Out Of My Mind

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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

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.

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.

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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 is...well, you'll have to listen. It's another Out Of My Mind Short Story.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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...