Episodes

  • The Battle of the Bangs - UI Podcast #259

    The Battle of the Bangs - UI Podcast #259
    Jun 25 2026
    In 1967, a 14-year-old Ohio boy was suspended from school for refusing to cut his hair. What began as a dispute over dress code quickly spiraled into a courtroom battle, a night in juvenile detention, national headlines, and a family’s fight over conformity, authority, and the price of standing on principle. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-battle-of-the-bangs-podcast-259/ 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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    37 mins
  • Retrocast #42 - UI Podcast #258

    Retrocast #42 - UI Podcast #258
    Jun 4 2026
    In this episode: A house is cut in half after two sisters argue over its repair, two babies are switched at birth, an airplane lands at the wrong airport, and much more! My appearance on WNYT, our local NBC television channel: https://wnyt.com/capital-region-news/historys-flip-side-bringing-untold-stories-to-life/ The data showing the least and most popular days for a baby to be born in the United States: https://data.tablepage.ai/d/us-births-by-day-of-year-1994-2014 Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-42-podcast-258/ 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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    30 mins
  • Leaping Leopards - UI Podcast #257

    Leaping Leopards - UI Podcast #257
    May 13 2026
    A wild leopard fresh from the jungles of India escaped the Oklahoma City Zoo in 1950, unleashing a frantic manhunt that turned the city into a spectacle of fear, fascination, and chaos. The cat seemed to vanish and reappear like a phantom, leaving searchers scrambling to keep up. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/leaping-leopards-podcast-257/ 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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    30 mins
  • Retrocast 41 - Podcast #256

    Retrocast 41 - Podcast #256
    Apr 20 2026
    In this episode: Who or what is ETAOIN SHRDLU, Nat King Cole is attacked, a boy gets the day off from school for a good deed, a man breaks into ȧ home to change a baby’s diaper, and much more! You can read about the two-time Carnegie Medal recipients at https://www.carnegiehero.org/heroes/roll-of-two-time-carnegie-medal-recipients/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-41-podcast-256/ 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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    31 mins
  • Aren't We Devils? - UI Podcast #255

    Aren't We Devils? - UI Podcast #255
    Mar 18 2026
    A running gag on the 1944 Truth or Consequences radio show was for host Ralph Edwards to ask, “Is there a Mr. Wickel in the house?” He never expected an answer. But when Rudolph Wickel stood up, he stepped into one of the most notorious pranks ever pulled on live radio. It was clever. It was cruel. And it was unforgettable. You can watch the video of Mayer Field mentioned in this episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcjbfuVIVzE Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/arent-we-devils-podcast-255/ Talks that I am scheduled to give: 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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    34 mins
  • Retrocast #40 - UI Podcast #254

    Retrocast #40 - UI Podcast #254
    Feb 26 2026
    In this episode: A couple marries and divorces over and over again, a fugitive appears on The Dating Game tv show, a man is fined for failing to give his wife a goodbye kiss, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-40-podcast-254/ 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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    41 mins
  • 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