Dowries and bride prices have long been a feature of human civilization, utilized in virtually every culture. Dowries often served as protection for the wife, as she would be right to leave her husband and take the dowry back if he or his family treated her badly, an all too common occurrence.^[1]

Dowries are now uncommon in Western cultures, and they are becoming increasingly outlawed in others. While dowries and bride prices (which is where the bride’s family is paid) are usually just a simple gift of money, history has a long list of more unusual examples. Here are ten of them.

10 100 Philistine Foreskins
Bride: Saul’s Daughter, Michal

David, famous for slaying Goliath as well as being king of Israel, had to work pretty hard to get his first wife’s hand in marriage. A woman named Michal fell in love with the former shepherd and he with her; however, her father was Saul, king of Israel.^[2] Her father, jealous of David’s growing fame, sought to have him die in battle and demanded the foreskins of 100 Philistines, the hated enemies of Israel.

David, ever the show-off, decided to bring back double that amount, just to show how much he really wanted Saul’s daughter. Nonsexual in nature, the bringing back of foreskins was to show David’s strength, as no man would part with that piece of himself without dying first. In addition, taking parts of a man’s body after battle as a sign of victory or a trophy has a long history in war. True to his word, Saul begrudgingly allowed David to marry his daughter.

9 The Bride’s Weight In Shillings
Bride: John Hull’s Daughter, Hannah

Born in the 17th century, John Hull was the originator of the first Massachusetts mint and was the first man in charge of running it. Hull created the silver pine tree shilling, and coins meant a lot to him, so much so that they were integrated into the bride price for his daughter when a man named Samuel Sewall asked for her hand in marriage.

After much negotiation, it was decided that the amount would be the equivalent of Hull’s daughter’s weight in pine tree shillings.^[3] When the day came, Hannah was placed on a scale, and the displayed weight became her bride price. Though her weight was never listed, about 45 kilograms (100 lb) of silver in Hull’s day was the equivalent of roughly $1,600, and it can be assumed that her weight was relatively unremarkable, so the bride price was probably a relatively modest amount.

8 A Magical Pear
Bride: Margaret Giffard

An old Scottish legend dating back to the 13th century, the Colstoun Pear was said to have been originally picked by a local wizard named Sir Hugo de Giffard. His daughter was marrying into the de Broun family and wanted to present them with a special gift. Giffard told his daughter’s future family that, as long as she kept the pear from harm, it would ensure their safekeeping and the safekeeping of their descendants.^[4]

The legend continued in 1692, when one of Giffard’s descendants, Lady Elizabeth Mackenzie, had a dream that she took a bite of the pear. The servants rushed to the silver casket where the family kept it and found it untouched. However, shortly after this event, Mackenzie’s husband fell deep into debt and sold the pear to his brother Robert, who subsequently drowned, along with his two young sons.

7 $65–130 Million (With A Catch)
Bride: Gigi Chao

Here’s a relatively recent story: Gigi Chao is a lesbian and the daughter of Cecil Chao, a Chinese billionaire. Unable to come to terms with his daughter’s lifestyle, as well as the embarrassment he felt from it, Cecil put out an offer: If a man could convince Gigi to marry him, thereby renouncing her lesbianism, he would give them a dowry of $65 million.^[5] He later offered to double the amount.

However, Gigi remained steadfast, proclaiming her marriage to her partner Sean Eav to be real and urging her father to treat Eav like “a normal, dignified human being.” Though a flood of proposals came Gigi’s way, Cecil eventually retracted his offer, saying if being a lesbian was his daughter’s choice, there was nothing he could do. He stated that the money was going to stay “in his pocket.”

6 The Bride’s Weight In Soap
Bride: M. Le Blanc’s Wife

Early in the 20th century, a Frenchman named M. Le Blanc married an unnamed daughter of a Parisian man. The bride’s father was a hairdresser, and a well-to-do one at that, as he provided his daughter with two dowries. The first was traditional, a large sum of money, but the second was quite unique.

Wishing to shower his future son-in-law with the promise of cleanliness, the bride’s father gave him his daughter’s weight in soap as the second dowry.^[6] Seeing as her weight was given as a healthy 64 kilograms (140 lb), it can be assumed that the newlyweds were never left wanting for soap.

5 A Million Facebook Likes
Bride: Salem Ayash’s Daughter

In 2013, Salem Ayash, a Yemeni poet by trade and a popular Internet figure in his home country, decided to have his prospective son-in-law prove his worth as a future husband, rather than simply pay him a bride price. To show that he was hardworking and capable of providing for his wife, the man, identified only as Osama, was given a month to accumulate one million likes on a Facebook page set up for the engagement.

Ayash had become fed up with bride prices spiraling out of control, especially concerning young people who are often ill-equipped to afford them, and intended the like requirement as a critique on modern bride prices. Oftentimes, entire neighborhoods might join together to raise the needed money to meet the bride price; to combat this, various attempts have been made over the last few years to set a maximum legal amount.^[7] Unfortunately, there is no longer an active Facebook page, leaving the outcome a mystery, though Ayash said he would consider lowering the request.

4 Much Of Southwestern France
Bride: Eleanor Of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful women in Europe during the 12th century, eventually becoming not only the queen consort of France but of England as well. Her father died when she was 15, making her the duchess of Aquitaine, and Louis VI (“the Fat”) was made her guardian. He immediately commanded her to marry his own son, who took the throne just a few months later, as Louis VI died of dysentery. As a dowry, Eleanor brought with her the duchy of Aquitaine.

After 15 years of marriage, and a lot of bitterness (she claimed he was like a monk), King Louis VII and Eleanor had their marriage annulled.^[8] Thanks to some shrewd maneuvering on her part, the queen managed to retain all her land, in exchange for allowing the king to keep the children. She married Henry Plantagenet a short eight weeks later, bringing the land to him as a dowry. (He was crowned King of England less than two years later.)

3 The Greatest Qing Dynasty Sculpture
Bride: Guangxu Emperor’s Consort Jin

An extremely well-crafted piece of art, the Jadeite Cabbage is exactly what its name implies: a piece of Chinese cabbage carved from jadeite, one of two minerals recognized as the gemstone jade. Most likely created sometime in the 19th century by an unknown artist, the piece is believed to have been a dowry gift for Consort Jin, as a symbol of her purity. The association with purity is said to come from the white body of the cabbage.

In addition, the two insects, one a katydid and the other a locust, are said to be good luck charms designed to represent “the blessing of giving numerous children.”^[9] This stems from the fact that the female insects lay many eggs at once, with the locust laying as many as 1,500 eggs. Now housed in Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, it has become the most popular artifact there, drawing huge crowds whenever it is loaned out.

2 $156 Million
Bride: Wu Ruibiao’s Daughter

Wu Ruibiao is an extremely wealthy Chinese kitchen and tile magnate and has a daughter who got married at the end of 2012. In a move that some cynics have called nothing but “self-publicity,” Wu decided to gift his daughter with a rather large dowry: more than one billion yuan ($156.37 million).^[10] Made up of a number of different gifts, including four boxes of gold as well as a Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, the dowry’s most valuable piece was five million shares in Wu’s company, Wanli, estimated to be worth as much as $15 million.

The bride, who has remained unnamed, was married to her childhood sweetheart after an eight-day wedding banquet. A newspaper in Hong Kong was quoted as saying that marrying a girl from Jinjiang, an entrepreneurial city on China’s southern coast, is “better than robbing a bank,” as the billionaires of the city have been in a metaphorical arms race over who can provide the largest dowries.

1 The Cities Of Bombay And Tangier
Bride: Princess Catherine Of Braganza

Catherine of Braganza was a 17th-century Portuguese princess who ended up marrying Charles II of England and becoming the queen. Often mistakenly credited with introducing tea to Britain, she nevertheless had much to do with making her homeland’s custom fashionable. While that can be seen as her greatest gift to the country, she also brought with her two cities when she married Charles II: Bombay (now called Mumbai) and Tangier.

Tensions soon arose in Tangier, with the Portuguese residents accusing the British troops of looting and rape and abandoning the city en masse.^[11] The city was eventually abandoned by the British as well after years of siege at the hands of Ismail Ibn Sharif. Bombay lasted under British rule quite a bit longer, only changing hands when India gained its independence in 1947.

Everyone has heard of the world’s most famous slums: Hell’s Kitchen, Skid Row, most of Detroit, etc. But there are slums everywhere, even in the last places you would expect to find urban decay. Sometimes, the causes of the deplorable conditions found there are also unexpected.

10Vancouver, British Columbia’s Downtown Eastside

Consistently voted one of the world’s best cities to live in by travel magazines, Vancouver is known for its scenic views and beautiful architecture. Just east of Main Street, however, lies one of the very worst examples of urban squalor in the modern day.

The downtown eastside is the poorest urban postal code in all of Canada. It’s home to thousands of drug addicts, many of whom are HIV-positive. Weirdly enough, many of those afflicted with the deadly disease are huddled within an 18-block radius. Hepatitis C cases are also too numerous to count. The thriving Hastings Street Market, where stolen goods are openly sold, operates along the main drag.

Theft, prostitution, murder, and mental illness plague the district, and the homeless and disenfranchised can be found everywhere within the blighted area. The infamous Robert Pickton found most of his victims in this area, as the transient nature of its population made them easy targets.

Despite massive efforts at renewal and clean-up over the years, conditions on the eastside only seem to get worse. Many continue to fall into the drug-riddled lifestyle surrounding them, only to disappear within a few years and never be heard from again. An excellent documentary about the truly horrific conditions of the downtown eastside called Pain and Wastings was made in 2008.

9Canada Real, Madrid

Over 16 kilometers in length, Canada Real Galiana is Europe’s largest shantytown, home to over 30,000 people. Situated right next to Madrid’s garbage incineration site, the area’s residents can often be seen picking through the refuse to scrounge up usable goods to resell or use themselves.

Most of the homes in the area were built by the residents themselves, often from whatever scraps of wood and metal they could find within the desolation. The area is Spain’s drug capital, and a busy stretch of the only paved road is known as a “shooting gallery,” where all sorts of illegal substances can be bought. The people who have the misfortune to call this area home are trapped, receiving no assistance and no official recognition from their government.

Spanish authorities have even taken steps to demolish the area entirely, knocking down the homes of people who have known no other way of life. Left with no resources and nowhere to go, these people simply raid the demolition sites where the scraps of their previous homes are dumped and rebuild what was torn down. Should they have no luck, they are often left to squat in the hole in the ground where their home once was.

Local social workers often try to help the residents but have to do so on their own time and with little notice, as the area is essentially “no man’s land” in the eyes of the government. Only a few dozen people try to reach out to the families of this slum, and due to its bulging population, help is scarce indeed. For now, the area is seen only as a problem to be concealed if not eradicated.

8Colonias in Texas

Found in various parts of Texas and the American Southwest, the communities that form the sprawling shantytowns known as colonias consist mainly of Hispanic people. Some have come from Mexico to America seeking a better life, while others have been born in the colonias and know nothing else of the outside world. Just under 2,300 of these makeshift communities exist along the border and around the state, home to an estimated 500,000 people. Since the majority of those who live in these communities are undocumented residents and transient in nature, getting an official headcount is nearly impossible.

Most of these communities sprang up in the 1950s, rising from plots of land that were sold to desperate immigrants looking for a better life. For the most part, these poor communities remain as they were initially formed: shantytowns with no real infrastructure. In some communities, well-built homes equipped with running water and electricity can be found, but this type of dwelling is still very rare. The residents eke out meager livings as farm laborers or construction hands.

To their credit, the American government and legislators in Texas have both proposed laws protecting these communities and provided them with resources. Unfortunately, the overwhelming scale of the task and complications of carrying it out still prove challenging.

7Mahwa Aser, Yemen

Found next to Sana’a, the capital city of Yemen, the area known as Mahwa Aser is one of the poorest and most dangerous on Earth. Home to the Akhdam, a people of African descent who are treated as second-class citizens in Yemeni society, the area serves almost as a prison to its 17,000 residents. They are barred from all civil service in Yemen, cannot vote, and have almost no rights.

This leaves them trapped in conditions few Westerners could even imagine. There is no sewage system, electricity, arable land, or real infrastructure in the area, and they are left to either beg for whatever the goodwill of their fellow man will provide or work as street cleaners in the nearby capital.

During the famous “Arab Spring” that swept across the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, the Akhdam people took advantage of the spirit of the times to stage a number of strikes and protests, only to face the full might of Yemen’s military. Hundreds of protestors were killed by military forces, and it was only after a massive strike by the street cleaners that some concessions were made by the government to build infrastructure and homes in the area.

Unfortunately, not much was done to permanently change the slum’s conditions. To this day, an entire ethnic group of people, unknown to almost everyone in the outside world, faces not only endless squalor but the continued wrath of their own government.

6The Cage Slums Of Hong Kong, China

Sometimes, living in poverty can feel like a prison, but there are people in this world who live in literal cages. Amazingly, they can be found in Hong Kong, one of China’s most prosperous cities.

An estimated 200,000 people live in such conditions in the city. Some of the cages are stacked on top of each other, 10 cages high or more. Some of the people who call these places home have lived there for decades, and some were even born into the lifestyle. Life within these homes offers no protection from the weather, no sense of privacy, and a constant atmosphere of noise and pollution.

A small step up from the “cage homes” are the “coffin homes,” which are little more than sleeping spaces hollowed out from a building’s walls, where 25 or more people may live. Those who dwell in cage or coffin homes may see themselves as the lucky ones in the Hong Kong slums. Those who cannot afford a home of any kind are forced to sleep under bridges or directly on the streets.

For decades, the situation of these slums has only gotten worse, thanks to inadequate social systems, high real estate prices in the extremely crowded city, and the unscrupulous landlords who are willing to rent unsuitable living spaces to the desperate and needy. The list of applicants for subsidized housing numbers in the hundreds of thousands, many of whom die from their horrible living conditions before they get the opportunity to live a normal life. Unfortunately, the problem of poverty in Hong Kong is now so massive, with more and more impoverished new residents moving in every day, that there seems to be no solution.

5City Of The Dead, Cairo

Unbelievable in modern times, an actual necropolis exists in Egypt, known as the “City of the Dead.” Known to have existed for over 700 years, Cairo is so overcrowded that about 500,000 of its 18 million residents are forced to live among the tombs of their ancestors. The number of dead “residents,” an estimated one million tombs within an area spanning 6.5 kilometers (4 mi), is also staggering.

The houses themselves appear almost normal, with kitchens, courtyards, and even gardens. In the tombs, men and women are buried separately, each grave simply covered with a stone slab. However, electricity is rare, there is virtually no police force or security of any kind, and the streets connecting the various homes are unpaved and confusing. Crime is rampant, and many residents live among the dead illegally, though the Egyptian government does very little to enforce property laws.

The future of the people living this modern-day city of the dead remains uncertain. The Egyptian government is taking steps to relocate its residents, but since real estate is so expensive in Cairo and accurately recording and tracking the slum’s residents is tricky, the task seems nearly impossible. For now, steps to provide more of the residents with running water and electricity seem to be the only positive action that the government is able to take.

4The Tent Cities Of Seattle, Washington

Tent cities spring up all over from time to time, but in Seattle—especially in an area known as “Nickelsville”—they seem to be a permanent fixture. Around 275 people call these makeshift communities home, not counting the hundreds more who “camp out” each night only to pull up their stakes and disappear the next morning. Whether permanent or temporary, all of the residents are poor and most are unskilled, with little in the way of job prospects or hope of a better life.

In the 1970s, a series of tragic fires led to the closure of several complexes of cheap and secure housing units known as “SROs” (Single Room Occupancy), which forced many of Seattle’s less fortunate onto the streets. This new breed of Seattle’s homeless are forced to live in constant fear of arrest for illegally camping. The only solution they had was tent cities, in which an individual can pack up and move on if needed in less than one minute. Safety and security are minimal within these places, and electricity and sanitation are nonexistent. The people who call these places home live hand to mouth, sometimes even hunting local wildlife for food.

It seems the residents of these dwellings have little hope for improvement, at least for now. Seattle came up with a 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness within the city over a decade ago, obviously to little effect, and police within the city mostly treat tent city residents as criminals. Fortunately, some members of the public have been kind enough to drop off donations and advocate for a better solution than merely herding them around.

3Paris, France

The city of romance hides a dark secret just a 10-minute train ride away. An area known as La Courneuve has been labeled by the local police as a “no-go zone,” one of 150 that dot the French landscape, mostly around Paris.

La Courneuve and other makeshift communities like it sprang up with a wave of Middle Eastern and Roma immigration during the middle of the 20th century that authorities at the time were too slow to deal with. As a result, the children of these people, and their children after them, grew up as generally unrecognized citizens within their own country. This attitude and the residents’ dissatisfaction with their living conditions have sparked massive riots throughout the last decade.

Although the rage of their impoverished citizens has subsided for the most part, little has changed within the worst parts of Paris. Since most residents have no hope of employment due to a combination of racism and a lack of available jobs, they spend their days getting high and outwitting corrupt police officers looking to arrest them so they can use the drug themselves or resell them. The area is, as one resident put it, entirely gray. “The buildings are gray. The people are gray. Everything is gray. It’s the same people, and there is nothing to do, nothing to do. You wake up every morning looking for work. But why? There isn’t any.”

2Hollywood, California

In the place where dreams are made, some are forced to live in places straight of your worst nightmare. Countless hopefuls flee to the city every year to make it big in the world of show business, but maybe if they saw firsthand the living conditions of La-La Land’s less fortunate, they would turn back in horror.

Famous for its Skid Row, Los Angeles now has more slums within Hollywood itself than its more well-known cousin. They began to appear with the boom of the movie industry and only grew worse from there, with the advent of “B-movies” and the pornography industry in the 1970s increasing the number of poor flocking to the city exponentially. Some buildings hold hundreds of residents in conditions that seem unlivable. The usual parade of drugs, prostitution, crime, and despair can be found within Hollywood’s worst areas, magnified by the more unprincipled members of the film industry who seek to con those seeking a shot at stardom out of their meager savings.

Although recent efforts by local residents have won some concessions in restoring grandeur to the area, both city officials and residents agree that it is a losing battle. It seems that as soon as one building is condemned or demolished, another springs up in its place. As thousands of fame- and fortune-seekers come to the city unprepared every year, the stars in their eyes overtake the plans in their head, leading to a problem that is growing like a cancer within one of America’s most cherished national treasures.

1Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai seemed like a miracle to most outsiders until the worldwide financial meltdown of 2008, after which its ugly side was exposed for all to see. The city that boasts some of the world’s most expensive buildings also houses some of the world’s worst slums.

Less than 1 percent of Dubai’s population is native-born, and many of these foreigners are unable to legally obtain citizenship. In the government’s effort to retain some semblance of cultural identity, laws that should apply to everyone are biased in favor of those who were born there.

As such, countless thousands of workers who came to the country for jobs found themselves impoverished after the 2008 collapse, with no social safety net and no other recourse but to settle in areas that the city would rather you didn’t know about. Although actual statistics on some of the worst areas are hard to find due to government interference, pictures speak a thousand words.

The sad fact is that most of modern Dubai was built from slave labor, mostly by immigrants from Pakistan and India who came to the country for work only to end up in one of Dubai’s well-hidden slums, or worse yet, the many labor camps that have popped up around construction projects. These people are Dubai’s forgotten, left to fend for themselves in a city where they remain unwelcome even though they helped construct it.

Damien B. is a part-time writer and basketball lover who is interested in history, politics, crime, and of course, basketball.

It’s natural to assume those in power, including celebrities, are involved in evil conspiracies. And they are. But probably not one of these.

10. Billie Eilish is an industry plant

The industry plant conspiracy theory is one of the less esoteric on this list. There are no secretive cabals or shapeshifting monsters, just record labels and corporate fat cats. Basically, an industry plant is an artist presented by their label as a self-made success story when they’re actually manufactured by executives. It’s a charge often leveled at the singer Billie Eilish, whose meteoric rise to fame (following her viral success on SoundCloud) was too much for some to believe.

Like other artists of her generation, she emerged seemingly out of nowhere, complete with a polished image and the perfect sound for viral success. Never mind that she was born into a family of musicians, and, like all of us, has access to industry analytics (YouTube views for instance), allowing her to fine-tune her image overnight. In fact, the internet blurs the line between amateur and professional to the point where there’s hardly a difference.

Of course, music industry executives are by no means squeaky clean. They’re a cynical, predatory, duplicitous bunch. But, as Complex points out, industry plants don’t make much sense. For one thing, those accusing artists of being industry plants are often the same people accusing labels of neglecting their favorites—that is, of not manufacturing them enough. The fact is it takes a lot of time, not to mention money, to manufacture acts out of nowhere. It certainly doesn’t happen overnight—but viral success does. In other words, record labels are far too busy nowadays scooping up artists online to think about making their own.

9. There’s a Kardashian curse

There probably isn’t a sign over each of the Kardashians’ front doors reading “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” but, according to some, there should be. 

The so-called Kardashian curse ensures misfortune befalls any man who enters their orbit. Scott Disick, for example, Kourtney’s ex-partner, was left with substance abuse issues and the loss of his parents, while Lamar Odom, Khloé’s ex-husband, had a near-fatal overdose in 2015 after struggling with addictions of his own. Meanwhile, Kim’s ex-husband Kris Humphries, although they were only married briefly, saw his NBA career fail post-divorce. And Kylie Jenner’s ex Tyga was plagued with financial problems.

Then there’s Kanye West, who was married to Kim for eight years and has suffered some very public breakdowns. The couple’s divorce in 2022 further fueled speculation—especially as he was ordered to pay $200,000 a month in child support.

8. Beyoncé gave birth to her sister

Beyoncé has been the subject of two very specific, pregnancy-related conspiracy theories. The first, from 2013, says she’s actually Solange Knowles’ mother—not her sister as they would have you believe. According to the Knowleses, Beyoncé was four when Solange was born in 1986. But, according to a birth certificate seen by a Texan civil servant (or a driver’s license seen at Columbia Records), she was actually born in 1974—so she would have been a just-about-childbearing 12. Then there’s Gabrielle Union’s comment that she and Beyoncé have been friends since they were teenagers—even though Union was born in 1972. Even Beyoncé’s mum Tina helped fuel the rumor (albeit inadvertently) by mentioning a family history of birth record discrepancies. Some of her cousins, she said, had their surname (Tina’s maiden name Beyoncé) written down as Beyincé by officials who refused to correct it. In fact, Beyoncé’s grandmother was told that, because they were black, they were lucky to get birth certificates at all. Still, even if Beyoncé is 50 years old, there’s no proof Solange is her daughter.

The other conspiracy theory came the following year, when another Tina—Tina Seals—alleged that she was the mother of Blue Ivy, Beyoncé’s daughter with Jay-Z. Having served as their surrogate, she said, she now wanted custody of the child (then aged 10). To be fair, there was some doubt when Beyoncé was pregnant, given that her baby bump looked fake. In the end, though, Seals’ case was thrown out—as were her other claims against Mariah Carey, Kate Middleton, and the US government.

7. Katy Perry was a child sacrifice

The day after Christmas in 1996, JonBenét Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty pageant queen, was murdered at her home in Colorado. Nobody was charged, but the case remains open. Police continue to investigate any new lead—except, apparently, the one that emerged in 2015 when YouTuber Dave Johnson said the girl’s death was staged as a sacrifice. It was, he said, a sacrifice “in name only” to “get something” the parents sorely wanted. And “that something,” he said, was for JonBenét “to become a star.” Or more specifically, as it turns out, to become Katy Perry.

The evidence is underwhelming. First, there’s the passable resemblance between Perry and the child—although Perry would’ve been 12 when JonBenét was 6. Then there’s the resemblance between their parents. According to Jonhson, “he [JonBenét’s dad] shaved his head, she [JonBenét’s mother] lost some weight and that’s about it,” There are also, allegedly, clues in Perry’s work.

Needless to say, the singer’s denial didn’t help. When, at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, comedian Billy Eichner asked her to blink twice if she was the murdered little girl, she unconvincingly replied “um wait, no, that is not real.”

6. Cardi B is MKUltra’d

Although “conspiracy theory” has come to mean “BS,” the fact is conspiracies happen—even the crazy ones. They’ve always been essential for maintaining power. MKUltra, for instance, was a mind control program (yes, a mind control program) run by the CIA. It ran from the 1950s to 1973. Using controversial techniques like high-dose LSD, brain surgery, and electronic implants, government scientists targeted vulnerable groups—such as mental health patients and prisoners—who couldn’t resist or retaliate. (Just like you see in the movies.)

But what about celebrities? In a way, the MKUltra celebrity mind control conspiracy theory is more plausible than the others on this list. It attributes celebrity quirks (or “glitches”) not to cloning or Reptilian sorcery but to good old-fashioned mind control. Evidence for the claim is thin on the ground but includes Cardi B’s appearance at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Appearing to zone out during a red carpet interview, she was said to be experiencing a glitch in her programming. The strange behavior of Kanye West, Katy Perry, and Kylie Jenner, among others, has also been attributed to mind control.

5. Many celebrities are clones

When a commodity sells, it makes sense to make more of it. Supply and demand. But what if your commodity is a person? According to some, the same rule applies—which is why Hollywood clones its celebrities. Disney Channel stars, including Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron, are actually lab-created clones, they say (despite this story first appearing on the satirical news site The Onion). Evidence centers on their weird and “glitchy” behavior. Cyrus, for example, sticks her tongue out for no apparent reason. Also, she’s been dead several times: in 2008 (hit and run), 2010 (murdered), and 2012 (accidental overdose). Each time, they say, Disney dumped the body and woke the next clone. But while the likeness is close, it’s not quite perfect. Little clues, like altered facial structure, prove she’s not the original.

It’s not just Disney. Other celebrities insured by clones include Béyonce (cloned by the Illuminati, died in 2000); Avril Lavigne (died in 2003, replaced by “Melissa”); Britney Spears (her 2008 breakdown was a glitch); Paul McCartney (dead since the sixties) Megan Fox (because she looks different); and the weatherman Al Roker (who actually admitted he was a clone once on Twitter). Then there’s Bill Gates, who, according to an alleged Ancestry.com page, has been dead since 2013. Also, his wife Melinda was replaced by a male clone, which is why they split up.

Like all clones out of the Illuminati’s clone farms, their purpose is allegedly to further the dark cabal’s interests—just like how bribes work but way more complicated.

4. Taylor Swift is a cloned Satanic priestess

Needless to say, Taylor Swift is another celebrity clone. She is after all the spitting image of the artist Zeena Schreck, former High Priestess of the Church of Satan. The resemblance is uncanny, but it doesn’t stop there. Swift’s work is replete with satanic symbols—at least according to some. Shane Lynch, of the boyband Boyzone, says her Eras Tour, in particular, was rife with demonic rituals, pentagrams, and other occult insignia. She also likes the color red, which, as any suburban religious mother caught up in the satanic panic in the 1980s knows, is a telltale sign of evil. 

There are also the ritualistic chants of the Swifties, her fans, and her occult-style costumes—some of which include hoods. Another mark of the Beast.

Critics of the theory point to Swift’s album 1989, named for her natural birth year, as evidence she wasn’t cloned. But this only shows how little they know about cloning.

3. Justin Bieber is a reptile

That Justin Bieber’s probably a Reptilian shapeshifter goes without saying. But for the hundreds who actually saw him change form, it’s an undeniable fact. It happened at an airport in Perth, Australia in March 2017. Bieber was greeting fans when he briefly revealed his true form, complete with a shrunken head, striped black eyes, a scaly body, and a taller, more menacing stature. After running for the exits, locking themselves in toilets, or jumping in taxis, panicked eyewitnesses were sure of what they’d seen. But somehow nobody caught the moment on film. The story did, allegedly, break on the news site PerthNow—although they deny it. Either way, Buzzfeed picked up on the story and further added fuel to the fire, stoking rumors not only that Bieber is a reptile, but also a devil-worshiping Illuminatus hellbent on establishing the New World Order (as if this one isn’t draconian enough). Specifically, he’s from a Reptilian-Illuminati bloodline known as the Babylonian Brotherhood.

Earlier evidence for this includes a 2014 court appearance in which he blinks to reveal what looks to be a nictitating membrane—the translucent inner eyelid through which crocodiles see underwater.

2. Everyone’s in the Illuminati

The Illuminati was once a society for intellectuals, men of science, political thinkers, and secularists—the sworn enemies of superstition and silliness. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, we all know otherwise: the Illuminati is an occult, sometimes Reptilian menace hellbent on world domination. They needn’t be thinkers today; in fact, they recruit (and clone) some of the most vacuous people on the planet. Madonna, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Drake, and Donald Trump are just some of the celebs accused of being members. Usually, this is based on hints they drop themselves—because, for some reason, they’re only allowed to reveal themselves coyly.

Madonna’s halftime show at the 2012 Superbowl, for instance, was permeated, as Gizmodo put it, by “subliminal Satanic-Illuminati-Freemason messages.” Two years later she came out with her not-at-all-publicity-courting song “Illuminati.” Jay-Z also uses occult symbols, including his signature triangle hand gesture, interpreted as an admission of membership. Then there’s the lyrics, like for example those in his 2010 track with Rick Ross, “Free Mason”: “I said I was amazing, not that I’m a Mason… I’m red hot, I’m on my third six, but a devil I’m not.” Béyonce, his wife, is also accused; in fact, she’s often said to be the group’s queen. Her response? “Y’all haters corny with that Illuminati mess.” Denials, however, only fuel the intrigue.

Under the Carters in Illuminati influence, allegedly, are Kim Kardashian (the devil) and Kanye West (the demon), who plan to sacrifice their young child North.

1. Hollywood elites drink children’s blood

The blood-drinking conspiracy theory accuses Hollywood elites of vampirically draining the life force of children. It isn’t new. But A-listers blowing the whistle on it is. In 2017, Mel Gibson was quoted as saying on The Graham Norton Show: “I don’t know how to break it to you gently… Hollywood is institutionalized pedophilia. They are using and abusing kids …. Their spiritual beliefs, if you can call them that, direct them to harvest the energy of the kids. They feast on this stuff and they thrive on it.” Now, if you’re not familiar with The Graham Norton Show, it’s a glitzy, glossy, totally mainstream celebrity chat show. Its default setting, like all the other glitzy, glossy, mainstream chat shows, is to fawn over Hollywood. Gibson continued: “Hollywood is drenched in the blood of innocent children …. I was personally introduced to the practice in the early 2000s. I can talk about this now because these people, the execs, they’re dead now.” Unfortunately, there’s no record of how Norton responded. A little while later, Keanu Reeves is said to have said: “Hollywood elites engage in the ritual abuse of children and the practice of drinking their blood,” adding “Some of these guys carry around bottles of blood [and] call it ‘red wine’.”

The following year, it emerged that Jim Carrey was now blowing the whistle. According to an article from Jasper and Sardine, the actor told an audience that “Hollywood elites eat whole babies for Christmas,” adding: “These people believe the more the child has suffered, the better it tastes …. [and] the negative emotions coursing through the kid’s body, the adrenaline and hatred, will give them special powers.” He’s talking about the alleged but demonstratively bullshit effects of adrenochrome—a chemical there’s no need to harvest from humans.

Whether or not any of this is true remains to be seen. But none of it was actually said either by Gibson, Reeves, or Carrey. In fact, all quotes appear to have come from a single website— YourNewsWire—which, following an avalanche of widely published fact checks, has since rebranded as NewsPunch.

Urban legends—from little elementary kids telling each other that swallowing a watermelon seed will make a watermelon grow in your stomach from teens daring each other to walk up to the “murder house” of the neighborhood—every one of us has heard them. The thing that makes urban legends so interesting is that they’re spread with the belief that they’re true. Urban legends come to be because of mysterious sightings, real experiences of people, and true historical events, so it makes them much more believable than simple creepypastas and scary stories. Most of them, however, are either completely untrue, remain unconfirmed, or extremely exaggerated. Only a small minority of urban legends have been confirmed as real.

10 The “Maine Hermit,” Christopher Knight

For years, residents of North Pond, Maine noticed the constant disappearance of items in their homes. Instead of watches and wallets, however, it was simple things like peanut butter, or apples. Considering the inconsequential nature of the items, the residents didn’t think much. Not until the break ins happened again, and again, and again—1000s times in fact.^[1] Finally, the police were able to catch and arrest the culprit—the “Maine Hermit,” Christopher Knight. When Christopher Knight was only 20 years old, he purposely stranded himself in the woods and lived without any other human contact for 27 years. He stole what he needed to survive, but avoided all other people. In the end, residents of North Pond finally got the answer to the mystery of their missing items.

9 The Boogeyman of New York, Cropsey

The story of Cropsey was once just a Staten Island urban legend kids told to scare each other. As it was said, Cropsey was an escaped mental patient with a hook for a hand that kidnapped children and murdered them in the underground abandoned tunnels of the Seaview Hospital. Parents would even use the story to scare their kids into keeping curfew or going to bed. In the ’80s, however, the urban legend manifested in real life. A bus full of children was hijacked by Cropsey, and five other children went missing at his hands. One poor child’s body was found in a shallow grave near the Willowbrook State School.^[2] Willowbrook State School, if you don’t recognize the name, was the subject of a national scandal in the 70s—children at the school were exposed to sexual abuse, corporal punishment, unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, and even unethical medical experiments. Our boy, Cropsey, turned out to be Andre Rand, the janitor at the school. Rand was convicted for kidnapping and lives in prison to this day.

8 Real Corpse Used as Carnival Prop

Real or not, corpses tend to give many of us the creeps. So to think that the haunted house zombie or the carnival mannequin beside you was more than just a prop? It’s the stuff of nightmares. In 1976, a film crew went to Pike Amusement Park in Long Beach, California for filming. While filming on one of the “spooky rides” of the park, a crew member reached for a hanged mannequin’s arm, which broke off. Upon examining the dismembered limb however, the worker saw real skin and bone. Turns out, that “mannequin” was no prop. In fact, it was the mummified corpse of outlaw and train robber, Elmer McCurdy. He was killed in a shootout after trying to evade the police. He was taken to a funeral and embalmed, but no one claimed the body, so the undertaker used him for display—people could see the body for dropping a nickel into the corpse’s mouth.^[3] A carnie eventually showed up a claimed to be a relative wanting to “lay the body to rest.” From then on, McCurdy’s corpse was used as a carnival attractions for decades. Eventually, the story of outlaw Elmer McCurdy was lost and the corpse was assumed to be fake. When the TV crew finally discovered the old boy he was laid to rest in Oklahoma. A layer of concrete covers the casket to prevent him from becoming a traveling attraction again.

7 Virginia “Bunny Man” Threatens Trespassers with axe

Many towns have their own share of local scary stories and haunted locations, and Virginia’s Fairfax County was no different. For decades, kids told each other the story of the “Bunny Man,” a threatening man in a bunny suit with an axe. Supposedly, Bunny Man was responsible for the murder of a couple children as well as some disappearances and the scattered presence of mutilated animal carcasses around the county. In truth, the story isn’t quite so wild. In October of 1970, the Washington Post published an article: “Man in Bunny Suit Sought in Fairfax,” after a couple had a hatchet thrown into their car windshield by a man in a bunny suit. The man threatened the couple for “trespassing” and then disappeared in the woods. Only a week later, the same event occurred once again with a separate couple.^[4] Though not quite as extravagant as murder, the bunny man was actually a very real man with an axe and everything.

6 Criminal Big Nose George’s Body was used to make Shoes

It’s not uncommon in horror movies for things made of skin, or bones, or something else more morbid. There was a case, however, where it was more than just a horror trope. George Parrot, or “Big Nose George,” was an ol’ wild west criminal. He stole horses, robbed stagecoaches and trains, and even murdered the local sheriff and detective.^[5] He did, at least, until he got caught. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. After the deed was done, no one came forward to claim the body. Two doctors present at the time asked to have the body for medical study. Though one of the doctors did study his brain, George’s corpse was mainly used for… not medical purposes. In fact, the cadaver was skinned and made into shoes and part of the skull was given as a gift to a medical protege. The rest of the body was buried in a whiskey barrel. The shoes still exist today and can be viewed at the Carbon County Museum in Rawlins, Wyoming.

5 Mysterious “Charlie No-Face” Confirmed a Considerate Pennsylvania Resident

Many people near Pittsburg know the story of Charlie No-Face (also called the Green Man). Depending on who you asked, he was a ghost, a monster, or a simple factory worked who had been horribly disfigured as a child and lost his face. This Beaver County bogeyman was more than just a legend, however. He was a real man and resident of Big Beaver, Pennsylvania. His real name was Raymond Robinson and was a normal boy—up until the accident. He was burned by high voltage when trying to climb an inoperative trolley line and, though he survived, he lost his eyes and nose and his lips and ears were horribly disfigured. Wanting to get some fresh air, but knowing his appearance would frighten others, Robinson began walking the roads at night. Word spread to local residents and people began to drive down to try to see him. Some even brought cigarettes and beer.^[6] Eventually, the story of Charlie No-Face was passed on until it became an unrecognizable ghost story, but Charlie was really just a kindly victim of a tragic accident.

4 Missing Woman’s Corpse Found in Hotel’s Water Tank

Have you ever gotten a glass of tap water and thought it tasted a bit funny? Well, this exact thing happened to guests of LA’s Cecil Hotel but with a gruesome twist. Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old Canadian tourist visiting LA. After Jan 26, 2013, however, she went missing. For 2 weeks her whereabouts were unknown. Unknown, that is, until a maintenance man went to check the Cecil Hotel water tank because of “water pressure issues”.^[7] Inside one of the four large tanks he found Lam’s naked corpse. Surveillance from the night of her disappearance showed her acting strangely: pressing all the elevator buttons or getting in and out of cars. The police deemed the incident a tragic accident, and health officials assured hotel guests that the water was not contaminated because of the body. Even so, guests were understandably upset.

3 Mysterious Gas Mask Man of Switzerland, “Le Loyon” photographed

Cryptids are a common thing. Some of them are extremely famous, like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Others like mothman or thunderbird are uncommon but still far reaching. Some, like our aforementioned Maine Hermit or Cropsey, are only known locally. Le Loyon is most similar to the latter two. For about a decade, residents of Maule, Switzerland have experienced sightings of a mysterious man in the forest wearing a gas mask, boiler suit, and a cloak. Most who have encountered the mysterious Le Loyon retreated in fear, despite him/her showing no aggression. In fact, one observer even saw Le Loyon holding a bouquet of flowers one time.^[8] Though questions about Le Loyon remain unanswered, one observer was able to snap a picture of the mysterious man, thus proving his existence.

2 Man Actually Makes Himself Fly with Balloons

Many of us have dreamed of flying as children. With movies like Up and Mary Poppins it seems to be a fairly easy task—just get a lot of balloons, or maybe jump down the stairs with an umbrella. Okay, so maybe these methods don’t quite work like we’d hoped, but one man was actually able to accomplish it. In the ’80s, Larry Walter tied 42 weather balloons to a lawn chair and was able to soar 3 miles in the air for multiple hours.^[9] To return to earth, he used a pellet balloon to pop the balloons one at a time. Unfortunately, the balloons caught on power lines and caused a 20 min outage in Long Beach. Though he was issued a $1,500 fine, he received international attention and ever appeared on “The Tonight Show.”

1 Woman was Buried Alive and Mangled Her Fingers While Trying to Escape

I think most of us have probably heard the story of someone being buried alive: some person was proclaimed dead and was buried but later woke up, alive in their casket. When the grave is later dug up, the person is found dead by suffocation with horribly mangled fingers and scratch marks on the inside of the coffin. The story of Octavia Hatcher is likely the source of this legend. She fell ill and went into a coma in the late 1800s. Not long after, she was pronounced dead and swiftly buried. Not even a week later, other people began showing similar symptoms to Octavia—falling into a coma with extremely shallow breathing. These individuals, however, woke up. Her husband, worried she had been buried alive, ordered her to be unburied. Sadly, his suspicions were correct. Octavia was found dead in her casket with a scratched face and bloody fingers. The lining had even been torn from the coffin’s lid.^[10] She was shortly reburied.

You can find the student and freelance writer, Elizabeth Boyer, on YouTube at “Lizzie Boyer.”

I think we can all agree that workout advice is kind of all over the place. How many reps? How many sets? What muscles should I be working? It’s definitely enough to make your head spin. But there are certainly a few fads in the exercise world that I think we can all agree are over-the-top outrageous. Get ready to sweat with these ten wild workout trends that have fitness fanatics buzzing. From Tae Bo to Aqua Spin, we’re diving into the wackiest ways people get fit.

Related: Top 10 Worst Alternative Health Practices Influencers Pedal

10 Tae Bo

In the world of fitness fads, where routines seem as fleeting as a Snapchat story, one workout trend has stood the test of time: Tae Bo. It’s the fitness regimen that blends martial arts with boxing, and it’s been kicking butt and taking names since the 1990s.

Picture a room pulsing with energy, bodies jabbing, kicking, and gyrating to the rhythm of infectious beats. That’s the scene of a typical Tae Bo class, where Billy Blanks, the man behind this fitness symphony, orchestrates sweat and determination.

Tae Bo is not just a random mashup of kicks and punches. It’s a carefully crafted fusion of Tae Kwon Do, karate, and boxing, sprinkled with a generous dose of aerobics. The result is a calorie-blasting, muscle-toning extravaganza that leaves participants feeling like they’ve just conquered Mount Everest.

Billy Blanks, the brains (and brawn) behind Tae Bo, didn’t stumble upon success by accident. A seven-time world karate champion and martial arts guru, Blanks combined his expertise with a flair for showmanship to create a workout that has attracted legions of followers worldwide.

9 Vibrating Belt

When it comes to fitness fads, there’s always been a certain allure to the unconventional. Enter the vibrating belt—a gadget that promises to shake, rattle, and roll away those extra pounds with minimal effort. It’s the stuff of retro infomercials and gym folklore, but behind its whimsical facade lies a history as fascinating as its supposed benefits.

The vibrating belt burst onto the scene in the 1950s, championed as the ultimate shortcut to a toned figure. An earlier version created by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in the 1920s was originally intended to stimulate circulation and promote weight loss. With its vibrating mechanism strapped around the waist, users were promised the bliss of passive exercise—all while lounging in the comfort of their own homes.

While the vibrating belt’s heyday may have come and gone, its legacy symbolizes fitness quirkiness. Despite the skepticism surrounding its effectiveness, there’s a certain nostalgia attached to shaking off those stubborn inches with a touch of retro flair.

Modern versions of the vibrating belt have emerged, adding sleek designs and advanced technology. However, the fundamental promise remains unchanged—a quick fix for fitness enthusiasts seeking to cheat their way to a toned physique. However, experts caution that while the sensation of vibration may temporarily stimulate muscles, it’s no substitute for traditional exercise and a balanced diet.

8 Skateboard Pilates

Skateboard Pilates emerges as a daring fusion of balance, strength, and agility. Imagine participants executing Pilates moves atop a skateboard, blending traditional Pilates with the thrill of a solid shred.

At its core, skateboard Pilates targets stabilizing muscles while engaging the larger muscle groups. Every movement requires a heightened level of focus and control as participants navigate the instability of the skateboard beneath them. From classic Pilates exercises like the Hundred and the Teaser to more dynamic moves like the skateboard plank and the rolling pike, each session promises a full-body workout with an adrenaline-inducing twist.

Beyond its physical benefits, skateboard Pilates offers a mental challenge, demanding concentration and mindfulness. Participants must tune into their bodies and the board’s movements, fostering a deeper connection between mind and muscle. While skateboard Pilates may seem like a niche workout, its popularity is growing among fitness enthusiasts seeking unconventional ways to stay in shape.

7 Electric Ab Belts

When it comes to achieving that elusive six-pack, the quest for shortcuts can lead down some truly electrifying paths. Say hello to the electric ab belt, a device promising to zap your midsection into shape while binge-watching your favorite series. But before you strap on this modern marvel, let’s separate the zips from the zaps.

The concept of electric muscle stimulation (EMS) isn’t exactly new. It’s been used for physical therapy and muscle rehabilitation for decades. However, turning it into a passive workout solution gained momentum in the fitness world in the 2000s. And thus, the electric ab belt was born.

The premise is simple: place the belt on your waist, flip the switch, and let the electrical impulses do the heavy lifting—literally. These impulses trigger muscle contractions, mimicking the effects of crunches and sit-ups without the sweat-inducing effort.

The creator of one of the most popular electric ab belts, Slendertone, claims their device can stimulate all major abdominal muscles, promising firmer abs in weeks. But before you start replacing your gym membership with a battery-powered accessory, let’s dive into the facts. While some research suggests it can enhance muscle tone with consistent use, others argue that results are more likely due to diet and overall physical activity.

6 Sauna Suits

In fitness, where bizarre trends often emerge faster than you can say “burpee,” one particularly steamy fad has been turning heads (and dripping sweat)—the sauna suit. Picture being clad head to toe in what looks like a plastic spacesuit—not exactly high fashion, but undeniably attention-grabbing.

Sauna suits have become popular as enthusiasts seek weight loss and detoxification shortcuts. The concept is simple yet somewhat extreme: donning a sauna suit during exercise turns your workout into a personal sauna session, inducing buckets of sweat.

Initially designed for athletes aiming to shed water weight quickly before competitions, these suits have since found their way into mainstream fitness culture, appealing to those chasing the dream of rapid fat loss.

While sweating may lead to temporary weight loss due to fluid depletion, it’s not a sustainable or healthy long-term strategy for shedding pounds. Moreover, prolonged use of sauna suits can lead to dehydration and even heatstroke if not used with caution.

5 Shake Weight

Picture a seemingly innocuous dumbbell, but with a twist—literally. The Shake Weight, aptly named, relies on rapid shaking motions to tone and sculpt muscles in record time. It’s as if someone looked at a regular dumbbell and thought, “You know what this needs? More wobble.”

Invented by Johann Verheem, the Shake Weight burst onto the scene in the late 2000s, promising to revolutionize arm workouts with its vibrating, oscillating design. With celebrity endorsements and infomercials bordering on parody, the Shake Weight quickly became a pop culture phenomenon.

Despite its tongue-in-cheek reputation, the Shake Weight does have some science behind it. The rapid shaking supposedly engages muscles more intensely than traditional weightlifting, leading to faster results. However, experts remain skeptical about its efficacy, with some even dubbing it the “Shake Weight Sham.”

But let’s not dismiss the Shake Weight entirely. After all, any workout that can elicit laughter while burning calories deserves at least a nod of recognition. Plus, watching someone vigorously shake what looks like a futuristic maraca is entertaining.

4 Prancercise

Fitness fads often come and go faster than a New Year’s resolution. Still, one trend stands out as absurd and strangely effective: Prancercise. Yes, you read that right. Prancercise is a legitimate exercise regimen that combines the grace of a gazelle with the cardio of a jog, all while channeling your inner horse.

Created by the charismatic Joanna Rohrback, Prancercise trotted onto the scene in 2012 with a viral video that left viewers scratching their heads and reaching for their running shoes. The concept? To exercise by mimicking the movements of a horse in various gaits, from the light and airy “Prance” to the full-on “Gallop.”

But don’t let Prancercise’s whimsical nature fool you. Beneath its playful exterior lies a workout that can leave even the most seasoned gym-goers breaking a sweat. By engaging the core muscles and promoting proper posture, Prancercise offers an effective full-body workout that’s low-impact and accessible to people of all fitness levels.

3 Body Flex

Imagine doing more than just your average deep breathing exercises. You’re flexing every muscle from your diaphragm to your pinky toe. Created by Greer Childers in the 1990s, Body Flex promises to oxygenate your body like never before while sculpting you into a masterpiece worthy of a Greek statue garden.

The premise is simple yet way out there: Contort your body into various positions while synchronizing your breaths to enhance oxygen flow. Think of it as yoga on steroids, minus the actual steroids. Advocates swear by its effectiveness in toning muscles, improving flexibility, and reducing stress. Skeptics might find themselves chuckling at the sight of grown adults huffing and puffing while contorted into what can only be described as a human pretzel.

Despite the eyebrow-raising theatrics, there’s some science behind the madness. Deep breathing has long been praised for its stress-relieving and health-boosting benefits, and adding a twist (literally) only amplifies the effects. Plus, it’s hard to argue with the cult-like following Body Flex has amassed over the years.

2 Power Balance

The Power Balance bracelet was launched in the mid-2000s with grand promises and flashy marketing. It used holographic technology embedded within a silicon band and was believed to harness the body’s natural energy to improve performance.

Athletes and celebrities alike endorsed it, swearing by its magical powers. But alas, science played the party pooper. Numerous studies debunked the claims, showing that the bands had about as much effect on performance as a lucky rabbit’s foot.

Like a modern-day snake oil, Power Balance had its heyday before crashing down to earth in a blaze of skepticism. Lawsuits followed, alleging false advertising and deceptive marketing. The company eventually conceded, admitting that their claims lacked scientific basis.

1 Aqua Spin

Aqua Spin takes the conventional spin class and throws it into a pool, quite literally. Imagine a spin bike submerged in water, pedaling against resistance while buoyant bliss surrounds you. It’s like cycling through Atlantis, minus the mermaids.

However, this aquatic marvel is actually backed by science. Water provides natural resistance, giving your muscles a serious workout without the joint-jolting impact of traditional spin classes. Plus, the water’s hydrostatic pressure promotes circulation and reduces post-workout soreness. So you might feel totally insane, but there’s a method to all that madness.

Nowadays, Aqua Spin classes are popping up in trendy fitness centers worldwide, drawing enthusiasts eager to make a splash in their exercise routines. With pulsating music, swirling water, and a dash of camaraderie, it’s not just a workout. It’s a pool party on pedals.

Although history is a rich, complex subject, schools can make it a bit boring by leaving out the juicy bits. Typically, this is either because they are too raunchy or because they don’t conform to the currently desired social narrative. History class would be significantly more interesting if it covered these ten entries.

10 Groundhog Day Initially Involved Cooking The Animals

February 2 is Groundhog Day in the United States. On that day, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow, sees its shadow, and scurries back to its den, then residents claim they can expect six more weeks of winter. If not, then spring will come early. Regardless of the outcome, the festivities have become quite popular, especially thanks to the eponymous 1993 movie starring Bill Murray.

Although the holiday is celebrated in many locations throughout the US, the biggest festival takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the legendary Punxsutawney Phil. This is also the place where the tradition originated back in the 1880s. However, the initial celebration, called “the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club,” involved large groups of visitors prowling the hillsides, hunting the groundhogs for dinner.^[1]

The club was the brainchild of a local newspaper editor named Clymer Freas. Back then, the train from Pittsburgh passed through Punxsutawney to reach a nearby coal plant, and locals wanted a way to make people stop instead of just passing through. Freas began using flashy descriptions for the groundhog hunts, hoping to draw larger crowds. The tradition morphed into an over-the-top weather forecast soon enough, and in 1886, Punxsutawney Phil became the “Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.”

9 Johnny Appleseed Was Motivated By Money And Religion

The legend of Johnny Appleseed is pervasive in American culture. Most people have the same image of him, walking around with a bag full of seeds, planting apple trees everywhere he went. While this description is somewhat accurate, it misses out on the real motives behind Johnny’s actions.

Back in the late 18th century, the Northwest Territory still had massive chunks of uninhabited land, which were being bought by private companies in anticipation of settlers. In 1792, the Ohio Company of Associates began offering acres of land in the wilderness as incentive for new permanent homesteads. In return, they asked would-be settlers to plant 50 apple trees and 20 peach trees within a few years as a show of commitment.^[2]

Appleseed, real name John Chapman, realized he could stay just ahead of the incoming frontiersmen, planting the orchards himself and selling the land at a profit. Afterward, he would just move to another piece of undeveloped land and repeat the process. Furthermore, Chapman was a devout member of the New Church based on the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg and also used the opportunity to spread his gospel.

Strangest of all, it’s unlikely that Chapman’s apples were used as food. Given how sour they were and the popularity of hard cider, most of them would have been used for alcohol. Only one Appleseed tree allegedly still exists, on a farm in Nova, Ohio. All the rest were cut down by the FBI during Prohibition due to their ties to alcohol.

8 How To Spot A Virgin

Throughout history, a woman’s body was considered much more the concern of her parents, her betrothed, and her church than of her own. A young woman’s virginity was seen as a prized commodity and would often increase the value of the bride. Understandably, any potential suitors would want assurances of the girl’s purity if they were to pay a premium for it. That’s where the virginity tests came in.

The standard test involved checking the sheets for blood after the marriage was consummated. However, there were ways of faking it, typically involving animal blood. Furthermore, as we know today, there are a lot of medical reasons why first-time intercourse doesn’t always result in bleeding.

Examination of a woman’s urine was also a popular method described by physicians from ancient to medieval times. Pliny the Elder gave a recipe for a potion which the woman was supposed to drink after fasting for a few days. If she could refrain from peeing, then the girl was still a virgin. Albertus Magnus wrote of a similar method.

Fumigation tests were all the rage during the Middle Ages. While they varied in execution, they were based on the idea that, after sex, a woman’s body became an open passage that could carry smells and odors from one end to the other. Italian physician Niccolo Falcucci suggested that a virgin covering her bottom half with cloth and fumigating it with coal would not be able to detect the odor.^[3] Alternatively, fumigating a virgin with dock flowers would make her turn pale. Others believed that fumigating a woman’s lower area with various ingredients would make her breath smell the same way.

7 How To Catch A Unicorn

Unicorns have been around for a long time. They were first mentioned by the ancient Greeks, then referenced several times in the Bible, and have become a staple of many cultures ever since.

Despite the somewhat gentle nature we ascribe to the mythological creature, ancient historians always presented it as one of the fiercest animals in nature. Pliny the Elder even decreed that it was impossible to catch one alive. Seventh-century scholar Isidore of Seville concurred with Pliny . . . mostly. He knew the one weakness of the unicorn and went on to describe the technique needed in order to capture such a creature.

The trick was to use a virgin woman. If she were to stand in front of the unicorn and bare her breasts, the animal would become very docile. It would then proceed to rest its head on the woman’s lap and suckle from her breast until it fell gently to sleep.^[4] That was when the hunters could pounce and slay the beast.

6 The Olympic Torch Prank

The Olympics have a lot of proud traditions and symbols that trace their origins to the ancient games, but the torch relay is not one of them. In fact, this practice comes to us courtesy of the Nazi propaganda machine at the 1936 Berlin Games. It was the idea of Olympics organizer Carl Diem and was brought to its fullest potential by Joseph Goebbels.

Understandably, some people weren’t happy with how venerated this tradition became in subsequent years, given its ignoble origins. During the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, a group of Australian students protested the torch relay with a prank.

In Sydney, 30,000 people lined the streets, eagerly awaiting cross-country champion Harry Dillon to arrive carrying the Olympic flame. The plan was for him to give the torch to Sydney mayor Pat Hills, who would give a speech and pass it on to another runner. The historic moment finally arrived, and a young man, curiously dressed in a shirt and tie, flanked by a police escort, made his way to the steps of Sydney Town Hall and handed the flaming torch over to the mayor.

Hills started talking but soon realized something was wrong with the torch. It was actually a painted chair leg with an empty pudding can glued to the top. Inside was burning a pair of underwear soaked in kerosene.^[5] The runner, actually a university student named Barry Larkin, had disappeared into the crowd.

5 Franklin Roosevelt: The Failed Bartender

Among other things, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is remembered for repealing Prohibition and making alcohol once again legal in the United States. There is a simple reason for this: The president enjoyed a good cocktail.

There have been plenty of American presidents who liked to drink. Ulysses S. Grant probably had more drunk days in office than sober ones. But Roosevelt took his passion a step further and became the mixologist-in-chief. He passed the time at parties by making cocktails for other partygoers. The only problem was that, according to his colleagues, he just wasn’t very good.

Roosevelt’s go-to drink was the Plymouth martini, which he often liked to spice up by using different combinations of garnishes. He even created his own concoction called the “Haitian Libation.”^[6] It consisted of orange juice mixed with dark rum, an egg white, and a dash of brown sugar, served on the rocks. Allegedly, it was meant to help female guests get a bit frisky, but even FDR’s own son, James Roosevelt, called it a “deplorable invention.”

4 Benjamin Franklin’s Love For Older Women

When he wasn’t busy laying down the foundations of the United States, Benjamin Franklin did a lot of outrageous things. On one occasion in 1745, Franklin wrote a letter to a young, unidentified friend, advising him to get married. Although Franklin was strongly in favor of marriage, he recommended that, at the very least, his young friend should get an older mistress. He then proceeded to list off eight candid reasons why older women are superior to their younger counterparts.^[7]

Most of the reasons are sensible. According to Franklin, older women are more experienced, more discreet, make for better conversation, and decrease the risk of children. They are also more grateful and get better at day-to-day chores as they age: “They supply the diminution of beauty by an augmentation of utility.”

Most notable is the physical reason why Franklin believed mature women are superior. While their faces wrinkle and their neck and breasts grow “lank,” their lower parts remain “as plump as ever.” Franklin believed that, below a girdle, it was impossible to tell a young woman apart from an older one, or as he memorably put it, “In the dark all cats are grey.”

The letter was subsequently deemed too licentious and wasn’t published with the rest of Franklin’s papers in the 19th century. However, it was later cited in the mid–20th century and helped overturn the Comstock laws, which had made it illegal to mail pornography or other lewd, sex-related material. One judge pointed out that under that legislation, Ben Franklin would have been arrested on federal obscenity charges.

3 The Original Liberty Bell Was Melted And Recast Immediately

There are few symbols more powerful in US culture than the Liberty Bell. Originally housed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), it allegedly rang on July 4, 1776, after the Continental Congress voted on independence. Most modern experts contend this is simply a historical myth born from a short story by George Lippard written in 1847, decades after the fact. If the bell rang at all, it would have happened on July 8, during the reading of the Declaration of Independence. However, some historians claim the Liberty Bell wasn’t used then, either, because the steeple was under repair at that time.^[8]

As with many historical symbols, the Liberty Bell gained its fame long after it came into existence. In fact, the original bell, which was ordered from England in 1752, gained its infamous crack during a test strike and was promptly melted down and recast. The process was repeated two more times until the statesmen were finally satisfied with the finished product. The current bell gained its crack sometime during the 1800s. Accounts vary as to when and why.

The symbolism came much later, when the image of the bell began to be used by anti-slavery publications. This is also when it became known as the Liberty Bell, having simply been referred to as the State House Bell beforehand.

2 Andrew Jackson Hated Paper Money

Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, is known today for his service during the Revolutionary War, his penchant for duels and for being involved in America’s dirtiest election. Primarily, though, he is known for being the guy on the $20 bill. This is in spite of the fact that Jackson campaigned against paper currency for most of his presidential career.

During Jackson’s reelection campaign in 1832, a hot-button issue was the Bank War, a political struggle to recharter the Second Bank of the United States. Jackson and his party opposed this move, as they believed it would grant exclusive powers to corporations and take them away from the common man.

In general, Jackson hated paper currency because he considered it too insecure and prone to sudden fluctuations. He preferred “hard money,” such as gold or silver, due to its intrinsic value. Jackson continued to rally against paper currency until the end of his political career. Even in his farewell address, the ex-president warned people of the “mischiefs and dangers” of paper money and called for immediate reform.^[9]

1 JFK Partied With Bing Crosby

At this point, to say that John F. Kennedy was a womanizer is like saying the sky is blue. His extramarital exploits have been well-documented, yet it seems that there is always room for new revelations. Just a few years ago, former White House intern Mimi Alford came out with a tell-all book describing her love affair with JFK. She talked about the encounters the two shared in the White House pool, aboard his yacht, even in Jackie Kennedy’s own powder-blue bedroom. And yet it seems that JFK liked to let loose the most at Hollywood parties thrown by Bing Crosby. During one Crosby bash, Kennedy convinced Alford to take poppers in order to enhance the sex, although he didn’t partake.

On another occasion, JFK was attending one of Crosby’s parties with a few White House friends. At one point, everyone was naked in the pool. The president was chatting up stewardesses while his aide and close friend David Powers was having sex at the other end of the pool.^[10] Hours later, Powers played a prank on Crosby by grabbing as many of his suits as possible and jumping in the pool with them, to the amusement of the president and annoyance of the crooner.

The word “boondoggle,” meaning an extravagant and useless project, is derived from the Boy Scouts’ practice of “boondoggling,” or braiding and knotting colorful strands of plastic and leather to make bracelets and other items.

During the Great Depression, the U.S. Works Progress Administration began paying out-of-work educators to teach disadvantaged children to craft decorative items from discarded materials. In 1935, the New York Times reported that federal dollars were used to finance the children’s fashioning of these boondoggles.

The term took on political overtones when Republicans, disgruntled with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, used the frivolous-sounding term to refer to wasteful spending on public make-work projects. Today, the word remains popular as a means of mocking dubious undertakings and expenditures by the governments of various countries.

Related: 10 Bizarre Failed Military Experiments and Projects

10 Japan’s Great Tsunami Walls

As Irish Times contributor David McNeill writes, a 2011 earthquake beneath the Pacific Ocean produced “towering waves” that devastated Koizumi, Japan. Four drowned, and almost all the other 1,800 residents of the coastal town were swept away.

To prevent future such catastrophes, government officials announced hundreds of sea walls and breakers would be built to protect “the three worst-hit prefectures,” and many other such barriers would follow. The projects would cost a total of €6 billion, but, as a result, residents along the 8,699 miles (14,000 kilometers) of Japan’s 21,748-mile (35,000-kilometer) coastline in need of “tsunami protection” would be secure from the death and destruction that had befallen Koizumi’s inhabitants.

Despite its noble purpose, the undertaking was criticized. Detractors pointed out that previous similar efforts had had mixed results. The barriers could even lull residents “into a false sense of security,” feared Hiroko Otsuka, who “grew up near Koizumi.”

Otsuka’s concerns about the massive project are based on her mother’s and brother’s deaths during the 2011 flood. Had they fled to the top of a hill behind their house instead of taking refuge behind the sea wall, they might have survived, she believes. Like others, Otsuka thinks that the idea of building barriers against tsunamis should be reconsidered.^[1]

9 Spain’s Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences

Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences complex was meant to encourage travelers’ visits. Despite €7.5 billion in expenditures, it has failed to do so. The project, Feargus O’Sullivan said, is “the gift that keeps on taking.”

The initial cost of the museum-cum-arts center quadrupled to €1 billion before its completion in 2005. Even then, it continued to cost the government money, both for a €4.5 billion “bailout” to the region in which Valencia is located and for repairs to the complex’s opera house. The structure’s metal shell buckles “as it expands and contracts” due to the city’s “daily temperature extremes.”

In 2014, inspectors found that “the thousand. tiny mosaic-like tiles” covering the metal sheets in the shell had to be removed, a task that will cost another €3 million. Santiago Calatrava, the architect who designed the complex, says that “poor construction,” not his design, is responsible for the structure’s problems, but O’Sullivan maintains that there’s plenty of blame to go around, including “failed or underperforming projects… kickbacks [and] an unnecessary airport nearby.”^[2]

8 Saudi Arabia’s Farming Boondoggle

Writing for the New York Times, Charles J. Hanley notes that “the Saudi government could describe agriculture as ‘one of the kingdom’s most spectacular achievements.’ But the spectacle has long since gotten the better of the achievement.” The Saudi government has subsidized $13 billion worth of “overpriced crops” and dumped “mountains of grain” in the desert to rot, all so that it could pose as “a desert oil state in the unnatural role of wheat exporter.”

Although oil-rich Saudi Arabia can replace the money wasted on subsidizing farm crops, it cannot replace the water that the crops require. This reality has caused the Saudis to quit trying to farm their four million acres of desert “farmland.” Cattle have been suggested as an alternative to wheat, but the need to “green feed” the livestock gives even the optimistic Saudis pause. As Agriculture Minister Abdullah bin Moammar concedes, such a project “could get out of control.”^[3]

7 Germany’s Renewable Energy Boondoggle

In 2002, Germany decided to “phase out nuclear power,” Rick Mills reports. Eight years later, Chancellor Angela Merkel extended the use of the country’s nuclear reactors due to the nation’s anticipated inability to supply sufficient power by renewable energy sources alone. Due to politics, though, Germany cut the availability of electricity by 40% overnight while planning to eliminate the rest of the supply by 2022. A year before the deadline, the country shut down three of the six plants that remained operational.

As predicted, renewable energy sources could not produce the power supply the country needs, and energy prices spiked sharply. As a result, Germany’s $16 billion go-green boondoggle failed, and the country had to return to its reliance on coal and nuclear energy.^[4]

6 England’s Car Parks

In England, millions of pounds have been spent on parking garages and lots that few drivers use. According to the British Parking Association, there are between 17,000 and 20,000 car parks across the country. Some are multi-story (garages), while others are simply “surface” lots.

Some car parks have attracted “anti-social behavior,” an online Guardian article reports. Abbey Walk in North East Lincolnshire is one such location. The county’s council has requested ₤1.54 million to fund a “refurbishment programme.” Communities hope to cash in on the massive boondoggle by repurposing the car parks as shopping centers, cultural or performance centers, or office spaces, but it remains to be seen whether such conversions will pay off since online shopping and “out-of-town retail parks” have already taken a toll on stores and other businesses located in the city centers.^[5]

5 Mexico’s Mayan Train

As an online Nation article states, critics are concerned about Mexico’s $20 billion Mayan train. Nevertheless, having prioritized the inclusion of the country’s Indigenous peoples, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is committed to the construction of the 900-mile (1,448-kilometer) railroad that will run “through southeastern Mexico… promoting Indigenous history and culture to tourists.”

Part of the train’s route passes through the country’s 3,000-square-mile (4,828-square-kilometer) Mayan forest’s Calakmul biosphere reserve, which is “home to an archaeological jewel: the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul.” The region is experiencing a prolonged drought, and some question the wisdom of introducing 8,000 tourists per day to the area despite the government’s promise of a new aqueduct.

Like their conservationist and academic allies, many of the Indigenous people who are supposed to benefit from the train call the project “an act of war,” fearing that it will “devastate southern Mexico’s ecosystem [while triggering] unsustainable development and further [marginalizing] the communities living there.” Instead of honoring and including Mexico’s Indigenous peoples, the Mayan train seems to have alienated and angered them.^[6]

4 China’s Three Gorges Dam

Chinese government officials ignored scientists’ advice not to build the massive hydroelectric Three Gorges Dam. Only after the dam—the largest in the world—was completed, to the tune of $24 billion, did the officials admit that the scientists’ predictions of landslides and the “altering [of] entire ecosystems,” among other “serious environmental problems,” might have resulted from the dam’s construction.

Although champions of the project had envisioned the dam as “a major source of renewable power for an energy-hungry nation,” able to produce 18,000 megawatts of power, the result of the building of the dam has also included “less rain, drought, and the potential for increased disease,” according to tropical medicine specialist George Davis. In addition, in June 2003, a rock slide occurred, killing fourteen people, and dozens of landslides have taken place, one of them burying a bus and “killing at least 30 people.” The worst, experts fear, may be yet to come.^[7]

3 Canada’s 407 Express Toll Road

Canada has had its share of boondoggles, including, Benjamin Hunting writes, “a bridge too far, an airport in the middle of nowhere, [and] a boat that won’t float.” One of its more expensive wastes was the 407 Express Toll Road. Construction began in 1987 and was finally completed in 2001 at the cost of $3.1 billion, which was reduced to $1.6 million, the government claimed, by allowing a “private consortium” to lease the road for ninety-nine years. The deal didn’t include the $100 billion paid to expropriate the land through which the highway ran.

The company leasing the highway upped the toll to the extent that drivers, especially in commercial trucks, opted to sit in traffic on Highway 401 rather than use the toll road. Ironically, as Hunting notes, “a highway intended to ease congestion was now actually causing it, and toll rates continued to rise.” To add insult to injury, in 2019, SNC-Lavalin Group, one of the partners in the toll road’s lease, sold 10.1% of its holdings for $3.25 billion, “valuing the entire operation at a whopping $30 billion [or] 10 times the price paid” to the Ontario government.^[8]

2 USA’s Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository

The cost to build the U.S.’s Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository has soared to $38 billion, including its construction and the decades-long political fight between parties who endorse the opening of the site and others who oppose it. Located near Mercury, Nevada, within a hundred miles of Las Vegas, the repository would hold the 88,000 tons (79,832 metric tons) of nuclear waste that the country’s eighty nuclear plants have produced during their years of operation. A $19 billion, five-mile (8-kilometer) tunnel, dug in 1987, leads into the bowels of the mountain, but the fight for the site’s use continues.

Scientists express concern that the waste could contaminate underground water, endangering local farmers, a threat that the Department of Energy’s William Boyle told CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti was “manageable.” Nevada’s U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto added that the railroad cars carrying the spent radioactive fuel would travel through the heart of Las Vegas on their way to the repository.

While the debate rages, nuclear waste continues to pile up across the country. It’s too bad that the government didn’t arrange, years ago, for the safe storage of nuclear waste that remains radioactive for thousands upon thousands of years.^[9]

1 Australia’s Submarine Purchase

In 2011, Australia’s federal executive government, aka the Turnbull Government, purchased a dozen French Shortfin Barracuda submarines. As John Menadue points out, the initial cost was $50 billion. This outlay was expensive, but it was only the beginning since the subs’ “design and pricing” occurred in an unprecedented, virtually “competition-free environment,” and “buying from overseas suppliers” was prohibited.

There were strategic problems with the purchase, too. The submarines were intended for use in the South China Sea alongside U.S. submarines. There, they would “be contesting the waters with Chinese submarines.” The Chinese subs, like their American counterparts, were nuclear-powered, while the French submarines were not. What deterrence would the French subs be against the Chinese vessels, and, for that matter, would the U.S. Navy “want to operate alongside [Australia’s] conventionally powered submarines?” It might be more in the interest of Australia, critics argued, to use its newly acquired subs to patrol and protect Australia’s own shores.

All things considered, Menadue concluded, the over-priced purchase was a boondoggle that proved “bad for policy, bad for the [Australian] navy, bad for the taxpayer, and bad for the future defence of Australia.”^[10]

In 2019, US law enforcement arrested over 800,000 people for larceny/theft. This is separate from burglary. It’s safe to say that theft is a major crime in the US and it’s the crime with the third highest arrest rate after DUI and drug-related crimes. Knowing that will help give this list a little context as there are some staggering theft statistics in the world at large.

10. Millions of Pets Are Stolen Every Year

Some things are more desirable to thieves than others. Or at least it seems like they should be. Cash has to be the most tempting item for any thief. Then you have things like cars, electronics, sneakers, drugs, and so much more. It turns out that pets are pretty high on the list as well. People will absolutely steal your pet.

It’s hard to put precise numbers on pet theft since it’s also possible a pet ran away, got lost, and then someone adopted it thinking it was a stray. Or maybe the animal wandered off and came back and the owners thought it was stolen but returned. So stats are fuzzy, but in 2017 around 360,000 residents in the UK were convinced someone had stolen their cat. Of those, 55% got their cat back. 

In America the numbers can be fuzzy as well. The Humane Society merges stats for stolen and lost pets together. Their stats say 10 million pets are lost or stolen every year. The American Kennel Club has more refined numbers and estimates two million dogs were stolen from their owners in 2020. That number rose in subsequent years and was blamed on a rise in demand during the pandemic.

9. One Million Parking Cones are Stolen Every Year

Parking cones are a ubiquitous part of the driving experience. We see those orange cones on the side of the road constantly during construction or around worksites and accidents. Most of us probably don’t think twice about them, but someone sure does. One million traffic cones are stolen per year in America. 

If you’re struggling to figure out why anyone would steal a parking cone, you’ll be equally surprised to learn many towns have had to deal with this for years. It got so bad in Coventry, Connecticut that local authorities started begging thieves to bring them back. The town would set them out after storms to warn residents of downed trees and power lines and the next day almost all would be gone. 

