Weird Universe Blog — September 13, 2024
The Swamp in June
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 13, 2024 -
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Category: Boredom | Nature | Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings | 1960s
September 12, 2024
Opal Dixon, the mouthwash bank robber
Mrs. Opal Dixon decided to start robbing banks because she was "tired of living without having money."Her method was unusual. She would fill a syringe with mouthwash, enter a bank, and then brandish the syringe over her head while shouting that it was full of nitroglycerine and she would blow the place up if the teller didn't give her money.
She got away with this once and would have succeeded a second time if the police hadn't identified her later while she was walking down the street.
Decatur Herald and Review - Jan 23, 1947
Des Moines Register - Jan 23, 1947
Mansfield News Journal - Jan 23, 1947
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 12, 2024 -
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Category: Crime | 1940s | Women
The Fantasy Circus League
We've all heard of Fantasy Football, where the amateur player gets to run a team. But how can that compare to the activities of the Circus Model Builders, where you get to run a circus?Here's their homepage. In short, you pick an extinct circus and recreate it as a model.
Here's a great article about one young lad who earned a lifetime circus pass by doing so. You can go to the source if you want to increase the typesize for readability.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 12, 2024 -
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Category: Hobbies and DIY | 1940s | Circuses, Carnivals, and Other Traveling Shows
September 11, 2024
The Devon Octopus Invasion
Summer of 1950: A strange Cold War conspiracy theory circulated among fishermen in Devon. They attributed a large number of octopuses in the coastal waters to the presence of Russian trawlers "fitted with tanks containing octopuses," releasing the creatures near the coast.
Plymouth Western Morning News - Sep 28, 1950
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 11, 2024 -
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Category: Fish | Conspiracy Theories and Theorists | 1950s | United Kingdom
Jailbait!
This text seems to be missing coverage of fully half of all possible juvenile delinquents. But why not see for yourself at the Internet Archive.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 11, 2024 -
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Category: Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough | Teenagers | Books | 1940s
September 10, 2024
Weight-Loss Earring
The Acu-Ring, or weight-control earring, was introduced in 1978 and continued to be sold until at least 1990.You were supposed to wear the ring around the edge of your ear and squeeze it whenever you felt an urge to eat. Soon you'd see the pounds melting away!
It supposedly worked by means of 'acupressure'. The theory was that there's a spot on the ear that controls the stomach, so putting pressure on that spot would lessen appetite. (Couldn't a similar effect be achieved just by squeezing the edge of your ear with your fingers? Apparently not.)
A similar idea lay behind "staplepuncture" (or ear stapling) which we've posted about previously.
Brigham Young University Daily Universe - Oct 7, 1982
Allentown Morning Call - July 17, 1978
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 10, 2024 -
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Category: Dieting and Weight Loss
Oddities: A Book of Unexplained Facts
Read it here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 10, 2024 -
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Category: Weird Facts | Weird Studies and Guides | Books | 1920s
September 9, 2024
How to hold a press conference
Chico Enterprise-Record - June 7, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 09, 2024 -
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Category: Diplomacy and Foreign Relations | Officials | 1970s
Monkey Girl Marries Alligator Boy
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 09, 2024 -
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Category: Human Marvels | Marriage | 1940s | Circuses, Carnivals, and Other Traveling Shows
September 8, 2024
Please don’t throw explosives in the trash
A very British way of asking people to not blow up garbage workers:
Derby Evening Telegraph - May 14, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 08, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: 1960s | United Kingdom | Weapons
