Simple Joe

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. In today’s Simple Joe, I’m talking about one of those stories that makes you wonder how something could possibly find its way home after nearly three decades. Two metal-detecting enthusiasts at Great Sacandaga Lake in New York discovered a high school class ring that had been lost for 28 years, then went out of their way to track down the owner and return it. That leads me down a few shiny-object roads about metal detecting, why these guys might make a pretty great reality show, things I’ve lost over the years, and whether I’d even care about an old class ring until somebody suddenly told me they found it. Along the way, we celebrate birthdays including Hank Williams, John Ritter, Jim Cornette, Patrick Mahomes, and more, look back at a few moments in history, and somehow manage to work free queso, country music, apple dumplings, pawpaws, and professional house cleaners into the same episode. I’m also getting ready to head to Florida for a couple of weeks, and tomorrow’s Friday Top 10 is inspired by the trip: the Top 10 Things to Do in Florida That Aren’t Disney. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. I’m sharing the results of the Simple Joe listener survey and talking about what you told me you enjoy most about the show, what surprised me, and what I learned from your feedback. Friday’s Top 10 remains a clear favorite, but I was genuinely surprised by how much you enjoy the Interesting Fact cold opening, along with Random Questions, Today in History, Daily Celebrations, Featured City weather, and the variety of having different formats throughout the week. Some features, including Cincinnati weather, Personal Development, Prove Me Wrong, and Faith Connections, received more mixed reactions, and I talk about why I still value having a show where every day doesn’t have to appeal equally to everybody. The part of the survey that meant the most to me was hearing so many listeners describe Simple Joe using the word “friend.” That’s exactly what I want this podcast to feel like: two friends talking about interesting things, ridiculous headlines, Top 10 lists, serious subjects, random questions, and whatever else comes up. I’m not planning to tear the show apart and rebuild it. Instead, I want to keep what’s working, keep experimenting, listen to your feedback, and make Simple Joe better without losing what it’s supposed to be in the first place: a friend on the other side of the microphone. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. In this Tuesday episode of Simple Joe, I start with a Cincinnati surprise: Penn Station East Coast Subs may sound like it belongs in Philadelphia, but the first location actually opened in downtown Cincinnati in 1985. From there, I check in with listeners in Clark, Central Luzon, Philippines, celebrate birthdays including Tommy Lee Jones, Oliver Stone, Pete Carroll, Dan Marino, Jimmy Carr, Tom Hardy, and Prince Harry, and look back at Lost in Space , the first issue of USA Today , and the registration of Google.com . We also celebrate National Double Cheeseburger Day, International Dot Day, and National Felt Hat Day before getting into Tuesday’s Random Questions. Those questions send me into some personal territory as I talk about treating the internet as a tool instead of real life, what my childhood bedroom says about my love of heavy metal music and alone time, the increasingly funny story of breaking both arms while trying to jump a tennis net, what early fatherhood taught me about responsibility and simply showing up, and the wonderfully disgusting experience of playing Bean Boozled. I also preview tomorrow’s Wildcard Wednesday, when I plan to share the listener survey results that helped shape the direction of Simple Joe. Tuesday’s Random Questions What piece of advice would you give someone spending their first day on the Internet? If your childhood bedroom could talk, what story would it tell about you? What memory seems funnier every time you tell it? What season of life taught you the most? What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten? Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. In this Monday episode of Simple Joe, I kick things off with the strange story behind the word “maverick,” check in on some beautiful September weather, and celebrate birthdays including Clayton Moore, Walter Koenig, Sam Neill, Nas, and Amy Winehouse. I also look back at Francis Scott Key and the origins of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” celebrate the anniversary of The Golden Girls , and find a few excuses to enjoy cream-filled donuts, hoagies, Virginia, and coloring. Then it’s time for Monday’s Interesting Headlines, where I wonder about cockroach milk and nose blowing, a class ring recovered after 28 years, a Costa Rican man claiming to be 119 years old, somebody solving 211 Rubik’s Cubes on a pogo stick, and a story about an act of kindness that changed a stranger’s life. That last story gets me thinking about random acts of kindness, tipping generously, and a holiday tradition where friends and I pool money to leave a surprisingly large tip for a restaurant server. I wrap things up talking about my weekend with my daughter and grandkids and the reminder that spending our resources creating great memories with people we love matters a whole lot more than adding more stuff to our lives. Monday Interesting Headlines “Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose blowing win LG Nobel prizes for quirky science” “Long lost class ring found 28 years later under a rock at a lake by metal detecting enthusiasts” “Costa Rican man, 119, seeks recognition as the world's oldest person” “Nova Scotia man solves 211 Rubik's cubes while on a pogo stick” “Cumberland native goes viral for kindness, changes a stranger's life” Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this Sunday episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about one of those faith questions that keeps coming back to me: Does God care about the little things? We know we can take the big stuff to God, like illness, family problems, major decisions, and difficult seasons, but what about the ordinary things that fill most of our lives? The drive to work, a deadline, chores around the house, spending time with our kids and grandkids, finding a parking spot, a hobby, a golf game, or even putting together a podcast? In today’s Faith Connections, I look at Luke 12, Matthew 6, and Colossians 3 and think about what it means that God knows us so completely that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. I don’t think God caring means every little thing turns out exactly the way we want it to. I think it means the ordinary parts of our lives matter to Him because we matter to Him. And maybe there really isn’t a category called “too small for God.” I also talk about how those tiny choices, habits, responsibilities, conversations, and acts of patience can add up to something much bigger over time. So today, think about one little thing in your life that’s weighing on you, and maybe give that to God too. Most of life is made up of little, ordinary moments, and maybe that’s exactly where a whole lot of our faith gets lived out. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about a simple idea that really stuck with me after I saw a short video from Jason K. Pargin: you can just become somebody else if you want. We spend a lot of time describing ourselves as if our identity is fixed. I’m not athletic. I’m not a reader. I’m not creative. I’m shy. I’m not entrepreneurial. That’s just who I am. But what if it doesn’t have to stay that way? I talk about how real change can start with very small actions, and how those actions create evidence for the person you want to become. If you want to exercise, take a walk. If you want to write, write a paragraph. If you want to be more encouraging, encourage somebody. If you want to start a business, take one real step. I also talk about why changing can feel fake at first, how other people can sometimes keep us tied to an older version of ourselves, and why I’ve found that keeping some goals quiet can be more effective than announcing them before I’ve actually done the work. The question I keep coming back to is this: What is one small thing you could do today that the person you want to become would do? You don’t have to completely reinvent yourself overnight. Start small. Create some evidence. Then do it again tomorrow. Eventually, the person you wanted to become may not feel like somebody else at all. It may just be who you are now. Jason K. Pargin video mentioned in the episode: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1773997103632262 Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt! Support Simple Joe by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/simplejoe

On this Friday episode of Simple Joe, I’m having some fun with one of my favorite subjects: food, specifically my personal Top 10 Foods That Are Better as Leftovers. I talk about the strange joy of discovering forgotten food in the refrigerator, the gamble of wondering exactly how long it’s been in there, family dishes that have become traditions, childhood food memories, and why Thanksgiving leftovers deserve a category all their own. Along the way, I share the ridiculous true story of getting my doctor to put my dislike of green peppers into my permanent medical record, plus the story of unknowingly having a surprisingly personal airplane conversation with Ludacris. We also start with Saturn’s bizarre little “squirt gun” moon, celebrate some notable September 11 birthdays and anniversaries, and take a more serious moment to remember the September 11, 2001 attacks and the memories that day still carries. It’s food, nostalgia, laughs, memories, and a refrigerator full of questionable decisions, which feels pretty much like Simple Joe. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I’m heading to Saskatoon, Canada, for the weather before celebrating birthdays including Arnold Palmer, Roger Maris, Don Muraco, Joe Perry, Randy Johnson, and more. I also look back at the first recorded drunk-driving arrest, the television premiere of Gunsmoke, and the release of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” plus National TV Dinner Day, International Makeup Day, and National Waffle Week, which naturally gives me an excuse to talk about my love of Waffle House. Then, for The Story Behind the Headline, I dig into an incredible discovery in Denmark where a man doing ordinary yard work while building a terrace uncovered the country’s largest known Viking Age silver hoard. We’re talking more than 40 pounds of Viking silver, roughly 700 objects and fragments, coins from England and the Islamic world, pieces of jewelry, silver bars, and even a tiny Thor’s hammer that had been buried for around a thousand years. I explore what the treasure tells us about Viking money and trade, why someone may have buried such an enormous fortune, and the big question I had after hearing the story: does the homeowner actually get to keep it? Spoiler alert, Denmark has other plans, although he should receive a finder’s reward. It’s one of those stories that makes you wonder what might be hiding underneath your own backyard, and whether maybe you and a friend need to grab a shovel and start making some memories. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

On today’s Wildcard Wednesday episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about what happens when even a veteran podcaster forgets to hit record, runs out of space on the recorder, and has to trust that the third time really is the charm. We check in on the weather in Canton, Michigan and Cincinnati, celebrate birthdays including Colonel Harland Sanders, Otis Redding, Joe Theismann, Tom Wopat, Hugh Grant, Adam Sandler, Michael Bublé, and Michelle Williams, look back at moments in history involving California statehood, the creation of NBC, Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show, and John Lennon’s Imagine, and celebrate everything from teddy bears to Wiener schnitzel. Then it’s time to introduce a new Wildcard Wednesday feature called Secret Unlocked, starting with something near and dear to my heart: how to make the best hard-boiled eggs. I share the method I’ve developed after making hundreds of them, including what eggs peel better, how I use my Instant Pot, stovetop timing, the importance of an ice bath, and the little membrane trick that can make the shell slide right off. It’s practical, a little ridiculous, and exactly the kind of everyday thing I love talking about with friends, so if you’ve got your own foolproof hard-boiled egg method, I want to hear it. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this Tuesday episode of Simple Joe, I’m checking in with Paris, France, celebrating birthdays including Peter Sellers, Patsy Cline, Pink, Martin Freeman, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Wiz Khalifa, and Gaten Matarazzo, and looking back at moments in history including the founding of St. Augustine, the national launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I also mark Star Trek Day, National Actors Day, National Date Nut Bread Day, and National Iguana Awareness Day before getting into Tuesday’s Random Questions. This week’s questions take me into the difference between real knowledge and opinions picked up online, places and experiences still on my bucket list like the Grand Canyon and skydiving, my completely irrational inability to watch The Exorcist, why I’d choose Spanish if I could instantly learn another language, and the cords, cables, and old wrestling magazines I’ve held onto far longer than practicality would suggest. It’s a good example of why I like Random Questions: you never quite know where one simple question is going to take the conversation. What is something people often mistake for intelligence? What ordinary experience somehow still remains on your bucket list? What fear makes no logical sense but still gets to you? If you could instantly become fluent in one language, which would you choose and why? What possession have you kept far longer than makes practical sense? Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this Labor Day episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about slowing down, getting a few things accomplished over a long weekend, and why something as simple as detailing a car can sometimes feel surprisingly therapeutic. We check the weather in Las Vegas and Cincinnati, celebrate birthdays including Grandma Moses, Paul Brown, Buddy Holly, Gloria Gaynor, Julie Kavner, Chrissie Hynde, Corbin Bernsen, and Diane Warren, and look back at moments in history including the first submarine attack, the first Miss America pageant, the opening of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the launch of ESPN. Then it’s time for Monday’s Interesting Headlines, with stories about dark matter, a 106-year-old scuba diver, a rescued kitten with its own bobblehead, remarkably clever pygmy raccoons, and a Viking-age silver hoard discovered in a garden. Along the way, I wander into raccoon intelligence, an old bobblehead yard-sale story, buried treasure, Labor Day, salami, New Hampshire, and the idea that a good holiday is really about spending time with people you love and making memories worth keeping. Monday Interesting Headlines Scientists make potential breakthrough in search for dark matter Oldest male scuba diver celebrates 106th birthday Rescued kitten inspires bobblehead Critically endangered pygmy raccoons observed making their own paper toys Man discovers Denmark’s largest Viking Age silver hoard while digging a terrace in his garden Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this Sunday episode of Simple Joe, I start with the incredible complexity of human vision and the idea that each of us may experience the world a little differently, before checking in with Torrington, Connecticut, celebrating birthdays including Jane Curtin, Jeff Foxworthy, Macy Gray, Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, and John Wall, looking back at moments in history like the opening of Piggly Wiggly, the premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, the television debut of Star Trek, and Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive-games record, and recognizing a few September 6 celebrations. Then, in Faith Connections, I ask a much more personal question: Which thief on the cross are you? Looking at Luke 23 and the two criminals crucified beside Jesus, I explore the difference between demanding that God prove Himself by fixing our circumstances and simply turning toward Jesus with trust. I admit that I often recognize myself in the first thief, wanting God to solve the problem, give me direction, or make things work the way I want, while I’m trying to learn the surrender of the second thief, who simply asked Jesus to remember him. We talk about grace, unanswered questions, faith when circumstances do not change, and the reminder that we do not have to clean everything up or understand everything before turning toward Christ. My faith is deeply important to me, and this conversation left me asking whether I am approaching Jesus with demands or with trust, and maybe that is a question worth asking yourself today too. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about a personal development question that has been on my mind since returning to the podcast after a seven-month break: Why do we stop doing the things we love? I love podcasting, creating, working with audio, and putting something into the world that did not exist before, yet when the process became frustrating and time-consuming, something I loved quietly disappeared from my life. That got me thinking about other things we enjoy but somehow stop making time for, from riding a bike and playing an instrument to writing, painting, building things, or simply doing something creative. We talk about the friction that gets in the way, competing priorities, the guilt of feeling like we should always be doing something else, and the difference between easy leisure that consumes an hour and meaningful activity that leaves us feeling like we actually participated in our own lives. I share why finishing a podcast, riding my bike, or even detailing a friend’s car can leave me with the satisfying feeling that I made or improved something. Most importantly, I encourage you to acknowledge something you genuinely love without immediately judging whether it is productive, practical, or perfect, and then take one small step toward doing it again. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I kick things off by thinking about how something as ordinary as the refrigerator completely changed the way we live, shop, and organize everyday life, before checking in with Reading, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrating birthdays including Paul Harvey, Tom Watson, Damon Wayans, Mike Piazza, and Beyoncé, and looking back at moments involving Kodak, the first live transcontinental television broadcast, Mark Spitz, Google, Kelly Clarkson, and Steve Irwin. Then it’s time for Friday’s Top 10 as I count down my Top 10 Clean Stand-Up Comedians, featuring Tim Hawkins, Jeff Allen, Henry Cho, Leanne Morgan, Greg Warren, Dusty Slay, Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Regan, and my number-one pick, Nate Bargatze. Along the way, I talk about why I appreciate comedians who can get huge laughs without depending on profanity or shock value, share some of my own favorites and podcast recommendations, and give honorable mentions to Ryan Hamilton, Joe Zimmerman, and Brad Stein. As we head into the weekend, I also encourage you to find some way to make a positive impact on somebody, create a memory worth talking about, and remember that memories are better than stuff. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I’m starting with a look back at the rough-and-tumble early days of passenger air travel before checking the weather in Falkenstein, Germany, and Cincinnati, Ohio. We celebrate birthdays including cartoonist Mort Walker, actress Eileen Brennan, Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine, Charlie Sheen, and Olympic snowboarder Shaun White, then look back at Richard the Lionheart’s coronation, Frederick Douglass’s escape from slavery, and NASA’s Viking 2 landing on Mars. I also revisit a childhood memory involving Welsh rarebit and Gomer Pyle, talk about the very humbling experience of bowling when everybody is watching, and then dig into Thursday’s Story Behind the Headline: the remarkable discovery of a missing Picasso hanging behind a bedroom door in a trashed Milwaukee apartment. The artwork had disappeared from a gallery eight years earlier, was worth tens of thousands of dollars, and somehow spent years hiding in plain sight before a landlord found it while cleaning up after an eviction. The story leaves plenty of unanswered questions about how it got there, who originally stole it, and what happens to it now. Along the way, I wonder about the valuable things people unexpectedly discover in thrift stores, yard sales, old houses, and maybe even their own homes, and I wrap things up with the reminder to make the day memorable for yourself and somebody else, because memories are better than stuff. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this Wildcard Wednesday episode of Simple Joe, I’m talking about artificial intelligence and why I believe AI is ultimately just a tool, a very powerful one, but still a tool that we should learn to use instead of simply being afraid of. I share some of the ways I’m already using AI for research, organizing ideas, planning trips, solving problems around the house, developing business ideas, drafting emails, improving my work, and most importantly, defeating the blank page when I know there’s an idea in my head but I haven’t quite figured out how to express it yet. We also get into the legitimate concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, including jobs, privacy, data centers, energy and water use, misinformation, and the possibility that technology could make us intellectually lazy or even replace some of the human interaction we desperately need. My approach is simple: use AI to help you think, not to tell you what to think. Let it do some of the heavy lifting, but continue asking questions, verifying important information, staying curious, spending time with real people, getting outside, creating things, wandering, wondering, and living your actual life. I also talk about how AI has helped me rethink the Simple Joe production process after what was supposed to be a short break turned into seven months away from the show, allowing me to spend more time on the creative and human parts of podcasting that I love. Technology is going to keep changing, jobs and skills are going to change with it, and none of us knows exactly where artificial intelligence ultimately leads. But I know which side of that change I want to be on: learning the tool, understanding it, questioning it, and using it to create more room for the things only human beings can do. And if the robot overlords eventually take over anyway, I would just like the record to show that I’ve always been very nice to AI. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

In this episode of Simple Joe, I’m celebrating Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with weather from Ashburn, Virginia, birthdays, history, celebrations, and another round of Tuesday’s Random Questions. We celebrate birthdays for Rocky Marciano, Conway Twitty, Lily Tomlin, Barry Gibb, Dr. Phil McGraw, Gloria Estefan, Nathan MacKinnon, and Zendaya, then look back at the first female telephone operator, the extinction of the passenger pigeon, and Pioneer 11 becoming the first spacecraft to visit Saturn. National Forgiveness Day gets me thinking about letting go of grudges and giving and receiving forgiveness, while National Burnt Ends Day reminds me just how much I love good barbecue, and National Hotel Employee Day brings back memories of working as a bellman at the Ramada Inn in Blue Ash, Ohio. Then the Random Questions take me everywhere from the family phrase “Help me up, Carl,” to traffic and self-driving cars, naps and afternoons at Kings Island, automating exercise, and what useful modern knowledge I could actually bring with me if I traveled 500 years into the past. As usual, the questions wander into some unexpected places, but that’s part of the fun. Tuesday’s Random Questions What family tradition would make absolutely no sense to an outsider? If you could permanently delete one minor inconvenience from daily life, what would it be? What is your ideal way to waste an afternoon? If you could automate one part of your life, what would it be? If you traveled 500 years into the past, what modern knowledge could you actually use? Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

I’m back! After about seven months away from Simple Joe, it feels great to be behind the microphone again and even better knowing you’re here with me. In this episode, I explain a little about the long break and save the full story of what happened with my workflow for another day. We start with elephants apparently having long-distance conversations that humans cannot even hear, then visit Sayville, New York, a place that kept showing up in the Simple Joe listening numbers throughout the break, and I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone listening there. Along the way, we celebrate birthdays including Frank Robinson, Van Morrison, Richard Gere, Debbie Gibson, Zack Ward, and Chris Tucker, look back at moments involving baseball history, Michael Jackson’s Bad , Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., and Princess Diana, and find a few reasons to celebrate National Trail Mix Day, National Eat Outside Day, National South Carolina Day, and National Zoo Awareness Day. I also talk about my recent appearance with Karin on Connecticut Curt’s Geekin’ on Travel podcast to discuss our trip to Portugal. Then Monday’s Interesting Headlines return with robots, archaeology, record-setting blobbing, prehistoric bone-crushing dogs, and a Picasso discovered in a vacant apartment. Most of all, this episode is about being back together, making great memories, and remembering that memories are better than stuff. Monday Interesting Headlines A robot sprinter shatters a 100-meter record again as sparks fly at China's robot competition Neolithic sculpture of a man riding a leopard discovered in Turkey 'Blobbing' jumpers launch man 92 feet into the air to break record Tracks and tooth marks reveal bone-crushing dogs at Nebraska supervolcano ashfall site A landlord was cleaning out a vacant apartment, then found a lost Picasso Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. Today I wanted to share a quick but important update with you. I’m taking a short break from the show so I can fix some structural and process issues behind the scenes and make sure Simple Joe is smoother, more focused, and more valuable for you going forward. This isn’t about stepping away from what I love. Spending this time with you every day truly is the highlight of my day, and that’s exactly why I want to get this right. I’ll be back very soon, so please don’t unfollow or unsubscribe. If you’ve ever reached out to me before, there’s a good chance I’ll be in touch to ask for your thoughts and input on the show, and if you haven’t, I’d love to hear from you now. Having listeners from all over the country and the world still blows my mind, and every message means more to me than you probably realize. For now, hang tight, stay subscribed, and know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m just making things better so the time we share together each day is even more meaningful Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. Email me at joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you. Show Notes In today’s episode of Simple Joe for Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, I kick things off with a mind-bending fact about chess and just how unimaginably large the number of possible games really is. We check in on the weather for Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate birthdays including Joan of Arc, Rowan Atkinson, Eddie Redmayne, Kate McKinnon, Nancy Lopez, Howie Long, and Eric Trump, and take a quick look back at history with New Mexico becoming the 47th state and the debut of Schoolhouse Rock! on ABC. I also highlight today’s celebrations, National Cuddle Up Day, National Shortbread Day, and Bean Day, before diving into my favorite part of Tuesdays, Random Questions. These questions take us into everything from courtesy on the road to sleep, introversion, reality itself, and what advice we might want from our future selves. As always, I wrap things up with a reminder to make memories, stay connected to the people you love, and remember that memories are better than stuff. Today’s Random Questions - If you had to add one ridiculous but harmless rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be? - Would you rather be able to instantly fall asleep anytime you want, or never need sleep at all? - What do you think people misunderstand most about you, even people who know you fairly well? - What is something you are absolutely convinced about, even though you know you could be wrong? - If you could ask your future self one honest question and be guaranteed a truthful answer, what would you ask? You can get Simple Joe T-Shirts and other cool stuff at thesimplejoe.com/store Check out what I'm reading at thesimplejoe.com/reading If you share the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use #simplejoeismyfriend; you might get a free t-shirt!