In the Loop

Podcast episodes from In The Loop

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March 19, 2010: "In The Loop:" The Last Show.

Featuring an interview with a South Pole blogger, a chat with the famous "Marc in Paris," podcasting wisdom from Sanden, a final song from Jeff, plus lots of Loop-love and a listener-guided tour through the crazy five years of ITL. (74 min.)


March 5, 2010: "In The Loop:" The Chilean Priest, the Stubborn Senator, and the Secret Shopper in the Back Pew

A talk with the creator of ChurchRater.com, Father Maurice Alvarado on the Chilean national character, Faron Williams with details of the revenge-fantasy also called the "Securities Transaction Tax," Sanden stops by with odd things correlated with the recession, a song for Sen. Jim Bunning, and folksinger Heatherlyn rounds out our "Starving Artist" series. (46 min.)


Feb. 24, 2010: "In The Loop:" A Singing Tiger, a Dancing Frenchman, a Snowboarder and Bill Nye walk into a podcast...

It's a big ol' episode, featuring Olympic snowboard racer (and first Eskimo Olympian -- we think) Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, an attempt to interview people using ChatRoulette.com, Sanden's Week In Geek, Congressional power expert Scott Adler, and our latest "starving artist," poet and photographer Cole Sarar. (55 min.)


Feb. 16, 2010: "In The Loop:" Learning to Live Without...

With Jeff out of town, Sanden and Anna take over the show to bring you stories of "living without ____." Listeners call in to talk about life without all sorts of things from gluten to indoor heating. The official town crier of Minneapolis talks about giving up luxuries to save up for a trip to the world town crier competition. Plus a commentary from Anna about her current living situation and a song from Sanden about doing the show without Jeff. (35 min.)


Feb. 5, 2010: "In The Loop:" Letters to Obama - Open-Source Moon Landing - Federal Budget Sing-Along

Plus: Forget Toyota -- How are our own Big 3 doing? Our space NewsNicher laments the (possible) end of the moon program, but Sanden explains how she might be able to go anyway. (38 min.)


Jan. 29, 2010: "In The Loop:" Gamechangers: Superbowl? iPad? SOTU? George Clooney?

Rob Crilly, on what we don't get about Darfur; Fausta on why to give a rip about Argentina's central bank; Superbowl ads go bye-bye?; iPad muziks; Comedian Mike Brody(45 min.)


Jan. 22, 2010: "In The Loop:" Things to Love: Haitians, Term Limits, Fake Neil Young, and a Cube-less Life

The latest in our "Starving Artist" interviews, plus a physician's assistant in Haiti working without anesthetic, a woman who loves the "regal" Haitians, and what happens when 10 unintelligible music legends come together to support the victims.(36 min.)


Jan. 15, 2010: "In The Loop:" Mapping Haiti - 2010: "The Movie" - The woman who called the Conan thing

How to give for the Haiti quake, and how nerds around the world are mapping it; listener-written movie trailers for 2010; a slug/plant creature, in song; actor Mahmoud Hakima, and so much more that listing it would just be silly. (49 min.)


Jan. 8, 2010: "In The Loop:" How to: Vacation in Yemen, Interpret Tech Hype, and Quit Your Job (slowly)

Plus a song for the world's tallest building, Sanden helps you use your vacation time, and listeners share their personal predictions for 2010. (46 min.)


Dec. 22, 2009: "In The Loop:" The Year-End Interview, with Super-Skeptic Steve Novella M.D.

Following a listener suggestion, we spend our last episode of the year with Dr. Steve Novella, host of Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, discussing the abundant psuedo-science of 2009. (29 min.)


Dec. 18, 2009: "In The Loop:" The Economics, Psychology and Anthropology of Santa. (Plus Copenhagen. And Joe Lieberman.)

Features interviews with the authors "Scroogenomics' and "The Psychology of Santa." Sanden talks global Santa alternatives, from the creepy to the offensive to the scatological. Plus, Jeff reworks The Night Before Christmas with health-care reform and Joe Lieberman in mind. And cartoonist David Gillette on what COP15 adds up to.


Dec. 11, 2009: "In The Loop:" Angry Climate Hookers - Revolutionary Frogs - A Santa Three-Way

We talk with a guy from the Grantham Institute on why "adaptation" should be on the agenda in Copenhagen, and look into why "prostitution" is somehow on the agenda as well. Kermit the Frog stops by with a song about Iran, Sanden updates on the "discovery" of "dark matter" here in "Minnesota," and we hold our first annual Santa Round-Table.


Dec. 3, 2009: "In The Loop:" How to Build a Nation, Wreck an Economy, and Get on a Reality Show

Features new interviews on Afghanistan with Brian Burton of the Center for a New American Security, intense NYC retail industry analyst Howard Davidowitz, and Facebook fan Jessica Sundheim. Plus Sanden stops by with a look at how well stunts do as a ploy for getting on reality TV.


Nov. 27, 2009: "In The Loop:" Nigerians, Victoria's Secret models, and "Crestfallen Face": Tales of Online Dating

A format-breaker episode featuring nothing but stories from listeners about the highs and lows of dating Internet-style.


Nov. 20, 2009: "In The Loop:" Cao Speaks - The Farm Report - Turkey Alternatives!

After telling his story in song last week, we get our interview with Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA), the lone GOP Congressman to vote in favor of health reform in the House. Listeners and Facebook fans share their alternatives to turkey on the Thanksgiving table. A NewsNiche interview with Missouri farmer Richard Oswald. A dandy tune giving thanks for the most ridiculous stories of 2009. The year of IHS Global Insight.


Nov. 13, 2009: "In The Loop:" Congressional Cowboy - App Store Rejects - Twittering Tight Ends

Featuring an interview with Twittering Minnesota Viking Visanthe Shiancoe, Molly Hooper of "The Hill" on health reform's Senate destiny, the unique reporting stylings of Sanden Totten, and a new NewsTune on the Congressman of the Moment.


Nov. 6, 2009: "In The Loop:" Tax Cheats, Secret Sources & My Guy Karzai

  • * TaxGirl Kelly Phillips Erb on the new IRS push to collect from sneaky rich people
  • * Christian Science Monitor writer Ben Arnoldy from Kabul, on what happened with Karzai, Pakistan vs. Afghanistan priorities, and Afghan nightlife
  • * Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Chris Ison stops by with details on the federal "shield law" proposal working its way through Congress
  • * NewsTune: Our guy, Karzai. (video)
  • * Listener responses to: How have you been shaped by where you're from?
  • * Swine-flu vaccine, Chorus Line-style

Oct. 23, 2009: "In The Loop:" CEO Perks - Burnin' Bunnies - Google Waves - Etc.

  • * The big picture on Pakistan from Ahsan at Five Rupees
  • * Jeff and Sanden look into really alternative fuels
  • * Got an INVITE? Listeners join us to discuss what the hell Google Wave is.
  • * Financial CEO perks went up last year. What the? (video)
  • * Balloon Boy: You're not worth it.

Oct. 15, 2009: "In The Loop:" Gypsies, Jobless, and Global Cabals

A NewsNiche special: We catch up with three people who have offered themselves up as sources on topics a little off the beaten path.


Oct. 9, 2009: "In The Loop:" Soldiers are Green - Sinners are Red - Letterman's Blue

  • * An Iran update from Naj, at Neo-Resistance
  • * Sanden's Skribitcast: Geithner/Guthrie, Paper Cranes, and 16-year-old strippers
  • * Captain Planet, on the phone from Afghanistan
  • * Monty Python meets the Letterman scandal (video)
  • * A project to map the 7 Deadly Sins
  • * Of course, we make fun of Obama's Nobel Prize

Oct. 2, 2009: "In The Loop:" Honduran "Coups" - Gay Games - Iranian Sitcom Opening Credits

  • * Chicago loses the big show. But Cleveland lands the 2014 Gay Games. What? How? Cleveland? Yep.
  • * Jasmin Teague fills us in from Honduras on why even if it looks like a coup, and walks like a coup, it might not be a coup.
  • * Poems on all kinds of stuff: Moon water, Max Baucus, no more Saturn
  • * Iranian nuclear posturing? Clearly they're Doing It Their Way (video)
  • * Murray Schweitzer quizzes Jeff on his "Consumer IQ"

Sept. 25, 2009: "In The Loop:" Obama's Health Care Plan B - Who's Got Swine Flu? - Inventor Woes

  • * Madhu Chugh, author of a nifty paper on "executive authority" for reforming health care
  • * Sanden Totten visits a local gathering of inventors, hard at work restoring American economic prowess
  • * We call up some listeners with Swine Flu (er...H1N1)
  • * Does health insurance reform include dental care?
  • * Do you watch Shark Tank? You should.
  • * A musical tribute to our 20 most recent ITL Facebook fans

Sept. 17, 2009: "In The Loop:" Bad Ellen! - Bad Kanye! - Bad...French guy!

A pop culture-focused episode, featuring a chat about Fair Use and the Ellen Show, an elegy for Patrick Swayze, the new "Mind Your Manners Song" and listener stories of rudeness.


Sept. 12, 2009: "In The Loop:" Death-by-Robots - Summer Vacation Lessons - Obama gets Slammed

  • * National Poetry Slam Champion Khary Jackson
  • * Sanden's robot fetish
  • * Various difficult lessons you all learned over the summer
  • * A totally meta song not about "the news," but about a web site where you get "the news" (video)
  • * Storyteller Nancy Donoval on fighting to keep insured

Sept. 4, 2009: "In The Loop:" Voicemail Story Slam

  • * Since Sanden and Jeff were on assignment for the State Fair this week, we opened the phones and asked for your two-minute stories on our voicemail.
  • * These are those stories. Nice work.
  • * Also includes a random earthquake.

August 29, 2009: "In The Loop:" Terrorist Rendition, Listener Cold Calls, B-B-Bernanke & The Fed

  • * It ain't about death panels. Kelly Spors explains why health reform is all about small biz.
  • * We cold call listener Veronica Jacobsen to talk about...stuff.
  • * A song? About Ben Bernanke's renomination as Fed Chairman? Well, if you insist.
  • * Wikipedia goes...conservative? Sort of. Sanden Totten explains.
  • * What's the deal with Obama's "new" policy on terrorist rendition? Jeff interrogates conservative commentator David Rivkin.
  • * Sanden. Ira. Birthing your baby. Magic.

August 14, 2009: "In The Loop:" Census Anger - Back2School - Brain Science - Zimbabwe - Myanmar Prison Ballad

  • * A check-in with Terence, our bud in Zimbabwe
  • * Back2School: Social services and Social(ism)
  • * The Ballad of John Yettaw
  • * Cool news from neuroscience (with Bonnie Marsick)
  • * Mitch Berg (from Shot In The Dark) on why y'all be hatin' on the census

August 7, 2009: "In The Loop:" Frats in Congress - ThunderBill - Iraqi Vacation - Facebook Friends

  • *Molly Hooper of The Hill on the Blue Dogs and the Tuesday Group
  • *Sanden wonders who goes sightseeing in Iraq
  • *James Bond meets Tom Jones meets Bill Clinton (meets a high B-flat)
  • *Jeff meets his Facebook Friend, Hal Bichel

August 1, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • *Author and Newsweek columnist Ellis Cose on the "Black Man in America"
  • *Listener Ruth Knapp with some stuff we should know from the world of architecture
  • *Loop-on-Loop action with Armando Iannuci, director of In The Loop (the movie)
  • *Listener Linda Shapiro fills Jeff in on the meaning of Merce Cunningham
  • *A theme for the Pay Czar
  • *Listeners' Odes to Commodes, and stories of near-misses with texting drivers
  • *Return of the Obama Impression

July 24, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • *"Hey, Where's Joe?" Biden blogger Jennn Stachowski on the (surprisingly?) busy Vice President
  • *Health care poetry! From Robert Fischer, Scott Wooldridge, and Craig Kenworthy
  • *What do Peter Parker, Ted Kennedy, and Glenn Beck have in common? This week's song!
  • *Sanden's Skribit-Cast: Organic wine and transgenic animals
  • *Talking global terrorism with Sajjan Gohel of the Asia Pacific Foundation
  • *Puppies.

July 17, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • *Sanden tries to dig up decent humor from Senators.
  • *Ben Mezrich on his new book, "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook - A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal."
  • *Our Japan guru Margarita Estevez-Abe on Japan's major doldrums and Japan's Barack Obama
  • *Your economic indicators, including cats, grammar, and "customer commitment to production orders"
  • *The song on everyone's lips: "Wise Latina Woman" (a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/loophole/archive/2009/07/newstune_wise_latina_woman.shtml" target="new">video)

July 10, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • *Iranian blogger Naj from "Neo Resistance" (http://iranfacts.blogspot.com)
  • *We track down a Uighur who commented on our Uighur song video
  • *Brett Snyder of http://CrankyFlier.com on flying standing up
  • *Listener "Palin poems" galore
  • *Jeff's new NewsTune comes complete with a Russian accent
  • *For some reason, the Beach Boys serenade Brett Favre

July 2, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • On the heels of the Gov. Mark Sanford deal, listeners open up with their experiences with infidelity
  • Roman Zagros of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, on Iraqi "Sovereignty Day"
  • Twittering FrankenFans (video)
  • Sanden's SkribitCast, featuring how magnets and condoms are made, and the would-be Mr. Rogers
  • Poet Aaron Belz on Michael Jackson
  • We "cold call" listener Colin Ernst to talk health care, Iran, etc.

June 18, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • Do the Chinese really care so much about Porn?
  • Tropical Uighurs (the song)
  • Listeners tell us how the economy is messing w/ their summers
  • Steve Rhodes of GetOutOfDebt.org
  • Jeff meets his new friend, Terrance "The Spiderbaby" Griep
  • Listeners share their ITL slogans

June 3, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • Your User-Generated North Korea Parody Medley
  • Are newspapers "too big to fail?" (with Bruce Brown of Baker Hostetler)
  • Why are vegetarians so pushy? (and other listener questions)
  • Anybody love their Chrysler?
  • Listener Alena Roberts of BlindGal.com
  • Supreme Court poetry from Craig Kenworthy
  • A listener North Korea parody from Bill Greuling

May 21, 2009: "In The Loop"

  • Are companies using the economy to take advantage of us?
  • Is it time to go back to Sri Lanka?
  • What's new with wind power? (with Maria Serma Manka)
  • Can old people learn to podcast?
  • What does Christian Bale have to do with the public radio pledge drive?
  • Are there still flea circuses?
  • Marc Naimark, remixed.
  • Plus not one, but TWO listener submitted poems.

May 1, 2009: "In The Loop"
Piggy flu (and swine flu satire) - Quit Your Job - Cyborg people are taking over


April 9, 2009: "In The Loop"
The Week in Paranormal (feat. Bobby Jindal's college days) - Why the economy ain't so bad - Why the car companies ain't to blame (what?) - a Song for Saturn-Lovers - A song about nothing.


March 20, 2009: "In The Loop"
Investing-by-Wiki - Listener dispatch from China - Obama's busy agenda gets Johnny-Cash-ified


February 27, 2009: "In The Loop"
We're back, baby! Obama v. Jindal - A new strategy for Afghanistan? - The Week in Personal Finance - We Should Be Feeling Better By Now


January 30, 2009: "In The Loop"
What makes a "smart" grid? - Big Iraqi elections - Blago's final interview - Social nets and the job hunt

January 23, 2009: "In The Loop"
Can we still bail out the bailout? - A city guy in the White House - listener movie trailers - Obama and Lincoln, together at last

January 16, 2009: "In The Loop"
Fortune tellers in these bleak days - Bush packs up - environmental impact of Gaza fighting - Week in Science - Can't wait for Tuesday?

January 9, 2009: "In The Loop"
Do layoffs make you more productive? - The guy behind the one mutual fund that made money - Is NPR's Gaza coverage biased? - Steve (Jobs), don't go!

"Story Slam" Bonus Reel
Four more stories from the Festive Indigestion Story Slam: Sarah Martin, Gabe Heller, Courtney McLean, and Jake Weismann.

December 26, 2008: "In The Loop"
Sanden combats his Seasonal Affective Disorder - Alcoholic at the holidays - What if you couldn't see the lights? - Two festive tunes from Jeff & The Smarts - The public radio world wishes you a Silent Night

December 21, 2008: ITL "Story Slam": Festive Indigestion!
Our first ever holiday Story Slam, from the Lab Theater in Minneapolis. Featuring stories from Allegra Lingo, Hy Berman, Dave Mondy, Craig Peterson, Rik Reppe, El Guante, Ci Ci Cooper, and Rob Callahan. Plus new songs from Jeff and The Smarts.

December 19, 2008: "In The Loop"
Toy trends in a recession - Don't let Jesus build your cabinets - The week in architecture - Hucksters and Frauds, la la la la

December 12, 2008: "In The Loop"
With all the bad news about, it's our 'Cheer You Up' show - why pomegranates are better than drugs - gabbing at the office is good for productivity - the PuppyCam song - listeners tell us how they cheer up

December 5, 2008: "In The Loop"
The economy and your brain - Obama picks his (basketball) team - Can Facebook actually make $$? - Terrorism after Mumbai - On the road with the auto execs

November 28, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Low-wage workers stranded in Iowa - How to get good deals - Give a Cow - Give a Damn

November 21, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
RECOUNT FEE-VAH! (Have you got it?) - Astronaut loses bag - What will Obama undo? - Crisis in the Congo

November 14, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
The auto industry holds out the ol' tin cup - Pressure on China to fix the world - The Week in Parenting - How hard is it, really, to get a mortgage?

November 7, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Editorial cartooning in the Obama era - Legal changes for Election 2012 - A tune for the new prez-elect - Holding off the global economy in Vanuatu

October 31, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Undecided voters (and the people who love to hate them) - Recession and pop culture - What the heck is 'Another Bretton Woods?' - A spooky Halloween poem for Election Day

October 17, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Will Hungary be next to fall? Is porn recession-proof? Ira Glass and George Bush make very special appearances; The Week in Energy!

October 10, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Financial lingo Schoolhouse Rock; Why do the debates suck so bad?; The Army spells out the new nation-building doctrine; Politics steps up to the pulpit

October 3, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Bring on the bailout; Wall St. and Main St. break out in song; a dispatch from Africa's Pirate's Cove; The Week in Space; Jeff's bank is out of control

September 26, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
The Bailout: Why we need it (or do we?); Farmers; Spying on the candidates pre-debate; an update from Pakistan; A cheery send off, Monty Python-style.

September 19, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
What goes through your brain in a market plunge? - Our man Terence in Zimbabwe - Big week for Matt Damon - GM markets a car you can't buy - The aftermath of Ike - The Banker's Dilemma

September 12, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Can do-nothing Congress do anything? - Retailers program their workers - "Too Big To Fail" - Week in Google - The Sarah Palin Baby Naming System

September 5, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Spore is coming - Why can't they keep a prime minister in Japan? - The Week in Science - Gustav, the Republican National Convention, and...The Pointer Sisters.

August 29, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Will protests take down the RNC?; Celebrities go green...Kind of; An Iowa town prepares for an immigration raid...just in case; Crows, comics, and robot planes: The Week in Geek with our producer Sanden Totten

August 28, 2008: "Behind Party Lines:" What it means to be a Democrat
In The Loop's Jeff Horwich hosts this political convention special from Denver. Twenty rank-and-file Democrats -- volunteers and delegates to the DNC -- join us for a spirited discussion about what the label "Democrat" really means to those who embrace it.

August 24, 2008: Story Slam from the State Fair - "Taking Sides"
You can't ask for more than a great crowd, a balmy day, and some of the best storytellers in the Twin Cities. The final broadcast version of the Slam features Curt Lund, Katherine Glover, Linda Lee, Gabe Heller, Dawn Brodey, Diego Vazquez, Holly Davis, Allegra Lingo and Sarah Martin, along with new songs from Jeff Horwich and The Smarts.

August 22, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
When do I get my Obama veep text?; McCain news by Pony Express; the Russia-Georgia conflict Week 2; Remember the 70s?; Uncertainty in Pakistan

August 15, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
From inside Georgia: What's it like to be invaded?; Are companies tweaking job descriptions to save money?; Inside the giant Higher Education Act passed this week; An Olympics rant; And a song...for Russia

August 8, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
McCain and Obama sponsor the Olympics; why do South Koreans hate us?; a new Big Mac Theme Song; Obama is the new Che!

August 4, 2008: In The Loop Story Slam - "Tightening the Belt"
Another awesome turnout -- storytellers and audience alike -- at the Bedlam Theater in Minneapolis. The broadcast features stories from Gabe Heller, Rick Burgsteiner, Lucie Amundsen, Dave Mondy, Cindy Davis, Joseph Scrimshaw, Allan Staples, and Vicki Joan Keck. The show also features a mini-rock-opera by the Smarts on the state of the economy, and an original tune from Jeff based upon stories from the Dorothy Day Center.

August 1, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
How do we memorialize the bridge collapse; the Israeli perspective on memorializing death...and life; a Story Slam preview; Rush Limbaugh's 20th anniversary

July 25, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Listener Obama jokes; how bad is the air in Beijing?; lame duck diplomacy; the Week in Parenting

July 18, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
A check-in from Zimbabwe's two million percent inflation; the nickle-n-diming future of the airline industry; "walks" on the bank; and making fun of Barack Obama

July 11, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
Is Ford coming on too strong with the F150s? How worried should we be about the recession? Anybody finding a silver lining in gas prices? And why is a Republican Congressman from Texas so into Twitter?

May 30, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
The biggest immigration raid ever; is oil running out?; the Week in Green; McCain's 'Bachelor' adventure

May 23, 2008: "The Week" from ITL
A new Chinese patriotism; dumpster-diving in a world of high food prices; talking gas pumps; the press sings Hillary off the stage

May 1, 2008: Story Slam - "Achilles' Heel"
(Length: 1 Hour) The one-hour version of the Story Slam features stories from Laura Bidgood, Lucie Amundson, Bobby Wilson, Sarah Martin, Anton Jones, Kathleen Westgard, and Gabe Heller.

April 25, 2008: "The Week" from In The Loop
(Length: 25 min.) We talk with a member of Zimbabwe's opposition party and the "polygamy" beat reporter from the Salt Lake Tribune; and Sanden helps us get to know the leaders of Canada and Mexico (quick, can you name them?)

April 19, 2008: How is the election playing in Indian Country?
(Length: 50 min.) Listen to our roundtable conversation with American Indian voters about how they see the candidates and issues in the 2008 election.

April 12, 2008: In The Loop "Under_Score" pilot
(Length: 30 min.) A test-version of a weekly wrap-up show we made. Four Iraq vets sharing a house in Wisconsin give us their take on the week in Iraq; a prescient North Carolina stockbroker talks about the next shoe to drop in the economy; the Presidential candidates leave us their economic personal ads; and an Olympic-hopeful kayaker explains why politics and sport ought to mix.

March 26, 2008: "Beat The Odds:" A special In The Loop conversation
(Length: 30 min.) Our latest podcast features a conversation with three remarkable young people. Every year Childrens Defense Fund Minnesota gives its Beat The Odds scholarship to high school seniors who have overcome exceptional challenges. Fadumo Hassan, Justin Haynes McKizzie, and Maipacher Her joined Jeff Horwich for a conversation about growing up through the most difficult of circumstances. Read more about them (PDF)

March 7, 2008: Story Slam - "Payback! PART 2"
(Length: 54 min.) Seven more great stories from our latest Story Slam, featuring Allison Broeren, Curt Lund, Nanci Oleson, Allegra Lingo, Lucie Amundsen, Vicki Joan Keck, and Dave Mondy.

March 1, 2008: Story Slam - "Payback!"
(Length: 58 min.) An amazing night at the Bedlam Theater in Minneapolis. Storytellers brought their A-Game, with tales from the political to the personal, raucus to heart-rending. Features stories from Mike Fotis, Amy Salloway, Talee Vang, Katherine Glover, Gabe Heller, Nancy Donoval, Kate Mudge, and Lane McKiernan. With special appearances by a witch, a kidney, a Senate candidate, and Alanis Morissette. Of course, there a couple boffo tunes from Jeff and The Smarts.

February 25, 2008: Best of The LoopCast
(Length: 47 min.) Before In The Loop went weekly, there was a little thing called The LoopCast. We collected some of our favorite clowning from those glory days, including 'This American Loop' and 'Public Radio Laboratories.'

January 31, 2008: Super Tuesday election special
(Length: 48 min.) With "Super Tuesday" around the corner, we got listeners together to dig into what younger voters make of this election...and added our usual touches of humor and music.

December 13, 2007: The Year According to You
'Tis the season...for the Year in Review. You know the deal. News shows, newspapers and magazines highlight the big moments of the past year. For this episode, In The Loop turns the tradition on its head with an hour full of stories suggested by our network of listeners. It's the year in review you won't hear anywhere else. (58 minutes)

December 6, 2007: Finding Your Fit
Fitting-in is a challenge we all of face. For many people, the effort to fit-in defines them. How far will we go to change ourselves just to fit in? How much help do we offer people who struggle to find their place? And what happens if nowhere fits you? This week's episode of In the Loop examines the meaning of fitting-in—with stories from teenage girls, immigrants living in Minnesota, plus a transgender woman's thoughts on gender and what it's like to have a "Nancy day."(58 minutes)

November 30, 2007: Flip-Flop Fever
With primary season just weeks away, the politicos and pundits are on the watch for the dreaded "flip-flop." In The Loop goes political with an informative, sometimes irreverant, look at that toxic phrase. From the etymology of "flip-flop" and famous "flop-flops" in history to politicians talking straight about the effects of "flip-flop" attacks. And yup, we've got "flip-flop" songs too. (58 minutes)

November 24, 2007: Your Exposed Life! (rebroadcast)
Love it or hate it, the internet is messing with our sense of identity. Just a few minutes spent online shows how much of our personal tastes and history - our identities - are laid out for all the world to see. Forever. What should we do with this new exposed life... Embrace it? Try to control it? And how much does it control us? Love it or hate it, it's...Your Exposed Life. (58 minutes)

November 18, 2007: Charity - What Gives?
The U.S. is number one in world rankings of charitable giving. In particular, we give lots to our communities, places of worship, and cultural institutions.

In The Loop digs behind that generous number to look at the trends of who gives and who gets: stories from church, Singles Volunteers, and the backrooms of competitive charity marketing; music from the barbershop to the sultry, charitable donations from our audience; and the one-time-only gameshow&—"Let's Make a Donation!" (58 minutes)

November 09, 2007: Bullying for Grown-Ups
Bullying doesn't stop just because we turn 18 years old. Those demoralizing power dynamics are every bit a part of our adult lives but adults don’t always spot bullying for what it is.

In this week's episode, In the Loop shines a bright light on the dark, confusing, sometimes amusing places where adult bullying happens. It's a trip through the courtroom, diplomatic backrooms, boot camp, Kinkos and that very adult playground&—the Gym. Plus, our musical take on how to bully your way into the CEO's job. (58 minutes)

November 02, 2007: Why Am I Spending So Much?
There's a big difference between what we want and what we need—and these days want is definitely winning. Spending on the little stuff—those small-ticket items we can't seem to resist—can be so satisfying. We're all exposed to big doses of pro-spending messages, but where does free-will enter into the transaction? And what happens in tough economic times?

In this episode, host Jeff Horwich and the In the Loop cast survey spending in our times—from the habits of high school kids at the Fond du Lac reservation and "A.G." from Debtor's Anonymous, to a shopping cart full of our audience's own impulse purchases. (58 minutes)

October 26, 2007: Story Slam III - Disguise
Every now and again, In The Loop goes slamming instead of producing a regular show. Our third Story Slam happened in front of a big crowd at the Suburban World Theatre in Minneapolis. The theme: Disguise. Yup, just in time for Halloween. We recorded more than a dozen storytellers riffing on the topic, then squeezed as many as possible into our one hour radio show. (58 minutes)

October 21, 2007: Democracy - Is It In You?
Democracy is pretty darn appealing as a solution to the world’s problems. The idea of giving everyone an equal say sure feels good in theory but how often do we put it into practice? This week, In The Loop has an unconventional take on democracy’s flaws and appeal &— asking former members of a cult, a high school debate team, a band and our studio audience what they think. Is democracy our natural inclination? Can one size fit all? And how does Elmo fit into it? (58 minutes)

October 12, 2007: Your Exposed Life
Love it or hate it, the internet is messing with our sense of identity. Just a few minutes spent online shows how much of our personal tastes and history - our identities - are laid out for all the world to see. Forever. What should we do with this new exposed life... Embrace it? Try to control it? And how much does it control us? That’s the theme of our next show – Your Exposed Life. (58 minutes)

October 6, 2007: Best of Season One
It's the best of our In The Loop memories from last season. Our latest show is a collection of greatest hits from the past ten episodes. There's the song of a tax auditor, the story of two buddies and a mugging, George Bush and Nancy Pelosi work on their relationship skills, and much more. From the serious to the playful, think of it as a guided tour of In The Loop and our network of audience participants. It's what you can expect from the show as we launch into our new season next week. (58 minutes)

September 23, 2007: Story Slam II: "Losing"
Our second-ever Story Slam, recorded live at the Bryant Lake Bowl.  Our storytellers cut lose on the theme of "losing."  Featuring Matt Peiken, Nancy Donoval, Dawn Brody, Sam Osterhout, Dave Mondy, and Lorena Duarte, with our band The Smarts. (58 minutes)

September 28, 2007: Free-form to long-form
Starting next week the Loopcast will feature all new hour-long episodes of In The Loop! So, to bid a fond farewell to the free-form Loopcast, Jeff and Sanden put together a mix of radio stories loosely based around the theme of new homes and new beginnings. (17 minutes)

September 17, 2007: Kids 'n' hobos
We flash back to a fun school bus ride. And though you might think we won't hear from Sanden...we do. (12 minutes)


Looking for even older episodes of In The Loop? Try our archive.

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