Weird Universe Archive

April 2009

April 30, 2009

Mexican Hat Dance

Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 30, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Movies, Music, 1940s, Dance

World’s Largest-Ever Model Rocket Launch

Okay, "model rockets" are about a foot long, right? This thing is something the North Korean military aspires toward!

Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 30, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Explosives, Geeks, Nerds and Pointdexters, World Records, Weapons

[News] Chuck’s Links for Thursday, April 30, 2009

District of Calamity: A high-volume alarm screeched out Tuesday morning in an upscale northwest Washington, D.C., 'hood, and, literally, no one knew what it was . . until much later. (It was an emergency gov't alarm installed in the 1970s, and no one is around now who remembers anything about it.) WRC-TV (Washington)

It was no different than having breast augmentation, said the local-gov't official in Australia, but she was describing how her career had gotten a boost from that paaaainful bone-lengthening procedure, where surgeons break your legs on purpose, separate them a bit, and encourage the bones to fuse back, just to gain maybe an inch or two of height. Reuters via Yahoo

Update: Our ol' friend Akinwale Arobieke, 47, Liverpool, England, has apparently violated the terms of his court order—the one that forbids him from approaching strangers and feeling up their biceps. BBC News

A Minnesota emergency-response agency kids' coloring book (endorsed by FEMA on its website and distributed widely across America) actually featured a colorable illustration of a plane about to hit the World Trade Center (but now FEMA has re-thought it). Albert Lea Tribune (Albert Lea, Minn.) /// WKMG-TV (Orlando) [the illustration]

All over the news today is the annual Wacky Warning Label contest winners, e.g., instructions for a wart-removal kit that includes this disclaimer: "Do not use if you cannot see clearly to read the information in the information booklet." Associated Press via Yahoo /// Foundation for Fair Civil Justice

Leaders of Kenya's Women's Development Organization, riled up that men can't seem to get together on a national unity gov't, have called for women to refrain from giving it up for at least seven days (and even paying prostitutes to shut down during that time). BBC News

In Thailand, a senior Buddhist monk said he'd issue a book of guidelines for proper priest behavior, mainly, none of that gay stuff like lipstick and tight robes, but also against flaunting wealth and using the toilet improperly. BBC News

[Jury Duty] Elizabeth Grube and her sister Elaine Volkert, Stroudsburg, Pa., accused of moving $10k/week worth of heroin and found with an inventory of more than 1,000 bags in their homes. BTW, Elizabeth's 70, and Elaine's 65. WNEP-TV (Scranton)

Today's Newsrangers: Kathryn Wood, Gerald Sacks

Posted By: Chuck - Thu Apr 30, 2009 - Comments (9)
Category:

April 29, 2009

Tilt Shift Photography

Alex's post today of tiny man with big cat brings up the topic of Tilt Shift Miniature Faking, by which odd camera angles can render real-world scenes toylike. (And didn't the LORD OF THE RINGS films use a similar technique to turn normal-sized actors into hobbits?)





Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 29, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Photography and Photographers, Technology, Surrealism

Dancing with a cat

A small man dancing with a cat. Or is it an enormous cat dancing with a man?(From Flickr)

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 29, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Photography and Photographers

The Baron of Arizona

image
Bernie Madoff was a piker.

He stole a few score billion dollars.

But how much is a whole state worth? All the land, natural resources, and structures?

That's what James Addison Reavis stole--almost getting away with the theft too.

Last night I watched THE BARON OF ARIZONA, a 1950 film by Samuel Fuller and starring Vincent Price. It tells the true story of Reavis, who cooked up an incredible con job to lay claim to the entire territory of Arizona in the year 1883.

You can read a fascinating essay about it here.

This is one film definitely worth renting for those with a taste for weird history.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 29, 2009 - Comments (1)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, History, Historical Figure, Wild West and US Frontier, Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Movies, Nineteenth Century

[News] Chuck’s Links for Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sounds Like a Joke: Malaysian Airlines demanded a huge excess-baggage fee from a traveling group (the Malaysian national bowling team headed to Italy for the world championships, i.e., they don't use balls off the rack). Reuters via Yahoo

Palm Beach County prepares for the iguana-invasion season, e.g., ya can decapitate them but ya can't beat 'em up, and yes, Florida has Nile Monitor lizards, which can reach 7½ feet in length, and even the smaller green iguanas poop out a pound a day. TCPalm.com

There was an Int'l Fantasy Hair Competition in Manchester, N.H., last week, and here you go with the indescribable, in a slideshow. Associated Press via Yahoo

Preferred strategy in Nakuru, Kenya, for a wife to get the neighbors' attention to a domestic beating: Scream that you're being beaten by . . an uncircumcised man (uncut being an embarrassment in Kenya). East African Standard (Nairobi)

It says here that two men were arrested in Pine Bluff, Ark., for stealing a truck . . that wouldn't start . . because it was just there for cannibalizing parts . . and so the men were caught pushing the truck down the road. Associated Press via Yahoo

Management of the De Oeverlanden park in a town near Amsterdam has a designated cruising area so that gay men know where to get off, or, er, where family people shouldn't be taking their kids. Agence France-Presse via Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Britain bids to gross out Octomom-conscious America: A 420-lb. Coventry woman gave birth to triplets (took a hospital team of 68, at a cost of £200k ($295k) and a specially-built operating table for her Caesarean) and started feeding 'em McD's at six months of age. Daily Mail

Today's Newsrangers: Wade Johnson, Barry Rose, Paul Pruitt

Posted By: Chuck - Wed Apr 29, 2009 - Comments (7)
Category:

April 28, 2009

Political Poster Dress

image
Look magazine for August 20, 1968, contained this image, with a small bit of text detailing how famed illustrator Norman Rockwell licensed his images to a firm called Sterling Paper Fashions to produce these election-year paper dresses. How much do you imagine they'd be worth today on the vintage fashion market or elections collectible market?

Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 28, 2009 - Comments (10)
Category: Fashion, Politics, 1960s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Garden Monsters

Click on descriptions to visit catalog and purchase your very own!

image

Plastic coyote to deter intruders of any species



image

Floating gator head attempt to simulate F-state environment

Thanks to Poplar Street Penny!

Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 28, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Reader Recommendation, Landscaping

[News] Chuck’s Links for Tuesday, April 28, 2009

This election commission in India is using the ol' indelible-ink-fingertip to prevent double-voting, but they chose the left middle finger to ink, which presents interesting photo images of voters showing their pride in just having cast their ballots. The Times of India

The Power of Beer: Motorist John Woodward, 23, was arrested with a .134 reading in Silver Springs, Fla., but sped away from deputies because "he didn't think they needed to be involved and that the whole incident was 'the most fun' he'd had in two yrs,'" according to the police report. Star-Banner (Ocala)

Shoe-throwing is becoming the expression of choice for protesting in India, and it is especially significant among the poor because where they have to hang out assures their shoes are way-less sanitary than even a pair of your ol' Cons. Washington Post

Shoe-protesters are sissies: In Novi Pazar, Serbia, union official Zoran Bulatovic, complaining that some of his colleagues hadn't been paid at their textile factory "in years," chopped off his left pinkie and ate it. Reuters via Yahoo

There are gun fights, and knife fights, and sword fights, even, and in Myrtle Beach, S.C., an estranged couple had a glue fight. The Sun News (Myrtle Beach)

A mobile masturbation van. Garrett Scheg, 37, was arrested in West Seneca, N.Y., in a parked van, with pornography spread out over the dashboard and front seat and Garrett wearing only a sock. Buffalo News

Life Imitates the Sci-Fi Channel: Tens of millions of crickets march through remote towns in northern Nevada and Utah in May, hunting for food and sex, and there's nothing that can be done about them . . except laying out lots of boomboxes and playing rock music at max volume, which seems to work. Wall Street Journal

[Jury Duty] Josephine Gatchell, 57, was accused of stabbing a priest in the confessional at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach, Fla., but the charge is ridiculous because that sort of thing couldn't really happen in a church, could it? WFLX-TV (West Palm Beach)

Today's Newsrangers: Sara Spencer, Scott Langill

Posted By: Chuck - Tue Apr 28, 2009 - Comments (9)
Category:

Page 1 of 12 pages  1 2 3 >  Last ›




Get WU Posts by Email

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


weird universe thumbnail
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 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
Monthly Archives
December 2024 •  November 2024 •  October 2024 •  September 2024 •  August 2024 •  July 2024 •  June 2024 •  May 2024 •  April 2024 •  March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •