Weird Universe Blog — November 3, 2024
The Timberjack Walking Machine
Also known as the John Deere Walking Tractor. It was like a real-life version of the walkers from Star Wars (minus laser cannons). Details from Forestry Thoughts:It was made by a subsidiary of Timberjack, called Plustech Oy, and designing began in 1995 and the following prototype, called Plusjack was presented in 1999. Deere & Company purchased the company Timberjack in 2000. And in 2005, Timberjack Oy became John Deere Forestry Oy. Actually the designing department of John Deere´s forestry machines still is in Tampere, where they design everything.
There were few reasons why there were only two ever made. One was high price and other main one was its slowness in the field. It is a remarkable piece of engineering ahead of its time. One of these machines is at display at the Lusto, at the Finnish Forest Museum. And the other one I think, was shipped to USA to be displayed at some John Deere exhibition.
There were few reasons why there were only two ever made. One was high price and other main one was its slowness in the field. It is a remarkable piece of engineering ahead of its time. One of these machines is at display at the Lusto, at the Finnish Forest Museum. And the other one I think, was shipped to USA to be displayed at some John Deere exhibition.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 03, 2024 -
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Category: Robots | Technology
A Double Barrel Blast
Side 2 is particularly relevant to today's AI debate.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 03, 2024 -
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Category: Death | Technology | Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings | 1960s
November 2, 2024
Nixon drinks Gevalia coffee
Aug 1971: Posters appeared around Stockholm showing U.S. President Richard Nixon drinking a cup of coffee. They appeared to be ads for Gevalia coffee — though it seemed odd that Nixon would do an ad for Gevalia.
image source: moderna museet
According to Google Translate, "Gevalia dricks mest" means "Gevalia is drunk the most"
It turned out that the posters were the work of artist Kjartan Slettemark. He had combined an image of a hand holding a coffee cup, taken from an actual Gevalia ad, with a photo of Nixon distributed by the U.S. embassy. The posters were apparently a satirical commentary on the recent acquisition of Gevalia by an American company.
Indianapolis Star - Aug 6, 1971
The auction house Bukowskis offers some more details about Slettemark's hoax:
In 1971, Kjartan Slettemark came across a campaign poster featuring Nixon's portrait, innocently sent out by the American embassy. It hung on the studio wall for a few weeks when one day he asked for an advertisement poster for Gevalia coffee that he had seen at his local shop. The advertisement image showed a smiling woman lifting a coffee cup. When he cut out the woman's hand and placed it on the Nixon image, the size, colour, and lighting matched perfectly. He immediately wanted to print the work as a poster but could not afford the printing himself. He added the text "Moderna Museet - Open every day 12 - 22" and submitted it for printing at the press used by Moderna Museet. The poster was printed, and the bill was sent to Moderna Museet. The next morning, Stockholm's advertising pillars were filled with Nixon posters. Moderna Museet reacted and wrote a letter to the artist prohibiting him from selling or distributing the image. Despite this, the image continued to appear around the city. Kjartan Slettemark continued to work with the image, cutting away the museum's text and making it even more similar to Gevalia's campaign image. The fake Gevalia poster was political art. A protest against the US war in Vietnam and against American imperialism. In 1971, the Gävle company Gevalia had been acquired by the multinational corporation General Foods – thus finding itself on the enemy's side. The story continues as the advertising text is cut away and gradually develops into the collage series "Nixon Visions," where the president's face is distorted in various ways.
Three years later, Slettemark returned to Nixon as a subject. Slettemark applied for a new passport, but instead of submitting a picture of himself he used an altered picture of Nixon. The passport authorities accepted it. Images and text below from Cabinet magazine (Spring 2009):
Posted By: Alex - Sat Nov 02, 2024 -
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Category: Art | Politics | Coffee and other Legal Stimulants | 1970s
Wrong Corpse, Wrong Decapitation
Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 02, 2024 -
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Category: Death | Law | Identity Mistakes, Thefts and Mix-ups | Bodies, Corpses, Remnant Parts
November 1, 2024
Mock Recipes of New England
Penny-pinching New Englanders have a long tradition of creating 'mock' recipes. These are recipes in which a cheap (or easier to find) ingredient is substituted for a more expensive (or harder to find) one. So instead of making crabmeat salad with crabmeat, the mock version substitutes shredded parsnips for crab.The recipes below are from the Sep 1989 issue of Yankee magazine. They reach a meta quality with "Mock Mock Apple Pie."
Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 01, 2024 -
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Category: Food | Cookbooks
California Dairy Princesses
The selection of Dairy Princesses continues to this day.California Dairy Princesses serve as industry advocates in their home district and throughout the state, supporting the reputation of milk and dairy products through appearances at various events. Dairy Princesses and alternates participate in a mandatory orientation/training where they receive professional development coaching.
The California Dairy Princess Program has been in effect since 1958. Currently seven districts hold local contests, which represent 48 counties in the state of California. The California Dairy Princess contest is supported by California dairy producers through the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB).
A good article here.
California Dairy Princess at the Sonoma County Fair, Santa Rosa, California, July 21, 1958
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 01, 2024 -
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Category: Agriculture | Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues | Regionalism | Cows | 1950s
October 31, 2024
Joyce Luciano, the official anti-tax witch of Paterson, New Jersey
Joyce Luciano was made the official witch of Paterson, New Jersey in 1974 when she cast a "prosperity spell" on the city. She would then periodically cast "anti-tax spells" on the city. That seemed to be her specialty.How exactly does one cast an anti-tax spell? According to a UPI article (Oct 28, 1982) about her, one needs to lustily chant "Peace, Prosperity and Love," and then burn either a gold or green candle from 8 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. for seven nights.
PATERSON, N.J. -- A self-proclaimed witch donned a white gown and shiny gold cape Thursday and cast a 'tax-cut spell' on the city of Paterson.
Joyce Luciano, known as the 'official witch of Paterson,' was joined in her noon incantation by about 100 city residents and employees.
The audience gathered around a table that Ms. Luciano set up in the city's public safety complex and lustily chanted 'Peace, Prosperity and Love,' at the urging of the blond witch.
'The louder you say it, the higher the vibes,' she told the crowd as white candles burned on the table. 'It's a tax-cut spell.
Taking into account Paterson's size, she asked for the help of residents in her effort to lower the city tax rate, currently $8.66 per $100 assessment.
For seven days, beginning Thursday residents on the west side of Main Street were asked to burn a gold candle from 8 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Residents who live east of Main Street were told to burn a green candle.
Ms. Luciano planned to simultaneously recite tax cut incantations.
Joyce Luciano, known as the 'official witch of Paterson,' was joined in her noon incantation by about 100 city residents and employees.
The audience gathered around a table that Ms. Luciano set up in the city's public safety complex and lustily chanted 'Peace, Prosperity and Love,' at the urging of the blond witch.
'The louder you say it, the higher the vibes,' she told the crowd as white candles burned on the table. 'It's a tax-cut spell.
Taking into account Paterson's size, she asked for the help of residents in her effort to lower the city tax rate, currently $8.66 per $100 assessment.
For seven days, beginning Thursday residents on the west side of Main Street were asked to burn a gold candle from 8 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Residents who live east of Main Street were told to burn a green candle.
Ms. Luciano planned to simultaneously recite tax cut incantations.
Seems that her anti-tax spell in 1982 didn't work, because Paterson's taxes went up anyway, prompting her to leave the city.
More info: psychicofficialwitch.com (her former website, now abandoned, but preserved at the Internet Archive)
Paterson News - Oct 30, 1974
Paterson News - Oct 31, 1980
Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 31, 2024 -
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Category: Government | Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal | Halloween
Happy Halloween 2024!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 31, 2024 -
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Category: Body | Head | Holidays | Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal
How to Catch a Husband
May be enlarged at the source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 31, 2024 -
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Category: Stereotypes and Cliches | Advertising | Husbands | 1940s
October 30, 2024
No-Burp Syndrome
The inability to burp is known as retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction, or "no-burp syndrome." Anecdotes about people unable to burp date back centuries and had occasionally been reported in medical literature, but most doctors, until recently, were skeptical that the condition existed. Details from KFF Health News:André Smout, a gastroenterologist at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, said he read those reports when they came out.
"But we never saw the condition, so we didn't believe that it existed in real life," he said.
Smout's doubts persisted until he and colleagues studied a small group of patients a few years ago. The researchers gave eight patients with a reported inability to burp a "belch provocation" in the form of carbonated water, and used pressure sensors to observe how their throats moved. Indeed, the air stayed trapped. A Botox injection resolved their problems by giving them the ability to burp, or, to use an academic term, eructate.
"We had to admit that it really existed," Smout said.
"But we never saw the condition, so we didn't believe that it existed in real life," he said.
Smout's doubts persisted until he and colleagues studied a small group of patients a few years ago. The researchers gave eight patients with a reported inability to burp a "belch provocation" in the form of carbonated water, and used pressure sensors to observe how their throats moved. Indeed, the air stayed trapped. A Botox injection resolved their problems by giving them the ability to burp, or, to use an academic term, eructate.
"We had to admit that it really existed," Smout said.
Reddit is credited with bringing awareness to this condition after those afflicted with it began sharing their stories at the "No Burp" subreddit.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 30, 2024 -
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Category: Health | Medicine | Stomach
