To hear the many languages of New York, just board the subway.
The number 7 line, which leads from Flushing in Queens to Times Square in the heart of Manhattan takes you on a journey which would thrill the heart of a linguistic anthropologist.
Each stop along the line takes you into a different linguistic universe - Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali.
And it is not just the language spoken on the streets that changes.
Street signs and business names are also transformed, even those advertising the services of major multinational banks or hotel chains.
In the subway, the information signs warning passengers to avoid the electrified rails are written in seven different languages.
But as I have discovered, New York is not just a city where many languages live, it is also a place where languages go to die, the final destination for the last speakers of some of the planet's most critically endangered speech forms.
Of the world's around 6,500 languages, UNESCO believe that up to half are critically endangered and may pass out of use before the end of this century.
Immediately we think of remote Himalayan valleys or the highlands of Papua New Guinea, bucolic rural villages where little known languages are still spoken by handfuls of speakers.
But languages can die on the 26th floor of skyscrapers too.
New York City is one of the most linguistically rich locations on earth, the perfect location to conduct research on endangered languages.
A recent Census Bureau report notes that in the United States, the number of people speaking a language other than English at home increased by 140% over the last 30 years, with at least 303 languages recorded in this category.
Originally home to the indigenous Lenape people, then settled by the Dutch, conquered by the English and populated by waves of migrants from every country ever since, the five boroughs that make up the Big Apple - The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island - are home to every major world language, but also countless vanishing voices, many of which have just a few remaining speakers.
No longer do aspiring field linguists have to trek halfway across the world to collect data on Zaghawa or Livonian, they can just take the Number 7 train a few stops where they will find speakers of some of the 800 languages that experts believe are spoken in New York.
I did just that, getting out at Jackson Heights, to visit a young family I knew well from Nepal.
They live in a massive apartment block, which, judging by the names on the letterboxes, housed speakers of at least 40 languages.
Every household in their home village in Nepal, high in a mountains a few miles from the Tibetan border, has a son or daughter working in New York.
And they have recreated the sense of a Himalayan village in this new land - they all live within a few blocks of each other and meet regularly for children's birthdays or to play cards, chatting away in their endangered language, a form of speech known simply as village language.
And not only that - head of the family Wangdi has also picked up Chinese and Spanish from working in New York's sandwich bars and restaurants.
His son Sonam, now only one year old, already hears three languages at home. He will probably grow up speaking four. The only common language spoken in the apartment block? "English."
When there is an important Buddhist ritual to be performed, someone in New York records it on a smart phone and immediately posts it online so that grandma and grandpa back in Nepal can watch and participate too.
Recognising what a unique opportunity New York provided, two linguists and a performance poet - Daniel Kaufman, Juliette Blevins and Bob Holman - set up the Endangered Language Alliance, an urban initiative for endangered language research and conservation.
"This is the city with the highest linguistic density in the world and that is mostly because the city draws large numbers of immigrants in almost equal parts from all over the globe - that is unique to New York," says Kaufman.
Several languages have been uttered for the very last time in New York, he says.
"There are these communities that are completely gone in their homeland. One of them, the Gottscheers, is a community of Germanic people who were living in Slovenia, and they were isolated from the rest of the Germanic populations.
"They were surrounded by Slavic speakers for several hundreds of years so they really have their own variety [of language] which is now unintelligible to other German speakers."
The last speakers of this language have ended up in Queens, he says, and this has happened to many other communities.
Garifuna is an Arawakan language from Honduras and Belize, but also spoken by a diaspora in the United States.
Staff at the Endangered Language Alliance have been working with two Garifuna speakers, Loreida Guity and Alex Colon, to document not only their language but also aspects of their culture through traditional song, before these are lost without record.
Urban linguists have also shot video of Husni Husain speaking Mamuju, his Austronesian language from Sulawesi, Indonesia.
He may be the only Mamuju speaker in New York, and these recordings are probably the first ever digital documents of his language being spoken.
But why do languages die?
Communities can be wiped out through wars, disease or natural disasters, and take their languages with them when they go.
More commonly, though, people transition out of one mother tongue into another, either by choice or under duress, a process that linguists refer to as language shift.
Being one of the last speakers of a language is a lonely place to be - you may have no one to talk to, no way to write it down and all kinds of cultural and historical knowledge that does not translate easily into English, Spanish or another more dominant language.
Languages ebb and flow, some triumph for a while only to fade away.
At the end of 19th Century, the lower east side of Manhattan was a celebrated centre of European Jewish culture, a world of Yiddish theatre, newspapers, restaurants and bookshops.
But in the 20th century, Yiddish took a battering as the Jewish community left the lower east side and moved out to the suburbs. The American-born children of Jewish immigrants understood, but rarely spoke, Yiddish.
With no readership, newspapers closed and books were discarded.
And then, just as it was most threatened, Yiddish bounced back, thanks to an unusual combination of technology, faith and the efforts of Aaron Lansky, founder and president of the Yiddish Book Center.
He established the centre to help salvage Yiddish language publications, 11,000 of which have now been digitised and are freely available online.
Yiddish also found support from an unexpected quarter - while secular Jews were increasingly giving up the language in favour of English, religious Jewish communities across New York continued to speak it, using Yiddish as their everyday vernacular allowing Hebrew to be reserved for religious study.
"There are many people nowadays who take Yiddish very seriously and raise their kids in Yiddish as well," says Lansky.
"The resurgence of interest in Yiddish is certainly not a nostalgic enterprise. If anything I think it is really a serious attempt to understand a broader view of Jewish identity and it is only now that young people are engaging with that."
Even Yiddish radio, once ubiquitous in New York, has made a comeback thanks to technology, with a once-a-week show produced by staff at a Jewish newspaper.
New York is a city that never sleeps and a city that never stops talking - a churning metropolis in which businesses, buildings and people are buffered by the changing winds of commerce and culture.
It is the perfect vantage point to listen to how the world's languages rise and fall on the tides of human affairs. I wonder in how many languages can you say 'Big Apple'?


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You are here: Home / Distributors / AVAD Expands Locations and Vendors
AVAD Expands Locations and Vendors
June 8, 2017 by Ted Leave a Comment
AVAD LLC, a leading distributor of custom integration brands, announced this week a dramatic expansion of their business – including no fewer than 11 new facility locations and the addition of Séura, a popular brand of outdoor televisions to their brand assortment. The news suggests an acceleration of their rollout of a new business model that they described in the middle of last year after the company was purchased from Tianjin by Kingswood Capital Management.
See more on this continued expansion by AVAD…
AVAD said these new locations are spread across 10 separate markets and is part of their plan to address more markets with new format facilities for a completely new style of footprint. The company will also launch a new headquarters facility in Scottsdale, AZ.
The company calls this "the beginning of a new era at AVAD," with a new owner and a new management team headed by CEO Tom Jacoby and president Fred Farrar¹. AVAD says it is "positioning itself for a strong year."
"We are excited to announce the grand openings of our new locations throughout the United States, as well as our new headquarters in Scottsdale," said Seth Evenson, Director of Customer Experience Management for AVAD in a prepared statement. "With our one-year anniversary approaching, it's great to look back on our growth throughout the last year as we focus on reaching more of our customers in the residential and commercial custom installation markets through new locations, shipping options, digital presence, and new vendors."
Also helping drive its expansion, the company announced it is partnering with Séura to add its Storm and Storm Ultra Bright outdoor televisions to it's "expanding line card." These models from Séura deliver 4K UHD clarity and, thanks to Triple Lock Seal weatherproofing, with unmatched reliability raise the bar in performance for outdoor entertainment spaces. The company also notes the extremely thin form factor, with the Storm registering at only 2.7-inches deep and the Storm Ultra Bright at 3.7-inches deep.
From AVAD's website
Expanding Line Card
"We're excited to announce the addition of Séura to our expanding product lineup providing our dealers with an exceptional outdoor installation solution," said John Zabel, Vice President of Sales and Vendor Management for AVAD. "Séura is recognized throughout the industry for their innovative, sleek design and we believe our dealers will have great interest in our latest vendor partner."
AVAD plans Grand Opening ceremonies at all of their new locations, based on the following schedule:
Englewood, CO on May 31
Carrollton, TX on May 31
Spring, TX on June 1
San Jose, CA on June 1
Nashville, TN on June 1
Eden Prairie, MN on June 2
Marietta, GA on June 7
Charlotte, NC on June 8
Bellevue, WA on June 9
Woburn, MA on June 15
Scottsdale, AZ on June 16
To learn more about AVAD, visit: www.avad.com.
NOTE 1 – This article was updated on June 9, 2017, 16:31 (Eastern) to correct the spelling of AVAD's President: Fred Farrar…not Farrer.
Filed Under: Distributors, News Tagged With: Alliance of Value Added Distributors, AVAD, Fred Farrer, Tom Jacoby

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Once a faculty member has decided to create a web site, two common questions are: (1) How long will it take? and (2) What is the best software to use? Unfortunately, these questions cannot be answered in any simple way, because the answers depend heavily on the individual user and the educational objectives. For instance, if the goal is to create a modest web syllabus, then the task will probably take 3-10 hr, depending on the individual's level of computer experience. On the other hand, a large educational web site with thousands of links might require several months of full-time work.
Likewise, the choice of software depends in part on an individual's level of computer experience, and in part on the desired end product. A simple web syllabus can be created easily with a standard word processing program or text editor. If, however, the web site will have interactive forms, frames, image maps, or other advanced features, then it is probably best to use software specifically designed to create web pages. There are a number of excellent web page editors available, and many can be downloaded free for a trial period. My recommendation would be to seek the advice of other web developers and to choose a software program that has good technical support either at your institution or through the software maker.
Once you have chosen a web editor, two further pieces of software are necessary. First, you will need a way to send your pages to the web. Many web editors have this feature built into their menu as a "publish" option. Alternatively, you can use one of several file transferring programs (known as ftp programs, short for "file transfer protocol") that are widely available as freeware. If you are not sure which route to take, I would suggest talking with technical support professionals at your institution. A good technical support professional should be able to set up an ftp program for you in less than 15 minutes.
The final piece of necessary software is a web browser (a program that allows people to look at, or "browse," web pages). At the time of this writing, the most popular browsers are Mozilla's Firefox, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and Apple's Safari. Any of these programs is fine for browsing the web as a consumer of other people's pages. If you are developing your own pages, however, my advice would be to install all web browsers so that you can check how your pages look with each browser (web pages can appear very different depending upon the browser).
Beyond the three software programs necessary for web design -- a web page editor, a file transferring program, and a web browser -- serious web developers will also want to obtain a graphics program such as Photoshop. A graphics program allows you to create, modify, or resize images for use on the web. This capability is especially useful if you want to customize scanned images, design logos, or make navigation buttons for visitors to click on. If you are interested only in creating a few simple web pages, however, then a graphics program is probably unnecessary. Instead, you can get a wide variety of free images by visiting clip art sites on the web.
In the tips that follow, I will assume that you have obtained the necessary software and that you have a working familiarity with hypertext markup language (i.e., the language most web pages are written in, known commonly as HTML). If you are unfamiliar with HTML, my advice would be to work through a few simple HTML tutorials, either on the web or through a workbook (e.g., Callihan, 1997; Campbell & Darnell, 1997; Lemay, 1997; Oliver & Holzschlag, 1997). Basic proficiency in HTML can be self-taught in a day or two, and it is worth taking the time to learn this language even if your web editing software advertises that no knowledge of HTML is necessary (by understanding the language, you will be able to troubleshoot problems, make direct modifications to the HTML code if necessary, and see how other people's pages are written). With these prerequisites assumed, I turn now to the nuts and bolts of web site construction.


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5 Afrobeats Songs To Add To Your Summer Playlist!
05-31-2021 by Amanda Almonord
(Tiwa Savage/YouTube)
If you're not already on the Afrobeats train, now is the perfect time to climb aboard!
The beauty of music is that you don't have to understand the language to feel and enjoy it. That's even more true with Afrobeats, a West African genre of pop music. It's become increasingly popular in the United States thanks in part to Drake's collaboration with WizKid on "One Dance" and Beyoncé's work on Disney's live-action film remake of The Lion King. With Summertime on the horizon, your playlist is going to need a little revamping. These essential Afrobeat songs will help you set the perfect mood for all your upcoming adventures!
1. "All Over" by Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage is iconic in every way. In a male-dominated industry, Savage makes it known that female artists should not be underestimated. Her song "All Over" is a calm beat that gently hypes you as the song progresses. It'll leave you craving for more, so be sure to add "Ma Lo" to your list, another great song by Tiwa Savage.
2. "On The Low" by Burna Boy
Burna Boy's "On The Low" is a love song that combines dancehall and Afrobeats elements. This song is what a warm Summer night feels like. Grab a lover and get ready to dance the night away with this one.
3. "Fall" by DaVido
It is a scientific fact that everyone will be dancing within the first 20 seconds of playing this song. It made history as Billboard's longest-charting Nigerian pop song! It's safe to say that DaVido knows a thing or two about making great music. It's the perfect song for any vibe you're looking to create this summer. Other great DaVido songs include "If" and "FIA".
4. "Come Closer" by WizKid
You've probably heard WizKid's background vocals on Drake's track "One Dance". They went on to collab on "Come Closer", and it became a hit! This song is smooth and will leave you feeling really good. He's also featured on Kranium's song "Can't Believe", another tune that will keep you dancing throughout the night.
5. "Kontrol" by Maleek Berry
Maleek Berry is a seasoned producer, collaborating with Wale and Goldlink. His song "Kontrol" sets him up as a true pop artist and gives listeners a taste of the tropics. For more easy Summer dance tunes, listen to his songs "Bend It" and "Sisi Maria".


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Falcon 9 Full Thrust
Launch of the first Falcon 9 Full Thrust flight, Falcon 9 Flight 20, carrying 11 Orbcomm satellites to orbit. The first stage was recovered at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LZ-1 following the first successful Falcon 9 landing.
Partially reusable orbital medium-lift launch vehicle
Cost per launch
$62M (2016),[1] $50M (Reusable, 2018)[2]
71 m (233 ft) with payload fairing[3]
3.66 m (12.0 ft)[4]
549,000 kg (1,210,000 lb)[4]
Payload to LEO (28.5°)
Expendable: 22,800 kg (50,300 lb),[1] 15,600 kg (34,400 lb) when landing
PAF structural limit: 10,886 kg (24,000 lb)[3]
Payload to GTO (27°)
Expendable: 8,300 kg (18,300 lb)[1]
Reusable: 5,500 kg (12,100 lb)[1]
Payload to Mars
4,020 kg (8,860 lb)[1]
Associated rockets
Atlas V 541
H-IIB
Long March 3B/E
Proton-M
Ariane 5 ES
Launch history
Launch sites
Cape Canaveral SLC-40
Vandenberg SLC-4E
Kennedy LC-39A
Total launches
Success(es)
Other outcome(s)
1 (destroyed before launch)
64 / 69 attempts
19 December 2020 (NROL-108)
Notable payloads
Dragon capsule
Dragon Crew capsule
Iridium NEXT fleet
Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle
Beresheet lander
RADARSAT Constellation
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich
9 Merlin 1D
Sea level: 7,607 kN (1,710,000 lbf)[4]
Vacuum: 8,227 kN (1,850,000 lbf)[4]
Sea level: 282 seconds[6][needs update]
Vacuum: 311 seconds[6][needs update]
162 seconds[4]
Subcooled LOX / Chilled RP-1[7]
1 Merlin 1D Vacuum
934 kN (210,000 lbf)[4]
LOX / RP-1
Falcon 9 Full Thrust (also known as Falcon 9 v1.2, with variants Block 1 to Block 5) is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Designed in 2014–2015, Falcon 9 Full Thrust began launch operations in December 2015. As of 8 January 2021, Falcon 9 Full Thrust had performed 84 launches without any failures. Based on the Lewis point estimate of reliability, this rocket is the most reliable orbital launch vehicle currently in operation.[8]
In December 2015, the Full Thrust version of the Falcon 9 family was the first launch vehicle on an orbital trajectory to successfully vertically-land a first stage and recover the rocket, following a technology development program conducted from 2013 to 2015. Some of the required technology advances, such as landing legs, were pioneered on the Falcon 9 v1.1 version, but that version never landed intact. Starting in 2017, previously-flown first-stage boosters were reused to launch new payloads into orbit.[9][10] This quickly became routine, in 2018 and in 2019 more than half of all Falcon 9 flights reused a booster.
Falcon 9 Full Thrust is a substantial upgrade over the previous Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket, which flew its last mission in January 2016. With uprated first- and second-stage engines, a larger second-stage propellant tank, and propellant densification, the vehicle can carry substantial payloads to geostationary orbit and perform a propulsive landing for recovery.[11]
1.1 Modifications from Falcon 9 v1.1
1.1.1 Autonomous flight termination system
1.1.2 Block 4
1.2 Rocket specifications
2 Development history
2.2 Testing
2.3 Maiden flight
3 Launch history
4 Launch and landing sites
4.1 Launch sites
4.2 Landing sites
4.3 Drone ships
This section's factual accuracy is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on Talk:Falcon 9 Full Thrust. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced. (March 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Falcon 9 Full Thrust launch on 4 March 2016. The discarded first stage is in the lower right. The second stage is in the upper left, with the two parts of the jettisoned payload fairing.
A principal objective of the new design was to facilitate booster re-usability for a larger range of missions, including delivery of large commsats to geosynchronous orbit.[12]
Like earlier versions of the Falcon 9, and like the Saturn series from the Apollo program, the presence of multiple first-stage engines can allow for mission completion even if one of the first-stage engines fails mid-flight.[13]
Modifications from Falcon 9 v1.1
The third version of the Falcon 9 was developed in 2014–2015 and made its maiden flight in December 2015. Originally called the Reusable Falcon 9 or Falcon 9-R, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust is a modified reusable variant of the Falcon 9 family with capabilities that exceed the Falcon 9 v1.1, including the ability to "land the first stage for GTO missions on the drone ship"[14][15] The rocket was designed using systems and software technology that had been developed as part of the SpaceX reusable launch system development program, a private initiative by SpaceX to facilitate rapid reusability of both the first–and in the long term, second—stages of SpaceX launch vehicles.[16] Various technologies were tested on the Grasshopper technology demonstrator, as well as several flights of the Falcon 9 v1.1 on which post-mission booster controlled-descent tests were being conducted.[17]
In 2015, SpaceX made a number of modifications to the existing Falcon 9 v1.1. The new rocket was known internally as Falcon 9 Full Thrust,[18] and is also known as Falcon 9 v1.2, Enhanced Falcon 9, Full-Performance Falcon 9,[14] and Falcon 9 Upgrade.[19]
A principal objective of the new design was to facilitate booster reusability for a larger range of missions, including delivery of large commsats to geosynchronous orbit.[12]
Modifications in the upgraded version include:
liquid oxygen subcooled to 66.5 K (−206.7 °C; 119.7 °R; −340.0 °F) and RP-1 cooled to 266.5 K (−6.6 °C; 479.7 °R; 20.0 °F)[20] for density (allowing more fuel and oxidizer to be stored in a given tank volume, as well as increasing the propellant mass flow through the turbopumps increasing thrust)
upgraded structure in the first stage[19][21]
longer second stage propellant tanks[19]
longer and stronger interstage, housing the second stage engine nozzle, grid fins, and attitude thrusters[19][21]
center pusher added for stage separation[19]
design evolution of the grid fins[19][21]
modified Octaweb[19]
upgraded landing legs[19][21]
Merlin 1D engine thrust increased[19] to the full-thrust variant of the Merlin 1D, taking advantage of the denser propellants achieved by subcooling.
Merlin 1D vacuum thrust increased by subcooling the propellants.[19]
several small mass-reduction efforts.[22]
The modified design gained an additional 1.2 meters of height, stretching to exactly 70 meters including payload fairing,[13] while gaining an overall performance increase of 33 percent.[19] The new first-stage engine has a much increased thrust-to-weight ratio.
The full-thrust first stage booster could reach low Earth orbit as a single-stage-to-orbit if it is not carrying the upper stage and a heavy satellite.[23]
Versions launched in 2017 have included an experimental recovery system for the payload fairing halves. On 30 March 2017, SpaceX for the first time recovered a fairing from the SES-10 mission, thanks to thrusters and a steerable parachute helping it glide towards a gentle touchdown on water.[24]
On the 25 June 2017 flight (Iridium NEXT 11–20), aluminum grid fins were replaced by titanium versions, to improve control authority and better cope with heat during re-entry.[25] Following post-flight inspections, Elon Musk announced the new grid fins likely will require no service between flights.[26]
Autonomous flight termination system
SpaceX has been developing for some time an alternative autonomous system to replace the traditional ground-based systems that had been in use for all US launches for over six decades. The autonomous system has been in use on some of SpaceX' VTVL suborbital test flights in Texas, and has flown in parallel on a number of orbital launches as part of a system test process to gain approval for use on operational flights.
In February 2017, SpaceX's CRS-10 launch was the first operational launch utilizing the new Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) on "either of Air Force Space Command's Eastern or Western Ranges." The following SpaceX flight, EchoStar 23 in March, was the last SpaceX launch utilizing the historic system of ground radars, tracking computers, and personnel in launch bunkers that had been used for over sixty years for all launches from the Eastern Range. For all future SpaceX launches, AFSS has replaced "the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment with on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS include increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility."[27][28]
In 2017, SpaceX started flying incremental changes to the Falcon 9 Full Thrust version, calling them "Block 4".[29] At first, only the second stage was modified to Block 4 standards, flying on top of a "Block 3" first stage for three missions: NROL-76 and Inmarsat-5 F4 in May 2017, and Intelsat 35e in July.[30] Block 4 was described as a transition between the Full Thrust v1.2 "Block 3" and the following Falcon 9 Block 5. It includes incremental engine thrust upgrades leading to the final thrust for Block 5.[31] The maiden flight of the full Block 4 design (first and second stages) was the NASA CRS-12 mission on 14 August 2017.[32]
Main article: Falcon 9 Block 5
SpaceX announced in 2017 that another series of incremental improvements were in development, a Falcon 9 Block 5 version, which has succeeded the transitional Block 4. The largest changes between Block 3 and Block 5 are higher thrust on all of the engines and improvements on landing legs. On few occasions, a SHERPA space tug is added to the rocket making it a partially-reusable three-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle. Additionally, numerous small changes will help streamline recovery and re-usability of first-stage boosters. Alterations are focused on increasing the speed of production and efficiency of re-usability. SpaceX aims to fly each Block 5 booster ten times with only inspections in between, and up to 100 times with refurbishment.[33][34]
Rocket specifications
Falcon 9 Full Thrust specifications and characteristics are as follows:[13][30][35]
Payload fairing
Height[35]
42.6 m (140 ft) 12.6 m (41 ft) 13.228 m (43.40 ft)
Diameter[35]
3.66 m (12.0 ft) 3.66 m (12.0 ft) 5.263 m (17.27 ft)
Mass (without propellant)[35]
22,200 kg (48,900 lb) 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) 1,700 kg (3,700 lb)
Mass (with propellant)
433,100 kg (954,800 lb) 111,500 kg (245,800 lb) N/A
LOX tank: monocoque
Fuel tank: skin and stringer LOX tank: monocoque
Fuel tank: skin and stringer Monocoque halves
Aluminum lithium skin; aluminum domes Aluminum lithium skin; aluminum domes Carbon fiber
9 × Merlin 1D 1 x Merlin 1D Vacuum N/A
Liquid, gas generator Liquid, gas generator
Subcooled liquid oxygen, kerosene (RP-1) Liquid oxygen, kerosene (RP-1)
Liquid oxygen tank capacity[35]
287,400 kg (633,600 lb) 75,200 kg (165,800 lb)
Kerosene tank capacity[35]
123,500 kg (272,300 lb) 32,300 kg (71,200 lb)
Engine nozzle
Gimbaled, 16:1 expansion Gimbaled, 165:1 expansion
Engine designer/manufacturer
SpaceX SpaceX
Thrust (stage total)[4]
7,607 kN (1,710,000 lbf) (sea level) 934 kN (210,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Propellant feed system
Turbopump Turbopump
Throttle capability[13]
Yes: 816 kN-419 kN
(190,000 lbf to 108,300 lbf)
(sea level)[36]
Yes: 930–360 kN (210,000–81,000 lbf)
(vacuum)
Restart capability
Yes (only 3 engines for boostback/reentry/landing burns) Yes, dual redundant TEA-TEB
pyrophoric igniters
Tank pressurization
Heated helium Heated helium
Ascent attitude control
pitch, yaw
Gimbaled engines Gimbaled engine and
nitrogen gas thrusters
Gimbaled engines Nitrogen gas thrusters
Coast/descent attitude control
Nitrogen gas thrusters and grid fins Nitrogen gas thrusters Nitrogen gas thrusters
Shutdown process
Commanded Commanded N/A
Stage separation system
Pneumatic N/A Pneumatic
The Falcon 9 Full Thrust uses a 4.5 meter long[35] interstage which is longer and stronger than the Falcon 9 v1.1 interstage. It is a "composite structure consisting of an aluminum honeycomb core surrounded by a carbon fiber face sheet plies".[13] The overall length of the vehicle at launch is 70 meters, and the total fueled mass is 549,000 kg.[35] The aluminium-lithium alloy used is 2195-T8.[37]
The Falcon 9 Full Thrust upgraded vehicle "includes first-stage recovery systems, to allow SpaceX to return the first stage to the launch site after completion of primary mission requirements. These systems include four deployable landing legs, which are locked against the first-stage tank during ascent. Excess propellant reserved for Falcon 9 first-stage recovery operations will be diverted for use on the primary mission objective, if required, ensuring sufficient performance margins for successful missions".[13] The nominal payload capacity to a geostationary transfer orbit is 5500 kg with the first-stage recovery (the price per launch is US$62 million), versus 8300 kg with an expendable first-stage.[35]
Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket with the SpaceX CRS-8 Dragon spacecraft on the launch pad in April 2016
As early as March 2014, SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for the expendable Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket actually included about 30 percent more performance than the published price list indicated. At that time, the additional performance was reserved for SpaceX to conduct reusability testing with the Falcon 9 v1.1 while still achieving the specified payloads for customers. Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage had been made on this earlier v1.1 version. SpaceX indicated they had room to increase the payload performance for the Falcon 9 Full Thrust, or decrease launch price, or both.[38]
In 2015, SpaceX announced a number of modifications to the previous version Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle. The new rocket was known internally for a while as Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust,[18] but was also known under a variety of names including Falcon 9 v1.2,[39] Enhanced Falcon 9, Full-Performance Falcon 9,[14] Upgraded Falcon 9,[40] and Falcon 9 Upgrade.[19][41] Since the first flight of the "full thrust upgrade", SpaceX has been referring to this version as just Falcon 9.[42]
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell explained in March 2015 that the new design would result in streamlined production as well as improved performance:[15]
