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This is interesting, there was an airplane extortion for $25,000 claiming a bomb would go off if a plane dropped below 10,000 ft. The plane was Seattle bound and the extortion in $20's was paid in Anchorage. The guy got caught in Portland when a bill showed up in a bank. That bill was tracked back to a German mechanic in Portland.. I had researched this case before and know that the rest of the money was not recovered. but, it is a case of a marked bill being caught by a bank.. within 5 weeks of the ransom and found in Portland while paid in Anchorage..

He is very upset that J6C has not discussed his crowd size.

If bills get initially passed they still circulate over and over for years.. That is a good point seldom made. That changes the odds over time. All it takes is one detection over a long period of time, and time favors some detection sometime by some means .... however the finding of some Cooper money on a river bank in the area may indicate no money was in circulation to be detected. Nature could have consumed most of it. New money analysis data is needed. We know now the Ingram money, for example, was in a warm/hot dry place for at least the first year after the hijacking - based on rubber band chemistry. With the rubber bands being directly exposed to whatever hot/dry environment the money was in. Is the Ingram money representative of all of the Cooper money during the first year? If it is then none of the Cooper money was in circulation for the first year after the hijacking. Its pure speculation until future data provides more information. This case has run many years on the old data. Future progress hinges on new-better data, imho.

I am expecting: 1) "It's natural! Species go extinct all the time. I mean, passenger pigeons went extinct, and we had nothing to do with that!" 2) "Illegal immigrants did it." 3) "Biden's reckless spending and destruction of America led to the deaths of those crabs." 4) "Obama ate crabs so he is part of the problem!" And of course 5) "But Hunter Biden's laptop!"

I would never sell a mattress simply because I would never want to meet someone who wants to buy a used mattress.

So like a true politician Liz has thrown her first body under the party bus. If you can't blame someone else for your personal stupidity. how can you be a politician.

The Saudi kingdom says one thing, the US government says another. The kingdom also says they have no idea why Jamal Khashoggi was cut to pieces inside one of their embassies. But hey, just keep eating what they're feeding you if it makes you happy. I'm sure the Saudi dictators are very trustworthy people.

Yes, and our consumer economy is capitalist. That's why hundreds of millions of private capital gets spent on scientific research on everything from brewer's yeast to fractionation columns - because those capitalists realize that science is the best tool to improve their yields / production costs / efficiencies / bottom line. But they are almost always shortsighted - they want to improve their profits in a year or six. Government research is socialist (directed by the government.) That's why even more money gets spent on nuclear reactor safety, the space program, climate research, public health and a dozen other things that affect our society. They take a longer view. They might invest in a space program that won't get to the moon for a decade, or a space station that won't get completed for 20 years, or even fusion research that won't bear fruit for 40 years. But in both cases, they give scientists money because they don't know the answers yet. The money funds research to answer those questions.

The moron was actually bragging about the Jan 6 crowd size at a rally a few days ago.

Tena Bar does not tell us much, it really doesn’t. It could have if soil and water samples had been kept and examined. In addition, Cooper's exact LZ has never been identified and examined.

If God came and told me the money was never spent, then these would be my guesses. 1. It went into the river with the other money and went out to sea. 2. Cooper burned it all. 3, and very unlikely. The FBI got it back. Or the bank. Etc. For it to still be on land would be unlikely. Possible but not probable. Or in someone’s house, same deal. I do wonder if Cooper spent just a little bit. And if I can think of doctoring the bills a little bit, then he could too. I’ve said it many times, all he had to do was change the 1963A to a 1963 and he is free and clear. I also would have been looking for close matches, but back in 1972 they may not have had that tech.

And here you are again implying that this is all done for money. Because no one does anything for curiosity, passion, or interest except you right?

The problem is that most climate scientists are quite sure that CO2 is a significant contributing factor. Really. Not every single one, but the vast majority. Kind of like how most doctors think that COVID vaccines reduce the chance of getting seriously ill. Again, not every single one, but the vast majority. Many things now are too complicated to have a single cause. So maybe it’s best to work on the ones we know, and try to learn more Wendy P.

And this n of 1 is played out across 10,000 bills in the Cooper case. Every person at every stage of every one of those 10,000 bills would have to have ignored or missed the numbers. It's possible, of course, but the math changes significantly across that number of opportunities. The other variable is that the Alaska guy was caught—meaning, there’s no telling how many of the other bills might eventually have been discovered if he’d gone on spending them.

I think my neighbour said it best:

Ahhh you think only those who directly manned the burn pits could possibly be affected. I guess people are also entitled to idiotic opinions.

Laughing at a man's dead son is not that funny to me. I guess you find it hilarious. The one thing I have noticed from the "fuck your feelings" crowd is that they get very upset when their feelings are hurt. So, in that light, why don't you tell us about a person very close to you who has died unexpectedly.....

Life altering landing injuries are just as bad, if not worse, than a fatality. It seems that statistic gets overlooked in safety discussions.

IMO Joe, BIGUN and John have all made solid arguments and efforts to address gun control. Democracy is a little messy and blaming individuals who make personal efforts to pull on the rope. Should be given some slack. If everyone who wanted change made individual efforts, change will happen. Naturally the carnage will bring out some emotions from anybody who has a conscious.

Not true. This was discussed when the board debated the Red Bull waiver request. It was clearly stated that a waiver would be considered for any person or group that could demonstrate appropriate competency for the waiver being requested. There is no person or group that gets special treatment. Each request for a waiver is considered based solely on its merit.

Lol such hypocrisy that they allow 'special Red Bull jumpers' to do this, but not anyone else. Do as I say, not as I do..... Am I back in Catholic school? I personally feel that minimum opening altitudes should fall entirely in the purvue of the S&TA. They're the boots on the ground, they should have final word when it comes to enforcing (or not enforcing) minimum opening requirements. S&TA's are an order of magnitude more important than the USPA, and should be treated as such. USPA sends you a really shitty magazine once a month, S&TAs derive and define safety culture, give you advice, help you get to new milestones/ratings etc (oh and watches you on every jump to make sure you're not going to kill yourself or your fellow jumpers) just to name a few The engrained nature of the S&TA makes them much more knowledgable of which jumpers need minimum opening altitudes. For example at our DZ, all wingsuit flyers with less than 100 flights must open by 5k. That's an S&TA imposed rule that largely has benefitted us, and something that in our jump culture likely has prevented at least a few sketchy situations.

The Netherlands. :-) In 2019 we made ~86.500 jumps total, with ~175 reported incidents. Two incidents were fatalities. Two fatalities (or any fatality at that) is a lot for us; but as Wendy indicates there can be no meaningful comparison to the US due to the difference in absolute jump#s.

The problem with the number of fatalities is that the number of jumpers overall in Holland is probably small enough that there isn’t a valid statistical comparison. But it’s still an interesting thought. I think the real thing is that the US is so focused on their internal view of profit and personal freedom that giving the chief instructor that much power is unlikely — if nothing else, a few DZOs will just overrule them because they’re pissing the customers off with all those rules Wendy P.

No, I probably didn't explain myself well enough. The rules are basically for when you want to downsize. Look at me: I have a D-licence, ~1050 jumps, 0 in the last 12 months and I estimate that my exit weight is now 105 kg. I typically jumped a L160 loaded at 1.35. The calculator would put me on a skymaster or something, but since I already have experience with that canopy, the calculator does not apply. Instead, I would have to discuss with the instructor on duty what my "reintegration plan" is. Maybe a couple of solos, then some two-way CF with center docks only. Of course there are still grey areas, such as the infamous jumpers who'd feel restricted by the downsizing rules and go to a neighbouring country to jump the canopy they wanted. They would return triumphant saying they now already jump the canopy so the rules do not apply anymore. Unfortunately for them, the instructor still has the authority can keep them on the ground - no matter their experience/license.

Then there's the 2005 flight that maintained level flight-with a little help lol!

I believe those topics are very relevant to the discussion.

Interesting to see those rules! -- including how they classify their canopies into levels 1-7. But, oh man they're strict. At least regarding recent experience. If that calculator does cover all the parts of the Dutch rules, looks like I could have thousands of jumps on my swooping canopy, and not be allowed to fly it unless I had a hundred jumps in the last year. Or similarly, if a national champion swooper took a break for a year, next year he would be down to flying stuff like a Pilot at 1.05 wing loading max until he built his 1-year jump numbers up. Unless he could grovel for a waiver. Bizarre. (As we digress from Opening Altitude rules to those about Wingsuits and about Wing Loadings...)

You get that little oxygen issue figured out this time? Or are you still running trial and error?

