Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 249
September 23, 2019
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September 20, 2019
$1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen King Films Before Halloween
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[September 15-21st, 2019] A paid Stephen King marathon, beer-fueled charity, holy aerial assault, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
$1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen King Movies
USDish.com is promising to pay one (un?)lucky person to watch 13 Stephen King movies before Halloween for $1,300. While It, Pet Sematary, and Children of the Corn may be standard binge material for the month of October, Dish plan’s to monitor the viewer’s heart rate and sleep patterns. Selected participants are also entered to win a trip to Derry, Maine.
Beer Plea Funds Hospital
Hoping to pull off a bit of College Game Day fun, Carson King waved a sign that read “Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished” with his Venmo handle on a Saturday morning ESPN broadcast. He thought people might kick a couple of bucks in, but in just a few hours, he had more than 2,000 notifications. Receiving more than enough to buy a case of beer, he decided to donate the rest to Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. According to his Twitter, people have raised over $155,000!
@CollegeGameDay @KirkHerbstreit @davidpollack47 @MariaTaylor @ESPNCFB I turned my gameday sign for @BuschBeer into a fundraiser for @UIchildrens. We’re at over $5,700.00! #ForTheKids @CycloneATH pic.twitter.com/NeSmj8rGm3
— Carson King (@CarsonKing2) September 16, 2019
Send In The Clowns!
Joshua Jack was working at an ad agency in Australia when he received a meeting invite to talk about his future. He was told to bring a friend for emotional support. Fearing the worst, he hired a professional clown to accompany him. The meeting was about letting him go, but he wasn’t too down about it. The clown made him some balloon animals, and he already has another job lined up.
Priest Blesses Russian City
A priest in Russia flew above the city of Tver seeking to rid people if their sin by raining down 70 liters of holy water. Armed with Inexhaustible Chalice—which Russian Orthodox practitioners believe can heal the sick—he leaned out the plane’s door, dumping the water on the city. In an effort to improve sobriety in the vodka-obsessed country, he hopes his aerial bombardment moves the needle in the battle against drinking.
Homemade Shirt Becomes Official Merch
A young University of Tennessee fan wanted to show off his team pride at his elementary school’s spirit day, but he didn’t have an official Tennessee shirt. Instead, he put on an orange crew-neck and taped a piece of paper to his chest with the letter’s “U.T.” scribbled in black. Excited to show his team off, he was heartbroken when fellow students bullied him for his masterpiece. Eventually, however, his story made its way to UT who not only hooked him up with some swag but turned his shirt design into official merch! Apparently the design was so popular it crashed the university’s website.
Source: $1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen King Films Before Halloween
$1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen king Films Before Halloween
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[September 15-21st, 2019] A paid Stephen king marathon, beer-fueled charity, holy aerial assault, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Beleive It or Not!
$1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen King Movies
USDish.com is promising to pay one (un?)lucky person to watch 13 Stephen King movies before Halloween for $1,300. While It, Pet Semetary, and Children of the Corn may be standard binge material for the month of October, Dish plan’s to monitor the viewer’s heart rate and sleep patterns. Selected participants are also entered to win a trip to Derry, Maine.
Beer Plea Funds Hospital
Hoping to pull off a bit of College Game Day fun, Carson King waved a sign that read “Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished” with his Venmo handle on a Saturday morning ESPN broadcast. He thought people might kick a couple of bucks in, but in just a few hours, he had more than 2,000 notifications. Receiving more than enough to buy a case of beer, he decided to donate the rest to Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. According to his Twitter, people have raised over $155,000!
@CollegeGameDay @KirkHerbstreit @davidpollack47 @MariaTaylor @ESPNCFB I turned my gameday sign for @BuschBeer into a fundraiser for @UIchildrens. We’re at over $5,700.00! #ForTheKids @CycloneATH pic.twitter.com/NeSmj8rGm3
— Carson King (@CarsonKing2) September 16, 2019
Send In The Clowns!
Joshua Jack was working at an ad agency in Australia when he received a meeting invite to talk about his future. He was told to bring a friend for emotional support. Fearing the worst, he hired a professional clown to accompany him. The meeting was about letting him go, but he wasn’t too down about it. The clown made him some balloon animals, and he already has another job lined up.
Priest Blesses Russian City
A priest in Russia flew above the city of Tver seeking to rid people if their sin by raining down 70 liters of holy water. Armed with Inexhaustible Chalice—which Russian Orthodox practitioners believe can heal the sick—he leaned out the plane’s door, dumping the water on the city. In an effort to improve sobriety in the vodka-obsessed country, he hopes his aerial bombardment moves the needle in the battle against drinking.
Homemade Shirt Becomes Official Merch
A young University of Tennessee fan wanted to show off his team pride at his elementary school’s spirit day, but he didn’t have an official Tennessee shirt. Instead, he put on an orange crew-neck and taped a piece of paper to his chest with the letter’s “U.T.” scribbled in black. Excited to show his team off, he was heartbroken when fellow students bullied him for his masterpiece. Eventually, however, his story made its way to UT who not only hooked him up with some swag but turned his shirt design into official merch! Apparently the design was so popular it crashed the university’s website.
Source: $1,300 To Watch 13 Stephen king Films Before Halloween
September 19, 2019
Storming Area 51? Know Before You Go…
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The hush-hush ground of Area 51 seems to be the perfect host of the equally mysterious Facebook event storming the internet. In case you’ve missed all the social media hubbub, one Facebook user created an open-invitation event called, “Storm Area 51. They Can’t Stop All of Us.” Since its conception in June 2019, the event—scheduled to happen on September 20th—has been modified and basically removed, which seems like a smart move for a variety of reasons. If you were, or still are, planning on raiding the highly restricted, Air Force-run property, here’s what you should know.
The Roots: Roswell, NM
It’s no secret that people are drawn to the unanswered and the off-limits; Area 51 is a hotbed for both. However, the only people who know anything about what transpires on the grounds of the Air Force-owned area are those who work there. As a result of its secretive nature, there are many theories and conspiracies surrounding what’s actually being held, or not held, at Area 51—many of which stem from testing that occurred in the 1950s.
One morning in 1947, about 75 miles from the town of Roswell, New Mexico, a rancher named Mac Brazel found a mess of metallic sticks held together with tape, chunks of plastic and foil reflectors, and scraps of heavy paper-like material in his sheep pasture. Brazel called Roswell’s sheriff to help identify the mess. The sheriff called officials at the nearby Roswell Army Air Force base. Soldiers fanned out across Brazel’s field, gathered the debris, and took it away in armored trucks. This was not the only “UFO sighting” activity of its kind. Other odd situations like this occurred in surrounding areas, but no true explanation was given to those who discovered the sky trash.
Concurrently during the 1950s and 1960s, high speed and high altitude aircrafts were being tested. More than half of UFO sightings were confirmed to be these aircrafts. The stories you have heard about the government collecting “stuff” from places like Roswell, New Mexico may be true, but their collection definitely did not consist of shiny UFO parts. And yet, people continue to have their own conspiracies about these black programs said to exist at Area 51, hence leading to viral events like “Storm Area 51. They Can’t Stop All of Us”
An Internet Phenomenon
Just three months ago, a Facebook user created the page, “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” as a comedic, satirical event. As of now, there are 2.1M users who replied with a “Going” RSVP. Most of these participants, however, seem to understand that the event is totally satirical and isn’t calling for true action.
Rachel, Nevada, the unwilling “host” location of the event, consists of just a few blocks of small houses and a hotel/bar/restaurant/souvenir store. That being said, this is no place for a massive, controversial herd of people or any kind of conspiracy party.
In addition to the illegality of storming an Air Force base, Rachel, Nevada is also in no way equipped for an influx of visitors. The closest gas pump is around 50 miles away. Campers would freeze throughout the night and likely overheat and dehydrate during the day. Simply put, there aren’t enough food sources, toilets, lodging, or resources for an event of this magnitude.
Interior of Little A’Le’Inn souvenir shop in Rachel, Nevada
As a disclaimer to members of the group, the founding user even disavowed responsibility for any casualties if people do actually attempt to raid the military base. Knowing the restricted nature and legal action taken towards trespassers, it’s not in anyone’s best interest to take this light-hearted internet fad too seriously.
Stay Put
If you’re one of the “Going” Facebook event respondents, there are a few things you should be aware of before making the trip to Nevada.
If you’re looking for answers, you won’t get them. Sure, locals can tell you what they’ve “seen, heard, or experienced” from an alien or UFO standpoint in Rachel. But, none of them will be able to give you a sure-fire answer as to what truly goes on at this Air Force base. The only people with a grasp on the flight testing and other government activity that occurs are those heavily-screened, top-secret employees and officials.
If you want a closer look, you won’t get it. From the ground to the sky, Area 51 officials are ready for intruders. Airspace around Area 51 in Nevada will be closed to news helicopters and drones this week in anticipation of the event. The facility is also totally surrounded by fencing and “No Trespassing” signs. Driving into the gated area may appear simple, but we can guarantee law enforcement is waiting for you at the door; this was precisely the case for two Internet personalities looking to get an up-close peek at the grounds. Two Dutch YouTubers decided to make one last pit-stop in America before heading home to the Netherlands. With a car full of camera equipment, the friends mozied on into the completely off-limits base and were very quickly arrested, fined, and placed in a small Nevada jail all at the expense of “getting a closer look.”
If you’re thinking of “sneaking in,” think again. Security at Area 51 doesn’t mess around, and neither does The Air Force. Air Force spokesperson Laura McAndrews recently told the Washington Post that the area “is an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces. The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets.” There will be no slipping through the cracks for a sneak peek.
If you are planning on storming this government-owned, highly-restricted, Air Force base, don’t. There are plenty of less dangerous ways to learn about Area 51 that don’t put you or others in danger. Brent and Ryan’s Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast interview with aerospace historian, Peter Merlin is a great way to learn from a professional expert on this area. Annie Jacobsen’s book Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, is a deep-dive for the extremely curious. And, if you’re looking for more unreachable, off-limits bucket list curiosities, check out this episode of Cool Stuff, Strange Things.
Bottom line: unless your ultimate goals are to wind up in handcuffs, jail, intensive questioning, and debt from fines, we recommend conducting your Area 51 research from the comfort of your own home.
September 18, 2019
Why Giant Hairballs Are Found Inside Cows
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Most people are familiar with the horrifying and soggy hairballs left behind by their cats, but cows can also suffer from furry masses stuck in their stomachs. While a cat can painstakingly hurl up their own matted hair, however, cows don’t have the ability to vomit up these hairballs. This means their bovine fur is stuck in one of their four stomachs for good.
Cows have what are called ruminant digestive systems. Unlike humans, who have one stomach for digestion, cows have four, allowing them to eat tough, fibrous grass until they are full. Since this grass is high in fiber and hard to digest, sometimes the regurgitate small bits of it to re-chew. Because their stomachs are separated, foreign bits can become easily stuck in their bodies.
Some of the foreign items commonly found inside cows are hairballs. These masses eventually clump together, forming smooth spheres. Unfortunately, the spheres can prove deadly. As they grow larger, they make the stomach non-functional, blocking food from traveling or digesting properly. By the time a hairball reaches four inches in diameter, a cow will become emaciated and seek to drink massive amounts of water.
Cow hairballs are often only discovered after the animal has died. Goats, sheep, llamas, and deer can all develop these hairballs. For a long time, these clumps were considered to have curative properties. Known as a”bezoar,” it was believed the hairballs absorbed poison and were an ultimate form of antidote.
The Ripley collection contains hundreds of cow hairballs, ranging in size from just a few inches to nearly a foot in diameter! When Ripley’s held a contest to find the biggest hairball in the world, the winner sent in a cow hairball that weighed 10.5 pounds.
CC Wormcast/Wikimedia
Hairballs aren’t the only strange thing that can be found in bovine digestive systems. Because cows are prone to swallowing any number of non-edible objects, many farmers have their cows swallow heavy magnets. These magnets cling to any swallowed metal, keeping it from tearing the animal’s intestines.
Would Babies Born In Space Look Like Aliens?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
With the advancement of technology, some scientists have been paying attention to how pregnant animals react in space. All sorts of critters, from salamanders to fish and rats. However, although over 60 women have made the journey to outer space, a human has never experienced an out-of-this-world pregnancy.
With various projects abuzz exploring the possibility of future space colonies, there is a chance that—one day—humans might actually give birth in zero gravity. What would that be like? Would it have any effect on development? Some scientists believe space babies would have a few very distinguishing features…
Is It Even Possible To Conceive In Space?
Conceiving a baby in zero gravity could certainly prove to be a challenge. Besides the awkwardness, if implantation was successful, other problems would continue to arise. For example, in order for human sperm cells to migrate to the egg, gravity is quintessential. It significantly increases the likelihood of fertilization. If space conception somehow achieved a successful fertilization, we now need to worry about the maturation of the embryo. Without the proper flow of fluids from the mother’s body to the embryo, there could be a problem.
These are just the concerns facing the baby. At the time of birth, the mother will also be at a major health risk due to the loss of bone density caused by the absence of gravity. Studies have shown that for every month spent in space, astronauts lose 1% to 2% of their bone density. This is especially dangerous for childbearing as the pelvis could potentially fracture during the process. It is recommended by doctors that women with brittle bones should avoid natural birth altogether, which means birth in space will most likely depend on other methods, such as Caesarean sections.
Physical Changes
It is a known fact that the way we give birth has a significant influence on our anatomy. For instance, the size of our heads is restricted by the size of our mothers’ birth canal. Therefore, with the use of more C-sections, our descendants’ heads would be larger due to the lack of restriction.
Normally on Earth, all of the fluids in our bodies are pulled downwards due to the impact of gravity. Since this is not possible in space, it is assumed that space babies would develop bloated bodies and puffy faces. Their blood pressure would also increase in the upper body due to zero gravity, causing their eyes to bulge and their brains to lose efficiency. Paler skin and weakness could also occur due to the loss in blood content as the heart atrophies while not having to work against gravity.
But, wait. There’s more [speculation]! Space babies could possibly have a new type of skin pigment. Radiation from the sun—without the protective shield of the Earth’s Ozone layers—will have disastrous impacts on humans’ health, especially skin health. This will lead to a potential change of skin color as evolution tries to counteract the harmful cosmic rays.
So, there you have it. Your futuristic space babies would look (sort of) like…the alien emoji. Bigger heads, bulging eyes, deformed bones, and totally different skin colors would be quite enough for us Earthlings to consider them almost a new species.
With the current pace of technology, migrating to space is very much within reach. Time to mentally prepare for a future family that is truly out of this world!
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