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All News Releases By Date
EPA Region 4 Announces Award Recipient of 2012 President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)
Release Date: 06/11/2013
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main) firstname.lastname@example.com
(ATLANTA – June 11, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 announced today that it has selected Karly and Jeffrey Krasnow from Vero Beach, Florida as the 2012 PEYA recipient. Karly and Jeffrey were presented the PEYA award by EPA Acting Regional Administrator, A. Stanley Meiburg.
The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people across the U.S. for protecting our nation's air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation's young people.
Karly and Jeffrey are a brother and sister team who co-founded the non-profit organization "Balls-Go-Round, Inc." It was in middle school when the pair realized that hundreds of thousands perfectly good tennis balls were being discarded not only by their tennis academies, but by country clubs and various tournaments annually. While living in New York at the time, they'd begun to collect and recycle thousands of balls by gathering them in boxes and garbage bags and networking them into inner city communities.After the family moved to Vero Beach, Florida, Karly and Jeffrey up scaled their concept of REPLAY-REBOUNCE as Florida was clearly a mecca for tennis. They recreated new networks with high-end resorts, clubs, academies, and even high schools/colleges to simply pay it forward to needy youth organizations and children's' programs.
Recipients include Title-1 poverty schools (who have never experienced "Field Day"), tennis for the disabled, inner city programs, and missionary flights to Haiti/Dominican Republic to impoverished children. They also donate regularly to animal shelters for play and adoption goody bags. Once balls are truly dead, many other household uses include dry erasers, holiday ornaments, herb gardens, etc.
There are approximately 300 million tennis balls being disposed of each year in the US landfills and waterways. As a result of their project, Karly and Jeffrey have become true leaders and a catalyst in re-thinking "rebounce" and have recycled 250,000+ of those balls back into replay! Now in high school, the pair speaks at sustainability forums, educate Universities/Colleges about tennis-teams' infinite waste, greening campus life, and helping hundreds of country clubs recycle/network. Since 2007, their small vision has produced an alarming amount of recognition and awareness of this epic waste, environmental impact and desperate need to help Balls-Go-Round!
For more information on the PEYA Award visit: https://www.epa.gov/peya/
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


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Blood and bull testicles as beauty treatments? You bet
The beauty industry is getting bloody — and ballsy — this Oscar season.
There's the so-called "vampire face lift," which creates a plumping, smoothing cocktail out of filler and a patient's own blood, Reuters reports.
And a salon, apparently, is stirring bull testicles into hair treatments to strengthen and repair tresses.
Then there's the infamous $250,000 black diamond mani, containing 267 carats of black diamonds per nail set.
Kelly Osbourne caught flack for being frivolous when she polished her paws with the gems during last year's Emmys. Although she retracted her claws amid the mini mani scandal, tweeting: "I see that my nail polish has offended some of you, however I see your point, but it was a once in a lifetime experience. #MyApologizes," Azature, the jewelry designer behind the diamond digits, isn't sorry.
"We're not doing anything negative whatsoever," he tells Reuters. "We're celebrating women, and what is wrong with that?"

subset: commoncrawl


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Multicultural VoicesCome here to learn about what is popular among different cultures world wide. You'll find it all here. Music, news, entertainment, videos, discussion boards and more. Tell us what interest you and what you would like to see here by commenting. Let your voice be heard...
Why is it So Bad to be Mexican?
This has to be said because it weighs heavily on my heart, mind, and soul!
A lot of people out there do not have a clue about other cultures! I love Indian Food, I've worked with Indian doctors, they've explained certain holidays they celebrate and why........ but under NO CIRCUMSTANCE am I going to claim to know all about their culture or languages....
Maybe it is because I live in the south and come across a lot of "ignorance" not that it only exist in the south. It's everywhere!
People from Mexico, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, El Salvador etc.... DO NOT SPEAK MEXICAN! The name of the language is SPANISH!
I absolutely HATE it when someone ask me, "OH, do you speak Mexican?" No dumbass, I speak Spanish! I do not actually say that, but i'm sure one day I will.
I recall one point in time when my husband and I had our own company. It was a busy season. Basically, I was the one doing the estimates. I went to a nice house, out in the middle of no where....... did the estimate. They wanted their kitchen painted along with all of their cabinets. Gave them the quote. They accepted and we picked out the colors.
One week later, my husband showed up to paint. He did the job and was finishing up some minor details.
I received a call. It was from the owners of the house. The woman was bitching and complaining that "this Mexican did not paint everywhere that he was suppose to." Not only did she say this, but kept on and on and I could clearly tell this was a race issue! I told her not to worry that I was on my way over. Little did she know that on route to her house, I called my husband and he told me what she was complaining about and how rudely he had been treated.
I walked in the house and the lady is just a moanin' and a groanin' about how if she was paying this much money she wanted it done right and how you can't just leave these "Mexicans" alone because they'll try and cut corners etc....... So, I asked her, "mam, where is the area he tried to cut corners?"
Well, you would have to have been an ACROBAT to see the area. You literally had to stand next to the stove turn your body and look up underneath a cabinet all while trying to keep your balance because
#1 NO ONE WOULD HAVE EVER SEEN THIS AREA and I do mean NO ONE!!!!
My guess is while my hubs was at lunch, she searched and searched for "something" to get a discount.
I told her, "mam, no one is going to see this area. We are a professional company and he has over 15 yrs experience painting, no one will ever see this area and it is impossible to reach." Then my hubs said something to me in Spanish. I answered him back in Spanish. The lady said, "Do you speak Mexican?" I answered, "No, I speak Spanish and this is my husband and I know he does good work. Are you looking for a discount?" The woman backed down and just let it go.
About a week later she called back to see if he could pressure wash her house and I told her we were booked solid and she'd have to find another company.
Ok, now on to a different subject.............
I have friends from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Costa Rica. I've heard time and time again about how their countries are the best! They get SOOOO OFFENDED if anyone thinks they are Mexican. WHY??
I had a friend with a daughter. She said, "my daughter is getting mad because some people in her class think she is Mexican. So I asked her, "what's so wrong with being Mexican? Why does everyone get up in arms if they are perceived as being Mexican?"
This is the explanation I got. Well, Mexico is so close to the United States that practically any Mexican rich or poor can cross the border. If you are from another country you have to have more money to get here and usually more money means better educated people.
I've heard it all..... they are dirty, stupid, etc etc.......
Also, I get the feeling that people associate Mexico with drugs. I unerstand that Mexico is in a major fight against drugs. I understand that most of America's illegal drugs are brought from Mexico. Everyone forgets Colombia's production of cocaine which is brought to Mexico etc etc........ I'm not putting blame on any countries.
The fact of the matter is there are good and bad people from every country on this earth. People need to open their minds before they open their mouths!
FYI there are pleny of people and things that have come out of Mexico that you may not know about:
poinsettas, chocolate, vanilla, avocados, and chewing gum to name a few.
Frida Kahlo contributed to America with her amazing artwork!
José Mario Molina-Pasquel Henríquez
(born 1943 in Mexico City) is a world famous chemist who contributed greatly to the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.
invented an early color television system. He received US patent 2296019 on September 15, 1942 for his "chromscopic adapter for television equipment".
invented the Acceleglove, a glove that can translate sign language into speech.
patented processes to diagnose invasive amebiasis, a parasitic disease that kills over 100,000 people each year.
patented a method of predicting premature fetal membrane rupture in preganant women.
, a Mexican inventor with a lifelong obsession with jet packs, invented the Rocket Belt.
page views 6649


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Search Constraints
You searched for: Access Public Remove constraint Access: Public Subject Geoscientific Information Remove constraint Subject: Geoscientific Information Subject Mines and mineral resources Remove constraint Subject: Mines and mineral resources Place Massachusetts Remove constraint Place: Massachusetts Place United States Remove constraint Place: United States Place Georgia Remove constraint Place: Georgia Place Arkansas Remove constraint Place: Arkansas Format Shapefile Remove constraint Format: Shapefile Year 2002 Remove constraint Year: 2002
Search Results
1. Sand and Gravel Operations in the United States
2002. Geological Survey (U.S.) Minerals Information Team. This point shapefile includes sand and gravel operations in the United States. These data were obtained from information reported voluntarily to th... National Atlas of the United States.


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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRTE0cQywgE&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - iPhone 4G LCD, Digitizer + Metal Middle Plate Assembly[/ame]
A video is making the rounds this weekend purporting to show parts for the new iPhone, including the LCD display, the digitizer and the metal middle plate assembly. Posted by a smartphone repair shop in South Carolina, the video shows parts that look identical to the iPhone that Gizmodo bought last month, indicating that the device is very likely being ramped up for mass production... or that we've got some seriously OCD counterfeiters out there.
SmartPhone Medic of Columbia, South Carolina gained some attention back in March when they showed off what they claimed was the LCD screen and digitizer assembly for the as-yet-unreleased fourth-generation iPhone. They declined to explain where they had gotten the parts from, but like many repair shops they likely have product sources in China. Those parts bore a strong resemblance to the phone shown by Gizmodo as well.
As we get closer to the expected announcement of the iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference next month, pictures and more details about the device are filtering out. An LCD screen was also shown on the Italian site iSpazio last week. According to the accompanying post, the pictures had come from someone at "a very important repair company" who wished to be known only as "Giuseppe."
4th Gen iPhone Parts in the Wild


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Integral factsheet
Tracking extreme radiation across the Universe
Name Integral stands for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory.
Description Integral is the first space observatory that can simultaneously observe objects in gamma rays, X-rays, and visible light. Its principal targets are violent explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, powerful phenomena such as supernova explosions, and regions in the Universe thought to contain black holes.
Launch 17 October 2002 (Proton launcher from Baikonur, Kazakhstan).
Status: In operation.
Journey Integral circles the Earth in a highly elliptical orbit once every three days. It spends most of its time at an altitude higher than 60 000 kilometres - well outside the Earth's radiation belts. It does this to avoid the background radiation effects which would interfere with the measurement of gamma rays.
Notes Integral is the most sensitive, accurate, and advanced gamma-ray observatory ever launched.
Integral's payload module weighs 2 tonnes, making this payload the heaviest ever placed in orbit by ESA.
The service module of the Integral spacecraft is a rebuild of that developed for the XMM-Newton project. The two missions had some similar requirements making this a useful cost-saving measure.
Integral is a truly international mission with the participation of all member states of ESA and United States, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.


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British Aerospace Harrier II
|Harrier GR5 / GR7 / GR9
|An RAF Harrier GR9 over Afghanistan, 2008
|V/STOL strike aircraft
|National origin
|United Kingdom / United States
| British Aerospace / McDonnell Douglas
BAE Systems / Boeing
|First flight
|30 April 1985[1]
|December 1989[1]
|March 2011
|Primary users
| Royal Air Force (historical)
Royal Navy (historical)
|Number built
|Developed from
| Hawker Siddeley Harrier
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
The British Aerospace Harrier II was a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft used previously by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, between 2006 and 2010, the Royal Navy (RN). The aircraft was the latest development of the Harrier Jump Jet family, and was derived from the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II. Initial deliveries of the Harrier II were designated in service as Harrier GR5; subsequently upgraded airframes were redesignated accordingly as GR7 and GR9.
Under the Joint Force Harrier organisation, both the RAF and RN operated the Harrier II, including routine operational deployments on board the navy's Invincible class aircraft carriers. The Harrier II participated in numerous conflicts, making significant contributions in combat theatres such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The type's main function was as a platform for air interdiction and close air support missions; the Harrier II was also used for presence projection and reconnaissance duties. The Harrier II served alongside the Sea Harrier in Joint Force Harrier.
In December 2010, budgetary pressures led to the early retirement of all Harrier IIs from service, at which point it was the last of the Harrier derivatives remaining in British service. The decision to retire was controversial as there was no immediate fixed-wing replacement in its role or fixed-wing carrier-capable aircraft left in service; in the long term the Harrier II is to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
Design and development
Development of a much more powerful successor to the Harrier began in 1973 as a cooperative effort between McDonnell Douglas(MDD) in the US and Hawker Siddeley (in 1977, its aviation interests were nationalised to form part of British Aerospace) in the UK. At the time, first-generation Harriers were being introduced into Royal Air Force and United States Marine Corps; however, operational experience had highlighted demand for a more capable aircraft. The British government had only a minor requirement, for up to 60 Harriers at most, and competing pressures on the defence budget left little room for frivolous expenditure such as the Advanced Harrier. A lack of government backing for developing the necessary engine of the new aircraft, the Pegasus 15, led Hawker to withdraw from this project in 1975.[3][4]
Due to US interest, work proceeded on the development of a less ambitious successor, a Harrier fitted with a larger wing and making use of composite materials in its construction. Two prototypes were built from existing aircraft and flew in 1978. The US government was content to continue if a major foreign buyer was found; however Britain had their own plan to improve the current Harrier with a new, larger metal wing.[5][N 1] In 1980, the UK considered if the American program would meet their requirements – their opinion was that it required modification, thus the MDD wing design was altered to incorporate the British-designed leading-edge root extensions.[7] In 1982, the UK opted to become fully involved in the joint US-UK programme.[8] The US and UK agreement to proceed included a British contribution of US$280 million to cover development costs to meet their own requirements and to purchase at least 60 aircraft.[9]
The UK agreement included the involvement of British Aerospace (BAe) as a major subcontractor, manufacturing sections such as the rear fuselage for all customers of the AV-8B. The Harrier II was an Anglicised version of the AV-8B, British Aerospace producing the aircraft as the prime contractor, with McDonnell Douglas serving as a sub-contractor; final assembly work was performed at Dunsfold, England.[10] The first prototype flew in 1981. The first BAe-built development GR5 flew for the first time on 30 April 1985 and the aircraft entered service in July 1987. The GR5 had many differences from the USMC's AV-8B Harriers, such as avionics fit, armaments and equipment; the wing of the GR5 featured a stainless steel leading edge, giving it different flex characteristics from the AV-8B.[11] In December 1989, the first RAF squadron to be equipped with the Harrier II was declared operational.[12]
Description and role
The Harrier II is an extensively modified version of the first generation Harrier GR1/GR3 series. The original aluminium alloy fuselage was replaced by a fuselage which makes extensive use of composites, providing significant weight reduction and increased payload or range. A new one-piece wing provides around 14 per cent more area and increased thickness. The wing and leading-edge root extensions allows for a 6,700-pound (3,035 kg) payload increase over a 1,000 ft (300 m) takeoff compared with the first generation Harriers.[13][14] The UK's Harrier IIs have an additional missile pylon in front of each wing landing gear, and strengthened leading edges of the wings to meet higher bird strike requirements.[15]
The Harrier II's cockpit has day and night operability and is equipped with head-up display (HUD), two head-down displays known as multi-purpose colour displays (MPCDs), a digital moving map, an inertial navigation system (INS), and a hands-on-throttle-and-stick system (HOTAS).[16][17] Like the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, the Harrier II used an elevated bubble canopy to provide a significantly improved all-round view.[18] A combination of the new design of the control system and the greater lateral stability of the aircraft made the Harrier II fundamentally easier to fly than the first generation Harrier GR1/GR3 models.[19]
|Footage of Harrier II HUD during flight
|Harrier GR9 flight demonstration
The RAF used Harriers in the ground attack and reconnaissance roles, so they relied on the short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder missile for air combat. The Sidewinder had proven effective for Royal Navy's Sea Harriers against Argentinian Mirages in the Falklands conflict; however, from 1993 the Sea Harrier FA2 could also carry the much longer-range AIM-120 AMRAAM, a radar-guided missile. The Sea Harrier had a radar since its introduction and the USMC later equipped their AV-8B Harriers with a radar as part of the AV-8B+ upgrade; however Britain's Harrier IIs never carried a radar. When the Sea Harrier was retired, it was suggested that its Blue Vixen radar could be transferred to the Harrier IIs. However, the Ministry of Defence rejected this as risky and too expensive; the Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram estimated that the cost would be in excess of £600 million.[20][N 2]
Further developments
Even prior to the Harrier GR5 entering service, it was clear that alterations were required for the aircraft to be more capable in the interdictor role. A more advanced model, designated as the Harrier GR7, was developed primarily to add a night-time operational capability and avionics improvements.[22][N 3] The GR7 development programme operated in conjunction with a similar USMC initiative upon its AV-8B Harrier fleet.[24][25] Additional avionics include a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and night vision goggles, an electronic countermeasures suite, new cockpit displays and a replacement moving map system.[26] The GR7 conducted its maiden flight in May 1990 and entered service in August 1990.[27] Following the full delivery of 34 Harrier GR7s in 1991, all of the GR5s underwent avionics upgrades to become GR7s as well.[28]
Some GR7s were equipped with uprated Rolls-Royce Pegasus engines, correspondingly redesignated as GR7A; these Harriers had significantly improved takeoff and landing capabilities, and could carry greater payloads.[29][N 4] In order to guide laser-guided bombs, from 1998 onwards a number of TIALD laser designator pods were made available to the Harrier II fleet, however these proved to be extremely scarce and often unavailable for pilot training.[31] In response to difficulties experienced while communicating with NATO aircraft during the 1999 Kosovo War, the GR7s were upgraded with encrypted communications equipment.[32]
A further major upgrade programme from the GR7 standard was conducted; the Harrier GR9. The GR9 was developed via the Joint Update and Maintenance Programme (JUMP), which significantly upgraded the Harrier fleet's avionics, communications systems, and weapons capabilities during scheduled periods of maintenance in an incremental manner.[33] The first of these increments started with software upgrades to the communications, ground proximity warning and navigation systems, followed by the integration of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile.[33] Capability C added the RAF's Rangeless Airborne Instrumentation Debriefing System (RAIDS), Raytheon's Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) system and the Paveway guided bombs.[33] The Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod (DJRP) was added as part of Capability D.[33]
In February 2007, handling trials of the MBDA Brimstone missile began,[33] however the Brimstone would remain uncleared for deployment on the GR9 by the type's early retirement.[34] The Sniper targeting pod replaced the less accurate TIALD in 2007, under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for Afghanistan.[33][N 5] Capability E would have included a Link 16 communications link,[33][36] an auxiliary communications system, and a Tactical Information Exchange Capability (TIEC) system that was planned to by deployed on both the Harrier II and the Tornado GR4.[37] In July 2007, BAE Systems completed the final of seven Harrier GR9 replacement rear fuselages for the MoD. The fuselage components were designed and built as part of a three-year £20 million programme.[38] In July 2008, Qinetiq was awarded a contract to perform upgrades and maintain the Harrier II fleet until 2018, which was the predicted out of service date for the type.[39]
Operational history
Combat duties
The first squadrons to receive the Harrier II were based in Royal Air Force Germany, a standing force maintained to deter Soviet aggression against the West and, in the event of war, to carry out ground attacks. As the Harrier II had significantly greater range and survivability than its predecessor the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, a new emphasis was placed on interdiction operations.[40] By the end of 1990, the Harrier II was approaching full operational status with several squadrons.[41] During the 1991 Gulf War, the Harrier II was considered to be too immature to be deployed. However, several aircraft were dispatched to patrol no-fly zones over Iraq from 1993 onwards.[42] In 1994, the last of the RAF's first generation Harriers was retired, the Harrier II having taken over its duties.[15]
In 1995, hostilities between ethnic Croatians and Serbians in the aftermath of the collapse of Yugoslavia led to the dispatch of NATO forces to the region as a deterrent to further escalations in violence. A squadron of Harrier IIs was stationed at Gioia del Colle Air Base in Italy, relieving an earlier deployment of RAF SEPECAT Jaguars.[43] Both attack and reconnaissance missions were carried out by the Harriers, which had been quickly modified to integrate GPS navigation for operations in the theatre. More than 126 strike sorties were carried out by Harrier IIs, often assisted by Jaguar fighter-bombers acting as designators for laser-guided bombs such as the Paveway II.[44] Bosnia was reportedly the first air campaign in which the majority of ordnance expended was precision-guided.[23]
In June 1994, the newly introduced GR7 was deployed for trials on board the Navy's Invincible class aircraft carriers. Operational naval deployments began in 1997.[N 6] The capability soon proved useful: in 1998, a deployment was conducted to Iraq via aircraft carriers stationed in the Persian Gulf. In 2000, 'presence' and reconnaissance sorties over Sierra Leone were performed solely by carrier-based Harrier GR7s.[46] The Invincible class carriers also received multiple adaptations for greater compatibility with the Harrier II, including changes to the communications, lighting and flight deck.[47]
Cooperative operations between the two services was formalised under the Joint Force Harrier (JFH) command organization, which was brought about following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review.[48] Under JFH, RAF Harrier IIs would routinely operate alongside the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers.[49] The main JFH operating base was RAF Cottesmore, a great emphasis was placed on inter-service interaction across the organisation.[50] The combined Joint Force Harrier served as the basis for future expeditionary warfare and naval deployments.[51] In the long term, JFH also served as a pilot scheme for the joint operation of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[52]
During Operation Allied Force, the NATO mission over Kosovo in 1999, the RAF contribution included 16 Panavia Tornados and 12 Harrier GR7s.[53] On 27 April 1999, during a mission to attack a Serbian military depot, RAF Harriers came under heavy anti-aircraft fire, but did not suffer losses as a result.[54] In April 1999, the rules of engagement were changed to allow Harriers to use GPS navigation and targeting during medium-altitude bombing missions.[55] A total of 870 Harrier II sorties were carried out during the 78-day bombing campaign.[42] The BBC reported the Harrier II had been achieving 80% direct hit rate during the conflict; a later Parliamentary Select Committee found that 24% of munitions expended in the theatre by all RAF aircraft had been precision weapons.[56][57]
In 2003, the Harrier GR7 played a prominent role during Operation Telic, the UK contribution to the U.S.-led Iraq War.[58] When war broke out, Harriers flew reconnaissance and strike missions inside Southern Iraq, reportedly to destroy Scud missile launchers to prevent their use against neighbouring Kuwait.[59] Prior to the war, the Harriers had been equipped with a new armament, the AGM-65 Maverick missile, which reportedly was a noticeable contribution to the Harrier's operations over Iraq;[60] a total of 38 Mavericks were launched during the campaign.[61]
During the Battle of Basra, a key Iraqi city, Harriers conducted multiple strike missions against Iraqi fuel depots to cripple enemy ground vehicles;[62] other priority targets for the Harriers included tanks, boats, and artillery.[63] According to Nordeen, roughly 30 per cent of all RAF Harrier operations were close air support missions, supporting advancing allied ground troops.[64] In April 2003, the Ministry of Defence admitted that RAF Harriers had deployed controversial RBL755 cluster bombs in Iraq.[65] Both the British and American Harrier squadrons were withdrawn from operations in Iraq during Summer 2003.[66]
RAF Harriers would be a regular element of Britain's contribution to the War in Afghanstan. In September 2004, six Harrier GR7s were deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, replacing a US detachment of AV-8Bs in the region.[67] On 14 October 2005, a Harrier GR7A was destroyed and another was damaged while parked on the tarmac at Kandahar by a Taliban rocket attack. No one was injured in the attack; the damaged Harrier was repaired, while the destroyed aircraft was replaced.[68]
While initial operations in Afghanistan had focused on intimidation and reconnaissance, demand for interdiction missions using the Harrier II spiked dramatically during the Helmand province campaign.[35] Between July and September 2006, the theatre total for munitions deployed by British Harriers on planned operations and close air support to ground forces rose from 179 to 539, the majority being CRV-7 rockets.[69] The Harrier IIs had also switched to 24-hour availability, having formerly operated mostly during the day.[35] The air support provided by the Harriers was described by a British Army Major as being "utterly, utterly useless".[70][71]
In January 2007, the Harrier GR9 began its first operational deployment at Kandahar, as part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF); Harrier GR7s would be progressively withdrawn in favour of the newer Harrier GR9.[72] Following five years of continuous operations in Afghanistan, the last of Britain's Harriers were withdrawn from the Afghan theatre in June 2009, having flown over 22,000 hours on 8,500 sorties, they were replaced by several RAF Tornado GR4s.[73]
In 2005, allegations emerged in Parliament that, following the transfer of servicing duties to RAF Cottesmore, the standard and quality of maintenance on the Harrier fleet had fallen dramatically; several airframes had been considerably damaged and one likely destroyed due to mistakes made, the time taken to perform the servicing had risen from 100 days to 155 days, and the cost per aircraft had also risen to more than ten times that of the prior arrangements performed by Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA).[74]
In 2006, the Sea Harrier was retired from Fleet Air Arm service and the Harrier GR7/9 fleet was tasked with the missions that it used to share with those aircraft. The former Sea Harrier squadron 800 Naval Air Squadron reformed with ex-RAF Harrier GR7/9s in April 2006 and joined by the re-formed 801 Naval Air Squadron in 2007.[75] These later expanded and become the Naval Strike Wing.[76] On 31 March 2010, No. 20 Squadron RAF, the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), was disbanded; No. 4 Squadron also disbanded and reformed as No. 4 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Wittering.[77] All Harrier GR7 aircraft were retired by July 2010.[78]
The Harrier GR9 was expected to stay in service at least until 2018. However, on 19 October 2010 it was announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review that the Harrier was to be retired by April 2011.[79] In the long term, the F-35B Lightning II,[80] shall operate from the Navy's two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.[81] The decision to retire the Harrier was controversial, with some senior officers calling for the Panavia Tornado to be retired as an alternative; the decision having left Britain without any fixed-wing aircraft capable of flying from the navy's aircraft carriers.[82][83]
On 24 November 2010, the Harrier made its last ever flight from a carrier, incidentally also the last flight from the carrier HMS Ark Royal prior to retirement.[84] The fleet's farewell to operational flights occurred on 15 December 2010 with fly pasts over numerous military bases.[85] In November 2011, the Ministry of Defence sold 72 remaining Harrier IIs,[86] along with spare parts, to the United States Marine Corps for £116 million (US$180 million); the aircraft are to be used as a source of components for the AV-8B Harrier II fleet.[87][88][89]
According to a report by Air Forces Monthly, some of the 72 Harrier IIs were to fly again, as the USMC planned to equip two squadrons with GR.9/9A models due to the well-maintained condition of the airframes when inspected at RAF Cottesmore, where the aircraft were stored and maintained by a skeleton crew of technicians following their retirement.[86] This was contradicted by the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in June 2012, who stated that the USMC never planned to operate ex-RAF Harriers.[90]
- The GR5 was the RAF's first model of the second-generation Harrier. The GR5 considerably differed from the USMC AV-8B in terms of avionics, armaments and countermeasures. Forty one GR5s were built.
- The GR5A was a minor variant, incorporating design changes in anticipation of the GR7 upgrade. Twenty-one GR5As were built.
- The GR7 is an upgraded model of the GR5. The first GR7 conducted its maiden flight in May 1990, and made its first operational deployment in August 1995 over the former Yugoslavia.
- The GR7A feature an uprated Pegasus 107 engine. GR7As upgraded to GR9 standard retain the A designation as GR9As. The Mk 107 engine provides around 3,000 lbf (13 kN) extra thrust over the Mk 105's 21,750 lbf (98 kN) thrust.
- The GR9 is an upgrade of the GR7, focused on the Harrier II's avionics and weapons. Upgraded under the JUMP programme.[33]
- The Harrier GR9A is an avionics and weapons upgrade of the uprated engined GR7As. All GR9s were capable of accepting the Mk 107 Pegasus engine to become GR9As.
- The Harrier T10 is the first two seat training variant of the Harrier II; based on the USMC Harrier trainer the TAV-8B. Unlike their American counterparts, the T10s are fully combat-capable.[91][N 7]
- Update of the trainers to accompany the GR9. Nine T10 aircraft received the JUMP updates under the designation T12, however these would retain the less powerful Pegasus 105 engine.[33]
- Equivalent to the T.12, however differs by being equipped with the newer and more powerful Mk 107 Pegasus engine of the GR7A/9A.
- United Kingdom
- Royal Air Force (1989–2011)
- No. 1 Squadron (until 2010)
- No. 3 Squadron (until 2006)
- No. 4 Squadron (until 2011)
- No. 20 Squadron (until 2010)
- (RAF Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit)
- (RAF Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit)
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- 800 Naval Air Squadron (2006–2007, 2010)
- Naval Strike Wing (2007–2010)
Aircraft on display
- GR.9 ZD433 delivered on 20 December 2011, to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton.[86]
- GR.9 ZD461 delivered on 16 March 2012, to the Imperial War Museum Duxford.[92]
- GR.9 ZG477 delivered on 20 December 2011, to the RAF Museum at RAF Cosford.[86]
- A Harrier II on external display at British company Dyson's headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.[93]
Specifications (Harrier GR7)
Data from Nordeen[94]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m)
- Wingspan: 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
- Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
- Wing area: 243 ft² (22.6 m²)
- Empty weight: 12,500 lb (5,700 kg)
- Loaded weight: 15,703 lb (7,123 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 18,950 lb VTO, 31,000 lb STO (8,595 kg VTO, 14,061 kg STO)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk. 105 vectored thrust turbofan, 21,750 lb (96.7 kN)
- Maximum speed: 662 mph (1,065 km/h)
- Combat radius: 300 nmi (556 km)
- Ferry range: 2,015 mi (3256 km)
- Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,170 m)
- Rate of climb: 14,715 ft/min (74.8 m/s)
- Guns: 2× 25 mm ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage
- Hardpoints: 8 (under-wing pylon stations 1A & 7A are intended for air-to-air missiles only) with a capacity of 8,000 lb (3,650 kg) of payload and provisions to carry combinations of:
- Rockets: 4× LAU-5003 rocket pods (19× CRV7 70 mm rockets each) or 4× Matra rocket pods (18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each)
- Missiles: 6× AIM-9 Sidewinders or 4× AGM-65 Maverick
- Bombs: ordnance such as Paveway series of laser-guided bombs, unguided iron bombs (including 3 kg and 14 kg practice bombs)
- Other: 2× auxiliary drop tanks or reconnaissance pods (such as the Joint Reconnaissance Pod)
A government statement gave the following systems as being cleared for the GR9 as of November 2010, just before its retirement :
The Litening 3[34] and RAPTOR[34] pods, ASRAAM,[34] Enhanced Paveway III,[34] ALARM,[34] Brimstone[34] and Storm Shadow[34] were not qualified for use on the GR9. A GR9 in Afghanistan typically carried a DJRP, a Sniper pod, two Paveway IV and two of either CRV-7, Paveway IV or Maverick.[34]
See also
- Harrier Jump Jet, an overview of the Harrier family
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
- ↑ During the late 1970s, Britain had been planned to retrofit the RAF's existing Harrier GR3s to become 'big wing' Harriers, provisionally designated as Harrier GR5; however before the decision was finalized, the alternative option of cooperation in the US program was presented and ultimately opted for.[6]
- ↑ The option of equipping several Harrier IIs with the Sea Harrier's Blue Vixen radar was actively studied by Ferranti, however it was found to have involved considerable expense and have required significant development work to successfully integrate the radar; at the same time, the need to provide a dedicated seaborne air superiority capability had not been judged to be a high priority to justify such expenditure.[21]
- ↑ Group Captain Andy Golledge described the Harrier GR7 as being "a truly multi-mission offensive-support aircraft able to conduct air interdiction, close air support, presence, and tactical reconnaissance... importantly, the GR7 can perform any combination of these four mission types during a single sortie".[23]
- ↑ The adoption of the uprated Pegasus Mk 107 engine removed several environmental limitations previously imposed upon the Harrier II; in hot environments such as the Persian Gulf the take-off and landing performance could become insufficient for carrier operations.[30]
- ↑ In the Afghan theatre, the TIALD pod's forward looking infrared (FLIR) had proven to have too low a resolution for the urban close air support missions, often being unable to distinguish between enemy and friendly coalition ground troops. The Sniper pod was reportedly capable of identifying weapons caches and even individuals carrying weapons from a safe altitude.[35]
- ↑ According to Royal Navy Commander Toby Elliott, he had faced considerable internal opposition over the introduction of the Harrier II to the navy's aircraft carriers due to inter-service rivalries.[45]
- ↑ According to aviation author Lon Nordeen, the RAF had originally intended to modernise its first generation T.4/4A two-seat trainers in order to perform the trainer role for the Harrier II; however pilots noted that training upon a variant in which the cockpit and controls would be far more comparable to the newer Harrier II would have greater benefits and have less limitations, thus in 1990 the Ministry of Defence placed an order for 14 combat-capable twin-seat aircraft.[12]
- 1 2 Nordeen 2006, p. 67.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, Appendix A, p. 186.
- ↑ Eden 2004, p. 288.
- ↑ Jenkins 1998, pp. 69–70.
- ↑ Jenkins 1998, pp. 70–72.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, pp. 80–82.
- ↑ Wilson 2000, p. 29.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, p. 81.
- ↑ Gaines 1985, p. 148.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, pp. 81–82.
- ↑ "Aerospace, Volume 20." Royal Aeronautical Society, 1993, p. 14.
- 1 2 Nordeen 2006, p. 68.
- ↑ Wilson 2000, pp. 26–27.
- ↑ Walker 1986, pp. 24–25.
- 1 2 Jenkins 1998, pp. 88–89.
- ↑ Jenkins 1998, pp. 76–77.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, pp. 119–120.
- ↑ Walker 1986, pp. 23–25.
- ↑ Walker 1986, p. 24.
- ↑ "Written Answers", House of Commons Hansard, 5 January 2004
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, pp. 109–111.
- ↑ Polmar 2005, p. 400.
- 1 2 Jefford et al. 2006, p. 94.
- ↑ Elliot 1990, p. 56.
- ↑ Flight International 1986, p. 10.
- ↑ Elliot 1990, pp. 54, 56–57.
- ↑ "Night Harrier to enter RAF service in August." Defense Daily, 13 April 1990.
- ↑ Elliot 1990, pp. 56–57.
- ↑ Hoyle, Craig. "Harrier high." Flightglobal, 9 May 2006.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, p. 97.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, pp. 95–96.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, p. 96.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "The great GR9 journey". Defence Management Journal (40). 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "11 November 2010 Written Answers", Lords Hansard, UK Parliament, 11 November 2010, retrieved 20 March 2011
- 1 2 3 "Harrier Force." Royal Air Force, Retrieved: 22 April 2014.
- ↑ "Harrier rearms." Professional Engineering Magazine, 25 June 2003.
- ↑ "The UK's GR9 Harriers to Add 'Capability E'." Defense Industry Daily, 16 January 2008.
- ↑ Harrier Replacement Rear Fuselage Programme Concluded Successfully, BAE Systems, 31 July 2007
- ↑ "Qinetiq will keep ageing RAF Harriers in the air." Professional Engineering Magazine, 9 July 2008.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, pp. 68–69.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, p. 69.
- 1 2 Jefford et al. 2006, p. 93.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, pp. 105–106.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, pp. 107–108.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 62–63.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 93–94, 100.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 104–105.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, p. 101.
- ↑ "RAF and Navy plan 'Joint Force' merger." BBC News, 23 February 1999.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 102–104.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, p. 63.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2005, pp. 101, 106.
- ↑ Norton-Taylor, Richard. "RAF 'nearly ran out of bombs' in Kosovo." The Guardian, 25 April 2000.
- ↑ "Harrier pilots come under heavy fire." The Herald, 28 April 1999.
- ↑ Beaver, Paul. "RAF Harrier pilots are given the go-ahead to bomb through clouds." The Scotsman, 13 April 1999.
- ↑ "Britain's best in Kosovo action." BBC News, 16 April 1999.
- ↑ "Select Committee on Defence Fourteenth Report ." House of Commons, 23 October 2000.
- ↑ "War roars back to Persian Gulf." Kansas City Star, 20 March 2003.
- ↑ "US, UK forces enter Iraq in Gulf War II." Archived 16 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Daily Times, 21 March 2003.
- ↑ Eason, Gary. "UK troops 'lived up to expectations." BBC News, 17 April 2003.
- ↑ Jefford et al. 2006, p. 95.
- ↑ Parker, Simon. "British troops launch raids on Basra." The Guardian, 30 March 2003.
- ↑ "War On Iraq: Harriers zero in on Iraqi navy." Western Mail, 24 March 2003.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, p. 140.
- ↑ "Allies accused over cluster bomb attacks." The Age, 5 April 2003.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, p. 141.
- ↑ "UK combat jets fly to Afghanistan." BBC News, 24 September 2004.
- ↑ Rayment, Sean (16 October 2005). "Harrier destroyed by Afghan rocket". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ↑ "RN and RAF Harrier combat ops gear up as Royal Navy crews join the fight against the Taleban". Ministry of Defence. 5 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- ↑ Barnwell, Matt. "Major attacks 'useless' RAF in leaked e-mails." The Daily Telegraph, 23 September 2006.
- ↑ Tweedie, Neil. "Typhoon wins gun dogfight." The Daily Telegraph, 3 October 2006.
- ↑ Hoyle, Craig. "UK to expand Afghanistan commitment with additional aircraft." Flightglobal, 27 February 2007.
- ↑ "Defence 2009: A Year in Pictures." Archived 21 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Ministry of Defence, 24 December 2009.
- ↑ "Select Committee on Defence - Written Evidence." Archived 25 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. House of Commons: Defence Committee, 2006. pp. 15–16, 41.
- ↑ Orchard and Barrington 2008, Chapter 1.
- ↑ Graves, David (2 April 2002). "Sea Harrier cuts leave the fleet exposed The decision to retire the decisive weapon of the Falklands conflict means the Navy will have to rely on America for air support". The Daily Telegraph.
- ↑ "IV into 20 goes once". Air International. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ↑ "Out with the Old In with the New – Renumbering Parade Royal Air Force Cottesmore.". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ↑ Hoyle, Craig (15 November 2010). "UK defence chiefs stand by Harrier retirement decision". Flightglobal. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ↑ Urban, Mark (11 February 2014). "UK to spend £2.5bn on F-35 fighters". BBC. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ↑ Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review. (PDF), HM Government, 19 October 2010, retrieved 19 October 2010
- ↑ Steven Jermy, Sharkey War & Michael Clapp. "Britain's fast jet forces – National Interest versus vested interest." Archived 7 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Phoenix Thinktank, May 2011.
- ↑ Wyatt, Caroline. "Struggle at the top over decision to scrap UK Harriers." BBC News, 15 December 2010.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Tom (24 November 2010). "Last Harrier jet leaves Ark Royal". Independent. UK. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ↑ "Last trip for one of Britain's iconic aircraft". BBC News. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 Gary Parsons (March 2012). "UK Harriers will fly again with USMC". Air Forces Monthly. No. 288. Key Publishing. p. 5. ISSN 0955-7091.
- ↑ Cavas, Christopher P. "U.S. To Buy Decommissioned British Harrier Jets". Defense News, 13 November 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
- ↑ Perry, Dominic. "UK Harrier fleet sold as £115 million worth of spare parts". Flightglobal, 24 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ↑ "Flash Traffic: UK Sells all GR09s for US180M to US". The Navy. Navy League of Australia. 74 (1): 15–16. January 2012. ISSN 1322-6231.
- ↑ Majumdar, Dave (9 June 2012). "USMC hopes new method for tracking fatigue life will help extend Harrier to 2030". Flightglobal. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ↑ "Britain Orders McDonnell's Harrier II." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10 March 1990.
- ↑ Parsons, Gary (16 March 2012). "Harrier hovers in to Duxford". key.aero. Key Publishing. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ↑ Dyson, James. "The Harrier in My Car Park: The Price of Losing Your Resolve." Wired, 11 April 2012.
- ↑ Nordeen 2006, Appendix C.
- "Harrier II night-attack options diverge". Flight International. London, UK: Reed Business Information. 130 (4034): 10. 25 November 1986. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Eden, Paul (ed.). "McDonnell Douglas/BAe Harrier II". The Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft. London, UK: Amber Books, 2004. ISBN 1-904687-84-9.
- Elliot, Simon (18 September 1990). "Harrier – The Next 30 Years". Flight International. Vol. 138 no. 4233. London, UK: Reed Business Information. pp. 50–57. ISSN 0015-3710. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- Gaines, Mike (1 June 1985). "AV-8B—mean Marine V/Stol machine". Flight International. Vol. 127 no. 3962. London, UK: Reed Business Information. pp. 148–151. ISSN 0015-3710. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- House of Commons: Defence Committee. Delivering front line capability to the RAF: third report of session 2005–06; report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence. The Stationery Office, 2006. ISBN 0-215-02694-2.
- Jefford, C.G., ed. (2005). Seminar - Maritime Operations. (PDF). London, UK: Royal Air Force Historical Society. ISSN 1361-4231.
- Jefford, C.G., ed. (2006). The RAF Harrier Story (PDF). London, UK: Royal Air Force Historical Society. ISBN 0-9530345-2-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 5, 2011.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. Boeing / BAe Harrier. Warbird Tech. 21. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-014-0.
- Nordeen, Lon O. Harrier II, Validating V/STOL. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59114-536-8.
- Orchard, Adrian; James Barrington. Joint Force Harrier. Penguin, 2008. ISBN 0-14-188975-6.
- Polmar, Norman. The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships And Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Naval Institute Press, 2005. ISBN 1-59114-685-2.
- Walker, Karen (19 July 1986). "V/STOL Comes of Age". Flight International. Vol. 130 no. 4020. London, UK: Reed Business Information. pp. 23–25. ISSN 0015-3710. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- Wilson, Stewart. BAe/McDonnell Douglas Harrier. Airlife, 2000. ISBN 1-84037-218-4.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Aerospace Harrier II.
- Second-generation Harriers on Greg Goebel's vectorsite.net
- Photos of this aircraft on Airliners.net
- Photographs of Harrier G R Mk 7 deployed aboard HMS Illustrious
- Defense Industry Daily: AV-8B Harrier finding Success in Iraq (30 March 2005)


text:
Swimming lessons give children an edge as they start school, study shows.
Children who learn to swim before they start school achieve important milestones faster than normal, a study has found.
And children who took swimming lessons between ages 3 and 5 are also better at visual-motor skills such as cutting paper, colouring-in and drawing lines and shapes and many mathematically-related tasks, the survey from the Griffith Institute for Educational Research found.
Seven thousand parents of under-5s in New Zealand and Australia were questioned over three years and a further 180 children aged 3, 4 and 5 years were involved in the testing.
Lead researcher Professor Robyn Jorgensen said the study showed young children who took swimming lessons early on achieved a wide range of skills - many of which were "highly valuable" - earlier than the normal population.
"Many of these skills are those that help young children into the transition into formal learning contexts such as pre-school or school."
Jessica Bell, 4, has been taking swimming lessons with Manurewa Swimstation since the start of the year.
Her father, Chris, said he'd noticed his daughter's confidence grow immensely since starting the 20-minute classes.
Especially compared to the confidence Mr Bell's eldest daughter, Almina, had at Jessica's age - Almina didn't learn to swim properly until she was 7 because the family lived in the Philippines until then.
"It's just really important to know how to swim, especially in this country, and you don't really get that from going to the beach. It's a skill they should get to have as soon as possible and a lot of schools don't really do a great job. In fact a lot of schools don't even have pools anymore," Mr Bell said.
Fleur Scott got her two children, Hayden, 4, and Caitlin, 6, into the water at 6-months-old so they would be familiar with the water.
Mrs Scott, of Manurewa, said she wasn't that surprised by the research because the swimming lessons had given her children "massive confidence boosts", especially around water.
"And it teaches them to be independent, they have to swim off away from adults on their own, and they also learn to be more social with the playtime after class," she said.
Manurewa Swimstation instructor Danielle Strom said it was instantly obvious which children had been to swimming lessons earlier. Ms Strom said it was vital children learned to swim, especially in New Zealand because we're surrounded by water. It also improved other aspects of their lives.
The study, released yesterday, was a joint project between Griffith University, Kids Alive Swim Programme and Swim Australia.


