Ripley Radio

Following five years and 200 original shows, the Ripley Radio Oddcast is ceasing production, with this star-studded episode. The archive of all 200 shows will remain available on www.ripleyoddcast.com. Executive producer and co-host Tim O’Brien says the show is going out on top, with listenership and downloads topping 900,000 annually. In this week’s grand finale, hosts Ralf with an F, Tim, Ripley archivists Edward Meyer and Angela Johnson are joined by long-time correspondents Chad Lewis, Jodi Pliszka, Florida TV reporter Scott Fais, Ripley’s cartoonist John Graziano, and the executive editor of Huffington Post’s Crime and Weird News coverage Buck Wolf. It’s a truly raucous close to five years of weirdness. A few of the weird things this illustrious weird news dream team chats about on the August 11 episode of Ripley Radio include: Ralf finds Aladdin, an entire town, for sale in Wyoming for only $1.5 million; we hear of a swarm of Mayflies that was so dense that it showed up on weather radar as a thunder storm; Scott takes us Skunk Ape hunting in Florida; John previews upcoming Ripley Believe It or Not! cartoons; and Chad takes us to vintage and funky gas stations on his last road trippin’ segment. The Rolling Stones provide the musical egress for Ripley Radio with the seemingly appropriate This Could Be the Last Time.

The Museum of Morbid Anatomy in Brooklyn, N.Y., was the sight of a book launch party for Ward Hall – King of the Sideshow!, a biography written by Ripley’s Tim O’Brien. The party was thrown by Huffington Post’s executive editor, Buck Wolf, who joins us this week on Ripley Radio and tells us why he and his staff wanted to host this big sideshow party. Additional Weird and Wonderful stories on the August 4 edition of Ripley Radio: A man known as the Big Tomato talks with Ralf about his efforts to save a 185-foot tall ketchup bottle; Chad Lewis acquaints us with some funky roadside motels, including one in the shape of a huge dog; Jodi Pliszka reports that leaving contact lenses in for too long can cause bacteria that will eat your cornea and cause blindness; Ripley’s official illustrator, John Graziano gives us a glimpse of some of the cartoons that will appear in September newspapers across the world; and “Florida on a Tankful” TV reporter Scott Fais takes us to a small community where hundreds of freaks, geeks and carnies have called home for decades – Gibsonton, Florida.

The largest boulder in the world is seven stories tall and lies within the Mojave Desert. Over the years, people from all over, including a few from Venus have visited what is now called Giant Rock. Barbara Harris is a local historian who knows more about that hunk of granite than anyone. She talks with Tim this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and explains why aliens love this place. Over in Arizona, there’s a bookstore owner who works in the nude, except for a well-placed sock. Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ to the store and then to a 27-foot statue that celebrates hoboes. Additional weird and wacky stories on the July 28 episode of Ripley Radio include: Author Jacopa della Quercia visits and explains the weird, strange and steam punk plot of his new historical novel, The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy; Ralf tells us about a 90 year old man in England who was fined $8.000 for an overdue library book, which he checked out 61 years ago; Chicago artist Jim Bachor has created a new medium for his art – potholes in the road! Dressed in an orange vest in an attempt to keep from getting run over, he fills them with his own mosaic artwork. He tells Ralf how and why he does it; Angela explains why actor George Clooney cleaned the kitty litter box of one of his friends, just for fun; and we hear of Ripley’s newest acquisitions – the recreation of famous paintings in toothpaste. Rocker John Fogerty provides us with our musical egress this week, with Summer of Love.

Where do UFO aficionados go for vacation? This year, a record number of them will be heading to Joshua Tree, Calif., to attend the second Contact in the Desert conference which is promoting a stellar lineup of speakers and events. Barbara Harris, one of the featured speakers, visits with Tim this week and tells us all about the much-anticipated confab. Tim also talks with author Denise Alvarado about her new book, The Voodoo Doll Spellbook, and learns a little about the Voodoo culture and that all Voodoo spells are not necessarily bad. Additional wonderfully weird, wacky and unbelievable stories you’ll hear on the July 21 episode of Ripley Radio include: Angela provides an update and some very strange facts about Google’s quest to develop a driverless car; Ralf explains how a man was able to drive half-way across the country before realizing that the elderly lady sitting in the passenger’s seat was dead; Chad Lewis takes us roadtrippin’ to Wisconsin where we meet Chatty Belle, a dairy cow behemoth; and high school principal Dennis Best tells us how his school graduated 14 sets of twins in June and how much fun it was trying to figure out one from another prior to their matriculation. British songster Ed Sheeran provides us with this week’s musical egress, his chart topper, Sing.

It’s hard to imagine a high-ranking dart thrower with no fingers. Add to that the fact that he has only one good eye and it becomes totally unbelievable! Canadian dart master Wayne Chapman joins us this week and talks about his incredible skills. We go road trippin’ with Chad Lewis to Oregon this week on Ripley Radio, the official program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and we learn of a unique trap created to capture bigfoot, and then we stop off at Bigfoot Tavern for a sandwich and a beer. Additional incredible, strange and weird stories on the July 14 episode of Ripley Radio include: Toad Detour, a program near Philadelphia in which the city and the neighbors cooperate to close down the highway for certain hours during the year, to allow toads to cross from a forest to a reservoir for mating purposes, and then six weeks later when all the little toads come hoping back across the road to get to the forest. The lady in charge explains the hows and whys of this intriguing story; Angela reports that a new style Breathalyzer is being developed that can predict and identify various illnesses; and Ralf describes a drug bust in Florida that featured the discovery of drugs hidden in an unusual part of the body, and it’s not where you think! Karolina Dahlman provides a different twist on a love song in Stupid, this week’s musical egress.

Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has gone to the dogs, because dogs, in their own cute way can be quite strange at time. This week, we’ll hear of an accident in which a Chihuahua was driving one of the cars. We’ll also hear about Sally, a small dog from Fort Lauderdale who fell 15 stories down a shaft and walked away with only minor cuts and bruises. But boy, was she upset reports Dr. Spencer Ratnoff, the vet who treated her. Additional weird and wacky stories on the July 7 episode of Ripley Radio include: There’s an ultimate Elvis Presley fan that has turned his home into a private museum in honor of the rock and roll king. Graceland Too, with no official affiliation with the real Graceland in Memphis, is open to the public. Chad Lewis says all you need to do is knock on the door anytime and the owner will be glad to give you a tour; do you use Instagram? If you do and you are in London, you can post a food photo and get a free meal. Angela tells us all about it and adds that Believe It or Not!, 52% of the population regularly takes photos of their food before eating; we hear of the discovery of a mastodon skull on the banks of a man-made lake in New Mexico. You’ll never guess who discovered it and what condition they were in when they found it. Hint- it was during a bachelor’s party; and speaking of Elvis, Angela says one of the newest additions to the Ripley archives is a chunk of his hair, acquired from and authenticated by an Elvis museum. In honor of the bright days of summer, ZZ Top provides this week’s musical egress with Cheap Sunglasses.

Bears of all kind have been making headlines this summer but the latest weird bear story from New Hampshire may be the best yet. It seems a bear broke into a parked car and stole the car stereo. This week on Ripley Radio, we talk with Sargent George Walker, the trooper who investigated the crime. Whiskey flavored bacon coming from whiskey flavored pigs? Believe It or Not! it could happen. We’ll have a chat with Scott Bush, the president of the Templeton Rye Distillery and he’ll tell us about his plans. Additional Weird and Wacky Stories on the June 20 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, include: In honor of July 4, Angela takes a look at some very unusual facts, myths, and stories about our National Holiday; Ralf tells us what city in the world has people taking the most selfies; we hear about the bizarre charges connected with what could be the largest law suit in the history of mankind; and Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ to Indiana where we visit some very strange cemeteries and grave sites. British pop singer and actor Cliff Richard provides our musical egress this week with Here Comes Summer.

You can’t tie up your alligator to a fire hydrant after 9 p.m. in Detroit, and you are not allowed to honk your car horn in front of a sandwich shop after 9 p.m. in this Southwestern US city. Weird laws are still on the books, and often enforced. We’ll be talking about these and other bizarre laws on this week’s Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Allowing bed bugs to craw over your arm and randomly bite you is the latest craze in strange tattooing methods. We talk with Mat Camper, who says those who volunteer for the free “tattooing” are actually helping advance science. Believe It or Not! Additional Bizarre, Strange and Wonderful Topics discussed on the June 23 Episode of Ripley Radio: We hear about a policeman who was attacked by a falling oak tree during a routine traffic stop and it was all caught on video. Chad Lewis takes us to Oklahoma on his weekly road trip where we stay at an RV park that also features a drive-in movie theater on the premises and then we take a drive down America’s longest and straightest stretch of highway. Our musical egress this week is provided by Naughty Boy with La, La, La.

Among the greatest conspiracies that you may not know about is the Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy. That’s also the name of a new book. It’s author, Jacopo della Quercia joins us this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and tells us his story is based on true historical facts, but that he added some very quirky fictional twists. We also hear about a church whose pastor moved its Sunday services to a strip club in town because he wanted to better reach the underserved Christians in the area. Additional weird, strange and unusual stories you’ll hear on the June 9 episode of Ripley Radio: Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ to Kansas where we visit the home of the original piggy bank; we talk with a lady who found $40,000 of cash in a used sofa she bought at a Salvation Army Thrift Shop and find out whether she returned it or kept it and why she made that decision; Angela looks at some of the amazing inventions that young kids have made over the years; and Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer tells us how close the company was to acquiring a Beatle’s home-made movie for free that sold for more than a million dollars. The Bangles provide us with our rocking musical egress this week with Hazy Shade of Winter.

Fire officials in Waterville, Maine were confronted with a blazing fire in a truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot and upon arrival were quite surprised at the cargo contained in that truck! Fire chief David La Fountain joins us this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and explains. Sara Latta, author of Scared Stiff, a book about the top 50 phobias, tells us all about the fears associated with spiders and snakes. Additional weird but true stories on the June 2 episode of Ripley Radio include: Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ to Nebraska where we visit the home town of late night king Johnny Carson and a Klown Doll museum with more than 7,000 dolls; TV reporter Nick La Grange shares a feel-good story about an auto theft in Evansville, Ind. It’s bizarre but touching; Angela shares a few interesting secrets behind some of the iconic scenes of your favorite movies; We hear of a man whose last name is Cocaine. Why is he on Ripley Radio? He got busted for illegal drugs; and Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer describes the strangest and possibly the freakiest item he has ever acquired for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! It’s a sculpture of a two-foot tall thumb and it lights up. The freaky part is what it is made of. Tune in and be grossed out as all of us were! Avicii provides the musical egree this week with Hey Brother.

A bear with a jar stuck on his head in the Canadian city of Sudbury was rescued by officials after it blindly walked into a police cruiser! Was it the REAL Winnie the Pooh? This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, talks with a constable who helped the young bear. The overwhelming fear of needles and blood is discussed this week by Sara Latta in the third installment in her series on strange and weird phobias. Additional bizarre, weird but totally true stories discussed on the May 26 episode of Ripley Radio include: Ralf talks with a TV reporter who uncovered a heroin selling ring taking place from the intensive care ward of the local hospital; Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ again this week to Colorado where one can watch a drive-in movie from their motel room and where one can climb the steps of an official alien-watching platform where they can be amongst the first to spot a spacecraft speeding toward Earth; Angela reports on a new study that shows that lathering your beef and pork with beer prior to cooking it on the outside grill can cut down on your cancer risks; We hear where a 26-story tall game of Tetris was played; and Ralf tells us of a 5-year old boy who figured out how to bypass parental controls and passwords on Xbox. Tennessee based rock band Paramore provides our musical egress this week with Ain’t it Fun?

Butch Patrick, better known as Eddie Munster on the iconic TV series, The Munsters, visits us this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and tells us about his plans to restore his haunted ancestral home in Macon, Mo. Author Sara Latta joins us again this week and explains the phobias of cats and the number 13. Additional Bizarre, Strange and Weird Stories on the May 19 Edition of Ripley Radio include: Our expert on the charms of Roadside America, Chad Lewis takes us road trippin’ again this week as we visit The Bridges of West Virginia; We hear that five children born this year so far have the name of ZZYZX and that a California town has the same name; Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer reports on one of Ripley’s newest, and strangest acquisitions ever, a cow magnet. Once a farmer gets it into the cow’s stomach, it protects the bovine by collecting all the extraneous metal objects he eats during his life; Student Walker Harnden has just broken the record for the highest pitched human whistle ever recorded. He talks with Ralf and samples his whistling skills; and we learn that a school in London is now teaching dogs how to take selfies on an iPad! Newcomer Rixton provides this week’s musical egress with his hit, Me and My Broken Heart.

Two volunteers who have trained for a trip to Mars in simulated environments in the U.S., talk with Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, about their time isolated in these environs. We start off four-week series on bizarre phobias and on road trippin’ to offbeat and strange roadside attractions. Additional weird, crazy, strange and wacky stories on the May 12 Edition of Ripley Radio includes: Sara Latta, author of Scared Stiff – Everything you need to know about 50 famous phobias, delves into the bizarre phobias centered on clowns and dolls; Chad Lewis takes us on a road trip to Chicago where he discovers a person can walk from the beginning to the end of the famous Route 66, in less than 30 seconds; we hear from a Portland, Ore., man who has created a web-enabled cat toy that allows anyone anywhere to interact with live cats at several humane societies across the country; Ripley archivist Edward Meyer informs us that he has actually stood on (a piece of) Mars; and Ralf tells us about a woman in Michigan who has worked at the same KFC restaurant for 50 years, and to make things even stranger, her daughter has worked at that same restaurant for the past 34 years! Miley Cyrus loves to have fun, and she provides our musical egress this week with her own version of Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Richard Reames grows boats and chairs! He plants trees in a pattern, waters and waits as they grow into what he wants them to be. He visits Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! this week and tells us how, and why, he does this. Chad Lewis takes us on a road trip to Southern Wisconsin, where he discovers the Garden of Eden. Additional weird, crazy, strange and wacky stories on the May 5 Edition of Ripley Radio includes: Skidmore College is offering a summer course based on Miley Cyrus. Ralf finds out it’s much more than a class on popular culture when he talks with the assistant professor who will be teaching it; Angela reports on a new cell phone fit for the spies amongst us – it self-destructs if tampered with; Chad Lewis tells the tale of a mansion that purportedly grew and shrank on its own, and nobody could figure out how it did it; In her Weird Medical Malady Minute, Jodi Pliszka informs us if the doctor can’t figure out what’s ailing you, check out what alien objects you may have in your stomach; Award-winning Florida broadcaster Scott Fais describes a small island on Florida’s West Coast inhabited only by monkeys, with a warning to not get too close; A man on a business trip to Europe buys one of the missing Faberge Eggs from the Court of Imperial Russia for $15,000. He bought it for the gold value, not realizing at the time that it was worth many, many millions. We unveil its value; and we hear of a new mummy discovery in Germany. The mummified woman was discovered sitting in a chair in front of her turned-on television. For our musical egress this week, we hear the award-winning country song by Kacey Musgraves, Merry Go ‘Round.

Margot Adler has read more than 270 books and in return, she has written a book about that experience, Vampires are Us, and brewmaster Justin Low is making beer with goat brains! We talk with both this week, on the April 28 edition of Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Additional weird, crazy, strange and wacky stories on this week’s show includes: Sara Latta shares a few of the most bizarre phobias that she writes about in her new book, Scared Stiff, when she talks with Tim; Chad Lewis takes us back on the highway with a couple ideas for May road trips – to a Bonnie & Clyde Festival and to the world famous Pun-off; Florida broadcaster Scott Fais recalls the night he spent in a haunted mansion in St. Augustine; Angela reveals that there was a city named Vulcan, long before the Star Trek series began; and Ripley archivist Edward Meyer gets excited while telling us about the newest heads he has acquired for our already huge skull collection. Focus provides the musical egress this week with the haunting, Hurkey Turkey.

Brittany Walsh shot an arrow at David Letterman and he loved it! Her “stupid human trick” was the hit of the night. This week on Ripley Radio, she tells us all about that night and how she hit her target, standing on her hands and shooting the bow with her feet! We also hear about a new revolution in tasting! A company has created an aromafork, a utensil that provides different flavors and smells to your food. The product goes on sale this summer. Additional Weird, Wacky, and Strange Stories on the April 21 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: The apartment where President Barack Obama lived while attending Law School at Columbia University in New York City, is now a Bed and Breakfast and can be rented by the night; hikers going up Mt. Everest must now bring back an additional 17 pounds of trash, or be fined. Angela tells us it’s all a part of a major clean-up of the mountain; Chad Lewis takes us on a couple interesting road trips. First we go to a town in Pennsylvania that has been on fire for more than 50 years, and then to a valley in Missouri where a light mysteriously appears most nights. Nobody has been able to figure out where it comes from or where it goes when approached; Emmy-award winning TV reporter Scott Fais takes us to a swamp where a relative of Florida’s famed skunk ape has been seen; a pizza shop owner hates to see his pizza dipped in Ranch Dressing, so much that he charges $1,000 for anyone who wants some of the condiment; and Edward tells us that Ripley’s Bizarre Buying Bazaar will be at the Believe It or Not! museum in Panama City Beach, Fla., on April 18 and 19. He’ll be there with Ripley’s checkbook looking for oddities of all kinds to add to the Ripley’s archives. Meklit provides this week’s musical egress with Slow.

Amelia Earhart to fly solo around the world! Big news then, big news now and Ripley Radio this week talks with the “new” Earhart as she plans her 28,000 mile journey. The 31-year old tells Ralf that with the name her parents gave her, she was destined to be a pilot. Most of us never have a near-death experience, but Brooklyn’s Robert Kopecky has had three and he tells Tim that each one was different and each taught him a different lesson. He shares those lessons with us and talks about his new book, “How to Survive Life and Death.” Additional Weird, Wacky, and Strange Stories on the April 14 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: On Wednesday, April 16, Mezco Toyz, the creators of the popular Living Dead Dolls will be displaying a time capsule full of product from the 16-year history of the doll series at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Times Square, New York City. The capsule coffin will be interred and opened in 66.6 years. We hear more about this crazy publicity stunt from a company representative; Ripley archivist Edward Meyer notes how surprised he has been that Robert Ripley never wrote or drew anything about Amelia Earhart during his long career, but the company has since acquired several, which are now on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum; Jodi Pliszka describes this week’s Weird Medical Malady as Hyper Empathy; Florida TV reporter Scott Fais gives us an alternative to a traditional church for Easter service this year, a drive-in church with plenty of coffee and doughnuts for everyone; and we hear that the Doomsday Seed Bank has added 20,000 new varieties of seeds, including 600 types of beer barley seeds!

Presidential conspiracies go back to the first assignation of a U.S. president. This week on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, historian James Taylor reveals that John Wilkes Booth, the actor who killed Abraham Lincoln, may not have been caught as thought and went on to live a long life and then a long second life on carnival and circus sideshows as a mummified exhibit. We also hear about MIT students who have created a way for a person to feel the sensations of the book that they are reading. It is truly a literary breakthrough! Other Weird, Wacky and Strange Stories you will Hear on the April 7 Episode of Ripley Radio: Ripley archivist Edward Meyer picks up where James Taylor left off and explains that the body of John Wilkes Booth is actually hidden in a barn in Maryland and its owner has offered to sell it to Ripley’s on two different occasions. Edward explains why he hasn’t purchased it and why he doesn’t think it is genuine; Chad Lewis takes us on a road trip to the site of an alien landing in Aztec, N.M., and to an Enchanted Highway in North Dakota; Hollywood’s Dr. Edward Lamadrid explains the alternative and often kooky medical procedures the stars and starlets of Tinseltown choose, including the newest rage – cupping; Angela advises us if we mix our alcoholic drinks with a diet soda, any Breathalyzer test will spike an additional 18% over what it would be if we mixed it with regular soda; and Ralf celebrates that this year’s Ducktona 500 will take place now that rubber duck racing is legal in Wisconsin. We go back into the vinyl archives to present this week’s musical egress, Song on the Radio, by Al Stewart..

Ripley’s has the world’s greatest collection of shrunken heads, but we also have a couple very rare shrunken torsos and dozens of mummified body parts in the archives. James Taylor’s series on mummies continues this week on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Ripley archivist Edward Meyer joins in the dialogue of the mysteries of Dr. Struve’s shrunken bodies. Jodi Pliszka reports on a weird medical malady in which a person can’t stop giving things away. She calls it pathological generosity. Additional Weird, Wacky, and Strange Stories you’ll hear on the March 31 Edition of Ripley Radio: Alaska has its Iditarod and Brooklyn, N.Y. has its Idiotarod, a sport in which involves pushing people around in shopping carts. The former thinks the New Yorker’s are infringing on their brand and have issued a warning; Chad Lewis takes us on a road trip to Austin, Minn. where we visit the famous Spam Museum; Ralf tells the story of how 90 cows in Germany raised the roof of their barn, as a result of their bovine belching and flatulence; Angela reports on some of the greatest April Fool’s Day pranks of all time, ranging from a guy who faked a volcano eruption to a team in Italy that picked pasta off their spaghetti trees; and speaking of mummies, the mummified body of a lady who had been dead for six years, was found in the backseat of her car, in her garage. No one had looked in there for six years! Lorde provides this week’s musical egress with Team.

It’s springtime at Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and that means more unbelievable baseball oddities and April Fool’s Day pranks. We talk with our favorite weird baseball mogul, Mike Veeck and he tells us of his plans to feature bobble legs, instead of bobble heads, this summer in honor of his father’s peg leg. We also hear from the manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs about his team’s bacon-themed uniforms and the scratch and sniff bacon t-shirts in the team’s gift shop. He also announces that he won the best minor league promotion of the season last year with his men’s room urinal video games. Additional Weird and Wacky Stories you’ll Hear on the March 24 Edition of Ripley Radio: Sideshow historian James Taylor begins a three-week series on contemporary mummies by telling the tale of Elmer McCurdy who was passed around amongst exhibitors until he ended up in an amusement park dark ride with his owners thinking he was made of paper Mache, until the day his arm fell off; Edward tells us about the three carnival sideshow mummies that Ripley has in its collection and how each is equally weird and different; Chad Lewis digs into history and explains why April first is the prank-filled day it is and reports on a few of his favorite pranks of all times; and Angela and Ralf disclose the greatest baseball pranks ever pulled. And in keeping with our tribute to mummies, we feature the Nashville-based funk band, Here Come the Mummies with Jump on my Ship as this week’s musical egress.

Believe It or Not! there is an event in Japan in which Sumo wrestlers compete in how long and loud they can make babies cry. The 400-year old traditional spring competition is coming up in April and you’ll hear all about this week from Chad Lewis on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! We’ll also hear from a professor of a popular course in death and dying at Cal State who also runs a hospice for dogs on death’s door. Additional Weird and Wacky Stories you’ll Hear on the March 17 Episode of Ripley Radio: Ralf provides the ultimate answer to why the chicken crossed the road, at least in Gainesville, Fla.; Angela tells us that $4.5 billion worth of booze will be consumed on St. Patrick’s Day; Edward is headed to Phoenix this weekend for Ripley’s Bizarre Buying Bazaar at the Arizona Science Center; we hear of students who mixed jelly fish and a peanut butter concoction and now have living peanut butter jelly fish; Robert Robinson, author of the new book, Legend Tripping – The Ultimate Family Experience explains how much fun it is to take your entire family out looking for ghosts, aliens and bigfoot; and the feel good story of the week features an interview with Ressurrection Graves, a former homeless executive in Washington DC who found a husband and founded a national charity all while homeless. Our musical egress this week is Holding on for Life, by the Broken Bells.

This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! features a fellow who has kissed the famous Blarney Stone in Ireland. Chad Lewis claims that it has helped him with his gift of gab. In our popular Weird Medical Malady of the Week segment, Jodi Pliszka explains the rare Exploding Head Syndrome, in which a person experiences strange and strong auditory hallucinations while sleeping. Additional Weird and Wacky Facts you’ll Hear on the March 10 Episode of Ripley Radio: The Safe House restaurant in Milwaukee has been named by Readers Digest as one of the weirdest places to eat in America. What makes it weird? There are no exterior signs, the doors stay locked and you need a special password to get in. Agent Shauna, the official spokesperson for the spy-themed eatery fascinates Ralf with her stories; As a student project at an Iowa high school, teacher John Cisna went on a 90-day diet, eating only at McDonald’s and ended up losing 37 pounds and becoming much healthier. Cisna tells us all about it; Lynn Waddell, author of Fringe Florida, closes out her four-week run with us and discloses more Florida weirdness from her popular book; Ralf reports that an Ohio man had been planning his funeral for decades and earlier this year when he died, his wishes were granted and he was buried, sitting up on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, with his helmet on, in a huge Plexiglas coffin; and we hear about police in China, Maine, responding to loud screams and noise that neighbors thought was a domestic violence incident. The screams turned out to be from a male pig that was put into a pen with five female pigs in heat! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and in homage to Irishmen throughout the world, Ireland’s own Saw Doctors provide this week’s musical egress, FCA. (Ireland’s Army reserve forces).

The world’s largest vinyl record now serves as the roof of the Forum in Los Angeles. The huge copy of the Eagles’ Hotel California spins at 17 miles-per-hour and has 15,000 LED lights. Angela reports on the unique addition to the LA skyline on this week’s Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! The Denver (Colo.) County Fair plans to get in on the legalized marijuana bandwagon in August, by offering up what could possibly be America’s first legal Pot Pavilion. The fair’s Tracy Weil explains why they are doing it and what they plan to feature inside during the event. Additional Weird and Wacky facts you’ll hear on the March 3 Episode of Ripley Radio: Yes, it is true. Actor Dan Ackroyd has joined the sheriff’s department in Mississippi. Sheriff Tyronne Lewis joins us and relates how he met Ackroyd and why deputizing the actor is a great idea; Ripley’s official illustrator John Graziano drops by and explains what a precise task it is to produce the daily Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, the world’s longest running cartoon panel; Lynn Waddell, author of Fringe Florida, explains why the state of Florida has more nudist colonies than any other state and communicates with us about her recent visit to one of the largest; Ralf relates the painful experience of a woman who had a porcupine land, upside down, on top of her head; and in our Weird Medical Malady of the Week segment, Jodi Pliszka reports on a woman who received a flu shot and can now only walk backward. It’s weird, it’s true and it’s right here on the Ripley Radio Oddcast. Rick Vito, a former member of Fleetwood Mac and a Grammy-nominated guitar player, provides this week’s musical egress, Voodoo Woman.

Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! talks with the world’s oldest Facebook user,105 year old Edythe Kirchmaier this week. We called her at work and she took a few minutes off to chat with Ralf with an F. We also talk with Tad Johnson, of the Brainerd, Minn. Jaycees, the organizer of the world’s largest charity ice fishing tournament which hosted 10,000 fishermen this year, all huddled around little holes drilled in the ice! Additional Weird and Wacky Facts you’ll Hear on the February 24 Episode of Ripley Radio: Chad Lewis takes us on a trip to a roadside attraction in Iowa, a 1912 house where a gruesome ax murder took place in 1912. One can now visit the house, and if you prefer, can bring along a sleeping bag and sleep overnight on the floor, for only $450; Jodi Pliszka explains that 15% of the population has Vampire Syndrome. Tune in to see if you could be afflicted; Ralf reports that mile marker 420 on Interstate 70 in Colorado keeps getting stolen, so authorities solved the problem by posting a mile marker 419.99 sign a few feet down the highway; Angela lists the weird holidays coming up in March; and Lynn Waddell, author of “Fringe Florida,” explains the sport of swamp buggy racing and tells us about her ride on the Redneck Royalty. Bastille performs Pompeii as this week’s musical egress.

It’s World Sword Swallowers Day on Saturday, February 22, and more than 30 performers will be displaying their dangerous art at 15 Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums and at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix. The originator of this weird and strange event is Dan Meyer and he stops by to tell us why the day is so special AND important not only to fans of the sideshow arts, but to the world medical community as well. We also hear from Alexandra Chauran on the February 17 edition of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! The author of “Have You Been Hexed?” she will educate us on how to tell if we’ve been hexed, and as a bonus, she’ll tell us how to put a hex on someone else! Additional Weird and Wacky facts you’ll hear this week on Ripley Radio: Jodi Pliszka talks about Stone Man’s syndrome, a condition in which a person’s muscles turn into bone; Ralf talks with Pasco County (Fla.) sheriff’s spokesman Doug Tobin about a man who was shot as he drove along in his car, not realizing immediately that he was shot; Angela updates us on Ripley’s two touring shows, one in San Diego and one in Phoenix; John Graziano, Ripley’s official illustrator joins us in the studio and explains how it took him 25 years to land his dream job; and Lynn Waddell, author of “Fringe Florida,” is also an in-studio guest and talks about the strange and wild exotic animal sanctuaries in the state of Florida. Shakira, with the help of Rihanna, provides us with this week’s musical egress, Can’t Remember to Forget You.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, this episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! could prove to be a life saver for the lovelorn. Ripley’s resident witch, Judika Illes has shared with us step by step instructions on how to cast a love spell on that person you have had your eyes on. You don’t want to miss this! Also, Chad Lewis shares his research on some of the items that people have married – including dolls and an amusement ride. Really! He also describes several unusual and strange wedding chapels. Additional Weird and Wacky facts on the February 10 edition of Ripley Radio: Ralf talks with the man behind the largest gingerbread house ever made; perhaps the only drivable truck, made out of 11,000 pounds of ice, was created in Toronto for Canadian Tire and they made a TV commercial out of the process; Joe Kasinski of Ripley’s Orlando Believe It or Not! Odditorium drops by for another visit and tells us how popular Ripley’s famous Fertility Statues remain, with some traveling thousands of miles just to rub the two ebony statues; and Angela tells us that while pizza is indeed from Italy, pasta actually has its roots in China. Believe It or Not! The Imagine Dragons provide our musical egress this week with Demons.

Do real witches like how television portrays their kind? This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, our friendly witch Judika Illes reviews a couple shows that were popular in 2013 that featured witches. We hear that in the end, it’s all great entertainment. Just because its winter, doesn’t mean the outside weirdness has to stop. Chad Lewis takes us to a downhill shovel race championship and then to an international water tasting festival. Additional Weird and Wacky facts on the February 3 edition of Ripley Radio: Joe Kasinski of Ripley’s Orlando Odditorium, joins us and reports that several new attractions are being built near the Ripley’s location on popular International Drive, including the tallest observation Ferris Wheel in the state; police spokesperson Tiffany Wood relates how a contest winner for the TV show Breaking Bad ended up getting himself busted for drugs; Angela continues her series on weird football facts when she tells us that in an average National Football League game, the ball is in play for less than 11 minutes; and we hear how a small town beer pub owner took on giant Starbucks in a copyright infringement squabble. Ke$ha joins Pitbull this week for our musical egress, Timber.

This week’s strange happenings on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! includes a roundup of the weirdest and oddest things about the National Football League, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday! Did you know that more than 70% of NFL players go broke within a few years of leaving the sport? Details on this and many other strange facts will be shared. Also, we’ll hear about thieves who not only stole beer from a Florida Walmart, but they also inadvertently stole the manager as well! Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the January 27 episode of Ripley Radio includes: Jodi Pliszka talks about a young boy whose body is totally covered in fish-like scales; Chad Lewis reports on the largest city-wide murder mystery weekend ever held in the U.S.; Joe Kasinski of Orlando’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium gets a chance to boast about his newest exhibits; Ralf talks with 11-year old Aidan Fisher, whose guitar playing video on YouTube has taken the world by storm; and we learn of a new endurance running record by a New Zealand woman who ran 310 miles straight – in three days, without rest! Holly Williams, the grand-daughter of country music legend Hank Williams, and a star in her own right, provides our musical egress this week with a contemporary drinking song from her newest album, The Highway, simply called Drinkin’.

After years of being challenged because her full name wasn’t on her official identification, Hawaiian resident Janice “Lokelani” Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele (go ahead, try it) has won a personal battle and the state is now required to print the entire name on her driver’s license. Ripley Radio talks with the former Miss Hawaii, now a TV reporter, about what is being called a “great day” for all Hawaiians. And in Harrisburg, Pa., a huge strawberry fell and broke but a new one was prepared in time for New Year’s Eve. What’s all that about? We hear what happened this week on the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the Jan. 20 episode of Ripley Radio: Chad Lewis tells us about his most popular road trip of 2013, from Minnesota to South Dakota, with several stops at funky roadside attractions along the way; Author and Disneyphile Sam Gennawey’s new book, The Disneyland Story, provides an inside scoop on the making of the happiest place on earth and relates a couple weird and strange stories he uncovered along the way; Joe Kasinski of the Orlando Believe It or Not! Odditorium joins us in-studio and promotes what’s new at his location, including a new painting done only in mustard and ketchup; and speaking of ketchup, Angela reports on what we probably don’t know about Heinz Ketchup. The critically acclaimed art pop tune, Royals, by New Zealand teenager Lorde, is our strange and beautiful musical egress this week.

One of the strangest men to ever work the circus sideshows of the U.S. is Bill Durks, who was billed as the man with three eyes and two noses. This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, sideshow historian James Taylor talks about this most unusual man. Also, Chad Lewis recalls his favorite road trip of 2013 and how he unexpectedly discovered the home of Winnie the Pooh. Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the Jan. 13 episode of Ripley Radio: Jodi Pliszka reveals the top three medical maladies she reported on in 2013, including one in which uses maggots for part of its cure; Ralf gets shut down by an editor at the Denver Post when he calls to ask about the position of editor for their recreational marijuana website; Celebrity TV reporter Scott Fais reports on an odd trip through a dark ride at a German theme park that would have parents in the U.S. loudly complaining; Angela points out that there is a difference between a geek and a nerd; Ralf reveals that a recent poll shows that people in Ohio cuss more than anyone else; and Ripley archivist Edward Meyer unveils the Top 10 items that he acquired during 2013. For our musical egress this week, the Lovin’ Spoonful asks the question, Do You Believe in Magic?

Happy New Year and may it be as Weird, Wacky and Wonderfully strange as you wish it to be. A good place to start that journey is by listening to Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! every week in 2014! It’s Wacky guaranteed. This week, James Taylor, our sideshow historian talks with us about Bruce Snowden, the last Fat Man to work the carnival midways of America and Chad Lewis, our intrepid reporter unveils the monster that we all need to be on the look-out for this year – the Slender Man Monster, who was born on the internet. A strange story indeed. Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the January 6 episode of Ripley Radio: We hear from Rabbi Noah Muroff, who found nearly $100,000 in cash in a second-hand desk he purchased. Tune in to see what the good Rabbi did with his found treasure; Juli Moody, the self-proclaimed Female Human Link, is a very, very strong lady. She explains how she was tethered to two motorcycles going in opposite directions and was able to stop them both – dead in their tracks; Florida TV celebrity reporter Scott Fais joins us and reveals his favorite weird stories of 2013, and one includes watching alligators hatch – in your own hand; and Ripley Archivist Edward Meyer presents his “Weirdest Acquisition of the Year” list of 2013 and strangely enough, it includes a McDonald’s Happy Meal he received in the mail. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers present this week’s musical egress, the 1994 hit, American Girl.

A week after Christmas and still in the holiday spirit, Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! takes a look at the darker side of the jolly fat guy dressed in red, including a glimpse at Krampus, which legend says follows Santa around and eats little kids who have been bad. We also hear that our dearly deceased friends and relatives may be trying to reach us from the other side. Author Joe Higgins explains a few ways they may be trying to reach us. Also on the December 30 episode, Scott Douglas of Runner’s World magazine tells us about a runner who completed a full marathon wearing only store bought flip flops, and Jodi Pliszka explains why doctors implanted horns on the head of an infant boy. Musical stylist, the late Eartha Kitt, provides us with our Christmas musical egress this week with the best recording ever of Santa Baby.

You’re not going to hear any sappy holiday music this week on Ripley Radio’s first-ever Strange and Weird Christmas Music special. No Alvin and the Chipmunks, or Snoopy, or probably anything you’ve ever heard. While most of the staff took the week off, co-host Ralf, with an F snuck into Ripley’s musical archives and pulled out some of the strangest stuff that even he thinks is over the top. He put together a fun and odd show that is destined to become a holiday classic on Internet Radio! Among others, you’ll hear on the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, are Weird Al, the South Park gang, and the Jingle Babies sing their renditions. You’ll also hear Zombie Christmas, the first recording Jon Bon Jovi ever made (and probably won’t admit it today), comedian Steve Martin with a most irreverent Christmas story, The Four Seasons, and Paul Simon. Ralf offers up a “Name the artist of that weird song” quiz as well as some facts that you probably didn’t know about Christmas. Ozzy Osbourne provides the quite freaky (even for him) musical egress on this first tribute to weird music, with his rendition of a Christmas Classic, done in true Black Sabbath style!

Twas the week before Christmas and things got weirder than usual on Ripley Radio, the official radio broadcast of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! We hear how hot-dog eating champion Joey Chestnut added dessert to his repertoire and won a Twinkie eating contest by downing more than 10 pounds of those sweet little delights accounting for 18,000-plus calories! And, Jodi Pliszka reveals how drinking a whole lot of cola over a long period of time, can be quite detrimental to your health. Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the Dec. 16 episode of Ripley Radio: Angela unveils where the most unusual, and most dangerous drinking locations are in the world; Florida TV personality Scott Fais explains how the state’s snowbirds this year may be upset to learn that a popular hot springs soaking spot located in a deep sinkhole, has been closed; in Texas, lightning does strike twice when it hits the same man twice within seconds while he competed in the off-road challenge – Paychecks for Rednecks; and Varla Ventura, author of Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night, provides a primer on the Irish fairy creature, the Banshee. Chris Kenner provides this week’s musical egress with the original version of 1961’s I Like it Like That!

A strange but true story kicks off this week’s episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, when we hear from surfer dude Jeff Horton on how he knocked out a shark that attacked him off the coast of Hawaii – with his fists. Chad Lewis reports on a 1961 event in which aliens stopped by a Wisconsin farmhouse and traded saucer pancakes for a fresh supply of water. Witnesses throughout town reported seeing the spacecraft as well, but by all reports, they didn’t get any pancakes. Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the Dec. 9 episode of Ripley Radio: Jodi Pliszka reports on a malady in which hair is growing out of an individual’s eyeball; Ralf talks about a dandelion plant, in near bloom, that a doctor removed from a child’s ear; Orlando TV celebrity Scott Fais tells us that snowbird season has now officially begun in Florida; and TV reporter Carrie Vick reveals the real purpose why a 6th grade student has worn a Green Bay Packers jersey, without ever taking it off, for more than two years. The Rosebuds provide this week’s musical egress with a new Christmas song, Journey to Christmas Island.

How does a beer brewed with meteorite dust really taste? Or, how about diving into the world’s largest chicken nugget? That’s just two of the weird stories we explore this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Additional Wacky and Unbelievable Stories on the Dec. 2 episode of Ripley Radio: We triple-dog-dare you to travel to Hammond, Ind. to admire a new statue commemorating the movie classic, “A Christmas Story,” which highlights that horrifying moment in the film when Ralphie’s friend Flick is dared to lick the frozen flagpole in the middle of winter. We talk with city officials about the statue and the fame the movie has brought to the city. Jodi Pliszka tells us that drinking full strength soy sauce can be fatal and Chad Lewis reveals where this year’s hot festivals celebrating the bad dude of Christmas, Krampus, will be held. Australia’s Boom! Bap! Pow! provides the catchy musical egress this week with Suit.

The elderly rock this week on Ripley Radio. 76-year old Dr. Stanley Paris, already a record setter in several categories, is setting out to be the oldest and the fastest person to ever sail around the world – solo!; Ward Hall, the King of the Sideshow, is still on the bally stage in front of his sideshow at 84 and has no plans to retire; and Audrey Crabtree finally received her high school diploma at 99 years of age. We talk with Paris and Crabtree about their activities and achievements and sideshow historian James Taylor visits us and talks about one of the most unusual men he has ever met in his life - Ward Hall. Additional Wacky Stories on the Nov. 18 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! The planet’s most unusual alcoholic drinks, including seagull wine, are discussed; and we hear from author Todd Borandi, who wrote the book, “Awakening among Zombies and Vampires,” visits and explains how he went from being a zombie to being a vampire to a being a fully aware human! He tells us how he did it! Katy Perry provides this week’s musical egress with her new hit, Roar!

Another eclectic roundup of weird, wild and unbelievable news this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! We hear about a five year old youngster who is serving his second term as mayor of the Restaurant Capital of the World, Dorset, Minn. Laura and Rick, local restaurant owners talk with us about their friend the mayor; A deaf dog gets the credit for foiling a home invasion by sensing the intruder was someone to play with and started jumping around on the wood floor, making noise that awoke its owner who came out of the bedroom brandishing a gun. We talk with the newsman who uncovered this unbelievable story. Additional Wacky Stories on the Nov. 11 episode includes: Author Lynn Waddell has written “Fringe Florida,” a book that proves what we’ve been saying for years on Ripley Radio. Florida is a very weird state. She shares several stories from her book with us; in our medical malady of the week segment, Jodi Pliszka reports on the sad story of two brothers whose illness causes them to grow mentally younger day by day; and we learn of yet another specialty product for the bacon lover – bacon body scrub! Anna Kendrick provides us with our musical egress this week, with When I’m Gone.

In an enlightening interview, Ripley Radio listeners learn this week how to repel the harmful curses of the fairy kingdom, when we talk with the insightful Clint Marsh about the new insightful book, “Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop.” Chad Lewis drops by and tells us that much of what we know about Ma Barker, the legendary gang leader of the 1930s is myth. Also on the November 4 episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, we address the end of the world, as we know it. Author Laura Barcella joins us to discuss how pop culture has addressed 50 different apocalyptic visions. We also hear of a book written with disappearing ink and Mary Hayes from Cassadaga, Fla., the psychic capital of the world, explains how she channels and a little about the spirits on the other side who help her. When My Train Pulls In, by newcomer Gary Clark Jr., is our musical egress this week. ”

It’s Halloween week and we’ve gone a little crazy here at Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Spooky and weird, but true, that’s what we’re all about. To really get us in the haunting mood, we visit with Patrick Konopelski, owner of Shocktoberfest, the Sinking Spring, Pa.’s popular haunted adventure that this year is offering a “Naked and Scared Challenge.” He’ll tell us how he got the idea and how much grief he is getting from local authorities. We also hear from TAP’s Ghost Hunter star Amy Bruni as she visits with Ralf while in St. Augustine Fla., in search of the paranormal. Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the October 21 Halloween Episode includes: We return to Barry Anderson’s Ghoul School this week and learn that the mad professor’s passion for the macabre often turns into a way of helping criminal investigation authorities teach their own and solve crimes; Scott and Sprout, representing Florida’s Peace River Ghost Tracker group are in the studio with us to talk about their adventures; journalist Penny Musco set out to find America’s most haunted cities, and she’s hear to report her findings; and Ralf and Angela report on some fun facts about Halloween and how the bonfire and the Jack Lantern got their names. We have a lot of fun this week with creepy and silly music and we just had to end the show with a Halloween classic. Bobby Boris Picket provides our musical egress this week with the original, and still the best version ever of “Monster Mash.”

In celebration of Freaky October, we return to Ghoul School this week and welcome back its tenured professor, Barry Anderson. Bram Stoker Award horror writer and cemetery caretaker Owl Goingback joins us and talks about the horror genre of writing and about his haunting experiences at Central Florida’s spookiest resting place. We also talk with Mick Gooch of the United Kingdom who explains how he has set several world records by performing one finger pushups – most recently - on top of a nail! Believe It or Not! Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the October 14 Halloween Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, includes: Rick Davis, director and co-founder of the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts group requests the help of all Halloween lovers to help the initiative to have Congress create a National Haunted House Day; In her Weird Medical Malady segment, Jodi Pliszka introduces us to a young woman who can’t gain, or maintain her weight, no matter how much she eats; and Angela reports on the October happenings at Ripley’s Haunted Adventures attractions around the world. Our musical egress this week is the haunting Who Can it Be Now? by the Australian group, Men Down Under.

It’s October and that means a month made for Ripley’s! This week we broadcast from Orlando’s Ghoul School and kick the month off right - sitting amongst some of the creepiest creations a human can make. Ghoul School proprietor and horror make-up artist Barry Anderson and horror film writer and director Steven Shea are our in-studio guests and they tell us why people love horror and what is so intriguing about the horror genre. Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the October 7 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio show of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, includes: we hear from a San Francisco photographer who specializes in capturing frames of artistic fire while risking damage to himself as well as his camera equipment; manager of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in St. Augustine, Fla., Kim Kiff explains how she uses a live, two-headed turtle to help teach school kids about the badness of bullying; and a man who has been honored by four presidents for his part in helping clean up inland rivers talks about the amazing collection of weird stuff he has found along the banks of those rivers – including dead bodies, bowling balls and voodoo dolls. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins provides this week’s musical egress with his classic, I Put a Spell on You!

TWe salute the seductive sirens of the sea this week on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! We ask the question, are they real? Although she hasn’t seen one, Varla Ventura believes there are live mermaids in the vast depths of the seas. We talk with her about her new book, “Among the Mermaids,” in which she presents a wide array of stories, myths, and legends. Stayce McConnell, a “live” mermaid who has performed at Florida’s Weeki Wachee State Park for 14 years, stops by and tells us how cool it really is to be a working mermaid every day of your life. Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the September 30 Episode of Ripley Radio includes: Jessica Mula of Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, SC, tells us about the live mermaid shows at her aquarium as well as Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, in Gatlinburg, Tenn.; Angela reports on a new Nike store in Japan that was built from the ground up with up-cycled garbage; Florida TV personality Scott Fais joins us in the studio to tell us about his mermaid experiences; and we kick off a new segment, The Weekly Wheel of the Weird, in which we pick a random location each week and search for its weirdness. This week, a little town in Wisconsin was selected and we found living there Don Gorski, who has eaten more than 26,000 McDonald’s Big Mac sandwiches during his life and at age 60, he continues to eat at least two a day. In keeping with this week’s theme, Train gives us our musical egress with “Mermaid.”

Been to the Devil’s Rope Museum lately? Or have you seen the huge Blue Whale? This week on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Chad Lewis takes us on a funky road trip that the entire family will recollect forever. Also, we hear about a few of the new phobias found within our modern day culture. How about Nomophobia, the fear of losing one’s mobile phone. Additional Weird, Wild and Wacky Stories on the September 23 Episode of Ripley Radio includes: Cops in Seattle handed out Doritos to the stoners at the recent Hempfest in that city and the spokesman for the police department joins us to explain why it was a successful way to communicate the new marijuana law; In her segment, Weird Medical Maladies, Jodi Pliszka talks about a young woman who sees everything upside down and how she has coped with it since birth; Orlando and Tampa TV personality Scott Fais visits our studios this week and takes us on a few of his favorite road trips in Florida; and co-host Ralf (with an f), demonstrates just how hard it is to create a story for Ripley Radio, as he tries to track down a person who can talk about the wild animal that’s loose in Detroit. Bruno Mars provides this week’s musical egress with his current hit, “Treasure.”

The fall is a great time to take a family road trip and visit a bunch of weird and wacky festivals, fairs or events. This week on Ripley Radio, the official broadcast program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Chad Lewis visits three such festivals, all set for late September. He visits a Bugfest, Mayberry Days, and a Road Kill Cook-off. Meanwhile, we hear from a popular saloon in the Great Northwest Territory of Canada, that someone swallowed the revered sour toe, which was supposed to remain in the glass after that shot of Yukon Jack was gone. Additional Weird, Crazy, Bizarre and Strange Stories on the September 16 Episode of Ripley Radio includes: Ripley’s own Solutionologist, Jodi Pliszka, explains the weird medical malady in which a young girl cries tears of blood, at least twice a day; we hear of a tipper gone wild in Utah who leaves tips that equal 2,000% of the restaurant and bar tab; and Florida TV personality Scott Fais relates a couple fun stories of weird road trips he took within Florida – all in the name of entertaining viewers. AVICII provides the musical egress this week with his hit, “Wake Me Up.”

This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, we celebrate our fourth year anniversary of broadcasting. We begin our fifth weird and wacky year hearing from Don Donderi, a scientist who believes in the research that crews from UFOs landed on Earth and abducted humans and released them after who knows what took place. We also take a very humorous look at the worst song titles ever created. How about the country ditty entitled, “She Flushed me from the Bathroom of Her Heart?” Additional Weird, Crazy, Bizarre and Strange Stories on the September 9 Episode of Ripley Radio includes: Chad Lewis visits and tells us of his latest adventure – an expedition to find Peppy, the Lake Monster; Historian James Taylor explains what a pickled punk is and why they were such a popular exhibit on carnival midways as well as legitimate museums. They were also called Monster Baby shows, he explains; Florida TV personality Scott Fais joins us and shares some of his personal experiences tracking the weird through questionably the weirdest state of them all, Florida; and Ripley archivist Edward Meyer announces the outcome of the latest Ripley contest, in which he received all sorts of things in the mail, without any type of packaging. His treasures range from a bowling ball to a full size painted mailbox to a toaster to a pink birdcage inhabited by a neon green flamingo. The first country music super group, which includes Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell, provide us with our musical egress this week, a song that made both the Worst Song Title of All Times list, as well as the Billboard charts in 2004, “It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out all Day Long.”

Disneyphile Chad Emerson has compiled a book of essays from Disney aficionados around the world to celebrate the four decades of Florida’s Walt Disney World. This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Chad shares with us some of the more unusual and amazing and unbelievable stories from his book. Additional Weird, Wacky and Wonderful Items Discussed on the September 2 episode of Ripley Radio: Intern Abby reports on a Knife Throwing Breast Surgeon; Author Dan Schlossberg covers some of the strange things we’re likely to experience during the Major League Baseball Season; Huffington Post’s Buck Wolf reveals what a lot of families are doing with the ashes of their dearly departed; We hear strange stories from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! book on Baseball Oddities; Edward Meyer tells us that fruitcakes play an important part in British family customs.B. Bumble and the Stingers provide our musical egress this week with “Baby Mash.”

Jody Pliszka visits us this week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and explains what the Chinese Year of the Rabbit means to all of us and what we should expect if we were born under one of the five signs of the rabbit.Additional random amazements discussed this week on the August 26 Edition of Ripley Radio: Well-known TV writer and author David Bickell has an unusual and somewhat kooky book and website called Creepiosity. He talks with us about what he finds really creepy in this already strange world; Sideshow veteran and entrepreneur Ward Hall explains why he feels that freaks are still a viable entertainment option on today’s carnival midway; We meet Father John, the Carny Priest who travels across America tending to his flock of itinerant circus and carnival people; Intern Kyle introduces us to a man who has run 365 full marathons in 365 days; Ripley’s archivist Edward Meyer explains how the marathon got its name and describes the amazing collection of Olympic torches in the Ripley collection. Our musical egress this week is Pat Porter’s “Blues for Father John.”

“Bats Sing, Mice Giggle” is the name of the new book by Dr. Karen Shanor, a researcher who reveals some amazing and surprising facts about the way animals communicate. This week on Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Dr. Shanor shares some amazing research that is totally unbelievable. Additional random amazements discussed during the August 19 Episode of Ripley Radio: UFO Phil, perhaps one of the most unusual and fun guests ever on Ripley Radio unveils his plan to build a huge pyramid on the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado so the aliens will have a place to land. He also sings for us and very secretively lists ways for us to tell the good aliens from the bad; Intern Abby provides a tale of a dog being elected as the mayor of a small Kentucky town; We hear about parrots that are trained to prevent crime; and we learn that Ripley’s has an amazing collection of weird, strange (and stuffed) animals in its vast archives. The Twelve Girls Band provides the musical egress this week with “Carnival.”

Gail Rubin’s slightly irreverent but quite practical look at death and funerals led her to be a part of this year’s Frozen Dead Guy Festival where she unveiled her new game, the NewlyDead Game. This week on Ripley Radio – An On-Demand Oddcast, the official radio station of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, she talks with us about how to plan for your own funeral in a fun way.Other Unbelievable items discussed on the August 12 edition of Ripley Radio: Ripley’s favorite witch, Judika Illes talks about the recent edict from the Catholic Church about witches; Intern Kyle examines the Doomsday Seed Bank in Norway; Tim visits with sideshow legend 83-year old Ward Hall (seen at right in this amazing photo taken by Norman Blake) who talks about the importance of the sideshow talker, or the Bally, in any midway show; We find out what happened to the 100,000 t-shirts that were printed listing the wrong Super Bowl Champion (sorry Pittsburgh); We learn about the extensive collection of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! death-oriented exhibits, including Fantasy Coffins, the gallows from Chicago’s Cook County Jail, and the gas chamber chair from San Quentin Prison; and we are told that Robert Ripley’s last word spoken was AMEN, just before he collapsed on live television during a show on funeral customs. He died two days later. Our musical egress this week is the summer-time sound of Link Wray with his surf classic XKE Fender Benders.

There are still mysteries and controversy surrounding what many feel is the day the music died, Feb.3, 1959, when Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens died in a plane crash. This week on the official radio station for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, we talk with Gary Moore, author of the book “Hey Buddy” and he unveils what has not been told to us through the years. Additional random amazements discussed on the Aug. 5 Episode of Ripley Radio, the official radio program of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! include: We visit with a security guard in Nashville and hear about his Elvis sighting; Chris Epting explains what happened to the pyramid that traveled with rocker Todd Rundgren during the 1970s and in who’s backyard it is now standing; Edward Meyer, Ripley’s archivist tells us about a very large chunk of Elvis’s hair in the archives; Intern Abby unveils a very odd map of the US in which each state is identified by its biggest fault; Tim talks with the quirky CBS News correspondent Bill Geist as they walked through the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! odditorium in Orlando; and Ralf is impressed with the fact that a president of a country had a rap song recently on the charts.