Category: random

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15 People Reveal What Their Childhood Bullies Grew Up to Be

At some point in your life, you probably had a bully. Sadly, it’s just too common of a phenomenon. I remember in 2nd grade there was this kid who’d keep trying to beat me up in the playground and always made fun of the lunches my mom packed me.

Do you remember your childhood bully? Hopefully, it wasn’t you doing the bullying – though if you were, maybe reflect a little on that and apologize? I don’t know, don’t ask me.

AskReddit users shared their personal stories of what happened to their childhood bullies. Let us know if any resonate with you.

1. Acting out

“The bully was just a kid acting out. He’s parents were struggling financially and he had around 7 little siblings. He was probably being neglected and I noticed his younger sister who was about 12 at the time was always taking care of the little ones while their parents worked. I actually bumped into him and a mutual friend years ago and I felt really bad. He lost so much weight and looked like he was definitely taking drugs – I heard a lot of rumours and it looked like it was true.

He couldn’t look at me in the eyes I felt terrible for him. His friend and him disappeared from social media so I don’t know what happened to him now but I really hope he’s okay.”

2. What a story

“Her parents divorced, then her local celebrity dad went to prison, then her mom killed herself, then her grandparents died.

Her dad got out of prison and died when she was almost out of high school. The family money was gone on the divorce, dad’s legal defense and the 2008 housing crisis so she ended up working a shitty job.

She ended up dropping out of college two years in and joining a cult run by a dentist. Supposedly found Jesus, and is still in that cult.”

3. No longer a bully

“He got his sh*t straight, and he’s working as a carpenter. Good for him!”

4. Hasn’t changed

“I didn’t get along with most of my classmates until my junior year. We were from a tiny school and were together since kindergarten. Our junior year we kind of collectively thought, “Well, that was dumb,” and started getting along. All but one are lovely people.

The one that’s not a lovely person? I know because my mom arrested him post high-school. She was booking him and asked him if he had any money to post bond. He said, “I don’t need money. I got bitches.” Sure enough some woman, married to someone else, if I remember right, came and bailed him out.

So, yeah. He hasn’t changed.”

5. The bully speaks

“Well I’m ashamed to say that I was actually a bit of a bully in school, I used to pick on a guy who was taller than I was, I can’t even remember why. One day I finally made him crack and he had had enough and left right in the middle of class to go home.

I felt so terrible I called him that night to apologize for what I did to him. Turns out, we had a lot in common, we became friends, great friends actually, and I was the best man at his wedding. Still best friends to this day.”

6. Uh oh

“He became a TSA agent.”

7. Man…

“Crashed his car in Grade 12 and died.”

8. Hmmmmm

“Most of them are nurses or work in the healthcare field. It worries me.”

9. Classy

“She sells It Works! and describes herself on Facebook as a “business owner, mom, wino.”

10. Depressing

“There was an asshole in my high school who would mercilessly bully and torture a friend of mine who was a stereotypical nerd but a fantastic artist. In our final year nearing graduation the asshole bought a really fancy car and would show off by driving dangerously around the streets. He got into an accident by hitting a semi-truck on the highway. He’s forever bound in a wheel-chair, while my friend became an animator at Pixar.”

11. Catfished!

“She ended up being caught as a catfish on the T.V. show. My old school mates had a field day with that.”

12. Top 500

“My bully who convinced everyone that I’m a nerd and that I should be bullied because I played videogames is now like top 500 in overwatch or something while I’m stuck in diamond lol.”

13. Maybe trying to make up for her past?

“She became a school guidance counselor. ? “

14. OMG

“There were many, but probably the worst of bad seeds didn’t make it much past high school. He was dicking around with a pistol at a party and when called on it said “What?! It’s not even loaded!” before putting it to his temple and pulling the trigger. Needless to say, it was loaded.”

15. Sad story

“He hanged himself in jail.”

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There’s a Championship for Excel Spreadsheets, and a 17-Year-Old Just Won

Ahhh, good ol’ Microsoft Excel! It’s that program we all lie about how well we know on our resumes, and then just spend half a day Googling it when someone actually asks us to do something slightly advanced on it.  But, there are some folks out there who aren’t exaggerating their Excel mastery at all.

An international competition for Excel spreadsheets took place in Anaheim, California, recently. The competition is limited to participants from ages 12 to 22.

The top prize went to John Dumoulin, a 17-year-old from northern Virginia. He’s never worked in an office — he’s in high school, and he works at Chick-fil-A part-time.

John first learned about the competition through an IT class at school. He scored the highest score on the Microsoft Excel 16 certification exam in Virginia, leading him to a national competition and then the international competition, where he won $10,000 in prize money.

John says he was surprised to learn that people actually take these competitions very seriously.

“Some of the foreign countries, they’ve been training for hours and hours and hours on end,” he said.

Photo Credit: Excel Easy

“When you first meet the international students, everyone’s friendly, but when they find out you’re competing against them in the same category, they get this fire in their eyes. They want to win.”

“Most of us in an office think that we know how to use Excel. These kids really know,” said Aaron Osmond, general manager of Certiport, the company that runs the competition.

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Neighbors Sue Owner of this “Flintstone” House Because it’s So Ugly

Unless you live in a town where every house looks the same, you’re probably familiar with the Ugly House. You know, that house in the neighborhood that’s painted a bizarre shade and/or looks like it was designed by an alien architect. The Ugly House is charming, but it also offends some neighbors.

In Hillsborough, California, the Ugly House is known as the Flintstones House.

Photo Credit: Distractify

The owner, Florence Fang, is obsessed with the Flintstones, and the property looks like the cartoon come to life. The house is rounded, red and purple, and it’s surrounded by fake dinosaurs. Also, the words “Yabba Dabba” are spelled out on the lawn.

You’ve gotta hand it to Florence for commitment!

Apparently, the neighbors are fed up with this house’s appearance, because the owner now has a lawsuit filed against her. BY THE WHOLE TOWN. Poor Florence.

Photo Credit: Distractify

Honestly, ugliness aside, the idea of a Flintstones House is pretty neat, like something that should be open for tours. Kids would love it!

But not everyone agrees. The lawsuit claims that Florence “created live-safety hazards that required immediate correction to protect visitors to the property.”

In the past, the Hillsborough building department has issued citations, $200 in fines, and stop orders to Florence over the house. They claim her additions were “designed to be very intrusive, resulting in the owner’s ‘vision’ for her property being imposed on many other properties and views, without regard to the desires of other residents.”

If you’re wondering who on Earth this Florence woman is: she’s a businesswoman, philanthropist, and former newspaper publisher. She also has no intention of giving in to the lawsuit. Watch out, neighbors.

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15+ Times Accidental Art Was Better Than Any Masterpiece

Artists can work for years to create the perfect piece, which probably means it’s super annoying when chance and nature combine to make something amazing at the drop of a hat.

But that doesn’t make it any less wonderful for the rest of us – evidenced by the 17 pieces of art below!

#1. Looks like an alien planet.

Blue with a touch of yellow from unstirredpaint

#2. Mother nature is crazy.

A tree pattern inside a tree

#3. It looks like a wedding dress for Elsa.

View post on imgur.com

#4. That pattern is to die for.

Morning frost looks like it’s painted. from mildlyinteresting

#5. This is what I imagine zombie hands to look like.

Fell asleep in the bath. Finger brains. from WTF

#6. Not a watercolor.

Oranges photographed through the glass panes of a greenhouse from AccidentalRenaissance

#7. Accidental magic.

Something bumped against a wall at work and made a painting of a snowy town. from mildlyinteresting

#8. What a cooperative kitty.

In cute cat news, my mom put up an Easter decal on our front door and it makes Gigi look like a Dr. Seuss character. from aww

#9. Scottish shadows.

Even the shadows in Scotland are plaid from pics

#10. How to make a coffee artist insane.

After I poured milk into my coffee, I found Snoopy on the doghouse under the moon from mildlyinteresting

#11. This always makes me smile.

Christmas lights under the snow from mildlyinteresting

#12. An explosion of inspiration.

Volcanic explosion on lid from unstirredpaint

#13. Legit amazing.

I dropped some water, opened the table extension to dry and a city landscape with temples and pinnacles appeared from mildlyinteresting

#14. A small price to pay.

A rock created bird shaped window art on my car. from mildlyinteresting

#15. It’s like a little fairy world.

PsBattle: This colony of moss growing inside a bike seat. from photoshopbattles

#16. A tree just made me cry.

The swirls on this log from mildlyinteresting

#17. It looks like someone wasted a case of ReddiWhip.

The snow has settled only on the outline of the bricks on my friends driveway. from mildlyinteresting

Personally, I’ll take my art whenever and however it happens!

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15 Things About Being an Adult That We Never Understood as Kids

As a child, I remember wanting desperately to be an adult. Grown-ups got to do whatever they wanted – they could watch R-rated movies, use swear words, and stay up late.

I never realized until I grew up, however, that all of those perks don’t even BEGIN to offset all the annoying parts of being an adult. Things like bills, responsibilities, and spending 5/7ths of your life working for people who probably don’t give you what you deserve.

The 15 things below definitely make me nostalgic for the carefree days of my childhood.

#1. Bills to pay.

my dad wasn’t a workaholic, we just had bills to pay.

#2. I really thought I’d need the karate chop.

I used to think that living beyond 24 was crazy and impossible
I used to think you would grow up to be a particular person instead of a larger version of yourself. I genuinely thought I could become Prince.
I really thought I’d need the karate chop as a part of my adult life

#3. How to cherish the silence.

As a kid I thought if it was quiet it was boring and the worst possible thing. Now I work in a library and cherish the silence more than anything.

#4. Lefts and rights.

The whole “my right vs. your right” thing confused the heck out of me as a preschooler. I knew my own lefts and rights but when my mom was facing me and used to say “my right isn’t the same as your right” I learned to just do the opposite of what she looked like. Problem is this led to me thinking that the difference was because of AGE, so kids’ lefts and rights were the opposite of adults’ lefts and rights. So somehow I got the idea in my head that when you turned 21 your lefts and rights switched (I have no clue why I specifically thought 21, I had this image in my head of blowing out 21 candles and everyone saying congratulations and you get some kind of certificate to officially switch them). Well I’m 21 now and my lefts and rights never switched.

#5. Just double the Christmas presents.

That my parents couldn’t just double the presents this Christmas if I tell them it’s okay to not do anything for next Christmas.

#6. A dog and children.

The stress of paying bills and budgeting. My parents tried to keep this hidden from me but I could tell how much they carefully budgeted. They also sacrificed for us kids. I didn’t get that until I had a dog first and then children.

#7. Value.

The value of all the shit I trashed or broke.

#8. Some people are selfish jerks.

Not everyone is inclined to do the right thing. Some people are selfish jerks and it sucks, but you just have to accept it and do what you believe is right. There are a lot of awesome people out there too, and you can’t get too cynical about the world because of the shitty people in it

#9. Not a given.

Vacations and breaks aren’t a given. You don’t just get to stop working for a few weeks randomly throughout the year, and no one plans around your vacation – you must plan all of your own (and sometimes other people’s) work around your departures. Oh, and vacations are expensive. There’s probably a reason that Billy down the block’s family is able to take five people to Disneyworld: because they have money.

I’m a violin teacher now and blew this poor kid’s mind this past weekend when he asked me what I was doing for spring break. I sort of stared at him for a second, and then remembered that spring break is a thing that kids get…so I told him that I’m working because I don’t get a spring break and he was just completely aghast. Sorry buddy, the adult world isn’t as fun as being a kid.

#10. Because they weren’t cool.

The Alanis Morissette lyric “You’re my best friend / best friend with benefits” from “Head Over Feet.” I told my parents that my best friend was my best friend with benefits when I was like 8, and they laughed hysterically and I just assumed it’s because they weren’t cool and into Alanis’s music and didn’t understand that it clearly meant “super best friend.”

#11. Special phones with letters.

How to dial any phone number that was alphanumeric. 1-800-WAIT-WUT. I thought adults had access to special phones with letters.

#12. New jokes every time.

Calvin and Hobbes jokes. Reread and there’s new jokes every time.

#13. The value of afternoon naps.

How grown-ups fall asleep after Sunday lunch, Christmas dinner, etc. It was so boring as a kid but now I fully understand the value of afternoon naps in the sun after a roast dinner.

#14. Such a pretty name.

I didn’t know what virginity was and my dad would say I would understand when I got older. In the meantime, I thought it would make such a pretty name for a girl.

#15. How seldom they do.

You wouldn’t care what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they think of you.

Youth is definitely wasted on the young.

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Behold the Octobasse: an Enormous Stringed Instrument with Sounds Too Low for Humans to Hear

How familiar are you with all the stringed instruments out there? Sure, you probably know violins, guitars, cellos, and basses. But I’m betting few of you are familiar with the granddaddy of them all – the octobasse, which genuinely sounds more like a legendary monster than a string instrument.

The octobasse is a string instrument that can create sounds so low, humans can’t hear them. What is the point of that, you ask? Maybe to feel the vibrations? Unclear, but it’s pretty metal.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Though this totally sounds like the invention of a bored millennial, the octobasse was built in 1850 by the French instrument maker Jean-Baptise Vuillaume. The octobasse is quite a lot larger than a human and not very practical to transport; also, there are rumored to only be seven in existence. But there is a playable replica at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The octobass is in use by exactly one (1) orchestra in the world: the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Playing an octobass is different than playing other stringed instruments, because it’s too big for musicians to use their hands on the strings. Instead, there’s a system of levers and pedals that create each note.

Watch some musicians experimenting with the octobasse in Phoenix:

Is it amazing or is it terrifying? Maybe a little of both.

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You Can Now Wear a Terrifyingly Realistic Mask of Your Cat’s Face

Calling all cat lovers: if you think your little fur baby is absolutely purr-fect, you can now become your cat! That’s right, there is now a company that will turn your kitty’s face into a startingly realistic mask that you can wear. You know, in case you wanted to take “crazy cat lad” to a whole other level.

The cat mask service is brought to you by a Japanese creative studio called Shindo Rinka, in collaboration with a modeling workshop called 91. Just take a photo of your cat in good lighting, send it to the company, and they’ll get to work.

Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka

The resulting mask is made of a 3D mold covered in fur. It’s so realistic that it’s too realistic. Like maybe you’ll forget that you’re a human underneath the mask, and you’ll start pooping in the litterbox, and your cat will get freaked out and run away from home, and then you won’t even have a cat, you’ll just BE your cat!

Or you could just take some creepy photos and call it a day.

Photo Credit: Shindo Rinka

Did I mention these masks cost upwards of $2,000? Each mask is completed by hand to look identical to your pet, and I mean look at it. That level of realism doesn’t come cheap.

The company does not offer a human mask for your cat… Yet.

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If Jesus Wasn’t Around, Who Else Would You Want to Take the Wheel?

It might sound funny, but that’s the exact question someone posed on Reddit, and the 15 people below come up with some truly interesting answers!

#1. In that order.

“Jewish God, Allah, and then Tom Cruise, in that order.”

#2. There’s always one.

“Jesus doesn’t know how to drive, the car was invented after he died. I would not want him driving my car.”

#3. Never be afraid.

“The Vengeful ghost of Dale Earnhardt.

Edit: thanks for the gold and silver strangers, never be afraid to bring the vengeful ghost of someone you have a childhood photo with into reddit.”

#4. As long as it’s not Hammond.

“CLARKSON YOU BLITHERING IDIOT, TAKE THE WHEEL!

As long as it’s not Hammond, I’ll probably be ok

E: 15 hours in and I’ve been guilded and at over 6k upvotes. Reddit, you’ve made my day. :D”

#5. Trust him to save your life.

“If there’s anyone that I can entrust to save my life, it’s Terry Crews.”

#6. A story about a dude.

“Athena.

There’s a story about a dude in ancient Greece falling in a river and being swept by the current and between gasps of air he’s begging the goddess Athena to help him.

Athena appears right next to him and tells him that she’ll help, but he also has to start swimming as well.

It’s the myth behind the saying ‘Συν Αθηνά και χείρα κίνει’ (along with Athena’s help you should also move your arms), meaning you should also try to help yourself, not just rely on higher powers.”

#7. All those arms.

“Vishnu. All those arms, he’s probably a good driver.

Apologies to any Hindu Redditors who take offense to that quip.”

#8. For about a year now.

“Joe Pesci. I’ve been praying to Joe for about a year now.”

#9. A person of culture.

“Toonces!

(Thanks for the Silver! You’re clearly a person of culture.)”

#10. Only happy accidents.

“Bob Ross. Because there is only happy accidents Edit: This comment have made half of my total karma. Thank you, strangers.”

#11. Infinite wisdom.

“Keanu Reeves. keanu’s supernatural power exceeds that of all others mentioned in this thread, I know at least one person who frequently dreams of his infinite wisdom.”

#12. He seems qualified.

“Jason Statham. he seems qualified.”

#13. Either or.

“Mario (I’ll take “Andretti” or “The Plumber”)

Pass on Balati.”

#14. He really likes steering wheels.

“Kimi Räikkönen, he really likes steering wheels.

Wow, thanks for the silver :)”

#15. You knew someone was going there.

“Ricky Bobby.”

Mine? I’d have to go with Mr. Rogers. I feel like he’s a guy you could trust to steer your life nice and steady until you were ready to jump back in.

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So… Drive-Thru Workers Can Apparently Hear EVERYTHING You Say – Even When the Speaker Isn’t On

Uh-oh…

If you tend to visit your local drive-thru pretty regularly, you might not love this. You see, it seems that drive-thru employees can hear every single thing you say in your car, even when you’re just waiting for the speaker to turn on.

One Reddit user and drive-thru worker posted the tidbit, just to let everyone know that, yup, they can hear you. Their headsets pick up pretty much everything.

Photo Credit: iStock

“As soon as you drive up to the speaker, we get a beep over our headsets and the transmission begins,” Redditor wreckinitralph wrote. “If we don’t answer you right away – we can hear everything. If we apologize and say we’ll be with you in a minute – you’re not on hold, we can hear everything. If you’ve ordered but the drive-thru line won’t let you pull ahead yet – we can hear every single thing you’re saying. I wish I could forget some of the stuff I’ve heard.”

Whoooaaaaa. So, basically don’t talk crap about the drive-thru until after you’ve safely pulled away with your food. And if you need to say something embarrassing or top-secret, maybe roll your windows up and whisper? Your car is not as private as you think!

Photo Credit: iStock

Another Reddit user had a similar and equally horrifying revelation in the comments of the post.

“This also applies when you’re on any type of support chat. Whatever you type, even if you don’t press enter, is transmitted right to them as you’re typing it,” user Steve90000 wrote.

WHAT. What kind of cruel world is this, anyway?

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Apparently, There’s a Million-Dollar Treasure Hidden Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains

As I have gone alone in there

And with my treasures bold,

I can keep my secret where,

And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt

And take it in the canyon down,

Not far, but too far to walk.

Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,

The end is ever drawing nigh;

There’ll be no paddle up your creek,

Just heavy loads and water high.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,

Look quickly down, your quest to cease,

But tarry scant with marvel gaze,

Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go

And leave my trove for all to seek?

The answers I already know,

I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

So hear me all and listen good,

Your effort will be worth the cold.

If you are brave and in the wood

I give you title to the gold.

Hidden somewhere within these words are all the clues you’ll need to find a million-dollar treasure. This poem is part of Forrest Fenn’s treasure, buried somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

Forrest Fenn is a retired Air Force pilot turned “collector” (read: possible grave-robber and thief) of rare and interesting historical artifacts. He has, even by his own admission, skirted the law in acquiring the items and had plenty of mishaps and challenges along the way.

Image Credit: Pixabay

In 2010 he published a memoir detailing his adventures called The Thrill of the Chase, but given that he’s hardly a household name, it didn’t earn much attention – until it did.

One aspect of the book – a fantastical claim that the author had hidden a box that contains over a million dollars worth of artifacts and gold – has led to a growing group of mystery-chasers taking up the hunt.

The idea came to Fenn back in 1988. He was diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer and decided to shore up his legacy. He put together the chest of treasure and planned a trip to Colorado with the intention of dying beside the box…except he recovered from his kidney cancer. So he kind of put the whole thing on hold.

Image Credit: Amazon

Then, when he turned 80, he figured he might as well see it through and (allegedly) left the treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains before publishing his mysterious poem that (allegedly) reveals its location.

The legend grew, getting national recognition on The Today Show in 2013 and making Fenn’s book a sensation. Buyers from Ecuador to Italy have read it and planned their own hunting trips to the American West in search of a treasure – there are websites dedicated to solving the clues, and several hundred people have trekked around, only to come up empty.

Actually, a few of those people never returned at all – there have been 4 confirmed deaths related to the hunt so far. The first was in 2016 when a middle-aged man went missing near Cochiti Lake in New Mexico. Since then, a 53-year-old man fell down a mountain and died, a Colorado pastor died in the Rio Grande, and a 31-year-old man drowned in the Arkansas River.

Fenn seems mildly concerned that his search has led to people’s deaths, saying that “the treasure chest is not under water, nor is it near the Rio Grande River. It is not necessary to move large rocks or climb up or down a steep precipice. Please remember that I was about 80 when I made two trips from my vehicle to where I hid the treasure.”

Image Credit: Pixabay

But consider this: Fenn has a reputation in the archeological world as a bit of a blow-hard, and admitted himself that his “natural instinct is to embellish just a little” so…is the treasure even real? Or could it be an elaborate hoax to win him fame (and book sales) at his advanced age?

Fenn has a lifetime habit of playing fast and loose with the law – and the truth. He has recovered items from protected areas and even robbed graves. He owns one of the most significant archaeological sites in New Mexico and refers to it as his “retreat” where he indulges in his passion.

The state of New Mexico disagrees, claiming Fenn is making a profit off the graves that exist on the ground around his property.

If you’re thinking about searching for Fenn’s treasure yourself, you might want to cozy up to his friends – he claims that a “close friend” has ben instructed to deposit his bones with the chest of goodies.

I’m honestly not sure whether that will make people want to find it more or less.

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