Useless Information Podcast

It started as a harmless Wall Street tradition: smash the straw hats of any man foolish enough to wear one after September 15. Then teenagers took up the cause, and before long, New York City was in the grip of the bizarre—and sometimes deadly—Straw Hat Riots.

Steve's Toolbox, my new YouTube channel, can be found at

Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-straw-hat-riots-podcast-263/

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: Kids suck subway tokens from turnstiles, two men claim to save a girl’s life, a woman marries a pet rock, a meatloaf made from dog food, and much more!

Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-44-podcast-262/

You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast

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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 1969, a casual coffee-break joke about going braless cost a woman her job, sparked nationwide headlines, inspired copycat events across the country, and eventually wound up in court. That's exactly what happened to Jane Andre—all because of an undergarment.

Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/braless-fridays-podcast-261/

You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast

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Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/

The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave

Please contact [email protected] if you would

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In this episode: Al Capone’s son tries to avoid his notorious father’s past, a boy survives a 2-1/2 mile plunge in a tunnel, and much more!

Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-43-podcast-260/

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

Please contact [email protected] if you would

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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.

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

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

Please contact [email protected] if you would

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

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

You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these

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Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/

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

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

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

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

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

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