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How can you guys say this ad isn't controversial?! I mean, no tongues, no soft lighting, no stroking the sides of each others heads, no Barry White. Jeez you people are nuts. For the record, i don't find this ad anti anything. It was funny though. edited for tipoz "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

If you were secure within yourself, your own culture and your own life and position within society, you wouldn't be stressing out like you are about something that actually doesn't affect you in the slightest. Don't really know what else needs to be said. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

You need to pull yourself into the year 2007; this is a very out-of-date stereotype and is likely to be insulting to many of the hard working people of African American decent who live lives that are not much different from yours. Inner city ghettos, while a major social problem, make up a very small portion of African American citizens. I work with African Americans in upper management and corporate executive positions on a regular basis. I would be interested to hear why they have any more excitement or danger in their everyday lives than I do. Prejudice and Stereotypes aside, I think this is a very interesting subject: African American participation in skydiving is considerably lower than the African American to everyone else ratio if you look at “out of poverty” census statistics. Those in the poverty class, white, black, blue, orange.. I don’t care what color or race – are not skydivers. This makes me wonder if its cause more by genetic reasons than social and economical reasons – I wonder if the desire for adrenaline release is just not as great in those of African American decent. I’ve seen articles in the past that attempt to identify a link between adrenaline junkies and genetics, but none of them have brought up the genetic differences in race and ethnicity. It would be interesting to see the results of scientific studies of this type, not only in the skydiving industry – but in other extreme sports. I totally agree with your 1st and 2nd paragraphs. That "im out dodging bullets in the hood, i dont need to jump out of planes to get a rush" is a bizarre unfounded sterotype. That aside, i don't skydive for adrenalin. If anything, the adrenalin is something i don't like - it is simply a useful byproduct to keep me on my toes in what can be a high stress situation. I skydive because it brings me as close to human flight as i can get at this point in time, not because of "the mad buzz" i get. I think there are T type personalities, or however you wish to refer to them, that crave that excitement, rush of adrenalin or whatever, but the way i see it, the reason there aren't more black skydivers is precisely summed up in what eflynn said above. I don't think its as complicated as a "genetic predisposition". "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Are these the videos of the reserve that was packed slider down? I just want to make surethat, if they are, you dont think these are typical openings. Yeah they are slider down. I know that isn't typical, but it's still incredible to see

Thanks this was the sort of answer i was hoping for - someone in a near similar position to me, who had done the evaluation. I've spent the last 48 hours thinking long and hard, and a few hours ago, i came to the exact same decision you made. I think we need to start reevaluating the term "camera flyer" and the related issues. I'm not saying the FF2 with a low profile lens and no stills is snag free, but, compared to a heavily loaded, multiple camera mounted, large lenses everywhere set up - well the 2 are distinguishable when i think about what it means to "fly camera" these days. Anyway that's by the by - i am opting for one, and as others have said, can always reevaluate this as and when needed (like when i mount my stills etc etc). Anyway thanks very much for your thoughts - although i'd made my decision, it is nice to have it confirmed by someone else who was in a similar position and did their homework before making the decision. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

On new Jav's yeah, it's a $250 option - old ones can't be retrofitted. Full annoucement due shortly, there is a thread on here posting a few links to early new breakers elsewhere. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

