Nylon

On Sunday, August 156, 2005, NYLON ROSLYN "ROZ" LAWSON; devoted mother, sister and grandmother. Family will receive friends at Gary P. March Funeral Home, today from 7 to 9 P.M. Services on Friday, at Set The Captives Free Outreach Center at 11 A.M., 7111 Windsor Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244. Interment to follow

Tonight, the star of Bethlehem will shine brightly over the little town of Savage. The 12-foot wrought iron-and-rebar creation will dangle from a crane 60 feet above First Baptist Church of Savage, guiding visitors to the congregation's outdoor re-creation of Bethlehem as it was said to be more than 2,000 years ago on the night of Jesus' birth. Those who choose to follow the "everlasting light" mentioned in the beloved Christmas carol from 1869 will discover much more than a live Nativity awaiting them at an event called "A Walk Through Bethlehem."

WILMINGTON, Del. - DuPont Co., the second-largest U.S. chemical maker, said it has a potential buyer for its nylon and polyester business, which analysts estimate might fetch $5 billion. The company didn't identify the possible bidder. Closely held Koch Industries Inc. is the most likely buyer, said Bear, Stearns & Co. analyst Frank Mitsch. Koch is looking for acquisitions and won't comment on the DuPont line, a spokeswoman said. DuPont is getting rid of the unit, which also makes Lycra stretch fiber, because the subsidiary has struggled with competition from low-cost producers.

What's the deal with these silicon brushes that are used for basting? They say they are food-safe, dishwasher-safe, heat-resistant. I'm seeing them everywhere. The brushes are indeed heat-resistant, which makes them handy for working with hot mixtures. Another nice feature is that they don't shed bristles like nylon or natural-hair brushes. The only problem I've had with some styles is that because nothing sticks to them, it can be difficult to pick up enough of the glaze or whatever you're brushing on. However, OXO has a clever solution: brushes that have inner strips with holes in them, sort of like bubble wands.

The product: Carpeting. The expert: Thomas J. Hill, executive director, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a nonprofit certifying body for the floor covering and restoration industries. (That's his formal title; informally, he's known as RugDoctor's rug doctor.) What I want: The tighter the yarn twist and the denser the construction, the better a carpet will perform under traffic conditions. I must have: I prefer nylon. It's resilient and when treated with stain-resistant coating is impervious to water-based stains such as food and beverage.

SEAFORD, Del. - Nylon ain't what it used to be for the Nylon Capital of the World. This town of 6,700, a few miles over the state line from Maryland, was transformed 64 years ago as the site of the first nylon factory. DuPont, which invented the man-made fiber used in products ranging from pantyhose to swimsuits to bedspreads, infused hundreds - and eventually thousands - of jobs into an economically depressed corner of southwestern Delaware. Just like nylon's impact on apparel, the plant shook some of the wrinkles out of the town, bringing money, a white-collar work force and cosmopolitan tastes.

As morning's first light beams over the Episcopal cathedral's slate roof, dozens of intent exercisers pound and pace the terra-cotta Homewood Field track, a Johns Hopkins University landmark better known for its spirited springtime lacrosse contests.Insiders tout their daily ritual as a Budget Health Club, a self-styled, voluntary phys ed class that flourishes without rules, dress code, membership fees or age limits. These ambulatory steeplechasers walk circles around the rim of an Astroturf playing field.

1937: Insulin controls diabetes1938: Dupont markets nylon1938: Minimum wage law passed1939: Uranium atoms split

POLICE LOG* Wilde Lake: 5200 block of West Running Brook: A 66-year-old Columbia man was robbed at gunpoint by two men wearing white nylon masks Wednesday, police said. Cash was taken; no injuries were reported, police said.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- DuPont Co. said yesterday that it will slash 1,500 jobs in its fiber businesses to make them more competitive, and said it took a first-quarter charge of $27 million.The action affects about 1,200 employees at the company's North American nylon and Dacron polyester divisions, and another 300 people who work under contract. Of the 1,200 DuPont workers, 800 will be fired and 400 transferred to other jobs, the company said.Rising competition has forced the world's largest nylon maker to cut costs in an effort to maintain its leading position.

As the weather becomes more unpredictable, outdoors fans need to put a few more items in their packs, blinds and boat bags to keep the elements at bay, especially in emergencies. One of the lightest and most inexpensive insurance policies is Adventure Medical Kits Thermo Lite Bivvy Sack ($33). The tapered sack consists of a reflective, nonwoven fabric on the outside and a napped inner layer to wick away dampness. It has a foot vent to let heat escape. AMK says the waterproof, windproof bivvy sack reflects as much as 80 percent of body heat, making it a perfect add-on to a regular sleeping bag to extend the comfort range or to use alone in summer.

WASHINGTON -- You think your gasoline costs are high? Every time the price at the pump jumps a nickel, it causes budgetary heartburn for the U.S. Air Force, whose gas-guzzling fleet of nearly 6,000 aircraft devours about 7 million gallons of fuel a day. The cost of a fill-up for a B-52 bomber, an eight-engine behemoth that holds nearly 48,000 gallons of jet fuel, can easily surpass $100,000. A sleek F-16 fighter sucks up more than $300 worth of fuel a minute when it kicks in its afterburners and blasts through the sound barrier.

ARE YOU AN URBAN REVELER WHO loves the fireworks on New Year's Eve but hates battling the crowds and the cold? If so, a warm hotel room with a stocked minibar and a clear view might be worth the price no matter how high. It may be too late to reserve most well-placed hotels for the coming New Year, but here are some prices that may help you plan for the next year's celebration. In Sydney, where hundreds of thousands gather each year to see the midnight fireworks explode above the harbor, the Novotel on Darling Harbour (novoteldarlingharbour.

Travelon's Wine Backpack/Shoulder Bag is a nice hands-free way to tote all the makings for a romantic picnic outdoors, or even in your hotel room. The padded black nylon pack has cradles for two bottles of wine and elastic bands for four wine glasses (not included), with plenty of extra space for napkins, cheese, crackers, a little cutting board and perhaps a crusty baguette. An internal mesh pocket can hold your corkscrew and other utensils, and there's a roomy external pocket. All that's missing is the ants.

On Sunday, August 156, 2005, NYLON ROSLYN "ROZ" LAWSON; devoted mother, sister and grandmother. Family will receive friends at Gary P. March Funeral Home, today from 7 to 9 P.M. Services on Friday, at Set The Captives Free Outreach Center at 11 A.M., 7111 Windsor Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244. Interment to follow

The product: Carpeting. The expert: Thomas J. Hill, executive director, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a nonprofit certifying body for the floor covering and restoration industries. (That's his formal title; informally, he's known as RugDoctor's rug doctor.) What I want: The tighter the yarn twist and the denser the construction, the better a carpet will perform under traffic conditions. I must have: I prefer nylon. It's resilient and when treated with stain-resistant coating is impervious to water-based stains such as food and beverage.

It's deceptively simple. Just a short, boxy jacket with a front zipper, often cut from a tightly woven, windproof cloth.But the golf jacket, or if you prefer the trademarked term, Windbreaker, is poised to be the signature jacket of menswear 1996. It returns to prominence on the heels of other great early '60s classics -- flat-front khaki pants, madras plaids, Hush Puppies and bowling shirts. It promises to be the all-purpose replacement for the blue-jean jacket and the dressier option for guys who can be casual walking into the office.

While many products, from automobiles to appliances, have been redesigned to reduce weight, when it comes to spacesuits for astronauts, the nation's space program has left the weight issue behind.During NASA's Apollo space program in the 1960s and 1970s, weight was a major concern because of the gravity involved in lunar missions. But in flying shuttle missions, gravity is no longer an issue.In a weightless environment, heavier, cheaper materials can be used in spacesuits, said the Hamilton Standards division of United Technologies Corp.

There is a difference between people who fly kites regularly and those who go out once or twice a year. You can tell them apart by the lengths they go to get their kites in the air. Some run around like chickens with their heads cut off. And some don't. You want to get tips from those who don't. "Two people can launch a kite easily with the wind blowing at your back," said Dr. Adam Grow, a Silver Spring veterinarian who is president of the Maryland Kite Society. The two should stand about 50 feet apart.