The Mighty Duct Tape Speed Tape

Date:  Jan 14, 2015

It is often mistaken as a “duct tape”.  But it looks very shinny.  

Yesterday, we came home on this Jetstar plane.  And to our surprise, we saw this!

Duct tape!

For don’t know what reason, Jetstar actually uses the duct tape to path the engine/turbine together.  Seems like it.

Indeed looks very very scary.

But we arrived home from Hong Kong to Singapore safely.

The ride is very smooth.  Should we thank the duct tape?

Today, I get the chance to search on the Internet - keyword “Jetstar duct tape” ...

And I found this video.

Source:  http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/01/watch-an-engineer-repair-a-jetstar-plane-with-gaffer-tape/

WOW!  Jetstar!!!!!!!!!  Why????? Always use duct tape to repair your airplane?

Wait now...

Let’s search “Budget Airline duct tape"

So, it is not only Jetstar.  This is EasyJet.  But they have explained why they need to use this.  It is not a duct tape.  It is called a “Speed Tape”.  It is a common thing in airlines industries.

Source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3102312/Shocked-passenger-takes-photo-airport-worker-using-TAPE-engine-shell-easyJet-plane-moments-off.html

Tiger Airline not too bad.  Use duct tape to stick the windows back.  Make it more firm.

Source:  http://forums.vr-zone.com/chit-chatting/3232351-my-window-tiger-air-flight-hong-kong-singapore.html

Cebu Airline fix a bit minor problem using duct tape.

Source:  http://hotels-in-cebu.com/duct-tapes-on-cebu-pacific-plane/

OK.  Wait now….

Let’s try to search “Singapore Airlines duct tape"

And… Singapore Airlines also uses it.

The airlines engineers knows that they doing.

Of course they have calculated all the odds and making sure that the plane flight is safety.

Using duct tape or speed tape to repair the airplane is acceptable.

It can be used to repair boat too.

And cars too.

Something to think about.  hahahahaha

Greenhouse Re design with Electrical and Water sources added

OK...so the first go around on the greenhouse was pretty good, but after completing the structure and closing the door, with the door insert window open of course, the temperature soared to a whopping 135 degrees inside the greenhouse....not good for man or greens. So back to the drawing board, and after several hours of research I discovered that while I had approx 12 sqft of ventilation, I really needed at least 10 percent on the sides of the building and 15 percent at the ridge based on the square footage of the greenhouse which is approximately 240 square feet. While the 500 CFM solar attic fan took care of the ridge requirement  the three 4 sq ft windows in the side walls were not adequate for cross ventilation, so I was off to make some adjustments...major ones. I had to remove a total of 6 PVC panels on the south facing side of the building and turn them into windows as seen below. This provided another 24 sq ft of ventilation.

 

After further testing, this only reduced the temp in the greenhouse by about 10-15 degrees, still not enough, so the next step was to cut two openings in the north facing wall to allow for more airflow across the greenhouse. These openings were turned into shutters rather than windows for protection against northern winter winds and will be insulated as time permits, both openings were cut out to approximately 2ft x 4ft, for another 16 sq ft of ventilation. This dropped the inside temp to the ambient outside temp when all ventilation was opened. I also fitted barrel bolts to all openings in order to secure them when closed....here is a pic of the north side of the greenhouse.

.

House screening was placed on all openings for pest control. Next I was off to run the electric to the building, this of course took me a couple of days to complete.I have 4 -110v 20A outlets, three inside the building and one outside the building as shown above and below.

A photo of the florescent light I installed.

I also had to dig an 8inch deep 60ft trench and place 12-2 UGF wiring to the building which took the longest...especially in the 100+ degree heat...whew!!! was it hot. Next came the water line, where I dug a 2ft deep trench 35ft to the house in order to tie into the backyard faucet. I placed 3 hose bibbs inside the the greenhouse for convenience with two being on stand pipes (see photo above) and the third being at ground level so I can drain the water out of the system when needed for repair or due to freezing temps in the winter.

Well, thats pretty much it for this post...now that the greenhouse is complete I can move on to the next phase building my aeroponics/aquaponics systems...more on that in the next post.

Pee Wee with Some Smoked Meat and Pickles

See it!

Kimchi Ramps

 

ramp it up kimchi

Ramps are a thing in the New York metro area. They are a wild variety of onion with a unique garlicky and mineral flavor that cant quite be replicated. Ramps cant be cultivated and are only around for a short while in spring.  Or so they tell me at the farmers market where they go for $16 a pound. $16 a pound is more than meat, but this ramp kimchi recipe is pretty undeniable good.  Its a powerhouse of savory flavors that take you on a pungent tour of salty, spicy, garlicky, and then more spicy. I suggest it. This recipe is based on Tigress on a Pickles, whose blog has been leading me to conquer pickling and fermentation techniques for some time now. This ramp kimchi kicked my cabbage kimchis ass!

Ramp Kimchi

1 lb of ramps, root ends trimmed off
2 cloves garlic
1 knob of peeled ginger
1/4 lb daikon
1 tblsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tblsp crushed hot peppers
1 tsp oil

Exihibit A: The ramps

You will need a ceramic or glass large vessel that can hold 1 quart or so. You will need to be able to fit you fist into the jar to pack the ramps and company down. Before you begin pour boiling water into the jar up to and overflowing. This will clean the jar. You can feel free to clean the jars with warm soap and water too, just be careful to rinse very well. 

Almost there

Coarsely chop the ramps and garlic and add to a bowl. Grate ginger and daikon and add to ramps. Mix in remaining ingredients until well coated. Press into a 1 quart jar. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit in a cool dark place for 4 days until kimchi becomes a little bit sour. I suggest trying a little bit every day to better observe this process. Cover kimchi with a lid and chill. The kimchi should be good for 6 months, and a lot longer. Amazing on eggs, toast, rice, tacos, sandwiches, or any food you would want a good kick in the pant condiment on. 

Foraged Feast

Wine from a log? Whole squirrels on a platter? Raw venison? Candied Goose. I ate and drank it all up under a candle lit chandelier a few weeks back at Issue Project Room Species of Space Foraged Dinner. Well foraged is an over statement. Most of the food (venison deer meat) was hunted. Read my full story on Socially Superlative.

Door crew

Pick a wine to drink from. I got kinda attached to mine.

Hot buttered rum with pine needle swizzle stick.

Deer jerky and apple leather with pine needles appetizer. Forget serving whole raw pine needles. Doesnt work.

The free-form table foraged from Jersey wetlands made of timber and branches. Some dumped by contractors, some dumped by 2011 hurricane Irene.

Nuts and seeds to get you through the winter.

Ceramic vessels for eating and drinking. Each a unique shape, each holding a different portion, some with holes not holding anything. Venison stew with winter squash is inside.

Cold charred venison with "seal oil." The seal oil was anchovie oil mixed with olive oil.

Wine in a ceramic vessel dropped all over me and my purse moments later.

Cattail reed filled ravioli. Pretty good.

Spicy cinnamon pickled radishes. Also good.

Candied goose in phragamites reed with apples for dessert. Candied goose does not taste good.

Rainbow Cookies

Happy rainbow cookie will make you WORK

Rainbow cookies nearly defeated me. To make them requires almost 1 lb almond paste, 6 eggs, 2 lb of butter, lots of steps to make the batter, 3 rectangle pans to bake, many steps to assemble, and so much patience. Multiple steps means multiple ways to screw up, and once youve messed up a few steps youre going down a creek without a paddle. You can see the struggle in the photos, but I did not give up.

The cookies tasted fine, but not perfect. I found the recipe in the May 2o11 issue of Bon Appétit. You may also notice my cookies are yellow, red, and blue rather than the Italian reg, white, and green. I made the cookies to match my composting diagram for Prospect Farm. I brought the cookies to Compost for Brooklyns Block Party to highlight the layers of trench compost. Each cookie acted as a mini trench compost diagram. A cute idea that some appreciated, and had some asking is this made of dirt?

Rainbow Cookies
2 tblsp plus 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temp
6 large egg white
6 large egg yolks
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
12 oz almond paste (not marzipan), chopped
2 3/4 cups plus 1 tblsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red food coloring
1/2 tsp yellow food coloring
1 tsp blue food coloring
3/4 cup orange marmalade
4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Whip 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until firm peaks form. Chill. Meanwhile line three 9 x 13 inch rectangular baking pans with foil, allowing foil to overhang length-wise. Grease foil and sides of the pans with 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add 1 cup of almond paste and sugar to a mixer and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium high and slowly add 2 cups of butter. Beat until fluffy. Add in yolks, one at a time until combine. Add salt and flour, being careful not to over mix. Fold egg whites in two additions by hand with a spatula. Lots of work, eh? Take a breather.

Uggh, I hate artificial colors, but its a tradition.
You can use green in place of blue to, so Italian.

Preheat oven to 350. Divide batter into 3 bowls. Add 1 color of food coloring to each bowl, and fold until evenly colored. Now youre ready to bake. Transfer each colored batter into one prepared pan. Spread evenly, and place in oven. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Rotate pans half way. Remove cakes from the oven when batter is just set.

Yellow layer will go up, over, and on top of the marmalade covered red layer

Meanwhile melt marmalade. The recipe suggests you strain the peel parts out, but I think its fine to leave it in. Brush half of the marmalade on top of the red layer. Lift the yellow layer up using the overhanging foil. Flip top-side-down over the red layer. Peel foil back. Brush the top of the yellow layer with remaining marmalade. Lift the blue layer up using the overhanging foil. Flip top-side-down over the yellow layer. Do not peel the top layer of foil. Place a cookie sheet on top of blue layer. Carefully flip all layers on to the cookie sheet. Place another cookie sheet over the red layer. Weight down with cans, and chill for 4 hours or up to one day. Congratulate yourself on completing the hardest part of making rainbow cookies. You are out of the woods.

Ready to chill? The layers are.

Melt the 4 oz of chocolate over in a double boiler (or a heat proof bowl such as stainless steel or tempered glass, over boiling water) or in a microwave. Whichever you prefer. Remove cake layers from fridge, and peel back top layer of foil. Brush half the chocolate over the red layer.

Take your time, and the results will line up neater then mine. Less trimming equals less waste.

Place uncovered in freezer for 15 minutes to harden the chocolate. Remove from freezer. Place wax paper on top of chocolate layer. Replace cookie sheet over waxed paper, and carefully flip so blue layer is now up. Peel back foil on the blue layer. Brush remaining chocolate over blue layer. Freezer, uncovered for another 15 minutes until hardened. Cut the cookie into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices. Serve! Finally! I kept mine in an airtight freezer container until they were ready to be served.

Anzu Japanese Pork Chop

Fried pork chop, miso with cockels, brown rice, pickles, shave cabbage salad, and seseame sauce not to mention unlimited tea. 

I didnt have as many opportunities to eat real meals on my last trip to Taiwan. There was a ton of cold breakfasts followed by days and nights of tasting food I was prepping. After an afternoon of treading between Taipei markets, grocers, and our kitchen with my 2 friends Faith and Catherine we needed a full on meal. It was late afternoon and we were near Taipei 101. Faith recognizing the value of the opportunity steering us to Anzu the very popular Japanese restaurant. Japan occupied Taiwan from the 30s to the 60s and its influence lingers. Japanese food is very highly regarded as it should be! Its more than just food its an experience of beauty and balance. 

Anzu is in the basement of several fancy department stores in Taipei. I cant read the locations because they are listed in Chinese but go for it on their site: www.anzu.com.tw  The location we visit it still pretty busy as it approaches 3 pm. There are 2 small groups ahead of us and we wait about 25 minutes. On a normal day visitors wait up to 3 hours for a lunch. If you think New Yorkers enjoy waiting in line, you should see the patience of the Taiwanese. We are seated in a booth which is absolutely the right amount of roomy, comfortable, lite by warm natural lights all at the perfect temperature. Already I know we are somewhere special. My friends have been before, and we order right away. Catherine and I both have pork chops which come with salad, miso (with or without cockels) rice (brown or white) and pickles. Im not sure what Faith orders, but comes with most of the same sides. I was not hungry but not prepared for the pampered treatment of the meal that followed.

Cabage salad and dressing

The salad is just greens. Crisp, cold, cabbage shaved threadlike fine with some lettuce. Its exquisitely refreshing, and brilliantly simple. I cant imagine how its created. Surely not by hand, its a millimeter or less thick. Perhaps they have a teeny tiny narrow mandolin, or some motorized shaving device. Thick creamy dressing goes on top. As our salad bowl empties more is abruptly brought. I could eat just this salad.

Soon our meal are brought on trays. The miso is good. The pickles are light and crunchy. Salty and garlicky. I could be misremembering garlic. The rice, like much of the rice Ive had in Asia, is like nothing you see in America. Its rice amplified. Soft, fluffy, and round. Ive read online that it is soaked in broth. It has something in it making it magically delicious. 

Seseame seeds ground, and sauce goo. 

The separateness of each element of this meal is what makes it so special. Each item is on its own plate. The guest can eat each item in little combinations. A bite of pickle with pork. Some pork and rice. It makes the meal personal. The most fantastic new item is the sesame sauce. You are given a shallow ridged bowl filled with the toastiest sesame seeds ever and a perfect smooth stick. You use the stick to grind the sesame seeds and mix in your own wood dipper of brown gooey sauce. I dont know what the brown goo is, but its some kind of sauce alchemy that tastes wonderful and savory on with sesame and better on the pork chop. Call it the Ikea effect but the assemble it yourself-ness of the meal equals lots of happiness. Plus it does get much fresher.

The pork chop is good of course. It is the star, despite my love of that cabbage salad. Its better than most restaurant pork chops. Moist, not too thin. Large chunks of fat surround the meat. Its breaded in thick panko bread crumbs. Im glad to see the Japanese really eat those bread crumbs and its not just some made up marketing scheme to sell more expensive bread crumbs to Americans. It comes on a little wire rack, presumably to keep the bottom crispy, and a cute drop of hot mustard. Not only does the mustard offer an acid contrast that fried food likes for balance but it makes for a subtle attractive contrast on the blue striped plate. Nothing is unconsidered.

Catherine, on the right, shows me how to grind sesame seeds. Notice the beauty of all the dishes. too. Its a great meal experience. The whole meal is $390 New Taiwan, roughly $13 American.

The sewing of Romaine Lettuce and Collard Greens

Aquaponics is amazing....after sowing several dozen Romaine lettuce seeds of various varieties. I was surprised to find that after 3 days most of the seeds had sprouted. This is truly amazing considering that normal germination for these seeds type is 7-10 days. I also did the same with a pack of Collard Green seeds and unexpectedly these also sprouted in 3 days while normal germination is 10-21 days. I have included a few photos to show the new babies.

 You can see the new lettuce sprouts next to the new Bell Pepper plants in the pic above.

 A closer view, Im going to have to cull a few of these as they get bigger.

And yet more....

Here is a shot of the collard sprouts.

I also had a Basil harvest this past weekend due to the fact that the plants were starting to get lengthy and falling over. I cut these back and dried the leaves. I still have quite a few younger plants for fresh cut leaves when needed.

Next post  to follow will provide an overview the new solar hot water panel I put together to heat the fish tank water.