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:

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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.

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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/

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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.

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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

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:

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.

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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 [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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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

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 [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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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:

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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.

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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 [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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!

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 [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Home to Keene: The Reunion of Lost Boundaries can be seen on

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:

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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.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices