Weird Universe Blog — December 3, 2022

Recipes on Tombstones

I've never come across this in a graveyard, but apparently some people have their favorite recipe inscribed on their tombstone. This inspires other people, such as Rosie Grant, to cook the recipes they find on tombstones. More info: The Guardian, TikTok



Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 03, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Death | Food

Unlikely Reasons for Murder No. 12

Source: Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) 17 Feb 1949, Thu Page 21

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 03, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Crime | Death | Feet | Alcohol

December 2, 2022

Weird Coincidence Survey

Dr. Bernard Beitman spent his career as a psychologist researching the relationship between chest pain and panic disorder, but since he retired he's taken up the study of coincidences.

He founded the Coincidence Project, recently completed a book (Meaningful Coincidences: How and Why Synchronicity and Serendipity Happen), and has a "Weird Coincidence Survey" that you can take to gauge how sensitive you are to coincidences.

From an article about him in the LA Times:

Beitman is still collecting data, but he has drawn a few conclusions. The most commonly reported coincidences are associated with mass media: A person thinks of an idea and then hears or sees it on TV, the radio or the internet. Thinking of someone and then having that person call unexpectedly is next on the list, followed by being in the right place at the right time to advance one’s work, career and education.

People who describe themselves as spiritual or religious report noticing more meaningful coincidences than those who do not, and people are more likely to experience coincidences when they are in a heightened emotional state — perhaps under stress or grieving.

I don't consider myself spiritual, but, for whatever reason, I have strange coincidences happen to me all the time. I guess I'm sensitive to them. One minor example that Paul and I have noticed is the way our posts occasionally synchronize with each other (in terms of their subject matter) despite the fact that we never know what the other is going to post.

Or one of us will post about something the other has been reading about, such as the time that I prepared a post about the obscure corporate mascot "Peter Pain," while 3000 miles away Paul happened to be reading about Peter Pain in a book.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 02, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Synchronicity and Coincidence

American Airlines’s Luxury Fleet




Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 02, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Luxury, Elitism, Specialness, Indulgence and Pampering | Advertising | Air Travel and Airlines | 1970s

December 1, 2022

Cosmic Vision Helmet

Not a bad toy, but the advertising claims sure laid it on thick.

This is magic! You put on this helmet and nobody, but nobody can tell who you are, but you can see everybody and everything!

This sensational discovery is as new as the hydrogen bomb! As exciting as a ride through space. Makes you a super space cadet.


Boy Illustories - Nov 1953



via Flickr

Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 01, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Toys | Headgear | 1950s

Beatnik Fly



Their Wikipedia page.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 01, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Insects and Spiders | Music | Gonzo, Demento, Kooky, Wacky and Out-there | 1950s | 1960s

November 30, 2022

Krylon Man

I wonder if Krylon Man is supposed to be sentient. He has a nozzle instead of a head, but he's guided by some kind of instinct to press his nozzle and release his contents.

I also wonder if they tried putting a head on him but decided that he looked better with just a nozzle.

You can buy a screen print of Krylon Man for $25 and hang him on your wall.

Life - Sep 23, 1975

Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 30, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings | 1950s

Miss Anthracite

No chance of this beauty queen title being reinstated in today's, ahem, "climate."

I find a reference to Miss Anthracite as early as 1928.




A few years later, there was a controversy.





She soldiered on through the 1940s.




The fifties saw no lack of interest in the contest.




The seventies certainly saw a stunning winner. But after that references peter out, as the romance of coal tapers off.



Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 30, 2022 - Comments (5)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues | Twentieth Century | Mining

November 29, 2022

Driving Blind

Pc Austin said that when he pulled over the car, Aziz, who wore dark glasses, was fumbling with the controls. When asked if he noticed anything about Aziz he replied: "I did — he didn't have any eyes."

London Daily Telegraph - Sep 5, 2006

Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 29, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: 2000s | Eyes and Vision | Cars

The Reber Plan

In this era when we speculate about giant geoengineering schemes, we should honor such past visionaries as John Reber, who wanted to turn San Francisco Bay into two giant freshwater lakes.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 29, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics | Engineering and Construction | Oceans and Maritime Pursuits | 1950s

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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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