Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 444
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November 4, 2016
Unboxing Our Weird Government
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In This Episode
Believe it or not, the Vice President wasn’t always a chosen running mate. The position was originally granted to the runner up. This obviously lead to some HUGE problems, as the bitterest rivals would be expected to work together throughout the presidential term.
Today: Unboxing Our Weird Government + The Capitol Building Made From Bamboo
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Elections are Weird, but so is the Congress
Take filibusters for example. The filibuster is a tactic used in the U.S. Senate to halt action on a bill or other measure. A filibustering senator typical rambles and endlessly talks about something incredibly time consuming to obstruct or prevent action.
In the 30s, Huey Long recited Shakespeare, shrimp and oyster recipes, and rambled about pot-likkers.
Congressman Huey Long
Then, in 1957, Strom Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act. To prepare, he took a steam shower to sweat out any fluids, but, just in case he had an intern hold a bucket in the Senate cloakroom for him to pee in while keeping one foot on the Senate floor.
Strom Thurmond
Presidential Runner Became VP
Could you imagine after all the vitriol spouted by both candidates over this year’s election, that at the end of it all, they would have to work together as President and Vice President? Well, that is exactly what used to happen up until 1804.
Before that, whoever came in second place automatically became the Vice President.
A Clinton/Trump Ticket?
The Capitol Building
In 1792 Thomas Jefferson held an open design competition for both the Capitol building and the White House.
Believe it or not, only ten people entered, and the designs were lackluster, crude and amateur, or over the top.
Capitol Building Design Entry
A late entry by William Thornton – a physician who never even studied architecture – was eventually selected and constructed.
William Thorton
Thorton’s Capitol Building Design
D.C.’s Private Underground Tunnels
Throughout the capital, tunnels and a private subway connect the building to Congressional offices. Even more unusual, there is actually a crypt on the ground floor!
Capitol Subway System
Capitol Basement Tunnels
It was intended for George Washington, but instead, there is now sculpture of Abraham Lincolns head carved from a 6-ton block of marble. Rumors have circulated since 1908 that the statue is unfinished, missing an ear, an ode to Lincolns unfinished life.
Lincoln Bust
Source: Unboxing Our Weird Government
November 3, 2016
Static on Your TV is Caused by the Big Bang!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
It is a widely held theory among scientists that the universe was created around 13.8 billion years ago when everything erupted from a singularity in an event known as the Big Bang.
Model of the Big Bang via NASA/WMAP Science Team
The Big Bang released a massive amount of energy, and that energy has just kept bouncing around the cosmos. This energy is now called a cosmic microwave background, and is responsible for a sizeable amount of static on analog televisions.
Analog TVs use radio waves to transmit information, and some of that static is your television interpreting microwaves from the Big Bang. NASA describes it as:
Turn your television to an “in between” channel, and part of the static you’ll see is the afterglow of the big bang.
November 2, 2016
November 1, 2016
The Curious & Clairvoyant Town of Cassadaga
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Cassadaga feels both peaceful and alarming. Amidst the unusual architecture and ominous Spanish moss dangling from the treetops, it’s like a trip back in time, but what happens behind closed doors is what makes it so unusual…
Stemming from the religion Spiritualism, the town is populated by mediums, who communicate with spirits through many different senses, or “clairs;” hearing (clairaudience), seeing (clairvoyance), knowing (claircognizance) and feeling (clairsentience) messages from spirits—bridging the spiritual and physical world.
Believe it or not, Spiritualism can be accredited to three young girls—Leah, Maggie and Kate Fox.
In 1848, in the bedroom of their Hydesville, New York home, these sisters allegedly communicated with spirits through sequences of raps and taps. Quickly becoming a national sensation, the Fox sisters went on tour, drawing large crowds of both believers and skeptics who never found any evidence of trickery.
One way this gap is bridged is through séances…
Historically, skeptics have tried to debunk séances by binding mediums with ropes, gagging them and even sealing them in “spirit cabinets,” to see if phenomena would occur despite restraint. Many believe these events can be explained by manipulation, but in Cassadaga they are a truly spiritual experience. Rev. Louis Gates has experienced many forms of phenomena during his séances at the Colby Memorial Temple, including “apports”—objects appearing to materialize and fall from the ceiling!
The oddities that occur in Cassadaga leave visitors questioning if people are simply susceptible to the power of suggestion or if they can truly communicate with spirits. The town’s residents have no doubt that the latter is true.
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER ALL-NEW ANNUAL!
Ripley’s has spent the past year collecting the most unbelievable stories from around the world, filling Unlock the Weird to the brim with fantastic, fun, and even freaky features. Join us back here every week for an exclusive inside look at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Unlock the Weird!
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