Sometimes the truth really is harder to believe than the crazy stories you read on the Internet. But even though you’re reading this on the Web, you can believe every one of these tales: they all come straight from the Guinness Book of World Records.

-Be thankful that you don’t pay income taxes in Denmark. They range from 42-68 percent! The citizens benefit from the high taxes, though: they all receive free higher education and health care, among other things.

-On the other hand, you could live in a country that doesn’t charge income taxes at all. Ever. No matter how much residents of Bahrain or Qatar earn, their governments don’t take income taxes. Instead, much of the support comes from the oil industries.

-Your credit-card addiction isn’t all that bad compared to that of Walter Cavanaugh. This California citizen owns over 1,000 credit cards – all valid. He can legally charge more than 1.6 million dollars!

-If you think your cell phone is expensive, check out the one made by David Morris International. The UK-based jeweler created a solid gold cell phone and enhanced the already-expensive keypad with pink and white diamonds. The phone’s worth: $104,050.

-In 2004, Eric Clapton’s black Fender Stratocaster sold for more than $950,000, making it the world’s most valuable guitar.

-Don’t complain about Zippo lighters costing thirty bucks or more: an original 1933 model went for ten grand in 1998.

-There really is a category for the world’s fastest text message. Of all the contestants at the 2004 SMS Shootout in Singapore, Kimberly Yeo Sue Fern typed the standard 160-character message in just 43.2 seconds.

-You’ve probably heard of the CD that is officially the longest-titled album to hit charts. If you guessed Fiona Apple’s œWhen The Pawn¦ you’re right. Its proper title is œWhen the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He’ll Win the Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters the Ring There’s No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz You’ll Know That You’re Right.

-The most-recorded song is œYesterday. This John Lennon and Paul McCartney song was originally recorded in 1965. By 1986 the song had been recorded more than 1,600 times.

-Many people know that the Gutenberg Bible was the first mechanically-produced book. However, what you might not know is that five complete copies exist. They are at The University of Texas, The Library of Congress, Harvard University, the Piermont Morgan Library in New York and Yale University.
 
-And of course, there must be a Guinness Record for the person who holds the most Guinness Records. That honor belongs to Ashrita Furman. The Jamaica, New York resident has set more than 100 records (many were either broken or retired at one point or another). Some of his current records include:

Most hopscotch games completed in 24 hours (434 games)
The fastest pogo-stick-jumping mile (12 minutes 16 seconds)
Most jump-rope jumps in one hour “ underwater (900)
Fastest mile by walking lunges (30 minutes 50 seconds)
Longest continuous distance for balancing a pool cue on his finger (7 miles 220 feet)
Backwards bowling high score in one game (160)

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