text:
Jump to: Board index » Military Aviation » Modern Military Aircraft
Military aircraft - Post cold war aircraft, including for example B-2, Gripen, F-18E/F Super Hornet, Rafale, and Typhoon.
First unread post • 67 posts • Page 1 of 5 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
airforces_freak
I have started a new thread to collate all information relating to the TFX Air Superiority fighter program. This will prevent the need for individual posts relating to the program which would just clutter feeds.
Turkey (Turkish Aerospace Industries) and the United Kingdom (BAE Systems) are now officially TFX program partners
BAE Systems signs Heads of Agreement for a future contract with Turkish Aerospace Industries for TF-X Programme
http://www.baesystems.com/en/article/ba ... -programme
This announcement builds upon a pre-contract study phase between BAE Systems and TAI.
Ankara, Turkey: In the presence of The Prime Ministers of Turkey and the United Kingdom, BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) today signed a Heads of Agreement to collaborate on the first development phase of an indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet for the Turkish Air Force – TF-X.
Signing this agreement in Ankara ahead of a planned contract with a value in excess of £100 Million, BAE Systems Chief Executive, Ian King, said: ''BAE Systems is a leader in designing, manufacturing and supporting fighter aircraft and is in an excellent position to contribute technical and engineering expertise and experience of managing complex projects to this key Turkish programme. The announcement signals an exciting next step in relations between both Turkey and the UK with the co-operation between BAE Systems and TAI paving the way for a deeper defence partnership. The agreement confirms ongoing collaborative work on the design and development of the aircraft."
At its peak hundreds of Turkish and UK engineers will collaborate on the TF-X programme helping to support collaboration on the skills, technology and technical expertise required to deliver the programme.
More leaks:
Aselsan working on mission computer and avionics-network centricity.
TUBITAK-SAGE nears completion of design and development of Goktuğ IIR VWR and Goktuğ RF BVR Air-to-Air Missiles
Corsair1963
Joined: 19 Dec 2005, 04:14
Just a poor mans F-35 equipped with two EJ200's instead of the P&W F135....
Corsair1963 wrote: Just a poor mans F-35 equipped with two EJ200's instead of the P&W F135....
I have to beg to differ. The F-35 is a multirole aircraft whereas the TFX according to Turkish Aerospace Industries and BAE Systems is being designed as an Air Superiority fighter.
We could say its a poor mans F-15SE or even a poor mans F-22 with IRIST.
P.S. Rolls Royce has offered something better to TAI/BAE than the EJ200. So we have to wait and see what will power the TFX.
yigitr
Turkey is a partner and costumer of F-35 Program, and even ordered first 6 aircraft and plans to get about 100 F-35. So Turkey is not the poor man in this case
TFX is planned to accompany F-35 in the 2030's. It will be a twin engined air superiority fighter. So it can be seen as poor man's f-22
A good read:
TF-X: A New Chapter in UK–Turkey Relations Takes Flight
Justin Bronk
RUSI Defence Systems, 31 January 2017
Air Power and Technology, Europe, Turkey, Military Sciences, Aerospace
https://rusi.org/publication/rusi-defen ... chapter-uk–turkey-relations-takes-flight
Britain and Turkey signed a £100 million deal on 28 January during Theresa May's trade talks in Ankara with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under the deal, BAE Systems will join forces with Turkish Aerospace Industries to develop a 'fifth-generation fighter' for the Turkish Air Force of the 2020s. What sort of aircraft could be produced and what implications could there be?
While the RAF and Armée de l'Air usually come to mind as the most potent European NATO member air forces, the Turkish Air Force substantially eclipses both in terms of size. It operates a modern and effective fighter force composed predominantly of Lockheed Martin F-16s licence built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
As a partner in the F-35 programme, it is no secret that the Turkish Air Force wants to upgrade to fifth-generation capabilities to keep in step with the other major air forces in NATO.
However, financial limitations and possible security concerns have limited the number of F-35s which Turkey has on order at present to six with an eventual ambition for around 100. Turkey is determined to develop an indigenous fifth-generation combat aircraft manufacturing capability as soon as possible.
Enter BAE Systems; the defence giant with experience developing and building major parts of the F-35, as well as its own Taranis low-observable UCAV. BAE Systems has the required experience and industrial knowledge to develop fifth-generation aircraft, but no domestic market to enable it to remain a producer of combat aircraft outside manufacturing parts of the Lockheed Martin F-35.
Turkey offers that market, with an air force of nineteen squadrons of third- and fourth-generation fighters in need of eventual replacement, and a threat environment likely to remain characterised by foreign interventions, instability and the proliferation of high-end weapons systems.
As such, the stated requirement for TF-X is at least 250 air-superiority fighters.
Little has been disclosed so far in terms of what sort of fighter might emerge from the TF-X collaboration. So far, the concept has not been narrowed down to a single or twin-engine design, although a derivative of Eurojet's EJ200 that powers the Eurofighter Typhoon has been selected to power the production fighter.
Turkey prefers a twin-engine aircraft, but key envisaged export customers such as Pakistan would prefer a single-engine jet for cost reasons.
Given the relatively close geographical distances between Turkey and potential opponents, it is likely that range on internal fuel may be a lower priority design variable than cost, internal weapons payload and low-observable airframe shaping.
Equally, the Turkish MoD's stated timeline of 2023 for a first flight and roughly $100 million per airframe unit cost target impose limitations on how ambitious the design of the new fighter can be. With examples to draw on from the F-22, F-35 and China's J-20, the development of a low-observable airframe shape should not be an impossible task for TAI within that timeframe.
However, as all those who have so far tried have discovered, it is much harder to develop something that operates like a true fifth-generation fighter with all the required sensor suite and information processing capabilities. Stealth coatings are also a dark art which takes a great deal of industrial know-how and experience to master.
BAE Systems can certainly make a critical contribution to the Turkish TF-X effort in the areas of sensor integration, airframe design, weapons integration and defensive aids suite. However, the question is how much technology transfer will be permitted under the agreement, especially where American International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) concerns might be raised.
On the other hand, the Turkish defence electronics firm ASELSAN has reportedly already begun work on an active electronically scanned array AESA radar for the TF-X programme incorporating advanced gallium nitride technology. Therefore, Turkish industry seems to already be at a fairly advanced stage for many critical component technologies.
BAE Systems sensor integration and defensive aids suite expertise might be able to help TAI produce most of the critical systems for TF-X without encountering too many ITAR restrictions.
There is still a great deal of uncertainty (or possibly everything to play for) in terms of the nature of BAE Systems' participation in the eventual production of a fighter version of TF-X. The Turkish preference is clearly for production to be undertaken almost exclusively by TAI and, therefore, barring large scale export successes there is little evidence that BAE will manufacture much beyond select components and sensors.
It is, therefore, premature to assume that TF-X will keep BAE Systems in the fighter-manufacturing business outside the F-35 programme, even though it will undoubtedly help to maintain the institutional knowledge base required through technical collaboration arrangements.
However, there are reasons to keep an eye on the export prospects for TF-X if it does mature into a useful low-observable air superiority fighter in the mid-late 2020s.
First, a little competition is no bad thing, and if one thing has come to characterise the fifth-generation fighter market in recent years, it is a lack of Western competitors to the monolithic F-35 programme.
Second, the F-35 is optimised for strike and SEAD operations in heavily defended airspace, rather than for air superiority. The TF-X has long been intended as a complementary capability alongside the strike-oriented F-35 in Turkish service.
This implies a focus on missile-load, air-to-air radar performance and the capability to operate 'high and fast' in a similar fashion to the US Air Force's formidable F-22 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Twin EJ200-derived engines could certainly produce an aircraft with potent performance, especially given the streamlining and internal weapons and fuel carriage requirements inherent in a 'stealth' design.
This sort of capability is something that many air forces are keen to acquire, and countries such as Japan and Australia have been explicit about their frustrations with not being permitted to purchase the F-22 for this reason.
If TAI and BAE Systems can develop a low-observable fighter with the ability to carry six or more medium-range air-to air-missiles internally, an AESA radar, sensor fusion and supercruise capabilities for somewhere in the region of $100-120 million per airframe, then the potential export opportunities could be extremely lucrative and potentially even lead to manufacturing of the aircraft on multiple production lines in different countries.
Politics, however, will undoubtedly remain the TF-X's worst enemy on the road to the creation of a viable fifth-generation air superiority fighter. Turkey's strained relations with other NATO members over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authoritarian policies, the refugee crisis and EU membership offer the potential to scupper the transfer of high-end military technologies and defence collaboration if they continue to worsen.
Furthermore, the improving Ankara–Moscow relationship remains a matter of serious concern for other NATO members, both as a potential source of war with Russia over flashpoint confrontations, and also conversely as a potential source of technology compromise to Russia during the periods when Turkey is tempted to play the West off against the Kremlin when it suits.
Finally, the most recent in Turkey's long history of military coups saw the gutting of many of the finest squadrons in the Turkish Air Force during subsequent reprisals and a helicopter pilot defecting with his aircraft to Greece when it became clear that the attempted overthrow had failed.
In this case, the defectors landed in NATO territory, but there is a risk that in future, assuming the long-standing rift between the military and Islamist political movement continues to simmer in Turkey, that defecting pilots might deliver high-end Western military technology to Russia, Iran or countries friendly to those regimes.
In the end though, the economics of fighter development and procurement are likely to trump security concerns and BAE Systems and TAI will have the opportunity to jointly develop a fifth- generation combat aircraft with huge export potential on the basis of relatively mature and understood technologies.
If they succeed, it will change the combat aircraft market for decades to come.
Banner image: A Turkish Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. Turkey plans to phase out its fleet of F-16 fighters by 2030 and replace them with fifth-generation fighters. Courtesy of Wolfram M Stumpf, US Air Force/Wikimedia.
India should cancel the LCA, AMCA, and PAK-FA/FGFA. Then instead buy a reasonable number of F-35's to hold it over. While joining with South Korea (KF-X) or Turkey (TFX) to develop 5th Generation Fighter of their own......
Just saying.....
Corsair1963 wrote: India should cancel the LCA, AMCA, and PAK-FA/FGFA. Then instead buy a reasonable number of F-35's to hold it over. While joining with South Korea (KF-X) or Turkey (TFX) to develop 5th Generation Fighter of their own......
AFAIK the South Korean KF-X is not a true 5th Gen. Aircraft (more in the 4.5 Gen).
With regards to India joining the TFX, I don't think it will happen because Pakistan is currently negotiating to join the TF-X. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Pakistani counterpart are working on a financing model at the moment because Pakistan cannot afford a Western 5th Generation fighter. See http://www.defenseworld.net/news/16893/ ... ft_Program
Turkey needs to reap the $40 billion + it has allocated for the TF-X program through exports to the Middle East and Turkic countries.
Now I know one export customer which has not come to anyones mind as yet and that is the Israeli Air Force. Two Turkish Ministers will be travelling to Israel next week to discuss many projects. The first is oil pipelines, the second is an off-the-shelf purchase and upgrade of Turkey's M-60T Sabra with the Tropy active protection suites (Turkish MBT's have no APS and the Turkish Army has sustained many casualties as a result in Operation Euphrates Shield. Furthermore, the Altay will not be ready until 2 more years and thus Turkey needs a stop gap measure until then). The other is the TF-X program.
Turkey's TF-X fighter throws a lifeline to UK military aerospace
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/turkey ... aerospace/
The UK Prime Minister's visit to Turkey announcing BAE Systems' collaboration on an indigenous stealth fighter for the Turkish Air Force represents a vital win for the UK military aerospace sector. TIM ROBINSON assesses the ramifications of this deal.
British PM Theresa May meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - 28 January (No 10 Downing Street)
On 28 January British Prime Minister Theresa May, on an official visit to Istanbul, Turkey, to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that the UK's BAE Systems, in partnership with Turkish Aerospace Industries, (TAI) would help design a new 'fifth generation' stealth fighter - the TF-X. This agreement, for BAE Systems to help design the TF-X for service in the mid-2020s is a potential lifeline for the UK's combat aircraft design expertise.
What is TF-X?
The three configurations of TF-X currently in contention. (Mehmet Delice)
So what is Turkey's TF-X? Although the configuration is not yet set in stone, Turkey's goal is to develop its own indigenous (as far as practical) stealth fighter which will replace the Lockheed Martin F-16 in service.
While the Turkish Air Force (which was heavily involved in the 2016 coup attempt) currently flies F-16s and some F-4s and is set to receive around 100 F-35s, the concept for TF-X is that it would be more heavily tilted towards the air superiority mission – as a F-22-class combat aircraft for the mid-2020s. Currently there are three configurations mooted for TF-X – a single engine design, a twin-engine fighter and a highly agile version with canards.
While there is a requirement for a predicted 250 TF-X fighters for the Turkish Air Force itself, reports suggest that TF-X will also be aimed at the wider export market. With F-22 production halted, the F-35 optimised for strike and the other options being mid-life upgrades of the Eurocanards (Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen) it is possible that the TF-X could turn into an export success in the mid-2020s and beyond for countries looking for a fifth generation air dominance fighter.
"The deal to help design the TF-X, represents a major coup for BAE Systems in keeping a critical part of the UK's combat aircraft design capability alive."
While BAE Systems will help with design and development, this participation could also open doors to other parts of UK industry for specific systems or components that Turkey is unable to produce in-house. The Rolls-Royce EJ200 engines from the Eurofighter have already been tipped as the powerplant and were the subject of an MoU in 2015. A true stealth fighter may well require a matching engine, and this may also be an opportunity for Rolls-Royce to acquire the necessary expertise.
Other opportunities for UK industry may be in ejection seats (Martin-Baker), HUDs or HMDs (BAE Striker II) - indeed, BAE Systems already supplies its LiteHUD for TAI's Hurkus basic trainer.
While Turkish defence electronics company ASELAN has already reportedly started work on an AESA radar, there could potentially be other opportunities for UK's Selex ES (now Leonardo MW) which produces AESA radars for Eurofighter and Gripen as well as EO IRST and EW systems.
Finally, while Turkey's own state missile house Roketsan boasts an impressive range of weapons, including stand-off missiles, precision bombs and anti-tank missiles, MBDA's air-to-air portfolio ASRAAM and in particular the game-changing Meteor, would be an ideal fit for a fifth-gen air superiority combat aircraft.
Choosing a stealth partner
BAE Systems' stealth fighter Replica testbed never flew - but it gave the company valuable knowledge in LO design. (BAE Systems)
The collaboration may be significant for the UK, with BAE winning this design work over rival bids from Airbus Defence and Space and Saab, but it also represents a smart move by Turkey in selecting a European partner that has a long history in low-observable projects.
In the 1990s, for example, BAE Systems developed a secret stealth fighter concept called Replica that reached mock-up stage– partly as a back-up plan to collaboration with the larger US JSF programme. This home-grown stealth fighter, then showcasing the UK's LO expertise, was Britain's entry ticket to JSF at the highest level. Since then, the company has developed further with collaboration on F-35, and LO UAV projects, with the most recent being the Taranis UCAV demonstrator – seen by some knowledgeable observers as one of the most stealthy air vehicles ever. BAE is also working on a follow-on Anglo-French UCAV demonstrator in partnership with Dassault.
While strict firewalls and US ITAR knowledge sharing restrictions will mean that BAE will not be able to share or transfer all of its stealth knowledge developed with international partners, its hard-won in-house LO experience since Replica means that TAI has access to a highly competent industrial partner – especially when it comes to airframe, sensor and weapons integration.
The problem – what next for UK military aerospace?
What next for military aircraft designers after these? (BAE Systems)
The announcement comes at a critical time for Britain's military aviation sector – as design and development work for new UK platforms becomes scarce. It is notable of that the five air key platforms (F-35, P-8, AH-64E, Protector and Zephyr) highlighted in the 2015 SDSR, only one (Zephyr) is actually designed and built in the UK.
While BAE Systems is currently busy adding capability to the Eurofighter Typhoon, the end of production may be in sight unless new customers are found. A mid-life Typhoon update in the 2020s means the best is yet to come, but it will still not require the full engineering capability or design expertise of a clean-sheet military aircraft.
Meanwhile, on the F-35 – which despite having entered service with the US Marines in 2015 and the USAF in 2016, first flew some 17 years ago in 2000 as the X-35. The UK, as Tier 1 partner on the project, has contributed heavily to the design, particularly for the STOVL 'B' variant. Now in full production and ramping up, UK industry is expected to benefit massively from its investment in the future. However, while future opportunities for support and ongoing upgrades will continue – again the initial design and engineering work is well in the past.
So too, for the BAE Hawk advanced trainer. First flying in 1974, the Hawk has been a spectacular British sales success, with over 1,000 sold. However, despite BAE updating it to latest T2 standard for the RAF, it was ditched by partner Northrop Grumman for the USAF T-X trainer requirement for a fresh design from Scaled Composites. Any hope that BAE's design work would continue has now been dashed when NG/BAE took the decision earlier this month to not bid a proposal. The Hawk lives on, in the Advanced Hawk (previously 'Combat Hawk'), developed in co-operation with HAL.
On the positive side of the equation, BAE is involved with the most challenging and potentially significant combat aircraft programme in Europe, the UCAS (unmanned combat air system) with Dassualt. This £1.5bn programme builds on the expertise and experience of Britain and France with their own demonstrators (Taranis and Neuron), for a low observable UCAV. With feasibility study complete, a demonstration programme, to begin in late 2017, will see two UCAS flight demonstrators by 2025, with operational stealth drones in the 2030s and beyond.
Yet, despite this cutting-edge aerospace technology, the jury is still out on how many UCAVs air forces will need in the future. The timescales to operational platforms (another 13 years away at least – and more likely 18) also mean that there is a significant gap in production between the end of Eurofighter at the end of this decade and the start of any UCAV manufacturing.
The fear, is that the reduction in UK defence programmes is gradually whittling away at the front-end of the UK's end-to-end design, development, manufacturing and support base – with key capabilities, skills and expertise being lost over time. Indeed, there is much evidence from recent programmes (T-45, Astute and Nimrod MRA4) that suggests this has already happened.
Brexit may also deprive BAE Systems of access to the burgeoning EU defence R&D programme, which, if French lobbying has any impact, will feature combat aircraft relevant technology acquisition. The deal with Turkey would also help to fill this potential gap.
The deal to help design the TF-X, represents a major coup for BAE Systems in keeping a critical part of the UK's combat aircrat design capability alive.
Same problem, elsewhere in Europe
Last year AirbusDS revealed this concept for Tornado replacement for the Luftwaffe for the 2040s (AirbusDS).
But a shortage of combat aircraft design projects is not just a problem facing the UK industry either – but across the whole of Europe's defence sector.
The most significant recent clean-sheet pan-European combat aircraft to enter service, the A400M, had its first flight eight years go and its original requirement dates back to the 1980s. Outside UAVs, other 'new' European combat aircraft are either upgrades or modifications of existing types. The European defence sector has also singularly failed to dethrone US and Israeli leadership in UAVs – particularly in the MALE sector.
Saab, for example, has just rolled out its Gripen NG, and has future unfunded concepts beyond that, but has found its own lifeline working with Boeing to help design its T-X trainer.
Like Eurofighter, France's Dassault can look forward to a mid-life Rafale upgrade in the mid-2020s – and is partnered with the UK on the Anglo-French UCAV.
Worst off, arguably, is AirbusDS, which in concert with other European companies has faced an uphill battle to attract political interest in a European MALE UAV platform. Last year AirbusDS revealed a proposal for a stealth fighter replacement for Germany's Tornado fleet, but it faces the disadvantage of being outside both F-35 and the Anglo-French UCAS programmes as well as Berlin's lukewarm approach to defence procurement.
Turkey's growing ambition
Turkey has big plans for its military and civil aerospace sectors. (TRJet)
But not all countries are struggling with declining design work for their military sectors. Turkey has one of the most active and ambitious aerospace and defence industries and is working steadily to develop its indigenous capability – with a flurry of activity in recent years. State-owned TAI has moved from license-built production of F-16s and other aircraft, to designing and manufacturing its own aircraft. It has developed a basic trainer and light attack aircraft, the Hurkus, as well as the Anka MALE UAV. TAI has also produced an upgraded version of the A129 Mangusta attack helicopter, the T129 ATAK, in co-operation with original manufacturer, Leonardo.
The country has also ambitions in the civil aerospace sector – with a Turkish Regional Jet project being launched in 2015, to develop a family of regional airliners, beginning with a design based on the Dornier 328JET.
Space and a healthy missiles systems sector through the state-owned Roketsan round out Turkey's growing aerospace sector. For aerospace companies willing to help Istanbul develop its aerospace industry further, there could therefore be other potential opportunities in the future.
An affordable, latest generation 'F-22' class stealth fighter could lead to export sales. (TAI)
The prospect of a growing UK defence partnership with Turkish strongman Erdogan, post the 2016 coup attempt, may be unpalatable in some quarters - but the deal is critical in that it helps the UK maintain an irreplaceable combat aircraft design capability – at a time when rival European defence companies are also scratching around for work. The prize is a juicy one – a large 200+ aircraft buy, potential export sales and a 'European F-22' style air dominance fighter that complements the F-35. The UK, too, through its experience in Replica, Taranis, F-35 and FCAS, is perhaps arguably the most advanced aerospace sector outside the US in LO technology – and thus safeguarding and protecting this expertise with as much design and technical work as possible, should be a clear strategic goal for UK Plc.
The, is also significant in that is an agreement to help develop a fighter aircraft with a non-EU, but NATO country (that is not the US (or Canada)) – and is thus a boost for those who see the UK striking deals with the wider world post-Brexit. The Turkish AF – twice the size of the RAF - is also a major power player on NATO's southern flank – despite recent political upheavals.
However, it is important not to overstate this deal too much. The stated size of the contract, '£100m or more' is insignificant in total development budgets for an advanced stealth project like this – which may top $25bn or more in total. Turkey, of course, will want to manufacture and develop as much technology in-house as possible and it is possible that TF-X itself may fall victim to outside forces or budget squeezes.
Yet despite these caveats, the partnership has major implications in helping maintain critical UK combat aircraft design capability, that without a spread of new projects to work on, might otherwise wither and die.
Tim Robinson
talkitron
Joined: 07 Nov 2007, 10:55
I haven't read anything about the software development side of the Japanese, South Korean and Turkish fifth generation programs. A large fraction of F-35 news is about software. One wonders how much money each country is willing to sink into software to compete with the F-35.
Another big issue is when the F-35 will become available for export to Arab nations. If the answer is 2025, then it would seem to beat to that market the Japanese, South Korean and Turkish offerings, which probably have 10-15 years of development time each ahead of them.
talkitron wrote: I haven't read anything about the software development side of the Japanese, South Korean and Turkish fifth generation programs. A large fraction of F-35 news is about software. One wonders how much money each country is willing to sink into software to compete with the F-35.
Turkey has developed an indigenous mission computer for it's F-16 Block 30's which has been used as a test-bed for the TF-X. The primary focus has been on network centricity, real-time data-fusion (Air, Land and Sea).
Havelsan ( http://www.havelsan.com.tr/ENG/Main ) and MIKES of Turkey also has extensive experience with software development. They have both taken part in the development of software for the Boeing 737-MESA AEWC's and also the F-35.
On top of this Havelsan also recently acquired US Software company Quantum 3D (http://quantum3d.com ). Quantum 3D provides Boeing, Lockheed Martin, The Spaceship Company, KAI, Raytheon, Adacel, TRW, Honda, Thales etc with Software Simulation products for rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. See http://quantum3d.com/press-releases/hav ... quantum3d/
On top of this the software development teams of BAE Systems and Rolls Royce are also part of the TF-X program.
The TF-X thus has a more solid foundation in software than the Japanese and South Korean's. The TF-X is essentially a Western NATO platform (with European Defence Giants on board).
sferrin
And an AIM-9X knockoff
"There I was. . ."
sferrin wrote:
$44 billion program with BAE Systems and Rolls Royce as a technology partner? Hardly a 3rd world fighter.
As to the A2A being a AIM-9X knockoff: Perhaps. But being a knockoff does not negate its capabilities.
airforces_freak wrote: The TF-X thus has a more solid foundation in software than the Japanese and South Korean's. The TF-X is essentially a Western NATO platform (with European Defence Giants on board).
Sounds like TF-X is the program to watch. Thanks for the info.
BTW The Japanese Stealth Fighter is really just a "Demonstrator" at this stage. Personally, I doubt it will ever mature into the so-called F-3 that the media hypes all the time......Even Japan changed the name recently from ATD-X to just X-2.
Regardless, for now the F-35J is the name of the game for the JASDF. Yet, in another decade or so Japan hopes to join with a partner (or partners) to develop a 6th Gen Fighter.
67 posts • Page 1 of 5 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Return to Modern Military Aircraft
Users browsing this forum: disconnectedradical, Google Adsense [Bot], Gums, mrigdon, sprstdlyscottsmn, viperzerof-2 and 47 guests


Is an online entertainer, gamer and creator from Croatia. Creating IRL content on Twitch.tv and Videos on YouTube.
Who is The alfred source?
22. Year old Croatian Streamer that streams life in Croatia and wishes to promote it on Twitch.tv for world to see the beauty of it!
I like to play and create electronic stuff, graphic design, unreal engine 3d animation. My first gaming console was playstation 1 which I still have and has a special place in my heart.
We do mostly IRL streams, outdoor and indoor pc streams.
From outdoor we are doing exploration showcasing the Croatian Coast, inland and attractions a small 4M country offers, Scuffed Cooking show where we attempt to create the most weirdest unique food, that probably no one would ever eat, in a crazy cooking way.
We are looking into creating other unique content, one of those planned ones are visiting abandoned buildings during night time, "ghost" huntings, and show type of streams outside, like competitions.
During indoor streams we mostly do just chatting and talk about You, the community and try to bond closer together. Sometimes we do play games, but I don't really enjoin streaming them, rather do them as last resort content.
What IRL gear do you use?
We currently use LiveU Solo with 2 Sim Cards, Mimo antenna, GX85 wth 14 to 42 zoom lenses.
2x Battery packs DIY 56.000 mAh & PowerOak 50K, molle backpack with 2 addtional pockets for water bottles/miscs.
Our goal is to promote Croatia and ourselves on Twitch.tv and other platforms as online creators and entertainers. Croatia is a small 4M country that is beautiful but is sadly being abandoned at increased rate due to bad economy in it.
Cooking show where we create apsolute Scuffed meals, utter and complete Scuffedness. Point of the show is to have fun with the viewers while creating food that the viewers themself would never try. So far we're filming in our own kitchen, hopefully soon we'll be doing it outside and in future in a professional restaurant kitchen.
Exploration and Travel streams are based on exploration of Croatia, in a quest to show people how beautiful the Croatia is, from the coast to the mountains. Our country coastal region is full of beautiful island, beaches and most of the aincient roman buildings that are beautiful. Sadly sometimes the 4G/3G is weak and therefore renders the stream buffering on few spots, even with multiple modems/routers. Thanks to LiveU Solo we're bonding our upload and providing good quality even on most remote areas, camera we use for those streams is Panasonic Lumix G80, professional video camera that will bring you stunning quality and sharp quality. We also take photos and upload them to our discord/instagram.
Event based streams are oriented towards events such as Christmas, Halloween and other major events. Through those events, we're trying hilarious stuff to do on stream, such as gaming streams with horror games during halloween while wearing costume, nothing better than seeing someone in a vampire outfit getting scared!
LiveU Solo, streaming at 720p 60fps at 5.5kbs to RTMP back to home pc back to twitch, sometimes at 1080p 60fps, but depends on coverage of area where we are heading towards, then stream back to twitch at 900p 60fps at 5.5kbs, sadly I do not have good upload at home.
Molle backpoack and First aid kit! I havent seen anyone yet that carries that with them.
Tele2 Bezbroj GB, it has 1TB cap, but it doesnt count upload!


John 13:34-35: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for teaching us to love through the example of Jesus. May our words and actions reflect his love toward people today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you. In the name of Infant Jesus, our Great Example, we pray. Amen.
22"The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." 23And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
The cross of Jesus directs to freedom and victory over sin and death. What is the cross which Jesus commands us to take up each day as his disciple? When our will crosses with his will, then his will have to be done. The way of the cross involves surrender, the sacrifice of laying down my life each and daily for Jesus' sake. What makes such sacrifice possible and "sweet" is the love of God empted-out for us in the blood of Jesus Christ. We can by no means out give God. He always gives us more than we can anticipate or imagine. Are we ready to lose all for Jesus in order to gain all with Christ? Loving Infant Jesus, we give you our hands to do your work. We give you our feet to go your way. We give you our eyes to see as you do. We give you our tongue to speak your words. We give you our mind that you may think in us. we give you our spirit that you may pray in us. Above all, we give you our heart that you may love in us, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in us.


text:
First Proposals: Pride & Prejudice/North & South
January 31, 2013 February 3, 2013 Emma5 Comments
Seeing the Darcy vs. Thornton post (thanks Maria!) made me think a BIT more about their respective stories, esp. how they go about proposing to their ladies. Let's watch the one from P&P first with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.
Well, they both look pretty awkward- Lizzie is wondering why this insufferable has come to see her in the first place and Darcy is at a loss for a moment (he's probably never proposed to any woman before). They are in a little sitting room in Charlotte and Mr. Collins' house. Notice how Darcy leans forward a tiny bit (hopeful) after he says "But it cannot be helped." After Lizzie calmly/coldly rejects him by saying that she doesn't even feel "a sense of obligation," Darcy looks confused/hurt (see the eyes), then turns away and walks over to the mantle. His head is lowered and he's thinking of what to say next. He even wipes at his mouth, disconcerted. Then he addresses her again, asking why he's rejected in this manner. Lizzie, who still sits, speaks more loudly and w/ emotion as she mentions her sister 's (Jane's) happiness. Hear how Darcy's voice rises (sharply) when he hears Wickham's name. He says: "You take an eager interest in that gentleman's concers?" Lizzie's voice also gets louder as she speaks of Wickham. Darcy is sarcastic re: Wickham's "misfortunes."
As Lizzie continues, he paces a bit about the (small) room, pauses, then asks "And this is your opinion of me?" (He's being misunderstood, we later learn.) But when he aproaches her and disses her family connections (in a direct/rude way), you can see the anger on Lizzie's face even more than before. Her face gets redder, she gets up from her chair, and turns away from him. Then she turns around and attacks him, saying that he "was the last man on Earth" that she "could ever possibly marry." There is nothing like love/admiration/anything positive in Lizzie's eyes! She is quite bold (for her time) and expresses herself directly. The day is sunny, we can see, but the mood is quite stormy inside. Darcy quietly says that "you've said quite enough. madam" and quickly finds his exit. (Note the formal manner he uses as he leaves.) Elizabeth is very surprised and quite angry (still) after he leaves.
Now, let's look at the proposal (extended version) from N&S, Ep 2, with Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage.
Mr. Thornton is looking toward the door, then out the window of a small room in the Hale's home (townhouse). He looks nervous as he crosses toward the door when he hears Margaret open it. We notice that her expression is sad/dejected (maybe also tired?); even her posture is poor. The room is not bright or cheerful, but there is some light coming through the curtains. Margaret doesn't look at him at first; he mentions the color of the fruit. Then she talks about her mother and looks over at him. But as she talks, she keeps her eyes mostly downcast, avoiding his eyes. Her voice sounds young and her words are hesitant.
When Thornton expresses his gratefulness, her face changes quite a bit (eyes wider). She stands taller and goes over to the window, saying she'd "have done the same for any man" who was in danger. Thornton looks confused and repeats "Any man?" Then they go on about the mill strike and the workers' (violent) behavior. Notice how Margaret speaks quite calmly and steps closer to him (while she offers him advice about his workers). He cuts her off with: "They will get what they deserve." Then the mood of the scene, as well as his tone, shifts.
Thornton is hesitant to begin; he expressly (but humbly/quietly) states that "I know, I've never found myself in this position before." But just as he gets started ("my feelings for you are very strong"), she cuts him off! She walks away (toward the window), saying that he "shouldn't continue in that manner." The the whole "gentleman" deal comes up (big theme in this story). That upsets Thornton, who shoots back that "I'm aware, that in your eyes at least, I'm not a gentleman." He asks why he is "offensive" (loudly) and Margaret goes off (loudly also), mentioning his status, sister, and mother. "My mother? What has she to do with this?" he asks (confused), leaning over the table. Then she gets into the status/trade quagmire again, accusing him of wanting to "possess" her- pushing all his buttons. "I don't want to possess you! I wish to marry you because I love you!" he exclaims as he (quickly) walks around the table toward her. (Note the emotion in his voice.) Margaret turns away and says that she doesn't even "like" him. She looks at him directly for a second as she says that.
Thornton turns away, refers back to the fruit, then goes to the opposite side of the room (mantle). Slowly, Margaret mentions Bessie, who is dying ("too much fluff" in her lungs). Thornton sees that also as an attack upon him. When Margaret tries to protest and calm him down, it doesn't work (as he said before, he has "a temper"). When she remorsefully explains that she hasn't "yet learned how to refuse," Thornton throws in some bitter sarcasm. She goes toward him, but he turns away saying "I understand you completely." At the end of the scene, Margaret is sorry (I think) that she was so "blunt."
Wow, so much going on in these two scenes! (You need to watch them a few times.) There are similarities and differences between these two (would-be) couples, as are obvious within these brief clips. The "gentleman" issue doesn't come up with Mr. Darcy since he doesn't work, owns a huge estate in Derbeyshire, and is grandson of an earl. Mr. Thornton, on the other hand, is a self-made man (and proud of it) who owns his own cotton mill; he is also a magistrate (in role of modern-day judge) in Milton. But when it comes to the ladies, he's (admittedly) at a loss; his life has been "too busy" to think of such things. He's insecure approaching Margaret, partly because she's the daughter of a learned (studied at Oxford) former clergyman and because he's never felt this way about any woman before. Remember how he confides in his mother, the night before he proposes, that he "daren't hoped that such a woman could care for me?"
Darcy, being of such high status (and with a lot of pride), feels that Elizabeth's family are far, far beneath his sphere. He discourged Bingley from pursuing Jane because of that reason (and also because he didn't think she loved him). Remember the "Towards him, I have been kinder that toward myself" line? Ouch! Admittedly, Mrs. Bennett, Kitty, and Lydia are no models of propriety, but the manner in which Darcy downgrades Lizzie's relatives is very harsh. Well, these gents just needed some time to learn and change their attitudes. Also, the ladies needed to change as well, since they held such strong prejudices agains their suitors.
In the book, Margaret feels that she's not ready to get married, when she's proposed to for the first time. Recall that she was only 18 at that time, and didn't feel any strong feelings for Henry Lennox. She liked him as a friend, thought he was smart/clever, but that was about it. As for Lizzie, she was a "sensible girl" in her father's eyes, but she wanted to fall in love someday, too. She never thought that Darcy would propose to her- she was "astonished" by the entire episode. Wasn't she just "tolerable" in his eyes?
I like both scenes- in the first one, I sympathized more with Lizzie. But in the second scene, I think my sympathies switched from Margaret to Thornton, then back again. It was more of a fight (in my opinion) and had more movement than the one in P&P.
What did you think of these scenes? Which do you prefer and why?
Links for fellow Austen fans…
January 31, 2013 January 31, 2013 Emma1 Comment
Pride & Prejudice turns 200 – BBC article
Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice at 200 – NPR story
Mr. Darcy vs. Mr. Thornton – Comparing two of our most-loved (fictional) men
Poll: Mr. Darcy
January 29, 2013 February 3, 2013 EmmaLeave a comment
200 Years of "Pride & Prejudice"
January 29, 2013 July 2, 2013 EmmaLeave a comment
A portrait of Jane Austen
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Thus begins one of the most-loved/discussed novels of English literature. It has been read in high schools, colleges, etc., by most of the women we know. We keep coming back to this book, and don't forget the numerous TV/film adaptations.
Modern-day JA fan, Amanda (Jemima Rooper), gets Lost in Austen (2008) with Darcy (Elliot Cowan)
Darcy (Laurence Olivier) & Elizabeth (Greer Garson) in the 1940 film
It seems like Lizzie and Darcy are almost as iconic as Romeo and Juliet when it comes to famous couples. Other relationships are also important: Lizzie and her beautiful/shy older sister Jane, Lizzie and her hands-off father, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett (an odd couple), Lizzie (romantic) and older friend Charlotte (practical), etc. Let us focus on the main love story…
Jennifer Ehle (an American) as Elizabeth (A&E, 1995)
Keira Knightley as Elizabeth (2005)
She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.
David Rintoul as Darcy (1980)
Ouch! Suffice it to say, Darcy does not make a positive first impression on Lizzie, her family, and the community-at-large. He doesn't even dance once at the assembly ball in Meryton, which makes him look proud, vain, and disagreeable. (He later explains that he's not at ease talking to strangers.)
My favorite Darcy: Colin Firth (A&E, 1995)
A geological sample of Darcy's core, as portrayed so beautifully by Firth, would show the following layers: at the bottom, his breeding and wealth. Undeniable. On top of that, confusion, the push-pull of class–egad, 10,000 pounds a year and a house 10 times larger than Downton Abbey! -Elinor Lippman, Huffington Post (January 28, 2013)
Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year.
Mr. Darcy's sly humor comes out when Lizzie and Caroline are walking about the room. (Lizzie went to Netherfield, Bingley's house, when Jane became ill.)
You either chuse this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; — if the first, I should be completely in your way; — and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.
Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride — where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation.
Well, Darcy knows he's an eligible bachelor, but he won't be caught easily. (He's not easily impressed- he's still be a bachelor at the age of 28.)
Matthew MacFadyen as Darcy (2005)
…But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related. They were natural and just.
Darcy's first proposal is is very surprising to Lizzie- she tells him off! (After all, she thinks he's treated Wickham very unfairly and ruined Jane's chance at happiness with Bingley.) I really like the lines above that Darcy says, about how he hates to hide his true feelings.
Elizabeth (Ehle) tells Darcy (Firth) about family troubles
When all hell breaks loose (because of Lydia's running away with Wickham), Darcy becomes very concerned. We see his sympathtic side (above), but we won't discover until much later just how much he has helped the Bennett family. (Actions speak louder than words.) If Lydia and Wickham hadn't been married off quickly, then the the other sisters would've been tainted for life. Elizabeth felt guilty because she hadn't revealed Wickham's true character to others; Darcy had to protect Georgiana, his teenage sister, so he couldn't expose Wickham either.
…Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them.
If you will thank me," he replied, let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.
The crisis, and its aftermath, propels the love story forward, though the couple are not together. Lady Catherine becomes a catalyst when she barges in on the Bennetts and insists that Lizzie never become engaged to her nephew. Darcy hopes to have another chance with Lizzie. (Bingley and Jane finally getting engaged brings happiness to them both, too.)
As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You shewed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.
How can you not love such words, these characters, and such a terrific ending!?
In Conversation with: Richard Armitage.
January 27, 2013 January 28, 2013 EmmaLeave a comment
Vulpes Libris
In the latest in our occasional series "In Conversation with …" we're delighted to welcome actor Richard Armitage to Vulpes Libris.
