en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1378937 Comments by MikeOTDP http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/03/27/the-james-bond-chronicles-on-her-majestys-secret-service/#IDComment137961150 The interesting part is that in the books, Tracey's death shatters Bond. Totally. THAT would have made a great film...and we saw a whisper of it in Quantum of Solace. Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:46:33 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/03/27/the-james-bond-chronicles-on-her-majestys-secret-service/#IDComment137961150 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/03/06/the-james-bond-chronicles-you-only-live-twice/#IDComment132918292 I actually thought QOS was pretty good. It's clearly a setup piece, leaving M wondering who can be trusted - and realizing that Bond is one of the few people that can. And both of them facing an organization whose real size and power can only be guessed at. Sun, 6 Mar 2011 17:01:40 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/03/06/the-james-bond-chronicles-you-only-live-twice/#IDComment132918292 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/03/05/china-to-increase-defense-spending-by-12-7/#IDComment132809047 The amount or lack thereof of spending is immaterial - especially in a communist country. It's too easy to jigger the books as the Soviets did. Pay attention to what's being bought. The Chinese are buying a lot of hardware, and are starting to develop design capabilities. We can beat them, but only if we put forth more effort than the Obama gang is willing to support. Sun, 6 Mar 2011 05:42:43 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/03/05/china-to-increase-defense-spending-by-12-7/#IDComment132809047 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/02/27/coming-soon-enhanced-combat-helmet-can-stop-a-bullet-at-point-blank/#IDComment131175524 Leftists can't be human shields. Nothing that low on the evolutionary scale is considered human. :-) Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:22:10 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/02/27/coming-soon-enhanced-combat-helmet-can-stop-a-bullet-at-point-blank/#IDComment131175524 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/02/05/the-james-bond-chronicles-thunderball/#IDComment126192239 I wouldn't go that far, but it's well established that it led to the development of emergency underwater breathing gear for helicopter crews. The Navy saw the mini-SCUBA gadget, found out it was just a prop...and put money into developing real hardware. Helicopters turn over when ditched, and crewmembers were drowning. Saved quite a few people in the end. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 21:45:40 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/02/05/the-james-bond-chronicles-thunderball/#IDComment126192239 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/02/05/the-james-bond-chronicles-thunderball/#IDComment126191668 Ah, but the movie scripts started diverging (often wildly) from the books after "Thunderball". Sat, 5 Feb 2011 21:40:46 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/02/05/the-james-bond-chronicles-thunderball/#IDComment126191668 http://bigpeace.com/stzu/2011/02/04/big-government-pentagon/#IDComment126026520 Part of the problem was caused by the defense industry consolidation that took place in the 1990s. When you're down to three major airframe companies, and two or three shipbuilders, it gets hard to blackball a vendor...and impossible, when they bring their lobbyists into play. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 00:06:31 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/stzu/2011/02/04/big-government-pentagon/#IDComment126026520 http://bigpeace.com/emackenzie/2011/02/04/defense-cuts-we-cant-afford/#IDComment126024711 The effect a Continuing Resolution has is more serious than people realize. It means repeating last year's budget - whether or not it fits this year's needs. Which it never does, as acquisition programs wax and wane with the passage of time. I'm becoming a supporter of a limited draft for just this reason. Limited to the children of Federal elected officials - to motivate them to do their duty in a timely manner. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 00:00:55 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/emackenzie/2011/02/04/defense-cuts-we-cant-afford/#IDComment126024711 http://bigpeace.com/jtreese/2011/01/27/why-are-we-in-afghanistan/#IDComment124244104 I think the real question is whether to pursue a strategy of counterinsurgency...or a strategy of retaliation. COIN takes patience, though, and the American public has never been patient. Which leaves us one option. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:13:35 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/jtreese/2011/01/27/why-are-we-in-afghanistan/#IDComment124244104 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/01/16/the-james-bond-chronicles-goldfinger/#IDComment121721689 The movie is a definite improvement. The book had Goldfinger actually tying to loot the gold, load it on trucks, and drive to Norfolk, VA - to load on a Soviet cruiser. Fleming not, apparently, being familiar with American geography. It's a day's drive. The movie is FAR tighter in the plot. Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:37:47 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lmeyers/2011/01/16/the-james-bond-chronicles-goldfinger/#IDComment121721689 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/01/08/is-china-trying-to-buy-british-aircraft-carrier-for-8-million/#IDComment120290527 True, but the US intel community said the Chinese would not have a 5th generation fighter until 2020. The JF-20 will be flying by the end of the month. Sun, 9 Jan 2011 01:24:57 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/01/08/is-china-trying-to-buy-british-aircraft-carrier-for-8-million/#IDComment120290527 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/01/08/is-china-trying-to-buy-british-aircraft-carrier-for-8-million/#IDComment120290350 I can believe the PLAN wants Invincible as a helicopter assault ship. Besides, at ~$8 million, it's pathetically cheap...they can disassemble it and learn how the RN builds ships. The British have a lot more experience in blue-water ops than the Russians. Sun, 9 Jan 2011 01:23:30 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/01/08/is-china-trying-to-buy-british-aircraft-carrier-for-8-million/#IDComment120290350 http://bigpeace.com/cdevore/2011/01/05/2011-global-balance-of-power-shift/#IDComment119773682 Well, the Navy can just as easily cut off that sea trade. Or rather, can do so until we lose the Navy through neglect. Probably in the next decade. Thu, 6 Jan 2011 03:39:29 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/cdevore/2011/01/05/2011-global-balance-of-power-shift/#IDComment119773682 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2010/12/30/when-the-uss-ronald-reagan-meets-the-mao-zedong-on-the-high-seas/#IDComment118973330 A couple of points.... First, the Chinese bought the half-finished Soviet carrier Varyag. They towed it to China and are completing it now. She'll put to sea in 2011. The Chinese are talking about a Chinese-built carrier launching in the 2014-15 timeframe. Second, do not underestimate the threat. China is NOT the Soviet Union. They need sea commerce...which is a strong motivation to develop a competent navy. It takes about 20 years to build one...and the Chinese started about a decade ago. Finally, worry - for the leaders of the United States are sending a badly underfunded Navy in harm's way. The USN is sailing too many old ships, flying too many worn-out planes. It's beed rode hard and put up wet for two decades...and now the paltry funds being made to patch things together are being eyed to be fed into "deficit reduction" - better known as protecting welfares. The Chinese could win by default. Sat, 1 Jan 2011 02:05:21 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2010/12/30/when-the-uss-ronald-reagan-meets-the-mao-zedong-on-the-high-seas/#IDComment118973330 http://biggovernment.com/bjacobson/2010/12/30/union-snow-job-just-glimpse-of-coming-blizzard/#IDComment118814507 State and local government unions need a Reaganesque horsewhipping. BTW, never forget that less than 1/4 of the Federal workforce is unionized. And does not have the incredibly generous benefits of state and local workers. Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:56:52 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/bjacobson/2010/12/30/union-snow-job-just-glimpse-of-coming-blizzard/#IDComment118814507 http://bigpeace.com/mseavey/2010/12/30/discouraging-childhood-competition-is-destroying-our-greatness-as-a-nation/#IDComment118813306 If you are concerned about Little Johnny's Ego, forget the "Everybody's a Winner" nonsense. Replace it with "Everybody can be good at Something If They Work Hard." Which is quite true. I know of one kid...stocky, roundish. Couldn't catch. Lousy thrower. No good at running either. Useless for ball sports. But I've placed in the top 10 at the World Muzzle-Loading Championships on five separate occasions. Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:46:49 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/mseavey/2010/12/30/discouraging-childhood-competition-is-destroying-our-greatness-as-a-nation/#IDComment118813306 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/12/29/wheres-the-money-what-to-expect-in-2011/#IDComment118663475 I wonder how long it will be until a P-3 or KC-135 breaks up in flight? Very few people realize just how badly worn out this hardware is. Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:01:56 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/12/29/wheres-the-money-what-to-expect-in-2011/#IDComment118663475 http://bigpeace.com/stzu/2010/12/29/mexico-spinning-out-of-control/#IDComment118650647 I think the question needs to be how we stabilize things after an intervention. After the expense of Iraq and Afghanistan, I don't see the American public as willing to support another nation-building effort. Rework the border, perhaps? Annex all land west of the Colorado River (greatly shortening the border), plus a 3-mile security zone on the southern bank of the Rio Grande? Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:53:49 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/stzu/2010/12/29/mexico-spinning-out-of-control/#IDComment118650647 http://bigpeace.com/jxenakis/2010/12/28/killer-robots-are-here-really/#IDComment118467854 Hmph. I keep remembering other "revolutionary" systems. Guided missiles that invariably missed, for example. Processors are getting faster, yes. Storage is getting more compact. Software? Not so much. New technologies follow an "S" curve in development. Slow initial development as the basics are worked out. Then a rapid expansion as the easy tasks are done. Followed by slow growth as complex problems are worked on. Robotics are in the middle of the expansion, but you can see the slowing happening as I write this. The software takes too long to write and debug. Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:25 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/jxenakis/2010/12/28/killer-robots-are-here-really/#IDComment118467854 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2010/12/27/the-chaos-next-door-in-mexico-a-lawless-military/#IDComment118294262 I fear the United States will be forced to intervene. Worse, after the experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American public will be in no mood for a soft intervention and nation-building. We will go in hard. Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:43:46 +0000 http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2010/12/27/the-chaos-next-door-in-mexico-a-lawless-military/#IDComment118294262