Explore every episode of the podcast The Complete Disaster Podcast

(Part 4)

Now that the Vikings are 6-0, we're the last undefeated team. This basically guarantees us a place in the playoffs. After that? Who knows. Our "oops all field goals" strategy seems to be working well. Maybe it's the new thing. Or maybe everyone else is just injured so the Vikings are basically bullying hospital patients.

(Part 3)

Ed may be an Emmy-winning writer, producer and author, but there's something even more important about him: he was also friends with Louie Anderson. Once we learned that we may or may not have spent a good ten minutes talking about him instead of Ed's books, which you can find at https://www.eddriscollcomedy.com/.

This guest was booked using PodMatch! Interested in being a guest on the show? Sign up for PodMatch at https://www.joinpodmatch.com/completedisaster and get in touch!

(Part 2)

We didn't intend to talk about pets basically the entire time, but we did it anyway. Adopting them, having them, watching movies about them. Most people have pets, so it's got broad appeal. But hey, we do talk about interviewing celebrities for a bit there at the beginning. Something for everyone.

(Part 1)

We start this episode with a sad story. Then we talk about people dying. Also Birch's sundowners. But all that pales in comparison to the worst news of all: Vegemite is officially not a human right. Yes, we couldn't believe it either.

(Part 4)

Greg is a Minnesota native with quite the collection. He has a copy of every MAD magazine produced from #24 onward. Before that, it was a comic book, so 24 is the first one we all know and love. He brought several of them in, including the recent 600th issue. That's a lot of history in a magazine about...what is MAD about, anyway?

(Part 3)

Tim saw You Can See Everything. You know how the trailers make Elizabeth Holmes look super creepy? That's not an accident. What is an accident is having your teeth knocked out during a big hockey game. At least we hope so, because man that looks painful.

(Part 2)

Announcing that you're having a baby is a big deal. The moment might feel cheapened if you do it live on TV while Thing 1 and Thing 2 are dancing around though. And yes, this is something that happened on Dancing with the Stars.

(Part 1)

Paul Mecurio is in town at the House of Comedy, so naturally he swings by the studio for a visit. Jeff Passolt also shows up to reminisce and the two hit it off immediately. Probably because they both have stories about relatives being strange.

(Part 4)

When Mike's mother died when he was just 22, he had a realization. You have to live life while you still have it. That's why he's a bestselling author, has been to over 100 countries, and has built numerous companies up to eight figures. Well okay, that's not the only reason why, but it was the first reason. And sometimes the first step is the hardest.

You can find Mike's book at https://globalcareerbook.com/!

This guest was booked using PodMatch! Interested in being a guest on the show? Sign up for PodMatch at https://www.joinpodmatch.com/completedisaster and get in touch!

(Part 3)

There was a communication mix-up with the guest, so instead we talked about high school. Everyone loved high school, right? Well even if you didn't, you might wonder what famous people have graduated there. Today we find out, courtesy of the Notable Alumni section on various Wikipedia pages. And yes, Tom is on one of those sections.

(Part 2)

You've been waiting for weeks for Kristyn to finally reveal who she's been hobnobbing with. Don't try to deny it. You know it's true. Well the day has arrived. What, you thought we'd spoil it in the description? It would be much better to hear it from the woman herself, don't you think?

(Part 1)

Kathryn and Tom watched Norm, the Norm Macdonald documentary. Would you be surprised to learn that behind the comedy, there was a deep sadness? If so, you've probably never learned about the personal life of a comedian before. You also may not have attempted to demonstrate telekinesis on live TV. If not, we don't recommend you start. Not unless it's real, of course.

(Part 4)

It's been a very injurious week in football. Entire teams are being decimated. Interviewees are becoming casualties before they even pick up a mic. What's going on? We don't know, but we got a bye week so we're still 5-0, so we don't care. And surely, nothing bad could possibly happen between now and February.

(Part 3)

Complaining about kids never wanting to talk on the phone is out. The newest complaint is robots always wanting to talk on the phone. You'd think a doctor would want to hear from their patient directly. You'd also think you'd go see Paul Mecurio at the House of Comedy this Friday and Saturday. No robots involved.

(Part 2)

DWTS had some drama the other day involving a lift. Or was it a lift? Depends on which definition you use. Choose the right one, because you might end up getting the Fresh Prince treatment. And if none of this makes any sense to you at all, you're far from alone.

• Carrie Ann Inaba claims Jenna Johnson got lifted, and Val Chmerkovskiy goes nuts. Did I get all those names right?
• You Can See Everything is making beaucoup bucks
• Kristyn's swag haul from her Margo Embargo
• Ice cream

(Part 1)

The Disney Worlds Collide tour came to town. Tweens and their mothers rejoiced. For everyone else, there's foot-related content online. And by "everyone else" I mean hopefully an extremely small number of people.

Tim, famous for being Mary Mack's husband, moved up north because Facebook was too confusing. Or something like that, anyway. Why is he all the way back down here? Because he's at Acme, naturally. And you should be grateful, because after all, he's the funniest person in Minnesota. He's certified and everything.

Hot off the tails of the Mortal Kombat movie revival, here comes Street Fighter. Is it as good? After all, they're both just movies about people beating each other up, right? And speaking of combat, Crystal Lake is here too, to tell us the story of what happened between the beginning of Friday the 13th and the end of it. Or whatever. You know what I mean.

Topics:

Street Fighter

Crystal Lake

Extreme gore

Some people get mad when they drink. Some get sad. Some get happy. But we all get sad when we watch documentaries, because every documentary these days is a downer. We're going to guess that the latest crop is no exception. Maybe not the Norm Macdonald one. But even that's not a sure thing.

Topics:

Alcohol

Relationships in the entertainment industry

Streaming prices

Norm Macdonald documentary

Elizabeth Holmes documentary

Elon Musk documentary

There's a woman running for something or other in some place. Her interview has taken the internet by storm. You'll see why here. There's also a car taking the internet by storm but in a different way. That is to say, it's cool rather than sad and a little scary. Okay, it's still a little scary.

Topics:

Jaime West interview

Tesla flying Roadster

Meta smart glasses recording by themselves

(Part 4)

Doug Loon is the CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, at least for the next two and a half months. He also brings us said chamber's latest thing: the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota, in which 64 things made in Minnesota compete to be voted the coolest. Did you know that all sorts of things were made and/or invented here? Not a lot of people do.

He also pops in on the Minnesota Business Podcast, a podcast about...well, what do you think it's about? Find it here: https://www.mnchamber.com/minnesota-business-podcast-your-source-business-and-public-affairs-news

(Part 3)

Last time we had Christine on, we only got a bit of time with her. Enough for her to talk about Walk Beside Me, a book that's not about Christine, but also is. Since then, that book has become a movie called Hello Beautiful. It's in theaters now, and we're always talking about how you should go to the theater.

For more information about both the book and the movie, go to https://christinehandy.com/!

(Part 2)

There are some new things out. Keeping with tradition, they're kind of downers. The first is Jimmy, a movie about Jimmy Stewart and how being drafted into WW2 messed him up. Then there's In the Shadow of Eight, a book written by one of the "eight" in Jon & Kate Plus Eight. You can imagine how that one goes. Then we talk about MySpace for a while, because you gotta have a bit of fun.

Topics:

Jimmy Stewart documentary

In the Shadow of Eight by Collin Gosselin

Jon & Kate drama

MySpace

(Part 1)

When you're a kid, saying weird stuff out of nowhere is cute. Even if that stuff makes absolutely no sense. But eventually you start saying things into a microphone, then a robot hears them and misinterprets them, and it's a big thing. This probably wasn't something you had to worry about ten years ago. Welcome to the future.

Check out our Amazon storefront, including the products Kathryn mentioned today, at https://a.co/d/09gzqFa7!

Topics:

Ethan's old people fact

Colin searching for Bop Bop

Josh Arnold vs. AI censorship

Chatbots are annoying

Kathryn's Amazon list

Abby is the owner of Sugar Lake Lodge up in Cohasset, where she also grew up. So if you think you like to go up north a lot, she's got you beat there. On the other hand, if you just want to spend some time by the lake and/or want to host a company retreat, she's got you covered.

Want to check out the lodge? Go to https://sugarlakelodge.com/!

Bill is back, and this time he's announcing a show he's doing in LA. Unfortunately, if you're not willing to go to LA, you can't see it. You also can't have a coconut cake unless you're willing to spend $125. So there you go, two reasons to visit right there.

(Part 2)

Tom Cruise is in trouble. Well, as much trouble as a man with infinite wealth and fame can be in: his latest movie isn't doing so great. But at least he wasn't told that he can't buy a mechanical bird.

Topics:

Digger is a major bomb

Scientology and Tom Cruise

Michael Jackson's questionable legacy

Kelly Clarkson attempts to purchase Molly the mechanical bird

(Part 1)

Ilhan Omar's house got raided by the feds. Whether this amounts to anything or not, we'll see. Until then, let's talk orchards. It's orchard season, after all, and we went to a rather involved one over the weekend.

Topics:

Ilhan Omar's house raided

Sage's many soccer games

Fall Harvest Orchard

Michael Jordan jersey sells for 14 million dollars

(Part 4)

Bob and his co-author, Tom Clavin, write about a man who was captured in WW2 three times, parachuted into German-occupied France twice, and forced some Nazi officers to toast FDR once. And the most interesting part is, it's all true. His name was Peter Ortiz, also known as The Phantom. Also also known as Das Fantom, depending on how German you are.

You can get The Phantom here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250285850/thephantom/

(Part 3)

It's October, so it's time to get spooky. Carrie was pretty spooky, right? And by "was" I mean "is", because it's back as a miniseries. Other Mommy is also apparently great if you like being jump scared every ten minutes. Lastly, Nic Cage is in Stillwater. That's not really scary, but it is worth mentioning.

(Part 2)

Want to be an audience member for DWTS? Apparently, it's free. Aside from the plane ticket. And lodgings. And the fact that you have like three days between being selected and having to be in studio. But you know, aside from that, no cost at all.

Topics:

DWTS studio audience lottery

TV viewership is down

Category 3 hurricane about to hit Florida

Colin's big no

Kristyn in Ottawa

Brightline and other failed infrastructure projects

(Part 1)

Christa Pike is all over the news for having her execution botched. Apparently the same doctor who botched hers did the same thing to another prisoner just a few months ago. You'd think that would be impossible, but then we get into stories about pets not being put down properly, sedatives not being administered, and other fun stuff. It's a very cheery episode.

Topics:

U of M theme song

Sports radio

Kathryn gets into mahjong

Margaret Hamilton dies at 90

MLB lowering amount of games by 8

Christa Pike's failed execution

(Part 3)

Part 3 continues the stream of consciousness, where we start talking about Chinese food for some reason and never really stop. We also do a deep analysis of a picture a listener sent in that looks like it was taken from 1989.

There is no part 4 today because part 2 was like an hour long by itself.

(Part 2)

Jimmy Francis won second place at the 2026 On the Road Again pickle contest. He's even got a trophy as proof. He also brought the pickles in, making us de facto pickle judges. This episode is a weird one - we had two no-shows in one day (a first in our podcast's history!) so we just kind of let it ride. We started with pickles and ended with Chinese food. Because it's lunch and we're hungry.

Topics:

Jimmy's second place pickles

Mall of America attempted mass shooting thwarted

Aldi

Waymo

Our first cars

(Part 1)

It's Amazon Prime Days. We have an Amazon storefront now. You know what that means: buy stuff from our storefront. Or else. Or else we won't make any money, I mean. Think about it this way: if you buy enough stuff, not only could we reduce our ad load, but you'd be more like us. And who wouldn't want that?

Visit the Complete Disaster Podcast Amazon storefront at https://a.co/d/09gzqFa7!

Topics:

Amazon Prime Days

1984 KSTP We're The Team video

Cane sugar in Coke is coming to America

Airplane toilet emergency

(Part 4)

You heard us. 100% chance of victory. Calling it now. And while we're being optimistic, the Falcons will also make it to the playoffs why not. The Titans and Dolphins? No, they're just bad. We're being optimistic, not pollyanna.

(Part 3)

Tamara - or Tam, as they call her - has written two books with over 1000 music quiz questions between them. She's also written a children's book with 500 references to 70s and 80s music hidden in it. Needless to say, she's got her niche and she's making it work for her. She even did a bit of quizzing on the show today. Quizzing we knocked out of the park, I might add.

For Tamara's stuff, including The Day We Found Yesterday and Ultimate Mix Tape, visit https://www.totallycool80s.com/!

This guest was booked using PodMatch! Interested in being a guest on the show? Sign up for PodMatch at https://www.joinpodmatch.com/completedisaster and get in touch!

(Part 2)

Al learned that he was adopted at 52. That's pretty late to get that one dropped on you. That's just the beginning of the story, however. For the whole story, you'll have to read the book. For a medium amount of the story, you can listen to this podcast.

You can find Al's book, Finding Mary Smith, at https://www.alisaacs.com/!

This guest was booked using PodMatch! Interested in being a guest on the show? Sign up for PodMatch at https://www.joinpodmatch.com/completedisaster and get in touch!

