Weird Universe Archive

December 2012

December 18, 2012

The Ear Pull (and other painful Inuit sports)

Quoting from wikipedia:

The ear pull is a traditional Inuit game which tests the competitors' ability to endure pain. In the ear pull, two competitors sit facing each other, their legs straddled and interlocked. A two-foot-long loop of string, similar to a thick, waxed dental floss, is looped behind their ears, connecting right ear to right ear, or left to left. The competitors then pull upon the opposing ear using their own ear until the cord comes free or one player quits from the pain. The game has been omitted from some Arctic sports competitions due to safety concerns and the squeamishness of spectators; the event can cause bleeding and competitors sometimes require stitches.




The ear weight is a related competition. The goal is to walk as far as possible with lead weights (16 pounds) hanging from your ears. For many years, the reigning champion was Joshua Okpik, Jr. (shown below) who went half a mile with the weights. From People magazine (Aug 11, 1986):

As Okpik entered his fifth circuit of the Big Dipper Arena in Fairbanks, the crowd of 2,000 picked up a clapping beat. Around and around he padded, his ear darkening from purple to black, his neck muscles straining like cables. Six, seven, eight circuits he went, face contorted in pain, the audience now rocking and bellowing in support. Okpik was starting his tenth lap when his twine loop slipped and the 16 pounds thudded to the floor. He had walked 1,813 feet and five inches, more than a third of a mile. What drove him? As pain tested his limits, Okpik later said, "I told myself, 'Just be tough like a man.'"



image via Tundra Times

Or there's the Knuckle Hop, which tests how far contestants can hop on their knuckles on a hardwood floor. Apparently you lose feeling in your hands after the first few hoops. So no worries!

Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 18, 2012 - Comments (2)
Category: Sports

December 17, 2012

Bacon Emergency Tear Sheet

Just in case you are in trouble during the holidays, you may want to prepare this bacon tear sheet.

image

Here's the source:

http://www.pleated-jeans.com/2012/08/09/funny-pic-dump-8-9-12/pickmeupandshakeme/

What will you use your emergency bacon for?

Posted By: gdanea - Mon Dec 17, 2012 - Comments (3)
Category: Bacon

Ranger Rick







Is Ranger Rick more ghastly and scary than Woodsy Owl? Your call!

You just know, of course, when he's seated at that computer he's surfing for furry porn.



Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 17, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Nature, Children, 1960s

December 16, 2012

Stanley Steemer variations

You may have heard the Stanley Steemer commercials. But what started out as a voice-over demo evolved into variations on a theme -- the Stanley Steemer song. Mia Gentile worked with a friend, Roger Klug, on the piece.



There is a great summary of characters, styles and a high-energy conclusion at about 2:30.

Here's the link to the story:

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/13/15842111-singer-turns-stanley-steemer-jingle-into-dazzling-romp-through-musical-genres?lite

It certainly shows a wide vocal range and a great imagination!!

Posted By: gdanea - Sun Dec 16, 2012 - Comments (2)
Category: ShowBiz

Why The World Didn’t End Yesterday


NASA Is so sure the world will not end on Dec.21 2012 that they already released a video for the day after!!

Posted By: Tyrusguy - Sun Dec 16, 2012 - Comments (18)
Category:

Paco Rabanne Bathing Suits:  1966

image
[Click to enlarge. From Playboy for November 1966.]

Alex has begun a "weird bathing suit" meme, with his WOODEN BATHING SUITS post. I fear I shall have to see him his wood and raise him some plastic.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 16, 2012 - Comments (9)
Category: Fashion, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1960s

Driver’s License Photo as Art

Art is usually hung on walls, but the art of Fredrik Saker is now displayed on his driver's license, because he submitted a painted self-portrait of himself to the Swedish Transport Board for them to use as his license photo. And because it's a good likeness of him, the officials at the Transport Board accepted it. The self-portrait and his license are below. Saker has titled the portrait "This is not me." The BBC News suggests that Saker's work recalls "the art of the 16th Century miniaturists like Nicholas Hilliard" as well as "the Norwegian-born artist, Kjartan Slettemark, who made a career through questions of identity and travelled round Europe in the 1970s on a passport in which his head and beard had been superimposed on a photograph of the US president, Richard Nixon."




Saker couldn't have done this in the U.S. because the state Department of Motor Vehicles don't let you submit your own photo. (At least, they don't in California, which is the one I'm familiar with.) Though it might work for a passport application.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 16, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Art, Face and Facial Expressions

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

It's that time of year again when we roll out those holiday movies, pop mountains of corn, and gather the whole family in front of the TV to enjoy them yet again.

Here's one of the (ahem) better offerings from 1964.

Posted By: Expat47 - Sun Dec 16, 2012 - Comments (3)
Category: Movies, 1960s

December 15, 2012

Follies of the Madmen #195



This one comes courtesy of longtime WU-vie Expat47.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 15, 2012 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Junk Food, Reader Recommendation, 1950s

December 14, 2012

Trust Issues

Married for 30 years, this poor woman became a widow in February 2011. But wait, did I say widow? Not so much, as her husband secretly divorced her 8 years before. Then he continued to live with her as always but upon his death she was left with nothing. The man's grown children from a previous marriage are fighting her for everything. I guess we women will have to start checking the county records periodically if it is that easy to divorce someone without their knowlege. What a dirty rotten trick.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 14, 2012 - Comments (12)
Category: Divorce

Page 5 of 10 pages ‹ First  < 3 4 5 6 7 >  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 •