Out Of My Mind

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The new season of Out Of My Mind features little-known stories about well-known stuff. Why do we all graduate to the same marching song? What accident led to the discovery of decaffeinated coffee? Who was the real Peter Pan? Host Jay Douglas tells the tale of these and other head-scratchers every we…

The Theater of Your Mind


    • Dec 18, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 6m AVG DURATION
    • 50 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Out Of My Mind

    A Christmas Shepherd (Ep. 064)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2018 30:00


    In this episode of the Out Of My Mind podcast, host Jay Douglas got Eugene and Tom together for a lively discussion of Shepherd, his art, his frustrations and his battle with his own ego over A Christmas Story.

    Twisted (Ep. 063)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2018 8:00


    Little did Albert J. Parkhouse know when he twisted a pair of wires into a fancy hook to hang up his winter coat the frustration he was about to unleash.

    No More Horsing Around (Ep. 062)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2018 8:00


    Jay Douglas tells the story of how the bankruptcy of Hansom cab inventor James Hansom, and a crooked cab driver in New York brought motorized cabs to the city.

    What? A Coincidence? (Ep. 061)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2018 8:00


    In Episode 061, Jay Douglas throws a party to explain how coincidences are the results of science and math and not some glitch in the Matrix.

    Pardon Me Is That A Ford In Your Salad? (Ep. 060)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2018 8:00


    What started out as a simple story - the history of Bac*Os, the bacon substitute - went awry. And then there's this guy who doesn't belong in a story about food.

    Rock And Role Model (Ep. 059)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2018 8:00


    In the 1960s six DJs, the WMCA Good Guys, ruled the New York City airwaves. But, the real story is the unlikely person who made that happen.

    Good Vibrations (Ep. 058)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2018 8:00


    In Episode 58, Out Of My Mind podcast host Jay Douglas traces the rise and fall of an American icon and symbol of the freedom of the open road.

    Have A Heart (Ep. 057)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2018 8:00


    That the familiar heart shape looks nothing like a human heart is obvious to anyone who's ever taken high school biology. But why? In Episode 57, Jay Douglas digs through 2500 years of history to find out what went wrong.

    Hit Music (Ep. 056)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2018 6:59


    It's hard to believe that people singing he third most-often sung song in the country don't know its words. In this episode, Out Of My Mind podcast host Jay Douglas tells the story of what may be America's most misunderstood song.

    High Society (Ep. 055)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2018 6:59


    As Baby Boomers return to marijuana, Out Of My Mind podcast host Jay Douglas tells the story of why getting high in your sixties won't be the same as getting high in the sixties. With guest Patti Gordon.

    She’s Not There (Ep. 054)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2017 6:00


    Why didn't the first woman radio baseball announcer live on in the annals history? Jay Douglas tells the story, and the breakfast cereal behind her non-career.

    The Shocking Truth About Video Games (Ep. 053)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2017 6:00


    Pong, and the video games that followed, owe a debt of gratitude (if not royalties) to William Castle. But he was only trying to scare the pants off America.

    Question Authority (Ep. 052)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2017 5:00


    The US Constitution, has a problem. Strictly speaking, it isn't any more legal than a bank robbery. In Episode 52, a story that's  going to make your head hurt.

    Woman’s Work (Ep. 051)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2017 5:00


    Was Jimmy Buffett right in singing, "Some people claim that there's a woman to blame?" In Episode 51, Jay Douglas tells the story of Grace Murray Hopper's role in Y2K.

    Spy Catcher (Ep. 050)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2017 5:00


    When did Moe Berg become a spy, and when did we know it? In Episode 50, Out Of My Mind, the story of the most enigmatic spy ever to don a baseball uniform.

    Always On Your Mind (Ep. 049)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 49, Jay Douglas tells the story of the man behind the modern radio jingle and that tune you just can't get out of your head.

    On The Record (Ep. 048)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2017 5:00


    Iin the 1930s, two media titans fought over a replacement for the 78rpm record. In Episode 48, podcast host Jay Douglas tells the hole story of their brawl (not a typo).

