Life
The Epic Search Goes to Disneyland
The final leg in the search for epic took us to the happiest place on Earth aka Disneyland! If epic were to be found, it would be here. And yes, Ridermakerz is a $$$-maker. Someone really did release the kraken at the Disneyland Hotel pool (not one of us). During the daily night fireworks show, we were stuck on a boat in Storyland. What awesome unobstructed views of the show! The new World of Color show is a must see.
View the vacation pictures from Disneyland and California Adventure below.
Enraptured by the F-22 Arrival
On Friday, July 9, 2010, Hawaii welcomed the permanent arrival of its first F-22 fighter jets. The F-22 Raptors are significant assets to protect the strategic triangle of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and their new home, Pacific Air Forces, held an arrival ceremony opened to dignitaries, guests, media, and for the first time, social media enthusiasts. This ceremony did not disappoint, enrapturing the five senses of sight, taste, smell, hearing, and touch.
Sight
The F-22 arrival ceremony was a stunningly visual collage backdropped by the decorated Hickam airfield, painted with streaks of the jets making their airborne introductions, adorned with a traditional Hawaiian hula, and accented by the many faces of family and friends.
Taste
There was no doubt of the palatable anticipation of the Raptors’ arrival, and when the jets roared through the blue sky, you had to savor moment.
Smell
The subtle scents of the morning cannot be forgotten. The day started with the distinct smell of fresh rain gently falling on our Aloha State. Then later, the acridity of jet fuel and exhaust permeated the air as the duo of F-22s approached the crowds.
Hearing
The sounds of the ceremony ranged from the Air Force band playing familiar classics to the Hawaiian chant of Robert Cazimero to the whine of supercruise-capable, turbofan engines…
… to the spoken accolades of the Raptors’ significance.
a force multiplier… exponential leap in force… envy of the world… unsurpassed capability throughout the Pacific… aim high everyday for freedom.
Touch(ed)
And lastly, the sense of touch and being touched. The ceremony allowed for close proximity to these $140-million planes and handshakes with distinguished visitors and government leaders. Emotionally touching was the patriotism and pride displayed by the Airmen in attendance.
And what a fitting touch paying homage to Hawaii with F-22 pilot and Commander of the Air Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron, Lt Col Christopher Faurot, a graduate of local Damien Memorial School and F-22 crew chief, Staff Sgt Ben Nitta, a graduate from Mililani High School.
Thank you to PACAF, the U.S. Air Force, and Pacific Command for this experience.
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The Epic Voyage to Land’s End
The final Mexican stop in the search for epic took us to Land’s End in Cabo San Lucas. The best port offering scenic views of rock formations, beaches, hotels and resorts, water sports, and glass blowing. Bummed we couldn’t spend more time here, but the search for epic continued on.
See the pictures from the Land’s End…
Epic Scenery at Sea
Although yesterday was an epic day, the scenery at sea while on the search for epic was remarkable. Who knew the sky and ocean were so photogenic?
Waking up in the morning with a cup of coffee, doing some reading on the balcony with these views – what a way to start the day!
Searching in Mazatlan, Mexico
The search for epic traveled to Mazatlan, Mexico with a beautiful church, cliff divers, and a spectacular show with local performers. Then some sunset shopping at the local mall.
Though impressive, cliff diving is more like “ledge” diving, the town seriously shutdown when Mexico played in the World Cup, and yes, we paid $6 for a cab to take us across the street to Walmart.
Can Power Supplies Get Tired?
That’s the question I’m wondering as I’m dealing yet again with wonkiness with an external hard drive. I’ve had a history of bad experiences with Western Digital drives, so after my last mishap, I went with a Maxtor (now under Seagate). This One Touch 4 had been doing good until recently.
A simple unplug and replug fixed the drive the first time. This time it lost the entire partition (and data). Failed drive? Not so fast. Using another Maxtor power supply, the drive started working normally again. Good thing for a drawer of old parts!
So what’s the deal? Do power supplies get tired after awhile and stop providing enough juice?
And if you’re wondering the APD WA-24C12U is compatible with the Sunny SYS1308-2412-W2, both outputting 12V, 2A.
What’s Your Backup Plan asks Big Boi
This morning my Awaken-powered alarm clock started blaring Back Up Plan from Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty. This timely start of the day had me wondering about my backup plan for my data.
Here’s what my backup plan currently includes (of course, things change).
Mac OS X Time Machine. This built-in Mac OS feature has saved my bacon on occasion and even though my current Time Machine drive lost its mind temporarily, it’s rebuilding and backing up gigs of stuff.
Backblaze. Speaking of gigs of stuff, how long does it take to back up gigs of stuff online? I’m not sure, but I still got Backblaze blazing away. There’s about 200 gigs to go…Â Have you signed up?
VaultPress. This is my most recent addition to my backup plan. How do you keep your words (and everything else) on WordPress safe and protected? You store them in a vault, a VaultPress. Since I got a Golden Ticket, I figured I’d try this service in its startup stages.
So if Big Boi asks, my backup plan is Time Machine, Backblaze, and VaultPress!
My Social Media Fortune Divined by a Pepsi Cap
Did you know that Pepsi caps can tell your social media fortune? Last time, my Pepsi cap told me I was a social media giants.
So what does the wise Pepsi cap say about my social media status today?
Hmmm, not good. Seemingly, the uncanny powers of Pepsi are telling me that all my recent social media efforts are as bland and plain as a white sox. I need to step up my game!