| The strangest moments in space launch history

The-strangest-moments-in-space-launch-history At times, NASAs attempts to launch a new Ares I-X rocket Tuesday seemed surreal — with bad weather, a stuck sensor sock and a wayward cargo ship offshore appearing to conspire to prevent the boosters liftoff. But believe it or not, there have been stranger things to pop up in NASAs launch history.

There was an astronaut who peed in his spacesuit before liftoff — a seemingly inauspicious start to what became the first American manned spaceflight. Bats and vultures have besieged space shuttles at the launch pad, not to mention lightning, which tried and failed to tackle NASAs mightiest rocket.

NASA is hoping for better weather — and luck — on Wednesday morning, when it has another four-hour window to try and launch the $445 million Ares I-X rocket. The rocket launch is NASAs first suborbital test of the new Ares I booster to launch astronauts to space aboard its shuttle successor, the Orion craft.

The launch was delayed several times due to weather and some unexpected oddities like a stubborn sock-like cover that forced engineers into a tug-of-war battle with the Ares I-X until it finally came free. At one point, when weather finally cleared, an errant cargo ship strayed into the danger zone on the Eastern Range, a patch of restricted waters on the Atlantic Ocean over which rocket launches fly.

The Ares I-X delays were frustrating to say the least. But heres a look at some of the weirder moments, many from recent missions, in NASAs manned launch history:

No potty breaks
The pinnacle of manned space oddities may be one of the first. On May 5, 1962, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard — one of the original seven Mercury spaceflyers — was ready to become the first American in space. Clad in a bright silver spacesuit, he climbed into his capsule Freedom 7 and engineers bolted the hatch shut behind him. The launch was delayed over and over, and then he had to pee.

Shepard, who died in 1998 at age 74, related the experience in the book Moonshot, which he wrote with fellow Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton.

Ive got to pee. Ive been in here forever, Shepard radioed launch control. The gantry is still right here, so why dont you guys let me out of here for a quick stretch?

But the answer was no. Shepard ultimately opted to urinate in his shiny spacesuit, but asked launch control to switch the power off to his medical sensors first. Astronauts can now add adult diapers to their spacesuits to avoid similar embarrassing situations. There is a Russian tradition among cosmonauts, however, to intentionally pee on the bus taking them to the Soyuz launch pad that dates back to the first-ever human space launch by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who launched a month earlier than Shepard.

A doomed, stowaway bat
More recently, a small bat seemingly tried to stow away on the space shuttle Discovery when it launched into space last March.

Cameras and an inspection team spotted the bat clinging to the side of Discoverys 15-story external tank as it was being fueled with propellant — super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Some experts thought the bat may have been frozen in place because of the cryogenic temperatures, but it changed position every now and then.

The bat was still hanging on for dear life when Discovery blasted off on March 15 of this year, and likely met its doom.

Based on images and video, a wildlife expert who provides support to the center said the small creature was a free tail bat that likely had a broken left wing and some problem with its right shoulder or wrist, NASA officials said after the launch. The animal likely perished quickly during Discoverys climb into orbit.

More bat weirdness: Riding aboard Discovery during the March launch was Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata on his second spaceflight. Another bat tried to stow away on his first shuttle launch in 1996, but flew away just before liftoff.

Lightning vs. Saturn V
Theres good reasoning behind NASAs weather rules for launching spacecraft. No one wants to get hit by lightning, but thats what happened to the massive Saturn V rocket launching the Apollo 12 mission — the second manned moon landing — on Nov. 14, 1969. A bolt hit the rocket 36 seconds after liftoff, causing some tense moments.

I dont know what happened here, we had everything in the world drop out, Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad radioed Mission Control. Im not sure we didnt get hit by lightning.

The bolt did not cause serious damage and Apollo 12 went on to make a successful, pinpoint landing on the moon near an old unmanned Surveyor probe.

An astronaut alligator?
Sometimes, NASA astronauts have to find a good luck charm and the crew of the shuttle Endeavour apparently picked a lazy alligator that crossed their path while they were headed to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The reptile rendezvous occurred in June of this year, when astronauts were trying to launch on NASAs STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. After two false starts due to a gas leak, they were riding in NASAs silver Astrovan and spotted the alligator on the road in front of them. The toothy beast quickly became the crews mascot, so taken were the spaceflyers by its abrupt appearance.

The alligator offered no extra luck, however. The seven Endeavour astronauts were ultimately delayed until July, when they flew a marathon delivery flight to the space station. NASAs Kennedy Space Center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge, which is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 species of mammals, 117 species of fish and 65 species of amphibians and reptiles.

Door defeats shuttle?
Actually no, but it was almost the case in November 2006, when a launch pad technician forgot to secure a door in the White Room leading to the space shuttle Endeavour just before launch.

NASA was worried the door, which is attached to the gantry structure of the launch pad, might swing wildly during liftoff and damage Endeavour as it blasted off. For a brief moment, launch controllers considered delaying the launch because of that risk. But engineers decided that the damage risk was not to Endeavour, but to the gantry structure near the door. It was deemed acceptable and Endeavour blasted off successfully.

After launch, a quality inspector told launch director Michael Leinbach that he was the one who forgot to lock the door down.

Its a testament to the team that when we do know that weve made a mistake, we own up to it and we go out and we fix that, Leinbach said then. And I guarantee you we will never see that issue again.

Vexing vultures
It seems that many of the weird space launch tales involve some sort of hapless animal. This one is no different. One problem NASA has tackled in recent years has been the proliferation of large turkey vultures around its Kennedy Space Center launch site.

In July 2005, a large vulture hit the space shuttle Discoverys external tank during liftoff and sadly met its demise. But the odd incident, which occurred on NASAs first shuttle flight since the tragic 2003 Columbia accident, was a wake up call since similar bird strikes could create tank foam debris that could damage a launching shuttle.

NASA hit the challenge hard. The space agency built a bird radar to scan for flocks that could fly through a shuttles launch path and pose an impact risk. There are sound cannons in place to scare avian interlopers at the Shuttle Landing Facility near the launch site so returning astronauts wont hit any birds during landing .

The agency also asks employees at the Kennedy Space Center to report any road kill at the space center that can attract large groups of the big turkey vultures.

But wild tales are by no means the norm for human spaceflight and NASA is hoping for a less eventful day of launch attempts for Ares I-X on Wednesday.

The rocket has a 60 percent chance of good weather, but NASA will be sure to watch the high upper level winds, cloudy weather and a static electricity risk called triboelectrification — which can interfere with the telemetry and electronics on Ares I-X — during the next attempt.

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| ConsumerMan: Death in the digital age

ConsumerMan:-Death-in-the-digital-age Thirty years ago, when my father passed away, my brother and I knew just where to look for all of his financial papers. Some were in his top desk drawer. The rest were in the family safe deposit box.

Death in the digital age is much more complicated. Many of our most important assets are stored online and locked up with a user name and password. Others are right there on our computer, but encrypted and password protected.

“I have lots of clients thinking about these issues,” says Patricia Char, an attorney with K&L Gates in Seattle.

Char tells her clients they must consider which family members or advisors they want to have access to their digital life when they die or if they become incapacitated.

“Who owns their online photos? Who do they want accessing their e-mail account? What about the content downloaded on their cell phone?”

Digital property can live on long after your death. It can also be destroyed before anyone realizes it.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” notes James Lamm, an attorney with Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis.

Some people want their social media pages shut down at their death. Others want them to continue as a memorial after they’re gone.

“In either case, you must do the proper advance planning or it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to carry out your wishes,” Lamm says.

A soldier’s story
Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth, a combat engineer with the Marine Corps, died in Iraq in November 2004, during the invasion of Fallujah.

During his deployment, Justin and his father were in constant e-mail contact. John Ellsworth, a police officer in the Detroit area, knew his son had saved messages of encouragement and support on his Yahoo account.

Mr. Ellsworth wanted those messages, but he couldn’t access his son’s account. Justin had changed his password a few weeks before his death and had forgotten to share it with his dad.

Ellsworth was locked out and Yahoo said it was legally prohibited from giving him access.

“I was very frustrated. I wanted to read the words my son had written and received,” Ellsworth says.

Even worse, Yahoo said the inactive account would be deleted in 90 days.

Ellsworth hired St. Louis attorney Brian Dailey, sued and eventually got copies of his son’s e-mails. Ellsworth tells me it was a “very stressful five months” not knowing what would happen.

Dailey says he’s handled many similar cases. They can cost thousands of dollars to litigate.

Both the heartache and expense could be avoided, he says, with some simple estate planning that spells out what happens to the content of e-mail accounts at death.

A number of companies, such as AssetLock and Legacy Locker, now offer an easy way to safeguard your digital assets – in a secure cyber-vault that can only be accessed by those who have the password.

Jeremy Toeman, a San Francisco entrepreneur, launched Legacy Locker in April. He says he got the idea on an airplane as he worried how his wife would deal with his numerous online accounts if the plane crashed.

“Everything I do online is now tracked and accounted for on the Legacy Locker site,” Toeman says. “If something happened to me, nobody would have to go scrambling on my computer trying to find out where I had saved certain documents.”

Is a digital storage service like this any different from keeping your important information in a home safe or safety deposit box at the bank? Toeman believes it’s a matter of convenience.

“With the pace that people are working today and the amount of time they spend behind the computer, when there are solutions that are fast, convenient and reasonably priced, consumers tend to opt that way.”

