Death
Life Imitates Cheesy Science Fiction Film
As we learn in this article from today's New York Times, conditions in hurricane-wracked Galveston, Texas, have begun to approach the scenario depicted in the latest remake of I AM LEGEND.As crews hacked away at downed trees and replaced blown-out transformers and cut lines, state and local officials contended with a plethora of other problems, among them a tiger on the loose.
James D. Yarbrough, the Galveston County judge, said a pet tiger, well known to locals, had escaped during the storm and was wandering the ruins of houses on Bolivar Peninsula. “I understand he’s hungry, so we are staying away from him,” Mr. Yarbrough said.
You'll see Will Smith's similar encounter at approximately the one-minute mark in the trailer below.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 17, 2008 -
Comments (13)
Category: Animals, Armageddon and Apocalypses, Death, Disasters, Guns, Movies, Nature, Pets, Dogs, Science Fiction, Actors
Ruth Grace Moulon, RIP
Ruthie the Duck Girl was a New Orleans character famed for her pet ducks. You can read her history at the intriguing site known as ECCENTRIC NEW ORLEANS, and then read her LOS ANGELES TIMES obituary here.
A documentary was made about her, and shown on WYES TV, but I can't find any online video of it.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 16, 2008 -
Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Celebrities, Death, Obituaries, Eccentrics, Pets, Regionalism
George Putnam, RIP
TV newscaster George Putnam has died. Read his LOS ANGELES TIMES obituary here.Putnam was frequently cited as the inspiration for the Ted Baxter character on THE MARY TYLER MOORE show.
Make your own judgment based on the videos below.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 16, 2008 -
Comments (5)
Category: Centuries, Death, Obituaries, Entertainment, Actors, Hollywood, ShowBiz, Stupidity, Television
The Living Stump
THE LIVING STUMP!
I did not snap a picture, but fortunately I could borrow one from El Sylvan's Flickr set.
The Living Stump is the remnant of a tree whose roots became symbiotically intertwined with a neighboring tree. So that when one tree was cut down, the partner tree continued to nourish the stump, which did not decay as any other chopped-down tree might be expected to.
Yes, folks, this is A ZOMBIE TREE!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 13, 2008 -
Comments (3)
Category: Celebrities, Death, Nature, Photography and Photographers, Regionalism
Radiological Defense
Much of what we define today as "weird" looks to be weird simply because the context that surrounded its creation is no longer in place. As famously said, "The past is another country," and we all know that stuff that happens in other countries is quite often weird.Once upon a time--in 1961--the staged documentary featured here seemed like the most sober-sided, commonsense bit of educational material. But now--
--well, see for yourselves!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 08, 2008 -
Comments (12)
Category: Death, Futurism, Military, Movies, Technology, War, Weapons, 1960s
The Kuku-Kuku of Papua New Guinea
Eleven days ago I posted about Ángel Pantoja Medina who died and, as per his request, his body was displayed standing up at the viewing. In the comments, Big Gary noted that it reminded him of a photo he had seen in an anthropology book of a New Guinea tribe who smoked their dead and displayed the corpses sitting up. We now have that picture!I present to you the Kuku-Kuku of Papua New Guinea. (I'm not making that name up.) The image is in The Circle of Life: Rituals from the human family album. The caption explains that the Kuku-Kuku:
mummify their deceased relatives by smoking them over a fire. The ceremony begins with four days of mourning during which relatives wail, throw themselves on the corpse, eat dirt, tear their hair and beat their foreheads with stones until they bleed. Once the fire is lit and the body begins to dry out, the displays of intense sorrow taper off. After several days, the body is completely dehydrated and put in a place of honor.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 29, 2008 -
Comments (1)
Category: Death
Buddhist relic
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 26, 2008 -
Comments (5)
Category: Body Modifications, Death, Fads, History, Historical Figure, Human Marvels, Religion, War, Foreign Customs, 1960s
The South Will Collect Its Pensions Again!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 25, 2008 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Death, Obituaries, History, Historical Figure, Hollywood, Literature, Books, Regionalism, War, Cartoons, Marriage
Follies of the Mad Men #14
This illustration, by the way, comes from the great Abner Dean.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 22, 2008 -
Comments (11)
Category: Business, Advertising, Insurance, Death, Explosives, Pets, Dogs, Stupidity
Standing Tall At His Funeral
The accompanying video is classic. If you didn't know he was dead, you'd think he was just a guy chilling in the corner.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 18, 2008 -
Comments (6)
Category: Death
| 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. Contact Us |