7 chapters across the catalog
An excerpt from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" describes a religious taboo against using the phrase "by the way." According to the text, the phrase was viewed as taking the Lord's name in vain because "Jesus is the way." The etymology of the phrase is debated, contrasting the literary anecdote with historical directional usage.
Concert Industry History and Roger McGuinn Anecdotes
A discussion on the decline of the concert industry leads to personal stories about Roger McGuinn of The Birds. The segment covers the technical details of McGuinn's custom seven-string guitar, his preference for New York steak before performances, and his transition to performing lectures on cruises.
A discussion on the "Birds Aren't Real" conspiracy theory serves as a critique of modern phone addiction and its impact on interpersonal communication. The hosts argue that delayed responses caused by "thumb typing" on smartphones are the true cause of relationship friction rather than a lack of interest in birds. The segment references the 1963 song "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen as a humorous retort to the social media trend.
A report claiming hundreds of birds died in The Hague due to a 5G wireless experiment is debunked as a hoax. The deaths were likely caused by poisoning, leading local authorities to temporarily ban dogs from the park. Similar false claims have previously targeted windmill farms, despite a lack of physical evidence like feathers or carcasses at those sites.
Family Guy Table Read, Seth MacFarlane Tourette's
A personal story describes attending a "Family Guy" table read in Los Angeles. The host observes that creator Seth MacFarlane appears to have a physical "jidget" or tick similar to Tourette's syndrome while performing the various character voices for the show.
A Council on Foreign Relations representative mentioned bird flu outbreaks in five locations in Japan during a television appearance, a detail the hosts find suspicious given the lack of general news coverage. Meanwhile, a protest is planned in The Hague to mark the anniversary of the Iraq War.
A listener email suggests a correlation between the Chinese Zodiac and global flu outbreaks, noting the Year of the Chicken coincided with bird flu and the Year of the Pig with swine flu. The hosts humorously speculate on the implications for the upcoming Year of the Cock in 2010.
