Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 262
July 14, 2019
July 13, 2019
July 12, 2019
World Wife Carrying Championship Bested In Just Over One Minute
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[July 7-13th, 2019] The world wife-carrying champions, killer cats, an orange seagull, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Wife-Carrying Championship
Each year, couples battle it out in the World Wife-Carrying Championship. Held in Finland, contestants must have the wife ride on the backs of their husbands while navigating a 278-yard obstacle course. This year’s winners, the Kirkliauskas set a new best time, completing the challenge in just one minute and 6.72 seconds.
Via World Wife Carrying Championship
Surviving Niagara
Though a handful of people have survived a trip down Niagara Falls in barrels, one man recently made the journey with absolutely nothing protecting his body. The man who eluded police and climbed over a retaining wall threw himself in the river and was carried over Horseshoes Falls—the largest of the three falls at Niagara. Surviving a nearly 200-foot drop, the man was later found by police sitting on some rocks with no serious physical injuries.
Orange Seagull
Wildlife officials in Buckinghamshire, UK, were informed that a very strange looking bird was having trouble in the area. Onlookers said it looked like a seagull, but was bright orange. Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital was eventually able to catch the bird and discovered it was indeed a seagull, but its orange skin was not natural. The bird apparently had gotten into a vat of turmeric. After a much-needed bath, he was released back into the wild.
Facebook Group Plans Area 51 Raid
While a recent episode of the Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast took a close look at how Area 51 was set up and most of what goes on there, the public at large still has many theories about the facility’s association with the extra-terrestrial. Hoping to thwart the base’s security—which mostly consists of inhospitable desert—a group of 400,000 people has pledged to blitz the facility to “see them aliens.”
An Area 51 warning sign.
Killer Cats
While the adverse effects of letting house cats roam in the wild have been known for some time, experts in Australia have just recently been able to quantify their impacts. According to their research, free-roaming and feral felines kill over 2 billion native animals per year. They estimate that in just one day 1.8 million reptiles, 1.3 million birds, and 3.1 million mammals fall to kitten paws.
Source: World Wife Carrying Championship Bested In Just Over One Minute
July 11, 2019
Do You Really Just Need 8 Glasses Of Water A Day?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Almost everyone’s heard of the 8×8 rule. Specifically, it states that one needs to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day in order to take in the necessary amount of water to stay healthy. While this advice seems to be universally understood, although almost no one follows it, it’s important to consider where it actually came from and whether or not it’s really accurate.
Who Started the 8×8 Rule?
The 8×8 rule seems to have come from one of two places. A 1945 report published by the National Research Council’s Food and Nutrition Board stated that to stay hydrated, people need to take in one milliliter of water for every calorie they consume. Since the advised daily intake of calories is around 2,000 each day, this would mean the same individual would need to drink 2,000 milliliters of water to match it. This roughly translates to about eight 8-ounce glasses of water. A book written by Dr. Frederick Stare in 1974 also offers the advice that people should take in 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.
However, both of these publications mentioned that water can be found in other places than just its purest, drinkable form. They both mentioned that one can eat fruits and other foods high in water content to get their daily water intake. In addition, they mentioned almost every beverage you can drink—from tea to coffee to soda to beer—contains some form of water.
So, Should I Drink 8 Glasses a Day?
In truth, eight glasses might actually be overkill. You’re taking in water from many different sources throughout your day, and those who are eating healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy are taking in even more. Even those who drink beer moderately are getting their water intake from this substance, as one must drink quite a lot of beer before the diuretic effect takes hold. Therefore, it’s probably best not to make yourself crazy trying to hit this mark.
How Much Water Should I Drink?
Scientifically speaking, women are meant to ingest 2.7 liters of water a day, while for men, it’s 3.7. However, this is considering water coming from all sources, and you’re already likely taking in more of than you realize.
The best way to gauge how much water you should drink is to pay attention to your body and notice when you feel thirsty. Feeling hungry can also be a sign that you’re in need of hydration, and this is why drinking more water is almost always recommended for those hoping to lose weight. However, drinking more water itself doesn’t actually help you shed the pounds but instead makes you less likely to eat when you’re not hungry.
If you are a long-distance runner, someone who lives in a hot climate, breastfeeding, or living an especially active lifestyle, you may want to be a little more focused on your water intake, as you’ll need more of it than the average sedentary but healthy person. Still, drinking too much water can cause a problem called water intoxication. Water intoxication can even be fatal, though it doesn’t happen too often to people who aren’t professional athletes or coping with an illness.
