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joygaytrash · 6 years ago

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Love Guidance - Chapter Five

Word Count: 2,448

Notes: Okay I lied this is the longest chapter I’ve written so far. Also, the official Love Guidance masterpost will be posted tomorrow at midnight because I can. I hope y’all enjoy, if y’all got any questions, feel free to ask.

September 1st, 2017

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Damian opened his eyes at the sound of his phone, stretching a bit before reaching for it. He grabbed it off the coffee table and looked to see who was calling his at 11:45 pm.

"Give me a good god damn reason as to why you're calling me when I am asleep," Damian said when he answered the phone, moving Thomas' head off his lap before standing up from the couch.

"Dammy, gurl, how do you talk to a cute guy?" Remy asked, completely ignoring what Damian said. Damian raised an eyebrow at Remy's question, walking into the kitchen and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Uh, why?"

"Because there's a cute guy here and I've been awkward flirting with him the whole time and I want his number!"

"Have you tried asking him for his number?"

Remy went quiet for a moment, leaving Damian to wait for a response while standing in the middle of the kitchen. "Um, no, I didn't ask him," Remy answered, his voice lowering in embarrassment. Damian chuckled a bit, getting an annoyed groan from Remy.

"It's not funny, Dammy, just help me!" Remy begged.

"Okay, okay. First off, remain calm when you're asking for his number. Second off, if he says no, move on," Damian suggested, making Remy chuckled this time.

"Gurl, he's been flirting with me as well. I'm pretty sure he won't say no," Remy said. Damian rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his apple. "If you say so but don't come crying to me if he does," Damian responded.

"Deal. Also, while I'm on the phone, what's Thomas doing at the moment?" Remy questioned.

"Thomas' sleeping on the couch. He's been sleeping since like 10," Damian answered, taking another bite of his apple. A quiet 'mhm' came from Remy's end, "Okay, well, I'm gonna let you go. I got a job to do."

"Alrighty, see you when you get home," Damian replied. The two said quick good-byes before Remy hung up, walking back to the bar counter. Emile was sitting at the counter, waiting for Remy to return.

"Sorry about taking so long, my friend and I got a bit caught up in our conversation," Remy said, stepping behind the counter.

"It's okay, no need to be sorry. Besides, the conversation was probably important," Emile replied.

"Not really. All I did was ask him for some advice on something and asked about Thomas," Remy explained. Emile raised his eyebrow when Remy mentioned Thomas, automatically remembering that Roman had brought up earlier that Remy had his own kid. "Let me guess, Thomas is your kid?" Emile asked, resting his elbows on the countertop.

Remy nodded, serving three bottles of beer to a customer quickly. "Yeah, he's a sweet kid honestly. He's always willing to help others and defend what's right. For example, back when Thomas had finished fifth grade, one of the soccer moms made a comment about me being a single parent and being gay and Thomas just set her straight right then and there," Remy explained, smiling to himself as he thought about that memory.

"Well, Thomas is a lucky kid to have a dad like you, Remy," Emile stated. Remy laughed a bit, leaning on the counter. "And I'm a lucky dad to have a kid like Thomas," Remy added. Emile smiled, laughing slightly. Remy couldn't help by laugh once again. Emile's laugh was contagious and even after knowing him for only a few hours, Remy loved it.

"So, tell me, Emile, do you have any kids?" Remy asked.

"Mhm. I got two of them; Elliott and Patton," Emile answered, taking a sip of his soda, "I adopted Elliott a few years back when they were just starting middle school. They didn't like me at first but later on, Elliott finally warmed up to me," Emile explained.

"How old are your two?" Remy questioned, cleaning down a part of the counter.

"Elliott is 17 and Patton is 15. How old is Thomas?" Emile asked back.

"He's 14," Remy answered as he tossed the cleaning rag in a bin of water behind him.

"Wow, that means he's just starting high school then, right?" Emile questioned. Remy nodded again, letting out a 'mhm'.

The two kept talking, discussing small topics like their kids, their favorite memories with their kids, what their hobbies are, things like that. They kept talking up until Emile, Logan, Roman, Larry, and Dot had to leave.

But before they all left, Emile turned towards Remy and asked him a question, "Hey Remy, before I leave, can I possibly get your number? So we can get to know each other better, you know?"

Remy nodded, grabbing his notepad and his pen then scribbled his number down(but he still made it readable). Remy then ripped it off the pad and gave it to Emile, smiling a bit. "Here you go, cutie. I can't wait to hear from you," Remy said.

"And I can't wait to talk to you," Emile replied, smiling.

Remy said 'bye' to Emile, waving to him as he left. "Let me guess, that's the one who claimed your heart," Nate suggested as he walked up next to Remy.

"Yup and he asked me for my number," Remy responded, walking away from the edge of the counter. Nate followed him, still talking, "So, I assume that you gave it to him."

"Of course I did. I'd be a uomo pazzo if I didn't," Remy explained, grabbing the stranded coasters scattered across the counter before tossing them in a bin. Nate nodded in agreement, serving a couple beers. "Sooo, what's his name?" Nate asked, acting like one of those nosey dads finding out his daughter's boyfriend's name.

"His name's Emile. I don't know his last name though," Remy answered as he rang up a small group of customers at the cash register. A small curious hum came from Nate as Remy finished up at the cash register.

Remy felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and grabbed it, looking at the screen. It was Emile, he had actually texted Remy.

Unknown: Hey :)

You: Hey yourself, cutie ;)

"Oooh, is that Emile?" Nate asked, looking over Remy's shoulder. He nodded, pushing Nate away a bit. Remy then quickly saved Emile's number into his phone, tempting to add an emoji next to his name.

Emile: Just wanted to make sure this was the right number because you know how some people are

You: I know, I get it. That's completely understandable

Emile: At least you're not like some people :)

You: Yeah :)

"Yo, Remy, the boss is giving you that 'get back to work' glare again," Nate said, motioning towards their boss across the bar. Remy glanced over at their boss for a few seconds, turning away quickly.

"K, let me tell Emile that I gotta go," Remy responded, making a gesture with his phone. Nate nodded before going back to serve customers on the other end of the counter.

You: Hey, I gotta get back to work but I'll text you later, promise

Emile: Okay, have fun with the rest of your shift

You: I'll try to lol

After that, Remy stuffed his phone in its original spot in his back pocket then went back to serving the customers at the counter their drinks.

September 2nd, 2017

Remy put the car into park before sighing, resting his head on the steering wheel. He was so damn tired despite working only four hours that night and he actually was considering sleeping in the car instead of dragging himself inside to his nice comfy and warm bed.

Yeah, Remy's not sleeping in the car.

He took the keys out of the ignition, gathered his things, and got out of the car, locking it behind him. Remy walked up to the front door and unlocked it, pushing his way. Before shutting the door, he noticed Thomas and Damian asleep on the couch. Remy smiled a bit, closing the door quietly.

He put the keys on the table by the front door and took his shoes off, placing them on the mat by the table. He went over to the couch and kissed Thomas' forehead, mumbling a "see you when you wake up" under his breath before walking away.

As Remy made his way to his bedroom, he took his jacket and shirt off while he walked. He tossed them in the laundry basket by his door then took his jeans off, replacing them with a pair of basketball shorts. Remy plugged his phone in by his bed before flopping down on in, sighing a bit.

His thoughts immediately went to Emile. God dammit, Remy could not get the man out of his mind. Who gave that man any right to be as cute as he was with his curly and wavy hair, his golden brown eyes, and his cute laugh?

Remy sighed again, burying his face in his pillow. "Oh my god Remy, you are so gay," Remy mumbled to himself. He covered himself up with the blankets on his bed, relaxing a bit. Remy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it, allowing sleep to wash over him slowly.

***

"Dad, it's 10 in the morning, wake up!"

Remy groaned as he opened his eyes, seeing Thomas standing in front of him. "Yeah and that means I'm sleeping in till noon," Remy said, turning away from Thomas.

"Daaaaaad," Thomas whined, laying on top of Remy, "Come on. Uncle Damian already left for work and I'm booored."

"And I'm tired from working, kid," Remy replied, attempting(but not really trying) to push Thomas off of him. Thomas had a tight grip on Remy, almost causing them both to fall off the bed. The teen laughed, still holding onto his dad.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up. Now get out so I can get dressed," Remy finally commented, making Thomas let go of him and cheered a little then left Remy alone in his room. Remy stayed laying down in bed for a few moments before sitting up, stretching a bit. He grabbed his phone off it's charger, scrolling through the notifications quickly.

Remy then set his phone back down and stood up, going to his dresser. He quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, taking off his shorts and putting the jeans and shirt on. Remy looked in the mirror, fixing his hair a bit then walked back to his bed and grabbed his phone, shoving it in his pocket.

Remy made his way into the kitchen, where Thomas was eating a bowl of cereal.

"So, kid, what's the plan for today?" Remy asked as he started up the coffee machine.

"I wanna go visit Uncle Damian at work later,"

"That means we would either have to walk or ride our bikes,"

"Walking works,"

"Perfect. I didn't want to dig out the bikes anyways,"

Thomas laughed a bit, making Remy chuckle as he poured the newly brewed coffee into his mug. "Hey, lemme get a bite of your cereal," Remy suggested, standing in front of Thomas. The teen scooped some cereal up with his spoon then offered it to his dad. Remy ate the cereal and washed it down with his coffee.

