Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Today in 1893, the invention of the beloved snack Cracker Jack, though there was a time when its signature sweet blend of peanuts and popcorn was considerably different, and the prizes were nowhere to be found. Plus: today in 2006, the end to a more than a century-long war, one that was only ever on paper. 14 Classic Facts About Cracker Jack (Mental Floss)Montenegro, Japan to declare truce (UPI)Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, Patreon's the site where our show you can back

Tomorrow in Wales, a race where there are human runners and horses with riders on the same course, trying to get to the finish line ahead of each other. And it all started with an argument in a pub. Plus: starting tomorrow in Brooten, Minnesota, it's Redhead Creamery Curd Fest. 44th MAN VERSUS HORSE Redhead Creamery Curd Fest   Race on over to our Patreon page so you can back this show

Today in 1971 that the magazine Record World published an article about a new and very chill radio format that was the precursor of Easy Listening. Plus: this Saturday in New York City, it's Pigeon Fest. Music Only for a Woman: The Birth of Easy Listening (JSTOR)Pigeon Fest Help keep this show chill as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1841, a newspaper publisher from Belgium put out an article that included a mark he called “un point d'ironie.” The history of punctuation is full of efforts to choose a mark that would make it clear to readers when the writer is being ironic or sarcastic. Plus: a couple in Sweden finds a way to make their home more eco-friendly while keeping them warm during the country's very cold winters. Can irony really be conveyed with punctuation? (Christian Science Monitor)Swedish Family Encloses Entire Home in Greenhouse Glass to Create Year-Round Warmth (My Modern Met)Leave your mark on this show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 2013, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that put an end to something called the National Raisin Reserve. Here's why the US used to have a massive government stockpile of raisins. Plus: Memoria is a concept for a device for people with Alzheimer's disease, prompting patients with information they might be trying to remember or use at that moment. One grower's grapes of wrath (Washington Post via Archive.org)memoria home medical device and necklace help people with alzheimer's remember (designboom)Grow our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1926, the birthday of Don Ritchie, a man who helped hundreds of people in the most difficult moments of their lives and helped them find ways to carry on. (If today's topic is uncomfortable for you, no worries, we'll talk with you again tomorrow.) Plus: now underway in Michigan, it's the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, there is help available right now from the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988An angel walking among us at The Gap (Sydney Morning Herald)Mackinac Island Lilac FestivalOur show is listener supported by our backers on Patreon

Today in 1944, D-Day, the largest invasion force ever. There were hundreds of thousands of troops, tens of thousands of vehicles, over 100,000 tons of equipment, and at least one guy playing bagpipes. Plus: today in Franklin, Indiana, it's the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. Bill Millin (The Economist via Archive.org) Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival Make some noise on behalf of our podcast as a backer on Patreon

On any given day, anybody can defeat anybody else. Today in 1989, a not very well known American tennis player proved it with an upset for the ages against one of the top names in the sport. Plus: starting Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska, it's the Flatland Juggling Festival. How Michael Chang defeated Ivan Lendl at the French Open in 1989 (The Guardian)Flatland Juggling FestivalWant more stories about great upsets? Back our little show on Patreon today

It's National Cheese Day, and while cheese is one of the world's most influential foods, that's not the whole story. Some people claim that they can tell the future through cheese. Plus: for athletes who get tired just thinking about triathlons now have a race of their own: the Nice Tri. The Un-Brie-Lievable History of Tyromancy (Saveur)The Nice Tri It would be really Gouda to back our show on Patreon

Researchers in Austria and Slovenia have been developing a set of living surfaces to apply to the sides of buildings, that can filter pollutants and capture carbon from the air, and maybe even repair cracks to the buildings' exteriors. Plus: this Friday in Indiana, it's the Strawberry Festival in downtown Kokomo. Living tattoos for buildings could turn city walls into pollution-fighting surfaces (Interesting Engineering)Strawberry Festival in downtown Kokomo!Help build up our show as a backer on Patreon

A lot of people are trying to do something to help coral reefs these days. Now, those people can some help themselves from a robot. Plus: Texas-based artist Montrel Beverly is winning lots of attention for eye-catching recreations of famous artworks made of pipe cleaners. Robots that can climb trees or restore coral reefs (ETH Zurich)Montrel Beverly recreates the biblical and art history with pipe cleaners (It's Nice That)We get help on this show from our backers on Patreon, join them today

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from September 2022, La maison dans la Loire, or “The House In The Loire,” which was a house built for an art installation. Plus: Baltimore is home to the Big Dill, otherwise known as the “World's Largest Pickle Party.”The Famous House in the Middle of the Loire River (Oddity Central)The Big Dill Our Patreon backers keep this show from getting all wet

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from April 2022, beer magnate Alfred Heineken and architect John Habraken designed a house that could be built out of used Heineken bottles. Plus: it's beer day every day at a spot in Taunton, Massachusetts. 100,000 Bottles of Beer in the Wall (Cabinet Magazine)Did Alfred Heineken Invent Bottle To Function as a Brick To Build Houses? (Snopes)Beer Can Museum & Beer Can Hall of FameWe raise a glass to our Patreon backers, who support this show every day

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from September 2021, a look at spite houses, structures that have been built to block other coveted views or for maybe even more ice cold reasons. Plus: an interesting fact about Michelangelo's David. Five Spite Houses in New England (Boston Magazine)10 Fun Facts About Michelangelo's David (The Florence Insider)Our Patreon backers help us build new episodes, but out of love, not spite 

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from June 2022, the story of a guy in Rockport, Massachusetts who made almost an entire house out of old newspapers. Plus: a visit to the Mentone Egg Festival in northern Indiana. The Paper House—made of 100,000 newspapers—has a working fireplace, electricity, and running water (Roadtrippers)Mentone Egg Festival (Visit Indiana)Our Patreon backers always come first

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from December 2019, the story of the full-size, three-dimensional replica of the old Simpson place in Henderson, Nevada. Plus: the closest real-life community to the Simpsons' hometown, Springfield, may not be a Springfield at all. Duff beers, colorful walls and THAT saggy couch: Inside the real-life Simpsons house that was built as a competition prize in the 1990s … but the winner decided to take the money instead! (Daily Mail)25 things you never knew about The Simpsons (Telegraph UK)Twenty dollars can back many Cool Weird Awesomes! Explain how! Money can be exchanged for goods and services! 

Today in 1984, the release of The Bangles' debut album, All Over The Place. For one of the videos to promote that album, these 80s icons got a little help from an icon from the 60s. Plus: starting today in Louisiana, it's the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival. Leonard Nimoy drove the Bangles to video stardom (Albany Park Press)Gonzales Jambalaya Festival You can help drive this show forward as a backer on Patreon

Today in 2019, a community in suburban Atlanta wanted to show its appreciation for mailman Floyd Martin, who had been a daily part of their lives for more than three decades. Plus: starting today in Springfield, Illinois, it's the International Carillon Festival. When their mailman retired, the neighbors along his route threw him one heck of a goodbye party (CNN)63rd Annual International Carillon Festival (Visit Springfield) Help us share more good news as a backer on Patreon

We're a few days out from World Baking Day, so here's the story of a woman who's helped people find their way around the kitchen for more than a century… even though she isn't a real person. Plus: starting tomorrow in Jeffersonville, Indiana, it's Abbey Road on the River. Who Was Betty Crocker? (PBS)Abbey Road on the River You can be a helper to our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 2003, the filing of a lawsuit that led to a fascinating and significant phenomenon here in the Information Age: it's known as the Streisand Effect. Plus: for World Bee Day, the story of a 2014 art project created in part by bees! Streisand files $50 million lawsuit over aerial photos (SFGate)Artist Aganetha Dyck Collaborates with Bees to Create Sculptures Wrapped in Honeycomb (Colossal)Back this show on Patreon for just $1 a month, or $50 million if you'd prefer

Today in 1953, Ohio became a state... which was weird because Ohio had already been a state for a century and a half. Technicalities can be that way. Plus: for National Pizza Party Day, the story of a guy in Nashville who used social media to connect people in need with donors willing to send a little pizza their way. Ohio: The 48th State? (Ohio History Connection)Nashville man helps hundreds of people in need get a free pizza every week (NewsChannel 5 Nashville)Help keep sending our show out to every state in the Union and beyond, as a backer on Patreon

This month in 1927, Americans were fawning over an animal at the National Zoo in Washington: a presidential hippo named Billy. Plus: starting today in Elizabeth City, it's the North Carolina Potato Festival. The Presidential Hippopotamus at the National Zoo (WETA) North Carolina Potato Festival Want more shows about famous zoo animals? Back our show on Patreon today

Today in 1857, the birthday of Williamina Fleming, a big name in the world of astronomy but one who had a pretty low-profile start. Plus: starting tomorrow in Illinois, it's the Long Grove Chocolate Festival. Williamina Fleming, From Scottish Maid to Harvard Astronomer (New England Historical Society)Long Grove Chocolate Festival Help this show shine as a backer on Patreon

There may be no more important part of road safety than the bright red stop sign, though in the early days, they weren't red. Plus: Leonardo the tortoise went missing from his home in England; after nine months, he didn't exactly get that far. Stop Signs Used to Be Yellow—More Recently Than You Think (Readers Digest)Tortoise missing for months found a mile from home (BBC)Make a stop at our Patreon page and back this show today

Today in 1940, Life Magazine published a series of photos of a little boy in Liberty County, Georgia - photos that, two decades later, would inspire one of the most famous picture books ever published. Plus: this Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, it's the Donut & Beer Festival. The Enduring Footprints of Peter, Ezra Jack Keats, and The Snowy Day (The Horn Book)Donut & Beer Festival Help inspire our future stories as a backer on Patreon

It's United Nations Global Road Safety Week, so here's the story of a driver in Ireland who seemed to be breaking every traffic law on the books... until the authorities figured out there was something more to their story. Plus: underway this week in Washington state, it's the Spokane Lilac Festival. Dictionary helps crack case of notorious Polish serial offender (Irish Times)Spokane Lilac Festival (Visit Spokane)Drive on over to our Patreon page and back this show today

Commencement season is here, which means a lot of people hearing a composition known as “Pomp and Circumstance.” Though that piece of music was not written with graduation in mind. Plus: today in 2023, a herd of cows help catch a guy who'd fled a traffic stop (!) The Beautiful Irony of Pomp and Circumstance (WCRB)After man flees traffic stop, cows lead officers "directly to where the suspect was hiding," North Carolina police say (CBS News)Backing this show on Patreon would be a nice gift for a new graduate, just saying

It's World Donkey Day, so we're visiting an Arizona ghost town that's visited by a nearby colony of wild donkeys. Plus: in 2018 a donkey sanctuary in Ontario started giving its donkeys pants! How one town became infested with donkeys (ABC 10)Dapper donkeys: sanctuary fights flies with tailored trousers (CTV News)Want more donkey episodes like this? Back our show on Patreon

Smart speakers can be really useful, but only if you have a voice to activate them. A new device called Scribe could help nonverbal users with their smart systems by letting them "write" commands into the air. Plus: RoboCake is, you guessed it, a robotic wedding cake featuring a series of dancing gummy bears. An Alternative to Speech: Writing in the Air With ‘Sonic Ink' (University of Maryland)robotic wedding cake with dancing gummy bears moves using edible rechargeable batteries (designboom)Tell your smart speaker to play our podcast, and then back the podcast on Patreon while you listen

Thanks to loads of security measures, no one has ever robbed the Bank of England. But if you ask whether anyone's broken into the bank's famous gold vaults, the answer is a little more complicated. Plus: the English town of Burslem is about to dedicate a statue of a local rocker made good, Motorhead frontman Lemmy. Has any gold ever been stolen from the Bank of England? (Bank of England)Lemmy Forever Stoke-on-Trent statue unveiling ceremony and festivities announced (RadioX)Backing our show on Patreon is golden

Many people like to get together from time to time for adult beverages. New research finds chimpanzees apparently also gather to imbibe and share alcohol. Plus: trading card fans in Japan are enjoying cards that feature... middle aged guys doing their everyday jobs and hobbies? New Study Suggests Chimpanzees May Enjoy “Social Drinking” Just Like Humans (My Modern Met)Middle-aged men are the new Pokémon and we're here for it (Collector Club)Let's gather together over at our Patreon page and toast the success of this show

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2020, the story of Pheasant Island, which is administered by several sovereign powers but not simultaneously. Spain and France take turns with it. Plus: auto racing fans in Lublin, Poland found a way to root for their favorite drivers while still social distancing during COVID. The island that switches countries every six months (BBC)Fans Rent Cranes to Watch Car Race from Outside Arena During Pandemic (Oddity Central)Start your weekend off right as a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2020, the story of how Canada got its name, and a few of the country's most interesting alternates. Plus: several Canadian Tire stores in Ontario had to briefly shut down because a glitch made every item the workers scanned show up in the computer as a Mr. Potato Head toy. What Canada was ALMOST named (CBC Kids)Canadian Tire in Lindsay temporarily closed after every item scanned comes up as “Mr Potato Head” (Kawartha411)Join us as a backer on Patreon for just $1 a month! Or, if you like, just C$1 a month! Photo by Zombie Leah via Flickr/Creative Commons

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from August 2019, the app what3words breaks down all the spaces on earth into 3 meter by 3 meter squares and assigns each of those squares a unique set of three words, giving us a new way to pinpoint our locations. Plus: Athens, Wisconsin is home to the center point of the northern half of the western hemisphere. This Smartphone App Can Save Your Life with Just 3 Words (Interesting Engineering)45 X 90 Geographical Marker (Atlas Obscura)Back Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon and you'll never feel lost

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from June 2021, a look at when the geographic powers that be recognized the Southern Ocean as its own entity, and also where the word "ocean" comes from. Plus: a South Korean designer develops a wearable “third eye” that watches for and warns you about any obstacles in your way so you can keep looking at your phone while walking, How many oceans are there? (NOAA)Dividing the Ocean Sea by Martin W. Lewis (Geographical Review via JSTOR)National Geographic recognizes new, 5th ocean (WFLA)A Wearable Robotic Third Eye That Alerts People to Look Up From Their Phones to Avoid Obstacles (Laughing Squid)We'd sail on any of the oceans with our Patreon backers

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2019, a look at Sad Topographies, a site that collects the most bummed-out place names on the map. Plus: If places with depressing names aren't your thing, we've got an upbeat event: the annual World Santa Claus Congress in Denmark. 21 Of The Saddest Places On Earth From Instagram's sadtopographies (Brilliant Maps)Shades of Death Road (Weird NJ)Washington State's bummer place names, mapped (Curbed Seattle)World Santa Claus CongressFeeling bummed out by sad place names? Backing Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon could help you feel better

Today in 1917, the birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, a towering figure in jazz, a legendary voice, a star among stars… especially when she became pals with movie icon Marilyn Monroe. Plus: starting today in Georgia, it's the Thomasville Rose Show and Festival. Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe: Inside Their Surprising Friendship (Biography)THOMASVILLE ROSE SHOW & FESTIVAL Be a star and back this podcast on Patreon

Around this time in 1938, Washington state politics got really, really weird, when the Governor and Lieutenant Governor raced to return to the state to block each other. Plus: starting tomorrow in Houston, the World Coffee Roasting Championship. Meyers, Victor A. (1897-1991) (HistoryLink)2025 World Coffee Championships Race on over to our Patreon page and help support this show

Today in 1982, Key West, Florida, decided it was time to do its own thing, declaring independence from the United States and forming its own country. We'll explain why. Plus: this week in Indiana, the Orleans Dogwood Festival continues. The Founding of the Conch Republic (ConchRepublic.com)Orleans Dogwood Festival  What do you say we be independent together? Back our show on Patreon today

Happy Earth Day.  Our planet is the only one in our solar system not named for a Greek or Roman god. At the risk of sounding flip, the name Earth comes from… earth. Plus: this weekend in North Carolina, it's the Asheville Bread Festival. Why is Earth called 'Earth'? (BBC Sky At Night) Asheville Bread Festival We invite all Earthlings to back this show on our Patreon page

Today in 1926, the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning queen on record, and one that left a letter that she said shouldn't be opened until the year 2085. Plus: for National Tea Day in the UK, a visit to the world's largest collection of teapots (which is not in the UK).The Queen Left Behind A Secret Letter That Cannot Be Opened Until 2085 (Elle)The World's Largest Collection Of Teapots Can Be Found At The Trenton Teapot Museum In Tennessee (Only In Tennessee)Drop us a line on our Patreon page, and back the show too while you're there

There's a town in northern Japan that bills itself as the actual hometown of Jesus, and points visitors to a place named the tomb or grave of Christ. Not the Easter story most of us have heard. Plus: just outside the Austrian town of Gmünd, there's a divided chapel, with parts on both sides of a road. Weird Legend of Jesus in Japan (ABC News)The Divided Church of Gmünd (Amusing Planet)Wherever you call home, you can support this show on Patreon

We're just a few days away from Easter for many people around the world. For kids in Finland and Sweden, the Thursday before Easter is itself a pretty important time: it's when they turn themselves into witches. Plus: today in 1967 was the last episode of the sitcom Gilligan's Island. So we've got a story about a time the TV audience of the 60s stood up for the Skipper and his little buddy. Easter in Sweden comes in many shapes and forms. But there's no getting around the eggs (or the witches). (Sweden.se)Little witches in Finland cast good spells before Easter (Seattle Times)‘Gilligan's Island': Secrets From the Set, Including Who Thought the Show ‘Would Never Be Picked Up' (Yahoo!)Thanks to our Patreon backers for all their treats

This is Money Smart Week, so we're going to look at what exactly money is and what it means, by looking at a kind of money on a Pacific island made out of huge stones. Plus: a shopping plaza in Greenfield, Massachusetts includes an ATM nestled inside a large fiberglass tree. The Island Of Stone Money (NPR)WOW: You Can Get Money Out of a Tree in This Massachusetts Town (WSBS)It only takes a little money on Patreon to make a big difference for this show

It's National Ham Day, so we've got the story of a ham in Smithfield, Virginia that's stood the test of time for over 120 years. Plus: if you build the LEGO Colosseum set, and you have a cat, that set could quickly turn into a cat bed. Isle of Wight Museum adds a new historic ham to the collection (WTKR) LEGO's Colosseum Becomes a Regal Nap Spot for Cats Everywhere (My Modern Met)Help our show get old, tough and leathery when you back it on Patreon

Lots of teams have fans try really difficult challenges to win big prizes. Nearly all of them fail, but today in 1993, a guy in Chicago stepped onto the Bulls' home court for a million dollar shot… and made it. Plus: today in 1983, the release of “Murmur,” the first full album by rock greats R.E.M. And during the making of that record, a member of the band helped a very different recording project happen. The $1 million shot that changed sports contests forever (ESPN)R.E.M. Share Memories Of Debut Album Murmur Released 40 Years Ago Today (Stereogum)Back our show on Patreon, for a million dollars a month or just one, whichever is fine

It's National Board Game Day, so we're going back in time to the very first board game in US history. Though explaining which game was the very first is slightly complicated. Plus: opening tomorrow in Kansas City, it's the Museum of BBQ. What America's first board game can teach us about the aspirations of a young nation (The Conversation)Museum of BBQRoll on over to our Patreon page and back this show today

Today in 1849, the US issued a patent for one of the smallest big ideas of the century: the safety pin. And a big factor behind that little invention was paying off a big debt. Plus: today in 1921, the birthday of Robert Wade, a chess master who once proved that even top notch players can have a bad day. Three Millennia of Safety Pins (The Atlantic)Worst chess defeat (Generalist Academy)Pin yourself to our Patreon page so you can support our show

Today in 1843, the birthday of Samuel W. Pennypacker. When he was governor of Pennsylvania his supporters tried to make certain types of editorial cartoons a crime (!) Plus: today in 1942, a funeral for John Pecinovsky, known as “the Half-and-Half Man,” because he would wear clothes that were white on one side and black on the other. When Cartoonists Were Criminals (Historical Society of Pennsylvania) John Pecinovsky, the Half-and-Half Man (Weird Universe) Feel free to make a cartoonishly large donation to our show on Patreon

This month in 1920, the magazine Electrical Experimenter featured the physiophone. It was a Hugo Gernsback invention that turned sound into electrical impulses, so Deaf people could feel the music. Plus: for National Library Week, a visit to the central library in Kansas City, where the building itself looks like a bookshelf. This Invention From the Grandfather of Science Fiction Was Promoted as Music For the Deaf (Paleofuture)Here's The Story Behind the Kansas City Public Library's Giant Community Bookshelf (Kansas City Library)Feeling inventive? Drop by our Patreon site and create a donation to support this show

Happy International Beaver Day! These toothy, flat-tailed rodents are some of the greatest builders on earth, and, as some scientific research has shown us, they build for the long term. Plus: for National Beer Day, the story of a beer receipt from ancient Mesopotamia. Beaver Dams Can Last Centuries, 1868 Map Shows (Treehugger)The Oldest Beer Receipt (Circa 2050 BC) (Open Culture)Build this show for the long term as a backer on Patreon