BruceSmith

Reply, I have some strong counter thoughts to this message. Dying alone is not an "ashunder" or shame in Yiddish. Being alone is often a blessing for me when I struggle or suffer with illness. Most of the time, the folks I know say something lame or cliche-ish and it makes my suffering worse. Also, we all die alone. No one can die for us. It's an alone experience. Plus, where we are going with death can only be reached by ourselves. We can't bring anyone with us. People who meditate or pray a lot are often away from this world. They often go to Absolute Elsewhere, so their ties to this world are diminished. I sense that dying is easier for them. Also, those of us who are around death frequently, such as heatlh workers or guys on the treadmill in cardiac rehab, are more familiar with death. It's not as dark, strange, and forboding for us as it it for others. I used to watch autopsies when I worked in a hospital. I loved looking at dead bodies. It was a sacred experience as I quickly realized that death reveals to us how different life is - how rich it is and how vibrant life is. The difference between a dead body and one that is merely in a coma or drugged is astounding. I think the world is done an ill-service by funeral homes who paint the body to make it look "real." The mourners are cheated of a precious experience by seeing how not-alive their loved one is.

Keep us posted Dave. Rermember, you are family here to us. With all the back-stabbing, threats, and expressions of affection, what else could we be? I am serious. My dad died at 90, in 2007. He died of a heart attack and was gone in a few hours. To me and my mom it was a relief, surprisngly, because we no longer had to worry about him every second of every day as the Altzheimer's intensified. He wasn't major zonko, just enough so that you had to keep an eye on him all the time to make sure he was okay. He died like he lived. No muss, no fuss. No big dramas, and his wake and service reflected that. My mom is a completely different. She is a loud battle axe and Drama is her middle name. She and I have fought since the womb. Yet, I tremble at her passing, which seems imminet at 89 years old and barely walking and half-blind. Nevertheless, she never misses an opportunity to tell me how to live my life. When she goes, I may be really depressed, as opposed to kind of depressed, which is my ususal state of mind these days as I try to peddle my Cooper book and look for meaning in my life. Obviously, I provide my mother with many opportunities to tell me how I can straighten up and fly right. As for preparing yourself, you're doing all the right things. You sound like you have your eyes wide open as to the reality of your father's health, and you're honest with your friends, or frenemies as the case may be. I truly appreciate you telling us about what is transpiring in Shutter World. As a guy in the professional Hurricane Preparedness Field, you seem as ready as anyone could be for the storm winds headed your way. Next time I crack a bottle of Scotch, I'll send a toast your way.

Greetings Everyone, I have received a couple of questions today about DB Cooper matters that might be of interest to everyone. The first query comes from BK, who asked if there are any new developments in the Cossey shooting. Here is my reply: Cossey was whacked, literally. He was struck in the head, not shot, but the cops refused to tell me with what instrument, or even where on the head. So, we don't know if he was hit from behind, in front, or on the side, or if he tried to defend himself. We also don't know his location when he was struck. It is assumed that he was struck in the garage, where the body was found, but that is not absolute. Also, the poker players who told me that Coss often had large amounts of cash on him, ranging from 500 bucks to several thousand, has not been follow-up-ed by the cops, apparently. The poker players who told me about Cossey and gambling spoke to the police on their own volition, but the cops have not spoken to them since, nor have the cops visited any of the gambling halls that the poker players recommended, such as the Castaways in north Seattle. Sgt Cindi King, the PIO for the Kings County S.O., is still on the case, but it has been bumped to the Major Case Squad, so the grunt detectives are no longer on it. The second question was asked by a phone caller from Seattle. He wanted to know when the Cooper Daze festival started in Ariel, and what else was going on that weekend. Here is what I know. 1. November 24, 2013 is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and is the 42nd anniverary of the skyjacking. I know of no celebration on that day. 2. Geoffrey is coming to Tacoma on Friday, November 29, and will speak at the Washington State Historical Museum in the evening. I will be there, along with Robb Heady. 3. Saturday, November 30, there will be a lengthy symposium on Cooper issues at the WSHM, and I understand it is being organized by Doug Crispin-Kenck. I have no idea who is speaking or on what topics. I know I haven't been asked, nor anyone else that I know of, such as Ron and Pat Forman or Galen. The Symposium starts at 8 am, and goes until 2 pm. Again, Robb Heady and I will be there. Afterwards, Robb and I, along with the Formans, will be heading to Ariel for the shin-dig. The Ariel party revs up aournd 3 pm in the afternoon and lasts through the night. Live country music and hot dancing starts about dark - 5-ish. Meyer says he is coming and will sing again with the band. I hope Christie is there to sing harmony.... I bet Mr. Louie will take the stage at about 7 or 8 pm. That's what I know so far.

