riddler

I've seen wake-up modems (prior to wake-up LAN). They have an external power source. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

One of the other drummers did die in a bizarre gardening accident. Get the DVD - the deleted scenes are worth it. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Natural remedy, anyone? Go to the store and get a couple of bunches of bananas. When the itching gets to you, eat a banana, and rub the inside of the peel on your bites - it may help alleviate the itch. And you smell like bananas all day

Asphyxiation from swallowing your fish whole after a bet. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

With friends like that ... I don't need you as an enemy Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I've got plans for a very large hamster-wheel for over-energetic dogs. You would be able to bait it with whatever you like (I hear one dog likes rabbits ). Eventually, I'll hook up an electric generator and use it to help power a wind tunnel. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

K - you can usually go to a larger arts and crafts store with your own design for a rubber stamps, and they will make them for you for pretty cheap. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

aigh! It's the evolution of the cat! Beware! Soon they will multiply and wield guns and start their war against humanity. Oh wait - that sixth toe isn't an opposable one, is it? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I second that - Firefox is the best thing to come along since Opera. There are a few site that use M$ Active plugins, and don't work with Firefox, but I have boycotted those sites. I use Firefox almost exclusively. Edit - your clicky is broken. Here's a better one: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

On the runway, as we are taking off, the skydive has already started. I am watching the wind sock to check the direction of the wind when I land. It might not be the same when I'm landing, but there's a good chance it will be, and I can prepare myself for landing in that direction - what will the turbulence be in the landing zone as the wind passes over objects from that direction? Touch my handles to make sure they are in place. As we are taking off, the skydive has already started. I am checking ground speed to see how fast the winds really are - usually they take off into the wind, and you can gauge how fast the wind speed is by the penetration speed of the aircraft. As we climb, the skydive is just beginning. I know that I need about 1500 feet to exit safely if there's an emergency - I'm keeping my seatbelt on until 1500. If we take off west, we start to climb over mountains and I know the ground is rising, so I may not take off my belt until 2,000, since ground level is 500 feet higher. Skooch down a bit to make more room for everyone. If there's turbulence here, I make a note of that because it's going to bet bumpy as I'm setting up my landing pattern. Plane still in the air? good. breathe sigh of relief - skydive's off to a good start. Now that we're higher than 2,000, take off my helmet, so I can look around better. Pay attention to where the DZ was - behind me, or to the left or right, as I turn? I want to know where it is all the time, in case we have to bail early, or in case the pilot decides to try to drop us over the wrong airport. Check my rings and straps. Look outside - which way is the sun? That helps in case I get lost on descent and also in setting up my landing pattern. What's my altitude now? Where is the DZ again? 4000 feet? Are those clouds at 4,000 feet? Well, I'll keep that in mind in case I lose track of altitude - if I see clouds go by on the way down, it might be time to check my altitude. Look around at others - does everyone else look OK? Their gear OK? I look at as many others' chest straps as I can - I've seen people forget as they were going out the door. If I'm coaching a student, I take a harder look at their gear, and may even tug and fiddle with parts (straps, etc) if I think it's safe to do so. The skydive is still going well - always good news! What was the planned jump again? Oh yeah, practice mentally for about 30 seconds. got it. Does anyone know if we can get a wind check before we jump? Who's jumping before and after me? The larger the group ahead of me, the more time I'm giving them. Who's behind me? That guy's OK - he has a lot more jumps than I do. But sometimes I get newbies behind me, and I ask them how long they're going to wait before they jump out after me. What altitude are we at? Where was the dropzone again? Getting close to 10,000. Time to put on the helmet and get ready to jump. Are we going to get full altitude? Those clouds look a little low, so if we don't get full altitude, I've got to check my altimeter more often in freefall - this is where it gets dangerous if you're used to 60 seconds of freefall - that internal clock will kill you if you don't pay attention. I've got a few minutes, so I'll go over the jump in my head again. Am I in the best position for the group jump? Booties on, goggle ready - don't want to get goggles on yet, because they'll just fog up. All zippers zipped, straps snug and handles good. Yep, there's the DZ and landing zone just out the window - exactly where I knew they would be. Can we get the wind report? 12,000 and getting ready to get out - the first part of the skydive is almost over - now for the fun part. Does everyone look like they are going to have a good jump? Anyone look hypoxic (in Colorado, we really jump from 17,500, 'cause the LZ is at 5,050, and people get hypoxic, but it's usually tandem students). Anyone look nauseous? I hope they're behind me if they're going to be sick. Can I see the ground speed by looking out the side window? sometimes, but not today - I'll have to check when I get in the door. One more quick review of the planned jump - what do I need to watch out for on the exit? I know the snag points in the door - does my body position have to be perfect to prevent knocking anyone out on exit? Jump run, goggles down, watching the light, listening for any last minute news from the pilot. Is everyone exiting as expected? Are there any problems? Why is it taking so long? Has someone seen a plane below us? No - everyone's getting out, but someone wanted a better spot for their group I guess - plan on being a little long when I open. Make sure to point back to the DZ right after I open and check my space. Try not to crowd the tail of the plane - stay toward the pilot until it's my turn to jump. I check my three handles one more time to make sure they're in place. OK, here's the door. I know my slot and I know the skydive. Everyone's pilot chute secure? good. Can I see the ground? Do I see any planes coming? How fast are we moving over the ground? How far away is the last group? Looks like they're going straight down. I'm giving them more time before I get out. I think there's people yelling at me to get out, but what do they know? They can't see that there's still plenty of room over the runway. This is probably why that other group took so long to get out. We've still got half the runway. Wait a few more seconds. Step into my position. It's OK to go now - make eye contact with others in my group to let them know I'm ready to go now. Annnnnnnd start the count ... Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I second that wow! If they are really doing that, they might as well just stand in the landing area and scream at people on approach. You'd have about as good a chance of someone hearing you. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Now you know the REAL reason they charge so much for the biplane ride - someone's gotta clean that up I like biplane rides, but I never get motion-sickness, so they're just fun for me. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Hmm - I'd rather see five more skydiving otters than someone kill themselves trying to land a wingsuit. But you guys know I'm not a believer. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

You know, you've got a good point. I've had so much more fun and rewarding experiences at camps. People get together and focus on the skydiving or tunnel flying, and not on the partying and politics. Maybe I'll just do camps from now on - thanks! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

A well written article. Question for camerapersons. The article describes the collision occuring because after wave-off, the cameraman went "above and to one side" above the opening tandem canopy. I don't think I've ever seen cameramen intentionally go above a tandem pair - even if above and to one side. Usually, they stay in front of, and slightly below the tandem pair, especially during opening. Is it a common practice to show the opening from above? In light of this accident, it does seem like a bad idea. The article later states "How was it that the tandem chute that is supposed to take 10 to 15 seconds to open fully instead billowed in 1.7 seconds?" I don't film tandems, but I'm not sure I would trust a slow opening canopy enough to get above it. Maybe the author didn't fully understand what caused the accident, and didn't report it accurately? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

WFFC doesn't hold much of an appeal for me anymore, and I haven't gone the last two years. The one thing I liked was hanging out with and skydiving with the very cool people. Some great 4-ways and 8-ways (thank you flyangel2, mustard, BillVon&Amy and everyone else!!), some pretty good freefly jumps, and a few awesome demo jumps with Ralph and the big flag (thanks Mike and your very nice King Air!). Planes - there aren't very many I can jump out of that I can't jump a lot of other places. A few years ago, they had the C-130, but I really thought tickets were too expensive. The best planes were Larry's, and I can jump those in Eloy. Fees - anything more than $40 is going to turn me off. It's already costing me a few hundred to get out there. People - just like the real world - 95% are cool, and 5% are real assholes. I've been an asshole to a few people, so I completely understand. But sometimes it just gets out of hand with SO many of them Girlfriend - every time I left her alone, different guys kept trying to get into her pants (we're talking WAY beyond just flirting here). I understand that too - there's a shortage of skychics in the world. But after she says no the first time - just leave her alone, please Party - It's fun until about two in the morning, then I really wish there was a "quiet area" to pitch your tent. Don K - only met him a few times, and he was always nice to me. But everyone I talked to that had business dealings with him had something negative to say about his business practices. I've got to think that if you don't treat your helpers well, it's going to translate to bad future business. But that's only speculation on my part. Boogies in general aren't that exciting for me anymore. The good things don't outweigh the negatives. I would much rather visit DZs on a normal business weekend. 'Course I still plan on doing the holiday boogie with ya'll Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Most nuts are rarely, truly "raw". If they're not heated to make shelling easier, then they're salted, roasted, or something. In the case of peanuts, they are boiled or roasted. Here's a few things to research on peanuts: 1. Peanuts are probably not a natural food. They are thought to originate from South America, but as no fossil records exist, they were potentially the result of hybridization by man. This is significant, if you believe, as I do, in evolution, and our bodies' adaptation to natural foods over very long periods of time. If it's not a natural food, it may not be something our bodies can fully process. And unless your ancestory is Ashaninka, Wai Wai, or one of the original South American tribes, then your genetic line has only really been exposed to peanuts for the last few hundred years. 2. Most peanuts are stored prior to shipping, and are susceptible to fungus, two of which combine to create aflatoxin, a natural, but potentially dangerous poison. Concentrations are relatively low in the US, but some people are much more susceptible to it's effects. Definitely don't eat peanuts when travelling to third-world countries, as cases of aflatoxin poisoning are much more common. Additionally, aflatoxin is a known carcinogen. 3. Americans get about half their dose of peanuts in the form of peanut butter. Taking any food and compressing it (in this case, by grinding), compounds the effects of the food. Eating a tablespoon of peanut butter, which by law requires 90% peanuts, is the equivalent of eating a LOT of peanuts. It takes about 850 peanuts to make one 18 ounce jar of peanut butter. I've heard people talk about eating half a jar in one setting I'm not trying to scare people away from peanuts. Obviously, millions of americans eat peanuts every day, and most have no problems with them. But I do encourage people to research and understand the foods they eat. Every person on the planet will have side effects from some foods - it's a good idea to listen to your body and also know that certain foods have risk. If my family were susceptible to cancer, or if I had a low immune system, I would avoid peanuts as much as possible. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

And here it is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4742453.stm#startcontent Personally, I think people will clone ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Religion aside, morals aside, even laws aside, people will still clone. Why? Because we can. 'Course, they have to work out quite a few bugs - the sheep died prematurely of cancer and arthritis, so there's a lot more "science" to be done. But eventually, there will be cloned people, cloned dinosaurs and maybe someday will find the real Shroud of Turin and clone Jesus. Who knows? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

"If Steve McQueen can do it, so can I" Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I've been jumping for four years after having LASIK done, and no problems. It's been about the best thing I've ever done for my body, and it works great for both skydiving and SCUBA. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Have a great day, Wingnut! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

People have been arguing about what is a planet for the last 30 years, since better observatory instruments have discovered large bodies outside of Neptune: The new discovery is 98 AUs out, so is still in the grey zone. There will be bigger rocks than this one discovered in the future as well. So what is a planet, and what is just a rock in distant orbit? Truth is, no one has really made a formal definition, so it doesn't matter much. Besides, they don't want to have to go and change all the school textbooks. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

That's no innocent little girl - that's a thug! If I'd done that when I was 11, prison would be the safest place for me - my mom would've killed me when I got out of police custody. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

This is a pretty stupid site, but I can't see it being different than any other dating site: 95% guys that are trying to get laid, and 5% women that lie about their weight. OTOH, I've always said that someone should make a "beautiful people" nudist colony - I wouldn't want to go to a normal one and see hairy, 300-pound people walking around. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

New Zealand is one of my favorite places! I spent four weeks there, mostly on the south island. If you like outdoors, then go to the south island - I went on a six-day trek with my brother through Abel Tasman park, which you can only get to via hiking or sea kayak - I would definitely do the sea-yaking next time. Beaches are pristine and unspoiled. 20 minutes and you can be in extreme mountains - if you like extreme skiing, it's a great place. Go to Christchurch, and you can swim with wild dolphins - not the caged dolphins hey have at tourist places - they send out a helicopter to find them in the ocean, then they take you on a boat to go snorkel with them. There's even a penguin colony on the southern tip. Take sunscreen! There's almost no ozone layer left that far south, and you get sunburned VERY quickly. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD