February 2019
February 3, 2019
Official White House Squirrel Feeder
Odd trivia: Rick Feeney is arguably the longest-serving White House appointee ever, having served as the Official White House Squirrel Feeder since 1949, when Truman appointed him to the post. Having never been replaced, he presumably still holds the role. Feeney was 5 years old when appointed, which would make him about 75 now. I wonder what would happen if he wandered up to the White House and insisted on being able to perform his squirrel feeding duty.The story goes that his father (who was Truman’s administrative assistant) took him to the White House in 1949 to meet the president, whereupon Feeney informed Truman that the White House squirrels were skinnier than the ones in Lafayette Park. So Truman promptly appointed him to be the White House squirrel feeder, noting that the Senate was in recess so their confirmation wasn’t needed. Feeney was to serve “at the pleasure of the President.”
In 1974, when Feeney was 29, he noted that it was really time for someone to replace him, but no other Squirrel Feeder has ever been appointed.
More details at Southern Maryland This Is Living.
Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin - Sep 6, 1974
A children's book published in 2016 tells the story of the White House squirrel feeder. Available on Amazon.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Feb 03, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Politics, 1940s
How Not to Get Your Nose Blown Off When It Is Mistaken for a Deer’s Tail
I do not see that Kleenex makes these in 2019.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 03, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Body, Hunting, Trapping and Other Wilderness Activities, 1960s
February 2, 2019
Showered for four-and-a-half days
Preston ‘Rocky’ Stockman's comments after standing in a shower for 4½ days in an attempt to set the world record for longest shower (which he didn't even come close to setting): “My hands and feet were wrinkled. Then my ear became plugged, and I tried to unplug it. Everything I did was futile. It just got worse and worse… It got to the point where I was standing there in absolute agony.”
Shreveport Times - Mar 31, 1974
Posted By: Alex - Sat Feb 02, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: World Records, 1970s
Paper Moon “Musickette” by Wah Chang
Paper Moon "Musickette" by Wah Chang, 1948 from the films of Wah Ming Chang on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 02, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Music, Puppets and Automatons, Surrealism, 1940s
February 1, 2019
Laetitia Ky’s Hair Sculptures
Not an art form for the follically challenged.More examples at her Instagram page. Also at cnn.com.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Feb 01, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, Hair and Hairstyling
Follies of the Madmen #410
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 01, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Guns, 1910s
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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 |
