cwniles

Got a link? A Youtube search for "A Bridge to Nowhere" even adding "BASE" brings up mostly Minecraft vids... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxhlhmlwSB4 Probably should have advised something along the lines of "WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT!!" when linking to that vid. Not everybody wants to see people go splat. Don't get me wrong, it's a very educational bit of film but still, proper warning to those who might click. A rather somber epilogue to the film is that I am under the impression the narrator/filmmaker/author himself has suffered very serious injuries (reportedly tumbled on exit, pulled and hit talus...broken back, broken legs etc) in a wingsuit BASE mishap in July of 2013.

don't forget to check out today's Google "doodle"...pretty cool animated depiction of the event. (your mouse controls the path of the parachute, don't know if there is any goal other then not landing in the water next to the penguins)

Sure. They're an important and vital part of the world's ecosystem - just as, for example, you are. Anyhow, here are a few articles on this very subject: http://www.google.com/#q=what+place+do+mosquitoes+have+in+the+ecosystem&spell=1&sa=X&ei=clXjUdDRJ_ay4AOW8oDIDw&ved=0CCgQvwUoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmg&fp=43343ac3cffa9ab0&biw=1024&bih=605 The articles you linked to all seem to reach the same conclusion, that, aside from being a food source for various other creatures, mosquitoes have no redeeming value and could be wiped from the face of the earth with no ill effects. Not sure how that translates to "an important and vital part of the world's ecosystem". jus' sayin' hopefully my lack of skydiving credentials is irrelevant to this particular issue.

Thats him. Thanks for the doc, the same basic story I linked to but worded slightly differently and expanded. I had no knowledge of this prior to stumbling across the Forbes article earlier today. For those that don't click through on one or the other, in a nutshell, there are a number of ways to interpret and apply the following statement to your everyday life......(though the obvious interpretation should be rather applicable to most readers here.) Go and find your packer and thank them, right now.

First, I never post here but felt this little gem of a story would be appreciated by you motley lot. If this should be posted elsewhere, feel free to move, modify or delete as you see fit. I did search and believe this has not been posted yet. The latest Forbes has a nice little write up that concerns a fighter pilot from the 60's who was shot down and spent 6 years as a POW and his run in with the person who packed the parachute he was wearing on that fateful last mission. I am tempted to copy and paste as it is quite a short writeup (giving proper credit to the writer(s) and publisher of course) as internet articles tend to not hang around forever, but I frankly am not sure if that violates some sort of policy or whatever so for now I will just link to it and if someone else wants to copy and paste, knock yerself out. http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2012/07/18/the-parachute-packer-the-best-story-i-have-ever-heard/