Liz Haley

SAME SPHERE: never meeting

Perhaps now, comfort is in the privacy of your own virtual identity. In a time where life is performed in front of a camera broadcasting the minute details of daily personal activities, are people revealing more or less? Is the increased fervor for virtual connection a somber echo in the skies of an increasingly ailing society or is the need satiating a long overdue reminder that people the world over are strikingly similar? With technology so pervasive, this unique era brings to light many questions of community, isolation, authenticity and "connection." Are these imagined structures of community an invasion or complement to the natural world?

Liz Haley is a Portland-based artist. She works in video, installation, photography and performance to investigate among other things: progress, quantum physics, meteorology, privacy and love. Haley's work has been exhibited in the Taipei Biennial, Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art/TBA Fest and in New York at Hallwalls and Anthology Film Archive.

Please join us for First Thursday, September 2nd

DJ OBGYN and DJ Gordon Organ (Jen and Josh) will be on hand for a rare DJ team up from 9pm on into the wee hours. We're looking forward to this and hope you can make it!

*This show was originally shown at Pushdot Gallery in May. Due to a cancellation in the art calendar we are graced to be able to show SAME SPHERE: never meeting again here at Valentines.

Wednesday: The New Dadz!

15 Months!

Today Jake is 15 months old! The highlight this month is that we have words! Well, technically, Jake has words, but it feels like we've been waiting forever to hear him saying some words! In addition to Dada (first official word) and Mama, we now have cookie! What is it about those cookies? Jake also says bye-bye (with enthusiastic waving) and tank-oo (thank you). Jake is one the verge of many words; I often think, did I just hear that word? Some words that are in the works are shoe, mammo and ball. I just can't wait to hear how he says Sammy! Jake may not be expressing himself with lots of words yet, but he sure does have the receptive part of language down. He will go get his shoes if you ask him to bring them to you. I brought McDonald's home for lunch today as a post-zoo treat, and when I was getting lunch together on their plates Jake came running into the kitchen when I asked if he wanted some french fries!

What I loved about Samantha at this age was that she was so curious about her environment, and was just so into playing with toys, that it made entertaining her while taking care of a newborn that much more easy. Jake is the same way, but is into things in a little bit different way than Samantha was. It seems like every day we have to move something or put a cabinet lock somewhere because Jake has found a new way to explore!

We aren't quite yet seeing the light at the end of the bottle tunnel. Contemplating doing the cold turkey option with the bottles, but yet I keep giving Jake a bottle. It is awfully hot and I don't want him to get dehydrated! We did do away with the sleep sack over the weekend and so far it is working out pretty well. One night we went to check on Jake and he was sleeping on his blanket, but another night he actually was covered by it! What I will say about the sleep department is that I set my alarm for 6am this morning, hoping to wake up and take a shower before either child was up for the day. This morning my plan actually worked. I was showered and dressed before Jake woke up! That was today. I am smart enough to realize that might not happen again!

F-15 Eagles Soar for Last Time at Hickam, Hawaii

Pilots from the 199th Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard, completed their last training mission with the F-15 Eagle from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii Aug 25.

The HIANG is upgrading to the F-22 Raptor, a fifth generation fighter, and received their first two Raptors in July.

The ANG is the lead in a total force concept that already exists at JB Hickam with the C-17 Globemaster III. The 199th FS will fly and help maintain the 20 F-22 Raptors that bring another capability to the HIANG.

Many of the current F-15 pilots of the HIANG are eager to start training and flying the Raptor, but will still sorely miss the Eagle aircraft, which the unit has flown since 1987, said Lt. Col. James Sage, a pilot with the 199th FS.

"It's like saying goodbye to a good friend," said Colonel Sage said. "It was exciting flying it for the last time, and especially against a F-22, but at the same time the F-15 has always brought me home safely and been an outstanding aircraft."

The three remaining F-15s will depart JB Hickam Sept. 1, and with that, two of the fighters will move onto the 56th Aggressors Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., while the other will move onto the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air National Guard. The Montana unit has assumed the HIANG's air-defense mission for the next year as the HIANG transitions to the F-22 said 199th pilot Lt. Col. Mark Ladtkow.

"It's somewhat a bittersweet feeling flying the last training mission of the F-15 with our unit," Colonel Ladtkow said. "I'm blessed to have the upcoming opportunity to fly the F-22, but the F-15, which I've flown for 17 years, is a friend of mine and will be missed."

Colonel Ladtkow is a 20-year veteran of the military, with the last six being part of the ANG. He is slated to deliver his jet to the Montana ANG in September.

"The 199th (FS) proves that National Guard forces are capable of maintaining a strategic presence with its active-duty association and providing a great value to our nation and the state of Hawaii," said Gen. Craig R. McKinley the chief of the National Guard Bureau.

The F-22, a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft, which utilizes stealth technology, was originally designed as an air-superiority fighter.

"These F-22 Raptors are the state-of-the-art, air-superiority fighters, and couldn't be located at a better place," said General McKinley.

Singapore Deploys Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unit to Afghanistan

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed a 52-man Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Task Group to Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, and a team of four institutional trainers to Kabul as part of Singapore's overall contribution to the multinational stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

The UAV Task Group, which commences operations today, will be deployed for three months, from August to November 2010. The four institutional trainers, who started their operations a week earlier, will be deployed till December 2010. They will then hand over to a second rotation of institutional trainers who will be deployed for four months till April 2011.

This is the first time that the SAF is deploying a UAV Task Group and institutional trainers to Afghanistan.

During its deployment, the UAV Task Group will operate out of Multinational Base Tarin Kowt to augment the International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF's) surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in Uruzgan. The Task Group will be carrying out assigned tasks such as the surveillance of key roads, to enhance the security of Afghan locals and the international forces.

The four SAF institutional trainers are deployed in an artillery school in Kabul to assist in the ISAF's efforts to train the Afghan National Army (ANA). They will advise the ANA on artillery training and doctrine development, assist in the design of Train-the-Trainer programmes for ANA instructors, and advise the school on the effective administration and conduct of artillery courses.

The SAF has been making deployments to Afghanistan since May 2007. The SAF currently has a six-man construction engineering team in Bamiyan province supervising the construction of a comprehensive health clinic, as well as a 21-man Weapon Locating Radar team at the Tarin Kowt base since September 2009 to provide early warning of rocket attacks and enhance force protection measures for ISAF personnel.

Earlier this year, an eight-man SAF surgical team was deployed to a field hospital at the same base to provide surgical and medical support to the ISAF personnel deployed there, as well as emergency medical care for the Afghan locals.

The Grey Aliens are a new rock and roll outfit from such art collectives as The Oregon Painting Society and such bands as The Slaves and Golden Retriever. We can't wait to see what this next wave of sound splash feels like...? Along with some of our faves in town, ASSS and another great new band, The Desert Moans (Ben from Above Snakes and Sage R!), this is looking to be an amazing show. Please come.

*Please note: This show starts at the regular ol' Valentine's 9pm time. Not to be confused with 8pm. Thanks!

A N N A O X Y G E N

K E Y L O S E R S

S E C R E T C E N T U R Y

( m e m b e r s o f F l e s h t o n e )

M O N D A Y , A U G U S T 3 0 T H

N I N E P M

F R E E

P A R T Y T I M E

E X C E L L E N T

Let's Go Bluefish!

It has been mentioned before that we spend a lot of time with the Lobans. Today we headed to the local minor league baseball stadium to watch the Bridgeport Bluefish. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their first baseball game! On the way to the game Samantha wanted to know when we were going to get to have a catch. We had to explain that we wouldn't actually be playing catch, but would be watching two teams play baseball. I think initially she was disappointed, but the fun and excitement of the day won her over.

The Gang

View from our seats!

Mommy's favorite photo of the day

Samantha was really excited to see the Bluefish, and seemed very excited to go give the fish a high five and a hug. Much like the characters on Sesame Street, she changed her tune once she was actually near the Bluefish. She cried upon her first meeting, but still wanted to go up to the Bluefish later in the day. At this meeting, but Bluefish walked right into a trash can, knocking it over, making a lot of noise; once again, scaring Samantha. Way to go Bluefish! Yet, as we were leaving, I asked Samantha what her favorite part of the game was and she responded "the Bluefish!"

Cheering on the team

Announcing the starting line-up:

Lead-off hitter - Noah

Jake

Ethan

Clean-up - Sammy

Don't forget the 3rd base coach!

Chris, Ethan, Amanda, Noah

Jake, Chris, Emily, Sammy

We all had a great day filled with fun with friends, fun with food, and even fun with the Bluefish! Samantha and Jake also had a great time in the Kidzone, ripping it up in the bounce house. Samantha even tried her hand at some t-ball and she hit the ball every time! Look out; here comes our slugger! Oh, and lest I forget; at the end of the game, all kids get to go out and run bases. Our kids were the last 3 to run the bases, and of course, they couldn't just run the bases. It was very clear that parents were not to go on the field; especially the grass. Chris go to go out to run with Jake. The rest of us stood on the side and watched them make their way around the bases. At 2nd base, Samantha and Ethan decided to take a sharp left straight for the pitchers mound, at which point 3 Bluefish staff started making a run for them. The staff would run one way, the kids would run another; all on the grass of course. The woman in charge of letting people on the field asked Christian and I if those were our kids. After debating for only a second, we admitted to the fact, and were told her go on the field to fetch our kids! Samantha and Ethan are getting quite the rap as trouble makers! Samantha shed lots of tears when it was time to go, protesting that "I don't want to go home!"

Friday Friends

We spend a lot of time with the Loban's, but our standing date is Friday pizza night! It's a love hate relationship with Samantha and Ethan. As Amanda did report, there was a little biting incident, but it was mostly love in the air this past Friday.

Trash Day

This week we headed to the local Garbage Museum to beat the rain. We roped a few friends (Ethan, Noah and Anna) into joining us on this new adventure. The Museum ended up being a huge hit; the kids were all mesmerized watching the trucks push all of the recyclables into a big hole to then be sorted (some by actual people!) Samantha and Ethan were enjoying their time together in the museum, exploring the "tunnel of trash", and getting a tad loud with their vocalizations. One of the women who is in charge came to tell the two of them that they needed to be more quiet. Amanda and I looked at each other and I think we actually did a collective eye roll. They are kids being kids!

Sammy and Ethan climb the trash fence:

Jake and the trashosaurus:

Sam, Jake and Ethan watching the trucks at work:

Anna, Sam and Ethan

The Future of the Russian Air Force : 10 Years On

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to overhaul its air force fleet.According to various media reports, the Ministry wants to buy at least 1,500 aircraft, including 350 new warplanes, by 2020. The fleet would include 70% new equipment at that point, said Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Alexander Zelin.

The state of the warplane fleet which forms the backbone of the Russian Air Force's combat potential remains a major military problem. Russian military aircraft are 25-plus years old, on the average. Consequently, the warplane fleet may shrink considerably in the next 10-15 years. What aircraft will the Air Force wield by 2020, and will the number of planes be enough for national defense needs?

The Defense Ministry has now signed contracts for the purchase of 32 Su-34 Fullback advanced fighter-bombers to be delivered by 2013, 48 Su-35 Flanker-E fighters by 2015, 12 Su-27SM Flanker-B Mod. 1 fighters by 2011, 4 Su-30M2 Flanker-C planes by 2011 and 12 Su-25UBM Frogfoot combat trainers.

This year, the Defense Ministry intends to sign a contract for the delivery of 26 MiG-29K Fulcrum-D fighters by 2015. Additional contracts for the delivery of at least 80 Su-34s and 24-48 Su-35s are expected to be signed. In all, the Russian Air Force is to receive 240-260 new aircraft of these types.

It is hard to say much about the specifications of another 100-110 aircraft, due to be manufactured primarily after 2015. They will probably include 25-30 MiG-35 fighters, another 12-16 Su-30 combat trainers for Su-35 squadrons and 40-60 Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA (Advanced Frontline Aviation Aircraft System) fifth-generation fighters. The T-50's subsequent official designation remains unclear.

Naturally, these 350 fixed-wing aircraft cannot completely meet Air Force demand for new equipment.

Operational warplanes will therefore have to be upgraded in order to maintain air force combat capability and adequate air fleet standards.

Speaking of revamped aircraft, by 2020 the Air Force will have about 100 Su-27SM/SM2 fighters (now about 50 in service), approximately 80 MiG-31BM Foxhound fighters (now about 10 in service) and approximately 100 MiG-29SM2/SMT fighters (now about 30 in service). Moreover, the Air Force will operate almost 150 upgraded Su-25SM ground-attack aircraft and probably 50-60 Su-24M2 Fencer-D tactical attack aircraft.

The range of strategic bombers will remain the same. The Air Force will continue to operate 16-17 Tu-160 Blackjacks, 60-64 Tu-95MS Bear-Hs and 60-70 Tu-22M Backfires. Virtually all of them will be overhauled.

The Russian Air Force now has about 2,800 aircraft, including nearly 1,500 warplanes. The air fleet is expected to decline still further. Virtually all un-modernized aircraft will be scrapped at the end of their service life.

Consequently, the Air Force will have some 1,500-1,700 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, including only about 800 combat-ready warplanes. The number could increase if additional state defense contracts are awarded. Options are currently being considered.

Is this enough or not? The industrial world, including Russia, the NATO countries and the United States, continues to scale down its air forces. This is an objective process. The number of newly procured aircraft does not equal the number of planes currently being decommissioned, most of which were built in the 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s.

Such reductions are motivated by some objective factors, including the end of the Cold War and plunging industrial world defense spending (relative to GDP), and subjective factors, including vastly superior modern combat equipment efficiency rendering it unnecessary to replace older aircraft one for one.

A comparison of these statistics with foreign air force modernization data shows that Russia will retain the world's second-largest air force after the United States in the next 10 years. Due to slow air fleet renewal rates and the delayed adoption of fifth-generation fighters, the U.S. Air Force will have to reduce the number of its fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters from 5,000 to 3,000-3,500, including 1,700-2,000 warplanes.

At the same time, we should not forget that unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) will supersede warplanes in some spheres, primarily reconnaissance missions, in the foreseeable future. However, this is an entirely different story.

Was Your Name?

I am pretty sure that I wrote about this before, but here goes again; Samantha is so fascinated by every one's name. Anywhere we are, being the gym, grocery, or just out for a walk she wants to know every one's name that she comes in contact with. If she is off playing at the park, we often see her asking other kids "Was your name?" These days we can't even turn the pages in a book before she knows the name of every person in the book. I used to say "I don't know what her name is", but now I just have a list of names at the ready, or I ask her what she thinks that kid's name is. Samantha also thinks it's hilarious to speculate what some one's name is. People in books often take on names of her friends. Yesterday Samantha looked at me and said "is your name...soup can?" She thought that was the funniest thing ever! I told her to ask Chris if his name was soup can when he came in the house and Samantha was beside herself until he came in so that she could ask.

Not only is Samantha wanting to know what your first name is, but she wants to know you first, middle and last name, or as she says "what's your full name?" This is often met with funny looks from other kids at the park when Samantha is giving them the third degree to find out their full name!

Samantha is very curious and she is always asking questions. I don't know how we will ever manage when she enters the "why" stage because she is already asking a million and one questions!

Cousins!

Love this photo that Chris's Aunt Sandra just sent to us. They all look like they could be about the same age! Love it!

Iran Starts Production of New Missile Assault Boats

Iran has launched production of the Zolfaqar and Seraj 1 class missile boats, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Monday.

"The Seraj 1 boat is a high-speed rocket-launcher designed for tropical areas," the ISNA news agency quoted Vahidi as saying. "It is fitted with advanced indigenous communication capabilities."

The Zolfaqar missile-carrying boat "is a surveillance boat designed for quick attacks on enemy ships, it is outfitted with rocket launchers and machine guns," he said.

The boats will be deployed along Iran's coastline and on the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, the minister said.

Sesame Place!

We headed to Pennsylvania this weekend to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa and to check out Sesame Place! Thankfully the kids do pretty well in the car because we spent a lot of time driving in 4 days! After a fair warning from Aimee, we headed to Sesame Place on Friday to avoid the weekend crowds. We were so glad we went on Friday because it was full, but we really didn't have to wait for much of anything. We met our SuperMom friend Heather and her 3 girls Kyla, Delaney and Brynn at the park. Heather gets the SuperMom award of the year because she takes the 3 girls (all under age 5) to Sesame Place by herself. And she doesn't seem fazed! Chris and I were having a hard enough time keeping track of Sam and Jake and there were two of us! Heather has season passes to the park, so she was invaluable to us as she showed us the ropes of what to hit and what to avoid. Samantha had fun playing with all of the girls. We had a great day at the park, and it was HOT! So, we spent a lot of time in the water areas. Jake especially enjoyed Ernie's Waterworks with all of the sprinklers and waterwheels. Everyone had fun in the wave pools.

Excited for Sesame Place!

Jake cools off!

Daddy, Sam and Jake

Mommy and Kids

The Fam

I think that Samantha's favorite part was Ernie's Bouncebed (a large bouncy house type thing). I guess you could say that Ernie (and Heather) got the gold stars of the day!

Bouncing with Kyla

We only went on one "ride"; Big Bird's Balloon race, but the kids didn't seem too excited. They were too little to see out of the basket of the balloon, and just didn't seem to quite get it yet what the rides were all about. They enjoyed the water play and the things they could run around and bounce on much better!

We had nap times to contend with on Friday. Jake still takes a morning nap (we thought he's sleep on the way to Sesame, but of course he didn't sleep a wink) and both kids usually go down for an afternoon nap at 1). We powered through all naps and Jake did fall asleep and missed part of the character parade, but he did manage to catch some of it!

We had the opportunity to take photos with some of the characters, so we first got in line to have the kids photo taken with Zoe. Samantha was so excited to see Zoe until it was actually her turn and she did not want to be near her. So, we have a photo of the kids, Zoe, and Mom! We didn't bother to get in line for any other characters since we knew we'd see them in the parade. We had a great seat for the parade and Elmo and a few others came right up to us to say hi to Samantha but she immediately turned for cover and started crying. Maybe next year she'll be more excited about the big furry monsters!

Zoe

Sesame Street stoop

Iran Test Fires Surface-to-Surface Missile

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Friday that Iran has test fired a surface-to-surface missile, Qiam, a day before it is due to launch its Russian-built first nuclear power plant.

State television showed images of the sand coloured Qiam (Rising) blasting into the air from a desert terrain, amid chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).

The words "Ya Mahdi" were written on the side of the missile, referring to Imam Mahdi, one of the 12 imams of Shiite Islam, who disappeared as a boy and whom the faithful believe will return one day to bring redemption to mankind.

Vahidi, whose speech during Friday prayers in Tehran was broadcast on television, did not say when the launch took place nor did he reveal the precise range of the missile.

Fars news agency had in a report earlier this week quoted the minister as saying that Qiam was a short-range missile.

"The missile has new technical aspects and has a unique tactical capacity," he said on Friday, adding that the device was of a "new class."

"Since the surface-to-surface missile has no wings, it has lot of tactical power, which also reduces the chances of it being intercepted," he said.

Iran's ISNA news agency cited Vahidi as saying that Qiam was entirely designed and built domestically and was powered by liquid fuel.

"This missile is capable of hitting the target with high precision," Vahidi said.

On Tuesday, Vahidi had said that Qiam was to be test fired during the annual government week, the period when Tehran touts its achievements in various fields. This year government week begins on Monday.

The third generation Fateh 110 (Conqueror) missile was also to be test fired during this period. Iran has previously paraded a version of Fateh 110 which has a travel range of 150 to 200 kilometres (90 to 125 miles).

Also during government week, the production lines of two missile-carrying speedboats, Seraj (Lamp) and Zolfaqar (named after Shiite Imam Ali's sword) are due to be inaugurated, while a long-range drone, Karar, is expected to be unveiled.

Taiwan Renews Plea for US to Sell Fighter Jets

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday renewed calls to Washington to sell the island an upgraded version of the F16 fighter, following a Pentagon report warning of China's growing military might.

"We hope the US will consider selling Taiwan F16 C/D fighter jets to balance the military edge leaning towards China," Ma was quoted by state-funded Central News Agency as saying.

Ma told visiting US Congressman Roland Burris that Taiwan wished to acquire the jets not to prepare itself to start a war but to defend itself and ensure the island's safety, the report said.

His comments came after the Pentagon said in an annual report to Congress on Monday that China's military build-up against Taiwan has "continued unabated" despite improving political relations.

"The balance of... military forces continues to shift in the mainland's favour," the report said.

The report covered developments in 2009, before the United States approved a 6.4 billion-dollar arms package for the island in January.

Taiwan applied to the US government to buy 66 F-16 fighters in early 2007, but observers say Washington has held up the deal for fear of angering Beijing.

China opposes any arms sales to Taiwan, which it considers a part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war and have been governed separately since.

The Pentagon's Assessment of the China-Taiwan Military Balance

Based on this assessment, I would say there is no chance Taiwan can win if war breaks out. 

Sesame Place is Tiring!

Oh the MADNESS!

Today our babysitter is here and instead of doing a million productive things, I will tell you what I am doing (besides writing this post). I am searching online for big girl bedroom decor. Why you ask? Well, it is possible that in the next four months we might move and if we do I don't want to be left high and dry with no big girl bedding! Oh the horror!

Yes as I write this I do know that if all I have to stress over is the decor of my child's big girl bedroom, then my life is a-okay! But seriously, why am I stressed out over this? We went to North Carolina this past weekend to scope out an area we might consider moving to and let me tell you. It.Was.Good.

At this specific point in time we are mulling over the possibility of moving down there into a short term 6 month rental. We are considering this for the first of the year. We can try it out and if we don't like it, we can come back. If we do like it, we can do some house hunting and live there indefinitely. I haven't been living in my own house for a year and the idea of moving into our own house and being responsible for decorating and setting up sounds amazing and horrific all at once! Maybe I should start writing letters to HGTV's Candice Olson!

Indonesian Air Force is Expecting 3 Su-27 SKM Fighters in September

The Indonesian Air Force is expecting the arrival of three new Russian fighter jets Sukhoi SU-27SKM on early September.

Air Force chief of staff Vice Marshall Imam Sufaat told Antara news agency that two of the jets would arrive in early September and another in the third week of the month.

Imam said that the jets would arrive in Hasanuddin Air Force Base in Makassar, South Sulawesi to be assembled and tested there.

The jets are among six Sukhoi fighters jets bought in 2007. Three Sukhoi SU-30MK2 fighters already arrived in 2008 and 2009.

The six will bring the total number of Indonesia's Sukhoi fleet to 10.

Russia has provided Indonesia with a US$1 billion-credit scheme to finance this and other military purchases from the European military giant, including 22 helicopters, 20 amphibious tanks and two submarines.

Russian Air Force Completing MiG-31BM Modernization Program

The Russian air force is completing a modification program for its MiG-31 interceptor aircraft to the MiG-31BM standard, the force's commander Col.Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Friday.

"The air force is currently carrying out the vital task of deep modification of the MiG-31 aircraft to MiG-31BM standard. This task is being successfully carried out," he said.

The MiG-31BM is fitted with upgraded avionics and digital datalinks, a new multimode radar, color multi-function cockpit displays, a new, more powerful computer and ability to carry new air-to-air and possibly air-to-surface missiles such as the AS-17 Krypton anti-radar missile.

Information on display next to a MiG-31BM in 2009 associated the aircraft with air-to-air missiles including the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer), R-77 (AA-12 Adder), and R-33S (upgraded AA-9 Amos) and the K-37M (AA-X-13 Arrow).

The air force is also accepting other new aircraft, including the Su-34 strike aircraft, the forthcoming Su-35, the Yak-130 advanced trainer, and Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters, he said.

Manufacturer's tests are also underway on the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter prototype.

US B2 Bomber Engineer Convicted of Selling Secrets to China

 A federal jury in Hawaii on Monday convicted a former B-2 stealth bomber engineer of selling military secrets to China.

Noshir Gowadia was convicted on 14 counts, including conspiracy, violating the arms export control act and money laundering. He was found not guilty on three counts of communicating national defense information.
Gowadia, who has been in federal custody since October 2005, faces life in prison when he is sentenced in November.

The decision came after six days of deliberations at a federal court in Honolulu.

Prosecutors accused Gowadia of helping China design a stealth cruise missile. They alleged he pocketed $110,000 over two years for his exhaust nozzle design.

"This verdict sends a very clear message," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said. "We need it to be known that we can litigate these cases in an American courtroom even with a great deal of classified information."

Defense attorneys said they plan to appeal.

"Mr. Gowadia is obviously disappointed with the verdict. He felt that he hadn't committed a crime," said his attorney Birney Bervar.

The trial lasted nearly four months. The 67-year-old from Maui has spent almost five years in federal detention since his October 2005 arrest after a judge ruled he was a flight risk.

Gowadia helped design the propulsion system for the B-2 bomber when he worked at Northrop Corp., now known as Northrop Grumman Corp. between 1968 and 1986.

Prosecutors argued that Gowadia helped China design a cruise missile exhaust nozzle that would give off less heat, allowing the cruise missile to evade infrared radar detection and U.S. heat-seeking missiles.

They said Gowadia traveled to China between 2003 and 2005 while designing the cruise missile and used e-mail to arrange payment for his work.

During closing arguments, Sorenson told jurors Gowadia designed the exhaust nozzle to raise money to pay a $15,000-a-month mortgage on the mansion-like home he built on Maui's north shore.

Gowadia's defense attorney, David Klein, told jurors it was true the engineer designed an exhaust nozzle for China. But he said Gowadia's design was "basic stuff" based on unclassified information that was already publicly available.

Prosecutors also charged Gowadia with attempting to sell classified stealth technology to the Swiss government and businesses in Israel and Germany.

Born in India, Gowadia moved to the U.S. for postgraduate work in the 1960s and became a U.S. citizen about a decade later. He retired from Northrop for health reasons in 1986, two years before the B-2 made its public debut.

He moved to Maui in 1999 from the U.S. mainland where he had been doing consulting work after retiring from Northrop.

The case is one of a series of major prosecutions targeting alleged Chinese spying on the U.S.

In March, Chinese-born engineer Dongfan "Greg" Chung was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison after he was convicted of six counts of economic espionage and other federal charges.

Investigators learned about Chung while probing Chi Mak, a defense contractor engineer convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to export U.S. defense technology to China. Mak was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2008.

The Things Kids Say

Since I am no longer doing monthly updates for Samantha, I thought that I would share a few things that she said today; great examples (I think) of how she's processing the world around her.

1) Samantha was getting into her Cozy Coupe car this morning, declaring that she was "going to the store to get some cookies and some exercise." (If only it were that easy!)

2) Samantha and Jake were eating Cheerios Snack Mix, which has cheerios, chex, pretzels, bagel chips, and bread twists. After inspecting a bread twist, Samantha looks at me and says "Mommy look, a cheerio turned into a french fry!"

3) Several weeks ago Samantha asked me if Jesus lives at the neighbor's house. I explained to her that Jesus lives in her heart. Tonight at bedtime we were reading a children's book of prayers, and the prayer of the night talked about Jesus being close by all of the time because Jesus lives in your heart; Jesus is love.

Samantha: "Jesus lives in my heart?"

Me: "Yes, you can show Jesus' love by being nice to other people."

Samantha: "Not when I hit Jakey".

Me: "No, that is not very nice is it?"

Samantha: "When I say please and then I get down from my chair."

Me: "Yes, saying please is a very nice thing to do."

Flagstaff in the house! We heart Custody Battle. Of course, with Orca Team and Karen you just can't lose. Stand up comedy by Paul Schlesinger, too! A little music. A little laughter. It's a great time.

Sa-dah-tay

Thee Jay Martin

That's right. Get pumped. Two of our favorites, Mz. Karen Antuñez and Mr. Zac Reno will be bringing their dance party A-game. They're planning on playing a mix of traditional and more modern electro Cumbia and let me tell you what: This is going to be excellent.

A little known fact, but Wednesdays are some of our favorite nights to be down here for a few reasons. The vibe is mellow. The parking is easy. The DJs are excellent (a thank you, Cowboys From Sweden!)...and it's happy hour all night. True. Come enjoy.