Leaderboard

You will always be a skydiver. No one can take that from you. Please check in on occasion. You'll always be a part of this community.

Hi folks, Now that we know Trump is going to try to run for a 3rd term, my daughter thinks we should just run Obama against him. Sounds good to me, Jerry Baumchen

I'm sort of assuming you're graduating this spring... Good time for reflection. You've made a life for yourself. It doesn't have room for skydiving -- that's not a problem. And your malfunction really wasn't a beginner malfunction. The correct answer is the one that has to surviving, and that you did. I wish you well, really. Maybe your involvement in skydiving helped you to decide to really buckle down in school -- if so, that's not an entirely negative consequence. But yeah, things can have life-changing consequences. And don't generate a long bucket list -- as you can, do the things that interest you, don't save them up, because they'll keep your life interesting, and the best way to meet interesting people is to have your own interesting life. Enough lecture from the senior auntie Wendy P.

Yep. Now tell us again why Trump is a better choice than Harris. "Well, yeah, Hitler is pretty bad - but that Hindenberg guy! He's a socialist. And have you heard his laugh?"

Montgolfier was a scientist. He observed that smoke, unlike water, rises. Reagan just combined that smoke with mirrors,

Sorry for the late reply! Thanks for all the incredibly kind and warm messages. Absolutely. If anything, the whole experience, although short, has been deeply influential and has only made me cherish my life more. I got a second chance and actually recovered reasonably well (not 100%, but that's the price of surviving, which I accept). I know a lot of people didn't get the same chance. I'm truly incredibly lucky and I'm thankful for that daily. Although I may not physically be in the sky anymore, I'm determined to make the most out of this life. I will always remember. You guys nudged and pushed me to the right direction and gave me a lot of life advice. Some hard opinions too, but I probably needed to hear them at that time. I couldn't understand everything that was said back then, but now I've gained more perspective and understood more. I have made the best decisions for myself. Time is really powerful. It allowed me to heal and process things at my own pace. Skydiving has shaped me and is always a part of me now. I'm at peace with not jumping again and am ready to move forward. I have. She is happy. I understand her more now. She really loves and cares about me, and she desperately wanted to protect me back then.

I have NEVER, nor will I EVER tolerate racism. Bending the knee and accepting it is what got us here. Fuck racism and fuck those who insist on it.

Our constitution should remain intact. Just as I advocate no changes to the first ten amendments, so too, the 22nd amendment. There are plenty of dictatorial regimes under the guise of free elections. Feel free to choose one and head out.

Hi Keith, Quite a few years ago, I had occasion to call Skratch Harris on a legal issue in California. He is an attorney in San Diego & a 'former' skydiver. I introduced myself & said that I was a former skydiver. He immediately replied that no one is a 'former' skydiver, you will always be a skydiver. Jerry Baumchen

Except the assholes are happy about it: collateral damage is all the poor bastard is and the clear message in this and all else they do now is be careful and stay quiet or you could be next.

It's been 5 years already? Skydiving is something that takes a lot of desire in order to progress. In this world only a tiny fraction of people find it to be worth the time, money, and risk. Have you told your mother of your decision? I'm pretty sure she is or will be quite happy.

Very well said Auntie Wendy. David this is a good decision for you. I’ve made similar decisions and you just keep moving forward. But, you have some cool memories and stories. Hopefully you have a few cool pics too. I would encourage you to also remember the outpouring of concern and help when you asked. Whether your in the air or idle, this is one of the coolest communities around. Look forward to the next cooler chapter. And it is out there. Keep in touch. TampaPete

Or to put it another way, they didn’t.

You, the US taxpayer, are now paying to employ Pete Hegseth's baby brother and fly him around the world in a cushy DHS liaison job. Great to see that meritocracy kicking in now that DEI is gone. You're going to get so much meritocracy you'll say "please, please, it's too much meritocracy we can't take it anymore!"

He clearly had his head in the way.

He's a carbon copy of Winsor - repeated assertions that Harris is worse, is an idiot, but never saying why or offering any proof. Maybe he IS winsor, just with a different username.

What made Hillary so evil? Obviously you're not concerned about her emails, since, well, Signal and all that... Or is it just a matter of assuming the best for your guys, and assuming the worst for everyone else? Wendy P.

Your emotional dislike of her is not a good reason to conclude that she is an idiot. Comments like that are just blowing smoke. Stupid is as stupid does and the current clown show in DC makes it pretty clear who the idiots are. And you can be sure of one thing, the Trump regime will not decrease the debt, rather it will increase the debt as right wingers always do.

All gigglers aren’t idiots. Beyond that we’re both just guessing. I further guess she’d be far less susceptible to being bamboozaled by Putin and would likely have over compensated by installing actual competent people in her cabinet and would have listened to her military leaders. I further guess the market wouldn’t be crashing and democracy in America wouldn’t be trembling. Also if Sotomayor keels over the Supreme Court wouldn’t automatically go to 7-2.

I was going to say you should be proud of what you started with this thread. Now I guess I should be quiet, huh Wendy P.

I'd like to know what Trump voters here (if any are brave enough to admit they did it) think about stuff that's happened in the past 2 months: Pardons that bless and invite insurrectionary violence, the purges of career lawyers at the Justice Department and in the Southern District of New York, inspectors general across the government, and senior FBI agents. The attorney general’s command that lawyers obey the president over their own understanding of the Constitution, the appointment of people such as Kash Patel who view their loyalty to the Emperor as more compelling than their constitutional oath, the emperor’s declaration that he and the attorney general are the sole authoritative interpreters of federal law for the executive branch. The transformation of ordinary spending responsibilities into tools to punish perceived enemies, the stripping of security clearances from opponents including the previous president, the threat of criminal prosecutions for speech deemed unfavorable, and the verbal attacks on judges for enforcing the law. Among other things.

David - I forgot to add: CONRATULATIONS! on a hard earned well deserved degree. We were all pulling for you. Bests TampaPete

Ginger

Works for me. He's young enough. That's huge for me right now -- I'm sick of old farts. It's not their future. Wendy P.

The 26th Amendment - is the right to vote. Everyone over 18. Black, White, Green, Brown, Purple, DZO's even.

Well your dates are off! Your theory is nonsense. The phrase "Minnesota Nice" gained popularity in the mid-1980s, with its first documented appearance in a newspaper in 1986. It was further popularized by cultural figures like Garrison Keillor through works such as A Prairie Home Companion and Howard Mohr's 1987 book How to Talk Minnesotan. However, its origins are tied to the state's Scandinavian immigrant heritage and agrarian history, reflecting values of politeness, emotional restraint, and aversion to confrontation Meaning of "Minnesota Nice": The term describes a cultural stereotype of Minnesotans as polite, reserved, and mild-mannered. It encompasses behaviors such as friendliness, self-deprecation, and avoidance of direct conflict. While often seen as genuine kindness—helping neighbors or refraining from honking—it is also criticized for masking passive-aggression and emotional aloofness. Some view it as a facade rather than true niceness . Scandinavian influences emphasize humility and community over individualism, shaping this cultural norm. Minnesota Nice did not even exist for Cooper to use in 1971. It hadnt been invented and popularised yet to be in the pubic consciousness, for Cooper or anyone else to use! So your theory is nonsense. "Dan Cooper" was inspired by a comic book hero popular in Europe during the mid-20th century, which may explain its use as an alias but not as a common given name. Agent Carr has suggested that DB Cooper got his name from the comic book. You are beating a dead horse which has no factual reality ! Take your loss for once and drop this nonsense.

OK, but other than that......?

His container opening altitude was right about 3000. I think the Judge said 3068 feet. So his actual pull altitude was about 3300-3500 feet.

By "doing it again", she means wiping her ass with the US Constitution. Congratulations on being part of the enemy within.

It is literally the truth. What you’re saying comes from the Ministry of Truth. Right, so George Floyd deserved to be killed for resisting arrest but the Jan 6th rioters deserve forgiveness and to be let out of prison early for actively assaulting police officers. I wonder what the major difference between the two is?

I recall the evasion of legal constraints placed upon the Chancellor by becoming a "Fuehrer," whose limits were undefined/non-existent.

As we established several pages ago, YOU do not know what a woman is. One of Goebbel's favorite tactics was "accusation in a mirror" - accuse your opponents of doing exactly what you are doing. In this case, you accuse liberals of not understanding someting you are clueless about. The Trump Ministry of Truth is already banning words. Heck, you used the word "woman" above which is one of the words Trump banned in government documents. Looks like you are a typical republican - doing what you demand the other side does not do.

What are you talking about, Minnesota has beautiful geography! Far beyond "nice".

Probably not only elderly.

And I think that is the best illustration of your level of political understanding. I stand corrected. Every time I forget how shallow and credulous people can be, Windsor is there to remind me. Good ol’ reliable.

Hillary Clinton was right. About EVERYTHING. So far, it appears Kamala Harris is as well. Why do we refer to women politicians by their first names anyway?? Seems improper.

In a win for Australia Tucker Carlson hasn’t managed to get a visa. So he’s live streaming to the event.

Hi dogyks, I thought Carter was truly a nice person. His Achillies Heel was he thought everyone else was as good as he was. I thought Nixon was a true statesman. His Achillies Heel was that he was completely paranoid. IMO the vast majority of people have both good & bad in them. Trump excepted. Jerry Baumchen

Hi Bill, Are you telling me that they are not recommending sticking a light bulb up your ass as to how to deal with it? I mean it worked so well with Covid. Jerry Baumchen

Installing DUI candidates is working out soooooo much better for us as a nation. /s

It's just bad luck that the journalist accidently added to the loop wasn't employed by FOX. It he was there would be no scandal and none of us would ever have heard about it. Makes me wonder what other shit is going on.

There is really nothing surprising about any of it. It is exactly as he said he would do. I have to think that most of his supporters are happy with events as they unfold.

It's all disturbing, but that is what I find most distressing of all.