museum of the weird – Page 39 – Museum of the Weird

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Guest Blogger

VIETNAMESE RHINO LOST FOREVER…

A White Rhino calf with it's mother. Javan Rhino's are very similar in apperance but have smaller, more rounded horns.

Sadly, these beautiful creatures are never again to be seen in the country of Vietnam.

The Javan Rhino has been hunted to extinction by illegal poaching.

You hear about species being added to the Endangered Species list all the time, but when a particular animal is crossed off that list and it’s NOT because they’ve grown in number and are now safe, it’s a sad day for all of mankind.

The BBC News writes:

A critically endangered species of rhino is now extinct in Vietnam, according to a report by conservation groups.

The WWF and the International Rhino Foundation said the country’s last Javan rhino was probably killed by poachers, as its horn had been cut off.

Experts said the news was not a surprise, as only one sighting had been recorded in Vietnam since 2008.

Fewer than 50 individuals are now estimated to remain in the wild.

“It is painful that despite significant investment in Vietnamese rhino conservation, efforts failed to save this unique animal, ” said WWF’s Vietnam director Tran Thi Minh Hien.

“Vietnam has lost part of its natural heritage.”

One of the few pictures of a Javan Rhino caught on a trap cam.

These animals are amazing, intelligent, and this should never be allowed to happen to anything else, ever again.

This is just so sad. I know that the only reason we’re hearing about this particular animal is because the rhino is one of the larger mammals on Earth, and I know there are tons more creatures that disappear from that list every year that we never hear of…

….and that’s NOT ok.

WORLDS LARGEST PUMPKIN HAS BEEN CARVED…INTO ZOMBIES!!!

Sorry, but zombies never get old.

No seriously, they don’t. Look it up.

Being “dead” and all pretty much guarantees a stop to that troublesome aging process.

Any-who, these zombies carved by sculptor Ray Villafane that are popping out of these pumpkins look absolutely amazing!

Being a master food sculptor, Ray has quite a portfolio of 3D carvings, a few of which can be seen here.

This carving of the world’s largest pumpkin is definitely the most impressive of his work that I’ve seen to date.

The details are amazing!

The Laughing Squid writes:

Last weekend, The New York Botanical Garden brought on master food sculptor Ray Villafane to carve zombies out of two giant pumpkins, one of which was the world’s heaviest pumpkin. He used the “pale flesh Brant and Eleanor Bordsen’s 1,693 pound pumpkin for the zombies” and the world record-holding 1818.5 pound pumpkin from Kelsey and Jim Bryson was used as the base.

We recently posted about Ray’s amazing 3D pumpkin carvings.

Ray’s entire pumpking carving process at The New York Botanical Garden event was captured in a beautiful time-lapse video.

The Museum of the Weird is officially haunted…

… so we have asked our resident “Texas mojo man”, Doc Ravencraft, so help get to the bottom of things. This Halloween weekend, Doc will be performing a series of old-time séances to try to contact the spirit (or spirits) that are roaming the Museum’s corridors.

Would you like to take part? Well you can! Doc Ravencraft is reserving a very select few seats for guests who would like to attend and take part in contacting the spirits here. You can get more info and reserve your seat here.

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Guest Blogger

WOMAN HAS AGED 50 YEARS IN ONLY 5!

Not sure why they couldn’t dress her up a bit. Maybe, put her in a nice dress or something for the newer photo.

Either way, Nguyen Thi Phuong of Vietnam has an unfortunately severe allergic reaction to seafood that has caused her to skin to make her look dramtically older than she actually is.

Thankfully, she has this man that truly loves her for her and has stuck be her side ever since they were married years ago.

The Daily Mail writes:

These pictures may look like an attractive woman in her 20s and her grandmother. But they are said to be the same person – apparently taken just days apart.

The young Vietnamese woman at the centre of the improbable medical case, Nguyen Thi Phuong, claims the transformation may have come about because of an extreme allergy to seafood.

Nguyen, 26, says she developed this puffy face and sagging skin in 2008 but was too poor to seek treatment. Earlier this month, doctors said they would examine her free of charge.

Nguyen’s husband, carpenter Thanh Tuyen, insists the story is true and his love has not faded for his once-beautiful wife.

She has always worn wear a mask in public to hide her appearance from prying eyes, but she has now sought help from doctors to see if they can reverse the ‘ageing’ effect.

Displaying photos of a beautiful 21-year-old woman on her wedding day in 2006, Mrs Nguyen said: ‘Five years ago, I was rather pretty and not so ugly like this, right?’

Mrs Nguyen believes her condition was caused by a life-long allergy to seafood.

She said she had suffered a particularly bad reaction in 2008. ‘I was really itchy all over my body. I had to scratch even while sleeping.’

MAN SENT GIANT SLIPPER BY MISTAKE

I don’t think this guy’s left foot is quite this size…

The Daily Mail writes:

Sometimes when you buy a pair of shoes, one of them can feel snug while the other one does not quite fit.

Tom Boddingham certainly knows the feeling.

When the 27-year-old ordered a special monster-design slipper to fit his oversized left foot, he was sent this size 1,450 one – because manufacturers failed to spot a decimal point.

He had requested a 14.5, as well as a smaller size 13 for his right foot. The pair cost £15.50.

However, manufacturers in China misread the measurement and accidentally made the whopping seven foot-long slipper, which was shipped to him along with the correct smaller size.

Now 6ft 7in Mr Boddingham, who wears custom-made shoes because of the different sizes of his feet, will sell it on eBay.

‘It was sent directly from Hong Kong and measures 210 x 130 x 65cm – the same length as a grizzly bear or a family car,’ said Mr Boddingham, from Ilford, Essex. ‘I must be the owner of the biggest slipper in the world.

‘I’m going to sell it online, and if I can make a few quid out of it then all the better.’

Online slipper company Monster Slippers – which is based in Dunmow, Essex, and has the motto ‘for the animal in you’ – apologised to Mr Boddingham and has not charged him any extra. A spokesman explained the mistake occurred because of a ‘translation error’.

‘We are making him a replacement slipper of the right dimensions,’ he added.

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Steve Busti

8:00PM TONIGHT! WALKING DEAD VIEWING PARTY! BYOB!

8:00pm tonight (Sunday, October 23rd), the Museum of the Weird is launching our newest weekly event: The Walking Dead Viewing Party!

Each week when there is a new episode of the AMC hit series, The Walking Dead, we will be screening it here at the Museum’s newest addition, the Weird Theater! The theater is located inside the Museum on the second floor*, and all screenings for The Walking Dead will be free with purchase of Museum admission (currently $5.00 per person). The Weird Theater is extremely small, and seating is limited to a maximum of 30 people, so show up early or purchase your tickets in advance in the store or on our website (CLICK HERE!).

We want everyone to come and join us for a good time! We are allowing this event to be a “BYOB” affair, so that adults will be able to enjoy the viewing experience while imbibing their favorite alcoholic beverage. That being said, we are laying down a few ground rules:

• Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the 8:00pm screening time to enjoy the Museum of the Weird and to ensure seating. Once the program begins at 8:00pm, so as not to disrupt the viewing experience we will not be allowing any more entrances into the theater. So please show up early!

• Anyone bringing in alcoholic beverages will be asked to show their proof of ID. Absolutely no sharing of alcoholic beverages with minors will be tolerated, and will result with the offending parties being ejected from the theater.

• No outside food or drink is allowed EXCEPT for alcoholic beverages in sealed personal containers, including bottled or canned beer, wine coolers, and malt and cider beverages. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available for purchase in our gift shop, Lucky Lizard Curios & Gifts.

• Excessively loud and obnoxious guests will be asked to leave, and forfeit their admission without a refund.

• Anyone who arrives already visibly intoxicated will be denied admission into the Museum, period.

As long as everyone abides by these rules and respects each other’s viewing experience, we should all have a great time tonight, and if it’s successful we will host this every week! So we look forward to seeing everyone here at the Museum of the Weird tonight by 8pm, and remember to please show up early!

*NOTE: Second floor access is currently limited to use of the stairs, and there is no elevator for wheelchair access at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Doc Ravencraft

Strange things afoot at the Museum…

I know that you’ve come to think of me as a fountain of wisdom, but today I’m going to be crassly commercial.

It’s Friday, and that means that I’ll be presenting at the Museum as a special attraction. What does that mean? It means for only $5 extra you get to go beyond the back door of the Museum, into the courtyard, up the stairs and into the new Inner Sanctum Theatre. It’s the only way that you’ll get to see the incredible life-size King Kong (and take your picture with him). Once there, you’ll also get to spend some special time with yours truly for an excursion into the weird.

What awaits you? I’ll bring out some of the strange artifacts from the Museum and my own collection and share their bizarre stories. (Be prepared. These things sometimes like to show off a little when they get some attention and it’s very likely that something weird will happen.) You’ll experience psychic phenomena, due to the strong qualities of the Museum’s location. (I believe it’s a combination of ley line placement and it’s central location to so much haunted activity in Austin. Whatever the reading, it’s a great place to perform psychic experiments so we may have a chance to read each others minds!) We’ll also see if the Museum’s resident ghost is in the mood to communicate.

What an incredible deal for the price of an adult beverage (if you have good taste). I’ll open the doors tonight at 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00.

I’ve also confirmed that we will be holding séance presentations over Halloween weekend for a lucky few. There will be two sessions per night at 7:00 and 9:00 PM and tickets will be $25. Seating is extremely limted, with only 10 people per session. I will demonstrate for you the methods used by old school ghost hunters in your great, great grandparent’s day. We’ll try to connect with the Museum’s ghost and some of the others who are in the area. Everyone will have the chance to have a question answered by the spirits. If you are a fan of the paranormal this is a unique opportunity to experience the spirit world. This close to Halloween I expect the veil to be quite thin. We should get good results. All seats must be reserved in advance. Do it now! Contact the Museum by phone at (512) 476-5493 or email steve@museumoftheweird.com.

ALL PROGRAMS ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Steve Busti

MAN BEATS WOMAN WITH FROZEN ARMADILLO

armadillo_20111018122615_320_240 — An armadillo.

Folks, we couldn’t make these stories up if we tried.

DALLAS – A man used a frozen armadillo to attack a 57-year old Pleasant Grove woman, Dallas police said.

The incident happened on Sept. 29 in an apartment complex parking lot.

According to investigators, the altercation occurred when the suspect was selling the carcass to the victim, who planned to eat the animal.

The pair apparently began arguing over the price of the item when the man twice threw the armadillo at the woman.

The animal first struck the woman in the leg and then in her chest.

She was reportedly bruised by the attack.

Detectives have been unable to find the man, who could face assault charges.

Source: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/unusual/101811-Man-Allegedly-Beat-Woman-with-Frozen-Armadillo#ixzz1bLydV2CG

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Chris Walden

Lone Star Spooks with Nate Riddle on The Shadow Hour

10:00 PM CST, Wednesday, 10/19/2011: It’s that time of the week… time to ease into your favorite chair, sit back and relax as we explore the sublime world of the strange, the odd, and the unusual. It’s time once again for… The Shadow Hour.

Nate Riddle joins us to talk about his book “Lone Star Spooks.” It should be another great discussion of haunts in Texas.

As always, you can listen right here with our blogtalkradio widget! You can listen to past broadcasts at any time, or tune in tonight. (Wednesday, October 19, 2011) at 10pm Central for the live broadcast. Be sure to check out the show notes, too. See you in the shadows…

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Guest Blogger

SHARK SURFING! THE NEXT BIG THING!

Now THIS guy has some guts! Or, just some decent photoshop skills.

Ok ok, maybe that’s not exactly true, but read about how this guy below ended up trying it out!

The Telegraph writes:

Doug Niblack was trying to catch another wave before going to work, when his longboard hit something hard as rock off the Oregon Coast and he suddenly found himself standing on the back of a thrashing great white shark.

Looking down, he could see a dorsal fin in front of his feet as he stood on what he described as 10 feet of back as wide as his surfboard and as black as his own Neoprene wetsuit. A tail thrashed back and forth and the water churned around him like a depth charge went off.

“It was pretty terrifying just seeing the shape emerge out of nothing and just being under me,” he said. “And the fin coming out of the water. It was just like the movies.”

The several seconds Mr Niblack spent on the back of the great white Monday off Seaside, Oregon, was a rare encounter, though not unprecedented, according to Ralph Collier, president of the Shark Research Committee in Canoga Park, Calif., and director of the Global Shark Attack File in Princeton, New Jersey.