This week we deep dive into how an obsessive Irish mechanic changed the world of tractors after a handshake deal with Henry Ford and how in the early 2000s, the Thai government embarked on a mission of gastrodiplomacy by helping Thai restaurants proliferate around the world. A listener voice memo tells the story of an old Serbo-Romanian woman who poisoned people in hundreds.

SUMMER 2025 T-Shirt Drop: Ken Allen has had Kenough (ENDS AUG 29th!!)

https://www.bonfire.com/500-open-tabs-ken-allen/

Episode Tabs:

The Life and Legacy of Harry Ferguson

https://www.ulstertransportmuseum.org/guest-blog/life-and-legacy-harry-ferguson

You Think You Understand Thai Culture Because You Eat at Thai Restaurants? Think Again

https://www.foodandwine.com/why-are-there-so-many-thai-restaurants-7104115

Listener Tabs:

Nettle Eaters Chomp in Revived World Championships

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6152l8z20o

Baba Anujka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Anujka

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW by adding theTab For a Cause extension: tabforanimals.org/opentabs and help end suffering for animals trapped on factory farms today!

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the life of Orangutan Ken Allen, the San Diego Zoo's most infamous escape artist and how the drawings of young boy named Onfim gave art historians insight into what life was like for a child in medieval Russia. A listener voice memo explains the origins of Batman and Robin.

SUMMER 2025 T-Shirt Drop: Ken Allen has had Kenough!

https://www.bonfire.com/500-open-tabs-ken-allen/

I'm Me and It's This Game's Fault - Full SDCC Panel

https://youtu.be/MVjXA_NGnVU

Episode Tabs:

Fear of the Animal Planet: The Hidden History of Animal Resistance

https://www.akpress.org/fear-of-the-animal-planet-e-book.html

Onfim Wuz Here: On the Unlikely Art of a Medieval Russian Boy

https://lithub.com/onfim-wuz-here-on-the-unlikely-art-of-a-medieval-russian-boy/

Listener Tabs:

Comic Books, Dr. Wertham, and the Villains of Forensic Psychiatry

https://jaapl.org/content/early/2020/10/06/JAAPL.200041-20

The trashiest enigma: Alex Jordan and the House on the Rock

https://thetangential.com/2014/11/30/the-trashiest-enigma-alex-jordan-and-the-house-on-the-rock/

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW by adding theTab For a Cause extension: tabforanimals.org/opentabs and help end suffering for animals trapped on factory farms today!

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we conclude the sagas of John Murray Spear, a 19th‑century activist‑turned‑spiritualist who claimed the ghost of Benjamin Franklin ordered him to build a “Mechanical Messiah” to usher in a new era of world peace and how Guns N’ Roses were able to finish their music video trilogy with Estranged despite the departure of their lead actress. A listener email tells the story of an ancient Greek dick plague.

Episode Tabs:

Revisiting John Murray Spear

https://iapsop.com/jbb/2021__buescher___revisiting_john_murray_spear.pdf

25 Years Ago, Guns N’ Roses Unveiled Their Batshit $4 Million Music Video

https://www.vice.com/en/article/guns-n-roses-estranged-video-25-years-later/

Listener Tabs:

Pompe and Proagon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia#Pompe_and_Proagon

40 years after their final show, Chinatown's Pender Guy radio is reuniting

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pender-guy-radio-reunion-1.6045491

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we continue the saga behind the making of Guns N’ Roses’ November Rain music video and dive into the bizarre tale of John Murray Spear, a 19th‑century activist‑turned‑spiritualist who claimed the ghost of Benjamin Franklin ordered him to build a “Mechanical Messiah” to usher in a new era of world peace. A listener email tells the story of finding the long lost bones of Richard III under a parking lot.

Episode Tabs:

The ‘November Rain’ music video defined a generation. Inside its ‘bonkers’ production

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-06-07/novemeber-rain-guns-n-roses-music-video-making-of-30th-anniversary

Interview: John Benedict Buescher - Author of The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear

https://www.strange-phenomenon.com/john-benedict-buescher-transcript

Listener Tabs:

Art of @nn-ee-zz

https://www.tumblr.com/nn-ee-zz/786542016059310080/hiii-i-was-just-wandering-if-you-wouldnt-mind

Richard III: Discovery and Identification

https://le.ac.uk/richard-iii/discovery

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into how ADHD is a holdover from hunter-gatherer societies and how a short story written by a friend inspired Guns N' Roses to create the most ambitious music video trilogy ever filmed. A listener email explains the phenomenon of industrial musicals.

Episode Tabs:

ADHD May Have Been an Evolutionary Advantage, research suggests

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/21/adhd-may-have-been-an-evolutionary-advantage-research-suggests

The ‘November Rain’ music video defined a generation. Inside its ‘bonkers’ production

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-06-07/novemeber-rain-guns-n-roses-music-video-making-of-30th-anniversary

Listener Tabs:

The Wonderful World Of Industrial Musicals

https://www.industrialmusicals.com/songs/

Home Sweet Homer: The Strange Saga of the Real-Life ‘Simpsons’ House in Nevada

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/549440/real-life-the-simpsons-house-nevada

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the historic bond between the Choctaw Nation with Ireland and how pigeons were domesticated, leading to some absolutely bonkers looking breeds. A listener email tells the story of the first female Native American lawyer to argue a case in front of the US Supreme Court.

Episode Tabs:

Choctaw and Irish History

https://www.choctawnation.com/about/history/irish-connection/

A History of the Pigeon

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/54844/history-pigeon

Listener Tabs:

How a trio of sisters occupied — and saved — a sacred Native cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas

https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-02-08/120-years-ago-this-woman-occupied-and-saved-a-sacred-cemetery-in-kansas-city-kansas

The Manjiro Story

https://whitfield-manjiro.org/the-manjiro-story/

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history that happened in 1959 and how the Red Scare of the 1950s directly led to the founding of the now iconic Renaissance Pleasure Faire. A listener email informs us of how Nixon's airborne toilet is memorialized in Seattle.

San Diego Comic Con Panels:

I'm Me and It's This Game's Fault!

Friday July 25, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Room 29AB

Middle Eastern/North African Representation in Media

Saturday July 26, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm

Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Episode Tabs:

Eyewitness Reports of the Great Auroral Storm of 1859

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050210157/downloads/20050210157.pdf

The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-surprisingly-radical-roots-of-the-renaissance-fair-180982918/

Listener Tabs:

The Bay Area's most hazardous playground has to be seen to be believed

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/berkeley-adventure-playground-19462017.php

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The ancient tournament of Kumitab returns as we pit some of our craziest subjects against one another including Rube Waddell, an Aswang, and Pepsi bottle cosplay Nixon.

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of you have sent Listener Email submissions that were on the longer side, so we dedicated an entire episode for them to aerate like a fine wine! Amongst many things, we learn about the notorious California Egg Wars and a highly coveted ladies room Picasso.

Listener Tabs:

World Coal Carrying Championships

https://gawthorpemaypole.org/world-coal-carrying/

Pink

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

MONA Defends Ladies-Only LoungeAgainst Anti-Discrimination Case Brought by Male Visitor

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/mona-ladies-lounge-legal-fight-men-excluded/103605236

Piltdown Man is Revealed as Fake

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53pi.html

When California Went to War Over Eggs

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-california-went-war-over-eggs-180971960/

Null Island

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island

Deep Diving

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_diving

Barry Marshall

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the oft overlooked subplot of Batman's 1988 storyline "A Death in the Family" in which the Joker is recruited by the Ayatollah Khomeini himself to Iran's ambassador to the UN and the life of Dora Richter, the first Trans woman to ever receive gender-affirming surgery. A listener email finally clarifies the origins of the Michigan-Ohio rivalry.

Episode Tabs:

The Joker Was Once DC's U.N. Ambassador from Iran... Until He Wasn't

https://www.cbr.com/batman-joker-iran-ambassador-retcon-qurac/

Remembering Dora Richter, One of the First Women to Receive Gender-Affirming Surgery

https://www.them.us/story/dora-richter-first-trans-woman-to-receive-gender-affirming-surgery

Listener Tabs:

Toledo War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War

The Invention of Warfarin

https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/warfarin.html

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.