Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

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...

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 ove...

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 pro...

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 (M...

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 Pa...

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...

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 –...

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 Festiva...

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 mon...

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 kitc...

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 o...

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...

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...

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) Cem...

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 'mirac...

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...

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...

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...

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 it...

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 de...

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 Cre...

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...

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 (Harv...

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 part...