What about safety? I’d be worried a hacker could break into this site and get all of my most sensitive data. Toeman says he uses state-of-the art encryption that even keeps him from accessing other people’s accounts.

Rabbi Micah Hyman is one of about 10,000 people who currently use Legacy Locker. Toeman is a member of his congregation.

Rabbi Hyman, 36, says joining the service prodded him and his wife to get their affairs in order now, when they are young and healthy.

“It’s safe and secure in a virtual not physical space,” he says, “which means it can be accessed anytime and from anywhere.”

Legacy Locker charges $30 a year or $300 for a lifetime subscription. There’s also a free trial version with limited storage and only one beneficiary.

The bottom line
It is critical to consider your digital assets when you do your estate planning. Where you store this information is less important.

“The key it that you do it and you make sure someone can find it,” says attorney Patricia Char.

You need to list what you have, how to access it and who can access it. You should also give specific instructions where appropriate. For instance, “I want my Facebook account closed at death,” or “I want all the photos in my Shutterfly account sent to my daughter.”

Because passwords change constantly, using a digital vault is convenient, but it’s not necessary. You can keep a list of accounts and passwords in a tablet stored in your desk if you want.

Just be sure to update this information immediately any time you make changes.

As every financial planner likes to point out, you never know when you’ll get hit by a bus.

Links:

Planning your digital estate: Dealing with online data after death Estate planning in a digital age - | ConsumerMan: Death in the digital age |

| Another GOP senator open to health overhaul

Another-GOP-senator-open-to-health-overhaul WASHINGTON - A second Republican senator signaled Wednesday shes open to voting for sweeping health care legislation this year, putting President Barack Obama closer to a historic achievement that has eluded generations of Democratic leaders.

But Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told The Associated Press that the bill approved Tuesday by the Finance Committee needs substantial improvements to make coverage more affordable, contain costs, and protect Medicare. Nevertheless, she joined her Maine GOP colleague Sen. Olympia Snowe in endorsing the goal of far-reaching changes.

My hope is we that can fix the flaws in the bill and come together with a truly bipartisan bill that could garner widespread support, Collins said in an interview. I think this bill is far superior to the ones passed by the Senate committee and the three House committees, but it needs substantial additional work.

The ten-year, $829 billion Finance bill was approved by the committee Tuesday on a 14-9 vote, after Snowe broke ranks with her Republican colleagues to support Chairman Max Baucus middle-of-the-road plan.

Wednesday, Snowe tackled the most divisive issue still on the table: creation of a government insurance plan that would compete with private ones.

While emphasizing that she still opposes the so-called public option, Snowe said in a nationally broadcast interview that she could foresee a government-run plan that would kick in if private insurers failed to live up to expectations that they keep premiums in check.

I think the government would have a disproportionate advantage in the event of a government-run option, Snowe acknowledged. At the same time, she added, I want to make sure the insurance industry performs, and thats why we eliminate many egregious practices.

If the industry didnt follow through on congressionally-mandated changes aimed at making health care more affordable, she said, then you could have the public option kick in immediately.

Snowe previously had proposed using the public option as an incentive, or a threat, to private insurers. This trigger option, or some version of it, has survived the bitter debate and scrutiny to remain a viable option for compromise.

Such a statement from a Republican can be very influential in an environment in which GOP lawmakers almost universally have opposed any kind of government-run health care option to compete with private insurers. It represents a break in party solidarity, even if finite. Health care proposals advanced in the House include such a government option.

Snowe broached her standby notion again as talks among lawmakers on health care were going back behind closed doors; Senate leaders are trying to merge two very different bills into a new version that can get the 60 votes needed to guarantee passage.

Collins, however, said she could not support Snowes idea because she thinks it would make it too easy for a Democratic administration to impose a government plan nationwide. It would simply delay the public plan for a couple of years, she told AP.

The White House dispatched chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag and other top advisers to Capitol Hill for afternoon meetings on combining the bills.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters that it was unlikely that the House would vote before the first week of November. He said he expected a vote by Christmas but was making no guarantees.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he wants move quickly to merge the Finance bill with a version passed earlier by the Senate health committee. His goal is to get health care overhaul legislation onto the floor the week after next.

Both bills were written by Democrats, but thats not going to make it easier for Reid. They share a common goal, which is to provide all Americans with access to affordable health insurance, but they differ on how to accomplish it.

The Finance Committee bill that was approved Tuesday has no government-sponsored insurance plan and no requirement on employers that they must offer coverage. It relies instead on a requirement that all Americans obtain insurance.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill, passed earlier by a panel in which liberals predominate, calls for both a government plan to compete with private insurers and a mandate that employers help cover their workers. Those are only two of dozens of differences.

In general, bills moving toward floor votes in both houses would require most Americans to purchase insurance, provide federal subsidies to help those of lower incomes afford coverage and give small businesses help in defraying the cost of coverage for their workers.

The measures would, among other things, bar insurance companies from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and for the first time limit their ability to charge higher premiums on the basis of age or family size. Expanded coverage would be paid for by cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from future Medicare payments to health care providers. Each house also envisions higher taxes — an income tax surcharge on million-dollar wage-earners in the case of the House, and a new excise levy on insurance companies selling high-cost policies in the Senate Finance Committee bill.

- | Another GOP senator open to health overhaul |

| Sales of training pants poop out in tough times

Sales-of-training-pants-poop-out-in-tough-times The recession is making life a little messier for some toddlers and their parents.

Disposable training pants, long viewed as a staple in potty training children, are becoming dispensable as some parents choose value over convenience in the recession.

These days, an accident here and there has become an acceptable tradeoff for saving some $30 to $100 a month. And many parents say that doing away with the crutch has had an added benefit: surprisingly quick toilet training.

Parents embraced disposable training pants when they hit the market 20 years ago because they made life easier, preventing messy accidents as children transitioned from diapers to underwear. The training pants contain absorbent material just like diapers, but are elasticized and can be pulled up and down like underwear.

Now rising unemployment, stagnant wages and sharp drops in both housing and stock markets have caused consumers to redefine whats essential. As theyve pored over their expenses, sales data suggest more parents are finding its one product theyre willing to try doing without.

Darcy Forsell had spent so much on diapers in her daughters early years — at least $1,500 by her estimate — that when the time came for 3-year-old Liz to potty-train, Forsell decided to skip the training pants.

It didnt seem like a good investment in terms of time and money, Forsell said.

Forsell trained Liz in a weekend by letting her mostly run around the house naked, an approach she learned from other moms. Similar to just putting kids in underwear, the thinking is that if children wet themselves, they tend to learn quickly that the way to avoid that is by going in the toilet.

Although it was a quick transition, Liz had about three accidents on the carpeting that weekend and Forsell did a lot of laundry. But, Forsell said, it was worth it.

I think if we had just used Pull-Ups, that learning would have taken a lot longer because she would have been comfortable peeing in the Pull-Ups. They are so similar to diapers, she said. Forsell did use disposable training pants at night as a precaution and still has them in the car for times when a bathroom may not be available.

Industrywide, sales of disposable training pants declined 3.2 percent to $731.2 million for the 52 weeks ending June 13 and the number of training pants sold is down 10 percent, according to data from The Nielsen Co. Thats despite the fact that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, U.S. births rose 3 percent in 2006 and 1 percent in 2007.

The decline in an industry that had grown steadily for 20 years raises questions about whether the trend will continue when the economy recovers.

Kimberly-Clarks Pull-Ups brand is the industry leader with a 65 percent market share. Sales of disposable training pants rose every year after the company introduced them to the mass market in 1989, even as competition grew.

The company would not break out sales for its own products but said sales in the category softened in the third and fourth quarters. So far this year, revenue has declined 1.1 percent from a year ago, but the company expects growth later this year.

Many parents rely on the pants for months, some for more than a year, so the cost can be significant, reaching more than $90 a month. Still, in better times, it was a cost many bore without question.

The one-time cost for a pair of underwear is about $2. By comparison, one Pull-Up is around 68 cents and a diaper costs about 42 cents. The cost per day would vary depending on how many slip-ups a child had.

Kimberly-Clark CEO Tom Falk said some parents are keeping their children in diapers longer because of the tough economy and the higher price of training pants versus diapers.

I think its just more evidence of the consumer squeeze, Falk said.

Parents surveyed by the company cited their finances as a reason for delaying potty training; some said their children werent ready, while others said they were too overwhelmed by the recession to take on the task. Kimberly-Clark also makes Huggies diapers.

At Procter & Gamble, which rivals Pull-Ups with its Pampers Easy Ups brand, sales of disposable training pants have flattened over the past year. However, there has been a slight uptick in sales in the past three months, which spokeswoman Tricia Higgins attributes partly to the seasonality of potty training. Many parents start potty-training children over the summer to prepare them for pre-school in August and September, Higgins said.

Andrea Barbosa said she put her daughter Aiyana, who is 2 1/2, in regular underwear mostly because of the cost savings and found it very effective.

When shed have an accident and was wearing panties, she realized it, said Barbosa, who lives in Fort Myers, Fla.

While some experts and parents say kids learn faster when theyre allowed to wet their pants, others say the training pants take some pressure off kids to navigate this milestone in their own time.

The big problem isnt potty training. The problem is the emphasis we place on holding it, said Steve Hodges, assistant professor of pediatric urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

By using disposable training pants, he said, children are more likely to empty their bladders when they have to. On the other hand, if toddlers are in underwear, they avoid the bathroom so that they can keep playing and having fun. If kids hold their urine, theres a bigger chance for infection, he said.

Kids always say they dont have to go, he said, but they always do.

- | Sales of training pants poop out in tough times |

| Anheuser-Busch InBev sells theme parks

Anheuser-Busch-InBev-sells-theme-parks NEW YORK - Anheuser-Busch InBev said Wednesday it will sell its 10 theme parks across the U.S., including the three SeaWorlds and two Busch Gardens, to private equity firm Blackstone Group for at least $2.3 billion.

The worlds largest brewer, based in Belgium, has been shedding assets to help pay for the $52 billion takeover of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch that formed the company last year.

The two sides confirmed the deal Wednesday, saying Blackstone will pay $2.3 billion in cash for Busch Entertainment Corp. and give Anheuser-Busch InBev the right to up to $400 million of Blackstones initial returns.

New York-based Blackstones other investments include Universal Studios Orlando and Madame Tussauds wax museums so the theme parks fit into its portfolio.

Some amusement park operators are showing signs of stress amid the recession. Six Flags Inc., saddled by debt, is in bankruptcy court protection. And the nations top amusement park operator, The Walt Disney Co., is offering numerous discounts and specials to keep visitors coming — and spending money.

Blackstone sees opportunity investing in media and entertainment businesses, said Michael Chae, senior managing director at Blackstone.

We are delighted to be investing in a company with such iconic brands, irreplaceable assets and strong growth prospects, he said. The company declined to detail its plans.

Blackstone probably will try to get visitors to spend more at the parks by starting to charge money for extras like taking pictures with characters, said David Miller, an analyst with Caris & Co.

Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito said last year as InBev took over Anheuser-Busch that the company would sell $7 billion in nonessential assets to help pay for the deal. The company has sold its Irish and Scottish businesses, factories and some interests in Asia.

Brito said in a statement Wednesday that the theme parks perform well but are not a focus for the brewer.

Busch Entertainments 10 parks include SeaWorlds in Florida, Texas and California; Busch Gardens in Florida and Virginia and others such as Sesame Place and Adventure Island. Busch is considered the second-largest U.S. entertainment park operator with about 25 million visitors a year and 25,000 employees.

The company benefits from a diverse geography, including parks in vacation destinations like San Diego and in regional hubs. That means people can make spur-of-the-moment decisions to visit them and dont have to plan a full vacation, which theyre less likely to do during the recession, analyst Miller said.

You dont need an airline reservation or a hotel reservation. You get in your car. You grab your kid and say lets go to Busch Gardens, he said.

Its not clear how much the business is worth. According to Anheuser-Busch InBevs annual report from 2008, the entertainment unit had pro-forma revenue of 932 million euros, or about $1.37 billion. The parent company has not included the units quarterly performance in its results this year.

Busch Entertainment CEO Jim Atchison said the company looks forward to growing the business under its new owners and praised their experience in entertainment. Park guests and employees should expect to see only improvements, he said.

Were very committed to growth, to maintaining the quality of the parks, the investments of the park, he told The Associated Press.

The brewer of top-selling Bud Light started Busch Gardens in 1959 at the Tampa brewery, Atchison said, first adding animals and eventually a full-fledged theme park.

Atchison said it was bittersweet that Anheuser-Busch would no longer be the companys owner, especially for him because he started his career parking cars at the Tampa Busch Gardens as a teenager.

Busch Entertainment, which will add some clerical and other jobs to perform tasks its parent had covered, will maintain its headquarters in Orlando, Florida, and — for now — the Busch name, Atchison said.

- | Anheuser-Busch InBev sells theme parks |

| Cesar Millan: How to help your pup learn

Cesar-Millan:-How-to-help-your-pup-learn Cesar Millan, the Emmy-nominated star of Dog Whisperer and best-selling author, decided to raise four puppies of different breeds — a pit bull , a Labrador retriever , an English bulldog and a miniature schnauzer — and share his experiences with readers to illustrate how using the core principles of dog psychology and raising puppies as naturally as possible will prevent problems and issues with your dog later in life. In this excerpt, Millan shares the basics of conditioning your pet.

Chapter six: Connecting, communicating and conditioning
How your dog learns
A mother squirrel and her baby spent all day on a walkway of the UCLA campus, repeating over and over the same apparently fruitless task — trying to get the baby squirrel to jump up and over an approximately four-foot-high wall. Such exercises in life learning are everyday occurrences in the animal world, but this particular incident was captured on videotape by some fascinated university student, who uploaded it onto YouTube, and it received an amazing 500,000 hits!

When I saw the short piece, I was happy to learn that it was reaching so many people. To me, this simple amateur video illustrates exactly what I want my readers to take away from this book about how animals learn — and how we can help, not hinder, their natural processes. In the video, the mother squirrel is showing the baby squirrel what it looks like to jump to the top of the wall, teaching by example. The mother squirrel seems to have an endless supply of patience as she demonstrates her graceful moves over and over again. The baby squirrel finally gets up the gumption to try it a few times himself, but he makes it only partway before falling.

At this point, the concerned UCLA students watching this unfolding drama decide to get involved. They move a backpack up against the part of the wall that the squirrel is attempting to scale. At first, the squirrel flees the strange object, but after a few minutes, it returns and figures out that the backpack could make a good ladder. The squirrel climbs up the backpack, but the object isn’t quite high enough to leverage the baby animal to the top. Another student comes on the scene with a couple of large sandbags; stacked together, they are taller than the backpack. Again, the tiny rodent flees the scene. This time, his mother comes down and escorts him back to the wall for another try. She leaps up and waits just above the sandbags. Then, encouraging with silence and energy, she watches her baby climb up the sandbag, make a last heroic hurdle, and finally succeed in scaling that daunting concrete wall.

My first thought after watching that video was “What if that had been a mother dog and a puppy?” I have no doubt whatsoever that the same concerned students would have simply picked the puppy up and put her on the grass above the wall. They might even have comforted her, petting and cooing as they did so. Then they would’ve gone on their way, confident that they had “rescued” a helpless animal, while the puppy actually might have missed a learning experience that could one day save its life. The truth is, in most situations, animals — even juvenile animals — are anything but helpless. Animals are smart, resourceful, and all about survival. What we humans interpret as “rescuing” can actually be blocking a puppy from her natural process of learning and growing and mastering a new environment. In the UCLA squirrel video, the animal in question was saved from this fate because of its wildness. The students approached and dealt with a wild squirrel very differently than they would have a domestic puppy or kitten. And what they did with the squirrel turned out to be exactly the right thing to do! They helped the animal, not by rescuing it, but by working in partnership with it, giving it direction but not stepping in and solving its problem. A partnership between human and animal is exactly how we need to approach first connecting and communicating with, and finally, conditioning our puppies.

Connecting: Relationship is everything
It was my original ambition in life to grow up and become the best dog trainer in the world, and I have trained many dogs in my life — to perform tricks, to answer to commands, as well as to work as security dogs. Soon after I arrived in America, however, I observed that traditional “training” — meaning sit, stay, come, heel, or answering to other commands— was not solving the problem of an epidemic of unstable dogs. What those dogs needed was for their owners to stop humanizing them, to reclaim a leadership role in their lives, and to fulfill all their primal needs — the needs of animal, dog, and breed, in that order.

But as you have already learned, a puppy’s mother starts “dog training” from the earliest days of her pups’ lives. Her training is not done with a high, squeaky, overexcited voice, commands, or bribery by treats; it is done in silence, using energy — a much more powerful tool of communication. “When I have a litter, they are learning from the moment they are born. They learn from their mother, their siblings, and from me handling them,” says my friend Martin Deeley, executive director of the International Association of Canine Professionals and an acclaimed breeder and trainer of gun dogs.

When an owner picks up a puppy for the first time, the pup is already beginning to learn from the owner. The ride home in the car is a lesson. The meeting of the family is a lesson. Dogs are learning twenty-four hours a day. Even when asked to relax and do nothing, they are learning to do this and be patient. Everything we do with a pup from the moment we get that pup is a learning experience.

So we actually start “dog training” the moment we get a pup, and in fact we should start teaching ourselves how to behave and how to establish all the good habits before we even get the pup.

A mother dog’s “training” is also done through connecting. She has a real relationship with her pups, expressed through constant calm assertive leadership. This is why I advise all puppy owners to think “connection,” then “communication,” before they think “training” or “conditioning.” Learn to converse with your dog the way another dog speaks to her — using energy, body language, and eye contact — before you ask her to master the intricacies of any human syntax. Your conversations will have much deeper meaning for your dog that way, and you will be sharing a true connection. Connection is the language of energy; it is the cornerstone of the lifelong bond between you and your dog. Connect and fulfill first, then move on to conditioning.

Cesars fulfillment formula
Every dog and puppy needs . . .

1. Exercise — in the form of a minimum of two structured walks with a pack leader, twice a day

2. Discipline — clearly communicated and consistently enforced rules, boundaries, and limitations

3. Affection — in the form of physical affection, praise, treats, and playtime

... and in that order! Though you may be adopting a puppy in order to give it love, the reality is that puppies need a lot more than love to keep them balanced. A good pack leader shows love by fulfilling the dog in all three areas — in the right order. This fulfillment formula works throughout the entire life of your dog.

Leash training
When it comes to bonding with your puppy, once again you have Mother Nature on your side, since from birth to eight months, your puppy is programmed to always follow her leader. Once the natural mother is out of the picture, you become the puppy’s default pack leader, and if you direct her with the same calm-assertive energy that she’s been accustomed to since birth, your puppy will automatically follow you whenever you wander away. It’s as if there were a built-in invisible leash between you and her. Still, when your puppy is with you in the public, human world, an invisible leash is not enough. There are far too many distractions and dangers out there. Once she enters adolescence, she is going to want to range far and wide. You need to leash-train her from a very early age, in such a way that the leash is barely noticeable and has only positive connotations for the puppy. Done right, leash training strengthens the connection between you and your puppy. It becomes a physical cord through which your energy travels to her, and vice versa.

Many conscientious breeders will begin the leash training for you. Brooke Walker already had Angel well on his way by the time he came home with me, at eight weeks. Brooke starts the process by putting little paper bands on their necks right about the time they are starting to walk. She initially does this for identification purposes — that’s how I first met Angel, when he was simply Mr. Green, next to his brother, Mr. Blue, and sister, Ms. Pink. “Since my puppies rarely leave home before three months, I usually start introducing them to the leash at about eight or nine weeks. Just five minutes, twice a day. I’ll do short little stints with a treat held close to their nose to encourage them to move forward. I like to compare it to when you introduce a child to swimming and you keep moving backward from them so that they have to take one more stroke to reach you.”

Brooke’s method of leash training is right in line with my own philosophy of being a partner instead of a dictator when it comes to your dog’s learning. I recommend letting a puppy drag around a very short leash for quick intervals while she’s playing — supervised at all times, of course — just so she can get accustomed to the unnatural feeling of having something around her neck, while still experiencing the fun and freedom of play. Remember, we as humans are used to getting up every morning and putting foreign objects like clothes, shoes, and jewelry on our bodies, but to a dog, leash, harness, booties, or sweater are just that — completely foreign. Conditioning is the process of making the unnatural feel natural. Trainers who work with wild or exotic animals — for instance, big cats that perform in magic acts — always start conditioning their animals to leashes and collars as young as possible. The younger a puppy is when she gets used to the feeling of a leash, the more normal the sensation will be for her. As for the tools themselves, I am a big proponent of less is more when it comes to a puppy’s leash. In fact, with all the puppies I’ve been raising for this book, my simple 35¢ nylon leash slipped over the pup’s head and held high up on the neck for control has been my number one tool. I am a fan also of “show leashes” — slim-cut, pure leather leashes with a loop at the end that are used in dog shows. They are short, lightweight, and allow a maximum of control with a minimum of tension. If you want to introduce a Halti or gentle leader to your puppy, the correct time to do it is between four and six months of age.

Never use a prong collar or other advanced training tool on a puppy under six months of age, but if your powerful-breed puppy is still exhibiting signs of overexcitement or lunging as she enters her adolescence, consult a professional to help you decide on the appropriate tool to help manage the problem. By preventing any behavioral issues now, in puppyhood, I hope you will be so in tune with your dog that there will be no need for advanced tools or extra help down the line. But if you need help, make sure to reach out before the problems escalate out of control.

And always remember that it’s not the tool itself — it’s the energy behind the tool that matters! Your energy passes through the leash directly to your dog, so if you are uncomfortable in any way with the training tool you are using, your dog will sense it — and react accordingly.

Another important detail of leash training is that you must always let the puppy come to the tool, never force the tool on the puppy. The first few times, this may take patience. Make a loop that’s about one and a half times wider than your puppy’s head. Then hold it in front of you and let her sniff it. You can spray it with an organic scent or palm a treat on the other side of the loop. Let the pup examine the tool and feel comfortable with it. Lightly touch it to her forehead and nose.

Once the puppy seems relaxed and curious about the tool, hold the treat on the other side and let her put her head through the loop to reach the treat. Then gently tighten the tool. If your puppy is still relaxed, provide a reward — petting, praise, or a treat. The adventure of the walk that goes along with the leash is the biggest reward, giving the leash a positive association. That’s why so many dog owners report that their dogs get excited whenever they see the owners going for the leash — the association of the good times that the leash represents. After a few times repeating this ritual, you may be able to hold the loop of your leash out in front of your puppy and watch her put her head through on her own. If your puppy is wearing a collar and you are simply attaching a leash to the top of it, never chase the puppy around when it’s time for a walk. Once again, let the puppy come to you. Using the tried-and-true formula of nose-eyes-ears, engage your puppy’s nose and make sure she’s standing or sitting still while you fasten the leash to the collar. Stay relaxed and quiet; keep the image of your pup’s calm, confident canine mother in mind. And keep your energy positive. Taking a puppy for a walk should be one of life’s most joyful experiences!

Puppies have very short attention spans, so when they are young, keep the time on the leash short and sweet — no more than five to ten minutes at first — and fill that time with fun, pleasant surprises, and rewards. When the shorter sessions become easy, gradually lengthen them. This way you’ll leave your puppy wanting more each time. She’ll actually come to crave the experience of the leash because it will come to represent adventure, exercise, praise, and, most important of all, bonding with you, her pack leader.

Excerpted from “How to Raise the Perfect Dog” by Cesar Millan. Copyright 2009, reprinted with permission from Harmony Books, a division of Random House.

- | Cesar Millan: How to help your pup learn |

| Todd: Obamas growing pains

Todd:-Obamas-growing-pains WASHINGTON - By this time next week, the White House will have quite an accomplishment topping their list of early victories — passage of a massive economic stimulus package in less than a month.

And for the White House, next week can’t come soon enough.

They know they will figure out a way to pass this package. But more importantly, passing it will give them a chance at a fresh start. And it will teach them some important lessons about how to move forward when they present even tougher asks to Congress and the American people.

A couple of things have struck me while watching this White House attempt to pass this first big bill.

First, they seemed to stop using the tools that got them to the White House in the first place. President Obama gave very few direct speeches to the American people and made few attempts to go local with supporters. It’s been a top down approach to governing in these first few weeks.

Second, the Obama White House forgot a few things about what it’s like to have nothing left to lose – the exact position the Republicans found themselves in.

It not hard to find something wrong with a bill as large as this stimulus package. Republicans did a great job at finding what I call the bumper-sticker negatives, be it contraceptives or STD treatment or sod for the National Mall.

But what should have the Obama administration been prepared for?

Extra Scrutiny
First, the administration should have expected extra scrutiny for their first bill.

Obama never should have allowed his first major piece of legislation to be written largely by a man elected to Congress when the president was only 8 years old. I’m referring to House Appropriations Chair David Obey.

I’ve noted many times here and in “First Read” the stunning lack of change inside the leadership of the House Democratic caucus. The roster of current committee chairs is not exactly a profile of change Obama outlined during the campaign.

Some day the public might actually revolt against the undemocratic system of seniority that allows Congress to keep the old ways of Washington engrained into the culture of Congress.

My guess is the White House will be much more involved in crafting future legislation facing this much press and scrutiny. They will either find support from members of Congress who don’t have as many pet projects, or they will convince the leadership that they ought to show some signs of change.

The GOP has nothing left to lose
Obama’s efforts at bipartisanship are in many ways just what he promised throughout the campaign. If he weren’t talking bipartisanship now he’d be facing even more criticism about Republican involvement in this stimulus.

The cynical question should be what do the Republicans accomplish politically by cooperating with Obama? Will the 15 or so Republicans in the House and perhaps five in the Senate who support Obama on the stimulus get a free pass from voters? Or will the Democrats get the credit while collectively the Republicans gain nothing?

If the stimulus does not work, and the Republicans are seen as the party that offered an alternative, they stand to benefit.

We may like to think politics is a battle of ideas and that the best idea wins out. But that’s not true in most elections. Most elections are about the worst ideas losing, not the best ideas winning. Democrats have control of both houses of Congress and the White House because the country got fed up with the Republican rule, not necessarily because voters saw more merit in the Democrats. Eventually our country rewards the party out of power – those seen as not responsible.

Over time Democrats have a chance to reinforce their majorities and political dominance if they prove that their ideas work. The economic numbers in four years could have a lot to say about that.

They believed their own hype
My colleague, Andrea Mitchell, refers to this syndrome as an inauguration sugar high. Perhaps it was burnout. Perhaps they watched a little too much TV and forgot how they got to the White House.

Regardless, the Obama team, starting with the president, certainly seemed a tad haughty, acting as if their lofty rhetoric was enough to cause Congress to bow and the stimulus bill to magically pass. Obviously, that’s not the way Washington works. Ironically, the Obama folks spent two years telling voters change wasn’t going to be easy, only to act in their first two weeks as if passing an $800 billion stimulus bill should be easy.

The Good News?
The Obama White House has learned these hard lessons in their first month in office and, more importantly, learned these lessons without sacrificing a major piece of legislation. The White House won’t be caught flat-footed again as they move to sell the massive financial bailout . Nor will they again believe they can get Congress to simply bow to health care or energy reform without a serious campaign-style effort.

History will one day record the administration’s effort to pass the stimulus package as an amazing feat, especially given the size of the bill. In our 24/7 news cycle, everything is nit picked, something it seems the Obama White House forgot.

Keep in mind, Obama has been caught flatfooted before, only to recover without suffering a major setback. Remember the summer of ’07, the Rev. Wright fiasco, or the start of the general election?

Obama will be best served if he embraces his own campaign rhetoric and remembers the sophisticated operation he built — the one which got him elected.

Carrying Indiana was hard. So is passing a bill in Congress.

The smart White Houses put the same efforts into winning an election as they do into passing an agenda.

The Obama folks may be getting that now… now that they are off their inauguration sugar high.

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