Government
Widow wills millions to help pay U.S. debt
In 1960, the late Mrs. W.L. Clayton reportedly left $25 million in her will to the U.S. government to help pay down the national debt.The amount she left for this purpose may have been unusually large, but it turns out that leaving behind money to help pay off the national debt isn't unusual. The Associated Press reports that, every year, the U.S. government receives about $1 million in bequests to help with the national debt. And since 1961, it's received $100 million.
However, the AP also notes that all these bequests, though well-intentioned, are "pointless" and "essentially, useless". This isn't just because the amounts are like a drop in the ocean compared to the size of the national debt. It's because: "The donations are recorded on the receipts ledger of the federal government’s general fund. So, rather than actually paying down the national debt, these donations just reduce the amount of money our government will borrow."
Los Angeles Times - Jan 30, 1960
Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 24, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Government, Money
All About Albany Board Game
Too much excitement for me!
More details here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 28, 2021 -
Comments (4)
Category: Games, Government, Regionalism, 1980s
Hidden Message in “I Am the Walrus”
Everyone knows that the Beatles song "I Am the Walrus" is all about the secret death of Paul McCartney.But back in 1968, reporter Jed Drews heard something else there.
Source: Fort Lauderdale News (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 24 Feb 1968, Sat Page 15
I can find literally not one other online endorsement of this interpretation of the lyrics--except when Mr. Drews's article was inserted into the Congressional Record upon his testimony in DC.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 25, 2021 -
Comments (6)
Category: Drugs, Government, Music, Newspapers, 1960s
Metric Lunch Box
Imagine the insults suffered by the dweeb forced by well-meaning parents to carry this lunch pail to school.The objects children take to school can communicate messages. In the 1970s, the U.S. government encouraged more general use of the metric units of weight and measure, units that had been adopted in almost all other nations. To teach children about metric units, some parents purchased this lunch box.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 23, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Government, Science, Bullying, Harassment, Outsiders, Persecuted, and Excluded Groups, Children, 1970s
When Belgium Invaded England
Very good long article here.
Tip of the hat to pal Peter Danssaert.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 22, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Government, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, War, Reader Recommendation, 1960s, Europe, United Kingdom
Recipes for Cooking Muskrat Meat
Check it out here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 15, 2020 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Food, Government, 1940s, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust
Tomato
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 17, 2020 -
Comments (0)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Government, Police and Other Law Enforcement, PSA’s, Sexuality
Frestonia
CHAZ? Nothing new in the world.Good article here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 26, 2020 -
Comments (0)
Category: Government, Stupid Criminals, Unauthorized Dwellings, 1960s, United Kingdom
Constitution of Alabama
Clocking in at 310,296 words, the constitution of Alabama is the longest constitution in the world. By comparison, the U.S. constitution is only 4,543 words (including the signatures).The bloat of the document is a result of the state government deciding that it needed to micromanage the individual counties. So all kinds of local regulations have been included in the constitution. Wikipedia explains:
The Constitutional Convention was called with the intention by Democrats of the state "to establish white supremacy in this State," "within the limits imposed by the Federal Constitution." Its provisions essentially disenfranchised most African Americans and thousands of poor whites, who were excluded for decades.
You can read the full document here.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 17, 2020 -
Comments (6)
Category: Government, Regulations, Law
A Social History of Wild Huckleberry Harvesting in the Pacific Northwest
Read it here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 10, 2020 -
Comments (2)
Category: Boredom, Customs, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Food, Government, Regionalism
| 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 |