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The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
This thesis utilizes Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM), a government-owned computer model, to determine the optimum stationing of an AEGIS ship in an Anti-Theater Ballistic Missile (ATBM) role defending two cities. The conclusions stated depend upon the validity of that model. The AEGIS ship's command being unsure of enemy launch sites and target intentions, the geometrically worst-case enemy launch points against the cities were modeled. Numerous potential positions from which an AEGIS ship could actively defend the cities with its Surface-to Air missiles were assessed by simulation. Those positions which appeared advantageous were additionally evaluated in order to obtain greater confidence in the results of the ship's defense from those assigned stations. In order to aid in visualization of the results, expected TBM hits on the cities, and raid attrition by the AEGIS ship, were displayed on scatter, three-dimensional surface, and contour plots, from which the optimal stationing area of the ship was indicated.
This thesis utilizes Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM), a government-owned computer model, to determine the optimum stationing of an AEGIS ship in an Anti-Theater Ballistic Missile (ATBM) role defending two cities. The conclusions stated depend upon the validity of that model. The AEGIS ship's command being unsure of enemy launch sites and target intentions, the geometrically worst-case enemy launch points against the cities were modeled. Numerous potential positions from which an AEGIS ship could actively defend the cities with its Surface-to-Air missiles were assessed by simulation. Those positions which appeared advantageous were additionally evaluated in order to obtain greater confidence in the results of the ship's defense from those assigned stations. In order to aid in visualization of the results, expected TBM hits on the cities, and raid attrition by the AEGIS ship, were displayed on scatter, three-dimensional surface, and contour plots, from which the optimal stationing area of the ship was indicated.
The author wishes to thank many of the faculty and staff of the Naval Postgraduate School who showed an interest in this topic and assisted me in overcoming computing systems, software, and theory in an attempt to tackle this problem.
Particularly, I'd like to thank Mike McCann and Matthew Koebbe of the NPS Computer Center's Visualization Laboratory for their assistance with the UNIX operating system and using Silicon Graphics computers. I received invaluable help interacting with EXTENDED AIR DEFENSE SIMULATION from Dan Yates of Teledyne Brown Engineering and Tom Dalm and Todd Gandy of CAS, Inc.
Lastly, I wish to thank my thesis advisors, Professor Donald P. Gaver and LCDR Mary S. Russo, and second reader, Professor Patricia A. Jacobs, for their much-tested patience. They dedicated a great deal of time to give me an appreciation of doing meaningful analysis.
PROBLEM: A recommendation for the advantageous positioning of an AEGIS ship to intercept Theater Ballistic Missile (TBM) threats in a given scenario is required by the decisionmaker and is the focus of this study.
The coalition's defense against SCUD missiles during Operation DESERT STORM was largely ineffective, and diverted resources originally intended for other combat missions. During that operation, thirty percent of the Allies' theater tactical aircraft assets was shifted from battlefield air interdiction missions to locating and attacking SCUD launch vehicles. In spite of this effort, there was not one confirmed destruction of a TBM launch vehicle by a tactical aircraft. In addition, post-war analysis of the active TBM defense campaign by the PATRIOT missile system revealed that interception rates were far lower than those first claimed. This example strongly compels modern armed forces to develop systems and tactics capable of effectively countering the TBM threat.
Not only are theater ballistic missiles capable of delivering high-explosive warheads, but also nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, termed "weapons of mass destruction". With potential adversaries having this pernicious capability, a system and tactics must be in place to defeat all incoming TBM threats with high probability, since sustaining even a small nuclear or biological hit on a city or military site is unacceptable. The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) has directed that Army and Navy adopt a two-tiered approach for the active defense mission. For the Navy, the lower-tier provides area protection of debarkation ports, coastal airfields, and expeditionary forces ashore. The intercepting weapon used in this phase should be a dual-purpose surface-to-air missile (SAM) able to engage TBMs and aircraft. The Navy is experimenting with the SM-2 Block IV A missile which is designed to meet those requirements.
The upper-tier missile will give the defender a long-range exo-atmospheric capability against TBMs. This will protect military forces, critical assets, and population centers. Intercepts at long-range and high altitude will minimize collateral damage of intercept debris on the ground and provide a greater defended area footprint. With technical development, testing, and evaluation well underway and heavily funded by Congress, an equally important concern is where to place AEGIS ships to best defend critical areas and objectives.
SOLUTION METHODOLOGY: This thesis addresses only the active defense pillar of Theater Missile Defense (TMD) through the use and positioning of an AEGIS ship for sea-based theater missile defense of two industrial cities in Southern Italy from Libyan TBM strikes. An AEGIS ship with an upper and lower-tier surface-to-air missile capability in countering a raid of ground-launched 1500 km range TBMs was modeled in Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM). EADSIM is a medium-fidelity analytic simulation model of air and missile warfare, including TMD. By modeling the sea-based AEGIS sensor and the SAMs with expected lethal envelopes and probabilities of kill (Pk), trials were conducted to simulate the effects of ship position for maximizing TBM intercepts in this scenario.
SOLUTION: After one initial trial with 61 ship positions that could defend both cities, 33 closely met the measure of effectiveness requirement of two or fewer TBMs impacting a city out of a 12-TBM strike with high probability. This smaller group of 33 was then subjected to the same attack scenario nine additional times in Monte Carlo trials to obtain a more accurate expected number and variance of TBM hits on the cities. From these trials it was estimated that 11 positions met the measure of effectiveness of two or less TBM impacts in either city with an estimated probability of 90-percent and higher. The results were graphed in contour and three-dimensional scatter plots to enhance visualization of optimal ship positioning.
Surface-to-Air missile interceptors are being developed to be deployed in the late 1990's, and the process of procuring a Joint Army-Navy missile is ongoing. With technical development, testing, and evaluation well underway and heavily funded by Congress, an equally important concern is where to place these weapons platforms to best defend critical areas and objectives. Actively countering a TBM by properly stationing a capable AEGIS ship for a given scenario is the focus of this study.
Coalition experience in Operation DESERT STORM in combatting the SCUD Theater Ballistic Missile (TBM) was ineffective and seriously jeopardized the cohesiveness of the coalition. In spite of a well-conducted air campaign using a thoroughly compiled target list in complete air superiority, an estimated 90 SCUDs were launched against coalition forces in Saudi Arabia and at Israel.
To keep the Coalition together, thirty percent of the theater's allied tactical aircraft assets were shifted from battlefield air interdiction missions supporting the land campaign, to locating and attacking SCUD launch vehicles. Yet there was not one confirmed destruction of a TBM launch vehicle by a tactical aircraft. Additionally, post-war analysis of the active TBM defense by the PATRIOT missile system revealed interception rates far below what was first claimed. Because of their shoddy construction and the modifications necessary to achieve an increased range, Iraqi SCUDs were unbalanced in their downward flight. Their erratic, corkscrewing descent caused many TBMs to break into fragments and self-destruct, inadvertently confusing the ground radars. Those that didn't break up were particularly difficult to intercept due to their unintentionally effective, maneuvering, final flight path.
Modern missile technology traces its roots back to the early days of gunpowder and incendiary weapons. The war rocket, a short-range artillery weapon, was developed shortly after the discovery of gunpowder in the 14th century. Militaries on the Indian subcontinent were using war rockets by the end of the 1300's. Over the next 400 years, their use spread among the Chinese, Indian, and Arab armies, military forces of the same nations that continue to develop these weapons at present.
Today's modern ballistic missiles are the descendants of the German V-1 and V-2 programs of World War II. During that war, the German Air Force fielded the V-1 missile. Launched from a catapult, it was the first of what are now termed "cruise missiles". Powered by a pulse jet, the V-1 had a range of about 240 km (150 miles). The V-1 campaign started in June, 1944, against London and other major cities. Nazi Germany fired about 20,000 missiles against allied cities and military staging areas. Great Britain's Royal Air Force radar and the air defense system shot down approximately 4,000 V-1's.
In September, 1944, the German Army began using a newer, more formidable weapon, the V-2. The V-2 was a single-stage, liquid-fueled ballistic missile equipped with an inertial guidance system. This weapon was mobile and launched from railroad flatcars. It carried a warhead of 750 kg of high explosives and had a 50 percent greater range than the V-1 (350 km). In approximately 3,200 firings no V-2's were ever intercepted in flight. Even more disturbing, in spite of an aggressive allied campaign to destroy the dreaded missiles on the ground by bombing, there was never a confirmed kill of a V-1 or V-2 on the ground. [Ref. 3:p. 5] That WWII lesson foreshadowed DESERT STORM events.
Immediately after WWII, the US and USSR salvaged V-1 and V-2 missiles and gave refuge to their scientists and engineers for employment in US and USSR national programs. Though the cruise missile was abandoned in the US after the Regulus Missile Program, the USSR developed the STYX family of cruise missiles, which have proliferated in original, duplicate, and improved versions throughout the world. These were the first modern cruise missiles to be used in Post-WWII combat (Egypt against Israel, 1967).
The US and USSR used captured V-2s in the earliest phases of their own cruise and ballistic missile programs. A direct descendant of the original 1940's German design, the Soviet SCUD is the most-common ballistic missile in the world and has been identified in the weapons arsenals of at least 16 countries.
Currently, more than 20 countries have ballistic missiles. According to intelligence projections, nearly 40 will acquire or produce their own missiles by the end of the decade. The majority of the missiles are relatively short- ranged (120-600 km), but, considering the geographic constraints, 300-500 km is sufficient range to influence and damage cities and military targets in the Third World. [Ref. 4:p. 65] Countries such as North Korea, Argentina, and China could soon be producing missiles in the 1500-3000 km range. [Ref. 5:p. 53] There have been some reports of an Iraqi "Al-Abed" system which has traveled over 1900 km (1200 miles).
Beyond increasing missile ranges, the additional threat of improved guidance systems using the US's Global Positioning System (GPS) or the former Soviet union's GLONASS is disquieting. Incorporation of such technology could bring much improved tactical accuracy to a presently inaccurate (SCUD Circular Error Probable is approximately 1000 yards) weapon. Most distressing to the major powers is the increasing availability of nuclear, chemical, and biological warheads. Grouped together in a category termed "Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)", these warheads mated with long-range TBMs would give Third-World countries strategic dominance in their regions. This capability in the hands of potential adversaries demands a weapon system and tactics development effort focused on defeat of all incoming TBM threats with high probability. The consequences of sustaining even a small nuclear or biological hit on a city or military site is unacceptable.
Passive Defense: enhancement of the survivability of friendly forces and assets.
Battle Management/Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (BM/C3I): effective communications, command and control of TMD operations and data flow.
Attack Operations (Counterforce): destruction of the enemy's capability to launch missiles.
Active Defense: intercepting the TBM in flight so as to destroy the ballistic missile and negate the warhead.
The first two pillars of defense are a part of any modern military operation. However, the last two pillars require further explanation. The Counterforce option has three windows of opportunity.
The first is the fixed infrastructure where the missiles, warheads, and transporter erector launchers (TELs) are designed, produced, and stored. The second is the forward support logistics infrastructure where the enemy moves his TBM systems prior to hostilities. Last is the launch phase, when the missile and warhead on the TEL are moved to the firing point and launched. After the poor showing by coalition forces in the SCUD-hunting campaign, there has been a renewed emphasis on attempting to improve counterforce capability through better sensors, weapons, and BM/C3I.
The Counterforce option is very difficult. Tactical camouflage and concealment, combined with the mobility and size of the TELs, makes finding the TBMs before launch challenging. Regardless of those challenges, destroying WMDs before launch in the counterforce phase is the most highly desired option and will net the greatest payoff. But when viewed historically, it will probably not achieve the expected attrition rates of a well-structured active defense. Rather, it complements the active defense option by restraining enemy launch plans and compelling the enemy to launch hurriedly, thereby degrading his launch efforts and his ability to conduct a successful attack.
Since the trajectory of a ballistic missile can be divided into three phases, there are also three windows of opportunity in Active Defense: boost and post-boost, midcourse, and terminal.
The boost phase refers to the early portion of missile flight, when the missile booster engine burns and thrusts the vehicle to terminal velocity. The rocket motor burns for about 10 to 20 percent of the TBM's total flight time. The post-boost phase is the period immediately after booster engine burnout, which initiates the release of the TBM's warhead(s) into the exo-atmosphere, perhaps 100 km above the earth's surface. The midcourse phase refers to the relatively long period when warheads coast along their ballistic paths. The terminal phase is the final portion of the flight, when the warheads re-enter the atmosphere and proceed downward to their intended targets.
Each phase of a TBM's flight represents a unique interception opportunity. Boost Phase Intercept (BPI) has the greatest benefit since the missile is destroyed early in its flight before multiple warheads and decoys can be expelled. Additionally, TBMs intercepted in the boost phase fall on enemy-held land, which is especially important should WMDs be used. Logically, the TBM is still connected to its booster rocket and thus is large, bright, slow-moving, and therefore relatively easy to kill in this phase. Attrition in this phase means fewer TBMs must be intercepted down range in proximity to the defended area.
BPI is difficult because it requires considerable sensor capability to acquire the TBMs. The short time span from TBM launch to the end of the boost phase, perhaps only as long as 80 seconds, mandates that the interceptor be nearly over the enemy, or be capable of reaching the boosting TBM extremely quickly. Currently the U.S. Air Force is conducting research and analysis on Boost Phase Intercept in ATBM defense. Ideas being considered are ultra-high altitude manned, or possibly unmanned, aircraft with laser-like weapons. This was the ideal regime in which spaced-based sensors and weapons ("Brilliant Eyes/Pebbles") were designed. However, with the considerable reduction of the Soviet threat and a shrinking defense budget, the present administration has decreed that there will be no weapons in space.
In the midcourse phase of its flight, the TBM follows a ballistic path. Intercepts during this phase will be at very high altitudes and at long ranges from the TBM's target, thus tending to reduce collateral damage. In this extremely high altitude environment, infrared detection and guidance are very promising. During this phase of the TBM's flight, however, decoys or penetration aids ("penaids") are dispensed, adding to the defender's problem of target selection.
There are advantages to intercepting the TBM in the terminal phase. Upon reentering the atmosphere, actual warheads are better discriminated from decoy penaids. Defense against TBMs in their terminal phase of flight can also be consolidated with conventional air defense. Most significantly, there is already a capability in this intercept phase today. The challenges are that the decelerating TBM may intentionally (or by poor design, unintentionally) maneuver, leaving limited interceptor engagement time before TBM ground impact. Even if successfully engaged, the TBM may scatter debris over the defended area, causing serious collateral damage.
The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) directed that the Army and Navy examine the active defense mission through a two-tiered approach. For the Navy, the lower-tier weapon provides area protection of debarkation ports, coastal airfields, and expeditionary forces ashore. The Army's upgraded PATRIOT system provides an example of this baseline proficiency. The intercepting weapon used in this phase should be a dual-purpose surface-to-air missile (SAM) able to engage TBMs and aircraft. The Navy plans fielding the SM-2 Block IV A missile in 1998 to meet these requirements.
The upper-tier missile will give the defender a long-range exo-atmospheric ability against TBMs to protect military forces, critical assets, and population centers. Intercepts at long range and high altitude will minimize collateral damage on the ground and provide a greater defended area footprint. While the Army is developing the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the Navy is pursuing a Lightweight Exo-atmospheric Projectile (LEAP). Under constrained funding, only one of the systems will likely be selected for procurement. In combination with the lower-tier weapons, the anticipated synergism of the systems will allow multiple interception possibilities, providing defense-in-depth from TBMs.
To summarize, TBMs cannot be countered by merely one simple technical solution (PATRIOT, AEGIS, Corps SAM, BPI...), but must employ a mixture of these capabilities. Closely coordinated joint and combined efforts using existing and future systems will be necessary to provide adequate defense. The best answer is a balance of effective attack operations, comprehensive active operations, practical passive defenses, and a robust C3I and surveillance capability. Lastly, the US should be able to include allied cooperation into this effort, since the outlook is that coalition warfare will be encouraged in future military actions.
In this section a specific problem concerning the defense against TBM attack of a vital objective (an allied nation's cities) is addressed. An AEGIS ship is to be positioned in an advantageous (optimal) way so as to counter an enemy long-range TBM attack on two strategic cities.
The study methodology is computer simulation using Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM). The simulation results will be analyzed using statistical techniques and presented in response surface methodology. The objective is to station a single AEGIS (Anti-TBM) ship to minimize the chance of a TBM missile targeted at one of the cities from penetrating the defense.
The United States and her NATO allies are greatly concerned with the threat of ballistic missile launches from Libya. Long-range TBMs launched from sites in that country can strike several cities in Europe. This scenario also features a long overwater flight, and thus is appropriate and timely for this study. Figure 1 depicts possible flight paths.
To avenge the loss of face suffered during the Reagan-Bush years and Western military raids on its State-sponsored terrorist training camps in the desert, Libya can be expected to fire advanced, Russian-built TBM's, which have been modified for greater range, at targets in Europe. In this study the targets are presumed to be the populous industrial Italian cities of Rome and Naples.
The attacks will originate from two separate launch sites, the locations of which are unknown to allied forces. Should a TBM launch occur, the TBM flight path can be "backplotted" accurately to its area of origin through a combination of sensors. The sites can then be counter-targeted in an attempt to destroy the launch vehicles, thus reducing future launches.
Libya has procured, from a previously Soviet-supplied country, a transportable theater ballistic missile with a range of 1500 km. Known as the "Al Kaddafi, the missile has a 500 kg warhead and has the potential to be a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). The missile is launched from a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL). The TEL can transport a TBM on paved and graded dirt roads and can remain untargetable in "hide sites" until just before use. Locating mobile TBM launching systems before hostilities begin is exceedingly difficult. Only 45 minutes are required for launch preparation and ten minutes are needed to get the launcher underway after firing. Libya intends to use this system as a terrorist weapon to compel Western governments to cease violating Libyan borders, presumably in defense of their own national security.
The Libyans have a capable air force by third world standards. But it would be foolish to send a manned air strike over 1000 km to attack a Western European nation. Even a well-planned strike would give the defending country adequate time to intercept and engage the attack with aircraft and SAMs. Because of flight path and speed, a TBM raid allows for little warning time, and countering the raid is very challenging.
The Libyans have utilized TBMs before. In 1986, they fired TBMs at US forces on the island of Lampedusa in the Sicilian Straits in response to US air strikes on Libyan targets. Although the missiles impacted the island they missed their mark, but the attack signalled a new threat with which to contend.
Using Iraqi TBM operations in the Gulf War as a reference, it is expected that the Libyan attack will consist of 12 TBMs in a raid, since the Libyan's have only 12 launch vehicles. The 12-TBM raid will consist of six missiles fired at each of the target cities, Rome and Naples. This firing scheme might produce more TBM hits since the defenders must spread out their resources. Iraqi firings were observed to be scattered between one and six minutes apart. In the scenario to be studied here, the Libyan firings occur every 30 seconds because of better command and control and also to make the scenario more challenging for the ship.
Suppose an AEGIS ship capable of intercepting TBMs is stationed in the Central Mediterranean. With spaced-based cueing it is expected to get a first detection of the inbound TBM at approximately 400 miles from the ship and missile intercept at 250 miles with the upper-tier weapon. The upper-tier weapon is designed solely for use against TBMs; therefore it is built to operate in altitudes between 100,000 and 250,000 feet. Flying in the exo-atmosphere, it has an average velocity of 2000 meters/sec, and has a single-shot probability of kill against a TBM of 0.75 (Pssk=0.75).
The ship is also armed with a dual-purpose anti-aircraft and anti-TBM missile. This weapon's altitude ceiling is 100,000 feet and its range is much less than that of the upper-tier weapon. It is slower than the upper-tier weapon, flying at approximately Mach 3 (800 meters/sec), and also has a single-shot probability of kill of 0.75 against TBM targets.
It is standard doctrine to shoot a salvo of two missiles per target and evaluate the firing success after the predicted intercept to decide whether further firings are required for a kill. As modeled, the ship can engage a maximum of 18 targets simultaneously.
- The theater ballistic missile will have a typical flight profile of a 1500 kilometer range missile.
- A spaced-based sensor or high altitude aircraft will initially detect the launch of the ballistic missile and provide a cue or alert of an expected track to the AEGIS ship.
- The AEGIS ship, on high alert status in an operating area at sea, will receive the track information from the sensor and have the AN/SPY-1 radar prepared for the earliest possible detection of the missile.
- Should a hit be achieved by the ship-launched missile, the TBM will be deemed destroyed or killed.
- However, if the TBM is not intercepted in its flight, it has a 100 percent probability of hit (Ph=1.0) against its intended target, modeling the worst case situation.
- The AEGIS ship will not be threatened by any other air, surface, or sub-surface platforms.
- It is reasonable to assume that night or adverse weather has no effect on either forces' operations.
- All participants modeled are operating at complete combat readiness and no mission area degradations.
- No TBM decoys are used by the Libyan forces.
- No jamming is used to counter US air defense.
- No terminal maneuvers will be conducted by the TBMs to evade intercepting SAMs.
Though single ship employment is probably realistic in this geographic and political scenario, other creative situations in littoral waters and maritime chokepoints against stronger countries could seriously challenge a single ship or Surface Action Group.
Since no flawless defense system exists, it must be accepted that some TBMs will penetrate the AEGIS TBM engagement zone. It is presumed that each of the cities can absorb at most two hits. This presumption is based on the political ramifications of the missile strikes and the belief that disaster response activities could respond to two impact sites in each city. The TBM hits on the cities would seriously damage structures and start intense fires on the ground from the residual rocket fuel. A ship position which would allow only two or fewer missiles to impact on a city with high probability is the measure of effectiveness.
The mobile sea-based AEGIS weapon system will be modeled with expected engagement volumes and probabilities of kill (Pk). Trials will be conducted to simulate the effects of various explanatory factors for TBM intercept in this scenario. This scenario will be modeled using EXTENDED AIR DEFENSE SIMULATION (EADSIM), Version 2.07.
EADSIM is an analytic, attack/response simulation model of air and missile warfare. It is a mid-fidelity force-on-force analytic model developed by Teledyne Brown Engineering. It has been used primarily by the U.S. Army's Space and Strategic Defense Command and Missile Command as a low-cost, high-repetition, interim analysis capability to evaluate architectures for improving current air defenses, include Theater Missile Defense.1 Each platform, e.g., a fighter aircraft, is individually modeled, as are the interactions among the other platforms. The simulation models the Command and Control (C2) decision processes and the communications among the platforms on a message-by-message basis.
1 For a complete description of the simulation, refer to: Extended Air Defense Simulation Methodology Manual, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Huntsville, AL, April, 1992.
The C3I process is the core of the model. It performs the C2 decision and track processing, in addition to the engagement and weapons modeling for all the platforms in the scenario. Flight Processing controls the movement and status of each air platform. The Detection Process models each sensor in the scenario and determines when detection of a platform by another platform's sensor occurs. The Propagation process controls communication connectivity and message transfers. This process will not be used in this scenario because there is only one SAM site, the AEGIS ship.
The C3I process is the only one of the four run-time processes that is event-driven, rather than time step-driven. The C3I Process performs all the modeled battle management functions for each platform in the scenario. These functions are dependent upon the platform's mission and scenario environment.
Given the environment, specific rulesets are executed that determine the activities of the platform, including the allocation of weapons against targets. This process also performs engagement modeling for surface-to-air and surface-to-surface weapons.
Surface-to-air engagement modeling allows the platform: to search and identify targets, to choose the target most threatening to itself or to its assets to defend, and to assign a weapon to the threat to engage and destroy it. Semi-active, "fire-and-forget", and Non-Line of Sight missiles are modeled.
An engagement will be initiated when the target can be intercepted by one of the ship's SAMs. All of the SAMs are simplistically modeled as having a constant-velocity flight in a straight line to the intercept point. (For a more realistic simulation, a kinematically correct flyout profile of the missile could be loaded into the data base for usage. This would make the simulation model classified, and beyond the scope of this study.) When a SAM reaches its target, a "kill" or "no-kill" determination is made based on the Pk assigned to the SAM against the target.
Surface-to-surface modeling provides for targets to be selected and engaged by TBMs and cruise missiles. Ballistic missiles are flown either in a depressed or a lofted trajectory profile. Normally, the kill assessment for the surface-to-surface weapon is a "kill" "no-kill" determination made by random draws based on the user-defined Pk values for a TBM against each a target. In this scenario, each TBM that survives its flight through the TBM engagement zone to its destination is deemed to be a success, since the worst-case situation is that WMDs are used in the warheads.
The ruleset under which the platform is operating determines its actions and behavior. Rulesets govern the response of the platform being threatened and its activities modeled in order to carry out its mission. There are a number of different rulesets in EADSIM: Flexible SAM, AWACS, Intelligence Fusion Post, Fighter, Airbase, etc. The AEGIS ship will be modeled using the Flexible SAM ruleset, which allows the ship to engage aircraft or air breathing threats (ABTs) and TBMs. There are four phases of the Flexible SAM ruleset in operation: Target Select, Launch, Intercept, and Reload.
The AEGIS ship must be actively tracking the TBM so that a threat assessment, weapon-to-target assignment, and launch queue construction can be performed. The TBM will be engaged only if it threatens the AEGIS ship or a pre-designated asset, e.g., a city, that the ship must defend. This is based upon the predicted impact point of the TBM. This step is performed on board the ship and uses the predicted TBM trajectory for intercept calculations. The AEGIS ship is able to distinguish between aircraft and TBMs by observing user-specified minimum and final TBM assessment altitudes and the rate of change in the altitude (climb rate) which uniquely identify a TBM. In the model, the impact point of the TBM cannot be determined until the threat has reached its apogee and is descending. The priority of the threat, relative to other threats, is based on the shortest time until the threat's impact. Thus, the TBM which would impact first would be the highest priority to intercept.
The actions of the ship are controlled in the launch phase once an engagement decision has been reached. A launch record for the weapon to target pairing is created and entered into the queue of launches. The delays of the actual SAM launcher are modeled to simulate reality. Once the SAM is fired, the missile inventory in the ship's magazine is decremented.
The actual intercept event of SAM flyout and outcome determination (kill assessment) are represented in the Intercept Phase. The kill assessment allows for a delay in the evaluation of the success of the engagement before the track is either removed from the engagement file in the case of a kill, or rescheduled for another intercept attempt in the event of a failure.
Several checks are executed in the intercept portion of this phase to determine the outcome of the engagement. Provided the firing ship and TBM are still alive in the simulation and the TBM track is held by the firing unit, the TBM's survival will be assessed against the SAM's capability. If the range to the TBM is greater than the lethal range of the weapon against it, or if the ship's radar no longer holds the TBM, the engagement is a failure. The target is then evaluated against the Pk of the weapon fired at it through a random draw. If the Pk is greater than the random draw, the engagement is a success.
In this scenario, the reload phase is not utilized. The ship's magazines are filled with 80 SAMs. Of these, 40 are Upper Tier weapons, capable only against TBMs in high altitude, and 40 Lower Tier weapons which are available for any anti-aircraft engagements. Once these missiles are depleted, replenishment from a pier, tender, or other method must be sought. Replenishment of these weapons would take the ship out of action for days; scheduling a replacement is not considered in this thesis. This reload feature of EADSIM would more appropriately be used in modeling a ground-based SAM site such as a PATRIOT or HAWK battery, which has additional missiles available in vehicles near the launch sites.
The weapon selection process determines which weapon will be used to intercept the threat. This process would be used in the case of a SAM commander who has more than one type of missile available to counter a threat. An example could be a heterogeneous SAM battery ashore or an AEGIS ship in tactical command of other SAM ships in defense of an area or high-value unit. Weapons are selected for engaging threats based on the shortest intercept time to the target.
The number of SAMs shot against a target is dependent upon the difficulty and urgency of the engagement. For an urgent, challenging shot against a high velocity target such as a TBM, the primary doctrine is to launch two missiles at each target as rapidly as the launcher is capable, and then observe the result. Should the intercept fail, another two missiles will be fired (SHOOT-SHOOT, LOOK, SHOOT-SHOOT). Once the missile magazine is decremented to a certain level or threshold, normally 50 percent of its full capacity of that weapon, a secondary doctrine of one SAM per TBM (SHOOT, LOOK, SHOOT) is established to conserve missiles for possible future firings.
The TBM is modeled as a surface-to-surface missile with a single-stage rocket motor. It can fly two profiles, either lofted or depressed, which are user-selected. These profiles are accomplished through a launch iteration scheme given the range to the intended target. The flight of the TBM is modeled through numerical integration of three-degrees-of-freedom (3 dof) equations of motion. The effects of gravity and altitude-dependent atmospheric pressure are accommodated also. It is assumed that the TBM flies along its velocity (thrust) vector properly trimmed during its flight.
It is conceived that the enemy, knowing the exact range to his target from his firing position, would load his missile with only the minimum fuel necessary to deliver it to the target. This is termed a minimum energy trajectory. Its purpose is to reduce the missile's probability of being intercepted by minimizing its flight time while keeping the trajectory higher than the depressed flight. Theoretically this would lessen the TBMs exposure time in the lethal area of the TBM-defenses.
The simulation version used currently does not support minimum energy trajectories. This is corrected in the models's next release, version 3.0. In view of current and near-term technology, it is reasonable to assume that a long-range TBM would fly in a lofted trajectory. This was the trajectory modeled for the scenario.
In its next release, version 3.0, the model can be run on a smaller, less-expensive, Sun Sparc2 or Sparcl0 workstation, provided it has a GS graphics card. Only a moderate degradation in graphics capability of the simulation is reported. These workstations are the Navy's standard desktop workstations and are being acquired in large numbers for both sea and shore activities.
A series of trials are run to adequately and reliably measure the response of interest, in this case, TBM kills, as position of the AEGIS ship is varied. Although this scenario could be modeled more realistically as a complex theater level wargame with thousands of platforms and variables, in this thesis, the AEGIS ship position will be the factor that influences the experiment's results.
The intent of this model is to determine the best position for the ship to produce the maximum value of the response, e.g., maximizing AEGIS TBM kills. This design choice was also chosen for its military applicability.
Without superb intelligence estimates of the enemy's intentions, a commander must position his forces so as to counter any perceived enemy action. As more information on enemy intentions is obtained and evaluated, defending resources are adjusted to increase their advantage against the enemy.
At the outset of this scenario, the only intelligence available is that since Libya has 12 launch vehicles, Libya has the potential to fire a maximum of 12 TBMs in a raid. Thus the worst-case number of TBMs in flight is defined. No other information is known by the West other than that relations with Libya are strained and tense. As a non-provocative precaution, an AEGIS ship is tasked to defend Central Italian cities while conducting operations in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.
Using the scenario described in Chapter II (Scenario Description, Enemy Capabilities) and the methodology addressed in Chapter III, one replication of the simulation for each of 61 different geographic stationing positions (by latitude and longitude) to defend both cities was done. The results of the runs are found in Appendix A. The number of TBM hits on the cities was recorded in order to compare the firing ship's position against the measure of effectiveness.
Knowing that a 12-TBM raid of six TBMs at each city was launched, a percent attrition of the raid by the AEGIS ship for each city is calculated and appears in Appendix A, also. Included among these defensive stations were those that were expected not to intercept many TBMs. This was necessary in order to show the rises in the contour and three dimensional surface plots: the Response Surfaces. These plots enhance visualization of the most effective AEGIS stationing assignment areas and indicate those where the estimated effectiveness of the ship is quite low (Figure 2).
From this first set of trials run to obtain a familiarity with the AEGIS ship performance, 33 of the original positions tested as moderately satisfactory at meeting the measure of effectiveness of two or less TBMs surviving to impact each city. Thus, further testing was required on these positions to gain a more precise estimate of expected TBM hits on the cities and their variance.
This was accomplished by evaluating the AEGIS ship in each of those satisfactory positions through ten Monte Carlo replications using a different random number seed for the C3I and Detection process for each trial. Random number seeds were drawn from a function in a HP-28C calculator. The results of these trials are found in Appendix B.
The number of hits on each city were averaged over the ten Monte Carlo trials of each position. This average is the mean number of hits on the city and describes the estimated expected number of hits on the city per TBM strike mission (termed EXP VAL in Appendix B). Data from these trials was also used to calculate the sample variance of the number of hits and standard error of the mean number of TBM hits upon each city. The square of the standard error is the sample variance divided by the number of replications, which is 10. Formulas for these calculations appear in Appendix B.
There were no TBM failures in flight modeled in this study. Therefore, TBMs that did not impact the city were evaluated as being killed by the AEGIS ship. Thus, an AEGIS ship's probability of killing an individual TBM targeted at a specified city is computed from the data collected from each ship position and appears in Appendix B. An average of the estimated AEGIS ship probabilities of a TBM kill for the two cities was determined. This was used as an estimate of the AEGIS ship probability of killing an incoming TBM targeted against either city, or average attrition, which is shown in Figure 2.
The probability of an individual TBM impact on a city was determined using the converse of the probability of it being intercepted by an AEGIS SAM, or (1-PrTBM kill) indexed on the city. These probabilities are tabulated in Appendix C. From these, the estimated probabilities of zero, one, and two TBM hits on a city were computed. These probabilities were calculated using a sum of the two distinct binomial probability distributions of individual TBM hits on the target cities, given the position of the defending ship.
The needed calculations are given below; ^ indicates an estimate from simulation output.
These probability calculations of the number of' TBM hits to either city are tabulated in Appendix C. The positions of these ship stationing assignments and the expected number of TBM hits were plotted in a 3-dimensional scatter plot for each city as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Of the 33 positions that were worthy of further evaluation, 11 positions had two or fewer TBM hits upon both of the cities with an estimated probability in excess of 90-percent. A listing of the positions are found in Appendix C. Maximizing the estimated probability of two or fewer hits is the objective selected to satisfy the measure of effectiveness. A display of those results is graphed in Figure 5.
Stationing the ship at 39.75 degrees (North) and 14.25 degrees (East) results in a estimated 98-percent probability of destroying individual TBMs, as calculated in the last column of Appendix B (AVE [Pr (INDIV TBM KILL)] ). In ten trials with the ship stationed at the above coordinates, there were no hits on Rome and only an expected 0.30 hits per raid upon Naples. Combined with an estimated 94-percent probability of both cities sustaining two or fewer TBM hits; this position clearly exceeds the measure of effectiveness described previously. This compares favorably with a contour plot of the estimated AEGIS ship probabilities of a TBM kill against individual TBMs as depicted in Figure 6 below.
It accurately shows the bounds of the most effective operating areas to position the ship. The upper right quadrant of the plot represents the Italian coastline, and thus is unavailable for ship stationing.
The experience gained over several months to simulate this scenario has illuminated some weaknesses in the simulation. First, the model was created for the U.S. Army; hence there has been little Navy involvement in its development. Tailoring of Army and Air Force systems were required to approximate naval systems and operations. As the Navy embraces EADSIM, it is recommended that a notional AEGIS model be developed and validated by the AEGIS Program Office (PMS400) for an accurate representation of the ship's systems.
EADSIM requires an in-depth knowledge of C2 architectures, Anti-air Warfare (AAW) systems, and the TBM threat. It is difficult for one person to have a thorough background in all of these warfare disciplines. Therefore, for the most accurate representation of a scenario, a heterogeneous team with combined experience in various aspects of Theater Missile Defense would be most beneficial.
Despite the use of a graphical user interface (GUI) for data input and model operation, EADSIM is not user-friendly from an average staff officer's perspective. Interviews with other users throughout the country confirm this opinion. An estimate of two to four man-months to create a theater-level scenario with 2,000 platforms is ambitiously optimistic unless the staff is well-practiced. A week-long tailored training session for the author of this thesis was necessary in order to utilize the basic features and generate this simple scenario. There are EADSIM user's groups throughout the country that meet frequently. These concerned users share their knowledge and recommend improvements to the model to the developer and Program Manager.
For weapons engineers, the rather simplistic modeling of Pk lacks fidelity. The end-game constraints or terminal events of the SAM and TBM intercept should be more accurately modeled to properly evaluate the interceptor's effectiveness. More important than range, the aspect angles, velocity, and geometry of the two missiles at intercept are strong factors in SAM effectiveness. But the dynamics of those constraints could be accounted for through a lower user-defined Pk of the SAMs. This Pk would be based upon a higher-fidelity detailed analysis using existing engineering models designed precisely for this purpose.
The results of the trials demonstrates that one AEGIS ship could defend both Rome and Naples from TBMs fired from Libya, as the attacking and defending systems were modeled for the scenario. It was expected that more than one AEGIS ship would be required to provide this defense. From the results obtained, it is recommended that the ship be stationed in a 60 by 25 nautical mile area around 39.75 degrees (N) 14.25 degrees (E). This provides a 1500 square nautical mile area in which the ship may operate effectively in the TMD role.
Placing a ship as close as possible to the area to be defended could he a promising tactic provided that the commander is certain that the city in that area is the only one targeted by his enemy's TBMs. In this inshore position, the AEGIS system performs best, but the inherent mobility of a warship is lost.
The placement of a ship close to a single area is far from optimum, however, because at least one ship would be required for each area defended and the debris from successful engagements could fall on friendly, heavily-populated ground. Unfortunately, despite a successful intercept, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), could still be effective against the target cities and population if intercepted too close to the target.
If there were adequate time available prior to hostilities, upgraded PATRIOT batteries could be deployed to the cities to defend against TBMs in the terminal phase. This would free the ship from a constricted, limiting picket station to a position farther out to sea. Netted with the PATRIOT batteries, such positioning would allow more intercepts of the TBMs through defense-in-depth.
Stationing a ship farther from the city defends a much greater area, has the potential for more kills, and allows for debris and the harmful effects of WMDs to fall into the sea, away from friendly territory. Distant from land, a ship may be able to support other phases of the naval campaign and would be 'free to maneuver to avoid and combat other attacks, especially by enemy submarines that prey on ships whose maneuvers are too predictable.
Should the scenario described in this study be typical of future conflicts, a requirements assessment of interceptors to counter long-range TBMs must be studied. The necessary drawdown of forces and subsequent reduction of ships will permit fewer AEGIS ships to be available for TBM defense missions. This predicament compels the design of more capable weapon systems to defeat TBMs, since fewer platforms will be in the inventory.
With the AEGIS ship's mission to intercept only 12 TBMs in the scenario modeled, only the primary SAM firing doctrine (described in Chapter III, Simulation Description, Firing Doctrine) was utilized, since the ship's missile magazine was never decremented below 50-percent. A larger TBM raid might force a change in the firing doctrine used and produce fewer TBM kills.
After actual test firings of the Anti-TBM missiles are conducted, real data will be obtained on missile performance. These data can be used with EADSIM to investigate firing schemes so as to reach an effective tactical employment doctrine. This simulation analysis would reduce the great expense of numerous exercise firings, which are destructive tests, and hence costly. Not only is the cost of missile testing a concern from a monetary perspective, but an effective combat firing doctrine is important, too.
It is imperative not to overuse missile assets in combat. An AEGIS cruiser has a maximum of 122 missile cells (AEGIS destroyers have 96), which contain a mixture of Land-Attack Cruise Missiles, Anti-ship Cruise Missiles, Anti-Submarine Rockets, and Anti-Air Missiles; none of which can be replenished at sea. An inport period or mooring to a tending vessel in very calm waters must be scheduled to effect a replenishment of missiles. So what may be a successful firing doctrine on the first day of the "TBM Campaign" may not be so by the third day, when the SAMs have been expended and the ship must leave station to be replenished. Should the TBM threat remain present, another AEGIS ship would be required to perform this role when the first departs its station for replenishment.
Defending a larger area, perhaps even an entire theater against missile attack, could be modeled in EADSIM. This would take the form of a theater-level model with hundreds of platforms, including land-based air defenses and enemy tactical aircraft. The simulation can model multiple platforms in the theater air defense network. Studies in this area could aid in determining a proper Theater Missile Defense force structure required to astutely build for future regional conflicts.
Outcomes of TBM scenarios will vary greatly depending upon the geography of the land to be defended. Obviously this would impact the sea room in which to station a ship and the ballistic flight profile of a TBM towards its target. Cases in which Army PATRIOT and future Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI) can be utilized should be modeled in concert with AEGIS ships. In the scenario presented, PATRIOT batteries in the targeted cities could have intercepted the remaining TBMs that penetrated the AEGIS air defense. Unfortunately, the cost of these advanced air defense systems may prohibit many countries from procuring them. Additionally, host-country politics could prevent nations from requesting US assistance to defend their cities from Anti-TBM sites on their own soil. This is one of the great advantages of the sea-based system which operates freely in international waters. However, should the ground-based batteries be available for deployment and be accepted in the host country, it would be the most highly-sought arrangement to properly defend the cities through a system of layered defenses.
With continued refinement of the simulation, more Monte Carlo trials to reduce sampling variances, and more accurate classified data from the sponsoring agencies on US and enemy TBM capability, it is hoped that a more realistic response surface for the measures of effectiveness of evaluating the position of an AEGIS ship can be constructed. It could then be used as a tactical decision aid to enable a warfare commander to best allocate assets to defend against the growing and difficult threat represented by surface-to-surface ballistic missiles launched from unanticipated, unexpected, and difficult to neutralize sources.


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Tag Archives: james gardin
Bonus Cut Films Presents: An Interview With Raphael Downes
The hip-hop scene in Lansing, Michigan is an interesting one. It seems to rise and fall with the student population that comes and goes every four years from Michigan State University. There are also MCs, producers, DJs, B-boys/girls and graffiti artists that were born and raised in Lansing, developing their craft within the Capitol area.
Raphael Downes is one of these MCs, having been in the scene from the days of Respiration at Mac's Bar. When you watch him perform and listen to his music, you can tell that rapping is something that comes natural to him. However, its also something that he's worked on, which has to be done if you're serious about making a career in music. During a freestyle, he gets open with the best of them. On stage his persona is nothing short of infectious.
Raphael is a man of faith. There is the religious side to him, something that drives his everyday life, as well as his belief in hope and being positive. These themes are deeply rooted in his music and are the essence of hip-hop; speaking on your truth and experiences. There are references to raising his daughter, living paycheck to paycheck and how good it can feel to build on even the smallest of victories during the day. Raphael's project, The Bridge, will be released in the near future and incorporates these ideas. With the superb production of Ozay Moore and KuroiOto, The Bridge is supported by a strong percussive foundation. Guest appearances by James Gardin, Jahshua Smith and Red Pill only add to an already solid effort by Raphael. The allure of The Bridge is that it's not about buying into a certain set of values. Instead, The Bridge is about hope and survival, no matter what the circumstances might be. This is something that people do all over the world everyday. We may come from different places, but that doesn't mean we can't relate to each other.
Recently we were fortunate enough to sit down with Raphael and talk about how he got involved in hip-hop, his love of literature, the All of the Above Hip-Hop Collective (AOTA) and what went into creating The Bridge.
Tagged All of the Above, culture, Hip hop, jahshua smith, james gardin, lansing, michigan, Music, Ozay Moore, red pill
Bonus Cut Films, Features
Bonus Cut Films: The First Roundup (Hir-O, James Gardin and Jamall Bufford)
In the past couple of months, we here at Bonus Cut have steadily put in time and work to build our film series, Bonus Cut Films. With this series, our main focus is to bring interviews to life, by filming and documenting the lives of important hip-hop artists in the community making an impact and difference.
It has been a privilege and honor to share these stories and work with these artists, and we couldn't be where we are without them. In other words, if not for these feature artists, there would be no Bonus Cut Films. A big thank you to Omari Hall, James Gardin and Jamall Bufford.
More thanks need to go out to our film crew as well. These individuals are the lifeblood of Bonus Cut Films, who continually put in the work to get everything down and cut, and if there's one group of people to congratulate for the success of Bonus Cut Films, these guys are the ones. A big thank you to Phillip McGuigan, Julian Stall, Ian Siporin, Nicole DeMichele and JP Navarro.
Below you can view all of Bonus Cut Films' videos to date.
Omari Hall (aka Hir-O)
Omari Hall (aka Hir-O) is a producer from Detroit, Michigan. As one of the city's rising hip-hop artists, Hir-O has branded his music with splashes of electronic swells, jazz, soul, live instrumentation and other realms of music that all come to form a cohesive hip-hop force. His projects with DaJaz1, Doss The Artist and Red Pill, along with his instrumentals such as The Voyage Home, reflect the true prowess and versatility of his work, and with future projects coming in 2014, Hir-O is a name you should remember.
James Gardin
If you're at all familiar with Michigan hip-hop and Michigan music in general, then the name James Gardin (fka P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.) is commonplace. As one of Lansing's premier music icons for the last decade, James has shown how to get down, how to dance, how to properly enjoy a live show, how to fight for a cause and how to live in general. More than that though, James has fueled the hip-hop community beneficially in other ways. Working with Michigan State's MRULE and various other youth programs to donate art workshops, not to mention spending time in South Africa teaching kids with HIV/AIDS music and uniting them through it, James has never stopped being an influential and important figure in his community.
Musically, James has opened for the likes of Talib Kweli, The Cool Kids, Grieves and The Pack. He was also recently named one of Rapzilla's Freshman of 2014.
Jamall Bufford
Jamall Bufford (fka Buff1) is a hip-hop educator and artist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. As one of Michigan's premier artists, he has worked in Athletic Mic League and The Black Opera. He has also worked with Black Milk, De La Soul, Elzhi, Eminem, Guilty Simpson, Invincible, One Be Lo, Slum Village and many more notable acts. Jamall's songs touch on nostalgia, hope, freedom and spirituality.
These days Jamall spends most of his time at the Neutral Zone Teen Center in Ann Arbor. As the center's music coordinator, Jamall is the adult advisor for the MC Program and Bside Concert Promotion Program. Teaching local teens the art of writing, MCing, performing, battling and going about life, these kids come out of Jamall's program with a greater sense of confidence, stage presence, writing ability and many more life skills.
Stay tuned for more Bonus Cut Films features!
Tagged Athletic Mic League, BLAT! Pack, culture, Hip hop, hir-o, Jamall Bufford, james gardin, michigan, Music, Omari Hall, rap
Sharing Is Caring: Bonus Cut's Special Starting Five Music Swap
Tagged a tribe called quest, blu, culture, Freddie Gibbs, Gensu Dean, Hip hop, j dilla, james gardin, Kool G Rap, l'orange, madlib, mello music group, Money Makin' Jam Boys, Music, nas, Phife Dawg, Planet Asia, rap, Rapsody, Treble and Blues
Bonus Cut Films Presents: An Interview With James Gardin (Part Two)
Today we're excited to unveil part two of our interview with the man himself! Check out the video below, and don't forget to check out James' pages and music!
Listen to James' latest single "Selah" here
For more on James Gardin:
James Gardin on Soundcloud
James Gardin on BandCamp
@JamesGardin on Twitter
Tagged BLAT! Pack, collaboration, culture, film, Hip hop, interview, james gardin, lansing, macs bar, michigan, Music, rap, unity
Bonus Cut Films, Features, Interviews
Bonus Cut Films Presents: An Interview With James Gardin (Part One)
via blatpack.com
Today we're excited to unveil part one of our interview with the man himself! Check out the video below, and don't forget to check out James' pages and music!
Tagged Art, BLAT! Pack, community, culture, Grieves, Hip hop, james gardin, jazz, lansing, macs bar, michigan, Music, p.h.i.l.t.h.y., poetry, rap, South Africa, Talib Kweli, the cool kids, the loft, The Pack, unity
BLAT! PACK, Common Ground Music Festival (Put Yr Revolvers Up)
Jahshua Smith via http://www.blatpack.com
By: Justin Cook
This past weekend, I attended the Common Ground Music Festival in the heart of Lansing, Michigan. I have attended my fair share of music festivals, but never one within city limits—this definitely gives it a slightly different atmosphere. I entered the festival grounds with a typical half-assed search, walked across a bridge decked out in glow sticks and found myself in the middle of the madness. I had about an hour before BLAT! Pack performed so I decided to roam around.
I walked along the Grand River, past craft booths, food stands and a few little games for the kids—it sure did feel like a festival, though extremely small. I stretched out on the riverfront for a bit and soaked in those loving Sunday vibes. After thoroughly Zen, I made my way to the main stage to catch a little bit of Jon Connor, a Flint-based MC. I had never heard anything by him before, but I was pleasantly surprised; he had energy, presence, and great band backing him. He spoke of unity, the great state of Michigan, the healing powers of hip-hop and of course, peace and love. Near the end of the show, his sister joined him on stage, and it started to feel like one big happy festie family—everyone was laughing, dancing and putting their drinks in the air for what was bound to be a great night. Content with the performance, I headed back downriver to see BLAT! Pack.
Yellokake via http://www.blatpack.com
I arrived with fifteen minutes to spare, laid out in the grass, and watched as people slowly started to gather in front of the stage—a few folks sported BLAT! Pack and James Gardin shirts. Before I knew it, people were flooding in from left and right eagerly awaiting the show. The atmosphere around was all love, hugs and a sense of anticipation, which unleashed as BLAT! Pack took the stage; and once they took the stage, they didn't miss a single beat.
It was the first time they had ever performed as BLAT! Pack, and shit, they had better do it more often. It wasn't just Jahshua Smith, it wasn't just James Gardin, or Red Pill, or Yellowkake, it was the complete BLAT! Experience—the horns, the rhythm section, and every MC took this show beyond sun, moon and stars, hurling us audience members into the next dimension. It was a funky, fun-loving show that radiated with pure artistic bliss. I don't know who had more fun, the audience or BLAT! Pack. As I was lost in that backbeat, the MC's were running around on stage, laughing, goofing around—organically going from mock backup dancer to main performer. The music was clean, the vocals were crisp and you could feel the heart and soul radiating through sound waves.
Red Pill via http://www.blatpack.com
Underneath the music, the love and laughter, was something that resonated with the human spirit: accepting change and revolution. Throughout the concert, brief words of wisdom were spit between songs: they talked about letting go of your past, your anger, your frustrations and just letting it float away in the wind; they stated our need for revolution, not only at a societal level, but a revolution within ourselves; Jahshua Smith mentioned Trayvon Martin, but instead of being on a soapbox, he let the verdict speak for itself, and told us all to raise our fists, together. And everyone in the audience, from different lifestyles and cultures, raised their fists into the sky; I turned around to face the whole crowd and noticed sunlight pouring into the pavilion, across all our faces, across all our fists. Then, the beat dropped, and hands went wild.
James Gardin via http://www.blatpack.com
After the show I was elated, and laid back in the grass, soaking up the light of the people. Moments like these are what the world needs—bringing the festival vibes to a city, speakers blasting onto the streets. You know, you read the "news" and hear about all the horrible things in the world, about how our world is falling apart, but then you go out into the world, and are greeted with nothing but love. I find when I actually leave my computer screen, unplug and live my life, the world is more vast and beautiful than ever before. THIS IS THE REVOLUTION: get up, get out, and do something! I love that local groups such as BLAT! Pack exist to expand the consciousness of man from the bottom up; we need to support more grassroots movements and recreate local culture. I believe, if we focus in on here and now, we will uncover all our souls' desires. We just got to get up, get out, and do something.
Now spread the gospel!
Tagged BLAT! Pack, common ground music festival, culture, Hip hop, human spirit, jahshua smith, james gardin, jon connor, lansing, life, live, local music, michigan, Music, music festival, rap, red pill, revolution, support local music, trayvon martin, world, yellokake
The Local Hip-Hop Scene and Its Importance in Our World
Gus' Thought
This past week I was fortunate enough to attend a show at Mac's Bar in Lansing, Michigan with fellow Bonus Cut writer Justin Cook. The show featured Lansing area artists D Fraze, L Soul, and James Gardin (F.K.A. P.H.I.L.T.H.Y). The headliner was a duo from Indiana known as The Pro Letarians whose music features many different samples from famous artists such as James Brown and The Beatles. As we walked in, L Soul was killing it on the mic. He was very impressive and his rhymes were audible and cut through to the crowd. It will be exciting to see his abilities as an MC and on-stage persona improve.
Following L Soul was James Gardin, member of the Detroit/Lansing hip-hop collective known as BLAT! Pack. This was a big show for James as it was his last official show going by his MC name P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. I was struck by the significance of this as so much of an MC's identity is wrapped up in his/her name. Throughout his set, I was impressed with James' presence and message as an MC. Off the stage he is an approachable down to earth person, and while on stage, his easy going fun loving personality is even more apparent. Within the first five minutes of his performance, I was drawn in by the overall positivity embedded within his music.
Early on in the performance he asked the crowd if they had dreams and/or goals they were striving to achieve. From there he did his song "Wake Up Sleepyhead," that urges people not to "sleep" on themselves and to be confident in their skills, passions and goals. This is such an important concept to rap about in the face of all the poverty, injustice and prejudice in the United States but also around the world. Later in the show he had the crowd reach as high as they could. Most of the crowd played along, raising their arms to the ceiling. As we put our arms down, he had us put our arms up a second time. We all reached substantially higher, really stretching out. James pointed out that nobody had actually reached as high as they could the first time. He related this scenario to our lives and proposed that we should always strive to push ourselves and be the best we can be.
The Pro Letarians
In the United States there is news of hardship and struggle everyday. There are a great number of people in this country that legitimately struggle to make ends meet and must fight for every penny to keep their families fed. In schools, students are continually pushed into what education experts call the "Achievement Gap" as the structure of school resembles that of a factory. In the past year alone there have been multiple shootings, sexual assaults, suicides, house foreclosures, hate crimes and even a bombing. Beyond this, the machine that is popular culture presents an image of progress that is tremendously status quo. It gets to a point where it can feel that there is nothing good happening. This is where I believe hip-hop becomes so important. MCs are able to point out the inconsistencies within our society in such a poetic and creative way that it becomes impossible not to listen and ultimately become conscious. With James' set, it was impossible not to feel motivated and happy to be alive. To have an MC telling me from the stage to believe in myself and follow my dreams was refreshing and as resistant to the system as it gets. With that in mind, this is so important for students to hear as there is so much agency embedded within this message.
I went to Mac's Bar to see a hip-hop show, unsure of what to expect. I left the show feeling extremely motivated and ready to pursue my passions. This was in large part due to James Gardin's set as he was able to communicate positivity, hope and love all the while demonstrating his natural abilities as an MC. As a resident of the Lansing area, it was exciting to see quality hip-hop happening in Lansing. If you aren't up on James Gardin and the BLAT! Pack you really should be.
Justin's Thought
Last week, Gus Navarro and I attended a show at Mac's Bar. He gave me the scoop a few nights before, and I was excited to see some MCs from the great state of Michigan. The concert highlighted local talent, featuring artists D Fraze, L Soul and James Gardin (P.H.I.L.T.H.Y), with a headliner hailing from Indiana, The Pro Letarians.
We arrived a little late, but were able to catch the tail end of L Soul rocking the mic in white threads; the man literally appeared to glow. His flow was crisp, clear and lethal. Not only was his stage presence other-worldly, the beats were mesmerizing. Instantly, I fell into the groove—body overtaken by the music. He was backed by a group of hype-men, adding a lighthearted feel to the whole performance. All in all, it was great way to begin the night.
Next, James Gardin, member of the Detroit/Lansing hip-hop collective known as BLAT! Pack, was scheduled to perform. During his introduction, it was stated that "P.H.I.L.T.H.Y" (James' stage name) would be put to death. And what a beautiful death it was: James Gardin took the stage and set the mood just right. Most of the crowd stood still, scattered throughout the venue, but James drew us in and got our feet moving. He radiated love and positivity, yet remained calm and cool. A few songs in, he decided to change up his set list and perform some unexpected tunes. He called three of his friends on stage, who backed him with some soulful harmonies. This was one of my favorite moments of the show. Everyone on stage was smiling, laughing and just loving every moment of the performance—that's what live hip-hop is all about.
The carefree attitude continued throughout James' show. At one point, he needed two audience members for some help. It just so happened that two people had birthdays that day, so James gave them both a b-day freestyle. He started pretty strong, but soon, his verses off the dome became a silly element added to the night—James was being goofy and the crowd loved it, being goofy in return. After, I had the pleasure to talk with James, and a few other members of BLAT! Pack. They were all calm and collected beings. We spoke about hip-hop, community, life and future events. The BLAT! Pack will be part of a rap festival this weekend in Lansing (The Lansing Hip-Hop Festival), and will also perform before Ludacris at the Common Ground Music Festival, July 14.
L Soul
I really enjoyed my time that night, but one thing did bother me: the lack of people. Amazing hip-hop is happening in my city, and most people do not even realize it. Local art movements are essential in reforming local culture, and we must all do our job to support them. What James Gardin and BLAT! Pack represent is a movement from within, something we all must internalize. We must bring our creativity and talents together, support one another and change the way we live every step of the way. With art and imagination, we can rebuild cities like Lansing and Detroit—we just need to help by supporting local talent.
I wish more people could have seen the death of "P.H.I.L.T.H.Y" and feel the resurrection of James Gardin. It was some real shit; and just the symbolism of shedding a persona, an extension of the ego, sends chills through my veins. Why would we want to be anyone but who we are? Why does society make us ashamed and guilty for who we were born to be? We really got to start believing, dreaming, putting faith in ourselves and the world around. Because if we can't, what will we have left? Everyday it seems like politicians are getting crazier and crueler. When will it stop? I believe, it's when we let go, drop our "P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.", and be who we are. This is when we are ready to embrace life and take back the power, from bottom up. We have to come together, support local arts and re-imagine our world with love.
Tagged BLAT! Pack, culture, d fraze, Detroit, fusion shows, Hip hop, james gardin, l soul, lansing, lansing hip-hop festival, life, local arts, local music, macs bar, michigan, p.h.i.l.t.h.y., the pro letarians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Published at Saturday, April 13th, 2019 - 21:20:59 PM. Storage Cabinet. By Nancey Rossignol.
Storage cabinets are pretty much useful at home or at the office. In our daily lives, we are dealing and handling a lot of stuff and more or less, we have to store away items either for future use or consumption. This is the reason why we have storage cabinets from homes to businesses to offices, almost anywhere. As long as there are files, food items, products, tools, important stuff and the like that need to be kept in a safe and neat place, storage cabinets will remain to be needed.


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TCA names "Empire" program of the year
By Joanne Ostrow
Television Critic
Cookie (Taraji P. Henson, L) watches Lucious (Terrence Howard, R) get taken away in the special two-hour "Die But Once/Who I Am" Season Finale episode of EMPIRE (Chuck Hodes, FOX)
The Television Critics Association tonight recognized Fox's freshman hit "Empire" as program of the year in the annual awards ceremony, this year hosted by "Late Late Show" host James Corden. "Empire" not only reverberated through the popular culture but rejuvenated the broadcast TV industry with its stunning popularity.
AMC's "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" won as outstanding new program. "Mad Men," "Inside Amy Schumer," "The Americans," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" and "The Chair" were also honored.
Historic "Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman" was honored for its 33-year run and film and television legend James L. Brooks received the career achievement award. Brooks ("The Simpsons," "Taxi," "Mary Tyler Moore") for his role in creating "some of the most groundbreaking and influential television programs over the course of five decades."
Here is the complete list of winners:
2015 TCA Award recipients are as follows:
Individual Achievement in Drama: Jon Hamm ("Mad Men," AMC)
Individual Achievement in Comedy: Amy Schumer ("Inside Amy Schumer," Comedy Central)
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming: "The Chair" (Starz)
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming: "The Fosters" (ABC Family) – second consecutive year
Outstanding New Program: "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials: "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama: "The Americans" (FX)
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central)
Career Achievement Award:James L. Brooks
Heritage Award: "Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman" (CBS/NBC)
Program of the Year: "Empire" (Fox)
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Categories: Actors and Actresses, Awards Shows, Cable, Celebrities, Comedy, Dramas, Mad Men, Reality TV, Television & Media News
June 4, 2015, 1:48 pm
"Empire" and "Transparent" lead TCA award nominations
EMPIRE: The Lyon family comes together to record a legacy album in the "The Lyon's Roar" episode of EMPIRE airing Wednesday, Feb. 25 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Pictured L-R: Bryshere Gray, Jussie Smollett, Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co CR: Chuck Hodes/FOX
A pair of freshman shows topped the nominees for the Television Critics Awards nominations announced today. "Empire" on Fox and "Transparent" on Amazon, both cultural conversation drivers in their debut seasons, led the pack.
"Empire" and "Transparent" each drew four nominations, including program of the year. Fellow rookie "Jane the Virgin" on the CW followed with three nominations, cold war spy drama "The Americans" on FX and the departed "Mad Men" on AMC drew two, the later also for program of the year.
"Game of Thrones" on HBO was the final nominee for program of the year.
Jeffrey Tambor in "Transparent." Image courtesy Amazon.
It was a good year for fresh blood: other newcomers that drew nominations are AMC's "Better Call Saul," Starz's "The Chair," The CW's "The Flash," ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat," ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" and Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."
TV critics across the country vote on the nominees. Winners for the 31st annual TCA awards will be announced Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel during the TCA summer press tour.
Below is the complete list of the 2015 Television Critics Association nominees.
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep," HBO – (2014 Winner in Category)
Gina Rodriguez, "Jane The Virgin," The CW
Amy Schumer, "Inside Amy Schumer," Comedy Central
Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent," Amazon
Constance Wu, "Fresh Off the Boat," ABC
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder," ABC
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men," AMC
Taraji P. Henson, "Empire," Fox
Matthew Rhys, "The Americans," FX
Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul," AMC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
"CBS Sunday Morning," CBS
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Comedy Central
"Frontline," PBS
"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," HBO
"60 Minutes," CBS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING
"The Amazing Race," CBS
"The Chair," Starz
"Dancing with the Stars," ABC
"RuPaul's Drag Race," Logo – (2014 Winner in Category)
"Shark Tank," ABC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," PBS
"The Fosters," ABC Family – (2014 Winner in Category)
"The Legend of Korra," Nickelodeon
"Sesame Street," PBS
"Switched at Birth," ABC Family
OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
"Better Call Saul," AMC
"Empire," Fox
"The Flash," The CW
"Jane the Virgin," The CW
"Transparent," Amazon
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
"Bessie," HBO
"The Honorable Woman," SundanceTV
"The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst," HBO
"Olive Kitteridge," HBO
"Wolf Hall," PBS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
"The Big Bang Theory," CBS
"Inside Amy Schumer," Comedy Central
"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," Netflix
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
"The Americans," FX
"Game of Thrones," HBO
"Justified," FX
"Mad Men," AMC
HERITAGE AWARD
"Friends," NBC
"Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman," CBS/NBC
"The Shield," FX
"Star Trek," NBC
"Twin Peaks," ABC
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
Past TCA Award winners are listed on the organization's official website, tvcritics.org/tca-awards.
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Categories: Actors and Actresses, Awards Shows, Cable, Celebrities, Comedy, Dramas, Mad Men, Reality TV, Social Media, Television & Media News, TV Magazines, TV News, TV News
'Mad Men' finale recap: Thoughts on Coke, 'It's the Real Thing'
Jon Hamm as Don Draper – Mad Men _ Season 7, Episode 14 – Photo Credit: Justina Mintz/AMC
As promised, Matthew Weiner left us with chills and a memorable sendoff: the famous Coke ad, the Coke account that Don Draper had just been offered, played us out of "Mad Men" in Sunday's finale. Nice (fictional) work, Don. "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony," the jingle sang, as Don sang an "Om" at a California hillside spiritual retreat. It was, you might say, the Real Thing.
What worked: Joan's choice of blossoming career over cushy retirement. Holloway-Harris, Joan's maiden and married names, join to form her new company name. A feminist partnership. She rejects Richard's offers, stating, "I would never make you choose."
What didn't work: Peggy and Stan proclaiming their love after all this time. It was the only moment that felt like a TV show wrap up.
By contrast, Roger and Megan's mom are perfect together, noshing lobster while ordering in French ("champagne pour ma mere"). And Sally Draper taking charge of her younger siblings in the kitchen seemed quite natural. (Weiner has said no to spinoffs, but Sally tackling the 70's would be a kick.)
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Advertising, Cable, Celebrities, Dramas, Mad Men
Characters come full circle in penultimate "Mad Men" episode
January Jones as Betty Francis in the penultimate episode of Mad Men. She learns that she has advanced lung cancr in the episode. (Provided by Michael Yarish/AMC)
"The Milk and Honey Route," tonight's penultimate episode of "Mad Men," concerned several regulars coming full circle and seeking fresh starts. As Don charted his route across the country, on the phone with daughter Sally, he set off on another journey of discovery. This time he had more to teach than to learn.
On the road to the tune of Merle Haggard's "Proud to be an Okie from Muskogee," Don's anxiety dream revealed his ongoing fear that his lie about his identity, stolen in Korea, will catch up with him. He spends a night with fellow vets and has less in common with them than they imagine. Ultimately, he passes on his accumulated knowledge to the housekeeper/messenger kid, a petty thief and a lousy con man. Don sees himself in the kid, advises him against faking a new identity, and gives him a fresh start (and shiny Cadillac).
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Categories: Actors and Actresses, Cable, Celebrities, Dramas, Mad Men, Television & Media News
"Mad Men": Bright moments at the end of an era
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson – Mad Men _ Season 7B, Episode 12 – Photo Credit: Justina Mintz/AMC
What an uneven "Mad Men" episode, swinging between extremes of funny and sad and ultimately leaving us nostalgic for the unaware, unenlightened, even boozier dark days of the '50s. "Lost Horizon" is perhaps a reference to the Shangri La of McCann Erikson, which isn't turning out to be such a paradise.
The image of Peggy roller skating around the ruins of SCDP while Roger plays corny electric organ music will stay with us always, a great nod the the end of an era. The campy introduction to the scene, with Peggy tiptoeing through the empty offices to spooky music, only to find Roger at the keyboard, was a nice '60s-moderne twist.
While Sunday's episode included some of the worst conceived moments (really? Don imagining a conversation with Bert Cooper as he drives to Wisconsin to check on the waitress who barely entered the series in the last minutes?), it also featured some of the best. While I dislike the sidetracking in these final episodes, the bright moments are spectacular. The Peggy-Roger interlude has to be in the ultimate "Mad Men" top-10.
Again, Joan and Peggy are representatives of the burgeoning feminism of the period. Peggy is sauntering into McCann while Joan is on the way out. Which one will seize power? I'm still betting on Peggy.
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Cable, Celebrities, Dramas, Mad Men
"The Forecast" is clear on "Mad Men"
Jon Hamm as Don Draper – Mad Men _ Season 7B, Epiosde 10 – Photo Credit: Justina Mintz/AMC
Sunday's episode of "Mad Men" titled "The Forecast" was intended to be bizarre, with stilted dialog between uncomfortable characters. On the surface, it was about Don's assignment to write a speech about the future of the company. The forecast is for change: what we saw was a stressful collision of eras and cultures as the Sixties gives way to the Seventies.
Glen Bishop hitting on older, married former neighbor Betty (Draper) Francis conveyed the awkwardness of the Vietnam-era creeping up on the "Father Knows Best" era. And it was creepy. Why bring back a minor character with only four episodes left in the series? Besides a curtain call for the writer's son Marten Weiner, it illustrated the excruciating passage of time and widening gap between generations.
The young, pregnant couple buying the empty Don Draper bachelor pad telegraphed another kind of moving on, as a hopeful younger generation finds a beginning in the ashes of Don's pathetic losses. "The emptiness is a problem," the real estate agent told Don, speaking of staging the apartment but unintentionally noting the trouble at his core.
Joan continues to hold fast to her self-respect and family values; "I need to work," she declared to her suitor (Bruce Greenwood). She may end up with a greater sense of accomplishment than anyone besides Peggy. Again it's those women who have the most vivid desires for the future: Peggy wants fame and great success in advertising, and "to create something lasting."
As his "Mad Men" run draws to a close, in part 2 of season 7, "End of an Era," writer-creator Matthew Weiner reminds us, through Don, that, "There's less to actually do, but more to think about." It's a quiet reverberation that should stay with us through the week, until the fourth-to-last episode, "Time & Life."
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Celebrities, Dramas, Mad Men, Television & Media News
April 2, 2015, 7:37 am
"Behind the Story at the Paley Center" on Sundance
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
Were you unable to attend last year's PaleyFest? Sundance TV's got you covered. "Behind the Story at the Paley Center," a series comprised of footage from discussions at the last two PaleyFests, will premiere April 7 on Sundance. The series features talks with cast and creators of some of the best TV shows, starting with Amy Poehler ("Parks & Recreation"). Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") and Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") among the featured actors.
"These dynamic conversations are full of the same energy and creative passion that fuel the most exciting television today," SundanceTV president Sarah Barnett said in a statement. "We are very happy to partner with the Paley Center for Media to bring viewers an uncensored look into the minds of the best showrunners and actors at work in TV."
Paley Center for Media logo
Here's the schedule for the six-episode first season:
Tuesday, 4/7: "Parks & Recreation: Behind the Story with the Paley Center"
Tuesday 4/14: "The Mindy Project: Behind the Story with the Paley Center"
Tuesday 5/12: "Mad Men: Behind the Story with the Paley Center"
Tuesday 5/19: "The Big Bang Theory: Behind the Story with the Paley Center""
Tuesday 6/16: "Orange is the New Black: Behind the Story with the Paley Center""
Tuesday 6/23: "Masters of Sex: Behind the Story with the Paley Center"
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Cable, Celebrities, Comedy, Dramas, Technology, Television & Media News, TV Magazines, TV News
"Mad Men" at the beginning of the end
January Jones as Betty Francis, Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell, Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson and John Slattery as Roger Sterling – Mad Men _ Season 7B, Gallery – Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
The falling man in the "Mad Men" graphic title sequence doesn't have much farther to go. With the end in sight, the downward spiral has evolved from a kind of free-floating cool to simply tragic.
The hollowness at the core of Don Draper, the ad man living an inauthentic life on a borrowed identity, is caving in on itself. The sex and slick pitches and booze have moved from symbols of the period to signs of desperation to symptoms of alienation. The center cannot hold, even as the country finds itself mired in a war that plays as background music under Matthew Weiner's masterful orchestration.
A televised Nixon speech can barely be heard as characters suffer continued hangovers from the '50s and mid-'60s while, in the foreground, Peggy Lee poses the existential conundrum: "Is that all there is?"
It's the end of an era as "Mad Men" returns for the second half of season 7, with 7 episodes left starting with "Severance," April 5 on AMC. As always, Weiner has asked critics not to reveal much of what we've seen in previewing the first hour. Suffice to say it is beautifully shot, as ever, and the tone is more important than the specifics.
While the future seems bleak for Don (Jon Hamm), and while Roger Sterling continues to float above the fray with good-old-boy prejudice and an outsize mustache, the heart of the story may turn on Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) and their growing anger at being suppressed. Anger may make them stronger, or ever more interesting. When they have an incredibly sexist meeting with a team of male account executives, Joan in particular seems propelled to seize her moment.
Don seems more stuck in place, notably lost in thought in a diner, crafted as an homage to Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. He's reflective; Joan seems proactive.
For those following the series without having lived through the end of the sixties, your assignment this week is the John Dos Passos trilogy, "U.S.A."
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Categories: Actors and Actresses, Cable, Celebrities, Dramas, Television & Media News, TV News
"Mad Men" midseason finale, "Waterloo"
John Slattery as Roger Sterling – Mad Men _ Season 7, Episode 7 – (Photo provided by Michael Yarish,AMC)
The "Mad Men" midseason finale, "Waterloo," was sublime and meaty. It was also self-indulgent in the final moments, even for those of us who love Robert Morse. Having the late Bert Cooper reappear to Don Draper in a vision, via a dance number ("The Best Things in Life Are Free"), was a stretch even beyond the Ken Cosgrove tap dance, even beyond bloody lawnmower scene.
The series that so brilliantly reflects on a time of immense social change loves to take fight on occasion and "Waterloo" was one of those hours. Telescopes on both coasts, astronauts and a pilot with a death wish — the episode was full of out-of-this-world imagery. So why not a vision of the founder of the agency doing a production number, in his socks, of course?
"Bravo," as Bert said in his last living moments. But the campy after-life musical took us out of the moment, focusing our attention on Matthew Weiner's intentions and Morse's graceful musical theater training, and away from the world of "Mad Men." A qualified "bravo."
Overall a rewarding hour, that leaves us with much to ponder over the break before the last seven. Hmm: Joan is now all about the money? When did she give in to greed? Peggy triumphed, but so did Don, not only avoiding an ouster but doing the right thing by handing off the crucial Burger Chef presentation. Isn't all of advertising about "connection"? Peggy's emotional concern for her young neighbor felt a tad overdone (yes, we recall her giving up a child). Roger, after all the drinking/drugging, comes out the clear-thinking hero. Loved the TV commentator unsure of the second part of Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man" proclamation, a reminder that historic moments aren't neatly cataloged as they're happening. And Sally Draper, one eye on the stars, one on her cigarette, is fast becoming a dangerous amalgam of her parents.
Categories: Actors and Actresses, Advertising, Cable, Celebrities, Dramas, Mad Men, Musicals, Technology
'Mad Men' Recap: Season 7, Episode 6: 'The Strategy' is Peggy-centric
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in Mad Men, Season 7, Episode 6. (Photo provided by AMC)
Tonight's was a Peggy-centric installment that delivered a rather heavy-handed take on male chauvinism circa the 1960s. Let's give the lack of subtlety a pass, given the era. (This was a time when people said "the Jews close everything on Saturday" without blinking and plenty of homosexuals contorted in order to look heterosexual to their corporate bosses.)
Opening with a reminder about the age of innocence, when market surveys were new, before we knew to just say no, the hour gets down to sexist business.
"She's every bit as good as any woman in this business." That's the supposed compliment from Peter to Peggy, as she's shoved aside so that Don can deliver "authority" on the Burger Chef account while she provides "emotion." A more muted message might have felt more dramatically smooth, but there was nothing muted about office sexism in those days. It was as understated as Pete's madras sports jacket. Which, by the way, perfectly matched his double standard for estranged wife Trudy and her dating life.
A visiting Megan admires Peggy's new office. "Sooner or later you're going to get Don's," Megan tells Peggy. Do we believe it? Does she believe it? Unclear.
"Flowers," dark Brit-com, is a bouquet of strange
Raul Martinez departs Fox31
"Game of Thrones" goes for cheese
"American Masters: Janis Joplin"
Larry Wilmore will host White House Correspondents dinner
"Duck Dynasty" debacle winners and losers — 362 comments
TLC pulls "19 Kids and Counting" -- now it should cancel it — 106 comments
KBPI's Uncle Nasty, KBCO's Keefer fired by Clear Channel --updated — 102 comments
"Grey's" and gays — 98 comments
Brooke Wagner out at CBS4 — 85 comments
Joanne Ostrow
Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.
Follow @ostrowdp
» Read her full biography
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'Leave The Light On' (Riley Probst, R. 2013) Seedling #U4WHXHM. IB, 22 (56 cm), Early, midseason and late bloom. Standards blue-purple with 1/16th gold edge; style arms bright yellow, vertical purple veining on style crests; falls blue-purple luminata pattern, bright yellow area with 1/4" white spear extending downward from beard; beards orange; pronounced sweet fragrance. 'Wild Hair' X 'High Master'. Fleur de Lis Garden 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Award Of Merit 2017.