0:00

You're listening to an Airwave Media

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Podcast.

0:09

Hello, this is Matt from the Explorers Podcast.

0:12

I want to invite you to join me on the voyages

0:14

and journeys of the most famous explorers in the history

0:17

of the world. These are the thrilling

0:19

and captivating stories of Magellan, Shackleton,

0:22

Lewis and Clark, and so many other famous

0:24

and not-so-famous adventures from throughout history.

0:27

Go to ExplorersPodcast.com or

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just look us up on your podcast app. That's

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the Explorers Podcast. Prepare

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to enter an immersive world of

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tragedies, hauntings, legends,

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and folklore.

0:48

Southern Gopic is a podcast that

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will take you deep into the dark history

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and haunted lore of the American

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South, exploring some

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of the region's most infamous tales,

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from the swamps of Louisiana to

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the shores of the Carolinas, isolated

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communities of Appalachia, and

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the bloody battlefields and earliest

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settlements of Virginia.

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This is where ghost stories

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come alive, grim secrets

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are exposed, and mysteries…

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well, you need to listen to find

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out.

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Join us now at SouthernGothicMedia.com

1:26

or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:36

Today on the Useless Information Retrocast, you'll

1:39

hear the totally true stories of a

1:41

WWII veteran who could only

1:43

rent a home in an upscale New Jersey neighborhood

1:46

if he agreed to get this, bring

1:48

a live goat with him.

1:51

And then there's the story of the Baltimore Liquor Board

1:53

who, in an effort to apply the law equally

1:55

to both genders, they required

1:58

male go-go dancers to cover their breasts. breasts

2:00

while performing. Or

2:02

how about a woman who in just one and a half years

2:04

time, she sat through 864 showings

2:09

of the classic movie, The Sound

2:11

of Music.

2:13

All those stories that question the day,

2:15

today's retro sponsor, and so much

2:17

more, it's all coming up next on

2:19

today's edition of the Useless Information

2:21

Retrocast. I am

2:23

Steve Saldman and this is the Useless

2:26

Information Podcast.

2:30

Hi

2:35

everyone, I hope you're doing well, and

2:37

to those of you tuning in for the first time, let

2:40

me extend a very warm welcome to you.

2:43

Today, I'm excited to present a fantastic

2:46

retrocast,

2:47

and for those of you who are new to the podcast, these

2:49

are some of the shorter stories that I stumble upon

2:51

during my research for the full length

2:53

stories that I typically do.

2:56

So without further ado, let's plunge

2:59

right into today's collection of stories.

3:03

On March 26th of 1927,

3:05

12-year-old Samuel F. Perkins Jr.

3:07

took to the sky above the Dexter training

3:09

grounds of the State Armory in Providence,

3:12

Rhode Island. What

3:14

was so unusual about his flight is that

3:16

he was neither in an airplane nor a balloon.

3:19

Instead, young Samuel was lifted by 21

3:22

kites.

3:25

Now if this was a Hollywood movie Samuel would have

3:27

been standing there holding on to all those kites,

3:29

then a strong gust of wind would suddenly

3:32

blow in, and of course he'd be taken

3:34

aloft.

3:35

But this was no accident.

3:38

And that's because his father, that's Samuel

3:40

Sr., he had planned well in advance

3:42

for his son's flight. The

3:46

stunt was part of a large kite exhibition

3:48

being held at the training grounds. More

3:51

than 200 kites in all shapes, colors,

3:53

and sizes. They were flown by members

3:55

of the Junior Achievement League. I should

3:57

point out they're all boys…

3:59

This was claimed to be the first kite flying

4:01

tournament ever staged in an eastern United

4:04

States city. And

4:06

it was the Elder Perkins who was an aeronautics

4:08

pioneer who instructed the young men

4:10

in the making and flying of their kites.

4:14

His rationale for having such a contest was

4:16

his prediction that someday flying

4:18

would become a safe and natural mode

4:21

of travel, just as safe as

4:23

driving a car was for his generation.

4:26

A flyer must be able to judge strength and action

4:28

of wind currents. Nothing is so

4:31

instructive for that purpose as kite flying.

4:35

Yet one must question his decision to have his son

4:37

lifted by a bunch of kites high into

4:39

the sky above the training grounds. Let

4:42

me ask you this, would you risk such a thing?

4:44

I certainly wouldn't. Well,

4:47

it turns out this wasn't the first time

4:49

that his son had taken to the sky. He

4:52

had practiced being lifted by the high flying

4:54

kites numerous times before, although

4:57

this would be the first public demonstration

4:59

of this daring aerial feat.

5:02

During test trials the boy, who I should mention

5:04

sat in a swing seat, he'd sometimes stay

5:06

aloft for over half an hour.

5:10

Well an estimated 12,000 spectators

5:12

looked on as young Samuel took flight.

5:15

Defying death he reached an altitude estimated

5:18

at, how high do you think he went, 30 feet

5:21

or 9.144 meters. He

5:24

then traveled horizontally for about 200 feet or 61 meters

5:26

before he landed safely back

5:32

on the ground.

5:34

As for his dad's prediction of flying with Sunday

5:36

become a safe and natural mode of transportation,

5:39

he certainly was correct.

5:42

But I can tell you as a person who has flown many

5:44

times in an airplane,

5:46

I feel little need to know anything about

5:48

what the wind is doing. No need

5:50

for kites. I just leave it all up to

5:52

those who were piloting the aircraft.

5:59

Newbury Port Anti-Inflation Plan.

6:02

I briefly mentioned that few new homes and apartment

6:04

buildings were constructed during the Great Depression

6:06

and World War II. So when

6:09

the soldiers returned home after the war, they were

6:11

flush with cash, but of course

6:13

housing was in very short supply.

6:16

Well, such a dilemma was facing veteran

6:19

Harry Sheffers and his family of Allendale,

6:21

New Jersey in December of 1946.

6:26

They had been notified that they were to be evicted

6:28

from their current home the following month

6:31

so they were urgently searching for a new place

6:33

to live.

6:34

But there was one complication

6:36

that limited their search, and that was

6:39

they owned a pet goat.

6:41

Not exactly the kind of thing that one can take

6:43

to an apartment building.

6:46

But then they spotted a listing in the

6:48

local newspaper for a vacancy at 472 North

6:50

Maple Avenue in

6:52

nearby Ridgewood.

6:55

This was an upscale neighborhood and the home

6:57

it was in great shape,

6:59

but the landlord that's Mrs. Jack Alsup,

7:01

she had two requirements.

7:04

The first was that due to the current housing shortage,

7:06

she would only rent to a veteran.

7:09

And second, the new tenants

7:11

were required to bring, you know what, a

7:13

goat with them. Bingo!

7:16

Not only was he a vet,

7:18

but the Sheffers owned a goat. I mean, what

7:20

are the chances?

7:23

As to why Mrs. Alsup required a goat,

7:26

she explained that her son was in college and he

7:28

was contemplating doing experiments that focus

7:31

on the bacteria that was contained in the

7:33

goat milk.

7:35

But there was one minor problem with this whole

7:37

plan. There

7:39

was a question as to whether village regulations

7:41

would allow a goat in a residential area.

7:45

But Harry concluded there was only one way to find

7:47

out for sure.

7:48

He would need to attend a Board of Health meeting and

7:50

question the legality of doing so. So

7:55

at their evening meeting on Monday, December 16th, 1946, Harry

8:00

Harry stood up and asked if he was allowed

8:02

to have the goat. And

8:04

at first the board members thought it was all a joke,

8:06

but Harry clearly was serious in his questioning.

8:10

Caught off guard, they said they'd look into the matter and get

8:12

back to him. To

8:14

their surprise, they learned that Mrs.

8:17

Alsop really did require the tenants

8:19

to have a goat.

8:21

After talking with neighbors, it was concluded that while

8:23

no one really wanted to have a goat living near their

8:25

homes, they'd reluctantly tolerate

8:27

the animal because Mr. Sheffer's overall

8:30

was a veteran.

8:33

So the town issued the necessary permit and the

8:35

shepherds prepared to move into their new residence.

8:38

But then Mrs. Alsop reneged on the offer.

8:41

In fact, she had never ever intended

8:44

on renting the property in the first place. She

8:47

explained, quote, I have

8:49

no intentions of moving and I've known he couldn't

8:51

have the house since last November. I

8:54

told him I didn't think he'd be allowed to have it, but

8:56

he went and applied to the zoning board without

8:58

my knowledge and now they said he can

9:01

have it.

9:03

So if she had no intention of ever

9:05

renting the house out, why did she

9:07

place the ad in the paper in the first place?

9:10

The answer is very simple. She

9:13

wanted to get even with the local zoning board.

9:16

You see, at the time they were considering an application

9:19

to build a furniture factory on the property

9:21

right next to her residence.

9:24

So Mrs. Alsop, she decided to set up

9:26

a second annoying business in the neighborhood. And

9:29

just what was that second annoying business?

9:31

It was a goat farm.

9:35

Supposedly Mrs. Alsop came up with

9:37

a goat farm idea because neighbors had become

9:39

outraged about five years earlier because

9:42

she decided to keep a pet goat.

9:45

And it was at that time she learned that there was no

9:47

local ordinance forbidding the raising of goats

9:49

to residential areas.

9:51

And of course that served as the impetus for her

9:53

crazy goat farm scheme.

9:56

The reality is she never intended on renting

9:58

out her house. Nor did she ever

10:00

expect anyone to reply to her unusual

10:02

listing. She just wanted

10:04

to annoy the planning board.

10:07

When they denied the permit to build that furniture

10:09

factory, Mrs. Alsup decided to

10:11

drop the whole thing. But

10:14

by this time, Harry Sheffers had already sought

10:16

out the permit for the goat. He

10:19

told the press quote, Now,

10:21

she says she doesn't want any goats and she claims

10:23

her whole story has made her the laughing stock

10:25

in the neighborhood. The funny part

10:27

is, I don't want the goat either. All

10:30

I want is a home.

10:36

The owners of the Merritt House restaurant and nightclub in

10:38

Dundalk, Maryland were faced with a really

10:40

big problem back in February of 1975.

10:44

That is that they did virtually no business

10:46

on Sunday nights. So they were

10:48

desperate to find something unique to bring customers

10:51

into the place. Soon

10:54

a Washington area promoter named Nick Semeneta

10:56

suggested something he had just tried a few

10:58

weeks earlier at a nightclub in Camp

11:01

Springs, Maryland.

11:03

That is he brought in male go-go dancers

11:05

to entertain the ladies.

11:07

He claimed that the response was overwhelming and

11:10

suggested that Merritt House do the same.

11:14

So on the evening of Sunday, February 16th of 1975, Merritt

11:16

House imported one of Semeneta's male

11:20

dancers, paid him $35, which

11:23

is about $200 today for the performance, and

11:25

he sold out the place.

11:27

In fact, he proved so popular that the owners had to

11:30

turn away customers at the door.

11:33

Robert Kane, who was a co-owner of Merritt House, stated

11:36

quote, These women had a lot of fun Sunday.

11:38

They weren't inhibited by their boyfriends or husbands.

11:41

I even had some of my clothes ripped off.

11:45

Now, the women may not have been inhibited by their significant

11:48

others, but dozens of the men filed

11:50

complaints with the Baltimore County Liquor Board.

11:54

It's not that the men were upset with the male dancers.

11:57

What they didn't like was that they weren't allowed into

11:59

the club.

12:01

Couples would show up at the door but only

12:03

the women were admitted.

12:05

All the men were turned away so they filed

12:07

complaints claiming sexual discrimination.

12:12

So after reviewing the regulations, Joseph

12:14

J. Hess, he was the chairman of the liquor board,

12:17

he determined there had been several violations.

12:21

First according to Hess, quote,

12:23

guys went in there with their wives last weekend and were

12:25

told the wives could come in and they

12:28

couldn't. You just can't do that,

12:30

it's discrimination.

12:33

Next he pointed out that nightclub employees

12:35

were forbidden from accepting any gift

12:37

of money other than a quote, bonafide

12:40

tip.

12:41

Hess determined that stuffing money into the

12:43

dancer's bikini, that didn't qualify

12:46

as a tip and therefore it was forbidden.

12:49

And lastly, state regulations required

12:51

that all employees must wear clothing that quote,

12:55

conceals the entire nipple area and the entire

12:57

lower breast. Clearly

13:00

this regulation was aimed at women but Hess felt

13:02

that if he didn't apply the rule to both men and

13:04

women equally, the liquor board

13:07

would be subject to charges of discrimination.

13:10

His solution was quite simple, quote, he's

13:13

gonna have to wear a bra or something.

13:17

Merit house co-owner Fabio L. Benetti

13:19

told the Baltimore Sun that he had no intention

13:21

of sending the male dancers out in pasties,

13:24

quote,

13:25

I guess I'll have to wear a tank top or something.

13:29

Of course the Baltimore Sun needed to send one of their ace

13:32

reporters to the club the following Sunday to see

13:34

what all the hullabaloo was about.

13:36

And Donald Kimmelman, he was just

13:39

the man to tackle this important problem.

13:43

Women began lining up at 4pm for

13:45

the 8 o'clock show.

13:47

All 214 tickets

13:49

that was legal occupancy for the club, they

13:51

were all sold out by 7pm.

13:55

Anyone who arrived after that, they were told

13:57

to come back for the second show at 11pm.

13:59

This

14:01

time men were admitted, but

14:03

their entrance fee was $8 versus the $2 for

14:06

the women. Adjusted

14:09

for inflation, that's $45.50 for the men versus $11.36 for the women.

14:18

And then the show started. The

14:21

Mad Hatter's band blasted out their rock tunes

14:23

as each of the four dancers individually took to

14:25

the stage, each one typically

14:27

dancing through three songs.

14:30

And then after an intermission, they came back on

14:33

and performed once more.

14:35

Adapting to the new mandate of covering their breasts,

14:38

the dancers emerged wearing sizable dercimal

14:40

adhesive bandages, but those

14:42

eventually came loose as the perspiration took

14:44

its course.

14:47

Kim Il-Min described the reaction of the women.

14:50

He said they were, quote, stomping on

14:52

the table top, shimming on top of the bar, clapping,

14:55

shouting, screaming, or just quietly

14:57

staring at the glistening, undulating male

14:59

bodies.

15:01

He then proceeded to interview several of the

15:03

women. Joyce

15:06

Kratch, who was seven months pregnant at the time,

15:08

stated, quote, my husband told

15:10

me to come. He believes in equality. Then

15:14

a woman seated next to her added, quote,

15:16

the men have had women dancers for years at the

15:18

Remo Inn. Now we have something.

15:23

Kim Il-Min observed as another Dundalk housewife

15:25

who just happened to also be named Joyce, and

15:27

she did request that her last name not be printed.

15:30

She grabbed one of the go-go dancers' legs.

15:33

She explained, quote,

15:35

he was just shaking there right in front of me. I

15:37

knew I had to grab something, so I reached

15:39

out and held on.

15:42

At another moment, she ran on stage and

15:44

stuffed a dollar bill into the bass guitarist's

15:46

bikini bottoms. This

15:49

was not as risky as it sounds. Just

15:51

because he was wearing the bikini bottoms over

15:54

black leotards. I guess that, you know,

15:56

he lacked pockets.

15:59

Roth, who was in her mid-30s, said her husband was home

16:02

watching their kids.

16:04

Quote, I've got two words for

16:06

you. Liberations great. She

16:09

added, what's good for the goose is

16:11

good for the gander. When

16:14

two sisters were asked where their husbands were,

16:16

they responded in unison. Quote,

16:18

home in the bedroom where they belong.

16:22

April Fiedler, who was single, commented,

16:24

quote, I never knew the male

16:26

body was so sexy. One

16:30

of her married friends added, quote, yeah,

16:32

husbands aren't sexy. The problem is that

16:34

they all look the same.

16:37

Many of the ladies were disappointed that Jeremiah

16:40

Shasted, who April described as being, quote,

16:42

the most gorgeous thing you ever saw, didn't

16:45

dance in that earlier show, although

16:47

he did arrive later.

16:50

Mr. Shasted later told Kim him in that, quote,

16:53

it's great being a sex object. For

16:55

years I used to beg for dates. Now

16:58

I get offers all the time.

17:02

Within a month of being cited by the Baltimore

17:04

County Liquor Board, business at the Merritt House

17:06

seemed to be quieting down.

17:09

In a March 28th, 1975 article in the Baltimore Sun, this

17:13

is about six weeks after he issued the original

17:16

rulings, Board Chairman Hess stated,

17:18

quote,

17:19

I was down at the Merritt House this past Sunday.

17:22

And there were no more than 150 to 170 women in the place the whole

17:24

night.

17:29

He added, it was a fad. Now the novelty

17:31

is wearing off.

17:34

In that same article, Mr. Hess described

17:36

how the liquor board had consulted with several attorneys

17:38

to determine the best way to move forward.

17:41

Quote,

17:42

it was a ridiculous situation to be

17:44

caught in. But we had to live within the rule

17:47

until we could see if we could constitutionally

17:49

change it. Well,

17:51

there was no need for a constitutional change.

17:55

Instead, the lawyers concluded that there was,

17:57

quote, a difference in the anatomy of

17:59

the man.

17:59

and female.

18:02

Wow, that's a surprise. Anyway,

18:06

as a result, the liquor board ruled that the male go-go

18:08

dancers would no longer be required to cover

18:10

their breasts. The

18:13

headline of the article summed it up best,

18:15

quote, but they no longer

18:17

need band-aids.

18:20

I just can't help but wonder what that hunk of a man

18:22

Jeremiah Shasted looks like 48 years

18:25

later.

18:26

Is he really still getting a lot of dates?

18:32

So here's a question for you. Who was the youngest

18:34

man to ever serve as president of the United

18:36

States? If

18:39

you're thinking John F. Kennedy, which is what I was taught when

18:41

I was younger, you would be incorrect.

18:44

He definitely was the youngest elected to the office,

18:46

but he wasn't the youngest to serve.

18:49

Clearly, whoever became president must have been vice

18:51

president first and for whatever reason became

18:54

president.

18:55

Anyway, I'll let you ponder over that question for

18:57

a bit and I'll let you know the answer at the end of

18:59

this podcast. On

19:05

August 23rd, the summer event

19:07

Ahsoka arrives on Disney Plus.

19:10

Witness the thrilling adventure of former Jedi

19:12

Knight Ahsoka Tano as she uncovers

19:14

a disturbing new threat to the galaxy far,

19:16

far away. Don't miss the two-episode

19:19

premiere event of the highly anticipated Star

19:21

Wars series Ahsoka, streaming

19:23

August 23rd, only on Disney

19:25

Plus.

19:26

What's up? It's Kaylee Cuoco. When

19:29

it comes to travel, we all have a happy place.

19:31

I just went to my happy place. I just went to Maui

19:34

and it was truly amazing. Price Line has always

19:36

been about getting you to your happy place

19:38

for a happy price with deals you really can't

19:40

find anywhere else. Like up to 60% off

19:43

select hotels in Costa Rica or

19:45

five-star hotels for two-star prices in Cabo.

20:00

Speaking of your automobile, you can't baby

20:02

your car too much these days. Immediate

20:05

attention to the little faults will keep your car rolling,

20:07

add to its life and economy. Items

20:10

such as having your spark plugs cleaned regularly

20:13

can do a great deal towards stretching your gasoline

20:15

ration. It only takes a few minutes

20:17

for an expert with special equipment to clean your

20:19

spark plugs. And while he cleans them,

20:22

he will examine and properly gap them. Ask

20:24

your local car dealer, your service man, or

20:27

any one of the thousands of AutoLight spark

20:29

plug dealers for plug-check inspection

20:32

service. It can increase your mileage

20:34

as much as 12%, according

20:36

to tests conducted by the American Automobile Association.

20:39

If any of the plugs are found worn or faulty,

20:42

replace them with new AutoLight spark

20:44

plugs. AutoLight spark plugs

20:46

are ignition engineered. They

20:49

have proved to be dependable and long-lasting.

20:52

That's why many builders of cars, trucks

20:54

and mighty war vehicles use

20:56

AutoLight spark plugs as original equipment.

20:59

They know the name

21:00

AutoLight means precision

21:02

manufacturing.

21:05

That commercial for AutoLight is from the March

21:07

21st, 1944 broadcast of

21:09

the radio program, Everything for

21:11

the Boys. The

21:14

show was designed to be a morale booster for our

21:16

troops during World War II, and big

21:19

stars of the day, which included Ingrid Bergman,

21:21

Greer Garson, Ginger Rogers, and Loretta Young,

21:23

and so on, they would come on and

21:25

perform in famous plays,

21:27

and then later on in the series there would

21:29

be some musical numbers.

21:32

This particular episode included a performance

21:34

of the play The Girl in the Read, and

21:37

it starred Ronald Coleman and Martha Scott.

21:40

The last third of the episode included a

21:42

reading of a letter that was penned by a soldier

21:45

in a prisoner of war camp,

21:46

and that was then followed by a shortwave radio

21:49

conversation between the stars and two

21:51

Canadian soldiers that were stationed in Naples,

21:53

Italy.

21:55

And as you just heard, the show was sponsored

21:57

by AutoLight spark plugs.

22:00

The company began its life as the Fisher Manufacturing

22:03

Company and their main product line was

22:05

electric starting and lighting for cars and motorboats,

22:08

hence the name Auto Light.

22:11

In 1911 the company dropped the Fisher

22:14

name and they reorganized the electric auto

22:16

light company in Toledo, Ohio. But

22:19

it wouldn't be until 1935 that

22:21

the company president, Royce G. Martin,

22:24

he would push the company into the manufacturing

22:27

of spark plugs.

22:29

With ceramic engineer Robert Twelves hitting

22:31

the design team, they produced

22:33

their first spark plug at their Fostoria,

22:35

Ohio plant the following year.

22:38

Which means that the company was relatively new

22:41

to the spark plug game when they opted to sponsor

22:43

the show, you know everything for the boys.

22:47

Auto Light would continue to expand their product line

22:49

and it was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1961.

22:53

But the federal government filed an antitrust

22:55

lawsuit against Ford and that dragged on

22:58

in the courts for years.

23:00

Finally in 1972 the

23:02

US Supreme Court ruled against Ford and

23:05

they sold Auto Light to the Bendix Corporation

23:07

the following year. Today

23:11

Auto Light spark plugs are manufactured by the first

23:13

brands group

23:14

and they just happen to own Trico wiper

23:16

blades, Fram filters and a number of

23:18

other automotive parts suppliers.

23:24

And now we're up to the segment that I've been calling Footnotes

23:26

to History and these are just short stories

23:28

that there's little more to tell about so

23:30

I'm just going to read them word for word and

23:33

here's the first one.

23:35

This appeared on page one of the Detroit Free Press

23:38

on January 21st of 1933. The

23:42

headline reads Boy hides heroism in

23:44

fear of spanking. Alma

23:47

January 20th.

23:49

Because Hugh Hanson 7 years old got his

23:51

clothes wet and feared of spanking when

23:53

he got home, he did not mention

23:56

that he had saved the life of a playmate Paul

23:58

Cowles the same age who

23:59

who had broken through thin ice in Pine

24:02

River while sliding.

24:05

Hugh pulled Paul out and took him home,

24:07

then sneaked quietly into his own house

24:09

and hung up his clothes.

24:12

Friday morning Paul's mother called in the Hanson

24:14

home to thank the boy for his heroism and

24:17

Mrs. Hanson heard of the incident for the first

24:20

time.

24:24

Next up we have a story that appeared in the December 7, 1949 edition of

24:26

the Akron Beacon Journal

24:29

on page 38.

24:32

The headline reads, Never apply

24:34

in triplicate, Thad's fingerprints

24:36

IQs don't match, Detroit, Michigan

24:39

United Press.

24:42

Thaddeus Holowinski, 26, today

24:44

regretted his enthusiasm for getting on the

24:46

Detroit police force.

24:48

Two years ago he sent his brother Stanley 30

24:51

to take the written examination for him.

24:54

Stanley scored 98 and was given

24:56

an intelligence quotient of 128.

25:00

However, the application lapsed when Thaddeus

25:02

failed to appear for a physical examination.

25:06

Then Thaddeus took a crack at the written examination.

25:10

He flumped with a 56 and had an IQ of 85.

25:15

He sent Stanley back for another written test

25:17

November 12 and his brother scored 107. Then

25:22

Thaddeus sent Jan Huminiuk 35 to

25:24

take the physical examination for him.

25:28

But authorities decided Thaddeus couldn't have an

25:30

IQ of 128 one day and 85 another.

25:35

And I love this part, they also knew he

25:37

couldn't have three different sets of fingerprints.

25:40

Thaddeus Stanley and Jan will be sentenced

25:42

December 20. And

25:46

I did find the follow up story for that.

25:48

This is from the December 21, 1949 publication

25:51

of the Lansing State Journal on page 12.

25:55

The headline is Police Force Candidate Sentence

25:57

to $50 Fine. That's

25:59

about $600. $130 today. Detroit

26:03

December 21 Associated Press Thaddeus

26:07

Holowinski ended up yesterday on the receiving

26:10

end instead of the enforcing end of the law.

26:13

He was fined $50 in traffic court.

26:17

His brother Stanley, a Michigan State college

26:19

student, was placed on four months probation

26:22

for posing as Thaddeus at a written examination

26:24

for the police department.

26:27

The son, who many aquas, also placed on

26:29

probation for taking the police physical

26:31

examination for Thaddeus.

26:34

It was all an attempt to get Thaddeus on the force

26:36

the three admitted.

26:41

And our third story comes from the December 3,

26:45

1952 publication of the Los Angeles Times

26:47

and this appeared on page 36.

26:49

The headline reads, Cat Quits After Five

26:52

Years As Food Taster. London,

26:55

December 2, Reuters. Whiskers,

26:58

a seven-year-old ginger tomcat, has retired

27:00

after a five-year service as chief taster

27:03

in a cat food factory.

27:06

Whiskers ate his way into a full-time job when

27:08

he was two years old.

27:10

His owner, David Watkins, answered an advertisement

27:13

for a cat food taster.

27:15

After a medical examination, Whiskers found

27:17

himself on the staff of a factory.

27:19

Quote, We

27:20

were paid a nominal amount for Whiskers services,

27:22

Watkins said.

27:24

We used to go see him at the factory and his employers

27:27

paid our fares. He sampled

27:29

every batch of food they made. He

27:31

is still in beautiful condition, but

27:33

I think his boss felt that Whiskers could do with a

27:36

change.

27:38

Whiskers today was back with the Watkins family

27:40

playing with the children, Richard Six and

27:42

Teresa Three.

27:45

The factory will give Whiskers a gold medal

27:47

engraved, quote,

27:49

to Whiskers for loyal service.

27:59

that's in Oklahoma, on page 9.

28:03

The headline reads, False Radio

28:05

News Report Sends Man on Frantic

28:07

Drive.

28:09

Aftermath of a false or greatly exaggerated

28:12

radio news report Thursday afternoon could

28:14

have ended in tragedy for a Love County

28:17

family. The

28:19

report from a Texas radio station said that Charles

28:21

Young, employee of a petty

28:23

seismograph crew here, had been blinded

28:25

in both eyes when a battery exploded.

28:30

Mr. Young's father, who lives at Fackersville,

28:32

heard the report and immediately made a very

28:34

fast and anxious trip to Medill.

28:37

When he reached the office of the Seismograph Company

28:40

here, he was assured that there was nothing

28:42

to the rumor.

28:45

Actually Young received a cut over his eye

28:47

two days previously when an overhanging

28:50

tree branch struck him in the eye while he was driving

28:52

a company truck.

28:54

He was given emergency treatment at the Medill

28:56

Hospital Tuesday and dismissed.

29:00

Although the injury was painful, it was not

29:02

serious and did not impair his vision.

29:06

The elder Miss Young reached Medill without mishap,

29:08

patrolled at breakneck speed to do so.

29:11

So great was his anxiety.

29:17

And our last tidbit for today is from the November 11,

29:19

1966 edition of the Manchester Evening

29:23

News and this appeared on page 3.

29:26

I should mention it was written by Cynthia Lowry.

29:29

The headline is Sound of Music 864 times.

29:31

I have to tell you, I've seen it

29:34

a bunch of times, but not 864

29:37

times. Here

29:40

we go. Have you ever seen a film

29:43

more than once? Well, I must

29:45

admit that I saw South Pacific twice in

29:47

the King and I a few times, but

29:49

a second viewing is never as enjoyable as

29:51

the first

29:53

and however exciting the production, one

29:55

always becomes slightly bored knowing

29:58

how the story is going to end.

30:01

At least that has always been my experience, but recently

30:03

I met a remarkable lady who has seen a certain

30:05

film no less than 864 times,

30:09

establishing a record which has made her famous

30:12

all over the world. The

30:15

picture in question is the sound of music, and

30:17

the earnest and ever loyal spectator, Mrs.

30:20

Myra Franklin, a 47-year-old

30:22

widow from Cardiff.

30:25

Devon-born Mrs. Franklin, who is a grandmother

30:27

but lives alone, her one son

30:29

being in the RAF, has had

30:31

a story told all over the globe and

30:34

her feat has become an item of amazement

30:36

in her home town.

30:40

I feel that the film is a part of me, she says,

30:43

and I always find it breathtaking on every occasion

30:45

I see it. It really is

30:48

magnificent and the outstanding motion

30:50

picture of our time. The

30:52

different expressions on the face of Julie Andrews are

30:54

like the facets of a precious ruby which

30:57

one turns in the light.

30:59

They change all the time and she

31:02

lives her role rather than axe it.

31:05

But alas, unhappy days are ahead for Mrs.

31:08

Franklin.

31:09

The theatre which has shown the film since April of

31:11

last year and which gave her

31:13

a free seat after her 57th visit

31:16

is to change its program.

31:19

What will Mrs. Franklin do?

31:21

I've already written the script

31:23

out three times, she told me, and

31:26

now I intend setting it out again describing

31:29

everything in detail. I know

31:31

all of it by heart.

31:34

These words are obviously spoken with sadness

31:36

and a heavy heart, however, although

31:38

it is virtually certain that when she goes to see

31:40

her relations in Plymouth at Christmas time,

31:43

Mrs. Franklin will go see the sound of music

31:45

which is showing in the town.

31:48

She will probably not have a free ticket but this

31:50

will not matter.

31:52

For Mrs. Franklin, it is sure to

31:54

be a reunion with old friends in more ways

31:56

than one and what a tribute

31:58

she will be making to the optimal

31:59

aligned entertainment industry.

32:03

I should say, if you've never seen the sound

32:05

of music, you really should. It

32:07

is a little bit dated, but it is a fun

32:09

movie.

32:14

So early in the podcast, I'd ask you who

32:16

was the youngest man to ever serve as president

32:19

of the United States. Did you

32:21

know the answer? Well, it

32:23

was Teddy Roosevelt.

32:26

He was sworn in as president on September

32:28

14th of 1901, after the assassination of President

32:32

McKinley in Buffalo, New York. The

32:35

vice-presenter McKinley's first term was

32:37

Garrett Hobart, but he passed away

32:39

on November 21st, 1899.

32:43

So when he sought re-election in 1900, McKinley

32:46

was in need of a new vice-president.

32:49

Roosevelt was governor of New York at the time,

32:51

he was a rising star in the Republican

32:53

Party, so he was selected

32:56

for the job.

32:58

He was 42 years, 322 days old when he assumed the office of the presidency.

33:04

Now compare that with JFK's age of 43 years, 236

33:06

days.

33:09

So if I'm doing my math correctly, Roosevelt

33:11

was 279 days younger than Kennedy was when he

33:15

became president.

33:19

Well, I hope you enjoyed hearing all those stories. My

33:22

personal favorite today was the story of the family

33:24

needing the goat to rent the house.

33:27

I stumbled across that one back in June,

33:30

shortly after I completed the last retro cast,

33:32

and I just knew that one had to be included

33:34

in this episode.

33:36

Anyway, just a reminder, if you've enjoyed this

33:39

episode or the podcast in general, I would

33:41

greatly appreciate if you could share it with someone, whether

33:43

that's your Reddit, Facebook X, the

33:46

site formerly known as Twitter, or by

33:48

whatever means you think will help grow my

33:50

audience.

33:51

And whatever you can do to help spread the word, please

33:54

be assured that it's greatly appreciated. It

33:56

truly is.

33:58

You can find the useless information.

33:59

podcasts wherever you get your podcasts,

34:02

so be sure to subscribe. The

34:05

Useless Information Podcast is part of

34:07

the Airwave Media Podcast Network, so

34:10

be sure to visit airwavemedia.com

34:12

where you will find a curated selection of some

34:14

of the best podcasts not just in

34:16

history, but also science, wellness,

34:18

education, and the arts.

34:21

Anyway, as always, thanks for listening and

34:23

take care everyone.

34:24

Bye. Welcome

34:27

to the future in this year's wireless

34:30

super fun show for adults. Hey

34:32

gang, it's Josh Olson. And Joe Dante.

34:35

And we want to tell you about our podcast. It's about movies.

34:37

Josh, there are a thousand podcasts about movies.

34:40

Sure, but ours is different, Joe. That's true, actually.

34:42

Our guests are writers, directors, musicians, comedians,

34:45

actors. Hell, we even have other podcasters on.

34:47

We play no favorites, and they don't talk so much

34:50

about their own work, but about the movies that

34:52

have influenced them and made them who they are. We call

34:54

it the movies that made me. We've talked with people like Guillermo

34:56

del Toro, Little Stevie Van Zandt, Martin Short, Ethan

34:58

Hawke, William Friedkin, Barbara Krampton, Jonathan Ross, Dennis LaHane, Mark

35:00

Duplass, Adam McKay, Lorraine Newman, Jason Reitman, Alice Landers, Elijah

35:02

Wood, Stephen Canals, Eli Roth, Joe Bob Briggs, Roger Corman, Bobcat Goldthwait,

35:04

Eliana Douglas, Dana Gould, Martin Campbell, Shane Black, Albert Hughes, Emily Deschanel,

35:06

Jell-O-Bay Afra, Larry Fessender, Nicole Hall, Senator Shaka King, Lee Daniels, Rosalind Chow, Clancy

35:09

Brown, Yardley Smith, Mike Merrill, Steve Arkett, Thomas Middleton, Gina Prince-Whitewood, and Ove

35:11

Bol. It may not be high bro,

35:13

but it's lots of fun. Subscribe for free

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thrill you as never before.

35:27

Do you love history but hate when it's stuffy

35:29

and boring? Well, look no further and

35:31

join me, Katie Charlewood, your friendly neighborhood

35:33

social scientist and reader of books,

35:36

as I delve into unsolved historical

35:38

mysteries, murders by gaslight,

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and of course, women who have been

35:44

misrepresented through all time, on

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Who Did What

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Now?, the history podcast that's not your history

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class. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.