Regionalism
Beauty Knows No Pain
A species of Independence Day-style patriotism--I guess.
You will learn of this miraculous slogan around the 11-minute mark.
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 04, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, Sports, Sex Symbols, 1970s, Attractiveness, Sexiness, Allure and Personal Magnetism
Maid of Cotton
Unique in mandating the composition of all contest garments: 100% cotton, what else!Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 22, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Agriculture, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, 1930s
World’s Largest Hand-dug Well
Actually not the largest, as the Wikipedia page admits.
Posted By: Paul - Sun May 30, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Architecture, Regionalism, Technology, World Records
Buckeye Beer
The revitalized company still exists today, but no mention of reinstating their "mascots," Buck and Billy.Read the history here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri May 14, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Human Marvels, Regionalism, Advertising, Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century, Alcohol
The Creeping Devil Cactus
The Wikipedia page.
In cool maritime climate of Baja California Sur, creeping devil cacti can grow at a rate of up to two feet per year, forming large, sometimes impenetrable colonies of thorny stems, but when transplanted to more arid climates, their growth rate drops to two feet per decade. But even in their endemic environment, these succulents are isolated from pollinators so they rely on self-cloning for survival.
As it grows parallel to the ground, the stem of the creeping devil cactus will start to take roots toward their tip, and once it is solidly fixed into the sandy soil, the old body dies, rotting and eventually turning into nutrients that help the new stem grow. It is this process that also allows the cactus to creep through the desert over time. In a way, the cactus has to die in order to survive.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 03, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Freaks, Oddities, Quirks of Nature, Nature, Natural Wonders, Regionalism, North America
“Oh! How She Could Yacki Hacki Wicki Wacki Woo”
Not a song about Wikipedia.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 03, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Music, Regionalism, Foreign Customs, 1910s, Slang
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
The Old and New Blue Holes of Ohio
Once upon a time, there was a tourist attraction in Ohio called the Blue Hole.
But then it was closed off to the public.
So the state opened up a rival Blue Hole nearby.
I wonder if they should be a "sister body of water" to the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, which we looked at back in February?
Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 14, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Regionalism, Rivalries, Feuds and Grudges, Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams, Swamps and Other Bodies of Fresh Water, North America, Natural Wonders
The Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes and/or Ambassador
Before looking at these charming ladies, let us ponder the name of this worthy organization: "Aquatennial." The water/wet years? The most common word with this suffix of course is "centennial," which is derived, so Merriam-Webster tells us, from the Latin "centum" and the English suffix "-ennial," which is basically "annual." The suffix is not "-tennial," because the "t" comes from "centum." So even if "the wet or water years" made sense, it would have to be "Aquaennial," which of course is a hideous-looking neologism.All that aside, this organization, founded in 1940, is still going strong. But you can't call the winners "queens" any longer, just "ambassadors." It's nice they kept the tiaras, though, which are not in evidence among ambassadors at, say, the U.N.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 13, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Regionalism, Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams, Swamps and Other Bodies of Fresh Water, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
New Frontiers (of Barb Wire)
Thrill to the history of barb wire with "Little Barb!" (Or "American Barb" if you prefer.)
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 15, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Agriculture, Anthropomorphism, History, Regionalism, Advertising
| 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 |