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So if you're a random tooled up white guy patrolling the streets with an assault rifle and tactical gear the cops are happy to have you around and grateful for the help. If you're a female paramedic with a med kit you're clearly dangerous and untrustworthy and must be violently removed from the scene. In 30 years time this descent into officially sanctioned armed factionalism is what the history classes will be teaching about the Trump presidency.

Protecting does not equal shooting people in the back. Yes, you do. If you shoot someone during the commission of a crime you can't claim self defense. Once you condemn every act of murder a criminal performs, and not give him a break because he's white and supports your candidate, we might take you seriously. Until then, support of murderers while condemning rioting is the height of hypocrisy.

Judge can move forward with Flynn hearing, appeals court says https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/31/judge-can-move-forward-with-flynn-hearing-appeals-court-says-406066 A federal appeals court has dealt a setback to former Trump White House adviser Michael Flynn by ruling that a district court judge can proceed with a planned hearing on the Justice Department's attempt to abandon a criminal case against Flynn. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, voted 8-2 to reject Flynn's effort to dismiss the case immediately.

As a load organizer I'm partially responsible for the safety of the group. I'll do a 2-way with anyone. When someone wants to jump with my group, yes, I need to know their capabilities. Sometimes we'll break into smaller groups to accommodate those with lower skills. When that person says, "but I wanted to do 8-way", but they can't do consistent 4-way, that shows that they don't understand all the factors involved with these decisions, and don't respect the other jumpers. When I ask folks what slot they feel comfortable in and they say, "I can do anything" that's a big red flag. They get placed in or close to the base until we learn what they can really do. I've taken lesser experienced jumpers on bigger ways. They were jumpers I've jumped with, and I knew what they could and couldn't do. They get slotted in a place where they can be successful and the group isn't negatively impacted or safety compromised. They enjoy the jump, do well, learn and are gracious. Sharing a handshake or hug, and a thanks goes a long way. That gets them on the next jump. Being an LO is fun, but it's work and can be a PIA. And if I'm paying for jump it's an extra PIA. Be nice. Three goals: have fun, help others learn in a controlled fashion, and have everyone go home whole.

I am finally going to order an RW suit, after jumping a 2nd / 3rd hand homemade suit for about 15 years. I gotta pick out fabric and suit type (want to go with Tony for nostalgia reasons). I emailed them a few months ago and left them a voice mail last week and haven't heard back, so maybe someone on here can help me pick out what i need in casual RW suit for someone 6'3" and 175-ish lbs w / o gear... pit special with 4-ply? swoop suit w/ cords? thanks, PMs welcome too.

Hiya Seth. HMU for help. I work at a Tony dealer. AND, I learned to jump at Skydive Allegan's predecessor -- Great Lakes Skydivers, formerly in Gobles. Yep - I peeked at your profile, lol. You'll get the same prices through my company that you would if you ordered direct, but you also get our many collective decades of experience selling and jumping Tony Suits (I have personally owned four of them, and loved every one).

i was afraid someone was going to say that. I have no good idea what the fall rate is in my area; i am at a small midwest dz and have no idea where the closest Tony Suit dealer is, as i was just planning on ordering on the website

Perhaps the goal is six!

Too many variables to know what's right for you in a forum setting. Average fall rate in your area, your typical fall rate profile, etc., all come into play. I love Tony suits and have been a user and dealer for 25 years. I suggest finding a dealer in your area and consult with them. Even if you figure out what is truly the right suit for your situation, you still need an accurate measurement and guidance on all the details. Side note, I never order a jumpsuit without a big Ripper hook knife on the thigh. That way I have an accessible hook knife regardless of what suit I'm wearing.

You forgot 'no authority.' He had none at all. No police powers. No arrest powers. Nothing but the idea of 'citizen's arrest', which is as misunderstood and over-assumed (if that's a word - people assume that it's much broader than it really is) as self defense is. Wisconsin Castle doctrine is not very broad. For businesses, the 'duty to retreat' doesn't apply to the owner or operator of the business. For example, a convenience store owner, manager or clerk don't have a duty to retreat in the face of an armed criminal. But a customer does. For these vigilantes to think they could 'stand their ground' against protesters and subsequently claim 'self defense' is, as you put it, 'fucking stupid'.

I think a lot of our problems could be solved with a balanced budget amendment. Everyone loves free stuff from the government and everyone want to pay less in taxes. If we were forced to cut programs to pay for tax cuts or raise everyone’s taxes to pay for new programs, it would focus our collective minds in a way the current system does not.

Hi Brent, As long as we are 'throwing the blame' around, let us not forget the Nixon era. Jerry Baumchen PS) IMO it is not the legislation that creates programs for people, it the lack of funding as time goes by. That is the real tragedy of the legislature; from both parties.

Raise the hackles -- stirring the pot, and getting people all riled up? Post substance. That doesn't pass any smell test of any kind, and desperately looking for some sort of justification for it just looks, well, desperate Wendy P.

Turtle, again, if the kid in question had been African-American, dressed in a hoodie, at the Charlottesville rally, maybe in the moments after the guy ran his car into the crowd and killing Heather Heyer, what would your reaction have been? Honestly? The police are just as much there to protect the citizens of Minneapolis, including the violent ones, as they are there to protect the businesses of people with money. They are also there to protect visitors to the city. Allowing the kid to run away, not "automatically reacting to a perceived threat," because the kid was white, is exactly what the protests are about. A knife on the floor of the car (i.e. not in his hands) was stated as a threat worthy of shooting Jacob Blake because he didn't immediately turn around and comply. Shots, a person running with a gun, and people pointing at him and saying "he's killed someone" is not a threat even worthy of stopping the guy. That's fucking bullshit. Wendy P.

Never thought my first forum post on DZ would be about jumping with dolphins... Anyway recently I did a clear & pull on the back of an inflatable dolphin and riding it down on the back. I exited at 6000 feet and we allready lost some weight earlier.. So there was just one other jumper left behind me and I had all the space.. I was able to get out facing the prop hugging the dolphin with it's tail clamped between my legs and choking the neck of the dolphin with my left arm (no worries it's not a living animal). The pilot was flying with almost zero prop and still it was one hell of a fight in the door. Somehow I was able to make a sort of stable exit and pull my pilot.. On opening I got a bit on the side because the dolphin got air.. While flying down the density is increasing which makes the dolphin deflates and this makes it harder to clamp the dolphin. So looking at your plan... I would say that making a dive exit the way you describe it...impossible unless it's a tiny dolphin. The dolphin will get air and unless you have strong arms and are some tunnel ninja you will be unable to fall stable. Please stay safe!

I am a wingsuit coach and did first flight courses for around 40 students until today. Some have exactly 201 and perform very well, while others with the same jump number struggle. Same goes for more experienced people, there is no guarantee that it will work out better just because somebody has more jumps. Being current plays more into account, having 30 jumps in the last 2 months is better than having 1000 jumps over 20 years and only 10 jumps in the last months. I would not worry too much about that, if you don't rock the first jump, just retry and do another one with your coach.

You've gotten some good answers, but here are a couple more: I'll jump with anyone, regardless of experience. I've said it a zillion times - my only requirement is that you not try to kill me. But I need to know what that experience is. I need to decide if you can safely join the group I'm with or how to build a group and dive plan that has a reasonable chance of succeeding and that will be safe(ish). The only real metrics for that experience is jump numbers, and to a certain degree, tunnel time (see post #6 for why tunnel time is not a full replacement). As was also noted in post #6, being a part of the community is also part of it. Show up on a regular basis. Jump with folks. When they get to know you and your skill level, the chances of getting invited on fun stuff goes up. I've seen 40-50 jump new folk invited on bigish (12 or so) hybrids because the guys putting the plan together knew that the new guy could make a stable exit and lay the base for a hybrid. Not a super challenging or exciting slot, but it gave the new guy a chance to be on a fun jump, show he could do what was needed and gain some experience. Hang out after jumping (you don't have to drink). Make friends so you aren't just 'the new guy'. And, the hardest part, be patient. It takes time to build kills & experience. But if you show those around you that you aren't going to do stuff beyond what you should, show them that you have a good handle on what you can & can't do, that you have some good judgement, you will have a better chance of becoming a part of the 'cool kids'. Don't be 'that guy'. Don't be Mr Madd Skillz. I know a couple guys who have earned a reputation for being stupid and dangerous. For some strange reason, they have a hard time finding people to jump with. There will always be a few that look down on you because you're new. But my experience is that they are far, far more the exception than the rule.

Appreciate the feedback guys, ultimately I reckon I’ll just keep jumping and improving and not really give a shit about what some people think.

Sometimes I take part in groups that are specifically looking to do more challenging RW; someone with 100 jumps that we don't know is not likely to be included, if nothing else, because their tracking skills probably aren't up to a 12-way. One group I jump with meets regularly; people drive from up to 2 hours away for a particular kind of experience. On the other hand, I also really enjoy jumping with lower-time jumpers, in smaller groups, where they are equal participants on a jump designed for that. You learn more, and enjoy more, being on a jump where you're actually taking part, than you do on a jump where your job is simply to fall stable so that people can move around you. Wendy P.

I do ask that sometimes if I am jumping with people I don't know. I don't want to go on a super steep angle, a complex jump or a jump with too many people, if this people can't handle it safely. If I don't know them, the quickest way to estimate it is asking that question. Jump numbers are just a partial answer of course, but a good and quick indicator. For me it is a safety question, as well as a planning question. I ask also if I see someone with a questionable canopy choice (read it as in "too small") for someone with low experience. Again, that is for me a safety question (in this case not mine, but I don't want to see anybody hurt, had my share of it already)

Hi sky, IMO most people think that things like this are worth more than they actually are. When you price a 'refurbished' machine, you can get a new one for very little more. Try eBay for what similar machines are trying to go for. Jerry Baumchen