Alison Banowsky loves a nice, soft pretzel with some nasty fake cheese more than most things in the world, and she doesn't care if you think that's gross because that's who she is.

If you thought the recent conversation MBS had with Abraham Lincoln about his love of Weezer was too good to be true, wait until you get a load of past presidents William Howard Taft and Andrew No-Middle-Name Jackson chatting about the beloved teen party romp, Can't Hardly Wait. AJ counts down his top 5 baseball movies, Taft pines for Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Abe crashes the party before past guest of the show Tim Dunn shows up pretty upset that MBS "stole" his guests again.

Ho ho ho? Uh, try no no no! Nerdologues co-founder Kevin Reader finally came on the show to chat about his favorite athlete. From being a nerdy kid in jr high who got into basketball because it's what his friends were into (and because he grew up in IL in the 90s) to playing pickup basketball with Deron Williams in college, Kevman found an idol in Mutombo when he got his story and stats in a physical, chapter-a-month encyclopedia mailing.

Lifelong fan of the classics and passionate supporter of the continued seasons, Chris Rathjen is a Whovian of epic proportions. From watching black and white episodes on Iowa public television every Friday night ad infinitum to appreciating newfound BBC production quality and emotional nuance, Chris loves the humanity behind the otherworldliness of the show and has never missed an episode (to the point of enjoying ones that have recently been reconstructed from found audio and newly-produced animations).

Filmspotting cohost Adam Kempenaar takes a break from film reviews to chime in on the hit musical Hamilton and why he feels it has moved him so much since he saw it on Broadway in February (and subsequently in Chicago in October). While there is plenty of time spent on how Lin-Manuel Miranda's artistic feat shines from Burr's opening number to Eliza's closer, there's also exploration of the magic and singular nature of live theatre that has been reinvigorated for Adam this year. In his mind, Hamilton is a story about greatness and those who aspire to it. Listen up, get all the songs stuck in your head forever, and feel the warmth of Adam's anecdotes about how this show has brought him closer to his children in a way maybe nothing else has before.

From Puttin' on the Ritz to a shitload of dimes, Will Biby has loved all things Mell Brooks since he caught Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles as a young man thanks to the gentle prodding of his father. Since then, Will has dug into the deeper cuts of Mel's career and went so far as to host a staged reading of Mel's first film and one of his personal favorites, The Producers, to celebrate his own 30th birthday.

[Recorded live at the Chicago Podcast Festival] Noted actor-improviser David Pasquesi fell deeply in love with living in Italy when he spent a year "studying" there as a college student (by slowly convincing his parents he was considering joining the priesthood so they'd let him stay). From the general demeanor of its residents to its remarkable food to its storied, centuries-long history, Dave cannot separate himself from the nation of his ancestors. The country and his time spent there has colored his life from his grandfather's immigration to the states as a teenager to living there with his own wife and sons as they wait through the process of becoming dual citizens.

Nnamdi is a man after MBS's own heart: he's a movie crier. He unpacks the highbrow and lowbrow films that have inspired and moved him throughout his life. From Forrest Gump to Creed, Nnamdi has always emotionally responded to incredible storytelling via filmmaking, acting, and character work and strives to do the same in his own life as a performer.

Regular listeners may remember Bill's first MBSing appearance right after Election Day 2014. At the time he worked with United Way and Get Covered Illinois. He returns to unpack Election Day 2016 as a first year law student driven by the desire to affect policy. This conversation was recorded about six hours after the presidential race was called. It is raw, biased, and comes from a place of privilege.

Volunteering has been so integral for Emily's life that she didn't realize it was the perfect topic for her to chat about. From the Appalachia Service Project to The Ronald McDonald House, Emily has found causes she can contribute her time and energy to that make people's lives tangibly better. The real story here is about her time with REALITY Theatre, a local group that used the actual experiences of young people to reach school audiences on topic like substance use and bullying.