So, we got the higher thrust engines, finished development on that, we're in [qualification testing]. What we're also doing is modifying the structure a little bit. I want to be building only two versions, or two cores in my factory, any more than that would not be great from a customer perspective. It's about a 30% increase in performance, maybe a little more. What it does is it allows us to land the first stage for GTO missions on the drone ship.[14]
According to a SpaceX statement in May 2015, Falcon 9 Full Thrust would likely not require a recertification to launch for United States government contracts. Shotwell stated that "It is an iterative process [with the agencies]" and that "It will become quicker and quicker to certify new versions of the vehicle."[43] The US Air Force certified the upgraded version of the launch vehicle to be used on US military launches in January 2016, based on the one successful launch to date and the demonstrated "capability to design, produce, qualify, and deliver a new launch system and provide the mission assurance support required to deliver NSS (national security space) satellites to orbit".[44]
The upgraded first stage began acceptance testing at SpaceX's McGregor facility in September 2015. The first of two static fire tests was completed on 21 September 2015 and included the subcooled propellant and the improved Merlin 1D engines.[45] The rocket reached full throttle during the static fire and was scheduled for launch no earlier than 17 November 2015.[46]
SES S.A., a satellite owner and operator, announced plans in February 2015 to launch its SES-9 satellite on the first flight of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust.[47] In the event, SpaceX elected to launch SES-9 on the second flight of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust and to launch Orbcomm OG2's second constellation on the first flight. As Chris Bergin of NASASpaceFlight explained, SES-9 required a more complicated second-stage burn profile involving one restart of the second-stage engine, while the Orbcomm mission would "allow for the Second Stage to conduct additional testing ahead of the more taxing SES-9 mission."[48]
Falcon 9 Full Thrust completed its maiden flight on 22 December 2015, carrying an Orbcomm 11-satellite payload to orbit and landing the rocket's first stage intact at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral.[40] The second mission, SES-9, occurred on 4 March 2016.[49]
Main article: List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches
As of 8 January 2021, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust version has flown 84 missions with a success rate of 100%. The first stage was recovered in 64 of them. One rocket was destroyed during pre-launch tests and is not counted as one of the flown missions.
On 1 September 2016, the rocket carrying Spacecom's Amos-6 exploded on its launchpad (Launch Complex 40) while fueling in preparation for a static fire test. The test was being conducted in preparation for the launch of the 29th Falcon 9 flight on 3 September 2016. The vehicle and $200m payload were destroyed in the explosion.[50] The subsequent investigation showed the root cause to be ignition of solid or liquid oxygen compressed between layers of the immersed helium tanks' carbon-fiber wrappings.[51] To resolve the issue for further flights, SpaceX made design changes to the tanks and changes to their fueling procedure.
Launch and landing sites
Main article: SpaceX launch facilities
SpaceX first used Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base for Falcon 9 Full Thrust rockets, like its predecessor Falcon 9 v1.1. Following the 2016 accident at LC-40, launches from the East Coast were switched to the refurbished pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, leased from NASA.[52]
Architectural and engineering design work on changes to LC-39A had begun in 2013, the contract to lease the pad from NASA was signed in April 2014, with construction commencing later in 2014,[53] including the building of a large Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) in order to house both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles with associated hardware and payloads during processing.[54] The first launch occurred on 19 February 2017 with the CRS-10 mission. Crew Access Arm and White Room work still need to be completed before crewed launches with the SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule scheduled for 2019.
An additional private launch site, intended solely for commercial launches, was planned at Boca Chica Village near Brownsville, Texas[55] following a multi-state evaluation process in 2012–mid-2014 looking at Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico.[56][57] However, the focus of the site has been changed from Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches to VTOL test flights of a subscale Starship Hopper test vehicle. It is very unlikely that it will ever be used for Falcon 9 or Heavy flights, as the current launch pads provide more than enough launch capability.
Landing sites
Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
SpaceX has completed construction of a landing zone at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, known as LZ-1. The zone, consisting of a pad 282 feet (86 m) in diameter, was first used on 16 December 2015 with a successful landing of Falcon 9 Full Thrust.[58] The landing on LZ-1 was the first overall successful Falcon 9 and the third landing attempt on a hard surface. As of 4 June 2020[update], only one landing attempt has failed. The booster landed just offshore. In the following few days, it was towed back to Port Canaveral, raised out of the water using two cranes, and brought back to a SpaceX hangar.
Directly next to LZ-1 SpaceX constructed LZ-2 to allow simultaneous booster landings after Falcon Heavy flights. As of June 2020[update], three boosters have landed at LZ-2.
SpaceX also created a landing site at the former launch complex SLC-4W at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 2014, the launch site was demolished for reconstruction as a landing site.[59] On 8 October 2018, a Falcon 9 rocket booster successfully landed at the new ground pad, known as LZ-4, for the first time.[60]
Drone ships
Main article: Autonomous spaceport drone ship
Starting in 2014, SpaceX commissioned the construction of autonomous spaceport drone ships (ASDS) from deck barges, outfitted with station-keeping engines and a large landing platform. The ships, which are stationed hundreds of kilometers downrange, allow for first stage recovery on high-velocity missions which cannot return to the launch site.[61][62]
SpaceX has two operational drone ships, Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You, both in the Atlantic for launches from Cape Canaveral. Initially Just Read the Instructions was used in the Pacific Ocean for launches from Vandenberg.
^ a b c d e "Capabilities & Services (2016)". SpaceX. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
^ Baylor, Michael (17 May 2018). "With Block 5, SpaceX to increase launch cadence and lower prices". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
^ a b "Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle Payload User's Guide" (PDF). 21 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
^ a b c d e f g h i "Falcon 9". SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
^ Krebs, Gunter. "Falcon-9". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
^ a b "Falcon 9". SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
^ @elonmusk (17 December 2015). "-340 F in this case. Deep cryo increases density and amplifies rocket performance. First time anyone has gone this low for O2. [RP-1 chilled] from 70F to 20 F" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 December 2015 – via Twitter.
^ "ACTIVE LAUNCH VEHICLE RELIABILITY STATISTICS". SPACE LAUNCH REPORT. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
^ "SpaceX launches, retrieves its first recycled rocket". Washington Post. Associated Press. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ Chang, Kenneth (30 March 2017). "SpaceX Launches a Satellite With a Partly Used Rocket". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
^ B. de Selding, Peter (16 October 2015). "SpaceX Changes its Falcon 9 Return-to-flight Plans". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
^ a b de Selding, Peter B. (20 March 2015). "SpaceX Aims To Debut New Version of Falcon 9 this Summer". Space News. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
^ a b c d e f "Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle Payload User's Guide, Rev 2" (PDF). SpaceX. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
^ a b c d Svitak, Amy (17 March 2015). "SpaceX's New Spin on Falcon 9". Aviation Week. Aviation Week Network. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
^ a b Svitak, Amy (21 March 2015). "SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell Talks Raptor, Falcon 9, CRS-2, Satellite Internet and More". Aviation Week and Space Technology. Penton. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ Abbott, Joseph (8 May 2013). "SpaceX's Grasshopper leaping to NM spaceport". Waco Tribune. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ Bergin, Chris (3 April 2015). "SpaceX preparing for a busy season of missions and test milestones". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ a b Bergin, Chris (9 September 2015). "Full Thrust Falcon 9 stage undergoing testing at McGregor". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l de Selding, Peter B. (15 September 2015). "Falcon 9 Upgrades: F9 v1.1 (current vehicle) to F9 Upgrade". SpaceNews journalist twitter feed. SpaceX slide, republished on Twitter. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^ Elon Musk on Twitter [@elonmusk] (17 December 2015). "-340 F in this case. Deep cryo increases density and amplifies rocket performance. First time anyone has gone this low for O2. [RP-1 chilled] from 70F to 20 F" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 December 2015 – via Twitter.
^ a b c d Foust, Jeff (15 September 2015). "SES Betting on SpaceX, Falcon 9 Upgrade as Debut Approaches". Space News. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
^ Svitak, Amy (5 March 2013). "Falcon 9 Performance: Mid-size GEO?". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ "Elon Musk on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ Lopatto, Elizabeth (30 March 2017). "SpaceX even landed the nose cone from its historic used Falcon 9 rocket launch". The Verge. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ @elonmusk (25 June 2017). "Flying with larger & significantly upgraded hypersonic grid fins. Single piece cast & cut titanium. Can take reentry heat with no shielding" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via Twitter.
^ @elonmusk (25 June 2017). "New titanium grid fins worked even better than expected. Should be capable of an indefinite number of flights with no service" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2018 – via Twitter.
^ "45th SW supports successful Falcon 9 Echostar XXIII launch". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
^ Gebhardt, Chris (20 March 2017). "Air Force reveals plan for up to 48 launches per year from Cape Canaveral". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ Henry, Caleb (29 June 2017). "SpaceX's Final Falcon 9 Design Coming This Year, 2 Falcon Heavy Launches in 2018". Space.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ a b "SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.2 Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ Gebhardt, Chris (16 August 2017). "Home Forums L2 Sign Up ISS Commercial Shuttle SLS/Orion Russian European Chinese Unmanned Other Falcon 9 Block 4 debut a success, Dragon arrives for Station berthing". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ SpaceX Falcon 9 launches CRS-12 Dragon mission to the ISS NASA Spaceflight.com 14 August 2017
^ Clark, Stephen (4 April 2017). "Musk previews busy year ahead for SpaceX". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
^ NASA (17 February 2017). "NASA Holds Pre-launch Briefing at Historic Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center". Youtube.
^ a b c d e f g h i "Fiche Technique: Falcon-9" [Technical data sheet: Falcon 9]. Espace & Exploration (in French). No. 39. May 2017. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
^ "Falcon Users Guide" (PDF).
^ How Light Metals Help SpaceX Land Falcon 9 Rockets... April 2019
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^ a b Graham, William (21 December 2015). "SpaceX returns to flight with OG2, nails historic core return". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
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^ Shotwell, Gwynne (3 February 2016). Gwynne Shotwell comments at Commercial Space Transportation Conference. Commercial Spaceflight. Event occurs at 2:43:15–3:10:05. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
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^ Clark, Stephen (25 January 2016). "Falcon 9 upgrade receives blessing from U.S. Air Force". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
^ "Upgraded Falcon 9 First-Stage Static Fire | 9/21/15". Youtube. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
^ Clark, Stephen (25 September 2015). "First static fire completed on upgraded Falcon 9". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
^ Clark, Stephen (20 February 2015). "SES signs up for launch with more powerful Falcon 9 engines". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ Bergin, Chris (16 October 2015). "SpaceX selects ORBCOMM-2 mission for Falcon 9's Return To Flight". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
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^ Malik, Tariq (1 September 2016). "Launchpad Explosion Destroys SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, Satellite in Florida". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
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^ Bergin, Chris (1 July 2015). "Pad 39A – SpaceX laying the groundwork for Falcon Heavy debut". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ "SpaceX breaks ground at Boca Chica beach". Brownsville Herald. 22 September 2014.
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^ "SAOCOM 1A Mission". SpaceX. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
^ @elonmusk (12 January 2016). "Aiming to launch this weekend and (hopefully) land on our droneship. Ship landings needed for high velocity missions" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Falcon 9 full thrust.


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Oh, hi!
Re-open: The National Museum's new lease of light
onsdag, 7 november 2018, 10:53
It's been a long time since I last visited the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. The fact that it's been closed for refurbishment for the past five years is one good reason, but my memory of it as a somewhat gloomy old building stuffed with Old Masters wasn't pushing it to the top of my To Do list.
I was tempted back, however, when it re-opened last month as I was curious to see the results of the £100 million refurb but also to visit the huge, specially-commissioned glass chandelier I had seen being made at The Glass Factory in Boda last year in situ.
Ten glass designers, including Åsa Jungnelius and Carina Seth Andersson, collaborated on the project and each element was hand-blown at The Glass Factory. Photo credit: Tina Stafren/VisitSweden
Admiring the assembled chandelier before it makes the journey from Småland to Stockholm Photo credit: Tina Stafren/VisitSweden
Modern Swedish glass design and craftsmanship at its best: the eye-catching chandelier in its new home in the museum restaurant
The Old Masters are all there, of course, re-displayed against walls painted in surprisingly un-Scandi rich jewel colours. Artworks are also now collected by period rather than genre - so paintings and other decorative arts from, for example, the 17th century are now exhibited together which provides a nice simple cohesive timeline for lowbrow visitors like me.
Oddly, Sweden doesn't actually have a dedicated museum of design (there is a virtual one, though: Swedish Design Museum). But the National Museum has its own impressive collection and the furniture, glassware and other objects specially commissioned for the re-opening serve as a living, interactive lesson in contemporary Swedish design - the cutlery used in the restaurant was designed by Note, hand-blown glass vases by Carina Seth Andersson and chairs by Matti Klenell and Peter Andersson.
The totem-like "Venus in glass" by artist Frida Fjellman, specially commissioned by the Bengt Julin fund for the museum re-opening
Whatever bizarre thought process led to the rooms at the front of the building being used for offices and storage in the "old" museum has thankfully been reversed and the glorious, light-filled space with views over the water and the Royal Palace is now occupied by the restaurant. More than 300 windows have been opened up and the rooves over the two atria have also been replaced by glass-panelled ceilings, filling the sculpture park in the southern atrium with light and triangular-shaped shadows.
Photo credit: Nationalmuseum/Bruno Ehrs
The new museum has blown away all its cobwebs and brought a new lease of life to two of the museum's (and Stockholm's) most important resources - its design credentials and stunning natural light.
Tatty G.


30-sqm commercial space for sale in Via S. Francesco, one of the main streets of Assisi's old town centre, which leads directly to the Basilica of St. Francis. The store is fitted for the sale of souvenirs and/or typical local culinary products. It is delivered perfectly furnished and finished.


Odettes for the Holidays! a Good Company Theatre original play with new music After nearly a decade, beloved 1960s girl-group The Odettes returns to their hometown for a holiday reunion concert at the Double-Time Lounge, where they got their start. With Christmastime hits like "Tinsel and Mistletoe," and "Jingle Jangle," it's bound to please their adoring fans. For Adelaide "Della" Crawford, Dorinda "Dori" Pendleton, and Regina Johnson, daughter of late original member Deloris Johnson, it is a chance to sing through their memories of one another, of the group that brought them all together, and of the music that keeps them connected. Pianist Woody Watson joins them on keys as they prepare for their long-awaited return to the stage!


Leoni, a global provider of energy and data management solutions in the automotive sector and other industries, has been showcasing innovative technologies for autonomous driving at the IZB in 2018. Models on the fair stand illustrated solutions for reducing weight and installation space, automotive Ethernet and driver assistance systems.
Cars that drive autonomously require safety and assistance systems to negotiate traffic without any problems. Sensors and signal transmission play a key role in this respect. Such systems each require a redundant one as backup; there must be multiples of some functions. Innovative conductor materials as well as cables with thinner walls, smaller diameter and miniaturised design – as in the case of Leoni's multifunctional Adascar cables – are used to reduce the space required for this and simultaneously the weight.
These multi-core, shielded or unshielded cables are suited for control, comfort, power, safety, sensor and truck applications. They consequently meet the demanding chemical, electrical, mechanical and thermal requirements of their areas of application.


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Pain perception and brain evoked potentials in patients with angina despite normal coronary angiograms.
O. Frøbert,
L. Arendt-Nielsen,
P. Bak,
P. Funch-Jensen,
J. Peder Bagger
Department of Cardiology, Skejby University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of nociception in patients with angina despite normal coronary angiograms and to investigate whether any abnormality is confined to visceral or somatosensory perception. METHODS: Perception, pain threshold, and brain evoked potentials to nociceptive electrical stimuli of the oesophageal mucosa and the sternal skin were investigated in 10 patients who had angina but normal coronary angiograms, no other signs of cardiac disease, and normal upper endoscopy. Controls were 10 healthy volunteers. The peaks of the evoked potential signal were designated N for negative deflections and P for positive. Numbers were given to the peaks in order of appearance after the stimulus. The peak to peak amplitudes (P1/N1, N1/P2) were measured in microV. RESULTS: (1) Angina pectoris was provoked in seven patients following continuous oesophageal stimulation. (2) Distant projection of pain occurred after continuous electrical stimulation of the oesophagus in four patients and in no controls. (3) Patients had higher oesophageal pain thresholds (median 16.3 mA v 7.3 mA, P = 0.02) to repeated stimuli than controls, whereas the values did not differ with respect to the skin. There were no intergroup differences in thresholds to single stimuli. (4) Patients had substantially reduced brain evoked potential amplitudes after both single oesophageal (P1/N1, median values: 7.2 microV, controls: 29.0 microV; N1/P2: 16.5 microV, controls: 66.0 microV; P < 0.001 for both) and skin (N1/P2: 13.5 microV; controls: 76.0 microV; P < 0.001) stimuli despite the similar pain thresholds. CONCLUSION: Central nervous system responses to visceral and somatosensory nociceptive input are altered in patients who have angina despite normal coronary angiograms.


