Category:
1980s
1980s
The dog-hair yarn business
Back in the 1980s, Betty
Has the trend of "wearing your pet" continued to grow in popularity since the 80s? Well, here at WU we've posted before about people who wear dog-fur sweaters. So maybe it is a popular thing.
And though Betty
Update: So her middle name is "Burian", not "Burlan". And she's still in business. Her website, bbkirk.com, offers plenty of info on dog hair — how to collect it, wash it, pricing, etc. Plus, she has a Gallery of Dog Hair Items.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 02, 2014 -
Comments (9)
Category: Fashion, Dogs, 1980s
Tarzan of the Canines
Original page here.
Do we dare to believe this Weekly World News article? Well, the case was reported a year prior in a reputable newspaper.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 22, 2014 -
Comments (6)
Category: Bad Habits, Neuroses and Psychoses, Children, Parents, Dogs, 1980s
Empty Tank, Empty Head
Original article here.
Her obituary, curiously enough, makes no mention of this brush with fame.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 13, 2014 -
Comments (3)
Category: Education, 1980s, Cars, Brain Damage
Innovative Projects in Canada
Canadian tax dollars at work! Back in 1984 (source: Montreal Gazette - Oct 17, 1984), the Canada Council gave the following grants to fund Canadian artists who had "innovative" projects:• Jim Freedman got $4,885 to write a book on "professional wrestling as it relates to small towns, offering reasons for its decline in popularity."
• Richard Lyle Hills received $3,125 to write "a collection of short stories examining the lives and values of those who work at construction jobs."
• Joanne Claire was granted $8,200 to write "a book which questions the beliefs and assumptions upon which our lives are based."
• Daniel Boudereau and Helene Cosette got $14,700 to develop "a performance integrating movement and color by acrobats inside a multi-chambered cubic structure."
Thirty years later, what became of these projects? The only one I could track down was Jim Freedman's wrestling book, which was published by Crowbar Press in 1988 as Drawing Heat (Amazon link
). And it actually sounds like an interesting book. But all the other projects — nada. Did they actually produce anything with the money given to them?
Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 19, 2014 -
Comments (5)
Category: Government, 1980s
Woman Swallowed by Escalator
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 28, 2014 -
Comments (8)
Category: Death, Technology, 1980s
Death by Ejection Seat
You know how in cartoons and comedy movies, a person will accidentally employ an ejection seat and go for a thrill ride through the air, only to land safely...?
Not what really happens.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 22, 2014 -
Comments (13)
Category: Accidents, Death, Flight, 1980s
The First Robot Ever Arrested
Today is the anniversary of the day on which the first robot was ever arrested. The event occurred on August 18, 1982 when a robot called DC-2 was taken into custody by the Beverly Hills Police Department. Its crime was illegally distributing business cards on North Beverly Drive.More info at Paleofuture.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 18, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Robots, 1980s
The Saluda Grade
The Saluda Grade is the steepest section of railroad in the USA. There have been numerous horrific tragedies involving runaway trains here. But this propaganda-cum-safety video from Southern Railway makes the whole affair seem a candidate for our boredom contest.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 09, 2014 -
Comments (7)
Category: Boredom, Regionalism, Documentaries, 1980s, Trains
Avoid the Noid
During the 1980s, Domino's Pizza ran a series of ads featuring "The Noid" -- an annoying creature that ruined pizzas intended for delivery. By ordering pizza from Domino's you could supposedly "Avoid the Noid."The ads were very successful, but were abruptly cancelled in January 1989 when a man named Kenneth Lamar Noid "wielding a .357 magnum revolver stormed into a Domino’s in Atlanta, Georgia and took two employees hostage" for five hours.
Mr. Noid's problem with Domino's was that he believed their ads "specifically made fun of him."
Mr. Noid was found innocent by reason of insanity, but that was the end of Domino's Noid campaign.
You can read the full story at priceonomics.com.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 28, 2014 -
Comments (19)
Category: Advertising, 1980s
Pro Basketball Player Eaten by Cannibals?
Vanished forever in Africa while visiting Idi Amin. Surname suspiciously close to "brisket." 'Nuff said.
Contemporary account from 1985.
Article from 2007.
Wikipedia.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 16, 2014 -
Comments (8)
Category: Cannibalism, Sports, 1980s, Africa
| Who We Are |
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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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |