the peanut gallery


	2/16/2009 Iron Empire II, Episode Three: Step Aside, Bubba Van Eddie, Jeff Ray, and Ayavric (Greatest Cat in all the Russias) return for another philosophically titillating episode of your least favorite science fiction radio drama. Van Eddie learns the power of love and Ayavric hones his flossing techniques while Jeff finds and deflowers god. Complementary half-time entertainment is provided courtesy of Immanuel Kant who will, ineffectually, try to justify your attention. Listen here (40:09 minutes, 36.8 megs.) 11/28/2007 The Burrito Perhaps you know it as The Slab, The Depth Charge, or even The Fusion Reactor. Semantic quibbling aside, you know that the only thing more dangerous than having two in the chamber is debating the spiritual essence of The Burrito. In honor of this passion-stirring culinary dynamo, The Peanut Gallery brings you a burrito soundscape. Listen here (6:47 minutes, 3.9 megs.) 8/12/2007 Iron Empire II, Episode Two: The Nefarious Nematodes of Clark Drake In which little Jawaharlal discovers the power of Hind Swaraj is greatest when dusted with sea salt. Also, Jupiter falls out of the heavens and remains conspicuously unnoticed. Meanwhile, Van Eddie and Jeff Ray learn to whittle centipedes and slugs, their respective spirit-animals, from blocks of driftwood. This episode is presented entirely without hydrogenated ingredients for your psychological and gastronomic enjoyment. Listen here (32:48 minutes, 39.4 megs.) 4/23/2007 Iron Empire II, Episode One: Why is it Green? Thirteen years ago a science fiction masterpiece was envisioned by two junior high dropouts. Cardboard robot suits were commissioned and Nintendo guns were pressed into service as lasers. Thus, Iron Empire was born. Sadly, Iron Empire proved to be a cinematic disaster of epic proportions and the EPA was forced to declare the filming location a superfund site. The two students, in a desperate attempt to salvage their reputations and placate the Federal Government, wrote a sequel: Iron Empire II. Over the next decade, the two students made repeated attempts to film the sequel but each ended in bloodshed and failure. Eventually, visual mediums were abandoned and Iron Empire II devolved into the radio drama that's about to ruin your day. Listen here (37:48 minutes, 34.6 megs.) 3/18/2007 Magnum Opus Cinema. Passion. Isolation. Crabs. Yes, those kinds of crabs. An ill-conceived college project balloons into a decade-long obsession and reveals that art is even more mentally corrosive than you suspected. Listen here (38:44 minutes, 22 megs.) 12/10/2006 Speedboat People react to age differently. Some take up crossword puzzles, or alcoholism, or residence in Arizona. Others buy huge speedboats, crank up the REO Speedwagon, and haul ass to Alaska with a stockpile of canned beans. Listen here (12:01 minutes, 11 megs.) 9/13/2006 The Adventures of Robert Throughout History Sugar Pirates, Greek Goddesses, and Sadistic Russians all agree: killing Robert is a lot of fun. If that isn't the definition of a quorum, we don't know what is. Listen here (21:51 minutes, 25 megs.) 7/9/2006 American Talk Peanut Gallery Public Radio is back, with their popular roundtable discussion program American Talk. Today, a level-headed analysis of Frank Zappa's epic musical treatise Bobby Brown Goes Down. Listen here (18:43 minutes, 12.8 megs.) 6/13/2006 Unemployed Mark Nowak pontificates about employment, the lack thereof, and general pre-postmodern neocentrist compromise. Honestly. We could never lie to your sweet eyes. Listen here (10:20 minutes, 5.9 megs.) 5/18/2006 The Battle of Guru Few Europeans had set foot into Tibet before 1903, but that changed when Col. Francis Younghusband slaughtered the secretive kingdom's army at the battle of Guru. In typically callous form, The Peanut Gallery cheapens this forgotten historical tragedy with radio drama. Listen here (14:30 minutes, 26.5 megs.) 3/9/2006 Housewares Variations on a Theme: Heart