Podcast deja vu?

The Show
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A few months ago, while listening the newest podcast the same day it appeared, I was pretty sure I’d heard at least some of the calls before, only a few weeks earlier. Nahhhh, can’t be, I reasoned, and let it go.

It’s now November 2, and I’m listening to show #1944, which bears a release date of 11/2/19, meaning this one is hot off the presses today. I KNOW I heard this same intro, and same first few calls, sometime in the past month. I KNOW that I heard a call about a couple who are jocks and they stink up the car because they are often sweaty after their frequent athletic activities, and Ray suggested that they attach “odor eaters” to the headliner. I KNOW I heard Margo asking about her Caddy, leading Ray to pontificate about how great they are, saying that GM should let people drive the cars for a week, and sales would “skyrocket”. I KNOW I heard a caller with two Peugeots, which prompted Ray to talk about how Tommy hit him in the face with a baseball when they were kids, breaking his nose, and mentioning that this childhood incident was the reason why the Sleek Black Beauty went to the crusher decades later. (I don’t blame him!).

I have heard these RECENTLY. Yes, I know these podcasts are derived from live shows produced years ago, I get that.

This is different. The repeats are recent. Or am I getting these shows beamed to me in advance, telepathically? Am I dreaming them before they are released?

I’m not motivated enough to replay the past 5 shows to try to reconcile this, but it occurrs to me that these calls might be culled from the past month’s shows, making it a “best of…” sort of thing. Fair enough, I’m grateful for the podcast no matter what. If the staff has to take shortcuts now and then, well, ok, I’m not complaining. I just want to convince myself I’m not crazy.

Maybe I’ve got reverse alzheimers, I remember things that never happened.

Anyone got a better explanation?

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I’n my car I’m currently listening to OCTOBER 19, 2019 1942: A Bevy of Bad Options.

I’m usually about 2 to 3 weeks behind on listening, I have been listening in order and don’t recall any of those things mentioned recently.

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There is a title error relating to episode 1944 on the NPR podcast directory for Car Talk. Two episodes have that same number, 8.24.19, and 11.2.19. The August episode should actually be 1934. Perhaps that ambiguity is the source of the problem.

Another possibility is you heard a prior airing of the episode using another media, listening to an NPR broadcast (yes, some stations continue to air these weekly), or on Satellite radio where previously broadcast episodes may continue to be aired.

I haven’t listened to 1944 (the November version ) yet.

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I’ve had a chance to listen to the November version number 1944 podcast. I don’t have a sense of hearing the calls before, at last not recently. I did remember hearing the puzzler before, but quite a while ago.

So OP, are you listening to Best of Car Talk in any other ways than downloading the podcast from the NPR website? Listening on an NPR radio station? On a radio station for the over-seas military? Satellite radio? Hint: If you are ever hearing Howard Stern, you’ve got satellite radio somehow.

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Just the podcast.

Some day soon I’ll listen to all those recent shows and solve this one way or another. But it won’t be today. :wink: