MakeItHappen

As long as there is no restraining order on you for attending, you can attend. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

The defendants own lawyers objected to exhibits produced by the people they are defending? Yes. All of the exhibits were eventually admitted. One exhibit showed that SR had gross revenues/income of ~$24M from 2003 to 2008, inclusive. To the best of my knowledge this exhibit was produced by SR and not by an independent auditing agency. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Hey Billy, listen to me........ Yeah SR did not fair well yesterday. When the defense attorney objects to his exhibits- exhibits produced by SR, being entered then you know there is a problem. I'm still writing my account for my journal. I promised Blue Skies an article too. We still have to wait for the judge to rule. But overall, SDA had a very good day in court and SR was, well, so dysfunctional it was comical. I was on the stand for about an hour. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

The biggest DZ in the world, Skydive Arizona, does not take them. That is leading by example. And, just a reminder, Wednesday is the next court date for the SDA v. SR lawsuit. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Wait a second. Are you saying that when Larry Bagley travels on USPA business, he will fly for free when possible on his wife's airline, then charge USPA for what the cost of the flight would have been? Are you saying that he is profiting by his pass riding privilege and putting our membership money in his pocket? Yup to both questions. And he's been doing it for a hell of a long time, even before CN let him telecommute. I also know that some board members do the same thing with FF miles. I've worked for companies that required you to book through the company so that the FF miles get credited to the company and you could not use them for your benefit. I do know people that work for companies that let you use FF miles anyway you want to. Another charge that USPA incurs is the forwarding of phone calls to LB when he is in UT. If you call HQ and ask to speak to LB, the call goes over to UT and that extra long distance charges gets billed to USPA. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Don't call/write me, here is my response to these questions. 1. In charge of comp and special projects. Pretty much anything that no one else seems to take on, Larry does. I've seen his job, he's underpaid. How do you know he's underpaid if you don't know his salary? This is does not answer the question. It really does not matter why LB was fired. The fact is that he was and that authority rests totally with the Executive Director. If the BOD does not approve of the ED decisions the ED ought to be reprimanded or fired. Rouillard(sp?) was fired by the BOD. Ottley got a few corrections from the FB. Specifically, he denied Truffer and me from running an ad for our respective publications. The FB made him accept the ads, not one director or the EC. To the best of my knowledge, his telecommuting is not reimbursed, but travel to USPA events is. But the kicker is that his flights are free because his wife is a flight attendant. It's kind of like collecting the money if you use frequent flyer miles. You were asked to pay for LB's attorney fees. Not a single director asked why USPA was doing that. If you didn't know anything about the situation, then why didn't you ask? The BOD normally goes out of its way to explain motions to the rest of the BOD. If you did know about the situation, then your silence endorses whatever happened. It wasn't the FB that reversed the ED. It was only one director, perhaps in consultation with the EC. IMO, the prez usurped the authority of the ED and caused damage to the management of HQ. My guess is that ES had valid reasons to release LB and JS was bullied into hiring back LB. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Well, I don't really think this is a bad mark on ES. In fact, I think it shows some backbone to him, that you never saw in CN. There have been numerous requests from jumpers to get rid of LB. I never made a request to the ED to get rid of him, although I had ample incidents to do so. There was a Nationals at Perris where Chris Moore missed his plane. He claimed that his number/name was never called by manifest. Larry calls a jury to determine the matter and hands us the manifest sheets that Perris had. The manifest sheets prepared by the event judge were also given to us. There was a Perris staff person that transcribed the rosters. When I looked at the sheets, it showed a discrepancy between the roster that the event judge submitted and what was given to Danifestor. Moore's name/number were omitted from the manifest sheet that Danifestor read. Bagley and the other jury person were aghast. They thought Moore ought to be penalized because he submitted another statement that was, well, 'questionable'. I said it does not matter if Moore added in some other statements later, the fact of the matter is that his name/number was not on the manifest sheet given to Danifestor. Moore deserves a rejump. Moore got his rejump and placed first. At the time I had no idea of who Chris Moore was or that he was a contender for first place. There was a collegiates were the judge did not rename the event properly. LB came to me and yelled at me that this was unacceptable and you need to fix it. I told him I'd take care of it. I went to the judge and told her and showed her how to rename the event. The judge quickly fixed the event name and then said she did not understand why I did this with all of the yelling at you get for things that are not even your fault. There was a Nationals where the event judge did not check the box for throw-away rounds in a CRW event. The score sheet printed did not have the throw-away marked. LB came storming into OS HQ and demanded, by yelling at me, that I fix this immediately. I went over to the event judge to show her that she needed to check a box to get the proper score sheet and standings. She said she had already realized her mistake and redid the standing printing. This was something that the event judges are supposed to know. I asked the chief judge to make sure LB knew that it was a judge's mistake and not my mistake. There was a BOD meeting where the S&T and Comp committee were meeting in adjacent rooms. These rooms were separated by real walls - with two sheets of drywall and 2x4s, not those slide walls. The S&T Comm had just finished a motion and the room went quiet for a minute or so while paperwork was being filled out. We hear someone YELLING from next door. We realized it was Comp next door and then identified the yeller as LB. Glad we are in S&T so we don't have to deal with that. There was a N&E comm meeting where I asked a question that 'staff' - meaning LB - would be able to answer best. The chair directed the question to LB. LB stands up, outstretches his arm and pointed to me and says "I'm not talking to you!" Then goes on to yell his answer to the question to the committee. Let's hope that LB finds a new job soon. I don't know if ES did something wrong in his firing of LB, but at least he had the temerity to fire LB, something his predecessor did not do. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

That's interesting. That would have been useful information at the BOD mtg. I wonder if USPA will rescind your awards or ask you to pony up to the D license once they find out you don't have a D license. What are your numbers on those certificates? I wonder if there are more folks out there that have the awards without a D license. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

USPA pays for LB attorney's fees There was a motion at the BOD meeting that said something to the effect "allow USPA to pay Larry Bagley $1000.00 for his attorney fees." So why is USPA paying for Larry Bagley's attorney fees? Ed Scott, the Executive Director, fired Larry Bagley, the Director of Competition, a few weeks ago. The Executive Director has full authority to hire and fire people that work at headquarters. [GM Sec1-2.6 Administrative Staff] The BOD hires the Executive Director, and the BOD does not have authority to hire or fire staff at HQ. So after the BOD was informed about LB being fired, some 'consultations' took place. One of those 'consultations' was LB talking to an attorney. Other 'consultations' were between ES & BOD members, specifically JS. The end result of it all was that LB was 'rehired' and part of the agreement terms were that USPA pay for the attorney that he hired when he found out he was fired. Those are the facts that I know about. I don't know anything about the employment terms of LB with USPA, so I have no idea if ES had valid reasons or not to fire LB. In the meantime, 'the grumpy old man' that others like to call LB, continues on and will come to a DZ near you to yell at you personally. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Ok I won't because you already know that. Try again with the Membership Services comm to get it changed. The last time it was requested, July 03 (pg 21), it was defeated. . It was rerun time at the BOD mtg. Exactly the same arguments were made. Those that did not want the requirement removed said U$PA would loose a lot of money, yet no one could actually quantify it. Those that wanted the requirement removed said "USPA was being petty about it, the D license has nothing to do with # jumps or FF time." FYI Those that wanted the requirement removed were Gary Peek, Craig Stapleton, Vic Johnson, Tom Noonan and Ed Dixon. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

As long as the bottom and final signature is done by an instructor, and the checkoff dive and verbal quiz is done by an instructor, the rest can be done and signed off by a coach and still follow the spirit of the rules as written. You are missing the issue. Say a student is partway through training and has an accident. A section of the card, requiring an I, is signed off by a Coach. Ooops--- that's a BSR violation. (under today's rules) The DZ did not provide the standard of care that the USPA suggests. A lawyer will yank the coach, DZ and USPA (if USPA accepted a coach's sig where an I was required) into court in a heartbeat. This is why I suggested that having a sig block for both C & I might alleviate the logistical problem. You'd have documentation that each part of a Coach's training was supervised and still abide by the current BSRs. I do find it strange or funny that some people are clamoring for augmented entry skill levels and renewal requirements and then also clamor for 'letting a coach sign off' stuff that requires an Instructor. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Update on this case: Both parties submitted arguments and exhibits to argue to the court this week. The Plaintiff (SDA) says: "For the foregoing reasons, Skydive Arizona respectfully requests that the Court exercise its discretion to increase the award of profits and/or damages in this case. Under the totality of the circumstances, such an increased award is appropriate and necessary to achieve the goals and mandates of the Ninth Circuit in cases like this one. The Court should provide a remedy sufficient to serve the policy of deterrence, and to make the Defendants’ violations of the Lanham Act unprofitable." The Defendants say: "For the foregoing reasons, Defendants respectfully request that the Court enter a judgment not withstanding the verdict, or, in the alternative, order a new trial, or order a new trial on the issue of damages, or in the alternative, order a remittitur for acceptance by the Plaintiff of $224,652." A hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 3. The judge will decide the outstanding matters shortly after that hearing. Most of you don't know this, but the jury did not know about the other lawsuits (GA v SR and SR v USPA) and domain name disputes that were in favor of SDA. These facts were not allowed to be presented to the jury because of the potential bias it might have created. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I put the dishes on the kitchen floor. In a few minutes, no make that seconds, they are 'clean' enough to put into the dishwasher. I only run the dishwasher once a week and stuck on food won't get cleaned. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

The instructor's signature is essentially his/her certification that your coaching was, at least to some degree, actually under his/her supervision. I want a coach to sign off on each thing they taught - so they are accountable. When I sign the bottom line final signoff for the "A", I will review knowledge and when the quiz and signoff jump are done I will see if the student is ready... If I discover a coach did a poor job of training I can find out who did it by reading the card.... I can also see if one coach did all the work or if the student got multiple perspectives from various coaches... I don't want another "I", who did not actually do the dirty work, sign off for a coach... No accountability and no traceability if another "I" signed but did not do the work. I know so many coaches who work their butt off in a good way for students, and god forbid, some of them have just over 100 jumps and do a good job... Let them take the credit for their work - OR - document their inadequacies in teaching. Another way to look at it... The patient in the hospital is under the supervision of a doctor. The nurses also are under the supervision of the doctor's orders. The doctor trusts a nurse to administer care and sign the patent's chart. When that care is substandard, the chart shows who did the substandard work, and it is all done "under the supervision" of the doctor, even if the doctor is not in the room... To get the changes you are asking you'd need to change these sections of the BSRs or maybe have a sig block for both the C and I. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I'm with you on this. People really should not make fun of people that are getting these procedures done. For the life of me, I don't understand why someone would tell someone (especially someone that becomes a PW for jokes about it) else that they are getting it done, but apparently this guy did. I recently got this email from a blood relative that had a colonoscopy I don't know how old the OP is, but these procedures and the information gleaned from them can effect several people and not always in a good way. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

http://www.gutenberg.org . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Agreed, I could have done without that visual. I'm not sure I follow your "logic" here, so let me see if I have this straight: An experienced skydiver invites his ex-girlfriend to the DZ so he can show her how much guts he has, then a Navy SEAL tastes the dead dude's brain matter - and from that you conclude that the messenger is the one who needs help? Did I get that right? Oh Gee, Robin, I seem to remember you shooting a messenger about a year ago. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Does 'back story' = "Sponsored jumper was sponsored by MFG1. Asked for custom item from MFG1 and was refused (by who? the MFG1 or the employee?). Sponsored jumper went to MFG2 to get sponsored by them, as he'd (the sponsored jumper?) planned to even before asking MFG1 for custom item. MFG2 and sponsored jumper called MFG1 (or the employee of MFG1?) to get materials." Did MFG2 & the sponsored jumper call the employee of MFG1 or talk to MFG1 directly? Why was a 'back story' necessary? What does the 'note' state? Start over and walk through the events with nouns and no pronouns. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I have thousands of terminal jumps on a free packed main with a tail pocket for the lines. Cruiseair, Pegasus, Turbo, X-210 No problems. I think I started using a bag when I got a PD-170 around 1995 or so. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

