The Juice with Jeff

The Juice with Jeff #125

On this episode of the podcast, Ali Harms conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Ali's third time on the show and her second time doing the interview with me in person.

 

Here are the topics/questions that Ali asked me to talk about and that we had a deep and meaningful two way conversation on:

1. Ali asked me what my plans are for the 4th of July weekend. In addition to my answering Ali's question on great detail, Ali herself shared what her plans are for the extended holiday weekend. Then Ali asked me to share what my favorite holidays are, and I respond to her question by mentioning the weekly Shabbat and other major Jewish festivals/holy days that I very much enjoy. Part of this discussion also addresses how I and my two doggies (especially the younger of the two dogs) are not thrilled with fireworks and other similar loud sounds. 

 

2. Then Ali asked me to talk about the history on how these The Juice with Jeff podcasts began, and I gave her the whole story; along with the goals of these podcasts, favorite moments from the show, and experiences I've had earlier in life (e.g. the messages and memories on audio cassettes or videotapes that friends left me at the end of the summers during the 1990's that I went to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin) which eventually led to the podcasts. Ali shares her thoughts on these podcasts and what she likes about them. And then we talk a little bit about our longtime close friendship.

3. We then conclude the podcast recording session with me performing another round of the following voice impersonations: Fat Albert, Mushmouth, Audrey II from "The Little Shop of Horrors", Barry White o.b.m., Robin Leach o.b.m., Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Dr. Fauci, Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air, NPR newscasters Lakshmi Singh and Jack Speer, and my powerful Jim Morrison voice singing the Toys R Us jingle as only The Doors could do it.

 

We recorded this episode at Gray's Lake Park in Des Moines on Thursday June 30, 2022, and it runs around 1 hour and 6 minutes. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #124

On this episode of the podcast, Lori VanLo conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me and another friend named Lisa Earles in person. This is the very first episode in the whole podcast series where there are TWO interviewees and this is Lori and Lisa's first time on the show.

 

 

During most of the podcast, we do a three way conversation where all three of us answer the questions that Lori asked (with Lisa asking one of the questions). The ideas for four of the questions comes from Micole Van Walbeek and her mom Carrie England.

 

 

Here are the topics/questions that were asked and that the three of us had a deep and meaningful conversation on:

 

 

1. Given the crazy week that everyone's been having, how are you doing?

 

 

2. Since I mentioned that I am thankful for all of the friends that I have worldwide, Lori asked me where the large number of friends I have throughout the world live? This is the one sole question where I'm the only one that answers.

 

 

3. What are the things that give you a reprieve from the stressful things that are going on in society and what things de-stress you/reduce your stress level? Lisa came up with this question.

 

 

4. If you were a superhero, what powers would you like to have?

 

 

5. If you could eat only one specific type of meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

 

 

6. If you were the ruler of your own country or nation, what is/are the first law(s) you would introduce right away? On this particular question and the next one, there are a whole bunch of issues that the three of us discuss.

 

 

7. Now that SCOTUS has overturned Roe Vs. Wade, do you think that reversing or gutting the LGBTQ+ rights, same sex marriage, etc... are next?

 

 

And we end the podcast with the three of us talking a little bit about ourselves in terms of what we do for work and in our daily lives.

 

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors at Campbell Recreation Area in Clive, IA on Sunday June 26, 2022 and this episode of the show runs 1 hour and 13 minutes. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #123

On this episode of the podcast, Sandy Henry conducts/co-produces a fantastic, superb, and outstanding interview with me in person. This is Sandy's second time on the podcast since the whole series began in June 2017.

 

The last time I saw Sandy in person was way back when I graduated from Drake University in December 1998, so the podcast recording session on 6/24/2022 is the first time in 23.5 years that I've had the opportunity to get together, catch up, and have a real time conversation with Sandy in person!!

 

There were several topics that Sandy asked me to talk during the podcast including:

 

1. The history of the podcast, the entire process on how each of these podcasts are put together, and my goals for the podcast.

 

2. How I am a really strong advocate for Autism Acceptance, Neurodiversity, and the importance of us accepting, embracing, and loving people as they are for who they are.

 

3. Sandy and I share some more memories from our years in the J-School at Drake and especially in the basement of Meredith Hall and our thoughts on being part of the Basement Dwellers culture.  Meredith's basement is where the TV studio and audio/video production facilities are that are operated as part of the Radio/TV, multimedia, and Broadcast News programs at Drake. I also talked with Sandy during this segment about what my favorite classes were at Drake both within the J School and also the several music and drama courses that I took for my Fine Arts Area of Concentration; as well as my love for music and public radio.

 

During the second half of the podcast recording session, we did several fun and really entertaining things.

 

a. For the first time ever on these The Juice with Jeff podcasts, we did a mixture of both an in person interview and a Zoom based connection at the same time. Thru Zoom, Todd Evans joined Sandy and I for a portion of the podcast recording session and the three of us did a segment in "The Newlywed Game" style where I played the role of Bob Eubanks (and yes, I did my Bob Eubanks voice impersonation during the entire segment!!) asking Sandy and Todd five really fun and hilarious "Would you rather" type questions!!

 

b. After our Newlywed Game style segment and Todd's Zoom guest appearance ended, I gave a really powerful performance for Sandy of my following voice impersonations: Fat Albert, Mushmouth, Rudy, Russell, Michael Buffer/the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" announcer, the speaking version of singer/songwriter Barry White o.b.m., Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Dr. Fauci, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Schumer, Jim Morrison singing the Toys R' Us jingle in The Doors' Style (i.e. a mix of a "When the Music's Over and "The End" kind of sound), and the Fred Rogers Medley (Mister Rogers, X the Owl, King Friday, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Tiger, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde).

 

c. Since Sandy and I both love to sing and since Sandy has been in some musical theatre productions at our local community theatre venue called The Playhouse, we ended the podcast with Sandy and I performing an excerpt from a favorite musical. I performed "Feed Me Seymour" in my Audrey II/Levi Stubb's voice from Little Shop of Horrors, and Sandy performed "I Got Rhythm" from the Gershwin musical Crazy For You.

 

We recorded our podcast at a photography studio and small group event venue that a very close friend of mine owns called The Studio in Windsor Heights. It was a perfectly quiet place to record our podcast with just Sandy and me there and no one else around. This episode of the podcast was recorded on Friday June 24, 2022 and it's FEATURE LENGTH running at 1 hour 27 minutes long. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!!

 

 

The Juice with Jeff #122

On this episode of the podcast, Micole Van Walbeek and her mom Carrie England conduct/co-produce a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Micole's fourth time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts (second time in person) and Carrie's second time conducting the interview with me (first time in person).

 

Micole, Carrie, and I had quite a bit two way conversation throughout the podcast. For the very first time on these The Juice with Jeff podcasts, Micole and Carrie came up with ten random questions and asked me to choose a number (between one and ten); I was asked to choose a number several times and here are the questions they asked me. There are times where Micole and Carrie share their responses to these same questions)

 

What are you looking forward to this summer?

 

Do you have any tips for getting along with people you don't like?

 

What is your favorite zoo animal and why?

 

Dolly Parton was nominated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even though she declined to be inducted (since she specializes in Country/Western music), they still voted her into the Rock and Hall of Fame. What do you think about the fact that Dolly Parton was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and do you think a Country/Western performer has any business being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

 

Recently, the entrances to Yellowstone National Park were closed due to Flash Flooding and the extreme flooding they're dealing with. Do you believe that it's necessary for us to preserve our National Parks and the like?

 

Micole and Carrie share their responses to a couple of these same questions.

 

Micole also asks me two other questions:

 

Have you ever just gone and played on a playground? Have you been swinging lately or gone on a roller coaster ride in an amusement park?

 

What do you see as the future of The Juice with Jeff and what would you like it to evolve into? And it's during this part that I talk with Micole and her mom about the goals/mission of these podcasts along with a few other tidbits about the show.

 

Then I ask Micole and Carrie to share a few unique, interesting, and fun things about themselves.

 

Toward the end of the podcast recording session, I give a powerful performance for Micole and Carrie of the following voice impersonations: Fat Albert, Mushmouth, Michael Buffer/the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" announcer, the Audrey II plant on "Little Shop of Horrors", Jim Morrison singing the Toys R' Us jingle in The Doors' Style (i.e. a mix of a "When the Music's Over and "The End" kind of sound), former President Trump, former President Obama, and the Fred Rogers Medley (Mister Rogers, X the Owl, King Friday, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Tiger, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde).

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors in an open air gazebo at Campbell Park Recreational Area in Clive. This episode of the podcast runs around 45 minutes long. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #121

On this episode of the podcast, Shira (Frailich) Goldman conducts/co-produces an awesome interview with me thru Zoom.

 

During the 40 minute recording session, Shira and I basically had a two way conversation on the following subjects: A summary of what we've been up to since our Camp Ramah in Wisconsin days, a little bit more about these "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, and a few memories we both have from the days that Shira and I were campers and staff members at Ramah Wisconsin (during the 1990's).

 

This episode of the podcast runs 35 minutes long and it was recorded on June 20, 2022. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #120

On this episode of the podcast, Todd Evans conducts/co-produces an excellent interview with me thru Zoom.

 

After we give our introductions, Todd and I proceed to have a two way conversation on two subjects: 

 

During the first few minutes of the show, we talk a little more about these "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts. But for the vast majority of the podcast, we talk in depth about various experiences and special memories that Todd and I had in the Electronic Media wing of the J-School at Drake University. I was a student there between August 1994 and December 1998; and Todd was a professor/faculty member there between the early to mid 1980's thru May 2020. Todd was one of the many professors/teachers that I had for my classes in Drake's School of Journalism and Mass Communication

 

Throughout the podcast, we use the word "Basement" and "Basement Dwellers", and this is because most of the Broadcast News and Radio/TV Production courses are taught in the basement/underground level at Meredith Hall on the Drake campus; and the basement level of Meredith Hall is where the TV/video production studio, studio control, audio production bays, and main on air studio for Drake's campus radio station (now called KDRA "The Dog") are located. We talk quite a bit about the "Basement Dwellers" culture and how it was and still is a special part of someone who is either a student or faculty member in the Electronic Media wing of the J-School at Drake.

 

This episode of the podcast runs 37 minutes long and it was recorded on June 17, 2022. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #119

On this episode of the podcast, Jill (Bassman) Sarcone conducts/co-produces a fantastic interview with me in person. This is Jill's sixth time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts.

 

Jill and I had quite a bit of two way conversation based on several random questions that Jill brought up:

What are your favorite childhood memories?

 

What are your biggest pet peeves?

 

What personality trait has gotten you into the most trouble in your life?

 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been offered?

 

Who talked you into doing these The Juice with Jeff podcasts?

 

If you could time travel, when would you go back to?

 

There are a bunch of topics that get brought up as I answer Jill's questions such as a couple fun memories from the Crossroads Park Elementary School days, my love of nature and how several of the in person interviews for the podcast have been recorded at Greenwood Park, how I have enjoyed playing around with and using audio equipment as early as the late 1980's, my general philosophy on several areas of life, and how these podcasts came to be. There are a couple moments where Jill shares her answers to these questions.

 

This episode of the podcast runs around 38 minutes long. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #118

On this episode of the podcast, Sarah Graf conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Sarah's third time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts.

 

 

For this episode, Sarah and I did something really special that has never been done before in the history of these podcasts: We went on a walking tour of a city park in the Des Moines area!!!

 

 

More specifically, Sarah and I recorded our podcast session together at Greenwood Park here in Des Moines. We went on a walking tour of the overwhelming majority of Greenwood Park that covered most areas of the park: The Sylvan Theatre/ Amphitheatre area, the Claire and Miles Mills Rose Garden area, the Greenwood Park Lagoon and waterfall areas and a small portion of the playground area (away from crowds).

 

 

We began the podcast sitting on a bench at the Sylvan Theatre Amphitheatre area, did the walking tour during the vast majority of the podcast, and finished the show back in the Sylvan Theatre Amphitheatre area.

 

 

The main topics we talked about during the podcast recording session were nature, the beauty of the parks we have available, the tidbits/details about Greenwood Park and it's facilities, how some of the facilities at Greenwood are part of the WPA/CCC projects that were constructed during the 1930's, the birds and various sounds of nature we heard, and everything that Sarah and I saw throughout our walking tour of the park.

 

 

There were times where we got into side discussions about various things like memories from the original location of the Science Center that used to be located in the Greenwood Park area, how Sarah participates in the annual RAGBRAI bike ride event every summer across Iowa, how the original location for the Science Center was on the east side of Greenwood Park and now that facility is a private secular K thru 8th grade school called Bergman Academy, and a few more tidbits about these The Juice with Jeff podcasts.

 

 

We had a significant amount of two way conversation throughout the entire podcast, with almost all of our dialogue being ad-libbed and on the fly with both of us sharing our thoughts about everything we saw and heard at Greenwood.

 

 

This episode of the podcast runs at 1 hour and 19 minutes long (79 minutes long). As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #117

On this episode of the podcast, Meghan Malloy conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Meghan's second time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts.

 

 

Basically, Meghan and I divided our two way conversation into three primary segments during the podcast recording session with LOTS of two way conversation:

 

 

1. Besides our introductions, the first 15 minutes of the show are devoted to talking about Greenwood Park, other central Iowa parks, various state parks in Iowa and the experiences I've had in those, our love for nature, the buildings that were created as part of the Works Progress Administration/Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's. During this segment of the podcast, I shared with Meghan how three of the in person interviews for the podcast during 2022 have been recorded/produced at Greenwood Park.

 

 

2. Beginning at around the 16 minute mark: The next 30 minutes of the podcast recording session is devoted to talking about the history of various places related to Des Moines, other central Iowa communities and suburbs, two of the synagogues that were part of Des Moines' history and the people related to them. I also chat with Meghan about the 10 or so books I have from a company called Arcadia Publishing that talk about the history of various cities and towns in Iowa (including several books that I just ordered from this particular company). When I talk about two books I ordered that talk about small towns in northern Wisconsin, I spent five minutes talking a bit about the 7-1/2 summers I was part of the Camp Ramah in Wisconsin community. I approach this from both from a nature perspective and also in relation to how being at Ramah Wisconsin has helped changed my Jewish life significantly. And we also bring up the Iowa State Fair and the fun experiences we've had with that.

 

 

3. Starting at the 48 minute mark, we spend around 20 minutes talking about Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I introduced this segment of the podcast by doing a "This American Life" style introduction with my Ira Glass voice impersonation. Meghan and I shared the experience that we had when we had our own Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I even performed for Meghan two excepts from the Haftarah (Taken from the Book of Judges) that I did during my Bar Mitzvah weekend (back in August 1988), and during the final line of that excerpt I did my voice impersonation of Cantor Pinchas Spiro o.b.m. (he was the Cantor at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Des Moines between the early 1970's until his retirement in 1996).

 

 

4. During the last seven minutes of the podcast, we talk about a few more items and tidbits related to Des Moines history.

 

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors in the Sylvan Theatre area of Greenwood Park in Des Moines, IA on May 29, 2022. This episode of the podcast runs at 1 hour and 15 minutes long (75 minutes long). As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #116

On this episode of the podcast, Jill Brimeyer conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Jill's second time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts.

 

After Jill and I spend the first five minutes giving our introductions and express our excitement at how we're finally able to do an interview for the show IN PERSON, we then proceed to have a two-way conversation where Jill uses the Vertellis/Vertell?s Complete card game series where the slogan is "Less Small Talk, More Genuine Conversations" to guide her in the questions that she asks me. Here are the topics that Jill brings up and asks me questions on from the Vertellis card game during the course of the epic podcast: 

 

1.  Of which personal achievement are you most proud of?

During this segment, I talk with Jill about the progress I've made over the years on my social skills, a little bit about my being autistic, about my basic values, and how I stress quality over quantity in terms of my friendships. Then I share with Jill about the history of these The Juice with Jeff  podcasts, how they came to be, the technical details on how these podcasts are produced, and on how I've accomplished quite a lot with these podcasts over these last five years. And I also tell Jill about how I've been recording personal memories with friends (albeit usually on a private basis) onto audio cassettes or onto videotapes long before the podcasts started. This part of the show lasts around 18 minutes. 

 

2. What was your most memorable day?

During this question, I talked with Jill about both my Valley High School graduation (Spring 1994) and my Drake University graduation (end of 1998), and I explained in great detail how things with my Drake graduation went.  I also talk about how every time I get to have a friend interview me for these podcasts it's a memorable day for me; especially whenever I'm able to get together with friends in person for the interviews. And I share with Jill how I've been dealing with having these podcasts recorded/produced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. I also share with Jill how whenever I have eaten out at a local restaurant or even just picking up from local restaurants, it's also a memorable day for me. This segment of the show lasts nine minutes.

 

3. What are your earliest memories?

During this part of the show, I talk with Jill about my elementary school years, the several years during my elementary school years where I participated in a local Jewish day camp in Des Moines called Camp Shalom (which is now called Engman Camp Shalom). And I also talk about a mutli-purpose facility and activity center in the Des Moines Jewish community called Caspe Terrace. This part of the show lasts around 11 minutes.

 

4. During your elementary school years, what did you do during recess?

I answer Jill's question and then I share several specific memories from my Crossroads Park Elementary School years, including two specific trips my class made during my fourth grade (a bike ride from Crossroads Park Elementary to a park in Waukee) and sixth grade years (a 2 day 1 night trip to Springbrook State Park for a Conservation Educational program). I then talk about how during both of my Junior High school years, the middle school/junior high school age Jewish students from throughout Iowa participated in a Shabbaton/Sabbath weekend program which both times took place at Springbrook State Park. And this leads to my sharing with Jill how much I love state parks, nature, and about the moments I get to see animals such as Canadian Geese and Mallard ducks. This segment ends with me sharing how I feel about Zoos. This part of the show lasts 12 minutes.

 

5. What was the best book, movie, or TV series you read or saw? And one we might not expect?

 

I talk with Jill about my love for the Harry Potter book series and the movies on DVD that go along with it, a big book with a compilation of MAD Magazine comics from between the 1950's and 1990's, several movies that specialize in puns and parodies type humor, several animated cartoons including Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 TV series. This part of the discussion lasts 12 minutes.

 

6. There are moments where Jill shares her answers and thoughts on the above five questions. And then Jill shares a few things about her interests and hobbies. Her thoughts on creativity and art then lead to me talking a little more about my passion and intense interest in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Fred Rogers o.b.m. and how Mister Rogers relates to being creative and how it promotes being spontaneous and artsy. About 15 minutes or so are devoted to this part of the podcast.

 

And then for most of the remaining 13 minutes of the podcast, I perform the following voice impersonations for Jill: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the late Jim Morrison doing the Toys R Us jingle like The Doors would have done it, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Schumer, VP Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, and Mister Rogers. Jill and I then share some closing thoughts before we wrap up the podcast.

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors at Crossroads Park (not the school) in West Des Moines, IA on May 15, 2022. This episode of the podcast is FEATURE LENGTH and it runs at an EPIC 1 hour and 38 minutes long (98 minutes long), which makes this one of the longest episodes to have ever been produced of the show and it's the SECOND LONGEST in person episode to be produced to date. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!