Copilot Prompt:  “Please make a symbolic visual representation of the website http://weirduniverse.net/”

Posted By: Paul - Tue May 28, 2024 - Comments (6)
Category: Art, Weird Universe, Computers

No Posts on Sunday Oct 29

We're shutting the site down temporarily on Sunday so that we can move to a new server that has a more up-to-date OS. Hopefully the move will go without a hitch, and we'll be back up and running on Monday.

Update: Finished the move. Seems like everything is working. Let us know if you notice anything amiss.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 28, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Weird Universe

Chuck’s First Post at WU

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 16, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Chuck’s Hand-Picked Weird News, History, Statues, Monuments and Memorials, Weird Universe, Chuck

Homage to Shepherd

Someone at the NEW YORK TIMES exhibits his good taste and sense of propriety, by capitalizing "News of the Weird" to render homage to Chuck. And this proves that NOTW remains a potent historical signifier and force!



Article.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 07, 2018 - Comments (0)
Category: Newspapers, Weird Universe, Chuck

Go Back, Jack, Do It Again

As we approach the tenth anniversary of Weird Universe (founded mainly due to the genius and initiative of Chuck Shepherd, July 2008), Alex and I had the notion that newcomers might not have seen many of our past posts that were deserving of their amused attentions. Therefore, we are going to occasionally repost an oldie-but-goodie, bannered with a special header to identify it. We hope that even if you have been with us since the beginning, you will enjoy these reruns, which, of course, will not diminish our schedule of two new posts each and every day.

Just more weirdness for your enjoyment!

Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 03, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Anniversary, Weird Universe, Alex, Chuck, Paul

A Community of Respectful Pals

Dear WU-vies:

Alex and I have just taken a step which I do not believe we have ever needed to take before in the long history of WEIRD UNIVERSE. We deleted someone's comment because it was nasty, rude, hostile and generally boorish. (And may I also say that the suffering longtime member of the community, the commenter to whom the insults were addressed, reacted with restraint, dignity, calm and a noble nature.)

Let me take this unfortunate occasion to remind everyone that WU has always been a landmark of collegiality and friendliness and acceptance, albeit happily flavored with irony, black humor and appreciation for the world's incredible stupidity. Especially in comparison to much of the internet, WU remains a happy place. Let's try to keep it that way.

Thanks, as always, for your attention, support and understanding.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 22, 2018 - Comments (7)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Etiquette and Formal Behavior, Weird Universe, Comments

Notice on CHICAGO TRIBUNE links

Friends--I always delighted in searching the open archives of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, and finding many items there to highlight on WU, with links back to the source.

This week the formerly open archives went behind a paywall. I understand the economics of it, but I'm still sad.

And of course, the old links won't work now.

Well, it was fun while it lasted...

Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 04, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Journalism, Weird Universe

Who Can Replace a Shepherd?

WU-vie GES comments: "I've sent many stories to Chuck over the years, several of which he has included on NOTW. Where can I send them now? Is there some way of getting them posted in WU?"

Certainly Alex and I would appreciate reader tips, and possibly use them somehow, in singleton posts. So keep sending them to the email addresses in the sidebar. But neither of us have plans at the moment to try to match the weekly ineffable efforts of Chuck.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 04, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Weird Universe, Alex, Chuck, Paul, Reader Recommendation

Chuck’s Departure

Naturally, when Chuck informed Alex and me earlier of his decision to retire, we were heartbroken--just as all of his readers are showing themselves to be.

And yet, once the dust of that explosive announcement settled, Alex and I realized--just as all of his readers must--that Chuck's long, invaluable, joyous service would remain forever an inspiration, and that no one deserved more accolades and more congratulations and more good wishes for a long and fruitful post- NOTW lifetime than he did! So, Chuck, please consider those warm feelings and congratulations delivered in spades!

Of course, after all this, Alex and I still faced the question of whether to keep Weird Universe going. We decided to give it a go, for as long as readers keep coming and seem to enjoy what we do.

The blog has not been diminished by one-third, but by more like fifty percent, with Chuck's departure. So I guess Alex and I will just have to try to fill those large shoes to some degree.

Thanks to one and all--but most of all, to Chuck, whose idea it was to do Weird Universe in the first place!

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 04, 2017 - Comments (18)
Category: Weird Universe, Alex, Chuck, Paul, Sadness

Happy New Year, 2017!

Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 01, 2017 - Comments (0)
Category: Holidays, Weird Universe, Alex, Chuck, Paul