There’s another one that shows canada (I think) geese surfing a river wave. If you’d like to see it, I’ll post it. Amazing–pretty gnarly wave too. NancyO
Nothing in Afghanistan, or Iraq or Libya or Kosovo, or Korea or Formosa, or the Fulda Gap was worth bankrupting the US over.
http://www.slate.com/id/2296538/pagenum/all/ Karzai is a lost cause. Nothing the US can do will make him or his any more than the naked emperor of Kabul, who cannot go anywhere unguarded. Like Southeast Asia, the US cannot change the culture and impose a regime which is counter the culture. That Afghanistan is a federation of districts and tribes is nothing the US can effect.
Just get out. The US is already broke, and the prognosis does not justify rationing health and imposing increased poverty to the US poor, disabled and aging citizens.
And a Red Chinese bond rating agency (whoodathunkit as well as a German one) says the US floating its currency and not doing austerity is defaulting.
Who are those communists to whine, the republicans would default on trillions more than theirs in gutting SS and medicare?
Franklin County (Columbus) Ohio just spent $110 on a new courthouse.
The opening of the courthouse was delayed because the deputies who staff the building could not get reception on their cell phones, as no one had thought about cell phones, this being the 21st century and all. Hundreds of thousands of rewiring later the building in open.
The artsy-fartsy architect designed the building with opulent glass stairways in the lobby area. This week a notice was given to female employees not to use the stairways while wearing dresses or skirts, because their lingerie will be on display for every male in the building (which reminds me of high school but that was a long time ago).
And of course Franklin County is not exactly rolling in money these days.
Glad to explain, about the F-35. It is one of 100 major defense weapons acquisitions which spend about a third of the DoD/service’s RDT&E, and procurement budgets. The other two thirds go to smaller programs and investments in technology. Those top 100 systems amount to a cumulative $1.6T in expended and planned outlays. There exists a military industrial congress complex (MICC) plan to have about 3300 “front line” fighter aircraft assigned to the Air Force, Navy and Marines, forever despite the fact that the next generation of Sukhoi fighters is on the drawing board and will be produced in small numbers. Today, this artificial number is supplied by F-16’s, F-18’s, and AV 8B Harriers, and a few small distribution airplanes which are getting older. Instead of “recapitalizing” the existing fleet they(always) decided to buy new airplanes with stealth, cutting edge engines and super duper avionics. The science part was supposed to be over in 1999, so they flew off Boeing against Lockheed and in 2001 chose Lockheed to design the airplane in 3 varieties. Ten years later big mistake: The marine version is on 2 years probation, nothing there. It takes off and lands on Amphibious Assault ships making a reason to have these ships too. The Air Force version, most like the F-16 single engine sports model bulked up too heavy and too far behind in meeting its tests. The best thing to say about it is that it flew a lot more tests in the past year, but not enough to say it is worth the Air Force getting a few dozen low rate production models. It is like going through freshman year for the 4th or 5th time, and buying a sport car and class ring for the flunking kid. No flunking this little rich boys’ toy out. Navy version is like the USAF but designed to make a reason for the US to keep the only 11 super carriers in the world floating and steaming using Enrico Fermi’s power plants. It is even behind the Air Force version because it needs a keel and a fish hook to survive landing. Worse with only one P&W high failure engine a lot of them are going to be deep sixed, when the one engine flames out and no airfield in sight. That is why the Navy has twin engine F-18’s instead of a navy version of the F-16. In summary the $44B to get the thing designed was misspent and nothing achieved. Another 400B will be spent buying 2400 of these. Then operating and supporting the things for 20 years or so will be $1,000B dollars. And the US still needs to come up with 900 more front line fighters of the F-22 super expensive twin engine class to have its […]
It is as much or more about the 3300 airplane plan, but…………..
F-16 and F-18 are certainly viable and can cover killing F-35.
F-16’s A/B modles early 80’s, C/D models built through early 90’s Design life 8000 flight hours most have flown less than 4000 but they have seen wing box cracks as if they were 8000 hours. Likely design flaw, or manufacturing. Lockheed says the kids fly them too hard.
They are making F-16’s to sell today. Can recapitalize or buy new all they want, and not buy F-35.
F-18 E/F is larger than F-18 A/B/C/D. Just finished making the line of E/F. Not that familiar with it other than the early E/F had vibration problems which is very bad for wing root life!!!
F-15 was to be replaced by 750 F-22’s. Only got 183 F-22 for the price of 750.
F-15 which was a design when I was a cadet is going to be around a long time. Just recapitalize, that is major rebuild like they do for airliners.
The hidden point is why 3300 front line fighters?
Why not 300 like the RAF/RN? Why not 200 like the German AF?
Why 11 super carriers when US has all of them?
Time for a little less empire and fewer make work weapons.
I could go on about buying weapons for economic production runs, but that is applying efficiency to welfare programs and that line could apply to “leaning on shovels” jobs.
In 1990 they killed the A-12, even with the Soviet Union still “out there”, the free world survived.
I started “keeping ’em flying” nearly 40 years ago, I wish I had stayed at that honest work rather than going over to the dark side and working on acquiring the things.
What is it that causes some late-middle aged men to go insane? The list of politicians would exceed the character limit here, and I have 2 friends that went similarly bat shit insane, making an ass of themselves and ruining their personal and professional lives. Seems to me $10 million study would be a good investment and a public good.
The F-35 is garbage. They tout it as “stealth” but it has hardpoints which nullifies it’s stealth technology. It appears the built by committee approach is not worth the money.
my guess is that “male menopause” is just that time when a man who doesn’t know he is older than seventeen acts like he was seventeen. the women are not amused, because, of course, he is not seventeen.
but one of the things that “encourages” an older man to act out in this way is the acquisition of enough power to think he can get away with it. hence sammy’s observation about politicians.
Your argument, as usual, is not with the tactical aviation upgrade path, its with US National Global Engagement Strategy. Your an isolationist pure and simple. That’s fine but that strain of the Repubilcan party died long ago and its not represented by any part of the political mainstream. Your not out in left field. You out by the McDonalds on the far side of the parking lot.
As for the specifics of your rant – you show you do not understand the acqusition process to replace the US tactical aviation. Nor any understanding of the nature of modern air warfare. You can rant all you want but no one is listening to your viewpoint (or cares).
BTW, when are you going to take your Fraud, Waste and Abuse claims forward? I always keep an eye on the TV looking for you!
F-35 has failed every test point and has not met any schedule.
Now, you need to be specific.
What of my comments show a lack of understandiong about: DoD acquisition, mission area planning, modern aviation, system engineering or waste fraud and abuse?
You can call it ranting, that don’t make it so.
Who needs to be mainstream? I rather spend my time these days on a trout stream.
want to follow angry bear please
http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2011/06/chickadee-nest-location-inintentionally-hilarious-birding/
Well, it had to happen some time! Happy Saturday, y’all, NancyO
Back at’cha, NanO
There’s another one that shows canada (I think) geese surfing a river wave. If you’d like to see it, I’ll post it. Amazing–pretty gnarly wave too. NancyO
Nothing in Afghanistan, or Iraq or Libya or Kosovo, or Korea or Formosa, or the Fulda Gap was worth bankrupting the US over.
http://www.slate.com/id/2296538/pagenum/all/
Karzai is a lost cause.
Nothing the US can do will make him or his any more than the naked emperor of Kabul, who cannot go anywhere unguarded.
Like Southeast Asia, the US cannot change the culture and impose a regime which is counter the culture.
That Afghanistan is a federation of districts and tribes is nothing the US can effect.
Just get out. The US is already broke, and the prognosis does not justify rationing health and imposing increased poverty to the US poor, disabled and aging citizens.
And a Red Chinese bond rating agency (whoodathunkit as well as a German one) says the US floating its currency and not doing austerity is defaulting.
Who are those communists to whine, the republicans would default on trillions more than theirs in gutting SS and medicare?
And the dominoes are all about pizza.
Why taxpayers get grumpy, Part I
Franklin County (Columbus) Ohio just spent $110 on a new courthouse.
The opening of the courthouse was delayed because the deputies who staff the building could not get reception on their cell phones, as no one had thought about cell phones, this being the 21st century and all. Hundreds of thousands of rewiring later the building in open.
The artsy-fartsy architect designed the building with opulent glass stairways in the lobby area. This week a notice was given to female employees not to use the stairways while wearing dresses or skirts, because their lingerie will be on display for every male in the building (which reminds me of high school but that was a long time ago).
And of course Franklin County is not exactly rolling in money these days.
Duh.
I am grumpy about the $44B wasted on the F-35, which demands some one ask why they kept going after $5B!
That is one example of $4.6T in US weapons waste going on, albeit tilting at the largest military waste since the marginot line…………………….
islm – you are a man of great consistency.
What exactly is the F-35 supposed to do and for how long?
Glad to explain, about the F-35.
It is one of 100 major defense weapons acquisitions which spend about a third of the DoD/service’s RDT&E, and procurement budgets. The other two thirds go to smaller programs and investments in technology.
Those top 100 systems amount to a cumulative $1.6T in expended and planned outlays.
There exists a military industrial congress complex (MICC) plan to have about 3300 “front line” fighter aircraft assigned to the Air Force, Navy and Marines, forever despite the fact that the next generation of Sukhoi fighters is on the drawing board and will be produced in small numbers.
Today, this artificial number is supplied by F-16’s, F-18’s, and AV 8B Harriers, and a few small distribution airplanes which are getting older.
Instead of “recapitalizing” the existing fleet they(always) decided to buy new airplanes with stealth, cutting edge engines and super duper avionics.
The science part was supposed to be over in 1999, so they flew off Boeing against Lockheed and in 2001 chose Lockheed to design the airplane in 3 varieties.
Ten years later big mistake:
The marine version is on 2 years probation, nothing there. It takes off and lands on Amphibious Assault ships making a reason to have these ships too.
The Air Force version, most like the F-16 single engine sports model bulked up too heavy and too far behind in meeting its tests. The best thing to say about it is that it flew a lot more tests in the past year, but not enough to say it is worth the Air Force getting a few dozen low rate production models. It is like going through freshman year for the 4th or 5th time, and buying a sport car and class ring for the flunking kid. No flunking this little rich boys’ toy out.
Navy version is like the USAF but designed to make a reason for the US to keep the only 11 super carriers in the world floating and steaming using Enrico Fermi’s power plants. It is even behind the Air Force version because it needs a keel and a fish hook to survive landing. Worse with only one P&W high failure engine a lot of them are going to be deep sixed, when the one engine flames out and no airfield in sight. That is why the Navy has twin engine F-18’s instead of a navy version of the F-16.
In summary the $44B to get the thing designed was misspent and nothing achieved.
Another 400B will be spent buying 2400 of these.
Then operating and supporting the things for 20 years or so will be $1,000B dollars.
And the US still needs to come up with 900 more front line fighters of the F-22 super expensive twin engine class to have its […]
Ok.
How old are the F-16 and F18 airframes? Are all of the F-15s retired or a few still flying?
save-the-rustbelt,
It is as much or more about the 3300 airplane plan, but…………..
F-16 and F-18 are certainly viable and can cover killing F-35.
F-16’s A/B modles early 80’s, C/D models built through early 90’s Design life 8000 flight hours most have flown less than 4000 but they have seen wing box cracks as if they were 8000 hours. Likely design flaw, or manufacturing. Lockheed says the kids fly them too hard.
They are making F-16’s to sell today. Can recapitalize or buy new all they want, and not buy F-35.
F-18 E/F is larger than F-18 A/B/C/D. Just finished making the line of E/F. Not that familiar with it other than the early E/F had vibration problems which is very bad for wing root life!!!
F-15 was to be replaced by 750 F-22’s. Only got 183 F-22 for the price of 750.
F-15 which was a design when I was a cadet is going to be around a long time. Just recapitalize, that is major rebuild like they do for airliners.
The hidden point is why 3300 front line fighters?
Why not 300 like the RAF/RN? Why not 200 like the German AF?
Why 11 super carriers when US has all of them?
Time for a little less empire and fewer make work weapons.
I could go on about buying weapons for economic production runs, but that is applying efficiency to welfare programs and that line could apply to “leaning on shovels” jobs.
In 1990 they killed the A-12, even with the Soviet Union still “out there”, the free world survived.
I started “keeping ’em flying” nearly 40 years ago, I wish I had stayed at that honest work rather than going over to the dark side and working on acquiring the things.
rusty:
The war is fought from 50 feet away today and then and not 5000 feet.
@weiner
What is it that causes some late-middle aged men to go insane? The list of politicians would exceed the character limit here, and I have 2 friends that went similarly bat shit insane, making an ass of themselves and ruining their personal and professional lives. Seems to me $10 million study would be a good investment and a public good.
Exhibit A: http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/12/anthony-weiner-representative-congress-house-of-representatives-gym-locker-room-photos-pictures/
The F-35 is garbage. They tout it as “stealth” but it has hardpoints which nullifies it’s stealth technology. It appears the built by committee approach is not worth the money.
Worse, they “bundled” 2500 unnnecessary airplanes in one contract so they all could be shoddy, eliminated competition in any way or form.
And there are three designs, using the same faulty engines…………………
Comedy of errors with a trillion plus price tag.
Good thing there are no real uses for the airplane and most of the US military industrial congress complex make work waste programs.
And $180B a year to perpetuate US presence occupying IRAFPAK.
Deficits don’t matter when they are making MICC profits.
Sammy, don;t know your age, but if you haven;t seen it rent the movie “Middle Age Crazy” with Bruce Dern and Ann Margaret (1980).
The women in my family swear to the theory of a male menopause.
Male menopause!!
I am seeking the consist, perfect fly (fishing rod) cast……………………………………
And a good cigar as an excuse not to have to dance at weddings.
rusty
my guess is that “male menopause” is just that time when a man who doesn’t know he is older than seventeen acts like he was seventeen. the women are not amused, because, of course, he is not seventeen.
but one of the things that “encourages” an older man to act out in this way is the acquisition of enough power to think he can get away with it. hence sammy’s observation about politicians.
Rusty,
Male menopause. Yes! Why? Why? You’re the Doc. Get on it! Find the link in the drop in testosterone ——> insanity!
ilsm,
Your argument, as usual, is not with the tactical aviation upgrade path, its with US National Global Engagement Strategy. Your an isolationist pure and simple. That’s fine but that strain of the Repubilcan party died long ago and its not represented by any part of the political mainstream. Your not out in left field. You out by the McDonalds on the far side of the parking lot.
As for the specifics of your rant – you show you do not understand the acqusition process to replace the US tactical aviation. Nor any understanding of the nature of modern air warfare. You can rant all you want but no one is listening to your viewpoint (or cares).
BTW, when are you going to take your Fraud, Waste and Abuse claims forward? I always keep an eye on the TV looking for you!
Islam will change
buff,
F-35 has failed every test point and has not met any schedule.
Now, you need to be specific.
What of my comments show a lack of understandiong about: DoD acquisition, mission area planning, modern aviation, system engineering or waste fraud and abuse?
You can call it ranting, that don’t make it so.
Who needs to be mainstream? I rather spend my time these days on a trout stream.
As to taking on the frauds, not worth my energy.