"Thanks Thomas,"

"You're welcome, Dad,"

Remy smiled as he chugged the rest of his coffee, placing the empty mug in the sink. Thomas finished the rest of his cereal then drank the milk from the bowl before handing the bowl and spoon to his dad. Remy took them and placed them in the sink. "I'm gonna wash these up quick and while I'm doing that you go brush your teeth. Deal?" Remy suggested, looking at Thomas.

"Deal," Thomas replied, going off to the bathroom. Remy chuckled as he started to wash the three dishes in the sink.

When he finished, Remy dried his hands on a towel and walked to the bathroom, humming softly. He walked in the bathroom just as Thomas got done brushing his teeth.

"Go meet me in the living room, bud. I'll be in there in a bit," Remy said. Thomas nodded and walked out of the bathroom before Remy walked in.

Remy started humming again as he began his usual morning routine. Remy started with washing his face, using a normal washcloth and warm water(he might have had used an elastic headband to hold up his hair). Once he finished washing his face, Remy brushed his teeth, his humming getting choppy as he did so. After Remy finished brushing his teeth, he took the headband off before grabbing his hair brush and his hair gel, working on his hair.

When Remy finished doing his hair, he grabbed his sunglasses from the shelf in the mirror and put them on, flashing himself a smile in the mirror. "Lookin' good today, Remus. Lookin' good," Remy told himself before making his way out of the bathroom and towards the living room.

"Ready to go, Thomas?" Remy asked when he walked in the living room. Thomas looked up from his phone at the sound of his dad's voice. "Yeah," Thomas answered, putting his phone in his pocket.

"Great! Let me get my shoes on then we can leave,"

"Can I wait outside?"

"If you want, it's not gonna take that long,"

"Knowing you, I'll be waiting for at least 10 minutes,"

"Oh whatever! You sound like Damian when you say that,"

Thomas laughed, opening the front door and walked out, closing it behind him. Remy watched him and chuckled a bit, a smile on his face.

Man, Remy love that kid. Thomas was his pride and joy. If Remy had the time, he would make a list of things he was glad to have and at the top of that list would be Thomas' name.

He sighed softly, grabbing the shoes he had worn to work the night before and put them on, tying the laces on both shoes quickly. Remy then grabbed his signature leather coat and put that on before picking up his messenger bag and placed that on his shoulder.

Remy opened the front door and walked out, closing and locking it behind him.

"You got everything?" Remy asked, looking at Thomas, who was sitting on the empty driveway. Thomas nodded once again, standing up from his spot on the driveway.

"Awesome. Let's get a moving so we can beat the early lunch traffic," Remy suggested.

"Agree," Thomas said, walking over to his dad.

The two then started their adventure, as Remy called it, to the pet shop down town, already planning on how to bother Damian at work.

#single dads au #love guidance #remy x picani #sanders sides deceit #sanders sides remy #sanders sides emile picani #sanders sides dr picani #ct elliott #sanders sides patton #sanders sides logan #sanders sides roman #ct larry #ct dot #sanders sides nate #sanders sides #cartoon therapy #thomas sanders #joywrites #joygaytrash

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natpeabct · 6 years ago

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i’m not creative

How ineffective “creative” pedagogy can lead to self doubt

My first Creative Technologies (CT) experience occurred before I even enrolled. I had a lot hinged on this course. My options were to drop everything and move up from Dunedin, or to continue rolling pizza dough full time. However, my arms were getting tired.

Open day seemed necessary. I had to be certain moving to Auckland would be worth it, and CT was not a traditional course. Trying to explain it to family and friends only made me realise how little I understood. The vague CT presentation didn’t silence my screaming doubts and burning questions, instead left me feeling inadequate and anxious. My confidence sunk even further when a list of CT traits was displayed. Contrastingly, my parents felt reassured as they believed that I fitted this archetype. Given the nature of CT, it makes sense that the presentation was ambiguous. To be otherwise would contradict the essence of creativity and CT. My feelings after the presentation were perpetuated by the single insistent thought of “I’m not creative”.

New Zealand filmmaker and artist Taika Waititi defines creativity as “having fun, looking at life through the lens of a child” (Ted X Talks, 2010). Prior to CT I felt as though creativity was binary, you either had it or not. When I thought of creative people, I thought of my free spirited, accomplished artistic friends. I had constructed a stereotype that creative people looked a certain way and produced unique creations, ignoring that creativity is a way of thinking without restriction, and child-like curious exploration. So why was it I felt this way? What influences have made me feel uncreative?

Personally, I believe it was a traditional education system that didn’t foster curiosity and student directed self-discovery. Harris (2016) affirms that learning and teaching practices are responsible for fuelling creativity and the networks that support it (as cited in De Bruin & Harris, 2017). My primary school experience consisted mainly of a transmissional approach to teaching which I found disengaging. For example, we were still being read to in Year 5, while we were capable of exploring our own interests and literary worlds. This is particularly dangerous considering the important formative stages of Year 5. Disinterest for reading may arise if the chosen text doesn’t resonate with them and agency over their reading is not fostered. How can primary school facilitate creativity while still adhering to National Standards? I believe that all primary teachers should encourage curiosity by treating every question, suggestion, answer and comment as valuable. When posed with outlandish questions, “I’m not sure, good thinking” should be replaced with “I’m not sure, let's find out”. Students feel valued when the teacher is humble and willing to learn alongside them, while autocracy is detrimental to a child's creativity (Lin, 2011).

The church was another major authoritative influence in my childhood. An unattributed proverb states, “the fish will be the last to discover water”, meaning when constantly immersed in something, they will know no difference. Church, for me, was a place full of doubt. Ultimate biblical statements were indoctrinated through light-hearted innocent media such as the animated talking Tomato called Bob. The lack of research suggests that we ignore the danger in teaching such existential topics to children in such a mollified way. However, Ennew (2006) says “spiritual-abuse” can subtly occur when adults “devalue children’s appreciation of awe, wonder, and imagination; making faith strictly cerebral” (as cited in Segura-April, 2016). This reflects my feelings as a child at church. There was little room to be curious as the sacred Bible had all the definite answers. How and when certain topics are introduced need to be examined, to avoid raising generations of doubtful children. I believe that when dealing with significant topics such as creation, afterlife and punishment of sins, children should be intellectually capable of having critical discussion. Adults must be willing to converse with curious doubtful children, and share the historical context that the Bible was written in and the inherent “Mystery of Faith”. Being definitive about such topics leads to indoctrination, which consequently extinguishes creativity.

As I developed a more critical mindset, school and church became less daunting. I met certain teachers who had the humility to foster my curiosity - most notably an old, strict chemistry teacher from New York. This teacher, as old-school and blunt as he was, would answer every question with equal attention. On the occasions where the answers were uncertain or non-existent, he would make the effort to research and learn about the topic alongside students. Not only did this facilitate students curiosity, but it also humanised the teacher. He effectively enabled his students and allowed us to learn from each other, authority was exercised in a manner of mutual respect, and humility. This was effective teaching because my teacher sort wisdom from his students and was aware of his own uncertainties. Students are enabled in classroom environments where questions are encouraged, they will have freedom to explore and deepening their understanding of the curriculum. However, it is important for teachers not to view thoughtful questions, challenging or clarifications personally (Waks, 2018). If we continue to measure the performance of schools and teachers on pass rates, then teachers will solely focus on the curriculum. This creates a culture where all learning must be “by the book”. A teacher saying “don’t worry, it’s not in the exam” exemplifies the pressures put on teachers by senior management to produce strong pass rates. High school teaches us so much about so little; only the teachers and students who see through the artificial curriculum will learn anything. High school and primary school are regulated by NCEA and National Standards respectively, which incentivises teachers to only teach what is required, leading to avoidance of divergent topics and treating areas of interest as nonsense. This diminishes creativity in both teachers and students.

CT is an industry focused environment where diversity is celebrated through different disciplines, thinking and people. I felt petrified at open day because of how foreign CT was. It is a student-directed, passionate and democratic pedagogy I had encountered only few times throughout my education. The freedom of CT became apparent at the presentation. It both excited and scared me. My preconceived idea of University consisted of lecture halls, academic journals and competitiveness, however CT is an open studio, conversation and collaboration. Learning in a studio compared to a lecture hall is evident of the pedagogy present. Shulman (2005) compares the different “nurseries” of learning. He states that we can learn about professions through studying their places of training and development. Notably, a lecture theatre has a lecturer behind a desk at the front, while a studio has groups of students working around tables with an instructor circulating among them. They are representative of autocratic and democratic atmospheres. Both have a figurehead but one talks while the other talks then observes/listens. Through a democratic approach to teaching CT, in a studio format with a focus on experimentation and collaboration, learning is organic. We are given the freedom to discover with and from each other, as teachers and students. The culture of CT supports students through teachers who recognise the fluidity of creativity. Students are encouraged to be resourceful, adaptable and diverse in thinking and skills. After two months in CT, I feel comfortable with the freedom and learning processes. Making frequent mistakes is seen as a valuable lesson rather than failure, this spurs me on to try and try again, a valuable and natural way to learn.

Open day was a glimpse into a teaching method that confused me. I was challenged on how I perceived university and creativity. The subsequent feeling of inadequacy was built on outdated pedagogy which didn’t allow for collaborative exchanges or self-discovery. Famous creatives are often viewed as outcasts and rebels, perhaps because societal pressures and education systems are too rigid and funnel people towards certain outcomes rather than supporting their own curiosity and interests. Several contributing factors are responsible for this channeling - the stereotype of creativity only being practiced in fine artists, indoctrinating establishments such as the Church and the inflexible education system which limits our educators. “I’m not creative” is a self-fulfilling-prophecy (von Oech, 1973). As the poster in my father’s classroom room states, “if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right”.

References:

De Bruin, L., & Harris, A. M. (2017). Developing Creative Ecologies in Schools: Assessing creativity in schools. Australian Art Education, 38(2), 244–260. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aft&AN=128027487&site=eds-live

Jeffrey, B., & Craft, A. (2004). Teaching creatively and teaching for creativity: Distinctions and relationships. Educational Studies, 30(1), 77-87. doi:10.1080/0305569032000159750

Lin, Y. (2011). Fostering Creativity through Education—A Conceptual Framework of Creative Pedagogy. Creative Education, 2(3), 151. doi: 10.4236/ce.2011.23021

Segura-April, D. (2016). Appropriate Child Participation and the Risks of Spiritual Abuse. Transformation, 33(3), 171. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=115728074&site=eds-live

Shulman, L. S. (2005). Signature pedagogies in the professions. Daedalus, 134(3), 52-59. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/20027998?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Ted X Talks. (2010, November 04). The Art of Creativity | Taika Waititi | TEDx Doha [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/pL71KhNmnls

Von Oech, R. (1973). A Whack On the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative. California, USA: Creative Think.

Waks, L. J. (2018). Humility in Teaching. Educ Theory, 68(4/5), 427-442. doi: 10.1111/edth.12327

#ctec502

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lanjustliving · 6 years ago

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My Communion Letter

I'm Lannimar Palma also known as Love. I'm 21 years old. I remember a year ago, when I got baptized, I started seeing a lot of women standing here bravely sharing their testimonies. I told myself that one day I'll be the next one who's going to stand and speak in front of this crowd. And I'm so grateful, excited, honored and privileged (as God answers one of my biggest prayers) to share my communion and what the cross means to me.

I grew up with my siblings together with our grandmother. Every weekend we go to their place in Marikina. There, we also lived with one of our uncles. He is the same uncle who physically, verbally and sexually harassed me. It happened a lot of times.

I wake up every single day in my childhood asking why it happened. Why does it have to be like that? what's wrong with me? Do I not belong to the family? I feel so ashamed, afraid and so scared to tell anybody. Until the last time it happened, my other siblings cried aloud in the middle of the night knowing that there's really something bad happening.

My grandparents knew about what happened that night, but they did not bring it up, never initiated any clear conversation. My parents asked me if it's true. If its true that I am raped by my own uncle? People from our family don't really know the whole story. I am so traumatized by what happened. But nobody knew about it, because I kept it to myself, act like nothing happened, closed my mind in any perspective.

I lost hope in life at a young age.

I keep my mouth shut and did not dare to expose anything from it because I don't know if there will be someone who will believe in me. There's so many questions in my head like who would reach out to my hand? Who will wipe my tears as I cry for help every single night?

I'm just a little girl who loves to play with her Barbie doll.

Years and years passed by, I thought I can hide everything, buried it all six feet under and forget about it. But no, my parents (specially my mom) keep digging what happened from the past.

I started blaming myself because it happened to me, I blamed the person who did evil to me, I blame parents for leaving us alone with our own so- called 'family', I blamed everyone. I hated myself so much. I hated life so much.

Hatred grew deeper in my heart. It affected me physically, emotionally and spiritually. It ruined my relationship with my own family. I always isolate myself, being rebellious, and disrespectful. I used to be called 'the black sheep' of the family, I shouted bad words and harsh words in my mom's face, cursing her to death.

When I was in college, I thought I can escape from the realities of my life, through going to school early as I can and going home late at midnight. Everyday. I don't even want to go home anymore.

And it got worse when I become a member of a group called 'atheist republic' it is an organization with hundred thousands of people in the world. They are providing support to amplify the voice of the people who feel isolated simply for their lack of belief and faith in God. Who makes fun of Jesus, who hates one another. Filled with so many broken people, pointing out the wrong doings or short comings of every religion and such. I became one of them, an agnostic atheist college girl who doesn't really care about anyone, doesn't even know who Jesus Christ is, or heard anything about the famous scripture from John 3:16 'For God so loved the world.. '.

I walked alone in darkness. I was so lost, broken, and devastated.

To the point that I would always lock myself up in the bedroom or even in the bathroom for long hours holding a knife, cutter or anything that can hurt me; crying and wishing I was dead. I make my own art work painted with my own blood. I kept hurting myself just to ease the pain in the heart of this broken child.

Year 2017, in November, my older sister Airee got baptized in MMICC. She started inviting me to go to church and I always reject her and ask her please to stop because I don't believe in God. After so many rejections, she stopped inviting me but she never stops praying for me.

She prayed and fasted for me for 5 days.

Til one day when I was about to go to a concert 'where I thought was the happiest and safest place on earth'.

I saw an invitation on our refrigerator saying that "MMICC 3rd year anniversary worship service Sunday June 10, 2018 10 AM Makati Diamond Residences" and I got stucked staring at this card.

Who would've thought that I would come after so many years. For the first time, I decided to come to church.

I heard God calling, reaching out for the hands of her lost daughter from a very long time.

The whole service impacted me. I got a hard heart when I stepped in but left the room with a melted heart and so much tears in my eyes.

A week after that, I studied the Bible. I always cry everytime I hear the word of God. It took me a month, and then there's a part of the study where I need to forgive the person who took my childhood happiness, who took my freedom as a little girl, who ruined my life, who made me who I was before.

I chose to repent and forgive the person who hurt me and made Jesus as my Lord.

And last Monday, July 8, I celebrated my first year as a Disciple of Christ Jesus. And God gave me a very special gift, that is today!

I wanna share a scripture from Luke 11:2-4, ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.''

Brothers and sisters, as we take our communion, I just wanted us to be reminded that Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified and then died for the forgiveness of our sins.

I am a sinner, he is a sinner. Who am I not to forgive?

Everything happens for a reason.

For me, the Cross means Forgiveness.

I found Love, Joy, Peace, Hope, Freedom, Family and Purpose in FORGIVENESS.

Thank you!

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

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brn1029 · 3 years ago

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Gary Brooker, the co-founder and lead singer of the English rock band Procol Harum, passed away on Saturday, February 19, at the age of 76. "With the deepest regret we must announce the death on 19 February 2022 of Gary Brooker MBE, singer, pianist and composer of Procol Harum, and a brightly-shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry. Aged 76, he had been receiving treatment for cancer, but died peacefully at home," the band announced on its website. "From his earliest onstage duets with his musician father, through his youthful recording career with Southend's The Paramounts, Gary exhibited and developed a highly-individual talent," the statement added. "His first single with Procol Harum, 1967's A Whiter Shade of Pale, is widely regarded as defining 'The Summer of Love', yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era." Brooker founded Procol Harum along with his friend Keith Reid. The band gained popularity with its 1967 debut single, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Singles category in 2018. The single sold a total of 10 million copies worldwide and spent six weeks atop the U.K. charts and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's most recent album was 2017's Novum.

Brian May recently suggested that the legendary rock band The Beatles deserve a Bohemian Rhapsody-style biopic. The Queen lead guitarist offered the opinion in a recent interview with The Express.

Speaking about the influence of the Beatles on Queen, May said, "The Beatles were our bible. Absolutely at every stage in their career and their music development, they were models. And they still are to me, I must say. I love all those albums." He added, "To me, they are the greatest. They are the pinnacle of writing, performance and ethos of rock music. They broke down so many barriers, they changed the world many times. I will always love the Beatles without any reservation."

Despite being "the greatest" music group, the Beatles have been underrepresented in the world of music compared to Queen, according to May.

Scorpions recently released a new single, "Shining of Your Soul," from their upcoming album, Rock Believer, due out February 25. "In the backyard of my soul/ There's a charming little home/ And that's where all the trouble goes/Where all the trouble goes. In the center of my heart/There's a place that keeps you warm/That's where all my loving goes/Where all my loving goes," go the lyrics. "Once we made the decision to make a new album, I started lyrics without any music," singer Klaus Meine recently told Ultimate Classic Rock. "The idea was, 'C'mon, give me a cool riff,' you know? You have the songs, you have the lyrics and hopefully, you guys come back and give me some great music." It was the same with 'Shining of Your Soul.' Lyrics first, and I think Rudolf [Schenker] came up with this wonderful riff and this wonderful groove, which is like a Scorpions rock reggae [kind of sound]." he added. "It's a very typical Scorpions song in that way. It has a different vibe and a different feel, but it's one of the cool songs on the record." Scorpions had earlier this month shared "Seventh Sun," the third single from the band's 19th studio album, Rock Believer. The band had last month dropped the title track for the album after dropping the first single "Peacemaker" in November.

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execurflights · 4 years ago

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The HondaJet For Sale

The HondaJet received its provisional type certificate in March of 2015 and began deliveries later on that year. As per the manufacturer and the GAMA 2020 year end shipment report. The HondaJet has delivered the most aircraft in its class worldwide, for 4 consecutive years. With 31 very light jet’s sold in 2020. (1)

In 2016, the aircraft was one of Flying Magazine’s, “Flying Editor’s Choice Award” winners. While in 2017, it was the winner of the inaugural Flying Innovation Award. Which was received at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Also, as 2018 approached. Honda introduced the “Elite” variant. This upgraded model included improvements to the range, avionics and more.

Available Listings

Call Quote Contact

Performance

An interesting feature found on this aircraft is the placement of the engines. Powered by twin General Electric Honda / HF120 engines, with approximately 2,050 lbs force of thrust each. You will notice the engines are located above the wings. This is a design feature by the manufacturer which is called, “over the wing engine mount” (OTWEM). What this design feature allows for. Is a reduction of noise in the cabin, as well as increased fuselage space.

The HA-420 is capable of seating up to 6 passengers including pilot and crew. With 4 passengers, this aircraft is able to travel up to 1,223 nautical miles. Its maximum cruise speed is Mach 0.63 at a cruise altitude of 30,000 ft. Overall, this aircraft can reach a maximum cruise altitude of 43,000 ft.

Also, the maximum takeoff distance with this aircraft is approximately 3,934 ft. While its maximum landing distance is around 3,047 ft. (2)

Interior

The OTWEM design has enabled this aircraft’s baggage capacity and cabin to be the largest in its class or category. The internal cabin dimensions on the HondaJet, Elite & Elite S measure approximately; 4 ft 9″ in height, 5 ft in width and 17 ft 9″ in length. (3)

The baggage compartment in the nose is 9 ft³, while the compartment in the aft is 57 ft³. That comes to a total of approximately 66 ft³ of external storage capacity.

When we approach the flight deck, the HondaJet uses the Garmin G3000 next gen all-glass avionic suite. It features dual touch screen controllers, accompanied by three 14 inch high resolution LCD displays. Excellent for improving flight planning, navigation and control of the aircraft.

Additional Information

The HA-420 is certified for single pilot operation.

The Elite & Elite S variants have made improvements to the range, maximum take off weight (MTOW), maximum landing weight (MLW), avionics and more.

*These are general specifications of the above mentioned aircraft. Please see each listing for details on their individual specifications, layout and performance.

References

1. Alyssa J. Miller, AOPA Foundation, retrieved from: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2015/march/27/hondajet-gets-provisional-type-certificate 2. Honda Aircraft Company, retrieved from: https://www.hondajet.com/en/Products/HondaJet 3. AviationPros, retrieved from: https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/12409095/central-europes-first-hondajet-available-for-private-charter-lands-in-warsaw 4. Honda Aircraft Company, retrieved from: https://www.hondajet.com/en/News/The-HondaJet-is-the-Most-Delivered-Aircraft-in-its-Class-for-the-Fourth-Consecutive-Year 5. Pia Bergqvist, Flying Magazine, retrieved from: https://www.flyingmag.com/we-fly-hondajet-elite

The post The HondaJet For Sale first appeared on Executive Charter Flights. from https://executive-charter-flights.com/aircraft/honda/hondajet-for-sale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hondajet-for-sale

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socialjusticeartshare · 4 years ago

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Families separated at Mexico border build new American life

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a cramped house with mice in the kitchen and music booming from cars outside, Keldy Mabel Gonzales Brebe lays bare her three-year journey from Honduras to the United States and all that lies ahead to adapt to life as an immigrant.

She fled the Central American nation with her family and a price on her head to seek asylum at the U.S. border. Instead, U.S. officials separated her from her children, jailed and deported her under President Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy to prosecute adults entering the country illegally. While the boys were allowed to live with relatives in Philadelphia, their mother struggled to join them from Mexico.

Keldy missed celebrating birthdays and holidays together. She watched from afar as her teenagers filled out and grew facial hair.

“There were times I thought I would never see them again,” she said.

Three years later, America has jettisoned many of Trump’s hardline immigration policies.

Keldy was one of four parents who returned to the United States during the first week of May with temporary legal status to join their children in what Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said was “just the beginning” of a broader effort to reunify families separated during Trump’s presidency — more than 5,500 children. Her family’s ups and downs illustrate what many parents and children encounter as they try to make up for lost time.

Keldy counts her blessings to be together as a family, free from death threats in Honduras and the pain of separation.

Yet now they face new difficulties. Keldy’s son, Mino, dropped out of school to help pay rent on the house that six of them share. Keldy sleeps on the living room sofa. She wants to get a job, but is caring for her 7-year-old autistic niece and an unsteady 75-year-old mother, along with cooking and cleaning for the family. She sees drug use on the streets of the Kensington section of Philadelphia where they live.

“I hear gunshots sometimes. With my sister, when we run a quick errand, I look around to see whether someone was killed,” Keldy said. “La Ceiba, where I grew up, was like that.”

____

Honduras, a mountainous nation located between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, is beautiful but broken, Keldy says.

She and her family lived on the north Caribbean shore, in a tourist area. Her husband was a guide, taking American tourists to a region of tropical rainforest, pine savannah and marsh called La Mosquitia, or whitewater rafting on the Cangrejal River.

Keldy described herself as middle-class housewife. She would cook for the tourists on the expeditions.

Drug trafficking gangs controlled some areas and required payments from businesses and people for protection. For those who didn’t pay, the penalty was death.

Hit men killed one of her brothers in 2006, she said. He was a bus driver.

“He had no money. The owner of the bus was the one who was supposed to pay, not him. He was just the bus driver. But they killed him,” she said.

In 2011, her family and other families decided to try to buy some parcels of land to live on and grow crops. Gangs, however, did not agree with the purchase and threatened one her brothers, then killed him after he reported the threats to authorities. He was one of four siblings killed by gangs.

Keldy testified in open court against the killers. She received numerous threats and was told there was a price on her head.

The whole family fled to Mexico in 2013 but were deported by the Mexican government right away.

Back in Honduras, they fled to a rural mountainous area called El Naranjo in attempt to hide from the gangs. But in 2017, neighbors told her there were people asking about her schedule: When did she usually leave the house and when did she usually get back? The fear returned, and the family left for the United States.

She crossed the border with her youngest son Erick, now 17, and her middle child Mino, now 19, in the fall of 2017.

The family planned to apply for asylum, so Keldy flagged down a Border Patrol cruiser in the New Mexico desert. She and her sons were taken together to a cell in a detention center in Deming, New Mexico, 35 miles north of the border. They thought they’d be released at some point, and would meet up with her oldest son, who crossed the same day in Arizona, and other family in Philadelphia.

But unknown to them, President Trump had imposed extraordinary measures to limit asylum, criminally prosecuting everyone who entered the United States illegally from Mexico and resulting in the separation of thousands of children from their parents. The government was unable to reunify them after criminal cases ended because its tracking systems failed to link parents to their children.

Less than two days after the family had arrived in the U.S., Keldy was handcuffed and separated from the boys.

“I felt helpless, like there was nothing I could do. And then I blamed myself because I brought my kids to uncertainty, into a situation in which they were taken from me, they were taken from my arms and I couldn’t do anything,” she said.

The kids were frightened to be separated from their mother.

“We started crying, my brother and I, because we were left alone in there. And it was very cold. They only gave us a small blanket,” recalled Erick, who was 13 then. His brother Mino was 15.

The boys were moved to a shelter for minors.

Mino, who wears glasses and smiles often, said he did not want to do anything at the time, just cry. He felt lost at the shelter, with the other unaccompanied minors.

“They did not feel what I was going through because they had come alone. They did not come with their mother. They did not feel the pain I felt when I was separated from her,” he said.

The children were both soon released, and family members paid for their flight to Philadelphia. Their older brother, Alex, now 21, eventually became the legal guardian of his brothers and cared for them while they went to school, working construction.

But Keldy was not released. She was kept in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in El Paso, Texas, for a year and a half and then deported to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in January 2019.

She immediately traveled back north and settled in Tapachula, Ascensión and then Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, waiting for a chance to enter the United States.

In Mexico, Keldy got by with money sent to her by her kids, her sisters and her husband, who crossed the border five years ago and lives in Texas. She video chatted with her boys, and remembers with pain of missing graduations and other big moments: This January, Erick did not want to come out of his room on his 17th birthday.

“He felt alone,” Keldy said. “I wasn’t there”.

Online learning during the pandemic was a problem for both boys, who say they no longer understand classes. Mino dropped out in December. They say they can read English but they don’t speak it.

In Ciudad Juarez, Keldy walked each morning toward the border, where she could see the bridges heading toward El Paso, Texas, and prayed.

Known to others as “la pastora”, she delivered sermons and benedictions to other migrants and at migrant shelters, listening to others who were in pain, like her.

“I would tell others in my prayers to believe, to never doubt, answers were going to come to our lives,” she said.

___

The answer she’d been waiting for arrived last month. Linda Corchado, director of legal services at the non-profit Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, contacted her: Biden’s task force was working to reunite families separated at the border. Keldy needed to get passport photos.

Corchado had been trying obtain a humanitarian parole for Keldy, and finally found success.

“I realized then these were the final steps the attorney was doing to get me in,” she said. “Later she told me I would probably enter on May 4 at 8 am. I kept asking God for it to be true.”

It was.

She entered on May 4, with Corchado, through the Bridge of The Americas.

The Honduran mother took a plane to Dallas and then another one to Philadelphia. While flying, all she thought about were the first words she would tell her kids.

“They ended up being ‘I love you’. Those are the words I wanted to tell my kids, that I loved them,” she said.

A video shows the family reunion on May 4 in the Philadelphia home of a niece, with Keldy crying while her kids hug her. “Hola mi amor, amor mío (“Hello my love, my love”),” the video shows her saying, her face buried in the arms of her sons.

They are together, yet life still isn’t easy.

Since her arrival, the Honduran mother has been inside the home, cleaning and cooking. When she speaks there is relief but also anxiety in her voice. She wonders about the sturdiness of the house, the stairs that feel unstable.

She doesn’t venture out much. Opioid use has taken root in Kensington, which has been singled out, nationwide, as an example of the effects of underinvestment, crime and drug use.

She misses small-town life south of the border; the close buildings of Kensington make her feel trapped.

Keldy is thinking about finding a job, but she worries about leaving her mother, who forgot she was cooking the other day until there was fire in the stove. Keldy burned her hand putting it out, leaving marks on her skin.

“I don’t know what I am going to do. I would like to work but who is going to take care of my mother and Dana?” she said of the niece she adopted as a baby.

Las Americas has connected them to mental health specialists who will speak online with Keldy and her sons to help them cope with the trauma of separation.

Corchado, the attorney, said Keldy has been granted humanitarian parole for three years but she hopes the Task Force puts her on a pathway for citizenship before that. She is also trying to make sure she is all right.

“We don’t just want the door open for Keldy. We want her to be successful in the United States,” Corchado said. “She shouldn’t be sleeping on a couch after all the horrible experiences she went through.”

But for Keldy, it’s enough, now, to be with her children. She knows that’s more than many of her fellow migrants have.

“Everyday I pray to God for other mothers to be able to come in. They cry for their kids,” she said. “They ask me ‘do you know anything new?’ and I tell them to have patience. And I tell them they will succeed.”

Article Source

#border #families separated #America

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totalmotorcycle · 7 years ago

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Trending: Bubba Shobert to be AFT Texas Half-Mile Grand Marshal on April 28 http://dlvr.it/QQnv2F

#News #1988 AMA Superbike champion #1998 #2017 AFT Singles #AFT Events COO Cameron Gray

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gulet-broker · 4 years ago

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Halcon Del Mar Ultra Luxury Turkish Gulet

This magnificent and extremely spacious gulet is offered with very high and luxurious specification, ideal for larger discerning groups of couples, singles, or 2/3 family groups, to a maximum of 18 guests. Constructed to a very high standard in 2017, for launch in 2018. Halcon Del Mar also has a full complement of professional crew (Captain, Chef, 2 Deckhands, Engineer, Stewardess and Housekeeper), Gulet Charter Turkey all offering the highest levels of service. The very best route itineraries are also provided including the finest Turkish Blue Cruise options, plus the Greek Isles if desired. Imagine the awesome get together you could achieve by Private Chartering this fabulous Gulet. Based in Marmaris, Turkey.

At 42 metres in length, the extremely spacious decks are well laid out for guests relaxation and sunbathing. The flybridge offers fantastic elevated and panoramic views.Whilst the foredeck located jacuzzi, provides the ultimate relaxation,taking in the sights too! The aft deck has a very comfortable covered dining area with cushioned relaxation cushions. The aft deck also has an outdoor bar for drinks service.

The air-conditioned indoor salon provides an alternative dining and seating area, including entertainment systems and board games. The cabin accommodation consists of 2 Master and 2 VİP suites, 2 double and 2 twin cabins. As well as being spacious and extremely comfortable, all cabins are fully air conditioned with en-suite modern home style bathrooms. Toiletries and towels are all included.

Halcon Del Mar offers 2 service tenders and several optional water sports including water skiing, jet ski, wake board and Banana.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with your queries, information on prices and schedule.It’s rare to find such a high quality gulet,catering for larger groups. Perfect Gulet Charter cruise awaits passengers on Gulet Halcon Del Mar.

#perfect gulet charter #Gulet Halcon #Gulet Charter Turkey

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jejciu · 3 years ago

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I've been listening to them ever since late 2017 so these are combined both first impressions and the retrospective... Not including their very first album "bad latitudes" from 2014 bc it's not on spotify or youtube and not even their bandcamp 😭 they deleted it from all platforms (except their website which u can - and should - check out here) after signing their first label bc they wanted to focus on pushing new music BUT IT'S SUCH A SHAME BC IT'S SO AMAZING....... anyway

Floral canyon from 2017

GOOD! Great even, I think. I have a weakness for like this garage indie rock (? Lacking a better term for this but it feels fitting) and this hit that spot so perfectly. The album has such great vibes of like "this band you've NEVER heard before but they come from your hometown and they happen to be playing at this bar you're at rn with friends" and I really love that. All the fucking reverb in this too, I just can't help but adore that. Raw (in terms of the sound, not the lyrics or whatever) and familiar-sounding in the best possible way!!!

Best song: plugged in. Feels like Edgar Wright's Scott pilgrim song if sex bob-omb was just slightly more acoustic

Weakest song: girlfriend..... its their most popular song ever on spotify with like a 3 million listens and I CANNOT understand that. Every time I come back to the album I try to give it another chance but its just so..... meh. They have so many more MUCH BETTER songs!!! Even the very first track on the album is a million times more fun.

Glazed from 2019

Well........ Its not very good. I mean like this is obviously very subjective but..... There's none of that garagey vibe from floral canyon. NO reverb!!! :-( now it's just, you know, indie rock. It's not BAD bad, I'd enjoy it as a soundtrack to a fun movie, or if I went to their concert, I feel like then I'd be like yeah that's good! But unfortunately it was suchhhhhh a disappointment for me back when it got released. At that point I've spent the entirety of 2018 listening to FC and then the first single got released in early 2019 and I was like..... Oh. Oh, no. Oh, nooo..... FC raised the bar too high, I'm afraid!!!!!

The thing that bothers me the most about this one was that it just feels like some after-breakup music... Not exactly sad mind you, but it feels like someone still really salty and frustrated tried to express their feelings. It's not really liberating in any way, you're just listening to it like... Hm. Everything else is there, so what's up with the outcome? Did a white instagram witch curse this album?

Best song: apocalyptic/pressure (both are fine, not a huge fan of either but they're more than alright for casual listening)

Weakest song: city of stars. I'm sorry but it legit sounds like a song Hillary Duff would be singing in a sad moment of her 2003 movie while sitting on the windowsill watching the rain!!

Live from home from 2021

When this was recorded, few of their new singles from the upcoming album was released (I'll talk about that in a second), so this one is a mix of different releases. Theres not much to say about it, I like it but don't prefer it over the original versions. The fact that Allie X also released a live recording album about a month earlier didn't help, I think. Hers was truly breathtaking ("love me wrong" was just.... Holy shit!!!!! The superior version), so my expectations for "live from home" might have been a bit too high, sadly.

Best song: not the one (live).. It's just great honestly!!!!!

Weakest song: girlfriend (live).... Well!

Song(s) for a nice drive from 2021 (EP)

Very different from their other releases. Came out last November and although its not my favorite, it is good. Better than previous two releases for sure! Reminds me of Aly & AJ newer songs and I do like those a lot. A very sweater weather EP!!! Good for long drives indeed.

Best song: your after

Weakest song: NONE!!! like not that I think this is the best album of all time or something but all songs are very pleasant and there's no skipping around bc when I'm listening to it im already in like this calm, soft mood so everything is great.

NEW RELEASES (2020-2022)

For an upcoming album that I don't know a single thing about (what's the title? When's it coming out? The singles are pretty spread out in time so are they all gonna be in the album?)...... Its all SO GOOD. STUPID GOOD ALMOST!!! The very first two singles that got released summer 2020 - wind in my sail/hold tight - I was kind of like yeah that's fine. I'm not super hype yet but it sounds good! And THEN they released "for leaving you" and I KNEWWWWWW I was already in love. And then I also discovered they released two track single for Halloween 2020 and it was even better than I hoped for (why is it not on spotify? Hello?? It DESERVED to be on my 2021 wrapped).

The garagey feel of it is back and it's even better than in FC!!! The cover art of the singles is great as well, the retro vibe works soooo good with it. Almost all songs are upbeat and feel like summer. I love that.

Best song: paranoid or pulling the strings. Both are amazingggggggggg but unfortunately paranoid is only available on bandcamp! :( I really really hope it'll get released in the album as well bc otherwise I'm gonna die.

Weakest song: hold tight!, so far. It's kind of more mid but not bad either really?

To sum it all up, my ranking of above releases:

1. The new upcoming album singles

2. Floral canyon

3. Song(s) for a nice drive

4. Live from home

5. Glazed

Go listen to *repeat repeat!!!!!!!!!!!! Overall I really do love their sound, it's such a shame they're not more popular.

I'm gonna rank *repeat repeat albums because I can and want to

#I know no one cares!!!!!! But I do :-)

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perksofwifi · 4 years ago

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Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition Interior Review

Behold, the only American car you can factory order and pick up at a dealership that features body assembly completed by an independent coachbuilder, just as luxury automobiles like Duesenbergs—and Lincolns—often were in the classic era: the Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition.

Anyone can plainly see the extensive modifications the coachbuilders made in stretching the bodywork and reengineering those Rolls-Royce-aping rear-hinged—don’t-call-‘em-suicide—rear doors. But how did they do on the inside? Is this the Rolls-Royce Ghost of American luxury-car interiors? Let’s start off by noting that nothing much changes forward of the B-Pillar, so we’ll focus on the rear-seat experience here and refer you to our 2017 Lincoln Continental Black Label Interior Review for details on the cockpit, infotainment, and general materials quality of the base car.

Color and Trim

Even the coachbuilt Lincolns are not Bentley level bespoke. They are an extension of Lincoln’s top-shelf Black Label trim series and are restricted to just two of the three color and trim themes offered on the “cookie-cutter” factory-finished cars. “Chalet” theme combines off-white leather on the seating surfaces and the lower dash, door panel, and center console accented by espresso brown for the dash and door upper, armrests, and contrast piping with deep Silverwood trim. “Thoroughbred” accents a mostly jet-black interior with chestnut brown antiqued “Belmont” leather on the dash, door, and console upper surfaces trimmed with burled Chilean Maple wood.

Exterior color choices included Infinite Black (45 percent of the build), Chroma Crystal Blue (30 percent), Pristine While Metallic (18 percent), and a single silver car was built.

Our black car featured the Thoroughbred interior, which is decidedly more somber than the Chalet, and the mottled dye on the Belmont accent leather—meant to evoke equestrian saddles—read to our eyes like the Naugahyde that swathed off-brand Barcaloungers in the ’70s. The burled maple looks exceptionally rich and is the most traditional/old-school of the trim options, but—especially paired with the chrome accents surrounding it—often reflects sun glare.

Rear Console

Here’s an area that was revised from 2019 to 2020. Both started by basically affixing everything from the pull-down armrest found on the Continental Black Label models equipped with the $3,000 Rear Seat Amenities Package to the rear console structure. That includes the audio and climate controls, switches for the sunroof and rear window sunshades, pop-out cupholders, and a stowage bin. This fixed structure simply mounts over the standard cross-car bench seat, rendering this a four-passenger model (blanking plates cover the slots where the middle shoulder belt and upper center LATCH tether points would be).

For 2020, that armrest stowage bin incorporates a Qi wireless charging pad. An upholstered panel that covers the trunk pass-through door is held in place by Velcro fasteners, and when removed can serve as a lap table. This pass-thru door now accesses a lockable stowage compartment that impinges into the trunk space, but hovers above the trunk floor, so that accessory trunk mats fit without modification. On both sides of the console are new pop-out knobs that might be used to hang a purse or take-away dinner bags on. The forward portion of the console contains a metal sleeve sized to hold (but not necessarily chill) a champagne bottle. It gets a handsome lid with a cork seal covered in the same burled maple wood. Aft of that is a bin that incorporates a 110-volt three-prong power outlet (new for 2020) and two USB-A jacks. Two slots are provided to hold tablet or thin laptop computers. These are not new, but they are different from the design featured in the Coach Door concept vehicle we covered last year, so they may look new.

Rear Seat Tricks

Many long-wheelbase limo/sedans offer multiple adjustments of the seatback and cushion, plus footrests and the like, but Lincoln keeps it simple here offering only a backrest angle adjustment of about 3 degrees, which moves the top of the backrest fore or aft through about 2.8 inches total. Right seat passengers also get the option of increasing their legroom by moving the front seat and/or just the backrest forward and out of the way. All of this comes with that $3,000 amenities package on the standard car, as do the adjustable headrest side wings, three-level seat heating and cooling, plus a massage function that can be independently adjusted to low or high intensity for the backrest and seat cushion. These thrones may not do as many tricks as those in some fancy cars, but they’re superbly comfortable and the Revel audio system sounds terrific back here. Oh, and in another nod to those backward-hinged doors from Goodwood, each rear door incorporates a compact Lincoln-branded umbrella.

Coach-Built Craftsmanship

All of the upholstery that has been fitted to the rear doors and the small area behind them that includes the fixed rear side glass, the Alcantara headlining, and the sides of the rear console is executed by Cabot Coach Builders with flawless stitching and nothing appears pulled or stretched to fit. Unfortunately, though, there was no effort to continue or duplicate the French stitching featured on the factory installed Belmont leather door panels. The bottle cooler lid’s wood pattern doesn’t align with the wood from the console surrounding it, which seems like an opportunity missed (unless someone accidentally swapped our car’s lid with that of another).

So, Is it a Bargain Rolls-Royce?

While the $118,960 price certainly represents a hefty mark-down from the $314,000 base price of Rolls-Royce’s most-affordable Ghost sedan, the Coach Door Continental never thoroughly shakes the feel of its donor vehicle’s sub-$80,000 price. But it’s undeniably cool-looking outside and large enough inside to transport all but the tallest passengers in immense comfort, so perhaps the discerning luxury customer wishing to buy American might yet be able to convince Cabot or another coachbuilder to pull out all that commodity carpeting and leather and go to town with some unique color-to-sample wool rugs, leather upholstery with contrast stitching and piping, and book-matched/mirror-matched wood for WAY less than the $200K that separates this Conti from that Ghost. And such a buyer would certainly never need worry about showing up somewhere in the Hamptons and being valet parked next to a similar vehicle.

2020 Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition PRICE $118,960 LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 4-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 3.0L/400-hp/400-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 6-speed auto CURB WEIGHT (DIST, F/R) 4,900 lb (58/42%) WHEELBASE 123.9 in L x W x H 207.4 x 75.3 x 58.5 in 0-60 MPH 5.9 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON 16/24/19 mpg ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 211/140 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.03 lb/mile ON SALE Currently

The post Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition Interior Review appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/lincoln/continental/2020/2020-lincoln-continental-coach-door-edition-interior-review/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

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transfemininomenon · 6 years ago

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i doubt the following addition to this post will actually matter at all but there’s stuff i wanted to address with it - mainly the harassment ive gotten from terfs from it & commentary ive gotten from other people about it being misogynistic or WHATever

and i’ll start my response to both of that with the same thing - this post was made in response to my frustrations with how trans women are viewed & how our entire existence is mocked, with our appearance always being a primary and main target

ive seen practically every single trans woman i know myself included be aggressively insulted for our appearance. if we havent started or are early in transition we’re targeted as being Manish and are laughed at being told “how could we ever call ourselves a woman looking like that”. if we’re late in our transition regardless of how well someone might pass they’ll often STILL have things like that said to them. if we dont wear makeup or dont shave we have that insulted. if we DO wear makeup and shave we’re accused of having performative femininity and that we’re accused of following gender stereotypes

at least half the time ive posted selfies i’ll have transphobes coming into my inbox to insult me, and that trend has continued, again, for practically every single trans woman i know. the few times ive actually gone out in public in girl mode has been met with stares/glares from strangers, and trans women are constantly harassed in public just for Existing. there’s entire blogs dedicated to reblogging pictures of trans women to mock their appearance

on top of that, we’re mocked relentlessly in media - shitty “man in a dress” jokes, the awful “this attractive woman expresses interest in a character but oh actually surprise she’s really a MAN!!!” trope, constant jokes about men wearing lipstick and haha isnt it funny that this MAN could ever possibly be feminine?

our appearance is something that is under attack in every second of our lives, and this post was made in direct response to my frustrations with how bullshit that is. the night i’d actually made this post was following a bunch of messages sent my way misgendering/insulting me, following an entire week of me waking up to daily messages telling me things like for me to “get murdered in the streets”

so. in direct response to the second group mentioned at the start of this - people telling me this post is misogynistic/saying its wrong to attribute attractiveness to someone’s personality/saying its wrong to call someone ugly just because i don’t agree with them-

this post was never about the actual physical appearance of someone. it was EVERYthing to do with my own frustrations constantly having my own appearance/existence a source of constant harassment/insult, and me deciding to take that and flip it around on the people who were targeting me. and it was about me commenting on how terfs support ideologies that are very, very dangerous to my existence, how im constantly harassed by them, and how their very being is ugly and hateful.

im someone who doesnt insult people based on their appearance. hell, im overweight, i never know what to do with my hair, most days i genuinely really Hate my body, i have no fashion sense & anything id want to wear doesnt fit me anyway, and im a trans woman who started hrt at the age of 24, WAY way later than i wouldve liked to. and all of those things are perfectly fine, perfectly normal. but i also am by far NOT someone who is actively viewed as attractive. i know that, and ive often been targeted for everything ive listed

but i still think im a beautiful person. not to sound cheesy and preachy, but im someone who is surrounded by so much love. i have plenty of friends who love & support me for who i am - both friends who have only known me as alice, and ones who knew me before i came out. i came out to my main friend group on the second to last day of 2017, and since they have been nothing but supportive, caring, and above all loving. hell, the week after i first came out they literally threw a surprise party for me, explaining that they felt it was unfair that most of the time the best result of coming out was just people Not Being Awful and that they wanted to do more and show how much they love & cared

..... my friends are really amazing.

i came out to my oldest friend, someone who i had known since i was 10, in may of last year, and he told me that he’d probably fuck up on my name/pronoun after so many years, but he was there and that he would try. the amount of times he’s slipped up i can count on one hand, and all RIGHT at the very beginning. when i first came out to my friends my friend whose house we play dnd at told his family (with my permission) about everything, and they were so, so welcoming with his mom even calling me “her second mom” and saying their house was always open if i ever needed a place to stay

i came out to my sister over the summer, and she excitedly told me how she’d always wanted a sister. just the other day i got a text from her saying “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS ILY” for my birthday.

im full of so much love and i give so much love back to my friends and to the world. and that’s how i know im a beautiful person. despite me really hating my appearance, despite me knowing how far i am from the typical societal opinions on what beauty is, i radiate warmth & i help make the world a more beautiful place

terfs, on the other hand, do nothing but spread hate with their violent ideologies. they actively support things that get me and my sisters denied health/legal care, they support stereotypes that get us insulted & far worse, they are a part of the horrible realities of the murder/suicide rate among trans women. they constantly misgender us & deny us our womanhood, and they truly make the world an uglier place.

ive never, and will never, care about how a terf actually physically looks. that is not what this post was, or ever will be, about. they are violent, hateful people and “ugly” is truly the only way i can describe them.

anyway.

in response to the harassment ive gotten from terfs in response to this post, i’ll keep it shorter

this post, again, was made in response to my frustrations to harassment from terfs and was made to turn the exact terf strategy of insulting the appearance of trans women around

how did terfs respond?

by reblogging this post and attaching pictures of me mocking my appearance, misgendering me, and me getting countless anonymous messages calling me a man. you know, doing Exactly the thing that made me make this post in the first place.

so all i have in response to that is that y’all can insult me all you want, because at the end of the day you dont matter in my life. im surrounded by loving, amazing, caring people every moment of my life. im slowly but surely learning to love myself and the world i live in. you can try all you want to make this world as ugly & hateful as you, but i and all my fellow trans women will forever be there to light the world up and make it beautiful

drop dead terfs 💚

ANYway.

isn’t it weird how every single terf is super ugly while every single trans girl is gorgeous 🤔 really makes u think

weird how every single terf is super ugly while every single trans girl is gorgeous 🤔 really makes u think

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89eveningdressesforwomen · 5 years ago

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brandnewsome1-blog · 5 years ago

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Hill AFB, UTTR combat exercises conclude.

Airmen assigned to the 95th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., launch Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor aircraft during exercise Combat Archer at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Aug. 18, 2016.

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Military exercises Combat Hammer and Combat Archer ended August 18 at Hill AFB and the Utah Test and Training Range.

During the exercises, Total Force Initiative Airmen assigned to the active-duty 95th and AF Reserve 301st Fighter Squadrons from Tyndall AFB, Fla. tested their ability to build, load, launch and employ munitions, which were dropped and fired from Tyndall Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor aircraft.

“Our Airmen gain a tremendous opportunity to prepare for future combat operations in the F-22 by performing in these exercises,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Lehoski, 95th Fighter Squadron detachment commander. “It builds confidence in our team, aircraft, and munitions through a mission-focused effort.”

The air-to-ground and air-to-air exercises are conducted by the 83rd and 86th Fighter Weapons Squadrons here. Their purpose is to collect and analyze data on the performance of precision weapons, and to measure their suitability for use in combat.

During the exercises, Lehoski noted that Tyndall F-22s dropped 32 precision guided munitions, employed 14 air-to-air missiles, and validated AIM-9X missile employment procedures, a first for Tyndall F-22s. Operations Airmen also flew integration missions with F-35, F-16, and F-15E aircraft, enhancing their ability to provide air dominance for America.

“We are tremendously appreciative of the support we have received from Hill AFB and both the 86th and 83rd FWS for giving the Airmen of Team Tyndall the opportunity to train at Combat Hammer and Combat Archer,” said Lehoski.

Airmen and aircraft, including A-10s from Moody AFB, Ga., F-15Es from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, and F-16s from Shaw AFB, S.C., also participated during the past two weeks.

A U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flies above Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, March 2, 2017. Twelve Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors and approximately 200 U.S. Air Force Airmen participated in the first Enhanced Air Cooperation, an initiative under the Force Posture Agreement between the U.S. and Australia.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor" is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22’s airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite its protracted development and various operational issues, USAF officials consider the F-22 a critical component of the service’s tactical air power. Its combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.

Service officials had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs. In 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile F-35. The last F-22 was delivered in 2012.

Development

Origins

In 1981, the U.S. Air Force identified a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) to replace the F-15 "Eagle" and F-16 "Fighting Falcon". Code named "Senior Sky", this air-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats, including new developments in Soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of the Su-27 "Flanker"- and MiG-29 "Fulcrum"-class of fighter aircraft. It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and most importantly, stealth technology. In 1983, the ATF concept development team became the System Program Office (SPO) and managed the program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 1985, with requirements placing strong emphasis on stealth and supercruise. Of the seven bidding companies, Lockheed and Northrop were selected on 31 October 1986. Lockheed teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics while Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas, and the two contractor teams undertook a 50-month Dem/Val phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23, respectively.

Dem/Val was focused on risk reduction and technology development plans over specific aircraft designs. Contractors made extensive use of analytical and empirical methods, including computational fluid dynamics, wind-tunnel testing, and radar cross-section calculations and pole testing; the Lockheed team would conduct nearly 18,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing. Avionics development was marked by extensive testing and prototyping and supported by ground and flying laboratories. During Dem/Val, the SPO used the results of performance and cost trade studies conducted by contractor teams to adjust ATF requirements and delete ones that were significant weight and cost drivers while having marginal value. The short takeoff and landing (STOL) requirement was relaxed in order to delete thrust-reversers, saving substantial weight. As avionics was a major cost driver, side-looking radars were deleted, and the dedicated infra-red search and track (IRST) system was downgraded from multi-color to single color and then deleted as well. However, space and cooling provisions were retained to allow for future addition of these components. The ejection seat requirement was downgraded from a fresh design to the existing McDonnell Douglas ACES II. Despite efforts by the contractor teams to rein in weight, the takeoff gross weight estimate was increased from 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) to 60,000 lb (27,200 kg), resulting in engine thrust requirement increasing from 30,000 lbf (133 kN) to 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class.

Each team produced two prototype air vehicles for Dem/Val, one for each of the two engine options. The YF-22 had its maiden flight on 29 September 1990 and in flight tests achieved up to Mach 1.58 in supercruise. After the Dem/Val flight test of the prototypes, on 23 April 1991, Secretary of the USAF Donald Rice announced the Lockheed team as the winner of the ATF competition. The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22, with its thrust vectoring nozzles, was more maneuverable as well as less expensive and risky. The aviation press speculated that the Lockheed team’s design was also more adaptable to the U.S. Navy’s Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but by 1992, the Navy had abandoned NATF.

Production and procurement

As the program moved to full-scale development, or the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) stage, the production version had notable differences from the YF-22, despite having a broadly similar shape. The swept-back angle of the leading edge was decreased from 48° to 42°, while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward and decreased in area by 20%. To improve pilot visibility, the canopy was moved forward 7 inches (18 cm), and the engine intakes moved rearward 14 inches (36 cm). The shapes of the wing and stabilator trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics, strength, and stealth characteristics. Increasing weight during development caused slight reductions in range and maneuver performance.

Prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics manufactured the majority of the airframe and performed final assembly at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia; program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provided additional airframe components as well as avionics integration and training systems. The first F-22, an EMD aircraft with tail number 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997. Production, with the first lot awarded in September 2000, supported over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers from 46 states and up to 95,000 jobs, and spanned 15 years at a peak rate of roughly two airplanes per month. In 2006, the F-22 development team won the Collier Trophy, American aviation’s most prestigious award. Due to the aircraft’s advanced nature, contractors have been targeted by cyberattacks and technology theft.

The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a total program cost of $44.3 billion and procurement cost of $26.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 1985 dollars, with production beginning in 1994. The 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, which was again reduced to 277 by 2003. In 2004, the Department of Defense (DoD) further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft, despite the USAF’s preference for 381. A multi-year procurement plan was implemented in 2006 to save $15 billion, with total program cost projected to be $62 billion for 183 F-22s distributed to seven combat squadrons. In 2008, Congress passed a defense spending bill that raised the total orders for production aircraft to 187.

The first two F-22s built were EMD aircraft in the Block 1.0 configuration for initial flight testing, while the third was a Block 2.0 aircraft built to represent the internal structure of production airframes and enabled it to test full flight loads. Six more EMD aircraft were built in the Block 10 configuration for development and upgrade testing, with the last two considered essentially production quality jets. Production for operational squadrons consisted of 37 Block 20 training aircraft and 149 Block 30/35 combat aircraft; one of the Block 35 aircraft is dedicated to flight sciences at Edwards Air Force Base.

The numerous new technologies in the F-22 resulted in substantial cost overruns and delays. Many capabilities were deferred to post-service upgrades, reducing the initial cost but increasing total program cost. As production wound down in 2011, the total program cost is estimated to be about $67.3 billion, with $32.4 billion spent on Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) and $34.9 billion on procurement and military construction (MILCON) in then year dollars. The incremental cost for an additional F-22 was estimated at about $138 million in 2009.

Ban on exports

The F-22 cannot be exported under US federal law to protect its stealth technology and other high-tech features. Customers for U.S. fighters are acquiring earlier designs such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon or the newer F-35 Lightning II, which contains technology from the F-22 but was designed to be cheaper, more flexible, and available for export. In September 2006, Congress upheld the ban on foreign F-22 sales. Despite the ban, the 2010 defense authorization bill included provisions requiring the DoD to prepare a report on the costs and feasibility for an F-22 export variant, and another report on the effect of F-22 export sales on U.S. aerospace industry.

Some Australian politicians and defense commentators proposed that Australia should attempt to purchase F-22s instead of the planned F-35s, citing the F-22’s known capabilities and F-35’s delays and developmental uncertainties. However, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) determined that the F-22 was unable to perform the F-35’s strike and close air support roles. The Japanese government also showed interest in the F-22 for its Replacement-Fighter program. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) would reportedly require fewer fighters for its mission if it obtained the F-22, thus reducing engineering and staffing costs. However, in 2009 it was reported that acquiring the F-22 would require increases to the Japanese government’s defense budget beyond the historical 1 percent of its GDP. With the end of F-22 production, Japan chose the F-35 in December 2011. Israel also expressed interest, but eventually chose the F-35 because of the F-22’s price and unavailability.

Production termination

Throughout the 2000s, the need for F-22s was debated, due to rising costs and the lack of relevant adversaries. In 2006, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker found that "the DoD has not demonstrated the need" for more investment in the F-22, and further opposition to the program was expressed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England, Senator John McCain, and Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Senator John Warner. The F-22 program lost influential supporters in 2008 after the forced resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley.

In November 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the F-22 was not relevant in post-Cold War conflicts such as irregular warfare operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in April 2009, under the new Obama Administration, he called for ending production in FY2011, leaving the USAF with 187 production aircraft. In July, General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to the Senate Committee on Armed Services his reasons for supporting termination of F-22 production. They included shifting resources to the multirole F-35 to allow proliferation of fifth-generation fighters for three service branches and preserving the F/A-18 production line to maintain the military’s electronic warfare (EW) capabilities in the Boeing EA-18G Growler.[60] Issues with the F-22’s reliability and availability also raised concerns. After President Obama threatened to veto further production, the Senate voted in July 2009 in favor of ending production and the House subsequently agreed to abide by the 187 production aircraft cap. Gates stated that the decision was taken in light of the F-35’s capabilities, and in 2010, he set the F-22 requirement to 187 aircraft by lowering the number of major regional conflict preparations from two to one.

In 2010, USAF initiated a study to determine the costs of retaining F-22 tooling for a future Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).[66] A RAND Corporation paper from this study estimated that restarting production and building an additional 75 F-22s would cost $17 billion, resulting in $227 million per aircraft, or $54 million higher than the flyaway cost. Lockheed Martin stated that restarting the production line itself would cost about $200 million. Production tooling and associated documentation were subsequently stored at the Sierra Army Depot, allowing the retained tooling to support the fleet life cycle. There were reports that attempts to retrieve this tooling found empty containers, but a subsequent audit found that the tooling was stored as expected.

Russian and Chinese fighter developments have fueled concern, and in 2009, General John Corley, head of Air Combat Command, stated that a fleet of 187 F-22s would be inadequate, but Secretary Gates dismissed General Corley’s concern. In 2011, Gates explained that Chinese fifth-generation fighter developments had been accounted for when the number of F-22s was set, and that the U.S. would have a considerable advantage in stealth aircraft in 2025, even with F-35 delays. In December 2011, the 195th and final F-22 was completed out of 8 test EMD and 187 operational aircraft produced; the aircraft was delivered to the USAF on 2 May 2012.

In April 2016, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee proposed legislation that would direct the Air Force to conduct a cost study and assessment associated with resuming production of the F-22. Since the production halt directed in 2009 by then Defense Secretary Gates, lawmakers and the Pentagon noted that air warfare systems of Russia and China were catching up to those of the U.S. Lockheed Martin has proposed upgrading the Block 20 training aircraft into combat-coded Block 30/35 versions as a way to increase numbers available for deployment. On 9 June 2017, the Air Force submitted their report to Congress stating they had no plans to restart the F-22 production line due to economic and operational issues; it estimated it would cost approximately $50 billion to procure 194 additional F-22s at a cost of $206–$216 million per aircraft, including approximately $9.9 billion for non-recurring start-up costs and $40.4 billion for aircraft procurement costs.

Upgrades

The first aircraft with combat-capable Block 3.0 software flew in 2001. Increment 2, the first upgrade program, was implemented in 2005 for Block 20 aircraft onward and enabled the employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). Certification of the improved AN/APG-77(V)1 radar was completed in March 2007, and airframes from production Lot 5 onward are fitted with this radar, which incorporates air-to-ground modes. Increment 3.1 for Block 30 aircraft onward provided improved ground-attack capability through synthetic aperture radar mapping and radio emitter direction finding, electronic attack and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) integration; testing began in 2009 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in 2011. To address oxygen deprivation issues, F-22s were fitted with an automatic backup oxygen system (ABOS) and modified life support system starting in 2012.

Increment 3.2 for Block 35 aircraft is a two-part upgrade process; 3.2A focuses on electronic warfare, communications and identification, while 3.2B includes geolocation improvements and a new stores management system to show the correct symbols for the AIM-9X and AIM-120D.[83][84] To enable two-way communication with other platforms, the F-22 can use the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) as a gateway. The planned Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) integration was cut due to development delays and lack of proliferation among USAF platforms. The F-22 fleet is planned to start receiving Increment 3.2B as well as a software upgrade for cryptography capabilities and avionics stability in May 2019. A Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint (MIDS-J) radio that replaces the current Link-16 receive-only box is expected to be operational by 2020. Subsequent upgrades are also focusing on having an open architecture to enable faster future enhancements.

In 2024, funding is projected to begin for the F-22 mid-life upgrade (MLU), which is expected to include new sensors and antennas, hardware refresh, cockpit improvements, and a helmet mounted display and cuing system. Other enhancements being developed include IRST functionality for the AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD) and more durable stealth coating based on the F-35’s.

The F-22 was designed for a service life of 8,000 flight hours, with a $350 million "structures retrofit program". Investigations are being made for upgrades to extend their useful lives further. In the long term, the F-22 is expected to be superseded by a sixth-generation jet fighter to be fielded in the 2030s.

Design

Overview

The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter that is considered fourth generation in stealth aircraft technology by the USAF.[91] It is the first operational aircraft to combine supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform. The F-22 has four empennage surfaces, retractable tricycle landing gear, and clipped delta wings with reverse trailing edge sweep and leading edge extensions running to the upper outboard corner of the inlets. Flight control surfaces include leading-edge flaps, flaperons, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabilizers, and all-moving horizontal tails (stabilators); for speed brake function, the ailerons deflect up, flaperons down, and rudders outwards to increase drag.

The aircraft’s dual Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 augmented turbofan engines are closely spaced and incorporate pitch-axis thrust vectoring nozzles with a range of ±20 degrees; each engine has maximum thrust in the 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class. The F-22’s thrust-to-weight ratio at typical combat weight is nearly at unity in maximum military power and 1.25 in full afterburner. Maximum speed without external stores is approximately Mach 1.8 at military power and greater than Mach 2 with afterburners.

The F-22’s high cruise speed and operating altitude over prior fighters improve the effectiveness of its sensors and weapon systems, and increase survivability against ground defenses such as surface-to-air missiles. The aircraft is among only a few that can supercruise, or sustain supersonic flight without using fuel-inefficient afterburners; it can intercept targets which subsonic aircraft would lack the speed to pursue and an afterburner-dependent aircraft would lack the fuel to reach. The F-22’s thrust and aerodynamics enable regular combat speeds of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet (15,000 m). The use of internal weapons bays permits the aircraft to maintain comparatively higher performance over most other combat-configured fighters due to a lack of aerodynamic drag from external stores. The aircraft’s structure contains a significant amount of high-strength materials to withstand stress and heat of sustained supersonic flight. Respectively, titanium alloys and composites comprise 39% and 24% of the structural weight.

The F-22’s aerodynamics, relaxed stability, and powerful thrust-vectoring engines give it excellent maneuverability and energy potential across its flight envelope. The airplane has excellent high alpha (angle of attack) characteristics, capable of flying at trimmed alpha of over 60° while maintaining roll control and performing maneuvers such as the Herbst maneuver (J-turn) and Pugachev’s Cobra. The flight control system and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) make the aircraft highly departure resistant and controllable, thus giving the pilot carefree handling.

Stealth

The F-22 was designed to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar. Measures to reduce radar cross-section (RCS) include airframe shaping such as alignment of edges, fixed-geometry serpentine inlets and curved vanes that prevent line-of-sight of the engine faces and turbines from any exterior view, use of radar-absorbent material (RAM), and attention to detail such as hinges and pilot helmets that could provide a radar return. The F-22 was also designed to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature and acoustic signature as well as reduced visibility to the naked eye. The aircraft’s flat thrust-vectoring nozzles reduce infrared emissions of the exhaust plume to mitigate the threat of infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. Additional measures to reduce the infrared signature include special topcoat and active cooling of leading edges to manage the heat buildup from supersonic flight.

Compared to previous stealth designs like the F-117, the F-22 is less reliant on RAM, which are maintenance-intensive and susceptible to adverse weather conditions. Unlike the B-2, which requires climate-controlled hangars, the F-22 can undergo repairs on the flight line or in a normal hangar. The F-22 has a Signature Assessment System which delivers warnings when the radar signature is degraded and necessitates repair. While the F-22’s exact RCS is classified, in 2009 Lockheed Martin released information indicating that from certain angles the aircraft has an RCS of 0.0001 m² or −40 dBsm – equivalent to the radar reflection of a "steel marble". Effectively maintaining the stealth features can decrease the F-22’s mission capable rate to 62–70%.

The effectiveness of the stealth characteristics is difficult to gauge. The RCS value is a restrictive measurement of the aircraft’s frontal or side area from the perspective of a static radar. When an aircraft maneuvers it exposes a completely different set of angles and surface area, potentially increasing radar observability. Furthermore, the F-22’s stealth contouring and radar absorbent materials are chiefly effective against high-frequency radars, usually found on other aircraft. The effects of Rayleigh scattering and resonance mean that low-frequency radars such as weather radars and early-warning radars are more likely to detect the F-22 due to its physical size. However, such radars are also conspicuous, susceptible to clutter, and have low precision. Additionally, while faint or fleeting radar contacts make defenders aware that a stealth aircraft is present, reliably vectoring interception to attack the aircraft is much more challenging. According to the USAF an F-22 surprised an Iranian F-4 Phantom II that was attempting to intercept an American UAV, despite Iran’s assertion of having military VHF radar coverage over the Persian Gulf.

Posted by aeroman3 on 2019-08-12 04:35:03

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