SmartDrivel

Jon and Kurt take a deep dive into the history of the pedestrian, utilitarian, humble yet mighty toothpick. From its practical origins to its stint as a status symbol to its reign as the arbiter of cool to its “usage drift,” the toothpick has been a marker of humanity itself. Chomp on a toothpick and do your best James Dean impression and give the episode a listen. You’ll be amazed at the outsized legacy the simple toothpick has forged over the millennia.

Join Jon and Kurt for a rollicking, delicious, jaunt through the history of donuts and their role in pop culture. Find out why they (ok, just one of them) call donuts "the Truman Doctrine of Pastries", what Clark Gable and Washington Irving had to say about them, and how the hole came to be. Expect to get a big hankering for a donut...

The lads are back with another fun episode of interesting, random, silly facts (like the aforementioned one about Saudi Arabia). How many brains does a leech have? How many words for snow does Scotland have? And how close, via DNA, are we to our fellow humans? What about Bananas? 

Do you know that the longest word in the English language without a true vowel is “Rhythms”? Well, this got Jon and Kurt thinking about other really fun facts that can be used to dazzle friends and confuse enemies. What animal is really good at math? What country is the most densely populated? Whose poops are cube shaped? And why? Join the boys as they dip into a favorite Smart Drivel topic and give us more fun, interesting, and even smart facts.

Hitting a classic Smart Drivel theme or genre or topic (ok ok ok, we get it). Jon and Kurt spend this episode giving the back stories to some of the most classic terms from sports or games.  These are expressions we use in everyday life, yet they came from sport, and we get to learn their provenance. Does this seem to be out of left field? Would you rather we shoot point blank? Well, checkmate then, you got us. Have a listen, learn some new dinner conversation fodder, impress your friends!

Jon and Kurt decide to be topical (that is funny in so many ways with these two) for once and have an entire episode dedicated to bizarre, funny, and interesting stories around elections. With the U.S. election just a few weeks away, they look back at memorable moments in campaigning, curious balloting from around the world, funny nicknames for presidents, and, of course, get caught up in succotash.  

The boys are back with a new episode dedicated to all those little tasks that take no time off the clock but take a lot of time off our souls. We all have them…tiny things to do that trigger big resistance. Transferring the plates into the dishwasher? Putting on a new roll of toilet paper? You get the idea. Typing liner notes? Oh my….

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 literary forensic analysis. What they found is unsettling to say the least. Turns out, some of our most beloved nursery rhymes have morbid, lascivious, and/or creepy origins. Leave all your peaceful childhood memories behind, and join the boys as they dig into the true history of some iconic rhymes.

Finding humor, joy, and moral intrigue in select words, Jon and Kurt play a little game. One of the co-hosts comes up with a favorite or interesting word and explains the reasoning behind his choice. The other co-host then has to come up with a compelling entry of his own – but it has to start with the last letter of the other’s word. Of course, this being Smart Drivel, they seldom stay on task or on topic. The conversation that ensues is entertaining, if nothing else.

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 the only President to hold a patent) to the physically interesting (who was the shortest President) to the curiously interesting (who was the only President to kill someone in a duel) and onwards, they unearth some pretty cool facts about those who hold our highest office.