Cool Weird Awesome – BradyCarlson.com

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Buy A Box Of Cereal, Get A Square Inch Of Land In The Yukon (Cool Weird Awesome 468)

It was on this day in 1955 that began a promotional campaign for the ages: where you could buy a box of cereal and find a deed to some land inside each specially marked box. Plus: a guy in the UK was trying to spot birds, but instead found 1,300 handmade gold coins nearly 2,000 years old.

Brady Carlson2021-01-27T08:18:37-05:00January 27th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: advertising, cereal, coins, Yukon|

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Elizabeth Prettejohn, The Last Person In Hallsands Village (Cool Weird Awesome 467)

On this day in 1917, a massive storm destroyed most of the small village of Hallsands, in southern England. Nearly everyone in town moved away after that, but one resident, Elizabeth Prettejohn, stayed for the rest of her life, until the mid 1960s. Plus: why a university in Melbourne, Australia has an upside-down statue.

Brady Carlson2021-01-26T08:25:18-05:00January 26th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Australia, England, history, Melbourne, statues, United Kingdom|

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39 Years After Making The First Phone Call, Alexander Graham Bell Joined A Transcontinental Conference Call (Cool Weird Awesome 466)

Today's an interesting anniversary for those of us doing virtual meetings, parties and play dates: the anniversary of the first transcontinental conference call, starting at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco and calling a very special guest in New York. Plus: a restaurant in Montreal is winning fans for a menu which weighs the pros and cons of the restaurant's own dishes.

Brady Carlson2021-01-25T09:37:46-05:00January 25th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Alexander Graham Bell, restaurants, telephones|

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We Can Keep An Eye On Elephants With Satellites (Cool Weird Awesome 465)

Scientists at universities in the UK and the Netherlands have been testing out a system in which algorithms parse through high-resolution images taken by satellites to identify elephants and their locations, which could help protect these endangered pachyderms from poaching and habitat loss. Plus: scientists discover a type of electric eel, previously thought to be loners, hunt - and zap - prey in groups.

Brady Carlson2021-01-22T07:42:00-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: electric eels, elephants, satellites|

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When Pat Boone Made A Heavy Metal Record (Cool Weird Awesome 464)

In January 1997, Pat Boone - the pop and gospel singer - made a record where he sang Hendrix, AC/DC, Deep Purple and Metallica. How did he, of all people, end up "In A Metal Mood"? Plus: heavy metal is so popular in Finland that there's even a metal band geared toward little kids!

Brady Carlson2021-01-21T08:31:01-05:00January 21st, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: childrens music, Finland, heavy metal, music history, Pat Boone|

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Martin Van Buren May Have Had The Cheesiest First Day Of Any U.S. President (Cool Weird Awesome 463)

Some presidential inauguration days are memorable; others are quiet. But the one for Martin Van Buren was probably cheesy, thanks to a giant cheddar sent to Andrew Jackson and a public party to eat it just before Van Buren moved into the White House. (Appropriately enough, today is also National Cheese Lover's Day.)

Brady Carlson2021-01-20T08:28:28-05:00January 20th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: American history, cheese, history, Martin Van Buren, presidents|

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When Muhammad Ali Met “Joe” On A Ninth-Floor Fire Escape (Cool Weird Awesome 462)

On this day in 1981, Muhammad Ali, a hero to millions inside the boxing ring, was a hero outside of it, convincing a man on a ninth-floor fire escape to come back inside the building and seek help.

Brady Carlson2021-01-19T08:26:22-05:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Muhammad Ali|

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Came Up With One Of His Most Famous Speeches In Under An Hour (Cool Weird Awesome 461)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could stir hearts and provoke minds through his writing and his speeches like few others in history. And so it’s even more amazing that his first speech as a public figure, at the outset of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, came together with almost no time to prepare it.

Brady Carlson2021-01-18T08:14:45-05:00January 18th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Martin Luther King Jr., Montgomery AL, speeches|

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The First Top Hat Got Its Inventor Arrested (Cool Weird Awesome 460)

The (possibly apocryphal) story goes that on this day in 1797, haberdasher John Hetherington walked onto the streets of London wearing the first top hat, which caused so much hubbub that he was arrested and fined for disturbing the peace! Plus: in January 1974, MIT professor James Henry Williams, Jr. built a 35 pound yo-yo made of two bicycle wheels, and dropped it off the side of a 21-story campus building.

Brady Carlson2021-01-15T09:36:20-05:00January 15th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: clothing, hats, history, yo-yos|

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Sanford And Son Was Such A Hit, Its Star Briefly Walked Out And It Kept Going (Cool Weird Awesome 459)

It was today in 1972 that NBC first broadcast one of the most memorable sitcoms in TV history, “Sanford and Son." Here's a few facts about the show and its star, Redd Foxx. Plus: photographer Mike Mayou went out with a drone-mounted camera in Minnesota to catch the sunset but got something even more amazing.

Brady Carlson2021-01-14T08:16:01-05:00January 14th, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: bobcats, photography, Redd Foxx, Sanford and Son, Television, television history|