The Missing Chapter Podcast

Picture this, a beautiful morning - sun is out, birds chirping, coffee in hand.  And my family and I are in a lawn chair on the side of the road, waiting for our local memorial day parade.  A great way to kick off the summer.  Everyone is happy and smiling until a portion of the parade.  The one person not smiling?  Me.  Why?  Because there is one group of lunatics riding around ridiculous-looking...

On this episode of the Missing Chapter, we uncover the unknown origins of cheerleading — a sport and art form that’s now worth billions, seen worldwide, and yet… started from a history that is, well, at the very least, unexpected.   Who was the first cheerleader? And where did it all start? Pour yourself a cup of joe and find out on this Missing Chapter Short! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Go to ⁠...

One of the more fascinating pieces of history has to be revolutions, the political and many times violent, overthrows of a government.  It’s usually sparked by the lower classes who have gone too long without their natural rights being upheld, and their realization that they have power in numbers. And it’s usually led by a common individual who was courageous enough not only to speak up, but to in...

Let’s begin today’s episode with a question - why was the English Teacher accused of being a thief?  Because she’s got a way with words.  Ok, I apologize, that was a bad one.  I promise this episode will morph into something better.  And actually, that’s exactly what this episode is about, the history of everyday words.  And what’s even more interesting is how these words originated and how eventu...

Some of the most quoted Bible verses come from the New Testament.  You may see them on t-shirts or coffee mugs or in someone’s description on social media.  I bet, however, you have never seen the Book of Habakkuk mentioned in someone's bio.  Maybe you’ve never even heard of that book!  After today’s episode, you will certainly remember it.  Not because of rote memorization or repetition, but...

Whenever you click print on your laptop or PC, the printer makes a noise to let you know it is in fact on and working, but almost immediately, the paper you intended to print is completed within just a couple of seconds per copy.  It’s something we take for granted.  As a teacher, we print all the time, and depending on what mood our copier is in, we can either print 150 copies in a matter of minu...

You've heard of war trophies—maybe a musket, a medal, a tattered flag brought home from the battlefield. But what if I told you that after one of history's most pivotal battles, the most sought-after souvenir wasn't a weapon or a symbol of valor, but something far more… intimate? Something taken directly from the fallen, destined for the mouths of the living. Today, we're unearthin...

What better way to kick off Season 6 than with one of our fan's favorite guests - Tim Field! And today, the usual music history lessons that Tim usually provides is being put to the side so we can discuss another fan favorite - a Top 5! Grab your coffees and put your seatbelts on because this Top 5 is dangerous - the Top 5 Most Dangerous Toys! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

When you think about baseball, what is one of the first foods you think of?  Hot dogs, peanuts, cracker jacks. But there's another food that comes to mind that players and fans alike have to grab when they know they're going to a game, or better yet, playing in a game...sunflower seeds. But why sunflower seeds and baseball? Well, with the help of my two guests today, we're going to loo...

It’s cliche to say, but people will remind you all the time, Phil… “enjoy it, because time goes fast.”  Cliche, but so true. We started this journey on The Missing Chapter Podcast nearly 5 years ago with moderate goals and realistic expectations.  As we close out season 5, on the eve of season 6, Phil and I reflect on the amazing adventure that this podcast project has taken us on.  From the stori...

On June 18, 1815, the fields of Waterloo ran red with the blood of up to 20,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of horses. Eyewitnesses described the chaos: mass graves dug in haste, bodies burned, the stench of war hanging heavy in the air. War leaves behind bodies—that’s the hard truth. But what happens when those bodies… disappear? Over two centuries later, archaeologists have uncovered a haunti...

If you’re a listener to our podcast for any length of time, you’ll know and appreciate our love for coffee.  I mean, for goodness sake, we start every episode with an actual pour of coffee into one of our MC mugs!  So if you step into our podcast, you’ll hear the coffee.  If you step into our classroom, you’ll smell the coffee.  And today, we merge with coffee itself.  Not only are we drinking cof...

Everyone loves a good story, and lately, especially with the advent of social media, everyone loves a good conspiracy.  Something that boggles the mind - a situation, scenario, or series of events that seem to defy our civilian minds and almost sparks our innate curiosity, triggering what we were made to do…learn.  And then it’s our duty to investigate and filter out the falsities with the truth. ...

Everyone loves a good story.  And I think everyone would love it if the news was actually filled with good news.  The word Gospel means just that, good news.  And within the Gospel account of Jesus, there are many unbelievable stories and accounts in and out of the Bible that are just downright good stories.  Today on the Missing Chapter, I’ll bring you one of those stories.  Let’s talk about one...

Is there any job outside of maybe sports betting, where people put their faith into trying to predict the future? How many times have you found yourself making long-range outdoor plans, only to have things ruined, by an unexpected thunderstorm or even a snow storm? Today, the Missing Chapter looks at the history of one of our most frustrating professions and the roots it has in ancient times… the...

It’s an unavoidable task in one’s life and we all fall into 2 camps… those who don’t mind grocery shopping and those that loath it. But today, at least, we have options… options on where to go or simply on how to get our groceries. Which grocery store is closest, most convenient, or offers the best produce? Do you want to order our groceries online and pick them up at a specific time, have them de...

Go in depth and underground in one of NY State's natural wonders - in our first inaugural video podcast! Last week, we talked about the beauty of Howe's underground Caverns, and now this week you get to see a small glimpse! In our Part II episode, we re-cap our experience with April Islip and her willingness to give us a private tour! Join us today for our Part II Video Premiere! Go to ⁠⁠⁠...

We’ve taken The Missing Chapter on the road… and underground! In our inaugural “on location” episode. 156-ft. below the earth’s surface to be exact, Phil. Howe Caverns has opened its doors an hour early for us and given us exclusive access to the caves to let you know… our worldwide audience… the incredible history behind these natural wonders.  Thanks for joining us on today’s adventure, as we tr...

As technology continues to evolve, there are many jobs, careers, professions that slowly shrink in popularity and necessity, in some cases, become completely obsolete. Today’s generation may never know that some of these occupations even existed, much less played such important roles in our culture. Such is the plight of the first talk show host/talent discoverer/podcast host… who, when all mixed...

I think we’ve all been there…you know, the awkward-silence moments where the semi-stranger is kind of looking around with nothing to say really.  And you’re just waiting for someone in the room, anyone, to break the awkward silence with something…anything! Or you’re having a conversation with someone and it’s going fairly well, then all of a sudden the discussion abruptly stops and you’re left the...

If you’re anything like us, we love a good espionage story - the dramatics, the technology involved, the action, the secrecy - there’s something about the topic that always grabs our attention - like a good James Bond film, or Mission Impossible.  We just love it.  And then one day it kind of dawned on us, how often do these cinematic stories take place in real life?  The oddities of some of James...

Growing up in the 80s and 90s has created a memory bank for the Phils here on the MC that is riddled with, in our opinion, the best era for movies, music, and sports. I know what you’re thinking, we’re part of that common phenomena that has fallen into generation snobbery - thinking that our generation is the best generation.  Well, other than the rise of hip hop, the dream team, and the best deca...

It remains quite remarkable the number of gadgets and gizmos that any automobile or truck comes standardly equipped with in the year 2025. I can get an aerial, 360-degree view of my surroundings to make sure I am safely backing out of my garage. I can type-in GPS coordinates for a vacation destination and know, to the minute, when my family and I will arrive safely to where we’re going. All of the...

The Missing Chapter is taking you out to the ballgame! Now, this isn’t the first time that we’ve delved into the baseball diamond or the vast list of characters who help make up it’s colorful, storied past, but today’s episode is different and sure to surprise even the most avid of baseball fans:   August 24th, 1919 and the crowd roars as Cleveland pitcher, Ray Caldwell and his teammates, take the...

Hey everyone, today on the Missing Chapter Podcast, we take a deeper look at some items we look at every single day, without ever asking ourselves what they are and what they mean.  My esteemed colleague and friend over here, Phil Horender, talked about one of these iconic symbols in  S4E15 and it became one of our top 5 most listened to episodes - the history of the Bluetooth icon!  So we’re on t...