500 Open Tabs

Latest Episodes:

86: Time Colonization and Sushi Row pt 1 Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

This week we deep dive into how Monochronic culture forced its will on the Polychronic world and how Ventura Blvd in Los Angeles earned the moniker of Sushi Row by housing the greatest concentration of Sushi restaurants outside of Japan. A listener email explains how the Monkey Puzzle Tree became an Oregon staple.

Episode Tabs:

Time and Culture

https://nobaproject.com/modules/time-and-culture

This Little Tokyo restaurant is long gone. But it changed L.A.’s food scene forever

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-05-03/la-sushi-history-began-at-little-tokyo-restaurant

Listener Tabs:

Monkey Puzzle Tree

https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/araucaria-araucana

Email your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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

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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.

85: History of Lawns and The 1903 Oregon Train Robbery Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

This week we deep dive into how a newly founded America's insecurity about their status in the world led to their obsession with front lawns (and 9/11?) and the story of Portland's most polite train robber, Bill Miner. A listener email explains how Max Headroom briefly took over the Chicago airwaves in 1987.

ROSE CITY COMIC-CON: SEPTEMBER 5-7, 2025

ARTIST ALLEY: TABLE D-01

Episode Tabs:

The American Obsession with Lawns

https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/anthropology-in-practice/the-american-obsession-with-lawns/

Outlaw Bill Miner’s First Train Robbery was a Fiasco

https://offbeatoregon.com/1311b-bill-miner-train-robber-in-oregon.html

Listener Tabs:

30 Years Later, Notorious ‘Max Headroom Incident’ Remains a Mystery

https://news.wttw.com/2017/11/21/30-years-later-notorious-max-headroom-incident-remains-mystery

Simo Häyhä

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

Email your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

84: Three-Point Hitch and Global Thai Program Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

83: Ken Allen and Medieval Russian Kid Art Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

82: John Murray Spear pt 2 and November Rain Trilogy pt 3 Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

81: November Rain Trilogy pt 2 and John Murray Spear pt 1 Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

80: Night Watchmen Theory and November Rain Trilogy pt 1 Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

79: Choctaw Irish Friendship and Pigeons Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

78: The Carrington Event and The First Renaissance Faire Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

77: KUMITA3!! (500 Open Stabs Round 3) Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

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: 500opentabs@gmail.com

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.

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