Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness, 98KUPD – Oct 7, 2025

Episode: 10-07-25
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen (absent), Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Main Features: National Taco Day, Most Hated Taco Toppings, Halloween Survey, "Things You Don't Get the Appeal Of," Fl. Woman & Used Tampons, and more (with the Guido Report by Bret).

Episode Overview

This episode delivers the classic unruly and darkly humorous energy of Holmberg's Morning Sickness. With Brady out, Bret steps in for the infamous "Brady Report" (dubbed "Guido Report") as the crew riffs on National Taco Day, America’s feelings toward Halloween, and deep-dives into pet peeves, gross headlines, and grotesque viral videos. Listeners get an unfiltered, playful volley of stories and opinions, peppered with the show’s trademark wisecracking.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Banter & Technical Fumbles (00:00–03:20)

• Classic show dynamic with John ribbing Bret and Toledo for a lack of prep and printer woes.
• Good-natured blame-shifting and behind-the-scenes bickering establish the comedy tone.

Quote:
"How have we been doing this for a quarter of a century? And I have to tell both of you, this is how this... No, no, no." (John, 01:50)

2. National Taco Day & Best/Worst Taco Toppings (04:47–09:51)

Taco Day Freebies & Fast Food Love

• Taco Bell: Soft tacos for $1.
• Jack in the Box: 2 free tacos per purchase (revered for their “mystery meat”).
• Discussion on late-night Mexican food cravings and how "bad" tacos can be heavenly post-drinking.

Quotes:
"I don't know what kind of meat that is. I don't think it's earth animal. They've mined something from space." (John, 05:57)
"It's spectacular. So I know it doesn't sound complimentary... It's not a great Yelp review, but it Is the best taco going." (John, 06:16)

Most Hated Taco Toppings

From a food blogger's poll:

1. Cilantro (polarizing flavor)
2. Black olives (John's nemesis)
3. Lettuce (possibly the wrong kind, or too wilted)
4. Cheese (hosts are dumbfounded that anyone would object)
5. Sour cream

Pickled onions and raw onions also discussed. Cheese haters get roasted.

Quote:
"You can't interview those. It's like asking a vegan where the best steakhouse is." (John, 09:43)

3. Fun Facts & Odd History (10:03–12:39)

• F-22 “kill” record: Only 3 air-to-air kills in 20 years, the first being the infamous Chinese spy balloon (2023), with John's racist "Chinamen" riff.
• Jack Nicholson’s family secret: Learned at 37 that his “sister” was actually his mother (John: "I've always had the theory, young piece of ass... and I was right.").
• Etymology of 'dilemma': Led to a playful tangent about AI imaginations and nonsexual absurdity.

4. Halloween: America's Favorites & Arizona's Spirit (13:40–18:44)

• States that love Halloween the most: Delaware, Idaho, North Dakota—likely for lack of alternatives.
• Arizona ranks lowest for Halloween spirit, possibly due to heat ("It's 90 degrees and you're out there in masks...").
• Candy buying: Average is 4.5 bags per American; hosts confess to leftover candy and past giveaways of condiment packets and surplus hot tamales.

Quotes:
"It's not dirt and cotton balls in your front yard pretending you haven't washed for years." (John, 16:29)
"I spent a year saving condiments from lunches at work once, and that was my Halloween giveaway." (John, 17:28)

5. "Things You Don't Get the Appeal Of" (18:48–21:17)

• National survey prompts the crew to chime in with bafflements:
  • Taylor Swift ("She's human cilantro" — John, 18:59)
  • Boba tea, pumpkin spice, trendy water bottles ("Stanleys"), celebrity worship, influencers.
  • Strip clubs ("She's naked but you can't touch her. Absolutely not, that's terribly stupid." — John, 20:25)
  • Sports betting/slot machines (Bret sympathizes, John gets why people don't like it).
  • Being mean to animals (should be #1, says John), social places with impossibly loud music.

6. The "One That Got Away" (21:24–22:59)

• Survey: 39% admit having a "one that got away."
• Discussed with humor and self-deprecation.
• John: "I know for a fact no one wants to do that with me... Now you're just a guy on someone's porch." (22:38)
• Bret: Ex ref. to ex-girlfriend who turned to painkillers—"the one that got away was her dealer." (22:59)

7. Ultra-Crazy News: "Crazy Broad News" (23:31–25:47)

• Florida woman: Arrested for throwing 75–100 used tampons on her ex's lawn (23:43)
• “That's sociopath stuff... She needs to go to jail.” (John, 25:47)
• She blamed her mother and aunt, was a paid firewoman, now charged with misdemeanor stalking.

8. Five Signs You’re in a Bad Bar (25:54–29:01)

Listed by hosts and survey:

• Lack of cleanliness (fishy smell, dirty glassware, sticky surfaces)
• General lack of bartender knowledge/skill ("I'm a mixologist..." = red flag)
• Absence of welcome/greeting
• Too many signature cocktails (quality drop)
• (Host add-on) Off-track betting presence, attracting unsavory regulars

Anecdotes abound, including John’s “bar rescue” moments and rundown of disastrous OTB crowds.

9. On This Date: Odd Anniversaries (29:14–30:41)

• Spotify launch (2008, happy birthday)
• Hubie Halloween (Adam Sandler film, 2020 – called “second worst October 7th”)
• Schwarzenegger elected Governor (2003)
• Boy George arrested for cocaine (2005)
• MPAA film rating system started (1968)

10. Rapid-Fire Viral Videos & Gross-Out Content (31:31–39:35)

A Holmberg’s staple: describing listener-submitted, grotesque, or hilarious videos, often with little context.

• Family in a field attacked by a gorilla (31:39)
• Man eating out of a sewer drain in India (32:27: "That's India's final boss," Toledo notes.)
• Man dressed as Spider-Man dancing in Ohio (33:54)
• A wild, graphic video featuring what the hosts think is a trans woman in a bathtub.
• Violent car crash and drive-through shooting surveillance tapes.
• Woman eating a tarantula ("Toledo's next international meal." – John)
• Woman shooting arrows with a lady part (“It's not a fart... let's just say.” — John, 38:17)
• Woman pooping out fully-formed hot dogs (39:01): "That's a big ass, too. That's cardi b sized. It's clean, though. Yeah. It's spotless." (John, 39:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jack in the Box tacos:
  "It could be Alpo. I don't know. It's spectacular." (John, 06:16)

• On Taylor Swift:
  "She's human cilantro. Some people love her and other people just don't get it." (John, 18:59)

• On the Florida tampon incident:
  "That’s sociopath stuff. How many do girls go through in a week when they're having a real bad one? Like, ten? So she’s hitting seven periods before she finally—she had them in some Ziploc in her fridge." (John, 24:17, 24:49)

• On being in a bad bar:
  "You don’t want people chasing their bills in your restaurant." (John, 27:43)

• On musicians that have “one that got away”:
  “Katy Perry wrote a song about it, and Jeffrey Dahmer definitely had that. The one that got away got him arrested.” (John, 21:36)

• On video perversions:
  “You may ask yourself, where did my dick go?” (John, referencing David Byrne in a surreal graphic video, 34:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• (00:00–03:20) Show intro, printer woes, behind-the-scenes humor
• (04:47–09:51) National Taco Day, best & worst tacos and toppings
• (10:03–12:39) Fun facts and odd historical revelations
• (13:40–18:44) Halloween stats, state-by-state love, Arizona shamed
• (18:48–21:17) What people ‘don’t get the appeal of’ survey and riff
• (21:24–22:59) “One that got away” digressions
• (23:31–25:47) Florida woman and the used tampons headline
• (25:54–29:01) “Signs of a Bad Bar,” OTB tales
• (29:14–30:41) October 7th anniversaries
• (31:31–39:35) Viral/grotesque video breakdowns and listener submissions

Conclusion

This episode typifies the signature formula of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness—outrageously irreverent, packed with crude humor, pop culture hot takes, and group therapy for the audience’s amusement. With a blend of local color, relatable survey commentary, and “did-they-really-say-that?” moments, there’s never a dull minute—even (or especially) when things get messy.

Missed the show? This summary captures the off-the-wall highlights, signature banter, and all the Taco Day/horror season weirdness you’d expect from Arizona’s top morning crew.