Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 318
September 18, 2018
Life Saving World War I Gas Mask Used By American Troops
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
As trench warfare became the dominant means of combat during the first World War, toxic gases that could seep into enemy encampments and inflict deadly, morale-crippling damage emerged.
Chlorine gas was the dominant weapon, inflicting damage on the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. As the poison spread into trenches filled with tired, wars-hocked and soggy soldiers the coughing would spread, igniting days or weeks of pent-up claustrophobia. Sometimes, the gas wasn’t meant to injure enemies directly, but just cause enough panic to send them over the trench wall in terror. The regions between trenches, however, were known as “no man’s land” for a reason. Without the protection of their ad-hoc subterranean bunkers, soldiers became easy-pickings for enemy machine-gun fire.
A gas attack could take an unprepared regiment by surprise, but as training caught up, soldiers became prepare for dealing with chlorine gas. Luckily, they could be easily countered by covering a soldiers mouth with water or urine-soaked rags. Since the chlorine was water soluble, decontamination and cleanup were relatively easy.
Mustard gas, however, was much harder to stop, and much more damaging. Contact with mustard gas could quickly cause second and third-degree burns. Easily able to blister skin, and blind soldiers, the toxic gas would ravage a person’s lungs.
To combat the potential danger of debilitating and deadly gas attacks, each country’s military quickly began researching apparatuses for protecting their soldiers. The gas masks they developed had to completely protect soldiers from deadly gases and protect their eyes. If the mask couldn’t reliably seal to the face of a soldier, they were worthless. The task of creating an effective mask that could fit the faces of tens of thousands of soldiers wasn’t easy, but the Allies eventually settled on the design seen here.
A small box respirator type designed by the British, this mask filtered air through a charcoal-filled container. Soldiers were trained to properly strap the masks to their faces to prevent any toxins from leaking in. Just in case, the mask also had a tight-fitting nose plug. Since a gas attack could happen at any moment, soldiers carried their masks everywhere and underwent many drills to put them on quickly.
Donning their mask was just the beginning for a soldier. Once safely protected from the gas, a soldier had to navigate a clouded battlefield to fight their enemy. Under labored breathing, reduced visibility, and the threat of third-degree burns if their equipment failed, soldiers also had to fight!
Though soldiers complained about uncomfortable mouthpieces and nose-guards that were hard to fight in, the masks saved many lives. Believe it or not, to acclimate their troops to the labored breathing of wearing a gas mask, some commanders had their troops don the masks and play leapfrog or soccer.
Source: Life Saving World War I Gas Mask Used By American Troops
To Hell And Back: Michigan Town Famous For Fire, Brimstone, Ice Cream, And Weddings
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The first thing you see when you pull in to this oddly-named, warmly welcoming patch of land in eastern Michigan is Creepy Clyde.
You know he’s Creepy Clyde because he’s wearing a black T-shirt that says so.
He’s the D.J. here in Hell—a dead-ringer for David Crosby—and appropriately, he’s spinning records with kitschy horror themes like “Monster Mash.”
Or at least that’s what he’s playing when I pull into the parking lot of the Scream’s Souvenir and Ice Cream parlor.
“Welcome to Hell!” he shouts as I get out of the car. I smile. I get the feeling he says that a lot. He’s sitting under a small enclosure but is otherwise unprotected from the elements, as he spins his records. He looks as if he’s having the time of his life.
I notice other folks pulling in and milling about. Overall, Hell is smaller than I imagined, just a few small restaurants and bars, a souvenir shop, a chapel, a putt-putt golf course, and a canoe/kayak rental for the nearby Hell Creek Campground.
Still, the place draws attention. It’s nothing more than a wide spot in the road, but for years, Hell — about 20 miles west of Ann Arbor, Mich., in Putnam Township — has brought in people far and wide so they can say they’ve “been to Hell and back” or “got married in Hell” or even “had a burger to die for in Hell.”
No one is quite sure how the place got the name, but there seem to be two prevailing theories:
German immigrants were said to arrive, and they commented that the land was “so schon hell,” which translated to “so beautifully bright.” Unfortunately, the Hell part stuck.
Town founder George Reeves was asked what he thought the town should be named, and he replied, “You can name it Hell for all I care.” It was thought this attitude was derived from the hellish conditions earlier settlers had faced, including ferocious mosquitos, wetlands, and thick forest.
Either way, it became official in 1841. Hell would be a part of Michigan forevermore.
And it’s evolved into quite the tourist attraction.
You can visit the Hell Hole Diner for homemade pizzas, sandwiches, and burgers, or hop over to the Hell Saloon for drinks, music and live events. The Scream’s shop doubles as a souvenir hub and a site for the Creamatory ice cream store.
Behind that, you’ve got the chapel and the golf course, and further down the road you’ll see the campground.
And that’s about it. But it does its job of bringing people in.
“We were coming over to see what’s here,” says Mike Kreinbering, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, about an hour from Hell. “We’ve always been interested.”
Mike came with buddy Rob Gerow, and they both drove their motorcycles. Grand Blanc is about 10 minutes outside Flint, Mich., which has been dealing with some serious water issues over the last year.
They heard that the souvenir shop here sells shirts that say “Beer in Hell is safer than water in Flint.” Both say they must buy them.
Inside the souvenir shop, owner John Colone is milling about, talking up the dozen or so customers who are sifting through what seems like a million different T-shirts celebrating the area. But there’s also patches, stickers, license plates, decorative items, posters, Halloween garb, and hats, among other things. Colone bought the building 16 years ago and added the wedding chapel and the golf course. He says they do about 250 weddings a year.
“Everyone wants to be in Hell,” laughs Kim Jahn, manager and events coordinator.
After looking at the numbers, I’d say she’s right. With tourists coming from all over the world to visit (they’ve had customers from China, Ireland, Australia, and Canada, to name a few places), one of the most fun things to do is be crowned Mayor of Hell. For $100, customers can be Mayor for the day, and for $25, they can do it for an hour. When their time is up, they get impeached, but not before getting a certificate, mug, and T-shirt.
Town officials get—and impeach—about 500-600 mayors a year, Jahn says.
You can also send an officially Hell-singed postcard back to a family member or friend. They do the burning right here on site at the Hell Post Office–at a rate of 200 or more per week.
And there always seems to be a busload of visitors coming. On this day it’s a Mystery Tour Bus, where people are loaded up on a creepy-themed adventure but aren’t told where they’re going.
All of the fanfare leads up to the annual HearseFest this September, where hearses and enthusiasts from across the country meet in Hell. Last year brought in 4,500 people.
Turns out, Hell is doing a pretty hot business.
After searching through mountains of T-shirts for his size, Rob Gerow found just what he was looking for. He needed it so he could wear it back home.
“It’s perfect,” he says, holding up his shirt, which does, in fact, read: “Beer in Hell is safer than water in Flint.”
“This makes it worthwhile,” he says, laughing. “Hell is great.”
By Ryan Clark, contributor for Ripleys.com
Source: To Hell And Back: Michigan Town Famous For Fire, Brimstone, Ice Cream, And Weddings
September 17, 2018
September 16, 2018
September 15, 2018
September 14, 2018
Rollercoasters Are Good For Breaking Up Kidney Stones
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[September 9-15th, 2018] An arm-breaking fist-pump, homecoming queen football star, and prescription roller-coasters.
Fist Pump To End All Fist Pumps
Never lacking in enthusiasm, Georgia State football coach Shawn Elliot was excited for his team’s first touchdown against North Carolina State. He fist pumped so hard that he tore his right bicep. Apparently, the team missed him because they went on to lose 7-41.
Taco Bell Ranks Supreme
Results are in for what Americans consider to be the best Mexican restaurant. According to the Harris Poll, which surveyed over 77,000 people, America’s favorite Mexican restaurant is none other than Taco Bell. While the ubiquitous brand might seem like the only choice to Americans without access to properly authentic Mexican food, this is the first time in 30 years Taco Bell has managed to claim the title of supreme.
Homecoming Queen Scores Game-Winning Point
This year’s senior homecoming was a big deal for Kaylee Foster of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, not just because she won the title of queen, but also because she was able to lead her team to victory in the school’s homecoming game. After claiming her tiara, she put it aside to don her uniform and kicked the extra point the high school needed to claim victory.
Here you go @RapSheet.
Ocean Springs HS Kicker Kaylee Foster was named Homecoming Queen. Then she kicked 2 FGs and game-winning PAT in OT. pic.twitter.com/z6JUm0AxUK
— The Shep Abides. (@geauxshep) September 8, 2018
Temple Of Satan Adopts A Highway
The Satanic Temple of Indiana has decided to become the official steward of a stretch of US 421 in Boone County. They’re legally required to perform litter clean-ups four times a year, but some people think just the knowledge that the stretch of highway is cared for by Satanists might keep people from littering in the first place.
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A post shared by The Satanic Temple Indiana (@tst_indiana) on Sep 10, 2018 at 8:59am PDT
Rollercoasters Bust Kidney Stones
If you frequently suffer from kidney stones, new research prescribes frequent trips to theme parks. According to a study by Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic medicine, kidney stones can be dislodged by rollercoasters. To test their effectiveness, patients rode various roller coasters, eventually determining Disney land’s Big Thunder Mountain was most effective at dislodging the stones.
CC Tyler Epperson via Flickr
Source: Rollercoasters Are Good For Breaking Up Kidney Stones
The 5 Strangest Places To Visit From Ripley’s Century Of Strange!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Travel off the beaten path in Khlong Mai, Thailand, and you might stumble upon the Wat Samphran Temple—a cylindrical 17-story tower surrounded by a massive dragon.
