The planet Earth will still be here long after humans are gone.  The planet Earth has internal mechanisms that it can use to correct whatever imbalance caused by human activity.  Part of this are typhoons, earthquakes and warmer temperature that we term as “global warming”.

And as a result of more human activity, humans cause faster and increasing magnitude of the imbalance on the atmosphere, water and air.  Thus, the planet has no recourse but to increase the magnitude and intensity of its correcting mechanisms.

Hence, we are experiencing more frequent and stronger typhoons, more frequent and stronger earthquakes and warmer temperatures.  The correcting mechanisms that the planet has its disposals will thwart all the imbalance human causes in its system and eventually restore everything to its original state even if its takes millions of years and even if it will result on the extinction of the human race.

The Earth does not care if we perish as a result of its correcting mechanisms because it is the nature of planets to do so, to put its systems in perfect balance irregardless of the effects on its inhabitants.

Thus, we do not need to save the planet Earth, we need to save ourselves from planet Earth’s correcting mechanisms like typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods, and global warming.  We need to stop causing imbalance (in terms of pollution, destruction of forests, killing of other earth inhabitants like how Japan is slaughtering thousands of whales yearly, causing forest fires, releasing radio active wastes, dumping of toxic and digital wastes, destructive mining, nuclear testing and other irresponsible activities) on the planet in order for Earth not to use all the correcting mechanisms it has on its disposal, for we will never survive.

Mr. Shapiro is a well known investor entrepreneur from the Miami, Dade county area, who was convicted of conducting a $930 million dollar Ponzi scheme.  Mr. Shapiro provided 11 months of in depth interviews revealing the fact that he supplied Thousands of illegal benefits  to over 70 different student athletes, with the knowledge and participation of some 7 different coaches from 2002 through 2009.

Mr. Shapiro who decided to work with local prosecutors and the NCAA team of investigators, stated that his eight year involvement with the University of Miami program, was an investment that ran into Millions of dollars.  Mr. Shapiro’s allegations state that he provided cash, prostitutes, parties and entertainment on his multi million dollar yacht, and one of his multi million dollar mansions.  Mr. Shapiro stated that he also footed the bill for expensive dinners and entertainment from high end restaurants and night clubs.

Mr. Shapiro was co-owner of a Axcess Sports & Entertainment  Agency, who signed former U of M athletes Vince Wilfolk and John Beason.  Mr. Shapiro alleges that he provided cash and special “favors” for scores of Miami athletes during his tenure as a football booster and sport’s agency co-owner.

Devin Shapiro with U of M Basketball Coach Frank Haith,  presenting a check for $50,000.00 to the University official Brenda Shalala at a fund raising event.

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 Shapiro said many of those same players were also being funneled cash and benefits by his partner at Axcess, then-NFL agent and current UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue. Shapiro said he also made payments on behalf of Axcess, including a $50,000 lump sum to Wilfork, as a recruiting tool for the agency.

Yahoo! Sports who were primary sources in breaking this huge sport’s scandal audited approximately 20,000 pages of financial and business records from his bankruptcy case.  Additionally, more than 5,000 pages of cell phone records, multiple interview summaries tied to his federal Ponzi case, and more than 1,000 photos were reviewed in an effort to substantiate Shapiro’s allegations. Nearly 100 interviews were also conducted with individuals living in six different states. In the process, documents, photos and 21 human sources – including nine former Miami players or recruits, and one former coach – corroborated multiple parts of Shapiro’s rule-breaking.

Shapiro with one of his alleged recipients of multiple “favors” Kellen Winslow Jr. former Cleveland Brown and current Tampa Bay football player.

Associate AD for Communications Freet stated “When Shapiro made his allegations nearly a year ago, he and his attorneys refused to provide any facts to the university”.  “We notified the NCAA enforcement officials of these allegations. We are fully cooperating with the NCAA and are conducting a joint investigation. We take these matters very seriously.”

Shapiro’s misguided attempts to assist the U of M athletes may have just the opposite effect on the football powerhouse. Shapiro described acts that could include violations of multiple parts of bylaw 11, involving impermissible compensation to coaches; multiple parts of bylaw 12, involving amateurism of athletes; multiple parts of bylaw 13, involving improper recruiting activity; and multiple parts of bylaw 16, involving extra benefits to athletes.

If Shapiro’s allegations prove to be true, the amount of time involved and the willful cooperation of university representatives would open the door to the NCAA’s “willful violations” exception to its four-year statute of limitations. Under bylaw 36.2.3, an investigation can expand beyond the statute if information reveals that an individual tied to a university has engaged in “a pattern of willful violations” over a sustained period beyond the previous four years.

By Shapiro’s own admissions his involvement with athletes, coaches and boosters ranged from 2003 through 2009. According to Shapiro’s statements to authorities, funds totalling as much or more then one million dollars of funds derived from an illegal Ponzi scheme were used for cash payments, prostitutes, and “entertainment” for Miami players.

Documents show a booster who broke NCAA rules, while simultaneously making tens of thousands of dollars in annual contributions to Miami’s athletic program. Mr. Shapiro did all of this, while incurring massive bills aligning himself socially with a stable of Miami players. A stable that features multiple elite players such as Wilfork, Beason, Andre Johnson,Devin Hester,  Kellen Winslow Jr., Antrel Rolle and many more – including at least 12 players currently on the Hurricanes roster.

According to Shapiro  ”Luther Campbell was the first uncle who took care of players before I got going,” referring to the entertainer notorious for supplying cash to Miami players in the 1980s and 1990s. He was ‘Uncle Luke,’ and I became ‘Little Luke.’ Effort of the university served to lessen and/or eliminate the influence Luther Campbell had on the athletic program and players, only to have Shapiro pickup where Campbell left off.

“Yeah, I’m guilty,” said Shapiro, whose plea to counts of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and money laundering resulted in a 20-year federal prison sentence. Shapiro also has one prior conviction on his record – an assault case from 1995 in which he pled guilty to punching a nightclub owner. Shapiro was sentenced to 18 months probation in that case. But I’m telling the truth about what happened at Miami. It’s the truth. And you tell me, why should the University of Miami be exempt from the truth?”

Shapiro dining with Basketball Coach Frank Haith and assistant coach Jake Morton.

• Shapiro broke rules with Coaches and Staffers:  Shapiro said he violated NCAA rules with the knowledge or direct participation of at least six coaches – Clint Hurtt, Jeff Stoutland, and Aubrey Hill on the football staff, and Frank Haith, Jake Morton and Jorge Fernandez on the basketball staff. According to sources at Yahoo Sports, Shapiro also violated NCAA rules with football assistant Joe Pannunzio.

Among the specific incidents, Shapiro or other sources say Hurtt, Hill, Stoutland, Pannunzio and Allen all delivered top-tier recruits to Shapiro’s home or luxury suite so the booster could make recruiting pitches to them. Among the players who were ushered to Shapiro while they were still in high school: Eventual Miami commitments Ray-Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye and Oliver Vernon (prompted by Hurtt); eventual Florida commitments Andre Debose and Matt Patchan (prompted by Stoutland and Pannunzio). 

Such revelations by the Miami Booster could serve to have the NCAA issue the dreaded “Death Penalty” to the U of M athletic program, and deservedly so.  One of the most distrubing aspects of this degenerates influence on the U of M football program was the issuance of “bounties” on opposing players with awards as high as $5000.00 for substantially causing injury to the opposing players.

Three sources, including two former Miami football players, confirmed that Shapiro offered bounties.

According to Yahoo Sports Shapiro had a number of individual payouts for “hit of the game” and “big plays.” He also put bounties on specific players, including Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and a three-year standing bounty on Seminoles quarterback Chris Rix from 2002 to 2004, offering $5,000 to any player who knocked him out of a game.

“We pounded the [expletive] out of that kid,” Shapiro said of Rix. “Watch the tape of those games. You’ll see so many big hits on him. Guys were all going after that $5,000 in cash. [Jon] Vilma tried to kill him – just crushed him – a couple of times trying to get that $5,000. And he almost got it, too.”

Vilma didn’t return a call seeking comment.

All in all the extremely well documented and diligent investigation conducted by Yahoo Sports, substantiated much of the allegations by the former Miami Booster Shapiro.  Included in those allegations, Shapiro claims that he spent outrageous sums of money to provide entertainment, prostitutes, sex parties, jewelry, cars, money and facilities to former students and athletes of the University of Miami, Florida Hurricanes.  This type of misguided enticement of high school players must be dealt with by issuing the most severe of sanctions available to the NCAA to discourage other misguided programs from failing to police their programs. 

The University of Miami is no stranger to NCAA violations having been previously penalized in 1994 when 57 U of M players were involved in a Pell Grant scheme uncovered by federal prosecutors.  Repeated violations by a university who wishes to hide behind the “ignorance” excuse can no longer be tolerated.  It is beyond any rational thinking that such flamboyant behaviour and extreme actions could have been beyond the recognition of university officials.  The days of hiding their heads in the sand, has long since passed, and penalties and sanctions should not only include the university, and coaches, but should also include possible ineligibility of college offenders to participate in professional sports. 

The contagious effect of “bad” high school athletes on good college programs, and then on good professional teams has been too long tolerated in American sports.  Player’s attorneys can no longer argue that these are but innocent children under the bad influence of greedy, manipulative adults.  In this case, as in most cases, players actively sought out and requested the assistance of boosters who willingly provide “favors” to help satisfy the athletes.  There was a day when young high school athletes were thrilled to be offered a scholarship to a top educational and athletic program such as the University of Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, Boston College, Standford and others.  Now, high school student athletes hold press conferences to “announce” their acceptance into the university of their choice.  

The former sanctity and purity of college athletics has been corrupted by greedy, spoiled “brat” athletes who feel college athletics is but a stepping stone to pro sports and the riches soon to be theirs.  Such has been witnessed by the sad series of events at Ohio state and the formerly highly regarded Coach Tressel.  College players who by their greed and insensitivity to the impact their actions could have on their mentors, openly seek “favors” from willing alumni or boosters.

I for one, believe all of college sports should require NCAA supervised academic testing of all student/athletes, to make sure they even have met the academic qualifications of the university as a student. Then and only then, should athletes be allowed to move through a collegiate academic system, in hopes of gaining a position with the professional sports world. The constant stream of “bad boy” athletes eventually convicted of a wide range of offenses once they reach the professional ranks has become a sad commentary on modern day professional sports.

The University of Miami should have their athletic program suspended from participation in college athletics for an extended period of time, and returned only if they can demonstrate an ability to completely eliminate any re-occurrence of past actions. Certainly, the alleged violations of NCAA rules and standards has far exceeded any and all “KNOWN” violations by any collegiate program previously.  The NCAA should immediately suspend all scholarship awards by both the football and basketball programs based on the allegations of Shapiro, and the confirmation of those incidents, by former U of M athletes.  The constant coddling of bad athletic programs, with bad athletes, has to end. It is the responsibility of the NCAA to take whatever actions, no matter how extreme, to end this rampant existence of abuse by program forever in search of the almighty dollar!

Every day we follow on television, in newspapers and magazines disasters and climate changes that are occurring rapidly in the global climate. You never saw such rapid change and with devastating effects as has occurred in recent years.

Europe has been hit by waves of heat to 40 degrees centigrade, cyclones hit Brazil (mainly the south and southeast coast), the number increases every day deserts, strong hurricanes cause death and destruction in various regions of the planet and icecaps are melting (a factor that can cause the advance of the oceans on coastal cities). What can be causing this? Scientists are unanimous in stating that global warming is related to all these events.

Global climate researchers claim that global warming is occurring due to the increased emission of greenhouse gases, mainly derived from burning fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, etc.) in the atmosphere. These gases (ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide) to form a layer of clean, difficult to spread, causing the famous greenhouse effect. This phenomenon occurs because these gases absorb much of the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth, making the heat dispersion.

Deforestation and burning of forests and woodlands also contributes to this process.The sun’s rays reach the ground and radiate heat in the atmosphere. As this layer of pollutants makes it difficult to heat dispersion, the result is the increase in global temperature. Although this phenomenon occurs more evident in large cities, there is already their global consequences.

 Melting ice in the polar caps: one of the consequences of global warming.

Consequences of global warming

- Rising sea levels: with increasing temperature in the world, is ongoing melting of polar ice caps. By increasing the water level of the oceans, may occur in the future, the submersion of many coastal cities;
- Growth and development of deserts: the increase in temperature causes the death of several animal and plant species, upsetting some ecosystems. Added to the deforestation that has occurred mainly in the forests of tropical countries (Brazil, African countries), the trend is significantly increasing the desert regions of the planet Earth;
- Increase of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones: the increase in temperature causes more evaporation occurs from the ocean waters, leveraging these types of weather disasters;
- Heat waves: regions of mild temperatures have suffered with the heat waves. In summer, for example, there has been an intense heat wave, even causing deaths of elderly and children.

Kyoto Protocol

This protocol is an international agreement aimed at reducing the emission of pollutants that increase the greenhouse effect the planet. Entered into force on February 16, 2005.The main objective is to assure that the decrease in global temperature over the next year. Unfortunately the United States, a country that emits more pollutants in the world, has not accepted the agreement because it said it would harm the country’s industrial development.

Bali Conference

Held from Dec. 3 to Dec. 14, 2007, in Bali (Indonesia), the UN Conference on Climate Change ended in a positive way forward. After 11 days of discussions and negotiations.the United States agreed with the position taken by the poorest countries. We established a timetable for negotiations and agreements to exchange information on climate change, among the 190 participating countries. The foundations laid will replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Copenhagen Conference – COP-15

The 15th UN Conference on Climate Change was held between 7 and 18 December 2009, the city of Copenhagen (Denmark). The Climate Change Conference brought together leaders from hundreds of countries around the world, aiming to take action to prevent climate change and global warming. The conference ended with a general feeling of failure because few practical steps have been taken. This occurred because there were conflicts of interests between the rich countries, mainly the United States and the European Union and those under development (mainly Brazil, India, China and South Africa).

Last time, a document without any legal value, was developed in order to reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by the year 2050. There was also the intention to release up to 100 billion dollars to be invested in environment by the year 2020. Countries should also make measurements of greenhouse gases every two years, issuing reports to the international community.

For me I guess the tipping point was when I came across a televised report on CNN of a report from NASA on Solar Flares . The report was about possible increase of Solar Flares that could have devastating effect on our planet. According to the report the sun has an eleven year cycle at which point these flares increase dramatically. This cycle is supposed to come to head around  2012. These solar flares could knock out every single thing from satellites, to cell phones & the power grid! And if the power grid goes everything goes.

Now I know you might be thinking that I’m crazy & to be honest I would normally be as skeptical as the next person. What got me is that this report was on a  major national & well respected news outlet backed with reports from NASA. It wasn’t some conspiracy crazy person in his moms basement posting doomsday warning on the Internet. It was official or at least an official possibility.

I am not a doomsday believer & don’t subscribe to the whole 2012 prophesy & I don’t believe the world will end in 2012. That being said however that doesn’t necessarily mean we shouldn’t be prepared on some level. I mean we need only look back on the recent hurricanes that struck the gulf coast & the real disaster that was FEMA that resulted in huge failures for 1000’s of people. No folks we may be on our own. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be the Grasshopper in the story “The Ants & The Grasshopper” nor the guys outside the Ark.

It doesn’t take much to be prepared & it’s not as expensive as you might think, right now at least. You really have nothing to lose & many of the things you need to gather will last about 10 to 15 years & can be used for many practical uses, if God willing nothing ever happens.

A small investment could pay out big. It’s like paying for insurance year after year, Yeah we all hate it but we are sure glad when we end up needing it. Paying this one time premium might be the best investment you make.

Below is the CNN report I viewed if you would like to take a look yourselves. Until my next article, thanks for reading.

http://youtu.be/XaDxwe8l3us

Each of those life changing events may or may not be soon forgotten. As for me, I’ll never forget the events both during and after the time when a violent storm flooded my home and caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to it and my personal property. Most of my furniture, personal keepsakes, appliances and electronic equipment was damaged or destroyed.

I did the best that I could to save what was still usable, as I struggled to hold back the tears and make countless phone calls to insurance providers, building contractors and those other people who could help me restore my life to what it once was. My neighbors were no better off than I was, as dozens of people drove into the area to see the resulting destruction that was caused by that violent storm.

Among that group of people were the claims adjusters sent by my insurance providers, the people from F.E.M.A., local Public Officials, the news media and a host of Red Cross volunteers. Each was most helpful.

There is no doubt within my mind that criminals and other such looters also came into the area to see what they could find or take from within the hundreds of now abandoned flooded homes. You see, the rush of the water, both into and out of those buildings caused doors and windows to be washed away, making it easy for any person to simply walk into those homes.

So too, those unprotected properties allowed the rain and the wind to cause more damage to whatever property that still was within those buildings. As a result, it is important to close each and every hole in the structure, by means of boarding up those openings to the elements. 

It might be many days or even many weeks before your home can be repaired. During that time anything can happen that could cause even more loss and damage to what you still have left of your life. Boarding up those open access ways into your home should be one of the first things that you do soon after you return to your home and see the damage.

As luck would have it, the electric utility company cut-off power to the flooded area to prevent fires the can be caused by flood damage. As an added precaution I turned off the main breaker within the circuit box to prevent power from going into my home before I left my home and checked into a motel, from which I contacted my insurance providers.

As it happens, it was more than a week before the power company again provided electric power to the area. Six people died within their homes as a result of the flood and several homes caught fire after the power company again provided electricity to the area.

You better believe that my Gulf Shore view truly was not worth what I suffered as a result of the flood that put more than three feet of salt water into my home, and the time and the money required making my home fit for Human habitation.    

In 1906 an earthquake fire in San Francisco, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude caused from the San Andreas Fault and reached the centre and in one of the biggest cities in the world, with a loud blast causing fires and many people died in this disaster.

In 1910 the Big Burn, a wild fire that was fought by men flaring through three million acres of ground, going at seventy five miles an hour this was like one hundred and fifty feet of the ground, an ordeal not to be forgotten.

The Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918, something that started like any other flu, with a  slight cough and a headache, rapidly going into high temperatures up to 104, degrees F, and killing millions of people around the world.

A Tri-State Tornado, this affected some American states in 1925, ever since,  there has never been another tornado like this one. Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois were struck by it, at that time tornado was not even in the weather programme.  People were killed in minutes.

In New England  hurricane in 1938, a devastating eye opener, destroyed everything is sight, and million dollars worth of damages, loss of homes and people were killed too.

The Great Alaskan Earthquake  and Tsunami in 1964, a magnitude of 9.2 struck in Alaska, giving way to under water slides causing Tsunamis and this lasted four minutes, being the largest earthquake in North America.

This disaster occurred in 1974, the Super Tornado Outbreak,  over the United States the winds got cold and dry, of 140 miles per hour and of an altitude of forty thousand feet, nobody knew what was going to b of this when the weather changed. There were three weather patterns,that combined to form the backbreaking one hundred and forty eight twisters which reached thirteen states.

Mount St. Helens Eruption in 1980 when an earthquake swept through this region when people were trapped and lost their lives disasters that have destroyed so much in our world.

In 1993 the storm of the century, for sure, people were left without power and it just kept going.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, this was horrifying, people were homeless, lives lost the world helped to make things better. This disaster broke many people’s heart a sad one because most of us knew about it and had seen it every paper.

Many of these Organizations have depended on both Canadians and Americans for a very long time. More and more these people in Africa for example are helped, but they too should be held responsible for their own actions. They can’t or shouldn’t depend on the rest of the world because that’s what they’ve been doing for a very long time, they should be able to take care of their own, or take the responsibility to raise the children they bring into the world. UNICEF is a huge Organization in Canada, and I assume in other parts of the world. I wrote them a letter one day last year asking if they handed out condoms? The answer I received was yes of course, but they couldn’t make the people use them. I truly believe that we, those of us who contribute to these Aid Organizations have donated far too much over the years, and if we were to put the brakes on the donations made, maybe these people in Africa would learn to stand on their own two feet instead of relying on the rest of the world to take care of the children they bring into a world without food, shelter, schools, or anything found in the free world. These people have become our dependants, and the reason they have become dependant on us, is because we keep giving. If the money well dried up these people would probably be a lot better off, and their children too. 

Like us perhaps they are acting on human nature, but their depending on the rest of the world has to come to an end one day, and better sooner than later. One only has to take a look around, the Free World isn’t as free as it once was. So many hard-ships from all over the world are being reaped upon us these days, with Landslides, Hurricanes, Tornado’s, Floods, Fires, and wars is slowly draining those of us who live in what’s referred to as the Free World, where oh where will it ever end?

Paul Faulkenham December 18,2010

Asians too have their own version of doomsday found in the book named ‘I-Ching’ or ‘The Book of Changes’ which was composed in old Chinese scripts. The I-Ching is a tool for generating predictions. A researcher studied the I-Ching and graphed all possible line sequences. He then discovered that the fortune telling tool In Reality corresponds to China’s 4000 years of history which is also deemed to be the getting begun of humanity. Coincidentally, the researcher’s graphs too ended in a definite time, December 21, 2012.

