June 2015
June 27, 2015
50 guys in one bed
May 15, 1964: the students of Wakefield College in England attempted to set a record for the most people piled in one bed. They were hoping to make it to 50, but when they got to around 47 things started to go wrong. Frazer Cartwright, who was on the bottom, gasped, "Get off... quick... I'm..." Then blood began gushing from his nose, and he passed out. Luckily the audience intervened before he wound up dead. Cartwright vowed never to repeat that experience again.
Sources: The Terre Haute Tribune - May 16, 1964; Tuscaloosa News - May 15, 1964.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 27, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Fads, World Records, 1960s
Masterpiece
The picture above is just a portion of what is recognized by Guinness as the worlds longest sculpture. Artist Zheng Chunhui took 4 years to complete this beautiful masterpiece which is fashioned from one 40 foot long tree trunk. There are more pictures at the link.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 27, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Avant Garde
Getting Off on the Right Foot
This anonymous fellow, despite resembling Archie Bunker, is my new hero for sensible competence. His tolerance for falling is awesome. This is definitely not one of those exercises in boredom.
Should I ever become a hobo and take to riding the rails, I will owe any success to him.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 27, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: PSA’s, Trains and Other Vehicles on Rails, 1970s
June 26, 2015
Rock Feast
Last week I paid a visit to the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, and while there discovered they had an exhibit of rocks that look like food, which is a theme we've explored before here on WU (see The Original Rock Dinner and Stone Pie).So in these photos, there's nothing edible. It's all rocks.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 26, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Food
1950s Magnifying TV
How the heck did that magnification stunt work with 1950s technology? A lens sliding across the cathode-ray tube?
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 26, 2015 -
Comments (11)
Category: Technology, Television, 1950s
June 25, 2015
Florida Man Beer
I don't think there are many weird-news-themed beers. But back in March, Cigar City Brewing of Tampa created a special batch of Florida Man beer. It's an IPA with hints of grapefruit, mango and passion fruit. However, they made only 3,000 bottles that sold for $9 each at select retail locations in Florida. So probably all gone.Are there any other foods or beverages named after weird-news themes?
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 25, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Food, Inebriation and Intoxicants
Kusköy, Turkey: The Whistling Village
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 25, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Languages, Regionalism, Asia, Europe
June 24, 2015
Games couples play
"Johnson's wife, Iris Ann, 36, told [police] her husband was shot while they played a game in which he ran around the yard while she shot at him with a .22 caliber rifle."I guess Iris Ann won the game.
Source: The Hazleton Plain Speaker - Oct 10, 1958; Also here.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 24, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Husbands, Wives, Marriage, 1950s
Motorcycle Airbag Jacket
Here's what I'm envisioning: the possibly inebriated rider pulls up in the biker bar parking lot and, eager to join his buddies inside, hops off without disconnecting, instantly and uselessly inflating his jacket and earning much laughter from pals.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 24, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: Fashion, Inventions, Motorcycles
Third Time’s A Charm
Trucker hits 3, count 'em, 3 overpasses with the crane he's hauling before he stops. I guess 2 wasn't enough and 4 would have been overkill.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 24, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Accidents, Goofs and Screw-ups
| Get WU Posts by Email | |
|---|---|
| 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 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 |
