Weird Universe Blog — May 11, 2025

John McCracken’s Planks

Minimalist sculptor John McCracken produced a series of "planks." Each work consisted of a brightly painted plywood plank leaning up against a wall. Some info from wikpedia:

In 1966, McCracken generated his signature sculptural form: the plank, a narrow, monochromatic, rectangular board format that leans at an angle against the wall (the site of painting) while simultaneously entering into the three-dimensional realm and physical space of the viewer. He conceived the plank idea in a period when artists across the stylistic spectrum were combining aspects of painting and sculpture in their work and many were experimenting with sleek, impersonal surfaces. As the artist noted, "I see the plank as existing between two worlds, the floor representing the physical world of standing objects, trees, cars, buildings, [and] human bodies, ... and the wall representing the world of the imagination, illusionist painting space, [and] human mental space."

"Blue Plank" (1969)



"Don't Tell Me When to Stop" (1967)



"Think Pink" (1967)

Posted By: Alex - Sun May 11, 2025 - Comments (4)
Category: Art | 1960s

Collect:  The Stamp Collecting Game

As the folks at Board Game Geek tell us:

Stanley Gibbons Collect: as it says on the box, "share the excitement and tension of building a major stamp collection". Stanley Gibbons is a famous UK firm that sells postage stamps to collectors and published this game in the 70s to promote the hobby. There wasn't much to do in Britain in the 70s.


Posted By: Paul - Sun May 11, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Boredom | Games | 1970s | United Kingdom | Postal Services

May 10, 2025

Ice Cream Van regulations

Online you can find the official regulations governing "Noise from Ice-Cream Van Chimes Etc. in England." One part that stood out for me:

6.1. The chimes should be played once only on the approach to each stopping place (or
‘selling point’), only once when the van is stationary, and never at intervals of less
than 2 minutes.
6.2. The chimes should not be played more often than once every 2 hours in a particular
length of street.

Once the summer heat sets in here in Phoenix, the ice cream truck drivers are out in force, and they sure don't limit their music to "once only on the approach to each stopping place." They play the jingle constantly. You can hear it repeating endlessly as the van circles around the neighborhood.

Incidentally, while growing up I thought ice cream trucks were referred to generically as the "Good Humor Man" (whether or not they happened to be selling Good Humor ice cream). Only recently did I realize that many people don't refer to the trucks by that name.

Posted By: Alex - Sat May 10, 2025 - Comments (1)
Category: Government | Junk Food | Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults

Hi Yo, Camel

The record's page at Discogs.

Posted By: Paul - Sat May 10, 2025 - Comments (0)
Category: Animals | Music | Ridiculousness, Foolishness, Public Ridicule, Silliness, Goofiness and Dumb-looking | 1960s

May 9, 2025

Pul-Vac Vacuum Massager

Turn your vacuum cleaner into a vibrating massager.



Pittsburgh Press - July 25, 1965



(l) Pittsburgh Press - July 25, 1965; (r) NY Daily News - Sep 12, 1965



Harrisburg Patriot-News - Apr 19, 1966

Posted By: Alex - Fri May 09, 2025 - Comments (4)
Category: Technology | 1960s

Miss Cereal City

The earliest reference that I find is 1961 (the photo below). The latest is 1999. It seems the contest and title are extinct.

Posted By: Paul - Fri May 09, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues | Regionalism | Cereal | Twentieth Century

May 8, 2025

Kilroy Was Here toy jeeps

I would guess that the maker of these toy jeeps knew that "Kilroy Was Here" was a popular phrase among members of the American military, but probably didn't know much about it beyond that.

Decatur Herald and Review - Apr 1, 1947

Posted By: Alex - Thu May 08, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Military | Toys | 1940s

The Madison Avenue Beat








Posted By: Paul - Thu May 08, 2025 - Comments (4)
Category: Music | Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings | Advertising | 1960s

May 7, 2025

Larry the Lamb


Science Digest - Mar 1968

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 07, 2025 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals | Farming | 1960s

Follies of the Madmen #622

Is the radio the man, and the tube the woman--or vice versa?

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 07, 2025 - Comments (4)
Category: Technology | Advertising | 1930s | Men | Women

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All original content in posts is Copyright © 2016 by the author of the post, which is usually 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.

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