    Whose Lion Is It Anyway (Ep. 047)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2017 5:00


    So you know Howard Dietz, who came up with the idea for M-G-M's Leo the Lion, was inspired by the mascot of Columbia University. Well, here's what you don't know.

    It Remains To Be Seen (Ep. 046)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 46 of Out Of My Mind, host Jay Douglas tells the story of those letters on today's eye chart and how Herman Snellen blinded us with science.

    Financial Training (Ep. 045)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 45, host Jay Douglas tells the story of New York City's impenetrable Money Trains, and the way somebody found to cash in on all those subway fares.

    Flaky (Ep. 044)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2017 5:00


    As podcast host Jay Douglas tells the story in Episode 44, when John Harvey Kellogg invented corn flakes he hoped he'd found a cure for masturbation.

    We’ll Have No More Of That (Ep. 043)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 43, host Jay Douglas explains the truth about what makes a real trivia question as told to him by trivia co-creator Dan Carlinsky.

    Tangled Web (Ep. 042)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 42 of Out Of Your Mind, the tale of the unromantic story of the World Wide Web's creator. (Hint: It's not the romantic Tim Berners-Lee.)

    Is That A Kleenex In Your Pocket Or Are You Glad To See Me? (Ep. 041)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2017 5:00


    What you know about the ordinary sneeze? In Episode 41 of Out Of Your Mind, podcast host Jay Douglas shares a secret you must keep out of the wrong hands.

    Moving Pictures (Ep. 040)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 40 of Out Of My Mind, host Jay Douglas tells the story of Thomas Edison and the invention of Hollywood.

    Lost At Sea (Ep. 039)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2017 5:00


    Why couldn't Snoopy get past, “It was a dark and stormy night?” Perhaps he was reluctant to share the story of the night when coffee lost its caffeine.

    How I Learned My ABCs (Ep. 038)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 38, Out Of My Mind podcast host Jay Douglas, tells a story of Fredericks of Hollywood, his father's foray into bras, and the greatest pick-up line ever.

    Makes You Wonder (Ep. 037)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2017 5:00


    Your parents said it to you. You said it to your kids. But do you know what you’re talking about? In Episode 37 of Out...

    Unthinkable (Ep. 036)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2017 5:00


    Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum wasn’t replaced by an artificially-intelligent computer. He was chased out his job by the one he created.

    Giving It Her Best Shot (Ep. 035)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2017 5:00


    You can't get a man with a gun? Hah. Tell that to Mary Shanley. She got a thousand of them, some of whom were women.

    We’re So Sorry Uncle Albert (Ep. 034)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2017 5:00


    Few people are betting on who's right, Albert Einstein or Gene Roddenberry. But host Jay Douglas tells a story about why a fairly new, and totally spooky, behavior might dent Einstein’s winning streak.

    Talk Of The Town (Ep. 033)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2017 5:00


    In this episode of Out Of My Mind, host Jay Douglas tells a story about how it's not only hearing New Yorkers that tawk the tawk. Deaf New Yorkers can have New York accents, too.

    Taking Your Breath Away (Ep. 032)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2017 5:00


    Host Jay Douglas tells the story of how he saved his marriage. It's a tale of anxiety, advertising, and the avoidance of a halitosis epidemic that could be traced back to his address.

    How It All Panned Out (Ep. 031)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2017 5:00


    When host Jay Douglas heard there might have been a real Peter Pan, he investigated. Here's the story of why it's a mistake know what's behind a fairy tale.

    A Little Traveling Music (Ep. 030)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 5:00


    In Episode 30 of the podcast, host Jay Douglas tells the story of why we all marched out of our high school and college graduations to the same music without, for legal reasons, naming that tune.

    Standing On Ceremony (Ep. 029)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2017 5:00


    Playing the National Anthem before a sporting event might be a good idea, but it isn't the law.

    Current Events (Ep. 028)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2017 5:00


    Why did Thomas Edison offer to buy an electric generator from his arch opponent, George Westinghouse, to use in the first execution by electric chair? Listen in.

    What's My Line (Ep. 027)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2017 5:00


    There’s lots of talk today about facts. So what better story to tell then one about Dragnet‘s Joe Friday who spent a career asking for...

    The Top Story Of 2015 (Ep. 026)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2015 9:45


    The top story of 2015 is...well, you'll have to listen. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Dogs, Cats and Little Boys (Ep. 025)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2015 7:29


    In this episode, host Jay Douglas revisits two stories about gift giving. Kevin McManus talks about giving a shelter dog or cat the gift of a good home this holiday season. Then, Time magazine columnist Joel Stein recounts his efforts to give his new son the gift of a manly father. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Beyond Santa’s Sleigh (Ep. 024)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2015 8:05


    In this episode, host Jay Douglas takes another look skyward with Dr. Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. As we scan the skies looking for Santa this holiday season, Dr. Krupp paints a fascinating picture of what lies beyond Santa's sleigh. Listen as Dr. Krupp explains why the heavens are a backdrop for the debt we owe to past and future scientists. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Rough Road Ahead (Ep. 023)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2015 8:19


    In this episode, host Jay Douglas revisits historian Kevin Kirbitz's story about the rise-fall-repeat cycle that was the life of David Dunbar Buick.

    A Holiday Gift Of Laughter (Ep. 022)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2015 7:14


    In this week's episode, host Jay Douglas revisits Mark Horowitz's delightful review of a film you might have missed while you were busy growing up: Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr in The Magic Christian. If there's a Baby Boomer on your holiday gift list, this might be the perfect item...if you don't keep it for yourself. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    From Classic Books to Comic Books (Ep. 021)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2015 8:44


    In this week's episode, host Jay Douglas prepares you for the holiday season by revisiting the joy of reading, and sharing that joy with your kids and grandkids. Join Elliott Bay Book Company booksellers Holly Meyers and Justus Joseph for reading tips ranging from the Great Books we trudged through in high school to graphic novels sure to grab the attention of young ones---and curious Baby Boomers as well. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Drawing To A Close (Ep. 020)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2015 8:49


    In Episode 20, Jay Douglas and Out Of My Mind join with newspapers across the country in celebrating comic strips. Listen as Dave Kellett and Fred Schroeder, co-producers of the documentary Stripped talk about the past, present and future of the comics.

    It’s A Scream (Ep. 019)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2015 6:04


    In this week's episode, host Jay Douglas takes you to the world of independent filmmaking and the story of scream queen Jessica Cameron, horror film actor, producer and director. While it's not unusual to be a triple hyphenate in the independent film world, it is unusual to be scared to death of your co-stars. How Jessica uses her art to overcome her fear is this week's Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Raise Your Voice (Ep. 018)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2015 8:20


    In this week's episode, host Jay Douglas takes you inside the number one fear of most Americans: the fear of public speaking. Jay combines lessons in overcoming that fear from psychologist and stage fright expert Peter Desberg with tips from Ann Utterback, Ph.D. for making your voice sound as powerful and strong as you feel behind the lectern. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

    Printing In The Third Dimension (Ep. 017)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2015 8:11


    In this week's episode, host Jay Douglas takes you to another dimension. It's the dimension of 3-D printing and how the technology is transforming not only the products we use but the lives of our children and grandchildren. It's a new Out Of My Mind Short Story with designers and innovators Tom and Tracy Hazzard.

    Our Favorite Uncle (Ep. 016)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2015 7:53


    Listen to Episode 16 on YouTube. It’s easier than listening on podcast apps. In this week’s episode, host Jay Douglas updates his earlier story on the...

    Pain, Pages And The Magic Of Rock And Roll (Ep. 015)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2015 17:16


    Listen to Episode 15 on YouTube. It’s easier than listening on podcast apps.   In this week’s episode, host Jay Douglas takes us from the pain in our...

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