The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors and fire-control systems. Unlike other modern military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting; because its large profile and low operating altitudes of 7,000 feet make it an easy target, its close air support missions are flown at night. The airframe is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. Developed during the Vietnam War as "Project Gunship II", the AC-130 replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, or "Gunship I"; the sole operator is the United States Air Force, which uses the AC-130U Spooky and AC-130W Stinger II variants for close air support, air interdiction, force protection, with the upgraded AC-130J Ghostrider entering service. Close-air-support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, urban operations.
Air-interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets of opportunity. Force-protection missions include defending other facilities. AC-130Us are based at Hurlburt Field, while AC-130Ws are based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico; the squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command, a component of the United States Special Operations Command. The AC-130 has an unpressurized cabin, with the weaponry mounted to fire from the port side of the fuselage. During an attack, the gunship performs a pylon turn, flying in a large circle around the target, therefore being able to fire at it for far longer than in a conventional strafing attack; the AC-130H Spectre was armed with two 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannons, one L60 Bofors 40 mm cannon, one 105 mm M102 howitzer. The upgraded AC-130U Spooky has a single 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon in place of the Spectre's two 20 mm cannons, an improved fire-control system, increased ammunition capacity; the new AC-130J was based on the MC-130J Commando II special-operations tanker.
The AC-130W Stinger II is a modified C-130H with upgrades including a precision strike package. During the Vietnam War, the C-130 Hercules was selected to replace the Douglas AC-47 Spooky gunship to improve mission endurance and increase capacity to carry munitions. Capable of flying faster than helicopters and at high altitudes with excellent loiter time, the use of the pylon turn allowed the AC-47 to deliver continuous, accurate fire to a single point on the ground. In 1967, JC-130A 54-1626 was selected for conversion into the prototype AC-130A gunship; the modifications were done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the Aeronautical Systems Division. A direct-view night-vision telescope was installed in the forward door, an early forward-looking infrared device was placed in the forward part of the left wheel well, with miniguns and rotary cannons fixed facing down and aft along the left side; the analog fire-control computer prototype was handcrafted by RAF Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton at the USAF Avionics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB.
Flight testing of the prototype was performed at Eglin Air Force Base, followed by further testing and modifications. By September 1967, the aircraft was certified ready for combat testing and was flown to Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam for a 90-day test program; the AC-130 was supplemented by the AC-119 Shadow, which proved to be underpowered. Seven more warplanes were converted to the "Plain Jane" configuration like the AC-130 prototype in 1968, one aircraft received the "Surprise Package" refit in 1969; the Surprise Package upgrade included the latest 20 mm rotary autocannons and 40 mm Bofors cannon, but no 7.62 mm close-support armament. The Surprise Package configuration served as a test bed for the avionic systems and armament for the AC-130E. In 1970, 10 more AC-130As were acquired under the "Pave Pronto" project. In the summer of 1971, Surprise Package AC-130s were converted to the Pave Pronto configuration and assumed the new nickname of "Thor". Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the "PAVE Spectre" project followed.
Regardless of their project names, the aircraft were more referred to by the squadron's call sign, Spectre. In 2007, AFSOC initiated a program to upgrade the armament of AC-130s; the test program planned for the 25 mm GAU-12/U and 40 mm Bofors cannon on the AC-130U gunships to be replaced with two 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannons. In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters; these were referred to as AC-130U Plus 4 or AC-130U+4. AFSOC, canceled its plans to install the new cannons on its fleet of AC-130Us, it has since removed the guns and reinstalled the original 40 mm and 25 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty. Brigadier General Bradley A. Heithold, AFSOC's director of plans, programs and assessments, said on 11 August 2008 that the effort was canceled because of problems with the Bushmaster's accuracy in tests "at the altitude we were employing it". Schedule considerations drove the decision, he said. Plans were made to replace the 105 mm cannon with a breech-loading 120 mm M120 mortar, to give the AC-130 a standoff capability using either the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or the Viper Strike glide bomb.
In 2010, the Air Force awarded L-3 Communications a $61 million contract to add precision strike packages to eight MC-130W Combat Spear special-mission aircraft to give them a gunship-like a
Microsoft MapPoint is a discontinued software program and service created by Microsoft that allows users to view and integrate maps. The software and technology are designed to facilitate the geographical visualization and analysis of either included data or custom data. Numerous acquisitions have supplemented both feature integration. MapPoint is intended for business users but competes in the low-end geographic information system market, it includes all of the functionality of the most recent version of Streets and Trips, the consumer mapping software, at the time of development, as well as integration with Microsoft Office, data mapping from various sources including Microsoft Excel and a Visual Basic for Applications interface allowing automation of the MapPoint environment. The MapPoint technology is used in Microsoft Streets and Trips, Microsoft AutoRoute, Encarta's atlas functionality, Bing Maps and Bing Maps Platform. MapPoint, along with its companions Streets & Trips and Autoroute, was discontinued on December 31, 2014 and has no further product support.
Bing Maps, along with the Windows 10 app Windows Maps are being represented as the replacement/alternative to MapPoint. Microsoft MapPoint as the software is updated every two years and available in both upgrade and full packaged product form. Previous versions were released starting with 2000, slated to be included in the Office 2000 Premium Edition suite, but never was. MapPoint 2000, initial release MapPoint 2001 similar to 2000; this version introduced Product Activation for MapPoint Retail versions although the MSDN, Software Assurance and OEM versions did not require activation. MapPoint 2010, many user and API enhancements, including the ability to show/hide map symbols and labels by type MapPoint 2011 updated map data and points of interest MapPoint 2013, updated interface with Metro-style icons, updated map data and points of interest, added support for reviews and ratingsNew versions have not always been at the same time as the equivalent Office releases despite being numbered similarly.
The program's icon and toolbars were not updated until the 2009 release to stay consistent with modern software applications. Version 2009 sporting an overhauled interface and claimed better Office integration was released in late 2008; the core map rendering engine remained the same and the GIS data was not updated as as one might expect of a product released in 2008, leaving out subdivisions and other features that were completed in 2007 and which are shown on online mapping systems. Further, the 2009 version replaced all built-in icons with icons that were brown or darker colors; this made them difficult to see on the map and resulted in users trying to restore the icon sets from version 2006. Old versions 2004 and 2006 both included 336 pushpin symbols; the 2009 version replaced these symbols with a new set of 46 pushpins. A new template can be used to add missing pushpin images to the program; the full range of pushpins were reintroduced in MapPoint 2010. The software is available for Microsoft Windows, includes a less-featured edition entitled Pocket Streets for the Windows CE family of products, such as Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone and Automotive.
In 2002, Microsoft launched a free online MapPoint service. This was superseded by MSN Maps, Live Search Maps, Bing Maps. Maptitude RegioGraph Official website
A Color Map of the Sun is the fourth studio album by the American electronic music producer Pretty Lights, released on July 2, 2013 by Pretty Lights Music and 8 Minutes 20 Seconds Records. The album is Smith's second double album, as well as his first to be composed from his own original material. Smith's recordings were pressed as samples on vinyl and mixed using software. Purely analog modular synthesis was used in the making of the album. In describing why he chose this requirement, Smith has stated: "I was trying to think of something that would be a massive challenge for myself and just a cool project. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it."A Color Map of the Sun was the first album that Smith released as a physical product at the same time as the digital copy, double vinyl and CD copies were released. The second disc of the CD features an additional 13 live studio recordings of the new music produced for the album. A documentary was released the same day as the album; the album made its debut at #2 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Charts.
On December 6, 2013 A Color Map of the Sun received nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album in the 2014 Grammys. Pretty Lights made his TV debut on Conan, performing "Around the Block" with Talib Kweli, Break Science, Eric Krasno of Soulive. A Color Map of the Sun
The 14th Boat Race took place on the River Thames on 4 April 1857. Held annually, The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford rowed in a keel-less carvel-built boat, the first time in the history of the race that such a construction method was used for one of the vessels. Umpired by Joseph William Chitty, the race was won by Oxford who triumphed over Cambridge by 11 lengths; the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The race was first held in 1829, since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having defeated Oxford by half-a-length in the previous year's race, they led overall with eight wins to Oxford's five. It was the first race to feature a keel-less carvel-built boat. Purchased by Oxford boat club president Arthur Heywood-Lonsdale from Newcastle boat builder Matthew Taylor, the Oxford crew rowed a practice time of 19 minutes 50 seconds in it, considered "remarkable" in a boat with fixed seats.
Lonsdale engaged Taylor to instruct Oxford how to "send his boat along as as possible", avoiding connotations of professional coaching, banned in the Boat Race. Cambridge rowed in a boat built by Salter of Wandsworth, it was the first race in which both crews rowed with round loom oars. Oxford "soon showed signs of good pace" in practice and set the course record with 19 minutes 50 seconds, a time which would remain unbeaten until the 1873 race. Cambridge began their practice rows "very late"; the race was umpired by Joseph William Chitty who had rowed for Oxford twice in 1849 and the 1852 race. Oxford saw four crew members return from the 1856 race in Gurdon, Lonsdale and the cox, while Cambridge welcomed back just two former Blues in Lloyd and Snow. Oxford were marginally the heavier crew at an average of just over 11 st 9 lb per rower, about 1 pound more on average than Cambridge; the Oxford president, Heywood-Lonsdale, rowed at number seven while his counterpart, R. Lloyd, rowed at six for the Light Blues.
Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, leaving Cambridge with the Surrey station. Starting soon after 11 a.m. Oxford made a good start and at Searle's boathouse were clear of Cambridge, they increased their lead to a length by the time they had reached "The Crab Tree" pub. Despite Cambridge making a number of pushes to try to recover the deficit, Oxford continued to pull away and completed the course 32 seconds ahead of Cambridge, eleven lengths clear; the winning time was 22 minutes 5 seconds. It was Oxford's fourth victory in the previous five races and represented the largest winning margin since the 1841 race, it was described in the Oxford Books' account as "without doubt... about the most hollow beating given to Cambridge by Oxford." Notes Bibliography MacMichael, William Fisher. The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races: From A. D. 1829 to 1869. Deighton. P. 37. Boat race oxford cambridge. Drinkwater, G. C.. B.. The University Boat Race – Official Centenary History. Cassell & Company, Ltd.
Burnell, Richard. One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Precision Press. ISBN 0950063878. Official website
The Penny Plunderer is a fictional criminal in the DC Universe, an adversary of Batman. He first appeared in World's Finest Comics #30; the story was written by uncredited Bill Finger. Joe Coyne began his career selling newspapers, he now commits crimes. In "The Penny Plunderers", he leaves Batman and Robin in a deathtrap shaped like a giant penny, with a penny each as a token of their worth - just two cents. Batman turns the tables by using the coins to make a signal for help; the giant penny shown in the Batcave is a trophy of Batman's defeat of the Penny Plunderer. Though he is a classic adversary of Batman, he has been ret-conned out of Batman's rogue gallery; the giant penny has been the focus of a ret-con and is now canonically known as an item that Two-Face attempted to use to crush Batman. The Penny Plunderer's last known whereabouts were at death row in Arkham Asylum, he had black hair. He made only one appearance. In Scarecrow/Two Face: Year One, Penny Plunderer makes a cameo appearance, he is robbing a bank with the underground approval of the Penguin.
Again he has a green pin-striped suit. He is attacked by Two-Face, waging his own vigilante war; the Batman confronts them both. Two-Face destroys the supports on the classic giant penny, inside the bank being robbed, it crushes Penny Plunderer, killing him and killing Jim Gordon. Batman stops the coin; the Penny Plunderer appeared on promotional artwork released for Harley Quinn, set to air on DC Universe
David William Moyes is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is the manager of Premier League club West Ham United, he was the manager of Preston North End, Manchester United, La Liga club Real Sociedad and Sunderland. Moyes was the 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year, he is on the committee for the League Managers Association in an executive capacity. Moyes made over 540 league appearances as a centre-back in a playing career that began with Celtic, where he won a championship medal, he played for Cambridge United, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town and Dunfermline Athletic before ending his playing career with Preston North End. He became a coach at Preston, working his way up to assistant manager before taking over as manager in 1998, his first managerial position. Moyes led Preston to the Division Two title in 1999–2000 and the Division One play-off final the following season. Moyes took over from Walter Smith as manager of Everton in March 2002. Under him, the club managed a fourth-place finish in the league in 2004–05, their highest finish since 1988, played in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League the following season, the first time they had taken part in the European Cup since 1970–71.
Moyes led Everton to a runners-up finish in the 2008–09 FA Cup, their best performance in the competition since winning it in 1995. Everton finished between fifth and eighth in the league under Moyes, at the time of his departure, he was the longest-serving current manager in the league behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, at 11 years and 3 months, he succeeded Ferguson as manager of Manchester United in June 2013, but with the club in seventh place in the league in April 2014 and unable to qualify for European competition, he was sacked after 10 months in the job. Moyes was appointed manager of Spanish club Real Sociedad in November 2014, but was again sacked after just under a year in charge. In July 2016, he replaced Sam Allardyce as manager of Sunderland, but resigned at the end of the 2016–17 season after the club was relegated to the EFL Championship. Moyes was appointed manager of West Ham in November 2017 and led the club out of the relegation zone to a 13th-place finish, but left at the end of the season when his contract was not renewed.
In December 2019 he was reappointed as manager of West Ham United for the second time, following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini. Born in Glasgow, Moyes started his career at Icelandic club ÍBV, playing half a season with the youth team in 1978. Moyes enjoyed a career that encompassed playing at a number of clubs as a centre-half, beginning at Celtic, where he won a championship medal and made 24 league appearances, ending with Preston North End; as a player with Cambridge United, Moyes received abuse from teammate Roy McDonough for his religious beliefs. McDonough felt. Following a 3–3 draw with Wigan Athletic on 9 March 1985, McDonough, 26 years old at the time, states that he "battered" Moyes for not putting sufficient effort into the game. While playing for Shrewsbury Town in 1987, Moyes began coaching at the nearby private school, Concord College, on the recommendation of Jake King as a way to supplement his wages. Moyes made over 550 league appearances in his career before becoming a coach at Preston, working his way up to assistant manager before taking over as manager in 1998.
Moyes captained Scotland at U18 age group level. He played under former UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh in 1980. Moyes took over as Preston North End manager in January 1998, replacing Gary Peters as the club struggled in Division Two and were in danger of relegation, he had spent much of his playing career preparing for management, taking coaching badges at just 22 years of age and compiling notes on managers he had played under, their techniques and tactics. Preston avoided relegation at the end of the 1997–98 season and reached the Division Two play-offs the following season, where they were beaten by Gillingham at the semi-final stage; the following season, Moyes guided Preston to the Division Two title and a promotion to Division One. An greater achievement was to steer Preston into the Division One play-offs the season after that, with the same squad. Preston lost 3–0 to Bolton Wanderers in the 2001 Football League First Division play-off Final, missing out on promotion to the Premier League.
One month Moyes signed a new five-year contract with the club. Towards the end of the following season, he left for Everton, to take over from fellow Scotsman Walter Smith in March 2002. Moyes took charge of Preston for 234 matches, of which his team won 113, drew 58 and lost 63. Moyes joined Everton on 14 March 2002 and at his unveiling press conference, declared that Everton were'The People's Club' on Merseyside, he said: "I am from a city, not unlike Liverpool. I am joining the people's football club; the majority of people you meet on the street are Everton fans. It is something you dream about. I said'yes' right away as it is such a big club." His first game in charge was two days against Fulham at Goodison Park. Everton won the game 2–1, with David Unsworth scoring after just 30 seconds. Everton managed to sustain a good run of form and avoided relegation, a genuine threat when he was appointed. Despite having a history and list of honours only surpassed i