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Archive for the 'Space Shuttle' Category
Weekly Links
Down To Earth
The Smithsonian Institution met their funding goal for their Kickstarter project to raise money to restore both Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 suit and Alan Shepard's Mercury suit.
Last week, water tanks were "harvested" from the Space Shuttle Endeavour (on display in California), for use on the ISS.
China recently had a successful engine test of the propulsion system for their new Long March 5 rocket.
The pop band One Direction released a music video filmed almost entirely at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The video for Drag Me Down has reached over one million views on YouTube.
While we're talking about space in popular culture, here is the latest full length trailer for The Martian.
In Orbit
The latest ISS resupply mission successfully launched from Japan on August 19th and is on track for a Monday, August 24th, arrival at the space station. Here is NASA TV's schedule of live coverage.
The European Space Agency also launched a rocket last week. The Ariane 5 rocket launched from the Kourou launch site on August 20th with two communication satellites.
ISS Commander Scott Kelly got a great shot of tropical cyclone Danny last week that got a lot of media attention.
#HurricaneDanny Keeping an eye on you from @space_station. Looks like you're 1st in Atlantic. Stay safe! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/8U0ZsEZ482
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 20, 2015
Another amazing picture from the ISS was this picture of lightning which also captured a rare red "sprite" in the upper atmosphere.
Around The Solar System
New analysis from the LADEE spacecraft (which has already been crashed into the moon) confirm the presence of neon in the moon's tenuous exosphere.
I failed to link to this awesome imagery of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko outgassing just after passing perihelion earlier this month.
The Cassini spacecraft had its last close flyby of Saturn's small but interesting moon Dione and sent back some of its own awesome imagery.
This awesome Curiosity rover "selfie" from Mars got a lot of press last week. Curiosity recently "celebrated" 3 years on Mars and is still going strong.
If you're into that sort of thing, you can send your name (and your cat's) to Mars with the Insight probe, launching next year.
Weekly Links
Down to Earth
A new exhibit called 'Forever Remembered' at NASA's Kennedy Space Center has opened, featuring artifacts from the fateful STS-51L and STS-107 missions.
NASA is offering to lease parts of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and Mobile Launch Platforms (MLP) at the Kennedy Space Center to commercial users. I guess NASA doesn't need both high bays all the time due to the low launch rate expected for the new SLS rocket.
Famous composer James Horner died in a plane crash this week. Here are some excerpts from my favorite work of his, the Apollo 13 soundtrack:
In Orbit
In orbital launch news, the Russian military launch I wrote about last week was successful on June 23rd. The rocket was a Soyuz-2.1b, which has a different third stage than the Soyuz rockets used to launch missions to ISS. Here is a good discussion of the Soyuz rocket family from Russian Space Web.
There was also a Chinese Earth-observing satellite launch on June 26 (was early in the day, so June 25 in the US).
And of course, another much-anticipated SpaceX Falcon 9 launch is still scheduled for tomorrow. The pre-launch static fire test was successful on Friday, June 26, so they are ready for launch on June 27 at around 10:20 AM Eastern.
This Falcon 9 launch is supposed to have another barge landing attempt. SpaceX recently launched this new tracking cam footage of the almost-made-it attempt in April. This should get you excited for tomorrow!
As always, here are some more great photos from ISS, posted by @StationCDRKelly
#Aurora I don't think I will ever see another quite like you again. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/NVywx2JH3r
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 23, 2015
#GreatLakes You are a great masterpiece. Good morning from @Space_Station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/xQUgRYJscr
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 24, 2015
The sun rises on another day aboard @Space_Station. #HappyFriday. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/HRIgTWfTCq
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 26, 2015
Good morning from 250 miles above the African desert. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/wE0KrGDfdN
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 27, 2015
Around the Solar System
The European Space Agency has extended the Rosetta mission, in orbit of comet 67P, until late 2016. Good thing too, because Rosetta keeps finding new things about comet 67P, like the recent announcement that they have found exposed water ice on the surface.
This song about the New Horizons mission to Pluto is rather fun. If you don't like sentimentality or kitsch, you might want to skip it.
Out There
Some cool astronomy news worth sharing this week. First, the V404 Cygni system, which is a black hole orbited by a companion star, has recently become very active and is flaring into the brightest X-ray object in the sky (so you can't see it).
Second, astronomers have discovered that exoplanet GJ436b (which is about the size of Neptune) has a giant cloud of hydrogen following it in its orbit, like a comet tail.
Book Review: Launch On Need
NASA's Foundations of Mission Operations is meant to be a reminder to all working in the manned spaceflight program of the responsibility we hold to the taxpayer and to the astronauts we train and protect. Among other core values, the foundations state:
To always be aware that suddenly and unexpectedly we may find ourselves in a role where our performance has ultimate consequences.
As part of that goal, certified flight controllers must complete annual proficiency training, which includes reading key chapters of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's report (the report is often simply referred to as "the CAIB"). We are not required to read the entire report annually – both because it is very long at over 200 pages and because many chapters are irrelevant now that the Shuttle program has retired. However, we read chapters that have a direct relation to how we continue to do our job as flight controllers, such as chapter 7: "The Accident's Organizational Causes". These parts of the report drive home the importance of good leadership, speaking up when you see a problem, and technical rigor, among other skills. For instance, page 191 has a very relevant discussion of the danger of trying to present a precise technical topic on a brief PowerPoint slide.
The most important part of the CAIB ultimately is the list of recommendations found in chapter 11, especially those that are organizational and apply still today. Nevertheless, it is human nature to ask "what if?" about the Columbia accident. A 2-page section of chapter 6, titled "Possibility of Rescue or Repair", seeks to answer this question, however briefly. Chapter 6 (and the longer associated appendix) explain that, had NASA managers understood Columbia's plight early in the flight, resources could have been conserved onboard to extend STS-107 to a mission length of several weeks and Atlantis – already being prepped for STS-114 in the Orbiter Processing Facility – could have been rushed for a possible bid at rescue. This section of the CAIB, almost a footnote, is the premise of the fictional novel Launch on Need by Daniel Guiteras.
Launch on Need takes the "what ifs?" about as far as they can go, exploring both the how the world would react to the drama of a stranded space shuttle as well as detailing NASA's mobilization efforts for rescue. Surprisingly, the most central character to the novel is fictional CNN reporter John Stangley, rather than a NASA flight controller or astronaut. It is actually the novel's biggest failing that Stangley is the only character who is truly explored with depth or appreciable character arc. At 350 pages, this means that a lot of time is spent with characters of little emotional interest to the reader. The fact that all of the characters are fictional – including STS-107 astronauts, rescue astronauts, and mission managers – definitely slowed down my ability to connect with them. However, to be fair to Guiteras, the book likely would not have faced problems getting published if he had assigned invented dialogue and motivations to real people, especially the crew of Columbia.
Fortunately, the reason I read Launch on Need was not really for complex characters. The book intrigued me probably for the same reasons Guiteras wrote it. NASA has not had to publically "save" a crew since the successful failure of Apollo 13, a generation ago. Both accidents during the space shuttle program were tragedies, not crises. By the time the public knew of the Challenger and Columbia accidents, the astronauts were already dead. What would a modern day Apollo 13 look like? How would the public react? Could NASA really pull it off? Of course, without a time machine, we will never really know the answers to these questions. But Launch on Need makes a compelling case for how things may have turned out differently. Despite the weak characters, and often weak dialogue, Guiteras' loving attention to technical detail creates a drama that carries the reader all the way to the finish.
Guiteras sets up the structure of the novel in a clever way, with three parts titled The Discovery, The Challenge, and The Endeavour, using the names of three of NASA's fleet of space shuttles. The Discovery starts at launch of STS-107 and ends with the wing inspection EVA, The Challenge covers the rescue flight's prep for launch, and The Endeavour is the rescue mission itself. This means that, rather surprisingly, the rescue mission launches well over half way through the novel. If this story were ever to be made into a movie (unlikely) this would not fly. The big screen eye candy comes from action in space. The excitement of launch day and the drama of the rendezvous and tense rescue EVA would certainly be the focus, and launch would occur, at latest, halfway through the film. But this imagined big-screen version would steal the soul of Guiteras' story. The real drama of the story occurs during part 2, as NASA prepares Atlantis for launch. Guiteras does a great job of building up the conflict of man versus schedule in this part of the book, which is hard to do, since the antagonist is not a person but is time itself.
One of my favorite chapters in the book comes in the middle of part 2, while Atlantis is still in the OPF, and NASA is working 3 shifts and struggling to shave precious hours of the launch prep timeline so that Atlantis can reach orbit before Columbia runs out of CO2 scrubbers. In the middle of this chaos, a careless worker drops a large bucket from an upper level of the OPF onto Atlantis' wings, potentially putting the entire mission in danger, if the damage is bad enough. Not only did I fear for Atlantis herself but I really felt for Wally Jensen, the OPF manager you meet only for the brief 5 pages of this chapter. The accident's impact on Jensen really painted an accurate picture of how the stress of something like a real rescue mission might take its toll on NASA's employees.
In contrast to the parts of the novel about Atlantis being readied for launch are the chapters following the rescue crew, which I felt really missed the mark. For instance, during one chapter, we join two of the rescue mission astronauts who are selected to do the spacewalk to ferry all 7 astronauts from Columbia to Atlantis. They are training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) the week before the flight. Actually, it is the day after they were assigned to the mission and they are already on their first NBL run. As they alone in the locker room getting ready for prebrief, one astronaut begins to confide in the other that he is worried and scared, that he has lost confidence in himself. While astronauts are just humans like you and me, and surely feel the pressure leading up to a big mission, the timing of the confession and the dialogue was rather contrived. Keep in mind that these two characters were introduced as NASA's best spacewalkers. Unfortunately, this was a theme throughout and I felt that the astronauts were the weakest characters in the story. Similarly, a lot of the scenes that occur in mission control itself felt off to me, based on my experience in mission operations for the ISS. The most jarring scene for me was when a "tiger team" of 4 members is formed in the middle of the climactic rescue EVA to figure out how to open a stuck hatch, or else the last two crew of Columbia will die aboard. The entire logistics of this episode do not match how we do things at mission control: the IMMT chair, who was at the back of the control room at the management console, grabs 3 flight controllers who are currently on shift in the front room during an EVA and leave the room to come up with options. This would never happen. Instead, the army of back room flight controllers and engineering support rooms would be working together on the comm loops to come up with a plan.
Despite Guiteras lack of ability to provide believable astronaut or flight controller characters, the story has another strength in its exploration of the space program in the American psyche. One of the most interesting scenes to me (regardless of its realism) comes near the beginning of Part II, shortly after NASA has committed to rescue as the only option for Columbia. The NASA administrator is holding a meeting with the heads of his public affairs and communications divisions and outlines an innovative approach to media relations during preparations for the rescue mission: hide nothing, let the media in everywhere. The administrator realizes that this is an "Apollo 13 moment" and seizes on the opportunity to get everyone talking about NASA again.
As NASA starts to let reporters into the VAB and OPF, just inches from Atlantis as she is prepared for her rescue mission, the American public begins to become fixated on the mission. The 24-hour news channels essentially have a launch countdown ticker on the screen at all times and they do daily status updates. STS-300 is on the front page of the New York Times. This is my favorite part of Launch on Need. I think Guiteras has a great sense of how Americans really feel about space. Sometimes it seems NASA is ignored, often even forgotten, but that is not because people don't love space. Spaceflight is in the background fabric of our culture, the way we expect to have a football game on TV on Sunday night or that we get 100 options of breakfast cereal at the grocery store. You don't notice something so ingrained in our culture until they are gone. Everyone wants to talk about space when something goes wrong; we see this every time a cargo launch doesn't make it to ISS – you see a headline in every news media outlet, even if they just use the AP brief. Often those launches aren't covered when they are successful.
Guiteras seems to understand all of this about American culture, which makes his fictional tale about how STS-107 could have ended in triumph an optimistic but cautionary tale that I think leaders within NASA should read and learn from. Launch On Need is an interesting thought experiment about NASA public affairs. It points out that people love space (which I think is true of the majority), but that NASA needs to actively share its mission in an exciting and emotional way if we want people's love of space to be active and conscious, and not just like their love of the breakfast cereal aisle.
We will never know if Atlantis really could have made it to orbit to save the Columbia crew before Flight Day 30. All we can say is that if NASA hadn't made the errors in management, communication, and decision making which are outlined in the CAIB, there could have at least been a chance to try. Even if a rescue mission had been attempted and failed, the way we remember the Columbia disaster would be very different. The idea of following the Foundations of Mission Operations – of being ever vigilant – is not because we believe we can prevent all disasters from happening, but instead is to at least give ourselves the chance to turn something like Columbia from a tragedy that no one saw coming into a crisis that we can put forth our best effort to recover from. This is the point of the last line of the Foundations of Mission Operations:
To recognize that the greatest error is not to have tried and failed, but that in the trying we do not give it our best effort.
I would recommend Launch On Need to fans of space history and flight controllers alike. In fact, with some good editing and improved character development in another edition, I think it could be quite good. I hope that if and when NASA has another crisis in manned spaceflight, we will have improved our blind spots that led to disaster for Challenger and Columbia and will instead give ourselves the chance for redemption shown by Guiteras in Launch on Need.
You can read Launch on Need for free if you have Kindle Unlimited or order it for $11.60 in paperback. Here is the Amazon link.
Weekly Links
Down to Earth
Many space enthusiasts and planetary scientists were unsettled by a NASA announcement on December 3rd about a restructuring of the planetary science budget. In particular, the money allocated for planetary science grants is being reorganized into new programs – and half of that money will not be used for new grants in 2014. In short, this means there is less money available to scientists writing new proposals.
In other disappointing news, some vandals in Houston spray-painted graffiti on the side of the Space Shuttle mock-up Independence. Independence lived for almost 20 years at KSC where it was known as Explorer. The mock-up is displayed outside near the Space Center Houston parking lot, with no significant security at night (in contrast to the nearby Rocket Park which is behind a locked fence at night).
On December 3rd, NASA scientist and former JPL director Ed Stone was on Stephen Colbert to talk about Voyager entering interstellar space. At the end of the episode, Stephen Colbert surprised Dr. Stone with the NASA distinguished service medal. You can watch the interview here and the award presentation here (both links to the Colbert Report's website and the clips come with ads).
On December 6, 1957 (56 years ago today), the Vanguard TV3 was the first attempted launch of a satellite by the United States – which ended in a spectacular explosion on the launch pad.
41 years later, December 4, 1998, the Space Shuttle mission STS-88 attached the "Unity" Node to Russia's "Zarya" – the first step in what would be over 10 years of ISS assembly.
Thanks to a post from Parabolic Arc, I have bookmarked this interactive map from SpaceWorks Software that maps all planned, active, and former spaceports around the world.
Around the Solar System
According to Chinese media, the Chang'e 3 probe has reached lunar orbit. The lander is expected to make it to the surface on December 14th.
While we have seen imagery of Saturn's mysterious North Pole hexagon before, the newly released images (and movie!) from Cassini is the highest resolution view yet, through multiple color filters. Pretty.
Out There
Astronomers using the Keck II telescope in Hawaii have taken images of 3 large (bigger than Jupiter) exoplanets. So few planets from other systems have been directly imaged that each new one is notable, even if the planets are unlikely to be habitable or otherwise remarkable. Phil Plait provides the images at the top of his post on the results.
Weekly Links
Down to Earth
Virgin Galactic has hired two new pilots, including former Space Shuttle Commander and Navy TOPGUN pilot, Frederick "CJ" Sturckow. Awesome!
At the Kennedy Space Center's new visitor center, the payload bay doors were opened on Space Shuttle Atlantis, which is slated to go on display this summer.
In honor of the new Star Trek movie, here's something that has nothing to do with space at all. But it's funny.
In Orbit
A lot has happened at the space station in the past week and a half! Apart from Soyuz TMA-07M returning to Earth on Monday, May 13…
…on Thursday, May 9, in the morning, (while I was working in the Flight Control Room) the astronauts noticed some mysterious debris floating outside the space station…
…which led to an emergency spacewalk to fix a leaky coolant pump only two days later.
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/spaceguy87/status/335245616697466880″]
For more information, check out my friend and colleague, Anthony, talking about the space station quick fix.
Chris Hadfield's return to Earth marks the end of a very successful mission that was more than just a typical ISS expedition. Commander Hadfield reached out to people through social media more than any astronaut before. Here is a small "greatest hits" list of some of his photography. But for me, even better than all the pictures from his mission, was the way Hadfield seamlessly connected his love of music to space. Check out this music video he released just hours before coming home last week.
In less successful orbital news, the Kepler Space Telescope – NASA's planet-finding spacecraft – seems to be in trouble. On May 15, NASA announced that a second of Kepler's four reaction wheels may be failed. Kepler needs 3 reaction wheels to accurately point the telescope for precision science measurements. If they cannot recover the lost reaction wheel, Kepler's mission is effectively done. Kepler has been able to discover thousands of planets in our galaxy (most still being officially "confirmed") but it easily has thousands more left to discover. Save Kepler!
Around the Solar System
In only one day last week, the sun emitted three X-class solar flares (X-class is the biggest class of solar flare, but just like the earthquake scale, an X10 is significantly bigger than an X2, so it's all relative). Welcome to solar maximum! If you live somewhere where you can see it, there should be some good aurora to see this year.
Remember that rover on Mars? No, not the bigger shiny new one, that one on the other side of the planet – Opportunity. The plucky rover that could just hit a distance record for NASA set by the Apollo 17 moon rover in 1972. Back in 1972, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt drove their lunar rover 35.74 km in just a few days. After almost 10 years on Mars, Opportunity just broke that record this week. Also, there's still the Russian moon rover Lunokhod 2 which drove 37 km in 1973. Opportunity still has a ways to go. But it is amazing that she is still going at all!
Weekly Links
Down to Earth
I wrote last week about a few updates to Space Shuttle artifact exhibits coming online around the country. And there is yet more news to tell this week.
The exhibit of the Space Shuttle (not) Orbiter Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum is coming together after recovering from hurricane Sandy. The new upgraded "pavilion" is being built over Enterprise now and will open on July 10.
The last pieces of wrapping paper were taken off of Space Shuttle Atlantis at KSC.
The first Canadarm, or Space Shuttle robotic arm, was put on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum last week. ISS Commander Chris Hadfield was linked to the museum live from space for the unveiling.
Speaking of the Canadian Space Agency, Canada also revealed this past week that the new Canadian $5 bill will feature space images, including a picture of the Space Station Robitc arm and an astronaut on a spacewalk.
NASA resigned the contract with the Russian space agency to provide transport for American astronauts to ISS on Soyuz launch vehicles. The renewal paid for seats through 2017 – which is only 3 years before the official end of ISS in 2020 (but everyone expects the program to extend into the late 2020s).
Boeing successfully completed a flight test of the X-51A scramjet known as "Waverider". This was the longest airbreathing scramjet flight to date (that's unclassified…).
Not Quite in Orbit
As I wrote about in a separate post, Virgin Galactic had their first powered flight of SpaceShipTwo last week on April 29. The video is too good not to repost.
In the wake of all the excitement surrounding that flight, Virgin Galactic has confirmed that ticket prices are about to go up 25% from $200,000 to $250,000 to account for inflation.
In Orbit
The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory ran out of helium coolant last week and officially ended its mission.
A 3-D printer will fly to the ISS next year. This is a good idea in how to test ways to make spacecraft more self-sufficient, which will be necessary if humanity ever takes true deep space missions.
Chris Hadfield explains in a little over a minute my job as an Attitude Determination and Control Officer for ISS. Thanks, Chris!
The Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope did a debris avoidance maneuver in early April to avoid a nasty collision with an old Soviet Satellite. This was apparently the first time in Fermi's mission (launched in 2008) that they had to use the thruster system for such a maneuver. This is a common problem for low Earth orbit spacecraft and the ISS has close calls with debris – and performs maneuvers – more than we would like to.
Around the Solar System
I enjoyed this story of unexpected scientific discovery. The team searching the outer solar system for an object for New Horizons to visit after it reaches Pluto happened to discover a new Trojan asteroid of Neptune (he explains what a Trojan asteroid is).
The Mars probes and rovers have woken up from solar conjunction. Opportunity and Curiosity should be off and roving again. Opportunity actually had a minor glitch when NASA initially resumed contact but she recovered no problem.
The asteroid that NASA's Osiris-Rex sample return mission will visit in a few years has officially be named Bennu.
Friday Links
Down to Earth
A couple of updates on Space Shuttle artifacts being displayed. First, the original external fuel tank test article was shipped from KSC to the "Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum" in Starke, Florida. Second, the space shuttle Atlantis was "unwrapped" at its new display at the KSC visitor center.
Rumor has it that Virgin Galactic might have their first powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo next week.
The Texas state legislature is a few steps away from approving key measures that would enable SpaceX to build a launch site near the Mexico border outside of Brownsville. This week the Texas House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow closure of state beaches during launches. The bill still needs to go to the State Senate before passing.
Mars One, the… company? … that plans to colonize Mars, has opened up their astronaut application process. What the heck, why not apply?
In Orbit
Orbital Sciences successfully launched their first Antares rocket on April 21st. It was a beautiful launch into a clear blue sky. We look forward to seeing them on ISS in a few months.
Up on the Space Station, two cosmonauts – Pavel Vinogradov and Roman Romanenko – went on a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk to work on some external experiments and also some various maintenance.
On Wednesday, the latest Russian Progress resupply craft launched on its way to ISS. The docking is planned for just a few moments from now, on Friday morning (coverage is live on NASA TV if you catch this post right after it goes up). The Progress will be docking to ISS despite a rendezvous antenna that was unable to fully deploy after launch. The retracted antenna is physically in the way of the docking mechanism, so flight controllers will have to come up with a plan to get the antenna out of the way… or something else. Otherwise the cargo inside will not be accessible. One possibility is to plan another spacewalk after docking to move the antenna.
And on a lighter note, Commander Hadfield talks about barf bags in space.
Around the Solar System
At Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft has been observing meteors impacting the planet's rings. Awesome.
Weekly Links
Down to Earth
This week is the time every year for somber reflection at NASA, as it sees the anniversaries of all three of NASA's spaceflight fatalities: Apollo 1 on January 27, Challenger on January 28, and Columbia on February 1. This coming February marks 10 years since the space shuttle Columbia was lost on mission STS-107. It's not fun to watch, but I do re-watch this video* from time to time to remind myself that things can and will go wrong in this dangerous business.
*It amazes me the number of cameras that were on hand in Mission Control for Space Shuttle re-entry. In routine ISS operations, I've never had to deal with a camera in my face the way these ascent/entry flight controllers did.
The makers of a small budget documentary about Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, lost on Columbia, will air on PBS this Thursday night. I saw an early cut of the film a few years ago and it is well worth watching – I suggest you tune in! Here is their trailer.
In Orbit
Well, he didn't quite make it to orbit, but an Iranian monkey did fly to space, according to reports out of that country.
The United States government says the monkey's flight is (officially) unconfirmed.
The Robotic Refueling Mission aboard the ISS wrapped up successfully. The several weeks of operations completed with a successfully simulated refueling, using ethanol, early Monday morning.
And if you need to relax, here's what it's like to orbit the Earth from a couple hundred miles up.
Or if you prefer, here is a nice event from last week in which two NASA astronauts on ISS answered student questions live on TV. I enjoyed it live from the Flight Control Room!
Around the Solar System
This month is the 9th anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rovers landing on Mars and the start of Opportunity's tenth year exploring that planet. Curiosity has a long way to go to match the legacy of Oppy, who landed on January 25, 2004. I can't wait for her ten year anniversary next year, which I believe she will easily surpass. As Stu, from The Road to Endeavour, points out, Opportunity has spent far more of her life on Mars than she ever did on Earth. She is truly a Martian.
On the other side of Mars from Opportunity, Curiosity has taken her first nighttime pictures! Curiosity can take pictures with white LEDs or ultraviolet light. this can reveal some specific properties of the local geography that are trickier to pinpoint when you have the complex wavelengths of light coming from the sun. In particular, UV light can help Curiosity find fluorescent minerals, which could indicate organics.
Also, Curiosity has discovered lots of evidence of a water-rich past in Gale Crater, including calcium deposits. Curiosity should be doing her first rock drilling very soon!
Because it's Cool
Stunning exposure of the ISS and the night sky.
NASA TV has been playing this video… awesome.
2012 In Review
I wouldn't say that 2012 either came in or went out with a bang (unless the last minute federal budget politiking* strikes you as "a bang"). Nevertheless, 2012 was a busy year for space enthusiasts. The last twelve months held much to wonder, celebrate, contemplate, mourn, debate, and of course explore. Here I will try to sum up the space related events, deaths, discoveries, and anniversaries that I find interesting. If you are interested in a full recap of worldwide events in 2012, I'd suggest starting with the "Year in Pictures" at Boston.com's "Big Picture" blog – Part I, Part II, and Part III.
In Memoriam
In order to try to honor some fallen heroes, I will start out with the saddest part of my recap.
In 2012 we lost three American astronauts – Alan Poindexter, Sally Ride, and Neil Armstrong.
Captain Poindexter was 50 years old when he died in July 2012. He was a veteran of 2 space shuttle flights, having been selected in the 1998 group of astronauts. Coming from a Navy test pilot background, he was the pilot for STS-122 and then Commander of STS-131. 131 was the last night launch of the shuttle program and helped set the record for most women in space at one time – with 3 women on the crew of Discovery plus one on the space station. During his military career Poindexter flew F-14s on carriers – very cool.
Sally Ride needs no explanation. More important people than me provided lots of memories about Sally Ride after her death back in July. She certainly left us too soon – but she left a legacy. Sally Ride Science will continue to do great things, and you should consider supporting them if you can.
And of course, everyone heard when Neil Armstrong died in August at the age of 82. Like Sally Ride, I can provide no words here better than what has already been written. Armstrong was in many ways the model of a public hero and should not have left us so soon.
There would be no astronauts without first someone to inspire us to dream. Thus, we should also remember legendary author Ray Bradbury who died aged 91.
Lastly, engineer Roger Boisjoly died at the age of 73. Mr. Boisjoly is known for being the SRB (Solid Rocket Booster) project manager at Thiokol who warned not to launch mission STS-51L during a meeting the day before the flight. His warnings were ignored and the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost.
Major Events or Discoveries
Whether your interest lies more in planetary exploration, new technology, or manned spaceflight, there were many milestones and missions in 2012.
NASA achieved what I will subjectively dub their triumph of the decade (so far) when the Mars rover Curiosity touched down at Bradbury landing in Gale Crater on August 6th. You have got to love this video…
Curiosity could easily explore Mars for a decade, with its RTG that should keep it powered long enough that something else will wear out first. The vistas we have seen of Gale crater from MSL are stunning and I think she will be a huge source of inspiration – and of course science – for many years ahead.
Curiosity isn't alone on Mars. Another huge milestone of 2012 is the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continuing to quietly do its job at Endeavour Crater on the other side of the planet. In fact, Opportunity and Curiosity are now racing each other to find clay minerals known as "phylosillicates".
SpaceX impressed the world with their first successful (test) flight to the International Space Station in May which was followed up by the first official contracted resupply mission in October.
The Chinese performed their first in orbital rendezvous of a manned spacecraft when Shenzhou 9 docked with the Tiangong 1 space station on June 18.
NASA's Dawn spacecraft continued to explore asteroid Vesta (where it arrived in 2011) and finally departed in September 2012 to start the long interplanetary flight to larger asteroid Ceres, where it will arrive in 2015.
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft found evidence of water ice in polar craters of Mercury.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft continued to to perform well at Saturn, more than 8 years after arriving (15 years since launch) and discovered a vast river system of methane and ethane on the moon Titan. Time to send the riverboat robots to explore.
Anniversaries: 50 years since Kennedy's famous "Moon speech" in Texas, 50 years since John Glenn's orbital flight, and 40 years since the last flight to the moon – Apollo 17.
Back in June many people around the world – including those who are not even space geeks – enjoyed the rare passing of Venus across the face of the sun. The next Venus transit will not be until 2117.
One of my absolute favorite events of 2012 was the discovery of a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B, the nearest star system to Earth. And only a few weeks later, a "super earth" was found in the habitable zone of HD 40307 only 40 light years away. The discovery of exoplanets is turning into the science story of the 21st century…
Unless you are a physics geek. Then the science story of the 21st century will be the ongoing unlocking of secrets of the quantum world, which continued in 2012 with the announcement that the Large Hadron Collider in Europe has discovered the "Higgs Boson".
But in any case, the idea of people living on a planet at Alpha Centauri is the inspiration for my blog's name, so I have a bias for the planets.
This year was nostalgic for us Millenials – who grew up watching space shuttle launches – as the three remaining space shuttle orbiters reached their final homes in California, Virginia, and Florida.
NASA and the astronaut office finally caught on to 21st century communications and media in earnest. More astronauts than ever are actively interacting with the general public on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Reddit, and elsewhere on the 'net. NASA astronauts have made this communication a part of their mission while on ISS, with many of them writing blogs or maintaining exciting Twitter and Flickr streams from space. This will certainly continue in 2013 as the "Net Generation" begins to come of age and will have real influence on the personality of America, and whether we stay committed to space exploration. My guess is that this video helped.
Looking forward
What will 2013 bring? Well, probably most importantly – but least excitingly – are the pending federal budget decisions in Washington, DC. Congress still needs to decide on a 2013 budget and then a 2014 budget. Some of their choices will shape the future of space exploration, especially for planetary science missions.
Here is my list of the more cheery things to look for in 2013:
- Finally the first powered flight tests of tourist space vehicles. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo should be hopping into space this year.
- SpaceX should continue to demonstrate reliability of their rockets as they fly two more missions to the ISS as well as a fairly packed launch schedule for other customers.
- SpaceX's competitor for ISS commercial flights, Orbital Sciences**, will attempt to make good on their contract with NASA.
- Russia will fly the 50th Progress resupply mission to ISS, this being the 15th year since the launch of the first ISS module.
- Late in 2013, the next Mars launch window will see two missions: NASA's MAVEN orbiter and India's first interplanetary mission.
- NASA will launch the LADEE lunar probe.
- Continued excellence in the field of extrasolar planet astronomy – smaller and more numerous rocky planets will be discovered further out from main sequence stars.
Round ups from other blogs
For some other summaries of 2012 in space and science see:
Universe Today's list of best space images
Bad Astronomy's list of best astronomy pictures
EarthSky's top 5 weather stories
Hyperbola's summary of all of humanity's rocket launches in 2012
Houston Chronicle's top 10 skywatching events of 2013 (one is the Quadrantic meteor shower tonight!)
Parabolic Arc's "NewSpace" year in review (that one's a quick read)
*yes, Congress did pass a bill to avert the "fiscal cliff" at the very last minute on Tuesday, January 1, 2013
**the author has a small shareholding in Orbital Sciences
Christmas Links
Down to Earth
SpaceX's reusable vertical take-off and landing rocket, Grasshopper, had another successful flight. This one longer and higher than the last two.
This is a big rocket. There was a six-foot mannequin riding the side and you wouldn't see it unless you knew it was there.
SpaceShipTwo, the long awaited tourist space plane, had a first drop test in flight configuration – meaning with the full rocket engine strapped in the back (but not turned on). They are expected to do the first powered flights before the end of 2013.
The Intrepid Air & Space Museum in New York reopened on Friday, Dec 21, but the Space Shuttle Enterprise is still being repaired from damage from Sandy.
NASA has been talking about their next gen space suit, the Z-1, which uses a bright green color scheme that reminds us of Buzz Lightyear.
In Orbit
The rest of the Expedition 34 crew arrived at ISS with no problems on Friday, Dec 21. Jump to 2:15 to see the new guys come through the hatch.
Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford has finally updated his blog since arriving at ISS in the Fall and has shared a few stories.
Around the Solar System
On Friday, Dec 21, the Cassini spacecraft (in orbit around Saturn) observed a transit of Venus across the sun. You may remember that we had a transit of Venus visible from the Earth back in June.
Go outside on Christmas night and take a look at Jupiter and the moon hanging out together. The moon will be almost full for the conjunction.
Merry Christmas!


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Just Repeat to Yourself....... by JediArtisanWatch
©2011-2016 JediArtisan
...its just a show and you should really just relax.
Yep. Kinda just had this idea pop into my ahead.
Yep. Kinda just had this idea pop into my ahead.
I need this sign when ever I'm in a theater with friends.
These people are my role models.
Now all I need is a signpost for it.
Robot roll call:
Tom Servo!
Tom Servo!
Hahaha, this is perfect for me xD I'm one of those people who pretty much has an anger-induced seizure whenever anyone breathes too loudly, much less talks, during a movie. However, I'm also a huge MST3K fan, so I'm not sure what happened there...I guess it's a complex thing
pfft, cute.
Awesome sause!
Love this!!!
lol, I love this. I should paste this to my door or something. I can't resist the riffs, even if it's just one joke during an otherwise amazing movie. I never understood people who needed ABSOLUTE SILENCE during a film, and get ragingly pissed off at even non-disruptive comments. (I came upon this guy once who seemed otherwise sort of normal, but who said basically "talking during a movie, any movie, is a deal-breaker. Also I will kill you." I was like, "woah, okay I'm leaving now on a completely unrelated matter.") Anyway. MST3K forevah.
he he yeah, riff a movie can be most fun. I kinda had to do this after a short power marathon of MST3K after finding a cache of episodes on youtube
Sounds fun! I'm always finding episodes I haven't seen yet, and each one is classic.
Cool! *bookmarks for later* Ahh, nothing like bad movies to distract me from work, and anxiety from said work. And now I must return to my lair and read many more slides, instead of playing with my "children" this morning-- that is, my critters. I invariably waste so much time every day just feeding them. XD
lol, well critters gotta eat

subset: commoncrawl


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MaNiC DePrEsSiOn by HebbybobdigeWatch
©2012-2016 Hebbybobdige
Put on a HaPpYfAcE!
I like the hanging men in the background
Mmmm, you have a very beautiful art.
Love it.
This is awesome. The ragged labcoats and hangings and smiley face makes it epic. Made my day!
yeah, this pretty much sums it up.
I have manic depression D:
Oh not making fun here by the way, just in case you think so
Wow this is epic


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Dead Space
Question from GAMEFROG1
New game plus (+) ?
What dose new game plus (+) mean? I've seen it several times while reading through the answers.Dose it mean , a new game plus the next highest level ? Thanks.
5 years ago
If you change difficulty , do you still carry everything over still , or start completly fresh on next higest level.Thanks.
5 years ago
Accepted Answer
New game+ is the term used when games allow you to play through them a second (3rd, 4th, etc.) time while retaining all your weapons, upgrades, money and other stuff that you collected on your previous playthrough (though exactly what carries over usually varies from game to game).
In the case of Dead Space you can keep everything - weapons plus upgrades, suits, RIG upgrades, credits and anything/everything that you had in your inventory and in the in-game store - and use it on a new playthrough on the same difficulty setting. Just load your end-game save file to begin again at chapter 1.
5 years ago
You can't keep things if you change to a higher difficulty, but if you start a game on a higher difficulty right after finishing you should get to keep the level 6 RIG.
5 years ago
This question has been successfully answered and closed
More Questions from This Game
|What is the best weapon in this game?
|Why does the game now not allow me to use my med kits?
|Items carry to next game?
|Can I use cheats after I beat the game once?
|Can you change dificulty on new game plus?


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Respond to Review of Iydea Vegetarian Kitchen
by corey
Review: Had the full breakfast. Each component had been pre-made and it seemed like several parts had been sitting for a very long time. The veggie sausages were completely dried out/rubbery and the mushrooms had also clearly been sitting perhaps overnight. The point is, none of this was freshly prepared. BAKED BEANS FROM A TIN SAUSAGES FROM A PACKET While the lady serving my food did seem quite polite, I went to this place to eat food, not to pay to see her. So i dont want the people running this place to think they are bad at their jobs, they just need to learn to serve freshly prepared food. I was really honestly horrified when i saw them scooping all this stuff from metal bins behind the counter. I may as well have gone to mcdonalds. Seriously. What is the point of running a restaurant like this [edited by staff-see tos] So beware folks. That is all i'm saying, beware.
Posted by iydea on Friday, February 22, 2013
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Auction price: Register or sign-in to see quarterly averages
or visit the Wine Market Journal
Drinking window not specified (Add My Dates)
Over the hill.
Pégaü vertical tasting (Graz, Austria): Brilliant medium garnet, fat tears. Mature fruit in the nose, some liquorice, rather decent. Medium body, slightly rotten fruit, juvenile impression, low acidity, plums, velvety tannins. Medium finish, slightly rotten fruit in the aftertaste. Maybe a not perfect bottle.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 88.


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Today: Closed
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The Kansas City Zoo is working hard to improve school group visits. We encourage you to book your visit at least four weeks in advance to better serve you.


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CBE Mess: Were Warning Signs Ignored?
A Rockville-based construction company won a $6.8 million school construction contract a month after city officials were alerted that the same company may have abused the city's preference program for local contractors, court and D.C. Council records show.
A panel made up of one city employee and two private consultants picked Forrester Construction on behalf of the Department of General Services to manage renovation work at Nalle Elementary School on Dec. 15, 2011.
The selection came a month after representatives of Forrester's partner in a joint venture at Anacostia Senior High School, EEC of D.C., copied city officials on letters alleging that Forrester was in breach of the city's Certified Business Enterprise program. (For more details on the issues at Anacostia specifically and problems with the CBE program in general, see LL's cover story.)
Scott Foley, an attorney representing EEC of D.C., sent a letter to Forrester on Nov. 11, 2011, alleging that Forrester had taken control of the joint venture on the Anacosita project, despite the fact that EEC of D.C. was required by law to be the majority partner by dint of its CBE status. "Interestingly, EEC is a 51 percent joint venture partner on the joint venture but Forrester is control of all the finances and books for the joint venture," Foley wrote.
EEC of D.C.'s owner, Andre Downey, sent a letter four days later with similar allegations. Both letters were addressed to Forrester, but indicate that they were copied to the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, which is a part of DGS, and the Department of Small and Local Business Development, which runs the CBE program.
On Nov. 22, Downey met with Harold Pettigrew, the department head of DSLBD, and discussed "several potential violations" of city laws related to not only the Anacostia joint venture, but two other previous partnerships as well, according to a complaint Downey filed on Feb. 7, 2012, that references the meeting.
But city officials insist they were unaware of any problems involving Forrester prior to awarding it the Nalle job. "The conflict between EEC and Forrester was first brought to the District's attention as a financial dispute in December 2011," City Administrator Allen Lew told LL in a statement.
Brian Hanlon, the director of DGS, says the city first got wind that there were problems in mid-December, and it took two to three months "to investigate the matter and determine that there were, in fact, substantial issues."
"By then, we had already awarded the Nalle contract and [Forrester was] well into that job," Hanlon says. (The contract wasn't sent over for council approval until July 9.)
As for the letters, Hanlon says no one on his staff saw them in November and notes that they weren't addressed to any specific individual. "It is quite possible that a letter addressed in such a manner got misplaced or did not get to the right people," Hanlon says.
He adds that he wasn't at the November meeting between Pettigrew and Downey and didn't "learn about that meeting until well after it happened." (LL has been waiting to hear back from Pettigrew—whose spokesman says he's coordinating with DGS and the city administrator's office on a response—and will update as needed.)
But even if DGS had been aware of EEC's complaints in November, Hanlon suggests that probably wouldn't have prevented Forrester from winning the Nalle job anyway. He writes:
The construction industry is by its nature litigious and we frequently are drawn into disputes between the various contracting parties. When this happens, we meet with both sides, investigate (if appropriate) and then decide what action (if any) to take. Both sides to a dispute are entitled to some level of due process and it would be foolish for us to act rashly and without all the facts.
It's wonderful that DGS respects due process and all, but it seems like it would behoove the city to act aggressively when it gets complaints of potential fraud. After all, Mayor Vince Gray's "One City Action Plan" calls for DGS to "strive to expand and maximize CBE participation even more" than it already is.
There's also the unanswered question of how the city didn't notice problems at Anacostia earlier. In court records, Downey says Forrester has controlled all three joint-ventures he's had with Forrester dating back to 2008. (Lew says the District has discovered "potential improprieties" with all three.) And it's not like problems with joint ventures aren't common knowledge in the city's construction business.
Forrester's newest joint-venture partner is Parkinson Construction. They've teamed up on the construction of a new student center at the University of the District of Columbia. Nigel Parkinson, the company's owner, showed LL a letter he says he wrote to Forrester on Dec. 21, 2011, stressing that the partnership between Parkinson and Forrester will be an above-board enterprise.
"There are those who are tired of bogus joint ventures that attempt to pass 'as the real thing' but in no way approach even a 50-50 relationship," Parkinson wrote. " Ours is a true joint venture and must operate as such."
So why was he motivated to write such a letter before the companies even started working together? Parkinson told LL he wrote the letter to "set the record straight."
"We're not a bullshit company," he says.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery
The Nalle contract:
The letters:


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It appears clear that Chief Justice John Roberts conducts judicial review rigorously only when the liberty clauses of the Constitution are implicated. For example, he invalidated government action when it violated the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause in Citizens United (campaign finance) and Religion Clauses in Hosanna-Tabor (the ministerial exception), invalidated a federal gun ban under the Second Amendment, and extended that right against state and local gun bans through the Fourteenth Amendment.
But Chief Justice Roberts shows extraordinary deference to the federal government when the actions of the president or Congress are challenged for exceeding federal powers under the authority clauses. First came U.S. v. Comstock (2010), where Justice Kennedy chided the liberal justices and Chief Justice Roberts in giving an exceedingly-broad reading to the Necessary and Proper Clause.
Part of the consternation from the Obamacare decision was seeing Chief Justice Roberts engage in linguistic gymnastics to ignore Congress' word choice in writing the statute and the president's televised vows, upholding the individual mandate as a tax despite 200 years of precedent that penalties are not taxes. He also saved half of a Medicaid expansion that coerces the states, and insisted on severing it to save the rest of what was now a misbegotten mutation of Congress' statute.
This reluctance to unapologetically apply judicial review when authority clauses—rather than liberty clauses—are implicated bodes ill for many current court challenges. There might not be five votes to succeed in challenges to Dodd-Frank, EPA's cap-and-trade rules, the FCC's internet-control rules, the recess-appointment challenges, and other power grabs.
Mr. Obama announced on July 6 in Ohio that this election is about a "clash of visions" about the role of government in our lives, arguing for massive entitlements and regulatory controls. If he wins, he will claim a mandate and take federal power to heights we've never seen. We can no longer be confident that the Supreme Court will stop him.
Liberty endures only when each branch fully and fearlessly checks and balances the other two branches. Abdicating judicial review empowers President Obama to subvert the Constitution with an imperial presidency, and fundamentally transform the United States to the detriment of future generations.
Bush mocks Rubio and his fans: Stop whining that it's "unfair" that you're being attacked by another candidate's Super PAC | Allahpundit


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Results 16 to 21 of 21
-01-31-2011 #16
-01-31-2011 #17Registered User
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Re: Nick's Post-Senior Bowl TWO ROUND Mock Draft!
Look at the Steelers; Hines Ward was a 3rd rounder and Mike Wallace was a 4th or 5th round pick.
It's looking more and more that you can win in this league without a true, true number one receiver.
Looking at Nick's mock both Hankerson and Young are available when Rams pick in the second round. Who is to say that one of these guys couldn't be a franchise receiver/
-01-31-2011 #18
Re: Nick's Post-Senior Bowl TWO ROUND Mock Draft!
I want a receiver we can rely on. All our receivers had their time last season yet non really consistently did it week in week out. Roddy White for example. He was the reliable WR down in ATL. On 3rd downs, Ryan knew where to look. Maybe Hankerson or Jones will be that guy for us. That guy that gets 8 catches a game, gets targeted 15 times, makes D coordinators lose sleep the night before they play us.
I wouldn't be mad with us drafting Hankerson at all. I am not a huge fan of Titus Young though.
-01-31-2011 #19
Re: Nick's Post-Senior Bowl TWO ROUND Mock Draft!
But if you look at that Pro Bowl receiver roster, Roddy White, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Dwayne Bowe were all first round picks. That's 5 first round guys and 3 from all other rounds combined. Teams do find talent in the later rounds, but at least some luck is involved. If the team really expected a particular individual to be a future star, they'd never wait until the fourth round to pick him up. The success rate of first round picks--even though it is certainly not 100%--is still higher than the rate of any other round.
-01-31-2011 #20
Re: Nick's Post-Senior Bowl TWO ROUND Mock Draft!
Jake Locker is the Dan LeFevour of this draft. Over-hyped and falling. He will be the 5th QB taken (or later).
Hated him last year, and even worse this year.
-01-31-2011 #21
Re: Nick's Post-Senior Bowl TWO ROUND Mock Draft!
Pittsburgh has had Hines Ward as their #1 receiver for years, and are slowly transitioning to Mike Wallace. Wallace finished fifth in the league in receiving yards, no other Steeler cracked the Top 40.
Green Bay's leading receiver was Donald Driver for a few years, and I believe he went to a few Pro Bowls. Now they've transitioned to Jennings, who just this year finished fourth in the league in receiving yards and second in touchdowns. No other Packer cracked the Top 40.
You bring up New Orleans, but Colston is clearly their go-to guy. On top of that, the Saints used a first-round pick on receiver Robert Meachem in 2007, after Colston's break-out season.
As for the Patriots, they obviously recognized the value of having talent at the receiver position because they traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and had one of the best offenses the league has seen and an undefeated season up until the Super Bowl.
Heck, let's go for another example with the Colts. They spread the ball around as well, but had a top receiving talent in Harrison for a while, then went out and got Reggie Wayne in the first round, THEN went out and got Anthony Gonzalez in the first round.
Teams can spread the ball around and still have a go-to #1 receiver. I think when you look at a number of those teams, the reason they spread the ball around is because they have a fair amount of talent at the position, not because they have mediocre at best talent and do it because no one stands out (which probably more accurately describes the Rams). If anything, many of these teams spread the ball around because they have multiple talented targets, at both receiver and tight end in some cases.
Yes, I generally agree that the pass rush trumps wide receiver. Of course, the Rams had a fairly good pass rush in 2010, ranking 7th in the league in sacks. They spent a second overall pick on a DE in Chris Long. So the pass rush has gotten some attention in recent years. The wide receiver position has largely fallen by the wayside; aside from spending a second round pick on Donnie Avery, the Rams have been trying to get by with the unwanted players from other teams rosters.
This doesnt mean Im saying we go WR at all costs. If the value isnt there, dont do it. I recognize the importance of finding a future RDE. But the same argument being made for receivers you can find them later in the draft can be made for pass rushers as well. Jared Allen, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Trent Cole and examples that immediately come to mind. You can hit on any position later in the draft, but the chances of doing so become smaller so its tough to bet on getting lucky and finding that guy.
Unfortunately the Rams only have so many picks to use, and a number of areas that could use help. Ultimately you have to determine which prospect is the best marriage between need and value. I think its hard to argue that Jones wouldnt be one of the best combinations of both at that point.
Whether its through free agency or the draft though, I think the Rams need to find a legitimate talent at the position. The defense, though it has faltered at times and still has some missing pieces, has demonstrated in a number of games that it can be good enough to win with. The offense needs to catch up, because too many times it failed to convert, failed to put enough points on the board, and just did not scare the opposition.
But there are teams out there who are going to fall in love with Lockers ability and intangibles, and it only takes one team to make him a first rounder. Some coach is going to look at him and think, Thats a guy whose problems I can fix.
Similar Threads
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but i guess if we want to see him play any at all this season we will have to vote for him.
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Ugh I was eatin when I opened this thread...
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A couple years ago at a mexican whorehouse in Houston there was a good lookin chica who looked clean,But when we went upstairs in the room she pulled here pants down and I was shocked that she had never shaved, Or atleast thats what it appeared, As soon as here ***** started to get wet It started to smell like sewage.
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I had really bad ***** only once, i mean, ***** either doesnt smell or smells like *****. But that smelled like fart, parmigiana cheese and dead fish.
This one time, that was a while back, i was 17-18. During the summer we have festivities to celebrate quebec, same as the 4th of july in the US basically.
I was at my parents chalet in the country, every year there is a huge beach party at a nearby lake, they get about 2000 people every year, girls in bikini, 1$ beers, djs, bonfires, fireworks ect. People usually bring their tents to sleep there.
Me and my childhood friends get there at like 7 pm. At the entrance there was 2 american girls that were trying to get in but the women at the reception didn't understand them.(Mind you this is in the back country of the quebec province, some people don't understand english.)
Being the nice guy that i am i translate for them, they pay and get in with us. It was early but one of the american girls was already pretty drunk. We talk for a bit, they tell us that they are from chicago(i was rocking a chicago bulls jersey) and they are there cause the father of one of the two is in quebec on a fishing trip. Then they go meet up with the people they were supposed to meet and me and my friends start drinking and walking around.
Much later during the night people were starting to light up fireworks, we were looking for a place to sit and i stumble upon one of the american girl, the one that was already drunk. Well she was even drunker by that time, she sits with us. It was pretty cold at that time of the night, i remember she was wearing a yellow bikini with a jean skirt. Anyway she was drunk, i was drunk and horny and i started making out with her. But she wasnt only making out with me, it seemed like she was trying to clean my face with her tongue.
After a bit she takes my hand and drags me back to a tent, no idea if it was hers. We keep making out and i take her bikini top off. I have to admit she was hot as hell. She starts rubbing my crotch area so i felt obliged to do the same. She takes her skirt off, so i get my hands in her bikini bottom and start fingering her while making out. It took a couple of seconds but the smell hit my nose like a Lewis straight right. You know, when you take a **** it stinks, bad milk stinks, but that smell was DISGUSTING.
At that point i take my fingers at of her and i look at them. I don't know what the **** it was but there was some nasty ass ***** residue on my fingers. It looked like some cottage cheese or something. Right at that moment i started gagging like crazy. She asks me "Are you going to vomit?!?" I'm like "Yeah...."
So i get out of the tent as fast as i can and start taking some deep breaths. I didn't hurl but i was so close. No need to say i didn't go back into that tent. I went to look for my friends, when i found them one of them said "You came quick you ****er, how was it?" I didn't say a word, i just waved my fingers under his nose. He expression of disgust on his face made me understand that i didnt need to say a word. We laughed a bit, i tried to wash my hands in the lake but i swear, the morning after when i woke up my fingers still smelled like that girls nasty cooch.
We didn't speak about it until a couple of years later.
Edit: Sorry, that was a long ass story.
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she most likely had a yeast infection lol
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Last girl I had with that yeast disease, I just kneaded her dough and made some corn bread.
We didn't do the nasty that day but we had us a hell of a meal.
Oh I was horny but I ain't crazy.
I wrote a song about it.
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Framed Art Print
tutu cuteby C...
Choose from a variety of frame styles, colors and sizes to compliment your favorite Society6 gallery, or fine art print - made ready to hang. Fine-crafted from solid woods, premium shatterproof acrylic protects the face of the art print, while an acid free dust cover on the back provides a custom finish. All framed art prints include wall hanging hardware.
Hello princess.
(smiling) Thanks for stopping by Kim!
This looks like my baby!
Oh, you lucky girl Maureen!
Yes, however, my Yorkie likes being scruffy!
I will have to create something for the non-foo-foo ones out there!
If only mine would do foo- foo!
That's funny Maureen!
See More Comments


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Company Overview of Calkins Media Incorporated
Company Overview
8400 North Bristol Pike
Levittown, PA 19057
United States
Founded in 1937
Key Executives for Calkins Media Incorporated
Calkins Media Incorporated Key Developments
Propel Marketing announced its agreement with Calkins Media. Under this agreement, Calkins Media will now offer Propel Marketing's products and services to businesses throughout the Philadelphia market, including responsive site design, search engine optimization, display advertising, search engine marketing, listings and local profiles, social media and online reputation management. Calkins Media has formed a new digital marketing agency to offer these services, Calkins Digital Solutions. Through this relationship, Propel Marketing and Calkins Digital Solutions will form an expert team to help smaller businesses do effective online marketing. The collaboration will enhance the marketing opportunities Calkins Media already offers in the Philadelphia region through print, video and digital advertising.
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Category:Occitan language
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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» All languages » Occitan language
Occitan language
|Occitan language edition of Wiktionary
|Wikipedia article about Occitan language
|Occitan language
|Links related to Occitan language in sister projects at Wikimedia Commons
|Occitan language
|Occitan language considerations
|Wiktionary:About Occitan
|Occitan language index
|Occitan language entry
This is the main category of the Occitan language.
Information about Occitan:
|Edit language data
|Canonical name
|Language code
|Language family
Please see Wiktionary:About Occitan for information and special considerations for creating Occitan language entries.
- Category:Occitan lemmas: Occitan lemmas, categorized by their part of speech.
- Category:oc:All topics: Occitan terms organized by topic, such as "Family" or "Chemistry".
- Category:Occitan appendices: Pages containing additional information about Occitan.
- Category:Occitan entry maintenance: Occitan entries, or entries in other languages containing Occitan terms, that are being tracked for attention and improvement by editors.
- Category:Occitan names: Occitan terms that are used to refer to specific individuals or groups.
- Category:Regional Occitan: Occitan terms used in specific regions or dialects.
- Category:Requests (Occitan): Occitan entries that need attention of experienced editors.
- Category:Occitan symbols: Occitan written signs.
- Category:Occitan templates: Occitan templates, containing reusable wiki code that help with creating and managing entries.
- Category:Occitan terms by etymology: Occitan terms categorized by their etymologies.
- Category:Occitan terms by usage: Occitan terms categorized by the manner and context in which they are used by speakers.
- Category:Terms derived from Occitan: Categories with terms derived from Occitan in various specific languages.
- Category:User oc: Wiktionary users categorized by fluency levels in Occitan.
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Known as the working people's holiday, this year's Labor Day has sparked debates all over the country and here in Alaska over minimum wage.
Alaskans are set to vote on a $1 increase this November as part of Ballot Measure 3.
But how could that impact minimum wage workers in the state?
Even though Alaska's minimum wage of $7.75 an hour is 50 cents higher than the federal requirement, when your talking survival, that small increase could mean a lot.
A day serving customers at Moose's Tooth is not as easy as it looks.
Server Chris Schnell says there are a lot of steps, sweat, and service involved in earning a single hour's wage.
Alaska's minimum wage is $7.75 an hour.
"You can have a family of six and they will just get one pizza, and the tab will be $30, so you have to really work hard to turn tables and make more money," said Schnell.
Increasing Alaskans income is the goal of Ballot Measure 3.
If it passes this November it would raise minimum wage by a dollar to $8.75 an hour as of January 1st, a year later, another increase to $9.75 an hour in January 2016, followed by inflation adjustments every year thereafter.
One group, the Alaskans Need a Raise Coalition points out that 19 other states top Alaska's minimum wage despite the state's inflation rate.
"I think we all know that Alaska has a much higher cost of living," said Joelle Hall who is part of the Alaskans Need a Raise Coalition. "There's a floor in which a worker should not be able to fall, that floor is the minimum wage," continued Hall.
The Alaska State Chamber of Commerce opposes the proposed increase saying in a statement quote "Employers and workers, not the government, should determine the value of labor, based on labor availability and its contribution to the earnings of the business."
And business at the Moose's Tooth is good.
Something that patrons hope trickles down to the employees.
"Your working and you should get something for that because you are working really hard to get money," said customer Miles Harlan.
"Twenty extra dollars a paycheck I mean that always helps for paying bills, to pay your phone bill, pay whatever," said Schnell.
And when voters make a decision in November on Ballot Measure 3, many minimum wage earners are hoping for their fair share of the pie.
Some economists in Alaska have argued that raising the minimum wage will hurt job creation and lead to higher unemployment numbers.
But the group Alaskans Need a Raise Coalition say that the last time the minimum wage went up in Alaska, more money went into the economy and less people were on government assistance.


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There is truly nothing quite like the taste of fried turkey for the holidays. Turkey frying just got a whole lot easier and safer since with infrared technology you do not have to worry about oil boiling over. This new infrared turkey fryer can hold a bird up to 16 pounds. You can also cook other meats in them like tenderloins and beef roasts as well as whole chickens.
Let me tell you about the construction of this machine. It has a double walled cooking chamber and it does not require any expensive oils and this negates any chance of third degree burns from the pot boiling over. The unit has a fully contained propane burner as a fuel source. With the charbroiled infrared turkey fryer you get crisp flavorful and juicy results every time.
Delicious is what your family and friends will say when they taste foods prepared in the fryer. The heat from the infrared coils penetrates to the bone cooking the meats thoroughly and quickly locking the natural juices inside.
You can use your rubs, and sauces can be added to enhance the flavors, feel free to inject you favorite marinades as well. When you use a rub or sauce in a traditional fryer the oil washes away the rub and you lose the flavors. This is a very healthy departure from traditional frying. The removable drip pan catches any residual juices so you can make your gravy just as if you had prepared the turkey in an oven.
This is an all purpose fryer, and most of the large cuts of meat will be cooked to perfection if you allow 8-10 minutes per pound. You will also a get a revolutionary meat thermometer with the unit so you can check for doneness. Poultry has to be cooked to a certain temperature to avoid cases of salmonella.
Safety is always a great concern when using cooking oils. Although most of us love the taste of a fried turkey for the holidays, it is with reservation that we undertake the cooking of it. There are those who only use their fryers outside on a concrete patio or in a cleared area so they can avoid any accidental fires.
Each holiday season the news coverage of fires caused by someone using a more traditional fryer saturates the airways. With the Big Easy these fears can be laid to rest. Because it doesn't use oil to do its cooking you never have to worry about a fire being started from improper use and/or leaving the unit unsupervised. Being able to leave it unattended is an especially nice feature of this unit. You can work on your stuffing and pies while you fry your bird.
Most of the fires started form improper use or unattended fryers happen before the meat is actually put in them. The oil is in the heating stage and it boils over into the flames and that is all that is need to turn a happy holiday into a tragic one.
These come with owners manuals and operating instructions. It is advisable that you read each carefully cover to cover before attempting to use the unit.
The Char-Broil infrared turkey cooker gives you a perfectly cooked turkey without any huge safety issues.
The ease of use of the Char-Broil infrared turkey cooker is also one of its greatest features. Last year we used a traditional turkey fryer. We spent about $40.00 on oil alone, and then we were stuck with gallons of used oil and nowhere to dispose of it. Oh it was not pretty, trying to funnel all that oil back into containers is not something you want to do after a huge meal.
Next comes finding the right area to use the thing. We actually had a pit dugout and lined with slate for stability. There was not one thing within five feet of the pit in either direction. Yes it was a labor of love but I must admit I am glad it is no longer the only option for getting the great tasting friend turkey my family enjoys.
Well I will leave you with a few of the tips I found on the Char Broil website these are a must for the longevity of the unit and for cooking ease.
You only have to do this the first time you use the Char-Broil infrared turkey cooker:
- After assembling the fryer, DO NOT put anything in it except the basket, now turn the fryer on and let it heat for 10-15 minutes
- Once the fryer has cooled, use a cooking spray like Pam, heat basket and fryer for 10 minutes more
- Cool it once more then put some extra virgin olive oil on a paper towel, you may use peanut oil if you like, rub the oil on the basket. Put the seasoned turkey in the basket and set the fryer to cook. The turkey legs should be pointing down or sitting on the bottom of the basket. Keep the metal brace that keeps the turkey legs together intact.
- Every time you use the cooker you have to oil the basket for best results.
Manual and support
For more cooking guide using Char-Broil infrared turkey cooker you can download the cooking manual
For more details on warning, how to use it and how easy is the setup, you can download the instruction manual
infrared turkey cooker


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IR tests 2 HD Limited lenses vs SMC for flare etc.
Started Mar 19, 2014 | Discussions thread
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Flare is the most obvious, you can just pick resolution and bokeh, about 5% improvement would be my guess. Like Ron I won't be upgrading what I have.
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Why is Machine Gun Preacher rated R?
Official MPAA Rating: Machine Gun Preacher is rated R for for violent content including disturbing images, language, some drug use and a scene of sexuality.
Violence: Frequent depictions of violence with guns, knives, land mines and other weapons include some gory details. A child steps on a land mine and his corpse is seen with missing legs. A large group of burned and smoldering children's corpses are piled in a heap. A man shoots an assassin who turns out to be a young child. Adult men are killed and wounded during battles. A fight and a severe stabbing incident occur after two men pick up a Native American hitchhiker. A man yells at his wife and child.
Sexual Content: A married couple is viewed from a distance while having sex in a car—no nudity is seen. Later this same couple begins sexual activities in their home (kissing and passionate embracing are shown). A woman discusses her career as a stripper.
Language: Over two-dozen sexual expletives are used along with other profanity, scatological slang, and crude anatomical terms. Names of deity are used as expletives.
Drugs/Alcohol: Characters drink frequently, sometimes to the point of drunkenness. Injected drug use is portrayed in a few scenes, including one where a character is shown shooting up while driving a car. Later in the film, an addicted character is "rescued" and the effects of drug use are shown from a negative perspective.
|Rating Descriptor
|British Columbia
|Violence, Coarse Language.
|Disturbing Content, Gory Scenes.
|Not Rated
|Coarse Language, Substance Abuse, Graphic Violence.
|Not Rated
|Canadian Home Video


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Nothing expresses your eternal love like a forever brilliant diamond ring from Angara. Versatile and gorgeous, our April birthstone collection defines extraordinary and elegance. Diamond birthstone rings can naturally bring glamor and radiance to an otherwise simple outfit. Being a direct source, our diamond rings are best known for their personalized perfection and timeless beauty. In fact, you can match them with any color, style or trend, down to your personality. Read on to know how our diamond rings make a perfect gift for you and your loved ones.
With an experience of three generations in diamond and gemstone industry, we know how to transform a diamond from a raw stone to a treasured gift. Our jewelry is handcrafted in the USA and we source our gemstones directly from mines. This allows us to offer exceptional quality at a price never seen before. Our skilled artisans carefully work on every detail to ensure you get a perfect piece to admire forever.
Moreover, our flexibility allows you to accessorize from a subtle diamond eternity ring to a vintage inspired halo ring to bring back that once forgotten look. Angara's extensive collection features everything from classic to designer diamond wedding rings, promise rings, diamond heart rings and diamond gemstone rings. We bring unforgettable traditional trends to latest fashion inspired designs to you. We are your one stop jewelry shop that saves you time and money.
You can shop with confidence and reassurance with our conflict free diamonds that are precisely handmade in a variety of popular settings such as channel, bezel, prong and pave. Whether you are interested in creating the perfect set with our matching diamond studs and/or solitaire pendant, or stacking them with our precious metal bands (available in White Gold, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold and Platinum), there are endless possibilities to flaunt your favorite diamonds.
For generations, diamonds are understated charms of engagement rings and wedding bands. However today, more now than ever, diamonds make the perfect celebration gifts for anniversaries, birthdays or any special 'I Love You' occasion. Make your memories last a lifetime, and let our diamond rings become a constant reminder of your eternal love and happiness.
Your search for a perfect diamond ring begins here. We offer a wide variety of ring styles; each is unique and beautiful. From simple to extravagant, the one that ultimately creates a lasting impression purely depends on personal preference.
A single, sparkling diamond is a classic yet exceptional way to say 'I love you'. Our diamond solitaire rings are available in different setting from four-, six- and eight-prongs to bezel and gypsy setting. Whether it is a proposal or your first wedding anniversary, choose one of our solitaire diamond rings to make it eternal like the brilliance of our diamonds.
For an added glamor to your classic solitaire, we have designer rings with accent stones that magnify the brilliance and create a bigger look. You can choose from our best sellers or look at our premium ring collection for a celebrity feel.
Celebrate your romantic journey with our spectacular and meaningful three-stone diamond rings. Representing your past, present and future together, our radiant pieces in different designs showcases both regular and fancy diamond shapes. While round brilliant diamonds and princess diamonds are the most desired choice of brides-to-be, oval diamonds three-stone rings and rings with colored stones are also in great demand.
Impressive detailing and eternal brilliance make our halo diamond rings more special. Angara offers a spectacular range of halo rings with variations including solitaire and three-stone styles, split shank, curved pattern and extravagant double halo designs.
If you want a design inspired by royalty or looking for an antique style ring for your engagement, consider our vintage diamond rings. Fabulous and elegant, our handcrafted diamond rings are sure to delight you. With vintage detailing such as filigree, cutwork, lace work and more, all our antique diamond rings showcase the best of bygone era fashion and culture. Each of these certainly makes the best of engagement rings to celebrate love, beauty and brilliance forever.
Eternity, half eternity or seven stone wedding bands, we have them all. Our wide assortment of diamond ring bands will surely take your breath away. Match a band with her unique engagement ring or get the one that stands out like her dynamic personality. We have designer knot rings, promise rings and stackable pieces to celebrate your commitment into a relationship. Moreover, our bridal sets and diamond men's band are spectacular to celebrate your engagement and marriage.
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Every woman's jewelry collection must have diamonds. From royalties to celebrities, from the British Crown Jewels to the world renowned Elizabeth Taylor's massive jewelry collection, diamond jewelry have made their historic mark. For centuries, they've become the preferred choice, commonly associated with mirroring perfection and becoming the center of attention. For example, natural diamond jewelry demands attention on red carpet A-list stars from viewers worldwide. With vibrant brilliance and stunning refraction, it is easy to understand how the precious gemstone guarantees a spectacular entrance. From a simple dress to a fancy evening gown, you can bring the desired glow to your entire wardrobe with Angara's diamond birthstone jewelry.
Brilliant diamond rings are universal and compliment any skin tone and style. Many women like to wear a couple of jewelry pieces together. If you are one such, a pair of diamond studs or drops paired with a bold diamond halo ring is perfect for you. For a more color sparkle, add a shade of red, pink, blue or green by choosing a diamond and colored gemstone ring. For a trendier look, try pairing sleek and broad diamond eternity bands with seven-stone rings and plain bands. You can choose our premium diamond rings or shop our diamond rings for sale. We give extra discounts to our regular customers. Sign up for our newsletter and emailers for regular deals. You can also ask any of the Angara Jewelry Executives over chat or through a call for discount code before you check out.
Whether you are a newlywed, or it is your first, fifth, tenth or twenty-fifth anniversary, diamond jewelry is the perfect gift for reaching that milestone. From solitaires to vintages to modern styles, select a style that tells a different story for each anniversary milestone reached. For example, our diamond promise rings, stackable rings, heart and knot rings are top customer rated gifts. These diamond rings have consistently been praised and received the highest reviews. Additionally, if there is a birthday, graduation, baby shower or any special occasion when she desires and deserves pampering, you can count on our top designer collections. Our Team is dedicated to making sure you receive the perfect gift for the perfect occasion.
Consider diamond rings as a symbol of eternal love, a timeless, yet fashion forward accessory or simply a memorable gift; our rings are certain to melt her heart.
Airline Set Princess Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band ...
Solitaire Diamond Crossover Ring
Channel Set Round Diamond Eternity Wedding Band
Solitaire Princess Diamond Celtic Knot Ring
Three Stone Diamond Halo Ring
Airline Set Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band Ring
Three Stone Princess Diamond Ring
Three Row Diamond Studded Half Eternity Band
Prong Set Round Diamond Swirl Wedding Band
Double Halo Diamond Split Shank Ring With Diamond Accent...
Floating Round Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band
Diamond Encrusted Loop Knot Ring
Solitaire Bezel Heart, Round Diamond Promise Ring
Prong Set Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band
Round Diamond Three Stone Ring
Petite Pave Round Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band
Fishtail Set Diamond Semi Eternity Wedding Band
Halo Diamond Split Shank Ring With Diamond Accented Shou...
Classic Half Eternity Channel Diamond Wedding Band
Vintage Inspired Diamond Halo Milgrain Border Ring
Solitaire Round Diamond Ribbon Shank Ring
Prong Set Round Diamond Wedding Band
Prong Set Princess Diamond Three Stone Ring
Classic Split Prong Diamond Half Eternity Wedding Band


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Many residents across the borough spent Sunday still dealing with the remnants of last week's snow.
The roads may be clear, but plenty of people were still chipping away at ice to dig their cars out.
Navigating parking lots and walkways essentially turned into an exercise in off-roading, due to the mounds of ice-covered snow....
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An awareness sign for dog bite prevention was put up on Monday in Ludington Park in Escanaba after it was approved by city council.
The sign shows the basics of what will happen before a dog will bite. Penny Rounce is the initiator for the project, and she says the sign is the first one going up in the US, with two more ordered for Colorado.
Rounce says she hopes the sign will help keep the public safe.
"A dog bite is a last warning of a dog saying, enough's enough. Get away from me," said Rounce. "And there are so many signs that a dog will tell you before an actual dog bite will happen that people just don't know."
The sign was placed in the park because there's a possibility that people may run across stray dogs in the big outdoor area.
Escanaba officials reported that as of August there have been 17 dog bites reported in the area. The Center for Disease Control says that 100 percent of dog bites are preventable.


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Highlights: 2014 / 2015 Season
Order by phone
Your independent guide to the best shows in Philadelphia
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Other Concert Venues in Philadelphia
13 Oct 2012
Veteran broadcasters Adam Carolla and Dennis Prager present an evening of funny and thought-provoking conversation. The two free-thinking talkers will discuss and debate topics as wide-ranging as the afterlife, welfare, parenting, politics, and pets. The 90+ minute performance will also include a Q&A with the audience where no topic is off limits.
Take a look here to see if Adam Carolla & Dennis Prager is showing somewhere nearby
Opening night: 13 October 2012
Closing night: 13 October 2012
Please note: The term Merriam Theater and/or Adam Carolla & Dennis Prager as well as all associated graphics, logos, and/or other tradermarks, tradenames or copyrights are the property of the Merriam Theater and/or Adam Carolla & Dennis Prager and are used herein for factual descriptive purposes only. We are in no way associated with or authorized by the Merriam Theater and/or Adam Carolla & Dennis Prager and neither that entity nor any of its affiliates have licensed or endorsed us to sell tickets, goods and or services in conjunction with their events.


text:
Revlon Super Lustrous in Coral Reef [DISCONTINUED]
245 reviews
84% would repurchase
Package Quality: 4.4
Price: $$
Package Quality: 4.4
Price: $$
Age: 19-24
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse
Eyes: Black
Revlon's Coral Reef has beat out all my other coral-y orange glosses! I reach for this gloss constantly because its just so beautiful! It has a cream finish which I really admire. I find its hard to find a good gloss thats NOT frosty or shimmery at the drugstore. HELLO REVLON. This color goes really nicely with my warm-neutral skin. Love it!
Age: 36-43
Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool
Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine
Eyes: Green
This color looks particularly heinous on me. I�m cool toned, fair skinned with lots of pink and green eyed. I�m sure this would look stunning on somebody who is warm toned. Corals may be �in� right now, but they never look good on me. Other than that, this is a good gloss. All the Revlon glosses are superior in quality.
Age: 18 & Under
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm
Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium
Eyes: Brown
Beautiful lipgloss. I've been searching for lipglosses with just the right amount of pigment with no shimmer. I love how this is so creamy and how it doesn't streak. I hate the overly glossy and shimmery look. This is perfect for bringing life back into my face since my lips tend to look dead. Some are not a fan of the scent but I am quite fond of it. Great buy!
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Black, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
Love this color. I can see this being a good match for a lot of people. Color can look intimidating in packaging for some, but when put on my bare lips it gives me a nice dewy, magazine look. The color is not opaque but not completely sheer either, it is just enough to give it a hint of coral while blending in with your natural lip color.. even for my two toned lips (upper is brownish taupe, bottom is pink). You can use lip liner you want to achieve the opaque color but for everyday wear I just like to wear it alone.
Age: 25-29
Skin: Oily, Tan, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Black
I have tan Indian skin and pigmented lips. I don't wear lipstick, but I like some color to soften my look. This color is beautiful and versatile. I only need a thin layer to make my lips look polished. I never buy Revlon lip products, but I'm willing to try other colors in this line.
Pros: Not sticky, as long lasting as most glosses, pigmented but not opaque, great packaging, inexpensive
Cons: None
Age: 18 & Under
Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine
Eyes: Green
Love love love! Coral Reef is a great color, pigmented, not too sticky, fairly long wearing, and goes on nicely. I find that you don't need that much to get good coverage since it's a more pigmented gloss. The smell is kind of sweet and isn't overpowering.
Age: 18 & Under
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Hazel
Gorgeous, gorgeous coral shade that's perfect for summer. It's slightly sheer, but still true to the color that you see in the tube. It looks beautiful over Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral. Definitely repurchasing :) Oh and the packaging is awesome!
Age: 19-24
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Black, Other, Other
Eyes: Black
i don't no way i didn't buy this color sooner!!! i love this shade. and to think that i was going to pay $18.50 for mac's geo pink cremesheen.
Update: this dried my lips out and made them peel after a 2 weeks! which is not normal for me. so now i have to still go back and buy the MAC Cremesheen...smh so i took 2 stars back
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool
Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Blue
This is an exact dupe of Chanel Glossimer in Sirop. I love this gloss, a light pinky coral that gives a sheer wash of color to my lips. Great for summer. A bit thick, but moisturizing, less sticky. I will definately repurchase.
Age: 19-24
Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm
Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium
Eyes: Black
The most gorgeous color for tan skins. The actual texture of the gloss is not sticky, which is a must for me. The color is between an orange and pink and the quantity is about the same as the E.L.F glosses. But a little goes a long way with this gloss.
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Product Wars - Episode 18 by fionaman