text:
SOHO — Indie craft fans no longer have to wait for Santa's sleigh — or UPS — to deliver their holiday gifts.
The craft and vintage goods website Etsy is operating a holiday pop-up store in SoHo, marking the first time the company has operated a physical store.
Chock full of items like gloves stitched with a heart formed when the wearer places his palms together ($30), the Etsy Holiday Shop at 131 Greene St. below West Houston Street is selling quirky clothing, accessories and home goods through Saturday.
Chad Dickerson, CEO of the Brooklyn-based company, said Etsy items like a coffee cup cozy crocheted with a mustache ($12.50-14.50) offer gift-givers unique options.
"We want shoppers to know that they don't have to buy the same old gifts this year — Etsy sellers offer a better choice," he wrote on the company's blog.
Etsy consultant Dana Mauriello, who was overseeing the store Monday, said shoppers there could get something different than they could at an ordinary store.
"Not only can you buy a piece of jewelry here, you can get it engraved and you can watch as it's made," she said.
The Etsy store is hosting a long list of workshops and performances, including a Dec. 6 talk by public radio show host Jesse Thorn, a Dec. 7 gingerbread brownstone-making demonstration and a Dec. 8 show by comedian and musician Reggie Watts.
Nick Sambrato, co-owner of the Orlando-based custom print shop Mama's Sauce Letterpress & Silk Screen, stamped out gift tags bearing Etsy's name on Monday using a 100-year-old letterpress machine.
Sambrato, 32, attributed the recent popularity of handmade products to many people's desire to feel connected to what they wear and use.
"A lot of my friends, they could tell you who made the shirt they're wearing," he said. "It's a really cool thing that people are starting to value that more and more."
The Etsy Holiday shop at 131 Greene St. is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 8.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Are these ever going to be able to be watched by those outside of US? I thought we would be able soon but still no luck
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This Colorado Custom Caddy Is A Total Knockout
When Al Manes gets hot for a car, its tough to make him let it go. Als best friend Bill Becker was friendly with a woman who had a nice original 61 Cad that she rented out as a movie car. Al was smitten with the car and just had to have it. The problem was that it wasnt for sale, so he waited and persisted in trying to purchase the land yacht of his desire. Time eventually turned the perpetual no into a yes and Al took delivery of his new highway schooner.
Fast forward to when Als buddy, Rick Dore, happened to be visiting Al at his place of business, Colorado Custom in Fort Collins, Colorado. On his way out, Rick noticed the Caddy parked outside and inquired as to whose car it was. Al claimed it and asked Rick if he wanted to build it. They had a nice laugh about it and Rick headed for the airport.
Three days later, Rick received a phone call from Al, who told him that the car was on its way to Dores Glendale, Arizona, shop. It turns out that Al was serious about having Rick build the car, and since Rick uses Colorado Custom wheels on all of his cars, he couldnt say no to his friend.
Once the car arrived, Rick wasted no time in getting started. He yanked the Cadillacs drivetrain and sent it out to Desert Cylinder in Phoenix for a complete rebuild. While the powerplant was being machined and refreshed, the rest of the car took a trip over to Auto Core in Phoenix for body and suspension upgrades. The kids at Auto Core cleaned up and smoothed the body and installed a complete Air Ride Technologies air-suspension system. Once the mechanical work and the modifications were completed and all the parts were returned to Dores shop, Rick wasted no time in putting the car back together.
When it was whole again, the Caddy took a trip out west to Lucky 7 Customs in Antioch, California, where Marcos Garcia, John Aiello, and Vince Byrne prepped and painted the Cad with a custom mix of candy orange using House of Kolor paints. Once the car was sufficiently oranged and flamed, it went to Martinez, California, where Bob Devine stitched the fawn color leather interior.
Als Cadillac made her big debut at the 01 SEMA Show and, as you can tell, shes a total knockout.


text:
I am perfectly aware of what is going on, and all this is being actively discussed before we make our plans final.Iluvalar wrote: I don't know what to say about it either. You guys are aware that you are pilling the work on balance in a corner, but no one seem seriously willing to talk about anything. How is that meant to work ?
Just give some time so we can hash out what needs to be done, I am in the process of making a list of needed changes to get back to a stable base.


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text:
Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, March 23, 2011
How to safely drain your in ground or above ground swimming pool
Subject: Changing pool water - rb63 posted this in our Pool Talk discussion forum recently:
I told our member that he might want to take a look at a recent blog post on acid washing a pool safely, which had information about properly draining a swimming pool. This gave me an idea for a new post on the topic, focusing on how to best drain many different pool system types. Draining a pool or partial draining becomes necessary to correct poor water quality, or when making extensive pool surface repairs.
Many localities, cities and towns have laws in place regarding when, where and how you can drain a pool, or even discharge pool water. Check with your local Building & Zoning division of your local government for any restrictions on swimming pool draining. The following pool draining tips apply for all pool types - specific information on draining in ground pools and how to drain an above ground pool, are below.
General Pool Water Draining Tips:
- Make sure that chlorine or biguanide (Baquacil) levels are near 0.00 ppm. Adjust the pH to within 7.2-7.8.
- The best location would be into a storm drain, headed for water treatment plants. If not possible:
- Pump to an open area, far from the pool, to keep the water from coming under the pool.
- Avoid pumping into creeks or streams, to protect local wildlife and watershed.
- Avoid drowning vegetation, brush and small trees in pool water.
In Ground Pool Draining:
- Important to pump your water far away from the pool. Too much hydrostatic pressure under a concrete pool can lift it out of the ground, and smaller amounts can come up under pool liners, and cause the liner to bulge into the pool. Pump your pool water the furthest point possible, and consider the topography surrounding the pool - avoid depressions, low spots or poor drainage areas. Monitor your pumping to ensure that erosion or over-saturation is not occuring.
- Concrete pools have several 1.5" hydrostatic relief plugs plastered into the floor centerline. Usually there are 2 in the deep end also, and another one in the main drain pot. As the water is being drained, chip the plaster away from the white pvc plug, and use pliers to unthread it, counter-clockwise. This will allow water that is beneath the pool shell to come into the pool, if any exists. Always remove these plugs as you drain the pool. Leave the plugs removed until you are ready to fill pool, then seal them back tightly. Vinyl liner pools do not have these hydrostat plugs.
- Vinyl liner pools being drained for water problems should lower only as far as 6" above the floor. If you go lower, the liner will relax and need to be reset to avoid wrinkling. Draining vinyl liner pools completely also has the risk of floor damage, liner failure and even partial wall failure, if any are old, weak and near failure.
- If you have a Sand Filter or a DE Filter, you will simply roll out your backwash hose, and set multiport valves to WASTE or if you have a push-pull slide valve, you will simply backwash your pool all the way down to the main drain. Before the water gets below the skimmer, you will need to close the Skimmer valves so that all the water is coming to the pump from the main drain only.
- If you have a cartridge pool filter - there is no valve to backwash with, unless one was purposely installed for water level adjustments. A tee fitting or a valve can be installed before or after the filter to allow water to exit the system, or a small submersible pump can be used to drain the pool.
- If you have no separate valves, but only one pipe coming into the pump, then you have what's called "Combination Skimmers," where the main drain is tied to the skimmer, underground, and one pipe goes from skimmer to pump. If you see one hole only in the skimmer center (under the basket), you can continue to pump the pool nearly empty by plugging the top of the skimmer with a #10 expansion plug, or threaded plug with o-ring. If you see two holes, usually pool side, deck side - then it is more difficult to pump below the skimmer. The easiest method is to connect a tightly sealed threaded hose adapter into the hole which draws to the pump, and connect a primed, "tight" vacuum hose to it. If you hear air sucking, you may need use some tape or sealant.
- Don't shut off the pump once you get it lowering below the skimmer, or you may lose prime and have trouble getting the water draining again.
- Keep an eye on the pump and the discharge throughout the process. Depending on your pump size / pool size, this can take 4-8 hrs.
- Work fast on the pool, it's best not to leave plaster or vinyl exposed for long. Begin refilling the pool as quickly as you can.
