Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Here in the US, we're getting ready for trick or treaters on this Halloween night. But in Scotland, kids go guising instead - because there, you can't go door to door for candy without giving a bit of a show. Plus: a visit to a very creepy medical museum in Lexington, Kentucky. Halloween in Scotland (Historic UK)The Creepiest Museum In The Country Can Be Found Right Here In Kentucky (Only In Your State)Give yourself a treat when you back this podcast on Patreon

A lot of us enjoy a good pretend-scare around this time of year.  But around this time in 1986, a school in California offered up a Halloween hoax that was a little too on the nose for the student body. Plus: a public library in Massachusetts has a ghost hunting kit that patrons can check out and use. School Prank--Pupils Told That War Has Started (Los Angeles Times)Ghost Hunting Kit Available at the Public Library (Neatorama)It's no hoax to say that our Patreon backers make this show happen, join them today

For National Cat Day, we have the story of how one of the biggest museums in the world once had to deal with a large collection of feral cats. Though of course the museum wasn't the only workplace in the UK that had cats in important places. The British Museum podcast: The purrrplexing story of the British Museum cats (British Museum)Bureaucats: The felines with official positions (BBC)Help this show avoid cat-astrophe as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1978, the premiere of the TV movie “KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park. It was meant to be a big moment for the band, but that's not quite how it worked out. Plus: today in 1933, a newsreel announced that to stop traffic jams in Bronxville, New York, police would enforce a three-second limit on kisses at the train station. KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park (BradyCarlson.com) Kiss Get Superpowers In A TV Movie (Songfacts)Commuters' Kisses Cut By Police To End Traffic Jam (Newsreels.net)Rock out with us as a backer on Patreon

New York City's subway system is, of course, mostly underground, but some of the equipment that isn't is hiding in plain sight. Like an equipment room that's disguised as a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights. Plus: Austria could someday have electric towers designed to look like some of its signature animals. A Fake Brownstone in Brooklyn Hides a Secret Subway Ventilator (Untapped New York)  power lines shaped as animal sculptures supply electricity across austria (designboom)Keep our show moving along like a subway car as a backer on Patreon

In the Great Depression, people had to get creative to handle the many economic challenges that were coming their way.  Like how Pismo Beach, California found a good stand-in for regular currency: clamshells. Plus: three black bears at a zoo in California get a visit from a wild black bear. Clamshell Currency (Hakai Magazine)When Seashells Were Money (Messy Nessy Chic) 'Polite Visitor:' Bear Sneaks Into NorCal Zoo To Visit Fellow Bears (Patch)Share a few clams a month on our Patreon page and keep this show growing

Ahead of National Hug a Sheep Day on Saturday, the story of a special treat that farmers in Wales used to make: Sheep-Shearing Cake. Plus: this Saturday in Claremore, Oklahoma, it's the Route 66 Pecan & Music Festival. Welsh Shearing Cake or Cacen Gneifo (Daffodil Kitchen)Route 66 Pecan & Music Festival It would be shear perfection (pun intended) if you backed our show today on Patreon

It's National Color Day, so we have the story of how "jet black" became a phrase for a deep, dark black hue (and it isn't because of the jets that fly us around). Plus: today in 1973, the birthday of Ichiro Suzuki, a guy who kept his dog off the sports page for a very unusual reason. A forgotten gemstone that reigned during the Victorian era comes back into focus (CNN)Being Ichiro (New York Times)Jet on over to our Patreon page, where you can back our show

Today in 1797, the launch of the USS Constitution, the oldest active duty ship in the US Navy's fleet. And for the last half century or so, a part of keeping “Old Ironsides” in operation is a special US Navy forest. Plus: for National Teen Driver Safety Week, the story of a driver in South Korea who needed a lot of persistence to pass her driving test. The “Wooden Walls” of USS Constitution (USS Constitution Museum)More than 4 in 10 people fail driving test (CBS News)Sail on over to our Patreon page and back our podcast

Today in 1965, there was an unusual visitor high atop New York's famous Empire State Building: a Ford Mustang. And it took some doing to get it up there. Plus: at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, this is Raisin Monday, which includes a big shaving cream fight on campus. 1965 Ford Mustang Empire State Building Stunt (Motor Trend)No place like foam (University of St. Andrews)Drive on over to our Patreon page and back the show

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes on the ice. In this episode from May 2024, linguistic research suggests that American hockey players sometimes start to sound more like Canadians as their hockey careers continue. Plus: The Atlantic Road uses seven bridges to connect a bunch of islands in Norway together, giving people the chance to drive right along the ocean. How do you pronounce “hockey”? US players say it with “fake Canadian” accent. (Ars Technica)The Atlantic Road (Explore Scandanavia)For just one Canadian loonie a month you could back our show on Patreon!

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes on the ice. In this episode from January 2020, we celebrate the Zamboni, and the guy who both invented it and gave the machine its name. Plus: the U.P. Supply Co. calculates out just what it would take to give the Zamboni treatment to the greatest of the great lakes, Lake Superior. Making Ice Nice Since 1949: A Brief History of the Zamboni (Mental Floss)It'd take 693 years to resurface Lake Superior with a Zamboni, study says (Detroit Free Press)It only takes a few minutes to back Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon! 

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes on the ice. In this episode from April 2023, a look at underwater hockey, where six swimmers on each side work to keep a 3 pound puck from ending up in their team's underwater goal. Plus: Japan has an annual holiday known as Queen Day, as in the rock band fronted by Freddie Mercury. Deep dive into the world of underwater hockey (ESPN)The Pandemic Hasn't Dulled Japan's Special Love for Queen (Atlas Obscura)Team up with us! Back this show on Patreon for just a dollar a month

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes on the ice. In this episode from January 2020, the story of Eddie Shore, a hockey player who just wasn't going to miss his game. Plus: a company in Texas lets customers control a Chieftain MKG tank (just for a while though). How Eddie Shore's Legendary Toughness Extended Off The Ice (The Hockey News)You Can Crush Cars While Driving A Tank At DriveTanks in Uvalde, Texas (Only In Your State)Tanks to all of Cool Weird Awesome's backers on Patreon! 

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes on the ice. In this episode from December 2020, a look back at a game in 1953 in which two teams racked up a then-record 204 penalty minutes. In a game that's officially 60 minutes long. Plus: a guitarist in Japan posts a video where he's playing a fast bluesy riff, with a blue and white parakeet on his left hand.This Day in Hockey History – December 9, 1953 – Canadiens Rhubarb Leafs (The Pink Puck)Guitarist Plays a Rockabilly Riff With Bird on His Hand (Laughing Squid)An exclusive bonus episode is coming soon for our Patreon backers, join today!

Autonomous vehicles have high-tech systems to see “see” what's around them on the roads. A project in Germany asks if these cars also need to be listening to what's around them too. Plus: today in Oklahoma, it's the Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival. “Hearing Car” Detects Sounds for Safer Driving  AI and microphones are helping vehicles detect unseen hazards (IEEE Spectrum)Watonga Cheese Festival (TravelOK)If you like what you hear on our podcast, back us on Patreon

As a Halloween week prank in 1998, DJs in Tennessee said people had to exchange their old $20 bills for the new ones, or they would become worthless. And some people ended up rushing to the bank. Plus: starting tomorrow in Kansas, it's the Lenexa Chili Challenge. Banks boo $20-bill radio hoax (The Tennesseean via Newspapers.com) Lenexa Chili Challenge Back us on Patreon with a few dollars a month; in exchange, you'll get some great podcast episodes

For World Octopus Day, the story of Otto, who proved that not only is an octopus clever, it can be a little too clever. Plus: starting today in Westfield, New Jersey, it's AddamsFest. The Story Of An Octopus Named Otto (NPR)AddamsFest If you're a human, back our show on Patreon - if you're an octopus, carry on doing your mischief

It's National Cookbook Month, and sometimes a cookbook is more than a set of recipes: it's a window into a culture. Like a cookbook the USSR published that revealed what the ruling class wanted people to think of their country, even if that wasn't anywhere near the reality. Plus: today in 1957, a newspaper article proclaimed “it's raining coins!” The great Stalinist bake off: Russia's kitchen bible (The Guardian)It's Raining Coins! (The Stockman's Journal via Newspapers.com) Help this show cook as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1927, the release of The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie," though in Japan even silent films had voices thanks to live performers known as benshi. Plus: this month at Peddlers Village in Pennsylvania, it's Scarecrows in the Village. Think Again, Al Jolson: Japan's Silent Movie Culture Is Still Going Strong (Peter Tasker)Scarecrows in the Village (Peddlers Village)Speak up for our podcast as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1932, the London newspaper The Times published its first edition with a brand new typeface: Times New Roman. And it's been a big deal ever since, even in the computer age. Plus: today in 2023, the end of a very long era for a book club in southern California. Where Did Times New Roman Come From? (New York Public Library)28 years ago, a book club began reading one novel. It's finally reached the end (Orange County Register)If our show is just your type, then become a backer on Patreon today

Today in 1998, the debut of the Furby. This 90s phenomenon became so popular that it actually raised some concerns in the national security community. Plus: if you're into toys cars, then you may want to head to the Matchbox Road Museum in Newfield, New Jersey. How Old Is Your Furby? (Computer History Museum)New Jersey's Matchbox Road Museum Is Die-Cast Car Heaven (The Drive)Keep the future of this show secure as a backer on Patreon

Today in 2008, the state of Maryland formally recognized Smith Island Cake as its official state dessert. It's yellow cake and chocolate frosting in layers and layers and layers. Plus: for inspiration on this National Homemade Cookies Day, you might try the cookie recipe that's inscribed on a gravestone in Brooklyn. Maryland's Smith Island Cake Has A Romantic History (Southern Living)Cemetery Recipes: Spritz Cookies (Chantal Larochelle)Backing our show on Patreon is so sweet

Today in 1861, the birthday of William Wrigley, Jr., who made a huge fortune selling a small product: chewing gum. But that wasn't originally the way he expected to make it big. Plus: a man driving home from a workout has a massive heart attack, but fortunately he crashed in front of a cardiologist's office. How Wrigley Chewed Its Way to Gum Greatness (JSTOR) Virginia man's 'miracle' survival after massive heart attack crashes car at cardiologist's doorstep (WTVR)It just takes a little support on Patreon to make our show big

Today is National Coffee Day, and there is a micronation in Sweden that has a cup of coffee on its flag, along with a cuckoo bird. Which should tell you that this is no ordinary place. Plus: a Chinese cafe chain makes a splash with a drink called Sweet Little Rain. Önneköp (Arnold's Cannibal Museum)Republic of Önneköp (Atlas Obscura)  Magical Cup of Coffee Comes with Floating Cotton Candy Cloud That “Rains” Sugar (My Modern Met)For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month you can support our show on Patreon

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from April 2019, a visit to Organ Piper Pizza, a restaurant just outside Milwaukee with a giant pipe organ. Plus: police in respond to reports of a man on a train, sharpening a big carving knife. Turns out it was just a professional ham cutter on his way to work. Remembering the Dining Fad of ‘Pizza and Pipes' (CityLab)False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais)

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from January 2020, a bold group of pizza researchers studies how to stretch your pizza budget to get the most pizza, and found that the answer is all about the geometry of circles. Plus: the Cocoa Press is a 3D printer for chocolate, freeing this popular dessert from bar shapes and other molds. One 18″ Pizza Is More Pizza Than Two 12″ Pizzas, Math Shows Us Why – Primer Tackling the Serious Issues (Primer Magazine)Evan and the chocolate factory (University of Pennsylvania)Backing Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon is as sweet as it gets

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from February 2022, the delicious history of Detroit-style pizza, which got an assist from something else the city is known for. Plus: students in Japan build a system using lasers to scan a birthday cake and then tell the server the exact angle to use to cut slices. How Detroit's car industry helped shape its pizzas (Phaidon)Detroit-Style Pizza Is Having a Moment. But Are Its Originators Getting Left Behind? (Eater)A device that cuts cake evenly, invented by high school students (The Mainichi)

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from February 2023, the story of the first person to order a pizza on the internet, who also happened to be a giant in the tech world. Plus: Anchorage, Alaska hosts the annual Outhouse Races. AppStorey talks with Steve Green about Steve Jobs, The Smithsonian and how a pizza with basil became the first food delivered via the web (AppStorey)On a roll: At Alaska's annual Outhouse Races, there's no shame in being number two (Roadtrippers)Our Patreon backers are the apple of our eye

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from May 2021, the inside story of Charles Entertainment Cheese (yes, that's his real name), the only mouse anyone ever wanted to see in a pizza place. Plus: the past meets the future in 1905, when a film crew documents the funeral of the last known veteran of the War of 1812. An Oral History Of Those Creepy-Ass Chuck E. Cheese Robots (Mel Magazine)The surprising and horrifying backstory behind Charles Entertainment Cheese (Insider)Funeral of Hiram Cronk (Library of Congress)

National Cleanup Day is tomorrow, so we'll tell you about a young person in the UK who's made pretty much every day a cleanup day: Nadia Sparkes, who's now known as “Trash Girl.” Plus: starting tomorrow in Rapid City, South Dakota, it's the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival. 'Trash Girl' Nadia Sparkes moves schools over bullying (BBC)The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival (Visit Rapid City)Do something good for this show today as a backer on Patreon

There have been a number of Muslim astronauts, including one who went to the International Space Station today in 2006. Scholars and scientists have tried to figure out how to adapt religious traditions astronauts practice on Earth when they're spending time far above our home planet. Plus: today in 1981, a world record moment for the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta. Muslims in Outer Space (Harvard Divinity School)Canada mall sets parking‑lot record (History.com)Fly on over to our Patreon page to back this show

Today in 1967, The Who made their American TV debut, and it's not an understatement to say that performance blew up. That's just telling it like it is. Plus: New Haven, Connecticut may have held a world record-sized pizza party. The Who literally spark an explosion on national television (History.com)'New Haven ah-beetz can't be beat!': City says it set world record for largest pizza party (FOX 61)Patreon backers, reign o'er our show

For IT Professionals Day, the history of the screen saver, which was originally just supposed to keep monitors from getting overworked but eventually took on a whimsical style of their own. Plus: Warsaw, Poland is encouraging commuters to try something other than looking at their phones. Saving One Screen At A Time (Tedium)Warsaw opens metro station ‘express' library to get commuters off their phones (The Guardian)Save our show as a backer on Patreon

Today we pay tribute to Maru the cat, one of web culture's most beloved cats. YouTube cat fans and cardboard boxes will never be the same without him. Plus: today in 2015, a guy in Louisiana realizes he's in no condition to drive, so he finds a very different way home. The World Will Always Remember Maru (Neatorama)Drunk cowboy: 'Horse knows the way home' (WBRZ)Want more episodes about legendary internet cats? Back our show on Patreon today

Today in 1975, Pink Floyd released the album Wish You Were Here. It's a landmark both musically and visually, thanks to its cover featuring two men in suits are shaking hands… and one of them is on fire. Plus: starting tomorrow at the Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art, it's the Kansas City Deaf Cultural Festival. The Story Behind Pink Floyd's ‘Wish You Were Here' Album Cover (American Songwriter)Kansas City Deaf Cultural Festival (Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art)Shine on you Patreon backers

Today in 2001, as the world watched the horrific scene in lower Manhattan, and as those on scene faced all kinds of obstacles, a guide dog named Roselle stayed focused on her job, and helped her human get to safety. Michael Hingson (911Memorial.org)

We have baths and we have showers, but now a company in Japan is offering a pod that it says will wash and dry a person in about 15 minutes. Plus: today in 1881, a big first for Major League Baseball. Japan's Innovative “Human Washing Machine” Can Clean up and Dry a Person in 15 Minutes (My Modern Met)Grondahl: Historian finds first grand slam in MLB history - in Rensselaer (The Times-Union)Keep this show clean and clear as a backer on Patreon

It's Teddy Bear Day. Kids of all kinds have loved and been loved by this OG stuffie, even if there was a time when Very Concerned People thought the teddy bear could imperil the nation's future. Plus: a town in South Dakota used to be home to an enormous collection of teddies. The Teddy Bear Was Once Seen as a Dangerous Influence on Young Children (Smithsonian)The World's Largest Indoor Teddy Bear Collection Is Right Here In South Dakota At Teddy Bear Town (Only In Your State)Bear down and back this show today on Patreon

Today is Actors Day, and few actors have left an impression like Robert "Romeo" Coates, who was sort of the Florence Foster Jenkins of English stage stars. Plus: today in 2022, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II of England, which triggered a very old custom of notifying the royal bees. The Amateur of Fashion: Robert "Romeo" Coates (Folger Shakespeare Library)The Queen's Bees Have Been Informed of Her Passing (Vanity Fair)Act now to support this show on Patreon

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from March 2021, Maryland was the first state to adopt an official state sport, and that official state sport is jousting. Plus: a woman in New York does “space clearing,” which removes the negative energy from a home that won't sell. A look into Maryland's curious state sport: Jousting (Shore Monthly)Mary Lou Bartram (Maryland Jousting Tournament Association)The Healer That Real-Estate Agents Call to Clear Their Cursed Apartments (Curbed)Our backers on Patreon help this show hit its targets every time

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from June 2021, the story of a guy who took two sports and fused them into one: Ed Headrick, known today as the Father of Disc Golf. Plus: an exhibit highlights the original rainbow Pride flag, the one Gilbert Baker designed for San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978.The Father of Disc Golf (Disc Golf Association)History of disc golf (part 1): the early days (Murray Ledger)The Original Pride Flag Is Now on Display in a San Francisco Museum (Travel and Leisure)Keep our show flying as a backer on Patreon!

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from June 2021, the winner of the prestigious 1934 U.S. Open golf tournament was sick as a dog the whole time. And the winner wasn't the only golfer who had an odd time at the event.Bobby Cruickshank – the war hero who became one of Scottish golf's nearly men in United States (The Scotsman)Olin Dutra overcomes bout of food poisoning to win by one stroke over Sarazen at Merion (U.S. Golf Association)Our Patreon backers always help us reach the green

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from January 2021, a look at how one of the popular fads of the 1920s was flagpole sitting. Plus: for National Bird Day, a look at the shoebill, a bird for the record books. St. Simeon Stylites (Britannica)In the Netherlands Sitting on a Pole for Hours on End Is a Competitive Sport (Oddity Central)The Shoebill: Or, the Most Terrifying Bird in the World (Audubon)We would sit on a pole for our Patreon backers!

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from March 2021, about 200 runners in Los Angeles set out to run all the way to New York City. Plus: The Long Trail is a 272 mile hike through Vermont's Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts line to the border with Quebec. Endurance Racing: First Leg, the Bunion Derby (New York Public Library)The 1928 Bunion Derby: America's Brush with Integrated Sports (BlackPast)The Long Trail (Green Mountain Club)We've got some big plans with our Patreon backers this month (but don't worry, none of them are cross-country foot races)

Kids in my town are headed back to school next week. The buses they use will be very similar to ones dating back to 1939, when a bunch of experts chose a bright shade of yellow as the standard school bus color. Plus: starting today in Tilburg, in the Netherlands, it's the Redhead Days Festival. Why Are School Buses Yellow? (HowStuffWorks)Redhead Days Festival The wheels on this show's bus keep turning because of our supporters on Patreon

Today, a report in the San Francisco Examiner about Paul Granveaud of France, who was training to become an astronaut. Two important notes here: the report came out in 1927, long before humans ever went to space, and Paul Granveaud was just six years old. Plus: starting tomorrow in Rollag, Minnesota, it's the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. First Boy in Space: The 1927 Moon Shot Craze (Paleofuture)WESTERN MINNESOTA STEAM THRESHERS REUNION Launch our show into the stratosphere as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1974, the US issued a patent to one Becky Schroeder, an extremely inventive kid. After all, not many of us have our very own patent at age twelve. Plus: starting this Friday in Indiana, it's the Marshall County Blueberry Festival. Girl Finds Way to Write in Dark (New York Times)Marshall County Blueberry FestivalHelp our show glow as a backer on Patreon

It's National Dog Day, so let's talk about a dog who definitely found a way to carry on during World War II: Rip the dog, who rescued Londoners from rubble after Nazi bombing raids. Plus: in Spartanburg, South Carolina there's a statue of Chaser, known as the "Smartest Dog In The World."Medal for Dog Rip, Who Saved 100 People, Fetches 24,250 Pounds (Bloomberg via Archive.org) Smartest Dog Ever Can Pick Out 1,022 Toys By Name (Popular Science)You can help our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1835, the start of a six-part series in the New York Sun newspaper about fantastical creatures living on the moon. It wasn't true, but it was wildly popular. Plus: starting today, an auction of some rare US gold coins from the collection of an 80s rocker and avid collector. The Great Moon Hoax of 1835: The Birth of Fake News? (Interesting Engineering)Rick Springfield Collection of U.S. gold coins to be sold (Coin World)It would be fantastic (but not fantastical) for our listeners to back our show on Patreon

Today in 1865, newspapers published "Letter From A Freedman To His Old Master," Jordan Anderson's note perfect response to a guy who probably shouldn't have written to him in the first place. Plus: starting today in Illinois, it's the Dekalb Corn Fest. How did ex-slave's letter to master come to be? (Salt Lake Tribune via Conifer) Dekalb Corn Fest Get in touch with us as a backer on Patreon