smiles

I'm a women that mixes well with electronics SMiles

beautiful cat ...good picture for sure. Hope you win $$$$$ like you are supposed to! I opened every pic attached in this thread... all were .jpg except yours--- which is .gif- whatz up with that???? SMiles

I have packed over 1,000 for myself Do not have a problem with packing- it is part of my skydive...During boogies will hire one occasionally as do not want to miss debriefs, and be ready for next load. SMiles

you are not alone...

I watched a program on "The Sex Files"...(CTV) about parents with babies that are born that are neither male or female- (intersexual or hermaphroditism) - including interviews with those that are intersexual, and how doctors, parents, clinics.. choose to correct through surgery.... Talk about ignorance- I am a mother, and had absolutely no idea that intersexual births were anything but totally rare. re: 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. some info here: http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/gender/intersexuals/intersexuality_faq.htm#anchor637790 Genetic sex, or the organization of the "sex chromosomes," is commonly thought to be isomorphic to some idea of "true sex." However, something like 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. Our culture conceives sex anatomy as a dichotomy: humans come in two sexes, conceived of as so different as to be nearly different species. However, developmental embryology, as well as the existence of intersexuals, proves this to be a cultural construction. Anatomic sex differentiation occurs on a male/female continuum, and there are several dimensions. Intersexual genitals may look nearly female, with a large clitoris, or with some degree of posterior labial fusion. They may look nearly male, with a small penis, or with hypospadias. They may be truly "right in the middle," with a phallus that can be considered either a large clitoris or a small penis, with a structure that might be a split, empty scrotum, or outer labia, and with a small vagina that opens into the urethra rather than into the perineum. The first question at birth is "is it a boy or girl?" Should we question the medical dogma that, without medical intervention, hermaphrodites are doomed to a life of misery? What would be the psychological consequences of raising children as unabashed intersexuals? Imagine a society in which sexuality is celebrated for its subtleties and not feared or ridiculed. SMiles

gotta luv Vancouver...although we are 20 yrs. behind (city traffic- bridges only 5 lanes/freeway only 3 lanes each way with 1 high occupancy vehicle lane.) Apparently the police stop all traffic on bridges here during suicide attempts-- because they fear those driving by will yell "jump!" A BASE jumper hanging under canopy caught on the bridge- will be rescued closing 1 lane. As far as suicide attempts go, I am not educated, except for the understanding that for the person involved... it’s a matter of ‘I can’t stand the pain anymore. I want to end the pain." To take one's own life is probably the single most extreme expression of hopelessness that any person can make. Many suicide attempts are impulsive; lives can be salvaged. I am left wondering if bridge jumping suicide attempts are not always a cry for help. Sometimes--perhaps more often than not, --an instrument of power and control? SMiles

Investigators say cargo jet going too slow when it crashed-----shipping company didn't weigh the fully loaded pallets of seafood, providing the airline instead with an estimate based on the average weight of each box of seafood. That total wouldn't have included the weight of the wooden pallets carrying the seafood or other materials used in packing. HALIFAX (CP) - A Boeing 747 cargo jet that struggled to get in the air before crashing last week was travelling too slow to lift off safely. Bill Fowler of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Friday that the MK Airlines Ltd. plane was rolling up the runway at 240 kilometres an hour -about 55 km/h slower than it should have - when it crashed Oct. 14 at Halifax International Airport. "In order to get to (296 km/h) within the runway available, they needed more thrust," Fowler said. The jumbo jet was barely airborne when it rocketed off the end of the runway and crashed into woods, killing all seven crew members on board. Fowler said a flight data recorder recovered from the wreckage last weekend has indicated the 747's four engines were functionally normally and wouldn't speculate on why the plane didn't have enough thrust. However, the TSB issued an advisory Friday on the proper weighing of cargoes. "The thrust was less than what was required or what we would have expected for the load," Fowler said in an interview. The plane was loaded with lawn tractors, computer gear and 53,000 kilograms of seafood when it tried to leave Halifax for a flight for Spain. A 747 has a payload capacity of about 60,000 kilograms. Investigators know the plane's tail hit the runway twice before hitting an earthen mound at the end of the runway and breaking off. Fowler said the total weight of the cargo had not been accurately established "but we have not said at this point that this was a factor." Investigators have determined that the shipping company didn't weigh the fully loaded pallets of seafood, providing the airline instead with an estimate based on the average weight of each box of seafood. That total wouldn't have included the weight of the wooden pallets carrying the seafood or other materials used in packing. Fowler refused to speculate, however, that the jet may have been overloaded. "We're not suggesting that. We don't have the information to let us go there," he said. Fowler, the lead investigator in the crash, said there are a number of possible explanations for the low thrust of the engines. The absence of a working cockpit voice recorder will make determining the reason more difficult, he added. The cockpit voice recorder, which monitors the conversations of the pilot and co-pilot, was also recovered but was too badly damaged to be of any use. The plane's engines became an early focus of the investigation when Fowler revealed last week that two of them were replaced recently, raising questions about their state of repair. Investigators are also examining whether the plane's cargo might have shifted on takeoff, making it impossible for the pilot to get in the air. The board is also considering the account of at least one airport worker who suggested the pilot might not have taxied to the very top of the 2,700-metre runway before turning and beginning his takeoff. The crash was the fourth in 12 years for MK Airlines, which is based in Britain and has a fleet of aircraft flying out of Ghana. Four Britons, two Zimbabweans and a German were killed in the crash. ----------------------------------------------- What are other possible explanations for the low thrust of the engines??? SMiles

Yesterday in my city (Vancouver, B.C. Canada) two men threatening suicide brought traffic to a gridlock. On normal days, 120,000 vehicles use the Ironworkers Bridge, while 70,000 use the Lions Gate Bridge. Traffic was gridlocked across the city for five hours while police talked two men out of jumping off the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and the Lions Gate Bridge. The worst traffic jam we've ever seen, just atrocious. At 9 a.m. a distraught male was found perched on a beam outside the railing on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, with nothing between him and the water of Burrard Inlet far below. RCMP shut down both lanes of traffic on the bridge while an RCMP boat moved in below while officers spent five hours talking the man out of jumping. Minutes after the man was taken off the Ironworkers Bridge another man was found contemplating suicide on the Lions Gate Bridge- so traffic both directions was also stopped. Police set up portable toilets- drivers slept, read, or listened to radio traffic updates..missed work, and god knows how long the list of inconvenienced people is. Police negotiators were able to help both people down and take them to hospital for psychiatric assessment. Police do whatever it takes to assist the victims. If people (commuters) are inconvenienced, that's unfair, "but our priority is with the life of the person. A life is a life. It's priceless." It is not known if the two men were connected. "If they wanted to make a cry for help, it got approx. 180,000 people's attention." ---------------------------------------------- I am still wondering why it is necessary both lanes of traffic be shut down??... Does your city follow the same procedures?? SMiles

--you will do fine if taking to printers, they know their stuff. Many choices, and prices. I boobed large as my website url changed just after I ordered 500 cards printed. (the more you order the less the charge) A buddy in real estate for Re/Max "above the clouds" took quite awhile before company o.k.'d his card- instead of re/max balloon we designed a card with him launching from aircraft "above the clouds"...also remax eventually purchased a canopy with "remax" logo for him to jump at demo's. (Re: advertising write off for them.) SMiles eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

big congrats to your mom I am so proud of my mom- she brought us up on her own and bought & payed off her house before retirement. Now she has sold and bought a new home in gated community (Canada)...she just e-mailed me that her gst. has finally arrived (new home you have to pay gst. to government and then they take 6 months to pay it back) She has no more stairs to climb as all on one level with wide hallways...(wheelchair access & extra handle bars to help out of tub ect.) What an independent woman!! SMiles

...sounds like a beauty design Did you find a silhouette you like? Would need more info- I design skydive clip-art. What software are you using to design your card? What formats can you import? re: insert? What type of canopy silhouette?? side view of canopy swooping- front view, view from under while in flight?? Would you need the image transparent- re: no background........ attaching 1 of my silhouettes as .jpg SMiles

Myself & family have always eaten butter but we now also use Becel Margarine- No trans fat- non hydrogenated- low in saturated fat.......the container also has a big check for "Health". So- if it is non-hydrogenated does that mean this margarine may reduce the risk of heart disease??? SMiles

Hey Bigway, You haven't mentioned Canadian kids- growing up obese. A new study shows that Canada's obesity epidemic is getting bigger. The research found that more than one quarter of kids aged three to five years old in Newfoundland and Labrador are overweight or obese. Even the youngest children who were three and a half, were also found to be significantly overweight or obese -- 26 per cent of them as well. Of the children surveyed in the study, 18 per cent were overweight, while eight per cent were obese. The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. "We are seeing children as young as eight years of age being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which at one time was called 'Adult onset.' Now it's in eight year olds -- certainly not adult onset anymore. And they have other kinds of problems that are indicative of later heart disease. They have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels. It's a very serious problem." It's cheaper to buy two litres of pop than it is to buy two litres of milk--potato chips are cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. "Supersize Me" should be shown in all schools as part of education system. Even though rates of being overweight or obese tend to be higher in the Atlantic provinces, experts say the results should be a wake-up call for the rest of the country. In fact, studies show that rates of overweight and obese children have doubled in every province in Canada since 1981. I recently walked into a boy's -grade 6 gym class and observed the problems more than 1/2 were having simply touching their toes. Actually most were laughing as a few farted while bending over. ...................... SMiles

Get goin with your accurracy skills and become a demo jumper. I think demo's promoting the sport you love with class- is a great way to recruit people. SMiles

Thank you for your "point of view"...I have so much less to be paranoid about- I am so gullible--- as a Canadian I am starting to feel- America has "made" it's own terrorists. I am gullible enough to watch these types of documentaries.....in fact haven't watched Fahrenheit 9/11 and will make sure I rent it today. Hey, President Bush has repeatedly shown that he will do anything to win. With the debates over, the candidates are left to their campaigns, largely targeting their own partisans. Only a serious gaffe by one of the candidates could change the dynamic of the campaign. If an October surprise happens, it won't come from the campaign itself. It would have to be external - from terror alerts, to (God forbid) another incident on U.S. soil, to a new development in the Iraq war or perhaps a U.S. action against some other target in the president's "axis of evil." You can bet that efforts to find, capture or kill Osama bin Laden will reach a new fever pitch every time Bush's poll numbers fall. SMiles

An October surprise? With the debates over, the candidates are left to their campaigns, largely targeting their own partisans. There will be speeches, interviews and a flurry of media advertising. However, only a serious gaffe by one of the candidates could change the dynamic of the campaign. If an October surprise happens, it won't come from the campaign itself. It would have to be external – from terror alerts, to (God forbid) another incident on U.S. soil, to a new development in the Iraq war or perhaps a U.S. action against some other target in the president's "axis of evil." You can bet that efforts to find, capture or kill Osama bin Laden will reach a new fever pitch every time Bush's poll numbers fall. Therefore, in spite of Kerry's campaign momentum and superior ratings on the economy, health care, education, foreign policy and other issues, the result of this election campaign will be uncertain until the last vote is counted late on election night. President Bush has repeatedly shown that he will do anything to win. That makes the final weeks of this campaign an uncertain proposition for all of us. SMiles

I was stuck to my seat for 2 hours watching "total Bullshit" ?? 80% of footage was interviews one on one....can you enlighten me on which one of these interviews was total Bullshit?? http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/feature_171004.html SMiles

At one time the design of pud was simple velcro attachment....velcro wore and jumpers lived with floating "puds" (those that didn't care to replace their velcro-) The pud design was not secure enough. When the design of tabs to hold the handle secure came out- (15 yrs. ago) everyone I know had already changed to curved pins. (I am a firm believer that it is safer to have your pilot chute inside- re: when I pull my pud- I pull the pin= positive pull) SMiles

Yeh, someone with the "correct" answer. I've jumped a pull-out for 15 yrs. and was impressed that Preyor Pins offered the choice of a "straight" pin for my necklace. A "straight" pin is -and always will be my choice. SMiles

The Passionate Eye- The World According to Bush aired in Canada on CBC network last night. http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/ If you're not yet having nightmares about the world being in the hands of a circle of crazed zealots, this should do it. The World According to Bush, a two-hour documentary about the inner-workings of the Bush administration, will frighten even the most hardened Washington-watchers. Fans and critics of the acclaimed Fahrenheit 9/11 will want to see this thoughtful and damning investigation of the U.S. administration. Who are the Bushes? Apparently, they're the "quiet dynasty" of modern America-but in reality, their "dynasty" is one of inconceivable family secrets, painstakingly concealed. The current president's grandfather, Prescott Bush, made his fortune by managing Nazi companies after Hitler seized power. In 1942, his companies were confiscated for collaboration with the enemy. George Bush Sr., president from 1988 to 1992, armed and financed Saddam Hussein. He approved the shipping of germ warfare strains to Iraq, enabling the country to launch a chemical attack against Iranian troops and the Kurdish population. The World According to Bush aims to show how the Bushes, father and son, have not only dined with the devil, but have often invited themselves to his table. The bin Ladens and the Bushes have been longtime business partners, and the family of the future terrorist chief indirectly financed George W. Bush's political career. This unnatural alliance has continued since the Sept. 11 attacks: Bush Sr. is a top official in one of the biggest private investment funds in the USA, Carlyle, a group that has invested heavily in the arms industry. The Bradley tanks and the missiles used in the latest war against Iraq are made by firms controlled by Carlyle…and the bin Ladens. For the latter are Bush's associates within this investment fund. Much of The World According to Bush takes the form of one-on-one interviews and includes Bush's speech writer David Frum; former weapons inspectors Hans Blix and David Kay; presidential adviser Richard Perle; Secretary of State Colin Powell; former CIA director James Woolsey; and former UN secretary-general Javier Perez de Cuellar. The World According to Bush is directed by award-winning French director William Karel (Dark Side of the Moon), and produced by Agnès Vicariot Jean-François Lepetit. It is a Flach Film Production in association with France 2. http://www.iofilm.co.uk/...ccording_to_bush.php The documentary has earned praise from a number of quarters for offering the most coherent exposition of the slide into war through high calibre interviews with the likes of author Norman Mailer, weapons inspector Hans Blix, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pentagon advisor Richard Perle. However, there has been little U.S. media interest. “Either they don’t know or they don’t care,” said Karel, speaking through a interpreter. Karel said that Michael Moore had omitted some important parts in George Bush's story. “There is hardly anything about the religious right and its relationship with the Bush family and also the dangerous liaisons between Israel and the Bush family.” ------------------------------------------------------------ Anyone see this 2 hr. program about the inner-workings of the Bush administration? Did you feel that it was the most coherent exposition of the slide into war??? SMiles

Just finished watching the Passionate Eye- the world according to Bush. Would be interested in hearing comments from others who have watched. Re: did they make this all up?? http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/ If you're not yet having nightmares about the world being in the hands of a circle of crazed zealots, this should do it. The World According to Bush, a two-hour documentary about the inner-workings of the Bush administration, will frighten even the most hardened Washington-watchers. Fans and critics of the acclaimed Fahrenheit 9/11 will want to see this thoughtful and damning investigation of the U.S. administration. Who are the Bushes? Apparently, they're the "quiet dynasty" of modern America-but in reality, their "dynasty" is one of inconceivable family secrets, painstakingly concealed. The current president's grandfather, Prescott Bush, made his fortune by managing Nazi companies after Hitler seized power. In 1942, his companies were confiscated for collaboration with the enemy. George Bush Sr., president from 1988 to 1992, armed and financed Saddam Hussein. He approved the shipping of germ warfare strains to Iraq, enabling the country to launch a chemical attack against Iranian troops and the Kurdish population. The World According to Bush aims to show how the Bushes, father and son, have not only dined with the devil, but have often invited themselves to his table. The bin Ladens and the Bushes have been longtime business partners, and the family of the future terrorist chief indirectly financed George W. Bush's political career. This unnatural alliance has continued since the Sept. 11 attacks: Bush Sr. is a top official in one of the biggest private investment funds in the USA, Carlyle, a group that has invested heavily in the arms industry. The Bradley tanks and the missiles used in the latest war against Iraq are made by firms controlled by Carlyle…and the bin Ladens. For the latter are Bush's associates within this investment fund. Much of The World According to Bush takes the form of one-on-one interviews and includes Bush's speech writer David Frum; former weapons inspectors Hans Blix and David Kay; presidential adviser Richard Perle; Secretary of State Colin Powell; former CIA director James Woolsey; and former UN secretary-general Javier Perez de Cuellar. The World According to Bush is directed by award-winning French director William Karel (Dark Side of the Moon), and produced by Agnès Vicariot Jean-François Lepetit. It is a Flach Film Production in association with France 2. http://www.iofilm.co.uk/festivals/vancouver/2004/world_according_to_bush.php The documentary has earned praise from a number of quarters for offering the most coherent exposition of the slide into war through high calibre interviews with the likes of author Norman Mailer, weapons inspector Hans Blix, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pentagon advisor Richard Perle. However, there has been little U.S. media interest. “Either they don’t know or they don’t care,” said Karel, speaking through a interpreter. Karel said that Michael Moore had omitted some important parts in George Bush's story. “There is hardly anything about the religious right and its relationship with the Bush family and also the dangerous liaisons between Israel and the Bush family.” SMiles

In the Dauphin region of Manitoba, Canada the days are growing shorter and colder, and snow will soon be on the ground, where it will linger until March. Across the horizon, prairies teem with combines plodding through the fields for the annual hemp harvest. Since early June, when Canadian farmers could be relatively certain that the last frost had passed, hemp plants have grown from seedlings poking through the province's black soil to statuesque stalks, with serrated leaves that give way to ripe flowers full of seeds. Farmers export the seeds and plant fibers to the United States, where manufacturers use it to make goods such as flour, bread, cheese, butter, birdseed, clothing and personal care products. High in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, hemp foodstuffs appeal to those looking for an alternative to fish, which can contain mercury. The Hemp Industry Association estimates annual sales of U.S. hemp food products is $40 million. Despite hemp's nutritional benefits, you will not find lush fields of the plant in the U.S. because, since 1958, it has been illegal to grow the "industrial" variety here. Hemp is related to marijuana, but is non-psychoactive and its flowers contain only trace amounts of THC. Although you'd puke before eating enough hemp bread to get stoned, had a proposed rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration become law, you could have been charged with possession of a Schedule I controlled substance for keeping a loaf in the fridge. In a 2003 rule change, the DEA tried to criminalize the importation of hemp foods for human consumption (but not birdseed and animal food), claiming they contained THC and thus fell under the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act, which Congress passed in the heady days of 1970. The Hemp Industry Association, a lobbying group, immediately sued the DEA and also filed a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement, of which Canada is a partner. While this move triggered mandatory meetings with the State Department, David Bronner, chairman of the HIA's Food and Oil Committee says, "Under NAFTA rules, you can't change policy. The only avenue was a domestic court." Enter the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which unanimously ruled that the DEA could not ban nutritious hemp foods and that the Controlled Substances Act specifically exempted "industrial" hemp products, much like it exempted poppy seeds from the list of prohibited opiates. The Bush Administration failed to appeal the decision by the Sept. 27 deadline, and the court's ruling held. To celebrate the Ninth Circuit's decision, we broke out the hemp bread and opted for peanut butter and banana as a topping, since hemp cheese should be consumed only with the same caveats as soy cheese; in other words, bleck. Earthy, crunchy and dense, the dark bread (which also contains spelt, kamut and other exotic grains) serves as a good gateway to other hemp foods: the raw seeds taste like their sunflower counterparts and can be roasted; the flour can be used in waffles and nut breads. Ironically, the Puritans first brought hemp to America in 1645, and the crop flourished in the South and Midwest until the development of the cotton gin and popularity of jute and abaca displaced it. In World War II, imports of abaca and jute were unavailable and hemp briefly came back in vogue. Unlike cotton, hemp requires few pesticides or herbicides, and is often grown organically. Its leaves resemble that of the pot plant, which can confuse law enforcement agents surveilling fields from helicopters. "People think you can grow pot in a hemp field," says Bronner. "Hemp grows densely and tall and looks very different from marijuana, which is low and busy. No one would grow a drug crop in a non-drug crop. It would cross-pollinate and ruin its potency." Bronner sees the court's ruling as a step towards eventual legalization of hemp farming in the U.S. Fourteen states have passed legislation to research hemp agriculture, albeit under extremely controlled circumstances and with federal permits. In 1999, Hawaii received $200,000 from a hair-care company to plant test plots of hemp, although the federal government required the fields to be enclosed in 12-foot-high fence with infrared surveillance. On the federal level, votehemp.com rated presidential candidates on their stances on U.S. hemp cultivation: Bush received an F for the DEA's proposed rule; Kerry received a failing grade because he did not follow up on a promise to complete the hemp survey. Independent Ralph Nader, Green David Cobb and Libertarian Michael Badnarik received A-pluses for supporting the legalization of industrial hemp. Vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, who hails from a major tobacco-producing state, North Carolina, received a B-minus for agreeing to allow research without federal permits but remaining undecided on whether to allow farmers to grow it. Bronner says some members of Congress are sympathetic to the hemp cause, although none will go on the record in favor of hemp during an election year. The HIA is also working with Midwestern farmers to rally support. Still, hemp's opponents contend legalizing hemp farming would, as Bronner describes, "send the wrong message to children." "Generally you have opposition from the cultural warriors, the religious, zealot right. You can't have the message come out that there are some pretty amazing applications for hemp." Note: Although you'd puke before eating enough hemp bread to get stoned, if the DEA had its way, you would have been charged with drug possession for owning a loaf. SMiles

Picked up the classic "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" on DVD and we all watched it last night. In the past I wasn't so interested in "The Ugly's" acting and started to wonder who this actor was as couldn't recognize him in any other movies I've seen. Wow! As the Hollywood legend once known to a generation of Batman-iacs as Mr. Freeze Eli Wallach is a distinguished actor with a 46-year career spanning both Hollywood and European movies. The 84-year-old made his name as a gunslinging bandit in western classics The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and The Magnificent Seven and later appeared as a doomed mafia don in The Godfather III. Since a stint as Batman's arch-villain on the 1960s TV show, the Emmy-award-winning Wallach has appeared with Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Clark Gable, Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson and even Captain Kangaroo. His career has taken him from Cambodia to Crete. "I started doing Mexican bandits, I switched over to mafia and Italian movies and went into half-breeds and Greeks and now I'm in my old Jewish stage," said Wallach, who recently played a rabbi in Keeping The Faith. "Movies are a young man's game. I'm happy just as long as I can keep going." I recognize him for sure now- Mystic River- the liquor store owner- Tough Guys- Leon B. Little, Two Jakes- Cotton Weinberger- The Hunter- Ritchie Blumerthal. SMiles

I'm Canadian- very interested in how the vote goes for you- it is so great to read your post. Thanx. SMiles

Foo Fighters- Stacked Actors. SMiles