#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📆 The first Freaky Friday movie is actually an adaptation of a novel - also called Freaky Friday - written in 1972 by author Mary Rodgers… …but the honors for the earliest body-swap novel go to the 1882 novel “Vice Versa,” which depicts a father-son body-swap.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📆 TGI Fridays was first casual American dining restaurant to open in Moscow, Russia, doing so in 1997. (A company spokesperson declined to comment when asked if international versions of the chain stand for “Thank Globalization It’s Fridays!”)

Monday blues got you down? Want to fast-forward to Friday? Then check out our latest episode, which is all about Fridays!

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📆 The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s by the Philadelphia police to describe the massive crowds of shoppers that swelled right after Thanksgiving. The city actually tried early on to rebrand it to the more positive-sounding “Big Friday” - but it didn’t stick.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📆 Most of us look forward to Friday’s sweet release - but do you get a little fearful when that Friday is also the 13th day of the month? If so, you might have 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮 - the fear of Friday the 13th.

You know what rules? Fridays! Come hear Brian and Max chat about the best day of the week (that isn’t Saturday or Sunday): Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2Ovq... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t... #Podcast #Fridays #TGIF

I can confirm that @thisthingrules.bsky.social is the best podcast to listen to while on a driving holiday of New Zealand.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍂 For the past few years, the record for the world's heaviest pumpkin was a 2,749-pound 'kin grown in Minnesota - however, this record was beaten *just* last week by brothers Ian and Stuart Paton from Lymington, England, who managed to grow a 2,819-pound gourd:

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍂 Many birds push their limits in crazy ways when migrating south in the Fall - such as hummingbirds. The lil’ fellows fly at a speed of about 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) while making the trek, and for long stretches (such as when crossing the Gulf of Mexico) do so non-stop!

You know what rules? Autumn! Come hear Brian and Max chat everything wonderful and frightening about the most autumnal season of the year: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0XxU... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... YT: youtu.be/7Krv_tfYO_4 #Podcast #Autumn #Halloween

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍂 Since the founding of the Academy Awards in 1929, no movie with "Autumn" in its name has ever won an Oscar. (Movies with "Spring," "Summer" and "Winter" in their titles have, however!)

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍂 We're all familiar with the Harvest Moon video games...but what exactly is a "Harvest Moon" anyways? It's the full moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox - which this year, was visible in the night sky from October 5-7. Keep an eye out for it next year!

You know what rules? Autumn! Come hear Brian and Max chat everything wonderful and frightening about the most autumnal season of the year: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0XxU... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... YT: youtu.be/7Krv_tfYO_4 #Podcast #Autumn #Halloween

Tomorrow's episode of This Thing Rules is about a particular time of the year; a months-long sojourn of falling leaves and bountiful harvest before the creeping cold takes hold. Can you guess what it is?

You know what rules? A new episode of THE COMEDY BUTTON! That's right: Brian, Max, Scott and Ryan have reunited for another one-off episode of the Internet's favorite podcast - and it's nearly 2 hours long. Enjoy! Spotify: spotify.link/RXRsxjipJXb Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🖋️ The world's most expensive pen (to date) is the Fulgor Nocturnus. Created by Italian pen manufacturer Tibaldi, the Nocturnus is covered in hundreds of miniature diamonds and rubies, and sold for $8 million(!) at a 2020 charity auction in Shanghai.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍬 The first-ever bubble gum was invented by confectioner Frank H. Fleer in 1906. Dubbed "Blibber-Blubber," it was brittle, sticky, and tough to remove after bursting - so tough, that it could only be removed with turpentine.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🦇 What’s the fastest mammal in the world? If your first guess was “Cheetah,” you guessed wrong - it’s actually the Mexican free-tailed bat, which can reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (about 1.5x faster than a Cheetah’s top speed!)

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🦇 While most bat species live less than 20 years, a few have been recorded as living for far longer - such as the Siberia Bat, which holds the record for longest-living bat at 41 years old. (That means somewhere out there, there’s a Siberian bat older than the NES!)

Oops - never mind about this week's episode posting on Monday; it's actually live RIGHT NOW! Come hear Brian and Max chat about Bats, Gum and New Pens: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5lFX... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b... YT: youtu.be/F6OI65Trec0 #Podcast #Bats #Gum

Hey folks - in an effort to give our Patreon supporters more time to enjoy the early access version of our episodes, it's looking like we're going to be shifting the public release of new episodes to Monday. Sorry to make the wait a skosh longer - But we also got some good news! (1/2)

Looking for something to tide you over until the next episode? You’re in luck - because Max Scoville appeared on the Good Morning From Hell Podcast as the Spirit of Halloween! Give it a listen, wontcha?

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🦕 While the stegosaurus could grow as large as 9 meters (30 ft) long, it possessed a small brain roughly the size of a lime; poor thing probably never figured out how to get the ice beam in Metroid.

Once made a fursona out of spite of this dinosaur. Mostly so I could draw vent comics of my ex, but whatever lol

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🦕 Did you know that "stegosaurus" means "roof lizard?" When the first stegosaurus remains were identified in 1877, it was mistakenly believed that its plates laid flat on its back, overlapping like roof shingles. The hypothesis proved false...but the name stuck!

You know what rules? Gingerbread Houses! And Stegosauruses! And also Snaggletooth from Star Wars! Come hear Brian and Max talk about ALL THREE! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1NBv... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g... #Gingerbread #Dinosaurs #StarWars

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 👽 Zutton - the Star Wars cantina patron also known as Snaggletooth - is a "Snivvian," an alien species native to Cadomai Prime. Snivvians live much of their lives avoiding Cadomai's harsh winters in underground caverns, and can communicate by snorting through their nostrils.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍪 The largest gingerbread house in the world was created in November of 2013 in Bryan, Texas. Over 18 meters (60 ft) long, 12 meters (42 ft) wide and 6 meters (20 ft) tall, it was effectively a real house - albeit without any witches or cunning children.

You know what rules? Gingerbread Houses! And Stegosauruses! And also Snaggletooth from Star Wars! Come hear Brian and Max talk about ALL THREE! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1NBv... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g... #Gingerbread #Dinosaurs #StarWars

Tomorrow's episode of This Thing Rules is (once again) about 3 wildly different topics! The first is sweet treat, the second is a toothy character, and the third...lived about 155 million years ago. Can you guess what they are?

Hey friends! With the show’s 50th episode on the horizon (and potentially some neat stuff in store for said milestone), we’ve decided to move to an every-other-Friday publishing schedule for new episodes. After discussing long and hard what we want to do with the show next, (1/3)

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 💿 The album art of Rush's final studio album, Clockwork Angels, depicts an esoteric clock that reads "9:12." This is a reference to both the birthday of Neil Peart (who was born on September 12th, 1952) and to Rush's album 2112 (as 9:12 in military time is "21:12").

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 💿 In 1999, Iron Maiden and Synthetic Dimensions released "Ed Hunter," a greatest hits compilation/first-person shooter in which Eddie (Iron Maiden's ghoulish mascot) blasts his way through levels inspired by the band's past album covers:

You know what rules? Album Covers! Come hear Brian and Max talk about the best, coolest, and most outlandish ones out there: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7zYk... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... YT: youtu.be/Kfn_KgI02ac #Podcast #AlbumCovers #Albums

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 💿 H.R. Giger produced covers for some 20-odd records over the course of his life, starting in 1969 with the album Walpurgis from Swiss psychedelic rock group The Shivers; some of his most famous works include the covers for Debbie Harry's KooKoo and Danzig's How the Gods Kill:

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 💿 The original album cover for Prodigy's The Fat of the Land was going to be a doner kebab - imprinted with the album's title - before it was changed at the last minute to the crabby fellow pictured on the right:

You know what rules? Album Covers! Come hear Brian and Max talk about the best, coolest, and most outlandish ones out there: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7zYk... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... YT: youtu.be/Kfn_KgI02ac #Podcast #AlbumCovers #Albums

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍖 In some parts of Asia the George Foreman Grill is co-promoted by Jackie Chan, with the famed actor having appeared in both commercials and the grill’s packaging since the mid-2000s.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍖 Shish kebabs - possibly the most fun-to-pronounce thing that you can grill - originated in Turkey; its name comes from the Turkish words "şiş," which means "skewer" or "sword," and "kebap," which means "roast meat."

You know what rules? Grilling! Come hear Brian and Max talk about the best way to heat those delicious meats: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1l7q... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g... YT: youtu.be/P-4VBD8_QZo #Podcast #Grilling #BBQ

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍖 What is it that gives grilled meats their distinctive appearance and flavor? You can thank the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that occurs at 155 Celsius (310 Fahrenheit) that makes them deliciously savory and browned.

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 🍖 In November of 2023, the city Ishigaki, Japan set the world record for the most people grilling/barbecuing simultaneously, with 2200 residents spending the day grilling up Ishigaki beef skewers (Ishigaki beef being the signature meat of said city).

You know what rules? Grilling! Come hear Brian and Max talk about the best way to heat those delicious meats: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1l7q... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g... YT: youtu.be/P-4VBD8_QZo #Podcast #Grilling #BBQ

IYKYK

Growing up it was a party whenever a Bionicle commercial came on, and it was especially awesome when this one commercial for the Vahki toy line dropped in 2004; awesome stuff:

Yo: what are some of your favorite toy commercials? There are millions out there, and we'd love to hear which ones y'all are most fond of 🙌

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📺 In one of his earliest TV appearances, Bryan Cranston starred in a commercial for the Atari 2600 game MegaForce - a Defender-esque action game based on the 1982 movie of the same name.

You know what rules? Toy Commercials! Come hear Brian and Max talk about the most famous (and infamous) adverts of their favorite play-things: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3L5m... Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... YT: youtu.be/LRHaswmgJbc #Podcast #Toys #Commercials

#ThisThingRulesTrivia 📺 The Buzz Lightyear commercial that plays on Sid’s TV in the original Toy Story was voiced by Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller). According to Penn, he was instructed while recording his lines to "scream like someone in your family is dying and you have to save them.”

FYI: if you haven’t done so yet, definitely check out Kevin Cappiello’s Lady Dimitrescu toy commercial that we highlighted on the latest episode of the show; it’s incredible stuff: