The average weight of a newborn baby is 7lb 5oz (and the winner is...)

The average weight of a newborn baby is 7lb 5oz - and as usual, I come in above average (haha).

How far above average? Check out the video below, where the one who knows best, my mom, shares how much I weighed at birth:



Yes! A healthy 8lb, 4oz. - making the winner, according to Price is Right rules, Mike Scic with a guess of 8lb, 3oz!!

Congrats to Mr. Scic, who will receive a reusable Dunkin Donuts cup and a DD gift certificate. I'm sure he will make the right decision as what to do with it ::wink::

Thanks to all who participated!!! And a very special thanks to my mom for her video contribution.

The average 25-year-old has taken almost 200 million breaths (and likes to give away free stuff)

The average 25-year-old has taken almost 200 million breaths and has had approximately 9.5 billion heartbeats since birth, according to the Beats & Breaths Calculator from Discovery Health.

On May 10, 2010, I will 25 years old. Yessss - the big 2-5. I've come a long way from this...



So to celebrate, I've decided to give away some free stuff! What, you ask, am I giving away to commemorate such a special occasion?

If you work with me, you know I am completely in love with unsweetened iced tea (sorry diet lemon Snapple iced tea, its o-v-e-r). On my recent trip to Puerto Rico I developed a severe addiction to the beverage and have not looked back.

Ok, back to the free stuff, since I run on Dunkin and care about recycling and such , I am giving away a reusable Dunkin Donuts cold beverage and a gift certificate to fill it with whatever delicious DD product you desire!



How do you win? Simple. Last year I asked you to guess what time I was born. THIS year, you have to guess my birth weight to win!

Enter your estimate in the comments section. Please include your guess in pounds an ounces (for example, 47lb 9oz - not plausible baby weight). Please no duplicates. Closest guess wins, Price is Right rules. No cheating and asking my mother. Contest closes on May 7 at 11:59 AM.

Ready, set, guess!

More than 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patty's Day (along with some free stuff)

More than 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patty's Day, opposed to the usual 5.5 million pints that are consumed on any other day of the year. This is just one of the many reasons that St. Patrick's Day is one of the BEST holidays of the year (aside from May 10).

Since I will not be in the continental US on March 17 (no worries, I'll be celebrating with a green margarita under a green palm tree) I am holding my second annual St. Patty's Day contest now. All you have to do is guess how much treasure is in my Pot O' Gold (below).


Guess correctly and you win... an ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN drinking pack for two, because lets face it, its not (as much) fun drinking alone.


The rules:

• Please list your guess in dollars and cents - $0.00 - with a valid e-mail address (unless you KNOW I know you)
  
• No duplicate guesses
  
• Submit your entry in the comments section below
• You must submit by 11:59 AM EST on Friday, March 5. The winner will be announced that afternoon (just in time for Hoboken!)
  
• Price is Right rules - guess over and you lose!
• NEW RULE - No partnering (JEREMY)
• NEW RULE TWO - People who attend the PRSA 3-on-3 Hoops Tournament will receive an extra guess!
  

There are no tricks, no $20s hidden in the back of the cup or fake coins.

Good Luck!!!

Americans eat 100 acres of pizza a day

Americans eat 100 acres of pizza a day, which is consumed at approximately 350 slices per second. To put it in perspective, that's the same as 100 football fields. That's a lotta pizza!

Now, out of the 93% of Americans who partake in this massive pizza-eating endeavour each month, 36 percent prefer to top their pies with pepperoni, approximately 251,770,000 pounds per year.


So how much pizza do you think you could handle in a week? One of my co-workers is about to find out. Starting tomorrow, January 25, Nicky has been challenged to eat nothing but pizza for 7 days straight. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Nothing else. He has started a blog to track his progress this week. Check it out at supersliceme.blogspot.com. The bet ends on February 1 at a pizza party lunch.


Pizza is not a significant source of vitamins or minerals, and weighs in at about 140 calories per medium cheese slice and contains only around 7 grams of protein (since Nick has opted to only eat plain pizza, and can only drink water, he might want to look into a multi-vitamin).

