Category:
1990s
1990s
Grand Canyon, Colorado
May 1999: the U.S. Postal Service had printed 100 million copies of a stamp showing the Grand Canyon before anyone noticed that the stamp had "Grand Canyon, Colorado" printed in the corner. Luckily, the stamps hadn't been released to the public yet, but they all had to be destroyed and replaced with a new stamp which correctly placed the Grand Canyon in Arizona.According to the site canyonology.com, the problems with the stamp didn't end there. It was discovered that the image of the canyon had been flipped left to right, but the postal service decided this wasn't enough of an error to warrant reprinting the stamp.
Salem Statesman Journal - May 18, 1999
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 17, 2020 -
Comments (2)
Category: 1990s, Postal Services, Stamps, Arizona
The drift pattern of Nike shoes
In May 1990, five shipping containers holding approximately 80,000 pairs of Nike shoes fell off a freighter during a storm in the North Pacific. About 200 days later, some of these shoes began to wash up on beaches from Canada down to Oregon.But as beachcombers collected and compared the shoes, they noticed something odd. On beaches up north, in Canada and Washington, almost all the shoes were right-footed; whereas further south in Oregon, most of the shoes were left-footed.
Skye Moody explains why this was so in her book Washed Up: The Curious Journeys of Flotsam and Jetsam:
The slight toe curvature of left- and right-footed shoes caused the right-footed shoes to tack northeastward into the Alaska Current, passing the Queen Charlottes along the way, where many beached. Meanwhile, the left-footed Nikes tacked snugly into the southeast-bound California Current, and as it passed Oregon, were caught on an incoming tide.
Drift pattern of Nike shoes
image source: The Nike Shoe Investigation
Oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer co-authored an academic paper about the 1990 shoe spill ("Shoe spill in the North Pacific" -- unfortunately behind a paywall). It also inspired him to start studying other ocean flotsam, such as rubber duckies, as a way to gain info about currents. He calls this study 'flotsametrics'. He also occasionally puts out a Beachcombers' Alert Newsletter.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jun 16, 2020 -
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Category: Science, Shoes, 1990s
Sweet Jesus Chocolate
Created in 1991 by Australian philosophy student Richard Manderson. They were Jesus-shaped chocolates filled with raspberry jam so they would "bleed" when bitten.
Weekly World News - May 21, 1991
More info from wikipedia:
Richard Manderson first created a series of small raspberry fondant filled chocolate Jesuses that were sold for consumption to visitors of Gorman House Arts Centre in Canberra, an Australian cultural centre and heritage site that runs theatres, workshops, exhibition space, artists' studios, offices and a café.
When a US newspaper condemned his act of depicting Jesus on a chocolate, Manderson decided in answer to create an actual life-size chocolate Jesus he called Trans-substantiation 2. He did so by filling a plaster mold with fifty-five pounds of melted chocolate. He used chocolate-dipped strings for hair and plastic Easter wrap for a loincloth. Manderson's work was exhibited in public around Easter in 1994, with Manderson inviting the public to come and eat his chocolate Jesus work after the exhibition.
When a US newspaper condemned his act of depicting Jesus on a chocolate, Manderson decided in answer to create an actual life-size chocolate Jesus he called Trans-substantiation 2. He did so by filling a plaster mold with fifty-five pounds of melted chocolate. He used chocolate-dipped strings for hair and plastic Easter wrap for a loincloth. Manderson's work was exhibited in public around Easter in 1994, with Manderson inviting the public to come and eat his chocolate Jesus work after the exhibition.
The Jesus Question blog delves more deeply into the history of chocolate Jesuses.
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 15, 2020 -
Comments (8)
Category: Religion, Candy, 1990s
Richard Sala, RIP
I loved the comics made by Richard Sala, a truly unique talent. As one of my Facebook pals, he was always funny, kind and clever. Alas, he's gone now.Here a rare bit of animation from him--INVISIBLE HANDS, the first bit--one of his first big breaks leading to a wonderful career, cut short.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 11, 2020 -
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Category: Death, Comics, Books, Cartoons, 1990s, Fictional Monsters
When the Stars Came Dreaming
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 15, 2020 -
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Category: Ethnic Groupings, Nature, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Cartoons, Stop-motion Animation, 1990s
Youth and Aging
In 1991, the Pennsylvania legislature's Youth and Aging Committee changed its name to the Aging and Youth Committee. Why?Some suggested that the change was made because people got confused about the panel’s name. "When you say ‘youth and aging’ repeatedly and quickly, some people hear the word euthanasia,” said Kevin Murphy, press secretary for the state Department of Aging.
Philadelphia Inquirer - Jan 23, 1991
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 15, 2020 -
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Category: 1990s, Puns and Other Wordplay
Spaghetti Jesus
May 1991: many motorists claimed they could see the face of Jesus in a Pizza Hut billboard outside of Atlanta.I do see a face, but it doesn't look anything like a Jesus face to me.
Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer - May 26, 1991
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 12, 2020 -
Comments (4)
Category: Religion, 1990s, Billboards, Pareidolia
Conscience Adherent Paradise Government
For a very brief time, in the early 1990s, 717 E Magnolia St. in Arcadia, Florida was home to the "Conscience Adherent Paradise Government" — a separatist state that had declared its independence from the United States. Details from the Tampa Tribune (Apr 4, 1992):[Soloman and Mona Frommell] — who are manic-depressive, according to their lawyer — had created their own government, the “Conscience Adherent Paradise Government.” They established their own rules, which they followed while living at Parker Apartments on East Magnolia Street. Soloman Frommell claimed to be an ambassador and United States separatist president. He called himself the “fair judge,” while his wife was the “honest judge.”
DeSoto sheriff’s Capt. Will Wise and Deputy Gary Holsomback went to their apartment in May to serve the couple with an eviction notice that was prompted by unusual behavior.
When deputies arrived, Soloman Frommell grabbed a pair of nunchukas, his wife had a butcher knife, and they fled to the front of the apartment, according to reports.
DeSoto sheriff’s Capt. Will Wise and Deputy Gary Holsomback went to their apartment in May to serve the couple with an eviction notice that was prompted by unusual behavior.
When deputies arrived, Soloman Frommell grabbed a pair of nunchukas, his wife had a butcher knife, and they fled to the front of the apartment, according to reports.
717 E Magnolia in Arcadia, FL, via Google Maps
Tampa Tribune - Apr 4, 1992
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 10, 2020 -
Comments (2)
Category: Government, Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, 1990s
Crackers
Crackers, available on Audio CD for $33.08 from Amazon, is the sound of people cracking their knuckles and other joints. Migone explains the origin of the work on his website:
The material for Crackers was recorded during a residency at Gallery 101 in Ottawa, Canada, in October 1997. Crackers were solicited through the radio, classified ads in the weekly paper, and via the Gallery’s membership. The recording sessions consisted of an interview succeeded by a cracking session...
The tapes were edited at Avatar in Quebec City. Crackers was then first presented as an installation in a group show curated by Emmanuel Madan entitled “Incredibly Soft Sounds” at Gallery 101, in January 1998.
The tapes were edited at Avatar in Quebec City. Crackers was then first presented as an installation in a group show curated by Emmanuel Madan entitled “Incredibly Soft Sounds” at Gallery 101, in January 1998.
He notes that a follow-up show, in January 2000, featured "a video of my right ankle cracking repeatedly for twenty minutes ."
If you don't want to buy the CD, you can listen to the tracks for free on Migone's website.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 07, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Music, 1990s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Dinosaurs Live!
The name of the event did imply there were going to be living dinosaurs at the Memphis Zoo. So, perhaps the people who asked for their money back were simply sticklers for truth in advertising.
Longview Daily News - Sep 9, 1992
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 03, 2020 -
Comments (7)
Category: Stupidity, 1990s
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