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Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson will address the media at 12 p.m. on Monday, September 30 in the Citi Field Press Conference Room.
He is expected to announce a two-year contract extension for Terry Collins to remain the manager of the Mets. The deal is reportedly valued at $1 million per season and includes an option for 2016.
A fourth straight losing season; another fourth-place finish in the NL East and another .400 something-or-other win percentage – the Mets have not improved this year.
In fact, the majority of MLB betting fans would argue we've devolved since 2008, the club becoming preoccupied in the huge vanity project that is Citi Field and the problems we've had filling it.
Overseeing three of these four disappointing seasons is Terry Collins, who has not exactly been the revelation we expected when GM Sandy Anderson promoted him in November 2010:
"We were not looking for someone who was an extension of us," Alderson said back in 2010. "We were looking for someone who was going to be complementary to us. I think that's what we're getting."
Sadly, we haven't got that. Instead of a complimentary manager that develops the team, Collins has seen players leave, newcomers fail and win percentages drop. The general trend of underperforming year on year has set into the Mets locker room and something must change soon to correct this.
While the Mets played out a meaningless series with Milwaukee this weekend, the top brass thrashed out a new deal for Collins – despite his 224-260 record (by Saturday). The new two-year contract is effectively a 12-month one, for if we don't improve in 2014 Collins is out the door.
But do we trust him to progress this raw team and save his job – and do we even want him to? Another year is a long time to realize you've made a mistake hiring the same guy and, as respected as he is in the majors, Collins has proven he cannot get this team fighting on all fronts.


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Media Contact: Joanna Norris, Associate Director
Department of Public Relations
(904) 620-2102
The University of North Florida has been named to Kiplinger's Personal Finance's list of 100 best values in public colleges for 2011-12. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine an outstanding education with great economic value.
"We take great pride in being nationally recognized for delivering an exceptional education at an exceptional value," said UNF President John Delaney. "Top-notch academic programs, amazing out-of-classroom experiences and affordable cost provide a value that is hard to beat."
Kiplinger's assesses quality and affordability according to a number of measurable standards.
This year, Kiplinger's revamped the rankings to give more weight to academic value, such as the percentage of students who return for sophomore year and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.
While the criteria have shifted, the overall focus on value remains the same.
"As states cut funding for higher education and tuition continues to climb, the word 'value' is more significant than ever," said Jane Bennett Clark, senior editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "This year's top 100 public schools deliver strong academics at reasonable prices. We applaud these institutions for tightening their belts without compromising quality."
The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger'sFebruary 2012 issue—on newsstands today—and online at:
. Web visitors will find special interactive features, including FAQs about the public colleges ranking, a slideshow of the top 10 schools and data, sorted by criteria such as state, tuition cost, average debt, student/faculty ratio and admission rate.
This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving nine other national designations, including No. 19 Best Buy College, Best College in America and Best College in the South, all by Forbes Magazine; Best College in the Southeast, Best Value Public College and a top "Green" College by Princeton Review; Best Regional University by U.S. News & World Report, Military Friendly School and among the100 "Coolest Schools" by Sierra magazine.
For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation's first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation's first personal finance magazine. Kiplinger.com is the fastest growing website in the personal finance space.

subset: commoncrawl


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Where will you be on August 21, 2017? On that date a total solar eclipse will be seen across the entire breadth of the continental United States for the first time in nearly a century.
Not surprisingly, "2017" is already on the minds of thousands of amateur astronomers across the U.S. and elsewhere. On that August 21st — a Monday, by the way — they'll be positioned somewhere along a narrow corridor that stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic across the United States and, weather permitting, see a total eclipse of the Sun.
It's been a long time coming. The Moon's umbral shadow hasn't passed over U.S. soil since 1991 (Hawaii) nor across any part of the contiguous 48 states since 1979. Moreover, a total solar eclipse hasn't run coast to coast since 1918! For "umbraphiles" used to traveling thousands of miles to get to the path of totality, the chance of seeing one on home turf has already created a lot of buzz.
This particular event will be of modest duration, offering up to 2 minutes 40 seconds of totality. It belongs to the same 18-year-long saros cycle (number 145) that brought a very similar total eclipse to central Europe (mostly cloudy) and southwest Asia (mostly clear) in 1999. But while not especially long, 2017's eclipse will no doubt introduce tens of millions of Americans to the magic and majesty of totality.
As the map here shows, the path will cross parts of 12 states. It makes landfall along coast of north-central Oregon, where it will be mid-morning. Racing eastward at roughly 1 mile every 2 seconds, the lunar umbra cuts through central Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Missouri. The point of "greatest eclipse" is just northwest of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The swath of darkness continues across Tennessee and South Carolina, exiting the mainland in mid-afternoon along the Atlantic coast northeast of Charleston.
To see if your town lies along the path — and to get the times and circumstances no matter where you live (everyone in the continental U.S. will enjoy a deep partial eclipse) — check out the interactive eclipse map provided by NASA and the one by eclipse enthusiast Xavier Jubier. Another excellent resource is Dan McGlaun's eclipse2017.org
Of course, all this occurs "weather permitting." Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson has already taken a look at the chance for clear skies on eclipse day, based on cloud-cover statistics drawn from historical records. Based on his analysis, your best bets would be a relatively remote stretch in north-central Oregon or a big swath through the U.S. heartland running from Nebraska to Tennessee.
So where will you be on August 21, 2017? Post a comment below to let us know. I'm already making plans — but for now my whereabouts on that day are a closely guarded secret! In any case, you can be sure that Sky & Telescope will provide complete coverage of the Great American Eclipse as the date draws nearer.


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Majors & Minors
Hear about the major from Jenna Ahn:
Why Major in Theology?
Theology majors at Notre Dame encounter the great questions of life: What is truth? What is justice? What happens after death? Why did God become a human? What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Theology majors are challenged to think of their life journey not only in terms of finding a great career, but also of discovering their purpose in life. Whether they go on to careers in law, medicine, business, education, ministry, journalism, or any other field, theology majors do so with an experience of intellectual and spiritual illumination that is absolutely unique.
Our majors study with the best of the best in one of the most prestigious Departments of Theology in the world. When Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., envisioned the school that would be built next to two remote lakes in Indiana, he declared, "This college will be one of the most powerful means of doing good in the country." Theology majors, having experienced the best of Notre Dame, are indeed powerful forces for good in this country and in the world.
Arts and Letters students from every major succeed in business, graduate or professional school, or full-time service. Learn more about the career outcomes of all of our graduates, including Theology majors.
Discover more! View the video above and visit our pages about the major, on student work, and about our students.
Read our FAQ's or contact Asst. DUS Anthony Pagliarini for questions. To talk to a current major or minor, fill out our major interest survey.
Ready to Declare the Major?
Schedule a meeting with Anthony Pagliarini, the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies.


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My life was the best it had ever been.
I was saved in 2009 and my husband and I had finally found a church home at Harmony Baptist Church. I got baptized on July 11, 2010. My life was perfect and I could not wait for every church service.
In mid August, I was taking a shower and found a big hard lump in my right breast that wasn't there the previous day. I already had a doctors appointment scheduled for that day and since I had a cyst on the other side the previous year that required a mammogram, I decided to mention it. I knew immediately by the look of concern on his face that he didn't think this was just a cyst. He didn't give me the option of scheduling a mammogram when it was convenient. He picked up the phone and scheduled the test for the next day. One day after my mammogram, the results came back as a Category 5, which means high probability of malignancy. At the time I was working and was very fortunate to have a great boss that worked with me and supported me until I could not work anymore.
This is when my life turned into a roller coaster ride. My life-long doctor that had taken care of everything surgical for me couldn't take care of this problem. He had to refer me to a surgeon in Monroe. From the day I had my first visit with the surgeon until this very day, everything he told me wouldn't happen did and what would happen didn't.
My surgeon sent me for a wire guided punch biopsy. I had many of my family members with me in the doctors office when it was time to get my results. My mind kept telling me that I was wasting everybody's time because I am 43 years old, I had no history of breast cancer in my family and I had a mammogram one year before that was fine.
When the doctor came in, he really didn't need to say it you could see it on his face. He just looked at me and said it is malignant. My mind went blank and I felt like I wanted to cry but I looked around and almost my entire family was crying and I knew I had to hold it together for them. That day, they scheduled me for only a right mastectomy because he said there was only a seven percent chance it would come back on the other side. During my surgery, they found two additional smaller tumors and tested sections of my lymph nodes, which showed my lymph nodes were clear. Three days later when I went to my surgeon for a follow-up and found out I had a very aggressive cancer called Stage 2/3 Triple Negative cancer and that it HAD spread to my lymph nodes.
When I recovered from surgery, I was scheduled for an operation to place a port so that I could receive my chemotherapy. The next step was to an oncologist who reemphasized the aggressiveness of my cancer and told me as soon as I finished all treatments, I would need a mastectomy on the other side. I ended up having 10 rounds of chemotherapy in five months.
I lost all of my hair and the treatments made me feel so bad. When I finished the second treatment, I really did not think I could do any more. I prayed so hard and begged God for strength because I was considering stopping treatments. I finished the chemo and got about a month to recover before I started my radiation.
Another new doctor, a radiation oncologist, told me I will need five points radiated and I will have to come for these treatments everyday Monday through Friday, for seven weeks. Again, I had to pray for strength because these people were burning holes in my body everyday and each day the burns got worse. I did finish the treatments, but I wish now I wouldn't have done the radiation because it has caused me to have severe lymphedema in my right arm and damaged my chest so that my right side is essentially useless.
I got some time to recover and had to have a right mastectomy due to my type of cancer and several months later, had to have what was left of my female organs removed.
I have now been a survivor and been in remission for almost two years. I was at first told that if the cancer didn't come back within three years, I would be cured but, now they have changed that to five years. I feel I have truly been blessed with the best support system that includes my husband, children, grandchildren, my daddy (who drove me to every treatment), sisters, inlaws, extended family, church family, and a few true friends.
Cancer has been a blessing and a curse for me. It has been a tough couple of years that has left me with many life-long side effects that prevent me from doing so many things that I want and need to do. I am rarely able to attend church services that I love so much. I always feel as if I am neglecting my loved ones. Each day now is a struggle and I was perfectly healthy before this diagnosis. The devil always tries to creep in my mind and convince me to give up but I quickly pray him away. I am very thankful that I found God before this journey began and that cancer has brought me so much closer to Him. I rely on Him to carry me through each day. It has made my marriage stronger. My husband has been by my side through so many things some I can't even mention here and has supported me in many tough decisions. Every time I look at my children and my grandchildren, it is with brand new eyes and every moment I have with them, good or bad, has important value. It has taught me to appreciate every small thing that I am allowed to experience. It has taught me who my true friends are. You have so many people reach out to you when you are diagnosed (I appreciate every person), but very few that stay with you through all of the struggles. I am so thankful for everyday that the Lord lets me wake up and spend another day with the ones I love. I honestly count my blessings daily.
I try each year to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, to give back to others that need help and to raise awareness and hopefully, one day find a cure. I also want to encourage all women to get a mammogram each year, because I know from my own experience, a year can make a big difference.
It has been a long road but by the Grace of God I am still a survivor!! I will continue to walk the path that He has chosen for me and I know I will always have trials. I am still facing at the minimum two more surgeries but, I do not have fear because I know He will carry me and see me through.
If you or someone you know gets diagnosed with breast cancer or any cancer, don't let doctors rush you. Get a second or even a third opinion. Don't feel pressured to do things that your not comfortable with because you are the one that will have to suffer the consequences. Always surround yourself with positive people and above everything else, never lose faith.


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Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative for more than 25 years, wants the public to join them in the fair trade movement.
Curriculum & Resources
World Savvy prepares the next generation to learn, work, and thrive as responsible and engaged global citizens. It provides curriculum and other classroom-ready resources, professional development, and an educator network to boost student global competency.
This Visual Learning activity will get your students thinking about what it would be like to live a nomadic lifestyle, and to be forced to live and work in an unfamiliar place.
This Visual Learning lesson will get your students thinking about what it would be like to live in a remote area and between two worlds—the past of their ancestors and the present of American mainstream culture.
The average American spends 90 percent of his or her time inside—a recipe for obesity, asthma, and other ill effects. The Big Disconnect Infographic, created by CottageCountry.com and the David Suzuki Foundation, spells out the benefits that the natural environment brings to human health.
TED-Ed matches talented teachers and amazing animators to produce an impressive film library and platform for turning any video into a customized lesson.
YES! recommends the Center Ecoliteracy for its sustainable living resources. At the heart of the Center's work is the understanding that guidance for living abundantly is all around us through Mother Nature.
This Visual Learning lesson plan will get your students thinking about community, public art, and why they can or can't buy spray paint.
Nourish is an education initiative that celebrates food and community. Its food curriculum and lesson plans, short films and discussion guides, and powerful action ideas will help young people and their families, schools, and communities think about the food they eat and what they can do to make healthy choices for themselves and planet Earth.
OnlineNursingProgram.com's jaw-dropping infographic on sugar consumption reveals the not-so-sweet truth—Americans eat way too much sugar. Data visualization puts the statistics into context.
ITVS's Community Classroom engages teachers and students through film. Their collections of lesson plans and documentaries will launch students into a deeper level of understanding about a range of global issues, particularly involving social justice.
What can you learn about a family by examining the things they're left behind? Watch this short 5-minute film by POV and explore other PBS resources about the foreclosure crisis.
October 17 is Black Poetry Day. Poetry Foundation offers a bounty of poems, lesson plans, essays, and more to teach students the fundamentals of African American poetry, and poetry in general.
This Visual Learning lesson will get your students thinking about the foreclosure crisis in this country and what it might feel like to lose your home.
StoryCorps records and archives interviews of everyday Americans to preserve history and personal stories. Its National Teachers Initiative was created to celebrate great teachers and to highlight their invaluable contributions and influence on students and all of us.


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Sen. Shaheen, officials, experts discuss sexual assault in militaryBy GRETYL MACALASTER
Union Leader Correspondent
July 22. 2013 6:35PM
DURHAM - Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., was at the University of New Hampshire on Monday to participate in a roundtable discussion with law enforcement, military officials and UNH researchers about best practices for sexual assault prevention.The hope is to take those best practices to the military to prevent sexual assault in the armed forces.
Shaheen helped introduce a number of provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act to address the issue, including a measure that will leverage the expertise of civilian best practices.She was also successful in including a measure requiring more rigorous screening of military assault officers after multiple Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, or SAPR, officers were accused of sexual assault.'We have a responsibility to act. The Department of Defense has had a zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault for over two decades. Yet we're still having this discussion instead of implementing reforms. If we continue to avoid the fundamental issues, 20 years from now we will find ourselves in the exact same place. We can't let that happen,' Shaheen said.Shaheen said progress is being made but not enough.
'Despite the best efforts on the part of (military) leadership, there still remains in some places a culture that seems to tolerate sexual assault in the military,' she said.Surprisingly, the number of men reporting sexual violence is higher than the number of women, although the percentages for women are higher because there are fewer of them in the military.'I think most of us would agree that we have the finest military in the world. The men and women who serve do so at great sacrifice to themselves and this issue has been a … stain that we need to eradicate,' Shaheen said.The defense authorization bill includes about 30 provisions that would address various aspects of the sexual assault issue, she said, and are a result of discussions with members of the armed forces and victims who have come forward in an attempt to address some of what does not seem to be working.Among the key points Shaheen heard during the roundtable discussion on Monday was the importance of a comprehensive long-term approach to the issue.
She also learned of a research project conducted by UNH in collaboration with the Navy about the problem of sexual assault by Navy servicemen against children in their own household, an aspect of the sexual assault problem UNH professor David Finkelhor said does not receive a lot of attention but certainly exists.The study found that when fathers were on long deployment and missed the child-rearing activities at home, they were at greater risk of sexually abusing their children later on. He talked of the need to manage deployments differently and to reinforce the importance of family bonds.He said he is not sure if the study was shared outside of the Navy, something Shaheen said she wanted to look into.CSM Jason Speltz is a victim advocate with the New Hampshire Army National Guard and said there are major differences between active duty military installations and the Guard, which uses community resources to assist victims and families, whereas within active duty military, issues are handled by the military.Former Portsmouth Police Chief Brad Russ said the response to military reports of sexual assault is not in line with what they see in law enforcement, and thinks in terms of training, law enforcement can help add value to that.He said he hopes the military will say they would like to have outside help with the problem.During Monday's roundtable, Shaheen said 50 percent of sexual assault survivors surveyed said they did not report the assault against them because they did not believe anything would be done about it. Also, 47 percent said their assault went unreported because they feared retaliation.Shaheen supports taking investigations of sexual assaults out of the military chain of command, an issue she said will remain controversial when the full Senate takes up the authorization bill this fall.Shaheen said she is optimistic that provisions included in the defense authorization bill to address sexual violence will be enacted into law.
'Then the challenge is to implement them in a way that is positive and helps to make a difference,' she said.Also on Monday, Congresswoman Annie Kuster, D-N.H., announced that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing on the care and treatment available to survivors of military sexual trauma.
She said the hearing demonstrated the 'terrible and painful reality of military sexual assault.''Unfortunately, like the four courageous veterans who testified today about their traumatizing and horrific experiences, both during and after active duty, many military sexual assault survivors do not have access to quality, coordinated mental health care and their symptoms are often overlooked and ignored by both the DoD and the VA,' Kuster said.Last month, Kuster helped secure passage of bipartisan legislation to enhance whistleblower protections for service members who report instances of sexual assault in the military.


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Recognizing a Paths to QUALITY Provider
How do you know if your current child care provider is involved in Paths to QUALITY? Or, perhaps you are looking for a child care provider involved in Paths to QUALITY and you don't know what to look for?
Child Care providers involved in the Paths to QUALITY program will have any one or all three of the following to display their involvement to the community or families:
Paths to QUALITY Provider Stamp
The Paths to QUALITY provider stamp is used by providers currently involved in Paths to QUALITY. This stamp may be used in marketing materials, paperwork or other parent communication material. This stamp recognizes that this provider takes quality child care seriously and is continuing to develop an even stronger child care program that will deeply impact your child's future.
Paths to QUALITY Certificate of Achievement
The Paths to QUALITY certificate of achievement is given to all active participants that have achieved Level One, Two, Three or Four. The certificate recognizes the specific level and the date the provider achieved that level. Providers may display the certificate in their facilities or homes.
Paths to QUALITY Decal
The Paths to QUALITY decal is given to all active participants that have achieved Level One, Two, Three or Four. The decal will show, in blue, the level the provider has achieved and will also have the date the decal was awarded to the provider. The decal is a window static cling, so many providers will have the decal on the window or door of their facility or home.


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2 days ago
NRL set for Telstra deal worth $90m
In a deal that will will end months of negotiations, Telstra is set to sign a six-year sponsorship agreement with the NRL reportedly worth $90 million.
The Australian reports that the deal is expected to be announced within days and will see Telstra keep the naming rights to the NRL for the next six years, as well as securing exclusive rights to show vision from games on the internet and mobile phones.
Telstra will also spend $60m for online and mobile rights to the Australian Football League in a five-year deal starting this year, and an additional $20 million for similar rights to the V8 Supercars in a six-year deal beginning this year.
Telstra had held the naming and new media rights with the NRL for the previous five seasons, a deal which expired at the end of last year.
Negotiations were hampered when the rights over new device technology, including mobile broadcast methods yet to be made commercially available in Australia, became a major stumbling block between the ARL, Telstra, News Limited and PBL Media (owner of Nine Network).
Its understood lawyers for News Limited had advised that TV broadcasters owned the right to images used on the internet and new mobile phone technology, and could not be sold by the NRL as part of a sponsorship deal.
"We should be making an announcement with the NRL within hours, or days at the worst, as was always going to be the case," group managing director of Telstra BigPond internet division Justin Milne told The Australian last night.
Negotiations reportedly hinged on new technologies, in particular: 1. Next generation mobile-TV technologies including DVB-H - a more compact version of traditional television broadcast. 2. Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), a broadcast technology that uses existing mobile phone spectrum.
Thus far, the NRL has made no official announcement with suggestions that the agreement is yet to be finalised.
Its understood the NRL have also had detailed discussions with a number of other prospective sponsors, including Telstra's mobile phone rival Vodafone.
However, reports indicate that an agreement has between Telstra and the NRL has been reached.
The new Telstra deal means that Channel Nine and Foxtel cannot show more than 30 seconds of game footage on their websites.
But its understood Telstra will offer its BigPond customers free access to archives of AFL and NRL games that can be downloaded from the internet.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Millions of Americans preparing to survive an earthquake ducked under tables and covered their heads Thursday as part of the annual "Great ShakeOut" drill.
Organizers said some 14 million people, including 9.3 million in California, signed up to participate. Schoolchildren, hospital workers, elected officials and others got ready to rumble from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.
The drill was held in some Western and southeastern states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and parts of Canada and Italy.
Newcomers included people in Virginia, where a magnitude 5.8 hit last year.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials ducked under a big red table set up at downtown's Union Station to demonstrate the proper procedure of "Drop, Cover and Hold On." Experts said it is safer to cover in place than to seek cover in a doorway or try to flee if a temblor hits.
"Hope doesn't save lives. Preparation does," Villaraigosa said. "Take a moment to remember: The power's out, alarms are sounding, your phone doesn't work, roads are inaccessible. This is a moment you have to plan for."
Los Angeles commuter and subway trains practiced for a quake by briefly slowing to 10 to 15 mph.
In an earthquake, "the trains would be going slow enough so that they could safely stop if the tracks are out of alignment or something fell on them" such as a downed tree, said Marc Littman, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Trains would move to a safe place in the event of a large quake, he said.
"You don't want to be hanging out on a bridge, necessarily, or be stuck in a tunnel between stations," Littman said.
However, they would stop automatically in the event of a gigantic quake such as the dreaded Big One that scientists say will one day erupt in California.
Littman and others officials also got a shake-up in an earthquake simulator.
"My house was wrecked in the Northridge earthquake, so that was deja vu for me," Littman said.
In Washington state, students at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Federal Way got a lesson in earthquake preparedness and practiced taking shelter under classroom tables. They also watched a demonstration on emergency responder techniques, including the use of a gurney.
Southern California has not experienced a seismic disaster since that 1994 magnitude-6.7 quake, which killed 72 people and caused $25 billion in damage to the Los Angeles region.
Southern California held the first safety drill in 2008 based on a fictional magnitude-7.8 event on the southern San Andreas Fault. The entire state participated the following year, and the exercise since has spread around the world.
"It's not looking at earthquakes as doom and gloom," organizer Mark Benthien said. "It's all about what we're going to do as a community to be prepared so that when there's an earthquake, we'll get back on our feet and recover."


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We've seen it (and done it) hundreds of times: grabbing the guitar out of the side of a partially unzipped case while standing up. We do this to save space, to save time, or to save our backs. This observation became the driving concept behind the Vertigo, the world's first top-loading guitar case. The top loading feature might have been enough, but Mono went ahead and redesigned the Headlock for automatic neck support. Then they created The Boot, a rubber sole designed for unsurpassed protection against vertical drops. The game has changed.
The Vertigo features a fully redesigned Headlock neck suspension system. No strapping, buckling, or belting required. No extra steps. Just throw your guitar in and the neck finds a natural resting point in the base of the Headlock. Then zip the case up and the top section of the Headlock automatically clamps down over your guitar, holding it firmly in place. Your headstock is now fully protected against backward drops and side-to-side impact. Lightning fast!
Another first of its kind, The Boot takes guitar protection to a new level. Using manufacturing technologies from the footwear industry, the Vertigo bounces off of concrete like a pair of cross trainers. With its custom molded rubber outsole and EVA insole, The Boot also protects strap pins of all shapes and sizes from those nasty vertical drops. Travel in confidence and style. It's a good look.
A slick feature that you will come to love. The Vertigo does not open like a traditional guitar case. Its design allows you to quickly unzip the case and pull your guitar out from the top. This is enabled by a hidden diagonal hinge on the front panel of the case. Once unzipped, the case naturally opens out and to the right. No need to lay your guitar case down on the floor. Stop bending over. Nobody wants to see that. Take a stand!
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Test a new spacecraft material
Being in space is not at all like being on Earth. It's usually very hot or very cold. There's no air. There's very little gravity. And the radiation is terrible!
Suppose you are a very smart spacecraft engineer. You have invented a new material to use for the fuel tanks on the spacecraft. But before you send your new material into the harsh environment of space, you must test it on Earth in a space-like situation.
Please get an adult to help you with this activity, because you will be heating and pouring boiling hot water!
To test this "new material" (which you have made in the shape of a soft drink can!) you will need:
- An empty aluminum soft drink can
- A medium-sized balloon
- A fat rubber-band of a size to wrap once tightly around the top of the can
- 1/4 cup boiling water
Now watch.
What happens first? What happens after the water inside starts to cool? Keep checking the can every few minutes until it is completely cool.
Does this experiment tell you how good the material will be for making spacecraft fuel tanks?
How would this material work if the spacecraft were to be dropped into the very thick and high-pressure atmosphere of a planet like Jupiter?
Will this material be good for going into space?
What makes the can collapse?
The can collapses because you have made a partial vacuum inside the can. This means the air inside the can is thinner (less dense) than the air outside the can.
The vacuum in the soda can in this experiment is not much like the vacuum of space. Your soda can had less air in it than the same volume outside the can. But a true vacuum is a space with absolutely nothing in it—not even a single molecule of air!
As you can see from your test, a container made of this material bends and wrinkles when the air outside pushes harder than the air inside.
With spacecraft fuel tanks, the vacuum is on the outside, rather than the inside. So to properly test the fuel tanks on the ground you need to be able to create a vacuum outside of them. This is very hard to do in your kitchen! You need a vacuum test chamber—too expensive for the average home!
Engineers first test new spacecraft technologies in laboratories on Earth that try to copy conditions in space. But even these space labs can't exactly copy the conditions in space.
Engineers and scientists invent new technologies every day. Some of these inventions help to make the spacecraft smaller and lighter, or faster and more fuel-efficient, or easier to operate from Earth. Some of these inventions help scientists make better measurements of conditions in space or take better pictures of Earth from space. Some make it possible to detect the tiniest changes in the position or brightness of a distant star.


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Victims of rape in Washington, DC may soon be unable to get sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kits, often called rape kits. DC's budget is under federal control, so if the federal government's shutdown continues much longer, some of the city's necessary programs--including those intended to help rape victims--may be temporarily discontinued due to lack of funding.
After an assault or rape, a victim can go to the hospital for an exam, where forensic nurses collect DNA, photographs, and other forms of evidence that may be used in court. Timeliness is important to collect all of the evidence possible. "If we don't have funds, no rape kits get done, there's no medical forensic exam," said Heather Devore, executive director of DC Forensic Nurse Examiners, one of two groups that make up the DC Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE). "It's especially important because we know that DNA degrades quickly; we only have a short time in order to obtain this evidence."
Victims also receive the services of an advocate who helps them through the exam process and with any other administrative, employment, or housing issues that may arise--crucial assistance that will not be available if funds run out.
The organizations that conduct rape kits are currently running on a contingency fund provided by the DC government, after Melissa Hook, director of the DC Office of Victims Services made the case to the city administrator that rape kits and exams should be deemed essential. The funds are expected to last only through the end of October.
Domestic violence programs all over the nation are also threatened by an extended government shutdown. Many domestic violence shelters and crisis centers rely solely on funding from the federal Office on Violence Against Women. The shutdown means that organizations that receive federal grants cannot request payment or draw funds.
Media Resources: Huffington Post 10/11/13; ThinkProgress 10/11/13; Slate 10/11/13
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