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!!!

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!

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!!

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!

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.