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SmartDrivel is the definitive podcast for ambiguous topics. In this ongoing podcast, join Kurt Schneider and Jon Ellenthal as we probe the wonders of, er, um, well we don't really probe anything or answer any burning questions or get to the bottom of things. More like two guys with a mic exploring different topics. Twenty-ish minutes of a conversation you will want to be a part of. We promise the drivel, we hope for the smart.
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The fanny pack. Spray on hair. Corsets. Beanie Babies. Eating placentas. Polyester leisure suits. Yes, in this episode, Jon and Kurt explore fads and trends of the past that have, thankfully, passed us by.By Smart Drivel Media LLC
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You are probably asking yourself right now, “solo synchronized swimming…Isn’t that an oxymoron?” And while you would be correct, it didn’t stop it from being a honest-to-god true Olympic sport in not one, but three, Olympic Games: 1984, 1988, 1992. We guess that by 1992 a dictionary or thesaurus ended up at the IOC headquarters and they quietly got…
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Part of the explanation of what makes humans on top of the food chain is our ability to govern ourselves and make communal laws. However, like all things humans touch, invariably things get out of control. In this episode, Jon and Kurt talk about some of the most ludicrous, head-scratching, obscure laws that are still on the books in cities across …
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What? That is toads, not rhinos, that give you warts. Well, actually, that’s not true either. For centuries, we have blindly (not like a bat) given myths to animals that we hold to be true. But here is the kicker, they are patently false. Jon and Kurt go on a debunking mission and spread the truth gospel about many cherished animal legends (spoiler…
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Jon and Kurt decide to check the veracity of time-honored and venerated sayings/proverbs/idioms by applying science, math, logic to the idioms. Can lightning really not strike the same location twice? Can a walnut remove scratches in the floor? Can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Tune in, have a listen, and don’t take any wooden nickels.…
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Join Jon and Kurt in the greatest, funniest, smartest, drivelest episode ever. Yes, indeed, they reveal the biggest, oldest, smelliest, farthest “ests” of all time. Oldest piece of art? Highest IQ? Strongest animal on earth? Shortest novel ever written? Smallest country? Geeze, this is just the best.…
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If you knew that the etymology of the word “decide” killed off all other choices, then you might be apt to decide for yourself to listen to this latest episode. Jon and Kurt decide to continue their discussion on words in the English language–where they come from, why they exist, and some crazy fun facts about them thrown in for good measure. We’re…
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Bowing to popular demand, Jon and Kurt are back with a whole new episode dedicated to words. Revisiting a favorite topic – fun facts about words–our two co-hosts provide a bevy of tidbits, etymologies, backstories, and really cool information about some of the most used and interesting words. Where did “mentor” the word originate and why? What word…
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Join the fun as Jon and Kurt take turns asking each other provocative questions that, as you would expect, span the smart and the drivel. Find out who they would switch lives with for just one day, what they loved doing when they were eight, and if they would choose being the rock or the hard place. Of course, while each co-host gets to ask, they a…
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Join the fun as Jon and Kurt take turns asking each other provocative questions that, as you would expect, span the smart and the drivel. Find out who they would switch lives with for just one day, what they loved doing when they were eight, and if they would choose being the rock or the hard place. Of course, while each co-host gets to ask, they a…
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It was time. Our curmudgeonly co-hosts had held out from getting annoyed by people, things, society, etc. for just so long that they couldn’t hold it in anymore. Ergo, we get another “Pet Peeves” episode with all new nuisances, annoyances, and things that just piss off Jon and Kurt. Take this test: listen and try to see how many you agree with or n…
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In part 2 of a two-part mini-series (the boys are influenced by all the streamers), Jon and Kurt continue to opine on and proffer their submissions for certain country’s best gifts to the world. They randomly chose ten countries and make a case for that nation’s greatest contribution to humankind. As you might expect, some of their suggestions are …
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In this two-part mini-series (the boys are influenced by all the streamers), Jon and Kurt opine on and proffer their submissions for certain country’s best gifts to the world. They randomly chose ten countries and make a case for that nation’s greatest contribution to humankind. As you might expect, some of their suggestions are heavy with societal…
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Ever wonder what it would be like to live as a dog? To sleep most of the day, get your tummy rubbed, and give away all your emotions with a simple wag of your tail? Jon and Kurt channel their inner canines and ponder life as a dog and all things doggy. It’s a howling good time.By Smart Drivel Media LLC
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Jon and Kurt finally dig into today’s topic after a bit of verbal disagreements and wandering around. The discussion was a debate about U-Turns and their pros and cons. Each co-host had to choose a side: Kurt went for the con and, going against type, he gets a bit worked up and emotional in his scathing criticism of the crutch that is the U-turn. W…
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Jon and Kurt explore the root words that we all know and use often in their “negative” or “reverse” meaning. Where did these words come from? If “disgruntled” is a word, then shouldn’t “gruntled” be a word? And, if so, what does it meant? Is “kempt” the true opposite of “unkempt” or can we be “sheveled” if we are also often called “disheveled”? You…
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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 complete opposite? Holy cow, this is confusing. So, Jon and Kurt decide to dive into it head on and–buckle up–you need to faste…
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Ep.212: Winston Churchill and White Elephants
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The Smart Drivel lads, Jon and Kurt, decide to revisit a favorite topic in this week’s all new episode…famous phrases and their origins. Previously, they have told us the backstory of “one for the road”, “turn a blind eye”, “chairman of the board” and, of course, the wildly popular “freeze the balls off a brass monkey”, and many others. Well, stop …
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Whether you call them urban legends, urban myths or old wive’s tales, there are certain stories that enter the zeitgeist. Some start with “I swear this is true” and others as “did you hear about…?” Whatever the provenance, these stories zip around pop culture faster than the Road Runner sprints to Wile E. Coyote’s attempted traps. In this episode, …
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Harkening back to episode #1, The History of Pi vs Pie, the boys are at it again with looking at waffle the food vs waffle the verb. Trying to connect the two is quintessential drivel that has Kurt espousing wild theories and Jon in utter disbelief. Don’t waffle, put in those air pods and give it a listen.…
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“Hang up the phone.” “Roll up your window.” To a Gen Z-er, these expressions make no sense. In their lifetime, they have rarely or never been exposed to a physical phone to actually hang up or a car window that needed to be cranked up and down. So this got Jon and Kurt thinking–what other common sayings do we use that are rooted in a real element t…
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Are you sick of hearing people tell you “to be honest, we should circle back to the parking lot so we can think outside the box and undergo a paradigm shift.” Well, Jon and Kurt sure are and, in this episode, they submit their recommendations for expressions that should be eradicated from all conversations.…
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As Americans, we tend to be ethnocentric when we travel. We expect, stereotypically and categorically, that things “over there” will be what they are back in the States. We seem to be shocked and/or humored by their lack of ice cubes, to go cups, and shorts. Well, the opposite is also true…the Europeans find some of what we do quite bizarre. From o…
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Holidays used to be the domain of religions, banks, or governments. Recently, however, there is a new phenomenon in nationwide–global even–celebrations as certain days on the calendar become elevated above others. There is Pi day–3-14, May the 4th, etc. These are new, they are fun, and they are irreverent. But mostly, they represent the zeitgeist o…
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In this episode, Jon and Kurt turn their attention to the room in the house where we spend a good chunk of our waking hours–the bathroom. How did this space–borne out of necessary cleaning of our bodies and expunging of our bodily waste–morph into the sanctuary that it has become? Why? What is its history and how do people use it today? Of many int…
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