Weird Universe Archive
April 2022
April 20, 2022
The Sauna Bath Nymphomaniac
The case of the cable car nymphomaniac is a classic weird news story. Less well known, but along similar lines, is the case of the sauna bath nymphomaniac.Maria Parson claimed that the trauma of being accidentally locked in a sauna for half-an-hour due to a faulty door handle caused her to develop a split personality. She came to have three personalities: "sex-hungry Maria" who prowled bars picking up men, "remorseful Betty" who bitterly resented Maria's escapades, and her submerged real self.
She sued the health spa for $1 million, but lost — even though she was represented by the same lawyer who had secured a win for the cable car nymphomaniac.
Orange Coast Pilot - Dec 20, 1973
Bellingham Herald - Jan 10, 1974
Eureka Times Standard - Mar 6, 1974
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 20, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Lawsuits, Psychology, 1970s, Sex
Summer Skiing in Chicago
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 20, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Sports, Urban Life, 1950s
April 19, 2022
Inappropriate Content Hallucination
Inappropriate Content Hallucination, as defined by a recent study conducted by researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology, is when artificial intelligence systems insert dirty words into the subtitles of videos meant for kids. From their article:Over the last few years, YouTube Kids has emerged as one of the highly competitive alternatives to television for children's entertainment. Consequently, YouTube Kids' content should receive an additional level of scrutiny to ensure children's safety. While research on detecting offensive or inappropriate content for kids is gaining momentum, little or no current work exists that investigates to what extent AI applications can (accidentally) introduce content that is inappropriate for kids.
In this paper, we present a novel (and troubling) finding that well-known automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems may produce text content highly inappropriate for kids while transcribing YouTube Kids' videos. We dub this phenomenon as inappropriate content hallucination. Our analyses suggest that such hallucinations are far from occasional, and the ASR systems often produce them with high confidence.
In this paper, we present a novel (and troubling) finding that well-known automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems may produce text content highly inappropriate for kids while transcribing YouTube Kids' videos. We dub this phenomenon as inappropriate content hallucination. Our analyses suggest that such hallucinations are far from occasional, and the ASR systems often produce them with high confidence.
More info: Indian Express
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 19, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: AI, Robots and Other Automatons, Mistranslations, Swears
“Goodbye, Three Mile Island”
With Chernobyl in the news again, perhaps we need to revive this song.Gary and the Outriders, a local music group, recorded an original song, "Goodbye T.M.I. (The Ballad of Three Mile Island)," and released it as a 45 rpm record. Its catchy melody contrasts with its dire refrain: "Goodbye, goodbye to your life, T.M.I."
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 19, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Music, Regionalism, Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1970s
April 18, 2022
Multiple wives for men over 60
April 1966: Noting that there are more women than men over the age of 60, and that women over age 60 often are widowed and may "subsist on inadequate diets and live in a state of sexual frustration," Utah physician Victor Kassel proposed a solution: allow men over age 60 to have more than one wife. In this way, many lonely, older women might once again have a husband, albeit one they're sharing
The Baytown Sun - Apr 19, 1966
In later remarks, Kassel complained that the publicity which his proposal received overemphasized the sexual aspects of his proposal. But to be fair to the media, he himself drew attention to some of the sexual benefits (for men) of polygyny:
Kassel said it is true an older man's problems with sex lie with boredom rather than impotency. "With three, four or five wives," Kassel said, "he wouldn't be bored any longer."
left: Idaho Daily Statesman - Sep 11, 1966; right: Fort Lauderdale News - Apr 16, 1966
One English wife offered the following response to Kassel's proposal:
Sunday Mirror - Apr 24, 1966
Some general remarks:
- I don't know why many news articles referred to him as "Victory Kassel". His name was Victor.
- The media frequently said he was promoting polygamy (multiple spouses), when he was actually, more specifically, advocating polygyny (multiple wives).
- One might assume that because Kassel lived in Salt Lake City and was promoting polygyny, that he was Mormon. He was actually Jewish, born in New York City.
- According to his obituary published in The Deseret News (Mar 11, 2005), he later admitted that his proposal was "tongue-in-cheek". I managed to find a reprint of his article and made a pdf copy of it. Parts of it do seem like he was trying to be intentionally outrageous, such as the passage below. But judge for yourself.
Many aged persons are uninterested in their appearance, change their undergarments infrequently, bathe inadequately, and seldom cleanse their external excretory organs. Polygyny offers to the woman someone for whom to compete. The man, on the other hand, is interested in being courted. Each person will do his or her best to upgrade appearances, each will be alert to the advantages gained by the competitor, and each will learn the tricks of becoming more attractive. The end result must be finer-appearing older citizens.
It can be argued that the jealousy aroused as the result of the competition would be carried to an extreme by the women and would disrupt the quiet, peaceful home. This may occur. But when there is a choice between uninterested, dowdy, foul-smelling hags and alert, interested, smartly dressed ladies, the selection is obvious.
It can be argued that the jealousy aroused as the result of the competition would be carried to an extreme by the women and would disrupt the quiet, peaceful home. This may occur. But when there is a choice between uninterested, dowdy, foul-smelling hags and alert, interested, smartly dressed ladies, the selection is obvious.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 18, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Elderly and Seniors, Marriage, 1960s
Follies of the Mad Men #530
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 18, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Hunting, Trapping and Other Wilderness Activities, Sexuality, Stereotypes and Cliches, Advertising, 1960s
April 17, 2022
Dragan Petrik’s Ice Railroad
In 1967, Dragan Petrik was granted a patent (No. 3,343,495) for a high-speed, rocket-powered train that would run on blocks of ice. In an Oct 1967 column, NY Times reporter Stacy V. Jones provided some details:From South Africa comes a proposal for railroad trains to run at high speed on blocks of ice instead of wheels.
Dragan R. Petrik of Pretoria was granted a patent last week for vehicles equipped to change the blocks as they melt and wear down, without stopping the train.
Patent 3,343,495 provides for propulsion by jet, rocket thrust, propellers or other means independent of the usual wheel traction. While conventional rails could be used, Petrik prefers a flanged metal surface that can be heated in cold climates.
Each car is to have cold rooms for storage of the ice. Blocks are to be forced down through ducts under control of a sensing unit that maintains the car at proper height.
Conventional wheels may be used in a station or for emergency support. A set of ice blocks is provided just ahead of and in back of each set of wheels. One ice skid can be used while another is being replenished.
For braking, there is a rubbing surface along the track, on which friction pads can be applied.
Petrik says his system will make possible very high speed for all types of land vehicles.
Dragan R. Petrik of Pretoria was granted a patent last week for vehicles equipped to change the blocks as they melt and wear down, without stopping the train.
Patent 3,343,495 provides for propulsion by jet, rocket thrust, propellers or other means independent of the usual wheel traction. While conventional rails could be used, Petrik prefers a flanged metal surface that can be heated in cold climates.
Each car is to have cold rooms for storage of the ice. Blocks are to be forced down through ducts under control of a sensing unit that maintains the car at proper height.
Conventional wheels may be used in a station or for emergency support. A set of ice blocks is provided just ahead of and in back of each set of wheels. One ice skid can be used while another is being replenished.
For braking, there is a rubbing surface along the track, on which friction pads can be applied.
Petrik says his system will make possible very high speed for all types of land vehicles.
I have no idea if this would work, but it would be interesting to see it tested out.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 17, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Patents, Trains and Other Vehicles on Rails, 1960s
Happy (Enslaved) Easter 2022!
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 17, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Holidays, Easter, Slavery, Bondage and Indenture
April 16, 2022
Hit Hand, Regained Sight
June 1955: Peter Barr struck the palm of his left hand with his right fist to stress a point while arguing with his wife. And suddenly he was able to see again. He had been completely blind for three years.
London Daily Telegraph - June 3, 1955
Other cases of accidental cures we've previously posted about:
- the man who regained his sight after a fall
- the woman whose sneeze cured her deafness
- The man whose blindness, deafness, and baldness was cured by lightning
- Blind Man Spontaneously Regains Sight After 30 Years
Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 16, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Health, 1950s, Eyes and Vision
PAINT DRYING: The Movie
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 16, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Boredom, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Movies, Twenty-first Century
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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 |
