The Last Show with David Cooper

Asparagus psychic Jemima Packington – known as the Asparamancer – join both David and Tony Five to share her 2024 predictions. Initially, Tony can't keep in his excitement. The Asparamancer discusses Harry and Meghan. David asks her about what future AI-related asparagus predictions she has. Tony asks her what she'd do if AI replaced her job. Jemima offers to a do an asparagus reading for David and Tony at a future date. Then, she admits to doing an asparagus reading at Buckingham palace. Jemima calls both David and Tony brilliant broadcasters... how's THAT for an accolade?! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science educator Dr. Daniel K. Riskin, Ph.D. joins David to discuss various famous Hughs. The two decide who or what they would kick out of bed for eating crackers. Dan introduces necrobotics. Then, it's science time with the following headlines covered: ChatGPT may be getting lazier during the holidays; The world's first known case of someone tearing their windpipe from holding a sneeze; A new study showing that hypochondriacs really do die earlier than other people; The bizarre medical mystery of an intact housefly found inside a man's colon during a colonoscopy; and NASA's Voyager 1 probe has stopped communicating, and engineers might not be able to fix it. David wishes Dan a happy holidays and closes on a quote from Carl Sagan based on an iconic photo taken by the Voyager 1 probe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David and Tony Five force producer Dani to come on the podcast an explain why she failed to book the segment What's Weird About You? Dani talks about how she tried, and the three of them reminisce about people who used to call David's live radio show. Would you like to be on What's Weird About You? Please email Producer Dani - [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David has Canadian broadcaster Jim Richards on This Is Going Well, I Think. David asks if he makes Jim look bad, and they go over how they met and how they started working with one another. David asks whether his last job was really a job at all? Jim talks about his show NEWSTALK Tonight and the two discuss their experiences in radio – including whether mean comments get to them, and what their struggles have been. David thanks Jim for his support and asks him to travel to Texas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Straight outta London, England it's Tony Five on This Is Going Well, I Think. David and Tony discuss Chanukah gelt and an exciting upcoming guest of the show. (It's the asparagus psychic!) Tony tells the tale of how he stopped Times Square street hustlers from preying upon a naive young woman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday with social worker Gary Direnfeld. After a discussion about Gary being confused with a criminal, and border crossing trouble, he and David get down to the topic of the day: kindness, kindness, it's all about kindness! Oh, and David shares a story about his grandmother's brisket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David has something (not so) special to share for the 100th episode of This Is Going Well, I Think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science educator and bat biologist Dan Riskin catches us up on what's new in his world: it mostly involves snow tires and AI. Dan askes David if he's bought a home yet. Astronaut Chris Hadfield's name gets dropped, which leads nicely into reports of the horrible thing that happens to your fingernails after a spacewalk. Dan brings up how a bat with a perplexingly large penis mates. David talks about how genitals came out during his Thanksgiving. The two discuss the benefit of extra appendages. David and Daniel schedule their next interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David and Tony Five invite producer Dani to hash out the details of a new segment for this show called What's Weird About You? David gifts Dani a new email address. The three share what's weird about themselves and discuss the British royal family. Segment details: Every week or so, Tony will bring a new person on the show who has a trait, talent, job, or hobby that's weird and David will have to guess what that weird thing is. If you'd like to be on the show, please email [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]... or all three, really. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto-based comedian Natalie Norman joins This Is Going Well, I Think and shares a recent orgasm-based medication decision she made. David fumbles an interview question. Natalie talks about her time as a real estate agent. David compliments Natalie on being a good cat sitter. Natalie gives her take on David's romantic relationship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the American Thanksgiving wrap-up with Tony Five on This Is Going Well, I Think! David and Tony catch up on what happened during Tony's visit to New York. David educates Tony about a pejorative he used at the event. Tony lists his fellow Thanksgiving attendees, but David directs him to discuss the food. Tony talks about something very indecent that David and his brother did after dinner. David talks about how his cat caught on fire. Tony floats the idea of heading to Burning Man in 2024. The show ends with a live clip of Tony getting a tattoo of a paper plane at a tattoo parlour during his trip to NYC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Animal communicator Nikki Vasconez joins a somewhat skeptical David Cooper to talk about what it means to be a pet psychic. How does it work? What are the strange things our pets are trying to say? The interview concludes with Nikki doing a reading for David's cat Tomato. (And no, we didn't book Nikki just to get David a free reading!) Tomorrow Tony Five joins us for the Thanksgiving debrief! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British Tony Five drops in on This Is Going Well, I Think before he heads off to New York to visit David where they'll celebrate Thanksgiving. The two mostly discuss the holiday, and David tells an extremely crass story about how a friend received a vulgar nickname. CONTENT WARNING: Extremely graphic scatalogical and sexual organ references in this episode. Discretion advised for sensitive listeners or those listening with children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After he vicious assaults his own face, science educator Dan Riskin and David kibbitz about nerd stuff – mostly programming languages. Dan discusses the following stories making their rounds in science news: Want to get a good answer from Chat GPT? Tell it you’re scared, or that this matters to your career! Are redheads really more sensitive to pain? – David's orange girlfriend is discussed Tattoos may seem like they're everywhere, but they still stigmatize people in the legal system. Have you ever wished your life was more meaningful? Psychologists have a suggestion to help: model it after a hero's journey. – David derails by turning the conversation towards the Artist's Journey. The show ends with David declaring his love for Dan, and being unhappy with Mr. Riskin's response. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radio host and media personality George Stroumboulopoulos – or more affectionately Strombo – joins David. Conversation starts with a discussion of loss, and the effects of others on our lives. The two discuss their family's view of their work. Personas that performers can have are brought up. David talks about opening doors for others, and takes the opportunity to express gratitude to George. David tells the story of how the two of them met, and how that helped get David sober. David asks George what's weird about him. George shouts out a cat named Tomato. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sexual health and consent educator Samantha Bitty arrives just in time for David to talk about his cat and share a half-baked take on the ethics of pet ownership. Samantha relates a mutual dislike of dogs to the reason David and she are childless. The two discuss why women face pushback from doctors when asking for sterilization treatment. Samantha gives the scoop about a recent surgery and explains why she chose to decline pain management with narcotics. The two discuss sobriety, focusing on "recovered addict math." The discussion ends with this: Is masturbation ever procrastination in a capitalist society? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Five joins the show to listen to David complain about deep cleaning his kitchen oven. Tony remembers the time he accidentally make chlorine gas (errata: it wasn't, in fact mustard gas). David gives us the scoop on the red carpet event he attended along with Michael J. Fox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview from the archive, with funeral director and embalmer Eileen Hollis of Hollis Funeral Home on the DeathTok trend – that is, morticians who share about their trade on TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today David speaks with Dr. Egbert Edelbroek, President & CEO of SpaceBorn United, a company experimenting with IVF in space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The very British Tony Five asks David about his new housing. Tony tells us he's doing one hundred push-ups a day to raise funds for cancer research. (Sponsor Tony by clicking here!) The two discuss anal glands, and then American Thanksgiving. Motivated by watching a comedy show earlier in the day, Tony reveals he's always wanted to try stand-up comedy. David talks about the craft of stand-up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today David calls the show's producer, Dani, for a check in. Dani shares results from the This Is Going Well, I Think focus group and the two discuss the show. David invites Dani to Thanksgiving. Assuming the taping has ended, Dani engages in what she thinks is a private conversation with David. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HRH Tony Five joins David for his weekly appearance on the show. David complains about an upcoming dinner he has to attend. Tony tells us about a phone call he had with a listener of the show, and David is touched by what that listener revealed. David gets upset that Tony is talking to everybody in David’s life behind his back. The two talk about Matthew Perry from 'Friends' dying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science educator Dan Riskin confronts David about being late for today's taping, then finds the time to actually talk about science stories on the show. Stories covered: Orcas once hunted alongside humans, even those lineages are likely extinct; The 64 year-old Taiwanese woman who had a jumping spider living in her ear; and A new study showing how one particularly nasty parasite got its mind-controlling abilities. The two briefly discuss AI, with David pondering whether biological parasites could infect computers in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech analyst Carmi Levy joins David to discuss technology that was considered too dangerous to be released by Google. Following that, the conversation shifts away from technology news to the closure of a radio station where Carmi and David had previously worked in London, ON. David shares his insights on the operations of broadcasting and media companies in Canada. David seeks career advice from Carmi, and the two discuss how they define success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freelance writer Benjamin Schneider makes an appearance on This Is Going Well, I Think for an in-person interview at David's apartment, where Ben forces David confront the question of whether or not he's a "shock jock." Ben typically covers housing, transportation, and urban policy, and he has previously written for the San Francisco Examiner, SF Weekly, and CityLab. Recently, Ben reported on the radio work that David and others did during the rainstorm at the Burning Man event. David interviews Ben about that article, urban planning, and Ben's upcoming book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sexologist and sex coach Heather Ray returns to This Is Going Well, I Think. After exchanging some pet-related pleasantries with David, the two discuss open relationships and polyamory: What are they? Who are they for? How might one get into one? Heather opens up and shares a cautionary tale from her own life on how not to rush into an open relationship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Therapy Thursdays on a Thursday with social worker Gary Direnfeld! Gary shares his most recent David vs. Goliath story where he took on PC Financial. Your host then accuses Gary of sublimating, a theory which Direnfeld vehemently rejects, and the show descends into chaos. Gary talks about his upcoming workshop entitled The Narcissistic Ex. (You can sign up for it!) The two end their discussion by addressing narcissistic personality disorder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UK-based Tony Five joins This Is Going Well, I Think, asking the deep questions: Can blind people be afraid of heights? Tony then shares a strange pornography-based dilemma involving a restaurant that he encountered in Romania. The discuss the upcoming American Thanksgiving. David abruptly departs with a bout of diarrhea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A legendary clip! Here's a time when David was a guest of broadcaster Jim Richards'. All hell broke loose when technical difficulties caused David's guest appearance to quickly descend into chaos. (You can hear Jim nightly on iHeartRadio Canada's Newstalk Tonight.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David tells us what's coming later this week and tackles a deep question: is a show about there being no show... a show? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evolutionary biologist Dan Riskin graces This Is Going Well, I Think today. A conversation about Johnny Cash brings up Malcolm Gladwell’s ten thousand hours concept, and Dan weighs in on that. Dan talks about his interactions with Robot Skeleton on the Craig Ferguson show, then brings up how, using CRISPR technology, scientists have genetically modified silkworms to produce "spider" silk that's six times stronger than Kevlar. David asks, what would prevent rogue scientists from using CRISPR technology for evil? Dan explains a little more about how the technology works and how malicious actors may abuse it. David then takes aim at Erlenmeyer, Bunsen, and Venn, of flask, burner, and diagram fame, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Annick Adelle drops by to talk about a documentary they're currently shooting, in which David was filmed the other day. Annick reflects on the time when David used to perform stand-up comedy, back when they were both just starting out. The two of them ponder the question, "Do you believe in yourself?" Annick discusses the concept of "manifesting," and David both critiques and acknowledges the value of this perspective. (Check out Annick's stand-up comedy album, Between Two Worlds) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chicago-based food writer Dennis Lee, the creator of Food Is Stupid, sits down with David today. David and Dennis discuss artmaking and how to cultivate a financially sustainable career as an independent creator… without going on TikTok. The conversation gets deep about how the rewards, risks, and markers of success of working for a big media company differ when from being an independent creator. David takes a moment to express gratitude to you, the listener. Dennis and David somehow have a meaningful conversation about one's creative voice using bull penises as an example. The show ends with some cliché wisdom straight out of the book Tuesdays with Morrie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Natasha Vinik sits in with David to tell us all about her new show, 30 Dates in 30 Days where she went on (you guessed it) thirty different dates in thirty days and podcasted to tell the tale of it. David uses the opportunity to bring up how eye contact makes him uncomfortable and the TV show Naked Attraction again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David announces his new haircut to regular guest Tony Five. After that, Tony explains what a "ball bag" in the UK is. Our British friend warns us he has two special announcements. The first is a very special, very regal guest who visits the show briefly. The second completely takes David by surprise, involving a conspiracy of people in his life colluding to hide the truth for months. Give today's episode of This Is Going Well, I Think a listen to find out what it is! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the rain event that caused the shutdown of the Burning Man festival, which made international headlines, David worked on the radio for the city's radio station, BMIR. The rain caused the desert floor to be impassable by cars, but when it finally dried up: people started leaving the city. David was call up to do a radio show shortly after roads opened up – and instead of doing anything with creative substance, he elected to pester station listeners asking him for help locating his lost water bottle. He did this for 2 hours. This is a recording of that show. (All copyrighted content removed and replaced with short jingles.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, it's everything you need to know about the increasingly popular ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Commonly known as a party drug, ketamine is now being employed to treat conditions such as depression. Listen as David interviews clinician Meredith Futernick-Gerak, who provides treatment to patients with the drug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cultural history professor Nathan Radke joins David today. David brings up a now historic era of higher accuracy in media, which he calls the "golden age of truth." Nathan discusses possible conspiracies behind the uptick in alien abduction reports in the 60s and 70s. Enter: Bill Cooper (no relation to David). Nathan talks about Bill's peculiar book on the subject. (You can hear more of Nathan discussing conspiracy theories on The Uncover Up Conspiracy Cast, which he cohosts with Dr. Lee Kuhnle.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Five kicks off This Is Going Well, I Think by announcing his plan to send postcards to the show's listeners. (Want a postcard? Email [email protected]!) David dives into discussion of a racy British TV series he's been watching, titled Naked Attraction. The two provide an in-depth analysis of the show, which features very graphic nudity. Towards the end of the episode, David mentions wanting to take listener phone calls along with Tony and producing podcast episodes out of them. If that's an idea you'd like to participate in, please email David! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sexologist and sex coach Heather Ray joins David to answer questions about sex – particularly oral sex. She talks about her course Blow His Mind. David presents a cunnalingus dilemma a friend is experiencing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, on This Is Going Well, I Think, David provides therapist and social worker Gary Direnfeld with a brief update on his life since their last interview. Gary shares details about a recent medical procedure he underwent: a colonoscopy. Direnfeld goes deep (pun intended) into describing the experience, sparing no gruesome detail. And boy, is there laughter. Staying true to his style, Gary skillfully transforms seemingly inappropriate subject matter into valuable lessons. David also opens up about a recent embarrassing incident during a visit to the doctor's office, involving a rectal procedure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sexual health and consent educator Samantha Bitty arrives to announce that it's Libra season and tells us about her newfound October smooching partners. David talks about why he no longer dismisses astrology. The conversation meanders into the following question: Is kissing more intimate than oral sex? David discusses his difficulties with maintaining eye contact, while Samantha talks about her flirtation with living an unhinged life. The two conclude that it's acceptable to be unhinged when your "bank account of self-growth" maintains a healthy balance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the Snooze Room, it's time for breaking snooze! Joining David is sleep disorder specialist Dr. Jeff Daiter (also the CEO of InVintory Wines). After the usual pleasantries, Jeff talks about why you shouldn't use a cellphone in bed, even though he does so anyway. David responds with his theory about the most deeply human quality. The two discuss the strange and fascinating Scandinavian sleep method, much less commonly known as the "personal pizza" sleep method. David asks: Is it harmful to wear earplugs to bed? Jeff shares some general tips for better sleep hygiene. The two complain about their partners' sleep habits that are irritating to their systems as they wind down for sleep. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David and Tony Five start off by working on scheduling for their next taping. Tony talks about how he feels like a failed adult. David talks about his medication. Tony offers to send any listeners a letter - just email [email protected]! Tony comes up with new ideas for the show – including meeting a real New Yorker. Tony asks David whether he would change anything about his early days doing radio. (And a long-winded story about a man named Chicken John gets told.) The two discuss matters of scheduling again. The show ends with the duo resolving that this episode is perhaps the worst thing they've ever recorded – only up from here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Bat biologist" Dan Riskin joins David to talk about science. The two ponder what it means to produce good work – last week's work was always better, right? Dan discusses what happens when he gets asked science questions on TV that he isn’t really qualified to answer. Dan tells David about a bizarre sea creature spotted off the coast of Japan. Prompted by a novel way to get artificial intelligence to produce better work, the two discuss deep questions about how AI will transform society. How in the future you may not be able to tell the difference between a very good AI and a human. Using the emergent property of consciousness being a product of enough neurons (ie, the brain): David uses an analogy to ask whether the appearance of "thinking" means actual thinking is an emergent property of AI. Dan mentions how AI has been used to solve a class of previously unsolved biology problems, while David wonders if AI will be used to solve the problem of hooking a computer up to the brain. Finally, the discussion gets a bit lighter as Dan describes what jamias vu is (as opposed to déjà vu). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David is joined by Bayesia Nash, a Canadian MILF next door who shares nude content on the daily. Bayesia discusses her career transition from a factory worker to an adult entertainer. She and David geek out about various topics. The two dive into parasocial relationships and the reasons behind their careers as performers. Bayesia also details the range of services she offers to her paid subscribers – with one such service taking David by surprise. Vibrators are briefly discussed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David lets us know what he'll be doing for a week, and when he'll be back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political science professor Dr. Lee Kuhnle, a conspiracy theory expert extraordinaire, joins the show for banter and a discussion about the ludicrous images of "aliens" emerging from Mexico. Lee shares that NASA has recently announced the strongest evidence to date suggesting the possibility of life existing on a distant planet. (You can hear more of Dr. Kuhnle discussing conspiracy theories on The Uncover Up Conspiracy Cast, which he cohosts with Nathan Radke.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, David bores Tony Five (and everyone listening) by talking about his week – surprise, surprise: it involves computers. Tony brings a discussion of the headlines surrounding Russell Brand to the show. The conversation moves to crime and why Brits wear ridiculous wigs in court. David and Tony ponder the legal difference between "being charged" vs. "being indicted" in the court system. David looks up the definition of the word "pestilence." Tony opens up about what success means to him and why he misses having a steady live radio gig. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finally, someone has undertaken the important task of studying "blue balls!" Does it genuinely exist? Is it experienced by folks with penises and vaginas alike? What troubling outcomes were observed during the study of this subject? Professor of Psychology from Queen's University, Caroline Pukall, joins the podcast to discuss her research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices