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But that's the point. A spoon IS different from bleach. Bleach IS different than a kitchen knife. A kitchen knife IS different than nuclear waste. It's a cute semantic argument to say "none of those things is inherently dangerous if you know what you are doing" - but the fact is that you can't own high level nuclear waste as long as you "know what you're doing." The risks to other people are too high. If guns only killed their owners I'd be 100% on board with the whole "blame the user not the object." But the fact is that people make mistakes. If that mistake means you spill bleach on your carpet and have to live with a white spot, then no worries. If that mistake means you kill yourself, that's sad - but something you are 100% in charge of. If that mistake means you kill your neighbor's child - then no, it doesn't make sense to just say "it was his fault not the gun's, no changes required." Gun safety instructors have accidentally shot the students they were teaching gun safety to. That pretty much invalidates the argument that "if you know what you are doing, your gun is safe."

That's FANTASTIC! I know a group doing the like: https://jump4valor.org/ They also sponsor AFF training for some lucky troopers... And as we know, VETS deserve EVERYTHING!

When PeeWee stroked himself, he did it in the privacy of a theater. Trump does it right up on a podium in front of the world.

We had gone a couple of months with no new submissions but about a dozen have surfaced in the past few days. I just did a recount and the list of defunct Drop Zones in the US is now up 590. Can you think of any we've missed? DZGone.com As always, I'd love to post your photos and stories. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Today DZGone.com takes a look back at Kissimmee, FL. I first met Jimmy Godwin in 1967 and ultimately competed at several meets at Kissimmee and later at Eustis. I recall Jimmy telling me that shortly after he took up jumping he met up with Doc Gaffney at DeLand. He noticed that Doc had a stopwatch mounted on his reserve. Jimmy asked him what it was for and Doc told me he watched it to know when to open. Jimmy replied, "You can see in freefall?". Apparently he had been closing his eyes and pulling by feel. Intrigued, JImmy bought a stopwatch but couldn't figure out how to mount it on his reserve so he welded two pieces of angle iron to his helmet and mounted the watch right in front of his eyes. Unfortunately it was oriented to the right instead of vertical. Jimmy told me that the first time he jumped it, he kept inclining his head to the right to see it and put himself in a flat spin. I don't know if he was pulling my leg or not but it's plausible. I really liked Jimmy. I've just added this story to the Kissimmee listing. Please share your stories from the old days! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Gary Corderman submitted a fascinating account of the first ram-air canopy jump by Paul Poppenhager D-47 way back in 1962. Ironically it was at Pop's Indiantown DZ that the first-ever ram air jump was made by a woman. My first wife Connie and I were competing at the winter meet in 1969 when Steve Snyder showed up with a prototype. I jumped it and then Connie did. Later that day Donna Huminsky jumped it and broke her leg. To date DZGone.com has identified 565 "Lost DZs" in all fifty states. Can you think of any that I've missed? DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Trying it again with the image embedded. [inline awe.jpg] DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

The first time I jumped at AC I had about 20 jumps. Naturally, I went for the peas that are pictured above at the North end of the runway but to my astonishment, all the other jumpers on the load landed at the South end of the runway. After the mile walk back to the packing area, I was told that they had quit using the peas about six months before that and everybody was now landing at the South end by the airport office. Information I could've used before take off. The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

These shots show Aero Country (not a DZ now..) back when I made my first jump May 14 1978. The bw photo is me doing my first 30 on April 15, 1979 and the other is a recent view of the same area. I marked the fabulous spotting of my JM and where I landed. (first jump) The straight line distance from the peas to where I ended up is over 2700 feet. I was under a hot 28 foot 7 TU facing into the wind the entire time. ________________________________ Russell M. Webb D 7014 Attorney at Law 713 385 5676 https://www.tdcparole.com