Zeemax 0 #26 February 11, 2003 Quote I also hope this is all just an over reaction. I bet airport security will be tighter than ever right now.Y ou should let us know how it all goes. I assume your taking your rig? Luke Over 400 troops and a number of tanks and armoured vehicles. 150 police officers, mostly armed (remember this is the UK, our police aren't armed normally) All around ONE of our airports. The order came direct from the PM... I cant help but feel theres something wer're not being told. Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #27 February 12, 2003 QuoteI was watching on the news last night and it mentioned that in a code Orange situation you should have: *3 days food and water *plastic sheets to seal windows and doors *a meeting place outside of town Um, this is earthquake country, Bazz...that's Standard Operating Procedure for us...(yes, including plastic sheeting for us who lost roofs and windows in '94 and '71...) I don't think there's a whole lot I can do about it, except take the precautions, and then go about my normal life. I mean, cowering in a corner (as some have) does nothing but let the bad guys win, you know? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,098 #28 February 12, 2003 >But Bill, you infer the exact opposite . . . >Citing the threat the DPRK and China could pose. Granted, we aren't > directly threatening them. We're not threatening China, and it's very unlikely that North Korea will finish work on its longer range ICBM's by Friday. They are still future threats, especially China, but not ones Tiffany has to worry about before next weekend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallfreak 0 #29 February 12, 2003 After reading some of the Anti-American posts in that other thread, I don't think I'd wanna' spend my money in one of those backwater places. Besides, we have everything I ever wanted right here in the US. FFF "Upon seeing the shadow of a pigeon, one must resist the urge to look up." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
algboy 0 #30 February 12, 2003 Yes, grasshopper, were (we're) on orange alert. So, don't forget your roll of tin foil to make hats out of. Ashcroft just mentioned that Saddam--er, Osama--er, Saddam--er, anyway . . . they can listen to your thoughts with their super, super, extra-super secret brainweapons that can read your thoughts. So cover up and wait for the next CNN broadcast to tell to you to "move along--there's nothing to see here. Now, that's a good patriot."“Keep your elbow up!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatcat 0 #31 February 12, 2003 Well, I don't know if it's related, but at Cub Foods they had the oranges at 10 for $2. Good, juicy Florida oranges. Damn they're good. God bless the orange alert. I think they should have them more often. p.s. happy now algboy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
algboy 0 #32 February 12, 2003 "Damn their good." Call me pedantic---but Damn THEY'RE good.“Keep your elbow up!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkF 0 #33 February 12, 2003 Quote...a King Air full of explosives. I'm aghast. You mean these people, whomever they are, would go so far as to INTENTIONALLY DESTROY a King Air ??? The utter, utter bastards. Ooroo Mark F... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ernokaikkonen 0 #34 February 12, 2003 Hey Mark! Are you back in the air yet? Get your ass over to the chat, where having a shortage of people today... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ricx 0 #35 February 12, 2003 Although I'm in Scotland, I now, after a take over, work for an American company. This is an (slightly) amended email we got from the big yins in Seattle. Hope you can all see the humor in this version! To all Employees: Today, the United States raised the national alert level for possible terrorist threat from the pink "paranoid" level to the burgandy "slightly more paranoid" level in accordance with advice from Uncle Bob who had a "bad feeling" about today. The increase to burgandy occurs when the U.S. government gets slightly more paranoid than usual about it's citizens and just generally fels like annoying them a bit more by inflicting that paranoia upon it's citizens. In accordance with the raised security levels we wil now be stopping 1 in every 100 people at the airport (thus doubling security there) and randomly checking your bags cos we dont like your face and think you might be a dealer. Please note that the US Government is not biased against muslims which is why we would like all muslims to report to your nearest immigration centre where you will be detained for an indefinate period of time. The safety of our employees and continued safe operations of our facilities around the world are our highest priority...actually thats a lie our property's worth more so could you all if you feel you are likely to get shot please stay away from work as we wouldn't want the office to be closed while the police and FBI investigate, forcing other people not to work would be very inconsiderate! We encourage all employees to be particularly diligent in following all security and safety procedures at their facilities and while traveling so that means if you get on the bus and there happens to be a fat man on there, beware he may be a suicide bomber...or just fat. At this time, there are no changes to CompanyX's security or existing travel restrictions as currently most travel is restricted anyway. The current guidelines remain in effect. If you have questions about the current travel or security guidelines and restrictions, you may call Corporate Security at 1-800-WHOCARES. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #36 February 12, 2003 "My sister calls and tells me in 3 or 4 days there may be a nuclear bomb droped in the US or biological weapons?" I doubt it very much, the delivery systems (aircraft and missiles) required to hit mainland USA are complex and expensive. A much more likley scenario? Disruptive strikes from relatively low tech devices. Lets take H-Town for example, max chaos for the minimum effort is the order of the day. With that in mind, think about a small bomb taking out sections of the beltway, I10, etc. Add to the mix a relatively innoccuous 'dirty bomb' set off in somewhere like the Galleria, or the airports. A dirty bomb simply infects an area with either some sort of biological threat, or low grade radioactivity. Immediate casualties are not the prime objective. The main hassle being the clean up involved which may take months or years, placing a very heavy load on local medical and hazmat resources. These are so low tech, just about anyone with a scant regard for their own safety can produce them, all you need is a ground up isotope (from say an x-ray machine), and a domestic firework. Set it off where something like traffic, people, or say a metro subway system can distribute it over as wide an area as possible and the authorities would have to shut the area down, and prevent civilian access. Think also the chaos caused by polluting water supplies etc, and you have a long lasting situation that current defence mechanisms are simply not set up to handle. These are the scenarios you should be guarding against. The terror caused by, say a sniper, would be nothing by comparison to such attacks. When you go to war with terrorists this is the sort of counter attack you should expect. Sleep well, wee Tiff.