In the UK, police have sometimes resorted to amnesty days where people who have taken cones can return them with no questions asked hoping to recoup losses. The cones can cost around $20 and it’s taxpayers who foot the bill. 

8. 10% of Employees Admit to Stealing Toilet Paper From Work

Have you ever stolen from work? If you said no, you’re in the minority. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, 75% of employees have stolen something from their work. But what does that mean? Are they stealing cash from the till? Fries from the fryer? Computers from the office?  Well, it’s a tough one to break down.

Aside from things of great value, small things are just as likely to be targeted. Maybe more so, because you might figure no one would miss something insignificant like toilet paper. In one survey, 61% of office workers admitted to stealing from work and one in 10 of them was stealing toilet paper. 

It’s not just office workers, of course. A hotel cleaner was caught with a garbage bag full of 66 toilet paper rolls he stole from his job in 2020. He claimed to be donating them to a friend who was out of work. 

In some contexts, stealing toilet paper makes a little more sense. Recall the early days of the pandemic when people were hoarding toilet paper and there were even fights over in stores. In 2020, police recovered a truck loaded with 18,000 pounds of stolen toilet paper. 

7. Thieves Once Stole $18 Million in Maple Syrup

One quart of organic Vermont maple syrup costs about $22 from Walmart. That’s a good amount of syrup, too. It should last a while, depending on your penchant for pancakes. So keep that in mind in relation to this story about a team of thieves in Canada who stole $18 million worth of maple syrup.

Between 2011 and 2012, a group of thieves worked together to make off with 9,600 barrels of maple syrup from a Quebec warehouse. Officials thought nearly $30 million had been stolen at first but a recount of missing barrels brought it down to that slim $18 million.

After the suspects were caught, authorities reclaimed around 70% of the stolen syrup but the rest was believed to have been sold to Americans. So over $5 million in purloined syrup found its way to US waffles. 

6. Up to 380,000 Guns are Stolen Every Year in America

In 2020 it was estimated that there were 433.9 million guns in America. That’s 1.3 guns for everyone in the country. With that many guns around you just know someone has to be stealing them, and they definitely are. There are up to 380,000 guns stolen from private owners every year in America. 

The ATF’s numbers show that, between 2017 and 2021, over one million guns were stolen. They also pointed out that these were reported thefts and there is no federal law requiring you to report a stolen gun and most states don’t have one, either. That means the true number of stolen guns is likely a lot higher.

Gun theft is not just a big city crime, either. The town of Jonesboro, Arkansas, with a population of under 80,000, had reported over 40 gun thefts in 2022 by April of that year. 

5. One in Five Americans Had Their Identity Stolen in 2021

By now most of us are aware of identity theft and that we need to be careful when sharing sensitive information, especially online. Less well known may be how prevalent identity theft is. In the year 2021, one in five Americans were the victim of identity theft. That cost people about $56 billion in losses. Around 33% of all Americans had experienced identity theft by the year 2018. 

In a global sense, Americans are definitely leading the pack, suffering identity theft at twice the global average. The research also showed a lot of this was because of poor habits relating to security. For instance, 44% of people who took part in the survey that produced these results didn’t have password-protected wi-fi at home.

Another alarming stat is that, in 2016, 11% of victims of identity theft didn’t want to file a police report, likely out of embarrassment. As these types of crimes have become more and more common, it’s a reasonable assumption that there are also higher numbers than being reported for this same reason. 

4. Porch Thieves Steal  260 Million Packages Per Year 

If you spend a lot of time online, you have no doubt heard of porch thieves. Videos of these thieves taken from Ring cameras and other home security have been around for years. These are thieves who see a package left on someone’s porch, something from Amazon or other kinds of package delivery, and will simply walk up and steal the box before the rightful owner gets home.

The reason there are so many videos of this kind of crime is because there’s just so much of this kind of crime. In 2021 alone it was estimated that 260 million packages were taken off of porches. In 2016 that worked out to 1.7 million packages being pinched from porches every single day. 

Security firm Safewise conducted a survey to determine San Francisco was the worst city in America for porch thefts. Over 75% of Americans have experienced porch theft and losses are up to $19.5 billion with average packages valued between $50 and $100.

3. Millions of Bicycles Are Stolen Every Year

In 2021 about 51 million Americans rode bikes. It’s even more popular in Europe where you can find enormous populations of cycling enthusiasts in major cities. It’s estimated 90% of the people in the Netherlands regularly cycle. As with anything that’s popular there are thieves waiting in the wings to ruin it for everyone. 

It’s estimated that around 4 million bicycles are stolen every year in Europe, many of them unreported. In the US, that number is around two million. The under-reporting of bike theft makes it hard to get concrete numbers, with at least once registry services estimating that only one in five thefts is ever reported.

2. $75 Million in Used Cooking Oil is Stolen Every Year

There’s an old saying that goes “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and that’s very true in the world of oil. Used cooking oil from restaurants was once considered nothing but a trash by-product from making french fries and chicken. Now it’s a huge business. 

Old cooking oil, which restaurants sometimes store outside in sealed barrels until it can be picked up, can be used for many purposes if it’s cleaned and recycled but the biggest one is biodiesel. It is just old oil and not that much different from the oil we already refine into gasoline. 

While gas prices have continued to rise over the years, biodiesel is actually even more expensive. In April 2023 a gallon of gasoline in America averaged $3.69 but the most expensive kind of biodiesel averaged $4.95 per gallon. If it can be made from buckets of trash behind fast food restaurants, you can see why some people might want to steal it. And steal it they do.

America produces over 2.5 billion gallons of used cooking oil every year.  About $75 million in used oil is stolen in the same time period. The whole industry was set up to be very tempting to thieves. Restaurants can’t legally just throw the stuff out, it has to be taken somewhere to be processed. There are laws requiring that a certain amount of biodiesel be used every year, too, so the demand continues to grow. 

1. Dairy Farmers Lose Up To $100 Million a Year in Milk Crate Thefts

How many milk crates have you seen in places that weren’t grocery stores in your life? Milk crates in basements, garages, backyards, wherever. Those plastic cubes are used the world over for storing and organizing people’s junks and, of course, for shipping milk. But most of those crates that don’t have milk in them are supposed to. They were never purchased; they were stolen, and the expense is part of the reason you pay as much as you do for milk. 

Dairy farmers pay for those crates and when they get stolen, new ones need to be purchased. Every year, dairy farmers lose up to $100 million in milk crate theft, a number which is hard to comprehend given what we’re talking about. 

The number of crates works out to between 20 to 25 million. Just try to imagine what people need with 25 million milk crates if they’re not in the dairy industry already. The problem had a bit of light shined on it back in 2021 when the Milk Crate Challenge became a thing on TikTok and people were sharing videos of themselves stacking precarious milk crate structures and trying to climb them. 

Each crate costs about $4 and they only end up at the grocery store to ship the milk. Stores are meant to return them so they can be reused but, obviously, that doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should.

If you’re anything like anybody, you’re in love with the idea of superheroes. The rest of you are female or adults. In either case, all of us have an innate urge deep inside that makes us want to do good for the people around us, and while some of us are content to read about the super-powered good deeds of others, the people on this list decided to stand up and show the world that crime does not pay. Unfortunately, they chose a route that looks absolutely, thoroughly ridiculous. Here are 10 real-life superheroes who could be behind you right now.

Secret Identity: Roger Hayhurst

Personal Gotham: Salford, Greater Manchester, UK

Gardener by day, masked crime fighter by night—that’s the tagline for Knight Warrior, a 19-year-old in the UK whose self-proclaimed superpower is a “supernatural desire to make the world a better place.” His main target is drunk people who get a little too rowdy as they leave pubs. When there aren’t enough people fighting each other, he hands out food to homeless people in the Greater Manchester area.

Although he doesn’t have any combat training, gadgets, weapons, or identifiable means of protection, he does have a flashy costume, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need to get people’s attention. According to him, “When people see me coming up, it does tend to stun them into silence.” Knight Warrior lives with his mother.

In March of 2013, Knight Warrior announced his retirement after having a run-in with some locals who recognized him and decided to test his fighting skill. On December 19th, 2017, Knight Warrior announced that he was coming out of retirement.

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: San Diego, California

Honestly, if there’s any city that needs a superhero, it’s probably San Diego, especially after the police department was downsized in 2012, leading to an increase in crime. And Mr. Extreme might not be the hero San Diego deserves, but he’s the hero San Diego puts up with. A security guard in the daylight hours, once the sun goes down, he suits up with shin guards, cape, army helmet, and identity-protection goggles, then vigorously strolls into the crime-ridden sidewalks of the East Village.

Mr. Extreme has been working for about seven years now, armed with a taser, handcuffs, three cans of pepper spray, and the conviction that right is always the right thing to do. While he doesn’t get into a lot of action, he has instigated several citizen arrests throughout his career. He founded the Xtreme Justice League and was its leader.

Mr. Xtreme has been a participant at Project HOPE since it first began in 2010. On July 23rd, 2020, the Xtreme Justice League page announced that he was retiring.

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: Perth, Australia

The path of a hero is never black and white. It’s an uncertain world filled with lesser evils and shades of gray because sometimes a man’s duty requires him to go outside the law to prevent a crime. Or commit one. This is the path of Wheel Clamp Man, one of the darker shades of gray in the colorblind spectrum. In fact, his main “heroic” activity is a full-fledged crime—he patrols Perth with an angle grinder and cuts wheel clamps off cars that have been illegally parked.

Dressed in a skintight green leotard, rainbow socks, and a glue-on mustache, Wheel Clamp Man has only been working in the area for a relatively short time, but motorists are grateful for his help in helping them avoid a $135 fine.

Secret Identity: Chris Pollak

Personal Gotham: Manhattan, New York

The people who like superheroes and the people who look like superheroes usually sit on opposite sides of the cafeteria. Still, Chris Pollak’s first major victory was being both of those people at the same time. In a costume reminiscent of a leather biker suit and backed by years of martial arts training, he actually looks the part, and he seems to be making a dent in the crime, at least the obvious crime, around Washington State Park. This video shows him confronting a drug dealer, and it’s actually sort of inspiring.

During his crime-fighting career, Dark Guardian has helped break up fights and prevent muggings. And as that video showed, he’s waging a personal war on the drug dealers in the area in particular. Apparently, one tactic he uses is to scout the area, identify a dealer, then sneak up on them. When he’s close enough, he’ll leap out, beam a flashlight in their face, and shout, “This is a drug-free park!”

In 2017, the Dark Guardian ditched his cape for a red beret. Pollak planned to take on Staten Island’s bad guys as the head of the borough’s Guardian Angels.

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: Brisbane, Australia

With gardening gloves flexed and ampersat blazing, Captain Australia is waging a one-man war against crime in Fortitude Valley. In his day life, he’s a stay-at-home father of two, but a desire to clean up Queensland’s streets has motivated him to put together a makeshift costume and patrol some of the “seedier areas” of Brisbane at night.

Captain Australia takes a preventative approach to crime, figuring that the sight of him will be enough to deter most would-be criminals from acting on their insatiable dark urges. And sometimes it works—he claims to have stopped a rape by showing up on the scene and scaring away two men who had been harassing a drunk woman.

He is no longer active, claiming that Captain Australia is retired—for now!

Secret Identity: Ken Andre

Personal Gotham: Yeovil, Somerset, UK

Eschewing the pomp and flash of a typical superhero costume, 33-year-old Ken Andre took a different approach to vigilante justice: the way of the ninja. He calls himself Shadow and spends up to four nights a week out around his home in Somerset, stopping drug dealers and muggers—in the few years he’s been doing this, he says he’s stopped several dozen crimes. And out of all the people on this list, Shadow is the only real-life superhero with anything even resembling a superpower—a Batman-Esque hearing aid that amplifies sound.

Ken has been studying the martial art Ninjutsu since he was a child and stopped a carjacker one time by literally throwing nunchucks at him. In his own words, “I tied him to the lamppost using his own legs and called the police.”

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: Vancouver, Canada

In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the demon personification of death, a strange name for someone to choose who wants to spend their free time helping others. But that’s what a Vancouver man did three years ago when he decided to become a real-life superhero.

Wearing a black trench coat, black hat, and a green skull mask, Thanatos takes a community involvement approach to vigilante justice, passing out food and clothing to people on the street, even though he still keeps an eye out for any crimes that cross his path.

Unfortunately for those in need, Thanatos has retired from real-life superhero persona.

Real Name: Benjamin Fodor

Personal Gotham: Seattle, Washington

Of all these real-life superheroes, Phoenix Jones has probably received the most media attention, especially after being arrested in 2011 for pepper-spraying two women. He patrols the area around Seattle and claims that he was motivated to don a mask and cape after his car was broken into, and none of the bystanders tried to stop it from happening. Knife wounds, gunshots, street fights—it’s all in a day’s work for Phoenix Jones. The 22-year old is also a professional MMA fighter, which probably comes in handy as he tracks down criminals.

Also, unlike many other people who pretend to be superheroes, Phoenix’s costume actually has a bulletproof vest and armor plating.

While he unofficially retired in 2019, rumors swirled around that he would return in 2021.

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: South Shields, UK

The Flashing Blade has only been involved in one incident so far, but it was definitely bizarre. A gang armed with chains and knives attacked two detectives in South Shields in 2007. The detectives were unarmed, but out of nowhere, a man leaped into the fight, swinging a katana and shouting, “Leave him alone. He’s a police officer!” The sword caught one of the gang members on the arm, and the rest of them turned and ran, according to the report.

After the detectives were safe, The Flashing Blade disappeared and was never seen again. The only description the police got was that he was white, in his 40s, and had a mustache. So, be on the lookout.

Secret Identity: Secret!

Personal Gotham: Beijing, China

There are plenty of female superheroes that were just as deserving of being on this list as any of the people above, but few superheroes, man or woman, paint such a heartwarming picture as the Chinese Redbud Woman. She has been spotted several times in Beijing wearing a mask and cape and handing out food to homeless people on the streets.

Are these people vigilantes putting their lives and the lives of others in danger, or are they actually making a difference in whatever way they can?

For most of human history the hunt for food was central to daily life. The struggle to get enough to eat was, and for some people still is, a very real one. It is only very recently that some people in wealthy societies find themselves chronically overfed. So one of the best ways for wealthy people to show off was to throw an extravagant feast with food in such abundance that just reading about them is enough to fill you up.

Here are ten outrageous meals and the dishes served at them.

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10 Vitellius’ Feast

 

Roman orgies have become proverbial. While there were certainly often sexual antics presented to feasters it was the shear opulence of the food served up that most ancient historians found shocking. At the height of the Roman empire foods from thousands of miles away could be brought to the tables of the wealthy and swallowed down with rare vintages of wines. One emperor excelled all others in the meals he enjoyed – Vitellius used his position to raise feasting to new levels of decadence.

Vitellius, as his busts and coins show, was big man with a big hunger. He became popular with the army by lavishing them with food and drink so in the aftermath of Nero’s overthrow he was raised to the Imperial throne. For eight months he ruled Rome, or at least its dining tables.

The historian Suetonius records how he would make appointments to eat with the richest people in the city several times a day. Each meal would cost over 400,000 sesterces. “This load of victuals he could well enough bear, from a custom to which he had enured himself, of frequently vomiting.” But it was a dish that Vitellius invented that earns him a place on this list. His ‘Shield of Minerva’ was a vast dish composed in which “were tossed up together the livers of char-fish, the brains of pheasants and peacocks, with the tongues of flamingos, and the entrails of lampreys, which had been brought in ships of war as far as from the Carpathian Sea, and the Spanish Straits.”

9 Feast of the Pheasant

 

What do you do if you want to encourage people to go to war? In the case of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1452 he held a lavish banquet to drum up support for a crusade against the Turks. Called the Feast of the Pheasant it was one of the most lavish banquets ever held.

The feast hall was decorated with huge displays. One table featured a model church large enough to hold a choir while a further 28 musicians were hidden inside a pie. Fake ships sailed amongst the guests and a live lion could be seen in a false forest. A fire-breathing dragon swept overhead and a little boy on a deer rode about singing. The highlight of the feast was an elephant, probably mechanical, that was led into the hall by a giant Turkish man. A lady, representing Constantinople, on the back of the elephant called out for the men present to rescue her.

After 50 different dishes were served the guests swore an ‘Oath to the Pheasant’ over a living bird. They promised to participate in the crusade to recapture Constantinople but no crusade followed.

8 The Acclimatisation Society of Great Britain

 

In the 19th century many European thinkers joined societies designed bring non-native species into new countries. They thought that these species could be adapted to be useful to agriculture and society in general. Of course we now know that species can be invasive and cause untold damage to an ecosystem. The Acclimatisation Society of Great Britain decided to kick off their campaign with a feast.

At their first dinner guests were greeted by a hall decorated with stuffed birds and fish and the heads of other animals that they thought might be brought over to Britain. But it was the meal that really showed what new species could do for the dining tables of the nation.

Among the dishes served were birds’-nest soup (which guests thought not worth the expense) and a soup made from sea snails. Kangaroo was boiled to perfection. A course made from a rare hybrid of the hare and the rabbit was produced. Birds from Dominique, Syrian pigs, the Honduras Turkey, and all manner of fish found their way to the table. Even seaweed jelly was served. Few, if any, of these meals have made their way into the everyday English diet however.

7 Regent’s Banquet

 

Throughout his life George IV was always a little too fond of luxury. While still Prince of Wales he managed to get into £630,000 of debt – £65,568,000 in today’s money. His father, George III, would only agree to pay this off if his son got married. Unfortunately George III became increasingly unstable and Prince George was made regent. This gave him more opportunity to spend.

One of his most lavish spending sprees was creating a gaudy pavilion in Brighton. There, in 1817, the Regent hosted a feast for Grand Duke Nicolas of Russia. This feast was prepared by the first superstar chef of Europe, Marie-Antoine Careme. Careme’s notably extravagant style was just what the Regent wanted.

The banquet featured (among many, many others) dishes like rice soup, the head of a great sturgeon in champagne, chicken in aspic, haunches of boar, a terrine of larks, upside-down lemon jelly, truffles in warm linen, and a pyramid of shrimp. In total 121 different dishes were served to guests. The Prince Regent was always in debt, but hardly ever in a caloric deficit.

6 Manchu-Han Feast

 

Sometimes a single day is just not long enough to fit in all the gormandising you plan to do. The Manchu-Han feast was so luxurious that it took three days to serve all the foods – or so the story goes. This meal became a symbol for Chinese unity.

Under the rule of Emperor Kangxi there was increasing tension between the Manchu and Han factions in the nation. To bring them together the emperor decided that only a superlative meal could heal the rift. For his 66th birthday he held six banquets over three days which saw over 300 dishes being served.

Among these dishes you could sample ones called Snowy Palm, a bear claw with sturgeon, and Golden Eyes and Burning Brains, made from bean curd and bird brains. One of the dishes was an “imitated leopard fetus,” though no one is sure what was used for the imitation. Simpler plates featured grilled ape. Some scholars question whether this feast ever actually happened but most chose to believe that it did, or dream about being one of the diners.

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5 The Fête at Vaux

 

Few parties can be said to have led to political disgrace but the one held by Nicolas Fouquet in 1661 certainly sealed his fate. The fete at Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fouquet’s palatial home, was so magnificent that the king of France decided it must have been paid for by Fouquet plundering the royal treasury.

Fouquet was in charge of finances in France and the young king Louis XIV was already suspicious of Fouquet’s management. Yet Louis accepted an invitation to Fouquet’s new château. 6000 other guests were invited and so many carriages filled the road that traffic was jammed for miles. At the fete guests were treated to a production of a newly written play by Moliere and best art available in France at the time.

At the meal most guests dined from solid silver, while the royal family was served from solid gold plates. Dishes included pies of pigeon meat, veal steaks stuffed with delicacies, and imported oranges. Actors dressed as fauns and elves gave out diamonds to the ladies present. So spectacular were the fireworks and entertainments of the feast that Voltaire commented “On 17 August, at six in the evening Fouquet was the King of France.”

Voltaire however added “But at two in the morning he was nobody.” The king was now convinced that Fouquet must have embezzled money to pay for all this. Within weeks Fouquet was arrested and imprisoned. He would spend the rest of his life in jail.

4 Banquet of Chestnuts

 

Sometimes the entertainments presented at a feast overshadow the dishes on the table. At the Banquet of Chestnuts it was very definitely the events occurring under the table that caught most people’s interest.

The Vatican is not particularly noted for its rocking night life today but there have been times when the Popes have hosted lavish affairs, in all senses of the word. Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, was a member of one of Italy’s most notorious families. Unusually for a celibate priest he had children. The Pope’s son Cesare was to be the host at the Banquet of Chestnuts.

On the 31st of October, 1501 Cesare arranged a banquet in the Papal Palace. According to the official in charge of ceremonies this party was attended by “’fifty honest prostitutes’ called courtesans, who danced after dinner with the attendants and others who were present, at first in their garments, then naked. After dinner the candelabra with the burning candles were taken from the tables and placed on the floor, and chestnuts were strewn around, which the naked courtesans picked up, creeping on hands and knees between the chandeliers, while the Pope, Cesare, and his sister Lucretia looked on. Finally, prizes were announced for those who could perform the act most often with the courtesans, such as tunics of silk, shoes, barrets, and other things.”

3 The Epicurean Masters of the World

Epicurean philosophers preached the virtue of pleasure but they believed in taking joy in simple pleasures. For Epicurus a good treat was a simple pot of cheese. Yet the word Epicurean has come to suggest gluttons chasing rare dainties. It was in this sense that in 2007 the “Epicurean Masters of the World” gathered in Bangkok.

For 1 million Baht, around £15,000, per head the guests were able to enjoy food produced by six chefs who each had 3 Michelin stars to their name. Using only the finest ingredients the chefs created their signature dishes. The feast began with crème brûlée of foie gras with Tonga beans and was followed with tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belons oyster. Each of the dishes was paired with one of the rarest and most expensive wines on the planet. Apparently Mousseline of pattes rouges crayfish with morel mushroom infusion is best served with an Alain Soliveres 2000 Corton-Charlemagne.

The feast ended with an extravagant gingerbread pyramid. And maybe a bit of indigestion.

2 Raiding a Zoo

 

For four months from September 1870 the city of Paris was under siege by Prussian forces. Instead of bombarding the city it was decided that Paris would be starved into submission. For the people of the city food soon became scarce. The Parisians ate thousands of horses, their dogs and cats, even rats became prized meals. One restaurant however served a more exotic menu.

Alexandre Étienne Choron was one of the most famous chefs of his age. His restaurant Voisin was famed for its brilliant food. With ingredients running low it was perhaps inevitable that when the Paris Zoo announced it would have to put down its animals because they could no longer feed them that Choron should see an opportunity. He would serve an extraordinary Christmas meal.

The feast began with a donkey’s head accompanied by sardines, an elephant consommé, fried camel, kangaroo stew, wolf with a deer sauce, and an antelope with truffles. Though there were limited supplies of food Choron still had access to the wines of Paris’ fully-stocked cellars. The finest wines were paired with these wild dishes.

1 Cleopatra

 

Cleopatra VII of Egypt was one of the most alluring women of her age. Witty, educated, and seductive she formed relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Being monarch of one of the richest nations on Earth was also attractive. But perhaps it was her cuisine that brought all the Roman boys to her palace.

The historian Plutarch recorded that his grandfather had visited Cleopatra’s palace and seen her huge kitchens. When he saw 8 whole boars being roasted he assumed that a huge feast was being prepared. Instead he was told that only 12 people were dining. The boars were all cooked at slightly different times so that one would be perfectly ready whenever the guests sat down at the table.

One feast was even more expensive than all the others. Cleopatra bet Antony that she could spend 10,000,000 sesterces on a single meal. When the meal was served it was nothing special so Antony thought he had won but then Cleopatra called for the dessert – a single bowl of vinegar. Cleopatra owned two of the most perfect pearls in all the world that she wore as earrings. She plucked one from her ear and dissolved it in the vinegar before drinking it down and winning the bet.

Vinegar will not actually dissolve a pearl so some have conjectured that Cleopatra won her bet and managed to keep her pearl as well. She would just have had to go fishing for the pearl in her chamberpot and not the deep sea.

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