Things and... well... things.

Last night we were playing Jenga and Thomas and I were a team. We won the first game and Thomas leans back and says "I love the taste of victory... with GUACAMOLE!!!" and laughed maniacally. It's okay, we lost the next one... and it was Glee and X's turn to gloat.

Last Monday we were driving home from dance when Glee asked this question... if an astronaut took a jar out into space, collected the “air” of space in the jar and put the lid on, what would happen to the “air” if it was let out on earth? Would the jar hold it okay?

I thought it was a great question, and I didn't know how to answer it, so what did I do? I contacted NASA of course. Thank the heavens for the internet. We actually got a response! And, not just a response, it actually went through three people... pretty dang cool I think.

From: JSC-HSF-Web-Mail
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 9:48 AM
To: JSC-Information-Services-Center
Subject: FW: A question about space...

Would you be able to help this user?

Thanks,
Kim

From: JSC-Information-Services-Center
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:07 AM
To: Gentry, G M. (JSC-AP)[TESSADA & ASSOC INC]
Subject: FW: A question about space...

Mike can someone answer this question?

Thanks
glo


Hi Glee,

This is a very good and thoughtful question.

Air refers to an atmosphere which can only exist around a semi-massive object in space that has both enough mass to have forceful gravity, and a magnetic field of sorts to shield the solar wind from stripping the atmosphere (air) away. Since there really is no air in open outer space, an astronaut’s space suit is equipped with air to allow him or her to breathe while performing a space walk. The space suit is actually designed to protect the astronaut from the extreme cold and extreme hot temperatures in space (depending on where he or she is in relation to the sun). The suit also protects from the tiny micrometeorites that are moving at 17,500 mph and would be very dangerous.

Thanks for your continued interest in the NASA space program.

Sincerely


Gloria Sanchez
Information Services Center Specialist
NASA Johnson Space Center
Bldg. 423 / AP32 / JIMMS
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, TX 77058
gloria.j.sanchez at nasa.gov

There you go... your government dollars at work.

The last thing I want to mention is sort of hard for me to write about. A couple of weeks ago there was an incident at school between Thomas and one of his friends and it left a really bad taste in my mouth. Well, the incident didn't but the way the other parent handled things did. I just want to say here that overall my kids are great kids, and of all the kids I know (and I only know my two completely) I have to say my kids are the most thoughtful and least likely to do something they know is wrong. I am not saying that boastfully, but more in a statement of fact kind of way. I have friends whose kids you KNOW will be the ones lying about something, or the ones to hurt someone on purpose. My kids are NOT those kids, and I think it is just because of who they are. So when this mom comes to me to say that Thomas did something to her son, and it was intentional, and cruel, I am having a hard time dealing with her about this. Thomas, for one, idolizes her son (which is another thing I have a problem with because he is one of the most disrespectful people I have ever met). When I asked Thomas about this incident he said the other boy asked him to do what he did, and he thought it would be funny. The other mom didn't even ask Thomas' side of the story, and then went to the teacher and got her involved. The teacher also didn't get the whole story. My main problem is that these two ADULTS got involved in a way they shouldn't have. Of course, we should keep people safe, but really, if one kid is egging on another kid, and the kid does what the first asked, why is only one in trouble? I guess I am worried because I feel like I may be blaming the "victim" but if he asked someone to do that to him, shouldn't he have been in equal trouble?

Okay, I feel better getting that out. Thanks.