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44:31 | Dec 7th, 2017
In which an eccentric Shakespeare buff releases two birds in Central Park, and thereby screws up an entire continent's ecosystem. Certificate #27603. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
51:17 | Jul 23rd
In which over a century of mathematicians are unable to solve a geometry problem straight out of a coloring book, computers provide their first ever math "proof," and Ken challenges John to map a donut. Certificate #28876. Learn more about your ad-ch...Show More
57:43 | Jul 18th
In which a fictional pipe-smoking salesman invents a new quasi-religion for ironists, Discordians, and weirdos, and Ken believes he could have prevented the Trojan War. Certificate #31147. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/p...Show More
1:07:47 | Jul 2nd
In which we remember Frank Zappa's favorite 1950s fad, brought to you by the inventor of Mad Libs, and John remembers why people actually thought a Sasquatch lived on top of the Space Needle back in foggier times. Certificate #48261. Learn more about...Show More
1:13:22 | Sep 12th
In which a horrorcore rap-rock duo from Detroit accidentally creates a global army of misfits and outcasts, and Pearl Jam gets John thrown in jail five times. Certificate #32373. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adv...Show More
56:04 | Sep 10th
In which a combination of Cold War paranoia and good old-fashioned racism convince America that deliciously "umami" Asian food is actually killing them, and Ken eats kelp in a kayak. Certificate #21879. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://new...Show More
1:01:09 | Sep 3rd
In which an adventurous Prussian polymath single-handedly revolutionizes modern science, and even helps kick-start the liberation of South America and the environmental movement, and John and Ken ponder their own inevitable disappearance down the mem...Show More
1:13:43 | Aug 29th
In which a vaudeville baby whistler becomes the world's first movie star and goes on to invent the electric windshield wiper, and Ken's knowledge of Ogden Nash insults finally comes in handy. Certificate #52050. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...Show More
1:13:24 | Aug 27th
In which many of the most commonly taught grammar and usage rules in English are revealed to be arbitrary, made-up, out-of-date, or all three, and John explains why Miss Manners should be in charge of the Internet. Certificate #41607. Learn more abou...Show More
1:17:22 | Aug 22nd
In which an eccentric metallurgist with a theater troupe begins one of the strangest science experiments in history and learns that humankind might not be ready for Mars yet, and Ken watches Jeff Bezos injure a fig tree. Certificate #34308. Learn mor...Show More
55:58 | Aug 15th
In which a bygone errand, developing vacation snapshots, becomes so widespread that it gets its own chain of drive-thru kiosks, and Ken's mom looks great in a red knit jumper and gold polyester turtleneck. Certificate #38597. Learn more about your ad...Show More
49:32 | Aug 13th
In which four mysterious cones are unearthed from proto-Celtic Europe, perhaps holding untold secrets of the calendar and cosmos, and John is surrounded by the happy nudists of the Danube. Certificate #23490 Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...Show More
56:26 | Aug 8th
In which a periodic "atmospheric river" from the Pacific Ocean threatens to put a quarter of Californians underwater in the very near future, which scares Ken so much that he decides to drill holes in his couch. Certificate #23973. Learn more about y...Show More
1:09:08 | Aug 6th
In which the legal and creative rights of a crested macaque are debated on the world stage, and we learn Ken wants to look like Popeye. Certificate #2720. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:07:17 | Aug 1st
In which two savvy farmers try to corner the market on onions by buying up the whole Midwestern supply, and John compares Gerald Ford to a Jesuit. Certificate #25671. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:00:18 | Jul 30th
In which rock's most cryptic genius shocks the world by being "born again," releasing three uneven gospel albums and annoying a lot of concertgoers. Certificate #39323. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
57:37 | Jul 25th
In which doomed Arctic explorers and a spiritualist's vacuum sealer help revolutionize the science of food storage, and John reveals that his "dueling scars" are actually from drinking cold canned pasta. Certificate #42072. Learn more about your ad-c...Show More
51:10 | Jul 16th
In which CBS cancels a full slate of country-fried programming, reinventing TV and marginalizing rural America, and John somehow watches an awful lot of Hee Haw. Certificate #36841. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-...Show More
56:38 | Jul 11th
In which one of the key nutrients for all life on Earth washes inexorably into the ocean all day every day, which really stresses Ken out. Certificate #52178 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
56:49 | Jul 9th
In which Queen Elizabeth's top astrologer dreams up the British Empire, solar power, and possibly even James Bond, and then loses his whole reputation to a charlatan with no earlobes, leading John to create a list of scientists who should have stayed...Show More
54:52 | Jul 4th
In which the U.S. military builds hundreds of thousands of weird half-cylindrical shelters out of corrugated steel, and Ken reports on what they would look like with stained-glass windows. Certificate #35704 Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...Show More
58:53 | Jun 27th
In which hundreds of thousands of people dress in big plush animal suits as a hobby, identity, or fetish, and Ken explains the secret Family Feud notebooks of his childhood. Certificate #26505 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.c...Show More
53:59 | Jun 25th
In which a tiny village secedes from the United States to join the Confederacy and forgets to rejoin for almost a century--even though it's in upstate New York just miles from the Canadian border. Certificate #42052. Learn more about your ad-choices ...Show More
1:04:09 | Jun 21st
In which two of the world's smartest electrochemists get fooled by a botched experiment and the promise of fame, and John reveals that GPS mysticism is his pseudoscience. Certificate #19668. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
53:20 | Jun 19th
In which over a hundred of Honolulu's elite private school students are shipped off to some of the world's most remote islands on a top-secret government mission, and Ken wonders if sea turtles can feel dread. Certificate #22194. Learn more about you...Show More
56:36 | Jun 13th
In which we learn how a historical delicacy of Croatia got bastardized into a staple of American cocktails and sundaes, and John is upset when his third grade teacher pays him in ice cream instead of cash. Certificate #28197. Learn more about your ad...Show More
59:03 | Jun 11th
In which we trace script handwriting from ancient Egypt all the way up to the modern culture wars, and John and Ken argue over the ugliest cursive capital letter: is it J or Q? Certificate #32892. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ihea...Show More
45:31 | Jun 6th
In which the messy orange-eating of a runaway heiress creates a colorful new summer look for American women, and Ken goes way too far with his Kennedy assassination theories. Certificate #12306. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart...Show More
50:57 | Jun 4th
In which America's two greatest dinosaur hunters ruin their lives in an unhinged battle of spite and revenge, which John finds extremely romantic. Certificate #24269. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
55:35 | May 30th
In which two of the greatest rock guitarists of all time pine after the same woman, each marry her in turn, and somehow stay friends. Certificate #42401. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
49:00 | May 28th
In which we remember the 1950s charity drive to raise reindeer funds for a tribe of Scandinavian telepaths--a problem they really should have seen coming. Certificate #37239. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adverti...Show More
53:56 | May 23rd
In which a re-designed school binder becomes a mandatory school accessory and one of the great marketing successes of the 1980s, and Ken spends hours looking at erasers shaped like sushi. Certificate #31310. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...Show More
56:32 | May 21st
In which an Esperanto-loving stage mom raises America's first celebrity child prodigy, who writes one of history's most famous poems before vanishing into a cloud of bigamy and scandal. Certificate #35551. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...Show More
49:53 | May 16th
In which John visits one of the most underwhelming (and breakable) landmarks in American history, and explains why its entire history is almost certainly made up. Certificate #33004. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast...Show More
53:45 | May 14th
In which America discovers Tex-Mex food at Disneyland, leading to the invention of Doritos and "extreme" snack foods, and Ken has clam chowder in his car. Certificate #42729. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adverti...Show More
40:04 | May 9th
In which we follow an army of exiled Polish soldiers from Siberia to Iran to Scotland, and learn why they taught a Syrian brown bear to carry ammo and eat cigarettes. Certificate #41871. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/pod...Show More
43:25 | May 7th
In which we learn about palming doorknobs, spotting bunco artists and fornicators, and other old tricks of the "hotel dick" trade, and John steals some room service pizza. Certificate #51720. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.co...Show More
1:03:20 | May 2nd
In which a series of underqualified officers and vague, sweeping gestures lead to a terrible military debacle, a good sweater, and a catchy poem, and Ken expresses some skepticism about Captain von Trapp. Certificate #38694. Learn more about your ad-...Show More
1:02:13 | Apr 30th
In which the freethinkers of the Enlightenment take a stab at designing a 100% secular timekeeping system from the ground up, and John wants to be called "Goldenrod." Certificate #44270. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/pod...Show More
54:32 | Apr 25th
In which we go through the weird list of things glimpsed by noted paranormal researcher Jimmy Carter, including a hissing marsh rabbit and a UFO that the Air Force wants you to think is barium. Certificate #21432. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...Show More
1:06:25 | Apr 23rd
In which one of the most beloved sitcom stars in America tries out the worst comedy idea of all time, and John has a theory about anti-Semitism in the Aliens movies. Certificate #22400. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podc...Show More
1:03:15 | Apr 18th
In which we explain the squeaky-clean tawdriness of casual dining chains that put all the servers in tank tops, and Ken wonders if you can eat hot wings ironically. Certificate #37739. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podca...Show More
57:09 | Apr 16th
In which a chronically ill British woman decides that God wants her to kill a fascist dictator, and Ken and John argue over whether or not an assassination plot needs a chalkboard. Certificate #16114. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news....Show More
1:07:47 | Apr 11th
In which, after centuries of stagnation, the sport of skiing is revolutionized in a matter of three years, and John is forced to sign a hand-written waiver. Certificate #34056. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adver...Show More
47:57 | Apr 9th
In which the rivers of Colombia teem with African hippos due to the excesses of a long-dead drug lord, and Ken suggests introducing Welsh corgis to the Amazon rainforest. Certificate #37768. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
49:00 | Apr 4th
In which an MIT fraternity prank creates a new unit of measurement and annoys Boston police, and John wins a million dollars on an imaginary quiz show about Maine. Certificate #50326. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcas...Show More
57:19 | Apr 2nd
In which a Dutch painter creates surreal hellscapes so mysterious and full of butts that no one knows what he was even thinking, and Ken explains why bagpipes are very, very erotic. Certificate #17086. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news...Show More
1:09:15 | Mar 28th
In which a funding impasse and clever fast food franchises put a one-of-a-kind stoplight right in the middle of a Pennsylvania interstate, and Ken misremembers who built the Lincoln Highway. Certificate #31424. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...Show More
1:11:38 | Mar 26th
In which Sir Isaac Newton adds an extra color to the rainbow to make his mystical, musical math come out right, and John has strong feelings about Satan's marital status. Certificate #26015. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
57:54 | Mar 21st
In which John goes to the Caribbean, learns how cruise ships crack 20,000 eggs in a week, and begins to comparison-shop the amazing Rube Goldberg inventions involved. Certificate #27021. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/pod...Show More
1:14:05 | Mar 19th
In which an indomitable woman from Provence defies actuaries by living to be 122 years old, shadowy Russian forces try to discredit her, and Ken predicts which Saturday Night Live cast members will be centenarians. Certificate #43762. Learn more abou...Show More
1:09:54 | Mar 14th
In which one tech company's fondest dream—to turn Butterball turkey offal into light crude oil—remains tantalizingly out of reach, and John and Ken worry about whether they're recycling waxed paper correctly. Certificate #26207. Learn more about your...Show More
1:13:02 | Mar 12th
In which a Hollywood ingenue survives her encounters with birds, angry lions, and creepy directors, and survives to become the godmother of one of America's great immigrant business empires. Certificate #28046. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...Show More
1:11:53 | Mar 7th
In which a hot dog vendor and an anonymous cabbie invent one of the all-time great American foods, giving Philadelphians classic choices like "Whiz or provolone," "wit' onions or wit'out," and "xenophobia or not." Certificate #6594. Learn more about ...Show More
55:20 | Mar 5th
In which the Earth's magnetic field turns the North Pole into the South Pole every few hundred thousand years, and John and Ken discuss what effect this might have on the aurora borealis, ski-bum turtles, and North Dakota tourism. Certificate #41220....Show More
1:07:41 | Feb 28th
In which one seemingly doomed Colorado rooster lucks into a kind of zombie Charlotte's Web scenario, and Ken and John disagree over whether a "meat puppet" is a kind of food. Certificate #21086. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart...Show More
1:10:46 | Feb 26th
In which the most trusted man in the state of Kentucky disappears with tobacco sacks full of the state treasury, and John and Ken discover which prominent U.S. government official is almost always a Latina. Certificate #23421. Learn more about your a...Show More
1:06:15 | Feb 21st
In which the American railroad provides a semi-legal travel network for millions of migrant laborers, and John explains how a sufficiently blond mustache on a young hobo can ward off evil. Certificate #14946. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...Show More
1:07:19 | Feb 19th
In which the French army accepts thousands of rogues and ne'er-do-wells from all over the world, giving them white helmets and a whole lot of wine, and Ken suggests a new method for reheating Hot Pockets. Certificate #36749. Learn more about your ad-...Show More
1:10:47 | Feb 14th
In which one driven girl from the backwoods of Georgia changes the face of aviation, Ken roasts astronaut Scott Carpenter, and John skips class to judge an essay contest. Certificate #39584. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
59:19 | Feb 12th
In which travelers to one of the most dangerous places on earth leave so many casualties behind in the "Death Zone" that they literally become part of the map. Certificate #7505. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adv...Show More
35:41 | Feb 7th
In which a skilled but self-absorbed Swedish musician leaves his homeland to become a guitar god, and John explains his theory about how neoclassicism ruined rock. Certificate #26394. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcas...Show More
43:05 | Feb 5th
In which countless scofflaws, including George Washington, rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in library fines, and Ken takes home a "spite book." Certificate #29342. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertise...Show More
1:13:48 | Jan 31st
In which Syrian ascetics and American steeplejacks alike enjoy the weirdest fad of all time, and Ken angers marathon runners. Certificate #45561. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:09:41 | Jan 29th
In which a fifth-grader from Maine becomes a diplomatic sensation after writing a nervous letter to Moscow, and John remembers the only fan letter he ever wrote. Certificate #35519. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-...Show More
1:11:30 | Jan 24th
In which we learn that one very specific region of West Africa produces more twins than anywhere else on earth, which could be due to heredity, yams, or, in Ken's mind, a mysterious glowing meteorite. Certificate #29437. Learn more about your ad-choi...Show More
1:10:22 | Jan 22nd
In which the dreams of the French Revolution are finally fulfilled by modern physicists eager to re-define science itself from scratch, which probably triggered the alien landing in May 2019. Certificate #37545. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...Show More
1:06:17 | Jan 17th
In which a gas crisis and an early social media network conspire to make long-haul truck drivers national heroes, and Ken gives a big 10-4 to a heroic trucker named "Fuzzy." Certificate #25007. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart....Show More
1:15:31 | Jan 15th
In which we read the Victorian novel that, a century later, would start an avalanche of body-swapping movie comedies, and John tries to debunk the blind prophet Tiresias. Certificate #30972. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
1:01:48 | Jan 10th
In which we follow up on the forty-two offspring of the "grandmother of Europe," including the one who led Germany into World War I and the one who might have been Jack the Ripper. Certificate #26374. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news....Show More
1:13:08 | Jan 8th
In which a revenge-crazed football coach runs up a 222-0 score against a squad of random law students and townies, and John explains why his go-to comedy move is dropping his pants. Certificate #26347. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news...Show More
1:02:15 | Jan 3rd
In which Franklin Roosevelt builds a secret, private train station under the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and John almost defects to East Germany in a gaily colored ski jacket. Certificate #33725. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com...Show More
51:56 | Jan 1st
In which a Vermont farmer unveils to the world a natural beauty of crystalline perfection that's been hiding in plain sight, and Ken and John decide to slander Buzz Aldrin for some reason. Certificate #16919. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...Show More
1:11:13 | Dec 27th, 2018
In which we study the spurving bearings and hydrocoptic marzlevanes of the made-up machine that brought technobabble to the masses, and John actually encourages Ken to talk about Star Trek for a change. Certificate #45305. Learn more about your ad-ch...Show More
1:12:11 | Dec 25th, 2018
In which one Gilded Age influencer puts Santa at the North Pole because he hates slavery so much and runs New York's most powerful man out of town on a rail because he hates the Irish so much. Certificate #33423. Learn more about your ad-choices at h...Show More
1:05:05 | Dec 20th, 2018
In which peace and holiday good will break out on the western front in 1914, partly due to the work of suffragettes, and it changes the tourism industry forever. Also, Ken defends fruitcake. Certificate #31405. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...Show More
1:01:34 | Dec 18th, 2018
In which we explore one of the weirdest funeral superstitions of pagan Europe, and John explains why he likes to retell Aesop's Fables from the bad guys' point of view. Certificate #44411. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/p...Show More
1:11:04 | Dec 13th, 2018
In which one artist redefines eroticism for the MTV generation, and John gets stuck with a very overpriced piece of Duran Duran memorabilia. Certificate #31513. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:06:16 | Dec 11th, 2018
In which a South Carolina slave seizes a heavily armed Confederate ship and sails it to freedom and instant celebrity, whereas Ken doesn't even own a hatchet. Certificate #38760. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adv...Show More
1:03:22 | Dec 6th, 2018
In which a hard-to-kill Asian insect arrives in America and discovers a delightful new predator-free life eating our produce, hiding behind our picture frames, and making everything smell like cilantro-infused sewage. Certificate #30979. Learn more a...Show More
58:06 | Dec 4th, 2018
In which Ken accidentally goes on vacation to a long submerged, 2,000-year-old forest, and John explains the value he can add to a rugby game or campfire. Certificate #1751. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertis...Show More
1:12:51 | Nov 29th, 2018
In which 1970s and 1980s TV is overrun by an avalanche of orphans, runaways, and other wisecracking moppets, and John reveals that Oscar the Grouch is a witch in a "fursuit." Certificate #37500. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart...Show More
1:08:59 | Nov 22nd, 2018
In which we consider America's favorite gourd as a botanical mystery, a symbol of autumn, a Civil War flashpoint, an Illinois monoculture, a delivery vehicle for condensed milk, and an instrument of Starbucks-related misogyny and class warfare. Certi...Show More
1:11:38 | Nov 20th, 2018
In which the Cajun cooking fad of the 1980s spawns a hazardous new holiday favorite, and Ken's wife flips us the bird. Certificate #30269. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
51:33 | Nov 15th, 2018
In which a tiny French minority in the Pyrenees is shunned and hated for reasons no one can quite remember, and John pronounces the words "goose foot" more capably than Ken. Certificate #28287. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart....Show More
58:43 | Nov 13th, 2018
In which the notorious "Miser of Acton" forgets to sign his will, and for over a century thousands of people--including Ken's family--become convinced they are rightful heirs to his $300 million fortune. Certificate #23502. Learn more about your ad-c...Show More
1:23:15 | Nov 8th, 2018
In which a troubled street performer becomes a beloved musician and helps found a landmark record label, Ken buys a booby-trapped painting, and John critiques the storytelling of celebrity children. Certificate #49895. Learn more about your ad-choice...Show More
1:20:30 | Nov 6th, 2018
In which the U.S. government tries to ban a Rod Serling TV movie for inspiring too many mid-air extortions, all of which can be foiled by knowing the right trivia fact about Denver. Certificate #41961. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news...Show More
1:04:02 | Nov 1st, 2018
In which a Lancashire grocer and pub landlord becomes the most skilled executioner of all time, and John explains the best part of being guillotined. Certificate #21776. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:11:53 | Oct 30th, 2018
In which a Colorado housewife and her tractor dealer friend jump-start the 1950s "reincarnation" fad, and Ken ponders whether or not he was "Endora" in a past life. Certificate #29314. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podca...Show More
