1 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 2 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good 3 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: friend man guest Shot Ticketer. Although today we're in different 4 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: places because it's Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, Mango, they will so 5 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: I'm in a house full of family and kids, so 6 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: hopefully my Henry and Ruby won't start banging the piano 7 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: during this, but Happy Thanksgiving to YouTube, well we'll We'll 8 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: roll with it either way. And good news Mango guests 9 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: who finished that Thanksgiving sweater he's been knitting for like 10 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: what three weeks now? I think no way, Tristan actually 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: finished it. That's right, Yeah, that's the man on the 12 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: other side of the soundproof glass, our friend and producer 13 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil and Mango. It really is actually a beautiful sweater. 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: It's this it's a turkey reading on top of this 15 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: cornucopia and under it it says gobbled book. I don't 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: I don't fully get it, but I'll send you a 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 1: picture that sounds glorious. And joining us for the second 18 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: time on Nine Things and actually her third time on 19 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: the show is the brilliant co host of food Stuff, 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbam, Lauren, welcome back. Oh, thank you so much. Well, 21 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: welcome to your own show too. Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving. Alright, 22 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: so it's no surprise that our facts today would be 23 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: focused on Thanksgiving. So let's let's get straight to them 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: so everybody can start feasting. Lauren, you want to kick 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: us off, Yeah, absolutely, so, Okay, my first fact is 26 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: about what the Pilgrim's probably eight, because you know, like 27 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: that that's a good first question to kick us off, like, like, 28 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: what was the original Thanksgiving about? Uh? Short answer is 29 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: that no one really knows. Long answer is that it 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: might not have been turkey but instead el huh yeah, 31 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: I mean you know, like like maybe turkey too, but 32 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: it probably wasn't the focus of the feast. There's probably 33 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: eels and lobster, clams and muscles, maybe some venison and 34 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: stuff like that. No potatoes, though potatoes hadn't even made 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: it to North America, neither white potatoes nor sweet potatoes. 36 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: We have a little bit of time to try to 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: pull together some some eel for this, so thank you 38 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: very much for that first fact. That's a good one, 39 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: all right, Mango, what's your first factum? My first facts 40 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: about plumbers. So if you think Black Friday is bad 41 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: because all the clogging at the malls, you should be 42 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: glad you're not a plumber. According to Rotor Ruter, the 43 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: day after Thanksgiving is referred to as Brown Friday because 44 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: it's year. Plumbers are actually twice as busy on Brown Friday, 45 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: and emergency calls go out all weekend. And while some 46 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: of the work is definitely bathroom related, you know, having 47 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: more guests does tend to overwork the toilets, the majority 48 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 1: of the work is actually about cleaning out clogged up sinks. Okay, wow, 49 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: Brown Friday, I had never heard that before. All right, well, 50 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: my first facts be King of Leftovers. Actually, the first 51 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: frozen dinner was created because of Thanksgiving leftovers. This was 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: back in nineteen fifty three. Someone at Swanson Foods ordered 53 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: a little too much turkey. Now we're talking two hundred 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: and sixty tons of excess bird to be exact on this. 55 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: So they had to find a way to use that meat. 56 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: So enter a salesman named Jerry Thomas, and he ordered 57 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: five thousand aluminum trays. Then he pulled together this assembly 58 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: line of people to scoop cornbread, dressing and peas and 59 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: sweet potatas into the trays, you know, along with all 60 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: that turkey and the frozen dinner was born like that. 61 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: Al right, so you're second fact, Lauren, what you got? 62 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: Oh okay about the wishbone? You know, the tradition of 63 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: splitting the wishbone over the dinner table. Yeah, that actually 64 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: stems from an ancient Etruscan ritual. Trust. Yeah, they believe 65 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: that chickens were oracles that could predict the future. Obviously, 66 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: and there's a word for this, it's called electriomancy or 67 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: rooster divination. Yeah. They would they would put a chicken 68 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: in the middle of the circle that they had drawn 69 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: in the on the ground, and that was divided up 70 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: into wedges, and based on where the chicken pecked, they 71 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: would they would translate that into these messages about what 72 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: to do, uh, you know, how to answer their big questions. 73 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: And because chickens don't last forever, they would also when 74 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: the chicken, you know, when the oracle chicken passed, they 75 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: would take the wishbone and dry it out and preserve 76 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: it so that they could have access to that poultry power. Later. 77 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: Supposedly they passed this onto the Romans and at that point, 78 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: the chicken supply was kind of dwindling, so they had 79 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: a tradition of breaking the wishbone in two to you know, 80 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: pass the past the magic along to more people, and 81 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: the Romans brought it to the British aisles and the 82 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: British brought it here. Wow, it's funny that that's one 83 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: of those things that got passed down for so long. 84 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: I had no idea the origin was so far back. 85 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: That's really good. All thanks to Rooster Nancy. That's that's right, 86 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: that's right. Alright, mango, what's your next fact? So this 87 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: is one of Thomas Jefferson, So you know, as admire 88 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: it as Jefferson was, did you know that he actually 89 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: refused to acknowledge Thanksgiving that yeah, friendly, I mean, you know, 90 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: now everyone knows that Lincoln is one who actually made 91 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: it a federal holiday, but before that, every president kind 92 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: of had to declare the celebration every year, and Jefferson 93 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: just refused. I mean, historians think it was because he 94 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: was so committed to the idea of separation of church 95 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: and state, because Thanksgiving this more religious and uh, prayer 96 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 1: filled holiday back then. But he actually called Thanksgiving quote 97 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: the most ridiculous idea ever conceived, it's not actually been. 98 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: Before we go on. I I did want to say 99 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: Stacy told me that fact, but she actually brought me 100 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: this extra fact nugget on presidents, and it's about William 101 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: Howard Taft and that he preferred to serve roasted possum 102 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: with quote decorative potatoes in their mouths potato. I don't 103 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: know about you, guys, but I'm glad I'm not eating 104 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: eel and decorative tatoes inside a possum today. So alright, Well, 105 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: my next fact also has to do with a um 106 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: with a president. So from nineteen thirty nine to nineteen 107 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: forty one, we actually had Frank's Giving, and I'll explain why. 108 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty nine, FDR moved Thanksgiving up a week. 109 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: This because it had previously been on the last Thursday 110 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: of the month, and in nineteen thirty nine that happened 111 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: to fall on the very last day of the month, 112 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: and that made retailers really anxious and angry because they 113 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 1: knew that that would be cutting into the holiday shopping season, 114 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: and so he decided to move it up by a week. 115 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: Well you think, maybe no big deal, but actually many 116 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: of FDR's political foes were furious about this. In fact, 117 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: one of them even compared him to Hitler. There's a 118 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,239 Speaker 1: quote from the Kansas governor at the time, Alf land 119 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: and who who happened to be FDR's political opponent for 120 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirty six election. But he said quote, more 121 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: time should have been taken in working it out so 122 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: as to assure wholehearted cooperation, and instead of springing it 123 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: upon an unprepared country with the omnipotence of a Hitler. 124 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: Pretty strong words there, Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, so 125 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: until it was officially signed into legislation as the fourth 126 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: Thursday of November, there were a couple of years where 127 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: states and conservative control continued to celebrate Thanksgiving on the 128 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: last Thursday of the month, and then the New Dealers 129 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: celebrated it the week before, so the earlier holiday was 130 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: actually known derisively as Frank's Giving. All right, we've got 131 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: one more fact each, Lauren, Okay, this one is about 132 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: Julia Child. If if any of y'all part time genius 133 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: listeners out there, uh, listen to food stuff as well, 134 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: you'll know that she's kind of one of my personal heroes. 135 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: And this this is so charming. So even during the 136 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: height of her fame in the nineteen seventies and eighties, 137 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: Julia Child kept her home telephone listed in the phone 138 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: book in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and she would answer calls from 139 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,239 Speaker 1: people who were wondering what to do, like having trouble 140 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: with a recipe up to an including on Thanksgiving, like 141 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: she would be cooking dinner and uh, someone would call 142 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,679 Speaker 1: in panicked about their turkey. She would hand her whisk 143 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: off to somebody else and just kind of talk them 144 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: down like whether or not it was actual like like 145 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: recipe advice or just going like, I don't know, now, 146 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: it's totally turkey, doesn't even have to be served warm, 147 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: do whatever you want, and just just you know, making 148 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: everyone's day a little bit nicer. And she she refused 149 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: to turn off the phone for for anything. She just 150 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: always always would try to help people out. That is unbelievable. Yeah, 151 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: that's a great fact. Well, you know, I know we 152 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: don't have Julia Child to call anymore, but we do 153 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: still have the butter Ball hot Line. Now, I'm assuming 154 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: most of our listeners are aware of the Butterball hot Line, 155 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: but just in case they aren't, it's been an operation 156 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: for more than thirty years now, and so in November 157 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: and December they're about fifty or sixty experts that are 158 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: on the lines to answer the more than one hundred 159 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: thousand questions that come into the hot line. People call 160 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: one eight hundred butter ball. And the most common question, 161 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: of course, is my turkey is still frozen, so what 162 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: do I do? But the reason I wanted to point 163 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: this out is I always like looking at the list 164 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: of the weirdest questions that come in, and there was 165 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: one that came in recently that was I left my 166 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: turkey in a snow bank to keep it cold, and 167 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: now I can't find it. What should I do? There 168 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: are for turkeys? Is that A that's a good question. Alright, Well, mano, 169 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: Sorry I had to jump in front of you there, 170 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: But after she shared the a Julia Child fact, I 171 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: just thought it was time to talk about butter ball. 172 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: So you've got you've got one more fact. Yeah, and 173 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: and it's a good one. So, um, did you realize 174 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: that Big Birds costume is entirely made of turkey feathers? 175 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: According to CNN, those beautiful big feathers come from the 176 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: rear end of a turkey and Sesame Street actually has 177 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: strict approval on what feathers get used. Apparently one out 178 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: of ten feathers gets rejected. And also to make that 179 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 1: beautiful plumage, it about several thousand feathers, along with extras 180 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: for when the costume woltz. And uh, just to be clear, 181 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: one of the many things I'm thankful for is big bird. 182 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, Ah, that's pretty great and it may be 183 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: my favorite fact for today. And and I kind of 184 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: want to name you the winner, but I actually feel 185 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: like Tristan Sweater is stolen the show, so I think 186 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: I want to give him the trophy. Are you guys 187 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: okay with that? Totally? I'm here, I'm here with him 188 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: in the studio, and I've got to say it's it's 189 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: actually glowing a little bit. I'm not sure how he 190 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: did that. Man. Well, congratulations Tristan, and listeners were certainly 191 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: thankful for you, and hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 192 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: We'll be back with a full length episode tomorrow.