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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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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!

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here. On today’s episode of Simple Joe for Monday, January 5, 2026, I kick things off with a truly unsettling but fascinating look at Victorian-era post-mortem photography and how long exposure times made the stillness of the dead appear sharper than the living, which leads to a broader reflection on memory, time, and how differently we capture moments today. I share the weather for Brussels, Belgium and Cincinnati, Ohio, reflect briefly on winter, family time, and disappearing snow, and celebrate birthdays for Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Bradley Cooper, Clancy Brown, Chuck Noll, January Jones, Bob Eubanks, Irene Cara, Walt Frazier, Pamela Sue Martin, and Marilyn Manson. We take a quick trip back in history to January 5 with James Watt’s improved steam engine patent and Henry Ford’s groundbreaking five-dollar-a-day wage announcement, then recognize National Bird Day, National Screenwriters Day, National Whipped Cream Day, and National Keto Day, including a personal note on why keto works so well for me. As it’s Monday, I also share today’s Interesting Headlines and ask you to let me know which one you’d like me to dig into on Thursday. Today’s Interesting Headlines: A forgotten shipwreck reveals a perfectly preserved 19th-century time capsule Teen inventor creates a low-cost device that turns air into drinking water New brain scan can reveal thoughts without spoken words A man has visited every country in the world without ever boarding a plane Retired mailman finally opens a collection of letters people asked him to keep Email me at [email protected] 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 today’s episode of Simple Joe for Friday, January 2, 2026, I start with one of those facts that makes you stop and think, trees in the Pacific Northwest are actually connected underground through fungal networks, sharing nutrients and even warning each other about pests and disease, which turns into a fun, slightly philosophical conversation about what it really means to be “alive.” From there, I share the weather for Allentown, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio, and we move into a very specific, very opinionated Friday Top 10 list, the Top 10 Keanu Reeves movies. This list came out of a New Year’s Eve conversation with friends and covers everything from early, unsettling films like River’s Edge to action classics like Speed, cultural icons like The Matrix, and the undeniable pull of the John Wick franchise. Along the way, we hit birthdays, including Alan Hale Jr., Jim Bakker, Christy Turlington, Taye Diggs, and Dax Shepard, a historic moment when Georgia ratified the U.S. Constitution, and a mix of celebrations like National Science Fiction Day, World Introvert Day, National Buffet Day, and Swiss Cheese Day. It’s reflective, conversational, a little quirky, and exactly the kind of episode that eases you into the new year by reminding you that curiosity, good movies, and shared moments still matter. Email me at [email protected] 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, on the very first day of 2026, I start with a quirky fact about a town in Norway where it’s illegal to die, which turns into a reminder that the world is full of strange, practical problems we never think about until we have to. I talk a little about ringing in the new year with friends, coming into the day slower than usual, and why I actually enjoy the daily rhythm of recording this show, even when it runs late. We check the weather in Beijing, where it’s already tomorrow, and back home in Cincinnati, then I reflect on birthdays from today in history, including J.D. Salinger, Betsy Ross, Paul Revere, Barry Bonds, and Fats Domino. I also acknowledge the Emancipation Proclamation taking effect on this day in 1863 and spend some time thinking about what New Year’s Day really means, not in terms of big resolutions, but small, intentional changes that focus on relationships. For Thursday’s story feature, I dive into a Science News article by Nikk Ogasa about an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting the Moon in 2032, and why stories like that don’t scare me as much as they give me perspective, shrinking everyday worries and reminding me how meaningful our lives really are. I wrap things up by encouraging you to rest if you need to, make a great memory if you can, and spend time with the people you love, because memories are better than stuff. Email me at [email protected] 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. On this New Year’s Eve episode of Simple Joe, I share a surprising detail about the iconic Times Square ball and how much larger it is than many of us imagined, then spend Wildcard Wednesday reflecting with you on what it means to intentionally de-digitize our lives. I talk about an eight-hour flight where I chose boredom over screens, what happened when I stopped filling every quiet moment, and how that experience reminded me of the difference between wandering and wondering. I walk you through the small but meaningful changes I’ve made, like locking apps, wearing an analog watch, and creating space for deeper focus, rest, and creativity, without rejecting technology altogether. Along the way, I share the weather for Pipe Creek, Texas and Cincinnati, Ohio, recognize birthdays including Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, John Denver, Donna Summer, Tim Matheson, and Val Kilmer, reflect on Arthur Guinness signing a 9,000-year lease in 1759, and celebrate New Year’s Eve itself. As we look toward 2026, this episode isn’t about big resolutions or drastic overhauls, it’s about choosing intention, allowing room for quiet, and stepping into the new year with more presence and curiosity. Email me at [email protected] 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. On today’s episode of Simple Joe, I share a fun and quirky Guinness World Records fact about the world’s largest rubber duck collection, owned by Charlotte Lee, and somehow connect it to Cincinnati’s own rubber duck regatta. We check the weather for Rabat, Morocco and Cincinnati, Ohio as the year winds down under cloudy skies, celebrate notable birthdays including LeBron James and Tiger Woods, and look back at two fascinating moments in history, the opening of America’s first modern freeway and the debut of color television. It’s also the Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute and Baking Soda Day, which sparks reflection, humor, and a few real-life examples from my own kitchen. As always on Tuesday, we dive into Random Questions that take us to some unexpected and entertaining places, and I invite you to play along and see where your own answers take you. Today’s Random Questions: If animals could talk, which animal do you think would be the rudest? What everyday object do you think future generations will find confusing or amusing about how we used it? What food do you love that you fully admit makes no sense to love as much as you do? If you could instantly become the world’s best at something completely useless, what would you choose? Would you rather only be able to whisper for the rest of your life, or only be able to shout, with no in-between? Email me at [email protected] 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. On today’s episode of Simple Joe for Monday, December 29, 2025, I start with a surprisingly relatable fact about how most people have legs that are slightly different lengths and how the brain quietly compensates without us ever noticing, something I definitely relate to more than I realized. I share a few personal reflections, talk through the weather in Redford, Michigan and Cincinnati, Ohio, and celebrate birthdays for Mary Tyler Moore, Jon Voight, Ted Danson, Paula Poundstone, Patricia Clarkson, Jude Law, and Myles Garrett. We take a quick look back at two moments from this day in history, including the creation of the first modern wooden bowling ball in 1862 and the infamous Woody Hayes incident during the 1978 Gator Bowl. I also recognize International Cello Day and Still Need to Do Day, both fitting as the year comes to a close. To wrap things up, I read through five intriguing Monday headlines and ask you to let me know which one you want me to dig into later this week. Monday’s Interesting Headlines: An asteroid could hit the moon in 2032, scattering debris toward Earth Gut bacteria shaped by your roommate’s genes, study finds Scientists confirm a tree in Chile is over 5,400 years old, possibly the oldest on Earth Japanese man completes 1,000 consecutive days of eating only convenience store meals Scientists recreate ancient Roman concrete recipe that gets stronger over time Email me at [email protected] 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 today’s episode of Simple Joe, I settle into the calm of the day after Christmas with a surprisingly humbling thought about honey and the quiet, unseen work behind the simple things we often take for granted. I reflect on family traditions, missed holiday plans due to illness, time spent with my grandson, and that familiar stretch between Christmas and New Year where life slows down just enough to think ahead. We hear the weather for Hermitage, Tennessee and Cincinnati, Ohio, recognize notable birthdays, revisit a few fascinating moments from history, and talk about Boxing Day and National Thank You Note Day, along with why gratitude still matters. Today, we'll explore my Top 10 Podcasts of 2025, a personal look at the shows that lived in my ears this year, based on real listening data, repeat plays, enjoyment, and personal development value. I don’t give the list away here, you’ll have to listen for that, but I do share why podcasts matter to me and how the right voices can help us learn, laugh, slow down, and think a little deeper. It’s a reflective, easygoing episode about curiosity, connection, and remembering that the conversations we carry with us often mean more than anything we unwrap. Email me at [email protected] 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 is Christmas Day, and I’m really glad you’re here with me. I kicked things off with a wild fact about the longest recorded polar night at the northernmost inhabited places on Earth, more than 65 days without seeing the sun at all, no sunrise, no sunset, just different shades of light and dark, which honestly messes with your sense of time and turned out to be a perfect lead-in for today’s conversation. I welcomed you into the episode the same way I’d welcome you into my living room on Christmas morning, talking about Santa, family traditions, notes left for kids, and how meaningful this day can be when we slow down and spend it with the people we love. We checked the weather in the North Pole and Cincinnati, Ohio, two places experiencing Christmas in very different ways, and I walked through today’s birthdays, including Cab Calloway, Rod Serling, Jimmy Buffett, Sissy Spacek, Annie Lennox, Ricky Henderson, and Justin Trudeau, along with a couple of notable moments from this day in history like the appearance of Halley’s Comet and the premiere of To Kill a Mockingbird. The heart of the episode is a deep dive into a question almost all of us have asked, why time feels like it speeds up as we get older, where I explored a recent study and broke down how our brains segment life into events, how those mental boundaries change with age, and why fewer distinct moments can make entire years feel like they fly by. I wrapped things up by encouraging you to notice more moments, soak in today, and create memories that actually stick, because even if time feels like it’s moving fast, the moments are still there if we pay attention. Thanks for spending part of your Christmas Day with me, I really appreciate you, Merry Christmas, and remember, memories are better than stuff. Email me at [email protected] 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. On this Christmas Eve episode of Simple Joe, I share the accidental but heartwarming story of how NORAD began tracking Santa in 1955, a simple mistake that turned into a beloved tradition. We check in on the weather for Honolulu, Hawaii and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate birthdays and historic moments from December 24th, and recognize Christmas Eve, National Eggnog Day, Last-Minute Shopper Day, and Universal Human Solidarity Day. For Wildcard Wednesday, I take on a very serious issue: coffee mugs. I make the case that we all own way too many mugs, explore why mugs became the default appreciation gift, and suggest that time, experiences, and shared moments send the same message without overflowing our cabinets. As always, I wrap things up by encouraging you to slow down, make great memories, and remember that memories are better than stuff. Email me at [email protected] 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 today’s episode of Simple Joe, I start with a strange and fascinating idea: astronauts say space smells like hot metal and seared steak once they’re back inside their spacecraft, which leads me to wonder how something so empty can still leave a trace. We check in on the weather for Perth, Australia, where Christmas week brings intense heat and sunshine, and for Cincinnati, Ohio, where winter feels surprisingly mild this year. I celebrate birthdays ranging from Otis Redding to Eddie Vedder, reflect on the lasting impact of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas and the release of Titanic, and acknowledge Festivus along with a handful of lighthearted December 23 celebrations. The heart of the episode is Tuesday’s Random Questions, where I think out loud about courtesy, overengineering, small competitions we don’t even realize we’re in, and whether life would be better with background music or a perfectly timed laugh track. As Christmas approaches, I end with a reminder to slow down, resist the pull of stuff, and focus on what really lasts: time, laughter, love, and memories with the people who matter most. Tuesday Random Questions Why do you think people apologize to inanimate objects when they bump into them? What food do people pretend to like because it feels socially unacceptable to dislike it? What is something humans clearly overengineered that probably did not need that much thought? Why do you think people feel oddly competitive about things that do not actually matter, like parking spots or grocery checkout lines? Would you rather have background music follow you everywhere you go, or have a laugh track play at random moments in your life? Email me at [email protected] 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 on Simple Joe, I’m thinking about how some of the earliest radio broadcasts are still traveling through space, carrying music, voices, and stories far beyond Earth, and what that might mean about the things we put out into the world. I share the weather for Poughkeepsie, New York, and Cincinnati, Ohio, reflect on birthdays of notable figures like Connie Mack, Diane Sawyer, the Gibb brothers, and Ralph Fiennes, and touch on moments from history including the first commercial Christmas lights and the premiere of Schindler’s List. I also celebrate National Date Nut Bread Day and dive into Monday’s Interesting Headlines, riffing on curiosity, technology, focus, time, and communication. As we head into the days leading up to Christmas, this episode is about wonder, perspective, and making space for good memories with the people who matter most, because memories are always better than stuff. Monday’s Interesting Headlines: A man accidentally returns a library book 60 years late and pays less than five dollars Engineers create a battery that can charge in under one minute Researchers say background noise may actually help some people focus better New study explains why time feels like it speeds up as we get older Researchers develop headphones that translate speech in real time without internet Email me at [email protected] 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 today’s episode of Simple Joe, I start with a quirky and fascinating fact about how the music we hear can actually change the way food tastes, which leads me into a lighthearted riff about tomatoes, preferences, and how context shapes experience. From there, I share the full three-day weather forecast for Lebo, Kansas and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate today’s birthdays and notable moments in history, and recognize the first day of winter along with World Meditation Day. The heart of the episode is a Christmas-themed Faith Connections reflection called The Gift That Didn’t Look Like a Gift, where I talk about how the Messiah arrived not as a king, but as a baby, and how God’s greatest gifts often come in humble, unexpected packaging. I reflect on how perspective changes everything, how some of the most meaningful gifts in life don’t look impressive at first, and how quiet, unremarkable moments can turn out to be life-changing. I wrap up by inviting you to reflect on the gifts you may have overlooked, encourage you to make memories over collecting things, and remind you that even in the busiest season, the greatest gifts are often the ones that arrive quietly. Email me at [email protected] 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 today’s Saturday episode of Simple Joe, I explore the surprisingly powerful idea of a “Done for the Day” list, inspired by my recent rereading of Effortless by Greg McKeown, the follow-up to Essentialism. We talk about why traditional to-do lists often leave us feeling overwhelmed and unfinished, even when we work all day, and how defining what “done” actually looks like can change the way we experience our work, our energy, and our rest. I share reflections on deadlines, productivity pressure, and why work expands when we don’t create clear finish lines, along with real-life thoughts on vacations, unfinished projects, and the mental weight of carrying too much forward. Along the way, we cover the weather in Antioch, California and Cincinnati, Ohio, birthdays, historic events, and today’s celebrations, including International Human Solidarity Day, National Sangria Day, and National Fried Shrimp Day. This episode is about simplifying effort, choosing what truly matters, giving yourself permission to stop, and ending the day with clarity instead of guilt, so you can rest well and show up better tomorrow. Email me at [email protected] 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!