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Great! So we agree that "free speech" does not include the right for me to say whatever I want on your lawn, and does not include the right to say whatever you want on Willem's forum.

However, years ago one of the BBC commentators said “The US is like a petulant teenager lecturing the world and doesn’t realise other countries are all grown up” I think that pretty accurately sums up the US, one of my pet peeves is the arrogance of some Americans (we are the gold standard of democracy, only Americans have free speech, everyone wants to be an American, or everyone aspires to the American dream). Ultimately we have a choice, be miserable and scared, or embrace the tragedy as comedy. As skydivers I think there is a moral obligation to adopt black humour to get through the next few years.

Somebody should read it into the record, like the Biden dick pics.

And you think a ban on making jokes about pedophilia on dz.com is an example of this? Of course there is only one candidate who has specifically been talking about canceling broadcasting licenses for companies that don't say what he wants.... and you voted for that candidate, while apparently complaining about free speech constraints on dz.com. All without seeing the irony.

Hey yo my skydiving friends!! I am writing this because I am wanting to know if there is a slang phrase that is used for someone who has a brush with death while skydiving but ends up completely uninjured? Or for someone whom gets super lucky and has an opening that is extremely low due to malfunctions, well below hard deck. And I am being serious here please don't post things like "Dumbass".. I had a friend save his own life recently while having a double malfunction and he fought to the very end and was able to get his reserve opened fully at 50 ft. I wanted to make him a helmet sticker and wanted to reach out to the community for ideas on what to write. So I figured their may be a slang phrase thats used that I haven't heard or that I'm just not thinking of that is used for such low openings or brushes with death..

The rest of the site may be fine, but Speaker’s Corner is a giant shit sandwich monopolized and controlled by obnoxious radical leftists who protect each other. The sooner it dies, the better. Pay for it? Hilarious! This is the MSNBC of the online skydiving world.

Hi rich, Re: Obama's "fine people on both sides" comments Where did you get that from? The ONLY person that I am aware of saying that is Trump. Jerry Baumchen

A great many are. Immigrants "poisoning the blood of America" is a racist comment, and a great many republicans support it. The various US white nationalist organizations - American Freedom Party, Stormfront, Proud Boys, American Renaissance - support Trump wholeheartedly, and are right wing. Indeed, Trump has made hatred towards immigrants a central plank of his campaign, and has called out to the Proud Boys in his speeches. In the past he has been sued - and settled - over racist practices in his real estate businesses. And of course he said this: "I've got black accountants at Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys wearing yarmulkes.... Those are the only kind of people I want counting my money. Nobody else... Besides that, I've got to tell you something else. I think that the guy's lazy. And it's probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks." Trump has looked down on blacks his whole life, and he used racism to win the election. Trying to deny it now is a little late.

It must be a struggle to be taken seriously when your name rhymes with pizza. Just think of the potential for Limericks.

It reminds me of when trump was in charge during covid. Every day was a train wreck yet something you couldn't take your eyes from. In other news "Breaking with past practice, President-elect Donald J. Trump has not agreed to disclose the donors paying for his planning effort(of presidential transition) or to limit their contributions." So instead of disclosing donors and being eligible for federal funding. He is paying for transition costs by using secret donors including foreign ones. But since the USSC ruled corruption by the president is OK why wait for inauguration?

https://www.cypres.aero/services/trade-in/ .

I believe you can send them back to Cypres & they’ll give you a little money, $70 or so is what I heard.

This is certainly the solution. Unfortunately, American politics desires more problems instead.

Hi winsor, I say horsepuckey. Real women all over the world are very comfortable with men sharing their facilities. Travel some in Asia and you will find out. This is just more grand-standing by the MAGA-idiots. Jerry Baumchen

Neither. I have no idea what you are talking about, and I'm not watching a Youtube video to try to figure it out. In my experience, people who get their opinions from TV or Youtube have done zero thinking about it; they are just regurgitating what the actor on the screen said. Here's a challenge. State your opinion in YOUR OWN WORDS. You can even use quotes from the video to support your statements, but make some statements to discuss. I mean, I could as easily demand you read Zinn's "People's History of the US" and then tell me what you think is wrong with it, but that's not a discussion.

I think the number of skydivers was small enough that as forum use slowed with options of FB groups it dipped below a critical number and ceased being relevant. Skydiving has a lot of turn-over, many people just stay in for a year or two and that makes the site having to keep pulling in new people, but those new jumpers got re-directed to those local FB groups (Every DZ I know has one) for the socializing aspect. Without the social traffic, there wasn't enough technical discussions happening to keep interest up for noobs and casuals. The fact the site got old didn't help (I know, I know you hated the re-design but I appreciated the fact we could embed pics and vids).

Because he's above the law, like the rest of them. His buddy, Joel Greenburg is serving eleven years.

Several real juries saw real evidence under the accepted rules of due process under US and state laws, and found Trump guilty of fraud, lying, and theft. Why do you ignore that but fixate on stories that have never been tested in any court?

You know you’re a banana republic when politicians and the rich are above the law.

During Trumps own administration, Trump signed an agreement and settlement stating that he stole money from his charity to the tune of $2M, 19 different and separate allocutions. Money he promised to veterans and children. When the convict actually agrees so willingly to the terms of the settlement, he is pretty much the fucking criminal, To state that 'we got it wrong trying to convict trump of crimes' is such a departure from normality, such a departure from ANY claim of believing in law and order, such a departure from ANY reality that allows anyone to claim they are an American, or a patriot, or that they believe in ANYTHING that resembles morality. It is a true reflection of how fucking ignorant, ill-informed, low information, uneducated and pathetic society is.... and is also the end of the country, eventually. How this single theft from his charity was not an impeachment and removable offense, I will never understand in my lifetime. Anyone that supports this human piece of shit is beyond my comprehension. Yet here we are. American is as dumb as fuck and deserves everything they get.

OK, for what were they convicted? Indicted even? Which judge that Bill appointed threw out the case? Please be precise in your answer, and not just bloviating as usual.

For what?

A reminder that about half the country does not like Trump. Not actually a 'handful'. Trump is declaring a landslide for the fact that he got all three, house senate and executive, plus he already had the supreme court. Still, half the country does not like Trump, yet he will be able to wield whatever power he chooses, and he is already choosing to do so. Project 2025 is back on even though he denied having anything to do with it. I expect nationwide abortion bans, christianity taught in schools, massive detention camps (those have ALWAYS worked out in american history right?), skyrocketing inflation due to tariffs, and I also expect the morons that voted for him to cheer him on while they are getting fucked by him. Ongoing corruption, regular violations of the constitution.... but hey, who needs a constitution when 'only a handful of people' are objecting..... and there is no one left to check it..... as outlined in the constitution..... NOT a handful of people at all, dislike this human piece of shit who will still go down in history as one of the most corrupt, criminal and seditious presidents in the country's history.

Do you really have to ask? There's only one answer to that question, ever! Wendy P.

It always amazes me how so many Americans believe they are the free-est folks on Earth because they have the Bill of Rights, which doesn't even accord a right to privacy according to Alito et al. Maybe they should look at the rights possessed by citizens of most European countries. About the only outlier here is the 2nd Amendment, something that results in the early deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually.

So you voted for an illegal immigrant who wasn't on the ticket to save the US from illegal immigration. Brilliant.

Its a sad state of affairs when each of those concepts is under attack and in doubt.

I am afraid that is just a display of your own lack of economic awareness. Collective wealth of US billionaires is currently increasing at around $1T/yr. 90% of that would more than pay for US debt interest. I would guess that, like most low tax right wingers, you have no concept of how rich the very rich are.

I generally look for a few qualities in people to employ. Integrity, competence and character. Putting a guy in charge of the legal system who has an ethics complaint that even the spineless republicans would not wipe away. Invalidates any competence he may or may not have. As an atheist I don’t follow the biblical model of promoting rapists and murderers to high office.

'Oh get over it, we've always been misogynists' is not the defence you think it is.

Ah yes, telling a woman to relax. Such a wonderful attitude. I hope the women in your life haven't suffered any sexual abuse. I know for a fact that if they had, they wouldn't be safe to have that conversation with you. Disgusting.

I started in the early 'zeroes' and there was still quite a bit of dark humor. It's toned down quite a bit over the years, but it's still there. Definitely kept away from early students and tandems. But it's still there. "Do you guys really jump from a perfectly good airplane? You haven't seen this airplane, have you?" "First one to the crater gets the good stuff." "If you have a total, aim for your rigger's car". "If you're going in, you've done everything you can, and there's nothing left; reach down, yank off one shoe and shove it down the front of your jumpsuit. It won't change the outcome, but everyone will go nuts trying to figure out how that happened." Instructor: What do you do if the main doesn't open? Student: Pull the silver handle (yes, back in the days of single handle). Instructor: What do you do if the reserve doesn't open? Student: ??? Instructor: Walk towards the bright light. I never actually pulled it off, but back when I was flying the 182, I wanted to find a red & white "Blind man" cane. Sit quietly on one of the couches, waiting as the TI gets the student harnessed up, then ask "you ready?", stand up, grab the cane and start 'tapping' my way to the plane. Student and their friends all ask "who is THAT?!?!" TI: "That's our pilot. We don't have to pay him a lot. Besides, taking off and climbing to altitude is the easy part. Wait until you see him land. One of the TIs was all in for that. He did have a pretty odd sense of humor. Also, the SNL skit was pretty funny. Grim, but funny.

I have one I use as a door stop.