Weird Universe Archive
May 2012
May 15, 2012
The Candidate With a 430 IQ
South Korea has an interesting candidate running for president — Huh Kyung-young. It's his third time running. Last time, in 2007, he got 10,000 votes, but he's convinced there was a miscount and that this time around he'll win. A few facts from his bio:
- He says he has an IQ of 430.
- He wants to move the U.N. headquarters to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
- He claims Michael Jackson's soul visited him three days before the singer died. Inspired by the visit, Huh later produced a record titled, "Call Me."
- He wants to give $100,000 to all couples who get married, and $30,000 to anyone who has a baby. How to pay for this? "Where there is a will, there is a way. I have all the solutions in my head. Remember, my IQ is 430."
- At the age of 57, he acquired supernatural powers.
Posted By: Alex - Tue May 15, 2012 -
Comments (8)
Category: Eccentrics, Politics, Strange Candidates
May 14, 2012
What Is It
Take a guess, answer after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Mon May 14, 2012 -
Comments (12)
Category:
Horace Greeley’s Neck-Hair Beard
Urban Dictionary offers several definitions of "neckbeard":
1. Facial hair that does not exist on the face, but instead on the neck. Almost never well groomed.
2. Talkative, self-important nerdy men (usually age 30 and up) who, through an inability to properly decode social cues, mistake others' strained tolerance of their blather for evidence of their own charm.
2. Talkative, self-important nerdy men (usually age 30 and up) who, through an inability to properly decode social cues, mistake others' strained tolerance of their blather for evidence of their own charm.
Horace Greeley probably offers an example of both definitions. The wikipedia page about him notes: "Greeley was noted for his eccentricities. His attire in even the hottest weather included a full-length coat, and he was never without an umbrella; his interests included spiritualism and phrenology." And add his neckbeard to his list of eccentricities. Even by nineteenth-century standards, it was an odd fashion choice. The National Archives blog describes it as a "neard", as well as "neck hair run amok". In 1872 Greeley ran for president against Ulysses S. Grant (who had a normal beard) and suffered a landslide loss. His neard may have played a role in this.
Posted By: Alex - Mon May 14, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Politics, Hair and Hairstyling
Follies of the Mad Men #182
"World War II was won by superior American staples. We're not saying that just because we make and sell them."
The personal bonus: Bostitch is a company from my home state of Rhode Island.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 14, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Engineering and Construction, Technology, War, 1940s
Chuck’s Off Today
I am on the road today. I don't go on the road often. I was last on the road in 2002. I probably won't be on the road again before 2015. Here's the deal: I promise you that I "hand-pick" the "creme" of the week's news. I can't fulfill that promise while I'm on the road. I have too many distractions. Rather than post "Here are 15 links I found last week," I'm sticking to my business model. But that means I'm taking the week off. I've been doing my prep work, though. Next week's Cite-Seeing Tour will inevitably be longer than usual, covering 2 weeks.
Posted By: Chuck - Mon May 14, 2012 -
Comments (8)
Category:
May 13, 2012
Esperanto Armageddon
In a Mad Max future, Esperanto will save the day! Huh?
Posted By: Paul - Sun May 13, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Languages, Movies, Science Fiction
Snail Porridge
According to Heston Blumenthal, "snail and porridge might sound like a bit of a bizarre combination, but it's totally delicious to eat." I'll take his word for it, but this is one dish I'm not going to try. To make the dish, it sounds like you mix snails and porridge together. Then you add in a whole bunch of other stuff to hide the taste of the snails.
Posted By: Alex - Sun May 13, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Food
May 12, 2012
Beatnik Jokes
Posted By: Paul - Sat May 12, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s, Jokes
Tattoos for Dogs
The newest fad in canine fashion -- tattooing your dog. Note that these aren't permanent tattoos. They're airbrushed on using a special pet-friendly dye. Still, it's a great way to make your dog look ridiculous. Link: theweek.com
Posted By: Alex - Sat May 12, 2012 -
Comments (19)
Category: Animals, Fashion, Pets, Dogs
May 11, 2012
Jughead Licks An Old Man Wearing Ice Cream
[Click to enlarge]
Forever will the image of Jughead licking icecream off the head of Pop Tate haunt your every waking moment.
But if that's not enough old-school Archie weirdness for you, please click the link and purchase the newest volume of the Archie Archives.
Posted By: Paul - Fri May 11, 2012 -
Comments (2)
Category: Food, Comics, 1940s, Eating, Goofs and Screw-ups
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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 |