Reply, Greetings Ones and Zeros, Feel free to read all about DB Cooper at the Mountain News-WA. I have about 60 news items there. Plus, you can always read my book, "Sky Thief - A Report on the DB Cooper Skyjacking." I believe it to be the most comprehensive treatment of Norjak to date. You can request a free digital copy by emailing me at brucesmithATrainierconnect.com. I am an investigative reporter and have been following this case since 2008.

Attention Jo Weber: Galen Cook has asked me to submit a proxy post, directed to you. He says he has recently received a three-minute long phone call from you, begging for a phone chat with him that he heard on his voice mail. In response, he wanted me to tell you that he would like you to feel free to never call him again.

Um, yes. Of course!

Reply: I think I heard something like this. Not sure who told me. I've never spoken with Bill Mitchell, so I don't know for sure. His 17-page transcript of his interview with the WSHM is excellent, but he doesn't mention Duane at all.

Reply: I get that a lot. Anyway, tell Michelle I say "Hi." And thanks for, um, voting....

Reply: Apparently Robert, you forget the proviso I told you when I described my intentions for an interview. I said I was a general reporter for The Dispatch newspaper, and that I also did research on the DB Cooper case. I told you that my interview with you could only go in The Dispatch if you gave a talk or did a book signing in the Dispatch's coverage area, which begins at the Graham-South Hill borderline at 176th St in Pierce County. Anything south of that line makes a workshop by you on Kenny a local story, and thus appropriate for The Dispatch. I told you that The Dispatch was not interested in the Cooper story per se, only in local figures and events that involved the Cooper incident. I believe I re-iterated this requirement to you in a follow-up communication. Email possibly. I never heard back from you on any speaking engagement that you gave in my coverage area. Thus, your interview never made it into the pages of The Disaptch. You have complained about this incident repeatedly here, and you never seem to get the message. Just becasue The Disaptch chose not to print my interview with you, I was not constrained to find other places to publish it. Thus, I posted it here. I did so because you are a very interesting character on the the DZ and in the Cooper World. You have written a book about Cooper and you post here extensively. Yet, your knowledge of the case is rudimentary. In fact, at the time I posted here about you, I was astonished that you knew so little about Norjak. Along those lines, your lack of curiosity about Norjak and Kenny continues to astound me. I have repeatedly told you and Skipp that I thought the basic Kenny story was fantastic if you dug for crimes in places other than hijacking an airplane. How Kenny lived his life and what crimes he may have conducted is truly fascinating and I again encourage you to pursue it. To whit: How a gay man decided to cope with being a paratrooper in WWII, how he was one of the first male flight attendents at NWO, how he gathered enough money to buy a house for cash and have enough left over for his estate to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars - plus his personal life - how did he love, who did he trust? Bernie? Tell us more! It doesn't have to be about DB Cooper to make a million bucks in Hollywood. It doesn't matter what Kenny did, or why. Just tell us what he did, what kind of guy he was, and make us fall in love with him as a guy who lived life well. That's all it has ever taken to be a successful storyteller. I champion your effort to be one.

The Big Question on my mind for the past couple of days is, "How bad do I stink?" Since I don't trust Jo to give me unbiased advice, I invite all readers who have taken a whiff of me to weigh in on the subject. As a firm believer in arithmetical metrics, here are the standards to use in your vote. You can post here, or email me at brucesmith@rainierconnect.com and I will post the totals. I will also reveal what my new bathing regime will be in the future. My goal is to provide "squeaky-clean" reporting. Stinky Scale - 1-10 1. Uncle Brucie is worse than Kryptonite - One whiff would bring down Superman! 2. His aroma is on par with a nuclear waste dump. 3. His aroma is on par with Tacoma. (Say it out loud for best effect.) 4. His aroma is registered with the Federal EPA as a Superfund site. 5. His aroma ain't that bad, he's only registered with the Washington State Department of Ecology. 6. His stink ain't that bad; I've smelled Bigfoot and Sasquatch is much worse! 7. He's okay as long as you're not indoors with him for long periods of time. 8. He needs some help in the personal hygiene department, but I don't really hold it against him. His attitude is much worse. 9. He's about as stinky as the people he covers, so it's not too bad. 10. The hell with his stink - I crave his body! And I love his mind!!! Now the following are eligible to vote, since they have personally taken a whiff of me: 1. 377 2. Jerry Thomas 3. Meyer Louie, (will need to proxy vote unless Quade lifts his suspension.) 4. Galen ( see above for proxy vote). 5. Tom Kaye 6. Carol Abracadabra 7. Brian Ingram 8. Geoff Gray 9. Marla (I am especially eager to hear what Twisty Butt has to say!) 10. Santa Claus 11. Tina (!) 12. Lee Dormuth (Here's his chance to get back at me for my dental hygiene comment) 13. Sister Theresa (Yes, it's unlikely that the ladies at the Carmelite Monastery in Eugene actually read the DZ, but just in case...) 14. Ms. Weber 15. Hangdiver (Yes.) 16. Mooshie Farnsworth 17. Doug Crispin-Kenck 18. Dona Ellliott 19. Bruce Thun (he never posts, but he reads the DZ whenever he can't sleep) 20. Ron and Pat Forman 21. Sail 22. Himms (give JT a second vote since Ralph is under the weather) 23. VickiE 24. Mark Bennett Remember, your vote counts! Let's clean-up the Norjak investigation now!

Reply: Yes, I am an Uncle Brucie, too! Additionally, here is a further clarification on how and why Galen got his butt kicked out of here, and where he has roamed afterwards: "Bruce is correct, I did officially register to post on the DZ in 2008, and immediately engaged Larry Carr, who was operating as CKRET. One of my postings was a bit over the top in addressing and questioning SA Carr. Quade banned me for life from the DZ. I don't blame Quade. I later apologized to Larry Carr and we developed a warm and cordial e-mail and telephone relationship. When Larry departed Seattle for a promotion to Washington, DC, he put me in contact with the SSA in Seattle, who introduced me to Curtis Eng, the new NORJAK case agent. I met with SA Eng many times at the Seattle FO. He allowed me direct access to case files and classified materials. Part of this was allowed, presumably, because of my ongoing communications with the Director's Office in DC. They were well aware of my ongoing independent investigation which pre-dated my lawsuit filed against the DOJ in 2004. I have also met personally with agents who were assigned to the case prior to SA Carr. All of the agents I have met made it very clear to me who is "not a suspect, never was a suspect, or eliminated as a suspect." This is part of the objectivity of the case. Of course, this will always make certain individuals, who support a particular candidate/suspect extremely hostile. And most everybody closely asssociated with the case knows who those individuals are." Galen" - Your humble servant, Sir Stinky (I figure if Robert M can be Sir Blevins, I can claim this moniker!)

Reply: I agree. I think it is wholly appropriate for the FBI's Norjak case agent to post clarifying information on this forum during company time. I just know that not everyone thinks like I do. Hence, I thought Galen's question was legitimate. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the reasons for Larry's postings here at 4 am and his apparent insomnia. Me, as a stinky journalist, I can just sleep late the next morning, but Larry had to show up at the Seattle FO.

Reply: Galen was banned, apparently permanently, in December 2008 under very unusual circumstances. One day in December 2008, he asked Ckret if he was posting on the DZ during company time. I remember reading the post when it first appeared and I thought it a legitimate question, since Larry was posting many times a day, morning, noon and night, even 4 am. The next thing that happened, Galen received an email from Quade saying that he was being invited to take a permanent vacation from the DZ. I consider it quite unfair, and places Quade's credibility into question. At the time, I thought he had acted improperly in protecting Larry's reputation and position in the office at the Seattle FO. Later, I became more circumspect as I learned Quade was not a big supporter of Ckret. Further strangeness occurred soon after when Qaude banned Snowmman. Granted, Snowmman is often rude, crude and thoroughly obnoxious. But he is damn smart and brings a ton to the Norjak table. As a result, converations here are somewhat truncated, and certainly less robust than they had once been. As for you, Robert, I still don't see any apology from you on behalf of Kenny, acknowledging his responsibility for threatening to kill 42 people on Novemebr 24, 1971. By the way, Robert, you are often rude and nasty on the DZ. Why is that? You seem to bait people with insults. It's like you're on a fishing trip for a reaction. What's that all about? Also, I agree that calling Tina under false pretenses is not a lofty or proper act. Yet, the result does show the true nature of Jo and Tina.

Update on Jo's stories: This just in: Galen just told me that Jo never spoke with the key eye-witness, Bill Mitchell, the 20 year-old who sat in Cooper's row. Galen says that when he spoke with Bill Mitchell a couple years back, he asked him specifically if he had ever spoken with Jo, and Bill said no. Further, Galen also says that Tina is not enamored with Jo. Again, a couple years ago he had his secretary impersonate Jo and call Tina. When she answered the phone, the secretary said, "Hi this is Jo Weber from Florida," and Tina immediately hung up. Further updates to follow. -Uncle Brucie, stlll stinkin' in Cooper Country

Reply: I think it is important to tell you and our readers here about my line of inquiry with Gilmore and Boule. I will ask these writers if they felt used, or set-up, by you. At this point, I doubt whether you are a widow of any skyjacker. Rather, I think you are an operative whose job for the past 18 years has been to snoop on Cooper seekers. Your above commentaries on your interactions with Gilmore and Boule reveal that you acted surriptiously with them. You did not reveal your identity or agenda. Rather, you seemed to milk them for information, and they complied. Thus, I conclude that you work for someone who is trying to spin the Norjak story. Maybe you're the face of the Robbie Clampett gang, or you just fabricated that angle. Everything you do makes so much more sense to me when I pass it through the lens of someone who is zooming me for information, all to the point of controlling the narrative of the Norjak story. Goodbye, Ms. Weber.

Goodmoring Jo, Ready for Round Three of Truth-Telling with Cousin Brucie? Let's see where we stand today: 1. No apology from you on behalf of Duane threatening to kill 42 folks on an airplane. 2. No clear statement on who gave you Tina's phone number and home address, or why. 3. Robbie Clampett may be the source of Tina's contact information, but who he, or she, is remains unknown. You have said that you had three email exchanges with him, or her, and still have them. However, you have not sent me copies of them despite your long-standing promise to do so. 4. Georger says that Susan Gilmore gave you Tina's contact information. Additionally, you speak about an extensive correspondence with Margie Boule, a long-time columnist with The Oregonian until her retirement in 2010. Exactly how they assisted you in finding Tina is unknown. You seem to avoid this topic. 5. You still haven't shown Tina a pix of Duane. 6. It is unclear if you've shown a pix of Duane to Bill Mitchell, either. 7. Why you don't show Duane's pix to major witnesses in the Norjak invetigation is unknown. Plus, you continue to ignore this line of inquiry. 8. Why Tina and her sister, Jane, take your phone calls is still unknown. 9. Still no updates or recommendations for bathing, as per your comments about me being stinky. New Questions: 1. Exactly what do you want? Clearly, proving that Duane was DB Cooper is not high on your list. 2. You seem devoid of any real empathy or concern for Tina. You are the alleged widow of the guy who threateded to kill her, yet you seem more concerned about trashing me than assisting Tina in her recovery from a "permanent trauma." 3. Your relationship with Jane Mucklow Dormuth is still unclear, as it is with the Robbie Clampett character Current Assessment: 1. I doubt if you are truly interested in a serious discusssion of your actions and events surrounding the DB Cooper skyjacking. 2. I recommend that we conclude our truth sessions. They seem futile at this point. I will continue my research along the lines of discussing your behaviors with Gilmore and Boule. I trust they will be able to shed some light on what you have done and why, and with whom.

Greetings Robert, While there is a break in the action regarding Jo, I thought I'd address some pertinent issues with you and Kenny. As I did with Jo, I'm offering the Mountain News to you as a platform to deliver an apology on behalf of the Christiansen family for Kenny's threat to kill 42 passengers and crew on November 24, 1971. As you know, Tina has suffered a "permanent trauma" according to her friend, the psychiatrist Dr. Susan Eisenhower-Turner. I've made a similar offer to Lyle, but he seems to think that the Kenny-is-DB Cooper scenario is a Big Joke, a real-life game with no real consequences. I asked Lyle if he thought that Kenny could kill 42 people in a mid-air explosion and he scoffed at the idea. I told Lyle that he can't have it both ways - either Kenny is ready to be a killer, or he's not a skyjacker. What say you?

Greetings Jo, Round Three for Tuesday, 11. 5. 13 Georger just contacted me and said that you learned of Tina's address and phone number from a reporter in the Vancouver, WA area. He says he has three sources to confirm that. I'm asking him to provide me with the name of the reporter, and I'll take it from there. Hence, the Robbie Clampett story seems to be a complete fabrication, and you are a bullshit artist. And maybe more: Regardless of how you got the information, you still contacted Tina and her sister, risking their additional emotional trauma since your former husband may have threatened to kill Tina back in '71. You play a dangerous game, Jo. Why? Any comment?

Greetings Jo, Round Two for Tuesday, November 5, 2013: Have you ever apologized for Duane's action as a skyjacker? Have you ever apologized to Tina for the "permanent trauma" she suffered? After all, you describe her as an innocent, sweet, 22-year old woman in 1971 that reminds you of your daughter. So, since you former husband threatened to kill her and 41 other passengers and colleagues aboard Flight 305, it would seem like an apology would be in order. I would say that a public apology would also be suitable. If you would like to offer one on behalf of Duane, I'm happy to offer the Mountain News as a platform for your family's atonement. If you're not ready to offer Duane's Norjak apology because he hasn't been conclusively proven to be the skyjacker, how about a provisional apology? Plus one for all of his other criminal activity. After all, he cost the tax payers 40 grand a year for the 16 years he was in prison. Some emotional restitution is in order, wouldn't you say? Eagerly awaiting your reply, - still stinky in Cooper Country.

Good moring Jo, Just finished my first cup o' coffee. Let's see where we stand today on the Big Question: Are you a bullshit artist or a real Norjak insider. So, let's re-cap: 1. No current update on your recommendations for personal hygiene. Alas. 2. Robbie Clampett is no longer a high-level government official. You're not even sure he is a he. 3. You've confirmed that you talked with Jane Mucklow Dormuth, although there is some disagreement of exactly when. Lee Dormuth told me that you had spoken with Jane the prior evening, but you claim that you were chatting with her as I was speaking to Lee at the front door. The next Big Question here is: why did she take your phone call? After all, your former husband threatened to kill her sister. Secondly, why doesn't Jane take my phone calls? If she takes yours but not mine, that suggests that you have more pull than me. Where does that come from? Either Jane is a saint and takes pity on you because you're a crazy, lonely, needy woman in Florida that is consumed by a DB Cooper fantasy. Or, she knows that you're connected to some serious power people, such as the Spin Doctors of Norjak. In fact, she may see you as the public face of the Robbie Clampett gang, and not to be messed with. Or, she's part of the cover-up too, either explicitly, or implicitly, and thus, your phone call was a conversation between fellow operatives. That's it for now. I know you have trouble answering specific questions in substantive detail, as you appear to be easily distracted by your anger. So, I will present my questions in a singluar fashion. Talk to you soon, fondly, - still stinky in Cooper Country. Fat and dishelved, too, but asking important questions.

Reply: How often do you suggest that I should bathe? Thanks. BTW: How often do you bathe? Just asking.

Reply: They are. Why do you have such a problem with that?

Reply, I'd love to address your nasty behavior, Robert, but Jo is a full-time job. I'm sure you understand. By the way, aren't you curious to know who gave her Tina's home address and phone number, and why? If you are curious, then why don't you ask her. She has so much trouble answering my questions directly. Perhaps she might be more comfortable with you. Or, if you're not curious to learn more about this Robbie Clampett fellow, then why not? He is a purported high-level government official giving confidential information to the family members of guys who threaten to kill dozens of people at 30K feet by blowing them up. I'd sure love to know more about a worker for Uncle Sam who does that. Afterall, we pay his salary. What say you?

Reply Then, it appears we are both blessed.

Reply: Yet, you were able to contact the Robbie Clampett person, correct? You say you never knew his identity, but you knew that Duane knew him, and thus you knew him similarly to some degree. You got Robbie Clampett's phone number from Duane? Yes? But how did you get the brother's phone number. Presumably you know his name. Please give us some clarity. A few days ago you said Robbie Clampett was a high-level government official. Tonight you're saying that you're not sure he - or she - worked for the government. You sound like you're fudging your story here. Sounds like a spin to me. Others might call it lyin'. Either way, you're in a pickle. If Robbie Clampett was a high-level government official, why are you back-tracking now? If he wasn't a high-level goverment worker, how did he get Tina's home address and phone number, and why did he give it to you? Also, how did you get Tina's sister's phone number?