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This year we've had about 180 pilots and friends provide support to the Oz Report (so far). Last year (over the whole year) we had 300 financial supporters. So there seems to be a bit of a drop off in these "hard times." That's understandable as donations to the Oz Report are discretionary, and some of you may be feeling the pinch of your reduced economic circumstances.

Here is what one Oz Report reader wrote (edited to remove personal identifiers):

I'm glad I could help out again, and sorry to say that I actually debated about it this year. I seem to be going the way of many middle-aged pilots these days: a first baby in Feb 2008, then I was laid off in November (20 years at ..., who gave me a nice 26 week severance but declared Chapter 11 a month later, so that really sucked!)

Have you noticed that the news programs (well maybe it is just NPR) are almost completely filled with stories about the economy and how bad it is. This wasn't true even last October and November when the seams  of the financial system were being ripped apart. Now it is bad economic news all the time.

Why weren't the news programs giving more insight into the coming situation before it smacked us between the eyes? Why are they wallowing in it now?

Supporters usually provide Scare and I with about a total of $6,000/year (split between us). Not a living wage as they say, but much appreciated. This year it should be about half that. We'll get by. Well, I can only speak for myself.

I hope that you are looking for more reports on the upcoming competitions, record attempts, hang glider reviews, harness reviews (they are coming), hang gliding politics, investigative reporting (the dark underbelly of hang gliding politics), and more (fun items, now and then).

Please, help us out. Support something that you find useful so that it can continue to be there for you.