1 HBO Rejected Breaking Bad Pitch
Vince Gilligan called his pitch meeting with HBO for Breaking Bad the worst meeting of his life. The executive he pitched to could not have been less interested, “Not even in my story, but about whether I actually lived or died.” In the following weeks, HBO didn’t even bother to offer a courtesy “no.”
2. Weird Al Yankovic doesn’t legally need permission to parody a song under U.S. copyright law. However, he always asks as a personal rule to maintain good relationships with artists.
3. People said Frederick the Great felt physical disgust toward women. At one dinner party, he stunned guests with an offensive rant about “ghastly women you could smell ten miles away.” When he finally saw his wife after six years, he simply remarked, “Madame has become more stout,” and walked away.
4. As of March 2024, manufacturers in Japan sell more adult diapers than baby diapers—largely due to the country’s rapidly aging population.
5. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz each negotiated an upfront $10 million payment for voicing Shrek 2. In comparison, they earned only $350,000 apiece for the original film. Additionally, producers expected each actor to work just 15 to 18 hours total on the sequel.
6 Toilet Sitting Increases Hemorrhoid Risk
Spending too long sitting on the toilet—even without straining—significantly raises the risk of developing hemorrhoids.
7. British mathematician Alan Turing often displayed eccentric habits. Every June, he wore a gas mask while cycling to work to shield himself from pollen. Though his bike chain regularly slipped, he didn’t fix it; instead, he counted pedal rotations and stopped just in time to adjust it manually.
8. 18th-century German composer Daniel Steibelt once challenged Beethoven to a piano duel and tried to cheat by giving him a cello-and-piano score instead of a solo piano piece. Undeterred, Beethoven flipped the sheet music upside down, played it, and then improvised on the inversed themes for thirty minutes.
9. Height-lengthening surgeries now exist—growing popular mainly among men—they endure bone-breaking procedures, months of pain, and intense rehabilitation just to gain a few extra inches in height.
10. James Cameron has directed the most expensive movie ever made not once, but five separate times (as of April 2025).
11 Outlet Stores Sell Lower Quality
Most outlet stores don’t sell overstock from regular retail locations—instead, they offer cheaper, lower-quality versions made specifically for outlets. Moreover, the “compare at” prices and massive discounts are often deceptive. You think you’re getting a deal, but the product is entirely different.
12. In 1975, McDonald’s opened its first drive-thru to serve soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. At the time, military regulations prohibited soldiers from leaving their vehicles while in uniform when off-post.
13. In 1978, U.S. House of Representative Leo Ryan traveled to Guyana to investigate reports that Jim Jones was holding people against their will at the Peoples Temple Jonestown settlement. As Ryan and his team attempted to leave, they were shot and killed.
14. A measles infection causes “immune amnesia,” which makes the immune system forget how to fight off previously known pathogens—effectively erasing immunity gained from earlier infections or vaccinations.
15. Bruce Springsteen’s hit song Born in the U.S.A. is widely misunderstood; rather than patriotic, it sharply criticizes the U.S. government’s treatment of Vietnam War veterans.
16 Stork’s Annual Journey for Love
From 2001 to 2021, a stork named Klepetan flew annually from South Africa to Croatia to reunite with his mate, Malena, who couldn’t fly due to a gunshot injury. Each year, Klepetan built her nests, hunted for food, and raised their chicks. Malena passed away in 2021 due to old age.
17. At just 18, German composer J.S. Bach taught unruly older students and frequently clashed with them. After calling one a “nanny goat bassoonist,” the student retaliated by calling him a “dirty dog” and striking him with a stick. Bach drew his sword and pierced the student’s jacket, stopping only when bystanders intervened.
18. In 2022, a German-Iraqi woman named Sharaban K searched Instagram for women who resembled her. She eventually lured Khadidja O, a woman of Algerian origin, with a fake beauty treatment offer at her salon. Sharaban then murdered her in a shocking attempt to fake her own death. However, authorities quickly arrested her after spotting her casually eating pizza at a nearby pizzeria with her co-conspirator.
19. Walburga Oesterreich, a 19th-century American housewife married to wealthy textile manufacturer Fred William Oesterreich, gained infamy for secretly hiding her lover in the attic for over a decade. Eventually, the hidden man emerged—only to murder her husband.
20. Most airplanes are painted white because it reflects sunlight, keeps the aircraft cooler, and reduces the need for air conditioning—ultimately saving fuel.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
21 Illusory Truth Effect Explained
The more often you hear a lie, the more likely you are to believe it—a phenomenon known as the illusory truth effect. Psychologists first documented it in 1977. Essentially, when something is repeated enough, your brain starts thinking, “Yeah, that sounds right.”
22. During a New York City parade celebrating Jesse Owens’ four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics, an anonymous fan handed him a paper bag filled with $10,000 in cash.
23. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law ranks as the third most expensive television show ever produced (as of April 2025).
24. General James Wilkinson, a high-ranking U.S. officer during both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, was later exposed as a Spanish spy. Historians uncovered the evidence in Spain years after his death—leading Theodore Roosevelt to declare, “In all our history, there is no more despicable character.”
25. Michael Böllner, the German actor who played Augustus Gloop in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, later became a tax accountant. He had no idea how beloved the film was in America until fans invited him to a convention decades later.
RE: Fact #23 (She-Hulk Among Priciest TV Shows) – Severance season 2 cost a whole lot more per episode than even Game of Thrones, even if you factor in inflation! I’m a huge Severance fan, but it doesn’t exactly scream “expensive show,” right? Except for a few famous faces, it could easily pass for a really good indie film.
On the other hand, GoT had a massive cast for eight seasons, with rising salaries, huge sets, massive battles, worldwide locations, and crazy special effects. So, is Severance some kind of money laundering scheme? 😅
RE: Fact #17 (Young Bach’s Violent Student Clash) – Bach also did a month in jail later on because he kept bugging his boss to quit for a better job, and finally lost it after a gig and got arrested.
RE: Fact #8 (Beethoven Outsmarts Piano Duel Opponent) – That’s the only reason I ever heard of Daniel Steibelt—for daring to challenge the GOAT and getting totally crushed.
RE: Fact #26 (Wendy Williams Under Guardianship) – She says she doesn’t fit in on that memory care ward, just like my mom, who’s got early-onset dementia. Mom thinks she works there half the time, and that they won’t let her leave.
Being a fraud investigator is tough. I’ve looked into a few cases where elderly people in home care accused their caregivers of holding them against their will. It’s awful. I have to do my job, but the kids are in a bad spot, and the caregivers are just doing their jobs. I always start by apologizing, and they’re usually really understanding and grateful. Most of the time, actual financial abuse is pretty obvious once you dig into it—it’s usually just the elderly person who’s confused. It’s a sad situation.
She wasn’t supposed to be on that ward initially, but shortly after she arrived, they found her drunk at the rooftop bar. Given she’s an alcoholic and drinking makes her health worse, they moved her to a secure area.
Honestly, I don’t feel sorry for her. Her whole career was built on trash-talking people and acting superior. Plus, she was a total freak who openly boasted about having sex with a guy while her son was in the room. The world’s better off without her.
My father-in-law thought he worked accounting at the casino. They gave him a free room and food. He’d get super stressed if we took him out; he always worried about being late.
RE: Fact #8 (Beethoven Outsmarts Piano Duel Opponent) – It gets even better. Beethoven crashed some fancy party where Steibelt was playing one of his tunes, and Beethoven totally lost it and walked out. Next party, Beethoven lets Steibelt play, then, before the applause even died down, grabs Steibelt’s cello part, flips it over, plays the first four notes, and then just *improvises* for like, forty minutes! Steibelt bailed, leaving Vienna and probably the whole region. Those first four notes? He used them at the start of the Scherzo in his 3rd symphony. Seriously, Beethoven totally owned this guy—so much he left the country! And then Beethoven rubbed it in by using that same riff in one of his big pieces. Beethoven was awesome.
Edit: Whoops, I meant the fourth movement. Yeah, it’s kinda like that Kendrick/Drake beef. And, okay, Beethoven was a bit of a jerk—no luck with love, family drama, the whole nine yards. But still, he was the deaf composer who changed music forever. You can’t top that.
RE: Fact #45 (Rubies and Sapphires: Same Mineral) – Amethyst is just purple quartz.
RE: Fact #4 (Japan’s Adult Diaper Dominance) – Boxers or briefs? It depends.
RE: Fact #23 (She-Hulk Among Priciest TV Shows) – Wow, Severance season 2 was the seventh most expensive TV show ever? Seriously, how much did that marching band set them back?
Me too! I’m stoked Apple TV’s behind it so much—seriously one of the best shows ever, in my opinion. Right up there with *The Knick*.
RE: Fact #49 (Eiffel Tower Beats Bizarre Proposals) – Imagine a 300-meter-high guillotine, a permanent Paris landmark – what a great way to show off to any wannabe dictator!
RE: Fact #19 (Lover Hid in Attic for Years) – Wow, that’s some seriously sloppy police work. Husband’s dead, they can’t explain how the wife ended up locked in a closet, and they missed the guy in the attic!
RE: Fact #32 (Ving Rhames’ High Pay for Seconds) – He’s got the goods now! Talk about the life, getting paid in fancy briefcases 🤣
Wow, he’s the Arby’s guy? I never made that connection!
RE: Fact #43 (Miranda Rights Namesake’s Tragic End) – I remember my social studies teacher in high school talking about this case. He said that guy was definitely a criminal who deserved prison, but the case was important because…
RE: Fact #37 (Easter Date Calculation Disputes) – It’s more about the calendar difference, Julian versus Gregorian, than the algorithm itself.
RE: Fact #10 (James Cameron’s Costly Film Streak) – Terminator 2, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar 2—each one was the most expensive movie ever, when it came out.
RE: Fact #11 (Outlet Stores Sell Lower Quality) – Hey, I spent way too long in retail consulting, so I get this. Remember when outlets first started? They were basically dumping grounds for stuff the brands couldn’t move – like those hideous mustard-colored Polo shorts they couldn’t sell in May, or Banana Republic dress shirts with square buttons. Skinny jeans out of style? Not at the outlets!
Back then, outlets were great for cheap, decent stuff – maybe stuff you’d only wear on weekends. But it was still the same quality as the stuff in the regular stores.
Now? It’s different. Outlets are a brand in themselves. Much cheaper, but also much lower quality. So if you shop there, know what you’re looking at – you gotta be careful.
Totally. Used to be, outlets had stuff with little flaws—a dropped stitch, a missing belt loop, that sort of thing. We had to really look for them. Or it was just old stock. Now? They just straight-up lie. I don’t bother with outlets anymore.
RE: Fact #39 (Texaco’s Illegal Oil Sales) – These big oil companies—Shell, Exxon, BP, Chevron—have all done some seriously shady stuff. Shell backed South Africa during apartheid, Exxon messed up big time with the Valdez spill, BP wrecked the Gulf, and Chevron’s been buying influence to get more offshore drilling. It’s a mess, and you can’t avoid them all.
RE: Fact #18 (Instagram Doppelgänger Murder Plot) – She was found guilty. The Ingolstadt regional court’s press officer, Thomas Schlappa, said both were given life sentences on December 19th.
RE: Fact #41 (Albatrosses’ Efficient Gliding Technique) – Plus, they’ve got this awesome tendon thing, like a shoulder lock, that only they and giant petrels have. It keeps their wings spread wide without them having to work hard at it. Pretty neat birds!
RE: Fact #1 (HBO Rejected Breaking Bad Pitch) – TNT loved Breaking Bad at first, but then freaked out about the meth and thought they’d get canned if they bought it. They even suggested changing the main character to a counterfeiter! FX actually bought it in 2005, but got cold feet, worrying they were becoming *the* male antihero network and needed something to draw in women. Showtime skipped it because it was too much like *Weeds*. Gilligan later said he wouldn’t have pitched it to them if he’d known about *Weeds*.
Honestly, all three decisions make sense, even if they were mistakes. HBO’s lack of interest in *Breaking Bad*, though? That’s baffling. Shows like *Breaking Bad* and *Mad Men* – which they also missed out on – were practically *made* for HBO. Passing on them didn’t just cost them money, it made people wonder if HBO was still the top dog for great TV. That gave Netflix a chance to become a major player, and people were happy to watch what they produced.
RE: Fact #13 (Congressman Killed Investigating Jonestown) – The title should highlight this amazing fact: he’s the only US Congressman ever killed on the job.
Wow, I was pretty surprised to learn that Ryan was only the second U.S. Representative ever assassinated while in office, after James M. Hinds back in 1868.
RE: Fact #18 (Instagram Doppelgänger Murder Plot) – It’s darkly funny how she hides her face, considering her whole argument is that we can just look at the dead person to know who it is.
RE: Fact #39 (Texaco’s Illegal Oil Sales) – They shipped oil to Nazi Germany through South America.
RE: Fact #47 (NASA Uses Taco Bell Tortillas) – It’s also because their crumbs aren’t like bread crumbs.
The cool thing about those posts was that they used Taco Bell tortillas—the good stuff about tortillas is pretty clear already.
RE: Fact #39 (Texaco’s Illegal Oil Sales) – If the fines aren’t high enough, companies just see them as a business expense.
RE: Fact #30 (Alva Vanderbilt’s Empowering Divorce) – She basically shoved her daughter, Consuela, into a marriage with some British duke—Consuela didn’t want it, and the guy even admitted he only married her for her money.
RE: Fact #7 (Alan Turing’s Quirky Cycling Habits) – Having hay fever, riding my bike with a gas mask makes sense.
RE: Fact #31 (Tudor England’s Harsh Beggar Laws) – I get it, there should be limits on begging. Public spaces are one thing, but trapping people somewhere? That’s not cool. People shouldn’t feel pressured or threatened.
RE: Fact #15 (Born in the U.S.A. Misinterpreted) – Check out the lyrics to “Allentown,” you won’t be disappointed.
RE: Fact #22 (Jesse Owens’ Surprise Cash Gift) – Great point! Like Owens said, four gold medals don’t fill your belly.
RE: Fact #3 (Frederick the Great’s Disdain for Women) – Ron Swanson’s reaction to seeing Tammy: “Tammy says it’s great to see me, but honestly, she’s aged terribly.”
RE: Fact #12 (McDonald’s Drive-Thru Born from Soldiers) – That’s a really neat fact!
RE: Fact #35 (Ford’s Whiz Kids Revolutionize Production) – Robert McNamara, who later became Secretary of Defense, was one of those brilliant guys, and his whole career shows just how amazing—and terrifying—applied math can be.
If you’re at all interested in World War II in the Pacific, the Cold War, or even how businesses are run today, check out the documentary *Fog of War*. It’s really good.
RE: Fact #26 (Wendy Williams Under Guardianship) – Those are some pretty serious dementia diagnoses. I used to work in secure aged care, and it was common for people to want to leave, even when they were clearly not okay. This area needs strong safeguards to prevent people from being taken advantage of, while keeping them safe.
RE: Fact #6 (Toilet Sitting Increases Hemorrhoid Risk) – I heard this from Kevin Smith ages ago, way back when blogs were huge. He blogged about everything, even his health stuff. Apparently, he’d use bathroom breaks to read scripts people sent him. A quick trip would stretch into an hour or more every day.
He ended up with bad hemorrhoids, and a doctor finally sorted it out. My wife does the same thing – using bathroom time to unwind after work or start her day on social media. She gets this problem a few times a year. I give her a hard time about it when I have to help with the cream, and she’ll lay off for a bit.
So, people keep asking how it causes damage, so here’s the deal: It’s not the sitting, it’s sitting *after* pooping. Think about how you really pucker your lips when you kiss – your butt does something similar when you go. Pooping pushes some inner part of your butt out, and standing pulls it back in. If you sit too long afterward, it gets trapped.
RE: Fact #33 (Papal Conclave Food Restrictions) – I’m curious if that counts pop-tarts and other hand pies.