Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 429
February 4, 2017
CARTOON 02-04-2017
February 3, 2017
Asparamancy: Predicting the Future with Asparagus
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Every year there is a British Asparagus Festival in the Vale of Evesham, UK.
“Celebrating the world’s finest “gras”. Numerous events and activities will take place during this two month long festival that honours the growing, harvesting and eating of this sumptuous delicacy.”
One of the key presenters at this festival is Jemima Packington, the world’s only know Asparamancer.
Jemima Packington
What is an Asparamancer?
You have probably heard of people predicting the future by reading tea leaves or coffee grounds. Packington uses a similar technique to predict the future, but her medium is [drum roll please] ASPARAGUS!
She tosses asparagus into the air, and depending on how the stalks land, she makes predictions.
Predictions
Packington has predicted such stunning revelations as:
A Hollywood couple breaking up (cue in Brangelina)
Troubling times
Major storms
Middle East threats
The 2017 Festival dates have yet been announced, but we are waiting with bated breath for the new predictions.
February 2, 2017
February 1, 2017
We Will Miss You Toughie, the Last Fringe-Limbed Tree Frog
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
He was discovered only ten years ago. Sadly, the death of Toughie, the last known Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog, sends another species into those hallowed ranks.
A number of animals have gone extinct in just the last couple centuries, and even more are critically endangered and may not last long without help.
Toughie
The finding of Toughie marked the discovery of an entire species. He was found in Panama when an expedition went there in an attempt to save as many animals as possible from an invasive and deadly fungus. Before finding him, scientists didn’t even know the Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog existed.
He was transferred to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where he lived a comfortable, and highly popular life, though a quiet one. For many years, Toughie didn’t make a single sound – until one day when he thought he was alone.
Luckily, he wasn’t. Mark Mandica, who worked with Toughie for seven years, was able to get a rare recording of the frog’s croak.
Sadly, Toughie died last month in the comfort of the place he called home since 2005. His passing marks the end of an entire species of tree frog we didn’t even know existed until his discovery.
Source: We Will Miss You Toughie, the Last Fringe-Limbed Tree Frog
January 31, 2017
Canada Has the Cleanest Ghost Town
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A ghost town has the reputation of being run down, collapsing, and abandoned. You might even think of it in a dusty, inhospitable environment. Kitsault is Canada’s ghost town.
The lawns are mowed, and the street lights are on, but nobody’s been home since 1982.
Beginnings
Kitsault began in 1979 as a mining town for molybdenum—a mineral used in many alloys.
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
It’s located near the Alaskan and Canada border. Because of the town’s isolation from other major cities, construction materials had to be brought by ship.
In the three short years the town was occupied, they built 100 homes, a shopping center, library, hospital, rec centers, and restaurants were built and then abandoned.
When the molybdenum market crashed, everyone was forced to leave.
New Beginnings
Now it’s owned by American entrepreneur Krishnan Suthanthiran who bought the whole town for $7 million in 2005. Since then, he’s put more than $25 million into the upkeep of the town.
He plans to rebuild the town as a site for mining natural gas.
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
[image error]
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
CC Bob Steventon via Flickr
January 30, 2017
January 29, 2017
Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog
- Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s profile
- 52 followers
