1990s
The Telephone Booth Shower
Back in 1996, two East German entrepreneurs came up with the idea of converting old telephone booths into shower stalls. They plumbed up two booths and sold them for 4000 marks each. However, their idea ran aground when Deutsche Telekom refused to sell them any more old booths, fearing that, in the words of their spokesman, "It would be problematic if someone wanted to make an emergency call and ran into the booth that was actually a shower."[via top.net.nz]
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 08, 2014 -
Comments (11)
Category: Bathrooms, Telephones, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, 1990s
Enjoy the Experience
This 2-disc compilation of "homemade recordings" is pure caviar for all WU-vies. Listen to more at the link below, then buy your copy--which features many other "hits"--soon!
YouTube playlist here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 21, 2014 -
Comments (2)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Music, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
FLUKE
I wonder why the trailer neglects to tell us that the dog houses the reincarnated soul of the little kid's father, who croaked in a car accident. Read the synopsis of the rest of the film to learn of its heart-warming tale of death, malevolence, vivisection, and heartbreak. A feel-good pic!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 28, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Disguises, Impersonations, Mimics and Forgeries, Movies, New Age, Religion, Superstition, Dogs, 1990s
The Day Today
A UK comedy show from 20 years ago, still offering laughs in this era of THE ONION and Borat. Once non-UK listeners get past a few very local allusions.
Full story here.
More episodes on YouTube.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 24, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Humor, Television, 1990s, Europe
Duelling Organs
You don't often see musical duels on this instrument--especially between a sixty-two-year-old woman and a seventy-year-old man!
Shirley Scott, Jack McDuff and Duke Jethro. ("Jazz/blues organist/pianist Duke Jethro has played with artists such as Bobby Bland and Freddie King but he's most recognized for his time in B.B. King's band. He was organist for King's classic 'Live at the Regal,' recorded in 1964 in the famous Southside Theater in Chicago.")
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 29, 2013 -
Comments (1)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Music, 1990s
Jimmy Tayoun, Prison Consultant
He also set up a 1-900 number to answer questions from "fearful first-timers," charging them $2.50 a minute to select from a menu of seven topics. In this way, according to wikipedia, he pioneered the profession of "prison consultant" (apparently he was the first to use the term), that being someone who "provides newly convicted criminals with advice on how to cope and survive in the unfamiliar surroundings of prison."
Jimmy's tips included these words of wisdom:
- Bring a good amount of cash if you can.
- Ask the custodial officer for a couple more razors, some more soap, and later for toothpaste. After a while you will learn where it is stored, check the door until you find it open, and help yourself — though never take too much since your lockers do get checked
- See a dentist before serving time
- Be wary of probation officers
- Never snitch on another inmate or guard
- Bring two pairs of eyeglasses, though "nothing fancy schmantzy"
- Get a doctor's note to avoid being assigned a top bunk
- Arrange private transportation to prison to avoid being handcuffed on the trip
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 17, 2013 -
Comments (5)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, Prisons, 1990s
Pre-internet Underground Book Distribution
Original ad here.
Gather around, children, and you shall learn of an ancient time, before the internet. A day of paper fanzines and weird information obtained only via books delivered by snailmail.
The main purveyor of such good stuff was the Loompanics catalog. Alas, they were driven out of business in 2006. The current website using their domain name is a shell and a scam by cybersquatters.
Over one hundred Loompanics books have been tagged as a Goodreads collection. You can get a small sense of what they were all about there.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 11, 2013 -
Comments (9)
Category: Drugs, Avant Garde, Books, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, Conspiracy Theories and Theorists, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
Woodsy Owl
Woodsy in the 70s, the 80s and the 90s. The newest look is horrifying, in my opinion, like some creature from THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 02, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Authorities and Experts, Government, Nature, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Fictional Monsters
Bowling, the Sport of Kings
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 04, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Sports, 1960s, 1970s, 1990s
The Wellingborough Carnival
The town of Wellingborough, UK, has been holding a carnival for over 100 years. The old affairs certainly featured things that look weird to us today. Here's a photo album to peruse.
And the Wellingborough Carnival home page reveals this year's affair is on July 7th! Plenty of time to make your plans to attend!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 22, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Holidays, Parades and Festivals, Weird Theory, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Europe
| 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 |