Episode 260: Two Scientists.

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Welcome to Episode 260: Two Scientists.

In this episode, I recalled from memory the story of Luca Turin's theory, all from a book called The Emperor of Scent: a True Story of Perfume and Obsession. I do hope I got most of that correct. I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; a New York Times magazine article called "The Woman Who Could Smell Parkinson's"; and John M. Barry's book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.

I briefly play: the robot from the 1960s television show Lost In Space. Musically, KMFDM backs Henry Giroux in the opening; and I close today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode… ?

As the poets say, all things must pass. Today, that latest thing might be the production computer. Finally, after 21 years of service.

Sadly, its passing happened just as I was compiling Episode 260 for you, Dear Listeners.

I hope I can recover the work files; if all else fails, I do have the back-up with at least part of the production. I will try. We'll see.

For now, though, I'll get some sad dinner and do something sad other than post this latest episode.

Rest in silicon peace, old friend. (Unless you're not dead yet, which wouldn't surprise me. You Fruitie machines do last so.)

I'll be back with you as soon as the technology at my disposal allows.

—Jim

Episode 259: The Butchers of Certainty

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Not only does a constant onslaught of information drown us, we must sift out not just business propaganda, but ideological propaganda as well. The effort leaves us cynical. We should blame those in the title of Episode 259: The Butchers of Certainty.

In this episode, I read from: a 2022 New Republic article, "How the Meat Industry Undermines Effective Climate Policy;" Joel Salatin's book, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal; and my computer's quickie dictionary.

I play bits of: a KUOW interview I did with Kathy Duchamps back in 1999 (which, as far as I know, is not included in their archives); a podcast featuring David Wallace-Wells and Christiana Figueres (who I was surprised to learn was the former Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and played a vital role in the negotiations that led to the landmark Paris Agreement of 2015!); and Spencer Roberts from a 2022 This Is Hell! interview. Musically, KMFDM opens the show with a new opening featuring agriculture journalist Alan Guebert; and I close the show with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 258: Ticky Tacky Talkin'

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Putting the descriptor "foreign" on any term often gives it more gravitas, perhaps more of a threat, than simply uttering the term alone. I consider adversaries foreign and domestic in this Episode 258: Ticky Tacky Talkin'.

In this episode, I read from: Matt Stoller's January 19, 2025 article from his newsletter Big; a blogger's exploration of what limitations are applied to that new Chinese ASoL; my computer's quickie dictionary; and Robert Heinlein's novel Podkayne of Mars.

I play: another excerpt from that horrible National Associations of Manufacturers' show, the American Family Robinson; D. L. Myers invoking the Powell Movement stinger; and George Hrab from the Geologic Podcast giving a wonderfully sarcastic "great". Musically, I play: Tony Brasunas opining on what free speech means, backed by KMFDM; and Julie & Rolf & the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 257: Here Today…

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When we chronicle the efforts businesses have made to influence how the public feels about the government, into Propaganda’s Hall of Fame must go the National Association of Manufacturers. I'll share some of their efforts in this Episode 257: Here Today…

In this episode, I read from: the Wikipedia entry on the Goon Show; a blog focusing on comic strips; and Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway's book The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market.


"Your" Town!

I play: A bit of the Goon Show's Xmas episode from some unknown year^*; then-Prince Charles showing off his Goon voice chops; a bit of a Daffy Duck cartoon; excerpts from two episodes of The American Family Robinson; selections from the 1940 short movie Your Town: A Story of America; the robot from the original version of Lost In Space (which I forgot to mention when reading the credits); and Sydney Greenstreet's evil soap-manufacturing character from the 1947 movie The Hucksters.

Clark Gable complains about radio advertising in the opening, backed by KMFDM; and I close with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

^*I'm sorry, but I forgot to record the link. The BBC runs the old Goon Show episodes on a rotating release schedule, sadly, so I couldn't get that episode if I wanted to.

The New Episode Is… Where?

Hey, Dear Listeners. Jim here with an explanation on my tardiness (this time). The next episode is "in the can," as they say; just not finished with the editing, which is the thing that takes the most time. Seriously, ask any podcaster. It's all in the editing. Why? It's cold. In our industrialized world, that wouldn't be a problem but for one detail: the Attack Ads! Studio is mostly unheated. The little space heater simply can't provide the oomph needed to keep my fingers from going numb while editing. I learned the hard way that pushing through the pain into the numbness makes ones editing fingers little error sausages. So please, bear with me. I'll kick out the jams as soon as I can feel the mouse and keys. Later! —Jim, Your Ad Attacker