text: Description:This site contains adult materials or materials that may be considered offensive in some communities. You may NOT enter this site if you are easily shocked or offended. By proceeding, you agree to our Terms of Use and you are verifying that you are over the age of eighteen 18, or if the legal age of majority is greater, you must be over the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which you reside. Post your personal with photos.


text:
angry christians
It's Wednesday. Wednesdays are long: a TA class, office hours, a lecture, and working on the dissertation before going to chase the GA's until 7:30.
Wednesday is also the day I usually don't bring my lunch to work, so after office hours, I run over to the Drag to pick something up. And by the time I remember that it's Wednesday, it's too late to turn back.
Wednesday, you see, is the day the Angry Christians show up. To yell. They aren't part of the university, so they aren't allowed on campus, but they can stand on the sidewalk and yell whatever they want, so long as it's not incitement to revolution or the like.
Yelling is what they do. Two men, one on each side of the street, stand on the sidewalk and yell, sometimes one at a time, other times simultaneously, while their companions try to talk to passersby. Which is kindof difficult, given all the yelling in the background.
What they yell varies from week to week, but frequent topics include judgment, brimstone, debauchery, and the end of the world. They also like to yell about sexual ethics, clothing choices, and the ever-popular lake of fire in which we're all going to burn. Did I mention judgment? In five years on this campus, I have never once heard the Angry Christians talk about God's love, hope, or anything...not angry.
My typical response to the Angry Christians is to avert my eyes, keep my ipod on, and say, "No, thank-you," when one of the conservatively-dressed women offers me a handout. The Angry Christians know nothing about my heart, but apparently the fact that I occasionally wear pants and keep my hair shoulder-length incidates that I can't possibly be a Christian. I suppose they assume that if I were a true believer, I'd be out there with them, yelling at the top of my lungs about the rapture. (Well, technically it wouldn't be me yelling, since I'm a woman, but that's another topic.)
Now. I know that the Angry Christians genuinely believe they are doing the right thing by proclaiming their version of the truth from the sidewalk. As much as neither of us might like to admit it, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. And I'm certain that they pray fervently for this campus. For that I am grateful.
But. But. I just wonder. I wonder if they have fully considered the effects of their actions. I wonder if they've thought about the effect their activities have on those of us who are both Christians and part of this university community. I wonder if they understand how quickly they can undo years of efforts to build relationships with our colleagues, to make them understand that it is possible to be both a rational adult and a believer. I wonder if they realize how difficult they make it to prove that it is possible to be both a serious scholar, fully engaged in the pursuit of truth, and to be a committed person of faith. I wonder if they know that it takes years of building trust for most academics to even be willing to have a conversation about faith.
I wonder if they understand that propagating the stereotype that Christians are intolerant zealots obsessed with sex and pharisaical moral codes doesn't make it any easier for those of us who are not. I wonder if they understand that on our postmodern campus in a postmodern world, "they will know we are Christians by our love" opens a lot more doors than does informing someone they're going to burn in a lake of fire in which that person doesn't believe anyway. I wonder if they understand how hard we work to treat undergraduates as persons worthy of dignity and respect, instead of pests that interfere with our ability to work, and that treating students as people created in God's image means that those students come to us for advice about their problems and fears.
I wonder if they realize that they never say anything about love. I wonder if they realize that yelling rarely makes anyone want to listen, no matter the context. Because I have to say, if the Angry Christians were all I knew of this faith, I sure wouldn't want to have anything to do with it.
Maybe I should pray for them, too.


text:
Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
Joe Simon doesn't read comic books anymore, and not because he's an 87-year-old man with far better ways to spend his time. The former and, perhaps, future comics writer and illustrator simply doesn't get them anymore; he doesn't know who they're for, what they're about, why most of them even exist. Back in his day, Simon and his colleagues, writers and artists plying their trade in smoky office buildings, knew their audience: 12-year-old boys. They knew what they wanted: good guys in tights beating up the bad guys, most of whom looked a lot like a guy named Adolf. But now, Simon says from his one-room apartment in Manhattan, "comic books are for, I dunno, the masturbation generation." His laugh sounds like a train in the distance; his is a deep New York voice that suggest a much younger man of sharp mind and sound body.
"They all look alike -- little boys with big guns and little girls with big boobs," he says, and it's hard to tell if he's amused or disgusted. "If I were in the business today, I could find out who the audience was, but it's of no interest to me to get into that area. Not anymore."
There was, of course, a time when Simon loved comic books: They raised his children, bought his house, took care of his wife. And they made him a legend, at least among those who read and revere the much-maligned medium, this trash-can literature. A very long time ago, and for a very long time, Joe Simon made comic books, some of them among the best-known and most beloved in the medium's history: Young Romance, Newsboy Legion and The Boy Commandos, original copies of which sell among collectors for thousands of dollars. More important, he is the father of one of the most iconic figures in the ill-tended-to history of the medium: In 1939, Simon gave birth to the red-white-and-blue crime buster known as Captain America, who would become among the most famous characters in Marvel Comics' stable of heroes.
Now, 62 years later, Simon wants his boy back -- out of Marvel's clutches and into his own hands. There's but a single problem: Marvel, which has claimed ownership of the Captain America copyright since 1940, is not going to just turn over one of its most profitable properties without a fight. Sometime this summer -- perhaps as early as June -- Marvel Characters, Inc. v. Joseph H. Simon will head into U.S. District Court in New York, with the victor claiming the copyright to Captain America, and the ramifications of the lawsuit are enormous. If Simon wins, it will open the floodgates for other artists and writers to reclaim characters long owned and exploited by comic-book publishers. That, Simon says, is precisely the point, which explains why he's a little surprised -- and saddened -- to discover he's fighting this battle alone, without support from other creators who lost control of their children along the way.
"Christ, I'm doing this for my children and other creative people who should have their rights," Simon insists. "I'm not doing it for myself. I'm too old to be doing this for myself, but I'm not going to quit by any means. They've spent so much money on this. Marvel must have spent a million bucks on this. I think some people would get together and back me on this."
Simon notified Marvel of his intent to reclaim the Captain America copyright on December 6, 1999 -- just a few months after the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel filed similar notice with DC Comics. Simon and Siegel's estate made their claims using a 1978 revision to U.S. copyright law which says, in essence, that once a work's original 56-year copyright expires, the creator of a work (or his estate) has five years to regain the copyright. Two months after Simon filed his claim, Marvel filed suit against the legendary artist, claiming he has no rights at all to Captain America. According to Simon, the company never offered to negotiate a settlement.
"When the statute was changed in 1978, the whole point was to give people who may have sold their property for a cheap price the chance to take it back," says Simon's attorney Ross Charap. "The premise is you don't know what something's worth 'til the public tells you. Congress said, 'Let's do something for those who sold their goods at a rate far less than the value the public established for it over time.' Somebody who gave something up for very little 50, 60 years ago should be entitled to get some additional compensation for the great work he or she did."
But it's not as simple as that, because copyright law also says that a creator is not entitled to his creation if he did it as a "work for hire" -- meaning, if Joe Simon came up with Captain America while he was working for Marvel (which, in the 1930s, was called Timely Comics), it belongs to the company. Forever.
And that's where things get tricky, at least as far as Simon's issues are concerned. After all, he claims to have created Captain America all by his lonesome while he was working as a freelancer for Timely. (At the time, Simon was also a staff editor at Victor Fox Publications, which was then one of the leading comics companies.) As he tells it, he came up with the idea of Captain America when he came up with the perfect villain, Adolf Hitler. According to Simon, he then took his initial character sketch to Timely's publisher, Martin Goodman, who so liked the character he wanted Timely to publish it.
Contact the author of this piece, send a letter to the editor, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
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The 2012 Olympic Games' London Opening Ceremony started at 4 p.m. EST, but for some reason NBC decided to delay the broadcast by over three hours. (NBC is streaming every event besides the opening ceremonies, which pretty much everyone cares about. They haven't explained why. Go figure.) You'll be able to watch them starting at 7:30 p.m. EST.
HOWEVER. Lots of people are already watching in real time, and according to my Twitter feed, shit's pretty crazy. I've been too busy to watch, but apparently (SPOILER ALERT) there's some sort of free health care dance celebration?
(Also, check out these opening ceremony gifs via Buzzfeed!)


text: Event details Sunday | June 5, 2016 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 1125 Summit Street Elgin, IL. 60120 847-742-4340 Join us for Service on Sundays starting at 10:30am. We would be happy to have you worship with us. Share this post:FacebookTwitterEmailTumblrGoogleLinkedInPrint Save Event to Calendar Save to iCalendar Save to Google Calendar Save to Outlook Save to Outlook Online Save to Yahoo! Calendar


text:
A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
Works of art can also be ways in which political, economic, and philosophical ideas can be expressed. We come across many such works in the titles we put on the OLL website. The following "illustrated essays" discuss many of these along with other works of art, propaganda, statuary and other works. See for example the essays on Adam Smith and J.B. Say on the Division of Labour, The Gold Standard vs. Fiat Paper Money, Eugène Delacroix on Press Censorship during the Restoration (1814-1822), and Mises on Rationing and Price Controls in WW2.
Last modified April 13, 2016


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Claudine Nicholas uses whole food nutrition and Juice Plus+ to boost immune system—and her dreams.
Lupus. There was a strange satisfaction, an odd sense of relief, in finally having a diagnosis after so much pain and uncertainty. But, really? Lupus? How could this be happening?
Looking back on her young life, Claudine Nicholas would never have imagined that by the age of twenty-three her adventurous and active lifestyle could be stopped dead in its tracks by the debilitating and relentless symptoms of autoimmune disease. After all, wasn't she the same Claudine who had once been described by her mother as "perpetual motion"?
"Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I loved sports and was involved with swimming, soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, racquetball, snow skiing, backpacking, and even sky diving."
But Claudine remembers that her health had begun to spiral downward when she'd gone off to college and, like most incoming freshmen, replaced home-cooked meals with the convenience and allure of fast food.
"From then on, rarely did I drink much water or eat many fruits or vegetables. Still, I never made the connection as to why my energy had left me and as to why I was always sick from one thing or another."
In her twenties, when Claudine Nicholas should have been out socializing with her friends and having a great time, her life was spent going to and from doctor visits and managing her pain.
"By age 29, I felt as though I were 90. Nearly every joint in my body was causing me severe pain. I was constantly running a low-grade fever and had incredible fatigue. In bed two or more days a week, I had little quality of life, and the fear of my health becoming worse filled my mind and dominated my behavior."
Claudine became increasingly depressed about her future until, by chance, she was introduced to Juice Plus+ and the power of whole food nutrition, and the tide began to turn. Claudine began to put more healthy food in her body.
"For the first time in years, I began to gain control over my debilitating symptoms. After further reading on nutrition and my condition, I made another discovery: reducing my intake of sugar, white flour, caffeine, and fatty, fried, and processed foods could reduce my symptoms as well. With Juice Plus+ and the application of my new dietary knowledge, I was on my way to becoming healthy again."
As her recovery progressed, Claudine slowly but steadily reclaimed her active lifestyle, challenging herself to run 17 half marathons in one year, and culminating with her first full marathon in 2012. But Claudine assures us that she's just getting started. She has a long list of things she plans to do in her lifetime, with a special emphasis on promoting good nutrition for runners.
"Living Life to the Plus means not holding back. It means having the belief that you can actually go for your dreams, because you have the health and the ability and the hope and the courage to go for your dreams."
And with the optimism that comes with good health, Claudine has no doubt that she'll be able to achieve them.
"Juice Plus+ has changed my life and my perspective on health. And I've come to realize that my battle with autoimmune disease has been a blessing in disguise: because of what I've learned, I can now help others. When I started studying nutrition, I began to take back my health. I knew if I put good, healthy food in myself, that good things were going to happen."
And those "good things" continue to multiply exponentially, for Claudine Nicholas, and for everyone she meets along the road to better health.
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Musician Sufjan Stevens made a name for himself by promising to release an album themed after every one of the contiguous United States. While so far we've only seen the wonderful and artfully crafted albums Illinoise and Michigan, Stevens has been busy creating music that is wistful and drifting. He's releasing a new box set next month called Silver & Gold.
In conjunction with the release of Silver & Gold. Stevens has paired up with Claymation animator Lee Hardcastle for a holiday themed video for his new track "Mr. Frosty Man." And by holiday I mean a sweet, bloody and zombie filled mash-up of Halloween and Christmas, with some obvious nods to Ash from Army of Darkness. As it says on Hardcastle's site, he makes claymation videos that are not for children, and while this one fits that mold, the older kids should still get a kick out of it. It's the most disturbing claymation music video I've seen since last years "All Your Light" from Portugal the Man, the animation of which was also done by Hardcastle.
As for the track itself, "Mr. Frosty Man" does not sound like traditional Sufjan Stevens. Though that in itself sounds like the traditional Sufjan Stevens. I've always liked the music that Stevens puts out, knowing that he's usually responsible for playing every instrument and mixing all the tracks. His compositions are sometimes strange, always different and lyrically intelligent. So in that regard, "Mr. Frosty Man" is a perfect Sufjan Stevens track. Enjoy!
Warning: video contains claymation blood and guts. Not suitable for young children and Gumby.


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Big Oak River Camp along the beautiful Nueces River -- Camping and Air Conditioned Cabins Available.
Big Oak River Camp is only 90 miles west of San Antonio, 34 miles out of Uvalde.
Our beautiful log cabins, with the signature red roofs, offer all the comforts of home. Each cabin is outfitted with full kitchen and bath facilities. The kitchens are fully stocked with all pots/pans, dishes and cooking/eating utensils. We furnish a microwave, coffee pot and Direct TV. The cabin is furnished with a Queen Size bed, a full size futon and a small dining table. We do not furnish linens so make sure you bring your own sheets, pillow cases and towels. A BBQ Pit, fire ring, picnic table and porch swing are just added amenities for your enjoyment.
On our property we offer many options:
- Shades sites with beautiful Pecan & Oak Trees
- 20/30/50 AMP - Concrete Pull -Thru
- Fully Equipped Log Cabins
- Tent Camping
- Picnic Table, BBQ Pit & Fire Ring at all Sites
- Separate Men's & Women's Bathhouses
- Camp Store - Ice - Laundry
- Dump Stations
- Lighted Playground & Basketball Court
- Lighted Regulation Sand Volleyball Court
- Ton's of water fun - including Swimming, Fishing, Kayaking, Tubing & Snorkeling
Relax At Big Oak River Camp while you enjoy the many on-site amenities!


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Rewatching old shows can be a blast/but the recapping gets old real fast./But these two Buffy fans/have poetical plans/to make limericks of episodes past.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans behind Waffle Meringue Productions are on a mission to encapsulate each episode of Joss Whedon's supernatural dramedy in a single limerick. Right now they're up to Season 3, which means everything from Buffy's arrival in Sunnydale through the death and reappearance of Angel has been placed in dirty joke meter. Some of the limericks work out better than others, but they're all fun to read.
Limerick Episode Guide [Waffle Meringue Productions via Whedonesque]
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