Strangest Things

There are few things in life that be described as singular and beyond compare. 

Having a baby comes to mind. 

Finishing a marathon is another.

Driving a 600 horsepower NASCAR around the Fontana race track certainly qualifies.

And then there's a visit to Culver City's own Museum of Jurassic Technology. Which technically isn't in Culver City, but in 2022 the truth can be stretched. And that will be the only hint I will give regarding the nature of the unique displays you will see, should you decide to part with $12.

Last week I escorted Ms. Muse through the dimly lit and narrow hallways of this ancient building on Venice Blvd. And didn't have to wait too long before her jaw hit the floor. The Duck's Breath is one of the more milder among the plethora of oddities. (I like the word plethora, but was prohibited from using it in ad because, "...people won't understand what it means.")

SPOILER ALERT: There is an underlying theme that runs throughout the "museum", which is nothing more than a converted home/apartment building. And while I do not dare reveal the theme, I will provide previews of our favorite exhibitions:

1. Mouse Pie  -- Animals, rodents and insects, play a large part here. And none more telling than the dead mouse pie. Literally, an apple pie with two long-deceased white mice laying on top of the eternally soggy crust. This particular piece has been a staple of the "museum" since my first visit back in the late 80's. The mouse pie was thought to have magical curative powers and could save the life of an infirm toddler. Babies and small children are another sub-theme throughout. 

2. Old Wives Tales -- In the back room, which isn't fair since once you're inside they all seem like back rooms, you'll find a monstrously large, stuffed jackrabbit encased in glass. In the 1700/1800's, rabbits played a big part in pioneer lore. I forgot all the details, but in order to ward off evil spirits a mother nursing a child would shout "Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits." Perhaps this was the inspiration for Tim Burton's BeetleJuice. 

Similarly, if a prairie mom did not like the way her man split the wood or brought home foul meat, thereby  igniting her wrath, she'd look him straight in the eye and declare, "Rabbits to you, good sir, Rabbits to you."

3. Trailer Parkopoluzza --An entire room dedicated to the study of signature Americana. Here, you will learn and see -- in magnificent tiny model diarammas and earnestly written plaque copy --the origin of the Trailer Park. Seminal innovations in Trailer Park history. And of course, the fatal disasters (mostly wind related) that have plagued Trailer Park residents -- America's original Nomads.

As a fan of kitsch, I can safely say it is breathtaking in scope and overwhelming in its commitment to the "museum's" through-line, which I will leave you to discover.

Get thee to the Museum of Jurassic Technology (give that name a think) and don't forget to go upstairs to the aviary/tea room. We didn't sample the tea or cookies, as our appetites had been dampened upon the viewing the dead mouse pie as well as the plethora of dirty incontinent birds flying around the aviary.