Weird Universe Archive
December 2021
December 31, 2021
Weirdest News Stories of 2021
According to BoredPanda.com, the weirdest news story of 2021 was that one about the hiker who, lost for 24 hours on a mountain in Colorado, ignored the repeated phone calls from rescuers because he didn't recognize the number. He eventually made it to safety on his own. [NY Post]Some more stories from their list:
- California condors are very rare, but 10% of them are trashing this woman's house [cbc.ca]
- Cheeky cow goes for a ride on a water slide after escaping slaughterhouse [metro.co.uk]
- Bishop steps down after falling in love with satanic-themed erotica author [NY Post]
- In Argentina, capybaras have infiltrated one of the richest gated communities... have destroyed manicured lawns, bitten dogs and caused traffic accidents [The Guardian]
- Saudi Arabia banned 40 camels from a camel beauty contest for allegedly having touch-ups like Botox and fillers [The Guardian]
- "When an eel climbs a ramp to eat squid from a clamp, that's a moray" [NY Times]
- Shakira says "people were just watching" and not "doing anything" when her bag was stolen by wild boars in Barcelona [nme.com]
- Italian man tries to dodge Covid vaccine wearing fake arm [BBC News]
- Nun caught dancing with skeleton next to graveyard [metro.co.uk]
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 31, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: 2020s
The Johnny Clock
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 31, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Domestic, Hygiene, Scatology
December 30, 2021
Dangerous Darts
An unusual way to play darts.The woman is actress Jane Powell, and according to Getty Images the photo was taken circa 1955. But Getty offers no info other than that.
Powell is wearing that swimsuit on the poster for her 1957 movie The Girl Most Likely. However, she wore the exact same swimsuit in her 1958 movie The Female Animal (see video clip below).
So the photo must have been taken during the shooting of one of these two movies. But which one, I don't know. And was it a scene from the movie, or was this how the actors passed the time on set? Again, I don't know.
Powell died just a few months ago at the age of 92. More info from the NY Post.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 30, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Movies, Sports, 1950s
Living in an Abandoned Hospital
This instance can't quite fit into the UNAUTHORIZED DWELLINGS series, since it's authorized. But close enough to be weird!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 30, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Domestic, Hospitals, United Kingdom
December 29, 2021
Death Ed
In the early 1970s, inspired by the introduction of Sex Education classes, some religious leaders and funeral directors suggested adding Death Education classes to high school curriculums. And apparently such classes were introduced, for a while, at some schools.
The Raleigh Register Beckley Post-Herald - Aug 14, 1971
The book Mind and Society Fads, by Frank Hoffmann and William Bailey, offers some info about how Death Education classes were conducted:
High school students were asked to select one literary passage concerning death that most closely reflected their personal belief. The images ran the gamut from those of utter destruction to immense delight in death. Next, elementary school children compiled a scrapbook of newspaper clippings that classified the causes of death, especially the ones that most affected elementary school-aged populations. For high school and above, students completed a personal death inventory, answering such questions as, "Are you afraid of death?" "Have you made plans for your final days?" and "Do you believe that there are people to whom you wish to make peace with, express gratitude to, praise, thank, or express love to prior to your death?"...
Death education classes also required students to write position papers on a controversial death issue, study cryogenics, debate the religious aspects of death, play "Run For Your Life" — what would you do if you only had a limited time to live, and envision what might precipitate the deathblow(s) to earth...
Paradoxically, teaching children and adolescents about death has not raised parental hackles like sex education. During the same time that death education (i.e., the most morbid aspect of living) struggled for a foothold, classroom instruction about sexuality (i.e., the most vivid aspect of living) met with considerable resistance.
Death education classes also required students to write position papers on a controversial death issue, study cryogenics, debate the religious aspects of death, play "Run For Your Life" — what would you do if you only had a limited time to live, and envision what might precipitate the deathblow(s) to earth...
Paradoxically, teaching children and adolescents about death has not raised parental hackles like sex education. During the same time that death education (i.e., the most morbid aspect of living) struggled for a foothold, classroom instruction about sexuality (i.e., the most vivid aspect of living) met with considerable resistance.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Dec 29, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Education
Sustainable Inuit Fashions
The website is here.Designer's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 29, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Ethnic Groupings, Fashion, Regionalism
December 28, 2021
Burberry Hero—man/horse duality
AdWeek named this as the weirdest fragrance ad of 2021. I'd have to agree.From YouTube:
Burberry introduces Hero, Riccardo Tisci’s first scent for Burberry starring Adam Driver.
A new masculine spirit exploring the house codes of duality and the power of the animal kingdom.
A man in search of transformation and metamorphosis as a new modern heroism.
A new masculine spirit exploring the house codes of duality and the power of the animal kingdom.
A man in search of transformation and metamorphosis as a new modern heroism.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 28, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Advertising, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
What Demoralized the Barber Shop
Trollops disconcert some gentlemen. It's amazing the customer in the chair did not have his throat cut.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 28, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Public Indecency, Women, Nineteenth Century, Hair and Hairstyling
December 27, 2021
The death of an anti-seatbelt crusader
Jan 2005: Three months after writing an article in a student newspaper denouncing seatbelt laws as intrusions on individual liberties, Derek Kieper died when a vehicle he was in skidded off an icy road into a ditch. Two others in the car, who were wearing seatbelts, survived. Derek, however, was not wearing a seatbelt.I don't know if Kieper ever officially won a Darwin Award, but he's certainly been nominated for one by many people.
Lincoln Journal Star - Jan 5, 2005
Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 27, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Cars
Moon Mice at the World’s Fair
Read it here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 27, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Comics, 1960s
| 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 |
