Trimming the Largest Yew Hedge

According to The Telegraph, they use a cherry picker nowadays to trim the thing. It produces almost a ton of clippings, which are sold to pharmaceutical companies who use yew extract as a key ingredient in a chemotherapy drug, Docetaxel.

I can't figure out how the guy is just standing on top of the hedge. Can it really support a man's weight? I guess so.

Honolulu Advertiser - July 24, 1990

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 10, 2018 - Comments (6)
Category: Horticulture and Gardens, 1990s

Over-Yodeled

1993: A German court ordered that a couple deserved a partial refund of the cost of their two-week Caribbean cruise, since the cruise company hadn't warned them beforehand that 500 of the 600 passengers on the cruise would be Swiss yodelers, who would be practicing their yodels constantly.

Wilmington News Journal - Jan 13, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 09, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Holidays, Music, 1990s

Singed Fashion

"Inspired by a conflagration in his own showroom, designer Marcos Egas offers shirts with singed collars, pockets and cuffs."

If life deals you lemons, sell lemonade. Or, if your showroom burns down, sell burnt clothes.

Pensacola News-Journal - June 5, 1994

Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 02, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Fashion, 1990s

Christophpher

June 1996: A Danish mother, Pia Agergaard, won a 9-year court battle to be allowed to name her son Christophpher. The Danish courts had tried to prevent her using the unorthodox spelling, fearing it would have a detrimental effect on her son. They insisted she use Christopher or Christoffer instead.

Bismarck Tribune - June 13, 1996

In 2008, a Danish newspaper (avisen.dk) checked back in with Christophpher, who by then was 21. He reported that he had never experienced any disadvantage on account of his name:

Christophpher

Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 01, 2017 - Comments (9)
Category: Odd Names, 1990s

Indecent Apes

McAllen Monitor - Nov 19, 1993

The offending cover. It's true, you can see a dangly bit there, as well as some naked ta-tas.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 29, 2017 - Comments (4)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, 1990s

Bras across the grand canyon

A great dream that never came to fruition. In the early 1990s, the California artist Nicolino launched a project to string 10,000 bras across the Grand Canyon. First he needed to get 10,000 bras. Then he needed to get permission from the park service. He never got either.

Saint George Daily Spectrum - Nov 16, 1993

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - June 1, 1994

Albuquerque Journal - Dec 25, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 27, 2017 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Underwear, 1990s

Most Cockroach-Infested Home

In early 1997, Combat Insect Control ran a contest offering a $5000 cash prize to the person with the most cockroach-infested home.

The winner, from over 1000 people who entered, was Mary Esposito of Forest Park, Georgia. She complained that she had roaches living in her dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, coffeemaker, VCR, wallpaper, dresser drawers, and bathtub faucet. An entomologist hired by Combat estimated there were 75,000 roaches in her home.

Somehow I don't think that "most cockroach-infested home" is a record that will ever make its way into Guinness.

Orlando Sentinel - June 12, 1997

Palm Beach Post - Mar 16, 1997

Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 27, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Insects and Spiders, World Records, 1990s

Paperbacks from Hell

For Halloween or Xmas, what could be a better gift? A brilliant art and history book about the crazy-ass horror novel covers of yore?

Read a review here.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 24, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Horror, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Books, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

Misunderstood Probability

I'm guessing the 50/50 chance didn't go in his favor.

Marion Star - Dec 28, 1995

Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 01, 2017 - Comments (7)
Category: Surgery, 1990s

Reg on Smoking

In the early 1990s, Regal cigarettes in the UK launched an advertising campaign that featured an everyman named Reg who offered his dad-humor insights on various subjects.

The first ad read, "Reg on Smoking: I smoke 'em because my name's on 'em." As he held his fingers over the 'al' in Regal.


Other insights followed.

Reg on train-spotting: "There's one."

Reg on party politics: "If you drop ash on the carpet you won't get invited again."

But the campaign was eventually banned because medical researchers discovered that the stupid humor of the ads appealed mostly to young adolescents, whereas adults 33-55 years old, who were supposedly the target group for the campaign, didn't identify much with Reg.

Below are all the other examples of Reg ads that I could find online.

Reg on the Stock Exchange: I'd never swap my cubes for gravy granules

Reg on Race Relations: My Uncle Nobby used to own a bookies

More info: JimHagart.com, "Cigarette advertising and children's smoking: why Reg was withdrawn".

Update: A few more insights from Reg.

Reg on taxes: "Too many cabs drive too fast."

Reg on the Exchange Rate Mechanism: "Erm."

Reg on television: "No, I'm not. I'm on a poster."

Reg on the greenhouse effect: "My tomatoes seem to grow better under glass."

Reg on the meaning of life: "Depends if you get time off for good behaviour."

Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 30, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Advertising, Smoking and Tobacco, 1990s