Weird Universe Blog — September 3, 2018
Ricki Covette
Ricki Covette: World's Tallest Dancer, 1950s from Lost Time Media on Vimeo.
Article and obit.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 03, 2018 -
Comments (5)
Category: Sex Symbols | 1940s | 1950s | Natural Wonders
Heinz Help Fruit Drink
Heinz's venture into the beverage market during the mid-1970s with its Help Fruit Drink only lasted a few years. The fact that Heinz is so associated with ketchup probably didn't 'help' the product. But also, what an odd name 'Help' was.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 03, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Food | 1970s
September 2, 2018
Most Expensive Ice Cream Sundae
Advertising it as "the world's most expensive ice cream sundae," this is what Three Twins Ice Cream will give you in exchange for $60,000:
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 02, 2018 -
Comments (9)
Category: Overpriced Merchandise
Sparky’s Hazard House
Although not as famous as McGruff the Crime Dog, Sparky the Fire Dog has been around for a while.
I am particularly interested in his "house of death by incineration" diorama.
Apparently you can still purchase one from this company.
You might also want their Hazard Farm model.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 02, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism | Death | Destruction | Domestic | Education | Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings | Children | 1950s
September 1, 2018
Macaroni woman of the year
Since I posted a few days ago about eggplants that looked like Richard Nixon, I thought it only fitting to also note that his wife, Patricia, had her own food thing going on. In 1970, she was named Macaroni Woman of the Year by the National Macaroni Institute. She also had her portrait painted out of macaroni by the artist Don Wheeler.
Redlands Daily Facts - Oct 1, 1970
Wilkes Barre Times Leader - Apr 14, 1971
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 01, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: Art | Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Food | Politics
Wisteria Princesses
Wisteria Princesses. L to R: Christine Dinwiddie, 15, Linda Nehls, 17, Janet Dickson, 15, Susan Glass, 15, and Meredith Mitchell, 17, princesses of the 1958 Wisteria Vine Festival, Sierra Madre.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 01, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues | Parades and Festivals | 1950s
August 31, 2018
Falling Sheep
Yesterday, Paul mentioned the threat posed by cows. It's worth remembering that sheep can be pretty dangerous too. As this hiker in Ireland recently found out when, out of the blue, he was hit by a falling sheep. Both the hiker and the sheep seem to have survived the incident.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 31, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Accidents | Animals
Potato Candy
Which recipe do you prefer? In either case, be sure to whip some up for St. Patrick's Day--or anytime you want tuber-based sweets!Source.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 31, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Candy | 1930s
August 30, 2018
Gibbon Diet
In order to raise awareness and funds for the Gibbon Protection Society of Malaysia, Grace Watson is spending a month eating only what a gibbon would eat. From stuff.co.nz:Lunch is usually a variation of apples, bananas, mandarin, and edible insects, while dinner is limited to vegetable soups, salads or slaws of grated beetroot, carrot, apple, with a squeeze of lime and some seeds...
Although she would like to entirely commit to the animals' diet in order to draw attention to the endangered primates, she cannot consume leaves like they can. "I'm unable to do that as part of my diet because humans can't break down nutrients like gibbons do from leaves," Watson conceded.
While it seems like a fine cause, it seems to me like it's cheating just a bit to eat cooked food.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 30, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals | Food | Dieting and Weight Loss
Hero Dog of the Year
In 1954, Ken-L Ration Dog Food began awarding a prize to the "Hero Dog of the Year." Sponsorship switched to Kibbles 'n' Bits at some point.Here is a list of some winners.
The latest year I can find when the award was given was 2004.
The American Humane Society seems to have taken over, or rebooted the award.
In any case, the award gives us a chance here at WU to carry forward one of our earliest missions: proving that cows are the most evil and deadly creature on the planet.
Article behind NYT paywall, alas.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 30, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals | Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Dogs | 1950s | 1980s
