The main topic this week is—wait for it— drugs. In particular, the listener is treated to an epic tour of the "four toadstools" that mark Merlin's journey with the forbidden pharmaceutical wild side.

This week opens with some followup on the ownership of Star Wars and the zero-sum game of ugly corporate distribution battles. John visits San Francisco, sees Todd and Merlin, and there is talk about the modern history of film VFX.

Merlin catches John up on the extraordinary amount of The Walking Dead episodes he's been watching (out of order), and John doubles down on his shocked perplexity regarding how Merlin does almost everything.

Winded and worn, Merlin begins provoking John for answers and anecdotes on the times he's taken crazy risks. Mildly harrowing stories ensue. John tortures himself with thought experiments.

Also, John hates smoking.

(Episode recorded April 26, 2016)

Despite The Walt Disney Company's 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the release rights to all future Star Wars films, Fox still retains original distribution rights to Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope "in perpetuity" in all media worldwide.

There was some renewed hope that he might loosen his grip on the movies when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, but some four years on and there’s been no movement on the matter. At least, not officially, not yet.

The Haight became drug ridden and violent chasing off the gay population who looked for a more stable area to live.

The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the US, and was plagued by escalating costs, scheduling overruns, leaks, design flaws, charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials, criminal arrests, and one death.

One notable aspect of Private Stock packaging is that the undersides of Private Stock bottle caps contained words or Rebus puzzles.