The shocking pink building is filled with shrines and even includes an entrance into the hollow body of the dragon itself! The temple’s history and meaning are shrouded in mystery, but people visit from all over the world to climb to the top and touch the dragon’s beard.
2: The Stepwell Of India
There are 3,500 symmetrical steps leading 13 levels deep into the Chand Baori stepwell in Rajasthan, India. The famous structure was built more than 1,000 years ago as a way to collect precious water during monsoons, which was in short supply during the hot summers. Thousands of stepwells were built between the first and fifteenth centuries, but they have fallen out of use with technological advances. Luckily, some of the most impressive, like Chand Baori, have been preserved and can still be visited today.
3: Fitting Fish
Anyone trying to find the National Fisheries Development Board in Hyderabad, India, need only look for a giant fish. The four-story building is lit up by blue spotlights at night, making it appear as though it is swimming through the city.
Reddees/Shutterstock
4: The Fort Of Faces
For the past 20 years, 78-year-old Song Peilun has been building a 50‑acre (20-hectare) stone castle in a secluded valley outside Guiyang, China. The professor-turned-artist quit his day job in 1996, devoting all his time to creating the exotic stone statues and pillars that make the massive castle such a standout. Song was inspired by the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota and decided he wanted to honor the minority Nuo culture of southwest China in the artistic design of the castle.
5: Techno Tower
The MahaNakhon skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand, looks like a computer glitch in a virtual world. The pixelated look is achieved with “sky boxes” that jut out of the building in seemingly random intervals. Light shows projected onto and from the building enhance its futuristic features.
If you’re not quite ready to travel the world yourself visiting all these unique wonders, you can find them and more odd locales in our newest annual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! A Century of Strange!
QUIZ: WHICH A CENTURY OF STRANGE PERSONALITY ARE YOU?
Ready to join the world of weird? Find out which friendly (or freaky!) face from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! A Century of Strange you are! Take this quiz to find out!
Source: The 5 Strangest Places To Visit From Ripley’s Century Of Strange!
September 13, 2018
Are We Facing A Redheads Extinction?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Or Not
In today’s world many misconceptions have been perpetuated—becoming modern day “facts”—when, in reality, myths and hearsay have taken over. Sorry to burst your bubble, but in this weekly column, Ripley’s puts those delusions to the test, turning your world upside down, because you can’t always…Believe It!
Today: Are redheads dying out?
While less than 2 percent of the world’s population has red hair, these ginger folks aren’t disappearing anytime soon. A few years ago, the media reported that climate change was going to wipe out all redheads. The internet has also spread “proof” that red-headed people aren’t long for this world.
It’s true that being a ginger is rare. Only about 4-5 percent of the world’s population carries the red hair gene. It’s more common in northern European countries, including the United Kingdom (just look at Prince Harry). And the chances of having red hair with blue eyes, like actress Amy Adams, is even slimmer.
Amy Adams/Credit: Andrea Raffin Shutterstock
People with the unique manes are here to stay, even though some have asserted otherwise.
Alistair Moffat, the chief executive officer of ScotlandsDNA, claimed in 2014: “We think red hair in Scotland, Ireland and in the North of England is an adaption to the climate. I think the reason for light skin and red hair is that we do not get enough sun and we have to get all the Vitamin D we can.”
He went on to say that that fewer clouds and more sun would result in fewer people carrying the redhead gene.
First, it should be noted that there is no record of Moffat having a degree in genetics (but he did reportedly earn a Masters of Philosophy in 1975). However, he was keen in promoting his company’s genetic ancestry testing kit, and his claims about redheads dying out due to climate change were quickly debunked.
A mutation in a gene called MC1R, which is more common in places such as Scotland and Ireland, is responsible for red hair. In order for a child to have red hair, both parents must carry the recessive gene. Non-redhead parents who carry the recessive gene have a 25 percent chance of having a child with red hair. It can even skip generations. Neither of Prince Harry’s parents—Prince Charles or Princess Diana—were born with red hair, but his grandfather Prince Philip was a carrot-top in his youth. Meanwhile, Harry’s brother William has brown hair.
These days, there’s a lot of gray.
Recessive genes can become rarer, but they cannot die out completely. For redheads to truly disappear, they would have to completely stop having sex—as would everyone else carrying the recessive gene.
Without offering clear scientific evidence, the Oxford Hair Foundation reported in 2005 that redheads could disappear as early as 2060. It turned out the group was affiliated with Proctor & Gamble, which coincidentally makes red hair dye. Numerous scientists spoke out against the unsubstantiated claim.
There have also been rumors that blondes are going extinct. A 2002 report, which was widely circulated by the media, falsely cited a nonexistent anthropologist from the World Health Organization.
While red heads aren’t dying out, they are a little different than their blonde and brunette counterparts. It’s believed they cope with pain differently. Studies have shown that they require 20 percent more anesthesia for sedation and require more local topical anesthetics. They are also more susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer.
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
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