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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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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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/

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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/

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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

Audio for Part 2 of my interview with Leigh Rubin, as well as photos of his parents, the video of their wedding, and some of my favorite Rubes cartoons can be found on my website at https://uselessinformation.org/the-first-jewish-couple-married-on-national-tv/

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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 National Television: https://uselessinformation.org/the-first-jewish-couple-married-on-national-tv/

Also, you can see the original Bride & Groom episode where his parents were married at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8943Q48X4

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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/

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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/

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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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