Mount Baker, originally uploaded by bisonium.

One of my latest pics from last weekend’s SAREX (Search and Rescue Exercise) with the Civil Air Patrol. The entire set can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bisonium/sets/72157623745697876/

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A couple of housekeeping notes…make sure to update your RSS Feeds if you aren’t seeing them.  I’ve republished the feed to feedburner but if you were using anything other than that, you might want to check your feed settings or re-subscribe via the link at the top.  If you are having any issues or see anything wonky, please leave a comment and I’ll be sure to check it out.  Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging…that is all.  :)

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Mr. Poirot can be contacted at 972-360-2528
http://www.motel6.com/about/accor_profile.aspx

Olivier Poirot – CEO
Jim Amorosia – President and COO

Lets let Motel 6 know that this behavior simply will not be tolerated. Kunle (referenced below) is the manager in this incident and “Singh” was the employee that chose to represent Motel 6 so poorly that evening.  

Motel 6 Guest Service
497 Quince Orchard Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

“Kunle”   (I wasn’t sure how to address you as this is the only name I was given and didn’t know if it is your first or last name),

I was a customer on the night of February 6, 2010. As you may recall that was the weekend we had a terrible blizzard in the area. I was thankful to find a room as the power had been out at my house since 7:00 that morning. My husband and I have two small children and one had been sick with a fever all day in our powerless, cold house. At around 7:00 PM I was coming back from having to walk to the grocery store that is about a block from the hotel. I stopped in the registration area and asked the desk clerk, Singh, if he could please heat a cup of water in the microwave for me. My two-year-old daughter had a fever of 105.6 and I was trying to heat up a cup of macaroni and cheese for her to try and get her to eat something. Earlier I had noticed an employee break room right next to the registration desk that had a microwave on the counter. He refused and said he could not do it. He said if I told people that he did that for me he would have to do it for everyone. I said I would understand his reasoning if the registration area was filled with customers, but I was the only person there. After a very hard day I was very emotional and started to cry. I begged him to please heat up the water for me so I could feed my sick child. He again refused saying he could not make an exception. He then suggested I walk over to the gas station and ask them. After walking through the snow to the grocery store, I was too cold and exhausted to go anymore. I left the office very upset. I had reserved our room for two nights, but after being treated that way we checked out the next day and will never stay at a Motel 6 or any chain affiliated with it again.

I know that rules and policies exist and are meant to be followed. What I do not understand is how an employee of a company that boasts hospitality could be so cruel and cold-hearted during an extreme circumstance (our governor had even established a state of emergency for our area!). I was not asking for an extreme gesture, just to heat a cup of water in the microwave. I understand that Singh was probably very stressed as well with the phone ringing off the hook, but what I asked would have required only minimal effort on his part.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the corporate office of Motel 6 in hopes that something can be done to prevent this happening to another customer. I also have a suggestion for a change in your logo.

“We’ll keep the light on for you, but don’t even THINK about asking to use our microwave!”

Regretfully yours,

Joleen Johnson
North Potomac, MD

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If you are serious about becoming the best pilot you can be, you won’t want to miss these gems produced by Fly Right Films. I recently discovered these guys via Facebook and saw the trailers posted on their site. I was sold the instant I saw them. I just finished watching Volume 1: Attitude Flying and Volume 2: Decision Making, and I can say that I am really impressed with the quality of these videos.

Unlike most other training videos you’ll find elsewhere in aviation, these videos keep you engaged the entire time and don’t make you feel like you are sitting through yet another boring training video. Fly Right Films calls it “entertrainment” and I have to agree. These films are entertaining as well as informative. Having Dick Rutan teaching you definitely doesn’t hurt either. Dick has a way of telling stories that just keep you on the edge of your seat and you can literally envision yourself sitting there with him as he tells wicked tales of his adventures in aviation.

A number of factors contribute to the magical formula that I believe makes these films unlike any other on the market. First, let me start by making sure you understand that these are NOT films that will substitute any traditional training curriculum that you will find in your typical flight training. I would consider these supplemental films to your primary training and they are great refreshers for any pilot at any level in their flying career. What Fly Right Films has done is combine pertinent topics in aviation safety with an incredible legend in aviation and story-teller extraordinaire, Dick Rutan. They also bring other leading experts in their field that explain in great detail (but in a way we can all understand) the science behind some of the human factors and physiological aspects of how your body interprets external influences that are being exerted on your body during flight. Combine this with brilliant cinematography, a superb original soundtrack and the use of the best and most advanced aircraft and technology in general aviation and you have a winning combination.

