Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 487
May 20, 2016
Cat Encounters Snake being eaten by a Toad
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A cat was faced with a snake coming out of a toad’s mouth and was shocked to find it was still alive.
The video originates from Thailand
There’s no commentary about where the animals came from or how they all ended up together
The snake is in the process of being eaten by a toad, but doesn’t seem to pay any attention to that fact
The toad simply stands there the whole time unsure of what to do next
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.
Teeth for Dentures were Pulled from Dead Soldiers
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Because demand for teeth was so high in the 1800s, scavengers pulled teeth from the mouths of dead soldiers at Waterloo to make dentures.
Dentistry was in its infancy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Rich people’s teeth were so bad that dentures were in high demand
After the battle of Waterloo, scavengers took to the field with pliers and hammers and removed teeth from dead soldier to sell to dentist
The practice lasted through the Civil War, and dentures were known as Waterloo teeth because of it
MINI BION EXTRAS
Antonio Jose Herrera of New Mexico grew a third set of teeth after his were kicked out by a horse at age 10
Dr Slave lost his normal second teeth at about 80 years of age, then five years later another set appeared
Sean Keaney was born in England in 1990 with 12 teeth
Cai Dongsheng of Chongqing City, China, can break nails with his teeth
When in Korea, Think Twice Before Ordering a Sundae
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A Sundae in Korea is actually a dish made by boiling or steaming cow or pig intestines that are stuffed with various ingredients.
It’s a kind of blood sausage
Some of them can be stuffed with seafood
The most common Sundae is pig intestines stuffed with noodles, barley, and pork blood
It’s a popular street food in North and South Korea
What you expect when you order a sundae
What you might actually get
Ripley’s Strangest Collection – Unboxing Belly Button Lint
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In This Episode
Last episode we slipped into the ancient custom of Chinese foot binding, taking a closer look at elaborately decorated lily slippers and discovering the ancient custom’s harsh reality. Now, let’s lighten the mood and unbox one of the strangest collections we own!
Today: Collecting Belly Button Lint
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In 1984, Graham Barker of Perth, Australia started digging lint out of his belly button each day before showering. He carefully stored it in a jar, and, unsure as to what exactly to do with it, it slowly began accumulating. Luckily, in 2008 Ripley’s held a contest to find the oddest collection Down Under, and, without a doubt, Graham won! He has made it to the top of the list for strangest collections we have ever acquired.
Since his navel awakening, Graham has begun collecting other offbeat items such as his beard clippings and the stickers off of fruit!
Fluff Generator
Unsurprisingly, there has been very little research on belly button lint in the scientific community (whom refer to it as “navel fluff”). However, thanks to the work of University of Sydney researcher Karl Kruszelnicki we have some answers. Dr. Karl conducted a survey online which led him to the conclusion that navel fluff forms more often in middle-aged, hairy men, especially ones who have recently put on weight.
For this groundbreaking research, Dr. Karl received an Ig Nobel Prize in 2002, an honor awarded to research that “first makes you laugh, and then makes you think.”
Artist Rachel Betty Case from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, turns navel fluff into tiny bears. She collects the lint from the belly buttons of male friends and sells her cute fluffy creations in small glass jars.
Color Concerns
Ripley’s also has a small collection of belly button lint from Choith Ramchandani, who attached 12 pieces of lint to a piece of stationary. The note explained that he noticed the lint while taking a bath and wanted to know why it was all the same color, ultimately asking Ripley’s for the answer.
Most navel fluff is blue due to the cotton fibers in our clothing, but it’s comprised of a little more than that—from dead skin to discarded fat molecules, bits of dust and assorted scales and proteins—all of which can affect the coloration.
A sampling of navel fluff from Choith Ramchandani submitted to Ripley’s in March 1983.
Linty Fresh
By “Lint Lady” Heidi Hooper
If the thought of collecting belly button lint seems a little unsettling, unhygienic or simply unbelievable, Ripley’s also has a vast collection of art made from dryer lint!
Heidi Hooper of Massachusetts, uses dryer lint to create images of animals. The lint is taken from the cotton fiber in towels, chenille from throw blankets and feathers from down comforters that have been through the dryer. Unfortunately, the lint cannot be dyed to a specific color, as it is basically dust, so it can be a difficult task creating a color palette. Heidi will sometimes buy towels in the colors she wants to make her work a little easier!
Source: Ripley’s Strangest Collection – Unboxing Belly Button Lint
The Honorable Gentlemen of the Order of the Pug
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
There was once a German secret society called Mop-Orden, or Order of the Pug. A common practice of the group was to kiss a pug’s backside as a sign of devotion.
The order was founded by Roman Catholics in 1740
Women were allowed to join so long as they were Catholic
Novices were initiated wearing a dog collar and had to scratch at the door to get in
Novices were led around a carpet blindfolded while members barked at them
As a sign of devotion, the novices had to kiss a pug’s backside
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.
Turtle flies through car windshield and survives
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
On May 9th, a Florida woman was startled by a turtle flying through her windshield as she drove down I-4.
The accident happened in Deltona
A car in front of the driver ran over the turtle and launched it into the air
The turtle went flying through the windshield, hit the passenger seat, and then bounced back onto the dashboard
The driver had minor scraps, but she and the turtle both lived
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 19, 2016
Cow Farts Blow Up Barn
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A methane buildup resulting from the farts and burps of 90 different cows led to a gas explosion inside a barn in Rasdorf, Germany back in January 2014.
The methane gas levels grew dangerously high before reacting to static energy from a dairy pump
The blaze quickly spread to the roof
Only one cow was injured, no workers were hurt
Firefighters arrived within minutes and put out the fire
In 2015, a plane had to make an emergency landing when 2,000 farting sheep in the cockpit caused the fire alarm to go off.
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: Cow Farts Blow Up Barn
Zuly Sanguino, Limbless Artist
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Recently, Ripley’s own Edward Meyer took a trip to Colombia. The highlights of his visit can be found in this travel diary, but the aspect of his journey that I was looking forward to had nothing to do with guinea pig races or two-headed mummies.
Before he left, we found a video of artist and motivational speaker Zuly Sanguino from Bogota, Colombia, and we knew we had to add her art to the Ripley’s collection.
Zuly Sanguino
Zuly was born with Tetra-Amelia Syndrome. It’s a very rare disorder that results in limbs not developing in the womb. It can also lead to other deformities and underdeveloped lungs. As you can imagine, being born without arms or legs resulted in a tough childhood for Zuly.
Growing up was hard, and I was bullied at school. I was called an alien, and it really hurt me.
She spent a lot of time unhappy, and even contemplated suicide from time to time, but her shining personality, her boundless spirit, and the love and support of family helped to see her through the tough times.
Now, Zuly is a successful motivational speaker. She uses her story to help inspire others to keep going even when it feels too hard.
I speak to children who are bullied, or have disabilities, to show them having physical or mental limitations doesn’t have to hold you back.
Her Art
In addition to inspiring others with her words, Zuly makes amazing art.
She’s had to learn to perform a lot of mundane tasks like brushing her teeth by holding her toothbrush in her mouth. But why stop at the toothbrush?
When she was 18, Zuly went to art college and learned how to paint by holding the paintbrush in her mouth.
You can find more about Zuly Sanguino on her Youtube channel and her Facebook Page. For now, here are some examples of her art which we’re happy to be able to add to the Ripley’s collection.
Source: Zuly Sanguino, Limbless Artist
Artist “Paints” Using Gunpowder
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
An artist on Youtube is creating “paintings” by placing gunpowder in specific patterns and setting it on fire. The videos are oddly satisfying.
You can enter to win the featured paintings for free
Gunpowder was invented during the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century
The formula for making it is the earliest record of a written formula
It consists of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter)
The reason the “paintings” ignite instead of explode is because gunpowder only explodes when it’s confined in a tight space and then ignited without anywhere for the gas to go, such as in a bullet casing
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: Artist “Paints” Using Gunpowder
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