BASE jumping :: BASEJumping.tv @ BLiNC Magazine - Blogs - Mick Knutson's BLiNC BLoG by mknutson

BLiNC Magazine has been translated to over 53 languages. (please re-post)

mknutson — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:31:05 GMT

Originally Posted by mknutson

I am very excited to announce that BLiNC Magazine can now be viewed in over 53 languages automatically. This is going to allow people read and write postings, WIKI pages, Blog's and News Articles in any language.

Default Language:
*** Each user can set their own default language in their UserCP which will automatically translate all pages to your default language. ***

If you have a different language set, such as German, and you write a post in German, than the post is translated into the other users default language automatically.

BBCode for multi-language postings
You can also use BBCode using LANG tag, with the language code of the original message like:

Which will create this:

German
BLINC Magazine hat �ber 53 Sprachen �bersetzt worden.

French
Magazine blinc a �t� traduit � plus de 53 langues.

Norwegian
Blinc Magazine har blitt oversatt til over 53 spr�k.

Spanish
Magazine BLINC has been translated to more than 53 languages.

Russian
BLiNC журнала была переведена на более 53 языков.

and many, many more languages.

Plus there are other features such as
Translates RSS
Full support of archive translation
Drop-down menu for flags
Automatically detects in which language message is written

Please support BLiNC Magazine by forwarding and re-posting this announcement.

youtube embed created from a posting

mknutson — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:41:41 GMT

Originally Posted by Uberchris

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Just wanted to see about creating a blog from a Posting.

My experience with VaultWiki

mknutson — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:12:09 GMT

I have been using vBulletin for years now. But a few years ago, I needed to add Wiki support, or moreover, I wanted to. So I started searching for a solution. No offense to the creators of MediaWiki, but I hate WIKI code. I really love the ability to use WYSIWYG editors to manage my data. So, I wanted to find something that was integrated into VB already so I did not have to manage dual user databases, as well and use WYSIWYG editing.

http://www.vaultwiki.org/threads/2266/

I finally came across Vault Wiki: http://www.vaultwiki.org/

This was a plugin to VB and was super easy to manage my wiki data. I have a few thousand users in my community, and they are also able to quickly and easily able to edit this Wiki as well, and it is making for a stronger community.

Another Day, another...?

mknutson — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:51:19 GMT

Today is April 25th 2010

I moved to West Chester PA about 2 months ago.

I was studying for my SCJP examination for the past 3 months. Pretty much working 19hour days, 7 days a week. But I finished and passed the test on April 20th. So 5 days now I have gone from 19 hour days, down to 9 hour days.

Today is Sunday, it is raining. I have opened a bottle of Champagne and am eating aged Gouda and watching 'No Direction Home" about Bob Dylan.

I have one week left until I get my BASE gear, and have the opportunity to get my MOJO back.

remember what Jack Burton always said...

mknutson — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:42:42 GMT

This Friday is watching "Big Trouble in Little China", and I could not help but love the memorable quotes:

Jack Burton:
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

then...

Jack Burton: You know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this?
Thunder: Who?
Jack Burton: Jack Burton. *Me*!

Jack Burton: Well, ya see, I'm not saying that I've been everywhere and I've done everything, but I do know it's a pretty amazing planet we live on here, and a man would have to be some kind of FOOL to think we're alone in THIS universe.

Jack Burton: Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it."

and one of my favorites

Jack Burton: This is Jack Burton in the Pork Chop Express, and I'm talkin' to whoever's listenin' out there.

the end...

Bitch slap those parents!

mknutson — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:14:26 GMT

While I am on a roll....Yesterday, during a sunny 70 degree day, around 12:00pm (lunch time), I am driving home, then 40 mph through a GREEN fucking light.... and some lady, not even waving or anything, casually strolls through the intersection with her 6-9 year old daughter. Luckily, I am a very intelligent person that is paying attention to the world, as I still slammed on my brakes. could not have been more than 10 feet away from them both. i mean really, should we enforce a minimum IQ to have kids, and to tend to them? What an ignorant woman just carrying a child AGAINST the light! I am just appalled at the complete stupidity of many parents I see in society.

Lets rag on the next people that should have their kids taken away...I saw another woman at the mall, will a 4-pack stroller, guess what... running against the flow of traffic with the stroller at the mall.....Not only that, the woman was smoking like like a chimney! She then sat a couple of feet away from the door, to finish her compulsion with the children breathing the smoke.

First off, how stupid are you to smoke where your children are effected? If you are that stupid, why should you ever be allowed to have children?

Not only that, The sign clearly reads, no smoking within 25 feet of the door, and basic math like that, should be a basic requirement to have children as well.
If you can NOT count to 25, you should NEVER have children! They will only count have as well as you, and that is not much apparently....

And anyone that thinks that smoking above a 1 year old in your stroller is ever ok, let me suggest you just give them the cigarette now and speed up the process....

Luckily, most of the people I am bitching about do not even know how to spell COMPUTER, let alone, know how to use one. But our society is filled with ignorant people that seem to be using the "stupid" plea to get by in life, but effecting many oter poeple, including their own children in the porcess...

instead of spending $Trillion on fat bankers, spend it upos child and educational reform. Make things harder for the lazy... Not just Rich lay, but also poor lazy.... There are millions out there....

and i'm spent....

Remembering times that past...

mknutson — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:58:58 GMT

Remembering times that past...

I have not blogged her in a while. Well, it has been a long winter in Pittsburgh PA, and a roller coaster ride during this terrible economy.

Even though, I must say, I am doing as well as ever. I have FedEx, Motorola, and JP Morgan Chase as clients, and I am completely booked with my time.

More on that later.

As I have been here, I have reflected on most everything in my life, as everything seems to be dramatic at this point. Then I started thinking....I am 38 now, an embarking upon another summer. What was I doing when I was 28 embarking upon summer...?

So I started thinking, I am loosing sight of so many things in my history. In the olden days, say 100 years ago, people would create diaries to keep such events, but they would always be short stories about their life. Now I imagine the power to log monthly, weekly or even daily events via a Blog. Now imaging my family get to recount my life 100 years from now via this medium?

Really, wouldn't I love to remember all the one-off trips, and excursions running from the cops jumping off some bridge? Or what about the time I hid in a water filled ditch jumping off some antenna for several hours? Or what about the ice covered tower in Michigan in winter, that is still having me say... Fuck that was cold. Why was I doing this?.....

But I say I am always busy, and trust me, in the in-famous words of "Kim Jon IL", from Team America..."Do you have any idea how FUCKING busy I am...?"

But seriously, I would love to continue to post blogs about the life I lead, and the pursuit, of what ever comes next....

Mick...

btw, as a side not to my life, I am now totally fucking remote hacking. I helped Collen hack PHP and Random CSS over Meebo Instant Messenger. Obviously, I do not need to be loged into your computer to be hacking ...LOL

Mick

The end...

Friday the 13th ....!!!

mknutson — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:05:01 GMT

Today, seems to be the first time I can actually remember that is actually "Friday the 13th".

Interestingly enough, the hailed dooms-day of bad fortune, has not taken any toll, nor delivered any redemption. I merely have focus and personal drive to direct an otherwise lost point horizon.

I would actually guess that my only remorse for today, would be that I started reading a book about life-long memory. It talks about TECH chatter as being bad, and leading to many issues including Alzheimer disease.

I mean really!!!! I get the greatest satisfaction I could ever imagine (in a career at least), by "Thinking Up Shit" (quoting Bruce)... But today I read (true or not) that tech chatter can be detrimental to lifelong mental stamina.

OK, YES, i would LOVE to have mental focus at age 100!!!!!!!. you better FUCKING believe it! So what am I to do about a stimulation that gives me focus, and YES pleasure, as a detriment to lengthy mental focus? Well, I must say, this is a mid-life crisis WORTH contemplation.

"Life is visceral, rather than intellectual!..."

I could NOT be torn by two conflicting and complementing presence...

"...we are reaching a period when our senses and minds will no longer respond to moderate stimulation..."

I see that my current frustration, can not succumb to the standard "week long vacation", or family outing...At this point, only excess will overcome excess.

"Too much work, requires Too much Play... You must have the stamina to withstand the Ebb and flows of life.."

If I am to be penalized physically, for my drive mentally, than I will no longer hold true that which is obviously not waiting for me later. and I plan to live viscerally from now on, which seems the only control I have. Control over the "NOW". Nothing more...

Six-Pack Steelers...

mknutson — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:42:58 GMT

In 2002, I was already on a project in Salt Lake City Utah and present for the 2002 Olympics. I felt lucky to be witness to such an occasion. Today, I again feel lucky to witness the Pittsburgh Steelers winning a 6th Super Bowl Title. I am in awe of the commune the fans have and can definitely feel the energy in the air.

I can not wait to see the actual result Monday morning in the office.

New family, or ignorant role model

mknutson — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:01:07 GMT

I was watching news today, and noticed a special about a woman that just had 8 children. She had already had 6 children prior to this birth.

When CNBC was going through its TWITTER responses, most of the people keep talking about how "Its her choice" and "It's America, she can do what she wants"....

I can't help but yell: "ARE YOU TOTALLY FUCKING STUPID OR WHAT?????". Trust me, I expect to get some harsh feedback for this, but I have plenty of experience with my point I actually want to make. Think NOT about the choice that a smart, financially stable person can make. Think instead, of the underprivileged, under-educated population that makes up over 80% of the world population. A TWEET mentioned "This is not China", but what is wrong with responsible population control?

Why the FUCK would anyone want to have 14 children? I think and even better question is how does someone get so completely blinded by anything to want to be a role model to a woman in a 3rd world country that having mass children is OK?

80% of the people having children can barely, if not at all, afford those children. This means that stories like this, and Angelia and Brad's rat pack, is not the ultimate result of RICH people who can afford this. It becomes a clouded goal of iconic proportion that the underclass uses as their view of HOPE based on the role models they see plastered across the world's media in all ways.

What can be done: STOP idolizing the role of having mass children. We do not need to continually increasing population by a magnitude of 3, 5, or 8 times. Show the millions of people in all the 3rd word countries that proper family choices should be made, or we will continue to have mass population increases, mass child deaths, birth defects, and millions of additional refugees that the world will have to care for when they are displaced, and have little or no abilities and skills to offer to this global civilization.

Walking down the centerline

mknutson — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:30:02 GMT

For way too long, I keep asking myself: "Why do ignorant people think they are cars?"

Every time I go to the store, a shop, or even to the Arena to see a show, inevitably there are several people walking in the middle of the road. They are just waddling along not paying attention to anything in the world. Then after about 200', they finally glance behind them to notice "Oh My, there is a car behind me!" And the stupidity is passed down to the children that they are walking with. Really, is it more than common sense to get the fuck out of the road.

At least that is what I was taught growing up. This IMHO, is the result of a government protecting people from themselves. But in reality, if you are ignorant enough, which way too many people are, you will find some way to hurt or kill yourself.

I guess I am just appalled by the lack of awareness by so many people. So in final thoughts:

unless you are running on 2 or more tires, more your ass OUT of the road.
Wake up and pay attention to the world around you. Maybe there is actually something productive you could offer, instead of just taking up space and pissing everyone else off by getting in the way.

Enough rambling. It is 20* outside and snowing so off I go for a nice drive.

Adverture in Eagles territory...

mknutson — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:11:04 GMT

I created a blog the other day, http://blincmagazine.com/forum/blogs...adventure.html, this talked about my adventure to Philly to See Metallica o January 17th, 2009.

I got to the ALoft Sheridan Hotel at the PHL Airport, and 1st off, BOOK your Philly trip there! It was awesome!

I spent a good deal of Saturday working on a Java class I teach, and the rest of my time trying to secure tickets to the show. I did not find any. But I did find 2 guys getting a cab that I shared or $10 to the show. Then the 1st ticket guy I saw, said he had section 112 (almost center), but might be row 20+. So I said let me see the seats. He ran to get the single ticket, and returned with 112 row 9...... FUCK YES! Center row 9. Each PYRO explosions was burning my face. Seriously!

I can tell you after seeing Metallica in 1985 for Ride the lightening, then And Justice for All, then Black Album twice..... They keep getting better!

Aside from the 1.75 hour wait outside in 19 degree weather for the cab, everything was EPIC!

ps, I was in AWE of James, bringing his daughter out on stage half-way for the entire arena to sing "Happy Birthday". It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe how cold I am...

mknutson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:02:18 GMT

OK, so I woke this morning, and it was -22 degrees with windchill. ARE YOU KIDDING????

And Pittsburgh did not get the worst of it. I hear it gets worse by -10 to -40 degrees below.

I step out the house this morning to warm up the car. At first, seems like no big deal. Then as I am running around the car scraping ice off, the burning sting sets in.

I run back inside for shelter. saved.....

right.

Next time, I get all my warm gear back on, then my headphones to give me a break for the freezing silence of 6:00 am. When I finally get into the car and close the door, after about 15-20 seconds, I see my headphone cables are stiff as a board. WHAT? They will not go under the seat belt. You have got to be kidding!

I drive to work and feel numb the entire 20 minute drive and the car never gets above (C) Cold. Then I have a good 100 yard walk to get into the building. The first thing I notice is the burning smell of cold air, along with the blinding wind of "Go Back Home Now"!

While thinking of writing this, many thing went through my mind. But the most prominent was thinking "How on earth, could our fore fathers, 100-300 years ago carry on life, and several wars in these conditions."? If they had to go through anything close to this, i am in AWE!

But I also can't help but wonder how the people that have lived here their whole lives just don't mind such a climate.

Attached Images

a Metallica Adventure

mknutson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:46:38 GMT

I have been an Metallica fan since 1985 when a band mate, taught me 'Seek and Destroy' that I never heard before then. The same year I saw Metallica for the 'Ride the lightening' tour in Houston Texas. This was my 3rd or fourth concert ever. Iron Maiden was my first concert btw... :-O

My wife is a commercial pilot, so I get to fly for next to free anywhere, anytime. This come in handy when I am traveling for work, but until now, have never used it for any strange adventures.... (i know, I know....)

OK, so I woke up this morning in Pittsburgh PA and it was -22 with windchill. WTF! Not only am I away from home, I am freaking out about the cold. Michelle is also not able to get time off to rendezvous with me in SF as she is working in Honolulu. (yes, I know, I know....).

So I start Googling during my work day, and HEY! I have a weekend stuck in PA with -22 degree weather, and Metallica is Playing a SOLD OUT show in Philledelphia PA.

I immediately start looking into the situation.

I find there are many scalped tickets out there.

I say, what-the-hell!!!!!
I go to priceline.com and get a threee star hotel @ the airport for $50. Shuttle from airport to Wachovia Center is $12 and the concert ticket.... Well, not sure yet.

But never the less, I am running on a shoe-string to take a one day flight to Philly just to see and band, and what ever else happens.

* ps, i already have prospect on a Burning Man Party in NYC the same night that I am thinking og flying to after Metallica #-)

I guess nothing could be funer than truely living out of a backpack to just see the moment.

American cars in the future...

mknutson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:05:32 GMT

So I am watching CNBC about an interview with the CEO of GM. They talk about "It is not easy to restructure a company that has been around for 100 years, in just 10 years".... Are you F***ing kidding me? Seriously!

I have been in the IT industry for 19 years and have restructured at least 5 times in that term.

Look at Trump, Virgin Airlines, Bank of America.

I am so fed-up with million dollar CEO's talking shit about how "I can change, I can change!"... Wait a minute, That is the Saddam Hussein 'i can change' theme proposing to FUCK Satan.....

Now I am hearing in the series, that the "Camero" is white night for GM that will single handedly is going to save GM.

Did I just hear a hipocritical blunder of total studidity abou the world we had today?

I feel like saddened that I live in a country that supports complete glutany to empower companies like Enron, GM, Chevy, IndyMac... I will stop, as this BloG does not need to be that drawn out.

Steelers fans..

mknutson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:13:42 GMT

I saw a quote many years back comparing the homosexual community in San Francisco to the Obsessive Steelers fans of Pittsburgh.

The quote was "Steelers fans can be compared to a heterosexual San Francisco.".

Today, on the 'United Way' Friday, I had a glimpse. I noticed that one in ten persons wore a Steelers shirt for their casual Friday dress. Now out of about 3,500 employees, that was quite proponent.

I just thought it was un-mistakable, the overwhelming dedication to the home town sport team that I have never encountered in my life.

Stairs or elevator?

mknutson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:08:58 GMT

I have been living in SF since 1990. I just recently moved to Pittsburgh PA for a 6-month contract.

The first thing I noticed was, in general, a tendency to be lazy by most people. The most prominent example was the reason for this post in the first place.

I work at a 3 story building. There is a large lobby and there are stairs in the center of the lobby. Quick obtrusive actually. I have to walk another 10 steps to get to the elevator to get up to another level. I work on the 2nd level. Now I am just dumbfounded by all the obese persons that will not walk 1 flight of stairs. Then I hear them in the hallway complaining about how their medical coverage did not help their bla, bla, bla issue.

I mean really! Why are so many people so lazy?

I bet they would loose more weight taking the stairs than on Jenny Craig.

The beginning of my ramble

mknutson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:30:34 GMT

So I have been contemplating the start of a personal BLOG for some time now. I have finally decided that I have to much pent-up anger, emotion and controversy to keep this to myself.

So what better forum to post my thoughts than BLiNC Magazine...?

I mean really. All we stand for is indifference! Right?

The real reason I want to blog here is just to be able to vent my viewpoints about life that happens.

Finding new friends to jump with...Part 2

mknutson — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:58:51 GMT

Finding new friends to jump with...Part 2

The forum was running for almost a year and I started noticing that people where joining from all over the country. They where meeting here on BLiNC, contacting each other then would start traveling to jump in more and more locations. I thought this was a great use of BLiNC.

Then one week I got sent from SF to Indianapolis for a 2 week project. So i thought I would put my first post about travelling on BLiNC on the Tuesday after I flew in. I got a call about an hour after I posted this. I though HOLY-CRAP! that was fast.

'Some Guy' named Joe W. asked if I was ready to jump? I said, I don't have a rig with me. He said, "that is not what I asked because I have a brand new rig with zero jumps that you can use!".
Hell yes I am ready. So he gave me an address that I had to mapquest (as i did not know my way around Indianapolis) to pick up the rig ahead of time and repack, and to get to the jump site.

I pulled up at the jump site around 10:30pm in an empty parking lot downtown with a large white utility van sitting there. I pulled up and Joe and Bruce jumped out. Joe said "welcome to indy: look up". I was looking at the building we where about to jump.

He told me the 5 minute plan.
Walk in
get in elevator
ditch into access door next to elevator exit.
gear up in stair well
open door
GET THE HELL OFF!
Get away!
Sounds easy, but could never be 5 minutes... Ya right! (pretty close)

We walked in, staight to the elevators, up to the top floor. When we got out, the host was at her post, so we ditched into the bathroom just next to the elevator.
We waited for maybe 2 minutes. Then joe said "lets walk out, if she is gone, ditch into the stair well across from this bathroom."

So we walked out, the lady wass gone, we go toward the door, and the waiter door just next to it opened!!!! HOLY #%%$^!
LUCKY: THe waiter was full of plates, walked the other direction, and we where in the stair well for the roof access!

Now we had to quickly gear up before we opened the door as there was an alarm on the room door. So we geared up fast! Then, Joe said "on the count of 3, i am going to open the door, the turn right. The edge is 10 feet way. Get on the edge and we need to get off here BAM, BAM, BAM!".

3, 2, 1.... open, We get out, Me in the middle, then Bruce to my right, joe to my left. This is all of about 10 total minutes after leaving the van. I was way amped up! Joe said to me "your our guest here, you go first...". I was so amped, I said %#&$* that! its your building, You go first. (gotta laugh now).

So Bruce pulls a short delay off, then after about 6-10 seconds later, I was up.... I knew we where is a serious time crunch, so I said what the hell. Got off, into a great position, but only took about a 2 second delay which was enough for me then.

Great on-heading opening. I went up to grab my toggles (looking a bit behind me) and whoosh-BAM......! #&&$%@ Joe delays past me with a least a solid 4, opens and lands almost even with Bruce.

Get to the ground, get picked up, and we where off without anyone else knowing...

I was a true believer of meeting new friends on BLiNC.

Joe has been one of the best friends in my life, and was even my Best Man at my wedding.

part1:
http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/blogs/mknutson/how-all-began-part-1-2/

How it all began....Part 1

mknutson — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:44:04 GMT

The question keeps coming up "How did BLiNC" start?

Well, this is quite a long story, so I will BBLoG this in phases....

A long, long time ago (1994)....

I had been trying to use my new found Internet programming knowledge on a real world application, not just a well formatted resume. Up to that point, there was very little in world of the Internet. And prior to that, I was a distributed control system developer (DCS) in refineries in Houston Texas, then in LA, and SF.

At this point I had been BASE Jumping for 2 years under the wing of Adam P. of Consolidated Rigging.

In the Spring of 1994, I kept hearing about "Bridge Day" and how I could finally get to jump with other people and start to really share some knowledge about the sport. But then I started thinking, I want to be able to get more out of the sport more often that just Bridge Day once a year.

The light bulb went off! I could create a way to talk to other similar to nntp news readers and IRC chat. I started hacking on such a way to do this. Obviously it was just me for about a month while I was hacking away. Then on a nightly base expedition, I ran into Harry Parker and Dennis McGlenn. I was excited about the potential prospect, and told them about it. The loved the idea and wanted to see more. So I spent a great deal of my time that Spring and Summer hacking away at it. Back then, Google did not exist. So I had to call and email people to ask them to come check out the page.

I was actually surprised at the speed in which I started getting more and more hits and posts. I say it honestly started in July 1994 because that was about the time I started calling and really announcing this page.

Notice I never called it the base board yet....

Well, I found putting in 40-50 hours per week after my regular full-time job was just too much for the momentum I think I needed. Luckily, the same time I was hacking away, so way another Net guy creating WWWBoard! Perfect!

I could just kick start my forum there. So I implemented it. But it FORCED me to create a variable with a forum "Title". I could not leave this thing blank...... What to call it.....???? The default was "The WWWBoard".

I was impatient, and wanted to get to the real work! So I called it "The BASE Board".

So the name begins.....

Part 2...

Welcome to the new BLiNC Magazine BBLOG System

mknutson — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:15:33 GMT

I decided to go ahead and get the Blog plug-in for the forum. I have been going back-and-forth on it, but decided to do it.

I also plan to give a few select publishers their own Blog. In addition to that, the moderators will have a Blog.

I then plan to only allow BLiNC supporters to have a Blog, not just anyone. This is for 2 reasons.
BLiNC costs considerable time and money. So I would like to foster a sense of community involvement and help. It will be appreciated.
SPAM! If I allow just anyone to have a Blog, the Spam will quickly and easily get overrun with spam. Not a good idea.
I hope everyone likes the new forum, new BBlog, and new server!