of Darkness for Toaster and Ceiling Fan. Lord of the Frying Pans. A Brave New Refrigerator... David Anderson chronicles one man's descent into madness and silverware. Listen here (38:18 minutes, 21.9 megs.) 1/28/2006 Duff v. Diltz With diligence, passive-aggressive behavior can be elevated to an art. With moral gerrymandering, a connection between God and self-interest can be forged. With spite, nearly anything can be stopped. Listen here (45:51 minutes, 26.2 megs.) 1/8/2006 The Continuing Adventures of Alex Diamond The top private snoop in Aurora Gardens Gated Community has seen better days, but he's not washed up... yet. Listen here (8:31 minutes, 15.5 megs.) 10/31/2005 Flip & Sal A jazz-era radio show bounced off a hydrogen cloud and boomeranged back to earth recently, puzzling SETI scientists and thrilling the ten people who still enjoy old radio. Listen here (9:48 minutes, 5.9 megs.) 10/19/2005 Auto Auction Put on your tattered blue jeans and grease-stained beer t-shirts and get ready for a thick, savory slice of Red, White, and Blue: the midwestern auto auction. Listen here (24:12 minutes, 11 megs.) 10/9/2005 A Call to All Vegans Jon Vogel, world renowned speaker and vegan extraordinaire, calls his brethren to rebuild the gulf coast in a new, meat-free image. Listen here (10:49 minutes, 10.3 megs. ) 9/25/2005 Sarnak Unchained Most world-destroying squid-gods don't take time out of their busy schedules to sit down and furnish us lesser folks with wisdom. Sarnak was the exception. Today, we present one of the few surviving episodes of Sarnak Unchained, the god's tremendously unpopular and very short lived radio show. Listen here (17:24 minutes, 10.3 megs. ) 9/18/2005 HMS Inconsequential Hurrah! Rule the waves! Bully! The Peanut Gallery recovered the HMS Inconsequential's story from a steam-powered, Victorian-era, black box that mysteriously washed up on the shore of Lake Superior. Listen here (11:11 minutes, 6.5 megs. ) 9/11/2005 Valet Who enjoys watching debauchery, immaturity, violence, and corruption? You do, and we do, too! But valets are a different story. Every night they see humanity at its lowest and, after the initial thrill, it gets a little tiring. Three Chicago valets tell all. Listen here (35:11 minutes, 17.2 megs. ) 9/5/2005 The Focus Group The Peanut Gallery brings you a recording, straight from the DNC's most recent focus group--and if you thought the last election was scary, 2008 promises to be a veritable nightmare. Listen here (14:15 minutes, 6.9 megs. ) 8/28/2005 Go West, Young Man! Why does the west coast have such an allure for people in the east? Why does the east call to those of us in the west? Is it a case of perceived greener grass? Or is there some fundamental difference between the lifestyles in, say, New York and San Francisco? Micah Saul investigates, pontificates, and titillates. Listen here (17:35 minutes, 10.1 megs. ) 8/21/2005 Answering Machine Over ten years ago, a brave and enraptured woman left a message on Mike's answering machine. Today, seven Peanut Gallery contributors weigh in on the message, its implications, possible outcomes, and repercussions. They also wonder, quietly and off the record, how their own recordings will come back to bite them, a decade from now. Listen here (52:25 minutes, 24.0 megs. ) 8/14/2005 San Cristobal Which part of the Zapatista spectacle is fashionable and which is fruitful? Why is it nearly impossible to get a good cup of coffee in one of the most coffee rich regions of the world? Why were there little plastic babies falling out of Mark Nowak's mouth? Listen here (12:42 minutes, 5.9 megs. ) 8/5/2005 The Rainbow Club Grade-B movies are frequently ridiculed for their forced portrayals of life: impossible coincidences abound, the world is populated with people who don't exist, like swingers and the Illuminati, and plot-driving meteorites strike the earth every hour on the hour. But, sometimes, life takes a grade-B turn and one of those dime-novel elements intrudes in reality. Thomas File, Aaron Clark, and David Anderson explain. Listen here (17:28 minutes, 8.1 megs. ) 7/25/2005 The List Some people contend that reading "found art" offers poignant insights into everything, from the dark recesses of human nature to the epic flow of history. We don't believe this at all but, when we're in a bind, we don't shy away from using found material. Today's story is a haphazard list of significant events originally taken from a 1980's baby-book. While the list won't rattle your weltanschauung, it will most certainly inspire you to dance the rumba. Listen here (11:21 minutes, 5.2 megs. ) 7/17/2005 Raven Jon Vogel attempts to discover why Alaskans are obsessed with ravens and, in the process, comes to embrace the raven's malicious nature. Listen here (17:33 minutes, 8.1 megs. ) 7/10/2005 Bunny Hop There are good choices, bad choices, and conga lines. Rutledge McCarrier talks about his time as a student, his time as a principal, and why he chose to endure the humiliation of dancing the bunny hop. Listen here (21:53 minutes, 10.1 megs. ) 7/3/2005 The Group Many people have had their friendships tested in unusual ways. Maybe your favorite college roommate made a point of ruining your sleep by drunkenly jumping rope to Judas Priest at unusual hours. Maybe your girlfriend called you out on every self-promotional lie you told in public. Or, maybe, your best friend ran off with your wife... and sold her to a glue factory. But, often, friendships have a way of overcoming such obstacles. Today, we have a story about a group of friends, some unusual obstacles, and what it was like to be in Riyadh as the Gulf War erupted. Listen here (21:12 minutes, 9.7 megs. ) 6/26/2005 Jonah After being locked in the trunk of his car for a day, Jonah had a religious experience and was born again... out of his trunk. His gospel: salvation through sensory depravation. Listen here (31:42 minutes, 14.6 megs. ) 6/19/2005 Peanut Gallery Public Radio Under the prophetic leadership of James Ford Howell, The Peanut Gallery goes non-profit and begs for alms. Guest appearances include: T.S. Elliot, Ann Coulter, and Fabio. Listen here (18:25 minutes, 8.5 megs. ) 6/12/2005 Hospital When Tatiana came down with the flu, she visited her local hospital, like any American would. But, as a Swiss-Croatian visitor to the United States, she was wholly unprepared for the medical system that awaited her. Brian Wyrick interviewed Tatiana and recorded her impression of the visit. Listen here (16:49 minutes, 7.2 megs. ) 6/5/2005 The Mullah of Madison Four months ago, Gary Olafsson, the self-proclaimed "Mullah of Madison" made regional headlines by issuing fatwas against several Wisconsin residents. Dane county law-enforcement agencies found Gary to be harmless, but his fatwas created enough enemies that he went into hiding... until a few weeks ago, when somebody murdered his cat. Reporter Albert Waffleman has more. Listen here (14:16 minutes, 6.5 megs. ) 5/29/2005 The Promiscuous Pliers of Persuasion The trial of Galileo Galilei has been shrouded in mystery and speculation since its conclusion in 1633. But today, to set the record straight, The Peanut Gallery brings an end to centuries of frivolous academic chatter and presents the simple truth, straight from a packed St. Peter's Basilica... Listen here (12:47 minutes, 11.7 megs. ) 5/15/2005 Sweeney He's run for office eleven times—as a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, and a Lunatic—and he's lost every time. His campaign platform is simple: illegal immigrants are "wild monkeys" out to destroy America. Like most other residents of southern Arizona, David Anderson thought Joe Sweeney was insane, but harmless... until the 2004 election. Listen here (10:48 minutes, 5 megs. ) 5/8/2005 Roxanne Maybe you saw a rock star harassed outside of a seemingly obscure Icelandic bed and breakfast, or maybe you approached a famous football player in a mall and received a barrage of verbal abuse instead of an autograph. Whatever the circumstances, you've probably brushed with a celebrity at some point and noticed how human behavior gets suddenly distorted in the presence of fame. In today's story, Nick Lantz describes Sting's visit to his creative writing program. Listen here (32:29 minutes, 15.1 megs. ) 5/1/2005 An Ode to Pho If we were architects, we would design a mighty pyramid to immortalize Pho. If we were politicians, we would give Pho restaurants tax breaks. If we were Vietnamese we would make Pho eight days a week. Unfortunately, we are lowly blowhards, so we have to pay our respects the only way we know how... Listen here (15:18 minutes, 14.1 megs. ) 4/24/2005 Book Five When you think of Friedrich Nietzsche, several things could come to mind: maybe you think he had a really cool mustache, or maybe you're consumed with questions about how he contracted syphilis, or maybe you're just pissed that he sharked you in that pool game back in 1882. One thing will not come to your mind: the fifth book of Thus Spoke Zarathustra... because nobody knew it existed—until we discovered it. Listen here (9:39 minutes, 8.9 megs. ) 4/17/2005 Picked On The history of sibling abuse is generally composed of little more than a laundry list of irritating behaviors: small-minded insults, petty theft, vandalism, and the occasional pounding that leads to the inevitable bruised kidney. Despite this, there are some truly inspired incidents that stand above the general milieu. Jon Vogel recalls two such incidents, both of which involve his brother Mike, copious amounts of duct tape, and the essence of performance art. Listen here (20:57 minutes, 9.6 megs. ) 4/10/2005 The Three Months During the summer after their highschool graduation, Uri Palmer Gai and Andy Jarms experienced the usual chaos that accompanies a major life change: interactions with black, Muslim, Nazi submariners, awkward conversations with suicidal poets, and adulterous puppy-love. Listen here (37:12 minutes, 17.1 megs. ) 4/3/2005 Watch Me Through the Power of Science, it has been empirically proven that exactly 74% of the world's weirdness occurs at night. Something about the darkness leaves people with the impression that they're invisible—that the rules don't apply to them. This week's story is a collection of things Nick and David have seen at night. Listen here (19:48 minutes, 9.1 megs. ) 3/27/2005 Aaron and the Herd of Cows This uplifting Easter story details the role of cows in a six year old's loss of faith, God's interference in a pathetic teen seduction, and the subtle line between pomposity and pretension. This is Aaron Clark's short awaited Peanut Gallery debut. Listen here (19:48 minutes, 9.1 megs. ) 3/20/2005 Letting Go Bicycles, neighborhood rivalries, fire hydrants, and plastic surgery. In 1987 all of these elements descended on the small town of Sandy, Oregon and turned Jon Vogel into the cuddly folk hero you know and love. This is Jon's Peanut Gallery debut. Listen here (26:13 minutes, 12.1 megs. ) 3/13/2005 The Door It seems to be a theme in life that some of the coolest living situations are accompanied by a major drawback: windows that have been cemented shut, tuba-playing crack-dealers next door, or a toilet that flushes the wrong way. Sometimes, the drawbacks take a little while to surface, as Nick Lantz is about to discover... Listen here (42:50 minutes, 19.7 megabytes) 3/6/2005 The War Have you ever seen a childhood conflict expand beyond all reasonable proportion? Have you ever wondered where our unfortunate propensity to prolong strife comes from? Have you ever resented Lord of the Flies? Listen here (12:50 minutes, 7.3 megabytes) 2/27/2005 The Last Word For anyone who had weird friends in high school, this piece relates a story about varsity volleyball, attempted suicide, and a troubled friend’s obsession with famous last words. Listen here (9:30 minutes, 5.4 megabytes) <<back

2/16/2009

Iron Empire II, Episode Three: Step Aside, Bubba

Van Eddie, Jeff Ray, and Ayavric (Greatest Cat in all the Russias) return for another philosophically titillating episode of your least favorite science fiction radio drama. Van Eddie learns the power of love and Ayavric hones his flossing techniques while Jeff finds and deflowers god. Complementary half-time entertainment is provided courtesy of Immanuel Kant who will, ineffectually, try to justify your attention.

Listen here (40:09 minutes, 36.8 megs.)

11/28/2007

The Burrito

Perhaps you know it as The Slab, The Depth Charge, or even The Fusion Reactor. Semantic quibbling aside, you know that the only thing more dangerous than having two in the chamber is debating the spiritual essence of The Burrito. In honor of this passion-stirring culinary dynamo, The Peanut Gallery brings you a burrito soundscape.

Listen here (6:47 minutes, 3.9 megs.)

8/12/2007

Iron Empire II, Episode Two: The Nefarious Nematodes of Clark Drake

In which little Jawaharlal discovers the power of Hind Swaraj is greatest when dusted with sea salt. Also, Jupiter falls out of the heavens and remains conspicuously unnoticed. Meanwhile, Van Eddie and Jeff Ray learn to whittle centipedes and slugs, their respective spirit-animals, from blocks of driftwood.

This episode is presented entirely without hydrogenated ingredients for your psychological and gastronomic enjoyment.

Listen here (32:48 minutes, 39.4 megs.)

4/23/2007

Iron Empire II, Episode One: Why is it Green?

Thirteen years ago a science fiction masterpiece was envisioned by two junior high dropouts. Cardboard robot suits were commissioned and Nintendo guns were pressed into service as lasers. Thus, Iron Empire was born. Sadly, Iron Empire proved to be a cinematic disaster of epic proportions and the EPA was forced to declare the filming location a superfund site. The two students, in a desperate attempt to salvage their reputations and placate the Federal Government, wrote a sequel: Iron Empire II. Over the next decade, the two students made repeated attempts to film the sequel but each ended in bloodshed and failure. Eventually, visual mediums were abandoned and Iron Empire II devolved into the radio drama that's about to ruin your day.

Listen here (37:48 minutes, 34.6 megs.)

3/18/2007

Magnum Opus

Cinema. Passion. Isolation. Crabs. Yes, those kinds of crabs. An ill-conceived college project balloons into a decade-long obsession and reveals that art is even more mentally corrosive than you suspected.

Listen here (38:44 minutes, 22 megs.)

12/10/2006

Speedboat

People react to age differently. Some take up crossword puzzles, or alcoholism, or residence in Arizona. Others buy huge speedboats, crank up the REO Speedwagon, and haul ass to Alaska with a stockpile of canned beans.

Listen here (12:01 minutes, 11 megs.)

9/13/2006

The Adventures of Robert Throughout History

Sugar Pirates, Greek Goddesses, and Sadistic Russians all agree: killing Robert is a lot of fun. If that isn't the definition of a quorum, we don't know what is.

Listen here (21:51 minutes, 25 megs.)

7/9/2006

American Talk

Peanut Gallery Public Radio is back, with their popular roundtable discussion program American Talk. Today, a level-headed analysis of Frank Zappa's epic musical treatise Bobby Brown Goes Down.

Listen here (18:43 minutes, 12.8 megs.)

6/13/2006

Unemployed

Mark Nowak pontificates about employment, the lack thereof, and general pre-postmodern neocentrist compromise. Honestly. We could never lie to your sweet eyes.

Listen here (10:20 minutes, 5.9 megs.)

5/18/2006

The Battle of Guru

Few Europeans had set foot into Tibet before 1903, but that changed when Col. Francis Younghusband slaughtered the secretive kingdom's army at the battle of Guru. In typically callous form, The Peanut Gallery cheapens this forgotten historical tragedy with radio drama.

Listen here (14:30 minutes, 26.5 megs.)

3/9/2006

Housewares

Variations on a Theme: Heart of Darkness for Toaster and Ceiling Fan. Lord of the Frying Pans. A Brave New Refrigerator... David Anderson chronicles one man's descent into madness and silverware.

Listen here (38:18 minutes, 21.9 megs.)

1/28/2006

Duff v. Diltz

With diligence, passive-aggressive behavior can be elevated to an art. With moral gerrymandering, a connection between God and self-interest can be forged. With spite, nearly anything can be stopped.

Listen here (45:51 minutes, 26.2 megs.)

1/8/2006

The Continuing Adventures of Alex Diamond

The top private snoop in Aurora Gardens Gated Community has seen better days, but he's not washed up... yet.

Listen here (8:31 minutes, 15.5 megs.)

10/31/2005

Flip & Sal

A jazz-era radio show bounced off a hydrogen cloud and boomeranged back to earth recently, puzzling SETI scientists and thrilling the ten people who still enjoy old radio.

Listen here (9:48 minutes, 5.9 megs.)

10/19/2005

Auto Auction

Put on your tattered blue jeans and grease-stained beer t-shirts and get ready for a thick, savory slice of Red, White, and Blue: the midwestern auto auction.

Listen here (24:12 minutes, 11 megs.)

10/9/2005

A Call to All Vegans

Jon Vogel, world renowned speaker and vegan extraordinaire, calls his brethren to rebuild the gulf coast in a new, meat-free image.

Listen here (10:49 minutes, 10.3 megs. )

9/25/2005

Sarnak Unchained

Most world-destroying squid-gods don't take time out of their busy schedules to sit down and furnish us lesser folks with wisdom. Sarnak was the exception. Today, we present one of the few surviving episodes of Sarnak Unchained, the god's tremendously unpopular and very short lived radio show.

Listen here (17:24 minutes, 10.3 megs. )

9/18/2005

HMS Inconsequential

Hurrah! Rule the waves! Bully! The Peanut Gallery recovered the HMS Inconsequential's story from a steam-powered, Victorian-era, black box that mysteriously washed up on the shore of Lake Superior.

Listen here (11:11 minutes, 6.5 megs. )

9/11/2005

Valet

Who enjoys watching debauchery, immaturity, violence, and corruption? You do, and we do, too! But valets are a different story. Every night they see humanity at its lowest and, after the initial thrill, it gets a little tiring. Three Chicago valets tell all.

Listen here (35:11 minutes, 17.2 megs. )

9/5/2005

The Focus Group

The Peanut Gallery brings you a recording, straight from the DNC's most recent focus group--and if you thought the last election was scary, 2008 promises to be a veritable nightmare.

Listen here (14:15 minutes, 6.9 megs. )

8/28/2005

Go West, Young Man!

Why does the west coast have such an allure for people in the east? Why does the east call to those of us in the west? Is it a case of perceived greener grass? Or is there some fundamental difference between the lifestyles in, say, New York and San Francisco? Micah Saul investigates, pontificates, and titillates.

Listen here (17:35 minutes, 10.1 megs. )

8/21/2005

Answering Machine

Over ten years ago, a brave and enraptured woman left a message on Mike's answering machine. Today, seven Peanut Gallery contributors weigh in on the message, its implications, possible outcomes, and repercussions. They also wonder, quietly and off the record, how their own recordings will come back to bite them, a decade from now.

Listen here (52:25 minutes, 24.0 megs. )

8/14/2005

San Cristobal

Which part of the Zapatista spectacle is fashionable and which is fruitful? Why is it nearly impossible to get a good cup of coffee in one of the most coffee rich regions of the world? Why were there little plastic babies falling out of Mark Nowak's mouth?

Listen here (12:42 minutes, 5.9 megs. )

8/5/2005

The Rainbow Club

Grade-B movies are frequently ridiculed for their forced portrayals of life: impossible coincidences abound, the world is populated with people who don't exist, like swingers and the Illuminati, and plot-driving meteorites strike the earth every hour on the hour. But, sometimes, life takes a grade-B turn and one of those dime-novel elements intrudes in reality. Thomas File, Aaron Clark, and David Anderson explain.

Listen here (17:28 minutes, 8.1 megs. )

7/25/2005

The List

Some people contend that reading "found art" offers poignant insights into everything, from the dark recesses of human nature to the epic flow of history. We don't believe this at all but, when we're in a bind, we don't shy away from using found material. Today's story is a haphazard list of significant events originally taken from a 1980's baby-book. While the list won't rattle your weltanschauung, it will most certainly inspire you to dance the rumba.

Listen here (11:21 minutes, 5.2 megs. )

7/17/2005

Raven

Jon Vogel attempts to discover why Alaskans are obsessed with ravens and, in the process, comes to embrace the raven's malicious nature.

Listen here (17:33 minutes, 8.1 megs. )

7/10/2005

Bunny Hop

There are good choices, bad choices, and conga lines. Rutledge McCarrier talks about his time as a student, his time as a principal, and why he chose to endure the humiliation of dancing the bunny hop.

Listen here (21:53 minutes, 10.1 megs. )

7/3/2005

The Group

Many people have had their friendships tested in unusual ways. Maybe your favorite college roommate made a point of ruining your sleep by drunkenly jumping rope to Judas Priest at unusual hours. Maybe your girlfriend called you out on every self-promotional lie you told in public. Or, maybe, your best friend ran off with your wife... and sold her to a glue factory. But, often, friendships have a way of overcoming such obstacles. Today, we have a story about a group of friends, some unusual obstacles, and what it was like to be in Riyadh as the Gulf War erupted.

Listen here (21:12 minutes, 9.7 megs. )

6/26/2005

Jonah

After being locked in the trunk of his car for a day, Jonah had a religious experience and was born again... out of his trunk. His gospel: salvation through sensory depravation.

Listen here (31:42 minutes, 14.6 megs. )

6/19/2005

Peanut Gallery Public Radio

Under the prophetic leadership of James Ford Howell, The Peanut Gallery goes non-profit and begs for alms. Guest appearances include: T.S. Elliot, Ann Coulter, and Fabio.

Listen here (18:25 minutes, 8.5 megs. )

6/12/2005

Hospital

When Tatiana came down with the flu, she visited her local hospital, like any American would. But, as a Swiss-Croatian visitor to the United States, she was wholly unprepared for the medical system that awaited her. Brian Wyrick interviewed Tatiana and recorded her impression of the visit.

Listen here (16:49 minutes, 7.2 megs. )

6/5/2005

The Mullah of Madison

Four months ago, Gary Olafsson, the self-proclaimed "Mullah of Madison" made regional headlines by issuing fatwas against several Wisconsin residents. Dane county law-enforcement agencies found Gary to be harmless, but his fatwas created enough enemies that he went into hiding... until a few weeks ago, when somebody murdered his cat. Reporter Albert Waffleman has more.

Listen here (14:16 minutes, 6.5 megs. )

5/29/2005

The Promiscuous Pliers of Persuasion

The trial of Galileo Galilei has been shrouded in mystery and speculation since its conclusion in 1633. But today, to set the record straight, The Peanut Gallery brings an end to centuries of frivolous academic chatter and presents the simple truth, straight from a packed St. Peter's Basilica...

Listen here (12:47 minutes, 11.7 megs. )

5/15/2005

Sweeney

He's run for office eleven times—as a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, and a Lunatic—and he's lost every time. His campaign platform is simple: illegal immigrants are "wild monkeys" out to destroy America. Like most other residents of southern Arizona, David Anderson thought Joe Sweeney was insane, but harmless... until the 2004 election.

Listen here (10:48 minutes, 5 megs. )

5/8/2005

Roxanne

Maybe you saw a rock star harassed outside of a seemingly obscure Icelandic bed and breakfast, or maybe you approached a famous football player in a mall and received a barrage of verbal abuse instead of an autograph. Whatever the circumstances, you've probably brushed with a celebrity at some point and noticed how human behavior gets suddenly distorted in the presence of fame. In today's story, Nick Lantz describes Sting's visit to his creative writing program.

Listen here (32:29 minutes, 15.1 megs. )

5/1/2005

An Ode to Pho

If we were architects, we would design a mighty pyramid to immortalize Pho. If we were politicians, we would give Pho restaurants tax breaks. If we were Vietnamese we would make Pho eight days a week. Unfortunately, we are lowly blowhards, so we have to pay our respects the only way we know how...

Listen here (15:18 minutes, 14.1 megs. )

4/24/2005

Book Five

When you think of Friedrich Nietzsche, several things could come to mind: maybe you think he had a really cool mustache, or maybe you're consumed with questions about how he contracted syphilis, or maybe you're just pissed that he sharked you in that pool game back in 1882. One thing will not come to your mind: the fifth book of Thus Spoke Zarathustra... because nobody knew it existed—until we discovered it.

Listen here (9:39 minutes, 8.9 megs. )

4/17/2005

Picked On

The history of sibling abuse is generally composed of little more than a laundry list of irritating behaviors: small-minded insults, petty theft, vandalism, and the occasional pounding that leads to the inevitable bruised kidney. Despite this, there are some truly inspired incidents that stand above the general milieu. Jon Vogel recalls two such incidents, both of which involve his brother Mike, copious amounts of duct tape, and the essence of performance art.

Listen here (20:57 minutes, 9.6 megs. )

4/10/2005

The Three Months

During the summer after their highschool graduation, Uri Palmer Gai and Andy Jarms experienced the usual chaos that accompanies a major life change: interactions with black, Muslim, Nazi submariners, awkward conversations with suicidal poets, and adulterous puppy-love.

Listen here (37:12 minutes, 17.1 megs. )

4/3/2005

Watch Me

Through the Power of Science, it has been empirically proven that exactly 74% of the world's weirdness occurs at night. Something about the darkness leaves people with the impression that they're invisible—that the rules don't apply to them. This week's story is a collection of things Nick and David have seen at night.

Listen here (19:48 minutes, 9.1 megs. )

3/27/2005

Aaron and the Herd of Cows

This uplifting Easter story details the role of cows in a six year old's loss of faith, God's interference in a pathetic teen seduction, and the subtle line between pomposity and pretension. This is Aaron Clark's short awaited Peanut Gallery debut.

Listen here (19:48 minutes, 9.1 megs. )

3/20/2005

Letting Go

Bicycles, neighborhood rivalries, fire hydrants, and plastic surgery. In 1987 all of these elements descended on the small town of Sandy, Oregon and turned Jon Vogel into the cuddly folk hero you know and love. This is Jon's Peanut Gallery debut.

Listen here (26:13 minutes, 12.1 megs. )

3/13/2005

The Door

It seems to be a theme in life that some of the coolest living situations are accompanied by a major drawback: windows that have been cemented shut, tuba-playing crack-dealers next door, or a toilet that flushes the wrong way. Sometimes, the drawbacks take a little while to surface, as Nick Lantz is about to discover...

Listen here (42:50 minutes, 19.7 megabytes)

3/6/2005

The War

Have you ever seen a childhood conflict expand beyond all reasonable proportion? Have you ever wondered where our unfortunate propensity to prolong strife comes from? Have you ever resented Lord of the Flies?

Listen here (12:50 minutes, 7.3 megabytes)

2/27/2005

The Last Word

For anyone who had weird friends in high school, this piece relates a story about varsity volleyball, attempted suicide, and a troubled friend’s obsession with famous last words.

Listen here (9:30 minutes, 5.4 megabytes)

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