1 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: Of all the addresses in the fair United States of America, 2 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: perhaps the most prestigious is six Pennsylvania Avenue. Welcome to 3 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: the show. My name is Ben. Bears and raccoons and 4 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: alligators and stuffy old white men. Oh my my name 5 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: is Nola. And this is ridiculous history. And we were 6 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: just chatting off air with the the third member of 7 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: our triumvirates, a super producer, Casey Pegram, about animals, right, 8 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: about pets, About the government, and of course about history 9 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: because we've looked at some weird presidential things before. We've 10 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: mentioned some, um but when you when you get down 11 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: to the nitty gritty, the lagoons and peanuts, oh, those 12 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: are the same thing, uh, the beans and nuts of 13 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: the of the situation. Presidents and presidential families are like 14 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: any other family. They're just like you or I. Of course, yes, yeah, 15 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: you know. They do people stuff. They wear pants, put 16 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: them on, you know, one leg at a time, as 17 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: they say, yeah, they brush their teeth. They might have 18 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: servants that put their pants on for them in this case, 19 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: that's that's different and I don't have that right. Or 20 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: they might have someone brushing their teeth. They might have 21 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: a machine that's been custom built to put pants on them. 22 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: But we're not talking about pants machines today, are we been. No, No, 23 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: we are talking about something that is, I would say, 24 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: at the very least equally fascinating. Yeah, we're talking about 25 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: pets because, you know, in the interest of of appearing 26 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: as as normal human beings and you know, and possibly 27 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: because of genuine love of animals, presidents often traditionally have pets, 28 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: although number forty five has a shoot pets and has 29 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: spoken against pets, saying they were quote low class. But 30 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: we're not here to talk about that today. We're talking 31 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: about the legacy of presidential pets, particularly some kind of 32 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: weird ones. Yes. First off, I am baffled. That's new 33 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: information to me. I can't believe. Really, no pets, huh, No, pets. Wow, 34 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 1: that's kind of unusual historically because the other forty four presidents, 35 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: the majority of them did have some sort of while 36 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: they were a family member, did have some sort of 37 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: animal companion and familiar if you will. Yeah, so familiar 38 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: if you will. And when we say animal companion, of course, 39 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: we mean stuff like your typical dog. You know, they 40 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: might have a pooch, they might have a cat or something. 41 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: But that's not it, because you see, although the base 42 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: similarity remains, the fact is that when you hold the 43 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: highest office in the land, you and your family members 44 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: get a little more a leeway, you have a little 45 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: more agency. And so it turns out that there are 46 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: quite a few exotic pets the presidents have had in 47 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: the past. Ye did you know there's a thing called 48 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: the Presidential Pet Museum? Then yes, I would love to 49 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: check that out. But according to them, John Quincy Adams, 50 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: who was the son of John Adams and also, as 51 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: it happens, the sixth president of the United States, he 52 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: I was about to say, ruled everned from eighteen eighty nine, 53 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: and legend has it, I don't know, maybe that's not 54 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: a legend, but uh, allegedly, let's say he had an 55 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: alligator that he kept in an unfinished room, the east 56 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: room of what was then called the Resident's House. That's 57 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: not very creative. It wasn't until Teddy Roosevelt changed the 58 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: name officially to the White House in nineteen o one. 59 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: But this alligator apparently was gifted to Adams by the 60 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: French military officer and revolutionary hero and uh, and a 61 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: important historical figure in the play Hamilton's Marquis de Lafayette Um, 62 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: who fought with the US against the British forces during 63 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: the American Revolution and also lays down some sick bars 64 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: in Hamilton's So the story goes that he would keep 65 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: me kept this gator in a bathtub. Yeah, in this 66 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: unfinished room and what was then called the President's house, 67 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: and his his presidential prank was to surprise people by 68 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: having this alligator got you. Oh, there goes your leg 69 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: ha ha. President. That's how he ends every prank. He 70 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: laughs and mentions he's president. There are some people who 71 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: would raise plot holes in this, right. So Frank Masati, 72 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: who is an ecologist and biologist at the University of Florida, says, 73 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: he points out that if you had a large alligator 74 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: in a bathtub in today's world, that's the thing. The 75 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: alligators started off small, and you know, as it matured, 76 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: it grew larger and larger. Uh. He said that it 77 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: would be cruelty to animals. But also in that day 78 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: and age, people didn't think about cruelty to animals near 79 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: the same way. Here's the thing, there's kind of this 80 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: cycle of I would say legends or folklore about gators 81 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: in the White House. Because there's also another story that says, uh, 82 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: the son of thirty first President Herbert Hoover. A century later, 83 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:58,119 Speaker 1: in three his son Alan Henry Hoover also allegedly had 84 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: two gators. But the problem is there aren't many primary sources, right, 85 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: this is sort of lore. We don't even know the 86 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: names of these three alleged gaiters, right, Yeah, it's true. 87 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: According to the White House Historical Association's Evan Phifer, the 88 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: whole thing with Lafayette, it's it is has been passed around, 89 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: but they can't they haven't placed their hands on the 90 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: actual origin of this story or, like you said, any 91 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: kind of real primary documentation that is based as Phifer says, 92 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: in reality. Joel Trees of the w h h A says, quote, 93 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: there's no verifiable documentary evidence of that story. I think 94 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: it's probably a legend, but it's it's a pretty interesting 95 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: legend just the same. And that's legend or no, not 96 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: the only weird exotic pet that trapes through the White House, right, 97 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: we have phantom gaiters, Which is a cool phrase, and 98 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: I'm so happy that we got a chance to say 99 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: it on air. I'm gonna just look that one more time, 100 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: Phantom Gators, Anton Gators. But you are absolutely right. No, 101 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: there have been quite a few strange pets. One thing 102 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: that probably sticks out to a lot of people when 103 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: you hear it is Thomas Jefferson, the third president from 104 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: eighteen o one to eighteen o nine, had a pair 105 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: of grizzly bears. Yeah. We're talking to superroducer Casey before 106 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: the show, and he was reminded of a Paul F. 107 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: Tompkins bit talking about how wouldn't it be great if 108 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: we could just keep like something like a bear small forever? 109 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: And even though it was ravenous and one, you just 110 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: kind of patch you like a cat attacking your hand, um, 111 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: and you know that'd be pretty manageable. So Jefferson got 112 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: a pair of little grizzly bear cubs. I hope the 113 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: mom isn't around. That would be a blood bath. But 114 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: he got those as a gift from an explorer of 115 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: the American West. Yeah, Captain Zebulon Pike love that. So 116 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: names were so much cooler. Our names are, okay, but 117 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: Zebulon so he should be followed with like the Great, right, 118 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: Zebulon the Great and terrible. The bears arrived around the 119 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: same time. Pike sent a letter in October of eighteen 120 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: o seven explaining he had found the male and female 121 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: cubs in the southern region of the Continental Divide, so 122 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: the mother was not around. Um. He recognized Pike that 123 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: is that the grizzly was a different species of bear 124 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: from those found in the east, and he said that 125 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: they are considered by the natives of that country as 126 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: the most ferocious animals on the continent. And he Jefferson 127 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: must have been aware of this because he would have 128 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: heard from Lewis and Clark about encounters with grizzlies, and 129 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: our buddy Evan Phifer over at the White House Historical 130 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: Association made a point that these bear cubs were a 131 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: smash sensation because people had never seen these before. This 132 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: was not something that was around. They did not have 133 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: them in zoos in the area. The zoos probably weren't 134 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: even thing. Yeah, this was this is very early on 135 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: in the existence of again at the time the President's House, 136 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: so it was a big deal. People were excited to 137 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: see if the bears lived in a little enclosure that 138 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: was on the lawn. Um and then eventually they were 139 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: moved to Philadelphia, right, Yeah, And people assume that because 140 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: they have been in continual contact with humans as cubs, 141 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: that they would maybe grow up to be gentle giants 142 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: and large and calm and more docile. Yeah, and that 143 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: was not the case. One of them eventually broke out 144 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: of its cage and terrorized the family of the man 145 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: who was taking care of them and had to be shot, 146 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: and then the other one had to be put down 147 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: as well, because it turns out that one of our 148 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: continent's most ferocious apex predators is not the kind of 149 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: thing that you can just take home and hang out 150 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: with unless you could miniaturize them. Unless you could miniaturize them. Yes, 151 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: And speaking of smaller pets, I gotta tell you, man, 152 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: have you ever seen those those YouTube videos of people 153 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: who have a raccoon that just hangs out with them? 154 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: I have. I have a friend whose parents kept several 155 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: raccoons and kind of a glass enclosure that was sort 156 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: of built into the wall kind of, and they take 157 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: them out and they were pretty chill and cuddly and 158 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: kind of fun. Did you play with I don't remember 159 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: if I did, but I definitely saw them handling them, 160 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: and it sort of acts sort of like a combination 161 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,239 Speaker 1: between a monkey and a cat. That's a good description. 162 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: And Grace Coolidge, who was the wife of Calvin Coolidge, 163 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: President number thirty from nineteen to nineteen nine, did the 164 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: very same thing with a raccoon named Rebecca. Rebecca the raccoon. 165 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: My heart is melting. Uh So the weird thing about 166 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: this raccoon, and I don't want you know, if you 167 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,079 Speaker 1: dislike the Coolidge and administration, just to understand this was 168 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: a very different time. Originally, Rebecca did not have a 169 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: name because she was traveling to the White House to 170 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: be part of the Thanksgiving menu. I'm sorry. They were 171 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: going to cook the raccoon and eat her come again. 172 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 1: But they fell in love with her, and so they said, oh, 173 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: we were going to eat you, but now we're gonna 174 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: name you Becky Thanksgiving miracle. Is that sort of like 175 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: giving clemency to the turkey. This feels a little bit 176 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: more organic. Yeah, it feels like she just charmed her 177 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: way into their heart. And uh and the weirdest thing 178 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: about it is that they kind of spoiled her. They 179 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: had this little gold plated inscribed collar with Rebecca on it, 180 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: and they had a little cage for outside, and she 181 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: just hung out until it went rabbit and they had 182 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: to put her down. I made that up. Oh my gosh, 183 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you made that. I know, because that 184 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: last one with the bears was a bummer. We need 185 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: a little yeah, we need. We don't know what happened 186 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: to Rebecca the raccoon ultimately a but it does seem 187 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: as though she brought a lot of joy into the 188 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: lives of of of all that she encountered. Um in 189 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: the in the White House, and thankfully she was not 190 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: consumed at the holiday table. She looks really happy in 191 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: the pictures. Yeah, yeah she does. And um, Grace Coolidge 192 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: the dour looking, but she really seems to to enjoy 193 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: the company of this raccoon. Um. Next we have we're 194 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: sort of stepping up with the chain of varmouts. I 195 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: guess you could call him right a badger. There we go, 196 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: a bag of badgers, A bag of badgers. That's a 197 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: deep cut for fans of the show, just the one 198 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: this time and this was one of Theodore Roosevelt's pets, 199 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: And we gotta go deep with Teddy Roosevelt President number 200 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: twenty six from nine nine so many pets. This man 201 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: had a menagerie of animals that he brought with him 202 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: to the White House. And UH. One of the famous 203 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: ones was Josiah the Badger, who was often totaled around 204 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: the White House grounds by Young Archie's son. But listen, 205 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna laundry list these because they're just too charming there. 206 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: They give me such joy. Josiah never bit faces, really, 207 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: only he would bite legs sometimes, So I'm just gonna 208 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: laundry list these. This comes from UH, the National Park 209 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: Service website, and this is a list of the Roosevelt's 210 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: family pets. They included a small bear named Jonathan Edwards, 211 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: a lizard named Bill, guinea pigs named Admiral Dewey, Dr Johnson, 212 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: Bishop Done Fighting, Bob Evans, and Father O'Grady, Maud the Pig, 213 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: Josiah the Badger, Eli Yale the blue macaw, Baron Spreckel 214 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: the hen, a one legged rooster, a hyena, a barn owl, 215 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: Peter the rabbit, and of worse, who could forget Algonquin 216 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: the pony, oh Gonquin, what fond memories we have a 217 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: lot of times frolic at on the lawn you and 218 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: fighting Bob Evans, that fighting Bob Bob Evans and uh oh, 219 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: I really like Baron Spreckel, the hen These names are fantastic. Yeah. 220 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: And just speaking of fantastic names, the President's son Archie 221 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: was so fond of Algonquin that his brothers Kermit and 222 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: Quentin would bring the pony to his room through the 223 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: elevator in the in the White House. But Algonquin, apparently 224 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: according to the National Park Services, was so captivated hypnotized 225 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: even by his own reflection in the elevator mirror, that 226 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: it was really harn't print to get out. Algonquin is 227 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: very into himself, wasn't Teddy Roosevelt kind of like yeah, 228 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: like like a naturalist and environmental outdoors, you know, which 229 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: really holds true. There's even a story from the National Parks. 230 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: It was again where his son Quentin burst into an 231 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: important meeting the President was holding in the Oval office 232 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: to show him four snakes that he had just gotten 233 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: from a pet store. Uh And of course immediately all 234 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: of the dignitaries in the room just registered annoyance with 235 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: this precocious young lad. But when he plopped the snakes 236 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: down to the table, they all, um, you know, like 237 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: getting up on your chair and squealing when you see 238 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: a mouse or something that they definitely retreated. One thing 239 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: we should mention though about Roosevelt is much more than 240 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: just a casual environmentalist. He used his authority constantly protect wildlife. 241 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: He created the United States Forest Service, which established a 242 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty national forest, bird reserves, game reserves, national parks, 243 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: national monuments, and so on. Is he the one that 244 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: carried the big stick as a rough writer, Yes, yeah, yeah, 245 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: he rolled with d m x's crew. Yes, it's uh, 246 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: it's true. It's uh. You know you and I like 247 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: to include a couple of absolutely true, incredibly not researched facts, 248 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: and one of them is that h. D m X 249 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: and Uh Teddy Roosevelt communicated across time and space. They 250 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: came up together. They came up together, but they were 251 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: no uh, there were no Woodrow Wilson because in a 252 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: way he had a huge collection of pets, but they 253 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: were all the same. Yeah. Woodrow Wilson was seemingly a 254 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: pretty generous president. He sacrificed some of the comforts, maybe 255 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: even of other presidents to kind of give back to 256 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: the war effort. He had more of an ascetic life 257 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: than some president exactly. And and part of this was, 258 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: I guess partially to save on costs. Um. He had 259 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: a flock of sheep that he kept on the White 260 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: House lawn forty eight to be exact, um and that 261 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: their main purpose was to cut the grass, and they 262 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: were shared regularly and raised fifty two thousand dollars for 263 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 1: the Red Cross during an auction of that wool. And 264 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: it was really important to Woodrow Wilson and his wife 265 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: to set a good example, you know, for American families 266 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: in the show that you had to chip in to 267 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: help out with the war effort. And I think that's 268 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: pretty interesting. I think that's also commendable. It reminds me of, 269 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: you know, some of the other efforts we've seen by 270 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: administrations of the family members to encourage better nutrition, right 271 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: or to give to charities and in wartime. One interesting 272 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: fact about the United Kingdom in wartime, the Queen when 273 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: she got married had to use the same like ration 274 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: stamps to to buy the materials for address as everybody else. 275 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,679 Speaker 1: And I think it's I think it speaks very highly 276 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: to the character. And also I was not familiar with 277 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: the idea of using livestock to mow the lawn. But 278 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: it makes sense. And you told me about talking about 279 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 1: that with Scott, right with my buddy Scott Benjamin. It's 280 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 1: a true story. Here in Atlanta, you can actually rent 281 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,719 Speaker 1: goats for the purpose of lawn maintenance. And I'd like 282 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: to know if you have an experience renting goats for 283 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: lawn maintenance reasons or other reasons in your neck of 284 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,360 Speaker 1: the Global woods. Uh, and you know, do you have goats? 