With facts you need from America's most trusted news source don't miss p.b.s. News Hour weeknights at 6 on w g.b.h. To Sen Jared Bowen and you and I are listening to 897 w g v h w h h d one Boston online. News. Boston's local n.p.r. . Go This is Wait Wait Don't Tell me the n.p.r. . News and I'm Peter Sagal it's Thanksgiving so that means you're getting together with your family and friends for the best reason. Once you're done talking about the weather and before you get on to why you're not married yet that reckoning with us as we revisit conversations with. A wild and some stuff you've never heard before plus Bill reveals his Bond villain. Coming right up after this hour's news. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Windsor Johnston and authorities in Britain are facing questions about the early release of the convicted terrorist who carried out Friday's deadly stabbing attack in London the man was sentenced in 2012 for his role in the plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange and released on license a year ago British government minister Brandon Lewis is promising a review of the conditions placed on those released from jail once the London Bridge attack has been fully investigated it would be difficult for me and inappropriate for me to comment on the specifics in this case because it is an ongoing case and there's a whole range of lawsuits in requirements that are put on offender in that Qana situation but all of that is being reviewed as part of the investigation I will be reviewed as part of our lessons learned as we go forward but the former head of Britain's national counterterrorism office Chris Phillips says that's not enough the fact that this man was not only no but he was a convicted terrorist is a huge point and I'm actually something often banging on about for years that we all really seen unreformed Jihad ease back into society and we think that a tag around their ankles going to keep the people safe Well it's not Authorities say the suspect was attending a program that works to educate prisoners at the time of the attack in the Netherlands a manhunt is still underway for the suspect in a stabbing attack in a busy shopping district in The Hague Yesterday N.P.R.'s Rob Schmitz reports authorities say it's still too early to determine whether the incident was an act of terror the incident happened Friday night in the shopping area which was filled with people looking for Black Friday deals a man attacked several people on the street the victims all miners were immediately taken to a local hospital and later released he tak happened hours after a similar knife attack on the London Bridge that left 2 people killed and several injured N.P.R.'s Rob Schmitz reporting Forecasters say 2 major storm systems are expected to impact travel this weekend as people make their way. Home from their Thanksgiving destinations N.P.R.'s Tovia Smith reports recent weather patterns may be an indicator of what's to come this winter he's the guy who predicted Boston's heavy snowfall before the record 201415 season now Judah Cohen with atmospheric and Environmental Research says this year won't be quite as white but will be whiter than normal named Washington New York and Boston that's based on correlations he's found with Siberian snow cover as well as ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska Region I'm going. To push to think there is some science to back it up but I mean it's not a mature science let's put it that way is more often right than wrong but still gets grief from doubters like when Boston snowiest year ran dry till late January and 2 years ago when the heavy snow he forecast didn't show up till March jovial Smith n.p.r. News Boston this is n.p.r. News. A massive fire at a chemical plant in southeast Texas has been contained the blaze was sparked by 2 explosions earlier this week at the facility and port nature has it prompted a mandatory evacuation order for an estimated 50000 people living in the area runners are participating in a relay this weekend to mark the 155th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre Wyoming Public Radio's have Adam our reports the run started yesterday and participants will be at it through tomorrow the massacre began when the 3rd Colorado cavalry attacked a peaceful camp of Cheyenne and Arapaho people killing at least $200.00 Most of the victims were women and children their descendants are running 170 miles over 3 days from the site of the massacre to Denver Colorado Dean wallowing bull has ancestors on both sides of his family who were murdered at Sand Creek he says he's running to honor their memory their sugar hard. To. Program the run will conclude with a healing ceremony and if used for n.p.r. News I'm Savannah mar on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming holiday shoppers are gearing up for Cyber Monday millions of Americans are expected to scour the web looking for deep discounts from online retailers consumer groups are predicting any new online shopping record in the u.s. On Monday with an expected $9400000000.00 in spending you're listening to n.p.r. News from Washington. Support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the estate of Joan Kroc whose bequest serves as an enduring investments in the future of public radio and the John d. And Catherine team MacArthur Foundation Ed Mack founded dot org funding for our programs comes from you and Middlesex savings bank right there with you committed to providing Massachusetts businesses in nearly every industry innovative financial solutions to help their businesses and their communities succeed Middlesex Bank dot com and Brown University pre-college programs where high school students can prepare for college success experience college life and make new friends from around the world summer 2020 application opens December 3rd pre-college Dot Brown dot edu. From n.p.r. And no to be easy Chicago this is wait wait don't tell me the n.p.r. News Quiz door buster make way for Bill Buster Bill Kurtis and here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago Peter Sagal Q Well thank you everybody for your. Thanksgiving weekend and if your family is anything like ours you've managed to exhaust every topic of conversation other than politics and you're getting dangerously close to turning your in-laws into a human turducken So in order to forestall disaster fights the rewriting of wills why not spend the next hour with us as we revisit some favorite segments and bring you some things you've never heard before or you can tell your father in law goes back to Lee what you think about presidential golf trips it's your funeral let's start with an interview with the Livia while the actress who directed her 1st feature film this year book smart theater ask her what she's best known for I think you'd probably have but you never know there's John fans everywhere they come out of the woodwork you know I do there's sort of more of the nerdy variety and there are also the most often by well let's run fans everywhere but I have to say I drinking buddy the movie I got to college yes with our very own just wander and yet and I love it very much and I have to give it up for the Chicago microbrew theme which is really off them and I mean this is great. Story because obviously as we've mentioned you've done some pretty serious Hollywood projects and Joe Swanberg a local filmmaker here in Chicago he's famous for shooting ultra low budget movies he doesn't script them he just says hey guys this is your character sit here I'm turning in the camera go Yeah right yeah and did you enjoy working that way Oh my God I left it because we were drunk 100 percent of. I tried to emulate it with book smart with less fear because we had young people I said So let's talk about the movie you're this isn't the 1st thing you directed you've done some short films but this is your 1st feature which is very exciting Yeah one of the things I've read is that it's very intimidating to be a movie director because even a low budget movie there's a lot of money there's a lot of people who are all looking to you to be the leader did you have to struggle with that was that tough for you or did you fall naturally into the role I thought the naturally into it because I'd been on set for 17 years and I was ready to take the reins you know I was ready to be the pa so it wasn't too hard I enjoyed that part had you been on sets doing all those other projects you've been doing sitting there the whole time going down that I should be in charge increasingly yet . Yeah this movie book smart it's about 2 young women they're about to graduate high school it's also very contemporary If I'm not mistaken it takes place right now the spring of 2019 Yes that's right and you are to me a very young person but you're not that young so did you have to learn stuff about like what high school kids are like now and how they were different when when you were graduating high school yet because they're just a lot better now they are much smarter they're much cooler they're much more of a They're much more fluid and I had to learn some of their cool and go as I am 100000 years old and I had to kind of catch up on how they talk and they had cool window like for the longest time I didn't know what they meant what they were like Brad and I'm like why did they say. That means outfit so I pat on to you I'm sorry the word. If I could like like brought it rad fit Brad Fat Man Yeah did they ever tell you anything that made you think they were just pulling your leg . I mean they were I don't know if I am but they were very very kind to me I have to ask you this is a movie as is given away by the title of a. 2 rather brainy girls in high school who in fact decide at one point they haven't had enough fun they've been so brainy and working so hard was that what you were like in high school I went to mit nerd high school just the nerdy of the Nerds and I was one of them and I'm proud to be but we didn't have fun parties and like everyone else did and I just wasn't made aware but. I met a single movie about it in order to go to the party yeah I think had everyone paid them to be there. So the movie has come out it's gotten great reviews I hope a lot of people see it let's assume that it is the success that it seems to be you know what you want to do next are you going to try to do one of those big superhero movies next that seems to be that I'm usually going to be fine wouldn't. Well you've done those big movies you could handle it I could handle it I can handle and try as I had you know good now and the flat you think I could make it happen but truly you know I will say this because I think they're pretty grim for female filmmakers so I say that all of us ladies should step back and start telling stories as much as we possibly can thank you thank. You I really you while we have in fact asked you here to play a game that we're calling a levy a wild have some Wild Wings. That's right we're going to ask you about Buffalo Wild Wings or the. Casual Dining franchise that was named in your honor by some drunk ice were really into Cowboys and Aliens. Answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly and you win our prize for one of our listeners the wait waiter of their choice during their voicemail Bill who is a Livia wild playing for never have it she of Denver Colorado All right you ready to do this yes I am all right here's your 1st question though the star of the menu a Buffalo Wild Wings is obviously the wings that's not all they have to offer you could also order which of these at one of their restaurants a one gallon bag of fountain soda for only 7. 99 be a cocktail called the gin and tonic and ranch dressing. Or c. Chicken for arms. Like. I I'm just really hoping that bag over the back of a bag of fountain soda. That's. All that's not come with Welcome to the bar and some so. Are you choosing that I'm trying to get your right Olivia that's the right thank you very good it's good for parties yeah next question you can catch almost any sport you want on the many T.V.'s at your local Buffalo Wild Wings but at one location in Alabama you can also do what a attend a church service be hunt game in the very big backyard or see have paint ball fights with other customers. Wow. My God. I'm going to go with your absolute right to live you thanks. Of course the church service at this particular Buffalo Wild Wings begins before the restaurant opens you can have beer and wings during service however they encourage you to stick around and enjoy it after the service because the communion wine also come in a bag obviously. All right here's your last question you can be perfect in this as you have been in so many other things here's your last question March Madness is the busiest time of Buffalo Wild Wings right so the restaurant is always looking for ways to make the customer's experience even more enjoyable including which of these a they set up booths with sports bookies to help you drop your brackets be an on site therapist for those suffering from actual clinical March Madness. Or see the jewel stool a cool bar stool for men who got the sack to me so they could skip work and watch more games. I love are under so much let me go day with a boot. With sports bookies it was actually the jewel school I threw. In the n.c.a.a. Femia so many men schedule the sec Timmy's around March Madness this is true so they could enjoy the enforced rest in front of the t.v. So why not entice them down to Wild Wings right. Marketing genius. Bill how did it live you while they do on our quiz He won 2 out of 3 that's a big one with. Graduations you should feel good about this I thought great Do I get a lifetime supply of wings I'm hoping I think you should go into your nearest Buffalo Wild Wings and say hello I'm a Livia while I would like some wings and see what happens. Ok I want to go do it a little while the new film book Smart is in theaters now go see it it's charming and funny as all get out a living a while thank you so much for joining us I want to. Do with. Some. If there's one thing that our listeners love it's what we've come to call Paula rants that's when Paula Poundstone gets very very exercised about some topic or another it actually has cardio benefits here is a particularly a rollback rant from earlier this year about a particular n.p.r. News report with guest host Tom Papa there was a n.p.r. Piece one time when Colorado 1st legalized pot they also came up with this really stupid idea to do with thing like wineries do it was like a hot dispenser. Which is just so painfully stupid it's hard to conceptualize but like a vehicle comes and picks up the customer and the m.p.r. . Reporter rode around in and they begin and the woman that gets in the car forget her name but doesn't stand for No no this time. I. Got no it went to say they go to the 1st dispensary and the woman was so enthusiastic like 60 years old so enthusiastic and she goes in for some reason the reporter to go in with her but she comes out they go Well what did you buy and she's like I get this chair clit I get this joint I get this thing like already so much that you know I'm going to get the car to go to another place and the lady had been very chatty at 1st and now all you could hear over the audio was the woman laughing uncontrollably I thought I was like creepy because she was like. I made the remark a black girl had to said they had to disappear on their way to another district and that they had to. Discontinue the trip because she had become incommunicable. I. Said that I have a trip to Colorado coming up before I heard that he said I thought I thought you know maybe I could now take is it legal now and I could do that again when I went there and I heard that piece and I never. Got. I don't know how I feel about the whole we legal thing I live in California and when you get used to me if you smell weed you're like oh I'm simply School this is going to concerts not like I'm in a nursing home visiting my grandma. I love. Coming up a never before heard last listener game in a visit with singer Alex boy yea that's when we come back on Wait Wait Don't Tell me from n.p.r. . The rising price. And commuters trying to. Make parking in this store just a neighborhood challenge. But neighbors are split on whether to adopt restrictive parking. Parking. Our programs are made possible thanks to you and the Boston Foundation bringing donors and nonprofits together to drive real change you can open a donor advised fund and see how your philanthropy can be more than just a transaction learn more at t.b.s. Dot org slash partner and peak event services helping turn your holiday gathering into a memorable experience now offering priest aisle tabletop packages for your holiday dinner party with plates glassware flatware and more peak event services dot com this week under the radar with Cali crossly 60 percent of Massachusetts low income kids rely on free or reduced lunch but what if they are coming to school hungry and . To offer students. Time. After the. Sunday night at 6 here on. Support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations and and was history helping people discover their story through family history and d.n.a. From family trees to pinpointing or to Jim's ancestry provides a picture of one's unique past more of them said Street dot com slash n.p.r. Whole Foods Market offering colors and flavors of the season with seasonal produce holiday desserts and Chef created menus Whole Foods Market color the classics and new mom offering a personalized weight loss program that uses psychology and small goals to change habits with the goal of losing weight and keeping it off for good learn more at noon and 0 m. Dot com. From n.p.r. W.b. Easy Chicago this is wait wait don't tell me the n.p.r. News quiz I'm Bill Kurtis and here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago Peter Sagal. Thank you everybody. And how over on the way to Salt Lake City to record our 1000 show and if you do 1000 well of course you have to do 1001 so on the 2nd night Bill Kurtis and I joined with panelists Adam Burke Amy Dickinson and Bobcat Goldthwait to try to fool the audience in our bluff game and then we had a remarkable visit with Salt Lake City's own Alex boy a the only former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to become a You Tube star here to ride out the Wait Wait Don't Tell me the off the Listener game call one AAA great way to play our game on the air Hi you're on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Oh my goodness it's really happening as you type. Happening now who's this I am everything Katherine felt like Do you thought so I like. How far away from the actual theater are you right now I'm like oh my. I don't know when my father in mind when Palin got there he did not let that. Wait a minute you're a mile away and we're talking to you yeah at 1st I thought it was going to be one of those the call is coming from inside that I know you ready to partner with the cell phone your waiter so close just come on by we'll wait. Well welcome to the show now Jess you're going to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction what is Jess is topic they call me octo push. This week in the news we learned a new word and that word is octo push and no it doesn't mean a doula for octopuses. Panels are going to tell you what it does mean only one of them though is telling the truth pick that one and you'll win our prize the weight waiter of your choice on your voicemail Are you ready to play I'm reading All right 1st let's hear from Adam Burke Tiffany fleet of Plano Texas has always hated October it's not a seasonal affective disorder thing she explains it's just the fact of October the pumpkin spice and hollowing decorations going up right after Labor Day October is just this big lame reminder that summer is over and the end of the year is rushing toward year Freet soon located like minded thinkers online and earlier this year founded October push a grassroots movement aimed at shunting the dreaded 10th month to later in the year . The plan is to add 6 days to both August and September and make October shorter and later explained late the idea seems to be gathering steam a recent changed org petition espousing the octopus agenda garnered 120000 signatures Dr Jordan Lowery an octo pusher from Sacramento sees a scientific rationale for the shift global warming is causing havoc with the traditional abscission and foliage change intrigues so realigning. To reflect that isn't a bad idea he explained Plus remember that Pope Gregory changed the calendar by 10 days and 1582 and he didn't even have a website. While fully acknowledged as the new arrangement will take some getting used to particularly for people born in the latter part of the month she adds it means an extra 2 weeks of May not hearing the monster mash in a c.b.s. It'll be worth it. But. Remember that you know that what so soon. Your next story of what octopus might mean comes from Amy Dickinson it's pretty obvious by now that all human and ever will eventually become an Olympic sport you know sword fighting became fencing and now sinking to the bottom of the pool might become the newest and weirdest sport hoping to compete at the Olympics this new sport is called octo push and next month it will make its debut at the Southeast Asian Games octo pushes a form of hockey that's played under water at the bottom of the swimming pool that came with developed by the British Royal Marines for underwater training in the 1950 s. And it's called octo push because the name near drowning was already taken. The entire game featuring swimmers anyway did puck happens underwater the players wear Speedos and have little tiny hockey sticks they end their referees surface every few seconds to gulp air I'd explain the scoring system to octopus but no one cares I'll tell you how the spectators can watch octo push but they really can't. Version of the. Blade at the bottom of the head while holding your breath your last October push or well that's Bobcat Goldthwait. For decades in the small Swedish town of Goldenberg giant mysterious wooden spatulas have been unearthed and have flown mix the community over their purpose thought to possibly be an ancient farming tool the town's folks would paint the spatulas with bright festive colors and use them to decorate their gardens often hang them in their own homes it wasn't until recently when archaeologist Lars Dahlberg found an ancient parchment nearby that the real use of the spatulas was discovered a large tool of the octopus. Is believed to have played a main role in the ancient Nordic practice of on to this. This is when the elders of the clan threw themselves off cliffs in order not to be a burden to their families or the tribe. Lars said I guess sometimes the elders would have 2nd thoughts about hurling themselves in the great abyss. And would start their own back. Then the octopus was used to so what I'm. Like a large geriatric housefly. Said he believed the octopus was also used at the bottom of the cliff to help clean up after. People Gothenburg have removed octo pushes from their homes and gardens. A black one the town's woman declared it's really a terrible shame because there are namely decorated act the push really made my den come alive. All right. Yes. There is a saying This much we can tell you called octo push is it from Adam Burke a movement to push October back in the year so we can have a little bit more time before we deal with it from Amy Dickinson a weird but real sport played with a hockey puck at the bottom of a pool while holding your breath or from Bobcat Goldthwait an ancient Nordic implement used as a spatula to push reticent senior citizens off of. I'm. Going to go with a we're going to go with Adam's story. The audience here like so. You could use Adam story about the people who want to push October back because it wouldn't be nice if we didn't have to deal with it yeah all right well to bring you the real story we spoke to someone involved in it underwater Auggie is played not only in the mold and did not work in their. Underwater are going to be in court that was my Kelton you the director of the 29 Team USA underwater hockey nationals in other words he plays octo push. So I'm so sorry you didn't get it right however your earned a point for Adam and maybe help start a movement I thought was a beautiful and I'm sorry you didn't win but hey you know we're going to be here for another hour run on day one of us will record your voicemail I promise you thank you so much thank you. People should. Stop. And now the game where people travel a long way to arrive at a brief moment of silliness it's called Not My Job Alex boy a lives here in Salt Lake City but he was born in London to a Nigerian mother and along the way he has led a boy band sung in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and been a backup dancer for George Michael Yeah fine you might say. But what's he done that's unusual Well he also personally gave a book of Mormon to Prince Charles How's that it was a dare it was a. Alex boy a welcome to Wait Wait Don't Tell me thank you so much but a pleasure to have you thank the are the more I read about you the more I believe you're a fictional character. Because it was so but that's true you grew up kind of rough in London yeah I went through the foster care system and everything and then I end up go and ended up at a boarding school really I when I was 11 the school I went to was moved from whole school and it was like subsidized so all the kids from the hood from the really bad places of of London and broken homes and that kind of stuff and the school the. Routings look like some out Harry Potter but without the magic of the moving through boats but we would like literally living how important an education I got was amazing I found every class but when I would go to get a job in England as soon as I saw the school who moved to school in coming oh yes yes yes I'll take you as you're all you're like a kid from the rough neighborhood yeah I felt like you know the English version of fresh prince from Bel Air. So Alex tell when did you start singing I actually started music when I got kicked out of my house when I was 16 years old from becoming a member so yeah this is what I mean Ok when I got arrested so Alex you're in England yes I did some guys on bicycles ride up and and talk to you looking how did you like a lot of it in America well I used to work in McDonald's I'm going home I'm like Swinton everything what can I don't know his name thing I turn up I'm walking to my doorstep I woke up and what did I see to Sister missionary smiling. This is going on you have to think let me tell you think it was so frickin Hall I'm . Saying because it meant I'm still is going to censor you much so anyway I've heard a lot of reasons for converting to Mormonism but that was never been one of them my God I'm going to be honest so as you say we could be here all day. But eventually you decided to leave London and you came to Salt Lake City yes you are and you joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Yeah yeah I was there for 8 years my men have this manager in such a hostel right so after I left choir left about 4 years ago and he said this is how he had publicised made sense and exploiting was the 1st black lead singer of the Mormon Tabernacle. I was going to ask you how in a course of 300 people how you would stand out but I guess I know. It was through this 3 pack guys in the choir when I was in the choir Yeah we school. 3 pieces of licorice in a sea of marshmallows. But what is it like singing in a chorus of 300 people cannot tell you when you are singing with 360 people in a spiritual sensing about God telling you mine save my life really really and in a way that you're performing with boy bands prior to that did not. You are going to that you will know you you had a point you must be if you mean there are so many like things that only you have done from having a boy then that opened for in sync Yeah and the Backstreet Boys are band The Backstreet Boys opened up for us in Cardiff in 1995 I believe and this was when we don't he had one hit and in the back you boys came and they were the 1st boy band ever with over the singers could actually sing my group so that's 4 of us right yeah and only one of us could sing and that was me right right so I go into the studio record oh my oh my really and then which you're on stage and not turn over their mikes off. And they don't mind everything so his own my voice but they're amazing dancers No I'm not going to tell you because you can look it up but did I know that they know that nobody could hear them. No because they sang the top of their voices. So I just turned the mike so if I told the engineers to turn their mikes off so they didn't know to this they know that we are the best singers in the world. And that I'd like that's like the Office of the moment where you know the only one thinking yes that's right I love the way that you did when you tell your stories like an old general talking about a battle who was that. Part of her thank you thank you 45 to 3 other guys well Alex boy a we have invited you here to play a game we're calling beat boy our d. . The more we talked about you hungrier we got in we realize that's because your name reminded us of Chef Boyardee the very real show. From ledges name to the immortal line of canned pasta products answer 3 questions about Chef Boyardee and his food and you'll win a prize for one of our listeners the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail Bill who is the irrepressible Alex boy yeah playing for Bob Friend Calli of New Windsor New York all right you know I think you're ready to do this Ok all right yeah 1st question though it has been popular with generations of kids not everyone is a fan of Chef Boyardee as proven by which of these incidents a before Harken story and touched ground in the Bahamas the only thing left in supermarkets were cans of Chef Boyardee Liz on my home being a half a ton of an even Chef Boyardee spaghetti was found stuffed into the crawl space behind a junior high cafeteria in Michigan. Or c. When rescuers reached the remains of an airplane crash site in the Himalayas they found signs of cannibalism and 10 unopened can. Boy argue before my. Well I'm going to go for you know for a hurricane Dorian you're right Alex that's what I thank you. Ok here's your next question what no one thinks of Chef Boyardee as health food it's probably never put anyone's life at risk except for one time when what happened a a grocery worker at a Florida Piggly Wiggly was trapped in a pyramid of Chef Boyardee cans that was built around him while he now. He won a Marine deployed in the Middle East accidentally microwaved a can with a lid on causing a small explosion all his fellow troops ran him with her Am sixteen's or see a woman in China developed aluminum poisoning because she loved Chef Boyardee ravioli so much she would chew on the empty cans Oh. If we could go for b. We're going to go for b. The Marine Yes that's what happened to me everybody was fine thank God thank you both and. All right last question for you one of the best things about Chef Boyardee is that it's pretty cheap but in 20012. True Chef Boyardee fans had the chance to spend $300.00 to do what a eat a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli in a cage with professional wrestlers the big show the Aegis Besh customized dish of kickin slop and Joe macaroni as made by renowned chef Thomas Keller or see why renowned chef Thomas Keller be forced to eat a can of can can stop the job back around. And you're all calling for see which involves forcing. One of the most respected chefs in the world to eat a bowl of Chef boy yeah see. Here to go for saying I want to be adventurous from a guy out on the limb go I've got 2 things to say 1st of all it was a Secondly despite the stereotype you're all terrible people. Know it was true that if you've ever wanted to eat chef 40 ravioli in a cage with a professional wrestler the big show you Mr chance it happened back in 2000 Bill how did onto our quiz turn on a 3 and so was there a letter of. Thanks. Alex there is a singer actor and dancer his new album coming to America is on sale now Alex boy thank you so much for thank you. When we come back we talk to everybody's favorite human being Henry Winkler and a hardened felon Well kind of we'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait Don't Tell me from n.p.r. . Self driving cars the Internet and super buy an Excel juice or works well it's willing to look at the far fetched ideas whether it's the Paris I college or my god. We're going to build an invisible aircraft I'm curious or how a secret Pentagon agency changed our world on innovation. On 89. Support for our programs comes from you and new Repertory Theatre presenting the classic family musical Oliver starring Austin Pendleton this is a fresh take on Charles Dickens beloved story now through December 29th at the most as in center for the Arts tickets at new Rep dot org And Dr Gluck's wellness center committed to reducing your unary and confidence by helping to strengthen your pelvic floor offering him sell a chair sessions a fully clothed in office treatment option for men and women Clifford Gluck m.d. Dot com our 12 Days of auction craze is underway skip the lines this holiday season and pick up some great gifts during the w g.b.h. Holiday auction bid on everything from fine wine and art to gift cards and getaways like a $1000.00 gift card to be used at any circle furniture location the auction runs through December 9th and with additional items going up every day there's always something new. And bit off it at auction. Support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations and little passports a monthly subscription service for kids each package includes games souvenirs and activities from a new country designed to spark curiosity and cultures around the globe and little passports not come slash read you do well lingo a language app whose mission is to make language learning fun and excessive bill to the world with lessons in more than 30 languages including French Spanish and Chinese in the app storm or at dual lingo dot com and progressive insurance offering a way to buy home insurance with their home quote Explorer tool custom quotes and rate sort of a little online learn more at progressive dot com or 1800 progressive Now that's progressive. N.p.r. And to be easy Chicago this is wait wait don't tell me the n.p.r. News quiz I'm Bill Kurtis and here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago Peter Sago Thank you Bill. Have been avoiding our families and helping you avoid yours by distracting everyone with great segments from our recent past we did consider having everybody in America just swap families but there were logistical challenges so we canceled all the buses we had reserved and instead here's some things everybody can agree on for example that Henry Winkler is the nicest man in the universe and he came back to our show last August and Peter asked if people still recognized him as the funds or on his more recent Emmy winning role the acting teacher Gene said Oh on H.B.O.'s comedy series Barry I don't you know you're allowed Barry. And people yell out the funds but I will say I'm wearing jeans right now Ok And there are just because I do you know jeans is a part of the characters that's true they both were you know this one is named Jean the other one wears jeans yes that's very high didn't realize as a through line to your work you know I didn't either interview I check for out of it I know it's great you know I tell you if you're my everything every sign actually firing you so amazing. That people still do refer to you as the fundamental absolutely absolutely my right. But and I think that's wonderful but I don't want to talk about the fund this time I want to talk to you about Gene cousin oh this role you play in the amazingly good t.v. Show Barry can take those who are not lucky enough to see it and can you describe who Gene is I am a teacher I have great safety and yeah and I know we're great because we can pay in cash on Chinese right. And I teach a young man who came into my class. Has kind of like another job I've only finding out about and he is a an assassin right and I he has become like our son right to me Well what's amazing about the show is even given that outlandish premise that he's an assassin who decides he wants to be an actor and forget in acting class it's really quite moving because as you say he does need a father and your character kind of provides that I didn't know that he was a as pickup trucks as he was supposed to be. And and then the 2 men who run the show saw me as I started to to bring Gene alive and they said oh he could also have a heart and so then they combined the 2 parts of my. Body right in lower down I got to ask you because of the so much of this is set in this acting class did you ever take an acting class and was it like this you know what I had 14 teachers in college in graduate school in drama school I did research and I came across a fact where there was a teacher here in l.a. Who literally forced his students who barely made enough to take his class he made them buy his art. To me like he would paint pictures or whatever and then sell it to his students and I I thought Yes this says everything I need to know about this teacher Wow Do you enjoy that aspect of the character being a little grasping and cruel you know what I mean I actually never thought of that because when you do when you do an episode you do scene by scene and you concentrate on making that scene perfect and all of a sudden you put all these details together and I watch along with everybody else I don't see it until it's on the air right so you know I really am so thrilled I just love going to work Nah that's where I wonder what that would be loud. Sounds strange So it does sound great. You and I'm so proud you won an Emmy for the 1st season yes I did and I was amazed to discover this that was your 1st Emmy you've had a lifetime of television and you've only won this Emmy and I have it on my guiding room table. Really is that where you put it you're right and it's opposite the front door so when the man. Delivers medicine from the pharmacy Yes. I I pointed out to him the Emmy. Oh that whole thing and anybody else who could. In the run through I read them through to the dining room. I want to ask you something so you were on the show a few years ago in a wonderful time and Paula Poundstone said that she saw you once in public just you know in the way that you do You were we were flying on the same airline on the same plane and she said that she thought to herself There's a happy little fella. So I just going to the fact that I'm sure I don't I think I'm not quite sure what she was referring to but I did want to ask you Do you think that's an accurate description I have like 2 words gratitude and tenacity and acidy me. And gratitude doesn't allow me to be angry along the way thank. You thank you it is always a pleasure to talk to you we've invited you here to play a game that this time we're calling who look at the Twinklers So as a Winkler you Winkle But what do you know about things that twinkle stars. When I ask you 3 questions about Twinklers or Stars Get 2 right you'll win our prize for one of our listeners any voice they might like on their voicemail Bill who is our friend Henry Winkler playing for sending Taff of Dallas Texas All right Henry you ready to do this yes oh yes we've learned some interesting things about stars since we started venturing into space including which of these a stars can get bored be stars smell like burned steak or see stars they're just like us. Wow. I really have to go stars are just like gods. Are. Actually stars they're just like us is a feature in Us magazine The real answer was stars smell like burned steak. We didn't know this into the. Really true until astronauts went out into space and spacesuits and came back and sniffed their spacesuits and felt weirdly hungry because it turns out that stars give off a number of chemicals one of which smells like burnt state why it's true the smell of space and on Monday sure I never knew that I know. All right these still tumor chances Here's your next question will mean a Fleming classified tens of thousands of stars during her decades long career at the Harvard observatory get her for that she had another job what was it a one day the head of the observatory got frustrated with the staff and said My Scottish maid could do better he hired her and she did. B. She was a theater critic who said people are boring i want to watch something else or see nobody knows she just showed up one day wearing a silver suit and said i can help you B. All right I'm going to are lemonade Yes. You're new with a that she said I'm my Scottish maid could do better you want to write thank you want to go undiscovered geniuses who became a brilliant mathematician and astronomer she discovered among other things the horse said nebula she is a hero all right you have one more you're going to hire him but you took that job I know it's a sham last question our son is a star of course for about 30 percent of people staring into the sun will cause sneezing fits what is the scientific name of this reflex a squinty sneezing the soul or so not or see office so more compelling Helio up filmic outburst or ACTU. I'm going to. Go see auto so more compelling Hillier up filmic outburst or actually you're right. Thank. You. How did Henry Winkler do on our quiz you know Henri 2 out of 3 right is a very good score that means you have one. Thank you. Finally many people love the Netflix t.v. Show Orange Is The New Black but they may not know it's based on the experience of a real person Piper Kerman who really did serve a year in a woman's prison we interviewed Ms Kerman near Cleveland where she had been working teaching writing in Ohio prisons Peter asked her if the authorities knew her whereabouts I am not on the lam and yeah I've been living here in Ohio for almost 5 years it's been fantastic and. I feel I mean I course believe that everybody knows your story but we should say that the book obviously isn't is a memoir it's it's nonfiction but they took some liberties with the t.v. Series there was a book is a true story and the. Show takes the book puts it in a blender and puts a lot of other ingredients in Yes and isn't that fantastic and Pentasa so I know you're a fan of the t.v. Show I am a fan of this show and all the people all the wonderful people who make it so you're back in prison although now you are doing it as an instructor and so what are you doing I teach true story writing class I teach a class in which students come in and write true stories from their own life essentially a memoir writing class do you ever teach them India of your famous prison recipes they were very interested in the cheesecake recipe actually at the men's facility the women all knew how to do it I was actually amazed to read this in the book that all this cooking went on which I did not think was the thing that happened in prison but yeah it turns out the food in the chapel is pretty bad yeah the skills of the prisoners are much better the materials are kind of rough to work with right so you do what you can well 1st of all I did notice that you said that in prison the food is so bad it's. One of the few things you could do to spend your time you ended up looking pretty great I ran a half marathon when I was in prison that's really boring it is to the time where do you how do you want to have fun in prison you run a half marathon around a quarter mile gravel track is a lot of left turn. So as you say the chow in the food hall was terrible cooking for yourself how do you make a cheesecake prison. To make a cheesecake in prison you need a Tupperware bowl you have to have that after purchase from the commissary or borrow it you make a cross out of either smashed up graham crackers or Oreo depending on your proclivities. You need some margarine that you've stolen from them. That is the only stolen in this recipe which makes it novel and notable. And then the filling you take those kinds of cheeses that don't have to be refrigerated you need about a half a cup of putting you can usually get some putting somewhere and you sort of beat those things viciously together. And then you get. Down on the putting and. And you also start to add and tire thing of cream or about yeah right Paul I'm making putting my hands about 8 to 10 or more is the powdered how to substitute cream or yes you put that in there the whole container you try not to think about what's what's going it what's in there right and you mix and you mix and then it actually what you have is kind of a mess right yes well then you take the plastic squeeze lemon and you put I would use really most of the lemon and you start to squeeze that into the mix and it tightens. I attribute whatever mysterious things are contained in nondairy creamer but it's remarkably like the texture of a New York cheesecake. And the taste you are in so it seems if you're in prison. But you have got to get a free network so I did. Well Piper Kerman it is a pleasure to talk to you we've invited you here to play a game we're calling longer this. You busted and as we've discussed serve time for money laundering which made us wonder how much you know about the more traditional kind of laundering. It's are 2 out of 3 questions about what they call clothing laundering we want to prise one of our listeners the voice of anyone they might like on our show on their voicemail who is Piper Kerman playing for Sophia of Ohio who's here with her family thank you when we do this. Yes. Here's your 1st question American pioneers had a very inventive way of dealing with dirty clothes What was it a sticking them in the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone waiting for it to erupt the shooting of their laundry with soap shot. Or c. Just standing near a buffalo and blaming the animal for the stink. I'm going to go with Old Faithful you're exactly right. Thank you account thanks to the one doing the guys are great for to go up the laundry would blow out the air they pick it up and be clean that's what I want to absolutely next question while he was writing Walden and read David Thoreau of course shot himself off from civilization that made it his clothes clean difficult what clever technique did throw use to get his clothes clean during his year living on a coat his clothes in honey let the bears lick them clean. He used his philosophical insights to convince the clothes to turn away from dirt. Or see he walked the mile into town and had his mom do it for him. I was so easy to see you are a model yet. The olden days and that far out of town they also brought food for him all right last question nowadays things of course and laundry as with everything else it's all high tech astronauts on the International Space Station do their laundry how by laser. Be hanging them on a line outside I. See the loading their dirty laundry into a cargo space ship and letting it burn up on re-entry. I think it's basically a version of disposable underwear you're exactly right you can see the water up thank you. Bring up thank you laundry in the ship and let it burn up on reentry you're exactly right Bill how did Piper do on our quiz she got all right thank you. Thank you very much thank you. That's it for our special Thanksgiving and listen to us rather than your relatives edition from n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations. Home Advisor committed to helping homeowners find the right pros for their home projects homeowners can read reviews book appointments and check. Home projects at Home Advisor dot com or on the mobile app Fidelity Investments taking a personalized approach to helping clients grow preserve and manage their wealth fidelity. Fidelity brokerage services l.l.c. And supporting the great listen. To preserve and share humanity stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. Slash in. Wait wait don't tell me is a production of n.p.r. In Chicago in association with productions Berman benevolent over the. Public address announcer is Paul Friedman or intern. Who is best known composed our theme our program is produced by Jennifer. White her business an office manager his production managers Robert our senior producers Ian Chillag and executive producer of Michael day and 4th thanks to Bill Kurtis guest host all our panelists and all of our guests thanks to all of you for listening I'm so grateful I am Peter Sagal and we'll see you next week. This is n.p.r. The future well it's just ahead and so he's. Dealing with everything that might just change our lives Carol Miller talks with today's most creative thinkers and doers next. Support for w g b h comes from you and Sullivan Tire and Auto Service family owned and operated committed to keeping New England drivers on the road since 1955 you can visit Sullivan tire dot com to make an appointment and they'll be ready for you when you arrive Ken Burns brings together highlights from his acclaimed country music series and iconic songs performed by top country artists and a one of a kind concert it's country music live at the Ryman.