There are too many pronouns to follow the story of who was doing/saying what. Try it with Jumper A, B, C and Mfg 1, 2, 3 etc . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Well, to tell you the truth, I thought it was boring and not to the point of "it needs to convince them that i would be a good candidate for law school". I would start it off by stating the obvious: "I would make an excellent law student for Pepperdine because I have personally witnessed several adjudications that were forays into a lay person's life. These situations may take advantage of those who do not know their rights or the meaning of the law. The well educated lawyer from Pepperdine, that I shall become, will be able to decipher the pending issues for clients, have an encyclopedic knowledge of the applicable laws, interpret the laws as they apply to the facts and argue for the best interests of my client." Then I would cite the examples: "When my cousin was molested by his drama teacher at age twelve he faced an uphill battle. The teacher assumed my cousin would expose him, thus fabricating his own story to discredit the twelve-year-old. This pitted the word of a respected teacher against a troubled pre-teen’s, who could not even recount the event without shaking. With the administration against him, my cousin had to put all trust and hope in a lawyer. The lawyer’s decisions carried the burden of not only my cousin’s well being, but of finding justice for the teacher’s prior victims who were too traumatized to carry through with the prosecution, as well as preventing future victims. One guilty conviction and a fifteen-year-sentence later, these responsibilities were fulfilled with life-improving consequences for my cousin and our whole family." "Even able-minded people can be helpless when it comes to making decisions that are beyond their ability to make wisely. As a member of the Choctaw Nation tribe with most of my family employed by the Choctaw Nation, I realize my community is in need of conscientious decision-makers. The Choctaw community has been permeable to every problem in society, which are amplified by poverty and alcoholism. While I am very proud of the initiatives and programs put forth by my tribe to help its own people, I would personally like to see greater access to competent legal council, and hope to fulfill this role with my law degree. " "I began working as live-in with Carl, an Alzheimer’s patient whom I had met while working at the Pepperdine gym. A man who was a world-renowned artist and had once began a successful design corporation now needed my help putting his shoes on the right feet. How could he manage protecting his business and livelihood? Once again, I witnessed the powerful exchange of trust for responsibility between a lawyer and client. " Then I would state what Pepperdine's education would give you. "Pepperdine has long been known to produce fine lawyers such as ...... I intend to follow in their foot steps and became a learned lawyer that not only knows the law, but also how it is applied to real-life situations. The mere statement of facts does not represent the dynamic interpretation of law. Documents do not speak for themselves. Lawyers and judges apply the law to the facts to reach appropriate and fair conclusions. I intend to become one of those lawyers." I would also rewrite this to flow better, but it was to give you an idea of what I would be looking for if I read your application. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

What 3 fatalities are you attributing to "unintentional jumper contact with horizontal stabilizers on climbing jump runs"? . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Sorry you feel that way. I think you completely misunderstand my attitude. As for Kool-Aid, I prefer Cherry. I assure you, my thoughts are my own, safety to me is paramount to any other concerns in this matter. It just so happens my thoughts on how to keep this situation safe are in line with USPA's thinking. Got news for you, the borganization does not think, it acts primarily on political or financial expediency. JP, when you start slinging credentials around you are asking people to judge you by the color of your skin and not the content of your character. Yeah, why don't you go get those numbers and see if it agrees with the numbers I have. Rule #345 Never state that so-n-so said such-n-such unless you have a quote. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Now you sound like a whuffo media reporter. The 3 fatalities at Lodi were 2 on a CRW load that went very bad and one ff-canopy collision. Those could have happened at any DZ anywhere and no one would cast aspersions upon the DZO. Injuries happen at all DZs too. AC damage, well gee whiz, your alma mater had an otter stall on jumprun that caused $40K worth of damage. I was on that load. The DZO had the nerve to ask the people on the load to sign a statement saying that it was their fault that the AC stalled. Only two of the NGs signed that statement because they didn't know any better. And on top of all that, political manure-ing managed to get USPA's insurance to pay that repair bill. Then there was another big DZ to the south that had a collision between an otter and a wingsuiter. - Actually two such incidents now at two DZs. The first DZ paid for repairs on its own. I do not know the disposition of the more recent accident. In fact the more recent accident could also be considered to be well within the realm of teaching the jumper what to do or not to do on exit. eg The exits for such-n-such situation are safe when you do this and that. If you don't do this or that, you might hit the tail. JP, your blatant biased opinions are going to hurt you. It's one thing for a DZO to use the mantra of "my way or the highway". It is totally different if USPA or any of its agents say "my way or the highway" because someone objects to a statement made by the borganization. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

The ad did not discuss all of the parameters that go into exits like that. It was definitely slanted to one side. Most likely that jumper in the ad jumped up on exit. That (the jump-up) has been a contributing factor in the handful of tail strikes. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker