The Still Spinning Podcast

Nicole survived the Hot Ones Challenge. Dan did not participate, and based on the aftermath, made the right call. That's just the warmup for Episode 140, which covers delivery robots crashing through Chicago bus shelters, an AI school with no teachers opening this fall for $55,000 a year, a New York bank robber whose six-crime spree netted him $605, a pro cornhole player whose story takes a sharp left turn, a stolen truckload of 400,000 Kit Kats somewhere in Europe, and a French mayoral race between a man named Hittler and a man named Zelensky. Dan and Nicole keep spinning every week -- catch new episodes Wednesdays at stillspinningpodcast.com.

Episode 139 opens with a special introduction to Hector -- the eye sty Dan has been ignoring for weeks that only becomes visible under studio lights. Classic Dan. From there, Nicole and Dan dive into four stories that somehow all feel deeply personal. United Airlines has made it official: blast your phone audio without headphones and they can kick you off the flight and ban you permanently. Dan and Nicole are firmly pro-rule, with some thoughts on kids, the Sopranos, and what exactly you do if someone refuses mid-air once the plane is already up. Then Nicole brings the Oscar nominee gift bags -- over $300,000 worth of stuff given to people who already have everything. Highlights include a luxury villa in Ibiza for sixteen of your closest friends, a liposuction experience, and a customized prenup. That last one sends Dan and Nicole down a genuinely great conversation about joint accounts, separate finances, and what it means to Venmo your spouse the phone bill. Cornell University published a study this week confirming something every office worker has long suspected: people who love corporate buzzwords -- "synergistic leadership," "growth-hacking paradigms," that kind of thing -- score significantly worse on decision-making and analytical thinking tests. The researchers even built a Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale. Dan and Nicole have thoughts, and some personal corporate jargon horror stories. To close things out, Nicole drops a germ bomb: the dirtiest item in your bathroom isn't your toilet. It's your toothbrush holder. The kitchen sponge holds the overall crown. Mythbusters apparently proved this and Dan has been moving his toothbrush holder ever since. You're welcome. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Catch up on past episodes, grab some merch, and find everything you need at stillspinningpodcast.com. Keep spinning.  

Episode 138: Graves, Chores, and a Robot With a Fence Problem 138 episodes in and we still haven't run out of things to talk about. Which is either impressive or concerning, depending on your perspective. This week, Dan and Nicole cover the man who accidentally became a gravedigger in 1952 and just... never stopped. 73 years, 5,600 graves, and a retirement so quiet he didn't bother telling his own kids. Meanwhile, science has some bad news for anyone who takes their phone into the bathroom (spoiler: that's all of you), and a delivery robot in East Hollywood went full-and-run -- dragging a woman's garden fence down the street while she chased it through traffic, screaming at a machine that absolutely did not care. Also: Dan's 3D printer has been off for a combined six hours since he got it, he made a tomb tea light holder for Easter (it's fine), and "chore-mancing" is apparently the hot new dating trend, which is just... going to Costco with a stranger. We have questions. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Or on Monday nights if you want to watch us figure it out live. Either way -- we're still spinning.

Welcome to episode 137 of the Still Spinning Podcast! It finally happened, Dan got a 3D printer so we get an update on how long it has been running AND how often he left his house since it was unboxed.  There is a new app out there that tells you if there are Smart Glasses nearby and Nicole and Dan talk about the pros and cons of those glasses AND this app. In case you are unfamiliar, these are glasses from Meta that allow you to take pictures/video of folks you are talking to. Nicole also has a more personal story of someone using them in her presence.  Dan shares a story of how we have all been manipulated every time we step into a grocery store and shopping habits may never be the same! We also talk about the item or store area that are “traps” for Dan and Nicole and Dan’s may surprise you.  Doctors are writing prescriptions, literally, that just say “go outside” or “go to the park.” Why? Tune in to hear the reasoning behind this newest trend. All of this and oh-so-much-more on this episode. Some news for our listeners, we have retired the spinner level of our fandom and have decided that all the content we make moving forward will be available to everyone! So good news if you never decided to sign up, now you will not need to! We will be back next week, until then stay safe!

Welcome to episode 136 of the Still Spinning Podcast! Next week we will return to our “normal” love recording of the podcast on Mondays at 7 PM CT on all the socials with the regular drop still on Wednesday mornings. Things have been busy for the team so we apologize for the lack of LIVE we have had. Speaking of busy, Dan was traveling this past week and came across something in the Kansas City airport that he really loved and it was gender-neutral bathrooms! You read that right, Dan LOVED the experience. He tells us all about the pros of these in particular and we find out what Europeans hate about bathrooms in the US.  They say everything old becomes new again and the most recent trend we see coming back? LANDLINES. That is right, dust off your rotary phone folks, landlines are making a comeback. The reasons have more to do with child safety and limiting social media but regardless of the reason, we are intrigued by their return. And finally, Dan was in a few Ubers this week and the smell really got to him. So he has some advice for Uber and we would love to know what you think as well so check us out! Thanks for joining us on week 136! We will see you next week.

Welcome to episode 135 of the Still Spinning Podcast, the last one of February! Dan has a lot of travel coming up for his job and so the topic of hotel stays is high on his list. There are a few things that both he and experts have noticed. First off, the days of the cheap hotel room are gone. No longer are you likely to find a $125 room in a nice hotel. Second, say goodbye to the free breakfast! There are some reasons behind that, and the team discusses them during the podcast.  There have been a few recent studies on workplace burnout and apparently the act of hiding your true feelings and/or “reacting” in a work moment the way you feel are expected to react is causing folks to lose steam by the end of the week. Is that amount of “acting” sustainable? We discuss. I know Dan went on a late tangent but even I cannot remember what it is about so you will have to tune in to find out! Check out our website, stillspinningpodcast.com, for information on past episodes, a link to our merch page and more information on how you can become a Spinner! 

Welcome to episode 134 of the Still Spinning Podcast. This week is all about the Olympics! The winter olympics are in full swing and with it, lots of news. Close to home, Dan has some outdoor lighting that he has set to red, white and blue to honor the athletes competing in Italy. Well, his neighbors have started to copy him so he fills us in on the neighborhood lighting. Dan gives a wonderful recommendation for women’s hockey happening at the Olympics. The USA team is doing well and he is very impressed. The Canadians appear to be cheating at curling and we hear more on the official rules and what is being done illegally at the games. Some men were allegedly injecting their neither regions with acid to inflate them in order to add more fabric to their suits for the ski jumping. Olympic village ran out of condoms early on and we discussed the perfect mix of things happening there to explain why this happened. So much happening!! We will NOT have a live recording next week as Dan is traveling but we will drop the regular episode on Wednesday. Spinners, bonus content will be coming your way on Friday! Make sure to visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com.

Hello and welcome to episode 133 of the Still Spinning Podcast. We kick off today with a story from Dan about a discussion he had with folks of varying ages and his shock that none of them knew we were planning another trip to the moon. Did you know? Be honest… The SuperBowl happened on Sunday so we talk about some highlights! Specifically commercial highlights because honestly, who watches for the football? There seemed to be a real potty-mouth trend this year and at least one of the hosts was loving that. How much should the media share about the Olympics before people have had a chance to watch? This is always a challenge when they happen 7 hours ahead of us in the Midwest but this year Nicole was particularly mad about a massive spoiler that was pushed out to her email before she even woke up. Southwest has gotten rid of their “free for all” seating but of course people have something else to be mad about in their new process. Dan shares some of the changes that have happened and the new rules that the flight attendants are really sticking to and of course, people are mad. You can watch the live taping next Monday at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com.

Hello and welcome to episode 132 of the Still Spinning Podcast. While we did not record live THIS week, you can watch the live taping next Monday at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. On today’s episode, we talk about and pour one out for the one and only Catherine O’Hara. A true inspiration to so many people, her loss will be felt all over the comedy kingdom. Dan and Nicole chat about notable roles and general sadness about her death. The “big game” is coming up and that means a lot of snacks. Do not worry fans, Heinz has created a new product to help you host a very large group. In addition to discussing the KegChup (you read that right), Dan and Nicole also talk about different brands of ketchup and Nicole has a rule she would like to see implemented. Thanks so much for joining us! 

Hello and welcome to episode 131 of the Still Spinning Podcast. We did not record live this week because Dan got trapped in Ohio. We hear all about his adventure in the snow! Did you know, in Ohio, you can actually get arrested for driving during a “level 3” snow emergency? It is true! Apparently it is also true that both Ohio and Indiana have trouble clearing their snow. Trees can EXPLODE?! The social media channels were all aglow with stories of exploding trees during this arctic cold snap the country just had. Dan explains the phenomenon and clears up some misconceptions. And finally, The Sun did a study on people who cheat on their romantic partners and what kind of music those people listen to. Do you think you know who is most likely to cheat? Tune in to find out some of the top genres that really get people in the mood. We will NOT be live next week either as Nicole will be off the grid BUT there will be a Bonus episode for the Spinners and maybe even a recorded episode for you, our gen pop listener. Check out our website, stillspinningpodcast.com for more info. Have a great week!

Hello and welcome to episode 130 of the Still Spinning Podcast. You can watch the live taping next Monday at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. Dan and his wife have an ongoing argument that Dan brings to the podcast this week to get some outside perspective. Nicole is on team Jennie on this one, where do you think you will side. It has to do with a running car in a garage. This leads to a belief instilled in Nicole from her grandfather about gas freezing in your car in the wintertime. Funny what we “learn” from outside sources and what sticks with us. Some parents in Staten Island started a BRAWL at a 6th grade basketball game and now there are new rules for the parents. Dan was an umpire for kid’s baseball and can attest to the issue of parents at games. We talk about kids' sports getting absolutely out of control which leads into a whole discussion about Nicole growing up riding horses and Dan’s utter shock learning she used to be a barrel racer.  Dan shares some good news in the research world for curing alzheimer’s disease. We can guarantee you will not see this coming. But you might smell it!  And finally, McDonald’s is facing a class action lawsuit that is all about the McRib and people feeling “misled” by the name of the sandwich. Nicole and Dan discuss the standards and expectations of eating at McDonald’s and whether anyone is surprised that the McRib is NOT actually rib. There really is a lot more to today’s podcast but we will let you discover it all for yourself. Thanks for tuning in!

Hello and welcome to episode 129 of the Still Spinning Podcast. We hope your new year is going well so far and we thank you for joining us. Dan starts things off by fueling Nicole’s fear of self driving cars. A Waymo in Arizona got off track (or on track, might be a better description) causing the passenger to have to make a split second decision. Would YOU get in a self-driving car?? The team discusses this along with a few other things that have happened with these cars.  There are times in life where Nicole needs Dan’s knowledge and she found herself in a situation this week where she needed to know the correct thing to do involving a clear traffic distraction. Was this a 911 situation? Tune in to hear what happened and what Dan’s thoughts were on on the best course of action. There are MONKEYS loose in St. Louis and no one seems to know why or where they came from. Imagine going to your car and seeing a monkey! What would you do?? And AI has made the situation even harder to manage, can you guess why? And finally, an answer to urinal messiness coming our of Amsterdam. Flies in the urinals to give the boys something to aim for! This tactic has reduced cleaning costs by 8%, which is pretty substantial. Also, Dan has an amazing idea for some gas station to pick up, this might be his best idea to date. You can watch the live taping next Monday at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. Thanks for tuning in!

Hello and welcome to episode 128 of the Still Spinning Podcast. You can watch the live taping next Monday at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. Have you ever watched a movie that just stuck with you? Whether it was so bad you could not get it out of your mind or so good, you feel it is your job to share it with the world, it just sticks with you? Well Nicole watched one over the weekend called “A House of Dynamite” that stuck with her in the “this could really happen” kind of way and she and Dan talk about the movie and the director, Kathryn Bigelow. A thief made off with two musical instruments from a store over the holidays but returned them with a note. The note really is one for the books and Dan reads it verbatim to Nicole. A marketing opportunity is mentioned. The USPS has a new rule about postmarks as of 1.1.2026 so everybody better pay attention, especially if you mail anything that needs to be postmarked by a certain date (rent, ballot, taxes etc). It is not being talked about a lot and we think it is important to know. We also talk about the country that is the very first to eliminate its post office. Does anything really need to be mailed these days?? Lastly Dan shares that the “Oscars of the Adult Film World” are being held in Las Vegas this month and you will not even believe where they are holding them. This kicks off a whole slew of puns that you have to hear to really get the full impact.  Thanks for checking out episode 128!

Hello and welcome to episode 127 of the Still Spinning Podcast and the last one of 2025. The new year is upon us and we would be remiss if we did not thank you all for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate everyone who takes the time to check us out. Dan confesses that he may be starting to understand how people can get sucked into a “relationship” with AI as he tells his story of fighting with his CHATGPT over a song. It is quite an eye opener for him and it leads nicely into our first story, which is also about AI. This one involves car rental agencies using AI to find every little ding and scratch on your rental and then making you pay for it. Is it going too far?   Next up, we have all lost something and then stumbled across it after some time has passes. Imagine doing that with a VERY large item… like an airplane. A true story out of Air India, they lost a plane for 13 YEARS. How does that even happen??   And lastly, can you imagine if you lived near a donut factory and your house always smelled like delicious donuts? Well in Massachusetts, people do get to live near a factory but they are NOT happy about the smell. Dan and Nicole explore places that would be much worse to live near and it is eye opening. Or makes your eyes water. Either way, they discuss.   Thanks so much for joining us on the last episode of the year. We will see you in 2026!

Hello and welcome to episode 126 of the Still Spinning Podcast.  It is Christmas Eve and we kick tonight off with a battle about the movie It’s A Wonderful Life. Nicole has a controversial opinion about the movie and the main character, George Bailey, and Dan DOES NOT AGREE. This might be the first time he has threatened to end the podcast over a difference of opinion.  Next up Dan tells a VERY hilarious tale about a meditation mishap. There are a lot of stressors around the holidays and as performers, both Dan and Nicole have a lot going on. So what could possibly go work with just trying to take a moment to center oneself? Tune in and listen. Australia has become the first country to ban social media for kids under the age of 16. What do you think of this? Dan and Nicole have no kids but they do have some thoughts on social media and if this is a good thing or bad. Either way, all eyes in the world are on this experiment to see how it pans out. It is good to be back, thanks for joining us! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate. We will talk to you next week!

Hello and welcome to episode 125 of the Still Spinning Podcast. First off, some bad news. There will be NO EPISODE next week. The holidays are the busiest time for us performing folks and next week the schedules just do not align. We apologize and hope the week off from us gives you a chance to miss us and then our return will be full of glory! In today’s episode, who should pay for a kid when a group goes out to dinner? And not like McDonald’s, although that is now somewhat expensive, but to a nice restaurant. We also throw in the idea of splitting the bill in general, how do you feel about that whole experience? Next up Dan shares some information Nicole did not know about flying without and ID. Then they get into the real topic, what happens if you want to fly without a REAL ID? Think you are just out of luck? Turns out, you can if you pay a “fine.” Check this segment out for more details. And finally, the penny is gone and are paper checks next? Do we even need/use them anymore? Dan and Nicole talk about their check usage and really how strange the whole concept really is. Thanks for tuning in! Have a great week next week and we will be back on Monday, 12/22, at 7 PM LIVE on all the socials. See you then!

Hello and welcome to episode 124 of the Still Spinning Podcast. We will NOT be live next Monday but we hope to record an episode to drop at the usual release time of Wednesday. The holidays are the busiest time for us performing folks so we may have a few schedule irregularities over the next few weeks. Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is known in the plumbing industry as “brown Friday”?? We had no idea and wow, does it make sense. This very tasteful topic is how we kick off today’s episode. The US Transportation office has launched a new campaign, asking folks traveling by air for more civility. An interesting concept, will people do it? We chat about their ask, what it entails and then a tale of a person who absolutely did NOT follow this rule. What is the most disgusting food you could bring on a plane? Think about it, tune in and see if you were right.  Dan found a story about a cruise line that is really making a splash… with nude cruises. Would you do it? The team hashes out the good, bad and ugly on this topic. The pool deck will never be the same. All of this and more on today’s episode!

Hello and welcome to episode 123 of the Still Spinning Podcast. Happy Thanksgiving Week to everyone! Dan and Nicole are very thankful for you all. A story out of Wisconsin about a woman who cut off her ankle monitor at her group home and escaped. Isn’t the whole point of the ankle monitor to be fairly sturdy and impossible to remove? Dan has some great information and a recap of her case, as well as some info about her “escape.” No need to be frightened about this one, she has been caught (again). In this day and age, you have to assume someone is ALWAYS listening. A Campbell’s soup executive found out the hard way when a direct report recorded him saying some VERY unflattering things about both the product AND the customer. Oh boy. Also Dan and Nicole hate tomatoes. It comes up in this segment so consider this a spoiler.  And finally, the best cheese in the world has been named and no it is not from Wisconsin. Nicole, for one, would love to be a cheese judge but only for cow. Sheep and goat cheese are both disgusting. You can watch the live taping most Mondays at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. Have a wonderful holiday! Spinners, we will talk to you the day after Thanksgiving.

Hello and welcome to episode 122 of the Still Spinning Podcast. A rare topic where Nicole agrees with some lawyers and Dan does not. If you get a window seat on a plane, do you actually GET a window? SHOULD you? That is the springboard for tonight’s episode. United Airlines is being sued for just this very thing and where Nicole stands on the issue may surprise you. We also find out if Dan is window or aisle and why.  The Louvre, maybe the world’s most famous museum is in the news AGAIN, this time for letting art get smuggled INTO the museum!! It is quite a story. Dan also shares an enlightening conversation he had with an artist friend of his and why he ended the conversation by telling said friend to “shut up.” Think you know the fastest drive through in the US?? I bet you do not! Both Nicole and Dan were surprised by the results of the new quality/speed survey that just came out. They also chat about a new service some are offering where they have their own drive thru lane if you ordered on the app! Very cool stuff happening, that is for sure.   And finally CHESS BOXING is the newest sport to hit (pun intended) the streets. What is it and who is doing it? You need to tune in to find out! Thanks so much for joining us! You can watch the live taping most Mondays at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com.

Hello and welcome to episode 121 of the Still Spinning Podcast. You can watch the live taping most Mondays at 7 PM on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram OR wait until the official podcast release on Wednesday morning. Visit your usual podcast subscription service to add us to your list. Visit our website for more details on becoming a sponsor and buying merch. All of this at stillspinningpodcast.com. Tonight is a very special episode of the podcast, our very first with a guest! The day we recorded this episode, November 10th, was the 50th anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This episode is dedicated to that tragedy, the story around it and the Gordon Lightfoot song that tells the sad tale. We are so sorry to tell you, you WILL learn something if you listen. Consider that your warning. We appreciate you checking us out! We will be back next week, we hope to see you then!