F-35B First Flight

sdd_f35testb_012
Originally uploaded by kawfeadikt

A long time coming, and much anticipated. The F-35B (BF-1) lifted off for its maiden flight yesterday, flown by British pilot, Graham Tomlinson--a nod to our allies who are in line to purchase the B variant along with our own Marines.

This aircraft cannot come soon enough, replacing an aged Harrier fleet and providing expanded capabilities to the USMC. Next up in the program for Lockheed-Northrop-BAE will be the C variant, the replacement for the Navy's F/A-18.

Even now, as the B variant begins its test program, AA-1 continues its flight testing, there are A and B test articles in production, the first C variant (CF-1) has probably begun assembly, and LRIP is beginning for all variants as well.

The ONLY downside to my current job is missing being on the "inside" of the JSF program. Not only were there great amounts of satisfaction from participating in the aircraft's development, but observing everything coming together in an intricate dance to produce each variant was wondrous. Heady times for the engineers there!

This is Canada???

If this can happen in Canada, it can happen in the US, our constitution notwithstanding.

A Christian pastor has been given a lifetime ban against uttering anything "disparaging" about gays. Not against anything "hateful", let alone something legally defined as "hate speech". Just anything negative.

But he must give a false sermon; he is positively ordered to renounce his deeply held religious beliefs, and apologize to his tormentor for having those views.

And then that pastor is ordered to declare to his entire city that he has renounced his religious views, even though he has not.

Our Best Export Yet

They said American education was circulating the porcelain bowl of defecation. They said American children were falling behind the world and would soon serve others rather than be served themselves. They said America was growing soft and lazy. They were all wrong. For Japan, mighty Japan--the country burgeoning with genius children of mad intellectual skillz--is undergoing a cultural change more amenable to an American model of education with much "success":

For the audience of menacing mothers and feisty fathers, though, the sight of 25 Snow Whites, no dwarfs and no wicked witch was a triumph: a clear victory for Japan's emerging new class of “Monster Parents."

For they had taken on the system and won. After a relentless campaign of bullying, hectoring and nuisance phone calls, the monster parents had cowed the teachers into submission, forcing the school to admit to the injustice of selecting just one girl to play the title role.

How dare a play cast a lead role. How dare one individual shine above others, casting the rest in dreary gray mediocre tones. The horror! The INHUMANITY!

What a sad commentary on culture, values, and self-worth.

Uh oh.

Tragic. Steroids stool pidgon and girlfriend found dead.

Jacobs [the victim] said [to an ESPN reporter]: "The kinds of people I know about could put a bullet in the back of my head."

Not that I'm pointing fingers at any one thing, but this just seems a little bit too coincidental to be a robbery gone bad. Coverup? Possibly. If it it, this will end up messily for sports in general, although I caution it is far too early to speculate (publicly) about who.

California made a mistake yesterday

Yeah, so what else is new.

But Prop 98 was defeated almost 2 to 1 while Prop 99 won by 2 to 1.

Prop 99 was put on the ballot after Prop 98 qualified and basically was offered as a sham to divert attention from Prop 98. Its the same story that happened back in the 1970s with Prop 13 and Prop 8. But in that case, the right proposition won.

In a nutshell, Prop 98 would have prevented eminent domain when the government was going to give the land to a private entity to be developed. Your church would not have its building and land seized and sold to Costco so they could build a store as a city in LA County tried two years ago. It also would end rent control on all rental units as the person who lives in the unit vacates the unit due to death or moving on. That was the provision that sunk the proposition because the opponents scared seniors with stories their evil land lords were going to evict them and raise the rents.

Prop 99 in a nutshell would only prevent eminent domain on owner occupied residences when the land was to be given to a private entity for redevelopment. But that is the only a small minority of cases, less then 5% of all eminent domain abuses. So the church in the above case, would not have protection, the apartment owner or even house owner who rents the house can still have their land seized for a private party redevelopment as well as any businesses who are not as classy or as profitable as the city would like.

But Prop 99 people had better marketing skills then Prop 98 people and they won so we got a bad law that will not correct the problem as people will find out.

About time

South Dakota county of Union approved a rezoning ballot measure to allow a new refinery to be built in the county. The measure won 58% to 42%. This will be the first new refinery built in the US in 30 years. Of course those who opposed the measure have vowed legal action to void the election, and failing that to fight the permitting process to delay and hopefully cancel the project.

Can the oil companies play hard ball with those people and refuse to sell them gasoline since they don't like refineries or anything to do with the oil industry?

Life

Make some commitments and then keep them. That is the hard part.

Have been feeling very frustrated last two or three weeks because I don't seem to be getting things done I know I need to do and I'm not taking care of myself like I should. I also know my wife is not doing the things she needs to do as well.

So we had a good talk yesterday and looked at what we wanted to get done over the next few weeks and the time we were going to be willing to commit to it. The hard part is keeping the time commitments (whether getting to the gym or putting into business) and getting to bed on time as well.

So now the hard part, how do we keep each other accountable in our commitments without appearing to nag each other all the time.

Any suggestions would be welcome.