Above Ground Pool Draining:
- Above ground pools typically have one pipe (hose) out of the pool, and one hose returning to the pool. Because there is no main drain on most aboveground pools, you will only be able to lower the water to the bottom of the intake or skimmer, using your aboveground pool filter system.
- To drain an aboveground pools, either a). Use small submersible electric pump and garden hose, or b). Start a siphon with your vacuum hose / head on the pole, or a siphon using a few garden hoses.
- Pumping the water far from the pool's edge is best, so as not to oversaturate the soil supporting the pool.
- Monitor the draining and the discharge. Siphoning can take days, a small submersible pump will take 6-12 hrs.
- Work fast to clean the bottom if needed, and re-fill the pool as quickly as possible.


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Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39
Aerial view of Launch Complex 39;
Pad B is on the left, Pad A on the right.
|Launch site
|Kennedy Space Center
|Short name
|Total launches
|151 (13 Saturn V, 4 Saturn IB, 135 Shuttle, 1 Ares I)
|Launch pad(s)
|Min / max
orbital inclination
Launch Complex 39
|John F. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida
|7,000 acres (2,800 ha)
|John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS
|NRHP Reference #
|Added to NRHP
|May 24, 1973
Launch Complex 39--Pad A
|John F. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida
|160 acres (65 ha)
|John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS
|NRHP Reference #
|Added to NRHP
|January 21, 2000
Launch Complex 39--Pad B
|John F. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Florida
|160 acres (65 ha)
|John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS
|NRHP Reference #
|Added to NRHP
|January 21, 2000
Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Apollo program, and later modified for the Space Shuttle program. As of 2016, its launch pads are being modified to support launches of the SpaceX Falcon 9, Dragon 2 and Falcon Heavy, and NASA's Space Launch System, with a new pad, C, added to support smaller launches.
Launch Complex 39 is composed of three launch pads—39A, 39B and 39C, a Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a Crawlerway used by crawler-transporters to carry Mobile Launcher Platforms between the VAB and the pads, Orbiter Processing Facility buildings, a Launch Control Center which contains the firing rooms, a news facility famous for the iconic countdown clock seen in television coverage and photos, and various logistical and operational support buildings.[2]
SpaceX leases Launch Pad 39A from NASA and has modified the pad to support Falcon Heavy launches in 2016.[3][4] NASA began modifying Launch Pad 39B in 2007 to accommodate the now defunct Project Constellation, and is currently preparing it for the Space Launch System[5][6] with first launch scheduled for 2018.[7] Pad C was originally planned but never built for Apollo. It was constructed from January to June 2015 to accommodate small-class vehicles, to be determined.
NASA launches from LC-39A and 39B have been supervised from the NASA Launch Control Center (LCC), located 3 miles (4.8 km) from the launch pads, although it is unclear if SpaceX will use the LCC for their launches beginning in 2016. LC-39 is one of several launch sites that share radar and tracking services of the Eastern Test Range.
Early history
Northern Merritt Island was first developed around 1890 when a few wealthy Harvard University graduates purchased 18,000 acres (73 km2) and constructed a three-story mahogany clubhouse, very nearly on the site of Pad 39A.[8] During the 1920s, Peter E. Studebaker Jr., son of the automobile magnate, built a small casino at De Soto Beach eight miles (13 km) north of the Canaveral lighthouse.[9]
In 1948, the Navy transferred the former Banana River Naval Air Station located south of Cape Canaveral, to the Air Force for use in testing captured German V-2 rockets.[10] The site's location on the East Florida coast was ideal for this purpose in that launches would be over the ocean, away from populated areas. This site became the Joint Long Range Proving Ground in 1949, and was renamed Patrick Air Force Base in 1950. The Air Force annexed part of Cape Canaveral to the North in 1951, forming the Air Force Missile Test Center, the future Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). Missile and rocketry testing and development would take place here through the 1950s.[11]
After the creation of NASA in 1958, the CCAFS launch pads were used for NASA's civilian unmanned and manned launches, including those of Project Mercury and Project Gemini.[12]
In 1961, President Kennedy proposed to Congress the goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Congressional approval led to the launch of the Apollo program, which required a massive expansion of NASA operations, including an expansion of launch operations from the Cape to adjacent Merritt Island to the north and west.[13] NASA began acquisition of land in 1962, taking title to 131 square miles (340 km2) by outright purchase and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km2). In July 1, 1962, the site was named the Launch Operations Center.
Initial design
At the time, the highest numbered launch pad on CCAFS was Launch Complex 37; when the lunar launch complex was designed, it was designated as Launch Complex 39. It was designed to handle launches of the Saturn V rocket, at the time the largest, most powerful rocket then designed, required to take Apollo to the Moon. Initial plans included five pads evenly spaced 8,700 feet (2,700 m) apart to avoid damage in the event of an explosion on the pad. Three were scheduled for construction (A-C, to the southeast) and two reserved for future use (D and E, west and north). The numbering of the pads at the time was from north to south, with the northernmost being 39A, and the southernmost being 39C. Pad 39A was never built, and 39C became 39A in 1963. With today's numbering, 39C would be north of 39B. Pad 39D would have been due west of 39C. Pad 39E would have been due north of the mid-distance between 39C and 39D, with 39E forming the top of a triangle, and equidistant from 39C and 39D. The Crawlerway was built with the additional pads in mind. This is the reason the Crawlerway turns as it heads to Pad B; continuing straight from that turn would have led to the additional pads.[14]
Integration of space vehicle stack
Months before launch, the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the components of the Apollo spacecraft were brought inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and assembled in one of four high bays into a 363-foot (111 m)-tall space vehicle on one of three Mobile Launchers. Each mobile launcher consisted of a two-story, 161-by-135-foot (49 by 41 m) launch platform with four hold-down arms and a 446-foot (136 m) Launch Umbilical Tower (LUT) topped by a crane used to lift the spacecraft into position for assembly. The MLP and unfueled vehicle together weighed 12,600,000 pounds (5,715 t).[15]
The Umbilical Tower contained two elevators and nine retractable swing arms which extended to the space vehicle, to provide access to each of the three rocket stages and the spacecraft for people, wiring and plumbing while the vehicle was on the launch pad, and swung away from the vehicle at launch.[15][16] Technicians, engineers, and astronauts used the uppermost Spacecraft Access Arm to access the crew cabin. At the end of the arm, the white room provided an environmentally controlled and protected area for astronauts and their equipment to enter the spacecraft.
Transportation to the pad
When the stack integration was completed, it was moved the 3–4 miles (4.8–6.4 km) to the pad at a speed of 1 mile (1.6 km) per hour by one of two Crawler-Transporters. Each crawler weighed 6,000,000 pounds (2,720 t) and was capable of keeping the space vehicle on its Mobile Launcher level while negotiating a 5 percent grade to the pad. At the pad, the MLP was supported by six steel pedestals, plus four additional extensible columns.[15]
Mobile Service Structure
After the MLP was set in place, the Crawler-Transporter rolled a 410-foot (125 m), 10,490,000-pound (4,760 t) Mobile Service Structure (MSS) into place to provide further access for technicians to perform detailed checkout of the vehicle, and necessary umbillical connections to the pad. The MSS contained three elevators, two self-propelled platforms and three fixed platforms, and was rolled back 6,900 feet (2,100 m) to its parking position shortly before launch.[15]
Flame deflector
A flame deflector was slid on rails into place under the launch pedestal. This system allowed for rotation with a second flame deflector, after the first was refurbished after each launch. Each deflector measured 39 feet (12 m) high by 49 feet (15 m) wide by 75 feet (23 m) long and weighed 1,400,000 pounds (635 t). It deflected the exhaust flame into a trench measuring 43 feet (13 m) deep by 59 feet (18 m) wide by 449 feet (137 m) long.[15]
Launch control and fueling
The four-story Launch Control Center was located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away from Pad A, adjacent to the Vehicle Assembly Building for safety. The third floor had four firing rooms (corresponding to the four high bays in the VAB), each with 470 sets of control and monitoring equipment. The second floor contained telemetry, tracking, instrumentation, and data reduction computing equipment. The LCC was connected to the Mobile Launchers by a high speed data link, and during launch a system of 62 closed-circuit television cameras transmitted to 100 monitor screens in the LCC.[15]
Large cryogenic tanks located near the pads stored the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX) for the second and third stages of the Saturn V. The highly explosive nature of these chemicals required numerous safety measures at the Launch Complex. The pads were located 8,730 feet (2,660 m) away from each other.[15] Before tanking operations began and during launch, non-essential personnel were excluded from the danger area.
Emergency evacuation system
Each pad had a 200-foot (61 m) evacuation tube running from the Mobile Launcher platform to a blast-resistant bunker 39 feet (12 m) underground, equipped with survival supplies for 20 persons for 24 hours. There was also a cab/slidewire system running from the 322-foot (98 m) tower level to evacuate astronauts and technicians 2,503 feet (763 m) away from the pad.
Pad Terminal Connection Room
Connections between the Launch Control Center, mobile launcher platform and space vehicle are made in the Pad Terminal Connection Room (PTCR). The facility was a two-story series of rooms beneath the launch pad, constructed of reinforced concrete located on the west side of the flame trench and was protected by up to 20 feet (6.1 m) of fill dirt.[17][18]
Apollo and Skylab launches
The first use of LC-39 came in 1967 with the first Saturn V launch, carrying the unmanned Apollo 4 spacecraft. The second unmanned launch, Apollo 6, also used Pad 39A. With the exception of Apollo 10, which used Pad 39B (due to the "all-up" testing resulting in a 2-month turnaround period), all manned Apollo-Saturn V launches, commencing with Apollo 8, used Pad 39A.
A total of thirteen Saturn Vs were launched for Apollo, and the unmanned launch of the Skylab space station in 1973. The mobile launchers were then modified for the shorter Saturn IB rockets, by adding a "milk-stool" extension platform to the launch pedestal, so that the S-IVB upper stage and Apollo spacecraft swing arms would reach. These were used for three manned Skylab flights and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, since the Saturn IB pads 34 and 37 at Cape Canaveral AFB had been decommissioned.
Space Shuttle
The thrust to allow the Space Shuttle to achieve orbit was provided by a combination of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs). The SRBs used solid propellant, hence their name. The SSMEs used a combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX) from the External Tank (ET), as the orbiter did not have internal fuel tanks for the SSMEs (as they would be have had to be as large as the External Tank). The SRBs arrived in segments via rail car from their manufacturing facility in Utah, the External Tank arrived from its manufacturing facility in Louisiana by barge, and the orbiter waited in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). The SRBs were first stacked in the VAB, and then the External Tank was mounted between them. Then, using a massive crane, the orbiter was lowered and connected to the External Tank.
Payload to be installed at the launch pad was independently transported in a payload transportation canister then installed vertically at the Payload Changeout Room. Otherwise, payloads would have already been pre-installed at the Orbiter Processing Facility and transported within the orbiter's cargo bay.
The original structure of the pads was remodeled for the needs of the Space Shuttle, starting with Pad 39A after the last Saturn V launch, and in 1977 for Pad 39B after the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975.
Launch towers
Each pad contained a two-piece access tower system, the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) and the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). The FSS permitted access to the Shuttle via a retractable arm and a "beanie cap" to capture vented LOX from the External Tank. The RSS contained the Payload Changeout Room, which offered "clean" access to the orbiter's payload bay, protection from the elements, and protection in winds up to 60 knots (110 km/h).
Sound suppression water system
A Sound Suppression Water System (SSWS) was added to protect the Space Shuttle and its payload from effects of the intense sound wave pressure generated by its engines. An elevated water tank on a 290-foot (88 m) tower near each pad stored 300,000 gallons (1.1 Megalitres) of water, which was released onto the Mobile Launcher Platform just before engine ignition.[19] The water muffled the intense sound waves produced by the engines. Due to heating of the water, a large quantity of steam was produced during launch.
Swing arm modifications
The Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm positioned a hood, often called the "Beanie Cap," over the top of the External Tank (ET) nose cone during fueling. Heated gaseous nitrogen was used there to remove the extremely cold gaseous oxygen that normally vented out of the External Tank. This prevented the formation of ice that could fall and damage the shuttle.
The Hydrogen Vent Line Access Arm mated the External Tank (ET) Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) to the launch pad hydrogen vent line. The GUCP provided support for plumbing and cables, called umbilicals, that transferred fluids, gases, and electrical signals between two pieces of equipment. While the ET was being fueled, hazardous gas was vented from an internal hydrogen tank through the GUCP, out a vent line to a flare stack where it was burned off at a safe distance. Sensors at the GUCP measured gas level. The GUCP was redesigned after leaks created scrubs of STS-127 and were also detected during attempts to launch STS-119 and STS-133.[20] The GUCP released from the ET at launch and fell away with a curtain of water sprayed across it for protection from flames.
Emergency pad evacuation
In an emergency, the launch complex used a slidewire escape basket system for quick evacuation. Assisted by members of the closeout team, the crew would leave the orbiter and ride an emergency basket to the ground at speeds reaching up to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h).[21] From there, the crew took shelter in a bunker. A modified M113 Armored Personnel Carrier could carry injured astronauts away from the complex to safety.[22]
During the launch of Discovery on STS-124 on May 31, 2008, the pad at LC-39A suffered extensive damage, in particular to the concrete trench used to deflect the SRB's flames.[23] The subsequent mishap investigation found that the damage was the result of carbonation of epoxy and corrosion of steel anchors which held the refractory bricks in the trench in place. These had been exacerbated by the fact that hydrochloric acid is an exhaust by-product of the solid rocket boosters.[24]
Space Shuttle launches
After the launch of Skylab in 1973, Pad 39A was reconfigured for the Space Shuttle, with shuttle launches beginning in 1981 with STS-1, flown by the Space Shuttle Columbia.[25] After Apollo 10, Pad 39B was kept as a backup launch facility in the case of the destruction of 39A, but saw service for all three Skylab missions, the Apollo-Soyuz test flight, and a contingency Skylab Rescue flight that never became necessary. After the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, 39B was reconfigured similarly to 39A, but due to additional modifications (mainly to allow the facility to service a modified Centaur-G upper stage), along with budgetary restraints, it was not ready until 1986, and the first shuttle flight to use it was STS-51-L, which ended with the Challenger disaster. The first return to flight mission STS-26 launched from 39B.
Constellation Program and Pad 39B
The last Shuttle launch from Pad 39B was the nighttime launch of STS-116 on December 9, 2006. To support the final Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope STS-125 launched from Pad 39A in May 2009, Endeavour was placed on 39B if needed to launch the STS-400 rescue mission. Modifications were made to 39B in the mean time, including installation of three new 600 ft.-tall lightning mast towers similar to those used on the Atlas V and Delta IV launch pads at nearby Cape Canaveral, and removal of the existing single lightning mast and a crane assembly which dated back to the Apollo program.
After the completion of STS-125, 39B was converted for the single test flight of the Constellation Program Ares I-X from Pad 39B on October 28, 2009.[26]
With the retirement of the Shuttle in 2011,[27] and the cancellation of Constellation Program in 2010, the future of the LC-39 pads was uncertain. By early 2011, NASA began informal discussions on use of the pads and facilities by private companies to fly missions for the commercial space market,[28] culminating in a 20-year lease agreement with SpaceX for Pad 39A.[29]
Pad 39A
Just like the first 24 shuttle flights, Pad 39A supported the final manifested shuttle flights, starting with STS-117 in June 2007 until the retirement of the shuttle fleet in July 2011. Prior to the SpaceX lease agreement, the pad remained as it was when Atlantis launched on the final shuttle mission on July 8, 2011, complete with a mobile launcher platform.[30]
Talks for use of the pad were underway between NASA and Space Florida—the State of Florida's economic development agency—as early as 2011, but no deal materialized by 2012 and NASA then pursued other options for removing the pad from the Federal government inventory.[31]
By early 2013, NASA publicly announced that it would allow commercial launch providers to lease Pad 39A,[32] and followed that, in May 2013, with a formal solicitation for proposals for commercial use of Launch Pad 39A.[33] There were two competing bids for the commercial use of the launch complex.[34] SpaceX submitted a bid for exclusive use of the launch complex, while Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin submitted a bid for shared non-exclusive use of the complex such that the launchpad would interface with multiple vehicles, and costs could be shared over the long term. One potential shared user in the Blue Origin plan was United Launch Alliance.[35] Prior to completion of the bid period, and prior to any public announcement by NASA of the results of the process, Blue Origin filed a protest with the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) "over what it says is a plan by NASA to award an exclusive commercial lease to SpaceX for use of mothballed space shuttle launch pad 39A."[36] NASA had planned to complete the bid award and have the pad transferred by October 1, 2013, but the protest "will delay any decision until the GAO reaches a decision, expected by mid-December."[36] On 12 December 2013, the GAO denied the protest and sided with NASA, which argued that the solicitation contains no preference on the use of the facility as multi-use or single-use. "The [solicitation] document merely asks bidders to explain their reasons for selecting one approach instead of the other and how they would manage the facility."[37]
On December 13, 2013, NASA announced that they had selected SpaceX as the new commercial tenant.[38] SpaceX signed the lease agreement on 14 April 2014.[29] They have been given a twenty-year exclusive lease of Pad 39A.[34] SpaceX plans to launch their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy from the pad and build a new hangar near it.[34][29][39] Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has stated that he wants to shift most of their NASA launches to Pad 39A, including Commercial Cargo and Crew missions to the International Space Station.[38][40]
Current status
As of 2015, Launch Complex 39 is in the midst of substantial modification to prepare for new uses with new vehicles. SpaceX has leased Launch Pad 39A for use with both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, while Launch Pad 39B, the Vehicle Assembly Building and Crawlerway are being readied for launches of the government-owned Space Launch System.[41]
Launch Pad 39A
On 14 April 2014, the privately-owned launch service company SpaceX signed a 20-year lease for Launch Pad 39A. The pad is currently being modified to support launches of both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles, which included the construction of a horizontal integration facility, similar to that used at existing SpaceX-leased facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base – this is a marked difference from the vertical integration process used by NASA's own Apollo and Space Shuttle vehicles at the Launch Complex 39. Additionally new instrumentation and control systems will be installed and substantial new plumbing will be added for a variety of rocket liquids and gasses.[42]
Construction and first launch
In 2015, SpaceX built a large Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) just outside the perimeter of the existing launch pad in order to house both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and their associated hardware and payloads during processing.[43] Both launch vehicles will be transported from the HIF to the launch pad aboard a Transporter Erector (TE) which will ride on rails up the former Crawlerway path.[31][43] Also in 2015, the launch mount for the Falcon Heavy was constructed on Pad 39A over the existing infrastructure.[44][45] The work on both the HIF building and the new pad were substantially complete by late 2015.[46] A rollout test of the new Transporter/Erector (TE) was conducted in November 2015.[47]
SpaceX indicated in February 2016 that they had "completed and activated Launch Complex 39A",[48] but still has more work yet to do to support crewed flights, and no SpaceX launches have yet occurred from Pad 39A. SpaceX originally planned to be ready to accomplish the first launch at pad 39A — a Falcon Heavy — as early as 2015,[42] as they had architects and engineers working on the new design and modifications since 2013.[41][44] By late 2014, a preliminary date for a wet dress rehearsal of the Falcon Heavy was set for no earlier than 1 July 2015.[31] Due to a failure in a June 2015 Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX had to delay launching the Falcon Heavy in order to focus on the Falcon 9's failure investigation and its return to flight.[49] As of February 2016 the first flight of the Falcon Heavy was expected in the second quarter of 2016.[48] With the busy 2016 Falcon 9 launch manifest, it is no longer clear if Falcon Heavy will be the first vehicle to launch from Pad 39A, or if one or more Falcon 9 missions may precede a late-2016 Falcon Heavy launch.[48]
In March 2016, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell indicated that although SpaceX does not need to use LC 39A to meet the busy 2016 Falcon 9 launch manifest, she believes that they probably will launch a Falcon 9—possibly SES-10—from 39A prior to the first Falcon Heavy launch; the heavy launch is now slated for no earlier than December 2016.[50]
However, after the explosion of a Falcon 9 at Launch Complex 40 during a fueling operation on September 1, 2016, SpaceX announced that LC 39A will be used for its East Coast Falcon 9 launches when the new facility is completed, expected to be in November, and after an FAA-supervised review of the accident and possible corrective action are completed.[51]
SpaceX intends to utilize the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) of the Pad 39A launch towers, and will extend it above its existing 350 feet (110 m)-height, but will not need the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) and will remove it. Initial plans in 2014 called for leaving the RSS in place until after the first Falcon Heavy launch;[31] however, plans were changed, and work on RSS takedown began in February 2016.[52] NASA has already removed the Orbiter Servicing Arm and white room by which astronauts entered the Space Shuttle.[44] SpaceX indicated in late 2014 that no additional levels to the FSS would be added in the near term.[31] SpaceX plans to later add at least two additional levels to the FSS, and will utilize the FSS for providing crew access for the Dragon V2 launches.[53] Launch vehicles will be assembled horizontally in a hangar near the pad, transferred to the pad, and then lifted atop a launch platform for the remainder of the launch prep and lift off.[41] For military missions from Pad 39A, payloads will be vertically integrated, as that is required per launch contract with the US Air Force.[41] A hammerhead crane will be added to the FSS in order to support US military requirements for vertical payload integration.[53]
Pad 39A will be used to host launches of astronauts on the crewed-version of the Dragon space capsule in a public–private partnership with NASA. The NASA plan as of April 2014 calls for the first NASA crewed missions in 2017.[41] SpaceX intends to add "a crew gantry access arm and white room to allow for crew and cargo ingress to the vehicle. The existing Space Shuttle evacuation slide-wire basket system will also be re-purposed to provide a safe emergency egress for the Dragon crew in the event of an emergency on the pad that does not necessitate using the Crew Dragon's launch abort system."[54]
Launch Pad 39B
Since the Ares I-X flight, NASA proceeded with plans to strip Pad 39B of its Flight Service Structure (FSS), returning the location to an Apollo-like "clean pad" design for the first time since 1977. This approach will make the pad available to multiple types of vehicles which arrive at the pad with service structures on the mobile launcher platform as opposed to custom structures on the pad.[55] The LH2, LOX, and water tanks (used for the sound suppression system) are the only structures left from the Space Shuttle era.[56][57][58]
As of April 2015, NASA had one SLS mission scheduled in 2018, and a second one in 2021.[41]
As of June 2012, repairs and modifications to selected facility systems at Launch Complex (LC) 39B for Space Launch System (SLS) processing and launch operations are finishing the first phase of a five-phase project. The second phase of this project is currently budgeted at $89.2 million ($6.1 million in FY 2012, $28.5 million in FY 2013, $9.4 million in FY 2014 and $45.2 million in the outyears).[59] In March 2015, Pad 39B was undergoing modifications to the Catacomb Roof structure so that it can handle the loads from the SLS Block 1B rocket, increasing the load capacity to support the crawler-transporter and vertical rocket from 21,000,000 to 25,500,000 pounds (9,500,000 to 11,600,000 kg).[56]
In 2014, NASA announced that it would make Pad 39B available to commercial users during times when it is not needed by the Space Launch System.[41]
Launch Pad 39C
Launch Pad 39C is a new facility for smaller launch vehicles built in 2015 within the Launch Complex 39B perimeter.
Construction of the pad began in January 2015 and was completed in June 2015. Kennedy Space Center Director Robert D. Cabana and representatives from the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program and the Center Planning and Development (CPD) and Engineering Directorates marked the completion of the new pad during a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 17, 2015.
"As America's premier spaceport, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to meet America's launch needs, and one area that was missing was small class payloads," Robert D. Cabana said. "Using 21st Century funds, we built Pad 39C."
GSDO oversaw the project and is working with CPD to grow commercial space efforts at Kennedy.
