15 People Describe the Scariest Sound They’ve Ever Heard

Noises have the power to terrify us in unexpected ways. Our minds can come up with some truly terrifying images based on sound alone.

These AskReddit users share their personal stories. We dare you not to get freaked out.

1. Poor bunny

“I used to live with my sister during my last teenage years. She had this Holland Flop bunny as her pet. He was a sweetheart that loved to cuddle. One day, I was getting out of the shower and I heard this absolutely blood curdling scream. I wrapped a towel on quickly and dashed into the living room to see what was up. The poor bunny had trapped himself and gotten tangled up in some headphones. I had to calm him down and unwrap him.”

2. Hissing

“I remember when I was in middle school, I was working on a project that involved a poster. I worked on it earlier in the day, leaned it against my bedroom wall, and forgot about it. Later that night, it fell down making a long sliding sound down the wall. Being almost asleep, I thought it sounded like an animal hissing very loud. I don’t think my feet touched the ground on my way out of the room.”

3. Click click

“When I was 7-8 years old, a neighbor gave me one of those large 3′ dolls with realistic hair and blinking eyes with long lashes. I think she also walked if you held her arms.

Went to sleep that night with the doll sitting in my little rocking chair. At some point during the night, I woke up and heard this soft ‘click click’ sound and realized that the doll was sitting there blinking at me. Screamed bloody murder, made my parents put the doll outside the house that night and the next day, give it back to the neighbors.

I still don’t like blinking dolls.”

4. Bomb

“Used to go camping with my parents and grandparents when i was 12.

Sleeping in our caravan 2AM-ish, grandfather wakes us all up screaming “BOMB”, we were all confused and then we hear an explosion, we put on our shoes and right before we get outside we hear another bigger explosion.

The camping has like streets with caravans on both sides lined up, what happened was (we learned this the next day) someone had a short-circuit with his fridge in his caravan and this started a fire that reached the gas canister.

That was the first explosion (and furthest away) that woke my grandfather up, he said he recognized that sound from WW2 and it shot him right out of his bed.

The explosion set fire to the next caravan in line on our street for the 2nd explosion that was closer, it was nearing us.

Repeat for the next in line which was getting close for the final biggest explosion we heard.

Luckily we had taken out the gas canisters immediately and put them further away on the concrete.

Our caravan melted from the heat but the explosions stopped.

Had to talk to cops about what i saw with my parents at like 3-4AM when i was 12, that was a scare and a half for us.”

5. Trash can kitty

“I came home from work a little earlier than usual one day. It was dark in the house and dead silent, except for this weird, rhythmic crinkling sound. I stumbled around the couch to find one of my cats lying on her side with her head buried in a snack size potato chip bag. She was stuck and she was suffocating. I ripped the bag away and saw her foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling around in her head, terrified. She took a deep breath and within seconds was breathing normally again.

We always joked about her being trash can kitty because she would eat pretty much anything, but apparently that day, she’d actually made it into the trash can. We got a can with a lid after that.

I always shudder when I think about that noise and what I would have found if I’d stayed at the office a minute later.”

6. Awful

“I was on the phone with my mom while she got in to a bad car accident. I still remember her screaming. I was at home with a broken ankle at the time. It was horrific and I still think about it today (even though it was months ago).

I’m so grateful she is alive and walked away with only some bad bruising, even though the car was destroyed. I just felt so helpless not being able to do anything in that moment. Thankfully 911 was called immediately.”

7. Ghost

“I went up to stay with my mother after my dad died for a few weeks. She went out to run some errands with my aunt so I was home alone. I hear a familiar sound of my dad getting out of his computer chair upstairs in his bedroom. I hear him walk over to the door, open then close it, walk into the hall and down then up the stairs. He then closed the door.

It scared to hell out of me. I couldn’t move. If that was an encounter with a ghost, I don’t want another one.”

8. Alarms

“Not long after the 2011 earthquake in Japan, I was living Tokyo and was traveling daily on the Japanese metro. Most Japanese residents have a earthquake detector phone app that sends off an alarm approximately 10 sec before you feel the shaking of an earthquake.

