Weird Universe Blog — May 19, 2022

Unsuspecting drug dealer

July 1973: Two undercover agents approached Eduardo Bazua at a gas station and attempted to buy heroin from him. However, he was reluctant to make the sale there and asked if there was somewhere more private they could go. So the agents took him to their nearby office at the Drug Enforcement Agency. Once in the office, Bazua proceeded to make the sale, and the agents promptly arrested him.

In Bazua's defense, there was no lettering on the door identifying it as the DEA, but even so, the fact that the office was on the 12th floor of the downtown federal building should have been a clue.

Los Angeles Times - July 27, 1973



San Bernardino County Sun - July 26, 1973

Posted By: Alex - Thu May 19, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Drugs | Stupid Criminals | 1970s

Each Child Is Different



Posted By: Paul - Thu May 19, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Education | Family | Children | PSA’s | 1950s

May 18, 2022

The Tweter, sweater for two

The tweter was a fashion gimmick introduced in 1963. It continued to be sold for about a year before the public lost interest.

Lexington Herald - Nov 1, 1963



Life - Oct 25, 1963



For young women, the tweter apparently posed some challenges. If they agreed to wear it, were they implicitly agreeing to do more than just holding hands? Molly Mayfield thought so.

Tucson Daily Citizen - Dec 5, 1963

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 18, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Fashion | 1960s | Love & Romance

Canary Sing-along





Pet birds making their traditional sonic calls while classical music plays.

This little player starts at track one and goes through the whole album. But if you'd like to skip right to your favorite, go here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 18, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals | Music | 1960s

May 17, 2022

Cannery Row in a can

Created by artists Peter and Donna Thomas in 2003.

Info from UW Milwaukee library:

To see the book, the can must be opened with a can opener, presenting the owner with a dilemma: do they want their artwork to be ‘original’ and leave the can sealed, or do they open the can to see the book inside. We had hoped to use a sardine tin, with the little key to open it, but could not find a source. During the search we found a local business, Dave’s Albacore, which had an old canning machine salvaged from Cannery Row. They were willing to can the book for us, saying ‘drop it off on a Friday and we will can the books first thing Monday morning, and hopefully that way they won’t smell too much like fish.’

Posted By: Alex - Tue May 17, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Art | Books

The Artist’s Dream

The quality of the film is less than perfect, but I think it's still enjoyable--and weird!

Posted By: Paul - Tue May 17, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Dreams and Nightmares | Cartoons | Dogs | 1910s

May 16, 2022

Edible Tape

A group of students at Johns Hopkins recently invented edible tape for burritos. They're calling their invention Tastee Tape.



I thought edible tape was a pretty old idea, and some searching quickly pulled up prior examples of it. But despite the idea being around for a while, I've never seen edible tape in a supermarket. So perhaps the Johns Hopkins version of it will be the one to catch on.

San Luis Obispo Tribune - Apr 13, 1991



Honolulu Star Bulletin - Sep 2, 1950

Posted By: Alex - Mon May 16, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Food | Inventions

Payment in Clams



When the nation's banks closed during the Depression, Leiter's Pharmacy in Pismo Beach, California, issued this clamshell as change.

The 1929 stock market crash triggered banking panics, as people rushed to withdraw their savings before they were lost. In March 1933, President Roosevelt ordered a four-day bank holiday to prevent further withdrawals. To compensate for the currency shortage, communities created emergency money, or scrip. This clamshell was signed as it changed hands and redeemed when cash became available again.


Source.

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 16, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Money | Nature | 1930s

May 15, 2022

Name That List, #67

What is this a list of? The answer is below in extended.

  1. Sunderland Kink
  2. Barber Perfect
  3. Triangle Line
  4. Jayne Hill
  5. Merrill's Four Point
  6. Hold Fast
  7. Necktie
  8. Buckthorn
  9. Brink Twist
  10. Saber Point
  11. Untorn Ribbon
  12. Saw Tooth
  13. Brink Flat
  14. Wrap Around
  15. Ric-Rac
  16. Kelly's Diamond
  17. Corsicana Clip
  18. Lazy Plate
  19. Pooler Jones
  20. Nadel Two Twist
  21. Underwood Tack


More in extended >>

Posted By: Alex - Sun May 15, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Name That List

The Seneca Lake Monster

One of the lesser-known giant enigmas to haunt the lakes of the Northeast USA.



Source of article below.







Posted By: Paul - Sun May 15, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Cryptozoology | Regionalism | Fables, Myths, Urban Legends, Rumors, Water-Cooler Lore | North America

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All original content in posts is Copyright © 2016 by the author of the post, which is usually either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.

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