"Pad 39C is the latest addition to our portfolio of launch pads," said Scott Colloredo, CPD director. "The small class market is here. The demand for that kind of launcher is increasing. The key here is this is really what a launch site for a small class launcher needs to look like."
The concrete pad measures about 50 feet wide by about 100 feet long and could support the combined weight of a fueled launch vehicle, payload and customer-provided launch mount up to about 132,000 pounds, and an umbilical tower structure, fluid lines, cables and umbilical arms weighing up to about 47,000 pounds.
GSDO also developed a universal propellant servicing system to provide liquid oxygen and liquid methane fueling capabilities for a variety of small class rockets.
"This is absolutely great to designate a new pad within the confines of Pad 39B. I'm looking forward to having customers here in the not too distant future, making use of this outstanding facility," Robert D. Cabana said[60]
KSC's newest Launch Pad, designated 39C, is designed to accommodate Small Class Vehicles. Located in the southeast area of the Launch Complex 39B perimeter, this new concrete pad measures about 50 feet wide by about 100 feet long. Launch Complex 39C will serve as a multi-purpose site allowing companies to test vehicles and capabilities in the smaller class of rockets, making it more affordable for smaller companies to break into the commercial spaceflight market.
As part of this capability, GSDO developed a universal propellant servicing system, which can provide liquid oxygen and liquid methane fueling capabilities for a variety of small class rockets. This system is slated for operational readiness in the summer of 2016.
With the addition of Launch Complex 39C, KSC can offer the following processing and launching features for companies working with small class vehicles (maximum thrust up to 200,000 pounds):
Processing facilities – i.e. Vehicle Assembly Building
Vehicle/payload transportation (KAMAG, flatbed trucks, tugs, etc.) from integration facility to pad
Launch site
Universal propellant servicing system (LOX, LCH4)
Launch control center/mobile command center options.[61]
For the last time in the Shuttle program, Space Shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour are placed at LC39A and LC39B in preparation for the STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Removal of the top floor of the fixed service structure on LC39B in March 2011
Artist's rendering of the SLS Block 1 crewed variant launching from Pad 39B
See also
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39.
- 1 2 3 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "KSC Facilities". NASA. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ Dante D'Orazio (6 September 2015). "After delays, SpaceX's massive Falcon Heavy rocket set to launch in spring 2016". The Verge. Vox Media.
- ↑ "Spacex seeks to accelerate falcon 9 production and launch rates this year". 4 February 2016.
- ↑ NASA (1993). "Launch Complex 39-A & 39-B". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ↑ NASA (2000). "Launch Complex 39". NASA. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ↑ "Report: NASA May Be Hard-Pressed to Launch SLS by November 2018".
- ↑ "NGS DATASHEET FOR CLUBHOUSE SOUTHWEST GABLE". National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ↑ Eriksen, Brevard County, Florida: A Short History to 1955
- ↑ "EVOLUTION OF THE 45TH SPACE WING". US Air Force. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ "THE HISTORY OF CAPE CANAVERAL CHAPTER 2: THE MISSILE RANGE TAKES SHAPE (1949-1958)". Spaceline.org. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ "Cape Canaveral LC5". Astronautix.com. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ "THE HISTORY OF CAPE CANAVERAL CHAPTER 3 NASA ARRIVES (1959-PRESENT)". Spaceline.org. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ Petrone, Rocco A. (1975). "Chapter 6: The Cape". In Cortright, Edgar M. Apollo Expeditions to the Moon. Washington, DC: Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. SP-350.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Benson, Charles D.; Faherty, William B. (August 1977). "Appendix B: Launch Complex 39" (PDF). Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations. History Series. SP-4204. NASA.
- ↑ "Swing Arm Engineer". NASA.
- ↑ "NASA - Pad Terminal Connection Room".
- ↑ Young, John; Robert Crippen. Wings in Orbit: Scientific and Engineering Legacies of the Space Shuttle 1971-2010. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-16-086847-4.
- ↑ "Sound Suppression System". Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ↑ "GUCP troubleshooting continues as MMT push for launch on June 17". NASA Spaceflight.
- ↑ "SPACE.com – NASA Conducts Shuttle Astronaut Rescue Drill". Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ↑ "NASA Field Journal by Greg Lohning". Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ "NASA Eyes Launch Pad Damage for Next Shuttle Flight". Space.com.
- ↑ Lilley, Steve K. (August 2010). "Hit the Bricks" (PDF). System Failure Case Studies. NASA. 4 (8): 1–4. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ↑ NASA (2006). "Shuttle-Era Pad Modifications". NASA. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ↑ "Pad 39B suffers substantial damage from Ares I-X launch – Parachute update | NASASpaceFlight.com". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
- ↑ NASA: Lost in Space, Business Week, 2010-10-28, accessed 2010-10-31.
- ↑ Dean, James (2011-02-06). "Up for grabs? Private companies eye KSC facilities". Florida Today. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
As the shuttle program nears retirement, KSC officials are evaluating whether other facilities that supported three decades of shuttle flights will transition to serve new vehicles or be discarded. The center is offering use of its launch pads, runway, Vehicle Assembly Building high bays, hangars and firing rooms to private companies expected to play a bigger role in NASA missions and a growing commercial space market.
- 1 2 3 Dean, James (14 April 2014). "SpaceX takes over KSC pad 39A". Florida Today. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
- ↑ See photo File:PAD 39A lease announcement.jpg
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bergin, Chris (2014-11-18). "Pad 39A – SpaceX laying the groundwork for Falcon Heavy debut". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
- ↑ "NASA not abandoning LC-39A" January 17, 2013, accessed February 7, 2013.
- ↑ NASA requests proposals for commercial use of Pad 39A, NewSpace Watch, 20 May 2013, accessed 21 May 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Selection Statement for Lease of Launch Complex 39A" (PDF). NASA. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ↑ Matthews, Mark K. (2013-08-18). "Musk, Bezos fight to win lease of iconic NASA launchpad". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- 1 2 Messier, Doug (2013-09-10). "Blue Origin Files Protest Over Lease on Pad 39A". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
- ↑ Messier, Doug (2013-12-12). "Blue Origin Loses GAO Appeal Over Pad 39A Bid Process". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
- 1 2 Clark, Stephen (13 December 2013). "SpaceX to begin negotiations for shuttle launch pad". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ↑ Gwynne Shotwell (2014-03-21). Broadcast 2212: Special Edition, interview with Gwynne Shotwell (audio file). The Space Show. Event occurs at 20:00–21:10. 2212. Archived from the original (mp3) on 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
- ↑ Clark, Stephen (12 December 2013). "GAO decision opens door for commercial lease of pad 39A". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
Musk said he wants to launch SpaceX's commercial cargo and crew missions to the International Space Station from launch pad 39A
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Clark, Stephen (2014-04-15). "SpaceX's mega-rocket to debut next year at pad 39A". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
- 1 2 Dean, James (2014-04-14). "With nod to history, SpaceX gets launch pad 39A OK". Florida Today. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- 1 2 Clark, Stephen (25 February 2015). "Falcon Heavy rocket hangar rises at launch pad 39A". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- 1 2 3 "NASA signs over historic Launch Pad 39A to SpaceX". collectSpace. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ↑ Bergin, Chris (18 February 2015). "Falcon Heavy into production as Pad 39A HIF rises out of the ground". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ↑ Gebhardt, Chris (2015-10-08). "Canaveral and KSC pads: New designs for space access". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
- ↑ Bergin, Chris (2015-11-09). "SpaceX conducts test rollout for 39A Transporter/Erector". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 Foust, Jeff (2014-02-04). "SpaceX seeks to accelerate Falcon 9 production and launch rates this year". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- ↑ Clark, Stephen (2015-07-21). "First flight of Falcon Heavy delayed again". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ↑ de Selding, Peter B. (2016-03-10). "SpaceX says reusable stage could cut prices 30 percent, plans November Falcon Heavy debut". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
- ↑ SpaceX to shift Florida launches to new pad after explosion, Irene Klutz, Reiuter September 2, 2016
- ↑ "SES-9". SES. SES. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- 1 2 Bergin, Chris (2014-07-28). "SpaceX Roadmap building on its rocket business revolution". NASAspaceflight. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
- ↑ Reisman, Garrett (27 February 2015). "Statement of Garrett Reisman before the Subcommittee on Space Committee on Science, Space, and Technology U.S. House Of Representatives" (PDF). US House of Representatives publication of a SpaceX document provided to the committee. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ↑ "Historic space shuttle pad soon to be scrap". USA Today. 23 March 2011.
