Officer Down

Trooper Samuel Newton Bullard
North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina
End of Watch Monday, May 21, 2018
Age 24
Tour 3 years
Badge E532

Trooper Samuel Bullard was killed in a vehicle crash while involved in a pursuit on I-77, near mile marker 82 in Yadkin County, at approximately 11:00 pm.

He and another trooper were conducting a drivers license checkpoint when a black BMW sped through and refused to stop. The troopers pursued the vehicle onto I-77. When the lead trooper no longer saw Trooper Bullard behind him, and could not raise him on the radio, he broke off the pursuit and turned around. Trooper Bullard's vehicle was located at mile marker 82 at a bridge abutment fully engulfed in flames.

The vehicle that was being pursued was later found abandoned. The driver was identified, arrested, and charged with murder, felony eluding, and driving on a revoked license.

Trooper Bullard had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for three years and was assigned to Surry County.

He is survived by his fiancee, parents, brother, sister, grandparents, and extended family.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Sweet Child of Mine...

As we head into the weekend, and my garage awaits (God help me, it's bad!) I'll leave you with this great cover of a GnR classic.

Enjoy...and have a great weekend.

Thank you for the link Charlotte C!

Officer Down

Police Officer Amy Caprio
Baltimore County Police Department, Maryland
End of Watch Monday, May 21, 2018
Age 29
Tour 3 years, 8 months
Badge 5785

Police Officer Amy Caprio was intentionally struck and killed by a vehicle driven by a juvenile burglary suspect in front of 7 Linwen Way in the Perry Hall area of Baltimore County.

She had responded to calls about a burglary in progress in the neighborhood at approximately 2:00 pm and was given a description of a black Jeep Wrangler. As she arrived in the area she located the vehicle, which had previously been stolen, and followed it to the dead-end of the cul-de-sac where she challenged the driver to exit the vehicle. The juvenile driver opened the door and then accelerated towards Officer Caprio, fatally striking her.

A volunteer firefighter who lived nearby immediately performed CPR until Officer Caprio was transported to Franklin Square Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The vehicle's driver abandoned the vehicle nearby and was taken into custody a short time later and charged as an adult with first-degree murder. The three other juveniles involved in the burglary were also apprehended and charged as adults with Officer Carpio's murder.

Officer Caprio is survived by her husband, parents, and sister.

Rest in Peace Sis…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Ayrian Michelle Williams
Monroe Police Department, Louisiana
End of Watch Monday, May 21, 2018
Age 26
Tour 6 months
Badge 211

Police Officer Ayrian Williams was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to assist another police officer at approximately 6:45 p.m.

She was travelling on the 1700 block of South 8th Street when another car pulled out in front of her. She attempted to avoid striking the car, but her patrol car entered a culvert and then went airborne, colliding with a tree. She was transported to St. Francis Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.

Officer Williams had served with the Monroe Police Department for six months. She is survived by her mother, brother, two sisters, and grandmother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Sergeant Kent Donald Swanson
Shelley Police Department, Idaho
End of Watch Monday, May 21, 2018
Age 47
Tour 16 years

Sergeant Kent Swanson suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to a disturbance call at approximately 10:30 pm.

Another officer on scene performed CPR until he was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Sergeant Swanson had served with the Shelley Police Department for 16 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Thomas Coulter
Daytona Beach Police Department, Florida
End of Watch Monday, May 21, 2018
Age 25
Tour 1 week

Police Officer Thomas Coulter suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting physical training in front of the Daytona Beach Police Department headquarters, on Valor Boulevard, on May 18th, 2018.

He was participating in a team job with other newly-hired police officers when he began to feel ill and collapsed. He was transported to a local hospital where his condition worsened. He passed away on May 21st, 2018.

Officer Coulter had served with the Daytona Beach Police Department for one week. He is survived by his wife of six months.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Some of my favorites...

One of my all time favorite actors with one of my all time favorite comedians. George C Scott roast Don Rickles.

And here is Billy Crystal at Muhammad Ali's funeral.

Enjoy some comedy for the weekend.

Ferguson is still the same after four years....

I really found this interesting. A governement relif mission failed. And they are surprized how?

Starbucks and other corporations came to Ferguson after Michael Brown was shot. But not to the neighborhood where he died.

Four years after Michael Brown was shot by police, the neighborhood where he was killed still feels left behind

When Starbucks opened here in 2016, politicians celebrated, predicting that the coffee chain would revitalize a city marred by violent protests over Michael Brown’s killing two years earlier.

Other corporations jumped in with multimillion-dollar commitments to help rebuild the majority-black town that became a global symbol of racial and economic inequality.

But four years after the unrest, nearly all of the new development is concentrated in the more prosperous — and whiter — parts of town, bypassing the predominantly black southeast neighborhood where Brown was fatally shot by a police officer while walking to his grandmother’s home.

The investments, rather than easing the economic gap, have deepened that divide.

“This is the forgotten Ferguson,” said Francesca Griffin, a St. Louis native who moved to the inner-ring suburb 13 years ago for the more-affordable home prices. “Time and time again, West Florissant Avenue just gets left out. And people are losing hope.”

The growing disparity is the result of decisions, large and small, that capture the difficulties of overcoming a legacy of racial segregation, economic exclusion and political disenfranchisement.

In Ferguson’s case, obstacles have included a corporate mind-set willing to take on only so much risk, a seeming lack of political will and a disadvantaged community’s inability to promote its own interests.

Of the more than $36 million in bricks-and-mortar development that poured into the city after 2014, only $2.4 million — for a job training center — has directly benefited this isolated pocket of Ferguson, according to an analysis of building-permit data provided by the city...

Read the rest if you will, but I'll focus on "obstacles have included a corporate mind-set willing to take on only so much risk." No kidding, that is the factor when you put out money in an investment. How much risk the investor is willing to accept is in direct correlation to what much benefit they will realize. And quite frankly, there is not much potential for great benefit in a community that destroyed itself based upon a lie ("Hands Up! Don't Shoot!) and not expects others to rebuild it.

The lack of the basic understanding of economics by liberal politicians is nothing short of astonishing to me. Especially seeing they understand it for themselves, right Obama, with your 60 million dollar advance for a book you will never write and likely won't read. But on a more serious note, I hear inner city politicians complain about "food deserts," areas where there are no major grocery stores. As to be expected, these race baiters complain of "racism." No, it's not racism, it's the fact they won't want their employees robbed or shot. Again, the correlation of risk and benefit.

Ferguson, you made your bed, now it's up to the good people in that city (the men and women who've invested in it before Brown was shot, and lost it after the poverty pimps destroyed the city) to rebuild it.

What's going on in the World Today 180719

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA

Naval Update Map: July 19, 2018

Air Force cuts pilot training by five weeks

New system looks to provide solution to aviator retention crisis

By Sig Christenson

Billy Calzada
T-38 instructor pilot Josh Thomson uses a computer flight simulator at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Thomson is assigned to the 560th Flying Training Squadron.

The Air Force has cut as much as five weeks from the time required to teach novice pilots to earn their wings, a move that will help it replace rapidly departing veteran aviators.

But some instructors are wary of the change, warning that it could lead to a disastrous future for the service.

The new syllabus already is in use and for the first time in decades will trim the duration of undergraduate pilot training — called UPT — from 54.7 weeks to an average of 49.2 weeks.

A key element is that the best students will be able to finish the course faster.

Several veteran instructor pilots, speaking on condition they not be identified because of possible retribution, expressed concern that the syllabus makeover is too much, too fast, and could lead to unintended and even deadly consequences...

Army Is Spending Half a Billion to Train Soldiers to Fight Underground:

The Army is training and equipping 26 of its 31 combat brigades for subterranean warfare.

U.S. Army leaders say the next war will be fought in mega-cities, but the service has embarked on an ambitious effort to prepare most of its combat brigades to fight, not inside, but beneath them.

Late last year, the Army launched an accelerated effort that funnels some $572 million into training and equipping 26 of its 31 active combat brigades to fight in large-scale subterranean facilities that exist beneath dense urban areas around the world.

For this new type of warfare, infantry units will need to know how to effectively navigate, communicate, breach heavy obstacles and attack enemy forces in underground mazes ranging from confined corridors to tunnels as wide as residential streets. Soldiers will need new equipment and training to operate in conditions such as complete darkness, bad air and lack of cover from enemy fire in areas that challenge standard Army communications equipment...

Production of howitzers flawed as Army nears $1.3B decision

Manufacturer faces poor welding, other issues, Pentagon says

BAE Systems’ manufacture of the U.S. Army’s new howitzer is hobbled by poor welding, supply chain problems and delivery delays even as the service nears a $1.3 billion decision on full production, according to the Pentagon’s contract management agency.

Among the setbacks have been a six-month halt in deliveries last year because of welding flaws and the return of 50 of 86 vehicles that had already been delivered due to repair production deficiencies.


Nevertheless, Army officials plan to meet on Thursday to decide on approval of full-rate production, the most lucrative phase for London-based BAE. That would trigger $1.3 billion in contract options and increase vehicle production to about 60 from 48 a year, according to a Pentagon program assessment...


F-35 Engine Upgrade Would Enable Directed Energy Weapons

Pratt & Whitney is refining its proposed upgrade path for the F135 Joint Strike Fighter engine to include increased power and thermal management system (PTMS) capability following feedback on its initially proposed upgrade package from the F-35 Joint Program Office.

Additional power and thermal management capability will enable the use of directed energy weapons and other advanced offensive and defensive systems and, if approved, would feature in an upgrade package called Growth Option 2.0 (GO2). Pratt & Whitney, which would roll PTMS into a suite of compressor and turbine enhancements originally proposed in the first upgrade package, G01, says the complete upgrade could be available within four years of getting the official go-ahead.

Growth Option 1.0, which was floated with the JPO in 2017, offered 5% fuel reductions and as much as 10% higher thrust. Offered as a cost-neutral upgrade, it was always meant to form part of a longer-term, two-stage improvement road map for the F-35 engine under plans first unveiled by the manufacturer in 2015. However, with the move to combine GO1 and 2 into a more complete enhancement package, Pratt is tailoring the revised proposal to closer match the F-35 upgrade road map recently outlined under the C2D2 continuous improvement strategy.
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

AFRICA

U.S. intelligence documents on Nelson Mandela made public

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Thousands of pages of U.S. intelligence documents on Nelson Mandela were made public on Wednesday, revealing that Washington continued to monitor the South African anti-apartheid hero as a potential Communist menace even after he was released from prison, a group that sued to obtain the papers said.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the 16th Nelson Mandela annual lecture, marking the centenary of the anti-apartheid leader's birth, in Johannesburg, South Africa July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
The Washington-based group Property of the People released the papers to mark the 100th anniversary of Mandela’s birth. It said it obtained them after years of litigation.

“The documents reveal that, just as it did in the 1950s and 60s with Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement, the FBI aggressively investigated the U.S. and South African anti-apartheid movements as Communist plots imperiling American security,” the group’s president Ryan Shapiro said in a statement.

ASIA

The Japanese Death Cult's String of Futility

Highlights

◾From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Aum Shinrikyo launched the most ambitious weapons-of-mass-destruction program ever by a non-state actor.
◾Despite devoting years of effort and tens of millions of dollars, the program met with only limited success.
◾Using more readily available weapons such as guns and explosives remains far cheaper and more effective in causing mass casualties.

On July 6, Japanese authorities executed Shoko Asahara, the founder of the apocalyptic Aum Shinrikyo cult, and six of his followers, closing the book on one of the most high-profile acts of terrorism in modern Japanese history. Aum Shinrikyo is best known for the March 1995 attack in which the group released the nerve agent sarin on five different trains in the Tokyo subway system, killing 12 people and sickening hundreds of others. But the group's most infamous action was far from its first attempt to inflict mass casualties on an unsuspecting public.

Not many people are aware that before the subway assault, Aum Shinrikyo used a variety of biological and chemical agents to conduct a number of assassination attempts and other attacks. It was responsible for 20 confirmed attacks or attempts between 1990 and 1995, 13 using chemical agents and seven using biological agents. The Japanese government further suspects that Aum Shinrikyo was behind another 13 attacks that remain unsolved. In addition, there were six others that are believed to be the work of individual members or copycats. The group also reportedly executed 20 or so dissident members using VX nerve agent.

EUROPE

Stuck Between the U.S. and the EU, Poland Explores Its Options

In this photograph, demonstrators carry Polish and European Union flags during a 2016 rally in Gdansk, Poland.

Highlights

◾Friction between the United States and the European Union will force Poland to find a balance between its main security ally and its main economic partners.

◾Poland will seek to preserve its alliance with the United States on issues varying from energy to security.

◾While Poland will remain skeptical of European integration, it will not do anything to jeopardize its membership in the Continental union.

These are turbulent times for U.S.-EU relations. In recent weeks, the White House and the European Union have clashed over various issues, including the Iran nuclear deal, defense and trade, and have produced friction that could disrupt the political, economic and security institutions that the United States and Europe created after World War II. The developments give most European countries cause for concern, but the issues represent a particularly significant challenge for Poland, because its main security ally — the United States — is at odds with its main economic partner — the European Union. The disputes threaten Poland's interests, but this period of difficulty also presents Warsaw with a variety of options and opportunities.

Poland's geopolitical relevance cannot be overstated. The largest country on the European Union's eastern flank has one of the fastest-growing economies in the bloc and is an important part of Germany's supply chain. It is also the only member of the European Union that shares a land border with both Russia (in Kaliningrad, one of the most heavily militarized areas on the Continent) and Ukraine (which has been in a military conflict with Russia since 2014). In addition, Poland, once the poster child for European integration, is now governed by a nationalist party that questions the benefits of European federalization and seeks alliances with like-minded countries in the region. Given that state of affairs, events in Poland have an impact that travels well beyond its borders...


Ukrainian troops keep Russia on their minds as they train with US Marines

MYKOLAIV REGION, Ukraine — The U.S. Marines were firing at a fictional enemy, but the Ukrainian marines firing by their side during the past few days had one very real adversary on their mind: Russia.

Exercise Sea Breeze, which launched July 9 and brings together 19 nations, is a lot like many other annual drills at the operational level, and it brought with it the standard messages from U.S. officials about European partnership and cooperation.

But in this case, Ukrainians are going to use what they learn to fight separatists backed by Russia, which took the Crimean Peninsula from them in 2014 and whose leader, Vladimir Putin, is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Monday in Helsinki.

Trump and Putin will discuss Ukraine, conflict in Syria and Russian election meddling in the U.S., Trump said last week.

Trump did not rule out recognizing as legitimate Russia’s seizure of Crimea, which he said happened on President Barack Obama’s watch.

The Russian takeover of the peninsula, where both the Russian and Ukrainian navies had headquarters, divided the Ukrainian 1st Marine Battalion, as many marines stayed in Crimea and sided with Russia.

Since then, the marines loyal to Ukraine — like U.S. Marines, their motto is “Always Faithful” — have deployed frequently to the country’s eastern region to fight the Russia-backed separatists...

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

AFGHANISTAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CHINA

China's Unlikely Weapon: Tourists

Highlights

China will increasingly play gatekeeper to the country's growing middle-class market for luxury goods, manufactures and food products. This consumer class will only gain more clout in the coming decades.

Flows of Chinese tourists will be an unexpected tool of statecraft, raising the potential for sharp disruptions to the travel and aviation sectors.

These risks are particularly high in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, but extend across Southeast Asia and into the islands of the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific.

Decades of explosive economic growth has handed China numerous tools it can use to exert its influence abroad. Massive defense outlays, foreign direct investment and the sprawling Belt and Road Initiative are the most visible expressions of China's economic might. But amid these earthshaking projects, the Chinese consumer has slowly gained clout. And as mounting trade tensions with the United States have shown, China can and will regulate access to its growing market...


IRAN

Iran opens new centrifuge rotor factory: nuclear chief

Tehran has vowed to boost uranium enrichment capacity to pressure remaining signatories to live up to the nuclear deal.

An Iranian factory has started to produce rotors for up to 60 centrifuges a day, upping the stakes in a confrontation with the United States over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.

