Category: Bizarre

Hot Links Я Us

Trivia:  Sluggo had a dual role in Ernie Bushmiller‘s  “Nancy” comics. He played himself as well as Nancy’s Aunt Fritzi.

WWII in Facebook.

Ken Nordine’s got a website… Last updated July 2006.

There be some funny in the comments section here. [Tip o’ the Tarboosh to Wheels for the link.]

Acme Corporation was sued for product defects. Writ of litigation  may be viewed here.

This made me laff and laff and laff.

Is Snopes for real? Click here to find out.

Gorilla suits from the past: great article here.

“Curta” is an awesome mechanical calculator designed by a POW in WWII. More retro calculators at the home page.

A Tortoise in Paris

This is Beyond the Valley of Awesome, 26 Gigapixels worth.

That’s a panoramic view of Paris above,  the Eiffel Tower is on the horizon at far left. The black donut in middle left is where we’re going. I didn’t believe it at first, until I zoomed in. Below are screen shots from the same image.

We zoom in a little, the Eiffel Tower is still there, skewed by the lens.

Ignore the yellow “I’s” here. On the website linked above you can use them to click for zoomed images of historical sites.

That image by itself would be worth copying and framing, IMO.

The orange dealies scattered around are clay chimney pots, vents for the flats below.

It’s likely the tortoise was photoshopped in as a prank/copyright by the professional zoomers since there is no barrier to keep it from falling off of the sheet metal roof, but I don’t care… the photo detail is still awesome. After all, look where we came from:

[Link found here. Zoom Archive here.]

Giant Isopod! Yay!

These pups live in the deep, scrounging around in the darkness for rotted detritus, and occasionally they are captured on trawling lines. The one in the picture is about 2-1/2 feet long  and was found clinging to a submarine returning from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. They’re related to common pillbugs, wood lice and lawn shrimp. Wikipiddlia has this:

“In northern Taiwan and other areas, they are common at seaside restaurants, served boiled and bisected with a clean lateral slice. The white meat, similar to crab or lobster in texture, is then easily removed.”

I’d eat it.

[Image with story found here. Crossposted here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No.124 – BobBopm, Rodeo SeeSaw, Japanese Hand Jive

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[Found here, here and here.]

Jaws

No explanation for this apparatus was found at the source, but it appears to be a dealie for some giant ape-goes-berserk movie of long ago. If anyone has more info, drop a line in the comments.

[Found here.]

[Update 14 April 2010– Peter found the source, a 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics. See the comments for the link.]

A Hurling Player Lives Here.

Don’t know the ancient Irish game? It’s a brutal combination of football, soccer, rugby, field hockey, baseball, jai alai and golf, traditionally played without pads or helmets and the best players have facial scars and are usually missing teeth. Since 1 January 2010 helmets are required at all levels. Spoilsports.

The goal is to get the silotar (a hardball about the size of a cue ball) over or under the goalposts with a hurley (an oversized wooden spoon) by throwing it, tossing it up and batting it, carrying it on the hurley while running, or driving it down the pitch with an underhand smack.

A team gets one point for getting it over and through the uprights, and three points if it gets it past the goal keeper into the net underneath the goal posts.

If you ever get a chance to see a hurling match, you’re in for some fun, and you HAVE to watch the game or you risk serious injury from speeding silotars and sharp flying broken hurleys. Tip your ale only between plays.

[Top image found here. More info on Hurley here.]

Housebreaking Your Annelid

As with any pet, the first rule is to be firm and consistent with training, and remember that rewards generally work better than punishment.

Reward your annelid when it behaves well. Fill up the bathtub with damp (not wet) newspaper and coffee grounds for your annelid to explore. They love it!

Express your displeasure as soon as possible when your annelid misbehaves so that it connects its actions with your disapproval.

Do not yell at your annelid as they cannot hear. Stomp your feet instead. In severe cases of disobedience, keep a salt shaker nearby.

If your annelid leaves castings about the house, lock your pet in a brightly lit room for 10-15 minutes after rubbing your annelid’s nose in it. Dispose of the castings in the garden. Once your pet makes the connection between in-house castings and bright light, the number of “accidents”  should diminish.

When your annelid learns to moosh at the door to go out to leave castings, reward it when it returns by allowing it to explore any dark damp space, like that puddle next to the sump drain in the basement.

Above all, be patient. Properly trained and cared for, your annelid should live 10 years or more; otherwise you’ll  find it dead and dried up on the sidewalk and all the love and affection will be gone. Enjoy!

[Top image found here.]

3 Hot Chicks and a Hot Car

Nothing like a little innocuous innuendo in a post title to generate a cheap and sleazy traffic spike.

Speaking of the classic “Hot Rod Lincoln,” here’s the version that was covered by Johnny Bond, that was covered by Roger Miller, that was covered by Commander Cody, that was covered by Asleep At The Wheel:

Charlie Ryan & the Timber Riders hit the charts on 9 May 1960 with “Hot Rod Lincoln” even though it was recorded in 1955. Unfortunately the videonazi bastards prevent embedding it here, so you gotta click to hear it.

[Image from here. Crossposted here.]

Saturday Matinee – Tea Party, Neil Innes, Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Weird Al

The Tea Party protesters are really getting out of hand. Here’s footage from 20 March 2010 in Washington D.C.
[Update: Oop. My mistake. Those aren’t Tea Party people.]

Neil Innes was a protester before you were a protester.

Johnny Cash’s snare drum is awesome.

Turn up the treble for this classic from Eddie Cochran.

I’m 16% behind Weird Al on this, and 84% behind him on this one:

Have a great weekend folks.

The .Gif Friday Post No. 123 – Frog Bites, Chair Spins, Zen Dogs

[Found here, here and here.]