Weird Universe Blog — September 9, 2023

Honeymoon attack

Aug 1993: Frannie Snite was convicted of sneaking up behind her new husband as he sat watching the sunset during their honeymoon, then attacking him with a tire iron. Apparently she was hoping to get a life insurance payout. That's gotta be in the running for the worst honeymoon ever.

And yet, it seems like there must be more to the story. I don't think her husband (who survived the attack) ever identified her as his attacker. Her 2013 obituary doesn't mention any of this, nor her five-year prison sentence.

More info: Seattle Times

Lancaster New Era - Aug 18, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 09, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime | Wives | Marriage | 1990s

September 8, 2023

Miss Automated Handling

In 1961, the Norfolk Naval Supply Center introduced a half-million-dollar automated system for material handling in order to expedite "the movement of vast quantities of supplies and stores to shore stations and ships all over the world."

As part of the opening ceremonies, Norma Jean Riganto was crowned "Miss Automated Handling."

Adding a light touch to the ceremonies was the presentation of Norma Jean Riganto, a stock recording clerk, who won over 17 other Supply Center beauties for the title of "Miss Automated Handling." Peggy Knight, who works in the Material Department, was the runner-up.

Virginian-Pilot - Oct 13, 1961

Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 08, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | 1960s

September 7, 2023

Cheese Fortune Telling

Add cheese fortune telling (or "tyromancy" as it's called) to the other techniques of using food to predict the future that we've previously posted about (asparagus divination and apple-peel divination).



Some info from BackyardBanshee.com:

The word Tyromancy stems from the Greek words turos (tryro) meaning cheese and manteia (mancy) meaning divination. The history of the practice goes back to around the middle ages, and just like any other form of divination, the art of Tyromancy assists in divining messages. This particular method does so through the coagulation, fermentation or patterns of cheese.

In the middle ages, cheese would be inspected and based on the shape, the number of holes, patterns of mould and other cheesy characteristics one could predict certain things, including rain, love, money, justice, health and death.

One medieval method offered various potential outcomes, with each piece of cheese denoting one path. Depending on which piece was eaten first by a mouse, or a worm, you could see which path was more likely, which links nicely to Myomancy (mice divination).

Another traditional approach was used by young country girls to divine the names of their future husbands. You could write the names of your potential sweethearts on individual pieces of cheese, and the first to grow mould would show the most likely suitor or ideal match.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 07, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Food | Predictions

Commercials to Cringe By

Can these parodies outdo the actual ads in weirdness? Especially limited to audio-only? Have a listen!



Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 07, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Advertising | 1960s | Parody

September 6, 2023

Tasty Human Flavor

While buying food for my cat, I noticed that the Temptations treats he loves now come in a new flavor: Tasty Human.

So it's like Soylent Green as cat food?

I suppose this will give him a taste for human flesh, which will make it even more likely that he'll eat me should I drop dead in the house.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 06, 2023 - Comments (6)
Category: Food | Cats

The Coach With the Six Insides

James Joyce's novel FINNEGANS WAKE is notorious for its undecipherability. But somehow Jean Erdman, wife of mythologist Joseph Campbell (himself a Joyce expert) decided the book could be transformed into a dance.

See video after snapshot.




Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 06, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Literature | Music | Unsolved Mysteries | 1960s | Dance

September 5, 2023

Phil A. O’Fish

In the 1970s, McDonalds introduced many of its well-known corporate mascots such as the Hamburgerlar, Mayor McCheese, and Ronald McDonald. It also debuted Phil A. O'Fish who, for some reason, disappeared less than a year after being introduced.

I wonder what Phil did wrong to get dropped so quickly.

More info: Smithsonian Magazine

flickr.com



Washington Court House Record-Herald - Mar 18, 1976



Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 05, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings | 1970s

Disco Body Shaper

Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 05, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Exercise and Fitness | Advertising | 1970s

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All original content in posts is Copyright © 2016 by the author of the post, which is usually either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.

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