The native Indians, the Hopi, too expect on a exceptional day for the end of the world. According to them, on December 21, 2012, the sun will cultivate hotter melting glaciers at the poles. There will as well be series of earthquakes and the seas will never remain calm. If you analyze these prophecies cautiously, they all point to one ultimate disaster – a cracking flood which resembles the famous Bible story. The Hopi tribe too believes that 2012 will be the fourth and last time the Earth will be destroyed.

So is the world about to end? This is what a few believed, but others believe differently. Both parties do agree in the time to come destruction of Earth and humanity. The latter of the two, however, takes December 21, 2012 as the holy time for human redemption. As a few theories relating the ‘Age of Aquarius’ state, 2012 can be the year of ‘enlightenment’ – the time where customer will finally get action and save the Earth. It is the moment where all races and religions can become one. It is the getting begun of a fresh world cleansed of evil and hatred.

The enquiry now is, are we supposed to anticipate the doomsday? In occurrence it is very bound to come, are we happening to silently accept the faith or prepare? If we buy the latter, how?

Indeed, December 21, 2012, still poses many unanswered questions. We do not have the ability to foresee the future; but, we do have choices – reside today preparing for a darker tomorrow or reside today hunting forward for a brighter tomorrow. Either way is not correct or wrong.

What do you think? Will it make a difference? You can always just go with what happens or you can prepare and be informed.

If you wish to know more about 2012, click here

Earth. The third rock from the sun and the only known  planet to harbor life.  From the biblical perspective, she was created out of nothing when God created the Heavens and the Earth; Genesis 1:1

To the science community, Earth was created from the big bang event 4.5 billions of years ago. Life then appeared within billions of years after. And so with the existence man. From then on, Earth has been our one and only home among the planets that exist in the universe.

Home to millions and millions of species, Earth cradles a delicate balance of  life in a complex manner. Her vast biodiversity and ecological system can be considered as the very heart and soul of our existence. Think about this, the oxygen we breath are produced by the plants and trees that surround us from the carbon dioxide we expel.  Every living matter, from the smallest micro organism to  biggest living creature, has their own role to perform for others to survive. It is a world full of life and and amazing beauty.

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Yet beyond all of this are images of man destroying the only planet we llive in.  They say for the sake of progress.  But is it?

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Ignorant to the consequences of their actions oftentimes blaming  poverty for the things they do.

As man continuously destroying the environment for many years, the effects have been felt with recent weather disturbances that are considered to be extreme.

Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico August 2005

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Floods in Pakistan July 2010

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Typhoon Ketsana  (Ondoy) in the Philippines September 2009

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Drought in China March 2010

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Snow Strom Daisy Northern Germany January 2010

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Drought in Western Europe August 2010

Earth is obviously suffering and we may be at a point where the damages made are irreversible.  For now we  must do our part to save our planet no matter how small our contribution may seem to be.  Lets all hope and pray that its not to late.  Save Mother Earth

Photos presented  care of yahoo images.

For more information on the beauty and  wonders of mother Earth, you can read: Earth: 10 Stunning Land Formations

 This is the 70th year of the Battle of Britain surely our finest hour. The Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane are powerful symbols of our Royal Air Force.  There were other aircraft locked in a desperate battle for survival over the green fields of England, for instance the Bolton Paul Defiant see in depth,

http://authspot.com/short-stories/one-defiant-fighter-survived/

The date was August 26th 1940. Germany had launched a bomber attack by Dornier DO17 twin engine bombers.

At Hornchurch dispersal a telephone rang and a senior flight officer picked up the call, he immediately stuck his head out of the open window and shouted,

 “Scramble!”

No264 squadron flew the Bolton Paul Defiant fighter aircraft, Flt Lt Barclay climbed quickly into his Defiant fighter the Rolls Royce Merlin V12 supercharged engine was at fast idle courtesy of the ground crew. James Barclay could hear his own heart beating over the magnificent sound of the Merlin engine.

Lt Jones was being assisted into the rear ward facing four gunned turret that was mounted behind the cockpit of the pilot.  The Defiant had no forward facing armaments! The turret of the Defiant had 4x .303 calibre machine guns with a total of 2,640 rounds of ammunition.  Lt Jones secretly was sick every time he heard the word Scramble.  The turret which was nick-named the “office” was notoriously hard to get out of in an emergency.

The “Office”

If the hydraulics that controlled the turret were damaged the poor gunner had to manually wind his turret to the extreme left or right and roll backwards into the cool summer air, and hope his parachute opened.

Flt Lt Barclay pushed the throttle lever to max power for take off and the Defiant gathered speed down the grass runway at Hornchurch fighter station.  At around 110mph Barclay hauled back on the control column and the Defiant climbed slowly to its patrol height of 10,000ft over Herne bay on the coast in Kent.  Approaching the coast of England were 24 German DO17 bombers.

A formation of Defiant fighters circa 1940.

The ground radar teams had vectored the Defiant’s to intercept the bombers over the Kent coast.  Flying high above were squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes who were tasked with destroying the German ME109e fighters that were guarding the DO17 bombers.  The Defiant being slower and far less manageable than the Spitfires were told to target the bombers and leave the German fighters for the top cover boys.

The pilot Flt Lt Barclay spotted the lumbering DO17 and shouted into his intercom,

“Tally Ho, bombers slightly above us and to the right take your pick chaps!”

Barclay advanced the throttle to maximum and hauled back on the control column. In the rear turret Jones positioned the lead aircraft in the “Vic” formation, he squeezed the twin trigger handles and the turret rocked back and forth as .303 bullets flew from his Browning machine guns, several hits were noticed on the right engine of the DO17 and flames shot rearwards from the engine cowling.  The DO17 dived in flames into the clouds beneath.

Barclay thumbed his microphone and said,

“Great shooting Jones I’m going to position us next to the lead bomber in the next formation, be ready ok?”

Jones shaky voice replied,

“OK skip lets get this done I have a bad feeling about today!”

Flt Lt Barclay had his doubts about his trusty gunner the strain of combat was not for all people.  However they had a job to do and now wasn’t the time to prognosticate.  The Defiant was smoothly brought alongside the leading DO17 in the second wave of bombers.

Once again Lt Jones targeted the lumbering bomber in his circular sight.  Gritting his teeth in anger Jones mashed the twin triggers and round after round slammed into the fuselage and cockpit of the DO17.  Suddenly the machine guns jammed which was a very common and deadly design fault! Jones thumbed the intercom,

“Skip were jammed again shit! Get us out of here were defenceless!”

On hearing this Barclay advanced the throttle on the V12 Merlin and headed for the deck.  The altimeter spiralled downwards as the Knots gauge spiralled upwards, Barclay traded height for speed.  At around 300mph Barclay pulled out of the dive and levelled out at 1,500ft.

Cannon shells smashed into the engine cowling and cockpit of the Defiant! An ME109e had chased Barclay down all the way after he fled his attack on the bomber stream.  Jones was hit by Perspex splinters and he bled profusely from a head wound.  Flames began licking around the boots of Barclay!  Smoke poured into the cockpit from the stricken Merlin engine which had taken on a death howl of disintegrating pistons and camshafts!

The last words Jones heard in this lifetime were,

“Jones get out! Bail out now were finished jump, jump!”

Lt Jones although blinded pulled the control lever to rotate his gun turret.  Nothing happened the hydraulic hose to the turret had been cut by cannon shells.  Barclay screamed as the flames burnt his feet and lower legs his blue tunic offered no protection against a petrol fire.  Barclay managed to pull open the canopy on the Defiant and tried to stand up.  The slip stream was too great and it pinned him into his fiery coffin.

Lt Jones began winding the manual handle to rotate his turret so he could bail out.  Barclay in the cockpit acted on pure instinct and pulled the control column all the way to the left, the Defiant slowly rolled to port and became inverted.

Barclay’s body weight pulled him free from his burning aircraft, he pulled the rip cord on his parachute and it opened instantly.  Luckily the flames had not burned the silk parachute.  Holding his chute lines Barclay watched as the Defiant plunged earthwards in its death throws!  Lt Jones was pinned upside down in his turret as the Defiant plunged into the ground at over 300mph!

Lt Jones’s body was never found all that remained was a huge creator 20ft deep in the lush Kent soil near Herne Bay.

Spare a thought for all the brave men who fought and died in Bolton Paul Defiant fighters in the Battle of Britain.

Lord Banks