HTDE: Josh Gad defeats earworms, and we make a pitch to Pete Buttigieg

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Episode: HTDE: Josh Gad defeats earworms, and we make a pitch to Pete Buttigieg

Host: Mike Danforth and Ian Shillag
Guest: Douglas Herman, Josh Gad, Pete Buttigieg
Original Air Date: [Insert Air Date Here]

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1. Introduction to "How to Do Everything" (00:00 - 01:08)

The episode begins with Peter Sagal, host of the main "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" show, introducing the special edition of the sister podcast, "How to Do Everything." Sagal highlights the significance of featuring Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, mentioning his pivotal appearance on "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" in 2017, which some attribute to Buttigieg's rise in national politics. He reassures listeners about the show's separation from the main "Wait Wait..." feed, guiding them to enjoy "How to Do Everything" on its dedicated platform.

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2. Tackling Election Mailers with Douglas Herman (01:08 - 04:49)

Discussion Participants:

• Mike Danforth: Co-host
• Ian Shillag: Co-host
• Douglas Herman: Political strategist, lead mail strategist for Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

As Election Day looms, Mike and Ian address the common frustration of overflowing mailboxes with campaign materials. They invite Douglas Herman to shed light on effective strategies to reduce unwanted mailers.

Key Points:

• Cost of Campaign Mailers: Douglas emphasizes the high expense of sending mailers, motivating campaigns to manage their mailing lists efficiently.
• Voting Early as a Solution: By voting early, voters can expedite their removal from campaign mailing lists. Herman states, "The bottom line is, do your homework and vote early." (02:14)
• Franked Mail Explained: The conversation delves into "franked mail," where federal officials use their signatures instead of stamps for official communications. Herman clarifies, "They also sometimes called it franked mail... it can only be done for straight up official purposes." (03:04)
• Consequences of Misusing Franked Mail: Doug warns that misuse, such as signing election mailers personally, constitutes a campaign finance violation, referencing the downfall of Dan Rosto and Kowski for "illegal franking." (04:00)

Notable Quote:

• Douglas Herman: "The campaigns are going to communicate with you because you're a registered voter. The way in which you can get off the list the quickest and the easiest is to do your homework and vote early." (01:33)

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3. Listener Question: Removing a Stuck Song with Josh Gad (05:07 - 12:47)

Caller: Roxanne, dealing with a catchy song from "Beauty and the Beast" that's stuck in her head.
Guest: Josh Gad, actor and performer known for his role in "Frozen" and Broadway's "The Book of Mormon."

Roxanne shares her struggle with the persistent "Gaston" song from "Beauty and the Beast," seeking advice to eliminate it from her mind.

Key Points:

• Identification of the Earworm: Roxanne mentions, "We have probably listened to it at least 10 times this morning so far." (07:13)
• Josh Gad's Tips:
  • Remove All Speakers: "I think that you need to take out all speakers from the house immediately." (08:00)
  • Introduce Other Catchy Melodies: Incorporate songs from diverse artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé to replace the stuck tune. (08:10)
  • Personal Anecdote: Gad relates his own experience of living with the song during rehearsals, admitting, "I couldn't get that damn song out of my head." (08:40)
• Scientific Insight on Earworms: Dr. Philip Beaman explains that chewing gum can disrupt the brain regions responsible for keeping the song in mind, effectively helping to remove the earworm. (13:10)

Notable Quotes:

• Josh Gad: "I was literally living with that problem. Unlike Marco, I was getting paid to live with a problem." (08:33)
• Roxanne: "So when I'm not listening to Gaston, I don't want to be repeating the lines in my head all day long." (07:09)

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4. Pitching a Personal Time Zone to Pete Buttigieg (18:16 - 22:25)

Participants:

• Mike Danforth: Co-host
• Ian Shillag: Co-host
• Pete Buttigieg: Secretary of Transportation

Mike and Ian present a humorous pitch to Pete Buttigieg, questioning the feasibility of establishing a personal time zone to simplify scheduling across multiple time zones.

Key Points:

• The Idea: Ian suggests, "Wouldn't it be easier if we had our own time zone? So I could just be like, let's have a meeting at noon. Wait, wait time." (18:16)

• Pete Buttigieg's Response:

  • Jurisdiction Over Time Zones: Buttigieg explains that while the Department of Transportation oversees time zones, significant changes require state cooperation. "A lot of it actually comes through the states." (19:03)
  • Historical Context: He shares his experience from Indiana, where counties struggled with differing time zone preferences, leading to confusion. (19:27)
  • Decline of Micro Time Zones: Buttigieg highlights the transition from numerous local time zones to the standardized system influenced by the railroads. "Before the railroads, it was commonplace to have hundreds of different kind of micro time zones around the country." (20:01)
  • Humorous Rejection of the Idea: Clearly, personal time zones aren't feasible, and Buttigieg dismisses the notion with a light-hearted tone. "No, you can't have your own time zone just because you asked." (21:45)

• Follow-Up Questions:

  • Speeding Tickets Inquiry: Mike humorously asks if Buttigieg has received any speeding tickets since becoming Secretary of Transportation. Buttigieg recounts a historical anecdote about President Ulysses Grant, emphasizing the importance of accountability. "He paid up. He did the right thing." (22:00)

Notable Quotes:

• Ian Shillag: "Wouldn't it be easier if we had our own time zone? So I could just be like, let's have a meeting at noon." (18:16)
• Pete Buttigieg: "The point is, no, you can't have your own time zone just because you asked." (21:45)
• Pete Buttigieg: "If you don't get to have your personal time zone, which I can tell you from experience, may cut both ways." (21:38)

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5. Closing Remarks and Takeaways (23:10 - 25:35)

Mike and Ian wrap up the episode with reflections on the discussions:

• Reducing Election Mailers: Voting early not only diminishes the influx of campaign materials but also supports candidates by lowering their advertising costs.
• Handling Earworms: Adopting strategies like removing sources of the stuck song and introducing new music can effectively clear unwanted tunes from one's mind.
• Time Zone Realities: While the idea of personal time zones is whimsical, practical constraints and historical precedents maintain the current standardized system.

They conclude by encouraging listeners to engage with the podcast, send in questions related to upcoming holidays, and express gratitude to their producer team and interns.

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Danforth: "Once again, that email address, no matter what this season is [e-mail]." (15:21)
• Ian Shillag: "We apologize, Roxanne. You're welcome, Marco." (24:53)

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Conclusion

This episode of "How to Do Everything" offers insightful and humorous explorations of everyday challenges, from managing election mailers and battling catchy songs to the complexities of national time zones. With expert advice from political strategist Douglas Herman, engaging tips from Josh Gad, and an entertaining interaction with Pete Buttigieg, Mike Danforth and Ian Shillag deliver a rich and informative experience for listeners seeking practical solutions and light-hearted entertainment.

Listeners who missed this episode will benefit from learning effective strategies to minimize election-related mail clutter, techniques to remove persistent songs from their minds, and a deeper understanding of the administrative nuances behind time zones in the United States.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Douglas Herman (01:33): "The bottom line is, do your homework and vote early."
• Josh Gad (08:33): "I was literally living with that problem. Unlike Marco, I was getting paid to live with a problem."
• Pete Buttigieg (19:03): "A lot of it actually comes through the states."
• Pete Buttigieg (21:45): "No, you can't have your own time zone just because you asked."
• Ian Shillag (18:16): "Wouldn't it be easier if we had our own time zone?"
• Pete Buttigieg (22:35): "I feel the temptation sometimes."

---

For more engaging discussions and weekly news quizzes mixed with humor, subscribe to "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and its sister podcasts.

Transcript

[Sponsor Message]

This message comes from noom. Using psychology and biology to build personal meal plans to fit your lifestyle, taking into account dietary restrictions, medical issues, and other personal needs. Sign up for your trial [e-mail] hey.

[Peter Sagal]

Guys, it's Peter here to tell you that you are about to listen to yet another episode of how to Do Everything, our sister podcast from Wait Wait producers Mike Danforth and Ian Shillag. It's a very special episode today because they're featuring Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Now, some people credit Pete Buttigieg's rise in national politics to his appearance on Wait Wait. Don't tell me in 2017. By some people, I mean me. Now, if you hate hearing this show in the Wait Wait feed, I've got good news for you. Pretty soon it's going to disappear from here and people will have to go over to its own feed on how to Do Everything. To listen to how to do everything. And if you love hearing the show, I got great news. It's got its own feed. You don't have to worry about my dumb show. Just go listen to them whenever you want. So enjoy this week's how to Do Everything.

[Mike Danforth]

Election Day is just days away. Maybe your mailbox is full of election mailers. Maybe it's even overstuffed with mailers.

[Ian Shillag]

Maybe you're considering just setting fire to your mailbox so you don't have to deal with it. But there's a better way.

[Mike Danforth]

Douglas Herman is a political strategist. He was lead mail strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. So, Doug, we hear there's a way to cut down all these mailings. Can you tell us about it?

[Douglas Herman]

Absolutely. There's a way to do this, and it actually works in your interest and in the campaign's interest. I'll tell you how it works. These campaign mailers are expensive, and you get on the list by registering to vote. And the campaigns are going to communicate with you because you're a registered voter. The way in which you can get off the list the quickest and the easiest is to do your homework and vote early. Because when you vote, the campaign is going to stop talking to you. It's in their interest to stop spending money. So they are going to want to not send you any more mailings just as badly as you don't want to see any more of those mailings. So the bottom line is, do your homework and vote early.

[Ian Shillag]

Wow. So. So it both stops me from getting more mail than I want. But if you know, if I'm passionate about my candidate, it's kind of like making a donation to them because they don't have to spend the money to send me something. I'm just going to recycle.

[Douglas Herman]

Absolutely. Because it costs them a lot of money to do that and they're doing it time and time again. So your little bit, that's a little personal contribution. That's right.

[Ian Shillag]

I once got a letter from Barack Obama and instead of a stamp, it just had his signature where the stamp would go. Because I guess once you've been president, you can just mail things that way. Right.

[Douglas Herman]

Federal elected officials have, by virtue of their signature, it's called franked mail, they're able to send out mail under their signature, basically in lieu of a stand.

[Ian Shillag]

Wait, what's it, what's it called again?

[Douglas Herman]

Frank mail. The congressional members use it often. F R A N K E D. Frank. And they have congressional franking privileges, which is what they're given as part of their office to communicate with their residents, the voters.

[Mike Danforth]

Can I ask a question, Doug? When else can you use the word frank as a verb?

[Douglas Herman]

I've never used it as a verb except in this instance.

[Mike Danforth]

Wow, Ian, have you ever heard of it? Franking?

[Ian Shillag]

No.

[Douglas Herman]

The term is congressional franking. There's rules about it, very clear rules. Congress drives them about how you can use all that stuff and what it's for. It can only be done for straight up official purposes.

[Ian Shillag]

So it would be a campaign finance violation for an incumbent candidate to just sign every election mailer themselves to save their campaign money?

[Douglas Herman]

Yes, it would. That's kind of what took Dan Rosto and Kowski down.

[Mike Danforth]

Okay.

[Douglas Herman]

Catch him in dams for cash.

[Mike Danforth]

So wait, so when he's in jail, they could be like, what are you in here for? And he could be like, illegal franking.

[Douglas Herman]

I franked wrong.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah. Doug, do you think that people would pay more attention to these mailers that they got in their mailboxes if maybe they were sticky?

[Douglas Herman]

You know, folks have said a lot of things about ways to gather more attention and pique more voters. Attention. The scratch off.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah.

[Douglas Herman]

Leave an odor. Doing the lottery, there's been every. Every trick in the game has been played.

[Ian Shillag]

Did you say leave an odor?

[Douglas Herman]

Uh huh.

[Pete Buttigieg]

Yeah.

[Douglas Herman]

Let's say you're having. You're trying to say this guy's spewing bar motors for their campaign promises, but.

[Ian Shillag]

Like, are you saying that's something somebody proposed or.

[Douglas Herman]

It's been done.

[Mike Danforth]

Really?

[Douglas Herman]

Yep.

[Mike Danforth]

Well, Doug, thank you so much for talking this through with us.

[Douglas Herman]

Thank You.

[Mike Danforth]

This is how to do everything. I'm Mike.

[Ian Shillag]

And I'm Ian. On today's show, we go to the highest offices of government and ask them for something.

[Mike Danforth]

But first, Roxanne, what can we help you with?

[Roxanne]

Hi. Yeah. So my toddler is obsessed with Gaston in Beauty and the Beast and everything is Gaston in our house, but especially the song. And I just get this stuck in my head all the time and I was wondering how we can get a song out of my head.

[Ian Shillag]

This is the like, no one fights like Gaston. No one bites like Gaston. That's the, that's what we're talking about, right?

[Josh Gad]

That's.

[Roxanne]

That's the song.

[Mike Danforth]

You had that pretty quick. Ian, is that a song? Are you singing that song in your house?

[Ian Shillag]

I'll just be honest. I also have a 4 year old who is obsessed with this song.

[Mike Danforth]

Oh, there you go.

[Ian Shillag]

Yeah.

[Roxanne]

Oh, that's perfect.

[Ian Shillag]

When you say your toddler is obsessed with Gaston, what's. Sorry, what's your child's name?

[Roxanne]

Yeah, his name is Marco.

[Mike Danforth]

Marco. Okay.

[Ian Shillag]

Does Marco think Gaston is the good guy in Beauty and the Beast?

[Roxanne]

Kind of. I mean, the Beast is bad for a lot of the movie. I don't really think the ARC does the story justice, but yeah, he doesn't really understand that Gaston is the bad guy. He just likes that Gaston jumps off of tables and he always wants to jump off of tables and jump off of roofs.

[Mike Danforth]

And is that Marco in the background that we can hear?

[Roxanne]

Yeah. Yeah. Marco, do you want to say hi?

[Douglas Herman]

Hi.

[Mike Danforth]

Hey, how are you?

[Ian Shillag]

Hey, Marco.

[Roxanne]

I'm good.

[Ian Shillag]

All right, we should jump in real quick here. There's about to be a spoiler for those of you who haven't seen Beauty and the Beast.

[Mike Danforth]

I feel wild.

[Roxanne]

The beast is bad. And then, and then he turns into a prince.

[Mike Danforth]

Sorry, he turns into a what?

[Roxanne]

A pin.

[Mike Danforth]

A prince? Uh huh.

[Ian Shillag]

Okay, so what can, how can we help? What would you like us to resolve for you?

[Roxanne]

So when I'm not listening to Gaston, I don't want to be repeating the lines in my head all day long.

[Josh Gad]

Okay.

[Roxanne]

We have probably listened to it at least 10 times this morning so far.

[Mike Danforth]

Is that true?

[Josh Gad]

Yeah. Wow.

[Roxanne]

So what can I do to get the song out of my head when it's not being played?

[Ian Shillag]

All right. The guest on the song, it is catchy. And with the risk of getting it in your head, those of you listening, let's hear a bit of it. So we all know what we're talking about.

[Josh Gad]

No one slick as Gaston. No one's quick as Gaston no one's neck says incredibly thick as Gaston for the snowman in town F is manly perfect. A pure paragon.

[Mike Danforth]

That voice you're hearing there is Josh. Gad. Maybe he can help. He's the person who sang the song in the first place. He also is the star of Frozen and the Book of Mormon. Josh, any advice?

[Josh Gad]

Okay, I got a couple of tips here. For starters, I think that you need to take out all speakers from the house immediately.

[Mike Danforth]

Okay.

[Josh Gad]

And then I would just start singing other really catchy melodies. Maybe do a Taylor Swift throw in a chapel roan, get a little bit of Beyonce in there and just sort of like, you got him. You got to get him off the scent. I wish I had stronger suggestions. The truth is, is I couldn't get that damn song out of my head.

[Ian Shillag]

Well, I was going to ask. Yeah, you had to rehearse this song to get ready to perform it. You were just living with the same problem.

[Josh Gad]

I was literally living with that problem. Unlike Marco, I was getting paid to live with a problem. So it was slightly better. So. But it was still very problematic because I would, like, walk around humming it all the time. But I was like, you know, clockwork, oranging it into my brain, just nonstop listening, and it was. It was tough.

[Ian Shillag]

Yeah.

[Josh Gad]

It's a good song, though. So it's like. It could have been worse. Could have been, like, a garbage song that I had to, you know, that I couldn't get out of my head.

[Mike Danforth]

And to be clear, not the band garbage, but a song that isn't good.

[Josh Gad]

Correct.

[Mike Danforth]

Okay.

[Josh Gad]

Not the James Bond garbage theme song from the World is Not Enough. What did they do? That's all I remember of Garbage that they. That they randomly did a James Bond song that was, like, sandwiched in between Tina Turner and Madonna.

[Mike Danforth]

That does feel random, doesn't it? When you have that and they. Adele is up there. That doesn't seem quite right.

[Pete Buttigieg]

Yeah.

[Josh Gad]

Adele, Madonna, and Garbage. One of these things is not like the others.

[Mike Danforth]

Well, let me ask you this.

[Josh Gad]

One of these things is literally called garbage.

[Mike Danforth]

Well, Josh, let me ask you this then. So, like, Roxanne, an adult, a person who knows how the world works, has agency, is in control of her own life. How did you, like. What else were you listening to when you also had that song stuck in your head?

[Josh Gad]

So I have a playlist that is. You know, I want to tell you, it's really diverse and cool, but it's like, here's the sad part that I'll only tell you. And all of the listeners to NPR is. It's really strictly 80s for the most part. There are exceptions, but it's like an 80s playlist. That's my happy place.

[Mike Danforth]

Can you pull that up right now? Wherever it is, if it's on Spotify, Apple Music, I'm doing it.

[Josh Gad]

I'm doing it right now.

[Mike Danforth]

What is the first song on that playlist? The top song. We're not going to.

[Josh Gad]

I'm Not Going to Like this game.

[Mike Danforth]

Most recently added.

[Josh Gad]

Okay, well, first song is what have I Done To Deserve this? An apt question for this conversation by Pep Boys and Dusty Springfield.

[Mike Danforth]

Oh, that's a good song. Yeah, sure.

[Josh Gad]

Now, the most recent song that I added was Somewhere Only We Know, Remastered by Keane.

[Mike Danforth]

Oh, I don't know that song. I'm going to write it down.

[Josh Gad]

Yes, you do. Yes, you do.

[Mike Danforth]

Do I know it? It's a simple thing.

[Josh Gad]

Where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on so tell me when you're gonna let me in don't you remember that song? It's so good.

[Mike Danforth]

I think I do remember it. That is. I gotta say, that rendition was fantastic. It was.

[Josh Gad]

Thank you. Very high falsetto.

[Mike Danforth]

Can I ask you this? You have two. You have young kids, right?

[Josh Gad]

I do.

[Mike Danforth]

When Frozen came out, kids everywhere were talking about it. They were dressing up as Elsa, as Olaf for Halloween. Were your kids like, oh, yeah, that's my dad.

[Josh Gad]

Oh, it's really interesting. I can vividly remember, my oldest was three. My youngest wasn't born yet, but I vividly remember taking Ava, my oldest, to go see her first movie in the theater, Monsters University. And they showed a teaser, a teaser trailer for Frozen. And it was just Olaf. It was original animation that was done exclusively for the trailer. And it was just Olaf. And he didn't have any lines. He just laughed. And my daughter immediately recognized my laugh. And she goes, dada. More data. And I started bawling, you love me.

[Mike Danforth]

Oh, that's terrific. Well, Josh, thank you so much for helping Roxanne and Marco.

[Josh Gad]

My pleasure. Do you know what's really unfortunate about what you just said is now I have the song Roxanne stuck in my head. I know that it couldn't be avoided, but. So you've now infected me with the same purse.

[Mike Danforth]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ian Shillag]

It's revenge. This is.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah, maybe that's. Maybe that will be Roxanne's solution. Maybe that will be like the trigger that we can pull. Plant in her brain that will jar it loose Then jar Gaston, loosen now. Yeah.

[Ian Shillag]

If at this point, Roxanne or anybody out there, if you still have a song in your head, there is a way to get it out. Dr. Philip Beaman from the University of Reading in the UK has studied this. Dr. Beeman, you have figured out that actually chewing gum will help get a song out of your head. Can you tell us about it?

[Dr. Philip Beaman]

Okay, so I got a friend and colleague who'd done some things on chewing gum and short term memory, and he discovered that chewing gum is actually not good for your short term memory or verbal short term memory. And that makes a lot of sense, actually, because when you're trying to remember things, you're repeating them to yourself normally. So my reasoning was that if you've got a song stuck in your head, then whether you're intending to or not, what you're really doing is singing it to yourself. So if you then interfere with people's ability to sing to themselves by getting them to do something else, and especially something else to do with the lower part of their face that they would normally be using for planning movements to sing, then that should interfere.

[Ian Shillag]

So basically, if you keep the singing parts of the face busy doing something else, which is chewing gum, you're less likely to have the song stuck in your head.

[Dr. Philip Beaman]

Yeah. Of course it's not really the chewing parts of the face, it's really the brain regions that are controlling the chewing parts of the face that you're keeping busy.

[Ian Shillag]

That's amazing.

[Mike Danforth]

Well, thank you so much for talking to us about this.

[Ian Shillag]

Hey.

[Dr. Philip Beaman]

Oh, you're welcome.

[Mike Danforth]

If you have a question you'd like us to answer, go ahead and send it to us. Send it to our [e-mail] maybe you.

[Ian Shillag]

Have a question about Halloween or another upcoming holiday? There are many. I won't name them all, but if you have a question about a holiday coming in the next six to 18 months, send it to us and we will answer it for you as best we can.

[Mike Danforth]

Once again, that email address, no matter what this season is how [e-mail].

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[Ian Shillag]

I had this idea. Mike and I work in two different time zones. We both are producers on Wait, wait, don't tell me. And we work with producers in three time zones, sometimes four, occasionally even five time zones. As you might expect, scheduling meetings is annoying. So I was thinking, wouldn't it be easier if we had our own time zone? So I could just be like, let's have a meeting at noon. Wait, wait time. And that would be that.

[Mike Danforth]

This sounds like a crazy idea, but we want to see if it's possible. The person in charge of time zones is the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. You're in charge of time zones, right? True.

[Pete Buttigieg]

Yeah.

[Ian Shillag]

So can you help us out?

[Pete Buttigieg]

So the answer is probably no. However, I should point out that we administer the time zones, but a lot of it actually comes through the states. And I know a lot about this from lived experience because I grew up in the state of Indiana at a time when we didn't do daylight savings time. So in the summer we were central, and in the winter we were eastern.

[Ian Shillag]

Right.

[Pete Buttigieg]

We just never changed our clocks, which was perfectly fine by most of us. But then there was a change in leadership. The governor wanted to make sure we were like the rest of the country, except Arizona, I think, which was the same.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah.

[Pete Buttigieg]

And then we started to have a big debate over which time zone we would be in. Because if we're going to permanently be in one time zone, which one are you going to do? And for about two years, there was a kind of a rebellion where counties had their own individual preferences over time zones. I remember I was volunteering on a campaign at the time, and I showed up, I looked up online the time zone of the county that I had been asked to deliver some items to before a parade, made sure I was half an hour early, got there, clearly was half an hour late, went into the nearest government building I could find, which was the library, and said, what time is it? And she kind of laughed at me. And I said, no, really, what time is it? And she pointed to two clocks on the wall behind her, one of which said Central Time and the other said Commerce Time, which is what they called it around there if you weren't on the official federal time. They also sometimes called it fast time and slow time. And then she started explaining. She said, now, if you go to Walgreens, they're going to run on central time, but if you go to the corner drugstore on Maine, you know, Billy never did like the governor. So they're sticking with comp. That's kind of how it works.

[Mike Danforth]

Secretary, are you just filibustering and so that you don't have to give us a time zone?

[Pete Buttigieg]

I'll tell you this. Be glad that you're only dealing with four or five time zones. See, the reason our department, the Department of Transportation, has some jurisdiction on time zones is because obviously it's very important for transportation that everybody be able to agree what places at one time. Before the railroads, it was commonplace to have hundreds of different kind of micro time zones around the country. Like an individual state might have dozens of different local times in different places. Because, you know, you went by the sun like, you didn't. You weren't sinking to an atomic clock. It didn't particularly matter. Right. And then it was because of the railroads that they came up with this kind of system of the four different zones.

[Mike Danforth]

Wow.

[Pete Buttigieg]

So if it's any consolation, if you don't get to have your personal time zone, which I can tell you from experience, may cut both ways.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah.

[Pete Buttigieg]

Point is. The point is, no, you can't have your own time zone just because you asked.

[Mike Danforth]

Can I ask, have you gotten. As Secretary of Transportation, have you gotten a speeding ticket since you've held this position?

[Pete Buttigieg]

I have not.

[Mike Danforth]

Since I held this position, has any other buttigieg. Gotten a speeding ticket.

[Pete Buttigieg]

Ooh, I can't remember if that's happened to Chastain or not. Since I got this job. I'll plead ignorance.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah. I wonder if it were to happen, as Secretary of Transportation, do you get, like, are you exempt from that? Can you decide at that moment what the speed limit is?

[Pete Buttigieg]

That'd be a bad look. You know, there's a story of Ulysses Grant was pulled over while president. He was speeding in his carriage, and.

[Mike Danforth]

Really?

[Pete Buttigieg]

Yeah. I think they booked him and he had to pay a fine. You know, he paid up. He, like, did the right thing. So if that were to happen, you definitely would not be a good look for me to do anything but the right thing there. But I will say chasten. His joke that I should carry around, like, a notepad of little citations. If we see, like, whenever we're, like, walking and we see somebody, like, going right over a stop bar and stopping in the wrong part of an intersection or just generally being a bad driver that I can just. I just peel off my. Post it and just say, as your secretary, I need to let you know that you are being a bad driver right now. I do feel the temptation sometimes.

[Mike Danforth]

Well, that does it for this week's show. What'd you learn, Ian?

[Ian Shillag]

I learned that when you vote early, you actually stop the election mailers from coming to your house. And also you help your candidate. You're saving them money.

[Mike Danforth]

Yeah. Is there somebody out there who absolutely loves. Loves, like, cardboard photos of politicians? And this would be the greatest season ever for them because every day they go to their mailbox and they get a new prize.

[Ian Shillag]

All you have to do to get pictures of a person you like or a person you don't like is remove yourself from participation in America's democratic process.

[Mike Danforth]

There's also an easy way to wallpaper a small room in your house. Yeah. No, we've redecorated the bathroom. And now we're going with a Jill Stein theme.

[Ian Shillag]

How to do Everything is produced produced by Hina Shrivastava. Our intern is Con 786 Khan.

[Mike Danforth]

Sir, this is what this is technical direction from Lorna White. If you have any questions, you can send them to us@how topr.org I'm Ian. And I'm Mike.

[Ian Shillag]

Thanks.

[Mike Danforth]

But you know what, Ian? No one thanks. Like Gaston.

[Ian Shillag]

Every time we mention the segment, which we worked hard to produce to help Roxanne. Every time we mention that segment, we undo the hard work we did.

[Mike Danforth]

But here's the truth. No one produces segments like Gaston.

[Ian Shillag]

We apologize, Roxanne. You're welcome, Marco.

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