Accordions vs. Bagpipes: a musical debate

Hi friends, you might have heard that Bark, Sandin and I are on the road this spring with brains on live. We've been to several cities so far and it has been so much fun. Our next two stops are Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. That's at the end of March. Then we just announced that we added Lawrence, Kansas in May and Columbus, Ohio in June. We're also heading to Chattanooga, Durham, Milwaukee, Portland, Buffalo and Ann Arbor, Michigan. We hope you'll be able to join us at one of those shows. We can't wait to see you to get tickets and get more information. You can head to brainson.org slash events. That's brainson.org slash events. From the brains behind brains on, it's Smash Boom Best. The show for people with big opinions. Hi, I'm Anna Wegoeff-Fillingin from Molly Bloom and this is Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together and ask you to decide which one is best. Today's debate is a majestic musical showdown. It's accordions versus bagpipes. We've got comedian, voice actor and writer Mary Mack ready to sing the praises of the squeeze box for team accordions. Accordion for the wind. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the crowd goes wild. And brains on producer Otto and Woldeslassie is here to try to snag a win for the windy warbler team bagpipes. Oh, Anna Boy, the pipes, the pipes are winning. How did you know my nickname Anna Boy? And here to judge it all is Phoenix from Auckland, New Zealand. Phoenix loves Dungeons and Dragons, eating any kind of soup and playing the whistle. Hi, Phoenix. Hi. So, Phoenix, can you tell us, because maybe not everyone knows what being a whistle player means? So a whistle is essentially an Irish tin whistle. So it's a metal whistle. It looks quite a lot like a recorder. It's better. And you play a lot of jigs and reels on it. And I probably am a bit more biased towards bagpipes because instruments that you blow with your mouth and all that. What's your favorite song to play on the whistle, please? I like playing the SpongeBob theme. It's very fast and quite hard. What is your D&D character like? My current D&D character is a changeling cleric with the biggest not-my-problem attitude that you'll ever find. Ooh, I love that. Does that have certain aspects that your own personality has? Probably leaning into a lot of the darker aspects of the human condition mostly. Oh my gosh. Why aren't we playing D&D right now? What are we doing? Do you have any advice for our debaters today? Play fair! OK, point. Check! Will Phoenix side with Mary or Aron? Only time will tell, but first... Mashburn Best is a non-profit public radio program. That's right, Phoenix, which means we rely on support from our listeners to keep the show going. There are lots of ways you can support the show. You can donate, become a SmartyPass subscriber, or buy our merch. Like a Smashburn Best hoodie, pencil pouch, or keychain. Head to smashboom.org to show your support and thanks. Now on to the rules. Every debate consists of four rounds. The Declaration of Greatness, the Micro Round, the Sneak Attack, and the Final Six. After each round, our Judge Phoenix will award points to the team that impresses her the most, but she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge too. Mark down your points as you listen. At the end of the show, head to our website smashboom.org and vote for whichever team you think won. OK, Mary, Aron, and Phoenix, are you ready? Let's do this! I'm ready as I'll ever be. Then it's time for the... Declaration of Greatness. In this round, our debaters will present a well-crafted, immersive argument in favor of their side. Then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements. We flip to coin and Mary, you're up first. Tell us all about the allure of the accordion. Mary, hey, Mary, it's your Smash Boom Best producer, Anna Weigel here. Can you please stop dancing? Sorry, Anna, can't stop! I'm having too much fun with this accordion-based music! Yeah! Mary, you're contractually obligated to speak about the accordion's greatness. Oh, OK. Yeah, I'm getting winded anyways. Right there, listeners, you just heard some of the accordion's greatness and that it is a major party starter. It first became really popular in the early 1800s when polka music, like you just heard, was all the rage in Europe because those people knew how to party! Mary? Sorry, can't help myself, it's so fun. Accordions have some stellar nicknames too, like Button Box, Windjammer, or Stomach Steinway, makes you smile, doesn't it? Another nickname, Squeeze Box, came about because in order to make sound, the musician squeezes the accordion's sides to enable its bellows to force air through thin pieces inside, called reeds. Then you use the keys and buttons along each side to turn that air into music. The accordion is basically a party in a box, plus you can easily sing while playing it. When people play the bagpipes, however, it looks like a giant squid is hanging out of their mouths, attacking them. See accordion, though? The only thing attacking you are all your fans! Accordions are popular all over the world and in all kinds of music, from fast-paced zydeco in Louisiana, to Jewish klezmer, or even swanky French cafe jazz. Can you imagine trying to sip an espresso in a quaint Parisian cafe listening to the bagpipe? Ah! You snuck up on me! Who are you? I'm Larry. I've had 20 years of bagpipe lessons, and that's how good I sound! Oh no! What a waste of money. Wow! I can't believe they let me in the studio here! Normally they force us bagpipers to play outdoors. That's right, Larry. Out you go! Scoot, scoot, scoot! Which brings me to my next point. We mostly listen to the bagpipes outdoors like at poorly attended parades. They're so awful to listen to people won't even let them inside. Go away, Larry! With the accordion, though, you not only get to come inside, but if you're good enough, you can become a celebrity like weird Al Yankovic. Hey! What about all the celebrity bagpipers? Like a... That's right, Larry! There aren't any! I hope the door is still locked. Not only is the accordion beautiful to hear, but it's beautiful to look at, too. They come in all shapes and sizes and colors. Some are red or blue or pearlescent. Some are bedazzled with gemstones. Some even have multi-colored bellows. A bagpipe, on the other hand, is like a sad, deflated balloon. Or maybe a pruned-up piece of roadkill with spears sticking out. Who wants to look at roadkill? Bagpipes don't look great and they don't sound great. In the early days of Scotland, bagpipes were used to call soldiers into battle. Maybe because they sounded so terrible they could scare the enemy away. No! Anything but bagpipes! You ever hear of Braveheart? The movie about a fictional Scottish warrior? He probably got that name because he was brave enough to listen to the bagpipe every day and still not quit. The accordion does the opposite of calling folks into battle. It makes people feel good. Like they're part of a festive community. It inspires joy. One could even say, accordions help create world peace. Come on, Larry, let's dance! No one's ever loved me before! I know, Larry. Aww, Larry finally found love. What a happy ending. Phoenix, what stood out to you about Mary's declaration of greatness? It was engaging. And at least she showed examples of the music. Very true. Very true. Okay, Aarón, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why the accordion is just cumbersome. You've got 30 seconds and your time starts now. So just stuff the bat. Did you notice that the accordion music hijacks the body and forces you to void contracts? That's how our declaration started, all right? And like, did you know how to make an accordion play on pitch? You throw it on the ground and hope it lands on a bagpipe. That's how you do that, all right? You know who plays the accordion? Pirate monkeys. Not hard-working civilian monkeys, but pirate ones. All right? You gotta be a criminal to play this thing. Also, did you know... Those are concertinas! Did you know accordions are super heavy? It's interesting you didn't mention that. They're 10 kilos, 20 pounds. They're so heavy. You're playing an instrument or getting a workout. And time. Listen, at least somebody was brave enough to throw an accordion onto a bagpipe and smush it. That's all I got to say. That's the only thing it's good for, throwing it away. That's what people want to be doing, all right? Of the two most least desirable instruments in the universe, I'd say the accordion is slightly more desirable than the bagpipes. It's not even an instrument. It's a shoddy shot put. That's what it is, all right? It's heavy and you want to throw it away. Okay. It's your turn, Aron. Tell us why bagpipes should blow us away. Oh, hey there! Name's Rudy Piper. I'm the best armed bagpiper in town. I love playing the bagpipes. They're versatile, remarkable, and tons of fun. But there is one problem with being a bagpiper. Hello? You want me to play a wedding? Sure, as long as I get a slice of cake. Anyway, as I was saying... Oops, sorry. Hello? You need me to play at a battlefield? Well, okay, but you need to provide the kilt. What I was trying to say was that people always want to hear bagpipes, so you never know when... Oh, come on! Hello? You need me to play at the International Space Station, a very real place where people have played bagpipes? Fine, but you're driving. Wow. Rudy sure is busy, but that's the life of a bagpiper. You might think of bagpipes as a Scottish instrument, but people have been playing them all over the world for centuries. Welcome to the International Bagpipe Association. When I say the name of your bagpipes, please play them. The Nayan Bum from Iran. The Torre Pille for Miss Stonnia. And this just says Lenny? Hi, I'm Lenny, and I play the accordion. Oh, wow, that's so interesting. Security! Yeah. And accordion could never substitute for the bagpipes. Sure, bagpipes have a truly unique sound, but how they make sound is even more amazing. A bagpiper blows through a long tube to blow up the bag like a balloon. When they squeeze the bag, it forces the air out through other pipes, and that makes the music. Even though the instrument looks like it came from space, it sounds like it came from heaven. Bagpipes inspire deep appreciation all over the world, but especially in Scotland. Don't take my word for it, though. Here's Scotsman and Smash Boom Best fan, you and Care, talking about bagpipes. I mean, they were just always there growing up in Scotland. It's just part of the national identity. You hear hype music fairly regularly. I suppose for a long time my favorite song when I was very young was Scotland the Brave, which is played on bagpipes. Ah, Scotland the Brave. You've probably heard it before. Of course it's played on bagpipes. Can you imagine it playing on some lesser instrument? Oh wait, you don't have to. Let me show you. Ugh, sounds like something you'd hear on the poop deck of a pirate ship. And since I don't want scurvy, I won't be looking to hear any of it. Unlike the accordion, bagpipes are really good at conveying intense emotions. The notes are powerful and continuous, which makes them great for sad dirges or raucous anthems. No matter the genre, bagpipes give music extra oomph. Ugh, our metal band needs something super hardcore. Bongos? Bongos? More like Bong knows. What about an accordion? Accordion? Oh, this isn't the polka pizza palace. It's a metal band. Well, how about this? Dude, that totally rocks. It does totally rock. Tons of bands have used the bagpipes in their music, including icons like Paul McCartney, ACDC, and, of course, the Red Hot Chili Pipers. Whoa, did you say the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Great question, Rudy Piper. I said the Red Hot Chili Pipers, the triple platinum Scottish band that's been making awesome bagpipe music for decades like this. Hit it! 🎵 Now that's what I call rock and roll. And that's the power of bagpipes. Bagpipes are great for any occasion. They're played all over the world and they'll knock your socks off. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get Rudy to outer space for his next bagpiping gig. Let's go, bud! 🎵 Wow. I feel like Rudy Piper and Larry the accordion player should meet. I mean, like, yeah, I think Rudy would be happy to sign an autograph if that's what you're... And Larry just wants love. So, Phoenix, what did you think about Aaron's declaration of greatness? Did any moments in his argument really stand out? You missed one key point. John Fawnim also used his bagpipes in his music. That's right. This contest is skewed! It is biased from the beginning! Phoenix is a very fair judge. She can handle this. I love both and accordions are used in a lot of Irish music and Scottish music as well as bagpipes. So they're both equally very important to my tradition of music. Well, there you go! Awesome job. Okay, Mary, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why bagpipes are just all hype. You've got 30 seconds and go! Oh, he said it sounds like it came from heaven. Yeah, because it sounds like it's the angel of death. Coming to let you know you're done for because bagpipes only play at funerals and get... By the way, Randy's answering a landline. He can't make enough money playing the bagpipe to get a cell plan. All right? And I can't do a lot of rebuttal because I left the room because one of my illnesses kicked in that illnesses has a little bit of taste. So I had to leave the room to puke. Time. I think anyone's allowed to have a landline. If you run a successful business, you would have a landline for people to call you. Also, keep in mind, he went to outer space to play the bagpipe, a place where you can do that. You know where no one's ever played accordions? Outer space. Well, let me tell you, you're droning on and on, not unlike the instrument you're trying to defend. Thank you for that compliment. Okay, Phoenix, I want you to give one point to the Declaration of Greatness you liked the best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over. Don't tell us. But you get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes make you giggle? Was another team's logic impeccable? Have you made your decision? Point one, point two, done. Excellent. Aron and Mary, how are you two feeling so far? I feel like Aron's favorite misuse of sound cues really has me at a disadvantage. I did not like how he took my beautiful sounds of the accordion and perversely bent them to meet his own cause. I think it's interesting that me playing accordion music is the same thing as saying bad things about accordion music. No, no, no. Playing accordion music in the way that you did. Yes, with open ears. That's how I do it, right? Open ears, open heart. Although I will say I am feeling quite good. I think I'm making very good points across. I think Phoenix is enjoying my points as well. Okay, presumptuous, but okay. It's time for a quick break. Polish your keys and tune your drones. We'll be right back with more Smash Boom best. You're watching State of Debate, home to rage and rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation. How are we doing, debaters? Taylor Lincoln here with my debater from another mother, Todd Douglas. Hello, hello, Taylor. I just got back from the grocery store and guess what I found? A big ol' logical fallacy. Uh-oh. Clean up on aisle nine. A logical fallacy really rocks the wind out of your debate. Sure does, and I've got a real humdinger for you today, Tay-Tay, the bandwagon effect. Yeah, that's when you argue something must be true just because it's popular. Like, Legos must be more fun than board games because all of my friends play with Legos. Or cats make better pets than dogs because everyone in my class has a cat. This logical fallacy is everywhere, even the ice cream shop. Let's go. Hey, Kim! We just sold our 1,000th ice cream cone. Wow, Miles. At this rate, we'll need to buy more ice cream. You bet. But we should only get vanilla. What? Why? Almost everyone is buying vanilla, silly. Hardly anyone is getting chocolate, strawberry or tooty fruity hot and moody. But we've been selling vanilla for years and only just started selling tooty fruity hot and moody. Shouldn't we let others keep trying it? No way. People only want vanilla. Hold up. That's two scoops of bad logic. I'll say, just because most people like vanilla doesn't mean Kim and Miles should give up on all their other ice cream flavors. That's right. Maybe people need time to try chocolate, strawberry or tooty fruity hot and moody like they tried vanilla. Maybe it's all a matter of time. So what exactly does tooty fruity hot and moody taste like? Like a fruity volcano exploding in your mouth. Let's go get some. Last one there is a melted sundae. This has been Stay Off The Plate! Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Smash Boom Best, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. It's Alien Exercise Hour. Hiya. Well, I stretch my snoodles and bounce on my trampolini. I'll listen to a new podcast. I'm going to try For Ever a Go, the best history podcast ever. To understand why anyone would think a TV show could change the world, we need to go way back. To America in the 1960s. Rock and roll was pretty new. Ford released the iconic Mustang Muscle. Listen to Forever a Go wherever you get your podcast. Smash. Boom. Best. You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Anna Wego filling in for Molly Bloom. And I'm your judge, Danik. And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Take a listen to this Pokemon debate idea from Eli. Pikachu vs. Eevee. What a playful debate. We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Eli thinks should win. And now it's back to our debate. Aquarians vs. Bagpipe. That's right. And it's time for Round Two, The... Micro Round. For the Micro Round Challenge, each team has prepared a creative response to a prompt they received in advance. For Mary and Aron, the prompt was International Holiday. We asked you to imagine that there's an international holiday devoted to your side. What's it called? What are the traditions, lore, and decorations associated with this special day? Tell us everything there is to know. Mary went first last time, so Aron, you're up. Tell us all about your bagpipe-themed holiday. Hello, and Mary Interrupting Bagpipes Day, the only day of the year when people are encouraged to randomly interrupt each other with bagpipes. It just couldn't be sillier. Ma'am, have you been interrupted by bagpipes yet? Not yet! I was just telling my sister that... Oh, you got me! See? People love interrupting Bagpipes Day, and speaking of love... Helga, my love, you're the greatest part of my life. Will you marry? Thank you so much for the gorgeous music. You've made this special moment even more magical! Wow, he seemed so in love. With those bagpipes... Hey, speaking of bagpipes, let's check out the unveiling of the city's latest music store, Bagpipes Universe. In honor of today's historic holiday, I'm proud to announce that my bagpipe store is now open for business! Oh! Oh! How dare you interrupt me with your accordion! Do you know how rude that is? This is a place of business, not some two-bit pirate ship! I have half a mind to take that accordion and... Oh! Oh my goodness, it's bagpipes! Oh! I thought someone was trying to interrupt me with an accordion! Everyone, come into my store so we may join in the festivities! Wow, what a day. I'm so glad you took some time to learn about my favorite holiday, Internet... Wow, I'm like looking around the room to see if there's a bagpipe that's about to interound me. Mary, it is now your turn. Tell us about your accordion-themed holiday. Welcome one and all! I, Princess Accordiana, am pleased as a pickle to announce the signing of the accordion accords here in Pallonia, signifying that anytime you play or hear an accordion, it constitutes a holiday! You heard of the Magna Carta? Well, this is Magna Top of the Chardas! Anyway, big celebration and sausage buffet at my place today to celebrate the signing of the accordion accords. No one has to go to bed because we'll be dancing all night and have no fear. I've sent the party police out to patrol the kingdom. They have strict orders to tickle any bagpiper ruffians they see, so, you know, they aren't so serious all the time. They can't steal our riz, crank up the gems! Love the enthusiasm, but hold up, you've got to get the royal quill and frill and officially signed for the royal. I officially declare, according to the accordion accords, anytime a single note emanates from a squeeze box, all with an earshot shall be an estate of holiday. Good mood shall abound. Furthermore, while listening or playing accordion music, no person shall be required to go to work or school for tis a holiday simply upon the hearing. All honor the accordion accord! Oh, Princess Accordiana, what a breathy little sweetie. Okay, Pheonix, what did you like about Mary and Aron's micro rounds? Mary's micro round is economically going to destroy itself. Oh no! Because if everybody goes on holidays when they hear an accordion, people will start working and there won't be money enough to make more accordions. Princess Accordiana, checking in here? She's here! I just want to let you know here in Pallonia, we've devalued money, nobody really has to work. It is an overabundant society and we do not need to check in and out or clock in and out of any workplace. Oh, I would like to live there. Sounds nice. And what did you think about Aron's micro round? Absolutely. Glory's Kale. Oh, you. Right on. Accurate. Although, can I just say, Mary, you have no way of knowing this, but Bagpipe Ruffians is actually the name of my biker gang. Thank you so much for the shout out. I don't know what kind of mind games or brain puzzles Aron is playing, but I'm already voting for the bagpipes and I can't stand the bagpipes. Oh no! We really don't know what's going to happen until we know. So Phoenix, it's time to award a point, but don't tell us who you're voting for. Have you made your decision? Point awarded. Fantastic. Then it's time for our third round, the super stealthy. Sneak attack. This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot. Today's sneak attack is called joke book. You two are both comedians, so we thought you could handle one of our toughest sneak attacks. We want you to think of three brand new short kid jokes related to your side along the lines of guess what, chicken butt, or why did the chicken cross the road, et cetera, themed on your side. Debaters, are you ready for your sneak attack? Yes. Oh, maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's do this. Wow. Oh, the enthusiasm. You're filling me with confidence. Me too. Okay, we'll start with Mary. Let's hear your first accordion inspired joke. Hmm. Why did the big piper have to take lactose pills when he was around the accordion? Why? Why? Because he's allergic to squeeze. Like cheese. I love it. I get it. I'm confused myself. I like it. I like this a lot. I know. That is a straight no from Phoenix. Okay. Now, Aron, it is your turn. Let's hear your first bagpipe inspired joke. Bagpipes walk into a coffee shop. The barista goes, hey, how's your music competition going? To which the bagpipes go, it's in the bag. Oh, I liked that a lot. Okay. Mary, let's hear your second joke. Okay. Okay. Why did the monster choose to eat an accordion when it could have a choice between accordion and bagpipes? Why? Because bagpipes taste like disgusting, gross, rotten, fermented leather, sunken down under the ocean and brought back up and just stomped on by a bunch of sweaty-footed expired grape crushers. So that's why he chose to eat the accordion, because that's what bagpipes are. I will forfeit this entire competition if you can repeat everything you just said. No, I can't. Okay. That was a lying one. Aron, it is time for your second joke. Okay. Two bagpipers are arguing. Once the first bagpiper gives them an insult, the other goes, ah, you're all full of hot air. Oh, great. That is pretty good. It's a thinker. That's pretty good. Mary, let's hear your third and final joke. Okay. I have to have you assist me on this, because it's a knock, knock joke. Knock, knock. Who's there? Bagpipe. Bagpipe. Yep. Yep. Yep. Sorry. Really good. I couldn't hear you. Who's that bagpiper came in here and ruined the show? Must be that holiday. I guess it is after all. Okay, Aron, let's hear your final joke. I just want to point out that Mary literally stole my joke. Oh, no. That exactly. Now what are you going to do? I'm going to play it off. I'm going to improvise it. Okay, great. Yeah. So, oh, okay. Two Scotsmen who live in Scotland are arguing about the best place to get real estate. Kids love jokes about real estate. Already, already, I'm leading the way. One goes, what's the best place to get real estate in Scotland? The second goes, the place full of bagpipes, to which the first goes, oh, the great highlands. Wait, what? I'm so sorry. Did that land the way you wanted it to? No. Okay. Well, say, you know what? It's better to bomb with bagpipes than it is to succeed with accordions. Oh, my gosh. That is wonderful sentiment right there. I can't really argue on that. Phoenix, I do not envy you, but you need to think about which side impressed you the most and award your fourth point. But don't tell us who you're giving it to. Have you made your decision? Yep. Perfect. Then it's time for our final round. The final six. In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Okay, Arron, let's hear your six words that prove bagpipes are the best. Bagpipes, we'll blow you away, friend. Wow. Okay, Mary, it's your turn. Give us your six words of accolades for accordions. Accordions promote joy and world peace. Okay, it's time to award a point for the final six. Phoenix, have you made your decision? Yes, indeed. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best? Yep. Drum roll, please. And the winner is... Bagpipes! Yeah! Wow. So Phoenix, was there a moment that decided things for you? So Mary won the Declaration of Greatness. Arron won the rebuttal. Arron won the second round. Mary won the third round. So it was the last round. And I thought the pun was better than the world peace. Name-liner! Six words! Mary, can I say your Declaration of Greatness and your Mic Arron were so good. Like just the sound design and all the different variations of accordion music from jazz to polka to like French jazz, that was amazing. I learned so much. I didn't know how much accordion music there was out there. You did such a great job. Oh, you want to... I think that makes me feel a lot better because I was quite sad from losing the debate. I love as a performer how you came right out of the gate, came out fighting, especially with the rebuttal round. I loved your confidence in bringing in all these characters to highlight the questionable attributes of the bagpipes. I mean, you got me to vote for you. Thank you so much. So you're a genuine salesperson. Honestly, if I couldn't do this, I would be a bagpipe salesperson. Oh, wow! Yeah, absolutely. It's on the back burner just in case. It's my fallback. And that's it for today's debate battle. Phoenix Crown, bagpipes, the Smash Boom Best, but what about you? Well, to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won. Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brains On in APM Studios. It's produced by me, Anna Wegel, Molly Bloom, and Aaron Woldeselassie. We had engineering help from Jean Baron with sound design by Anna Wegel. Our editors are Shayla Farzon and Sandin Tott with fact checking by Anna Goldfield and Rebecca Rand. And we had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team. Rosie Dupont. Rachel Breeze. Nico Gonzalez-Whistler. Ruby Guthrie. Lauren Humphrey. Joshua Wright. Mark Sanchez. And Charlotte Traver. And our executive producer is Beth Perlman in the APM Studios executives in charge are Chandra Kovati and Joanne Griffith. Our announcer is Marlee Feuerwerker-Auto and we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross, Taylor Kaufman, and Andy Doucette. Mary, is there anyone that you'd like to give a shout out to today? Oh, I want to thank Phoenix. For tuning in all the way from New Zealand, and thanks to all the Smashbone Best listeners, super fun people, I got some nice emails from some people listening to the last one, I did and I went mental accident, I love that, so nice, they found you, yeah, how about you, Aaron, any special shout outs for you? I want to thank the great nation of Scotland, thank you so much for your, for your, for your incredible, uh, culture and heritage, uh, and speaking of which, I want to give a very special thanks to the incredible Ewan Kair who has recently retired after giving us 40 incredible years. Thank you so much Ewan. You are a champion of public radio and I also want to make a special shout out to the bagpipe ruffians fellas. You know who you are. You're doing great stuff out there. Thank you so much. Phoenix, do you want to give any special thanks? Thanks to all the accordionists and bagpipers and people who are musicians. You make the world go around. Before we go let's check in and see who Eli thanks should win the Pikachu versus Eevee debate. I personally think Eevee should win because Eevee is stronger than Pikachu. If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knockdown drag-out debate head to smashboom.org slash contact and drop us a line and make sure to subscribe to Brains On Universe on YouTube where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes. We'll be back with a new Smash Boom Best debate battle next week. Jelly beans versus beans. That sounds awesome. Bye. Ta ta. Bon wee. Bye. Oh, it's a smash boom rest. Oh, better than the rest. It's a smash boom rest. It's a smash boom rest. Oh, I'm, oh, am I being attacked by ducks? Oh, oh no, that was just a bagpipe. You know what's a, you know what's a surefire way to get attacked by ducks? Play them the accordion. That's how you'll know.