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Open a bank account get a gun?? http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/suntimes_20010128.php Copyright 2001 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. Chicago Sun-Times January 28, 2001, SUNDAY, Late Sports Final Edition SECTION: FINANCIAL; Pg. 43 LENGTH: 537 words HEADLINE: Banks use gifts to target depositors SOURCE: Bloomberg News BYLINE: BY MICHEAL NOL DATELINE:TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. BODY: Open a bank account, get a gun. North Country Financial Corp. is exchanging firearms for deposits, giving away rifles and shotguns in lieu of the interest that normally accompanies accounts. Put as little as $ 869 in a 20-year certificate of deposit, and the Traverse City-based bank will hand over a Weatherby Inc. Mark V Synthetic rifle that lists for $ 779. Deposit more, and you have a choice of six Weatherby shotguns or a limited-edition rifle. The bank has 28 branches, mostly in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the guns-for-CDs program is a potent weapon in the fight for Americans' savings at a time of shrinking bank deposits. Banks across the country are offering everything from $ 50 gift certificates and books to casserole dishes and clocks to lure back customers and stem a seven-year decline in deposits as Americans shifted money into stocks and mutual funds. U.S. time deposits, including CDs, totaled about $ 1.05 trillion at the end of last year, down from $ 1.17 trillion in 1990, according to the Federal Reserve. In the decade, assets in mutual funds surged to $ 6.82 trillion at the end of November from $ 1.07 trillion at the end of 1990, the Investment Company Institute said. Offering freebies for deposits gives banks "a way to get the customer in front of us," says Ken Lewis, president and chief operating officer of Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp., which has more deposits than any other U.S. bank. Getting customers back in the door "gives us an opportunity to sell other products as well," he said. North Country's arrangement with Weatherby in Atascadero, Calif., is the brainchild of Ronald G. Ford, the bank's chairman and chief executive. "It's a high-end product that fits the lifestyle here," Ford said. Ford, who owns seven Weatherby rifles and shotguns, hunts black bear and white-tailed deer in Michigan -- and elk and mule deer in Colorado, pheasant in the Dakotas and moose in Canada. North Country started offering the Weatherbys more than 10 years ago and displays the guns on its branches' walls. In the Upper Peninsula, where some schools close for the start of hunting season in November, guns on the walls don't necessarily raise eyebrows. The program has brought in millions of dollars of deposits from customers in every U.S. state, said Rose Garvin, a North Country Bank & Trust manager and federal firearms license holder. It eventually led to other giveaways, such as grandfather clocks and golf clubs, but guns are still the most popular. North Country advertises its CDs in hunting and gun-enthusiast magazines, attracting hunters and collectors. Its costliest giveaway, available with a $ 14,911 deposit in a three-year CD, is Weatherby's Athena Grade V Classic Field 12-gauge shotgun. It comes with oil-finished stock and rose and scroll engravings on the side plate and carries a suggested retail price of $ 2,919. The same $ 14,911 deposit in an average three-year account paying 5.48 percent interest yields $ 2,588 at the end of the term, $ 331 less than the price of the gun. By contrast, $ 869 placed in a CD at that same rate for 20 years returns $ 1,656 of interest, more than double the price of the $ 779 Mark V Synthetic. MOORE NARRATION: I had spotted an ad in the local Michigan paper that said if you opened an account at North Country Bank, the bank would give you a gun. http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/transcript_bankemployee.php SMiles

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/ We already know that politicians in denial will dismiss the abuse sequence in Mr. Moore's film as mere partisanship. Someone will surely echo Senator James Inhofe's Abu Ghraib complaint that "humanitarian do-gooders" looking for human rights violations are maligning "our troops, our heroes" as they continue to fight and die. But Senator Inhofe and his colleagues might ask how much they are honoring soldiers who are overextended, undermanned and bereft of a coherent plan in Iraq. The Los Angeles Times reported that for the first time three Army divisions, more than a third of its combat troops, are so depleted of equipment and skills that they are classified "unfit to fight." In contrast to Washington's neglect, much of "Fahrenheit 9/11" turns out to be a patriotic celebration of the heroic American troops who have been fighting and dying under these and other deplorable conditions since President Bush's declaration of war. Whatever you think of Mr. Moore, there's no question he's detonating dynamite here. From a variety of sources — foreign journalists and broadcasters (like Britain's Channel Four), freelancers and sympathetic American TV workers who slipped him illicit video — he supplies war-time pictures that have been largely shielded from our view. Instead of recycling images of the planes hitting the World Trade Center on 9/11 once again, Mr. Moore can revel in extended new close-ups of the president continuing to read "My Pet Goat" to elementary school students in Florida for nearly seven long minutes after learning of the attack. Just when Abu Ghraib and the savage beheading of Nicholas Berg make us think we've seen it all, here is yet another major escalation in the nation-jolting images that have become the battleground for the war about the war. Like Mrs. Bush, Mr. Wolfowitz hasn't let that mind be overly sullied by body bags and such — to the point where he underestimated the number of American deaths in Iraq by more than 200 in public last month. No one would ever accuse Michael Moore of having a beautiful mind. Subtleties and fine distinctions are not his thing. That matters very little, it turns out, when you have a story this ugly and this powerful to tell. SMiles

Bowling for Columbine won the academy award for best documentary. In your opinion were there no rules to govern documentaries...?? Without equivocation, every fact is true in Bowling for Columbine. Three teams of fact-checkers and two groups of lawyers went through it with a fine tooth comb to make sure that every statement of fact is indeed an indisputable fact. No film company would ever release a film like this without putting it through the most vigorous vetting process possible. Total number of lawsuits to date against Moore or his film by the NRA? NONE. That's right, zero. And don't forget for a second that if they could have shut this film down on a technicality they would have. But they didn't and they can't – because the film is factually solid and above reproach. In fact, Moore has not been sued by any individual or group over the statements made in "Bowling for Columbine?" Why is that? Because everything said is true – The things that are his opinion, are said as "opinion" and left up to the viewer to decide if his point of view is correct or not for each of them. OPINION Have you not heard of a DOXA documentary film-??(DOXA is the Greek word for "opinion") DOXA is an international festival, an annual event presenting thoughtful and cutting edge documentary films to audiences. Moviegoers have recently lined up for such films as Spellbound, Bowling for Columbine, Capturing the Friedmans, The Fog of War and, across Canada, the Vancouver-produced The Corporation. "People have caught on that they're entertaining, they're not boring, they're anything any feature drama film could be. The latest I've viewed at a DOXA fest is considered a "hot documentary", and named: The Take. A documentary about a movement of occupied factories that turns the globalization debate on its head. After decades of following the rules prescribed by the global market, Argentina’s economy dramatically collapsed. Now, in the rubble of the failed model, thousands of Argentines are defiantly writing some rules of their own. Rule number 1: When owners shut down their businesses, the employees have a right to take over the machines and keep their jobs. An author and journalist, had been immersed in the globalization debate and were looking for a project that provided audiences with more than a critique. So, in February 2002 they began their search for a movie to make. "We felt it was time to go out to find something that might bring hope and inspiration to people. I really felt the need to go deeper on a subject. The couple arrived in Argentina as a rebellion was spreading in response to the collapse of the economy. As factories closed, thousands of employees were moving into the vacated premises and resuming production under their own self-management. They spent seven months shooting in Argentina (250 hours of footage), followed by six months of editing and two months of post-production. This was a DOXA fest documentary (opinion)... left up to the viewer to decide if the point of view is correct or not for each of them. SMiles

CANNES, France The jury that awarded the top prize at the festival to Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 also considered awarding a special prize to George W. Bush for best comic performance in a movie. The jury was dealing with reels of film and that's all that mattered...not how they were made, why they were made, or who made them. If the movie said everything they believed but wasn't good filmmaking- it would be opposed to. Regardless of any duplicity or lies---- The jury awarded the top prize to Fahrenheit 9/11 for good filmmaking. SMiles

Film is an art and therefore has no rules. I feel that you would be hard pressed to find any document that deals with "subject matter in a neutral way," for any that suggest all documentary "must" necessarily be. The very act of making a film suggests an agenda. There are very few documentaries that are objective. The things that are presented in a documentary are true (at least until proven false), but the message does not have to be. All documentary filmmakers have an agenda, something they want to get across. This may mean omission, "creative" cutting or similar. This does not mean that the footage is false, and as such it is still documentary. The message is another story. The message is almost always biased. You cannot put down Moore for having an agenda. The same is true for every single documentary filmmaker. Has anyone seen virtually every important film ever made.? None of them have altered the outcome of an election the way this one will. It may not be the best film ever made in terms of its art... but it will be the most important film in terms of influence. The temperature where freedom burns. Nine members of the Cannes jury awarded prizes, one was French while four were Americans, including jury president Quentin Tarantino and actress Kathleen Turner. Quentin Tarantino -- -- told Moore 'We want you to know that the politics of your film had nothing to do with the award. You were given the award because you made a great film.'" I think it's highly amusing how upset some people are. People are slamming the facts of this movie as being completely inaccurate, yet they haven't even seen it yet. What is supposed to make a country great--is the fact that we are able to view, read, discuss, etc. different perspectives and then be able to draw our own conclusions and ideas. SMiles "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

Murray's latest film, Coffee and Cigarettes, is a compilation of 11 vignettes featuring actors and musicians playing versions of themselves as they sit down for coffee, cigarettes and banter. The film opened Friday in select theatres. Cast: Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, RZA, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Alfred Molina, Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright Anyone seen it yet? What do ya think?? http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2004/0-9ABC/Coffee-And-Cigarrettes/trailer-page.html SMiles "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

Hi TK, I design skydive graphics, clipart, website images, boogie adverts....re: idgraphics skydive pages. have attached 3 for your use if you please- .jpg SMiles eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

Well, sure have found out through searching there is tons of information available. At the same time most users of ecstasy may not be aware of the effects ketamine may have on their mind.... Also have found there are test kits available to check ecstasy but do not understand why ketamine would be 'cut' with the ecstasy? Is it because ketamine is more available for underground labs?? Just take the liquid form of ketamine and add some dye- dry it out to powder and smoke, snort...sell as ketamine...or because of the availability just add some caffeine and sell as ecstasy tablets??? Apparently after an overdose even though the drug is not in the system- the user feels reality to be a dream like state and can drift in and out for a month or more between catatonic where no pain is felt (break bones- fall from heights etc.- driving a vehicle can drift off and cause accident...) Ketamine is a psychedelic ('mind revealing') drug because it can sometimes reveal aspects of how the mind constructs reality, personality, and a sense of meaning and sacredness, without necessarily inducing a toxic delirium. The use of ketamine has been linked with a wide range of mental health problems including anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, persistent perceptual changes, mania, depression, suicide, insomnia, nightmares, night terrors, an unpleasant feeling of being unreal or that the world is unreal, paranoid delusions, persistent hallucinations, automatic behaviour, fragmentation of the personality and aggression. Ketamine produces a dose-related progression of effects from a state of dreamy intoxication to delirium accompanied by the inability to move, feel pain or remember what has occurred while under the drug's influence. Hallucinations- it blocks chemical messengers in the brain that carry sensory input; the brain fills the resulting void with visions, dreams, memories, visual distortions, lost sense of time and identity, euphoria, confusion, smells and tastes seem muted, visual perception and sense of touch are amplified. May feel floaty- slightly or far away from your body, numbness in your extremities. The use of Ketamine can result in profound physical and mental problems including delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function and potentially fatal respiratory problems. Panic, rage and paranoia may also occur. Some people feel paralyzed by the drug, unable to speak without slurring. In addition, one can be submerged in their hallucinations without realizing that they are hallucinating. Eating or drinking before taking the drug can cause vomiting. There have also been suggestions that long-term use of Ketamine can damage the memory and eyesight of the user, as well as reducing attention span. Frequent use can cause disruptions in consciousness and lead to neuroses or other mental disorders. A BBC report in May 2003 claimed that medical research had shown that controlled tests on Ketamine users had revealed impaired memory and mild schizophrenia several days after taking the drug. An overdose of Ketamine will knock you out as if in an operating room. If repeatedly taken in large doses, Ketamine can induce unconsciousness and failure of the cardiovascular system, leading to death. Ketamine can cause a tremendous psychological dependence and may be physically addicting as well. The dissociation from one's consciousness experienced with Special K (the entrance to "K-Land") can be highly seductive. Harmful effects: The long-term effects of ketamine have suggested that out-of-body experiences may recur even without additional use of the drug, and psychosis (severe mental instability) can occur. SMiles

Pulled into my driveway at 5 a.m. to find a male laying naked in my yard??? Trying to get response was impossible, his heart was beating, had shallow breathing- but no response. Called 911 and before police and ambulance arrived, to take him to emergency- he 'came' to...saying he felt like he had been in hell. He did not know his name- new he had taken 'E' at a party, had no memory of anything. He explained he had found a place of 'nothingness' in the centre of his brain. He was awake but said he felt like he was dreaming- then he slipped away comatose again as police and ambulance pulled in. So- I've done some studying to find something I had never heard of called Ketamine..'vitamin K, special K, or the 'rape' drug. Ecstasy tablets are commonly found to contain several types of drugs in different combination including MDMA, MDA, MA, ketamine, diazepam, caffeine..... Ketamine or ketamine hydrochloride, is a non-barbiturate, rapid acting disassociative anesthetic used in vets to put animals to sleep and is being abused by an increasing number of young people as a club drug, distributed at raves and parties. Ketamine is similar molecularly to PCP or Angel Dust. Ketamine produces a dissociative state. User feels hallucinogenic effects and experiences impaired perception. When it is swallowed, the drug is absorbed into the blood which goes to the liver first where it is changed to norketamine and effect is sedation. Commonly elicits an out of body or near death experience, it can render the user comatose. This stage is refered to as the 'k-hole' where since the drug is an anesthetic it stops the user from feeling any pain- leading to user inadvertantly causing injury to themselves. So---anybody else heard about the 'k-hole'???? SMiles

yes, 2--tragedies-- 1. A very close friend, Michael Mellick 33 who was in love with this sport. Dual tandem fatality- Mike had over 2,000 tandem jumps and was tandem instructor, main mal & cut away. Never was found out why reserve was not activated....except possible death grip from passenger on his hands......thud was so loud many residents in the rural farming community thought there had been a car accident. Combe, 36 the tandem passenger had given a tandem jump to his daugher as a birthday gift and she was estatic to try and dared her father to also make a jump. Combe's wife and family watched in horror. His daughter was tandem on same load, which landed safe and close to where her father and Michael lay dead. 2. Awesome friend, experienced skydiver- Sylvia Durand- under canopy spiraled 50 ft. from ground. SMiles.

do not remember date- maybe 1984? driving in Pitt Meadows B.C. Canada and saw a huge crowd of skydivers (100 way attempt)....pulled into parking area and watched --I believe-- a 99 way formation in the sky, my adrenaline started to pump with all those canopies in the sky and was freaked as they just landed ---everywhere--- Needless to say the memory stayed in my brain, I was very impressed and a few years later made a tandem and did FJC. SMiles eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

I saw cartoons on their website (Lake Wales) and in their adverts years ago(Skydiving Mag) - so tried many times thru email to find out name of artist and this = no reply. Also calodain(sp??) graphics replied saying they had tried for years to get permission to use cartoons for t-shirts =no reply. Do not think their company is open now. Anyway- they are priceless I luv the guy running to aircraft in teva's & gear (from the back), 2 dudes giving a '5' after landing in gear with canopies on the ground- 3 in freefall with camera man- and of course your avatar. SMiles

Can anyone please identify the artist of this skydive cartoon ??? Thanx SMiles

Hey- it is a small world, I know a couple of skydivers with your avitar in color tattooed on their ankles. I duplicated the cartoon for them and felt guilty as did not know the original artists name. Have seen a collection of these cartoons over the years(in Skydiving Mag.)and just luv them----but never a name of the artist. Hoping you or someone reading would know. Thanx SMiles

If you happen to have the chance to read to a child- or around kids learning to read....this book rawks!! Humour and the "f-word" -- fart-- may initially attract children to the Walter the Farting Dog books. Co author is Murray. "Kids love scatological detail and bodily functions, Walter has an extra charm, I think, and a message of acceptance and tolerance and making the best of a bad situation." The books tell the story of the titular pooch and the troubles he gets into because of his uncontrollable and unpleasant bodily function. In the end, however, Walter always saves the day. Printed in a dozen languages, the book raced up the New York Times Children's Bestsellers list. SMiles

I do know some people feel honestly in their heart that they are spreading the "word" and their main purpose is to "save" others...or "save" the Earth, or the environment.... I do not think that the Bible was written to all people and that anyone, anywhere who just had a Bible, and no other literature could -understand it and be saved. I like how the following is written by Errol: "I do know that we are living in what is known as the Pleistocene Ice Age and this event has been going on for roughly 1.75 million years. So far this earth has been through about 20-30 'glacials' or ice sheet advances and the same number of 'interglacials' or ice sheet recessions. Right now the Earth is in about the midpoint of an interglacial that started roughly 11,000 years ago. If one thinks about it for about a nanosecond one can figure out for ones self that it has been constantly getting warmer and colder. Humans are entirely too arrogant and insecure if they think for a second that they have any more influence over global warming or cooling than a gerbal might. No, humans can't really do global warming or cooling- humans are nowhere near capable of affecting global warming or cooling to any great extent by their day to day activities--unless you count creating a nuclear winter which isn't going to happen anyway. What we are doing is making this planet incapable of supporting human life. What you will see after humans have done their absolute worse to pooched the place and have killed themselves off as a species is: the earth will simply do its recycle thing and in a short 750,000 years or so the sum total of human existence will be nothing more than a thin black, and slightly smelly, line in the coral reefs and soil strata. Our remains should skootch down nicely and become a dandy non-renewable energy sorce. Especially the methane that's left over from skydivers eating bad food at boogies. We are the Borg. Nature as we found it is irrelevant. We will consume it's biological distinctiveness to maintain our existence regardless of the cost and what remains will be adapted to service us. Resistance is futile." SMiles

whale surfaces, pops its head out of the water... and spits! cute short video clip: http://www.jakeludington.com/movies/WhaleSpit.wmv SMiles of the day!

Corruption and fraud surrounding the UN's oil-for-food program.....a multibillion dollar financial scandal is alleged. The UN oil-for-food program in Iraq was supposed to be a humanitarian effort. Profits from Iraqi oil sales were to be used exclusively to buy food and medicine for the people of Iraq. Saddam Hussein, senior UN staff members and companies from Security Council member-countries are accused of conspiring together to skim billions from the program.... http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/21/world/oilforfood040421 Oil-for-food?? I just cannot believe it SMiles

to wear or not to wear?? short video clip: http://media.ebaumsworld.com/skydivedent.mpg SMiles

I live in Canada and used to use a product called Crisco vegetable oil. When that went off the shelves and Crisco vegetable oil became "Canola" I switched to olive oil- basically stopped eating fry food. *note* Europe stopped importing Canola oil for good reason. P.S....hemp seed oil in my shampoo and conditioner is completely awesome SMiles

I'm sick of hearing these "vital security hole" warnings. When you use Windows, you basically agree to the fact that you know there are some problems - it's as simple as that. I've heard of applications like those listed below that are equivalent replacements for the Microsoft version of the product. Not only are they free, but they also excel in some features I'm told. Would appreciate feedback from those who have used and what they think. Internet Explorer: Mozilla http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/ or Firefox http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Outlook Express: Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ Microsoft Office: OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org/ MSN Messenger: Trillian Basic http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/downloads/ Then what if you want to get away from Windows altogether? The penguin - Linux.?? Is this open source operating system getting easier than ever to use.?? For example, Mandrake http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/ provides an easy-to-use flavor of Linux. I'm in the process of slapping a copy of Linux on a CD and playing with it before installing: Knoppix.net http://www.knoppix.net/ to download Knoppix. They also have some great resources to help you out with all of the questions. Please wish me luck Foobar cartoon (April) attached. SMiles

Not any more!! I have diabetes type 1 and injecting insulin daily for 39 years-been skydiving 15 years have 1000+ jumps. Live in Canada- had dr. exam when writing "A" license and that her. Had no health problems related to diabetes- my eye dr. cannot believe that my eyes are so perfect (can usually tell a person has diabetes by looking in their eyes due to tiny blood vessels bursting) I am most likely in better health than many as I do eat regular meals with proper exchanges of protien, carbs, fruit & fat... exercise regular...test blood sugars and keep them in control...........other than that diabetes is no big deal----you are in control of it which is Everyone luvs me at my home d.z. as always carry snacks & food (eat something before manifesting and carry glucose tabs in jumpsuit pocket) SMiles

Was just flipping over to April on my USPA calendar (am I slow!).. I loved Brent Finley's pic (March) of trailing eel streamers that Bryan Burke constructed for an aerial display for the annual Burning Man. So took the time to check out Burning Man and found links to some incredible pics and video... What an incredible view from the sky Anyone know how Burning Man 2004 (Aug.30th) is progressing?? links: incredible photos http://www.vanos.com/bm/ some video clips and info on burning sky camp http://www.burningsky.org/wwa/hm.php burning man website http://www.burningman.com/ SMiles

my home d.z. happy flock they look so happy it's enough to get a suit myself and join em!! SMiles

Hi, you are certainly not alone- How are your liver enzyme test results?? I have Hep C and get my liver enzymes tested regular. The results have been excellent for 7 years now---no changes. I am fortunate to be Hep C positive without any symptoms yet- my sister died last June with Hep C- (cirrhosis) I cared for her over the last 10 years and she was not a drug user or alcoholic so unsure how she contacted it except when she had full mouth tooth extractions done. When she was originally diagnosed with cirrhosis we did not relate it to Hep C until years after when she was tested Hep C and B positive. Also unsure how I contacted it. May be from personal care of my sister or when I was a dental assistant for 2 years back in the days when all dental instruments were so called sterilized in a blue solution and only autoclaved at the end of the day. The dentist I assisted did alot of extractions- the bloody instruments were all put in the sink and rinsed with water, then placed in tray of blue solution for 5 minutes...and back into the drawers to be used again. (I was poked many times with bloody explorers) Also one of my tattoo's was done 12 years ago. Anyway my partner was tested soon after my diagnosis and he is also Hep C positive---we have long gotten over the big question as to who got it from where and what. He has elevated enzyme results when he drinks and does have unusual fatique off and on due to the disease. All I know is I am still haunted by what my sister's last years of existence were like suffering with cirrhosis----that experience was enough to give my head a shake when it comes to drinking any alcohol. I have had problems getting into emergency due to Hep C and lack of treatment rooms available- always remind nurses, doctors and dentists- even staff at d.z. and my jump buddies are all aware. I also wear an i.d. bracelet. My toothbrush, shaving razors ect. are all kept personal. Both my children were born cesarean before my diagnosis of Hep C and have been tested - negative for Hep C. SMiles