Annoying Things
Follies of the Madmen #360
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 20, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Annoying Things, Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, Food, 1970s
Useful Tip
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 17, 2018 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Annoying Things, 1990s, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise
Mystery Illustration 44
What is this woman's domestic sin? Unable to make coffee? Wears curlers to bed? Bad breath?
Answer after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Tue May 02, 2017 -
Comments (7)
Category: Annoying Things, Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, 1950s
The City Flag of Tampa
Our own Chuck Shepherd, longtime resident of Tampa, Florida, can salute his city's improbable flag as one of the ugliest banners in the history of banner-dom. He modestly suggests that more people should know of it, to induce further laughter and insults.And yet, surprisingly, neighboring burg of St. Pete has a halfway decent ensign--if you like pelicans.
Full article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 22, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category: Annoying Things, Government, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Regionalism, Chuck
House Call from Faux Dress Fitter
Despite all the contemporary tales of ingenious upskirt photographers and toilet-cam operators, I don't believe anyone has recently utilized the "free dress comes with home fitting service" routine.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 23, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Annoying Things, Crime, Domestic, Sexuality, 1950s
Crawl Through at Labbodies
This is the penultimate Labbodies experience for us, and I am reminded of the immortal words of Kang and Kodos: "We have reached the limits of what anal probing can teach us."
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 01, 2016 -
Comments (0)
Category: Annoying Things, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Avant Garde
Tries suicide to escape persistent life insurance salesman
The present-day equivalent of this, I think, would be the feelings of desperation and rage that persistent telemarketers can cause. (Though thanks to caller ID, I just never pick up when they call, which is multiple times every day since the "do not call list" is apparently a complete farce.)
Kingsport Times - Apr 10, 1929
CONCORDIA, Kans., April 10 (AP) —Hoping to rid himself of a persistent life insurance agent, Walter Cyr, a young farmer, left a goodbye note to friends and then disappeared.
For three days he was sought in the vicinity of his farm home by hundreds of men and finally was located sitting on a straw stack. When searchers approached he swallowed a small quantity of poison but experienced no ill effects because of prompt medical attention.
Cyr said he had wandered about the countryside for 72 hours, attempting to nerve himself to suicide. He asserted he knew no other way to escape attentions of the insurance man who had been "bothering" him.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 12, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Annoying Things, Insurance, Suicide, 1920s
Bus Driver’s Revenge
Today of course he would face federal charges for kidnapping, and many, many lawsuits.Original article here.
See clean transcription below.
“They’re going to fire bus driver William F. Jackson today but he doesn’t care—he already quit in spectacular fashion.
"Passengers—phooey,” was his battle cry yesterday when he revolted against traffic jams, abusive drivers, supervisors and noisy children and took what someday may be known as “Jacksons’s ride.”
The Chicago Transit Authority driver was inching his bus through Loop traffic, swollen to three times its usual density by the Christmas rush, when he suddenly decided he was sick of it.
He slammed the doors shut and from then on nobody could get off.
“Passengers—phooey,” he muttered darkly.
He rolled out of the busy Loop on his regular route. But when waiting citizens pounded to get into his bus Jackson was aloof. When his angry passengers demanded to be let off he would not relent.
When a company supervisor tried to board the bus at an intersection Jackson ignored him too.
Finally he wheeled the big vehicle into one of the CTA barns, turned off the ignition, and hopped off the bus.
He headed straight for his boss, stared him straight in the eye and announced:
“I quit.”
Wounded CTA officials said, “He can’t quit just like that, but tomorrow we’ll fire him.”
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 12, 2016 -
Comments (8)
Category: Annoying Things, Jobs and Occupations, 1950s, Bus, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust
Parrot Problem
Why is it always a parrot, rather than some other kind of pet bird, at the center of these disputes? A recent case in Rhode Island involved a lawsuit against a parrot taught to swear at neighbors.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 09, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Annoying Things, 1930s
Follies of the Madmen #262
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 17, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Annoying Things, Business, Advertising, Products, Death, Insects and Spiders, 1960s, Australia
| 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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |