Books
Odd Showers
Read it here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 14, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Weird Facts, Weird Studies and Guides, Books, Natural Wonders, Nineteenth Century
Dolls the wide world over
A book that could be shelved in either Art or Horror.Available for loan at the Internet Archive.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 06, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Books, Dolls and Stuffed Animals
Webs In The Wind
Webs in the Wind, published in 1949, is an odd, obscure book. The author, Winifred Duncan, decided that she wanted to learn more about spiders — creatures about which she previously had almost no knowledge.To do so, she caught spiders outside, released them in her house, and then patiently observed their behavior as they went about building webs in her curtains, between pieces of furniture, behind her toilet, etc. Her book is full of illustrations of the spider webs throughout her house.
Only after observing the spiders for months did she start reading any of the existing scientific literature about spiders.
Used copies of her book are quite expensive, starting at around $35. But you can read the entire book for free at the Hathitrust archive.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 28, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Insects and Spiders, Books, 1940s
C. W. Leadbeater, Theosophist
Anyone with even a passing interest in the weird has heard of that famous eccentric Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society.But less attention is paid to her interesting comrade, C. W. Leadbeater.
Read his pretty short book THE LIFE AFTER DEATH here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 17, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Eccentrics, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Books, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century
The Language and Poetry of Flowers
Once upon a time, each flower held a very specific symbolical meaning. You can read about them in this book.So be very careful next time you commission a bouquet for someone. You wouldn't want to include any white roses still in bud, lest you seem "ignorant of love."
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 25, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Nature, Books, Nineteenth Century, Love & Romance
A Moose for Jessica
In 1987, a wild moose fell in love with what zoologists refer to as a "biologically inappropriate object". His love interest was a cow named Jessica who lived on the Vermont farm of Larry Carrara.For over two months the moose displayed courtship behavior towards Jessica. He followed her all around, would rest his head on her back, or would push hay toward her as a food offering.
The moose and Jessica
Over 75,000 sightseers came out to Carrara's farm to witness this interspecies romance.
Finally, after 76 days, rutting season came to an end and the moose lost interest in Jessica and wandered back into the wild.
The moose
The romance between the moose and Jessica inspired the book A Moose for Jessica, written by Pat Wakefield with photographs by Larry Carrara. It's available on Amazon, or you can read it for free at archive.org.
More info: wikipedia, New England Living
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 10, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Cows, Books, 1980s, Love & Romance
Isaac Parker, the Hanging Judge
His Wikipedia page tells us:Parker became known as the "Hanging Judge" of the American Old West, because he sentenced numerous convicts to death.[1] In 21 years on the federal bench, Judge Parker tried 13,490 cases. In more than 8,500 of these cases, the defendant either pleaded guilty or was convicted at trial.[2] Parker sentenced 160 people to death; 79 were executed.
Read a memoir that appeared two years after his death at this link.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 17, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, History, Wild West and US Frontier, Law, Books, Nineteenth Century
The Bear Facts
Anti-communist fable presented as a kid's book.More pictures and discussion here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 02, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Propaganda, Thought Control and Brainwashing, Children, Books, Fantasy, 1940s, Russia
New Trends in Table Settings
By Lucy Staley from Hearthside Press. 1968.This is the book to get you up to speed on the exciting art of table setting. From the review in The Bradenton Herald (Dec 22, 1968):
You can get it on loan from archive.org.
"Table for a Hawaiian luau"
"Easter dessert table"
"Strutting cocks from Spain frame an arangement in a basket"
Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 30, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Boredom, Kitsch and Collectibles, Books
Who’s Nobody in America
Back in 1979, when being in Who's Who still had some kind of cultural cachet, Derek Evans and Dave Fulwiler decided to create an anti-Who's-Who, which they called "Who's Nobody in America." To acquire entries, they placed the following ad in newspapers:Will your name be omitted from the 1980 edition of Who's Who?
Nobody Press is currently compiling the 1980 edition of Who's Nobody in America. This handsomely bound and widely distributed reference work will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive list of American nobodies.
If you think you might be a nobody, or know of one, at no cost or obligation, complete the attached request for applications."
Applicants included:
- A woman who complained she had been seeing her psychiatrist monthly for eight years and he often called her Evelyn. Her name was Mildred.
- An entire American Legion post in Newport, Ky.
More info: Washington Post
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 28, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Success & Failure, Books, Satire
| 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 |