After working steadily for many years as an actor – both in the theatre and on television – most notably in Sparkhouse and Cold Feet – Richard came to sudden prominence in 2004 with the breakthrough role of Victorian cotton mill owner John Thornton in the BBC's highly-regarded dramatization of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic North and South.
In October of last year, he joined the cast of Spooks as Lucas North, and has recently met his end as Guy of Gisborne in the BBC's iconoclastic take on Robin Hood.
He recently very kindly took some time out of an insanely busy schedule to answer a few questions for us:
~~~: o :~~~
VL: First of all, welcome to Vulpes Libris and thank you very much for making time…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There's no shame in the art of late night snacking, so when it's time for a fix, the new Late Night Social Hour menu at STK Atlanta is sure to do the trick. Every Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to close, diners can nosh and imbibe on a wallet-friendly menu that includes specials for $2 to $8 including: $2 fresh oysters; $5 select beer, smoked bacon skewers, signature Lil' BRGs served with truffle fries, tater tots; and chopped Caesar salad; $6 select wines; $7 select speciality cocktails, hummus, and the daily ceviche tostada; and $8 jalapeño cheddar grit croquettes, shrimp cocktail, and tuna tartare tacos. STK, located in the heart of bustling Midtown, also features the same budget-conscious menu during its popular Social Hour every Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Artfully blending the modern steakhouse and chic lounge  into one, Social Hour goers, whether during happy hour or late night, are also invited to enjoy high-energy music provided by a favorite local DJ.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.stkhouse.com or call 404-793-0144. STK Atlanta is located at 1075 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta on the corner of Peachtree and 12th Streets in the 12th & Midtown development. Stay connected on Twitter and Instagram at @eatstk  #STKAtlanta.


Now in its fourth year, Engine Expo Novi has quickly established itself as North America's leading trade show for powertrain technology, and reflects the need for automotive OEMs to develop more efficient powertrains delivering greater fuel economy. Featuring engine and powertrain components, systems, materials, design, services, EV/HEV technology, tooling, manufacturing systems, advanced propulsion concepts and complete engines, Engine Expo Novi is a must-attend event for OEM and tier 1 powertrain design, development, manufacture and procurement teams.
"What a focused and knowledgeable audience, it's clear we need to be part of this next year."
Produced by the team behind the internationally respected Engine Expo Stuttgart, and staged at the same time as Automotive Testing Expo, where many of the world's leading engine test equipment companies will also be exhibiting, Engine Expo Novi will create a truly exceptional environment for evaluating new components and products, meeting the industry, consolidating existing business relationships, and keeping up with the latest concepts and ideas.
If you are a supplier of powertrain components, materials, systems, engines, services or developmental technologies, looking to do business with North American automotive OEMs, this event is for you.
"EWAB Engineering made a last minute decision to attend the Engine Expo North America 2013. It was a great decision. EWAB Engineering was able to showcase our Agile Flow technology to the right audience and we generated some top notch leads."
Jeff Newsom, business engineer, EWAB Engineering Inc.
"Engine Expo North America is a great place to establish contact with potential customers, get in touch with current ones, and to exhibit our development of new technologies. For us, the event was a complete success."
What is the biggest North American auto show?
Well here in Detroit the 2012 auto show was the biggest yet.


Alexandria, Va.-based Global Business Travel Association, which represents the business travel industry worldwide, said today that nearly four in 10 (37 percent) of U.S. business travel professionals expect some level of reduction in their company's travel because of the revised executive order. Even more European travel professionals feel this way, with 47 percent expecting some in business travel for their company. Additionally, 17 percent of European travel professionals report that their company has already cancelled business travel to the United States because of the executive orders issued. GBTA polled its U.S. and European members this week to assess the business travel impact of President Trump's revised executive order on travel.
Thirty-eight percent of European business travel professionals said their company's would be less willing to send business travelers to the United States in the future because of the executive order, and 45 percent indicated their company will be less willing to plan future meetings and events in the United States.
U.S. travel professionals cited potential for countries to respond to this ban, making travel more difficult for U.S. travelers (51 percent), complications in travel to the United States (44 percent), and increased threats against U.S. travelers abroad (41 percent) as their top concerns for lasting impacts of the travel ban. These numbers were all marginally down from the GBTA poll following the announcement of the first travel ban in January, where they were at 63 percent, 56 percent and 54 percent respectively.
U.S. travel professionals expressed similar levels of support and opposition for the revised travel ban as they did for the original one. Just over half (52 percent) of the travel professionals surveyed strongly or somewhat oppose this action, while 35 percent strongly or somewhat support it, compared to 50 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in the initial GBTA poll.
The poll of European members was conducted online between March 7-8, 2017. The respondents comprise 148 European travel managers, 51 of whom reside in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, or Sweden). The poll of U.S. members was also conducted online between March 7-8, 2017, and comprised 176 travel managers.


I didn't have a lot of input in it. To me anything to do with the movies – as far as I'm concerned, what Alan and I did was the Watchmen graphic novel and a couple of illustrations that came out at the same time. Everything else – the movie, the game, the (laughes) prequels – are really not canon. They're subsidiary. They're not really Watchmen. They're just something different.
You can watch the video of the interview below and hear other interesting stories about the creation of Watchmen. His discussion of Watchmen starts at about the 1:07 mark.


We recently invited a select few friends of TOAST to pick something thoughtful for a family member, friend or someone who has inspired them.
"I chose these for you because you always make me laugh, you have brilliant taste in music, you're always positive and bring so much light into my life. These are to say I appreciate you, I'm so glad we're friends".
"Thank you darling friend for your constant encouragement and gentle heart. I have chosen this beautiful soft TOAST gown for you, so you can keep warm on your mornings drinking tea at your table".
"A leaf print kimono gown for my husband's mother (or second mum as I like to call her) Jilly, for helping me every week with the girls at swimming, for listening to me, for her generosity, and for most of all, always treating me like her own daughter. Happy Christmas Jilly!"
"My sweet friend Lou is a force of endless creativity, a kind heart and a gentle soul. She is always there to lift me up and encourage me with her support, friendship and artistic input. Thank you lovely. I hope that this @TOASTtravels jumper will wrap up that kind heart of yours in warmth and in cosiness."
"A special Christmas gift, this beautifully printed kimono from TOAST is for Angela @botanyshope5 for being an amazing friend and true inspiration. Merry Christmas my love, enjoy your much-deserved break and may 2016 be full of exciting adventures!"
"Thank you for holding my hand through all the tricky bits this year. Hopefully these mittens will do the same for you through the gelid Northumberland winter!"


Advice to law firm management: I'd like to see us expand in the right direction and hire some new attorney's and other professionals. I feel as though having more hands to help during work hours will help ease everyone's work load.
Pros: I really enjoy the fact that this firm has kept up to date in regards to the latest advancements in the field. I also really enjoy working with everyone and the pay is excellent.
Cons: I have seen other workers take on more than they could handle on more occasions than I'd like to admit. There have been times in which I had to work well after usual office hours myself.
Advice to law firm management: If you are into business and corporate culture than you need to work at this firm. If you are more law driven and prefer a traditional law firm structure than I would not suggest working for this company.
Pros: I started working for this firm several years ago. Was very proud to work for such an old and large firm. There are many national and international clients. It is full of very smart people. It also has a strong large corporate like culture. It also pays very well and provides many great benefits. The work is also very challenging and very large scale.
Cons: The problem I had with this company is that it is set up like a fortune 500 company and not a law firm. The culture is very corporate and those with that kind of previous experience or background do much better than those like me with purely legal background. If you are well versed in corporate jargon and structure you will love this place if not then it is not a very good place to work.
With the experience and resources to handle the most challenging legal issues, Thompson Hine strives to deliver consistently exceptional guidance, value and service, and to fulfill our Client Service Pledge from the inception of each matter to its close, and beyond. In fact, our goal is to be the best law firm our clients have ever dealt with. For more than a century, Thompson Hine has been committed to excellence on behalf of our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work. Clients rank us among the top firms in the United States for client service year after year, and we are proud of the accolades we have earned in recognition of our capabilities and leadership. Perhaps the greatest measure of our success is the high number of ongoing client relationships we are proud to have, including major public and private corporations, financial institutions, governments, nonprofit organizations, venture capitalists and individual entrepreneurs. We invite you to learn more about the firm and what makes us different, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss how we may be able to support your needs.
Thompson Hine has been named a top U.S. law firm for client service excellence for more than 10 consecutive years in the annual BTI Client Service A-Team: Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance, ranking us among the top 200 firms in the country.
Thompson Hine has been named as one of the BTI Client Service 30, an elite group of the top 30 firms ranked for superior client service among the top 650 firms in the country.
Thompson Hine was honored in every category for game-changing innovation in The BTI Brand Elite: Client Perceptions of the Best-Branded Law Firms 2014.
Thompson Hine was named as one of the top two law firms in the country for client service and the only firm ranked in the top tier for "Provides Value for the Dollar," according to the 2011 BTI Client Service A-Team: Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance, a report issued by The BTI Consulting Group, Inc.
Thompson Hine repeated its top-tier placement in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers® 2015 Best Law Firms rankings, earning national and regional recognition.
Thompson Hine was recognized in the 2014 edition of LMG Life Sciences, published by the Legal Media Group in association with Euromoney Institutional Investor.
One hundred one lawyers from Thompson Hine were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
Thompson Hine was ranked #20 overall and #17 among firms in the Midwest on Vault.com's 2015 list of the country's 25 Best Law Firms for Diversity.
At Thompson Hine, we believe that it is not enough to meet our clients' expectations - we strive to exceed those expectations. Our clients tell us that diversity is important to them, so we have made a commitment to reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we live and work by building and retaining a diverse group of lawyers and staff. We take pride in our diverse workforce, inclusive culture and the service of minorities and women in leadership positions within our firm. We embrace the challenge to be a champion for diversity among law firms and in our communities because as one of the largest business law firms in the United States, we believe we have a unique opportunity and clear responsibility to be a change agent within the legal profession and the business community.
In 2010, Thompson Hine LLP had a class of 3 summer associates. The firm did not consider any second year law students for offers. The firm did not report how much it pays summer associates.


The clown you hired for your kid's birthday party probably can't make balloon iguanas with tiny scales, swirling three-story inflatable sculptures inspired by mythology, or floating illuminated installations that blink along with the music. These blown-up works of art go way beyond standard balloon animals, elevating an iconic decorative element at parties to a respectable medium for sculptures of all sizes.
Our expectations of balloon animals will never be the same after seeing these incredibly detailed creations by Masayoshi Matsumoto. The artist uses nothing but balloons and transparent thread to replicate scales, toenails, whiskers, gills and other small parts of all sorts of creatures.
A swirling, organic form seemed to grow overnight in the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland following the installation of 'Pisces' by Jason Hackenwerth. Made of 10,000 individual balloons that took three people nearly six days to inflate, the sculpture references the Greek legend of Aphrodite and Eros, in which they escaped the monster Typhon by transforming into a spiral of two fish.
Balloons filled with milk are captured mid-rupture at high speeds by designer James Huse in a photo series entitled 'An Abrupt End.' It's hard to tell exactly what's going on here, with all of those textures swirling and splashing, but it's fascinating to look at.
Artist Vanessa McKeown makes use of cast-off materials and items that can be found around the house, proving that ultimately, the most important aspect of creativity is the ability to stretch your imagination. In this series, 'Fruloons & Vegaloons,' she carefully attaches balloons in the appropriate colors to real fruit and vegetable stems, and inserts an orange one in the perfect size inside a peel.


text:
And Don't Call Me Shirley
by John Floyd
As I get older, I'm often reminded that my memory's not what it used to be. Example: One night last week, while my wife and I were watching the news, I asked her what I thought was a reasonable question about a guy who was being interviewed on the street. "Why in the world," I said, pointing, "would someone wear both a belt and suspenders?" It was of course more of an observation than a question, and right away it seemed somehow familiar to me. I spent the rest of the newscast trying to remember where I'd heard that expression before.
Later that night I did some snooping around on YouTube and--sure enough--I found this clip, from Once Upon a Time in the West, which solved my belt-and-suspenders mystery. When I told my wife about it. she made an observation of her own. She said, not for the first time, "I think you watch too many movies."
Guilty as charged, there. I happen to love movies. And over the years I've picked up a lot of sayings that I first heard spoken in big-screen dialogue. Some of them are silly, some are wise, and most of them stay in my head for a long time afterward. Which led of course to this post.
Here's my question to you: How many film quotes do you recognize, from the following three lists?
NOTE: Given my sophisticated viewing preferences, you can expect to see more quotes here from movies like Jaws and Blazing Saddles than from movies like Schindler's List and Anna Karenina. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.
List #1. 10 lines of dialogue that almost everyone knows. (I trust you to supply the movie names. If you've been lost on a jungle island for the past eighty years or so and your rescuers have a computer handy, I have provided video-clip links.)
1. Here's looking at you, kid.
2. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
3. May the Force be with you.
4. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
5. You're gonna need a bigger boat.
6. Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
7. If you build it, he will come.
8. Bond. James Bond.
9. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
10. Go ahead. Make my day.
List #2. 100 quotes you probably/possibly know, if you're a movie lover:
1. You can't fight in here--this is the War Room. -- Dr. Strangelove
2. Show me the money. -- Jerry Maguire
3. I coulda been a contender. -- On the Waterfront
4. Play it, Sam. Play "As Time Goes By." -- Casablanca
5. Surely you're not serious. / I am serious. And don't call me Shirley. -- Airplane!
6. I'm the king of the world! -- Titanic
7. Leave the gun, take the cannoli. -- The Godfather
8. Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. -- Forrest Gump
9. What we have here . . . is a failure to communicate. -- Cool Hand Luke
10. You can't handle the truth. -- A Few Good Men
11. That plane's dusting crops where there ain't no crops. -- North by Northwest
12. Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emporer of Rome. -- Gladiator
13. Throw me the idol, I throw you the whip. -- Raiders of the Lost Ark
14. You talking to me? -- Taxi Driver
15. Love means never having to say you're sorry. -- Love Story
16. Is it safe? -- Marathon Man
17. Put up your arms--and all your flippers. -- Men in Black
18. I'd like to report a truck driver who's been endangering my life. -- Duel
19. I wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. -- The Silence of the Lambs
20. Say hello to my leetle friend. -- Scarface
21. Open the pod bay doors, Hal. -- 2001: A Space Odyssey
22. The stuff that dreams are made of. -- The Maltese Falcon
23. Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. -- The Princess Bride
24. Travis! Bring your gun! -- Old Yeller
25. Who ya gonna call? -- Ghostbusters
26. Made it, Ma! Top of the world! -- White Heat
27. They call me Mister Tibbs. -- In the Heat of the Night
28. Seven years of college, down the drain. -- Animal House
29. I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore! -- Network
30. We got trouble, right here in River City. -- The Music Man
31. Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. -- Rebecca
32. Who are those guys? -- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
33. Please welcome the very excellent barbarian . . . Mr. Genghis Khan! -- Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
34. I'm walking here! I'm walking here! -- Midnight Cowboy
35. After all . . . tomorrow is another day. -- Gone with the Wind
36. STELLA! -- A Streetcar Named Desire
37. I'll have what she's having. -- When Harry Met Sally
38. He can't go down with three barrels on him. Not with three, he can't. -- Jaws
39. I see dead people. -- The Sixth Sense
40. Plastics. -- The Graduate
41. I'm George, George McFly. I am your density. I mean . . . your destiny. -- Back to the Future
42. Houston, we have a problem. -- Apollo 13
43. I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. -- True Grit
44. You had me at "hello." -- Jerry Maguire
45. I don't understand. All my life I've been waiting for someone, and when I find her . . . she's a fish. -- Splash
46. Shaken, not stirred. -- Goldfinger (and many other Bond movies)
47. There's no crying in baseball. -- A League of Their Own
48. Snake Plissken? I heard you were dead. -- Escape from New York
49. And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the finest pilot anyone had ever seen. -- The Right Stuff
50. It's alive! It's alive! -- Frankenstein
51. Rosebud. -- Citizen Kane
52. Remember me? I came in here yesterday and you wouldn't wait on me. Big mistake. -- Pretty Woman
53. He's fleeing the interview! -- Fargo
54. What in the wide, wide world of sports is goin' on here? -- Blazing Saddles
55. Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. -- Wall Street
56. Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you? -- The Graduate
57. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. -- Casablanca
58. Heeeeere's Johnny! -- The Shining
59. It was beauty killed the beast. -- King Kong
60. Anybody hear that? It's an impact tremor, that's what it is. I'm fairly alarmed here. -- Jurassic Park
61. Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. -- It's a Wonderful Life
62. Tell 'em to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. -- Knute Rockne: All-American
63. Put some Windex on it. -- My Big Fat Greek Wedding
64. And that was the end of Grogan--the man who killed my father, raped and murdered my sister, burned my ranch, shot my dog . . . and stole my Bible. -- Romancing the Stone
65. Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape. -- Planet of the Apes
66. I saw it. It was a run-by fruiting. -- Mrs. Doubtfire
67. Be careful, out there among them English. -- Witness
68. ADRIAN! -- Rocky
69. I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too. -- The Wizard of Oz
70. Roads? Where we're going, you don't need roads. -- Back to the Future
71. Fat man, you shoot a great game of pool. -- The Hustler
72. I volunteer as tribute. -- The Hunger Games
73. Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. -- Casablanca
74. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. -- The Terminator
75. Have fun storming the castle. -- The Princess Bride
76. Roger O. Thornhill. What does the O stand for? / Nothing. -- North by Northwest
77. Michael, we're bigger than U. S. Steel. -- The Godfather, Part II
78. Give me ten men like Clouseau and I could destroy the world. -- A Shot in the Dark
79. To infinity and beyond! -- Toy Story
80. Docta Jones, Docta Jones! No more parachutes! -- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
81. This was no boat accident. -- Jaws
82. I don't have to show you any steenking badges. -- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
83. WILSON! -- Cast Away
84. When you said you chased tornadoes, I thought that was just a metaphor. -- Twister
85. A lie keeps growing and growing until it's as clear as the nose on your face. -- Pinocchio
86. I want Ness . . . dead. I want his family . . . dead. I want his house . . . burned to the ground. -- The Untouchables
87. Hasta la vista, baby. -- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
88. What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today. -- Groundhog Day
89. All I wanna do is go the distance. -- Rocky
90. That'll do, pig. That'll do. -- Babe
91. They're heeee-re. -- Poltergeist
92. I killed him for money and a woman--and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. -- Double Indemnity
93. We rob banks. -- Bonnie and Clyde
94. I'll be back. -- The Terminator
95. These aren't the droids you're looking for. -- Star Wars
96. There's only one rule: Once you go in . . . you don't come out. -- Escape from New York
97. Sometimes nothin' can be a mighty cool hand. -- Cool Hand Luke
98. Round up the usual suspects. -- Casablanca
99. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again. -- Gone with the Wind
100. Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing. -- To Kill a Mockingbird
List #3. 50 quotes rarely recognized, but cool anyway (some of my favorites):
1. Goodnight, you princes of Maine, you knights of New England. -- The Cider House Rules
2. I've got the motive, which is money, and the body, which is dead. -- In the Heat of the Night
3. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. -- The Usual Suspects
4. We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we're aware of. -- Men in Black
5. Any man don't wanna get killed, better clear on out the back. -- Unforgiven
6. That's a negative, Ghostrider, the pattern is full. -- Top Gun
7. All these things I can do, all these powers . . . and I couldn't even save him. -- Superman
8. The next time I see Blue Duck, I'll kill him for you. -- Lonesome Dove
9. A wed wose. How womantic. -- Blazing Saddles
10. You got ten seconds to run like hell. Then dynamite, not faith, will move that mountain into this pass. -- The Professionals
11. In the end you wind up dying all alone on some dusty street. And for what? A tin star? -- High Noon
12. Ain't had no water since yesterday, Lord. Gettin' a little thirsty. Just thought I'd mention it. Amen. -- The Ballad of Cable Hogue
13. How will you die, Joan Wilder? Slow, like a snail? Or fast, like a shooting star? -- Romancing the Stone
14. Oh, my. I hope that wasn't a hostage. -- Die Hard
15. I'll take those Huggies and whatever you got in the register. -- Raising Arizona
16. He just saved your life, and Elizabeth's too. And he saved mine, and Arliss's. We can't just shoot him, like he was nothin'! -- Old Yeller
17. Stay on or get off? STAY ON OR GET OFF? -- Speed
18. I wish they wouldn't land those things here while we're playing golf. -- M*A*S*H
19. O Captain, my Captain. -- Dead Poets Society
20. Love means never having to say you're sorry. / That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. -- What's Up, Doc?
