Orange1

Sigh... but I am just going to let it be. 377 No, 377, don't. Jo, the only person responsible for the last 13 years of your life is YOU. The only person responsible for any of your life, at least past childhood, is YOU. If you feel those 13 years have been wasted, it's nobody's fault but your own. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I have some Icelandic Ocean Perch in my freezer…. Would that get him out? PS: I didn’t even know they had girls in Iceland! Sluggo! You never heard of Bjork?! Did you know Iceland only has a population around 300 000? There is a great article Michael Lewis (of Liar's Poker fame) wrote in Vanity Fair not too long ago, called Wall Street on the Tundra. It's fairly lengthy and he is maybe a bit more scathing than he really needs to be, but it's a great read for those who want a bit of a break from Cooper... http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/iceland200904 How did we get onto Iceland btw? Something to do with fish? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Just had a thought..inbuilt scepticism about someone hoping to make money out of it is good. But we should still keep open minds, no? Just because someone is writing a book (about whoever) it doesn't automatically make them wrong either... After all, as we keep on being reminded, no-one has conclusively disproved that any of the potential suspects was Cooper Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Agreed - and not just authors of course, but anyone who has a strong vested interest in a particular suspect. Goes back to what Georger was saying about how good it would be it to have an impartial, objective fact-checker. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Frankly, Jo, when you've stated about a thousand times that you know for a fact that Weber was Cooper, you can't expect anyone to take your arguments against anyone else as being objective. georger, on the other hand, raises some good points. and the idea of a willing and able, objective fact checker is a wonderful idea. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I have expected this. Why? (a) So far as the public image is concerned Christiansen is seen as least vetted by the FBI. That's an open door for sleuth dreamers. This will develop into another contest between the FBI and sleuth conspiracy makers. (b) Its easy to turn a Norwegian into a Greek. All you do is give him a tan and dye his hair. Tummy tuck, jowl shrink, and belly button move. Ear replacement. Lips? It suffices to say you can turn a Homo Habilis into a Wall Street Broker ... in a book of fiction. (c) These writer guys are forensically challenged! (d) People find buried money every day. (e) Christiansen's letters. "Hey Mom. Thanks for the colaches. I'm Jessie James. Send fudge and more money, and my spurs." Georger, while I may not be as scientifically-minded as you, I still remain open to Christiansen. There is a lot about the story that makes sense. Carr dismissed him on physical description. We've spoken before about issues like difficulty judging height while seated, disguise ability etc. As well as the unreliability of sketches. Anyway since when is Cooper definitively "greek"?! The cache of $20s is an interesting angle... though of course unprovable one way or the other as serial numbers were not collected on them. The interesting bit to me - the one that has been mentioned before - is the house purchase for cash way in excess of his salary. He knew the airlines - we have had a discussion before about how would Cooper have known about that particular flight ref the schedules; and he had jump experience. If he had a grudge, it makes a lot more sense that a NWA employee directly acts against the company as opposed to some of the other extremely fanciful and far-fetched notions on the "grudge" that we have heard from certain others. To my mind the thing most arguing against him, is the fact that someone might have recognised him. I'm keeping an open mind, and I agree with Sluggo that we should be talking about other suspects. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

read all the other answers. to me, the key part of your post is "When I get back on my feet I am hesitate to jump again". If you don't wanna do it again, if the desire to jump doesn't conquer your fear, the answer is no. I broke both my ankles too, and was back in the air as soon as the doc OK'd me. I haven't jumped for nearly 2 years now - having a small baby, a full time job, studying a graduate degree part time (as well as an older kid and spouse)... i just don't have time to keep current right now. but i still check the weather every day and i know i will be back there once my degree is done and my baby is older. i consider myself a "skydiver on hiatus". Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

..would that be on the 24th? Hey, seriously congrats on the other stuff. (And no - of course - short of finding an actual DB, there is almost no way you can really prove you weren't Cooper. And as you say, that is exactly Sluggo's point.) Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

