Hey, it’s the Friendsgiving episode of the Cold Oatmeal podcast.

 Well, not really.  Because Friendsgiving isn’t a real thing.  It’s a fake thing.  But we are having some friends over today to talk about politics and to grade the job performances of others.  So, if Friendsgiving was a real thing, this might be close.

The election is over.  The campaigning is done.  The ads are gone. 

We talked about it here and wanted to bring a guest into the Cold Oatmeal studios to help us wrap it all up.  So, we invited a stand up comedian, of course. Dwayne Gill, the funny cop, is our guest today, and we don’t spend a minute talking about politics.

Kositchek’s is a men’s clothing store located in downtown Lansing, a block from the State Capitol building, that was founded the year the Civil War ended.  Yes, you read that right.

Whatever the business, if you can manage to last from Lincoln to Trump, you’ve got a story to share and David Kositchek will tell us some of that story today.

Anna Heaton just left arguably the high-profile spokesperson job in the State of Michigan. For the last few years, she’s been press secretary for the governor.

On today’s episode, her most memorable moments, how social media has changed the press secretary job, and a day in the life of the governor’s communications office.

From the beginning, Matt Mencarini has been covering the Larry Nassar sexual assualt scandal as criminal justice reporter for the Lansing State Journal.  Today, on the Cold Oatmeal podcast, we talk to Matt about reporting true evil.

Our good friend and Resch Strategies team member, Nick DeLeeuw, is an interesting cat. One of the most unique people we know. So, I guess we should not have been surprised when he told us one of his very best, long-time friends is a six foot, seven inch, 350 pound professional wrestler from “the deepest darkest jungles.” Yes, the one and only, Kongo Kong.

What’s summer without a good road trip?

Today, we kick off summer and wrap up season one of Cold Oatmeal with a conversation with Rick Albin, veteran political reporter for WOOD TV 8 and a podcast visit to the Grand Rapids Chamber’s cool, new digs.

Today, we truly kick the PR tires of this little communications vehicle and examine the age-old question: What happens when the chaos and creativity of social media meet the procedures and priorities of state government? 

What we found is that a statewide social media and digital content administrator is born, naturally.  Andrew Belanger is that administrator for the State of Michigan, and he is today’s guest on the Cold Oatmeal podcast. 

What’s it like to ultimately bear the responsibility for every tweet, post, and snap coming from Michigan state government?  Let’s find out.

Sometimes you have good ideas.  And sometimes you have today’s episode of the Cold Oatmeal.  You, faithful listeners with questionable podcast preferences, be the judge.

Let’s spin the wheel!

Aw shucks.  No Helen Keller truthering on today’s episode.  But, our cold open to Cold Oatmeal will give Stormy, Alec, and Ben a run for their money.

Ever wonder what it’s like to hear your voice on the radio or TV… every single day?  Or, maybe as you walk into stores or catch a plane at the airport?

The “Man of a Couple Voices,” Bob Olson, joins the podcast to tell us.