Episodes

  • Lost in the Clouds - UI Podcast #253

    Lost in the Clouds - UI Podcast #253
    Feb 4 2026
    In 1958, a small plane vanished into the mountains—and what followed became an extraordinary true story of survival, sacrifice, and love in the face of impossible odds. You can watch the PBS video Bruce Davis: The Gentleman of Jazz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq4X4sEA81A Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/lost-in-the-clouds-podcast-253/ Talks that I am scheduled to give: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 (Free) - Albany Hibernian Hall - https://hibernians.com/ Friday, March 27, 2026 – Hudson Valley CC (Troy) - https://tinyurl.com/5839cad3 Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Hudson Valley CC (Malta) - https://tinyurl.com/swksxtr3 Monday, June 1, 2026 (Free) – Clifton Park Library You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    26 mins
  • Retrocast #39 - Podcast #252

    Retrocast #39 - Podcast #252
    Jan 14 2026
    In this episode: A woman has 1,446 metal objects in her stomach, a teenager faces almost certain death unless a nail is removed from her lung, a doctor claims that a patient has a bullfrog living in her stomach, and much more! My niece Sierra McGivney’s story about the four women who helped create the American Alpine Club: https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2025/11/5/guidebook-xvilibrary-feature Talks that I am scheduled to give: Monday, January 26, 2026 – Clifton Park Library - https://events.cphlibrary.org/event/15276997 Friday, March 27, 2026 – Hudson Valley CC (Troy) - https://tinyurl.com/5839cad3 Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Hudson Valley CC (Malta) - https://tinyurl.com/swksxtr3 Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-39-podcast-252/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    45 mins
  • The Hot Dog Santa Claus - UI Podcast #251

    The Hot Dog Santa Claus - UI Podcast #251
    Dec 17 2025
    Throughout the 1920s, the children of Boston’s North End gathered in anticipation to see if their beloved Hot Dog Santa Claus, Axel Bjorklund, would once again arrive. Despite his vanishing fortunes and worsening health, he proved that even small gestures can leave a lasting legacy. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-hot-dog-santa-claus-podcast-251/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    27 mins
  • Retrocast #38 - UI Podcast #250

    Retrocast #38 - UI Podcast #250
    Dec 3 2025
    In this episode: Can a wife legally swipe cash from her husband’s wallet? One Chicago man puts a bizarre social experiment in motion—mailing $1 to 500 people and asking them to mail it back. Plus, a high school student discovers a brilliant workaround for his school’s long-hair ban… and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-38-podcast-250/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    35 mins
  • A Forbidden Love - Podcast #249

    A Forbidden Love - Podcast #249
    Nov 11 2025
    In 1937, a small Indiana town was rocked by a scandal that made national headlines: a 12-year-old girl and her 13-year-old classmate became parents, igniting a legal and moral firestorm. Family loyalty, courtroom drama, and the harsh realities of the Great Depression collide in this true tale of forbidden young love. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/a-forbidden-love-podcast-249/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    24 mins
  • Retrocast #37 - UI Podcast #248

    Retrocast #37 - UI Podcast #248
    Oct 21 2025
    A fire department stands back and watches a man's home burn to the ground, a pig flies for possibly the first time ever, fleas are transported on a dog, and a gorilla destroys an American Tourister suitcase, and much more! The Flea Circus video mentioned in this episode can be seen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9BjN_GHIic Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-37-podcast-248/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    28 mins
  • Bad Apples #6 – Lost Boundaries – UI #247

    Bad Apples #6 – Lost Boundaries – UI #247
    Oct 1 2025
    My wife, Mary Jane, joins me to discuss the 1949 movie Lost Boundaries, the screen adaptation of the lives of Dr. Albert and Thyra Johnston, the New Hampshire couple who passed as white for nearly twenty years. You can watch the movie Lost Boundaries on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z26VL_0EQks and the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/LostBoundaries. Home to Keene: The Reunion of Lost Boundaries can be seen on New Hampshire PBS: https://www.pbs.org/video/home-to-keene-lost-boundaries-reunion-ismos9/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/bad-apples-6-lost-boundaries-podcast-247/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    40 mins
  • A White Lie - UI Podcast #246

    A White Lie - UI Podcast #246
    Sep 17 2025
    A New Hampshire doctor and his wife kept a secret from their children, friends, and community for nearly two decades. That was until the federal government discovered the lie. After the publication of their story in Reader's Digest in 1947, the entire nation would know. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/a-white-lie-podcast-246/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.co/7pV2H8iXJV Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/ 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
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    33 mins