Sarah Palin

(States Twitter)-Sarah Louise Palin, /ˈpeɪlɨn/ ) (née Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician and commentator. She was the youngest person and the first woman elected Governor of Alaska, an office she held from December 2006 until resigning in July 2009. In the 2008 presidential election, she was the Republican Party nominee for Vice President, becoming the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and the first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency. She has subsequently associated herself with the Tea Party movement, endorsing and campaigning for several candidates in the 2010 midterm elections, and is a possible candidate in the 2012 presidential election.

Her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies. Since January 2010, she has also provided political commentary for Fox News, and hosted a television show, Sarah Palin's Alaska.

Early life, family

Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, and is of English, Irish and German descent. She is the third of four children (three daughters, one son) born to Charles R. "Chuck" Heath, a science teacher and track coach, and Sarah "Sally" (née Sheeran), a school secretary. Palin's siblings are Chuck Jr., Heather, and Molly. The family moved from Idaho to Skagway, Alaska, when Palin was a few months old; then to Eagle River when she was about five years old; and finally to Wasilla when she was eight.

Palin played flute in the junior high band, then attended Wasilla High School where she was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,and a member of the girls' basketball and cross country running teams. During her senior year, she was co-captain and point guard of the basketball team that won the 1982 Alaska state championship, earning the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" for her competitive streak.

College

After graduating from high school, Palin enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, Palin switched to Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu for a semester in the fall of 1982. She transferred to North Idaho College, a community college in Coeur d'Alene, for the spring and fall semesters of 1983. (In June 2008, the Alumni Association of NIC gave her its Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.)

In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla beauty pageant. She finished third in the Miss Alaska pageant, playing flute in the talent portion of the contest, and receiving both the Miss Congeniality award and a college scholarship.

She attended the University of Idaho in Moscow in the fall of 1984 and spring of 1985, and attended Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska in the fall of 1985. Palin returned to the University of Idaho in the spring of 1986, and received her bachelor's degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism in 1987.

State-level politics

In 2002, Palin ran for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a five-way Republican primary.Following her defeat, she campaigned throughout the state for the Republican governor-lieutenant governor ticket of Frank Murkowski and Loren Leman.[Murkowski and Leman won, Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in December 2002 to assume the governorship. Palin was said to be on the "short list" of possible appointees to Murkowski's U.S. Senate seat, but Murkowski ultimately appointed his daughter, State Representative Lisa Murkowski, as his successor in the Senate.

Governor Murkowski offered a number of other jobs to Palin, and in February 2003, she accepted an appointment to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which oversees Alaska's oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency.Although she had little background in the area, she said she wanted to learn more about the oil industry, and was named chair of the commission and ethics supervisor. By November 2003 she was filing non-public ethics complaints with the state attorney general and the governor against a fellow commission member, Randy Ruedrich, a former petroleum engineer and the current chair of the state Republican Party.Palin had observed Ruedrich doing Party business on the state's time, and leaking confidential information to oil industry insiders. He was forced to resign in November 2003. Palin resigned in January 2004 and put her protests against Ruedrich's "lack of ethics" into the public arena by filing a public complaint against Ruedrich, who was then fined $12,000. She also joined with Democratic legislator Eric Croft in complaining that Gregg Renkes, a former Alaskan Attorney General, had a financial conflict of interest in negotiating a coal exporting trade agreement. Renkes also resigned his post.

Budget, spending, and federal funds

Palin in Germany, July 2007

In June 2007, Palin signed a record $6.6 billion operating budget into law. At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The $237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects, and reduced the construction budget to $1.6 billion.

In 2008, Palin vetoed $286 million, cutting or reducing funding for 350 projects from the FY09 capital budget.

Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet, a purchase made by the Murkowski administration for $2.7 million in 2005 against the wishes of the legislature. In August 2007, the jet was listed on eBay, but the sale fell through, and the plane was later sold for $2.1 million through a private brokerage firm.

Gas pipeline

See also: Alaska gas pipeline

In August 2008, Palin signed a bill authorizing the State of Alaska to award TransCanada Pipelines — the sole bidder to meet the state's requirements — a license to build and operate a pipeline to transport natural gas from the North Slope to the Continental United States through Canada. The governor also pledged $500 million in seed money to support the project. It is estimated that the project will cost $26 billion. Newsweek described the project as "the principal achievement of Sarah Palin's term as Alaska's governor." The pipeline faces legal challenges from Canadian First Nations.

Predator control

See also: Governorship of Sarah Palin#Environment

In 2007, Palin supported a 2003 Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing the hunting of wolves from the air as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose and caribou populations for subsistence-food gatherers and other hunters. In March 2007, Palin's office announced that a bounty of $150 per wolf would be paid to the 180 volunteer pilots and gunners, to offset fuel costs, in five areas of Alaska. 607 wolves had been killed in the prior four years. State biologists wanted 382 to 664 wolves to be killed by the end of the predator-control season in April 2007. Wildlife activists sued the state, and a state judge declared the bounty illegal on the basis that a bounty would have to be offered by the Board of Game and not by the Department of Fish and Game.

Resignation

Main article: Resignation of Sarah Palin

An estimated 5,000 people gathered at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks to watch Palin cede her office to Sean Parnell.

On July 3, 2009, Palin announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2010 Alaska gubernatorial election and would resign before the end of July. In her announcement, Palin stated that both she and the state had been expending an "insane" amount of time and money ($2.5 million) to address "frivolous" ethics complaints filed against her, and that her decision not to seek reelection would make her a lame duck governor. A Palin aide said Palin was "no longer able to do the job she had been elected to do. Essentially, the taxpayers were paying for Sarah to go to work every day and defend herself." Palin and her husband Todd had personally incurred more than $500,000 in legal fees defending against ethics charges brought against her as governor. Palin transferred the office of governor to Sean Parnell in Fairbanks on July 26, 2009.

In December 2010, new rules governing Alaska executive branch ethics, stemming from Sarah Palin's tenure as governor, took effect. "These include allowing for the state to pay legal costs for officials cleared of ethics violations; (and) allowing for a family member of the governor or lieutenant governor to travel at state cost in certain circumstances.

2008 vice-presidential campaign

Palin addresses the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Several conservative commentators met Palin in the summer of 2007. Some of them, such as Bill Kristol, later urged McCain to pick Palin as his vice presidential running mate, arguing that her presence on the ticket would provide a boost in enthusiasm among the Religious Right wing of the Republican party, while her status as an unknown on the national scene would also be a positive factor.

On August 24, 2008 during a general strategy meeting, Steve Schmidt and a few other senior advisers to the McCain Campaign, discussed potential vice presidential picks with the consensus settling around Palin. The following day, the strategists advised McCain of their conclusions and he personally called Palin who was at the Alaska State Fair.

On August 27, she visited McCain's vacation home near Sedona, Arizona, where she was offered the position of vice-presidential candidate. According to Jill Hazelbaker, a spokeswoman for McCain, he had previously met Palin at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington in February 2008 and had come away "extraordinarily impressed." Palin was the only prospective running mate who had a face-to-face interview with McCain to discuss joining the ticket that week.Nonetheless, Palin's selection was a surprise to many because a main criticism he had of Obama was his lack of experience, and speculation had centered on other candidates, such as Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. On August 29, in Dayton, Ohio, McCain announced that he had chosen Palin as his running mate.

Palin is the first Alaskan and the second woman to run on a major U.S. party ticket.

Tea Party movement

On February 6, 2010, Palin appeared as the keynote speaker at the inaugural Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Palin said the Tea Party movement is "the future of politics in America."[240] She criticized Obama for rising deficits, and for "apologizing for America” in speeches in other countries. Palin said Obama was weak on the War on Terror for allowing the so-called Christmas bomber to board a plane headed for the United States.Palin’s speaking fee was reported to be $100,000. Judson Phillips, the founder of Tea Party Nation, the social networking site that sponsored the convention, did not confirm the amount paid to Palin saying he was contractually obligated not to speak about it.

"Pink Elephant" movement and 2010 endorsements

In the middle of 2010, Palin flagged the launch of a new "Pink Elephant Movement." She set about endorsing a number of female GOP candidates. Her endorsement helped Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel to take the lead in the campaign for the Republican nomination, though ultimately Handel lost the primary. Palin has endorsed several female candidates nationally. Ryan Rudominer, a spokesman for the House Democratic campaign operation has called her involvement in various U.S. House campaigns a "great thing across the board."She spoke at a May 2010 fundraiser for the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political advocacy group and political action committee that supports pro-life women in politics, in which she coined the term "mama grizzly."

In the months ahead of the November 2010 elections, Palin selectively endorsed Republican candidates, and was a significant fundraising asset to those she campaigned for during the primary season.According to Politico, Palin's criteria for endorsing candidates was whether they had the support of the Tea Party movement and the support of the Susan B. Anthony List. In terms of success, Palin was 7-2 for Senate endorsements; 7-6 for House endorsements; and 6-3 in endorsements of gubernatorial candidates  Palin's endorsement of Joe Miller in the August 24 Alaska primary election for U.S. Senator was identified as a possible pivotal moment in Miller's upset of the incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. According to Daily Beast reporter Shushannah Walshe, Christine O'Donnell's prospects of upsetting establishment Republican candidate Mike Castle "changed overnight" due to Palin's endorsement. O'Donnell defeated Castle in the September 14 primary for Joe Biden's former Senate seat in Delaware. Her O'Donnell endorsement further increased tensions between Palin and the Republican establishment: leading conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer described the endorsement as "reckless and irresponsible"; party strategist Karl Rove argued that her endorsement may have cost the GOP the Delaware Senate seat; and commentators including Politico's Ben Smith posited that Palin's support of O'Donnell contributed to dashing Republican hopes of regaining control of the U.S. Senate. Palin's influence over the primaries nonetheless further increased speculation that she would seek to be the party's nominee for President in 2012, with political pundits Paul Mirengoff, David Frum, and Jonathan Chait identifying Palin as the front-runner.

Possible 2012 presidential campaign

Palin's high profile in the 2008 presidential campaign fueled speculation that she will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, and beginning in November 2008, there was an active "Draft Palin" movement. On February 6, 2010, when Fox News asked her if she would be running for president in 2012, she replied, "I would be willing to if I believe that it's right for the country." She added, "I won't close the door that perhaps could be open for me in the future."

In November 2010, Palin confirmed that she was considering running for the Presidency, and was "having that discussion with my family." She stated she realised her level of experience could cause problems with winning the nomination, and criticized the "lamestream media" for focusing attention on her personal life.

During March 2011, Palin toured India and Israel. This tour fueled speculations that she was updating herself on world affairs as a run-up to her possible future campaign. However, while in India when she was quizzed about her future candidacy, she said "I don't think there needs to be a rush to get out there as a declared candidate. It's a life-changing decision". In response to another question, she said "It’s time that a woman is president of the United States of America.

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Sarah Palin

Palin has been a registered Republican since 1982.

Health care

Palin opposed the 2010 health care reform package, saying it would lead to rationing of health care by a bureaucracy, which she described using the term "death panels." This legislation is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as modified by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.Palin characterizes the act as an "unfunded mandate," and supports defunding it. Palin supports repeal of portions of the act.[282]

Marriage

Palin opposes same-sex marriage,[283] abortion including in cases of rape and incest, and embryonic stem cell research.[284] She supports capital punishment,[285] and parental consent for female minors seeking an abortion.[286]

Education

Palin supports sex education in public schools that encourage abstinence along with contraception.[287]

She supports discussion of creationism during lessons on evolution in public schools.[288] Palin believes evolution "should be taught as an accepted principle" and said that her belief in God's role in Earth's creation "is not part of the state policy or a local curriculum in a school district. Science should be taught in science class."[289]

Guns

A Life Member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Palin interprets the Second Amendment as including the right to handgun possession, and opposes bans on semi-automatic assault weapons.[290] and supports gun safety education for youth.

Environment

Palin supports off-shore drilling, and land-based drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. When commenting on the Gulf Coast oil disaster Palin said, "I repeat the slogan 'drill here, drill now.'" She said, "I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry." Palin asked supporters to read an article by Thomas Sowell which criticized Obama for having BP pay to an escrow fund.

Palin has expressed skepticism about the causes of global warming, but agrees that "man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue" and that action should be taken.She is opposed to cap-and-trade proposals, such as the defunct American Clean Energy and Security Act. Palin has acknowledged that "Simply waiting for low-carbon-emitting renewable capacity to be large enough will mean that it will be too late to meet the mitigation goals..that will be required for carbon dioxide under most credible climate-change models."

Foreign policy

Palin is a strong supporter of Israel. Referring to Iran's threat to Israel, Palin said Obama would be reelected if "he played the war card. Say he decided to declare war on Iran or decided really come out and do whatever he could to support Israel, which I would like him to do."

On foreign policy, Palin supported the Bush Administration's policies in Iraq, but is concerned that "dependence on foreign energy" may be obstructing efforts to "have an exit plan in place." Palin supports preemptive military action in the face of an imminent threat, and supports U.S. military operations in Pakistan. Palin supports NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, and affirms that if Russia invaded a NATO member, the United States should meet its treaty obligations.

On foreign policy, Palin supported the surge strategy in Iraq, the use of additional ground forces in Afghanistan, and, in general, maintaining a strong defensive posture by increasing the defense budget. She believes Islam and democracy can co-exist. She supports strengthening America's alliance with Japan. She supports the de-nuclearization of North Korea. She supports free trade and wants to work with China to reduce American debt and improve the human rights and political freedom of its citizens.

Cee Lo Green

Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974),better known by his stage name Cee-Lo Green or simply Cee-Lo, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer. He originally came to prominence as a member of the southern hip-hop group Goodie Mob, later launching a critically acclaimed solo career and forming Gnarls Barkley with DJ/producer Danger Mouse.

Internationally, Green is best known for his work within the hip hop duo Gnarls Barkley and their worldwide hit "Crazy" (2006), which reached number one in various singles charts worldwide including the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Crazy" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The parenting album, St. Elsewhere was also a hit, reaching number one on the UK Album Charts and charting at number four on the US Billboard 200 album charts. The duo's second album, internationally less successful, The Odd Couple (2008) missed the top ten in both the UK and US, where it charted at number 12 in the US, and 18 in the UK.

Green, taking a break from recording with Gnarls Barkley, released the single, "Fuck You!" on August 19, 2010 as a solo recording artist. The song was an instant hit, reaching the top spot in the UK and the Netherlands and charted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. The parent album, The Lady Killer (2010) saw similar success, peaking within the top five of the UK Album Charts and debuting within the top ten on the Billboard 200 album charts, and received a Gold certification from the BPI in the UK shortly after its release. The second single, "It's OK" was a hit in Europe, and the third single, "Bright Lights, Bigger City" has also seen similar charting success. Green is currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Along with Big Gipp, T-Mo, and Khujo, Cee-Lo was an original member of the Atlanta hip-hop group Goodie Mob. He is the youngest of the four. The Goodie Mob were a part of the Atlanta rap collective the Dungeon Family, which also included OutKast. The group released their debut album, Soul Food in 1995. The album received much critical praise as a pioneering record for the then emerging Southern rap scene. It featured a distinctive soulful southern sound by production team Organized Noize, who had also produced OutKast's debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Cee-Lo got considerable praise for his rapping and singing of hooks, particularly on the hit singles "Cell Therapy" and "Soul Food".

The group's second album, Still Standing came out in 1998 and also received much critical praise. Its commercial performance was slightly lower than the group's previous effort however. At this time Cee-Lo foucused primarily on rapping over singing. While he did frequently sing hooks and did some singing, at this point he was a rapper first and foremost. Cee-Lo took more creative control on the group's next album, World Party. Released in 1999, this album was more of a party record than the group's previous output, getting away somewhat from their socially conscious lyricism.

Cee-Lo was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta. Both of his parents were ordained ministers and he started his music career in his church. His father died when he was two years old. His mother, Sheila J. Tyler-Callaway was involved in a car crash, leaving her paralyzed. She died two years after the accident. At the time, Cee-Lo was 18 years old and his career with Goodie Mob had just begun taking off. His mother's death led Cee-Lo into depression, as is reflected in various songs throughout his career, including "Free" by Goodie Mob, songs on St. Elsewhere, and on The Odd Couple ("She Knows", "A Little Better").Cee-Lo also expresses his love for his mother in the song "Guess Who" from Goodie Mob's Soul Food album.

Cee-Lo's Arista career was short-lived, as he was dropped after only two albums due to low record sales. His first album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, was heavily in the vein of various other Dungeon Family releases, with southern soul/funk/jazz backings produced solely by himself and boasting appearances by fellow Dungeon Fam members Big Gipp and Backbone. The album explored his departure from Goodie Mob and his solo growth in the song "El Dorado Sunrise (Super Chicken)", as well as socio-political issues, and showcased his singing. The album did not sell very well, but Cee-Lo achieved some airplay with the single "Closet Freak".

His second Arista album, Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine brought a more branched-out sound and more deeply explored southern rap music. This is evidenced by collaborations with Ludacris, T.I., and Pharrell and production from Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Jazze Pha among others. The only other Dungeon Family member that appeared on his second release was Big Rube. This album saw Cee-Lo delve into other styles besides traditional rap (see Technique). Timbaland proved to be Cee-Lo's single producer as their song "I'll Be Around" received mild airplay. They performed the single on an episode in the second season of Chappelle's Show. "The One" featuring Jazze Pha and T.I. was also released as a single. On the heels of the success of Gnarls Barkley, Arista released a 17-track greatest hits collection of Cee-Lo songs, Closet Freak: The Best of Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine. It features predominantly Cee-Lo solo tracks and several Goodie Mob songs. His new song "What Part of Forever" has been included in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Cee-Lo is collaborating with producer Jazze Pha to release an album called Happy Hour on Jazze’s record label. The songs "Happy Hour" (as well as the remix with Bun B, Snoop Dogg & Tone Tone), "Man of the Hour", and "Disco Bitch" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls) from the album have already been released as singles and B-sides. Jazze Pha has produced numerous hit singles with many artists, but this project is his rapping and singing debut. Cee-Lo is co-producing the album with him, so both artist and producer share equal roles in vocals and production. Also, Melody Thornton confirmed that she is currently in the studio with Cee-Lo working on her solo album. In 2010, he recorded a song for the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack which reached number 9 in the charts and was written by him and produced by T-Pain which is called "Language of Love". He along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder were rumored to be appearing on British DJ Paul Oakenfold's upcoming album.

Television and films

Cee-Lo, along with the rest of the Goodie Mob, had a cameo in the 1999 film Mystery Men as a member of the Not So Goodie Mob. He also has done voice acting work, voicing Prime Cut Miggity-Mo' Macdaddy Gizzabang Doggy Dog Dog on the Brak Show episode "Brakstreet" in 2002, Frank and Buddy Z Class of 3000's Christmas special and as Godzilla in the Robot Chicken episode "Squaw Bury Shortcake" in 2007, and Rev. Rollo Goodlove in the Boondocks episodes "The S-Word" and "The Hunger Strike" in 2008. In 2010, he appeared in T-Pain's Freaknik: The Musical as Light Skin.

On January 15, 2011, Cee-Lo both acted and performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow, who, in November 2010, covered his song "Forget You" on an episode of Glee.

Cee-Lo is currently one of the coaches for contestants on the singing TV show The Voice.

Cee-Lo has described himself as being a "goon" in his youth and stated that he made a hobby of "torturing stray animals, beating up homeless people, and mugging pedestrians". "I was a kleptomaniac, pyromaniac, just a plain maniac," Green said in an interview on Blender.com (the article has since been removed from the blender.com site). He would later call this behavior maniacal.

Cee-Lo was married to Christina Johnson until they divorced in 2005. Together they have a son Kingston; and Cee-Lo was a stepfather to Christina's daughters, Sierra and Kalah. Sierra was on a season 1 episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 as well as the follow-up MTV television series, Exiled. Kingston is featured on the intro of Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine. In 2010, at age 35, Cee-Lo became a step-grandfather when his 20-year-old stepdaughter Sierra had a son.

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Solar plane

(States Twitter)-An electric aircraft is an aircraft that runs on electric motors rather than internal combustion engines, with electricity coming from fuel cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, power beaming, and/or batteries.

Currently flying electric aircraft are mostly experimental demonstrators, including manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. Electrically powered model aircraft have been flown since the 1970s, with one report in 1957.

History

In 1883 Gaston Tissandier was the first to use electric motors in airship propulsion. The following year, Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs flew La France with a more powerful motor.

Nikolai Tesla envisaged using electrically powered aircraft, powered by beams from the ground or the ionosphere.

Electric motors have been used for model fixed-wing aircraft since from at least 1957, with a challenged claim from 1909.

In 1964 William C. Brown demonstrates on CBS News with Walter Cronkite a model helicopter that receives all of the power needed for flight from a microwave beam.

In 2007 the non-profit CAFE Foundation held the first Electric Aircraft Symposium in San Francisco.

Experimental projects

1970s and 1980s

[edit]Sunrise

The 27 lb (12 kg) unmanned AstroFlight Sunrise, the result of an ARPA contract, made the world's first solar-powered flight from Bicycle Lake, a dry lakebed on the Fort Irwin Military Reservation, on 4 November 1974. The improved Sunrise II flew on 27 September 1975 at Nellis AFB.

Solar Riser

The world’s first official flight in a solar powered, man carrying aircraft took place on April 29, 1979. The Mauro Solar Riser was built by Larry Mauro and was based on the UFM Easy Riser biplane hang glider. The aircraft used photovoltaic cells that produced 350 watts at 30 volts, which charged a Hughes 500 helicopter battery, which in turn powered the electric motor. The aircraft was capable of powering the motor for 3 to 5 minutes, following a 1.5 hour charge, enabling it to reach a gliding altitude.

