Hobbies and DIY
Bed of Nails
Back in 1975, eleven-year-old Mark Harman of England made headlines by becoming a practitioner of the art of lying on a bed of nails. He was reported to have been taught by an "expert" and practiced by lying on the bed for half an hour each day.I guess it's definitely not a typical hobby for a boy his age. I can't find any follow-up stories about him, so don't know if he continued the hobby later in life.
Corsicana Daily Sun - Feb 13, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Tue May 08, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, 1970s
23-mile paper chain
Butch Baker of Four Oaks, North Carolina began making a paper chain in 1979. The chain is now 23-miles long, weighs 2300 pounds, and takes up much of his living room. And he’s still working on it. (He knows it's length because he's been measuring it as he makes it.)The problem is, Butch is 78 and doesn't know what will happen to the chain when he dies.
More info: news observer
image source: Four Oaks Journal - Feb 2016 (pdf)
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 12, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, World Records
Riding Table Saw
What could possibly go wrong?
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 25, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Hobbies and DIY, Chindogu, 1950s
Extra Milers
The Extra Miler Club is a group of people whose goal is to visit every county (and equivalent jurisdiction) in every state of the United States. That's 3,143 counties. Indian reservations don't count, although some visit them anyway. Parishes do count, as do independent cities.If you finish the goal, you're called a "county completer." Only 51 people have joined this elite group, and they're all listed here.
More info: boston.com
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jul 09, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Hobbies and DIY, Travel, Collectors
Follies of the Madmen #301
The birth of the selfie generation.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 18, 2017 -
Comments (6)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Family, Hobbies and DIY, Movies, 1950s
Tiny Town, PA
Homepage here.
News article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 24, 2016 -
Comments (1)
Category: Eccentrics, Hobbies and DIY, Outsider Art, 1930s
Least-Authentic Native-American Motifs Ever
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 17, 2016 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, Fashion, Hobbies and DIY, 1970s, Native Americans
Destination Atlantis
Auto mechanic Frank Russell of Biggleswade, England spent two years building a submarine in his backyard. He did it, he said, so that he could find the "lost city" of Atlantis. He described the construction of the sub in an article distributed by International News Service (Dec 1949):Practically all the parts have been cut, filed and even some of the holes drilled with ordinary hand tools, though I did manage on several occasions to borrow an oxy-acetylene cutter and an electric drill.
I have built this craft entirely by myself except for some of the more tricky points of welding on the hull. This was done by a friend, who is a highly skilled factory welder.
This submarine has been built entirely out of second-hand steel plates and scrap from local yards. Oxygen cylinders, motors, batteries, and the like are all from government surplus sales. The only new items are the glass observation ports and some rivets and bolts.
The launch date for his sub was November 4, 1950. Unfortunately, I can't find any reports about the launch, but I'm assuming he didn't find Atlantis.
And I'm guessing he may have been pulling everyone's leg about wanting to search for Atlantis, because eight years later he was back in the news as the perpetrator of an elaborate UFO hoax involving a "do-it-yourself space ship made of wire, silver paper, clockwork and a couple of flashlights." So it seems that he was a bit of a practical joker.
The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) - Nov 8, 1950
New Castle News - Oct 7, 1949
The Decatur Herald - May 28, 1958
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 11, 2016 -
Comments (2)
Category: Boats, Hobbies and DIY, 1950s
Nude Birdwatching World Record
In Boobies, Peckers, and Tits Olaf Danielson documents his quest to obtain the world record for nude birdwatching. He managed to see 594 North American species in one year, while in his birthday suit.It doesn't seem that there was a world record for this activity before Danielson decided to obtain it. So he had to invent his own official rules, which include the following.
- You have to be nude to count the bird. Hats and footwear are fine but nothing else.
- You have to had left naked to go birding (or for another nude activity) to count the bird. Seeing a turkey vulture while playing nude volleyball is acceptable, while driving along in a car or walking textile, seeing a bird, and then slipping off your clothing does not count. In fact, being in car doesn’t count ever. To count a bird, you will have to go back to car, or house, undress and then return unclothed. For legality reasons, leaving a car walking around a corner and disrobing is acceptable, as long as it wasn’t because you saw a new bird.
- You cannot be inside an enclosed boat, house, or car/ truck for it to count. A bird blind must be open to a degree any birder would consider it open. Being naked on an ATV if you left naked on an ATV or even a snowmobile (burr!) is acceptable.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 21, 2016 -
Comments (2)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, World Records
Bensen Gyrocopters
Aren't drones a little wimpy, when you could be flying your own Bensen Gyrocopter?
Original ad here.
Heck, even Batman had one!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 23, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Comics, Air Travel and Airlines, 1960s
| 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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |