear in other threads that you don't like the idea of mentally unbalanced people being allowed to have guns. There has been a good amount of debate on that. The problem I have with Gunwalker/F&F is that guns were deliberately placed in the hands of people known to be willing to kill by BATFE agents and a federal prosecutor. There was a cover story that they were allowing the guns to be sold in order to get to the "big fish" while there was no means whatsoever to track those weapons once they entered Mexico. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Have you tried heel clicks? I had the same problem. That's what worked for me. That and sticking my thumbs in my ears to even out my arms. The body awareness that is necessary in freefall didn't come easy for me. But it came eventually. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It seems the Rs want a true "Dark Horse". Someone new pops up, leaps to the front of the pack and then plummets just as quickly once the public learns what the candidate is really like. Bachmann, Perry, and now Cain. Romney seems to be the only one with "staying power". I have yet to see anyone I want to vote for. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I've been thinking about this point, and it's interesting, but in the end I have to admit I don't buy it. These guys (and they are all guys) aren't really unafraid of death. Not even Sangi, who claimed he's not scared of death. They just really do genuinely believe it won't happen to them. It's hard to be frightened of something that just happens to other people, maybe people less talented or quick on the draw. People they don't even know - guys on the internet, people who died or maimed themselves in some abstract other place. A lot of them don't even know what death or horrible injury is, not in a real way. I fear changing the message it to "horrific injury" won't change the end result. The trick is not describing consequences they're going to be scared of, it's somehow convincing them that they're not immune in the first place. This is a lot of what I meant. These types may claim that they aren't afraid of death, but it's really that they don't believe it will happen to them. Others perhaps, but not them. It's well known in flying, fast cars and motorcycles (and in skydiving of course). You see a lot of this type quit after an injury, a close call, or seeing someone near them get hurt or killed. A few of them will actually admit that while they thought they understood the risks, it took that close call or injury or whatever to pound home how dangerous what they were doing was. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo