September 2022
September 25, 2022
Would-Be Test-Tube Mothers of the 1930s
1939: Having filed for divorce from her husband, Mrs. Virginia Cleary announced that she was seeking a "perfect specimen of manhood" in order to father a "test tube" baby with her. Never mind that the technology for this didn't exist, and wouldn't for another four decades.She consulted with a doctor to determine what qualities the father of her "eugenic baby" would need to have:
- Between 28 and 32 years of age;
- Athletic in type, preferably light-haired;
- Unmarried, good habits, moderate in smoking and drinking;
- Strong, well-formed features;
- Strong personality, good ancestral background;
- Weight between 160 and 175 pounds.
San Francisco Examiner - Apr 26, 1939
Inspired by the example of Mrs. Cleary, Jean Gordon came forward and announced that she too wanted to mother a "test tube baby."
Des Moines Tribune - Apr 28, 1939
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 25, 2022 -
Comments (5)
Category: Babies, 1930s
Counterpoised Cranial Support for Eyewear
Full patent here (with other devices included!).
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 25, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Ridiculousness, Foolishness, Public Ridicule, Silliness, Goofiness and Dumb-looking, 2000s, Eyes and Vision
September 24, 2022
Asparagus Divination
Jemima Packington divines the future by interpreting asparagus. She calls this the art of Asparamancer. She throws the asparagus in the air, and where they land tells her the future. Using this method, she claims to have correctly foreseen Brexit, Prince Philip's death, Theresa May's resignation, and the Queen's death.The latest thing that the asparagus have told her: "King Charles will take a step back, due to his age, and make William Prince Regent."
More info: express.co.uk
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 24, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Predictions, Royalty, Vegetables
GI Joe Trouble Shooter
The video is a hoot, what with a deranged bird and the famous "Kung Fu Grip." But I am also intrigued by the descriptions of the control panel buttons. Did the set come with labels so you could change the button names? I suspect not. So..."Washington" is a given. Stay in touch with HQ. "Code X7" is suitably mysterious. But "Jungle" and "Arctic" are ultra-generic, whereas "Burma" and "Tibet" are ultra-specific. Why those two countries anyhow? Commie (Cobra) hotspots?A page devoted to the toy.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 24, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Military, Motor Vehicles, Toys, 1970s
September 23, 2022
Survival on Mayonnaise Alone
Never mind that Eiichi Urata managed to survive for 15 days on mayonnaise alone. What seems stranger to me is that he decided to climb a mountain and took only two jumbo squeeze-tubes of mayonnaise as his food.
Tampa Bay Times - May 27, 1999
Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 23, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Mayonnaise, 1990s
The National College Queen
This contest for top female college student ("fifty percent beauty, fifty percent brains") appears to have begun in 1953:
Source: ETSU Collegian (Johnson City, Tennessee) 01 Apr 1955, Fri Page 5
The first photo below is from 1969, and I can't envision the contest surviving much beyond that revolutionary date.
Source: The Aggielite (Tishomingo, Oklahoma) 15 Mar 1955, Tue Page 1
It was once so popular, it was televised nationwide.
Source: The Kingston Daily Freeman (Kingston, New York) 10 Jun 1967, Sat Page 16
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 23, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Intelligence, Television, 1950s, 1960s
September 22, 2022
Udon Noodle Blanket
Japanese spa chain Goku no Kimochi has created a blanket based on udon noodles. The first picture shows some udon noodles. The second and third photos show the blanket.The idea is that you can easily stick an arm or leg out through the 'noodles' if you feel hot. In this way, it is a "user-configurable blanket."
More info: Core77.com, goku-nokimochi.com
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 22, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Sleep and Dreams
Unauthorized Dwellings 25
b'Mudflats Living', b'Robert' b'Fresco' & b'Kris' b'Paterson', provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 22, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Unauthorized Dwellings, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1970s, North America
September 21, 2022
The New Eyelashes
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 21, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Fashion, 1930s, Eyes and Vision
The Most Unwanted Song
Wikipedia entry.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 21, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music, 1990s, Pranks, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
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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 |
