SOL -4

I pressed the yellow button down firmly, and I hear a faint sizzling. The next thing I know, a column of smoke and fire shrieks off of the metal rod, launching itself into the sky. A second later, I hear the pop that signifies the parachute was deployed. I trace out the hundreds of steps to the rockets resting place, and prepare for another launch. I am collecting data for an experiment with rockets. The next rocket flies off at a lower angle, and comes to rest on the roof of the bathroom building. What bad luck.

The Right Stuff

In my second week of reading The Right Stuff, the book got more exciting, and more interesting. Learning different stories about al of the Astronauts and canidates, was an interesting way to learn about the cold war, and the space race. In this book, the phrase "the right stuff" is used to describe thew fighter and test pilots who have risen to a high level, and are the most skilled. These people have "the right stuff." Later in the book when the pilots are competing, only the best of the best go on, and the rest are "left behind", another common phrase for those who don't have"the right stuff" and stay at a certain level. This book was a great read, and it is nonfiction. I would recommend this book to many people.    

****^

SOL - 3 - Outhouse

The sign read OUTHOUSE: This is a long, steep mogul run with no escape. Enter at your own risk.

My 9 year-old self was excited, and happy that my Dad had promised a large Hershey's bar as a reward. I slowly slid past the sign, and came up on the run. I stopped at the edge, and looked down. The moguls were large, at least 8 feet long. I watched my Dad go down the slope, and bob from side to side, and up and down like a roller coaster. I pushed off, and slid off the lip. I zigzagged through the moguls, my eyes finding the best possible route as I darted down the hill. I stopped, caught my breath, and looked up at the hill I had just conquered. Below was the end of the run, a less steep part that I knew I could ski. I skied through, and stopped next to my dad at the bottom.

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhanusek/4421907058/">nhanusek</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe (Week 2)

The Right stuff is a book about the early space missions, like the Mercury, and Apollo missions. This book does a great job describing the cold war--space race era, and the culture of America, and the air force pilots and astronauts. I have not finished this book yet,  but so far I think it is very good.

****^ ( 4 out of 5 stars. )

Image Credit

http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ID=3021

SOL 2: The Tesla Coil

I was walking back from the science rooms, holding a white cardboard box.  I could feel the object inside as I walked back into the classroom. I plopped the box on my desk, and opened it up. Inside was a mostly cylindrical black object, with a hole on one end and a cord coming out the other. Wow! What in the heck is this? I thought to myself. 

I slid a metal piece into the hole, and picked it up. I took the object over to Linda, and she plugged it in. The machine started crackling, and I slowly moved my finger towards the metal point. An inch-long spark shot into my finger, and I jerked it away! Wow, again! This time a lot of people said it. There were a few people watching, and they asked if it hurt. I said no, and then they tried it. More and more joined the group, and soon almost the whole class had given themselves a shock. "What is that?" they asked. "It is a 20,000 volt tesla coil." I replied. That made for a fun morning, of shocks, twitches, and sparks.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury is a collection of stories all taking place on the magic, future telling, tattoos of the illustrated man. All of the stories are futuristic, with a variety of topics, such as a family living in a fully automated house, Humans landing on mars for the first time in 20 years after a nuclear war, and a group of men trudging through eternal rain and jungle on venus. This book was a great read, and I would recommend it because of the vibrant descriptions, intriguing stories, and variety.



Image Credit: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4132/4955876923_ef316945fd_n.jpg

SOL-1

Slice of Life-1

It was a nice morning, I slept in, ate breakfast, and a few hours later I was heating up a slice of pizza for lunch. As I pulled the pizza out of the oven, I felt something behind me. I turned around, and was greeted by a playfull yowl of my dog, Sally, who was mischeviously wagging her tail. In her mouth was the slobbery TV remote. I heard the TV click on in the other room, and the sounds of Dr. Phil blared throughout the house. I yelled "BAD DOG" and "OH SALLY," but to Sally that was just another invitation to run away. She tore through the house, inviting me to chase her, and as she did, she changed the channels on the TV from Dr. Phil, to a news channel, to a channel of solid static. I grabbed the remote, clicked the TV off, and looked back at Sally. She guiltily wagged her tail, and yowled for the remote. I walked away, and ate my now cold pizza.