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I work from my own home office, which I love as set my own hours----do not consider it lonely, although if I didn't have dz.com to visit while waiting for replies or info or updates from customers, ....it would be more tempting to not follow through on the task at hand........ SMiles

My vote is "yes." "Decriminalization" is the Canadian concept that may or may not pass into law. This is a process whereby possession of marijuana in very small amounts will not longer be a criminal offence. Marijuana is a herb I enjoy. Intellectually, the argument that marijuana should be, or continue to be prohibited is an insufficient one. The facts and common sense regarding it's use do not add up adequately enough to support violiting one's personal discretion over one's personal actions. The negative effects are really no more damaging then a steady diet of McDonalds food, a steady intake of beer or wine ect. Marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose, which is more than you can say for ordinary over-the-counter drugs which have. The only negative effects you can get from it, is the ordinary effects you get from smoking. So if you eat it (as funny as it sounds), the negative effects are minimal. If the terminally ill can be pumped full of morphine, or given a bottle of percodan or vicodin to take home, it seems marijuana, or at least an extract containing the active compounds, should be available by prescription too if it can alleviate some of the symptoms of debilitating illness. Marijuana is not on a par with drugs such as heroin and shouldn't be treated as if it were. If marijuana were legal, money currently spent combatting cannabis could be used in ways that are far more likely to curb abuse: prevention and treatment programs for hard drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine. Paraplegics, cancer patients, epileptics, people with AIDS, and people suffering from multiple sclerosis have in recent years been imprisoned for using marijuana as medicine. The attack on marijuana, since its origins early in this century, has in reality been a cultural war -- a moral crusade in defense of traditional values. The laws used to fight marijuana are now causing far more harm to those values than the drug itself. Marijuana helps insomnia, lowers pain - (Many chronic sufferers of back pain, arthritis, etc. swear by it.) - increases appetite- relaxes you - increases creativity. There exists no hard evidence demonstrating any irreversible organic or mental damage from the consumption of marijuana; Cannabis is not an addictive substance; Marijuana is not criminogenic in that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between cannabis use and criminality; Marijuana does not make people more aggressive or violent; There have been no recorded deaths from the consumption of marijuana; Health related costs of cannabis use are negligible when compared to the costs attributable to tobacco and alcohol consumption. SMiles

Why did the co-worker get all bent at me????? I suppose he was looking for support, - re: I could have replied with "man, what a rip...shitty deal or I understand you being so pissed." Communication break-down. I was confused by his statement that "the business operator had given his word" -when the business operator had stated "it will be ready by Friday at the latest" Therefore the argument over what "giving your word" means to him- compared to me. Also- it was a long weekend turkey lurkey day here on Monday so he had rented a truck at $120. bucks a day- for 3 extra days because his truck was not ready on Friday. Was late for work Tues. due to picking it up. Out $360. bucks could have screwed his turkey lurky day, who knows.. Regardless he cannot control his anger obviously- and brought it to the work place showing all- how stressed he is. Cannot imagine where this had gone if I had simply replied "shit happens dude." SMiles

I was just having a conversation with someone during coffee that turned into an argument. They dropped a truck off at a shop to be fixed and the shop manager said "we will have it ready by Friday at the latest." Well, the truck wasn't ready on Friday and this person is flipped out yelling: -"but the guy gave me his word" it would be ready, no later than Friday." I respond "he didn't use the term literally: I give you my word- no one operating a business would use that term..." - he responds even more angry: "no- but it is exactly the same thing." - I say "giving your word is something done when you exchange wedding vows or swear on the bible to tell the truth, or sign on the dotted line with a lawyer present. I've never even been told in a business exchange- I promise you....." - he responds screaming: "he said it would be ready no later than Friday, that is giving me his word."-------and walks out slamming the door. - I give up, what is the sense? Am I crazy? I can understand this person being angry, and maybe having problem with venting that anger...but the "giving his word" term I do not understand. This transaction was by mouth, not written down and signed on paper...so is this person refering to "word" as "mouth"????????? Can anyone explain? thanx, SMiles

My right knee ACL was snapped- completely... Pain, swelling, inflammation, had cartilige tears and locking (damage I induced myself by not resting it long enough) that was fixed with cutting the flaps of the tears. Cannot remember what that was called but they went in from the outside while I was asleep using mri and cut the flaps of the tears in the cartilige. First on crutches, then a brace- it took almost 8 months before swelling went down- then months of training and strenghtening the 3 ligaments left. (4 years ago) I missed a year skydiving but have been jumping since without problems and wearing a brace while jumping. Any landing down on the leg and turning to the side will tear cartilige again so always have that in my subconscious...has gotten better and better every year but I will never forget there is only 3 ligaments.

I love to travel every year to different boogies- meet new people, jump different aircraft. My home d.z. is 5 min. down the hill, I can hear the porter flying loads from my house...we have a winter season here for 2-3 months without jumps (great time to travel to the sun) I trained there in 1987 and have been jumping there with the most awesome jumpers ever since. SMiles

Ahhh, did they sing "Courage"?? Happy turkey lurky to you too!! I have to wait to see them in concert- Nov. 14 - Vancouver, BC / GM Place http://www.thehip.com Touring October U.S. 13 Denver, CO / Gothic Theatre 15 Minneapolis, MN / Quest 16 Chicago, IL / Riviera 17 Pittsburgh, PA / Rock Club 19 Rochester, NY / Auditorium Theatre 20 Burlington, VT / Memorial Auditorium 21 Clifton Park, NY / Northern Lights 25 Towson (Baltimore), MD / Recher Theatre 26 Myrtle Beach, SC / House Of Blues 27 Asheville, NC / The Orange Peel 29 Toledo, OH / Stranahan Theatre 30 Grand Rapids, MI / Orbit Room SMiles

Hey Winsor, this post was info in the book I am reading called "The Road to Hell"...... I live in B.C. and recently the RCMP announced of Biker Wars (between the Angels and Banditos) here. My comment was: In a nutshell, it's the whip-up-the-hysteria- and-demand-more-money-and-resources theory of attacking organized crime. Organized crime is a huge problem and the biker gangs are a significant part of that problem. The case for necessary funding and resources should be easy to make on the merits. Attempts to whip up hysteria is little more than grandstanding and ineffectual. The many bikers I have known, I have never underestimated. Also have a close friend who I skydive with who is a Hells Angel. I loved my "biker chick" days, hogs...the rides, the chrome, the "sound"- (even though the closest I've been to death was on the back of one)...I love watching the biker buildoffs- I am very much aware that owning a hog doesn't make you an outlaw biker. There are a few reasons I detest outlaw bikers... Many years ago I was seriously involved with a biker for 5 years... and this I suppose is where my attitude developed towards outlaw bikers. Re: it wasn't just the the pack mentality (herd mentality) that I had no respect for- it was the attitude towards women. Gang bangs on kitchen table (1 women- 30 bikers), women having pickles shoved up their vagina to spew out around the bonfire ..mentality. In those days The Satans Angels were wearing colors here in B.C. and my boyfriend was a wannabe. My cousin was charged along with many including Dave Black (president of Satan's Angels) --the bikers picked up a young teenager wearing glasses and made him their "butler" at their party house one night. First his job through blunt force was- answering phone calls and serving beer but by the end of the night they had him standing naked in a bucket of cold water wearing a red plastic firemans hat---jerking off infront of them for entertainment. That wasn't good enough- they decided to light the firemans hat on fire so the hot plastic dripped down burning the kids skin, and of course one biker grabbed a broom-handle and shoved it up the kids ass, holding him in the corner of the room. The kid with help of police protection and lawyers (after 4 month hospital stay in critical condition) charged the Satan's Angels (who later became Hells Angels chapter) - 2 years less a day was the charge. A book was written and published depicting the trail called "The Devils Butler." Can be found in any library if anyone is interested. During their time in prison they took mechanic courses and got their tickets. When Dave Black got back on the streets he opened a local shop for Harley Davidson. My boyfriend would frequent the shop for parts for his hog (also Wide-Glide Shovelhead) and got involved with the bikers- re: running drug deals for them= the parts he wanted. He got ripped off huge on one deal and ended up kidnapping some people at a biker party and holding them in a garage for 1 week until they gave info on the missing drugs. They turned around after they were released and charged him with kidnapping. All the newspapers and news were broadcasting: Satan's Angel arrested for kidnapping.....of course some fantastic lawyer (paid for by bikers) got him off (those who laid the kidnapping charges dropped them for some reason?)and then he was in debt to pay back big time -that favor. The Robert Pickton- Pig Farm case in B.C. is now the largest serial killer investigation in Canadian history. Pickton is being charged early 2005 for the first degree murder of 35 women (drug addicts/prostitutes) missing from Vancouvers East End. On Picktons farm property was a Hells Angels party house- and Pickton provided the women for these parties....supplying them with drugs. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/pickton/ SMiles

"badass bands" costumes- Guns & Roses-Axl Rose or my idol: Slash attached badass 80's- jeans, no shirt with tatoos-Axl Slash 1, 2, (long black wig/hat/shades) SMiles

The clarity of response that I receive while skydiving offers fast and direct feedback like nothing else I have experienced. There is no sense of myself, but merging of action and awareness when I am in freefall. When my action and reaction became so well practised it was automatic/ I was able to leave the aircraft and fly....without thought of my body position....is when I felt the sense of ecstasy associated with the most intense moments of flow.... What is jumping to me?.... The most intense moments of flow. SMiles

Hey mouth, I have a huge clipart collection I've designed in Corel Draw and exported to .jpg (not the best format for vector clarity) - one day will get around to getting it all on a disk Attaching a few for you to use...(most of this plain b&w collection have "skydive" written with image.) SMiles eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

The Road to Hell-- authors Julian Sher and William Marsden chronicled how the Hells Angels took control of the nation's ports and the Canadian crime scene: how politicians dithered while overburdened prosecutors burned out and lost major cases; how police brass squabbled while a handful of dedicated cops worked years to amass their evidence; how a few citizens stood up the bikers and paid for that bravery with their lives. Murder plots, drug deals, money laundering and assassinations are brought to life through never-before-revealed police files, wiretaps and surveillance tapes. In gripping prose, the authors tell all about Boucher’s war on the justice system; how he finally lost in Quebec, thanks in part to Danny Kane, a reluctant biker turned informer; but how across Canada the Hells Angels have succeeded in building a national crime empire. By the spring of 2002, Boucher was safely in prison but the Hells Angels had grown to 37 chapters with close to 600 members across the country. They had taken over the drug trade and continued their rapid expansion into Ontario with a recent, high-profile enlistment -- or patchover -- of 168 members from other gangs. In Winnipeg, gang warfare turned ugly as the Hells muscled out the competition and firebombed a policeman’s home. In Vancouver, they secured a stranglehold on smuggling in the all-important West Coast port. The book is now being used in courtrooms and by police as a guide to the inner workings of the gang in Canada. The Angels have a structure that lets them expand. On the one hand they have all the advantages of the network -- a brand-name-type structure and the sharing of information. But they also have a very insular, cellular structure, so that if a problem arises, as it did in Halifax [where the chapter has been effectively wiped-out] and Quebec [where its leaders are behind bars], it doesn't affect the rest of the country. Certain individuals decide "we must control this part of the trade because it's very lucrative." How does Chrysler become the number-one car company? How does Nike become the number-one shoe company? You do it through ruthless expansion into new markets and ruthless elimination of competitors. Originally, a lot the bikers would just do enforcement for the mafia, like beat up people, and they would also be the gophers for distributors of cocaine and illegal drugs. But as they graduated, they took on a much more important role in the drug trade in actually bringing in the drugs through Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax, cooperating with the mafia or doing it independently. So much so, that by the mid-'90s, they were making millions of dollars a week in the drug trade in Montreal. They were also successful in taking over part of the sex trade in British Columbia. Hells Angels members run some of the stripper agencies and clubs. And then they branched out. For example, in Montreal, hash is very big, so they are involved in the hash that moves through the port in Montreal, while in B.C., it's the grow-ops. A person could patronize numerous businesses in downtown Vancouver and be unaware he or she was funding the Hells Angels. Their economic skills garner the organization up to $36 million per week – an amount that police surveillance and seizures can hardly put a dent in. In Quebec, it meant literally the elimination through bombings and murders of more than 150 competitors. If you're dead, you can't sell drugs in the Hells Angels territory. In Ontario, it was done through a massive takeover. They just swallowed up over 200 members of rival gangs. In B.C., it was done through car bombings and drive-by shootings to get rid of some Russian competition. But overall, in B.C., they haven't had to resort to violence because there's enough of territory for everyone to operate in. Also, they were able to carve out an agreement with the Indo-Canadian and Asian gangs. How much control do the Hells Angels have over our ports in Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax? Any criminal realizes that the best way to bring drugs into the country is through the ports, because you can bring in huge amounts compared to the small amounts you can bring in a car or with a passenger in an airplane. By Canada's own admission only three per cent of the shipments are actually checked. The Hells Angels realized this and have members working in the Vancouver ports and close associates working in Montreal and Halifax. In fact, the auditor-general's most recent report estimates that something like 4,000 people with ties to Canada's biker gangs and other gangs work at the country's major ports and airports. The media have to start paying more attention to organized crime so the public becomes more sensitized to it. The public has to be willing to cough up more tax dollars so that organized crime investigations can take place. It's important that police readjust their priorities so that more complicated issues, like organized crime, get addressed. The rich and powerful Hells Angels motorcycle club in B.C. -- whose members largely eluded criminal charges and flew below society's radar screen for two decades -- are now expanding across the province, bolstering their multi-million-dollar business network and cementing their territorial stake on organized crime. The expansion is partly because they are protecting their turf from the Bandidos. A rival U.S. outlaw motorcycle gang with deep roots in neighbouring Washington state, the Bandidos have moved into Alberta and are threatening to set up shop in B.C. Eight years ago, there were 70 so-called full-patch members and five chapters in B.C. Today, there are 95 members spread across seven chapters: Vancouver, East End, Haney, White Rock, Mission, the Nomads and Nanaimo. There are also plans for a new Kelowna chapter and there's talk of another chapter in Surrey, where a so-called shadow support club was established months ago. The Renegades, an outlaw motorcycle group in Prince George that has about a dozen members, is a Hells Angels puppet club. The Hells Angels have chapters in Canada, the U.S., Europe, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and South America. Canada has more Hells Angels members per capita than any other country, including the U.S., where there are chapters in about 20 states. At the same time as B.C.'s Hells Angels became some of the wealthiest bikers in the country, they've used a public relations campaign to establish an image as a harmless club of motorcycle enthusiasts. Sure, a few members have criminal records, the club maintains, but any large organization has people who have run-ins with the law. That doesn't make them a criminal organization, the Hells Angels say. So far, Hells Angels in B.C. have avoided the kind of violent and bloody public turf war that erupted on Montreal streets with the rival Rock Machine biker gang, which sparked the political will and funding to target the bikers and prosecute them on charges of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and making money from prostitution. Here in B.C., the Hells Angels have operated largely unopposed by rival biker gangs, allowing them to consolidate operations. Although the Angels have a reputation for violence and retaliation, for the most part B.C. has not seen the deaths of innocent victims caught in the crossfire, unlike Montreal, where the death of a young boy outraged the public, who pressured politicians to take action. The huge profits reaped from the drug trade have been used by Hells Angels to establish legitimate businesses ranging from trucking firms and retail cellular-phone outlets to travel agencies, coffee bars and hip clothing stores. Members of the public generally do not know they are frequenting businesses owned by Hells Angels members, since police chose for years not to publicize that information. Many Hells Angels use nominees -- trusted associates who register companies in their names -- to hide business assets. The Hells Angels have also been allowed to grow and prosper in B.C. since members of Vancouver's Satan's Angels motorcycle gang originally became Hells Angels in a "patch over" in 1983. For years, there were very few successful prosecutions against full-patch members. One of the most shocking examples of how police dropped the ball was the Western Wind debacle, detailed in The Road to Hell, explains how the RCMP in B.C. had a chance to nail drug-dealers for $330 million worth of cocaine when a Vancouver Island fisherman offered to help the Mounties intercept a drug shipment between Colombians and the Hells Angels aboard the vessel Western Wind, which was headed for Victoria. The fisherman wanted to be paid $1 million and be placed in witness protection, but the RCMP declined the offer; U.S. authorities intercepted the boat loaded with more than two tonnes of cocaine, but no one was ever charged. Plagued by rivalries, incompetence, and a general underestimation of the threat posed by the bikers, the police in B.C. - especially the RCMP - did little to take on the Hells Angels until their power made them virtually impregnable. Headlines blared in the Vancouver Sun that a biker war was coming to British Columbia. It was an interesting story that connected the dots between a couple of members of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang living in the Lower Mainland and the adverse reaction the Hells Angels would take. The story was clearly steered by the RCMP and was designed to gather some attention on the issue. Why, one might wonder, is it suddenly important for the RCMP to beat the drums of a biker war? Especially considering the two Bandits have been living here for at least a couple of years that I know of and possibly longer, depending on who you ask. B.C. Hells Angels chapters, whose members and associates live in North Vancouver and West Vancouver, are the richest in the world of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Clubs ______________________________________________ In a nutshell, it's the whip-up-the-hysteria- and-demand-more-money-and-resources theory of attacking organized crime. Organized crime is a huge problem and the biker gangs are a significant part of that problem. The case for necessary funding and resources should be easy to make on the merits. Attempts to whip up hysteria are little more than grandstanding and ineffectual. SMiles

That is a beauty You should start a thread here (the bonfire) for best photos of fires. I can sit at a fire for many many hours- addicted to the flames! Probably the best conversations I've had with friends/skydivers have been sitting around a bonfire. SMiles

It is thanksgiving on Monday and I am sleezin out of cookin this year ---would like to bring some wine to serve with the bird- can you suggest? thanx, SMiles

Norm Price recylces beer caps and gets threat of legal action from Molson for using their logo without permission..... I am Canadian- but not a Molson Beer drinker... - it is funny at the d.z. when you hear its "Miller Time"...and nobody drinks it. Take off, eh "G'day, I'm Bob McKenzie and this is my brother, Doug," --"How's it going, eh?" "Who better to represent Canadian beer than the McKenzie brothers, because they're so all about beer and Canada." -back bacon-"Eh?"-doughnuts & beer. The McKenzies eventually began "scamming good beer" rather than any beer... with multimillion-dollar campaign commercials for Molson Golden, alright.... But Molson owns the trademark for the word Canadian, as it applies to beer?? I am Canadian = Molson Beer In cases when there is a possibility of infringement, the court records show that Molson pursues every claim rigorously. Molson Brewing Company, Canada's largest national brewery, is no stranger to litigation or trademark rights, having gone the distance with Labatt's Brewing in addition to others on numerous occasions over the years... I think it sucks they attempt to go after beer cap fishing lures. Similarities between the sailing ship logo used by Tall Ship Ale - a tall ship head with Garibaldi Mountain in the background - and the Molson logo, a much more stylized tall ship at a three-quarters angle, which resembles an armadillo when placed on its side causes Molson to send a letter to Tall Ship by the patent and trademark agent Moffat and Co. stating, "...the ship design which you have adopted is very similar to that of our client and we have advised Molson Breweries that such use is clearly an infringement of its rights.... Molson Breweries must insist that you cease and desist from using this 'ship design'...or any other design which resembles its trademark." Tall Ship, one of the newest breweries to enter the $10 billion (cdn) beer industry in British Columbia, seems an unlikely target for such an attack, considering both owners are still in their first full year of operation and are effectively the only two employees of the company. Tall Ship Ale is sold only in Whistler, Squamish and the metro Vancouver area. The Squamish brewery has done its own trademark search and found that there can be no trademark "infringement" because the Molson tall ship is not a registered trademark (they have since begun registration processes). In the case of "passing off," which is when a company willfully tries to mislead the consumer into believing the goods or services are that of another company, it is doubtful that sufficient evidence exists because the placement of the "Tall Ship Ale" name and barley cluster prominently arranged on the logo is in stark contrast to that of Molson. Molson, uses the old-fashioned doctrine of “passing off”. This concept predates modern trademark law, but exists alongside trademark rights. In a nutshell, passing off prevents anyone from selling a product in any way that the consumer is deceived about what they are buying. Norm Price say's the top 3 lures he's found to be effective are caps from Molson Dry, Ex and Canadian... SMiles

http://www.fishyfishing.com/index.php?name=News&file=print&sid=6 I think he is fighting with Molsen over use of their caps to make lures -which he sells retail $4.00 cnd. each. SMiles

packed 1170 for myself, -yet to have a cutaway -now that I've said that- my time will come SMiles

