Episodes

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak report from the Curry Condo on the shifting tides of the 2008 election as Steve Spinner of Kleiner Perkins predicts a Hillary Clinton exit following the Texas and Ohio primaries. The political landscape is further complicated by the rise of Barack Obama and the consolidation of banking power following the nationalization of Northern Rock in the UK. Amidst these shifts, the hosts explore the intersection of global finance and military posturing, specifically the suspicious timing of undersea cable cuts near Iran and the U.S. Navy's satellite shootdown over the Pacific. Economic instability takes center stage as the auction-rate securities market faces a $300 billion crisis, with interest rates for the New York Port Authority spiking to 20 percent. The discussion links these failures to the repeal of Depression-era banking safeguards and a broader 80-year cycle theory predicting a global depression by 2020. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks faces censorship attempts in U.S. courts over Cayman Islands banking documents, forcing a move to Swedish servers. Technological developments include a new portable radio rig utilizing Faderfox MIDI controllers and the impact of genetic modification on American cotton quality according to textile industry insiders. Personal anecdotes provide a lighter contrast, from stairwell smoking sessions to the physical toll of firing elephant guns in the Iraqi desert with Dutch Marines. Adam Curry recounts a ninety-minute interrogation by Customs and Border Protection due to a name match with a 23-year-old from Nebraska. The session concludes with a look at the surprising benefits of climate change for German viticulture and a critique of London's CO2-based congestion charges.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak confront a cascade of technical failures as Firefox 3 Beta bugs and Macintosh audio latency disrupt the broadcast from the United Kingdom. The hosts analyze the decline of Motorola following the Barcelona mobile conference, contrasting the company's historic StarTAC success with current innovation struggles. A world record 2.5 billion SMS messages sent on Valentine's Day serves as a backdrop for a critique of modern connectivity and the fragility of digital infrastructure. John C. Dvorak details the manufacturing history of Gold Toe socks at the Great American Knitting Mills in North Carolina, highlighting a landmark 2000 ICANN domain squatter lawsuit. The report shifts to Slovenia, where listener Matej Golub confirms the popularity of the Hot Horse fast-food chain in Ljubljana. Additional coverage includes Gillette's refusal to disclose Mach3 blade longevity, the Danish ISP defiance of Pirate Bay blocking orders, and the proposed three-strikes rule for internet users in the United Kingdom. John C. Dvorak demonstrates his range of radio accents, from the Texas executive mumble of former Radio Shack CEO John Roach to a controversial global English dialect. Adam Curry recounts the spectacle of the Dancing with the Stars arena tour while battling a persistent PubSubAgent application error. The duo concludes with a proposal for a search-engine game show to combat the geographic ignorance displayed in Jay Leno's Jaywalking segments.

The United Kingdom faces a civil liberties crisis as the documentary Taking Liberties reveals that 800 government organizations, including local councils and the Department of Agriculture, now possess the authority to intercept private phone records and internet history. This expansion of state surveillance coincides with strict prohibitions on public protest within one kilometer of Parliament, prompting activists to consider unconventional forms of civil disobedience. Meanwhile, the Netherlands government, led by a Christian Democratic majority, moves to dismantle Amsterdam's iconic Red Light District and the Casa Rosso theater to align with perceived European Union standards. In the United States, the 2008 Democratic primary faces scrutiny over the role of superdelegates, with Marin County representatives pledging support for Hillary Clinton despite local voters favoring Barack Obama. This political tension follows the suspension of MSNBC correspondent David Shuster after his controversial remarks regarding Chelsea Clinton's role in the campaign. In the corporate world, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act continues to stifle the technology sector by making public offerings prohibitively expensive, while the American Express Centurion Card maintains its status as a celebrity symbol for figures like Lindsay Lohan despite a five-thousand-dollar annual fee. John C. Dvorak recounts a humiliating stage appearance at an Amsterdam live sex theater during a 1996 corporate roadshow with Wall Street underwriters. The culinary world also takes a hit as a visit to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas reveals the decline of celebrity-chef restaurants when the namesake is absent. Finally, a technical breakdown of Mac aggregate devices explains the complex mix-minus routing required to prevent Skype feedback loops during high-end podcast production.

The World Economic Forum in Davos faces harsh criticism as a high-priced networking scam for the global elite, including Robert Scoble and Google executives, while substantive policy remains absent. In the United Kingdom, the Treasury anticipates an £800 million windfall from new taxes on non-domiciled residents, yet financial advisors warn that £44 billion in investment could flee the country to avoid double taxation. Meanwhile, the IRS maintains its dominant enforcement reputation following the tax trial of actor Wesley Snipes, whose constitutional protests failed to move the agency. Political momentum shifts toward a potential 2008 general election matchup between Hillary Clinton and John McCain as Super Tuesday approaches. Ron Paul has amassed a $5.1 million war chest for grassroots advertising, challenging the mainstream media blackout of his campaign. Beyond the beltway, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has married former supermodel Carla Bruni, whose high-profile dating history includes Mick Jagger and Donald Trump. In the tech sector, mobile video streaming via QIK on Nokia handsets is transforming how bloggers document everything from Steve Jobs' keynotes to TSA security checkpoints. Adam Curry details the frustrations of secondary screening at San Francisco International Airport and the absurdity of customs agents seizing French Beaujolais salami. The conversation turns to global culinary taboos, from eating horse steaks in Ljubljana to consuming puffin in Iceland and reindeer in the Nordic regions. A nostalgic look at computing history celebrates the TRS-80 Model 100 as the ultimate journalist's tool, while the hosts explain why the Commodore VIC-20 required a name change for the German market.

European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes emerges as the primary global enforcer of antitrust law as the European Union challenges the Google-DoubleClick merger. While the United States Department of Justice appears to have ceded its regulatory dominance, Kroes is aggressively targeting international cartels and price-fixing in industries ranging from paraffin wax to high-tech advertising. This shift in power signals a new era where European privacy and competition standards dictate the terms for American corporate giants. Domestic economic policy remains volatile as Ron Paul introduces a four-point revitalization plan aimed at repealing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to prevent capital flight to London. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney are currently being vetted through the lens of late-night television appearances on David Letterman and Jay Leno, while Barack Obama gains momentum following a decisive victory in the South Carolina primary. Meanwhile, travelers at San Francisco International Airport report inconsistencies in TSA security protocols, including the manual 'SS' boarding pass markings and the aggressive marketing tactics of the Clear registered traveler program. Heavy storms in Northern California have turned the San Francisco Bay Bridge into a hazardous water feature, with flooding in the Yerba Buena Island tunnel causing massive traffic delays. Amidst the rain, the utility of Costco golfing umbrellas and the transition to PG Tips Special Blend tea provide small comforts. This episode features a correction from listeners regarding a Battlestar Galactica reference and a look at Verbatim archival gold discs designed to survive a century of media rot.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown traveled to China this week to court sovereign wealth funds, proposing a trade deal that could see Chinese investment in Northern Rock and UK bonds. The Financial Times reports that Britain intends to trade luxury goods and financial services for increased market access, while a new UK tax proposal threatens to impose a 30,000-pound fee on residents with overseas income. This policy shift creates a double taxation crisis for American citizens living in Britain, who face capital gains taxes from the United States regardless of their residency. Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are scrutinizing the Boeing 777 crash at Heathrow Airport after a flight from Beijing lost engine response at 600 feet. While the Fully Authorized Digital Engine Controller failed to respond to manual throttle commands, the crew managed a short landing that sheared off the gear but saved the passengers. Meanwhile, a CIA analyst revealed at a security conference that hackers have successfully extorted multiple countries after infiltrating national power grids. These security concerns mirror anxieties regarding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, where experts question if onboard Wi-Fi could allow passengers to hijack flight control systems. Tech investor Esther Dyson joins the program to discuss her investments in light jet companies and her father, physicist Freeman Dyson. The conversation turns to the utility of Twitter with mentions of Dave Winer and Ev Williams, while Natalie Del Conte reflects on her transition from print to video media following a notable Valleywag departure. John C. Dvorak and Adam Curry debate the merits of professional blogging and the accuracy of Wikipedia entries.

Adam Curry details his landmark legal victory in the Netherlands against a tabloid that misappropriated his private Flickr photography, a case that established critical precedent for Creative Commons licensing. The dispute centered on whether a public download button constitutes a waiver of commercial rights, a claim the Dutch court ultimately rejected. This legal reflection extends to Curry’s historic battle with MTV over the MTV.com domain and the subsequent lack of support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation during the settlement process. John C. Dvorak reports from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he visited the Pinball Hall of Fame to examine rare prototypes worth $100,000. The discussion moves to the logistics of private aviation, featuring Dvorak’s account of a violent landing on Ray Lane’s Gulfstream G5 while traveling to the Tesla electric sports car launch. Additional coverage includes the technical limitations of hydrogen fuel cells, the decline of the pinball industry, and the aggressive solicitation tactics of modern mall kiosks at the Roosevelt Field Mall. Technical segments explore the superior resolution of vintage Koss electrostatic headphones compared to modern ribbon speakers. John C. Dvorak clarifies his lack of relation to the inventor of the Dvorak keyboard layout while lamenting the persistence of QWERTY. The episode concludes with a warning about Facebook password harvesting and a breakdown of European banking security hardware.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open the broadcast as a massive winter storm batters Northern California with 60-mile-per-hour winds. While Dvorak manages property damage in the Santa Cruz mountains, Curry reports on the dark, wet conditions currently paralyzing the United Kingdom. The weather serves as a backdrop for a technical breakdown of their production workflow, revealing how a MacBook Pro and a limited DSL line nearly derailed the recording. The United Kingdom faces a public health crisis with a Norovirus outbreak infecting 200,000 people weekly, including passengers on the Queen Mary 2. Beyond the viral spread, the RIAA is under fire for legal arguments regarding CD ripping, while the TSA expands its SPOT program using Behavior Detection Officers to screen for suspicious ticks. The technology landscape is shifting as enterprise environments abandon desktop workstations for laptops, despite Dvorak’s warnings about ergonomic failure and data security risks. Additional reports examine the CIA origins of the Al-Qaeda name as a database of Mujahideen fighters and the deployment of laser-based anti-missile systems on commercial passenger jets. John C. Dvorak recounts a harrowing chili-eating contest at a Brazilian barbecue that left a fellow journalist in physical distress. The hosts also analyze a documentary featuring a singer from Liberty X that exposes the extreme binge drinking culture in Britain. Adam Curry provides a boots-on-the-ground perspective of the UK health system as officials urge the public to avoid doctor offices to contain the winter vomiting bug.

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan triggers a debate over CIA involvement and the geopolitical stability of the region under Pervez Musharraf. While some analysts suggest a cookie-cutter intelligence operation designed to pressure the local government, others attribute the violence to radical groups seeking a Sharia state. This high-stakes political maneuvering coincides with a controversial New York Post headline regarding the death of Ike Turner that tests the limits of tabloid journalism. Domestic law enforcement tactics come under scrutiny as the NYPD deploys decoy wallets and iPods in subways to arrest citizens for theft, while Columbus police utilize a naked female officer in a public park sting. These operations mirror an entrapment mentality also seen in American football, where quarterbacks exploit pass interference rules to manufacture penalties. Meanwhile, Apple prepares a lightweight tablet for Macworld featuring a Newton-era pen patent, and Baron Hilton pledges 97 percent of his multi-billion dollar fortune to charity, leaving Paris Hilton with a significantly reduced inheritance. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak navigate the etymology of the phrase by and large while enduring bandwidth shaping from providers like British Telecom and Comcast. The duo explores the future of participation broadcasting and audio Twitter experiments as a remedy for the growing fatigue associated with long-form blogging and fragmented data streams.

Senator Chris Dodd has stalled the revised FISA Act, effectively blocking a controversial amnesty provision for telecommunications giants like AT&T. This legislative maneuver prevents a legal pardon for companies that participated in warrantless NSA wiretapping and bulk data mining over the last five years. The move highlights a growing rift between government surveillance mandates and corporate legal liability in the digital age. In the Republican primary, Rush Limbaugh has branded Mike Huckabee as The Huckster, signaling a coordinated effort by party leadership to marginalize the candidate. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney faces scrutiny over Bain Capital's bid for Clear Channel Communications, raising questions about a presidential contender owning a massive media conglomerate. Additional reports confirm the FBI is investing $1 billion into a biometric database in Clarksburg, West Virginia, to house facial recognition and iris scan data. Internationally, Henry Kissinger told the BBC that a traditional military victory in Iraq is impossible, while Saudi Arabia prepares a trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund to recycle petrodollars as oil nears $100 a barrel. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak explore the celebrity information paradox and the bystander effect of link-sharing. Dvorak details his household edict requiring only handmade or used Christmas gifts, leading to a search for Berkeley artisans. The program concludes with a blind taste test between Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips, proving even the most loyal tea drinkers struggle to identify their preferred brand in a vacuum.

The Department of Homeland Security has placed Adam Curry on a lookout list generated by the Automatic Targeting System, a program that assigns threat ratings based on federal and tribal databases. This revelation follows a tense secondary interrogation at Newark Liberty Airport where Customs and Border Protection agents utilized RFID-embedded passports to track historical travel data, including a 2003 trip to Iraq. The American Civil Liberties Union warns that this system operates outside the Privacy Act, preventing citizens from contesting records that are retained for forty years. Global central banks, including the Federal Reserve, have launched a coordinated effort to stabilize markets during the subprime credit crunch through blind auctions and ten-billion-dollar loans. Meanwhile, Bain Capital, the former venture capital firm of Mitt Romney, moves forward with a leveraged buyout of Clear Channel, raising concerns about media deregulation and political influence. In the music industry, attorney Alan Grubman faces scrutiny for negotiating both sides of licensing deals, while former HP CEO Carly Fiorina addresses the 2005 boardroom scandal involving the tracking of private phone records. John C. Dvorak shares a recipe for homemade tarragon vinegar while critiquing the theology degree of Mike Huckabee. The Ron Paul Blimp emerges as a tactical maneuver to bypass traditional media gatekeepers as California moves its primary date to capture billions in political advertising. The program concludes with a look at Apple Newton patents and the future of pen-based tablet computing.

The House of Representatives passed HR 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, with an overwhelming 404-6 vote. This legislation empowers the Department of Homeland Security to monitor ideologically based violence, though critics warn the bill's broad language could criminalize domestic political dissent. Representative Ron Paul emerged as a rare voice of opposition against this and the SAFE Act, which mandates that libraries and coffee shops monitor open Wi-Fi traffic or face massive fines. Sequoia Capital partners Mike Moritz and Roelof Botha recently convened a high-stakes media dinner at Nola in Palo Alto to discuss the future of the advertising market. The gathering included the CEO of eHarmony and the founder of Jajah, highlighting a shift toward low-cost international communication and data-driven matchmaking. Meanwhile, the Disclosure Project has proposed a new wiki-based transparency system to track the religious and political affiliations of journalists. This initiative aims to expose hidden biases in the Fifth Estate as Silicon Valley culture continues to mirror the opportunistic gold rush mentality of the Leland Stanford era. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak recount a legendary Led Zeppelin concert where Jimmy Page utilized a violin bow, sparking a debate on whether audience screams were professionally staged. The Yorkshire Tea Company has officially challenged the PodShow UK office to a taste test against PG Tips, while the Story of Stuff project reveals the psychological toll of planned obsolescence in American consumerism.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak expose systemic harassment within Customs and Border Protection as Curry faces repeated secondary screenings and currency interrogations at the U.S. border. The hosts trace these invasive security delays back to a specific threat from a radio network executive who claimed to have personal influence over federal watch lists. This pattern of targeted enforcement highlights a lack of transparency in the TSA and CBP random screening protocols during the 2007 holiday travel season. John C. Dvorak details a persistent phone slamming scheme by AT&T where unauthorized long-distance plans and call waiting services were added to his account despite password protections. The program also critiques the CNN Republican primary debate for using animated avatars and vetted shills, leading to a public apology from Anderson Cooper regarding the integrity of the questioners. Additional reports cover the failure of Colorado State University meteorologists to predict the 2007 hurricane season and the debunking of a South Korean cell phone explosion that turned out to be a murder cover-up. Adam Curry recounts the origins of the Comic Strip Blogger and the infamous listener catchphrase directed at him following a whistleblowing scandal at Nokia. John C. Dvorak shares his mathematical strategy for beating Las Vegas video poker machines while defending his controversial habit of burning low-sulfur coal in his California fireplace. The duo concludes with a look at John Walker’s Fourmilab experiments regarding human intent and digital random number generators.

The UK government faces a massive security crisis after TNT courier services lost two CD-ROMs containing the personal records of 25 million citizens. This unprecedented data breach involving Child Benefit recipients has ignited a fierce national debate over the proposed National Identity Card and general state competence. While officials claim the disks are encrypted, the disappearance of such sensitive information has left the British public vulnerable to identity fraud on a massive scale. Media coverage of the Madeleine McCann disappearance in Portugal draws sharp criticism for its disparity compared to cases like Natalee Holloway. MSNBC executives reportedly pivoted the network toward celebrity-driven news following record ratings from the Princess Diana tragedy, effectively ending technology programs like The Site hosted by Soledad O'Brien. In Pakistan, US foreign policy continues to favor military dictatorships over elected leaders, fueling speculation that regional instability is being leveraged to justify future strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet emerges as a superior open-source alternative to the iPhone for mobile Linux enthusiasts. John Walker of Autodesk explores the boundaries of reality through his Fourmilab website, which hosts experiments in retro-psychokinesis and quantum consciousness. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak break down the professional art of the teleprompter and the calculated public maneuvers of Marie Osmond. The session concludes with a look at England’s Euro 2008 qualification failure and the lyrical gaffe involving the Croatian national anthem at Wembley Stadium.

The FBI raid on the Liberty Dollar operation and the upcoming Ron Paul money bomb on December 16th signal a growing friction between private currency advocates and federal authorities. While the raid targeted silver-backed coinage, the timing aligns with a massive grassroots fundraising drive for the Paul campaign, which previously broke records on Guy Fawkes Day. These events highlight a deepening divide in American political finance and the legality of alternative monetary systems. Corporate influence expands as San Francisco privatizes parking meters and London extends its congestion charge into Chelsea, turning public infrastructure into aggressive revenue centers. In the media landscape, Kleiner Perkins partner Ray Lane faces scrutiny over Democratic ties following Al Gore’s arrival at the firm, while the Management and Training Corporation (MTC) faces criticism for its role in private prison scandals. Meanwhile, NASA’s renewed interest in lunar missions is framed as a defensive move against the Chinese space race to validate historical artifacts from the 1969 landing. Marie Osmond’s recent appearance on Larry King Live and her stint on Dancing with the Stars illustrate the calculated nature of celebrity branding and media hacking. Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak examine the construction of reality television through the lens of Janice Dickinson’s jungle trials and the satirical product placement of Verizon on 30 Rock. The program concludes with a look at the Writers Guild of America strike and its impact on late-night staples like The Daily Show.

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.