In this Great Minds Trivia episode, Bob and Marcia discussed various topics, including the automotive industry, presidential history, popular culture, advertising, T-shirts, and more. Bob shared insights into Toyota’s assembly line and the history of the Union Pacific Railroad, while Marcia provided tidbits about George Washington’s marriage and the origin of the word ‘advertising.’ They also talked about the history and cultural significance of T-shirts, and shared trivia about famous astronauts, inventors, and US presidents. Later, they discussed the limited time available to make a good impression in romantic situations, referencing a study that found most people form an attraction decision within three seconds of meeting someone face-to-face. Marcia shared a personal anecdote about her own experience with this phenomenon, and Bob added that they took longer than three seconds to form a connection.
Outline
Automotive and presidential trivia.
- Bob and Marcia Smith discuss presidential trivia and automotive history, including how Toyota learned assembly line techniques from an American auto plant tour.
- Bob Smith and Marcia Smith discuss the origins of Toyota and the automotive industry, including how Toyota started by assembling American passenger cars and figuring out how they work.
- The word “advertising” comes from the Latin “adverttere,” meaning to turn or turn towards, which is fitting for the purpose of advertising to get attention.
- Agatha Christie has had more writings adapted for the screen than anyone else, with over 90 adaptations of her books into films and TV shows.
- The towns of Cheyenne, Laramie, North Platte, and Julesburg in Wyoming were built in advance of the Union Pacific Railroad, with investors using their connections to plot and build before the laborers arrived.
Advertising history and slogans.
- Madonna was excluded from a charity event due to peer pressure.
- Marcia Smith: Cyndi Lauper’s song “Wonderful World” sounds like a Pepsi commercial, and it’s good.
- Bob Smith: The first written ad in history was for a runaway slave, and the first ad in an American magazine was the same thing.
Planet Uranus, alligators, and Brazilian history.
- Marcia and Bob discuss Uranus’ four seasons, lasting 21 years each, and the term “alligator” originating from Spanish “lagarto.”
- Bob Smith: Brazil imported more enslaved Africans than any other country, 4.8 million, and abolished slavery in 1888.
- Marcia Smith: Afro Brazilians have low power and income, despite making progress, with 56% identifying as descendants.
T-shirts, speed dating, and romantic interests.
- Bob Smith and Marcia Smith discuss the origins of the term “t-shirt” and its widespread use in American culture.
- Marcia and Bob discuss speed dating, with Marcia saying it takes 90 seconds to make an impression, while Bob provides a 3-second timeframe from a 2005 study.
- Marcia and Bob discuss baby’s blood volume, landlines, and their decreasing usage in US homes.
Landlines, phones, and presidential trivia.
- Bob and Marcia discuss the decline of landline phones, with sales increasing for screenless landline phones and millennials buying turntables instead.
- The world’s oldest wooden wheel was found in Slovenia, dating back to around 3000 BC.
- Bob Smith and Marcia Smith discuss various trivia and facts, including the birthplace of famous astronauts, the pen name of a famous inventor, and the family background of US presidents.
- Robin Williams makes a humorous comment on President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal during the show’s closing segment.
Bob Smith 0:00
What famous global automaker learned how to set up an assembly line by sending an engineer through an American auto plant as a tourist.
Marcia Smith 0:09
Oh, subterfuge. And Bob, who was the only president before JFK to dance at their inaugural ball, huh
Bob Smith 0:19
answers to those and other questions coming up in this episode of the off ramp with Bob and Marcia Smith.
Welcome to the off ramp a chance to slow down, steer clear of crazy, take a side road to sanity and get some perspective on life. Well, Marcia, that’s perspective. I didn’t know that. No, US president dance had his own and you’re a ball until JFK?
Marcia Smith 0:58
No, only one did only one did. That’s what the question is. Who was it?
Bob Smith 1:03
Huh? I’ll say Woodrow Wilson. Why I just seem to be an urbane sophisticated gentleman.
Marcia Smith 1:09
Oh, Woody, huh?
Bob Smith 1:10
Yeah. Woodrow,
Marcia Smith 1:12
what do you Wilson No, you have to go back a bit farther. Okay. It was George and Martha. All your
Bob Smith 1:17
kids. They were the last presidential couple to dance set at Ignite your wall until JFK. Yeah.
Marcia Smith 1:24
You remember from our vast readings on George that he did love to dance. He did love to dance and He love the lady and he did so I’m sure he danced with more than Martha. But the point is, nobody did it after him until John F. Kennedy.
Bob Smith 1:38
No kidding. Yeah, that was almost 200 years later. Yeah. Wow. I had no idea. That’s a great tidbit. Like that. Some presidential trivia coming up. But first, automotive trivia, Marcia. Oh, yeah. What global automaker learned how to set up an assembly line by sending an engineer through an American auto plant as a tourist. What would be the brand name BMW? No,
Marcia Smith 2:06
they’re still around, correct?
Bob Smith 2:07
Yes. The very big name. Yes. Another part of the world from Europe. Tell me Toyota from Japan. Yes,
Marcia Smith 2:15
I’ll be done. Okay.
Bob Smith 2:16
The Toyota company was originally the Toyota to OYOD a automatic loom Works Company. They were a textile firm and Sacchi chi Toyoda received a 200,000 pound loan from a Lancashire England firm in 1929, for rights to produce and advanced loom in England, so he took that money, but instead put it into the development of a motorcar design. Then how do you make the thing? Well, Toyota put his son key Chiro in charge of the venture, and key Chiro sent an engineer to the Packard works in Detroit as a tourist. While visiting the Packard plant, the engineer acquired enough information on how to set up an assembly line. And the first Toyota car was introduced in Japan in 1935, and
Marcia Smith 3:04
Stealing everything.
Bob Smith 3:06
That’s how they got started. They disassembled American passenger cars and figured out how they work. They started with the Chevy, took it apart. And then the first prototype passenger car produced in 1935 by Toyota was comprised of body parts of Chrysler, Ford and Chevrolet automobiles. Yeah. And, you know, go back to the first textile plant in the United States, that was set up by a man who left England memorizing everything he had done, he set up a loom and a mill in Massachusetts. So that’s how that got started. So you know, industrial espionage goes way back.
Marcia Smith 3:41
Yeah. Okay. And speaking again of George Washington, okay. He married the widow Martha Dandridge Custis at her plantation home. That’s right plantations all had names back then all cutesy names. So what was Martha’s big house called?
Bob Smith 3:58
Her big house?
Marcia Smith 3:59
plantation? What was it called?
Bob Smith 4:02
See, what was the name of that place? I don’t know. What’s the answer?
Marcia Smith 4:05
Bob, it was a harbinger of things to come. The White House?
Bob Smith 4:10
No, no kidding. It was called the White House. That was her plantation or fancy plantations name was the White House. Yeah. Wow. That’s interesting.
Marcia Smith 4:19
That’s why it’s coming out of your wife’s mouth. Of course, it’s interesting. Of course, it’s
Bob Smith 4:25
interesting. All right. What do you got? Where does the word advertising come from? What does it mean, originally, advert advertise.
Marcia Smith 4:35
from England, from a Latin
Bob Smith 4:37
word called advert tear, which means to turn, turn. Okay, so an advertisement literally means that which causes one to turn and look. Well, that’s, that makes sense. Yes, it does. That’s what a good advertisement should do – get attention.
Marcia Smith 4:52
I’ve always loved advertising.
Bob Smith 4:54
So what was the question? What is it the word advertising originally mean?
Marcia Smith 4:58
It means to turn And to look
Bob Smith 5:00
well they’re very good March
Marcia Smith 5:03
All right, I got it right. Let’s move on. Okay, from Parade Magazine. Haha. What author has had more writings adapted for the screen than anyone else?
Bob Smith 5:14
I think it’s Agatha Christie wasn’t a good guess. But
Marcia Smith 5:17
now No, no, no, really? Yes.
Bob Smith 5:20
Oh, is it Wait a minute, it’s is it somebody before her after her after it’s okay. I was gonna say maybe it’s Mark Twain because he had a number of
Marcia Smith 5:28
check this up. It’s a he and his books have been adapted more than 90 times into films. Yep, films or TV shows, TV shows or something. Anyway, it’s the American author of Stephen King. Wow, the king of books, has made more movies and TV shows from his work than anybody else, 90 adaptations. And there’s even a new version of one of his first ones which is Firestarter. Oh yeah, that I remember that book. I read that 1984 Starring Do you remember who started now who started Drew Barrymore? Oh, no kidding. Isn’t she a
Bob Smith 6:03
little girl? Yes, that story was about a little girl that could start fire. Yeah,
Marcia Smith 6:06
well, and did she did and so it’s coming out again, a new new version.
Bob Smith 6:10
Okay. All right, Marcia. I’m gonna give you the name of several American towns out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Yes, North Platte, Nebraska. Julesburg, Colorado, and Laramie, Wyoming. All of these owe their existence to one American business company. Which one? I’ll name them again. Cheyenne, Wyoming, North Platte, Nebraska Julesburg. Colorado Laramie, Wyoming.
Marcia Smith 6:35
I almost moved to Laramie wants to get to know for a reporter’s job, but yeah,
Bob Smith 6:41
we had a flat tire in Laramie. Did I tell you that?
Marcia Smith 6:45
Oh, the history. Okay. I have no idea.
Bob Smith 6:47
All of those towns owe their existence to the Union Pacific Railroad. Oh, that makes sense. And it’s not because the towns sprung up along the railroad route. The town sprung up before the railroad got there. Greenville dodge one of the Union Pacific Railroad investors used his connections to learn the railroads path through Wyoming. And as a result, he was able to plot and build before the Irish immigrant laborers started to work there. Cheyenne, Laramie, North Platte and Julesburg all were built in advance just waiting for the transportation link to reach the new villages. Okay, they were probably called to tank towns or what tank towns and it related to how many water tanks were there for the locomotive insurance.
Marcia Smith 7:26
Oh, that makes perfect sense. And so does this Bob. Okay. Remember the big superstar singing event? charity fundraiser? We are the world? Yes,
Bob Smith 7:36
we do. Yes,
Marcia Smith 7:38
I do. 1985 They raised almost 50 million bucks. And they invited anybody who was anybody who could sing that was in LA at the time. 46 singers sang everyone from Willie Nelson to Tina Turner were invited to join the song fests. But guitarist singer Niles Rogers recently noted that one female pop singer, who was on the charts then and wanted to sing at the event was not invited to join The Select Group because, quote, some of her peers feel that she did not deserve a spot on the lineup. Who was it? That well? That’s my question. Oh,
Bob Smith 8:16
okay. All right. So would that be someone who was a Was she a pop star? Yeah. A rock star?
Marcia Smith 8:23
I don’t know if you’d call it Rock.
Bob Smith 8:26
Australian? No. Okay. Who?
Marcia Smith 8:29
Who was a no? Madonna.
Bob Smith 8:30
Oh, no kidding.
Marcia Smith 8:31
She wanted to sing and they said, no, no, you don’t deserve a spot. I wonder she must. Who ran that thing. It was Reagan.
Bob Smith 8:37
Ken Kragen was the guy who started it who had been Harry Chapin’s manager, Harry Chapin had died a few years earlier. He said he felt like Harry Chapin was running it through him. And he said, One day I thought, Oh my God, He’s alive. He’s running this whole thing. He’s getting me to get all these people and bring them in and …
Marcia Smith 8:52
Who put the music together and wrote the song. That was Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. Yes, that’s right. Yeah. But somebody had it in for Madonna. A couple of interesting side notes on that big event. Waylon Jennings walked off the stage over a dispute about the lyrics. Oh, really? Yeah. Prince didn’t like the song and he didn’t even show up. Oh my goodness. And during the recording of the song, Cyndi Lauper leans over to Billy Joe and says, This sounds like a Pepsi commercial. And I listened to it. You know what? She’s kind of right. It’s It’s good. It is a good saw. It
Bob Smith 9:30
was a good thing though.
Marcia Smith 9:31
Wonderful World hunger. It did sound like a Pepsi commercial. Yeah.
Bob Smith 9:35
All right. I have two more questions on advertising. Marcia. Alrighty. What was the first written ad in history? How far back does it go? And what was it for?
Marcia Smith 9:44
The first written ad? Okay, give me okay.
Bob Smith 9:48
Archeologists found it in the ruins of ancient Thebes.
Marcia Smith 9:51
Pheebs. Egypt. Oh,
Bob Smith 9:54
what was the first written ad in history for urns of one I unfortunately no, it was for a runaway slave for the return of a runaway slave. And guess what? That’s what the first ad for an American magazine was the same thing a tiny notice for a runaway slave in Benjamin Franklin’s general magazine and historical Chronicle. Okay, we have advertising slogans good to the last drop when it rains, it pours, etcetera. What’s the origin of the word slogan? What is that mean?
Marcia Smith 10:24
When you want to come up with something catchy and interesting, you have to slow down and say it again? No, tell me.
Bob Smith 10:32
It’s Scottish,” slogan” is Scottish. And it means “battle cry,” which makes sense. You’ve got a military campaign, you need a battle cry where you have an advertising campaign. You need a slogan. So it’s from the Scottish Gaelic slug s Liu HGH and Garmin yell, so it means a battle cry. The term advertising slogan came into wide use in the 1840s when patent medicine men announced or yelled about their wares from their wagons, so they always got a slogan. He’s yelling over there. Okay, a battle cry.
Marcia Smith 11:05
That’s interesting. What’s the most famous slogan that pops into your head?
Bob Smith 11:09
I think good to the last drop is the one I think that goes back to the 50s. Supposedly, it goes back to Teddy Roosevelt. He supposedly was at the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. Okay, give him a cup of coffee. And he said, My goodness, that’s good to the last drop. That’s that’s the story. We don’t know if it’s true.
Marcia Smith 11:26
That’s right. Okay, ready? Yes. That planet Uranus. Has four seasons just like Earth, and they all last an equal amount of time. How long do they last? How long is winter on your readiness?
Bob Smith 11:40
How long is winter? I’ll say it’s two months.
Marcia Smith 11:45
Close. 21 years.
Bob Smith 11:47
Oh my goodness its 21 years?
Marcia Smith 11:50
Yes. It takes 84 years for that planet to go full orbit. So it’s 21 years each for each season. It’s the coldest planet in our solar system and it gets a bit zingy minus 371 degrees Fahrenheit. Oh, for our seventh planet from the Sun.
Bob Smith 12:07
That’s a cold long, long winter. That is 21 My God. Alright, let’s go to the tropics. Marcia. Where does the term alligator come from?
Marcia Smith 12:22
Alligator comes from a Spanish word to have all gators together.
Bob Smith 12:26
Owl was actually el el Lagarto, Aligarh tow which means the lizard.
Marcia Smith 12:31
Oh, well, that makes perfect sense.
Bob Smith 12:34
And then Mississippi keel boat men like to think of themselves as rough and tough alligators. They began calling themselves alligators. By 1808 Alligators came to mean jazz musicians in 1915. And then from these musical backgrounds came the rhyming Jive farewell See you later alligator in the 1930s. So it kind of progressed from Southern keelboat through southern musicians to southern music, but
Marcia Smith 12:59
it didn’t evolve to Gatorade, which has never called lizard eight.
Bob Smith 13:03
No, no. l Lagarto. Okay, sounds like a cigar, doesn’t it?
Marcia Smith 13:06
It does, has a ring to it.
Bob Smith 13:08
Let’s take a puff. We’ll be back with more in just a moment. You’re listening,
Marcia Smith 13:11
finishing British music.
Bob Smith 13:13
You’re listening to the off ramp with Bob and Marcia
Marcia Smith 13:15
Smith.
Bob Smith 13:18
Back again with the off ramp with Bob and Marcia Smith. All right. We mentioned slavery a moment ago, the first written advertisement was in Egypt, it was for a runaway slave. Now we all know slavery was big in the new world. What country imported more slaves than any other than any other.
Marcia Smith 13:34
Okay, well, that is not America, because you wouldn’t have asked me Oh, the United States?
Bob Smith 13:39
Yes. No, not the United States. Let me do that. Well, no, there are other countries in America. There’s Mexico. Yes, yes, Canada is there’s South American countries. What country?
Marcia Smith 13:49
Or what country in South America? I’d say Brazil.
Bob Smith 13:53
Brazil, more enslaved Africans were imported by Brazil 4.8 million than any other country. They didn’t abolish slavery until 1888. And by the time it did, many captives had escaped to remote areas. They were working Brazil’s gold mines. Oh, okay. Tough work. So then they escaped and settled in the jungle. Now, this is interesting. I had no idea. There are now approximately 5900 of these African based communities spread across Brazil today. They’re called Colombo’s. In fact, 56% of Brazilians identify themselves as descendants.
Marcia Smith 14:28
Oh, no. Africans, ancestors. 86%
Bob Smith 14:33
This is according to the Brazilian Institute of geography and statistics. Yeah, Brazil. Yeah. And unfortunately, despite having more than 50% of the population, few Afro descendants have achieved much power. And the average income of Afro Brazilians is almost half of that of whites.
Marcia Smith 14:49
We’ve done a lot better here, right up to present. Yeah, we are making progress. Okay, Bob. Okay,
Bob Smith 14:55
Marsha, here’s a fashion question for you. Okay. How long have t shirts been? Around T shirts. When did T shirts first appear?
Marcia Smith 15:03
1831?
Bob Smith 15:06
Wow, you’re wrong.
Marcia Smith 15:09
Oh, you got me excited for a second? Well, I
Bob Smith 15:12
like to do that. A second. They only go back a little over 100 years they’re at since at least 1904. And this is funny. That’s when the Cooper underwear company ran a magazine ad announcing a new product for bachelors. Oh, no muss, no fuss, no bachelor undershirt with no safety pins, no buttons, no needle, no thread, you just pull it over your head and put it on?
Marcia Smith 15:36
Well, that’s incredible thinking. I was thinking that it might have come about during the Civil War, you know, didn’t they wear T shirts underneath their heavy little uniform,
Bob Smith 15:45
they actually evolved out of the long johns that men wore in the 19th century, when a number of garment makers experimented with methods that would allow the fabric to stretch over the head and then snap back into shape. And then this was introduced in 1904. The following year in 1905, the Navy adopted them and soon 1000s of men became acquainted with the comfort of the cotton pullover. When was the first published reference to a T shirt and what novelists used it God what famous novelist made the first published reference to a T shirt? Okay, which one he was a with it Jazz Age kind of writer. Who? Well, who do you associate with the Jazz Age?
Marcia Smith 16:24
What’s his name?
Bob Smith 16:25
That’s the guy. What’s his name? An initial and then a middle name. Last night?
Marcia Smith 16:31
Yeah, I’m trying to think of his name hold. F. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yes.
Bob Smith 16:37
And that was March 26 1920. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the author was the first to use the word t shirt in print. It’s in the 1920 novel, this side of paradise. And it was listed among the items a character was taking to a college prep boarding school and
Marcia Smith 16:55
what famous president now Bob is seen wearing a t shirt regularly.
Bob Smith 17:00
What famous president now is seen wearing a t shirt regularly. Joe Biden now Ukraine pretzel? That’s right. That’s right. Zelinsky Yeah, Zelensky
Marcia Smith 17:09
out there wearing green fatigues T shirts all the time.
Bob Smith 17:12
How many Americans do you think own at least one t shirt?
Marcia Smith 17:16
How many Americans? Yeah, in
Bob Smith 17:17
terms of terms of 10 Americans after every,
Marcia Smith 17:20
I’d say nine and a half out of 10 95% of
Bob Smith 17:25
Americans wear T shirts. So you’re close to 10 and nine in every 10 Americans own at least one t shirt they refuse to throw away because of sentimental attachment Absolutely. Absolutely. Probably got something written on it. Or maybe that’s when they met their spouse with that or something like that.
Marcia Smith 17:41
Now, here’s a question for you. Okay. It’s impossible to hum. If you do what? Impossible
Bob Smith 17:48
to hum if you do what? Yes. If you’re gargling at the same time, well, no, you can’t hum. When you’re gargling. I’ve done that. There’s your national anthem right there. It’s impossible to hum if you pinch your nose.
Marcia Smith 18:03
That’s exactly right. Yes. Yes. Good for you try it. Well, huh. Yeah. And that’s interesting. How did you figure that out?
Bob Smith 18:16
I don’t know. I just thought about that. That was good deduction there, Bob. Well, good. And I hope everybody liked my gurgling there. All right. I have a question for you. We live in an age of data. Marcia, the world is awash in data. Everything is measured. So tell me metrics metrics, how much time do you have to make an impression on someone romantically?
Marcia Smith 18:34
Oh, not much. I’ll say I’ll say 90 seconds. Well, that would be a luxury. Oh, it’s like 10 seconds, isn’t it? According
Bob Smith 18:43
to The New York Times, you have just three seconds. And that’s meeting face to face. That comes from a 2005. University of Pennsylvania study using data from hurry date, which is a speed dating company? Yes. They found most people gauge the attraction of another person within three seconds of meeting them. That’s meeting in person not swiping photos on a dating app, meeting someone.
Marcia Smith 19:07
Okay. Wow,
Bob Smith 19:08
that sounds harsh, isn’t it? Yes. That’s very harsh. Okay. How far back does speed dating go?
Marcia Smith 19:14
Well,
Bob Smith 19:16
cheese is pretty good. I never did Yeah, our daughter I think did it not and speed dating. It’s like musical chairs and they switch and other people sit down. Yeah,
Marcia Smith 19:25
I know. But I also want to do it. Not recently. How? How far does it go? I’ll say, I’ll say 9090. Well,
Bob Smith 19:33
a little more recent than that. 9098 Oh, really? This
Marcia Smith 19:36
recent answer. Great idea.
Bob Smith 19:38
The first speed dating event that is known was held at a Pete’s coffee shop in Beverly Hills. In 1998. The host was Rabbi Jaco Daioh. He was trying to form connections for Jewish singles. He said we thought 10 minutes was enough time for each date than a busy coffee house. Timeframe inspired matchmakers all around the world. is
Marcia Smith 20:00
all over in 10 seconds. Yeah. 10 minutes? Well, it’s three seconds.
Bob Smith 20:04
Yeah. So you have three seconds to analyze, because I gotta talk for another nine minutes. Yeah.
Marcia Smith 20:10
The point is see? Yeah, I mean, look at you. And I, I mean, it took, it took a whole date before we decide to get married. So, a whole day, it’s not fair to judge in so quickly, right? Because I thought you were you didn’t why bill the first time you thought I was what I did. You didn’t. You just shook your head and said, Well, my tape but I was very wrong. Wrong. Wrong Wrong. Okay. All right.
Bob Smith 20:35
Should we tell people how you insulted me when we met at another time? No, no, since you mentioned I was the wrong kind of guy. When Marcia first met me. I said, Excuse me, is this where the interview is taking place? And Marcia turned around, looked me up and down and said, Who the hell are you?
Marcia Smith 20:49
Yes, it’s family lore Bob. Move on.
Bob Smith 20:55
It’s true. It is. Didn’t we tell that story before? So I didn’t ring your bell? Okay, well, fine. All right, fine.
Marcia Smith 20:59
The average human being that includes you. Well, thank you. You’re welcome. Has around 10 to 12 pints of blood in their body. How much is a baby born with?
Bob Smith 21:08
Wow, that’s a good question. How much blood is a baby born with? Is it in pints? How is it measured? liters? I’m not going to tell you how many symbols full of blood doesn’t mean more than a thimble. Okay, is it? eight pints?
Marcia Smith 21:22
10 to 12? Is what an adult has. Is that what you think a baby has?
Bob Smith 21:26
No, I would assume a baby is like a fourth of that.
Marcia Smith 21:30
So that would be three? No, it’s one cup of blood, eight ounces, which is half a pint. Right? So it’s just that’s all they have when they’re born a one cup of blood.
Bob Smith 21:43
That’s amazing. It is. Okay Marcia, you and I have this discussion every once in a while. Let’s get rid of the landline. No, let’s keep the landline. Let’s get rid of the landline. Oh, let’s keep the landline. Okay, how many US homes have land line phones today? Versus 20 years ago? Oh
Marcia Smith 21:59
my gosh, percentage, right? And American out God? Not many. I’ll say 15% 15%?
Bob Smith 22:04
No, it’s more than that. Okay, it’s about double that. 30. Okay, but the drops been very steep. And interestingly, the data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why? Because they always wanted to know how close a person was to a telephone. Yeah, they needed help. Yeah, so they always included that in their surveys of people. Oh, interesting. And over time, the landline answer back in 2003 was 90%. In 2003, nine out of 10 households had landline phones. 18 years later, in June 2021, the number of landlines had dropped to just 30%. So since 2003, landline telephones and homes have gone from 90% of American households, to just over 30%
Marcia Smith 22:51
I don’t know, Bob, I know you could do it, but I just don’t feel comfortable. We’re always looking for our phones. And I like it when people call both of us. You know, they don’t have to call one phone or the other. And I like when the kids call and we can both all be on the phone and put it on speakerphone. I know. But plus, it doesn’t run out of juice usually well.
Bob Smith 23:13
Your heart will be warmed by this Marcia. Okay, old used screenless landline phones are making a comeback. Really? In fact, sales are going through the roof. You can even buy them on Etsy. Why? Why? Because they have no screens. Their handheld receivers have style simplicity. And people who liked them say there’s only a three foot cord. So you can’t go anywhere where you’re talking. You can have a real conversation without distraction.
Marcia Smith 23:37
And we shouldn’t forget millennials. What are they out buying turntable? So
Bob Smith 23:41
yeah, that’s right. So they’re buying turntables? Yeah, they’re getting rid of landlines. Yeah.
Marcia Smith 23:45
Okay. Before my quote in 2002. Bob, the world’s oldest wooden wheel was found in Slovenia. How old was it?
Bob Smith 23:55
How old was the oldest wooden wheel? Yeah. Sounds like a riddle. Okay, so they found it in 2002. But it must go back to like, I don’t know. 1000 BC. Maybe
Marcia Smith 24:07
they are 1000 B? Well, well, no, it’s
Bob Smith 24:11
wood things that would don’t last that long. So let’s say it goes back to about the 1300s or the 1200s.
Marcia Smith 24:16
I haven’t in years old. Okay. You do the math. It was between 5000 105,300 years old. Wow. That’s how old the way it’s
Bob Smith 24:25
about 3000 BC. Is that what it is? Well, 5000. You take it were 2000 years into Yeah, yeah. So that’s really wow. 3000 BC and it’s wooden. Yeah. And found in Slovenia. Yeah,
Marcia Smith 24:37
I would. I wouldn’t have guessed that a million years. Okay.
Bob Smith 24:41
Here’s a little tidbit you would know about? Okay. What famous astronaut was born outside of the United States in Rome, Italy. Well, it has said there has to be somebody who you know from earlier periods. Shepard. No, no. Michael Collins. Oh, yeah. His father was the American military. Hurry attache in Rome when he was born. What great inventor once wrote an article on lizards for National Geographic under the pen name H a large lamb. Large lamb. It’s an interesting pen name.
Marcia Smith 25:14
Who Bob. Alec Bell. Alexander Graham. Yeah,
Bob Smith 25:18
Alexander Graham Bell, but his friends called him Alec. Alec Bell. In addition to his work with the Deaf and the telephone, he was also one of the original founders of National Geographic. So he wrote articles on natural things. This article was on lizards and turtles. He wrote a lot of articles for them to get it started. Okay, you had presidential statistics. Here’s my last one for today. Okay. In the entire history of the United States, no US president has been this. What? In terms of their family? No US president has ever been a
Marcia Smith 25:50
bachelor. No, we had a bachelor. A Presbyterian? No, no,
Bob Smith 25:56
we’ve probably had those. I don’t know. So far. No US president has ever been an only child. Or really, as minimum each President has had at least one half brother or half sister in the family, Franklin Roosevelt who famously was raised like an only child. Yes. And did actually had a half sibling, his father’s oldest son, James, who was 28 years older.
Marcia Smith 26:16
But in Mama’s eyes, he was the only one.
Bob Smith 26:20
And two recent presidents were raised like they were only children to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. They both had half siblings a decade younger than them. Gerald Ford was raised with three younger half brothers. And he had three younger half sisters via his father, but no US president has ever been an only child. A lot of firstborns. I know only child.
Marcia Smith 26:41
L And speaking of Bill Clinton. Yes. I’m going to end with a Robin Williams, quote, commenting on President Bill Clinton sex scandal, okay. He said, quote, God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately, not enough blood supply to run both at the same time.
Bob Smith 27:02
Okay, you want to end on that one? I think it was funny. Oh, gosh. Okay, well, we want to remind you if you’d like to contribute to the offer, you can do so by going to our website, the off ramp dot show going down to contact us leaving us information, maybe a question and an answer and something about yourself. We’d like to know where people are listening from. Give me something I can stump Marcia with.
Marcia Smith 27:24
I see I had two blood questions. Yeah. Oh,
Bob Smith 27:27
interesting. Okay. All right. I think that’s it for now, Marcia, and I’m done. Hope you enjoyed today’s show and come back when we return next week with more fascinating facts and tantalizing trivia here on the off ramp. The off ramp is produced in association with CPL radio online and the Cedarbrook Public Library Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