Both videos are filmed in various and visually inspiring locations such as Alaska, Minnesota and California and are flown in Cirrus Aircraft (both the SR-20 and SR-22). The SR-20 has the Forward Vision EVS-100 (manufactured by Max-Vis) aftermarket add-on and the SR-22 is equipped with the factory version of the EVS-100 from Cirrus via the Perspective avionics package powered by Garmin. Although the topics covered in these videos applies to ANY aircraft you will fly, it was a nice touch to include the use of the best general aviation has to offer today and gives a nice modern feel to the films.

Fly Right Films proclaims The Aviator Series a “Masters Program For Serious Pilots.” I only have one gripe at the moment…I WANT MORE! I am looking forward to future releases of The Aviator Series films and would highly recommend them to any pilot serious about their flying. For those of you aviators in the Civil Air Patrol, having your aircrews sit through one of these films should easily count as a safety briefing for the month. Below are the trailers for the current films for your viewing pleasure. Happy flying!

Volume One: Attitude Flying With Dick Rutan

Volume Two: Decision Making With Dick Rutan

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These digital charts are the same as your typical FAA/NACO charts but insanely more manageable. What Sky Sectionals has done for us is provide the conventional grid overlay we use (15′x15′) further subdivided into 7.5′ grids (A,B,C,D). The grids are easily identified with semi-transparent lines and don’t obscure key critical information on the chart. This is simply a Godsend to Search and Rescue Pilots and Aircrew. Now you can carry current and updated GRIDDED charts with you at ALL times. I still see some guys flying around with charts that are 10 years old because they don’t want to grid a new one (granted they have current paper charts, but still…), all that is in the past! There’s simply no excuse for not having up to date gridded charts anymore.

Other nice things about these charts are that they are perfect for folding up and putting them in your kneeboard. Just get your grid assignment ahead of time and print them out before you head out to fly your missions. I’ve gone the extra mile and printed out the entire Seattle Sectional, TAC and VFR Flyway and laminated each page. I carry them all in one giant spiral bound stack so that if we get reassigned to an unexpected grid, I’ve always got them with me. The laminated surface works great with a dry-erase marker as well for adding notes and outlining your grid.

If you’re jumping up and down like I was to hear about this new product, you can get a full tour by heading over to: http://www.capcharts.com/tour

The Sky Sectionals team has even provided a full video tour of the sectionals:

Last but not least, if you aren’t already convinced you need to go order these charts, a portion of the proceeds of every CAP Chart they sell is donated to the Civil Air Patrol Foundation. You can make your life easier and contribute further to a great cause all in one! It’s great to see a company that has taken the time to address the needs of an organization like the Civil Air Patrol and we should definitely make every effort possible to support them. Happy flying!

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There aren’t very many times where you can get in on the ground floor of something and have a shot at really putting out something huge on a platform. The iPhone proved that anyone can make an app that sells well and launches a new career for someone. Now we’ve done the same at Amazon for the Kindle. Make sure to sign up now to get notified when we officially release the Kindle Developer Kit next month! The full PR can be found here.

KDK Limited Beta Coming Next Month

Submit your e-mail address to get notified when the limited beta starts next month. Participants in the limited beta will be able to download the Kindle Development Kit, access developer support, test content on Kindle, and submit finished content. Those wait-listed will be invited to participate at a later date as space becomes available. The Kindle Development Kit includes sample code, documentation, and the Kindle Simulator, which helps developers build and test their content by simulating the 6-inch Kindle and 9.7-inch Kindle DX on Mac, PC, and Linux desktops. We are excited to see what you invent for Kindle.

User revenue will be split 70% to the developer and 30% to Amazon net of delivery fees of $0.15 / MB. Remember that unlike smart phones, the Kindle user does not pay a monthly wireless fee or enter into an annual wireless contract. Kindle active content must be priced to cover the costs of downloads and on-going usage.

Pricing Options

Active content will be available to customers in the Kindle Store later this year. Your active content can be priced three ways:

• Free – Active content applications that are smaller than 1MB and use less than 100KB/user/month of wireless data may be offered at no charge to customers. Amazon will pay the wireless costs associated with delivery and maintenance.
• One-time Purchase – Customers will be charged once when purchasing active content. Content must have nominal (less than 100KB/user/month) ongoing wireless usage.
• Monthly Subscription – Customers will be charged once per month for active content.

Active content applications have an upper size limit of 100MB. Applications larger than 10MB will not be delivered wirelessly but can be downloaded from the Kindle Store to a computer and transferred to the user’s Kindle via USB.

Developer Guidelines

Voice over IP functionality, advertising, offensive materials, collection of customer information without express customer knowledge and consent, or usage of the Amazon or Kindle brand in any way are not allowed. In addition, active content must meet all Amazon technical requirements, not be a generic reader, and not contain malicious code.

We will work to refine the above guidelines throughout the beta.

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If you would like to show your support, it only takes a check for $4 (made out to GSWW (Girl Scouts of Western Washington)) to do so. Contact me @ [ cookies (at) bisonium.com ] for the address of where to send the check. Thanks for supporting our troops!

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Assembly Bill 132 requires that employers with more than 11 permanent employees grant a leave of absence without pay for not more than five consecutive days or 15 days total to employees serving in an emergency service operation of the Civil Air Patrol. The bill also prevents employment discrimination based on participation in the Civil Air Patrol. Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Huebsch and Murtha, and Senators Kapanke and Vinehout for their work on the bill. I am thrilled to see so many states now jumping on the bandwagon to protect CAP members with the same rights afforded to our military reservists and National Guardsmen. CAP plays a vital role in our nations disaster preparedness and as a supporting role to the United States Air Force. I only hope every state in the nation adopts a similar policy.

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Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter’s Civil Air Patrol Employment Protection Act – Assembly Bill 485 – was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11. The measure assures that members of the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol in the state of California will have employment protection after returning to their jobs from an authorized emergency mission.

AB 485 establishes a right to employment leave (up to 10 days a year) for members of the California Wing of CAP, which is an official Civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The protection applies only when members are called up for an emergency by the U.S. Air Force, the California Emergency Management Agency or any subdivision of the state with the authority to declare an emergency.

Emergency operational missions are those that involve the saving or protection of life and property. “To perform search and rescue flights for several days and find out you’ve lost your job is devastating to a volunteer whose main purpose is to save lives,” Assemblymember Carter said. “Until my bill was signed into law, CAP members only had the job protection rights given to them by their employers,” she added. “Fortunately, employers have generally been supportive of the Civil Air Patrol.”

“This bill enables us to respond emergencies that will help save lives and properties without this threat of losing our employment if we do so,” said Lt. Col. Carl Morrison, co-chair of the California Wing’s Legislative Committee, which is the principal sponsor of the measure. Similar legislation has passed in nine states. “We’re very very pleased that Assemblywoman Carter has been willing to author this bill.”

Assemblymember Carter said, “Their payment, for a CAP volunteer, is in the personal reward of contributing countless hours of non-compensated time. But the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol can’t be a consistent resource, unless they are fully supported for their patriotic service.”

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Every now and then you come across something and wonder “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?” I just recently stumbled across a company called Sky Sectionals thanks to a buddy in Civil Air Patrol. All I can say is that THIS is the way the FAA should be distributing ALL charts these days!!! What a FANTASTIC product!

So for those of you that are not pilots and wondering why I’m ranting and raving about these guys, here’s a little background. Aviation charts are typically these huge folded paper charts that are an insane nuisance and in my opinion a safety hazard in the cockpit. Sadly these are the FAA approved navigation charts and outside of products like Jepp charts (expensive), we don’t have many options. To make matters worse, these charts are updated frequently and you end up having to buy them at least a couple times a year. Multiply that by the various number of charts we have to carry and this gets expensive and completely unruly in the cockpit.

In steps Sky Sectionals and puts technology to work for us. They take those very charts and have created digital versions that are distributed electronically. They are updated on the same schedule as the FAA certified NACO charts and they have even created a simple way to navigate the sectionals. You can print out an entire sectional or just the parts you need for your route of flight. I should point out that these are NOT approved by the FAA as your sole means of information so you should be cross referencing them with the certified FAA charts, but these are an absolute must in the cockpit in my opinion. They make managing your workload as a pilot a heck of a lot easier when in VFR flight.

For those of us who fly Search and Rescue, cockpit management becomes even more critical as we need to know precisely what grid we are in and searching. We need to manage flying the aircraft and looking out the window making sure we don’t hit anything (especially here in WA where we fly low and slow through the mountains). Having these Sky Sectionals printed, laminated and spiral bound are the way to go. One drawback for us CAP pilots is having to take those paper charts and manually draw our search grids on them. It’s super time-intensive and not always pretty or perfectly accurate. Again, in steps Sky Sectionals and gives us a lending hand by providing CAP pilots with gridded sectionals. Here’s an example of a gridded sectional in the Seattle area:

If you are looking for a way to manage that workload in the cockpit and keep your charts handy and useful, give these guys a try! They have sectional and TAC charts covering the lower 48. For CAP gridded sectionals, contact them directly for the link to your area. Make sure you follow them on Twitter for updated news and coupon codes!

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Here’s a quick update from our founder, Jeff Bezos. The links in the letter below may not work, but you can get all the info by going to the Kindle page on Amazon.com

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Ok, for all of you photo geeks out there, this one is for you. Sadly, as an employee at Amazon.com, I can’t participate, but YOU can! Here’s your shot at winning one heck of a grab-bag of goodies and a trip to Yellowstone National Park.

From November 9 through 15, just create, add to, or share a Wish List, and you’ll be invited to enter for a chance to win our Yellowstone Photo Expedition with Canon Sweepstakes. Read more in the FAQ. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See official rules.

		1. Yellowstone Photo Expedition with Canon We’ll fly you and a guest to Yellowstone National Park where you’ll stay two nights at Old Faithful Lodge. Your days will be spent in a private lesson at the elbow of Adam Jones, a leading photographer and instructor in Canon’s “Explorers of Light” program.
		2. Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Of course you’ll need a camera that will capture every moment. This digital SLR features an impressive new viewfinder and plenty of extras.
		3. Canon 200DG Digital Camera Gadget Bag Protect and carry your gear like a professional with this spacious, water-repellent bag.
		4. Canon Deluxe 200 Tripod Stillness is one of a photographer’s best friends. This lightweight tripod with multiple adjustments will help you stay focused.
		5. Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash This amazingly responsive flash unit will help keep your subjects out of the shadows.
		6. Canon Wide-Angle Zoom Lens Plenty of breathtaking vistas await you. Get the expansive landscape in frame with this wide-angle lens.
		7. Canon Telephoto Zoom Lenses Creeping up on wildlife is against park rules. Keep your distance but feel just like you’re there with a pair of telephoto lenses.
		8. Canon Macro Lens Transfixed by the intricate underside of a fern? This macro lens will keep the memory alive.
		9. Canon Lens Hoods You’ll see a dramatic difference when you’re in control of your lighting. These lens hoods will help you master Mother Nature.
		10. Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park From Old Faithful to the Yellowstone caldera, you’ll be able to find all the best spots for shooting in one of the country’s most popular National Parks with this guidebook.

more details after the jump…Good luck!!!

Official Rules for Amazon Wish List 10th Anniversary Sweepstakes: Week 6

• Round trip coach class air transportation for 2 to Bozeman, MT departing from the major airport nearest to Grand Prize winner’s home
• 2 nights’ standard hotel accommodations (double occupancy) at the Old Faithful Lodge
• Rental car for 3 days
• The opportunity to have a private photography lesson with photographer Adam Jones (for 1 person only)
• A Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (body only);
• A Canon 200DG Digital Camera Gadget Bag;
• A Canon Deluxe 200 Tripod;
• A Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash;
• A Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Wide Angle Zoom Lens;
• A Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens;
• A Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens;
• A Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens;
• A Canon EW-78E Lens Hood for a Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens;
• A Canon ET-73 Lens Hood for a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro Lens; and
• Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park, by Janet Chapple.

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So ever since jumping back into the corporate world full time I’ve kind of slacked off and haven’t been doing a whole lot to secure that additional revenue stream and it’s something that has really been bothering me, especially given the recent conditions. I’ve thought about starting up my consulting practice again, but seriously folks…who has the time anymore, especially when I have a full time gig? Thankfully an old buddy got in touch with me on Facebook recently and he happened to remind me of a great opportunity that can bring in some pretty decent revenue or become a full time income if you choose to make it such.

Some of you may or may not have heard of Pre Paid Legal. In short, it’s legal insurance for those times when you simply have a legal question or need an attorney to write a letter on your behalf (and much more). I had a PPL legal plan for over 10 years prior to going to work at Microsoft. When I went to Microsoft, they had their own legal plan so I cancelled PPL and took the MSFT plan. Well, I recently left Microsoft and lost that benefit. In walks my buddy Dave and reminds me of this benefit. What perfect timing! So obviously I went ahead and reinstated my legal coverage and just found out they have a pretty killer Identity Theft Protection plan as well now. That was another one that was simply terrifying me. I can tell you from witnessing what happened to a close friend what having your identity stolen can do to your life. To make a long story short, my buddy, an incredibly talented and high level executive, went through a living hell for over three years trying to clean that mess up and the worst part…nobody would hire him for those sensitive high level positions until that mess was cleared up. This is seriously insane stuff here folks. Thankfully he was able to get it cleaned up (at a great expense) and is now back in full swing. But that’s several years of his life he’ll never get back.

I’ve used Pre Paid Legal in the past for everything from traffic tickets to an issue with the IRS which thanks to PPL, they saved me over $10,000 that the IRS was wrongfully trying to claim. PPL has paid for itself many times over. I can’t recommend the service highly enough.

That brings me to the income side of this. There is an opportunity for anyone to become an independent associate with Pre Paid Legal and not only sell their services (with a nice commission and residuals), but you can sponsor other folks into their own business. Yes, the compensation structure is based on a Multi-Level Marketing structure, but it is NOT anything like the creepy MLM’s that are all over the internet. This is a completely LEGIT business with an incredible amount of clout and endorsements from business journals to all 50 Attorney Generals in the US. You won’t have to go door to door, and you don’t have to buy your laundry detergent, toilet paper and chewing gum from any specific organization.

If you are looking to replace a lost job and work for yourself, this may be a great solution for you. If you just want a little spare cash for doing fun stuff every month, this is also a great way to do that. You get out of it what you put into it. Here’s a short video explaining the business side of things:

Working this is not hard at all and if you know anything about social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) then it’s even easier for you than for those that may not be Internet savvy. if you think this is something you’d be interested in, I’d love to tell you more. You can start by going to my site at: https://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/abisono and view the information or email me from the site. If it’s not your thing, at least now you know what’s out there. Peace out peeps!

Frank

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Well, about a month ago I finally broke down and got a Canon 50D (literally 2 weeks before the 7D came out)…<sigh>. Either way, I don’t regret the purchase. I got a great deal and a free multi-function printer which I desperately needed so I could scan those old slides.   

I’ve had some time to get familiar with the camera and have been getting some fantastic shots lately. This weekend was the Vintage Aircraft Weekend at the Boeing Future of Flight Museum at Paine Field (KPAE) in Everett, WA. I have to say that living in the Pacific NW is absolutely AMAZING. I would have never thought that there was such an aviation rich culture and significant GA presence given the weather and terrain. Boy was I wrong. There are some spectacular aircraft and flight museums throughout the entire Pacific NW. Here’s a couple of shots from this weekend. The top 100 (shot over 1100+ pics) and other sets can be found on my Flickr site.

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A Predator sensor ball is mounted underneath the left wing of this Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182, turning the aircraft into a ‘Surrogate Predator’ suitable for pre-deployment training for Army and Marine forces. Photo courtesy L-3 Communications

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. – With the conversion of a Civil Air Patrol plane into a “Surrogate Predator,” the U.S. Air Force is relying on its auxiliary in a most imaginative way.

“We’re using a manned aircraft to simulate an unmanned aircraft,” said CAP-U.S. Air Force Commander Col. Bill Ward, explaining that a sophisticated “Predator ball” placed under the left wing of a Cessna 182 belonging to CAP will give the plane the capability of mimicking the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, unmanned aircraft that provide real-time data to U.S. warfighters.

The Air Force will use the Surrogate Predator to fill a critical training gap in support of Army and Marine forces as they prepare for deployment. “Due to the Air Force maximum surge effort to provide more MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper support to ground units in CENTCOM, there are no Predator or Reaper forces available to support pre-deployment exercises such as Green Flag, which focuses on air-to-ground operations,” said Maj. Matt Martin, chief of the Predator/Reaper Ops Branch of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va. “The Surrogate Predator is the solution.”

Air Combat Command (ACC), with the support of Joint Forces Command, secured $2.5 million for the Surrogate Predator Program, once it was determined that CAP could provide the needed training with its dedicated patriotic citizen volunteers at a fraction of the cost of the private contractor currently providing the training.

“We’ve seen nothing but enthusiasm and a willingness to help from the Civil Air Patrol, which is why we chose them to do this mission,” said Martin.

With the Predator ball in place, the CAP plane-turned-Surrogate Predator has the capability of locking onto a target and tracking it, said Ward, adding that the ultimate goal is to broadcast streaming video. “This will give our soldiers and Marines a real-time view of what is going on,” he said.

Beginning this month, ACC will provide mission training to selected CAP crews at Fort Polk, La. “ACC experts will train the CAP crews on how to do the mission using the same tactics, techniques and procedures that Predator crews use on combat missions,” said Martin.

“Basically, we will imitate being a Predator,” said Capt. David Lewis, the Louisiana CAP project officer and one of six CAP pilots initially chosen for the program, who described the joint exercises like Green Flag as “the next big thing for CAP in homeland security and the defense of our country.”

Lewis and the other CAP pilots have prior military experience, which is a requirement for the program. The pilots and their aircrews – a cadre of 18 CAP volunteers in all – will be needed, in the program’s initial stages. Many more CAP volunteers will be involved as the program expands in the coming months. The ACC mission training will qualify them to provide air interdiction, close air support and intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance support to ground forces. After a formal certification, these crews will be able to fly realistic Surrogate Predator missions. ACC will closely monitor the program and will use Air Force operators with real-world Predator or Reaper experience to assist.

“This initial cadre will then train the dozens of crews that will be needed to sustain our regular Green Flag support,” said Martin. A second airplane is already being modified to expand the Surrogate Predator Program. Once complete, CAP will be able to provide coverage for both Green Flag East exercises from Fort Polk, La., and Green Flag West exercises from the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., close to where the second Surrogate Predator will be stationed in Las Vegas, Nev.

Green Flag exercises typically involve 11 days of flying, eight hours per day, at least 10 times per year, and “hunter-killer scenarios,” in which the Surrogate Predator starts by surveying targets and providing full-motion video to the brigade combat team. “Once a target is identified by the ground commander as hostile,” Martin said, “the Surrogate Predator will dynamically re-task into the strike role and coordinate with a forward air control to simulate the delivery of precision ordnance onto a target.”

Lewis foresees the potential of the Surrogate Predator for other CAP missions, like search and rescue and emergency services following hurricanes. “In the event of a natural disaster, the aircraft will certainly be made available to NORTHCOM for civil response purposes,” said Martin. “However, due to the expense of the aircraft and the need to keep them available to support joint exercises, we don’t anticipate using them to train for standard CAP missions.”

“Everyone involved is excited,” said Col. John Varljen, vice commander of CAP’s Southwest Region, which includes Louisiana Wing. CAP takes possession of the first Surrogate Predator this weekend. “This is an important mission, a real-world mission,” said Varljen. “It is our contribution to the war effort.”

Homeland security missions are nothing new to CAP, which has played a role in protecting America since its beginning days patrolling the Atlantic Coast for enemy aircraft and chasing German submarines during World War II. With its fleet of 550 aircraft, as well as numerous ground assets, and a force 58,000-strong, CAP is considered a force multiplier at a very attractive cost.

“The Civil Air Patrol is grateful for this new opportunity to aid in the defense of America,” said CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy Courter. “Our members are true patriots, who volunteer to serve and professionally execute their duties with excellence every day. They truly go above and beyond the call of duty in service to this great nation.”

Ward predicts the Surrogate Predator Program will be “a real success story” for Civil Air Patrol. “I think it’s going to highlight CAP more than it already is to the Department of Defense,” he said.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 58,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 91 lives in fiscal year 2008. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 23,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 67 years. For more information on CAP, please visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.

By CAP National Headquarters
Sept. 11 Press Release

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I went ahead and left a review on the B&H site (still hasn’t been posted for some reason) and I also dropped B&H a line via their customer service link on the website. I normally would have just written it off but I was so peeved at how this thing broke so easily that I wanted to let B&H know about it and hopefully prevent someone else from going through this. Well, to my surprise, not only did B&H respond within 8 hours, they (unprompted might I add) went ahead and refunded the price of the item immediately. When the heck has that ever happened? Not anytime I can recall in recent memory.

Although the item wasn’t a huge dollar amount, it showed me that B&H does care about their customers and they will go the extra mile for them. I was already a loyal customer (I have yet to find as good a price from a reputable distributor that doesn’t play the grey market warranty game) but now they have me for life. I know if I buy something at B&H, they are going to stand behind it and that’s a company I can really get behind and be loyal to. THANK YOU B&H, glad to see that some companies still value customer service!

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So if anyone is still subscribed to this thing, you might be wondering if I fell off the face of the planet or something. Well, lets just say life got busy. REAL busy. The last couple of years seem to have literally passed with the blink of an eye. New baby, new house, crazy workload @ MSFT shipping Windows Server 2008 R2, then most recently leaving MSFT and going to work at Amazon.com. Now I’m just starting to get some sort of resemblance of a real life back.

So it looks like I have a bit of work to do to clean up this place and upgrade to the latest software, etc. It’s going to be a bit dusty around here while I get things back in order…but I’m back!

I hope to be posting some tasty stuff here shortly. Mostly focused around a little bit of design, some flying adventures and most definitely lots of photography. I have been shooting with a Canon Powershot Pro 1 point and shoot for the past few years while my pro rig went mostly unused because I refused to go back to film. I finally took the plunge and jumped into a Canon 50D and I’m back to the pro rig using my big glass. For some of the most recent shots, be sure to check out my FlickR site.

If anyone’s still out there, leave a shout-out in the comments!

FB

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Maybe I should have been a Ninja for Halloween this year? 

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I hear people complaining all the time about how we do some stupid things, heck – I’m the first one to bitch about it.  What most people DON’T realize is that for everything that seems like a stupid oversight or decision, the reality is that it was probably done willfully and knowingly.  I’m learning that creating software this complex has a lot of dependencies and relies on a lot of things that quite simply are just sometimes beyond your control.  It’s a game of negotiating and prioritizing.  There are TONS of things that we wish we could do and features that would be way cool to have, but for one reason or another, aren’t possible in a specific release.  It’s just the way it is and I’m learning to have to deal with it.

The positive side of things is that times are changing.  Slowly, but surely.  The culture at Microsoft is VERY Dev driven, but recently there has been a push for more emphasis on design and user experience.  We can thank companies like Apple and others which are leading the way in User Experience and educating customers on the value of “User Experience.”  Microsoft isn’t going to change overnight, but it’s happening.  One thing I can say is that we hear you loud and clear, even when you don’t think we are listening. 

So all that being said, I am going to attempt to AGAIN start blogging more often. I keep saying it but let me tell ya folks, it’s getting hard to do that!    My day typically starts off at 8am and I’m rolling back into the house at 7pm.  There’s just so much stuff to do every day that I can’t imagine how anyone with a job like this can actually blog every day and balance work and family life.  If someone has the secret, please let me know!  It’s looking more an more like what little TV I watch is going to have to go by the wayside.  Meh – who needs TV anyways?   I’m planning to get a new Canon EOS 40D in the next month and finally get out and start shooting around Seattle!  As soon as I get those pics rolling in, I’ll post a link.  For now…back to catching up on my blog reading…

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http://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2007/04/04/what-is-this-thing-we-call-ux.aspx

For any of you who have more questions about User Experience or what it means to be a UX Designer at Microsoft, please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. 

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The world has been zooming along with all sorts of new stuff happening and I barely have time to take it all in.  All sorts of craziness coming out of Apple (octacore Mac Pro – WOW!), new Xbox announcements (the new 360 Elite rocks!), Windows Mobile (v6 is out), just loads of stuff.  One of the cool things I have been able to do since working at Microsoft has been alpha & beta testing a bunch of software (a.k.a. Dogfooding), and getting to play with some way cool technology.  Since the word is out, I can talk about testing the new maps that were just released for Halo 2.  I had a great time playing the maps and met some way cool people in the process.  You might want to go check out the infamous Kari, a.k.a “TheDonWan” at http://kari.loadingreality.com. Bungie test queen by day, Halo goddess by night.  This chick can kick some serious ass on Halo lemme tell you.

There so much going on that it’s hard to recap after a few months, so I’m not even going to try.  What I’ll do is try to start blogging a little more frequently from here on out.  Have a great Easter everyone! 

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We aren’t living in FL anymore…that’s for sure! Being from FL, we aren’t exactly familiar with “winter” so it was a bit of a shock to wake up the other day to what you see above.  Needless to say, we have had “snow days” and been telecommuting for the last two days.  Some people have been nutty enough to drive to the office, but they are far and few between.  Most of us are iced in.  The freeways are in great shape, but we can’t get to them!  Not so bad though…I spent my day working at home, sitting on my couch with this for a view…

Working at home isn’t my favorite thing to do since I can get a lot more done at the office, but with a view like this, it doesn’t seem so bad anymore. So we are finally getting settled into Seattle.  Moving is definitely no easy thing, but it has been soooooo worth it.  Aside from the drag of having to unpack everything now, it’s been the best move I have ever done.  We had over 15,000 pounds of stuff hauled 4,000 miles and only ONE thing broke that we have noticed so far, and that was a little ceramic top to a sugar jar – not exactly tragic.  I have to hand it to Graebel Van Lines, they are damn good.  My driver was Don Jordan, what a nut of a road dog, but that old salt can drive.  I wouldn’t want to move ever again if that guy isn’t hauling my stuff.  I have heard of MANY nightmare stories, but this one is definitely not one of them.  So far every single item has been accounted for and made it in the same condition it left Miami. Rockin I tell you.  Thank you Graebel, thank you Donny!

So now it’s just a matter of getting used to this insane weather Seattle has been getting this year.  From what I am told, this is NOT the norm.  I actually think it’s pretty nice.  I wouldn’t want to deal with the snow for an extended period of time, or deal with the amount of snow a place like Denver gets, but I can deal with this just fine for now.  It’s been clear and sunny the past two days, but it’s cold…damn cold!  We are looking at something like 20 degrees tonight, add the wind chill to that and you definitely don’t want to be putzing around outside if you don’t have to.  We lit up our fireplace upstairs for the first time last night, and tonight we are trying out the wood burning stove downstairs.  I am hoping it will help keep the house warm without the furnace having to work so hard.  It’s actually pretty cool, never had one of these before.  Check it out:

So that’s the latest update peeps.  I know it isn’t anything earth shattering or interesting, but until I can get back into my groove and start getting all techie again, this is the most I can put together.  I have a TON of feeds to read and catch up on with all this CES and Macworld stuff this past week.  That iPhone is just AWESOME!  Wish I could get one, but I have to have Exchange support and be able to get my stuff from work.  So far my new Cingular 8525 has been doing the trick just nicely.  I hope to blog some more about this soon so standby.  Until next time…

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I know it’s a few days late posting this, but it’s just been a rockin start to the new year.  We have finally arrived in Seattle.  After SEVEN long days driving from Florida to Seattle, we arrived on New Years Eve just in time to have dinner, watch the fireworks and go to bed.  We are still in corporate housing waiting on our moving truck to arrive, hopefully this weekend.  Work has been a bit of a slow start, just trying to catch up on emails and getting my mind wrapped around all the stuff I have to deliver in a short amount of time.  There’s definitely no better way to learn the job than to be thrown right into it, and that they have done!   I hope to post a little more often as I finally settle in and get into my groove in my new environment.  Let’s hope 2007 is better than last year…so far we are off to a great start.

* Photo Credit to James Chen on FlickR – Thanks!

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