Useless Information Podcast

Useless Information Podcast

Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.

Episodes

Bad Apples #6 – Lost Boundaries – UI #247

October 1, 2025 • 40 mins
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 s...
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A White Lie - UI Podcast #246

September 17, 2025 • 33 mins
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 Pod...
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Rewind: 1st Jewish Couple Married on TV

September 3, 2025 • 45 mins
Cartoonist Leigh Rubin's parents were the first Jewish couple ever to be married on US television, but it almost never happened. Includes audio clips from that Bride and Groom television episode. Original Release Date: April 25, 2019. If you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe set up to help with the long-term care of Leigh's wife Teresa, please go to https://gofund.me/acbd2683 (A very BIG thank you for doing so!) Audio fo...
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Retrocast #36 - UI Podcast #245

August 19, 2025 • 36 mins
Abbott & Costello agree to perform in a boy’s backyard for 70 cents, parents sue a milk dairy because their son grew too tall, a man sleeps only 2 hours per day for 33 years, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-36-podcast-245/ Listen to my interview with cartoonist Leigh Rubin discussing how his parents were The First Jewish Couple Married on Nati...
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Escape from Monkey Mountain - UI Podcast #244

July 29, 2025 • 24 mins
Nearly 175 monkeys escaped from a zoo in Massapequa, New York in 1935. Led by an outlaw monkey named Al Capone, they mostly took refuge in the woods. While the vast majority of the monkeys were soon accounted for, Al Capone continued to remain at large. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/escape-from-monkey-mountain-podcast-244/ You can follow the Useless Information Pod...
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Retrocast #35 - UI Podcast #243

July 9, 2025 • 29 mins
Eight different stories in which someone or something got the last laugh. Includes: rattlesnakes that outsmarted a snake trap, jokes aimed at women are funnier, a friendly feud with the cable company, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-35-podcast-243/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebo...
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To Russia for Love - UI Podcast #242

June 17, 2025 • 45 mins
A British man hadn't seen his Russian wife for nearly five years. The Soviets repeatedly refused to allow him into the USSR, and they denied her request to leave. He became so desperate that he decided to risk his life to see her. Would he survive? There are two videos on YouTube about this story: Brian Grover Home at Last (1939) (British Pathé) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fJVeQbmjRY Mr. Grover and His Wife Return Home (B...
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The Denver Spiderman - UI Podcast #241

June 4, 2025 • 27 mins
In Denver, Colorado, in 1941, a man was found murdered in his own home. The most unusual part was that all of the doors and windows were locked from the inside. So, how was the killer able to make his getaway? You can listen to more of History Dispatches at https://historydispatches.com/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-denver-spiderman-podcast-241/ You can follow...
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Retrocast 34 - UI Podcast #240

May 21, 2025 • 35 mins
A warning to stay away from people with blue eyes, Stanford students use ice nickels to pay for phone calls, the speed limit for automobiles is set at 2 mph, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-34-podcast-240/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitte...
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Diamond Jim's Shack - UI Podcast #239

May 7, 2025 • 30 mins
A pristine view. A stubborn fisherman’s legacy. When wealth clashes with tradition, who wins? Dive into the gripping saga of Diamond Jim's Shack, where a simple fishing spot turns into a battleground between privilege and perseverance. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/diamond-jims-shack-podcast-239/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Fa...
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Retrocast 33 - UI Podcast #238

April 16, 2025 • 27 mins
The Titanic is supposedly unsinkable, a cat is jailed, clothing seems to instantly combust, shoes for postmen are designed to minimize dog bites, a tastier spinach, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-33-podcast-238/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (...
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Rent-A-Wife - UI Podcast #237

April 1, 2025 • 56 mins
Need help? Try renting a wife! They would do anything from A to Z, except for X! A true story from the early 1980s in which some ambitious women decided to market what they did best: being a wife. Includes an interview with Jane Hanne Nevensmith, who ran a successful Rent-A-Wife business in Massachusetts. The 2022 interview with Jane Nevensmith mentioned in the podcast can be found here: https://vimeo.com/736250037 Images, links, ...
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Retrocast 32 - UI Podcast #236

March 12, 2025 • 33 mins
A man discovers the Roman Ruins of his youth have been torn down, a violin made from a lobster claw, an electric chair that electrocuted itself, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-32-podcast-236/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.c...
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Ding Dong Daddy - Part 2 - UI Podcast #235

February 25, 2025 • 56 mins
Step into the life of Francis Van Wie, a streetcar conductor with charm, wit, and a string of marriages that captivated 1940s San Francisco, transforming a wartime distraction into a national sensation. Join the ride with the "Ding Dong Daddy"! Images, links, and transcripts for this episode can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/ding-dong-daddy-part-2-podcast-235/ Listen to the song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReOG...
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Ding Dong Daddy - Part 1 - UI Podcast #234

February 10, 2025 • 32 mins
In 1915, a man known only as John F. Kennedy appeared in Kenosha, WI unable to recall his past or even his own name. With only a few cryptic clues and a suitcase marked with the initials "R.E.J.," he embarked on a journey to uncover his forgotten life. From the kindness of strangers to the shocking revelations of his true identity, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast ...
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Retrocast #31 - UI Podcast #233

January 23, 2025 • 30 mins
A man recovers his lost diamond ring through a chance encounter, manhole covers fly in Chicago, how to divide a Cadillac 57 ways, a man is fined for barking like a dog, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-31-podcast-233/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast ...
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Who Owns Her Face? - UI Podcast #232

January 8, 2025 • 38 mins
When 17-year-old Abigail Roberson's photo was printed on a widely distributed poster without her consent, it set off a legal battle that would forever change the definition of privacy. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/who-owns-her-face-podcast-232/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationp...
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Christmas Retrocast - UI Podcast #231

December 15, 2024 • 36 mins
Christmas Retrocast! Includes: Tumbleweed replaces the standard Christmas tree for one family, a Santa who practically gave away the store, a policeman has a live turkey thrown at him for Christmas, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-231/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.face...
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Snatched From Death - Podcast #230

December 4, 2024 • 37 mins
The harrowing true story of three airmen stranded on an unforgiving, desolate island after their airplane crashed off the coast of Greenland. After the search for them was abandoned, they faced the relentless cold and starvation, teetering on the brink of death. Would they be rescued in time, or would the merciless Arctic become their final resting place? Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://usele...
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Retrocast #29 - UI Podcast #229

November 12, 2024 • 74 mins
Jill ChaCha of the podcast Well… That’s Interesting! cohosts! Includes: A debate over whether we should have female judges, a ventriloquist projects his voice to avoid paying a fine, why homely girls make the best wives, and much more! You can find Jill’s podcast here: https://www.airwavemedia.com/our-shows/well...-that's-interesting Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retr...
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