Weird Universe Archive

December 2019

December 16, 2019

Birds and fish used as candles

If the power goes out and you don't have any candles, no problem. At least, if you happen to be in the Shetland Islands. Just stick a wick down the throat of a dead stormy petrel, and it can be used as a candle. The McGill University Office for Science and Society confirms this strange factoid. In fact, it notes that in Denmark Great Auks used to be used for the same purpose.

Or, if you're in Alaska, a candlefish can be lit on fire and used for illumination. A National Geographic video (below) shows candlefish (aka eulachon) being caught, processed, and used as candles.

Minneapolis Star Tribune - Dec 22, 1929



Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 16, 2019 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals

Broadway Themed Pajamas



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 16, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Entertainment, Fashion, 1950s

December 15, 2019

Mama Robot Device

In 2017, patent number KR20170003315A was granted to a Korean inventor for a "Mama Robot Device". The inventor's name is only given in Korean, so I'm not sure what it is, but Google translates it as Jeong In-pil.

The Mama Robot is creepy in many ways. As far as I can tell, it's a device that allows children to punish themselves when they know they've been naughty but their parents are away.

The child is able to decide how many lashes with a cane they deserve, and the Mama Robot will then deliver the punishment. As it does so, the prerecorded voice of the parent will admonish the child, but simultaneously the Mama Robot will weep "such that the sad feelings of the parent punishing are conveyed to the child."

A camera inside Mama Robot will record the entire event and then send the video to the parent's phone, as proof that punishment has been served.

I wonder, how many years of therapy would it take for a child to recover from having Mama Robot installed in their home?

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 15, 2019 - Comments (6)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Robots, Parents

The Ford Skyliner

A hardtop convertible. Just what millions were clamoring for--not!

The Wikipedia page.



Jump to the 6:30 mark in the video to see the roof in action.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 15, 2019 - Comments (4)
Category: Inventions, Chindogu, 1950s, Cars

December 14, 2019

Stinky Candles

The Stinky Candle Company is committed to offering scented candles that represent the full range of everyday olfactory experiences. So, while they do sell many traditional scents such as christmas tree, chocolate cake batter, lilac, and creme brulee, they also offer non-traditional scents such as chlorine, rotting flesh, gasoline, body odor, fart, skunk, urine, vomit, and "Spawn of the Devil" (which sounds mysterious).

Sounds like the Stinky Candle Company follows the same scent philosophy as Demeter Fragrances, who were selling that glue perfume.


Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 14, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents

“Give Me a Red Hot Mama and an Ice Cold Beer”



Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 14, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Music, 1950s, Women, Alcohol

December 13, 2019

White Grub Broth

The holiday season is upon us. So, what better time to experiment with white grub broth in your cooking. Switch out the usual chicken stock for some white grub broth, and see what your guests think. Or just serve it on its own!

Sioux City Journal - Aug 6, 1922



"A valuable source of food supply remains untouched in the ground, and might be drawn upon to advantage if popular ignorance and prejudice could be overcome," said Dr. Leland O. Howard, chief of the Government Bureau of Entomology.

"I refer to the common white grub. Every small boy who goes fishing is familiar with it, because it makes exceptionally good bait. But even he does not know that it is the larva of the lively and brisk-flying insect which we call the June bug.

"The white grub is good to eat. It makes an excellent broth. Prepared in a salad, like shrimp, in the French fashion, with mayonnaise dressing, it is delicious. White grubs in a stew are first rate, resembling crab meat in flavor.

"I am able to recommend them because recently, in the Department of Agriculture, we have eaten them cooked in various ways. A quantity of them was shipped to Washington from Indiana in glass jars of salty water for the purpose of the experiment, and the job of devising ways to prepare them appetizingly for the table was assigned to the nutrition division of the Office of Home Economics.

"There the experts in practical home cookery took them in hand, removed their entrails and washed them, thus converting them into a raw material as clean and nice as shrimp meat or crab meat. A number of persons, invited to eat the broth, salad and stew made from them, found all three most appetizing. For stew the grubs were heated with a little water, and milk, butter, salt and pepper were added.

"Perhaps you imagine that it would be difficult to collect enough white grubs for table purposes. But that is not so. Over wide areas in the Middle West and elsewhere the soil is full of them. They can be turned up by thousands with a spade in a few minutes."

We can eat worms with zest!

Typical white grub (source: University of Florida entomology & nematology)

Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 13, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Food, Insects and Spiders

Nancy Sinatra for RC Cola

Nancy tries to escape the all-white dystopia of George Lucas's THX 1138.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 13, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Architecture, Business, Advertising, Surrealism, Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1960s

December 12, 2019

Best Undressed Woman of the Year

In 1940, the New York Art Students' League awarded a title it called the "Best Undressed Woman of the Year." They chose actress Janice Logan as the winner.

The art students apparently intended this as a satirical response to the media's love for declaring various actresses as the 'best dressed' woman of the year. 1940 seems to have been the only year in which they awarded the title, and it doesn't seem like winning the award did much for Logan's career.

The Davenport Daily Times - Feb 26, 1940

Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 12, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1940s

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