Peace, love and paradise: Sportswomen and celebrities reveal their what they are proud and insecure

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, love and paradise: A glimpse inside the clothing-optional commune started by Elizabeth Taylor's brother to get back at the Hawaiian government Thanks to a bitter disagreement between Elizabeth Taylor's brother and the Hawaiian government, a group of hippies, surfers and Vietnam veterans were able to create their own utopia on a seven-acre stretch of beach in 1969. Taylor camp, as it became known, was named after Howard Taylor, the actress's older brother who owned the stretch of land on the north shore of Kauai. An oceanographer and marine artist, Taylor lived across the bay from the plot and planned to extend his estate by building on the land. However, the local government had other plans and rejected Taylor's repeated requests for building permits, as they had the intention to condemn the lot and turn it into a state park. Though Howard may have chosen a life out of the spotlight, he still had his sister's flair for the dramatic. When he heard that police had rounded up 13 vagrants who recently moved to the island from Berkeley, California, he decided to bail out the lot and allow them to live on his land rent free. 'It’s your land and they’re now your hippies,' Taylor reportedly told officials, when they complained about the new inhabitants on Ke'e Beach. Scroll down for video +28 Moment of zen: For eight years in the 1970s, a group of hippies built their own community on a stretch of beach on the island of Kauai +28 Famous connections: The seven-acre stretch of land was owned by Howard Taylor, brother of actress Elizabeth Taylor, who planned to build on the land but was repeatedly blocked by the local government  +28 Free land: Out of revenge, Taylor bailed 13 vagrants out of jail and told them they could live on his property for free  +28 Community: Over the years, the group of 13 grew to more than 100 as word spread about the free rent in paradise +28 Piece of paradise: Above, a map of Taylor Camp as it appeared in 1976. While most of the campers started off living in primitive tents, they soon started building homes using bamboo and reclaimed wood +28 Brother and sister: Howard Taylor is pictured above with his sister Elizabeth in 1965. Howard and Elizabeth spend one Christmas with the campers, but otherwise left them mostly alone Taylor rarely visited the camp, but he did spend Christmas with the group once, along with his famous sister. For the next eight years, the group grew from the original 13 to well over 100 as word spread about the little piece of paradise. Starting with tents, the campers soon grew more sophisticated in their use of the land, building elaborate tree houses out of bamboo and salvaged wood. They even grew produce in a mandala-shaped garden. John Wehrheim never lived in the commune, but he captured their way of life as a constant visitor. The professional photographer's girlfriend lived next door to Taylor in Ha'ena and he spent a lot of time at the camp in the 70s, taking pictures of the residents, who more often than not walked around in the nude. In a new book containing his collection of pictures from the Camp, Wehrheim writes that it was 'a whimsical experiment in living ostensibly supported with the back-to-the-land ethos of fishing and farming (while actually propped up with food stamps and welfare).' While the community was certainly not devoid of problems, especially the hard drug users of the later years, many who lived there remember it as some of the best times of their lives. +28 USA: Professional photographer John Wehrheim never lived in the community, but he did visit several times to photograph its inhabitants +28 Memories: Wehrheim worked on a documentary about the camp, and has recently published a book with his pictures from the day +28 Childhood in the trees: Many children were born and raised in the camp, and took a bus to the nearby school +28 The good and the bad: The community's 'no rules' ethos unfortunately attracted a few bad eggs, and hard core drug users started showing up in the later years In an article for Honolulu Weekly written in 2008, former Taylor Camper John Wythe White remembers the experience positively. 'I surfed or swam every day. Hiked and hitchhiked. Worked in the communal garden and ate the food we grew there: lettuce, tomatoes, collard greens, etcetera. Picked mango and papaya and guava from trees. Friends from outside brought us fresh fish and kalua pig and macadamia nuts still in the shell. I supplemented all this with brown rice, other staples, cheap red wine and candy bars from the Ching Young Store in Hanalei. Learned to spearfish. Played my guitar and harmonica. Smoked pot and dropped acid. Met girls and made love, casually but affectionately. I was having the time of my life, and I am as aware of that now as I was then,' he said. However, the 'no rules' ethos of Taylor Camp ultimately led to its downfall, giving authorities to search the camp in search of hard-core drugs. In the last months of the camp, the government convinced most everyone to move on, so that there were only a few stragglers left behind at the end, when they had to be forcibly escorted off the property. To make sure that the campers never came back, local authorities took a torch to their structures, burning their eight-year paradise to the ground. Hippie commune Taylor Camp immortalised in documentary   +28 Lounging lady: The drugs were what ended up being the commune's downfall, as they allowed governments authorities to raid the camp and make arrests +28 Sun-kissed: In the last months of the camp, the government convinced most everyone to move on, so that there were only a few stragglers left behind at the end, when they had to be forcibly escorted off the property. +28 Paradise children: To make sure that the campers never came back, local authorities took a torch to their structures, burning their eight-year paradise to the ground. +28 Fruit of the land: The campers grew much of their own produce in a garden in the shape of a mandala. Many were also on food stamps +28 Faithful: A group of campers gathers in a structure for a prayers service. The campers started a church called the Brotherhood of the Paradise Children +28 Whimsical: In a new book containing his collection of pictures from the Camp, Wehrheim writes that it was 'a whimsical experiment in living ostensibly supported with the back-to-the-land ethos of fishing and farming (while actually propped up with food stamps and welfare).' +28 Heavenly: Sun breaks through the clouds on the Ke'e Beach, where the community was located from 1969 until 1977 +28 No care in the world: Clothing was very much optional in the community. Above, a naked man reclines n a shack +28 Portrait of love: A happy couple embrace and smile for the cameras inside a hut in Taylor Camp +28 In the kitchen: young woman poses for a picture in a camp kitchen, sporting a golden tan even visible in the black and white picture +28 Inspecting the crop: A naked women wearing only a headscarf inspects some lettuce in the community's garden +28 Temporary: Above, one of the shacks built in the community. Residents were notable not allowed to build permanent homes +28 White sand beaches: Two young girls pose for a picture outside a shack in the community. When the group was broken up, many of the members chose to remain in Hawaii A time and a place: Above, portraits of Taylor campers from the 1970s. The group at one point had as many as 120 members +28 Home sweet home: A young woman sews on a bed, while a man stares at the camera in a room decorated by a Young Frankenstein poster Bathroom humor: An apt poster of Frank Zappa sitting on a toilet decorates a wall near the community's al fresco restrooms

Famous female athletes and celebrities – including Kirsty Gallacher – pose naked in new photos celebrating women’s bodies Sportswomen and celebrities reveal their what they are proud and insecure about in their bodies The ladies include Olympians, Victoria's Secret models and reality stars The women, who include including Olympian Sophie Hitchon and the model Chrissy Teigen also posed naked A selection of top sportswomen and celebrities have spoken out about the pride and insecurities they have in their bodies. The ladies, who include Olympians Sophie Hitchon and Samantha Murray, model Chrissy Teigen and reality star Lucy Mecklenburgh, also posed naked in the feature for Women's Health magazine. They are among eight inspiring women who each discussed why they are proud of their bodies, not just for their beauty, but their strength, power and imperfections. Scroll down for video +9 Sophie Hitchon, who is a British Olympic Hammer Thrower used to hate her sturdy thighs but now loves them In the article, many of the women talked about overcoming self-doubt about the way they look to appreciate how their body works. Sophie Hitchon, who is a British Olympic Hammer Thrower and Current British Record Holder, revealed that she used to hate her sturdy figure but now loves it. She said: 'I love my big thighs. I wouldn’t be able to pick up a hammer without them. I put blood, sweat and tears into building them up. 'When I was younger, I always wished I was more petite or willowy; now they’re a symbol of my success as an athlete.” 'I won’t lie – as a woman, there are times when you look in the mirror and think, "I wish this was smaller, I wish that was flatter." 'But when you’re an athlete, you need to train for your PB, not what you look like.' +9 World Champion Pentathlete Samantha Murray believes her body looks the best it ever will at the moment Sophie isn't the only sportswoman to have overcome body insecurities that came about from her training. Fran Halsall, who is a European Champion Swimmer, Commonwealth Gold Medalist and World Silver Medallist has developed a strong upper body after years of training. She said: 'I have a very particular body shape – but I’ve accepted my big shoulders are the tools of my trade. 'Although it’ll be nice not to be as big when I stop swimming competitively in the future, I’ll still want to stay lean and athletic. I’ll always want to work on my body.' +9 European Champion Swimmer Fran Halsall has developed a strong upper body after years of training. +9 Model Chrissy Teigen likes drinking champagne and eating hearty dinners, so works out regularly +9 Chrissy said: 'I used to take pride in the fact I didn’t have to work out, and then I hit that age where you have to Chrissy Teigen on body confidence: 'I'm more confident naked'   Not everyone had this attitude though, in fact, Samantha Murray, who is a World Champion Pentathlete and Olympic Silver Medalist, believes her body looks the best it ever will at the moment. She said: 'It would be an insult to my body to say there are parts I’m not keen on – it’s served me so well and I couldn’t have won an Olympic medal without it. 'People say pentathletes have sport’s most beautiful bodies because of their diverse training plan – I’ve got the tone of a swimmer, the leanness of a runner, strong thighs from riding and good glutes from fencing.” 'I’ll always stay in good shape, but this is probably the best my body will ever look – and I couldn’t respect it more.' +9 Chloe Madeley started training in the gym so she could look like Britney Spears +9 Lucy Mecklenburgh piled on the pounds when she joined TOWIE +9 TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher made the decision to start channeling her energy into positive things, which includes getting into shape   Unsurprisingly, the celebrities who took part in the feature were far more insecure about their figures. Their attitude to fitness was also largely based on how it would affect their appearance. +9 For instance, Chloe Madeley, the daughter of TV presenters Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley, started training in the gym so she could look like Britney Spears, while the model Chrissy Teigen exercises so that she can maintain her figure while eating what she likes. Chrissy said: 'I used to take pride in the fact I didn’t have to work out, and then I hit that age where you have to. 'I want to drink champagne and have hearty dinners, so I would rather work out for an hour and be able to do what I want. 'I’ve always had to watch myself. My family is not naturally thin and we put on weight quickly. I find low-carb works for me.' Meanwhile, former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh, who now runs a fitness website called Results With Lucy, revealed that she piled on the pounds when she started to work on the ITVBe reality show. She said: 'TOWIE didn’t just bring me fame, it made be bigger than I’d ever been before. 'I was drinking every night, living off pasta – I’d never worried about exercise or ‘no carbs before Marbs’, but suddenly I couldn’t fit into my jeans. 'So two years ago I started working with a PT Celia Harris. I slimmed down quickly and I’d wake up happier, more motivated – I wanted to get to the gym to push my body.' TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher also took part and revealed that after a divorce and juggling full-time work with two children, she recently made the decision to start channeling her energy into positive things, which included getting into shape

The US Navy 'Star Wars' weapon that can can fire missiles at three times the speed of sound from existing guns: The “Warthog

 

 

 

 

 

The US Navy 'Star Wars' weapon that can can fire missiles at three times the speed of sound from existing warship guns Warships carry dozens of conventional missiles, costing £600,000 each Could be loaded with hundreds of railgun projectiles at only £15,000 each Weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target Projectile has menacing Latin motto 'I, who am speed, eradicate' A radical new weapon that can fire a shell at mach three and use existing warship guns is believed developed by the US Navy. The new guided rounds were originally designed as part of the Navy's railgun project, which will fire them at mach 5 - but is not expected to be available until 2025. However, Navy bosses now believe they can adapt the projectiles to be fired through normal guns - albeit at a slower Mach 3 speed. Scroll down for video +3 The hyper velocity projectile uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target and comes equipped with the menacing Latin motto 'I, who am speed, eradicate'. HISTORY OF THE RAILGUN The weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target and comes equipped with the menacing Latin motto 'I, who am speed, eradicate'. Using an electromagnetic force known as the Lorenz Force, the gun accelerates a projectile between two rails that conduct electricity, before launching it at ferocious speed. This means the railgun can fire further than conventional guns and maintain enough kinetic energy to inflict tremendous damage. Railguns were first conceived of nearly a century ago and patented by French inventor Louis Octave Fauchon-Villeplee. Nazi Germany took up the research during the Second World War to adapt its anti-aircraft guns. Naval Sea Systems Command are now in early testing phases of using the planned hyper velocity projectile (HVPs) with the service's existing gunpowder-based deck guns found on almost every U.S. Navy surface ship, NAVSEA told USNI News. The new projectiles will be more than double the speed of an unguided regular shell from the service's Mk 45 five-inch gun found on its guided missile cruisers and destroyers, according to information from NAVSEA. Navy bosses hope that by using existing guns, they can bring the weapons online far sooner. According to NAVSEA, the service is also investigating using HVP in larger guns than the MK 45. 'The round is being designed to be compatible with multiple guns in the U.S. inventory,' read the NAVSEA statement to USNI News. Both BAE Systems and General Atomics have worked with the service on railgun and projectile technology, though NAVSEA did not specify any companies working on the effort. 'This is a government-led effort, and we are working to involve a number of different defense contractors at this stage,' NAVSEA said. A BAE Systems designed railgun will undergo a first round of at-sea testing next year. Warships can carry dozens of conventional missiles, which cost around £600,000 each, but could be loaded with hundreds of railgun projectiles, at only £15,000 each. The projectiles, Hyper Velocity Projectiles, are also under development by BAE. Earlier the year the dedicated railgun capable of firing at seven times the speed of sound was shown off in public for the first time. Described as 'Star Wars technology' by researchers, the railgun can fire shells at seven times speed of sound, and penetrate concrete 100 miles away. The weapon was on display to the public for the first time at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  Using electromagnetic energy, the gun can fire a shell weighing 10kg at up to 5,400mph over 100 miles – with such force and accuracy it penetrates three concrete walls or six half-inch thick steel plates. Two prototypes of the weapon have been developed for the US Navy – one by British arms manufacturer BAE Systems and the second by a US firm. United States Navy shows off its new electric railgun +3 The guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) test fires the MK45 5-inch lightweight gun. US Navy bosses hope they will be able to fire the new HVP weapons The BAE version was shown off earlier this year. Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, head of US Naval Research, said the futuristic electromagnetic railgun – so called because it fires from two parallel rails – had already undergone extensive testing on land. It will be mounted on high-speed vessel the USNS Millinocket for sea trials in 2016. 'It's now reality and it's not science fiction,' Admiral Klunder said. 'It's firing. 'An electromagnetic railgun is a gun that uses just electricity – no gun powder – and … can shoot a projectile well over 100 miles at Mach 7. +3 How the full railgun system will work: Researchers now hope to developa projectile that can be used in existing guns US Navy to deploy prototype RAILGUN aboard ships 'Energetic weapons, such as EM railguns, are the future of naval combat.' Electromagnetic launchers were one of the areas researched by Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative, nicknamed 'Star Wars' after the science fiction film franchise. Admiral Klunder added: 'It will help us in air defence, it will help us in cruise missile defence, it will help us in ballistic missile defence … we're also talking about a gun that's going to shoot a projectile that's about one one-hundredth of the cost of an existing missile system today. 'It … will give our adversaries a huge moment of pause to go, 'Do I even want to go engage a naval ship?'.'

