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Omnibus

Omnibus

721 episodes — Page 14 of 15

The Voyager Golden Records (Entry 1403.JU0113)

In which NASA gives aliens a weird gift basket (opera arias, a welcome from a Nazi war criminal, a lousy map, and absolutely no nipples!) and Ken gossips about wife-swapping astronomers. Certificate #34914.

Jul 24, 20181h 13m

The Truman Reconstruction (Entry 1343.LK1428)

In which a piano starts to fall right through the floor of a second-story dining room, and as a result, the White House gets a balcony, a bunker, and a bowling alley. Certificate #47967.

Jul 19, 201853 min

Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (Entry 1412.JM0503)

In which two art-world provocateurs fly to Scotland and burn through a record amount of cash in just two hours, and John sings his least favorite novelty song of the 1980s for us. (Hey!) Certificate #5888.

Jul 17, 20181h 1m

The Washing Bear (Entry 1411.LV2025)

In which John explains the secrets of raccoon hygiene, Ken mistakenly shows up with a ukulele, a straw hat, and a football pennant, and ferret lovers unsubscribe in mass numbers. Certificate #29158.

Jul 12, 201841 min

The Transcontinental Airway System (Entry 1327.PS4304)

In which the post office builds a path of giant yellow concrete arrows stretching across the continent, and John questions the sobriety of the pilots of Montana. Certificate #34096.

Jul 10, 201840 min

The Tri-State Tornado (Entry 1339.JE3023)

In which the most devastating twister in American history tears through 235 miles of the Midwest, tossing around trees, railroad tracks, and popcorn stands. Certificate #9101.

Jul 5, 201855 min

Christian Science Reading Rooms (Entry 220.HB0202)

In which a Boston woman falls on an icy sidewalk and discovers the secret of the universe, and listeners are encouraged to seek out the most heretical book in their local metaphysical lending library. Certificate #51449.

Jul 3, 20181h 9m

War Rugs (Entry 1411.SS0604)

In which we travel to the "graveyard of empires" to witness the birth of an exciting Soviet-era art form, and Ken learns he should have saved the satin bomber jackets of his childhood. Certificate #39950.

Jun 28, 201857 min

The Koryo Saram (Entry 692.JE2907)

In which tens of thousands of Koreans are forcibly relocated to the deserts of Central Asia and ordered to grow rice, and John refuses to relocate to Kotzebue or Yakutat even though he has a free plane ticket. Certificate #16823.

Jun 26, 201852 min

Billy the Pygmy Hippo (Entry 122.JB4024)

In which Calvin Coolidge gets a frisky gift from Liberia that ushers zoos into the modern age, and John and Ken fantasize about being president and still sleeping all day. Certificate #47159.

Jun 21, 201850 min

The Boysenberry (Entry 148.LV2519)

In which a California backyard botanist creates a mysterious new fruit, resulting in one of the century's biggest food fads and reinventing the American vacation. Certificate #36525.

Jun 19, 201858 min

Prisencolinensinainciusol (Entry 988.1C1423)

In which the world's catchiest song teaches us how English sounds to overseas ears, and Ken mispronounces the French word for "slithy." Certificate #35645.

Jun 14, 201856 min

The Conqueror (Entry 264.LK1255)

In which an eccentric billionaire has the terrible idea to cast John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and a "who's who" of Hollywood gets showered with both bad reviews and radioactive fallout. Certificate #17145.

Jun 12, 201853 min

The Bugatti Chiron (Entry 162.EC0911)

In which a Volkswagen marque invents the super-car, new acceleration and deceleration records are set, and Ken asks where John was conceived. Certificate #24968.

Jun 7, 20181h 3m

The St. Martin Fistula (Entry 1227.PR2027)

In which a French-Canadian "voyageur" suffers three indignities: being blasted with buckshot at point-blank range, becoming a full-time medical guinea pig, and having John call him the world's first "human fondue set." Certificate #42453.

Jun 5, 20181h 3m

The Preppy Handbook (Entry 981.DE2211)

In which John traces "preppy" fashion from Buckingham Palace to Hyannis Port to Kinko's, and Ken wonders if everyone on post-collapse Earth owns a navy blazer. Certificate #31310.

May 31, 20181h 1m

Duchenne Smiles (Entry 385.PR1513)

In which we examine how flight attendants smile, baby chimps play, botox treats mental illness, and Oscar the Grouch was a harsh wake-up call for Gen X kids. Certificate #42013.

May 29, 201856 min

The Port Chicago Disaster (Entry 967.AC1940)

In which a Victory ship full of ammunition ignites a three-mile fireball, which in turn ignites the biggest mutiny trial in American history. Certificate #32844.

May 24, 20181h 1m

Gordon Lish (Entry 726.2C0113)

In which Raymond Carver becomes a literary superstar largely thanks to one brilliant, heavy-handed editor, and Ken and John share a very controversial Blade Runner take. Certificate #24875.

May 22, 20181h 6m

Spanish Fly (Entry 1195.SS0713)

In which a poison made from dried beetles becomes a schoolyard legend as an alleged aphrodisiac, foreshadowing our modern age of creepy predator celebrities and erectile dysfunction infomercials. Certificate #31327.

May 17, 201852 min

The Moon Illusion (Entry 806.JB3126)

In which we learn why the moon looks so much larger at the horizon, whether your fingernails can out-race Portugal, and whether Ken or John has the better Axl Rose impression. Certificate #18042.

May 15, 201850 min

Tylenol Murders (Entry 1354.IS2915)

In which John runs down the disturbing history of product tampering, from Bromo-Seltzer to baby food, and listeners are strongly discouraged from committing murder. Certificate #27765.

May 10, 20181h 0m

William Rufus King (Entry 688.LK1734)

In which a U.S. vice-president spends his entire six-week term dying in Cuba, and Ken reads some fun, flirty letters from future president James Buchanan. Certificate #39087.

May 8, 201853 min

Backyard Blast Furnaces (Entry 091.EZ2220)

In which John explains why it's a bad idea to smelt iron on your deck or patio, a seemingly obvious life tip that seems to have escaped Chairman Mao. Certificate #30148.

May 3, 201854 min

The Washington Generals (Entry 1411.HE1212)

In which we celebrate a basketball team that never gets to celebrate, because they've lost to their rivals 17,000 times. Certificate #46102.

May 1, 201854 min

Checkerboarding (Entry 210.NU2653)

In which the U.S. government pixelates the American West with land grants to railroads. Certificate #6798.

Apr 26, 201843 min

Bir Tawil (Entry 126.EZ2010)

In which Ken confesses that he might have caused a land grab in the middle of the Nubian Desert. Certificate #50204.

Apr 24, 201847 min

Hypercolor (Entry 611.GE3703)

In which we revisit 1991's briefest, brightest fashion fad, and John ponders what to do with our nation's biggest problem: awkward middle-schoolers. Certificate #26275.

Apr 19, 201850 min

The Angels of Mons (Entry 047.PS9111)

In which an unsuccessful horror writer accidentally rewrites the history of the Western Front, and Ken is clearly annoyed at having to learn the history of the Western Front. Certificate #21873.

Apr 17, 201852 min

Canadian Floating Feet (Entry 178.RV2013)

In which sneakers keep washing onto the beaches of British Columbia with the feet of mystery people still inside, may God rest their soles. Certificate #27174.

Apr 12, 201832 min

Vending Machines (Entry 1387.DE0228)

In which Ken runs down the list of everything that could ever be bought by putting coins in slots, from religious awe to banned books to pancake mix. Certificate #16697.

Apr 10, 201847 min

Call Signs (Entry 176.1S1007)

In which we learn why US radio stations start with a K or a W, and how to get hold of Ken's dad in case of a national emergency. Certificate #28337.

Apr 5, 201837 min

Hachiko (Entry 559.PR2006)

In which a Scottish policeman, a Tokyo professor, and Mary Queen of Scots have very loyal dogs, but a young John Roderick does not. Certificate #24139.

Apr 3, 201845 min

(LIVE) Lake Missoula (Entry 697.GN0710)

In which a prehistoric ice dam breaks and 500 cubic miles of water reshape the Pacific Northwest. Certificate #17528

Mar 29, 201826 min

(LIVE) Tuvan Throat Singers (Entry 1351.PS13704)

In which Ken attempts to teach a new superpower--Central Asian overtone singing--to John and a live audience. Certificate #40632.

Mar 27, 201837 min

Milli Vanilli (Entry 789.JB2704)

In which a German record producer hires two male models to lip-sync his hits, leading to--girl, you know it's true!--one Grammy, one class-action lawsuit, and one tragic death. Certificate #35145.

Mar 22, 201857 min

Mary Anning (Entry 050.PS3420)

In which a working-class woman becomes one of the greatest scientists of her age, discovers dinosaur poop, and sells seashells by the seashore. Certificate #36073.

Mar 20, 201841 min

S.S. United States (Entry 1213.JB0926)

In which an aluminum-heavy cruise liner falls on hard times, and John and Ken can't decide if "Blue Riband" is actually French or not. Certificate #39390.

Mar 15, 201847 min

Rubber Barons (Entry 1087.EZ1613)

In which Ken describes the nouveau riche of the Amazon rainforest, and John has a conspiracy theory about scarecrows. Certificate #25284.

Mar 13, 201843 min

Father Coughlin (Entry 284.MT2309)

In which a fiery Canadian gets 30 million Depression-era listeners for his little fascist radio show, and Ken and John pledge fealty to Martian invaders. Certificate #29423

Mar 8, 201848 min

The Noid (Entry 840.PR0415)

In which a claymation terrorist with inexplicable bunny ears disrupts pizza, takes hostages, and wins America's heart. Certificate #29250

Mar 6, 201849 min

The Zuider Zee (Entry 1458.NA0104)

In which the Dutch battle their oldest enemy: the Waterwolf. Almost certainly the Omnibus's last entry (alphabetically). Certificate #31078.

Mar 1, 201845 min

London Bridge Is Down (Entry 733.2K0934)

In which we make plans for the longest-awaited death in human history, and wonder how many Welsh corgis it takes to pull a gun carriage. Certificate #34884.

Feb 27, 201850 min

Back Masking (Entry 091.EP0427)

In which John investigates whether or not segassem terces naitnoc sgnos kcor, and Ken wonders why Satan would own a toolshed. Certificate #30148.

Feb 22, 201844 min

Megafauna (Entry 772.JB4015)

In which we learn which Ice Age animal is named after the human nipple, and which modern animal fills John's soul with bloodlust. Certificate #47448.

Feb 20, 201842 min

Oneida (Entry 866.MT2230)

In which a socialist preacher invents a tricky birth control technique he calls "male continence," leading directly to the lazy Susan and the assassination of an American president. Certificate #34322.

Feb 15, 201842 min

The Bellamy Salute (Entry 112.HE0616)

In which Ken blames a crucial bit of fascist iconography on the most successful magazine premium in American history, and John knows the lyrics to "Alaska's Flag" but refuses to sing it. Certificate #37863.

Feb 13, 201839 min

Hat Etiquette (Entry 571.1C1104)

In which John strongly admonishes future listeners not to get sloppy with their headwear, if they have heads. Certificate #25200.

Feb 8, 201837 min

Death Discs (Entry 319.MK1610)

In which the gruesome deaths in early 1960s teen ballads are variously blamed on capitalism, Marlon Brando, chastity, and giant clams. Certificate #34312.

Feb 6, 201849 min

Mutual Assured Destruction (Entry 820.JE5022)

In which the human race barely survives the 20th century. (Well, not all of it, obviously. Picasso didn't, for example.) Certificate #27008

Feb 1, 201845 min