Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 489
May 16, 2016
Durian Fruit: Stinkiest Fruit in the World
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The durian fruit is so foul smelling that it’s banned from being eaten in public and on public transit.
Indonesian public transit has completely banned the durian fruit even if it’s kept with its husk on
A 2012 Indonesian flight was delayed when passengers demanded to be let off the plane to escape the stink of the fruit
The smell has been described as “turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away”
Some people, however, actually find the smell of the fruit to be sweet and appealing
The flesh of the fruit can be eaten raw, and is often cooked in Southeast Asian dishes and candies, or used in medicines
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Reza Baluchi Wants to Run to Bermuda
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Reza Baluchi is an Iranian-born endurance runner. He immigrated to America to escape persecution in Iran, and yet now he has to deal with even more persecution from the U.S. Coast Guard. Why, you might ask.
Because Reza wants to “run” from Florida to Bermuda.
[Raising] money for children in need and to inspire those that have lost hope for a better future. – Reza Baluchi
For the more geographically challenged amongst us, it’s nearly a three-hour flight from Florida’s southeast coast to Bermuda. Also, Bermuda is an island out in the Atlantic ocean. Conventional logic says that running there isn’t really in the cards. But with the immutable spirit that animates all endurance runners, Reza has a plan.
Enter the Hydro Pod!
A bubble much like a hamster wheel, the hydro pod features 36 buoyancy balls attached to each side. As Reza, who would be inside the ball, runs, the ball spins and propels over the surface of the water. The result should be a difficult five-month trip that would take him from Pompano Beach to the Bermuda triangle, then on to Puerto Rico, Hati, and Cuba before he heads back to Florida.
Coast Guard Says No
#BreakingNews: HydroPod voyage from Miami to Bermuda had recently been determined to be manifestly unsafe.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) April 24, 2016
Reza set off equipped with a GPS tracking device, a life vest containing a water filter, and shark repellent. He was planning on fishing for food, eating protein bars, and sleeping on a hammock inside the pod. What could possibly go wrong?
According to the Coast Guard, everything.
In a letter dated April 15, Coast Guard Capt. A.J. Gould told Reza that his voyage was “manifestly unsafe,” and that any voyages not cleared through his offices first would be terminated.
#BreakingNews: Adventure runner’s voyage ends after he violated a USCG order not to embark on his seagoing journey. pic.twitter.com/FxNUEawySO
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) April 24, 2016
It’s unclear what aspect of the voyage was deemed unsafe. It could have been the treacherous ocean conditions, the pending hurricane season, or maybe the fact that inside the hydro pod can reach temperatures up to 120 degrees. Whatever the reasoning, the Coast Guard swept in and put an end to his attempts.
Running Forward
What’s next for the athlete? It’s possible he’ll try again at some later date. Seeing as how this isn’t even his first time attempting the feat!
#BreakingNews Baluchi’s 2014 attempt placed enormous financial burden on taxpayers for his rescue. He was recently ordered not to depart.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) April 24, 2016
That’s right; Reza also had to be rescued back in 2014 for trying to do the exact same thing. Back then, he was spotted off the coast of St. Augustine after his GPS had fallen into the ocean. Boaters reported a disoriented man in a bubble asking for directions to Bermuda.
To his credit, Reza doesn’t want trouble. But I can’t assume this is the last we’ll have heard of him.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to fight with the Coast Guard. I want peace. I’m a lover, not a fighter. I want to find a lawyer to help me.
Is That a Ferret in Your Pants Or…
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The sport of ferret legging requires a person to set a ferret, sometimes two, loose in their pants—underwear is prohibited, and the ferrets must have a full set of claws and teeth.
In the sport, the ankles of the pants have to be tied off
The man that endures the moving and scratching ferret the longest is declared the winner
The longest time endured is five hours and thirty minutes
Ferret legging is mostly a pub activity, but it’s thought to have originated with bored coal miners in Yorkshire England
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
May 15, 2016
May 14, 2016
May 13, 2016
Iceberg Hunting is Real and Exactly What It Sounds Like
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Iceberg hunting takes place off the coast of Newfoundland to find sources of extremely pure, fresh water used to make vodka.
Global warming is leading to icebergs melting and dumping fresh water into the ocean
The water, having been frozen and untouched for centuries, is some of the purest water on earth
Instead of letting that water go to waste, some people and companies have decided to harvest it
The goal is to collect chunks of icebergs that have broken off and transport them across the Atlantic before they melt
If the iceberg hasn’t broken off yet, an iceberg hunter might help it along
The water can be bottled, or is often used to make vodka
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Source: Iceberg Hunting is Real and Exactly What It Sounds Like
The Earth’s Rotation Speed is Slowing Down
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The Earth’s rotation speed is slowing down at a rate of 0.002 seconds per century!
Earth’s 24 hour day is one of the factors that allows life to flourish here
Scientists believe that something impacted the Earth while it was forming and increased it’s rotation speed
The collision might also have been what created the moon
The friction between the tides (created by the moon’s pull on Earth) and the Earth’s rotation, causes the Earth to slow down
At this rate, in 180 million years, one day on Earth will be 25 hours long
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
1 in 75,000 People Suffer from Koumpounophobia
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Koumpounophobia is the persistent and irrational fear of buttons. 1 in 75,000 people suffer from it, but how many people can actually pronounce it?
There are many different ways to be afraid of buttons
Some people are afraid of the texture of buttons; others feel the buttons are dirty; some people don’t like wearing buttons; others can’t even look at them
Individuals with this phobia may refuse to attend formal events, or they might freak out at the sight of someone in a button down shirt
One of the more popular examples of Koumpounophobia is found in Neil Gaiman’s Coraline
Steve Jobs allegedly suffered from it
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Reindeer Racing is a Thing You May Not have Known About
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Reindeer racing is a popular and highly competitive sport in parts of Norway, Finland, and Russia.
There are slight differences in the rules and traditions of reindeer racing depending on where the race takes place
The most common version features a skier holding onto a harness and being pulled behind the galloping reindeer
In Alaska, there’s the Running of the Reindeer where, might like the running of the bulls, people try to outrun a herd of reindeer
Sometimes the reindeer are pulling someone on a sled instead of on skies
At the Reindeer Carnival in Oulu Finland, you can get your reindeer driving license
MINI BION EXTRAS
A hotel in the Siberian city of Nadym announced in March 2005 that it was offering free parking for reindeer
Reindeer are so vital to the lives of the Chukchi people of Siberia that their language has 26 different words for reindeer
The Finns have a unit of measurement based on how far a reindeer can run before needing to urinate: Poronkusema
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Source: Reindeer Racing is a Thing You May Not have Known About
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