Cheers To The First Woman To Perform Shakespeare Onstage, Whoever She Was (Cool Weird Awesome 900)

Today in 1660, for the first time a woman took to the stage in England and performed a role in a production of Shakespeare’s Othello. We know she was a trailblazer. We know she was a pioneer. We don’t know who she was.

By |2023-12-08T06:21:46-05:00December 8, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

With A Name Like The Hope Diamond, It’s Gotta Be Cursed (Or Not) (Cool Weird Awesome 885)

Today in 1958, the Hope Diamond became property of the Smithsonian Institution. Legend has it the giant blue diamond carries with it a centuries-old curse... even though some of its owners have actually done just fine for themselves.

By |2023-11-10T17:15:47-05:00November 10, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Another 25 Days of Holiday Songs: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Rudy Sarzo and Simon Wright

Tidings of comfort and joy never sounded so terrifying.

By |2021-12-05T07:36:16-05:00December 13, 2021|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , |

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!

By |2021-01-21T08:31:01-05:00January 21, 2021|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Why Van Halen Said No To Brown M&Ms (Cool Weird Awesome 397)

It's hard to believe we're saying goodbye to guitar great Eddie Van Halen. His band won millions of fans on record and offstage, and won a reputation for offstage excess. But one of their most infamous stories - that they banned brown M&Ms from backstage - wasn't quite what it seemed. Plus: a Gloria Estefan hit gets a heavy metal treatment on YouTube.

By |2023-05-01T15:32:08-04:00October 7, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Now We Have Nano-Refrigerators (Cool Weird Awesome 387)

UCLA scientists have made little thermoelectric coolers that are only 100 nanometers wide, so small the eye can't see them on its own. They're not quite refrigerators yet, but if you have little sodas or bags of grapes, maybe reach out anyway. Plus: on the International Day of Sign Languages, we celebrate the amazing world of sign language interpreters at heavy metal concerts.

By |2020-09-23T07:49:12-04:00September 23, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

The Best Defense Against Cougars Is Metallica (Cool Weird Awesome 103)

When a cougar started walking toward her on a logging trail in British Columbia, Dee Gallant used the power of rock to protect herself. Plus: in a move that might make heavy metal even heavier, guitarist Takamizawa Toshihiko designs a guitar shaped like Godzilla.

By |2021-05-07T09:39:32-04:00August 12, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Rhinelander, Wisconsin Is America’s Hodag Headquarters (Cool Weird Awesome 81)

Wisconsin’s most fearsome folk monster has been in Harry Potter and tangled with the Scooby Gang, but the Hodag is beloved in the community of Rhinelander, where it's the high school team mascot and there are many Hodags to find around town.

By |2021-02-09T11:54:18-05:00July 11, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , |

Dance Breaks and Deathfests (Cool Weird Awesome 46)

The dance team of Jew Wing Dong and Dorothy Takahashi, known professionally in their heyday as Toy and Wing. were often compared to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for their electrifying performances on stage and screen.

By |2024-01-19T06:14:59-05:00May 23, 2019|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , |
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