1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: to the show Ridiculous Historians. As always, thank you for 3 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: tuning in. Hello. My name is Ben Bullen and I 4 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: am I. I don't know if I'm addicted, but I'm 5 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: going through a real serious shopping online phase. What about you, guys? 6 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: You know, can you hear my squeaky chair? You guys? Yes, 7 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: I can totally hear it. Do you think they shipped 8 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: me a chair? Is that a thing you can order online? 9 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: Or is that too big? We'll have to put it 10 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: together myself because I'm not down with that. What do 11 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: you think you can order them online? I think as 12 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: simply would be required, and I also think yes, they 13 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: probably would not ship it. At this point, I can 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: do some assembly. I can't. I mean, you know, if 15 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: you can send me, I'll put on the wheels, but 16 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to have to put the back on 17 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: the chair, you know what I mean, A nice middle 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: ground level of assembly. I love. I love building furniture. Uh, 19 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: that's you. You're an old prout, that's me. So so 20 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: if you ever have furniture you want built, and you 21 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: have some kid or something, I will totally do it. 22 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: That stuff is fun for me. It's like legos. It 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: is true. It is true. It's like I don't mind 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: building like an Ikea thing. I got an Ikea bed 25 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: with like the drawers underneath, and those drawers were real 26 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: pain in the butt to get in place. But I'm 27 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: really glad I did it. I very much like my 28 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: Ikea schvarn Um. But no, I've been doing a ton 29 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: of online shopping, Ben, just you know, it's like it's 30 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: it's sort of an endorphin rush kind of. I think we're, like, 31 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: you know, giving ourselves these brain chemical rewards by shopping 32 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: online because it's just that instant gratification, you know. Yeah, agreed. 33 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, super producer Casey Pegram. Have 34 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: you been ordering stuff online as well. I've actually just 35 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: stuck mostly to like groceries and you know, the occasional 36 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: takeout order, not too much in the way of like 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: buying stuff. I usually buy way more than I have 38 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: been buying recently. But it is nice to have at 39 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: least like one or two things that are pending you 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: can kind of look forward to it. It's sort of 41 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: differentiates the days a little bit. When you get something 42 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: in the mail so um a little bit, but but 43 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: not as much as it sounds like you guys are 44 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: wait wait, so you're ordering things online to help you 45 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: remember what day? It is just no, no, not so 46 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: much to remember the day. But it's like if it's 47 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: if it's coming on Friday and it's Monday, it's like, oh, 48 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: well Friday, I'm gonna get a thing and that will 49 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: that will sort of break up the monotony, the Groundhog 50 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: day nous of um, you know, every other day of quarantine's. Yeah, 51 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: just to mock the passage of time, like a like 52 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: a prisoner making a hash mark on the wall every 53 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: day or something. I made a really weird online order today, 54 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: just a very crazy grab bag. I ordered some led 55 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: wall strip lights for my daughter's room, ah, a new 56 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: shower curtain, kind of an artsy shower curtain. I wanted 57 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: to jazz up my bathroom a little bit and a liner. 58 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: And I ordered a new toilet seat because mine is 59 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: beyond repair. It's beyond help. You can't just the level 60 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: of grime on and is not coming off with a 61 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: scrub anymore. So I want to just get a little 62 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: refresh for the old back room. During during these lock 63 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: in days. Yeah, invest in yourself. I like that. Let's see, 64 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: I've ordered, uh, guitar strings, raspberry pie, homebrew kind of 65 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: emulator thing, a book that that I love called Around 66 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: the World in eight e Trees or something like that. Uh. 67 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: And then I've also I'm thinking of like the weirdest stuff. 68 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: I've ordered magnetic strips for various non sketchy reasons, stuff 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: like that. Maybe you know, we should ask folks you 70 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: listening along at home, what are some of the weird 71 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: things you've been ordering online? And what's the weirdest thing 72 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: you've ever ordered in the past. Also, maybe why are 73 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: we asking about online ordering? There's a reason it's it 74 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: is in fact a sequitur. It's not a non sequitor 75 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: um because you know, we take for granted how with 76 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: a click of a mouse we can literally get everything 77 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: from magnetic strips to guitar strings to toilet seats. Um. 78 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: But back in the day, this was a revolutionary idea, 79 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: and of course there was no such thing as the internet, 80 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: so it had to use this thing we used to 81 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: use called paper, where you read like words that were 82 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: printed on it, accompanied by vibrant illustrations that sort of 83 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: created this kind of culture of the American dream and 84 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: this aspirational notion of like, you know, keeping up with 85 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: the Joneses and all that, having to have the things 86 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: that were depicted in the pages of the Sears catalog. Ah, yes, 87 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: there we have it, the Sears catalog. Now, long time listeners, 88 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: fellow ridiculous historians, you may remember earlier when the three 89 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: of us dove into the strange story of our office building, 90 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: which was once a itself a Sears. Uh. Sears played 91 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: a huge role in American culture, and I like the 92 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: point you made, know about the American dream aspect. People 93 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: are kind of yeah, they're buying pants or even in 94 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: some cases true story houses, but really they're they're sort 95 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: of purchasing a share of this ideal, you know. And 96 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: Sears and its catalog changed the world. It's the predecessor 97 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: of online ordering. And we can only imagine, without ourselves 98 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: being neurologists, that when people ordered stuff from a Sears catalog, 99 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: they also got that same rush of feel good chemicals 100 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: and it became like this this bedrock of American commerce. 101 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: You know, it's it's weird because we talked about this 102 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: in our previous episode. These days, a lot of us 103 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: think of Sears as kind of like a cautionary tale 104 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: about the woes of brick and mortar stores and retail 105 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: in general. Right, it filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy. Uh, 106 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: and it's often now kind of portrayed as like this 107 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 1: capitalist wasteland. There's something you know, you walk into a 108 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: Sears and it's abandoned. But like you said, NOL, at 109 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: one time, this publication, the Sears Catalog was like you 110 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: might as well have been a best selling book. Yeah, 111 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: it's true New York Times as a fabulous article about 112 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: the history of Sears leading up to this chapter eleven 113 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: bankruptcy you mentioned, um, and it makes a really good 114 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: point of how many not only brands it was responsible 115 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: for launching on elevating ones that have far outlasted the 116 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: Sears brand um in terms of you know, still being 117 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: kind of relevant, but also authors and artists creating this 118 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: platform where you know, these creatives were able to thrive 119 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: and uh a medium where their work was reaching you know, 120 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: millions and millions of people. Because the Sears Catalog was 121 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: a must must have item, every one wanted it. Even 122 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: if you couldn't afford the things that were in it, 123 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: you had the Catalog. It was sort of like, you know, 124 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: browsing window shopping, you know, from your home in rural America. 125 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: We talked about that in the Serious Catalog episode, about 126 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: how popular it was in rural America, even if folks 127 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: weren't buying the stuff inside of him. But uh, folks 128 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: like Edgar Rice Burrows, who wrote the Tarzan books, was 129 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: a copywriter, and uh, Lauren Bacall was a model for 130 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: the Serious Catalog, and the list goes on. I always 131 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: think of some of the images the kind of illustrative, um, 132 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: sort of Norman Rockwell esque kind of images of families 133 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: and stuff. And that's really what sold a lot of 134 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: Americans on this notion of what the American dream really 135 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: looked like. Uh. And it wasn't limited to just this 136 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: kind of aspirational window shopping. Turns out it actually played 137 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: a pretty interesting part in spycraft and the activities of 138 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: the c I A uh. And this story begins with 139 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: a man by the name of John Wyant. Yes, the CIA, 140 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: the Central Intelligence Agency uh named in sincerity not satire. 141 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: We should note this is really fascinating because we said 142 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: sears went global, but maybe maybe not in the way 143 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: most people might assume John Wyant was an intelligence agents 144 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: and he was deep in the game. He was deep 145 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: in the spy game. And according to him, the SEARS 146 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: catalog was a quote almost obligatory thing to have with 147 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: you because you see, they ran into a pickle in Vietnam. 148 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: They were conducting reconnaissance efforts during the Vietnam War and 149 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: they wanted insiders. They wanted natives, locals to help gather 150 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: information espe actually along the border with Laos. John arrived 151 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: in the area in nineteen sixty six, right in central Vietnam, 152 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: and at this time American involvement in the war is 153 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: starting to escalate. This is just a year after the 154 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: US had deployed what two hundred thousand marines to the 155 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: country and started bombing the north part of the country. 156 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: And so John takes over this small operation where Vietnam 157 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: agents are bringing in, uh, you know, insider info about 158 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: the activities of the Viet Cong. Yeah. He was stationed 159 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,839 Speaker 1: in a place called Hugh I guess the village or 160 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: a city. Really. It was in central Vietnam, and it 161 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: was a pretty wealthy place. It was lots of palaces 162 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: there um, and it was a stronghold for the American 163 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: war effort there in Vietnam, specifically that the intelligence side 164 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: of things, and they had we had the US had 165 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: deployed two hundred thousand marines and we're bombing northern Vietnam. Um. 166 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: He was in charge of kind of maintaining this relationship 167 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: between the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. UM and he 168 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: got to Hugh in September of nineteen sixty six. Uh, 169 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: and he became kind of the handler of the handlers, um, 170 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: of the folks who were getting information from villagers, from 171 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: from locals about the Viet Cong and their movements and 172 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: their activities. And this was dangerous work. I mean, these 173 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: folks were essentially what do you call them snitches? I guess, 174 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: And you know what happens with snitches. They they end 175 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: up in in stitches. Uh. And so this was very, 176 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: very dangerous for these folks to be doing this work 177 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: in these North Vietnamese secret zones which were along the 178 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: border with Laos UM. And a lot of these folks 179 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 1: that were signing up for this kind of dangerous work 180 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: certainly weren't going to do it for free. Um. They 181 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: were a grarian types, they were farmers, they were handmaking charcoal, 182 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: for example, or farming and gathering materials to make furniture, 183 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: you know, like handmake furniture and crafts like retan, which 184 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: is a I believe been the stem of a palm 185 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: tree of some kind. Yep. Yeah, so uh they were 186 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: a kind of a barter based system. Uh them. The 187 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: currency which was known as the piastre, which I had 188 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: never heard before, which is the national currency, wasn't really 189 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: something that entered into their their economic activities at all. 190 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: They would trade with other agrarian workers, and so why 191 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: would it be any different when they wanted to get 192 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: paid by the CIA for doing these covert ups, right? 193 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: These uh, these folks are not working for free. You know. 194 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: There are a couple of different motivations for spy, right 195 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: or for an asset. One motivation would be blackmail or extortion, right. 196 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: Another motivation would be idealism, help us overthrow the government 197 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: that you hate. And then, of course a third motivation 198 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: will be good old self interest. Let me have money, 199 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 1: let me have power, let me have stuff. And John 200 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: ran into a problem because they needed to figure out 201 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: a way to pay these spies these assets. It's similar 202 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: to the PEPSI deal with the USSR, you know, they 203 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: couldn't get the currency to work. So the weirdest thing happened. 204 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: The CIA and these other intelligence officers, you know, they 205 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: do things any foreign visitor would do. They buy meals, 206 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: they go to hotels, they rent cars, and they'll also 207 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: foot the bill for people who are working under their purview. 208 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,839 Speaker 1: But these folks that were in these secret zones that 209 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: Wyant was was trying to work with, they were in 210 00:12:55,200 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: a barter system, you know, they didn't really want a 211 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: huge stack of cash. Uh, And it the onus of 212 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: figuring out what these people want fell onto the agents. 213 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: The farmers, the agrarian people that they're speaking with barely 214 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: use money. They rarely use it, you know, they trade 215 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: what they've created with things that other people create. Right, 216 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: And they notice that the agents or the assets they're 217 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: trying to work with don't really want to get paid 218 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: in the local currency piastres. And they don't want to 219 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: get paid because local authorities, local district chiefs are putting 220 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: a thirty three percent tax on their income. And the 221 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: tax that people were paying was disincentivizing these agents. They 222 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: were doing less work. And then there was also like 223 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: why should I put in an effort when I'm only 224 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: getting two thirds of what you guys said you were 225 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: gonna pay me. And then one of why It's best handlers, 226 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: according to an article he wrote about this event in 227 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: Studies and Intelligence, one of his best agents had an 228 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: unusual idea. He said, you know what, instead of giving 229 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: this one of my assets a local currency that they're 230 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: going to be taxed on, let me get him this 231 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: slick canvas hat. And the guy loved it. He loved 232 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: it more than money exactly. And let's not forget that's 233 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: the pretty practical thing. It's hot there. You know, they 234 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: would keep protect them from getting the sun beating down 235 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: on him or whatever. And this was an entirely new idea. 236 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: They've done things like pay operatives with like bags of 237 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: rice and other kinds of things that were just practical 238 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: they could use. But it's when they start getting into 239 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: the kind of uh that Norman Rockwell American aspirational idealism 240 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: that the Sears Catalog represented, the things start to get 241 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: a little interesting. Right. Um, he gets this idea of 242 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: what if we kind of created a system of currency 243 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: based on items in the Sears catalog, like tiers of things, 244 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: so for like a twenty day you know, recon mission 245 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: you can get. It's like prizes at Chuck e Cheese, 246 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: you know, like with tickets, like if you like, spend 247 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: this many tickets, you can get you know, a blowpop 248 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: and if you spend a million tickets you can get 249 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: that you know, xbox or whatever. But this was all 250 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: stuff in the Sears catalog, and largely it was he 251 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: picked out these items that he thought would work, but 252 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: instructed his agents to let the uh the operatives brows 253 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: the catalog themselves, and the stuff that ended up appealing 254 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: to them is is pretty funny and interesting. Yeah, yeah, 255 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: I agree. And this also reminded me of boy Scouts, 256 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: because I spent a lot of summers uh selling popcorn. 257 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: That is the far inferior food that boy Scouts sell. 258 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: It will never touch the girl Scout cookie industry, but 259 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: when you would sell popcorn, you would get rewarded in 260 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: these different tiers of stuff, you know. So it's a 261 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: very good motivator. And I'm not knocking the popcorn, just 262 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: saying the cookies are awesome and objectively better. Anyway, You're right, 263 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: it's a brilliant move. And Wyant gets messages back from 264 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: the field, just like as soon as three days later, 265 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: he's hearing that this Sears concept is a fantastic success. 266 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: And as a matter of fact, the only thing they 267 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: change are the recommended products, because the stuff Wyant thought 268 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: people would like was not exactly what they ended up wanting. 269 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: When the assets browsed the catalogs, they would start requesting 270 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: oddly enough boys clothing, like for instance, one person asked 271 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: for six boys size red velvet blazers. These that were 272 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: vest blazer vest with brass buttons, and each of those 273 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: six vests, which sounds pretty snazzy and pretty loud, would 274 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: be payment for a twenty day mission. Uh. They also 275 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: asked for I think stamped leather cowboy belts, so funny 276 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: and what I mean to me? Immediately, the thought that 277 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: crossed my mind was aren't they going to be suspicious 278 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: as hell looking to like, you know, the folks they're 279 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: trying to hide from, if there's all of a sudden 280 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: strutting around and like red velvet blazers, you can't where 281 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: do you can't get those in lows? You know? Uh? 282 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: Certainly not during wartime? Uh? And that that did end 283 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 1: up being a thing that was mentioned didn't get too 284 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: deep into that in the research. But yeah, it was 285 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: so certainly a byproduct of this that it was could 286 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: have put these folks in danger. But yeah, things like 287 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: you know, denim jackets. A lot of it was seemed 288 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: like kind of weird cowboy garb and uh the kind 289 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: of stuff that like bell hops would wear. Very interesting. Um. 290 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, but it definitely was a success, and it 291 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: didn't last super long. I think it petered out in 292 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: around nineteen sixty seven, But it was largely because it 293 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: was just too dangerous, uh in general for agents to 294 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: even be doing anything, because all these bombing raids were 295 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: happening much more frequently and it would be difficult to 296 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,239 Speaker 1: even get the shipment's there. Yeah, add to that the 297 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: fact that the Marines began creating their own intelligence network, 298 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: so eventually it was you know, as a question of redundancy, right, 299 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: And the SEARS system was short lived, but it was 300 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: very successful. Our our favorite, uh, one of our favorite 301 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: items that they that they ordered uh during this time 302 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: was a large bra. Wyant says that this brawl was 303 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,199 Speaker 1: not ordered to be used as clothing though. Instead the 304 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: assets took it and they stuck the bra on this 305 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: bamboo pole and they used it to harvest breadfruit from 306 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: the trees. So they kind of made you know, like 307 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: this old uh reach and grab pincher things. Yeah, they 308 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: kind of made something like that. Uh. And to me, 309 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: that's cool. That speaks to mcgivernus of the whole situation. 310 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: I initially pictured them using it as like a wind sock, 311 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, till I see which which way the wind 312 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,880 Speaker 1: was blowing. Uh. A lot of these little, little more 313 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: deeper cut uses come from a great article on Atlas 314 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: Obscura called the American government's Sears for Spying payment plan Um. 315 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: So yeah, Whyant told the New York Times quote, I 316 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: thought it was extraordinarily clever at the time, but then 317 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: he acknowledges that it did pose some security risks um 318 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: in hostile zones if he got these uh agrarian folks 319 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: um used to dressing a certain way. All of a sudden, 320 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: rock and cowboy boots and denim jackets agreed. And add 321 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: to this the fact that if we think about it 322 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 1: from a spycraft angle, if all of those guys are 323 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: wearing the same snazzy red brass buttoned vest, then it 324 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 1: starts to look very much like a uniform which is 325 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: uh not not a good look in this situation. Absolutely not. 326 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: We felt one more thing to add that might I 327 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: don't know. I think it's just something to think about 328 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:16,239 Speaker 1: as everybody is still going through the lockdown, which is 329 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: that the Sears catalog had one other use that was 330 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: pretty common back in the day, but was not, you know, 331 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: officially condoned by Sears Roebuck themselves, and it's this apparently 332 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: Sears catalog makes for great toilet paper. Yeah. I think 333 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: it was, you know, not like something to do with 334 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: the quality of the paper that it was printed on, 335 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: more than the fact that there'd be a new one 336 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: that would come out every month and you have the 337 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: old ones, so you could just tear the pages out 338 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: and put it in a little bin, you know, in 339 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: your outhouse or whatever, and then there you go. You 340 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: don't have to spend money on. I don't know what 341 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,880 Speaker 1: was the toilet paper market like back then. I mean, obviously, 342 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: I don't know what's the history of mass produced toilet paper. 343 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: I wonder you hear about things like corn cobs, which 344 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: is I don't understand. I guess because it's textured. Maybe 345 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: we're getting a little I don't want to get too 346 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: gross here. I guess you know it. You know, God, 347 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm disgusting myself even thinking about it. Again, Let's just 348 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: picture how you with the function of using a corn 349 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: cob would be um And apparently sometimes they were tied 350 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: to the outhouse with a string, implying that they were 351 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: supposed to be reused. So I would say that the 352 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: Sears catalog page is definitely a good alternative to that. 353 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: But do remind me and and I'll do the same 354 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: to you, Ben, I think we should look into the 355 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: history of mass produced toilet tissue. Yeah, it's one of 356 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: the uh it's one of those industries that hasn't left 357 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: the United States, which is why, uh so I we're 358 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: not actually going to run out of toilet papers and nation. 359 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: The weirdest thing here about the Sears Robot catalog, and 360 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 1: it's dare I say, commodious use for households across America, 361 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: was that people actually objected to the quality of the 362 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: catalog improving because back in the day it was black 363 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: and white paper. But when they started printing color pictures, 364 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: they had to use a different kind of paper stock 365 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: and they got like hate mail about it. Oh yeah, 366 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: that'll chafe your your your you know your area. I mean, 367 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be super comfortable using this the newsprint, but 368 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: the newsprint is a softer paper, and the glossy stuff 369 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: you can't even really crinkle that up. R anyway, we 370 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of friction. Yeah, it's still better 371 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: than a corn cob. I guess is is our moral 372 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: for today? That's our takeaway, Better than a cork cop Ben. 373 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's just me and where my 374 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: mind is right now, but I heard that as corn 375 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: cob because we're all a little goopy. But I will 376 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: tell you, Ben, and I'm we're not being sponsored by them, 377 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 1: but we were in the past really happy we got 378 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: our tushy bidays back when we did, because there was 379 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: a period where I could not find toilet paper and 380 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: I ran out entirely. And with the tissy bidet, you 381 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,959 Speaker 1: just need one little square, just a little dab, you know, 382 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: and then you're clean as a whistle. So highly recommend 383 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: you guys get one. It's a great way to conserve 384 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: your toilet paper and and stay fresh and clean even 385 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: during quarantine times. Yep, yep. You can also get on 386 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: the mailing list for the ikea catalog, if you if 387 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: you're not, if you're not too proud in the restroom. 388 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: But uh, you know, this episode is a little on 389 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: the shorter side, but it's such an interesting story and 390 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: it touches on so many things we're going to explore 391 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,959 Speaker 1: in the future. We want to thank you for tuning in, 392 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: ridiculous historians. We hope that this episode finds you well 393 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: and finds you, you know, not in corn Cob level 394 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: desperation in the restroom. Uh. But yeah, if you we'd 395 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: like to hear your stories of a strange, strange spy arrangements. 396 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: We'd like to hear your stories of the Sears catalog 397 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 1: and other bits of odd Americana. Can find us on 398 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: the internet. We're on Facebook, We're on Twitter, We're on Instagram, 399 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: all the hits, all the good ones, except for a 400 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: Pinterest page so far, you know, if But what better 401 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: time than than the Quorn times to really dig into 402 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: that vision board that we once talked about every episode 403 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: and then uh very conveniently never mentioned again until right now. 404 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: But you know what, Ben, maybe uh maybe we should 405 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: team up on a vision board. I'll do dolphins and 406 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: unicorns and you can pick your motive and we'll we'll 407 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: come together, um and make something that we can all 408 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: get behind right on. And I didn't know. I'm surprised 409 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: to learn that about you. I didn't know you were 410 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: a fan of dolphins and and unicorns. Is like all 411 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: all horse light creatures are just specifically unicorns. Well, I'm 412 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: mainly in the mythical creatures, so my dolphins also need 413 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: to have some mystical quality to them as well. I 414 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: don't really care for the real world ones. More of 415 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: a Lisa Frank dolphin kind of guy. Okay, yeah, I 416 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: can get behind that. Maybe throw a sulky in the mix, 417 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: keep things interesting. I'm sorry, what a selkie s e 418 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 1: l k I E okay? So it's this, Uh we 419 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: don't have time for this, but it's it's it's like 420 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: a were seal. Basically, they could change it to a seal. 421 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: They could go on land. It's a whole thing. It's 422 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: it's worth you know what, it's worth a read. There's 423 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: some pretty cool selkie stories out there. I'm inspired. I'll 424 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: try to find something as well. Uh you know what, 425 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: what should we put on our vision board? That's a 426 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 1: good one, Uh, tell us over ridiculous historians on Facebook. 427 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear from you. You can also find us, 428 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 1: not just as a show, but as individuals here on 429 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: the old internets. It's true. You can find me and 430 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: my quarantine adventures um, which lately have involved a pink 431 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: and green haired child and things like making tight I 432 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: shirts and homemade lip bombs. Yeah, I know, you really 433 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: gotta get creative during these times. You can find me 434 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: on Instagram exclusively at how Now Noel Brown, and you 435 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: can find me on Twitter at Ben Bolan h s 436 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:04,680 Speaker 1: W or at Ben Bolan on Instagram. I've been, uh, 437 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: I've getten into some weird things. Um. I think by 438 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: the time I get out of here, I'm going to 439 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: have a old Testament level beard. I forgot how quickly 440 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: it grows and how red it is. If it's so 441 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 1: red that even I can tell it's red, that things 442 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: like a fire engine on my face. So check it 443 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: out before I shave it. Well, it looks ravishing, Ben. 444 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 1: I'm a fan. Thank you man, Thank you so much, 445 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: and thanks as always of course to Alex Williams. I'd 446 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: like to also know if you're cool with us mentioning this. 447 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: I'd like to give a special thanks to our good 448 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: I r L real life pal Ryan Lambert, who sent 449 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: us a pretty neat surprise earlier. He did not for 450 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: this show, but for our show stuff. They don't want 451 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: you to know. Ryan, um did a kind of a 452 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: wreath imagining of that theme, um, which we've had for 453 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: for many, many many years, back back as far as 454 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: the YouTube days. Uh. And we're toying around the idea 455 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: of at least letting folks hear it, and who knows, 456 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: who knows what could happen? All bets are off these days, 457 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: but yeah, big thanks to right he actually sent me 458 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 1: an updated version of it today that I'll send to you. 459 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 1: Add in a little part and adjusted some mixed stuff. Um. 460 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 1: So yeah, thanks a lot, Ryan, always. Thanks to producer 461 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: Casey Pagram. Thanks to Christopher Hasciotes here in spirit, Gabe 462 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: Louisier Um our research associate extraordinary who we are promising 463 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: uh and and will honor that promise to have on 464 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,880 Speaker 1: the show very soon. Yeah. And also thanks to Jonathan Strickland, 465 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: a k a. The Quister. I was talking with him 466 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: a little bit yesterday. Uh. He says hello to everyone, 467 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: and he will of course return. Had some point with 468 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: a scenario, so stay tuned for that and and of course, 469 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: as always, uh no, thanks to you man, Thanks for 470 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: hanging out. Oh man, it's been a pleasure. See you 471 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: next time, folks. For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, 472 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 473 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.