March 2023
March 16, 2023
Ubiquitous Perpetuity God
1985: Enrique Silberg had previously tried to change his name to God, but was denied on the grounds that it would be confusing and that he also needed a first name. Finally he convinced a judge to let him change his name to Ubiquitous Perpetuity God.1996: Ubiquitous Perpetuity God was sentenced to nine months in Marin County Jail for indecent exposure, a crime that he had 17 prior convictions for. He said that he exposed himself to women so that they "could have some type of awareness of God".
San Francisco Examiner - Apr 18, 1985
Memphis Commercial Appeal - Feb 15, 1996
Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 16, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Odd Names, Religion
Follies of the Madmen #559
That endless red-carpet SFX is pretty impressive for the 1960s. Plus, an eight-track player!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 16, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Special Effects, 1960s, Cars
March 15, 2023
Tax on intercourse
1971: Rhode Island legislator Bernard C. Gladstone proposed that every male "over the age of puberty" would be taxed $2 for every act of intercourse they engaged in. However, "only acts of sexual intercourse occurring in Rhode Island, either by residents or tourists, could be taxed."
Lewiston Evening Journal - Jan 9, 1971
Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 15, 2023 -
Comments (7)
Category: Government, Sexuality, 1970s
The Whole Damm Family
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 15, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Family, Humor, Music, 1900s, Postal Services, Double Entendres and Nudge-Nudge, Wink-Wink
March 14, 2023
A third leg
Back in the nineteenth century, Alexander Robinson operated a photographic studio on the Isle of Man. In 1885 he applied for a British patent (British Patent Specification 15,376) for an unusual invention — a fake third leg, which he envisioned using as a prop in his studio.
From his patent application:
His invention makes more sense once you know that the Isle of Man's heraldic coat of arms consists of three legs. I imagine that tourists would come to his studio to get a photograph of themselves with three legs, just like the Isle of Man.
I don't know if Robinson was ever granted a patent for this. The British patent office, unlike the American one, is not fully searchable online. More info: History of Photography journal
Posted By: Alex - Tue Mar 14, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Photography and Photographers, Patents, Nineteenth Century
Bounty Candybar Ad
Most erotic candybar ad ever?
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 14, 2023 -
Comments (6)
Category: Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Advertising, Candy, 1980s
March 13, 2023
Cigarettes for mermaids
Why did the guy take cigarettes with him while scuba diving? And what exactly does the mermaid do with the cigarettes? Use them as jewelry?
House Beautiful - May 1956
Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 13, 2023 -
Comments (8)
Category: Advertising, Smoking and Tobacco, 1950s
Thirty Years Among the Dead
The Wikipedia page for Wickland, where we learn:Wickland turned away from conventional medical psychology and toward the belief that psychiatric illnesses were the result of influence by spirits of the dead. Wickland came to believe that a large number of his patients had become possessed by what he called "obsessing spirits", and that low-voltage electric shocks could dislodge them, while his wife Anna acted as a medium to guide them to "progress in the spirit world". Spiritualists considered him an authority on "destructive spirits" and he wrote a book in 1924, Thirty Years Among the Dead, detailing his experiences as a psychical researcher.[3]
Wickland was convinced that he was in contact with a group of spirits known as the "Mercy Band" who would remove the possessors, and help them in the spirit world. Psychologist Robert A. Baker listed Wickland and Arthur Guirdham as early psychiatrists who preferred to "ignore the science and embrace the supernatural".[4]
Read his book at the Internet Archive.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 13, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Death, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Books, 1920s
March 12, 2023
Welcome To Gila Bend
I've driven through the small town of Gila Bend many times, because it's on the road between Phoenix and San Diego which I drive fairly often. But I only recently realized that it has a weird welcome sign: "Gila Bend welcomes you. Home of 1917 friendly people and 5 old crabs."The 5 old crabs are listed: Earl Carpenter, Clyde Kreeger, Scott Smith, Peggy Perry, and Pat Lauderdale.
From Wikipedia:
Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 12, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Signage, Billboards
Mad Drums
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 12, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Music, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1960s
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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 |
