Godzilla vs. Kong
Year: 2021
Giant Sand Dunes meet the Sea
The Southern Namib desert is home to some of the tallest and most spectacular dunes of the world, ranging in color from pink to vivid orange. These dunes continue right to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The cold waters of the sea brushing against the dunes of the Namib desert is one of the most surreal sights.
While the sea coast extends for hundreds of miles, one of the best places to see these dunes is at Swakopmund. Known as Swakop in Namibia, it is the country’s biggest coastal town and a mecca for Namibians on holiday. The city’s German origins are quite pronounced in beautiful old German Colonial buildings throughout the city, making an even starker contrast for this town sitting at the edge of the Namib Desert.
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Cool photos hot off the presses
Unloading potatoes in Minnesota
Coiling Dragon Cliff Walk in China
Great view when taking a leak, location unknown.
Giant sinkhole in Fukuoka, Japan. Completely repaired in 2 weeks.
Sunset over a volcano
San Diego, the city with perpetual perfect weather.
New Zealand earthquake. Wire like rail tracks.
Great shot of Joe Biden. Most experts agree that Joe would have mopped the floor with Trump if he would have ran in 2016.
Whales feeding in Alaska. New underwear for those fisherman.
Angolan President’s palace juxtaposed beside the slums that he rules.
The Big Apple at night.
ISIS suicide “Frankentruck” speeding towards Kurdish lines. These thing are packed with over a thousand pounds of explosives and plated with steel sheeting to protect the driver and engine. Packs a hell of a punch. The key is to hit it with a missile before it gets too close.
Photos held back by the media. They don’t seem to hate each other after all.
Tourists checking out Yosemite in the late 1880’s.
Monstrous monitor lizard invades grocery store in Thailand
A jaw-dropping video out of Thailand shows an enormous monitor lizard invading a grocery store and terrifying onlookers. The wild incident reportedly occurred on Monday afternoon at a 7-Eleven in the city of Nakhon Pathom. Much to the horror of shoppers and employees at the store, the six-foot-long lizard decided to venture out from its home in a nearby canal and do a little ‘shopping’ of its own. In the stunning video which was filmed by a bewildered witness, the creature can be seen scratching at a refrigerator unit containing drinks and then clambering up a tall shelf, knocking products to the floor and eliciting screams from the people watching the strange scene unfold before their eyes.
An employee of the store, who was hiding behind a counter alongside the frightened customers, eventually phoned the police, who dispatched an animal control team to wrangle the sizeable reptile. After what one assumes was something of a struggle, the fearsome creature was dragged from the shop and released back into the wild. Remarkably, a survey of the scene afterwards determined that the animal did not wind up getting any food, so its invasion was apparently all for naught. It is believed that the monitor lizard was compelled to search for sustenance in the 7-Eleven due to an inordinately long drought in the country which has left its native wildlife rather hungry.
A Very Large and Unusual Aircraft
The Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch is an aircraft built for Stratolaunch Systems by Scaled Composites to carry air-launch-to-orbit rockets. It was announced in December 2011 and rolled out in May 2017. The aircraft features a twin-fuselage design and the longest wingspan ever flown, at 385 feet (117 m), surpassing the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat of 321 feet (98 m). The Stratolaunch is intended to carry a 550,000-pound (250 t) payload and has a 1,300,000-pound (590 t) maximum takeoff weight. It should release its rocket at 35,000 ft (11,000 m).
The aircraft flew for the first and so far only time on April 13, 2019, and shortly thereafter, the company announced it would halt development of its air-launched family of launch vehicles following the death of Stratolaunch founder Paul Allen in October 2018. The company ceased operations the next month, and placed all company assets, including the aircraft, for sale for US$400 million by June 2019. Cerberus Capital Management acquired Stratolaunch Systems including the Stratolaunch aircraft in October 2019. Stratolaunch announced in December 2019 that it would now be focusing on offering high-speed flight test services.
Stratolaunch has a twin-fuselage configuration, each 238 ft (73 m) long and supported by 12 main landing gear wheels and two nose gear wheels, for a total of 28 wheels. The twin-fuselage configuration is similar to the Scaled Composites White Knight Two. Each fuselage has its own empennage.
The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer are accommodated in the right fuselage cockpit.[2] The flight data systems are in the left fuselage. The left fuselage cockpit is unmanned with storage space for up to 2,500lb of mission specific support equipment. Both fuselage cockpits are pressurized and separated by a composite pressure bulkhead from the remainder of the unpressurized vehicle.
At 385 ft (117 m), it is the largest plane by wingspan, greater than a 300 ft (91 m) American football field. The main center section is made up of four primary composite spars supported by four secondary spars. The center section of the high-mounted, high aspect ratio wing is fitted with a Mating and Integration System (MIS), developed by Dynetics and capable of handling a 490,000 lb (220 t) load. The wing houses six main and two auxiliary fuel tanks, with the main tanks located inboard adjacent to an engine. The auxiliary tanks are located in the inboard wing where the load-carrying structure joins the fuselage.
Stratolaunch is powered by six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines positioned on pylons outboard of each fuselage, providing 56,750 lbf (252.4 kN) of thrust per engine. Many of the aircraft systems have been adopted from the Boeing 747-400, including the engines, avionics, flight deck, landing gear and other systems, reducing development costs.
It will require 12,000 ft (3,700 m) of runway to lift-off. It should release its rocket at 35,000 ft (11,000 m). It will carry a 550,000 lb (250 t) payload.[8] With a Pegasus II, it could deliver up to 13,500 lb (6.1 t) satellites to LEO or 4,500 lb (2.0 t) to a 15° GTO. It could launch a Dream Chaser small spaceplane capable of transporting astronauts or payloads within 24 hours. The stated goal is to carry up to three Orbital ATK “Pegasus XL” rockets for high-altitude launches by 2022.
Potpourri
He saved his sister from a German shepherd dog & said “If anyone has to die, it’s me as big brother”
Little red riding hood and the big bad wolf
Italy from space.
Thailand
If only you knew the power of the bark side…
Nepalese climbers removed 2.2 tons of trash from Everest while the tourists were away.
The Colored Palace in Yemen (Bugshan Palace).
Unfortunately not this time.
Chill cat enjoying the view at dawn | Santorini, Greece
Bed bugs
Saltwater crocodile riding the surf in Australia, anybody for a swim?
These Celebrity Tombstones Are Both Clever And Impactful At The Same Time
No matter how famous you are in life, we all end up in the ground. In a cemetery, every person is simply a headstone. How you stand out amidst the sea of death? These famous people knew the answer: create a clever epitaph.
Those who referenced their movies and songs or carved jokes into their tombstones will still be remembered decades from now. Here are the wittiest and hilarious celebrity tombstones.
Mel Blanc Used One Of His Thousand Voices
Mel Blanc earned the nickname The Man of a Thousand Voices for a reason. He has voiced memorable cartoon characters including Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, the Tasmanian Devil, and Porky Pig.
Doc Holliday, The Most Famous Old West Shooter
Doc Holliday is one of the most recognizable Old West outlaws. During his life, he was nationally famous for being a trigger-happy gunman, even though he only got into one or two gunfights. Today, Western film makers still use Holliday as inspiration for their plots and characters.
So how did he die? In the midst of blazing gunfire? According to his tombstone, “He died in bed.” Yeah, Holliday died from tuberculosis, not a gun wound.
Merv Griffin Will Not Be Back
Merv Griffin was an American radio host, band singer, Broadway actor, and television host. Most people know him for creating the game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! which still run today. He also hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show.
Leslie Nielson Makes Fart Jokes Even In Death
Leslie Nielson was a Canadian actor and comedian. His most famous works include Airplane!, The Naked Gun series, and the Police Squad! TV show. Those who knew him say he was a practical jokester who often pranked people with his hand-controlled fart machine.
In 2010, Nielson died in his sleep after a battle with pneumonia. His body lies in Fort Lauderdale’s Evergreen Cemetery. As a final joke, he wrote “Let ‘er rip” as his epitaph.
Dee Dee Ramone’s Gotta Go
Douglas Glenn Colvin founded the punk rock band the Ramones. He was also the band’s more prolific writer, although he played the base instead of sang. After the band, he embarked on a short-lived career as a hip hop singer, Dee Dee Ramone.
In 2002, Ramone died of a heroin overdose. He was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery near his bandmate, Johnny Ramone. His epitaph simply says, “O.K…I gotta go now,” proving that he was witty until the end.
Frank Sinatra Promoted His Songs Even In Death
Even those who aren’t a fan of jazz have at least heard about Frank Sinatra. As one of the best-selling music artists of all time, he won the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and eleven Grammy Awards.
Sinatra died next to his wife in 1998 after a heart attack. His tombstone in Desert Memorial Park references one of his songs: “The Best Is Yet To Come.” After he died, sales for this album skyrocketed.
John Wayne Didn’t Get What He Wanted
John Wayne is one of the most famous Western movie stars of all time. He was a top office draw for three decades and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. His gravestone, in Pacific View Memorial Park Cemetery, is solemn. But it wasn’t what Wayne initially wanted.
According to his son, Wayne wanted his tombstone to read “Feo, Fuerte y Formal,” which translates to “Ugly, Strong, and Dignified.” Despite his request, others chose a quote that came from his 1971 interview with Playboy.
Johnny Cash Walks The Line
Even today, country music fans around the world celebrate Johnny Cash’s work. Even those who dislike country star have at least heard songs like “Ring of Fire,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Get Rhythm,” and “Walk the Line.”
In 2003, Cash died of diabetes complications. He was buried near his Tennessee hometown in Hendersonville Memory Gardens next to his wife. His tombstone appropriately says, “I Walk The Line.” His wife, June Carter, placed the name of her final album on her grave: “Wildwood Flower.”
Jim Morrison’s Grave Is Totally Defaced
The lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison passed away at the age of 27 in Paris. He was buried in Division 6 in Père Lachaise cemetery on July 7, 1971. His grave didn’t have a headstone until ten years after his death. Then, it was stolen.
Fans from around the world visit his gravesite and often deface it. Fans also add “love locks” which are padlocks that have two peoples’ names on them, locked to a fence or gate as a symbol that they’ll be together forever.
Fans Leave Campbell’s Soup For Andy Warhol
Pop art legend Andy Warhol is buried in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. In 1985, Warhol said, “I always thought I’d like my own tombstone to be blank. No epitaph and no name. Well, actually, I’d like it to say ‘figment.’”
That’s not what ended up happening, however. He was buried alongside his parents and the Andy Warhol Museum streams live video of his gravesite on its website so fans can see it whenever they please!
Leia on the Beach in the Gold Bikini
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In 1983’s Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia, played by then-27-year-old Carrie Fisher, is taken prisoner by Jabba the Hutt, made his slave and forced to wear a gold bikini.
So when Rolling Stone ran an article on Fisher and the film, a beach was the obvious place to showcase both the cast and Fisher’s interstellar swimwear (we’re guessing).
At California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the shoot featured Fisher together with Leia’s dad (Darth Vader), plus an Ewok and a Gamorrean Guard. And a beatbox.
According to the bikini’s Wikipedia page (yes, that’s correct), Fisher’s breasts had to be taped into place to prevent them from escaping her costume.
Thirty years later, Fisher has returned as General Leia Organa in The Force Awakens. During the run up to the new film’s release, Fisher was asked whether she still had the bikini. “I wear it on special occasions. I’ve got it on underneath now. I wear it always, for luck.”
The Wall Street Journal also asked Fisher for her take on rumors that Disney will no longer market or sell “Leia as slave” merchandise. “I think it’s stupid,” she replied. “The father who flipped out about it, ‘What am I going to tell my kid about why she’s in that outfit?’ Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn’t like it. And then I took it off. Backstage.”
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