SCARED
SH*TLESS
1,003 FACTS
THAT WILL SCARE THE SH*T OUT OF YOU
CARY
McNEAL
A PERIGEE BOOK
A PERIGEE BOOK
Published by the Penguin Group
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Copyright 2012 by Cary McNeal
Text design by Pauline Neuwirth
All rights reserved.
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First edition: September 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McNeal, Cary.
Scared sh*tless : 1,003 facts that will scare the sh*t out of you / Cary McNeal. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN: 978-1-101-61139-5
1. Curiosities and wonders. I. Title. II. Title: Scared shitless.
AG243.M3183 2012
031.02dc23 2012022360
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
INTRODUCTION
WHAT SCARES YOU?
Death? Crime? Disease? Natural disasters? Or do you suffer from boutique fears like clowns, cannibals, countries whose names end in -istan or people who say nuke-ular or supposably or conversate?
Fears vary by individual, but one thing is certain: were all afraid of something. Put anyone who says otherwise in an airplane plummeting toward earth or in the path of a charging polar bear and see how fearless that person really is. Then help him change into a fresh pair of shorts.
Were all afraid of something.
In this follow-up to the bestselling (thank you!) 1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S*#t Out of You, Ive included another shipload of facts to frighten both the many and the few. Things like bad breath and Celine Dion might not scare you, but they sure as hell scare me, especially if youve just eaten a feta-cheese-and-onion sandwich and start close-talking to me about how much you love Celines new record. And I dont scare easily.
Were all afraid of something. Whats your fear?
Thanks for buying my book. I hope you like it.
CM
CELEBRITY
FREAK CLUB
Famous
People,
Infamous
Behavior
YOU KNOW HOW PEOPLE like to say that celebrities are just like us? Those people are wrong. Celebs arent like us. I know its nice to think you could bond with someone like Angelina Jolie or George Clooney or Pitbull over a beer at T.G.I. Fridays, but you cant. Ive worked with plenty of famous folk over the years, and while some of them are lovely people, even the nice ones arent like you and me. I dont know if its the adoration or the money or the opportunity to dance competitively on TV, but celebrities are, well, weird. So when they do weird things like shower eighteen times a day or buy property on the moon or eat their roommates, it shouldnt surprise you.
It certainly doesnt surprise me.
FACT 1 Billionaire Howard Hughes stored his own urine in bottles.
FACT 2 Hughes also wore empty tissue boxesas shoes. And blew his nose in his socks.
FACT 3 Appearing in a tampon commercial at age nineteen, actress Courteney Cox became the first person to say the word period in that context on American television.
FACT 4 In 2006, William Shatner was paid $25,000 by an online casino for a kidney stone he had recently passed.
FACT 5 Charlie Chaplin once placed third in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
FACT 6Actor Charlie Sheen sayshe used steroids to prepare for his role as a pitcher in the movie Major League. Of course he did. Hes Charlie Sheen.
FACT 7 George Washington has two books from the New York Society Library still checked out in his name. Loaned in 1789, the books are more than 222 years overdue, and have accumulated a fine of more than $300,000 in todays dollars.
FACT 8 Oprah Winfrey is chilephobic: she fears gum chewing