SPACE: NASA Launched 2.4 Billion Mission To Mars Yesterday

Photo:  Screenshot from video

Yesterday at 7:50AM EST, NASA launched a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on a mission to Mars.  It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida from Space Launch Complex 41.

What I think is cool is the 4lb $80 million dollar helicopter drone that will take photos from the landscape.  It will be the first aircraft to fly on another planet.

The rocket also carries the Perseverence rover that will collect samples to look for ancient life on the red planet.  

Below is a video by CBS This Morning that gives an overview and a photo by a Reddit user that rented a plane to see the launch.

The rocket is expected to reach Mars in February of 2021.

xx

I rented a plane for today’s launch of NASA’s newest Mars rover from r/pics

UNIQUE CREATION: Knitted Mask Face with Four Mouths and Tongues

View this post on Instagram

Unique knitted face masks by Icelandic artist @yrurari . . . #BoredPanda #art #handmade #artwork #artist #knitting #mask #style #inspiration

A post shared by Bored Panda (@boredpanda) on May 21, 2020 at 8:25am PDT

I have to say I have never seen a mask like this before but think it would be great for social distancing as people would keep at least a tongue's length away.

UNIQUE HOLIDAY: HAPPY NATIONAL LIPSTICK DAY

Yes, it is a "Holiday" where makeup companies offer deals on their lip products.

Allure has a post of different makeup companies that are offering discounts for this "Holiday".

VEHICLE: "VANNY DEVITO"

Did someone say,,, Vanny Devito? from r/funny

I used to have a van that I named "Vin Unleaded" (because it was not a Diesel), but having a picture of Danny DeVito and naming the Vanny Devito is next-level creative.

UNIQUE ART: Change an Avatar by Drawing on Clear Plastic Cups

Quarantine day 74 pic.twitter.com/ZP5jdMtb7t

— Engineering (@engineeringvids) July 27, 2020

#LOCKDOWN 2020 - VACATION PIC

COVID-19 may have delayed or canceled your vacation plans to spend a day on the beach.  

That doesn't mean you can fake one in your own backyard by with a  kiddie pool with some sand and water, watch some relaxing beach videos on Youtube and fake a beach photo with two hot dogs.

VINTAGE FASHION: 1967 YOUNG LADIES WARDROBE

Photo:  Source

This was posted on a Facebook group Mikki's 1960s Fashions, Culture and History and it shows a young lady names Vicki modeling her 1967"Summer of Love" wardrobe that would have cost $75 at that time. 

UPCYCLED ART: RE-TIRED ELEPHANT

Photo:  Screenshot from video below

This interesting piece is an installation on display at The Elephant Sanctuary Discovery Center that is on the site of an elephant sanctuary and encourages selfie-taking with it.

From the video below, it is made out of recycled tires by Nashville artist by the name of Alex Lockwood and was made to resemble one of their first elephants there by the name of Tara.

Location:  27 E Main St, Hohenwald, TN 38462, USA

WEATHER: LIGHTING BEHIND STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK

Photo:  Screenshot from video

This is probably the coolest thing I have ever seen on Twitter.  It is amazing that it was caught on video (below).

The photographer is also selling face masks with the picture for $14.99 on Teespring.

The best video I ever captured. #NewYork #WeatherChannel #NYC pic.twitter.com/cOBqTqJ9LO

— Mikey Cee (@_Mikey_Cee) July 22, 2020

INTERESTING SOLUTION: DENT IN VEHICLE

Photo: Source

FORENSIC ART: Scientist Reconstruct The Face Teen That Lived 9,000-Years Ago

Photo:  Screenshot from video

Oscar Nilsson, a Swedish archaeologist and sculptor specializing in the reconstruction of human faces, reconstructed the face of a teen girl estimated to be 15-18 that lived in 7,000 B.C. during the Mesolithic Period.

It is on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece

UNIQUE ART: UPCYCLED STATUE BY RODOLFO MARASCIUOLO

View this post on Instagram

Mary Poppins is here🌂 signed Rodolfo Marasciuolo

A post shared by Baobab Photography 📷 (@baobab__photography) on Jun 8, 2019 at 9:46am PDT

Sculpture by Rodolfo Marasciuolo , Giardini Lamarmora (Lamarmora Gardens) , Torino, Italy

I like this as it looks like a vintage lace ghost watering flowers.

An article here indicates:

"Roberto aka Rudy Marasciuolo (1961) is an Italian artist.

Rudy Marasciuolo is an employee of the Municipality of Turin, where he works for the public green sector. He repairs brushcutters, lawnmowers and chainsaws and in his free moments he creates his works of art with recycled materials: pipes, pieces of chandeliers, sticks for curtains, dissuaded poles, torn clothes, old clothes and old household items."

In addition to upcycling discarded items into works of art, another unique thing he does per the article is to move the displays around in the city. 

UPCYCLED: TOILET TO COOLER & GRILL

Photo: Source

I have to admit it would be an interesting conversation piece and give the person that thought of it props for their creativity.  

I guess if it was fully cleaned and sanitized (is that what they were doing with the Jack Daniel's whiskey next to the bowl?) it would be ok, but I don't think I would want a hot dog off of that grill.

EARTH: ISS Symphony - Timelapse of Earth from International Space Station

Below is a video compilation of video from ISS space station put to music.

The creator of the video recommends watching it in a dark room with the sound up, which I agree with as it gives you a different perspective of the Earth.

WEATHER: CRAZY WIND IN HAWAII

Photo:  Screen shot from video

When I think of Hawaii it is of a warm breeze, but from the video below it looks like gale-force winds.

It looks like they are on a mountain and it would be colder and windier at that altitude, but I had never seen a video from Hawaii this windy before.

View this post on Instagram

Crazy wind in Hawaii 😰 TAG someone you would like to live and adventure here with 👇❤️ Video: @sydneybrown_xo Congrats! #living_destinations #hawaii #hawaiian #oahuhawaii #hawaiilife #hawaiin #usa🇺🇸 #naturephotography #naturelovers #nature_perfection #travel #traveladdict #naturelover #travelphotography #postcardsfromtheworld #girltravel #bbctravel #amazingplaces #awesomeplaces #wonderful_places #beautifuldestinations

A post shared by Living Destinations (@living_destinations) on Jul 17, 2020 at 4:39am PDT

CATS: Parkouring Cat

This cat acts like it thinks it is Spiderman from the GIF below.

https://t.co/b0VJ1h7cyM - Why they say cats have nine lives.

— Kathryn Sprowl (@KMOM14) July 16, 2020

ASTRONOMY: COMET NEOWISE WON'T BE BACK FOR 7,000

Sky and Telescope via Source

From now up to 7/23/20 comet Neowise can be viewed in the night sky and once it leaves it will not be back for another 7,000 years.

Meteorologist Eric Zernich posted on Facebook yesterday:

"Starting tonight at about 11PM you can view the Comet NEOWISE along the horizon just below the Big Dipper. For the next week the comet will climb higher in the sky giving us a long duration to view the comet. This weekend we show have the best viewing conditions with mainly clear skies to really see the comet. This comet will not be visible again for about 7,000 years"

WEATHER: Rainbow & A Funnel Cloud

Photo: Source  

Huntington New Now posted this picture two day ago indicating:

"Drew Finley Smith shot this in Warren. This has it all. Rainbow and a funnel cloud. Amazing."

Comments range from "It looks like a scene out of the "Wizard of Oz"" to "Photo is a PERFECT analogy for 2020 so far! Waiting for the next shot of locusts, frogs and fire from the sky!!"

What does it make you think of?

UNIQUE PLACES: LENNOX CASTLE, SCOTLAND - BUILT IN 1800s

View this post on Instagram

Lennox Castle, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 . . Lennox Castle was built between 1837 and 1841, in the square style of a Norman castle for John Lennox Kincaid In 1927, the castle was purchased by Glasgow Corporation for £25,000, together with 494 ha (1,222 acres) of the Lennox Kincaid estate, as part of its plans to create a hospital for the mentally-ill. In 1987, the original Lennox Castle building was no longer required by the hospital, and was vacated. A phased closure plan for the hospital began in the 1990s, including a planned resettlement of all the residents. Lennox Castle Hospital closed in April, 2002. By 2004, only the original Lennox Castle building remained on the site, all other hospital buildings having been demolished, and the site cleared. . . Photo by @lone_wandererz . . #mobicastle #instatravel #instagram #history #world #europe #europetravel #traveleurope #zamki #castillo #burg #chateaux #schloss #castle #castles #lennox #scotland #scotlandhighlands #scotlandtravel #scotland_greatshots #scotlandphotography #scotlandexplore #scotland_ig #scotlandtrip #scottish #lovescotland #travelinggram #instascotland #scotlandbeauty #scotlandroadtrip

A post shared by 𝕸𝖔𝖇𝖎𝕮𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖑𝖊 - 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖑𝖊𝖘 (@mobicastle) on Jul 10, 2020 at 11:00pm PDT

VINTAGE AD: 1980 MCDONALD'S PLACEMAT FROM GERMANY

 

This is a photo of a placemat advertising McDonald's food that I picked up in Hamburg, Germany in 1980.

Most are the same you could have gotten in the U.S. at that time except they served Beer (Bier).

 

UNUSUAL ART: WEIRD NAIL ART

Photo:  Screenshot from video - originally nail_sunny on Instagram

Not sure why anyone would want to have live ants encased on the end of their nails, but I do have to say it is something you don't see every day.

Below is a video by Charlotte Dobre on Youtube showing the above and other unique nail art items that are next-level unusual.

Millennial Dads vs Baby Boomer Dads

GROCERY STORE GRADUATION CEREMONY

Screenshot from video

Due to most schools being closed after mid-March due to COVID-19, many seniors that would have graduated this year did not get a ceremony.

At Priceless Foods in Russell Spring, KY, the manager decided to have a surprise ceremony in the store for their six seniors that graduated this year to give them a special day.

Full article here.   Video is below.

EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY

The video below has firsts in the evolution of photography. 

The above is a screenshot from the video from 1825 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a French inventor and pioneer in the field of photography, and is the earliest known heliographic engraving.

VINTAGE BOOK: SEWING AND TAILORING BOOK FROM IRELAND - 1833-1837

Photo:  Source

The above is from Steampunk Tendancies on Facebook and it indicates it is a sewing and tailoring book from Dublin, Ireland published between 1833-1837 and it includes samples along with drawing and instructions.

One of the commenters indicated:

"Marinna MacMinn

I saw this a couple years ago on the British antiques roadshow. It was the final test girls in Irish orphanages had to complete to show they were proficient at sewing".

MURAL: FIRETRUCK WITH ZOO ANIMAL FIRE FIGHTERS AT THE ZOO

The above fun mural is on the wall of firefighting zoo animals at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is on the wall of Firehouse Subs on Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Location:  4423 Coldwater Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY - DR. SEUSS EDITION

View this post on Instagram

Wishing you all a very safe and happy 4th of July from our family to yours. 🇺🇸 ... #drseuss #4thofjuly #independanceday #happy4thofjuly #independance #america #family #friends #americanflag

A post shared by Dr. Seuss (@drseuss) on Jul 4, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

UNIQUE ART: "DIGNITY" 50 FT. STAINLESS STEEL STATUE OF NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN AND STAR QUILT

Photo:  @Jim Gath via Incredible Recipes

The above sculpture was installed near Chamberlain, South Dakota and donated by Norm and Eunabel McKie to the state of South Dakota in 2014 in honor of the state's 125th statehood anniversary.

Wikipedia indicates:

"The 50-foot (15.24 meter) high stainless steel statue by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lampher depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. According to Lamphere, the sculpture honors the culture of the Lakota and Dakota peoples who are indigenous to South Dakota.^[3] Assisting Lamphere were sculptors Tom Trople, Jim Maher, Andy Roltgen, and Grant Standard. Automotive paint expert Brook Loobey assisted with the colors for the quilt, and Albertson Engineering of Rapid City, SD ensured the sculpture would endure the strong winds common in the area."

CREATIVE FOOD: NATIVE AMERICAN FRUIT SCULPTURE

Photo:  Source

SEA LIFE: STRAWBERRY SQUID

Photo:  Source via NOAA Fisheries

 

While this looks like it might be a decoration, it actually is a sea creature.

A large strawberry squid, one of three caught on the last trawl of the Deep-See cruise. Photo: NOAA Fisheries "The Strawberry squid gets its nickname from the berry-like appearance of its bright-red body speckled with numerous jewel like luminescent photophores "

via @octonation

Posted by Apolonis APHRODISIA on Saturday, June 27, 2020

Large for this species though seems to be around 39 inches as NOAA Fisheries indicated:

"The largest had a mantle length of 29 centimeters (about 11.5 inches) and an overall length of about a meter (roughly 39 inches), which seems to be the maximum size reported for these squid."