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Moon Sports
Mr. Alan Shepard took a few moments during the Apollo 14 landing to show off his hobby during a live broadcast from the lunar surface on Feb. 6, 1971. He took two shots - what the sport was? Try to guess!
I have mornings like this. Just waking up with a funny question in may head that I want immediately to ask Internet about. Today’s question is “was there any sport played off the earth” and the answer is pretty cool – golf! The year is 1971 (more than 50 years ago!) the astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. is actually using a Wilson Staff Dyna-Power 6-iron head attached to a collapsible tool designed to scoop lunar rock samples. He had two balls – one went straight to a crater nearby, but the second one went “miles and miles and miles…” according to Shepard. Turns out its a well known fact, because it was broadcasted life on tv for everyone to watch. Check out the real footage here
Story update.
I was just about to satisfy my momentary curiosity with this story and close the fact when I found an update of the story. The actual distance of this second shot has been a subject of much doubts and analysis by experts over the years. Looks like only finding the ball by returning to the moon, or with photographic evidence, can solve the historical problem of such importance! And we are lucky!
Researches looked at recent high-resolution scans of the actual original flight film (which has rarely made it out of its frozen archive vault in Houston) So, using modern image enhancement techniques, they identified and located the second ball. Using a known scale from images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a spacecraft launched in 2009, the point between divot and ball can be measured.
After returning to the Lunar Module in preparation to leave the moon, the Apollo 14 crew took sequences of photographs from the window to show the landing site. The following image consists of six such photographs, enhanced and stitched into a single panorama to show the scene from the window, along with the location from where Shepard swung his makeshift club, and both golf balls. You can read one of the the fullest resumes here, sadly they concluded that Shepherd’s words ”been regarded as a light-hearted exaggeration; something highly competitive astronauts and golfers are prone to.
According to USGA.org “The fact that Shepard even made contact and got the ball airborne is extremely impressive. And due to the one-sixth gravity and lack of atmosphere, the ball traveled significantly farther than it would have on Earth.
The absence of aerodynamic forces on the ball, and lack of the spin-induced “magnus effect”,caused by the ball’s dimples, meant that it followed a perfectly parabolic flight. It also stayed airborne longer due to lower gravitational forces pulling it back to the ground. Bow down, Mr. Sheperd!
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Red Sole inspiration
Christian Louboutin shoes are incomparable in terms of their glamour, elegance and prestige. Nowhere else will you find such a diverse collection of high quality footwear, from classics to iconic designs that have been reworked season after season with the best materials. And his work is just style kissed.
You have probably heard the slang term “Red bottoms” is a noun that is used to reference Christian Louboutin’s shoes. He designed these red bottom shoes that turned to his signature later on. An iconic allure, these red bottoms are synonymous with style. They can make any woman feel like a star.
Christian Louboutin
According to biography.com, he was expelled from school at age 16, then soon after he went to work at the famed Parisian cabaret Folies Bergère. He did all sorts of jobs for the dancers, including fulfilling his personal dream of creating shoes for them. Louboutin then learned the ins and outs of the shoe business when he landed a job with Charles Jourdan in the early 1980s.
After working as a freelance designer for a time, Louboutin set up his own shop in Paris in the early 1990s.He found the inspiration for his trademark red outer soles in 1993. “My assistant was sitting there, painting her nails red. I took one look and decided to color my soles red as a statement for the season,” Louboutin told Footwear News. “I thought, ‘Oh my god! Red soles are so flirtatious,’ and my customers asked me not to stop.” customers.
Madonna wore his dangerously high heels in some of her videos, helping to introduce the world to Louboutin.
biography.comWhat really makes a great impression to me though, is the way he transferred this recognizable design detail into other accessories too. Today the collection includes a line of handbags that are every bit as collectable as the shoes, ranging from evening clutches to everyday totes. And they are all super cool-looking!
One thing is for sure, my designer eye is definitely pleased and my “Spoiled kid to have list” is increasing.Today I’ve picked up a couple of bags. Every each of them is perfect for everyday life, they can be styled in way too many ways, so you don’t have to worry about how to combine it.
Cabarock Large Lizard-Embossed Tote Bag
By Christian Louboutin
- Christian Louboutin “Cabarock” tote bag in lizard-embossed calf leather
- Flat top handles with spikes to reinforce the handles, 9″ drop
- Can be worn over the shoulder
- Open top with lobster clasp closure
- Exterior, signature red rubber “sneaker sole” protects bottom of bag
- Structured silhouette with flat base for stability
- Interior, one slip pocket
- Signature red lining
- Leather lining
Leather/synthetic - Item weighs approx. 2.2 lb.
- Approx. 11.8″H x 15.5″W x 5.5″D
- Made in Italy
Cabata Spike Leather AirPods Case
By Christian Louboutin
- Christian Louboutin “Cabata” calf leather and TPU AirPods bag-shaped case with signature spikes
- Keyring with logo disc charm
- Signature red leather lining
- Approx. 2.8″H x 2.8″W x 1″D
- Made in Italy
Frangibus Typographic Printed Crossbody Tote Bag
By Christian Louboutin
- Christian Louboutin crossbody bag in typographic logo print in toile with fringe trim.
- Flat leather top handles with studded trim.
- Detachable, adjustable shoulder strap.
- Open top with snap closure.
- Interior, one slip pocket.
- Feet protects bottom of bag.
- Approx. 5.9″H x 13.4″W x 9″D.
- “Frangibus” is made in Italy.
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*Note that, all websites are trustworthy and should follow all rules and regulations. In case you have troubles with your order, please contact the store, but your can also leave me a message, so I might consider removing the recommendation so nobody gets disappointed! Thank you!
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Donkey business
What donkeys do these days, are they disappearing or they are just adjusting to our new world? Read along this little research of mine.
Donkeys
t all started a while ago, when I stumbled upon an old article about my home country Bulgaria.
An Association called ”Veterinarians in action” rented a land in Gotce Delchev area to build a shelter for old donkeys.
They are using this desolate land to make a home for all donkeys in the area who can no longer serve for their owners. There were over 50 donkeys needing a normal life win they old age after being used for decades as main vehicle for the harsh work. And someone thought about that! How cool is that!
Mixed feelings kicked in tho.
My worrying soul started to feel a little sad about this animal kind.
Is it possible that they are getting totally out of our picture now. Are those highly treasured helpers of all time sadly loosing their purpose in this planet?Though I might make my on tiny research before I get all upset about.
A quick throw back
Prior to the domestication of certain animals, donkeys were a source of food for man. Although wealthy Roman women bathed in donkey milk to preserve their beauty, men did value donkeys as a vehicle of transportation to and from work.
When trade of products among territories expanded throughout Europe and Asia, donkeys were used as pack animals to carry goods from various destinations. The journey was difficult and often donkeys were exchanged at various villages resulting in diverse bloodlines.Then something interesting comes around! Although cross breeding evidences present back to ancient times, it seems to get a lot more interesting around the 1900’s. Nifty people wanted to get all good features and set back all the ones that wasn’t needed in harsh farming world, so they made a hybrid animal crossings.
Hybrids are animals with parents that come from different species. A necessary condition is that those species are similar enough, making them compatible for interbreeding. In other words, donkeys, horses and zebras belong to the same animal family and share similar features necessary for successful interbreeding, so people feel free to experiment around.
A couple of examples follow:
Mules
Mules are the offspring of a male donkey (jack) and a female horse (mare). They combine characteristics of both parents: large body shapes and smooth coats similar to a horse, with donkey-like long ears, small sturdy hooves, short manes and thick heads.
They can jump high from a standing start, even above their own height. They always inherit both intelligence and obedience, so they gladly accept training and learn quickly. Plus, they behave well under the saddle. Mules are incredibly sure on their feet, and they can walk long distances on rough and uneven terrains with much less effort than horses. For that reason, people have used them for carrying cargo across mountains and rocky or steep trails for centuries.
Mules also have a pretty large carrying capacity. They can transport more weight than the horse of the same size due to their specific muscle structure. Extreme temperatures are usually not a problem for these animals, as well. They handle harsh climates much better than horses.
Using mules instead of horses for transport has another significant advantage. Mules require less food. That means it not only costs less to feed them, but they can also carry more goods or equipment because their food takes less space.
Hinnies
- Turns out there is a big difference when mixing female horse with male donkey and female donkey with male horse. The results you get are totally different. So, about hinnies:
Hinnies are the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey Hinnies are more donkey-like in temperament, in part because they are raised by donkeys. However, hinnies are generally quieter, less curious, more compliant and less independent and adventurous than mules. They prefer to avoid trouble rather than confront it.
They are much less common than mules and are not generally bred for commercial use.
Zebrass or Zorses
Zebrass is hybrid produced by breeding a female zebra with an ass (male donkey). This cross is also called a zebrose, zebrula, zebrule, or zebra mule. The rarer reverse pairing is sometimes called a hebra, horsebra, zebret, zebrinny, or zebra hinny. The crosses were originally done in England and Africa to try to produce a domestic horselike animal that was resistant to diseases spread by the tse tse fly in Africa.
Zebras have natural resistance, where domestic donkeys and horses do not. The experimental crosses were actually becoming popular until early in the 20th century when the auto displaced the horse and mule. At that point cross-breeding was largely abandoned. A revival of interest came in the early 1990s, with just about every breed of domestic horse imaginable being tried.
Zonkeys
A cross between female zebra and a male donkey is known as a zenkey, zonkey, (a term also used for donkeys in Tijuana, Mexico, painted as zebras for tourists to pose with them in souvenir photos), a zebrass, or a zedonk. Other names also include zebadonk and zebronkey.
Donkeys are closely related to zebras and both animals belong to the horse family. These zebra-donkey hybrids are very rare. In South Africa, they occur where zebras and donkeys are found in proximity to each other. Like mules and hinnies, however, they are generally genetically unable to breed, due to an odd number of chromosomes disrupting meiosis.
Top 3 features
Donkeys have way many great features, Internet (not only) is full of them.
Let me share my top 3 facts I’ve picked up for you.
3. It ain’t no laugh
You have seen this posture, haven’t you?
When horses, donkeys and mules curl their upper lips and look like they’re laughing, they’re actually engaging in a special behaviour known as flehmen grimace to determine whether a smell is good or bad.
So, you might find this face pretty pinteresing or instagrammable and grab the photo opportunity, but you should know that the donkey probably doesn’t like your perfume in that very moment. 🙂
2. Panoramic view
Donkeys can see all four of their feet at the same time .
Donkeys’ eyes are at the sides of their heads, giving them a wide field of vision. They have both monocular and binocular vision, which allows them to see two fields of vision at once (monocular) or to focus on the same thing with both eyes at the same time (binocular). Another interesting fact is that in order to survive a blind donkey will often bond with a seeing donkey who will act as their guide forever.
Cute, isn’t it?
1. Coyote fight club
These guys keep coyotes and snakes away!
Donkeys usually are peaceful animals, but unlike horses, don’t tend to show fear when it comes to coyotes or snakes. They don’t run away like horses and will instead confront and face down any threat.
According to firsttimefarming these techniques are very effective.
1. Braying loudly and stomping their feet: sending warning signals that they’re prepared to fight if provoked2. Kicking out: using their hard hooves to prevent coyotes getting close
3. Charging and chasing: running toward the predator and displaying their size
4, Picking them up by the neck and shaking them wildly: possibly causing trauma that can disable or injured
Don’t know about you but this totally looks like a some sort of a donkey martial art to me 😉 I imagine them as a classy James Donk bodyguards even.Conclusion
Looks like myths surrounding donkey intelligence are highly influenced by everyday language. Comparisons with donkeys sometimes act as a means of insulting an individual’s intelligence. Donkeys have an excellent memory, and great ability to learn. A 2013 study by The Donkey Sanctuary found that they can learn and problem-solve at the same pace as dolphins and dogs.
Not sure if we’ll see a Harvard graduated donkey any time soon, but I may consider inviting a Zonkey for my next board game night.Donkeys these days are actually still appreciated in many areas of the world as strong cargo carriers and remarkable climbers. They can reach places cheap where there are no routes, so their duty is still going on just like the old times. Other places of the world, though, donkeys are now considered and entertaining spieces.
No matter if they are acting in films, just being awesome on Instagram, or main cast ni a kid’s dream walk in nature, they are fun companions to have around.
Farmers and animal lovers are still raising them just because they are cool! A donkey life in a small balkan village or a super fancy special farm in the states, they are for sure a spot on.I feel better now, donkeys are kind of safe. 🙂
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Wrestling Cholitas
Combining multilayered lace skirts with wrestling seams like a weird combination, but it actually does exists in real world and feels like quite an interesting phenomena. They are called "Wrestling Cholitas" and they are a blast in Bolivia these days!
1. The Cholitas
Cholita or Pollera women are easily identified by their signature pollera skirts—a bouffant style gathered at the waist. With voluminous layered skirts puffing out in colorful rings and jaunty bowler hats, the cholita’s attire is an iconic feature of the Bolivian landscape.
Although the costume is more expensive, heavier, and more difficult to wash, this garment is still the preferred female clothing in the most important cities of the Altiplano region (Southeast of the Andes)
Cholitas are usually seen merely as poor migrants who moved to the cities, for years, cholitas were treated as second-class citizens, they were even banned from certain public places. We can also say this by translating the Spanish word cholita, which means indigenous person “chola,” These days, women have gained worldwide attention, and it’s no wonder.
An interesting fact!
The hats that sit atop women’s tightly tied braids are a remnant of Bolivia’s days as a hub of new world commerce, a country that attracted many traders from Europe and the United States. The traders brought the hats from Manchester, England intending to sell them to Bolivian men and traders living in mining towns. Finding they were too small to fit the heads of the local men; the traders convinced the Bolivian women that these hats were all the rage amongst the fashionable women in London.
The accessory has since become a distinctly cholita style and play an important role in cholita culture because they signify social status. Tilted on a side of her head means she is a single. A hat pointing up says “I’m married” and backward positioning means “Widowed”.2. Wrestling
Just like WWE or Mexican wrestling called Lucha libre*, it’s all about the show – women, who are highly trained performers, battle in a funny and really dramatic way. Matches typically have a “good” and a “bad” character, opponent could also sometimes could be a man.
*Lucha libre wrestling is a sport that originated in Mexico in the early 1900s. It is now one of the most popular forms of sport entertainment in South America.
Ten years ago this sport was exclusively for men but recently the women, the cholitas, have become involved as fighters. Many of them are wives and daughters of wrestlers. During the week they tend to their family and their businesses doing different jobs.”
BRAVO!
These women are redefining stereotypes and making a name for themselves.
Started just as an improvised 1$ street show, they are now Association of Fighting Cholitas, and keep demanding respect and recognition as athletes and women. They have elevated the event from a novelty, to one emphasizing that they are athletes competing in a professional capacity and that they are powerful women worthy of recognition.
From the bold color of their traditional clothing to the way they straddle their opponents, they are everything you could want to spread awareness.
Well done, girls!Feel like checking the real picture?
Watch Sara and Nate’s journey to
one of those shows in La Paz here. -
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