What if the most radical thing you could offer a friend was a plane ticket out of danger? That one gesture - sent during California’s wildfires - anchors a wider story about music, belonging, and building a life across an ocean. We sit down with Scott MacLeod, a Boston‑raised musician who moved to Spain three decades ago and carved out a career as an oboist and English horn player, and we trace the unlikely path from classrooms with no music program to a symphony seat and a city that knows his name.

We talk about the choices that shape a life: why a second master’s in music made sense, how an orchestra can become a second family, and what it means to feel seen by a neighborhood that says buenos días to everyone who passes. Scott opens up about the realities of living abroad - universal healthcare that shows up when you fall, walkable streets that invite conversation, and the subtle weight of carrying an American accent wherever you go. The cultural contrast is real: manners as a social glue, small businesses as community hubs, and a slower cadence that values people over performance.

The conversation widens to immigration and identity. We look at why people move: safety, work, dignity - and how systems often punish workers while protecting the structures that rely on them. Through it all, joy isn’t a slogan; it’s a practice. It’s the daily repetition of small kindnesses, the discipline of learning a language, and the courage to plant roots where you once felt foreign. If you’ve ever wondered what keeps someone abroad for 30 years - or how friendship can bridge a continent - this story offers a grounded, human answer.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves travel and music, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find us.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

Outrage is easy. Accountability is harder. We open with the relief of weekly check-ins and step straight into the hard question: how did a country that once sold hope end up normalizing personality cults and cruelty? We revisit the Obama years with clear eyes—real progress, unrealistic projections—and use that lens to examine why blind loyalty now replaces policy debate, and why standards erode when leaders become untouchable brands.

From there we tackle the news that won’t sit still. A pre-dawn seizure of Venezuela’s leader gets placed in the long arc of U.S. interventionism and resource politics. Then we unpack the jaw-dropping talk of “taking” Greenland, the NATO tripwire that implies, and how a recycled Cold War decree in Denmark morphed into viral disinformation. The throughline is speed and spin: headlines move faster than our ability to process them, unless we slow down, check primary sources, and refuse the fog.

The conversation turns deeply human with the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis. We talk about what it means when policy authorizes street-level dehumanization, why masking signals moral bankruptcy, and how online “unmasking” reveals power’s brittleness. Courage becomes our pivot: not just protest courage, but the courage of people with real platforms—politicians, executives, artists—to risk convenience for principle. We shout out watchdogs and litigators holding the line on voting rights, and we share concrete information hygiene: ProPublica, The Intercept, Democracy Docket, The Bulwark, plus a habit of double-checking claims and reading original documents.

We close by defending sustainable joy. Comfort TV and small rituals aren’t escapism; they’re how we keep going without surrendering empathy or attention. If you’ve been feeling furious and fatigued at once, this conversation offers a map: hold leaders to standards, verify before you amplify, and protect enough joy to keep showing up. If it resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with one takeaway you’ll act on this week.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

Ready for a cleaner feed, clearer mind, and a steadier heart in 2026? Carmen opens the year with twenty unapologetic don’ts that cut through noise and nudge us toward a saner, kinder way to live. We move from civic basics you should know by heart—two senators, your House rep, your governor, your mayor—to the media literacy everyone claims and too few practice. Viral doesn’t mean true; three sources beat one influencer; and when you’re wrong, own it, fix it, and move on. The payoff is real power: you stop being steered by clout and start steering your choices.

We also get honest about pop culture and storytelling. Don’t debate shows you haven’t watched. Comfort TV is valid, shock value is lazy, and breaking the audience’s emotional contract has consequences. From clapping when the plane lands to “discovering” decades-old classics, we unpack why taste police and faux insiders miss the point: culture is an ecosystem. When you respect the craft and the community around it, you get better art and better conversations.

The digital hygiene hits home: stop ghosting and start communicating; skip devil’s advocate and propose solutions; starve bots by not arguing in comment sections. AI gets a grounded take too—use it like a hammer, not a therapist, and keep your eyes on the people and incentives behind the tools. Then we land in the body and the spirit: touch grass, breathe outside air, and build boundaries instead of walls. Most of all, stop confusing happiness with joy. Happiness is external and fleeting. Joy is internal, practiced, and chosen—perspective, gratitude, and aligned action you can carry through any storm.

If this list made you nod, wince, or laugh, hit play, share it with a friend, and tell us which “don’t” you’re adopting first. Subscribe for more candid, hopeful conversations, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

Joy gets treated like a soft word online, but we use it like a backbone. We open with gratitude for the people who made this community real, then map how our small show grew into four connected formats that serve different needs without losing the thread. Friday Night Live brings the weekly neighborhood energy - unscripted, a little messy, and always welcoming. The Private Lounge offers deeper, slower conversations that let real stories breathe. Carmen Talk is where I think out loud, teach when it fits, and process what’s on my mind. And Culture and Consequence with Andrea explores media literacy, politics, culture, and compassion with rigor and warmth, from the Constitution to trans rights to the everyday choices that shape public life.

We also pull back the curtain on the growth playbook we refuse to follow. The algorithm rewards outrage and spectacle, but we’re not interested in manufacturing conflict. Joy here is not denial. Joy is fuel, practice, and a way to show up for each other even when we disagree. That means we hold boundaries around intolerance while making room for curiosity and correction. It also means we track our claims, revisit topics, and leave space for humor—yes, even the running Hallmark homework that keeps us honest about how culture works on us.

If you’re looking for a kinder corner of the internet, you’ll find it across these four shows—one community, many doors. Come for the live hangout, stay for the deeper interviews, pop into a reflective monologue, and challenge your media diet with a thoughtful breakdown. Your presence matters more than you know. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so the algorithm learns to surface compassion alongside critique. What conversation should we host next?

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

What happens when you sit down with the person who helped shape who you became — the friend who turned into family long before either of you had the language for it? That’s the heart of this conversation with my “brother from another mother,” William. Before he was a legendary performer, a beloved teacher, a devoted dad, or a cofounder of a design studio, he was the kid who, like me, found refuge and direction on a color guard floor.

We start where our story begins: early competitions, long rehearsals, and the moment Sean O’Brien introduced real dance language — tendus, port de bras, breath — into a world that didn’t know it needed it. William breaks down how technique became a lifeline, how mentorship turned raw energy into artistry, and how the activity saved us in ways we’re still unpacking. 

From there, we talk honestly about the paradox of the activity we loved: a creative home for working‑class kids that rarely connected to professional pipelines. The talent was always there; the question was whether the system ever made room for those kids to cross into careers in dance, theater, or design. 

Teaching becomes the center of our conversation. William shares why guiding students past fear into confidence felt more electric than performing, and how that calling carried him into public education in Miami. We get into the realities — pay, burnout, inequity — and then follow his pivot into interior design, and Billy Blanco Designs - where composition, rhythm, and narrative translate seamlessly from stagecraft to space. 

In our lightning round, he chooses Baryshnikov over Nureyev, Tokyo over Dubai, and admits that exercise is the vice that keeps him grounded. Fatherhood reframes everything: ambition becomes presence, and the goal becomes raising confident humans without turning them into content.

We also talk about aging without denial — not as a punchline, but as a clear‑eyed look at time, purpose, and what still matters. The antidote, as we both agree, is curiosity. Keep learning and the world stays wide. 

If you care about creativity, mentorship, reinvention, or simply want to understand a little more about the people who shaped me, this conversation will meet you where you are and maybe open a door or two.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

What if the loudest stories in politics are really about insecurity, not strength? We start with the whiplash of overnight headlines and a White House obsessed with optics, then trace how petty theater bleeds into policy with life-or-death stakes. The thread is simple and sobering: when leaders reward cruelty, the most vulnerable pay for it. We dig into the targeting of gender-affirming care, the threats to hospital funding, and why deference to doctors and real expertise is a civic duty, not a partisan stance.

From there, we get personal. Faith without empathy rings hollow, so we revisit the early AIDS era, Magic Johnson’s watershed moment, and the way testimony can change hearts. We talk about projection—how unhappy people outsource their pain—and the antidote that actually works: service. Helping others reliably produces joy and meaning, which is exactly why it’s absent from the politics of resentment. The money conversation follows naturally: nonprofits and tax write-offs, the discipline of “enough,” and the hard truth about billionaire wealth, loopholes, and the public goods that should never be optional: health care, education, housing, clean water.

Culture gives us oxygen. We celebrate Rob Reiner’s legacy—from When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride to Spinal Tap and Misery—and how great directors pull out performances that remind us what empathy looks like. Even our Hallmark detour has a purpose: why familiar tropes soothe when the world spins off its axis, and where brands lose the plot when they chase reality-show gimmicks. It all circles back to a promise: name the petty, protect the vulnerable, and choose compassion as a daily practice.

If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more candid culture and consequence, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s one small act of service you’ll choose this week?

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

What if the story you tell yourself about being “not smart enough” is just a bad fit between your brain and a test format? We open up about growing up with the quiet fear of not measuring up, the panic of multiple-choice exams, and the surprising relief that came from changing the way questions were asked. When the puzzle layer fell away, knowledge finally had room to show up—no extra genius required, just a fairer way to think and respond.

From there, we explore learning differences without shame: how timing, ambiguity, and test-maker intent can derail capable minds, and how accommodations like oral exams and extended time aren’t shortcuts but bridges to accuracy. Carmen shares a small, luminous practice—the toothbrushing smile—that acts like a daily reset. It sounds simple because it is: look in the mirror, smile for real, and watch your nervous system unclench. That tiny habit makes it easier to greet strangers with warmth, to start softer, and to carry less static into the day.

The conversation turns on a phrase that finally landed: be not afraid. A client with power and status reflected Carmen’s strengths back to her until they stuck. That mirror—of competence, kindness, and calm under pressure—reframed worth beyond grades, titles, and money. We talk about the mask of “behave as if,” why many of us wear it, and how confidence shifts from performance to alignment when we stop trying to decode other people’s expectations and start honoring our own wiring.

If you’ve ever felt small in classrooms, meetings, or social circles, this story invites you to audit your beliefs: Who taught you them? Do they serve you now? Try the smile ritual, ask for the format that lets your mind work, and practice be not afraid in small, brave steps. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a kinder story about intelligence, and leave a review so more listeners can find their way here.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

What if respect isn’t something we owe to power, but something power owes to us? We start with a listener’s challenge - “say one nice thing about Trump” - and follow the thread through the messy intersection of office, behavior, and accountability. Titles don’t launder harm, and a single human moment can’t offset a pattern of contempt. From there, we look at how policy choices reveal priorities: a proposed five‑year social media review for visa waiver travelers as North America prepares for the World Cup and the Olympics. The contradiction is stark - inviting the world to celebrate while signaling suspicion at the border - and it raises real questions about free expression, privacy, and soft power.

We also zoom in on shifting political ground at home, from Miami’s new Democratic mayor to a heavyweight Texas primary shaped by gerrymandering and court decisions. Then we widen back to Central America, where Honduras faces a pivotal choice between corruption and hardline order. We talk candidly about security, due process, and the risks of letting fear do the policymaking. Power without guardrails breeds hypocrisy; pardoning a convicted trafficker while pushing extrajudicial force is the definition of mixed signals.

Underneath these stories runs a deeper current: empathy fatigue. A San Diego freeway closure for a suicidal man triggered more outrage over delays than concern for a life in crisis. We connect that brittleness to our unprocessed pandemic grief and the way social media rewards performative cruelty as often as it amplifies care. And because joy is part of the antidote, we end with a Hallmark curveball - yes, a firefighter, two cats, and a soft landing. Comfort isn’t an escape from seriousness; it’s fuel for showing up with more humanity the next day.

If this resonates, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave us a review with one takeaway you’re still thinking about. Your notes shape what we explore next.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

A candid conversation with Blake Fischer on rebuilding trust, cutting through outrage, and restoring self‑government.

Politics shouldn’t feel like a loyalty test, but for a lot of people it does. We invited Blake Fischer, creator of The Homeless Conservative, to talk about why so many “exhausted citizens” are stepping back, how the parties lost their grip on governing, and what it takes to rebuild trust in a system that seems to reward outrage over outcomes. From his early days on a mayoral campaign to launching a podcast meant to add clarity instead of heat, Blake lays out a simple frame: conserve the constitutional order, return Congress to legislating, and stop treating presidents like kings.

We dig into the century-long power shift from Capitol Hill to the White House, why executive orders keep multiplying, and how court rulings and crisis politics nudged us toward a presidency that tries to do everything. Blake explains how weak parties and strong PACs pushed primaries to extremes, sidelining nuance and elevating personalities. We trade notes on media incentives, the dopamine economy of fear and anger, and what younger voters—who only know politics in the Trump era—have been taught to expect. The throughline is practical: write down your principles before you pick your person, follow sources that cite evidence, and reward anyone who corrects themselves in public.

This conversation isn’t about agreeing on every issue; it’s about restoring the habits that make self-government possible. If you’ve felt torn between teams, wary of headlines, or unsure where to start, you’ll leave with a clearer map: how to talk across differences without losing your friends, how to pressure representatives to do their job, and how to sort fact from noise when the feeds light up. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s checked out, and leave a review telling us one principle you won’t compromise on—what would help you re-engage?

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

Part 1 - Politics US

A cabinet official leaks sensitive strike details on a personal Signal account, a suspected war crime at sea ignites bipartisan scrutiny, and Trump drops 158 posts to flood the news cycle. We connect the dots between bad judgment, broken incentives, and a culture that rewards noise over integrity—then pivot to how ordinary people can still choose clarity, community, and joy.

We unpack what the Pentagon’s inspector general actually found, why firing on survivors violates both law and conscience, and how institutional timidity lets reckless decisions stand. From Congress to corporate suites, too many stakeholders run a personal cost-benefit analysis and call it leadership. We talk candidly about due process, soft power, and the growing distance between American ideals and American behavior that allies can’t ignore.

Part 2 - Social Media Australia Doings

The conversation shifts to Australia’s under-16 social media ban: bold signal or blunt tool? We weigh the mental health upside against enforcement pitfalls like age verification, privacy risks, and teen workarounds. What works better is intentional digital life - parent-guided norms, critical thinking, and open talk about algorithms, creator incentives, and AI fakery. For today’s kids, the phone is the new street corner because the real one is empty; rebuilding offline freedom matters as much as any app rule.

Part 3 - Hallmark Update with Andrea

To close, we check in on small comforts with Hallmark and holiday movies - why cozy tropes help our nervous systems, what makes a good one (chemistry, clean writing, a near-kiss well-earned), and where the genre needs to grow. Authentic diversity isn’t a checkbox; it’s the texture that keeps stories honest!   

Heavy news and light stories can live side by side. Hit play, share with a friend, and tell us: what’s your go-to comfort watch this season? If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation.

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.