-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #37 February 12, 2003 Last night my 11 year old son said to me that he thinks the "bad guys" have this big plan that they are going to pretend that they are going to terrorise places in the rest of the world so we'll move a lot of our troops over there. But once our troops have moved out, the terriroists are going to bomb the US all over the place since our guys won't be around to save us. I hate the fact that a kid has to have these thoughts going through his mind. She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #38 February 12, 2003 Quote I hate the fact that a kid has to have these thoughts going through his mind. I'm 26 years old and I've been e-mailing my dad begging for reassurance. It's a scary time. Skydiving is for cool people only Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deleted 0 #39 February 12, 2003 Don't you worry now. we all got guns down here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #40 February 12, 2003 Not worried about the trip at all. I'm just annoyed at the extra time I have to spend in the airport. Oh, well....more people watching time.Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DYEVOUT 0 #41 February 12, 2003 Looks like their gearing up in DC http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&u=/nm/20030212/ts_nm/attack_usa_threat_dc_1 ----------------=8^)---------------------- "I think that was the wrong tennis court." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freebird 0 #42 February 12, 2003 Someone said Feb. 14th something may happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,098 #43 February 12, 2003 >We're not threatening China, and it's very unlikely that North Korea > will finish work on its longer range ICBM's by Friday. Holy shit! I was half-joking when I said that: -------------------------- (from LATimes) WASHINGTON -- North Korea has an untested ballistic missile capable of reaching the western United States, intelligence officials said today. The North Korean missile is a three-stage version of the Taepo Dong 2, said Vice Adm. Lowell Jacoby, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. ------------------------ I hope we can spare enough attention from Hussein to deal with this before it's too late. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatcat 0 #44 February 12, 2003 You had to provoke them didn't you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #45 February 12, 2003 If you name it . . .quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #46 February 12, 2003 Morning, Tiff... Quote Someone said Feb. 14th something may happen. February 14th is, of course, our Valentine's Day. It is also, if I'm not greatly mistaken, the last day of the Hajj (or perhaps it's the day after the last day of the Hajj). The hajj, for those who're unaware, is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam. Here is a link for a brief peek at Hajj. http://www.ummah.net/hajj/ As to the correlation between the two days, and the Orange alert, there have been many contributing things to it coming at this time. Not only has the "chatter" (monitored conversations between suspected terrorists) increased and become quite specific, there is the whole Iraq issue to include - the movements of our troops, the tensions escalating, Saddam's recent "change of heart", the fracture of the UN Security council, the Turkey acquiesing to troop placement, etc. Further consider that there have been at least three suicide (attempts?) within the held AQ down in Gitmo in the last 10 (or so) days, the suspicion that a SAM was smuggled into England (thus the Heathrow issue), and last but not least, the supposed tape of Bin Ladin encouraging attacks on the enemies. Now, there's been lots of discussion of if this info is correct, not correct, misinterpreted, or whatever. It could all be co-incidental - calendar, audio tape, chatter, etc - but it may not just be co-incidental, either. There is no real way to know other than it actually occuring. NacMac put up a great explanation of a dirty bomb, and I'd encourage you to read it and ask questions should there be any. A "nuclear" bomb as we know it is not terribly likely. What is far more likely is a chemical or biological assault, which would be very hard to carry off, or a dirty bomb explosion in a mall, etc. The terrorists' goal is to terrorize, to change our way of life. The threats cause fear, a deep uncertainty, a restlessness...how do we protect our loved ones, family, friends, country? How to we survive? How do we make it through this and get back to "normal" life? That's the goal of those guys - to scare us, to modify our behavior, to emotionally blackmail us into this, that or the other thing. Consider a demolition of a well-used highway interchange - maybe 50 people will die, but the fear - the fear! "They're here, what's next, oh christ what do I/we do now" is the major factor. People stop using the interchanges in states far removed from the actual incident. Consider a dirty bomb in a movie theatre. 300 people contaminated, but the rest of the country stops going to the movie, because they're too scared. Or five cases of botulinum toxin in one local area - people stop shopping for food, stop eating out...fear. It's about fear. It's about manipulation of emotions, instilling fear (real or imagined) in a large group of people. And when there's fear, people stop their normal lives. And when they stop their normal lives, the economy suffers....it's a chain reaction, and plays upon our emotions. My only piece of advice is to go about your normal daily routine, knowing that death can claim any of us at any time, for any reason. Take whatever precautions you feel necessary, but do NOT let the fear change your pattern. If it does, they win. Hugs to you, Tiff (and whomever else needs them). It is indeed a scary time, but the test is how scared can you be and still have your life? We jump out of planes. I am terrified of that on a regular basis. I take precautions and make it as safe as I can, and then leap out into the blue sky and fly...this is the same. Take the precautions you need to do, and then leap...continue with your life. Hugs again... Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freebird 0 #47 February 12, 2003 ahhhhhhhh now I get it. Well Im still giving goodies to my sweetie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freebird 0 #48 February 12, 2003 but do NOT let the fear change your pattern. If it does, they win*** I think I want to spend the day with someone though. I don't have classes on Friday.I don't want to be alone.Im going to go to our clinic and spend the day with hubby then go see my daughter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #49 February 12, 2003 Quoteand spend the day with hubby then go see my daughter. Tiff, that's a good plan at any time at all. Family is always important, and time with loved ones can never be better spent. Especially on Valentine's Day. Let's meet here on Saturday, and you can tell us how it went. Deal? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
