Pleasant Conversations

This week, our hosts are both feeling a little blah, but still try to bring the joy for you. Michael plugs Good Hang with Amy Poehler once again and shares two recent movie-going experiences. Jasmine brings us good news of free child care, a mental health awareness trek, NYC’s production of “black gold,” and students rallying for gun reform. Michael tells us about a wildlife overpass and then does...

This week, Jasmine and Michael take a break from the normal programming to have another co-host interview. Of course Jasmine’s questions are a little more professional than Michael’s off-the-wall ones (there is a question about which color food would you eat for the rest of your life if you could only pick one). Our co-hosts really enjoy the fun banter and hope this episode will take your mind off...

This week, Jasmine isn’t really feeling the joy, so Michael tries to help out by bringing some extra smiles and positivity. He recaps his birthday weekend, his return to the paranormal, and his love for Spooky Season! The news brings us stories about first responder mental health, LGBTQ+ pilgrims in the Vatican, content creators for clean water, PBS’s celebration of food by state, and This Day in...

This week, our hosts are heading into the holiday weekend, talking plans and Michael’s birthday. In world news, will beer save our watersheds? Also, Princess Week brings the magic, listener Anna (Gold Star Submitter) shares hopeful trans support news from Michigan, and global environmental activists get their flowers! The Wheel of Topics has our hosts dive deep into the world of Overrated vs Under...

This week, Jasmine and Michael start off strong with talk of textbook cover designs and allergies. After a fun two-parter full of games, it’s back to business with smiles and positive news stories from around the world. The Wheel of Topics dives into weird purchases. Michael uses his Ashes & Embers to share his thoughts on the finale of “And Just Like That”, while Jasmine keeps hers short and...

The finale of Pleasant Conversations: the Game Show! Join us for the second half of our special game night celebration for Jasmine’s birthday. It all comes down to fate! As we enter the early morning hours of recording, the snark gets strong with our contestants. Who will make it to the end intact? Will someone claim the ultimate prize trip to Planet Spaceball? You’ll have to tune in to find out…...

That’s right, we have a two-parter! In these next two episodes, we celebrate the birth of one of our hosts in such a way, we had to split the event. Join Jasmine, Michael, and some guests as they transform the studio into a flashy Hollywood soundstage to play some games! Grab your buzzers and hope for no whammies, as we proudly present, live from Burbank (not really), Pleasant Conversations: The G...

This week, our hosts start off strong with talk of weather woes, adorable kids, Disney, and a Milwaukee legend. Then, Michael does a deep dive into Jasmine’s first time…at Universal Orlando (apologies to non-theme-park persons, but we go for an average Disney ride wait time). Jasmine and Michael then move on to The Wheel of Topics, where they discuss surviving without tech and end the show with as...

This week, Jasmine has returned from her adventures at sea, fighting off pirates and luring sailors to their doom. After some catching up, Michael gives two spoiler-filled reviews for “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” If you want to avoid them, skip to 26:30. After he talks for a while, Michael hands the reins over to Jasmine to do a co-host interview about h...

Jasmine is about to go on her much-needed vacation, so what better conversations are there for our hosts to have than about politics and animals! Don’t worry, the animals always outweigh the politics. After some political griping, our hosts delight in some banter about 90s TV shows, good news in both the animal and environmental worlds, an educationally fun topic, Ashes & Embers, the weekly af...

Michael complains about the heat (again), but the mood in the studio is a hell of a lot lighter than last week. Jasmine is going on vacation, and our hosts talk roller coasters and rides that are duds. BREAKING NEWS: Michael didn’t update his script. After this delightful fumble, we get into Good News and a Muckles at the Movies. We end the episode with our spin around The Wheel, an affirmation, a...

This week, Michael is in a funk, and you can tell (be prepared for an ASMR voice). It’s Bastille Day, so he tries to lighten the mood with some terrible French *insert stereotypical Chef Louis laugh here*. Jasmine shares smiles caused by the niece and Michael talks naughty BINGO, “Sinners” joining his list of comfort movies to watch at home, and “Jurassic World: Rebirth”. He then goes into a more...

This week's episode drops right after the Fourth of July, and the fireworks are going off in the studio! (Watch your fingers!) Our hosts' smiles are filled with love. Jasmine gushes about her new job, and Michael gushes about Cree Summer for way too long. The news brings us stories of HIV drug developments, a silly bear trapped in plastic (NOT Michael for once), and support for families affected b...