I was riding the busy keiyo line that is deep under Tokyo Station in a packed carriage , when the train stops unexpectedly and suddenly every person’s phone on train suddenly starts playing the same alarm.

There was at least one hundred people in my carriage and hearing a chorus of devices suddenly begin to sing in unison of your impending doom while we are around 8 stories underground will be an experience I won’t soon forget.

Thankfully after the alarm, the quake started and wasn’t anything more than a light after shock, but that 10sec wait was intense. No one said a thing, no one panicked and when the shaking stopped the train silently restarted and we continued our journey.”

9. Death rattle

“Doing CPR on my mom’s third husband after finding him on the kitchen floor. I’d just stopped by and walked in on my mom, frantic on the phone with 911.

Blood was coming from his mouth and he had no pulse. He was turning cold. But my mom being an RN for the last million years yelled at me to start chest compressions.

His eyes were vacant, but I slapped him and yelled his name and started explaining that I was going to start compressions. It was something I recalled from class to help keep focused on the task. This was happening. I was in the zone. Hero mode activated. Then I started.

With the first push, blood sprayed from his mouth and he made this raspy sound. By the second or third compression, I felt his ribs break. The sound with every push was nauseating.

I wanted to puke. I wanted to cry.

At some point, a cop walked in. I screamed for help and the officer told me I could stop and that my stepdad was dead.

The scene played over in my dreams for weeks after that, but with variations. He was trapped under ice in one. In another, logs were being sawn nearby. In both, the activity mimicked the raspy cough his body made.”

10. Nightmare

“Sleep paralysis with auditory hallucinations.

Scariest ones:

-A conversation between two inhuman sounding men about how they want to kill me. It was hard to wake up from this one.

-An excruciatingly loud scream. It sounds like a mix between a person and some type of animal. Repeating over and over.

-A man laughing, but it’s really loud and starts becoming distorted.”

11. Yikes

“The sound of a person hitting the pavement after falling 11 stories.”

12. Frightening!

“Hedgehogs mating outside my window, ran out with a knife thinking my cat was being murdered.”

13. Dead quiet

“My neighbor has a horse which I fully am ignorant of the existence of 99% of the time. One night it’s dark, I’m walking to my truck. Turn to the door….

And let me elaborate. It’s one of those just dead quiet nights, no noise.

Then the horse did one of those lip flappy exhales.

I’m like oh, yeah, so this is the end of Jake.

Just like that gypsy woman said.”

14. Terrifying

“Sounds outside our bedroom window, like someone muttering to themselves. I convinced my husband it was nothing. We kept hearing it at night. It was terrifying.

Turned out it was a severely mentally ill man squatting on the property adjacent to us. When we called the police to ask what to do, they said, “Oh, yeah, that’s so-and-so. Whatever you do, don’t confront him, he’s very violent. It took six officers to bring him down last time he had an episode!” Then they stood on our porch and yelled at him that ‘these people here are complaining about how loud you are, so keep it down!’ “

15. No thanks!

“Hearing a mountain lion scream/roar in the White Mountains of New Mexico while camping when I was like 13. No thank you!”

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10+ Magical Facts You Might Not Know About Hocus Pocus

For 25 years, kids, and many of their parents, have made watching Hocus Pocus a part of their Halloween tradition. When it burst onto the movie scene in 1993, it was the culmination of almost a decade of work, but what fans probably remember best are the fabulous performances of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters. It might not have made a killing at first, but Hocus Pocus went on to become a cult classic that is sure to last for many more generations.

There are, however, some fun Easter eggs that even big fans of the movie may not be aware of. If you think you’re one of them, keep reading and see if any of the below surprise you!

1. The fountain Dani and Allison celebrate the witches’ death around is the fountain from Friends.

Photo Credit: NBC

Hey, both groups are still having a great time, right?

2. Each of the little witches who takes the sister’s brooms, look just like little versions of the grownup sisters.

Photo Credit: Disney

Okay, this one’s a little obvious, but still cute, right?

3. They made 7 statues for the scene where Bette Midler’s character turns to dust in the sunlight.

Photo Credit: Laughing Place

That’s a lot of creepy Bette Midler face.

4. How did Winifred know to ask Max about his driver’s license, as cars didn’t exist when she died?

Photo Credit: Disney

She JUST learned what asphalt was, for Pete’s sake!

5. Kathy Najimy watches the movie every year, and Midler said it’s one of her favorite films she’s ever worked on.

Photo Credit: Disney

Can you blame them? Look at those costumes!

6. Leonardo DiCaprio was almost Max, but he chose to do What’s Eating Gilbert Grape instead.

Photo Credit: US Magazine

I mean, the latter did get him an Oscar nomination, so I think it was a good decision.

7. Rosie O’Donnell was set to play Mary Sanderson, but she was worried the role would be bad for her image, so Kathy Najimy got the gig.

Photo Credit: factinate

Bet she’s kicking herself now!

8. The film was set in 1993, and while there is a full moon in the movie, there wasn’t one in real life. The next Halloween full moon isn’t until 2020!

Photo Credit: The Witch Next Door

You gotta have a full moon when creepy witches are involved, though.

9. Jason Marsden voiced Binx the cat, not Sean Murray. Producers thought Murray sounded too modern.

Photo Credit: Disney

I guess his costume and boyish good looks were distracting enough to make him believable while he was in human form.

10. Binx was portrayed by 9 different cats.

Photo Credit: Disney

You know, because cats have nine lives…I’ll see myself out.

11. The Zippo Max grabbed from the gift store to bring down the “burning rain of death” would not have had fuel in it. Just something to ponder.

Photo Credit: factinate

No matter how well you think you know a movie, there are always surprises!

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The Story Behind Bloody Mary and Why We Think We See Stuff in Mirrors

Bloody Mary is more than a character. She’s a Halloween (or anytime) tradition amongst young people. You dare each other and egg your friends on until one of you is brave enough to hit the lights, stand in front of a mirror and chant “Bloody Mary” 13 times…

Photo Credit: iStock

Then you wait for the inevitable: for the spirit of the Bloody Mary to appear out of nowhere, kill you and your friends, and ruin your sleepover!

Okay, the murder part doesn’t actually happen, but you know you thought it might when you were a kid (as did I). The ritual is so impactful that different versions of the legend exist across the globe — sometimes centered around a woman named Mary Worth, sometimes involving the devil himself appearing.

It turns out that seeing things in the mirror really isn’t that strange after all. The longer you stare in the mirror, the more likely you are to see stuff that isn’t really there. This phenomenon can be blamed, in part, on what’s known as the Troxler effect. If you stare at the same object for a long time, your brain gets used to the image and the unchanging stimuli. What happens next is pretty incredible: your neurons cancel the information out, and whatever you’re staring at can start to appear blurry or distorted. Until you blink and look around, you’ll continue to see these unusual visions.

Photo Credit: Deviant Art,Skyberry-13

What’s more, if you stare into your own eyes in a mirror long enough, your face will begin to change shape.

Here’s a test for you. Stare at the plus sign in the center of the image below for 8 seconds.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Your brain probably tricked you and distorted your vision in a number of ways, possibly by making the colors in the image fade to gray. Live Science points out that this is actually a coping mechanism. “If you couldn’t ignore the steady hum of your computer monitor, the constant smell of your own body odor or the nose jutting out in front of your face, you’d never be able to focus on the important things — like whether your boss is standing right behind you,” the article explains.

The “strange face in the mirror” phenomenon, like Bloody Mary, is part of this as well. A 2010 experiment conducted by an Italian psychologist had people stare into a mirror for 10 minutes. 66% of the subjects reported seeing “huge deformations” of their face, and 48 % saw “fantastical and monstrous beings.”

Photo Credit: Unsplash,Taylor Smith

So maybe this is why so many people claim to have seen Bloody Mary in the mirror, and why the legend continues to frighten kids to this day. However, while origin of Bloody Mary is debated, but some believe it dates back to a real person — Queen Mary I from the 16th century, who was called Bloody Mary by her protestant enemies.

Others think the legend may be based on a different real person named Mary because varying legends give different versions of her name (Mary Worth, Mary Worthington, Mary Lou). Either way, one thing is for sure — kids will continue to play this spooky game forever, so let’s just hope Bloody Mary doesn’t get angry enough to come bursting through the mirror.

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12+ Cases That Still Make Doctors’ Skin Crawl

There’s a reason why those of us with weak stomachs don’t become doctors. They see more blood, gore, and bile in one week than most of us do in a lifetime. But everyone has their limits – even doctors – and sometimes things poke through the patina of professional ability.

If you decide to read through these 15 doctors’ confessions about what still gives them the heebie-jeebies after years of practicing medicine, I hope your stomach is strong.

#15. Absolutely ghastly

“Doctor. Nothing visual/physical really gets to me these days. Smells can be absolutely ghastly. But people’s suffering can be profoundly affecting, both patient’s and families.”

#14. Chilling to the bone

“How cruel people can be. Dealing with disease is one thing, but dealing with victims of any kind of assault, domestic violence or mass tragedy is chilling to the bone.”

#13. I’m taking a bath in bleach

“Patient has Mrsa : skip the gown because we all have it, it’s fine what Evs

Patient has scabies / bed bugs: JeSus fucking Christ where the fuck is my 3rd PPE gown tie, I need 6 gloves and 4 Shoe covers and if they even so much as touch me I’m taking a bath in bleach , I left my phone in the break room because if it fell outa my pocket it will stay there till the end of time .”

#12. There’s something about that open nose

“I work at a maxillofacial surgeons’ department and I’ve seen a lot of procedures which don’t phase me; teeth extractions, upper and lower jaw realignment, traumas of all types (broken jaws, broken orbital sockets, …) oncological procedures, explorations. The lot.

But there’s 1 procedure that makes my gut wrench; rhinoplasties. There’s something about that open nose, and people cutting and prodding around that makes me so uncomfortable. I don’t know why.”

#11. I have to suppress a shudder

“Anesthesiologist here. Blood, gore, and people trying to die on me don’t really phase me much. But when I’m in the eye room and the surgeon sticks a needle into someone’s eyeball I have to suppress a shudder.”

#10. Parasites

“I can handle skin sloughing diseases, gore, and meth head tweeters just fine… But damn, I hate parasites….. bed bugs, scabies, tapeworms (fun fact- you can end up with tapeworm eggs in your brain if you have tapeworms and your hygiene is rank enough).”

#9. Full body skin conditions

“I’m a trauma surgeon so blood and mangled bodies doesn’t really phase me, but full body skin conditions do! Things like eczema herpeticum and Norwegian scabies make me itch all over and really uncomfortable.”

#8. Chopped fingers still get me

“I’ve seen all sorts of disgusting and gory things which uniphase me but for some reason chopped or dismembered fingers still get me.”

#7. The common thing we all hate…

“For me it’s nasty teeth. There are very few things that move me in any way (medicine or otherwise) but daaaamn nasty teeth. I could never ever be a dentist.

My friend works in emergency medicine and can’t stand hand wounds. She’s the toughest, most bad-ass lady I know but hand wounds make her swoon like a medieval maiden.

Among other doctors I know it’s usually skin conditions and burns.

The common thing we all hate is abuse.”

#6. Living where they shouldn’t be

“All the creepy crawlies living where they shouldn’t be. The more slithery the worse it is.

A kid is awoken by intense pain and a scratching sound in the ear? Usually a cockroach – not so bad, but a hassle to remove piecemeal leg by leg if it comes to that.

Some guy is complaining of nasal congestion and some bleeding months after a vacation? Yup, leeches in the nasal cavity. I’m never going swimming in any rivers ever.

Diabetic patient complaining of a non-healing wound behind his ear? I scoop out dozens of maggots from underneath the skin flaps and they’re falling on the patient’s stretcher.

A pregnant patient admitted for delivery is complaining of itching down there after maybe straining a bit too much? An Ascaris roundworm is poking its head out the butt and saying hello.

Always makes me gag when I have to be the one to remove them.”

#5. Botflies are a common theme

“Large Parasites that live in the skin.

I can deal with worms in the organs, or microscopic spiders living in my face pores, but when it comes to scabies or botflies I want to claw my own skin off.”

#4. A big NOPE

“Very little does… I can see blood, guts, death, and very little phases me. But watching any video of somebody breaking a bone gets a big NOPE out of me.”

