Cargo, Chords and Cats

TRAILER: We've had several International Space Station flyovers this week, including two last night. The first one was at 9:06. We went up to our roofdeck at the appointed time and when we finally spotted the ISS, we noticed it had a dim little dot of light following it.

We knew there was going to be a second fly over at 10:45, so we went back outside for that and lo and behold, the dim 'trailer' was still there - and closer this time. It seemed clear, at that point, that something was bound for the ISS, and in pretty short order.

This morning we learned it was a Japanese vehicle on a resupply mission to the ISS. Specifically, it was the HTV 4 mission, launched Aug. 3 from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex, Tanegashima, Japan. Here's the mission patch (image courtesy of JAXA).

                                   

The HTV 4 carried 35,000 pounds of cargo, including fresh food, experiments, spare parts and more, to the ISS.  It was launched atop a 186-foot-tall H-2B rocket, built and operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,35,000-pound payload into orbit.

HV-4 is Japan's fourth cargo delivery flight to the ISS. The cargo supply missions are the way the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) pays its share of the station's operating costs by reimbursing NASA through cargo deliveries. There's a neat brochure about the HTV : H-II Transfer Vehicle”KOUNOTORI” cargo vehicle here: http://www.jaxa.jp/pr/brochure/pdf/01/rocket03.pdf , and one about the H-ⅡB Launch Vehicle, the rocket used to launch it, here: http://www.jaxa.jp/pr/brochure/pdf/01/rocket05.pdf

And here's a link to the Japanese Space Agency page about the mission: http://iss.jaxa.jp/htv/mission/htv-4/

One of the most intriguing items on board HTV 4 was a talking robot named Kirobo. It's an interesting robot, in that it wasn't designed to 'serve' humans in the traditional sense, say performing tedious manual tasks, like Robonaut, which is already on board the ISS. Rather, Kirobo's primary function is to converse with astronauts.  It's a companion robot, if you will.  Its name is a hybrid of the Japanese word "kibo," which means "hope," and "robot."

The 13-inch tall robot was developed by Japanese advertising giant Dentsu, Toyota, the University of Tokyo and Robo Garage.  JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata is set to arrive to the ISS in December.  He will have a conversation with Kirobo. We're looking forward to hearing what the two have to say to one another. 

The cargo ship was successfully snared early this morning. In this photo from NASA, astronaut Karen Nyberg, Expedition 36 flight engineer, is at the robotcs workstation inside the ISS's cupola, training for the grapple.  Nyberg and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy used Canadarm2, to reach out and capture the cargo ship.

 Now, HV 4 is installed on the Earth-facing port of the ISS's Harmony node.

CHORDIFIED:  Yesterday, much to the kids' delight, we picked up a copy of "Equestria Girls" on DVD. After they watched it, during their guitar practice they were inspired to try to figure out "The Cafeteria Song" from the movie.

They plucked out and transcribed invidual notes.  This morning, I suggested we might be able to find the chords for the song online.  In our search, we came across a new-to-us Web site called Chordify. It's pretty amazing. It lets you upload a song file, or just plug in a link to a song on YouTube or Soundcloud and it quickly spits out a graphic of the chords the software detects in the song.

We plugged "The Cafeteria Song" in and here's what it came up with:  

http://chordify.net/chords/equestria-girls-equestria-girls-cafeteria-song-hd-equestria-videos

To see how accurate the chording was, I asked the kids to suggest a song they already knew how to play, so we could plug that in and see if the chords they play matched chordify's charts.  CJ suggested "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2."  Here's what Chordify suggested: 

http://chordify.net/chords/pink-floyd-another-brick-in-the-wall-2-lyrics-1998ddisturbed

CJ played along and it sounded like a pretty good match to us.  What an amazing program!

FROM SCRATCH:  Annabelle posted a drawing tutorial on Scratch today.  Here's what it looks like ...

 

Often, it won't launch from Blogger, so you might want to try the direct link to it here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/11753685/

In either case, click on the green flag to launch it.

    

BIG CATS:  This afternoon the kids spent some time playing one of the new games Annabelle acquired as a thank you for participating in a Microsoft Playtest on Tuesday, "Nat Geo TV America the Wild." 

The game is a clever blend of a National Geographic documentary and physical game play.  Here, CJ and Annabelle transform themselves into mountain lions and go hunting.  It was so funny seeing them on TV, standing in our living room, wearing their clothing but sporting big ol' cat heads and arms! They pounced after prey and posed for photos. Funny, fun stuff. 

Asteroids, Etcetera

Illustration credit: Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) 

ASTEROID BOUND:   CJ and Annabelle are space-bound again, well at least in name. They've hitched rides to Mars and the moon, but now, their names will be on board a Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) craft heading to an asteroid temporally called 1999 JU3. It is a C-type or carbonaceous asteroids, which are the most common variety, comprising about 75% of known asteroids.

JAXA is scheduled to launch Hayabusa-2 in 2014. The craft will arrive at an asteroid in 2018, and hang out there for 18 months, investigating. 

CJ explains, "Hayabusa 2 is the follow-up mission to the original mission launched by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, named Hayabusa. What Hayabusa 2 is going to do is collect samples from an Apollo asteroid called "1999 JU3" to study the origin and evolution of the solar system as well as materials for life by leveraging the experience acquired from the (original) Hayabusa mission."

Per Annabelle, "The first Hayabusa was launched by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in 2003. Now the same company (JAXA), is going to launch a satellite that, while exploring asteroids, will carry names (and messages)! Hayabusa-2 will try to collect samples from the asteroids, and bring them  back to Earth."

And according to JAXA, "The Hayabusa2 will be equipped with a target marker to touch the asteroid. The target marker will be dispatched to the asteroid, and then landed on its surface to stay there. We will record you name on this marker to deliver it to the asteroid."  

You can also opt to have your name orbit the asteroid and come back to Earth! The names will be "recorded in the memory chips that will be loaded onto the re-entry capsule, and the capsule with your names and messages will come back to Earth in 2020," per JAXA.

That's pretty cool!  You even get a neat-o certificate of participation when you sign up.

       

If you hurry, you can get your name on board, too. Just visit this link: http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/messages/hayabusa-2/ by 5 p.m. Pacific time on Aug. 9, 2013.

MEATY SUBJECT: We continue our "Science of Gastronomy" course, this is week five of six, and its focus is on meat and sauces..

Today we learned about the different USDA grades of meats (Prime, Choice and Select, from best to not as best). We learned that meat from a cow's neck and shoulder areas is tough, because those parts have lots of connective tissue and do lots of work. On the other hand, tenderloin has the least amount of connective tissue and it gets little action, therefore it's the tenderest tender.

We learned that you can alter the texture of meat by cutting it in different directions. For instance if you cut it across the grain, it's more tender. That's because meat has long, parallel-running muscle fibers, and if you slice parallel to them, it can make for tough going for your teeth. However, if you slice across them, it shortens the pieces of muscle fiber and it's noticeably more tender.

We also learned about ways to modify meat's texture, including physical methods of slicing and pounding. The professor also demonstrated other methods to tenderize meat by treating it, for instance with baking soda, apparently a technique used commonly in Chinese cooking. It works because the baking powder becomes slightly alkaline when dissolved in water, and then some of the peptide bonds in connective tissue and muscle fibers will be split or cleaved under this condition. Who knew? (Not me, clearly.)

We were also taught how marinades work to make meats more tender. Marinades often contain acids (like vinegar), and acids partially denature the meat’s proteins, weakening the muscle tissue and increasing its water-holding capacity. (One of the things that has been fun about this class is that I've long know the 'what' regarding some of this stuff, but it's teaching us the 'why.')

And we learned about natural meat tenderizers, like pineapple, kiwi and ginger.  They contain protein‐digesting enzymes which can make meat more tender. However, the professor pointed out that they are effective most toward the surface, so injecting them can be a good way to get through and through results.

WAVELENGTH: On Facebook this afternoon I learned NASA is collecting photos of Earthlings waving at Saturn for a photomosaic they're creating. People can email their snaps to saturnwebmaster@jpl.nasa.gov. We sent a couple in, including the one below ...

I received this message back: "Lovely pictures, thank you! The Cassini Outreach team."  So, we'll see if we make the cut, tho I have no idea when the mosaic will be published. 

Speaking of photos, yesterday I got an email from a man in South Korea. He wanted to know if his company, SureQuitous, which "is well known for IP cameras." He said he wanted permission to use one of the photos I have parked on Morguefile "for open market, leaflets, newspaper advertisement, box covers, and smartphone applications. May I have your permission to use your image?"                                                                           
Um, OK, Andrew.  So Annabelle's image will be plastered on some or all of the above.  Interesting.

Trekking and Rooting

TO BOLDLY GO: Sunday afternoon we trekked to a central Seattle park, Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park to see Hello Earth present Outdoor Trek, where the theater group performs an adapted episode from the original Star Trek series.

The play we saw was "Devil in the Dark," and it was super entertaining!
Here, Kirk and Spock are hatching a plot to stop the murderous monster killing pergium miners on planet Janus VI.  And here is said monster, the Horta, making its entrance.  It was cleverly fashioned over an umbrella frame!

And here, an unsuspecting red shirt meets his (predictable) doom,
    Here, Spock and McCoy trade barbs as they so often do.  (Kirk, Spock and McCoy were all played by women, BTW.)
                
And here, Spock performs the Vulcan mind meld with the Horta.

One of the things that made the play extra fun was that a friend (and sometimes babysitter of CJ & Annabelle!) played Dr. McCoy.  Here, McCoy announces he/she has saved the day by closing an open wound on the Horta.
            
I asked the kids to write reviews of the play.  Here's what they came up with, CJ first. .

Outdoor Trek: "The Devil in the Dark"
Outdoor Trek is a outdoor version of some of the Star Trek: The Original Series episodes by Hello Earth. this one, specifically, 1967, Season 1, episode 25: "The Devil in the Dark".

First of all, I want to say that I was really surprised when I saw that my babysitter, Shaina, played Dr. Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy. Also, I noticed that there were some men playing women & vice versa. But I don't think it really matters as long as they do their roles right.
Outdoor Trek has been made by Hello earth since 2009, and it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon, with another episode: "Tribble Trouble" coming up in Portland, Oregon. "The Devil in the Dark" was premiered on Tuesday afternoon on 8/4/2013.

"The Devil in the Dark" was hosted at a stage at 2100 S Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington. At the stage, it was pretty hot, so before the show, Rick & I cooled off with some popcorn in the shade. Also, just a note, the seats were made of rock, but we were comfortable anyway.
Hello Earth is a nonprofit organization Dedicated to making outdoor play productions. Which, are surprisingly greatly adapted from TV to the stage. Overall, I would give Outdoor Trek: "The Devil in the Dark" a 10/10!
                 

And Annabelle's take: 

*SPOILER ALERT*

Outdoor Trek is a local theater brought by Hello Earth, and we just recently saw a play of the episode "Devil in the Dark". In this episode, they find many silicon capsules (which they destroy), and there is a mysterious monster apparently killing miners! It turns out that this creature (which calls itself a "Horta") was really just trying to protect its babies- the capsules were eggs! At the end, the miners make a deal with the Horta- the Horta digs tunnels, is left alone by the miners, and the miners collect the uncovered minerals.

Our good friend/babysitter, Shaina, played Dr. McCoy in the play, and I think all of the actors did a great job!

Overall, it was a great play, and I hope to see another Outdoor Trek soon!

TWO IN THREE:  We have gone to two Mariners' games in the last three days, both v. the Toronto Blue Jays.  I guess I've never gone to a Blue Jays' game in Seattle before because I wasn't prepared for what we saw.  As we approached the stadium Monday night, it was pretty clear that Mariners fans were outnumbered by Toronto fans by about a 2-1 margin.  That's right, we'd been invaded by friendly, baseball loving Canadians! :)
         
We sat in our usual spot on Monday evening, up in the top row, above third base.  It was a loud crowd, and about 34,000 fans on hand, which is a big crowd for the Ms these days.

The game was fun, because it was a close one most of the night.  Above, Annabelle celebrates a hit by Raul Ibanez.  However, the Ms couldn't string any hits together, and then after their starter, Iwakuma, left the game, the wheels fell off.  Ms lose.

Perhaps the best part of the evening was as we were leaving the stadium.  I knew the ISS would be flying over, and though the lights of the stadium were so bright, we managed to spot it, and pointed it out to some people around us.

But we were back for more this afternoon, because who can pass up a matinee on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August?  This time Rick and Kennedy were able to join us, so I had all four of my kids there, fun!  There were 34,000 plus again today, but I'd say it was closer to a 50-50 split Ms v. Jays fans.

The game was messy. Though they got a couple of runs in the bottom of the first inning, pitcher Aaron Harang trotted out of the dugout and gave up 5 flipping runs in the top of second inning and the Jays scored another pair in the third.  We sat there wondering why we were there.  However, the Ms picked up one run in the fourth and in the fifth inning they rallied to score 6, taking the lead, 9-7.  Mercifully, they were able to hold that lead into the ninth. Mariners win!

It took a long time to get to that score - the Mariners used SIX different pitchers, the Jays used four, each team had 11 hits and the home plate umpire got injured and a sub had to come in, which meant for a long delay. In all, the game lasted nearly four hours.  We got our money's worth!
        
We'll be back at Safeco on Saturday night and we can't wait.  There will be a special pre-game ceremony inducting Ken Griffey Jr. into the Mariners Hall of Fame. Can't wait to see "The Kid" back on the field, even if it's just for ceremonial purposes.

PARTY PEOPLE:  Last night was the neighborhood block party, and our yard is always Ground Zero, because we're pretty much the only ones with a flat front yard on the hill!

I made many tasty things for the party, including some delicious little antipasti bites, two kinds of deviled eggs (wasabi and bacon cheeseburger), some amazing little organic strawberry cupcakes, some beef & bison chipotle chili, some cute and tasty kiwi mango shots and, of course, some cookies.  I wanted to make something summery, and I saw some cute beach cookies on Sweet Ambs site, so we did our own take on those.

They were fun to make, and all of 'em got eaten. :)  It makes me happy when people eat the cookies.  Last night, one of our neighbors confessed to me she still has a sun-face cookie I made in DECEMBER for a solstice party we hosted. And a neighbor's former nanny who lives in Germany confessed she couldn't eat the Space Needle cookies I made last weekend, and is taking it home to Germany with her. 

ROCKET FIRE:  At 5:30, we watched the launch of a Delta IV with a military communications satellite (WGS-6) on board.  Man, it was the most fiery launch I think I've ever seen off the pad.  It really lit up the night!

Tonight the kids' bed time will be pushed back a bit so they can watch a 6-minute fly over of the ISS at 9:45.  We've seen it dozens of times, but every darn time it's still exciting.

ALL EARS:  CJ has been on a kick lately involving him reading and talking about dictatorships for a couple hours a day. (Fun topic, no?)  When I saw that the season premiere of Nature on PBS tonight was called "Cuba: The Accidental Eden," I turned it on immediately.

CJ watched the whole great and often gorgeous program.  Now he knows that Cuba is a whole lot more than just about Castro.

PBS has the whole one-hour episode online if you're interested: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/video/cuba-the-accidental-eden-video-full-episode/5834/
Here's the first of seven parts

Watch Cuba: The Accidental Eden on PBS. See more from Nature.

Into the Wild (sort of)

Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood blogging substitute, Christian. I took the kids on our annual family reunion/camping trip last week and am here to tell the tale, and share a few pictures.

ON THE ROAD: The kids and I hit the road early afternoon on Saturday the 24th with an intermediate destination of Vancouver, more specifically, CJ and Annabelle's grandparent's house (Hi, G-ma & G-pa!). The whole trip down into the middle of Oregon is about a six hour drive from Seattle, so splitting it into two trips of three hours each makes it much less daunting. We arrived without incident, and after dinner we moved the dining set, and set-up a temporary camp on the front patio under the mosquito canopy.

It was bit cozy on the queen-size air mattress with both kids and myself, but it worked for one night.

ON THE ROAD 2.0: After Sunday morning breakfast, we packed up our bedding and hit the road, stopping at the grocery store to pick up some food for a big meal we were planning for later in the the trip and gassing up the car. I have no idea how much I paid for the gas.

 After another uneventful three hours, we pulled into Packard Creek Campground, on Hills Creek Reservoir, and set up camp. The campsite was almost empty (there was only one other group there, there weren't very many of them, and they were on the other side of the campground), which was great because we have a rather large family and we took up most of the sites of our side.

PITCHING TENTS: We set up our camp and helped others that had also recently arrived. The next three days were warm and sunny, and full of good fun and good food. The water was warm, although a bit muddy near the shore as the bank was dirt rather than a sandy beach.

The mornings and evenings were cool, but not cold, so we were glad we brought some warmer clothes in addition to our shorts and swimsuits. We had also brought the kid's bikes and they both rode them frequently throughout the week. It was nice to have the place virtually to ourselves, and not worry much about vehicle traffic.

On Wednesday, around midday, the kids and I ventured into the neighboring town of Oakridge, in search of internet access. We wanted to use our Nook tablet to download the latest video lectures from our Science of Gastronomy class we are taking through a great free online classroom resource, Coursera. We got to town shortly after noon, thinking to use the local library's internet, but unfortunately the library didn't open until 1 p.m. I thought it might be possible to get their wifi signal through the wall, but when I looked at the available wifi networks, I couldn't see anything that said library. What I did see was a nice strong signal at the top of the list for the Brewers Union - Local 180 pub. I looked across the street and saw the wide open door with a sign saying, "Families Welcome!"

Photo credit Brewers Union Local 180

Well, seeing as how it would be rude to slap providence in the face, we popped over and availed ourselves of their free wifi. We repaid their kindness by ordering up a (huge) plate of hand-cut delicious french-fries, some soft drinks for the kids, and some hand-crafted cask-conditioned ale for me. We got our videos and a bit of fine fare, and they got some customers that they would not otherwise had, had the library been open. It was a win-win for all involved.

TO BE CONTINUED...It's late, we're just back from watching the Mariners lose to the Blue Jays, and I have to get back to work early tomorrow morning for the first time in a week and a half.