Something You Should Know - How To Ask For Anything and Everything & The Unusual History of Ice

Episode Date: June 5, 2023

Do you ever turn your phone off? I mean ALL the way off. This episode begins by explaining why it is a good idea to do it and how often you should. https://www.batteriesplus.com/blog/tech/should-you-turn-off-your-phone Asking someone for something can be hard. After all, you might not like the answer. Still, as the saying goes, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” Whether you are asking for a job or for help or money or a favor, asking can be stressful. What if there was a formula to follow that would make asking for anything a lot easier and a lot more likely to result in a “yes”? Here to share that formula is Laura Fredricks. Laura is a lawyer who has asked and raised more than $1 billion for nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. She is author of the book Hard Asks Made Easy: How to Get Exactly What You Want (https://amzn.to/3WJhAu0) It’s hard to imagine life without ice. We use it for so many things. In fact, even before there were freezers, people used ice. In the early days of the ice industry, it was harvested and shipped all over the world – which sounds strange because you would think it would melt before it got there. But it didn’t. Joining me to tell the amazing story of ice is Amy Brady. She is the executive director of Orion magazine and author of the book Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks—a Cool History of a Hot Commodity (https://amzn.to/3MKX7Rc). If you ever have to go to the hospital, there is one month out of the year that you really want to try to avoid going at all costs. Listen as I explain which month that is and why you want to stay away. https://www.fox2detroit.com/sponsored/bernstein-july-effect PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! The Dell Technologies’ Summer Sale Event is on, with limited-quantity deals on top tech! It’s the perfect season to power your passions during Dell’s Summer Sale Event. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL. Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match We really like The Mel Robbins Podcast! https://melrobbins.com/podcast You can change your life and Mel Robbins will show you how, so search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five.  Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The search for truth never ends. Introducing June's Journey, a hidden object mobile game with a captivating story. Connect with friends, explore the roaring 20s, and enjoy thrilling activities and challenges while supporting environmental causes. After seven years, the adventure continues with our immersive travels feature. Explore distant cultures and engage in exciting experiences. There's always something new to discover. Are you ready?

Download June's Journey now on Android or iOS. Today on Something You Should Know, why turning off your phone for 10 seconds is such a good idea. Then, if you want to ask for something and improve your chances of getting a yes, listen. I have the one-ask formula whether you want something ask for something and improve your chances of getting a yes, listen. I have the one ask formula whether you want something personally or professionally. I've been doing this for 30 years. It applies to any ask of anyone of any age living anywhere on the planet. It works. Also, why you particularly want to stay out of the hospital during the month of July.

And ice. Ice is an entire industry. It's made a lot of people rich and made a star out of the Ice Cube. So the Ice Cube was a marketing ploy by a lot of companies to sell first ice boxes and then ice makers. They were a huge draw for owning an icebox. All this today on Something You Should Know. This is an ad for BetterHelp. Welcome to the world. Please, read your personal owner's manual thoroughly. In it, you'll find simple instructions

for how to interact with your fellow human beings and how to find happiness and peace of mind. Thank you, and have a nice life. Unfortunately, life doesn't come with an owner's manual. That's why there's BetterHelp Online Therapy. Connect with a credentialed therapist by phone, video, or online chat. Visit betterhelp.com to learn more. That's betterhelp.com. Something you should know. Fascinating intel. The world's top experts. And practical advice you can use in your life. Today, Something You Should Know with Mike Carruthers. Hi, and welcome to Something You Should Know. We start today with a question.

When was the last time you turned off your phone? I was thinking about that. I can't remember the last time I turned off your phone? I was thinking about that. I can't remember the last time I shut the whole thing down. It's always on. I charge it when it's on. But it turns out that shutting your phone down can help it run more smoothly by eliminating memory leaks. A memory leak occurs when an app requires a certain amount of memory in order to work, but then it fails to free up the memory when it's no longer needed. That slows down your phone's performance and adds an additional drain on the battery.

Shutting down your phone can also help solve network connectivity problems, because when you shut down and restart your phone, it forces your phone to disconnect and reconnect, establishing its communication with your network. Restarting your phone on a regular basis can also help clear away issues that can cause your phone to crash. So how often should you shut your phone down? Well, experts recommend you should shut it down at least once a week. After shutting it down, let it rest for a minute or two before starting it back up again.

Not only will it help enhance your phone's performance, it's also incredibly beneficial for the battery. And that is something you should know. We all have to ask for things in life. And the bigger the ask, the harder it is. Whether you're asking for a job, money or help or forgiveness or for whatever, how you ask makes all the difference. So wouldn't it be great if there was a formula for asking for whatever it is you want that can increase the chances of getting a yes?

Well, that's what Laura Fredericks is here to tell you. Laura is an attorney who trains and coaches people on how to ask. chances of getting a yes. Well, that's what Laura Fredericks is here to tell you. Laura is an attorney who trains and coaches people on how to ask. And she's pretty good at it, having raised more than a billion dollars for nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. Laura has developed an approach that works for any ask. She's also author of a book called Hard Asks Made Easy, How to Get Exactly What You Want. Hey, Laura, welcome to Something You Should Know. Hi, Mike. How are you? I'm good, thank you. How are you?

Excellent today. Excellent. So we've all heard the phrase, you know, it can't hurt to ask. But sometimes asking is so hard, and I'm not sure why. We're afraid of what the answer will be. Why is asking so hard for people? Most people come up with, and I ask this question all the time, fear of rejection, don't want to hear no. And actually, that's not the reason. The number one reason why people don't ask is because they're afraid they're going to get a response that they won't know what to do with it

you've heard no since you were two right I mean we've all you know heard things that really didn't sit well with us yes it hurts yes it stings but the number one reason is that you don't want to have that deer in the headlights look you don't want to be caught off guard. And that fear alone makes you hesitate to ask. Yeah, yeah. And it does seem that the bigger the ask, when there's more on the line, the harder it is to ask. It is and it isn't. Sometimes it can be something that may seem on the surface simple, like asking a friend for help or asking them to pick something up for you, asking for them to do you a favor. And that can be as emotionally laden as asking for a million

dollar gift or a million dollar investment. Well, that advice that you hear that it doesn't hurt to ask on some level seems to make sense because if you don't ask, you'll never know. But it also has to have something to do with how you ask. And so that's why I have put organization, structure, and focus to the ask in an area that's always been left to luck, chance, and time. And we need that structure and organization. Why? Because how do we typically, what are the reasons we typically mess up the ask a lot of reasons number one you over talk the ask so my formula is in any ask situation you talk 25 they talk 75 okay when you have that balance you're going to hear more about

what the person is really interested in and then you can find a way to grab that conversation and turn it in the direction that you want. So that's number one. Number two is people don't keep it simple. And I have the one ask formula, whether you want something personally or professionally, and the one ask formula is two sentences and a question. So give me an example of how that would work. Someone to be on your show. Someone really important to be on your show. Yeah, okay. So, yeah.

How about that? Right? Let's put it, let's make it real. I'm all about making it real in present time. So, it's two sentences and a question at the moment of the ask, okay? And I'll use, you're asking me. Laura, I am very much interested in having you on the show, and I know how busy your schedule is. Sentence number one. Sentence number two. We've had so many requests for this topic. I think you're the ideal person to be interviewed by me.

Sentence number two. Number three, would you be willing to be on my show Monday or Wednesday 1 p.m.? Question. You let it and you sit back. The next person to talk is you, not me. That prevents me keep saying, well Mike, you know, if you can't do it, I can do it Thursday. And you see what happens? People keep talking at the end of this. People have no idea what they're being asked. So use the two sentences and the question, and the question makes you be quiet and the decision maker to speak next. Now, people might think, though, I haven't given you enough information or enough reasons why you should say yes so maybe i should keep talking and telling

you all the great things that will come your way if you're a guest on this show you're saying not to do that not to do that you know why and here's one of my favorite phrases the ask is a conversation it is not a confrontation when you think about asking you you're inviting conversation. My question is exactly that, Mike. Well, you know, how many people do you have? Oh, well, in general, you know, I interview three a week. Does my topic fit in to what your normal listeners look? Absolutely. And you see, we're talking about it and we're going to get to yes.

Not necessarily, though, right? And we could get to no. It could get to no. And I to know and i could say i'm not interested now whenever you hear something that sounds like no or it is not a yes your only job is to find out the why i can't tell you how many people ask they take the answer they go away they go on to somebody else you're never going to learn unless you get to the why. Does it matter what you're asking for as to how you approach it? Or is every ask follow that formula regardless of whether you're asking for time or money or whatever you're asking for? Excellent question. I've been doing this for 30 years it applies to any ask of anyone of any age living anywhere on the planet it works sometimes though it isn't as simple as a yes or no you get

it maybe i got to check my schedule or i'm not really sure things get. And so how do you deal with that? Great. And we want muddy sometimes. And that brings me to your preparation. There's Laura's five laws on asking. We're going to go through it because number four is exactly where you're going. Okay. So with any ask, any help, money, recognition, forgiveness, be on a show, do a favor, change your travel plans, whatever it is, here we go. Number one, know exactly what you want with numbers and dates. Many people just ask for something without a number and date. So here's my thing. What difference does it make if I'm on your show next week, next year, or 10 years from now? Okay? Every ask. Spec ask specific amount specific date know exactly what you want number

two which I love this is my favorite part and I think knowing you a little bit and researching you you're going to love this right the old-fashioned way right or type 15 things you think I'm going to say to your ask okay so let's use a scenario I don't have the time this doesn't fit in I have to look this up why did you want me who is coming before or after me all the questions that prevents the very first thing that we talked about why people don't ask they don't ask because they're afraid they're gonna hear a response they're not prepared for this prepares you you write 15 things you think the person's gonna say and

then 15 things you're gonna say back to it now people say this is a lot of time a lot of work but guess what you have a list now number three Laura's favorite it's time to shine deliver deliver with confidence. What you can't see, Mike, is that I'm standing up. I have a mirror in front of me to make sure that my head is perfectly aligned. My shoulders are back. My voice is strong because more people say yes, because the ask was made confidently. Okay. Number four, we're getting to what you said. Clarify what you think you heard. Clarify what you think you heard. So you say back to me, like you said, the conversations get muddied. Well, I'm not sure. Maybe I have to think about this. It's really time and on and on. This

is where it all falls apart. But you, the asker, has to bring it back home and say, Mike, I heard what you said. Can you share with me exactly what it is you're thinking about? I'm here to help you. Now we bring it right back and we find out exactly the thing that's preventing you from saying yes. And then the last step is plan your next move at the end of the ask. So let's say we find out it's time. I'm on a book tour and I can't do this until September. Good. What would you say? Okay, let's look at our joint calendars in September. Let's make it happen. And those are the five laws of asking when it comes to money or valuables or things it seems like those are the toughest that's the toughest ask to ask somebody for money um yes or no or

it depends on how you value money i've known people who can brazenly ask for money it doesn't matter i know people that would rather swallow poison than ask for money. So what I say is, if you have a good relationship with money, money is easy to ask for. If you remember this one thing, it'll be easier to ask for money. When you ask for money, you are giving an opportunity, you are not taking something away. Paint that picture for me with an example I'm not sure I follow well I have in my many careers in law and in philanthropy I've raised quite a bit of money quite a bit of money from a variety of people nationally and internationally whenever I was asking money either for an investment or for a charity or to help a friend out.

I believed 100 percent that this cause was worthy or that the person or cause deserved it. So when you think about it, when you ask for money, you're not saying I need your money and I need it now, what you're saying is this is an opportunity that might interest you. Are you interested in investing? Are you interested in giving? Are you interested in buying? I just want to know because this is an opportunity for you. You can say yes, you can say no. We're talking today about how to ask for anything. And my guest is Laura Fredericks,

author of the book Hard Asks Made Easy, How to Get Exactly What You Want. Metrolinks and Crosslinks are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Crosstown LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert, as trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals. Be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so. Be alert, be aware, and

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That's why Bumble is changing how you start conversations. You can now make the first move or not. With opening moves, you simply choose a question to be automatically sent to your matches. Then sit back and let your matches start the chat. Download Bumble and try it for yourself. So, Laura, sometimes when you ask for something, I'm thinking, for example, of when you ask for a raise, you ask your boss for a raise, the answer is no. And then the reason is they hide behind, there's no money. If I give you

a raise, I have to give everybody else a raise, but they give a reason. Is that a deal killer? Is that then no is no and that's it? Or can you do something with that? Let's say the boss says, no, can't do it this year. Totally out of the budget, not happening. So I will come back and say, thank you, that's your decision today. Can we both revisit this in three months? There's always a way to keep the ask alive. Always. When you do what you just said and you try to keep the ask alive, what does that do inside the head of the person you're asking? Does that soften them up? Does that make it more likely? Does it push them the other way? No. You know does mike it makes that person know how important this ask is and i'm telling you more people give to confident askers and more people don't they give

you a nebulous answer when they don't think it's really important to you and so by saying i am really gonna this is very important so let's just take a look at this three months from now when a new budget cycle begins. That lets the person being asked know, gee, you know what? This is something that she really wants. She's pretty determined. Let's see where it goes. But if you're going to ask for a raise, if you're going to ask for money, I would imagine you would need to have some pretty good reasons why you deserve it. You do, but here's the catch. Don't over-ask the ask. I've seen people come in with pages and pages of what they've accomplished on and on.

That's good. I would put it down into three things because I believe in a conversation. The human brain can only remember three things, and that's all you want to focus them on. I would say I'd like to highlight my two top accomplishments and where I think we both can go for the company, for the organization next year. Now that means you're present in what you've done and future forward your additional things that you're going to do to help everyone and help the team. Three things, just keep it to three. Can we talk about asking simpler asks? Like when you ask your kids to clean up their room or you ask them to, you know, these are not big

life-changing events, but they can be very difficult conversations because you get pushback and oh I'll do it later and it's very frustrating. So and whether it's kids or friends or just like little asks, but that they're still tough. And those can be very emotional. They can lead to fights. They can lead to not speaking. Yes, these are hard, very hard asks. But here's where structure is your friend. And I firmly believe, let's say cleaning up your room, which is very difficult for someone to constantly ask their children to do and on and on. But I have found, we've tested this out too, the kids like structure. So if you just tell them, you know, before you go to school, I need these three things done. And before you go to bed, i need this one thing done that's a lot better than

this nebulous request of you kids have to clean up your room so um let's get it done what does that mean i mean think about it these kids are probably somewhere in school somewhere and they're probably getting instruction somewhere and they're used to it. So I always say to parents, start small and build your success. So if it's just make your bed before you go to school, make your bed. Okay. If it's when you come home from school, straighten this up, but be specific because I think everybody needs structure and embraces structure, including our little ones. Yeah. I think that is so important and so right on the money because it's, that clean your room, what does that mean? You know, you don't clean it the way I clean it. And

does that mean I have to do the windows? And, you know, it doesn't tell you anything. And that kind of very specific, make your bed or all your clothes have to be off the floor or whatever it is, is, I mean, that's something you can measure. You can, okay, you did what we said you were going to do. Exactly. And let's just take that one example to the max. Do you see the difference between being specific of the tasks you want versus I want to raise. Raise could be double my salary, triple my salary. And the other thing about raises, I got to get back to this, do not give percentages. When you say to your boss, I want 10% more, do you really think your boss knows in that moment the exact numerical amount you're making that day?

They don't. Be specific. Specific number. So where else do you find people either struggle with or make mistakes when they do these asks in life that make things fall apart? Relationships. I think this is, especially coming out of that period we don't even want to mention, you know, during COVID, this actually began the focus of me doing hard ass made easy because people were coming to me with very tough ass um how do i leave my husband how do i

tell my kids it's time to get out of the house how do i tell my significant other i want more time less time no time or i cannot stand. I mean, really heavy asks here. So I think to date, these have become the hardest and the most emotionally laden ones naturally. But again, structure is your friend. Bring it back to structure. I mean, you can't say, we don't spend enough time together. Okay's good but what does time look like to you so maybe it's can we agree that by wednesday night we'll decide what we're going to do together saturday and sunday we can go our own way now isn't that a lot better than you don't spend enough time with me and then the fights begin so i just I find the hardest ass to date in the relationship sector.

Yeah, because there's so much going on underneath the ask that so much water under the bridge that it can be. You're not really asking for that. You're trying to fix the whole thing. Right. And and the two what I call my two tempters come in expectations and assumptions. We assume that the person's going to know by our look, by our whatever, by our demeanor, by our scarceness that, you know, things aren't good. Well, you know, hadn't you noticed that I did? Assumptions, they're a killer. The second is expectations. Will I clean the whole house? I expect you to do it next week without saying a word. And so you've got to push, really push back those expectations and assumptions. And just, you know, this is so much easier if you just say,

rather than I need some help around the house, can we sit down and talk about how we can divide up things that need to be done in the house? I note it, talk about how we can divide up things that need to be done in the house I note it sentence number one sentence number two I noticed that you'd rather you know take out the garbage straighten this out and I can do these other things sentence number two and question does this seem right to you or what else do we need to talk about now Now look at all the structure and you just push away the emotions. Now I'm not saying it's going to solve everything. And I'm not saying, but at least you're at the jumping point of what you need to resolve.

And that's what this is all about. One of those asks that is seemingly difficult is to ask for help. Because, well, I don't know why it's hard to ask for help I guess you don't want to appear like you're needy or that you can't do it yourself or whatever but why is it why is it so hard to ask for help all those reasons you said most people feel I should be able to do it myself I hear that all over right I should figure should figure this out. I should know. I'm a smart person. I get this for, I live in the West Village in New York, and I get this with

directions all the time. I cannot, I live next to a metro stop. I can't tell you how many people are on their phones with the map trying to find the metro stop, which is literally behind them, you know? And rather than, and there's a thousand of us walking by to the metro stop and instead of asking one of us they're gonna twirl around with their phone until they find where the arrow goes and I always just say to them why didn't you ask for help it's like oh but it's right here it's a well like yes it is it's right here behind you so asking for help just brings back those feelings of inadequacy. Okay. But there's a lot of times when things are just beyond your control, beyond your capacity, that you simply do

need to ask for help. And I find asking for help is ranks way up there as some of the really, really hard asks to make. And yet, think about the times when people ask you for help, how good it makes you feel. I mean, you don't feel that people are idiots for asking. You think, well, I'm glad they asked. I'm happy to help. It can actually create a bond between people. People aren't thinking, when you ask them for help, what you think they're thinking. Exactly. And studies have been done that when you ask for help and then you've given it, the satisfaction level, the confidence level in yourself soars. And I always say to people,

if they hesitate to ask for help, think of how many times you traveled nationally or abroad, and some stranger helped you or you asked for help, you're right, you instantly have this bond. You might even stay friends with them because, you know, there's something that you needed and it was just too difficult. Could you stay there forever and figure it out? Probably. Was there a language barrier? Probably. But just to say, you know, can you help me? I need to go here. Or even just a recommendation for a restaurant or something, it's like, no, I have the guidebook, I should know, and I figured all this out with OpenTable.

But I just, it gives people pleasure when they're able to help you. And when you begin with that, I think asking for help lessens the difficulty in asking for it, just seems to the edge goes off of it. And you feel more confident and more ready to make that ask for help. When I hear you say it, it's like, well, of course, that's how you do it. And the example you gave of someone saying, you know, I need more help around the house. That is like the perfect example of what the problem is is it doesn't say anything

but it sounds like it's saying something and and that's why i say add structure that's why i put the five laws down exactly what you want with numbers and dates that is structure structure is your friend and when you when you're clear people know how to answer you when you're not clear you're probably going to get no answer or you're going to get into a fight. Well, everyone's heard the phrase, it's all in how you ask. But nobody knows how to ask. But now we do because you've explained how to ask. I've been speaking with Laura Fredericks.

She is an attorney and author of the book, Hard Asks Made Easy. How to get exactly what you want. There's a link to that book in the show notes Made Easy, How to Get Exactly What You Want. There's a link to that book in the show notes. I appreciate you being here. Thanks, Laura. Pleasure to be on here. Thank you. An honor to be asked to be on your podcast. This winter, take a trip to Tampa on Porter Airlines. Enjoy the warm Tampa Bay temperatures and warm Porter hospitality on your way there. All Porter fares include beer, wine, and snacks, and free fast-streaming Wi-Fi on planes with no middle seats. And your Tampa Bay vacation includes good times, relaxation, and great Gulf Coast weather.

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get your podcasts. Most days, maybe not every day, but most days you probably have some interaction with ice. In a drink perhaps, in your freezer, maybe ice on your windshield on a cold winter morning, maybe you put ice on a sore shoulder. Ice has long been a part of our lives, but not as long as you might think. Still, it's hard to imagine life today without ice. And here to tell the story of ice and how humans have tamed it and used it is Amy Brady. She's the executive director of Orion Magazine, and she's author of a book called Ice, From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks, A Cool History of a Hot Commodity.

Hi, Amy. Welcome to Something You Should Know. Hi, Mike. Thanks for having me. So normally when you ask people, what topics are you interested in, seldom does the topic of ice come up. So how did you get interested in it why is it a topic you wanted to look at yeah you know I've always been interested in ice from an environmental standpoint you know I'm a lifelong environmentalist and I care a lot about the fact that we're losing ice at our planetary poles but I didn't start thinking about ice on demand and how this country, America, became so obsessed with ice

until about five years ago when we were experiencing this brutal heat wave. And the heat wave was so bad, it knocked out the power to my parents' house. And I was visiting them at the time. So we piled into their car. We drove to a nearby gas station that was operating on a generator. And I filled a cup with ice to try to cool down. And the more and more I thought about it, the more I started to think, well, how did I even know ice was here at a gas station? I didn't even think. I just knew. Now, I've traveled enough abroad to know that that is not the case anywhere else in the world. Only in the United States could you go to a convenience store or a gas station

and just know that ice is going to be available. And when did ice, as you look back, when did ice become like a thing rather than just, you know, something that's in many ways a nuisance? But when did people go, hey, wait, we can do something with this? It's funny, our obsession with ice is only about 200 years old. It can be said to have begun in 1806 when a wealthy Bostonian named Frederick Tudor landed on the idea to start carving large blocks of ice out of his Massachusetts lake and sell them to people living in warm climates around the world for a profit. Most of the people in his social class thought he was a madman for even thinking of the idea because nobody had ever shipped long distances, shipped

ice long distances before, but he figured out how to do it. And he started bringing ice to these warm places where through a lot of work on his part, he got them to accept the substance into their everyday lives and they became crazy about it. All right. So how do you ship ice long distances when you don't have refrigeration freezers to keep it cold? Well, you know, Tudor made a lot of questionable business decisions, but he was a pretty smart man. And what he noticed is that the ice that was kept in his ice house. Now, side note, an ice house is basically a large well that's dug about 10 to 15 feet in the ground where ice can be kept year round if it's packed properly. And what he noticed is that properly packed ice, even in the summer months, can withstand, you know, heats above ground, you know, into the 80s and 90s.

And to pack it properly, you just have to make sure that there isn't a lot of room between the blocks so that air can't get through it because air does expedite melting. Ice blocks were usually packed in sawdust in straw, which also helped to ward off some of the heat. And the blocks were elevated, so they weren't sitting in their own melt water, which also sped up melting. So he basically recreated the conditions of an ice house in the cargo hold of a ship. And when he sailed as far as the Caribbean, he managed to make it with about two-thirds of his cargo still frozen. And so what did those people who didn't have ice before, what did they use it for? It probably wasn't for cocktails, so it must have been just to keep cool?

Or what was it used for? Well, this is the funny thing. It actually at first was used for cocktails. Because here's the thing that sparked the American obsession with ice. It was an outrageous marketing plan. And the reason why Tudor had to launch this marketing plan is because when he first brought ice to these warm climates, to places where ice rarely, if ever, formed naturally, people had no idea what to do with it. They hadn't even seen the stuff, so they didn't know how to make delicious treats with it or how to use it to reduce swelling from an injury or anything like that.

So in order to get people to buy the ice that he wanted to sell, he went to the local bartenders and baristas, and he said, I'm going to give you some of this weird, frozen, wet substance for free if you let me show you how to use it to make the most delicious things. And let me tell you, as a fan of the, an old fashioned, I can say you can't argue with a drink on the rocks. And neither could most of the people who tried a cold cocktail for the very first time. People went wild for it.

And as soon as the bartenders saw that, they went back to him to ask for more ice. And this time, Tudor sold it to them at an ever steepening price. And so Tudor basically created you know some of the first or helped to create some of the first fancy cocktails in the United States so when did or what was the next big moment in the history of ice that besides that guy that shipped it was so what happened next that made it even you know helped to cement this whole thing then the next big thing was the invention of mechanically made ice. And that also has a really strange origin story.

The first person to develop an ice machine was a doctor named John Gorey, who lived in Apalachicola, Florida, which was this tiny port town off the Gulf Coast. And the reason why he wanted to make ice was because he wanted to cure yellow fever. Now, yellow fever was a disease that ravaged the American South every single year. And doctors back then didn't know that it was caused by mosquito bites.

All Gordy knew is that yellow fever got worse in the hot months and it started to wane in fall and winter. And so he thought, if I can make a patient's body mimic the cycle of the seasons, maybe I can cure yellow fever. The only thing is that the only way he knew to cure or to make people's bodies colder was with ice and in in 1820s florida the ice trade was brand new um ice was still hard to come by and it was very expensive it was uh referred to by white gold by some locals because of how pricey it was and gory despite being a doctor didn't have a lot of money so he knew if he wanted to get enough ice to help his patients, he had to learn to make it himself.

So kind of thinking about the laws of physics that he learned during his medical school days, he finally, after years of failure, figured out how to make a compressor that can produce ice. And the kind of funny but also sad part of this story is that Gori thought when he would announce his invention to the world, the response would be, you know, uproarious joy and gratitude. But instead, he was met with cries of blasphemy. People saying, how dare you create ice? Man can't create ice. Only God can create ice. And Corey actually died relatively young and penniless with his reputation

in tatters. So the idea of drinks with ice in them, soda, cocktails, when was that? When did that? I mean, because all of this seems to be a relatively short period of time. Yeah, all of this really happened kind of in the last 200 years. So, I mean, there is evidence that people were mixing ice with, you know, alcoholic spirits, you know, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Tudor likely did it himself in Massachusetts. But what really launched kind of the idea of the classic American cocktail happened in the 1820s when Tudor brought ice to New Orleans. New Orleans was the first city that Tudor set his eyes on to become an ice city. And that was partly because of the climate.

That was also partly because of where it was located, with access to ports for shipping. But it was also because of the culture there. There was so much happening. It was this transformative moment that was going on in New Orleans at this time with people there from you know French Creole and in Spain and Africa and you know this was in a time when musicians were getting more bold with their musical choices that would eventually give birth to jazz and so

when he arrived there he went to the bartenders and said, you know, I'm going to show you how to make cold drinks with ice. And not only did the bartenders allow him to do that, but then they ran with the idea. Because this was already a cradle of innovation, they were ready immediately to start experimenting with different sizes and shapes of ice to make all different types of flavors and textures. And, you know, by the 1860s, we are starting to see the first celebrity bartenders in America who are making drinks named after themselves because they're so popular. Are there any examples of industries that have been transformed or changed or even born because of ice? So for example the fishing industry it exists because of widespread uses of ice until ice was able to be shipped you know far distances, fish was just eaten at the coast because there's

nothing worse than eating spoiled fish. But with ice, fish could be packed in ice and traveled or in shipped long distances. So the fish industry is one example. The brewery industry is another great example the american beer like uh like budweiser anheuser-busch miller light these are all forms of lager which is a type of beer that can only be brewed at cold temperatures and ice allowed that brewing to take place and then it allowed um bottles of lager to be shipped as well. And so we can thank ICE for the fact that we can now buy Budweiser at almost any grocery store in the country. But perhaps one

of the most interesting industries to happen because of ICE is the convenience store. So going back to kind of the late 19th century, there was a mechanical ice company in Texas called the Southland Ice Company. And this was a very large company. It had ice stores across the state. And people would stop at these places, usually on the way to run other errands, kind of like the way we stop for gas today, to pick up blocks of ice to put into their ice boxes. Well, one of the managers of one of these ice stores noticed that some of his clients complained about how they had forgotten a household staple like milk or bread. And so he started to stock those things.

And then people started going to the ice stores instead of the grocery store to pick up the staples. Then they started installing fuel pumps, because if people are going to be stopping to pick up the ice and kitchen staples, they might as well fuel their car as well. This model of ice store became so popular that the Southland Ice Company expanded its hours and then eventually rebranded itself to be named after those hours. And the 7-Eleven was born. Isn't that interesting? So 7-Eleven basically started as an ice store. That's right. It was an ice store.

How expensive was ice? If you wanted to go buy some ice, was it much more expensive back in the day when they were harvesting it in lakes and shipping it across the country? It sure was. You know, in the very early days, ice was very much a luxury. It was expensive to ship and it was expensive to store. After the rise of mechanically made ice, the cost of a block of ice started to come down to the point where most Americans could afford it. And then, of course, today, you can go to the local convenience store and buy a bag of ice for two bucks. When people had ice boxes where the ice would be delivered and you'd put it in the box to keep things cold, how did that work? That the ice just didn't melt in a couple of hours or over the course of a day and just disappear?

Or is that what happened? Ice usually lasted about a week. So ice boxes were, you know, kind of small wooden boxes that were lined with tin. And, and the early ones weren't very great. But like anything else with time, you know, technological advances made them a bit better. So by time we're in the late 19th, early 20th century, they're pretty much airtight. And the ice, yeah, would last for about a week. The ice was usually stored in an upper compartment of an icebox. And there was a hole in the bottom of that compartment so that the cold air would kind of snake its way through into the bottom compartment where people would store their perishables like milk and meats and fruits and vegetables and the like. What about the ice cube? Where did that come from? Whose idea was that to create

ice in these little cubes? Yeah. So the ice cube was a marketing ploy by a lot of companies to sell first ice boxes and then ice makers. And what I thought was really interesting in my research is that a lot of early manufacturers of ice boxes sold not just the trays that people would freeze ice cubes in, but also recipe books with quote unquote recipes for how to make interesting ice. And all of these recipes would involve things like freezing unusual things in the ice cubes or, you know, using coffee or juice instead of water. But they were a huge draw for owning an icebox, being able to have these tiny little cubes that you could pop out of metal trays, they eventually became rubber and plastic,

to put in your drink and cool down on a hot day. And then somebody came up with like shaved ice. Shaved ice in some ways, you know, goes all the way back at least until the 19th century, the early 19th century, when bartenders were experimenting with how to make interesting drinks. Because shaved ice has a lot of surface area, it dilutes quickly. And so it was really good in cold, boozy drinks. As you look at the evolution of ice and how we've used ice, what part of the story do you find particularly fascinating? To my mind, one of the most interesting aspects of the history of ice is actually the phenomenon of the Iceman. The Iceman doesn't exist anymore because we don't get ice delivered to our houses. But in the late 19th, early 20th century, when the ice industry was at its peak,

in order to get ice from the ice manufacturers or ice harvesters into people's homes, it required this strong, burly man who was willing to drive blocks of ice to a person's home and these blocks were like 50 pounds each you know pick that block up with a pair of tongs sometimes toss a second 50-pound block over his shoulder with a burlap sack and then hike up six flights of stairs to a person's apartment before putting that ice into someone's icebox. It's really an incredible, an incredible job. And it's and they were ubiquitous, and they were everywhere. And they also they were the subject of song and story. I was amazed when I was doing research on the Iceman

at how many songs from this time period had lyrics involving a woman stealing a kiss from the Iceman and how many songs from this time period had lyrics involving a woman stealing a kiss from the Iceman and how many Valentine's Day cards I found that had puns based on the Iceman. And I was trying to think about this, like why did America have this romantic fascination with the Iceman of all things? And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized of all the delivery men of the day, right? So there was also, there was the milkman, there was the mailman. The Iceman was the only one to cross that forbidden threshold and enter into the home. And he was often home alone with the wife when the husband was out at work. And so rumors started to fly. And what also was interesting is that this obsession, or I would

even say anxiety about the Iceman seemed to peak during the world wars when many many men were overseas uh you know fighting for this country and i can't help but think of that 1930s song that was popularized by ray charles i think in the 50s or 60s with lyrics that say something like i'm moving to the outskirts of town and i'm going to buy my woman a frigidaire just to get rid of that icebox and the Iceman altogether. Well, when you think about it, ice is one of those things that we really, we take for granted. But boy, if we didn't have it, life sure would be different. So it's interesting to hear the story, the evolution of ice and how we've tamed it. I've been speaking with Amy Brady.

She is executive director of Orion Magazine, and the name of her book is Ice, From Mixed Rinks to Skating Rinks, A Cool History of a Hot Commodity. And there's a link to that book in the show notes. Appreciate it. Thanks for coming on, Amy. Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate this. Have you heard of the July effect? It's this idea that hospitals are somehow deadlier in July for patients than any other month.

And there does seem to be something to it. July is the time when new doctors graduate medical school and start their hospital residencies. In addition, the previous year's interns and junior residents move on, assuming new responsibilities. So these new medical students, even though they have received a rigorous education, can sometimes lack the experience required to make sound medical decisions. Furthermore, doctors in training are often sleep-deprived, which can increase the risk of medical mistakes. There have been several studies that lend credence to the July effect. One of them was a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that reported a 10% spike in fatal medication errors during July, and that was attributed in part to changes associated with the arrival of new medical residents.

So it's a good idea to avoid the hospital anytime, but July in particular may be a good time to stay away. And that is something you should know. I'm sure you know somebody who would enjoy this episode as much as you did, so please share it with somebody, let them give a listen, and hopefully they'll become a regular listener. I'd really appreciate it. I'm Mike Carruthers. Thanks for listening today to Something You Should Know. Welcome to the small town of Chinook, where faith runs deep and secrets run deeper.

In this new thriller, religion and crime collide when a gruesome murder rocks the isolated Montana community. Everyone is quick to point their fingers at a drug-addicted teenager, but local deputy Ruth Vogel isn't convinced. She suspects connections to a powerful religious group. Enter federal agent V.B. Loro, who has been investigating a local church for possible criminal activity. The pair form an unlikely partnership

to catch the killer, unearthing secrets that leave Ruth torn between her duty to the law, her religious convictions, and her very own family. But something more sinister than murder is afoot, and someone is watching Ruth. Chinook, starring Kelly Marie Tran and Sanaa Lathan.

Listen to Chinook wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Jennifer, a co-founder of the Go Kid Go Network. At Go Kid Go, putting kids first is at the heart of every show that we produce. That's why we're so excited to introduce a brand new show to our network called The Search for the Silver Lightning, a fantasy adventure series

about a spirited young girl named Isla who time travels to the mythical land of Camelot. During her journey, Isla meets new friends, including King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and learns valuable life lessons with every quest, sword fight, and dragon ride. Positive and uplifting stories remind us all about the importance of kindness, friendship, honesty, and positivity. Join me and an all-star cast of actors, including Liam Neeson, Emily Blunt, Kristen Bell, Chris Hemsworth, among many others, in welcoming the Search for the Silver Lining podcast to the Go Kid Go network by listening today. Look for the Search for the Silver Lining on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.