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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: “I Approve This Message!”

With Election Day less than a week away, we’ve all heard & seen plenty of campaign ads on Radio & TV, which almost always end with a disclaimer that the politician being advocated has authorized the spot. Usually, the person says “I approve this message.” So, that’s obviously a requirement, right? But why?

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, passed in 2002, was intended to legitimize campaign contributions by forbidding large corporate donations. Part of the Act, called the Stand By Your Ad provision, mandates that anyone running for federal office has to personally “approve” the message as part of their campaign commercials. The goal was to curb the overt mudslinging of candidates relentlessly insulting & accusing each another. Lawmakers hoped political candidates would, therefore, be less likely to utilize dirty tactics & then attempt to deny involvement. Basically, it was self-imposed campaign shaming.

The Federal Election Commission is highly specific about how the disclaimer should appear: the written form has to come at the end of each ad, appear for at least 4 seconds, be readable against a contrasting background, and take up at least 4% of the vertical picture height. The candidate will usually then say their name & speak the message aloud. Messages not approved by a candidate typically name the entity responsible, whether a political committee, group, or person. There’s also usually language about who financed the commercial.

But, have things actually worked out how lawmakers intended? Well, research from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in 2018 shows…not so much.

In 2000, negative campaign ads made up 29% of all political persuasion spots. in 2012, that number rose to 64%. In the week before the 2016 presidential election, 92% of ads were negative. But, the appearance of federal regulation, even if there’s no actual regulatory approval over a statement, seems to give messages credibility. As long as a candidate “approves” a message, whether positive or negative, voters tend to be more likely to perceive their subjective statements as truth. Just like all I’ve just told you.

I’m Andy Webb, and I approve this message.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do Supreme Court Justices Serve For Life?

While most political officials serve for a defined period of time, U.S. Supreme Court Justices serve for life (which can span more than 3 decades nowadays). Potentially, justices appointed in the 21st century could sit on the Supreme Court for an average total of 35 years, thanks to longer lifespans, as compared to the average span of around 16 years in the past. Because of this shift, some experts question whether lifetime appointments are still appropriate, since the definition of “for life” has changed so much since the Constitution was written. But, why do justices serve for life, anyway?

The Constitution doesn’t really specify a time frame, per se, stating only that judges “hold their offices during good behavior.” So, while a judge could be removed for “bad behavior”, no other limits are placed on their term. In essence, they have their seat for life, unless they’re impeached & removed by Congress.

The point of justices being given a seat on the bench for life (or, more commonly these days, until they retire) is to shield the nation’s highest court from partisan infighting. The Supreme Court acts as a check against the power of the President & Congress. The lifetime appointment is designed to ensure that justices are insulated from political pressure so the court can be a truly independent branch of government. Justices can’t be fired if they make unpopular decisions, so they can focus on the law instead of politics. And, while a justice might be nominated because a president sees them as a political ally, once they’re on the bench, they can’t be recalled, even if their ideology shifts.

Most other democracies in the world have mandatory retirement ages or term limits for high court judges. But, while the U.S. Supreme Court has never had them, recent serious proposals have attempted to implement them. One popular suggestion among political analysts & scholars is to implement an 18-year term limit. Critics of that particular plan, however, point out its potential to, at some point, enable a single president to end up appointing the majority of the justices on the court. In any case, any change would require a constitutional amendment, meaning it’s probably not gonna happen anytime soon. So, for the foreseeable future, being a Supreme Court justice continues to be a lifetime commitment.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Elections On Tuesdays?

Ever wondered why we, as Americans, always seem to vote on Tuesdays? Well, there are reasons why that is. Farming reasons.

 

Back in 1788, states would determine their own voting dates. But, it was a logistical nightmare: a national patchwork quilt of elections across the country, on different dates & at different times, all to choose Presidential electors who would ultimately cast their votes on the 1st Wednesday in December (the date set forth in the Constitution). So, in 1792, a law was passed that required state elections to be held within a 34-day window before the 1st Wednesday in December. Most elections then started taking place in November.

 

Ours was a mostly agricultural society back then. So, having elections in November meant that crops had already been harvested & winter hadn’t taken hold yet. It the perfect time to vote for our young, agrarian country.

 

Now, back in the late 18th & early 19th centuries, the super-slow pace of presidential elections wasn’t that big of an issue: communication was understandably slow everywhere, with results taking weeks to tally & announce anyway. But, once the railroad & the telegraph came into being, Congress figured that a standardized date needed to be established. Monday was a no-go, since that would require folks to travel to the polls by horse & buggy on the Sunday Sabbath. Wednesday wasn’t good, either, because that was market day & farmers wouldn’t be able to make it to the polls since that’s when they’d be buying & selling their wares. Tuesday, it seemed, was the day that most Americans could vote in federal elections. So, in 1845, Congress passed a law mandating that presidential elections be held on the Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November.

 

And, guess what…that’s next Tuesday! A week from tomorrow! You’ve got the opportunity to make a difference, so get out & vote!

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Middletown Scarecrows Rule!

 

The 13th Annual Scarecrow Contest!

I heard all about these scarecrows on Main St. in Middletown and I had to go see them for myself! I was pleasantly surprised!  Families and businesses put up their scarecrows in September, voted in Mid October and the winners were just announced over the weekend. Congrats to the family who won first place for their Mr. Potato Head!

I just had to stop and take a photo with the Mandalorian for #MandoMonday! We locked eyes from the start. But the “2020 Y’all” guy was by far MY FAVORITE. Major creative points for being upside down. I’m sure we can all relate.

 

“QuaranTINA,” was super clever and was decked out in the hottest 2020 fashion. This little S’more stole my heart! Fire pit attached was a nice touch. Overall, I AM SO IMPRESSED by Middletown’s creativity and I hope we can find a way to enter the contest next year. On our way out we also spotted my favorite TV character David Rose from Schitt’s Creek, but he seemed too cool to take a picture with me 😉

 

 

Carve Your Favorite Country Artists into Pumpkins!

Did you know you can win a Universal Music Group Nashville Halloween Prize pack by carving your favorite country artists into pumpkins?

Get more pumpkin carving stencils of your favorite country artists HERE

{Katie’s Kitchen} Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Brought to you by Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

I’ve found the secret to roasting the perfect potatoes!

Pre-heat your oven to a high temp… I did 425 degrees.

Wash but don’t peel 2 lbs. potatoes. If you have time, soak the potatoes in cold water for up to 1 hour (It helps to remove the starch). Then, dry the potatoes.

I used gold potatoes and chopped them into 1 in cubes. Then, tossed them in olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, basil, rosemary and salt and pepper. You can add paprika, too, if you’d like a little kick.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until crispy and tender.

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. of any kind of potatoes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp. dried or fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, paprika, optional)
  • salt and pepper

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Graves Six Feet Deep?

Why are graves “six feet deep”? Who decided that?

 

Well, the simple answer: it started with the plague. The beginnings of the phrase “6 feet under” came from an outbreak of the plague in 1665 England. As the plague devastatingly swept across the country, London’s mayor at the time decreed precisely what was to be done with all the bodies left in the disease’s wake, in order to avoid further infections. Among the specifications he laid out was that “all the graves shall be at least six feet deep.”

 

Over time, though, that law fell out of favor both at home in England & across the pond in the American colonies. Burial laws nowadays differ from state to state, but many states only require a minimum of 18 inches of soil on top of a casket or vault. For a body not enclosed in anything, the required depth is at least 2 feet of soil. So, with 18-inches of dirt as a buffer, combined with the height of the average casket (around 30 inches), a grave as shallow as 4 feet is technically fine.

 

A burial today involves filling a body with chemical preservatives, sealing it inside a sturdy metal casket, then enclosing that casket within a steel or cement burial vault. It’s a much less hospitable environment for microbes now than old graves once were. For non-typical burials (where a body isn’t embalmed, a vault isn’t used, the casket is wood instead of metal, or there’s no casket whatsoever), the less strict burial standards still provide a measure of safety & comfort. Without any protection, though, after a few years of soil erosion the remains of a departed loved one could unexpectedly (and problematically) resurface. You don’t want those remains getting too close to still-living humans, since they could likely spread disease (and, not to mention, scare the living daylights out of you).

 

How human remains are currently processed after having “shuffled off its mortal coil” is currently safe & prudent. And, as you now know, there’s good reason behind why the final resting places of the dearly departed are where they are.

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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