Hey- had such a riot on my last jump -because of the way the organizer designed it. He opened freefalling together book and announced-loudly......... "29-38-94-1-hut" Everyone replied "what?????" and he said "thats the dive" look at the book, were on load 5- be ready to dirt dive after load 4 takes off." He left the list of names beside the book and had written "29-38-94-1 hut" in huge. 29- we launched donut base from porter- 2 floaters docked back of donut (filling corners with one hand grip and one leg) 2 divers docked the same on opposite side. 38- base turned to opposed diamond while pods docked on each side. 94- open accord to 1- star Dirt dive went so smooth as everyone had a chance to check out the book and choose a slot- I chose base cause it was a donut launch. We got thru the dive like pro's except for 2nd point (38) 1 of our pod's built before base- so got a dirty look- so next 38 just before break off -they improved. Also 1 diver got rude awakening (donut base falls slower..) Yee ha! was a breeze to remember when logging- 29-38-94-1-hut (look in book!) SMiles

ahhhhhh, I am from Canada- duh! I say "yeah" for Springsteen, R.E.M., and other bands for expressing their views politically. Also -Springsteen rawks SMiles

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two of the biggest forces in rock music over the last 20 years were plugging in their amplifiers Friday to kick off a high-volume effort to oust President George W. Bush on Nov. 2. Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. were to bring a dose of music and politics to the Wachovia Center, starting a 10-day series of Vote For Change shows in battleground states. With a long list of high-profile artists from across the generational divide, the concerts will raise money for efforts to defeat Bush and other Republicans in next month's elections. The Philadelphia show was one of six Vote For Change concerts scheduled across Pennsylvania on Friday night. On the other end of the state, the Dixie Chicks and James Taylor were to perform in Pittsburgh, with other concerts in Erie, State College, Reading and Wilkes-Barre. The tour will also make stops in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Washington, Arizona and Washington, D.C. R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe told The Associated Press that the goal is to push for an overall change in the country's leadership, including the election of Democratic Sen. John Kerry as president. Stipe said he believes the Bush administration and the nation's other leaders missed an opportunity to bring the world together after the Sept. 11 attacks. "America represents something that is maybe unattainable," he said. "That idea has become confused and squandered by the current administration." Springsteen has described the election as one of the most critical in his lifetime. Eli Pariser, executive director of political action committee and tour sponsor MoveOn PAC, said the tour's political message shouldn't surprise most concertgoers. "There is no distinction between what the artists are doing on this tour and what they've done all their lives," Pariser said. "These are people who are the town criers. Sometimes they're singing about relationships and sometimes about the environment." The tour, also featuring Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp and others, includes 37 shows in 30 cities through Oct. 11. Proceeds will go to America Coming Together, or ACT, a group raising money for Democratic candidates. "I think that they really have a unique voice with a lot of people who have followed their careers over the years and know that they're not your old-boy politicians," said Ellen Malcolm, president of the Washington, D.C.-based group. Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard said he wants to make it clear to voters that the Bush administration has been reckless in its foreign policy since Sept. 11. "For me personally, I very much want John Kerry to win," Gossard said in an interview. "I think that he's expressed an interest in re-engaging the world community and saying the last administration is not representative of the way America wants to do business with the world." Bands on the tour cross over many musical categories and a generational gap. John Fogerty, the former leader of Credence Clearwater Revival in the 1960s and 1970s, and James Taylor, whose folk star status began in the 1960s, will be on the same bill as R&B singer/songwriter/producer Kenny Babyface Edmonds, whose fame didn't come until the 1980s and 1990s. Voter registration information will be available during the concerts. "It's not just waging war over a very narrow group of undecided voters," Pariser said. "It's bringing in hundreds of thousands and millions of new people to the process." SMiles

Just picked up Guns N Roses in Tokyo DVD- for $10. and Switchfoot- which one will I check out first?? Switchfoot was a gamble as only heard one tune of theirs- will I be impressed????????? SMiles

The mayor and some other Canadians?? Give me a break- talk about deluxe soap opera. SMiles The leader of a British Columbia group Isaac Romano called Our Way Home, had been planning to erect the monument in Nelson, B.C., during a July 2006 two-day festival in honour of U.S. conscientious objectors. On Monday night, Blair Suffredine, Liberal member for the provincial riding of Nelson, and Jim Gouk, Tory MP for federal B.C. riding of Southern Interior, both said they opposed the monument, calling it inappropriate and offensive to many Americans. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Romano said the group plans to go ahead with the statue, but may have to find another place to put it.

