The Juice with Jeff

The Juice with Jeff #343

On this episode of the podcast, Jill Brimeyer conducts a fantastic and conversational interview with me In Person. This is Jill's sixth time (5th In Person) on the show and we recorded this episode at Walnut Woods State Park near West Des Moines.   After our introductions, Jill asks me the following questions and she got the ideas for them from ChatGPT:   After hundreds of interviews, what’s a belief about yourself that changed because other people kept reflecting something back to you?   Do you think your podcast documents who you are — or has it in any way shaped who you became?   You’ve talked a lot about nostalgia, old media, and memories. Is there a period of your life you revisit most often in your mind? Why do you think that era still has such gravity for you?   What kind of compliment affects you more now than it did ten years ago?   What’s something you understand now about friendship at 50 that you absolutely did not understand at 25?   Has doing this many interviews made you more patient with people… or more aware of how repetitive human behavior actually is?   What kind of guest energy immediately makes you relax and become more authentic?   The highly prepared interviewer?   The chaotic conversationalist?   The emotionally vulnerable person?   The comedian?   The curious listener?   You’ve spent years answering questions. Are there any questions you wish people would stop asking you?   What kind of person drains your energy fastest — and what kind restores it?   If your life had DVD commentary tracks, which year would have the most interesting commentary?   What part of your personality do you think comes alive only in conversation?   If someone listened to every episode in order, what emotional arc would they hear in your life?   What’s something you’ve become less certain about over the years?   What social rule do you secretly think people pretend to believe in, but almost nobody actually follows?   What opinion do you hold that would surprise people who know you casually?   What’s something you’re deeply sentimental about that you almost never talk about?   What would your closest friends say is the “most Jeff” moment possible?   What’s the most misunderstood thing about neurodiversity that even well-meaning people still get wrong?   You have a lot of impressions in your repertoire. Do impressions ever help you express emotions or opinions more safely than speaking directly as yourself?   You clearly value long-term continuity — recurring guests, traditions, shared memories. What do you think modern culture loses when everything becomes fast, disposable, and algorithmic?   Has there ever been a moment on the podcast where you thought: “This is no longer just a hobby — this actually matters to people”?   This episode was recorded on Sunday morning May 17, 2026 and it runs 1 hour and 21 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Anastasia Chubarova courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Lee Larue, and Rachel Graham. Enjoy!

The Juice with Jeff #342

On this episode of the podcast, Lynn Zimmerman conducts/co-produces a fantastic and conversational interview with me thru Zoom. This is Lynn's second time on the show. After our introductions, Lynn asked me the following questions: What year did you start doing your podcast? What is the best advice I have for someone who is thinking about starting a podcast? If you were going to do a second podcast, what do you think the topic would be? You've been watching all your DVD's and Blu-Rays from A to Z, what letter are you on now and what is the first title in your collection? I go into depth in talking about watching all my DVD's and Blu-Rays in alphabetical order, and I also talk about my favorite films and about Roadshow Theatrical Presentation movies. Then Lynn asks me to talk about my intense passion for The Blues Brothers, and we spent the entire second half of the podcast talking about this. This episode was recorded on Sunday morning May 10, 2026 and it runs 1 hour and 14 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Anastasia Chubarova courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Lee Larue, and Rachel Graham. Enjoy!

