pyrotech

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Everything posted by pyrotech

  1. That's her "I'm ready" stance.
  2. It was probably built before the year 2000.
  3. Were you able to grab any email addresses so that you could write a (ONE ONLY) thank-you email? Preferably of the person that would be your direct boss, if you were able to tell who that would be. I never had so many phone interviews until I moved out to Colorado. Every job I've interviewed for here has been at least one, usually two phone interviews before I was asked to do an in-person interview. For my current job, the phone interview process was a nightmare... The first time my potential boss called, my phone service cut out right when I answered the phone. I always had problems getting a good reception in my apartment at the time, and I wasn't expecting a call at the time he called (he called an hour early, due to meeting changes). So when he started talking, his voice was all choppy. I asked him if I could call him back within 10 minutes to give me time to get to a coffee shop, and by then the call had dropped. I frantically sent him an email explaining what had happened, and asked for a good number to call him back on. I took my computer to a local coffee shop, and got an email with his number in it. I tried calling, and Verizon's service was giving me an "all circuits are busy" error. Fuck! I tried for about 15 minutes, and sent him an email explaining what had happened. He wrote back and said he'd been trying to call me back, but couldn't get through. He wrote and said "Maybe next week would be better?" Fuck, nooo!!! I couldn't find a pay phone anywhere (what happened to those?), and finally was able to get through to his phone. We had the initial phone interview, he liked my qualifications, and scheduled another phone interview as a conference call. The next conference call went great, though my phone was still a little choppy. They liked what I had to say and the company sounded cool, and I was finally invited to an in-person interview. The in-person interview went great, and I was offered the job. I have had phone interviews in CO previously, and there was always something up with them. Either they couldn't hear me well, or my phone was cutting out, or someone would have to repeat themselves for another reason... I hate them. I do far better in person, and at least at that point the interviewer can see that I have facial piercings and a well-defined mohawk, so they can decide if they like my appearances or not on the first meeting. Saves both of us time if they don't like that up front. Glad to hear your interview went well; good luck with the rest of the process!
  4. I'm a dude. No harm in looking as long as they don't see me, thus making them uncomfortable, right? You have to drive there?! Can't they deliver? Why would they expect someone to go to them?! This is Amurrika!
  5. I've worked from home a few times, but my current desk at work is much nicer than my desk at home. I only live half a block away from work, but I may find myself working from home more often now. At least at home, my dog can lay at my feet and keep them warm, haha. It's nice to be able to chat with coworkers when they're at their desks to discuss a problem, but it's almost as easy to do that via IM / email these days.
  6. LMAO! I was just told "put your dick in the dirt." I like your version better.
  7. One of the things I love most about my job is my desk. I have a nice, wide "corner desk" that separates me and a really hot PM. Sort of like a cubicle, but with tons of space, right up next to a window. The window overlooks a river, mountains, trees, and a hot tub where very beautiful people go take a sit in the winter after a long day of skiing. If I open the window, I can hear birds, other critters, and the roaring river down below. A few weeks ago, we were told "great news" about moving upstairs 1 floor, to an office space that is being remodeled. What they mean is, they're painting. My coworkers (who also have similar desks currently) and I all thought, "damn, we like our desks now." Well, we just got our seating arrangements worked out upstairs. 2 of us will be seated by windows. The rest of us are moving to smaller desks without windows / sunlight. We will no longer have a wall / cubicle to hang items up in order to save space, so some office supplies will have to go. That's not too big of a deal, but having a window to open and get fresh air was one of the perks of this job. I guess the biggest bummer of all is not having a view of the hot tub anymore. I can't perv on hot guys relaxing while I should be writing software. Some of those guys gave me inspiration! (Yeah, we'll call it "inspiration.") First world problems suck.
  8. But then, think of how many jumps you could have made with the money going toward that tattoo...
  9. pyrotech

    old new guy

    I think the one in Fort Morgan is the furthest north. http://www.skydiveempire.com
  10. LMAO! I'm really hoping the condom was eaten by the dog... otherwise that dog is just plain slutty. And thanks for running a dog-friendly DZ. I chose to drive an extra hour to get to my DZ because my dog is welcome with me. It's great to watch her wagging her tail in excitement every time I get back to the hangar after a jump. We'll have to stop by yours sometime.
  11. Engineering is a fairly tough subject. There is a lot to learn and it requires a lot of work and aptitude on the part of the student. Degrees are meant to set those that can, apart from those that cannot. In my view the standards should be high, very high, and they have already been dumbed down far too much. Ever heard the expression "reading for a degree"? They call it that for a reason. The professors are there to help you in that reading but they are not there to spoon feed the entitlement generation with Engineering for Dummies and bestow gold starts on students for answering a question correctly. When you're at the big boys school, you're expected to act like a big boy. If this is too difficult or challenging then there are many soft option arts courses available where all you need to do is master the phrase "do you want fries with that?". Agreed 100%. I always hated it when students in class would have not done their coursework or reading before class, then would continue asking the professor to explain something they should have already known. It slowed down the rest of us that actually paid attention, took notes, and did outside research as requested. During freshman year, our dean told us specifically, "If you are not serious about this degree, you should not pursue it. We offer MANY other degrees, and your coursework will be extremely difficult. We only graduate students that are able to keep up with it." We had to sign a waiver before being accepted into the engineering program that stated we understand we will have a lot more coursework than our other students in different majors, and that we will maintain a high GPA or get removed from the program. That said, our professors offered office hours outside of class time, and we had tutors if students needed extra help. Our professors were there to tell us what we needed to learn, help teach it to us, but overall teach us how to teach ourselves. I may end up sounding like a "frat boy," but if I'm wanting to get a degree in a tough subject, I'm going to choose the most difficult coursework I can handle. Ever get stuck on a group project where everyone else in your group was an idiot? It fucking sucks. I was relieved when those people were weeded out of the engineering program, because it meant I wasn't taking on the brunt of the work to maintain my grades. I'm extremely thankful I work with smart people now, and don't have to put up with that kind of behavior from coworkers.
  12. Do you think you'd be able to do your job as well as you do if your coursework was easy? (Honestly) If so, you may not be challenged enough at work.
  13. He, by far, has the more efficient life, if we're talking money as the only factor as a return on investment. He puts in no effort, and gets a great monetary return. However, I could build a system that would replace his job in a couple of months. I'd say I have slightly more job security, being as I can use my education to start a business. He can... erm... operate processes. Given the same amount of time at our jobs though (he's been at his for 7 years; I've been building computers and software for 2), I'd say I'll have a far better salary by the time I have 7 years' experience. If you weigh in college and such though, the amount of loans I have to pay vs him (parents paid for his college, while I had to take out loans for mine), and the amount of work we each put into our jobs, he got the better deal. I traveled a lot more, met a lot more people, went out more, etc, but had to work my ass off to be able to afford it all, have time for it, and still have an active social life. Then again, he's stuck living in a shitty part of Texas, while I'm in a beautiful setting in the mountains. He pays a lot less for rent and has a commute every morning, while I pay a lot and can walk to work. If we're talking strictly money compared to time and effort put into work, he got the better deal by far. I wouldn't trade positions with him in a heartbeat though, if I had to take the rest of it along with it. I get the point of not liking having to work hard to get to where you are, when it seems as though others may not have had to. But in the end, did you really want to be an engineer when you started school? And do you love your work now? Or did you only do it for money? If you only did it for the money, you screwed yourself. Real estate would have been a better option. If you love what you do though, the only other factor would be the salary, right? Doesn't that mean it's time to petition for a promotion?
  14. When I lived in the northeast, it seemed as though 310 out of 365 days came with shitty weather. Always gray skies with water coming down in some form or another, be it frozen or liquid. I could only take it about 6 years and moved. The weather there was for the birds.
  15. Do you feel your course work was too much for the amount of work you put into your job? I really don't. Most of my classes were pretty tough, but I used a lot of what I learned in school, and had to learn a lot more after graduating. I also enjoyed coursework, and enjoy a challenge. I don't consider it hazing to have to do difficult math problems that an art major wouldn't have to do. The programming courses I took, even the "hard" ones, were nothing compared that what I faced at my first job, and my current one. Sure, I don't program in assembler at work, but I can debug like a mofo after taking that course. Many of my friends had much less of a course load than I did, but they weren't exactly getting into a difficult major or career field. Some people couldn't do our coursework through school, and those same people wouldn't be able to do our jobs today. I may not have even been able to do YOUR coursework in school or do your job, and you may not be able to do mine. Not all minds are created equal. As for salary, you're right. We got screwed. My brother graduated with a 2-year degree in "process operation." I have no idea what that means (he can do a task?), but it got him a job where he sits on his ass all day playing Warcraft. His title is "fire watcher," and he has to be present in case there is a fire. If there is one, he has to make a phone call to his boss, and send out a warning. He makes more money than I do. Sure, I wouldn't mind getting paid to sit around playing on Reddit or reading all day, but I enjoy my work now, which is just as rewarding. Or so I tell myself, hahaha. As for the male / female thing, I was up against 2 other males and 1 female for my job. I got the job. Not every company bases their decisions on what they want to stick their dick into.
  16. Interesting opinion, and I can see how your anecdotal evidence can help support it. I'm sure there are plenty of other hypothetical, anecdotal situations that can support it, and disprove it (running into a fence post under canopy, hitting your face on a tree under canopy, etc). My replies were offering suggestions for helmets that have passed certain standards that are within a reasonable price range. I personally will not be spending $300 on a helmet. I'm fine with a $30 protec. Chances are, if I hit my head hard enough to where it takes a helmet that can stand up to 150mph impact to live through, and I survive, I will have wanted to have died from it. Chances are, I'd be quadriplegic at that point, and nobody wants that. You need to face the fact that there are industry standards for head gear in high-speed sports, and not all skydiving helmets match up to those.
  17. Sorry, I realize that I never saw your response nor answered your questions. I started on Jump 2 PRCP'ing. It went like this: Jump 2 - first PRCP, mised twice before main opened Jump 3 - successful PRCP Jump 4 - successful PRCP, cleared for freefall Jump 5 - first freefall Had to successfully PRCP twice before freefall. We're flying a Cesna 206, and hang on the strut as a student. Did a few more jumps last weekend. Having 10 seconds of freefall (the next step after 5) was much easier to get stable and maintain posture. I focused all of my attention on keeping my legs arched and body stable. I did a few unintentional 360s, but was able to stop and get stable before deployment. Pulled a little low, at about 3800 ft (supposed to be 4000). My second 10-second freefall I was able to stay stable with no turns, and pulled right at 4k. I also did a 15-second freefall, with the intention of doing a 360 to the right, and one to the left. I did one to the right, got stable, tried to go to the left, but turned my body awkwardly and started barrel rolling. Was able to stop it and get stable, but by that time it was almost pull time, so no left 360. My next jump will be another 15-second with an attempt to get a 360 to the right, and one to the left.
  18. Same reason. Teachers are a dime a dozen. Sadly, it's not only the good teachers that get the jobs, but the "teachers" that know people in the school districts or colleges that get the jobs. Even more sadly, the teachers fresh out of college that are able to get jobs are willing to do so for a very low salary. I can understand; they need the money, and there isn't a lot of opportunity in education to make money. It brings down the salaries of the really good teachers, and pay increases seems to be solely based on experience and education, rather than ability to teach the same thing many different ways so that the students "get it." I have a few friends that are really bad at teaching kids. They got jobs at school districts based on who they knew. I'm pretty sure those jobs could have gone to qualified teachers that are good at what they do, but don't know the right people. On the other hand, I dated a math coach (developed new ways of teaching math, from what I understand) that had a great salary. He was amazing at what he did, and could likely teach algebra to a 3rd grader. His salary increases were only based on him having 4 masters degrees and working at a school for a low wage for about 15 years. Each time he reached a cap in salary, he had to take more classes to get a raise. Regarding engineering, my freshman year we had about 40 people lined up for software / computer systems engineering majors. To stay in the program, you had to maintain a GPA of at least 3.4. We had 8 that graduated in the end. I agreed with the professors though; if you can't keep up with the work, maybe the career choice isn't for you. It's not like the work got any easier after college.
  19. My faith in love. LOL JK COCAINE!
  20. I would have summed that up by saying " Want a warranty? Buy a toaster." I was trying more along the lines of, while other sports have safety ratings for their helmets, skydiving doesn't seem to. If you want to know for sure your helmet will probably stop your head from cracking on pavement, go with a real helmet.
  21. Sorry, I forgot to post the link. http://www.icaro2000.com/Products/Helmets/Free-flight-models.htm
  22. Here are a few helmets that have gone through the research / development process and have the same safety rating as motorcycle helmets, several
  23. Motorcycle helmets are rated and approved according to quality. Some are worthy, some are not. I probably wouldn't risk racing around with just a protec, although a protec is probably good for a rail or a concrete corner at low speed when you trip over your laces.... Skydiving helmets have two distinct avenues that other helmets may lack - noise reduction, and they tend to much more low-profile than other helmets. Which raises the question - how do you know the helmet you're buying will actually resist substantial impact? Such a slim helmet may not protect much - look at how thick a motorcycle helmet is. How much testing goes into these skydiving helmets, and how do we know the results? (Climbing ropes & draws for instance, goes through a huge number of tests that reveal a lot of usable info to the consumer to make valuable life saving decisions.) A fundamental problem with the helmet market in general is that there is a severe lack of information to the consumer for anything other than fit & comfort. It's not like people post reviews out there saying, this saved me from 100mph impact 5 times! Who knows what the helmet is really capable of? One thing is probably true - getting in an accident with one is better than getting in an accident without one - after that, it's probably just fit & preference that differentiates. Exactly. My old motorcycle helmet had to be passed by the department of transportation certification and carry a sticker that said so. My Bern "hard hat" is not able to be called a "helmet" because it does not meet the safety regulations to make it so. From their website: "Hard Hats do not meet action sports head protection standards. Hard Hats are designed to protect against multiple lower force impacts and may prevent concussions when hard foam helmets will not." Source: http://www.bernunlimited.com/Innovation/Hard+Hat If there is nothing regulating a skydiving helmet that would be safe for impact up to n-mph, then I am assuming the cheap $20 skateboarding helmet at wal-mart is just as protective as the $300 "skydiving helmet" sold online. Everyone's comments seem to hold that to be true. When I looked around a little, I came across this post on a Blinc forum: http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/original-base-board/38082-best-full-face-helmets-2.html It mentions a few helmets that have had proper testing, while mentioning a few times that skydiving helmets have "no safety ratings" like motocross and other helmets. It was also mentioned that there is no impact-absorbing foam, which I hadn't thought about, but has been true so far with the helmets I've used as a student so far. They've been more just a plastic covering for my head.
  24. I'm still very new to this sport, and still get nervous before every jump. To be honest, I hope that never changes. Part of the fun is overcoming the nervousness. There have been a few stunts that I've pulled in the past that scared the shit out of me. It was the biggest accomplishment to me taking the fear, pissing in its face, and telling it to fuck off while I landed the trick / stunt. This sport is supposed to be scary, right? That's what makes it fun! I'm willing to bet that the next time you're getting out of the aircraft and are scared shitless, once you let go and land like a boss, that's going to be one of the most fun jumps you've made so far.
  25. I'm wondering what the "Aerate" button does. And what's the difference between "wash" and "bidet" (besides having a face pop up to pee on, apparently)? I like that there's a "dry" function though after a good wash.