1949 – Boy Wishes for Stone for Mother’s Grave (Footnote) Published on December 20, 2022 Posted in: Death and Murder, Footnotes to History, Holidays & Celebrations All 11-year-old Bobby Lovell wanted for Christmas was a stone for his mother's grave. Would his wish come true?Click to Read More...
1947 – Gift Wrapper Raps in Vain (Footnote) Published on December 19, 2022 Posted in: Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History, Holidays & Celebrations Joe Gibson was so focused on his job of wrapping gifts that he lost track of time and was locked in a warehouse. With some rags, string, and wire, he worked toward escaping...Click to Read More...
1920 – Christmas Cactus Theft Epidemic (Footnote) Published on December 18, 2022 Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Holidays & Celebrations, Tidbits Was there really a Christmas cactus theft epidemic hitting Santa Ana, California back in 1920?Click to Read More...
1915 – Bank Accounts of 41,000 Schoolchildren Saved (Footnote) Published on December 18, 2022 Posted in: Holidays & Celebrations, Money & Financial, Tidbits When the Pittsburgh Bank for Savings abruptly closed its doors three days before Christmas, the deposits of 41,000 students were thought lost. One banker saved the accounts.Click to Read More...
Bad Apples #5 – The Bishop’s Wife – Podcast #186 Published on December 15, 2022 Posted in: Bad Apples Movie Review, Podcast A review of the 1947 classic Christmas movie "The Bishop’s Wife," starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Is it as good as “It’s a Wonderful Life?”Click to Read More...
200 Years of Twas the Night – Podcast #185 Published on December 5, 2022 Posted in: Holidays & Celebrations, Podcast Author Pamela McColl discusses 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.Click to Read More...
The Cryptanalyst (Part 3) – Podcast #184 Published on November 18, 2022 Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Podcast In this final installment, Marvin Lautzenhesier discusses leaving the FBI, his patents, and the giant theater organ that he installed in his house.Click to Read More...
The Cryptanalyst (Part 2) – Podcast #183 Published on November 3, 2022 Posted in: Fraud & Deception, Law & Order, Podcast In this second installment, 93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser discusses his time as an FBI field agent, how his team finally deciphered the hollow nickel message, and offers up his opinion on the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies.Click to Read More...
The Cryptanalyst (Part 1) – Podcast #182 Published on October 21, 2022 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Podcast An interview with 93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser, who was the lead cryptanalyst for the FBI team that deciphered the microfilm message contained in the Hollow Nickel (Podcast #168).Click to Read More...
The Great Los Angeles Air Raid – Podcast #181 Published on October 7, 2022 Posted in: Forgotten History, Podcast The long-forgotten story of a battle that took place over Los Angeles just a few months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. The US used all its might to shoot down the enemy planes detected overhead. Click to Read More...
YesterCast #1 – November 22, 1963 – Podcast #180 Published on September 22, 2022 Posted in: Podcast, Yestercast The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a tragic day. But what else was happening that day? This episode of the podcast discusses the offbeat, quirky, and bizarre stories of November 22, 1963.Click to Read More...
Bad Apples #4 – Gaslight – Podcast #179 Published on September 7, 2022 Posted in: Bad Apples Movie Review, Podcast A review of the 1944 psychological thriller "Gaslight," starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotton. It is from this movie that the term "gaslighting" is derived. Click to Read More...
1961 – A Stewed Duck Is Too Saucy to Suit Cops (Footnote) Published on August 29, 2022 Posted in: Animals & Pets, Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History, Humor Two policemen set out to capture a drunk duck. It wasn't as easy as they had hoped...Click to Read More...
1954 – Roscoe Goes to Calaboose to Escape TV at Home (Footnote) Published on August 25, 2022 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History Roscoe Tard was so sick of his wife watching television that he opted to spend five days in jail.Click to Read More...
1948 – New Pill Bans That Fear of Trip to Dentist (Footnote) Published on August 22, 2022 Posted in: Footnotes to History, Science, Technology & Medicine Drs. Milton Levine and Robert Hoyt introduced a pill that would take the fear out of going to the dentist. It probably wasn't as safe as they originally thought.Click to Read More...