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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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♪

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A palindrome is a word,
phrase, or sentence

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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that reads backward
and forward the same.

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Just seems like such
a magic little puzzle.

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People underestimate how hard

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a hard a good
short palindrome is

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in part because the easy ones
have all been done.

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If you say to someone, "Do you
know what a palindrome is?"

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if they say yes, they usually
can quote something like

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"Madam, I'’m Adam,"
or, "Was it a rat I saw?"

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My favorite palindrome
that I'’ve written is:

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There'’s something exquisite

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about a beautifully crafted
palindrome.

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I think that'’s worthy of support
and worthy of celebration.

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♪

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Next year is the second
World Palindrome Championship.

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We will invite top palindromists

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from all across the country
and around the world,

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and they will have
90 minutes or so

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to craft original palindromes

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and the audience
will vote on the winners.

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♪

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[indistinct conversations]

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♪

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All the way
from Portland, Oregon,

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he'’s performed all over the U.S.

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You may have seen him
on eHarmony or Match.com.

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Mark Saltveit.

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[applause]

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You know what I'’m most
famous for in the world

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is writing palindromes.

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And this just confuses people,

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especially when I use it
to try to impress women.

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So I explain,
you know, palindromes,

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words that are the same
backwards and forwards,

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and she'’s like, "Huh?"

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And I'’m like, "Yeah, exactly!"

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It took me 12 years
as a standup comic

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to figure out
how to explain palindromes

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to a crowd of people
who are not reading,

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they'’re just listening to you.

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So I start pouring it on,

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I start throwing down original
palindromes that I wrote,

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like, "An igloo? Cool, Gina."

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[laughing]

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She just looks right back
and says,

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"Oh no, Don Ho."

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[cheering]

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Like a lot of kids in the third,
fourth, fifth grade,

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I learned about palindromes
in school

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and got really excited,
and my brothers and I

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tried to write
our own palindromes,

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and we could never come up
with a good one.

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The best we ever came up
with was,

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"Radar kayak radar."

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And then, one day we thought
we had hit the jackpot

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and were like gonna be the most
famous nine-year-old kids

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in history '’cause we wrote
a dirty palindrome,

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which was, "Eat poop tea."

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And we were like so proud
of ourselves,

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and then one of us looked at it
and it doesn'’t actually work.

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It'’s A, E, T, T, E, A.

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So it'’d be, "Aet poop tea,"

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or, "Eat poop tae."

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And so, basically,
gave up on it.

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Twenty years after
the "poop tea" incident,

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I was insomniac one night.

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I just thought,
"Oh, palindromes are fun.

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Let me try my hand with that."

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And I just, like,
grabbed a dictionary

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and ended up writing
a really long palindrome.

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It'’s vastly easier than it was
when I was a little kid

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and it was called The Brag
of the Vain Lawyer, and it was:

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I was like, "That didn'’t
even seem that hard."

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So, I got obsessed, started
writing a bunch of palindromes.

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And at the time, I was very
active in the zine scene,

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you know, when people do
little handmade magazines,

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before the internet, mind you.

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Palindromes were
the obvious subject.

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Almost everyone was doing there
about their personal obsessions.

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It was kind of a no-brainer.

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So I started writing this
magazine, The Palindromist.

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Part of my goal
with creating the zine

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was just to encourage people
to write their own palindromes,

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'’cause part of my thing
is that a lot more people

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could write palindromes than do.

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Very early on, I met Jon Agee
just interviewing him

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for the magazine
'’cause he's the obvious choice.

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He'’s the only person who's ever
made money off palindromes.

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♪

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That was, I think
the Subaru Durabus.

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You know, the drawing for that
would be something like this.

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You know...

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[mumbling]

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♪

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Do you ever make noises
when you draw?

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If you draw, that'’s what I do.

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I make noises, when I'’m trying
to make something

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that looks tough, like, "Argh!"

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My face goes into
a tough "Argh."

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put a little bit of a tank.

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Yes, there we go.

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Lots of rivets, lots of rivets.

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That helps.

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[laughing]

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There.

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Yes.

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The Eddie Bauer edition, okay.

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♪

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This is the book Go Hang
A Salami! I'’m a Lasagna Hog!

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from 1991.

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First book, yeah,
first book of palindromes.

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But this, this was a good one.

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This is a friend of mine,

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Dan Fagelson came up
with this one.

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Last egg gets Al.

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It'’s a great palindrome
but this is an example

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of a palindrome which really
needs a picture.

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Last egg gets Al.

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So you see a guy
who'’s standing here,

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somebody'’s been trying
to throw eggs at him

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and finally, they got him.

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I'’m always thinking of like,
"What'’s the picture here?"

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♪

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My mom is an artist and my twin
sister, she'’s an artist.

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So yeah, been drawing
and illustrating

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since I was a kid.

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♪

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Went to art school
and lugged all my drawings

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to publishers,
cartoons and stuff,

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thinking that
they'’d just publish 'em,

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and they'’d say, "Who are you?"

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And I realized, "Oh, you have to
kind of get your stuff

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in magazines before people
are ready to do that."

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And then sort of by accident,
I ended up illustrating

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and writing my own picture books
for kids.

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In the middle of all that,

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I was at dinner
with some friends

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and a friend of mine
was talking about palindromes

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and I handed him my little
sketchbook and I said,

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"Here, draw--

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show me some
of your palindromes."

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Well, it was interesting,
he didn'’t just write

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the palindromes,
he drew a picture,

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because his palindromes
were so weird

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that they needed a picture.

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And I think that
was the hook for me.

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It was like,
"Oh, I create palindromes,

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but I'’ll draw pictures
for them!"

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Whenever I'’d show them
to people,

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they would find them amusing.

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They'’d say, "That's funny, oh,

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and the thing backwards
and forwards."

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The palindromes by themselves

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would create
these funny scenarios,

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like star rats.

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I would actually really enjoy
creating them.

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[typewriter keys clicking]

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Some say that the first words
ever spoken

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were a palindrome when Adam
introduced himself to Eve

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in the Garden of Eden by saying,

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"Madam, I'’m Adam."

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In truth, the oldest written
palindrome that we know

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was God'’s words to Moses
from the burning bush.

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"Ahyh ashr ahyh,"

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which translates to English as,"I am who I am."

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This is a word unit palindrome

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where the words reverse,
not the letters.

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Like the famous
Three Musketeers slogan,

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"One for all and all for one."

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When alphabets and writing
first emerged,

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everyone felt the mystical power
of these strange symbols.

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The cleverest scribes noticed
that some words and phrases

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worked in either direction.

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These must be the words of gods
and the curses of devils.

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These mysterious
symmetrical invocations

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soon decorated amulets
and papyrus magical spells,

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often surrounded
by the Ouroboros,

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the snake that swallows
its own tail.

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The most famous palindromic
spell was the Sator Square.

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Sator, arepo, tenet,

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opera, rotas.

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Palindromic in four directions.

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No one knows where
the Sator Square originated,

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but has been found everywhere
from the ruins of Pompeii

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to Hungary, England,

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Syria, Portugal,

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Sweden, and Ethiopia.

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But the most powerful of all
was "ablanathanalba."

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It was a spell to call down
a mighty god

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to do your evil bidding.

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Over the centuries,
"ablanathanalba" transformed

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into the most famous
magic word of all,

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"abracadabra."

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It'’s clear that palindromes
have always had

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a grip on our collective
imaginations,

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from the earliest days
of history.

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♪

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♪

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Will Shortz
just loves competitions.

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He'’s been doing palindrome
competitions since 1991

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when he was editor
at Games Magazine,

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though most of them
have been on print

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or on his NPR radio program.

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And we talked about doing
a live competition.

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This is a chancefor the best palindrome writers

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to come and show their skills,

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and to discover
who'’s the best palindromist.

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Will came up with three prompts,

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and you had to write
a palindrome that fit

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one of the three prompts.

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The category that I won with
had to have

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an X and a Z in the palindrome.

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I started off looking through
my dictionary, as I do,

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of things I'’ve accumulated
over the years,

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and with Z, I had a great start,

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which is the word--
or the phrase,

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"trapeze part."

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♪

222
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So, I look in my dictionary and
I have another one, which is,

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"fixes" reverses to "sex if."

224
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So, "fixes trapeze part."

225
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That makes sense, right?

226
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Somebody had to repair something

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due to a bedroom disaster.

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"Fixes trapeze part,

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sex if."

230
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You need a subject here.

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I find the name Kay,
which reverse to "yak."

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So now we'’re, now we're close.

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So you can tell this is
a classic in the making,

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but the seconds
are ticking down.

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Everyone else
is furiously scribbling.

236
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And finally,
I know that "sex if yak,"

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I need a verb here.

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So, I go, "What are the verbs,
what are the verbs?"

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And I came up with "lived"

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and then "devil Kay."

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She'’s already involved
in some incident

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involving sex with a yak
that got injured,

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so clearly, "devil"
is a pretty good word for her.

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And that'’s what I finished with.

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00:11:08,145 --> 00:11:10,060
"Devil Kay fixes trapeze part,

246
00:11:10,104 --> 00:11:12,193
sex if yak lived."

247
00:11:12,236 --> 00:11:15,631
I don'’t even wanna try
to fully imagine

248
00:11:15,675 --> 00:11:18,242
what this phrase is describing.

249
00:11:18,286 --> 00:11:19,374
♪

250
00:11:19,417 --> 00:11:21,376
[evil laughter]

251
00:11:21,419 --> 00:11:22,856
♪

252
00:11:22,899 --> 00:11:24,509
Yoohoo!

253
00:11:24,553 --> 00:11:27,687
♪

254
00:11:27,730 --> 00:11:29,863
[evil laughter]

255
00:11:29,906 --> 00:11:32,387
[yak groaning]

256
00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:36,652
♪

257
00:11:36,696 --> 00:11:38,828
Yeah, I won,
it was an audience vote.

258
00:11:38,872 --> 00:11:40,003
Sex yak.

259
00:11:40,047 --> 00:11:41,526
[imitating crowd cheering]

260
00:11:41,570 --> 00:11:44,181
Everybody'’s--obviously,
that was the one to go with.

261
00:11:44,225 --> 00:11:45,922
Well, the last time
was just a hoot.

262
00:11:45,966 --> 00:11:47,228
We had those fantastic signs.

263
00:11:47,271 --> 00:11:49,056
"Wow!" for the palindromes
that were good,

264
00:11:49,099 --> 00:11:51,623
and "Huh?" for the ones
that weren'’t.

265
00:11:51,667 --> 00:11:54,975
Mark Saltveit is the king
of palindromes.

266
00:11:55,018 --> 00:11:58,195
He is, you know,
the guy to beat.

267
00:11:58,239 --> 00:12:00,589
[waves crashing]

268
00:12:02,460 --> 00:12:03,897
So this is my workbook.

269
00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:06,073
I'’ve had a few of these
at various times.

270
00:12:06,116 --> 00:12:08,205
This is what palindroming
looks like.

271
00:12:08,249 --> 00:12:11,382
Just reams of things
where I'’ve tried to,

272
00:12:11,426 --> 00:12:13,602
you know, write bits and pieces.

273
00:12:13,645 --> 00:12:14,908
So there'’s one that I like,

274
00:12:14,951 --> 00:12:18,041
"Won'’t I use jam
if I'’m a Jesuit now?"

275
00:12:18,085 --> 00:12:20,609
And I'’m always worried
when I'’m traveling on planes

276
00:12:20,652 --> 00:12:21,915
that this looks like
some sort of

277
00:12:21,958 --> 00:12:24,526
terrorist manifesto
or something like that.

278
00:12:24,569 --> 00:12:26,746
People will look at it and say,
"What do these words mean?

279
00:12:26,789 --> 00:12:29,313
It'’s all in code!"

280
00:12:29,357 --> 00:12:31,751
The Australian Women'’s Weekly,
which my mother used to get,

281
00:12:31,794 --> 00:12:33,796
had a back page for kids,

282
00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,712
and one of them was a big page
of palindromes.

283
00:12:36,756 --> 00:12:40,411
I can still remember,
I can picture the typeface

284
00:12:40,455 --> 00:12:43,284
where it said,
"Was it a rat I saw?"

285
00:12:43,327 --> 00:12:44,764
And I thought that was
absolutely brilliant.

286
00:12:44,807 --> 00:12:46,940
That was the first time
I recall looking at them

287
00:12:46,983 --> 00:12:49,246
and then after that,
I started looking for them.

288
00:12:49,290 --> 00:12:51,248
Sort of collected examples
of them for a while

289
00:12:51,292 --> 00:12:54,599
and then, um, after about
20 years of doing that,

290
00:12:54,643 --> 00:12:57,211
it suddenly occurred to me
to try and write one.

291
00:12:57,254 --> 00:12:59,387
Yeah, and then I sort of
just got into that

292
00:12:59,430 --> 00:13:02,607
and sort of was writing them
for quite a few years

293
00:13:02,651 --> 00:13:05,088
before I discovered anybody else
was doing it too.

294
00:13:05,132 --> 00:13:08,048
♪

295
00:13:08,091 --> 00:13:10,224
The first time I sat down
to write,

296
00:13:10,267 --> 00:13:13,793
I took the seed word of my name,
Martin, and I wrote:

297
00:13:19,886 --> 00:13:21,235
And I was very pleased with that

298
00:13:21,278 --> 00:13:24,586
and I still find it
quite an interesting palindrome.

299
00:13:24,629 --> 00:13:28,111
I just remember that set when
I got enough to say to myself,

300
00:13:28,155 --> 00:13:30,070
"You know,
this is an infinite world.

301
00:13:30,113 --> 00:13:33,769
I can go on and just keep
writing these things," you know?

302
00:13:33,813 --> 00:13:35,858
♪

303
00:13:35,902 --> 00:13:37,729
It is a bit solitary.

304
00:13:37,773 --> 00:13:39,862
There'’s not many people
who do it.

305
00:13:39,906 --> 00:13:41,733
You know, I would show
other people my palindromes

306
00:13:41,777 --> 00:13:44,867
but I don'’t think I ever
met a single person

307
00:13:44,911 --> 00:13:47,478
who had even attempted
to write a palindrome.

308
00:13:47,522 --> 00:13:49,698
♪

309
00:13:49,741 --> 00:13:53,006
It'’s quite new for me for this,
you know, activity that you did.

310
00:13:53,049 --> 00:13:54,877
But when you told me
about palindromes,

311
00:13:54,921 --> 00:13:57,010
it just like took me a while
until, "Okay,

312
00:13:57,053 --> 00:13:59,490
there are people interestedin that kind of thing as well."

313
00:13:59,534 --> 00:14:01,231
-Yeah.
-Yeah.

314
00:14:01,275 --> 00:14:06,106
I think it'’s important
to do what you like.

315
00:14:06,149 --> 00:14:10,153
So, I don'’t like being limited

316
00:14:10,197 --> 00:14:13,330
by what other people
find enjoyable.

317
00:14:13,374 --> 00:14:15,158
I'’ve felt that
about a lot of things.

318
00:14:15,202 --> 00:14:16,507
If ever people think,
"Oh, that'’s silly,"

319
00:14:16,551 --> 00:14:18,292
or something like that,
who cares?

320
00:14:18,335 --> 00:14:20,120
They'’re not doing it, it's me.

321
00:14:20,163 --> 00:14:24,907
We normally just like, you know,
just spend time outside,

322
00:14:24,951 --> 00:14:27,127
went to the park,
walked the dog.

323
00:14:27,170 --> 00:14:29,259
Apart from when I ask you
about like, you know,

324
00:14:29,303 --> 00:14:31,653
"What did you do
about palindromes"?

325
00:14:31,696 --> 00:14:33,742
and you told me about it,
apart from that,

326
00:14:33,785 --> 00:14:35,004
I didn'’t see you just,
like, you know,

327
00:14:35,048 --> 00:14:37,006
concentrating, writing one.

328
00:14:37,050 --> 00:14:39,487
-It'’s my solitary activity.
-Yeah.

329
00:14:39,530 --> 00:14:42,751
-She'’s very proud of it though.
-Yeah, kind of.

330
00:14:42,794 --> 00:14:46,450
She always tells her friends
about it.

331
00:14:46,494 --> 00:14:49,062
But I had a hard time
explaining it to them.

332
00:14:49,105 --> 00:14:51,064
I just have to start with,
like, something easy,

333
00:14:51,107 --> 00:14:54,371
like pop, mom,
kayak or something,

334
00:14:54,415 --> 00:14:55,851
and they'’re just
rolling their eyes

335
00:14:55,895 --> 00:14:58,549
and it'’s like,
"How did he do it?"

336
00:14:58,593 --> 00:15:01,030
And just like--I think
what they try to tell me,

337
00:15:01,074 --> 00:15:03,076
just like how weird
your boyfriend is.

338
00:15:03,119 --> 00:15:05,382
[laughing]

339
00:15:05,426 --> 00:15:08,168
You know, I have my interest
in palindromes.

340
00:15:08,211 --> 00:15:09,952
Other people have other
interests in other things

341
00:15:09,996 --> 00:15:11,649
and I encourage them
to enjoy those,

342
00:15:11,693 --> 00:15:14,304
even if they'’re not things
that fascinate me.

343
00:15:14,348 --> 00:15:16,916
To me, it'’s the differences
between us

344
00:15:16,959 --> 00:15:19,005
that sometimes
make us interesting.

345
00:15:19,048 --> 00:15:22,008
I'’m kind of--you know,
I know the ones who I email

346
00:15:22,051 --> 00:15:23,923
and who are in that
sort of little group.

347
00:15:23,966 --> 00:15:25,663
Lori Wike is a new one

348
00:15:25,707 --> 00:15:28,884
that we'’ve sort of
recently contacted.

349
00:15:28,928 --> 00:15:31,452
She'’s the lead bassoonist,
I think,

350
00:15:31,495 --> 00:15:33,541
in the Utah State Orchestra.

351
00:15:33,584 --> 00:15:43,507
♪

352
00:15:52,299 --> 00:15:54,997
[birds chirping]

353
00:15:55,041 --> 00:15:56,694
So this is one
of my palindromes.

354
00:15:56,738 --> 00:15:58,479
It'’s one of my favorite
palindromes that I'’ve written.

355
00:16:03,484 --> 00:16:05,703
I first became aware
of palindromes

356
00:16:05,747 --> 00:16:07,749
when I was probably
eight or nine years old.

357
00:16:07,792 --> 00:16:11,666
It'’s kind of ironicsince I ended up living in Utah,

358
00:16:11,709 --> 00:16:15,191
but the first palindrome
I think I probably ever saw was,

359
00:16:15,235 --> 00:16:18,716
"Hat Utah," with a very cute
little drawing

360
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,544
in the Martin Gardner book.

361
00:16:20,588 --> 00:16:22,677
Happened to discover
Mark Saltveit'’s

362
00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,768
Palindromist magazine online
and I said, oh, you know

363
00:16:26,811 --> 00:16:29,858
this is for people who read
and write palindromes.

364
00:16:29,901 --> 00:16:31,425
I was like, "I should try
to write palindromes.

365
00:16:31,468 --> 00:16:32,948
I wonder if I can."

366
00:16:32,992 --> 00:16:35,211
And I wrote a palindrome.

367
00:16:35,255 --> 00:16:37,387
I believe it was...

368
00:16:41,087 --> 00:16:42,088
I think that'’s it.

369
00:16:42,131 --> 00:16:44,525
Is that a palindrome?

370
00:16:44,568 --> 00:16:46,353
Yes, it is.

371
00:16:46,396 --> 00:16:47,789
It kind of just took off
from there

372
00:16:47,832 --> 00:16:50,052
and I just kept
writing palindromes.

373
00:16:50,096 --> 00:16:52,402
♪

374
00:16:52,446 --> 00:16:54,796
As a bassoon player,
we have to make our own reeds.

375
00:16:54,839 --> 00:16:57,538
So I make mini,
mini bassoon reeds.

376
00:16:57,581 --> 00:16:59,975
It'’s a very individualized art.

377
00:17:00,019 --> 00:17:02,238
It'’s just very satisfying.

378
00:17:02,282 --> 00:17:04,023
I enjoy lots of puzzles.

379
00:17:04,066 --> 00:17:07,200
I love logic puzzles,
I love jigsaw puzzles,

380
00:17:07,243 --> 00:17:09,550
but palindromes
are without question,

381
00:17:09,593 --> 00:17:12,814
my favorite form of word play.

382
00:17:12,857 --> 00:17:15,121
The palindromist
is playing with the language

383
00:17:15,164 --> 00:17:18,341
and playing with this kind of
art of letter reversal

384
00:17:18,385 --> 00:17:21,257
and then coming up with
something that is both new

385
00:17:21,301 --> 00:17:23,085
and yet was always
already there.

386
00:17:23,129 --> 00:17:25,305
It'’s this dual operation
of both finding

387
00:17:25,348 --> 00:17:27,829
and creating at the same time.

388
00:17:27,872 --> 00:17:29,700
I think it'’s mostly a hobby,

389
00:17:29,744 --> 00:17:32,051
although it can make it a little
difficult to read at times

390
00:17:32,094 --> 00:17:35,010
if you'’re constantly
looking at words backwards.

391
00:17:35,054 --> 00:17:38,144
If it'’s an addiction,
it'’s a very positive addiction.

392
00:17:38,187 --> 00:17:39,493
[blowing]

393
00:17:39,536 --> 00:17:42,887
[reed whistling]

394
00:17:42,931 --> 00:17:45,325
[typewriter keys clicking]

395
00:17:46,891 --> 00:17:48,371
In World War II even,

396
00:17:48,415 --> 00:17:50,765
palindromes played a part
in the war effort.

397
00:17:50,808 --> 00:17:52,332
The British,
when they were trying to crack

398
00:17:52,375 --> 00:17:55,683
the Nazi'’s secret codes,
recruited all of the best

399
00:17:55,726 --> 00:17:58,120
crossword puzzle
as well as math people

400
00:17:58,164 --> 00:18:00,818
and they set up an operation
at a mansion,

401
00:18:00,862 --> 00:18:03,473
an estate outside of London
called Bletchley Park.

402
00:18:03,517 --> 00:18:05,823
One night, John Henry Whitehead,

403
00:18:05,867 --> 00:18:07,825
the head mathematician
on the team,

404
00:18:07,869 --> 00:18:10,567
challenged everyone
to a palindrome contest.

405
00:18:10,611 --> 00:18:13,004
The idea was to come up
with something more compelling

406
00:18:13,048 --> 00:18:15,790
than the old chestnut,
"Step on no pets!"

407
00:18:15,833 --> 00:18:18,967
Peter Hilton quickly invented
the classic,

408
00:18:19,010 --> 00:18:21,100
"Sex at noon taxes."

409
00:18:21,143 --> 00:18:23,102
But Whitehead
was still not satisfied.

410
00:18:23,145 --> 00:18:25,930
He challenged Hilton
to write a longer one.

411
00:18:25,974 --> 00:18:29,325
Later that night, Hilton simply
laid down on his bed,

412
00:18:29,369 --> 00:18:33,068
closed his eyes, and without
the use of pen or paper,

413
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:34,983
he took on
Whitehead'’s challenge,

414
00:18:35,026 --> 00:18:37,377
and by the morning,
he had assembled

415
00:18:37,420 --> 00:18:40,728
what some consider the greatest
palindrome of all time.

416
00:18:47,213 --> 00:18:50,172
The code breakers were under
extremely strict secrecy

417
00:18:50,216 --> 00:18:52,435
at Bletchley Park,
so none of the code breakers

418
00:18:52,479 --> 00:18:54,176
ever reported their palindromes.

419
00:18:54,220 --> 00:18:56,744
However, soon after
the war ended,

420
00:18:56,787 --> 00:18:59,007
there was
a rather peculiar event.

421
00:18:59,050 --> 00:19:02,532
An itinerant engineer
named Leigh Mercer,

422
00:19:02,576 --> 00:19:05,796
who lived just a few miles
from Bletchley Park,

423
00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:10,279
just so happened to send in
exactly 100 palindromes

424
00:19:10,323 --> 00:19:12,325
to a popular literary magazine.

425
00:19:12,368 --> 00:19:14,196
When asked about them,
he admitted

426
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,329
that he hadn'’t written
most of them.

427
00:19:16,372 --> 00:19:19,506
These 100 palindromes
were about as many

428
00:19:19,549 --> 00:19:22,248
English language palindromes
as had been written

429
00:19:22,291 --> 00:19:24,250
in all of history put together,

430
00:19:24,293 --> 00:19:26,600
and his post-war bounty included

431
00:19:26,643 --> 00:19:28,515
such unpublished classics as,

432
00:19:28,558 --> 00:19:30,517
"Poor Dan is in a droop,"

433
00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,910
and, "Won'’t lovers revolt now?"

434
00:19:32,954 --> 00:19:35,565
Not to mention
Mercer'’s own classic,

435
00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:37,785
"A man, a plan, a canal.

436
00:19:37,828 --> 00:19:38,960
Panama."

437
00:19:39,003 --> 00:19:43,486
♪

438
00:19:44,792 --> 00:19:47,011
♪

439
00:19:47,055 --> 00:19:50,841
My name is Danica McKellar
and I love palindromes.

440
00:19:50,885 --> 00:19:52,669
Writing palindromes
is a challenge.

441
00:19:52,713 --> 00:19:54,976
It'’s a fun challenge that
I highly recommend to everyone,

442
00:19:55,019 --> 00:19:56,282
and what you need to do--
'’cause first you think,

443
00:19:56,325 --> 00:19:58,675
"Oh, I wouldn'’t know
where to start."

444
00:19:58,719 --> 00:20:02,679
Pick someone'’s name and then
do a palindrome from that name,

445
00:20:02,723 --> 00:20:04,246
and you might think
it'’s impossible.

446
00:20:04,290 --> 00:20:05,987
Like, Danica, how would you
write a palindrome from Danica?

447
00:20:06,030 --> 00:20:09,295
I believe it'’s,
"Danica in a Niacin ad."

448
00:20:09,338 --> 00:20:11,558
I had never even thought
about writing my own palindromes

449
00:20:11,601 --> 00:20:15,083
until I was a new mother,
actually.

450
00:20:15,126 --> 00:20:19,000
I was sitting
in my glider rocking chair

451
00:20:19,043 --> 00:20:22,743
breastfeeding my newborn child,
thinking about his name,

452
00:20:22,786 --> 00:20:24,658
Draco, D, R, A, C, O,

453
00:20:24,701 --> 00:20:26,877
and just, I thought,

454
00:20:26,921 --> 00:20:28,488
"Hey, if you spell it backwards,

455
00:20:28,531 --> 00:20:30,141
Draco card.

456
00:20:30,185 --> 00:20:32,187
Draco card,
that'’s a palindrome!"

457
00:20:32,231 --> 00:20:35,059
So then on Twitter, I tweeted
out the challenge to everyone

458
00:20:35,103 --> 00:20:36,670
where the answer
was "Draco card,"

459
00:20:36,713 --> 00:20:38,106
and a bunch of people
came up with the answer

460
00:20:38,149 --> 00:20:40,413
and it was so much fun
interacting with my fans

461
00:20:40,456 --> 00:20:42,937
that way that the next night,
I gave another challenge.

462
00:20:42,980 --> 00:20:45,331
I believe the second one
I did was, " I prefer Pi."

463
00:20:45,374 --> 00:20:47,202
And for a while,
for years actually--

464
00:20:47,246 --> 00:20:48,638
I think for about two years--

465
00:20:48,682 --> 00:20:51,293
I did a new palindrome contest
every single night,

466
00:20:51,337 --> 00:20:52,903
and so I stopped
for a little while.

467
00:20:52,947 --> 00:20:54,165
I think I stopped
for a few months

468
00:20:54,209 --> 00:20:55,341
and people kept asking me
about it.

469
00:20:55,384 --> 00:20:56,646
I thought, "You know what,

470
00:20:56,690 --> 00:20:58,474
I bet I could do it
once a week."

471
00:20:58,518 --> 00:21:01,042
Do it once a week and I'’ve been
doing it ever since.

472
00:21:01,085 --> 00:21:02,435
Every Thursday
on my Twitter account,

473
00:21:02,478 --> 00:21:04,088
I put out a challenge, a clue

474
00:21:04,132 --> 00:21:05,481
and the answer
is always a palindrome.

475
00:21:05,525 --> 00:21:06,917
-Oh!
-Yeah, so I have--

476
00:21:06,961 --> 00:21:08,658
-do you wanna play?
-I would like to try.

477
00:21:08,702 --> 00:21:10,965
-I would like to try to do it.
-So, in 2014,

478
00:21:11,008 --> 00:21:13,097
I was on Dancing With the Stars
at the time,

479
00:21:13,141 --> 00:21:15,274
and The Tonight Show
had me on as a guest

480
00:21:15,317 --> 00:21:16,710
to talk about
Dancing With the Stars,

481
00:21:16,753 --> 00:21:18,059
to talk about my math books,

482
00:21:18,102 --> 00:21:19,539
and also palindromes.

483
00:21:19,582 --> 00:21:21,454
I was delighted to hear
that they were interested

484
00:21:21,497 --> 00:21:23,847
in me talking about that
on the show, and they said,

485
00:21:23,891 --> 00:21:25,893
"We want you to give
Jimmy Fallon a challenge,

486
00:21:25,936 --> 00:21:27,242
like give him
one of your clues."

487
00:21:27,286 --> 00:21:29,723
If martians landed
and we found their used--

488
00:21:29,766 --> 00:21:31,333
If they landed?

489
00:21:31,377 --> 00:21:34,336
Duh, they already have, um...

490
00:21:34,380 --> 00:21:37,252
If we found their
used tissues on board

491
00:21:37,296 --> 00:21:40,603
and we discover lots of, quote,
lots of "alien boogers."

492
00:21:40,647 --> 00:21:43,084
But I had a feeling he wasn'’t
gonna get the palindrome,

493
00:21:43,127 --> 00:21:45,869
I mean, it didn'’t seem
very realistic

494
00:21:45,913 --> 00:21:48,219
because you don'’t have a lot
of time to sit there and think

495
00:21:48,263 --> 00:21:49,308
when you'’re in the middle
of a show.

496
00:21:49,351 --> 00:21:50,613
Lots of alien boogers,
reword that.

497
00:21:50,657 --> 00:21:52,920
-Snot rockets?
-Close.

498
00:21:52,963 --> 00:21:55,966
-Snot...
-Tons of UFO snot!

499
00:21:56,010 --> 00:21:58,752
That'’s a palindrome.

500
00:21:58,795 --> 00:22:02,973
So, it was a great moment,
I love that guy.

501
00:22:03,017 --> 00:22:08,370
♪

502
00:22:08,414 --> 00:22:10,938
I live in Washington D.C.

503
00:22:10,981 --> 00:22:13,593
It'’s a great place
for photography.

504
00:22:13,636 --> 00:22:16,335
It'’s a very interesting place.

505
00:22:16,378 --> 00:22:19,468
It has its own unique character
in a lot of ways.

506
00:22:19,512 --> 00:22:23,124
There was a Wolf Trap Road
in Northern Virginia

507
00:22:23,167 --> 00:22:24,821
and I just happened to notice

508
00:22:24,865 --> 00:22:27,955
it was Dr. Part Flow.

509
00:22:27,998 --> 00:22:29,783
D, R, Part Flow backwards,

510
00:22:29,826 --> 00:22:31,088
Wolf Trap Rd.

511
00:22:31,132 --> 00:22:33,569
And I started researching

512
00:22:33,613 --> 00:22:36,572
what people had done
with palindromes.

513
00:22:36,616 --> 00:22:40,837
I subscribed
to The Palindromist newsletter.

514
00:22:40,881 --> 00:22:42,796
I started trying
to put poems together

515
00:22:42,839 --> 00:22:44,798
and I realized that
maybe I could do things

516
00:22:44,841 --> 00:22:46,887
that hadn'’t quite been done yet.

517
00:22:46,930 --> 00:22:50,107
I wrote a book where palindromes
were the heart of it.

518
00:22:50,151 --> 00:22:54,068
I wanted to go for poems
that I could show to people,

519
00:22:54,111 --> 00:22:55,722
but they wouldn'’t notice
that it was a palindrome

520
00:22:55,765 --> 00:22:58,115
or they wouldn'’t suspect
it was some form of word play.

521
00:23:12,129 --> 00:23:15,481
♪

522
00:23:15,524 --> 00:23:17,439
If you wanna become
a palindromist,

523
00:23:17,483 --> 00:23:20,050
just simply start
looking at words backwards.

524
00:23:20,094 --> 00:23:22,749
The major difficulty
is getting started.

525
00:23:22,792 --> 00:23:24,533
I think once people
get over that,

526
00:23:24,577 --> 00:23:26,143
it really isn'’t that difficult.

527
00:23:26,187 --> 00:23:28,319
You start in the middle
and you build out from there.

528
00:23:28,363 --> 00:23:31,192
You have the word in the middle
and then you add another word,

529
00:23:31,235 --> 00:23:33,499
but you have extra letters on
one side and not the other side.

530
00:23:33,542 --> 00:23:36,066
So then you have to add those
letters in reverse over here

531
00:23:36,110 --> 00:23:37,459
and you can make a word
from that,

532
00:23:37,503 --> 00:23:38,852
but now you'’ve expanded it
this way

533
00:23:38,895 --> 00:23:39,940
and you'’ve got a few more
letters on that end

534
00:23:39,983 --> 00:23:42,116
that now have to go on this end.

535
00:23:42,159 --> 00:23:43,334
So it'’s like an accordion.

536
00:23:43,378 --> 00:23:44,988
There'’s technicalities to words

537
00:23:45,032 --> 00:23:47,295
that make them good
for palindromes or not.

538
00:23:47,338 --> 00:23:49,776
Any word that alternates a vowel
and a consonant

539
00:23:49,819 --> 00:23:53,127
all the way through is often
easy to turn backwards.

540
00:23:53,170 --> 00:23:55,172
And then sometimes you go,
"That wasn'’t a good word

541
00:23:55,216 --> 00:23:56,870
to click on there but I think
there'’s an other word

542
00:23:56,913 --> 00:23:58,567
that I can click on instead

543
00:23:58,611 --> 00:24:00,177
and see how that one works
over there."

544
00:24:00,221 --> 00:24:02,832
And then you'’re like,
"Wait, is this good though?"

545
00:24:02,876 --> 00:24:05,444
Sometimes you scrap
the whole thing.

546
00:24:05,487 --> 00:24:07,620
Hi, my name is Douglas Fink.

547
00:24:07,663 --> 00:24:09,143
I am a palindromist.

548
00:24:09,186 --> 00:24:10,884
I have been so

549
00:24:10,927 --> 00:24:15,497
for quite a long time,
at least 20 years.

550
00:24:15,541 --> 00:24:18,108
In fact, if I do the math,
at least 25,

551
00:24:18,152 --> 00:24:19,501
at least 27 years.

552
00:24:19,545 --> 00:24:21,242
Let'’s say 30 years.

553
00:24:21,285 --> 00:24:23,331
Hi, my name is Douglas Fink.

554
00:24:23,374 --> 00:24:28,118
I have been a palindromist
for about 30 years.

555
00:24:28,162 --> 00:24:30,033
There was a TV show on
when I was a kid

556
00:24:30,077 --> 00:24:31,557
called The Electric Company.

557
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,734
And they would have these
big fuzzy letters in the air

558
00:24:34,777 --> 00:24:38,520
floating around and when
I'’m moving letters around,

559
00:24:38,564 --> 00:24:39,869
I see it kind of like that.

560
00:24:39,913 --> 00:24:42,350
I see those big fuzzy
white letters

561
00:24:42,393 --> 00:24:44,091
and I move '’em around
in my head,

562
00:24:44,134 --> 00:24:45,788
and somehow,

563
00:24:45,832 --> 00:24:49,009
palindromes is kind of
related to it,

564
00:24:49,052 --> 00:24:51,794
because it'’s just
a simple mirroring of it.

565
00:24:51,838 --> 00:24:54,536
You'’re not mixing them up
in a complex way.

566
00:24:54,580 --> 00:24:56,843
You'’re just reversing them.

567
00:24:56,886 --> 00:24:59,889
So, "slip up" is "pupils,"

568
00:24:59,933 --> 00:25:02,196
"drawer" is "reward."

569
00:25:02,239 --> 00:25:05,504
These are things that

570
00:25:05,547 --> 00:25:06,940
I guess from an early time,

571
00:25:06,983 --> 00:25:08,811
I kind of knew.

572
00:25:08,855 --> 00:25:10,596
"Gateman" is "nametag."

573
00:25:10,639 --> 00:25:13,686
These are some of
the early longer words

574
00:25:13,729 --> 00:25:16,776
that you become familiar with,
reversals of each other

575
00:25:16,819 --> 00:25:20,127
that are good
in the palindrome world.

576
00:25:20,170 --> 00:25:22,738
This is the letter
I got when I won

577
00:25:22,782 --> 00:25:26,873
Games Magazine'’s Palindromes
With Personality contest

578
00:25:26,916 --> 00:25:28,614
back in 1992.

579
00:25:28,657 --> 00:25:29,876
Mine was:

580
00:25:33,096 --> 00:25:35,229
I'’ve not been in contact
with Lisa Bonet,

581
00:25:35,272 --> 00:25:37,013
who, by the way,
is a vegetarian.

582
00:25:37,057 --> 00:25:38,493
There'’s probably
a very good chance

583
00:25:38,537 --> 00:25:41,061
that she does eat basil.

584
00:25:41,104 --> 00:25:44,238
The amusing ones tend to be the
ones that grab people the most,

585
00:25:44,281 --> 00:25:46,153
because they make them laugh
and they'’re like,

586
00:25:46,196 --> 00:25:47,850
"Wow, I just laughed
at this thing

587
00:25:47,894 --> 00:25:49,983
and it'’s also this really crazy,

588
00:25:50,026 --> 00:25:52,202
constrained form of writing
at the same time,

589
00:25:52,246 --> 00:25:53,987
but it'’s also
hilariously funny."

590
00:25:54,030 --> 00:25:56,903
Because you'’re forced to
come up with

591
00:25:56,946 --> 00:26:00,384
crazy word combinations often,
that becomes comedic.

592
00:26:00,428 --> 00:26:03,083
I think the funny ones are
probably the most impressive,

593
00:26:03,126 --> 00:26:04,650
because it'’s hard to be funny

594
00:26:04,693 --> 00:26:06,521
and it'’s really hard to write
a palindrome,

595
00:26:06,565 --> 00:26:10,133
but to write a funny palindrome,
that'’s pretty amazing.

596
00:26:10,177 --> 00:26:13,223
I guess my claim to fame
in the palindrome world

597
00:26:13,267 --> 00:26:15,225
is the song I wrote called Bob.

598
00:26:15,269 --> 00:26:19,403
It was on my Poodle Hat album
which came out in 2003.

599
00:26:19,447 --> 00:26:21,884
I was hoping the album
would come out in 2002,

600
00:26:21,928 --> 00:26:24,757
because 2002
was a palindrome year

601
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:25,975
and I thought
that would be kind of cool

602
00:26:26,019 --> 00:26:27,629
to have it come out then.

603
00:26:27,673 --> 00:26:29,631
And I was just really fascinated
with palindromes

604
00:26:29,675 --> 00:26:31,111
and I thought,
wouldn'’t it be cool

605
00:26:31,154 --> 00:26:33,156
to make a song comprised
entirely out of palindromes?

606
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,158
So it was just sort of like
a little exercise that I did

607
00:26:35,202 --> 00:26:37,465
and I was very happy
with the result, and I think

608
00:26:37,508 --> 00:26:39,380
a lot of people
in the palindrome community

609
00:26:39,423 --> 00:26:40,511
seemed to appreciate it.

610
00:26:40,555 --> 00:26:42,035
♪ God, a red nugget

611
00:26:42,078 --> 00:26:44,646
♪ A fat egg under a dog

612
00:26:44,690 --> 00:26:48,694
♪ Go hang a salami,
I'’m a lasagna hog ♪

613
00:26:48,737 --> 00:26:50,391
Jon Agee,
more than anybody else,

614
00:26:50,434 --> 00:26:52,306
was the inspiration
for my song Bob.

615
00:26:52,349 --> 00:26:53,829
I think I was probably
flipping through

616
00:26:53,873 --> 00:26:55,265
one of his books
in a bookstore and I thought,

617
00:26:55,309 --> 00:26:56,919
"Well, this would make
a good song."

618
00:26:56,963 --> 00:26:59,182
I wish I could take credit
for the palindromes in the song.

619
00:26:59,226 --> 00:27:01,315
I don'’t think I wrote
a single one of those.

620
00:27:01,358 --> 00:27:04,187
Those were all
very famous palindromes.

621
00:27:04,231 --> 00:27:06,102
"Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo."

622
00:27:06,146 --> 00:27:09,366
I thought that was a nice image
to conjure up.

623
00:27:09,410 --> 00:27:11,673
"O Geronimo, no minor ego."

624
00:27:11,717 --> 00:27:13,588
I mean, there are
a lot of fun ones.

625
00:27:13,632 --> 00:27:15,503
Once I started coming up
with rhyme schemes

626
00:27:15,546 --> 00:27:17,853
and putting it together,
it was sounding to me

627
00:27:17,897 --> 00:27:19,681
sort of like a Bob Dylan song,

628
00:27:19,725 --> 00:27:24,077
because the palindromes
all sort of made sense.

629
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:28,472
They seemed sort of like
they could be profound

630
00:27:28,516 --> 00:27:30,649
in a certain context,
and I tried to sing them

631
00:27:30,692 --> 00:27:33,739
in sort of a Bob Dylan
kind of nasal twang,

632
00:27:33,782 --> 00:27:36,219
and I thought, "Yeah,
this is like a Bob Dylan song."

633
00:27:36,263 --> 00:27:38,831
And then I thought, "Oh, even
the name Bob is a palindrome,

634
00:27:38,874 --> 00:27:41,007
so yeah, this is meant to be."

635
00:27:41,050 --> 00:27:43,705
I'’m a big fan
of Weird Al Yankovic

636
00:27:43,749 --> 00:27:46,752
and I went to one of his shows
at the Oakdale Theater.

637
00:27:46,795 --> 00:27:52,322
And one of the songs
that he did there was Bob.

638
00:27:52,366 --> 00:27:53,933
♪ No lemons, no melon

639
00:27:53,976 --> 00:27:56,152
♪ Too bad I hid a boot

640
00:27:56,196 --> 00:27:59,286
♪ Lisa Bonet ate no basil

641
00:27:59,329 --> 00:28:02,028
So it was really quite exciting
hearing my palindrome

642
00:28:02,071 --> 00:28:03,943
and saying,
"Wait a minute, that'’s mine!"

643
00:28:03,986 --> 00:28:06,293
I got to hear
my palindrome there

644
00:28:06,336 --> 00:28:07,990
in this giant sea of people,

645
00:28:08,034 --> 00:28:10,645
and it was kind of amazing.

646
00:28:12,168 --> 00:28:14,083
Palindromists
or pa-lin-dromists,

647
00:28:14,127 --> 00:28:15,694
or palindromistas.

648
00:28:15,737 --> 00:28:17,739
I would say palindromist,

649
00:28:17,783 --> 00:28:19,828
but I would not
look at you askance

650
00:28:19,872 --> 00:28:21,264
if you said pa-lin-dromist.

651
00:28:21,308 --> 00:28:23,919
Pa-lin-dromist flows,
it sounds very elegant.

652
00:28:23,963 --> 00:28:26,095
Oh, it'’s definitely
palindromist.

653
00:28:26,139 --> 00:28:28,707
Pa-lin-dromist doesn'’t even
sound like a real word.

654
00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:30,926
All the dictionaries
says pa-lin-dromist.

655
00:28:30,970 --> 00:28:32,667
I think that sounds
preposterous.

656
00:28:32,711 --> 00:28:34,756
It sounds British, hoity-toity.

657
00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,759
I prefer palindromist,
that sounds American.

658
00:28:37,803 --> 00:28:41,763
Pa-lin-dromist sounds
like more snooty or something.

659
00:28:41,807 --> 00:28:43,591
"I'’m a pa-lin-dromist."

660
00:28:43,634 --> 00:28:45,158
No you'’re not.

661
00:28:45,201 --> 00:28:46,246
You like palindromes, right?

662
00:28:46,289 --> 00:28:47,813
Okay, just checking.

663
00:28:47,856 --> 00:28:55,559
♪

664
00:28:55,603 --> 00:28:57,823
[laughing]

665
00:28:57,866 --> 00:28:59,738
♪

666
00:28:59,781 --> 00:29:02,218
As I inflict on the neighbors
on regular intervals.

667
00:29:02,262 --> 00:29:04,699
I'’m kind of known in
the palindroming community

668
00:29:04,743 --> 00:29:07,658
for writing
very immature palindromes.

669
00:29:07,702 --> 00:29:10,966
I write a lot of rude ones,
for instance.

670
00:29:11,010 --> 00:29:14,448
I think comedy writers
do something similar

671
00:29:14,491 --> 00:29:16,493
to what palindrome writers do.

672
00:29:16,537 --> 00:29:18,974
They work on two levels
at the same time.

673
00:29:19,018 --> 00:29:20,976
So when you--in a palindrome,

674
00:29:21,020 --> 00:29:23,457
you'’re working on one level
which is a mechanical one.

675
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:25,938
You'’re reversing words
into other words,

676
00:29:25,981 --> 00:29:29,724
but you'’re also trying to write
a meaningful sentence

677
00:29:29,768 --> 00:29:33,293
and you'’ve gotta obey those
two masters at the same time.

678
00:29:33,336 --> 00:29:35,556
A comedy writer
will write something

679
00:29:35,599 --> 00:29:37,645
that has a certain meaning

680
00:29:37,688 --> 00:29:40,474
but then there'’s
an underlying meaning as well

681
00:29:40,517 --> 00:29:42,128
that people are aware of.

682
00:29:42,171 --> 00:29:45,174
The very fact that
when you reverse words,

683
00:29:45,218 --> 00:29:47,916
you get something
that you weren'’t intending

684
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,875
provides this wonderful
random element

685
00:29:49,918 --> 00:29:53,704
that throws up weird phrases
and things like that.

686
00:29:53,748 --> 00:29:57,273
I think absurdity
has always fascinated me

687
00:29:57,317 --> 00:29:58,579
and I think palindromes

688
00:29:58,622 --> 00:30:02,713
are definitely in that realm.

689
00:30:02,757 --> 00:30:06,369
There'’s something nonsensical
about them,

690
00:30:06,413 --> 00:30:09,416
but there'’s something beautiful
about doing a drawing

691
00:30:09,459 --> 00:30:13,159
that can bring sense to them
and that'’s the best part.

692
00:30:13,202 --> 00:30:16,292
♪

693
00:30:16,336 --> 00:30:19,078
I have to say,
I didn'’t think I'd be doing

694
00:30:19,121 --> 00:30:20,819
another palindrome book

695
00:30:20,862 --> 00:30:23,560
after I finished Palindromania!
13 years ago.

696
00:30:23,604 --> 00:30:27,826
I thought that was it,
and then I started concocting

697
00:30:27,869 --> 00:30:30,567
some palindromes with wonton
in them.

698
00:30:30,611 --> 00:30:35,007
And I suddenly had like this
conversation with this guy

699
00:30:35,050 --> 00:30:37,792
who'’s made wonton soup
and nobody wants to have it,

700
00:30:37,836 --> 00:30:40,229
and he realizes that
he'’s stuck in this thing

701
00:30:40,273 --> 00:30:43,406
where every time he offers
wonton, it'’s, "Not now."

702
00:30:43,450 --> 00:30:45,844
And I sent the idea
for the dialogue

703
00:30:45,887 --> 00:30:49,108
to my editor at Penguin,

704
00:30:49,151 --> 00:30:51,806
and Lori is one
of those rare people

705
00:30:51,850 --> 00:30:55,201
who also loves palindromes,

706
00:30:55,244 --> 00:30:56,637
and she was all for it.

707
00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,292
♪

708
00:30:59,335 --> 00:31:02,121
So this is an idea for
the beginning of the book.

709
00:31:02,164 --> 00:31:06,125
It would start with him looking
at a Chinese cookbook

710
00:31:06,168 --> 00:31:08,736
and he zeroes in on wonton soup
and he sees,

711
00:31:08,779 --> 00:31:11,565
like the picture of the soup,
and he turns to his wife

712
00:31:11,608 --> 00:31:15,090
who'’s on the computer in
the kitchen and says, "Hey, Ava.

713
00:31:15,134 --> 00:31:18,180
You know, how about I make some
wonton soup," right?

714
00:31:18,224 --> 00:31:21,009
And then she'’s looking at her
computer and she says,

715
00:31:21,053 --> 00:31:23,707
"Wonton? Not now."

716
00:31:23,751 --> 00:31:26,406
And then you turn the page
and it'’s like,

717
00:31:26,449 --> 00:31:27,624
"Hey, that'’s a palindrome."

718
00:31:27,668 --> 00:31:28,930
"A what?"
"A palindrome.

719
00:31:28,974 --> 00:31:30,497
Forwards and backwards
it says the same thing."

720
00:31:30,540 --> 00:31:32,586
"Oh."

721
00:31:32,629 --> 00:31:35,023
So that'’s what I'm currently
at work on.

722
00:31:35,067 --> 00:31:38,505
Struggling with,
but turned out to be more,

723
00:31:38,548 --> 00:31:41,638
more of a challenge
than I originally thought.

724
00:31:41,682 --> 00:31:44,815
Made mostly because I want it
to be very entertaining

725
00:31:44,859 --> 00:31:47,296
for everybody, you know,

726
00:31:47,340 --> 00:31:50,256
and so that'’s the challenge.

727
00:31:53,824 --> 00:31:57,306
-Hello, Amanda, come on in.
-Hi, thanks.

728
00:31:57,350 --> 00:31:59,787
So this is my student,
Amanda Moreton.

729
00:31:59,830 --> 00:32:03,225
Amanda, so at the beginning
of Beethoven'’s 4th symphony,

730
00:32:03,269 --> 00:32:05,619
the last movement,
we have a passage

731
00:32:05,662 --> 00:32:10,189
in the two bassoons,
which is quite tricky.

732
00:32:10,232 --> 00:32:12,234
It goes like this.

733
00:32:12,278 --> 00:32:14,715
[rapid notes playing]

734
00:32:16,586 --> 00:32:20,851
Um, so why don'’t you
play this backwards?

735
00:32:20,895 --> 00:32:22,636
-Okay.
-Slowly, slowly.

736
00:32:22,679 --> 00:32:24,203
-Okay.
-Slowly once.

737
00:32:24,246 --> 00:32:25,900
Starting there.

738
00:32:28,033 --> 00:32:30,470
[notes playing]

739
00:32:36,780 --> 00:32:38,652
Good, how about a little faster?

740
00:32:38,695 --> 00:32:41,089
[fast-paced notes playing]

741
00:32:45,572 --> 00:32:47,661
And then play forwards.

742
00:32:47,704 --> 00:32:50,838
-Wanna try it together?
-Sure.

743
00:32:50,881 --> 00:32:52,796
One, two, one.

744
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,234
[rapid notes playing]

745
00:32:57,236 --> 00:32:58,715
-Excellent.
-Yeah.

746
00:32:58,759 --> 00:33:00,979
So even before
I was writing palindromes,

747
00:33:01,022 --> 00:33:02,719
I was having my students do this

748
00:33:02,763 --> 00:33:05,461
because if you'’re practicing
something that'’s very difficult,

749
00:33:05,505 --> 00:33:08,029
you can'’t keep playing it
over and over exactly the same.

750
00:33:08,073 --> 00:33:09,770
It'’s like beating your head
against a brick wall

751
00:33:09,813 --> 00:33:11,380
is what I like to say.

752
00:33:11,424 --> 00:33:12,947
You have to add variations,

753
00:33:12,991 --> 00:33:15,384
and sometimes if something
is extremely difficult,

754
00:33:15,428 --> 00:33:17,343
playing it backwards
is kind of the one thing

755
00:33:17,386 --> 00:33:19,475
that will really get it
into your head.

756
00:33:19,519 --> 00:33:21,912
I was like, "I just can'’t get
this, I practiced it so much,"

757
00:33:21,956 --> 00:33:24,176
and Lori'’s like,
"Play it backwards."

758
00:33:24,219 --> 00:33:26,439
And I was like, "What?"

759
00:33:26,482 --> 00:33:28,528
Changed my life, just--

760
00:33:28,571 --> 00:33:32,619
-Palindrome power.
-Palindrome power.

761
00:33:32,662 --> 00:33:36,144
Okay, so let'’s try this
Bach crab canon.

762
00:33:36,188 --> 00:33:38,581
One, two, one, two.

763
00:33:38,625 --> 00:33:40,757
Sorry.

764
00:33:40,801 --> 00:33:43,325
-I'’ll give two full bars.
-Okay.

765
00:33:45,066 --> 00:33:48,330
One, two, one.

766
00:33:48,374 --> 00:33:50,854
[classical music]

767
00:33:50,898 --> 00:34:00,821
♪

768
00:34:20,014 --> 00:34:24,279
This Bach'’s crab canon
from The Musical Offering,

769
00:34:24,323 --> 00:34:28,109
and it'’s a musical palindrome,
the two voices together.

770
00:34:28,153 --> 00:34:29,850
And he wrote it as a puzzle.

771
00:34:29,893 --> 00:34:33,723
He only wrote one part of it,
and then at the end of it,

772
00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:35,334
he wrote a backwards clef sign

773
00:34:35,377 --> 00:34:37,075
with the indication
to the performers

774
00:34:37,118 --> 00:34:39,860
that it was meant to be
a canon in two voices.

775
00:34:39,903 --> 00:34:42,297
That was the clue
and then the performers

776
00:34:42,341 --> 00:34:44,125
had to come up with the solution

777
00:34:44,169 --> 00:34:46,519
in order to be able
to play this canon,

778
00:34:46,562 --> 00:34:48,564
and just that backwards
clef sign at the very end

779
00:34:48,608 --> 00:34:52,133
of the music was what pointed
the direction of the solution.

780
00:34:52,177 --> 00:34:54,222
It'’s really very,
very fascinating

781
00:34:54,266 --> 00:34:56,137
how this was written.

782
00:34:56,181 --> 00:34:57,965
But there are lots
of musical palindromes

783
00:34:58,008 --> 00:35:01,751
and this is one
of the most famous ones.

784
00:35:01,795 --> 00:35:03,884
♪

785
00:35:03,927 --> 00:35:06,321
The first World Palindrome
Championship,

786
00:35:06,365 --> 00:35:07,975
that was a great experience.

787
00:35:08,018 --> 00:35:09,977
It was actually--

788
00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:13,415
meeting all of the palindromists
for the first time.

789
00:35:13,459 --> 00:35:17,158
Mark, Martin, Nick from Boston,

790
00:35:17,202 --> 00:35:18,681
and Doug Fink was there,

791
00:35:18,725 --> 00:35:20,118
and we were all
very different people.

792
00:35:20,161 --> 00:35:21,554
That was fun.

793
00:35:21,597 --> 00:35:24,122
I was happy for Mark, Mark won,

794
00:35:24,165 --> 00:35:28,082
because I think Mark
has been such a supporter

795
00:35:28,126 --> 00:35:32,304
and a spokesperson for the art
of writing a palindrome.

796
00:35:32,347 --> 00:35:34,262
I was a little sad for Martin.

797
00:35:34,306 --> 00:35:36,351
Martin, all the way
from Australia.

798
00:35:36,395 --> 00:35:38,484
Martin has a way of writing
a palindrome,

799
00:35:38,527 --> 00:35:41,269
longish and relatively coherent.

800
00:35:41,313 --> 00:35:44,751
But they went over the heads
of people because they'’re--

801
00:35:44,794 --> 00:35:48,276
once they start getting
too long, you know,

802
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,539
and so he didn'’t win
and I felt bad for that,

803
00:35:50,583 --> 00:35:52,280
'’cause he's unique, you know.

804
00:35:52,324 --> 00:35:54,108
Now he'’s had one chance at this

805
00:35:54,152 --> 00:35:57,851
and he kind of knows
what the audience is,

806
00:35:57,894 --> 00:36:02,551
he'’s gonna get his act together
and he'’s gonna do well.

807
00:36:02,595 --> 00:36:04,379
Lori has chops.

808
00:36:04,423 --> 00:36:06,207
She definitely has chops.

809
00:36:06,251 --> 00:36:10,211
And she also has
I think a more accessible

810
00:36:10,255 --> 00:36:13,388
sense of humor maybe
than some of the others.

811
00:36:13,432 --> 00:36:14,650
There'’s a little pressure

812
00:36:14,694 --> 00:36:17,740
since I'’m the published
palindrome writer,

813
00:36:17,784 --> 00:36:21,701
but, but I think I'’ll be okay.

814
00:36:24,834 --> 00:36:27,010
It does become kind of
a sickness though, you know?

815
00:36:27,054 --> 00:36:29,970
At a certain point, like,
I couldn'’t read a sign on a bus

816
00:36:30,013 --> 00:36:32,451
without reading it
backwards first.

817
00:36:32,494 --> 00:36:34,148
You know, you can miss your stop

818
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:36,498
if you forget
to read it forwards also.

819
00:36:36,542 --> 00:36:38,108
Here'’s The Dalles
on the sign again.

820
00:36:38,152 --> 00:36:40,894
How can anybody read
"The Dalles"

821
00:36:40,937 --> 00:36:43,723
and not see, "Sell ad, eh?"

822
00:36:43,766 --> 00:36:46,552
Uh, but I wanna introduce
a gentleman here in a moment

823
00:36:46,595 --> 00:36:51,209
who'’s gonna help us celebrate
kind of the wild cousin

824
00:36:51,252 --> 00:36:54,037
of tongue twisters, palindromes.

825
00:36:54,081 --> 00:36:56,649
His name is Mark Saltveit,
he'’s from Portland.

826
00:36:56,692 --> 00:36:59,434
[applause]

827
00:36:59,478 --> 00:37:01,654
Thank you very much.

828
00:37:01,697 --> 00:37:04,265
Now, Kirby, as we know,
works for a newspaper

829
00:37:04,309 --> 00:37:06,876
and they'’re dependent
on selling ads.

830
00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,750
So, this palindrome tells me,
Kirby, that you should maybe try

831
00:37:10,793 --> 00:37:13,796
to sell your ads down the road
a little bit.

832
00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:18,453
This is what it says:

833
00:37:18,497 --> 00:37:20,977
[laughing]

834
00:37:21,021 --> 00:37:23,066
[applause]

835
00:37:23,110 --> 00:37:24,633
Thank you!

836
00:37:24,677 --> 00:37:28,246
I think Mark, his knowledge
of palindromes is unmatched.

837
00:37:28,289 --> 00:37:32,685
As far as I think of Mark,
he'’s the palindromic ambassador.

838
00:37:32,728 --> 00:37:36,079
[typewriter keys clicking]

839
00:37:36,123 --> 00:37:38,647
One of the reasons we even have
a palindrome scene today

840
00:37:38,691 --> 00:37:41,302
is '’cause of a man
named Howards Bergerson.

841
00:37:41,346 --> 00:37:44,566
After work, he would go home
and write late into the night

842
00:37:44,610 --> 00:37:47,221
on a Smith Corona
Manual typewriter,

843
00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:49,310
positioned in the center
of his living room

844
00:37:49,354 --> 00:37:51,225
which was the only spot where

845
00:37:51,269 --> 00:37:53,575
the shingle mill worker'’s
roof didn'’t leak.

846
00:37:53,619 --> 00:37:56,491
Howard spent years gathering
the known palindromes

847
00:37:56,535 --> 00:37:59,015
and corresponding with
the greatest palindromists

848
00:37:59,059 --> 00:38:01,670
of the day,
J.A. Lindon and Leigh Mercer,

849
00:38:01,714 --> 00:38:04,325
among many others,
and compiled a book

850
00:38:04,369 --> 00:38:07,197
which many refer to
as the Palindrome Bible.

851
00:38:07,241 --> 00:38:09,635
It was titled
Palindromes and Anagrams,

852
00:38:09,678 --> 00:38:11,854
but at the time
he was finishing his book

853
00:38:11,898 --> 00:38:13,334
there was a strike.

854
00:38:13,378 --> 00:38:16,381
And with a family to feed,
he was in a tight spot.

855
00:38:16,424 --> 00:38:18,644
So he wound up accepting
an offer to sell

856
00:38:18,687 --> 00:38:22,125
all of the rights to his book
for a flat $1,000.

857
00:38:22,169 --> 00:38:25,433
To this day, 45 years later,
it'’s still in print

858
00:38:25,477 --> 00:38:28,784
and it still stands as the
definitive book on palindromes.

859
00:38:28,828 --> 00:38:31,004
♪

860
00:38:32,005 --> 00:38:33,093
Gonna visit Merla,

861
00:38:33,136 --> 00:38:36,052
Howard Bergerson'’s
daughter here.

862
00:38:36,096 --> 00:38:38,620
She'’s cleaning out
his old boxes of papers.

863
00:38:38,664 --> 00:38:40,970
He passed on a few years ago.

864
00:38:41,014 --> 00:38:42,929
I think there might be
some gold in there.

865
00:38:42,972 --> 00:38:44,539
[doorbell ringing]

866
00:38:44,583 --> 00:38:46,280
Hey, Merla, how ya doing?

867
00:38:46,324 --> 00:38:48,456
-Good to see you!
-Good to see you, hey!

868
00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:51,851
♪

869
00:38:51,894 --> 00:38:53,374
This is one of
my favorite photos.

870
00:38:53,418 --> 00:38:57,291
-Oh, that'’s a great photo.
-My Aunt Dottie took that.

871
00:38:57,335 --> 00:38:59,728
-Here'’s an army picture of Dad.
-Oh, that'’s great.

872
00:38:59,772 --> 00:39:01,295
-That'’s serious.
-He did not go into action.

873
00:39:01,339 --> 00:39:03,428
He was in the typing pool.

874
00:39:03,471 --> 00:39:07,867
The word play that my dad did
was pretty esoteric.

875
00:39:07,910 --> 00:39:11,392
I mean, there'’s just not
a huge body of people

876
00:39:11,436 --> 00:39:13,568
who are out there doing that.

877
00:39:13,612 --> 00:39:17,833
This is a letter
from James A. Lindon

878
00:39:17,877 --> 00:39:19,618
-from England.
-From J .A. Lindon!

879
00:39:19,661 --> 00:39:22,403
You know he'’s one of
the three great palindromists

880
00:39:22,447 --> 00:39:23,883
-of the 20th century.
-And he signs--he always

881
00:39:23,926 --> 00:39:25,841
-signed his letters JAL.
-JAL.

882
00:39:25,885 --> 00:39:29,192
So, I mean here'’s word squares.

883
00:39:29,236 --> 00:39:31,064
-Right, right.
-This is interesting.

884
00:39:31,107 --> 00:39:33,762
-Oven, menu.
-Yeah.

885
00:39:33,806 --> 00:39:35,373
They'’re not palindromic though,

886
00:39:35,416 --> 00:39:38,201
but they are word squares
that work different ways.

887
00:39:38,245 --> 00:39:42,249
"I know you could go into great
detail concerning word-squares,

888
00:39:42,292 --> 00:39:45,426
but so far as I could see
do not mention word-cubes."

889
00:39:45,470 --> 00:39:48,560
Oh my God, a word cube
in three dimensions?

890
00:39:48,603 --> 00:39:50,518
This is interesting
about palindromes.

891
00:39:50,562 --> 00:39:53,347
"I agree that the ideal
is a sentence, yes,

892
00:39:53,391 --> 00:39:55,610
but I feel that language,
however used,

893
00:39:55,654 --> 00:39:58,439
should come alive
by referring whatever is said

894
00:39:58,483 --> 00:40:01,137
to a wider context,
either to the real world

895
00:40:01,181 --> 00:40:02,922
or to the world
of the imagination.

896
00:40:02,965 --> 00:40:04,402
And if it doesn'’t,

897
00:40:04,445 --> 00:40:06,882
then even your perfectly
constructed sentence is dead

898
00:40:06,926 --> 00:40:09,711
and cold and might as well
be left in the abstract."

899
00:40:09,755 --> 00:40:11,931
I agree 100%.

900
00:40:11,974 --> 00:40:13,585
So here he'’s saying
that palindromes like,

901
00:40:13,628 --> 00:40:15,282
"A man, a plan,
a canal--Panama!"

902
00:40:15,325 --> 00:40:17,502
or, "Able was I ere I saw Elba,"

903
00:40:17,545 --> 00:40:19,895
or, "Red now, Asia is a wonder,"

904
00:40:19,939 --> 00:40:22,420
pass because they refer
to the real world.

905
00:40:22,463 --> 00:40:24,596
"More fun are the absurd ones
that conjure up

906
00:40:24,639 --> 00:40:26,598
a surrealistic world
of the imagination."

907
00:40:26,641 --> 00:40:28,991
This is one of my favorites,
I know this is your dad'’s.

908
00:40:33,343 --> 00:40:34,997
I love that one so much.

909
00:40:35,041 --> 00:40:38,871
So this must be the list
he put together for his book.

910
00:40:38,914 --> 00:40:40,089
Do you remember him
working on the book?

911
00:40:40,133 --> 00:40:42,352
Oh yeah.

912
00:40:42,396 --> 00:40:45,443
His book, Palindromes and
Anagrams, is still in print

913
00:40:45,486 --> 00:40:50,012
but I think Edna Waterfall
was his palindromic opus.

914
00:40:50,056 --> 00:40:51,884
♪

915
00:40:51,927 --> 00:40:53,755
It was in the Guinness Book
of World Records

916
00:40:53,799 --> 00:40:55,540
as the longest palindromic poem,

917
00:40:55,583 --> 00:40:57,629
and then, you know,
other people said,

918
00:40:57,672 --> 00:40:59,631
"Wait a minute,
palindromic poem?

919
00:40:59,674 --> 00:41:02,416
I can write a bunch of
palindromic words in order,"

920
00:41:02,460 --> 00:41:04,113
and then, you know,
it was just nonsense.

921
00:41:04,157 --> 00:41:05,637
-Yeah.
-But Edna Waterfall,

922
00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:07,943
it had story to it,
it had characters,

923
00:41:07,987 --> 00:41:12,426
and it made sense if you were
a thoughtful reader

924
00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:15,385
and a careful reader.

925
00:41:15,429 --> 00:41:19,128
But in terms of like,
fame and notoriety,

926
00:41:19,172 --> 00:41:22,958
I don'’t think that Dad
got a whole lot.

927
00:41:23,002 --> 00:41:27,397
You know, and if you'’re looking
for fame...

928
00:41:27,441 --> 00:41:29,661
palindromes is probably...

929
00:41:29,704 --> 00:41:32,620
[laughing]

930
00:41:32,664 --> 00:41:34,187
♪

931
00:41:34,230 --> 00:41:36,537
I love Salt Lake,
I love living in Utah

932
00:41:36,581 --> 00:41:39,453
and I keep discovering
the most amazing hikes

933
00:41:39,497 --> 00:41:42,282
and trails and just things

934
00:41:42,325 --> 00:41:45,154
that just blow my mind
constantly.

935
00:41:45,198 --> 00:41:46,678
♪

936
00:41:46,721 --> 00:41:49,376
Spiral Jetty is one
of my favorite places

937
00:41:49,419 --> 00:41:51,334
to take people
when they come to visit Utah,

938
00:41:51,378 --> 00:41:53,641
and part of that is because
it'’s constantly changing.

939
00:41:53,685 --> 00:41:55,077
Every time I go,

940
00:41:55,121 --> 00:41:57,558
it'’s a completely different
experience.

941
00:41:57,602 --> 00:41:59,473
The first time
I went to Spiral Jetty,

942
00:41:59,517 --> 00:42:02,737
the water was a turquoise color
and I'’ve always wanted

943
00:42:02,781 --> 00:42:05,653
to see it when the water is red
as it was originally

944
00:42:05,697 --> 00:42:08,351
when Smithson built
the Spiral Jetty.

945
00:42:08,395 --> 00:42:12,051
This is the color of the waterthat attracted Robert Smithson,

946
00:42:12,094 --> 00:42:15,141
so that was part of the reason
he chose that particular area

947
00:42:15,184 --> 00:42:17,099
in which to build Spiral Jetty.

948
00:42:17,143 --> 00:42:26,195
♪

949
00:42:26,239 --> 00:42:28,633
Oh, the water is red.

950
00:42:28,676 --> 00:42:31,026
Oh, that'’s so cool,
look at that!

951
00:42:31,070 --> 00:42:33,551
[waves crashing]

952
00:42:33,594 --> 00:42:36,205
♪

953
00:42:36,249 --> 00:42:39,600
It'’s pink, it's totally pink!

954
00:42:39,644 --> 00:42:40,819
It'’s amazing.

955
00:42:50,045 --> 00:42:51,612
On another visit
to the Spiral Jetty,

956
00:42:51,656 --> 00:42:53,396
I brought my little notebook
with me and I said,

957
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,964
"I'’m gonna write a palindrome
when I'’m at Spiral Jetty,"

958
00:42:56,008 --> 00:42:57,879
and that'’s what I came up with.

959
00:42:57,923 --> 00:43:01,535
It'’s just such a...

960
00:43:01,579 --> 00:43:03,189
vast landscape.

961
00:43:03,232 --> 00:43:05,626
I mean, "vast" is the only word
that kinda comes to mind for me.

962
00:43:05,670 --> 00:43:09,412
And then this idea of the void,
you know, it'’s just nothingness.

963
00:43:09,456 --> 00:43:12,285
It'’s, it's salt.

964
00:43:12,328 --> 00:43:14,026
It'’s a good palindrome
for this place.

965
00:43:14,069 --> 00:43:16,768
If you'’re not at this place,
it'’s not such a good palindrome.

966
00:43:16,811 --> 00:43:26,734
♪

967
00:43:36,701 --> 00:43:39,268
[traffic whirring]

968
00:43:39,312 --> 00:43:40,661
This is, um--

969
00:43:40,705 --> 00:43:43,272
well, it used to be a wonton,
now it'’s Otto.

970
00:43:43,316 --> 00:43:48,277
I just couldn'’t have this story
about a guy

971
00:43:48,321 --> 00:43:51,193
who'’s trying to sell wontons,
you know?

972
00:43:51,237 --> 00:43:53,065
I mean, it became annoying.

973
00:43:53,108 --> 00:43:56,416
This whole, this whole desperate
odyssey of this guy

974
00:43:56,459 --> 00:43:58,723
trying to get somebody
to have his wonton soup.

975
00:43:58,766 --> 00:44:00,812
Whereas Otto, it'’s cool.

976
00:44:00,855 --> 00:44:03,684
I mean, he'’s this kid
who interacts with people.

977
00:44:03,728 --> 00:44:05,077
This would be Otto.

978
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:07,253
He has his binoculars.

979
00:44:07,296 --> 00:44:08,689
You turn the page.

980
00:44:08,733 --> 00:44:11,605
His parents are sleeping
next to him,

981
00:44:11,649 --> 00:44:15,478
and he looks out to the ocean
and he sees this sailboat

982
00:44:15,522 --> 00:44:18,264
with an emu in it, sailing it,

983
00:44:18,307 --> 00:44:20,919
and then eventually,
this is where it kind of

984
00:44:20,962 --> 00:44:24,705
takes off when he sees
this rat walking by.

985
00:44:24,749 --> 00:44:27,360
And the rat stops,
looks both ways,

986
00:44:27,403 --> 00:44:29,492
then walks down the beach.

987
00:44:29,536 --> 00:44:32,844
And Otto turns to his dad,
"Huh?"

988
00:44:32,887 --> 00:44:36,717
And then one of the oldest
palindromes of all,

989
00:44:36,761 --> 00:44:38,110
"Was it a rat I saw?"

990
00:44:38,153 --> 00:44:40,503
And the father says, "No, son."

991
00:44:40,547 --> 00:44:42,592
Kid thinks for a second, "Hm."

992
00:44:42,636 --> 00:44:44,159
So he follows the rat

993
00:44:44,203 --> 00:44:46,161
and that'’s really where
the journey starts.

994
00:44:46,205 --> 00:44:48,947
But in that journey,
everything that'’s spoken

995
00:44:48,990 --> 00:44:50,905
will be in a palindrome

996
00:44:50,949 --> 00:44:53,342
'’cause I'm trying
to make it accessible.

997
00:44:53,386 --> 00:44:55,562
So at the end of the book
you'’ll realize,

998
00:44:55,605 --> 00:44:57,651
"Oh, that was fun,
that was a fun read.

999
00:44:57,695 --> 00:44:59,871
And it was all in palindromes,
oh my God!"

1000
00:44:59,914 --> 00:45:02,569
Yeah, so, that'’s--yeah,
that'’s what I'm hoping.

1001
00:45:02,612 --> 00:45:04,658
Another thing about palindromes
that'’s funny

1002
00:45:04,702 --> 00:45:06,921
is that people think
that you'’re really--

1003
00:45:06,965 --> 00:45:08,749
they'’ll think you're a genius.

1004
00:45:08,793 --> 00:45:10,838
And then there are other people
who just think you'’re weird.

1005
00:45:10,882 --> 00:45:12,927
You know, it'’s like, "Oh, okay."

1006
00:45:12,971 --> 00:45:16,235
I would say it'’s probably
a fairly small community.

1007
00:45:16,278 --> 00:45:17,627
That'’s my sense of it.

1008
00:45:17,671 --> 00:45:19,368
[laughing]

1009
00:45:19,412 --> 00:45:20,761
I'’ve never met
any of them.

1010
00:45:20,805 --> 00:45:22,937
I'’ve had some online
interactions, that'’s all.

1011
00:45:22,981 --> 00:45:24,678
Mark'’s a good online friend,

1012
00:45:24,722 --> 00:45:26,506
so now it'’s like...

1013
00:45:26,549 --> 00:45:27,986
well over 15 years apart,

1014
00:45:28,029 --> 00:45:29,901
we'’ve emailed
just about palindromes,

1015
00:45:29,944 --> 00:45:31,511
we'’ve never met in person.

1016
00:45:31,554 --> 00:45:33,861
It'’s a particular
community of people

1017
00:45:33,905 --> 00:45:35,733
I enjoy an awful lot,

1018
00:45:35,776 --> 00:45:37,386
which doesn'’t mean
I'’m not gonna kick their ass

1019
00:45:37,430 --> 00:45:41,477
at the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship.

1020
00:45:41,521 --> 00:45:44,132
This is Think Out Loud
on OPB and KLCC.

1021
00:45:44,176 --> 00:45:45,351
I'’m Dave Miller.

1022
00:45:45,394 --> 00:45:47,353
We turn now to
a reigning world champion

1023
00:45:47,396 --> 00:45:49,485
who'’s getting ready
to defend his title.

1024
00:45:49,529 --> 00:45:51,400
Mark Saltveit is
a palindromist.

1025
00:45:51,444 --> 00:45:52,924
He writes
those symmetrical phrases

1026
00:45:52,967 --> 00:45:54,795
that read the same
forward as backward.

1027
00:45:54,839 --> 00:45:58,320
In 2012, he won the first ever
World Palindrome Championship,

1028
00:45:58,364 --> 00:46:01,280
which was of course organized
by the Puzzle Master himself,

1029
00:46:01,323 --> 00:46:02,672
Will Shortz.

1030
00:46:02,716 --> 00:46:04,326
This weekend, he'’s heading
back into the fray

1031
00:46:04,370 --> 00:46:05,893
to defend his title.

1032
00:46:05,937 --> 00:46:06,938
Before he does,

1033
00:46:06,981 --> 00:46:08,330
he joins me in the studio.

1034
00:46:08,374 --> 00:46:09,679
How are you feeling
right now,

1035
00:46:09,723 --> 00:46:10,811
going into the championship?

1036
00:46:10,855 --> 00:46:12,639
I mean,
is there a target on your head?

1037
00:46:12,682 --> 00:46:14,293
There is, of course--
I'’m the champ!

1038
00:46:14,336 --> 00:46:15,642
Everybody'’s gunnin' for me.

1039
00:46:15,685 --> 00:46:17,252
But, you know,
I'’ve done my work.

1040
00:46:17,296 --> 00:46:18,340
I also work out,

1041
00:46:18,384 --> 00:46:19,559
and that kind of freaked out

1042
00:46:19,602 --> 00:46:21,039
the other palindromists
last time,

1043
00:46:21,082 --> 00:46:22,910
so I'’m continuing that.

1044
00:46:22,954 --> 00:46:24,956
What is your physical regimen
to prepare for

1045
00:46:24,999 --> 00:46:26,305
-this mental game?
-Right now, I'’m running a lot.

1046
00:46:26,348 --> 00:46:28,263
I ran 10 miles yesterday,

1047
00:46:28,307 --> 00:46:30,962
and last time, I was doing
a lot more weights.

1048
00:46:31,005 --> 00:46:32,398
But you'’re trying
to just psych them out.

1049
00:46:32,441 --> 00:46:33,965
Yeah, of course.

1050
00:46:34,008 --> 00:46:35,618
I-I-I'’ve already offered
to buy alcohol for everybody,

1051
00:46:35,662 --> 00:46:37,969
like, "What are you drinkin'’?
Drinks on me!"

1052
00:46:38,012 --> 00:46:40,319
♪

1053
00:46:40,362 --> 00:46:42,843
I think of myself
as a pretty relaxed person,

1054
00:46:42,887 --> 00:46:45,324
but I guess I'’m actually
pretty competitive.

1055
00:46:45,367 --> 00:46:46,934
It'’s when I finally
find something

1056
00:46:46,978 --> 00:46:48,240
that I'’m totally
engaged with

1057
00:46:48,283 --> 00:46:50,024
and I lock into it,

1058
00:46:50,068 --> 00:46:54,550
I will dig in for years
or even decades.

1059
00:46:54,594 --> 00:46:56,857
You don'’t put in the work
to get to this level

1060
00:46:56,901 --> 00:46:59,120
without wanting
to be the best,

1061
00:46:59,164 --> 00:47:00,600
and that'’s great.

1062
00:47:00,643 --> 00:47:03,168
That'’s what makes
a good palindromist.

1063
00:47:03,211 --> 00:47:04,691
I think the most
memorable palindromes

1064
00:47:04,734 --> 00:47:09,261
are the ones, that, um, uh...
make sense, you know?

1065
00:47:09,304 --> 00:47:12,873
For a palindrome
to be a good palindrome,

1066
00:47:12,917 --> 00:47:15,397
it should reflect life,
it should make sense.

1067
00:47:15,441 --> 00:47:17,878
If it can have
a bit of humor,

1068
00:47:17,922 --> 00:47:19,097
all the better.

1069
00:47:19,140 --> 00:47:20,402
[dog whimpers]

1070
00:47:20,446 --> 00:47:21,795
I don'’t know
what you want in here.

1071
00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:22,927
You'’re just
dumping everything out.

1072
00:47:22,970 --> 00:47:25,364
But it'’s off-camera.

1073
00:47:25,407 --> 00:47:28,889
The most important skill
in being a palindrome person,

1074
00:47:28,933 --> 00:47:31,109
aside from knowing
a lot of words--

1075
00:47:31,152 --> 00:47:33,198
and maybe you don'’t even need
to know that many--

1076
00:47:33,241 --> 00:47:34,634
is patience.

1077
00:47:34,677 --> 00:47:38,856
Because most of what you try
isn'’t going to work.

1078
00:47:38,899 --> 00:47:41,119
You flip it around,
it doesn'’t work;

1079
00:47:41,162 --> 00:47:42,250
you flip it around,

1080
00:47:42,294 --> 00:47:43,121
you try to throw stuff
in the middle,

1081
00:47:43,164 --> 00:47:44,687
it doesn'’t work.

1082
00:47:44,731 --> 00:47:48,953
There'’s a lot of failure
involved in the process.

1083
00:47:48,996 --> 00:47:52,608
And then, you get something
that'’s decent,

1084
00:47:52,652 --> 00:47:53,609
if you'’re lucky,

1085
00:47:53,653 --> 00:47:55,916
and then you look
and you say,

1086
00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:58,397
"But can I make it good
instead of just decent?

1087
00:47:58,440 --> 00:47:59,964
Can I make it great?"

1088
00:48:00,007 --> 00:48:02,967
So, I do think about strategy
that I'’m going to do

1089
00:48:03,010 --> 00:48:04,925
for this competition,

1090
00:48:04,969 --> 00:48:06,579
and one of them is,

1091
00:48:06,622 --> 00:48:07,928
that you see a lot in sports,

1092
00:48:07,972 --> 00:48:09,277
is psyching people out.

1093
00:48:09,321 --> 00:48:11,932
Is this a strategy
that I want to use?

1094
00:48:11,976 --> 00:48:13,847
I'’m not nervous at all,

1095
00:48:13,891 --> 00:48:15,631
because I have
nothing to lose.

1096
00:48:15,675 --> 00:48:17,459
I'’m actually very excited
to get together

1097
00:48:17,503 --> 00:48:19,113
with a whole group of people

1098
00:48:19,157 --> 00:48:22,073
who are all into
this palindrome thing.

1099
00:48:22,116 --> 00:48:25,728
Because I really don'’t tend
to meet people like that.

1100
00:48:25,772 --> 00:48:27,208
These people are gonna be
my friends.

1101
00:48:27,252 --> 00:48:29,036
These are people who
I can talk about this stuff

1102
00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,820
that everybody else says,

1103
00:48:30,864 --> 00:48:32,822
"My God,
what are you talking about?

1104
00:48:32,866 --> 00:48:34,128
You'’re so boring.

1105
00:48:34,172 --> 00:48:36,696
Why are you into
this weird, obscure thing?"

1106
00:48:36,739 --> 00:48:38,916
And here are people
who just naturally

1107
00:48:38,959 --> 00:48:39,873
know the lifestyle,

1108
00:48:39,917 --> 00:48:41,092
know what it feels like,

1109
00:48:41,135 --> 00:48:43,790
know the drama,
the--the nervousness,

1110
00:48:43,833 --> 00:48:47,663
the...the boredom, the--
well, let'’s call it

1111
00:48:47,707 --> 00:48:49,230
the artist'’s process.

1112
00:48:49,274 --> 00:48:51,102
These people all get it.

1113
00:48:51,145 --> 00:48:53,017
I hope it'’ll be interesting.

1114
00:48:53,060 --> 00:48:59,501
♪

1115
00:48:59,545 --> 00:49:02,330
I'’ve tried to think
of everything I possibly can.

1116
00:49:02,374 --> 00:49:03,114
I mean,
who knows what Will Shortz

1117
00:49:03,157 --> 00:49:04,680
is gonna throw at us?

1118
00:49:04,724 --> 00:49:06,117
It'’s tricky,
because I don'’t really know

1119
00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:07,988
exactly how to prepare for this.

1120
00:49:08,032 --> 00:49:11,296
I'’ve taken so many auditions
as a musician.

1121
00:49:11,339 --> 00:49:12,950
I know how to prepare for those,

1122
00:49:12,993 --> 00:49:15,343
and this feels like
an audition, but, like,

1123
00:49:15,387 --> 00:49:17,824
"Ooh, what do I do,
exactly?"

1124
00:49:17,867 --> 00:49:19,826
I'’ve never had
to write palindromes

1125
00:49:19,869 --> 00:49:22,133
under pressure before, so...

1126
00:49:22,176 --> 00:49:23,351
I don'’t know
what'’s gonna happen

1127
00:49:23,395 --> 00:49:25,266
Friday night.

1128
00:49:25,310 --> 00:49:27,660
So I'’m excited
to meet my people,

1129
00:49:27,703 --> 00:49:31,707
who have a similar obsession
with writing things backwards.

1130
00:49:31,751 --> 00:49:33,013
[she chuckles]

1131
00:49:33,057 --> 00:49:34,406
This is the nerdiest thing
I'’ve ever done.

1132
00:49:34,449 --> 00:49:36,147
[laughing]

1133
00:49:38,758 --> 00:49:41,674
Yeah, I love to travel,
always have.

1134
00:49:41,717 --> 00:49:43,328
I like these sorts of things
where I get to meet

1135
00:49:43,371 --> 00:49:44,938
the other palindromists,

1136
00:49:44,982 --> 00:49:46,766
'’cause I'm a bit more isolated
than the rest of them.

1137
00:49:46,809 --> 00:49:50,117
I don'’t know anyone in Australia
who writes palindromes.

1138
00:49:50,161 --> 00:49:51,814
But it'’s kind of opened
a different world to me,

1139
00:49:51,858 --> 00:49:53,338
you know, that other people
were actually interested

1140
00:49:53,381 --> 00:49:55,079
in something that I was doing

1141
00:49:55,122 --> 00:49:56,994
and said I was good at it, too.

1142
00:49:57,037 --> 00:49:59,083
I'’m competing in
a world championship, you know?

1143
00:49:59,126 --> 00:50:00,954
How many people
get to say that?

1144
00:50:00,998 --> 00:50:03,348
♪

1145
00:50:03,391 --> 00:50:06,568
I wrote a lot of poems
over the winter

1146
00:50:06,612 --> 00:50:08,048
in preparation of this,

1147
00:50:08,092 --> 00:50:10,877
and I haven'’t shown them
to anyone.

1148
00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:14,620
I think my chances are
better than the average,

1149
00:50:14,663 --> 00:50:16,796
but, you know,
there'’s voting,

1150
00:50:16,839 --> 00:50:19,146
so anything can happen.

1151
00:50:19,190 --> 00:50:21,453
Realistically,
everyone probably thinks

1152
00:50:21,496 --> 00:50:25,022
their chances are better
than they actually are.

1153
00:50:25,065 --> 00:50:26,545
On the train,

1154
00:50:26,588 --> 00:50:30,810
I went through
all of my extra letters,

1155
00:50:30,853 --> 00:50:34,074
and I wrote out
some of my favorites

1156
00:50:34,118 --> 00:50:36,903
from each set
of extra letters,

1157
00:50:36,946 --> 00:50:39,079
like my favorite extra As,

1158
00:50:39,123 --> 00:50:43,779
but I'’m guessing he won't do
a specific letter again.

1159
00:50:43,823 --> 00:50:45,738
I brought No-End Neon,

1160
00:50:45,781 --> 00:50:48,958
which is a chapbook I made
on my printer,

1161
00:50:49,002 --> 00:50:50,917
my 12-year-old printer,

1162
00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:54,051
and it'’s all the poems I wrote
in preparation of this.

1163
00:50:54,094 --> 00:50:56,096
There are things in here
that no one'’s seen

1164
00:50:56,140 --> 00:50:58,272
that I really want to use.

1165
00:50:58,316 --> 00:51:00,318
Depending on what prompts
we'’re given,

1166
00:51:00,361 --> 00:51:02,059
I'’m hoping to work
some of the things

1167
00:51:02,102 --> 00:51:04,148
I'’ve discovered
in the last few months

1168
00:51:04,191 --> 00:51:05,801
into them.

1169
00:51:05,845 --> 00:51:08,195
This was a lot more fun to do
than, like, practicing anyway.

1170
00:51:08,239 --> 00:51:10,241
I'’m not very good at studying.

1171
00:51:10,284 --> 00:51:13,026
I'’ve got, uh, my notebook.

1172
00:51:13,070 --> 00:51:14,419
I'’ll buy some tape,

1173
00:51:14,462 --> 00:51:19,337
because my extra Js
fell out on the train today.

1174
00:51:21,382 --> 00:51:23,950
Tomorrow is when it all begins,
tomorrow night.

1175
00:51:23,993 --> 00:51:26,822
Friday night, I think
we are given one hour

1176
00:51:26,866 --> 00:51:28,346
to write our palindromes,

1177
00:51:28,389 --> 00:51:31,871
based on whatever constraint
or constraints were given,

1178
00:51:31,914 --> 00:51:34,221
and then I know that
at the end of Friday night,

1179
00:51:34,265 --> 00:51:36,876
we'’ll be given
the constraints for Saturday,

1180
00:51:36,919 --> 00:51:39,531
and we'’ll have a full day
to work on the palindromes

1181
00:51:39,574 --> 00:51:41,054
for Saturday'’s.

1182
00:51:41,098 --> 00:51:43,143
I mean, these are
the best of the best,

1183
00:51:43,187 --> 00:51:47,321
so I'’m honored
to be among them, and...

1184
00:51:47,365 --> 00:51:49,628
yeah, it'’s mostly
a male community,

1185
00:51:49,671 --> 00:51:51,412
for the most part.

1186
00:51:51,456 --> 00:51:53,501
I hope I won'’t be letting down
half of the world'’s population

1187
00:51:53,545 --> 00:51:55,808
if I lose, but, you know.

1188
00:51:55,851 --> 00:51:57,114
No pressure.

1189
00:51:57,157 --> 00:52:00,204
Oh, 1 to 10,
it'’s like 10, 11.

1190
00:52:00,247 --> 00:52:02,554
Turn it to 11, Spinal Tap!
I don'’t know.

1191
00:52:02,597 --> 00:52:04,077
I'’m havin' a great time.

1192
00:52:04,121 --> 00:52:06,035
Everybody else'’s style is
kinda different from mine.

1193
00:52:06,079 --> 00:52:09,038
Everybody--each one of us
has his own style, really.

1194
00:52:09,082 --> 00:52:11,128
So, hopefully,
that'’ll work out.

1195
00:52:11,171 --> 00:52:13,695
Ultimately,
there'’s a creative process

1196
00:52:13,739 --> 00:52:15,349
in palindroming,

1197
00:52:15,393 --> 00:52:17,003
and I'’ll be, you know,
world champion

1198
00:52:17,046 --> 00:52:18,831
if I'’m the best
at that creative process,

1199
00:52:18,874 --> 00:52:21,225
and I think whoever is
world champion, if it isn'’t me,

1200
00:52:21,268 --> 00:52:23,444
is going to be world champion
because they are the best

1201
00:52:23,488 --> 00:52:25,011
at that creative process.

1202
00:52:25,054 --> 00:52:28,145
I think Mark has
an excellent chance to repeat.

1203
00:52:28,188 --> 00:52:30,495
I think Jon Agee is good
because he writes

1204
00:52:30,538 --> 00:52:33,280
very simple,
direct palindromes,

1205
00:52:33,324 --> 00:52:35,369
which wins
these sorts of competitions.

1206
00:52:35,413 --> 00:52:38,198
I'’m interested in this guy
Anthony Etherin too.

1207
00:52:38,242 --> 00:52:39,808
His poems, I thought,
were brilliant.

1208
00:52:39,852 --> 00:52:42,637
If he'’s able to produce
that sort of material

1209
00:52:42,681 --> 00:52:44,030
in a 75-minute span,

1210
00:52:44,073 --> 00:52:45,597
than he could well
walk away with it.

1211
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:49,992
♪

1212
00:52:50,036 --> 00:52:51,342
We'’ve just got in,

1213
00:52:51,385 --> 00:52:54,736
and we'’re going to
scale some tall buildings,

1214
00:52:54,780 --> 00:52:58,305
um, visit some galleries.

1215
00:52:58,349 --> 00:52:59,741
Probably gonna get very drunk,
at some point.

1216
00:52:59,785 --> 00:53:01,569
Afterwards,
we'’re going to Stamford

1217
00:53:01,613 --> 00:53:03,223
for the World
Palindrome Championship,

1218
00:53:03,267 --> 00:53:05,269
the most important event
of the year.

1219
00:53:05,312 --> 00:53:09,273
♪

1220
00:53:09,316 --> 00:53:11,275
My mind is racing, for sure.

1221
00:53:11,318 --> 00:53:12,754
This will be
the first time I'’ve met

1222
00:53:12,798 --> 00:53:14,800
any of these palindromists
in person,

1223
00:53:14,843 --> 00:53:16,932
so I'’m looking forward to it.

1224
00:53:16,976 --> 00:53:26,942
♪

1225
00:53:26,986 --> 00:53:29,031
-Good luck to everybody.
-Thank you.

1226
00:53:29,075 --> 00:53:30,816
This is gonna be interesting.

1227
00:53:30,859 --> 00:53:31,904
The last time,
it was just one night;

1228
00:53:31,947 --> 00:53:34,036
now it'’s a bigger event.

1229
00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:36,691
I'’m feeling pretty good,
I think!

1230
00:53:36,735 --> 00:53:39,216
[indistinct chatter]

1231
00:53:39,259 --> 00:53:42,828
♪

1232
00:53:42,871 --> 00:53:44,960
[laughter, chatter]

1233
00:53:45,004 --> 00:53:47,876
♪

1234
00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:49,226
Well, welcome, everybody.

1235
00:53:49,269 --> 00:53:53,186
[applause]

1236
00:53:53,230 --> 00:53:57,843
We'’ll start with the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship,

1237
00:53:57,886 --> 00:54:01,150
and I'’m gonna introduce
the contestants.

1238
00:54:01,194 --> 00:54:02,195
Then they will go

1239
00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:04,589
to a private room for an hour

1240
00:54:04,632 --> 00:54:08,027
to create original palindromes.

1241
00:54:08,070 --> 00:54:09,376
When the hour is up,

1242
00:54:09,420 --> 00:54:10,638
someone will check
to make sure

1243
00:54:10,682 --> 00:54:14,120
that none of the entries
appear online,

1244
00:54:14,163 --> 00:54:16,165
so that they are
new entries,

1245
00:54:16,209 --> 00:54:17,123
new palindromes,

1246
00:54:17,166 --> 00:54:18,603
and these results will count

1247
00:54:18,646 --> 00:54:21,258
toward a third
of the entire championship.

1248
00:54:21,301 --> 00:54:23,738
So, are you guys ready?

1249
00:54:23,782 --> 00:54:25,305
-Yeah!
-Here you go.

1250
00:54:25,349 --> 00:54:28,265
These are your
choice of constraints.

1251
00:54:28,308 --> 00:54:34,358
First, start or end
with a French or Spanish word.

1252
00:54:34,401 --> 00:54:37,752
[laughter]

1253
00:54:37,796 --> 00:54:39,624
Number two.

1254
00:54:39,667 --> 00:54:44,368
Your palindrome must contain
a Q not followed by a U.

1255
00:54:44,411 --> 00:54:45,586
-Phew!
-[murmuring]

1256
00:54:45,630 --> 00:54:49,460
Three, your palindrome
must start and end

1257
00:54:49,503 --> 00:54:52,245
with words that rhyme
with each other.

1258
00:54:52,289 --> 00:54:55,683
[indistinct chatter]

1259
00:54:55,727 --> 00:54:57,294
Or four,

1260
00:54:57,337 --> 00:54:59,600
your palindrome must contain
the names

1261
00:54:59,644 --> 00:55:02,690
of two or more magazines.

1262
00:55:02,734 --> 00:55:04,431
So there you go.

1263
00:55:04,475 --> 00:55:06,825
[Will chuckles]

1264
00:55:06,868 --> 00:55:07,826
Okay.

1265
00:55:07,869 --> 00:55:09,654
Good luck, you guys.

1266
00:55:09,697 --> 00:55:12,134
[applause]

1267
00:55:14,659 --> 00:55:15,442
How exciting.

1268
00:55:15,486 --> 00:55:16,835
This is great.

1269
00:55:16,878 --> 00:55:18,315
I love it!

1270
00:55:18,358 --> 00:55:21,274
♪

1271
00:55:21,318 --> 00:55:23,320
I'’m ready to go.

1272
00:55:23,363 --> 00:55:24,321
Okay!

1273
00:55:24,364 --> 00:55:32,503
♪

1274
00:55:32,546 --> 00:55:34,418
Then comes the writing part.

1275
00:55:34,461 --> 00:55:42,556
♪

1276
00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:44,384
Gosh, it was intense,
it just--you know,

1277
00:55:44,428 --> 00:55:46,168
I'’m used to sitting in my chair
and doing them,

1278
00:55:46,212 --> 00:55:48,214
where speed is not an issue.

1279
00:55:48,257 --> 00:55:50,303
♪

1280
00:55:50,347 --> 00:55:52,784
Will is being so tough
with the constraints

1281
00:55:52,827 --> 00:55:55,308
that they were
really hard to use

1282
00:55:55,352 --> 00:55:58,180
in that very short
amount of time.

1283
00:55:58,224 --> 00:56:00,226
Fourteen minutes.

1284
00:56:00,269 --> 00:56:02,054
I have many
fun middles to play with

1285
00:56:02,097 --> 00:56:04,796
that may help.

1286
00:56:04,839 --> 00:56:07,146
Doug Fink talks a lot out loud

1287
00:56:07,189 --> 00:56:08,582
and nobody else does.

1288
00:56:08,626 --> 00:56:10,845
He actually made some crack
about psyching me out

1289
00:56:10,889 --> 00:56:12,369
by sitting across from me,

1290
00:56:12,412 --> 00:56:15,415
so you have to suspect
it'’s gamesmanship.

1291
00:56:15,459 --> 00:56:20,028
♪

1292
00:56:20,072 --> 00:56:21,813
I'’m just glad that I,
you know, didn'’t forget

1293
00:56:21,856 --> 00:56:23,989
how to write palindromes!

1294
00:56:24,032 --> 00:56:25,338
Under pressure.

1295
00:56:25,382 --> 00:56:28,733
♪

1296
00:56:28,776 --> 00:56:30,561
-I have to bring these to you?
-If you don'’t mind.

1297
00:56:30,604 --> 00:56:32,737
-Nah.
-Thanks.

1298
00:56:32,780 --> 00:56:35,392
Okay, both of those work.

1299
00:56:35,435 --> 00:56:36,262
That works.

1300
00:56:36,305 --> 00:56:40,658
♪

1301
00:56:40,701 --> 00:56:42,529
-This one works.
-Okay.

1302
00:56:42,573 --> 00:56:44,183
I like that.

1303
00:56:44,226 --> 00:56:47,142
♪

1304
00:56:47,186 --> 00:56:49,318
They'’re about through
their hour of solitude,

1305
00:56:49,362 --> 00:56:51,712
so I guess it'’s the moment

1306
00:56:51,756 --> 00:56:53,453
either of truth
or frustration

1307
00:56:53,497 --> 00:56:54,759
that things are
coming together

1308
00:56:54,802 --> 00:56:57,501
or things are not
going to plan, but, um...

1309
00:56:57,544 --> 00:56:59,981
really quite nervous for them
all, to be honest.

1310
00:57:00,025 --> 00:57:01,766
♪

1311
00:57:01,809 --> 00:57:03,332
[buzzer sounds]

1312
00:57:03,376 --> 00:57:06,423
The situation affected me
more than I thought it would.

1313
00:57:06,466 --> 00:57:07,685
It was quite tense
for a while,

1314
00:57:07,728 --> 00:57:09,817
and there was
a sort of panic of,

1315
00:57:09,861 --> 00:57:11,515
"Am I working
quickly enough?"

1316
00:57:12,864 --> 00:57:15,519
Today'’s our wedding anniversary!

1317
00:57:15,562 --> 00:57:17,521
We'’ve hardly had a chance
to accept that

1318
00:57:17,564 --> 00:57:19,653
because there'’s been
so much going on.

1319
00:57:19,697 --> 00:57:23,396
[indistinct chatter]

1320
00:57:28,532 --> 00:57:30,490
So there have been two entries
I think so far

1321
00:57:30,534 --> 00:57:32,361
that are very similar to others.

1322
00:57:32,405 --> 00:57:35,234
Of course, they were
discovered independently.

1323
00:57:35,277 --> 00:57:39,325
There are two entries
that have similarity on the net

1324
00:57:39,368 --> 00:57:40,500
to something.

1325
00:57:40,544 --> 00:57:42,371
-Mm-hm.
-So, uh,

1326
00:57:42,415 --> 00:57:43,895
we'’ve never really had
any kind of scandal

1327
00:57:43,938 --> 00:57:45,331
in the palindrome world before.

1328
00:57:45,374 --> 00:57:47,420
This--this might be
the closest to it.

1329
00:57:47,464 --> 00:57:48,813
We shall see.

1330
00:57:48,856 --> 00:57:50,815
Well, someone here
probably knows that palindrome

1331
00:57:50,858 --> 00:57:52,120
really well.

1332
00:57:52,164 --> 00:57:54,514
That'’s Jon Agee's invention.

1333
00:57:54,558 --> 00:57:57,822
"Go hang a salami,
I'’m a lasagna hog."

1334
00:57:57,865 --> 00:57:59,693
[laughter]

1335
00:57:59,737 --> 00:58:01,303
I don'’t know how close they are.

1336
00:58:01,347 --> 00:58:03,218
It'’s not mine,
mine'’s good.

1337
00:58:03,262 --> 00:58:05,525
But, uh,
we'’ll see what happens.

1338
00:58:05,569 --> 00:58:08,920
...once did a puzzle
in which...

1339
00:58:08,963 --> 00:58:11,575
Okay, we'’re almost ready.

1340
00:58:11,618 --> 00:58:12,750
There was only one palindrome

1341
00:58:12,793 --> 00:58:15,404
that was thrown out
of the competition

1342
00:58:15,448 --> 00:58:19,583
by being too similar to one
that had been created before.

1343
00:58:19,626 --> 00:58:22,586
So, we are starting
with Doug Fink.

1344
00:58:22,629 --> 00:58:23,717
Doug?

1345
00:58:38,689 --> 00:58:41,126
[laughter, applause]

1346
00:58:43,824 --> 00:58:46,087
Uh, the television advertisement
for a late-night talk show

1347
00:58:46,131 --> 00:58:47,959
during the Vietnamese New Year.

1348
00:58:51,353 --> 00:58:52,616
[applause, bell rings]

1349
00:58:52,659 --> 00:58:55,183
The first is from
a James Bond film.

1350
00:59:01,363 --> 00:59:02,495
[applause, bell rings]

1351
00:59:16,161 --> 00:59:18,990
[applause, bell rings]

1352
00:59:19,033 --> 00:59:23,690
Using the Q constraint;
it'’s also a haiku.

1353
00:59:23,734 --> 00:59:26,040
[laughter]

1354
00:59:26,084 --> 00:59:27,259
For those who don'’t know,

1355
00:59:27,302 --> 00:59:30,741
an umiaq is an Inuit rowboat.

1356
00:59:30,784 --> 00:59:33,221
[laughter]

1357
00:59:35,441 --> 00:59:36,573
Okay?

1358
00:59:47,627 --> 00:59:49,673
[applause, bell rings]

1359
00:59:49,716 --> 00:59:51,022
Hello, everyone.

1360
00:59:51,065 --> 00:59:53,198
Um, I did it about Yoko Ono.

1361
00:59:53,241 --> 00:59:54,068
It is...

1362
01:00:02,207 --> 01:00:04,078
[applause, bell rings]

1363
01:00:04,122 --> 01:00:08,387
The first one I did is using
the Q-without-a-U constraint.

1364
01:00:17,004 --> 01:00:18,179
[laughter, applause, bell rings]

1365
01:00:25,143 --> 01:00:26,840
That'’s about Christmas dinner,

1366
01:00:26,884 --> 01:00:28,363
in case you...

1367
01:00:28,407 --> 01:00:29,800
So, first of all,

1368
01:00:29,843 --> 01:00:32,193
big hand for
our palindromists.

1369
01:00:32,237 --> 01:00:35,457
[applause]

1370
01:00:35,501 --> 01:00:36,720
That is amazing,

1371
01:00:36,763 --> 01:00:38,939
to do that in an hour.

1372
01:00:38,983 --> 01:00:41,681
[indistinct chatter]

1373
01:00:41,725 --> 01:00:44,031
♪

1374
01:00:44,075 --> 01:00:45,903
I was nervous because
of the time restraints

1375
01:00:45,946 --> 01:00:47,948
and so forth.

1376
01:00:47,992 --> 01:00:50,255
They disqualified one of his
because it had been

1377
01:00:50,298 --> 01:00:51,952
published before in Word Ways.

1378
01:00:51,996 --> 01:00:53,214
It was mine.

1379
01:00:53,258 --> 01:00:54,520
They found it on the internet,
it was mine.

1380
01:00:54,563 --> 01:00:56,348
I had no idea--
I had forgotten that I had--

1381
01:00:56,391 --> 01:00:59,220
I-I know now that I
published it.

1382
01:00:59,264 --> 01:01:00,657
Yeah, the system worked,

1383
01:01:00,700 --> 01:01:02,136
but I screwed it up, so...

1384
01:01:02,180 --> 01:01:03,790
So I'’ll have to come back
tomorrow, we'’ll see,

1385
01:01:03,834 --> 01:01:05,096
I don'’t know.

1386
01:01:05,139 --> 01:01:07,838
-That'’s why it's a contest!
-Yep.

1387
01:01:07,881 --> 01:01:09,535
I'’m proud of him.

1388
01:01:09,578 --> 01:01:11,624
And I'’m proud
of his whole body of work

1389
01:01:11,668 --> 01:01:13,147
that he'’s done over time.

1390
01:01:13,191 --> 01:01:14,671
I am!

1391
01:01:14,714 --> 01:01:18,239
If women could just know
what a great hobby this was,

1392
01:01:18,283 --> 01:01:19,937
they would talk
all their husbands

1393
01:01:19,980 --> 01:01:21,242
into being a palindromist,

1394
01:01:21,286 --> 01:01:22,461
because, first of all,

1395
01:01:22,504 --> 01:01:24,376
it costs absolutely no money.

1396
01:01:24,419 --> 01:01:26,247
You get a pen,
you get a piece of paper,

1397
01:01:26,291 --> 01:01:27,509
you got a hobby.

1398
01:01:27,553 --> 01:01:29,076
He'’s always there
when I need him to do

1399
01:01:29,120 --> 01:01:30,512
some, you know,
big macho thing

1400
01:01:30,556 --> 01:01:32,950
like open a jar
of pickles or whatever?

1401
01:01:32,993 --> 01:01:34,429
There he is.

1402
01:01:34,473 --> 01:01:35,735
I loved the 007 one.

1403
01:01:35,779 --> 01:01:37,519
I thought that was
a very good palindrome.

1404
01:01:37,563 --> 01:01:39,217
It'’s a thing
with palindromes that,

1405
01:01:39,260 --> 01:01:40,958
because of the nature of them,

1406
01:01:41,001 --> 01:01:43,917
the end is given away
by the start, so that the--

1407
01:01:43,961 --> 01:01:46,006
so if you can have
something clever at the end,

1408
01:01:46,050 --> 01:01:48,095
you know, it works, yeah.

1409
01:01:48,139 --> 01:01:50,054
The "Q was 700" sort of thing,

1410
01:01:50,097 --> 01:01:52,534
it wasn'’t immediately obvious
that that was coming,

1411
01:01:52,578 --> 01:01:54,580
so I thought it was
very clever.

1412
01:01:54,623 --> 01:01:56,016
There'’s so many good ones.

1413
01:01:56,060 --> 01:01:57,757
I mean, there'’s a lot
of really good work here.

1414
01:01:57,801 --> 01:02:00,325
There'’s a lot of really
natural language.

1415
01:02:00,368 --> 01:02:03,197
So, competition'’s really tough
this year.

1416
01:02:03,241 --> 01:02:04,721
I-I got like all "huhs."

1417
01:02:04,764 --> 01:02:06,940
I did not do well
on the sign votes,

1418
01:02:06,984 --> 01:02:09,638
so I don'’t think
I did too well tonight.

1419
01:02:09,682 --> 01:02:10,552
We'’ll see.

1420
01:02:10,596 --> 01:02:11,902
You guys finish those.

1421
01:02:11,945 --> 01:02:13,207
And you can do
the totaling?

1422
01:02:13,251 --> 01:02:14,121
-I'’ll do the numbers.
-That'’s brilliant,

1423
01:02:14,165 --> 01:02:15,079
that'’s brilliant.

1424
01:02:15,122 --> 01:02:16,210
I thought they were great,

1425
01:02:16,254 --> 01:02:17,734
and I thought everybody
did a great job.

1426
01:02:17,777 --> 01:02:19,039
-Guess what?
-What?

1427
01:02:19,083 --> 01:02:20,171
They'’re gettin' ready
to announce the awards.

1428
01:02:20,214 --> 01:02:21,825
-Are they?
-I think we gotta go.

1429
01:02:21,868 --> 01:02:23,348
We'’re gonna find out
what the crowd likes

1430
01:02:23,391 --> 01:02:25,045
and doesn'’t like.
That'’s almost more important.

1431
01:02:25,089 --> 01:02:27,787
It'’s the same people who are
gonna be here tomorrow, so...

1432
01:02:27,831 --> 01:02:29,006
it'’d be important
to take notes

1433
01:02:29,049 --> 01:02:30,964
on what worked
and what didn'’t.

1434
01:02:31,008 --> 01:02:33,488
Okay, Olga is going
to announce the results.

1435
01:02:33,532 --> 01:02:35,012
Okay. Hi, everybody.

1436
01:02:35,055 --> 01:02:38,972
Martin Clear
came in number three, with:

1437
01:02:51,506 --> 01:02:54,292
[applause]

1438
01:02:54,335 --> 01:02:56,816
[bell rings]

1439
01:02:56,860 --> 01:03:00,167
Position number two
was Jon Agee, for:

1440
01:03:06,043 --> 01:03:09,176
[applause, bell rings]

1441
01:03:12,527 --> 01:03:16,793
And in first place
was Martin Clear, with:

1442
01:03:23,712 --> 01:03:25,497
First place.

1443
01:03:25,540 --> 01:03:28,543
[applause, bell rings]

1444
01:03:28,587 --> 01:03:37,814
♪

1445
01:03:37,857 --> 01:03:39,554
Okay, before you go,

1446
01:03:39,598 --> 01:03:42,862
there are five constraints

1447
01:03:42,906 --> 01:03:45,952
that the palindromists
can choose for tomorrow,

1448
01:03:45,996 --> 01:03:48,302
and they have until
8:00 tomorrow night.

1449
01:03:48,346 --> 01:03:49,521
Number one.

1450
01:03:53,917 --> 01:03:55,527
[animated chatter]

1451
01:03:55,570 --> 01:03:57,442
And for the person
who wrote a haiku tonight,

1452
01:03:57,485 --> 01:03:58,965
it has to be a new one.

1453
01:03:59,009 --> 01:04:00,401
[laughter]

1454
01:04:00,445 --> 01:04:01,620
Number two.

1455
01:04:06,668 --> 01:04:08,322
[collective "Ooh!"]

1456
01:04:14,807 --> 01:04:17,288
[laughter, chatter]

1457
01:04:24,904 --> 01:04:26,645
[laughter]

1458
01:04:26,688 --> 01:04:27,864
Or five:

1459
01:04:34,174 --> 01:04:36,394
[laughter, chatter]

1460
01:04:36,437 --> 01:04:39,919
So, good luck,
it'’s been a great night,

1461
01:04:39,963 --> 01:04:41,921
and we'’ll see you all
tomorrow morning.

1462
01:04:41,965 --> 01:04:46,708
♪

1463
01:04:46,752 --> 01:04:49,973
The palindromists
are like entertainment.

1464
01:04:50,016 --> 01:04:52,889
And these are
hardcore word people here,

1465
01:04:52,932 --> 01:04:54,891
and I think people enjoy it.

1466
01:04:54,934 --> 01:04:56,414
Probably gonna write
a little tonight

1467
01:04:56,457 --> 01:04:58,416
and see if I can sleep,
and if not,

1468
01:04:58,459 --> 01:05:00,505
I'’ll keep writing!

1469
01:05:00,548 --> 01:05:01,941
Or if I can sleep,
I'’ll get some sleep

1470
01:05:01,985 --> 01:05:03,638
and keep working on them
tomorrow.

1471
01:05:03,682 --> 01:05:06,990
Interesting constraints
for the new five.

1472
01:05:07,033 --> 01:05:08,905
It was interesting
that we anticipated

1473
01:05:08,948 --> 01:05:10,123
several of them.

1474
01:05:10,167 --> 01:05:11,559
I'’ve never written
a movie-plot palindrome.

1475
01:05:11,603 --> 01:05:13,431
I'’ll--maybe I'll look
through some movies,

1476
01:05:13,474 --> 01:05:15,955
movie titles,
and try to work on in.

1477
01:05:15,999 --> 01:05:18,044
Tomorrow is the big day,
as far as points.

1478
01:05:18,088 --> 01:05:21,221
That'’s two thirds of it,
they say, so...

1479
01:05:21,265 --> 01:05:22,440
We'’ll see what happens, yeah.

1480
01:05:22,483 --> 01:05:24,790
It'’s good to be
clubhouse leader

1481
01:05:24,833 --> 01:05:26,748
after round one,

1482
01:05:26,792 --> 01:05:28,185
but that doesn'’t mean
you'’re the champion.

1483
01:05:28,228 --> 01:05:33,712
♪

1484
01:05:34,582 --> 01:05:41,111
♪

1485
01:05:41,154 --> 01:05:42,460
I stayed up till about 1:00
last night

1486
01:05:42,503 --> 01:05:44,331
and I think
I made some progress.

1487
01:05:44,375 --> 01:05:45,506
Spend the rest
of the afternoon

1488
01:05:45,550 --> 01:05:46,855
just trying to refine
what I'’ve got

1489
01:05:46,899 --> 01:05:50,120
and see if I can improve
on them, and make some--

1490
01:05:50,163 --> 01:05:53,514
maybe find a new one,
but, uh,

1491
01:05:53,558 --> 01:05:54,994
they'’re pretty challenging--

1492
01:05:55,038 --> 01:05:56,691
pretty challenging prompts!

1493
01:05:56,735 --> 01:05:58,041
I think I had
the fewest points

1494
01:05:58,084 --> 01:06:01,000
of all the competitors
last night, yeah.

1495
01:06:01,044 --> 01:06:02,741
Now I'’m just trying
to do the best I can

1496
01:06:02,784 --> 01:06:03,960
and have fun.

1497
01:06:04,003 --> 01:06:06,266
I hope people like
the ones I do tonight,

1498
01:06:06,310 --> 01:06:09,661
and I'’ll be able to--
I'’ll be listening.

1499
01:06:09,704 --> 01:06:10,618
[chuckles]

1500
01:06:10,662 --> 01:06:12,055
Looking for the signs!

1501
01:06:12,098 --> 01:06:15,014
♪

1502
01:06:15,058 --> 01:06:16,929
I came back to my room
and just started working,

1503
01:06:16,973 --> 01:06:18,278
because I knew
I couldn'’t sleep

1504
01:06:18,322 --> 01:06:20,672
unless I had written
at least, you know,

1505
01:06:20,715 --> 01:06:24,719
a few semi-decent palindromes.

1506
01:06:24,763 --> 01:06:26,504
I'’m so exhausted!
I just wanna sleep.

1507
01:06:26,547 --> 01:06:27,853
I mean, it'’s exciting,
you know.

1508
01:06:27,896 --> 01:06:29,072
It does push you,

1509
01:06:29,115 --> 01:06:31,117
but it'’s a very strange
experience,

1510
01:06:31,161 --> 01:06:33,206
because I'’m just used
to writing palindromes

1511
01:06:33,250 --> 01:06:37,036
in a very relaxed
kind of fashion,

1512
01:06:37,080 --> 01:06:40,518
and I don'’t know that
I'’m super-pleased yet with...

1513
01:06:40,561 --> 01:06:42,172
you know, I mean,
I'’m still writing.

1514
01:06:42,215 --> 01:06:45,131
We'’ll see what I come up with
and actually submit tonight.

1515
01:06:45,175 --> 01:06:47,090
♪

1516
01:06:47,133 --> 01:06:48,613
I think I'’m in
fairly good standing

1517
01:06:48,656 --> 01:06:51,007
as of the first round
in terms of points,

1518
01:06:51,050 --> 01:06:53,748
but, I mean, you know,
who knows?

1519
01:06:53,792 --> 01:06:56,969
It'’s so hard to--to know
what other people

1520
01:06:57,013 --> 01:06:58,927
are going to like
in a palindrome.

1521
01:06:58,971 --> 01:07:01,930
I felt--I felt pretty good
about the three palindromes

1522
01:07:01,974 --> 01:07:03,323
I wrote last night.

1523
01:07:03,367 --> 01:07:05,412
I mean, I felt, okay,
that'’s a respectable--

1524
01:07:05,456 --> 01:07:07,023
respectable showing.

1525
01:07:07,066 --> 01:07:08,894
I-I didn'’t forget how to write
palindromes on the spot,

1526
01:07:08,937 --> 01:07:10,852
so, yay!

1527
01:07:10,896 --> 01:07:14,378
So, uh, I think
my strongest one so far,

1528
01:07:14,421 --> 01:07:16,554
and I think it'’s probably
the easiest prompt,

1529
01:07:16,597 --> 01:07:20,514
is simply to write a palindrome
that deals with Trump

1530
01:07:20,558 --> 01:07:22,995
or the Trump administration
in some fashion.

1531
01:07:23,039 --> 01:07:25,737
The word "Trump"
is nearly impossible

1532
01:07:25,780 --> 01:07:28,957
to use in a palindrome
without abbreviations.

1533
01:07:29,001 --> 01:07:32,352
But "Don," of course,
is extremely easy.

1534
01:07:32,396 --> 01:07:34,702
♪

1535
01:07:34,746 --> 01:07:36,704
Woke up and I thought,
"I'’d better get to this soon,"

1536
01:07:36,748 --> 01:07:38,967
'’cause, I don't know,
it'’s not gonna be easy.

1537
01:07:39,011 --> 01:07:41,492
Creating palindrome
is such a random thing.

1538
01:07:41,535 --> 01:07:43,624
Sometimes, it just
sort of picks up

1539
01:07:43,668 --> 01:07:45,191
and you find something,

1540
01:07:45,235 --> 01:07:47,324
"oh, let me twist it around
here."

1541
01:07:47,367 --> 01:07:50,805
But very rarely do you get
anything that'’s great,

1542
01:07:50,849 --> 01:07:52,198
you know?

1543
01:07:52,242 --> 01:07:56,072
It'’s like every, you know,
year it'’s like,

1544
01:07:56,115 --> 01:07:58,900
maybe four or five really good--

1545
01:07:58,944 --> 01:08:00,685
really good ones
that I remember.

1546
01:08:00,728 --> 01:08:03,035
It'’s not the perfect way
for me to come up with

1547
01:08:03,079 --> 01:08:04,645
my palindromes,

1548
01:08:04,689 --> 01:08:07,605
but I think that'’s true
for probably everybody here.

1549
01:08:07,648 --> 01:08:10,999
Except for maybe Martin,
who just is a natural.

1550
01:08:11,043 --> 01:08:13,437
And maybe Anthony, too.

1551
01:08:13,480 --> 01:08:16,744
And Mike.
And Lori.

1552
01:08:16,788 --> 01:08:18,050
And Win.

1553
01:08:18,094 --> 01:08:19,356
[laughing]

1554
01:08:19,399 --> 01:08:22,098
And Doug, yeah!

1555
01:08:22,141 --> 01:08:24,143
I think, yeah, I think
this is where the outlier,

1556
01:08:24,187 --> 01:08:27,059
I'’m really out.

1557
01:08:27,103 --> 01:08:29,192
The oddest thing is
that I do feel

1558
01:08:29,235 --> 01:08:31,716
somewhat intimidated, yeah.

1559
01:08:31,759 --> 01:08:34,588
I can'’t wait for this
to be over.

1560
01:08:34,632 --> 01:08:37,330
I mean, it'’s been--
last night was fun,

1561
01:08:37,374 --> 01:08:40,290
'’cause it was short,
you know, it was finite.

1562
01:08:40,333 --> 01:08:43,380
I thought today would be
a little easier, but...

1563
01:08:43,423 --> 01:08:45,338
it'’s like just so many things
you could do,

1564
01:08:45,382 --> 01:08:47,688
and then there'’s this pressure
of coming up with something.

1565
01:08:47,732 --> 01:08:50,561
But we have...

1566
01:08:50,604 --> 01:08:52,302
What time we have
to turn these in?

1567
01:08:52,345 --> 01:08:53,912
Oh, I have
five and a half hours.

1568
01:08:53,955 --> 01:08:55,653
Maybe I'’ll get one good one.

1569
01:08:55,696 --> 01:08:57,437
That'’s all I'm hoping for.

1570
01:08:57,481 --> 01:09:00,527
♪

1571
01:09:00,571 --> 01:09:01,920
I didn'’t do too well last night,

1572
01:09:01,963 --> 01:09:03,356
I'’m pretty low
in the standings.

1573
01:09:03,400 --> 01:09:07,273
So...I'’m gonna throw
some Hail Marys

1574
01:09:07,317 --> 01:09:10,624
and hope for
a miraculous comeback.

1575
01:09:10,668 --> 01:09:12,757
I think I got the most
"huhs,"

1576
01:09:12,800 --> 01:09:15,716
so I didn'’t get
the least points,

1577
01:09:15,760 --> 01:09:17,588
but I got the most
people saying, "Huh?"

1578
01:09:17,631 --> 01:09:21,505
And I'’m adapting
towards the audience more.

1579
01:09:21,548 --> 01:09:24,334
I'’m trying to be funny,
I'’m trying to be shorter,

1580
01:09:24,377 --> 01:09:27,250
uh, and I'’m trying
to surprise them.

1581
01:09:27,293 --> 01:09:28,860
I think everyone will do
at least

1582
01:09:28,903 --> 01:09:30,470
one or two Trump palindromes,

1583
01:09:30,514 --> 01:09:31,950
and probably some people
will do all three,

1584
01:09:31,993 --> 01:09:34,170
because those will be
really popular.

1585
01:09:34,213 --> 01:09:36,433
And I'’m no different,
I'’m going for that,

1586
01:09:36,476 --> 01:09:40,567
and we'’ll see, you know,
who comes out on top with those.

1587
01:09:40,611 --> 01:09:41,742
And who knows?

1588
01:09:41,786 --> 01:09:42,743
I still have a shot, I think.

1589
01:09:42,787 --> 01:09:44,354
♪

1590
01:09:44,397 --> 01:09:46,573
I have a very promising center.

1591
01:09:46,617 --> 01:09:51,752
"Stacy'’s saga: gassy cats."

1592
01:09:51,796 --> 01:09:53,624
Which is already funny,
I think.

1593
01:09:53,667 --> 01:09:55,452
But you wanna finish it off.

1594
01:09:55,495 --> 01:09:58,237
I feel good about it
because Google didn'’t have

1595
01:09:58,281 --> 01:09:59,760
any palindromic hits,

1596
01:09:59,804 --> 01:10:02,241
but it immediately came up
with "cat farts"

1597
01:10:02,285 --> 01:10:05,984
and "cat flatulence,"
a whole bunch of websites!

1598
01:10:06,027 --> 01:10:07,768
Got my haiku right here.

1599
01:10:07,812 --> 01:10:09,509
It'’s kinda cute,

1600
01:10:09,553 --> 01:10:10,728
and it makes sense, I think,

1601
01:10:10,771 --> 01:10:12,599
people will understand
what it'’s about.

1602
01:10:12,643 --> 01:10:13,774
It'’s about olives.

1603
01:10:13,818 --> 01:10:15,123
[chuckling]

1604
01:10:15,167 --> 01:10:17,909
Well, I tried something
with the movies,

1605
01:10:17,952 --> 01:10:20,781
Rosemary'’s Baby.

1606
01:10:20,825 --> 01:10:24,220
Devil and, you know,
a devil tot.

1607
01:10:24,263 --> 01:10:26,700
Possibly "tot" in the middle.

1608
01:10:26,744 --> 01:10:28,354
A devil! A tot!

1609
01:10:28,398 --> 01:10:30,487
Alive!

1610
01:10:32,271 --> 01:10:34,491
We'’ll work on that one.
We'’ll see.

1611
01:10:34,534 --> 01:10:37,407
I looked at Top Gun,
which you can, you know--

1612
01:10:37,450 --> 01:10:41,802
"snug," "pot,"
you can somehow fit that in.

1613
01:10:41,846 --> 01:10:44,501
But, you know "snug pot,"
that didn'’t mean anything to me

1614
01:10:44,544 --> 01:10:45,937
so I abandoned that.

1615
01:10:45,980 --> 01:10:48,983
But, uh, I ended up going
with a different movie.

1616
01:10:49,027 --> 01:10:50,420
With palindromes,

1617
01:10:50,463 --> 01:10:51,682
there'’s two conflicting factors
that come into play.

1618
01:10:51,725 --> 01:10:54,250
One, you want to include
everything that you can

1619
01:10:54,293 --> 01:10:57,775
that matches the theme,
but, two,

1620
01:10:57,818 --> 01:11:00,604
you want to remove
everything that doesn'’t.

1621
01:11:00,647 --> 01:11:02,736
And sometimes, people get
so obsessed with that first one,

1622
01:11:02,780 --> 01:11:04,085
putting everything in,

1623
01:11:04,129 --> 01:11:05,391
that there'’s
a whole bunch of words

1624
01:11:05,435 --> 01:11:06,566
that don'’t relate to it,

1625
01:11:06,610 --> 01:11:08,002
and it'’s messy.

1626
01:11:08,046 --> 01:11:10,353
You know, you sort of think,
"Yeah, okay, I can see

1627
01:11:10,396 --> 01:11:14,531
you put that in in order
to make that reverse to that,"

1628
01:11:14,574 --> 01:11:16,141
and that'’s what
you want to avoid.

1629
01:11:16,184 --> 01:11:18,274
But if you can do it
really well,

1630
01:11:18,317 --> 01:11:20,537
if you can get a movie,
cover a plot,

1631
01:11:20,580 --> 01:11:23,279
and get sort of like
a punchline at the end,

1632
01:11:23,322 --> 01:11:24,192
that might win.

1633
01:11:24,236 --> 01:11:26,456
♪

1634
01:11:26,499 --> 01:11:27,979
It'’ll be interesting tonight,

1635
01:11:28,022 --> 01:11:31,635
because Will is gonna read
the palindromes with, you know,

1636
01:11:31,678 --> 01:11:34,246
and so, you won'’t see
anybody'’s names.

1637
01:11:34,290 --> 01:11:36,422
So it'’ll be interesting
to see if you can--

1638
01:11:36,466 --> 01:11:40,296
it people can
identify palindromes

1639
01:11:40,339 --> 01:11:41,775
based on the different people
in the room,

1640
01:11:41,819 --> 01:11:43,211
you know, who are there.

1641
01:11:43,255 --> 01:11:44,300
I think I'’ll be
trying to guess

1642
01:11:44,343 --> 01:11:45,562
who writes which ones,

1643
01:11:45,605 --> 01:11:47,172
and probably I'’ll be
successful in some

1644
01:11:47,215 --> 01:11:48,652
but probably not all.

1645
01:11:48,695 --> 01:11:51,655
This is when you realize
that people do this stuff

1646
01:11:51,698 --> 01:11:54,832
and know this stuff inside-out
and are experts,

1647
01:11:54,875 --> 01:11:57,356
and you can'’t
accidentally fall into,

1648
01:11:57,400 --> 01:11:59,445
"Well, maybe I'’ll win
this year."

1649
01:11:59,489 --> 01:12:01,839
Ah! Here it is.

1650
01:12:01,882 --> 01:12:04,015
"Putin rubles made.

1651
01:12:04,058 --> 01:12:07,497
Tarts rife rule rare lure.

1652
01:12:07,540 --> 01:12:10,108
First-rate damsel,
burn it up."

1653
01:12:10,151 --> 01:12:12,632
That is Trump,
that is a haiku.

1654
01:12:12,676 --> 01:12:15,287
♪

1655
01:12:15,331 --> 01:12:18,290
Anthony is really passionate
and really talented.

1656
01:12:18,334 --> 01:12:22,033
He does constraints
that no one else does.

1657
01:12:22,076 --> 01:12:24,644
He'’s written some palindromes
that follow

1658
01:12:24,688 --> 01:12:26,733
the numerical digits of pi

1659
01:12:26,777 --> 01:12:29,257
in a different way
that how I'’ve written them,

1660
01:12:29,301 --> 01:12:30,520
so it'’s a different
kind of style

1661
01:12:30,563 --> 01:12:32,086
of writing pi palindromes,

1662
01:12:32,130 --> 01:12:34,045
and so, that was
really interesting to me.

1663
01:12:34,088 --> 01:12:36,917
And just talking to someone
who gets super excited

1664
01:12:36,961 --> 01:12:39,616
about adding on crazy, crazy
constraints to palindromes,

1665
01:12:39,659 --> 01:12:43,097
that was really fun to--
to talk with him.

1666
01:12:43,141 --> 01:12:44,403
The last championship,

1667
01:12:44,447 --> 01:12:48,189
Mark won with
an amusing short one.

1668
01:12:48,233 --> 01:12:49,713
And that'’s not
the kind of thing I write.

1669
01:12:49,756 --> 01:12:52,019
Today, I thought
I'’d write a longer one,

1670
01:12:52,063 --> 01:12:54,500
since we have this extra time.

1671
01:12:54,544 --> 01:12:56,589
So I wrote a short poem,

1672
01:12:56,633 --> 01:13:00,724
it'’s an eight-line
rhyming palindrome.

1673
01:13:00,767 --> 01:13:03,727
And then, after that,
I just wrote a shorter one,

1674
01:13:03,770 --> 01:13:05,293
a haiku.

1675
01:13:05,337 --> 01:13:11,996
I'’ve probably written
about 200 palindromic haiku,

1676
01:13:12,039 --> 01:13:13,911
most of them
in the last year.

1677
01:13:13,954 --> 01:13:17,523
I feel a kinship with him
'’cause he's so poetry-oriented.

1678
01:13:17,567 --> 01:13:20,570
He and Clara do really nice work
as publishers.

1679
01:13:20,613 --> 01:13:21,962
I love his stuff.

1680
01:13:22,006 --> 01:13:24,487
I'’m having fun,
I'’m meeting interesting people.

1681
01:13:24,530 --> 01:13:27,664
I'’ve submitted
these palindromes now, so...

1682
01:13:27,707 --> 01:13:28,882
the work is over.

1683
01:13:28,926 --> 01:13:31,668
And, yeah,
looking forward to tonight.

1684
01:13:31,711 --> 01:13:33,844
Today counts a lot,
so I still have a shot.

1685
01:13:33,887 --> 01:13:36,455
Everyone'’s gonna have
a surprise, I think.

1686
01:13:36,499 --> 01:13:39,371
And that'’s the benefit
of having time.

1687
01:13:39,415 --> 01:13:42,026
And we'’ve never seen
how this plays out before.

1688
01:13:42,069 --> 01:13:43,201
We'’re gonna find out tonight.

1689
01:13:43,244 --> 01:13:45,421
-I'’ll take one.
-Okay.

1690
01:13:45,464 --> 01:13:47,161
Is this for
the palindrome thing?

1691
01:13:47,205 --> 01:13:48,989
Yes, it is,
you get to vote.

1692
01:13:49,033 --> 01:13:51,818
They'’re all too good.

1693
01:13:51,862 --> 01:13:54,212
Can'’t wait to see
what they come up with.

1694
01:13:54,255 --> 01:13:56,649
[indistinct chatter]

1695
01:13:58,782 --> 01:14:01,045
Okay. After we hear
all the palindromes,

1696
01:14:01,088 --> 01:14:04,483
we would like you to write
1, 2, and 3

1697
01:14:04,527 --> 01:14:06,267
next to your three favorites,

1698
01:14:06,311 --> 01:14:08,095
number 1 being
your very favorite,

1699
01:14:08,139 --> 01:14:09,401
2, your second favorite,

1700
01:14:09,445 --> 01:14:11,229
and 3, your third favorite.

1701
01:14:11,272 --> 01:14:12,578
At the end of the evening,

1702
01:14:12,622 --> 01:14:16,582
we will announce a new
World Palindrome Champion.

1703
01:14:16,626 --> 01:14:18,715
Okay. And here are the entries.

1704
01:14:35,427 --> 01:14:38,430
That was the movie of Jaws,
okay.

1705
01:14:38,474 --> 01:14:39,605
[chatter, bell rings]

1706
01:14:48,092 --> 01:14:49,789
A sea of blue.

1707
01:14:49,833 --> 01:14:51,399
[laughter]

1708
01:14:51,443 --> 01:14:53,053
There was more blue
than I expected.

1709
01:14:53,097 --> 01:14:54,968
I don'’t know how they
even interpreted "Huh?"

1710
01:14:55,012 --> 01:14:56,796
because I always think of "Huh?"
as meaning,

1711
01:14:56,840 --> 01:14:58,450
"I don'’t understand
your palindrome."

1712
01:14:58,494 --> 01:15:00,626
So to see "Huh?", I'’m like,
"You didn'’t understand that?

1713
01:15:00,670 --> 01:15:02,498
I mean,
it was pretty straightforward."

1714
01:15:02,541 --> 01:15:04,108
Star Wars.

1715
01:15:08,765 --> 01:15:10,723
-What'’s that?
-Isn'’t "Annikin" misspelled?

1716
01:15:10,767 --> 01:15:12,725
-I don'’t know.
-It is.

1717
01:15:12,769 --> 01:15:13,987
Okay.

1718
01:15:14,031 --> 01:15:15,728
I misspelled "Annikin."

1719
01:15:15,772 --> 01:15:16,947
I looked at it and I said...

1720
01:15:19,427 --> 01:15:21,691
You throw a K-I-N
and you get "Anikin."

1721
01:15:21,734 --> 01:15:22,953
Well, you don'’t throw that.

1722
01:15:22,996 --> 01:15:24,215
It'’s really...

1723
01:15:26,217 --> 01:15:28,088
Next is one on the Titanic,

1724
01:15:28,132 --> 01:15:30,177
and it actually includes it
in the start.

1725
01:15:43,713 --> 01:15:46,411
"Rose lures Leo: '’Draw me.'"

1726
01:15:46,454 --> 01:15:48,500
It got, like, an "ooh"and an "ahh" from the audience,

1727
01:15:48,544 --> 01:15:50,241
so that was a nice moment,

1728
01:15:50,284 --> 01:15:51,503
that made it all worthwhile.

1729
01:16:01,513 --> 01:16:03,428
[laughter, applause]

1730
01:16:03,471 --> 01:16:05,473
Is that 140 characters?

1731
01:16:05,517 --> 01:16:07,519
[laughter]

1732
01:16:39,595 --> 01:16:40,813
It'’s interesting to judge,

1733
01:16:40,857 --> 01:16:41,553
'’cause a lot of the ones
that scored highly

1734
01:16:41,597 --> 01:16:42,946
were all the Trump ones,

1735
01:16:42,989 --> 01:16:46,123
and I suspect people are
displaying their politics

1736
01:16:46,166 --> 01:16:48,604
rather than their analysis
of palindromy.

1737
01:16:48,647 --> 01:16:50,431
We may see
that they won'’t figure

1738
01:16:50,475 --> 01:16:52,608
when people come to write down
their best three.

1739
01:17:29,340 --> 01:17:31,690
That'’s one long palindrome.

1740
01:17:31,734 --> 01:17:33,736
[indistinct chatter]

1741
01:17:33,779 --> 01:17:36,695
Note that it is"constrain" rhymes with "plane,"

1742
01:17:36,739 --> 01:17:37,696
"trap with lap,"

1743
01:17:37,740 --> 01:17:38,654
"renown" and "drown,"

1744
01:17:38,697 --> 01:17:40,438
and "saw" and "draw."

1745
01:17:40,481 --> 01:17:44,311
[Will and audience laugh]

1746
01:17:44,355 --> 01:17:46,966
This is about Trump,
and, it'’s--and, uh...

1747
01:17:47,010 --> 01:17:50,709
[laughter]

1748
01:17:50,753 --> 01:17:52,450
Don'’t even have to look
for the name.

1749
01:17:52,493 --> 01:17:53,669
[laughter]

1750
01:18:02,242 --> 01:18:03,766
[laughter]

1751
01:18:03,809 --> 01:18:07,508
You got to hear Will Shortz
both say "pussy-grab"

1752
01:18:07,552 --> 01:18:09,423
and say, "'’S up?"

1753
01:18:09,467 --> 01:18:11,599
And I think that'’s something

1754
01:18:11,643 --> 01:18:13,297
that I at least
wanted to see.

1755
01:18:13,340 --> 01:18:15,429
Bear in mind
that the winner might appear

1756
01:18:15,473 --> 01:18:17,170
in other publications.

1757
01:18:17,214 --> 01:18:19,738
[laughter, cheers]

1758
01:18:19,782 --> 01:18:20,957
Shawshank Redemption.

1759
01:18:34,231 --> 01:18:36,233
[whooshing, bell rings]

1760
01:18:36,276 --> 01:18:37,538
Movie.

1761
01:18:37,582 --> 01:18:39,540
Rosemary'’s Baby.

1762
01:18:48,549 --> 01:18:49,899
Oh, Rosemary'’s Baby.

1763
01:18:49,942 --> 01:18:51,509
It was short and sharp
and people understood it,

1764
01:18:51,552 --> 01:18:53,729
just got a straight sea
of "wows."

1765
01:18:53,772 --> 01:18:55,165
This is the last one.

1766
01:18:55,208 --> 01:18:56,383
It'’s about the championship.

1767
01:19:47,347 --> 01:19:48,871
Whew!

1768
01:19:48,914 --> 01:19:52,483
Okay! Let'’s have a big hand
for our eight contestants.

1769
01:19:52,526 --> 01:19:56,182
[applause]

1770
01:19:58,750 --> 01:20:02,362
Now, we'’ll have the results
at the end of the evening.

1771
01:20:02,406 --> 01:20:12,329
♪

1772
01:20:17,203 --> 01:20:18,248
Now we just do the waiting!

1773
01:20:18,291 --> 01:20:19,466
[chuckles]

1774
01:20:19,510 --> 01:20:20,859
Mood reviled.

1775
01:20:20,903 --> 01:20:22,861
Three numbers 1s.

1776
01:20:22,905 --> 01:20:24,994
Uh...okay.

1777
01:20:25,037 --> 01:20:26,430
Three number 2s.

1778
01:20:26,473 --> 01:20:27,910
Okie-dokie.

1779
01:20:27,953 --> 01:20:30,390
-One number 3.
-Okay.

1780
01:20:30,434 --> 01:20:32,523
Based on what we'’ve seen,

1781
01:20:32,566 --> 01:20:33,872
it'’s a crapshoot.

1782
01:20:33,916 --> 01:20:36,875
I mean, I personally think
Martin--

1783
01:20:36,919 --> 01:20:38,659
what I think is Martin'’s--

1784
01:20:38,703 --> 01:20:40,879
is like Babe Ruth,

1785
01:20:40,923 --> 01:20:44,274
it'’s like a--
it'’s a grand slam.

1786
01:20:44,317 --> 01:20:45,536
-But...you know.
-We could be wrong.

1787
01:20:45,579 --> 01:20:47,538
-Maybe he'’s not the author.
-Yeah.

1788
01:20:47,581 --> 01:20:48,800
That'’s true! I don't know.

1789
01:20:48,844 --> 01:20:50,671
Might not be Martin,
but I think it is.

1790
01:20:50,715 --> 01:20:51,977
It went great.

1791
01:20:52,021 --> 01:20:53,587
It was fun,

1792
01:20:53,631 --> 01:20:54,719
I'’m very happy
with the reactions

1793
01:20:54,762 --> 01:20:56,199
I got from the crowd.

1794
01:20:56,242 --> 01:20:58,375
They really liked
the Titanic one,

1795
01:20:58,418 --> 01:21:00,899
so I'’m super happy
about that.

1796
01:21:00,943 --> 01:21:03,336
I think with the sign voting,

1797
01:21:03,380 --> 01:21:05,121
there was another Trump one

1798
01:21:05,164 --> 01:21:07,819
that almost got
unanimous "wows,"

1799
01:21:07,863 --> 01:21:10,474
so that might be in the lead.

1800
01:21:10,517 --> 01:21:12,519
But it will also be interesting,

1801
01:21:12,563 --> 01:21:13,520
there were so many Trump ones,

1802
01:21:13,564 --> 01:21:15,305
to see if they cancel out.

1803
01:21:15,348 --> 01:21:16,741
-Wary abyss.
-So, wary abyss.

1804
01:21:16,784 --> 01:21:18,961
-Three number 1s.
-Five.

1805
01:21:19,004 --> 01:21:21,311
-One number 2.
-Seven.

1806
01:21:21,354 --> 01:21:22,834
One number 3.

1807
01:21:22,878 --> 01:21:26,055
There was one that was
really expressive about Trump,

1808
01:21:26,098 --> 01:21:28,579
which I thought was good,
you know.

1809
01:21:28,622 --> 01:21:30,189
I think--
I think he wrote it.

1810
01:21:30,233 --> 01:21:32,931
Mark, did you write the one
about Trump and the ass and...

1811
01:21:32,975 --> 01:21:34,498
I did no Trump.

1812
01:21:34,541 --> 01:21:35,934
I can'’t believe--

1813
01:21:35,978 --> 01:21:37,414
I can'’t believe
he didn'’t do any Trump!

1814
01:21:37,457 --> 01:21:38,806
Did you have a good time
doing this?

1815
01:21:38,850 --> 01:21:40,199
Yeah, yeah!

1816
01:21:40,243 --> 01:21:42,767
-Oh.
-The competition was so tough.

1817
01:21:42,810 --> 01:21:43,986
-Oh my God.
-But this is what you want,

1818
01:21:44,029 --> 01:21:45,465
right?

1819
01:21:45,509 --> 01:21:46,727
I was miserable all day.

1820
01:21:46,771 --> 01:21:47,685
Miserable.

1821
01:21:47,728 --> 01:21:49,208
I don'’t know.

1822
01:21:49,252 --> 01:21:51,080
I was saying to Audrey,
"I'’ll never do this again."

1823
01:21:51,123 --> 01:21:52,603
-Mark...
-No, don'’t say that!

1824
01:21:52,646 --> 01:21:54,779
I was hor--
I had no fun.

1825
01:21:54,822 --> 01:21:55,954
I think you'’re right in it.

1826
01:21:55,998 --> 01:21:58,043
I think you could
pull this off.

1827
01:21:58,087 --> 01:22:00,654
Then you'’re gonna retire like,
"I'’m done! I'm out!"

1828
01:22:00,698 --> 01:22:02,091
No, never, never, never.

1829
01:22:02,134 --> 01:22:04,745
You'’ll be like Apollo Creed
in the first Rocky.

1830
01:22:04,789 --> 01:22:07,096
"No! No rematch, no rematch!"

1831
01:22:07,139 --> 01:22:08,575
[laughing]

1832
01:22:08,619 --> 01:22:09,925
Well, this was a great night.

1833
01:22:09,968 --> 01:22:11,404
I'’m so thankful
for these judges.

1834
01:22:11,448 --> 01:22:14,277
There were a few that were
the sea of red,

1835
01:22:14,320 --> 01:22:15,626
which was good,

1836
01:22:15,669 --> 01:22:17,410
and a few that were
a sea of blue

1837
01:22:17,454 --> 01:22:18,759
that was bad.

1838
01:22:18,803 --> 01:22:20,805
My ask.com one
got a sea of blue.

1839
01:22:20,848 --> 01:22:22,154
Oh you did--I liked that,

1840
01:22:22,198 --> 01:22:23,590
-that was really cute.
-I thought so too!

1841
01:22:23,634 --> 01:22:25,114
I thought it would be catchy,
but, you know,

1842
01:22:25,157 --> 01:22:26,680
-I can'’t figure this crow out.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1843
01:22:26,724 --> 01:22:28,030
Clearly.

1844
01:22:28,073 --> 01:22:29,466
It was just fun
trying to think of them.

1845
01:22:29,509 --> 01:22:31,294
It was much harder, I think,
than I had anticipated

1846
01:22:31,337 --> 01:22:32,948
it was gonna be.

1847
01:22:32,991 --> 01:22:34,253
When you put a severe restraint
on what you have to write about,

1848
01:22:34,297 --> 01:22:35,646
it makes it harder, so,

1849
01:22:35,689 --> 01:22:36,821
and that'’s where
the challenge it.

1850
01:22:36,864 --> 01:22:38,083
That'’s why it's a contest.

1851
01:22:38,127 --> 01:22:39,650
Otherwise,
it'’s not a contest, it's just--

1852
01:22:39,693 --> 01:22:41,086
it'’s something else.

1853
01:22:41,130 --> 01:22:42,914
It'’s something else fun,
but it'’s not a contest.

1854
01:22:42,958 --> 01:22:44,481
We'’ll see what happens.

1855
01:22:44,524 --> 01:22:46,831
I think I got a fair chance
of winning this thing

1856
01:22:46,874 --> 01:22:50,008
and walking out of here
with $1,001 dollars,

1857
01:22:50,052 --> 01:22:52,010
for the palindrome.

1858
01:22:52,054 --> 01:22:54,143
It'’s very close,
it'’s very exciting.

1859
01:22:54,186 --> 01:22:55,231
We'’re gonna find out
in a few minutes.

1860
01:22:55,274 --> 01:22:56,536
They'’re tabulating now,

1861
01:22:56,580 --> 01:22:58,016
and as soon as they have
the votes,

1862
01:22:58,060 --> 01:23:01,889
we'’re gonna go in
and present the results.

1863
01:23:01,933 --> 01:23:04,066
-What?
-You can'’t get any closer.

1864
01:23:04,109 --> 01:23:05,458
You can'’t get much closer.

1865
01:23:05,502 --> 01:23:07,199
You'’re gonna have
to proof his math later.

1866
01:23:07,243 --> 01:23:08,766
So I'’d better get it right.

1867
01:23:08,809 --> 01:23:10,637
How is this happening?

1868
01:23:10,681 --> 01:23:12,204
Amazing!

1869
01:23:12,248 --> 01:23:14,032
-Thank you so much.
-Amazing!

1870
01:23:14,076 --> 01:23:18,123
This is the grand totals
of the last two nights,

1871
01:23:18,167 --> 01:23:20,821
and it was
very, very, very close.

1872
01:23:20,865 --> 01:23:23,302
-Real close.
-It'’ll be exciting.

1873
01:23:23,346 --> 01:23:24,564
Crazy close.

1874
01:23:24,608 --> 01:23:34,531
♪

1875
01:23:37,882 --> 01:23:39,318
So here we go for tonight.

1876
01:23:39,362 --> 01:23:40,754
By your vote,

1877
01:23:40,798 --> 01:23:45,237
the third most popular
palindrome tonight was...

1878
01:23:45,281 --> 01:23:47,457
all right, I'’m not gonna read
the whole thing.

1879
01:23:47,500 --> 01:23:49,285
[laughter]

1880
01:23:49,328 --> 01:23:52,592
It was "Rail at Obama"
from Martin Clear.

1881
01:23:52,636 --> 01:23:54,551
[applause, cheers]

1882
01:23:54,594 --> 01:23:56,466
♪

1883
01:23:56,509 --> 01:23:57,684
By your vote,

1884
01:23:57,728 --> 01:24:00,209
the second most popular
palindrome tonight

1885
01:24:00,252 --> 01:24:01,471
was "Tides reverse."

1886
01:24:01,514 --> 01:24:03,908
[applause]

1887
01:24:03,951 --> 01:24:08,086
And the number one palindrome
by your vote tonight

1888
01:24:08,130 --> 01:24:10,480
is from Lori Wike.

1889
01:24:19,141 --> 01:24:21,360
[cheers, applause]

1890
01:24:21,404 --> 01:24:23,188
Lori, come up and take a bow.

1891
01:24:23,232 --> 01:24:29,281
♪

1892
01:24:30,674 --> 01:24:32,328
♪

1893
01:24:32,371 --> 01:24:34,460
Okay, now the points have been
totaled for last night,

1894
01:24:34,504 --> 01:24:36,332
which counted
one third of the score,

1895
01:24:36,375 --> 01:24:39,944
and tonight, which was
two thirds of the score.

1896
01:24:39,987 --> 01:24:42,990
It was extremely close
between 1 and 2.

1897
01:24:43,034 --> 01:24:48,257
Second place was .3 points
behind the winner.

1898
01:24:48,300 --> 01:24:50,781
-Wow!
-That'’s how close it was.

1899
01:24:50,824 --> 01:24:53,697
In fifth place

1900
01:24:53,740 --> 01:24:58,615
was Jon Agee,
with 113.3. points.

1901
01:24:58,658 --> 01:25:00,878
[applause]

1902
01:25:00,921 --> 01:25:02,184
Fourth place,

1903
01:25:02,227 --> 01:25:03,707
with 136.3 points,

1904
01:25:03,750 --> 01:25:05,143
is Mike Maguire.

1905
01:25:05,187 --> 01:25:06,797
Yeah! Come up, come up!

1906
01:25:06,840 --> 01:25:08,799
Thank you. Thanks.

1907
01:25:08,842 --> 01:25:11,193
In third place
with 138 points

1908
01:25:11,236 --> 01:25:12,629
is Doug Fink.

1909
01:25:12,672 --> 01:25:15,675
[applause]

1910
01:25:15,719 --> 01:25:17,764
Okay, there was only .3 points

1911
01:25:17,808 --> 01:25:19,810
separating first
and second place.

1912
01:25:19,853 --> 01:25:22,595
In second place
is Lori Wike

1913
01:25:22,639 --> 01:25:24,510
with 193.7.

1914
01:25:24,554 --> 01:25:26,295
-Wow!
-Wow!

1915
01:25:26,338 --> 01:25:27,861
[applause]

1916
01:25:27,905 --> 01:25:29,211
And our champion palindromist,

1917
01:25:29,254 --> 01:25:31,300
with 194 points,

1918
01:25:31,343 --> 01:25:34,346
winner of the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship,

1919
01:25:34,390 --> 01:25:36,827
from Australia,
Martin Clear.

1920
01:25:36,870 --> 01:25:39,221
[cheers, applause]

1921
01:25:39,264 --> 01:25:43,747
♪

1922
01:25:43,790 --> 01:25:47,272
Martin wins a check
for $1,001.

1923
01:25:47,316 --> 01:25:49,100
[cheers, applause]

1924
01:25:49,144 --> 01:25:50,754
Thank you!

1925
01:25:50,797 --> 01:25:52,843
Here is a trophy

1926
01:25:52,886 --> 01:25:55,237
that will not be easy
to take in his luggage

1927
01:25:55,280 --> 01:25:57,282
back home.

1928
01:25:57,326 --> 01:26:01,025
[audience gasps, applauds]

1929
01:26:02,679 --> 01:26:05,769
I can'’t believe
the palindromes that you created

1930
01:26:05,812 --> 01:26:07,379
under pressure like that.

1931
01:26:07,423 --> 01:26:08,641
It was great fun.

1932
01:26:08,685 --> 01:26:10,165
[applause]

1933
01:26:10,208 --> 01:26:12,950
Wow! Wow! Wow!

1934
01:26:12,993 --> 01:26:14,734
Ta-da!

1935
01:26:14,778 --> 01:26:16,301
It'’s a pretty piece of work,

1936
01:26:16,345 --> 01:26:17,955
considering it'’s only
made of cardboard, isn'’t it?

1937
01:26:17,998 --> 01:26:19,435
It'’s just a buzz,

1938
01:26:19,478 --> 01:26:20,871
it sort of just feels like
I'’m waiting for someone

1939
01:26:20,914 --> 01:26:22,307
to come and tap me
on the shoulder and say,

1940
01:26:22,351 --> 01:26:24,004
"Oh, we calculated it wrong;
you didn'’t get it."

1941
01:26:24,048 --> 01:26:25,267
You know,
something like that.

1942
01:26:25,310 --> 01:26:26,964
He was deserving.

1943
01:26:27,007 --> 01:26:29,488
-He was deserving.
-He'’s terrific.

1944
01:26:29,532 --> 01:26:30,663
He'’s good.

1945
01:26:30,707 --> 01:26:32,187
Wow. .3 points.

1946
01:26:32,230 --> 01:26:36,103
-[Martin laughs]
-That'’s crazy.

1947
01:26:36,147 --> 01:26:39,368
I was shocked
at how close it was.

1948
01:26:39,411 --> 01:26:41,457
And my palindrome won
the final round

1949
01:26:41,500 --> 01:26:45,504
and I came in second by...

1950
01:26:45,548 --> 01:26:47,985
.3 tenths of a point

1951
01:26:48,028 --> 01:26:49,856
to the amazing Martin Clear,

1952
01:26:49,900 --> 01:26:51,902
which I could not
be happier about.

1953
01:26:51,945 --> 01:26:55,558
He did amazing
in this whole competition.

1954
01:26:55,601 --> 01:26:57,560
I told my friends,
my family.

1955
01:26:57,603 --> 01:26:59,736
I'’ve already been
texting away.

1956
01:26:59,779 --> 01:27:02,086
Kind of amazing,
it'’s a little surreal.

1957
01:27:02,129 --> 01:27:03,348
I jumped to fourth place.

1958
01:27:03,392 --> 01:27:05,089
It was almost third place.

1959
01:27:05,132 --> 01:27:07,352
So I had a good night,
I can'’t complain.

1960
01:27:07,396 --> 01:27:08,571
I am happy,

1961
01:27:08,614 --> 01:27:10,181
but I'’m ready
to compete again

1962
01:27:10,225 --> 01:27:11,313
for the next one.

1963
01:27:11,356 --> 01:27:12,270
So you guys are all
coming to Sydney

1964
01:27:12,314 --> 01:27:13,576
in five years'’ time, yeah?

1965
01:27:13,619 --> 01:27:14,838
Yeah, that'’s right.

1966
01:27:14,881 --> 01:27:16,622
That'’s the plan.

1967
01:27:16,666 --> 01:27:18,624
I'’ll probably try again.

1968
01:27:18,668 --> 01:27:20,452
I got five years
to get better, maybe.

1969
01:27:20,496 --> 01:27:22,628
I have to practice more.

1970
01:27:22,672 --> 01:27:24,413
I would like to see someday

1971
01:27:24,456 --> 01:27:27,198
the crossword puzzle
be the side event

1972
01:27:27,242 --> 01:27:28,852
to the palindrome tournament.

1973
01:27:28,895 --> 01:27:30,680
I wanna see, like,
hundreds of people show up

1974
01:27:30,723 --> 01:27:32,290
for the palindrome tournament.

1975
01:27:32,334 --> 01:27:34,640
As much as it was
a struggle today for me,

1976
01:27:34,684 --> 01:27:40,385
and as much as I really
didn'’t enjoy it...

1977
01:27:40,429 --> 01:27:41,691
It was--it was good.

1978
01:27:41,734 --> 01:27:45,042
I mean, as it all turned out,
it was great.

1979
01:27:45,085 --> 01:27:47,174
In fact, I'’m...

1980
01:27:47,218 --> 01:27:49,481
second thoughts about...

1981
01:27:49,525 --> 01:27:52,179
I could--I could imagine
coming back

1982
01:27:52,223 --> 01:27:54,094
and doing this again.

1983
01:27:54,138 --> 01:27:55,748
I could see that happening.

1984
01:27:55,792 --> 01:27:58,969
There'’s a real validation
in being the world champion

1985
01:27:59,012 --> 01:28:00,449
of absolutely anything,

1986
01:28:00,492 --> 01:28:02,015
that sort of thing.

1987
01:28:02,059 --> 01:28:03,321
If you get to be world champion
of something that there are

1988
01:28:03,365 --> 01:28:05,280
only three people doing,

1989
01:28:05,323 --> 01:28:08,065
there'’s a sense of fun in that.

1990
01:28:08,108 --> 01:28:10,415
My favorite part was definitely
meeting the other palindromists,

1991
01:28:10,459 --> 01:28:11,808
for sure--
and meeting Will Shortz,

1992
01:28:11,851 --> 01:28:14,376
because I kinda went
a little bit fangirl

1993
01:28:14,419 --> 01:28:15,681
when I met him.

1994
01:28:15,725 --> 01:28:17,509
We'’re this really small
community.

1995
01:28:17,553 --> 01:28:19,206
But I think
what'’s wonderful about it

1996
01:28:19,250 --> 01:28:23,080
is that even though
we don'’t have a lot in common,

1997
01:28:23,123 --> 01:28:24,908
we connect, in a way.

1998
01:28:24,951 --> 01:28:26,518
It'’s that camaraderie, I guess,

1999
01:28:26,562 --> 01:28:29,869
being with a bunch of people
who share that same interest.

2000
01:28:29,913 --> 01:28:32,263
Just things like when we were
sitting in the bar there before,

2001
01:28:32,307 --> 01:28:34,700
just bouncing ideas
off of each other, you know?

2002
01:28:34,744 --> 01:28:36,615
Looking at Jon'’s new book,

2003
01:28:36,659 --> 01:28:38,748
he'’s got a new palindrome book
coming out.

2004
01:28:38,791 --> 01:28:41,751
Just talking about the ideas
that people have

2005
01:28:41,794 --> 01:28:42,839
and stuff like that.

2006
01:28:42,882 --> 01:28:44,275
So it'’s great to come here.

2007
01:28:44,319 --> 01:28:45,407
Cheers!

2008
01:28:45,450 --> 01:28:46,799
[glasses clinking]

2009
01:28:46,843 --> 01:28:47,887
It'’s been good.

2010
01:28:47,931 --> 01:28:49,585
[chuckling]

2011
01:28:49,628 --> 01:28:52,065
Good writing should be
something you play with,

2012
01:28:52,109 --> 01:28:53,763
and it should be fun to read

2013
01:28:53,806 --> 01:28:57,244
because there'’s a sense of joy
in the writing.

2014
01:28:57,288 --> 01:29:00,509
And I think palindromes are
a way to remind people of that.

2015
01:29:00,552 --> 01:29:02,728
I love writing palindromes,
it'’s awesome.

2016
01:29:02,772 --> 01:29:05,992
We'’re really living in
the golden age of palindromes.

2017
01:29:06,036 --> 01:29:08,081
-Here'’s to the palindrome.
-Yeah!

2018
01:29:08,125 --> 01:29:09,300
Anyone can sit down,

2019
01:29:09,344 --> 01:29:10,432
look at a few words,

2020
01:29:10,475 --> 01:29:12,042
reverse '’em,
and see what happens.

2021
01:29:12,085 --> 01:29:13,913
And, you know, you may come up
with something brilliant,

2022
01:29:13,957 --> 01:29:15,088
you know?

2023
01:29:15,132 --> 01:29:16,438
Keeping an open mind,

2024
01:29:16,481 --> 01:29:17,613
seeing things in a new way.

2025
01:29:17,656 --> 01:29:19,266
Palindromes are good
for your soul.

2026
01:29:19,310 --> 01:29:21,268
I think if anything
can save our civilization,

2027
01:29:21,312 --> 01:29:22,705
palindromes can.

2028
01:29:22,748 --> 01:29:25,882
♪

2029
01:29:26,361 --> 01:29:36,283
♪