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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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 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.

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 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 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 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!