DickMcMahon

Didn't there used to be a section on this site that listed all the names of jumpers registered with dropzone.com ? Or am I just not seeing the link for some reason. Dick

Here's a cool GIF file from Animation Factory. I hope the attachment comes through the upload and still works. If not, "Merry Christmas everybody"!

If you're indredibly bored, and interested in the land down-under, you might want to check out the Australia section on this website Yea ... it's my old site, but it has some new stuff on it. Blue Skies, Mate!

I know someone who cooked a roast on top of their car engine while making a long trip!

The scariest part for me is driving to the DZ ... not because of an auto accident, but because I keep asking myself, "Why do I want to jump out of an airplane? This is crazy!" I almost convince myself to turn around and go home. The answer comes on jumprun when I'm at the door. The best part of a skydive for me is that brief moment jumping into nothingness. Luckily, I've had only one cutaway. It was probably a "good" thing because it convinced me that my rigger really DOES put a reserve in there sometimes. But I've got to be honest ... after throwing out the PC, I still say, "Thanks God", each time the main fills with air.

I'll "second" that question. I've been looking for a long time.

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This isn't a cool quote, but is an interesting fact ... Did you know the propeller on small jump planes is just a big fan, used to keep the pilot cool? They say that when it stops, skydivers on board can actually see him start sweating.

It's a little scary to jump a brand new rig, at least I was a bit nervous. Brand new main, brand new reserve ... how do you know these really work? When I asked a buddy that question, he said if they don't, he'd ask for my money back for me.

I did it ... actually the docs did the work, I was just the body in question. After surgery they said maybe there'd be 5 more years or so ... that was 31 years ago. I've heard several jumpers say they got into skydiving because of a life-threatening diagnosis. That wasn't my reason, though ... I think it was just to prove something to myself. VIBES

Count me in too. Prayers on the way.

REAGAN vs GRIFFITH Following up on Quade's post about CBS cancelling the Reagan miniseries … has anyone asked about the Andy Griffith Special being broadcast later this month? How do we know Aunt Bee will be portrayed correctly? It seems the network would provide an 8-minute preview of that just as they did the Reagan series.

It's a skydiving tradition, but be warned ... http://fun.drno.de/flash/beer.swf

Attached are a couple of scary masks from Forbes.com All you have to do is print 'em, cut 'em out, and put 'em on. You may also need to blow them up when printing. They're pretty scary, be careful!

Tue October 21, 2003 08:24 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - A parachutist jumping from a 480-foot skyscraper escaped death when his chute failed to open properly but got snared on a crane next to the building leaving him hanging, German police said Monday. "He got lucky after his initial misfortune," said a spokesman for police in the Bavarian capital Munich. Fire services took an hour to rescue the 32-year-old Austrian extreme sports enthusiast after his base jump from the 35th floor left him hanging 150 feet up. Police released the man, who is under investigation for making an illegal parachute jump, on bail.

And, it's probably not worth much "Skydiving is almost the same as snow skiing ... a machine takes you up, and gravity brings you down." And sometimes it's cold.

Don't know if Jay Leno would want this if he knows it has already been on Letterman.

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Sorry ... just realized this was already being talked about in the incidents forum.

Australian base jumper killed in skydiving accident October 6, 2003 CANON CITY, Colorado, October 5 - A top Australian skydiver was killed today when he hit a bridge and fell on to rocks while attempting a stunt in the United States. Dwain Weston, 30, and another parachutist, had jumped from an aeroplane over Colorado and were to fall either side of a 316-metre high bridge, said Heather Hill, vice president of a company sponsoring the inaugural Go Fast Games. Weston, who was travelling at an estimated 160 kph, miscalculated his distance from the Royal Gorge Bridge, the world's highest suspension bridge, said Hill. He struck a railing and fell onto a rock face roughly 90 metres from the bottom of the gorge. "I really couldn't believe it. All I ever heard was he was the best in the world, and he had skill to do it," Hill said. "Of course he always understood the risk and consequences of what he did. He was somewhat of a showman in his sport." Before the accident, Weston had participated in the Go Fast Games, jumping off the bridge with about 40 other base jumpers - athletes who skydive from fixed objects. Weston was wearing a "wing suit", which has fabric extending below the arms to the body, with more fabric between the legs, allowing a skydiver to catch the air and travel more horizontally. There were about 200 people on the bridge at the time of the accident, said Royal Gorge Bridge and Park executive director Mike Bandera. The bridge was shut down for about 15 to 20 minutes. The Royal Gorge is narrow for manoeuvering parachutes, and winds are tricky, according to Go Fast Parachuting director Jimmy Pouchert. Weston, who also worked as a computer analyst, was a prominent member of Australia's BASE jumping community, and was president of the Australian BaseAssociation. Base is an acronym for Building Antenna, Span and Earth. Weston had performed hundreds of base jumps around the world, including jumping from the 73rd floor of Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers building. Regarded as one of the best base jumpers in the world, he had pioneered many techniques in the sport over the past few years.

Amputated legs from dead baby sheep!

Don't know for sure if it's be "photoshopped". A friend of mine says he took the picture after driving by the sign then turning back when he couldn't believe his eyes.

Picture taken somewhere in Idaho. We'll ALL be landfill some day.

If you're a die-hard SURVIVOR fan, you might want to try fixing something special for dinner tonight while watching the premier ... roasted rodent. Rats have a lot of nutritional value as a lean meat. Your average rodent contains about 294 calories, 52 grams of protein, very little sodium, and just 8 grams of fat! (By comparison, a Big Mac has 32 fat grams.) BACK LEGS: Very tough meat that needs braising. Remove, clean, and salt overnight. Wash away the salt the next day and braise in olive oil on an open fire for 2-3 hours. FRONT LEGS (Shoulders): Not a lot of meat here, so make a sauce with the forelegs, as well as the rest of the bones. SAUCE: Gently brown bones and add vegetables & herbs. Add water and white wine to cover. Simmer for 5 hours. Strain and keep warm. RACKS AND LOIN: Season and grill on another open fire. Brown well for better flavor and cook to medium rare. Caution … overcooking will dry out the best parts. TO SERVE: Slice racks and loins, remove legs from oil. Reduce sauce until it coats the back of the spoon and nap into the meat. Serve immediately with a dry Pinot Gris (which, like the rats' diet, has grass and herbal characteristics). Enjoy!

Michele ... you've got a bunch of skydivers right there with you even though you can't see 'em.