More Than 90,000 People Sign Petition to Shut down Haunted House, Claiming It’s Really a Torture Chamber

This place does sound a bit…intense.

McKamey Manor is an extreme haunted house with two locations, one in Tennessee and one in Alabama, and, as of today, over 94,000 people have signed a petition trying to get the haunted house closed down. Why?

Petitioners are claiming that the houses are actually tortures chambers in disguise. Critics argue that visitors are forced to eat things, are forced underwater, and are even waterboarded.

Mckamey Manor?? MCKAMEY MANOR has been featured on Travels Channel's Making monster and…

Posted by Mckamey Manor on Saturday, July 11, 2015

The change.org petition to shut down McKamey Manor reads, in part:

“Advertised as “an extreme haunt” when in fact it is NOT a haunted house. It’s a torture chamber under disguise. Reportedly, they do screenings to find the weakest, most easily manipulated people to do the ‘haunt.’ It’s reported that if Russ [the owner] doesnt think you’re easily manipulated, you arent allowed to go.”

The person who put up the petition also said, “It’s literally just a kidnapping & torture house. Some people have had to seek professional psychiatric help and medical care for extensive injuries. I propose that all locations where this is happening be shut down immediately.”

Posted by Mckamey Manor on Friday, July 10, 2015

Russ McKamey, the owner of the haunted houses, defended his businesses, saying, “I’m a very straight-laced conservative guy, but here I run this crazy haunted house that people think is this torture factory, fetish factory. All of these things that it’s not.”

People who want to experience this extreme haunted house need to be 21 years of age and have a doctor’s note that says they are mentally and physically capable of handling the situations they will be exposed to in the facilities.

Russ McKamey claims that his haunted houses are so terrifying that no one has ever been able to complete them. Terrifying…or hazardous.

What do you think – would you be willing to take a stab at McKamey Manor?

Stay tuned for developments on this story.

The post More Than 90,000 People Sign Petition to Shut down Haunted House, Claiming It’s Really a Torture Chamber appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share the Life Mysteries They Wish They Could Get Answered

Life is full of mysteries. I’m talking about all kinds of things that we really wish we had the answers to.

They could be big, they could be small. They might have something to do with how the universe works, or they might be specific only to you.

AskReddit users revealed what mysteries and questions they want to know…

1. You’re not alone on this one.

“What’s in the Vatican’s secret library?”

2. Maybe a ghost?

“What the hell happened to make my dog terrified of the bed for 3 days last year.”

3. Outer space…

“I would love to know if we have in some form been contacted. Maybe some higher forces know and didn’t tell us or it just went right by us because we were unable to receive the message due to technology. I think there’s a pretty decent possibility that that has happened.”

4. I’d like to know this one, too.

“Who was the Zodiac Killer and what was his complete story.”

5. That’s a real conundrum.

“What kind of job I could actually get and enjoy and still be able to live my life comfortably. Seems to be the impossible question.”

6. Definitely a weird story.

“What happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?”

7. Is anybody out there?

“If there is other intelligent life out there somewhere. I know that we probably will never see another intelligent life form, but it would be nice to know. It is neato some of the radio telescope stuff they are able to do now and look for atmosphere contaminants that could signal intelligent life. Would likely be the best we can do.”

8. Who did it?

“Who killed Jon Benet Ramsey? Also Madeline McCann. I really don’t think those cases will ever be solved and it drives me crazy.”

9. The real story.

“I’d like to have a true and factual account of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth.”

10. Before and after.

“What existed before our universe exploded into existence and how is it going to end??”

11. A true crime mystery.

“Who was Jack the Ripper?”

12. One of the big questions.

“What actually happens after you die?”

13. That’s heavy.

“If there was anything I could have done to save my daughter from being murdered by her ex-boyfriend.”

14. An interesting question.

“How many times has humanity been reset by disaster.”

15. Looking for a partner.

“Who is out there that would be a good husband and want me as much as I want them. I’d move anywhere and change my job and life circumstances to find a partner.”

The post People Share the Life Mysteries They Wish They Could Get Answered appeared first on UberFacts.

A 4th-Grade Teacher Refused to Lie to His Students, so He Taught the True History of Christopher Columbus

This is an important story, so pay attention.

Nathanael Madden is a teacher at Cold Spring Elementary in Potomac, Maryland, and he has decided to take a different path when teaching his students about a very controversial historical figure.

Madden decided that he would teach the real history of Columbus and Columbus Day to his 4th-grade students, and his tweets about his student’s responses went viral.

Madden said about his decision,

“School is often a very confining and controlling place for kids, and I want to create a space for students to feel liberated by learning. I want all students to feel that they are free to be who they are and that they have a place of belonging in my classroom. This also means that we can’t ignore our world’s current realities, as well as how everything has been impacted by historical realities. Through my teaching, I constantly encourage and challenge my students to be critical questioners and critical thinkers so they can be active and informed participants in our world.”

Madden shared a series of tweets in which he talked about how his students responded to his lessons laying out the “alternative history” that is not usually taught in public schools.

Madden added,

“For so long, particularly in the US, the story of Columbus as a heroic explorer has been the dominant narrative, erasing and ignoring the voices of Indigenous peoples who have known the truth for centuries. As we grapple with the myths of American exceptionalism and start listening to the voices of different marginalized groups, we can uncover the truths of history.”

American public education has come a long way since I was in grade school; I don’t remember anything other than praise for Christopher Columbus around the time we celebrated Columbus Day at school.

The times, they are a-changing…and that’s a good thing.

The post A 4th-Grade Teacher Refused to Lie to His Students, so He Taught the True History of Christopher Columbus appeared first on UberFacts.

Horseshoe Crab Blood Has Saved Millions of Lives

I’m not very familiar with horseshoe crabs. It turns out there’s a lot to learn – because any species that has managed to survive for 450 million years likely has at least a couple of evolutionary tricks up their sleeves.

If crabs had sleeves, I mean.

First up: horseshoe crab blood is bright blue, due to copper-based hemocyanin it uses to transport oxygen (instead of the hemoglobin that makes our blood red). Also, instead of using white blood cells to fight infection, they use amebocytes – and the Atlantic horseshoe crab has evolved to the point where their amebocytes of great value to the medical community.

These amebocytes coagulate around extremely small amounts of bacterial contamination, and the reaction takes only 45 minutes as opposed to the 2 days it takes most mammals’ immune systems to respond. Medical laboratories use it to test equipment and vaccines in a much more efficient manner, which prevents people from dying of infections.

The value of horseshoe crab blood is unfortunately leading to overharvesting – a quarter of a million crabs are harvested for their blood every year – and the population is in a steep decline that may be impossible to recover from, unless extreme measures are taken.

The crabs aren’t killed for their blood, though; 30% of their blood is harvested, then they’re returned to the ocean. That said, around 10-30% of the crabs don’t survive the process, and females who are bled often breed less afterward.

But the blood goes for $15k a liter, so I doubt people are going to stop anytime soon.

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Try These Tough Brain Teasers to Shake up Your Day

If you’re in need of a mental pick-me-up, well, look no further than these 6 tougher-than-you-think riddles!

6. There are a lot of words to choose from…

5. A (large) family affair.

4. You’re going to have to think outside the box on this one.

3. A real head-scratcher!

2. It’s obviously not what you think.

1. Try not to get lost in the letters.

Continue reading to check your answers!

12 Movies That Were Very Historically Inaccurate

A lot of people don’t go to the movies for accuracy – in fact, most of us would probably rather just get lost in a good story and not notice all of the mistakes. But if you’re someone who knows anything at all about history, I bet these 12 movies made you cringe.

And frankly, if the filmmakers can’t be subtle in their inaccuracies, it’s hard for me to want to watch their stuff again.

12. The Last Samurai

You’re probably not shocked that the Tom Cruise vehicle doesn’t quite get the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion quite right. For starters, there were no ninjas, and the fight scenes employ swords instead of guns and rifles, which were plentiful at the time.

11. Amistad

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#laamistad #amistadmovie

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Spielberg’s take on an 1839 slave ship rebellion gets a whole lot wrong, including the idea that a bunch of sympathetic white heroes, like John Quincy Adams, were ready and waiting to save the day. It also conveniently left out the fact that over 3,000 white people paid 12 cents each to stare at the jailed Africans as they awaited trial.

10. Braveheart

There were many Scottish rebellions against English rule during the late 13th and early 14th centuries, but although there were battles, very little is actually known about the real William Wallace.

9. Pocahontas

Though Captain John Smith did tell a story about the chief’s daughter saving his life, the historical record still debates whether she did it on purpose. We’re also not sure about her role in brokering a supposed peace agreement between early colonizers and the Powhatan tribe.

Also, Pocahontas was only 12 at the time and was not romantically involved with John Smith. She did later marry an Englishman by the name of John Rolfe, but only after being captured at the age of 19. And, unfortunately, Pocahontas – along with 90% of the native population that encountered the early settlers – perished due to disease and/or genocide.

I’d like to see Disney tackle that with an uplifting song.

8. Marie Antoinette

As something of a royalist, or at least a royal apologist, this one got under my skin – it depicted Antoinette as little more than a shallow teenager who loved the fashion and excess that came with the crown, while historians agree she was intelligent, politically savvy, and cared deeply for her children and the people of France.

Also, she probably never said “let them eat cake,” but if she did, it’s likely the context would have made the statement appropriate.

7. Shakespeare In Love

Unlike many of these films, this one is not trying to recount a true story – it’s more a historical pastiche. But still, there are too many glaring anachronisms to recount here, and they run the gamut from accent to props. Safe to say, it’s not going to win over any Shakespearean or Renaissance scholars anytime soon.

6. A Beautiful Mind

Real life math genius John Nash was a schizophrenic, and most critics believe his disease manifested differently than the film indicates. It also doesn’t capture the complexities of his treatment.

5. 300

A real battle between the Spartans and the Persians did indeed take place in 480BC, but those involved probably weren’t dressed to showcase their abs – and wardrobe isn’t the only department that took serious liberties. The Spartan army is believed to have been closer to 7000 strong, and if there was a smaller force of 300 sent to hold the line, all of them would have likely perished for their effort.

4. Pearl Harbor

This movie is terrible for so many reasons, but the fact that military details are glossed over, omitted, exaggerated, or just plain wrong certainly increases the eye-rolling factor.

Just so we’re clear – FDR never climbed out of his wheelchair to prove “impossible” things can happen because, you know…he was actually paralyzed due to childhood polio.

3. The Patriot

 

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This much-loved movie takes many liberties, adding scenes and events that aren’t at all factual. British troops never burned people alive in a locked church, for one, even though there weren’t any set “rules of war,” as Gibson’s character keeps insisting.

The slaves in the film were also disturbingly happy.

2. The Sound of Music

The real Captain Von Trapp was a loving and involved father, but the family’s escape was quite dramatized for the film. If they would have hiked over the Alps from Austria they would have ended up in Germany, not Switzerland, so in real life, they left via Italy just hours before the borders were closed for the duration.

1. Argo

Though the premise of the film – that a fake movie production was created to undertake the rescue of six Americans stuck in Iran – is true, the film downplays Canada’s significant involvement in the effort. Also, in real life there was no drama during the airport escape.

But you have to admit, that scene is probably what won them the Best Picture Oscar, so maybe it was worth it.


I mean, why not just hire an expert to make sure you get it right? Or you know, Google enough to ensure you’re not messing up anything big?

Do things like this bother you? Are they deal breakers? Tell us about it in the comments!

The post 12 Movies That Were Very Historically Inaccurate appeared first on UberFacts.

This Church in Is Going Viral for Its Clever Signs

I love a good church sign, and I’ve noticed that churches in all different parts of the country are getting in on the action.

I think that’s a trend we can all get behind, don’t you?

Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church in Wantagh, New York, is gettin’ it done in the sign game in a major way. Some of their messages are funny and some are designed to make people think.

Pastor Ron Garner said, “Our church is located on a very busy street in Wantagh. I want to convey to the public that Christianity doesn’t have to be staid. I also want to convey to passersby that I believe people who follow Jesus are not called to be apolitical but are called to take social justice issues seriously. We are a small congregation but we have new members who came because of our signs.”

Enjoy!

1. Peace is priceless.

WMCC's latest sign. . .

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Friday, September 6, 2013

2. I like this message.

WMCC's latest sign. . .

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Tuesday, July 16, 2013

3. Walk the walk.

Our latest church sign. . .

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

4. Yes! I love this!

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Friday, June 15, 2012

5. Can’t hide bigotry.

As I said before, plagiarism can be a good thing. Thanks to Rev. Denoon and the students who stood up to Westboro Baptist at UNLV.

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Wednesday, February 29, 2012

6. Hopefully, this is true for all of us.

The congregation of WMCC wish all of you a Happy New Year! May you be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Saturday, December 31, 2011

7. Go ahead, try it.

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Saturday, April 16, 2011

8. He was a rebel.

WMCC gets ready for this week's gospel lesson: "The Samaritan Woman."

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Tuesday, March 22, 2011

9. NONE.

Our latest entry on our sign is getting lots of attention. This may be the last entry made on "old faithful." We are hoping that our new sign will be installed in a matter of days.

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Thursday, February 10, 2011

10. This one is powerful.

Our latest sign. . .

Posted by Ron Garner on Thursday, January 19, 2017

11. Same old message.

Our new enlarged and improved sign.

Posted by Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church on Tuesday, March 15, 2011

12. A timely sign.

Our latest sign. . .

Posted by Ron Garner on Monday, August 20, 2018

13. Not at all.

Our latest sign . . .

Posted by Ron Garner on Monday, June 18, 2018

14. That sounds familiar…

WMCC's latest sign. . .

Posted by Ron Garner on Saturday, December 26, 2015

15. Amen to that!

Our latest sign. . .

Posted by Ron Garner on Monday, April 6, 2015

Are there any churches by you that are bringing their A-Game to their signage?

Share some pics with us in the comments!

The post This Church in Is Going Viral for Its Clever Signs appeared first on UberFacts.

You Can Buy a Cookie Cutter That’s Shaped like Your Pet’s Face

Who doesn’t want one of these?

An Etsy shop is now selling customized pet cookie cutters, designed to look exactly like your precious dog or cat. Anyone who loves their pet enough to be tempted to eat their face will totally get the appeal.

Bakers Street Cutters personally customizes a 4-inch cookie cutter based on a pet photo of your choice. Their designer creates an illustration from the photo, then renders that illustration into a 3D cookie cutter. The result is truly precious. Because while you could always buy a regular pet cookie cutter from the store, those off-the-track cutters will never capture the unique essence of your fur baby!

Photo Credit: Bakers Street Cutters

One customized pet cookie cutter from Bakers Street costs $27 plus shipping. Is that a lot to pay for one (1) cookie cutter? Maybe, but when you consider that it’s an edible version of your pet’s face, it does seem pretty worth it. The turnover is one to nine business days, plus up to two weeks for shipping.

There are a lot of ways to use these cookie cutters. You could make themed cookies for your pet’s next birthday party (you throw your pet birthday parties, right?). You could make holiday cookies shaped like your pet. You could even make cookies FOR your pet, using pet-safe ingredients.

The possibilities are truly endless.

Photo Credit: Bakers Street Cutters

The shop has tons of 5-star reviews.

“These cookie cutters are absolutely adorable. They look just like my kitties,” one buyer wrote.

“Adorable product! Made to order and looks just like my Hope!” another wrote.

Bakers Street Cutters also creates customized cookie cutters for people portraits, so you can make edible versions of your entire family, fur babies included.

The post You Can Buy a Cookie Cutter That’s Shaped like Your Pet’s Face appeared first on UberFacts.

15 People Share Times When They Died Inside

All of us have had those moments in life when we were so embarrassed or humiliated that a little part of us died. A lot of them come in our younger years when we try to ask out the popular girl or guy or act cool in front of our peers. Or, sometimes, incredibly terrible or sad things take place that leave a mark on us forever.

Folks on AskReddit shared their experiences, and I think you’re gonna cringe while reading about these experiences.

1. They sure are cruel.

“In the 7th grade, I got my back to school clothes. For some reason, I thought yellow pants and a yellow Hawaiian shirt looked AWESOME . I was excited to wear this new outfit. We were not wealthy, so having new clothes like this was a big deal for me.

Sitting in my English class I received a note. It said “Are you the mustard man?” and was signed by every.person.in.the.fucking.class and as I read it, they all burst out in laughter. All of them.

Its a moment in life where you have to laugh or cry and either way you die inside.

I chose to laugh.

Kids are cruel.”

2. Yes, I do mind.

“When I was 18 and at a carnival with a group of people I knew from school, including my long-time crush. At some point, people started dropping off from the group, going on rides, getting food, that kind of stuff. Eventually, it was only me, my crush and my little sister (little as in almost 16). I kept waiting for her to leave, too, to go find some of her friends or whatever.

After hanging out together for another 15 or so minutes, it slowly dawned on me that it wasn’t him and me waiting for her to leave, but them waiting for me to leave. They shortly after became a couple for a few months.

It later turned out that they got to know each other at my 18th birthday party two months prior (they never met before). When my sister got back later that evening she told me that and said “you don’t mind, do you?”.

I did mind, very much.”

3. This is terrible.

“I received a set of boxes in the mail with no return address on a Monday morning. When I opened the boxes I started noticing stuff that is my mom’s (her handwriting on notes) this seems to be some sort of care package from my mom! (Was in college at the time).

As I opened more, there were all these documents? I was confused, then I found the note. My mom committed suicide but planned it all out. She sent me a list of “things to take care of now that she’s gone”. Now I hate getting packages.”

4. That’s very sad.

“When my dad told me he was obligated to love me, but he didnt have to like me.

I was 10. And I was absolutely crushed.”

5. Pretty embarrassing.

“I had a customer who was holding and examining an awkward, fragile, and expensive item with one hand… I asked her to please hold it with two.

She turned to look at me. She only had one arm.”

6. It was not quiet.

“When I was about 9 I was in a school assembly (all 400~ students and all teachers). At our school assembly’s the students sat cross legged on wooden floor in the sports hall.

Well, I had to fart, and I assumed it would be quiet. It was not. It ended up being extremely loud and was amplified by the wooden floor.”

7. I wonder why…

“At a company event. As we left, my colleagues were nowhere to be found as I walked outside. So I waited there. Turns out they were taking a group photo without me.”

8. A strange birthmark.

“Interviewing a potential student who is interested in my school, he has a huge green circle around his eye.

“Wow, quite a black eye! what’d you do?”

“I was born like this.””

9. A big joke.

“As a neurotic and anxious middle schooler, I decided to ask a girl to a dance, but through AIM (shoutout to the late 2000’s). She said yes and the majority of the class ended up finding out. I thought everything was alright until I got a phone call from somebody else telling me that it was all just a joke.”

10. A nice guy stepped in.

“6th grade all day field trip to Sea world Orlando. Surprise period through my WHITE shorts. All the moms who wanted to help only had tampons, I was 11 and had no idea how to use them, there ensued an embarrassing crash course. I was devastated until random dad saved the day by giving me his windbreaker to tie around my waste and told me to, ” go have fun”

Thanks random field trip dad, you saved the day!”

11. Reality check.

“When my friends said I should drink some more because I’m no fun without alcohol…”

12. Do you speak French?

“I went to an interview once where one of the two people interviewing me asked if I knew French. I said I knew core French so they decided to conduct the interview completely in French…

I can understand when someone speaks French to me, I can read and write fluently in French, but I cant for the life of me speak French. It was so bad that one of the interviewers got up and left halfway through and didn’t come back.

Needless to say I didn’t get the job.”

13. Whoopsie daisy.

“That time I left school while chatting to friends and spotted my mum’s car, got in said car and uttered the usual “thanks for picking me up mum” only to realise that it was not in fact my mum’s car , but a complete stranger and their family.”

14. Always take a second look.

“Setting: junior high. Status: awkward preteen. Style: liked cats, very shy. Walked out of the school bathroom. Noticed after a bit that the popular girl in school was watching me, giving me a strange look. She then approached me, and wordlessly pulled my skirt out of my underwear that I’d just tidily tucked in with the rest of my uniform. Then just walked away to avoid my shame, as I’d just been walking around with my panties showing…”

15. People suck.

“I was 15, someone was taking a photo of my girlfriend at the time and I and she goes “make sure you don’t smile, you’re ugly when you smile you look much better when you’re serious, don’t want you ruining another photo”.

It was not a joke.

That killed me so hard I’m 34 and I still struggle to smile in front of people.”

The post 15 People Share Times When They Died Inside appeared first on UberFacts.

Mount Athos, Greece

Mount Athos, Greece, is an entirely self-governed peninsula inhabited only by Orthodox monks. Female humans, chickens, cows and goats are banned from entry, but female cats are explicitly permitted.