Best Smart Drivel Media LLC Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 284: Big Bad Ben (redux) 26:53

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3d ago26:53

26:53

Ben Franklin is deeply embedded in the American ethos. He was a Founding Father, an inventor, a printer, an author, a diplomat, a man about town, to name just a few of his talents. He was prolific to say the least and was a true Renaissance man. In this episode, Jon and Kurt marvel at his successes and share some of his lesser known accomplishments…

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Ep.283: Ok, You’re Famous…But Really? 31:20

10d ago31:20

31:20

Just because you are an incredible inventor, politician, musician, actor, artist, etc. it doesn’t mean you aren’t without your quirks. In this episode, Jon and Kurt reveal some of the, ahem, “odd” traits/behaviors/obsessions of famous folk. Guess it makes us feel better for always wrapping our microphones in baloney before each episode.…

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Ep.282: Why Did We Ever Believe That? 32:05

17d ago32:05

32:05

In searching for answers to quell fears or explain life’s quirks, humans have oft come up with some pretty bizarre beliefs. Tomatoes are poison? Witches steal a particular male body part and keep them for pets? Baths are dangerous? Photographs steal your soul? Ya, pretty funny yet weird stuff in which we used to believe. Jon and Kurt use this episo…

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Ep. 281: Say that Again? (redux) 24:39

24d ago24:39

24:39

Jon and Kurt return to a theme from the early days of Smart Drivel as they give examples and discuss sayings that just make no sense. Some, like “on cloud 9” confuse one and not the other while others, such as “the exception proves the rule” require much thought. They agree on some, bring up some classics like “pick the low hanging fruit” and try n…

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Ep.280: Beware the Small Things 31:44

1M ago31:44

31:44

We always worry about the large looming events that change history. Yet, often, history’s pages are changed not by some titanic event (pun intended), but by small, seemingly inconsequential occurrences. A wrong turn, a different kind of rivet, a misplaced comma, a cuppa tea, a laziness in rushing out on vacation, etc. all led to seismic changes in …

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Ep. 279: Cat Got Your Tongue? 36:55

1M ago36:55

36:55

Jon and Kurt wonder at the pervasive use of animal idioms in everyday conversation. Why do we call someone a Black Sheep? Or accuse someone of crying Crocodile Tears? What is a Paper Tiger and who famously made it into an insult to his enemies? Get the Albatross From Around Your Neck or the Monkey Off Your Back and have a listen. This episode is Th…

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Ep.278 Murphy’s Law 33:34

1M ago33:34

33:34

No, dear listener, this episode is not about everything that can go wrong in a podcast episode will go wrong. It is, however, a quick dive into Named Laws of nature or corporate life or technology or etc. Jon and Kurt share and discuss “laws” that are named after people. Where did they come from? Why were they so named? What did they seek to memori…

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Ep. 277: Epic Failures (redux) 27:10

2M ago27:10

27:10

There is an actual “Museum of Failures” which memorializes products that were massive failures. Classics like “neon green Heinz Ketchup” and “Spray on Condoms” (yes, you read that correctly) are on exhibit as are countless others that, while born out of innovation, just never made it. Jon and Kurt highlight a few of the juiciest failures and have f…

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Ep. 276: What's Gucci (redux) 26:14

2M ago26:14

26:14

Kurt and Jon explore the disorienting land defined by the Urban Dictionary and learn more than they bargained for. As it turns out, Kurt is equally at home with hors d'oeuvres as well as store d'oeuvres. One is consumed in a friend's living room. The other at Costco. If you don't know what it means to be a body booker, say, "Damn, Gina," or engage …

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Ep.275: No Way That is True (redux) 25:08

2M ago25:08

25:08

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 ridiculous statements that are actually true. They sound faker than Kurt’s french accent, but are 100% correct.…

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Ep.274: Wait…Wait…What %???!!! 33:41

2M ago33:41

33:41

It started innocently enough when Kurt drove by a parking lot full of fire trucks, lights flashing, but no fire. And it got them thinking, what % of a firefighters day is actually spent fighting fires? (Answer given in the episode.) From there, Jon and Kurt decided it would make a fun game show to ask each other to guess what the % answer was to in…

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Ep. 273: Men are Stupid 30:40

3M ago30:40

30:40

The boys decide to give in to their genetic hard-coding and spend an episode exploring what makes the male human do so many idiotic things. Throughout the ages, it seems that those with the Y chromosome have simply not evolved. The “why women outlive men” trend on social media has it right. Tragically funny and infinitely ludicrous, Jon and Kurt di…

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Ep.272: Pet Peeve or Pet Pleasure 34:22

3M ago34:22

34:22

The boys are back sharing their feelings. They emote about peeves…yes, all those peeves, be they macro or micro, that get under their skin. But this time, they don’t just dwell on the negative, the bothersome, the nuisances, as they add a new category…pet pleasures. What are those things/experiences/feelings that conjure up releases of dopamine and…

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Ep. 271: Name that Feeling, Part 2 32:09

3M ago32:09

32:09

Having too much fun with the topic, the boys add on to last week’s list and come up with even more new names for ordinary feelings we all have (like when you have an eyelash stuck in your eye).By Smart Drivel Media LLC

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Ep. 270: Name that Feeling, Part 1 28:23

3M ago28:23

28:23

Jon and Kurt pick up the scent from an earlier episode where they discovered John Koenig’s “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” Basically, he made up words to fit common feelings that deserve and need to be named. Never missing a chance to make up words (in the hopes of one day making it into the OED), Jon and Kurt hope they aren’t thrust into “joc…

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Ep.269:What’s the Difference? (redux) 27:59

4M ago27:59

27:59

Ever wanted to know what the difference is between alligators and crocodiles? Dolphins and porpoises? Further and farther? Whiskey and whisky? Plantains and bananas? You get the gist...this episode has Jon and Kurt exploring and explaining these hugely important differences.By Smart Drivel Media LLC

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Ep. 268: Pepsi's Navy 38:13

4M ago38:13

38:13

What does a Pepsi navy have to do with telling time, reading books, or popes dying? Don’t have a proverbial pot to piss in as you think of the answer? Well, we are sure there is a cool new word that sums up your feelings. And, in this episode, Jon and Kurt bring all of this together to enlighten, enrichen, and possibly entertain.…

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Ep.267: Coincidence? I Think Not. 37:56

4M ago37:56

37:56

Jon and Kurt can’t get enough of sharing things that makes the other say, “I didn’t know that!” They once again use the construct of each relating three little known morsels to one another. From the heights of Mt. Everest to the lows of World War I and lots in between, they give accounts of historical eerie coincidences and puzzling math party tric…

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Ep.266: Don’t Testify in Ancient Rome 34:11

4M ago34:11

34:11

The boys are back at it. They are committed to teaching/relating/sharing with each other unique and oddball things previously unknown. In this episode they talk about exploding whales, dropped bombs, the oldest professions in the world, and the aforementioned weird etymology of the word “testify.” Grab a thing or two and have a listen….…

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Ep. 265: The Mandela Effect (redux) 29:36

5M ago29:36

29:36

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 is a wild manifestation of being human–certainly AI wouldn’t fall prey to a social current that sweeps up many in its errant t…

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Ep.264: The Great Emu War of 1932 38:06

5M ago38:06

38:06

Jon and Kurt continue with the format of sharing fascinating, entertaining, fun things the other didn’t know. Yes, there was an Emu war. And Ikea sells a gazillion meatballs. There is a species that regenerates. Oh, and we get to hear the two oldest jokes in the world. Pull up a metaphoric stool and hear all about these and others.…

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Ep. 263: 11 Days That Never Happened 34:29

5M ago34:29

34:29

Jon and Kurt seek to educate, enlighten, and entertain each other with information previously unknown–be it of the historical, technological, or linguistic bent. What happened in 1752 that no one remembers? From what common sense practical usage did everyday words come from? And what the hell do you call this cool way of cursing: $@&*#!. Come get s…

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Ep.262: Tech Chicken Littles 36:59

5M ago36:59

36:59

Throughout history, dating as far back as humankind can go, there is an indomitable spirit in people that drives innovation and invention…to make our lives easier and more efficient. This manifested in a way that we kept creating new “technologies” from the umbrella to the printing press to electricity to the automobile to the internet, well you ge…

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Ep. 261: The Secret Lives of Everyday Products 32:35

5M ago32:35

32:35

Jon and Kurt were intrigued by the history, impact, and power of seemingly innocuous everyday items. In this episode they try to make the cast that the utilitarian fork isn’t just about eating, it is representative of the history of humanity. And then they discuss chewing gum and its role in society. You’ll never grab a utensil or chew the same way…

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Ep.260: How Beer Saved the World (redux) 25:27

6M ago25:27

25:27

You might think the common brew/brewski/suds/etc. is just a proletariat beverage more suited to frat brothers than aristocracy. But you would be wrong. Beer has been revered for over 10,000 years as both a nutritious drink and a social elixir. Jon and Kurt follow beer’s impact over the centuries from ancient Egypt to Medieval Europe to the landing …