21. Come on, Hobbs, knock the cover off the ball. -- The Natural
22. We find the defendants incredibly guilty. -- The Producers
23. I'm always frank and earnest with women. In New York I'm Frank, in Chicago I'm Ernest -- The Long Kiss Goodnight
24. Moneypenny, what would I do without you? / My problem is, you never do anything with me. -- On Her Majesty's Secret Service
25. I see you've been missing a lot of work. / Well. I wouldn't say I've been missing it. -- Office Space
26. I'm thinking your head would make a real good toilet brush. -- Heaven's Prisoners
27. The horse is too small, the jockey's too big, the trainer's too old, and I'm too dumb to know the difference. -- Seabiscuit
28. I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals. -- Butch Cassidy
29. Go do that voodoo that you do so well. -- Blazing Saddles
30. All you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, and charge me for a chicken salad sandwich. / You want me to hold the chicken? / I want you to hold it between your knees. -- Five Easy Pieces
31. Where is your commanding officer? / Blowed up, SIR! -- Stripes
32. You are in need of a soothsayer. / How do you know? / I'd be a fine soothsayer if I didn't. -- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
33. This lighter has sixty-two different functions. Sixty-three if you wish to light a cigar. -- Our Man Flint
34. Funny thing is, on the outside I was an honest man. I had to come to prison to be a crook. -- The Shawshank Redemption
35. That's a Smith and Wesson--and you've had your six. -- Doctor No
36. Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? -- Raiders of the Lost Ark
37. That was the end of my religion period. I ain't sung a hymn for 104 years. -- Little Big Man
38. Here are your names: Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blond, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink. -- Reservoir Dogs
39. Don't open my pantry, Father. I found one of them in there and I locked him in. -- Signs
40. He's in a gunfight right now. He'll have to call you back. -- Under Siege
41. You know, the one thing I can't figure out, are these girls real smart or real real lucky? -- Thelma and Louise
42. You can shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em . . . -- To Kill a Mockingbird
43. What happened to the old bank?--it was beautiful. / People kept robbing it. / Small price to pay for beauty. -- Butch Cassidy
44. If you build what, who will come? / He didn't say. -- Field of Dreams
45. Ain't gonna be no rematch. Don't want one. -- Rocky
46. He did it! He missed the barn! -- Cat Ballou
47. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? / So help me, Me. -- Oh, God!
48. I once asked this literary agent, "What kind of writing paid the best?" He said, "Ransom notes." -- Get Shorty
49. You've got me? Who's got you? -- Superman
50. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off. -- Alien
And this is me, signing off. If you have a favorite film quote, or even one from TV (I had to draw the line somewhere), please let me know in the comments section.
Next Saturday, I'll be here with something about, believe it or not, mystery writing. Meanwhile, keep watching those movies.
Posted by John Floyd at 00:00
Labels: Floyd
Anonymous 29 October, 2022 06:59
John, if, wearing suspenders, they come loose, it can prove embarrassing. I speak from experience. Edward lodi
John Floyd 29 October, 2022 09:00
How true, Edward. BTW, since I finished writing this column the other day, I actually saw an advertisement for suspenders whose straps are designed to *attach to a belt*. So now I *do* have an answer to "why wear both?" Before that, it always seemed strange to me.
But I still like the movie clip.
Cajun chef Justin Wilson often said he wore both a belt and suspenders because of his background as a safety engineer. "Always have a backup."
Ha! Can't argue with that. (Or anything Justin Wilson said. I was crazy about that guy. I gar-awn-tee!)
Mike -- I'm glad you're no longer Anonymous.
Steve Liskow 29 October, 2022 10:24
Fun post, John, and I'm surprised how many of these I knew. I guess that shows my age, doesn't it?
You left off one of my favorites, though, also from The Unforgiven: "That sonofabitch had it coming/ We've ALL got it coming, Kid." Eastwood's dead flat monotone on the response is perfect.
Hey Steve. Yep, you and I are about the same age, and it sounds as if--God help you--you've probably seen about as many movies as I have.
Surprisingly, Unforgiven has a LOT of great lines of dialogue, and some of them timeless. In one scene Eastwood said something like "A hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever going to have." That's hard to forget. And in another scene a dying Gene Hackman says, as if he can't quite believe he's been shot: "I was building a house." (Hey, doesn't matter--if you're the villain, nothing's guaranteed.)
I'm always, always impressed by the brilliance of some screenwriters,
Love these! I'm surprised at how many I recognized (almost all) but I haven't seen most of the movies, just a few clips in many cases. --Susan Oleksiw
I love 'em too, Susan--hearing/seeing lines of dialogue like that bring back fond memories. Actually I HAVE seen all these movies, most of them several times. I keep telling myself it helps my writing, though the jury's probably still out on that. I do know that great dialogue in any kind of fiction is always inspiring to a writer--or should be.
Thanks as always.
Herschel Cozine 29 October, 2022 13:38
Actually the line, "I'm walking here" from Midnight Coboy was an ad lib. The car in question was not supposed to be there. Thanks for this. Some great lines.
Hey Herschel! Yep, I'd heard that, about the Midnight Cowboy quote. I think it was mentioned in one of those Actor's Studio interviews, when James Lipton hosted Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman and Voight were crossing the street as planned and the car drove up out of nowhere. (I love that kind of inside info.)
Can't resist, John. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."
Ha! Yep, I actually had it in there and later took it out. Great movie, for sure! Still hard to believe that's the same girl who was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The magic of movies . . .
Great post - and I have seen wayyyyyy too many of these movies. Oh, well, at least I stay off Tik-Tok!
Me too, Eve! There are worse habits we could have.
Barb Goffman 29 October, 2022 20:30
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly. (Thought I'd throw in a TV reference.) Always love your dialogue-quote posts, John.
Hey Barb. I thought you were going to say As God is my witness, my turkeys will never be hungry again. Yes, I probably needed some TV references--but the lists were too long already.
This dialogue stuff is *always* fun, I think.
Oh, that's good, John! I heard a story about the "WKRP" line---originally it was something like "I swear I thought turkeys could fly," but actor Gordon jump was a very devout Christian and felt that Arthur Carlson would be too and would only invoke the name of God if it was something he seriously believed. So, Jump changed the line to "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" And it's in a GIF now!
C. Dan Castro 29 October, 2022 20:55
Great lists, John. I'm guessing you use a stream of consciousness approach. Otherwise you risk getting bogged down in highly quotable movies. Take "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," which teems with lines like:
1. Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...
2. It's over. Go home.
3. Pardon my French. But you're an ass----!
4. They think he's a righteous dude.
5. So that's how it is in their family.
6. Do you know where he is? Do you know when he'll be back? Do you know anything?
Interestingly, all of the above lines are delivered by different characters. (Maybe that's a good sign for a comedy: everyone gets to deliver funny lines. But I digress.)
If I ever generate a list like yours, my thinking is to avoid comedies. But even an absolute non-comedy can have the same problem, although maybe to a lesser degree. Consider the 1963 "The Haunting." Best I can do is narrow it to two lines, which effectively bookend the movie:
1. Hill House had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more.
2. And we who walk here, walk alone.
Hmmm, now the wife and I need to find a haunted house movie (correction, a GOOD haunted house movie) for Halloween-season viewing.
Clarification: The Haunting is a great film. So is The Changeling and The Uninvited. The Legend of Hell House is fun. We're seeking something we have NOT seen. Any suggestions? Maybe "The Night House"?
Dan, there were SO many quotable lines in Ferris. I think about that movie anytime an instructor asks the class a question, then looks at them and says, "Anyone? Anyone?"
The movies with the highest number of recognizable quotes (at least that I recall) are Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, Butch Cassidy, Star Wars, and the Wizard of Oz. But that's just me.
As for haunted-house movies, my favorites are probably The Others, The Shining, Poltergeist, the original Paranormal Activity, and Psycho.
Thanks for your thoughts! Have a happy Halloween!
Elizabeth Zelvin 29 October, 2022 23:26
Ending the day with a big grin on my face. I'm GLAD you watch way too many movies, John. We all benefit. :)
Ha! Liz, you're a sweetheart. Glad I made you grin. Have a great week!
I'll paraphrase three I've actually used (never mind the bizarre sets of circumstances.) "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking." -----Airplane, of course. "Holy Mackerel, I'm married!"----It's a Wonderful Life (said the day after my courthouse wedding, a very busy work day!) "Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into..." ---Laurel and Hardy's various movies. And, of course: "Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" ------the immortal Sledge Hammer. Wonderful column, as always, John!
Good old Lloyd Bridges, in Airplane. (Another one of his: "Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.") There were a lot of good quotes in that movie. One of the best: Beaver Cleaver's mom saying "I speak jive." And I used only one quote from It's a Wonderful Life, but--as you demonstrated--there are many. So many of these lines are so common folks sometimes don't realize they CAME from movies.
Thanks, Jeff. As always.
Anytime!
