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You got that right. I've been waiting to take on a 20 year Army Ranger just to show him how a real man pisses his pants.

They countries involved should tell Russia they will start adhering to that agreement, after Russia starts adhering to the Budapest Memorandum.

Let me break this down for you from my yacht inside the Panama Canal: you truly do not know jack shit about business. You know about marching around in a green suit for 20 years and you know about making pancakes while your wife goes to work. But you don't know fuck all about running money, or managing assets internationally, or laddering risk. Frankly, I am seriously tired of your bullshit schtick of acting like you have anything approaching real world business or financial experience. Here's your shot, hero, smack me down with your resume.

Its a religious school. They've got LOTS of prayers. Not sure about the 'thoughts', but prayers aren't a problem there. From the story: Apparently we've gone from 'I never thought this could happen' to 'I never thought it could happen to ME'.

Well, not unlike the Budapest Memorandum, there's no real 'legal enforcement' for end user certificates. The main consequence seems to be that the exporter can refuse to export any more stuff to the violator. So Slovakia & Poland (both current NATO members) won't be able to buy shitty Russian planes and 'jack in the box' tanks any more. Or spare parts. It's a genuine problem for anyone who wants to operate them long-term. Some parts are available through Poland, but not engines. But, for now, Ukraine using former Soviet aircraft, that were made in Ukraine, to attack the Russians is something approaching poetic justice.

There isn't a whole lot about this war that is 'funny'. But there are a few things. Poland and Slovakia are sending Soviet era MiG-29s to Ukraine. Russia is not happy with that. They claim (correctly) that the original purchase agreement included guarantees that neither country would re-export them without permission. This is a very standard thing, often called an 'end user certificate'. This prevents countries that aren't supposed to get weapons from getting them. This is why the Germans had to agree to Leopard tanks going to Ukraine, even if they were coming from countries other than Germany (they came from Finland, Poland and a couple other places). Russia has said "This is a gross violation by Bratislava of its obligations to re-export military equipment manufactured by the Russian Federation". Except those planes didn't come from the "Russian Federation". They came from the Soviet Union. And they weren't manufactured in the Russian Federation. They were made in... Ukraine. Really. https://en.newizv.ru/news/2023-03-24/russia-slovakia-violated-the-rules-of-re-export-by-transferring-the-mig-29-to-kiev-402126

Jeremy Mahoney passed away on March 13, following a massive stroke. He leaves behind his grieving wife of 35 years, Kathie, his Air Trash teammates, and many, many friends throughout the So Cal skydiving community. Jeremy's formal service will be at Riverside National Cemetery at 1:00 on Friday May 26, with full military honors. His ash dive will be at Skydive Perris the afternoon of May 27th. Please join us if you can for Jeremy's Life Celebration, and please help to get the word out to his many friends. If you have photos of Jeremy, Kathie would love to get them; please PM me. Fly free my good friend, fly straight and true to that BFR in the sky!

Gentlemen, you're right at the edge of being giddy over someone's lost child - because they're Christian.

At least they won't be corrupted by drag queens and renaissance sculptures.

Haa! I quoted Lippy without reading on to page four. This amuses me.

Yeah, something about a blind squirrel seems appropriate.

Since you took the time to post (and link, for a change!) and gloat about this nothingburger, apparently you don't...

And you keep getting closer: hell, one of these days you just might post something truthful.

They are all skydivers. They would drink together and be best of friends in real life.

Gunther named two other people who had been contacted by the person claiming to be Cooper.. Ed Kuhn an editor for Playboy Press and Mark Penzer editor-in-chief for True Magazine.. So, there is no way that Gunther made up it up and contacted the FBI.

If these two meet in a bar, can someone video the fist fight and post it.

It's not just you, the whole thing is starting to go a little "off the rails".

It was the summer of '80 or '82, one of my first few years in the sport. A buddy and I were standing on the sidewalk between the manifest building and the packing area at Perris. Suddenly, Jeremy went running by, a dead serious look on his face. I looked at my friend, with a somewhat puzzled expression. A moment later, Al Frisby ran by, same direction, same countenance. My friend looked puzzled. "How often do you see those guys running", I said. Jeremy was one of those people, along with Al and yourself, Mr. S, who I figured I'd better listen to if I wanted longevity in this sport. No, he wasn't one of those 'official instructor' types who went around preaching proper practices and protocols. But he knew what the f was what in a down-in-the-dirt kind of way. I wasn't one of his closer friends, but I knew him, I liked him, and I respected him. BSBD, fly free...

Haven't you been paying attention... that makes no sense and doesn't address the question. Would Gunther, a well respected and successful author of mostly financial non fiction books take a hoax he created to the FBI, a Federal crime. Would he risk his reputation and career for a mediocre book in the mid 80's... when there was no reason to go to the FBI. The fact that he went to the FBI with his info and even named another person that the "Cooper" contacted gives that part of Gunther's book credibility. Gunther would have to be dumbest guy in the world to bring his manufactured hoax to the FBI in order to write a mediocre book... a book in which he admits the contact may not be from the real Cooper. The question is,, was he contacted by a hoaxer or the real Cooper.. A third option brought up by "Math of Insects" would be that Gunther was initially contacted by somebody claiming to be Cooper then made up the later Clara contact but that has issues.

I know,, it contains fiction.. that isn't in dispute. He used fabrications and research to write the book. Do you think Gunther fabricated the contact from a person claiming to be Cooper?? Others have also said they don't believe/buy the Gunther book, but that is too simplistic. Gunther contacted the FBI and gave them info,, if that were false that would elevate a benign hoax to a serious crime.. That is a big risk and career ending move. I can't see him doing that for a mediocre book. The real question,, IMO.. was he contacted by the real Cooper or a hoaxer. Gunther even claims he doesn't know for sure.

I’m personally not a believer in Gunther, but I’m not at all opposed to following leads based on the book and wouldn’t discourage anyone from following them. Even if it didn’t reveal Cooper’s identity, DNA testing the stamp could explain who was behind the letters, which I think is a worthwhile endeavor.

More than 1,600 children were shot dead in 2022 in the USA. WTF?

Wow. That is surprising! Who would have thought that our American Taliban party, the party of alternative facts, the party that widely endorsed a failed insurrection would be shunned by a group of people that generally have post high school educations in science and math, and experience with critical thinking. But hey, you have Hobby Lobby and the My Pillow guy right?

You insensitive clod! Have you ever considered that rabbit hole might be his safe space?