House Fire Caused By… Spontaneous Combustion!?

Spontaneous combustion is a type of combustion which occurs without an external ignition source. It's also fairly uncommon. But this summer, in Little Rock, Arkansas, an insurance claims adjuster concluded that the fire that caused $20,000 worth of damage to the Duncan's home was a classic case. Brian Duncan said a flowerpot on the porch was the culprit. You can read the full article here.

Dillo Holder

Yes, I know, you were all saddened recently when you couldn't afford that expensive beer that came in taxidermied animal bottles. Well, we here at WU never like to see our readers sad, so we offer you this charming item. Beer not included.

Order yours here.

Follies of the Mad Men #119

Mad Men, here's a secret: music is the realm of emotion and poetry and piercing observations, of romance and satire, of history and dreams.

So when you create a song that is full of boring statistics about a boring object, you look like an idiot, and so does your product.

Can’t Do Anything Right?  You Are Not Alone

If you stay up late all the time, like I do, chances are you've seen some of the infomercials that this video is based upon. I'm willing to bet you feel better about yourself after you've watched this.

Follies of the Mad Men #108

The link between ballroom dancing and home appliances has never been dramatized so effectively.

Weird Salt & Pepper Shakers

My brother Bob found these salt and pepper shakers in a junk store and could not resist buying them. Two women with Marge-Simpson hairdos in the form of carrot and corn prepare to engage in fisticuffs.

Can anyone explain the iconography here? Note that they do originate in Japan, source of much strangeness.

Follies of the Mad Men #97

Are UK pitchmen as idiotic and annoying as USA ones? Decide for yourself.

Gay News Today

Was Jesus Gay? Elton John seems to think so. He stated as much in a recent Parade magazine interview. Of course the mere idea struck terror into the hearts of all homophobic Christians and those who choose to interpret the bible as saying "discriminate openly" rather than "love thy fellow man".

And what about those silly gay people who want to serve in the military? Surprisingly, a recent CBS News poll asking about Obama's wish to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, finds that a majority of the public support allowing openly gay men and women to serve. But what's even more surprising is that the same poll doesn't want homosexuals to serve. I suppose the poll was worded badly. Or maybe the people who answered that poll still think gay means 'having or showing a merry, lively mood'. In that case, who wouldn't want a bunch of merry old souls in the military?

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Follies of the Mad Men #78

Now that the coffee tastes better and hubby will drink it, wifey can add the poison this idiot so richly deserves.

Follies of the Mad Men #74

[From Good Housekeeping for December 1949.]

"Subliminal" is not the precise word I want here. Not when the coded message is in big red letters.

"Subtextual?" "Off-topic?" "Suggestive?"

In any case, promoting the maxim "husbands beat wives" in a women's magazine was one way of keeping the girls in line, I guess.

All original content in posts is Copyright © 2008 by the author of the post, 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.