Topic: Naming Rights

Citizens in Fort Wayne, Indiana, voted overwhelmingly in an online poll to name a new city-county building the "Harry Baals Government Center." The name honors Harry Baals, the city's longest-serving mayor, though local officials expressed hesitation due to the name's phonetic similarity to a crude joke. The hosts highlighted the story as an example of American humor and the public's penchant for double entendres.

A satirical column once claimed that Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was changing its name to "Gateway City" in exchange for promotional fees from Gateway 2000. The story included a fictional spokesperson named "Lurpa Slurff"—April Fools spelled backward—and was reported as front-page news by local newspapers. The incident highlights how digital archives now make such pranks problematic as they resurface in search results years later.

Producers from Amsterdam and Guadalajara send donations, with Sir Julian proposing a bidding war system for studio naming rights based on a dueling piano bar model. The hosts reject the idea as too "clownish" for their value-for-value model.

A significant donation from Seronimous of Dogpatch leads to a discussion about the complexities of selling naming rights for the new studio. The hosts decide to name the studio "Lower Slobovia" and reject the idea of commercial naming rights to avoid "advertising hustles."

The hosts discuss the possibility of auctioning "naming rights" for the podcast studio, similar to corporate sponsorships of sports stadiums like Candlestick Park. This initiative is presented as a way to further the value-for-value model while emulating mainstream media structures. They acknowledge the lack of associate executive producers for the current episode.

Gary Kaskel, an animal rights activist, contacted the owner of the domain Repeal2.org seeking a transfer for his 501(c)(4) lobbying group aimed at repealing the Second Amendment. The owner refused, stating the site would instead be used to explain the constitutional process and highlight political insincerity. Kaskel's persistent emails led to a suggestion that the domain be sold to him for $25,000 as a "true American" business transaction.

The hosts address "second half of the show" topics like 9-11 and UFOs, with Dvorak admitting he is more open to questions regarding World Trade Center 7. They firmly reject the idea of selling naming rights or accepting large corporate donations, asserting that the show's independence is more valuable than a $100,000 contract that would require editorial compromise.