Cool Weird Awesome With Brady Carlson

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from February 2020, we recall the time Lyndon Johnson visited the Pentagon on Leap Day 1968 - and became the first President of the United States to get stuck in an elevator. Plus: Graceland hosts the third annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend. LBJ Stuck In An Elevator (Atlas Obscura) Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend at Graceland (Memphis Travel) Take care of business as a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from February 2020, we remember the time in 1974 that Gerald Ford became president, spending the first 10 days of his term living not at the White House but at his family home in Alexandria, Virginia.  Gerald R. Ford House (BradyCarlson.com) Thanks to Cool Weird Awesome backers on Patreon for supporting the show!  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from January 2021, we tell the story of Rebecca the raccoon, who definitely left her mark on the White House during Calvin Coolidge's presidency. Plus: a company in the UK makes a 500-plus pound protein bar.  When Rebecca the Raccoon Ruled the White House (Library of Congress) Calvin Coolidge’s Reuben (Presidential Pet Museum) British company creates world's largest protein bar (UPI) Our Patreon backers deserve any pet they like, even a presidential raccoon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from April 2020, we mark a very odd anniversary in the history of the US presidency: the day in 1979 that Jimmy Carter got into a fight (of sorts) with a swamp rabbit. Plus: the annual Sechselauten brings on spring by blowing up a snowman! In 1979, Jimmy Carter was attacked by a giant swimming rabbit (AV Club) The History of Sechseläuten (Zuerich.com) Patreon backers are always welcome in Cool Weird Awesome's boat --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

A team at MIT has come up with a new substance that do-it-yourselfers will love: a surgical "duct tape" that can help seal up wounds and tears in the body's gastrointestinal system. Plus: a guy in Minnesota uses the snow in his front yard to build a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex. As one does. Engineers develop surgical 'duct tape' as an alternative to sutures (Science Daily) Someone Built A Life-Sized Tyrannosaurus Rex Out Of Snow In His Front Yard And Won The Hearts Of The Internet (Digg) This show can roar thanks to our Patreon backers --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Taxiing accounts for about 5 percent of a jet's fuel consumption, so one way to make flying greener is making taxiing greener, like through an all-electric towing system. Plus: if you’re in the market for a new couch, Sara Hayat's Tetris Couch might help you put the pieces together, so to speak.  A Boeing 747 burns one ton of fuel while taxiing. This electric towing system could help (Fast Company) The Tetris Couch by Sarah Hayat (Cool Material) Our Patreon backers make this show fly --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1923, King Tut's tomb was opened and entered. That may not have been the afterlife the young pharaoh had hoped for, but it could have been worse: for centuries artists used a paint called Mummy Brown, which was made with actual mummy parts. Plus: the time musicians tried to play the trumpets found in Tut's burial chamber and almost ruined them.  Mummy Brown (Florida State University Department of Art History)  A Pigment from the Depths (Harvard Art Museums) Tutankhamun’s ‘cursed’ trumpet that stirs ‘deadly conflict’ has arrived in London (ClassicFM) Our Patreon backers will be hailed as heroes for centuries and centuries --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 2006, a high school basketball team put its manager into the game. Jason McElwain not only played, he stole the show. Plus: if you’re looking to slow life down a little in these hectic times, try a trip on the "world's slowest express train," the Glacier Express in Switzerland.  The game nobody could forget (ESPN) The World’s Slowest Express Train Has Panoramic Glass for Breathtaking Views (Thrillist) Our Patreon backers make this show a slam dunk every day  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today is the assumed birth date in 1817 or 1818 of Frederick Douglass, who is known for his powerful writing and speeches, but was also probably the most photographed person of his time. Plus: a cruise ship operator is offering couples the chance to get married in Antarctica. Picture This: Frederick Douglass Was The Most Photographed Man Of His Time (NPR) Be One of the First Couples to Get Married in Antarctica (Thrillist) Share the love with our Patreon backers  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

With Abraham Lincoln's birthday a day away, we look at one of the most timeless memorials to the 16th president - or at least the undercroft that's been out of public view for a long time. Plus: back in 1865 a man in Maryland carved a pretty unusual Lincoln memorial of his own into a beech tree.  Lincoln Memorial Undercroft (Atlas Obscura)  The Presidents' Tree (Friends of Sligo Creek) Party on with our Patreon backers, and keep our show growing --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1907, Charles Oldrieve finished walking from Cincinnati to New Orleans. The catch? He walked the whole way on special shoes that let him float in water. Plus: if you’re looking for some peace and quiet, try the website Sounds of Earth.  He Walked On Water From Cincinnati To New Orleans (The Waterways Journal) Sounds of Earth is an ambient audio player where you can listen to nature sounds from around the globe (Boing Boing) Our Patreon backers keep this show moving forward every day --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

For National Pizza Day, here's the story of one of the hottest types of pizza in the country: Detroit-style, first made in a special pan that wasn't meant to be a pan at all. Plus: high school students in Japan invent a system that can help you cut perfectly even slices of cake.  How Detroit’s car industry helped shape its pizzas (Phaidon) Detroit-Style Pizza Is Having a Moment. But Are Its Originators Getting Left Behind? (Eater) A device that cuts cake evenly, invented by high school students (The Mainichi) Join our Patreon backers to make this show possible. Maybe we can all go out for pizza sometime to celebrate.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

When it comes to sweets, words matter. Research from the Ohio State University just found that the words we use to describe food can affect how we perceive its taste. Plus: artist Tatsuya Tanaka posts images of worlds he’s created by transforming everyday objects.  How to ruin the taste of a cookie with just 2 words (Ohio State University) Ordinary objects used to create a miniature world (Messy Nessy) Our world is brighter every day thanks to our Patreon backers --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1990, a high school basketball player scored 101 points in just 16 minutes. That was Lisa Leslie, who would become one of the biggest names in the WNBA. That One Time: Lisa Leslie Scored 101 Points in a High School Game (24/7 Live Culture) Olympians That Win Silver Tend To Live Longer Than Those That Win Gold (UNILAD) Let's set some records together, join our show as a backer on Patreon! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

For the next two weeks, Winter Olympians will be going for the gold. That's what javelin thrower Bruce Kennedy tried to do in 1972, 1976 and 1980, but that's not quite how things played out. Plus: you know how some medalists bite their prizes? As one medalist proved, this should be done with caution. With the Tokyo Olympics Facing Uncertainty, Bruce Kennedy Knows The Landscape (Cal Sports Report via SI.com) Luger David Moeller breaks tooth on medal (News.com.au) Our Patreon backers are gold every time --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1945, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, began heading to England for deployment. These 855 servicemembers, all Black women, took on a mission that may not have been glamorous but was considered absolutely essential to the war effort. Plus: today in 1947, TIME Magazine reported on a trip by a BBC crew that didn't go quite so well.  The Black Female Battalion That Stood Up to a White Male Army (New York Times) 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (U.S. Army Center of Military History) Miscellany, Feb. 3, 1947 (TIME) Our show is powered by our listener-backers on Patreon! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1970, an Air Force pilot had to eject from his fighter jet during a training exercise. So the plane just sort of got itself back onto the ground, mostly successfully. Plus: in 1974, the "Hibernating Groundhog Lodge" of Quarryville, PA built a contraption intended to get weather predictions from not just one groundhog, but thousands of them.  “Gary, You Better Get Back In It!” (Air Force Magazine) Groundhog Detector (Weird Universe) Our Patreon backers keep this show flying - join them for just $1 a month  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Today in 1939, the birthday of Wally Funk. She first passed astronaut training in her 20s and could have been one of the first US astronauts, but after some 60 years of trying, she finally got into space. Plus: today in 2016, ScreenDaily reported on the ten hour movie “Paint Drying," which shows just what the title suggests.  Who Is Wally Funk? Photo Reveals "Mercury 13" Aviator Is Third Blue Origin Passenger (Inverse)  'Paint Drying' director in talks to screen protest film (ScreenDaily) Help keep this show flying as a backer on Patreon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

There's a new way to use the leftover shells from hazelnuts to make wood-like panels and furniture. So you might want to get yourself some Nutella while we explain how it works. Plus: today in 1997, the last message in Morse Code before the world moved to the more high-tech Global Maritime Distress and Safety System for distress calls. And the message was kind of a bummer.  Hazelnut shells get new life as strong, sustainable panels (Washington State University) ... --- ... .-. .. .--. (SOS, RIP) (The Economist via Archive.org) Here's our message: our Patreon backers are really great --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support

Villas Las Estrellas is a tiny community run by Chile on Antarctica's King George Island. And it's so remote that one of the rules is that everyone who lives or works there has to have their appendix out before they show up. Plus: an art exhibit in DC celebrates TV legend Betty White, as we all should.  The Antarctica outpost where every resident must remove their appendix (News.com.au) Māori May Have Reached Antarctica 1,000 Years Before Europeans (Smithsonian) Betty White’s Life and Work Take Center Stage at This New DC Art Exhibit (Thrillist) Thanks to each of our Patreon backers for being a friend --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support