Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flight-LA Takeoff

(Credit: Nasa.gov)

Urine Causes Problems For NASA

Updated: Friday, 15 Jan 2010, 8:27 AM PST
Published : Friday, 15 Jan 2010, 8:25 AM PST

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - In November 2008, NASA revealed a new invention that allows astronauts at the International Space Station to drink their own urine. A good idea, until problems started to arise.

NASA’s water recycling system has presented some problems for its engineers, according to a recent Reuters report . High concentrations of calcium in the astronauts’ urine seem to be clogging the system. Scientists can’t figure out if this is a result of living in space or something else.

Station flight director David Korth said, “We've learned a lot more about urine than we ever needed or wanted to know -- some of us anyway."

NASA explains the system works by distilling water from the urine and then going through six steps to cleanse it. The machine is also able to suck in astronauts’ sweat and breath and clean that too.

Due to the heavy weight of carrying water into orbit, the system will end up being extremely helpful in space, reports USA Today . Marybeth Edeen of NASA’s Johnson Space Center said it would be impossible to ship enough water to the station when its residents go from three to six next year. This $250 million machine solves that problem -- once NASA can solve the urine problem.

But one question remains: “How does it taste?” Tom McNichol of Wired.com put the urine-turned-water to the test and claims it tastes better than most city tap water. And Edeen believes once a person gets over the psychological issue, it won’t be a problem. “It’s not urine anymore, it’s water,” she says.

The shuttle Endeavor is scheduled to fly to the International Space Station Feb. 7 for a construction mission. NASA is hoping to resolve their urine problem by then to send replacement parts up to fix it.

Giải thích về loại máy dò toàn thân ở các phi trường

Giải thích về loại máy dò toàn thân ở các phi trường
Thursday, December 31, 2009

Bà Sherrie Soto, chuyên gia an ninh và huấn luyện viên của TSA đang hướng dẫn cách sử dụng máy rà “millimeter wave” tại phi cảng quốc tế Salt Lake City, Utah. (Hình AP/Leah Hogsten) Hình ảnh thâu bằng máy rà toàn thân có thể được dùng kỹ thuật biểu hiện thành sơ đồ trên computer. (Hình AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sau vụ một thanh niên Nigeria định gây nổ trên chuyến bay ngày lễ Giáng Sinh từ Amsterdam, Hòa Lan, đến Detroit, Michigan, các giới chức an ninh của nhiều quốc gia - trong đó có Hoa Kỳ - đã quyết định sẽ cho sử dụng rộng rãi tại các phi cảng loại máy rà toàn thân mỗi hành khách.

Loại máy này đã

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có từ lâu nhưng hầu hết các nước đều hạn chế sử dụng bởi lẽ, với khả năng “nhìn xuyên qua quần áo,” việc này có thể bị xem như xâm phạm tới tính cách riêng tư của cá nhân.

Có hai loại máy dò toàn thân, một loại máy rà dùng sóng điện từ “millimeter wave” và một loại máy dò dùng quang tuyến X được gọi là “backscatter.”

Máy “Millimeter wave” phát ra sóng “ly ba” và đo năng lượng phản xạ từ thân thể để cho một hình ảnh 3 chiều trên màn hình. “Backscatter” phóng ra quang tuyến X cấp đô thấp có khả năng đi qua những vật mỏng như quần áo nhưng không đủ sức xuyên qua thân thể con người và hình ảnh hai chiều được thu lại trên màn hình.

Loại máy dò kim loại hiện nay đang dược dùng ở tất cả các phi trường chỉ phát hiện ra những vật bằng kim khí như súng, dao, chìa khóa, tiền cắc,... Loại máy rà toàn thân thấy được tất cả mọi thứ bằng kim khí cũng như những vật khác không phải là kim khí như plastic, hóa chất, bỏ trong túi hay giấu trong người. Tuy nhiên nếu được giấu kín hẳn trong hang hóc của cơ thể theo cách mà bọn mang lậu ma túy vẫn thường làm thì loại máy sau này cũng không nhận ra được.

Ðể giảm sự phô bày quá đáng thân hình người ta, các máy rà loại mới dùng kỹ thuật làm bớt độ rõ của các chi tiết và xóa nhòa đường nét. Tại phi trường Amsterdam, Hòa Lan, qua một software của computer sẽ hiện ra một sơ đồ tượng trưng thay vì trực tiếp nhìn thấy hình ảnh thâu nhận được.

Tại Hoa Kỳ, cơ quan An Ninh Vận Chuyển (TSA) giải thích là nhân viên an ninh tiếp cận trợ giúp hành khách bước vào máy sẽ không nhìn thấy hình ảnh, còn nhân viên ngồi trong phòng kiểm soát riêng biệt chỉ thấy hình ảnh chứ không thấy hành khách. Nếu nhận ra cái gì khả nghi, người này sẽ báo cho nhân viên bên ngoài để tiến hành thêm những điều cần phải làm khác. Máy rà cũng không lưu trữ hay in ra hình ảnh và nhân viên TSA ngồi trong phòng kiểm soát không được mang theo máy chụp hình hay điện thoại.

Cách kiểm soát bằng máy rà toàn thân khá tốn thời gian vì phải mất khoảng 15 giây mới xong một hành khách. Tuy nhiên trong một vài trường hợp có thể là nhanh hơn, chẳng hạn như những hành khách có gắn dụng cụ y khoa trong người sẽ tránh khỏi tình trạng phải kiểm soát nhiều lần mới biết rõ là cái gì.

Theo TSA, cả hai loại máy dò đều không tác hại đến sức khỏe con người kể cả những hành khách phải thường xuyên đi máy bay. Máy rà “millimeter wave” phát năng lượng ít hơn một điện thoại di động (cell phone), còn máy dò “X-rays backscatter” chỉ tương đương với mức bức xạ một người tiếp nhận khi ngồi trong máy bay 2 phút. Tuy nhiên nếu hành khách nào không muốn qua máy, vẫn có thể chọn cách để cho nhân viên kiểm soát vuốt quần áo và nắn thân thể.

Cho đến bây giờ thì việc sử dụng máy rà toàn thân chưa được xem là có hiệu lực thực tế trong việc bảo đảm an ninh hoàn toàn. Tại Hoa Kỳ có 730 trạm kiểm soát với 2,100 lối đi vào ở 450 phi cảng trên toàn quốc. TSA mới có 40 máy và vừa đặt mua 150 máy, tương lai dự trù sẽ thêm 300 máy nữa. Mỗi máy trị giá từ $130,000 đến $200,000.

Trong 40 máy rà hiện hữu, 6 được đặt ở Albuquerque, NM; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Tulsa, OK - dùng thay thế máy dò kim loại. 34 máy được sử dụng ở những nơi khác với tính cách phụ trợ, để kiểm tra lại những hành khách bị máy dò kim loại báo động.

Tại Hòa Lan, phi cảng quốc tế Schiphol - Amsterdam chỉ có 15 máy, không đủ để kiểm soát tất cả mọi hành khách lên máy bay đi Hoa Kỳ, và việc khám xét bằng tay theo kiểu cũ vẫn còn cần thiết. (HC)

Retailers ready as Black Friday dawns

Retailers ready as Black Friday dawns

Fri 27 Nov 2009

By Andrea Chang

Linda Sanchez, center, with her niece Raquel Brogmus, 1 1/2, and daughter Tatiana Sanchez, 16, spends Thanksgiving planning her Black Friday shopping while camped out in front of the Best Buy store in Burbank.

Multiple Page View

Retailers are doing whatever it takes to lure shoppers to the malls today.

Desperate to avoid a repeat of last year's disastrous holiday season, stores are offering freebies, slashing prices and using social media to promote their deals. With hopes pinned on the day after Thanksgiving, the traditional kickoff to the Christmas season, many planned to open well before dawn.

"Black Friday will be a very key day for us," said Mike Taxter, an executive vice president at J.C. Penney Co. and director of JCPenney stores, which are offering 15% more specials than last year. "If you're going to run the race, you want to start that first day off really strong."

But worries remain that amid continued consumer stinginess, the crucial holiday season won't be that much better than last year's, when sales during the November-December period were the worst in more than 40 years.

Spending patterns on Black Friday could have far-reaching implications for the battered economy: Strong sales could kick-start the recovery after months of uncertainty. A sluggish season could mean more weakness beyond Christmas.

"Black Friday is critical for the whole economy to get a feel for where the consumer is headed," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group. "If the consumer doesn't engage in spending, the economy is going to continue to lag. The recovery is just going to be prolonged."

Another drag on the day's receipts could come from retailers themselves. Burned last year, merchants anticipated a weak holiday season and have scaled back inventory levels an average of 12% to 18% this year, Cohen said.

"I can think of a couple of instances already at J.Crew and at the Gap where some of the popular items are gone," said John Morris, a retail analyst at BMO Capital Markets. "It's going to be the first time in a long time that you're going to see some of the players sell out of product before they even get to Black Friday."

Up to 134 million people are expected to shop today or over the weekend, 4.7% more than the 128 million people who planned to do so last year, the National Retail Federation said this week.

But with the nation's unemployment rate in the double digits, will people spend freely or merely window shop?

For Yheisi Alfaro, 27, how much she'll spend on Black Friday depends on how good the bargains are. The clerical worker from West Los Angeles planned to go with friends to Camarillo Premium Outlets but said she was shopping for discounted items only.

"I won't buy unless it's a really good deal," she said. "If it's less than 50% off, I won't be interested."

Still, many industry watchers are expecting huge shopper turnout fueled by pent-up demand.

With merchants promising bigger and better deals and warning customers that low inventory could cause hot items to sell out, they're hoping to attract not just loyal Black Friday shoppers but also those like Christina Clark, a high school teacher from Santa Monica who has resisted shopping on the day after Thanksgiving for years.

"I kept saying, 'It's not worth it,' " said Clark, 40. "But now, because things are going to be limited and because there's going to be more deals than ever before, this year I'll brave the crowds."

Black Friday marks the single largest sales day of the year for many retailers. Many, such as JCPenney, Gap and Sears, have boosted not only their traditional promotional efforts, but have also taken to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to tout their specials.

One of the season's most aggressive chains, Toys R Us Inc., planned to open all of its namesake U.S. stores at midnight Thursday for the first time, give away a box of Crayola crayons with every purchase and offer more than 120 door-busters and bonus "mystery deals."

"The rest of the year is preseason for us," said Jerry Storch, chief executive of the toy giant. "We are far more excited than we are worried."

But industry analysts say there is still plenty to be worried about. Many are predicting that the holiday season will be relatively flat at best; if sales are much worse than expected, that could spell trouble for a strong turnaround because consumer spending accounts for about 70% of all U.S. economic activity.

Retailers will face stiff competition from bricks-and-mortar rivals and online sellers such as Amazon.com. Cutthroat price wars have already broken out among some retailers over popular gifts such as toys, electronics and books.

Another problem is that many of the season's hottest items are all relatively inexpensive -- such as girls' sequined tops, accessories, dolls and $10 Zhu Zhu robotic hamster pets -- further underscoring consumers' preference this year for affordable holiday gifts.

"We're calling it the cheap-thrill Christmas," Morris said.

Even with all the available deals, it still wasn't enough to persuade Nicole Tellem, an attorney from Playa Vista, to shop today.

"I always stay away," said Tellem, who plans to spend 40% less on the holidays than she did a few years ago. "I can't fathom getting up that early and competing with everyone else even if it means getting a better deal."

Although Black Friday is the single biggest volume day of the year for the Disney Store, President Jim Fielding said even if the chain underperforms today there's still time to rebound and have a strong Christmas season.

"Of course we want to make our numbers and make our budget on the day after Thanksgiving," he said. "But we're not going to overreact if it doesn't meet our expectations. The holiday shopping season is long."

Cohen, of NPD Group, said that in a year when frugal is fashionable it'll come down to who is offering the best prices.

"It's going to be a shopping day, but not necessarily a buying day," he said. "If the store isn't on sale or there aren't really good deals, then they're not going to be busy. It is going to be all about the chase of the deal."

andrea.chang@latimes.com

Times staff writer Ronald D. White contributed to this report.

Depressed woman loses benefits over Facebook photos

Last Updated: Thursday, November 19, 2009 | 9:45 PM ET Comments411Recommend264

CBC News

A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook.

Nathalie Blanchard, shown here on a beach holiday during her sick leave. (Facebook)Nathalie Blanchard, 29, has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Que., for the last year and a half after she was diagnosed with major depression.

The Eastern Townships woman was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from Manulife, her insurance company, but the payments dried up this fall.

When Blanchard called Manulife, the company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC News this week.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the popular social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday — evidence that she is no longer depressed, Manulife said.

Blanchard said she notified Manulife that she was taking a trip, and she's shocked the company would investigate her in such a manner and interpret her photos that way.

"In the moment I'm happy, but before and after I have the same problems" as before, she said.

Blanchard said that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

She also doesn’t understand how Manulife accessed her photos because her Facebook profile is locked and only people she approves can look at what she posts.

Insurer confirms it uses Facebook

Her lawyer Tom Lavin said Manulife's investigation was inappropriate.

"I don't think for judging a mental state that Facebook is a very good tool," he said, adding that he has requested another psychiatric evaluation for Blanchard.

"It's not as if somebody had a broken back and there was a picture of them carrying with a load of bricks," Lavin said. "My client was diagnosed with a major depression. And there were pictures of her on Facebook, in a party or having a good time. It could be that she was just trying to escape."

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." It confirmed that it uses the popular social networking site to investigate clients.

Insurance companies must weigh information found on such sites, said Claude Distasio, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

"We can't ignore it, wherever the source of the information is," she said. "We can't ignore it."

Blanchard estimated she’s lost thousands of dollars in benefits since Manulife changed her claim.

Wild Divorce Parties a Growing Trend

Wild Divorce Parties a Growing Trend
Celebrate a new beginning by getting a bit crazy.

Updated: Thursday, 19 Nov 2009, 10:50 PM PST
Published : Thursday, 19 Nov 2009, 10:50 PM PST

*

Video Story Producer:
Martin Burns
*

Reporter:
Mark Thompson

Posted by: Scott Coppersmith

Los Angeles - Half of all marriages end in divorce... and maybe the divorce party is the reason why!

Nothing helps end a bad marriage like a good and wild party with your friends.

We hooked up with some women curing their heartache with big doses of man medicine.

Angel:
"I'm divorced now, i can do that."

Mercy:
"You gain your heart back and the sexiness."

Dancer:
"They've been with Joe Schmoe. Finally, they've got someone they actually like in front of them. They go crazy."

Some say parties like these send a message to ex-husbands.

Angel:
"See what you missed out on?"

Divorce parties are becoming big business. There are books to help you plan them... sweet designer cakes with bitter themes... and even custom coffins for your wedding ring.

Mercy and Katherine invited us along as they took their newly-divorced friend, Anya, to The Highlands Hollywood ... home of the Hollywood Men , LA's hottest male revue.

Mercy:
"I wanted to get her out of what she was going through and show her a good time."

Smokin' hot firemen... sizzling old west cowboys... steamy bare-chested soldiers... and hot cops, in and out of uniform.

The kinds of guys that really get these women's horns up.

Mercy:
"It really made me feel good to show her what it's like to be single."

The boom in divorce parties has sparked a whole new industry.

Janet Morante LaFauci runs a party planning and decoration business called Party Over Here . She's been swamped with requests for decorations... for divorce parties!

Janet:
"I had to custom make them because there wasn't a lot of party supplies out there."

So she came up with divorce party sashes, divorce diva necklaces, and all kinds of party favors... and expanded her business to cater to ladies returning to the bachelorette pool at DivorcePartySupply.com .

The top seller? The "ex-husband voodoo doll."

Janet:
"Life is too short not to have fun and celebrate."

Home divorce parties are another new trend.

Angel had hers two days after her divorce was final. No sense in wasting time getting on with a new life, right?

For her and her friends, this is their fourth divorce party... and their fave dancers from West Coast Hunks say they get wilder every time.

Dancer:
"We're being bitten up. We're being scratched. I've got scars!"

Divorce parties may seem like a guilty pleasure, but the women we talked to had no regrets.

Anja:
"It's all about getting out there. New doors opening."

Angel:
"So much fun, i recommend it to everyone, it was amazing."

Study: Men Focus on Women's Breasts

Study: Men Focus on Women's Breasts

Updated: Sunday, 06 Sep 2009, 12:42 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 06 Sep 2009, 12:29 PM EDT

By MIKE BRODY

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Many women have complained that men look at their breasts instead of their eyes when they meet, and a new study seems to have proved them right.

Researchers from New Zealand’s University of Wellington found that just under half -- 47 percent -- of men first look at a woman's chest when they first meet, according to the Daily Mail .

Another third of men look at a woman's waist or hips as their "first fixations," and fewer than 20 percent look at the face.

Some believed that evolution could be behind the findings as women with larger chests and slimmer waists have higher levels of hormones and are more fertile, but the researchers said the reasons may be simpler than that.

"Men may be looking more often at the breasts because they are simply aesthetically pleasing, regardless of the size," they said.

The researchers also found that breasts are not only the first thing men look at, they also glance at them for longer than any other body part. And that may not be a bad thing for men.

A 2007 German study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that staring at women's breasts improved men's health. The study claimed that staring at breasts for 10 minutes a day was as healthy as going to the gym for 30 minutes daily and prolonged a man's life by five years.