PILTDOWN MAN AND THE CARDIFF GIANT

Joe Flush

Two longtime friends, one a former comedian and the other a world traveler, riff on life, the arts, music, sports, travel and Horehound candy, and follow rabbit holes on just about anything.  Much of it tongue in cheek while entertaining themselves and hopefully you. Future plans are interviews and at least one listener.

  1. 3d ago

    (61) "Stop Counting Rattles And Swinging Tennis Rackets, Special Guest Dr. Holly Holman Addresses Animal Myths That Refuse to Die"

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. You’ve heard the “facts” a hundred times: bears sleep so hard in winter you could walk right into the den, bats are blind, daddy longlegs are deadly but can’t bite, bulls charge because they see red, and goldfish forget everything in three seconds. We’ve repeated some of these ourselves, which is exactly why we brought in someone who deals in reality, not rumors. We sit down with Dr. Holly Holman, a veterinarian, for a fast-moving myth-busting conversation that keeps the jokes but raises the accuracy. She breaks down what hibernation, torpor, and brumation really mean, why an animal’s health going into winter matters, and why “they’re asleep” is not a safety plan. From there we get into bats: how echolocation and vision actually work, and the part people need to take seriously, rabies risk and what to do if you have an interaction. Then we pivot to the sticky folklore zone: why daddy longlegs are harmless, what bulls truly react to in a bullfight, and what’s really happening in snake charming performances. We also hit rattlesnake trivia that actually has some truth to it, plus a practical reminder that rattlesnakes warn you for a reason. We end with pet-owner myths we wish would die, including the shockingly common idea that sibling puppies won’t breed, and we cap it off with the goldfish memory story that turns “three seconds” into a real lesson about animal cognition. If you like smart conversation, real animal behavior, and useful pet care advice, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves “fun facts,” and leave us a review. What animal myth do you still hear all the time? Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  2. 6d ago

    (60) "From Apple Watches And Influencers To Death Doulas"

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. A “death doula” is a real thing now, and that one phrase opens the floodgates. We’re sitting in rainy Kentucky, catching up like we always do, and suddenly we’re asking the kind of question that sticks with you: when life gets hard, do we need new kinds of support or are we just renaming what community used to do for free? We dig into what a death doula might actually provide, why the idea feels comforting to some people and unsettling to others, and where the line is between guidance and performance.  From there, the talk widens into the bigger trend we can’t ignore: new jobs that didn’t exist a decade ago. We get into influencers, “mega” influencers, and the surprising reality that someone can graduate from a top school and choose online influence as a full-time career, then make serious money doing it. Along the way we laugh about paying experts to “do your colors,” the shrinking supply of basic knowledge in everyday places, and why we’re skeptical that a 20-year-old can teach us much, even if the internet says otherwise.  We also hit the practical stuff that makes modern tech hard to dismiss: Apple Watch health features, heart rhythm checks, and why some upgrades feel less like luxury and more like reassurance. Then we follow the money into OnlyFans and creator culture, where niche interests can be monetized in ways our younger selves would never have imagined. If you’ve ever felt impressed, confused, or slightly left behind by how fast the world changes, you’ll feel right at home with this one. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves debating modern life, and leave a review with the strangest “new job” you’ve heard of. Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  3. Jul 29

    (59) "Special Guest Judy Wade talks with Joe about Derby Memories And Racing Legends, While Ed Eats A Sandwich,"

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. The conversation starts in our usual place: jokes, side roads, and a surprisingly heated question about why we have so many different ways to say “drunk driving” (OWI, DUI, DWI, OVI). But once we welcome our guest Judy Wade, it turns into a full-on love letter to horse racing, told by people who remember exactly what it felt like to see a great horse for the first time. We trade Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs memories, talk Majestic Prince and Buckpasser, and relive the hard lessons every fan learns about injuries, campaigns, and how quickly a Triple Crown dream can disappear. Then we zoom out to the bigger debates: why some speed records from the 1960s still stand, how track surfaces and breeding might play a role, and why Secretariat’s Belmont remains the race that can still stop you mid-scroll. We also get into modern controversies like Kentucky Derby disqualifications, what fans expect from stewards, and why the sport struggles when decisions take too long to land. And we end where the heart is: Judy’s own horses, what it means to say goodbye, and why thoroughbred aftercare through organizations like Old Friends and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation matters more than ever. If you like racing stories with real opinions and real affection for the animals, subscribe, share the episode with a fellow fan, and leave us a review. Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  4. Jul 26

    (58) "Pie Math And Real Life Regrets. Can You Still Do that Thing On Your Bucket List?”

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. The conversation starts as a joke about pie, but it quickly turns into something more honest: how we make choices when time feels shorter and our bodies do not cooperate like they used to. We talk about the “free pie versus good pie” mindset, and how that same logic can sneak into everything from relationships to goals, especially when you tell yourself you will get serious “later.” We also get weirdly specific about words like “best” and “top priority,” because those labels are not just grammar, they’re commitments.  From there, we get into regrets and unfinished dreams that still have a pulse. Eddie talks about wanting an acting role, not for attention, but for the chance to step outside himself for a while. Joe admits how easy it is to buy the gear, imagine the hobby, and never put in the time, whether it’s guitar, ukulele, or any creative skill that demands patience. We also hit the real-life constraints: arthritis, injuries, fear, and that mental math we do to talk ourselves out of trying.  Then we move into swimming and fear of water, and how embarrassment and comparison can freeze a goal for decades. On the flip side, running becomes a story about momentum, mental clarity, and chasing races from a 10K to a half marathon to the New York City Marathon, plus a detour into marathon history and why 26.2 miles is such a strangely specific distance. We wrap with bucket list travel dreams like India and Egypt and the hard questions around cost and safety. If any of this feels familiar, hit subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review. What’s one goal you’re tired of postponing? Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  5. Jul 22

    (57) "A Young Girl Falls Two Miles And Lives, While Forty Two Helium Balloons Tried To Kill Another Guy."

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. A plane gets struck by lightning, a row of seats rips free, and a 17-year-old falls roughly two miles into the Amazon rainforest and survives. That’s where we start, because once you hear the details of Juliane Koepcke’s story, it’s hard to think about “luck” the same way again. We talk through what may have helped her live through the fall, what it means to wake up alone with serious injuries, and how real Amazon survival skills like following a stream can become the difference between life and death. If you’re searching for true survival stories, aviation disaster survivors, or Amazon rainforest survival accounts, this one sticks with you. Then we zoom out to the part people don’t always say out loud: surviving is not the same as being finished. We dig into the psychological trauma that can follow a catastrophe, the eerie what-ifs around who did or didn’t get on a doomed flight, and the strange cultural gravity of events that keep getting retold. We also touch on Werner Herzog’s Wings of Hope and the unsettling connection he had to the same flight. To keep things from getting too heavy, we pivot to the weird and darkly funny side of risk taking. We revisit Larry Walters, aka Lawn Chair Larry, who tied dozens of helium balloons to a lawn chair and floated up to around 16,000 feet with a pellet gun and a six-pack. From there we hit the Balloon Boy hoax and a close-to-home story about a backyard “slingshot” swing that goes way too far. If any of these stories made you feel something, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review. Which moment had you saying “no way” out loud? Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  6. Jul 18

    (56) "Special Guest Bret Sohl Tells Us How To Become A Dainty Sport Athlete At 45 Or Older."

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. A mystery bruise turns into a surprisingly perfect doorway into how time changes your body, your hobbies, and what you choose to do for fun. Then we bring on our guest, Brett Sohl, a longtime Louisville entertainment lifer who spent years behind the scenes at comedy clubs, making shows run, guiding openers, and capturing recordings that actually sounded great. If you’ve ever been curious about the hidden jobs that hold up the comedy world, Brett gives the kind of details you only hear from someone who lived it. Things get even better when Brett explains how that club path connects to late night TV. He wrote for Jay Leno for 22 years, and he breaks down the real craft of topical joke writing: spotting patterns in the news, combining stories, and landing a punch line that survives the edit. He even shares the last joke Leno told on the show, and how that kind of timing and structure gets built. From there, we follow the thread into comedy magic and live variety acts, with shout-outs to Mac King’s Las Vegas show at Excalibur, plus other favorites like Penn and Teller and Piff the Magic Dragon. And then we go full Louisville with the World Championship Dainty Contest, a German street game turned neighborhood festival in Germantown and Schnitzelburg, complete with rules, technique tips, and a prize for the shortest hit. If you love Louisville events, Kentucky festivals, comedy history, or the overlap between magic and stand-up, this one has all of it. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves weird local traditions, and leave us a review, what’s the most unusual contest you’d actually try? Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  7. Jul 15

    (55) "Birthday Wistfulness"

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. Blood on the grass, a missing cone, and a dog so locked in he won’t listen. We start with a true pet story that’s funny until it isn’t: Felix gets stitched up at the vet, then tangles with a groundhog in the yard, and suddenly we’re doing the mental math of scratches, saliva, bacteria, and what “low risk” really means when your hands aren’t spotless. If you’ve ever broken up an animal fight or worried about infection after a bite, you’ll recognize the mix of adrenaline and second guessing.  From there, the talk turns personal and surprisingly tender. A 75th birthday is coming up, and we don’t treat it like a party planning session. We talk about aging, how birthdays can feel like nothing more than timekeeping, and why that can still leave you lonely when everyone else is celebrating. Along the way we trade childhood birthday memories from country life: the rare party, the homemade pinata, the awkwardness of being ten and not knowing how to talk to girls, and the one birthday where a bicycle becomes the whole storyline.  We also get into the small objects that carry big meaning: a bike speedometer for chasing downhill “breakneck” speed, a siren used for drive-by bravery, and the moment you realize high handlebars and a banana seat were a bridge too far. It all builds to a simple question about celebration and connection: if milestones don’t matter to you, what does matter, and how do you make sure the people you love still feel seen? Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s complicated about birthdays, and leave a review with your own birthday rule or memory. Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

  8. Jul 12

    (54) "Meet Café The Dog Who Hates Everyone. You Can Never Go Home Again. Should You?"

    We love your feedback and suggestions. Please tell us your name too. AI tries to trick us and scam us sometimes. Going back sounds simple until you actually do it and the place feels smaller, stranger, and somehow not yours anymore. We start with a story that’s pure chaos: Joe takes Felix to the veterinarian to get stitches removed, only to run into a dog that “doesn’t like people or dogs” and a owner who parks herself right by the door like she’s daring the universe to start a fight. Even the dog’s name, Café, turns into a running joke and a perfect snapshot of how weird public spaces can get. Then we take a sharp turn into something deeper and honestly more personal: Thomas Wolfe’s line “You can’t go home again.” We talk about where the phrase comes from, what it means beyond the literal, and why nostalgia can hit like comfort one minute and grief the next. The real punch is that “home” isn’t just a location. It’s time, memory, relationships, and a version of you that no longer exists. From there, we get into high school reunions, the shock of being seen differently than you remember, and the quiet sadness that shows up as people age, disappear, or struggle. Joe shares why he stopped going, how performing comedy changed the way old classmates treated him, and why the smartest move might be choosing new friends and new rituals instead of chasing a perfect past. If you’ve been thinking about returning home, aging, mental health, or the strange ache of places that vanish, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Please leave us your comments, text me, DM me, give me your thoughts.  what works and what doesn't land?  We want to improve. thanks for listening Joe

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About

Two longtime friends, one a former comedian and the other a world traveler, riff on life, the arts, music, sports, travel and Horehound candy, and follow rabbit holes on just about anything.  Much of it tongue in cheek while entertaining themselves and hopefully you. Future plans are interviews and at least one listener.

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