Cool Weird Awesome With Brady Carlson

Today in 1936, the birthday of Wilt Chamberlain, a legend on the basketball court who, after retirement, took a detour into the world of professional volleyball. Plus: today in 1953, a story about a wife, a husband, a divorce and a life-size dummy. Remembering Wilt Chamberlain's Short-Lived but Momentous Volleyball Career (Inside Hook) Dummy Divorce (Weird Universe) Backing our show on Patreon is a slam dunk --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 2018, a bidder in Delaware put up $410,000 for a license plate. It doesn't happen a lot, but there’s a whole subculture around license plates in the First State, and once in a while it can turn pretty lucrative. Plus: today in 1948, the birthday of Robert Plant, who says he once paid big bucks for a radio station to stop playing one of his signature songs. Delaware license plate 20 sells for $410,000 at Rehoboth Beach auction (Delmarva Now) When Robert Plant paid a radio station $10,000 to stop playing Led Zeppelin (Far Out) No need to put up big bucks, you can back our show on Patreon for just $1 a month --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

For National Photography Day, a look at the many ways people in the pre-computer days could make photos look like something they weren't, for fun or for not so honorable reasons. Plus: back in 1971, American Airlines put out an ad showing off its in-flight piano bar. A Giant Visitor to New York City (Library of Congress)  Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) 1971 American Airlines "Piano Bar" Commercial (YouTube) You can make a giant impact on our show as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

If you find yourself at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, you may come across one of its most unusual attractions: the husband calling contest. We'll explain how it works. Plus: starting tomorrow in Lebanon, Indiana, it’s Augtoberfest. The Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest (Neatorama) Augtoberfest  We’re calling on you to back our show on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today's the birthday in 1895 of an inventor with a huge legacy: Ignacio Anaya Garcia, the man who gave us nachos. Plus: starting tomorrow on Long Island, it’s the Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gathering. Meet Ignacio Anaya García, the Man Who Invented Nachos, In Today’s Google Doodle (Fortune) Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gathering  You can back this show on Patreon for less money each month than it costs to order nachos --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

People have feelings about tipping today, and that was true when tipping first came to the United States. But the people who opposed tipping had sometimes opposing reasons for their anti-tip stances. Plus: a new silver coin issued by Samoa features Wonder Woman. When Tipping Was Considered Deeply Un-American (NPR’s The Salt) Samoa issues silver coins featuring Wonder Woman (Coin World) We don’t ask for tips, but how about a monthly contribution on Patreon?  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1975, a famous concert by the Grateful Dead at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. And if you look closely at the credits, you’ll see a peculiar listing that reads “Mickey Hart - percussion and crickets.” Plus: this week in Maine, it’s the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival.  So many roads : the life and times of the Grateful Dead by David Browne (via Google Books)  Machias Wild Blueberry Festival  Keep this long, strange trip of a show going as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Researchers want to head off the small but serious risk of fire that comes with lithium ion batteries. A team at Clemson University may have found a way to teach the batteries how to put themselves out if they start burning. Plus: we have a new world record for “fastest time to slice a bell pepper.” Self-extinguishing batteries could reduce the risk of deadly and costly battery fires (Clemson University) Fastest time to slice a bell pepper - 9.43 seconds by Wallace Wong (Guinness World Records via YouTube) Charge this show up as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

It's National Billiards and Pool Day, so we have the story of George H. Sutton, who became an accomplished billiards player after losing his hands. Plus: today in Scotland, day two of the 10-day Edinburgh Deaf Festival. HANDLESS' SUTTON, BILLIARD PLAYER, 68; Despite Handicap, Had Opposed Many Leading Professionals (New York Times) Edinburgh Deaf Festival Back us on Patreon and keep this show available to everybody --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

During the 1936 Summer Games, Liechtenstein showed up flying its blue and red striped flag, only to find that Haiti was flying its flag, which had the same stripes and the same colors. Fortunately they found a solution. Plus: starting today in Indiana, it’s the Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival. flag of Liechtenstein (Britannica) flag of Haiti (Britannica)  Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival  Fly the flag for our show as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1987, American swimmer Lynne Cox took to the freezing waters of the Bering Strait in a call for peace between the world’s superpowers. Plus: today in 2019, actor Danny Trejo, known for playing bad guys, had a real-life good guy moment. How an American swimmer helped thaw Cold War relations (Boston.com) Lynne Cox swims into communist territory (History.com) 'Machete' to the rescue: Actor Danny Trejo helps save child trapped in overturned car in Sylmar (ABC 7) Swim on over to our Patreon page and support this show --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1926, American Gertrude Ederle swam from France to England, a record-setting crossing of the English Channel she made in stormy weather! Plus: if you're celebrating International Clown Week, you might want to drop by Plainview, Nebraska, home to the Klown Doll Museum. The First Woman to Brave the English Channel (Outside) The Klown Doll Museum Is One of the Strangest Places You Can Go in Nebraska (Only In Nebraska) Help our show keep swimming forward as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Scientists have found that Exoplanet HD 189733b looks blue with white wispy clouds, but the similarities between that far-off world and this one stop right about there. Plus: starting this Friday in East Nashville, Tennessee, it’s the Tomato Art Fest. This Blue Alien Planet Is Not at All Earth-Like (Space.com) Rains of Terror on Exoplanet HD 189733b (NASA) Tomato Art Fest  If Earth has an evil twin, maybe that planet has an evil twin version of our podcast! Don’t support that one, back ours on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of the original Olympic flag. It flew over the Games for in 1920 and then disappeared, and we didn’t find out what had happened to it for seven decades. Plus: a 3D printed robotic hand plays Super Mario Bros. OLYMPICS: NOTEBOOK; Missing Flag Returns to Glory, Courtesy of a Prankster (New York Times) Scientists 3D Print Robotic Hand That Can Play Nintendo (Interesting Engineering) We pass all the credit for our show to our Patreon backers --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of two of those athletes, who ended up winning the only half-silver, half-bronze medals in Olympic history. Plus: the International Olympic Committee does enforce its trademark rights, which sometimes leads to interesting situations. The Silvonze Medalists (Now I Know) International Olympic Committee threaten to sue Brit folk legends for ‘Beer Olympics’ song (The Sun) We’d share our Olympic medals with our Patreon backers, if we had some --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from October 2022, the story of Margaret Abbott. She became the first American woman to win an Olympic title, even though she didn’t know she was in the Olympics! Plus: Ruth Hamilton of British Columbia gets an unexpected visitor at home. Margaret Abbott (New York Times) B.C. woman awakes to a hole in her roof and a space rock on her pillow (Castlegar News) Our Patreon backers are golden  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from August 2021, swimmer Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea makes a splash at the 2000 Summer Games despite finishing well behind the rest of the competitors in his event. Plus: Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin won a gold medal in 2016 when his doctors might have preferred that he rest at home!  African novice makes big splash (BBC) Olympic high jump champion Derek Drouin competed in Rio with a double stress fracture in his back (National Post) Our backers on Patreon make every episode of our show a winner  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, a look at the men's marathon from the 1904 Games. You couldn't write a weirder race than this one. Running a marathon was never crazier or harder than during the 1904 St Louis Olympics (ABC Australia) 8 Unusual Facts About the 1904 St. Louis Olympics (History.com) Supporting our show isn’t a marathon process, just back us on Patreon! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1959, Marine Corps pilot William Rankin passed through the middle of a thundercloud after having to eject from his plane. And despite the storm’s best efforts, he made it through in one piece. Plus: starting today in Tenino, Washington, it’s Oregon Trail Days. Meet the Marine who ‘rode the thunder’ and lived to tell the tale (Air Force Times) Oregon Trail Days  Help this show take to the skies as a backer on Patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support

Summer travel comes and goes for most of us, but Tom Stuker, the "world's most frequent flyer," bought a lifetime plane ticket in 1990 and has been up in the air a lot since then. Plus: Monday in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, it’s the Rain Day Festival.  New Jersey man dubbed ‘most traveled air passenger’ with nearly 24 million miles in the air (News12.com) He has flown 23 million miles. Here are his travel secrets. (Washington Post) Rain Day Festival 2024 Fly with us! Back our show on Patreon for just $1 a month --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coolweirdawesome/support