The Missing Chapter Podcast

I can’t stand when people misuse the word “literally” - Some people have said, it’s literally raining cats and dogs - what???  No it’s not literally raining cats and dogs because if it were literally raining cats and dogs then I would physically see cats and dogs coming from the sky at terminal velocity, but I don’t see that, why?  Because it’s a figure of speech, it ISN’T literal. And now, I’m ab...

Well today, on this episode of the Missing Chapter, we are featuring Richard Graziano, a member of the Army Reserve for over 20 years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel prior to his retirement. Richard joins us today, to honor Memorial day by talking about the history of a forgotten story - the Four Chaplains. And apart from all of the tech issues we’ve had, we found a way to get around som...

It’s our honor and pleasure to have back to the Missing Chapter, Dawn McKinney.  The winner of our Hometown History competition and an exceptional teacher from Lincoln, CA, Dawn is back with us for a follow-up interview - highlighting her experiences with her class, delving deeper into her award-winning story, and reminiscing about what she thought of the episode from Season 3.   Join us today and...

In just within the past few years, the population of the world has crested the 8 billion mark. With the heightened advances in medicine, technology, fitness, safety, food production, all of it has contributed to a general rise in life expectancy and life production.  It’s quite remarkable!  But not in the slowly shrinking village located in the valleys of Shikoku, Japan.  With the life of a villag...

Humans have worked for centuries to attempt to capture and use the sun’s energy. With the decades-long usage of solar-powered technologies, have you ever wondered how harnessing this power was successful in the first place? Enter Mária Telkes, a hungarian-born biophysicist, chemical engineer and inventor who had a vision for the practical application of solar energy. Her near-50 year devotion to s...

The eastern front of World War II brought with it some of the most brutal, unimaginable fighting the world had ever seen. Conditions for both soldiers and civilians alike was “kill or be killed;” the tide of the war was at stake and the fate of the world hung in the balance. In amongst the rubble and the chaos that was Stalingrad, opposing snipers became a crucial factor in this struggle. One Sovi...

I think everyone would agree with me when I say that we’d all like to be better stewards of our money.  Maybe we didn’t need that $6.00 latte this past Monday, Tuesday, and uh Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.  I mean, my goodness, that’s $30 a week in caffeinated beverages, who would ever do that?  Certainly, not your caffeine-addicted, coffee aficionados known as the Phils.  But in all honesty, just...

His conquests rewrote the history books, as well as the maps of continents. He was feared throughout Europe and his tactics would redefine military strategies for decades to come. Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power out of the French Revolution and the period of upheaval that saw French royalty overthrow, as well as beheaded. Nothing stood in his way, except… four-legged furry animals, renowned for t...

Whether you’re from upstate NY like us, a listener from the south, our California friends, or even for some of our international listeners, I would guess that when I mention the Adirondack Chair, that provides a specific style rather than a generalized term.  It’s the same instance as if I said the term car vs. a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria - the specifics conjures up a different visual.  Well, the A...

Have you ever thought about the unintended consequences of our decisions we make every day, good or bad? Stopping to get a coffee on your way to work has an unintended consequence of seeing an entirely different group of people on the highway. Going back in the house because you forgot something has an unintended consequence of you walking into work with a new set of people. Well, what if I told y...

Hello listeners, welcome to the Missing Chapter.  If you’re familiar to our podcast at all, you know we just introduced a new segment - the MC profile.  On today’s episode of the Missing Chapter, we’re highlighting an individual I’m almost certain you’ve never heard of.  A brilliant individual that takes science to a level that boggles the mind.  His knowledge depth went so deep that our own prese...

Well, everyone, because of all of our loyal listeners and fans, we have officially surpassed 100,000 plays! It’s hard to believe - 100,000!  When we started this podcast 4 seasons ago, we could never imagine we’d be here so quickly, or be here at all! But here we are and we wanted to give you a bonus episode today to celebrate our way to 100k! Welcome to the Missing Chapter, everyone, grab your co...

“I’ll get you my pretty… and your little dog too!”  As far as iconic Hollywood quotes and villains go… you would be hard-pressed to come up with two more perfect examples in cinematic history.   Not many people would recognize the name or photograph of actress Margaret Hamilton, but just about everyone knows the famous movie role she played, and the subsequent lines she delivered. Bedecked in gree...

The stereotype with today’s youth is that they always have their heads down on their phones, they’re always playing video games, and they never have anything to say. Well, Phil and I decided to put this label to the test and what better place to do it than Canajoharie high school’s very own job fair. Our student contestants sat down for a little impromptu discussion on everything from their favori...

You know how the game goes - Start with everyone along the starting line, when you say 'Green Light' everyone will move towards the finish line, when you say 'Red Light' everyone must immediately stop. If players are still moving when you call 'Red Light', they must go back to the starting line. And if you’re thinking about playing this game in a real life scenario, it prob...

Hollywood’s depiction of pirates, swashbucklers, and buccaneers is often glamorized and fictionalized to the point, where it’s difficult to differentiate between villain and hero. The history and reality of pirates is often much more obvious, but no less thrilling and entertaining.   Enter into today’s episode, arguably the most successful but least-known, pirate to sail the seven seas. His exploi...

Welcome to this episode of the Missing Chapter - and the segment we refer to as the Missing Chapter Profile.  We’re going to take some time today and highlight someone of great musical stature.  He has an immediately recognizable voice, and for any Italian family, his songs are a staple in any household, especially while cooking or baking.  And for you Yankee fans, there’s nothing more nostalgic t...

I hope to rekindle what it was like as a kid for some of our listeners here - or maybe for our younger audience, trigger more of a recent memory - the Crane Game.  You might not know it by name, but the epiphany of what this game is will happen immediately when I say this - the game with the claw! But this isn’t an episode about toys, although we’ve done a few of those, this is an episode about a...

Well, here we are in the snow-covered hills of upstate NY.  It’s a balmy 14 out this morning, my windshield was covered with an impenetrable microscopic ice, which is somehow impervious to a massive steel and plastic ice scraper, I almost took a header coming down my steps from said ice, and I still can’t feel my hands from pumping gas this morning with a chill that seems like it came from Arendel...

There are great quotes from American history and then there are Mark Twain quotes. There are great writers from American History and then there is Mark Twain.   An astonishing and profound author, whose collection of works impacted U.S. history as much as the commentary he was making on it. From his humble upbringing to his amazing journey through life. The chapters of  his  days, read like one of...

From relatives to neighbors, family to strangers, what other response is so commonly known around the world than what happens following someone’s sneeze.  God bless you gesundheit, blesh you, salud - whatever your response, this is something so commonly used that it spans across continents, religions, ethnicities, and cultures - how is that possible?  And better yet, how is it that so many people...

If any of our listeners have flown before, you’ve probably noticed two schools of flying patrons - those that love it and spend their time casually reading their favorite book or appear to have the best slumber of their lives, and those that have to take a valium washed down with a swig of vino to get their heart rates back to normal pumping levels.  Me, personally, I fall somewhere in the middle....

History is draped in mystery, speculation, and intrigue and certain events in our nation’s past lend themselves to these fascinations. Maybe none more so than assassinations and, in particular, those of President John F. Kennedy and President Abraham Lincoln. Today’s episode of The Missing Chapter delves into the latter. A renowned actor, a beloved leader and a nation still divided with a gaping w...

John Macarthur, in his book Reckless Faith says, “Federal agents don’t learn to spot counterfeit money by studying the counterfeits. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing. Then when they see the bogus money they recognize it.”  How true is that?  And what’s behind the note itself.  How about this?  What’s behind the story of counterfeit money altogether?  Well, stic...

Holiday traditions are in the details… Whether it be the specific way you decorate the Christmas tree, the precise angle the wreath is hung on the door, the Christmas card that gets mailed to friends and family has to be perfect. Undoubtedly, a large portion of the holiday season gets spent on… gifts. Finding gifts, buying gifts, and wrapping gifts.   Decades ago, most gift givers would cover pack...