Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
I can't tell you how many writers have looked at their whimsical works of fiction and thought "no one would ever think of this."
Only to turn on the news and see reality is crazier.
Ever since 2015 began the 2016 election cycle, the people at "The ONION" must nearly be out of ideas.
Certain facts sound wild but truth is truth.
And truth is a mess.
Redditor edder24 wanted to get into the details about some cold hard facts. So they asked:
"What 100% FACT is the hardest to believe?"
Any and every detail that comes out of our medical insurance system. Don't get me started...
WINNER!!
"An Australian man won the lottery, then on camera to re enact the winning for the news he bought another ticket... he won the lottery again on camera. https://youtu.be/6R5MqxcKdV8 "
YeahYeahButNah
Billions
"If a billion people from both China and India didn't exist, they would still be the #1 and #2 most populated nations in the world."
Handsprime
"The fact people think this is a bad thing is something I can’t believe. Though I would like to know the truth. If they are locked into factories living terrible lives. I hope if they where they would revolt. Maybe we should set a better example."
JRotten-Scoundrel
Kermit too?
"Tarantulas keep tiny frogs as pets."
JimminyBean
"This is a bit misleading. They don't keep them as 'pets.' they depend on one another. In nature, this is described as a symbiotic relationship (where both parties gain some sort of mutual benefit)."
Frogs will eat the smaller insects that are a nuisance to the tarantula (it's debated whether or not they protect their eggs, because Tarantula burrows are too deep and sticky for smaller insects to traverse). And in turn the tarantula will protect the frog. This is no different than other relationships in nature. Some bird species will frequently land in crocodile's open jaws to eat bits of stuck, leftover food which can be irritating to the crocodile. The crocodile in turn will just stay still for a bit."
TheGamingTitan12
Terrifying...
"That only 6 people have survived rabies. Rabies has a 99% Mortality rate. You can have rabies for an entire year without symptoms and once you have symptoms, it's already too late. You'll probably die in a couple of days if you have symptoms."
Strange-Listen8048
"More than a year, it can lay dormant for several years. You go on a camping trip and wake up noting you have a scratch on your arm. You put a band aid on and think no more about it. A couple of years later you feel unwell. You're already dead, there's nothing to save you. Rabies is terrifying."
zerbey
Deep
Summer Bike GIF
Giphy
"There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover North and South America in water one foot deep."
Angry_Elk
Let's go swimming. The rains must fall hard there.
The Hunter
Bugs Dragonfly GIF by Ana Mouyis
Giphy
"Dragonflies accelerate at up to 4G and corner at up to 9G."
automatorsassemble
"Dragonflies are also the most efficient hunter, catching up to 95% of prey."
LuquidThunderPlus
“watchman”
"This relationship of the the pistol shrimp and watchman goby (fish). The pistol shrimp is nearly blind but an excellent digger, whereas the watchman goby has excellent eyesight with a nearly 360 range of vision, but lacks the ability to dig or fight for burrows to live in."
"So these two animals benefit from each other by living together. The pistol shrimp works on digging the burrow, and the 'watchman' goby stands guard outside. If there’s a threat approaching, the goby will dart into the burrow and simultaneously smack the pistol shrimp’s antenna to alert it of the danger."
dashiGO
Go Jimmy! Go!
"President Jimmy Carter rappelled into a nuclear reactor that was in partial meltdown to stop the meltdown and save Ottowa. Before he became President, of course."
thebyron
"My favorite Carter tidbit is a statement something to the effect of 'I hope the last Guinea worm dies before I do.' Dude dedicated his remaining life to bringing another organism to extinction, and he might well succeed. Metal AF."
BaltimoreAlchemist
"but I wore the juice!"
"In 1995, a man named MacArthur Wheeler robbed two banks at gunpoint, he was arrested mere hours later because he didn't wear a mask. instead, he decided to coat his face in lemon juice because he read that lemon juice can be used to make invisible ink. His logic, was that it would make his face invisible. And reportedly, he said to one of the tellers don't worry, I have a face, it's just invisible.'"
"The only thing he did when he was arrested was sigh dejectedly and say 'but I wore the juice!' His case is actually still in academic journals regarding the fact that people with low intelligence do in fact believe that they're smarter than everyone else."
AnnigidWilliams
Deadliest
"The Australian Funnel Web Spider is often regarded as the world's deadliest and hasn't had a confirmed kill in over 40 years since the antivenom was created."
Regnes
5%
"Very few mosquito species prefer human blood, but among those that do, only 5% are deadly to humans. Those 5% though, kill more people annually than humans do."
Punny-Aggron
"5% of mosquitoes are deadly to humans? Is this 100% due to other diseases or can a mosquito actually kill someone, kinda like if someone was allergic to bees and gets stung by one or something like that."
Eupion
Family Tree
"One of Joseph Stalin's granddaughters is a hipster/punk lady who runs a record shop in Portland."
TrumpsNeckSmegma
"One of Mussolini’s actual granddaughters was elected to the Rome council in 2021. One of his other granddaughters was on the European Parliament from 2014-2019 (this one also released some songs in Japan and had a stint as an actress and model)."
incoherentlex
"I wouldn’t be surprised, in terms of political beliefs, the granddaughter could be the same economically, but vastly different politically (being that punk culture is based on anarchy)."
cute-and-psycho
The Axis
"That a spy named Joan Pujol Garcia was awarded the highest honor of service from both the Allies and Axis in the Second World War."
Bma1500
"Wasn't actually the 'highest honour of service' but he was awarded for service both by Germany and the UK. It's not that he was actually playing both sides."
"It's that he intentionally set himself up as a double agent, working for the UK while pretending to work for Germany he did such a good job feeding a mixture of real and fake info to Germany that they never caught on that he was working against them, and ended up being instrumental in the British intelligence operation to mislead the Germans about where the D-day landings would take place."
AnonymousWritings
Planets
Ask The Storybots Planets GIF by StoryBots
Giphy
"From the time it was discovered to the time it lost its status as a planet, Pluto made it less than a third of the way around the sun."
SaturnRocket
Billions
"105 billion people have lived so far. 7.9 billion of us are currently alive."
Figurinitoutfornow
"Assuming that the average life expectancy at birth is at least a decade (hopefully an underestimate, given that the life expectancy at birth in the bronze age was about 25 years, that's including infant mortality), that's at least a trillion years experienced by humans, collectively."
TheMoniker
Empires
"Oxford university is older than the Aztec empire."
didijxk
"It's also about 74 years away from its millennium anniversary. The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, predating Oxford by just eight years, is 66 years away from its millennium anniversary. I don't think my lifespan will make it to Oxford's. And making it to Bologna's would be a close call for sure."
AlienBogeys
Evil Amongst us
"It’s estimated people on average come across almost a dozen murderers in their lifetime."
Forsaken_Oil_96
"I'll bet I've come across hundreds. Many of them appear to be decent people on the surface. I am a strong death penalty advocate."
redreddie
"A serial killer bought me a drink once. I wish I still had the picture someone snapped of us. It was a going away party I think, something for a mutual friend."
XmasDawne
Grounded
"There are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way. Roughly by a factor of 10."
TyroneMings
"I think I heard somewhere that 150 years ago a squirrel could go tree to tree from the Mississippi River all the way to the East Coast without having to touch the ground."
tidder-emanresu
Scorched
Vintage Vhs GIF by vhspositive
Giphy
"Lightning bolts can reach temperatures 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun."
PretzylPower
I hate any and all facts pertaining to bugs and spiders. No thank you.
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Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
Giphy
What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
Hug GIF by The BarkPost
Giphy
Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
sleepy kitten GIF
Giphy
Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
Giphy
Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
Giphy
"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Giphy
"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
Giphy
"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
Giphy
"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
