July 2023
July 21, 2023
Miss Crustacean
In 1951, Meta Justice became the first "Miss Crustacean." She was awarded the title at the annual crab derby in Crisfield, Maryland. She died last year (2022), and her obituary mentions the title. So it must have been something she was proud of.
Salisbury Daily Times - Aug 27, 1951
Baltimore Sun - Aug 27, 1951
In 1952, the festival committee decided to change the title from "Miss Crustacean" to "Miss Hard Crab Derby." They explained that Miss Crustacean "turned out to be altogether too cryptic, with people in general not understanding what it meant."
However, in subsequent years the title reverted to being "Miss Crustacean." Evidently that was less cryptic than "Miss Hard Crab Derby."
Baltimore Evening Sun - Sep 1, 1953
The annual tradition of bestowing the title of "Miss Crustacean" on a young woman continues to this day in Crisfield. Check out the highlights of the 2019 competition below.
More info: National Hard Crab Derby
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 21, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s
The Perfect Back Contest
Several different organizations conducted contests for "The Perfect Back." (Why no males were ever invited escapes me.) But the National Chiropractic Association version seems the longest-running and most-publicized. The fellow enjoying himself is one Dr. Charles Wood.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 21, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Body, Medicine, Twentieth Century
July 20, 2023
Sound-Activated Lingerie
The clapper, adapted for underwear. From the patent:
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 20, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Patents, Underwear
M&M Honey
I read this story upon its appearance, and for some reason it recently returned to the forefront of my mind. It seems that someone would have subsequently produced this intentionally.When I was in Sicily, I got to sample the light-green pistachio honey produced there.
NBC video report here.
Whole article and more pics here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 20, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Food, Insects and Spiders, Europe, Twenty-first Century
July 19, 2023
Herbivorize Predators
The Herbivorize Predators organization was founded "with the goal of discovering how to safely transform carnivorous species into herbivorous ones." Its members believe that this will promote the well-being of all sentient beings and prevent the suffering and untimely deaths of prey animals.They acknowledge that their mission is controversial but feel that "now is the time to conduct research on potential ways of herbivorizing."
It's certainly an ambitious goal. I think they'll have their hands full just trying to herbivorize humans.
Another critique from the Ecology for the Masses blog:
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 19, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Food, Vegetarians and Vegans
DeVere Baker, Mormon Raftmaker
His page at a Mormon Wiki.He had the goal of sailing ocean currents in order to prove the voyages spoken of in the Book of Mormon were possible.... His failures were many, and often embarrassing, so embarrassing that the press and Mormons in general began to look the other way, rather than report on his adventures.... Nor were Baker’s dreams confined to the ocean. In a unique combination of science-fiction and Mormon theology, he authored several stories focused on a beautiful alien girl named ‘Quetara.’ A human scientist is kidnapped by her crew and falls in love with her, learning in the process how God came to be, billions of years previously, and how evolution allowed the endless variation of species to develop on each world in a grand, perpetual Cosmic experiment overseen and controlled by Deity. A subtext of this was ostensibly good latter-day doctrine – that countless other worlds, including, of course, the wise and alluring Quetara’s own planet, were inhabited by people just like us.
Read a long essay here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 19, 2023 -
Comments (5)
Category: Eccentrics, Explorers, Frontiersmen, and Conquerors, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Religion, Twentieth Century
July 18, 2023
I drink your blood, I eat your skin
The best-titled double feature ever. Info from Wikipedia:I Drink Your Blood was marketed and released as a double feature with Del Tenney's previously-unreleased 1964 film Zombies, which Gross had acquired and retitled I Eat Your Skin.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 18, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Movies, Exploitation and Grindhouse, 1970s
Fish Condos
Joey Skaggs Fish Condos from Joey Skaggs on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 18, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Fish, Satire, Twenty-first Century
July 17, 2023
Finger Injuries Caused by Power-Operated Windows
The next time you use the power windows in your car, think about the cadavers that suffered injuries to make them safe for you.Source: Injury journal
via New Scientist
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 17, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Body, Experiments, Cars
Potato Fish, Potato Bug, Potato Bird
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 17, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Food, Toys, Advertising, 1970s
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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 |
