Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon say the F-35’s superiority over its rivals lies in its ability to remain undetected, giving it “first look, first shot, first kill.”

Hugh Harkins, a highly respected author on military combat aircraft, called that claim “a marketing and publicity gimmick” in his book on Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35S, a potential opponent of the F-35. He also wrote, “In real terms an aircraft in the class of the F-35 cannot compete with the Su-35S for out and out performance such as speed, climb, altitude, and maneuverability.”

Other critics have been even harsher. Pierre Sprey, a cofounding member of the so-called “fighter mafia” at the Pentagon and a co-designer of the F-16, calls the F-35 an “inherently a terrible airplane” that is the product of “an exceptionally dumb piece of Air Force PR spin.” He has said the F-35 would likely lose a close-in combat encounter to a well-flown MiG-21, a 1950s Soviet fighter design.

Robert Dorr, an Air Force veteran, career diplomat and military air combat historian, wrote in his book “Air Power Abandoned,” “The F-35 demonstrates repeatedly that it can’t live up to promises made for it. … It’s that bad.”

The development of the F-35 has been a mess by any measurement. There are numerous reasons, but they all come back to what F-35 critics would call the jet's original sin: the Pentagon's attempt to make a one-size-fits-all warplane, a Joint Strike Fighter.

History is littered with illustrations of multi-mission aircraft that never quite measured up. Take Germany's WWII Junkers Ju-88, or the 1970s Panavia Tornado, or even the original F/A-18. Today the Hornet is a mainstay of the American military, but when it debuted it lacked the range and payload of the A-7 Corsair and acceleration and climb performance of the F-4 Phantom it was meant to replace.

Yeah, the F/A-18 was trash when it first came out and it took YEARS and multiple changes/fixes to allow it to fully outperform the decades old aircraft it was designed to beat when it was released.

The F35 is not the best at anything it does, it is designed to fully be mediocre at all roles in order to allow it to be a single solution aircraft. That may change with more money, time, and data retrieved from hours spent in actual combat, but as it stands it is what it was designed to be. A jack of all trades and master of none, not something I would want to be flying in a role where I could encounter a master of that role.

As @ChaosEngine says, it is far beyond time that we move to a design where the pilot is not in the plane. There is no reason at this time that we cannot field a plane that could successfully perform it's role with the pilot in a secure location nearby. Such planes could be built cheaper, could perform in g-forces that humans cannot withstand, and would be expendable in a way that current planes are not. However, this would mean that our corporate welfare system for huge defense contractors would take a massive hit. We can't have that, can we?

@Payback: Forgot to say, because I was on a Jean-Pierre Jeunet rant, but David Fincher directed Alien 3, so *thumbs up* -- it wasn't that boring of a film, with some strange elements of a monastic lifestyle among criminals. I thought it was more thought provoking than Prometheus.

I am a fan of Alien Rez, not because of Joss Whedon's patchwork script, but because at least it had the familiar comedic elements of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and his usual returning ensemble cast (Ron Pearlamn, Dominique Pinon), as well as Sigorney Weaver being a badass mother.

Just my opinion. I love all of Jeunet's films; as wild and varied as the genres, his film style and character driven stories transcend the genre. City of Lost Child, Amelie, Delcatessen, Micmacs -- really excellent track record. Cool bit of science fiction in all of his films, even if just sort of a chaotic sense of fate and surrealism.

Ridley Scott is hit or miss -- but then again, Ridley Scott has far more a prolific film career so it's like arguing the planetary distances versus the intergalactic distances, we can't fully comprehend the multitude of influences involved in making a film and the secret to making it a good film, so what does it matter if it's 1 astronomical unit, 2 light years, or 26 billion light years, it's all beautiful art.

My kindness aside, his last 5 films: Robin Hood, Prometheus, The Counselor, Exodus, The Martian -- typical and BORING blockbustery movies. 1492 and everything after have been epic suck fests. Even Hannibal was a let down. They're all movies you're sort of excited about, if it weren't for the fact that he drags them out and adds little element of noticeable flair. Like Spielberg, hidden in realism. I want the stylistic elements of Alien and Blade Runner and Legend that PULLED YOU OUT of the movie experience to say loudly: This is art.

The soundtracks especially -- Ridley Scott replaced the original scoring of his movie Legend, which was a dazzling score by Tangerine Dream -- he replaced it with Jerry Goldsmith in rerelease... which sort of makes it all come full circle when you listen to the awful, typically EPIC score of Prometheus, minus all the atmosphere that the original soundtrack provided.

I've already discussed why helicopters and drones are good in areas of light cover while sucking in areas of high cover. They fulfill a role, but realistically they aren't always the best option.

I also explained what happens in real combat. So called fast movers end up being tasked to do roles that they were not designed for. No plan stays certain in the face of the enemy. There will come a time when the F35 is expected to provide the same type of support as the A-10 and it is going to suck hard at it, planes will be shot down and pilots will die or be captured. I suspect this will happen especially with the forces using the F35 that are not the Air Force, such as the Marines. Here is a link to the laughable failures that the Marines had with the plane, but due to the 'cannot fail' nature of the project, they certified it anyway. http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/not-a-big-suprise-the-marines-f-35-operational-test-wa-1730583428

Finally, the A-10 was absolutely not designed initially to be a Soviet tank killer. The initial A-X program was created because of the DISMAL performance of the Air Force and F4 in providing close air support to troops.

The Secretary of the Air Force contacted Pierre Sprey and asked him to come up with a design spec for a close air support plane. After consulting with the pilots we had in Vietnam, mostly the successful ones that were flying the prop driven A-1 Skyraider (which btw, destroyed the F4 JET in CAS operations), it was indicated that the ideal aircraft should have long loiter time, low-speed maneuverability, massive cannon firepower, and extreme survivability. It was only later, after the plane had been mostly designed, that the USAF asked that it be also tasked to counter the Soviets.

As I said, the Air Force has always hated providing CAS to the other branches of the Armed Forces. They constantly forget that you need to make a multi-role fighter actually function in a multi-role environment, preferring to think that they can buzz in and buzz out while the rest of the military does the 'dirty' work. However, they always get burned for it. Just like now, when they were fighting as hard as possible to kill the A-10, they discovered that fighting a force that is mobile and that hides in cover/cities (ISIS) is damn near impossible with fast planes/drones. Which is why they changed paths and rescheduled the A-10 phase out to 2028 (or beyond).

The reports I have seen say that the usual suspects are still demanding a complete surrender. Pierre Moscovici is quoted as saying "They know what they have to do, they know what we expect".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33437797

Regeln sind Regeln. Schulden müssen bezahlt werden. Keine Tricks.

Zinedine Zidane lyrics

In 1972, under a scorching June sun
In the French Coastal town of Marseilles
Two Algerian immigrants awaited the birth of their 5th child
Later that day, a star was born

Verse
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Veron
Suarez, Van Basten, Gianluigi Buffon
Xavi, Iniesta, Drogba, Hazard
Tevez, Schweinsteiger, Steven Gerrard

Alessandro Del Piero, Neymar, Forlan
Ozil, Nakata, Jean-Pierre Papin
Ballack, Van Persie, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes
But the strongest of them all

Chorus
Zinedine Zidane, Zinedine Zidane
Superstar, superstar
Zinedine Zidane, Zinedine Zidane
Superstar, superstar

Verse
Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Kewell
Nedved, Maldini, Aguero, Raul
Casillas, Cavani, Benzema, Mandzukic
Mario Balotelli, Zlatan Ibrahimovic!
Lothar Matthaus, Shevchenko, Cantona
Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo, Robinho, Ramirez, KAKA
Falcao, Franck Ribery, Pirlo, Cahill, Kompany
But the strongest of them all

Chorus

Bridge
And he’ll burn through the dark like a fire (Puskas, Eusebio)
So much more than the world was dreaming of wa ya ya (Beckenbauer, Platini, Best)
He’ll fight (Charlton)
And his light (Cruyff)
Will shine on and on and on (Baggio)
Oh, why (Diego Armando Maradona)
With his will to survive (Pele)

Chorus

Outro
Cannavaro, Karagounis, Chicharito, William Gallas
Sanchez, Mark Bosnich, Hulk, Alexi Lalas
Wilkshere, Honda, Busquets, DICKIE, Simao
Thierry Henry, Modric, Vidal
Park Ji Sung, Donovan, Eto'o, Zizou
ZIZOU

Zinedine Zidane, Zinedine Zidane
He is a part of things, he is a part of things

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor#Science_and_the_scientific_method

"In science, Occam's Razor is used as a heuristic (rule of thumb) to guide scientists in the development of theoretical models rather than as an arbiter between published models.[8][9] In physics, parsimony was an important heuristic in the formulation of special relativity by Albert Einstein,[36][37] the development and application of the principle of least action by Pierre Louis Maupertuis and Leonhard Euler,[38] and the development of quantum mechanics by Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg and Louis de Broglie.[9][39] In chemistry, Occam's Razor is often an important heuristic when developing a model of a reaction mechanism.[40][41]"

You are pointing the finger and saying I am ignorant yet you dismiss Occams razor in ignorance of its application to the scientific method. According to the principle of parsimony I do have an argument but it appears you can't be bothered to consider what I am saying. This is an intellectual laziness which seems to typify our culture today. It is an apathetic reasoning process that sees everything through the lens of stereotypes and generalities. If I am wrong about that I will happily admit it, and you still have ample opportunity to establish otherwise.

@Sarzy, @lucky760:

To's output can be roughly divided into three categories:
- Straight Film Noir influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville, including his early Milkyway Image productions, his The Mission / Exiled / Vengeance sort-of-trilogy, etc, with a special mention for Election 1 & 2.
- Somewhat more 'commercial' ventures: Running Out Of Time, Full Time Killer, Drug wars, and Breaking News... Less edgy, but better production value.
- And his more 'out there' attempts, that are usually crime films with some surreal aspect: Running On Karma (Shaolin-monk-turned-stripper sees people's past incarnations, tries to reverse their karma), Throwdown (everyone is a secret Judo master), Mad Detective (schizo detective can see people's inner personality and dialogue with them)...

He sometimes misses the mark, but his films are usually worth their salt (this often extends to other Milkyway films he produces).

Breaking News, it turns out, is a minor To film. It's well directed (as you can see by yourselves), and it's definitely fun to watch, but ... it's just that his other films are better! My advice : start with PTU, Exiled, or Full Time Killer. Then if you like what you see, go for the rest.

And if you like Running On Karma, check out Wai Ka Fai, To's writer / Milkyway co-founder and sometimes-director. That guy is good.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'automaton, the writer, programmable, computer, pierre jaquet droz' to 'automaton, the writer, programmable, computer, pierre jaquet droz, automaton, hugo' - edited by lucky760

Liked the clip, thought I'd help out with the translation, as some expression Google translate totally misses Tried to keep it as literal as possible, here you go


[Flynt]
My friend is my buddy even though he has no money
He’s my appearance, my face but doesn’t look like me
He’s my brother, but we weren’t carried by the same arms
He’s my s’rab (= friend), he surely won’t be the one to denounce me
My friend is my big but he’s not Pierre Menes
He doesn’t break sugar on my back (literal translation of French expression, it means he doesn’t talk about him behind his back)
He can support OM (French soccer team Olympique Marseille) and if it helps him I’d lie to his wife without a problem
And If my friend comes from far away, he or his parents
Black, white, yellow or brown, it makes me one ignorant less
I do not expect you to wax my shoes (again French expression, it means he doesn’t expect him to kiss his ass)
It will not be because of you being straightforward if I burn the bridges
I wouldn’t put you in my mess if I did something stupid
I wouldn’t ask you to come down with a shovel at night without asking any questions
But if it is needed, bring me back home
If I go crazy bring me back to reason
We can disagree, we can take our heads (French expression, it means We can argue, fight)
But there will always be a piece for you on my plate
My buddy does not scream with wolves
We do not wash our dirty laundry in public (to take care of your personal business) but between us
It is not always the good wind that brings my buddy (It means it is not always a happy reason why his friend is coming to him)
I’m not always OK with how he behaves
I wouldn’t like to learn that he has betrayed me or that he’s plotting
It would bury our relationship even if it’s strong
I have not sealed my fate to his, for me things are clear
My friend is my friend but he’s not my father
I want to keep him a long time so I avoid interfering
Between him and me, money, women and all that could divide us

[Orelsan]
My friend has always been there
Too long, my best friend was me
My buddy stays at my home, we spend sleepless nights
We remake the world, we hear each other even in the silences
My friend always answers my phone calls
That we every hour or every twelve years
I can make him understand everything with a blink
At the edge of the explosion buddy is the pin (goupille is the metal pin of a grenade)
Where I am many people mix friends and groupies
But I’ve understood treason since Fox and the Hound
My buddy isn’t trying to please me at all costs
Doesn’t pretend to look away when my verses are bad
Late evening, always a corner of a sofa
My car is not in the ditch because he keeps the key
Nothing separates us even large sums (of money)
We don’t raise pigs but have raised some sluts
My buddy lowers no one to bring himself in the spotlight
He’s my reflection, breaking us apart is risking seven years of bad luck
My buddy is not a beast in heat
And I can sleep peacefully at night when I introduce him to my sister
Loyal in friendship
If I am not down to earth anymore my dude reminds me of the laws of gravity
Always ready, always the first to come down
in case of a dip or for a game of Play(station)

He’s my antidepressant, my lexo(mil), my friends aren’t all heroes

In practice we all have our faults
If one day in my life I forget to be legit

I’ll listen to this piece again as a kind of memo

[Flynt & Orelsan]
This is for my friend of 20 years
For my buddy of now
He’s my disgusting friend and my dapper dude
For my ugliest friend
For my dumbest pal
For m most down to earth friendy friend
For my friend on Pluto

This is for my easy-talking friend and my dyslexic friend

My buddy that my friend (girl) said no to but persists
For my unemployed buddy, my buddy who works

For my kickeur buddy, my buddy who raps poorly
(kickeur apparently means good rapper: it does)

Boxer buddy, my pianist friend
Performing buddy, buddy artist
Buddy hook, buddy Roger
My friend who crashes at a mate’s house and has no projects

Dude in a suit, buddy in Coste-la (Coste-la is actually ‘verlan’ for Lacoste, the brand)
My friend who lives in the countryside

and so here is a google translation...

[Flynt]
My friend is my Swiss although not sorrel
This is my ganache, my mouth but not me
This is my brother, but it was not brought by the same arm
This is my SRAB is surely not the one who denounced me
My friend is my big but it is not Pierre Menes
It does not break my back on sugar
It can support the OM and if it helps I lie to his wife without problem
If my friend has far him or her darons
Black, white, yellow or brown, it makes me a less ignorant
I do not expect from me that thou waxes pumps
It will not be because of your deductible if I cut the bridges
J'te would not put in my shenanigans and if I did the con
J'te not ask to reapply with a shovel at night without asking any question
But if we take me home
If I go into a spin please take me to the reason
We can disagree, we can take the lead
But y 'will always firstly for you on my plate
My buddy does not scream with Wolves
We do not wash dirty linen in public but us
This is not always the good wind brings buddy
J'cautionne not always how it behaves
I would not learn that he has betrayed me or plotting
It bury our relationship even if they are strong
I have not sealed my fate to his, for me things are clear
My friend is my friend but it is not my father
I want to keep it that long so I avoid interfering
Between him and me money, women and all c'qui could divide us

[Orelsan]
My friend has always been there
Too long, my best friend was me
Buddy squats at home, we spend sleepless nights
We remade the world, means even in the silences
My friend always answers my shots thread
That is called every hour or every twelve rods
J'peux all understand him with an eyebrow
At the edge of the explosion buddy is the pin
I'm where many people mix friends and groupies
But I understood the treason since Fox and the Hound
My buddy is trying not please at all costs
Not pretend to move the head when j'fais couplets rotten
Late evening, always a corner sofa
My car is not in the ditch because it holds the key
Nothing separates us even large sums
No pigs are raised but raised some sluts
Buddy lowers one to highlight
This is my reflection, we break it's risky seven years of misfortune
My buddy is not a beast in heat
And I can sleep peacefully at night when my sister has J'lui
Loyal friend
If I have more down to earth dude reminds me of the laws of gravity
Always ready, always the first to reapply
If that blow for a party Play

This is my antidepressant, my lexo, my friends n'sont not all heroes
(n'sont = are not) so my friends are not all heroes.

In practice we all have our faults
If one day in my life I forgot to be legit

J'réécouterais this piece as a kind of memo
(J'réécouterais = I'm saying)

[Flynt & Orelsan]
This is for my friend 20 years
For my buddy now
This is my friend and my disgusting dapper dude
My ugliest friend
To my greatest con pal
My friend down to earth
To my friend on Pluto

This is for my friend and my Chatter dyslexic friend
( I think chatter here means mumbling)

My buddy that my friend said no but still
Unemployed for my buddy, my buddy who works

Kickeur my buddy, my buddy who raps poorly
(kickeur apparently means good rapper)

Boxer buddy, my pianist friend
Handler buddy, buddy artist
Buddy hook, buddy Roger
My friend who squats at a mate and no project

Dude in a suit, buddy-Coste in the (coste-la seems to mean united states or the coast) so buddy in the states

My friend who lives in the countryside

Here are the Lyrics in French

Mon pote I think translates to my hommie or my buddy or dude.

[Flynt]
Mon pote c'est mon suisse même s'il a pas d'oseille
C'est ma ganache, ma gueule mais il me ressemble pas
C'est mon frère mais on a pas été porté par les mêmes bras
C'est mon srab, c'est sûrement pas lui qui me dénoncera
Mon pote c'est mon gros mais c'est pas Pierre Ménès
Il ne casse pas de sucre sur mon dos
Il peut supporter l'OM et si ça l'aide je mentirais à sa femme sans problème
Si mon pote vient d'loin, lui ou bien ses darons
Noir, blanc, jaune ou marron, ça fait d'moi un ignorant d'moins
J'attends pas d'toi que tu me cires les pompes
Ce sera pas à cause de ta franchise si je coupe les ponts
J'te mettrais pas dans mes embrouilles et si je faisais l'con
J'te demanderais pas de rappliquer avec une pelle en pleine nuit sans poser d'questions
Mais s'il le faut ramène-moi à la maison
Si je pars en vrille please ramène-moi à la raison
On peut être en désaccord, on peut se prendre la tête
Pourtant y'aura toujours une part pour toi dans mon assiette
Mon pote n'hurle pas avec les loups
On ne lave pas le linge sale en public mais entre nous
C'est pas toujours le bon vent qui amène mon pote
J'cautionne pas toujours la façon dont il se comporte
J'aimerais pas apprendre qu'il m'a trahi ou qu'il complote
Ça enterrerait nos relations même si elles sont fortes
J'ai pas scellé mon sort au sien, pour moi les choses sont claires
Mon pote c'est mon vieux mais c'est pas mon père
J'aimerais qu'il le reste longtemps alors j'évite d'immiscer
Entre lui et moi l'argent, les femmes et tout c'qui pourrait nous diviser

[Orelsan]
Mon pote a pas toujours été là
Trop longtemps mon meilleur pote c'était moi
Mon pote squatte à la maison, on passe des nuits blanches
On refait l'monde, on s'entend même dans les silences
Mon pote répond toujours à mes coups d'fil
Qu'on s'appelle toutes les heures ou toutes les douze piges
J'peux tout lui faire comprendre avec un sourcil
Au bord de l'explosion mon pote c'est la goupille
Où j'suis beaucoup d'gens mélangent potes et groupies
Mais j'ai compris la trahison depuis Rox et Rouky
Mon pote essaie pas d'plaire à tout prix
Fait pas semblant d'bouger la tête quand j'fais des couplets pourris
Fin d'soirée, toujours un coin d'canapé
Ma caisse est pas dans l'fossé parce qu'il garde la clef
Rien nous sépare même les grosses sommes
On élève pas les cochons mais on a soulevé quelques cochonnes
Mon pote rabaisse personne pour se mettre en valeur
C'est mon reflet, nous briser c'est risqué 7 ans d'malheur
Mon pote n'est pas une bête en chaleur
Et j'peux dormir tranquille le soir où j'lui présente ma soeur
Fidèle en amitié
Si j'ai plus les pieds sur terre mon pote me rappelle les lois d'la gravité
Toujours prêt, toujours le premier à rappliquer
En cas d'coup dur où pour une partie d'Play
C'est mon antidépresseur, mon lexo, mes amis n'sont pas tous des héros
En pratique on a tous nos défauts
Si un jour dans ma vie j'oubliais d'être réglo
J'réécouterais ce morceau comme une sorte de mémo

[Flynt & Orelsan]
C'est pour mon pote de 20 ans
Pour mon pote de maintenant
C'est mon pote dégueulasse et mon pote pimpant
Pour mon pote le plus vilain
Pour mon pote le plus con
Pour mon pote terre à terre
Pour mon pote sur Pluton
C'est pour mon pote tchatcheur et mon pote dyslexique
Mon pote à qui ma pote a dit non mais qui persiste
Pour mon pote chômeur, mon pote qui travaille
Pour mon pote kickeur, mon pote qui rappe mal
Mon pote boxeur, mon pote pianiste
Mon pote manutentionnaire, mon pote artiste
Mon pote crochet, mon pote Roger
Mon pote qui squatte chez un pote et qui a pas d'projet
Mon pote en costume, mon pote en coste-la
Mon pote qui vit à la campagne

Yes, it would be grossly untrue.

Henri Becquerel discovered radiation and it was further researched by himself and his two doctoral students Pierre Curie and Marie Curie, for which all three received a joint Nobel Prize.

Glenn Ford also appeared in these films in ascending order from 1939 until 1941
*(Imagine the film titles as thoroughbred quarter horse names and his character's names,that of their jockeys in the big race, with a seasoned announcer at the microphone lathering-on the color for the listening audience)

Texas
jockey-Tod Ramsey

So Ends Our Night
J-Ludwig Kern

Blondie Plays Cupid
J-Charlie

The Lady in Question
J-Pierre Morestan

Babies for Sale
J-Steve Burton/Oscar Hanson

Men Without Souls
J-Johnny Adams

Convicted Woman
J-Jim Brent

My Son Is Guilty
J-Barney

Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
J-Joe Riley

ANNNNND, they're OFF!

Which single building would you choose for each of them? Zaha Hadid's Pierres Vives building looks like a futuristic scifi drawing, or an alien spaceship, and is pretty darned cool. In my list that could stay as on as the official H