4th Quarter 2013
Episodes 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655

Episode #648: Agitprop
First Broadcast: 9/30/13
When Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio was a younger man, he supported humanitarian aid for the Sandinistas, and opposed the US ban on travel to to Cuba. For this, Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota accused de Blasio of basically being a Marxist and Communist sympathizer. If that's what Lhota thinks of de Blasio, then Lhota might want to note that quite a few New Yorkers shared de Blasio's opinions back in the day: that the Contras should be opposed, and that the US embargo against Cuba shouldn't be in effect. In fact, quite a few New Yorkers probably share those views today, which might be one of many reasons why de Blasio is leading Lhota by about 40 points in the latest election polls. It would certainly be a nice change of pace to have a mayor who's more concerned with social justice than with preserving the status quo of the 1%. For the city's sake, let's hope de Blasio can maintain his lead into November.

Episode #649: Kudos to You
First Broadcast: 10/7/13
After a brief search for the full name of Los Angeles, we discuss the surprising (to us) results of the Public Advocate runoff election (watch the debate and see if you don't agree), and the effects of the latest federal government shutdown. Never a dull moment!

Episode #650: That's A Stroke, Right?
First Broadcast: 10/21/13
Repeated: 12/30/13
As we were taping, the House had finally passed a bill to end a federal government shutdown and avoid a possible first-time-ever default by the United States on its debts. Thankfully, the so-called "Tea Party" Republicans seemed to gain nothing besides a decrease in the polls as a result. The rest of us, on the other hand, discovered how the Republicans in the House purposefully changed its rules to prevent the shutdown from ending sooner, and how racism still seems to be a motivater behind the Tea Party base. That, and how the end of the shutdown is still far from a victory, since the country's economy lost about $24 billion in the process, and the federal government is now back to operating at only sequester-level spending. And, the Congress-critters responsible for the shutdown might start their nonsense all over again at the next opportunity in 2014. So, maybe the best long-term solution is to not put people in government who think their job is to destroy government. Food for thought.

Episode #651: Find My Core
First Broadcast: 10/28/13
In this episode, we discuss the second debate between Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota; the possible carcinogenic effects of DDT; the McDonald's branch near Wall street; and the downright apocalyptic future that awaits if the dangers created by the Fukushima nuclear plant remain unchecked. Happy Halloween, everybody!

Episode #652: Hey, Historians!
First Broadcast: 11/4/13
Home Run Derby, the reserve clause in old baseball contracts, NFL profits, football concussions, Muhammad Ali, and fusion voting occupy our time in this episode. Oh, and it probably couldn't hurt if you voted for Bill de Blasio for mayor on Tuesday, November 5. Just sayin'.

Episode #653: 6 Point Font
First Broadcast: 11/18/13
Bill de Blasio will be the next mayor of New York City, having been elected by a grand total of 9% of the city's population (or 15% of the population of registered voters, if you prefer) who voted on what might be one of the less legible ballots I've seen in my lifetime. It's obviously a bit early to tell, but I think de Blasio's opinions on both Occupy Wall Street and Stop and Frisk automatically make him a better mayor-elect than his two most recent predecessors. After that, we become the latest media outlet to condemn Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen for writing that Bill de Blasio's interracial marriage makes conventional people "gag." Really, some people should just never open their mouths in the first place.

Episode #654: Scrambled Eggs
First Broadcast: 11/25/13
Repeated: 2/24/14
"Vogue," voguing, old school hip hop, Wild Style, "Rapture" (the "lorem ipsum" of rap, according to Kim), Parks & Recreation, female heroes, the 90s revival, and "Scrambled Eggs" are all featured in this rambling episode tonight. Enjoy!

Episode #655: Speaking of Time Travelers
First Broadcast: 12/9/13
Repeated: 2/3/14
Silent films, Nitrate film, Sabotage, Kodachrome, Kodachrome photos of New York City and other parts of America from the 1930s and '40s, problems with "Sleepy Hollow" (especially compared with Time After Time), and what might be the world's first "selfie" are discussed in tonight's episode. Not a bad selection, if I say so myself.

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