Sandy in St Louis 30 October, 2022 03:59
Get. Off. My. Plane. (Air Force One, Harrison Ford)
I watched that one again not long ago, Sandy. He can play a president, too, it seems.
Good to see you here. Thanks!
Eugenia Parrish 30 October, 2022 12:03
Thanks for a wonderful trip. Only a few I didn't remember, only because I never saw the movie. We seem to have similar taste, even though I'm WAY older than you (i.e. I saw them in the theater first release, ack). One you missed that I use often, though not out loud: "I...have had...enough...of you!". Star Trek 3. I still remember the blaze of triumph to see the hero act human instead of some screenwriter's idea of what was noble and right.
Eugenia, I too saw many of these in the theater first, though I love watching them again whenever they're on TV or streamed via Netflix or Amazon Prime. And believe it or not, I've seen only the first two Star Trek feature films (loved the Wrath of Khan).
I also enjoy watching YouTube clips of favorite film scenes (as though I haven't seen them enough already). Thank God for Apple Airpods, so my wife doesn't have to listen to all this revisiting of old movies.
Thanks so much for stopping in at SleuthSayers!
Bruce W. Most 03 November, 2022 22:44
I recognized most of those quotes, and have seen almost all of the movies. Which suggests I should have been writing instead of sitting in the theater so much.
Our Spook House
The Queen's Poisoner
The Duellists
Second Chances, Revisited
All love is good love (in writing as in life.)
Thrush at Bat
A Look Behind the Names
The Marvelously Inventive Mr. Hicks
An Era Ends…
I'm in the mood for stories that open with the wea...
The Top Fifteen Crime Films of the 1940's.
Indexes and Other Treasures
Holding Back the Tide (Putin's Folly, Pt. II)
Bail at the Bar
They came for the plot, and stayed for the charact...
Haunted Hearts and Trapped Souls: We Have Always L...
The Pros And Cons of Rideshare
Choosing the Right Weapon
Quotable Chicago... In Space!
Opportunity Abounds
Working With James Patterson
Dark Deeds Down Under
Fictional Mistakes (Onscreen and Off)


Ali and I headed to The Cinema Theatre (957 South Clinton Ave.) to see the double-feature: Atonement, and Penelope. This time, we didn't get a chance to hang out with the cat — I guess it's done with us.
So Atonement took me a while to get into. I had thoughts of the day swimming around and couldn't get into it fully. I noticed that the foleying was performed louder and more stylistically than in other movies — obviously for artistic effect but, to my ear, deliberate to the point of distraction.
The story is not particularly unusual: Briony — a young girl — misinterprets the passionate love between her sister, Cecilia, and her beau Robbie as some bad thing in her sexually-budding mind. Through a lie of serendipitously important placement, she gets them separated. The World War II intensifies, and Robbie leaves to fight, able to see Cecilia only briefly.
As the emotions intensified — from the sterile complacency of the aristocratic life to the ragged edges of human existence — I became much more engaged in the film. And then was absolutely surprised to find it has a bit of a twist ending — one that looks squarely at what is real and what is not, unraveling the tapestry laid before me.
Penelope, on the other hand, was brutally terrible.
The story is that Penelope was affected by a curse of her father's lineage such that she was born with the appearance of a pig. To break the curse, she must wed one of her own — another "blue-blood" aristocrat. Unfortunately, her appearance is so hideous that all suitors literally run away from her at first sight, never getting to know the kind person she is inside. So does she finally find her prince? Will the curse actually be broken?
Let me save you 102 minutes of your life: yes, but it's the down-to-earth guy who actually likes her and he's not really a blue-blood, and yes, but the curse is edited partway into the film so that it's when she finds the one who loves her truly — and it is she that finally loves herself that breaks the curse, turning her back into regular-old Christina Ricci.
The fundamental flaw of the film is that it attempts to hit the exact middle-ground of all aspects. It's a cartoonish fairy-tale set in realistic modern-day England. Penelope is so hideous that she drives suitors away, but she's not bad looking at all. The chemistry between the designated couple is vaguely lukewarm — more like cooked pasta than a roaring fire. The resolution is absolutely insipid — that the curse forged in vengeance against a whole bloodline is really just a way for a girl to get through her issues and the evil witch was a big-hearted softie after all.
And then there's the script — oy. The fundamental message is that superficially loving mothers end up smothering their children's sense of self and must be shut the hell up. Or at least that may be on the mind of the scriptwriter. Then again, I guess if you love Everybody Loves Raymond, then — as this is the same writer — you'll probably love this script too. And apparently so do hundreds of commentators on Internet Movie Database. And I find that to be more disturbing than the fact that this movie got made at all.
Ali and I decided to check out the double-feature at The Cinema Theatre (957 South Clinton Ave.) The two films were Le scaphandre et le papillon(The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and Untraceable but I'll talk about them in reverse order. Oh, and this time Ali's lap was graced by Princess, the Cinema's resident cat — forcing her to be paralyzed for 3 full hours.
So Untraceable is a film about how the Patriot Act is good and how brainy people in universities are the source of all truly evil enemies. See, the FBI, NSA, and law-enforcement in general are all infallible organizations: when they go after someone, that person is guilty; otherwise, they wouldn't go after them, would they?
This is proven in the introductory sequence of the film where FBI Agent Jennifer Marsh finds someone using stolen credit cards on the Interwebs. She uses credit-card fraud techniques learned from a television commercial and deduces that it isn't the little old lady in the house whose IP address is the source of the transactions, but rather the next-door neighbor using her wireless access point. After all, the guy has guns which means he's a criminal.
Then a tip comes in about a website where someone's letting a kitten die on live-fed video. But the site is [wait for it …] untraceable. The film uses mumbo-techno speak to explain how the site is being redirected from foreign countries and stuff so it can't be traced. Then the guy starts killing people and the mystery is on.
Well, not the real mystery, but the attempt to find who the guy is who's doing all these mean things and why. The real mystery is how this evil, university-educated genius can transport and set up elaborate killing techniques that would make James Bond scriptwriters blush. He has access to all sorts of equipment, drugs, and chemicals that — to the average person — would be all but impossible to get, requiring lots of signatures, picture ID's, and money. It must be that pesky university! But even if we write that off, he is also able to transport his computer rig to anywhere in the city without anyone so much as blinking. Whatever explains these magical powers is probably the same one that lets him move around victims with equal ease and invisibility.
In stark contrast, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was excellent. It's about a guy who was perfectly healthy until a stroke rendered him completely paralyzed except for being able to move and blink his left eye. He starts out feeling trapped, depressed, and annoyed. Once a speech therapist helps him to speak by reading letters to him and blinking when she gets the right one, his imagination and memories come to the forefront and he eventually decides to complete a book contract he had. It's an interesting movie exploring the will to live and the human need to find contentment and happiness in any situation.
I have heard reviews where people talk about it being "amazing" what this man went through, but in a way, it was more a demonstration of necessity than anything. Because of his condition, there was no way for him to kill himself — in fact, it was because of the quality of health care he received that kept him alive at all, so in a way, it wasn't that he was unable to kill himself, but that he was unable to prevent others from keeping him alive.
See, there appears to be a level of personal happiness that is unrelated to one's life condition. If happiness truly were tied to one's life condition, then extremely well-off people would be constantly overjoyed and poor people would beg for brevity in their miserable existences. Clearly, though, this is not true.
But remarkably, it seems to have no limits. It's challenging to imagine a worse fate than being completely paralyzed and kept alive irrelevant to your consent. Yet here was Jean-Dominique Bauby (the character was based on a real person) who lived that very nightmare. His personal disposition — once the trauma of the sudden, dramatic change in his life wore off — seemed to return to a level not dissimilar to himself in his past, fully ambulatory life.
Anyway, there's sort-of a game to see how the Cinema's double-features are related. This one is a tough one. Judging by how I personally felt, I think Untraceable was supposed to be as bad as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was good — that the latter was to cancel out the former, and you were supposed to leave the theater feeling exactly the same as when you went in. In 10 years, I invite you to recall this combination and see which still has relevance.


Until the release of Google Cardboard the virtual reality sector was seen as a little bit too geeky and not particularly accessible. That however changed dramatically when in 2014 Google had the brain child that was 'Cardboard'. Simple in concept and elegant in execution Google's cardboard is a very affordable and effective VR headset that brings fantastic virtual reality content to life.
Over the past two years there have been over 5 million headsets shipped out which to all intents and purposes is a glowing endorsement of VR. Along with a large number of headset sales there have been over 25 million installs of Cardboard apps via Google Play. 25 bleedin million! And this is only set to grow as new developers and producers see the benefit of creating this type of material. Have a guess what the most popular app has been. Well none other than 'Chair in a Room', another creepy horror app.Of course Google's Cardboard also enables people to see 3D video and well over 350,000 hours of content have been viewed on Youtube (also owned by Google). They really are in a truly great position to help progress this industry.
So what does the future hold for this tech giant? Well Clay Bavor (Google's VR chief) was pretty generic in his response stating Cardboard is "not the end of the line … we're working on a lot of things." We think this is exciting times and we're sure there will be many more years of investment to come.


Free RSVP for you excited type lovers who can't wait to attend.
We're happy to have you join us for the letterform love!
Better late than never! We're looking forward to having you join us for TypeThursday.
Meet up after work for a drink or two, share work in progress projects, and catch up with people who love letterforms.
Previous work shown and discussion includes Lettering compositions, superfamily relationships, dutch italics and Arabic type design.
TypeThursdayNYC May is supported by Emigre & proudly hosted by the Type Director's Club. The TDC promotes excellence in typography and has done so for over 65 years. As such, we're honored to join this prestigious organization and thank them for allowing us to bring #TypeThursday to the TDC.
Not at all! You're welcome to come and learn. We do encourage participating in the critiques and asking questions that would benefit the presenters and the community.
For digital projects, email TypeThursday Organizer, Thomas Jockin, with your files by noon the day of TypeThursday. Your work will be projected onto the wall and the group will help pump up your typography!