12.28.22 | Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Tim and John pull some favorite interviews from their 2011 Holiday Special. Join The Focus Group as they welcome The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Preppy Legend Lisa Birnbach, Actor Taylor Negron, and the Butch Baker David Arrick. Holiday tunes from Crooner Michael Richard Kelly, musician Tom Adams, and concert and cabaret artist, Eddie Bruce, add to the festive occasion. Please enjoy!

12.27.22 | Happy Holidays! Tim and John reach back into the Holiday Special vault from 2010 to bring you this week’s TFG Unbuttoned. Career Coach Andrew Giuliani joins the party, and we host a Manhattan tasting test. Crooner Michael Richard Kelly, and famed pianist Tom Adams, provide a festive landscape with song. Enjoy!

12.21.22 | Shop Talk covers a CNBC story about LGBTQ workplace and consumer acceptance. Caught My Eye reveals a huge aquarium that collapses in Berlin, Germany causing much damage and the death of exotic fish in the lobby of a #Radisson Hotel. Also, find out how to say #acai and we reveal the most mispronounced word of 2022. Jim Rose, co-founder of the Jim Rose Circus Show of Oddities, is our Business Birthday. Happy 66th Jim!

12.20.22 | As the Covid virus has another spike in China, there has been a run on canned peaches. Many people think the peaches have some sort of medicinal effect on taming the virus—which they don’t. Then, an anti-LGBTQ billboard arrives in Richmond, VA. Angry residents of the progressive Carytown neighborhood made quick work at removing it. Finally, there is a warning about lead in dark chocolate, but don’t worry.

12.14.22 | Shop Talk triggers John and Tim to talk about the importance and nuance of the phone call versus text or email. Caught My Eye announces the end of the restaurant bear in Albania, and we remember George Newall, one of the creators of Schoolhouse Rock, who just died. Gizmondo executive—Tim kept saying Gizmodo, but it is Gizmondo—who was supposed to put Sony and Nintendo out of business, Stefan Eriksson is our Business Birthday.

12.13.22 | Indonesia is poised to criminalize sex and cohabitation before marriage for residents and tourists. Some in the government are protesting the state’s legislation of morality, but it looks like it will pass and become law. Then, France is limiting—or forbidding—some short hop commercial jet travel when a train will suffice to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, an update on a story we covered in the early summer. Hertz wrongly accused hundreds of people of “stealing cars” and in many cases people were jailed, lost jobs, houses, and thousands of dollars in legal fees. In most cases Hertz was wrong and must now pay a $168 million in settlements. 

12.07.22 | Author Erin McHugh joins Tim and John to talk all things Pickleball. Pickleball is Life is Erin’s 31st book and she tells us she had a lot of fun writing this one. But first, VW in Italy may want to re-think their social media handle and a Lake Elmo, MN library gets a book back after 47 years. The creator of Hello Kitty, Shintaro Tsuji, is our Business Birthday. Happy 95th! Shintaro!

12.06.22 | A recent UK study suggests that we need to be extra diligent in cleaning our hands when using the self-checkout at a store. Apparently, the area is full of bacteria including fecal matter. Then, despite all the press and popularity of electric vehicles, in the last 10 years they have only saved 2.5 days’ worth of gasoline in the USA. Finally, Merriam-Webster revealed the word of the year for 2022: Gaslighting.

11.30.22 | Shop Talk shares some tips on how to spend and acquire less. Hint: know the difference between need and want. Caught My Eye announces that department store Macy’s has broken ties with The Salvation Army this holiday season. Also, discover the secret hidden in the Swiss chocolate brand Toblerone’s logo. Angier “Angie” Biddle Duke, America’s youngest ambassador and bon vivant is our Business Birthday.