Category:
Jobs and Occupations
Jobs and Occupations
Safety Glass Tester, 1939
High-test safety glass was developed jointly by five American companies during the 1930s. It had an inner layer of polyvinyl acetal resin. This meant that you could smash a man's face into a pane of the glass, and it would crack but not shatter. As demonstrated by the safety-glass tester below.
Image source: Newsweek - Apr 10, 1939
Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 24, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, 1930s
Get rid of that man — he’s a homicidal maniac!
Sounds like Norman White had a good scheme going. I wonder how he got busted.
The Southeast Missourian - July 5, 1955
Man Gets Self Fired To Collect Week's Pay
LONDON — The voice on the phone said: "Get rid of that man White — he's a homicidal maniac." Norman White, 29, lost the job he started only an hour before.
The same thing had happened four times in three weeks. Each time Norman was fired within two hours of starting a new job, and each time he collected a week's pay.
Today he started another new job. This one — sewing mail bags — will last longer. The voice on the phone, a City Court was told Monday, was White himself posing as a police officer. The court gave him eight months in jail for obtaining money by false pretenses.
LONDON — The voice on the phone said: "Get rid of that man White — he's a homicidal maniac." Norman White, 29, lost the job he started only an hour before.
The same thing had happened four times in three weeks. Each time Norman was fired within two hours of starting a new job, and each time he collected a week's pay.
Today he started another new job. This one — sewing mail bags — will last longer. The voice on the phone, a City Court was told Monday, was White himself posing as a police officer. The court gave him eight months in jail for obtaining money by false pretenses.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 02, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Jobs and Occupations, 1950s
Funeral Traffic Control
1948: Chicago's Mt. Carmel cemetery sought FCC approval so that it could operate a two-way radio system to direct funeral processions, so as to avoid traffic jams in the cemetery.I wonder if they had to build a traffic control tower as well?
Freeport Journal-Standard - Apr 14, 1948
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 17, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Jobs and Occupations, 1940s
Sleeping Time
I like this guy's way of thinking. Too bad the judge didn't go for it.
Altoona Tribune - Jan 21, 1957
Sues For Back Pay For 'Sleeping Time'
LONDON — Albert English, 70, went to court claiming 2,051 pounds—$5,742—in back pay.
He said he was paid 6 pounds, 7 shillings, sixpense—$17.05—a week for 30 hours work as a restaurant odd job man, but that he should be paid also for the 61 hours weekly he spent "asleep with an ear cocked" in a bedroom behind the restaurant provided free by the management. The judge threw out English's claim.
LONDON — Albert English, 70, went to court claiming 2,051 pounds—$5,742—in back pay.
He said he was paid 6 pounds, 7 shillings, sixpense—$17.05—a week for 30 hours work as a restaurant odd job man, but that he should be paid also for the 61 hours weekly he spent "asleep with an ear cocked" in a bedroom behind the restaurant provided free by the management. The judge threw out English's claim.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 30, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, 1950s
Ken Gidney, Professional Ant Catcher
Ken Gidney made $1.4 million catching ants. He supplied the ants for the Uncle Milton Ant Farm sets. He got the job in 1956 (by being first in line in response to the job ad) and continued at it for over 20 years, getting paid 1 cent per ant.His technique: "At first I excavated and I would catch 'em on broom straws. Then I found I could dig a narrow hole alongside an ant hill and place a baby food jar next to it." He would blow into the hole using a plastic hose and the ants would scurry out into the jar.
Sources: Lawrence Journal-World - Jul 4, 1976; The Evening Independent - Feb 17, 1976
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 04, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Jobs and Occupations
In-home lice removal
This company has found an odd, but apparently profitable, niche: "personalized and discreet head lice removal services" in the comfort of your own home.
Posted By: Alex - Mon May 18, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Insects and Spiders, Jobs and Occupations
Fresh Meat
Ad agency Mother New York has posted this recruitment video to let people know about its desire for "fresh meat" (new interns) in its office. Apply here.via Ad Week
Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 26, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, Video
Water Sommelier
"arno steguweit is europe's only water sommelier, and a certified wine sommelier in germany. after ten years in the hospitality business, including creating europe's first water menu, arno's role focuses on how best to taste and recognise quality within different waters."
You have to give Arno credit for creating his own job category. I wonder how much business he gets. Check out his website here. [via]
Posted By: Alex - Mon Feb 09, 2015 -
Comments (12)
Category: Food, Jobs and Occupations
How to pick-up women
Bryan "Double B" Barton of Sacramento teaches a class on how to pick-up women. In it, you'll learn lines such as these:“Do you have something in your eye… oh wait, it’s just a sparkle.”
“You’re so beautiful you made me forget my pick-up line.”
“Are you a parking ticket? Because you got fine written all over you.”
“You’re so beautiful you made me forget my pick-up line.”
“Are you a parking ticket? Because you got fine written all over you.”
There's also a technique he calls the "neg" which is "an insult wrapped in a compliment, and it’s basically to say I know you’re here, but I’m not in awe of you."
Full story (with video) at fox40.com.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 15, 2014 -
Comments (9)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, Love & Romance
The women rat-catchers of World War II
During World War II, rat catching was one of the traditionally male jobs that was taken over by women. At least in the UK. I like the part of this article that details the "grim satisfaction" the women got from smashing rats with shovels:The anti-rat workers have had some peculiar first reactions on meeting their adversaries. One, seeing her first dead rat, exlaimed: "Oh, you poor darling."
Despite all their modern training and equipment, it's sometimes necessary to rely on primitive methods — like bashing out the enemy's brains with a spade. The girls get grim satisfaction from this hand-to-hand combat. They know they're doing every bit as much to help win the war as are their brothers and sweethearts who are hunting rats in uniform.
Despite all their modern training and equipment, it's sometimes necessary to rely on primitive methods — like bashing out the enemy's brains with a spade. The girls get grim satisfaction from this hand-to-hand combat. They know they're doing every bit as much to help win the war as are their brothers and sweethearts who are hunting rats in uniform.
Source: Miami Daily News-Record (Miami, Oklahoma) - Nov 18, 1943
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 14, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Jobs and Occupations, 1940s
| 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 |