Jackass #2

Disturbingly watchable.

THE DEPARTED

THE DEPARTED

I also saw the Martin Scorsese Crime saga this weekend (with the good old “Mick vs. Guinea*” thrown in).

I will give it 4/5. Not really as good as Good Fellas. But very good nonetheless. I think after The Aviator, Scorsese has become obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio. This is really his movie. Even more so than Jack Nicholson. And I don’t like the part given to Matt Damon. I am surprised he even agreed to take this role.

Mini spoiler – everybody gets their just desserts except the leading lady. Not fair.

* An Americanism for Irish vs Italian.

Little Miss Sunshine

You know, Greg Kinnear is not appreciated often enough for the fine actor that he is.

This movie got very touching towards the end. One of the best of 2006.

(1) Clerks II – I think Kevin Smith (Director) is a Pseudo-Communist. All his movies have a theme of (a) Stay in New Jersey (don’t even move to New York) (b) Don’t be rich and successful (such people are not happy) (c) Male Bonding (thin line between this and Homo Erotica – in his movies, anyway).
(2) My Super Ex-Girlfriend – Boring movie, and a tad sexist. A woman superhero has PMS! :diablo:
(3) Annapolis – Okay
(4) Hollow Man-II – Okay
(5) Lady in the water – Disappointing, as expected. Quite an ego on the director.

South Korea is harder to understand given that if it was not for the U.S. they would be hungry and six inches shorter from a poor diet, living in a slave state. One can only wonder if, given the way it has pandered to the North of late, if the North was to say surrender or we will attack you and use nuclear weapons, they would simply roll over and submit without a fight.

If I may, the Koreas want to be united, and a nuclear power that can stand up to Japan, Russia, US and China. Thus, the soft attitude of the South Koreans towards their communist brethren in the North (“sunshine”, $10Billion + in aid etc.). If North and South Korea are still at war (officially, there is only a cease fire DMZ), why does North Korea feel the need to threaten Japan (with Nukes) much more than South Korea ?

Link

Fact is, Koreas (both of them) have never forgiven Japan for its colonialism and the role of the Superpowers and China in partitioning them.

My $0.02

Pictures of Indo-UK “Konkan” exercises – Part 2

Line handlers prepare the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious for sailing, during a Britain-India joint naval exercise, KONKAN 06, in the Arabian Sea, off Goa, India, Tuesday, May 23, 2006. KONKAN 06, a phased naval exercise in maritime security between the Indian and Royal UK navies, includes collective training and tactical exercises leading to a fully simulated ‘War at Sea’. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

RAF RED ARROWS IN GOA – MAY 23, 2006

Rolls-Royce Director of Marketing and sales John Boughton addresses a press briefing, in Goa, India, Monday, May 22, 2006. The briefing was about India -UK joint Naval exercise and proposed sale of Sea Harrier aircraft and naval version of Hawk advanced jet trainer to the Indian Navy. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

British High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur, center, addresses a press briefing, in Goa, India, Monday, May 22, 2006. The briefing was about India -UK joint Naval exercise and proposed sale of sea Harrier aircraft and naval version of Hawk advanced jet trainer to the Indian Navy. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

British and Indian Naval officers look at an Indian Navy fuel replenishment ship from aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, during Britain-India joint naval exercise, KONKAN 06, in the Arabian Sea, off Goa, India, Tuesday, May 23, 2006. KONKAN 06, a phased naval exercise in maritime security between the Indian and Royal UK navies, includes collective training and tactical exercises leading to a fully simulated ‘War at Sea’. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

EADS reveals details of Eurofighter Typhoon offer to Norway to replace JSF order

DATE:06/04/06
SOURCE:Flight International
EADS Military Air Systems has confirmed that last last month in Oslo it presented a “tailored offer” for increased Norwegian industrial participation in the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft programme tied to the Nordic nation’s potential purchase of the type.

EADS says its offer is the reply to a request for information from the Norwegian government and comes as Oslo is expressing serious reservations over its lack of industrial participation in the Lockheed martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme.

EADS says the offer “includes numerous opportunities for participation” tied to possible purchase the aircraft, including “tailored delivery and payment terms as well as a variety of options for active involvement of Norwegian industry in Eurofighter technologies and offset offers”.

Norway, along with Denmark, is conducting a formal fighter competition in the lead-up to a decision later this year on whether to commit to procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter or acquire alternative aircraft to replace its F-16s. Gripen International has proposed a Nordic version of the JAS39 Gripen fighter, competitively priced (Flight International, 4-10 April).

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence increased funding levels for its existing industrial participation in Eurofighter from €10.8 million ($13 million) to €23 million in June last year.

EADS dismissed the idea of Norway investing in a less expensive “Eurofighter lite” with reduced capabilities enabling Oslo to offset its initial investment in JSF, which would be lost if it exited the programme. “There are no such things as trimmed down export versions. We are offering all our customers exactly the same version of the aircraft that is being supplied to the Eurofighter nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK and also to our export customer Austria,” says Johann Heitzmann, chief executive of Military Air Systems within the EADS Defence & Security Systems division.

Lockheed Martin has said that Norway would lose its delivery slots if it pulled out of the JSF system design and development phase of the JSF but EADS says the delivery schedule offered to Norway for Typhoon is “flexible,” possibly allowing it to receive Typhoons around the same time as its planned JSF deliveries.

Under the terms of the Eurofighter collaborative agreements, EADS Military Air Systems, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems are committed to negotiate other industrial contracts on the basis of the relevant orders.

Potential flaw found in F-22A fighter jets

Potential flaw found in F-22A fighter jets
Thursday, March 16, 2006

P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-22A fighter jet may have a structural flaw that would require redesign or major modifications to most of the planes delivered to date, says Bill Young, chairman of a House defense panel.

Young, a Florida Republican who chairs a House subcommittee on defense spending, said he told Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne that he opposes buying any more of the $338 million planes until the problem is diagnosed and fixed.

The problem involves the aft fuselage, which comes from The Boeing Co., a major partner on the fighter jet. Boeing also supplies the wings for the F-22A. That Boeing work is done mostly at the company’s Developmental Center across from Boeing Field in south Seattle.

Both the Air Force and Lockheed agree there’s a potential flaw that must be investigated. The Air Force said flight safety is not at issue and no redesign or modification is necessary.

Young, in an interview, said the concern is that an engine casing made of titanium may not meet Air Force standards.

“There’s been a specification deviation and they are evaluating it,” he said.

“The engine casing is a significant part of the structure of the aircraft,” Young said. “If it turns out that it’s not being manufactured to specification it could be a serious issue but they don’t know the answer yet.”

Boeing subcontractors make the titanium parts.

The Air Force, in an e-mailed statement, said Lockheed, the world’s largest defense contractor, discovered the “anomaly” in December, the same month the service declared the F-22A ready for combat.