wwarped

if you're simply after a bigger buzz, then you DO have the wrong attitude to BASE. stop now and save your money. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

I know a guy who hosts his own "charity" golf event. like most such, it appears to be mostly as an excuse to get friends together. it happens all the time. if it offends you that bad, do the civilized thing and OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE! as I've never actually run a fundraiser, I'll cheer for Miles to do a great job. hopefully it reflects well on the rest of us. oh, and do you think your divisive comments reflect well on the sport? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

true, very true... but, uh, so? the media will choose how much time to give MD and how much time to give to the charity. most media outlets know when people attempt to manipulate them. if you think more money could be raised by just GIVING it straight to the charity, you're right. so, next time a co-worker is raising funds by selling candy or girl scout cookies, simply refuse the product and hand over some cash. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

wow. that, just, well, doesn't seem right... but back to Miles. I'm betting he'll do fine and wish him the best. hopefully all involved will show the enthusiasm Miles is known for. can't wait to see how it gets covered! DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

glad to hear I misunderstood. much work remains and it appears you are committed. good stuff. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

yeah, it's not right. also saw an article about how people as far away as the Dakotas were receiving subsidized loans meant for 9/11 victims... evidently the govt. gave the loans to many who did NOT know the intended use... sad. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

I don't see what's either newbie-ish or arrogant about it. the arrogant bit for me is describing non-jumpers as "normal." just like in excess of 70% of people say they are above average drivers, I doubt many will raise their hands saying, "ooh, ooh, I'M normal!" many, if not most, people keep various activities and thoughts hidden... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

for some background on storm naming, see: http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/2005names.htm as it's alphabetical, they needed a name beginning with "K." DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

That is exactly what the ABP seeks. Below is a section of the brief proposed to the Utah State Parks Board regarding the ease of which the sport can be introduced into their regulatory system. the original post appeared like someone taking credit for a fait accompli. I meant to convey that much work remains until we congratulate anyone. I'm aware of the efforts in Utah, the dismissal of at least one presenter, etc. but this thread involves the US FEDERAL government. as federal policy has many deep pocketed interests, it can require much more effort than at the state level. it IS obvious that the ABP (and others) has put BASE on a radar screen. with all the other proposed changes, it doesn't appear as we are the driving force. hopefully your organization continues it's efforts to affect change. I'll celebrate once we see appropriate changes. Edited to add: thanks go to Jason for making the community aware of these proposed changes! DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

is BASE the reason? or just the excuse? can't "increasing public demand for modern comforts" be read as development opportunities? we'll know by governmental action. if new construction quickly begins, while BASE is lost in a quagmire of safety certificates and user fees, we'll know we were only used as a pawn. they needed a poster child and we were it. if jumping begins shortly after they implement these rules, we'll know the lobbying efforts paid off. we'll know that government personel listened. we might want to suggest that they begin implementation of these rules with BASE. we require virtually NO capitol expense, NO infrastructure improvements, and thus NO budget hits. the opponents to the new rules doubtfully object to BASE jumping. we can also be used to show immediate progress. every bureaucrat likes to show progress... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

who wants the job of watching the cameras? uh, sounds, um exciting? DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

well, I haven't! so I won't give a recommendation. I'm betting that you will receive solid training from all the courses mentioned so far. the biggest variable might be what YOU bring to the table. so, talk to all of them. see who you feel comfortable with. find out their training schedules and fees. the folks here have given you a great start, but you have to make the call! DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

I've been saying that from day one. Becuase of the idiocy of letting the UN run its 14 resolution course...well we saw where that went. Who was in charge from 1992-2000? Well, you be the judge of what he should have done w/ Iraq. the best opportunity to remove Saddam from power came during the first Gulf War. the president at the time chose NOT to, but encouraged the Iraqi people to rise up. this led to massacres of Kurds in the north & Shia in the south. personally, I was shocked when he ordered the troops to halt. he had the troops just stand by while Saddam exacted his deadly revenge. the president who chose this path left office in 1992. if you wish to be FAIR, you would have acknowledged this. he dropped the ball and left the mess for his successors. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

agreed. and not just for the current officeholder. all recent US presidents have wielded tremendous power, and have all had severe critics. returning to previous comments about other's knowing more... military people ASSUME and TRUST that the leadership is operating based on superior knowledge. many political leaders (especially in non-functional democracies) want their people to believe that as well... it helps win "elections." but democracy in the US & UK (and probably others) means no inherent trust. leadership needs to demonstrate they are right. but they'll never make everyone happy. consequently SOMEBODY will think any given politician is a liar. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

love the work DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

hey, President G. W. Bush clearly explained that the war was because the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction. didn't he? I thought he did... he also says he'll hold people accountable. as there have been no public rebukes, or sackings, everything must be just spiffy. (oh, and I loved the leadership he provided when he saw a catagory 5 hurricane approaching the US and got on television to encourage people to evacute New Orleans and prepare for the worst. he did do that, right? I mean, he is a great leader who gets out front...) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

welcome to the sport! DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

I have not disputed anything you say and know you make many great points. I just chose to limit my comments to support a VERY frustrated soldier. a person risking his life for a higher ideal. I chose not to discuss the greater political picture. I did not say the US's action is justified or not and I know many in the world disagree with the US position. even when I disagree with the politicians and their policies, the people who serve in the armed forces deserve respect. while embarrassments have, and will happen, it is wrong to say they represent all those who risk their lives. THE VAST MAJORITY HAVE EARNED MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF RESPECT. I, for one, plan on giving it to them. as for the policy makers... that is better left for a different thread. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

actually, there is much in your post with which I agree. I know much about our shared history, having visited Australia several times. this thread started in another forum, where a member of the US armed forces felt like his service was being derided BY A FELLOW AMERICAN. i.e. someone living in the country he swore to protect. that's got to be very painful for him. my goal was to support this soldier and point out the comments came from outside the US. from a person outside his home country. many voices criticize the US and how it treats other countries. (I'll avoid discussing the merits of the criticism.) the folks who volunteer to serve must know this, early on. surely they develop a thicker skin to it. but the same criticism coming from home... that has to hit hard. Australia has stood by the US firmly for years and is a wonderful, free country. still, US troops signed up to defend the US. INDIRECTLY that is also a committment to defend other countries. please re-read that statement. US troops swear an oath that they take VERY seriously. while the US will support and defend Australia (amongst others), the US never asks it's soldiers to swear an oath to protect them. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

thanks for your service. when I read BUSAUNIT's post, I got the impression he is Australian. it sounded like a political statement for that country and not directed at you. while you swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, you have no such obligation to the land down-under. unfortunately, that thought won't remove the sting of his comments. please focus on performing your duty, staying safe, & coming home healthy to the people who care about you. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

ANY thread with a picture of a "hot chik" should remain open. doesn't matter if it's an avatar or attachment. ladies? (oh, my definition of "hot chik" - any woman who packs & jumps her own BASE rig. age, appearance, shape, education, amount of facial hair, etc. does NOT matter.) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

your profile said you are a static line instructor. hopefully, that means a smaller, quiet dz. I know a friendly dzo who is a pilot, rigger, and an old-school jumper. he keeps belly mount reserves in date in case someone wants to jump a t10... when it's slow, I've attached a belly reserve to my BASE rig and climbed into his Cessna. (unfortunately he always gives me at least 750') jumping the whole setup is the way to go. of course, in the US, it is effectively another BASE jump. you don't want to run around talking about it. if you can't get away with that, others use some sort of big student rig. some even swap the main from rental gear. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

Tom, please lock this thread. it obviously has NO relevant link or bias to the US. (other than using English) as such, it does not fit critic's view of this sight. on second thought, maybe you should just delete the entire thread... DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

thank you for the response. it is quite valid. I tend to prefer gear advances. they are knowns that obviously help everyone who chooses to use them. unfortunately, videos of way cool aerials also inspired people to do them WITHOUT training. great vidoes can thereby place the sport at risk. it's a sword that can cut both ways, inspiring more people to improve their skills, or to just get hurt (especially those who hadn't jumped yet). when talented people compile cutting edge video, they can make it LOOK so easy... thankfully, I remember seeing some carnage in RADIX (I was offered a copied disk, but declined. at least have the decency to PAY the people making the disks...). carnage reels strip the illusion of the beauty shots. DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse

we agree on that Jimmy has made some amazing videos. we agree that many will enjoy watching them over & over. obviously, there is a tremendous entertainment value associated with Jimmy. but I'm still unclear on how that benefits the sport... how it makes BASE better... (I'm betting we define benefit/better/progress a bit differently.) DON'T PANIC The lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. sloppy habits -> sloppy jumps -> injury or worse