Weird Universe Blog — December 11, 2024

The Escalators of Wyoming

Apparently it's "one of Wyoming’s default trivia tidbits" that there are only two escalators in the entire state. I just learned that piece of trivia.

The escalators are both located in the city of Casper inside banks. One is at the main branch of Hilltop National Bank. The other is in the downtown branch of First Interstate Bank.

First Interstate Bank escalator



Hilltop Bank escalator



An article at Cowboy State Daily (source of the above images) delves into some more details about the escalators.

For instance, there used to be a third escalator located in a Cheyenne JCPenney, but it was torn down when JCPenney moved.

Also, the two existing escalators were built in 1958 and 1979. This means that it's now been 45 years since an escalator was installed in Wyoming.

The scarcity of escalators is down to a) a lack of people in the state, and b) a lack of multi-story buildings.

I think Wyoming should make an effort to get rid of the two escalators. Then it could boast of being the only escalator-free state.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Dec 11, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Architecture

I Like Christmas

Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 11, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Holidays | Music | Children | 1950s

December 10, 2024

Squeans, Plewds and Briffits

In a March 24, 1946 article for This Week magazine (which was included as a Sunday supplement in many newspapers), Charles Rice coined names for various symbols that appeared in comic strips. For example, he said that 'briffits' were the dust clouds left behind when a character is running, and 'plewds' were the drops of sweat emanating from the character.

Cartoonist Mort Walker (of Beetle Bailey fame) later expanded Rice's brief list into an entire Lexicon of Comicana (1980).

According to wikipedia, these terms now "sometimes appear in dictionaries, and serve as convenient terminology occasionally used by cartoonists and critics."

More info: Wikipedia; The Lexicon of Comicana (Internet Archive)

Indianapolis Star - Mar 24, 1946

Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 10, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Languages | Comics | 1940s

The Twelve Tissues Remedies

Despite the opaque title, from what I can see, the book maintains that certain organic minerals, when deficient, cause many ills, and if you administer homeopathic doses of same, cures will be effected. Not too, too loony. But reading the symptoms of mineral deficiency is the best part of this volume.





Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 10, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil | Nineteenth Century

December 9, 2024

Bedding with viewing lenses

Patent No. 12,156,603 recently issued to Lillian A. Foucha of New Jersey. An explanation from the patent:

Bedding, such as blankets, sheets, comforters, quilts, and the like are typically utilized to keep covered, warm, and comfortable. In addition to their natural warming properties, blankets can be utilized to provide a safe, private enclosure to increase user comfort. Individuals may desire to cover up to provide a personal space, or alternatively to keep their head warm under the bedding. However, by covering a user's head with bedding, the individual is unable to view their surroundings while so covered. In order to view a television, for example, the individual must lower the bedding to expose their head, thereby exposing their head to cold air or otherwise violating their enclosed safe space, which may lead to discomfort. In view of the above concerns, it is desirable to provide bedding having viewing lenses therein that can provide a window to the exterior surroundings while allowing the user to remain completely covered up under the bedding.



via Jeff Steck (bluesky)

Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 09, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Patents | Eyes and Vision

Santa Claus Rides A Strawberry Roan

Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 09, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Animals | Holidays | Music | Regionalism | 1950s

December 8, 2024

Ghoti pronounced fish

For decades newspapers repeated the claim that George Bernard Shaw used the word 'ghoti' as an example of the often bizarre disconnect between the spelling of English words and their pronunciation. He argued that 'ghoti' could be pronounced 'fish'.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Aug 7, 1955



But according to the Language Log blog, there's no evidence that Shaw ever used the Ghoti example. Plus, the Ghoti anecdote was being passed around before Shaw was even born.

Another example: 'Loeyephtheau!' could be pronounced 'Righto!'

Indianapolis Star - Mar 24, 1946

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 08, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Languages | Puns and Other Wordplay

December 7, 2024

Jim’s Guide to San Francisco—an update

Back in June we posted about an oddball guide to San Francisco called Jim's Guide to San Francisco in which artist Jim Finnegan posed outside SF businesses named Jim.

Finnegan published this back in 1977.



Joshua Bote, a writer for Gazetteer SF, recently came across our post, and it inspired him to seek out more info about Jim's Guide. He contacted me, but I wasn't much help. I told him I came across a reference to it in an old art journal named Umbrella. But then he was able to track down Finnegan himself, who's now 80 years old, living in the town of Woodacre in Marin County.

Bote reports:

He seemed amused that anyone has remembered this relic of his youth. None of the places in the book have lived on — save for the church. He has no plans to recreate the guide; he doesn’t come around to San Francisco much anymore, anyway.

Check out the whole article.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 07, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Books | Tourists and Tourism | 1970s

Weebles Tub Sub

Was there ever a line of toys more inexplicably popular than Weebles?

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 07, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits | Toys | Advertising | 1970s

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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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