Solar One

The Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments Solar One was designed by David Williams under the direction of Freddie To, an architect and member of the Kremer prize committee and produced by Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments. A motor-glider type aircraft originally built as a pedal powered airplane to attempt the Channel crossing, the airplane proved too heavy to be successfully powered by human power and was then converted to solar power, using an electric motor driven by batteries that were charged before flight by a solar cell array on the wing. The maiden flight of Solar One took place at Lasham Airfield; Hampshire on June 13, 1979, one day after Brian Allen had successfully pedalled the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.

Gossamer Penguin and Solar Challenger

The Gossamer Penguin, a smaller version of the human powered Gossamer Albatross was completely solar powered. A second prototype, the Solar Challenger, flew 262 km (163 mi) from Paris to England. On 7 July 1981, the aircraft, under solar-power, flew 163 miles from Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airport near Paris across the English Channel to RAF Manston near London, flying for 5:23. Designed by Dr. Paul MacCready the Solar Challenger set an altitude record of 14,300 feet.

Solair 1

The human piloted Solair 1 was developed by Günther Rochelt and based on a Farner canard design.It employed 2499 wing-mounted solar cells giving an output of between 1.8 kW (2 hp) and 2.2 kW (3 hp). The aircraft first flew at Unterwössen, Germany on 21 August 1983.It flew for 5 hours and 41 minutes, "mostly on solar energy and also thermals". The aircraft is now displayed at the German Museum in Munich.The newly developed piloted Solair II made its first flight in May 1998 and further test flights that summer but the propulsion system overheated too fast.Development stopped when Günther Rochelt suddenly died in September 1998.

NASA Pathfinder and Helios

NASA's Pathfinder and Helios were a series of solar and fuel cell system-powered unmanned aircraft. AeroVironment, Inc. developed the vehicle under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program.

1990s.

Sunseeker

In 1990 the solar powered airplane Sunseeker successfully flew across the USA, piloted by Eric Raymond.It used a small battery charged by solar cells on the wing to drive a propeller for takeoff, and then flew on direct solar power and took advantage of soaring conditions when possible.

The Sunseeker II, built in 2002, was updated in 2005-2006 with a more powerful motor, larger wing, lithium battery packs and updated control electronics. As of Dec, 2008 it was the only manned solar powered airplane in flying condition and is operated regularly by Solar Flight.In 2009 it became the first solar-powered aircraft to cross the Alps, 99 years after the first crossing of the Alps by an aircraft.

Lange Antares 20E

A Lange Antares 20E in a hangar

The Lange Antares 20E is a self-launching motor glider with a 42-kW electric motor and SAFT VL 41M lithium-ion batteries. The motor actuates 2-blade fixed pitch propeller. It can climb up to 3,000 meters with fully charged cells. After launch it can function as a conventional, though heavy, glider. As of January 2010, over 50 had been built.

2010s

Cessna 172

In July 2010 Cessna announced it was developing an electrically-powered Cessna 172 as a proof-of-concept in partnership with Bye Energy. Cessna CEO Jack Pelton stated that the project reflects "encouraging news for the future of mainstream general aviation." Pelton pointed out "the electric power plant offers significant benefits, but there are significant challenges to get there."

PC-Aero Elektra One

The Elektra One is a development of a commercial electric aircraft design by PC-Aero of Germany. The single seat composite aircraft is expected to have its first flight in early 2011. The Elektra One is powered by a 21 hp (16 kW) electric motor and is expected to have an endurance of three hours, with a 100 mph (161 km/h) top speed.

The company is planning a whole line of aircraft including a version of the Elektra One with longer wings and built-in solar panels and an aerobatic version with double Elektra One's power and airframe strength. The company is also planning two and four seat developments.

Pipistrel Taurus Electro G2

First made available commercially in February 2011, the Taurus Electro G2 is a two-seat self-launching sailplane. The 40 kW (54 hp) engine powers the aircraft from internally-mounted lithium batteries for a 17-minute climb, after which the engine is retracted and the aircraft then soars as a sailplane.

Design and operation of electric aircraft

Regenerative flight

A design concept has been put forward for soaring-type aircraft called regenerative soaring. In this approach, a propeller, using symmetrical blade sections, would be used as a turbine to recharge stored energy when the aircraft encounters an updraft.At high altitudes, the energy available from vertical atmospheric motion within a thermal can exceed available solar power by a factor of ten or more.

Grand Canyon

(States Twitter)-Grand Canyon is a 1991 American drama feature film directed and co-written by Lawrence Kasdan and featuring an ensemble cast. It was advertised as "the Big Chill for the '90s", in reference to an earlier Kasdan film.

Synopsis

An immigration lawyer named Mac (Kevin Kline) finds himself at the mercy of potential muggers when his car breaks down in a bad part of town late at night. The muggers are talked out of victimizing Mac by Simon (Danny Glover), a tow-truck driver who arrives just in time. After that night Mac sets out to befriend Simon, despite their having nothing in common. Mac seems unaware that his desire to befriend Simon is actually a form of mid-life crisis, mixed with racial guilt that he is well-off while Simon is struggling financially.

Meanwhile, Mac's wife Claire (Mary McDonnell) and best friend Davis (Steve Martin) are also experiencing life-changing events, when she encounters an abandoned infant as she is jogging and becomes determined to adopt it, he after being shot in the leg by a man trying to steal his watch. A producer of violent action films, Davis suddenly becomes interested in philosophy more than box-office profits, and announces that he will devote the remainder of his career to eliminating violence from the cinema.

Responses

Grand Canyon was met with generally positive reviews,[citation needed] but was considered a minor failure at the box office,[1] and did not reap notable profits until it was released on video. Noted film critics Siskel and Ebert both loved the film, placing it at the #4 (Ebert) and #6 (Siskel) positions on their 1991 top ten lists.

The film won the Golden Bear of Best Film at the 1992 Berlin Film Festival.

[edit]Cast

Mac - Kevin Kline

Simon - Danny Glover

Claire - Mary McDonnell

Davis - Steve Martin

Dee - Mary-Louise Parker

Jane - Alfre Woodard

Roberto - Jeremy Sisto

Deborah - Tina Lifford

Otis - Patrick Malone

The Alley Baron - Randle Mell

Vanessa - Sarah Trigger

Abandoned baby - Twin sisters Candace and Lauren Mead

Rocstar - Shaun Baker

Additional cast

Marlee Matlin plays an uncredited role; she is a mom using sign language to communicate with her child as several youths are being sent off to camp.

Randle Mell, real-life husband of Mary McDonnell, is a homeless man that Claire encounters while jogging.

Marley Shelton can be seen in one of her first roles as Roberto's girlfriend at camp.

Lawrence Kasdan plays an uncredited role; he is berated by Davis for cutting out a "money shot" (a close-up of blood and brains hitting a window) from a particularly violent action scene in one of Davis' movies.

Barack Obama:Release of the birth certificate

(States Twitter)-On June 12, 2008, Obama's campaign responded to the rumors by posting on the "Fight The Smears" website, an image of Obama's birth certificate.

The image released on the website is scan of a laser printed document obtained from and certified by the Hawaii Department of Health on June 6, 2007. It is a "Certification of Live Birth", sometimes referred to as a short form birth certificate. It contains less information than the longer "Certificate of Live Birth", which Hawaii no longer issues. Asked about this, Hawaiian Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo stated that Hawaii "does not have a short-form or long-form certificate".

In releasing the certificate, the Obama website declared that the rumors "aren't actually about that piece of paper — they're about manipulating people into thinking Barack is not an American citizen".The campaign also provided the Daily Kos blog with a copy of the document. Referring to this release, National Review columnist Jim Geraghty, wrote on June 12, 2008:

...this document is what he or someone authorized by him was given by the state out of its records. Barring some vast conspiracy within the Hawaii State Department of Health, there is no reason to think his original birth certificate would have any different data.

Frequent arguments of those questioning Obama's eligibility are that he has not released a photocopy of his "original" or "long form" birth certificate, but rather a redacted "short form" version. It has also been claimed that the use of the term "certification of live birth" on the document means it is not equivalent to a "birth certificate". These arguments have been debunked numerous times by media investigations, every judicial forum that has addressed the matter, and Hawaiian government officials—a consensus of whom have concluded that the certificate released by the Obama campaign is indeed his official birth certificate. The director of the state Department of Human Health confirmed that the state "has Sen. Obama’s original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures". The short form is "prima facie evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding".

Rejection by conspiracy theorists

The release of the certificate resulted in a fresh round of questions. It was asserted that the certificate had been digitally forged with Adobe Photoshop and lacked a stamped seal of the state, which led them to demand that Obama release his "original" 1961 birth certificate. Jerome Corsi, author of the book The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality, told Fox News that "the campaign has a false, fake birth certificate posted on their website... it's been shown to have watermarks from Photoshop. It's a fake document that's on the Web site right now, and the original birth certificate the campaign refuses to produce." This view was rejected by the state authorities, the media and independent fact-checking organizations. FactCheck.org viewed the Obama campaign's hard copy of the candidate's Certification of Live Birth and concluded:

FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship. Claims that the document lacks a raised seal or a signature are false. We have posted high-resolution photographs of the document as "supporting documents" to this article. Our conclusion: Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said.

Joshua Wisch, a spokesman for the Hawaii attorney general's office, stated in 2011 that the original Certificate of Live Birth kept in the archives of the Hawaii Department of Health is "... a Department of Health record and it can't be released to anybody", including President Obama. Wisch added that state law does not authorize photocopying such records.

Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories

(States Twitter)-Conspiracy theories about the citizenship of Barack Obama hold that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to be President of the United States under Article Two of the United States Constitution. Some of these conspiracy theories allege that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii, or that his birth certificate is a forgery. Others allege that Obama became a citizen of Indonesia and lost his United States citizenship, or that because he had dual citizenship at birth (British and American), he cannot be a natural-born citizen of the United States.

These claims are promoted by a number of fringe theorists and political opponents, often referred to as birthers, some of whom filed unsuccessful lawsuits that sought to disqualify Obama from running for, or being confirmed as, President, or to obtain additional proof that he is qualified.

The conspiracy theories persist despite the fact that Obama has released his official birth certificate from the state of Hawaii, with additional confirmation by the Hawaii department of health based on the original documents, as well as other evidence such as a 1961 birth announcement published in a Hawaii newspaper. Some Republican elected officials have expressed skepticism about Obama's citizenship or have displayed a lack of willingness to acknowledge it, while Republican members of the U.S. Congress and state assemblies have proposed and voted for legislation that would require presidential candidates to provide documentation of their qualifications to be president, including natural-born citizenship. Additionally, polls conducted in 2010 suggested that at least a quarter of adult Americans doubted Obama's U.S. birth.The birther movement has been described as racist.

Donnie Wahlberg

Donald Edmond "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television. Donnie has had featured roles in the Saw films, The Sixth Sense, Boomtown and Righteous Kill, also appearing in the award-winning World War II miniseries Band of Brothers. He is also known for currently starring in the critically successful series Blue Bloods.

Early life

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, as the eighth of nine children, with older siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died 2003) and younger sibling Mark Wahlberg. He also has three half-siblings from his father's first marriage- Donna, Scott and Buddy. His mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and his father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg, Sr. (died 2008) was a teamster who worked as a delivery driver; the couple divorced in 1982. He is of Irish, English, Swedish, and French Canadian ancestry.