The announcement by the head of Iran's atomic agency on Wednesday came a month after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered agencies to prepare to increase uranium enrichment capacity, if the nuclear deal with world powers falls apart after Washington's withdrawal.

Under terms of the 2015 agreement, which was also signed by Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief...

The other signatories have scrambled to save the accord, arguing it offers the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Iran has said it will wait to see what the other powers will do, but signalled it is ready to get its enrichment activities back on track. It has regularly said its nuclear programme is just for electricity generation and other peaceful projects...

...Salehi also told state TV on Wednesday the effort to acquire uranium has resulted in a stockpile of as much as 950 tonnes.

He said Iran imported 400 tonnes since the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, bringing its stockpile to between 900-950 tonnes - up from 500 tonnes.

Salehi said that's enough for Iran to reach its longtime goal of 190,000 centrifuge machines to enrich uranium.

The nuclear accord limits Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent, enough to use in a nuclear power plant but far lower than the 90 percent needed for an atomic weapon.

However, since the US pulled out of the deal in May, Iran has vowed to boost enrichment capacity to put pressure on the remaining signatories to live up to the agreement.

IRAQ

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ISRAEL

Israel: Hamas to Wind Down Arson Attacks With Kites

What Happened: After a report that Israel's government might have no choice but to embark on a military campaign in the Gaza Strip if airborne arson attacks using kites do not cease, Hamas has reportedly agreed to gradually decrease the attacks, The Times of Israel reported July 18.

Why It Matters: While neither Hamas nor Israel wants to go to war, miscalculations or mistakes from either side could lead to one.

Background: Individuals in the Gaza Strip have repeatedly used incendiary devices tied to kites to set fires near the Israel-Gaza border. A major economic crisis is enabling Palestinian factions to challenge Hamas' legitimacy as the leader of Palestinian militancy.

KOREAN PENNSULEA

The Singapore Summit in Perspective: Lessons from the Israeli-Arab Conflict
By: Stephen J. Blank
July 10, 2018
Commentary, Foreign Affairs

The path toward North Korea’s denuclearization will be strewn with obstacles and will be difficult to navigate. It will also be time-consuming, given the inherently intractable and complex verification challenges that lie ahead. Likewise, ending the state of war on the peninsula will take time. After 70 years of hostility between North and South Korea, it would be naïve to expect instant results in the process of political reconciliation, establishing a sustainable peace regime and normalizing relations.

Moreover, Americans are notoriously impatient for results and have difficulty dealing with diplomatic complexities. To maintain perspective when dealing with the North Korean challenge, it might be instructive to ponder some of the problems associated with the resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict and the Camp David summit process that led to a formal peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

We should first remember that initially only Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel—and only after strenuous US mediation to broker a deal. By contrast, the US is a combatant in the Korean War and one of the main protagonists in this process, not a trusted mediator and broker as it was at Camp David. Second, the Korean question, unlike brokering Egyptian-Israeli peace, involves overcoming the division of what was previously a unified polity into two hostile camps and thus has elements of resolving a civil war; a notoriously difficult and lengthy process.

The Trump administration may have backed off its previous position that North Korea’s complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) must happen immediately at the beginning of the negotiations, although there are conflicting accounts of the “asks” in the negotiation process. It is likely that the process will be closer to Kim Jong Un’s vision of a phased and incremental process of denuclearization involving mutual concessions by both sides....


A Black Korean in Pyongyang

Ethnic identity is the latest issue to split the two Koreas.

Steven DenneyJuly 17, 2018, 9:43 AM
This photo taken on July 5, 2018 shows players from North (red) and South Korea (blue) competing during a friendly men's basketball match at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-Yung Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang. (KIM WON-JIN/AFP/Getty Images)
This photo taken on July 5, 2018 shows players from North (red) and South Korea (blue) competing during a friendly men's basketball match at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-Yung Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang. (KIM WON-JIN/AFP/Getty Images)
For the 12,000 North Koreans packed into Pyongyang’s Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium earlier this month, South Korean athlete Ra Gun-ah must have been an unexpected sight. Ra is a 6-foot-8 power forward. He’s also black.

Ra, also known as Ricardo Ratliffe, first moved to South Korea from the United States in 2012 and became a South Korean citizen this January. That may seem surprising: South Korea has a long history of ethno-nationalism and laws that excluded outsiders and defined citizenship in racial terms. The Nationality Act, promulgated in 1948, specified that only children of an ethnically Korean father deserved nationality.

Revisions to the act, starting in the late 1990s, opened the naturalization process to children with foreign fathers, spouses of South Korean citizens, and incomers like Ratliffe, among other changes. Social attitudes have gradually followed the law. But while South Korean concepts of identity and belonging have radically changed, North Korea’s haven’t — and that could be a problem.

The basketball game, in which the North and South mixed their teams, calling one “peace” and the other “prosperity,” was part of an increase in inter-Korean cultural exchanges. As the barriers between the two countries begin to erode, a cloistered Korea will be meeting a global Korea.

What North and South Koreans think defines the Korean nation has diverged considerably...


RUSSIA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

Saudi Arabia: Israel Asks U.S. to Limit Saudi Nuclear Deal

What Happened: Israel's government has asked Washington to include certain limits in the nuclear energy deal it is negotiating with Saudi Arabia to ensure that Riyadh cannot start a nuclear weapons program, Axios reported July 8.

Why It Matters: Israel wants to restrict Saudi capabilities to enrich uranium and potentially start a nuclear weapons program, despite the Saudi goal of attaining full control over a uranium enrichment process.

Background: Saudi Arabia has been attempting to gain nuclear power capabilities for more than a decade and is currently in negotiations with multiple countries, including China, Russia and the United States.

CYBER ISSUES

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

TERRORISM

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

MISC

10 Technologies That Are Reshaping Aerospace

Hypersonic Acceleration

The U.S. military has gone from ignoring to prioritizing hypersonics in barely two years after decades of on-again, off-again research frittered away a technological lead over Russia and China. Now there are at least three U.S. high-speed strike missiles in development and an urgent requirement to defend against its adversaries’ hypersonic weapons. DARPA’s rocket-accelerated Tactical Boost Glide and scramjet-powered Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept demonstrators are to fly in 2019, and Lockheed Martin’s rocket-powered Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon is planned to be operational with the Air Force in 2022. If sustained, this push also will ramp up ground- and flight-testing for reusable systems.

Aviation Electrified

With a half-dozen prototypes flying and scores more projects of variable credibility, the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) market is lifting off. But achieving stable flight will require the air-taxi sector to demonstrate high safety and low noise, as well as overcome challenges from aircraft certification and vehicle manufacturing to airspace integration and infrastructure development. But as Uber’s 2020 target for demonstration flights draws closer, serious funding and several major players are already on board the urban air-mobility bandwagon, including Airbus, Bell, Boeing and Embraer.


Credit: Kitty Hawk


Alternative Energy

Today’s batteries are poor repositories for energy compared with aviation fuel, but the potential for reduced energy costs and emissions has the aviation industry interested. And it goes beyond propulsion: The potential for clean and quiet auxiliary power on aircraft has manufacturers exploring alternatives to today’s small turbines, such as fuel cells. NASA is researching systems that produce hydrogen for solid oxide fuel cells by reforming kerosene. It also is looking further into the future, from safer, high-energy-density lithium-air batteries to flow batteries running on charged liquids that are handled like fuels.

Going Beyond

From inspecting miles of railway tracks and surveying square miles of farmland, to mapping mines and delivering packages, unmanned aircraft are poised to be let off the leash. The ability to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator is expected to unlock the true commercial potential of drones. Pilot projects from Canada and the U.S. to Switzerland and the UK, and beyond to Australia and Japan, are helping to develop the technology and operations—and define the regulations and policy—for BVLOS, whether over short distances in urban environments or long ranges in national airspace.

Lasers Versus Drones

The threat from small unmanned aircraft is driving a high-tech response, as directed-energy weapons move rapidly from laboratory to field testing and potential deployment as a cost-effective countermeasure. With a low cost-per-shot and the ability to keep firing as long as there is power, high-energy lasers look likely to be fielded first to counter inexpensive drones while higher-power systems are perfected that can intercept rockets and cruise missiles, and then go on to defend combat aircraft, arm special-operations gunships and, ultimately, knock out ballistic missiles in their boost phase.

Tracking From Space

Space-based air traffic surveillance is set to go live by year-end with launch of the remaining spacecraft in Iridium’s new constellation of low-Earth-orbit communications satellites hosting Aireon’s automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) payload. Operational trials are planned to begin over the North Atlantic in early 2019. With backing from five air navigation service providers and agreements with others, Aireon will provide global aircraft tracking and emergency location. And it will not be alone: Aerial & Maritime plans to offer space-based ADS-B from 2021 using nanosatellites from GomSpace.

Low-Cost Launch

Small satellites came first, but smallsat launcher startups are moving rapidly to provide a more cost-effective and convenient route to low Earth orbit than a piggyback ride on one of the industry’s big boosters. Rocket Lab’s Electron has flown, Virgin Orbit wants to air-launch its LauncherOne by summer’s end, and Vector launch hopes to make its first orbital flight from Kodiak, Alaska, toward the end of 2018. Building on this commercial activity, DARPA is offering a $10 million top prize for launching two payloads from two locations, with only days’ notice, in a competitive challenge to be staged late in 2019.

Large-Part Printing

Aerospace has faced two key challenges in embracing additive manufacturing. The first has been moving to high-strength metal from low-strength polymer parts and is well underway, with 3D-printed titanium components flying on Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The second is moving from the small parts that can be produced today to the large components used in aircraft structures, and is beginning. The next challenge is in reimagining how components can be engineered, which requires new tools and new thinking by designers. And what lies ahead? Additively manufactured fiber-reinforced composites and 3D printing space already are advancing.

Robots on the Move

Robots are used routinely in aircraft assembly, bringing speed and repeatability to the drilling and fastening of large structures. But such machines are inflexible, immovable monuments designed to perform one task on one aircraft type or family. A glimpse of a possible automated future is provided by demonstrations of “cobots,” smaller robots that work alongside humans on complex assemblies, or German research institute Fraunhofer’s mobile robot, which can move itself around the factory floor to precision-machine aircraft structures where they stand.

AI Inside

Autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to become as essential to aviation as aerodynamics and propulsion. AI is taking root on the ground, where machine learning is being applied to extracting knowledge from data, but competition for bandwidth means AI will have to take flight and move from the data center to the aircraft—to be co-located with the sensors collecting the data being analyzed and used. Edge computing—low-power supercomputers on chips—and massive onboard data storage also will be key enablers for increasingly autonomous flight and mission capabilities.

Officer Down

Police Officer Emmett Paul Morris
Raleigh Police Department, Mississippi
End of Watch Thursday, May 17, 2018
Age 61

Police Officer Paul Morris was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 18, near Highway 35, at approximately 12:00 pm.

His patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree before becoming engulfed in flames.

Officer Morris had served with the Raleigh Police Department for two years and previously served with the Reservoir Police Department.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Eico
Davis County Sheriff's Department, Iowa
End of Watch Sunday, March 11, 2018
Breed Belgian Malinois
Gender Male
Age 2
Tour 2 years

K9 Eico was struck and killed by a vehicle in the 2100 block of Lilac Avenue.

Eico's handler had stopped to fuel up his patrol car and to allow him to exercise. Eico inadvertently ran onto Lilac Avenue and was struck by a vehicle.

K9 Eico had served with the Davis County Sheriff's Department for two years.

Rest in Peace Eico…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Another reason journalist are considered lower than whale dung....

In times past, reporters had to have a few basic characteristics to be good. Command of the language, a willingness to investigate the matter they were reporting (not just reprinting the fax they got from the office), at least some integrity, and some common knowledge of what the hell they were writing on. A few days ago I saw this article and I had to laugh:

CBS News...enough said.

But it never occurred to the "journalist" to call someone who knew what the hell they were talking about before they put this garbage out. Then again, last New Year's Eve in Houston, there was a report of a man in a hotel with an "arsenal." Granted, this is soon after the Las Vegas mass shooting, but calling one Glock 9mm, one 870 shotgun, and one AR-15 an "arsenal" is a bit of hyperbole.

Reporters, journalism degrees don't give you knowledge of the craft, getting off your ass and investigating the story does. Try asking questions of people who know what they are talking about before you make an ass out of yourself in front of millions.

At least this reporter didn't put this up:

Officer Down

Police Officer Lance Christian Whitaker
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Age 48
Tour 18 years
Badge 7656

Police Officer Lance Whitaker was killed in a single-vehicle crash on northbound I-295, near Alta Drive, at approximately 4:30 a.m.

He was responding to another accident scene on the interstate when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

An example of cops joining the fire department....

Or as I once said, "Going Galt."

From an article I wrote in the American Thinker last year:

Cops are pulling back and yes, “women and minorities” will be "hardest hit."

...I recently read an article on the results of the “reforms” of the Chicago Police Department from the Obama “Just-Us" Department and the American Criminal Lovers Union. And the results:...

According to the report, the number of investigatory stops fell from more than 1.3 million in 2014 and 2015 to just over 54,000 in the first six months of 2016…”

Lets look at those numbers. Assume 650,000 investigatory stops per year, you've now dropped to around 110,000 per year now. One fifth of the previous numbers. What are the results?:

Chicago murders per year:

2013: 422

2014: 428

2015: 495

2016: 747

2017: 134 (As of March 28, 2017)

You read that right, murder increased 50% in one year...

Now we have Baltimore and their "reforms," inflicted upon them by the B Hussein Obama regime and his "Just-Us" department:

Baltimore police stopped noticing crime after Freddie Gray's death. A wave of killings followed.

BALTIMORE – Just before a wave of violence turned Baltimore into the nation’s deadliest big city, a curious thing happened to its police force: officers suddenly seemed to stop noticing crime.

Police officers reported seeing fewer drug dealers on street corners. They encountered fewer people who had open arrest warrants.

Police questioned fewer people on the street. They stopped fewer cars.

In the space of just a few days in spring 2015 – as Baltimore faced a wave of rioting after Freddie Gray, a black man, died from injuries he suffered in the back of a police van – officers in nearly every part of the city appeared to turn a blind eye to everyday violations. They still answered calls for help. But the number of potential violations they reported seeing themselves dropped by nearly half. It has largely stayed that way ever since.

“What officers are doing is they’re just driving looking forward. They’ve got horse blinders on,” says Kevin Forrester, a retired Baltimore detective.

The surge of shootings and killings that followed has left Baltimore easily the deadliest large city in the United States. Its murder rate reached an all-time high last year; 342 people were killed. The number of shootings in some neighborhoods has more than tripled. One man was shot to death steps from a police station. Another was killed driving in a funeral procession.

What's happening in Baltimore offers a view of the possible costs of a remarkable national reckoning over how police officers have treated minorities...

As an old friend of mine says, "DA!"

Go out there, look at the area, see the problems and take action...and get complained on, investigated, terminated, prosecuted...now go out there and do a good job! A few good looks at the results of the Obama regime's war on cops:

...So has the U.S. Justice Department. During the Obama administration, the department launched wide-ranging civil rights investigations of troubled police forces, then took them to court to compel reforms. Under President Donald Trump, Washington has largely given up that effort. "If you want crime to go up, let the ACLU run the police department," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at a gathering of police officials in May...

Whether that scrutiny would cause policing to suffer – or crime to rise – has largely remained an open question.

Well put Mr. Attorney General, very well put. Who would have thought the American Criminal Lovers Union would be hostile to cops. Some details on Baltimore:

Millions of police records show officers in Baltimore respond to calls as quickly as ever. But they now begin far fewer encounters themselves. From 2014 to 2017, dispatch records show the number of suspected narcotics offenses police reported themselves dropped 30 percent; the number of people they reported seeing with outstanding warrants dropped by half. The number of field interviews – instances in which the police approach someone for questioning – dropped 70 percent.

I remember back in 2000 (?) one morning my agency called in all lieutenants and above for an emergency meeting. That afternoon we were told at roll call, "You will start collecting demographic data on all your self initiated actions, on view investigations, traffic stops...you must document all of the racial and sex data of these on this forms and the department will start analyzing the data. If your percentages are not normal, that is if you pull over 100 whites and give 50 of them tickets, then of every 100 blacks you should give around 50 of them tickets...if not, you can be investigated, suspended, terminated or prosecuted...."

We could tell the lieutenant was uncomfortable with this, as he knew it was putting us at an unknown risk. We didnt' know what would happen with this order, so we did what any logical person would do. We did nothing! People in roll call would take that "self initiated" form and put a big "0" on top of it. In certain areas, tickets dropped 60% in a few days.

And in a few days, the department put out "additional guidance," basically a message saying we're not going to screw you for doing your job.

I've said this countless times, effective law enforcement, no matter if you used "Community Policing," "Intelligence Based Policing," or the "Broken Window Theory," must be assertive. Cops must go out, know their areas, know the problem people and concentrate their efforts on the relatively few criminals that commit the most crime. The war on cops is currently at a cease fire with the Trump administration. But cops are not trusting, and we saw how close it came to having Mrs. Bill Clinton, who had "Mothers of the Movement" at their convention in 2016, blaming black deaths on cops. We were assured the war on cops would continue in a third Obama term, which she promised. So it will take a while to recover from the damage.

The article shows more details on the disaster that Baltimore has turned out to become. The future is undetermined, but certain things are pretty certain. The population of Baltimore will continue to elect anti-law enforcement race baiting poverty pimps, and the BPD will have more trouble recruiting candidates. Sorry big city Democrats, you made your bed, now lay in it.

A great cartoon on the Supreme Court.....

I was surfing the web and found this great cartoon site, Michael P. Ramirez: In Defense of Liberty. It has some great ones.

While I have my reservations about Kavanaugh, I shudder at the thought of Mrs. Bill Clinton making this appointment. And yes, the five members here will hopefully be working on a restoration of the U. S. Constitution.

And this is classic!

Here's to a bad night to the Democrats in the Senate!

I've heard of some stupid reasons to commit a felony....

But this is a classic. Stabbing a woman because the waitress brushed against her leg...

4 suspects in assault of Applebee’s waitress identified

Jul 14, 2018

A waitress required 15 stitches after she was attacked by four women she served Tuesday night at a Henry County Applebee’s, police said.

The women beat and punched the waitress and stabbed her in the forearm with a steak knife, McDonough police Maj. Kyle Helgerson told AJC.com. They allegedly took her tip money before they skipped out on a $62.57 bill.

Helgerson said it all started when the women were having dinner at the Industrial Boulevard location in McDonough, and one of the diners was sitting with her leg out in an aisle.

“The waitress had brushed up against her leg,” Helgerson said. “There was an initial conversation about that.”

The waitress, who is in her 20s, reportedly apologized to the woman, claiming it was an accident. After the table complained about not receiving their food, the waitress went to the kitchen to retrieve it, according to a police report.

“She came back a second time to serve them with food or drinks and brushed up against (the woman) again,” Helgerson said. “That infuriated the suspect.”

The server tried to walk away, but the situation turned violent.

“All four of them got out of the table and began to assault the waitress,” Helgerson said, one of them grabbing a steak knife.

Fellow diners stepped in to break up the fight, and the women ran out of the restaurant with the stolen tips, according to police. They were seen leaving the restaurant parking lot in a white Infiniti SUV...

I hope the county has a better DA and judges than Harris County. In the Houston area these women would have been RoRed by now.

But in all seriousness, what justifies that? Answer, nothing.

Officer Down

Deputy Inspector General Richard W. Hale
Texas Juvenile Justice Department - Office of Inspector General, Texas
End of Watch Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Age 46
Tour 16 years
Badge 218

Deputy Inspector General Richard Hale was killed in a vehicle crash on FM 51, north of Decatur, Texas.

He was returning to Gainesville, Texas, following a meeting with state prosecutors in Decatur. His department vehicle collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer.

Deputy Inspector General Hale had served in law enforcement for 16 years. He had served with the Decatur Police Department before joining the Texas Juvenile Justice Department - Office of Inspector General. He is survived by his wife and eight children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Alex Isai Sable
York City Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Age 37
Tour 4 years
Badge 187

Police Officer Alex Sable died after suffering a heart attack during a SWAT training exercise at Community College of Baltimore County-Dundalk Campus in Dundalk, Maryland, on May 6th, 2018.

He was participating in a SWAT school hosted by the Baltimore County Police Department. The participants were conducting a water rescue training exercise in a campus pool. As Officer Sable exited the pool at the end of the exercise he suffered cardiac arrest. On-site medics and firefighters immediately performed CPR. He was transported to a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained until passing away on May 9th, 2018.

Officer Sable served with the York City Police Department for four years and was a U.S Marine Corps veteran. He was a member of the York County Quick Response Team and is survived by his wife and three children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff William J. Gentry, Jr.
Highlands County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Monday, May 7, 2018
Age 40
Tour 13 years
Badge 2247
Incident Date Sunday, May 6, 2018

Deputy Sheriff William Gentry succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous night while responding to an animal abuse call at a home in the 200 block of Baltimore Way in which a homeowner's cat had been fatally shot with a pellet gun.

He and a deputy he was training had responded to the victim's home. During the investigation Deputy Gentry went to the suspect's home, a convicted felon who lived next door, to make contact with him. As he stood at the front door the suspect opened fire on him, shooting him in the head.

The 69-year-old subject was taken into custody at the scene and charged with numerous counts.

Deputy Gentry was flown to Lee Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his wound the following day.

Deputy Gentry had served with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office for 13 years. He is survived by a brother, who also serves with the agency.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Who said Hollywood is dead....

Me, actually a few weeks ago, in another post.

But looking over the Drudge Report while at an extra job this morning, I saw this great news on what movies Hollywood is pushing out for the rest of the summer.

Class, Acceptance and the KKK: These Movies Have Something to Say

Hollywood tends to pack summer with escapist flicks — popcorn movies that have little to do with the real world, unless you consider rampaging dinosaurs a pressing societal problem.

But these five socially-conscious films are sneaking into cinemas, and each has something compelling to say.

Sorry To Bother You
This surrealistic comedy starring Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) and Tessa Thompson (Creed) is earning rave reviews for wicked social satire that touches on race, class and capitalism.

Stanfield plays Cassius Green, a telemarketer in Oakland whose career takes off once he adopts a “white” telephone voice with customers...

Blindspotting
The dramedy is likewise set in Oakland and takes on similarly timely themes, but with a more dramatic tone. Real-life childhood friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote, co-produced and co-star in the film, with a gentrifying Bay Area serving as the backdrop to the action.

Diggs plays a man on probation who desperately tries to steer clear of trouble, but finds his future jeopardized when he witnesses a white cop shoot a fleeing black man.

That all-too-realistic scenario gives Blindspotting its bite. The film, set to open July 20, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it received an enthusiastic reception. It picked up a Directors to Watch award at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival...

Far From the Tree
Also opening July 20, is the documentary Far From the Tree. Directed by Rachel Dretzin, it explores families where “the apple fell far from the tree” — in other words, situations where children differ significantly from their parents because of autism, Down Syndrome, dwarfism, transgenderism or other characteristics.

Night Comes On
Jordana Spiro makes her feature directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed Night Comes On, opening on August 3.

Described as a “female revenge drama,” the film revolves around Angel LaMere (played by Dominique Fishback), who after her release from juvenile hall goes on a mission to settle scores with her father. Along for the journey is Angel’s younger sister, Abby (newcomer Tatum Marilyn Hall)...

BlacKkKlansman
Questions of racism and entrenched white supremacy pervade Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman.

The director’s latest joint is based on the true story of an African-American detective in the 1970s who infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado.

“This film to me is a wake-up call,” Lee said at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where the movie made its world premiere. “I know in my heart — I don’t care what the critics say or anybody else — we are on the right side of history with this film.”

BlacKkKlansman was awarded the Grand Prize at Cannes....

Of course it did.

I have to say the trailer for BlacKkKlansman is interesting, but Mr. Lee's projection of a hand full of idiots are representing America is getting tiresome. And the same for Hollywood in general.

You would think after seeing the NFL loose almost 20% of it's audience on unfounded leftist lectures to the audience that Hollywood would get a clue. But no, they want to be popular in their own circles as opposed to making a buck. They just don't seem to get that people pay money to escape their daily routine. But that's not good enough. And the liberals who've taken over their institutions go on their merry way, destroying everything they touch.

I see my Netflix and AmazonPrime being used more now. Not many films I'm gonna pay fifteen bucks a ticket for.

Officer Down

Agent Joel Alexis Pantojas-Fuente
San Juan Police Department, Puerto Rico
End of Watch Sunday, May 6, 2018
Age 41
Tour 18 years
Badge Not available

Agent Joel Pantojas-Fuente was struck and killed by a vehicle at approximately 7:05 am while assisting a disabled motorist on the Luis A. Ferre Expressway (PR-52), near the San Juan-Caguas city limits.

He was en route home at the end of his shift when he encountered the vehicle in the left lane on the highway. He activated the emergency equipment on his department motorcycle and was attempting to push the vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway. Another vehicle entered the area, struck his motorcycle, then struck him as he pushed the vehicle. The collision caused him to become pinned under the vehicle. Agent Pantojas-Fuente died at the scene.

The driver who struck him passed sobriety tests.

Agent Pantojas-Fuente had served with the San Juan Municipal Police Department for 18 years. He is survived by his wife and two sons. His wife also serves as a San Juan police officer.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Robert Shawn Pitts
Terre Haute Police Department, Indiana
End of Watch Friday, May 4, 2018
Age 45
Tour 16 years
Badge 196

Police Officer Rob Pitts was shot and killed while conducting a homicide investigation at the Garder Quarter Apartments on Linwood Court.

Investigators were following up on leads from a homicide that occurred earlier in the day. As Officer Pitts and other detectives approached the homicide suspect's apartment they man opened fire on them, fatally wounding Officer Pitts. Officer Pitts was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

The subject who shot him was located deceased inside of his apartment after barricading himself inside.

Officer Pitts had served with the Terre Haute Police Department for 16 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Charles Whites
Round Rock Police Department, Texas
End of Watch Friday, April 27, 2018
Age 63
Tour 19 years
Badge A153
Cause Vehicular assault
Incident Date Sunday, February 25, 2018

Police Officer Charles Whites succumbed to injuries sustained on February 25th, 2018, while directing traffic around the scene of fatal accident on I-35 near Round Rock Avenue.

A vehicle being operated by a drunk driver struck him, causing him to suffer severe injuries. Officer Whites was transported to a local hospital where he remained in grave condition until succumbing to his injuries on April 27th, 2018.

The driver who struck him was initially charged with intoxication assault.

Officer Whites had served with the Round Rock Police Department for 19 years. He is survived by his wife and stepson.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.