Lunatic In The Newsroom

Josh Spiegel has been thinking about what it must have been like for Venezuela’s President when he was captured by U.S. Forces over the weekend. He wonders what life is like for Maduro now that he’s in custody and how the future will play out. But the words you’ll hear will not be the regurgitated rants of the media’s talking heads from this weekend. This episode could only come fro...

What do we do when planes vanish without a trace? This week, Josh Spiegel explores two aviation mysteries that won’t go away. In fact, new searches are about to begin for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and Amelia Earhart’s plane. Josh breaks down what we know, what we don’t, and why these disappearances still nag at us. He even offers his own theories on what happened to these doomed...

If you haven’t purchased your holiday gifts by now, don’t panic. Josh Spiegel is here to help. Not only will his last minute gift guide save you from becoming an outcast among family and friends, it’s also budget friendly. There’s something for everyone. Consider this episode Josh’s gift to you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

Waymo’s continuous problems with its autonomous cars are making Josh Spiegel stop and wonder if he needs to intervene and save the world. From close calls with school buses to driving through a police standoff and a shocking cat homicide, Josh is demanding change. Come along for an unforgettable ride with Josh - a ride that you’ll at least survive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...

Fasten your seatbelt for Josh Spiegel’s year-end spectacular. He’ll unnecessarily go back and review the moments that made us gasp, laugh, and cry. The panic, the chaos, the ridiculousness - it’s all here. And who better to break it down and have a breakdown while doing it than Josh Spiegel? Attribution Code "Unlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribu...

Josh Spiegel embarks on a voyage on the high seas. Unfortunately, he soon finds himself at the center of a very loud misunderstanding. This week’s episode is a fictional story loosely tied to a real headline and Josh’s paranoia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Josh Spiegel says it’s time to reinvent Thanksgiving. Turkey has had one heck of a run but there needs to be a new centerpiece: Catfish. Does this revolutionary idea have any chance of catching on? Absolutely not. But Josh makes a strong case for it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

It’s been 55 years since a beached whale was blown up with dynamite on an Oregon beach. In this episode, Josh Spiegel gets the legendary story firsthand from a newspaper reporter who was there and saw it happen.  Food recalls seem like an everyday occurrence. Josh says, it’s not just because of salmonella or listeria. It’s pieces of golf balls found in food.  Plus, Jo...

Josh Spiegel’s faces his fear of public bathrooms as he interviews a public bathroom historian. Professor Bryant Simon of Temple University knows everything about bathrooms. He’s even writing a book on the subject. Josh also calls for a ban on men fathering children after the age of 65. Finally, he expresses his shock and annoyance at Dictionary.com choosing 6-7 as its word of the year. See P...

Josh Spiegel gets life advice from a 75 year old man who lives in a retirement home. He also talks about people who bought shoes that are so squeaky, they’re suing the shoe maker. Also, Josh wonders if your retirement savings are about to vanish and expresses his cautious optimism about a big change at Snapple. There’s also talk about Bigfoot and much more. See Privacy Policy at htt...

Josh Spiegel revisits the touchy subject of legalized marijuana. He can’t stand the stench, as he described at length in Episode Two. Now, it’s time for solutions. In this episode, Josh offers ideas that could make both smokers and non-smokers happy. He also calls in the big gun and interviews Lizzie Post, the great, great Granddaughter of Etiquette Icon Emily Post. Lizzie is Co-President of...

In this week’s episode, Josh Spiegel wages war on spam callers, expresses disappointment at a breakthrough that could protect swimmers from sharks, discusses the rigorous training it must take for people to learn how to protest, and interviews a man obsessed with the sport of darts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n...

The government shutdown continues as Congress refuses to compromise on healthcare. Josh Spiegel has his own ideas on healthcare reform that should immediately be enacted including ending nonstop texts about appointment confirmations. He also talks about the widespread panic over Starbucks closings and the dilemma he faces whenever his bar of soap melts in the shower. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Josh Spiegel worries about the rise of robots, natural disasters, and new pandemics as they threaten civilization as we know it! Lewis Dartnell, author of "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm" helps Josh prepare for survival.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i...

Josh Spiegel loves getting mail.  He serenades the Postal Service a la Marilyn Monroe.  Celebrate 250 years of continuous delivery as Josh hopes the joy of opening parcels will last forever.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

It’s Back To School! From phones, the threat of a new pandemic, embarrassing test scores and Josh’s own horrible school days, this episode is packed with issues facing our nation’s education system. Josh is also outraged with a woman who has started signing her emails “Hugs” so he gets her on the phone. Available wherever you get your podcasts! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...

Josh Spiegel refuses to age gracefully. He imagines a secret society of the elderly led by their scooter riding leader and has nightmares about creepy synchronized swimming. There's so much more to the horrifying scenarios that keep him awake at night. He would also appreciate it if AARP would stop harassing him. He's not going down without a fight. Music Credits "SCP-x3x (I am Not OK)" Kevin MacL...

Josh Spiegel can’t take it anymore. The smell of marijuana is everywhere and it’s time to fight back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

“Lunatic in the Newsroom” Host Josh Spiegel is exasperated with air travel. Everything bothers him:  fellow travelers, planes with loose bolts and a potential pandemic caused by someone at an airport’s fast food kiosk.  All of it feeds into Spiegel’s neuroses and it’s pure torture. You’ll probably enjoy hearing about it.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...