Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Episode Summary

Episode Date: November 5, 2025
Podcast: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness (98KUPD)
Cast: John Holmberg (B), Brady Bogen (C), Bret Vesely (A), Dick Toledo (D)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is a classic, wide-ranging Holmberg’s Morning Sickness mix of local life observations, irreverent humor, and societal commentary. The hosts riff on the quirks of modern car shopping, the controversy of pet and human cloning spurred by Tom Brady’s new “clone dog,” Arizona’s vote on a new “loony bin,” the rebranding of special education, and the invasion of Communist sympathies (“the Red Scare”) into their own personal circles.

With plenty of local color, trademark roasts, and memorable anecdotes, it’s a show for regulars who can follow the inside jokes—but with topical, even national stories to interest newcomers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Frustrations of Modern Car Shopping

Timestamps: 02:13 – 17:50

• Car Dealership Inventory Has Changed: John talks about his recent experience shopping for cars. Dealers have little or no inventory, only display or high-end models, and push customers to “order online”—making the trip to the dealership feel pointless.
  • “I came here to, like, see what you got now... No, we can go online and order it. And I’m like, well, so can I. Why am I here?” — John (03:50)
• Sales Tactics Have Gone Soft: The predatory haggling “game” is gone, replaced by salespeople who can’t help and even side with the customer against their own company.
  • “What happened to car salespeople that you’re on my side now? When did that happen?” — John (13:27)
• Buying Online Doubts: The crew expresses skepticism about trusting used car purchases online, comparing them to seeing filtered dating profiles and real estate photos—what you see isn’t always reality.
  • “It’s a chick. It’s a fat chick who’s got good pictures of herself on her thing... You see a car, it's like they can. They do it at houses, too.” — John (12:10)

2. Cloning: Tom Brady's "Clone Dog" and Deeper Fears

Timestamps: 24:50 – 35:05

• Tom Brady’s Cloning Adventure: News that Brady cloned his dog after it died sparks a lively debate about the ethics and weirdness of pet cloning—and human implications.
  • “Tom Brady... took some of its DNA and took it to a lab and cloned it.” — John (24:52)
  • “Tom Brady is a weirdo. He’s a freak.” — John (28:16)
• Human Cloning Jokes Turn Philosophical:
  • Would you kiss your own clone? Is it incest, or self-love? The team riff on the absurdity of meeting yourself, leading to musings about self-worth, narcissism, and, of course, kissing techniques.
  • “You would kiss yourself. You would do it. You’d get too curious.” — John (34:48)

3. “Loony Bin” and Special Education: Arizona Election & Labels

Timestamps: 55:20 – 87:55

• Mental Health Facility (“Loony Bin”) Vote: Arizona is voting to build a new psychiatric hospital, but the terminology is clouded in euphemism.
  • John argues that naming it a “loony bin” would get more public support, reflecting nostalgia for blunt honesty in public policy.
  • “If you'd said trying to build us a new loony bin... you’d have won. You’d have gotten people out to vote, people like me.” — John (55:25)
• Personal Stories: John recalls his childhood living across from a Phoenix asylum, seeing patients walk the yard in the 1980s, and how that shaped his views.
• Special Ed Rebranded:
  The crew roast contemporary euphemisms like “GEAR” and “exceptional resource” for remedial education, declaring it’s all code for “dummy class”—and arguing that renaming does nothing for student performance or stigma.
  • “They have watered down the word exceptional to mean you’re kind of dumb. He’s exceptional. Well, no, it’s the opposite of that, actually.” — John (74:28)
  • Brady admits: He paid $285/month for years for his daughter’s remedial math help, only for her to say “you’re giving GEAR too much credit, Dad.”

4. “The Red Scare”: When Communism Invades Your Home

Timestamps: 117:01 – 132:40

• Toledo’s Wife, the “Red Scare”:
  A hilarious subplot unfolds as Toledo reveals his wife is “Red-pilled”—falling deep into leftist/progressive politics.
  • “You’ve got a communist in your house. You’ve got the Red Scare living right next to you!” — John (117:07)
  • “I never thought I’d know anybody who did it. But Toledo married a communist!” — John (121:48)
• The guys joke about Thanksgiving being ruined, with the Red Scare bringing up topics like “wealth redistribution” at family dinners.

5. News, Local Trivia & Listener Calls

Timestamps: 97:48 – 116:47

• Arizona Fun Facts:
  Over 75 million Americans live in HOAs; “Riverside” is a city name in 46 states, including a barely-on-the-map Riverside, AZ.
• Moon Water & Trends:
  They riff on “moon water” (a TikTok trend where you charge water under moonlight for 'energy') – calling it nonsense and “dumb broad stuff.”
• Local Ballot Measures:
  Small-town voter turnout anecdote: Apache Junction had only 54 votes in its recent referendum despite 39,000 adults.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You go to the dealerships... I like the tangible touch, feel, leave with something. And I ended up going back and on my phone, finding something. This is $7,000 or $8,000 less... and it said I can just order it.” — John (06:50)
• “He cloned his dog. That is mad scientist nonsense that you don’t want... I’m not a play God guy, but that’s playing God and it ain’t right.” — John (28:16)
• “They used to tell people Einstein was in [special ed]… that's the biggest scam ever pulled on dumb kids." — John (86:14)
• “A real man wouldn’t allow his wife to become a communist. That might be the smartest thing I’ve ever said.” — John (127:01)

On “Loony Bins” and language:

“You’ve got to call it what it is. Nut house. Long coats. Strap them up and tell them to knock it off. If they get better, they get let out. If not, they stay.” — John (65:22)

On clones:

“If they allowed authentic breasts to be attached to the vehicle, I would... pay for that extra flag.” — John, imagining the ultimate custom order (11:45)

Important Timestamps (Segment Guide)

• 02:13 – 17:50: Car shopping, changes in dealerships, nostalgia for old-school salesmen.
• 24:50 – 35:05: Tom Brady’s dog cloning; philosophical sidebar: would you make out with your own clone?
• 55:20 – 87:55: Mental health “loony bin” proposition, special ed labels, family stories.
• 97:48 – 116:47: Headlines, Riverside, AZ trivia, Thanksgiving prep, moon water trend.
• 117:01 – 132:40: “Red Scare” at home, communism jokes, holiday dread for families with new lefties.

Tone & Language

• Irreverent, Intentionally Politically Incorrect:
  Uncensored banter is the default; expect R-rated jokes, dips into “old man yells at cloud” nostalgia, but always wrapped in humor.
• Local and Inside-Jokey:
  Many references to Phoenix-area landmarks and past bits, plus self-deprecating stories.
• Camaraderie & Satire:
  The guys roast each other and themselves as much as they do society.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode will give you a taste of HMS’s signature blend: local flavor, social satire, and all-out goofiness. You’ll hear the crew lament modern life’s changes—from car buying to education—while never letting a chance for self-mockery or a wild hypothetical pass by.

Skip if: you dislike politically incorrect, loose, or long-form comic radio.

[END SUMMARY]