Weird Universe Archive

March 2010

March 29, 2010

Milt Gross



I am currently enjoying a great book about cartoonist Milt Gross. (See link at right.)

If you watch the embedded cartoon, you'll get a sense of why he was idolized by R. Crumb and the founding artists of Mad magazine for his supreme wackiness.







Jitterbug Follies (1939) Milt Gross
Uploaded by klangley. - See more comedy videos.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 29, 2010 - Comments (3)
Category: Comics, Books, Cartoons, 1930s

News of the Weird / Pro Edition (March 29, 2010)

News of the Weird/Pro Edition
"You're Still Not Cynical Enough"

Exceptionally Inexplicable Dispatches from Last Week
March 29, 2010
(datelines March 20-March 27) (links correct as of March 29)

A "Red State" Sex Fetish, Plus the Dope Economy, a Chili Pepper Bomb, and Poop Week at Pro Edition

Who's in Charge of Making Up Fetishes?
How are we supposed to keep up with them if we can't imagine how people (well, men) could possibly get off that way? These men go all tingly-toed by ogling a shapely calf and well-turned ankle in sexy stilettos, pumping a gas pedal ("revving," "cranking"). The thrill is supposedly enhanced if the lady is in distress, e.g., trying to start an uncooperative engine. Of course there are chat rooms and videos. The Daily Beast

Bad News for People Who Seem to Prefer Health Care Doled Out by Insurance Companies' Accountants Rather Than the Government
(1) Mr. Houston Tracy, who is insured, has a major medical disorder, but BlueCross BlueShield of Texas said it will not cover it because it was a "pre-existing condition." This is interesting because Houston is now about two weeks old, and it's "pre-existing" only in the sense that it was spotted pre-natally, in the womb. Might the government be more sympathetic to Houston than an insurance company would? Paula Ortel wouldn't think so. (2) Ortel, on Medicare, has a brain tumor that was miraculously wiped out (9 years' remission!) by an experimental kind of interferon that's authorized for multiple sclerosis. Medicare had been paying $100,000 a year for her drug. But then Ortel moved from one county in Wisconsin to another, which triggered an automatic review of her records–and Medicare's realization that her drug was not authorized for brain cancer. The interferon was cut off; the tumor immediately returned; and she now knows she's doomed. KHOU-TV (Houston) /// Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via ABC News

California County Worried About Job Loss, Local Business Downturn
That might describe every county in California, but Humboldt (on the north coast; biggest city: Eureka), is special. "We have to recognize," said the county supervisor, that a "big . . .piece of our economy . . . is subsidized by being illegal," i.e., Humboldt is the marijuana-growing capital of America, and if any of the various legalization initiatives succeeds, dope prices are likely to drop, meaning fewer riches to be spent at Humboldt businesses. [ed. Suggested course of action: Embrace the brand right now, e.g., "Humboldt Weed–American Excellence"]. Associated Press via San Jose Mercury News

I'm Not the Messiah, Said Raj Patel (Oh, Yes, You Are! They Shouted)
Who determines Messiahhood–the alleged Messiah or the followers who breathe heavily at the very mention of his name? British-born food writer Raj Patel went on The Colbert Report, and a few people recognized the arc of his work and biography as matching the prophesies of a Scottish mystic, Benjamin Creme, and the religious cult Share International. "[H]undreds of people" are said to believe Patel is Maitreya, "the teacher." Patel's disavowal was worthless, in that (just as in Monty Python's The Life of Brian) Maitreya prophesied that the real Messiah would disavow. The Guardian (London)



More in extended >>

Posted By: Chuck - Mon Mar 29, 2010 - Comments (10)
Category:

March 28, 2010

Follies of the Mad Men #93



Okay, so your establishment is NOT the Bates Motel. But do you even want to remind your customers of the horrible things that can happen in anonymous hotel rooms?

Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 28, 2010 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Death, Hotels, Europe

March 27, 2010

Tailgate At Your Own Risk


Every time somebody comes up with a great idea to combat idiots on the road, along comes the police with cuffs and an arrest warrant! Darn it!

Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 27, 2010 - Comments (6)
Category:

Chicken Race


cocotte minute
Uploaded by amoroso78.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 27, 2010 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Death, Food, Cartoons, Europe

March 26, 2010

Afraid of Drowning?  Swim with legs and arms tied—and in a bag!!

This sounds like a recipe for drowning to me, but this guy has developed a technique for swiming even when his arms and legs are tied -- and put in a bag.



Please don't try this at home.

Posted By: gdanea - Fri Mar 26, 2010 - Comments (7)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers

Czech Hip-hop



Have you ever wondered what Czech rappers sound like? Me neither. But just in case....

Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 26, 2010 - Comments (5)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, Europe

March 25, 2010

Video Game


There are plans for a Michael Jackson video game in the works. So, I wonder what the game will be about, perhaps 10 and 12 year old boys being chased by zombies (reference picture above) through an abandoned amusement park. Or maybe just M.J. Guitar Hero.

picture from 8notes.com

Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 25, 2010 - Comments (7)
Category:

The A To Z Of Awesomeness!

British comic book artist Neill Cameron has been posting one letter a day of sheer awesomeness, based on suggestions from fans. Now the alphabet is complete everyone can view such wonders as "Aztecs in Atomic Armour Attacking Anomalous Amphibians" and "Doctor Who Defeating Doctor Doom in a Deadly Disco Dance-off" for themselves.

So if you've ever longed to see Lois Lane, Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris lasciviously licking lollipops at a London landmark, why not have a look-see at Neill's A to Z of Awesomeness. You'll love it!

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Thu Mar 25, 2010 - Comments (4)
Category: Art, Comics, Surrealism, Pop Culture, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Superheroes

Reparata and the Delrons



Were the entire 1960's totally weird? You be the judge.

More on Reparata here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 25, 2010 - Comments (13)
Category: Music, Psychedelic, 1960s

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Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

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Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre.

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