Cool Weird Awesome carves out a few minutes each day for the great stuff. The stuff we all need so we don't think the world has gone completely crazy.
It's International Bat Appreciation Day. Bats are smart, versatile and often adorable in their way. But they do have minds of their own… which foiled a project that seemed like a useful idea for the Florida Keys. Plus: today in 2018, a story about a Pennsylvanian who had an airtight reason to get out of jury duty. BAT TOWER SEEMED LIKE GOOD IDEA, BUT NO ONE TOLD THE BATS (Chicago Tribune)4-year-old Summoned for Jury Duty, Excused for Preschool (WNEP)Join our “colony” of backers on Patreon
Today in 2018, Fast Company published an article called “What You Can Learn From 7 Of The Most Cringeworthy Job Interviews.” One lesson: yelling at your parrot for interrupting the conversation may not work out well. Especially if the parrot yells back. Plus: this month in Turkey, it's the Istanbul Tulip Festival. What You Can Learn From 7 Of The Most Cringeworthy Job Interviews (Fast Company)Istanbul Tulip Festival (Visit Istanbul) Want more stories about swearing parrots? Back this podcast on Patreon
Greens are good for us, and a new study finds greens are good for soil that's been contaminated with toxic metals… which may also be a big deal in the world of mining. Plus: this month in 1925, the state of Oregon first flew its official flag. It's the only American state flag where the image on the back is different from what's on the front. Kale, cabbage found effective at mining toxic thallium metal from polluted soil (Interesting Engineering)Oregon State Flag (Oregon Encyclopedia)Want this show to grow? Back us on Patreon
On this day in 1912, the Titanic, the iceberg… the whole thing. But there was a nearly-identical ship from the same company called RMS Olympic. How weird must it have been that right after the sinking, there was a very very similar ship out there on the sea?!? Plus: one guy who had been aboard both of those ships in their worst moments was also aboard like three other shipwrecks?!? Seeing Double: The Titanic's Ghostly Twin Sister (Messy Nessy Chic)Arthur John Priest: The Unsinkable Stoker (Amusing Planet)Make our show unsinkable as a backer on Patreon
Today in 2010, a big sale in Washington state: a woman sold a couple an entire town. And it turns out that owning an entire town, even a small, unincorporated community, can be a challenge. Plus: oday in 1743, the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. You can tour his home, Monticello, today in Virginia - or if you're in or near Somers, Connecticut, you can see a replica of the third president's house. Tour Deshais: Closure a downer on dry stretch (The Spokesman-Review)THERE'S A REPLICA OF THOMAS JEFFERSON'S MONTICELLO IN CONNECTICUT (Untapped New York)Let's grow our community of supporters on Patreon, back this show today
This month in 1928, a West Virginia family found what would eventually be recognized as the largest alluvial diamond ever discovered in North America. But for a while, the finders of that gem just put it in a box and left it in place. Plus: starting today in Stamford, Connecticut, it's the 45th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. The Jones Diamond, the largest alluvial diamond in North America, was found in West Virginia(WBOY)The 45th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament Support this show on Patreon and help make it shine and sparkle like a diamond
Today in 1949, one of the biggest names in TV helped usher in a big part of TV history. Before the famous Jerry Lewis telethons, Milton Berle hosted a televised fundraiser for 16 straight hours in New York. Plus: coming up this weekend, it's the Chicago Tea Festival. Hollywood Flashback: Milton Berle Hosted the First Star Telethon in 1949 (Hollywood Reporter)Chicago Tea Festival 2026 We don't do telethons, but you can back our podcast on Patreon
Cambodia just put up a statue to honor someone who made a great contribution to public safety. His name was Magawa, and he was an African giant pouched rat who just happened to be trained to detect land mines. Plus: a "simulated skylight" is a recessed ceiling fixture that uses LEDs to make it look like you're seeing in the sky, even in rooms where you can't. Cambodia unveils statue to honour famous landmine-sniffing rat (BBC)Simulated Skylight (The Awesomer)We honor our Patreon backers, who help make this show possible