Kingston- $500. USD (dream on.........put on Xmas list?????) ---this is not a memory card for a casual user, but that's to be expected at the high end. With a lifetime warranty, fast read/write speeds, and the respected Kingston brand-name, this is a serious card for serious users. It boasts the size of all but the biggest microdrives on the market, and the power-friendly nature of CompactFlash. --- inserted into a Canon S400, a 4 megapixel camera set at maximum resolution and maximum image quality.................2036 photos. -----if you're ripping at 64 kbps you can fit approximately 139 albums according to Windows Media Player's estimate that an average album will take up 28 MB of space. ----Speeds tests revealed that this card is a burner: 6552 KB/s for 1 MB reads, and 6040 KB/s for 1 MB writes. A ancient Canon 32 MB card scored 3136 KB/s for 1 MB reads and only 614 KB/s for 1 MB reads. SMiles

Autoimmune diseases are known to begin or worsen with certain triggers such as viral infections........ I have autoimmune chronic illnesses: -diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus at age of 10- re: inflammation causing destruction of the insulin-producing cells of my pancreas, -rheumatoid arthritis, where my immune system predominantly targets the lining (synovium) that covers various joints. Inflammation of the synovium is usually symmetrical (occurring equally on both sides of the body) and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints. -autoimmune reaction is directed against my gut in inflammatory bowel disease (fistualizing Crohn's disease.) The word "auto" is the Greek word for self. The immune system is a complicated network of cells and cell components (called molecules) that normally work to defend the body and eliminate infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and other invading microbes. If a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks self, targeting the cells, tissues, and organs of a person's own body. A collection of immune system cells and molecules at a target site is broadly referred to as inflammation. Anyway my body chemistry is screwed but I have been able to skydive for 15 years so really cannot complain. This last 2 yrs. I have been treated with a monoclonal antibody called Infiximab (Remicade)- it is composed of human and mouse proteins- (just luv that fact) each bottle costs $1,000. cnd. and my infusion consists of 3 bottles every 8 weeks. Remicade works by blocking your immune system's overproduction of a protein (TNF-alpha), which is an underlying cause of my diseases. Remicade targets and neutralizes TNF-alpha. Re: rather than being treated with anti-inflamatory drugs- this stuff stops my immune system from overproducing, supresses my immune system. Wow, treatments have amazingly been working great- costs a ton but in the long run my medical expenses have been cheaper taking this antibody and when you add all the previous medication, surgery, hospital stays, constant dr. appt. up. Actually I am much healthier now than I have been in 20 years and don't want to look back. I have been trying to understand and educate myself on the immune system- and it gets so confusing...stuff like you should never have your tonsils removed, vacinations I've had as a child and virus's, and flu shots. Or------Interleukins are hormones that carry messages between the immune cells to orchestrate the entire battle. One interleukin attracts T-cells to their targets and alert them to create interferon (if needed) and create another interleukin to create helper T-cells to kick the immune system into high gear and call in the natural killer cells and stimulate B-cells to produce antibodies. Your body creates these wonderful chemicals whenever you do something that excites you, enthralls you, rings all your bells. So if Skydiving, Horse back riding, making love for hours, watching a beautiful sunset, is my key to a powerful immune system- and my immune system is in need of being suppressed- should I live a life without excitement? Also if the sugar from 1 can of soda pop can suppress your immune system for 6 hrs--I have diabetes so do not eat sugar, I could increase my insulin and start drinking soda pop?? As my immune system is being lowered by remicade infusions- should I get flu shots?? Crazy shit. SMiles

hey Slug, did ya have a good summer? I added to original flygirl03 personal designed tattoo- as suggestion for how she could enhance. One would have to be pretty "low life" to rip her personal designed tattoo, especially a fellow skydiver----wouldn't ya think??? Hey- I am a computer graphic designer by trade- skydive logos, clipart, websites, graphics, online boogie adverts, advert banners, custiom t-shirt design, many have been tattooed with my personal skydive designs- pay for all my jumps & rigging designing websites & maintenance of - sample: http://www.vancouver-skydiving.bc.ca/ Also employed designing graphics for owners manuals (containers & canopies)- volunteer graphics for cspa pim manuals.............. so- I have been established finacially for many years now-and years to come workin at what I luv. SMiles eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.