1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Factory Fiction History Stuff for the History buff 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: on how Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm editor Candice gifts Into. I'm I'm I 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: guest staff writer Jane McGrath. Hey, Candice, how's it going 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: pretty good? How are you? I am gearing out for 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: my Christmas shopping. I always like to do it early 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: and beat the crowds. Oh, you're better than me. Well, 8 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: I was thinking what sort of job could I have 9 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: that would give me carte blaunched just by just whatever 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: I want? And I was thinking the more powerful you are, 11 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: typically the more money you make. That. I was like, well, 12 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: what about the most powerful man in the in the country, 13 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: in the free world, the the US President. He must 14 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: have just, you know, tons of money to work with, 15 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: you would think, you would think, And then I was 16 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: really surprised to find out that's not the case. Yeah, 17 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: not exactly. Presidents make uh. Now, it's about four hundred 18 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: thousand a year, which I mean in scope comparatively in 19 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: the private sector, it's not that much. It's not that great. 20 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: I guess it's not. I mean, to me, in my opinion, 21 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: four hundred thousand dollars is still a lot of them, 22 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: but considering his position, yeah, considering everything he has to do, 23 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: it doesn't seem like that much. And like you mentioned, 24 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: in the private sector, Bush is actually or he was 25 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: actually part owner of the Texas Rangers and he sold 26 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: that a couple of years ago and I think he 27 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: earned like fourteen point nine million dollars for it. And 28 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: then Cheney is also independently wealthy. I think his net 29 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: worth is around thirty million. And yet again four hundred 30 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, and then the vice president's salary is two 31 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: hundred eight thousand, one hundred dollars and telling him of 32 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: the president salary, that hasn't always been the case. Obviously 33 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: gets changed throughout the years to accommodate with for inflation 34 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: and stuff, but it actually gets changed very often. Um, 35 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: the last time was changed, Uh, Clinton actually made two 36 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: hundred thousand. But before that, like it hadn't been changed 37 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: since about sixty nine, So it was about thirty years 38 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: of the president went without a pay increase. Yes, they're 39 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: in sixty nine. It was a hundred thousand, and then 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: Clinton signed legislation back in for the increase to occur 41 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: I think in two thousand one, and that's an important 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: caveat the president can't increase his own salary when he's 43 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: in office, that's right, And that's a little different. Actually, 44 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: if you look at Congress for instance, Congress can actually 45 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: raise their own salaries, and that's a pretty popular vote. 46 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: You would imagine, Yeah, I can't imagine anyone saying no 47 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: to that. And for important and obvious reasons, we see 48 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: why the president can changes in salary. But um, the 49 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: first lady we've talked about before, she has no salary, 50 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: but she gets a pension when her husband is out 51 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: of office. It's twenty tho dollars a year, which you know, 52 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: it sounds kind of meager, especially in comparison to your 53 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: retired president's pension of hundred fifty thousand. And then he 54 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: also gets another hundred fifty thousand to maintain his staff. 55 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: And you can even go back like people ask like, hey, 56 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: that's a lot of money to me. So do we 57 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: really have to pay the president that much? I mean, 58 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: shouldn't he be in the job to be a good 59 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: public servant to to the public and the actual The 60 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,519 Speaker 1: Framers actually considered this, and they thought, like they actually considered, 61 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: you know, looking at the possibility of giving legislators or 62 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: presidents no salary. But if that were the case, uh, 63 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: you know, it wouldn't really attract um people from the 64 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: private sector who are talented, talented people and they're skilled, 65 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: and it wouldn't bring them over and attract them to 66 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: politics in that life. That's a great point, especially if 67 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: you think about the fact that it takes millions of 68 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: dollars to even campaign for the office. That's true. If 69 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: someone wanted to run for president and there were no 70 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: salary for the president, wo would have to save up 71 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: money and you know, really be independently wealthy in order 72 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: to hold that office. And it's funny these days, because 73 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: you know, we would like to see equality, we'd like 74 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: to see a you know, a really sort of fair, 75 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: even keeled person in the White House. And not many 76 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: of us who I'd get all up in arms for 77 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: someone who was incredibly independently wealthy was making promises to 78 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: help out middle of the road Americans. It would seem 79 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: like a big disparity. That's true. That's true. And and 80 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: Framers actually considered that it would actually insent the politicians 81 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: to seek out corruption. I mean, I'm not saying that 82 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: corruption isn't possible today even with their salaries. But but 83 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: making no salary, they would certainly want to seek guilt 84 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: underhanded ways to do that. So I guess another argument 85 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: would be that if the president had no salary, he 86 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: or she would still have an expense account, and yeah, 87 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: that says something. And the president does have an expensive 88 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: is free home and board exactly gets free and board 89 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: and at which is a pretty nice place to have 90 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: free board, not at all. And the vice president's houses 91 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: and too shabby either, very nice. Oh gosh, this this 92 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: gorgeous Victorian mansion. I'm kind of in love with it 93 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: because the more staid in the White House. But as 94 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: far as their expense accounts go, that's pretty generous to 95 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: the president gets fifty thou dollars and expenses, a hundred 96 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for travel, and the nineteen thousand for entertainment, 97 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: and again, pretty sweet little package. And the vice president 98 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: gets ten thousand dollars and expenses. So and we knew 99 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: that entertain meaning. It may sound frivolous. A nineteen dollars 100 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: may sound like an awful lot of money for entertainment, 101 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: but it's really important. It's diplomatic, it's about protocol. It's ceremonial. 102 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: It's really necessary for Washington. And that's true, and especially 103 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: considering UH, presidents have to bring around foreign diplomats and 104 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: stuff like that, and so they don't want to get 105 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 1: off the impression that America is poor. So considering that 106 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: some of the people who go on to become president 107 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,679 Speaker 1: are so independently wealthy, we really do have to staff 108 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: and look at a couple of historical examples and see 109 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: exactly why people would choose to do that. That's right, 110 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: and there are there are a few examples of people 111 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: who were wealthy before they entered into politics, and you 112 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: you know, you questioned, like why would they why would 113 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: they like sacrifice a salary like a private sector salary, 114 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: And you look at the examples there um Andrew Jackson, 115 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: for one, Herbertover and uh lbj are examples that they 116 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: got a lot of money before going into politics. And 117 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 1: Hoover is actually an interesting case. He was actually, you know, 118 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: orphaned at a young age and he sort of rags 119 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: the richest story. He um, he was able to make 120 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: his way into Stanford and get an engineering degree and 121 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: he he uh the next few years, like I guess 122 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,239 Speaker 1: through the nineteen tenth and nineteen twenties. He actually got 123 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: a lot of private will through mining engineering, which doesn't 124 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: seem like it would it would get you a lot 125 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: of money, but at the time that was the that 126 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 1: was the position to be in. So it's funny that 127 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: you should mention people who make the act of decision 128 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: to go into politics, because on the exact opposite end 129 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: of the spectrum you have people who are born into 130 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: nobility and unlike the US president, monarchs stay on the 131 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: throne until they die, and the US president, well, that's 132 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: not the case either. He served one term for four 133 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: years or two terms for eight years and then it's over. 134 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: It put something kind of an awkward position. It does. 135 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: It does. It's so funny, and it's almost like a 136 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: mother watching her son get married and then she's not 137 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: quite sure like how much she can she can interfere 138 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: and say, um, I think you need to be doing this, 139 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: or I think you need to be styling your hair 140 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:00,040 Speaker 1: in this way, or I don't really like that's you 141 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: pricked out. That's how I can see of the ex president, 142 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,799 Speaker 1: of course on a much more important scale, and George 143 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: Washington really set the president for the ex president and 144 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: I have to recommend a book for you guys. It's 145 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: called Second Acts Presidential Lives and Legacies after the White House. 146 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: And I think this book does such a fantastic job 147 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: of explaining the strange role of the ex president or 148 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: the post president. Really, and the idea that George Washington 149 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: came up with was undone with politics. I'm gonna go home. 150 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to be a gentleman farmer and if anyone 151 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: needs me in Washington, well, they never to find me, 152 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: and they did need him. And so he went back 153 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: and with a lot of grace and dignity, he served 154 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: another military role and then he went back home and retired. 155 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: And I think that before Truman's time, on average, the 156 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: ex presidents lived about eleven years after they finished the office, 157 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: and today it's more like fifteen years. And again that's 158 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: an average. Someone like Jimmy Carter is still going strong, 159 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: like really really strong, that's right, And he's still making 160 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: differences in the public spot late at least, and in 161 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: promoting future presidents. Yeah, exactly. And I think that the 162 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: ex presidents they make a careful decision about how they 163 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: want to spend their retirement. And I think that today 164 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: even more than in the past. It's important for them 165 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: to be seen and they can fill a diplomatic post 166 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: or they can fill a political post, and there's something 167 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: that's really powerful and that creates a resonating feel of unity. 168 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: When you see a bunch of ex presidents altogether, you 169 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: get the senset. There's still a lot of confidence in 170 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,599 Speaker 1: that in that role, and there's still a lot of 171 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 1: satisfaction of well, I played this out. And you know, 172 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: it's funny talking about taking pride and serving that position. 173 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: My favorite ex president ever, Thomas Jefferson. On his tombstone, 174 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: it doesn't even say that he was President of the 175 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: United States. That wasn't something that he took as much 176 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: pride in as founding the University of Virginia, which he 177 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: did after his presidency, helping to draft the Declaration and 178 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: the Statute of Religious Freedom in Virginia. Uh. Teddy Roosevelt 179 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: also had a really interesting post presidency. He was so 180 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: popular and so young that he could have easily want 181 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: a second term, but he chose not to run again 182 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: and instead he recommended Taft to the position, and he 183 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: did win and he was president. But then Teddy came 184 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: back and he was like, I'm not so happy with 185 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: what the things are going. So he ran again, and 186 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: he actually split the Republican Party ticket at that point 187 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: between himself and Taft, and then Woodrow Wilson got in, 188 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: which is probably a good thing because of the diplomacy 189 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: he was able to extend during his administration. But you 190 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: don't see a lot of presidents doing that generally when 191 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: they're done with the office. They're kind of done and 192 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: they don't really advise at that point, Like you said, 193 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: they have a ceremonial presence more than anything else. Yeah, 194 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: it's kind of nice. You mentioned that that you see 195 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: ex presidents together, and often that happens to be presidents 196 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: that are both Republican and Democrat. It's kind of nice 197 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: to see the bipartisan, you know, and bearing of the 198 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: ex sort of thing exactly. And again with Thomas Jefferson, 199 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: my favorite, he in one of his political um allies 200 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: turned enemies, John Adams. They were, oh my goodness, they 201 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: were in communicator for years and then after they both 202 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: finished the presidency, I think they were sort of a 203 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: quiet understanding between them, and they had this correspondence back 204 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: and forth over the years, and then they ended up 205 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: dying on the exact same day to Lie four six. 206 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 1: And I think John Adams said that his only consolation 207 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: on his deathbed was knowing that his friend Thomas Jefferson 208 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: lived and you know, ha ha, he didn't. But but 209 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: the office also takes a physical toll on presidents too, 210 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: that's right. And if you look at like I imagine 211 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: like Nixon, for instance, had had some hard times there 212 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: in the last in the last months of his presidency, 213 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: and I'm sure that took a toll on him. But 214 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: also if you look at perhaps Um Reagan, he uh 215 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: he maybe weren't wasn't haggard after office because of political reasons, 216 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: but the country watched as his health were degenerated and 217 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: he suffered from Alzheimer's and he started forgetting you know, 218 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: even the fact that you was president, And it's pretty said, 219 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: it is, And even to flashback to someone like FDR 220 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: and his health conditions, it's hard to see your country's 221 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:14,319 Speaker 1: leader incapacitated like that. But the fact that his mind 222 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: was sharp enough to lead the country, I think is 223 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: a really really powerful thing. It's true. So if you 224 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: want to learn more about presidents past, present, and future, 225 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: be sure to check out how stuff works dot com 226 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: for more on this and thousands of other topics. Doesn't 227 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Let us know what you think. 228 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:44,439 Speaker 1: Send an email to podcast at how stuff works dot com.