350 jumps, ordered my new Jav a while back, now told i have the option of the skyhook. Always liked the look of what it does (those super low openings on reserve rides on URW site are incredible), but i'm flying camera (low profile Royal Lens on a low snag factor FF2, with cutaway chin cup). I want to get a 350D on the top mount sometime soon, so i'm upping my snag factor, but i'm staying away from ringsites. I know there is the chance of an unrealised entangelent with the camera helmet which i cutaway from and the main is still attached on the non RSL side, but when i weight up from what i see and hear and learn on here, it seems more likely that i will end up getting sucked down on a cutaway, cutting away lower than i ever think i would do while imagining the situation on the ground and wishing i had a quicker opening reserve than the former situation. I know an RSL and skyhook present the same issue for a camera flyer, but i think as is right now, my camera helmet is very low profile, without lots of protruding bits and pieces of the traditional image of what problems a camera helmet and all the goodies up there can produce in terms of snag factors. Are there any people with low profile cameras/top mounts flying with the skyhook? Is this a case of risk managing the situation to decide which is worse, a hang up on the non RSL side with an unnoticed main in tow somewhere, or going low on a reserve ride? Am i missing something crucial to the argument that would help me make the call? I know i can just unhook the skyhook like an rsl, but i always jump with my FF2 and camera, so technically i'm always "flying camera" anyway. Thoughts? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Damn sorry to hear that about your friends dad, condolences. If you think back to what sort of person he was, can you think of any unique or distinct traits he had that allowed him to achieve such financial success? What's the first sort of things that pop into your mind when you think back to what sort of character the guy was? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Are you talking about the trick where you stand with both feet together, offset the angle your audience see's you by 45 degrees and trhen you raise your feet up through pushing off your toes on your foot furtherest from your audience? The David Blaine levitation thing? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Thanks for taking the time to reply. What area of consulting are you operating in, IT or management? All of the points you summarised in that paragraph where you mentioned the content of that book basically sums up what i was looking for when posting this thread, so thanks for that. So far what i'm getting from this thread is: Live well well WELL below your means Don't let your ego decide where your money should go Work hard and save hard Don't try and keep up with the Jones under any circumstances Create your own opportunity Anything i'm missing here? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I own 1/4 of a Software company that is worth 4 to 6 Million depending on which method you use value the company (2x Annual Sales or 10x Annual Profits). We had a buy out offer earlier this year that we declined because it would not be enough for the 3 of us to retire and we like what we do. And Yes, I make a relatively Small Salary and company profits are reinvested in the company. Actually myself and one other partner are in the process of buying out the Senior partner (That is nearing retirement age). We are 2 years into a 5 year deal that gives him 90% of company profits (First $125K each year goes into his Retirement plan to minimize taxes). In the end when he retires, We will have purchased the remainder of the company with company money. At that point we will look for buyers and see about our own retirement. Thanks for sharing Thantos. Did you start this company up with your other partners? I am a firm believer that unless you go out on your own branch and do your own thing, in whatever capacity that may be, you will never truely be in a strong financial position. This just proves that. Unless of course you happen to be a highly skilled professional earning multiple 6 figures and you are disciplined at putting things into your nest egg investments of course. Thantos, what would you say you have personally had to invest to get your quarter share of this business to where it is today (has it been luck. hard work, well timed speculation, a natual predisposition to work in this industry, or a combination of the above)? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

No it's looked down upon here as well. The rich get richer on the backs of the poor. Seriously. What I think you're referring to is called an "infomercial" and they do nothing except fleece your wallet and make the pitch man rich. The pitch man didn't make his money in cars, property or some financial secret on the market. He got his cash by telling you he's rich because of those things. People believe him and give them their money for the secrets. IF you actually find someone who's self made, not egotistical and willing to share their information for free. You're pretty lucky. I was born poor and I'll die poor. end of story. Nah i'm not looking for someone with a "get rich quick infomercial" approach to help me along my way, i'm hoping to hear from people who have actually made themselves financially secure though hard saving, investment or both, and to learn from those people in terms of character traits, less about their specific investments themselves (although that's still interesting). Not everyone "gets rich" off the back of poor people. Ask anyone selling a good or service in the luxury/high end markets and i'm pretty sure they would disagree with you. There are also many people now earning their keep and doing very well through social enterprise business start up's, or those who only invest in socially responsible and sustainable businesses. It's a fallacy to believe everyone who is self made did so off the back of exploiting the poor and uneducated. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I would not consider investing in rental properties while my buddies are buying new cars and taking trips to who knows where...."getting lucky." One year, my wife and I purchased 3 houses, that took 90% of our income (we worked on the road, so over head was low), instead of spending it in a bar, or on depreciatable items....well, we did skydive here and there. but, yeah, i paid for my college, lived in my pickup truck, on a small boat...just to get exactly where I am...now...to push on even further. and, oh, i still drive a 17 year old beater car. its not what you make, its what you save, and how you spend it. edit to add: and i will spend my future life, in blue jeans, and a t-shirt. many people could be millionares...if they just stopped trying to look like one, or what society thinks a millionare looks like. the only person i have to impress is...myself. hell, isnt that why we all started skydiving. but it turns out that where i grew up, the last of 8 kids, a powerline foreman son...the area went big, and now the millionares, are just your average joe....at least finacially...mentally....thats a entire different story. mentally, i would consider myself a billionare...i have traveled, lost friends, gained friends, love my wife, doggies, and what i do...i just whanna die with 5 dollars in my pocket so i can get an icecream on my last day. Thanks for sharing - actively investing in rental property is not what i would consider passive investment myself either. Thanks for sharing - much of the traits you have mentioned (live well below your means, save, work hard and make your income work for you) are all things i try to do myself - but often find it hard (found myself dreaming about trying to finance a "new" secondhand car last night, instread of being happy with my old wreck that at least gets me from A to B etc etc). Thanks for helping reaffirm some thoughts about the road to financial freedom. Just out of curiousity, is your money still paper money? BY that i mean, have you sold up your rentals and realised the capital appreciation? Has the housing downturn affected your balance sheet much? Property speculation has really gone through the mill here in the last 5 years, and capital appreciation in it is largely seen as a dead duck now. Too many speculators all trying to do the same thing - at least it is keeping rents cheap "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

NWFlyer said it best. It's kind of like asking "So, how much do you make?" The ones with true wealth or status don't need to share it. Well, the secure ones, anyway.

Would you be willing to share your savings/investment plan with us? I'd like to see it, it's part of why i put up this post myself, to try and learn from what others are doing. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Why discount passive property investment I have over a miullion dollars in unencumbered property equity in only 7 years there's nothing passive about that I will be interested in those that speculated on property as an investment vehicle and bought property surplus to their needs (i.e. as investment opportunities rather than a dwelling to actually live in). Many people have benefitted from massive house price inflation in the last decade - most of this is down to luck, pure and simple. In a few rarer cases it's down to entrepeneurial spirit of seeing an opportunity. I'm interested to really tap into those who had the foresight and entrepeneurial/investment streak to invest in property outside of their main dwelling, because they saw the potential for capital appreciation. If you are the latter, please let me know so i can grill you for insight into how your mind works

And i don't mean through passive investments like getting lucky through house price inflation. Has anyone here done anything to actively make themselves self made and made a million from doing so, whether it's through active speculation and investment, or pure hard work and saving, i'm curious to know what people have in common charcteristics-wise who are self made and financially secure. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Come back, ONE YEAR! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Interest rate rises, won't make significant difference to the dollar slide - currently the dollar is falling in value against central banks who have both a higher AND lower base rate than what the Fed has set. It has been predicted for several months that the dollar was due for a slide - an unsustainbly high US current account deficit as well as a paradigm shift from other central bank reserves away from the dollar - it has just taken a while in getting here. Now it is being bolstered by weaker housing, and general economic data coming out of the US. Expect even more weakness as UK and Euro firms repatriate their dollar earnings back into their home currency as we move to the end of the year. I would be surprised if we didn't breach $2 to the £ a things stand. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

You may as well say what;s the point in reading the incident forum, because those are just events that we can't change now, so there is nothing to learn from them. I agree with vertifly, this is a great video to show people what NOT to do in many ways. Unfortunately the majority will probably just miss all the valuable lessons and go "WHOA YAH WAY COOL DUUUUUUUUUUDE THAT LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!" "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1418892;search_string=sonicare;#1418892 Been using mine since that post pretty much. I love it. The tickling goes away after a short time, just keep using it. It comes witha 90 day guarantee anyway, so you can send it back within that period. It really is good for getting the below the gumline plague shifted. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Hey mate, i was the guy who tried to fly with my helmet camera but wasn't too successful I thought it was a very interesting experience flying (or trying to fly) in the tunnel. It was INCREDIBLY difficult. As soon as i got done with my time, the amount of respect i had for you guys flying in it went off the scales - to fly in that thing, without walls, in the big suits, and with a (relatively) slow air flow is very VERY difficult! You guys really got my respect for what you were able to do in it. I just wanted to say thanks again - all of the guys at Aerodium were the coolest bunch of people i've come across at any tunnel. Really laid back and totally wanting people to have fun and experience the tunnel. I even got a second go in a baggier suit because the first effort was so bad Thanks again Reinis, and say what's up to all the others. Hopefully see you guys in Kolomna at some stage to make some jumps together! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Thanks for the input everyone, and to GG for the handy hint on silver for the reserve pad, that's a good idea. ALso to the guy that pointed out white will get dirty from packing and touching etc, and that someone may be looking to deploy for me if i'm knocked out and will be able to react quicker to colours etc - good points which i hadn;t considered. I'm going to make the cutaway red and probably go silver on the reserve now. Cheers all! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Dark navy blue rig and webbing, dark blue jumpsuit. Thinking about cutaway and reserve handles both in bright white to make em easy to see when the fan is being hit. Someone said i should get the cutaway red, which is what my last rig was, so i could do that but i kind of like the symmetry of both being in white and know they will stand out very well from my rig and suit. Thoughts (ideally from those people who made the decision to have both cutaway and reserve pads the same colour and if it made any difference during EP's). Thanks "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Thanks for that - any chance you or the other dude with one could please post pics so i can see dimensions and space/pockets/build etc? Many thanks! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts