Weird Universe Archive

June 2009

June 29, 2009

Diggi-Loo, Diggi-Ley

Time to make fun of the Eurovision Song Contest again. Here's the winning entry from 1984.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 29, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Music, 1980s, Europe

How to Be a Better Thetan, a Better Getaway Driver, a Better Lecturer on Quantum Physics

News of the Weird / Pro Edition
June 29, 2009 (news from June 20-27)

Inside Scientology
The St. Petersburg Times last week advanced our "religious" knowledge (Scientology being a religion in the same sense that "Steeler Nation" is a religion, except that Steelers' season tickets are much less expensive) by quoting extensively four formerly-high-ranking dropouts (who were of course immediately downgraded by the Church from "clear" to "liar!"). (It's the principle by which J. Edgar Hoover maintained power for so long: Compile dossiers on any friends who could do ya harm, 'cause one day they won't be your friends.) Yr Editor's favorite revelations: (1) Senior executives' aggressiveness was challenged by the supreme leader, android David Miscavige, who staged games of musical chairs down to the last man standing, to the tune of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody ("Is this the real life? / Is this just fantasy? / Caught in a landslide / No escape from reality"). (2) It was normal procedure, that when L. Ron Hubbard himself (or now, the android) was displeased, he would take the displeasers out to sea on the church's boat, Apollo, and force them off a gangplank, while reciting "We commit your sins and errors to the deep and trust you will rise a better thetan" (only now it can be done in a swimming pool, but everyone's still fully clothed). Yr Editor forgets: Was The Church of the Subgenius a perfect parody of Scientology, or was it the other way around? St. Petersburg Times [part 3 of 3-part series; the other two are good, too] /// Church of the Subgenius

Securities Reform, One Adviser at a Time
Two formerly well-to-do German couples, whose retirement savings were all put into F State sub-prime mortgages [ed.: ROTFL!] and who thus lost nearly everything, kidnaped their investment adviser, James Amburn, and actually tortured his ass for several days at the vacation home of one of the couples. This was not that pansy-ish waterboarding torture but major, Syriana-type torture, and he was rescued only when he coded out a hostage message, and 40 cops found and freed him. The Times (London)

Can't Possibly Be True
Sharon McShurley, the mayor of Muncie, Ind., has finally, in June of 2009, put an end to her fire department's long-time protocol of delivering memos and documents from fire stations to the chief downtown by driving them there in fire trucks. Mayor McShurley identified this practice as "not an efficient operation" and ordered the department to start using e-mail. Star Press (Muncie)


More in extended >>

Posted By: Chuck - Mon Jun 29, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category:

June 28, 2009

Billy Mays

This has been the weirdest month with (in)famous people dying. First, David Carradine was found dead hanging naked in a hotel closet in Thailand, then Ed McMahon dies of pneumonia, both Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson die on the same day and now Billy Mays has sold his last tub of Oxiclean. May they all rest in peace.


Posted By: mdb777 - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (17)
Category: Celebrities, Death, Video

MP3 Experiment

Back on May 23, Over 2,000 people gathered for the Sixth Annual Mp3 Experiment. Everyone had to download the same mp3 and at exactly 4:00 pm press play. Once the opening song finished, Steve (the voice on the mp3) tells you to do some crazy stuff. Too bad I don't live in New York, because this looks like a lot of fun.
Improv Everywhere


Posted By: mdb777 - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Entertainment, Games, Recreation, Video

Pabst Blue Ribbon Dog

Come one come all and see the World's Ugliest Dog! Pabst, the underdog with an underbite, beat out the previous winner. Miss Ellie, a Chinese Crested Hairless, still took the pedegree catagory. As winner Pabst takes home $1600 and a modeling contract with the House of Dog. Congrats Pabst! Check out his striking visage here- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090628/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_world_s_ugliest_dog

Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category:

The Ritz Brothers

This novelty song and alleged "comedy" act is guaranteed to stink up your day, it's so incredibly bad.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Movies, Music, Cats, 1930s

SelectaVision

Once upon a time, before laser-read discs, there was SelectaVision: movie discs that were interpreted by a mechanical stylus, just like vinyl records.

Read about the technology here.

And there are plenty of players and discs for sale cheap on eBay, if you want to go retro!

The first four minutes of the video below show lots of period films offered in the medium. Starting at the four-minute mark, you see the player and how it works.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Movies, Technology, Television, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Spinning Skyscraper opens next year

Get your reservation now!! A spinning skyscraper being built in Italy will be shipped and assembled in Dubai.

The skyscraper slowly revolves and can be set to move different ways. Here's the video with "dramatic" background music.



Here's the web link so you can save your spot on the top floor:

http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/home.html

image

I'm getting motion-sickness just watching the video -- what will happen in the city? (I pity the drunks.)

Posted By: gdanea - Sun Jun 28, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures

June 27, 2009

Black Zeus’s Medical Oddities

You ever wander what a man would look like if he let his ear hair grow out?

Or how about the unborn fetus of a twin?

Maybe you just want to know if there is truth to the phrase "swallow a watermelon seed and it will grow in your stomach."

FAIR WARNING. This just may mess your world up.

Click here for slideshow.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 27, 2009 - Comments (7)
Category: Body, Medicine, Reader Recommendation

Make Mine Duff’s!

image
Who knew that Homer Simpson's favorite brewery also made cake mixes?

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 27, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Cartoons, Alcohol

Page 2 of 17 pages  < 1 2 3 4 >  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
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 •