Weird Universe Archive
February 2015
February 28, 2015
Round Egg
After 64 bids a round egg sold for £480 on EBay. Amazing considering its still just an egg.
Posted By: patty - Sat Feb 28, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Agriculture, Food
Bile Beans
One of the less-alluringly named nostrums. Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 28, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Drugs, Scams, Cons, Rip-offs, and General Larceny, Advertising, Excrement, Nineteenth Century, Diseases
Texas legislators smell decaying rat
In 1969, a rat died somewhere in the offices of the Texas legislature. This led to the passage of Texas House State Resolution 433:WHEREAS, there are many brands of rat poison on the market today; and
WHEREAS, Some brands of rat poison do cause the rat to leave the building before he dies; and
WHEREAS, The same thing goes for mice; and
WHEREAS, The State of Texas obviously does not use a brand of rat poison that causes rats and mice to leave the building before they die; and
WHEREAS, For the last week and a half, Representatives Jungmichel, Wieting, Ward, McAlister, Allen, Allen of Harris, Jones of Harris, Kubiak, Parker of Jefferson, Cory, Newman, Johnson of Bexar, Kothman, Weldon, Longoria, Ogg and Cummings have unduly suffered mental anguish by having to smell a dead rat; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the heretofore mentioned Representatives hereby go on record as supporting either letting the rats run loose in the Capitol or changing the brand of rat poison.
WHEREAS, Some brands of rat poison do cause the rat to leave the building before he dies; and
WHEREAS, The same thing goes for mice; and
WHEREAS, The State of Texas obviously does not use a brand of rat poison that causes rats and mice to leave the building before they die; and
WHEREAS, For the last week and a half, Representatives Jungmichel, Wieting, Ward, McAlister, Allen, Allen of Harris, Jones of Harris, Kubiak, Parker of Jefferson, Cory, Newman, Johnson of Bexar, Kothman, Weldon, Longoria, Ogg and Cummings have unduly suffered mental anguish by having to smell a dead rat; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the heretofore mentioned Representatives hereby go on record as supporting either letting the rats run loose in the Capitol or changing the brand of rat poison.
So what are these brands of rat poison that can make a rat leave the building before it dies? I've never heard of such a thing.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Feb 28, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Government, 1960s
February 27, 2015
Put Men in Girdles
) promised to reveal how one could be "lazy, healthy, & fit." For years before he published the book, Steincrohn had also been writing newspaper columns in which he promoted his formula for health. The secret was girdles.He felt that all men over 40, in particular, should be wearing girdles just like their wives (this was the 1960s), because he believed that girdles promoted good circulation and thus meant the heart didn't have to work as hard pumping blood. Wearing a girdle, he promised, would "add years to a man's life."
The Abilene Reporter-News - Nov 23, 1964
Posted By: Alex - Fri Feb 27, 2015 -
Comments (1)
Category: Health, Books, 1960s
The Icyclist
I am so sick of winter. But maybe if I had a nice bike like this one...
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 27, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Nature, 1930s
February 26, 2015
Wearable Tomato Project
This has gotten quite a bit of attention from the Internet. But just in case some of you haven't seen it, this is the "Tomatan" — the end result of the "wearable tomato project" sponsored by a Japanese vegetable juice company to promote the idea that tomatoes are good for you and would be great food-on-the-go for runners.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Feb 26, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Food, Inventions, Chindogu
The First Dog Whisperer
Much iconography that was once taken for granted as part of our culture now means nothing to people. Does any youth of today understand that a Napolean hat = crazy?
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 26, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Nutrition, Dogs, 1960s
February 25, 2015
Women in Algae
This scientific conference, being held in March, runs the risk of attracting the wrong kind of people. Because I'm sure there must be a fetish group out there aroused specifically by the combination it's advertising.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Feb 25, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: Science
Sodaburst
A solution without a problem. So much easier than scooping a dollop of vanilla ice cream into a glass of root beer. Now with limited flavor choices!
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 25, 2015 -
Comments (13)
Category: Advertising, Chindogu, Junk Food, 1960s
February 24, 2015
Ouija Board Inheritance
A follow-up to my Ouija board post of last week. This may be the only case of a Ouija board involved in an inheritance dispute.When Mrs. Helen Dow Peck died in 1955, she left almost her entire estate to "John Gale Forbes," whom she met via Ouija board. Which is to say that John Gale Forbes was not a corporeal entity. Mrs. Peck's surviving (flesh-and-blood) relatives sued, arguing, in essence, that Mrs. Peck was clearly nuts. The court eventually agreed and voided her will. This has established the legal precedent that ghosts can't inherit money. Read more about the case here.
Corpus Christi Caller-Times - Mar 13, 1956
Posted By: Alex - Tue Feb 24, 2015 -
Comments (11)
Category: Law, 1950s
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| 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. Chuck Shepherd 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. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
