How Did We End Up With Ziploc Bags?

Canada, Our Friend

Canada has been our friend since, well, since, before there was a Canada. Until recently. Since the U.S.'s November 2024 presidential election, the relationship between the U. S. and Canada has "come under stress." This episode describes some of the history between the two countries, including the decades of the two militaries working together for the common defense, and the $2.4 BILLION daily trade volume. President Trump seems to think, amoung other things, that the U. S. should be adding or acquiring territory, and he has not been shy about expressing this belief. The idea for this episode came about when I saw YouTube videos showing or discussing how Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, has been giving ultimatums to President Trump.  As far as I can determine, none of that is true. However, this year (2026), Mark Carney has started publically discussing that the former happy relationship between the two countries is increaslingly "former," and he has ideas about what Canada and other smaller countries can do about it. Experts seem to agree that the very happy, working relationship that had gone on between the two countries for at least a century is unlikely to return any time soon, if ever.

How Did We End Up With Ziploc Bags?

Hear how, in 1951, Borge Madsen, a Dane, invented a way to "connect" two pieces of fabric without using a traditional zipper, but didn't know what to do with his invention. A very few years later, Max Auschnitt, having been stripped of his (extensive) property, riches, fled Romania for New York (Park Avenue), and with his son and brother, bought th rights from Mr. Madsen for his "separable fastener." After a rocky start, some imagination and some luck, the Auschnitts, (and some others), made enough  improvements to make plastic bags with this type of zipper, affordable to consumers. Eventually, the Aushnitts made a deal with the Dow Chemical company, and you'll have to listen to learn the ending.

Board Game Monopoly Gets Invented

A very progressive woman named Lizzie Magie (MA-gee) worked for years to develop a board game that would teach that we really don't want people to own property, and then charge enormous  amounts of money to let others use it.  Although she did tons of work, (e.g. got a patent, then another  (on an updated version), and another, etc.)   The rights to it were (basically) stolen from her, and the  "thief" became a millionaire, while she did not.   Game maker Parker Brothers was involved. Lizzie was pretty much forgotten about until in 1973, a Professor Ansprach, having his own dispute with Parker Brothers (owned by Hasbro), found out about Lizzie and brought her situation up in court.

Elon Musk's Youth; South Africa and Nazism; Trump Organization and Viet Nam

Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and 2 others grew up in very racist, Apartheid-ish South Africa.  These 4 founded PayPal.  They are sometimes referred to as the PayPal Mafia.  In the 1930s and continuing, South Africa (and Southwest Africa) had a LARGE pro-Hitler population.  Elon's grandfather was the head of a pro-Nazi party in Canada in the 1930s, and went to prison once Canada declared war on Germany.  He (the grandfather) was very much considered a Nazi sympathizer by the Canadian gov't.  The grandfather (Joshua) moved his family, including Elon's mother, to South Africa around 1950.   As for Elon's situation with his father and at school was, at least at times, brutal.  E.g., his father berated him for not being tough enough when Elon ended up in the hospital having been, basically, jumped at school.  Elon has a great grasp of math and the workings of computers and has for a long time. Most of this information comes from the book Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson and Democracynow.org., specifically articles by Chris McGreal. Also, the Trump organization has broken ground for a very expensive, snazzy (5-star) resort near Hanoi.  Building permitting seems to have been expedited.  Environmental studies were dispensed with and there was virtually no public comment period as is required.  This seems to have helped negotiations regarding tariffs between the U. S. and Vietnam.  Landowners are expected to get very little money for their long-help properties (including at least one cemetery).  The Trump organization is also seriously considering a fancy hotel near Ho Chi Minh City.

Lockerbie, Brooks Museum, Free Concerts, "Bad River," and "Atomic Bamboozle"

Two documentaries explain the Bombing of Pan Am 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988 (in retaliation for the U. S. accidentally shooting down an Iranian passenger plane earlier that year.)  It was an accident! Memphis, TN is allowing the building of an art museum right on the Mississippi River downtown, when there's supposed to be a public prominade along the river forever. The music dept. at the Univ. of Memphis has lots of free performances this month (April 2025 and into May). I recommend you watch the documetaries "Bad River," and "Atomic Bamboozle."