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I thought they were screaming "Hey Abbott, stop being a cunt and using vulnerable people as political pawns!". ***Those cities should put their money where their values are and absorb some of these people. There are better ways for that to happen then them arriving at random bus stops in the middle of the winter.

Jim Hooper has died of Cancer. He told me about his condition months ago and asked I not say anything. This a cut and paste of Roland Hilfiker’s post in Facebook Old School Skydiving. Jim Hooper the former owner and operator of the Zephyrhills Parachute Center, passed away on 12 January at the age of 82. Jim was a guy who left his marks on skydiving like hardly anyone else by running what was the world’s leading drop zone between the early 70s and 1983 (including the Turkey Meets), by staging the 1981 World Meet in Relative Work there, and by fostering Canopy Relative Work with the first international competitions around the same time . He retired from what he referred to as dispensing “fun and frolic” liberally to an entire skydiving generation in 1983 and became a war correspondent in Africa and in the Balcan. Author of several books and regular contributor to the Soldier of Fortune magazine, he reported on conflicts big and small from which the other journalists stayed away. Godspeed Hoop! And thanks for everything you did for us. My life would not have been the same without you!

And it's Winsor with internment camps for the win!

Well, to be honest, generally they are. San Antonio, Houston, DFW, San Diego, LA, Phoenix, etc. The border states are impacted disproportionately, but what Abbott’s been doing is a dick move, too. Even more so DeSantis, who doesn’t even have a border Wendy P.

*** Chicago has "absorbed" more than 32,000 migrants. My wife (MD) volunteers her time to give medical care in the shelters. Why should a few cities be taking the brunt of what is a national problem? The migrants in question are here legally on account of federal policies. The feds should be doing more to spread the burden around rather than leaving it to the big cities and the whims of the governor of Texas.

Undocumented immigrants are a crisis. But a warming climate that will drive even more people to move is actually a good 'cause plants need more CO2.

That’s just the point, isn’t it? It’s a free country for a white man. But you’re supposed to care about whether it’s free for other people too.

You made a very incorrect statement that I don't like to answer questions. The reality is that I refuse to get suckered into dead-end conversations with the "yeah, but" crowd. Look through the forums and you will see that I answer questions routinely for anyone with a desire to have a sincere conversation on any subject. When I sat down to write this, I planned to address your post in great detail. After re-reading my own words, I've changed my mind. I will not take the bait. You know as well as I do that there is no acceptable level of injuries or fatalities in skydiving. There is no skydiving discipline designed or intended as a tool for growth, so making a connection between them and any intended promotional value is a false narrative. Here are the facts: CP is a legitimate, internationally recognized discipline. In accordance with USPA bylaws, we support all ISC recognized disciplines. CP is dangerous. Statistically it's more dangerous than other skydiving disciplines. Welcome to reality. All forms of skydiving are dangerous. I wholeheartedly support all of them. Finally, you suggested that I must either believe that CP injuries and fatalities are "worth it", or that I haven't "actually thought about it seriously". Brother, you are way off base. There is NOTHING in skydiving that I haven't thought about seriously. Pretty much every moment of every day. Anyone who knows me and my priorities knows that. Five left and cut.

Hi guys, My name is Mike Pelkey. Brian Schubert and I are credited with being the first BASE jumpers. We made the first jump from the El Capitan on July 24, 1966, 12 years before Carl Boenish and company began BASE jumping. Just thought I would say hi and see if anyone remembers me from Basejumper.com.

The folks who have responded have it right. In summary... Modern canopies take longer to open Average aircraft today climb higher (no need to squeeze every second of freefall) Some jumpers are setting their AAD activation altitude higher Honestly, I have never been a guy to dump at the bottom. There's nothing down there but trouble.