Personal life

Wahlberg married Kim Fey on August 20, 1999. He has two children with Fey, Xavier Alexander Wahlberg (born March 4, 1993) and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (born August 20, 2001). Wahlberg and Fey filed for divorce on August 13, 2008 citing "irreconcilable differences" and is currently single. He is one of the "famous faces" due to being a regular player on the online poker website Hollywood Poker which is run in conjunction with Ongame Network.

Wahlberg is a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics and has been seen attending many of their games. He will be narrating a documentary called "The Association: Boston Celtics" about the team's 2010-11 season which is set to air to ESPN between 2010 and 2011.

Career

New Kids on the Block

See also: New Kids on the Block

As a recording artist, Wahlberg is known as an original member of boy band New Kids on the Block.

Acting career

Wahlberg's first film acting role was in the 1996 film Bullet with Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur. Also in 1996, he appeared as a kidnapper in Ransom with Mel Gibson. Wahlberg received attention for his role in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, playing the patient of Bruce Willis's character in the opening sequence. This role was originally intended for a 13-year-old boy until Wahlberg met with writer and director M. Night Shyamalan to inquire about obtaining the rights for a theatre production, and ended up getting the role.

In 2001, Wahlberg co-starred as Second Lieutenant C. Carwood Lipton in the television miniseries Band of Brothers. Wahlberg also starred in the 2002–2003 NBC drama series Boomtown as Joel Stevens, a Los Angeles police detective. Graham Yost, executive producer and writer of Boomtown, had worked with Wahlberg in Band of Brothers and was so impressed by his performance that he wrote the role of Joel Stevens specifically for him.

2003 was the year that Wahlberg starred alongside Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and his Band of Brothers co-star Damian Lewis as the mentally challenged Duddits in William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan's adaptation of the Stephen King alien-invasion thriller, Dreamcatcher. In 2005, Wahlberg starred as Detective Eric Matthews in the second installment of the Saw series. He reprised the role in Saw III in 2006 and Saw IV in 2007, also appearing in Saw V in 2008 via archive footage from the previous films.

Filmography

Bullet (1996) as "Big Balls" (street name) Shelby Horne

Ransom (1996) as Cubby Barnes

Black Circle Boys (1996) as Greggo

Body Count (1996) as Booker

Butter (1998) as Rick Damon

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1998) (TV) as Mr. Grey

Southie (1998) as Danny Quinn

Purgatory (1999), as Deputy Glen/Billy The Kid

The Sixth Sense (1999), as Vincent Grey

The Practice (2000) (TV) (1 episode, "Settling") as Patrick Rooney

Bullfighter (2000), as Chollo

Diamond Men (2000), as Bobby Walker

Big Apple (2001) (TV) (7 episodes) as Chris Scott

Triggermen (2002), as Hitman Terry Mulloy

Band of Brothers (2001), television miniseries, as 101st Airborne second lieutenant Carwood Lipton

Dreamcatcher (2003), as Douglas "Duddits" Cavell

Boomtown (2002–2003), television series, as Detective Joel Stevens

50 First Dates (2004) as Vincent Grey (cameo)

Saw II (2005), as Detective Eric Matthews

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005), as Randall Ipswitch

Annapolis (2006), as Burton

Runaway (2006), (TV series), as Paul Rader

The Path to 9/11 (2006), television miniseries, as Detective Kirk

Saw III (2006), as Detective Eric Matthews

Kings of South Beach (2007), as Detective Andy

Dead Silence (2007), as Detective Jim Lipton

Saw IV (2007), as Detective Eric Matthews

The Kill Point (2007), (TV series), as Detective Horst Cali

Turok (video game) (2008), as Shepherd

Righteous Kill (2008), as Detective Ted Reily

What Doesn't Kill You (2008), as Detective Moran

1 1/2 Ritter (2008), as singer

In Plain Sight (episode one, season 3) (TV series) (2010)

Rizzoli & Isles (2 episodes) (TV Series) (2010)

Zookeeper (2011) as Shane

Blue Bloods (TV Series) (2010 - present), as Detective Danny Reagan

New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block (also initialised as NKOTB) are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have sold 80 million records worldwide. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. After having disbanded in 1994, several attempts were made to get the group back together, all of them unsuccessful. After secretly reuniting in 2007 and recording a new CD, the group released that new album and embarked on a concert tour in 2008. The album, entitled The Block was released on September 2, 2008. The group is preparing to have a tour with the Backstreet Boys. The North American concert tour is scheduled to kick off in the summer of 2011. "NKOTB/BSB" performed live together on November 21, 2010 at the American Music Awards on ABC and again on 2011 New Year's on ABC's Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest show.

History

1984-1985: Early years

In the early 1980s, Maurice Starr discovered R&B/Pop quintet (later sextet) New Edition and guided their early success. After breaking ties with them, Starr and his business partner, Mary Alford, sought to create a white counterpart act. Auditions were held around Boston, at which some five hundred teenaged boys auditioned. Among them was 15-year-old Donnie Wahlberg, who immediately impressed Starr and Alford with his rapping skills, dancing ability and showmanship, becoming the group's first member. Wahlberg assisted in helping to recruit other members. Among them were his younger brother Mark and his best friend Danny Wood. He also coaxed one-time schoolmate Jordan Knight, who sang an exceptional falsetto, into auditioning for Starr as well. Upon Knight's passing the audition, his older brother Jonathan (also possessing a strong singing voice) was accepted into the group as well.

As the group began to take shape, Mark became disillusioned with its bubble gum direction, and opted to quit.Another one of Donnie's neighborhood friends, Jamie Kelly, took his place. Kelly, though, would eventually be dismissed for lack of concentration and discipline after his father's death. Seeking a Michael Jackson-esque singer to sing the high solos, Starr replaced him with 12-year-old Joey McIntyre—whom the other guys initially resented for being the one to replace their friend. With the final line-up in place Starr rehearsed the boys diligently, after school and on weekends, and eventually secured the group (which was being called Nynuk) a recording contract at Columbia Records. The label, however, demanded Starr change the name of the group. Subsequently they settled on New Kids on the Block, after a rap song that Donnie had written and arranged for their first album.

[edit]1986: New Kids on the Block (debut album)

In April 1986, Columbia Records released the group's self-titled debut album. The album, almost exclusively written and produced by Maurice Starr, featured mid 80s bubblegum pop material. The first single, "Be My Girl" received minor airplay around the group's native Boston, but failed to capture nationwide attention. The album's second single, "Stop It Girl", fared even worse. The New Kids went on tour around the New England states, singing wherever Starr could book them: in bars, school dances, and clubs. Nevertheless, Starr remained diligent and persuaded the label to allow the group to record a second album. New Kids on the Block, however, would later go on to be certified triple platinum by the RIAA, largely on the strength of the popularity the group attained with their next album.

Group members/Post-Careers

Jonathan Knight

He left the entertainment business and began a new career in real estate. He has publicly announced his sexual orientation on the band's official website, though says he had been living openly gay for twenty years.

Jordan Knight

In 1999, he released a self-titled solo album, Jordan Knight on Interscope Records. It was certified gold. He also scored a top 10 hit with "Give It to You", which went platinum. That summer, he opened up for NSYNC on their concert tour. He appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life in 2004 and also in the Five reality show Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep, along with British comedian Syd Little, Scott Wright (actor) and glamour model Jodie Marsh.[36] In that same year he released his second solo album entitled "Jordan Knight Performs New Kids on the Block: The Remix Album". In 2005 he released his third solo album "The Fix". His most recent solo album Love Songs was released September 2006.

Joe McIntyre

In 1995, he completed filming the role of Matt Hucklebee in The Fantasticks which was not released until 2000. In 1999, he released a solo album, Stay the Same, on Columbia Records, scoring a top 10 hit with the album's title track. He has also released further albums: 2001's Meet Joe Mac, One Too Many — a live compilation album of his work in 2002, — and a pop album 8:09 in 2004. He later became a regular on the Fox television show Boston Public and has performed in Broadway musicals including Wicked. In 2005, he was a contender on the reality show Dancing with the Stars and toured with the series in a 2006 live show. In 2007, he starred in an independent film titled On Broadway and released his solo album, Talk to Me. In November 2009 he released his fifth solo studio album Here We Go Again featuring the title track as the first single with an accompanying music video.

Danny Wood

He started a Boston-based record label, and did some producing and performing, but for the most part he remained out of the spotlight. He was featured in MTV's follow up to Totally Scott-Lee called Totally Boyband, as a member of a new group with other former boyband members called Upper Street. With D-Fuse, he released a 1999 album called Room Full of Smoke. In 2003, he released Second Face,followed by the 2007 album Coming Home And also the 2009 album 'Stronger: Remember Betty' which is in memory of his late mother and all proceeds are being donated to the komen foundation. He is also a sales executive for a private jet travel company called Halcyon.

Donnie Wahlberg

Has followed in the footsteps of his brother Mark Wahlberg, forging a career in acting and appeared in movies such as Ransom (1996), Southie (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Dreamcatcher (2003), the Saw film series, and the critically acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers. He has starred in two short-lived television series: Boomtown and Runaway. In 2006 he appeared in Annapolis and in 2007 he starred in Dead Silence with True Blood star Ryan Kwanten also in 2007 starring opposite John Leguizamo on the TV series The Kill Point. The pair went on to co-star with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the 2008 film Righteous Kill. In 2010 he starred alongside Tom Selleck in the television series Blue Bloods.

Tanya Mcdowell

Homeless Connecticut mother is fighting charges that she stole $15,000 worth of education by enrolling her son in the wrong school.

Tanya McDowell was in court on Wednesday on the unusual accusation that she stole $15,686 worth of education for her son by sending him to school in Norwalk when they have no permanent address in the town.

Police investigated Tanya McDowell after a lawyer for the Norwalk Housing Authority contacted authorities, the New York Times reports. The Housing Authority alleged that McDowell had used her baby sitter’s address so her son could attend a suburban kindergarten in Norwalk.

McDowell is charged with felony larceny and conspiracy, and she could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if convicted. She is represented by a lawyer with the Connecticut NAACP Legal Redress Committee, NBC Connecticut reports. McDowell pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, the Daily Norwalk reports.

The Norwalk school board president correctly noted that "there has to be a penalty for stealing our services" — if that turns out to be the case. But arrest is a severe overreaction. Sending the child to the proper district's school, as usually happens in such cases, would have been enough.

In Connecticut, local taxes pay for local schools. In general, the more affluent the community, the better the schools. Over the years, this has led to massive educational inequality, and correcting that should be a top state priority.

Gwen Samuel, founder of the Connecticut Parents Union, held a news conference outside court on Wednesday to call for prosecutors to drop the first-degree larceny charge against McDowell.

�We could've put the brakes on this and made sure that we were doing what was best for the child. I think it moved from zero to 90 too fast, and that is where we are here today, she said. We cannot be so pressed for financial dollars that we are now arresting parents.

The baby-sitter whose address McDowell is accused of using to enroll her son in school was evicted from her public housing unit during the investigation.