An Old Timey Podcast

For decades, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were the undisputed queens of advice columns. They had millions of loyal readers. They were celebrated public figures. Their columns stood out for being sassy, sharp, and at times, shockingly progressive. But, behind the scenes, the twin sisters had a contentious, competitive relationship. In this episode, we set the scene for the women they would one day become. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale “Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren “Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post “Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times “The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com “Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel “Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN “Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times “Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Wipe your slate clean of everything you *think* you know about the pet rock. You’ll marble (err, marvel) over its true history! Its inventor, Gary Dahl, thought he’d created a novelty gift that was set in stone. Imagine his surprise when the pet rock’s popularity began to crumble. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken it for granite? Ehh?? Get it?? In this episode, Kristin also addresses the often-asked question about whether she’s still friends with her former Let’s Go To Court co-host. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:  “Amazon.Com: Pet Rock - The Original by Gary Dahl : Pet Supplies.” Accessed July 10, 2025. https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Rock-Authentic-Approved-Original/dp/B07KN9FK4B Bredt, Ted. “Has Success Spoiled ‘pet Rock’ Potentate? Outside of 3 Houses, 4 Mercedes Benzes, and the Best Saloon in Los Gatos, No.” The Salt Lake Tribune, February 20, 1977. Coakley, Michael. “The Anatomy of a Fad: Pet Rock.” The Boston Globe, February 26, 1976. Curtin, Andrew. “A Million-Dollar Pet Project.” San Francisco Examiner, December 25, 1975. Dahl, Gary. “Why Didn’t I Think of That! At a Bar One Day, Gary Dahl Dreamed up the Pet Rock.” Courier Post, October 10, 1982. Giuca, Linda. “Are You Sure It Won’t Bite?” Hartford Courant, December 17, 1975. Horning, Jay. “Pet Rock Secured a Solid Future for Its ‘Father.’” Tampa Bay Times, May 9, 1982. “How a Los Gatos Barroom Boast Led to the Pet Rock and Followed Gary Dahl until His Dying Day.” The Mercury News, April 3, 2015. https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/04/03/how-a-los-gatos-barroom-boast-led-to-the-pet-rock-and-followed-gary-dahl-until-his-dying-day/. Isaacs, Stan. “Teen’s Idea Was as Solid as a Rock.” Newsday (Nassau Edition), November 21, 1975. LaBelle, Tom. “Career Opportunity of a Lifetime!” The Grand Rapids Press, October 13, 1976. Leap, Barbara. “From Little Rocks, Some Big Fortunes Grow.” Courier Post, December 5, 1975. Legacy.Com. “Gary Dahl Obituary (1936 - 2015) - San Jose, CA - AL.Com (Mobile).” Accessed July 11, 2025. https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/mobile/name/gary-dahl-obituary?pid=174533679. Mason, Margaret. “It Was a Gamble, a Risk. But the Pet Rock Paid Off.” Pensacola News Journal, December 25, 1977. McKinney, Joan. “‘Rock Bottom’ Goes Sky High.” Oakland Tribune, December 25, 1975. “Pet Rock Page.” Accessed July 10, 2025. https://www.virtualpet.com/vp/farm/petrock/petrock.htm. Po1sonator. “TIL about the craze of Pet Rocks in 1975. For about 6 months, they sold over one million Pet Rocks for $4 each. It was just a rock in a box with some straw and a care manual for tricks to teach. The creator had the idea in a bar as his friends complained about their pets.” Reddit Post. R/Todayilearned, February 2, 2021. https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/lajcy8/til_about_the_craze_of_pet_rocks_in_1975_for/. “Press Release.” April 5, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020405084047/http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/2000win.htm. Robertson, Blair. “The Pet Rock: A Classic Tale of American Business.” Carroll County Times, December 7, 1999. Rock Island Argus. “Pet Rock Promoter Opens Own Saloon.” March 6, 1977. Spokane Chronicle. “Stoned? Pet Rocks Need Little Care, Love.” November 7, 1975. The Desert Sun. “From the Man Who Brought You Pet Rock...” October 4, 1978. The Pet Rock: A Classic Tale of American Business. n.d.

It took countless efforts and nearly three decades to convince Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda that World War II was over. When those efforts finally paid off, Hiroo Onoda went home to Japan. He received a hero’s welcome. But did he deserve it? Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769. “Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/. “Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda. New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html. Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999. “Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years. Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974. The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

World War II was over. (Really. Truly.) But a group of Japanese soldiers stationed on Lubang Island in the Philippines weren’t convinced. They didn’t believe that Japan had surrendered. So they kept fighting. They terrorized locals. They evaded capture. Over the course of several years, Japanese officials made multiple attempts to convince the soldiers that the war had ended. Each time, Hiroo Onoda dismissed those attempts as enemy propaganda. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769. “Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/. “Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda. New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html. Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999. “Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years. Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974. The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

As a second lieutenant in the Japanese Army, Hiroo Onoda took his job seriously. He’d been ordered to lead guerilla warfare missions on Lubang Island in the Philippines. He was told to never surrender. And when he received word that World War II had ended, Hiroo was certain that the message was a trick. So, he kept fighting. He kept fighting until 1974 – nearly 29 years after the war ended. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769. “Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/. “Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda. New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html. Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999. “Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years. Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974. The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In the finale of our series on The Donner Party, rescue groups head off for Truckee Lake and Alder Creek, hoping to save as many survivors as they could. For many members of The Donner Party, the rescue crews came too late. Some had died. Others were too depleted to make the journey back to safety. Ultimately, of the 87 members of The Donner Party, 41 died. The survivors did their best to lead normal lives, but many of them struggled. They carried unspeakable trauma. They were judged. They faced prying questions. Through it all, they tried their best to settle in to the place they’d fought so hard to call home. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown “The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis The documentary, “The Donner Party” “How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com “Refurbished Castro-Breen Adobe offers visitors a glimpse into state history,” Gilroy Dispatch “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” National Museum of Civil War Medicine Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

By the winter of 1846, the Donner Party found themselves in the exact scenario they’d been dreading. They were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, pummeled by snowstorms. Their food supply dwindled. They knew that if they stayed put, they’d all be doomed. So, a group of men, women, and children set off to get help. They thought their journey would last six days. They thought wrong. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown “The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis The documentary, “The Donner Party” “How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

By the time they realized what they’d done, it was too late. Hastings Cutoff turned out to not be much of a cutoff at all. In fact, it was more time consuming and taxing than the regular California Trail. As a result, members of the Donner Party grew hungry. They grew thirsty. Their oxen, horses and dogs suffered. Some died. Some ran away. They ran low on time. People snapped at one another. The group knew that they’d have to do something desperate to survive. So, they sent a few men ahead. They prayed the men would come back with help – before it was too late. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown “The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis The documentary, “The Donner Party” “How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

The Donner Party was at a crossroads. They’d made good progress on their journey to California, but they were still about a week behind schedule. Lansford Hasting’s new shortcut appealed to the worried group. But an experienced explorer warned them against it. The man told them that the shortcut might kill them. They didn’t listen. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown “The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis The documentary, “The Donner Party” “How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

This episode kicks off our coverage of an infamous American tragedy – the Donner Party. In the mid-1800’s, a group that would later be known as the Donner Party set out West in search of a better life. The California and Oregon Trails were notoriously tough. The journey was dangerous, unpredictable and long. So, when an irresponsible, self-serving douchebag named Lansford Hastings began touting a shortcut to California, members of the Donner Party were intrigued. Could there really be a faster way to California? Tragically, Lansford was full of shit. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown “The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis The documentary, “The Donner Party” “How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com “Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

To this day, the Bath School Disaster of 1927 remains the deadliest mass murder in a school in American history, yet it isn’t often discussed. In this episode, Norm covers May 18, 1927, when school board member Andrew Kehoe set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others. That act of domestic terrorism forever changed the small community of Bath, Michigan. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:  Bath School Museum. “Bath School Museum.” https://bathschoolmuseum.org/. Bernstein, Arnie. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing. The University of Michigan Press, 2009. “Merrian Josephine Cushman Vail (1913-2013) - Find...” Accessed July 17, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6056318/merrian_josephine-vail. Parker, Grant. Mayday. Liberty Press, 1980. Schechter, Harold. Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer. Little A, 2021. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

It was unspeakable. Unthinkable. In 1927, a school board member set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others. That act of domestic terrorism became known as the Bath School disaster. It rocked the small farming community of Bath Township, Michigan, and left people wondering how a seemingly “normal” man like Andrew Kehoe could have done something so terrible. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Bath School Museum. Bath School Museum. https://bathschoolmuseum.org/. Bernstein, A. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing; The University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, 2009. Schechter, H. Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer; Little A: New York, 2021. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In the late 70s, disco was everywhere. Songs like “Disco Inferno,” “I Will Survive” and “Brick House” topped the charts. Disco had been created and embraced by Black people, Latino people, LGBT+ people, and women. It was fun and funky. It was freeing and empowering. …but *some* folks didn’t like having disco balls shoved in their faces. So, when a 24-year-old Chicago shock jock began hosting “death to disco” rallies at local bars, he developed a loyal following of young, disgruntled dudes. The shock jock’s popularity soon caught the eye of the Chicago White Sox. They needed to sell tickets for an upcoming doubleheader. What if they ran a “Disco Demolition Night” promotion? It would be totally fun! Things definitely wouldn’t get out of hand! Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: The documentary, “The Saint of Second Chances” The documentary, “The War on Disco” “When ‘Disco Sucks!’ echoed around the world,” by Tony Scalafani for Today.com “Disco demolition: Bell-bottoms be gone!” by Andy Behrens for ESPNChicago.com “We rock ‘n’ rollers will resist – and we will triumph!” by Kirstin Butler for PBS.org “Forty years later, disagreement about disco demolition night,” by Gary Waleik for WBUR.org “Baseball’s showman,” by Nick Acocella for ESPN.com Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

In 1981, American Airlines offered an incredible deal. For just $250k, people could purchase a lifetime pass that entitled them to unlimited first class travel, anywhere the airline flew, for the rest of their lives. People could also purchase a companion pass that would allow anyone to fly with them. They called it the AAirpass. It didn’t take long for the airline to discover that they’d priced the AAirpass too low. Way too low. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The frequent fliers who flew too much,” by Ken Bensinger for the Los Angeles Times “My father had a lifelong ticket to fly anywhere. Then they took it away,” by Caroline Rothstein for Narratively “The rise and demise of the AAirpass, American Airlines’ $250k lifetime ticket,” by Zachary Crockett for thehustle.co “‘Free’quent flier has wings clipped after American Airlines takes away his unlimited pass,” by Kate Briquelet, for the New York Post “Extreme frequent fliers sue American Airlines over loss of unlimited lifetime ticket,” by Erin McLaughlin for ABC News Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Here’s a true story: In 1848, an iron rod shot through a man’s head. It smashed up under his cheekbone and came out the top of his skull. Ready for the wild part? Despite the fact that the iron rod destroyed much of his brain’s left frontal lobe, he survived. Phineas Gage’s story baffled the medical community. His injury became one of the most talked-about medical events of the 19th century. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Caulfield, Margo. “Cavendish Historical Society News: Phineas Gage Walking Tour.” Cavendish Historical Society News (blog), May 16, 2013. https://cavendishhistoricalsocietynews.blogspot.com/2013/05/phineas-gage-walking-tour.html. MacMillan, Malcom. An Odd Kind of Fame: Stories of Phineas Gage. MIT Press, 2002. “ The Case of Phineas Gage (1823 - 1860) · Beyond the Bone Box,” n.d. https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/beyond-the-bone-box/the-case-of-phineas-gage. The University of Akron, Ohio. “Anniversary at Cavendish,” n.d. https://www.uakron.edu/gage/anniversary.dot. Twomey, Steve. “Phineas Gage: Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient.” Smithsonian Magazine, n.d. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/.

Back in their day, the seven Sutherland sisters were a household name. They were celebrated for their outrageously long, thick hair. For years, audiences gathered ‘round to watch the sisters undo their updos. Audiences gasped as the sisters’ hair tumbled, in unison, to the floor. Soon, money poured in. The sisters spent every cent of it. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “How 7 sisters made a fortune off their Rapunzel-like hair,” by Maria Ricapito for Atlas Obscura “Untangling the tale of the seven Sutherland sisters and their 37 feet of hair,” by Lisa Hix for Collectors Weekly “Introducing the amazing seven Sutherland sisters,” by Brandon Stickney for sideshowworld.com “Tressed for success,” by Dianne L. Sammarco and Kathleen L. Rounds for The Buffalo News “The Seven Sutherland Sisters,” by Dianne L. Sammarco and Kathleen L. Rounds for newengland.com “Hocus Pocus – Untangling the Sutherland Sisters,” by Linda Secca Spina for lindaseccaspina.wordpress.com “Showplace of the countryside was the seven sisters’ mansion,” by Arch Merrill for The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle “The amazing seven Sutherland sisters,” by Ferdinand Meyer V for peachridgeglass.com “Show and Tell: Seven Sutherland sisters’ hair grower,” by Stassa Edwards for Mental Floss

Alan Abel was driving down a Texas highway when traffic came to a sudden stop. As it turned out, a herd of cattle was crossing the road. How annoying! Then – shock of all shocks – a cow and a bull started mating, right there, in the middle of the road, IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYBODY. Some motorists giggled. Some averted their eyes. Some were shocked.  Alan couldn’t believe what was happening. Didn’t those animals have any decency? Didn’t they have any common sense? Someone needed to create some rules! The way Alan saw it, the world would be a much better place if we started putting clothing on animals. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “Society for indecency to naked animals,” NPR.org “Alan Abel, history’s greatest hoaxer,” by Jake Rossen for Mental Floss “The fine art of hoaxing,” by Dave Von Drehle for The Arizona Republic The documentary, “Abel Raises Cain” “College may ban animal nudity,” by Andrew T. Weil for The Harvard Crimson “The campaign to make ‘indecent’ animals wear clothing,” by Zachary Crockett for Priceonomics.com “Underwear for Horses? A hoax, cemented in print,” The New York Times The album, “Inside SINA” “10 questions for the best prankster ever,” by Nicole Tourtelot for Esquire “The more you weigh, the more you pay,” by Joshua Foer for Esquire

Picture it. Ontario. 1953. It was Robert and Phyllis Kearns’ wedding night. Bob did his best to open the champagne, but the cork shot out and smacked him square in the eye. He screamed! Phyllis screamed! There was blood everywhere! Bob ultimately went blind in that eye, but the experience got him thinking about eyes and how they work. So, years later, when he was driving in the rain and his one-speed windshield wipers went too fast for the sprinkle, he thought to himself, “I wish windshield wipers worked more like an eyelid.” And since Bob had a PhD in mechanical engineering, he immediately got to work on the first intermittent windshield wiper. Things went great for a minute! …and then they got terrible. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from: “The flash of genius,” by John Seabrook for The New Yorker “Inventor Winning Long Legal Battle With Auto Maker : Patents: Robert Kearns developed the intermittent windshield wiper more than 20 years ago. He claims the car companies stole his idea.” by James Risen for the Los Angeles Times “An obsession with justice and auto parts,” by Michael Cieply for The New York Times “Accomplished, frustrated inventor dies,” by Matt Schudel for the Washington Post “The epic, decades-long battle between Ford and a small-time inventor,” by Zachary Crockett for The Hustle “Wiper man Robert Kearns won his patent fight with Ford, but that didn’t mean he was out of the woods,” by Ken Gross for People.com “Alabama woman stuck in NYC traffic in 1902 invented the windshield wiper,” by Joe Palca for NPR “Who made that windshield wiper?” by Dashka Slater for The New York Times Magazine

The Great Depression hit James Cash Penney hard. It decimated his finances. It worried him. It humbled him. After some soul searching, he came to realize that he could make a comeback. JC Penney the man proved to himself, and the world, that he still had something to offer. But the story didn’t end quite as sweetly for JCPenney the store. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993. Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017. Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

James Cash Penney had an ambitious dream. He wanted to own 50 Golden Rule stores. Over the course of just a few years, he achieved that dream and then some. But tough lessons in his personal life taught him that financial success wasn’t everything. So, he pulled back. He reevaluated his life. He travelled. He sought counsel from his pastor. He even bought a ticket on the Titanic! Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993. Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017. Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.