adcott: Quick, unrelated, disjointed ramblings.

James (

adcott) wrote,
@ 2005-12-19 06:29:00

Current mood:	odd
Current music:	Dandy Warhols - Shakin'

Quick, unrelated, disjointed ramblings.
For my birthday I received a watch (to replace my old broken one), the latest Red Dwarf DVD release to add to my collection, a £30 cheque and the promise of a new chair. Overall, this pleases me.

*

Mini hacking idea: LJ is now giving me a shedload of storage (10GB) with unlimited bandwidth, but only for images - one could write a script to add png headers to a file with a basic image and store binary data commented out within it. Another simple script on the receiving end to strip out the superfulous image stuff and we've got a nice way of surreptitiously distributing mp3s, movies, etc. over a fast server with easy controls by way of LJ friends groups to optionally limit it to certain people.

I think that could be quite nifty... Does anyone know if JavaScript can manipulate binary stuff? - it'd be wicked cool if you could just point a webpage at an LJ-hosted image and it prompts you to download the embedded movie or whatever.

*

Things I need to do over the next couple of days: sort out my sleeping patterns; buy xmas presents; rectify my weird brain activity; eat properly; become my normal self again.

*

I really want to learn how to properly fly a plane. Like, really want to do this. Does anyone know how I go about it? I want to do it in something more than a "novelty present for dad" kind of way - something more serious (not that I wouldn't it as a present, mind ;)). Money is a limiting factor, of course. I am a student. But I'd be willing to spend a considerable chunk of my expendible dosh on it.

I've been daydreaming a lot lately of quitting my course and training to become a pilot. When I've mentioned this to people they've been saying it's something I should actively persue, at least in part. I agree with them. I'm still young in the grand scheme of things, I'm not overly unintelligent, I should be viewing my future as a blank slate. The sky is still my limit, I should be shooting for it.

The simple fact of the matter is that I can think of fewer things worse than being sat infront of a computer all day every day debugging code. I like the creative side of programming, but I don't think it's going to be the career for me. Plus, I am becoming bored of the overly broad "Computer Science" course at an alarming rate. Everything is pointing for me to change things and change things dramatically.

*

How are things with you?

(Post a new comment)

	spiderness 2005-12-19 06:57 am UTC (link)
	i'm really bored right now. i've been bored all day. (Reply to this)

lucybrearley
2005-12-19 09:28 am UTC (link)

I think if your not happy nows the time to change!

RAF's probably the easiest way to become a pilot,
my cousin was in the RAF, because she really wanted to be a pilot, and she really liked it, lots of physical work though; as she had to quit when she got an eating disorder....bit of a bugger!

but you should go for it, and if it doesn't work out you can do the computer lark later!

(Reply to this)

kuzanagi_
2005-12-19 09:44 am UTC (link)

If you mean "learn to fly a plane" as in "learn to drive a car" then it's very similar. You take lessons both in the air (practical side of it) and in the classroom (learning navigation and so on), and then pass a variety of tests in order to obtain a license. I think it then becomes a bit like a motorcycle license in that you have to pass more tests in order to fly larger / more powerful aircraft. The problem with this is, I would imagine, turning it in to a career that can sustain you. It'd take an enormous amount of money to train yourself to the point where you'd be ready to be an airline pilot (the vast majority of airline pilots are ex-military pilots), so that leaves either small commercial flights or becoming an instructor of some kind.

The cheapest and easiest way to learn would be a stint in the air force, provided there's nothing prohibiting you from being a military pilot. I forget what the basic requirements are now, but you're ruled out of certain types of flight based on your physical stature and attributes. I couldn't ever be a fighter pilot, for example, as I'm 6'3" tall so I'd never fit in to the cockpit of a fighter. I've just about managed to get in to a EuroFighter cockpit, but I'd never be able to fly the thing and I doubt they'd be able to close the canopy :/

If I were you, I'd try a gift type event for yourself (one of the "Experience Day" things) to see what you really think of it. It'd probably set you back £150 but that way you'd know whether or not you'd want to pursue it further. I'm told flying is very much something you either very much enjoy and really want to pursue, or you're just not interested in it once you've tried it.

If I were you, I wouldn't quit your course. I'd go ahead and get a degree in something you obviously excel at and use it to your advantage in the future. It'll be over before you know it, and once you've got a degree you've always got a degree.

(Reply to this)

	jpallan 2005-12-19 10:07 am UTC (link)
	Regarding the flying -- contact a local small airport and ask. In the U.S., they almost always have flying schools. My father's been a pilot and instructor for 30+ years, and here, there are invariably a large number of pilots hanging around, drinking coffee, talking about alleged mishaps that happened to them while flying, practicing their Chuck Yeager accents. (Reply to this)

	acwmaiden 2005-12-19 03:46 pm UTC (link)
	I'm good. Still a little tired from my r-sync last week, but generally, not too bad off :-) Glad to hear you're doing alright :-) (Reply to this)

	probe 2005-12-19 05:10 pm UTC (link)
	My friend at uni is a has his flying license but he can no longer renew it as he has arthritis in his knees, now he can't pass the reflex test where they tap you with that wee hammer just under the knee cap. He learnt at a flying school at a small airfield in Darlington but it is very very expensive. Poor guy won't be able to fly again. (Reply to this)

whalebaby
2005-12-19 09:10 pm UTC (link)

my old mans going in for his commercial lisence after christmas, if you want advice on it i can always ask him for some details, but from what hes already told me, getting your single prop lisence is easy but relatively expeneive, lessons can range from 100-150 an hour, touch-and-run costs are pretty low, but the biggest problem is keeping up to date. you have to do a regular amount of flying and undergo infrequent checkups to keep your lisence, and theres all types of tests for instrument-only flying, twin prop, etc etc. ive been up in the twin with him a few times, and while it looks like a good laugh its more of a science than it is a fun ride. everythings done according to procedure, no exciting spontaneous dives :(

i could even ask him if hed mind taking you up flying for an hour or 2, depends on how serious you are about it. not that youd get to fly it or anything, but it might give you a taste for it.

(Reply to this)

11blue
2006-03-17 03:50 am UTC (link)

hello mr. adcott:

thank you for being as generous as you have been for so long. i am no longer really needing the webspace you have provided me with for the last few years, so you can take it back or whatever you please. i thank you again for having an awesomely kickass network, i don't think it was down more than once in 3 or so years.

thank you again

ps: i don't know if this will reach you, but i couldn't find your email address anywhere so this is the only way of reaching you.

THANKS AGAIN

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	11blue 2006-05-17 11:58 pm UTC (link)
	DISREGARD. I AM SO FUCKING RETARDED. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	About to get hit by LOST fans svaha_p 2006-05-17 10:15 pm UTC (link)
	Hey man- I don't know if you did the design for Lost Experience, but a crap-load of Lost Experience people are about to descend on yr LJ. You may want to, like, work some ads in or something. I dunno. It's big. -Svaha (Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: About to get hit by LOST fans adcott 2006-05-17 10:21 pm UTC (link)
	... nope, no idea what you're talking about :) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: About to get hit by LOST fans

svaha_p
2006-05-17 10:26 pm UTC (link)

Long story short:

"The Lost Experience"- Alternate Reality Game to go with the TV show.
"adcott.net" came up in the one of the source codes or files or something that was a clue for us- the source of that yielded busted link to an adcott page on LJ... search for adcott on LJ led here...

So there it is. Unless you knew that already and were just playing with me. :-)

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: About to get hit by LOST fans svaha_p 2006-05-17 10:36 pm UTC (link)
	Ohhh, okay- Just updating. The game tapped your binary translator (adcott.net/binary), so people are scoping you because of the source on adcott. K. So there it is. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: About to get hit by LOST fans adcott 2006-05-17 10:43 pm UTC (link)
	http://adcott.livejournal.com/366021.html ;) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: About to get hit by LOST fans tededfred 2006-05-18 03:18 pm UTC (link)
	what... the... heck????? (Reply to this)(Parent)

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