April 2017
April 14, 2017
Numbered Towels for Hygiene
Somehow this reminds me of the set of seven panties with the days of the week embroidered on them.I could not find such a product still commercially available, but I did find a DIY version.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 14, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Domestic, Hygiene, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, 1960s
April 13, 2017
Chilly Bang! Bang! Squirt Gun
The brief, controversial product life of the Chilly Bang! Bang! juice-filled squirt gun. Kids put the gun barrel in their mouth and squeezed the trigger to enjoy a refreshing squirt of juice.First sales were halted because the plastic tab at the end of the barrel was deemed a choking hazard. Then in 1991 it was banned outright. New York Senator Nicholas Spano noted, "The last thing we should teach our children is to put gun barrels in their mouths."
Democrat and Chronicle - Aug 30, 1989
Democrat and Chronicle - Sep 6, 1989
The Ithaca Journal - May 18, 1991
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 13, 2017 -
Comments (8)
Category: Toys, 1990s
Mystery Illustration 42
The splendid sartorial sense of this fellow is explicitly deemed by the advertisement to be inducement to trust his taste in another area. What product would you imagine his clothes are justifying. Liquor? Cars? Hairspray?
The answer is here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 13, 2017 -
Comments (5)
Category: Fashion, Advertising, 1970s
April 12, 2017
Historic Book Odour Wheel
Noting that "the role of smells in how we perceive heritage has not been systematically explored until now," researchers at University College London have developed a "Historic Book Odour Wheel."They tested it on visitors to St Paul's Cathedral's Dean and Chapter library in London, who characterized the smell of the library as 'woody,' 'smoky,' 'earthy,' and 'vanilla.'
The researchers say, "the Historic Book Odour Wheel could potentially be used to recreate smells and aid the design of olfactory experiences in museums, allowing visitors to form a personal connection with exhibits by allowing them to understand what the past smelled like."
More info: Science Daily, Heritage Science
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 12, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Science, Books, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
Newt Kook
Hard to believe that the largest-selling bourbon was once touted by a fellow named "Newt Kook."This timeline of Dant's history makes no mention of Newt. And Google comes up empty for any biographical particulars. Could he have been a fake, a corporate icon like "Betty Crocker?"
This January 30 1956 report from BROADCASTING MAGAZINE seems to say otherwise. Although who knows who was on the other end of the phone?
Original ad here.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 12, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, Products, Alcohol
April 11, 2017
The Los Angeles Pet Memorial
I was briefly in L.A. over the weekend, so I took the time to visit the L.A. Pet Memorial, my curiosity about it having been piqued after posting recently about how Blinky the Friendly Hen was buried there. It's up in northwest L.A., in Calabasas. If you're ever in the area, and want to do some sightseeing that's more off the beaten track, it's worth checking out. Some of the highlights below:
The coffin showroom, featuring pet-sized coffins
Inside the mausoleum
The grounds spread out over 8 acres. So the park is pretty big.
Yours truly by the grave of "Room 8" — the cat that lived at the Elysian Heights Elementary School. He was once known as the most famous cat in America.
Satan — We'll Miss You
Sir Pretzel Stick — I'll Remember You
Vicious — Our Precious Baby
I finally found the marker for Blinky the Friendly Hen. The front office didn't have a guide to the graves, so you have to find them on your own. Blinky turned out to be in the area directly across from the front office, about 8 rows back.
There's a number of other famous animals buried at the park, including Tawny the MGM lion, Hopalong Cassidy's horse, and one of the dogs from the Little Rascals. Plus, the pets of many celebrities are there — Charlie Chaplin's cat, Humphrey Bogart's dog, etc.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 11, 2017 -
Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Death
The Singer Gazelle
Wikipedia page here.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 11, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category: 1950s, Cars
April 10, 2017
7 Clicks (April 10, 2017)
7 ClicksA Weird Universe News Service
April 10, 2017
The Texas legislature is about to choose a "state gun" (Bowie knife? Colt .45?). Current favorite: a cannon. [The Guardian]
Hawaii officials are freaking out over the Angiostrongylus cantonensis bacterium, but if prevention calls for you not to undercook your worms, problem seems easily avoided. [ABC News]
Business model of several companies in Kenya: they shrink-wrap cash into $1m blocks and parachute them to customers. [NY Times]
France's space program has 24 job openings to just lie around in bed for 2 months (earn €16k). Only catch: You can't get up. [The Guardian]
Cruel joke on the new coal-enraptured EPA administrator: The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum announced it was moving to solar power. [WYMT-TV]
Before there was Rachel Dolezal, some black Americans identified as Moorish--and therefore "sovereign citizens," which soon will not sit well with the crackers ruling sovereignhood. But here are two arrested in February. [al.com]
Yr Editor knows nothng about this (except that it distracts certain people who would likely be dangerous if left undistracted): A giant U.S. robot will square off against a giant Japanese robot in August, and they'll pound and saw and crush each other, and certain people will get really excited. (Better if they just Stooge-slapped each other, but . . ..) [Nerdist.com]
Thanks to Joe Littrell and Gary Goldberg.
Posted By: Chuck - Mon Apr 10, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category:
The Enema Bandit
In the mid 1960s, the first reports surfaced of the activities of a sexual assailant who came to be known as the "enema bandit." Disguised by a ski mask, he would enter the rooms of coeds at various college campuses (usually in Oklahoma, but he also showed up in Kansas, Oklahoma, and California).Holding his victims at gunpoint, he would force them to remove their clothes, then he would tie their wrists and proceed to give them each an enema, always working "slowly and deliberately." His victims agreed that "he knew what he was doing." Otherwise, he didn't harm the women, releasing them when he was finished. His victims also described him as being "extremely polite." Before he left, he would take whatever money he could find.
The enema bandit remained at large for a decade before police finally caught him in 1975, identifying him as Michael Kenyon. From wikipedia:
The enema bandit inspired several songs: "The Illinois Enema Bandit" by Frank Zappa (1976), and "Salute to the Enema Bandit" by Henry Threadgill (1986).
Ironwood Daily Globe - Feb 9, 1972
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - May 5, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 10, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category:
Real-Life Dick Tracy
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 10, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category: Law, Comics, 1960s
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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 |
