The Musical Innertube

Musically, Bill's head is still in the 60s.  Don still lives in the 70s.  Glenn's time is the 80s.  John's head is full of lots of things, including his dad's favorite tunes.  Here are a few of their favorite summer songs. You may not have heard these songs for a long time, if at all.

Founding Father James Wilson.  Wrote "all men are created equal" 6 years before Jefferson. Came up with the Electoral College for the Constitution. A Supreme Court Justice who helped design America's justice system.  Jesse Wegman is here to tell us why no one remembers this Founding Father.

Don and John speak with author John Timpane (in a dual role) about his new book, Poetry For Dummies. John also talks with poets Mark Danowsky, Lynn Levin and Ernest Hilbert about their contributions to the book and about the current state of poetry.

Meet author John Timpane as he talks about his new book, POETRY FOR DUMMIES.  John will introduce you to three poets who helped make POETRY FOR DUMMIES the smashing success that it is!

As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, the nation still finds itself sharply divided along political, racial and cultural lines.  Dr. Catherine Meeks, who's spent a lifetime working on racial healing, talks about what it will take to make America whole again. 

Amanda Geftner is one of our favorite science writers, as well as a favorite guest! Her latest essay for NAUTILUS Magazine pinpoints September 1, 1939 as the most precarious day in history.  Did we survive? Listen and find out!  https://nautil.us/the-most-precarious-day-in-the-universe-1280956

News has come to you in many forms - newspapers, radio, TV, and now the internet and social media. Mostly, it was the facts; but sometimes those facts were twisted to sell more papers or get higher ratings. With social media, opinions can become facts. We talk with people who reported the news for their opinions on the facts.

Everyone's Favorite Podcast has reached 200 episodes!  And so has the Musical Innertube!  Pull up an ear and listen to past guests of the podcast reminisce about their appearances and about what the podcast means to them. Plus, a surprise from John at the end! (BEFORE the credits!  We're not Marvel!)

Growing up in the late 60s/early 70s, our minds were shaped by the Beatles and Motown and Pink Floyd and TV and the Firesign Theater - not necessarily in that order. Firesign was four guys who presented mind-blowing comedy on nine record albums, registered in book form by Jeremy Braddock. 

We don't mean to scare you, but a polar vortex is coming! Or maybe we DO mean to scare you. When TV says we're experiencing an atmospheric river or that a major El Nino is on its way, it sounds scary. Penn State meteorologist Jon Nese says sometimes it's serious, sometimes it's just regular weather with a fancy name.

CBS is ending its radio news service next month. Media expert Robert Thompson says news providers are changing faster than ever - and he wonders about how we'll get accurate facts in the future.

Think poetry is, kinda, welll....?  Try telling that to the over 97 thousand people who have signed up all over the world for Al Filreis' online Modern Poetry course, MoPod!  And if you listen to the end of the podcast, there's a special discount to help you join in on the fun!

John Horgan is a science writer and science writing teacher whose seminal work is entitled "The End of Science." He visited India with John Timpane - and lived to tell about it!! And as if that's not enough, his name pops up in the Epstein Files. Settle in for some great conversations!  

Rod Goelz was your typical rockstar-wannabe.  He played in local bands in local bars. But once he started teaching music, he found his real passion.  Now he's using new and different ways of teaching to pass on that passion to students and others who need music in their lives.

Patrick Berkery is the editor of the online daily newsletter for the Keystone Newsroom, delivering news people need and can use in their inbox each morning. He's also started a newsletter that explores all the pizza the state has to offer. Oh and in his spare time (does he HAVE any?), he's a freelance drummer.

Happy Holidays!  It's time for end-of-the-year lists, but we've done that one better.  Here are some all-time favorite songs from John, Don, and music historian Bill Trousdale!  Some are obscure, some familiar  - maybe they'll become your favorites, too!

Are you indecisive?  Are you always worrying about what to do, and what not to do? Well, worry no more!  Here is your complete guide to living - just enroll in Gina School! Author, teacher and life coach Gina Barreca tells us the whys and wherefores about her new book.

Seeing The Nutcracker ballet is an annual Christmas event for many of us. But dancer and choreographer Phil Chan thought the "Chinese Dance" could be updated to give audiences a better idea of what actual Chinese dance is like.  He helped start a movement in that direction for all ballet. Filmmaker Jennifer Lin tells the story in her documentary About Face.

Just in time for Halloween! Did you know there's a Texas Body Farm? Ever hear of the Devil that lives in New Jersey's Pine Barrens? Mystery writer Ruth Setton and forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland talk about the murder, mystery and magic in their novels - and they have ideas about why women are especially attracted to murder mysteries and true crime podcasts.

This is a must-listen podcast! We have Art Caplan, a real scientist specializing in the ethics of medical care, talking about autism, vaccines, science education - and how the people in charge of the nation's medical care aren't qualified to make these decisions.

Carole King is a music superstar. She's also suffered from spousal abuse, raised two kids in a primitive cabin in rural Idaho, and wrestled with her Jewish identity. All this and more is contained between the covers of Jane Eisner's biography, "She Made The Earth Move."

We're proud to once again present the story of Mike Hingson, who was trapped in one of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Remarkably, Mike, his guide dog Roselle and thousands of others walked down 78 flights of stairs to safety.

A funny thing happened on the way to November of 2020. We'd recorded a terrific interview with Philadephia Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca - but you couldn't hear a word he said. Now, thanks to AI, we're able to bring you this Lost Innertube episode.

The Last Partera is a film about a woman who was the last of her kind. We talk with Rebecca Turecky, who continues her work, and Ned Phillips, who helped document her life on film.

Celebrate sun and sand and fun with these summer tunes curated by music historian Bill Trousdale! Plus: there's a contest!  And a singalong!

Amanda Gefter was researching a famed physicist when she kept seeing the name "Putnam" in his journals. That led her to an unknown but brilliant scientist who came up with an explanation of how the human brain works.

Explore with us the world of literary jealousy, a writer who's missing and presumed dead, and a detective who has no idea what she's doing. It's all part of Lee Upton's new novel, Wrongful

Why should you start a podcast?  What kind of feedback can you expect? How hard is it to keep a podcast going?  Here's a fun talk with podcasters Mat Kaplan and Nick Roman about all that stuff

Jennifer Lin's documentary about George Lee, who went from ballet student/refugee in Shanghai to the NYC Ballet, is now airing on PBS American Masters. Here's Jennifer talking about the film from late last year.

Whether you've never heard of John McPhee - or are fascinated by his writing like Noel Rubinton - there's a lot to discover here, about McPhee and about Noel, who's new book is a study of McPhee's works.

We find ourselves in a very strange place politically in 2025. How did we get here? Are the changes permanent? Here's some insight from political science professor Robert Speel.

Writer, editor, teacher and humorist Gina Barreca is back with a new essay collection, Fast Famous Women. 75 stories about the famous told by women who admire them, study them - even want to be them!  

Megan Timpane is an actress and corporate trainer. Ten years ago, Megan was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma. She dealt with her cancer the way any good actress would - writing and performing a play about her condition.

Conservative thinker Chuck Brightbill can't figure out what all the fuss is about. The way he sees it, rich guys help America.

Writer and podcaster Amy Julia Becker talks about the need for caring in this world, and how caring helps not only those being cared for, but those doing the caring as well.

Dr. Paul Offit is pretty much THE authority on vaccines. He says abandoning them will lead to more outbreaks of child-killing diseases like measles. He'd like to see parents who believe in vaccines speak up. https://standupforscience2025.org

Astrophysicist Asa Stahl says there's lots to see in the night sky during 2025, including meteor showers, Saturn losing its rings, even a star going nova! (But probably not Betelgeuse.) And a dustbuster on the moon.

Dr. Theodora Ziolkowski practices what she preaches! A writing teacher at the University of Nebraska, she's written short stories, a novella, and now a book of poetry, Ghostlit.  Her stories feature women making their way through the world.

It came from the 1980s - musical, jazzy, mellow - it's Yacht Rock! Sean Ross has followed radio trends in his "Ross on Radio" newsletter, and he talks about the birth and development of Yacht Rock.

Celebrate the New Year out in the middle of nowhere, in a hunting cabin with friends, family, food - maybe even a deer! Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jason Nark says this generational way of life may be disappearing.

For Hannukah, we asked bioethicist Art Caplan seven things he'd like to see happen in the world of medicine in 2025. His list includes wishes for cellphones and vaccines, along with several sci-fi Easter eggs.

Pennsylvania music historian Bill Trousdale presents holiday tunes both new and familiar, all with connections to the Keystone state. Relax with some egg nog and enjoy Perry Como, the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, "Nuttin for Christmas" and more!

Here's a great holiday idea: invite friends over for a cookie baking party! John and Don went to just such a party at chef Joy Stocke's house and recorded this special podcast during the festivities!

In part 2 of our baseball talk with Nick Roman, we look at the career of one of the greatest ballplayers ever, Willie Mays.

In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela became a starting pitcher for the L.A. Dodgers. As Nick Roman tells us, he went on to have a terrific career - and a huge effect on the city and the ballclub as well.

It's Turkey Day! But have you ever tried Peiking Duck?  Or brisket? If you'd prefer the usual turkey & fixin's, here's chef Joy Stocke and Don and John with some delicious holiday recipes!

We've received word that Mykhaylo, an American Special Forces medic working in Ukraine, a friend who talked with us several times on the podcast, died this month in an auto accident in Kiev.

JFK Jr running HHS? Matt Gaetz as AG? Political columnist Dick Polman breaks down how Trump won the election -- and how Harris lost it -- but, more importantly, what we can expect for the next four years.

What do you do when someone says, "I don't care what your facts are, I believe what I believe." Or any one of a thousand variations of that. Journalist and professor Bob Jensen has some ideas.

First and foremost, get out today and vote! Here's a little something to listen to while you're in line to vote: John, Don, and political commentator Dick Polman reflecting on the presidential candidates.