Episodes

The San Francisco skyline faces a potential structural crisis as the Millennium Tower, dubbed the Tower of Death, rises near the Bay Bridge. Concerns mount over the building's water-filled honeycomb counterweights and its vulnerability to seismic failure during peak commute hours. Meanwhile, General Motors reports a staggering $38.6 billion non-cash charge, signaling a massive valuation allowance against deferred tax credits that exposes the company's precarious reliance on subprime financing over automotive manufacturing. Global currency markets shift as the US dollar falls below parity with the Canadian dollar, prompting supermodel Gisele Bündchen to demand contract payments in euros. In the media sector, the Writers Guild of America strike intensifies as Jack Myers highlights the opaque nature of online advertising accounting. Legal drama unfolds in New York where an assistant confessed to the yoga-stick murder of Ramones manager Linda Stein, while in Texas, Dutch backpackers Miriam and Wesley recount their six-week detention in an isolation cell following a visa expiration near the Mexican border. Art historians claim a musical staff is hidden within Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper through mirrored superimposition. This discovery coincides with a broader debate on the restricted access to global landmarks like Stonehenge and the Mona Lisa. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak conclude this Podshow production with a critique of Congressman Tom Lantos for his selective outrage over Yahoo China while ignoring domestic AT&T surveillance.

Rick Cotton of NBC Universal is lobbying the White House for a cabinet-level anti-piracy czar, claiming intellectual property theft outweighs physical crimes like bank robbery. This aggressive stance coincides with the Writers Guild of America strike, which Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak characterize as a strategic blunder. The labor action over unproven new media residuals may force networks to shutter digital experiments like Hulu to avoid future contractual liabilities. Erik Prince defended Blackwater operations on Charlie Rose, framing the private military firm as a mere training extension of the U.S. Navy and Marines. Meanwhile, the Southeastern United States faces a catastrophic drought as Georgia officials warn of a 60-day water supply window and Tennessee towns run dry. In the Pacific, researchers identify a plastic garbage patch the size of Texas where microscopic debris is entering the primary food chain. The music industry mourns Linda Stein, the legendary manager of The Ramones, following her violent death in a Fifth Avenue apartment. John C. Dvorak and Adam Curry contrast the high-earning private contractors in Iraq with the $35,000 salaries of enlisted soldiers. The duo tracks the evolution of the adult industry from Rotterdam bulletin boards to the multimillion-dollar success of Danni Ashe. Dvorak prepares for his upcoming Cranky Geeks appearance while the pair signs off from their respective California studios.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak launch the inaugural episode of No Agenda on the PodShow Network, establishing a new conversational format for media analysis. The debut features a deep dive into Curry’s recent interview with Texas Congressman Ron Paul, conducted via Skype and landline. The hosts examine Paul’s constitutionalist views on abortion, his refusal to run as an independent candidate, and his lone opposition to controversial new domestic legislation. John C. Dvorak critiques the technical pacing of the Ron Paul interview while highlighting the Congressman’s distinction between a democracy and a republic. The discussion shifts to HR 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, which the hosts warn could criminalize online dissent. Additional reports cover the massive displacement of one million people during the California wildfires and the Writers Guild of America strike over internet residuals. Dvorak also shares a historical anecdote regarding 19th-century abolitionist Cassius Clay and his use of a shrapnel cannon for Second Amendment defense. Adam Curry recounts the awkward moment he asked Dr. Ron Paul about the folder versus scruncher bathroom habit, eliciting a strictly constitutionalist response from the presidential candidate. The hosts also trade stories about vintage weaponry, including a belt-fed Japanese machine gun brought back from the South Pacific. This first episode sets the tone for a weekly, agenda-free look at global events and media manipulation.