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PODCAST

Oh, Malort!

Alyssa Dyksterhouse, Chicago tour guide, history lover and research extraordinaire, walks her friends through her favorite well-known and lesser-known moments in Chicago’s quirky past while exploring each story"s parallels to current affairs.

history places & travel

All Episodes

59:55

REWIND: St. Patrick's Day in Chicago: Epicenter of...

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/03/09

As we get ready to paint Chicago Green, Alyssa is joined by Risen to tell her the history of St. Patrick' Day celebrations in Chicago. Subscribe, leave a five-star review, and tell all your friends. Socials:Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram Show Notes: WTTW: Labor of Love: A St. Patrick’s Day Special Chicago Tribune: Vintage Chicago Tribune: The city’s St. Patrick’s Day traditions Smithsonian: The Origins of Chicago’s Green River, Shamrock Shakes and Other Surprising Trivia About St

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55:11

1960 Election Fraud: Hanky Panky Happened

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/03/02

Did Daley steal the 1960 election for JFK? Or was it the Mob? Did dead people vote? Alyssa and John sort through fact and fiction regarding allegations of voter fraud. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Chicago Magazine: Two Charts Show Chicago Getting More Democratic New York Times: Search The Learning Network Search Nov. 8, 1960 | Kennedy Is Elected President

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97:13

The Band Chicago: Roller Rink Music

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/02/23

Alyssa tells Matt Drufke from Still Not Friday Comedy about the band Chicago. We both learned a lot. Come for the subject and stay for the digressions. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chicago The Band DNA Info: Daughter's Film Tells Story of the 'Chicago' Guitarist You Don't Remember CBS Chicago: Robert Lamm, Founding Member Of Chicago,

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75:49

Dibs: Take Care of your Neighbors

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/02/16

In this episode, Alyssa tells Risen about a Chicago Tradition known as Dibs. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Chicago Tribune: Let’s make a federal case out of dibs Block Club Chicago: How Did Dibs Become A Thing? Thank Chicago’s Worst Blizzard WTTW: How Did Dibs Become a Chicago Winter Tradition? NBC 5 Chicago: Chicago's long-standing ‘dibs' tradition is

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87:04

John Kass: Indiana Blogger

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/02/09

In this episode Alyssa tells Vanessa from Reel Relationships about an Indiana Blogger named John Kass.Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Chicago Reader: Be Like Mike Neil Steinberg's Blog: In defense of John Kass Chicago Reader: Mission accomplished: John Kass has been deplatformed Chicago Reader: John Kass is a real chumbolone Chicago Reader: John Kass,

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83:01

Weather Underground: All Theatre

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/02/02

Alyssa tells Hugh about the Weather Underground. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠BlueSky⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠. Show Notes: ⁠Time: Protest: The Disruptive Dozen⁠ ⁠Chicago Tribune: DAYS OF RAGE NOW MORE LIKE A CONVULSION THAT BECAME BLIP IN HISTORY⁠ ⁠WTTW: Days of Rage⁠ ⁠New York Times: Bernardine Dohrn Gives Up To Authorities in Chicago; Arraigned on Local Charges Others Are Still Fugitives⁠

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71:50

The Parking Meter Deal: Chicago Math

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/01/26

Some people know exactly what the “parking meter deal” refers to but for others this might be a new idea. Alyssa breaks down the timeline of events which has been dubbed “a lesson in worse practices.” That is an understatement. Come for the mismanagment stay for the irony. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Chicago Reader: FAIL, Part One: Chicago's Parking Meter Lease Deal

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57:36

Summerdale Scandal: The Babbilng Burglar

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/01/19

In this episode, Alyssa isjoined by John Zinn to discuss what some call the biggest scandal in Chicago Police Department history. We end fanaticizing about the story getting the Ryan Murphy treatment. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Boss: Richard J. Daley of ChicagoTo Serve and Collect: Chicago Politics and Police Corruption from the Lager Beer Riot to the Summerdale Scandal,

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70:37

Mr. Springer Goes to City Hall: Politcal Theatre

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/01/12

In 1999, under pressure from an activist priest, the City of Chicago Police and Fire Committee invited talk show host Jerry Springer to a hearing regarding violence on his show. Spoiler, it didn’t go well for Burke and the gang. Come for the government inefficiency stay for the schadenfreude. Alyssa is joined by her college roomate Pam to mock this circus. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show

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118:41

Van der Rohe V Farnsworth: Petty

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/01/06

Morgan joins Alyssa to talk about Van der Rohe V Fansworth which is case of contract law. Show Notes: Chicago Magazine: Remembering the Farnsworth House Feud WTTW: Mies van der Rohe Architectural Record: A Second Look at Edith Farnsworth and Her Mies van der Rohe–Designed Retreat Architect Magazine: The Farnsworth House on Trial New York Times: When Mies van der Rohe Went on Trial WBEZ: Who was the mystery woman behind one of the Chicago area’s modernist marvels?

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59:18

What is happening at The Kennedy Center?

Oh, Malort! ·

2026/01/01

To celebrate NYE, Alyssa and John combined their knowledge of performing arts venue management and recorded an impromptu episode to discuss the dumpster fire that is the Kennedy Center. These people are incompetent and seemingly hate the arts. GrenellLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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68:04

Y2K: Fear and Grifting in Chicago

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/12/29

In this episode Alyssa tells Risen about Y2K Chicago Style. This episode takes some surprising twists and turns and 2025 makes more sense. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram. Show Notes: Chicago Tribune: PRACTICAL ADVICE ON Y2K PREPAREDNESS CNN: Chicago, retailers pushing for Y2K readiness NPR: Y2K seems like a joke now, but in 1999 people were really freaking out AP: Nearly 20

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113:14

Johann Hoch: Bigamist and Murderer

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/12/22

Alyssa and Molly McAleer from Mother May I Sleep with Podcast travel back to the late 1890's/ early 1900's to discuss Chicago's Bluebeard Johann Hoch, a bigamist and murder whose crimes would be too much for a Lifetime Movie plot. Show Notes: Second City Sinners New York Times: JOHANN HOCH HANGED, PROTESTING INNOCENCE; Wife Murderer's Lawyers to Test Denial of Stay in Last Hour. PRISONER FORCED DELAY Refused to Leave Death Cell Until Full Time Allowed by Sentence Was Run.

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80:34

Sixteen Inch Softball: The Malort of Sports

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/12/15

Alyssa and Matt Drufke from the comedy show Still Not Friday talk about 16 inch softball. Show Notes:ABC-7: 'Chicago's game': 16-inch softball, created on Near South Side, celebrates 135th anniversaryEncyclopedia of Chicago:Softball, 16-InchLoop North News: The Home FrontChicago History Museum: Indoor Baseball in Chicago:Block Club Chicago: The Mangled History Of 16-Inch Softball Hands: Mallets, Swan Necks And Jersey FingersChicago Tribune: Five facts about 16-inch softballChicago Reader:

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73:18

The First Street Race: NASCAR was the Sequel.

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/12/08

I am joined by Vanessa from Reel Relationships to talk about the first Motocycle (automobile) race in America which took place in Chicago. Show Notes:Smithsonian: Six Cars Raced to the Finish Line of the U.S.’s First Automobile Race—at Speeds of Seven Miles Per HourSI: Days of Blunder: The First U.S. Car Race Was Won 125 Years Ago ... at 7 mphWGN: Second City FirstsNBC Chicago: From the first auto race to NASCAR street racing: Chicago's racing historyNBC: Chicago hosted America's first auto

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86:45

REWIND - The Christmas Tree Ship: A Forest on the Water

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/12/01

Alyssa and Captain Scoot from the maritime podcast ⁠ShipWrekt⁠ go back to the early 1900’s when schooners lined the main branch of the Chicago River selling Christmas trees and boating fatalities were the norm. Show Notes: ⁠National Archives: The Christmas Tree Ship⁠ ⁠ABC 7: US Coast Guard 'Christmas Ship' makes annual tree delivery at Chicago's Navy Pier⁠ ⁠Block Club Chicago: Chicago’s Christmas Ship Docks At Navy Pier With Over 1,200 Trees For Chicago Families⁠ ⁠Christmas Tree Ship

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79:28

Brown's Chicken Massacre: DNA for the Win

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/11/24

I am joined by Steven Ray Morris to talk about the Brown's Chicken Massacre. Show Notes: Seattle Times: Browns Chicken Murders Changed Business Forever Chicago Tribune: Judge tosses bid for new hearing in Brown’s Chicken massacre Chicago Sun-Times: ‘Divine intervention’ helped solve Brown’s Chicken Massacre, investigator says NBC Chicago: Former Girlfriend of Murder Suspect Testifies New York Times: Illinois Mass Murderer Is Spared Execution How to Catch a Criminal:

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24:45

Midway Blitz Updates: The Lie

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/11/21

A lot happened today including two important written findings. Show Notes: U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes Judge Sarah Ellis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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19:24

An Update on Chicago Courts and Operation Midway Blitz

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/11/18

The title pretty much explains it all. Show Notes: Chicago Sun-Times: Judge says he’ll order release of hundreds of people arrested under feds’ deportation blitz Chicago Tribune: Only 2.6% on list of 614 ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ arrestees had criminal histories, DOJ records show Chicago Tribune: Immigration agents have reportedly left Naval Station Great Lakes: ‘A sigh of relief’ Cummings Order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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66:14

Jenny Jones: She is Tenacious

Oh, Malort! ·

2025/11/17

Alyssa tells her new friend Jess about 90's Daytime Talk Show Host Jenny Jones. Subscribe, leave a five-star review, tell your friends and follow on Twitter, BlueSky, InstagramShow Notes:Newsweek: ‘Trial by Media’ on Netflix: Where Is Jenny Jones Now and What Has She Said About the Murder of Scott Amedure?People: Body of EvidencePeople: True ConfessionChicago Tribune: DAZE OF TALKWashington Post: THE MILD-MANNERED TALK SHOWNewsweek: Making A Killing On Talk TvWashington Post: JENNY, ON THE

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161 results

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