Lucid Dream is the brainchild of guitarist Simone Terigi, and Otherworldly is the third release by the Italian trio, which also consists of vocalist Alessio Calandriello, bassist Gianluca Eroico and several session musicians. Otherworldly is a concept album which pays tribute to Albert Einstein and the discovery of gravitational waves, in which we discover on the opening intro "Einstein Speech." First song proper, "Buried Treasure," boasts a straight ahead 4/4 rock riff (which at first sounds generic), but then soon captivates with a touch of NWOBHM/'70s rock influences. On the following tracks, Lucid Dream creates lush soundscapes, varied textures and memorable, melodic passages. Calandriello's vocals throughout the album are top notch with just a hint of Chris Cornell meets Robert Plant meets Phil Mogg.
"The Ring Of Power" is a genre-worthy Tygers of Pan Tang/UFO-influenced tune. This is where Calandriello's Mogg-esque vocals especially come into play. The spacey buildup of "Everything Dies," complete with added percussion and a menacing, shuffle riff, is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Throughout the 41 minute run-time, Terigi performs some fancy fretwork and dazzling string-bending lead harmonies. His solos are definitely one of the album's highlights and he even takes center stage on instrumentals "A Blanket Of Stars" and the fantastic album closer "The Theater Of Silence." Otherworldly is a damn fine release and is worth checking out.


As some smart phone companies are moving away from traditional 3.5mm corded audio connections, wireless headphones, headsets and earbuds are slowly becoming the new norm. This is where the Padmate Pamu Wireless Earbuds comes into play which offers a true wireless option thanks to Bluetooth version 4.2, simplistic charging and more importantly, comfort and good audio. The earbuds are also lightweight and have splash and moisture resistant with a rating of IPX5 to ensure a perfect workout.
Out of the box, the first thing that you may notice about the Padmate Pamu Wireless Earbuds is that the case which contains this product and interestingly looks like a Google Home device. In actual fact it is actually the charging cradle which is quite a clever design. So by pushing the button the cradle, this opens up the case which is where the Pamu can be stored and of course, be charged. Another cool aspect about this product is that cradle is a portable charging case with a 470mAh battery which produces 3 charges of the earbuds.
Like other wireless devices, it allows you to answer phone calls and listen to any audio produced from your smartphone. In terms of installation, the product does come with a manual and although not the best English translation, it does give you enough information to set these earbuds up. The first step is to ensure the earbuds are fully charged and once charged, you beginning the pairing process.
Furthermore, you know that the earbuds are on as the Blue LED's will be displayed and the next step is to search for this device (X13) from your phone. Once found, you simply pair it and presto, this connection will always be available, provided the Pamu is charged. In terms of charging, it takes around 2-hours to fully charge both earbuds and once charged, the four LED's will turn Blue.
Navigating the wireless earbuds is done via the left earbud with its touch-sensitive button. To answer your phone, you simply push the button and to reject a call, you just double press the button. With music, there are also some limited audio controls which include play and pause. The controls are relatively straight forward and after a few shots of wearing these, it becomes second nature.
When it comes to comfort, the Pamu are relatively comfortable and the wings hold it place. The audio quality is good and for a Bluetooth device, the range is around 10metres. So whether we were listening to music or taking calls, the audio was good, including all musical genres. As the microphone are located on the earbuds, most of our calls were easily hear and understood, however on a windy day, this did become an issue.
Overall, the Padmate Pamu Wireless Earbuds are an affordable option to something like Apple's or Samsung's wireless earbuds. They are easy to setup, use with good audio and the only drawback is the limited music navigation. The manual could also use some tweaking but at the end of the day, they work well as a wireless product and are very comfortable to wear, can't fall out and have some blissful audio!


However, when a hyperbole is used appropriately, its effect is purposeful and emphatic, causing the reader to pay attention to that particular point. We are one nation—and their pain is our pain. Dresden was one big flame. I lost my sense of humor in B.
However, it seems more important to understand the distinction between hyperbole and simile: My sister never stops talking.
The backpack-wearer simply wants to communicate, through the use of hyperbole, that he or she is carrying a very heavy load.
We use hyperboles like these in speaking and writing to create emphasis or effect. These are some of the best hyperbolically speaking! It is in common use, as much among the unlearned as among the learned; because there is in all men a natural propensity to magnify or extenuate what comes before them, and no one is contented with the exact truth.
The mountain of paperwork weighed heavily on the teacher's desk. A specific example from this tale includes: There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. If he or she had sent you a short email introduction and you are ready to respond then make it short as well.
God, I just want to pour acid in my eyes every time i see it….!!!!
From the opening of the American folktale 'Babe the Blue Ox' At that time Bogota was a remote, lugubrious city where an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th century. Try to make the email personal and use the first name instead of being formal like you are talking to your supervisor at work.
Hyperbole Examples Hyperbole often appears in literature, particularly prose literature like novels and stories.
I definitely agree with you to keep things mysterious but think getting some core things down are better than being super generic. Does that make sense? I have not seen him for an eternity.
The leaves danced in the summer breeze. This was an overview of hyperboles.
A basic definition and etymology of the term—it comes from the Greek hyper, "beyond" and ballein, "to throw. Dating online can truly be fun if you also know how to protect yourself, just like when you're also dating offline. And it helps to know all the Advanced Search hackstoo.
When he calls America's most pressing social issues "carnage," Trump isn't implying that we're living through a literal "massacre.
CMB profiles lend themselves naturally to this, since the entire last question is all about your dream woman. The others pretty much write themselves…. Hyperboles are used throughout literature, poetry, and even in speech.
As in Slaughterhouse Five, hyperbole allows Vonnegut to write about violence on an enormous scale, and to describe the twisted genius who invented the bomb with vividness and emotion.
No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas in incarnadine, Making the green one red. An example of a simile is: These figures of speech are often confused with similes and metaphors because of the comparison of two objects, the only difference being hyperboles have unrealistic comparisons.
The reason being the intention is to bring attention to a particular concept.
Radio Wright August 30,3: Online dating is very intimidating but a useful tool especially when someone like myself find it difficult to say these things in person but much easier and more relaxing with a little buffer.
Some common hyperbole examples include: Even if creating a dating profile makes you nervous, you should try to come off as confident as possible. Behold, the world is gone after him.
Search Hyperbole Examples Hyperbole is one of the most widely used figures of speech in everyday language, in literature or even in love poems. I can make your mind swoon. Things like email addresses also should be changed if necessary. It's all about great introduction Forget about general phrases like "My name is I am going to be standing here for a while!
It is obvious to most people that you are exaggerating and did not really tell him a million times.


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Home Sports Women's Soccer Soccer looking for wins in season's last Big 12 matches
Soccer looking for wins in season's last Big 12 matches
By Carolina Lewis
Kansas State University plays Baylor University at Kansas State University on October 5, 2017. (Photo by Cooper Kinley | Collegian Media Group)
The Kansas State soccer team is facing a pair of away games against Oklahoma State today and the University of Oklahoma on Sunday. This weekend's matches will mark the end of the regular Big 12 season.
This is the first time the Wildcat soccer team has competed in the Big 12 conference since its establishment, which was announced in Dec. 26, 2014.
The Oklahoma State Cowgirls, who will host the Wildcats in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex, are currently in first place in Big 12 soccer standings, barely edging past West Virginia University.
The nationally-ranked Oklahoma State team has won five of its past six matches, only dropping a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Oct. 6.
Oklahoma State also leads the Big 12 conference in goals, assists and total points.
Next, the Wildcats will take on the Oklahoma Sooners, who have found themselves winless during Big 12 play.
Oklahoma is coming off a two match losing streak against West Virginia and Texas Christian University. Before that pair of losses, the Sooners had three scoreless ties from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6. The last match the Oklahoma women's soccer team won was on Sept. 10 against the University of Illinois.
This past weekend, the Wildcats dropped two close 1-0 matches at home against Baylor on Oct. 13 and the University of Texas on Oct. 15.
The Wildcats had their opportunities against Baylor, especially in the 83rd minute when the Bears were called for a handling and gave the Wildcats a penalty kick. Baylor goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt blocked the attempt by K-State freshman forward Hannah Davis. Wandt was announced as the Big 12 Freshman of the Week because of her performance against the Wildcats.
The game against the Texas Longhorns was only the second time the Wildcats faced a nationally-ranked opponent, with the first being the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Wildcats put up a good fight and took the Longhorns to overtime, but ultimately fell 1-0 in the 93rd minute.
In its first two seasons, the K-State soccer team has been powered by the underclassmen. 75 percent of points have been scored by either a freshman or a sophomore, while a senior has yet to score.
The Wildcats are coached by Mike Dibbini, who was previously at Kansas Wesleyan for eight seasons and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona for two seasons.
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K-State rowing hits the water for the first time after months of cold weather
K-State gives up late goal in loss to TCU
Nathan Enserro - Oct 15, 2018


text:
Kathleen O'Hanlon
My studio for writing
Posted byKathleen O'Hanlon July 2, 2020 July 2, 2020 Posted inUncategorized
NBC is showing old stages of the Tour de France. This week they showed a replay of Stage 5 from 2014 — a stage that formed the basis for a chapter in my novel "Arenberg Forest."
On the morning of stage 5, I was up even before my alarm, ready to read all the news and steeling myself to bug everyone for some pre-stage content – some carefully staged selfies, some artistic shots of water bottles and spokes, some cutesy broken English tweets to competitors that would bring a chuckle. It was going to be the last thing anyone was going to want to do but it was clearly my job to make it happen.
I pulled open the curtains. Grey, wet, rain beaded on the window. Oh no. This was bad. I knew the prediction had been for some rain today, with some of the gutters damp already as we pulled in last evening, but this was worse than I thought it was going to be. I looked at my phone. Unremitting rain for the entire day. Eighty percent chance. A lot of them had already been dreading the day, a stage that had been talked about constantly since the race route had been revealed the previous fall. Stage 5, a mini Paris-Roubaix. A race over the fabled cobbled roads of Northern France that were usually part of the famous one-day race held in April, a classic race that the scrawny, leaned out climbers, so comfortable on the unforgiving slopes of the Alps and the Pyrenees, skipped, leaving the slippery, cut-edge cobbled roads to the broader heavier riders. Like Kristof. The Dutch, the Norwegians, the Belgians, the Australians. They were the ones who longed for the teeth-rattling roads of the north. But now, in the first week of the Tour de France, the lightweight climbers had no choice. They, like everyone else, had to spend a day on the bumpy and now slippery blue-stone cobbles that made this gritty corner of France famous. Their best hope was to survive the day unscathed, no falls, no unexpected launches into the crowd or a ditch, no unforgiving gaps of time.
I sighed. Now no one was going to want to even talk to me, let alone give me cutesy upbeat commentary to share with the world. I wondered if Rudi, the team's general classification rider, now sitting in fifth place, just ten seconds behind the Spanish yellow jersey wearer, was awake yet. It was better if he wasn't, if he could scrape another hour of untroubled sleep from the night. Someone had told me that before the team's reconnaissance visit here about ten days ago, Rudi had never ridden any of the French cobbled sections.
I rooted around in my suitcase, trying to figure out the best combination of clothing to keep me dry and comfortable during what promised to be an awful day.
The dining room was as I expected. I poked my head in as I headed to the office to print out some additional maps. Mostly silent, the clinking of plates about the only indication that sixty world class athletes were getting ready to participate in an epic day. My eye scanned over the several teams sitting at the different tables, the colors of hoodies and t shirts the only way to keep them apart. The Australian team over in the far corner seemed a bit jollier than the others, their former Paris-Roubaix winning manager telling jokes and all but slapping a few backs.
I caught Kristof's eye over the head of a French teammate. He raised his coffee cup in greeting. He looked calm, concentrated. He looked to the left, at the enormous window covered in raindrops and looked back at me. He smiled.
I felt like I could read his mind. "Oh, good," he was thinking. "This is a day for me." My heart sank a little.
I went out to the bus to see if they needed any help. Karin was hunched in the back storage area, wrapping sandwich portions with great speed, humming to herself.
"Can I do anything?" I asked.
"No, I'm good." She paused, standing up straight to stretch her back. "I don't even know what to give them. It's a short brutal stage. It will be less than four hours and they are starting early so I don't even know how much they'll eat. But I guess we need to be ready for anything."
"Maybe you can help the guys with the bottles or something."
I went to the truck where the mechanics were checking tire pressure. For this stage they had completely changed bikes, switching from the lightweight highly-engineered road bikes that had been used for the first four stages to sturdier bikes, with more robust handlebars and differently filled tires to cope with the roads. I'd heard a lot of discussion in the last few days about what the right tire pressure would be for today. A lower pressure was necessary so that a tire wouldn't pop the first time it encountered the sharp unprotected edge of a cobblestone. But if the pressure was too low it took too much energy to ride along the smooth roads that constituted the majority of the route. 25 kilometers of cobble over a day's course of 140 kilometers. Did you want to be comfortable on the cobbles or fast on the smooth pavement? The question had made several meals pass more quickly.
The guys were all concentrating, each intent on his own task, the sound of the pressurized pumps the only sound other than the ticking of wheels turning as they were checked.
After the depart I was assigned to the first feeding zone, right before the cobbles started near the Carrefour des Arbes. We passed by the fabled restaurant, the crowds undiminished and undismayed by the driving rain. I saw Flemish flags snapping proudly in the wind from the tops of white campers. I saw an Irish flag draped over a young man's head in an attempt to keep him somewhat drier, I saw elderly men in snappy bright-red jackets and toddlers in clear plastic raincoats. The enthusiasm of the crowd was the exact opposite of the atmosphere inside the team bus an hour ago.
We parked the car in as dry an area as we could find and hiked up the road. I had six cotton musette bags slung across me, over my borrowed Directe Bank parka, which I was forced to wear so that the riders would know which team I was connected to. As we got into position, picking the fourth spot along the row of similarly garbed and burdened team assistants, Carlos beckoned to me.
"Antonio is out," he shouted in my ear. "He went down twice and abandoned. I think he broke his elbow. It just came over the race radio."
Antonio was the Spanish rider, the pre-race favorite, who was sitting in the number two position, sitting at the same time as the overall race leader before the start today.
"What?" I said. It seemed unbelievable. He hadn't even placed a wheel on a cobblestone and already he was out.
"It's carnage out there," Carlos continued. "It sounds like there are two or three crashes at every roundabout."
My stomach turned.
"Our guys OK?" I asked.
"So far, yes," he said. "But don't get your hopes up."
I sent up a little prayer. Please, please, was all it said. I realized as soon as it flitted across my mind that it wasn't a prayer, it was an imperfect communication – my attempt to try to influence Kristof. Please don't be stupid. Take it easy, just survive the stage. It's just one day. You don't need to show them what you can do every day.
It turned out Karin was right. Most of the riders didn't grab their bags, perhaps not needing the nutrition, but more likely not wanting to swerve even a little bit to get to the left to grab onto the bag. I hoped they all had enough water because even in the rain they would need to drink and it was almost impossible for them to get extra bottles once those awful cobbled sections started.
"This is useless," Carlos said, when they were all passed. "Let's just go to the end unless Luca has something else for us to do." We hiked back down the road and into the car, the crowd starting to disperse around us now that the race was passed. Carlos got on his phone.
"We can just go to the end," he said.
It took us just ten minutes to extricate ourselves from the crowd of cars leaving the course and within a few minutes we were on the highway, heading to the finish outside Valenciennes, at the end of the cobbled sections. The rain continued to beat down on the windshield. Carlos switched on the race radio, the official broadcast of what was happening in the stage. We heard of one crash after another. The talented young American rider in his first Tour de France had somersaulted into a ditch, taking some spectators with him; three Spanish teammates had tangled on the sidewalk in front of a brewery, spilling into each other on an unexpectedly slippery patch where the trucks departed; the English national champion ate up more than a minute waiting to have a flat tire fixed. It was completely unbelievable, unlike anything I had ever even heard of occurring in one day, let alone witnessed in my year and a half in the sport.
Please, please, my bleating, ineffective message went up into the ether one more time.
We got to the finish very quickly and were able to find a spot to pull the car in next to the team bus. Carlos turned to me. "Not a bad day to just sit on the bus and watch. Here," he said, proffering a flask to me. "A little brandy. It looks like you could use it. You okay?"
I nodded, but took the flask. It was barely two and it felt like the day would never be over.
"I'm fine," I said. "You think it's ok for me to be on the bus?"
Usually staff at my level were not allowed on the bus, even when the team was out doing their important work on the road.
"Sure," he said. "Come on. I think you'll need to see the tv coverage to do your job, right? And I'll deal with Luca if he gives you a hard time. Besides, he'll never know. He has other things to worry about."
I nodded and climbed out of the car, disentangling myself from the uncaught bags, not even aware that they were still arrayed across my chest under my seatbelt.
When we got on the bus four staff people were already distributed in the first few rows, eyes glued to the television suspended over the driver's position. No one acknowledged us as Carlos and I crept by to sit behind them.
"What's going on?" Carlos whispered to the mechanic in front of him, Rogier, the young Dutch guy who was a whiz from what I'd been told.
"We're okay. Izzy and Marcus had a wobble but they are ok. Peter popped a wheel but the neutral support people were right there so he was ok," Rogier whispered back, with an urgency that reminded me of war movies.
Our unit seemed fine and fit for battle.
The camera zeroed in on Kristof, near the front of the leading group, his glasses shielding his expression, Rudi right behind as if tethered by an invisible three-foot chain to Kristof's rear tire. A cheer went up from our small group on the bus. The commentator was speaking French but I gathered that he was relaying Kristof's impressive history with these roads, with the spring classics, and guessing at the team's strategy in having Kristof assigned to making sure that Rudi made it through the stage in one piece and near the front.
I cheered too but my stomach tightened again. The camera lingered in a close-up on Rudi's face, his lips spread in a grimace, then shifted forward to Kristof, his upper body immobile as his legs continued to pump as if he were out on a clear spring day on newly paved road.
"Very good, very good," one of the mechanics said excitedly, standing up to pace behind me in the aisle. "30K left. They can do it."
The wind shifted and the rain came directly at the window next to me. I watched the television expecting the same wind to buffet our two riders. But they plowed on, heads down, trying to shield themselves from the water. A few moments later Kristof turned to say something to Rudi over his shoulder. You could barely see Rudi nod, but right after Kristof sped forward through the group of riders in the arrow ahead of him, Rudi still locked on his wheel. Soon they were five and then ten feet in front of the others in a massive display of strength and courage. And perhaps stupidity. Our bus didn't cheer this time. What was Kristof doing? There was no way this was a pre-planned tactic, there was no way Rudi would have the ability to continue on at this pace for the rest of the race and Kristof would be expending energy he might greatly need in the coming days as the race headed into the steep Alpine slopes that were so difficult for him. Now Kristof opened his mouth, gasping to get more oxygen and to plow on. He was right behind the motorcycle with the TV camera and I saw the spray from the motorcycle's wheels hitting him in the face. I could see him startle and slow to avoid the stream of brown, dirty water. Rudi didn't realize he was slowing and almost hit Kristofs' rear wheel, veering in the final second to avoid going down. He exhibited some superior bike-handling skills in keeping upright as his rear wheel fishtailed, but the hesitation of the two of them was enough to have them swallowed back into the lead group, their potential for a breakaway evaporating before our eyes.
Our watching group seemed to all let our breath out at the same time. I was relieved. Surely Kristof would check in with the car on the radio and get some further instructions on what they wanted him to do and he wouldn't do any more freelancing.
I got up and went to the back of the bus to find a bottle of water. I sipped my water and looked out the window, letting my focus soften on the now fogged over windows. I stood there for a while, wishing the stage were already over, that whatever was going to happen had already happened, that Kristof was standing outside the bus, tired and unhappy but in one piece, no MRIs, no x-rays planned for the evening, no head injuries, no broken wrists. I knew it wasn't what I was supposed to be wishing for but I was paralyzed by fear, by a sudden and unexpected desire for protection, even as I knew it meant mediocrity and disappointment. I turned my head to crack my neck, to bring me back to the reality of where I was and what I was supposed to want and went back to my seat.
20K to go now. The leading group still a minute out, but with a good number of the overall contenders tightly tucked in together, moving as one down the stormy road. Our watching group remained quiet as the tenths of kilometers ticked off on the screen, the commentators seemingly not saying anything important because nothing was really happening.
Then at 10k, we saw Kristof flick his elbow, providing a signal of some sort. He shifted to the left and surged through a gap that didn't look to exist, Rudi somehow able to remain with him through the acceleration. They paused at the front of the group for a split second and then accelerated forward. Kristof's teeth were bared as he pushed forward, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure Rudi was still with him.
"Yes, yes!" Carlos shouted next to me, standing to shake some of the excitement out of him.
"He is going to do it," yelled one of the mechanics, the one I barely knew. I wasn't sure who he was referring to – Kristof or Rudi. Kristof was putting in the superior effort, leading Rudi forward and letting Rudi conserve a bit of his energy by following in the wind shadow Kristof's broad back created. I knew this was supremely difficult for Rudi, with his toothpick arms and long, delicate shins, sometimes looking like they weren't substantial enough to thrust him up a flight of stairs let alone along the tops of the worst cobbles in Europe.
I held my breath and watched. They ticked through nine K and then eight, with the lead group not able to catch up with them, but with Kristof not able to create a further gap. I knew it was Rudi's inability to go any faster that was keeping them in that uncomfortable in between state.
At 5K, just as Kristof and Rudi went under the banner, there was a tumble of two riders in the rear of the lead group. I couldn't quite tell who it was on the grey tv screen, but the crash made the entire group hesitate a split second, and Kristof accelerated again. At first it looked like Rudi wasn't going to make it, was going to melt back in with his key rivals, but then he surged forward and was back on Kristof's wheel.
I wondered why Kristof was doing this. There was no way Rudi was going to be able to maintain any real chance of a lead in the coming days and Kristof was just expending himself. Was he showing off? Did he consider this his road, his pave, his part of the world? Was he just following the directions he'd been given, to haul Rudi with him all the way to the end? I wondered if Rudi wanted to do this. Hadn't the plan to been to just get through the day safely and without losing a chunk of time? No one had said anything about a dare devil attempt to win a stage.
The next seven minutes were the longest in my life. We all watched, completely silent, as our pair slid down the road towards us. At 3K, Carlos said, "We need to go outside." I roused myself. He was right. They would need towels, drinks, protective support. We were already late. I scrambled to my feet.
"I'll go, you stay." He pressed me back down and with surprising speed, tapped one of the other guys on the shoulder and they were gone and out the door, swinging nylon bags of supplies over their shoulder. He wasn't being nice to me, letting me stay in the dry bus and watch the end of the race. He wanted someone bigger than me to help him wade through the crowd and shepherd our riders to the stage, or anti-doping or wherever they needed to go. I wasn't much help in a crowd of raving French fans.
Last kilometer. They were safely through the red banner, with the leading group nipping right after them. I was tired of holding my breath. I still wasn't sure I wanted to happen. In my mind I could see the two of them spilling into each other on the final bend, like Dennis Menchov in that final kilometer of the Giro d'Italia a few years ago, skidding down the historic road in front of the Roman Forum before bouncing up and onward.
Fifty meters from the finish, Kristof looked over his shoulder one final time, making sure Rudi was still there and making sure the others were still where he thought they were. He nodded at Rudi and swung off to the left, allowing Rudi to pass by him and go on to roll over the line first, taking the stage win and perhaps moving up a spot or two in the overall classification with the time bonus. As they rolled forward into the waiting arms of Carlos and Benny, Kristof and Rudi clasped each other, some brotherhood bond having been formed on those awful roads. I didn't even think that Kristof much cared for Rudi or thought him to be a particularly talented rider. But today I guess that didn't matter.
I felt ill with fatigue. The thing I wanted to happen a while ago was happening. In a few minutes Kristof would be standing drained outside the bus, without a victory for himself, but having spent way too much energy and sacrificing perhaps good results for the coming week. But the team had a stage win for Rudi, his first ever in such a big race. That didn't make it better for me. Kristof could have taken the stage, confirmed himself as the absolute king of the cobbles, asserting his domination one more time. But he hadn't. He hadn't.
Starched Linen #1
One thought on "Stage 5"
Susan Peters says:
Kathleen O'Hanlon, Blog at WordPress.com.


John O'Neil is author of the best-selling business psychology book The Paradox of Success. While many business writers focus only on how to get more, bigger, faster, O'Neil shows readers how success in one's career doesn't necessarily preclude success in one's personal life. This message is grounded in firm personal and business experience—he has had a long and successful career in business and education as an administrator, venture capitalist and leadership guru.
His other books, Leadership Alkido and Seasons of Grace, have been similarly well received. The latter, which he co-wrote with Alan Jones, was awarded the Nautilus Prize for the Best in Spirituality category in 2004.
O'Neil began his career in IT, where he rose to New Systems Manager at AT&T, before becoming head of Mills College, Oakland, then President of California School of Professional Psychology. John is a board member of several companies working in the finance and technology spaces, as well as of foundations focused on education and social enterprise. He is the President of the Center for Leadership Renewal, which coordinates the provision of strategic planning, leadership development and organisational skills to both individuals and organisations.


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