The Juice with Jeff’s Podcast

The Juice with Jeff #239

On this episode of the podcast, Jen Beaty conducts and co-produces a fantastic, superb, outstanding, and very conversational interview with me in person. This is Jen's debut/first time on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors at Greenwood Park in Des Moines.

 

Jen and I have a deep conversation on multiple topics, including stuff about these Juice with Jeff podcasts and the milestones we've already had with the show during this year, memories and highlights from our Crossroads Park Elementary/Indian Hills Jr. High/Valley High School years, health issues Jen and I have dealt with (including my almost 9 year journey with Acromegaly), what both of us are looking forward to during the remainder of the summer, and we each share something about our perspective religions. I talk about traditional Judaism's perspective on the requirements for non-Jews who choose to convert to Judaism along with a little bit about the Mikvah/ritual bath, Jen talks a little bit about her being a Greek Orthodox Christian.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Wednesday August 7, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 46 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #238

On this episode of the podcast, Ethan Adato and Sophie Homonoff conduct and co-produce a fantastic and conversational interview with me in person. This is Ethan's debut/first time on the podcast and Sophie's fifth time on the show (not counting cameos during several other episodes). We recorded this one in the Staroselsky Clubhouse room at Caspe Terrace in Waukee.

 

The interview is divided into two parts with Ethan conducting the first part and Sophie conducting the second part.

 

ETHAN'S QUESTIONS:

How did your family get to Iowa?

What was life like for you growing up in Iowa?

After graduating from Valley High School, did you go to college/university or

did you go straight into the workforce?

Let's say Jeff that you became our next United States President and you won the Election. "President Jeff", what are some of your policy changes that you are going to make?

 

SOPHIE'S QUESTIONS:

I didn't know you worked at the former Pickle Barrel deli. What was your favorite meal there?

About the Iowa Jewish Historical Society: Do you have any memories or thoughts about the Jewish Historical Society Museum at Caspe?

If you knew you only had a year left to live, what are some things you would want to do?

Is there anything else you want to tell us? During this part, I ask Sophie to share memorable moments in her life during this year so far, about the numerous changes that have taken place at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin over the last couple decades. And then I talk more in depth about how this year has been the MOST AMAZING and BEST YEAR EVER so far for these The Juice with Jeff podcasts with the multiple milestones and then Sophie shares her comments on what i said concerning the 2024 Juice with Jeff Season.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Thursday August 1, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 6 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #237

On this episode of the podcast, Dana Lain conducts and co-produces a fantastic, superb, outstanding, and very conversational interview with me in person. This is Dana's debut/first time on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors at Greenwood Park in Des Moines.

 

During the interview, we go deep into depth into two topics:

 

1. We spent a significant portion of the interview talking about the Iowa State Fair with Dana asking me some questions related to how in the past I have been a huge fan of our State Fair, how between 2013 and 2019 I enthusiastically attended the fair once or twice during each of those years, my favorite things about the fair from those summers I went, my favorite foods I would eat when I went to the Fair during those summers, some things about I know about the history of the Iowa State Fairgrounds, the things I enjoy about Iowa PBS' coverage of each summer's State Fair, and the concerts I went to during the fair in the past. 

I talk a bit with Dana about two books related to the Fair that I purchased back at the fair itself during 2017/2018/2019 which go into detail about various aspects of the fair; and how I re-read these books every August during the 10 Day State Fair period. These books are A Great State Fair by William Fried rocks and Bill Riley Sr (of blessed memory) On the Air and  At The Iowa State Fair.

Dana and I have a two way conversation about various aspects of the fair and there are a couple moments where Dana shares her favorite things about the fair, her favorite State Fair foods, and concerts she has attended at the fair.

 

2. Then the second major topic we discuss during the interview is about these The Juice with Jeff podcasts about the show's history, the purposes of the podcast, how the show has come quite a long way the last several years and how we have really ramped things up with the podcast this year in multiple ways, the multiple milestones we have accomplished this year with The Juice with Jeff, recruiting many people to conduct and co-produce the interviews with me, why doing these podcasts is extremely important for me and how super passionate I am about the show, the annual Juicys Awards event we do in December each year, the multiple things that are unique about the show, etc .. We wrap up the podcast with Dana sharing her thoughts on these podcasts.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday July 21, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 40 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #236

On this episode of the podcast, Cecilia conducts and co-produces a fantastic and really conversational interview with me thru Zoom. This is Cecilia's first time on the podcast.

 

Cecilia's conversation with me is divided into two parts:

 

1. Cecilia and I have a two way conversation about her Taltrix: Surviving the Gauntlet. I share my thoughts on the book and how I see several similarities between the Harry Potter series of books and Taltrix: Surviving the Gauntlet. Cecilia also shares some things about her book as well.

2. The remainder of the podcast is spent talking about how we both grew up in Des Moines and central Iowa, and how we saw each other at synagogue and Jewish community events during our childhood and teenage years. I talk in detail about the significant changes that have occurred in the Des Moines Jewish community over the last several decades (e.g. Central Iowa's Jewish community facility named Caspe Terrace being built in the early 2000's, the former Beth El Jacob synagogue building having to be sold to a Christian Orthodox church in early 2017, Tifereth Israel having to tear down its 1930's main sanctuary building and 1955 religious school building in 2009-2010 and re-configuring/remodeling its 1970's building to have nearly everything for the synagogue plus a new Mikvah/ritual bath addition).

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday July 14, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 18 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #235

On this episode of the podcast, Jill Brimeyer conducts and co-produces a fantastic, superb, outstanding, and really conversational interview with me in person. This is Jill's fourth time (third in person) on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors at Campbell Recreational Area in Clive.

 

We begin the podcast with Jill and I sharing our thoughts and reflecting on how earlier this weekend we reached our baseline goal of having a minimum of at least 50 new episodes produced and recorded of The Juice with Jeff during 2024 in just six months and discussing how this year is definitely turning out to be THE BEST YEAR EVER for the show in multiple ways.
Then Jill and I play a game where Jill wrote a dozen or so original questions for it on note cards, and I am to draw one of the note cards at random with me answering the question on that card first, followed by Jill sharing her answer to that same question. We keep repeating the process until all the note cards have been chosen. These questions are:

 

What is one place that shaped who you are?

Does the idea of an infinite universe excite or scare you?

What question do you wish someone would ask you?

Would "Elementary School Jeff" be surprised at who "Adult Jeff" has become or at things he's done?

If you could ask and get an answer to one question in the universe, what is it?

What is something you loved as a child that now as an adult you can't stand?

What thing about you would surprise people?

What is one character trait you wish you had?

"Elementary School Jeff" gets home from school, what is his go to snack?

What's a belief you once had that you don't have anymore?

Have you ever: Rode a horse, been on a roller coaster, hiked a mountain, gotten in trouble when you were in school, been on TV, been in a police car, jumped on a pogo stick?

 

After the game, I perform several voice impersonations for Jill that I either have never done before publicly or have only done occasionally: Howdy Doody, Jack Webb (from Dragnet), Rod Serling (Twilight Zone and Night Gallery), Chuck Barris followed by mentioning about my longtime "crush" on the 1970's The Gong Show, and Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr singing the jingles for two local TV commercials.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday July 14, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 5 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #234

On this episode of the podcast, Bridget Carberry Montgomery conducts and co-produces a fantastic, superb, outstanding, and very conversational interview with me in person. This is Bridget's second time on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors in front of Indian Hills Jr. High School.

 

Bridget and I have a really conversational interview where we discuss topics like: my feelings on our reaching the super special goal of having a bare minimum of at least 50 new episodes produced and recorded of the podcast during this year in conjunction with my turning 50 during October God willing, things about the podcast itself and how we've really ramped up things to make this year THE BEST YEAR EVER so far for The Juice with Jeff, how Bridget works at Indian Hills and the WDM Community School District and how I went to Indian Hills myself between 1988 to 1990, how things are significantly different physically now at both Indian Hills and Valley High School compared to when I went to IH and VHS between the late 1980's to mid 1990's, the books that Bridget and I have read, how Bridget is really active in the DSM community, I talk about my massive TV Show and Movie DVD Collection, and towards the end we do a brief political pitch. Then we wrap up the show with my thanking all 50+ people by name (in order of appearance) who have conducted and co-produced the interviews with me between January and now to get us to that 50 new episodes during one year mark. At the end of the podcast recording session, I presented Bridget with a Sparkling Apple Cider as a special gift for being the one to conduct the interview for the 50th new episode of this special year!!!

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Friday July 12, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 7 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #233

On this episode of the podcast, Sarah Trone Garriott conducts and co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Sarah's second time on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors at Walker Johnson Park in Urbandale.

 

Most of the questions Sarah asked me are in connection with how things have been going with the podcast but there were a couple particular questions during the interview that no one has ever asked me before in previous episodes of the show:

50 is a big birthday. What are you going to do to celebrate your 50th birthday?

You've got 50 new episodes already produced this year to go back and look at. I think it would be interesting if you do a "Highlights Reel" where you pick out some of your favorite moments or your favorite interviewers from those episodes. Does anything come to mind?

Is there anything in the news you have been paying close attention to?

 

How do you go about recruiting and setting up the interviews for your podcast, scheduling the friends that will be interviewing you for them, and making the plans for the friends who will be interviewing you?

Tell me about Dana Leman. Who is she, how did you get to know her, and how did she end up on your Juice with Jeff Board/Advisory Committee? 

What are you looking forward to during this summer?

To wrap up the podcast, I made it clear to Sarah despite the challenges and difficulties posed by Covid remaining widespread, the reconstruction happening on my street, etc.... we have made things work out so that we are ending up having the best year ever on The Juice with Jeff podcasts both in terms of total number of episodes already produced this year, the super high number of interviews which have already been done in person this year, etc... 

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday July 7, 2024 and it runs about 55 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #232

On this episode of the podcast, Lara Liss conducts and co-produces a fantastic, superb, and outstanding interview with me thru Zoom. This is Lara's first time on the podcast.

 

After Lara and I make our introductions, here are the questions that Lara asks me on this episode of the podcast:

1. Given that it's your 50th birthday year and you're working toward having at least 50 new episodes produced/recorded of your podcast at the minimum this year, as you reflect on your life to this point; have you changed your approach to life at all? Is there anything in terms of lessons learned as you look as what's to come in the next 50 years hopefully?

2.  Lara starts off her next question by mentioning how she loves that I have come up with doing these The Juice with Jeff podcasts and refers to it as a "Passion Project", especially with the special goal of having a bare minimum of at least 50 new episodes produced and recorded of the show during this year in conjunction with my upcoming 50th birthday. Do you have advice for others or thoughts to share on how you came across your passion project and what led you to discover that this is something you want to invest your time and thoughts into?

3.  About your work in sleep medicine and the subject of sleep, do you have any thoughts on this topic you want to share with your audience?

4.  On the subject of the healthcare industry, do you think that healthcare is improving in that data is helping us learn more about people's health or do you think there is an overwhelming amount of data that's coming thru?

5.  What are your thoughts on AI or other technologies, whether in the healthcare space or in society overall?

6.  What is your earliest memory of computers and related technology use during our elementary/jr. high/high school days?

7. Have you seen technology have an impact in your life, and is it for good, challenges, or both?  What would you highlight from the increased presence of technology in our lifetime?

8.  Do you have any interaction with technology where you've gone back to the older forms and other types of old school technology?

9.  What are your top favorite movies/films?

10.  What is your favorite song from our VHS era/the early to mid 1990's?

11. What is your go-to "Catchphrase(s)"?

12.  Do you have a favorite or go-to recipe that you'd like to share?

13.  Who were your favorite teachers from our Crossroads Park Elementary, Indian Hills Jr. High, and Valley High School days?

14.  If you would have a postcard of VHS with a pic that represented Valley High to you, what image would you put on that postcard?

15.  Do you prefer cats or dogs?

16.  What can you share about the history of VHS that the podcast audience would be interested in hearing?

There is quite a lot of two way conversation during the interview and Lara shares her thoughts on most of the questions she asked me.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday June 30, 2024 and it runs 1 hour and 10 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #231

On this episode of the podcast, Ann Morris conducts and co-produces a fantastic and pretty unique interview with me thru Zoom. This is Ann's fifth time on the podcast.

 

The questions that Ann asks me are mostly based on an "If you were in a perfect world...." theme

1. Let's say we're in a perfect world; what are some places you'd like to visit and why? When I finish answering this question, I ask Ann to talk about the trips she makes to Ghana every year.

2. Continuing on a perfect world theme, what are other things you would like to do (besides traveling to certain places) if you could and why?

3. In a perfect world, what would you like to learn more about?

4. What is your ethnic heritage nationality wise?

5. What makes you laugh?

6. Do you like wildlife?

For a couple of the above questions, I "turn around" and ask Ann those same questions.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Friday June 28th, 2024 and it runs 38 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!

The Juice with Jeff #230

On this episode of the podcast, Angie Tessau and Katey Hartzell conduct and co-produce a fantastic, superb, outstanding, and very fun interview with me in person. This is Angie's second time (first in person) and Katey's fifth time (third in person) on the podcast and we recorded this one outdoors at Campbell Recreational Area in Clive.

 

Here are the topics that Angie and Katey ask me questions on.

1. Tell us why your podcast is so meaningful for you? There are several points during the interview where I talk about the podcast and how this is a really special year for the show.

2. Angie, Katey, and I have been friends with each other for 41 years; what is my first memory (where did I first meet) of Angie and Katey? During my answer to this question I talk in a summary form how things went for me at Crossroads Park Elementary, Indian Hills Jr. High, and Valley High Schools.

3.  Is there a question you wish one of your interviewers/co-producers would ask that really hasn't been asked on the show before? For this one I select as the question "What would your ideal dream job be?"

4.  What are your thoughts on our recent crazy and unusual weather patterns?

5.  Knowing what you know now at your age and your older self, what would you tell your younger self what things you do differently?

6.  What is your favorite song to sing? During my answer I bring up how in the past I had a karaoke system setup and how I used to do event video production as a side gig until about several years ago. I also talk about my favorite types of Rock/Pop/R&B music and groups.

 

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Sunday June 23, 2024 and it runs about 55 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Oleg Kyrylkovv courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Ann Kaatz LoBue, Fran Parr, Sarah Stokes, and Renee Whisnant. Enjoy!!