Think Nick will make it all week? While I have faith in his ability to eat the same thing all week, I have seen other food-related Coyne bets end in pain (you gave it your best JP!).

Good luck Nick!

And the winner is...

Using Random.org, with Nick Dimichino as my witness, a random number of 49 was drawn, making Johnny the winner of the Albums are released on Tuesday because of Billboard Magazine contest. Johnny will win a custom made copy of the premier album of Max Randall Branigan, "I Do Not Know" by Person Man.

Congrats!!

Albums are released on Tuesday because of Billboard Magazine

Albums are released on Tuesday because of Billboard Magazine, the leading magazine of the music industry, as well as the publisher of the famed Billboard Charts. Now today we can get information in a second via the World Wide Web, but back before America Online struck lightening and signed us all on to the wondrous Internet, people relied on physical publications for their news.


Billboard was founded in 1894 as a trade magazine covering bill posting. It started covering entertainment, and began highlighting music when the first successful line of jukeboxes were invented in 1927. In 1940, Billboard released their first official Music Popularity Chart, and the rest is history.


So why does Billboard dictate that albums should be released on Tuesdays? The Billboard charts were published on Wednesday, so in order for an album to generate the highest sales before the next chart was posted, it needed to be released on a Tuesday. As I said before, now that we can calculate totals and get information at the click of a button, charts can posted every day, but albums are still traditionally released on Tuesday.


As it is Tuesday, I would like to "drop" an album. No no, not my own - I put away my ruby slippers a long time ago - my brother's.




I have written of my brother many times. I think he is pretty awesome. He has used his innovation to create unique works of art (which have sold in galleries for upwards of $200) and one of a kind clothing items like graphic-Ts and custom sneakers, as well as write posts for The New York Times "The Local" blog, and has now extended himself to into the world of music.




I always thought it was pretty funny that he could create a spontaneous song with guitar accompaniment about how I was "the worst sister in the world" whenever he wanted to get his way (it usually worked), but I had no idea how talented he was until I saw that he had created an entire album!

So, in the steps of award winning Gaelic singer and flautist Amelia Branigan, legendary childhood singers for the New York City Department of Sanitation, The Garbage Girls, guitarist John Branigan of Jersey, and bassist Fred Randall of Richard and the Young Lions, I present the premier album of Max Randall Branigan, "I Do Not Know" by Person Man.

http://cllct.com/release/idonotknow

You can also become his fan on Facebook. I suggest you do.

True, you can download the whole album for free99, but Max also makes physical copies of the CD, complete with individually designed covers. Want one? All you have to do is pick a number between 1 and 50 and post it below. Price is Right rules, closest guess wins, guess over you lose. No duplicates. Enter by Sunday at 11:59 - winner announced Monday.

Ready, set, guess!

People who play dreidel like winning free stuff

People who play dreidel like winning free stuff. What is dreidel you ask? It is a game played by children (or gambling adict adults) during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (the festival of lights). The dreidel is significant because the Hebrew letters written on each side are an acronym for the miracle of Hanukkah, "A Great Miracle Happened There" or if you are playing in Israel, "A Great Miracle Happened Here."



The game consists of a special four-sided top called a dreidel and gold foil covered coins called gelt (can be substituted for other counters such as coins, peanuts or Benjamin's if that's how you roll). The object of the game is to win all the tokens. Here is how you play:

1. Split the gelt evenly among all players

2. Everyone puts one in the middle

3. Player 1 spins the dreidel

4. If the dreidel lands on:
NUN - do nothing
GIMMEL - take everything in the pot
HEY - take half the pot
SHIN/PEH - add to the pot

5. Spin and repeat 2-5 until one player has everything

Still don't get it? Check out this video tutorial:

How To Play Dreidel
by Howcast

Since it is December, and has snowed, I believe it is time for a holiday contest. As I celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, I felt it was best to incorporate both into my contest. Here is how it works. Below there is a picture of my Hanukkah setup. All you have to do is guess how many coins are in my Hanukkah cup (yes, there are coins that are NOT visible).



Guess correctly and you win....

A CHRISTMAS SUPER AWESOME FUN PACK! Inside you will find everything you need to have a Holly Jolly Christmas this year including...

* Giant Ho! Ho! Ho! pen
* "You've Been Naughty" coal
* "I Heart Santa" socks
* Reindeer Antlers
* A horrific pet costume
And more!

You will also win the Hanukkah gelt and a dreidel of your own (if I can find one, apparently no one is capitalizing on Hanukkah this year, because I went to TWO stores and there was NO Hanukkah merchandise). Runner ups will also receive goodies for their participation.



To enter, post your guess in the comments section below with your name and e-mail address by 11:59 PM on Friday, December 11 - the first night of Hanukkah! The winner will be announced on Saturday. One guess per person. Please no duplicate guesses.

Good luck!!!

And the winner is...

Encyclopeidacs, you voted, and you chose...

Jon with Little cop!!



Two days, 63 votes, here are the results:



Thanks for your participation!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

And the finalists are...

Thank you for your comment and e-mail submissions! Just for fun, and because I can, I have expanded it to four top entries. Hereeee they are!

White Goodman, submitted by Maven



Napoleon Dynamite, submitted by Testanator



Man Elmo, submitted by James



And last but not least...

Little Cop, submitted by Jon



Also, creating her own category, LJ gets the award for best pumpkin submitted!



Here is where the popularity part comes in, whichever costume has the most votes by October 30 at 11:59 pm wins the glorious pumpkin head full of Kudos!!

Ready, set VOTE!!!

The winner of the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN Halloween costume contest should be...

White Goodman

Napoleon Dynamite

Man Elmo

Little Cop

ugg boots

When you vote a little window will pop up, it means your vote was counted. Just close it up and continue with your day :)

Celtics made their New Years resolutions on Halloween (and they also had free stuff)

Celtics made their New Years resolutions on Halloween (and they also had free stuff). Halloween originated over 2,000 years ago with a Celtic festival called Samhain, which was also their new year. They believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds of the living and dead would combine, and dead people would come back to life. To celebrate, they would make a BIG fire, make plant and animal sacrifices and dance around in costumes of animal skin.

Two thousand years later, this once sacred day has become a day of scandalous costumes and overindulgence in first candy, then as you grow older alcohol and then even older your children's candy.



I love it.

Which is why I have decided to give away... FREE STUFF!

Yes. Here it is, the first annual ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN Halloween costume contest! Here is how to enter, in the comments section below, post a link of you in your best Halloween costume (if you don't have a linkable photo, email it to lrbranigan AT gmail DOT com). You must post by October 28 at 11:45 PM. Top three costumes will be posted and voted on. Winners will be announced on Halloween. The grand prize winner will receive...



A PUMPKIN FULL OF KUDOS!!!

I know. It's an awesome prize. I might have outdone myself this time. Ready, set, POST!

UPDATE: you can post up to 2 links, but only one can be included in the top 3.

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan, and most of those people like to read about

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan, and most of those people like to read about catfish! Yes, the post with the most pageviews in the first year of Encyclopedia Branigan was "A catfish has approximately 100,000 taste buds".



So in the Encyclopedia Branigan one year blogversary contest, the winner is...

LAUREN MACKIEL GORY, who will receive a $15 Barnes & Noble gift certificate and a 2010 Encyclopedia Branigan calendar.

Katie and Beth will also win calendars for guessing the correct answer.

Thanks to all who participated!!

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan

More than 11,000 people have checked out Encyclopedia Branigan since October 12, 2008. That's right, on Monday, October 12 it will be one year since the first post on Encyclopedia Branigan, Peanuts are not nuts.


I can't believe it. I started this blog a year ago as a work assignment, and never ever in a million years thought people would actually read it. But they have!


And I thought, maybe they are just my friends...but I don't have 11,000 friends...



...in 118 places all over the world.

So how should I celebrate this momentous occasion? How about by giving away FREE STUFF!

Yes! All you have to do is guess which of the following posts has generated the most pageviews.

Easy right? Everyone who guesses the correct post will win...

...an official, limited edition, only available here, ENCYCLOPEDIA BRANIGAN 2010 wall calendar. I know. SO exciting.

BUT THERE IS MORE!

Because I care about continuing education, the first person to guess the post with the most pageviews will also receive a $15 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Here are the posts:

A. Peanuts are not nuts
B. What is a crownie?
C. Tattoos, getting underneath the skin for 5,200 years
D. Cheese balls were originally made out of livestock feed
E. A catfish has approximately 10,000 taste buds
F. Yawns are more contagious for primates who care
G. There is a 1 in 40 chance of winning the mega millions
H. Earthquakes in New Jersey are Ramapo's fault

Post your guess in the comments section below. Please include your e-mail address or you can't win. Tell me which post on all of Encyclopedia Branigan is your favorite, and you get TWO guesses.

The deadline for entry is Sunday, October 11 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 12.

Ready, set, go!

Smart people love quickie contests!

Smart people love quickie contests! Yes - they do! Since it is Monday, and it has been raining for 10 years, I thought I would brighten your day with a little fun.

First person to guess what the following image is, wins it. (I'll also give a prize for most creative guess)

Ready, set, go!

Smart people are born in May...and winners are born in March

Smart people are born in May...and winners are born in March.

I was born on May 10 at 5:28 AM, making Miss Shana Bananas with her guess of 4:33 AM the winner of the official Encyclopedia Branigan Crownie Making Kit. Yay!! I'm guessing I might be getting a Crownie cake this year... haha.

A close runner up was Maven, who guessed 7:13 AM, in third place was LJ with 2:45 AM and honorable mention goes to JAG with 11:27 AM. They will all receive certificates from the University of Branigan for their participation.

I would also like to recognize Paul, and award him the Early Bird Gets the Worm Award, for being the first person to wish me Happy Birthday! Next contest you get three guesses. :)

Thank you for your participation!!!

Smart people are born in May (and love free stuff)

Smart people are born in May, not to say that people in other months are not intelligent or skilled, but the month of May produces some real talent including:

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
• Audrey Hepburn
• Tom Bergeron
• Harry S. Truman
• Billy Joel
• Paul "Bono" Hewson
• Salvador Dali
• George Carlin
• Yogi Berra
• Robert Pattinson
• Stephen Colbert
• Janet Jackson
• Bob Saget
• Tina Fey
• Andre the Giant
• Cher
• Notorious B.I.G
• Mr. T
• Tommy Chong
• LaToya Jackson
• John F. Kennedy

and, last but not least, ME!


The stats are there; two Jacksons, two presidents, and two hosts of America's Funniest Home Videos. How can you argue with that? Take into account Mother's Day and Memorial Day and it's plain to see that May is where it's at.

One week from today, May 10th, will be the birthday of yours truly (it will also be Mother's Day, love you mom). So what better reason to give away FREE STUFF? YES!

Here is the deal. Guess what time I was born. So simple. So easy. What do you win if you guess correctly?


An official Encyclopedia Branigan Crownie Making Kit!!! This all-inclusive baking experience includes:

• Bowl
• Oven mitts
• Dishtowel
• Spatula
• Cookie mix
• Brownie mix
• Pan
• Oil
• Oven timer
• Measuring cup
• Official Encyclopedia Branigan Crownie recipe (you saw it here first, betty)

No, I wasn't kidding when I said all-inclusive. You get everything but the perishables. I don't mess around.

Here are the rules:

• Comment below with your guess in the hour/minute format (time zone not needed) - 0:00
  
• Choose AM or PM - if you do not include you will be disqualified
• No duplicates
• Siblings/family, asking my mom will not help you; Friends, facebooking my dad will not help you
  
• Closest time wins
• Include your e-mail address, robot style, unless you like junk mail
• Submit your guess by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, May 7th, winner will be announced on Friday, May 8th. Just in time for you to bake for Mom (or give to mom, if you are a lazy child) on Mother's Day!

Happy guessing!!

And the biggest cheese ball is...

Well, most accurate guesser of number of cheese balls, is MAVEN!

The actual number of balls in the barrel was 960 (as determined by serving size, and, no, they were not Utz brand).

Congrats to Maven for his guess of 700 cheese balls and his first Encyclopedia Branigan win. Treasure this moment.

Second place goes to amelia for her scientific estimate of 600 balls...

...third place is awarded to das boot for a guess of 427 balls...

...and last but not least, honorable mention goes to LJ who guessed 327 balls.

I would like to also recognize paulzak2 for his guess of 1,120 balls, which was the closest guess to the actual number of balls (unfortunately, due to complaints on previous contests the "go over and lose" rule was implemented).

Thank you all for your participation and keep an eye out for the next opportunity to win free stuff!

Cheese balls were originally made out of livestock feed (and free stuff)

Cheese balls, cheese curls and other cheese puff snack foods were invented at a factory that made flaked food for livestock. No, I'm not talking about party cheese balls or MTV True Life "where are my cheeseballssssss?", I'm talking about old fashioned processed snack food cheese balls (you know, round, bright orange, puffs of "cheese" -- You've seen them in the supermarket, next to the industrial sized barrels of "party mix").

One day, around 1930 or so, Edward Wilson, a flake machine operator at the Flakall Company noticed that when the flaked food was mixed with water and heated it created a puffy curl of corn. He took the puffs and added oil and flavorings -- thus creating the first cheese puff. Now there are many kinds of processed puffed corn cheese snacks, and it is estimated that 82% of Americans with families have consumed some kind of cheese puff.

Come back!

Planter's Cheez Balls were so popular that a petition was formed when they were taken off the market to bring them back (sign it here, I dare you).

Ever wanted your own barrel of cheese balls but just couldn't make the commitment to eat the the...um... how many balls are in one of those things? That's where I need some help (giving away free stuff). Check out the below photo...

Click and image will enlarge

if you can guess how may cheese balls are in the barrel (estimate based on nutrition label - the barrel will remain sealed) you win...

...drum roll please...

... the barrel of cheese puffs! Yes. Really. No lie.

A few rules:

• Post your guess in the comments section below
• Include your e-mail address (anti-robot style)
• Closest price wins, go over and you loose
• All entries must be in by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, April 6 - winner will be posted the following Tuesday
• Runner ups will receive certificates of participation (looks good cube - certificates have a way of making the smallest desk seem a like a corner office)
• No double guesses, first come first serve

Ready, set, say cheese balls!

Smart people know you need body fat to survive (and it could also get you free stuff)

You need body fat to survive. Essential body fat is 2–5% in men, and 10–13% in women. Women need more body fat than men in order to bear children and create hormones, so the minimum for females is higher than males. This minimum balance is needed to keep your organs from smacking into each other like bumper cars and insulates your body.

There are many body fat percentage charts available. I liked this one the best.

You can calculate your body fat percentage by visiting a physical fitness professional, or by clicking here.

Why do I know all this? Well, today I joined...

Yes! I am in my office's fitness challenge! Why? I eat rather terribly and sporadically, consuming a diet of mostly Cheez-its and Diet Coke, that is, when I remember to go food shopping. Oh yes. I am terrible to my poor body. Hopefully this will inspire me to be a little nicer to it (and ensure I look super fabulous for my upcoming Dominican vacay!!!). Fifty-two of us have embarked upon this challenge, most body fat percentage per team wins. From now until June 2, we will work hard, dieting and exercising ourselves to better health.

So I guess that means I shouldn't have ordered three boxes of Girl Scout Cookies!!


Good thing for all of you, I LOVE giving away FREE STUFF! Yes! I am going to give them away!!! Here's the deal. I'm going to put myself on a limb... in order to win my cookies (when they arrive), you've got to guess my body fat percentage. Below is a recent picture for reference.


This is not about weight, it is about body fat percentage which can be very deceiving. There were some very slender people in my office who had rather high percentages, and some not so tiny people whose percentages were rather low. Hopefully this will be educational and maybe inspire you to find your own body fat percentage, become healthier, happier, more productive and make the world a better place. Baby steps.

My fellow weight loss challengers, I have not forgotten about you! If one of you guesses correctly, you will receive a fitness evaluation from Seton Hall University Fitness Center expert Kofi Polley (who is so fit he was refused entry in the contest, which means he must know what he is doing).

Here is how it works (yes, there are always rules and yes, you must follow them):

• Guess my body fat percentage with one decimal point, example - 1.o% (haha right, I'd be dead or extremely uncomfortable)
• No repeats
  
• Inappropriate comments will be deleted
• Enter in the comment section below with a valid e-mail address in anti robot format, i.e. lila AT gmail DOT com
• Price is Right rules (Mr. Maven) closest guess without going over wins
• Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM on Monday, March 16th. Prizes will be awarded the following Tuesday

Are you a fitness guru? Got any body fat shedding tips? Include a helpful tip with your entry and you can guess TWICE!

Ok. Ready, set ... go!

A big thanks to Miss Crissy Lopez for organizing this challenge, and Mr. Kofi Polley for donating his most valuable time.

And the winner is...or should I say, actual retail price is...

Nine dollars and fifty-eight cents! Making the "first St. Patrick's Day parade" contest's winner Snake Child with an estimate of $10.25!! Yay! Snake Child will be the recipient of a lovely St. Patty's Day prize pack!!!

Coming in close second was Amelia, with $8.76.

Third place goes to Shana Bananas with $8.22.

Honorable mention to das boot for a guess of $11.23.

All winners will receive certificates of participation. How awesome are you?!?!

To the rest of you, thank you for your participation!!! A very merry St. Patty's day to you all!

The first St. Patrick's Day parade did not take place in Ireland (nor did they give away free stuff)

The first St. Patrick's Day parade did not take place in Ireland, it took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. Two hundred and forty-seven years later the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is now the world's oldest civilian parade. With 150,000 participants, it is also the largest in the U.S.. Other major cities have similar parades such as Boston, Chicago and Philly.

I loveee St. Patrick's Day parades (and St. Patrick's Day -- no wonder as my last name supposedly translates as a drunken brawl, ask Amelia) I would go to everyone in the area (if I could be in two places at once). While each parade is unique, there are a few things that stay the same; beer and public intoxication, corned beef and cabbage and of course, PARADE SWAG!

St. Patrick's Day Parade Package

Yes! There is no better way to celebrate this joyous holiday (might be my favorite of the year) then covering yourself in green clothing and glittery light-up accessories. So I figured, why not start the party a little early and give out some gaudy green gloriousness before the parades start (then maybe you won't have to chase the Guinness girls down for a 2 cent necklace. I did get lovely St. Patty's suspenders last year, thank you Heineken).

Here's how it is going to work, below is a beautiful Pot o' Gold (ok, it's a Solo Cup o' Change...it's a recession).

Solo Cup o' Change - click on the image and it will appear bigger in a new window, if you want to be all exact and actually count the change.

Now all you have to do is guess how much change is in the pot (aka Solo cup) and you win the St. Patty's Day Parade Package! Awesome right! I thought so (and no, I did not get these last year at the bar - they are new, with tags). Simple enough... here are a few rules (follow them, or else!).

• Your guess must be in the following format: $0.00. This is not the gas station, no fractions of cents.
• You cannot guess a number someone has already guessed (there are enough numbers for all of you)
• You must MUST include your e-mail address in anti evil robot format i.e. lrbranigam AT gmail DOT com - entries without e-mail addresses are disqualified, you can't win if I can't e-mail you
  
• Submit your entry in the comments section below
• You must submit by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, March 5. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 6
• Closest number wins (rounded up, for example, if the number is 12 and there is an 11 and a 13, 13 wins)

There are no tricks, no $20s hidden in the back of the cup or fake coins. Just take a stab at it. Ready, set, GO!

For more information of the history of St. Patrick's Day visit History.com.