September 2018
September 15, 2018
Stretch limo snowcat
Currently for sale on Craigslist Vancouver. They're asking $6000 for it.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 15, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Motor Vehicles, Cars
Paul Frees and the Poster People
Famous and brilliant voice actor Paul Frees does some imitations--but has his characters singing pop songs?!?
Other tracks here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 15, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Imitations, Forgeries, Rip-offs and Faux, Movies, Music, 1970s, Parody
September 14, 2018
Singing at the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian has bought its first piece of performance art. Which means that if you visit the Hirshhorn’s sculpture garden you may find that a young woman will suddenly start singing while following you around.The performance piece, titled This You, is the creation of Tino Sehgal, though he doesn't perform it. There are four women who do that, in shifts.
Sometimes the performers will abruptly stop singing in order to state the title of the performance piece: “This You, Tino Sehgal, 2006.” And then they'll start singing again.
More info: Smithsonian Mag, Hirshhorn
Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 14, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Museums, Music, Performance Art
The Rolligon
Wikipedia entry.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 14, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Motor Vehicles, 1950s
September 13, 2018
Flying Funeral Directors
Founded in 1960, and apparently still going strong. Membership is limited to licensed funeral directors who are also pilots (licensed or student).It was initially called the Flying Funeral Directors of America, but now they call it the Flying Funeral Directors Association. So they must have opened it up to international members.
Their website: flyingfuneraldirector.org
Coshocton Tribune - Oct 16, 1960
Cincinnati Enquirer - Nov 2, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 13, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Death, Air Travel and Airlines
Lactagol
Source.
So far as I can tell, cottonseed of any variety does not promote breast milk production. Flaxseed however is another thing.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 13, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Body, Pregnancy, Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil, Babies and Toddlers, Nineteenth Century
September 12, 2018
Toe Holder for Sunbathers
Invented by Russell Greathouse of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Patented on Jan 23, 1973.When a sunbather lies on his back his feet are not normally held perpendicular to the ground, but swing outward. As a result, the inner surfaces of the legs are subjected more intensely to the sun’s rays than the outer surfaces. By the use of a toe holder or similar device which holds the big toes adjacent one another a relatively uniform burning effect is obtainable.
The toe holder shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes two rings 5 and 6 joined by the web 7. There is a small hole 8 through the web. This hole is not necessary but provides means for decorating the toe holder, and in the drawing the stem 10 of a flower (natural or artificial) is held in the opening 8.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 12, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Patents, 1970s
The Advertising Chair
When the chair rocked, visible adverts scrolled in the arms of the chair. So much for our age having a monopoly on intrusive ads.
Complete patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 12, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Technology, Advertising, Interior Decorating, 1900s
September 11, 2018
The Dubai Iceberg
A case of satirical prophecy in the news.Back on April 1, 1978, prankster Dick Smith towed a foam-covered barge into Sydney harbor, claiming it was an iceberg he had towed from Antarctica. Of course, it was an April Fool's Day joke.
But now a Dubai-based engineering firm claims they really want to tow a 100-million-ton iceberg from Antarctica to Dubai. They figure that even if 30% of it melts by the time it gets to the Persian Gulf, that'll still be a whole lot of fresh, frozen water.
But what are they going to do with it once it gets there? How would they stop it from melting into the ocean before they could get it onto land and use it?
More info: stuff.co.nz
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 11, 2018 -
Comments (8)
Category: Really Bad Ideas, Transportation
Follies of the Madmen #382
Associating your product, even in jest, with reviled aristocrats: not the smartest move.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 11, 2018 -
Comments (7)
Category: Business, Advertising, Royalty, Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1960s
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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 |
