August 2019
August 11, 2019
Name That List, #60
What is this a list of? The answer is below in extended.- Stalking
- Consumer Buying
- Clerk
- Atomic Energy
- Taxidermy
- Forage Crops
- Firemanship
- Signalling
- Interpreting
- World Brotherhood
- Hog Production
- Dairying
- Nut Culture
- Airplane Design
- Pigeon Raising
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Sun Aug 11, 2019 -
Comments (6)
Category: Name That List
Some Ceremonial Garments of the Odd Fellows
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 11, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Ceremonies, Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Fashion, Twentieth Century
August 10, 2019
Another Exploding Toilet
In Port Charlotte, Florida, a lightning strike ignited methane in the sewer system, which then caused a toilet inside a house to explode. The plumber who later came to investigate noted: "This is probably the first time in history something like this has happened."Well, maybe it's the first time lightning has caused a toilet to explode (I'm not sure... can't think of another example offhand), but it's definitely not the first time a toilet has randomly exploded. That's a recurring weird-news phenomenon. Other instances we've posted about here, here, and here.
More info: Wash Post
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 10, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Bathrooms, Explosives
Midcentury Modern Clocks by Portescap
The current company seems to have gotten out of the clock business, alas.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 10, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Design and Designers, Technology, 1960s
August 9, 2019
Life Lesson Learned
Jamie Bisceglia learned that if you catch an octopus while fishing, it’s not a good idea to put it on your face for the sake of a funny picture:"It had barreled its beak into my chin and then let go a little bit and did it again,” she explained.
“It was a really intense pain when it went inside and it just bled, dripping blood for a long time.”…
The painful experience has taught Bisceglia a lesson in handling live animals. "This was not a good idea. Hindsight looking back, I will never do it again," she said.
More info: CTV News
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 09, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Injuries
Wilson, Keppel and Betty
Two versions of another weird dance, inspired by Alex's recent posting! That is, Alex inspired my post, not the locomotions of the dancers!Their Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 09, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: 1930s, Dance
August 8, 2019
The man who phoned for peace
In 1936, American businessman Abraham Pickus started calling world leaders, trying to convince them to seek peaceful solutions. Amazingly, he got through to quite a few of them, including Hitler.Of course, his efforts didn't produce any tangible results, but you can't fault him for trying.
Newsweek - Apr 18, 1938
Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 08, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: War, Telephones, 1930s
Mystery Gadget 79
This device is registering something. What?
The answer is here.
And beyond the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 08, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Technology, 1930s
August 7, 2019
Water Walk Cancelled
The laws of physics weren't going to stop him, but a bullet in the leg did.Failed attempts to walk on water definitely are a recurring theme in weird news. See also: When Yogi Rao failed to walk on water
The Shreveport Times - May 22, 1972
Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 07, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, Religion, 1970s
The Only Floating Zip Code in the USA
Article here.
Wikipedia entry here.
Good article about other "unique zip codes" here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 07, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Postal Services
| 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 |
