December 24, 2022, marks the bicentennial of the classic poem Twas the Night Before Christmas. Pamela McColl, author of the new book Twas the Night, The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, joins me to discuss the origins of the poem, the debate over who truly wrote it, and how it has gone on to be the most published and most often recited poem in the library of English literature.
Transcript, images, and links for this episode: https://uselessinformation.org/200-years-of-twas-the-night-podcast-185/
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200 Years of Twas the Night - UI Podcast #185

Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.

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In 1945, police were astounded to discover a man affixed to a wooden cross, hastily fastened to the beams supporting Chicago’s elevated railway. His assailants were never identified, but the victim repeatedly brought up the name of Dr. Emil Bronner. It's worth noting that this is the very same Dr. Bronner who later pioneered the widely acclaimed castile soap that carries his name. This story will help explain the quirky messages on their soap bottles.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/a-crucifixion-in-chicago-podcast-217
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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A Crucifixion in Chicago - UI Podcast #217

An alligator is found in a California swamp, male toll collectors oppose the hiring of women, a mummified man inspires a Don McLean song, a chewing gum party, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-25-podcast-216/
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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Retrocast #25 - UI Podcast #216

In 1933, New York City police had a very unusual mystery on their hands. Two people died of nearly identical causes within an hour of one another at an Automat restaurant in Manhattan. Strangers to each other, the sole connecting thread between them was a poppy seed roll.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-strange-case-of-the-poppy-seed-roll-podcast-215/
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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The Strange Case of the Poppy Seed Roll - UI #215

Join host D’Arcy Carden on a wild ride into the internet’s most interesting and interconnected Wikipedia entries. Each episode will feature D’Arcy’s panel of comedians falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes to discover bizarre and intriguing connections by guessing how famous events and random celebrities are linked. What’s the population of Rio de Janeiro have to do with how many beers Andre the Giant can crush in one sitting? That’s for our panel to figure out.
You can listen to WikiHole here: Wondery.fm/WikiHole_Useless
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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Introducing: WikiHole

Our modern world is dependent on electricity. But did you ever stop to wonder where it all began? Guest Kathy Joseph, author of the book The Lightning Tamers and host of the popular YouTube channel Kathy Loves Physics, joins me to talk about some of these amazing stories.
Video of this interview: https://uselessinformation.org/the-lightning-tamers-podcast-214/
Purchase The Lightning Tamers by Kathy Joseph at https://shorturl.at/cwzKS
Kathy Loves Physics & History on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Weirdly_wonderful
Kathy Joseph’s website: https://kathylovesphysics.com/
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-lightning-tamers-podcast-214/
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 advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
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200 Years of Twas the Night - UI Podcast #185

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