AV Geeks 16mm Lunch 5-7-2026

Hello everybody. I'm Skip Elshiemer welcome to the AV Geeks lunchtime streaming show where we watch old 16 mm films and I am back from Wilmington. I drove this morning. It's only 2 hours um but yeah, it was great. We had a great time with some film grad students there. We got them to make their own little uh direct to film animations with paint pens and the Sharpies and scratching on film and uh it was a lot of fun. Let's go ahead and start off this gray Thursday with some zoo animals in rhyme. Enjoy. >> [music] [music] [music] >> This is a lion who lives in a zoo. I'm sure that he doesn't seem wild to you. Yet he's often ferocious and frightening, too. So why is he quiet today in the zoo? I hope he's not sick. Yet he seems to be fine. His whiskers seem perky. His eyes seem to shine. His ears [music] seem alert for the tiniest sound. But, his tail is all that is moving around. Won't he open his mouth and then let out a roar? I know he can do it. He's done it before. Well, I can't explain why he's quiet. Can you? Oh, why is he quiet today in the zoo? He's not like the monkeys. They're active, I'd say. Their cage is the busiest place here today. They make so much noise. Is something the matter? No, it's only the noise we call monkey chatter. If you wonder why monkeys are usually small, it's just because monkeys don't grow very tall. Why, even the biggest ones here at the zoo aren't even as big as the smallest of you. Monkeys have hands and monkeys have feet. But, they can use either of them when they eat. A monkey's long fingers are much like his toes. I don't think I'd like it if mine were like those. A monkey has one thing that people have not. That thing is the long curly tail that he's got. It helps him hold on when he climbs or he swings. For monkeys, I guess, tails are valuable things. This baby baboon is like babies I know, who cling to their mothers wherever they go. So, here are the monkeys so busy at play. They They towards each other and then swing away. They're noisily frolicsome, mischievous, sly. But the lion is quiet. And I don't know why. He's not like these elephants eating their hay. They're busily crunching and munching away. His appetite's big. There's no doubt that it's true. But if you were his size, then you'd eat a lot, too. An elephant's trunk is all right, I suppose. But I wouldn't want something that long for a nose. Yet an elephant uses his long trunk with ease to pick up his food without bending his knees. Each leg is as thick as the trunk of a tree. I guess that's the way that his legs have to be. Each ear is so large that it looks like a sail. And that's not a rope swinging there. That's his tail. An elephant's walk is an interesting sight. He sways to the left, then he sways to the right. The sound that he makes is unusual, too. He trumpets like this. Can you? Well, we've all seen the elephant moving around, seen him eating his hay, heard him making his sound. Watched him using his trunk as most elephants will. But the lion is quiet and silent and still. Not at all like this animal, this kangaroo. He's getting his exercise. Soon he'll be through. And see, now he's resting. But not far away are two kangaroos who are busy at play. These kangaroos seem to think boxing is fun, but I don't think I'd like to box either one. You've probably noticed the legs that they've got. The front legs are small ones. The rear legs are not. Those hind legs are big ones. They're very strong. A kangaroo uses them hopping along. There that one goes hopping, but here comes another. Hey, this kangaroo is a kangaroo mother. And tucked in her pouch is her baby. You see? That's a very safe place for her baby to be. And so you can see that not one kangaroo is quiet or resting today in the zoo. And here the giraffes are all busy as well. What this one is doing is easy to tell. He's chewing the food that will help him to grow. When he swallows, the food has a long way to go. Yes, his neck is quite long, and his legs are long, too. Giraffes are the tallest of all at the zoo. They walk in a dignified manner, I'd say. And with just a few steps, they can go a long way. The giraffes are all busy. Let's see if that's true of the other wild animals here at the zoo. Just look at the bears. No, the bears are not still. They're playfully wrestling as bears often will. They squeeze and they nip, and they push and they tug. I don't think I'd like one to give me a hug. Big and ferocious, like most bears I've seen. Just listen. See what I mean? Their teeth are quite sharp and their claws are sharp, too. I think that for bears, that's important. Don't you? Are the polar bears busy? Why, yes. So they are, like most of the animals we've seen so far. Now watch how he waddles from this side to that. I think I'd fall over if I walked like that. When a bear walks, he uses all four of his legs. But he just uses two when he sits up and begs. Let's leave the bears now as they wrestle and box. And visit the home of the sly little fox. He's pacing the floor in his usual way. He's not lying down like the lion today. He looks like a dog, though a small dog, it's true. And his neighbor, the wolf, is quite like a dog, too. But the wolf is much fiercer than dogs are, I'll bet. I don't think I'd care to have him for a pet. Oh, there are more animals here at the zoo. All busily doing the things that they do. A wildcat is showing an unpleasant mood. A raccoon who is hungry is washing his food. Some seals are now barking, but I don't know why. A young deer is running because she is shy. A porcupine shakes all his quills with delight. While a zebra with stripes is enjoying the sight. A beaver is thinking of building a dam. Now, say, are you thinking the same thing I am? With all of this bustle and all of this play, then why is the lion so quiet today? But, look, is he moving and starting to rise? Do you see a twinkle appear in his eyes? Why, yes, I believe he's going to roar. That's the roar that I mentioned before. But, why is he suddenly acting this way? Why isn't he still being quiet today? Perhaps you can guess, but you don't have to try. Before there was nobody watching, that's why. But, now someone's watching, a girl and some boys. The lion is doing what each one enjoys. He's roaring and growling and showing his claws and pacing and prowling and stalking because there are children here watching enjoying the sight of the king of the animals showing his might. How wild and ferocious and handsome he looks, like lions they've read of in animal books. How happy they are to have such a fine view of the lion who lives in this marvelous zoo. >> [music] >> I get it. I get it. Right, films that rhyme drive people crazy. >> [laughter] >> And I totally understand that. Um Yeah, it got it started getting on my nerves a little bit. All right, let's get out of the zoo and let's go into the fourth dimension. >> [music] >> We live in a three-dimensional world. Space. We can move in and out, up and down, back and forth. Almost all common objects, a boat, a child running, a rose, all these are solid, three-dimensional. There are, however, examples of two-dimensional objects. The world a child creates on a piece of paper is two-dimensional. Up and down is a direction that simply does not exist. Her bridge has height and breadth, but no depth. Her child is also trapped in the two-dimensional world of the paper. There are other examples of the second dimension. The silhouette of a bridge, a boat, or a bird, a reflection, trees silhouetted against a flat sky. Look carefully, and you can even find examples of a one-dimensional world. Lines. But is there a fourth dimension? If so, what is it like? Are there common examples of objects from this dimension beyond our own world? No. But this model of a tesseract, a fourth-dimensional cube dreamed up by mathematicians, helps us imagine how strange a world the fourth dimension would lead us into. To help understand the fourth dimension better, start with a zero-dimensional object, a point. Let it trace itself out into the first dimension and it becomes a line. As the line travels into the second dimension, it becomes a square. Suppose this square moves into the third dimension. It then traces out a three-dimensional cube. And now suppose finally that a cube were to travel into the fourth dimension. In so doing, it would trace out a fourth-dimensional cube, a tesseract. In our one-dimensional world, there can be left and right-handed segments. Limited to motion along a line, the red and yellow ends can never be made to coincide. But if the right-handed segment travels into the second dimension, it can turn itself around and return to its own world as a left-handed segment. Left-handed and right-handed objects can be found in a two-dimensional world. Try as it will, the white triangle can never turn so as to coincide with the red. But if it travels into the third dimension, it can turn over becoming a left-handed triangle. Return to its own world, it can match its counterpart. Here are two three-dimensional blocks that may seem alike. Each has the same shape, and both are the same size. But no amount of turning or flipping, no effort can make one line up with the other. They can never be made to coincide. One is left-handed, the other right. But if the right-handed one were to travel into the fourth dimension, it could turn itself inside out, returning to its own world as a left-handed block. It would be very easy to build a prison in a one-dimensional world. As long as the point is limited to traveling only in the first dimension, it is trapped. Magic? No, let's go back. If the point travels into the second dimension, it can easily return to its own world free without ever having broken through the prison walls. Prisons are easy to build in a two-dimensional world, too. As long as the triangle knows only of travel in its own two-dimensional world, there is no escape. Magic this time? Again, no. A look backward shows that the triangle passed through its prison wall by jumping into the third dimension. In a three-dimensional world, a prison must completely enclose the prisoner. But if the prisoner were to travel into the fourth dimension, it could return to its own world free without ever having cut through the prison walls. If you lived in a one-dimensional world a segment would look like this. It's end point would hide its interior from you but as you move into the second dimension you can see the inside of the inside of the inside. If you lived in a two dimensional world a square would be almost unrecognizable. You would see only its edge and thus the square would seem to be merely a segment. By moving up into the third dimension you can look into the square and see its inside. Of its inside of its inside and so on. In our own three dimensional world the surface of an object like a cube hides its interior. We cannot look through to see what is inside but suppose we travel into the fourth dimension. As with the square we could see the inside of the inside of the inside. All while remaining on the outside of the cube. >> When we look at a triangle or a square from above, from the third dimension, we can see all sides at once. It makes no difference whether they are turning or not. To help distinguish one side from another, we could mark them with colored chalk. All this may seem natural, but look how strange this paper triangle looks if we leave the third dimension and descend into its two-dimensional world. Now we can see only one side. And if we take a second look at the triangle and square marked with chalk, this time looking at them from their two-dimensional world, all sides cannot be seen simultaneously. First one side and then another comes into view. If we return to our three-dimensional world and view a cube, the same thing is true. As it turns, sides that were hidden come into view and others disappear. But let's travel into the fourth dimension and take another look at the cube. All sides are visible simultaneously. >> This model of a tesseract brought us into the mathematicians world of triangles, squares, [music] and cubes. Return to the real world and see how much we would gain by knowing where the fourth dimension is. We saw how a right-handed cube can be turned into a left-handed one in the fourth dimension. Watch this shoe salesman. He may lose a customer because his stock is in poor order. Two left feet. What is to be done? Send it into the fourth dimension where it can turn around into a right-footed sandal and let it return as a mate to the left. Puzzling? Yes, but possible. We saw how easy it would be to escape from prison if we could travel into the fourth dimension. This commuter is about to solve a problem by traveling there. The door is jammed. No problem. By traveling into the fourth dimension, escape is easy. Travel into the fourth dimension and you can see the inside of the inside of the inside all while still outside the house. Or travel into the fourth dimension so that you can see all sides of the bridge of a girl of a rose. All these newly gained powers presuppose our knowing where the fourth dimension is. Where is it? No one knows. Does it really exist? Is it only an idea? What do you think? >> [music] >> All right. Sitars. I'm not I'm not buying it. Give me Dudley Moore anytime. >> [music] >> I call our world Flatland to make its nature clearer to you who are privileged to live in space. Imagine a vast plane on which lines, triangles, and other figures move at will, yet without the power to sink into or rise above the surface. You will at once see that in such a country nothing is or can be visible to us except a straight line. Should a person approach, his line becomes larger. If he retreats, [music] it dwindles, you see. Yet circle or square, a straight line he looks and nothing [music] else. Now, our women our women are straight lines. Our soldiers and lowest classes of workmen are isosceles triangles, isosceles triangles, which also have at their vertices a very sharp and formidable angle. Our middle class consists of equilateral triangles and squares, to which class I myself belong. Our gentlemen are five-sided figures or pentagons. When the number of sides become so numerous that the figures cannot be distinguished from a circle, they are included in the circular or priestly order, and this of course is the highest class of all. Irregularity of figure means the same with us as a combination of moral degeneracy and criminality with you in Spaceland. When the irregular comes of age, he presents himself for inspection. If he is found to exceed the fixed margin of deviation, he's either destroyed or else immured in the government office at a class of the seventh class. How shall I make clear to you the extreme difficulty which we in Flatland experience in recognizing one another? To be sure, our hearing is one simple means of recognition. But we cannot altogether trust to this method. A second method is therefore most important. Feeling. Now, you see, the sense of touch enables us to distinguish angles with great precision and is the critical test of recognition not only between strangers, but as to the class. For instance, ah, Mr. Wintisterit, permit me to ask you to feel and be felt by Mr. Squaregols, he's in his private room at home. You see, I'm trying to explain to you how I came to be in my present absurd position. You see, it was all a misunderstanding. It really was. You see, it was the um What was it now? The last day but one of the 1999th [music] year of our era. And I was sitting [music] in the company of my dear wife discussing geometry and arithmetic with my youngest grandson, a most promising young hexagon. Oh, grandpapa, if a moving point constructs a line and a moving line constructs a square, what does a moving square construct? Nothing at all. Nothing at all, you see. For geometry there's only two dimensions. Grandpapa, if one may picture the number three squared as a square, how may one picture three cubed? I've already explained it to you. You've been hexagoned. The boy is not a fool. Three cubed has an obvious geometrical meaning. How come this woman here? What makes you think this stranger is a woman? Feeling is believing. Now, permit me, madam, to feel and be felt by. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, no, it's not a woman. It's not a woman. Can it be that I have so misbehaved to a perfect circle? I am indeed in a certain sense a circle. I am many circles in one. I'm terribly sorry. I never meant to offend. Have you felt me enough this time? Oh, she was fine. Most most illustrious sir, please excuse my indiscretion. Oh, dear. Oh, would you deign to satisfy the curiosity of one who would know uh whence his visitor came? From space. From space, sir. Whence else define space? Uh right. Um space, my lord, is length and breadth indefinitely prolonged. >> You think it is of two dimensions only, but I have come to announce a third, height. Height? Height? But northward? No, no. Not northward, upward, out of Flatland altogether. Mhm. I still do not comprehend. >> Well, I can't do your plane. I make a section which you rightly see as a circle. Now, I will rise out of your plane and my circle will become smaller and smaller until it dwindles to a point and vanishes. Now, watch. There. Monster! Get Why do you refuse to listen to reason? Then meet your fate. Out of your plane, you go into the land of three dimensions. Once, twice, thrice to done. Impossible. My countrymen, yeah, I see they're in size. Huh, either this is madness or it is hell. It's neither. It is knowledge. It is three dimensions. Follow me. Now, I must introduce you to solids. Behold this multitude of movable squares. See, I put one on another. I'm building up a solid. Now, the solid is complete and we call it a cube. [music] Pardon me, my lord. Me thinks I see no solid, but only an irregular figure. >> It's true. It appears to [music] you a plane because you are not accustomed to shade and perspective, but in reality, it is a solid. Pardon me, oh thou whom I must no longer address as the perfection of all beauty. My lord, your own wisdom has taught me to aspire to one even more great, one above you, who confines many spheres in one supreme existence. Take me now on the second journey into the blessed region of the fourth dimension. >> There is no such land. The very idea is utterly inconceivable. >> Oh, and in that blessed region of the fourth dimension, shall we linger on the threshold of the fifth, and not enter therein? Oh, no. Oh, no, indeed. Let us soar to the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, AND EVEN THE OH! OH, THERE YOU ARE NOW, you scamp. Now, yesterday you were trying to make me believe a square made by some motion upward would produce another figure, a sort of extra square in three dimensions. Would you say that again, you young rascal? Oh, dear, Grandpapa, that was only my fun. I don't think I said anything about the third dimension. How silly it is. >> [laughter] >> Oh, you you scamp. No, it's not at all silly, you see. I take the square, this is it, this is right, and I move it, you see, not not north, but I move it up >> [music] >> up, you see, not north. I just uh I move it uh up. Nonsense. What do you mean by those words? I suppose Well, I suppose it's your way of saying north and south. >> Ah, not so, not so, indeed. There is another motion. Exhibit it to me, then, if you please, this motion. You're charged with seditious and heretical actions arising from the profession of a belief in and attempted preaching to others of the third dimension. Can you perhaps indicate the direction which you mean when you use the words upward, not northward? I take this square and get it right and I move it, you see, not not northward, but I move it uh up, you see, not northward. I just uh I move it uh up. My lords, I can say nothing more. >> In that case, I have no choice but to sentence you to perpetual imprisonment. Not northward. Seven years have elapsed and I am still a prisoner. Even my brother, whom I see weekly interviews, has not yet grasped the nature of the third dimension. Even now, I cannot honestly say that I am confident as to the exact shape of a cube. And there are moments when even this hard wall that bars me [music] from my freedom and all the substantial realities of Flatland itself appear no better than the baseless fabric of a dream. >> [music] >> All right. Enough talk about um other dimensions. We're going to get back to Now, what are we going to watch? Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. Um we're going to talk about uh nutrition and food. And this film I need to change the name of. It is Janet and the Genie. And it's made for teenagers, teenage girls. Enjoy. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Oh, that's Yeah. All right. We got to step down, Pat. Let's go. Okay. Wait a second. I can't go. Why not? Cuz I promised my mother I'd go grocery shopping with her. Oh, man. Fun. Well, we'll go to the match tomorrow, then. Okay. Come on, Lucy. Bye. >> [music] >> Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Here, Janet. I know you'll find my note here at the refrigerator. I've gone to the hairdresser's and may be home a little late. There is grocery list and money near the phone. Please go shopping yourself. Oh, no. She wants me to do the shopping. I'm the world's worst in a supermarket. I don't know a grade A from grade B. And she knows it. Oh my gosh. What am I going to do? I know. I'll call Vicky. Oh, what's the use? She doesn't know any more than I do. >> [music] >> Say, you're the cookiest. Who are you? I'm a genie. A genie, huh? Where'd you come from? You ought to know. You brought me here. I did? Sure. You need help with your shopping, and that happens to be my business. I'm genie of the mic No. I'm too rugged for rugs. I travel the jet stream. Ready to go? Go? Where are we going? Behind the scenes, and we've got some traveling to do. Well, maybe I ought to wait for my mother. She'll be home soon. Oh, your mother's already taken this trip. She has? She never told me. Couldn't you guess? You know what a smart shopper she is. Okay? Let's make the scene. Okay, you cookie genie. Let's go. Come on, Janet. Pop on in. Attagirl. Gosh, genie, how did we get here? Oh, you know. Break one sound barrier, and you break them all. Well, what are we doing here? This is scene one, the meat packing plant. But suppose a real authority describes it to you. Friend of mine from the US Department of Agriculture, named George. We'll let George do it. Take over, George. Glad to, Janie. I'm going to tell you about meat inspection. Let's begin with one of our key men, the USDA inspector in charge. He's a doctor, doctor veterinary medicine. At the moment, he's checking beef livers. And remember this, Janie, 85% of our meat gets this treatment. Before a single piece of meat can move from state to state, inspection is a must. How do you know if meat's been given this treatment? Look for the official stamp. This tells us that the meat products we buy are inspected for our protection. Once main cuts and edible parts are found to be wholesome, clean, and safe, they rate the official stamp of inspection. It's a big job, Janie. A challenge to the staff of inspectors who work under the man in charge. And inspection doesn't overlook one of your favorite foods and mine, frankfurters. USDA sees that every machine is scrupulously clean. We also okay design, construction, the whole bit. Now, when your hot dog is USDA inspected, rest assured you're biting into a wholesome one. The USDA seal appears on the label of every inspected package. Call it a wiener or a weenie, a frankfurter, or just plain frank, it's still a hot dog, and a wholesome one. And that goes for all federally inspected processed meat products. Before meat can leave the packing plant, it must be safe, yes. But meeting federal inspection requirements doesn't mean a tender steak. No, Janie, that's another matter, Meat quality. And it has its own USDA guide. Quality is judged by a USDA meat grader, an expert in meat. While two carcasses may look pretty much the same to us, a meat grader sees a world of difference. He rates each carcass against the federal quality requirements for each grade. USDA prime, choice, good, and standard. One important quality factor is age. Another, marbling, little specs of fat within the lean. USDA good beef has little marbling. It's not as flavorful and juicy as higher grades, but cooked properly, it's good eating. Now, this is the top grade. USDA prime. Prime steaks and roasts are very tender, juicy, and flavorful. USDA choice beef is very popular with most consumers and widely available when you shop. So, Janet, know what grade you're buying. Look for the USDA grade stamp, found on almost every retail cut of graded carcass. As for the purple dye, it's a harmless food coloring that tells an important story. And now that you know your grades, Janet, next thing to know is your cuts. Right, George? Oh, I don't know one cut from another. Oh, we'll take care of that in a flash. But first, we need a kitchen. USA USDA C&MS abracadabra. Come on, Janet. Pop on in again. Okay, friend George. Carry on. Now, Janet, let's look at some beef cuts. This rib roast and those porterhouse and sirloin steaks are naturally more tender than many other cuts. Their grade is important, too. It's your guide to just how tender and flavorful they'll taste. You can rely on this rib roast, USDA choice. Now, just add a bit of brown sorcery and food fit for a genie. These porterhouse steaks and that sirloin steak all look good too, don't they? You can broil them in all confidence, Janet. They are tender cuts and USDA choice. Now, here's a less tender cut. A blade chuck. It's been graded USDA good and makes good eating when cooked properly. The trick? Moist heat, like pot roasting, makes less tender cuts and lower grade meat tender and good to the taste. So, when you buy beef and cook it, remember two things. Cut and grade. Veal and lamb are graded much the same way. So, look for the grade shield on these meats, too. Well, that just about touches the high spots of inspection and grading of meat. How does the same system work for poultry? Let's go to a place where birds are processed. A poultry processing plant. You crazy genie, what are you doing up there? I want to see if I PASS INSPECTION. A KITCHEN REJECT. HERE AGAIN, inspection is required of all birds that are handled by plants which sell their products across state lines. Like the meat packer, the poultry processor must meet the same meticulous requirements throughout his plant. Every bird must be individually inspected. It must prove to be wholesome or else it is condemned. Birds, too, are graded. Once again, remember. Inspection for wholesomeness. Grading for quality. You know, Janet, when I was a kid, Genie, my father was his own processor, his own inspector, his own butcher, his own grader, and his own >> Yes, but today the shield you see on birds is a welcome sign of high quality eating. Only the plumpest, the meatiest are tagged US Grade A. Whether they are fresh or frozen, from your Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey to the gourmet a Rock Cornish hen, which can now grace everybody's table. Look, Genie, frozen dinners. They're easy to cook. All you have to do is put them in the oven and heat them up. And eat them up. What's more, eat them in confidence, Janet, because they too are inspected. The label tells you. Just check it, like all good shoppers. Now, here's the federal inspection laboratory where products are checked. But where's Genie? Genie? Where are you? Genie? What are you doing in there? Come out of there, Genie. Oh, gee, Janet, I'm trying to play it real cool. Hey, look, the home economists are here. They want to make sure the label is able and stable. Okay, Genie, who's going to tell me about labeling? Labeling is still my department, Janet. Now, the job of our home economists is to make sure the package contains exactly what it says it does. Before a processor puts out a new product or makes changes in his label, he must first get USDA's approval. The home economist helps check out the product to make sure that the package will contain exactly what the label claims it does. What's printed on the outside must be the true story of what's inside. Take your frozen dinner. It must meet strict USDA requirements such as the right amount of meat. Now let's leave the test kitchen and look at a lab where a chemical analysis is ready to take place. >> [music] >> Say what's so funny? >> [laughter] >> How do you always manage to get into these situations? Occupational hazard. My father used to warn me, "Never be a genie. Don't ever be a genie, Janet." You mean there can be girl genies? Do you have a genie girlfriend? Come on, tell me. Well, she has light brown hair and well, you know the rest. >> [laughter] >> Excuse me, you two. To continue with labeling, please. By checking samples of meat which are sent in, the chemist serves as a scientific backstop for the inspector working in the processing plant. At his request, the chemist analyzes a product for any number of things. For instance, have unapproved substances been added which might misrepresent the appearance or taste of the product? Do the amounts of each ingredient used conform to the formula which had been approved? Is the amount of moisture contained in the product within the limitations established by USDA? Does the product contain harmful bacteria or residues? Tests such as these are designed to assure you that you will get wholesome food as shown on the label. The label design itself must also meet USDA requirements. It must show the common name of the product along with the name and address of the packer or distributor. The inspection stamp must be clearly displayed. Net weight must be shown. Ingredients listed by the accepted name of the item. And Janet, here's a hint that will help you know exactly what it is you're buying. The item weighing the most must be listed first. And so on down the line to the item of the lightest weight. Since brown gravy is here listed first, the product contains more gravy than sliced beef. And to be called chili con carne with beans, ingredients must contain at least 25% meat. In Spanish, Janet, carne means meat. Okay. Suppose the label is approved. How do we know the processor won't break the rules? Hm. The USDA inspector is your insurance and mine that rules are not broken. No phony baloney. I thank you. The shopper knows what she's buying because it's all there on the label. Say. We'd make a great team. Yes. I can see it now. Janet and the genie. I was thinking of Genie [music] and Janet. Oh, no. I like Janet and the genie better. Oh, I don't care. Just as long as we're together. By the way, Janet, do you like apples? Yeah. And I suppose George is going to tell me all about them. Well, I was kind of thinking of Charlie. Okay, Genie. Who's Charlie? >> Friend of mine. Friend of mine from USDA. Knows all about it. Yes, Genie. I know. Name's Charlie Adams. He really knows his apples. Hi Janet. Did you know there are more than 300 US grade standards for all kinds of fruits and vegetables? Here's a USDA specialist at work grading apples, Janet. He checks to see if the label is accurate. He looks for blemishes and defects. Only a minimum are allowed if fruit is to be called fancy. He then checks for size. To arrive at an accurate grade, he samples just enough. The final test is the apple good eating. Now, let's see how processed fruits and vegetables are graded. This plant is operating under USDA continuous inspection service, which means it must meet strict requirements of cleanliness and have proper equipment to do an expert processing job. Incoming raw produce is checked for quality. The entire operation falls under the supervision of a USDA grader. And when the final product measures up to the USDA standard, it may then wear the US grade A shield. Any second, you're going to see something pretty saucy. There it is. He's taking those samples to the laboratory, Janet. Let's go. Okay, Janet. Now, let's watch how USDA specialist goes about checking the quality of applesauce. He first checks weight to make sure contents weigh what the label claims. A puncture test tells him if the canning job is a good one. So, there will be no doubt [music] about the keeping quality. He must next judge color, consistency, and if there are any defects, all according to USDA standards. The taste test is mighty important, too. And the grader also uses scientific equipment to measure sweetness. So, when you see that US Grade A shield on fruits and vegetables, canned, frozen, or dried, now you know, Janet, it is backed up by the considered opinion of an expert and by a good bit of science, too. What about an inspector somewhere else in the country? What are his standards? Janet, let me show you something. Fooled you, didn't it? To get back to your question, Janet, graders the country over use identical USDA standards as their guide to judge quality. And to help them interpret these standards in the same way, we give them visual aids. Say a grader needs to judge how red a Red Delicious must be to merit the grade US Fancy. He looks at an apple model for guidance. Now, see this fellow, Janet? He's using a color compa- uh a color compa- a color comparator. Color comparator, Genie. That's another kind of visual aid we provide for graders to help them judge color, such as the color quality of peas. Color's tricky, and it's an important factor of quality. Well, so much for fruits and vegetables. Let's shuffle off to dairy products. Now, how do you like this plant, Janet? Here's where they make butter. Okay. Who's going to tell me about dairy inspection, George or Charlie? Sam. Sam? Sam Hill. Hey, Sam Hill, what's going on around here? Grade AA butter, that's what, Genie. The butter grader relies heavily upon [music] his senses. Before he can assign the US grade AA, the aroma must be pleasing, the texture fine. Here again, a sample is compared against the visual aid. Looks good, doesn't it? Yes, but how does it taste? That's the most important test of all. Then a final check. The grader is about to take these samples into the laboratory for a keeping test to make sure that butter carrying the USDA grade [music] mark will retain its fine flavor and texture. Now, Janet, here's what you look for in the store, the grade shield. It tells you that your butter meets all requirements of official grade standards. [music] And you can find the quality of butter you wish simply by looking for the appropriate grade [music] mark. AA, made of high quality sweet cream, has a pleasant aroma, sweet flavor, [music] and creamy texture. Grade A is almost as good. Grade B lacks the fine, fresh flavor of the two higher grades, but pleases many who like [music] its slightly acid taste. Butter is not the only dairy product graded, Janet. Cheddar cheese can earn the same double A or A rating is butter in much the same way on the basis of flavor, texture, and body. And then, some dairy products like [music] cottage cheese and processed cheese may earn the quality approved shield, which means they were manufactured under USDA's [music] quality control program