Useless Information Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Will the Real Dr. Brown Please Stand Up? - UI Podcast #055 Jul 10, 2012

Show notes

The amazing true story of a small-town doctor who was loved by all. When he was arrested for committing a crime that could have endangered fellow community members, they didn't abandon their faith in him.

Also, learn about the origin of the famous N-Y logo of the New York Yankees, a 10-year-old girl who sued a 14-year-old boy, the little girl who purchased seven pedigree puppies for her friends, and the boy who had his babysitter arrested.

Retrosponsor: Cashmere Bouquet Talcum Powder

Audio, transcript, and images can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/freddie_brandt_dr_brown/

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The Case of the Misplaced Belly Button - UI Podcast #054 May 27, 2012

Show notes

Virginia O'Hare underwent tummy tuck surgery and then sued her doctor for $1.5 million. Why? Because her belly button was supposedly 2" (5.1 cm) off-center.

Also, learn about the first compact disc ever available for sale to the public, the discovery of an Acme bank robbery kit, John Lennon discussing how fame is fleeting, and a man that carved his false teeth from billiard balls and used wood screws for the molars.

Retrosponsor: Alka Setzer

Audio, transcript & images can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/virginia-ohare-misplaced-belly-button/

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The Patron Saint of the Vocally Challenged - UI Podcast #053 Apr 26, 2012

Show notes

Florence Foster Jenkins is considered to be the forerunner of today’s talentless celebrities. Her operatic recordings are considered among the worst of all time. Yet, she managed to do something that even some of the best can’t do: she sold out Carnegie Hall.

Also, learn about Maxie & Maxine, the day that Lucky's luck ran out, the coed that crashed an all-male smoker, and the third-largest producer of carbon dioxide.

Retrosponsor: Cream of Wheat cereal.

Transcript, audio, and images can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/florence-foster-jenkins-vocally-challenged/

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Jack the Stripper - UI Podcast #052 Mar 21, 2012

Show notes

An odd true story about a San Diego robber dubbed "Jack the Stripper" by the press in the early 1960s. Listen to this episode to learn about his unusual modus operandi.

Also, learn about the fine levied on NASA when Skylab fell back to Earth, the guy who forgot his wife at the filling station, an absent-minded barber, and the $40,000 cab ride.

Retrosponsor: U.S. Savings Bonds.

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Tinker the Toad - UI Podcast #051 Feb 14, 2012

Show notes

A toad is found alive beneath a concrete floor poured 9 years earlier. Find out if and how Tinker survived this long entombment.

Also learn about the best-selling coffee in the United States, a judge named Valentine that divorced the Valentines on Valentine's Day, Hedda Hopper's stinky Valentine's Day gift, and a Valentine that was just a hunk of slate sent through the mail.

Retrosponsor: Maxwell House coffee.

Audio and Transcript: https://uselessinformation.org/tinker-the-toad/

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The Corpse Bride - UI Podcast #050 Jan 14, 2012

Show notes

The bizarre true story of Count Karl von Cosel and the girl of his dreams. It was discovered that they slept together in the same bed every night - nine years after she had died.

Also learn about the first millionaire in the United States, the Thanksgiving soda ash mess, the lollipop fight, and the Boston Tar Party.

Retrosponsor: Signal Gasoline.

Audio, transcript, and photos: https://uselessinformation.org/karl-von-cosel-corpse-bride/

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Midnapore's Wolf Children - UI Podcast #049 Dec 14, 2011

Show notes

The story of Amala and Kamala, two girls in India who were supposedly raised by wolves. Find out the facts of this unusual story.

Also learn the original name of the Hawaii 5-O television series, as well as the details of a singing telegram in a courtroom, a man who had no clue that he had stolen a car, and a husband who wished to be arrested to get away from his nagging wife.

Retrosponsor: Owl Rexall Drugs.

Audio, transcript, and images: https://uselessinformation.org/midnapores-wolf-children-podcast-49/

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The Double Life of Clarence King - UI Podcast #048 Nov 02, 2011

Show notes

The first director of the US Geological Survey, Clarence King, was a famed scientist, explorer, and author. This allowed him to move among the elite of American society in the late 19th century. Yet, few people knew that he spent the last thirteen years leading a secret double life.

Also learn what Martin Cooper was the first person to ever do, a New Zealand explosion hoax, a man killed by his false teeth, and Thomas Blod's silent concert.

Retrosponsor: Fletcher's Castoria.

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The French Nobleman - UI Podcast #047 Sep 05, 2011

Show notes

The death of an elderly man in Chicago in 1941 went initially unnoticed. Then it was learned that he was a French nobleman who gave it all away for the chance to love the woman of his dreams. Find out if he ever got the girl...

Also learn about the only man ever to be the governor of two different US states, Adolph Hitler being drafted, a bug juice mystery, and a good use for rubber finger sheaths.

Retrosponsor: Sinatra singing for Kennedy. (High Hopes with modified lyrics.)

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Grady the Cow - UI Podcast #046 Jul 08, 2011

Show notes

After giving birth to a stillborn, Grady the Cow bolted from sight. But there was nowhere for her to go in the small room that she was in. It was then that her owner realized she had somehow gotten her large body through the tiny door to the concrete silo. Tips poured in from all over the world suggesting ways to get her out of there. Find out how they did it.

Also learn how many years the oldest cow lived for, a man who advertised for a homely wife, two mineralogists who came up with a unique way to meet women, and a husband who was forced to return his mail-order bride home.

Retrosponsor: Anchor Hocking Glass.

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