Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for January 25, 2023

One time I was four feet tall. One time I was 16 pounds big.

May the Lord be with you as He is with me.

Why isn’t it called “ADCHOO” syndrome?

Not everyone is affected by this, but I am.

What’s the other 92% of human deoxyribonucleic acid? Also out of that 8%, how much of it is COVID?

The rafflesia is a very unusual flower. As the name suggests, it produces a powerful smell like rotting meat, and uses that to attract flies to carry or drop pollen. It’s a highly-specialized parasite which exclusively grows out of a specific type of vine, and that vine itself is a parasite on other trees, making the rafflesia a “hyperparasite”.

Another plant, the amorphophallus titanum, uses a similar strategy for pollinators (and is also known as a corpse flower), and while the rafflesia has the most massive single flower, the titanum has the largest conjoined flower cluster. Despite this, the two plants aren’t closely related at all.

Well, our RBION topics are a little more appetizing than yesterday’s wonderful food facts. Only a big smelly plant!

The Corpse Lily reeks with the putrid stench of rotting flesh, hence its name, believe it or not.

Should be Autosomal Dominant Light Triggered Sneeze Syndrome, or ADLTSS. That was waaaaay too far a stretch to come up with ‘ACHOO’. I imagine somebody was mocked harshly for that.

And the other 92% comes from turning a bad day into a nice day.

Take care, may prolific sneezer and former Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag “Well They’re Going To Say ‘Gesundheit’ Anyway Whenever I Tell Them My Name So I Might As Well Give Them A Good Sneeze” Hammarskjöldord be with you, and gesundheit.

ACHOO has simply been known as the “photic sneeze reflex” for most of my life. AKA “photoptarmosis.”

seems that we have 2 largest flowers…Amorphophallus titanum also listed

It doesn’t “come from” viruses, they are just the same as what the virus has.

Thankfully it’s not another virus we have to worry about.

The police have found a large number of dead crows on the 101 just north ofVentura early this morning, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.

A Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone’s relief, confirmed the problem was NOT Avian Flu.

The cause of death appeared to be from vehicular impacts. However, during analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on the bird’s beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint residues it was found that 980 of the crows had been impacted by motorcycles, while only20 were impacted by cars.

The investigators then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of motorbike kills versus car kills.

The Ornithological Behaviorist quickly concluded that when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow to warn of danger.

They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout “Cah”, not a single one could shout “Bike”

ACHOO syndrome is real. I’ve had it since I was a kid and still do at 63. It helps when I have a “stuck” sneeze…just look up at the sun or into a bright light, and boom, it’s out most of the time. My sister has the same syndrome as well. Is it a result of a genetic mutation?

The Corpse Lily also smells like a rotting corpse…

Agent Smith had it right, we are a virus.

I used a sample of my DNA to create a clone, with whom I now cohabit. People often ask me whether I think it’s unethical.

I tell them I can live with myself.

Yeah, but I’ll bet the acronym was derived AFTER the common usage of the word “achoo.” Composing to a target, and poorly, too.

How do we know that the COVID virus wasn’t made in China?

Because it has been 3 years and it’s still working.

The only Joke I have relating to a bright light:-___ An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that evolution had created.

“What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!”, he said to himself. As he was walking along the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. When he turned to see what the cause was, he saw a 7-foot grizzly charging right towards him. He ran as fast as he could. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing, He ran even faster, crying in fear. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pounding and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up, but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that moment, the Atheist cried out “Oh my God!….” Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, “You deny my existence for all of these years; teach others I don’t exist; and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light,“It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as Christian now, but perhaps could you make the bear a Christian?” “Very well,” said the voice.

The light went out. The river ran again. And the sounds of the forest resumed.

And then the bear dropped his right paw ….. brought both paws together…bowed his head and spoke: “Lord,…. for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”

Birdman out.

Pin a Corpse Lily on your lapel and girls will all flee from the smell! ;-p

Eight percent of me wants to infect something! ;-p

Years ago, I had a coworker that sneezed when he got out in the sun.

Uh…isn’t it called Photic Sneeze Reflex?