en-us http://www.keithwatanabe.net/index.php Keith Watanabe's Website http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/10/25/3ec2319d304fd9ff1182d3d36c6052fd.html
Regardless, I'm hoping that everything goes well with the mission and that NASA and the other space agencies around the world can complete this thing by 2010.

Have a safe trip home, boys!]]> Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:02:56 -0600 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/10/25/3ec2319d304fd9ff1182d3d36c6052fd.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/11/9/52871fee34ec476edf98e4a0bf921fef.html Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:14:09 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/11/9/52871fee34ec476edf98e4a0bf921fef.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/11/20/f1e53d8da3f6955962d4a84e9d092cc5.html
However, I started to think that perhaps NASA and/or future space station construction projects might try something new. Like automatic bolting. Imagine something like a Lego set, except that the pegs inflate inside another module and bolts automatically screw in airtight to the module. From there, power and cables would have some sort of interface that just "snaps" in, once the outer shell is connected, sealed and confirmed for zero leakage.

EIther way, it'll be cool seeing the next series of modules hooked up to the ISS, namely the Japanese Kibo module and the European Columbus module going out only in a few weeks. From what I understand, these modules will also increase occupancy as well as provide for future science endeavors. It'd be neat to see what kind of facilties these modules may include. But that's being saved up in the next few months.]]> Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:34:23 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/11/20/f1e53d8da3f6955962d4a84e9d092cc5.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/12/5/a41e39317a332ee8cb93e5b13c80e481.html
Right now, there's a very aggressive installation schedule for NASA and the ISS as the deadline for the shuttle's 2010 decomission is impending. But at the same it's kinda cool seeing this aggressive schedule as you can see remarkable progress on the ISS with massive growth, especially now with the other international sections coming together finally. After the ESA's Columbus module is installed, Japan's Kibo module is next in line.

Whichever way, I wish the best of luck to the Shuttle and ISS crew and for a safe, successful journey to make the world proud of the progress of humanity in space.]]> Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:31:57 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/12/5/a41e39317a332ee8cb93e5b13c80e481.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/12/29/91e4caff6725864a718b5f632ef6b5f0.html
I'll be 33 this year and things didn't exactly go as planned this year. I was planning to make $2 million and that obviously did not come to fruition. So do I make this year an exception in that perhaps I was off by a year (since I'm always off by one) or do I go a different route? Right now, I'm still debating. For myself, I have three things that I'm juggling:

1. Build my own application in the hopes of someone buying it out
2. Focusing the entire year on getting my Japanese level up
3. Improving on my writing

1) is something that is always too hard to put a bet on. I've built several applications already but no one uses them. I can't tell if it's simply because of bad UI, not enough time to support them or my lack of leadership skills in enticing more people to come and use them. Either way, I'm not sure if I should waste anymore time on this. Since I'm in a much better environment, I have no excuse NOT to train my Japanese. It looks like a sure bet to go this route. Besides, why even be in Japan when I can barely speak (well, "barely speak" meaning that I'm not handling the language as fluently as I'd like).

I want to handle my writing too. But I'm the type of person that needs focus. So I have to split my time between either the Japanese or the writing, but I'm coming to realize that it's not easy doing this. So right now, it looks like I might focus all my energy on my Japanese once work starts again. I've been promising myself for a long time that I want to pass the 2-kyuu exam. I've got enough friends to help me out so I think that will be my huge plan for the year.

Regardless, I think this is the year I'll get engaged, if not married. No, I don't have anyone right now. But I think I should make a real effort to get someone this year. Probably improving my Japanese will help in this, since my past killer has been my lack of language skills in elegantly presenting myself and talking about anything that doesn't involve fart, dick and gay jokes (just kidding but at least the fart and dating jokes were kinda bland). My Japanese needs to match my English level for me to feel comfortable here. I think if that occurs, people might realize that I'm not just a foul mouthed person, but someone with depth.

Between April through May, I plan to fix up the plumbing in my mom's home. I figure that's a $5k project. If I can get that fixed, repair the sidedoors, ceiling, back door, replace the tiling in the family room, replace the toilet near my room and replace all three sinks, the house will be in excellent condition for another 20 years.

By August, I will reassess my financial situation and see if the time is right to make my first real estate purchase. With the subprime loan crisis hitting, home sales slowing, and the government intervening by lowering the lending rates, it seems like a sure shot to at least take a serious glance at some real estate on the market. I still think that Las Vegas is the place to target. I've already spotted some cheap condos at least online. The next plan would be to physically check them out and see if their location is ideal as a long term investment vehicle. My guess is that real estate will continue to go down, but at the very least, I want to make sure homes are affordable.

Project and business-wise, this will be an exciting year for me. I saw my company's roadmap and it's ambitious. Also, I know of various internal projects that I'm just waiting to sink my teeth into. If I can balance that with my home life, it should be a very profitable year in terms of knowledge.

From a global perspective, this coming year is going to be a mixed bag. I think with the Pakistani leader recently assassinated, we'll see various forms of retribution along with heat from many countries, especially the US. I don't know if this will move the US into action (or as I say, give the US an excuse to start something), but it's too hard to say how far this will escalate.

Once we're into the 1st quarter, it'll be interesting to see how holiday sales have performed. It's been noted that consumer confidence is down, especially from rumblings of the looming recession. I always figure that Christmas is the best indicator of yearly consumer confidence, as people tend to put more on credit. If Christmas sales are down, the next recession might last 2-3 years (about the same as the last one). Right now, it seems the current target is against the credit market, so many finance companies will feel more blows coming their way. But seriously, if they didn't have all these fraudulent schemes to blackmail consumers into getting into more debt, then these companies might have stronger businesses, rather than periodic booms. Overall, I think the financial market will be hit hard throughout the year from people who are unable to pay. This will play a huge part into a lowering stock market (great time to buy!!!!), lowering interest rates, deflation and the USD moving even lower.

With the writers' strikes continuing, I think consumers will continue to move towards online forms of entertainment. It's inevitable. The tools for creating and distributing one's own media has become easy. Not to mention free or cheap (e.g. web cameras). The main thing Hollywood and these various recording mafias hold that the average people do not possess have traditional been the means of production. It's completely Marxist yet dead on the mark. They had labs to produce unbelievable CGI effects and could distribute and market them globally. Youtube and other online companies threaten that aspect. What Hollywood studios do not realize is that the threat of piracy is NOT their biggest enemy. Their biggest enemy is losing control over distribution. Perhaps the layman may not produce the best effects, but considering how abused these CGI houses are and producing awful pictures that emphasize form over content, why bother?

And take reality TV. It's a dead issue. Who wants to see hasbeen actors, models, and overdosed rockstars show what decrepit, decadent beings that they've wasted their money on becoming? Anyone can produce a far more interesting reality show without any budget or the necessity of paying a hasbeen an undeserved paycheck. The thing is that we don't need theatres, and video rentals anymore. And that's where the power of online media will free the average citizen while certifying the demise of the big media industry as we know it.

This year (while this may not be a prediction) what needs to occur is a serious movie produced by an independent film crew that becomes a huge success on the internet. That will demonstrate the real threat of what the internet is to the movie studios.

Politically, I think this year will be hot because of the election. The question will be difficult to answer because the candidates (at least from the Democrats' side) are quite strong in comparison. I don't feel there's a single Republican that can easily represent the voice of America this time around. So what it'll boil down to is either Obama or Clinton getting the duke. I think Obama will probably win this one. I don't think America is ready for a female president yet and personally, I don't feel Clinton would make a good over ambassador. Being Bill's wife I think actually stigmitizes her rather than elevates her position. People are looking for something fresh and someone that's going to help the country recover in the various embarrassments and pitfalls Bush and his goons got the country into for the past 8 years. The first four years will be amending the damage done to the country while the following four will be paving the future. I don't think Clinton has that kind of vision. Obama just feels to be slightly more clued into the people. And that's the real issue that needs to be addressed.

2008 the internet will get hotter in terms of competition. The services will massively improve as understanding of richweb applications improve. But it'll be the online advertisement sector that'll lead this charge. While big media will slowly get nailed in their inability to cope with online media, it's obvious that they still want to get a piece of the action. But I think that their percentage will be tiny and that it'll hurt their revenue overall, leading them to lose further ground while the Big Three (Google, Yahoo, Apple) suck in massive deals. In general, be in a web company for 2008. It's going to great!

NASA/JPL will continue to have a rough year. I think that NASA will avoid disaster, but their chief enemy will be budget cuts from the Bush administration. Science just doesn't seem like a priority for the Bush administration. So they'll have to be patient until 2009 when the switch occurs.

While space will suffer from bureaucratic entanglements, green technologies will see new heights. Oil prices will shrink, leading more scares by the general public into moving towards hybrids. As such Japanese manufacturers will see great gains as their entire lineups move towards hybrid technologies. Where does that leave American automobiles? Hopefully, these companies get a huge slap in the face and stop being lazy in denying the impossibility of achieving better fuel standards. Rather than emphasizing size, American automanufacturers should look at the current situation as a prime point to reinvest money into research and switch gears completely towards fuel economy and price. If the Japanese are putting out 55/60 mph for one gallon at $28000, US manufacturers should aim at 60-80 mph/gallon at $20000. While the law recently was passed to force manufacturers to commit to higher standards, the manufacturers themselves should take initative to achieve even better matrics for themselves.]]> Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:02:09 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2007/12/29/91e4caff6725864a718b5f632ef6b5f0.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/1/12/3224236ba67273b0459c02e63f17eed0.html Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:34:20 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/1/12/3224236ba67273b0459c02e63f17eed0.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/2/7/5feedd76546d5679a547bfc09884b63f.html NASA and the European Space Agency as Atlantis heads towards the ISS. This mission has been delayed from two months ago where NASA was to deliver the ESA's Columbus module, Europe's contribution to the ISS project. This module will function as a research facility. A lot of us Earth dwellers are very eager in seeing the ISS come to fruition as it represents many of our dreams for mankind to make his way towards outer space.]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:13:26 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/2/7/5feedd76546d5679a547bfc09884b63f.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/2/21/cbc639dc85d5dc5f93f80d93d65a8910.html Space Shuttle Atlantis, NASA is calling STS-122 a success. A major congratulations to the heroes of this mission. Now, the ISS has the Columbus module which will enable the Europeans to contribute their talents to man space explorations. Following this voyage will be STS-123, which starts the Japanese Kibo module installation. That mission will come in two parts and the next mission is being hailed as a truly international voyage.

Either way, glad to hear you guys made it safe and hope that the next few trips go equally well!]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:02:24 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/2/21/cbc639dc85d5dc5f93f80d93d65a8910.html http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/3/7/54aed305d862110d186a85464a106f0b.html
I found some of the points to be interesting. It seems that NASA is attempting to examine all combination of ways to get to Mars within their constraints. The way I look the mission is that it'd certainly be a one way mission. But I think that sending a single person would be folly. My reasoning is that you have the worst single point of failure and no matter what, it'd be suicide.

Sending multiple people to Mars is still suicidal and extremely high risk, but there's a balancing factor in the fact that multiple people can be more productive than a single person. I mean, what is the point of sending a single person to Mars in the first place? Is it just for novelty? Is it to say that NASA was capable of doing so and could learn from the experience?

I'd consider sending a single person a complete waste of potential. If the mission failed in any manner (e.g. the astronaut going awol or dying by some freak accident), then all the planning would go down the drain. Then the world would cry out about the impossibilities of going to space and the program would be set back another 10 years before people forget and realize that there was a reason for sending some suicidal scientists out there.

Having multiple people would reduce part of that risk. Certainly, the death rate is higher, but if you send a combination of men and women, there's always a chance for setting up a new colony and establishing some foundation while the next trips are being planned.

It's interesting to note that the NASA engineer mentioned about the risk involved and how it's actually irrelevant in the whole matter. And it's true because people are naturally daredevils. Usually, it's the media or some stupid religious groups that conflate the issue and create public outcries against such programs without realizing that there's a clear purpose and that the people who took the risk more than likely understood the consequences.

That all said, I still have to agree with the initial premise that the first trip to Mars is one way. That's my gut feeling. Mostly, my belief for this goes from the premise that the biggest factor in getting to Mars is the fuel. Next the supplies. I'd make sure to start planning how to create some sort of return vehicle, but I'd imagine that the return vehicle would require about 3-5 years of planning before it manifests.

I think one (sci-fi) type of plan might be to send a crew of say 10 people, split by men and women for a guaranteed period of 3-5 years. The crew's purpose would be to start laying the foundation for future colonies. So you'd naturally need to establish more than just science labs, which probably is all that NASA thinks about in these things.

As they say in survival class, you need to establish basic necessities immediately. O2, food, water, and shelter. The first three are the hardest since there are none at Mars. I'd imagine you'd have to send regular cycles of supplies to the colony. Say every 3-6 months. Those supply trains would come from unmanned landers, maybe even parachutes. Fortunately, those three elements can be easily packaged and more than likely would not have delicate instruments. So the packaging would not have to be sophisticated compared to, say, a rover.

While the process for creating a supply train is being optimized, you'd need to establish how to recreate those necessities. Since it's established that Mars has polar caps, one would think naturally that you'd want to utilize those resources and convert them into some form of O2 and distilled water. However, I'm pretty certain that establishing a colony near those locations would be close to impossible initially due to the extreme cold. So I'd mark that as a project for the distant future when the colony would have enough supplies to create factories and processes for the conversion and to be able to import those elements back to the main colony.

Because of the difficulty in such a process (despite the necessity), I would focus on other necessities that are easier to handle (well relatively speaking). Namely energy for the base. Energy is critical for internal heating, communications back to Earth, etc. So that might be easier to establish quickly for the colony's future growth. You can't depend on nearly all of Earth's traditional energy creation methods like wind, oil, coal, nuclear or hydropower. So the only known resource for power would be solar. And you'd need a lot of panels. I foresee something like an energy farm of solar panels for something like this.

From there I think it'd be very critical to explore the place and look for potential sources of energy (outside of solar) and O2/H20. More than likely though, it'd be very hard to find O2/H20 without hitting the poles. And who knows how long that could take to get there from the landing zone. However, finding something like nuclear energy would be a major step in engendering a means of getting back to Earth.

Of course, I'd have a natural tendency to figure out how to create other manufacturing plants, in taking Mars' resources and converting them into something useful like building parts, etc. But that would have a lesser priority until the basic foundation of the colony would be stabilized.

So that still leaves us with the whole problem about food. I know the ISS is conducting an experiment in the new Columbus lab in growing plants in outer space (really cool!). Obviously if that experiment succeeds and is able to produce healthy plants that can sustain humans, it'd be a natural step in allowing people to have agriculture outside of Earth. More than likely, such an idea ought to succeed. From there, the question becomes "What type of vegetables should be grown?" I think initially you could start off with four types: 1) Soy beans; 2) Rice; 3) Spinach; 4) Wheat. Maybe even add carrots and tomatoes for coloring. But soy would be my first pick as it's a naturally healthy and versatile product (soy milk, tofu, etc.) while rice and wheat would provide carbohydrates. I'd give this whole part to the Japanese since they seem naturally inclined for handling these types of processes (just look at their products!). My goal would be to create a greenhouse for these items. Hopefully, you could expand the capabilities of such a thing to eventually produce O2 in the long term.

Now that basic supplies are dealt with, the question then becomes what kind of things would you need for the base? I already covered the solar farm and potential green house. The long term goal would be to have a formal landing and launch pad. A landing pad wouldn't be as necessary except as a formality for tourists/colonists. But a launch pad obviously is the key to getting off that rock (not to mention the vehicle). Much of my effort for the colony would be to establish three main goals:

• Create a base that allows survival.
• Setup enough for future colonists and expansion.
• Quickly create something that will allow the return of people from Mars.

With this in mind, getting that launch pad up asap is huge. Not to mention the return ship. I'll get back to the return ship later.

So after starting on the launch pad project, you still have to come up with other parts of the base. I mean, you need living quarters, a kitchen, restroom facilities, wash, and maybe even a little entertainment. When I think about the first ship that could land on Mars, I think big. It'd have to contain enough room for the supplies and modules for survival for a few years. Now the modules themselves don't have to be big. They can be extensible. I've seen some designs where tents or inflatable bases are established. Don't know if that's the way to go as a result of the lack of protection from the sun's radiation as well as against the various forces on Mars' atmosphere. Maybe something like thick, protective, inflatable cushions that contract for things like the living quarters, wash, etc. Then you'd have an emergency protection zone in case some major sandstorm would hit.

I think like the ISS, the initial station should be modular. So just like the supplies being sent from Earth, you'd have these pieces of new modules being shipped every 3-6 months from various countries as contributions to the colony. That way you can quickly hook up everything and create a kind of conduit-like system interconnecting the base between each other.

Personally, I think that once the science outpost gets established, you would need to quickly move people underground as colonies would get established. At this point, the manufacturing plants I mentioned before would come into play as you'd need to create numerous living quarters. I'd place people underground mostly for safety from the elements above. Not sure if the ground can protect people better from radiation and other cosmic or toxic elements, but you definitely wouldn't be as exposed in theory.

Anyway, I've gone on longer than I meant to. Part of it is that my wonderful novel that I've not had enough time to work on is pretty much what I'm talking about. But enjoy the sci-fi here being proposed!]]> Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:50:31 -0700 http://www.keithwatanabe.net/blogs/2008/3/7/54aed305d862110d186a85464a106f0b.html