285 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: Do you want to rent us one? We'll just hang 286 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: out with it in the office. Or sheep, but not 287 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: forty eight. We don't have room forty eight. Goats are 288 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: apparently pretty cantankerous. Yeah, yeah, they're definitely um dynamic personalities. 289 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: Sheep might be a little more sedate. But horses, ponies, right, 290 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: stallions of all shapes and sizes. We often forget in 291 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: seventeen that there was a time when the primary transport 292 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: of the United States was going to be on foot 293 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: or by horse, right on foot or on hoof or 294 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: wheels old by hoofs. The White House, once upon a 295 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: time had a stable large enough for twenty horses and 296 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: a living area for the staff. The stable staff, right, yeah, 297 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: and and and speaking of pitching in apparently the stables 298 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: caught on fire at Anti sixty four and Abraham Lincoln 299 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: himself hoped too and tried to help put out the blaze. Um. 300 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: And for whatever reason in the early nineteen hundreds, the 301 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: stables were dismantled and Zachary Taylor actually, um, which I 302 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: believe he had one of the shortest presidential terms. Um, 303 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: it was sixteen months. I believe he died unexpectedly as 304 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: a twelfth president. But he he uh, he had himself 305 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 1: a war horse ben by the name of Old Whitey. 306 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: That's appropriate name for presidential horse. I wonder if it 307 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: started out with a different name, or you know, you 308 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,679 Speaker 1: gotta wonder how the horse felt when it was juvenile 309 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: to behaved old white old Whitey, Yeah, Old Whitey. Yeah. 310 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: Zachary Taylor had Old Whitey, old white who was, as 311 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: Null said in a war horse, which means a horse 312 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: specifically trained to function in battle and becombat ready, not 313 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: be distracted or as easily shook by loud noises like 314 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: cannon fire and such. Old Whitey and the phantom alley gators. 315 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: That's the that's the children's book. But that's that's so 316 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: much potential a lot of legs. Um, but by far 317 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 1: to me, the cutest presidential pony belonged to John F. 318 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: Kennedy's daughter Caroline, and it was named Macaroni. You know, 319 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: like Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a bone. 320 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: Do you know the etymology that this kind of side note? 321 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: So macaroni, at least in mid eighteenth century England was 322 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 1: a description of a fashionable due like almost a hipster 323 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: type who dressed a little bit foppishly and uh had 324 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: outlandishly flamboyant speech and affectations like a Liberacei type. You know, 325 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 1: I feel like that's active. He had those like lace 326 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: frilly lace things on his wrists and his collars and um, 327 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 1: sort of like a French duke. Yeah. And there we go. 328 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: And it came about because young men of means, of 329 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: course traveled to Italy and they developed a taste for 330 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: macaroni the pasta, and it wasn't very famous in England then, 331 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 1: So then when they came back they were said to 332 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: belong to the macaroni club. Here's an example I'm showing 333 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: you with the big way total French duke. Yeah, and 334 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: so it uh and so when they stick a feather 335 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: in their cap and call it macaroni. It's like, oh, look, 336 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: I have a feather in my cap. Now I'm one 337 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: of these hip people, which is so weird because for 338 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: the longest time that song made no sense to me. 339 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: I I just thought it was like absurdest kind of 340 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 1: you know. And yeah, I have derailed as so not 341 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: at all. We learned about all kinds of silly stuff 342 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: on this show and then I love it. I object 343 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: to the next pet on this list. I'm just gonna 344 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: say it categorically. I'm not a fan of these animals. 345 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: Possums not my favorite. Now. I don't like their beady 346 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: little pink eyes and the way they glow in the dark, 347 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: and they have so many teeth, and they have a 348 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,479 Speaker 1: rat tail and that irritating silent Oh at the beginning 349 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: of their names, what's that about? Some people pronounce it, 350 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: some people don't pronounce it. It's just bedlam. There's no 351 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: rhyme or reason to pronouncing the name of this rodent. So, yes, 352 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:52,120 Speaker 1: possums a divisive more supial, if ever there was such, yes, 353 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: and and and thank you for correcting that, Ben. It 354 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: is a marsupial, not a Rodent. I still think it 355 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: has a rat tail anyway. So Benjamin Harrison, uh go, 356 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: Ben's in general, people named Ben twenty three, president from 357 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty nine to eight three loved animals. This guy, 358 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: and while he was in office, he had not one 359 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: but two pet possums. One was named Mr Protection and 360 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: the other was Mr Reciprocity, which sounds like he's got 361 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: this whole thing going on. Yeah, it's it's weird. He 362 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 1: doesn't sound like the most fun guy, doesn't U. So 363 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: the thing is interesting is that the Harrison family loved 364 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: Mr Protection, Mr Reciprocity, and apparently they were good h 365 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: what we would call optics nowadays for the American public, Like, 366 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: he can't be all that bad. Look at his possums, 367 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:54,479 Speaker 1: look at his trash rats. Yes, sorry to any possum 368 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: fans out there, but they give me the ski v gvs. 369 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: They're quite common where we live, they really are. You'll 370 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: see him scampering across the top of a fence night 371 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: going to Applebee's, stinking up the joint. But yes, out 372 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:13,239 Speaker 1: of out of all the strange presidential pets, those are 373 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: the only ones that I'm kind of on the fence 374 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: about and This opened up a strange culture that I 375 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: was unaware of. I don't know if you knew as 376 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: if you will a possum hole, if you will, yes, 377 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,119 Speaker 1: let's let's assume that we do, and let's hope you 378 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: do as well. It turns out that lots of world 379 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: leaders have had lots of weird pets. Benito Mussolini had 380 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: a lion, sure, and we talked about Pablo Escar and 381 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: his hippos right the girafts and other assorted exotic, large, 382 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: unwieldy beasts. I believe it was North Korean dictator Kim 383 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: Jong il, not his son Kim Jong Yeah, it was. 384 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Il had the huge love of dogs, and 385 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: later on his son opened a dog zoo pavilion. So 386 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: it's a zoo, but just dogs. You know, it would 387 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: be a good rap name. What's that Kim Jong ill? 388 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: With two else? Two else? How is that not a thing? Yet? 389 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: That's a great idea. Probably is, that's a great idea. Uh. 390 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: Fidel Castro had a cow named Ubrey Blanca and idio 391 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: I mean, did have crocodiles for real, but he fed 392 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: them corpses of his enemies. Let's that's a functional pet 393 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: right there. Yeah, it's like those giant pigs in that 394 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: silence of the Lamb's movie Hannibal or whatever then neath 395 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: the bodies, Yeah, or in Deadwood to Woo Woo and 396 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: his pigs. You know, I mean that that animal had 397 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: a job that was They're just like it wasn't just 398 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: a charming thing like Rebecca the Raccoon exactly. But what 399 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: about the what about the other non exotic pet snel. Yeah, 400 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: it seems as the time progressed, presidential pets have gotten 401 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: progressively more vanilla. The most popular and recognizable presidential buddy 402 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: is is the the dog, the loyal friend of man 403 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: and woman. Yeah, I mean dogs and people. We go, 404 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: we go way back, and there's pretty compelling evidence that 405 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: humans have impacted the evolution of dogs. Yeah. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 406 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: who was the thirty second president from ninety three to nineteen, 407 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 1: had a pretty famous um companion by the name of Fala, 408 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:42,360 Speaker 1: was a Scottish terrier and that famously attended his funeral. 409 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:50,119 Speaker 1: Um is now remembered at the FDR Museum in Washington. 410 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: Oh Man, that's sad. Yeah, you know what it makes 411 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 1: me think of a Pixar movie. Well, a Disney property 412 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: for sure, though. Um, you know, Carrie Fisher famously played 413 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: Princess Leiah and and did a great job in her 414 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: last role in the Last Jedi, which I really enjoyed 415 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 1: quite a lot. Um, she had a loving dog that 416 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 1: she took with her everywhere. Whenever she was on the 417 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 1: press circuit, she always had this little dog. And apparently, uh, 418 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: the dog attended a premiere or whenever it sees her 419 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: on TV, it kind of gets gets bummed out. And 420 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: I think the dog actually had a cameo in the 421 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: Last Jedi. Really well, that's that's amazing. That's a that's 422 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: a more heartwarming note there, I think so too. Moving 423 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: on back to presidents, we have Warren G. Harding, President 424 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: number twenty nine nine. Um, his dog's name was Laddie Boy, 425 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: and he gifted Laddie Boy a hand carved chair to 426 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: sit alongside him during meetings. It's good to be king, 427 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: you know. And when it comes to the type of 428 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 1: animals that are present in the White House, by far 429 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: As Well said they're going to be dogs. But I'm 430 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: I'm amazed with these names, you know, like just Goat 431 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: named old Whiskers. Taft had a cow named Pauline, last 432 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: cow to live at the White House so far, and 433 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: it seems that almost well, it seems that the vast 434 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 1: majority of presidents at least had a dog, doesn't it. 435 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: It does seem that way. And there's a great quote 436 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: that kind of sums all this up from Evan Piffer 437 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: from the White House Historical Association. UM, that sort of 438 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: gets to the heart of this with why this is 439 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,639 Speaker 1: such a thing except for with our current president. Um, 440 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: pets humanize the White House and the presidency. Just like 441 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: so many Americans have pets, so do the presidents. It's 442 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: a link between the life of a president and the 443 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: life of millions of Americans. And I think that is 444 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: spot on and that is a good time for us 445 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: to end today because this is making me miss my 446 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: pets a little bit, you know, I want to go 447 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: take them out and hang out with him in a 448 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: going wall and adventures. It reminds me. Also, folks, we'd 449 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: like to hear about what kind of exotic animal you 450 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: would keep as a pet no holds barred, you know, 451 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: if this is a wishes or horses type situation where 452 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: the animal would have all the you know, all the 453 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: freedom to move around that it wanted to, and it 454 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't be stuck in any position or cruelty. But if 455 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: you could like be friends with any any exotic animal, 456 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 1: what would it be. Why? I would want a baby 457 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: hippopotamus that just stayed a baby forever. See, I would 458 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: want a tiger or a bear that that could talk 459 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,239 Speaker 1: to me, and uh, you know, we would hang out 460 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: and we would go I don't know, we would go 461 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: adventuring skiing. Maybe, yeah, we get some tiger trail walking 462 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: bear skis. We probably start with just trail walking. Yeah, 463 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: we'll have to ease into like laser tag and stuff. 464 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: You go. That sounds like a friendship for the ages. Ben. 465 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: Thanks Van, and we want to hear your thoughts. As 466 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: you can tell, we're very much fans of presidential trivia 467 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: and I think the quote by Evan there nailed it 468 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: the motivation for these strange and unusual pets. Uh. We 469 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: very much hope you enjoyed this episode and we hope 470 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: that you will check us out, send us a review 471 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,960 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcast, and you can also find 472 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: Nolan I on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Twitter's the other 473 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: one that's the one. It's popular. It doesn't know how 474 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: to make money. Apparently it's true. But if you don't 475 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: want to do any of that stuff, why not just 476 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:40,239 Speaker 1: send us a good old fashioned email too Ridiculous at 477 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com. And and most importantly, I 478 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: hope you're having a happy New Year. I feel like 479 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: we missed the boat on saying that Happy New Year everyone. Yeah, 480 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: And I just want to mention to um. This show 481 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: is produced and edited by Casey Pegram and our theme 482 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: music is composed by the lovely Alex williams Um and 483 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: we record here in our studios at Pont City Market 484 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia. And we also want to thank our 485 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: fellow researcher, John Donovan, who wrote the article on the 486 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: history of Strange Animals in the White House for How 487 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. And most importantly, we want to thank you 488 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: for listening and hope that you'll join us next time 489 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: for another episode of Ridiculous History.