#3. Suctioning out saliva

“I don’t mind pus, blood, poop, urine. But, for the love of god, I can’t stand saliva. It grosses me out when anesthesia suctions out saliva.”

#2. Phantom itching for hours

“I can’t even see or hear the phrase “Fournier’s Gangrene” without cringing. (Don’t Google image search that at work unless you also work at a hospital.)

Also I reallllly don’t like going into patients’ rooms when they have bedbugs. Even if I gown and glove before heading in and only touch them to do an exam, I will have phantom itching for hours and then change clothes in my garage when I get home because NOPE.”

#1. Unclean nose issues

“My wife has been a family practitioner for 10 years. She says the only thing that really still grosses her out is nasty, unclean nose issues.”

Brb barfing.

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Henry VIII Owned These 5+ Bizarre Objects

It doesn’t take a history degree to know that King Henry VIII of England was a few apples short of a full cart. In addition to imprisoning and sentencing to death several of his wives, his brain was literally being eaten away by syphilis, so perhaps it’s not all that surprising that he had a collection of peculiar things.

The 6 objects below are only some of the most bizarre pieces, so buckle up.

#6. An extra large codpiece

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Henry VIII popularized the Tudor fashion of wearing exaggerated codpieces, which were supposed to be symbols of a man’s virility and masculinity. Of course, the king had the biggest one of all — one roomy enough to be used as a pocket or to conceal a weapon, jewels, or other valuables (besides the obvious).

#5. A horned helmet

Photo Credit: Flickr.

The bespectacled, demon-faced Horned Helmet was a gift to Henry VIII from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in 1514. Court jester Will Somers took possession of it after Henry’s death in 1547 and likely earned some pretty awesome laughs because of it.

#4. A pair of football boots

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

In 1526, Henry VII commissioned a pair of leather football boots that would cost around $130 today. 14 years later, he banned football on the grounds that it incited riots. It didn’t stick, obviously, though that thing about the riots remains true.

#3. A “scavenger’s daughter”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

This brutal instrument of torture was invented during Henry VIII’s reign and crushed its victims until they bled from the face. It’s basically the opposite idea of the more popular rack.

#2. A set of purple velvet bagpipes

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Henry VIII was actually a very talented musician — he played the organ, lute, flute and the virginal — an early form of harpsichord. A 1547 inventory lists among his instruments 20 recorders, 19 viols, 2 clavichords and 4 sets of bagpipes, which included the purple velvet set with ivory pipework.

#1. A marmoset

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Though not particularly concerned with the happiness of his many animals, Henry VIII nevertheless had a fondness for collecting them. He owned ferrets, hawks, falcons, canaries, nightingales and numerous dogs, along with more exotic pets like the marmoset he received as a gift in the 1530s.

 

Just a few tidbits to pull out at your next dinner party!

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The “Half-House of Toronto” Still Stands Strong After All These Years

A string of Victorian row houses went up on St. Patrick Street in the center of Toronto between the years 1890 and 1893. Each one was an identical, connected home and they were numbered 52 1/2, 54, 54 1/2, 56, 58, and 60.

Today, just 1 remains – 54 1/2 St. Patrick Street – and it turns out it was aptly numbered, since it’s standing as “half” a house.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

In the 5 decades between when the houses were built and the 1930s, developers were keen on obtaining the buildings, and used aggressive tactics – one resident told the local newspaper he had received upward of 300 requests in a year.

One by one people gave in and the houses were demolished to make room for “progress,” until only the Valkos family at 54 1/2 remained. And they weren’t going anywhere.

That fact didn’t stop the developers who had bought the rest of the row – they tore down all of the surrounding (and connected) properties until only 54 1/2 remained standing, looking as if a whole house had been cut in two.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

The actual process of disconnecting the homes from 54 1/2 was a dangerous undertaking – load-bearing walls connected bedrooms, and a single miscalculation could have caused the Half House to tumble along with the rest. Though it remained standing, the owner at the time of the demolition (Emily Brown, the Valkoses daughter and her husband) complained to city officials about seeping rain water, insulation, and the unfinished appearance of the outside of their home.

Emily moved into a nursing home in 2012, selling the property to Albert Zikovitz, who worked in an adjacent office building, before leaving her childhood home.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Today, the building is privately owned and vacant, a remnant from a different time. Valued at over $650,000, the Half House of Toronto has been standing next to a housing project since 1975, and it doesn’t seem as if that will be changing anytime soon – if ever.

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6+ Frightening Urban Legends That Ended Up Being True

Urban legends are the spooky stories we pass down from generation to generation. You may not know where they started, but you’ve probably known at least one for as long as you can remember They’re a fun way to terrify your younger siblings at just the right moment…especially since we know they’re not true.

It turns out, though, that most stories come from something, not nothing – and these 7 urban legends have roots in reality.

#7. The Body Under The Bed

Image Credit: Pixabay

If you’ve gone on vacation (or talked about going on vacation as a child) someone has surely told you to make sure to check under the bed – because if there’s a nasty smell in your room, it’s probably the dead person stashed there. Most of us have stayed in many hotel rooms and never encountered any such thing, so it must be made up, right?

Well…at least a dozen newspaper stories over the years have detailed incidences of this happening to unsuspecting guests, and at least one couple spent the night sleeping over a dead person. In 2010, a Memphis man named Sony Millbrook was discovered dead under a hotel room bed after not one, but four occupants had rented and slept in the room.

So…you know. Maybe check.

#6. Candyman

The 1992 film Candyman was based on a short story by Clive Barker and details the horrific tale of revenge exacted by a black artist who was murdered in the late 19th century for having an affair with a white woman.

You might not really be able to summon him by saying his name into a mirror, but the story is rooted-ish in fact. The Chicago Reader published an account in 1987 of a woman named Ruth McCoy, who made a 911 call to report that she was being attacked in her apartment. She was found dead from gunshot wounds and it was found that the intruders had accessed her unit by breaking through the connecting wall and climbing through her medicine cabinet.

It was a frequent mode of entry for ne’r do wells at the time, so keep that in mind the next time you think you’re brave enough to stare your mirror down in the night.

#5. Bunny Man

Image Credit: Pixabay

This story found its footing in 1970s Virginia, and told the tale of an escaped mental patient who enjoyed hanging bunnies from under a bridge until one day, he graduated to hanging teens in the same manner and never looked back. Local kids wouldn’t dare be caught anywhere near “Bunny Man Bridge” on Halloween night.

The legend, it turns out, probably comes from a real madman who roamed the area around the same time. In late 1970, a couple reported seeing a man in a white suit and bunny ears who yelled at them incoherently before chucking a hatchet at their windshield.

There’s no proof he ever dismembered anything, bunny or teen, but there’s no proof that he didn’t, either…

#4. Polybius

Image Credit: Pixabay

If you’re into vintage video games (or have been alive long enough to have played “vintage” games during their first run), then you’ve probably heard of Polybius – an arcade game that was supposed to have had caused strange effects in its players: disorientation, amnesia, addiction, and even suicide. The cabinet was painted entirely black, and it was also rumored that men in suits would come and collect information from the machine before disappearing.

It might sound like the plot of the next season of Stranger Things, but some of it is rooted in fact. Brian Dunning, who hosts the Skeptoid podcast, found that a 12-year-old boy named Brian Mauro  became sick during a 28-hour marathon contest in 1981 (I mean…28 hours of any game would do that to me, but okay), and, a few days later, Portland-area arcades were raided by federal agents who seized cabinets that were allegedly being used for gambling. Those stories, along with perhaps a few others, come together to create the legend.

#3. Charlie No Face (The Green Man)

Image Credit: Pixabay

In Pennsylvania, stories spread of a man with no face roaming the streets. In reality, Ray Robinson, born in 1910, had a disfigured face due to an electrical accident at the age of 8. Because people didn’t know how to handle his appearance, he often strolled alone after dark – and often along Route 351 in Beaver County, PA, where the tales originated.

#2. Cropsey

Image Credit: Pixabay

Staten Island is home to a  child-dismembering boogeyman in its woods – but Cropsey never really existed, right?

Wrong. In 1987, a man named Andre Rand was convicted of child abduction and may have been connected with a whole rash of disappearances in the 70s.

#1. The Leaping Lawyer

Image Credit: Pixabay

If you live in Toronto, at some point you’ve heard the tale of a lawyer who enjoyed running into his office windows to demonstrate their strength, a practice that one day ended in his death when the window didn’t bear up.

It’s actually totally true – his name was Garry Hoy, and he was a senior partner in a Toronto law firm. In 1993, he crashed through the window of his 24th floor office and fell to his death.

 

Sleep with the light on tonight if you want – I won’t judge you!

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15 of the Worst Places in the World to Take a Poop

Sometimes needing to go in public is unavoidable, but I think we can agree the following places would all result in very traumatic situations.

I sincerely hope you never end up in any of these godforsaken places.

1. The gang’s all here!

Photo Credit: Reddit

2. When you’re done, jump on the elevator

Photo Credit: Reddit

3. Not very pleasant

Photo Credit: Reddit

4. Who put that there?

Photo Credit: Reddit

5. A view from above

Photo Credit: Reddit

6. It’s like an Olympic sport

Photo Credit: Reddit

7. Hello?

Photo Credit: Reddit

8. Let’s get to know each other…

Photo Credit: Reddit

9. Could you have put the TP a little further away?

Photo Credit: Reddit

10. Anxiety-inducing

Photo Credit: Reddit

11. Didn’t think that one through

Photo Credit: Reddit

12. Might as well remove the door

Photo Credit: Reddit

13. Like a museum exhibit

Photo Credit: Reddit

14. Okay…

Photo Credit: Reddit

15. Time to have a bite

Photo Credit: Reddit

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Does Microwaving Food Really Cause It to Lose Nutrients?

Praise be the microwave. When things are busy (or if you’re just lazy like me) the microwave is a gift from God. I mean, there are days when the couple of minutes it takes to heat something in the microwave seems like too long to wait – and forget about preheating the oven!

That said, if we’re taking the time to try to eat something healthy, like a vegetable, it would be a shame to find out that popping it in the microwave (in those handy little steamer bags!) would mean we’re missing out on the nutrients we’re trying to get int0 our bodies.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

So what’s the truth? Does microwaving our broccoli make it worthless?

Not necessarily, according to Professor Scott A. Rankin, chair of the Department of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He tells CNN that while any kind of cooking results in some nutrient loss, “typical microwave heating results in very minimal loss of valuable nutrients in food.”

There are a few factors to consider when trying to measure nutrient loss during cooking, like how long the food is being cooked, the temperature you’re using, and the amount of liquid used during the process. In general, longer cooking times, higher temperatures, and higher volumes of water result in more nutrient loss during cooking.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Since microwave cooking generally requires no or little liquid compared to, say, boiling vegetables in water, that works in the technology’s favor. Microwaves also cook with more uniform temperatures, which means all of your food has a better chance of being cooked through without some of the pieces getting to a temperature high enough to leech nutrients. Add that to the relatively short cook times microwaves can achieve, and they actually might do a better job than most other methods in retaining the good stuff.

“The advantage of microwaving is that the come-up time is quick, and so it takes less time to reach a target temperature of food,” Rankin explains.

That said, microwaving is not the absolute best way to cook vegetables if your goal is to retain every last good-for-you nutrient packed inside – for that, you’ll want to steam them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Of course, you can use your microwave to steam your veggies, if you’ve got the right equipment.

“You can use a microwave steaming tray with water in the bottom, or simply add your vegetables and a small amount of water to a microwave-safe bowl (not plastic!) and cover with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to allow air to escape,” registered dietician Whitney Linsenmeyer tells CNN.

Basically, even if microwaves aren’t the best at helping foods retain moisture, they are decent at helping them retain nutrients while cooking. Just remember to keep your cook times short, and only use as much water as you need.

The bottom line, as Linsenmeyer reiterates, is that you make an effort to get nutritious food into your body however you can.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“We’re talking about fruits and vegetables – eat them any way you like them! Whether it’s microwaved, steamed, roasted, or raw … more is better.”

I’ll try to remember that the next time I’m staring down a bowl of peas.

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12+ People Reveal Their Personal “Strange Addictions”

If you’ve never seen the television show My Strange Addiction, you know that there is no limit to how bizarre people’s addictions can get. From eating their cat’s hair to coffee enemas, we’re a little grossed out, but also kind of impressed.

What I’m trying to say is brace yourself before reading through the 15 confessions below.

#15. Chewing

“Chewing the inside of my mouth.”

#14. Only in albums

“All of my music is in albums. Only like one song? Well shit, have to download that album. Song only released as a single? Put it in a folder and pretend it’s an album.

I have Pendulums Hold your Colour 2 times, once in the 2005 and once in the 2007 version because they changed 2 songs but my brain is not satisfied if I only have those 2 changed songs.”

#13. Daydreaming

“I will listen to music for hours on end while walking around a room, imagining various stories and scenarios.”

#12. Stress relieving

“It’s extremely satisfying to pluck my pubes. It’s like, stress relieving. Strange, but stress relieving/addictive.”

#11. Like I can’t breathe without it

“Nose spray. Been on it since I was a kid and feel like I can’t breathe without it. Menthol is my favorite.”

#10. Sounds so good

“When I am out walking in wooded areas I spend a lot of time trying to find pine cones to stand on.

I do it because when you find a suitably dry one it feels amazing and sounds so good.

Do it. Tends to work best if they are stood upright.”

#9. Addicted to picking

“This is so gross but I am addicted to picking. Pimples, dry skin, scabs, anything pick-able I will dig at it till I bleed. No I am not on drugs. It’s so bad that I am contemplating hypnosis.

EDIT – wow didn’t realise I wasn’t the only obsessive compulsive picker, nor did I realise it was an actual condition. Not sure how to feel about the fact that this is a diagnosed disorder though ? Thanks for the tips and advice kind strangers!”

#8. Avoiding phone calls

“I’m addicted to avoiding phone calls.”

#7. Picking and pulling

“Picking the skin on the side of my nails and toe nails. Pulling my eyelashes and eyebrows.”

#6. Specifically from old books

“Eating paper (although I don’t do it as much now). Not any paper though but specifically paper from old books – you know, this yellowish/brownish thin paper that smells really nice. I’ve been eating it since probably 12 and till about 27 or so. I’d just get some old book and keep tearing sheets of paper from then and chew them for some time and then gradually break them into pieces and swallow. Can’t even count how many books I’ve eaten this way, but at some point I had a drawer stuffed with book covers with no paper inside.
Now, you’re probably thinking “There’s no way it’s good for you”, which makes sense, but somehow I never had any health problems because of it, so I didn’t really have any motivation to stop, plus I was craving paper so much. Later I found out that it’s likely I have Pica disorder, which makes people crave uneatable things, but didn’t know where I could get help for it, so I continued.
Anyway, now I moved to another country and didn’t bring any old books with me, so I don’t really eat paper as much anymore (except for occasional pieces of toilet paper or tissues). But whenever I go back to the place where I grew up (which has plenty of old books), I sometimes still can’t resist and end up eating paper again.”

#5. It’s so satisfying

“I crack my ankles incessantly, sort of like how one might crack their knuckles. Idk what it is but it’s so… satisfying.

Edit: a word.”

#4. 100%

“Making sure my nose is 100% booger free.”

#3. 7 so far

“Donating sperm to lesbians.

I started off donating to some friends then they began recommending me to other lesbians through a fb group.

It’s so rewarding and I’ve fathered 7 so far.”

#2. Alongside Steve

“This one guy named Steve on YouTube. He’s like 60-something years old and I’ve been watching his videos for over 10 years now. All he does is post videos of him talking about mundane things in a monotone voice, and he doesn’t really do anything aside from hang around his house and play video games, from what I can tell. But I love his videos. They’re really weird and the fact that he’s been doing it regularly since like 2005 just makes it that much better. I feel like I’ve grown into adulthood alongside Steve. Although Steve has literally been doing the same things for the last 10+ years, whereas I’ve done a few different things, maybe.”

#1. Other brands are just not as good

“Band-aids!! I love band-aids. I have an entire drawer under my bathroom sink full of different styles/types of band-aids. But only Band-Aid brand… other brands are just not as good.”

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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