Mad Andys Bad Thoughts

I say Good-bye and You say Hello

Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:33:08 -0700

Due to continuing problems with the old blogging software or let's say Apache/Mod_JK/Blojsom I decided to give up this blog and move to the Mac Server's Blog. It's layout is nice, what else would you expect from Apple, and it runs smooth as glass. I will keep this blog up and running for some time maybe even try to port over some interesting content but I won't write here anymore.

Therefore please update your Bookmarks / Favorites to this:

http://blogs.madplanet.com/users/schaefa

I hope to see you there in the future. In addition I would welcome any comments to the new place so that I know how to improve the site whenever I find time for it.

Thanks, Good-bye and see you on the Other Site

Andy Schaefer

Strange but True

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 21:56:46 -0700

Things are a little bit weird here. As you see my blog is somehow messed up and I had a hard time to locate the problem. It turned out that using Apache and Mod_JK is the culprit because using the JBoss web port is delivering a fast and good result whereas going over Apache things are getting messed up and also slow done. Unfortunately I cannot fix that by just running JBoss standalone because I have my other web site: j-community.org on the same box. So for now I cannot solve it but I am working hard on it.

Have fun - Andy

Randy Paush dies

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 21:53:11 -0700

From a mailing list I got a link to the video of Randy Pausch' last lecture and even though it did not change my life, probably because I am too old, it did made me think about my priorities in life and my relationship with my kids. I have to admit that I am too often stomped by a brick wall but for important things I am stubborn and from time to time I get passed such brick walls. Still I would suggest to everyone to watch the video of his last lecture on Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams.

Life is too often only measured in years rather than achievements, fun and happiness. Even though I spend a lot of my time and money on my kids nothing can beat moments like when I come back from work and my kids run to the door shouting Daddy, Daddy. That is something that my brother (no kids) will never comprehend or even understand. Since I got kids my understanding of luxury has changed. A good time with my kids beats a fancy dinner, a 5 star hotel or an exotic trip. We liked that before we had kids but now it is not that important anymore even though now an evening out without the kids feels like vacation.

Back in August 95 on our wedding dinner I asked every guest to find something they wanted to do but never found time or dared to do it and use this opportunity to make it come true now. In our short lives there are only so many opportunities to do it and they are gone by fast like the wind.

-Andy

Jump 10 to 13 and Packing

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:10:40 -0700

Now that I graduated from the AFF program and are allowed to jump solo I can do more jumps more quickly. This weekend I did a few jump especially jump # 13 on July, 13th. These jumps are a lot of fun even though the adrenalin rush is not what it was at the beginning. I like to twist and turn, flying belly up and exit the plane with a few front flips. Now I can push the envelope getting more unstable for longer period of time and then recover from it. On jump 13 I also tried to do a mock up chute cut off and then pulling the reserve handle. Because I have both arms under my chest I have more drag on my legs and so my body tilts forward 10 or 20 degrees more or less like on a track. Still I remain quite stable even though I move around with my arms under my chest.

Today I faced my next challenge of packing my own rig. The challenge is not only to pack a chute yourself but I have to jump with that rig afterwards which I learned at the end. Packing a chute is not rocket science but because your life depends on it you don't want to mess it up or hurry through it. First I watched a 45 minutes video and then we unpacked a packed rig. Step by step I learned how to pack it up repeating the previous steps several times. Finally it was time to wrap the chute and put it into the bag. Even though the room is air conditioned I started to sweat. The big problem is to keep the equipment in place while I was wrapping it up and put it into the bag. After we finished packing it up I had to take it out and pack the chute myself. Several times I stopped, took a deep breath and tried to remember all the steps ahead. Right before I was ready to put the wrapped chute in the bag I was a little bit uncertain if I did not loose it. But I got the go head, put the chute in the bag and finished it up. My teacher was impressed that I got my first chute packed in less than 20 minutes and I was relieved that I passed that. Finally we put the pilot chute in its place. Now the rig has my name on it waiting for me to make my next jump which finalizes the packing course but that is for another blog.

Have fun - Andy

First Solo Jump

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 16:34:44 -0700

Today's my birthday and also my first solo jump as skydiver. Because I have two free video recordings that came with the certification package I also decided to record it for all you guys. Because this is a solo jump I could do whatever I wanted and so I decided to do some of the cool stuff I did during the AFF program (Level 1 to 8). So this was my dive flow:

Exit with a back flip: I really like that because it is the easiest, the turn is slow and it feels great:

Barrel

Forward flip: on level 8 I could not turn 360 degree and so I wanted to give it a try

Turns

Track

Pull the Chute

After the chute deployed I wanted to try a new maneuver by steering the chute with the back risers which is much harder because 1/4 of the chute is attached to it. Finally after some trial and errors this time I made a perfect landing where I landed without forward movement, yeah.

If you want to watch the movie you can again see it on my .Mac website: http://gallery.mac.com/schaefera#100047

Have fun - Andy

Level 8: Final AFF Jump

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 12:58:41 -0700

After bringing our newborn baby to the doctor for the first time I still had some time left for another jump. This time it was my last jump on the AFF program which when I pass I would be able to do solo jumps. But first I had to get up to speed with the Level 8 drill / dive flow. First a front exit, then a front flip by pull the arms and head under one's shoulder, a barrel and finally a touch with the jump master meaning I had to fly to the jump master and touch him with the hands. This jump went through without a problem beside that I opened too early on the front flip leaving me falling down with the back forward but arching brought me back into a stable position. Eventually I did another track (see yesterday's jump).

Again I had my problems while landing and even though this time I had less troubles I still fell over. I hope by the end of my solo jumps I have mastered that.

Have fun - Andy

Jump Level 7: New Twists

Sun, 6 Jul 2008 10:30:28 -0700

On Level 7 one will exit the door facing backwards looking a tail of the airplane. Through stretching the legs one makes a back flip. So the exit was not problem and I could recover into a stable position much quicker than yesterday. Then I had to do a barrel which is a turn around one's axis by pulling in an arm. Finally I has to perform what is called a track meaning I stretch my legs, pull my arms back until I look like an arrow. My jump master told me that I was too fast for him to follow. Looking at the altimeter right afterwards I already passed 6,000 feet and was on 5,500 meaning I waved and pulled right away.

The landing gave me problems again and I hit the ground too fast and stumbled. I guess it will take a few more jumps until I get that going right.

Have fun - Andy

Jump Level 6: Off the "Training Wheels" Went

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 15:44:14 -0700

Jump Level 6 was the same jump as Level 5 except that I exited the plane without the jump master holding onto my gear. This meant that I had to stabilize myself after the exit which took some efforts to keep relaxed. Afterwards I took some left and right 360 degrees turns which were quite simple and did not pose any challenge. The rest of the jump including the landing were simple and I had no problems whatsoever.

Next Jump will be a challenge because there I am deliberately made unstable and I have to recover from it. This starts with a "scuba diver" style exit, followed by a barrel which means I put one arm under my chest making me turn to its side and finally, if time permits, I will stretch my legs and move the arms backwards into an arrow shape which should make me fly forwards with accelerated speed.

BTW if you ever felt the urge to skydive then take a tandem jump which is way more fun that an AFF jump and you can enjoy the free fall and the view without having to perform a drill. If you think that you want to pursue afterwards then an First Course Jump is the way to go because you get the training (~ 6h) and then you jump with your own gear. The main difference is that you first have to show awareness of height but also you have to pull the chute and land on your own. This means that after pulling the chute you are on your own and have to perform an emergency procedures by yourself.

Have fun - Andy

Another Mouth to Feed: Marcus Schaefer

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 16:47:49 -0700

After a sleepless night Marcus was born this morning 7/3/08 at 7:51. He weighted 8lb and was 21'' tall. He and his mother are feeling great and recover from the stress. I am sleeping a few minutes here and a few minutes there which does not really help to recover but that will take some time anyhow. Maybe the 4th of July will give a chance to sleep a few hours during the day even though I don't like to do that at all.

Beside a relative simple delivery we had the fortunate that Marcus was born in his amniotic sac which is rare and many see that as a sign of luck.

Next Stop: Joy, Sleep Deprivation and College Fund

-Andy

Jump Level 4 and 5

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:12:37 -0700

Slowly but surely I am becoming an independent skydiver progressing in the first part of the certification. Up to Jump 8 (or AFF Level 8) I jump with two or one jump master. After that I am able to jump solo only guided by a coach. Still every higher level is giving me a little bit more freedom and more tasks to perform like checking the gear, do more advanced programs during free fall and even during the landing.

So level 4 programs (dive flow) was less than level 3 but I was let go earlier. Unfortunately I somehow got the idea that I need to turn which caught my jump master off guard. During landing I flew over the main landing area which I was not suppose to do. Still I pass that jump and could advance to level 5 with a lingering feeling of having screwed up even if that was not serious.

On level 5 I then got to do turns and was let go a few seconds out the door which meant that I had to do big parts of stabilizing myself after exiting the plane. This does not sound difficult but imagine that the plane moves forward but the skydiver is falling downwards and so in this transition one has to stabilize and turn downwards at the same time. Now if you hold a hair blower vertically and try to balance a sheet of paper you will have a really tough time but doing the same thing with a round ball is dead simple. Therefore a skydiver just has to relax, arch so that the hips are looking down and one will fly quite stable. Well, in reality at a speed of 120 miles per hour this is easier said than done. Still after some adjustment period I was quite comfortable with it and could do some 90 degrees turns. The rest went well and I passed that jump with flying colors.

Have fun - Andy

Third Jump this Morning

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:40:56 -0700

Another day another jump. This morning I had my level 3 jump which means that I did not have to do much but the jump masters would let go of me after I was stable and did the initial checks and the practice touch (touching the puller that will pull the chute open went pulled out). My master jump master was confident enough to move in front of me leaving my side meaning I did good. So next jump will be the same but with only one jump master and we will jump out backwards and not side ways as we did up to know.

Have fun - Andy

A License, Second Jump and Thoughts about Risks

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:58:01 -0700

Yesterday I decided after all the adrenalin cleared my body that I love Skydiving and that I want to make the A license to become a certified skydiver. So today I was back at the Drop Zone for my second jump which was more or less the same drill just with turns rather than forward movement which is more exiting because going forward is hard to judge on 8,000 feet and 120 miles free fall but a turn is quick and noticeable. The jump went through quite well even though I have to make sure that reading the altimeter is not glancing at it but really understand what it means and to read it right. Around 6,000 feet I oversaw the altitude and later on 5,500 I though we are still at 6,500 because the altimeter runs counter-clockwise. After I saw the needle move I realized the mistake and pulled the chute.

After the jump I learned that the drop zone had a deadly accident on Saturday with an experienced and competitive skydiver which made me think about risks in general. Just because someone dies in car accident I don't stop driving or just limit it to what is really necessary. Life is dangerous and we cannot escape it. Even sitting at home a meteor hit us or a armed robber could shoot us. We can do our part to limit the danger but we cannot prevent it. If a car runs on the wrong side of the freeway there is little someone could do to prepare. On the other hand I am not driving without seat belts and I am making sure my car is in driving conditions. When I was scuba diving preparation, proper training and common sense could go a long way in preventing an accident but it does not get ride of the possibility. The same thing applies to skydiving.

Eventually we all have to decide how much risk and what risk we take but we cannot run away. Living and driving in LA the fear of flying sounds silly but still some people still do. One could say that we have to drive and fly but we don't have to skydive. Well, if I only do safe things in my life it would become quite unattractive and boring. On the other hand eating a lot of junk food or smoking is maybe more dangerous than skydiving and both can be avoided.

Finally I was thinking about how I decide which risk we take and I have to say that it is impossible to judge objectively and mostly I just do it with my guts. I read that around 18 people died in 2007 in skydiving from about 2.2 million jumps leaving a risk of one in a hundred thousand jumps. Then I am wondering if they include base jumping into this statistic and if they do and I take it out then the risk is lower because base jumping is more or less the same a jumping without a reserve chute. Do they exclude/include people which violated basic rules or were drunk etc. As you can see there is no way to really make an objective decision and even if I could does lightning strike twice. Well, it did happen.

Have fun, enjoy your day and give your life a thrill from time to time

-Andy

BTW I published the first jump move on my web gallery on: http://gallery.mac.com/schaefera#100037

Rip a DVD to post on Dot Mac

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:28:18 -0700

For my folks back home I wanted to put the video from my first jump on Dot Mac so that they can watch it over the Internet. Unfortunately this was a longer undertaking that expected. Anyhow I finally succeeded with some help from the folks at the sky diving school. ATTENTION: this is not an invitation to publish copyrighted material / DVDs but rather to convert material legally even though the entertainment industry has a quite corrupted view of that but that is another story, isn't it.

First, I downloaded Mac the Ripper , installed it and extracted the giving DVD (the entire DVD) onto my hard disk. This is merely a copy of the DVD but it also seems to remove any copy protection and region controls. Then, I downloaded and installed HandBrake which does convert the DVD into a MPEG 4 movie which is important if you want to import the movie into iMovie. Finally, I could create the movie and post it onto Dot Mac.

I tried various approaches using Linux, K3B Ripper, Avidemux and others but somehow my movie became unplayable. Well, with these Mac tools everything went through without a hitch after I figured out what to use.

Have fun - Andy

Jumping out of a Perfectly Good Airplane

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:42:49 -0700

Today I got an early Birthday present in form of a jump out of a perfectly good airplane at around 12,500 feet above ground. Living in Lake Elsinore, California, has the advantage that there is a Skydiving facility just around the corner.

Yesterday I took the First Jump Course lessons which ends with a jump but because of strong winds that was not possible. Therefore this morning I was at the facility bright and early to take the first plane. There I met my jump master which went through the procedures of the first jump several times. Eventually it was time to gear up and to rehears the jump again:

Finally we were ready to board the airplane heading to the sky:

After some time we reach the desired altitude of 12,500 feet and we could get ready to leave the plane:

The task of this jump was simple. I just had to be aware of the altitude, touch the handle of the pilot chute and fly forward.

At 5,500 feet it was time to pull the chute which was not a problem but as you can see my lines were twisted and I had to pull apart the straps and kick my feet to turn around until the chute was fair and square:

Woooaaaa. That was great. The adrenaline was rushing through my body and even 30 minutes after the jump I was still feeling a little bit shaky. Last question: when can I do this again.

Have fun - Andy

The Clock is Ticking

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:02:42 -0700

Sorry for not blogging quite some time. First I was busy with the j-community.org site and then my wife started to building a nest for our forth son which is due by the end of the month. I, due to some experience, am still relaxed because the baby will be two weeks late like all the others. But one never knows and so I let my wife do what she has to do. So far everything goes nearly as smooth as glass and we are looking forward to our first, and hopefully last, home birth. My wife's sister is here helping us with the kids and to make sure that we can concentrate on the new boy.

Have fun - Andy