Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

A guy in St. Paul, Minnesota was outside his work taking a break when he saw a school bus driver in the middle of a medical emergency. So he ran over, got onboard and saved the day. Plus: crews in Cincinnati are running into delays on a municipal improvement project because of some beavers in the wrong place. St. Paul ‘school bus hero’ reunites with students he saved (KSTP)Beavers living in pipe among setbacks delaying Riverside Drive construction (WCPO)You’ll be our hero when you back this show on Patreon today

Today in 1746, the birthday of Jacques Charles, an inventor who likely made the first-ever human flight in a hydrogen balloon.  But you could say this accomplishment came from multiple teams, including a team of farm animals and a lot of public subscribers. Plus: ahead of Geography Awareness Week, the story of how old-time cartographers liked to draw their countries in the shapes of lions. Artificial Clouds and Inflammable Air: The Science and Spectacle of the First Balloon Flights, 1783 (Distillations Magazine) Propaganimals: Using the Lion to Politicize Geography (Library of Congress)We’d be floating on air if you backed our show today on Patreon

For Veterans Day, the story of Richard McCool, a Navy lieutenant who, in the summer of 1945, literally went through fire to protect his fellow sailors. HE SURVIVED A KAMIKAZE ATTACK AND SAVED HIS MEN. HIS NAME SAYS IT ALL: MCCOOL. (HistoryNet)

Today in 1925, the birthday of Richard Burton. He was an acclaimed actor of stage and screen who once, while onstage, had a certain prime minister of the UK mouthing the words along with him. Plus: a 13 year old qualifies for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and decides to wish for a chance to help others. Richard Burton on a curious meeting with Winston Churchill (BBC)13-year-old boy granted a "Make-A-Wish" uses it to feed the homeless every month for a year (CBS News)Let’s work together - back our podcast today on Patreon

Today in 1874, an all-timer among newspapers hoaxes, when the New York Herald told readers the city had been overrun by animals who’d escaped the Central Park Zoo. Plus: the Restroom Archive is a set of online 3D models of public bathrooms all over the world. New York Zoo Hoax of 1874 (Newspapers.com)  Restroom Archive (Messy Nessy Chic)Keep the zoo animals from running amok by backing this podcast on Patreon

We're replaying some of our favorite shows about (mostly) live performances. In this episode from November 2020, the story of the time The Who's drummer collapsed onstage, and the band brought Scot Halpin out of the audience to come up and play in his place. Plus: Pasadena holds a virtual version of its annual Doo Dah Parade. The Hoosier That Rescued the World’s Biggest Band (Orange Bean Indiana)Pasadena Doo Dah ParadeJoin us for a night, or every night, as a backer on Patreon

We're replaying some of our favorite shows about (mostly) live performances. In this episode from October 2022, a look at the long tradition of audience members throwing things at a show, which - we want to be clear - nobody should be doing! Plus: Yardley, Pennsylvania hosts Canal-O-Ween. AN ACTOR DEMORALIZED BY TOMATOES. (The New York Times)HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN ACTUAL CASE OF SOMEONE BEING PELTED WITH TOMATOES DURING A PERFORMANCE? (Today I Found Out)Canal-O-Ween: Pumpkins. Fire. Water. Magic – A Yardley, PA Experience (Experience Yardley)We want to throw a party for our Patreon backers, so join the party that keeps this show growing!

We're replaying some of our favorite shows about (mostly) live performances. In this episode from April 2019, musical great Frank Zappa went back out on tour. Yes, this was like 30 years after he died, but that’s doesn't seem to stop anybody anymore. Plus: Newport Beach, California is home to Bunnyhenge, with sixteen concrete bunnies in a local park. No industry is weirder than the dead celebrity hologram industry (Vox)It’s Official: Dead Musicians Are Now Touring as Holograms (Philadelphia magazine)Bunny Henge (Weird California)

We're replaying some of our favorite shows about (mostly) live performances. In this episode from October 2023, the Marx Brothers start down the road to become comedy legends, thanks to a runaway animal with bad timing. Plus: musician Katie Melua and her band set a world record for deepest underwater concert.Marx Brothers’ road to stardom began in Nacogdoches (Houston Chronicle)Melua’s deep sea gig sets recordBack our show on Patreon and I’ll give you my personal note for ninety days. If it isn’t paid by then, you can keep the note

We're replaying some of our favorite shows about (mostly) live performances. In this episode from December 2022, the story of a woman who, in 1660, became the first female stage actor in England, playing a role in a production of Shakespeare’s Othello. We know she was a trailblazer, even if we don't know her name. Plus: in 2013, Metallica became the first band to play live on all seven continents.Who was the first Shakespearean actress? (British Library)Samuel Pepys and the First Actresses (Royal Museums Greenwich)Metallica Rocks ‘Freeze ‘Em All’ Show in Antarctica (Billboard)Whoever you are, you could be a trailblazer too as one of our backers on Patreon