The Juice with Jeff #341

On this episode of the podcast, Michelle Neumann conducts/co-produces a fantastic, superb, and conversational interview with me thru Zoom. This is Michelle's debut/first time on the show. After our introductions, Michelle asked me the following questions: How long have you been doing the podcast?  What is your favorite type of juice to drink?  How and when did we meet?  Going back to our high school years, what is a moment you remember vividly and what do you think it says about who you were back then?  Have you gone back to VHS recently?  Describe your best day, what would a really good day be like for you? How do you recruit people, how do you decide to ask someone to be on the podcast?  Have you ever done your abuse with people who you don't have a history with or who you've never met before? What is your favorite episode of the podcast and why?  What do you think is the question you have been asked throughout the podcast history over and over many times?  What have you learned about friendship as an adult that you wish we could have understood about you earlier?  Where's a misconception about autism you are tired of? Would you say it is the one where people think "it's a choice"? Or does something else come to mind? During my answer to this question, I stress the importance of Autism Acceptance and my history with being autistic. What do you think makes your interviewers great?  If you could design the perfect Juice with Jeff episode, where would you go, who would be there, and what would the primary topic be?  What do you do now before an interview that is different from when you first started the podcast, have you adapted your practice at all? Have you ever had an episode that went wrong?  If you think of things that comfort you, what type of music makes you feel good?  What movie genres do you like the best? This episode was recorded on Friday morning April 17, 2026 and it runs 1 hour and 1 minute long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Anastasia Chubarova courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Lee Larue, and Rachel Graham. Enjoy!

The Juice with Jeff #340

On this episode of the podcast, Mara Davis and Leeat Cribbs conduct/co-produce a fantastic, superb, and very conversational interview with me thru Zoom. This is the second time on the show for both Mara and Leeat. After our introductions, most of this episode focuses on the time all three of us spent at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin as campers and staff members during the late 1980's and 1990's. We do a mix of both Mara and Leeat asking me questions in connection with the time I spent at Ramah Wisconsin, how Ramah has changed us, our reminiscing on the Ramah Wisconsin days, and they asked me a few random questions. We end the podcast with Mara and Leeat doing a sales pitch to recruit more people to join our Juice with Jeff Family of Interviewers and Co-Producers. This episode was recorded on Wednesday night April 15, 2026 and it runs 1 hour and 14 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Anastasia Chubarova courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Lee Larue, and Rachel Graham. Enjoy!

The Juice with Jeff #339

On this episode of the podcast, Jenny Dolphino conducts/co-produces a fantastic, superb, and very conversational interview with me In Person. This is Jenny's debut/first time on the show and we recorded this episode at Campbell Recreational Area in Clive. After our introductions, Jenny asked me the following questions: What are your thoughts on social media?  What do you do to find balance with your social media?  What is it that shapes your political bend? How did that come about? What or who inspired you? After I answer this question, I ask Jenny to talk about her experience participating in the No Kings Rally in Des Moines over the weekend. Do you listen to other podcasts besides your own?  Tell me more about your dogs? I ask Jenny to talk about any pets she has. If I told you to close your eyes and go to your happy place, where would that be?  Have you ever been to Israel?  For someone who doesn't know Hebrew, did you find it a difficult language to learn or do you find that learning other languages comes naturally to you?  Do you prefer to watch Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics?  What do you do to find joy in your life? It's during this question I talk about my intense passions for music, classic and vintage films including the Roadshow Theatrical type of films, and of course spending time with friends and the podcast. When you are watching movies, what do you snack on?  Were you or are you a Muppet guy? If you had a magic telephone and you could call your younger self, what would you call your younger self and tell them? Do you have someone who you would consider your best friend? What would be the characteristics your friends would talk with you about that they would appreciate? Can you tell me about a time when you were most surprised in your life? (E.g. unexpected happy events or gifts) Do you like musicals?  Can you describe what a typical day in your life is like?  You said you are a practicing practicing your Judaism. What is a favorite prayer you enjoy saying?  You mentioned it's often challenging living with your parents. I have a son who's moving back into our house for the next few years while he finishes a degree. What advice can you give me as a parent on how to be a good roommate to a son or daughter? Jenny and I share memories and favorite moments from our VHS days. During the last 20 minutes of the interview, I perform a whole bunch of my voice impersonations for Jenny. This episode was recorded on Sunday morning March 29, 2026 and it runs a feature-length 1 hour and 34 minutes long. Our opening and closing theme music is provided by Anastasia Chubarova courtesy of Pixabay. Funding for this podcast is provided by RandomKid, Lee Larue, and Rachel Graham. Enjoy!