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F-15 Takeoff Recording FAIL!

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I knew the F-15 Eagles would be moving fast during takeoff, but they were WAY fast. Check out my movie fail while recording the takeoff.

Yes, it’s blurry, and I couldn’t even pan the camera fast enough to keep up with the jet. FAIL!!

The Human Side of Fighter Pilots

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Fighter jet pilots? I only know of them from the movies. Maverick, Ice Man, Goose, Jester, Merlin, Viper – the all stars from Top Gun is my sole exposure to the world of fighter jet pilots, but thanks to Pacific Air Forces and the Hawaii Air National Guard, I got to meet real-life fighter pilots as they flew the last training mission for F-15 Eagles in Hawaii. More importantly, this was the last sortie for two longtime pilots, Lt. Col Mark Ladtkow and Lt. Col. James Sage, call signs “Odie” and “Saw.”

After our mission indoctrination, our group of traditional and social media followed Saw and Odie for their “fini” flights.
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Under the covered canopies, each pilot performs his own inspection before takeoff.
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Odie takes one last look at his Eagle.
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After a few minutes taxiing to the runway, one F-22 Raptor and two F-15 Eagles took flight.
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Here’s video of the F-15s taking off (I missed the launch of the opposing F-22 Raptor).

Along with the media coverage, family and close friends of Odie and Saw were present to celebrate their accomplishments and congratulate them on their near 40 years of service defending our nation’s skies. After all, these fighter pilots are people too.

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Sure, the movie stereotype of fighter pilots may be one of ego-driven jocks, but through this experience, I now know better. Odie and Saw remained humble and honored to fly the F-15s, but I have a suspicion these pilots could best Maverick, Ice Man, Goose, Jester, Merlin, and Viper when needed.

An hour later, the training mission was compete, and the jets touched down.
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I was moved by this silent moment as Odie thanked his mechanized eagle.
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And about the Air Force tradition of a “fini” flight – Pilots are hosed down by awaiting fire trucks and crew members.
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Then it was time for camaraderie and sharing the aloha spirit.
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Followed by interviews.
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I didn’t know what to expect upon invitation to this event, but I have to commend PACAF and other local DoD organization’s adoption of social media. Through these interludes, I’ve learned so much, got to dispel misconceptions of our Armed Forces, and just for a moment, witnessed the human side of fighter pilots.

Thanks to Pacific Air Forces and Pacific Command for this experience! And congratulations to Odie and Saw for serving our nation.

More pictures from the F-15 Final Training Mission.

ProBlogger’s Post About Free WordPress Plugins

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Over on the popular ProBlogger blog, there’s a post asking readers what their favorite (free) WordPress plugins are. It’s interesting to see what are the popular ones. Some new ones for me include Broken Link Checker and CommentLuv.

Sadly Broken Link Checker isn’t cooperating with my install of WP 3.0.1, giving me database errors. I’ve seen CommentLuv as an add-on to Intense Debate, but since I’ve moved to Disqus, CommentLuv no longer seems like an option.

What would be my top 5 free WordPress plugins?

  1. WP Super Cache. Just a little tricky to set up, but absolutely necessary to maintain a smooth operation and reduce WP resources.
  2. WPtouch iPhone Theme. Easily “mobilize” your blog.
  3. Similar Posts. Helps readers find related content.
  4. Advertising Manager. To easier manage, ads and their placement.
  5. YOURLS. Because it’s fun to have your own custom URL shortener!

I consider Akismet and Google XML Sitemaps as core essential plugins, and therefore, exempt from this list. 😉

Starbucks “Secret” Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Pumpkin Spice LateStarting tomorrow, Saturday, August 28, 2010, you can secretly order a Starbucks favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This seasonal drink finds it way back to the baristas, but only if you ask for it since it won’t show up on the menu. The Pumpkin Spice is on Starbucks’ secret menu.

Never mind that they blogged about this drink and sent email to a mass distribution list. 😉

“Congratulations! You burned a tremendous amount of calories”

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After running with my Nike+ system, I heard a congratulatory message saying I burned a tremendous amount of calories. What I would have preferred is something like this:

“Congratulations! You burned a tremendous amount of calories. Now go celebrate with an ice cream cone.”

Or maybe from a marketing and partnership standpoint:

“Congratulations! You burned a tremendous amount of calories. Now go celebrate with a treat from one of our many partners.” Then from the Nike+ web site, I could browse various vendors and print out a discount coupon or something.

Or maybe even:

“Congratulations! You burned a tremendous amount of calories. Now go check in with one of our partners and celebrate with a treat.” If Nike were partnered with a geolocation service like Foursquare or Gowalla, a check-in at a Nike+ partner location would give you immediate specials at that location.

Just a thought anyways but for now, I’ll take the virtual pat on the back.

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