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to reinstate Judge Aileen Cannon’s order that a special master review classified documents taken in an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. There were no noted dissents. The one-sentence order turned aside an emergency request from Trump' lawyers to intervene in the document review, which is part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

I have no problem living in a nanny country. Your right to kill yourself doing shit you are not ready for is to me way less important than: 1) the grief you cause an instructor (who is a whole different animal from the US-version) who has to reason with a bull headed jumper without being able to throw the rulebook at him 2) traumatising everyone who you force to watch you femur in 3) the bereavement of those you leave behind 4) the bad image you project onto the sport 5) and even the paperwork you cause the emergency responders. The Dutch rules limit your canopy choice and wingloading based on the canopy model, your total number of jumps, the number of jumps you made in the past twelve months. (https://skydivekompasroos.nl/en/). They are complained about by many, but I have never found them too restrictive. These days a Chief Instructor can allow a jumper to jump a canopy one size smaller than the rules mandate. If more leeway is wanted, you can apply to the national organisation (KNVvL) for a waiver. This obviously applies to normal progression. If, say, I was to start jumping tomorrow after the corona-break, the guide posted would put me on a first jump canopy (which I would seriously consider anyway). The rule however is that I have to make my first jump(s) in consultation with an instructor (been a while though since I read the exact procedure).

Yep. While Putin is wasting the cruise missiles he has left on neighborhoods the Ukrainians continue to creep along the Dnieper river, and long queues of Russians try to leave Crimea. With each settlement that is retaken new evidence of civilian torture and murder is uncovered. Negotiations? Yeah right. Putin can end this by leaving Ukraine, or continue to fertilize the sunflower fields with conscripts.

4.5 is about the same as the Space Shuttle on final approach (which was said to "glide like a brick") and only marginally better than a helicopter with engine failure.

Oops! We've indeed missed a longer version, Dom flying his Corvid2:

The use of dual parachute systems is an FAR (not a BSR) and thus not applicable outside the U.S.

In all fairness, that is also true of many skydivers.

I have an emotional connection to Fred Guttenberg and sometimes emotion is a strong motivator (for me it's anger). Fred's 14 year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Parkland. My daughter is now 14 and the thought of it being a roll of the dice disturbs me. Last night, she had a sign language class at one of those big pizza franchises that specializes in parties, so they could enhance their skills. They had armed physical security. Bill and I grew up not too far from each other in NY. Our parents, ourselves had less concerns about gun violence than we ever had for our kids today. It's not right. Here's a pic of Fred's daughter performing at the school. A few nights ago, Elton John honored her by paying tribute and using her name while singing "Tiny Dancer." Fred and I don't agree on a couple of issues, 1) you're never going to ban AR's (at least not across the country). and 2) we cannot rid ourselves of the second amendment. But what we can agree on, and what I'm asking you to consider is to write your representatives and ask for the NFA to become law for the sale of all guns and ammo. It was codified in 1934 for machine guns, short shotguns and ammo - later extended to silencers and additional machine guns. The prohibitive tax back then was $200.00 or the approximate equivalent of ~4K for each weapon today. Today $200.00 doesn't even get you a nice pair of tennis shoes. And you had and still have to wait four-six months for the deep background check and waiting period. How's that for a cooling off period? Anyway, I've said and done all I can with you guys on this subject in this forum. I will continue to bring some form of balance between No 2nd amendment and carrying machine guns on your hip. If you get a chance. Logon to your representatives website and ask them to consider codifying the NFA for all guns and ammo. If you do; check the box that says you'd like a response from that representative. I wish you guys well.

OK, please direct our attentions to where BIGUN's approach, the one he adversely requires that we all adhere to so as to maintain our legitimacy, has "moved" the needle. He's smart, passionate and not fully in the box with his tribe but that would describe many of us here and is equally without pertinence. No person of letters has a snow balls chance in hell of adjusting, if only by an iota, the NRA bought and paid for position of the majority of the pandering, demagogic, right wing political minority that controls issue of gun control in America. Now, if BIGUN want's to lead a letter writing campaign that targets the right wing politicians he's helped install with sage advice on how to pull ones head out of their asses I might interested. But the idea that a well turned phrase can influence someone with the mentality of Sen. Tom Thune to reverse, or in any way meaningfully change, their position that AR-15's can never be restricted because they are useful for shooting prairie dogs is nothing short of phantasmagorical. Count me also as a "yawn".