Category:
Books

Behind the Burly Q

Trailer is Safe For Work. Link to book or DVD below.







Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 27, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Entertainment, Public Indecency, Sex Symbols, Books, Documentaries, Twentieth Century

Eddie the Elegant Elephant



The elephant was brought to Marshall Fields in Chicago as a publicity stunt. She was to rubber stamp copies of a new children's book called THE ELEGANT ELEPHANT. Unfortunately, the elephant did not want to get back on the elevator to leave the building after the book signing. They were forced to build a ramp to the third floor for the elephant to walk down to leave Marshall Field's.


Read the story at much greater length, with many pix, here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 15, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Advertising, Retailing, Books, 1940s

Black Knight, Freeman of London



Dominating the staircase is a big painting of Lady Violet Munnings riding a grey hunter, superbly assured against a finely painted sky and moorland setting. Lady Violet’s Pekingese, Black Knight, who was made a Freeman of the City of London (such are the benefits of dining with the influential), wrote a memoir that he called Diary of a Freeman. Actually I think he dictated it to Lady Violet, who was his devoted slave in all things. After he died she had him stuffed, and continued to carry him to the village on errands. He now reposes on a favourite cushion in a glass case beneath Munnings’s portrait of him, in a cubby hole off the main staircase. He remains extremely popular with regular visitors.


The artist.



Here is Black Knight's account of his life.






Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 24, 2018 - Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Art, Books, Dogs, Twentieth Century

Birds of South Vietnam

It wasn't the subject of this book that made it weird, but instead when it was published: in 1968, at the height of the war in Vietnam. Not a time when a lot of people were going to Vietnam for bird-watching.

The British author, Philip Wildash, didn't even mention the war, except to obliquely refer to it in the first sentence by saying, "Vietnamese ornithology has long been rather neglected."

Amazon link: Birds of South Vietnam.


Minneapolis Star Tribune - Oct 6, 1968

Posted By: Alex - Tue May 22, 2018 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Hobbies and DIY, War, Books, 1960s

The Manly Art of Knitting

Written by Dave Fougner and published in 1972. Recently back in print. Available from Amazon.


Dave Fougner is six-foot-two, plays tennis, raises horses and shows them, teaches fifth and sixth grades at Steele Lane School, has real estate and air plane pilot licenses, is married and has a family. His hobby? Knitting!... Dave, a big, genial, friendly man of 28 says, "I like to knit in bed watching television."

Jennifer, his blonde wife, and Christa, their three-year-old, sat in on the interview at the Fougner (pronounced foe-gner) home on Loch Haven Drive. Jennifer laughed and added, "I don't knit."

On a marble table near me (the couple also collects antique furniture, refinishing it when they have some free time) lay a copy of Dave's book, "The Manly Art of Knitting," a picture of him astride Jennifer's beautiful registered Palomino quarter horse, Fore's Dandy, on the cover. You have to look twice before you realize that he's knitting atop the horse...

"One reason I wrote the book was to encourage men to try knitting. There's a doctor in town who knits. It's amazing how many men do but are afraid to admit it..."

And knitting was primarily a man's job before the Industrial Revolution, he said. "Knitting was an art. An apprentice knitter served six years."

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Apr 8, 1973

Posted By: Alex - Mon May 21, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Gender, Men, Books

Beyond the Map

Read more here.







Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 17, 2018 - Comments (0)
Category: Weird Studies and Guides, World, Books

Do-It-Yourself Coffin/Bookcase

"For $9.95 he'll mail you plans for a do-it-yourself coffin that also works as a bookcase."

I guess when you die your family wouldn't even need to remove the books. Just throw you in there with them.

Oshkosh Northwestern - Mar 23, 1993



Lincoln Star - Mar 23, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 16, 2018 - Comments (4)
Category: Death, Books, 1990s

Norma Jean Almodovar:  Cop to Call Girl



Her Wikipedia page.



Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 10, 2018 - Comments (0)
Category: Law, Sexuality, Books, 1990s

The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure

This curious book, compiled and published by the U.S. Government, is a catalog of examples of ethical failure among federal employees. As explained in the intro:

The Standards of Conduct Office of the Department of Defense General Counsel’s Office has assembled the following selection of cases of ethical failure for use as a training tool. Our goal is to provide DoD personnel with real examples of Federal employees who have intentionally or unwittingly violated the standards of conduct. Some cases are humorous, some sad, and all are real. Some will anger you as a Federal employee and some will anger you as an American taxpayer.

Some of the categories of ethical failure include Abuse of Position, Bribery, Conflicts of Interest, Credit-Card Abuse, Financial Disclosure Violations, Fraud, Gift Violations, Travel Violations, Misuse of Government Resources and Personnel, and Time and Attendance Violations.

You can download a word document of the entire book for free from the DoD. Or, you can buy a hard copy from Amazon.

It was last updated in 2015. Can't wait for the post-Trump era edition!

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 05, 2018 - Comments (8)
Category: Lies, Dishonesty and Cheating, Politics, Books, Ethics and Morals

Neverlasting Miracles

I just received my contributor's copy of this phenomenal book, full of the most gorgeous weird art by my friend Todd Schorr. My part in it was tiny, just a small essay on the art. But I am extremely proud to be connected in any way with this genius work.

A perfect gift for yourself or other weirdos!





Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 17, 2017 - Comments (0)
Category: Art, Surrealism, Books, Paul

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Who We Are
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.

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