You may be looking for a definitive answer when it comes to how much water you should drink, but every person and their lifestyle is different. Therefore, try to remember to stay hydrated and to drink when you’re thirsty, but don’t overdo it.
By Julia Tilford, contributor for Ripleys.com
July 10, 2019
The Man Who Bought Stonehenge At Auction
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The Stonehenge Auction
Stonehenge has passed through many hands in its 5,000-year history, but in 1915, it became the property of Cecil Chubb.
After being seized from an Abby during the reign of Henry VIII, Stonehenge had passed from private owner to private owner. In 1914, the owner was killed in the early days of World War I. As his property went to auction, rumors abounded as to who would buy Stonehenge.
Many thought an American millionaire would buy the stones and have them shipped to America, but Cecil Chubb emerged the victor, paying £6,600.
In today’s dollars, the purchase was worth $875,000!
Mysteries of Stonehenge
Believe it or not, the 40-ton stones used to make Stonehenge were quarried 20 miles away and were moved there without the benefit of wheeled equipment.
Some of the stones are 13-feet high, and weigh over 25 tons! People often take the “impossible” size to mean some supernatural source must have helped assemble them, but researchers have proven the stones could have been moved with simple pulleys and logs.
Believed to be around 5,000 years old, there are many theories as to Stonehenge’s purpose. Truthfully it’s been used for many different things in its long history. Archaeologists know that the site was a place of burial and healing even before the stones were erected. Since then, numerous groups have worshiped and practiced rituals at the site.
An interesting feature of the stones is that they arranged so that light shines through them during the summer and winter solstices.
Cecil Chubb
No one is quite sure why Chubb decided to buy the land. He claims to have bought it on a whim, and as a gift for his wife. (A gift she is rumored to have not appreciated.)
Many people think, however, that he wanted to secure it against American interests. After holding it just two years, he donated the land to the public, with the stipulation people be able to easily visit the monolith.
To honor his donation, Chubb was made a baronet by the British crown. His residence was visited frequently by King George VI, who liked the seclusion of the Chubb’s estate.
July 9, 2019
Cracking Indiana Jones’s Whip
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
While the adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones was cut into American culture by Harrison Ford, the character’s trademark hat and whip are enough to make any aspiring explorer teem with jealousy.
While many inside the industry regard Raiders of the Lost Ark as a stuntwork masterpiece, that doesn’t mean Ford couldn’t swing a few punches or crack Indy’s whip. The Australian bullwhips Indy wields in the films—not counting Crystal Skull, of course—were all made by whip maker David Morgan. Morgan’s whips have been famous since the 1970s, and are still sold today.
The whip in the Ripley collection was used in Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade. Morgan used a design inspired by short American bullwhips, but made it of tough kangaroo hide and Australian-style braiding. This hybrid whip boasted the balance and ease of use needed for Hollywood stuntmen, while having the extreme durability needed for harsh and repetitive filming environments. Inside the handle is an eight-inch steel spike, wrapped in lead tape to create more weight and more stable handling. The end was tied to an Australian-style length of cord called a fall that could be replaced as needed. The fall takes the brunt of the force when cracking. The sound is actually caused by the end of the whip breaking the sound barrier and creating a sonic boom.
Harrison Ford received a few lessons before the initial filming, but mostly learned to use the bullwhip on his own. He says it wasn’t easy to master, but eventually, it just clicked, and he could whip without fear of lashing himself. His proficiency on set turned into an asset when filming for Temple of Doom. Ford was able to whip a sword out of an assailant’s hand without the need for a stunt double and crew members allegedly said he could shave George Lucas with a bullwhip if he wanted to. When returning to shoot Last Crusade, he had to practice a few weeks before shooting resumed.
Source: Cracking Indiana Jones’s Whip
The World’s Shortest Daredevil Stuntman – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 005
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Picture a cramped tour bus packed with self-proclaimed human oddities, sword swallowers, fire-breathers, glass eaters, and vaudevillian-style performers all getting ready to take the stage.
This week on the Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast, Brent and Ryan talk to Short E. Dangerously. At three-foot-three, Shorty had to have his lower half amputated when he was two years old. He walks on his hands, but, other than that, does everything a person typically does and more. Currently, he travels with the Hellzapoppin Sideshow, breathing fire, and jumping on glass.
Short E. Dangerously & Johnny Eck
For more weird news and strange stories, visit our homepage, and be sure to rate and share this episode of the Notcast!
Source: The World’s Shortest Daredevil Stuntman – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 005
Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog
- Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s profile
- 52 followers
