September 2017
September 10, 2017
Psychic Baseball Game
No supernatural abilities actually required.
Original ad here.
Further information here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 10, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Games, Sports, 1920s, 1930s
Beefless Days
Back in 1942, the town of Ashland, Ohio instituted a policy of "beefless days." It had nothing to do with going vegetarian. All the town residents pledged that on every Thursday until the war ended they wouldn't complain about anything.
Oakland Tribune - Oct 9, 1942
On Thursdays, Ashland residents are now free to beef about anything they want. But the town still declares itself to be the "World Headquarters of Nice People."
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 10, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: 1940s
September 9, 2017
Beauty Mask
March 1940 — At the International Beauty Shop Owners' show in New York City, Ruth Scott modeled a mask to heat the face and tone up the skin. The scratchers on her fingers were brass thimbles to protect nail polish until it dried.
Newsweek - Mar 25, 1940
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 09, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Costumes and Masks, 1940s
Follies of the Madmen #325
Possessed pants try to ward off other occult rivals.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 09, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Fashion, 1930s
September 8, 2017
Mystery Gadget 52
Maybe this one is too easy? Purpose of this office machine?
The answer is here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 08, 2017 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Technology, 1930s
Get Lauren
Artist Lauren McCarthy is renting herself out for three days at a time as a 'virtual assistant' like Siri, Alexa, or Google Now. From her website:
More info: Lifehacker.com
Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 08, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Technology, AI, Robots and Other Automatons
September 7, 2017
Nikita Made Me Kill!
Not only did he not like modern art, but he caused mental illness!
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 07, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, 1950s, Russia, Brain Damage
Armless Driver Fights Loss of License
Ray Myers was known as the 'armless musician.' He was born in 1911 without arms, but he taught himself to play the guitar with his feet, and he became quite accomplished. Good enough that he was considered to be talented in his own right, not just as a curiosity.
Myers also taught himself how to drive a car using only his feet. Not a specially outfitted car. Just a normal one. (Though I'm assuming it was an automatic.) But in 1965, after driving without incident for 29 years, he lost his license. The reason: the state's new computer flagged his license to be revoked when it came across the notation in his file that he had been "born without arms."
Honolulu Star-Bulletin - Jan 18, 1965
Myers appealed the decision, and (probably thanks to all the media attention the case got) was allowed to take a special exam. Two weeks later he was driving again.
Sayre Evening Times - Jan 28, 1965
Myers died in 1987 at the age of 75. More info about him at missioncreep.com and Arcane Radio Trivia.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 07, 2017 -
Comments (7)
Category: Human Marvels, 1960s, Cars
September 6, 2017
The Tomorrow People
Combine The Mod Squad with The X-Men and you have The Tomorrow People.
Wikipedia page here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 06, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Human Marvels, Television, Comics, Science Fiction, 1970s, Europe, Differently Abled, Handicapped, Challenged, and Otherwise Atypical
Woman trapped retrieving poo
BBC News headline: Woman trapped in window while trying to retrieve pooImpressively, the headline delivers exactly what it promises. It was her own poo she was after, having flung it because it "would not flush" and she was worried her date would find it.
When I first read the story I thought, nah, that can't be true. It sounds too much like some kind of urban legend about a date gone nightmarishly wrong. But the BBC has confirmed it, as has the local Fire and Rescue service.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 06, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Excrement, Love & Romance
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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 |
