What would happen if the power went out? We can either try not to think about it and hope for the best, or we can get our houses in order. My business at YEAH YEAH Agency has a plan in place on how we will become expert social media marketers in a dystopian age. So put your hands UP and get super apocalyptically-excited for the 99th episode of TJPPSTAPPOGAM!!

When you walk into a fast food joint and get overtaken with the idea to start your own fast food joint, you have no choice but to podcast about the experience. In great detail. Saying a lot of words. Rolphwords. 

No clue, foo' !

Part 2 of the Choose an Adventure adventure game series where you can make a choice either for Daniel to be throned as king or sent to the dungeon.

With special guest Sarah Magelsen, I make the argument that I invented LOL. A few alternatives for LOL are explained, as well as the future of LIL. 

This is an unprecedented, historic podcast game offered exclusively on the Josh Podcast podcast Show. Unlike the Choose Your Own Adventure stories, this is not called Choose Your Own Adventure, it is called Choose An Adventure adventure. It's very similar to shopping at the grocery store and choosing between Crispix cereal and the generic "Crisp 6" cereal. They are very different. I explain it all in the show. The game starts at around minute 14, in case you want to skip ahead.

This episode is more for me than for anyone. Vaguely making public your mysterious accomplishment you don't feel comfortable fully explaining in any detail can be a good idea only to yourself. I do give a pro bono plug to Inside.com, though. It's not all about me.

My problems with the social media behemoth.

Ideas are welcome.

An update on the filler idea that killed the bigger podcast idea, resulting in only seven recorded episodes in the last year.

In part 2, we learn how the filet saved a marriage.

Number five in the series, this episode is the first of two that explores a certain marriage and the filet that saves it.

This is the fourth in a series of fil*** episodes.

A story about someone who uses the word "fella" a lot. Probably too much.

All he needed was a filter.

From one second to many seconds, this show has it all, including filler.

A story about a podcaster who is given two weeks notice.

Based on http://rol.ph/1h. 

Appetizer:

* Rank the podcast in iTunes or wherever you listen...

* Review of upcoming episodes

Entree:

* The future of Coca-Cola, written in the year 2117.

Introducing the HoobieDoobie game for kids, adults, and anyone in between!

If you stick around to the end you can even try playing HoobieDoobie with me.

And I figured out the odds of winning 8 times in a row: 1 in 256.

A podcast episode filled with nothing but questions?

This series focuses on questions.

A mental exercise.

Two words and only two words that can help you lose weight almost instantly. And the two words aren't "lose weight." 

A proposed solution on how to cope for those who hate politics.

Tyler Oborn joins me for "The Last Show." 

Tyler is a great person and after listening, you'll agree.

We talk music, politics, and the Today Series - IN EXACTLY THAT ORDER. 

In this episode and the next I offer some "political therapy" to help those who are sick of politics. Episode 1 is establishing the problem and introducing a little Aristotle. Episode 2 wraps it all up.

* Who is funnier: Conservatives or Liberals? What does Google say?

* What's funny about the Senate Judiciary Committee?

* Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch

* Next week's episode: "Gender, Politics, Math"

* Podcast Musical teaser

Part I: My rant about anti-podcastism

***

Part II: Two Men on a Plane

***

Rate and review on iTunes! Be reviewer #27 and win my strictly platonic love and affection!

A love story. Nothing about the elections or politics, but how it all began.

A live-liking psychoanalysis as I share my thoughts on whether to like on Facebook and Instagram.

When your child is inconsolable, this simple, two-word trick will get them laughing in seconds.

This is a preview of a story I've been working on for a long time. Listeners, meet Len.

More on the Today Series and its intersection with The Man With No Sense of Humor (see ep 28).

"What is today?" One of the most commonly asked questions next to "Am I balding?"

Check out the new Today Series at the brand spankin' new Facebook page, "Thoughts on God and man." facebook.com/joshpodcastpodcast

Saliva.

It's the boring podcast game episode!

Let me try that again:

It's the boring podcast game episode.

Listen....and win!

What if everyone had a podcast?

Also discussed:

Adult braces.

Why does an adult get adult braces? 

Why does anyone care?

Why do I care?

A theory about people with tattoos, and me. And IKEA and tattoos. And tattoos and IKEA. And me.

Based on this post.

I share my "love story" for Paleoflow in this episode. 

This is the beginning of the "Magical Parenting" series. I share very specific parenting advice that will turn you into a magical parent, the kind of magical parent that will turn your child into a future Yale grad private equity broker who will support you in retirement before they turn 25.

A recent life development has created a problem with this podcast.

Wherein it is explained, in so many words, that the podcast exists in order to receive rankings and reviews on iTunes. 

A little autobiographical, a little on a potential cure to racism, and a little preaching on the virtues of clean comedy.

What is the funniest word that takes less than one second to say? 

Based on the post found at rol.ph/2b 

The podcast with the word "podcast" found four times in its name podcasts about a word with four uncommon consonants in its name.

Based on The Pizzazz Challenge post. 

If you haven't ranked the podcast on iTunes, give it five stars here! 

21 reasons why I'm not looking at you.

Why I missed recording last week.

Why my first live studio audience left before I started recording.

Why I'm recording future blog posts.

An episode about your body, your time, and God.

Original post found here.

And if you'd be so kind, please subscribe and rank on iTunes!

In Part 2 of this never ending thank you note saga (Episode 43), Josh finally hears back from a frustrated Anne, an HR rep who meets him in part 1 (Episode 31). 

Anne is played by Tracy Sellers, host of California Bountiful.

Captain Cory Schow not only pilots a corporate jet around the country as his job, but now he vlogs about it. Subscribe to his new show at captaincory.tv.

The post-Millennial generation is either Generation Z or Generation Alpha -- I think it's Z and no one is really talking about them yet. And then there is the newer cohort born in the last decade or so that is Generation Z or Alpha. Whatever the rising generation is called, you will hear from two of them in this episode as they act as guest hosts. They are my sons and oh how I love these little men. The future is bright.

I told them they could record for 10 minutes and said they could talk about what they would do if they had their own podcast. 

***

In other news, I completely forgot to do a podcast last Tuesday night! After flirting with the idea of abandoning the Tuesday night show ritual, I decided that I will keep at it.

The riveting conclusion that might result in a spinoff episode someday.

To reach me, do you use Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, or text? Letter, phone or carrier pigeon? Smoke signals, hand signs or clicking sounds to me in Morse? This is the episode that covers about half of those options and a few additional reaching me methods...but not all. I save the rest for Part 3 of 3.

If you've ever wondered, now you'll know.

Original post found at http://rol.ph/2o.

In Part 1 of this never ending thank you note saga, Anne abruptly ends the thank you note loop with a you're welcome note. The question then becomes, is a you're welcome note really a you're welcome note, or is it a thank you note? Find out that and more in this exciting new installment of THE THANK YOU NOTE LOOP - PART 2 OF MANY!

Featuring Tracy Sellers as Anne. Check out Tracy's TV show California Bountiful. 

In this episode I explain why whispering in hotel rooms is a good idea. 

We have a corner of the eye problem. That's right. We do.

Original post can be found here.

God & man segments: The Eye.

And please review on iTunes. Please. I beg of you. 

The series gets a reboot - sort of. 

"How to Sit" is followed by new "God" and "man" segments.

Original post can be found at http://rol.ph/1i. 

God segment: wtfpod.com

man segment: getseenote.com 

This episode features a mega-surprise four second opener.

The rest is about a forgotten password and a possible solution to end all need for passwords.

Original post can be found here.

* The many ways to say hello

* Rate on iTunes!

* A brief explanation of the show for new listeners

* Announcing weekly episodes every Tuesday night

The words "man" and "men" are inside A LOT of different words. Hear them all, here.

The entire episode is about yogurt, Yoplait, Greek, lids, cancer, and bibs.

The alternate title to this episode is "Lids and Bibs."

Original post can be found here.

Do you like articles with lists? And what does the list have to do with death? The original post can be found at: http://rol.ph/b.

The original post with images of me as an actual flight attendant can be found at http://rol.ph/2j. 

Books cited:

Too Dumb to Fail by Matt K. Lewis (listen to his interview in Episode 21)

The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene

Blog post reading:

The Body's Guide to the Stages of Life

Imagine you get such a nice thank you note that you reply with a thank you note. This is ALWAYS my first reaction to a sincere thank you. "Thank you for your thank you!" Each time, I have to stop myself from thanking the thanker. In this episode, I get to run with the thank you note that never ends.

Tracy Sellers, host of the TV show California Bountiful, plays the part of perpetual thanker, Anne.

Star Wars general review and the Christmas Spirit.

Driving with brights aka high beams for nine years -- all about it, actually.

Includes a special musical number.

This is a pretty bad reading of a wonderfully written post that can be found here:

http://rol.ph/1m

A draft memo written to employees about company restrooms and humor struggles.

How "Gorgeous Baby, You're Gorgeous" kept me from podcasting and kept me from being sad.

Also, a clip from an upcoming audio book to be read exclusively on the Josh Podcast podcast Show, the only show you'll find on channel 43.7. 

Ben.

Ben.

I love Ben Maher. 

I've wanted him to be on the show since the show began. He's just a great, all-around guy. 

We discuss:

* tin whistles

* turning 40

* selling pest control door to door

* The Worst Book Ever

* The Future

* Marketing

* How to make my podcast the best podcast in the world

This is the first of who knows how many episodes dealing with what I've learned in my first 39.9 years on this planet.

For my first topic, I chose stairs: the inherent amazingness of them, and us.

A visit with my therapist to discuss good, old-fashioned life advice. His name is Ben Rolph, and he's my brother. He's awesome. He's not really my therapist, but he is my therapist brother.

This is the first tired episode.

I've wanted to do a water/drought episode for awhile, so this episode I brought on Jake Wenger, fourth generation walnut and almond farmer, who explains the impact of the California drought and how it affects you, me, and literally everyone on the planet who eats. He also discusses the true pronunciation of the word "almond." Hint:

Actually, I'm not giving you any hints. Listen to find out!

Matt Lewis, prolific political writer, cable news commentator, podcaster, vlogger, and voracious tweeter graciously accepted my invitation to appear on the show to discuss all of the above. 

Over a decade ago, I was told that Matt was someone to watch. That was well before all of the writing and TV appearances. I've become convinced over the last several years that he has not only arrived, but has a bright future ahead of him as a leading conservative voice. 

Speaking of future, I describe him on the show as someone who "can see the future." I never really define what I mean, but he sort of answers that when he describes how he aims to set himself apart. 

I'm looking forward to his book, available for pre-order, called "Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Won Elections by Sacrificing Its Ideas (And How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots." 

He can be reached on Twitter @mattklewis.

Jared Adamson is a great guy, mostly because he says he likes my podcast. I believe him, and you will too! 

Jared is a lot of fun, has a ton of passion, and doesn't know it but has become the official Money Guru for this show. (Every show has a money guru.)

We talk about the many ways to make money, both quick and slow. 

I'll definitely bring Jared back for more motivating financial insights in the future.

Get rich quick schemesthe Apple Watch, and how this show is becoming all about reviews.

JB? Now he's anti.

This and much, much, much more or actually not that much on this exciting installment of the Josh Podcast podcast Show, the Anti-Podcast podcast on God and man!

It's true, Motherhood is like calculus. I wrote about it last year at joshrolph.com and this year, I thought I would read it with a few comments intermingled.

The show ends with a brief snapshot of my mother going through the "infinitesimal" details of mothering me and my siblings in a 1983 tape recording we sent to my out-of-state grandparents. 

Two years ago after the death of my grandfather, I found a box full of tape cassettes that I've been turning into mp3s. I stumbled upon the 1983 tape from my family two days ago.

There is so much more I could say to make this a true tribute to my wife, my mother, my two living grandmothers, my sisters and sisters-in-law, and really, to every mother I've ever known. What they do amazes me.

I don't know what happened with this episode. It is a filler episode, like most of my episodes. Issues discussed on this episode:

* What does it mean to be anti anti-podcast?

* More than you need to know on ranking and reviewing the show on iTunes

* That if you comment privately about the show I will read it for all the world to hear

* Time efficiency and book writing

It was either this episode or doing something else I try not to do at night, which I fully disclose.

Also - an exclusive review of the Apple Watch.

Even more intimate, subtle, wonderful, exquisite, [pause] and *personal* (to borrow words from Apple's marketing machine), is an exclusive reading of not just one, but two blog posts. The second post is about the calculator watch.

Rate and review in iTunes. If you love this show, give it a one star review and write the funniest review you can possibly write.

Learn how to fall asleep with a simple method I created in high school. The written-out version can be found at this convenient link that I went to the trouble of making: rol.ph/28.

I also talk about Daylight Saving Time. That's SAVING, not SAVINGSSSS.

I speak in a mangled British accent for far-too long. My favorite British accent impression is one that is constantly changing. I do a fair job here. I say that after not listening to validate that I did a fair job. And by fair, I mean not that great.

There have been a few iTunes reviews in February. Apparently I get iTunes reviews when I don't publish new episodes.

This is an episode I am really not proud of. I can't in good faith recommend it to your listening ears. Again, that's without having listened to see how it sounds. 

More on the shortest episode, the one star reviewer episode, Cub Scouts, Jared Adamson, the point of this show, and I touch on the question everyone is asking, "what is a podcast?"

Well, listen here. This is the perfect episode to listen to when you are in a rush, and I’m talking the kind of rush where you don’t have time to listen to any podcast episode on earth.

I imagine people listening to this episode when they want to hear an entire podcast episode but simply don’t have the time.

I imagine a busy hedge fund manager running out the door of her luxury penthouse suite with a half-eaten goat cheese crostini in one hand and phone in the other. Just as she opens the door she briefly experiences an altered personality shift from her usual determined, go-getter self, becoming for a flash darkly despondent, when she exclaims to herself, “I forgot to listen to the Josh Podcast podcast Show, the Anti-Podcast podcast on God and man during my workout!”

As if fate was calling, she feels her phone vibrate and notices there is a new episode of her favorite show that uses the word “podcast” four times. She also rejoices that this is the “shortest podcast episode in the world” and will therefore be able to squeeze in an entire episode listen before she even leaves her front porch, even if she is sprinting out the door.

And none of you, no, not one, will ever be able to say that I didn’t look out for you and seek to satisfy YOUR needs. This show is all about YOU. Even though it’s called the “Josh Podcast podcast Show,” it’s all. about. you.

No description needed for this episode.

* A listener gave the first one star review of this podcast.

* Goals make me feel good

* Listen to a dramatic reading of an interpretation of vague or obscure Facebook posts.

Go to iTunes or Stitcher to give more one star reviews.

Email questions/comments to josh [at] flowit.co.

* Give the Josh Podcast podcast Show 1 star on iTunes!

* If podcasts were more like conference calls

* Birthdays ending in 9

* Episode 11

Important topics discussed in this episode:

• The temptation that almost keeps me from getting out of bed each morning
• How this episode interrupts the Maury, Murray, Mary, etc. Series
• The great iOS app you will have to buy soon
• My neighbor's home was robbed today which is kind of not cool
• Cuba

And much, much more!

Oh, and:

• Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties and the Fall of the Roman Empire!

Music by The Shore.

Special mentions: Maury, Murray, Mary, my wife, my neighbor, my job, and Cuba.

Meet Murray Bowron, one of the earliest encouragers of the Josh Podcast podcast Show, who is a trivia buff and all-around great guy.

We talk about whether trivia is trivial; if so-called useless knowledge plays a role in living a meaningful life. We then touch on meaningless topics like music and mates.

Is faith in God similar to a belief in the supernatural? 

Do Christianity and the Bible shed any light on paranormal experiences?

Josh and Dan discuss their personal religious beliefs and theories on ghosts and God. They share real encounters they had with the parnormal on their missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon). 

***

Josh asks Dan to speak about ants the next time he's on – and he isn't joking.

***

Music provided by The Shore. Would I disappoint you? Buy their music here.

Opening track: 

When Tomorrow Comes

Closing track:

All I See

Dr. Daniel Rolph shares the Rolph family legend of a creature seen in Fleming County, KY in 1903 called the "Red Eyed Monster." The siting occurred the same night a mob pulled an accused murderer from jail and killed him.

The Red Eyed Monster was purportedly seen by others in the family at different times.

A more detailed account is given in Rolph's book "To Shoot, Burn, and Hang: Folk History from a Kentucky Mountain Family and Community."

In the beginning of the episode, Rolph offers general guidance on the historical and folkloric methods of compiling family stories.

In the next and last episode of the Ghost Stories series, they will discuss faith and the paranormal.

Josh and Dr. Rolph discuss a supernatural experience they shared after a Philadelphia-based wedding in 2005. Dr. Rolph offers accounts of other events that are claimed to have occurred in the same location by others. Josh briefly shares how the event affected his faith, a topic they will explore more fully in a later episode.

Dr. Rolph spends some time explaining his personal connection to folklore and then details the central location to our family stories in Rolph Hollow, pronounced "Holler" in the local dialect. A few stories are shared, such as a "headless horseman" sighting with no known connection to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

He establishes the credibility of the Rolph family in that era and provides background to the "Red Eyed Monster" story that will be shared in Episode 5, or part 3 of this series.

Intro/outro voice: Ron Miller

Intro Music: The Shore, "Second Sight" 2013

Outro Music: The Shore, "All I See" 2008

This is the first of a four, possibly five part series on ghosts and the supernatural.

Here's my hope with this series:

1. That come Halloween, you have some really good ghost stories to share with friends and family.
2. While the audio quality isn't perfect since it was a phone interview, parts could be played in a party or small group setting for some original stories no one has heard before that real people claim are true.
3. Learn of the tradition of ghosts and supernatural reaching back to the earliest civilization.
4. To show that there is significant evidence that all of this could be real.

My first interview is with someone I know very well. His name is Daniel Rolph. My full name is Joshua Daniel Rolph, and I'm honored to share his name. He's my good father and like my mother, is someone I aspire to be like.

Dan is an author, speaker, professor and his day job is as historian at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. His PhD is in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. For more on his background and publications available on Amazon, see here.

At minute 48, I ask him if he believes in ghosts.  We are led to believe in these modern times that most professors, academics, and scientists would respond to that question with a resounding, "No."

His response is, "Totally."

If you enter this as a complete skeptic, I ask that you listen to the entire series for the other point of view. I found the conversation to be absolutely riveting, even though I had heard a lot of these stories before.

As a side note, I remember gathering around the radio with the family when Dad was interviewed on a Philadelphia station when I was a kid. I've always loved listening to him and learning from him and I'm happy to share his expertise on this fascinating topic with you.

The purpose of the show, explained. Thomas Jefferson, distaste for the word "brand," and admitting that the show title is perhaps the worst podcast title ever are covered.

Also in this episode:

* social media outlets and LETTING IT OUT

* HAVE FUN gone awry

* Bachelor of Arts in Chicano Women Studies with a minor in Agricultural Interpersonal Communications

* 7 tips for launching a successful & unsuccessful podcast

* Typo Terminator service

* And more!

In the first episode of the Josh Podcast podcast, Josh delivers an unforgettable podcast on how to start a podcast.