wolfriverjoe

She has a paddle and isn't afraid to use it. She has a ban-hammer and isn't afraid to use it. She tells deaf guys to fuck off... And they listen. She probably has the most quotes in siglines of anyone on here. "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 can you be "letting yourself down?" You're having a great time, you're part of the DZ culture, you know you're not going to be hurt it's a lot less likely that you will get hurt on landing, there is no pressure to perform, people want to jump with you as a tandem, youv'e got tandem instructors wanting to take you, you finish the jump safely, with a big smile and you giggle every time you talk about the jump. The TI's enjoy the jump too, because they're dealing with someone experienced at both ends of the spectrum, and the jump is somewhat out of the norm for them (5 way RW is really fun for them, too!) How on earth can that be a let down? It's great to see you bouncy after a tandem jump!! FIFY. Other than that I fully agree. GP101, you are having fun and so is everyone around you. Isn't that the whole point? That doesn't fit any definintion of "Bad" that I've ever heard. "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 would suggest taking him out to the DZ when you aren't going to jump. If he can go out, meet everyone, see the gear, watch the operations without having to worry about you, then maybe he could see it more objectively. If he goes out while you are jumping, he will be so focused on you that he may not be able to see what's going on. This is what happened with my own mom. I was the only pilot available one day, so I invited her up with her understanding that I wasn't going to be doing any jumping. She came up and watched jumpers other than me and was able to see what was going on without having to worry about me. The next time I went and jumped, she decided to come out and watch. It was one of those days with a high, thin overcast that let her see everything going on. The plane and even the jumpers were silhouetted against the clouds and perfectly visible. It helped that one of us was doing video and we'd put the video on the hangar TV as soon as we got down. She'd see us jump from the ground, and then watch the jump from our point of view on the TV. She said that she was rather surprised that she didn't feel the "pit of the stomach" fear while watching me in midair. Now, she comes out quite often. She loves sitting at the picinic table, enjoying the day, enjoying the entire DZ atmosphere. It's pretty cool. "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

Should a commercial aircraft be maintained @ commercial part 135 aircraft standards or should 'any person' be able to work on it to part 91 standards or how ever they see fit to "fit it"? The clear answer is, under the current FAR's a smart DZO will have his paid packers holding a riggers ticket or one ticket holder on the mat complying with 105.43, it only takes one fuck up to land you in a world of FAA shit and or bring down on the industry a lot of trouble that need not be. Z-hills @ Perris V, has paid packers, last time I was there each and everyone of them was a ticket holding FAA rigger, it's not that hard to comply with the reg, plus it keep some one working who took the time and paid dues to earn the ticket, I would rather have them looking over my gear then "the lifestyle packer/dz bum" who could care less there is wear on the Y line of a drouge or line trim or the other 1000's of things that can go wrong on a highly used rental rig and tandem rigs. I think it would be nice to see a "Junior Rigger" or maybe call it just plain "Rigger" that's a step below a Senior Rigger. Main packs and simple parts replacement only. No reserves or sewing. "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

No, it's just pretty rare that the pages and pages of warnings and advice are documented this well or are proven to be accurate so quicky. I've been debating commenting on this, and with the number of deleted posts and warnings in the Incidents thread, I'll do it here. First off, I'm sorry he got hurt. But he was warned. VB risked losing him as a friend in order not to have him get hurt (in vain as it turned out, but the effort was there). His comments about not fearing death indicate to me that he refused to believe that he was going to get hurt. He wouldn't admit it, probably not even to himself, but he believed deep in his heart that he was too good to die. He's not the first one I've seen this in (including myself). Most of us are immortal for a period of time, usually late teens to early twenties. Some have harder lessons than others, some only have a second or two left in their life to realize it. I had a friend biff hard enough to break bones earlier this year. One week after being warned he was pushing too hard. He may or may not have learned his lesson. It's a bit early to tell. Indications are mixed. I have to decide how much I can and am willing to do in order to keep him from getting hurt again. It may cost me our friendship, and even that may not be enough to keep him from hurting or killing himself. This isn't new or limited to skydiving. Some people realize the risks, take the time and put forth the effort to become competent and end up doing well. Others... Not so much. They don't have the patience to put in the work. They are looking for the "rush" of doing dangerous stuff without realizing how dangerous it really is. Sangi's posting history shows (to me at least) that he had very little appreciation for the risks in the stuff he was doing and wanted to do. It was "cool" or "fun" or a "rush", but not really dangerous. Not in any way that would really affect him. Well, he's going to have to live with the effects of those choices. For the rest of his life. Like 'Twardo noted, you don't come back all the way from these kinds of injuries. "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 does that make our descendents our own God? I've often wondered if the "aliens" that are described are actually what humans turn out to be in the far distant future. Given the difficulties in space travel due to interstellar distances, it's almost easier to imagine that the UFOs are really time travellers. And no, I don't really believe in UFOs, but it's something to contemplate. "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

Why do you feel that you need suggestions about gear? The first line says it all. Start saving. The money doesn't care what brand or size of gear you buy. You'll need to save somewhere between $2k and $3K depending on a few factors. By the time you have your license and the money saved up for the gear, you will have a much better idea of what is appropriate for you. Then, with help from your instructors/rigger/mentor, select an appropriate sized reserve, an appropriate size and model of main (yes, not elliptical. "Square" or semi-elliptical/slightly tapered). LAST, select a container that fits those canopies. Fitting you is also important, but harnesses can be adjusted (by the manufacturer or a master rigger) within reason. "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

No, they aren't shunned. There are numerous hypothesis on how the Big Bang came to be and what was before it. Many (perhaps most, maybe even all) of them are wrong. It's possible that man may never find the answer to the question of what came before, how it came about and why. But there's a big difference between not knowing and assuming that because we don't know, then "God must have done it." I'm not conversant with that branch of physics so I'm not familar with the thoughts and ideas of Pre-BB conditions. But I'd bet heavily that there isn't one that assumes a giant intergalactic, hyperdimensional bunny pooping out the singularity as a rabbit turd. I kinda doubt that one assuming a transfinite cat puked up the singularity as a hyperspatial hairball is there either. And I'd put an old guy clapping his hands and saying "Let there be light" in the same category. Note: I've heard an anecdote about Newton. He observed over time that the planets didn't quite follow his predictions. Finding no perceptible flaws in his calculations, he assumed that God would just reach down and fix any irregularites. He never thought that there was more to the situation than he was aware. Like the fact that his own motion within the system would alter his perceptions. Relativistically. This is a really good example of what I mean when I state "Not knowing doesn't mean we should assume that God does it." I searched around a bit but couldn't find the story anywhere. If someone could confirm or deny the truth of that I'd appreciate 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

A cartoon of some of 'Twardo's old stories would be fabulous! There are some really good ones in the "Scary Stories From the Old Days" thread in the History and Trivia forum. Indeed! I just got a mental image of Skydiving Duck under canopy at a night demo, being rocked by the shock wave of high explosives going off nearby. Or the one where he dropped the smoke canister at the football demo and had the cops get involved (and was saved by someone really cool, but if you want to know who, read it yourself ) Or... just about any of 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

Thanks for posting (again). These are fabulous. And you did great on the release, once you got arched properly. No chipping or turning, nice and stable. Great Job!!! Please keep the story going. One thought - Ryoder wrote: A cartoon of some of 'Twardo's old stories would be fabulous! There are some really good ones in the "Scary Stories From the Old Days" thread in the History and Trivia forum. Note: If you go looking, DO NOT open the DB Cooper thread. "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

Is it just me or is the fact that it's at the University of Bologna a rather interesting little conicidince. Almost a "Freudian Slip" if you will. I hope it works, but I won't believe it until I see it (or someone trustworthy sees 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

Star Chamber? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Chamber Wiki Clicky for those who don't know the term. "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

Someone above touched on it, but are you comfortable with having a potentially nonfunctional AAD? It won't make stuff worse, but it may or may not work if you need it. To put it another way, if your AAD malfunctioned and your rigger had to pull it out and ship it off for service, would you have him close it back up and jump without or would you not jump that rig without and AAD? (find a different rig, find a different AAD, not jump at all until it's replaced) I won't tell you what to do, that's your choice. But keep in mind, that this isn't a situation where the bad cutter will lock your reserve shut, it just won't work if you need it to. "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

Wasn't he the one who, during the Mercury eval process, looked at the blank sheet of paper and asked why it was upside down? The evaluators handed candidates a blank sheet of paper and asked them to describe what they saw. John Glenn was said to have replied "It's a blank piece of paper." And probably blew his chances for a slot. "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

Yes there were a few hiccups along the way and lessons were learned. WTF are they learning from the Cayenne??? That people will buy a nameplate, regardless of what it's on (although the Cayenne really isn't that bad) "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

First problem - The solution is simple, don't tell them. Follow the Soylent Green model. It will certainly leak at some point. But that's ok too. The hippies will come out to protest the "reactor" part. The Tea Partiers will come out and protest the creation of green energy. More fuel. Second problem - SInce matter/anti-matter or electron/positron are simply labels, left and right will work. The idea is brilliant. It just uses stupidity as fuel. And lastly, who cares if it's really practical? Even if the efficiency is really low. Really really low. Like 0.000000000000000001%. It still gets rid of the stupid people. Any actual energy produced would be a bonus. "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

Stupidity based fusion? Lots of power and an virtuallly endless supply of fuel. Hmmm... If you could make it work, you be a solid Nobel contender. "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 could be wrong, but woudn't their identical levels of stupidity (that are really really high) overwhelm the small differences in their idealogical polarity? "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

No, it's the worst time to do something like that. There's a big difference between doing something "exuberantly irrational" and blowing that kind of cash on an impractical toy. And BTW, you talked about a set of tires and their cost. You seem to ignore the simple fact that with that kind of car as a daily driver you will need 2 sets. All seasons won't cut it in either. Not good enough to be any kind of fun in summer, and not good enough to be safe in winter. High performance in summer and Blizzaks (or equivalent) in winter. It's really not an option. "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 not entirely sure I agree with that. The ROVs are fairly expensive toys. Not millions like the government drones, but ones big enough to do real damage are going to run low 5 figures. A pair of cutters for the fence and a big crowbar or sledgehammer for the door are a lot cheaper. "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

And this is also a barrier that is far far more an appearance than reality. Most small aircraft are stored in hangars that have minimal locks, with the ignition key in the plane or close by. There are fences and other securtiy in place around some airports, but the "Barefoot Bandit" demonstrated how easy it is to steal an airplane. "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

To be fair, that's just the modern bastardization of faith's definition. As far as OT/NT is concerned, faith is synonymous with trust, no blind belief. And that trust was built on, "Look with your eyes at the what's been done before, what you know is true, etc. and *trust* that I (God) will deliver". God throughout both the OT/NT narrative has been pretty consistent about offering evidence that He is trustworthy, and is pretty big on "Don't follow / believe something blindly." The whole point of miracles and prophecy was to identify true prophets from false ones. After all, if the standard was "No proof, you just have to believe" you could say anything you wanted. You might not agree with the ultimate conclusion / belief system that God exists in any form, but as for the OT/NT narrative, it's pretty clear that faith is not the blind, irrational belief people like to label it today. There's a big difference between having faith without solid proof and blind, irrational faith based on "No evidence whatsoever, just believe what I say." Science has demonstrated pretty well that the processes for creating the universe don't require God to have done it. There is no proof, either legal/courtroom (beyond a reasonable doubt) or scientific (repeatable through experimatiation/demonstration) that God exists. None. I have faith that God exists, due to things I have experienced and seen. Miracles if you will. Small ones to be sure, but miracles nonetheless (to me anyway). Purely subjective, not scientific and probably not capable of convincing anyone else, at least those who don't want to be. And that's ok. I have that faith. Not blindly, but based on trusting in God http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YujYTVQ4_S0 Skip to 1:25 to find the best definition of "Miracle" I know. "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

http://www.gotquestions.org/remarriage-adultery.html More NT than OT. "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

And every rigger who has to deal with a tiny rig stuffed full stood up and cheered. "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

HERE 2, 3 and 4 give you the answer. "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