Episode Transcript
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Sorta Sophisticated, a podcast where we do our best to set judgment aside, I guess, explore new ideas, and try not to offend too many cultures along the way. And hopefully, a laugh a little while we're doing it, right? Right. Because let's be real, people. We're just here to make ourselves sound smarter on topics that might help us make our way through a fancy dinner party, though, no guarantees. But hey, it's worth a shot. And hopefully, we get a little more sophisticated while doing it. Sort of. And I'm your host, Pete, sitting here getting drunk with my co host, Amanda. And today, we're diving into the life and legacy of the centenarian, Jimmy Cotta, the peanut farmer who went from wrestling farm equipment in Plains, Georgia, to wrangling world peace as our 39th President of the United States of America. We'll explore how this man, who probably knows more about peanuts than most of us know about anything, managed to turn his small town roots into global goodwill. From his famous toothy grin to his knack for building houses faster than you could say Habitat for Humanity. Get ready for a charmingly folksy ride. Yeah, I said that. Charmingly folksy ride. Through the life of America's most surprising and enduring ex president. Okay, so Amanda, it's almost October 1st. Okay, so what? Uh, do you know what happens on October 1st this year? Yeah, totally. PSL day! What? Yeah, National Pumpkin Spice Day. Oh my god, oh my god, I hate you. Yeah, you better be going to Starbucks and getting your PSL. You are such a millennial. What? I mean, duh. But why? Is that not right? No, I mean, I don't know. I guess it's right. That's not what I'm talking about. Oh, well then what are you talking about? Could it possibly be better than Pumpkin Spice Day? Because This is way better than Pumpkin Spice Day. Are you sure? Yes. Shit. Okay, I think it is. Okay, just tell me. But now I feel like I might let you down. Okay. Um, it's Jimmy Carter's birthday. Our 39th president. Is he still alive? He is and he will officially be a centenarian. Is that like the man with the horse body? Oh my God. That's a, that's a centaur. That's hilarious. Just kidding. No, it's someone who's a hundred years old. What a total badass. That's awesome. Though also, I don't know if I want to live to a hundred. No, I, no, I have no interest in living to a hundred. Okay. Yeah, that's crazy. But I, but I also have another question. What, what, what, what? Don't presidents, like, die in order? No way! Like, wouldn't you think? Like, he, like, Jimmy Carter was supposed to die before Obama? I know, you would think that. But, he's got good genes. He ate a lot of peanuts. Right? Well, I mean, maybe not Obama, but like Right. But like, how old is like Biden or Trump, like, they're like 80, they're more than 80, they're over 80. That's true, that's true, it's like if a 30 year old became president in the next 4 years. Just think of Obama, right, think of Obama, there's no way, well, I mean, unless he gets in a car accident, but like, sorry, God, just don't make Obama die. But my point is, like, Trump and or Biden are dying before Obama. Yes. Cut the crap. Okay. That's absolutely true, right? Fair. Where's Clinton in all this? How old's Clinton? He's getting old. I don't know. Old. Yeah, he's getting into his 80s. Whatever. So I don't think they, I think they generally might die in order. Well, unless they're assassinated or something. No, I don't think they have to die in order. Okay, fair. Yeah, yeah. He's a hundred! But also, What does Jimmy Carter have to do with being cultured and curious besides being the 39th president? Uh, a lot of stuff. Okay. Other than the fact that old people rule, uh, we can learn a bunch of shit from them, right? Well, I'm not arguing that we can't. No, that you've learned, like, I'm just wondering what Jimmy Carter specifically. Okay. He was compassionate. He was humble. He was a public servant, his work and diplomacy, his efforts in promoting human rights, his post presidency initiatives offer millennials. Yeah, you Gen Z years, my kids, an excellent example of leadership. that prioritizes ethical responsibility and community building. Understanding his legacy teaches us about American history and how the individual actions of one person, literally one person, can influence the world. So, if you can't tell already, I am freaking fired up about this episode. This is gonna be good. And to make this really hard, our word of the day today is spatchcock. Spa of what? Spatchcock. I love that word. Like you're gonna spatch your cock. Uh, we're not gonna talk like that. Okay. Relax. It's nothing bad. It's just a cooking term that means to split a bird in half by breaking the backbone and grilling it, usually right after being killed. Haven't you ever spatchcocked your Thanksgiving turkey? No, I have not, and I'm finding this really hard to believe that is the definition. No, no, no, oh no, no! We have! Like, Gabby was the queen of spatchcocking. Oh my god, in so many different ways. I miss Gabby so much. Oh, okay. I highly recommend it, okay? And I swear it cooks faster, more evenly I totally love it. Is it like when you do CPR on a chicken and you break it? Yes! Oh my god! Well, if you would do CPR too hard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he would like snap, he would snap them in half. That's awesome. Okay, side note. This also means to put together hastily or inappropriately. So like, I spatchcock reports together for my boss. All the time, especially when I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. So, two definitions. You gotta figure this out. It's either, you know, ripping a turkey in half, or, like, putting something together fast. Got it? I feel like these are very different definitions. They are. They are. And I think I'm in trouble, because there's no way I'm gonna get spatchcock worked into this episode. Oh, we're gonna do it. I have no idea. But we'll jam it in there somewhere, okay? Well, I'ma probably need your help. So, just keep that in mind. Okay, fine. Okay, let's just get started. Let's see where it goes. And, are we gonna start with Baby Jimmy? Oh, we gotta, that's how we always start. We gotta start with baby Jimmy. Okay, give me the history. Let's go. Okay. So once upon a time in a town called Plains, Georgia, yeah, Plains, this actually sounds more like some massive landscape of a city, but it's actually about as small as my backyard. Our 39th president of the United States was born on October 1st, 1924, little James Earl Carter Jr. or Jimmy as everyone would call him, shot out of his mom's vagina and straight into the world. And no one really cared. Except his mom, who was basically laying there totally spatchcocked! Yes! Seriously? 1. Disgusting. 2. Not even the right definition. Either one. Either one. It was funny. But we won't, count it. That's fine. Okay. So then there's his dad, James Earl Carter senior. Oh my God. That's so genius. I love this name game. Uh, he was tired of spatchcocking all these turkeys. So he decides it's time to do something much more boring and become a peanut farmer since there's nothing to really do when you farm peanuts, except sit around and watch them grow. He decides he should buy the town's general store so they could, you know, have money and stuff. That way, he could say he was a businessman! Good on Jimmy Senior, taking care of the fam. I know, right? And his mom, Lillian Gordy Carter, otherwise known as Miss Lillian, cause all Southerners in 1924 had cute nicknames, of course. She decides she should be a nurse and take care of the town cause she has a great big heart and wants to help everybody. She possibly can. All the friggin time. Cause she was just awesome like that. So basically, all's I'm saying is that little Jimmy had good parents. He came from good stock, as you would say. I mean, it certainly sounds like good old southern hospitality. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, they weren't like rich or anything right back then. But it was all about farming. So naturally, Jimmy Jr. grew up and had to learn how to farm and stuff. Well, I guess be a peanut farmer more specifically right? I'm sure that's probably really hard work, right? Totally I mean all in a day's wage He had to like feed the peanuts and then like probably milk the peanuts and also like probably shear some of the peanuts in winter When their shells got too long Don't know. I'm just trying to make this podcast mildly interesting considering little Jimmy jr would just Sit around all day and watch peanuts grow before he harvested them. You're literally killing me over here. Well, what the hell do you want me to say? How am I supposed to make peanut farming interesting? Oh, but wait. One thing I did read when I was researching all this stuff Was that since the Carters owned a bunch of land, Jimmy Jr. would actually work with all the black tenant farmers who were renting parts of Jimmy's parents property to grow crops and sell them. Wait, they rented land to black farmers? Yeah. So it was called sharecropping. I'm sure everybody knows this. I did not know this. And basically people who couldn't afford land would rent from those who could, and then grow crops and sell them. And since they didn't have any money, they would pay for this by giving a portion of their crop to the owner of the property. Okay, that makes sense. And since Jimmy was young and saw all this unfairness and inequality, he gained some serious perspective that he would have never gotten otherwise. So I say that's pretty cool, I guess, right? I think it is. Right. Yeah. Like, it shaped him to who he was. Oh, it totally did. Oh, absolutely. Alright, but like he wasn't as hick as I'm making it all sound. Like, he went to school and stuff. I figured, so much. Okay, well, you never know. It was like 1930, man. Tough times, okay? But I guess he was pretty smart and did good, but I'm not really sure how they know that because like there was probably like four kids in the entire school in Plains, Georgia at the time. I was just going to say it was probably like single classroom, super tiny. I looked it up, the whole town had 400 people in it. So how many kids, how many kids were there under 17 years old going to school? It does give us hope that, you know, You know, anybody can become the president of the United States. Uh, yeah, if that wasn't clear before, uh, it certainly is now what the current streak we're on with the last few presidents. Touche, touche. Right. Okay. So basically as I'm like spatchcocking all this together. Okay. You can stop. I told you I was going to jam it in, right? You did. Okay. You jammed it in multiple times. I feel like that one really worked, right? You could spatchcock this together. Right. Okay. Sure. All right. Anyway, during his childhood, he was able to develop a pretty strong moral character, thanks to a few things. So he grew up around a bunch of black people in what was really a segregated South still like at the time totally this was like 1930 remember and the whole time he watched his mom treat the black community with a lot of respect and that made a big impression On him nowhere else were people treating them equal like the Carters were and then to Growing up in the Great Depression taught him to work for everything he had and learn to appreciate like little things, of course You know, like breathing and stuff like I'm playing with his pet rock named Harry Pet rock named Harry? Yeah Are you being for real right now? No I never know No, I'm not being for real, but I heard the Great Depression sucked, right? My mom grew up during the Great Depression She used to save and reuse tinfoil like we literally had it in a ball in our kitchen in like 1985 Okay, so I assume shit was hard, right? I mean, but a pet rock. My kids have pet rocks. Okay, then he was playing with dirt. I don't know what he was doing. He wasn't poor, but there was nothing to do during the Great Depression. What do you want me to say? He was watching peanuts grow. I mean, it's kind of like COVID. It's fine. Okay, fine. And then finally, growing up on the farm. Right taught him about hard work and humility because all his friends were real farmers and probably made fun of him That's not true. Okay. No, I made that part up, but it's probably funny. I told you I can never tell okay But boys are mean but like my point is you grew up on a farm So he knows what work ethic is. My point of all this is The values that Jimmy learned as a wee lad, like as a wee little lad, later became the cornerstone, the bedrock, the bedrock people, for his career as a politician. But bigger than that, a humanitarian, Amanda. So wait, you're telling me he goes from a one room schoolhouse somewhere in nowhere, Georgia, to then becoming the president of the United States. Really? No way. Because I can't even fathom that in today's culture. Like how did he even become president? Gotta fill in some blanks here. Let's do it. It took a while. Okay. There was some stuff in between for sure. So first, when he's like 19, he goes into the U. S. Naval Academy and ends up serving as a U. S. naval officer, specializing in submarine warfare. Okay, maybe that is how he starts it, starts the path. Hunt for Red October, people. Let's go. Okay. But then his dad dies 10 years later in 1953. So he moves back home and then manages the family's peanut farm because he figures that's the right thing to do because he's awesome. He's a good son. I know. I don't know if I would do that for my dad. Would you do that for your dad or mom? I don't know that I would like change my whole life. The guy was a submarine officer. And then he's like, yeah, I'm gonna do peanut. This is a good dude. Hey, well, he was raised by good parents. Good dude. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, while he's peanut farming, he's got a shit ton of time. Go figure. So he starts getting involved in politics and in the local community. That's how it sort of all started. So then by the early 1960s, he's officially all up in the politics. First, he served the Georgia state Senate in the mid sixties. And then in the late sixties, he ran unsuccessfully, mind you, for governor Georgia. But even though he lost, he like, still hung around, and it paid off because in 1970, he re ran and won and was officially elected the 76th governor of Georgia. Way to be relentless, Jimmy Jr. You can't give up, right? Persistence pays off, fo sho remember, 1970, this is during the civil rights era, so don't forget he was a massive proponent of helping the black community and gaining equal rights. So people were really starting to take notice of him. His famous inaugural address in 1971 gained some big national news when he said, and I quote, I say to you frankly, the time for racial discrimination is over. No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job, or simple justice. I mean, channeling a little MLK Jr. there, right? Oh, seriously, right? Except, He was white. Okay. And not quite as articulate as MLK. Who are we kidding? And not assassinated. Okay. Okay. Maybe not the most perfect reference, but still like the content. Dude, a white dude standing up for black people back in that day. Bold move. People are taking note so after the end of his term in 1974 He was like super fired up then to start running for national office side note and fun fact Maybe are we already I'm fun facting can I fun fact right now? I guess so. Let's go Wait, by the way, can we start saying fun facting? Can we like trademark it? I want to trademark that term fun facting. We're fun facting. Okay, so around the same time his mom, Miss Lillian You remember good old Miss Lillian signs up for the Peace Corps when she's 68 years old and flies off to India to start helping all the poor people over there So it's like how can you not like the Carter family? Am I right? Oh, you're so right. And I think the Carters put the Cleavers to shame. Oh the Beave! Shout out to Beave Cleave! I love it! Look at that, right? Alright, so back to your original question. When Jimmy ended up running for president, it was sort of like, right place, right time. It was the mid seventies. People were still pissed about the whole Richard Nixon Watergate scandal. Do you know what that's about? I do actually. Okay. Right. So I've been to the library. So people are like super pissed. Like they're mad at politics, the whole thing. And so Jimmy was sort of able to sneak in as the Washington outsider, so to speak. Like think about it. Naval officer, former governor, and someone who cared enough to come home and take care of his dad's peanut farm. People loved his character. And the idea of honesty and integrity was top of mind to the American voters, thanks to good old tricky Dick Nixon. I think it also helped that he was a Southerner, which obviously appealed to the masses of the minority Southern voters at the time. He fit the ideal candidate, right, that whole idea, to a T. Like, absolutely right place, right time. So he was also smart enough to announce his candidacy way earlier than all the other Democratic nominees, and spent a ton of time traveling across the country. Like meeting voters, building a support in the primaries. So he really like didn't have any competition early on. So in 1976, he ran against president Gerald Ford. Who if you remember was already in office after the whole Nixon mess and pretty much the presidency was Handed to him because remember Ford had already pardoned Nixon by this time and that certainly didn't help Ford at all So like Nixon Watergate the whole thing Ford comes in takes over and then like oh, I love you Nixon I'm gonna pardon you like no no harm. No foul. So we were like Kind of like fuck Gerald Ford, right? Like they don't want to deal with them anymore. So Carter totally took advantage of this and basically just said, look, people I'm honest, they're not vote for me. It's a no brainer. And after they tallied all the votes Carter won, but not by a lot, actually popular vote was 50 percent to 48 percent and the electoral college was 297 to 240. So pretty. Close, actually, all things considered. Okay, so I wasn't alive or anything back then, but just by the way you talked about him, I think I probably would have voted for him. He definitely sounds like my kind of president, not gonna lie. Even though I've read enough history to know he kind of sucked. So, why did people think he sucked so bad? Like, did he do anything good? All right, well, he didn't suck, but people really don't care anymore, to get, like, all the details. Like all presidents, he did some good things and some not so good things. So we only kinda sucked. I'll do the unsucky things first, and then I'll do the sucky. Okay? Alright, so Sucky sucky. Right, sucky sucky. Right, so I'll start with the Camp David Accords of 1978. Totally unsucky. This was probably one of the things he's best known for. That's great. Uh, what are they? Okay, so they basically brokered a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. What's the big deal right? Uh, cause you have to remember that up until this time no one in the Middle East recognized Israel as a country. No one. Ever. And this agreement basically established a framework for peace in the Middle East, I like to say. It was a huge deal at the time. Huge. It was Are we channeling the new president of the United States? Did I just predict something? My bad. Sorry, Kamala. Okay. All right. I'm not, uh, throwing out politics here. I don't know who I'm voting for. Who are you voting for? Do you know yet? Oh, we shouldn't talk about this on the podcast. Yes, we totally should! Okay. Then there was the whole Panama Canal Treaty. So another un sucky one? A totally un sucky one, yes. Okay. Where we agreed to return control of the Panama Canal to Panama, By the year 2000. So remember this was 1979 or whatever. So in 21 years He was going to return it to Panama and when he did it not gonna lie Some Americans were pretty pissed but of course here we are 50 years later. And now it's viewed as probably the Major step that improved u. s. Latin American relations. So I guess you would call him a visionary then totally because at the time was like Oh, no, it's our Panama Canal and he's like dude. It's It's Panama's Panama Canal. Okay. So he's also the first to officially recognize the People's Republic of China and establish formal diplomatic relations with them. Wait. Seriously? Yes. It took that long? Yeah. So up until that time, I guess it was just Communist China, or if you remember the name Red China. China. We only recognize the Republic of China or the ROC in Taiwan. And I'm sure some people were pissed, but it was a pretty sneaky move, Amanda. Cause it helped us get the Soviet union's attention during the cold war. So basically we got the Soviet union nervous. Cause now we had an ally, more or less in that area, not to mention access to all of China's products and services. So it was a pretty good move, even though it was super risky at the time, because we were fighting. Really? Like at that time, the Russians not. China. Make sense? It doesn't make sense. Yeah. It's kind of like roulette. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Right. So then in 1979, he goes head to head with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and signs the SALT treaty, basically limiting the number of nuclear weapons that could be built between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. But then the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1980 and we didn't really ratify it, but still it was a totally. Important step in arms control this dude's like doing real international stuff here. He was smart okay. So then back home in America, after the Iranian revolution broke out, he passed the National Energy Act, hoping to reduce dependence on foreign oil, so we wouldn't have to wait like in really long lines based on odd or even license plates. Do you remember? Wait, you weren't allowed. Okay. So I totally remember doing that. But anyway. Really? Yes. Huh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My dad had to pull up depending on his license. Yeah, it was crazy. All right. So then he also creates the Department of Energy, a whole department, a whole department, so we could better control and coordinate our national energy policy. He also signed some laws that made more national parks and wilderness areas and even saved like a hundred million acres of land in Alaska. I'm not making that up. I know you think I make certain things. A hundred million acres of land in Alaska. So it would be protected for future generations. I mean, that's awesome. You know me. I love the, the land conservation. It's total badass. Right. He also expanded the food stamp program, tried to reform welfare, and tried to improve public education and health care through federal funding. I mean, it just sounds like he grew government a lot. I mean, the guy was working hard, right? I hate that people, like, drag his name through the mud. He was a huge proponent of women's rights. He appointed more women to federal positions, Amanda, including judgeships, than any other previous administration ever. He even created the Office of Women's Rights at the Department of Education. He was pretty good. Alright, it sounds like a lot of good stuff. Yes. So why don't we talk about him more? Why are people spatchcocking all over him? Uh, wrong. I don't even think we've used spatchcock right one time yet. I told you we wouldn't. And I did tell you earlier, do not give up. Come on. Okay. Fine. But tell me why no one likes him then. Um, well, cause there was some sucky stuff then, remember? We only did the unsucky stuff. Okay. Like what? Okay. Like the whole Iran hostage crisis in 1979. Okay. This is where we go sideways. 52 Americans were taken hostage in Tehran for 444 days. It was a long time. Do you know this? No. Oh my god. We have to do a whole podcast on this. Did you watch Argo? No. Amanda Huston. Watch Argo. Okay. Excellent movie. Can we watch it together? Okay. Excellent movie. Seriously. Okay. And so he sort of drug his feet way too long to figure shit out and good old Ronnie Reagan Had to step in and handle all that shit because he wouldn't make a move. Carter wouldn't make a move. We had hostages over there for 444 days. Was Reagan his No. Reagan took over as president in 1980. Oh, so this is after. So it became a continual problem. So, so, right. Okay. So, so Carter was 76 to 80. So the hostage crisis, 79. Rolled into, got it. Rolled into, and Reagan took over. Um, also, he never got a handle on inflation, which I would argue is not totally his fault. Was it inflation in the seventies? Like 14%? It was crazy. Oh, it was insane. That was absolutely insane. But it stemmed from the Iranian revolution. But people blamed Carter anyway for like high unemployment, high prices for everything because he was in charge. So I totally get it. But looking back through the lens of history, his presidency was sort of like a mixed bag of some like really key accomplishments. But then the frustrating challenges of like, Nobody wants Americans stuck with like our country not doing anything. Or like, or like crazy hyperinflation because we don't know what we're talking about. It sucked. It was hard times for him for sure. He couldn't win. He couldn't win. Okay, fair. But wasn't he also youngish? Like 55? When he left office or something like that? Yeah, I don't know. Something like that, yeah. Okay, so growing up as a millennial, I learned more about what he did after his presidency than during it, um, and I think he did some pretty cool stuff. Oh! Preach it, sister! Give me some of the details! Let's go, just tell me! I heard, so, so, so, absolutely more people, like, I don't think you're alone at this point, is like, millennials are sort of taking, let's be honest, millennials are taking over, Gen Xs are dying, are we kidding? Um, everything after presidency? It's like amazing what he did, right? Totally. Right, so one of those things What? Go, go, go. After leaving office in 1981, he opened the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Carter Center? Yeah. Oh my god, really? He, he named it after himself? Like, egomaniac. I mean, he did. Everything's named after yourself, right? Like, foundation, endowments I don't know if I would, I think I would, honestly, I'd probably call it the Spatchcock Center, or something, or something like that. I don't know, okay, go. Right. Well It was cool because it's a non governmental, non profit organization dedicated to promoting peace and health and democracy worldwide. So some pretty big stuff. So since it was founded, the Carter Center and Carter personally has mediated conflicts in, uh, Ethiopia. North Korea Bosnia and Sudan wait, seriously. Yeah, North Korea. Yeah, holy crap And the center Has also monitored over a hundred and ten elections and thirty nine countries To ensure that they are free and fair and promoting democracy and human rights globally Okay, first of all a total badass second of all thirty nine countries 39th president Coincidence, I don't think so Okay, like I didn't know he was like in Ethiopia North Korea boss. Like this is cool Like I mean like really high conflict area. No, this is serious shit. He's going into like I love this. Yeah, but wait, there's more Okay, go go go. So hold on. I feel like um Like normally you're Luke Skywalker, and I'm Yoda, and I'm doing like all of like the research into it But like right now we just flip the script like this is amazing. I'm super excited go Well, I'm glad I know something that you know. This is great. Go go go so Cheers Uh, the center has also led campaigns to nearly eradicate neglected tropical diseases. Now, I didn't remember all of them, so just, like, I had to look it up. Tropical diseases? I'm intrigued. What? So, like, the Guinea worm disease? What is that? I don't know. River blindness? River blindness? Yeah. Okay. And then, Lymphatic filariasis. Oh shit! Lymphatic filariasis? Holy crap, Amanda, what's lymphatic filariasis? Evidently a fancy term for elephantitis. Oh crap, like big stuff? Literally? Oh my god, like when people swell up all huge and stuff? I mean, sure, yeah, totally. Okay. But Carter had a hand in some of the most successful public health campaigns in history. And like human history and nobody really recognizes that or give him credit for it. So maybe she stopped throwing some shade. Okay. So where was Carter during COVID? If this guy's doing like Guinea worm disease, which I have no idea what river blindness really, what is where I'm pretty sure he was 96. So, okay. I don't care, but like, so he's like going to all these oddball countries and figuring out how to eradicate disease. And then we get to COVID and Trump's like, uh, I think if you just, uh, swallow some bleach, you're okay. But yeah, weird. What if we come to Amanda? Seriously, you're really depressing. So to get us out of this depressive state, there's another really cool thing. Forge ahead, Amanda, forge ahead. So he partners with Habitat for Humanity. You've heard of it. Yes, totally have. Okay. So for everyone who hasn't, it's an organization that builds affordable housing, right? But since he got involved in 1984, he and his wife personally built over a hundred homes in 14 countries. Wait, this dude. Like, hammer and nailed a hundred homes. In four Blood, tear, sweat, all of it. So wait, 1984. 2024. Gimme, gimme, do that quick. Uh, 40 years. Yeah. Yeah. That's 40 years. Mm-Hmm. 40 years. A hundred homes. That's like two and a half. Like this guy's building two and a half homes per year with his wife. I mean, that's amazing. Not personally, like just them. I'm sure there's help. Okay. But he's still a badass. He has a, so his hand is on. Right. So I've built a house. One, like I've gone to Mexico, built a house for like, you go for 24 hours a month. It's hard. Like it's hard work. Yeah. Holy crap, but not only that what there's more. Yeah, thanks to Carter Habitat for Humanity has expanded Massively by repairing or building over 1 million houses worldwide since 1984 so a million a million Yeah It's a 25, 000 houses a year or if you want to break it down some more break it break it down for me math Major 70 houses a day 365 days for the last 40 years Amazing but if that's not enough, all while he's doing this, this is, hold on, let me, I need to do Regis Philbin. This is bonkers. Bonkers. What else we got While he was doing all of that, right? Yeah. What? He's also still writing books. I think he's written like 30 of them. 30 books. Seriously. On a bunch of different topics. I can't even write one book. This guy's on 30 books. I know it is your life goal to read a book. Oh my God. What are his books about? Well, I think you just got to pick a bunch of topics you want to write about. Cause evidently it worked for him. Cause like his one on human rights, one on democracy, faith. Yeah, of course he does. Um, I think he has one on public policy. Oh my God. I hate him. He's this guy's amazing. But two that I want to kind of call out, a call to action, Women, religion, violence, and power. He wrote it in 2014. So it addresses the global oppression of women and girls and advocates for gender equality. Okay, wait a second. Break on that. The guy was 90 years old in 2014. Yeah, exactly. And he writes a book about it. Evidently. A 90 year old dude. Maybe he has a ghostwriter. Okay, I officially love Jimmy Carter. I'm on the bandwagon. Yeah, I don't know if I love him, but you know, like it's No, no, no. Dude, if he We're trying to educate people on sort of sophisticated this guy's 90 years old and still figuring out how to help our communities Correct. He's amazing. What's the other one? Give me the other one was Palestine peace not apartheid in 2006. It's a book that advocates for a two state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict emphasizing the need For a just and lasting peace and while you can say that the book is certainly polarizing Oh my god to say the least right up to state solution Yes, but it does demonstrate Carter's commitment to finding peaceful solutions. No, you got to preach it it does I know super not popular for some people, but I Can't believe that he had a hand in all that. I love that about him Yeah, he's just kind of everywhere. Yeah. Though, I love it. I mean, good or bad? I don't know. No, God, no, no, no, no. Just good? Just good? Okay. Well, it depends on your politics, I understand. But I will say the guy's a visionary because he's out there still trying to figure out how to solve problems. I like people trying to solve problems. Whether they have the right or wrong answers, they're still trying to solve. Fair. Love it. Okay, but Carter's not done. Seriously? He's on a roll, dude. Really? He is. It's time to go solo. He's on a roll. Go ahead. Sorry, I was channeling, um, Vanilla Ice. Go ahead. Alright, so we gotta go back. Maybe not as back as Vanilla Ice, but like 2002. Okay, that's totally Vanilla Ice era. Go ahead. Oh, just kidding. He seems so much older than 2002. So he goes and he wins the Nobel Peace Prize and it's basically as a thanks for his decades of long efforts to promote peace and human rights and probably thanks to all the books he's written and houses he built, right? Of course he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Of course. I can't even win one award. This guy goes and wins a Nobel Peace Prize. Fine. Just kill me now. I'll make you an award. Thank you. Please do. Yep. And as recently as 10 years ago, when he was writing that book, he still continued to travel on diplomatic peace missions. And he played roles in diffusing international tension and helping to negotiate the release of political prisoners and both North Korea and Cuba. And okay, so wait a second, this is hysterical. So he can't negotiate the Iranian hostage crisis. Maybe he learned a couple things. For sure. I don't know. But he's, but now he's negotiating political prisoners in North Korea. Sorry. Shout out to Jimmy. I love you. You're a hundred years old. God bless you. I mean, he did it when he was 90. Okay. So he learned a thing or two is where you're pulling. Sure. I love it. Okay. Got it. Go, go, go. Okay. But up until 2020. 2020. Yeah, like, like four years ago. Like this guy's like 96 now, right? Like during COVID. Yeah. Yeah. During COVID. He was still teaching Sunday school at maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. So back home. He went back home. This guy is a legend. He goes home to teach Sunday school. When he's 96 years old, seriously. Okay. I get this. Jimmy Carter was arguably the most impactful post presidential president. Say that 10 times fast post presidential president in American history. His commitment to service human dignity and global citizenship basically makes him a legend people like somewhere between Jesus and Elvis Presley legend. Am I right maybe well, he's not but that's pretty high Elvis Presley like really? somewhere between Jesus and Donald Trump High up on the list for sure. Okay. He's now sort of revered in both the United States and And around the world and even as he approaches his hundredth birthday Shout out to the centenarian Carter's influence and contributions continue to inspire to this day I love you, Jimmy brother. Happy birthday to you Jimmy my friend my captain my king Jimmy Well, maybe he'll hear this podcast because we'll just tag him in it. Oh, yes! Let's go! So do you have any fun facts lined up for the birthday boy? Would I let you down? Hell no! No, you know that's my favorite part. All right, let's go. You ready? I'm ready. All right, so did you know Jimmy Carter was the first president born in a hospital? 1924. Uh huh. Before that they were just like born in fields and stuff, I guess. I don't know. Although he was born in 1924 in a tiny town in rural Georgia, miles from the nearest big city. James Earl Carter Jr. drew his first breath at Wise Sanitarium, uh, apparently that's a hospital, uh, don't ask me. Like a Like a sanitarium, uh, this is Okay. Making him the first U. S. president to be born in a hospital. And his mom Lillian, Miss Lillian, worked there as a nurse. When the time came to deliver her baby, the hospital had an open room and Dr. Sam Wise, Seriously, the guy's name is Dr. Sam Wise. He's pretty wise. Shout out to, like, Lord of the Rings. Shout out to The Hobbit, Sam Wise! Okay, so anyway, Dr. Sam Wise urged her to leave. I love how you went Hobbit, and I just went Wise like he was smart, but okay, sure. Urged her to have a baby there instead of in the Carter home. Uh, probably because there was no Labor Day yet, and the doctor thought that if she delivered in the hospital, she would go back to work after the umbilical cord was tied. Right? Oh my god. I like how you tied that in there. Totally. Okay, super fun fact when I'm doing a fun fact and I have a fun fact inside a fun fact, it's super fun fact. Okay. Yes. I think you establish this. Okay. Okay. My bad. Yo, three years later, Miss Lillian would help deliver her future, a daughter in law in the same hospital. Oh, that's funny. Rosalyn. Yeah. Yes. She delivered. That's so serendipitous. I should say. Not funny. I think it's quite cute. Yeah. It's very serendipitous Fun fact number two the county library provided a young Jimmy Carter with his first job He set up a traveling a library called it the bookmobile and he would drive around small towns and park like the ice cream truck but instead of big sticks and ice cream sandwiches he'd give out books you got who is this guy right All right, number three, Jimmy Carter ditched school and lost out on being valedictorian. Really? For ditching school? For ditching school. Totally true. On April 1st, 1941, Jimmy and a few other senior boys left school and went to Americus for the day. I guess a local city close by to celebrate April Fool's Day. I guess that's a big thing you do back then. I don't know. So of course, Carter receives zeros for that day and was disqualified. From becoming valedictorian and instead received the distinction of Salutorian silver medal. Hmm. They're not fresh or last Right. It was four people in the school. So I mean so he had to be out like two other people really, okay Sorry, Jimmy. I love you. Okay number four before he was a peanut farmer state senator governor and president Jimmy Carter served as a submariner in the US Navy After graduating from the Naval Academy, he decided to focus on nuclear submarines and inspired by his respect for Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. How could you not love that name? Hyman Rickover? I love that. Okay. Served aboard the submarine USS K 1 along with a few others for almost Seven years. Seven years. That's a long time. Okay. Number five. Did you know that Carter was the first president to live in public housing? After his dad died in 1953, Carter returned to Plains, Georgia and due to a post-war housing shortage, Jimmy Rosalyn and their sons moved into a new public housing project, less than three blocks from Plains High School, becoming the first tenants of Unit nine. Carter has subsequently said that the time spent there led to his interest in Habitat for Humanity. That makes so much more sense. I think that's so bad. I love Jimmy. Okay, number six. The Carters were the first couple to walk in the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House. Right there. On the pavement, Pennsylvania Avenue, defying the advice of the Secret Service and starting a new tradition continued by every president since, to this day. Creating tradition. I love it. I wonder if it was like intentional, like they knew this would become tradition. I have no idea. He was just a stud. He's like, no, I'm doing this. I don't really care. Right parade my wife. Yeah, it's like a Pope Francis where he's like, no, I'm not using a Popemobile man. We're done if I died. Yeah, let's go right. I love it Okay, number seven Jimmy Carter has lived in the same, Georgia home Amanda for 70 years in 1981 when the Carter's left the White House They returned to the only home they ever owned at At 209 Woodlawn Avenue Purchase in 1961, the modest ranch style house served as home base for the Carter family throughout his time in the Georgia Senate and the offices of governor and president, he's one of only a few presidents in recent history to move back into the home he lived in before he came president, I love it. Okay. All right, and finally, number eight, not only has Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize, but he's also won three Grammy awards. How? Okay. Right in in spoken word album category. I'm sorry. Yeah, did spoken word. Yes, but for audio recordings of his book. Oh faith a journey for all In 2019 a full life reflections at 90 2018 and our endangered values America's moral crisis 2006 how interesting he got three Grammys for just voicing his audiobook because he's a stud Huh, that's all I got fun facts are over All right, people, there you have it. The life of Jimmy Carter, a man whose legacy goes far beyond his presidency, marked by his deep commitment to humanitarian causes and his unwavering dedication to public service. But before we close, give me what I need to know to be dangerous to keep up when I'm at his birthday party whoa, let's go! Why wasn't I invited? That's total BS! I mean, we're gonna try to get you invited. Hashtag Jimmy Carter. Get me invited. I love you, Jimmy. Invite us. Okay, uh, if you don't remember anything, at least remember this. first, watch Jimmy Carter rock and roll president on Amazon Prime or HBO Max. Awesome. It's only an hour and 30 minutes. Get on it. No excuses. It's a, view of Jimmy Carter's life through music. Super well done. Super well done. Love it. Okay. Second, at your next hangout, when the subject of politics comes up and trust me, it's sure to come up. Share the fun fact that Jimmy Carter just turned. 100. And it just gets you off the current topic of politics. Please people just do it. Dodge it. Right. And third, share these interesting and relevant details to seem, well, sort of sophisticated. Number one. Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, getting elected thanks to his honesty and integrity, focusing on human rights and energy policy during his term. Number two, he brokered the historic 1978 Camp David Accords, which led to the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the first time ever a Middle Eastern country recognized Israel, As a country, number three, in 2002, he won the Nobel peace prize for his efforts in promoting peace, democracy, and human rights globally. Number four, Carter is widely regarded for his post presidential work, particularly with the habitat for humanity and his global humanitarian efforts through the Carter center. Egomaniac at number five, finally, before entering politics, Carter was a peanut farmer in Plains, Georgia, which helps shape his down to earth, humble persona throughout his entire career. And there you have it, dear listeners, as we wrap up this episode on Jimmy Carter. Let's take a moment to appreciate that the man not only brokered peace deals and built houses, but also knew his way around a peanut farm. Who else can say they've legumes to winning the Nobel Peace Prize? Right. Just remember, when you're spatchcocking your turkey this Thanksgiving Yes! Yes! You did it right! And you're feeling overwhelmed by life? If Jimmy Carter can go from peanuts to peace treaties, you're probably doing okay. We'd like to think we've shared just enough information to make you more sophisticated and either a flaming nuisance or a bit more interesting to your fellow humans. Sort of. If you enjoyed this episode and found it particularly interesting, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your peeps. Until next time, stay curious and stay inspired.
