Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for September 12, 2017

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    Templo S.U.D.  almost 7 years ago

    So why IS there a silent S at the end of that state’s name? (Is everything willed to Mr. Zheng’s robotic widow when he keels over?)

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    potrerokid  almost 7 years ago

    When I was a kid – so many eons ago – we lived uphill from Arkansas St., but it was NEVER pronounced AR-kan-saw; it was ALWAYS pronounced ar-KANSAS!! Times may have changed, tho, so who knows how it’s pronounced now.

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    therese_callahan2002  almost 7 years ago

    Maybe Kristoff will do that with Sven in the “Frozen” sequel.

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    Space_cat  almost 7 years ago

    All this time I thought Ar-Kansas was Kansas for Pirates!

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    J Short  almost 7 years ago

    It was shortly after, the robot made him move out. They got a divorce and the robot got the house and half of Zheng’s 401K.

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    Waittilnxyr  almost 7 years ago

    So why does the artist depict the state using a a hillbilly?

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    Jogger2  almost 7 years ago

    What did Tenna see boys? What did Tenna see? She saw what Arkan saw!

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    Jogger2  almost 7 years ago

    I assume Zheng Jiajia is the one with eyeglasses.

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    Tym Macaleer Premium Member almost 7 years ago

    Forever Are-Kansas.

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    Charlie Fogwhistle  almost 7 years ago

    The material cited above by @Alexikakos was not taken from the Constitution of Arkansas, rather it is found in the State Code, as a result of a joint resolution by the state legislature. Conceptually different, equivalent to saying that Obamacare is found in the U.S. Constitution, when it is found in the United States Code. Thank you, Alex, for finding it. The Arkansas State Constitution is 174 pages in searchable PDF, and the root “pronoun” or “pronun” does not return any hits. Conclusion to this Believe It or Not challenge? Do not believe it.

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    yangeldf  almost 7 years ago

    I always figured it would be a japanese guy who would be the first to design and marry a robot.

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    Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo]  almost 7 years ago

    Marrying a robot you designed is better than this:

    Ghost Marriages’ Prompt Grave Robbing as Men Dig Up Brides

    By KAIJING XIAO

    BEIJING March 6, 2013

    PHOTO: China is seeing a surge in the ancient tradition of buying brides for dead bachelors.China is seeing a surge in the ancient tradition of buying “brides” for dead bachelors.

    Four men in northwest China have been sentenced to prison for the grisly crime of digging up the corpses of 10 women and selling them for “ghost marriages.”

    The grotesque “brides” were sold for a total of 240,000 RMB, or $38,000, according to court reports. The grave robbers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two years and four months to two years and eight months in prison.[…]

    A growing demand for fresh female corpses has fueled the trade in bodysnatching.

    Chinese media have reported cases of brokers murdering women and selling their bodies for ghost marriages. In 2006, a man from northern Hebei province murdered six women and sold them as “ghost brides.”

    The Qingming Festival, also known as tomb sweeping day, is coming up next month. That is the day when people honor their deceased ancestors. It is also thought to be the most auspicious day for ghost marriages and engagements.

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    banddmandd  almost 7 years ago

    Finally, I can read the highlighted areas because you are doing them with a lighter background….THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!

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    finnygirl Premium Member almost 7 years ago

    I wonder if the Finns capture the deer and paint them? Wish that could be done here with deer in the rural areas, since it’s dangerous to motorists (and obviously to the deer!) to run into one. It must also look kind of neat but scary to see them walking around glowing in the dark!

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    finnygirl Premium Member almost 7 years ago

    I looked up more info on the reindeer. The people raise herds of them, so they are basically sort of domesticated. Unfortunately, the paint trick didn’t work, nor reflectors around their necks. 4000 a year still got killed on the roads. So now they are trying an app which drivers can use to alert them to reindeer in the area. This according to sandiegotribune.com.

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    ob1knob2  almost 7 years ago

    I was born there (Dad was going to John Brown University) and we pronounce it ARkansaw

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    JastMe  almost 7 years ago

    Alexi gives the 2010 code. Back in 1881 is when they passed an actual law. The Constitution does not specify.

    Depends on whether you are speaking of the state or the river, plus which dialects of English you speak.

    As to the Arkansas River — to the northwest (principally Kansas and even Colorado), the name is pronounced like the state of Kansas (as KAN sas). In Arkansas (and most of Oklahoma) the river is pronounced like the state of Arkansas (AR cun SAW).

    As to the state of Arkansas, most dialects of English pronounce it AR cun SAW, or something approaching that.

    [AR cun SAW has stronger stress on the first syllable, a bit less on the second, and the middle syllable is unstressed, so your local dialect’s version of the schwa. Think of the last syllable in American. If you pronounce that syllable as in tin can, there of necessity is greater stress than if you pronounce it with the schwa: uh MARE ih cun.

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