Transcript
Talkin2Todd: No squeaks.
Todd: The chair or your shoulders?
Talkin2Todd: which Well, crack, crack, pop, pop. Levels, levels.
Todd: Levels, levels.
Talkin2Todd: Did you see the NFL release the international games for this fall today?
Todd: I saw that. Nothing like talking about the football in May. I am sure we're going to get notes about this.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, I think you're probably right. So, okay, so you saw you saw what came out today. Are the Broncos going overseas anywhere this year?
Todd: Uh, no, they played in London last year and, uh, they're not named the Jaguars. So no international games this year. when I was looking, I didn't, I didn't see the bears on the list either.
Talkin2Todd: True. Yes, correct.
Todd: So, so no international games for you, this year either.
Talkin2Todd: Well, I guess I wouldn't exactly say that.
Todd: Okay. Wait, what? I mean, there's no London, no Brazil, no Australia, no Spain, or no Germany. I mean, it's not like you're leaving the country.
Talkin2Todd: Well, true, but have you been to Charlotte? It's like a whole different world, and it's not a good way.
Talkin2Todd: Hi, toddlers. Welcome to Talking to Todd, a weekly podcast with Dwayne Johnson and Todd Prins, where failure is always an option. Thanks for joining us. Hey, Todd.
Todd: Hey, how's it going?
Talkin2Todd: Pretty good. Pretty good. How are you?
Todd: not Not too bad. Not too bad. Yeah, way too early to be talking football, if I'm honest. i just You know what? Let it breathe, guys. Guys, you don't have to own every month. Just help me.
Todd: Let me miss you. that's That's really like, how can I miss you if you don't go away?
Talkin2Todd: If you don't go away, the
Todd: Yeah.
Todd: yeah
Talkin2Todd: my so full schedule comes out tomorrow. So by the time this podcast drops, my fall will be scheduled.
Talkin2Todd: Because we're waiting on a lot of things right now, I got to say.
Todd: Yeah. Yeah. You know how like pilots and flight attendants do like a bid system where the most senior pilot gets to bid for like the really good flights and the most junior pilot gets to bid like, oh, I'm flying to Cedar Rapids.
Todd: is is Is that how season ticket distribution works in your house?
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Yes, kind of. We have a... We've got a we got a standing... we We have a regular group for opening for the home opener.
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: that one That one is set. we we always We don't know when it is, but we know who it is in terms of who's attending. And then after that, we just kind of sort of divide them up together.
Talkin2Todd: we live the furthest away. So we tend to get our first pick next. And then like anything that's on a Monday night, we're not, we're out for, right? Cause we're not, we're not stick. We're just not, we're not sticking around for Monday night or a Sunday night game, frankly, at that point, uh, noon Sundays work best for us. So, the schedule is going to come out. We already have my nephew's college football schedule.
Talkin2Todd: I've got two conferences in October and we're trying to work all of this stuff in. yeah Oh, and I'm doing football Friday nights. So trying to try to piece all of this stuff together and put together the fall calendar, a big piece of it will sort itself out tomorrow night and and we'll sit down, Amy and I, with a calendar and sort it all out. So I can't wait.
Talkin2Todd: I think.
Todd: big Big night tomorrow night, then. i I imagine... you know you know You know, they used to show the videos of the guys, the the guy that did like the NFL schedule. like They had like a whiteboard that was like...
Todd: 30 feet long and 10 feet high, and they would move they would move things around, and then, that doesn't work, and then move things around. They would do it all by hand. I can i can see that. like You just have Post-it notes over your entire back wall. Like, well, if we do this, and then we go here, we could then stay overnight in here, and nope, that doesn't work. Okay, all right, take 37. Okay, what if, hear me out,
Talkin2Todd: We know when we need to be in Cleveland. The question is when the bears gonna be home and can, i don't know, anyway, we will sort it all out.
Todd: For most people, I know when we need to be in Cleveland. Never. So that's helpful.
Talkin2Todd: where There's a difference between when we need to be in Cleveland and when we want to be in Cleveland.
Todd: Want to be in Cleveland.
Talkin2Todd: Those really are two different things.
Todd: Yeah. Yeah. All right. What do we have for feedback, follow-up, and updates?
Talkin2Todd: Uh, we drove, Amy and I drove to Tulsa and back for my nephew's graduation from, Oklahoma state over in Stillwater.
Talkin2Todd: And so we, knocked out a couple of back episodes.
Talkin2Todd: Amy was two months plus behind on listening. So it was like, it was like a new experience for me. I'm like, oh yeah, that's right. We talked about that.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah. Okay. Amy's feedback. When you brought the the very first time you brought the story about Intoxalock.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: She's like, oh, hey, yeah, Intoxalock. The server rack for her office. She bought from, well, we bought, she bought for the office from Intoxalock and brought it We loaded it into my truck and brought it to her office and got it got it all all set up. But that's that's where it came from, was from Intoxalock.
Todd: Kind of annoying every time you need to reboot the server, though. You got to blow Like, server needs to be reboot.
Talkin2Todd: Okay.
Todd: Who didn't go out for lunch?
Talkin2Todd: Who's sober?
Todd: Somebody. yeah And then the problem is everybody looks and and everybody just looking at each other. Like, oh, God. Guys, we have got to have a policy about this.
Talkin2Todd: Oh.
Todd: All right.
Talkin2Todd: Oh.
Todd: Then when the person goes, what's it set to? You're out. I don't look. I'm not going to blow a zero, but if you let me know what I'm going to try to hit, I've had some experience with these. Oh, geez. God, it's Kevin. let's Kevin, buddy. No, just can't be doing that.
Todd: we we we were listening We were listening to the last couple of episodes last weekend as we were making a drive. And we got to, DeWayne, guess a number about the number of people on the, running the trains.
Todd: And you guessed 980 million people in a single day. Lisa's comment, million. States? 30 million. nine hundred and eighty million what what is that and then you said there's what thirty million people in the united states thirty million 30 million.
Todd: What? There was just a lot of repeating your number, like trying to understand how you could even come up with that number.
Talkin2Todd: Incredulously. Yeah.
Todd: Yeah. Yeah. So. i
Talkin2Todd: look Again, the title of the game isn't Dwayne guesses a number correctly.
Todd: Thank God, because that would be a problem. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Toddler3187 wants to race.
Todd: I figured that's why I said you should race. i figured I figured as soon as she got to that point and we knew when she got to that point because there was a text message.
Talkin2Todd: Let's race. I hold 19 to 20 on the flats and you will probably get me on the hills with a c assist, but I'm up for the challenge. By the way, I went for a bike ride tonight.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Did 12 miles.
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: Average 12 miles an hour.
Todd: So that'd take you, what, three would that take you like so two hours?
Talkin2Todd: She's going to kick my ass.
Todd: Is that the way that works? So 12 miles, 12 miles an hour i two hours, three hours, nine hundred and eighty hours no anyway
Talkin2Todd: here
Talkin2Todd: I rode for exactly an hour and I did 12 miles and I barely used the assist. I only used the assist on the one big hill. Well, you've ridden that hill.
Talkin2Todd: The one big hill out on the trail outside my house on the way on the way home.
Todd: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've ridden that on 40-year-old Panasonic bike, I believe.
Talkin2Todd: Yes, I believe you have.
Todd: Yes.
Talkin2Todd: You're right. And it is a killer, isn't it?
Todd: i I kept hitting the assist button, and up apparently that was the bell. yeah
Talkin2Todd: She also said e-bikes are tolerated if it's your only way to get outside and exercise. They are not tolerated if you are a healthy 55-year-old ref.
Talkin2Todd: I don't know who she's talking about.
Todd: Yeah, hypothetically. Yeah, right.
Talkin2Todd: it's a very It's a very specific hypothetical, but I don't know what she's talking about.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Sarah Judson Brown, toddler, negative 18.
Talkin2Todd: Was it last week's episode? Two weeks ago. Two weeks episode title was Ken Burns Energy.
Todd: Yeah. Yes.
Talkin2Todd: She read Mr. Burns Energy.
Todd: That's a different thing.
Talkin2Todd: from from The Simpsons?
Todd: Yeah. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Hmm.
Todd: This, this doesn't make any sense. Oh, Ken Burns. Yes.
Talkin2Todd: Oh, oh, Kim.
Todd: Yeah. That's, that makes more sense as to what they were talking about.
Todd: Yeah. kind of feedback, uh, from, uh, from Yvonne and Wrigley, uh, and Don, couple of weeks ago, Don and, uh, Don and Yvonne went to, uh, Europe, uh, and took a trip, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and then, uh, and then a riverboat cruise. And, uh,
Todd: When they returned, Yvonne brought me a nice gift that she knew that I would like from that trip. Specifically from Amsterdam. Duane, do you want to guess what what she brought back that has been covered on this show?
Talkin2Todd: Weed?
Todd: No. I knew you were going go there. No, haven't really covered weed. We've covered this other stuff more than weed.
Talkin2Todd: Hookers?
Talkin2Todd: Oh, bicycles.
Todd: If there's three things.
Talkin2Todd: She brought you back a bicycle from Amsterdam.
Todd: no no, no, no. They're they're all in the.
Talkin2Todd: Three things that Amsterdam's known for.
Todd: Yeah. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Weed, hookers, and bicycle in no particular order.
Todd: Yeah. No. Stroopwafels.
Talkin2Todd: Oh, hey, yeah,
Todd: She brought me. She brought me back a container of Stroopwafels. What the hell's wrong with you? I mean, geez.
Talkin2Todd: it's true, yes. I can't wait to see what the AI comes up with for a title for this show. oh my.
Todd: but the By the way, speaking of that, a a video popped up in my YouTube feed that says, here is the here's the Netherlands bike factory that makes 20,000 bikes a day.
Talkin2Todd: Yes. Yes.
Todd: And so we started watching it. And then it wasn't that interesting. it was it It wasn't about how to make the bikes. It was like, oh, look at their... you know, here's a bike that they designed in the, you know, 1800s or whatever. Anyway, but Lisa, Lisa says, well, they need to do 20,000 bikes a day. Do you suppose that at the end of the factory line, they just opened the door and put them straight into the canal?
Todd: Because like, like if there's 200, yeah, cut the middleman out, just go straight.
Talkin2Todd: Just cut.
Todd: like Like they just produce and then bookop right in the canal. just b boop There you go. There we cut out the middleman. It goes straight to you.
Talkin2Todd: And last but not least, toddler 818, Michael of Ankeny, texted me this picture.
Todd: Oh, hey, we've got we've we've got concession prices.
Talkin2Todd: Yes, we do. Because the PGA Championship,
Todd: And where's this from?
Todd: Oh, where was that?
Talkin2Todd: it is it is this coming week in just outside Philadelphia.
Todd: Oh.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: and And so he sends me that
Todd: It's on a golf course, Todd. Oh, that makes sense.
Talkin2Todd: and just says, sorry, not sorry.
Talkin2Todd: I said the toddlers thank you, but my wife may not.
Todd: Here's.
Talkin2Todd: just so i'm Just so I'm reporting accurately. this a Solheim Cup? No, wait, that's in the Netherlands. Where the heck are you? I thought maybe he was at the truest championship in Charlotte because it's purple.
Talkin2Todd: And everything at that championship is now purple.
Todd: Hmm.
Talkin2Todd: The the former Wells Fargo championship in Charlotte. This is the PGA at Aaronimink, again, just outside Philadelphia.
Todd: what i What I find interesting is on this is everything is by brand except for one. There's Michelob Ultra, Michelob Ultra. There's Michelob Ultra 16-ounce, Michelob Ultra 25-ounce, Michelob Ultra 0, 12-ounce, Bud Light premium beer, Bud Light Salter. Wait, what? Just premium beer.
Todd: It's just premium.
Talkin2Todd: Just, just, gently yes.
Todd: Which... Yeah, which, by the way, that also indicates if you are drinking Bud Light, Bud Light saltzer Seltzer, or Michelob Ultra or Ultra Zero, understand that's not the premium stuff.
Todd: also tells me Also tells me whoever's providing the premium stuff didn't pay them enough money to get their name on the sign.
Talkin2Todd: is... That's... and that's the
Talkin2Todd: I said, define premium because clearly it's not ultra or Bud Light.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: But, and while it is premium, it's also the same price as Bud Light seltzer. So, you know.
Todd: Yes.
Todd: It's, yeah. So blood light seltzer is just as, yeah anyway, that's, poof. Okay.
Talkin2Todd: Right?
Todd: Yeah. I also like, I also like the high noon.
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: What is it? Vodka seltzer, vodka tea. I see what you're going for. I see the theme.
Talkin2Todd: Yep. So we, so we got that this week. Did we?
Todd: You know, if you're if you're drinking vodka seltzer and vodka tea, that feels like less of high noon and more like drunk noon.
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: I can't, I'm not gonna be able to get the server rebooted for you today. I got to be honest. I was at the golf course.
Talkin2Todd: Were there any
Talkin2Todd: This week?
Todd: none None for me.
Talkin2Todd: Nope, me either. How about some follow-up?
Todd: Yeah, we we talk about escaped animals. here's Here's another escaped animal, although it wasn't escaped until they let it escape. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Todd: Hello. Police were called to investigate a problem inside of one of the bathrooms at the Quality Inn and Suites in the downtown area.
Todd: Somehow a bear had managed to get into the bathroom and then locked itself inside. So, video of the incident shows several officers working to un to on the door to unlock it, with one officer appearing to have armed himself with a 2x4, cracking the door open, and then running to join his colleagues who have already taken cover.
Todd: Moments later, a black bear opens the door, brushes his teeth, nope, and walks out. He looks towards the officers and then runs in the opposite opposite direction. Police say the bear damaged a mirror in the bathroom, but neither the bear nor any officers were injured.
Todd: What I really wanted to hear was the bear opens the door, walks out, and then looks at the officers and says, whatever you do, do not go in there. LAUGHTER
Todd: wow
Talkin2Todd: i'm thinking I'm thinking the officer with the two by four, before he opens it, reaches down, makes sure that his shoes are tied, and then unties one of his buddy's shoes. Because you know why?
Talkin2Todd: i don't have to be faster than the bear.
Todd: You don't have to be faster than the bear. Just have to be faster than you.
Talkin2Todd: That's exactly right.
Todd: also Also in follow-up, hey, good news. The World Cup has now become affordable. Just kidding. Only in New Jersey, and affordable meaning still not affordable. We covered how New Jersey Transit was setting their round-trip ticket to a MetLife Stadium, now called New York Stadium, for the World Cup because...
Todd: They didn't pay for it. They were going to charge $150. They have now reconsidered and put instituted a much more affordable fare of $105 round trip. We did it, people. We did it. Hang the Mission Accomplished banner.
Todd: It's affordable. We did it. USA. us s No, that's fine.
Talkin2Todd: So I'm going I'm going yes. And on this, did you see,
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: governor Kathy Hochul invested $6 million dollars to help bring down prices. do you know how she's doing that?
Todd: OK.
Talkin2Todd: Well,
Talkin2Todd: There are 10,000 seats on buses, on on yellow school buses that are also going to transport people to the stadium.
Todd: okay
Talkin2Todd: But the cost to ride the bus was $80, which all in all still seems like a bargain.
Todd: Maybe.
Talkin2Todd: The governor has now bought down those prices and your round trip ticket on a bus is gonna only be $20.
Todd: Wow.
Talkin2Todd: Now, here's the problem. There are only 10,000 bus seats available.
Todd: Stadium holds what? 80,000 Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Ish.
Todd: ish
Talkin2Todd: ish I mean, maybe maybe less because of moving the field and sight lines.
Todd: yeah
Talkin2Todd: And sp and and you know the premium seat ticket holders ain't riding the bus. So you can you can just set those aside right off the bat.
Todd: They're not even taking the train, and they're certainly not taking the school bus.
Talkin2Todd: That's all right. That's what I'm saying. Yes. So it is getting cheaper and cheaper. The FIFA World Cup shuttle bus costs slashed by 75%.
Todd: Wow. All right. Good for them. I did, by the way, just real quick, i did I did see an article that said that the NFL Players Association has taken note that in the, in the what, 13, 14 NFL stadiums in which the World Cup is taking place, the owners of those stadiums are paying to cover up the artificial turf and put in all natural grass fields.
Todd: because that is required for World Cup. And then when the World Cup is over, a number of stadiums are going to rip out the they're going to rip out the natural gas grass they paid for and then go back to the artificial turf that the Players Association asserts causes more injuries.
Todd: So you're good for the soccer players, but not for us.
Talkin2Todd: so So you can do it.
Todd: Yeah, you can do it. And you can do it for... You would rather do it temporarily and rip it out and throw it away than just keep it for us. Yes, that's what I'm saying. But I don't... Shut up.
Todd: Just... Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: at Last but not least in this vein, this was this is a thread that I saw earlier today.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Do you know how insane World Cup ticket prices are?
Todd: Uh, no.
Talkin2Todd: Air Transat has started a marketing campaign
Todd: They've taken on the billboard.
Talkin2Todd: Yes, they have.
Todd: On one side, it shows a grass field, and it says, watch Portugal, tickets at $3,870. On the other half is a picture of the sky with a jet flying through it, and it says, see Portugal, round trips starting at $799. $799.
Talkin2Todd: And this is a theme. You can watch England $3,402, or you can see England for the same Mexico, here.
Talkin2Todd: watch mexico three thousand five hundred and sixty three dollars or sea mexico for just four hundred and twenty nine dollars
Talkin2Todd: i love it just you did we're just providing some helpful information here
Talkin2Todd: The agency behind this was Courage, based in Toronto, Canada.
Todd: Yeah, it's. Yeah, the the funny thing is, it's like every every other airlines going, oh, why didn't we do that?
Todd: Why? Why didn't we do that?
Todd: By the way, we didn't have this on our follow-up list, but just really quick, because there was a whole text text text message chain about that. Apparently, with the change in government in in one of the local towns near you, i believe it's, what's the name of it? Is it Dallas Center?
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: apparently Apparently, Toddler 401k Danny was the only thing holding that town together because since he has no longer been mayor, the new mayor resigned after three months and and then apparently all hell broke out enough to make the front page and multiple other pages of the Des Moines Register.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, one of the council members submitted a federal grant though that seems to have been written by AI.
Todd: It did say it includes some of the prompts in the grant application.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, it slighted two of the town's biggest employers and wasn't run by the city administration prior to being submitted. Now, to their credit, by the time it actually got submitted, some of that stuff had been cleaned up. But there was, I believe the word is kerfuffle.
Todd: Well, I believe a number of people were quoted in the paper. All of them, I believe Danny knew.
Todd: and not for good reasons. And and i believe I believe one of the town's folk is is demanding that the city administrator be fired because he said, we didn't fill the form out correctly and there might be some actually inaccurate information and that usually means we don't get the grant to which they said fire him. Anyway, things are going great. Things are going great. I have a feeling if anybody wants to be mayor,
Todd: uh of dallas center i think this is now a three-month appointment at a time it's great uh and if you can make it more than three months i think i think you get the key to the city or something so anyway oof all right where does that leave us
Talkin2Todd: Should That leaves us here.
Talkin2Todd: That's right. This week on Todd Oughta Know. Todd, do you remember... I don't know, a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month ago, you brought us a story about Airbirds dropping shoes.
Talkin2Todd: not Not so...
Todd: All birds.
Talkin2Todd: Allbirds.
Todd: All birds.
Talkin2Todd: Sorry.
Todd: Yes.
Talkin2Todd: Thank you. Yes, i so I said corrected. Allbirds no longer selling shoes and becoming an AI chip company, correct?
Todd: yeah Air birds are just regular birds. they just They're in the air.
Talkin2Todd: oh
Todd: that's that's that's just Most of us just call them birds. But hey, look in the sky. There's air birds. yeah Anyway, yes, they became yes to became became an AI company.
Talkin2Todd: If I, I should put my glasses on so I can actually read my notes.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Okay. I have for you a list of famous companies that originally sold something else.
Todd: OK.
Talkin2Todd: So I'm going to give you the name of the company and we're going to see if you can tell me what they originally sold.
Todd: OK.
Talkin2Todd: Okay. We are going to start with Avon.
Todd: Weed.
Talkin2Todd: Did they start in am Amsterdam?
Todd: Hookers. Nope.
Talkin2Todd: no
Todd: Avon. I'm going to say Avon started with industrial solvents and paint removers.
Talkin2Todd: And barely moved off of that.
Todd: It was super close. Look, we just got to change the labels, guys.
Talkin2Todd: David H. McConnell started Avon in 1886, selling books door to door. But to lure in female customers, he offered little gifts of perfume.
Talkin2Todd: Before long, the perfume was more popular than the book. So he shifted focus, founded the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon.
Todd: So then he flipped it and said, i would like to i would like you to buy this perfume. Here's a book as a nice little gift to buy the perfume. Okay. Wow. I did not know that.
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: yes
Todd: So he was kind of like Amazon before Amazon.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, sure.
Todd: Started selling books and then, yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, i started selling books and then, yeah.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Okay, Nokia.
Todd: Yep.
Talkin2Todd: Nokia got its start in Finland in 1865.
Todd: Yep.
Talkin2Todd: Oof!
Todd: Yep. I'm going to Wailing Spears.
Talkin2Todd: Sven, bring us more whaling spheres. No, a pulp mill. They were making paper in Finland in 1865. And they bounced around through a number of industries before getting serious about phones in the 1960s. How about 3M, Todd, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company?
Todd: So I'm going to assume that they didn't start in manufacturing or mining because that's what they... Well, actually, I'm goingnna say, you know what? going to start with mining because they eventually just became the Post-it Notes company. But I'm to say they started they started mining... Let's see.
Todd: They're in Minnesota. They're mining for smelt. and is it Is that how you do that?
Talkin2Todd: they the They originally planned to sell the mineral corundum, which is an important ingredient in building grinding wheels.
Todd: Yeah.
Todd: I'm sure there was a time when that was a hell of a business plan, but i i that's a while ago.
Talkin2Todd: Right?
Todd: And then they shifted to buggy whips. Oh, God, this is getting...
Talkin2Todd: How about Wrigley chewing gum?
Todd: Hmm... Let's see. I mean, I flippantly want to say they were selling ivy door to door, but that's that's a deep cut.
Todd: I'm going to say tobacco.
Talkin2Todd: still still Still haven't found one yet. his original The original goal of the company was selling soap and baking powder. Not gunpowder. Baking powder. He offered chewing gum as an enticement to his customers, and eventually the customers didn't care about the baking powder.
Talkin2Todd: They only wanted the gum.
Todd: We've seen that twice. We've seen this now. And you said that, and I'm thinking, oh, that's what happened to Topps. They sold baseball cards and they put that gum in there. And then eventually people love the gum.
Todd: Nope, nobody loved that gum.
Talkin2Todd: Nope.
Todd: That was like, you put that in your mouth and it sucked all the moisture out and shattered into a million pieces. Okay.
Talkin2Todd: How about Tiffany and company jewelry store?
Todd: Rocket parts.
Todd: It takes precision work to make. It's rocket science. It's rocket science.
Talkin2Todd: It's
Todd: And then they said, you know what? We have all the skills and the technology. Maybe we should just move on to diamonds.
Talkin2Todd: Originally, they were a stationer.
Talkin2Todd: Yep. How about Hasbro?
Todd: and and they gave And they gave out $1,000 bracelets to entice its customers to buy their stationery. And then eventually said, hey, maybe we should sell these $1,000 bracelets.
Talkin2Todd: How about Hasbro, Todd? The company behind Transformers and G.I. i Joes?
Todd: Yeah, yeah. Were they the original company that made Agent Orange?
Talkin2Todd: I don't I don't think so and I don't think you're gonna get this they sold textile remnants they have
Todd: And then they shifted to toys?
Todd: Not textiles. Not textiles. Textile remnants.
Talkin2Todd: remnants that's right they gradually shifted into school supplies before making the leap to toys in 1952 what was the first toy Hasbro offered for sale Todd do you know
Todd: a rock.
Talkin2Todd: Pet. It was a pet. A pet rock. No, that was...
Todd: Now, they didn't even get to that part. that but that wasn't They weren't moving. They just said, here's a rock. And they went, oh, okay, I god i got a rock.
Talkin2Todd: it's a rock that you can stick eyes and a nose and a mustache and ears in.
Todd: Yeah. Well, originally, it was just a rock with a carpet remnant stuck on it. and Nobody bought that. and then they went, hey, I got an idea.
Talkin2Todd: It was Mr. Potato Head. The answer to the bonus question was Mr. Potato Head.
Todd: Wasn't that far with a rock, if I'm honest. OK.
Talkin2Todd: Uh, let's, how about, about Raytheon? Here's a, here's a company you ought to know.
Todd: Big defense contractor.
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: Started making. started making teddy bears in 1905 and then shifted slowly to air-to-air air-toa missiles.
Talkin2Todd: they so They started with refrigeration technology in 1922. How
Todd: that means You know what that means? They they went around selling ice. They're just door-to-door ice.
Talkin2Todd: how about Xerox?
Todd: Oh, they copied somebody on this.
Talkin2Todd: That was terrible.
Todd: I'm not going far but far enough back, but oh, you know what? I think they started, they were the first people to make purple ink and then and then nobody wanted to buy it. So they had to make the mamiograph machines so that they could use all the purple ink that they were making.
Talkin2Todd: yeah You know what?
Talkin2Todd: They were a maker of photographic paper and photography equipment.
Todd: It's a wide range there. Just close enough. Sure.
Talkin2Todd: How about...
Talkin2Todd: How about Berkshire Hathaway, Todd? It's a sprawling whole holding company now owned by Warren, buter at least led by Warren Buffett. What did they start?
Todd: They were a furniture company, weren't they?
Talkin2Todd: They were a textile manufacturer in 1839.
Todd: Yeah, damn it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. i I listened to a Planet Money episode on that.
Talkin2Todd: Close.
Todd: I should have. Yeah, that one. Yep.
Talkin2Todd: The clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch.
Todd: I mean...
Talkin2Todd: This isn't a very good one.
Todd: lay Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: It was actually a sporting goods shop and outfitter. So they just kind of, I mean, they went from sporting goods to sporty goods.
Todd: Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah.
Todd: Yeah. Okay.
Talkin2Todd: Last but not least, this is kind of this kind of a switch. the
Talkin2Todd: When you play Monopoly, there are four railroads, right? The Redding. Reading railroad might look like reading the Reading railroad, the Reading railroad.
Talkin2Todd: The company still sort of exists. It got out of the railroad business in 1976, but what's it doing now? Yes. but what's it doing now
Todd: Yeah.
Todd: The company that owned the Reading Railroad or is it?
Talkin2Todd: yes
Todd: Yeah.
Todd: Let's see. They owned a railroad and then, I'm and reading to a Reading and,
Todd: Are they now Bank of America?
Talkin2Todd: they They are not. It's now Reading Entertainment and they operate movie theaters.
Todd: Okay. I mean, you got out of the train business to operate movie theaters. Like, that's not a...
Talkin2Todd: they They needed to start operating. You're right. They needed to start operating banks but because that's where the money is. That's why you robbed them.
Todd: Yeah. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: That's right. Yes. Okay. you You went one-ish.
Todd: Yeah, not great.
Talkin2Todd: for that not great not no no okay what's next
Todd: Not great. No, that's not ideal.
Todd: Oh, hey, it's the Scott Frost Memorial Idiot of the Week.
Talkin2Todd: yes
Todd: OK. Jeez. This story is from The Guardian. And I'm going to read a couple of snippets from here, because if I tried to do this from memory, this would be this would become problematic, because the story gets a little goofy.
Todd: In 2016, Florent Monteclair, probably not, he's French, so that was probably all wrong, was bestowed an honor at a ceremony at the French National Assembly attended by Nobel Prize winners, prize winners former government ministers, MPs, decorated scientists, and academics.
Todd: He was receiving the 2016 Gold Medal of Philosophy, from the International Society of Philosophy. Wow, this is pretty amazing.
Todd: In 2017, the Gold Medal of Philosophy was awarded to Noam Chomsky, noted American writer, who then flew to Paris to receive his award.
Todd: In 2018, that medal was then to be awarded to an academic in Romania.
Todd: At that point, a paper in Romania was like, man, this is really cool that this guy's winning this award. We should look into it. And they started looking into it. And here's what they found. There is no international society of philosophy.
Todd: that was a website that was registered to a company in Delaware. And the website itself was hosted in France.
Todd: according to According to the first recipient of this medal, there was an American university which sponsored the International Society of Philosophy.
Todd: That university also didn't exist, And its address was a company registration in Delaware. And its website was hosted in France.
Todd: So the more that they dug into this, basically, Florent, the professor who nobody had heard of, went to a jeweler in Paris, paid 250 euros, and bought, had them make,
Todd: a gold medal of philosophy. And then in 2016, bestowed the honor upon himself. Once again, let me be clear.
Todd: This happened in France in 2016. I know this sounds like things that are happening today here. no, no.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, I'm like, are you sure this isn't a peace prize?
Todd: no This is, nope, nope. This is, no, it's it's philosophy.
Talkin2Todd: Oh, thank you.
Todd: Completely, this is completely different.
Talkin2Todd: Okay.
Todd: So he created a university that hosted an institute that gave out a prize that was an actual medal. It turns out he did all of this himself. Right?
Todd: as this is now being discussed This is now being investigated by French detectives. Now, the interesting piece about this is that his lawyer has said, so sorry, he has been charged with a number of things, including fraud, and his lawyer said,
Todd: is staying behind the argument that he did not misappropriate anything because he created it. It wasn't fraudulent.
Todd: If his defense is, had he given himself a Nobel Prize, well, that would be fraud because he that isn't the medal that he has isn't a Nobel Prize.
Todd: But his medal doesn't say Nobel Prize. His medal... says gold medal of philosophy who's to say it's not
Talkin2Todd: Who's to say we're not an award-winning podcast?
Todd: now that you say that i regret bringing this story to the show
Todd: the The reason why this is becoming a problem for him, however, is while that may be true, he also awarded himself a doctorate, in quotes, from the University of Philosophy and Education in the United States.
Talkin2Todd: Oops, that could be a problem.
Todd: It wouldn't have been until he applied to the French government to move up a like a level in his career from like associate professor to assistant professor or assistant professor to professor. And in his application, he pointed out that he had a doctorate. And even though The University of Philosophy and Education wasn't a recognized institution by the French education system, nor by anybody else, because it doesn't exist.
Todd: Because he got a promotion partly on his self-issued doctorate from a from a school that doesn't exist, therefore he got financial gains, therefore it is fraud.
Todd: Although his lawyer then pointed out, once again, Who's to say that he didn't get a doctorate? It's really up to the person who is listening to make the decision.
Todd: Again, he didn't say he got it from Yale or Harvard. He got it from this school that he created. Is it fraud?
Todd: Anyway, I'm really happy that this guy doesn't teach business.
Todd: Yeah, so there you go. That's that's great. Yeah, he did say...
Todd: according to his lawyer, quote, people are saying 10 years ago, everyone fell for a monstrous hoax, but everyone has the right to be imaginative.
Todd: It's up to the person you're talking to, whether they believe it or not. Really, really, it's up to them. They fell for it. That's on you. That's on you, not on me.
Todd: You should pay closer attention.
Talkin2Todd: yeah If that's not a philosophy, Professor, I don't know what is.
Todd: Congratulations. yeah you know what you should you know what? He should write a PhD thesis on the hoax and who's really who's really at fault.
Todd: Yep. I look forward to him being the next senator from Iowa. Okay. what What about you? What did you bring?
Talkin2Todd: We've actually talked about this story before on the podcast about how I'm now able to watch Royals games because our buddy Jake, toddler Matt Damon, bought the package and then shared, facilitated my ability to watch.
Todd: us facilitated that.
Talkin2Todd: Well, last week, Kansas City Royals fans who, when the service was first offered, ponied up the $100, they are now absolutely irate.
Talkin2Todd: because the streaming service is now available at half price.
Talkin2Todd: No refunds, just half price. and And I texted this over to Jake and Jake's like, well, I got my half price by sharing with you.
Todd: I mean, I was going to say, though, on most years, the Royals have already hit their half of the wins they're going to have for the entire season by this point. So really, wow.
Todd: In early May, I get if if after the All-Star break, they came in and said, hey, it's half price because half the season's left. Oof. Yeah. Okay.
Talkin2Todd: uh he all hit jake's other comment was my outrage remains with the inconsistent product on the field as well like that's a fair point
Talkin2Todd: uh anyway my idiot the people who are in charge of the pricing for royals tv my idiot this week yes yes yeah
Todd: here's Here's their problem. i'm just I'm thinking this through.
Todd: They may have solved whatever revenue problem they have for this year. They have created themselves quite a problem for next year because nobody in their right mind at the end of March or at any point in April is going to pay full price for the service waiting knowing that a price drop is probably going to come.
Talkin2Todd: right This is going to be the next guy's problem.
Todd: So you just keep writing it out. Like, guys, what are you? but You know what they're thinking is, don't worry. By the by the by the time next year rolls around, like, we're not handling the streaming package. I mean, it's fine.
Todd: Yeah, it's, yeah.
Todd: do you do you Do you have any travel stories?
Talkin2Todd: I did, i we drove, like I said, we drove to Tulsa and I have, I took a picture for you.
Todd: For those of you keeping track at home, this is the third picture in the audio only podcast. All right.
Talkin2Todd: So this was this was a sign that we saw along the side of the road as we were driving to Tulsa.
Todd: Wait, okay, geez, okay, I got a problem. Okay, bright yellow sign.
Talkin2Todd: Yes. Yes.
Todd: Hitchhikers may be escaping inmates.
Talkin2Todd: Yes.
Todd: So I'm assuming that somewhere there's a there's a prison in the area is what they're trying to tell you.
Talkin2Todd: ye
Todd: However, The first one I read that is you should pick those hitchhikers up because they're escaping the inmates that are following them.
Talkin2Todd: Exactly. there's an There's an inmate chasing this hitchhiker, this poor hitchhiker.
Todd: So get the guy in the car. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Please.
Todd: I'm escaping inmates.
Talkin2Todd: That was my reaction, too. I'm like, well, wait, that doesn't make any sense. Oh, I see what they're actually trying to do. But I get it. Yes.
Talkin2Todd: Hitchhikers may be escaping inmates.
Todd: Who says the educational system in Oklahoma is not great?
Talkin2Todd: Have you been you've been watching anything this week?
Todd: Yeah, last Thursday night, actually, right after we recorded, I think on Wednesday, Thursday night, we went to the University of Utah has a professional theater company. And they were the last show of the season was Come From Away.
Talkin2Todd: Oh.
Todd: Great show. It's, it's just, when you get a chance to see it, it's just like, man, this is a really good show. Not the best version of the show we've seen, but again, you know, you've got, you got Broadway West end, then you've got touring and then you've got like regional professional theater. The actors are all inequity, like, but you know, down a couple of notches, but what a good show. And you know what?
Todd: i've I have said that if, if you've got people who are like, I wouldn't like musicals, like, Come From Away is one of those that you could take somebody to and say, listen, i it's got some upbeat music, you know, the story.
Todd: And here's the thing, even if you don't like it, it's an hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. So it goes by quick. So anyway, we really enjoyed it. and And once again, was like, that's why the show's in my, I think, I believe it's in my top five-ish. So yes, Come From Away. How about you guys? You've been watching anything?
Talkin2Todd: I started rewatching the big bang theory.
Todd: Okay. Yeah.
Talkin2Todd: Cause we're just kind of, yeah I'm kind of in between stuff right now of, I don't know. So yeah. Uh, Don't have to think real hard. I can do other things while it's going on. So it's just, I'm just, just marking the, just marking the tape here for, I'm, I'm rewatching the Big Bang Theory and, and texting back and forth with Lucas, who has watched this entire series, I think a couple of times, once definitely when he was probably too young to watch it.
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: but when but we were watching it together so i assume i assume guess that makes it better he wasn't watching it on on his own inappropriately were we were watching it together as a family but some of some of the some of the humor still holds up and still makes us laugh as we text back and forth uh he's like yeah i need to go back and watch that again it's still really good anyway did you learn anything this week
Todd: Yeah, so we've completed almost two weeks now of construction. Good news. Contractor shows up on time every day.
Todd: they're doing the plan according to like, hey, this is what we're going doing. We're on, we're so far, we're on track. I would recommend if construction is going on in your house, large scale construction, I would recommend going to the office to work, which I get to do every day. Lisa doesn't have that option. So her experience of this renovation is a little different than mine. Yeah.
Todd: this morning. How's it going? So much hammering. I don't even know what they're hammering, but there's a lot of it. Also, dogs aren't happy with the hammering.
Todd: But but the work the work continues. So we're actually seeing progress, which is which is good. so And so far, we're not. I don't believe we've ordered any custom-made pieces of plastic or anything custom at this point. So hoping we don't we're not counting on a truck.
Talkin2Todd: Yeah, you said you said let's race on this.
Todd: How about you?
Todd: Oh, yeah. Yeah. How are you doing?
Talkin2Todd: there has been There has been absolutely zero progress since the last report.
Todd: Okay, okay. That's not great. That's not, that's not great.
Talkin2Todd: i I did get a report that the new pan is curing. it has yet to be delivered. And my my primary contact said, I'm not even gonna schedule our installer to come back until that thing is sitting in your garage. I'm like, well, that's fair.
Talkin2Todd: So at some point it'll show up, but I haven't talked to him this week.
Todd: OK.
Talkin2Todd: didn't didn't Didn't talk to him today.
Todd: yeah
Talkin2Todd: Tomorrow's not looking good either.
Talkin2Todd: So there's that. Meanwhile, when we were in Tulsa, my sister-in-law rented this massive house for us all to stay in Airbnb, rented an Airbnb because we had 15 us.
Todd: Wow. Okay.
Talkin2Todd: four bedrooms on the main level, huge kitchen, nice living room area, a bunkhouse on the bottom and and an additional bedroom on the bottom on the lower level, a pool, a hot tub, an outdoor grill, an outdoor fireplace, an indoor fireplace, just this massive house.
Talkin2Todd: that that we all spread out in. And she rented us an Airbnb for this long weekend for my nephew's graduation.
Talkin2Todd: Massive house. It is available for sale in Tulsa.
Todd: Okay.
Talkin2Todd: Massive house.
Talkin2Todd: $1.3 million dollars in Tulsa. Property is so inexpensive in Tulsa. That's what I learned this week.
Todd: Downside is you're in Tulsa.
Talkin2Todd: You're not wrong.
Talkin2Todd: The music is Happy Boy by Kevin MacLeod. You can subscribe to our award-winning podcast with visiting philosophy professor Todd Prince, wherever you get your
Todd: I got a medal!
Talkin2Todd: You can subscribe wherever you get your pods. just to that Just search talking in the number two. There's no G and there's no space. You can stop by and see us at the Tuba City Home Office. Please don't do that. Thanks to our listeners, our sponsors, and our contributors.
Talkin2Todd: Do you think we can get Colbert on the show? He's not doing anything after next week.
Todd: we We could reach out. i There's a non-zero chance we might be able to. Give him a couple of weeks.
Talkin2Todd: I'm like,
Todd: About September. hey you doing anything? Not really. Want to be on the show?
Talkin2Todd: not really
Todd: Love to.
Talkin2Todd: just we're looking for extra contributors. Who knows? Okay. Anyway, you can send us your feedback on this episode or any episode to feedback at talkingatodd.com. Todd?
Todd: I'm not going to tell you how to run your construction project because I'm not doing anything here. Lisa's in charge of all of this one. However, you said, oh, hey, the pan, the new pan is curing.
Todd: i You should have probably just reached out and said, hey, listen, the first custom pan broke in, while you're making one can can you Can you just make two?
Todd: just Just in case.
Talkin2Todd: Thanks, Eli.
Todd: Yeah. im just I'm not saying you had to do your job, but why don't we just make a backup now? just you know what like just Just for the fun of it. Let's just make another backup. Or you know three. I don't know. Whatever.
Todd: That's fine. Happy to pay for the ones that make it.
Talkin2Todd: it's awesome. Everything's going well, really well.
Talkin2Todd: I'm sure we're going to have something we need to clean up next week. Until then, we're talking to Todd.
Todd: Just like, hey, wonder what's in Tulsa. Oh, they've got a big sign. That's the highlight. Oh, and the Bach Center. Oh, and the Golden Driller.
Todd: Well, yeah. Okay. Who's to say there isn't a lot to do there? The house is cheap. Got plenty of room. We've got Netflix. It's fine. Have you seen The Big Bang Theory?
Talkin2Todd: we've We've got a roving Tulsa correspondent. we should That's who we need. That's who we need to report from is the roving Tulsa correspondent. Maybe we'll get that next week.
