MikeJD

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Everything posted by MikeJD

  1. MikeJD

    God I miss the BBC

    MikeJD replied to Zep's topic in The Bonfire

    Give it another year or two and it will have dumbed down to the level of all the cheap, formulaic nonsense on the other channels. I just miss having smart, quality TV full stop.
  2. MikeJD
    I think what's different about ADD/ ADHD is that it's often seen as a cool condition to have, which I'm sure if you're a genuine sufferer it's not. I see lots of people laying claim to it when I suspect what they really mean is just that they're impatient or can't be bothered to concentrate on stuff. People tend to joke about ADD in reference to themselves, hence it's seen as fair game for humour.
  3. MikeJD
    I give up. Is it the Vogon contractor employed by the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council?
  4. MikeJD
    Well then, it must be safe - you know, because it's well documented that long trousers are reliable protection against black holes. My only precaution will be to make sure I know where my towel is.
  5. MikeJD
    I'd say it's definitely better than putting it in your checked-in baggage, where it might raise suspicion and you won't be around to explain it. Have seen them swabbed before, understandably, but other than that no problem - unless your weight belt exceeds your weight limit for carry-on.
  6. MikeJD
    Well, there's nothing much I like about packing. But yeah, for me the smell of nylon is the smell of skydiving . It's the smell you get opening up your rig bag when you arrive at the DZ in the morning, and it's really evocative. Also, the smell inside my full-face helmet is very distinctive. Although that could be because I've never washed the liner.
  7. MikeJD
    Nick, that's some cliffhanger. Not to scare the OP, but what was the outcome for those on board?
  8. MikeJD

    Cat-O-4-Ears

    MikeJD replied to shropshire's topic in The Bonfire

    They look like horns in that shot. Little devil cat. I've known a few of those.
  9. MikeJD
    I think the key thing is to be calm. The exit is a bit freaky, and for most jumpers a little scary (hence we love to do it!), but of course it's fundamentally no more dangerous than leaving an aeroplane. A handle and pin check before you leave are an especially good idea, because they can be dislodged if you're having to squirm around in a cramped basket. By all means land back at the DZ if you can (I never have!), but expect to have a good chance of landing out - and remember that the most important thing is to land safely, so don't jeopardise that by getting fixated on making it back to a particular spot. Check the windsock direction before you leave the dropzone, so you still have some idea (e.g. from the position of the sun) when you don't have a reference on the ground. Don't rely on the direction of balloon drift, since this might be completely at odds with the ground winds. Enjoy!
  10. MikeJD
    It wasn't his fault. He was 'blown off course'. It's true. I read it in the paper.
  11. MikeJD

    S.O.S.

    MikeJD replied to bluepill's topic in The Bonfire

    Not really interested in the movie, but I will admit - without a trace of irony - to being a huge admirer of the band and the music. They really don't write songs like that any more.
  12. MikeJD
    I don't consider myself a big drinker, but if I go to bed any night of the week without having cracked a beer (or occasionally two) from the fridge, it feels like something is missing. As if I'd forgotten to brush my teeth or something.
  13. MikeJD
    A skydiver is: a) Just a regular person who happens to enjoy the privilege of jumping from aeroplanes. b) In many cases, someone who cannot be convinced of that.
  14. MikeJD
    Same here - 11 jumps - but all from the same aircraft (Dornier G92). Damned serious team training getting in the way of boogie fun. Even on the one fun jump - the Saturday evening formation load where I stood as good a chance of being put on the Caravan or the Skyvan - I ended up back on the Dornier.
  15. MikeJD

    Who are you?

    MikeJD replied to kbordson's topic in The Bonfire

    I hope to God humanity can't be judged by its posts on the average internet forum. If it can, just shoot me.
  16. MikeJD
    Easy to say. I think your instinct might be to swerve regardless of what you think you'd do logically. Which I guess is also true of jump planes.
  17. MikeJD

    Beaver Shot

    MikeJD replied to auburnguy's topic in The Bonfire

    Not the turbines. We had one (until it crashed last year ) that was a regular rocketship. Much loved and missed little aeroplane. The only real drawback was the tiny door, and even that was compensated for by rails and steps that let us put out 6 floaters at a time.
  18. MikeJD
    I watched the trailer for it and was disappointed by that. If they can't assemble a trailer that excites your interest, it doesn't bode well for the movie.
  19. MikeJD
    I think this has happened to me maybe once, that I can remember. Glad it's not a regular occurence. I think it's fascinating how so many sufferers share a similar hallucination (a shadowy figure in the room, or crouched on their chest). Putting aside any occult explanation, I wonder what the origin of that is.
  20. MikeJD
    What shocked me most about that report isn't the alleged assault - it's the fact that Bale's still only 34, when he seems to have been around for ever. I guess that's child stardom for you.
  21. MikeJD
    There have been plenty of skydives I would have liked the chance to try over again.
  22. MikeJD
    Rose tinted glasses.
  23. MikeJD
    I'd hope that anything costing $500 would mean he did need professional help. I say take him. It's only money, and you won't forgive yourself in a hurry if anything bad happens that could have been avoided.
  24. MikeJD
    I remember my dad saying that you make friends in your youth - once you get to a certain age then you only make acquaintances. But I think that assumes that once you leave school and start working, you don't really have any interests beyond your job and your family. Needless to say, my dad didn't skydive
  25. MikeJD
    ...but only with the necessary processing power and graphics acceleration, which is a constantly moving target. That's why I decided to stop upgrading my PC - which does everything else I need it to just fine - and go down the console route for games. Console developers are producing some incredible graphics, and they're doing it within the fixed limitations of their target machines - unlike PC/ Mac developers, where the attitude seems to be that if you want a decent frame rate then your graphics card is a couple of months out of date.