Foam

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inadequate methods of applying and repairing foam on the space shuttle's fuel tank probably contributed to the dangerous loss of a chunk of the insulation during Discovery's launch 2 1/2 months ago, a NASA investigation team concluded yesterday. So much work is needed to understand the problem and correct the deficiencies that shuttle flights are on hold until at least May, and possibly even next summer. NASA's Richard Gilbrech, head of the investigation team, said no one may ever know what caused a 1-pound, 3-foot section of foam to break off Discovery's external fuel...

The production of "God of Carnage" at the Huntington Theatre Company presents a double challenge for properties master Kristine Holmes. First, the entire set is designed to emit an air of opulence, which is difficult to produce on a budget of $4,500. Second, the characters destroy the place every night, so all the props must be easily cleaned to look pristine for the next performance. "I learn something new every day, and I never use it again," Holmes says. Here are some of the tricks she employs to create the illusion of grandeur.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers made the defending NBA champions look ordinary, the Los Angeles Lakers’ fans threw up their foam hands in frustration. Mo Williams scored 28 points, LeBron James added 26, and the Cavaliers beat Los Angeles, 102-87, yesterday in a game that ended with angry Lakers fans throwing dozens of giveaway foam hands onto the court at Staples Center. Shaquille O’Neal had 11 points in his latest Los Angeles return with the Cavaliers, who dominated the Lakers with sharp shooting and physical defense, prompting several technical fouls and retaliation hits.

Though wrapping paper is recyclable through regular municipal recycling programs, disposing of the post-Christmas leftovers of plastic-foam packing can be challenging to eco-conscious consumers. Because of this, the town's Public Works Department and Recycling Advisory Board are holding a special collection Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 124 Orchard St. In addition to plastic foam peanuts and packaging, residents can dispose of takeout food containers, deli trays, and cups, provided they are clean, dry, and have a recycling symbol.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The nation's drive toward alternative fuels carries a danger many communities have been to slow to recognize: Ethanol fires are harder to put out than gasoline ones and require a special type of firefighting foam. Many fire departments around the country do not have the foam, do not have enough of it, or are not well trained in how to apply it, firefighting specialists say. It is also more expensive than conventional foam. "It is not unusual to find a fire department that is still just prepared to deal with traditional flammable liquids," said Ed Plaugher, director...

The production of "God of Carnage" at the Huntington Theatre Company presents a double challenge for properties master Kristine Holmes. First, the entire set is designed to emit an air of opulence, which is difficult to produce on a budget of $4,500. Second, the characters destroy the place every night, so all the props must be easily cleaned to look pristine for the next performance. "I learn something new every day, and I never use it again," Holmes says. Here are some of the tricks she employs to create the illusion of grandeur.

WASHINGTON -- KeySpan LNG is considering installing a foam containment system and vapor fence as part of its plan to expand the liquefied natural gas terminal in Providence, to avoid other expensive safety upgrades that could hinder expansion plans. In documents filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, KeySpan argued that the regulatory commission does not have the authority to require a full safety upgrade. Instead, KeySpan said, the addition of a foam system to control flammable vapor, a mechanical vapor barrier, and more fire hydrants and monitor...

These days, endless options can make holiday decorating seem nearly as daunting as shopping for gifts. A good way to narrow the focus is to let nature dictate your designs. Not only are earthy elements fresh and beautiful, they won't bust your budget. A quick trip to the grocery store and some backyard foraging will give you everything needed to create stunning seasonal décor, and you don't have to be Martha Stewart to put it all together. "It's hard to improve upon Mother Nature," says Brewster artist Kate Dickerson, who has been decorating with natural elements for years.

Q: We have just removed the marble floor in our foyer and replaced it with porcelain. It looks great and we think it will wear much better than the marble. My problem comes from the removal process, which included not only the marble but the "mud job" underneath that was over an inch thick. Even with a threshold, my basement entry door is now 1 1/4 inches too short. I have thought of adding weatherstripping to the bottom of the door. However, that wouldn't look natural for an inside door.

Makes 4 or 5 half-pint jars An easy way to test for the gelling point is to place a small plate in the freezer for a few minutes until it is very cold. Spoon a little of the jam onto it. Return the plate to the freezer for a few minutes until the mixture cools to room temperature. Run your finger through the jam. If the mixture leaves an open trail behind your finger for several seconds before closing back up, it is set and ready to be processed. If it closes back up immediately, it needs to cook a bit longer.

These days, endless options can make holiday decorating seem nearly as daunting as shopping for gifts. A good way to narrow the focus is to let nature dictate your designs. Not only are earthy elements fresh and beautiful, they won't bust your budget. A quick trip to the grocery store and some backyard foraging will give you everything needed to create stunning seasonal décor, and you don't have to be Martha Stewart to put it all together. "It's hard to improve upon Mother Nature," says Brewster artist Kate Dickerson, who has been decorating with natural elements for years.

SACRAMENTO - Restaurant owner Gary Honeycutt says a push in California's Legislature to ban the plastic foam containers he uses to serve up takeout meals could cost him thousands of dollars in an industry where profit margins are razor thin. BJ's Kountry Kitchen, in the heart of California's farm country, uses about 26,000 of the 9-inch foam clamshells a year, mostly for takeout by the customers who come in for the restaurant's popular breakfast omelets. "We put cheese on those omelets.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers made the defending NBA champions look ordinary, the Los Angeles Lakers’ fans threw up their foam hands in frustration. Mo Williams scored 28 points, LeBron James added 26, and the Cavaliers beat Los Angeles, 102-87, yesterday in a game that ended with angry Lakers fans throwing dozens of giveaway foam hands onto the court at Staples Center. Shaquille O’Neal had 11 points in his latest Los Angeles return with the Cavaliers, who dominated the Lakers with sharp shooting and physical defense, prompting several technical fouls and retaliation hits.

PROVIDENCE - Several foam manufacturers have agreed to pay $30 million to settle lawsuits brought by survivors and family members of those who died in the 2003 nightclub fire that killed 100 people, according to court papers filed yesterday. The foam companies that agreed to settle include Leggett & Platt Inc., of Carthage, Mo.; Wm. T. Burnett & Co., of Baltimore; and several others. More than $100 million has now been offered to victims of the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick from various companies, including past settlements with Home...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The nation's drive toward alternative fuels carries a danger many communities have been to slow to recognize: Ethanol fires are harder to put out than gasoline ones and require a special type of firefighting foam. Many fire departments around the country do not have the foam, do not have enough of it, or are not well trained in how to apply it, firefighting specialists say. It is also more expensive than conventional foam. "It is not unusual to find a fire department that is still just prepared to deal with traditional flammable...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Even as the wounded space shuttle Endeavour brought seven astronauts safely home yesterday, NASA is looking ahead to three more launches at risk of the same kind of damage. There is a striking parallel with the 2003 Columbia disaster in the space agency's failure to anticipate the harm from breaking ice or insulating foam, this time from a new area of the shuttle's fuel tank. The 3.5-inch-long gouge in Endeavour's belly did not put the astronauts at risk.

BEST FOR WALKING Nauset Beach stretches 10 miles from Orleans -- where there's a snack bar near the beach entrance and plenty of parking -- to Chatham. Taking a long walk on the ocean side of the Cape is especially nice if you wake early enough to catch the sunrise. On Maine's southern coast, the walk from below Ogunquit Beach to Wells Beach can be a vigorous 5-or-so-mile workout, part of it in soft sand. Get dropped off at Oarweed restaurant and walk along Marginal Way, a cliffside footpath in Ogunquit with dramatic views and fragrant sea roses, and head north toward the 2.5-mile-.long expanse of Ogunquit...

Cathy Hutchinson imagined picking up her coffee from the table. She thought hard about bringing the red bottle toward her lips and taking a drink, without any assistance. Then, for the first time since a stroke left her arms and legs paralyzed 15 years earlier, she did it. A blue robotic arm, guided by an experimental brain implant that "read" Hutchinson's thoughts, grasped the bottle and carried it toward her. By picturing her own immobile right arm and hand moving, she navigated the robot arm to the right position, tipped the bottle toward her lips, and took a long, satisfied...

PROVIDENCE -- Aram DerManouelian, the owner of a Johnston foam company made infamous when one of its products contributed to the nation's fourth-deadliest nightclub fire, has died, company officials said Sunday. He was 67. Mr. DerManouelian, the president and founder of American Foam, died Dec. 7 at his home in Jamestown, said Everett Marabian, the firm's corporate secretary. He did not know the cause of death. Mr. DerManouelian founded his company in 1963 and built it from the ground up, Marabian said.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A grounded space shuttle. Countless months trying to fix foam insulation problems on the fuel tank. A faulty fuel tank sensor that delayed a launch in May. If this list looks familiar, it should. With a possible liftoff of Discovery just five days away, NASA is dealing with many of the same problems it faced almost a year ago. The shuttle program manager, Wayne Hale, acknowledges that, but contends that progress is being made. "In terms of the foam, we are so much smarter this year than we were last year," he said.