46:31 | Oct 25th, 2018
In which a 16th-century jack-of-all-trades judiciously joins a jaunty new Johnny-come-lately to our jargon because he's just so jazzed about Jesus. Juxtaposed with John's jumbled jeremiads and Jennings's juvenile jokes. Certificate #23082. Learn more...Show More
1:14:30 | Oct 23rd, 2018
In which Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, and Goethe go nuts about a best-selling blind Celtic bard who might not even exist, and John writes his first Tolkien fanfic. Certificate #28002 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-...Show More
58:27 | Oct 18th, 2018
In which military scientists, flush from their success annoying Manuel Noriega with Doors music, try to find that one elusive noise that will liquefy their enemies' bowels. Certificate #42964. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.c...Show More
1:12:05 | Oct 16th, 2018
In which John and Ken learn that they share a "chronotype," but disagree over whether it's natural to spend an hour or two every night sitting naked in a chair. Certificate #38846. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-a...Show More
1:03:56 | Oct 11th, 2018
In which we ponder two questions: are we living on the inside of a concave sphere? Or is someone else down there, possibly with skimpy outfits and pet dinosaurs? Certificate #19429. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-...Show More
1:20:09 | Oct 9th, 2018
In which the biggest media franchise and the biggest augmented reality game of all time cause us to consider Zionist trading cards, the allure of wooden boats, and the feng shui of construction workers. Certificate #41843. Learn more about your ad-ch...Show More
55:21 | Oct 4th, 2018
In which the Soviet Union detonates the biggest bomb in human history, and Ken imagines Nikita Khrushchev as a pro wrestler and a Bond villain. Certificate #20568. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:14:49 | Oct 2nd, 2018
In which we meet one of the last nomadic people on the planet and admire their dress code, and John identifies strongly with a camel that roars when loaded heavily. Certificate #42973 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcas...Show More
53:06 | Sep 27th, 2018
In which mass hysteria strikes the town squares of medieval Europe, John imagines the rigors of jute underwear, and Ken wonders if aliens ever start orgies. Certificate #21161. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adver...Show More
54:41 | Sep 25th, 2018
In which the world's largest, boxiest truck fleet ages into its fourth decade, and John hunts for an elusive postal mascot from his childhood. Certificate #35752 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:08:14 | Sep 20th, 2018
In which we learn why one of Europe's most isolated countries is dotted with hundreds of thousands of domed concrete pillboxes, and also why zombie movies are thinly veiled racism. Certificate #46673 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.i...Show More
59:23 | Sep 18th, 2018
In which the war between album-oriented rock and its mortal enemy disco boils over into the worst baseball promotion in history, and Ken reveals what 1970s music they play in heaven. Certificate #25815. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://new...Show More
1:07:06 | Sep 13th, 2018
In which a huckster and meteorite-hunter, facing a business disaster, starts a still-brewing secession movement on the Oregon-California border, and also we contemplate who all the Looney Tunes characters voted for. Certificate #26085. Learn more abo...Show More
1:07:45 | Sep 11th, 2018
In which we learn what happens when an infinite number of tour buses arrive at an infinite hotel with no vacancies, and decide whether or not this is worse than the guest services at the Eagles' Hotel California. Certificate #44261. Learn more about ...Show More
1:04:00 | Sep 6th, 2018
In which a minor 1950s celebrity births America's modern cultural war, and Ken gets to complain about his two least favorite things: bigotry, and orange juice. Certificate #31531. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-ad...Show More
1:13:04 | Sep 4th, 2018
In which a medieval crusade to Jerusalem goes off the rails and ends up sacking the world's greatest Christian city instead. Certificate #11758. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
55:47 | Aug 30th, 2018
In which an angry teenager in his local library produces a counterculture classic of booby-trap design, leading to John being suspended from junior high for anarcho-capitalism. Certificate #33047. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ihea...Show More
47:31 | Aug 28th, 2018
In which Napoleon Bonaparte is disrespected by John's mom, but almost rescued by an English smuggler in a steampunk submarine. Certificate #37796. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
50:21 | Aug 23rd, 2018
In which John welcomes the microbes from a Montana copper sludge pit who will surely inherit the earth, and Ken announces how many syllables a dog's name should have. Certificate #50365. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/pod...Show More
54:18 | Aug 21st, 2018
In which we study the human brain's terrifying capacity for adaptation, via upside-down cigarette lighting, weird-smelling houses, and "stoner" voice. Certificate #37104. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:05:05 | Aug 16th, 2018
In which John explains why there are only 643 of the greatest guitar ever made, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica pays $2 million for a Fleetwood Mac hand-me-down. Certificate #30784. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-ad...Show More
50:24 | Aug 14th, 2018
In which Sumeria's shiftiest businessman keeps all his hate mail around for four thousand years, and Ken gets accused of counterfeiting by a local bookstore. Certificate #27107. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adve...Show More
52:56 | Aug 9th, 2018
In which one of America's richest young men gets really into New Guinean tribal art, and ends up getting really into a New Guinean tribe. Certificate #7628. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:00:20 | Aug 7th, 2018
In which a British newspaper mysteriously spends June 1944 printing top-secret World War II spoilers, and Ken fails to amuse John with a lengthy anagram about a sex scandal. Certificate #29294. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart...Show More
1:02:30 | Aug 2nd, 2018
In which John runs down the history of serial burglary, beginning with gentleman jewel thieves and ending with a plane crash in the Bahamas. Certificate #39409. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
53:08 | Jul 31st, 2018
In which the Byzantines save their empire by inventing the flamethrower, John clears up a misconception re: how many roads go to Rome, and Ken clears up a misconception re: how many herbs and spices are in KFC. Certificate #10403. Learn more about yo...Show More
52:50 | Jul 26th, 2018
In which John blames the boring skyline of Los Angeles on Regulation Number 10, an ill-conceived attempt at making every building in the city accessible by helicopter. Certificate #38095. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/po...Show More
1:16:42 | Jul 24th, 2018
In which NASA gives aliens a weird gift basket (opera arias, a welcome from a Nazi war criminal, a lousy map, and absolutely no nipples!) and Ken gossips about wife-swapping astronomers. Certificate #34914. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...Show More
56:00 | Jul 19th, 2018
In which a piano starts to fall right through the floor of a second-story dining room, and as a result, the White House gets a balcony, a bunker, and a bowling alley. Certificate #47967. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/pod...Show More
1:04:04 | Jul 17th, 2018
In which two art-world provocateurs fly to Scotland and burn through a record amount of cash in just two hours, and John sings his least favorite novelty song of the 1980s for us. (Hey!) Certificate #5888. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...Show More
44:34 | Jul 12th, 2018
In which John explains the secrets of raccoon hygiene, Ken mistakenly shows up with a ukulele, a straw hat, and a football pennant, and ferret lovers unsubscribe in mass numbers. Certificate #29158. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ih...Show More
43:00 | Jul 10th, 2018
In which the post office builds a path of giant yellow concrete arrows stretching across the continent, and John questions the sobriety of the pilots of Montana. Certificate #34096. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-...Show More
58:25 | Jul 5th, 2018
In which the most devastating twister in American history tears through 235 miles of the Midwest, tossing around trees, railroad tracks, and popcorn stands. Certificate #9101. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advert...Show More
1:12:00 | Jul 3rd, 2018
In which a Boston woman falls on an icy sidewalk and discovers the secret of the universe, and listeners are encouraged to seek out the most heretical book in their local metaphysical lending library. Certificate #51449. Learn more about your ad-choi...Show More
55:11 | Jun 26th, 2018
In which tens of thousands of Koreans are forcibly relocated to the deserts of Central Asia and ordered to grow rice, and John refuses to relocate to Kotzebue or Yakutat even though he has a free plane ticket. Certificate #16823. Learn more about you...Show More
53:00 | Jun 21st, 2018
In which Calvin Coolidge gets a frisky gift from Liberia that ushers zoos into the modern age, and John and Ken fantasize about being president and still sleeping all day. Certificate #47159. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.co...Show More
1:01:26 | Jun 19th, 2018
In which a California backyard botanist creates a mysterious new fruit, resulting in one of the century's biggest food fads and reinventing the American vacation. Certificate #36525. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast...Show More
59:30 | Jun 14th, 2018
In which the world's catchiest song teaches us how English sounds to overseas ears, and Ken mispronounces the French word for "slithy." Certificate #35645. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
56:09 | Jun 12th, 2018
In which an eccentric billionaire has the terrible idea to cast John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and a "who's who" of Hollywood gets showered with both bad reviews and radioactive fallout. Certificate #17145. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ne...Show More
1:06:43 | Jun 7th, 2018
In which a Volkswagen marque invents the super-car, new acceleration and deceleration records are set, and Ken asks where John was conceived. Certificate #24968. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:06:35 | Jun 5th, 2018
In which a French-Canadian "voyageur" suffers three indignities: being blasted with buckshot at point-blank range, becoming a full-time medical guinea pig, and having John call him the world's first "human fondue set." Certificate #42453. Learn more ...Show More
1:03:47 | May 31st, 2018
In which John traces "preppy" fashion from Buckingham Palace to Hyannis Port to Kinko's, and Ken wonders if everyone on post-collapse Earth owns a navy blazer. Certificate #31310. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-ad...Show More
59:12 | May 29th, 2018
In which we examine how flight attendants smile, baby chimps play, botox treats mental illness, and Oscar the Grouch was a harsh wake-up call for Gen X kids. Certificate #42013. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adve...Show More
1:04:05 | May 24th, 2018
In which a Victory ship full of ammunition ignites a three-mile fireball, which in turn ignites the biggest mutiny trial in American history. Certificate #32844. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:09:06 | May 22nd, 2018
In which Raymond Carver becomes a literary superstar largely thanks to one brilliant, heavy-handed editor, and Ken and John share a very controversial Blade Runner take. Certificate #24875. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/...Show More
54:44 | May 17th, 2018
In which a poison made from dried beetles becomes a schoolyard legend as an alleged aphrodisiac, foreshadowing our modern age of creepy predator celebrities and erectile dysfunction infomercials. Certificate #31327. Learn more about your ad-choices a...Show More
53:11 | May 15th, 2018
In which we learn why the moon looks so much larger at the horizon, whether your fingernails can out-race Portugal, and whether Ken or John has the better Axl Rose impression. Certificate #18042. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ihear...Show More
1:03:05 | May 10th, 2018
In which John runs down the disturbing history of product tampering, from Bromo-Seltzer to baby food, and listeners are strongly discouraged from committing murder. Certificate #27765. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podca...Show More
56:36 | May 8th, 2018
In which a U.S. vice-president spends his entire six-week term dying in Cuba, and Ken reads some fun, flirty letters from future president James Buchanan. Certificate #39087. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adverti...Show More
56:59 | May 3rd, 2018
In which John explains why it's a bad idea to smelt iron on your deck or patio, a seemingly obvious life tip that seems to have escaped Chairman Mao. Certificate #30148. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
57:06 | May 1st, 2018
In which we celebrate a basketball team that never gets to celebrate, because they've lost to their rivals 17,000 times. Certificate #46102. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
46:05 | Apr 26th, 2018
In which the U.S. government pixelates the American West with land grants to railroads. Certificate #6798. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
50:42 | Apr 24th, 2018
In which Ken confesses that he might have caused a land grab in the middle of the Nubian Desert. Certificate #50204. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
53:44 | Apr 19th, 2018
In which we revisit 1991's briefest, brightest fashion fad, and John ponders what to do with our nation's biggest problem: awkward middle-schoolers. Certificate #26275. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
55:12 | Apr 17th, 2018
In which an unsuccessful horror writer accidentally rewrites the history of the Western Front, and Ken is clearly annoyed at having to learn the history of the Western Front. Certificate #21873. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart...Show More
34:47 | Apr 12th, 2018
In which sneakers keep washing onto the beaches of British Columbia with the feet of mystery people still inside, may God rest their soles. Certificate #27174. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
50:40 | Apr 10th, 2018
In which Ken runs down the list of everything that could ever be bought by putting coins in slots, from religious awe to banned books to pancake mix. Certificate #16697. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
40:20 | Apr 5th, 2018
In which we learn why US radio stations start with a K or a W, and how to get hold of Ken's dad in case of a national emergency. Certificate #28337. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
48:33 | Apr 3rd, 2018
In which a Scottish policeman, a Tokyo professor, and Mary Queen of Scots have very loyal dogs, but a young John Roderick does not. Certificate #24139. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
29:35 | Mar 29th, 2018
In which a prehistoric ice dam breaks and 500 cubic miles of water reshape the Pacific Northwest. Certificate #17528 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
39:55 | Mar 27th, 2018
In which Ken attempts to teach a new superpower--Central Asian overtone singing--to John and a live audience. Certificate #40632. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:00:13 | Mar 22nd, 2018
In which a German record producer hires two male models to lip-sync his hits, leading to--girl, you know it's true!--one Grammy, one class-action lawsuit, and one tragic death. Certificate #35145. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ihea...Show More
43:59 | Mar 20th, 2018
In which a working-class woman becomes one of the greatest scientists of her age, discovers dinosaur poop, and sells seashells by the seashore. Certificate #36073. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
49:55 | Mar 15th, 2018
In which an aluminum-heavy cruise liner falls on hard times, and John and Ken can't decide if "Blue Riband" is actually French or not. Certificate #39390. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
46:03 | Mar 13th, 2018
In which Ken describes the nouveau riche of the Amazon rainforest, and John has a conspiracy theory about scarecrows. Certificate #25284. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
50:56 | Mar 8th, 2018
In which a fiery Canadian gets 30 million Depression-era listeners for his little fascist radio show, and Ken and John pledge fealty to Martian invaders. Certificate #29423 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertise...Show More
51:44 | Mar 6th, 2018
In which a claymation terrorist with inexplicable bunny ears disrupts pizza, takes hostages, and wins America's heart. Certificate #29250 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
48:27 | Mar 1st, 2018
In which the Dutch battle their oldest enemy: the Waterwolf. Almost certainly the Omnibus's last entry (alphabetically). Certificate #31078. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
53:34 | Feb 27th, 2018
In which we make plans for the longest-awaited death in human history, and wonder how many Welsh corgis it takes to pull a gun carriage. Certificate #34884. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
46:54 | Feb 22nd, 2018
In which John investigates whether or not segassem terces naitnoc sgnos kcor, and Ken wonders why Satan would own a toolshed. Certificate #30148. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
45:27 | Feb 20th, 2018
In which we learn which Ice Age animal is named after the human nipple, and which modern animal fills John's soul with bloodlust. Certificate #47448. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
45:11 | Feb 15th, 2018
In which a socialist preacher invents a tricky birth control technique he calls "male continence," leading directly to the lazy Susan and the assassination of an American president. Certificate #34322. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news...Show More
41:50 | Feb 13th, 2018
In which Ken blames a crucial bit of fascist iconography on the most successful magazine premium in American history, and John knows the lyrics to "Alaska's Flag" but refuses to sing it. Certificate #37863. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...Show More
40:05 | Feb 8th, 2018
In which John strongly admonishes future listeners not to get sloppy with their headwear, if they have heads. Certificate #25200. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
52:24 | Feb 6th, 2018
In which the gruesome deaths in early 1960s teen ballads are variously blamed on capitalism, Marlon Brando, chastity, and giant clams. Certificate #34312. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
48:04 | Feb 1st, 2018
In which the human race barely survives the 20th century. (Well, not all of it, obviously. Picasso didn't, for example.) Certificate #27008 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
45:54 | Jan 30th, 2018
In which the bodies of ancient kings are ground up to fertilize lawns, power locomotives, and paint portraits. Certificate #37891 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
48:15 | Jan 25th, 2018
In which the world's worst chemist gives everyone lead poisoning, and then puts a hole in the ozone layer as an encore. Certificate #25185 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
47:25 | Jan 23rd, 2018
In which twenty tourists a year have a psychological breakdown because the most magical city in the world is a little disappointing. Certificate #507 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
41:32 | Jan 18th, 2018
In which John introduces us to the world's last uncontacted tribe—but not literally, because that would be illegal. Certificate #13568 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
41:19 | Jan 16th, 2018
In which a Czech astronomer is hailed as the hero of 1973, only to have his discovery flame out by not flaming out. Then he gets very seasick on a cruise. Certificate #31644 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertis...Show More
57:01 | Jan 11th, 2018
In which John shares the soothing geographic mantra that has got him where he is today: sitting in a bunker teaching 30th-century cockroach-people how to tell medieval Central European principalities apart. Certificate #18088. Learn more about your a...Show More
41:08 | Jan 9th, 2018
In which an upstart British television producer finally answers that age-old question: why don't more classic sitcoms star Adolf Hitler? Certificate #42615. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
34:36 | Jan 4th, 2018
In which a single highway is paved all the way from Alaska to Argentina--except for one pesky 66-mile gap right in the middle. Certificate #14458. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
42:53 | Jan 2nd, 2018
In which QANTAS begins a top-secret 33-hour nonstop flight between Australia and Ceylon at the height of World War II, right under the noses of the Empire of Japan. Certificate #12248. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podca...Show More
44:24 | Dec 28th, 2017
In which thousands of soulless corporate executives put little steel toys on their desks but still feel dead inside, and Ken finally learns how those little drinking birds work. Certificate #31932. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.ihe...Show More
53:34 | Dec 26th, 2017
In which our two hosts study a book that runs fifty thousand words without a solitary display of our writing plan's fifth symbol. Certificate #6442. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:01:43 | Dec 21st, 2017
In which Los Angeles stands revealed in all its unquenchable thirst, and is pronounced by John and Ken several times the fun, old-timey way, with a hard 'g'. Certificate #33935. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-adv...Show More
50:47 | Dec 19th, 2017
In which Ken and John struggle to imagine four-dimensional space with the same ease that the inventor of the pitching machine once could. Certificate #28910. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
58:30 | Dec 14th, 2017
In which John opines that Jennifer Aniston's ubiquitous 1990s-era cut was America's "last hairstyle." Certificate #24193. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:01:25 | Dec 12th, 2017
In which the aromas of tobacco, coffee, and lavender, meant to revolutionize the motion picture industry, end up nauseating audiences instead, and Ken spoils a 57-year-old surprise cameo. Certificate #18585. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...Show More
55:46 | Dec 7th, 2017
In which the United States and Britain take up arms over one potato-hungry pig. Certificate #43259. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
1:00:12 | Dec 7th, 2017
In which the world's most prestigious sporting event goes disastrously wrong, and a Cuban mailman takes a nap. Certificate #28924. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
38:57 | Dec 7th, 2017
In which throwing people out of windows is strongly endorsed by many hot-headed Czechs, but opposed in no uncertain terms by Ken's great-great-great-great-grandfather. Certificate #32146. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/po...Show More
11:28 | Dec 5th, 2017
Ken and John provide a time capsule of whimsical recordings for future generations, commemorating the human race's triumphant achievements and its beautiful mundanities. There's no way you want to miss out on these strange-but-true stories. Learn mor...Show More
02:08 | Nov 28th, 2017
Twice a week, Ken and John add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcas...Show More
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