Weird Universe Blog — May 17, 2025

Name That List, #73

What is this a list of? The answer is below in extended.

  • Debris of an Automobile Giving Birth to a Blind Horse Biting a Telephone
  • Bed and Two Bedside Tables Ferociously Attacking a Cello
  • Premature Ossification of a Railroad Station
  • Rock and Infuriated Horse Sleeping Under the Sea
  • Skull With Its Lyric Appendage Leaning on a Bedside Table Which Should Have the Exact Temperature of a Cardinal’s Nest
  • Bread on the Head of the Prodigal Son
  • Barber Saddened by the Persistence of Good Weather (The Anguished Barber)
  • The Man With the Head of Blue Hortensias
  • A Soft Watch Put in the Appropriate Place to Cause a Young Ephebe to Die and Be Resuscitated by Excess of Satisfaction
  • Two Pieces of Bread Expressing the Sentiment of Love
  • Mysterious Mouth Appearing in the Back of My Nurse
  • Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening
  • Invisible Afghan With the Apparition on the Beach of the Face of Garcia Lorca in the Form of a Fruit Dish With Three Figs
  • Giant Flying Mocca Cup With an Inexplicable Five Metre Appendage


More in extended >>

Posted By: Alex - Sat May 17, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Name That List

The Luxatone

Harvey Spencer Lewis was a Rosicrucian member with a flair for inventions. Besides the "Cosmic Ray Coincidence Counter" and the "Sympathetic Vibration Harp," he also invented the Luxatone.


The Luxatone or Color Organ was a device which converted audio signals into colours, displayed on a triangular screen. Lewis used it to demonstrate mystical and philosophical ideas. The audio signal was input with the aid of a microphone.


Read about it in this Rosicrucian magazine from 1933.

Posted By: Paul - Sat May 17, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Cult Figures and Artifacts | Inventions | New Age | Special Effects | Twentieth Century

May 16, 2025

Do you realize you’re right in the middle of a prison?

Apr 1993: Elderly couple return to a restaurant they used to enjoy. Find it's under new management.

Opelousas Daily World - Apr 22, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Fri May 16, 2025 - Comments (1)
Category: Prisons | Restaurants | 1990s

May 15, 2025

Things That Bite People

According to data from the NYC Dept. of Health, in 1985, the top offenders were dogs and other people, in that order. I'm surprised that spiders weren't much higher on the list. Perhaps most spider bites in NYC were mild enough to go unreported.

Syracuse Post-Standard - July 23, 1986

Posted By: Alex - Thu May 15, 2025 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals | 1980s | Teeth

Freakish Accidents No. 8

Posted By: Paul - Thu May 15, 2025 - Comments (0)
Category: Fireworks and Pyrotechnics | Injuries | Children | 1970s | Pranks

May 14, 2025

Senorita Slats

Of all the oddball 'Miss' titles we've posted here over the years, I believe that this is the first oddball Senorita.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Oct 24, 1949



Des Moines Register - Oct 1, 1949

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 14, 2025 - Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | 1940s

May 13, 2025

Human hair storm filters

Inventor Sébastien Vrac has proposed filtering the water that goes into storm drains to prevent trash being carried out into oceans. The odd part of his idea is that he wants to use human hair as the filter:

The filter consists of a fabric bag filled with hair, inserted into a cage made from recycled materials. Placed under the grate of a manhole, the system acts as a barrier that retains solid waste carried by rainwater.

Based on how quickly hair clogs up the drain in my shower, I would worry that hair-filled bags would block too much stuff and cause flooding.

More info: msn.com

Posted By: Alex - Tue May 13, 2025 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions | Environmentalism and Ecology

Roller Skate Spurs

Thank goodness there's no way this novelty item could cause injury to children, such as when a child falls backwards onto his skate, or when a juvenile antagonist rams his spur into your shin.

Full patent here.



Posted By: Paul - Tue May 13, 2025 - Comments (3)
Category: Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles | Injuries | Inventions | Patents | Toys | 1950s

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