Category:
Obsessions

The Shed of Real Estate agents

This made the Houston Chronicle's list of the weirdest Texas headlines of 2017.

As far as I know, the mystery of who put photos of local, female real estate agents on the shed (or why they did it) wasn't solved.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 17, 2017 - Comments (0)
Category: Obsessions, Fetishes

Mechanical Pencil Collections

Andy P. Tucker was a disabled veteran who enjoyed collecting mechanical pencils. In 1951, he sent this letter (or versions of it) to newspapers throughout the United States:


I don't know what kind of response he got, but here's a picture of him in 1952 with his collection. The picture ran in various papers.


I can't find any information about what became of Tucker's collection. Was it thrown away when he died? Or is it sitting in a box in someone's basement? Who knows.

However, Tucker isn't the only person to have collected mechanical pencils. Jonathan A. Veley now maintains what he calls his Mechanical Pencil Museum, with an accompanying Leadhead's Pencil Blog. But a search of Veley's blog doesn't produce any references to Tucker, so I'm not sure if Veley is aware of his predecessor.


Veley's mechanical pencil collection

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 13, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Obsessions

A Murder Of… Budgies?

The dark heart of a popular British pass-time was thrust into public view this week when allegations of sabotage, rustling and murder shook the world of... competitive budgerigar breeding.

On the eve of the prestigious Cornwall Budgerigar Show, the aviary of Andrew Pooley, one of South England's top budgie breeders, was broken into and 21 of his best birds were stolen. Worse still, several birds were badly injured and one, reigning "best of breed" title holder Penmead Pride, had been killed. Stamped on by the callous intruders.

Because their distinctive markings would be instantly recognised among the close-knit budgie fancying community, the score of stolen budgies are unlikely to ever make another show appearance. And that might suit the culprit just fine, if his intention was to eliminate the competition by fair means or (can't resist, sorry) fowl. Pooley had left the shed unlocked briefly when he ran an errand to the nearby town of Camelford from his home in Delabole in Cornwall, and only noticed something was wrong at 9.45 that evening, when he came to make a final check on his prized birds and was - in an suitably Harrissian moment - startled by the silence of the budgies. Police are still investigating whether this is the work of a competitor but Mr. Pooley is in no doubt.

"The person or people who did this must have known exactly which ones to take because they only targeted my show team," he told reporters (Daily Mail).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Thu Sep 09, 2010 - Comments (17)
Category: Animals, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Boredom, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Crime, Hobbies and DIY, Obsessions

Another Reason not to drive in South Korea

I don't think I want to be on the road with this driver. After 960 attempts, this South Korean driver is the proud owner of her very own driving license.

image
Here's the link:

http://www.popfi.com/2010/05/07/persistence-pays-off-after-womans-960th-driving-test/

Her name is Cha-sa-soon, and this may be her 15 minutes of fame. Just remember, if you do have to drive there, stay off the sidewalk


Posted By: gdanea - Fri May 07, 2010 - Comments (2)
Category: Obsessions

If You’re Going To Go—Go In Style—Behind a Harley

If you spend your life riding Harley's, who wants to go to your own funeral in a car? Why not use this unique service -- get towed there by a Harley?



What's next? A VW bug hearse? A MiniCooper hearse?

Posted By: gdanea - Tue Apr 06, 2010 - Comments (4)
Category: Obsessions

An Orchestra of Motion


When I was very little, growing up in a small suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most exciting things to do was to sit outside the barber shop and wait for the train to roll through town. Some people might say that would be as boring as watching grass grow, but they are not "railfans". So what's a railfan? The people who camp out for hours, and even days, to watch a train go by. According to Train Magazine, there are over 175,000 railfans in the United States and more than 24,000 railfan videos on YouTube. Bill Taylor, from Montana, sums it up the best by saying "It's an orchestra of motion." Learn more about railfans here.

Posted By: Nethie - Sun May 10, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Eccentrics, Obsessions, Travel, Trains

Flaming Garbage Cans

In response to my post about the catalog of one-shoe movies, Prof. Music sent this link to the Flaming Garbage Cans in Hip Hop Videos blog.

I don't get the same sense of sexual fetish from the garbage can blog as I do from the one-shoe movie list. Though I could be mistaken.

And along similar lines: The Brokers With Hands on Their Faces blog.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 20, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Obsessions

One-Shoe Movies

"Droppedit" is a man who knows exactly what he likes, and that is "movie and TV scenes in which women happen to lose their shoes." I think it's fair to say that his catalog of such scenes (with accompanying pics) will never be equaled.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 19, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Movies, Obsessions, Fetishes, Shoes

First Ever WU-vention!

Okay, it's not yet as big and popular as Burning Man, but the first gathering of WU-vies has occured. KW, Jules and Madd Maxx chose to meet recently. And here's photographic proof.

Syrup shortages were reported in the region throughout the following week.



More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 15, 2009 - Comments (35)
Category: Conventions, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Food, Human Marvels, Obsessions, Photography and Photographers, Restaurants, Signage, Subcultures, Public Indecency, Sex Symbols, Reader Recommendation, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers

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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.

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