After today’s regular episode, I have one more thing to share. Wait, That’s Random is taking a hiatus so I can make more room for audiobook work, the people I love, and—if everything goes according to plan—the occasional moment when I’m not working at all.

This isn’t goodbye. It’s just a pause.

And no, for once, I won’t see you tomorrow.

It’s Friday, September 18, 2026—and National Ceiling Fan Day, celebrating the appliance that keeps us cool while making us question which direction it should be spinning.

Familiar cartoon figures finally receive identities, four musicians show the world what they’ve been hiding, and one prestigious bank discovers that its railroad investment has gone badly off the rails.

Today we explore how television created the Addams Family we recognize, the night KISS officially removed its makeup, and the collapse of Jay Cooke & Company that helped trigger the Panic of 1873.

Along the way, we celebrate Aisha Tyler, whose journey from environmental policy and advertising led to comedy, directing, and the unmistakable voice of Lana Kane on *Archer*.

Sometimes the image attracts our attention, but what’s underneath determines whether something lasts.

It’s Thursday, September 17, 2026—and National Monte Cristo Day, when breakfast, lunch, and dessert somehow end up sharing one sandwich.

A cloth merchant discovers an entire population hiding inside the human mouth, an unsuccessful businessman creates his own throne, and television fans turn a fictional name into part of NASA history.

Today we explore Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’s unsettling examination of dental plaque, the wonderfully unofficial reign of Emperor Norton, and the space shuttle named *Enterprise* that never actually traveled to space.

Along the way, we celebrate Roddy McDowall, the former child star who disappeared beneath layers of makeup to give several very different apes their humanity.

Sometimes imagination arrives first—and reality takes a little while to catch up.

It’s Wednesday, September 16, 2026—and National Play-Doh Day, celebrating the childhood favorite that began its life as wallpaper cleaner.

A horse-drawn wagon arrives on Wall Street carrying a mystery that remains unsolved, while an office machine changes the way the world handles paper—with one unusually alarming accessory.

Today we explore the deadly 1920 Wall Street bombing, the revolutionary but occasionally flammable Xerox 914, and the surprisingly unfinished organization Congress officially chartered as the American Legion.

Along the way, we celebrate Peter Falk, whose unconventional path led from government efficiency expert to Lieutenant Columbo—and to the grandfather who opened the pages of The Princess Bride.

Sometimes you don’t have to be completely ready to begin; you just need enough determination—and perhaps a conveniently located Scorch Eliminator.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 — National Double Cheeseburger Day

The United States could safely welcome its nuclear rival—but apparently couldn’t get him past the gates of Disneyland.

Today we follow Charles Darwin to the Galápagos, discover why Marilyn Monroe’s famous New York footage couldn’t be used, and join Nikita Khrushchev on the American tour that took him everywhere except the Magic Kingdom.

Along the way, we celebrate Agatha Christie, the mystery writer whose own eleven-day disappearance remains unexplained.

Sometimes the version everyone remembers is far simpler—and much stranger—than what actually happened.

Monday, September 14, 2026 — National Cream-Filled Donut Day

A heavyweight champion went through the ropes, landed on the reporters, and somehow returned to win the fight.

Today we explore the wonderfully chaotic Dempsey–Firpo championship fight, enter a Soviet military exercise built around a real nuclear explosion, and meet IBM’s one-ton hard drive with room for roughly one modern phone photo.

Along the way, we celebrate Clayton Moore, the Lone Ranger actor who went to court over the right to wear his famous mask.

Sometimes the strangest part of a system isn’t how it fails—it’s what everyone agrees to call success.

What connects a talking Great Dane, 276 new cars, and three very important Wednesdays?

Charlie discovers how complaints about violent cartoons helped create Scooby-Doo, why Oprah had to explain her own legendary car giveaway, and how America scheduled its first presidential election before it had a president—or an Election Day.

Plus, National Bald Is Beautiful Day and the gentle seven-foot-two actor behind James Bond’s steel-toothed villain, Jaws.

What connects an unwanted working vacation, a television Western, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

Charlie discovers how Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit while his coworkers were on vacation, why Bonanza was essentially a weekly advertisement for color television, and what happened when the Harlem Globetrotters played an unscripted game after 8,829 consecutive victories.

Plus, National Video Games Day and the surprisingly low-tech man who played James Bond’s legendary gadget expert, Q.