Two Nations, One President

#176 - 26 January 2001

In the wake of the 2001 election debacle in Florida, the two political halves of this country seemed angrier at each other than they had in decades. This week we bring you tales of that widening rift. Democrats explain why they're having trouble getting over it, and Republicans explain why this is so infuriating.

Babysitting

#175 - 5 January 2001

Stories of babysitters, and what goes on while mom and dad are away that mom and dad never find out about. Including the story of two teenagers who decide to invent children to babysit, as an excuse to get out of their own house.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones

#174 - 29 December 2000

Birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones of all sorts...and how they mean something whether we want them to or not. A live show taped for our fifth anniversary, back in 2000, when we went on the road to Boston, New York, Chicago, and L.A. Featuring house band OK Go.

Three Kinds of Deception

#173 - 15 December 2000

A story of self-deception, a story about deceiving others, and a story about accidental deception. And how one type of deception can easily turn into another.

24 Hours at the Golden Apple

#172 - 17 November 2000

The This American Life producers document one day in a Chicago diner called The Golden Apple, starting at 5 a.m. and going until 5 a.m. the next morning. We hear from the waitress who has worked the graveyard shift for over two decades, the regular customers who come every day, the couples working out their problems, various assorted drunks, and, of course, cops.

Election

#171 - 3 November 2000

Stories for the eve of the Presidential election, in which we try to evade, sidestep or look beneath the candidates' soundbites.

Immigration

#170 - 13 October 2000

We live in a big enough country that there are lots of laws too obscure for most of us to have heard of...but which actually affect tens of thousands of lives in huge ways. This show deals with one of them: A 1996 immigration law that the Immigration Service itself says is unfair.

Pursuit of Happiness

#169 - 29 September 2000

We as a nation declared our independence based on, among other things, the right to pursue our happiness. But what does it mean, over two centuries later, to grow up in a country with an inalienable right to pursue happiness? Stories of people pursuing happiness, and sometimes, achieving it.

The Fix Is In

#168 - 15 September 2000

There are all sorts of situations in which we suspect the fix is in, but we almost never find out for certain. On today's show, for once, we find out.

Memo to the People of the Future

#167 - 8 September 2000

Stories of people who are engaged in something that's both difficult and probably futile: Trying to control how they'll be seen by generations to come.