85: History of Lawns and The 1903 Oregon Train Robbery

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.