One of the most fearsome fighter jets of the 20th century is the A-10 Thunderbird II, or the “Warthog.” On the surface, it looks like a pure killing machine capable of colossal damage, and on many levels it is. This Fairchild Republic creation was first introduced into the United States Air Force in 1977, and has been utilized in numerous encounters worldwide, primarily in the Middle East. Take a look at 16 incredible facts about this iconic airplane… #1: The A-10 is one of the most lethal planes the U.S. has built Armaholic Empty Weight: 24,959 lbs Loaded Weight: 30,384 lbs Technically speaking, the aircraft is named the A-10 Thunderbolt II. And when you think about it, that’s a much more professional sounding name than “Warthog” (though it isn’t as cool). But warthogs aren’t pretty animals, and neither are these planes. Thus, the name “warthog” began to stick in the late 1970s and became legendary.   It is primarily used for close quarters ground support Imgur Cruise Speed: 340 mph A-10s are utilized to assist ground vehicle attacks. Imagine there are a few enemy patrol vehicles in a nearby Afghanistan town. Guess who would be tasked to take them out? Yep, the “Warthog.”   There is a bulletproof “bathtub” onboard The Blaze They call it a “bathtub,” but it’s not literally a soap and bubbles kind of thing. Nevertheless, the pilot’s space is called the “bathtub” due to the over 1,000 pounds of titanium steel surrounding him in the cockpit. If there is a fiery mishap, the tub is the place you need to be.   The plane’s cannon has demolished over 1,000 enemy tanks Air Force Live Due to the heavy usage of this fighter jet during the Gulf War, they were responsible for eliminating a multitude of ground aircraft across the region. National Defense Magazine Operation Desert Storm was probably the single biggest utilization of these beasts. It’s bigger than a Volkswagen bug Wikimedia Essentially, the A-10 is built as one BIG gun. It’s cannon is over 19 feet long and weighs a massive 4,000 lbs. But hey, if it were any less powerful then it wouldn’t be able to fire through steel tanks. ES Academic   The gun is so massive, it had to be installed off-center Imgur The unit must be installed a little off-center because the recoil from the cannon could cause a change in the plane’s trajectory. In order to keep everything aerodynamically sound, Fairchild’s design team had to account for the physical impact of shots and even had to change the position of the landing gear.   Bullets are the size of beer bottles Thrillist The next time you pop open a bottle of brew, imagine that kind of size (and shape) going into an armored tank at a trillion miles per hour. Okay, not a trillion but it still moves fast. What else can this aircraft be util   A custom vehicle was built to load ammo into the ‘Hog’ Shinobi This odd, buggy looking contraption was developed for the sole purpose of loading the ammunition into the gun. What’s cooler, is that it’s called a “Dragon.” It’s not everyday when you see a dragon loading bullets into a warthog. Oh nicknames.   Each missile is filled with Uranium Imgur The A-10 contains depleted uranium that’s a byproduct of creating nuclear fuel. Don’t let the term ‘depleted’ fool you. This stuff unleashes its full potency when the heat seeking missiles collide against an enemy tank. Think of it as shooting flaming uranium up through the bullet as it impacts an object. Pretty disastrous stuff.   Its can only be fired for more a few seconds at a time Tumblr In case you didn’t know, heat seeking missiles produce heat. Due to this phenomenon, pilots are discouraged from going haywire with their missiles. Just two seconds of shooting can produce nearly 150 rounds of uranium. When they’re traveling at 2,000 mph, it should produce all the destruction you’ll ever need. Pinterest   It’s basically bulletproof Super Compressor Missiles can’t take this sucker down very easily. The “bathtub” in front keeps the pilot safe, while the rest of the plane is coated in layers upon layers of reinforced steel. The A-10s took a lot of heat during Operation Desert Storm, as is evidenced by the above fuselage. This pilot not only survived this shooting, but he landed without incident.   Landing gear doesn’t retract all the way Super Compressor In order to protect the A-10’s wings, engineers have made its landing gear close to the ground. Otherwise, the impact could twist them and they could break. It also reduces the chance of disaster during emergency landings.   They made a monster truck version Kinja-img Weighing in at 10,000 pounds, this A-10 vehicle replica has become a key marketing tool for the U.S. Air Force. The monster truck tours the country and world, and has become a fan favorite at various air shows. If you can tell, it’s constructed with nearly identical specs to the plane.   An NFL pro piloted the A-10 Wikimedia Chad Hennings was a star defensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys during their 3-time Super Bowl titles. Before his time in big D, he piloted the A-10 “Warthog” in the Persian Gulf. The trend of military men turned NFL athletes would continue several years later with the iconic Pat Tillman.   When the plane is serviced, the tail must be supported by a set of jacks Fly Away Simulation The guns on this plane are so heavy, that when serviced, the back must be supported due to the imbalance.   It’s actually a gigantic weather monitor Defense Not that it intended to track weather at all times, but it can. Due to all of its steel and armor reinforcement, the A-10 can fly through thunderstorms and track weather conditions. I can’t say that I’d want to spend a lot of time in that cloud, but hey, it might be fun at first.