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.

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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?

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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 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

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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 joe@thesimplejoe.com or send me a text at 513.399.6468. Just say hi, I would love to hear from you.

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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 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

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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 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

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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 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.

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 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!