Move over, Sylvia Browne! This week, we end Pride month by casting magic missile and are joined by our spiritual advisor, Lucas! We reminisce about how we met and when we all had an adventure together a few years back. Then we get into some mystical s*** right off the bat, which sends us on a tangent about animals (shocker). The news brings us stories of Utah Pride, a Midwest town’s first-ever dra...

It’s the third episode in our Pride celebration! We welcome our friend Zachary (aka Gorgeous) to the pod this week, and Michael has met his match when it comes to podcast Chatty Kathy’s. Our hosts and guest catch up and quickly fall down the Disney rabbit hole (as they are wont to do). Gorgeous becomes our new arts correspondent and gives us his thoughts on the Tony Awards. Apologies to non-theate...

Welcome back listeners, as we are joined by our first guest! The wonderful Cass joins us from the future in Sydney, Australia for a pleasant conversation full of laughs, deep talks, and so much profanity. Cass brings us news and personal stories from Down Undah, including a very important story about housing for trans individuals in New South Wales. Jasmine and Michael bring trans, queer comic boo...

It’s Pride Month and Lucky Number 13! This week, Jasmine and Michael kick off their four-part Pride celebration with recaps of their week and upcoming June plans. (And, yes, you heard Michael say he worked at a Renaissance Festival once.) The news brings us a last gift from Pope Francis and what will be a theme the entire month: positive LGBTQIA+ news from around the world! We also get a Muckles a...

This week, Jasmine and Michael go off the rails and forget that when the episode drops, it will be Pride month (except we all know who actually forgot). Jasmine finally shares her plans for June, and, shocker, they are Disney-related. So, yet again, the podcast visits the Haus of Mouse for a bit. Then, Michael talks Ren Faires. The news dives into environmental activism, the return of Sesame Stree...

**Please forgive this week's sound issues. Michael tried a different audio setup, which led to some unexpected problems during recording.** This week, our hosts become unhinged pretty early on. Jasmine regales us with stories from her trip to the Grammy Museum, which rivals Michael’s recap of his vacation last week! We’ve got good news on women’s health, post-Brexit reconciliation, sweaters for pe...

Buckle in, kiddos, we have another marathon episode. This week, Michael is back from vacation, and our hosts have A LOT to say (yes, even Jasmine) because there is some catching up to do! Jasmine fills us in on the L.A. Times Book Festival, and Michael gushes about his Orlando adventure. Seriously, the smiles segment takes up about half of the episode—but they are worth it! Michael talks Marvel (r...

On a very special episode of “Pleasant Conversations,” the gang has to intervene when Jesse becomes addicted to caffeine pills due to the stress of exams and performing in a girl group. Kidding. This week, our hosts take a break from their regularly scheduled program to give listeners insight into who they are. Jasmine and Michael use categorized questions, chosen at random, to interview each othe...

This week, our hosts start off discussing upcoming travel plans. Then Michael dives into positive trends of pitties, podcasts, viral singers, and the rebellion in a galaxy far, far away. In the news, J & M celebrate the environment with the return of sea turtles, ocean-saving efforts, 3-D printing as an eco warrior, an environmental journey that would make Julie Taymor jealous, and a firefly l...

This week, we give some holiday wishes to our listeners (and Michael stumbles through some basic Hebrew). Fish doorbells and more “A Goofy Movie” content are keeping a huge smile on Jasmine’s face. Michael confuses Ricky Martin and Chris Pine (as one does) and talks about his love for “Waitress” (the movie and the musical). In the news: gun control, political drag queens, women athletes representi...

Extra, extra! Michael’s a bully who talked so long during a segment that he started the next one without asking Jasmine to contribute. To be fair, he was discussing the Hulu miniseries “Dying for Sex” and got caught up in the moment. This week, Jasmine and Michael talk about the 30th Anniversary of “A Goofy Movie”, good news from around the world (including sports—what??), and Michael makes a very...

This week is one spicy meatball of joy! Michael’s filler words are back! Jasmine has some great news, both personal and global, and then talks some trash, bringing out Michael’s Greek temper. The Wheel of Topics takes J & M on a trip to the days before smartphones and Michael shakes his fist at the kids on the lawn. Our hosts introduce a new regular segment for the Curbside Cool-Down: Ashes an...