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.

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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.

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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.

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Welcome to Simple Joe.

In this episode of Simple Joe, I start with the wild idea of a 75-second echo in an abandoned oil tank in Scotland and use it to talk about how some moments, and some kindnesses, linger a lot longer than we realize, then I share the weather in Cebu City, Philippines and back home in Cincinnati before celebrating birthdays, a few bits of history, and fun observances like International Mountain Day, National App Day, and National Bagel Day. From there, I dig into the powerful story you chose: an 88-year-old Army veteran and grocery store cashier whose life was turned upside down when his pension disappeared and his wife got sick, and how one creator’s kindness on TikTok helped spark more than 1.7 million dollars in donations so he could finally retire. As I walk through Ed’s story, I reflect on what it means for us, you and me, to notice the “Eds” in our own lives, to pay attention to the tired cashier, the neighbor who keeps going, the friend who is always caring for someone else, and to look for small ways to be generous in this season and beyond, because moments like these remind us that memories, compassion, and human connection really are better than stuff.

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.

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 episode of Simple Joe, I share the fun origin of voicemail and a few memories of old-school answering machines, give you the weather for Bethel, Ohio and Cincinnati, celebrate birthdays like Dorothy Lamour, Dan Blocker, Susan Dey, Raven-Symoné, and Cincinnati’s own Joe Burrow, and mark Nobel Prize Day, Dewey Decimal System Day, and National Lager Day while I talk a bit about libraries and my favorite beers. Then for Wildcard Wednesday I dig into the truth behind the popular myth that we only use 10 percent of our brain, what modern brain imaging actually shows, why the idea of “hidden potential” is so attractive, and how our real limits often come from fear, habits, distraction, and lack of attention instead of unused brain power. If you want a thoughtful, encouraging reminder that your brain is fully online and that growth comes from courage, focus, and intentional choices, this episode is for you.

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 I talked about the world’s first commercial robot, Unimate, and how amazing it is that industrial automation started way back in 1961, then I shared the weather for Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati and walked through today’s birthdays, historic events, and celebrations. Since it’s Tuesday, I dove into five random questions that took me from life’s simple pleasures to skydiving dreams and even what kind of Yelp review my pets might give me. As always, I encouraged you to reflect on these questions yourself and to find a way to slow things down, appreciate the moment, and make a great memory today. Here are the questions from the episode:

• What’s a simple pleasure you think people forget to appreciate?

• What’s a moment in your life when time seemed to slow down in a good way?

• If you could borrow anyone’s voice for a day, whose would it be?

• What’s something you’ve never tried but think you would genuinely enjoy?

• If animals could give Yelp reviews of humans, what rating do you think your pets or neighborhood animals would give you?

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 today’s episode of Simple Joe, I riff on the wild story of the Centennial Bulb that has been glowing in a California fire station since 1901, then hang out with you for some brutally cold weather in Allentown, Pennsylvania and back home in Cincinnati, a run through rock legends and pop icons like Jim Morrison, Gregg Allman, Sam Kinison, Kim Basinger, Marty Friedman, Sinéad O’Connor, and Nicki Minaj, plus a few fun celebrations like National Brownie Day, National Christmas Tree Day, National Lard Day, and National Blue Collar Day. I also share five intriguing headlines and ask you to help me choose which one we should dig into for Thursday’s show, all while reminding you to make memories with the people you love because memories are better than stuff.

Interesting Headlines from this episode:

• 88-year-old veteran who went viral on TikTok surprised with over 1.7 million dollars

• Dick Van Dyke once thought he swallowed his dentures only to find his dog Bootsy Poppins chewing on them

• Trucker with 5 million accident-free miles wins custom semi and $50,000 as the 2025 Road Warrior Champion

• Couple of 25 years prove perfect match as wife donates kidney to husband

• New underwater tool lets ecologists ID fish from their sounds, 46 species so far

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 episode of Simple Joe, I pick back up my “Why I Believe” series and share why I believe in Jesus, after first talking about the world’s oldest customer complaint, my time in Sopela, Spain, and a few fun bits like cotton candy, letter writing, and birthdays. I apologize for missing this part of the series last Sunday and explain how today’s Faith Connection builds on the previous conversation about why I believe in God at all. From there, I walk through why the historical Jesus stands out to me, looking at extra biblical sources like Tacitus, Josephus, and Pliny the Younger, and why the resurrection is, in my view, the best explanation for the explosion of the early Christian movement. I talk about how the teachings of Jesus actually work in real life, meeting deep human needs like acceptance, forgiveness, meaning, hope, identity, and belonging, and how a God who suffers with us can be trusted. I wrap up by sharing how following Jesus is the most honest way I know to live, and I point listeners to resources like Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, C. S. Lewis, N. T. Wright, and even some early Ravi Zacharias work for those who want to explore the historical Jesus, the resurrection, and Christian faith more deeply.

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!