Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here.

Today on Simple Joe, I start the show by venting about how much I hate paper cuts and why they hurt more than they should, before easing into a reflective Friday episode focused on slowing down and heading into some well-earned downtime. We hear the weather for Jerusalem, Israel, and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate December 19 birthdays including Cicely Tyson, Maurice White, Jake Gyllenhaal, and more, and look back at historic moments like the publication of A Christmas Carol and Zanzibar’s independence. I also talk through National Hard Candy Day, National Emo Day, and Go Caroling Day, sharing a few personal stories along the way. The heart of the episode is a thoughtfully researched Top 10 list of gifts that create great memories, from starting traditions and surprise days off together to shared experiences, meaningful places, and my personal favorite, a photo book from the previous year, which has become one of the most meaningful gifts I receive. It’s a reminder that the best gifts aren’t expensive or complicated, they’re the ones that turn into stories, connection, and memories that last far longer than any object.

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.

In today’s episode of Simple Joe, I start with one of my favorite kinds of stories, the kind where curiosity changes everything, like how the microwave oven was invented by accident when Percy Spencer noticed a candy bar melt in his pocket. From there, I share the weather for Sterling, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate birthdays including Keith Richards, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, and Billie Eilish, touch on moments in history like the Mayflower arriving at Plymouth Harbor and the debut of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and recognize National Bake Cookies Day. The heart of the episode, though, is a story that stopped me in my tracks, a skydiver in Australia who ended up dangling 15,000 feet in the air after their parachute caught on the tail of the plane they had just jumped from. I walk through what happened, how the pilot and emergency crews stayed calm under unimaginable pressure, and why experts believe this rare incident likely came down to timing, airflow, and early parachute deployment. It’s a story about fear, patience, trust, and steady decision making when things go wrong in ways no one expects, and a reminder that sometimes courage looks like hanging on while others do their job.

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’s episode of Simple Joe (Wednesday, December 17, 2025) comes to you from Cheyenne, Wyoming, where I kick things off with a mind-blowing fact about how fast your brain processes images, then roll into the 3-day weather for Cheyenne and Cincinnati before hitting birthdays like Eugene Levy, Bill Pullman, and Sarah Paulson. We also look back at the Wright brothers’ first powered flight and the debut of The Simpsons, celebrate Wright Brothers Day and National Maple Syrup Day, then dive deep into a Wildcard Wednesday topic that hits home for a lot of us: digital addiction, doomscrolling, dopamine, and how social media algorithms quietly steal our focus. I share how even “harmless” scrolling, like comedy clips, sports highlights, and faith content, can turn into hours on autopilot, and I talk honestly about a tool that’s helping me create friction and intention again, The Brick, which you can find at getbrick.app.

The Brick: getbrick.app

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’s Simple Joe episode for Tuesday, December 16, 2025 kicks off with a knuckle-cracking truth that made me laugh, because I am a master knuckle cracker and I have heard the arthritis warning my whole life. I also want to say thank you, because a bunch of you checked on me when yesterday’s episode came out late, and that meant more than you know. From there, we roll through the weather for Council Bluffs, Iowa and Cincinnati, then hit birthdays for Beethoven, Arthur C. Clarke, and Billy Gibbons, plus a couple standout moments from history including Bangladesh’s international recognition and the return of Apollo 17. We also celebrate National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day and National Ugly Sweater Day, which turned into me asking what weird thing you’ve tried dipped in chocolate and admitting I am about to join the ugly sweater crowd whether I am ready or not. Then we get into Tuesday’s random questions where I riff on laugh tracks, unnecessary purchases I weirdly love, the movie line I quote constantly, the small “rules” I break at work, and the minor inconveniences people overreact to, especially the post-landing airplane shuffle.

• If your life had a laugh track, what everyday moment would trigger it the most?
• What completely unnecessary purchase have you made that still makes you smile every time you use it?
• What movie scene do you quote far more often than you probably should, even if no one around you gets the reference?
• What small, harmless rule do you regularly break that feels way more rebellious than it should?
• What minor inconvenience do you think people dramatically overreact to, but you secretly find funny?

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.

I’m late today, but I’m glad you’re here with me for Simple Joe on Monday, December 15th, 2025, where we start with a wild little reality check that the average person spends about six months of life sitting at red lights, and I admit I’m still working on not reaching for my phone every time I’m bored. We check in on the weather in Phoenix, Arizona and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate International Tea Day, Cat Herders Day, and National Cupcake Day, and then I roll into Monday’s Interesting Headlines, the quirky, weird, and fascinating stories that make me say, “What in the world is that about?”, and invite you to tell me which one you want me to dig into by Thursday. If you like fun daily podcast episodes with feel-good curiosity, oddball news, and a little slice of real life, you’re in the right place, and I’m grateful you’re listening.

Monday’s Interesting Headlines

• Skydiver dangles 15,000 feet after parachute catches on plane’s tail in Australia
• Drone drops steak and crab legs for a prisoner feast, but South Carolina guards find it first
• Decades-old palm trees in Rio de Janeiro flower for the first and only time
• Runaway reindeer sparks emergency rescue operation
• Police recover a swallowed Fabergé pendant after a 6-day wait for it to reappear

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.

Today on Simple Joe, I’m wrapping up my three-part Why I Believe series by sharing why I openly identify as a Christian. I talk about the Voyager Golden Record and what it says about humanity, then we move through the weather in Southfield, Michigan and Cincinnati, celebrate a few birthdays, and reflect on history and National Monkey Day. The heart of today’s episode, though, is an honest conversation about community, church, and what it really means to live out faith alongside other people. I explain why following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey, why accountability can be a gift, how the Christian church has supported me when life has been hard, and why hypocrisy in Christianity does not negate the teachings of Jesus. This episode is not about having perfect answers or blind certainty, but about choosing a way of life that produces meaning, generosity, forgiveness, and hope for believers and non-believers alike.

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 back home from Sacramento and settling into a Saturday rhythm while we check the weather in Santiago, Chile and Cincinnati, Ohio, and then lean into a personal development question that hits just about everybody: how do you do more of what you love to do, especially when you’re not even sure what that is yet? In this episode, I riff on petrichor, that famous smell of rain, and it gets me thinking about how much meaning can hide in small, everyday details if we slow down long enough to notice them. From there, I walk through practical, real-life clues for discovering what you truly enjoy, like paying attention to what gives you energy, what makes you lose track of time, what you naturally did when you were younger, and what keeps resurfacing even when you put it down for a while. I also talk about letting go of the pressure to find one big “calling,” giving yourself permission to enjoy things without turning them into a label, and taking small, low-stakes steps toward the activities that make you feel most alive, because sometimes the best direction in life starts with a simple experiment and a little attention.

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’s Simple Joe episode for Friday, December 12, 2025 is a fun one, starting with the surprising fact that honeybees can recognize human faces, and I share how bees always seem to find me, plus a little warning that they might remember you if you have ever bothered their nest. I’m wrapping up my last day in Sacramento, and we take a quick trip down the road with the weather in San Francisco, where it stays beautifully consistent all weekend, then we contrast that with a cold Cincinnati forecast that includes snow and a deep freeze. From there, I run through today’s birthdays, including Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Bob Barker, Mayim Bialik, Connie Francis, Sheila E., and Sarah Douglas, hit two major historic moments from December 12, and celebrate National Gingerbread House Day, National Ambrosia Day, and National Poinsettia Day. Then we get into the Friday Top 10 feature, counting down the most famous lines in movie history, talking through why these quotes have stuck with us for decades, plus a few honorable mentions that deserved a nod, and I wrap it all up with a reminder to make a great memory heading into the weekend, 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!