Dill Pickle Energy Juice or a Toastable/Salute Oatmeal 72226 #282 #WITW #cleveland13news #podmatch

Our sponsors for this episode include: • The Beer & Belly Deli in Northfield, Ohio — Home of Bumble the Cryptic • Big Foot Landscaping in Oakwood Village, Ohio • “What Would You Say to a Naked Space Alien” by Paul Seaburn at paulseaburn.com • #yesican Coaching with Karen — affordable life coaching at [email protected] previewed what he’d be covering in this 282nd episode:1. Cleveland’s own energy drink2. Giant vegetables and seeds that give you gas3. Inconvenience store wolves4. Raccoons, bears, and jaws5. Party games that earn world records6. A surprisingly good reason to bring back malls7. AI invading golf, toastable oatmeal, and more…Paul kicked things off with a story from Poland, where dill pickle juice has officially been certified as an energy drink. That led to a discussion about a Taylor Farms product recall — a grocery item familiar to both Paul and John. Thankfully, no one at newclevelandradio.net is experiencing that “explosive situation.”Next came the tale of a competitive UK gardener who grew a world record garlic bulb weighing three pounds, 13.7 ounces. Paul added historical context about the Burpee seed company, now celebrating 150 years in business.Wolves, Bears & Mechanical ScarecrowsPaul then shifted to Japan, where wolves and bears have been causing trouble for convenience stores — especially the Family Mart chain. This launched a conversation about mechanical scarecrows, including a robotic wolf placed outside a store to deter bears… but which also terrified customers.Paul traced the history of scarecrows back to ancient Egypt, medieval Europe during the Black Plague, and even ancient Greece, where one scarecrow resembled the fertility god Priapus. And of course, those of us “of a certain age” remember Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz — and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow in The Wiz.Raccoons, Jaws of Life & A Song in the MakingPaul shared a story from Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania, where firefighters used the jaws of life to free a raccoon stuck in a storm drain grate. He joked that he’s working on a song inspired by the incident: “Squirrels to the Left of Me, Possums to the Right, Here I Am Stuck in the Griddle with You.”The conversation moved to Guinness World Records, including a Chicago man who walked 10 meters with a balloon between his legs in 3.5 seconds.Paul and John explored other unusual records, including the most kisses in 30 seconds, and Paul suggested John attempt an air kissing record since none currently exists.Paul noted that Americans typically do one air kiss, Europeans do two, and the Swiss do three. This led to reminiscing about mall culture in the 1970s and 1980s — especially Spencer’s Gifts. Paul shared that the first Spencer’s opened in 1963 and still exists today, though some of their novelty items feel hilariously outdated.Paul introduced the IXI Trolley, an AI powered golf cart from Biotronik’s that uses cameras and GPS to track shots, identify hazards, recognize clubs, and even recommend drinks.He then mentioned Quaker’s new “Shake & Go” drinkable oatmeal, questioning why anyone needs a high tech version of something so simple. His comparison to cold pizza made the point clear.Paul wrapped his segment by handing things over to John for sports.John highlighted the World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO), a four day July event in Alaska celebrating traditional skills of Northern Native Americans. Events include ear pulls, high kicks, knuckle hops, and blanket tosses. This year’s winners were Amanda Ogoshiek and Frank M. Lane.Paul and John reflected on how these games originated from real Inuit survival techniques — and joked about a college ear pulling contest they once organized that ended with beer can earrings instead. Watch all our shows at: https://www.youtube.com/wHATINTHEwORLDProud affiliate of Cleveland13News.comwww.paulseaburn.com