John is still away on his approved sabbatical but Peggy is just AWOL. (The Court of Inquiry is considering a suitable punishment for her). Beth and Jim are left to serve as Shelly’s interlocutors as she demonstrates her mastery of all facets o

In Search Of An Argument – Shelly Goes Canine

Apr 24th, 2021 41m 54s

John is AWOL from this episode but Jim is present to complain about his local government’s organization of the vaccination distribution effort. Beth, who drove two hours from home to get the one-and-done shot, is excited to start traveling agai

International Women's Day!

Mar 8th, 2021 1h 3m

In addition to reflecting on the merits and meaning of International Women’s Day, all five of the gang talk about women who have inspired them personally. They also talk about what the future might hold for working women and women’s voices that

The Great Outdoors

Feb 26th, 2021

The gang can see each other while they record (except for Peggy) but the video version has not yet arrived for our listeners. But keep watching for it (except for Peggy). Shelly and Peggy have money matters on their mind before the main part

Give His Regards to Broadway

Feb 13th, 2021 1h 13m

Shelly starts things off by giving a fulsome introduction to her friend and co-worker, Rob. She is so wrapped up in what she is saying that she has to be prodded to cue the Top Of Mind segment. Rob recounts his many and various experiences as

WKRP in Podcastland

Jan 30th, 2021 1h 1m

Richard Tobin, who loves music (and has known John Heintz since the 1980s) picked Don’t You Want Me by The Human League and explains his selection by relating a funny story from his family life. Peggy selected Bizarre Love Triangle by New Orde

That Was The Week That Was

Jan 16th, 2021 1h 18m

After the Top of Mind segment (including the question of whether or not Shelly should get a dog) the discussion focuses on the insurrection of Wednesday, January 6, 2021. John and Jim had discussed these events at some length in a previous epis

Special Episode on the insurrection

Jan 7th, 2021 1h 3m

John and Jim briefly review the shocking events of the day (placed in the context of the surprising events of the day before when the Democrats won effective control of the U.S. Senate. They discuss the significance of the mob action against t

2021 Vision

Jan 2nd, 2021 52m 23s

After initiating Beth with a short quiz to see how well she understands the minds of her colleagues, the co-hosts look back at their predictions for 2020. (Who said Bernie Sanders would be the Democratic nominee for President?) They fearlessly

Big Tech Hunting

Dec 26th, 2020 42m 45s

John and Jim discuss the general issues of concern about Big Tech expressed by both the Left and the Right as well as skimming over the newest antitrust litigation. They debate at length the wisdom of repealing Section 230 of the Communication

No Kidding

Dec 19th, 2020 59m 20s

Peggy, Shelly, and Beth bravely open the pages of their own lives to consider the twists and turns that resulted in their becoming the fascinating individuals they are today. While the topic is important and serious, the conversation is tinged

T.O.M. Thumb

Dec 12th, 2020 31m 59s

Peggy is enjoying watching both college and professional football, particularly the recent success of the Indiana Hoosiers. But John remains skeptical about sports in general and in particular the recent comments of Duke basketball coach Mike

We love Paris

Dec 5th, 2020 1h 2m

As a respite from an impending winter that offers tantalizing hope amid bleak news, these tales of Paris represent in part a yearning for lost innocence. Beth recalls her visit to Paris with her sister twenty-three years ago. Jim remembers the

T.O.M. Turkey

Nov 28th, 2020 40m 9s

One of the questions researched is the comparison between the effectiveness of the French and German responses as referenced in this article from France. The effectiveness of the approach taken by South Korea is unquestionable but it is unclear

Turkey Day Special

Nov 26th, 2020 1h 6m

We learn who everyone is eating with today and what is on the menu. We learn that John and Peggy like to watch professional tennis and college basketball, but not the NBA. We consider Jim’s semi-urban lifestyle and ponder whether or not John,

Thanksgiving Surprise

Nov 26th, 2020 1h 6m

The Gene Genie

Nov 21st, 2020 1h 7m

In response to listener demand (and by that we mean a single listener) we offer a Shelly-centric episode focused on the new frontiers of genetic experimentation. Beth Shannon returns as a special guest to participate in the discussion as to wh

Major T.O.M.

Nov 14th, 2020 35m 41s

John is focused on the pandemic and the prospect of renewed lockdowns as cases continue to surge. That leads into a brief discussion about the different approaches to the pandemic represented by President Trump and President-Elect Biden. In t

The Red and The Blue

Nov 7th, 2020 1h 2m

John spent election night trying to toggle between the election returns and caring for his infant son. Peg tried to ignore all of the election news and went to bed early. Beth spent election day helping to get out the vote in Philadelphia and

Tops Only

Oct 31st, 2020 21m 41s

The Top of John’s mind is occupied by positive thoughts that Donald Trump will turn out to be a one term President but negative thoughts about what that means. Peg is too worried about jinxing the outcome to even speculate on Trump as a one and

Willpower

Oct 24th, 2020 54m 45s

Will Gentile, previous podcast guest and son of Jim, returns, ostensibly to discuss what it is like to work in New York City during the pandemic. It soon becomes clear that Will’s main agenda is to flirt shamelessly with Shelly while John, Jim,

Top of Mind Oct 16 2020

Oct 17th, 2020 31m 19s

The Top of John’s mind is occupied by negative thoughts about the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, which causes him great consternation. Peggy echoes his dim view of the nominee and the process by which she is being hurried throug

Tik Tik

Oct 17th, 2020 31m 19s

The Space Between Us All

Oct 10th, 2020 1h 7m

In addition to the riveting main topic discussion, the group fills the time with meaningless banter and anger management. Peggy’s mind is focused on a particular fourteen year-old child. John hates the fall (but Peggy likes it). Shelly has to f

Where No Podcast Has Gone Before

Sep 26th, 2020 56m 34s

Watch Star Trek here while listening! Proving that they have almost completely run out of new ideas (send suggestions!) this episode ransacks two classic television series. The original television version of Star Trek spawned a Next Generation