- 1 2 Bergin, Chris (2015-03-22). "KSC Pads continue preparations for future vehicles". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ↑ NASA (2006). "Sound Suppression System". NASA. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ↑ "STS-127 Rollaround starts". Space Flight Now. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- ↑ "NASA FY13 Budget" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ↑ NASA (2015). "New Launch Pad will Enable Smaller Companies to Develop and Launch Rockets from Kennedy". NASA. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ↑ NASA (2015). "Launch Complex 39C". NASA. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
External links
- KSC page on Launch Complex 39 Facilities
- Pad B modifications for Ares 1-X, level 300
- Pad B modifications for Ares 1-X, level 275
- Pad B modifications for Ares 1-X, level 255
- Pad B modifications for Ares 1-X, level 235
- "Kennedy Prepares to Host Constellation". NASA. 2007-09-28.-
- NASA-produced video tour of Shuttle on Pad 39A 1 month before launch
- photos of work areas and catacombs beneath Pad 39A
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. FL-4, "Mobile Launcher One, Kennedy Space Center, Titusville vicinity, Brevard County, FL"
- HAER No. FL-8-11-A, "Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 39, Launch Control Center, LCC Road, East of Kennedy Parkway North, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL"
- A comprehensive virtual tour over, under, around, and through the infrastructure of Launch Pad 39A
- The conversion to SLS configuration on Launch Pad 39B -- Construction Progress as of 27 June 2014
Coordinates: 28°36′30″N 80°36′16″W / 28.608397°N 80.604345°W


text:
For the fourth year in a row, Stockton appears to have escaped the summer season with relatively few 100-degree days.
For the fourth year in a row, Stockton appears to have escaped the summer season with relatively few 100-degree days.
To what do we owe the pleasure?
"You guys should build a statue in honor of the Delta breeze and put it in your town square," said Bill Patzert, an oceanographer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
Here's his theory:
Over extended periods of time, the Pacific Ocean switches back and forth between generally warmer and generally cooler currents - a phenomenon known to scientists as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Since 2008, the ocean currents have tended to be cooler.
What does that have to do with the Delta breeze? Cooler ocean currents mean cooler air temperatures at the coast, even while the Central Valley cooks.
The larger the contrast between the cool coast and the warmer Valley, the more likely the Delta breeze will kick in each afternoon just as the Valley approaches peak temperatures.
Sure, it's still hot, but that hint of a breeze helps us avoid extreme heat - and, of course, provides immense relief after dark.
"The Delta breeze saves you," Patzert said.
Globally, rising temperatures have leveled off the past six or seven years, he said, but he attributes that to the cooler ocean currents. Longer-term climate change is still a real threat, and we can expect temperatures to begin rising again once ocean currents warm up, he said.
Stockton saw 11 triple-digit days this year. Normal is 18. We haven't had a normal or above-normal year since 2009, when the city topped 100 degrees 21 times.
The city experienced only one significant heat wave this year - seven straight days at or above 100 degrees in late June and early July. Normally we'd have two or three heat waves in one summer, National Weather Service forecaster Johnnie Powell said.
This won't last forever, he said.
"We're still only looking at a short sample in a short area of time," Powell said. Records at Stockton Metropolitan Airport have been kept since the late 1940s.
"Just take it at face value and enjoy it," he said. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, because that heat is going to come around again."
Not this weekend, at least. A weak storm moving through Northern California could mean raindrops in the city, though any rain will likely be measured in mere hundredths of an inch, Powell said. As usual with these systems, areas farther north will probably get more rain.
Still, it'll be overcast and cool - a perfect prelude to fall, which starts at 1:44 p.m. Sunday.
"Fall is coming in just like it's supposed to," Powell said.
Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/breitlerblog.


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text:
So we've been chronicling a few of the problems with the media coverage of President Obama's mandate that requires employers, including religious organizations, to purchase insurance that covers contraception, abortifacients and sterilization, even if one or more of those things violate their religious beliefs. Our January posts on the matter are here and here. Our February posts are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. The March posts are here, here, here and here. Early in February, tmatt identified some curiosities with how the story was being framed. As he put it:
The frame game continues, with a coalition of conservative religious groups — the traditionalist wings of most major religious groups — insisting that their battle with the Obama White House is not essentially about birth control, but about religious liberty and the separation of church and state. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of course, says the battle is about birth control and quality health care.
It is of course very important to tell the perspective of the Obama administration and its supporters on this topic. And that side of the story has been told. What hasn't been as strong, to put it so mildly as to possibly elicit laughter from some of you, is the side that insists this battle is about religious liberty. Or, if that story has been told, it's been told as part of some political drama involving Republicans and Democrats (which fails to explain the depth and complexity and history of this battle).
Now that we're approaching two months of lopsided coverage on the matter, and just after a couple of weeks of particularly histrionic "war on women" coverage, I wanted to point out a couple of stories as well as a couple of polls.
Last week, Karen Tumulty had a story in the Washington Post about how the contraception battle is supposedly devastating Republican candidates. The phrase "religious freedom" does appear in the story. Once. In the 30th paragraph. It includes such lines as "But many Republicans are beginning to wish they had never waded into what has become a heated conversation over contraception, who should have it and what it says about people who use it." Yeah, that kind of story.
On Sunday, the New York Times ran a somewhat bizarre story which required eight reporters to find five women who say that they may not vote or, if they do, they may not vote Republican. It includes frequent uses of the word "some" (and other marks of high precision) and lines such as this "The sudden return of the 'culture wars' over the rights of women and their place in society has resulted, the women said, in a distinct change in mood in the past several weeks." Their place in society? Oh do simmer down, eight reporters for the New York Times. Check this paragraph out:
To what extent women feel alienated remains unclear: most interviews for this article were conducted from a randomly generated list of voters who had been surveyed in a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, and their responses are anecdotal, not conclusive. But the latest comments from the Republican candidates and in the right-wing media, aimed at energizing the party's conservative base, have been enraging to some women.
So the New York Times ran a push poll, essentially. And even then they weren't that successful.
OK, so you know what you're supposed to think, if you read the Washington Post and the New York Times: those ladies with their lady parts are taking to their fainting couches over the GOP's war on women. And women don't care about religious liberty or any other issue. They're really motivated by hyped up stories about contraception.
So how devastated are the Republican candidates? How much of a bump is President Obama seeing in these polls? First, we'll look at the Boston Globe, which writes about how Elizabeth "contraception" Warren isn't faring as well as she'd hoped against Sen. Scott "religious liberty" Brown:
But, if several of the recent polls are correct, Brown may have benefited from his positions on social issues in the last few weeks, such as the one over whether Catholic institutions should be forced to provide contraception in their health care plans for workers.
Hmm. Maybe what the Post and New York Times claim about female voters is limited to the presidential race?
Well, the Washington Post has a new poll out that shows President Obama is losing support from both men and women. The only thing to suggest that the "war on women" meme was helpful to Obama is that when his support declined among women, it declined less than it did among men. (By the way, you simply must read the whole report linked here ("Obama Fares Worse Among Women after Month-Long Contraception Mandate Battle") for details on how Tumulty's original story was a bit overheated. It sounds like it changed dramatically after reporter John McCormack took her to task, although I don't see her corrections and revisions indicated at the bottom of the story...)
And the New York Times just released a poll showing declining support for Obama:
At a time of rising gas prices, heightened talk of war with Iran and setbacks in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama's approval rating dropped substantially in recent weeks, the poll found, with 41 percent of respondents expressing approval of the job he is doing and 47 percent saying they disapprove — a dangerous position for any incumbent seeking re-election.
Their story includes the line that Obama:
lost some support among women over the past month, even as the debate raged over birth control insurance coverage.
But how could that be? Why just the day prior the New York Times was telling us that ("some") women were fleeing the GOP in (possible) droves to vote for Obama over the issue.
The story concludes with a brief mention of religious liberty:
In recent weeks, there has been much debate over the government's role in guaranteeing insurance coverage for contraception, including for those who work for religious organizations. The poll found that women were split as to whether health insurance plans should cover the costs of birth control and whether employers with religious objections should be able to opt out.
Guaranteeing? I guess that's one way to describe a mandate such as this. I wonder what it means that women are "split" on this issue, but I am thankful that the New York Times is acknowledging that not all women march in lockstep on this issue. The questions asked by the New York Times were:
73. Do you think health insurance plans for all employees should have to cover the full cost of birth control for their female employees, or should employers be allowed to opt out of covering that based on religious or moral objections? (40 percent say "Cover birth control" and 51 percent say "Allowed to opt out")
74. What about for religiously affiliated employers, such as a hospital or university? Do you think their health insurance plans for all employees should have to cover the full cost of birth control for their female employees, or should they be allowed to opt out of covering that based on religious or moral objections? (36 percent say "Cover birth control" and 57 percent say "Allowed to opt out")
Even though these questions neither mention that abortion drugs will be mandated by the plan nor that employers are currently allowed to opt out, these are much better questions than were asked in the Washington Post poll (e.g. "35. Do you think health insurance companies should or should not be required to cover the full cost of birth control for women?") Another interesting question asks whether the respondent has ever personally used birth control and 35 percent answer that they have not.
Now, the reasons why the polls are showing what they're showing are many, I'm sure, but considering the biggest story of the last couple of weeks was this contraceptive mandate, it's certainly worth exploring what part it played. Perhaps if the Washington Post and New York Times had been a bit more sensitive to the religious liberty issue going into last week, they wouldn't have written stories that aren't backed up by their own polling.
Photo of reporter ignoring part of a story via Shutterstock.


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Sperm Banking
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
Recently diagnosed with testicular cancer and need to have surgery to remove my right testicle. doc says it probably will not effect my sperm count, but I am still worried. Can I donate sperm? He did not even mention it. What are the procedures for that? Is it expensive and does insurance cover it?
Clarisa Gracia, MD, Oncofertility specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, responds:
I would recommend banking sperm. You should contact the nearest IVF clinic in your area and ask about the cost of sperm banking. Many oncologists work with fertility specialists and your doctor may be able to recommend a clinic. It involves masturbation into a sterile container and may be performed several times if needed. The cost varies by clinic but is generally around 2-300 dollars. You also have pay a yearly fee for storage. In may experience insurance does not cover this, but we have been able to obtain coverage for some patients. Your physician may need to write a letter of medical necessity and reference the current ASCO recommendations about fertility preservation.
Some men with testicular cancer have abnormal sperm counts due to the disease so don�t be alarmed if this is the case.
This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat Series, Issues Facing Young Adults After Cancer. View the entire transcript.


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Think about it. If the human mind/brain is uniform in structure, then doesn't it follow that all languages should be, at some level, the same?
Is there a Universal Grammar at the heart of all languages? In other words, is there a common structure behind every language on the planet – from Arabic to Zulu – that can only be described as human? These are the questions that James Lavine and his colleagues at universities around the world are attempting to answer.
Linguistics, like any science, involves the interplay of empirical data and theory. The goal of the theory is to organize the data in a way that makes predictions about how we might expect certain phenomena to occur and pattern, across natural languages. Lavine's particular area of expertise is the syntax of Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Polish) and Baltic (Lithuanian) languages. But his most recent work involves case in Icelandic, a Germanic language.
"I am particularly interested in the area of syntactic variation, or what linguists call 'parameterization,' which lies at the center of work on Universal Grammar (UG)," he explains. "There are grammatical categories that are mentally represented but not pronounced and, therefore, are detectable only indirectly. I am specifically concerned with the functional categories of tense and voice, and with how case systems work."
Lavine's scholarship follows the program of generative grammar pioneered by Noam Chomsky, father of modern linguistics, philosopher and cognitive scientist. "Think about it," says Lavine. "If the human mind/brain is uniform in structure, then doesn't it follow that all languages should be, at some level, the same?" He helps his students envision a universal language using a three dimensional model that he describes as a mobile of sorts. Using this model, his students can make predictions about linguistic phenomena that they have not yet encountered. The key observation is that only certain patterns of phrase structure are licit – others do not occur.
At a recent conference in Germany, Lavine was approached by a group of Icelandic linguists interested in the rules behind the passive voice in Ukrainian and Polish in order to prove one of their theories on the origin of a new passive in Icelandic. He explains that he has support from Bucknell to pursue answers that may shed light on UG. "I am very lucky," he says, "that as the Ruth Everett Sierzega Chair in Linguistics I am able to travel extensively, make contacts with linguists from around the globe and present at major international venues."
Posted September 26, 2013


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Oprah Sarcophagus Statue by Daniel Edwards:New American Idol?
By C. Antonio Romero
SAN FRANCISCO, 31 JANUARY 2008-The Oprah Sarcophagus, the latest work of sculptor Daniel Edwards, is bound to be his most talked-about media tweaking since the Monument to Pro-Life Britney Spears sculpture put him on most people's maps. But perhaps this wasn't exactly his plan.
The hyper-curvaceous depiction of America's unstoppable daytime-talk heavyweight engages in Edwards' usual po-mo riff on figures different artistic traditions. If the Paris Hilton Autopsy sculpture played off of numerous classical depictions of the hunter goddess Artemis, then the Oprah Winfrey statue goes one step further, in actually presenting "the closest thing America has to a living deity" as precisely that.
On the one hand, the obvious, explicit allusion is to Egyptian royal sarcophagi (some, perhaps lacking other points of reference, suggest an uncanny resemblance to King Tut ). But as usual Edwards works in a sculptural quotation that may escape many pop-saturated 21st century viewers: the prehistoric goddess figurine known as the Venus of Willendorf.
Seen side by side, the comparison is inevitable. The medium and scale are different: the stone Willendorf fits in the palm of the hand, while the bronze Oprah figure is life-size (or perhaps larger-than-life, if the modern goddess has kept her weight down).
But the similarities are striking-- the overall silhouette, the curves and proportions, the stylized hair (even if the styles are different)... and, tellingly, the tiny feet and the peculiar arms (it's not clear whether the Oprah figure even has any).
And with the 25,000 year old Willendorf being among the oldest surviving Venus or Goddess depictions known, it's an entirely apt point of reference for the joke the sculpture seems to be trying to make: that Oprah Winfrey has become the ultimate female power icon in America. (Of course, Hillary Clinton could be in the running for that title, if she wins the Democratic primaries upcoming-- and she is already the subject of an Edwards sculpture.)
One more irony: some have theorized that the distorted proportions of the Willendorf suggest that it may be a self-portrait from a woman's point of view-- the breats fill the field of vision looking downwards, for example. While I myself would not take this as a realistic interpretation, I would see it as apt for Oprah, whose universe, from her perspective, is filled with her own beauty and radiance.
What's peculiar about this project, though, is that Edwards doesn't seem to have carried out his usual pattern:
Here, in spite of this being a perfect and perfectly clever target, we have only a fragment of a quote, one image of the sculpture seemingly reproduced everywhere, and a lot of people on the Web citing each other.
If I had to guess (and I don't, but I will), I'd say Edwards wasn't in fact fully in control of the release of this image and quote. Could someone have lifted this image? Or could the sculpture have been finished, then quashed by Oprah's People, with one image and quote being leaked out in spite of the stifling? (Or could the mainstream media be afraid to run the usual press release, given the subject matter and Oprah's near-divine might?)
Britney Spears is too busy melting down , I think, to be concerned about Edwards' exploitation of her image. (Paris Hilton, as always, welcomes cheap media exposure.) Oprah, on the other hand, will not be inclined to let this pass lightly. Perhaps the modern media Juno will borrow a thunderbolt or two?
Let's see if there's more news about Edwards and, pictures of this Oprah sculpture, and news about where the sculpture is to be unveiled. If Edwards runs true to form, we should see a press release linking the sculpture to the critical problems with obesity and/or diabetes in America, or to representations of race, or, heaven forbid, to Black History Month.
Related stories:
Britney Spears: Amateur Media Jammer?
Britney Spears Monument to Pro-Life
Paris Hilton Autopsy Sculpture
Suri Cruise Poop Bronzed; To Be Sold on Ebay
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Improve your credit score
Bankruptcy is usually seen as a last resort for dealing with debts you cannot pay. When you're made bankrupt, your assets are usually shared out among those you owe money to and, as a result, you may lose your house and car - everything except essentials. All your bank accounts can be closed and the bankruptcy is advertised on the internet.
In return, you're usually freed from your debts after one year (although some types of debt cannot be included in a bankruptcy, such as government student loans and court fines).
If you are struggling to meet payments, get in touch with your creditors and tell them about your situation. Many lenders will be sympathetic and you may be able to make an informal agreement directly with them to make reduced payments for a while.
Bankruptcy may still be the best option for some people. However, the long-term effects on your ability to borrow mean it should only ever be considered as a last resort and after receiving professional advice, such as from a Citizens Advice Bureau, a solicitor, a qualified accountant, an authorised insolvency practitioner, a reputable financial adviser or a reputable debt advice centre. Alternatively, contact National Debtline, StepChange Debt Charity or Payplan for free, confidential and impartial advice.
You do not need to pay a company to arrange a debt management plan for you, nor should you have to pay for help from any so-called credit repair companies.
You go bankrupt via a court order, either by applying yourself or when your creditors (the people you owe money to) approach the court to ask for you to be made bankrupt.
The bankruptcy order shows on your credit report for a minimum of six years from the date of bankruptcy order. During the period of bankruptcy a number of restrictions apply. For example, you are legally bound to tell a lender you are bankrupt if you are applying for credit of more than £500. This means you may struggle to obtain credit while you are bankrupt.
Even after your bankruptcy has been discharged, organisations might refuse to give you credit or other financial services simply because you have been bankrupt in the past. If you do manage to find someone who will lend to you, it is possible they may charge you a higher interest rate as they will see you as a high-risk customer. Some mortgage lenders will ask if you have ever been bankrupt, so your bankruptcy could affect your creditworthiness long after the information has been removed from your credit report.
You will be automatically freed from your bankruptcy (known as being 'discharged') after a maximum of 12 months in England and Wales. However, the discharge can be extended (potentially up to 15 years) if you fail to cooperate in the bankruptcy proceedings or are deemed to have acted in a dishonest or blameworthy way.
Scottish bankruptcies are called sequestrations and are usually discharged after one year.
The bankruptcy is a matter of public record. It is also shown in your credit report – and as a condition of a new job or tenancy, you may have to agree to let an employer or landlord look at the 'public' information on your credit report, such as court judgments and bankruptcy orders. So bankruptcy may affect your chances of renting a home or getting the job you want.
One of the best ways to stay in control of your finances is to check your Experian Credit Report with Experian CreditExpert.


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Training is useful, but only when it meets specific purposes.
Successful training programs clearly focus on an organization's goals. They reduce costs, increase job satisfaction, and improve quality. And they're something most organizations don't have. How can you make your training more effective? Let's begin by looking at the reasons for training.
Training can help you meet a mandate, reach an organizational goal, and improve your bottom line. Your training projects are more likely to succeed if you understand each of these three reasons in any individual training project and then develop your training accordingly.
Meet a mandate. We often conduct training because we have to. For example, OSHA requires training for lift truck operators. Training can also be part of negotiated contractual obligations. Some trade organizations have certification and recertification requirements. In addition, many organizations now follow a defined certification process as part of ISO 9000.
Reach an organizational goal. Some organizations survey employee satisfaction with company training programs and refer to them when determining management performance ratings. Often, their human resources departments establish metrics for training, typically in "hours of training" per employee or as a percentage of total hours worked.
Improve the bottom line. "Performance improvement" programs replace traditional training programs and focus on areas where performance improvements could measurably enhance an organization's bottom line. Training is only part of a performance improvement solution. Improvements in work processes themselves — supported by a targeted training program — often yield measurable, long-term results.
Measure the results.
It's important to understand your organization's motivation for training before attempting to quantify its success. Then build a way to measure progress toward meeting goals into training programs so you can show the return on investment (ROI). Training measurement falls into two categories: training efficiency and training effectiveness.
Training efficiency is a function of student throughput and the resources required to achieve it. Though you can measure efficiency in training dollars per student (or student record), it would be more beneficial to take student on-the-job performance into account and measure training dollars per satisfactory training record.
Most training experts have adopted the four levels of training evaluation method developed by Donald Kirkpatrick, an author of several management programs. The problem with evaluating training as it applies to the company's bottom line is that nontraining issues can easily mask the positive impact of training programs. If workers are not motivated or suited to their work and the work environment is chaotic, even a world-class training program may not help. Conversely, dramatic improvements in the four nontraining factors affecting human performance (see sidebar below) may overshadow the poor results of an ineffective training program. When you require targeted training for specific performance issues, consider all five factors of workplace performance (sidebar below) rather than automatically pushing the training button.
If you are designing your own trainee performance tests, keep in mind these measurements are often at odds, making it difficult to maximize both goals simultaneously. Remember that real-life measurements will show up in various metrics. For example, suppose you ran a highly efficient safety training program but your safety statistics hadn't improved six months later. If the work environment hasn't changed, the program failed because it was ineffective. But in reality, work environments do change, and that makes it hard to measure effectiveness directly.
Many training experts see innovative use of increasing bandwidth and the move toward technically sophisticated "edutainment" as the best hope for closing the gap between training efficiency and training effectiveness. Simulations not only more closely represent real-world challenges requiring multiple skills, but they also bring out a competitive quest for excellence in employees by providing a game-like training environment. Because the simulations are computer-based, all the advantages of self-paced learning and automated testing and tracking make these training tools highly cost-effective.
With today's training environment and the inherent complexities of demonstrating bottom-line ROI, the key is to clearly identify the organization's training goals and use appropriate measurements. To satisfy this need, some training companies provide Web-based, turnkey solutions by providing training content and record keeping services. Electronic media other than the Internet, such as CD-ROMs, are highly effective.
However, a reliance on electronic media can also strain some organizations that may not have the infrastructure to support such methods. Because of these limitations, it's still popular to use live instructors who can answer questions and provide individual attention to students.
If literacy and resource limitations make reliance on electronic media the wrong choice for you, should you dismiss technology? No. These tools can supplement traditional methods quite well. And technology has other uses: If you use traditional training methods exclusively, you can automate the evaluation and record-keeping process with scannable test sheets.
Throwing training at a problem can be a politically expedient and relatively inexpensive way to address performance problems. But if work knowledge is not to blame, this won't solve the problem. Ineffective training has real costs, including lost work time, reduced management credibility, and the creation of negative attitudes toward any training provided by management or union leadership.
If you identify a specific lack of work knowledge that is causing a problem, then training designed to overcome that knowledge gap will produce positive results. Training, when properly planned, implemented, and measured, is a sound investment of time and money — and it will save you both.
Coleman is Director of Education for PRIMEDIA Workplace Learning's Industrial Services Group.
Sidebar: Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training Evaluation
Level One is the trainee's response to training. Trainers use "smile sheets," which survey students on the quality and relevance of a training activity.
Level Two uses student testing on content to determine training effectiveness and focus on learning gains. Pre- and post-tests are important tools toward this end.
Level Three seeks to measure the impact of training on job performance. This type of measurement is easiest to accomplish when training focuses on procedures and methods. You can evaluate the ability of workers to follow prescribed procedures and work practices in the classroom and on the job. Adhering to best work practices should increase worker safety, productivity, and product quality.
Level Four measures the impact of training on the bottom line. This is the level of measurement most organizations want to tie training budgets to. However, training is only one of five major factors that can positively affect bottom-line work performance, including:
Targeted work skills training.
Optimized and documented work processes.
Effective manufacturing technologies.
Appropriate worker incentives.
Adequate worker selection criteria.


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