Faces From The Front
The impossible we do every day, Miracles takes a bit longer
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Aug 05 2015
Air
Fighter Jets Can’t Keep up with Technology
New small diameter bomb II (SDB) technology is being developed faster then they can be installed in fighter jets, due to incompatibility in the F-35B planes. While the SDBs are being retrofitted into all current F-35B fighter jets, it’s predicted that this could take as long as seven year’s time. It’s planned that the newer bombs will be fitted into all F-35B Lightning jets by 2022. While the bombs currently fit into the F-35A variant jet, due to an internal cannon that the B and C don’t have yet, the US hasn’t yet purchased the promised 1,763 JSF F-35A multi-role fighters yet. There is no expected date for the new fighter jets to be in use.
F-35 weapon bay door
This incompatibility leads to a gap in technology that hopefully unfriendly nations won’t be taking advantage of. Since 2022 is nearly seven years away, the newer advances during that time present certain challenges. Will the current bombs be considered antiques by the time the F-35Bs have been retrofitted to handle them? What about the stealth fighter F-35C? Are there any plans on the block to retrofit it with new bomb technology? Technology can change month by month, so it’s troubling to consider how slowly it takes to not only purchase new fighter planes, but to retrofit older ones with newer technology. And just how fast is the competition keeping up?
The F-35s consist of three different fighter plane configurations. They’re used by both Canadian and American military. The F-35A is built for landing on conventional runways. The F-35B is made for short takeoffs and vertical landings, which is important for remote regions with small runways. the F-35C is the stealth fighter, and is built to be carried out on an aircraft carrier. It can also fly longer distances for missions. The new SDBs are so important, as they are built with the latest “tri-mode” seeker. This allows the pilot to direct the bomb more accurately, through the use of millimeter wave radar and imaging infrared guidance. The SDB II can track and hit moving targets from long distances. This technology becomes highly useful in protecting fighter pilots and expensive F-35Bs from warring factions.
F-35B
With the current crisis in Syria and Iraq, the SDB II bombs could prove to be extremely useful. The issue is that they’re needed now, not seven years down the road. Possibly IS (Islamic State) will have evolved into something less troublesome over the years, much like the Taliban calmed down a bit after realizing that you can’t wage war forever. But for now, new bomb technology would cut down on the number of deaths and injuries in the war on terrorism. We can only hope that the Pentagon stays on top of their testing and investment in fighter plane and bombing technology, as the world continues to present new and difficult conflicts. The Western world continues to look to the US to play their part in worldwide conflicts.
Apr 10 2015
Product
Finding the best electric shaver under $100
Finding the best electric shaver is important when you’re a soldier on duty. The days are filled with drills, chores, and work. There’s not a lot of downtime to spend on online shopping, though it’s the best method to purchase goods, and have them delivered quickly to my base. There’s a local shop where our unit can buy goods, snacks, supplies, whatever, but sometimes, if you don’t mind my saying, the soldier gets screwed on the price. Our spouses can send some items out to us, but when it’s as personal as an electric shaver, I want to be sure that I have the best electric shaver that’s going to give me a minimum amount of fuss to use at 5 am in the morning. My second requirement was that it would be a cordless model that I could charge up in advance, and be good to go for a week. After reading through reviews online, I ordered the Philips Norelco 1150X/46 Shaver. I don’t know if it is the best electric shaver or not, but it was priced at under $90, which was reasonable to me on my income, and had four out of five stars. I probably wasn’t willing to spend the cash to get a five star one. The order arrived the next day, and I tried it out the following morning. The box contained one electric razor, the charging unit, a power cord, a snap on trimmer, a protective cap, and a handy cleaning brush. The Philips Norelco comes in an attractive black and blue casing, with an easy to grip handle. This is a cordless electric shaver that you charge up in advance. It can then be used without the cord, for around an hour, or about a week’s worth of shaving time. I gave it a try and it provided a good clean shave. Its Gyroflex 2D contour-following system got all the whiskers in the morning, not leaving any behind. It easily followed the contours of my face, without grabbing or pinching. I didn’t feel like I had to force the shaver along. On days of off-duty I like to skip the shaving. So, I was curious as to how the shaver would do on three day’s of stubble. It performed remarkably well, whether I did a touch up during the day, or had three days of growth. This shaver works great dry, but I was wondering how well it would perform with using soap, water, and shaving foam. I don’t have time every morning to spend a lot of time shaving, but the Aquatec Technology of this shaver did get me a closer, better shave, than just using dry. Overall, my review is favorable for the Philips Norelco, particularly for the military guy who doesn’t have a lot of time to get ready in the morning. This electric shaver would also be perfect for traveling, or on the go. For the cash it was priced right, and I can recommend it to anyone searching for the best electric shaver under $100.
Philips Norelco 1150X/46
Mar 16 2015
Movie
The Monuments Men
If you believe there is a careless disregard for human life during war time, this translates to the destruction of fine art as well. In the film Monuments Men, an Allied group is entrusted with recovering artwork stolen by Nazi Germany, during World War Two. This film is based on a book by Robert M. Edsel and discusses the greatest treasure hunt in history. George Clooney, director, producer, writer, and actor of the film says that it’s 80% based on historical accuracy, but the names of all characters have been changed.
The Monuments Men
Just what were the Nazis doing with the fine art that they stole from the museums of conquered countries? You’d be surprised to hear that a greater part of it was destroyed. For a country that claimed to be progressive, they were highly intolerant of anything that didn’t fit within their twisted core values. The film raises the question about whether humans lives should be sacrificed in the saving of rare art. The Nazis were also collecting the art for their own archives, and most likely were planning on selling the rarer pieces to finance their war with the world. In some instances, the curators themselves destroyed pieces of art so they didn’t fall into the Nazi’s hands. We’ll never know all of the treasures that have been lost during this period of time. Occasionally a piece or two is recovered from someone’s private collection, and donated to a museum, but this is a rare occurrence.
Frank Stokes (George Clooney) oversees the team that is going to collect the art. As the film proceeds, he loses many men. At the end of the film President Truman asks him if the lives of the men were worth the retrieval of the fine art that his team found. He says it was. Back during WWII life seemed cheap. Men signed on for a war and knew they weren’t coming back. Many Nazi war criminals and their cohorts have undergone war trials to determine their guilt. How guilty is a person if they’re forced to undergo orders? Claire Simon from France is forced to oversee the theft of art for Viktor Stahl. Eventually she helps in the recovery of these goods, but one has to wonder at the correlation between between coercion and guilt.
The Monuments Men
Today, the world continues to lose fine art and monuments. Islamic State/ISIS members have destroyed many of the antiquities around Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. They’ve even been destroying their own cultural heritage, as ancient Muslim temples and fine art is lost. Is anyone willing to step forward to rescue some of these relics? The Monuments Men team risked their lives to retrieve valuable fine art. They brought a massive load back to the USA. Over time, much of this fine art has been returned to its rightful owners. We can be grateful that we can still visit Michelangelo’s Madonna sculpture in Bruges, Belgium, but who is going to save the works of art that are still being destroyed today?