1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Fellow Ridiculous Historians, Welcome back to this week's classic episode. 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: We are quickly approaching the moment Noel where our pal 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Max Williams joins the show. 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: That's true, and this is a really fun episode to 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 2: mark the occasion, or you know, at least getting close 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 2: to the occasion, that time California school children participated in 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 2: something called the Great Squirrel War. 8 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, this is crazy. We don't even want 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: to spoil it. Let's just roll the tape. 10 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: Let's do it. 11 00:00:32,920 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio Friends, Neighbors, Farmers, 12 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: city dwellers, rural and urban residents alike. Have you ever 13 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: had an infestation of pest, say, roaches or rats or 14 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: bats and so on? Hi, I'm ben. 15 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: No no, but I did once have a pet squirrel 16 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: named mister Muffin Tops. Was this? 17 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: Was it an animal that lived nearby or an animal 18 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: in a cage? 19 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 2: Yes? Both? Okay, I made that up. I just wanted 20 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: to say mister muffin Tops and I would honestly be 21 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 2: terrified to have a squirrel for a pet. I'm very 22 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 2: skittish around creatures that have unpredictable movements and beady eyes, 23 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: which squirrels definitely do. 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: I've had in my various stages of life, I've lived 25 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: in places that were infested with bats, possums, and of 26 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: course squirrels, which are wily creatures. I have a friend 27 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: here in Atlanta, where this podcast is based who raised 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: a squirrel in his apartment, and the squirrel was very friendly, 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: very nice. But eventually, you know, being wild animals, when 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: they reach adulthood, it's time to say goodbye. 31 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: Right. 32 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: It was a rescue squirrel, by the way, he didn't 33 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: steal it. But how could I mention infestations without talking 34 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: about one of the number one infestations in my heart 35 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: and yours? Null super producer Casey Pegram. 36 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: It's just an infestation of joy and kindness, I know, 37 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: and goodwill towards humanity. 38 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, and even squirrels, I would imagine, Casey, did 39 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: you ever have an infestation in your house or your 40 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: neighborhood growing up? 41 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 3: Yeah? Actually my parents' house, we had bats in the 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 3: attic and my room was upstairs, and so I was 43 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 3: the only one kind of in close proximity to said 44 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 3: bats like throughout the day, and I would just hear 45 00:02:54,800 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 3: these like kind of faint chirping sounds, and I, you know, 46 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 3: I reported this to my parents over and over tried 47 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 3: to get them to believe me, and they were just like, no, 48 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 3: it's just like a fan that's squeaky up there, you know. 49 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 3: And so one day my mom goes into the attic 50 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: and what does she see but a bat like feet 51 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 3: in front of her face, and she screams and freaks out, 52 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 3: and then they believe me about the bats after that point. 53 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 3: But I had actually gone as far as to like 54 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: take some of my audio recording gear and put it 55 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: up to the vent and like record them and then 56 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 3: boost it and post and you know, amplify the signal 57 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: enhanced and sounded like bats to me. But it required 58 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: a little more proof. 59 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 2: You, really, I think you ended up in the wrong field. 60 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: You should have become. You should have been like a 61 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: like a ghostbuster for pasts exactly, forensic tools, meters and 62 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: all that. 63 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: That's right, your Wanda monitor, yeah, exactly, Casey. On the case, 64 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: I had the same I'm bonding with you here, Casey, 65 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: because I had the same situation I was in. I 66 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: lived in a bonus room in our house and we 67 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: had we had this unfit thing that was pretty much 68 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: an attic but had a creepy door to it. And 69 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: I remember vividly those weird chirping noises, but once you 70 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: see them in your house, it's surprising. The point of 71 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: this relatively circuitous introduction is to say that there is 72 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: one thing that unifies a lot of homeowners across the world, 73 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: and that is that we like our outside animals to 74 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: stay outside. And we often, in the course of human civilization, 75 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: come into conflict with animals. And this is this is 76 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: something historically happens all the time. You know, there are 77 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: stories of locusts in ancient text there are stories of 78 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: other things. I'm off the top of the dome. Here, frogs, 79 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: there we go. You know, the plagues, the biblical ones 80 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: the locusts would eat, would decimate fields of grain and 81 00:04:59,560 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: other crops. 82 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: And that's the thing. We like animals when they're cute 83 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: and cuddly, and they keep a healthy distance from us, 84 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 2: and they stay in their animal lanes. But as soon 85 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: as they start eating our lunch, it will not stand. 86 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 2: This is this animal aggression will not stand, my friends, and. 87 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: We often band together as humans to cooperatively combat the 88 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: threats posed by wild animals. Today's story takes us all 89 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: the way back. 90 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: To nineteen eighteen. 91 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: As American soldiers were battling German forces in France, there 92 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: was an entirely new war going on in California, and 93 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: it used child. 94 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 2: Soldiers of all places. Yeah, this is how a fantastic 95 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 2: article on Alice Obscura sets up this tale. And little 96 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: spoilerlerd here in nineteen eighteen, California drafted children into a 97 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 2: war on squirrels, is the title of this article by 98 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 2: the fantastic Dave Gilson. I had never heard of this 99 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: and the squirrel war. We know about war as real 100 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: wars that were started by all kinds of arbitrary things, 101 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: like there's the stray dog war, there was the one 102 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 2: about the camel, there was the one about like a bucket. 103 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 2: This is not a real war, but it involves some 104 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: anti German propaganda a little down the line. That's why 105 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: the setup works so well. But here's the thing. In California, 106 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 2: they were in the midst of a ground squirrel epidemic. 107 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 2: These little buggers were consuming about thirty million dollars worth 108 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: of crops, which if you enter that into the old 109 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: inflation calculator, it's approaching five hundred million dollars of food stuffs. Yeah. 110 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely, I personally think squirrels are cute. I know they're 111 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: not for everybody, but I've also never been in a 112 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: situation where they are literally eating eating the food supply 113 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,679 Speaker 1: on which I would depend. So these squirrels were not loved, 114 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: not lovable. They were seen as a source of pestilence, 115 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: you know, and they were thought to be a vector 116 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: for the plague. So California addressed the problem. And we've 117 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: got a great quote from State Horticulture Commissioner George h. Heck, 118 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: which is a cool name, so old Man Heck says, 119 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: we have enemies here at home, more destructive perhaps than 120 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: some of the enemies our boys are fighting and the trenches. 121 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: He said this as part of an impassioned call up 122 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: for what he called school soldiers to self organize, you know, 123 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: within your classroom, your friends, or your overall school to 124 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: eradicate these ground squirrels. In California as part of a 125 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: seven day event they called Squirrel Week. You know, because 126 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: a week is seven days long, is. 127 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: That like Shark Week? 128 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: It is a little more agro than Shark Week, but 129 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: deep cut, nice reference. Do we mention that on air. 130 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: Back to the old, the old parent company. Yeah, back 131 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: several parent companies ago, Shark Week was was a regular 132 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 2: occurrence around the office. 133 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: People still love Shark Week. That's still a thing, right, Yeah, 134 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: Shark Week is great. It's it's good stuff to watch. 135 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: I think what got us is way back in the 136 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: day when when we worked with Discovery, every podcast was 137 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: told to come up with something related to Shark Week. 138 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: And I don't know if I ever mentioned this to you, 139 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: but this was when Scott, Benjamin and I were still 140 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: doing car stuff and we see guys car stuff and sharks. 141 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: How do we make this work? But we did twice. 142 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: You can check about They're not They're not the best episodes, but. 143 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 2: There I'm sure there are a lot of fun don 144 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: I enjoy that entire catalog and I miss it dearly, 145 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 2: just just like everyone else. It's true. But you know what, 146 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 2: forget move over Shark Week. It's time for Squirrel Week. 147 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 2: And what Squirrel Week was was a promotion that the 148 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 2: government pumped a pretty penny into to disseminate print and 149 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 2: dissemin pamphlets, posters, and all of all kinds of literature. 150 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: Because that's what you spent money on in those days. 151 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: I don't know, maybe some broadcast pieces, what do you think. 152 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, public speeches. California is set aside forty large from 153 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: their emergency wartime fund to create this Squirrel Week campaign. 154 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: And it was a pr blitz, as you said, around 155 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: thirty four thousand posters popped up around the state, half 156 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: a million leaflets and the pamphlet which you can see. 157 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 1: The pamphlet is not subtle. 158 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 2: You can see. 159 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: Victors of this in the article and then in archival 160 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: reports from papers of the time. It says it's a 161 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: nice old timey propaganda cartoon kind of approach, and it 162 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: says in the top left, kill the squirrels, and it 163 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: shows a mother or a teacher instructing children to scatter 164 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: poison bar and then it it shows squirrels in the 165 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: bottom mister and missus squirrel h dining on dining like. 166 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: Kings, right, yeah, literally, and they've all got little speech 167 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 2: bubbles next to them. And it's like the caption for 168 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 2: this particular comic is our star borders as though they're 169 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 2: at some sort of bed and breakfast, like we're giving 170 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 2: them free you know, free room and board. And one 171 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 2: of the missus squirrel. I'm sorry, mister squirrel is saying, 172 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 2: wait time today, I'll have my favorite dish, whole wheat cakes. 173 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 2: And then missus squirrel replies, and you may save me 174 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: some nice young body. 175 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: Sprouts, and she's holding up glasses like opera glasses, opera glasses. 176 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: And in the back behind the hapless waiter who has 177 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: a tag describing him as a farmer, there is a 178 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: sign that says Hotel California board bill for squirrels in 179 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen thirty million dollars. So that's the amount of 180 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: damage this ground squirrel infestation was doing to the agriculture 181 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: of California. 182 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 2: Here's my favorite little detail. I actually didn't notice this 183 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 2: until just now. On the bottom outside of the circle 184 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 2: that's sort of the cartoon panel that's framing the squirrel 185 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 2: scene are two squirrels wearing those Kaiser Wilhelm kind of 186 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 2: spiked helmets. Yep. And that's the little touch of anti 187 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 2: German propaganda. And we'll hear more about that in some 188 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 2: of these other pamphlets. 189 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 3: Right. 190 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: So, what they wanted to do in this Squirrel Week 191 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: campaign was to inspire patriotism in kids who knew that 192 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: their relatives or maybe even one of their parents was 193 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: active in the war effort. They wanted these kids to 194 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: feel like they were doing their part by sprinkling rodent 195 00:11:55,480 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: side outside of these various squirrel burrows. The pamphlet even 196 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: included a recipe for strict nine laced grain, as well 197 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: as suggestions for other squirrel killing methods shooting, drowning, the 198 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: use of poisonous gas. This is heavy, heavy stuff for children, 199 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: but they knew that money talks, right. The heart may 200 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: want what it wants, but the pocketbook does too. So 201 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: just in case doing one's patriotic duty was not inspiration enough, 202 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: they also sweetened the pot with rewards for the kids 203 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 1: who killed the most squirrels. 204 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a tiered rewards system, fifty bucks for 205 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: the winner at each elementary school. What the organization behind 206 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 2: this must have been pretty decent, right, Yeah, so fifty 207 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 2: bucks for the grand prize, and then you got your 208 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 2: runners up making thirty and twenty and ben you want 209 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 2: to you want to handy dandy inflation calculatron, those bad boys. 210 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 1: Sure, fifty bucks is around eight hundred dollars today, zounds, 211 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: I know, especially Can you imagine you're in elementary school, 212 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: you get eight hundred. 213 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 2: What are you gonna do with that? Buy more ammunition 214 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 2: for your red ryder bb gun. I imagine. 215 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, man, they might get in like this 216 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: feedback loop and just buy more strict nine. 217 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 2: To poison the week. How many full blown psychopaths do 218 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 2: you think this program created? Ben? 219 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: Probably about three hundred and seventeen. 220 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 2: You put that on the inflation calculator. 221 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 1: So if you got the runner up position and you 222 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: got thirty dollars, that was still five hundred dollars back then. 223 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: And then if you got twenty bucks, that was still 224 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: three hundred and thirty something dollars. So this is this 225 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: is good cash for psychopaths. 226 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: Potential budding psychopaths, aspiring psychopaths, right totally. So the thing 227 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 2: that's that's really interesting is this was all happening during 228 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 2: World War One and there was always a need for propaganda, 229 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 2: and they were certainly able to sneak these messages into 230 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 2: this material for for Squirrel Week and start making the 231 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 2: squirrels like stand ins for the greater enemy at large, 232 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 2: and the language even really started to shift to some 233 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 2: slogans like this, he preys on our crops and countless hordes. 234 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 2: He fills the ranks of the killed in true military fashion. 235 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 2: You know why hesitate? We can get them, how poison them, 236 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 2: gas them, drown them, shoot them, trap them, submarinum. Why 237 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 2: do you submarin a squirrel? 238 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: It feels like just a different way of saying drown them. 239 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: They also had neat little catchphrases. Right in one text, 240 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: it says millions of food must be saved. Slay the 241 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: mother squirrel during breeding season. March to me, remember a 242 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: squirrel in time saves killing nine. 243 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 2: That's right, But that's. 244 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: The there's a loophole with that. And I don't want 245 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: to be too cold, but if we are addressing the 246 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: reward system in play, then you would want to kill 247 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: nine squirrels. You wouldn't want to kill them early, you 248 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: know what I mean. They didn't think that all the 249 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: way through, but they had a lot of money on 250 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: the line, and with this creeping propaganda, with these squirrels 251 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: being painted increasingly as German soldiers, if we're being honest, 252 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: we see the cause move beyond the boundaries of California. 253 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: The US Food Administrator at the time, a guy named 254 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: Herbert Hoover, who would later go on to be President 255 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: heartily approved of this effort because he said they were 256 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: saving vast quantities of food which might otherwise be used 257 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: for support of our armies abroad. So we're not just 258 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: fighting pests in California, We're helping the war effort in Europe. 259 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. I mean it's just empowering. And again, 260 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 2: this is kids. This is directed at kids. This is 261 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 2: a school like box top program essentially, but instead of 262 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: box tops, you're bringing in squirrel tales or literally entire 263 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 2: dead squirrel carcasses. There's an image from the Internet archive 264 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 2: that's posted on this outs Obscure article where it is 265 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 2: a barbed wire fence hung with dozens of dead squirrels. 266 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: I mean, it is very macab. There's even instructions published 267 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 2: for how to hook up a tube to the exhaust 268 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 2: pipe of a car and fill squirrel burrows with carbon 269 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: monoxide to literally gas them out. 270 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: And kids loved this exactly, just gleeful murder. Kids loved this. 271 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: They also, they loved it so much that some kids 272 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: were impatient. They didn't want to wait for all the tallies, 273 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: so they started sending squirrel carcasses directly to Commissioner. Heck, 274 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: even before squirrel Weeks started, so his office literally began 275 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: to reek, and he made a special request that children 276 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: no longer send him any more tales directly, and he 277 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: told all the county commissioners working for him, like, okay, 278 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: count the tales, keep the tally, but then please get 279 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: rid of them, bury them or something. Stop sending squirrel 280 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: tales to my office. My wife won't touch me, she says. 281 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: I wreak of death and rodents. I added that last part. 282 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 1: There's a little bit of poetic license. 283 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 2: But it was a smashing success because I think they 284 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 2: tallied somewhere, you know, official number. The official number was 285 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 2: upwards of one hundred thousand squirrels dead were recorded, but 286 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 2: they you know, it's assumed that that it would have 287 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 2: exceeded that number by quite a lot, just with the 288 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 2: attitude of rampant squirrel murder that was, you know, pervasive 289 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 2: in all of California around this time, and that attitude 290 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: continued into the future even once the program expired. That's right. 291 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: We don't know how long it lasted after Squirrel Week. 292 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: We do know, however, thanks to a report called California 293 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: Ground Squirrels, a bulletin dealing with life history habits and 294 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: control of the ground squirrels in California, that this this 295 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: machine could not switch on and off. This cultural impetus 296 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: that they had created, continued on and for a quote 297 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: indefinite period of time. Afterwards, these kids kept killing squirrels. 298 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: We do have one example, just to give us a 299 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 1: snapshot of the level of squirrel genocide occurring here in 300 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: lass In County. Later in the year there was another 301 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: anti squirrel campaign. One girl, one female student brought in 302 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: three thousand, seven hundred and eighty tails and one boy 303 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: brought in three thousand, seven hundred and seventy. So now 304 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 1: we have to ask ourselves, were these kids very very 305 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: talented squirrel assassins or were there just that many squirrels. 306 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 1: Were the hills, you know, alive with the chitters of squirrels? 307 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, the hills have eyes, my friend, tiny beady, fidgety 308 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 2: squirrel eyes and tails. Did we talk about the difference 309 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 2: between a bushy tailed tree square and a little bit 310 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 2: more of a skinny tailed, chipmunk looking ground squirrel? 311 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: We have not. That's a that's a good call. Let's 312 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: get into that. So ground squirrels technically are known as 313 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: odo spermophyllis Beachi. 314 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was having a hard time with that second part. 315 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 2: Two's got the double e and then the why and 316 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 2: then the why. The plot twisty is a big plot 317 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 2: twist why. But I think maybe any intrepid, ridiculous historians 318 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 2: out there that are what do you call that? Squorel 319 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 2: squirrel ofphiles? 320 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: You know, it's a good question. I don't know whether 321 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: we have in this language is specific word for squirrels, 322 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: but I do have good news. We can make one up. 323 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: The language is flexible enough. Let's see. We could say 324 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: squirrel ologists, which is which is tough? 325 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 2: That's real? 326 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 1: No? I mean, well it is, okay, got it? 327 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 2: English is a malleable language for sure. Squirrel squirrel that's hard. 328 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 2: That's holologists. How about? 329 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: Okay, So squirrels are part of the scuri day family, 330 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: so maybe they could call themselves scuriologists. That sounds a 331 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 1: little bit more legitimate. Although wait, now that I think 332 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: about it, and I've seen this question before somewhere, I 333 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: think rodentologist is actually a word. Squirrel Ologists might not be, 334 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: but rodentologists, I'll bet some scratch on that. 335 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 2: Surely that must be a thing. 336 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: All right, So rodentologist is probably the closest we'll get 337 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: until ridiculous historians we hear from you, because, as you said, Noel, 338 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: English is malleable. It is a living language, and you 339 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,959 Speaker 1: know this might be interesting. Hey, Casey, what's the French 340 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: word for squirrel? I'm just curious to see whether that 341 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: would be easier. 342 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 3: It's not easy. In fact, it's a weird one. The 343 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 3: French word for squirrel is rolls off the tongue, right, oh. 344 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: Man, Casey, on the case, I think we might have 345 00:20:53,119 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 1: to stick with squirrel guys or rodentologist. Squirrel weekended on 346 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: May fourth. Children continued hunting and killing squirrels to combat 347 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: this campaign, and the state considered this a great success. 348 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: According to reports, the crop yields bounced back in areas 349 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: where squirrels had been eradicated, so there was a clear correlation. 350 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: But here we are a little more than a century later, 351 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: and ground squirrels are still considered insidious pest, you know 352 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: what I mean. 353 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's certainly insight that we're used to around here 354 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 2: in Georgia, But for me, it's more the tree squirrels 355 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 2: that I'm used to seeing and whenever I go somewhere else, 356 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 2: and I see a different type of pervasive rodent, like say, 357 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 2: chipmunks or whatever that weirds me out, because I totally 358 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: did not remark upon like squirrels are like pigeons in 359 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: New York City or something like that. Around here, it's 360 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: just a very common occurrence and they don't really threaten me. 361 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 2: But have you ever seen like a rogue squirrel that 362 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 2: I'll like, it looks a little slack jawed and like 363 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 2: like shamble too close to you, like it's got the 364 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 2: rabies or something that's no fun. 365 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean a lot of people here hate squirrels, 366 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: and Casey, you were mentioning off air that some of 367 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: your friends from different parts of the world find squirrels 368 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: a little bit what spooky? 369 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess. I mean it's hard to imagine as 370 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 3: an American who's been seeing them their whole life, but yeah, 371 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 3: if you're not used to it, apparently they can be 372 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 3: quite upsetting. 373 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: I'll tell you know, as I was looking through the 374 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,239 Speaker 1: differences of ground squirrels and tree squirrels, I feel like 375 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: I ran into squirrels before what ground squirrels before? Once 376 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: long ago, and it creeped me out because I saw 377 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: them crawling on the ground, you know, like belly on 378 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: the ground, and I thought they had had their I 379 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: thought they had their backs broken or something, until I 380 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: realized they were just that's just their method of locomotion. 381 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: This was in Arizona, So those may not have been 382 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: ground squirrels. Oh no, right in and let let us 383 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: know what those weird little rodents were. We see the 384 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 1: prejudice against ground squirrels continuing today. There was a University 385 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: of California web page about damage caused by ground squirrels, 386 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: and it featured an image of a squirrel wearing a 387 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: helmet and aiming at the ground with a bazooka. So 388 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: there is still a problem, and it is true, as 389 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: strange as it may sound, California did indeed recruit child 390 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: soldiers to wage war on ground. 391 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 2: Squirrels, but they weren't the first or the last to 392 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:39,159 Speaker 2: launch a tactical strike like this against these pasts. In 393 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 2: eighteen ninety seven, according to the same author as the 394 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 2: Atlas Obscure piece, in an interview he did with The 395 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 2: Washington Post, The Washington Post in fact, published a report 396 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 2: citing that thirty US states offered quote unquote bounties for 397 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 2: troublesome animals, including like panthers, the sinister ground score of course, 398 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 2: pocket gophers, woodchucks, English sparrows, and wolves. So this was 399 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 2: definitely a thing that there was a precedent for, and 400 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 2: Pennsylvania paid out around ninety thousand dollars in bounties for 401 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 2: chicken hawks. And this is really interesting because the Post wrote, quote, 402 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 2: it appears that Pennsylvania expended ninety thousand dollars in destroying 403 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 2: birds worth three million, eight hundred and fifty seven, two 404 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 2: hundred and thirty dollars for the sake of saving one thousand, 405 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 2: eight hundred and seventy five dollars to the poultry interest. 406 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,399 Speaker 2: What they mean by that is that these very same 407 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 2: birds were actually killing thousands of mice each hawk one 408 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 2: thousand mice in a year's time, and then these were 409 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 2: very injurious to crops. So the math wasn't quite working 410 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 2: out there. 411 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: Right, because it's I think at the time it was 412 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: easy to forget how complex and interlinked every organism in 413 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: an ecosystem is. It's sort of tough to figure out 414 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: who the real hope it may be, and it's even 415 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: more difficult to figure out what the long term ramifications 416 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: of an eradication campaign will be in the future. However, today, 417 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: if you are a school child listening to this and 418 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: you are anxious to join in a murderous campaign against 419 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: one type of animal or another, we have some tough 420 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 1: news for you. Nowadays, these sorts of expeditions are left 421 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: to professional exterminators, and as a matter of fact, in 422 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 1: many states, a common pest may be protected under law. 423 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 1: So to bring it all back around to the example 424 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 1: we had from super producer Casey Pegram Casey, I imagine 425 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,719 Speaker 1: your family was not allowed to kill the bats. 426 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:49,400 Speaker 2: Is that correct? 427 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 3: That is correct, although maybe I shouldn't tell this part 428 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 3: of the story, but said bat in the attic caught 429 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 3: my mom off guard and she kind of swung at 430 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 3: it and happened to kill the poor thing. So I 431 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 3: believe the rest were safely loaded out of the attic. 432 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 3: We had pest control person come over, and I think 433 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 3: they were able to shepherd them out without costing any 434 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 3: more bad lives. 435 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: Casey on the Case, Casey on the Case. And this 436 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: concludes today's episode, but not our show. Tune in for 437 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: our next episode, when we explore a surprising opinion about 438 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: Confederate memorials. Is that giving away too much? 439 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 3: No? 440 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:32,880 Speaker 2: Nope, nope. 441 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,959 Speaker 1: Okay, there we go, So thanks so much for tuning in. 442 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: We would love to hear your infestation stories. We would 443 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: like to hear about the common pest in your neck 444 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,399 Speaker 1: of the global woods that seem normal to you but 445 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: amazing to outsiders. For instance, this is true, you guys, 446 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: a lot of people in Australia hate kangaroos. 447 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 2: Did you know that? 448 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: I think they're so cool? 449 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 2: Well, they're probably just tired of them because they're just 450 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 2: popping out of the woodwork there and Australia, or maybe 451 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 2: not right in, let us let us know. Are they 452 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 2: really as prevalent as we've been led to believe from 453 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 2: crocodile dun dfilms? 454 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: Right? Right? Shall we travel down to Australia to encounter 455 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 1: kangaroo's first hand? And you can write to us directly? 456 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: But wait, dramatic SOUNDQ please, Casey, We have a new 457 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:31,640 Speaker 1: email address. Write to us at Ridiculous at iheartpodcastnetwork dot com. 458 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: You can also find us on social media, right nol. 459 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, you sure can. We've got a pretty pop in 460 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 2: Facebook group called the Ridiculous Historians, where all kinds of 461 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 2: fun things are happening every day, and that is at 462 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 2: the Ridiculous Historians on Facebook. You can also find us 463 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 2: on Instagram, you know if you like, or you can 464 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: find us personally where I am at Embryonic Insider. 465 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: And I am in a burst of creativity at Ben Bolin. 466 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,680 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to super producer Casey Pegram, Thanks to 467 00:27:57,720 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: Alex Williams who composed our track. 468 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: Thanks to you, Ben Bolin for being the benniest Bolaniest 469 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 2: pal I could ever hope for. We'll see you next time. 470 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 471 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.