Ripley Radio: An On-Demand Oddcast - Ripley Radio

Ripley Radio – Mini-Kiss, Hot Dog Pizza & Home-Made Nuclear Reactors

billschiffler — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:01:12 +0000

Believe It or Not, the rock group Mini-Kiss, a group of small guys in full Kiss Rock and Roll makeup, really does exist as a touring band AND they are heading to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! St. Augustine for a Memorial Day Weekend show! This week, Mini-Gene Simmons visits the Ripley Oddcast and explains their show and their excitement in working with the “real” Kiss in a Super Bowl Pepsi commercial a few years back.
When it comes to putting ingredients on pizza, just about everything has been tried over the years, so what does a pizza chain do now to create excitement and new tastes for their product? The answer is simple – they turn to the crust, not the toppings. Angela checks in this week with a report on what crusty concoctions are appearing on pizzas world-wide – including Pizza Hut’s new hot dog stuffed pizza.
Additional Bizarre, Fun, Strange and Unbelievable Topics Discussed this week:
• Intern Abby tells the remarkable tale about Taylor Wilson, a 17-year old who made a nuclear reactor in his mom’s basement and is now a teenage consultant with the government.
• We learn if drinking a carbonated beverage and eating Pop Rocks candy can really make you explode as the popular and long-lived urban myth suggests. Nearly 10,000 spectators at a baseball game try it out. Ralf talks with a Pop Rocks VP to see how many survived.
• How do we keep cobra snakes from taking over North America? Tom Roy says all you have to do is yell FUDGE at noon on June 2. It must work. When was the last time you saw a cobra in a woodpile?
• Our in-studio guest, Scott Fais, a reporter with Orlando’s Channel 13, unveils two of- the-beaten-path attractions in Ochopee, Fla. – America’s smallest post office and the official Skunk Ape Research Center.
• In our Weird Medical Malady Minute, our Solutionologist Jodi Pliszka describes the condition in which a person cannot EVER forget anything.
• Our musical egress this week is “Glad You Came,” by Wanted.
Mini Kiss – http://www.ghostshorty.com/minikiss/
Crusty Concoctions – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/09/hot-dog-stuffed-crust-pizza-hut_n_1412110.html
Nuclear Reactor – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/teen-physicist_n_1402887.html?ref=teen&icid=maing-grid7|aim|dl7|sec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D149355
Tom Roy – www.wellcat.com
Scott Fais – http://www.cfnews13.com/scott-fais.html
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi

Ripley Radio – Taco-Copters & The Heart Attack Grill

billschiffler — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:01:06 +0000

This week, we interview the owner, but we don’t necessarily endorse his concept, of a restaurant in Las Vegas that has a huge sign at the front door warning: “Caution, This establishment is bad for your health.” There have been several real heart attacks at The Heart Attack Grill, whose slogan reads “High Calorie, High Fun, Good Tasting Food.” Samples from the menu include Flat Line Fries and the Triple By-Pass Burger.
Imagine living far from a Mexican food restaurant and you yearn for a taco. What do you do? You get online, order a taco and before long, a flying robotic drone lands on your front lawn, you go out and unload your taco and the drone takes off to conduct yet another palate saving mission. The Taco-Copter is a reality in San Francisco, and there is talk of a Lobster-Copter in New England. But wait – the Federal Aviation Administration has put a temporary kibosh on the idea. Angela gives us the latest details on this innovative food delivery system.

Other Amazing, Awesome and Totally Unbelievable Topics Covered This Week:
• Ralf talks with 6-year old Drew Cox and his mother about the young man’s Lemonade Stand that has earned more than $25,000 in sales – all destined to help pay medical expenses for his sick father.

• A High School in Connecticut is in line to set a record in two years for the most twins in a graduating class.

• Abby reports on an interactive celebrity poster in Japan that will kiss you back. Creepy but true!

• Ripley’s special guest this week, Scott Fais of Orlando’s Channel 13, unveils the location of Florida’s Spook Hill, where he witnessed cars, skateboards and a shopping cart rolling backward up a hill. Many different, far-fetched explanations are discussed.

• From her book, Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey, Fran Capo discusses an unsolved murder that involved a minister and the star singer in his church’s choir.

• Closing out the show this week, we hear “We are Young,” by Fun.

Ripley Radio – Weird Festivals and a Trip to the Titanic

billschiffler — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:01:37 +0000

Less than 200 people have gone below the sea to visit the Titanic in the 100 years since it sank. Fran Capo, a regular Ripley Radio Oddcast contributor is one of them. This week, she relates how she got to be one of the lucky ones, the world record she set while submerged more than two miles below the surface, and she candidly tells us what her greatest fear during the trip was. You’ll be surprised as to what it was!

May is the start of the summer in most regions of the Northern Hemisphere and that means the start of a long string of unusual and bizarre fairs, festivals and events. If weird is in your travel plans for 2012, make sure you listen as our ensemble talks about everything from the Garlic Festival and the Monkey Buffett Festival to the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival and the Redneck Games. We also cover the Twins Festival and as many of the food throwing festivals we could find!

Other intriguing, weird, bizarre and absolutely unbelievable things we discuss this week:

• In this, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, National Geographic magazine features an amazing story that unveils a lot of new and unbelievable facts about the ill-fated ship and its voyage. Ralf talks with the author of that article, Hampton Sides.

• Tom Roy makes his debut this week. He’s the one who invents a lot of those weird and bizarre holidays that we celebrate during the year. As the keeper of the website wellcat.com, Tom has “invented” more than 90 such days. This week, he tells us how best to celebrate No Socks Day and Eat What You Want Day.

• Have you ever heard of a radio station giving away a baby as a promotion? We hadn’t either until we ran across this story. We talk with the station manager and find out the real truth behind the hype.

• Scott Fais, the “Florida on a Tankful” reporter for News 13 in Orlando, joins us for several shows in May and amazes us with some of the strange things he has seen and reported on during his treks across the state. This week, in keeping with the theme, he tells us all about the Gator Hatching Festival in Palmdale, Fla.

• In our Weekly Weird news segment, we hear about a man who was held at gunpoint in front of a McDonald’s in Utah and was forced to do the moonwalk.

Ripley Radio – The UFO Congress, Mob Museums & a Swami Nerd

billschiffler — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:01:40 +0000

Lee Speigel, a regular contributor to Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast and a Huffington Post writer, not only gave a popular presentation to the International UFO Congress last month, but he was also awarded the UFO Researcher of the Year. This week, he talks about the award and about the importance of the UFO Congress.
Swami Yomahmi, the self-proclaimed “Original Sideshow Geek,” has one of the most original sideshow acts in the business today – combining traditional acts with a heavy dose of nerdiness and humor! He drops by this week and discusses his act, why he does what he does, and maybe most importantly, what his mother thinks of his line of work!
More Amazing, Unusual, Bizarre and Unbelievable Stories Covered This Week:
• Remember the violent St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago? The wall behind the seven mobsters who met their demise is now a leading exhibit at the new Mob Museum in Las Vegas. Where has the brick wall been since 1929? For many years, it was used as a back splash for a men’s room urinal in Vancouver, Canada. Tune in for details!
• Extreme Dine & Dash. Five well-dressed men spent the evening drinking and running up the check at a posh restaurant in Australia, and then left an unpaid bill as they all jumped out the windows of the 55th floor establishment. Ralf has full details on what happened to them next!
• Abby relates an incredible tale of how a man stole a woman’s identity and lived as that lady, running up more than $100,000 in bills over a 13 year period before getting caught!
• Bicyclist Kevin Foster (aka Captain America), whose feats impressed and encouraged other bikers including Lance Armstrong, talks with Ralf about his bike trek on the Great Wall of China and an upcoming event this summer in each of the 50 states!
• We hear about the Trashy Fashion Show at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in St. Augustine where young women made dresses out of recyclable items, including paintbrushes and coffee filters!
• Edward announces a new traveling exhibit created to show exclusively at Science Museums throughout North America. “Science Behind Ripley’s Believe It or Not! “ is set to visit 16 venues over the next six years.
• AND Walk off the Earth provides our exit tune this week, their own version of “Somebody I Used to Know.”

Swami Yomahmi – www.swamiyo.com/
Science Behind Ripley’s http://sciencenorth.ca/uploadedFiles/Exhibit_Sales_Content/Services/Traveling_Exhibits/RBION_flyer_sm.pdf

Mob Museum – http://www.roadsideamerica.com/blog/mob-museum-valentine-wall/
Researcher of the Year – http://huff.to/Ardy9g
Somebody I Used to Know Video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtl8K0kO4P4&feature=fvst
Kevin Foster – http://www.kevin-foster.com/index.html

Ripley Radio – Tattooed Mayor, US Stonehenges & Ripley’s President

billschiffler — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:01:48 +0000

This week marks the 100th episode of Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast and during the show we hear from Ripley’s President Jim Pattison Jr. on how the show is helping keep Robert Ripley’s legacy alive and current, and we also hear from many of our guests who we featured during the first 100 shows!
We talk with Ray Johnson, the 46-year mayor of Campo, Colo., who is thought to be the most heavily tattooed mayor in the US. Ralf questions him on how his constituency feels about all the ink. You’ll be surprised at his response.

Additional Weird, Wacky, Bizarre and Wonderful topics Discussed this week:

• Ralf explains the terrible accident that was the demise of a celebrated earless rabbit born in Germany.
• We’ll learn just how far it takes for a Guinea Pig to jump to set a world’s record.
• Abby discusses Panda Dung Tea, a very expensive beverage.
• Angela lets us know there are at least 12 Stonehenges in the US – made with everything from foam to refrigerators.
• Ripley’s Edward Meyer tells us that one of his latest acquisitions is a Last Supper made of Ivory Soap.
• Jodi Pliszka’s segment this week on Weird Medical Maladies highlights Object Sexuality and tells the tale of a lady who has fallen into romantic love with the Statue of Liberty.
• AND our musical egress this week features the Eagles singing their 1977 hit, Hotel California.

Earless Rabbit – http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/03/earless-bunny-crushed-by-cameraman/
On-Demand Oddcast – www.ripleyoddcast.com
US Stonehenges – http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29025
Ray Johnson – http://news.bmezine.com/2008/10/13/the-most-heavily-tattooed-mayor-in-america-probably/
Panda Dung Tea – http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/weird/Panda-Dung-Tea-Set-to-Hit-Market-for-Over-200-a-Cup-143364006.html
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi

Ripley Radio – Area 51, The Hair Hangers of Ringling & Ripley Joins Hall of Fame

billschiffler — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:01:25 +0000

Believe It or Not! creator Robert Ripley has been inducted into the Sideshow Hall of Fame, at Coney Island USA! Ninety-four years after he drew his first Believe It or Not! cartoon and 79 years after he opened his first Odditorium at the Chicago World’s Fair, Ripley officially joins the esteemed lineup of history’s greatest showmen! Tim was there and he reports on how it all went down!
An exhibit featuring the secretive Area 51 has just opened at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. Ripley’s UFO expert Lee Speigel tells us the the irony that the museum, part of the federally funded Smithsonian Museum group, would feature something that the Federal Government itself has claimed doesn’t exist, wasn’t lost on him. Otherwise, it’s a well done, expansive and educational exhibit, he notes.
Additional Unusual, Weird, Wild and Wacky Things Discussed this Week:
• Igor Vovkovinskiy, America’s tallest living man is in a bind. His shoes are uncomfortable and a set of new, custom fitted ones will cost in excess of $16,000, a sum he doesn’t have.
• Angela reports that the sport of Quiddich now exists outside of a Harry Potter film! More than 100 teams gather each year in New York City to compete in the “World Cup” of this bizarre game.
• You’ll hear what an amazing grandmother did on her 101st birthday – just to show up her 75 year old son!
• A unique act in this year’s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’s production of “Dragons,” is an amazing duo called the Hair Hanging Wonders. As the name implies, they hang from their tresses as they perform aerial maneuvers! Marc Hartzman visited with them and reports back to Ripley Radio that they are very careful of what hair products they use!
• Ripley’s Edward Meyer announces that the new exhibit on dinosaurs has just opened at the Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, complete with robotic beasts and one of a kind dinosaur artifacts.
• In the Weird Medical Maladies Minute, Jodi Pliszka, Ripley’s very own Solutionologist, discusses a disorder that prevents a person from ever smiling!
• Ralf talks with the director of the Pima Air & Space Museum about their attempt to fly the largest paper airplane ever flown!
• AND to close out the show we hear Funky Bahia, from the new album by Sergio Mendes, featuring Will.I.Am and Siedah Garrett.

Sideshow Hall of Fame – www.ripleysnewsroom.com/ripleywins
Massive Paper Airplane – http://news.yahoo.com/photos/45-foot-paper-airplane-takes-flight-slideshow/
Quidditch – Making Fictional Sports Real – http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305230210.htm
101 year old Grandmother – http://www.kmov.com/news/off-beat/Grandma-goes-paragliding-143607876.html
Area 51 – http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102382248094-311/ARea+51+Press+Release+1%5b1%5d.pdf
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi

Hair Hangers – http://atouchofknowledge.com/

Ripley Radio – How to Eat Chocolate Bunnies & Tattoos That Vibrate

billschiffler — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:01:37 +0000

Ripley Radio’s tribute to Easter this week features Ripley-style advice on how one should eat a chocolate bunny and author Anne Perciado Rich visits to explain how bunnies and colored eggs became a part of the most important holiday in the Christian religion.
Have you ever been in a noisy restaurant or a loud rock concert and have been unable to hear your cell phone or even feel it vibrating? Now, our friends at Nokia are creating the technology that will cause a special tattoo on your body to vibrate when a call or email comes in.

Additional Weird, Unusual and Bizarre Items Discussed This Week:

• Marc Hartzman reports on the amazing Torres Family, now appearing on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Eight of them climb onto motorcycles, drive into a 16-foot Globe of Steel, and then proceed to show incredible skill as they run circles around each other at speeds up to 65 miles an hour.

• Tim announces that Robert Ripley has been nominated for the Sideshow Hall of Fame at Coney Island USA in Brooklyn, NY. Voting takes place on Friday, April 13.

• John Rucker was the first African-American man to wear an NBA uniform, but didn’t realize he held that distinction until he received a call one day from the New York Knicks, his former team – more than six decades later! Rucker, now being called a pioneer, explains to Ralf how all this happened.

• We learn that two Girl Scouts in Missouri are suing the state over the right to sell cookies.

• Angela reports on what may be the most elaborate Twilight-themed wedding ever held.

• Edward talks about the extensive artwork in the Ripley collection – made of candy!

• AND, we musically close out the show with Katy Perry’s new hit, Part of Me.

Special Tattoo

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46789589/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/#.T2oKj5iyPdk

Twilight Weddings – http://www.examiner.com/twilight-in-national/meet-the-cullens-who-brought-breaking-dawn-part-1-into-their-wedding-day?CID=examiner_alerts_article

Ripley Radio – Girls Turning into Gorillas & Tax Problems of the Rich and Famous

billschiffler — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:01:20 +0000

Since its beginning, the Girl to Gorilla illusion has been a hit on circus and carnival midways around the world. Using mirrors, it appears the beautiful girl is slowly turning into a big hairy ape and as she does, the mesmerized crowds stood there silently until something happens that sends them all screaming out of the tent! Sideshow historian James Taylor visits Ripley Radio this week and tells us the reason behind that mass exodus at practically every show.
As the tax deadlines approach in the US, we learn that many of the rich and famous owe incredible amounts of back taxes to the US Government. You’ll be amazed to find out what film star still owes nearly $150 million in back taxes!
Other Weird, Wild and Wonderful Discussed on Ripley Radio Oddcast this Week:
• Ripley’s own Solutionologist, Jodi Pliszka, reports on an unusual medical malady where a person will break out in hives if they get too cold!

• Baseball team owner and promoter Mike Veeck discusses some of the outrageous promotions he has created over the years, including “Nobody Night,” where he deliberately kept the crowds outside in the stadium parking lot while the teams played inside. He now holds the record for the lowest attendance ever at a professional baseball game – Zero.

• Return Intern Abby lists non-drinking uses for a popular soft drink cola, including cleaning coins and de-skunking a dog.

• Ripley archivist Edward Meyer talks about a few pieces of interesting artwork he has recently acquired, including portraits made from jigsaw puzzle pieces, spoons, and old cassette tapes.

• From the files of the Weekly Weird, Ralf shares news of death by couch surfing, a new sport called Taser-ball, and where you will find a Maine coon cat named Hank running for political office.

• AND, Carrie Underwood provides us with our song of the week – Good Girl.

Girl to Gorilla – http://www.murphysboroamerican.com/lifestyle/x144223716/-Gorilla-Girl-sideshow-act-hangs-on-despite-changing-times
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi
Non-Drinking Purposes – http://www.stylelist.com/chris-barnes/5-new-uses-for-coca-cola_b_1291559.html?ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News
Tax Problems – http://weirdnews.about.com/od/celebrityescapades/ss/Celebrity-Tax-Cheats.htm
Mike Veeck – http://www.saintsbaseball.com/news/saintsnews/index.html?article_id=727
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/

Ripley Radio – The Boogeyman of New Jersey & The Tennessee Giant

billschiffler — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:01:34 +0000

A nun who gives messages and pigs who serve as ball boys are just a few of the weird and wonderful promotions that baseball club owner and promoter Mike Veeck has propagated over the years. The King of Baseball Promotion drops by Ripley Radio this week and tells us what unusual activities he has planned for his ballparks in 2012.
An incredible tale of killing, deception and avoidance of the law is the story behind Fran Capo’s segment about the Boogeyman of Westfield. She wrote about him in her book Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey, and she recounts the amazingly grisly story to our listeners this week.
Additional Crazy, Bizarre and Unusual Stories Featured This Week on Ripley Radio:
• One of the creepiest looking insects ever thought to be extinct but wasn’t is commonly being called a “tree lobster,” and while the story of its survival – down to only 5 creatures at one time – is uplifting, its looks aren’t very conducive to nightmare free nights! Angela fills us in on all the why’s and where’s.
• Miles Darden, The Tennessee Giant, is probably the largest man to ever live! Marc Harzman shares the story of the big guy.
• In Jackpotting with James Taylor, the historian tells the tale of the man with three eyes, Bill Durks.
• For nearly a century, mysterious lights have appeared on Brown Mountain, near Raleigh, N.C., and nobody during those 100 years has been able to figure out what they are or where they come from. Return Intern Abby provides an insight into the phenomena and explains how the little community is finally starting to cash in on it.
• Ralf reports on a “dumb criminal” who was caught with several items, including a 19-inch flat screen TV, in his pants as he was leaving Wal-Mart.

Mysterious Lights – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/26/brown-mountain-lights-nc_n_1302204.html?ref=weird-news
Marc Hartzman – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-hartzman/miles-darden-worlds-largest-man_b_1232821.html
Fran Capo – http://francapo.com/
Tree Lobsters – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2108736/Extinct-tree-lobster-alive-clinging-Pacific-rock-taller-Empire-State-Building.html
Mike Veeck – http://funisgood.net/mike/

Ripley Radio – Orange Haired Daredevil & Homer Simpson’s Favorite Beer

billschiffler — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:01:22 +0000

Bello Nock is perhaps the most recognizable circus performer ever. In creating his own performance niche as a comic daredevil, he shows as much skill as a daredevil as he does as a clown. His foot tall orange hair helps identify him in either role. Tim caught up with Nock for a quick interview prior to the Circus Sarasota presentation of Bello Mania.
Duff Beer, the drink of choice of the fictional Homer Simpson, was a fictional drink itself until recently. It is now being brewed as a German Pilsner, but only available in the UK. Angela explains why it has taken so long for a brew named Duff to make it to the marketplace.
Additional Weird, Wacky and Wonderful Items Discussed this week on Ripley Radio:
• One of Robert Ripley’s favorite entertainers, Melvin Burkhardt, was the first to carry the name of “Blockhead,” having been given that title by Ripley himself at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. In the Jackpotting with James Taylor segment, the sideshow historian describes the wacky and well played life of the original Human Blockhead.
• A 27 pound, 40 inch long Lobster, the size of a three year old child, is the largest lobster ever caught in the waters of Maine. The huge crustacean, nicknamed Rocky by his captors, was released due to laws governing big lobsters.
• Jesus is on sale for $250.000! Tough guy to put a price on, but this 22 square foot portrait is made out of 25,000 colored push pins!
• Intern Abby reports on macabre deaths and injuries, caused by flying body parts of other humans and animals.
• Tim has discovered an item called a “telemarketer repellent” and demonstrates it on air. The electronic device has 25 choices of cleverly recorded messages that you can use to insult and confuse the telemarketer when he calls during dinner.
• Love memorabilia from old subways? New York City is updating old stations and is offering the old benches – bacteria and graffiti included – for $650.
• Edward updates us on the 15 pieces of art he has purchased from the artists of Thailand who create huge sculptures – he’s talking 15 to 20 foot tall – made from parts of old cars imported from China. His latest acquisition is a 15-foot tall Godzilla.
• AND, the “boss,” Bruce Springsteen, closes out the show with his new single, “We Take Care of our Own.”
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/
Bello Nock – http://www.bellonock.com/
Duff Beer – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2104242/Homer-Simpson-favourite-Duff-beer-sale-Britain.html
Flying Body Parts – http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-29/news/ct-met-train-fatality-suit-20111229_1_amtrak-train-high-speed-train-metra-train
Rocky – http://www.wmtw.com/r/30516567/detail.html

Ripley Radio – Pizza Cravings, Getting Lucky, & Life on the Moon

billschiffler — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:01:09 +0000

David Schuler likes good pizza, so he drives nearly 1,500 miles and across 16 states, from Mississippi to Massachusetts, to get the perfect pizza pie. And he stocks up once he gets there. Last time, he went home with 150 of those tomato-soaked ovals of greatness in his backseat. He visits with us this week on Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast and tells us about his favorite pizza restaurant.
Susan Hyatt says the only difference between lucky and unlucky people is their thoughts. That said, the author of “Create Your Own Luck: 7 Steps to Get Your Lucky On” stops by this week and describes how we all can learn to be lucky!
Additional bizarre, unusual, awesome and weird topics covered this week on Ripley Radio:
• In 1835, a newspaper reporter in New York City had most of the world believing that there was not only life on the moon, but the inhabitants were large bat-like men with wings. Marc Hartzman shares this hoax with us.
• There really is a town out west named ZZYZX! Angela tells us how to pronounce it and where it’s located.
• Ralf reveals that the leader so far for the 2012 Razzie Awards, which honors the worst film of the year, is Jack and Jill, an Adam Sandler film that has 11 nominations for being the worst in just about every category you can think of!
• The oddest book title so far this year, according to a leading book trade magazine is “Cooking with Poo.” Tune in to find out if this is really what it sounds like!
• Return intern Abby reports that Adele-sized mannequins are now in demand in U.K. dress shops as the plus-size singer surges in popularity.
• A former football player has set a world record! He flew his finely-crafted paper airplane an amazing 226 feet shattering the old record.
• After living in Rebekah Speight’s freezer for three years, a Chicken McNugget that resembles George Washington has been freed and put up for auction on eBay. Profits are set to help send kids to a church camp this summer.
• AND we close the show with a rousing live version of the song Jezebel, by none other than the Herman’s Hermits!
Cooking with Poo – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9093617/Surge-in-sales-of-Adele-sized-mannequins.html
2012 Razzie Awards – http://www.razzies.com/
George Washington Chicken McNugget – http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/06/chicken-mcnugget-resembling-george-washington-sells-for-8100-on-ebay/
Create Your Own Luck – www.createyourownluckbook.com
Perfect pizza pie – http://www.dbtechno.com/curiosity/2011/08/15/mississippi-man-goes-the-distance-for-some-pizza/
Adele-sized mannequins – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9093617/Surge-in-sales-of-Adele-sized-mannequins.html
ZZyZX – http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/21414
Bat-like-Men – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-hartzman/a-touch-of-knowledge-the-_1_b_1203611.html

Ripley Radio – Boxing Chimps, Flying Squirrels & the New Jersey Devil

billschiffler — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:02:35 +0000

This year contains the most Friday the 13th occurrences possible in one calendar year – three. And to make things even more daunting for those with Triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) is that they are exactly 13 weeks apart! This week on the Ripley Radio Worldwide Oddcast, we examine the number and give everyone a little bit more to worry about, such as the fact that dying in a car crash is 64% greater on Friday the 13th!
The New Jersey Devil, not the Hockey Team, is legendary in the folklore of New Jersey, and this week the author of Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey, Fran Capo, drops by and traces the history of this monster and provides some credibility to those who claim they have seen it.
Other Weird, Bizarre and Totally Outrageous Things Discussed this Week:
• Sideshow historian James Taylor tells us about a unique midway draw during the golden years of the carnival sideshow – boxing chimps. Bob and Mae Noell’s Athletic Apes were always challenged, but never beaten, as they travelled from town to town welcoming all pugilistic comers.
• Ralf visits with a fireman in New Jersey who was called to the local hospital to capture a flying squirrel that was visiting the emergency room and wouldn’t leave , not once but twice within a month’s time.
• One legislator in the State of Kansas, in the U.S., is trying to get the Cairn Terrier, the breed of Toto the canine star in the Wizard of Oz, named as the “official” dog breed in the state. The subject has been brought up before but always defeated, Believe it or Not! Let’s hope no one wants to make those scary Flying Monkeys the official state primate!
• In our Weird Medical Maladies Minute, Ripley’s Solutionologist Jodi Pliszka explains the terrible and rare genetic condition known as Progeria, where a person turns old very quickly and prematurely.
• Social media is alive in the air! On various airlines, you can chat with that hunk in seat 14B or check out the profiles of those already assigned a seat to see who you would like to sit next to. But they still charge you to check a bag!
• Ripley’s official cartoonist, John Graziano, visits our studio and brings along a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! book from the 1930s that he says is haunted! A haunted book? Tune in, it’s a great story.
• AND, in the famous Spot the Not! quiz, we learn if it is or isn’t against the law in Memphis, Tenn. for a frog to croak after 11 p.m.

Official Dog Breed – http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-31/news/31010689_1_cairn-terrier-official-dog-state-dog
Social Media – http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2011/12/klm-passengers-use-social-media-to-find-a-perfect-seatmate/583598/1?csp=tf&loc=interstitialskip
Friday the 13th – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-franklin-ruehl-phd/friday-the-13th-facts_b_1198259.html?ref=weird-news
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi
Frog to croak – http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080130214610AAGecw5
Fran Capo – http://francapo.com/

Ripley Radio – Doomsday TV & A Man with Two Mouths

billschiffler — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:01:16 +0000

It’s a new year and that means there are new Doomsdays predicted that we all must prepare for. Tim Ralston is our guest on Ripley Radio Oddcast this week. He’s a Prepper, one who prepares extensively for Doomsday by stocking up on food, water, batteries, and maybe most important – knowledge. As part of the team on the new National Geographic TV show Doomsdayers 2012, he shares with us what really can happen “out there” and how to prepare for it.
Throughout ages, humans have been born with extra body parts, including arms, legs, fingers, and in some cases another human being! Marc Hartzman joins us this week to tell us about very rare example of a man born with an extra mouth – Otto Tolpefer. He was a featured attraction on sideshows in the 1880s in the New York area.

Other Amazingly Odd, Bizarre and Unusual Items Discussed this Week:
• Ripley Radio’s personal Solutionologist, Jodi Pliszka, reports on a very strange medical malady known as Foreign Accent Syndrome. The afflicted ends up talking in a language or accent they never spoke before!
• The new Forbes list is out! The “Most Miserable City” in the US has been named. Believe It or Not! it is Miami, Fla. Tune in and find out why its citizens are more miserable than the rest of us.
• In the isolated farming village of Sodeto, Spain, all 70 households, except for one, bought into the annual Christmas Lottery. You guessed it, they struck gold and will now share the jackpot of $950 million. However, the loser who didn’t join in goes away with nothing and is now the only non-millionaire in the village!
• Intern Abby reports on the amazingly high number of bizarre deaths each year. Death by chocolate, icicles and vending machines number into the hundreds. Death by hippopotamus averages 2,900 annually. Hear the grizzly details only on Ripley Radio!
• OK, once you meet that bizarre death, what happens to all of your social media platforms and how do all your friends find out you are dead? You are right! There IS an app for that – on Facebook. Angela tells us how it works.
• Author Fran Capo takes another story from her Myths and Mysteries of New York book and shares the scary tale of Buckout Road with us. The road, which still exists today has ghosts who appear often and lawn ornaments that change shape. Anyone care for a short drive?
• John Graziano, Ripley’s official cartoonist, drops by and tells us how he applied for the Ripley job and 25 years later got it! He also talks about the new Ripley book series – Shout Out!

Most Miserable City – http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/02/02/americas-most-miserable-cities/
Bizarre Deaths

http://www.oddee.com/item_98002.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Oddee+%28Oddee%29

70 Households – http://www.lotterypost.com/news/242016
Marc Hartzman – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-hartzman/man-with-two-mouths_b_1113777.html?ref=weird-news
Fran Capo – http://francapo.com/
Tim Ralston – http://natgeotv.com/uk/doomsdayers-2012
Jodi Pliszka – http://www.headlineitstore.com/about/jodi
John Graziano – http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=757913618

Ripley Radio – Cheese and Children in the White House

billschiffler — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:01:43 +0000

It’s President’s Week here at Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast, as we present two amazing and unusual stories you won’t find anywhere else.
We hear that President Andrew Jackson may be the biggest party animal the White House has ever seen! Author and presidential historian Jacopo della Quercia visits and explains what Jackson’s big and boisterous Cheese Party was all about!
We learn from Ian Randall Strock that the fertility of the US Commander in Chief tells us a great deal about how we should judge the success of a president. His research is expansive and he tells us everything you ever wanted to know about fertility, kids, grandkids and siblings in the White House. Check out Ian’s latest presidential book project!
Additional Amazing, Unusual and Totally Baffling Items Discussed This Week:
• The biggest hit so far this year on YouTube is a video of the up-to-now-unknown band, Walk off the Earth. Ralf talks with them about the video on which all five of them play “Somebody I Used to Know,” on the SAME guitar at the SAME time. Not to be outdone, the five members of the Ripley Ensemble gather around one guitar and play “Tequila,” a totally unmemorable and somewhat embarrassing moment in the history of Ripley Radio.
• Angela shares a few of the unusual customs associated with the 15 day celebration surrounding the Chinese New Year, including such rules that one should not gift a pair of shoes or a green hat to someone during that period.
• Believe It or Not! a student can now enroll in a class at Rutgers University dedicated to the study of singer Beyonce! If time allows, other divas, including Lady Gaga will also be covered.
• Sideshow historian James Taylor shares a piece of the past with us as he describes a most unusual type of carnival midway attraction – genuine medical exhibitions.
• Intern Abby helps those still wondering what they should do when they grow up with a few hints on which occupations NOT to pursue, including newspaper reporter, toll collector and chemist. Some of these will totally surprise you!
• Ripley’s official cartoonist John Graziano returns with a few fun and totally offbeat items created in the 1930s at the height of the Ripleyana craze in America.
• Author and fast talker Fran Capo tells the tale of the mysterious Leatherman, which she features in her new book, Myths and Mysteries of New York.

Chinese New Year – http://goasia.about.com/od/ChineseNewYear/a/Chinese-New-Year-Traditions.htm?nl=1
Walk Off the Earth – http://www.walkofftheearth.com/
Beyonce – http://news.rutgers.edu/focus/issue.2012-01-03.4307075525/article.2012-01-09.3710058680/
Jobs Not to Pursue – http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-505143_162-57343788/will-these-10-jobs-disappear-in-2012/?tag=back
Cheese Party – http://www.cracked.com/article_19008_the-7-most-unexpectedly-awesome-parties-in-history.html
Fran Capo- http://francapo.com/
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/

Ian Randall Strock – http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/667435382/ranking-the-powers-behind-the-oval-office
John Graziano – http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=757913618

Ripley Radio – Sword Swallowing, Ripley’s Historic Cartoon & 101 Marriages

billschiffler — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:01:36 +0000

Believe It or Not! David and Lauren Blair of Nashville, Tenn., have married each other 101 times! The couple joins Ripley Radio this week to discuss their love for each other and share some of the weirder vow exchanges the two have made: ranging from several at Hard Rock Cafes to the time Elvis married them in Las Vegas!
Dan Meyer, president of the Sword Swallowers Assoc. International, stops by to talk about the upcoming World Sword Swallowers Day on Feb. 25, to be held at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! odditoriums around the world. He notes that this year’s event will be the largest ever, with more than 30 sword swallowers “dropping solid steel” at 10 different Ripley’s.

More absolutely weird and bizarre things discussed this week:
• Sideshow historian James Taylor tells us about one of the greatest female sword swallowers ever – Lady Sandra Reed – in his Jackpotting with James Taylor segment.
• Sam Gennawey reveals that Florida’s Walt Disney World would have been a totally different place to visit if Walt Disney had lived long enough to witness its construction. In his new book, “Walt and the Promise of Progress City,” Gennawey notes that the mega-attraction would have been more of an urban community than a theme park.
• The mysterious Montauk Project is discussed by Fran Capo, the author of Myths and Mysteries of New York.
• John Graziano, Ripley’s official cartoonist, tells us about the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon that has run continuously since 1918. While still carried in nearly 200 newspapers worldwide, the cartoon now can be delivered to a person’s email box daily- for free – from GoComics.com.
• Intern Abby discovers the Bunny Museum in Pasadena, Calif.
• Angela gives examples of how studying baby names of newborns today actually reveal cultural trends.
• Ralf tells us about an internet café where a games player was discovered dead in front of the computer screen – nine hours AFTER he died!

Ripley’s Daily Cartoon – http://www.gocomics.com/ripleysbelieveitornot
Bunny Museum – http://www.thebunnymuseum.com/
Baby Names – http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2011-09-06-72502.113116-Baby-names-reveal-cultural-trends.html
World Sword Swallowers Day – http://www.ripleysnewsroom.com/swordswallowday2012
Sam Gennawey – http://ayefourpublishing.com/walt-and-the-promise-of-progress-city
Fran Capo – http://francapo.com/
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/

Ripley Radio – Fish Odor, Jersey Devil & Building Your Own Casket

billschiffler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:30 +0000

Does the famed New Jersey Devil really have a bathing pool deep inside the state’s Pine Barrens? Author Fran Capo’s new book, Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey, has a chapter on the Devil’s Bathtub and she drops by this week to tell us about her weird experience when she visited the mysterious body of water.
Co-host Ralf discovers the North House Folk School in Minnesota where students learn to build their own caskets! The school’s Jessa Frost says the casket can serve as a coffee table or as a book shelf until you are ready to use it for the intended purpose.

Further Weird, Bizarre, Fun and Unbelievable Subjects Covered this week:
• Jodi Pliszka, The Solutionologist, talks about a smelly weird medical malady simply known as Fish Odor Syndrome.
• Intern Abby relates the hilarious tale of a man dressed up as Frosty the Snowman who inadvertently terrorized a small town.
• Angela goes techie on us this week and discusses the Internet of Things. She explains how a person’s “things” will someday all be interconnected and will “talk” with and respond to each other, without any help from you!
• We learn of a man in Nome, Alaska, who was trapped in his car during a snowstorm for nearly four days and was able to survive the cold without food or water. What kept him alive? He ate the frozen beer from the 12-pack of Coors he had in the back seat!
• How far does a modern-day cannonball fly and how much damage can it do along the way? We hear of an unbelievable accident on the set of the TV show MythBusters that provides some answers.
• Dinosaurs are heading to Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Ripley archivist Edward Myer talks about these huge robotic beasts as well as other related items in the Ripley collection – including prehistoric insects encased within an amber rock!

Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey http://francapo.com/bookstore.html?page=shop.product_details&product_id=14&flypage=flypage.pbv.v3.tpl&pop=0
North House Folk School – http://www.northhouse.org/
Jodi Pliszka – www.thesolutionologist.com
Frosty the Snowman – http://www.wcti12.com/news/29883069/detail.html
Internet of Things

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221614/Today_the_Internet_tomorrow_the_Internet_of_Things_

A Man in Nome, Alaska – http://digitaljournal.com/article/315585
An Unbelievable Accident – http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/12/17/mythbusters-gets-an-earful-from-dublin-neighbors-over-cannonball-accident/

Ripley Radio – Mental Floss, Starbuck Surprises & a Dog Named Ripley

billschiffler — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:01:39 +0000

Ethan Trex of the popular web site and magazine, Mental Floss, stops by Ripley Radio this week to discuss the weird topics his publication carries, how they research the bizarre, and how it compares with Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
A pitiful little pooch was found in the ditches in Houma, La., near death and totally unrecognizable as a dog in fall 2010. Today, a little more than a year later, Ripley the Dog is flourishing in his new home. Mike Tingle joins us and provides an update on the little guy and says that with the help that Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Petco provided him and the shelter, the adoption was made possible.

Additional Bizarre, Weird and Unbelievable Topics Discussed this Week.
• Care for a cup of Pequod today? Starbucks was nearly named Pequod, after the ship in the literary classic Moby Dick! Intern Abby reports on that near travesty and other things we all should know about the popular coffee chain.
• In the segment, “Jackpotting with James Taylor,” the sideshow historian and author of Shocked and Amazed shares with us the colorful and unique life of Homer Tate, possibly the best sideshow gaff maker in the history of the business.
• Peter Minuet, who sold Manhattan to the Indians, was fired shortly thereafter by the Dutch Government. You’ll be surprised at the reason for his dismissal.
• A Seattle man’s decades-long guilt evidently led him to return money he had stolen from a Sear’s cash register in the late 1940s – with interest! He anonymously returned it to the customer service desk during the 2011 holiday shopping rush.
• Imagine this: You are a high ranking and award winning police official but get caught committing a crime. Ok, bad enough but how about this? You are spending time in the correctional institute that the city named after you for your years of outstanding service! Believe it or Not! it happened.
• Angela discusses a computer program that reacts to your mood, and other unbelievable techie-type of amazing products that remind us that Big Brother probably IS watching us.
• Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer recounts his trip in late 2011 in which he traveled to the mountains of Thailand to meet artists who weld together huge statues out of used car parts.

Starbucks – http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/51272
Computer program – http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/computers-know-youre-sad-then-try-to-help/833
Mental Floss – www.mentalfloss.com
James Taylor – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/
Myths and Mysteries of New Jersey http://francapo.com/bookstore.html?page=shop.product_details&product_id=14&flypage=flypage.pbv.v3.tpl&pop=0

Ripley Radio – A Talking Dog and What’s Banned from Wal-Mart

billschiffler — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:44 +0000

Was Don, a celebrated German pooch from the early 20th century, really able to talk as so many stories and legends proclaim? Huffington Post correspondent Marc Hartzman looked into the popular tale and talks with us this week on Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast.
Do you think all big box retailers carry virtually everything? Think again and tune in to see what Wal-Mart has banned over the years from being sold in their stores! Intern Abby notes that “everything from the unexpected – Mattel Dolls, to the expected – CDs with explicit lyrics” has been shunned by America’s largest retailer.

Additional Bizarre, Unusual and Weird Topics discussed this week:
• Ripley Archivist Edward Meyer continues his countdown to the Number One best acquisition he made during 2011 for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! It’s not Number One, but one of the top three is the Hogwart’s Castle, made by Pat Acton out of a million wooden matchsticks.
• In the “Jackpotting with James Taylor” segment, the sideshow historian and author of Shocked and Amazed, relates the incredible story about the oddest married couple ever – Jeanie Tomaini the half-girl and the Giant Al Tomaini.
• Kim Orlando, who heads up the Travelingmom.com website, drops by and tells us about a couple of warm and wonderful – albeit weird and funky – wintertime destinations, including what most travel writers call the most alien-looking country on earth.
• Angela delves into the unbelievable historical roots of monsters – Why we create them, why we love them and why so many popular creatures have been fashioned over the years. She reports that “we create monsters and give them life in a form that we fear in ourselves.”
• Our co-host Ralf with an F explains that stressed out law students at George Mason University Law School are given puppies to help them relax. Officials say the process does two very important things – it helps the students relax and it saves the life of a puppy! It’s an unbelievably successful program.
• AND to give our feline friends equal time, we hear about Daniel the 26 toed cat that lives at the Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center. His deformity has made him a celebrity and his keepers used him this year as a fund-raising feline to help raise money to cover the increase in rent for the shelter. To date, he has helped raise more than $80,000!

Don – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-hartzman/a-touch-of-knowledge-don-_b_1002799.html
Monsters: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/2011_10_27/monster_culture
Wal-Mart – http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/34728
Oddest Married Couple – http://thehumanmarvels.com/?p=1012
Shocked and Amazed – http://www.shockedandamazed.com/
Marc Hartzman – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-hartzman
Kim Orlando – www.travelingmom.com
Daniel, the 26-toed cat – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/cat-with-26-toes-helps-mi_n_1067942.html
George Mason University – http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/cuddly-puppies-help-law-students-de-stress-before-exams/2011/12/01/gIQA0s9LIO_story.html
Hogwart’s Castle – http://crazy-clips.blogspot.com/2006/10/matchstick-castle.html

Ripley Radio – Bizarre Economic Indexes & Walking Over Niagara Falls

billschiffler — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:01:55 +0000

Nik Wallenda, the 7th generation high-wire walker in the world-famous Wallenda Family, is attempting to get official permission from the Canadian Government to walk across Niagara Falls in June 2012. Meanwhile, the New York State government has already given him the go ahead for that side of the Falls. Nik talks with Ripley Radio this week about what motivates him to risk his life in his world-record high-wire walks.
The mother of Amber Karlins felt that her daughter was living a ”small life” and needed to face her many fears – head on. The 25 – year old talks with Ripley Radio this week about her new book, “My Year of Living Fearlessly,” in which she chronicles how she faced 52 of those fears in 52 weeks.

Additional Outrageous, Weird, Unbelievable and Bizarre Things Discussed this Week
• It seems there are many unusual, and surprisingly accurate, economic indicators that shed light on how the US economy is going. Angela discusses the Lipstick Index, as well as other off-beat indicators.
• Paranormal and UFO writer for the Huffington Post Lee Spiegel, drops by and unveils his Top 11 UFO stories of 2011.
• We learn from Jodi Pliszka, Ripley’s very own Solutionologist, what the medical malady, trichotillomania is all about.
• Abby takes a look at food trends that experts are predicting for 2012, including a rush on potato dishes. She tells us there are high-end French Fry Bars in our future.
• We hear of a 16 year old girl who spent Christmas vacation skiing to the bottom of the world with her father – and how he threw away her school books that she brought along so she could study during her break.
• Ripley archivist Edward Meyer presents the first six of his Top 12 favorite acquisitions he made during 2011 for the Ripley Archives. On his list this week is a full-size Ferrari car knitted from 12 miles of yarn and the world’s only known Shrunken Face. The top six will be presented next week.

Ripley Radio – Typhoid Mary & A Tree in Disneyland

billschiffler — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:01:09 +0000

In the early 1900s, Typhoid Mary cooked for people and they soon became very ill or died. It was that simple, but was she a typhoid carrier? Fran Capo joins us this week to discuss Mary Malone, better known as Typhoid Mary, from the research she did for a chapter in her new book, Myths and Mysteries of New York .
Walt Disney loved a big old fig tree growing along a residential street in Anaheim, Calif., so much that he sent his Imagineers out to take a casting of its roots and trunk to bring back and built an exact replica at Disneyland to house what is now known as Tarzan’s Treehouse. Popular culture historian Chris Epting found the tree and climbed it. He reports.

Other Crazy, Funky, Unusual and Unbelievable Things Discussed This Week:
• A Catholic Nun from Ionia College had an expensive gambling habit and lost nearly a half million dollars of her college’s funds in Atlantic City. She was arrested and must now make restitution. Quite a Sister’s Act, we presume.
• Bowser Beer Company makes beer brewed especially for dogs, including the tasty treat Labrador Lager. The group of taste-testing terriers has proven it safe for consumption.
• A Zombie Boot Camp now operates in Britain and teaches students how to survive a Zombie Invasion. Reservations required.
• Wear Milk? Return Intern Abby reports on an award-winning new fabric – made entirely from German, organic milk. It’s soft to the body and is good for the skin, Abby notes.
• Sideshow queen The Great Cindini helped author Amber Karlins succeed on five new challenges in Karlins’ just released book, My Year of Living Fearlessly. She talks about coaching her through the skills, from walking on glass to eating fire!
• You will be amazed at the number of crazy lawsuits that are being filed out there, wasting resources and costing us all money! Angela researched a few of the more unbelievable claims AND the unbelievable outcome of several of the more ridiculous assertions.
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood has just reopened with a brand new show. All original displays and a fresh approach to the weird side of Hollywood! Ripley’s archivist walks us through some of the more unbelievable exhibits.

Ripley Radio – Hard Core Jousting, Sunken Ships & The Doors

billschiffler — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:01:11 +0000

Formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, Jim Morrison & The Doors created their own recording studio in a worn-down area of Santa Monica Boulevard. Today, that location is a Mexican Restaurant and the sound booth in which Morrison recorded is the men’s bathroom. Pop culture historian Chris Epting tells us all about it on this week’s Ripley Radio.
Charlie Andrews is one tough dude! He is the reigning world champion jouster. Yes, there is such a sport as professional jousting and National Geographic Television features Andrews and others in the series, Knights of Mayhem. Charlie explains that it is definitely a sport in which you WILL get hurt.

Additional Bizarre, Unusual and Weird Topics discussed this week:
• Man of many lives and careers, Pat Croce, the owner of St. Augustine’s Pirate and Treasure Museum tells Ralf that his crew has discovered two ships that were part of the Sir Francis Drake’s final expedition and that the body of Drake, which was lowered into the sea in a lead-lined coffin, could likely become their next discovery.
• A stash of items stolen from a local police precinct was found in one of the cop’s basement. His defense is that a ghost must have stolen the property.
• For Sale, read the ad on Craig’s List. One video-game obsessed military veteran of Afghanistan. It seems the wife couldn’t get him to do anything but play the video war game. The ad was pulled by the web police.
• Let’s sign up for a Groupon Deal, get more business and save our cupcake shop! Wrong. The owner of Need a Cake Bakery in the UK received 8,500 orders totaling 102,000 cupcakes – an order that eventually cost her more than $19,000 extra to fill – more than her profits for all of last year.
• How about this claim to fame. A musician held a benefit concert in Africa – to raise money to build an electric fence around a compound – that contains blind elephants!
• Return intern Abby reports on an English historian who was found with 20 female corpses in his house, all dressed up as if they were going to a party!
• Angela researched mysterious deaths of magicians. Some died on stage, another died in the hospital while those in the audience thought appearing to be dead was part of his act!
• Archivist Edward Meyer tells of his journey late last year into the mountains of Thailand where he met a lady who welds together 19-foot tall replicas of Transformer figures – made from old auto parts!

Ripley Radio – Aliens, Dwarf Basketball & a Funky Tower

billschiffler — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:01:48 +0000

This week on the Dec. 26 episode of Ripley Radio, we learn that Aliens do exist. Jim Moroney tells us of the night he was abducted by Aliens and how it changed his life.

Jerry Chubbuck, owner of the funky roadside attraction, Wonder Tower, in Genoa, Colorado, takes us on a fun tour of this landmark and promises that he will give us our $1 admission free back if we are totally happy about our tour!

Additional Unbelievable and Amazing topics we talk about this week:

• Our man on the street reporter Buck Wolf talks about his visit with the New York Towers, a dwarf basketball team.
• We hear about odd Japanese beverages.
• A bunch of Chihuahuas who ate their dead master.
• We learn of a 13 year old girl who looks three times her age.
• From an old Ripley Radio segment and we learn of an army commander who was so young that he had to be carried onto the battlefield.

Ripley Radio – Christmas Weirdness and Couch Surfing

billschiffler — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:01:26 +0000

Christmas expert Robin Mains tells Ripley Radio that although she is a Christian, she and her family stopped celebrating the holiday a decade ago and speaks of the deviant and strange side of the holiday.
The world’s top couch surfer, Ori Bengal explains how easy it is to get an invitation to sleep on stranger’s couches.
More Weirdness Discussed this week:
• We learn of a Christmas gift that was lost at sea when the ship that was carrying it sunk, but the package still arrived only two days late.
• We hear about North Carolina’s mysterious Judaculla Rock and it’s carvings. Jeremiah Greer takes us on a whimsical journey.
• We visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not Times Square in New York City.

Ripley Radio – Witch Doctors, Alien Hands & 7 Billion People

billschiffler — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:01:51 +0000

TV adventurer, author, actor and world traveler Piers Gibbon stops by Ripley Radio this week and tells us about his latest National Geographic Channel show, The Witch Doctor Will See You Now! He shares the various “cures” he was shown by the Witch Doctors in Peru. AND he tells us which ones worked.
In this week’s Weird Medical Maladies Minute, Jodi Pliszka, the Solutionologist, explains what the “Alien Hands” syndrome is all about and provides a few very graphic bizarre examples of what can happen if you have this affliction.
Other Freaky, Wild and Crazy Things Discussed this Week:
• Return Intern Abby reports that the 7 billionth human on Planet Earth was born on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2011 in the Philippines and she tells us where we can find the formula to figure out what our birth order was amongst those billions!
• Chris Epting reports on a booth in Pete’s Tavern in Lower Manhattan where O. Henry sat while writing the Gift of the Magi in 1906.
• Ralf talks about the dangers of what parents assume are safe toys, while in reality the simplest toy can be quite dangerous. He points out that 3.8 million individual toys were recalled during 2011 – just in the US!
• We hear that the Sugar Plum Fairy of St. Charles, Mo., was fired just before Christmas and learn of the “Save the Sugar Plum Fairy” groups that have sprung up in an attempt to get her coveted job back!
• There’s a new cheese on the market. It is infused with eatable gold leaf and sells for $100 per slice!
• Every year it happens. A thief gets stuck in a chimney trying to enter a house to rob. This year the doofus is a 17-year male!
• Angela takes us on a tour of vending machines and the unusual items they dispense – soccer balls to lobsters to raw meat! The coolest one makes potato chips from your own potato while you wait.
• The Great Cindini talks about her escape from the gallows at the Crime and Punishment Museum in Ashburn, Ga.
• Edward the archivist relates how bizarre it was in November, spending the day in Thailand, with three “unusual and unbelievable” people- the Scorpion Girl, the Centipede Boy, and the Wolf Child – Supatra Sasuphan an 11 year old girl who suffers from “werewolf” syndrome and is considered the world’s hairiest child.

Ripley Radio – Roadkill Nourishment & Money-Eating Mongrel

billschiffler — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:01:00 +0000

This week on Ripley Radio we talk with a Florida woman who left $1,000 in cash on the kitchen counter only to be eaten by her dog! How she got it back may surprise you!

Nation-wide, Ripley attractions are celebrating the holidays. We talk with Michael Hirsch of the New York City Believe It or Not! museum who tells us about his month-long Ripley-style fun, which includes an opportunity to have a mini-Santa sit on YOUR lap! Kim Kiff, manager of the St. Augustine, Fla., Believe It or Not! museum describes her Santa’s Village and the city’s Nights of Lights and tells us that all Florida residents get into all the Ripley attractions state-wide for half-price in December.

More Amazingly Unbelievable Topics Discussed This Week:

• We discover that at least one pregnant woman craves roadkill.
• Ripley Facebook presents: The 12 Weirds of Christmas. Multiple prizes will be awarded daily, starting December 8. Where else can you win two headed turtles, one-eyed dogs, and Ripley mugs, tree decorations and books?
• We learn of Christmas customs of far-away lands: burning goats in Sweden, holiday meals at KFC in Japan, and defecating logs in Spain!
• Remember the guy who dressed up like Gumby and tried to rob a convenience store? We follow up this week and find out why he turned himself into authorities.
• We learn that a bakery refused to bake a birthday cake for a child – named Adolf Hitler.
• On Thanksgiving morning, a live turkey fell out of his nest, crashed through a window and landed inside a restaurant – that was not serving turkey for dinner!
• Edward explains that on his recent trip to New Zealand the bovine hair ball he was carrying with him was not allowed in the country and was sent back to the U.S.!

Ripley Radio – Side Show Money, Weird Winter Sports & Messages in a Bottle

billschiffler — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:44:57 +0000

Inside money is an important part of any carnival or circus sideshow, we hear from sideshow historian James Taylor. “You pay a buck to get in and $50 to get out,” he jokes. He explains the “inside money” concept this week on Ripley Radio and tells a few weird stories along the way.

59-year old Harold Hackett has thrown nearly 5,000 bottles with messages inside into the Atlantic Ocean, off Prince Edward Island, Canada and has had 3,500 responses! His hobby has made him friends around the world. He talks with Ralf this week about his unique hobby! See video of Harold at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j9DzGYfh7fE#t=192s

Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Topics We Cover This Week:

• Kim Orlando of Travelingmom.com visits and talks about some very weird winter sports and potential new Olympic events.
• In our Weird Medical Maladies Minute, Jodi Pliszka outlines PICA, the strange illness that causes a person to eat everything from couch cushions to laundry detergent to feces.
• Hail to the Dorito Dude! Family and friends of Dorito inventor Arch West, dumped bags full of the crunchy chips into his grave during a grave-side service. He was 97 years old and his daughter claimed that “he would have loved” the Dorito dump!
• Just when you thought you’ve seen every type of performance art possible! A New York City woman “performed” the birth of her child. People signed up at an art gallery to be a part of the performance and 15 were summoned when she went into labor! Son Ajax came out, stood up, tipped his hat and went “TA-DA!”
• Angela reports this week that sometimes psychics get it right! Really.
• Did you know that getting a fish drunk in Ohio and getting a mouse sloshed in Alaska are both against the law? Return intern Abby tells us all about her research of weird and wacky U.S. liquor laws.

Ripley Radio – Funerals, Sea Turtles & Priscilla the Monkey Girl

billschiffler — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:01:37 +0000

Author and a doyenne of death, Gail Ruben visits Ripley Radio this week and tells us about her quest to crash 30 funerals of total strangers in 30 days. Then she blogs about the deceased and her experiences at the funeral. Taking a whimsical approach to death and funerals is her forte.

In our sideshow segment, Jackpotting with James Taylor, the sideshow historian talks about one of his most unusual friends, Priscilla the Monkey Girl. Now deceased, Priscilla spent decades on the circus and carnival sideshow circuit, dancing for thousands of paying customers and showing off her body – totally covered with hair.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Chris Epting discusses a very unusual site in Long Beach, Calif. – A family of sea turtles living and thriving in the warm waters of a small channel next to a power plant! You can now cancel your trip to the Galapagos Islands and head to Long Beach!
• Angela reveals the top occupations in which the employees need to drink the most coffee to survive a day at work. There are quite a few surprises in the Top 15. But we can reveal here that 54% of all employees of all occupations surveyed say they are more productive when they drink coffee.
• Intern Abby uncovers an unusual way in which tax collectors in Bangalore, India, collect back taxes. It involves drums and loud noises and the resulting embarrassment.
• Ralf explains how a baby doll saved an entire family from perishing in a house fire.
• We hear of a man who was awarded a new Honda Accord after his old one reached One Million miles.
• Kim Kiff, manager of the Ripley’s attractions in St. Augustine, Fla., drops by and tells us that St. Augustine is a great place to spend a few days during the upcoming holiday season.

Ripley Radio – Weird Medical Maladies, Proof of Reincarnation & Miss Artichoke

billschiffler — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:01:02 +0000

Psychic Marie Gates, author of Are We Our Past Lives?, visits Ripley Radio this week and discusses her journey from being an atheist and not believing in re-incarnation to one who believes in both God and re-incarnation. She relates a compelling story that she feels proves that re-incarnation does indeed exist.

Weird Medical Maladies Minute is a new segment that makes its premiere this week. In the series, Jodi Pliszka respectively leads us through a maze of uncommon, unusual and often bizarre human diseases and conditions. She kicks off this week explaining a malady that she herself has suffered for the past 20 years – alopecia universalis – which has left her totally hairless.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Miss Artichoke 1948 was a beautiful Los Angeles model who trekked up to Castroville, Calif. to partake in the pageant. The media coverage of her victory kicked off her journey to super-stardom and her position as a Hollywood icon. Have any ideas? Tune in to be surprised.

• A man wants to kill his girlfriend and make it look like a bear did it! His idea was simple. First, he was going to kill a bear, then clean it out and climb into the skin. When the girlfriend took the trash out he would then maul her to death. He was turned into police by a friend before any bears were harmed.

• Echo Bodine, author of the Little Book of True Ghost Stories, shares her up-close, personal and often reluctant experiences with the spirits.

• It’s been a good year for weird foods. How about Caesar Salad cotton candy?

• Competition for the pizza dollar got hotter than usual in Florida. Two employees, thinking they would help their employer, Dominoes, burned down the neighboring Papa Johns. Poor guys, they are now in jail eating prison pizza.

• We hear a funny story about a 92-year old woman who couldn’t produce a driver’s license (she isn’t allowed to drive anymore) to show proof of age while trying to buy a bottle of whiskey. The clerk refused to sell it to her so she went elsewhere and scored.

• Angela explains how several on-line services will provide fake girlfriends for lonely guys. The ladies will email, text, send photos and post blogs expressing their undying love – presumably for anyone who provides a credit card.

• From a vintage Ripley Radio segment, we’ll hear the tale of how a submarine full of sailors, stranded at the bottom of the ocean, was saved by singing.

• Beatlemania at its finest! Ralf has found John Lennon’s molar. It’s up for auction, with a $15,000 minimum opening bid required.

And Tim will disclose which American zoo has trained its elephants to wash cars – in exchange for a $20 donation.

Ripley Radio – All About Saints, Friendly Aliens & Odd Thanksgiving Traditions

billschiffler — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:01:49 +0000

Kooky UFO Phil visits Ripley Radio again and outlines his plans to build a pyramid on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay that will serve both as a hydrogen power plant and a landing site for alien space craft. We also feature UFO Phil’s latest song, Bad Aliens.

Kim Orlando, founder of Travelingmom.com, explains some of the most outlandish Thanksgiving Day traditions and oddities that her network of moms have uncovered. Did you know that pumpkin pie gumballs, gravy soda and special Thanksgiving Day puppy chow were all available to help make your day more memorable?

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Angela takes a deep look at mustaches this week and finds that Chicago is the most moustache-friendly city in the USA and that Applebee’s Restaurants are one of the most moustache-friendly employers.
• This week’s feel good pet story features “Daniel the Wonder Beagle” who was to be euthanized at an animal shelter but survived by walking out of the gas chamber, with his tail wagging, totally uninjured and undead! He’s now been given a reprieve in New Jersey.
• Many experts say a video of an alleged alien standing next to a tree in the Amazon Rain Forest is the real thing. Hollywood has already shown interest!
• Judika Illes stops by and talks about her new book, Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages, and explains why the book starts off with an unexpected topic for a book on saints – a chapter on vampires and ghosts!
• You’re sitting in your window seat on an Irish airliner and look out and see workmen fixing the wing – with Duct Tape! Would you be surprised? Then would you be upset when the plane has to turn back midway in the flight because the tape wasn’t holding?
• Edward explains how easy it is to submit your own believe it or not to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! He outlines the process and promises that he personally answers each enquiry.
• AND, during Tim’s Spot the Not! quiz, we learn of a lady who had more than 172,000 kidney stones removed at the same time from one of her kidneys. “Ouch,” said the others.

Ripley Radio – Halloween Stories and Witches: When to Love Them; When to Fear Them

billschiffler — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:01:21 +0000

Ripley Radio celebrates Halloween by reaching out to three different witches and warlocks and asking them to explain what this witch thing is all about. What we got in return is an entertaining and enlightening program dedicated to the unbelievable world they live in.

Christian Day, the World’s Most Famous Warlock, talks with us from his home in Salem, Mass., and explains in his new book, “Witches Book of the Dead,” that the dead can be “powerful allies” to their surviving friends and families. Author and lecturer Raven Grimassi shows how ancient ways can be used in these modern days in his new tome, “Old World Witchcraft.”

Ripley’s resident witch, Judika Illes, tells us when we should love witches and when it’s time to fear witches. As a scholar, educator, and author of several books of folklore and mythology about the subjects of magic, the occult, divination, diverse spiritual traditions, witchcraft, and the paranormal, she knows what she’s talking about – so we listen!

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Ralf explains why a prison doctor in California gets paid $235,000 per year working as a book keeper and not as a doctor.
• How about this turn of events? The life of an inmate at another prison was saved by quick-thinking guards and now the prisoner is suing the state saying that he WANTED to die and the guards interfered with his personal rights!
• How do you steal a live lobster from a grocery store? We hear the tale of a man who grabbed one and tried to leave the store with the lobster in his pants! All jokes aside, he did get caught.
• How do you rob a convenience store dressed like the big green Gumbi? You don’t, especially when the clerk thinks you are kidding and ignores your threats. But you do get away in a mini-van parked right outside.
• We learn in this episode if there really is a Dogfaced Butterfly and if there is, is it really the state insect of California.
• Edward explains how Ripley once purchased an extensive collection from one of the most famous wiccans of all time, Gerald Gardner, and moved it all to San Francisco where the Ripley’s Museum of Witchcraft was created.
• AND, we discover that Ripley’s has just added a 10 foot-square replica of Hogwarts Castle to the Ripley archives. It’s made from more than a million wooden matchsticks.

Ripley Radio – The Door to Nowhere, Missile Mail & Ripley’s Food Drive

billschiffler — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:01:36 +0000

Birdsville Australia is so far from anything and everything it is lovingly referred to as the Front Door to Nowhere! Travel writer Cynthia Clampitt joins us this week and tells us all about her experiences in this unbelievable part of Down Under.

Can you believe that at one time, the US Postal Service thought the future of mail delivery might be by missiles? Marc Hartzman tells us about the government’s early attempts at rocket-powered missile mail.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Edward discusses Cristerna, the lawyer lady from Mexico who is better known as the Vampire Woman. She visited Ripley’s art department last month and will soon be the newest member of the Ripley wax figure family. Tattooed, sharp teeth and body modifications makes this barrister one scary looking person.

• We hear that Hurricane Irene wiped out a great many pumpkin patches in the Northeast USA, creating a pumpkin shortage this Halloween season.

• Ralf talks about the major Halloween happenings at Ripley attractions around the country, including the “Boo-Lieve It or Not! Slumber Fest” at the Ripley’s Odditorium on Times Square in New York City.

• Angela shares a poll where people were asked what they couldn’t live without. This one major finding makes this entire poll unbelievable: More people could do without flush toilets than without Facebook!

• Intern Abby points out that Japan’s population is aging rapidly, but that the country has one of the longest life expectancies in the world. That means more 100-plus year old citizens than anywhere else!

• AND we hear the weird story of a bunch of guys who drove around town with their dead friend in the back seat of the car – all while stopping for drinks and dinner using their dead friend’s credit card!

Ripley Radio – Vampire Tours, Hulk Hogan & The World’s Largest Plow

billschiffler — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:01:14 +0000

Stephenie Meyer chose Forks, Washington as the setting for her Twilight series for a reason. It’s rainy, cloudy and rather sun-less for much of the year. The perfect environment for a vampire! Debbie Bennett, a resident of Forks runs Twilight Tours in which she and her team drives paying customers around to all the sites that have been made famous in the books and movies. She drops by this week and tells us about her business and shares some pretty weird stories.

Intern Abby watched the first episode of a new reality TV series and couldn’t wait to tell us about it. It seems former super wrestler Hulk Hogan is now mentoring a group of “micro-wrestlers” (read midgets) into full time, tuff-guy wrestlers. Abby provides an interesting take on this rather weird concept.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

• Angela reports on a brand new, $200 million ghost town being built in New Mexico.
• Edward talks about Ripley’s new acquisition, a collection of nearly 150 miniature carvings on pins and needles, that will fit into the palm of your hand.
• Ralf laughs his way through this week’s “stupid and tragic attempt at stealing something segment.” It seems a man and his daughter in California tried to steal some electricity from a high voltage transformer. They both are in the hospital, but expected to survive and face charges.
• A small robot from Japan is “training” to compete in the Iron Man Triathlon and is expected to finish – in about a week.
• Consumer Advocate Christopher Elliott drops by and tells us that smells “are the next big tool” that retailers are using to get us to embrace and to purchase their products.
• A woman desperate to sell her house in Chicago thought of a novel premium to offer to anyone who would buy it – she offered to pick up a $1,000 bar tab at the lounge across the street. Haven’t yet heard if the ploy was successful!
• There are many who claim to have the world’s largest agricultural plow, but we believe our reporter Chris Epting when he tells us the title holder is sitting at a busy intersection in Orange County, Calif.
• In Spot the Not!, the soon-to-be most respected radio quiz show in America, we learn from Tim whether cats and kittens have freckles.
• AND, we learn what the new record holder for the longest fingernails in the world – a combined 19 feet nine inches, is going to do now that she has officially earned the title. You won’t believe it!

Ripley Radio – Bernard Hopkins, Schweddy Balls & Christopher Elliott’s Book of Scams

billschiffler — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:01:06 +0000

Would you eat Schweddy Balls? Actor Alec Baldwin made his Schweddy Balls famous in a “Saturday Night Live” skit years ago. Now, the lovable folks at Ben & Jerry’s have named their newest flavor, Schweddy Balls Ice Cream. We talk about the strange addition to the Ben & Jerry line-up this week on Ripley Radio.

Bernard Hopkins checks in with us to talk about his upcoming “Believe It or Not! title fight against Chad Dawson next Saturday, Oct. 15. Hopkins, the oldest fighter to ever win a major world championship, is a true Believe It or Not! and Ripley’s is creating an exhibit of his life as a champion that will be on display at a Believe It or Not! Odditorium in the future. The wax figure of Hopkins, that will be the centerpiece of the exhibit, will be unveiled during fight-week events in Los Angeles.

Additional random amazements discussed this week on Ripley Radio

• Co-host Ralf reports on the 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships. BTW, Monday, October 10 is World Porridge Day.
• Intern Abby unveils some of the weirdest-themed wedding ceremonies, including one with a bizarre duck theme!
• Consumer advocated Christopher Elliott visits us this week to talk about his new, upcoming book, “Scammed: How to Save Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles and Shady Deals.”
• October is a big month at Ripley Entertainment properties across the country. We discuss several of the bigger celebrations, including the one at Ripley’s Haunted Adventure in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The macabre theme at that Smoky Mountain attraction is: “Backwoods Terror: You Just Made a Wrong Turn.”
• Ripley archivist Edward Meyer talks about the 15 toilet paper wedding dresses now in the Ripley collection as well as other toilet paper “art” he has acquired over the years.
• We learn of a 100-year old Pine Tree that has become a tourist site in Japan. It stands alone surrounded by miles of devastation from the horrible tsunami.
• AND we hear of a law in Wisconsin, the Dairy State, which prohibits serving margarine instead of “real” butter.

Ripley Radio – Buddy Holly, Laurel & Hardy, and Feel-Good Dog Stories

billschiffler — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:01:26 +0000

Mysteries and Conspiracies continue 52 years after pioneer rocker Buddy Holly died in a fiery plane crash. However, Buddy has not rested in peace as there are many theories surrounding that crash that are still being discussed and remain unsolved today. The key they say is in the wreckage – a pile of metal which the original owner of the plane still has hidden away but refuses to talk about or share his knowledge of what caused it. Author of Hey Buddy, Gary Moore, returns to Ripley Radio to provide an update on the tragic crash.

Additional random amazements discussed this week on Ripley Radio

· Jon Provost, who played Timmy on the TV series Lassie in the 1950s, visits Ripley Radio to discuss those golden years and his book, Timmy’s in the Well, AND his upcoming appearance on October 10 at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum in St. Augustine, Fla.
· We hear of a judge in Southern Alabama who gives those he finds guilty of a misdemeanor a choice of going to jail – or church.
· From the Bizarre but True department this week, Intern Abby reveals some of the most unbelievable things that country governments have banned, including the celebration of Valentine’s Day, wearing one’s hair in a mullet, and the ability to sign-on to Facebook!
· This week, we relate several “feel-good” dog stories about canines that have done amazing and unbelievable things to save human lives.
· Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott joins us in-studio and shares a few strange stories about what some people do when they don’t get the service they think they deserve!
· Chris Epting takes us to the popular, albeit offbeat, tourist spot in Los Angeles that features the stairway on which Laurel & Hardy attempted to carry a piano to the top in the classic 1932 film, The Music Box. It won the first-ever Academy Award for Live Action Short Film and people today can climb those same steps.
· From a vintage Ripley Radio program, we learn that a mule was responsible for finding the largest silver lead mine ever discovered in the United States.

· Ripley Radio archivist Edward Meyer discusses a piece of art featured in Ripley’s new book, Strikingly True, that contains the ashes of the artist’s father AND several other people!

· AND we find out how a missing moon rock turned up in a box of US President Bill Clinton’s presidential memorabilia.

Ripley Radio – Burlesque Queens, The Mob, & Stupid Things Drunks Do

billschiffler — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:01:20 +0000

The re-emergence of Burlesque as a credible dance form and entertainment choice in today’s variety show presentations has a historical significance. Burlesque was a very important part of early circus sideshows and Vaudeville theaters before falling out of popularity as it turned more to stripping and the dark side of town than teasing in a classy supper club. This week on Ripley Radio, we talk with Josephine Nesline Alvarez, and hear the tale of a diminutive teenager who left Catholic school and within a few years was a celebrated burlesque queen married to a Washington D.C. mob boss and running the fast lanes with the likes of Frank Sinatra. We also talk with Lili VonSchtupp, a modern day burlesque queen who runs Monday Night tease, Los Angeles’s longest running weekly burlesque show. She also runs Lili’s School for Wayward Girls, a burlesque school.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:
• A woman was found dead in her home 8 years after her death. Her pension checks continued to be deposited and her utilities continued to be paid although no one had heard from her for 8 years!
• We don’t condone drunkenness, but drunks do some pretty outrageous and unbelievable things. We take a look at some of those stupid drunk tricks this week.

• We learn of a culture in which a girl can only be engaged once in her lifetime, even if her beau dies before they get married!

• ArtPrize 2011 is one of the largest alternative and outrageous art shows around and it turns out to be a great supplier of the weird and bizarre for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Archivist Edward Meyer talks about his upcoming trip to Grand Rapids, Mich. for the event in full anticipation of finding unique exhibits for the worldwide family of Ripley attractions.

• Petey the Parakeet flew into the front grille of a car and lived. A dozen people claimed the bird was theirs. Petey however, had a different idea.

• We hear of a guy who gave his estranged girlfriend a big rock for her birthday – he deposited a 20 ton boulder in her driveway and wouldn’t move it. Police couldn’t arrest him as there seems to be no law against dropping a 20-ton boulder in someone else’s driveway.

• From our Australian friends we are told of a jealous wife who crashed her car – with her cheating husband sitting next to her – into the apartment of his mistress at full speed. This act of revenge turned into a costly mistake for the wife. She crashed into the wrong apartment!

• AND we learn how we can spin an egg to find out whether it has been hard boiled.

Ripley Radio – Lassie, a Boy Named Timmy & a Lifeguard Wearing Speedos

billschiffler — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:01:27 +0000

Jon Provost, who portrayed Timmy in the Lassie TV series for 260 episodes in the 1950s is our guest this week and he openly talks about how being a child star then, differs greatly from being one now. We discuss his new autobiography, “Timmy’s in the Well,” and find that while Timmy seemed to be saved every week by Lassie, he NEVER did fall into a well – Believe It or Not! Provost relates many fun and unbelievable stories about his years on the show.

Here’s a Newsflash! Clowns as a group are universally disliked! In a poll of kids, ages 4 to 16, it was found that the great majority felt clowns were creepy, even if they themselves weren’t scared of them. We take a look at that poll and discuss why most clowns blame Stephen King for their unpopularity!

Additional random amazements discussed this week:

· A veteran lifeguard employed by New York City is losing his job! It seems that guards need to wear skimpy Speedos during their yearly swim test, and the 60-plus year old refuses to do so.

· It’s now official! Charlie Sheen has been named America’s most untrusted celebrity, according to a new Reuter’s poll. We aren’t surprised by that, but we were surprised to find who the MOST Trusted American Celebrity is. Tune in and hear our discussion about this amazing woman. Hint: She’s very hot in Cleveland! And it’s not Oprah!

· We learn that the King and Queen of Sweden were denied service in a restaurant in Germany. It seems a wedding was taking place at the eatery and there was no room for the Royal party.

· From a vintage Ripley Radio show, we hear of a New Hampshire man who walked from St. Louis, Mo., to St. Petersburg, Russia!

· Our roving reporter, Chris Epting, tells us all about the quintessential roadside attraction – the Desert Tower in Jacumba, Calif.

· From our “what will the hackers think of next” department comes the story of A Rogue Panda warning in Flagstaff, Ariz.

· AND, we discuss a new, totally awesome and unbelievable attraction for thrill seekers. At the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, the Edgewalk has been created. For a fee, adults get put in a harness and walk out and hang over the edge – 1,168 feet high!

Ripley Radio – The Bearded Lady Finds Her Son and WE Find the Center of the Universe

billschiffler — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:01:47 +0000

Vivian Wheeler was starring on the midway as the Bearded Lady when her husband stole Richard, their 3-year old son. She never heard from either for more than 40 years. Last year, Wheeler and Richard were happily reunited on national television. Wheeler, still sporting an 11-inch long beard, visits us this week on Ripley Radio and tells us about her life on the midway as a bearded lady, and her long journey to find her son.

OK, we’ve all heard that the Mayan calendar runs out of dates in December 2012 and many connote that with the end of the world. Much has been written about the looming doomsday, but our guest this week, Tony Phillips, said his research shows that no one has bothered to talk with the Mayans about this and they don’t really believe it themselves!

Additional random amazements discussed this week:
· Chris Epting reports on his trip to the Center of the Universe. He’ll reveal where the elusive spot is located!
· We’ll laugh at a bank robber whose girlfriend made him return the money, only to get arrested!
· The troubles of a city mayor who was fired for not showing up to work will be discussed.
· Spam-flavored lip-gloss anyone? Yes, and we’ll talk about all the flavors Spam produces.
· Picture this: A man crashes into a car full of women. He takes off running and the women, all members of a college wrestling team chase him down and hold him in a painful grip until police show up.
· Following a conjugal visit with her husband in prison, the wife puts him in her suitcase and tries a unique form of Jail Break! Will they get caught? Tune in.
· She’s starting to get fan mail, so we feel It’s time for our Return Intern, Abby, to receive a new title. Any suggestions? “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RipleyRadio, and let us know your thoughts.

Ripley Radio – Bobo the Clown’s Daughter & The World’s Largest Family

billschiffler — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:01:12 +0000

Imagine this. You are a 4 year old girl and have never met your father, never seen a clown, and never been to a circus. Then, one day your mother takes you to the circus, you walk back stage and you see this strange, tall man who your mom introduces as your dad! That’s what happened to Bonnie Barnett and in this week’s show, she tells us about her journey to get her father’s love and to have a meaningful relationship with one of the world’s premiere clowns. She talks about her new book, “Bobo’s Daughter,” and shares the journey from how she first hated the circus because it had stolen her father from her to her deep love and understanding of clowns and the circus today.

As the current reincarnation of Ripley Radio celebrates its 2nd anniversary this week, we talk with 91-year old Fred Essex who was a director on Ripley’s first radio show in the 1940s. He reminisces how he would drop by Robert Ripley’s office every morning to discuss that day’s show and he tells the amazing story behind his favorite Believe It or Not! fact.

Additional random amazements discussed this week:
· The size of one’s index finger in relation to the ring finger can determine a person’s predestined vulnerability to everything from promiscuity to fertility to addictive behaviors.
· Many of the animals at the National Zoo in Washington DC reacted to this summer’s East Coast Earthquake BEFORE it happened.
· We learn of a man in India who lives in a 100-room mansion with 181 other family members, including his 39 wives.
· We’re advised to not waste time watching the world’s longest YouTube Video – a 571 hour video of vacation slides (in very poor resolution).
· We learn that a statue was sentenced to death for toppling over and killing a man.
· AND, we find that pumpkins are 90% water!

Ripley Radio – Conversations with 21st Century Tattooed Ladies

billschiffler — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:01:03 +0000

They are definitely a colorful lot! While they don’t stand out as being so different in today’s society, tattooed ladies of the past were a unique bunch. Today, tattooed ladies of the 21st Century are still amongst us – in larger numbers than ever. Amelia Klem Osterud explains how she came to write the first-ever definitive history of the tattooed woman and two of the modern day ladies featured in the book, Charon Henning and Thrill Kill Jill elucidate about their sideshow acts as tattooed ladies. We go Inside the Vault and discuss Ripley’s skin and tattoo collections and we learn who wants to donate their tattooed skin to Ripley’s.