Commute | The Podcast

We'll have a new episode next week, but this week, we revisit one of our most popular episodes from 2023: We’ve all failed. Most of us would rather not talk about it, but the Museum of Failure does more than talk about failures. It celebrates them. U.S. airlines lose millions of pieces of luggage annually. Most of them don’t just vanish, they end up in the same place. (It’s not the landfill.) It’s been a calling card of the dining experience at Olive Garden for decades - unlimited breadstick and salad refills. But even unlimited things have their limit. http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

You know the healthy average human temperature is 98.6 … but it’s not, and we’ve known that for over three decades. The Statue of Liberty is world famous - but is the iconic sculpture based on a real person? Pop Tarts changed breakfast 60-years ago. It was the prize in a high-stakes race between rival cereal-makers to get to the toaster pastry finish line first. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544046/why-myth-average-human-body-temperature https://www.statueoflibertytour.com/blog/the-woman-behind-the-statue-of-liberty-who-is-lady-liberty/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-contentious-history-of-the-pop-tart-180984270/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Who decides what time it actually is? France tried to change it once. It involved decimals. Many of us shower once a day. Do we need to? Does it do more harm than good? Americans throw away $70 million in coins every year. One company decided to go dumpster diving. Sources: https://www.engadget.com/that-time-france-tried-to-make-decimal-time-a-thing-143600302.html https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240423-theres-no-need-to-shower-every-day-heres-why https://www.wsj.com/finance/americans-throwing-away-coins-28ca794c http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Have you been excited to see a movie but also frustrated because it was years away from release? What if it wouldn’t be released until after you were dead, and what if that was the plan? Smokey Bear has been warning people about the dangers of forest fires for decades. But where did he come from? Is he up something more than simply preventing fires? Peanuts, the beloved comic strip with Charlie Brown and Snoopy, is as family friendly as it comes. Except for the time it killed off a character. Sources: https://ew.com/article/2015/11/19/john-malkovich-robert-rodriguez-100-years/ https://www.treadmagazine.com/outdoor-adventures/campsite/smokey-bear/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/charlotte-braun-peanuts-character-disappeared http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

One day, everyone in Japan will have the same last name. Art takes time - unless it doesn’t. Some hit songs have come together rather quickly. William Henry Harrison served as President of the United States for a month. What happened? Sources: https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/japan-sato-only-name-by-2531-marriage-law https://www.businessinsider.com/songs-took-short-amount-of-time-to-write-2020-4#dolly-parton-wrote-not-one-but-two-successful-songs-in-one-day-14 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/science/what-really-killed-william-henry-harrison.html http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Some people make money from corporate jobs, while others find a way to be their own boss. Matt Farley does a little of both. Oh, and it’s often by way of songs about bathroom humor. Today we collectively experience something that doesn’t happen often - a total solar eclipse. Can we look at it, even for a split-second? How will pets react? Conventional wisdom says we need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. You know what it feels like to get less, but what if you sleep more? Can we get too much sleep? Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/31/magazine/spotify-matt-farley.html https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-04-03/2024-eclipse-astronomy-facts https://www.gq.com/story/too-much-sleep http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

When we think of execution methods, the guillotine seems quick and therefore painless. Maybe not… Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was once an in-demand flavor. Are we now on the brink of it going away… forever? Americans just spent $5 billion on Easter Candy, a lot of it in the form of chocolate bunnies. How did this creature become so seasonally popular? Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502594/death-guillotine-painless https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/15/business/chocolate-chip-ice-cream.html#:~:text=The%20Scoop%20on%20Ice%20Cream,decline%20aren't%20exactly%20clear https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/how-to-eat-chocolate-easter-bunny-candy http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Hotels and airlines avoid it. More than 1/3 of Americans say they fear it. What makes #13 so bad? Did you attempt the Presidential Physical Fitness test in your elementary school P.E. class? Did you pass? Did an actual president declare that we should do this? During Covid, more than 50 million people registered as active bird watchers - the most participants in any sport in America and, now post-Covid, they’re still watching. Dave calls one “birder” to get the scoop. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/why-row-13-missing-airplanes https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/presidential-fitness-test-origins-history https://time.com/6231886/birdwatching-mental-health/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

*Episode 118 Rebroadcast* The iconic Apple logo features an apple with a bite missing. How did they decide on that image? It depends on who you ask. Some are heroes in a traditional way and save a puppy from a burning building or rescue someone from drowning. Then some are like Roger Anderson and go after telemarketers. Would you trade your friends in for a free cheeseburger? Well, a few days, Burger King asked that very question. Of course, they got a response. http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

England offers incredible tea selections and passionate soccer fans. They also drive on the other side of the road. Iowa Hawkeye basketball standout Caitlin Clark hasn't just broken records and won a lot of games, she's had an impact that goes beyond the court. Years ago, a rat fell into wet cement in Chicago leaving an outline of its body in the sidewalk. The neighborhood thought this a quirky local story … then the rest of the world discovered it. Sources: https://www.thrillist.com/amphtml/travel/chicago/chicago-rat-hole-oral-history https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/upshot/caitlin-clark-popularity-attendance.html https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/02/business/why-americans-drive-on-the-right-and-the-british-on-the-left?cid=ios_app http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

A recent real-life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory seemed too good to be true. Spoiler alert - it was. Have you ever wondered why we pronounce Arkansas like that? So have we, and we decided to find out why. Can we blame bad or strange behavior on a full moon? Intelligent people have figured this out. Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/world/europe/willy-wonka-experience-glasgow.html https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2015/05/17/arkansaw-ar-kansas/27489055/#:~:text=Well%2C%20Susy%2C%20the%20short%20answer,but%20more%20on%20that%20later https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31608/does-full-moon-really-make-people-act-crazy http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

History is filled with stories that seem too fantastic to be true … and then there’s Archimedes and his death ray. Private label generic brands are the more affordable option to store brands at your local supermarket. But who makes this stuff, and is it true that it’s secretly made by the name brand company it’s competing against?! As we’ve discussed on the show before, food expiration dates are suspect, and certainly something that’s 50,000 years old is a no-brainer! When scientists dug up a perfectly preserved bison, though, they decided to try it. Sources: https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2021/10/28/did_archimedes_death_ray_actually_work_799152.amp.html https://sporked.com/article/what-is-a-private-label-product/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-bison-stew-blue-babe-alaska http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Sometimes, if you’re a Sriracha fan and you want THE Sriracha - the original OG version with the cartoon rooster - you’re out of luck. Is it a supply chain issue as everyone assumes … or something deeper? It’s hard to go a day without seeing a State Farm Insurance commercial featuring the iconic Jake from State Farm. But Jake is a real person (though that’s not his real name), and being famous isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Soon we’ll recognize something we only experience every four years - Leap Day. Why do we do this again? Sources: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/really-caused-sriracha-shortage-2-110000803.html https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/jake-state-farm-actor-kevin-miles-patrick-mahomes-friendship-1235820810/amp/ https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/science-leap-year http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

We’re fresh off of watching the Super Bowl - but besides the Super Bowl there was the Puppy Bowl! Where did this come from, and why do so many advertisers want in? Betty Crocker, The Jolly Green Giant - these fictional characters are fun representatives for food brands that consumers can form connections with. Then there's Chef Boyardee. Eighty-seven years ago, Amelia Earhart vanished during a flight. Her plane and remains have never been found. Have we finally solved the mystery? Sources: https://www.marketplace.org/2023/02/10/how-the-puppy-bowl-became-a-marketing-juggernaut-in-its-own-right/ https://www.npr.org/2011/05/17/136398042/the-man-the-can-recipes-of-the-real-chef-boyardee https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/travel/amelia-earhart-missing-plane-pacific-ocean-scn?cid=ios_app http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Americans average nearly 30 minutes in the car to get to work and back, and they hate it. This week, what we can do to improve the experience. Movies spectacles cost millions of dollars. One thing that’s not in the budget? Fighter jets. Taylor Swift made both the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs a lot of money. We’ll tell you how and how much. Sources: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/taylor-swift-is-worth-331-million-and-counting-to-nfl-and-the-chiefs-05e4dbf9 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/taylor-swift-is-worth-331-million-and-counting-to-nfl-and-the-chiefs-05e4dbf9 http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2024/01/how-much-did-top-gun-maverick-cost-the-u-s-taxpayer/ https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15004-survey-toll-of-commute.html http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Why is raising the middle finger offensive? How did the idea evolve? You dip a chip and take a bite. Now, what do you do with the other half? Does it matter what month your birthday occurs? Some turn out to be better than others. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/22/world/middle-finger-gesture-explained-cec?cid=ios_app https://theconversation.com/is-double-dipping-a-food-safety-problem-or-just-a-nasty-habit-51014 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3361998/amp/Not-happy-birthday-Research-reveals-today-worst-day-year-celebrate-thanks-friends-family-partied-money-spent-Christmas.html http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

It looks so easy in movies, but what does it take to hire a hitman in the real world? In the 90’s, McDonald’s was the largest playground provider in the nation, but recently McDonalds Play Places have been disappearing. What happened? Heads or tails? Does it matter which you choose? A group of researchers decided to find out. Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/14/nyregion/hit-men-are-easy-to-find-in-the-movies-real-life-is-another-story.html https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/mcdonalds-playland-playplace-history https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-destroy-illusion-that-coin-toss-flips-are-50-50/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

For most of its 110-year history, Stanley drinkware has not been particularly cool. Suddenly, the Stanley Tumbler has now become a status symbol across high school and college campuses. How did this happen? In the early 1980s, cockroaches were everywhere, from homes across America to the halls of the White House. This seemingly indestructible insect was impossible to stop. Then one man had an idea. Legend has it that specific artwork on a Tootsie Roll Pop can be redeemed for a freebie. But legends are complicated. Sources: https://www.retaildive.com/news/stanley-quencher-tumblers-viral-success/699416/ https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2023/11/cockroach-bait-invention-combat/676167/?gift=j9r7avb6p-KY8zdjhsiSZwMg1Z5NhWtvHwcVQswRZjU https://www.mashed.com/989880/could-you-really-score-free-candy-if-you-found-this-special-tootsie-pop-wrapper/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

If you thought litter was terrible on Earth, wait until you hear about what’s happening in outer space. At least down here it doesn’t come at you flying 15,000 MPH! First, there was Winnie the Pooh and, now, Mickey Mouse. As beloved modern characters enter public domain we could see them in versions and situations their creators never intended. But with Mickey there’s a catch... When Columbus and crew discovered America in 1492 they brought a stowaway with them. It now lives in your front yard. Sources: https://time.com/6551496/mickey-mouse-public-domain-steamboat-willie/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

Teaching history is hard. It can be challenging to convey the importance of events that happened long ago. An Instagram account tried a different approach, but did it work? Need a new Christmas tradition?! Too bad - we have one for you, anyway. To close out 2023, we look back at the year’s top 25 Wikipedia searches and wonder if it means anything for the year ahead. Sources: https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/08/instagram-holocaust-diary-evastories-sparks-debate-in-israel https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/arts/music/whamageddon-last-christmas-game.html https://apnews.com/article/wikipedia-top-searches-2023-chatgpt-a0e742df4e00c30c063d0c2505c126e5 http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast