Recess4GrownUps

Let your brain out to play.

Three Hundred Sixty Five and a Quarter

Popes, Orbits, Rotations and the Origins of the Modern Calendar

December 31st marks a day most modern people are well acquainted with; the end of the old year, and the beginning of the new. In fact, we’re quite used to the year proceeding as expected; spring, summer, fall and winter all happen more or less on a predictable schedule.

There are 365 days in a year…with the one small (and frequently under-appreciated) exception that occurs every fourth year at the end of February. In its simplest description, a calendar is a system of time-tracking based on astronomy. Why do I say that? Well, because despite the numerous different calendars that have been invented and used throughout the ages, all of them have something in common; a single unit of time, based on the earth’s rotation on its axis.

That unit consists of a period of light and a period of darkness. We call it a “day”. Calendars group these individual units into larger units (weeks, months, years). These larger units are where there is a lot of variability among different calendar systems. The Jewish calendar, for example (which is the modern official calendar of Israel), bases its months and years purely on lunar cycles.

On the other hand, the “Christian” (also called the “Julian” after Julius Caesar, or “Gregorian” after Pope Gregory XII, who declared it the official calendar of Christendom in 1582) calendar, which is the most common calendar in use around the world today and is the standard for business and international affairs, bases its year on the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Picture: Creative Commons | Earth

Although the Gregorian month is approximately as long as a typical lunar cycle, its months have no connection to the actual cycles of the moon. This difference is why holidays such as Chinese New Year or Hanukkah fall on different Gregorian dates from year to year; the Chinese and the Jewish calendar don’t line up perfectly with the Gregorian calendar, so a Chinese holiday may happen on the same day of the Chinese calendar every year, and yet appear to “migrate” on the Gregorian calendar.

The science of determining the precise length of a year is a tricky one, because the rotation of Earth on its axis doesn’t necessarily correlate perfectly with the Earth’s completing one full orbit around the sun - that is to say, the true length of time it takes the Earth to go around the sun isn’t perfectly 365 24-hour cycles.

So a 365 day year is actually slightly inaccurate - as is every other calendar ever used, in fact. This is why we have “leap years” (or for some calendars, a “leap month”) - because the true time it takes the Earth to complete one full orbit is three hundred and sixty five days…and one quarter day. To prevent that quarter day from accumulating over time and causing months and holidays to round-robin such that December is 120 degrees in Minnesota, we add in an extra day every four years to compensate. The year with the extra day is called a leap year, and the extra day is the cumulative “spare” quarter days that went unaccounted for in non-leap-years.

In what we now call 46 BC, Julius Caesar introduced a calendar reform in an attempt to better measure the year, and avoid the irregular years that came from the inaccuracies of the common-use calendar at the time. In order to put all the seasons back into their appropriate places so that summer was hot, winter was cold, and the summer solstice happened in June, Caesar was compelled to “make” a year last 445 days! This is known as the “Year of Confusion”, or annus confusionis in Latin, and it served the purpose of normalizing the calendar and syncing it with the realities of the Earth’s solar orbit.

The exact length of a complete orbit changes over time, as the sun and our planet both age (on average, the Earth’s rotation slows by about half a second per century, meaning it’s slowed a total of 10 seconds from 1 AD until today). Many different systems of measuring months and years have emerged over the centuries. However, the calendar we use today is not the first calendar to measure a year as 365.25 days.The first was the calendar of ancient Egypt - first recorded, with a 365.25 day-long year, in 4326 BC. So much for the advances of modern technology, I guess.

Recess4GrownUps

Let your brain out to play.

Inside This Fragile Shell

The Science of Scrambled, Poached and Sunny Side Up

Eggs. First maligned, then idolized, and finally more or less dismissed as last year’s fad by professional nutritionists. Avian reproductive vehicle, delicious breakfast item, or prankster’s weapon, there’s a lot of science contained in that fragile shell.

Scrambled, fried, over easy, poached, sunny side up, hard boiled, soft boiled, in an omelet, over medium, raw…There is certainly more than one way to eat an egg. But what is it about eggs that makes them so versatile?

The answer lies in the balance of fats and proteins between the yolk and the white. Heating an egg introduces energy into the “system” - in this case, the egg. Agitated by the extra energy, the egg’s protein molecules begin to bounce around, bumping into each other and the surface of the pan in the process. Protein molecules naturally “fold” onto themselves, and they hold a shape unique to the molecular composition of that specific protein.

The impact of all the bouncing around causes the proteins to begin “unfolding”. As they unfold, they begin to bond with surrounding molecules, causing the egg to solidify. This keeps happening as long as the egg is on heat, so cooking too long allows too many bonds to form, and the egg comes out rubbery.

Picture: Creative Commons |Eggs

By introducing heat to a cracked egg flat in a pan, you can make over easy, over medium, or sunny side up eggs; by heating an egg still in its shell, you can make a hard-boiled egg.

Beating an egg does much the same thing to those folded-up proteins. Fat molecules don’t fluff up very well, so we separate the fat-free white from the yolk to make things like souffles and meringues. The force of the whisk or fork in the egg white introduces air bubbles, and makes those proteins bump into things and unfold just as they do when heated.

When you heat a beaten egg, the air bubbles expand, at the same time as the protein molecules solidify their bonds to one another under the heat. When you’re done, the air cools and leaves space surrounded by a network of solid egg proteins - giving you a self-supporting structure, like meringue.

If you over-beat your egg and put too much air in, the egg structure will be too fragile to support itself; likewise, if you didn’t introduce enough air, you won’t get air pockets of the right size expanding during cooking. This is why making a good fluffy meringue, that doesn’t either come out too heavy or else collapse in on itself, is so hard! (And by the way, the same idea of air bubbles inflating to get a fluffy texture also applies when whisking up your favorite scramble or omelet.)

One of my favorite ways to cook an egg is poaching it. At first glance this method seems like it shouldn’t work - dropping a raw egg into hot water?! A fool’s errand. But it does work, and here’s why. When you drop your egg into the water, its proteins are all in their base, folded-up state - the egg will sort of lazily spread itself out. The heat and motion of the water, though, begin acting on those folded-up proteins, which are only loosely held together at first.

After a few minutes of abuse by those energetic water molecules, the proteins unfold…bond to their neighbors…and suddenly, that ephemeral egg white drifting in the water will snap to attention, drawing in around the yolk! The longer you leave the egg in the water, the firmer both the yolk and the white will become, as more and more of their proteins unfold themselves and become more tightly bonded to their neighboring proteins.

But as we all know, the most important question still remains to be answered…Which DID come first, the chicken or the egg?

Several weeks ago I had the chance to chat with Hollis, who works part-time at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, located in West Seattle.  Hollis is a full-time student at Seattle U, but finds time to help Youngstown with marketing and event management — she also immediately ‘got’ what we’re trying to enable with TeachStreet, because she’s their community maven, having already set them up (and maintains them) Youngstown on MySpace and other spots!

They’ve got a tremendous variety of classes on TeachStreet, and we hope to keep them as a long-time resident — the good news is it looks like we’re already sending a bunch of prospective students their way (that’s one of the benefits of being an Admin… we get to see what’s going on behind the scenes!).

Picture: Creative Commons | spartus

One really cool new relationship they’ve recently formed is with Seattle’s Rock School (Rock School exposes aspiring young musicians to a rich musical curriculum designed to inform as well as inspire) — this class was listed on TeachStreet from the very beginning, and the feedback from the community was awesome — think of it as part Jack Black, part Axl Rose, and a little West Seattle thrown in — just mix, and rock!

At a higher level, though, Youngstown’s a great place to rediscover the kid in you — they’ve got classes ranging from Poetry to Bellydance, from Tai Chi to Art. — so, what are you waiting for?  Stay Young with Youngstown!

–

NOTE — If you haven’t been to this facility yet, really, it’s worth a visit on one of these gorgeous Seattle days — The center is owned by the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) — DNDA raised $12 million to acquire and complete the historic renovation of the building, and it’s just gorgeous.  Youngstown offers affordable rental spaces suitable for a variety of uses from live performances, classes and workshops to business, civic and social occasions.

Available resources in over 25,000 square feet of public space include a recording studio, media lab, 150 seat performance venue, movement studio, workshop, promenade gallery, and convenient conference and classroom spaces.  All spaces are available for rental to the public. You can visit their website here.

Ever consider collecting eggs for breakfast from your own chickens? I know I have! Many people don’t believe it’s possible to have this experience in the city, but chickens’ small space requirements and pleasant dispositions make them a wonderful addition to any backyard. And Seattle and Portland just happen to be part of a growing trend of cities that actively support chicken keepers!

Picture: Creative Commons | Pistil’s Chickens

The Cities of Seattle and Portland allow homeowners to have up to three chickens on their property and each City also holds an annual coop tour where you can go check out all of the urban chicks’ posh digs. The tours are also a great way to learn more about the different chicken breeds and to meet other learned or prospective chicken keepers.

Recent and Upcoming Coop Tours

The Seattle coop tour was actually hosted by the Seattle Tilth organization a few weeks ago, but luckily you haven’t missed Portland’s “Tour De Coop,” which will be hosted by Growing Gardens Organization this coming Saturday, July 26th from 1:00 to 3:00. If you’re interested in taking your bike for a spin on Saturday, be sure to check out Growing Garden’s website for more details.

Upcoming Chicken Care Classes

In addition to coop tours, you can also sign up for chicken care classes where you’ll learn the basics of chicken nutrition, breeds, behavior, health, housing and city regulations. In Seattle these classes are primarily hosted by Seattle Tilth organization. Here are two scheduled for this Fall:

Seattle Tilth City Chickens 101, Sep 13, 2008 10:00 AM

Seattle Tilth City Chickens 201: Advanced Poultry Keeping, Oct 11, 2008 10:00 AM

The Rose City also offers a number of chicken care classes taught by Growing Gardens Organization and Pistils Nursery (which is featured in this weekend’s coop tour and is an awesome, community based nursery located in the Mississippi District!). Definitely check out their respective websites and stay tuned because we’ll have their classes, as well as 1000’s of other great classes in Portland on TeachStreet in just a few weeks!

Picture: Creative Commons | cafemama

In the Meantime…

Here are just a few urban chick tips to pique your interest and remember chicken care is a fun and educational experience that will give you a connection to your food you’ll never forget!

• Roosters are the noisy ones and hens much less so. A hen will cackle off and on during the day, and will occasionally squawk if disturbed by an unfamiliar person or animal, but for the most part hens are pretty quiet.
• Be sure to get more than one hen since chickens are very social animals.
• Most of the standard breeds of chickens will lay between 180 – 320 eggs per year for their first year of laying. The rate of laying tapers in the second year and beyond, until it may only take place during the spring.

Recess4GrownUps

Let your brain out to play.

Gin, Tonic, and Mosquitoes

Malaria’s Subtle Gift to Mixology

Gin and tonic, also called a “G&T”, is a classic highball cocktail. Comprised of gin (juniper berries provide the unique herbal flavor of this liquor) and tonic water (a carbonated beverage flavored with quinine) served with lime or lemon over ice, it’s a popular drink, especially in hot weather.

But its origins belong to one of the most deadly killers of the 18th century. Gin and tonic was originally concocted by the British East India Company…as a weapon in its fight against the devastatingly lethal mosquito-borne disease, malaria.

The name malaria comes from Medieval Italian (virtually identical to the modern Italian taught today). The name derives from the phrase mala aria, which literally translates to “bad air”. (This is due to the popular belief at the time that the disease was a result of breathing in toxic “miasmas”, or “bad air”. Germ theory would not gain credibility for many decades yet.)

Malaria is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, and British East India Company employees involved in spice, opium, and tea trading in Southeast Asia were dying by the scores. Mortality rates topped 70% in some areas, and British officials and military personnel in the regions were equally hard-hit - Europeans had never traveled to malarial regions before, and had no resistance to the disease.

It was discovered that quinine, at the time extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree and often called “Jesuits’ bark” because Jesuit missionaries in Latin America were the first Europeans to uncover its magic, had antimalarial properties. (Today, quinine can be synthesized in labs.) If taken regularly, quinine could dramatically reduce the incidence, severity, and mortality of malaria. A solution of carbonated water and quinine, called tonic, proved an effective method of dosing.

However, quinine is one of the most bitter substances known to man - so bitter that many patients will vomit after ingesting it if it is not diluted or masked with another flavor.

The juniper berry flavor of gin proved effective at masking quinine’s natural bitterness - and so, as a prophylactic medication against malarial infection in British Imperial endeavors in Southeast Asia, the G&T was created.

It is still a popular beverage in bars and restaurants the world over, though most tonic water today is flavored primarily or wholly with an artificial imitation rather than true quinine - even quinine-containing tonics contain only a small quantity of true quinine, relying instead on artificial substitutes for the bulk of their flavor. And thanks to the advances of modern medical science, in today’s world of numerous anti-malarial medications, no doctor in his or her right mind would prescribe you a daily gin and tonic.

Picture: Creative Commons | G&T

(Like this one.)

…Pity.

$4.50 a gallon? HELL NO! These days, paying for gas can cause a sharp and intense pain in the wallet vicinity. So why not switch to the kind of burn that guarantees some sexy legs instead? Many residents are taking on Seattle’s seven hills this summer with helmets on. It’s always been popular, but bicycling has become even more of a viable transportation option for commuters.

Washington’s expansive bike lanes and relatively friendly motorists make cycling to work both safe and easy. It’s trendy, too! A recent bicycling article in the fashion-forward daily The Seattle Times identified bike shops prospering despite the lousy state of the economy (look, dubya, I typed it), as people are buying shiny new bikes, used bikes with lots of “character,” or pulling the dusty old bikes out of storage for repair and upgrades (like bells and bicycle baskets - yes, you need some of these!).

Here at TeachStreet world headquarters, we have some dedicated and not so dedicated bicycle commuters, but in the beautiful weather of late, all of us long for weekend rides on the islands or mountain bike excursions in the picturesque sound region.

For commuters, the ride home can really make you wish that you already had those Lance Armstrong-esque thighs, but any bike commuter will assure you that being outside and active in the fresh morning and the peaceful dusk provides for quality time to reflect, enjoy the city, and get a bit of that groovy “OH YEAH” endorphin high that comes from honest exercise.

If you’re interested in getting started with bike commuting or expanding your bicycle knowledge and experiences, the TeachStreet blog is, as usual, the singular most informative resource for you on these subjects! For FREE bicycle maps, 24/7 bike storage downtown, and well priced bike repair, check out Bikestation Seattle in Pioneer Square.

Bikestation is a non-profit storefront sponsored by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to promote ” travel trips that improve air quality, reduce traffic and parking congestion, and enhance the community’s livability.” It’s also super close to what I’ve heard are the best sandwiches in Seattle, and that is enough reason for many of the more “recreational” bike commuters at TeachStreet to go pick up those bike maps.

For those looking to learn bicycle repair and maintenance, check out some of our TeachStreet bicycle resources. There are a number of local Seattle bike repair classes for all levels of repair-(wo)man, which will ensure you have a dependable car-alternative for your commute. If you’re not in Seattle, or just looking for a quick DIY fix, try the BicycleTutor for handy videos and articles for repairing every part of your bike.

Safety is also important, especially when riding at night, so be sure to incorporate some of these safety features into your commute, as our strapping male model demonstrates:

Jay, a bike safety enthusiast.

So, dear friend, this beautiful summer, go on a gas diet, and feel the freedom and self-sufficency of the very open road. You’ll be saving money, saving baby seals, and improving your health. Really, you can do it! And, one of the best things about Seattle is that if you wimp out on the hills, city buses have built in bike racks. But remember, pain is weakness leaving the body. And that midday “summer” frappawhatnot was like, 5000 calories. So ride on Seattle, ride on!

If you’ve never used the technology before, Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, telephones, laptops, personal computers, printers, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, short-range (up to 30 feet) radio frequency bandwidth.

Picture: www.Bluetooth.com

After recent legislation (effective 7/1/08), Washington State law now makes it illegal to use your hands to talk on the phone while driving. The fine: $110. Money aside, there are also serious safety risks that go along with talking on the phone and driving.

So whether your impetus is abiding by the law, or being safe at the wheel, you’ll probably, if you aren’t already, soon be using a Bluetooth headset or dash unit. Here are a couple things to be aware of before you make your purchase.

Pairing

• Pairing is necessary because Bluetooth devices only communicate with each other after sharing a passkey (by user input). Since the Bluetooth address is permanent, a pairing is preserved, even if the Bluetooth name is changed. Pairs can be deleted at any time by either device.

• Some cell phones are not Bluetooth-enabled. So check your owner’s guide or contact your phone’s manufacturer to find other options for complying with the new law.

Phone Compatibility

• If you already have a phone you’re happy with, check your owner’s guide, call the manufacturer or check their web site to find out which headsets will be compatible.

• The array of headset styles is dizzying, so pick one that appeals to you. If possible, try it on before purchasing. Often the in-ear models work better for women and teens. The over-ear hook models will usually stay in place for those with larger ears.

Built-in Headset

• The easiest way to deal with hands free issues is to buy a phone with built-in headset.

• When you climb in the car, just pop off the headset and put it in your ear. When docked, the headset charges along with the phone and there are no compatibility issues – pairing them takes the push of a button.

• As always, check out all the features of any electronic device you are considering to make sure it’s best for you in every dimension prior to purchasing.

About Teacher Blogger Nancy Ferrell

Nancy has been teaching technology skills to those who didn’t grow up with computers since 1985. As Seattle’s Home Computing Coach, she empowers clients who use PCs, Macs and all kinds of hand held digital devices to reach new levels of confidence and competence.

I posted a link to the 10-minute King5 interview in the previous blog post, but I wanted to also post the individual segments (below), for your viewing pleasure (and, because my mom will be oh so proud ).

We wanted to give a special thanks to Tim Robinson of King5/Kong6/16 — he was fantastic to work with on the segment, and he and his team did a fantastic job — we couldn’t be happier!

Segment #1






Segment #2






Segment #3






Of course, it also reminds me that I’d love to learn how to make digital videos and improve my interviewing skills!

Update — check out TeachStreet on TV — so excited!

Sorry for the late notice, but we wanted to let our loyal blog readers know that we’re being featured on KING5 tomorrow morning — we don’t have definite times (a range is presented below) but the feature will be by Tim Robinson and will likely refer to TeachStreet several times between 7:30am and 9:00am (with a live Seattle breakdancing performance by TeachStreeter Daniel Etcheto at 8:15am).

So, set your Tivo!  And, if you haven’t been to TeachStreet in awhile, stop on by and find something new to learn!

Know that we’ll post some video of our performance (and that of Zach the Dog!) afterward — just wanted to give you all a chance to catch up live!

Tentative TV Times are:

KING 5 Morning News on Thursday 7/17

• 4:30-7 a.m. on KING 5
• 7-9 a.m. on KONG 6/16
• Live Segment time: 8:30 a.m. (approx.) — 3:30-minute long segment
• Will be several segments and “teases” during the morning newscast; may include @ 8:10 a.m. and/or the 8:27 a.m. 15-second tease.

If you’re a reader, there’s no better way to spend a Summer day than by finding a good book and lying out in the sun. If you’re a writer, the same holds true. Summer is the perfect time to spend an afternoon bringing your musings to life by putting ink to paper.

Picture: Writing Words.. | StarDust

If writing is a Summer pastime that resonates with you, there’s a writing teacher on TeachStreet, Sheila Bender, with an opportunity you should definitely check out: the Writing It Real No-Contest Contest.

What’s the No-Contest Contest?
An essay and poetry contest.

What’s Writing it Real?
Sheila Bender’s online magazine for those who write from personal experience.

Cost
$45.00 (payment details)

Deadline
September 30, 2008

What to submit?

• Your Writing: Up to six double-spaced (and numbered) pages of prose or three poems.
• Cover sheet: Include author’s name, title of work(s), phone number, address and email address.

Winners
Everyone’s an honorable mention and will receive a one-year subscription to Writing It Real, as well as a detailed response to their work from Sheila (via email).

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be asked permission to publish their work in Writing It Real and will receive a half-hour phone consult on writing and publishing with Sheila.

Where do I send my submission?
You can submit your work online or mail it to the below address. If you use the mail option, no SASE will be required as entries will not be returned.

Writing It Real No-Contest Contest
394 Colman Drive
Port Townsend, WA 98368

So get out in the sun and enjoy some good writing this Summer! And if you write some poetry or prose of your own, show everyone your skills by submitting your pieces to Writing it Real’s No-Contest Contest!