So stop complaining about the FBI and produce the goods then. Your last post just showed you are incapable of even trying to be objective. Did you even read what Sluggo wrote? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Sluggo, very well said... even though you probably know it will fall on deaf ears. When this new information (which by inference is that someone else is increasingly being seen as a likely suspect) does become more available, I'm sure we'll all be interested in seeing it. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Very insightful 377... and makes sense. Sluggo - you've said before that Weber had an interesting story. However, I also recall you saying you didn't believe he was Cooper. Has something changed your opinion on that yet? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Hey, maybe those posts aren't off topic. We've thought Cooper may have accidentally had a first jump falling out the back of a Herc...what if it was an ejection ...what if he was a USAF pilot?! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

That happened a few days ago - really funny! I love the Silver Falcons ... they're great. http://www.silverfalcons.co.za/ Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Hope springs eternal Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

At the time of your first hit, did you ever think you would get addicted? 377 377, when I said older jumpers I meant...well i usually mean those who've been around longer than i have. but um i guess if talking rounds it does imply a certain age factor happy birthday btw ... Snow... March 2008, was it really? Just after Bear blew up? Seems like both very recently and very long ago, if you know what I mean! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Snow, I've never jumped rounds but I can tell you my husband (who did) says they were clearly better at preventing ankle injury. (Even when he did paragliding he still wore boots, Cats, for the landings.) He's not here right now to ask - maybe some of the older jumpers can comment - i wonder if it was not somehow connected to doing PLFs all the time as well, where your feet and ankles take the first impact? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

oh dear, we are getting all sidetracked again. i think got as far as not watching a tv show being 'proof' of something sinister before rolling my eyes and skipping posts. here's some more interesting stuff, which may or may not have a link to cooper but at least we know it is stuff which REALLY HAPPENED!! A year in the life of an airborne in Vietnam: http://home.att.net/~gkozdron/ The first combat jump into Vietnam: http://home.hiwaay.net/~magro/173abn.html The above and lots more links on the 173rd airborne from http://www.sfahq.com/Airborne/173rd_Airborne_Brigrade/index.html Main page: Paratroopers of the 1950s http://home.hiwaay.net/~magro/paraindex.html - lots of interesting looking links here - have skimmed a couple enjoy...(and whoever reads them, let us know if you find anything that sounds Cooper-esque) Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Actually, that's a very good point. Not that they'll "sell better" but that they are more important in terms of the crimes (murder has no statute of limitations, right?) Come to think of it, a mere hijacking with no violence seems rather out of character with all this other stuff? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Northwest, huh? It can't just be a coincidence that this happened while we were discussing Cooper Kallend, nice to see you popping in here. To all who don't know, Kallend is the guy who did the freefall simulator. You want to know physics questions about exit, freefall etc, he da man. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Actually, 18 is age of majority here, and she can skydive from 16 with parental consent. Answer of course is yes... my older one did some tunnel flying when she was 4 and has been fixated on reaching 16 so she can jump ever since

Thanks everyone for the baby orange wishes Weren't we talking about the tragedy of the commons a while back? did anyone take note of the latest economics nobel prize winner.. ? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I thought we agreed to cease personal attacks on Jo, not pretend she doesn't exist. Ah yes, there was that issue where showing her arguments make no sense was interpreted as a PA... i have this problem that i do this automatically so ..hey 377 i even challenged something you wrote the other day off topic, had my daughter's 1st birthday party today! can't believe how time has flown! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

oh dear, what happened to the moratorium? things have really gone downhill here the last day or so. i personally feel it is better to keep the forum quiet for a few days than post rubbish. just my opinion of course; to use an americanism, ymmv. edited to add: reading back that may have sounded a bit harsh. i'm not sure whether i need to apologise though Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I agree it looks odd; I have just had trouble trying to figure out what or why there would have been a set-up. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

377..just remind me of the thinking in this regard - ie what would the motivation have been? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.