Newbie

This is NOT meant to bash flat flyers, but it's just an observation on some of them - the amount of times i watch 3 or 4 way footage of flat flyers who can't track off never ceases to amaze me. You get people who turn nice points, fly well in their formation, don't brain lock and look to be of a decent, capable standard (and although i'm in FF, i do LOVE watching good FS and still enjoy flying on my belly), and then they freaking almost drop like rocks because they go to track in an almost arched body position! What's with that?? Again, I don't mean to bash flatties, but i think you see less of this with FFer's because of the propensity to go on tracking dives, to feel more of the wind on different body configurations and hence understand how to be more effecient at flying and what efficient flying feels like. I could be talking complete bs here, but does anyone know what i mean? Sometimes i look at a 4 way team video and just stare in disbelief that people are putting themselves into a position where they are blatantly not ensuring they have life saving skills (a good track, namely) under their belt and in the bag, before jumping with more than one other person. Just an observation, and curious to know if anyone see's what i see. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I think it comes down to personal characteristics of the person you are asking - hence the multitude of different responses you see here. What's "morally" right for some, can be quickly dismissed as "not even being about morality" to others. I don't think 300 skydivers trapsing about in the dark would be the right thing to do. Neither do i feel partying like fuck all had happened is either. To me it would be about balance. Party arranged for the night? Cool, let's drink. Someone went in (stranger to me or not) on my dz - man that really fucking sucks. Cancel the party? No. Celebrate and get debaucherous like there is no tomorrow? No. Have a few drinks with friends and reflect on life? Most likely the option i would be taking, but each to their own. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Why not watch it, THEN make your mind up GOSHHH!? I thought it was the sleeper hit of last year. You do need to have an ability to appreciate the subtlety of the humour and have an appreciation of off-the-wall comedy to really enjoy it though i think. So far the only people who i have come across who didn't think it was hilarious were people that live in places like where it was based and see it as pointless because that's sort of what their life is like anyway, which i can understand. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Great video thanks for sharing! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

These aren't new but i really focused this weekend on making sure i did them on all jumps. They really help! 1 - jump with a partner on a similar skill level and just work on 2 way stuff 2 - debrief one another in the video room, looking where you can both improve, listening to one anothers points, just as you would with the coaches 3 - When cue'd in the door to exit, both take a second to take a breath and exhale slowly before exit. Anyone got any other simple and effective tips to improve the learning curve? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I was on my back, eating the banana "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I had a banana on my back and it seemed noticeably more "tasteful" - is this because the air is different up there? Has anyone else eaten anything and know what im on about? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Oh yeah lol, i should have looked more closely "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

http://www.bodyflight.net/potw-tunel_wingsuit.jpg "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I think this was what i was getting at. How then, as a safe skydiver, do you know when you are on the right, cautious side, of pushing yourself and educating yourself, compared to crossing over the line and into the (potential) danger zone of doing something outside of your scope of ability? The only markers i use are the advice of experienced jumpers (which can sometimes be flimsy, depending on who you speak to) and my gut instinct on whether im going outside the boundary....but then my instinct is very subjective, because it's how I feel about my ability. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Interesting. What was his reasoning for stating he was right and you were wrong? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

What i mean is, can worrying excessively about safety in some context perhaps make you less safe? This is an odd question i know, and i don't know what the answers are, but i just figure i sometimes obsess about safety to the point where i have thought "can this be detrimental in some way?". An example might be the perceived safety of thinking you HAVE to land into wind overriding the problems associated with a low turn to get into that pattern in the first place. I know this is more about education, but it's only through education that someone who is otherwise taught "always ensure you are landing into wind to be safe" and thinks that this is the safe thing to do, then learns "...unless you have to make a low radical turn to do so, in which case the safety of landing into wind is overridden by the benefit of taking a down/cross winder" etc. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Thanks for the comparison reviews, makes for interesting reading. I'll second what Skydonkey said and give a big thumbs up and a tip of the cap with a loud WOOHOO for 2 tunnels. Talk about all your Christmases coming at once Reflective surfaces/mirrors would be a great idea, i second that for what it's worth.

You haven't figured out yet that defining abuse of personal freedom equals no freedom. And your definition was so far off base that it defies a reasonable conversation. 1st Amendment- READ IT. You're allowed to think you're better than other races. Even allowed to say it. First off, how does the 1st Amendment apply to the 4+ billion people it doesn't have any relevance to? Secondly, if you curb peoples personal freedoms is that not stating they do HAVE personal freedom to begin with? Unlike others here, i do not see the correlation between "behave as you want, you are free to do so, come what may to other members of society" and a very "free" way of life for responsible members of society. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

That's the saddest thing I've read in a long time. But a lot of others have already responded more eloquently to your post than I can. You think it's sad that if someone abuses their personal freedom they should lose some of that priviledge? That's an odd statement as they aren't abusing their freedoms, they are just exercising their freedoms in a really stupid and hateful way. It happens all the time. I was commenting on your some pigs are more equal than other pigs attitude. I guess if you get to decide what is acceptable in the world and what isn't then the world would be a perfect place? Freedom is ok, but only freedom as defined by Newbie's criteria. What next, freedom of speech is ok unless they say things that you disagree with? We have a lot of that today too. It's easy to agree with the concept - it's much harder to support real freedom when you find out it isn't always just what you want. How strong are your convictions when it mean protecting the rights of others you might find despicable? Then turn right around and use your freedoms to make the opposing position known and public. Well, let's just slap the armbands on right now and start telling people how they have to think (either party will give you a platform depending on your focus). Let me know how that goes. In an ideal world, all pigs are created equal. No one is - or should be - born above others - we should all have the same levels of freedom. I don't think i'm above anyone, all i'm saying is, let's all be free to enjoy life as much as one another - until such a time when my or your or anyone's behaviour as a result of that freedom affects the lives of others in a detrimental way. Teaching your kids to hate other races is consistent with freedom of speech, but likewise consistent with pretty poor parenting. I personally don't think you should be allowed to teach your children to hate, it's detrimental to their development and their lives as a whole, but that's just my take on it, i could of course be totally wrong. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Sounds like you'd like to beat the crap out of violent people? I'm not a violent person so i'm not sure where that came from - but if you are asking if i think violent people should be slapped on the wrist and not have their personal freedoms curtailed, then no, i don't believe that they should be allowed the same freedoms as others. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

That's the saddest thing I've read in a long time. But a lot of others have already responded more eloquently to your post than I can. You think it's sad that if someone abuses their personal freedom they should lose some of that priviledge? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Not that my comments will add much to this interesting discussion, but what the hoo, i'm going to make them anyways... DING DING seconds out, round 2! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Ironic you are for mass sterilizations to prevent people from teaching their children hatred and intolerence. The only thing i have an intolerance for is intolerance. I only hate people that hate people etc etc blah blah. Yeah yeah i know how the argument goes, but my kids will not be taught to hate one particular race. I think those that are should not be allowed them in the first place. Why should i be allowed children? Because i won't be preaching them hate, but rather tolerance of other races. Should they tolerate those who preach and spread hate? I don't think so, and i also don't think that's an oxymoron because some people should simply not be tolerated when their actions affect the lives of innocent people around them, be they victims of suicide bombers, or those who endure rascism. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

What about those extremist families who would one day be happy for their son/daughter to grow to become a suicide bomber, who dress them up as masked martyrs before they reach double digits in age, and have them wearing pseudo suicide belts carrying wooden AK47's? Should we allow them that freedom, because personal freedoms transcend all rationality? I think ANY family from ANY background preaching intolerance is on thin ice, but in particular, those who advocate a real hatred of other races, should not be allowed the priviledge of children. Freedom is one thing im all for, but when you start to raise children with your own monstrous and hateful beliefs, whether that's simple straighforward white supremacy (as in the case here) or otherwise, in my opinion and in an ideal world, you should lose your right to impregnate that bile on an impressionable mind. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

And this is why she is not truly Christian. What an idiot Looking like Satan incarnate probably doesn't help her god fearin' imagine either. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I found this, a press release from Fox... "Mom Has Major Meltdown on the Season Premiere of Trading Spouses 10/18/05 MOM HAS MAJOR MELTDOWN ON THE TWO-PART SEASON PREMIERE OF “TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY” WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, ON FOX Two-part Episode Concludes Wednesday, Nov. 9; Sneak Peek Available at www.fox.com Two mothers with very different beliefs trade lives, leading to a dramatic homecoming, on the two-part season premiere of TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Marguerite Perrin of Ponchatoula, LA, and Jeanne D’amico-Flisher of Boxborough, MA, trade places to try out the ultimate life change – leaving their families to take over a clan from another walk of life. As they meet each other’s families and instill their own set of rules, chaos ensues. Then, during the dramatic conclusion airing Wednesday, Nov. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), viewers find out how each mom distributes the other family’s $50,000 prize and what caused one mom’s major meltdown after she returns home to her family. To see a sneak peek of the season premiere of TRADING SPOUSES, log on to www.fox.com. Perrin, a fiercely religious Christian, and her family are from Ponchatoula, LA – a town outside New Orleans. She and her husband Barry live with their two daughters, Ashley and Brooke, and their granddaughter, Ashley’s daughter Abigail. Perrin’s largest concern is with anyone who doesn’t have God in his or her life. She believes such people are lost and could negatively affect her children. A deeply devout and vocal woman, Perrin strives to ensure that only godly people are around her, having low tolerance for anyone she doesn’t think is worthy. In sharp contrast to Perrin, D’Amico-Flisher and her family are passionate about hypnotherapy, tarot cards and pressure healing. Husband Chris enjoys practicing astrology and believes that one’s astrological sign is his or her owner’s manual – that a person’s personality adheres to the rules of his or her Zodiac sign. The couple met on a dating website and were married shortly thereafter; when they met, Chris was a widower and Jeanne was divorced. Jeanne’s children include Matthew, Elliot and Emma, and Chris is the father of 13-year-old Miles." -FOX- So it's basically 2 parts - Nov 2 and then concluding on the 9th. If anyone is reading this, and is able and has the impetus to DVR it and then ship the DVD to me in the UK, i would happily pay all postage and packing and ship you a crate of beer for your troubles. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

holy fucking shit. That was amazing. agreed. If anyone has any contacts in the reality tv biz, i would pay handsomely to see a weekly show with her in it, a la The Osbournes "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/tradingspouses.html edited to add - generally a SFW site, but the words "porn" and "sex" appear in ad's (without pics) on the margin "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

bahaha hilarious post "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts