Light weight fighter

Textron, ( parent of Cessna and Bell helicoptor) and a new company Airland, are developing a new light jet fighter, called Scorpion, on their own money.  Scorpion is a big step up from the turbo prop Super Tuscano light fighter in terms of range, payload and speed.  It's main claim to fame will be low cost per flying hour.  Textron-Airland is claiming $3000 per flying hour, which is cheap cheap cheap compared to $24,899 per flying hour for an F-16.  For missions in friendly airspace (Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, South America) where the supersonic speed and huge payload of  advanced fighters isn't needed,  it could be a winner. 
  The aircraft is a twin engine, two seat, smallish aircraft, capable of lifting 10,000 pounds of bombs and rockets, 2400 mile ferry range, with a modest top speed of 430 knots.  The Viet Nam era F105 Thunderchief usually flew with only 4500 pounds of bombs, which makes the Scorpion a heavy duty bomber.  With its modest top speed, Scorpion is dead meat against enemy fighters, but if the enemy doesn't have fighters, it's home free. 
   Can they sell Scorpion to USAF?  It will be a tough sell.  USAF is run by fighter pilots who want to buy the hottest fighter possible.  These are combat veterans who all have memories of that time when a little extra speed or altitude or firepower saved their lives.  Guys like this don't like to buy second best any thing, they want to buy only the best.  Then there is the budget crunch.  USAF is short on money and looking around for things to cut to stay in business.  The thought of  sacrificing some F-35 money, and some F-35's, to get mixed up with a low performance light weight fighter isn't going to be attractive.  Textron-Airland is going to have to pitch the Scorpion to the Pentagon bean counters, who like cheap cheap cheap, rather than Air Force officers. 
   If USAF buys some, then it can be sold overseas.  Overseas buyers look on USAF acceptance as a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  If the Americans will fly it, it's got to be OK.  If the Americans aren't flying it, its probably a death trap. 

Welfare for Lawyers

The TV News announced that the lawyers are going to stall around on the Boston bomber case for another four months.  They will tell us what they are going to charge him with in January of 2014.  And I am sure the lawyers will all be drawing full pay for doing nothing.  We know what Tsarnaev did,  first degree murder, a dozen counts.  You don't have to be a lawyer to know that.
   Let's get on with it.   We should have put him on trial  back in June, convicted him and executed him.  Justice delayed is justice denied.  

Dealing with Assad's chemical weapons.

Lots of talk about this subject, negotiations, sharing of credit/blame.  Assad asked for $1 billion dollars to destroy his poison gas.  Henry Kissenger  said nice things about it this morning.  Kerry has had meetings with the Russian foreign minister.  Looks like the "international community" is setting up for a years long carnival.

   Here's what ought to be done.  Intelligence reports that the Syrians have 1000 tons of stuff.  That's a little too heavy to lift out with helicopters.  But an ordinary Army truck can handle 5 tons with ease.  That means 200 truckloads.  We can do that.  Have some tanks to lead the convoy,  bring infantry in armored personnel carriers, provide air support, some choppers right over head, jet fighters on 5 minute alert to back them up.  Drive to the storage site.  Drive the lead tanks thru the gate.  Doesn't matter whether the gate is open or closed.  Load the chemical weapons onto the trucks.  Drive back to the seaport.  Drive trucks, tanks, APC's and all right onto the Roll on/ Roll off cargo ship waiting at the pier.  Steam out of harbor.
   Repeat for each Syrian chemical weapons storage site.  The Economist published a map showing where they are.  If they know, surely Mossad or CIA can do as well.  

   Of course this means American troops going on the ground in Syria.  That will cause intense political heartburn in DC.   But, it will solve the problem of Assad's chemical weapons, for real.  

Obamacare Software Fail?

The newsies are talking about a bit of software that was supposed to compute Obamacare subsidies is broken.  Well, if you hire lame programmers maybe.  But this is such a simple problem, I could have programmed it, tested it and delivered it in a month.  Compared to programs the keep track of every airline seat in the world, all the space junk in orbit,  routing a 20 layer PC board,  figuring Obama care benefits is child's play.
   The newsies have been concealing the name of the contractor lest he be mocked. 

Benghazi.

Adminstration spokesmen, and your run of the mill democrat, keep saying that no help was available to Benghazi on the night they died.
  Not true.
  We have airbases in Sicily, which is only 400 miles away.  Less than an hour's flying time.  1960's vintage jet fighters could reach out 1200 miles from base. Using only onboard fuel, no tanker support.   21st century fighters ought to be able to do as well.  And we have a Mediterranean Sea full of US aircraft carriers.
   Just a single fighter, flying low over our consulate, would have sent a powerful message to Islamist terrorists. Go supersonic and really get their attention.
   The fighting lasted SEVEN hours.  I could have gotten aircraft out of periodic inspection and into the air in that amount of time.  Back when I was in USAF we kept fighters on 5 minute alert, 24/7.
   And how come Obama fired two general officers, General Carter Ham and Admiral Charles Gaouette, the day after Benghazi.  Was it because they were going to send the cavalry to Benghazi on their own authority?

Obamacare comes to NH

   Start up a monopoly.  Anthem is the only insurance company that will be in the NH insurance "exchanges".  All others are shut down.  As soon as Anthem was granted monopoly power, they tell one third of NH hospitals and their associated doctors, to buzz off.  Anthem will not pay any medical bills at the blacklisted hospitals or their doctors.  Littleton Regional Hospital (my hospital) was on the hit list but managed to dodge the bullet somehow and got saved. 
    Is there a difference between "single payer" and monopoly?
   Anthem claims that blacklisting one third of the hospitals in NH will save them money.  It will certainly put a lot of hospitals out of business.  

Words of the Weasel Part 35

"I'm a paid non attorney spokesperson"   Translation.  "I'm a hired liar".