These times aren't exactly easy for farmers, especially ones who grow in water-limited areas. But there's a new project out of the University of California - Riverside that might help - and I'm pleased to tell you that it involves robots. Plus: the Facebook page Anonymous Works just featured a Star Trek fan's labor of love. ‘More crop per drop': New UC Riverside irrigation robot is adorable — and revolutionary (University of California)A remarkable collection came up for auction the other day (Anonymous Works via Facebook)Drop by our page on Patreon, where every drop of support adds up
Parts of England celebrated the Monday after the holiday with a special custom of picking strangers up off the ground for money. Sure, why not. Plus: today in 1909, the Peary expedition reached what they believed to be the North Pole, which wound up bewildering then-President William Howard Taft a bit. Lifting and Heaving: An Easter Custom (University of Leicester via Archive.org)GIVES NORTH POLE TO TAFT (The Spokesman-Review via Google News Archive)Lift up this show every day as a backer on Patreon
It's Easter weekend. Many people my age will fondly remember getting Cadbury Creme Eggs this time of year… or is it that they fondly remember those TV commercials promoting the eggs? Plus: in Buffalo, New York, many Polish Catholics in Buffalo, New York have another tasty and delicious Easter tradition, the butter lamb. A Brief History of the Cadbury Egg (The Kitchn) Behold the Butter Lamb of God: A Polish Catholic Easter Tradition Beloved in Buffalo, New York (Smithsonian Magazine)For the price of one candy egg a month you can back this show on Patreon
Today in 1951, a 19 year old sent three words out into the world on the shell of an egg: “Please write me.” Her message simple and effective… though it took a long time for the reply to come in. Plus: starting this Saturday in Brighton, Missouri, the Tulip & Baby Animal Festival. ‘Please write me,' she scribbled on a random egg in 1951. Someone just did. (Washington Post)Tulip & Baby Animal Festival If we wrote “please back us” on the side of an egg, would you visit our Patreon page?
Today in 2019, the world learned about a time when a TV host got some medical help from a viewer at home. Plus: the parent company of KitKat warns chocolate lovers in Europe that they may run into a few shortages, after a 12-ton chocolate bar heist!?!Inside Edition's Deborah Norville to Undergo Surgery for Cancerous Thyroid Nodule After Viewer Spotted Lump (Inside Edition)Nestlé says 12 tonnes of KitKat chocolate stolen in Europe (Le Monde)Our listeners help us out too; join them in backing our show on Patreon
Reforestation is a big part of the world's efforts to curb global warming, but a new study finds it isn't just the number of trees that makes the difference for the earth, it's where you plant them. Plus: in Surrey, British Columbia, a cat named Louis is flaunting international law and convention by crossing the US-Canada border to chase mice. Not every forest cools the Earth (ETH Zurich)Cat keeps crossing the U.S.-Canada border (CTV News via YouTube)Help plant the future of our show as a backer on Patreon
Ever get excited when a class or a meeting gets canceled and you have an extra hour? Researchers have shown that we actually get more excited about the time we gain back than time that was never filled up to begin with. Plus: the AllStrum guitar can help people with disabilities play chords and rock out. Why a Canceled Meeting Feels so Liberating (Rutgers University)An innovation that strikes a chord (Yale Engineering)Use a couple minutes of free time and $1 a month to back our show on Patreon
Major League BASEBALL is back. And there's a device that can help blind or visually impaired baseball fans follow all of the action with more detail than ever, and in real time, too. Plus: the St. Petersburg, Florida Museum of History is home to Schrader's Little Cooperstown, which has the largest collection of autographed baseballs in the world. onecourt's haptic device lets the visually impaired watch live sports using their fingertips (designboom) World's Largest Collection of Autographed Baseballs (Roadside America)Take me out to the Cool Weird Awesome Patreon page, where you can back this show today
Today in 1976, another history making moment for Queen Elizabeth II. En route to becoming the longest-reigning monarch in world history, she became the first royal to send an email. Plus: today in 1859, inventor William Redgrave received two patents in the UK for what he called a "pillow traveling cap." On This Day in Royal History: Queen Elizabeth Sent the First-Ever Royal Email in 1976! (People)William Redgrave's Safety Travelling Cap (Weird Universe) Hear ye, hear ye! Back our show on Patreon today!
Today in 1968, a big encounter in Cleveland, Ohio, when a rock legend got to hang out with a Star Trek icon. Plus: Alliance, Ohio is home to The Troll Hole, a museum and shop that has the world's largest collection of troll dolls.When Jimi Hendrix met Spock: the incredible story of the guitar legend's encounter with a sci-fi icon (Guitar World)The Troll Hole Museum Hang out with us on our Patreon page, and back the show while you're there
The “Course des Cafés,” or the waiters' race, is an old Parisian tradition meant to celebrate the hardworking servers in a city famous for its restaurant culture. And yes, they compete in their formal work clothes. Plus: authorities in Minnesota want you to know that a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card from Monopoly does not work in a real traffic stop. The Great Parisian Waiters Race (Messy Nessy Chic)Last night a deputy did a traffic stop (Chisago County Sheriff's Office via Facebook) No need to wait to back our show, drop by our Patreon page today
Today in 1929, the birthday of Roger Bannister. He was the first athlete to run a mile in under four minutes… and he did it on a work day. Plus: the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in Montana has a program where their bears serve as testers for companies that make "bear-proof" food storage containers. A tribute to Sir Roger Bannister (NHS Imperial College Healthcare)PRODUCT TESTING (Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center)Race on over to our Patreon page so you can support this show
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from April 2020, the University of Virginia's Disabilities Studies Symposium produces a version of a 1950s opera called “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” with both singers and ASL performers. Plus: Theremin Cat goes viral for putting its head and paws in just the right places to make the instrument squeak and squawk.Singing and Signing: ‘Deaf Opera' Comes to Grounds (University of Virginia)Cat Plays With A Theremin And Is Completely And Utterly Befuddled (Digg)Cool Weird Awesome sounds great because of its backers on Patreon
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from October 2019, we find out about the Soundshirt, a high-tech piece of clothing that can help deaf people feel music. Plus: a trombonist in England lets loose in the middle of the music with the most musical sneeze of all time.The Soundshirt lets deaf people feel music on their skin (designboom)Man sneezes into his trombone during concert – Tiptree sneeze (YouTube)Tiptree trombone sneeze man tells of ‘freak event' (BBC)
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from March 2021, we mark the day in 1980 when the major broadcast networks began regularly providing closed captioning for their shows, serving Deaf viewers along with hearing ones. Plus: some fans of The Mandalorian create a 46 foot long, 13 foot high replica of the main character's spaceship, the Razor Crest.How Deaf Advocates Won the Battle for Closed Captioning and Changed the Way Americans Watch TV (Time)Closed captioning (Quartz)Star Wars fans ‘land' Mandalorian's Razor Crest spaceship in Russia (South China Morning Post)Let's join forces on Patreon like Mando and Carl Weathers do
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from August 2022, two Deaf climbers describe their system for communicating when they're up high. Plus: an island way out in the ocean that's only reachable for part of the time has a very appropriate name. How Two Deaf Mountaineers Thrive on High Peaks (Outside)The Questionable Rewards of a Visit to Inaccessible Island (Atlas Obscura)Our Patreon backers keep us scaling the heights day after day
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from July 2020, the story of the time several decades ago that Deaf students at a school in Nicaragua created their own language. Plus: in 2017, two divers off the coast of Mexico found a flooded cave that research concludes was a mine for ochre pigment thousands and thousands of years ago. The Amazing Story of Deaf Children in 1980s Nicaragua Inventing a Brand New Language (Twisted Sifter)Canadian scuba diver in Mexico accidentally discovers vast, prehistoric industrial complex (National Post)Discover the joys of being of a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon
This week in 1911, a telephone operator in Oklahoma, Rose Coppinger, became a local hero. During a massive fire in the downtown district, she took it upon herself to call everyone in town that she could to get them to safety, while also calling for help in stopping the fire. Plus: coming up, a really rare find at an antique store in East Durham, New York. Telephone operator warns citizens of fire and saves lives (The Brook, IN Reporter via Newspapers.com) Owl found napping on antique store shelf in New York (UPI)We're calling on you to back this show today on Patreon
If this Thursday had taken place in the 1970s or 80s, people in Iceland would've been doing just about anything other than watching television. That's because the country's public broadcasting service only broadcast six days a week; on Thursdays there were no shows. Plus: another thing you wouldn't find in Iceland for many years was boxing, though that had an unintended side effect. Icelandic television was not broadcast on Thursdays until 1987 (History.com)Illegal in Iceland: Quirky Bans From the Land of Fire and Ice (Smithsonian)Help us bring this show all over the world as a backer on Patreon
Today is National Dream Day. While our dreams can have a lot in common with those of people in other parts of the world, there can be some big differences between those dreams too. Plus: did you know that a percentage of people dream in black and white? The Most Common Dreams By Country (Brilliant Maps)Dreams can vary across cultures and environments, UTM anthropologist finds (University of Toronto - Mississauga)45 Mind-Boggling Facts About Dreams (Healthline)Our dream is for you to back this show on Patreon
It's National Landline Telephone Day, so we're talking about a phenomenon from the early landline days, when being a little too well understood on the phone was apparently considered kind of girly. Plus: North Korea has called off a marathon in Pyongyang for reasons. No, really, that's pretty much how the official statement put it. When the Telephone Was Considered Feminine (JSTOR Daily)N Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon for 'some reasons' (BBC)We're calling on you to back our show on Patreon
Today in 1959, Mattel brought a new toy to the North American International Toy Fair in New York City. The Barbie doll has since become famous all over the world, but few places have more of a connection to Barbie than the state of Wisconsin. Plus: today in 1965, a story in The News-Star newspaper with the headline "Clumsy Burglars." And boy were they. 5 things we know about Willows, the fictional Wisconsin city where Barbie was born (Milwaukee Record)Inept Criminals #3 (Weird Universe)Back our show on Patreon so we can keep bringing all the Kenergy
Tomorrow is National Cereal Day. Today, we're spending some quality time with the boxes that house those breakfast staples… especially the ones decades ago that came with playable records. Plus: about half a millennium after Michelangelo was born (this day in 1475), the Victoria and Albert Museum in London announced that on a wax sculpture, they had found what appeared to be the artist's thumbprint. Cereal Box Records Sound Horrible. They Still Look Incredible. (New York Times)The Victoria and Albert Museum Says It Has Spotted Michelangelo's Thumbprint, Preserved in Wax, on One of His Sculptures (Artnet)For less than the cost of a box of cereal, you can back our show on Patreon each month
By some accounts today is National Pickup Truck Day. One of the world's most notable trucks is in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. For the last three decades or so, it's been hanging five stories up on the side of a building. Plus: a hockey team in Ontario has apologized for sending fans a letter essentially asking them to stop being smelly at games (!) This 1992 Chevy Pickup Has Been Hanging Off a Building for Over 30 Years (The Drive)Oshawa Generals apologizing after sending letter asking smelly fans to shower before game (CTV News)We love having our Patreon backers on our side
National Salt Awareness Week begins today in the UK. We'll let medical experts tell you how much salt is right for you and your diet, but we can look at a broader question: why is it that we keep salt and pepper shakers together at the table? Plus: starting today in New Zealand, the Golden Shears World Shearing And Woolhandling Championship. Why Are Salt and Pepper Paired? (AllRecipes)Golden Shears World Championships This show and its Patreon backers go together like salt and pepper
Today in 1855 US lawmakers approved $30,000 in funding for “the purchase of camels and the importation of dromedaries, to be employed for military purposes." We had our own "Camel Corps"! Plus: today in 1875, the first indoor game of hockey took place in Montreal, and it ended in a not that surprising way. The U.S. Army's “Camel Corps” Experiment (Army Historical Foundation)First indoor game ended in melee (ESPN)Ride on over to our Patreon page to back this show today
Today in 1965, the premiere of “The Sound of Music.” Generations of fans around the world have been singing along to songs like "Do-Re-Mi,: but those fans can be singing very different songs depending on which language they're singing in. Plus: a moment of well-meaning misunderstanding at an animal rescue center in the UK. "The Sound of Music" across three languages (Jabal al-Lughat) Animal rescue team race to save 'dog' stuck in ditch - only to find it's a statue (The Express)Let's make beautiful music together! Join us as a backer on Patreon
Today is National Strawberry Day, and in Poland, one of the foods that goes best with strawberries is pasta. Plus: starting today in Wabasha, Minnesota, it's the Grumpy Old Men Festival. Strawberry Spaghetti Is The Sweet Polish Pasta You Need To Try (Mashed)GRUMPY OLD MEN FESTIVAL It would be sweet for you to join our community of supporters on Patreon
We have a few days left in National Children's Dental Health Month, so today we're telling the story of William Addis, the first person to mass produce toothbrushes - and one who came up with his big breakthrough in unusual circumstances. Plus: for National Pistachio Day, a visit to the World's Largest Pistachio (TM) in Alamagordo, New Mexico. Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented? (Library of Congress via Archive.org)World's Largest Pistachio Keep this show bright and shiny like a set of healthy teeth, as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1978, writer Dave Voelker set off on a hike across frozen Lake Erie. Experienced hikers can definitely cover that much ground in a weekend, but a frozen Great Lake can be a little more complicated than a hiking trail. Plus: today in 1969, a rough moment for John Edward Kilty of Manchester, England, showing why it's always good to listen closely in court. Walking on water: Tales of perilous treks across frozen Lake Erie to Canada (Erie Times-News)I Walked Across Lake Erie — Alone (Cleveland Magazine)Kilty as charged (Weird Universe)Hike on over to our Patreon page and back this show for just $1 a month
Today in 1972, the birthday of Manon Rhéaume, who made history as the first woman to ever play in the National Hockey League. Plus: today is National Tortilla Chip Day. There are lots of ways to celebrate, like recreating the work of a Reddit user who, in 2021, made a prom dress out of old bags of Doritos. Manon Rheaume realizes her NHL debut was ‘not just another game' (SportsNet) I made a prom dress out of recycled Doritos bags from my school cafeteria (Reddit)Make it a goal to join our community of supporters on Patreon
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be a big challenge for some people. There's a research project underway to see if becoming a DJ can help with ADHD. Plus: a big mathematical mind wanted a very specific shape on his tombstone. A new spin on ADHD treatment (Virginia Tech University) Why This Great Mathematician Wanted a Heptadecagon on His Tombstone (Scientific American)“He's the DJ, we're the backers,” say our supporters on Patreon
Today in 1977, the show that famously broadcast “live from New York” put on a special show live from New Orleans. While you can't exactly call what happened a trainwreck, it has definitely stayed a one and done. Plus: today in 1989, TIME magazine noted that a TV ad for Nike sneakers wasn't quite what it appeared to be. The Big Uneasy: When SNL Went to Mardi Gras (Vulture)Advertising: If the Inamuk Fits . . . (TIME) It's easy to support this show, just give $1 a month through our Patreon page
Today in 1973, one of the greatest boxers of all time tried a different sport for a day… and it really didn't go well. Plus: on this day in 1967, a news story about a swimmer who broke a world record but got disqualified on wardrobe grounds. Joe Frazier Almost Drowned On National Television 40 Years Ago Today (Sports Illustrated) Sylvia Ester, World-Record Swimmer (Weird Universe)Keep this podcast above water as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1930, a Guernsey cow known as Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to go up in a plane, and the first one to be milked during the flight (!) Plus: today in 2012, a pro golfer hits a ball that accidentally rolls up a guy's pant leg (!!) Elm Farm Ollie: The Story of the First Cow to Take Flight (San Diego Air & Space Museum)Trending: Mickelson's ball ends up in man's shorts (Golf Digest)Keep this show flying into the future as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1989, two players in a chess tournament faced off… and set a record for the longest tournament chess match of all time. Plus: today in 1921, a nun in St. Paul, Minnesota made educational history. The Longest Tournament Chess Game (Chess.com) School Patrol Flagpole (Atlas Obscura)It's your move, make it a good one by backing our show on Patreon
The most famous giant president heads are the ones on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, but many president buffs also swear by a different set in Virginia… though those heads have definitely had a rough go of it. Plus: a CBC report in 1987 features grocery store price checkers who were really on a roll.Inside Virginia's Decaying President Heads: Where They Came From, Where They Are, How to Tour (Roadtrippers)#TBT: Remember when Superstore had price checkers on roller skates? This goes all the way back to 1987. (CBC Edmonton via Facebook) Our Patreon backers use their heads to support this show, join them today
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from November 2019, the legend of how President Lincoln once served as a kind of wedding planner at the White House. Plus: Marlborough, Massachusetts hosts the New England WizardFest, where you can immerse yourself in the world of witches and wizards. Adams moves into the White House, Nov. 1, 1800 (Politico)Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was supposedly a wedding planner? (White House History on Twitter)The New England WizardfestBack Cool Weird Awesome on Twitter and you can solemnly swear that you are up to something good
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2021, a groundbreaking detective uses her ingenuity to get President-elect Lincoln to Washington DC when there were threats against him. Plus: the family of the late Alex Trebek does some good with the suits he wore on Jeopardy! Pinkerton Spy, Feminist Icon (Crimereads)The woman who helped protect Lincoln from the men who tried to kill him in 1861 (Washington Post)How Alex Trebek's Suits Are Making A Difference (Inside Wink)Help this show make new episodes as a backer on Patreon!
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2022, the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, a space underneath the famous memorial that's a result of the engineering it took to build on that spot. Plus: a farmer in Takoma Park, Maryland honored the late president by carving his name into a beech tree. Over and over.Lincoln Memorial Undercroft (Atlas Obscura)The Presidents' Tree (Friends of Sligo Creek)Party on with our Patreon backers, and keep our show growing
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from October 2021, a handwritten letter from an 11 year old convinces presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. Plus: in 1957, an unusual demonstration in Port Washington, Wisconsin: the “Power Mower of the Future”! Letter to Grace Bedell (Abraham Lincoln Online)The Simplicity “Air-Conditioned Lawnmower” 1957 (Wacky Explorer)Join us as a Patreon backer and we'll send you a letter saying thanks
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2020, President Lincoln gets an offer from a fellow leader to send elephants to the United States, and he has to gently put the guy off. Plus: when elephants who haven't seen each other in a while get back together, they do some big, loud and adorable stuff. Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants (American Battlefield Trust)Elephant Emotions (PBS Nature)We graciously invite you to back Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon!
This month in 1964, the talk of the art world was an exciting avant garde painter named Pierre Brassau… except that this painter was actually a chimpanzee, and Pierre Brassau was a big old hoax. Plus: the young lady in the famous Sun Maid raisin logo was inspired by an actual person. The Monkey Artist Hoax (Today I Found Out)Our history (Sun Maid)Paint the future of this podcast as a backer on Patreon
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