Weird Universe Archive
July 2011
July 11, 2011
News of the Weird / Pro Edition (July 11, 2011)
News of the Weird/Pro EditionYou're Still Not Cynical Enough
Prime Cuts of Underreported News from Last Week, Hand-Picked and Lightly Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
July 11, 2011
(datelines July 2-July 9) (links correct as of July 11)
One Grand Prosperity Gospel, plus High-Tech Dive-Bombing and . . a Zedonk
From Yr Editor
Ehhhhh . . . halfway-back issue. Getting there. Keep expectations low for News of the Weird (which by the way is now the world's only English-language news source with the acronym NOTW)
★ ★ ★ ★!
The Day Pastor Creflo Dollar Foamed at the Mouth: The foremost practitioner of the "Prosperity Gospel" (i.e., God measures his servants' goodness by their wealth) was surely struck constipated after learning last week that one Hindu temple in southern India contains at least $22,000,000,000 worth of gold, diamonds, and other jewels, collected by the priests as offerings over the years. Imagine, Pastor Dollar might have thought . . every priest . . each with his own personal private jet! NPR News Blog [referencing Associated Press, The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, and BBC News] /// Creflo Dollar
Won't You Please Be Generous to the Severely Afflicted?: Michigan inmate Kyle Richards sued the state for its ban on porn in prison, citing his disability of "chronic masturbation syndrome." Detroit News /// Macomb Daily [mugshot after the January bank robbery that put him in the slammer]
Way-Inconvenient Truths: (1) Global warming by man-made greenhouse gases is real, acknowledged a Boston University researcher, but countervailingly real is global cooling by sulfur particles (which reflect sunlight back into space) from all those Chinese coal-burning power plants. (Bonus: "Cooling" may be winning.) (2) Surveys led by a Cornell researcher demonstrated, over a wide range of "Government Social Programs," that 25% to 64% of beneficiaries either don't know or refuse to believe that what they're getting is a "government social program" benefit. The Independent (London) /// BoingBoing.net [source available at link]
Sounds Familiar . .: An Air Force plane crashed on Wednesday just south of . . Roswell, N.Mex., and the local commander issued a statement reminding all the paranoids considering trekking to the area that they should "cooperate with military and civilian authorities." Of course. Associated Press via Fox News
More in extended >>
Posted By: Chuck - Mon Jul 11, 2011 -
Comments (7)
Category:
July 10, 2011
Underwater Music
No one has ascertained the reaction of the fish.
Thanks to WU-vie Matt!
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 10, 2011 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music, Fish, Reader Recommendation
Scary Cliff Construction
Watch this fuller, foreign video, then get the English explanation here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 10, 2011 -
Comments (2)
Category: Engineering and Construction, Asia
July 9, 2011
Mental Powers
Think yourself rich!
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 09, 2011 -
Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, 1920s, Brain
July 8, 2011
Habit Patterns
For your weekend viewing pleasure: lessons in how not to behave!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 08, 2011 -
Comments (6)
Category: Etiquette and Formal Behavior, PSA’s, Teenagers, 1950s
Bank- A Four Letter Word
Chase bank sends cashier's check to customer. Customer attemps to cash check at Chase bank. Chase bank employee decides check is fake. Chase bank has man arrested, discovers mistake and leaves message on detective's voice mail on a Friday. Detective is off that day, man remains in jail all weekend. Man is fired from his job, his car is towed and, due to the legit check being held as evidence, is auctioned off. Oh, by the way, the cashier's check was generated at the same branch where the man went to cash it.TA DA!
Video interview of the bank customer/victim at the link.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 08, 2011 -
Comments (11)
Category:
July 7, 2011
Follies of the Mad Men #151
The French Foreign Legion. Enlistment of criminals. Hot, spartan living conditions. Death by savage natives. Cruel officers. Boredom, disease, fistfights.
Nice home furnishings? Not so much.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 07, 2011 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Interior Decorating, 1980s, Armed Forces
July 6, 2011
Harmonica Popularity
Dad is still a dork.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 06, 2011 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Geeks, Nerds and Pointdexters, Music
The Worms Go In…
But these worms don't go out for up to 15 years. Gnathostomiasis is a worm that grows to between 1mm and 3 mm and chomps its way through the unfortunate host with its tiny sharp teeth. It is contracted by eating raw or undercooked fish that are infected. Most cases are found in Asian countries due a larger consumption of that type of food there. But an Australian couple got infected from fish they caught and cooked over a campfire in Australia. So take care all you fishermen (and women) out there if you eat what you catch. Cook it well, these vicious little carnivores could be anywhere.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 06, 2011 -
Comments (10)
Category:
July 5, 2011
Follies of the Mad Men #150
Proof that liquor consumption can turn you into a moron.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 05, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, 1970s, Alcohol
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| Who We Are |
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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 |