(Part 1)

It's nothing but the four horsemen of the apocalypse out there. Lipomas may not be quite at the same level as plague, but they're still a form of pestilence. Sort of. Midterms are even harder to get rid of. They just keep coming back, and they bring months of attack ads with them. But then you've got Still Making Waves, the new show with Tom, John Hines, and Jack Hicks. There's no apocalyptic imagery behind that one.

Listen to Still Making Waves here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/still-making-waves/id6819072755

(Part 4)

If you've been listening to the podcast for at least ten years, you'll remember when Cy used to pop into the studio all the time. Then, one day, he vanished. Why? Find out today! Also find out why you should go see the last two days of Comedy Crash and Burn XV.

(Part 3)

Digger is out, and apparently it's pretty polarizing. Tim says it's good. Critics do not. Apparently you'll have to watch for yourself to determine if you love it or hate it. Kind of like the Lizzie Borden season of Monster, which Tim does not say is good.

Topics:

Digger

Coyote vs. Acme

Lioness

Lizzie Borden

(Part 2)

DWTS - that's Dancing With The Stars for those of you out of the loop - has been going for a very long time. Over twenty years, in fact. Proving that it's never too late to start, Kathryn has decided to start watching it this week. Speaking of which, if you've never watched the Rankin Bass Christmas specials, don't let the fact that they're a million years old deter you.

Topics:

Kathryn and Alex watch Dancing With The Stars

Cornell controversy

Paramount/WB merger

Kristyn on the red carpet for The Animals

Rankin Bass Christmas specials

(Part 1)

Have you ever been in a situation where you could either say "hey Siri" and have your phone respond, or die a gruesome death? At least one person has.

Topics:

Kaohly Her is a lunatic

Sage is the future running champion

Dog tries to play with home invader

Oregon man uses earbuds to save life

3 year old brings gun to daycare

Andy blows baking soda in Alex's face

(Part 4)

The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is over, but interest in the story never dies. Especially because, apparently, there is a functionally infinite number of them. Jeffrey compiled a portion of this infinity into a book.

You can buy Ash and Honor: The Untold 368 Minutes of 9/11 at https://www.amazon.com/Ash-Honor-Untold-368-Minutes-ebook/dp/B0G76Y3NZZ!

(Part 3)

Today's episode piques Alex's interest: Russell has spent over 20 years researching dyslexia and helping others overcome theirs, and Fawn is dyslexic. What a coincidence.

You can find more about Russell's methods at https://dyslexiaclasses.com/!

This guest was booked using PodMatch! Interested in being a guest on the show? Sign up for PodMatch at https://www.joinpodmatch.com/completedisaster and get in touch!

(Part 2)

Did you know that Angie Dickinson is still alive? She's 95 as of a few hours ago. As a 95 year old, she remembers when kids didn't have smartphones. That's not why we got onto the latter topic. To be honest, I don't even remember why.

You can help revive Bill's Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/bill_mendieta!

Topics:

Angie Dickinson turns 95

Dennis Haskins, Principal Belding in Saved by the Bell, dies at 75

Chad Lowe's daughter Fiona dies from suicide at 13

No Child Left Behind has been a disaster

Should kids have tech?

(Part 1)

Hey, it's a valid question. Six protein shakes a day is going to do something to your digestive system, and Kroger isn't open 24/7. There's always the battering ram method, but then you go to jail, and the toilets there are out in the open.

Topics:

Texas man rams Kroger with car

In Korea, Jesus looks Korean

Did Pasqual Piñón have two heads?

Toshisuke Kanazawa, 90 year old bodybuilder

(Part 4)

Costaki is a comedian and a football fan. The combination of these two basically defines his career. That's why today, we make sure to talk a bit about both. We've always liked comedy, and we've also liked football ever since the Vikings went 3 and 0. But, can they keep our favor?

(Part 3)

Jerry has been a part of the show almost as long as we have. He's famous for bringing in various enormous quantities of food. Ribs, mostly. Today it's pumpkin bread. He also brought his experience with New Hope Cinema Grill and being around comedians for half his life.

Also, did you know his name isn't actually Jerry?

(Part 2)

Alex saw The Golden Ticket. Apparently they made some questionable choices with this one. Will it improve? Or will it end up like MTV: merely a reminder of the good times?

Topics:

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

Toy Story 5

Willy Wonka's The Golden Ticket

The Breadwinner

MTV VMAs

Madonna's filler

Funny Money (Dane Cook documentary)