Useless Information Podcast

Back in 1901, Johann Beck was madly in love with his fiancé Johanna, but he found it difficult to obtain employment in Germany. They both dreamed of going to the United States to start a new life, but they couldn’t afford to do so. Then, Johann had a brilliant idea! He came up with a unique, lower-cost way of sailing across the vast Atlantic Ocean. Yet even the slightest mishap could cost him his life. Would he make it to America? Would he ever see his beloved Johanna again? Would love be able to conquer all? Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/boxed-for-a-better-life-podcast-203/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A World War II veteran who could only rent a home in an upscale New Jersey neighborhood if he agreed to bring a live goat, Baltimore requires male go-go dancers to cover their breasts while performing, and a woman who sat through 864 showings of the film The Sound of Music, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-19-podcast-202/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ted Hollingworth shares his perspective on the intense search for his sister 5-year-old Pamela Hollingworth, who went missing in New Hampshire's White Mountains back in 1941. The news of her disappearance prompted an enormous response, with thousands of volunteers combing the woods tirelessly in search of her. After eight grueling days both rain and freezing temperatures, a miraculous turn of events occurred – Pamela was discovered alive. Ted discusses her rescue, Pamela's remarkable recovery, and the events that unfolded in the aftermath. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/back-into-the-woods-podcast-201 The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since its initial premiere, the children's television program Sesame Street achieved immense popularity and acclaim, captivating millions of viewers throughout the United States. However, there was a notable exception to its widespread reach: the state of Mississippi. It was purported that the decision to prohibit the show on their educational television station stemmed from concerns over its racially diverse cast. But was that truly the case? To uncover the truth behind this narrative, this captivating episode delves into the real events surrounding the ban of Sesame Street in Mississippi. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/mississippi-bans-sesame-street-podcast-200/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad

In this episode, I am the one being interviewed! Recorded on June 24, 2023, I was a guest on the Off Exit 10 Podcast, which is produced by my former students Mike & Jordan Sirani and Paul Morse. During the discussion, I talked about how I became a teacher, what it was like to be on the Internet before the world wide web, how the podcast came about, and more. You can listen to more episodes of the Off Exit 10 Podcast at https://www.offexit10.com/ The episode was recorded at Capital District Sports and Fitness in Round Lake, NY. https://capitaldistrictsportandfitness.com/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A deer stabs a man, a dress made from postage stamps, three teenagers take a joyride in an airplane, the history of the pay telephone, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-18-podcast-199/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the recent passing of FBI cryptanalyst Marvin Lautzenheiser, here is an episode of History Daily that tells the exciting story of William Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel) and his Cold War spy swap with US pilot Gary Powers. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in infamy,” or to celebrate that 20th day in July 1969, when mankind reached the moon, History Daily is there to tell you the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a time. You can listen to more episodes of History Daily at https://www.historydaily.com/ Marvin Lautzenheiser’s obituary: https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/ca/san-jose/marvin-wendell-lautzenheiser-16503972 The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more gr

In 1923, Joseph Boyer III was born to a wealthy Detroit couple. He stood to inherit a trust fund valued in the many millions of dollars until everything suddenly spiraled out of control. Was his dad really the father? Was his mom really the mother? If not, who was? It’s the long-forgotten true story that involves deceit, attempted blackmail, international law, forged papers, a deceased lawyer, and a young unmarried woman who sought to put her baby up for adoption. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-kid-is-not-my-son-podcast-198/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something NEW! for the podcast: A look at advice columns and how they have evolved over time. Have the questions and responses changed over the past century? Some of the responses are sure to make you laugh. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/dubious-advice-podcast-197 The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frasier was a decrepit old circus lion whose best days were far behind him, or at least that was what his caregivers believed. While he wasn’t much to look at, he proved popular with the lionesses. Frasier showed the world that it was better to be a lover than a fighter by surprisingly fathering 35 cubs during the last 18 months of his life. His virility made him famous worldwide. Fan clubs, Frasier merchandise, songs, and a movie soon followed. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/frasier-the-sensuous-lion-podcast-196 The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: a train that derailed and then jumped back on the track, a man who claimed ownership of nearly the entire universe, a bet in which the loser would have to eat 1 million peas, and much more! Link to the auction of the Einstein letter: https://bit.ly/3LazYrx Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-17-podcast-195/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1923, Kathleen Morrell was arrested by Chicago police for having five children out of wedlock. She was an excellent mother, but as an unmarried woman, she was charged with contributing to the delinquency of her own children. Would a judge really place her kids in an orphanage? Listen to learn more. The survey discussed in the podcast can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-love-pirate-podcast-194/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: a man who recorded the location of buried treasure on a record, a girl who swallowed 200 rocks, a color-blind plumber, the history of McDonald’s Big Mac, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-16-podcast-193/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ouch!!! The ghastly true story of Bertha Boronda who, in 1907, took a straight razor and sliced off her husband Frank’s penis. During her trial, the courtroom was packed, and all the regional newspapers followed the story closely. She was the Lorena Bobbitt of her day.   Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/bertha-boronda-podcast-192/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/UselessInfoCast The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A man who eats match heads, a wife receives a frozen baby elephant for Valentine’s Day, every kiss supposedly knocks 3 minutes off of your life, a couple who waited 60 years to marry, a 10-year-ban is proposed to curb the spread of tuberculosis, and much more! Link to the survey discussed in this episode: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-15-podcast-191/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The crazy true story of Marty, a mouse who was stealing marijuana and other drugs from the evidence room of the San Jose police department in 1974. He was placed on trial for his crimes and then sent off to a lab for testing. Protestors rallied to free Marty. Bumper stickers were printed, Free Marty tee-shirts were sold, there was a Marty fan club, and Marty Mouse awards were handed out at a banquet. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/marty-the-marijuana-mouse-podcast-190/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/UselessInfoCast The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A man claims his wife snores in Morse code, a student runs away after his teacher tells him not to return until he brings his textbook, a man hitchhikes after his car is stolen and is picked up by his own vehicle, the AMA recommends those over 40 not do the Twist, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-14-podcast-189/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation in the United States hit 20% shortly after World War II. The government couldn’t get it under control, so the businessmen of Newburyport, Massachusetts came up with their own plan. Soon, other towns and cities were doing the same. Did it work? Could it work today? Listen to find out. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-newburyport-anti-inflation-plan-podcast-188/ The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten true, long-forgotten stories from Christmas past! A man pays for 41,000 student accounts at a closed Pittsburgh bank, a Christmas cactus theft epidemic, a wife serves her husband golf ball hash, two boys are contacted by Santa via their walkie-talkies, and much more! Links to the text of each of these stories can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-187/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the 1947 classic Christmas movie "The Bishop’s Wife," starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Released just one year after the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” we discuss whether this movie is of the same caliber. And even if it isn’t, is the movie worth seeing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices