Weird Universe Archive
January 2009
January 6, 2009
Vampira Bonus!
Recommended by reader DownCrisis:
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (0)
Category: Celebrities, Horror, Music, Reader Recommendation, 1950s
Vampira
Those end-of-the-year tributes to all who died in 2008 seem to be neglecting Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira, who passed away just a year ago. In memory, let's look at two short clips of the lady. She was weird enough, but when you add Liberace into the mix--!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (2)
Category: Celebrities, Horror, Movies, Television, 1950s
Kenner 1973 Toy Catalog, #9
NOTICE: Toy does not actually play any songs by "Tower of Power."
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (1)
Category: Music, Toys, Advertising, 1970s
Weird Parenting, plus Weird Penis Ownership-Assertion
News of the Weird DailyTuesday, January 6, 2009
Kid missing since 1999, just now reported by parents
"They feel very guilty," said the Kansas couple's lawyer. Even though they never called the police, "[T]hey were very worried about him." He had been running away frequently before 1999, but the parents (adoptive) thought he probably was just trying to find his biological parents. Or maybe not. Either way, they've been "worried" for 10 years. CNN
Comments 'missing_10years'
Grown women go all-in, playing with dolls
"Reborns" are ultra-realistic baby dolls that women cuddle, dress up, take to the park in strollers, etc., so they can play the role of mom, but without the diapers and the savings account for college. It's "not a crazy habit," one said, like "drinking." ABC News found a shrink at NYU who thinks it's OK as long as, y'know, you keep it in check. ABC News
Comments 'reborn_dolls'
Your Daily Nonsense Ruling by Some Local Council in Britain
Carmarthenshire county in Wales decided that eight public wading pools (maximum depth: 18 inches) had to be staffed by fully-certified lifeguards, or closed down. Daily Telegraph
Comments 'wading_lifeguards'
More Things to Worry About
A federal judge in New York ruled that Liberian immigrant Christians on Staten Island might have a religious right to eat endangered monkey meat, but that importer Mamie Manneti's still going down because she lied bringing it in. Associated Press via Newsday
The babysitter accidentally stepped on the 4-yr-old boy's toes, which in the kid's mind required a shotgun response. (Seriously). Associated Press via Yahoo
Editor's hint that you'll probably be grossed out by the story: "[T]he shoes the victim had been wearing had not been removed for a long period of time and had 'grown into her feet' . . .." TCPalm.com (Stuart, Fla.)
A New York City woman with post-traumatic stress disorder and a big ol' dog to soothe her filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Transit Authority for hassling her about riding with the dog. (Bonus: She's written 8,000 Internet pages about her condition.) New York Daily News
For some reason, Sachivalu Rambabu (Hyderabad, India) has done over 100 paintings using his nose as a brush. (Bonus: He has followers who want him to teach them, too.) DailyIndia.com [link from Arbroath]
Comments on Things to Worry About?
Comments 'worry_090106'
People Whose Sex Lives Are Worse Than Yours
Ms. Rajini Narayan, Adelaide, Australia: "It's just his penis I wanted to burn. I didn't mean this to happen." (Philandering husband, asleep; wife torched penis; fire spread; he's dead.) ("[H]is penis should belong to me.") Adelaide Now via Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Comments 'rajini_narayan'
Your Daily Jury Duty
["In America, a person is presumed innocent until the mug shot is released"]
It looks like a home invasion-murder by a door-to-door magazine salesman, but the cops have this theory that, actually, the victim's adult son Robert Farley arranged an alibi, staged the scene, and killed his dad (for being 93 yrs old and a pain to take care of). Which version is it? One way to find out . . .. Tampa Tribune
Comments 'robert_farley'
Professor Music's Weird Links
This ought to be Safe For Work, but still . . . ya might raise your eyebrow at a guy who has collected for the Internet, since 1999, photos of people's navels. Apparently, he roams Brussels, Belgium, with his camera, asking people to flash their belly buttons for him, and only half of 'em steer clear. Navelmaniac.com
Comments 'navel_maniac'
Today's Newsrangers: Emory Kimbrough, Pete Randall, Perry Levin, Sandy Pearlman, Matt Mirapaul
Posted By: Chuck - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (0)
Category:
Human Body Flinger
This invention promised to stop people from getting run over by trucks by violently flinging them out of the way. I don't know why it never caught on. From Popular Science, Feb 1931:Front Roller on Truck Prevents Accidents
Designed to prevent pedestrians from being run over, a British motor truck has a large roller before its front wheels, which rotates in the opposite direction to the wheels. If a person is knocked down the tires cannot touch him, since the roller's reverse rotation throws him away from the vehicle. It thus has time to stop before doing him serious injury.
Designed to prevent pedestrians from being run over, a British motor truck has a large roller before its front wheels, which rotates in the opposite direction to the wheels. If a person is knocked down the tires cannot touch him, since the roller's reverse rotation throws him away from the vehicle. It thus has time to stop before doing him serious injury.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (6)
Category: Inventions
Korean Menu
Can I have a side of flesh-flesh with my house bear thang?
via engrish.com
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 06, 2009 -
Comments (4)
Category: Food
January 5, 2009
Seattle Cops Gun Down a History Major, and the Norse God Thor Drives Off a Burglar
More Things to Worry Aboutfrom News of the Weird Daily
Monday, January 5, 2009
In Sicily's Tremestieri shopping mall, they've put in a chapel, so bargain-hunters can get in a little praying on the side. Agence France-Presse via Yahoo
"Many" [fudge-word alert!] of the 85-unit Habitat for Humanity community Fairway Oaks in northern Florida (Jimmy Carter was once in the house, working!) are about to sue because their 8-yr-old homes are falling apart (but "others" say the problem is that the complainers live like pigs). The Times (London)
Seattle police shot and killed a "Nazi" who turned out just to be a history major at Univ. of Washington and who had made the unwise decision to stay in German military character when cops challenged him (alcohol was involved). Associated Press via Daily Record (Hackensack, N.J.)
A home intruder in Edinburgh, Scotland, on New Year's day ran into the resident just coming back from a party, who happened to be dressed as the Norse god Thor, carrying his hammer, which thus frightened the intruder, who fled, leaving his shoes and weapon behind. BBC News
Rehab failed: According to police, Sean Hawkins Jr., 19, released from jail on an assault charge, walked right out into the parking lot and jacked an SUV to get home. Washington Post
Texas officials have temporarily shut down a jail in Montague County after learning that the inmates basically ran it (e.g., some cells locked only from the inside; some cells had recliners). Associated Press via Yahoo
Readers' Choice: Detroit lawyer James Howarth picked up some free worldwide publicity by disclosing that IRS had spent 42 cents to tersely bill him a nickel but then learned that it actually owed Howarth 4 cents, which the law allows him to recover only if he asks for it (since it's under a dollar). Associated Press via Boston Herald
Comments on Things to Worry About?
Comments 'cycle_090105'
Your Daily Jury Duty
["In America, a person is presumed innocent until the mug shot is released"]
Richard Nunez, 45, Portsmouth, N.H. Is he going down? Portsmouth Herald [Ed.: Oh . . oh, yeah, the alleged crime . . um . . super-gluing his neighbor's door lock, preventing her from going into her apartment]
Comments 'richard_nunez'
Professor Music's Weird Links
A man, an obsession, a webpage: Dumpsters are being misused. When Dumpsters are abused, evil occurs, such as abortion. Become a Dumpster monitor (special T-shirts available!) Dumpster Damnation
Comments 'dumpster_damnation'
Today's Newsrangers: D.R. Smith, Steve Miller, Stephen Taylor, Tom Barker, Perry Levin, Mike Mendenhall, Emory Kimbrough, and many on the Readers' Choice
Posted By: Chuck - Mon Jan 05, 2009 -
Comments (0)
Category:
Willoughby Sharp, RIP
The newly deceased artist Willoughby Sharp sounds like a WEIRD UNIVERSE kinda guy. Judge for yourself by the following short film in which he stars.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 05, 2009 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, Performance Art, Video, Obituaries
Kenner 1973 Toy Catalog, #8
With small, ingenious modifications, may also be used as penis pump.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 05, 2009 -
Comments (5)
Category: Toys, Advertising, 1970s
Outlook for Pencil Sharpeners
This book by Philip Parker seems like a bargain for only $795, but since it doesn't discuss letter handling machines, I'm going to have to pass:The 2007-2012 World Outlook for Electric Pencil Sharpeners, Staplers, and Other Electric Office Machines Excluding Mailing, Letter Handling, and Addressing Machines
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 05, 2009 -
Comments (6)
Category: Literature
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. 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. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
