Here's the Tower

Episode 94 Join us for a very special dispatch direct from the Moscow Bureau.  Our reporter sits down for an exclusive interview with the president of Russia.  Guest voice: Pat McClimans Associate producer: Betsy McClimans

Episode 93 Today we ponder the vastness of the universe and the many unanswered questions it holds. There could be life on any one of the planets in our solar system, or perhaps on similar planets around a distant star. Music: “Stark Goes Dark” by The Whole Other Associate producer: Betsy McClimans

Episode 92 Controversy surrounds Tom Selleck and Blue Bloods , according to Randy who is calling in to share some research he has been doing online. Apparently, the Tom Selleck who appears in Blue Bloods every Friday night on CBS is not the real Tom Selleck.
 Although Randy’s wife agrees, our host Gary seems a bit skeptical about the existence of a plot to replace Tom Selleck with a replica....

  Episode 91 Things are beeping everywhere. I mean, seriously, what is that beeping sound and where is it coming from? We’re counting down the greatest, hottest beeps in the nation. Associate producer: Betsy McClimans Music in this episode: “Move It Or Lose It” by Silent Partner “Take Your Time” by Dan Lebowitz “Love Now” by Eveningland “The Rap&#822...

  Episode 90 At Davidson’s Sausages, we put our heart and soul into what we do. Though you may have heard about a few unfortunate accidents on our assembly line, in which some of our employees gave their all… they put their entire bodies in. But every cloud has a silver lining and that’s how we discovered our proprietary blend that tastes like no other sausage you’ve ever tried. Don’t worry, there...

  Episode 89 The excitement is palpable tonight at the Dirty Ol’ Opry as luminaries from the world of dirty country music are on hand for the 44th Annual Academy of Dirty Country Music Awards. A hush falls over the crowd as dirty country legends Farty Stuart and Travis Fucking Tritt take the stage to announce the nominees for the night’s biggest prize. Who will take home this year&#821...

  Episode 88 Long-time listener Randy is on the line. He’s fired up and having a hard time keeping it clean while discussing the price and quality of Adobe’s software applications. Co-written with Pat McClimans Associate producer: Betsy McClimans

  Episode 87 In March of 2020, I began using a sleep monitor app to track and analyze my sleep patterns. Each morning when I wake up, I can see data about my previous night’s sleep and how it was affected by any number of factors including what time I got into bed, how many steps I walked the previous day, the weather, the lunar phases, and more. I can see trends and insights over time...

  Episode 86 Today’s episode will transport you to a busy airport where you can sit back and imagine yourself suffering the punishment of air travel way back in precedented times. Guest voice: Tanya O’Sullivan as the ticket agent Associate producer: Betsy McClimans Music in this episode: “Argentina Tango Bandonian” by Doug Maxwell “Accordion” by Andrew Huang &#8...

  Episode 85 For today’s episode, I’d like to invite you to connect your best headphones or speakers and turn them up. I have explored a few different musical experiments with you on Here’s the Tower . Whether it has been a piano piece that requires three hands to play, an unusual set of beats that somehow fit together nicely, an acoustic guitar adaptation of my favorite Rihanna...

Episode 84 Your hands are everything and you need dexterity to live your best life, but arthritis pain can get in the way. Whether you’re a concert pianist or a senior who lives alone – or an exciting new character we’re welcoming to Tower Nation this week – Moticillin gives you back the flexibility you had years ago. Guest voices: Narrator: Dawn McLelland Concert pianist: Kim Wood Senior citizen:...

Episode 83 Coming up in the next hour, Gary’s guest is Dr. Ron Dean Silent who will answer your tough questions about how to prepare your pets for when you eventually leave the house again. But first, Randy is calling in with some straight talk about the coronavirus. Associate producer: Betsy McClimans

Episode 82 One of my favorite bookmarked websites is a very uncomplicated page called howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com . This site simply displays a number, usually between 3 and 6, that tells you how many people are in space at the moment and it provides links to the Wikipedia pages of those people. As I record this, right now there are three people in space. Since NASA’s Space Shuttle program...

Episode 81 Today we’re talking with some wide-eyed children from the 1950s who have a lot of questions about life in the future. They want to know if there will be flying cars and home computers in the year 2000. Let’s find out. Guest voices: I would love to credit the kids who appear in this episode because their performances are fantastic, but for their protection, they should remain...

Episode 80 (Looking for the scoreboard? It’s right here .) This is a special audience-participation episode of Here’s the Tower . It’s a game that you and all listeners can play and it’s called Fantasy Cabinet. If you’ve ever filled in a March Madness basketball bracket or bet on a horse race, you kind of know how to play the game already. What would you say if I told you we are about to combine a...

Episode 79 Far out, man! It’s the finale of  Here’s the Tower’ s third season. Let’s celebrate this beautiful life we’re living. Our wonderful world just grows more glorious with each day we share together. But please be advised: The management accepts no responsibility if your head explodes while attempting to process this celebratory song’s ever...

Episode 78 Gather ’round the smart speaker for an old timey radio play. Frank has just purchased a new digital smart home system that has the voice of country music legend Merle Haggard. Merle can set the thermostat, start the coffee maker, update Frank’s calendar, and assist with other tasks around the house. But soon after the device is plugged in, Merle begins complicating Frank’s l...

  Episode 77 Here’s the Tower’s team of investigative journalists continues digging into an unsolved case from four decades ago. Residents in the quiet town of Haniston, Kentucky, were left reeling after three masked criminals pulled off a daring robbery at Pleasant Valley Savings Bank. Suspicions and theories still surround the case 40 years later. In this episode, our team runs into...

  Episode 76 What in the world is Tower doing in Debbie’s apartment? Seems like they’re both up to their wacky antics again!  Guest voice: Sararose Willey as Debbie Catchphrases in this episode:  “That was my nickname in high school.”  “You don’t like having fun or…”  “All this!”  “I would love to laugh, but your humor is so juvenile.” “Don’t bother” courtesy of a tou...

  Episode 75 If you’ve mastered the previous lesson, it’s time to move on to the next level. Today we’ll be learning more useful Swedish phrases to help you prepare for your trip. Are your bags packed? — Är du helt jävla puckad? That’s delightful! — Kors i taket! You have been very helpful — Du har inte alla hästar hemma. You are doing a really great job — Vem fan tappade dig när...

  Episode 74 We’ve been hearing rumors for weeks and now it’s finally here.   Sony announced their new Walkman models with a lot of new features and a sleek design for playing your tapes on the go. But it’s the absence of a headphone jack that may cause the biggest commotion. Most people expected Sony to introduce wireless headphones, but industry experts say Bluetooth won’t be invented for anothe...

  Episode 73 Today’s scene is a concert hall. We are with two friends who are anticipating what the orchestra might have prepared for them. Guest voices: Pat McClimans and Jasmine Weatherby.

  Episode 72 About the size of a US half dollar – and painstakingly minted in solid, brilliant, uncirculated Cooper nickel – the Coin Commemorative Coin is a beautiful souvenir reminder of when people used coins.   Guest voices by Mark Brickey of Adventures in Design , Carla Jacob, and Armond Pastore.

  Episode 71 My longtime friend Curtis Mead tells us a cautionary tale about answering the door at a famous person’s house. He joins the program from Los Angeles for this special 9 1/2-minute episode. Music in this episode:  “Vanadislunden” by Scott Ritcher  “Yellow Rose of Berkeley” by Rondo Brothers  “Trapped” by Quincas Moreira  “Darling Ranch” by Jingle Punks  “Dude” by Patrick Patrikios...

  Episode 70 Just when you thought the president couldn’t get any more petty in his personal attacks, now he has his own straightedge podcast and he’s calling out the posers. So-called “hardcore” bands like Chain of Strength and Four Walls Falling? “Not that classy.”  Donny Edge lays it on the line, talking some serious smack about the “fake youth crew.&#8...