Cool Weird Awesome With Brady Carlson

It was 50 years ago today that a doctor implanted a temporary artificial heart in a patient - a pretty big leap forward in heart surgeries, given that transplants were only about a year old back then. Plus:  since April is National Donate Life Month, and the theme is “Life is a beautiful ride,”  complete with bicycles, the story of a very unusual kind of ride - a nearly naked backwards bike ride down a Florida highway.  Texas surgeon implanted world's 1st artificial heart (Chicago Tribune)   National Donate Life Month (DonateLife.org)   Nearly nude Florida man rides bike backward on Miami Interstate (WTSP) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

 An apple a day keeps the coming war with robots away?  A New Zealand company is testing a robot that’s supposed to move through an apple orchard, spot ripe fruit, yank it from the tree and bring it back to the farmer.  They're either helping us do a hard job or taking the first step toward an agricultural Skynet. Oh, and speaking of food-related horror: a strongman found out what happens when you order - and try to eat - literally everything on Taco Bell's menu.  Your Apples May Soon Be Picked By Laser-Shooting Robots (Wired) Brian Shaw Devours Nearly Everything on The Taco Bell Menu (Muscle and Fitness) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

You can apply for just about any set of numbers and letters to adorn your motor vehicle, so long as they’re a) not already taken and b) abide by your state’s rules. California residents have been putting the Golden State's rules to the test in some odd ways lately. Plus: an LA museum dedicated to the wild world of velvet paintings is trying to stave off financial troubles. Hopefully they won't take any money strategies from those dogs playing poker.  The DMV Reviewed Thousands of Hilarious Vanity Plate Applications Last Year. These Are Our Favorites (LA Magazine) Help Save Velvet Paintings (OK Whatever) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

I spent part of the weekend chasing down a little bit of musical and culinary history in Greenfield, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee. That’s home to Organ Piper Pizza - as you eat, an organist plays an enormous Wurlitzer organ, which also controls stage lights, disco balls, a mechanical gymnast and a family of singing ducks. Plus - a story that's, amazingly, not an April Fool's Day prank, in which police in Madrid respond to a guy on a bus sharpening a big carving knife (!)  The Carlson Kids Visit Organ Piper Pizza (YouTube) Remembering the Dining Fad of 'Pizza and Pipes' (CityLab) False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

On this day in 1861 the tiny European country of San Marino presented President Abraham Lincoln with honorary citizenship. There’s another leader named Lincoln who’s aspiring to greatness, and may yet achieve it - if, like Honest Abe, she can clean up the big mess in front of her. She's the new mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont: Lincoln the goat. Plus: Brian Chirls took the approval ratings from Richard Nixon’s presidency and matched them up with music and sound effects from the original Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda. Lincoln the goat sworn in as Fair Haven's new mayor, immediately defecates (Burlington Free Press) To The Regent Captains of San Marino (University of Michigan Library) The Legend of Nixon (Kottke.org) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

It's Opening Day - and no matter who wins and who loses, baseball fans will have something to say about the umpires. The first pro ump in the big leagues was a man named Billy McLean - who, when he wasn't calling balls and strikes, was occasionally challenging hecklers to fistfights. Link: The first major-league umpire was a Philadelphian (Philly.com) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

This year’s big growth industry: buying stuff online while you’re hammered. That's according to a new survey that finds one in four respondents admitted to buying stuff on the internet while they've been drinking. Drunk buying is now a $39.4 billion dollar industry... would this be a good time to mention this show is on Patreon?  Americans Spent Over $39 Billion While Drunk Shopping Last Year (Forbes)  Long Island Shopper Cashes In Coupon 36 Years After Deal Was First Offered (CBS New York) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

Brady has an eight year old in the house today! To celebrate the big guy's birthday, we're taking a look at the many great eight year olds out there, making things a little more awesome. And check out the Memphis Zoo's new Lego sculptures, including a 625-pound Lego polar bear family that you definitely wouldn't want to step on.  The heart-warming tale of the 8-year-old chess champion is quintessentially American (Washington Post) 8-year-old dancer refuses to give up after losing her leg (CBS News) Why an inspirational eight-year-old joined more than 100 people swapping their comfy bed for a cold floor (Gloucestershire LIve) Horry County 8-year-old praised for emergency actions after twin brother has seizure (WMBF) Giant Lego Brick Sculptures (Memphis Zoo) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

Researchers in Europe make a stunning discovery: playing hip-hop to cheese makes it taste better. Maybe they should have played a few songs to a collector's coin in Germany that's not getting a great reaction.   Link: Cheese Exposed To Hip Hop Tastes Better  (Swissinfo.ch)  Link: A German Mint Just Released A Coin Commemorating 70 Years Of Currywurst, And It's Unspeakably Ugly (Quartz)  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

Millennial memes are a crock. They're not really killing lunch. Or bar soap. Or doorbells. But an often-discarded piece of their beloved avocados may end up saving lunch, thanks to a new kind of cutlery made from bioplastics.  This weekend head to Virginia City, Nevada for the 41st International Collegiate Mining Games. Can your college hang with the Mackay Muckers of the University of Nevada - Reno in gold panning and jackleg drilling?  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message

That feeling when you've had a horrible day and everything's gone wrong and all you really want is to sit down and have a beer... and then a beer shows up. It's the real-life story of a giant flood, two guys who lived through it, and what they found after. Lincoln Journal Star: 'A gift sent from the heavens' — Magic beer fridge found in flooded field      --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/message