Weird Universe Archive
October 2022
October 6, 2022
Apparatus for secretly recording the reading behaviour of a person
Herbert Wettig's patent (granted by the UK patent office in 1971 — GB1241156) details how to hide a television camera in a light fixture for the purpose of "secretly recording the reading behaviour of a person unbeknowst to him."Why would someone want to do this? Apparently for marketing research.
For example, advertisements were tested in this way to discover if they were noticed at all, how much attention they attracted in comparison with other advertisements, how great the spontaneous interest in the advertisement is, how the reader's gaze moves between the various elements of the advertisement, whether he reads the text as well, how long he looks at the advertisement.
Wettig noted that researchers had previously been doing this in specially designed test rooms. The advantage of his invention, he said, was that it was easily transportable and could be set up discreetly in many different places without arousing suspicion. I'm assuming he's talking about spying on library patrons, since libraries are the most obvious place where people spend a lot of time in public reading.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 06, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Patents
The Miss Atlantic County Queens
A little tangent off our usual thread of "Odd Beauty Queen Titles." Six singing title-holders. I only wish one of their appearances had been recorded.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 06, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Music, 1970s
October 5, 2022
Coffin Chairs
London-based "Chairbox Design" has come out with what it calls "The Last Shift Office Chair." It's a coffin chair.I don't think this is a product one can buy. Instead it seems to be a mock-up to make the point that sitting all day in offices is killing people.
Though if they aren't for sale, they should be. They'd be perfect for funeral homes, or vampires.
Coffin-shaped furniture is becoming a recurring theme. We've previously posted about the Coffin Cradle and the Coffin Bed.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 05, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Furniture
The Armagh Rhymers
The music seems straightforward Celtic Folk. But those costumes (and the video's opener) sure are weird. Suitable as we approach Halloween. Not sure how any little kids in the audience might react.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 05, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Cryptozoology, Music, Creepy, Eerie, Spooky, and Disturbing, Europe
October 4, 2022
Space Dance
Raquel Welch dances in a silver bikini to a jazzed up version of Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" — since Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey forever made that piece synonymous with space travel.The clip is from Raquel!, a 1970 CBS television special.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 04, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Futurism, Music, Space Travel, 1970s, Dance
One Step Beyond: The Sacred Mushroom
Here is the Wikipedia page for the show, which has a section on this episode.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 04, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Drugs, Psychedelic, Science, Television, 1960s, Natural Wonders
October 3, 2022
Weather Control Commission
In 1950, Senator Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico introduced a bill in the Senate to create a federal "Weather Control Commission" modeled after the Atomic Energy Commission. Its purpose would be to regulate and license rainmaking activities in order to ensure the "equitable distribution of precipitation among the States." It would also study military applications of weather control.Anderson didn't get his Weather Control Commission, though in 1953 the federal government did create an Advisory Committee on Weather Control. And of course there are all those conspiracy theories alleging that the government is using the HAARP station up in Alaska to control the weather.
More info: Congressional Hearings, March 1951
Baltimore Sun - Dec 10, 1950
Posted By: Alex - Mon Oct 03, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Government, 1950s, Weather
Mystery Illustration 109
What was the function of this lovely building?The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 03, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures, 1900s
October 2, 2022
Secret Male Hypnotism
Handsome men beware!It's been a long time coming, but now, for the very first time . . . the principles of "SECRET MALE HYPNOTISM" are being revealed. And now . . . you can learn to use these principles to "command" the love and affection of handsome men.
Never again will you have to lose-out because you might not be the type of girl certain men go for.
Once you learn to apply the principles of "SECRET MALE HYPNOTISM," men will automatically see you as their "dream girl" . . . and will be strongly attracted to you.
Never again will you have to lose-out because you might not be the type of girl certain men go for.
Once you learn to apply the principles of "SECRET MALE HYPNOTISM," men will automatically see you as their "dream girl" . . . and will be strongly attracted to you.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 02, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control, Men
HAIRPIN HARMONY, Legendary Broadway Flop
Theater expert Laura Frankos Turtledove says:
[The critics] all commented on the audience fleeing the scene of the crime at intermission. They, alas, were stuck with the second act.
The plot? Of course I can tell you the plot. There’s a baby food manufacturer who is looking for an act he can use to promote his product on a radio show. This guy has a sixteen member all-girl band, the Hairpin Harmonettes, led by his girlfriend and singing triplets. The trio consisted of the real life teenaged Clawson sisters, who billed themselves as Triplets, but actually Barbara was a year older than twins Doris and Dorothy. (These girls were managed by their dad, who got some radio spots for them before and after this disaster. Poor Barbara was professionally renamed “Dawna.” They were named Miss Subways in May 1944, which brings to mind a whacked out alternate version of ON THE TOWN, in which Gabby falls for all three of them…)
Anyway, the band promoter himself is the one who gets the gig (ooh, spoilers!) because he has a fine falsetto. So he wears diapers (for a radio spot? Well, maybe PR photos?) and talks baby talk, thus saving the day for everyone.
Except Harold Orlob.
Source of text.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 02, 2022 -
Comments (8)
Category: Entertainment, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, 1940s
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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 |