and qualify as good, clean products. Genie? Where are we? Why is it so dark in here? Look over there, Janet. Genie? What's he doing? Candling eggs. Looking inside to see what grade to give them. Genie? That's not your voice. Darn it. I thought I could fool you. But why? I thought you'd like me better if I had a nice voice like my friends. Oh, Genie. I like you just the way you are. Yippee! Yippee! And now, Merryweather, you may take over. Merryweather? First George, then Charlie, then Sam, and now Merryweather? Merryweather here. Like so many of the products you saw today, Janet, eggs too are graded. Here's one way. Candling. Candling lets the grader see a number of things that determine the egg grade. Is there a small air cell inside? Is the white of the egg clear and firm? Is the yolk free of defects? The better the egg, the higher the grade. Let's look at another method of grading, shell breaking. A system used in a special quality control program. Once the grader has gathered up and weighed his samples, he breaks them out. Thus, quality meets the eye. He first measures the height of the white, the albumen. Next, condition of the yolk is observed. Now, this is a grade B egg. The white runs and the yolk's flat. Even so, it's perfectly eligible for baking. Devilish good for angel food. And here's a grade double A egg. Boil it, poach it, it's the best. Eggs are weighed to determine size. And the size has no relationship to quality. When a dozen eggs weigh 27 oz, they're called extra large. At 24 oz, they're large size. 21 oz, medium size, and so on. A difference of 3 oz between each weight class. >> [music] >> And here are the packages. Look for the grade mark and remember, grade double A, A, or B for quality. Size, like extra large, large, and medium for weight. Once you know the weights general, you can compare costs and get the best buy. That's what makes you [music] a good shopper. Let's see now. Tell me if I'm learning, G. These are grade A eggs. The extra large cost 5 cents more than the large eggs. Extra large is a better buy. Smart girl. Grade double A butter for that wonderful flavor and aroma. Hm, smarter by the second. Tops in quality, right, Genie? Right, Janet. This girl really catches on. Packed under continuous inspection. US grade A fancy. Hm. More grade A fancy. US fancy apples. Gee, they're beautiful. Let's see how I do with meat and poultry, Genie. Okay, Janet. A rib roast, inspected and passed, wholesome, safe to eat, and graded choice. That'll be for Sunday dinner. A T-bone, graded choice. Daddy's favorite. Graded choice. It'll make a good Swiss steak. You see, when you know what you're doing, shopping is fun. Inspected and passed, wholesome, safe to eat, US grade A, something tasty. What a beauty. Look at the label. We can rely on its information, and it will look like this inside. How am I doing, Genie? Looks like my Janet doesn't need her Genie anymore. Well, that's how it in Genie Land. We learned a lot from you, Genie. And you know what? You're loads of fun, too. Wait till I tell Vicky about you. You'll have to give her a Genie? Genie? Genie? Where are you? Genie? Where did you go? I know where you are. Come out of there, Genie. Genie? I guess he's gone. Hello, dear. Oh, hi, Mom. Sorry I'm late. Gee, your hair looks nice. Christine, and you girlfriend of yours? Huh? Oh, no, I guess I was just talking to myself. I see you bought the groceries. Did you have any trouble? No trouble, Mom. In fact, I actually enjoyed it. >> [music] [music] >> I think they could have broken that down into shorter segments instead of having that big chunk. Um also, I I it would have been better better if Dudley Moore had voiced the genie. Or if there had been sitar music. That's That's what I was looking for. Um but, you know. Uh so, what's going on with me? Uh I'm flying tomorrow. And I'm flying on Monday. So, those shows will be probably pre-recorded. Um yeah. Definitely pre-recorded cuz just that day is going to be Monday's going to be crazy and tomorrow's also going to be crazy. So, um yeah, we'll have more stuff. Maybe less films about the fourth dimension, but who knows? Who knows? Thanks so much for watching today. I appreciate your eyeballs and your comments. Um if you like what you saw, hit the thumbs up. You can subscribe. You can donate via the super thanks button. All those are safe options and now that we have control back of the our YouTube channel. Um you can also go to patreon.com/abgeeks or Venmo. That's another way you can support us. And the thing with Patreon is if you become a member of Patreon, it's it's almost like a tip jar with a a subscription so that you are periodically charged a certain amount of money. And for Patreon people, I've been creating new shows that are only available uh on Patreon and it's one show a month and it's kind of themed. So, that's an opportunity if you want to support us. But just being there, watching, commenting, sharing, these are all great great ways to support us and we appreciate that. So, we will see you tomorrow. Have a