The Missing Chapter Podcast

I think it’s safe to assume that all of our listeners at some point have experienced the social contagion that is so memorable, you may even get a physical reaction to the thought of it - the cringy awkwardness of one of the facets of the early pre-teen and teenage years - the middle school dance.  The music is blasting, the lights are flashing, to a completely void, lonely, and awkward dance floor.  Who makes the first move?  Who asks someone to dance?  Who breaks the ice and just goes for it in the middle of the dance floor?  This is a tug of war that middle schoolers experience the first half hour of every middle school dance to ever exist, anywhere in the world.  Ok, that may be hyperbole, but you know what isn’t exaggerated?  The contagiousness of dance, and on this episode of the Missing Chapter, we look at one of the most bizarre occurrences in all of history - dancing that breaks out into such a continued frenzy, that people actually died into plague-like proportions.  Oh, this is going to be a wild one, get yourself a cup of coffee and let’s get to it.

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It's the moment we have been previewing and plugging for quite some time now - it's the Hometown History Episode - and we are proud to announce that today we have special guest and guests Dawn McKinney and her "fun 5th Period Class" from Lincoln, California!  We have some eager students ready to share their story and we are honored to have such a passionate educator with us today to share what turns out to be quite the unknown story of a "hoodlum" named "Rattlesnake Dick" and the amazing story of the ups and downs of the Gold Rush!

What an honor and a pleasure to get to know Dawn and her students and this episode surely won't disappoint!  Enjoy!

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The history of the U.S. space program is the story of American pioneers; brave men and women who boldly went where no one before them had gone. Their names have become synonymous with bravery and courage – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell.  We shared in their accomplishments – Apollo 11 - held our breath in their struggles – Apollo 13 – and wept in their disasters – Challenger.

But some of the most amazing, most unbelievable stories surrounding our space program are some to the most obscure – perfect for an inquisitive podcast devoted to exposing lesser-known stories from history. For instance, did you know that America’s most iconic cartoon character was also a crew member on the mission that set the stage for the moon landing? Or that that same illustrated beagle is the moniker gifted to NASA members who go above and beyond for the betterment of the program?

On this episode of The Missing Chapter, the unique relationship that exists between America’s establishment to explore the stars… and a beloved star here on earth.

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Have you ever truly paid attention to what is in the food that you eat? This isn’t just a case of counting calories, or watching your salt and sugar intake. Dating as far back as biblical times, people were unknowingly being poisoned just by doing something that was a necessity……eating. Today we welcome a colleague and friend of ours, Science teacher Melissa Fisher, as she shares a story, based in science, about a man who challenged the food industry and advocated for the health and safety of the American consumer.  

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A great journalist is someone who can objectively bring a news story that not only catches the attention of the reader, but many times exposes some unknown truths that the masses don’t know.  This kind of journalism not only creates great talking points, but can sometimes be the best way to learn as lots of these stories spread like wildfire.  I immediately think of the works of Tom Brokaw, Walter Cronkite, or how about Upton Sinclair, exposing the truths of the meat packing industry.  Well, on this episode of the Missing Chapter, we have someone who was so curious about mental health, and the treatment of patients that suffered from these kinds of ailments, that she actually became a patient herself.  Welcome to the Missing Chapter everyone, grab your coffees and let’s get started.

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Has anyone ever seen the Christmas classic, The Santa Clause?  It’s one of our family’s favorite go-to movies during the Christmas season and one of the parts of the movie that gets my kids to giggle every time is the part where Tim Allen is interrogated and asked, very firmly I might add, what his name is.  The interrogator is looking for him to say Scot Calvin, but his response instead…Kris Kringle, Sinterklass, Pere Noel, Babbo Natale, Pierse Nicole, Topo Gigio…which, by the way, is an Italian mouse, but that’s not the point.  The focus of today’s episode is not on the many names of Santa, but the big question mark around the first name of his wife, Mrs. Claus.  What is her first name?  Does she have a first name?  And why don’t we know more?  Well, let’s find out, Merry Christmas, everyone.  This is the Missing Chapter.

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Missing Chapter fans, we know you love history, and many times throughout our studies of the past, we recognize similarities between the past and present.  We’ve heard from presidents, generals, and historians about how often we need to look at history to repeat favorable actions as well as correct our former mistakes.  But how often do we notice history repeating itself while it’s happening?  Do those who experienced a golden age know that they’re in a golden age?  Do those who are living in a non-political revolution realize the historic change that’s taking place before their very eyes?  These are the questions that Phil and I are going to use to, let’s say, drive this episode, and our very special guest today, Aaron Gold, senior editor at MotorTrend, is here with us to discuss the revolution that he feels is not only taking place right now, but is actually eerily similar to what took place a century ago.  Grab your coffees and get ready for a very electric episode of the Missing Chapter.

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I’m sure you’ve seen the movies, whether sci-fi or action, that encompass the power of nature.  Immediately, I think of the hit movie Twister and its scary depiction of how powerful tornadoes can be, or some other cinematic examples like the movie Armageddon, 2012, Dante’s Peak.  All extreme examples of natural disasters, but nonetheless terrifying.  And because of my affinity for these movies, I vividly remember in 2011, waking up and turning on the news as I’m getting ready for the day and wondering why the news was playing a sci-fi movie, showing a powerful tidal wave swallowing towns whole - the problem was, it wasn’t a movie, it was real video footage of one of the worst tsunamis on record to hit Japan.  It was absolutely horrifying.  Now, that real tidal wave was certainly different than the Hollywood versions, but what I never imagined as I watched in terror was what this episode is all about.  You see, today we’re focused not just on the power of the disaster, but how that power could be used…what am I referring to? Stick with us and find out on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

Go to The Missing Chapter Podcast website for more information, previous episodes, and professional development opportunities.

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As a parent, a trip to the beach on a hot, summer day can be exactly what the family needs to complete the perfect vacation. However, as a diligent father, you always have to be aware of possible dangers – even on a remote, sandy beach reminiscent of a pristine paradise getaway. Crashing waves, strong undertows; did we apply enough sunscreen? Why is that one scene from ‘Jaws’ continually running through my mind… I know, I’m paranoid, but again that’s the job of a parent, right?

Most likely, a scenario, that isn’t a fear of mine or on my radar, is the possibility that a Cold War-era nuclear bomb is sitting, quietly on the bottom of the ocean floor just off the coast of the beach we’re enjoying. That would be something right out of a science-fiction movie, right? Surely that would never and could never happen; I mean our government would deactivate or remove entirely a weapon of that magnitude that would put the entire eastern-seaboard of the United States at risk. Well Missing Chapter listeners…. Think again. It’s not the plot to some Hollywood film and it’s not fiction. Learn about the amazing, and terrifying, true story of the live nuclear warhead sitting just off the coast of the U.S. and, more importantly, find out where it’s located before you plan your next family trip. On this episode of The Missing Chapter Podcast.

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America’s pastime - I can vividly remember my first time ever going to a big league baseball game - my family drove through the insanity also known as Bronx traffic and made our way to a random parking garage.  As we paced our way through the enormous line, we start to approach this enormous stadium that looked more like a castle to my young self than a baseball arena.  The words Yankee Stadium were larger than life and we made our way inside.  Once inside, the most fond and vivid memory, is walking up the old concrete walkway to get into the stadium.  The walls narrowing the closer I get to the opening and the only thing I can see is the famous façade sitting atop the walls of the old Yankee Stadium.  The sound of the crowd, the smell of the hot dogs, the crack of the wooden bats, and the feeling you may topple over as you walk down the steps to the medal folded seats.  

Now, we could hold an entire course on baseball history, but there’s one facet of the game that I honestly didn’t know the history of.  Something specific to the scorecard.  Grab your coffees, turn up the volume - this is the Missing Chapter.

Go to The Missing Chapter Podcast website for more information, previous episodes, and professional development opportunities.

Click here to send us a voice message of your name, where you're from, what your favorite MC story is and be featured on an upcoming episode!

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