TomAiello

It's not all glamour and fun, I'm sure. It's my understanding that it took years just to sell that concept to the network. I bet it quit feeling like fun and started feeling like real work a long time ago. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I think we are done with this discussion. There are many issues here that lie between Scott and Bre, and between them both and their families and friends. Those issues, discussion of them, and their resolutions are not related to jumping, and not appropriate for discussion in this forum. It's time to move on, folks. If you want to discuss, in general terms, issues related to injured jumpers or BASE accidents, feel free to start another thread. If you want to continue this discussion, you're going to have to do it privately. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

They removed a little (not much) of it. The rest healed naturally. There was a period of several months in the interim, in which I had a colostomy (if you're not sure what that is, just trust me that it ain't pretty) to allow the healing to take place. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

While I generally agree with the idea that the forums should be entertaining as well as enlightening, I'll remind you that their primary purpose is to promote communication and the sharing of information. When your jokes get in the way of the primary purpose of the forums--communication--they cease to be funny. Remember that it's neither you nor I who decide what this place is "for". There's a guy who pays the bills at the end of every month, and in the end he gets to decide what these forums are "for." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Tears: rips in my flesh. Tear, to tear, torn. That kind of tears. Multiple rips in my flesh. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Mel, Can you share ant of your development and testing process with us? I am specifically interested in test deployments and developments of the canopy's slider down/off opening characteristics. Thanks! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The scars were mostly from the surgery for my intestines. The spine surgery wasn't done in a "must go now to save his life" kind of way, so the scars are pretty small. However, when I hit the water, my colon pretty much exploded, filling my abdominal cavity with both fecal matter (my own) and relatively unsanitary river water (forced in at high speed). The danger of infection from these was extremely high. I was on antibiotics for quite a long time, and was suffering from high fever due to that infection for more than 2 weeks. I was also bleeding to death from the tears. This meant that the intestinal surgery, both to stop the bleeding and to clean the contaminants out of my abdominal cavity, was done in a "must go now to save his life" kind of way. The surgeons (who were excellent, and who deserve full credit for saving my life) were more concerned with stopping the bleeding and cleaning up than they were with making pretty incisions. As a result, they left me with some fairly noticeable scars, which I think is a pretty fair trade for saving my life. If you're ever in need of emergency trauma surgery in Idaho, I recommend Drs. Robert Korn and Elizabeth Livingston. If you need Spine Surgery, I recommend Dr. Paul Monalbano, who is pretty much responsible for my continued ability to walk. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Congratulations Miles and Nikki! I know that we have some professional and ethical disagreements, but I really do like you, and I'm happy for you to win this honor. It's important to understand a couple of things: It was the Twin Falls [I]Chamber of Commerce[/I] that gave Miles this award. The purpose of a Chamber of Commerce is largely to publicize and promote the area. Miles is very good at publicity and promotion, so it makes sense they'd select him. Saying that the city "obviously smiles upon" something is pretty tricky. The city does not own the bridge, and cannot control, change, or regulate jumping. It's the state transportation department that does that. And it's the state transportation department that can shut us down--whether the city likes it or not. Whether the city approves or disapproves of any particular action by any jumper or group of jumpers is not terribly relevant. "The city" is [I]not[/I] the chamber of commerce. The chamber of commerce is an independent group with no governmental authority. It's basically a club for local business owners. What the chamber of commerce says may have some impact on the opinions of city residents, or of city leaders, but it by no means defines either of those things. Whether the Chamber of Commerce "smiles upon" standing on the top rail is pretty questionable. Their selection of Miles related to his publicizing the town, raising money for a charity and achieving national publicity. This does not represent a stance by the Chamber of Commerce on standing on the rail, or anything else. If the Chamber of Commerce did have a position on this issue (which I doubt), that position would not necessarily reflect the view of the city, either in the persons of the city administrators (Mayor, Councilpersons, Manager, etc), or in the persons of the citizens of the city. Even if the City Council officially took a position on this issues (which, I re-iterate, they have not and are unlikely to), that would have no legal impact upon the real decision making authority for the bridge--the state department of transportation. To sum that up: Miles and Nikki's selection for this honor is not a statement by anyone, much less anyone in authority, positive or negative, about standing on the rail. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Awesome little card game. Steve Jackson is a genius. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Let me add: Use a slider up square in preference to a round. A slider up square begins decelerating you as soon as it reaches line stretch, and slows you while the slider descends. A round requires full pressurization prior to slowing you. If you impact immediately after a slider up square is at line stretch, odds are you will walk away a hero. Impact immediately after a round reaches line stretch, and you'll be carried away. The time it takes for the slider to descend is your "safety margin." If you hit with the slider 3/4 of the way down, everyone will still think you are really cool. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yep. I know a couple of people who've had the same kind of experiences to a lesser degree. Several jumpers have hit hard and ended up with high speed enemas. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If I had a dollar for every time this has been reposted.... The original thread includes posts from the jumper. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You can see the full story of my accident, including nifty animated graphics of my colon exploding, here. I'm not sure when the next time it will air is, but they seem to re-run the whole series pretty reguarly. Short description: I lost altitude awareness and pulled too low over water. I reached line stretch and was stood up, but had less than half of my (round) canopy inflated, meaning that the total deceleration effect was very limited. I ended up with a bunch of internal injuries, and a fairly serious set of spinal fractures. It took a lot of surgery to get me back together, and I'll never be completely back to where I was before the accident, in a physical sense. If you're ever in Twin Falls, you can come by and I'll show you the video. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

"Life" includes quadriplegia, double femur fractures, critical brain injury, persistent vegetative state... You get the idea. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The Swiss Valley is the most likely place to see jumps. There's also a jumpers posting board at the Horner there, so you will have an easier time finding jumpers to ask if they'll take you out to watch. Switzerland is not to be missed. It's my favorite country in Europe, even without the jumping factored in. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You want to see the scars? A low pull over water put me in the hospital for 2 months. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

They were not particularly familiar with the area, and jumping what they knew. Exit point selection was generally made for the experienced jumpers on the load, and probably wasn't appropriate for a beginner. If you do a forum search for my "Boyfriends and BASE" post, you'll recognize this incident as one of my examples. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you live in North America and you sent me your address (that's a bunch of folks in the US, one in Canada, and one military address that might as well be in the US), it's on the way. If you're further afield, I've either sent you a PM (in which case I'll mail them tomorrow for those who responded), or found you on James list above and assumed you don't need me to send you a copy. If you are outside North America, aren't on James list, and haven't had a PM from me, I've somehow missed you, so send me another PM now. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Woodpecker asked his question and/or had a misunderstanding about who was a perpetrator and who a victim of the hoax once. You continue to push a point after it's been explained to you, and your first post was removed from the forum. That's the difference. It's also the reason that you won't be posting here for the next 14 days. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You're out of line. I can verify with 100% authority that post was made by his mother. I recommend you back off, or I will put a lid on it for you. Consider this your warning. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yes. USMC 1775 really is a marine. He was not a perpetrator of this hoax. He was a victim. He is a friend of the family who was contacted by Scott's mother, because he was relatively local. He gave up a significant amount of his personal time and energy trying to locate Scott. I believe he acted in good faith, and honorably. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Everyone, please keep in mind that the real victims of that situation were the family, who genuinely believed their son was dead. They've got to be hurting right now, and a little consideration for that would be appreciated. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

LA County Sheriff has confirmed that this was a hoax. No BASE jump was involved, and Scott has come forward, safe and sound. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

This has been confirmed by Los Angeles County Sheriff's office. He has come forward. He is alive. This was a hoax. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com