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Season 1

April 24, 2023

Ep.159: The Mandela Effect

Jon and Kurt recently learned of a fascinating human dynamic: there are many instances where large groups of people all swear they know a fact that is indisputable. Yet they are wrong. Their "fact" is completely made up. It i...

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April 17, 2023

Ep.158: Hoax me? Hoax You!

Jon and Kurt had so much fun discovering the greatest April Fool’s pranks that they dove in even deeper and found more incredible hoaxes. Marketers take it as manna from heaven and have had a lot of fun ginning up interest in...

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April 10, 2023

Ep.157: Greatest April Fool’s Pranks

Jon and Kurt decided to capitalize on the fact that they recorded this episode the day after April First and put out a topical discussion about pranks. They found historical jokes centuries old that fooled many middle agers ...

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April 3, 2023

Ep.156: Fictional Travel Companions

Ever want to hang with Sam I Am and try to eat Green Eggs and Ham? Or chill with Captain Nemo as he heads 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Maybe you want to have tea with Emma in one of the gorgeous English manor houses or chow ...

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March 27, 2023

Ep.155: ChatGPT Takes Over

Like it or not, the AI revolution is coming. Heck, it is here already. Jon and Kurt wondered how unique they were and if ChatGPT had the ability to add drivel to smart. So, for this episode, they requested ChatGPT “to create ...

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March 20, 2023

Ep.154: Auction Lunacy

When Jon and Kurt were sharing befuddlement (something they often do) about the fact that a banana duct taped to a wall sold for $120,000 at auction a year ago, they decided to explore it more. In so doing, they found some bi...

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March 13, 2023

Ep.153: Creepy Nursery Rhymes

Ah, the wonder of comforting childhood rhymes–such sweet innocent word play to amuse, soothe, and educate young children. At least that is what we all thought until Jon and Kurt did some digging, some intensive research, some...

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March 6, 2023

Ep.152: Famous Last Words

People have used their final words, before passing onto the next adventure in the sky, to truly make a statement. Funny, emotional, insulting, self-deprecating, you name it. With the chance for one final opportunity to commun...

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Feb. 27, 2023

Ep.151: Surprising Facts about the Presidents

Jon and Kurt decide to get patriotic, historic, and caloric–ok, not caloric, but it did fit the rhyme scheme–as they share unique, surprising stories about our 46 U.S. Presidents. From the scientifically interesting (which is...

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Feb. 13, 2023

Ep.149: The New Rules

We have emerged out of a precedent-setting pandemic where all bets were off as to how we behaved, presented ourselves, and interacted with others. Add to this dynamic that there is now a new generation in the workspace, ther...

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Feb. 6, 2023

Ep.148: The Quaker Oats Pinhole Camera

Our homes are veritable Swiss army knives of contraptions, inventions, and solutions. Everyday household items found in drawers, cabinets, and refrigerators can be used for solving many common issues. Jon and Kurt get in on t...

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Jan. 30, 2023

Ep.147: Trivia Bowl

Jon and Kurt each found some random questions they wanted to ask each other to try and establish a trivia knowledge hierarchy in the Smart Drivel organization. Of course, this being Smart Drivel, the answers are never straigh...

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Jan. 23, 2023

Ep.146: Phobia Madness

Ever get that sneaking suspicion that there is something out there to be afraid of? In other words, do you have a phobia about phobias? Well, there is a name for that: Phobophobia is a fear of being afraid. If there is a phob...

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Jan. 16, 2023

Ep.145: Game Changing Business Inventions

Jon and Kurt take a look through history at great business inventions. They apply their own filters as to what makes a great invention and bring in personal experiences in the business world to list, debate, admire, and laugh...

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Jan. 9, 2023

Ep.144: “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat”

Every great movie has an iconic line that, when uttered, immediately generates a response from those in your conversation pod. “It’s all ball bearings these days.” “Play it, Sam.” “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.” Jon and ...

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Jan. 2, 2023

Ep.143: The Quintessence (redux)

In every category, there always seems to be one product, one event, one person, one object that defines the list, that comes out on the very top and is the first listed. This element is the example of the topic of discussion....

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Dec. 26, 2022

Ep.142: Homophones (redux)

Jon and Kurt invite you to peek in on their conversation about Homophones which will hopefully pique your interest and make you think they have reached the peak of podcasting. You guessed it, you are the guest of the episode....

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Dec. 19, 2022

Ep. 141: You Just Can’t Pass It Up

We have all been there…you are on the couch flipping channels and you come across a movie that stops you in your tracks. No matter how many times you have seen it, you HAVE to watch it again. The same is true for songs on the...

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Dec. 12, 2022

Ep.140: Go Banana Slugs

Ever get confused when you are watching an Auburn football game and they are referred to as the Tigers but then their fans all cheer for the War Eagles? Or want the backstory on the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs? Then you go dow...

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Dec. 5, 2022

Ep.139: Dining Dinosaurs

The 1970s saw the advent of bell bottoms, the rise of Donny Osmond, and the proliferation of new chain restaurants across the country. The affordability of these new “casual dining” experiences coupled with some of their them...

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Nov. 21, 2022

Ep.137: A Baker’s Dozen

The boys were in a conversation the other day when they both started using common phrases in a nerdy “one-upsmanship” kind of way. It started innocently enough with Jon mentioning something about being “called on the carpet”...

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Nov. 14, 2022

Ep.136: No Way That is True

Did you know that the words written on Twitter every single day would fill a book of ten million pages? Did you know that “buttload” is an actual measurement? Jon and Kurt have fun in this episode doling out seemingly ridicul...

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Nov. 7, 2022

Ep.135: Stupid Questions

In an episode that quickly diverted from the chosen topic--really stupid questions people ask-- and never returned to it (luckily, this is a weekly podcast so there is always another opportunity), Kurt discusses how he can i...

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Oct. 31, 2022

Ep.134: Contronyms

What is a contronym you ask? The definition is “a word with two opposite meanings.” Huh? You mean to tell me that you can use a word, feeling good about it, and then all of a sudden that same exact word can be taken as the co...

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