Earthlings

SEEING GREEN: Our weather is still downright delightful, so this morning we struck out for some fresh air and exercise. We pointed the Honda toward Discovery Park, determined to explore a path we'd not taken before. With 534 acres to explore, there is plenty of uncharted territory for us.

We found a twiggy teepee not too far from the park's playground. There, the kids began playing some sword and sorcery type game that carried us all the way through our walk.

We went for another, longer walk this evening, over to the Lawton neighborhood. We've gotta get our walks in while the weather is so wonderful. Rain is back in the forecast for tomorrow.

FREEBIE: This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. Hooray! Use the store locator to see if a comic shop near you is participating: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator

SAND CASTLES: Several news outlets today (including the Seattle PI) picked up on a story about a paper recently published in Physical Review Letters by physicists claiming to have figured out how ancient Egyptians moved the enormous stones for the pyramids. 

In an experiment, the physicists showed how much easier it was to move a heavy object on a sledge over sand that had been dampened, as the water molecules acted to form tiny capillary bridges between the grains of sand. To further bolster their case, they pointed to a wall painting in the tomb of Djehutihotep, showing a large statue being pulled along by workers, one of whom was wetting the sand in front of the sledge. The PI story has photos of the experiment and the wall painting

Beyond addressing a historical curiosity, the research could be useful for examining how to optimize the transport and processing of granular material, such as sand, asphalt, concrete and coal, the news release said, noting that such transport accounts for about 10 percent of the worldwide energy consumption.

PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Looking for something different to watch? Check out yourself - and everyone else on Earth - compliments of NASA's new HD livestream from the International Space Station. 

As part of the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment, there are now four HD cameras attached to the ISS, providing we Earthlings an around-the-clock perspective of the Big Blue Marble. You can also hear audio conversations between the crew and Mission Control. When the crew's on-duty, the video feed will include internal views of the ISS. 

Check it out here: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/

If you see a blue screen, don't panic. That will happen during "loss of signal" periods, which happen intermittently. Sometimes the station's in darkness or over nothing but ocean at nighttime, and you'll see nothing but black. And sometimes you'll see a gray scene, which means the link is switching to the next camera, or the communications downlink from the ISS in not available at the moment. ut keep watching, and you'll see a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. And it's oh-so-pretty when they are over land.

For more info about the HDEV experiment,, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/917.html

A PENNY FOR YOUR FUTURE: This short video makes you stop and think about our priorities as a nation.
http://youtu.be/moa-ies4bPw

What can you do to help?
Sign the petition!: http://www.penny4nasa.org/petition
Join the Thunderclap!: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...
Follow Penny4NASA on social media
http://www.facebook.com/PennyForNASA
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SUNDAY FUN: Make sure you say "May the Fourth be With You" to friends, family, and complete strangers on Sunday, a/k/a Star Wars Day. 

Check this awesome video out to help you get in a Rebel Alliance state of mind. ...