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Does the statement, "We've always done it that way" ring any bells...? The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads. Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing. Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts. So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. And bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a spec and told we have always done it that way and wonder what horse's ass came up with that, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Now the twist to the story... When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds. So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a Horse's ass. And you thought being a horse's ass wasn't important! SMiles

What about canopy manufacturers who sell BASE jump systems designed for residents and employees of high rise buildings, in case of emergency?????? clicky SMiles

Well if you are in need of a freaking hug, you got one I suggest you think of fellows with 9,000+ skydives who still have just as much of a blast shaken up the peas with their tandem passengers

Yulia Yasko sure does a beauty job of capturing the beauty of it all... 1st tandem freefall SMiles

ahhh, right thru from Sept. to March rain,...................... This summer has been with loads of jumping right thru to this week our first "real" rainstorms. Of course the shits for our interior having wicked forest fires. You just have to get yer ass down to Eloy for Xmas and it sure is better weather here than the rest of our country freezin snow! SMiles

side (with arms down) = social and easy going I have always slept on my side but with my......torn rotator cuff in left shoulder can only sleep on right side SMiles

great to hear from you, as you have been in my thoughts, wishin & hopin you can dance real soon

I just started planting all my spring bulbs, and shit hit the fan, talk about good timing Of course living in Vancouver B.C. Canada, it is about time we got some.... SMiles

very itnreestnig- -as children we learn to read -hooked on phonics- and sounding them out for each word. -for me to keyboard fast typing with accuracy, I do not get good results unless I type letters only- without reading the words.... SMiles

..now I yank out my 1st. log book to look back---wow, I have so much to be proud of, this book should not be stashed away, it is priceless! I found your post an excellent read, I agree with all you have written. I jump without a cypres today but have made decision to purchase one next year. I was in shock after my 1st. tandem jump-(1987) no huge smiles, no yelling ya-hoo or response of adrenaline rush. It took a few days to comprehend my experience and that experience came back to me a little at a time until "the whole picture" was embraced (can recall it to this day.) I returned to the d.z. 2 months later to take the static line progression. Training was like "in the army now." Reserve on belly, lg. army boots and hat, flying main round canopies and even a few round reserve rides. I left the d.z. many times screaming "I give up"... But memories of freefall from my tandem jump always dragged me back.

Seriously-who really gives a ^&**%$# about how close one D.zzzzzzzzzz is to a city- compared to another in minutes---and why ???? - it is so awesome a skydiving tourist is welcome at any and all d.z.'s and we are so fortunate to have a choice living here. Hey, driving car- 654 Nelson St. Van. BC to Pitt Meadows equals 37.90 km estimated time is 38 min. taking hwy #1 East and hwy #7 -exit 44- then United BLVD, right on Mary Hill byp route 7b, right onto Lougheed hwy 7E 654 Nelson St. Van. B.C. to Abbotsford equals 68.69 km estimated time is 49 min. hwy. #1 East to exit #87 it is extremely possible to get here in 39 min., the km is more but 60.36 of them are on one hwy. Re: just cause the km is shorter to one city doesn't mean you get there faster............even if you drive a Ferrarri SMiles

Want to have a beer in Vancouver? why not make a skydive then have a beer at the d.z.? call the Shop in Vancouver (Parachute Shop) 1793 Robson (and Denman) (604) 327-5867 the d.z. is 40 min. from Vancouver http://www.vancouver-skydiving.bc.ca SMiles

copied from CSPA chat list: (Canada)

FAI has ratified the following Class G (Parachuting) record : ==================================================================== Claim number 7753 : Sub-class G-2 (Group jumps) Performance / Team records Feminine Category Type of record : G-2-C : Largest freeflying head-down formation Course/location : Perris, CA (USA) Performance : 4 parachutists Parachutists : Michele M. BISH, Kate COOPER, Blue McGOWAN, Kimm A. WAKEFIELD (USA) Date : 10.05.2003 Previous record : none Yeee ha! thought this one didn't make her- Hello to Kim Wakefield from Karen, if anyone could pass that on, thanx SMiles

Me too- gullum, "my precious" became so outrageously pity-able in the theatre compared to reading the book. SMiles

exactly- !!! (what he say's) SMiles

-do you buy this two-disc set, or hold out for the forthcoming Two Tower's Extended Edition? There is something to be said about having the entire movie on one disc. This trilogy will reign as the most grand and artistically expressive epic to ever grace the silver screen. SMiles

Are cypres-equipped skydivers more altitude aware?? (not humming it as low as they were years ago.) How many skydivers have survived from cut-away failure due to cypres save? Has skydivers experiencing cypres save due to cut-away failure answered the question of what caused cut-away failure? I certainly felt cypres saves would address explanation, but to date do not feel they have. For instance- my first recall of a expert cypres save in Canada was in Vancouver B.C. at a d.z. close to mine Sept. 95. Skydiver with 470 jumps experienced difficulty in pulling her throw away pilot chute. After repeated attempts she pulled her cut-away then remained in stable freefall until cypres activated at 750 ft. According to documented cypres saves: She was unable subsequently to explain why she had not pulled the reserve. According to rummor she had taken medication for a bee sting and thought that may be the cause- also she "thought" she had pulled her reserve when in actually had pulled her cut-away. I began thinking that safety awareness and emergency procedures was less of a concern for cypres owners. The best realistic practising of a cut-away would be where during jumping an additional (second) emergency parachute is used and the main deliberately cut-away for training purposes. -Have training efforts been made to increase practising cut-aways?? -Are student jumpers receiving the opportunity in their training to practise emergency procedures under the influence of (the most intense possible) fear? Cut-away failure was of crucial importance worldwide and one of the most frequent causes of fatal accidents. No pull-low pull (main not pulled or after cut-away reserve is either not pulled- or pulled to late......primarily due to parachutist failure. I recall reading CISM-technical brochure 48e- (1992) Possible solutions to the problem of cut-away failure by: R.Maire. The brochure was dedicated Jens-Henrik Johnsen who died age 37, March 14 1992 with a cut-away failure. The terrible part and the irony of his death is that he had firmly committed himself to prevent this type of accident, as a member of the FAI he did much to prevent parachuting accidents worldwide. In the brochure there is a human information processing model of the brain, which was used to explain cut-away failure. Re: a parachutist who has practised and automated the emergency procedure while in a relaxed state (info stored in "low memory" locations) will be able to make optimum use of this knowledge as long as he remains in a functional state corresponding to that in the training situation. As soon as the skydiver is in a state of stress or panic he/she is no longer able to access the required knowledge of the emergency procedure stored in "low memory" locations. In a situation rated extremely dangerous in initial interpretation, only the "highest" memory locations are accessible. Unpredictable panic reactions even on the part of experienced parachutists are always likely to occur. The short response time available to them is not long enough for the brain to reach that functional state which allows the required information to be accessed and the learned behavioral measures to be taken. Nevertheless, if man is supposed to fly, training situations should at least stimulate conditions which are as similar to the real situation as possible, i.e. the parachutist should have the opportunity to practise under the influence of (the most intense possible) fear. This might allow emergency procedures to be stored in "highest memory" locations which store the program for extreme danger to aquire the necessary knowledge. Since simulation exercises have a high learning effect, efforts should be made to increase their use. SMiles

I want to increase muscular fitness but have been instructed to first "gain weight" boooo SMiles

feel like mindless horsing around ????- with a quartet of horses???? doowop SMiles

..your Firefly suit is a beauty- nice flying! Congrats on the great pics, and especially your kp and hot guy!!!

blonde joke- check attachment after reading- A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten. We all looked at each other and another customer asked, "What is a seven-hundred-ten?" She replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one." She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there. The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked "is there a 710 on this car?" She pointed and said, "Of course, its right there...(check pic)" SMiles

I am sharp enough to get 13/20- I now have learned why I hate the smell of parmesan cheese SMiles

I live in Fraser Valley B.C. and within 1/2 hr. can jump Pacific Skydivers, Chilliwack and Abbotsford Skydiving Centre is my home d.z.Vancouver Skydiving Centre Steve & Candace wedding pics Hope to make it out to Pacific Skydivers for Keith J. Perepelkin Memorial 4-way Scrambles and BBQ. September 13, and meet jumpers there. I am so spoiled with taking off and landing at my d.z., (not located at airport) luv the porter for launching 10- ways. How do you find the King Air?? SMiles