There’s only so much you can do in a week – or, according to Oliver Burkeman, in the roughly 4,000 weeks the average human lives. Oliver is a journalist and author of the books Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Meditations for Mortals, and the newsletter “The Imperfectionist.” Chris and Oliver discuss the paradox of why change can only occur once we accept that we might not be able to change. Oliver also shares how life’s mishaps can become our most treasured memories and why sharing your imperfections is an act of generosity. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch . Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
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Inhalt bereitgestellt von Leah Jones. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Leah Jones oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.
Finding Favorites is where we learn about people’s favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Every other week, host Leah Jones sits down with a guest to learn about how they found their favorite thing, why they love it and why they think other people will fall in love, too.
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Inhalt bereitgestellt von Leah Jones. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Leah Jones oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.
Finding Favorites is where we learn about people’s favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Every other week, host Leah Jones sits down with a guest to learn about how they found their favorite thing, why they love it and why they think other people will fall in love, too.
…
continue reading
196 Episoden
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Shai Korman, one of the Friday Night Movie podcast hosts, is on the road with a movie he produced with his sisters. He took a break in between festivals to talk about The Floaters, film festivals and Weird Al. Follow Shai online Shai Korman: https://www.instagram.com/pancake4table/ Friday Night Movie Podcast: https://fridaynightmoviepod.podbean.com/ Floaters the Movie: https://floatersmovie.com/ Show Links Weird Al tour: https://www.weirdal.com/tour/ Weird Al Behind the Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CtQCvc7e8 Taskmaster Season 19: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRWvNQVqAeWKt7kCUfEMdJi40m7H58CJd Tires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tires_(TV_series) Bentonville Film Festival: https://bentonvillefilm.org/ Floaters IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31145438/ And Mrs. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6614198/ Don’t Tell Larry https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16311236/ Bird in Hand https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36298555/ Espina https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17016098/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Adult Children https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17424166/ Lemonade Blessing https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32432676/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Cotton Candy Bubble Gum https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28305079/ Magic Hour https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32134256/ ? Sabbath Queen https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32145808/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Malka https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32778054/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Frankenbabes from Beyond the Grave https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36364856/ ? Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Sharna Marcus loves Chipotle 1:10:47
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIsrael-based educator and writer Sharna Marcus joined Leah on Friday, June 20th, to share the story of how she was able to get to Indiana from Israel during the active war with Iran. Spoiler alert: a cargo ship was involved. We talk about her work as a Middle East history educator, the damage done by the "weapons of mass destruction" lies told by the Bush administration, finding Jewish identity and community, and more. Follow Sharna online https://x.com/MsSMarcus https://www.instagram.com/sharnaranee/ Note from Leah: The podcast is just on a break while I recover from gallbladder surgery in march, moving in late April, and figuring out a whole new apartment. We recorded this episode before the US got involved directly in the war and I'm releasing it a few days after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel started. In case it does not "go without saying" I deeply desire all of the hostages should be returned home immediately, that humanitarian aid needs to flow into the Gaza strip, and that I desire peace and safety for all people living in and around Israel. I don't know how we get there. A few other links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/first-islamic-public-hospital https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wo2TLlMhiw https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse/search?query=israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_culture_kid https://rebooting.com/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-one-un-leaders-mistaken-timeline-caused-confusion-about-gaza-childrens-starvation-risk https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/ https://zionistutopia.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
Author Lee Upton joined Leah to talk about her newest book Wrongful, available for pre-order now for May 1 delivery, and about how she became a bunny person. PSA: Bunnies are exotic pets and not responsible Easter presents. Stick to chocolate and toy bunnies today! Where was the podcast? Leah had emergency gall bladder surgery which meant hitting eject from her life for about a month. So happy to be back on the mic and to welcome back engineer-extraordinaire Rob Abrazado. Keep up with Lee online Wrongful is available for pre-order now and releases May 1, 2025: https://www.saggingmeniscus.com/catalog/wrongful/ Lee's website: https://www.leeupton.com/ Show Notes Sagging Meniscus Press: https://www.saggingmeniscus.com/ Tabitha, Get Up : https://bookshop.org/p/books/tabitha-get-up-lee-upton/21257767 Kate Racculia: https://www.kateracculia.com/ Agatha Christie: https://www.agathachristie.com/ The Withers (coming in 2026 from Regal House Publishing): https://regalhousepublishing.com/forthcoming-publications/ Book & Puppet Co.: https://www.bookandpuppet.com/ Ghostlit : https://bookshop.org/p/books/ghostlit-poems/121f3a980b2b881e On the Rocks : https://www.theodoraziolkowski.com/books Asterism: https://asterismbooks.com/ I Am a Bunny : https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-am-a-bunny-ole-risom/8547916 Michael Sowa: https://michaelsowa-art.de/ Esterhazy: The Rabbit Prince : https://www.amazon.com/Esterhazy-Rabbit-Prince-Irene-Dische/dp/0152009213 Instant Relief Therapy : https://www.wikiart.org/en/michael-sowa/instant-relief-therapy Bunny by Mona Awad: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bunny-mona-awad/12087549 Alice in Wonderland : https://bookshop.org/p/books/alice-in-wonderland-illustrated-lewis-carroll/7841425 Rabbit, Run (the first book in John Updike's Rabbit series): https://bookshop.org/p/books/rabbit-run-john-updike/11076364 The Velveteen Rabbit : https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-velveteen-rabbit-margery-williams-bianco/19005883 Donnie Darko : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/ Harvey : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042546/ Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (the first book of the Bunnicula series): https://bookshop.org/p/books/bunnicula-a-rabbit-tale-of-mystery-deborah-howe/286233 Bunnicula (TV series): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5444412/ Watership Down : https://bookshop.org/p/books/watership-down-richard-adams/286191 The House Rabbit Society: https://houserabbit.org/ POP Cats: https://popcats.co/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Brandon Klein loves to interview 1:02:26
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDetroit-based Brandon Klein sat down with Leah to talk about his love of interviewing - AKA non-fiction storytelling. Brandon has been a meditation coach, lived "van life" in the national parks, and is the creator and host of Humanize the Human Eyes. Keep up with Brandon on YouTube and Instagram https://www.youtube.com/@brandonmklein/videos https://www.instagram.com/brand0nklein/ Show Notes https://www.descript.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanseisen/ https://goodnightoscar.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_gGwOlIb9k https://blackwing602.com/collections/pencils https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/lucas-balisong-knives/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression Fact check: It was Jack Paar and not Dick Cavett that hosted Oscar Levant, sorry for so confidently talking about the wrong late night host. Second fact check: Rob Abrazado will return to editing the podcast on the next episode. The last few weeks have been rough in the Jones house, but I recently closed on a condo sale and have returned to the land of the living.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Christine Marie Eberle loves the Ignatian Pilgrimage in Spain 1:26:13
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedChristine Marie Eberle returns to Finding Favorites to discuss her new book and the pilgrimage that inspired her to write it. Her new book Finding God Along the Way: Wisdom from the Ignatian Camino for Life at Home is available now. We have an in depth conversation about the logistics, prayer and intentions of going on this pilgrimage in the fall of 2022. Christine-Marie-Eberle.com Finding God Along the Way Show Notes The Way on IMDB Camino del Santiago (the other pilgrimage in Spain) Camino Ignacio Ignatian Volunteer Corps Ignatius of Loyola Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Best of 2024 with your favorites 1:01:25
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedEvery year, we start by looking back at 2024. We asked friends and past guests to send in voice memos highlighting their favorite things of 2024. In this episode you'll hear from Shai Korman – Friday Night Movie Podcast Jesse Dukes – Upper Middle Brow Liz Nord Laura and Annie – BFF Sticker Club Chris Bagg – Upper Middle Brow Pam Mandel – Canned Mike Maddaloni Amy Guth – Canned Rocco Cataldo - Some stuff from Rocco Jason Mathes Steve Higgins Rabbi Michael Zedek Leah's recommendations for the year include Live comedy performances Jackie Kashian Laurie Kilmartin Kyle Kinane Paul Scheer book launch with Adam Pally Dinosaur Improv at the Den Michelle Collins at City Winery Live theater Illinoise at Chicago Shakes Some Like it Hot Death Becomes Her Great Comet at Writer’s Theater An Enemy of the People Here There Are Blueberries Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Robot Friends with Upper Middle Brow 1:31:04
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedIt's a crossover episode of Finding Favorites and Upper Middle Brow - Leah Jones, Jesse Dukes and Chris Bagg are talking about robot friends and enemies. We start with M3GAN and go on a winding conversation from there. Subscribe to Upper Middle Brow and rate them 5 stars: https://uppermiddlebrow.com/ Recommendations from this show: Ted Chiang’s Exhalation Alien: Romulus Duncan Jones Moon Honorable Mentions: Robocop The Terminator/Terminator 2 Short Circuit M3gan Robot Visions Doctor Who Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Curtis Smith, author of Deaf Heaven (available May 2025) and The Lost and The Blind, is a professor who loves 70s Hollywood. Leah and Curt talk about his new book, favorite movies and directors. Build your own 70s To Watch list from this episode. Leah is still collecting voice memos for the best of 2024 episode slated for January 12th. There's still time to send in a 1-5 minute clip highlighting some of the things you found and loved in 2024. Follow Curtis online Short stories collections: https://www.press53.com/curtis-smith Curtis on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/contributors/curtis-smith-4ddf66b4-7838-4c5b-a813-010b2772f1a7 Deaf Heaven : https://bookshop.org/p/books/deaf-heaven-curtis-smith/22029558?ean=9781960018786 The Magpie's Return : https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-magpie-s-return-curtis-smith/17051877?ean=9781947041615 The Lost and the Blind : https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lost-and-the-blind-curtis-smith/19735398?ean=9781955062619 Show Notes Jen Michalski: https://bookshop.org/contributors/jen-michalski JMWW: https://jmwwblog.wordpress.com/ Ben Tanzer: https://www.tanzerben.com/ This Podcast Will Change Your Life : https://tbwcylinc.libsyn.com/ Flannery O'Conner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O%27Connor The Graduate : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/ The Twilight Zone : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052520/ Vivian Maier: https://www.vivianmaier.com/ Mary Ellen Mark: https://www.maryellenmark.com/ The Center for Creative Leadership: https://www.ccl.org/ Running Wild Press: https://runningwildpublishing.com/ To Sir, with Love : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062376/ The Godfather : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/ The Conversation : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071360/ Dog Day Afternoon : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072890/ Nashville : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073440/ Robert Altman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000265/ McCabe & Mrs. Miller : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067411/ The Long Goodbye : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070334/ Francis Ford Coppola: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/ Apocalypse Now : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/ Martin Scorsese: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/ Mean Streets : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070379/ Taxi Driver : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/ Raging Bull : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/ Brian De Palma: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/ Blow Out : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082085/ Sisters : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070698/ Terrence Malick: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/ Days of Heaven : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077405/ Badlands : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069762/ The Candidate : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068334/ Robert Redford: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/ The Parallax View : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071970/ Warren Beatty: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000886/ John Cassavetes: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001023/ A Woman Under the Influence : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072417/ Regal Unlimited: https://www.regmovies.com/unlimited The Substance : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/ Demi Moore: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000193/ The Exorcist : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/ Gene Hackman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/ Dustin Hoffman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/ Three Days of the Condor : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/ Shampoo : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073692/ Reds : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082979/ Faye Dunaway: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001159/ Robert De Niro: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000134/ Al Pacino: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/ Woody Allen: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/ John Travolta: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000237/ Urban Cowboy : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081696/ Tree of Life : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/ Gosford Park : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/ The Player : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105151/ Megalopolis : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10128846/ 2001: A Space Odyssey : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/ Lawrence of Arabia : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/ RRR : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8178634/ The Jungle Book : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061852/ Bonnie and Clyde : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061418/ Bette Midler: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000541/ Ruthless People : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091877/ Poltergeist : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/ The Wizard of Oz : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/ "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) Goodfellas : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Jeph Wilkinson, host of Big Campaign Podcast, loves table top role playing games (AKA TTRPGs) and joined Leah to talk about how he found Dungeons & Dragon, the joy of running TTRPGs campaigns with friends, and storytelling. Jeph is an independent podcaster! Follow Jeph online The World of Big Campaign Stories : https://www.bigcampaign.com/ Big Campaign Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/big_campaign_stories Big Campaign Podcast on X: https://x.com/BigCampaignPod Big Campaign Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/big_campaign_podcast Show Notes Upper Middlebrow : https://uppermiddlebrow.com/ Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson: https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-crash-neal-stephenson/7327954?ean=9780553380958 Dungeons & Dragons : https://dndstore.wizards.com/ Dune by Frank Herbert: https://bookshop.org/p/books/dune-frank-herbert/7502701?ean=9780441172719 Vampire: the Masquerade : https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/world-of-darkness/discover-world-of-darkness/vampire-the-masquerade The Golden Bachelorette : https://abc.com/show/4175a1c6-1594-4c90-9895-02008e6f0550 Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka: https://zubrowka-vodka.com/ Epic Level Handbook : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Level_Handbook Finding Favorites "Chris Bagg loves Table Top Roleplaying Games": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/chris-bagg-dnd-ttrpg/ Newcomers : https://headgum.com/newcomers Pathfinder : https://paizo.com/pathfinder Wizards of the Coast: https://company.wizards.com/ High and Mighty : https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty Magic: The Gathering : https://magic.wizards.com/ Clash of Krits : https://linktr.ee/clashofkrits Rainbow Dice Club : https://linktr.ee/rainbowdiceclub How Did This Get Made? : https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Doughboys : https://headgum.com/doughboys Armchair Expert : https://armchairexpertpod.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Rabbi Michael Zedek, the rabbi emeritus of Emanuel Congregation in Chicago, joined Leah for a very fun and meandering conversation about lots of his favorite things. His book, Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality , is going into a second printing and he's available for all of your events - Jewish or not, in person or virtual, to discuss the book. As a congregant of 20 years, Leah used the podcast to get the full stories of how Rabbi Zedek became a rabbi (where are you Elijah from Syracuse?), how he met his wife Karen, and how he came to Emanuel after retiring from the pulpit once already. Keep up with Rabbi Zedek online Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality RabbiMichaelZedek.com Show Notes "The Day I Read a Book" by Jimmy Durante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PweWTvZVKk I and Thou by Martin Buber: https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-and-thou-martin-buber/52758?ean=9780684717258 Emanuel Congregation: https://www.emanuelcong.org/ Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis (PARR): https://www.parrabbis.org/ National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis (NAORRR): https://naorrr.com/ Religion on the Line website: https://religionontheline.com/ Religion on the Line podcast: https://sites.libsyn.com/414662 High and Mighty with John Gabrus: https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty When Harry Met Sally... : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Harry_Met_Sally… The Godfather : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather Casablanca : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film) Ein Gedi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Ibex and shofar Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ Young Presidents' Organization: https://www.ypo.org/ Helen Suzman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Suzman Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies: https://www.schusterman.org/ Brown Lighthouse Tel Aviv: https://brownhotels.com/lighthouse Abraham Joshua Heschel: https://bookshop.org/contributors/abraham-joshua-heschel-9a2a2d93-0aa6-43c8-b4df-b0b18533fce5 Hebrew Union College (HUC): https://huc.edu/ Interfaith Park: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/interfaith-park Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Ashlie, host of Advice from The Cheerbrarian, LOVES books and loves to prescribe books to friends, listeners and strangers based on a few questions. We talk about breaking up with your phone, the benefits of parallel reading multiple books at the same time, and book discovery. Keep up with Ashlie online Advice from the Cheerbrarian : https://open.spotify.com/show/77y9HmJHzKhZZ8wyspnCqb Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ardaigle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheerbrarian/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@cheerbrarian TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cheerbrarian Advice from the Cheerbrarian website: https://www.cheerbrarian.com/ Unrequired Reading: https://www.cheerbrarian.com/unrequired-reading Show Notes Star Trek: The Next Generation : https://www.startrek.com/series/star-trek-the-next-generation Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Your Brain is a Dirty Dirty Liar (Your Brain Part 1)": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Your-Brain-is-a-Dirty-Dirty-Liar-Your-Brain---Part-1-e2gle2k My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "YOU'RE REJECTED. Now what?": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/YOURE-REJECTED--Now-what-e2if0cq The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Gallup Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "The Power of Yes (Part 1)": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/The-Power-of-Yes-Part-1---Say-Yes-to-Being-the-Best-at-Being-the-Worst-e2pm271 Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder: https://littlehousebooks.com/ Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery : The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?11710 Stuart Little by E.B. White Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1984 by George Orwell Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Beartown by Fredrik Backman: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman The Power of Fun by Catherine Price Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris 10% Happier by Dan Harris How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman: https://www.goodreads.com/series/299267-thursday-murder-club Murder, She Wrote on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder,_She_Wrote Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French: https://www.goodreads.com/series/51639-dublin-murder-squad Law & Order: Special Victims Unit : https://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit In the Woods by Tana French: https://bookshop.org/p/books/in-the-woods-tana-french/11716028?ean=9780143113492 Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde: https://www.goodreads.com/series/43680-thursday-next Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Yes Please by Amy Poehler The Wreckage of My Presence : Essays by Casey Rose Wilson Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer Finding Favorites - "Paul Scheer loves the L.A. Clippers": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/paul-scheer-hdtgm-la-clippers/ Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck Craft Sequence series by Max Gladstone: https://www.goodreads.com/series/91029-craft-sequence Finding Favorites bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/FindingFavoritesPodcast House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Good Morning America Book Club: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/bookclub Happiness Falls by Angie Kim: Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Cheerbrarian Presents - Author Angie Kim": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Cheerbrarian-Presents---Author-Angie-Kim-e2jbg6p Reese's Book Club: https://reesesbookclub.com/ Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Six Tips to (try to) Read More Books": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Six-Tips-to-try-to-Read-More-Books-e2jto9s Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Nancy House-Bluhm, author of Whispers for Terra and The Nickel Loop , loves clear communication. The midwesterner spent 25 years in Colorado before returning to Michigan. She talks with Leah about communication skills, trains and The Artist's Way. Keep up with Nancy online Whispers for Terra The Nickel Loop Nancy's website Nancy's email Instagram @jnbpine Nancy on Facebook Tik Tok @nancyhouserbluhmauthor Show Notes Hotel Denver (now Hotel Maxwell Anderson) in Glenwood Springs, CO: https://maxwellandersonhotel.com/ Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum: https://www.durangotrain.com/ Beforeigners : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332130/ How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-dale-carnegie/7496534?ean=9780671027032 Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/ Phatic communication: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-artist-s-way-30th-anniversary-edition-julia-cameron/6665657?ean=9780143129257 Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard: https://bookshop.org/p/books/finding-the-mother-tree-discovering-the-wisdom-of-the-forest-suzanne-simard/17806466?ean=9780525565994 Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Orphans' Project: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/projects/orphans Finding Favorites episode "Author Joan Schweighardt loves serendipity": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/joan-schweighardt-serendipity/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Elana Silber is the CEO of Sharsheret, the Jewish breast and ovarian cancer organization that Leah supports, and totally obsessed with Orangetheory. Nothing interrupts her daily workouts and she might get you Orange-curious by the end of the episode. Elana has dedicated her career to supporting people with breast and ovarian cancers through her work at Sharsheret. We talk a lot about what you should be doing to understand your breast cancer risks and specifically about how this organization helps people in the US and Israel. Host Leah Jones was honored by Sharsheret in May 2024. Here is her speech. Leah will be giving a d'var torah at Emanuel Congregation on October 25, 2024 for Pink Shabbat at 6:30pm Keep up with Elana and Sharsheret Sharsheret Sharsheret toll-free phone number: 866-474-2774 Sharsheret on Instagram Sharsheret on Facebook Show Notes Orangetheory Fitness Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Theresa Goodrich, aka The Local Tourist, has always loved to write. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided not to let anything stop her from writing fiction and she has written FIVE mysteries featuring travel writer Alex Paige. Theresa is one of the first people I met on Twitter and this was a great chance to catch up with each other. Since it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both new episodes will feature interviews with a heavy focus on breast cancer. Please, shedule your mammogram, colonoscopy, and dermatology screenings. Early detection really does save lives. Keep up with Theresa online Theresa's Books : https://theresasbooks.com/ Peril on the Peninsula (free e-book): https://theresasbooks.com/products/peril-on-the-peninsula The Local Tourist : https://thelocaltourist.com/ Show Notes The Two Lane Gems series: https://twolanegems.com/ Living Landmarks of Chicago : https://livinglandmarksofchicago.com/ Planning Your Perfect Road Trip : https://theresasbooks.com/products/planning-your-perfect-road-trip Show Me Shipshewana : https://theresasbooks.com/products/show-me-shipshewana Midwest Road Trip Adventures : https://theresasbooks.com/products/midwest-road-trip-adventures Midwest State Park Adventures : https://theresasbooks.com/products/midwest-state-park-adventures Alex Paige travel mystery series: https://theresasbooks.com/products/alex-paige-travel-mysteries-bundle Keith Lee on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keith_lee125 G.P. Gottlieb: https://www.gpgottlieb.com/ "Kathy Giorgio loves Writing": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/kathie-giorgio-loves-writing/ NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ St. Clare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_of_Assisi The Enneagram: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/ CliftonStrengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253676/how-cliftonstrengths-works.aspx Amy Güth: https://www.amyguth.com/ Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ De Beers: https://www.debeers.com/en-us/home The Rhodes Scholarship: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship/ Book Brush: https://bookbrush.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Abbas Jaffary loves mathematics 1:00:54
1:00:54 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:00:54
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedSummer hiatus is over with a banger of an episode! Abbas Jaffary, a mathematician and roller derby referee, joined Leah to talk about The Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby League and his love of math. Leah and Abbas also share a love of How Did This Get Made, the podcast that brings all people together. Follow Abbas online Mathematics for Misfits : https://linktr.ee/mathematicsformisfits Accessible Mathematics : https://www.accessiblemath.info/ Chicago Knockouts and Chicago Knockouts on Tik Tok. Show Notes How Did This Get Made? : https://hdtgm.com/ Live Lit: https://bookriot.com/what-is-live-lit-and-how-can-i-read-it/ Dinosaur: https://www.paulscheer.com/dinosaur Rock 'N' America : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27N%27_America Chicago Shred Union on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagoshred/ Chicago Outfit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagooutfit/ The Crimson Vixen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thecrimsonvixen_/ SteMartaen: https://stemartaen.com/ Plant-Based Skate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantbasedskate/ The Village of Homewood: https://www.village.homewood.il.us/ RollerCon: https://rollercon.com/ Improv Olympic (IO): https://ioimprov.com/ CFA Institute: https://www.cfainstitute.org/ College of DuPage: https://www.cod.edu/ Hyperspace by Michio Kaku: https://bookshop.org/p/books/hyperspace-a-scientific-odyssey-through-parallel-universes-time-warps-and-the-10th-dimens-ion-michio-kaku/8648999?ean=9780385477055 University of Illinois Chicago (UIC): https://www.uic.edu/ Georg Cantor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Cantor The p -adic numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-adic_number P-adic Numbers: An Introduction by Fernando Q. Gouvêa: https://bookshop.org/p/books/p-adic-numbers-an-introduction-fernando-q-gouvea/14521230?ean=9783030472948 P-adic Numbers, p-adic Analysis, and Zeta-Functions by Neal Koblitz: https://bookshop.org/p/books/p-adic-numbers-p-adic-analysis-and-zeta-functions-neal-koblitz/8668219?ean=9780387960173 Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/ Dr. Louis H. Kauffman: https://homepages.math.uic.edu/~kauffman/ Edward Witten: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Witten Qiskit: https://www.ibm.com/quantum/qiskit PsiQuantum: https://www.psiquantum.com/ MathJax: https://www.mathjax.org/ MathML: https://www.w3.org/Math/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Chuck Gay loves Buck Owens 1:00:23
1:00:23 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:00:23
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedChuck Gay, a musician, writer and actor, joins Leah to introduce her to Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Chuck can be seen in Elvis of the Yukon (as Elvis) written by guest Pam Mandel and produced by Amy Guth. Keep up with Chuck online Instagram @charlespgay Facebook @chuckgaymusic ChuckGayMusic.com Top Five Buck Owens Albums Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - Carnegie Hall Concert Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - In Japan! Buck Owens - Live In London Buck Owens (self titled) Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - Before You Go A great compilation album is Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - Bakersfield Gold Top songs by Buck Owens on YouTube Show Notes Elvis of the Yukon : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30797208/ Buck Owens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens The Buckaroos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buckaroos Hee Haw : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hee_Haw Carnegie Hall Concert : https://open.spotify.com/album/37k1QgDqGNemtteDpQ2jcU Don Rich: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rich Buck Owens and Don Rich singing "Tiger by the Tail": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u63NdYPMxrw Dwight Yoakam: https://www.dwightyoakam.com/ "Streets of Bakersfield" performed by Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens: https://open.spotify.com/track/7bKqtOF02nEDUImWZqq5nH Bumbershoot music festival: https://bumbershoot.com/ Buck Owens performs "The Streets of Laredo" live at Carnegie Hall (1966): https://open.spotify.com/track/0MjHswdGtDI1msQ49fWDYa John Prine: https://www.johnprine.com/ "I've got a Tiger by the Tail": https://open.spotify.com/track/464fUpkgSEPH1onUGoW8Kt "Love's Gonna Live Here": https://open.spotify.com/track/722NCABmmKoHNQaX2VHoX3 "Together Again": https://open.spotify.com/track/5uGMzzZW2XxHvSziwt9T3y "Cryin' Time": https://open.spotify.com/track/4UCCm4l4YTTeEYuaAzUdOs "Second Fiddle": https://open.spotify.com/track/3JO1cq3Ex5DbfQSnMf7Y3i An episode of The Buck Owens Ranch Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCy-9z6BXJc Buck Owens' Crystal Palace: https://www.buckowens.com/ Blackwing pencils: https://blackwing602.com/ Isernio's chicken breakfast sausage: https://isernio.com/product/chicken-breakfast/ Philadelphia jalapeño cream cheese: https://www.kraftheinz.com/philadelphia/products/00021000007325-spicy-jalapeno-cream-cheese-spread Frank's RedHot hot sauce: https://www.franksredhot.com/en-us/products/franks-redhot-original-cayenne-pepper-sauce Le Creuset cast-iron skillet: https://www.lecreuset.com/signature-skillet-10-1-4-in-chambray/20182026434001.html Heinz Simply ketchup: https://www.heinz.com/products/00013000626095-simply-tomato-ketchup-with-no-artificial-sweeteners Durango Bagel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgo_bagel/ Dave's Way: A New Approach to Old-Fashioned Success : https://www.amazon.com/Daves-Way-Approach-Old-Fashioned-1991-09-01/dp/B019TLFO7Y Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Author Darrin Doyle returns to celebrate a new book and his love of horror movies. Keep up with Darrin online Darrin's website: https://www.darrindoyle.com/ Darrin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarrinDoyle Darrin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrindoylewriter/ Let Gravity Seize the Dead pre-order: https://regal-house-publishing.mybigcommerce.com/let-gravity-seize-the-dead/ Show Notes Intergenerational trauma: https://dictionary.apa.org/intergenerational-trauma Wilderness State Park: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=509&type=SPRK Bird by Noy Holland: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bird-noy-holland/17314873?ean=9781619028272 Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy: https://bookshop.org/p/books/outer-dark-cormac-mccarthy/6724632?ean=9780679728733 The Beast in Aisle 34 by Darrin Doyle: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-beast-in-aisle-34-darrin-doyle/15921939?ean=9781948954570 Horror Movies to watch Get Out : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448/ Abigail : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27489557/ I Saw the TV Glow : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15574270/ Rosemary's Baby : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/ Dark Night of the Scarecrow : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082235/ Prom Night : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081383/ Children of the Corn : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050/ The Evil Dead : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083907/ Fangoria magazine: https://www.fangoria.com/ American Werewolf in London : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/ It (1990): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099864/ The Thing : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/ Friday the 13th : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/ Maniac (1980): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081114/ Pieces : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082748/ Sleepaway Camp : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086320/ Tourist Trap : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080040/ The Burning : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082118/ Sam Raimi: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000600/ John Landis: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000484/ David Cronenberg: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/ Tobe Hooper: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001361/ Roman Polanski: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000591/ Evil Dead II : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/ Blank Check with Griffin & David podcast: https://www.blankcheckpod.com/ Spider-Man : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/ Darkman : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099365/ Boy Kills World : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13923084/ Regal Unlimited: https://www.regmovies.com/unlimited Drag Me to Hell : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/ Ari Aster: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4170048/ Hereditary : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/ Midsommar : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772262/ Jordan Peele: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1443502/ Oz Perkins: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0674020/ The Witch : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4263482/ The Lighthouse : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/ Nosferatu (2024): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5040012/ The Strangers: Chapter 1 : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22050754/ The Strangers : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482606/ The Strangers: Prey at Night : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285009/ Renny Harlin: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001317/ Cutthroat Island : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112760/ The Innkeepers : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594562/ The Autopsy of Jane Doe : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3289956/ Under the Skin : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441395/ The Zone of Interest : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7160372/ Civil War : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17279496/ Alex Garland: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0307497/ Ex Machina : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/ Annihilation : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2798920/ The Northman : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11138512/ Robert Eggers: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3211470/ Dead Alive : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103873/ Peter Jackson: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/ Bad Taste : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092610/ The Frighteners : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116365/ Five Nights at Freddy's : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4589218/ Beau Is Afraid : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13521006/ Jennifer Kent: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448768/ The Babadook : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2321549/ Stranger Things : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/ The Coffee Table (2022): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21874760/ In a Violent Nature : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30321146/ Creep (2014): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2428170/ The Blackening : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11703244/ Scream : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/ Ringu : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
Author and film maker Pam Mandel is here to convince us all to add an ebike to our garage for local errands and more freedom of movement. Her debut short film Elvis of the Yukon debuted in New York and has just been selected for the Seattle Film Festival. We will be visiting with her collaborators throughout the summer as we celebrate road trips. Keep up with Pam Mandel online Pam’s Links Nerd's Eye View website and blog: https://www.nerdseyeview.com/ @nerdseyeview on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nerdseyeview @nerdseyeview on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdseyeview Show Notes Amy Guth: https://www.amyguth.com/ The Same River Twice: A Memoir of Dirtbag Backpackers, Bomb Shelters, and Bad Travel : https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-same-river-twice-a-memoir-of-dirtbag-backpackers-bomb-shelters-and-bad-travel-pam-mandel/14361463?ean=9781510760059 Potenza Productions: https://www.potenza-productions.com/ Elvis of the Yukon IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30797208/ Moustache Bikes: https://moustachebikes.com/us/en/ Jamelle Bouie: https://jamellebouie.net/ Divvy Bikes: https://divvybikes.com/ Citi Bike: https://citibikenyc.com/ Dandelion Bikes: https://www.dandelion.bike/ Gazelle Bikes: https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Monica Reida loves coffee 1:22:26
1:22:26 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:22:26
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedMonica Reida, a Chicago-based artist and writer, loves coffee. Like... LOVES coffee. Affogato, espresso, drip coffee, percolated coffee, different roasts, decaf and so much more. Keep up with Monica online Monica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicareida/ Monica's portfolio: https://monicareida.myportfolio.com/ Monica's blog, Notes from a Sentient Cabbage : https://sentientcabbage2.wordpress.com/ Show Notes Murdoch Mysteries "Terrence Gant loves Prog Rock and Twitter" on Finding Favorites "Scott Smith loves Mission Impossible movies" on Finding Favorites Dollop Coffee Espresso Royale Colectivo Hudson's Bay Bodum Red Brazil model French press : Aeropress Pumpkin orange Escali Primo Fellow Prismo AeroPress attachment Hario V60 Cermaic Pour Over Coffee Set Hario V60 "LoveDrip" Paper Filters: https://www.hario-usa.com/products/v60-lovedrip-paper-filter-02 Oxo Conical Burr Coffee Grinder: https://www.oxo.com/conical-burr-coffee-grinder.html Fellow Stagg EKG: https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-over-kettle Bialetti Moka Express: https://www.bialetti.com/ee_en/moka-express.html La Marzoco Linea Mini: https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/product/linea-mini/ Some Origami Drippers (via Dark Matter Coffee): https://www.darkmattercoffee.com/products/origami-pour-over NadaMoo! dairy-free ice cream: https://nadamoo.com/ Dark Matter Coffee: https://www.darkmattercoffee.com/ Discourse Coffee Workshop: https://www.discourse.coffee/ Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: https://jenis.com/ Wonderstate Coffee Icebreaker blend: https://wonderstate.com/collections/icebreaker BOSS Coffee: https://www.bosscoffeeusa.com/ Yakuza: Like a Dragon : https://likeadragon.sega.com/ Intelligentsia Coffee: https://www.intelligentsia.com/ L' Cafecito Jumping Bean: https://www.facebook.com/pinklinedamen Metropolis Coffee Company: https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/ The Daly Bagel: https://thedalybagel.com/ Go Get Em Tiger: https://gget.com/ Stone Creek Coffee: https://www.stonecreekcoffee.com/ Joe Coffee Company: https://joecoffeecompany.com/ Black & White Coffee Roasters: https://www.blackwhiteroasters.com/ Big Shoulders Coffee: https://www.bigshoulderscoffee.com/ Perkolater: https://perkolatorcoffee.com/ Nguyen Coffee Supply: https://nguyencoffeesupply.com/ James Hoffmann's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jameshoffmann (the "Makita Coffee Machine" episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOEIpbxM4w ) Welcome to Night Vale : https://www.welcometonightvale.com/ Ember Mug: https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2 Sprudge: https://sprudge.com/ (the cat shirt: https://sprudge.myshopify.com/collections/sprudge-tees/products/black-aeropress-cat-tee ) Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. The New Rules of Coffee: A Modern Guide for Everyone But First, Coffee: A Guide to Brewing from the Kitchen to the Bar Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop. Want to sponsor an episode or run ads on Finding Favorites? Email Leah…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Caroline Musin Berkowitz loves Passover (re-issue) 1:27:41
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedWe are one week out from Passover seders, so what better time to revisit Caroline's advice about preparing for the Spring holiday? New Haggadah alert - The Promise of Liberty by Stuart Halpern & Jacob Kupietzky Where are you leaving? Egypt Where are you going? Jerusalem What are you carrying? The bread of freedom Pesach (Passover) starts on Monday night and Caroline Musin Berkowitz joined Leah to talk about how she gets organized for the holiday. We talk about recipes, family traditions, finding the right haggadah, additions to the seder plate, and how to give gift to your future self with a good spreadsheet. Follow Caroline on Instagram and Twitter Keep up with Hashtag Daf Yomi on Instagram Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter . Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Bread Machine Challah II Chicken Marbella Matzah Toffee CRC Pesach Guide 2022 A Slob Comes Clean Fly Lady Graphic Novel Haggadah Matza Pajamas Caroline's Legendary Passover Spreadsheet Haggadot.com Sunflower addition Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop. Want to sponsor an episode or run ads on Finding Favorites? Email Leah…
Scott Smith, aka Our Man In Chicago, returns to Finding Favorites to talk about the Mission Impossible movies - why he loves them, how he watches them and where to start with the series. Scott first joined Leah to talk about The West Wing . Keep up with Scott online Our Man in Chicago Instagram @ourmaninchicago The Frunchroom Facebook @thefrunchroom Show Notes Regal Unlimited The Mission: Impossible film series on Wikipedia Get Smart on Wikipedia OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies on Wikipedia Music Box Films: Music Box Films Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop. Want to sponsor an episode or run ads on Finding Favorites? Email Leah…
Blaise Miller, an actor/director/writer based in LA, joined Leah to talk about his new web series "Hi, Blaise Miller" and his love of sweatpants. "Hi, Blaise Miller" is a six episode series exploring life for actors in Hollywood today - the world of self tapes and self doubt. The series is distributed by Crafty and new episodes are available every Friday. Leah and Blaise have been friends for 20 years and are celebrating their birthday on March 23 - so we're celebrating with an early drop! Follow Blaise online Hi, Blaise Miller on YouTube Crafty Short Films 2Blazes.com @2blazes on Tik Tok Show Notes The Vacationeers on YouTube It's a Disaster on Peacock Chicago's Pizza Smashburger.com DMK Au Cheval Auntie Anne's Wetzel's Pretzels Fat Chris Chubbies Shorts Home Run Inn https://www.vons.com/ Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Author Joyce Miller joins Leah to talk about her new book Joe Harris, The Moon, her love of greyhounds and her love of dancing with dogs. Keep up with Joyce online Look! You're Dancing: A Memoir of Dogs, Dance and Devotion Joe Harris, The Moon JoyceAMiller.com Follow Joyce on Instagram @joyceamillerwriter Show Notes Joe Harris Greyhounds "rooing" Greyhounds Reach the Beach The Grapehound Wine Tour Greyhound zoomies Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Alabama based author Bradley Sides joined Leah to talk about his new collection Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood and his favorite band, The National. Keep up with Bradley online Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood Bradley Sides on Facebook Bradley's website: Bradley-Sides.com Show Notes Those Fantastic Lives by Bradley Sides LeVar Burton Reads Calhoun Community College Common Read U.S. Space & Rocket Center One City, One Book The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui Alabama Center for the Arts Gabriel García Márquez Big Fish by Daniel Wallace The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon : Karen Russell Kelly Link Rocket City Reading Fest at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL Finding Favorites on bookshop.org The National Alligator Homecoming 2023 "Secret Meeting": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/secret-meeting "The Geese of Beverly Road": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/the-geese-of-beverly-road "Mr. November": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/mr-november Trouble Will Find Me : https://thenational.bandcamp.com/album/trouble-will-find-me "Sea of Love": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/sea-of-love A Conversation Between Matt Berninger and David Letterman Cherry Tree, The National fan club: https://www.americanmary.com/cherry-tree Soundtrack to Garden State : https://open.spotify.com/album/24mCiOTIF5Ob1uwluRFERv Patti Smith: https://www.pattismith.net Bartees Strange: https://www.barteesstrange.com/ "Paul Scheer loves the L.A. Clippers": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/paul-scheer-hdtgm-la-clippers/ Tyler Childers: https://tylerchildersmusic.com/ "Universal Sound": https://soundcloud.com/tylerchilders/universal-sound "Universal Sound" art print on Soundwaves: https://soundwavesartfoundation.com/products/tyler-childers-universal-sound-originals Fleet Foxes: https://www.fleetfoxes.co/ Shore : https://fleetfoxes.bandcamp.com/album/shore My Morning Jacket: https://www.mymorningjacket.com/ Jason Isbell: https://www.jasonisbell.com/ Brandi Carlile: https://www.brandicarlile.com/ Weezer: https://weezer.com/ Soundwaves Art Foundation: https://soundwavesartfoundation.com/ Sewanee: https://new.sewanee.edu/ The Caverns: https://www.thecaverns.com/ Cave Jam: https://www.thecaverns.com/featured/cavejam Watchhouse: https://watchhouseband.com/ S-Town : https://stownpodcast.org/ How Did This Get Made? : https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Doughboys : https://headgum.com/doughboys High and Mighty : https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty Nicole Byer: https://www.nicolebyerwastaken.com/ Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ Nailed It! : https://www.netflixreality.com/shows/nailed-it/ The String Cheese Incident: https://www.stringcheeseincident.com/ Red Rocks Amphitheatre: https://www.redrocksonline.com/ Jay Pritzker Pavilion: https://www.jaypritzkerpavilion.com/ The Pavilion at Ravinia: https://www.ravinia.org/Pavilion Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Ben Tanzer loves The Basketball Diaries 1:06:02
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedBen Tanzer, a Chicago-based author and consultant, joined Leah to celebrate the launch of his new novel The Missing ( pre-order on Bookshop.org for March 21, 2024 delivery ) and his love of the book The Basketball Diaries. This conversation is a trip down memory lane, because Leah and Ben have been friends for 15+ years. We briefly discuss the suicide of a mutual colleague. Follow Ben online The Missing release date March 21, 2024 The Missing book tour Ben Tanzer on Bookshop This Podcast Will Change Your Life TanzerBen.com twitter @BenTanzer Instagram @tanzerben/ Facebook @BenTanzer Show Notes Amy Güth Jen Michalski on Finding Favorites The Missing on Kirkus Reviews This American Life : This American Life Exile in Bookville: Exile in Bookville Lee Matthew Goldberg: Lee Matthew Goldberg The Book Cellar: Book Cellar Finding Favorites bookshop.org shop: Finding Favorites bookshop page Michael Keren: Michael Keren When Words Count: When Words Count Retreat Elizabeth Splaine: Elizabeth Splaine The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll Adam Lawrence Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty John Edgar Wideman Hendrick’s Gin: https://www.hendricksgin.com/ Bombay Sapphire: https://www.bombaysapphire.com/us/en/ Tanqueray: https://www.tanqueray.com/en-us Death’s Door: https://www.dancinggoat.com/deaths-door-gin Empress Gin: https://empressgin.com/ Alan Heathcock: https://alanheathcock.com/ Matilda: https://www.matilda-babyatlas.com/ David Masciotra: https://davidmasciotra.com/ Sunday Salon: https://sundaysalon-chicago.com/ P&T Knitwear: https://www.ptknitwear.com/ A Novel Idea: https://anovelideaphilly.com/ Village Well: https://villagewell.com/ Eric Spitznagel: https://www.ericspitznagel.com/ Megan Stielstra: https://www.meganstielstra.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Paul Scheer, an LA-based actor, writer, comedian, and podcaster, grew up in New York Knicks territory, but now loves the L.A. Clippers. He joined Leah to talk about his memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma (available for pre-order now, shipping on May 21, 2024), picking the right sports team for your family, and the inherent drama of NBA basketball. Keep up with Paul Scheer online How Did This Get Made Unspooled The Friendzone on Twitch Follow Paul Scheer on Substack Pre-order Joyful Recollections of Trauma (and Paul will send you a postcard) @ paulscheer on Instagram (Are you impressed by how calm, cool and collected I've been so far? Paul is one of the hosts of my favorite podcast and he's on MY podcast and that is very cool and I am not collected. I'm so uncollected, that I'm releasing this episode a week early! After the show notes, I'll link to a few episodes that include some links to related episodes of Finding Favorites). Show Notes “Hook” by Blues Traveler Hamilton Tour Miguel Cervantes on Saying Good-Bye to Hamilton After 2,013 Performances The Book of Mormon Tour The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers by Mick Minas and Jim Lynam 30 for 30 : 30 for 30 on ESPN HDTGM adjacent episodes of Finding Favorites Kevin Alves loves Letterkenny and Pirates - solid 20 minute tangent about the Halloween HDTGM in Chicago that I wore a 6 foot vinyl banner movie poster as a costume Pam Rose loves Jason Mantzoukas , HDTGM and very bad movies (Pam is a second opinion super star and friend from the HDTGM fan community) Poet Dan O'Brien loves British comedies (Dan is Jessica St. Claire's husband, fair warning - lots of cancer talk between the two of us) Matt Zoller Seitz and The Deadwood Bible Kevin T Porter loves Bruce Springsteen - Kevin's podcast Gilmore Guys was how I got to HDTGM Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.…
Author Esther Goldenberg visits Finding Favorites to share her loves of pour painting and drumming (djembe, not snare). She's also celebrating the publication of her first novel The Scrolls of Deborah. The Scrolls of Deborah is available for pre-order and will ship on February 20, 2024. EstherGoldenberg.com Follow Esther on Facebook and Instagram Show Notes Storahtelling This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide to Mind, Body, and Soul by Geneen Roth The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Cyanotype (blue sun printing) Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford Jenny Lawson , aka The Bloggess : Nowhere Bookshop, Jenny Lawson’s book store Kulu Sadira in Durango, Colorado Leah's Shabbat Shirah d'var torah based on Esther's comments about Miriam A few days after I published Kathie Giorgio's interview, her beloved husband Michael was hit by a car while walking to the bus and suffered a traumatic brain injury. I've been following along on Facebook and am praying for Michael's full and complete recovery. Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com…
Kathie Giorgio, a Wisconsin-based writer and founder of The All Writers Workshop, joined Leah to talk about her lifelong love of writing and her genre-agnostic publishing career. Kathie published her first short story as a teenager, her first book at 50, and will publish her 14th book in 2024. Content Warning: Kathie and Leah are both breast cancer survivors and discuss the illness, as well as bullying, death by suicide, and political violence throughout the episode. UPDATE: Shortly after this episode was published, Kathie's husband suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was hit by a driver in a minivan while walking to the bus. Go Fund Me available here. Keep up with Kathie online KathieGiorgio.org Facebook @KathieGiorgioAuthor Twitter @kathiegiorgio Instagram: Instagram @kathiegio1 Don’t Let Me Keep You due for release October 3rd. Today's Moment of Happiness Despite the News: A Year of Spontaneous Essays Find Kathie on Bookshop.org Show Notes Hope Always Rises All Writers’ Workplace & Workshop, LLC Maria Bamford’s memoir Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere This Week's Moment of Happiness Despite the News, the blog the preceded the book Poet Kelly Cherry Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books Brian Mazzaferri/I Fight Dragons The E Myth Revisited Oddities & Endings Chicago Jewish Book Festival Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com…
Some of your favorite guests are back for the Best of 2023 Call-In Show! Leah asked guests and friends to send in a voice memo with their favorite discoveries of 2023. It's important to find moments of joy during difficult times and that's what each of our callers found! Best of 2023 Show Notes Carolyn Musin Berkowitz Snack hack! Monica Reida Prince Freya The Gilded Age on HBO Marked Safe Podcast Coaster radio Cameron McKenzie An introduction to Mezcal Paloma cocktail recipe Blindness by Jose Saragamo Roanoke, VA Vanessa Ricci-Thode Monarch butterflies Redwoods Dogs Doctor Who 60th Specials World Running Down by Al Hess The Murderbot Diaries Shai Korman, Friday Night Movie podcast Barbie Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Jesse Dukes, Upper Middle Brow Catch a Fire by timothy white Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Thea Lux The Wheel - https://www.thealux.com/wheel Amy Guth If you can’t fix it, feature it https://amyguth.substack.com/ Rocco Cotaldo Adventure, seeing the country https://rocco.substack.com/ Jo McCawley Saltburn Mitski Sufjan Stephens Pam Rose Surface on Apple TV Loki Squidgame The Challenge Peacock - The Traders (US, UK, Australia) Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tate McRae HDTGM Films To Be Buried With - Brett Goldstein Barbie Oppenheimer Phil Mottaz The Hives https://www.thehives.com/ Women’s Soccer https://www.angelcity.com/ Chris Bagg Joe Haldeman, The Forever War Upper Middlebrow episode 1 about Forever War Steve Higgins Hadestown Barbie Doctor Who 60th Anniversary…
Chuck Zagorski was declared the King of Christmas by his family and joined Leah to talk about his favorite holiday. Chuck listens to Christmas music all year, but limits his seven trees and 100+ nutcrackers to a window between November 1 and Three Kings Day. Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Get news on new Christmas songs from Chuck on Facebook. November 1: First Official Day of Christmas Music Show Links Add to Cart The Deep Dive Funko Pops Polish Christmas Mushroom Soup Some of the music we cover Dee's Rock N Roll Christmas Tale A Very Special Christmas (all of the albums) Doris Day Frank Sinatra Kelly Clarkson Mariah Carey Winter Wonderland by Eurythmics Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify .…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Emily Drake loves Cozy Games 1:00:07
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedEmily Drake, host of the podcast Who's Missing , loves a cozy game. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Cozy Cafe and more! We talk about parallel play, building relationships and so much more. Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Follow Emily online Instagram @emdrake Who's Missing Podcast Show Links Stardew Valley Cozy Grove Animal Crossing Triple Match 3D Merge Mansion Get Played episode "Now That's What I Call Video Game Music: Cozy Edition" Finding Favorites episode "Keidra Chaney loves #KPopDollstagram" The Deep Dive Doughboys How Did This Get Made Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado . Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @ FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts , GoodPods or Spotify . Thank you to Chris and Jesse at Upper Middlebrow for the shoutout!…
It's a thanksgiving interlude with a few updates of what Leah's been up to and the trailer for season 2 of Upper Middlebrow Podcast. Stand Up Comedy Nicole Byer Kyle Kinane Samantha Bee Broadway Stuff Beetlejuice What a Wonderful World Here We Are The Lehman Trilogy Company Podcast Stuff How Did This Get Made live shows Welcome to Rob Abrazado Upper Middlebrow trailer Send your "Best of 2023" audio clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Bring Them Home: Stories of hostages from October 7…
Evonne Marzouk returned to the podcast to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her debut novel The Prophetess. We talk about the process of finding an audience, her lifelong love of writing, and processing difficult times through writing. We talk about donations for pre-orders, but her publisher has extended the donations through the end of the war, G-d willing, soon. Donations are being made to Leket . Keep up with Evonne online: Substack Evonne on Substack Instagram @heroinewhisperer Facebook @HeroineWhisperer Order The Prophetess in paperback EvonneMarzouk.com Uplifting People and Planet: Eighteen Essential Jewish Lessons on the Environment Special thank you to Rob Abrazado who joined the Finding Favorites team as an editor and sound mixer.…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Author Holly Wendt loves cycling of all sorts 1:01:22
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedPensylvania-based author and professor Holly M. Wendt joined Leah to talk about their love of all things cycling - from professional races to riding long distances, Holly loves all things two-wheeled. Their debut novel Heading North will be available on November 8th and you can order it today. HollyMWendt.com Instagram @hmwendt Twitter @hmwendt Heading North Show Notes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash End Papers The Art of Fielding The Cactus League The Desert Sky Before Us Indian Horse Tour de Fleece Seagull Century Bike Rally (Toronto to Montreal) Wild Horses Sepp Kuss (Durango, Colorado) Domestique Tim Declercq Farm to Fork…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Bee Vargas loves Powerlifting 1:02:31
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedBee Vargas, AKA the reigning Ms. Illinois, loves power lifting and joined Leah to talk about her journey to embracing her larger body in and out of the gym. Whether its rooftop yoga, crushing dead lifts or representing Illinois at the national level, Bee is a delight. Follow Bee online https://www.instagram.com/thatbeeword/ https://www.instagram.com/allbodiesaregymbodies/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thatbeeword Show Notes https://www.swipefatpodcast.com/ https://www.instagram.com/well_rounded.wellness/ https://blog.nasm.org/powerlifting-for-women https://lipsticklifters.com/articles/female-powerlifters/ https://www.socalpowerlifting.net/post/how-do-powerlifting-meets-work https://www.northamericabeautypageant.com/divisions/ https://www.thewrpf.com/…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Joel Haber loves Shabbat stews (rerelease) 1:00:15
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedDonate to American Friends of Magen David Adom Jerusalem-based tour guide Joel Haber joined Leah to talk about Shabbat Stews ahead of the release of his ebook Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food. There is so much more to Chulent than beans and meat! Follow Joel on Instagram and his blog Taste of Jew . Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter . Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Show links The Red Lady Free Shabbat Stew Cookbook by Joel Haber Machne Yehuda market Gil Marks obituary Ishtabach in Jerusalem Shamburak Birateinu Beermiscuous in Chicago Cardoon Come for Cholent Come for Cholent Again…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Taylore and Michael love making movies 1:13:55
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedTaylore Nicholl and Michael Lester, a pair of independent filmmakers from Texas, joined Leah to talk about their love of film, making films, and dream projects. Follow the pair online Support Taylore and Michael on Patreon Carry On (Taylore's first movie) @taylorenicholl on Instagram What We Become Tik Tok @mediocre_michael Show Notes Duo of Greenville filmmakers Jackass The Disney Vault Ira Glass, The Gap Danny McBride on Armchair Expert Perks of Being a Wallflower Little Miss Sunshine 500 Days of Summer Garden State Lost in Translation Away We Go Leah Jones - Piper Cub pilot Hello, My Baby Pretty Like Me…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Jesse Dukes wrestles with Jimmy Buffett 1:33:40
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedJesse Dukes, co-host of Upper Middlebrow, returns to Finding Favorites to wrestle with Jimmy Buffett's legacy. We talk about internal rhymes, lifestyle brands, and songs with more meaning on the tenth listen than on the first. Keep up with Jesse online Upper Middlebrow Podcast JesseDukes.com Show Notes Neuromancer Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow The Space Between Worlds Jimmy Buffet - Songs you don’t know by heart JimmyBuffett.com MBMBAM and Jimmy Buffett Escape to Margaritaville Red Headed Stranger Internal rhyme Best rhymes in Hamilton The melancholy of margaritaville Eater review of Margaritaville in NYC NY Times Jimmy Buffett does not live the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle Steve O interview Delaney Buffett Go Cubs Go Cowboy in the Jungle…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Josh Mohr loves Tom Waits & road trip novels 1:02:49
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedJosh Mohr, Seattle-based author of Model Citizen, joined Leah to discuss his new novel Farsickness which he wrote this summer and is illustrated by his daughter Ava. We talk about teachers that change your life, collaborating with your children, making art during the pandemic, and grappling with PTSD. Buy a copy of Farsickness today Silly Gooses with Josh Mohr and Ava Mohr at Valencia 826 (look for more workshops this year) Show Notes Juniper Shelley (father/daughter collab) Disney Weddings Tom Waits Fight Club Alice in Wonderland Grace Paley Down and Out in Paris and London by Orwell Cesar Cruz…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Ronnie Raviv only dabbles 1:13:13
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Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedRonnie Raviv joined Leah to try and figure out if he has any favorite things. We talk about cocktails, cocktail bars, books, TV, great meals and our friendship origin story. For someone who claims to have no favorite things, there was no lacking in conversation. Like my beloved Zouks, Ronnie is not on twitter. Show Notes Second City Conservatory Quipfire Improv Sally Albright Chicken Pot Pie origin story Mexican Mule Journeyman White Whiskey Jasper Fforde OCD TLV Taizu Fantastic TLV Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde Blind Barber Duck Duck Goat Aviary Rosemary Tango Sur Bar Roma Frasca Monte Verde Dear Margaret Yom Tov Deli (Tel Aviv) Harry's Epic Israel Food Tours Transcript follows Ronnie Raviv 0:00 Hello, my name is Ronnie Raviv. And I don't think I really have favorite things, but I have a lot of things that I like a lot, and you can hear all about them. In this week's finding favorites. ----more---- Announcer 0:10 Welcome to the findings favorites Podcast where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:23 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. It's Sunday, August 27. Really a beautiful, perfect day in Chicago after that brutal heatwave earlier in the week. Nice to have the windows open and to eat dinner outside today. Not too much to report other than my shoulder MRI shows a what seems to be a completely boring, small rotator rotator cuff tear. So hopefully, I will have some resolution to my shoulder pain soon. The orthopedist I saw last week said shit your shoulder is jacked. Which I think is sports for let's take this injury seriously. This week on the podcast I am talking with my one of my very dear friends Ronnie Raviv. You have heard about him on the podcast for years because he kept me company during a lot of chemo therapies and steroid Saturdays. We went to Israel on overlapping trips recently, so we just had that fabulous dinner in Tel Aviv. We talked about that a little bit. So I twisted his arm and said, Come be on a podcast. Now he does not listen to podcasts. He's not a he's not into the audio medium of podcasting. So I don't know if he will ever listen to this. But we have a fun conversation. Just sitting around bullshitting on the couch for an hour or so. And hit record. So without further ado, wear your mask. Wash your hands. Get your booster. I know a new booster is coming out soon. So I guess, wear your mask more diligently while you wait for the new booster to be available. And keep enjoying your favorite things. Leah Jones 2:43 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we learn about people's favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Today I'm joined a rare in person interview for finding favorites. With my own personal algorithm. You do all the research that wire cutter doesn't do for me. So I don't have to do it. Yeah. What do we just found out recently? You didn't know what wire cutter Ronnie Raviv 3:08 was? No, I had no idea. You introduced me to wire cutter. Leah Jones 3:11 Right. So wire cutter is consumer a modern consumer reports. Yeah, basically. And then anytime I need a new phone. You are my Consumer Reports. Ronnie Raviv 3:23 Yeah, I would just from like the one article that I read or the one article with all the links to the other articles that I read. It it I wouldn't describe it necessarily as the modern consumer reports. I would describe it as the less nerdy Consumer Reports. So let's let's charts and figures and more. Recommendations. Leah Jones 3:49 Yes. Ronnie Raviv 3:50 It's a curated fair Consumer Reports. Leah Jones 3:57 I'm fine with him doing all the research for me. Sure. Because I am too lazy. Yeah, I would rather buy it. It'd be the wrong thing. Never return it and buy another thing. I wouldn't rather that but that's more likely how my life goes, Ronnie Raviv 4:10 right? Yeah, no, I'd much rather would buy the right thing to begin with. Leah Jones 4:14 Yes. Right. Which is why every two years when I'm a Verizon, it's time to buy a new phone. I call you with no warning. And I'm like, What phone am I buying today? Right. I've done that for 15 years, at least. Once I went away from my Blackberry, Ronnie Raviv 4:29 which I think we're all happy for. Leah Jones 4:31 Yeah. So Ronnie, usually, this is when so this is like the time of the podcast where people get to know the guest. And often we're I'm getting to know the guests because usually they are a complete stranger. Right? And you're not No, Ronnie Raviv 4:48 no, we've known each other for I was trying to do the math. I feel like 21 or 22 years we've known each other. Yeah. And we've known each other well, for maybe 18 years. Yeah, we know each other very well for 15 years. Yeah, maybe that's I think Leah Jones 5:06 that's about right. I moved here in Memorial Day 2002. Okay. And started going to open mics immediately. Yeah. And very quickly. Got to the tequila Roadhouse. RIP, RIP tequila Roadhouse and Ronnie Raviv 5:25 their crack fries. Yeah, they were surprised that were I don't know what they put on. There were so bad. Leah Jones 5:33 Well, there was my cousin's Friend's Boyfriend maybe wasn't conservatory with you? I don't remember. Okay. I think he was Greek. Okay, or he had a friend and I don't remember. Somehow I want to but one of your conservatory shows Ronnie Raviv 5:55 site. Yes. Second City conservatory Right. Leah Jones 6:00 Which quickly led to tequila Roadhouse. Yes. Ronnie Raviv 6:03 Because my many of the people I would go into group and that improv group, not only did stuff but also held an open mic. First tequila Roadhouse, then they went to Weiss fools. Yep. Neither of which are around because this is over 20 years ago. Leah Jones 6:19 Yeah. So it was a mixed bag. Open Mic. Yes. Very. So I did stand up comedy. And you were reading your as of yet unfinished novel Ronnie Raviv 6:31 as of still yet unfinished novel? Yes. And you would read a chapter a week? Yes, that was probably the most productive time because I had the actual deadline to like, do the chapter, right. But the way I write I don't outline or plan ahead, I sorta have to get into the, into the fugue state, which means that every time I sit down and write I don't necessarily remember what it was that I wrote, because I'm in a bit of a fugue state, right. And that's generally how I read books as well. I don't remember things after I just sort of get the good feeling. Yeah. And so I, so now it's just become this daunting mountain, because as the chapters pile up, every time I sit down, I have to read the whole thing to get into that flow. And it's just like, you know, if I have an hour to write, that's all well and good, but it'll take me like three or four hours just to read the thing to like, get into the meat into you know, and I don't have three or four. Let's be honest, I probably do. I just don't have the, Leah Jones 7:28 you don't have it set aside. You haven't scheduled in, right. Reread the novel, Ronnie Raviv 7:33 right? Before I read a new chapter, right? You know, so I'll like read, I like spend three hours rereading it to the right, a few pages. And then the next day, I have to like, reread a bunch to get into, this doesn't really happen. Maybe one of these days, I'll outline what I actually want to have happen. And that will help spur me on to like, Oh, now I need to read. Now I need to write this thing that happens. But I don't even know what will happen. It just sort of happens as it happens. Yeah. That's why I always wrote short stories when I was in college. Yeah, Leah Jones 8:06 I was gonna say maybe your short story guy. Ronnie Raviv 8:08 I am. But I don't like I want to write a novel. Yeah. I like I'm better suited for short stories. It's the same. It's the same thing with improv. Like, I did improv in college and we did short form improv improv games. And then and that's what I was good at, because I'm like, I'm good at that kind of quick joke thing. And then I went through the conservatory program at Second City, after many different things like twists and turns of my life and then ended up there. And I appreciate improv long form. Improv is an art form. And I sort of denigrate short form improv is just gimmicky, right? And so I don't like the short form improv as much. But that's the thing I'm better at I'm not good at the long form. So now I can't really do improv because the thing that I like, I'm not as good at writing that I I'm better at I don't like as much right. Leah Jones 9:01 But do you have? When's the last time you I don't I've never I don't think I've ever seen you do short form improv. I've seen you do sketch. Yeah. No, you haven't because I don't even know if I've ever seen you do long form improv. You have. Ronnie Raviv 9:13 I think, Okay, what if you? Well, I guess no, because it's because the seconds are the conservatory shows were more your sketch. They were born they were born out of improv to do with the improv in the class. And there was, there was a certain amount of improv, improvising on the stage. Like we make beats, we didn't have anything written out. Right. Sketches weren't, weren't scripted. But we sort of knew what was going to happen. A little more like, Curb Your Enthusiasm type. Leah Jones 9:37 I remember I guess I mostly remember your musical numbers. Yeah. White people brown line. Yes. Ronnie Raviv 9:43 I did not write that one. No, Leah Jones 9:45 but somebody asked you that you look at your watch. And somebody asks you the time and you were like, I don't know what time it is. And you put your hand down. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 9:54 You have more memory than I do. Leah Jones 9:56 I think because of the time I lived on the brow, I took the brown line about Each and every time I get on the Brown Line, I would think about the song. Yeah. So Ronnie Raviv 10:04 yeah, no white people brown line. That was that was a brilliant piece of work. I did a song that was a parody of modern gender. Yeah. That was a mouthful. It was like a victim of the new new economy or something, which at this point is like, three economies ago. Because this was in the early aughts. Yeah. It's been awhile. It's been a lifetime. It's been so long. So yeah, so the last time I did improv, I think is when my undergrad improv group. This is pre pandemic came through Chicago, they would come through Chicago, New York or LA. So every three years it comes to Chicago. And then they, they they did a little show to basically no audience is just really for us. Yeah. And then they called on the alums to come. And I thought they were gonna just kind of, we were just gonna do a quick little scene, like what we would do at reunion is like a world's worst. I like my women or men, like I like my blank or whatever. Yeah. But no, they then said, Okay, now you're going to do now, all the alarms now you're going to do a long form improv. Which, so when I was going through that group, it's called quickfire? Yeah. When I was going through it, we only did short form improv, right? Leah Jones 11:21 Because it was before UCB. It was before the Herald had New York. Ronnie Raviv 11:25 Yeah, this was this was in the mid in the early mid 90s. So we only did short form improv. And so the only reason I even knew like, luckily for me, I had gone through the second city experience. So I had had experience with long form, right. But so this was in I think, 2017. Okay. And my last experience with long form improv was in 2002. Yeah. So, and I was by far the oldest alarm there. The next oldest alarm was from the class of 2009. Okay, so the next oldest alarm was sort of complaining that they hadn't done improv in a while. had done it at like at that point. quickfire had done long form improv when they were in school. And so they had last done in 2009. You know, I had last done it before they were even in school. Leah Jones 12:22 Right before they were in grade school. Ronnie Raviv 12:25 Not quite that far, but they weren't probably Junior High. Last time I did long form improv, right. And that only by like luck, because previous to Second City, I'd only done short form improv. So I was like, I felt like it was a fish out of water, but somehow didn't. Didn't crap the bed too bad, I guess. I don't know. We did. Okay. It was only for us. So it didn't really matter, right. low stakes, no stakes, stakes improv. Leah Jones 12:50 I did. Eventually I gave in and I did the five classes at annoyance when I was managing the ice cream parlor, right? Because so many lifetimes ago, many, many lifetimes ago. Because I was so tired of people asking me if I did improv, I was like, I do stand up comedy. Sometimes, Ronnie Raviv 13:12 ironically, because literally everybody who does improv their families all assumed that their stand up comedian, right, right. Oh, do some do some stand up comedian comedy Ford's like, that's not what I do. I do improv. Okay. Well then do improv. Right? No, it's a group thing. Right. Stand up here and do improv. Leah Jones 13:27 I know. But you did have me come out once and do stand up comedy. For your parents friends. For Param. Yes, I remember that. Ronnie Raviv 13:37 I wasn't, I don't think you would not have gone without No, I wouldn't you did it. And you were brave. They were they were they were welcoming audience. Leah Jones 13:48 They were welcoming audience. You had Ronnie Raviv 13:52 you had my favorite joke, my favorite Lea joke. But it will have been we don't necessarily have to. Leah Jones 13:58 Was it about the date with a little person? No, I remember that one being Ronnie Raviv 14:02 No, it was the learning Hebrew. Oh, yeah. That you the needle pointed for me. And I still haven't hung but I will in a minute. Yeah. Leah Jones 14:10 Right. So Ronnie helped me. When I was learning the alphabet, the Hebrew alphabet. We would like go to Jack's for chicken potpie. And sometimes I would drag out these giant workbooks and make them help me with Hebrew. And when I had finally gotten really confident that I could like, kind of like know the alphabet in order. I was like, Ronnie, I have learned everything from Alif to Zion, Ronnie Raviv 14:37 which you know, translated from A to Z except it's really more like if you're familiar with the Greek alphabet from alpha to zeta, and that's like the seventh letter. Right? But Leah Jones 14:48 you know, yeah. So I for Ronnie's 40th birthday, I cross stitched him something that said met LF Ronnie Raviv 14:57 Zion Yeah, from A to zeta Right. So essentially, Leah Jones 15:00 right, I've learned everything from A to F. Yeah. Which honestly appropriate. Yeah. Because I had not learned Hebrew from A to Z like, No, probably not. I can. I can't even function anymore. I used to use my Hebrew used to be better, but everybody in English, everybody in Israel's English got way better. And also technology got way better. Ronnie Raviv 15:23 Yes. Not as important anymore. No. But I remember that crowd really liked that joke, right because it was a crowd of Hebrew speakers. Right. So they, they were all right there they that was the that was the crowd. That Leah Jones 15:36 was the only crowd I didn't have to explain the punchline to Yeah, yeah, like we just did here. Right. Ronnie Raviv 15:43 But you know, jokes are always better when you have to explain the punchline. Leah Jones 15:46 Yeah. Right. So I did improv it annoyance. But I've never performed it outside of a class. Ronnie Raviv 15:57 So that's alright. That's fine Leah Jones 15:58 with me. Yeah, it's okay. I understand it. And I understand I don't want to do it. Ronnie Raviv 16:04 Yeah. Yeah, I'm sort of I'm sure I'm right there with you. It took me longer time to understand that. Leah Jones 16:10 Yeah. That you didn't want to do it anymore. Or that or to understand it? Ronnie Raviv 16:15 Both, I guess. Yeah. Because I was in a more because they started with the short form, right, which is like the games and the, the joke Enos right. Leah Jones 16:23 The Whose Line Is It Anyway, who's that's exactly boarded for puns and jokes and dad jokes and quick thinking, right. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 16:30 Which is what we were, which is what I was really good Leah Jones 16:33 at. Yeah. So you're still really good at? Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 16:36 I think so. I'm okay that for sure. Yeah. But you know, when it comes to like, improvising long scenes where you have to like, react and have emotions and whatever, I'm not as good as that. Leah Jones 16:51 Till we met, and then comedy ended, comedy didn't really end I got transferred to London. So I was like, and you finish conservatory. And I think by the time I was back from London, I think the tequila Roadhouse might have been closed. Ronnie Raviv 17:09 I think it was around for maybe a little longer than that. But we were but they were no longer doing the open mic. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:15 Yeah. And we ran into each other at a board game. It's a bar on Addison started with a G threes. threes. Ronnie Raviv 17:23 I have no recollection of this. You know, me. I'm, you know, me. I sort of have no recollection of things. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:30 I remember it clearly, somewhat clearly. And then I recently searched my blog to see if I had when it happened. Okay. And I reference people that I'm like, I referenced someone named Jamie. And I'm like, Who the fuck is Jamie? Jamie Allen? Probably no, no. Like I was there with my friend Jeff from high school. Were Jeff from college. Jamie might have been his girlfriend at the time. Ronnie Raviv 17:52 Oh, girl. Okay. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:55 I don't know. Like, I don't know the description of the people that I say I walked in with Oh, okay. And then you watch because I moved to London and quit comedy. And we figured out like, Oh, hey, what's up? Sell your number. And so then we went for chicken Popeye. Nice. Shortly thereafter, Ronnie Raviv 18:14 yeah. Chicken. Popeye was so good. Yeah. Last, Leah Jones 18:19 so rip jacks. Yeah. And long before they were closed. Rip the chicken pot pie. Ronnie Raviv 18:23 Right. Rip that chicken pot pie. More so than jacks. Yeah. And then the Diag. Yeah, it's Leah Jones 18:28 rip. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 18:31 Yeah. But yeah, the chicken pot pie was gone long before that. And that was really the big tragedy of the whole thing. Leah Jones 18:39 Was the chicken potpie gone before your ability to process? Dairy? Ronnie Raviv 18:45 No, it was worth it. Ya know, my ability. My inability to process dairy disappeared before the dream pop. I did. But it was worth it. Leah Jones 18:53 Yeah. That's another conversation locked in my brain because it was so insane. Because you picked me up from the 14th station. And you pretended like I had any choice about where we were going to dinner. Right? Which was nice of you to pretend. Right? And then you said, Leah, you know, the type of chicken Popeye that you dream of? And I was like, I do not dream of chicken pie. I Ronnie Raviv 19:14 see. You remember this as dream of I feel like I wouldn't have put it that way. Maybe I did at that point. But I sort of always see it as you know, when you have a hankering for chicken, Popeye. And you sort of have in your mind's eye. What? You're sort of picturing like, Oh, I could go for that. Right? And then you order it. And it's like, oh, well, that's not really what I was picturing. Chicken Popeye, but it's not the chicken coop I had in my brain. Yes. This place had that chicken. Leah Jones 19:45 Yeah. And I was very skeptical. Of course, Ronnie Raviv 19:49 as was everybody I told this story to right there. Leah Jones 19:53 And you were of course correct because they they baked it an individual that you had a cross pinched on To the top of your bowl. Ronnie Raviv 20:01 Yeah. But it was just it wasn't it was beyond that it was I think it was like the way the sauce that like Allah King sauce or whatever it is. It's like the like just the chicken, the combination of vegetables, the proportions, the sauce, the flavor, the cross, like all of it. It was like the platonic ideal of a chicken about pie, right. And I had many a convert to that chicken. Popeye was good. It was great. And then the chef left and they could not recreate it. No. And then it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And then they closed and it became a sports bar. Leah Jones 20:38 Yeah. And then somehow that was the last time we went I think was probably my 40th Ronnie Raviv 20:45 Yeah, I don't know what's been called for a while. Leah Jones 20:47 Yeah. But we went that's where we went after. That was where the after party was okay? Was Diag. Okay, because it was walking distance. So, according according to the pictures I have. Yeah, I don't I don't recall that either. No, I don't have a lot of memories. Right that night. Ronnie Raviv 21:07 Yeah, no, that and that was a bit of a blur. Yeah. Yeah. Leah Jones 21:12 Um, yeah. So that's the origin story. Yeah. Is comedy. And then happened to happen? Chance happenstance, happenstance. Yeah. Yeah. And people were listened to the podcast have heard about you, Matthew. David brozik. One of your good one of your best friends from college has been a guest. And people have certainly heard about you on steroids. Sunday. Steroid Saturday's one of my Mayo Clinic. Road trip buddies. Yeah, the OG hospital host the OG hospital husband. Yes. And you still probably wear your pen. That was that was really sweet. Leah Jones 22:02 So one of the things when we talked about favorite things, like what would you talk about? As favorite things first, you're like immediately I don't have anything. Ronnie Raviv 22:12 No, I still I've been racking my brains. And I have. I have no favorite things. I have a lot of things I dabble in and things I like, right. Like a lot of things. Yeah. I'm a fairly easygoing, sometimes guy. Usually going in a sort of very high maintenance way. Leah Jones 22:31 I joke last night about you being Sally Albright. But you are Sally Albright from When Harry Met Sally. I mean, I'm you are easy going in the way that Sally Albright is easygoing. Ronnie Raviv 22:42 I think maybe not quite that heightened. But yeah, there's just there's no, there's certainly some truth to that for sure. No, I'm, I like a lot of things. Yeah. I also hate a lot of things. But I like a lot of things. And I'm sort of, you know, generally fairly open to whatever. Is there a certain way Leah Jones 23:01 you'll eat almost anywhere as long as you can order around the menu. Which is true. Ronnie Raviv 23:06 Yeah. Because you're a lot of picky eater. Bit of a super taster. Yeah, not an adventurous Well, no, that's not true. I Leah Jones 23:14 don't think that's fair. Ronnie Raviv 23:15 You know, I'm an I'm adventurous. I just picky. Leah Jones 23:18 You are adventurous. If you trust the chef. Yeah, that's true. Because we could just talk about, we can even just talk about great meals we've had together. Yeah, we've had some good ones. Yeah. Because Thai zoo and Tel Aviv last year. Yep. And OCD. Yep. Are both to where it was where? You would? I mean, they both places where they took our tastes seriously? Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 23:49 Yeah. We said what we liked and didn't like whatever and pointed them in a direction, right? And they said, Okay, trust us, and they delivered. Leah Jones 24:00 Yeah. So I think if the chef can't deliver at that level, you are less adventuresome. Right, for sure. Or you will amend the menu to make something better than they have on them. And yeah, Ronnie Raviv 24:13 well, I mean, I try not to be as annoying about it as Sally. I try to, I generally try to say, just eliminate these one or two things that I don't like. And also like if there's like a thing that I have to eliminate five things. I'm not going to get that thing, right. I'm gonna just get the thing like okay, I can have this like just take out the raw onions and avocado and I'm good. Yeah, you know, just like the things I don't like. I don't try to like have them do a concoction. Except for if there's mac and cheese on the menu and there's chili on the menu. That's a thing where things have to be put together. Yeah, because that's amazing. Chili Mac is the best thing ever. And I don't know why any restaurant that has chili and then has mac and cheese does not have Have a chili Mac. Yeah, option. It's silly. Leah Jones 25:03 Yes. I do think we have to get the purchase doesn't have Mac and mac and cheese right? Ronnie Raviv 25:09 I don't believe so they have an amazing chili. Chili was so good. Chili was so good, but I did not see mac and cheese. Yeah. Leah Jones 25:16 So we'll have to get it to go and then take and then go to the mac and cheese. Max. Yeah, yeah. Be like don't worry. We have purse chilly Ronnie Raviv 25:28 we got chilly to go. Leah Jones 25:30 Yeah. Um, I don't know, do you wanna talk about with CD? We could. Or something? Ronnie Raviv 25:37 Oh, no, I could. I could. I could throw this back on you. Okay. I mean, the name of the podcast is finding favorite. Yes. So find my favorite. What's my favorite? Leah Jones 25:51 Well, your favorite liquor right now is Mezcal. True? That is? Yes. It's Mezcal number is affirm. Number one. This Ronnie Raviv 26:01 girl is affirmed. Number one, but with a huge caveat. Like the bartender was mixologist. Whatever has to be Mezcal is pickier. It's harder to blend. Okay, well, so if I don't trust the bartender, I will fall back on tequila, which is easier to deal with. But if the bartender is really good in Moscow, they can do a better job. Leah Jones 26:29 Right. So the the Mezcal meal has been your go to cocktail this summer? Ronnie Raviv 26:37 Yes. If I again, if you trust them, trust them. Otherwise, I'll go with Mexico meal because that's a lot more right. Reliable, Leah Jones 26:46 yeah. But I don't know when that because not you were never really you're not really a Gen drinker? Because that's a little too aromatic. Yeah. But for a long time, it was like vodka or rum, but like tequila, I feel like is new on like, in the last five years has gone up your list? Ronnie Raviv 27:11 Well, I think it probably was, realistically, it was there longer than that. Maybe afraid. Like I figured, because I'm like, I don't love the taste of alcohol, like vodka is my thing. And I like you know, and if you go to a bar that doesn't have anything, like you go to a like, an event, right? And all you know, they had the most basic stuff, then I'll get a vodka cranberry, right, you know, splash soda and some wine. Ronnie Raviv 27:40 But if there's a place that and then for a while, I was like, oh, but if you have ginger beer, I'll do a Moscow Mule. Yeah. And then I discovered the Mexico mule. And that is so much better than the Moscow Mule. Right. And then I was also like, at that point, I was like, But wait, but also if there's a margarita, I will go for a margarita. Yeah. And it's like, well, maybe, you know, really the only vodka drink I like is the vodka cranberry. And I like the Mexico mule as my fallback, right? You know, my my go to and I like the the the margarita, right? Maybe, maybe tequila is my favorite. And so then I'm like, You know what, maybe I want to kill a guy and I didn't know and then like, and then I discovered the Moscow Mule. And I'm like, wow, that elevates the, the Mexico mule to a whole new level. But you go to a bar that doesn't know what they're doing a Moscow Mule is gonna be hit or miss. Yeah. Leah Jones 28:33 I also I mean, mezcal has come into its own in America in the last few years. So Ronnie Raviv 28:38 it's more popular. You it was there, there were times where you there are a lot of bars that still don't have it. Yeah. Leah Jones 28:44 And they also suspect as you and your friends as like all of our paychecks have changed. And our base level to Keela has changed in our houses. Like in the I think there's like grote, we're older. We're middle age now. So we're not getting like the cheapest tequila and none of your friends have the cheapest tequila in their house and and so like I also think there's something to be said for like access to better quality. Yeah, I Yeah, that's a killer you were introduced to at 21 You probably want to drink today. Ronnie Raviv 29:25 Maybe or maybe it's about the mixers the quality of the mix. Like ginger beer just really solves a lot of problems. Yeah, alcohols in general. But also think that vodka is a much, much more consistent thing. So you know, there's bad gin and bad tequila and certainly bad Moscow. Yeah, vodka. It might be mediocre you know, but But by the same ticket there's excellent tequila is an excellent Moscow's right and excellent gins. And there's not really an excellent vodka. Maybe there's a few I have a very Leah Jones 30:00 nice vodka right now. Ronnie Raviv 30:02 Exactly a very nice vodka. Leah Jones 30:04 It's a Polish. It's the buffalograss. Polish vodka. Ronnie Raviv 30:08 Very nice vodka. It's not an excellent vibe. But it can't be excellent because there's just not enough complexity there. Right? It's like the best vodkas are the ones that taste least like anything. Right? Like the bad vodkas are the ones that like tastes a little bit like gasoline and the ones that the excellent bikers are the ones that taste less like gasoline fare, whereas tequila has the complexity of the brown liquors that I don't like right without being the brown occurs and I don't like Leah Jones 30:34 right, because the brown look, error is not on my favorites. No. Ronnie Raviv 30:40 But it's not just a bitter there's it's just that gasoline, turpentine sort of alcohol it tastes Yeah. And I don't know there's the peatiness I don't know there's something the barrel. Yeah. Because I because journeyman, we're plugging so many should get. You should get all sorts of free stuff. Leah Jones 30:57 Oh, I don't link to all of it. And they they give me nothing. Yeah. But Ronnie Raviv 31:02 journeyman, in three oaks, Michigan. They have a white whiskey Leah Jones 31:10 that's aged in glass, Ronnie Raviv 31:13 or it's not aged. They distill the whiskey but then they don't agent in the barrel, maybe a moonshine? No, it's whiskey, right? But it just doesn't have that PD. Yeah. Woody, barely taste or whatever it is that I don't like about it. That makes an excellent mule. And they also have this drink called OCG. The old country goodness, it's like an apple cinnamon, nice cider that they do either straight up or is a frozen slushy. And it's really, really good. It's good. Yeah. So with a white whiskey, that's the only whiskey to drink. Unless it's like a really, really cool, complicated, right drink where the whiskey sort of really balanced out by other stuff. Like get at the aviary. Yeah, plug plug plug. Leah Jones 32:05 Right so that the aviary and like less so the violet hour or what's the one on Damon? Ronnie Raviv 32:16 Violet hours on Damon? Oh, what's Leah Jones 32:18 the other one on Damon? closer to me? Damon on LinkedIn. Victor or Victor Victor bar? Ronnie Raviv 32:24 Yeah. Just like the sticks. Used to be Yeah. Leah Jones 32:28 So you do you also have I would say also a favorite thing of yours is a well crafted complex, very Ronnie Raviv 32:35 well crafted. Interesting cocktail. Yes, I do like that. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Well crafted, interesting cocktail or fantastic. In Israel. Yeah. Or bellboy? Right? In Israel in Tel Aviv, Leah Jones 32:53 Imperial. Ronnie Raviv 32:55 Imperial was good. Like Ultra. Yep. also has very good cocktails. Leah Jones 33:04 Yeah, I do Ronnie Raviv 33:05 have one Barber has good cocktails. Yep. There's another place that has had really good cocktails. I can't remember. There's a lot of places with good cocktails. Yeah. Leah Jones 33:17 So I think that is I think, like if you're in a new city, not that you go to new cities often, right? No, I don't if you are returning to a city. So like my friend Dave. He uses hardrock cafes as like, an excuse to go to a city. He collects going to them just because it gives him a reason to put a city on his itinerary. Ronnie Raviv 33:41 In and of itself, that's a terrible excuse. But if it gets you to a new city, it gets you there. But it's terrible underlying excuses. Leah Jones 33:49 Check off boxes. Yeah, right. There's a list you can check out against the list. Okay. So that is not, you know, not implying it is. So if you are returning to a city you've been to before Tel Aviv, New York. Chicago, I think you will seek out a new interest. Like you will seek out a cocktail bar. Yeah. Something to do. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 34:16 I'm usually if I'm if I'm there on my own. No, that's not true. I'm usually there with somebody. Visiting somebody seeing somebody. Yeah. So I will get from them. What's the good? What's the good cocktail, right? So I went to business. I went on business to Copenhagen. And so I made sure that our business contacts told me where the good cocktail bar Leah Jones 34:39 right was. Yeah, yeah. So all right, so there I've already found Mezcal and fancy pants cocktail bar, Ronnie Raviv 34:51 Fancy Pants cocktail. Yes, girly drinks, girly, girly drinks. Leah Jones 34:56 I was just reading an article this morning about how sometimes men to freak out when they're served something in stemware and will like make the bartender put it in a rocks glass. Oh, my Ronnie Raviv 35:08 friend Bob hates coupe glass. Really? I don't like martini glasses because martini glasses are stupid. Because they spill everywhere. Right? But a coupe glass that doesn't spill as much as a little bit because it's up to the rim. Yeah, but no, my friend Bob hates Kool Aid. He like will reject cocktails if they come in. Like he's not if they come to him that he won't reject them. But he was like, sometimes if you if you remember his he'll say, Is that coming to coupe? Like, oh, and then I want it? Leah Jones 35:33 Yeah. I mean, I will sometimes say like, is it up or on the rocks? And I will often ask for something that's served up to be served on the rocks. Yeah. But that's because I love ice. Right? Yeah, that's a whole different thing. And not because I hate Well, it's I love ice. I will drink it way too fast and a coupe. Like if there's not ice in it. It's just might as well just be a shot. Right? So Ronnie Raviv 35:57 I don't know why I feel myself to ice. I do a good job of sipping when it's in the coupe glass. Yeah. Something about the coupe glass. Not that I love it or hate it and anything else but something about it always. Like if it's in a tall glass. I will down that like nobody's okay. Yeah, I'll go and like down. Yeah. Whereas in the coupe glass that's like, oh, it's like I can see the whole thing. And I can sort of take little, little dainty sips and none of Leah Jones 36:25 its hiding behind the ice. Right. Exactly. Exactly. And they're not served with a straw. Ronnie Raviv 36:30 Which I never use. I very rarely use. Yeah. Only if it's like, really, really like impossible. Like it's piled high with ice and other things like, like sticking out of the rim. Leah Jones 36:43 Like the so we had a drink at fantastique in Tel Aviv with Ronnie Raviv 36:48 Chuck flowers, electric flowers, look them up on Google, which are Leah Jones 36:53 I have smuggled them home. They're in my purse. Ronnie Raviv 36:57 They're crazy. Yeah. It's just this little. It's like It's like almost I don't know how to describe it. It's Leah Jones 37:07 not quite a thistle. Yeah, because it doesn't. It doesn't poke you hurt, right? It's kind of like Ronnie Raviv 37:15 it's like the dandelions like the inside of the puffball. Dandelion. Yeah, before it's opened. No, after after it's open. When you've blown all the puffs off. It's like the round ball. It's a little bit bigger. And it's a little bit fuzzy, Leah Jones 37:28 right? Oh, you know, it's kind of like a pussy willow. Like the Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 37:34 but yellow. Yeah. And you bite into it just a teeny tiny little, tiniest, tiniest amount. It's bitter, and it's not great. And it doesn't taste good. But you just the tiniest amount just a little tiny nibble, like Alison Wonderland noodling on, nibbling on it and mushroom, just the tiniest little nibble. And then for the next, depending on how big the nibble was. 1015 minutes. Your tongue feels like it's constantly licking a nine volt battery. And as you drink something, it enhances that. Yes. And it's really, really interesting and cool and different and bizarre. Yeah. And unpleasant and pleasant at the same time. Leah Jones 38:18 I think you have been telling me about it for like four years. Ronnie Raviv 38:21 Yeah. And you and you still didn't quite picture it in your head. Leah Jones 38:25 No. Even in my mouth. I did not. It was so in SAM. It was you are as giddy right now as you were in the moment. So wonderful Ronnie Raviv 38:35 to see. For the look of a horror and shock on your face of like, what is this? What am I done? What is happening to my insides in my face right now? It was so awesome. Leah Jones 38:49 It was so weird. Yeah. And then it was right like a tequila based drink with a lot of ice. Yeah, a lot of drama. Oh, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 38:57 There was a plan sticking thorns. I'm all sorts of stuff. It was. Yeah. I think the drink was called like, dangerous. Something deep something like danger in the world in the name, Leah Jones 39:06 right. But it was very, it was it was very fun. Ronnie Raviv 39:12 Yeah, yeah. It was really, really tasty drink, too. Yeah. Leah Jones 39:18 I think that was the I think you did a better job or I got whatever. Oh, might have a good and plenty, isn't it? Ronnie Raviv 39:25 Well, yeah. Because you wanted something that tasted like licorice. Leah Jones 39:29 Yeah, but it was such a literal interpretation of tastes like licorice. It was was good. And plenty is melting in the bottom of a whiskey drink Ronnie Raviv 39:37 with some bitters that you could inject with? Yeah, syringe? Yeah. Leah Jones 39:42 It was dramatic and creative, but not delicious, right. I mean, it was fine. Yeah, it was but I'll never order it again. Ronnie Raviv 39:50 No. My drink was better. But honestly, the best drink was the one that we went with the electric flower. Yeah. Leah Jones 39:59 Was very funny. It Ronnie Raviv 40:00 was just for the gimmick would be fine. But it was not just a gimmick. It was a really, really good drink. Right. Really well balanced with the gimmick. Yes. Leah Jones 40:06 Yeah. So that was that's That was great. And I had gone to loutra earlier in the weekend in Tel Aviv and had some very nice cocktails to I don't remember what they were. Because it was all tequila. Yeah. And Ronnie Raviv 40:24 very few Mexican restaurants in Israel. Yeah. A little surprising. Yeah, but I mean, just from like, the palate like you would think like spicy foods and right. Cilantro. Yeah. It's like all these things. Oh, yeah, it's all rice. You'd think that it would be really popular in Israel and for some reason. There aren't that many of them Leah Jones 40:50 for many years. When I would like check a huge bag instead of checking a small bag or three Ronnie Raviv 40:57 small bag, three medium sized. Leah Jones 41:01 Um, and I would take like my friend David, when a trash bags like Benji and tall Tali both wanted like, El Paso taco seasoning. Like my friends were like, bring me like envelopes of taco seasoning. And American trash bags. And American toothpaste. And aspirin. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 41:24 And then what would you bring back? Israeli ketchup? And my friend who is a modern Orthodox would ask me for Doritos, because Oh, because they're kosher isn't Israel. They're kosher. Leah Jones 41:39 I I remember, early trip bringing you back like olives. Ronnie Raviv 41:44 Yes, you brought? Yeah, but now you can get them. Yeah. I still have those olives and pickles because they were the wrong ones. They're the cracked olives that are bitter, as opposed to the sort of the more the Arabic olives that are bitter as opposed to the kibbutz olives that I like, and it was the the cucumbers in vinegar instead of in Brian. Leah Jones 42:11 I still I still have entries been at minimum 10 years that I gave you those possibly longer Ronnie Raviv 42:20 I think more like eight but yes, it's been a while. During the probably not. They're not. I'm moving in six weeks or so. Leah Jones 42:28 Yeah, I will sneak in and take them and throw them out for you. You're not moving them? Ronnie Raviv 42:36 Probably not. But it's against my religion to throw food away. Leah Jones 42:40 I understand. I understand that. Ronnie Raviv 42:42 I know. I know. It's possible I gave the olives to my mom because she does like those correct olives. Yeah, but none of us like the pickles and vinegar. Brian, Leah Jones 42:52 it's also sweet of you to wait eight years to tell me that I brought you the wrong thing. Ronnie Raviv 42:57 No. It was like it was so sweet of a gesture I'm not gonna I didn't have the heart to tell you know, beggars can be choosers I don't like the free thing you got me. Leah Jones 43:09 Um, when my nephews were of a certain age, which is much younger than they are now I would bring back I would go to the shuk and Jerusalem and buy like all of the fake Kinder eggs like I would go to the Kinder Egg store that had like all the off brand unlicensed Kinder eggs Ronnie Raviv 43:30 because they were legal here for a while. They're still Leah Jones 43:31 illegal here. Ronnie Raviv 43:32 I thought they weren't I thought they just thought they figured out how to because now you can buy it now they just buy them but they suck. Right because they don't have because they they've been protected for the litigious American mark. Yes. Leah Jones 43:43 So there were times when I would like have an entire layer of Kinder eggs and bootleg Kinder eggs for the kids of Leroy, Illinois, for the O'Briens and the DeVivo is to have like a Kinder Egg Unboxing party at my sister's house. Nice. Yeah. Leah Jones 44:12 Okay, other favorite things of yours. You consume a lot of TV for someone who is not a TV critic. Ronnie Raviv 44:21 Right? I do. I used to consume a lot more admittedly. I consume less nowadays. Yeah, still consume a lot. Leah Jones 44:28 Right? For sure. When we met you had three VCRs. Correct. Ronnie Raviv 44:32 And then you worked on a client on the TiVo account and the TiVo account. And so I got a TiVo that can record six things at once. Yeah. Which I still have. Yeah. Actually, no, between those I had a DVR I had like a I had a Windows Media DVR that could record four things at once. Yeah, but the hard drives kept going out. Yeah. And then I got the TiVo. I have that to this day. But now I'm not going to have cable in my new place. Right? So I'm gonna have to figure out what's going on with that whole new era. It's a whole new era. Yeah. Because YouTube TV isn't going to quite do it for me, but I'm not sure that ATT DirecTV is going to do it for me, but like, I can get you like I can get internet for sort of free because the building has internet, but I don't know if it's reliable enough, and it won't have the 18 T. Like, I'd have to pay extra. So do I want to pay the extra it's a whole big thing that I have to Leah Jones 45:30 sort of figure out it's, it's going to be a major lifestyle, it is going to be a major lifestyle change. But how what is your origin story with TV? Like, how did you become? When did you go from one to two to three visa like when I've only ever known you as someone with a huge queue of TV to watch, but I don't know why you watch so much TV. Ronnie Raviv 45:56 I don't either. Um, because it's good escapism, I always like watching TV. Like I had a TV, I got it, I got a small little TV. Like, I don't know, like a 13 inch TV or something for my Bar Mitzvah that I had in my room. So I'd watch TV there sometimes. And then I took that to college, and then we would watch Whose Line Is It Anyway, like we'd all crammed right, and we didn't have cable, freshman and sophomore year. So I would like take speaker wire and toss them out the window, click attach to the rabbit ears in hopes of getting a decent signal on. Because that's how old we are Lea. And so yeah, so I was watched that and then and then I guess maybe after college I started recording things on on the VCR so I wouldn't like because, you know, I'm I have friends who will not have plans because they want to go do something they want to watch TV or something. So I would like record whatever because why not? And so maybe a little bit after college that started but then it really was in earnest it during business school. That's when I collected sort of like a second and maybe even my third DVR. VCR. Yeah. In business school. So I could record things but not miss out on social occasion. Right. And also, there's an additional advantage of that is because if there's an hour long show that you record, you can zip through the commercials and watch it in 45 minutes very efficient. So yeah, so I think it's, I'm all about if you if I had to pick a favorite thing would be efficiency. That's which is really the polite way of saying lazy. But yeah, so it was really the efficient thing to do. Leah Jones 47:50 Right. And when and when, like comedy so much of it wasn't right. Yeah. I mean, classes might have been during the day, but like so much of comedy was Yeah, evenings and yeah, Ronnie Raviv 48:01 so I wouldn't be never home but I wouldn't want to I wouldn't want to miss out on things. Like you know, I'm, I'm a very much a homebody, right and need an inordinate amount of me time, right? I don't like having plans day after night after night after night after night after night. Right? Even if I'm enjoying all those plans it just like I get stir crazy. I need my time. But I don't want to be the kind of person who misses out on plans with friends. Because Oh, no, I have to watch this at home. Right? That's I feel like, you know, that's You can be addicted to the thing, but not make it ruin your life. Right. So, yeah, so I just like started recording anything that was vaguely interesting. And I would watch it. Yeah. And my bar for vaguely interesting is pretty low. Right? Leah Jones 48:51 It's not reality. No, I Ronnie Raviv 48:52 don't I don't do reality TV. And I don't like shows about unpleasant people making bad decisions. Leah Jones 49:02 It's a madman. Ronnie Raviv 49:03 Yeah. Madman Breaking Bad. I watched a few episodes and like, succession. Haven't you watched that? Yes. Like at this point, I kind of know, oh, this is a show about shitty people making bad decisions, right? I'm not gonna like it. Because if it's a good person making bad decisions, okay, if it's a shitty person making good decisions, like an antihero kind of a thing. You know, like a Dexter or whatever, fine. But if it's like a crappy person who's making bad decisions and gets in trouble for their bad decisions, like I'm not gonna root for them to get out of trouble. Like you just you do this yourself. Yeah. Why do I care if you get out of it? Leah Jones 49:38 That's how I felt. I feel like I watched the pilot of girls. The TV show it was on HBO. Lena Dunham. Yeah. Adam Driver. Yeah. And I think I watched the pilot and I was like, Oh, I agree with the parents. This show is not for me because I think the parents should be kind Putting her off. And then I think that was like one of like five episodes of the whole series that I ever watched because I was like, No, I think I think she should be cut off and have to like, figure it out a little bit better. Yeah, I Ronnie Raviv 50:13 think that was on during the years that I didn't have HBO. Yeah. Because I had HBO for many years while I was, you know, when I first moved into my apartment, because for some reason, the cable company screwed up and it wasn't scrambled. Great. So I had free HBO and Showtime and then one day they caught on and they re scramble them and it's not like I could pick up the phone and call them and say Hey, how come he scrambled the free Why am I free cable that I'm not taking away? Yeah, so I you know, watch the first several seasons of sopranos and the first couple seasons of Kirby enthusiasm, and then I lost HBO so then I didn't watch those shows anymore. Well, sopranos Leah Jones 50:51 was on Sunday nights right before the tequila Roadhouse. Open Mic. So sometimes people would watch it at kill Roadhouse in the front and the bar and then go to the back for the open mic. Yeah, maybe I recorded it. Yeah. Right. You're gonna have to find a whole new system. Ronnie Raviv 51:10 Yeah, well now so they all it's streaming DVR, so you could just have hit it, but from what I read, they're not good about time shifting. Yeah, like in my current on the on the TiVo, I can say, okay, record this show, like when it supposed to be but then keep recording for another, you know, three, five minutes, another hour and a half. Like if there's a baseball game on before a football game before? And they're gonna like start it late. I can just keep recording. Yeah. But now with these online, these these streaming DVRs. You have to sort of set to record the show after it because he can't like extend the show. They don't know well enough, and but you might be able to go back and I don't know. It's a whole complicated thing. Yeah. I'm gonna have to figure out yeah. So yeah, TV is sort of a favorite. Yeah. But again, okay. I have a lot of things I like but none of these are my favorites. The the cocktails is probably the closest Yeah, but like people ask me, oh, what's your favorite show? If you watch too much TV? I don't have a favorite show. Just like I watch a lot of shows. Yeah, I don't favorite. Yeah, efficiently. I don't have a favorite though. Yeah. I have a bunch that I like. So I like more or less, where I'd be hard pressed to even say what those are. Yeah. I also like with books, I watch a TV show or a movie or a book. And I get the good feeling of it in the moment. And I appreciate it. I enjoy it in the moment, but then asked me what it was about. Right. When I'll have a tough time. Yeah. I just like it goes out of my head. I'm like, Oh, I remember I liked that book. What's it about? I don't know. What happens and I don't know. I just remember that it came away thinking it was a great book. Leah Jones 52:49 Do you ever come away thinking it's a bad book? Yeah. Okay. Ronnie Raviv 52:54 But I'll still read it. i There's only there's only, I think, two books on my list that I have started and not finished. Which are Moby Dick. And gravity's rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Which is weird, because there was a time period where I was when every book I was really enjoying and reading. Everyone was describing it as pinching ask. And I'm like, well, it's weird that the one book that I didn't finish is by Thomas Pynchon. But all these bitchiness, yes. I liked Leah Jones 53:30 I thought you were gonna say Moby Jack, either because you have told me before or because in the airfare she is sentence to live until she finishes the most boring book in the world. Ronnie Raviv 53:46 Book airfare and I don't remember. I have no, Leah Jones 53:49 not in airfare. It's it's further along in the series. Ronnie Raviv 53:53 I've read the whole series, and I have no recollection of what you're saying. This is what I'm talking about. Right. No recollection of these things? Leah Jones 53:58 Yeah. It is. It's one of my top topics I recommend to people. Ronnie Raviv 54:06 It's a good it's a good series of books. Yeah, sure. Leah Jones 54:08 Especially if people are readers. You're rewarded for being a lifelong reader. Yeah. And in his books, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 54:16 And there's good wordplay. And there's just clever. Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff. Yeah, Jasper Ford is very good. Yeah, I'm very much looking forward to eventually reading the sequel to my favorite book of his the great. The shades of grey shades of grey. Yeah. Not to be confused with 50 Shades of Grey, right. Shades of Grey is an awesome book. Again, don't ask me what it's about because I don't remember. I just remember thinking it was an awesome book. Let me tell you what I know. I know. It's I vaguely know it's like some people can't see certain colors, but some people can see certain colors, but not all of them. But then some people can like the more of the spectrum we can see. I don't remember what it signifies. But I just remember there are people who can like see greens and People can see reds. And there's like, sort of, but I don't really remember anything beyond that. Leah Jones 55:04 The it's the caste system is based on how much how colorblind, you are right with the people with the best cut the best vision at the top, and the most limited vision or at the bottom. Ronnie Raviv 55:18 But even the best limit, even the best vision, it's like, you only see one spectrum of colors, Leah Jones 55:23 right? And it's a coming of age story because of the age 16. You take the test, right? You're allowed to live without a caste until you're 16 or whatever. And then you take the test. And it is is the protagonist, I believe is realizing that if his parents are who his parents are supposed to be, he should not be able to see what he can see. Right. So they his mom stepped out to get his to get the kid better vision of a chance of a better future. You don't remember any of that that Ronnie Raviv 56:06 part? I don't remember. Yeah, no. No, I like read the book I enjoyed in the moment. And then I just come away with a good feeling. Leah Jones 56:14 Yeah. No, I'm excited for the sequel to Yeah, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 56:20 Yeah, it was really? Yeah. Because for a long time, it looked like he wasn't gonna do the sequel because it didn't sell that well, even though it's his best book, like by far. Yeah, the goal is because all of his books are good. But that one is the best book by far. Leah Jones 56:32 I think I've heard about him a lot during this current war in Ukraine. Why is that? Because a detail you don't remember from the era fair, right, is that the Crimea, the Crimean War has been ongoing for 20 years. Okay. Everybody in the UK eventually fights in the Crimean War, and it's unending. Ronnie Raviv 56:54 Yeah. I bet you remember something about the Crimean War? Yeah. Leah Jones 56:58 And so when it when it was annexed ahead of the war, a couple years ago, I was like, this Jasper Ford, like, actually, psychic, because it was like that. There was something wild that happened with Amazon and Kindles and like the deleting of content. And, you know, you don't really own your digital content. And so it was like Crimea, digital content going away, and something else and I was just like, what is Jasper Ford on? Like, how can he, as a futurist, and a science fiction writer have such a clear vision of where things are going, Ronnie Raviv 57:43 especially since it was written in such an almost absurdist fantastical way? Like nothing here is even remotely close to reality, right? Leah Jones 57:52 Yeah, I forget what your airfare is from. Ronnie Raviv 57:59 The 80s? Maybe? Oh, no. Like when it was published, or when published? Oh, like takes place in like, what feels like the 80s? Yeah. But I think it was, yeah, I Leah Jones 58:09 think I'm looking at my early aughts. I'm looking at my bookshelves as if it's there as if I haven't loaned it out for the 50th time, right. I've given it to so many people. Ronnie Raviv 58:19 I mean, I can Oh, takes place in alternative 1985. Right. Publishing 2001 According to Google, July 19 2001. So So pre 911, but Leah Jones 58:34 yeah, a pre Kindle. Ronnie Raviv 58:38 Yeah. You know, yep. Leah Jones 58:42 Amazon was only Amazon existed. But barely, barely. And only for books. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Cocktails, efficient TV watching. chicken potpie. That doesn't exist anymore. Right. Trustworthy chefs. Yeah. So which dinner do you think was better? tysew or OCD, OCD by far? Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 59:09 I mean, he was great. But OCD was amazing. Yeah. OCD was some of the best food I've ever read. Leah Jones 59:13 I was so nervous. I got so anxious that week, leading up to it that we oversold that we had oversold it. Ronnie Raviv 59:22 No, no, no, no, I wasn't nervous about that. I knew no matter what it was going to be good and fun and an experience and interesting. Yeah. And what was all those things, but it also was delicious. Yeah. Leah Jones 59:34 It was it was just a remarkable. Yeah. And every bite with one exception was phenomenal. For me. There was just that one salad. That was a little too sour. The chard? The chard, lettuce, chard greens. Yeah. And like the lemon sauce. Ronnie Raviv 59:55 Oh, yeah. You have you have a thing with sour right now. Leah Jones 59:58 Yeah, yeah. I made a face. I made a face when I tried it and I saw the staff see me make the face. And I was like, Oh, it was like unintentional, right? Because everything had been so perfect. Yeah. And even that one I appreciated but like just my Ronnie Raviv 1:00:16 I'm just off, ya know, just hit your jaw. Yeah, sour in the sour spot. Leah Jones 1:00:20 I mean hard in the sour spot. I still am thinking about the the freeze dried parfait the cloud? Oh, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:00:30 Which you would think that the top layer of it would be the melty part would be the melt in your mouth part. And the bottom layer would be sort of like the, but it was the opposite for me. Like the bottom layer was the stuff that melted and disappeared in your mouth like candy. Almost. It wasn't. And the top layer was sort of like it crunched down like those like, green plant. You know, the green Styrofoam look really thick. Yeah, Styrofoam stuff. Leah Jones 1:00:57 I know. You're talking about floral, floral Styrofoam. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:01 Yeah, so it was like it's sort of that just got dense. So I would, I was expecting that top layer to just melt away like cotton candy. But it got dense. Yeah, and really good. And the bottom stuff, which was like more ice creamy sort of that. I figured it was going to just be like sort of become liquid and it just sort of disappeared. I don't know how Yeah, that was that was really good. Leah Jones 1:01:22 Yeah. And then like cuz it started with like, that was like a celery. Grenada. Yeah, it was wild. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:30 And the creme brulee that mean made out of potatoes. Yes. With like little potato chips on it like yeah, like shoestring potatoes, but sweet. Yeah, that was and what was the ice cream with that? Leah Jones 1:01:45 It wasn't it was non dairy. I think it was salted like a salted caramel maybe. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:50 I feel like it was also something that was savory. Yeah. Like a savory like some of you would expect to be savory but they made it a sweet Yeah, ice cream. Yeah, potatoes, but like some like not potato ice cream. But like some other kinds of something like turnips. Yeah, like something. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:02:08 And now they've already changed. We were we went for the smoke and fire menu. They're already on a new menu. And it's like, Ronnie Raviv 1:02:22 yeah, we have to we have to go back. Right. So good. It was so good. Leah Jones 1:02:25 I think Thai zoo because it was so I think Thai zoo is what unlocked for us. Like, we can have a nice time if we don't have plans. Yeah. So Thai zoo was like a friend of your cousin's got us a last minute reservation. It's hard. it hard to get reservation but not impossible. Like OCD, right? We went a year ago. And it was they interviewed us at the beginning of the meal. And we were like, Yeah, take it away. Like what they ordered for us. Yeah. And my only the only thing I told them about me was like they serve like whole fish like racinos like whole fish. And I was like, I don't face. I can't deal with a face. I'm already embarrassed thinking about how to eat that in public. Right. So like, I don't want the full fish. But other than that, like, I'll try anything. Yeah. And that was such an amazing dinner because it was just like, didn't know it. We didn't know what we were gonna do. Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 1:03:29 we didn't know what to expect. Yeah. Yeah, we were very good at the sponge. We've had incredible luck with the spontaneous. Yeah. dinners in the last few months. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, like your birthday was awesome. Leah Jones 1:03:44 We couldn't if we had planned if we had made all those reservations, it wouldn't have worked. Ronnie Raviv 1:03:48 No, we couldn't have planned that. Yeah, the one thing we did plan like we did plan Yes. But we just decided to skip it at the last minute. Yeah. And go completely plan LIS Yeah. To like the most the busiest part of town for like restaurants like where you can't get reservations for anything. No. And we just went to four different places all without reservations. And ended up being we just went from place to place to place all within like a block and a half. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:04:21 Because that's all I could do at the time right? Yeah, blind barber for drinks. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:04:28 And then Duck Duck go duck duck go for a last minute dinner right Open Table reservation Yeah, yeah, that Leah Jones 1:04:34 we did make a reservation but then like literally just walked across the street. Two minutes later. Yeah, we looked Ronnie Raviv 1:04:39 looked like oh, look, they have a table. It's 15 it's six. Let's go. Yeah, we put our name down. Yep. Went Leah Jones 1:04:46 and then and before every stop. We've went to aviary and tried to get an aviary Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:04:54 So tried to start the evening at aviary. We were denied because it was closed for private event. Yeah. So We went to get drinks at blind Barber. Yeah. And we went to dinner. Then we tried to go back to a beer. Yeah. And we're denied again. So then we went to to get dessert. Leah Jones 1:05:08 And we said, where would you go for dessert? And they told us about rosemary. This Croatian restaurant. Yeah. It's like what do you have now been for dinner? And I have not been Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 1:05:15 it is. Really good. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:05:20 So then we just like so rosemary, also very hard to get a table at Ronnie Raviv 1:05:24 like I've looked. Yeah. And I might, it's not an easy get. Leah Jones 1:05:28 But we just waltz in. And they Ronnie Raviv 1:05:30 sat us like, at the kitchen. Yeah. Like, at the counter at the kitchen. We were the only ones and yeah, had dessert there. Leah Jones 1:05:38 So we have like three, we ordered two. And they brought us a third because it's my birthday. Yeah. So we had these amazing desserts there. Ronnie Raviv 1:05:45 And as soon as they pop them down, we get a text from the aviary saying okay, you can come over Yeah, so we just download desserts and went wander over the aviary and had a nightcap there. Yes. A really good evening. Leah Jones 1:05:57 It was a fun night. Yeah. Yeah, so we've had good luck and we had good the night before your birthday party. We went to Frasca. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:06 Yeah, fresca, fresca. Braska fresco Frasca? Yeah Leah Jones 1:06:10 oh my god, we ordered so much food we Ronnie Raviv 1:06:12 ordered so much. Leah Jones 1:06:16 Delicious. Got it got a table right before it started to rain again. Right before everybody from the patio had to come inside. Yeah. Tremendous luck. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:28 A few other like one or two other places to that we just lucked out on. Leah Jones 1:06:32 Yeah, like we went to Tango sore after we saw Oh, yeah. Heimer. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:35 And that's like, yeah, we're just like, hey, let's walk towards your car, and then maybe go drive somewhere. It's like, oh, or we could go into here, right. Oh, and then. Oh, and a few months before that we had we went to Barbara Roma. Yes. Where my friend is my friend's husband is the headshot. And so we went there and just like got a table there. Also not a particularly easy get that's pretty popular place. Leah Jones 1:07:01 Because it was a day after Ronnie Raviv 1:07:05 day after 420. So I go and I say hello to my friend. And he's like, Oh, I'll bring you some dessert, which he then also brought us a salad because he decided that we weren't eating healthy. Right. So whereas the salad and then he brought us he said he would bring a dessert he brought CBD to desserts and their leftover CBD infused chocolate. Right, which were so good. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:07:28 And we were like, Hello, fellow kids. We will have your CBD chocolates now. Ronnie Raviv 1:07:32 Yeah. Leah Jones 1:07:35 Um, yeah. So we have had a good luck in the last year. So like, I mean, even in Minnesota last year in Rochester, we had some good meals. Yeah. That Thai place was delicious. Ronnie Raviv 1:07:48 Thai place was delicious. The Pancake place. Yeah. Outstanding. That was so good. Yeah, pumpkin or whatever the place was. Leah Jones 1:07:58 Yeah, that was really good. Yeah. So we've found some favorites. Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 1:08:01 good meals are my favorites. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:08:05 Well, and that's like, your whole you know, you're from a family of people that like good food. Yeah. So the bar is high. Ronnie Raviv 1:08:17 Yeah. And but even if, even if it's food that I won't like, like, I have a pretty good sense of what people like. So I like always like picking things for people. Yeah. For menus, like, Oh, here's something that you will like, yeah. And I'm usually pretty spot on. Yeah, if I do say so. Like, I just have a good. Like, I don't like it, but I can imagine what it tastes like. And I know what taste profiles people like. Yeah. And have so I'm like, Oh, this is this is within your taste profile. Yeah. Yeah, that's something I would touch with a 10 foot pole. But that sounds like it would be really good for somebody who likes somebody stuff. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:08:53 No, you're really good about. Like, truly, I would never have to look at another another cocktail menu in my life. Because you'll always pick the right thing for me. Like, you're never gonna pick that you would never pick for me something that's just you're this. You're my favorite. Your backup plan. Right? Like your bench drink. Ronnie Raviv 1:09:17 Yeah. Yeah. Like I'm not going to pick something for you that I would like because I think it tastes good. Right. If it's not something I think you would think it tastes Leah Jones 1:09:24 right. Yeah, so I think I could truly abdicate decisions about cocktails to you and I would be fine. Ronnie Raviv 1:09:36 No, probably. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:09:41 And sometimes food is I also like to be efficient, not looking at menu. Ronnie Raviv 1:09:48 Yeah. Yeah, and I like the challenge of picking food that I think people will like, yeah. Like, I'm not going to touch a shrimp mango dish to save my life but my mom should be all over. Yeah, so I'm like, Oh, you would like that one. That one sounds like it would be really good for somebody who likes shrimp and mango and avocado or whatever like, right? Like for people who like that thing like that like the way this is described that sounds good dressing. Yeah, that sounds like it would be really really good. Just not for me. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:10:17 But you tried the mango gazpacho and Tel Aviv didn't you? Did Ronnie Raviv 1:10:21 you tasted I did. I mean, he went around the beetroot? despacho. Like I'm like, I'm gonna taste it. Yeah. I'm not necessarily gonna like it. Yeah. Generally tasted Leah Jones 1:10:34 I was just telling Diane Josh this morning about the hibiscus. Ronnie Raviv 1:10:41 Hibiscus. Yeah, that was good. Leah Jones 1:10:43 Yeah. So um, great. Well, do you want people to follow you on the internet? Ronnie Raviv 1:10:54 I mean, if there's not much to follow, Leah Jones 1:10:58 or anything you want to promote but not on a night when we want to go? No. Ronnie Raviv 1:11:07 Yeah, no. Yeah, go to Rosemary. It's really good restaurant. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:11:12 I really want to go to Monteverde. Oh, yeah. high on my list. Yeah. Checking. Ronnie Raviv 1:11:18 I think we needed to get a reservation there as well. Leah Jones 1:11:21 I think we need to go for lunch one day. We might just have to show up and see what's yeah, see what's what they hold walk ends at five. So yeah. But that's, that's still on my list. And I And dear Margaret is still on my list. It just wasn't. You weren't feeling it that I just super wasn't feeling it. And I had made those reservations months in advance. Ronnie Raviv 1:11:43 Yeah. No, it was like, You were looking forward to that. And then all of a sudden, like, in the day or two before you're like, This is really heavy, rich French food. That is not what I was envisioning. Leah Jones 1:11:55 Right. And they don't, they don't have like cocktails. And that's part of the fun about going out to eat with you is like, also having cocktails. Yeah. That was I think that surprised me that OCD didn't have any cocktails. Right. Ronnie Raviv 1:12:13 Or did you know they had the you could get Leah Jones 1:12:16 the head spirits? They had spirits? Right, but they didn't have Ronnie Raviv 1:12:20 they didn't have tails, per se. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:12:24 I mean, we made up for it. Yeah, for sure. So, um Well, you can find finding favorites on Instagram finding faves pod and Twitter. As long as Twitter exists, please. X. Gross rate and review on Apple podcasts or good pods if you listen on Stitcher. stitcher goes away soon, so switch to good pods or Pocket Casts or something else for podcasts. And keep enjoying your favorite things. Ronnie Raviv 1:12:57 This is fun. Yeah. Announcer 1:12:59 Thank you for listening to finding favorites with Leah Jones. Please make sure to subscribe and drop us a five star review on iTunes. Now go out and enjoy your favorite things. Transcribed by https://otter.ai…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Poet Dan O’Brien loves modern British comedies 1:22:20
1:22:20 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:22:20
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedPoet and playwright Dan O'Brien joined Leah this week to discuss his three books coming out this fall, before diving into the world of British comedies of the last 10-20 years. (We start talking about comedies at 35 minutes, but first 30 minutes is a lot of cancer talk.... schedule your mammograms and colonoscopies, friends). Follow Dan online Instagram @bydanobrien DanOBrien.org Buy or pre-order Dan's books Our Cancers True Story: A trilogy Survivor’s Notebook From Scarsdale Show Notes The Deep Dive podcast Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy Colon Cancer screening info Mammogram guidelines Scanxiety Story Studio Chicago Menopause: A Comic Treatment Lucy Shair Foundation Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Toast of London Alan Partridge The IT Crowd Steve Coogan Matt Berry The Fast Show That Mitchell & Webb Look The Peter Serafinowicz Show Armstrong & Miller Harry and Paul's The Mighty Boosh Bob Mortimer Would I lie to you compilation Tim Key Green Wing Party Animals Midsommer Murders Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts or Good Pods Send questions, comments or guest pitches (pitch yourself and YOUR favorite thing) to findingfavoritespodcast [at] gmail.com Otter.ai Transcript follows Dan O'Brien 0:00 Hello, my name is Dan O'Brien. And my favorite thing is British TV comedy of the last 20 years. ----more---- Announcer 0:09 Welcome to the Finding Favorites Podcast where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:22 Hello, and welcome back to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we learn about people's favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. I finally remembered the intro. I did not remember the introduction on Monday, when I recorded today's interview. Who knows what was going on with my brain on Monday? I took a few weeks off and completely forgot how to podcast. Yes. So since we last talked, I went to Israel for 10 days and had a really nice trip. I had three or four like super busy days up front. And then three or four days where I just had breakfast and then napped. And then the trip ended with a long anticipated dinner at a restaurant called OCD in Tel Aviv, Ronnie and I made reservations in March. And I got very worried that our anticipation had gotten too high that we had gotten too excited for the dinner. Because we had waited almost six months between reservation and dinner. But then it was absolutely phenomenal. I had been to OCD once before in 2019. A friend of mine took a number of us there for dinner. It's a molecular gastronomy restaurant in Tel Aviv. But I had suffered 48 hours of the worst food poisoning of my life before I went the first time. And so while I knew it was a good meal, I didn't appreciate it. And the return trip, locked it in as you know, like a top five meal probably from Thai zoo from last summer, also still in the top five. So Israel was a really nice trip, I was not able to attend any protests. While I was there, due to kind of family and friend obligations. I did see the queer gala drag show the seamless protest, it was phenomenal. The whole show was in Hebrew, but it was still very impactful for me. And then I found a news article that I was able to translate that explained the intricacies of, of different performances. So I was really glad I went to that I got to catch up with a number of friends who are involved in leading the democracy movement in Israel, and civil rights movements. And they are still working hard to try and reverse the actions of the current government. So that was good to talk to them in person. Then I got back from Israel, and immediately turned around and went to Philadelphia for one night to see how did this get made. And I did a real what is now unfortunately becoming a real classic Lea sort of thing, which is I booked travel for Philadelphia and bought a show a ticket to the show in Washington DC. And found out I realized my mistake on the plane going to Philadelphia. But the producers of How Did This Get Made? Because they knew that I had bought a ticket and wasn't I wasn't making shit up. I'm just my ADHD. I was what we're gonna blame for this one. I just it made more sense to go to the Saturday night show. So why would I have bought tickets to a Sunday night show when I would have had to use a vacation day to attend? Who knows? Who knows it's a mystery to everyone. But it was a really fun live show. I got to see Gino from the Doughboys fan community catch up with him. So I saw some Doughboys fans I saw some How Did This Get Made fans that I know from my Facebook group. What took myself to Cheesecake Factory. didn't see a single friend because I am a jerk again who doesn't plan things well, and who was still jet lagged. But I'm back I'm booking this next season of finding favorites. I put a call out on Instagram which is exciting because I got like four people right away who were tagged by my friend, Amy Guth, who are interested in coming on the show. Also, Nicole Zelnick are tagged in a few people. If you are interested in being a guest on finding favorites, please Send me an email finding favorites podcast@gmail.com and I'll send you my Calendly link. This week I'm talking with Dan O'Brien. Dan is a poet and playwright based in Los Angeles. He has three books coming out this fall. And when I saw that on Instagram, I sent him a note and said, Hey, I like to talk to authors, please come on the podcast. I got to Dan's poetry the normal way, which is to say through his wife's podcast. Dan is married to comedian and actress, Jessica St. Clair, who co hosts the deep dive podcast with June Diane Revell. Diane, of course, is on How Did This Get Made. All roads lead back there. So when his book of poetry, our cancers was released, Jessica talked about it on deep dive, and I bought a copy. And I tried to read it. And I was still a little too early in my own cancer journey to handle it. But now that I'm a little bit further in to my survivorship journey, I was able to read more of our cancers, and I'm looking forward to reading his book of poetry survivors notebook. So, if you don't want to hear about cancer, you're going to need to skip ahead, like 2025 minutes into the podcast. Because Dan is a cancer survivor. I'm a cancer survivor. The two of his three books are about cancer. And so we talk about it a lot. But then we talk about British comedies. And so if you're not here for talking about cancer fast forward, and I'll put the exact time in the show notes, so you know where to jump to. So there we go. Again, if you are interested in coming on the podcast, shoot me an email. Without further ado, wear your mask. Wash your hands, get your booster and keep enjoying your favorite things. Leah Jones 7:19 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we get recommendations without makeup. Nope. I have taken a few weeks off. Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. This is the podcast where we get recommendations without using an algorithm and learn about people's favorite things. Today I am with playwright and poet Dan O'Brien. Dan has not one, not two, three books coming out this fall survivors notebook from Scarsdale and true story, a trilogy September 7, if you are in Brentwood, you there's an event at diesel, which is a bookstore in Brentwood. So you can reserve a seat by buying one of these books in advance. But Dan, welcome to finding favorites. How are you doing? Dan O'Brien 8:10 Thank you, I'm good. Thank you for having me on. And I should say the the the launch on September 7 is free. You don't have to buy a book. But it's only if you want to reserve a seat. The bookstore suggests you buy a book, which you know, Far be it for me to tell you not to buy a book. But you're also welcome to just show up. And, and we're still working on we're hoping to use it use the launch also as a charity fundraising event, because World Cancer Day is September 8. And at least one of these books is explicitly about my wife and I having cancer at the same time are being treated for cancer pretty much at the same time in 2015 and 16. And that's the book survivors notebook, which is prose poems and some of my photographs as well. Leah Jones 9:03 Yeah. And that's how we initially met on social media is I listened to your wife's podcast. And so I bought the book our cancers, which is a book of poetry, and tried to read it and I was like, Ooh, I am maybe not beyond my own treatment enough to be able to handle the book yet. But I did pick it back up this weekend. And you and Jessica both said, you know how it ends? Like, you know, like, you, you're both alive. You're both here. You're both healthy, so that I and I could read it without the fear of, of death, I guess. Right, right. And so I dug back into it a little bit more of this weekend, but that was how we initially connected was over the book our cancers. Dan O'Brien 9:53 Yeah, that's the book that came out. I came out two years ago. And I wrote that book during our treatments. So the first half are poems written in a very, very sparse, minimalist poems. Very, it's a very quick read, but it is an intense read the first half is, is really from the point of view of a caregiver to somebody who's going through cancer treatment as I was helping Jessica through her treatment. And then as it happened, it was her last day of chemotherapy, that I was diagnosed. So she was being treated for stage two breast cancer, and then I was diagnosed with stage four, but treatable colon cancer. And so we, you know, we switched roles, you know, in a moment on a single day. And so the second half of the book is from the perspective of somebody in treatment for cancer. And, and this new book is, you know, I think, I think, in many ways, it's probably an easier read, because it's about sort of the challenge or the opportunity or the privilege of returning to life after treatment, you know, as people who have survived, or are surviving cancer, no, of course, you know, it's not like you finished treatment, and you can feel like, oh, that's done, I'll never have to worry about that, again, you know, it is it is a long process of living with a certain degree of uncertainty and anxiety. But it's also a time of, you know, what I what I found was, it was also a time of, of great relief and joy and hope, and, you know, just a greater awareness to those positive aspects of life. And so, you know, yeah, so the new the new collection, which are prose poems, so they're not minimalist. They're very Irish, I like to say, in that they're very talkative. They're very chatty prose poems. And I think they're, they may even be somewhat humorous, some of them at least I think, I think they are. Leah Jones 11:52 I think I think what you said is true about the that I thought, as soon as treatment ended, I would, it would be a rapid improvement. And that the recovery is much slower going than I expected. Although we were talking before I hit record about I just got back from Israel. And I, because I've been so many times, now I stay in the same hotel. So a year ago. Last September, I was there. And that was just a few months out from finishing my immunotherapy. And returning another year later, and I was like, Oh, wait, I walked to that hotel without stopping to sit on a bench without using my cane. I walked further because I lose track in Chicago, have my improvements. Dan O'Brien 12:45 Right, because it's incremental. Right, it's sort of happens little by little. Yeah, I found that, too, for sure. And, you know, I the this new collection really was written the rough draft was written the first two years post treatment, and it seemed, and then I revised it a lot for several years. So be and some of some of the poems were written after that. But I did find those first two years were really key in that it took me about that long to sort of feel like I had recovered, you know, of course, I don't know, to what degree I might feel differently at my age if I hadn't gone through that experience. But it really was about two years before I stopped, you know, maybe that was enough time to start to process the trauma. You know, maybe it was enough, that was enough time to feel like it was somewhat in my past, you know, that had a certain amount of perspective. But it was also that feeling that physically, you know, I was starting to feel kind of kind of back to normal, even to the degree that you know, I had pretty severe neuropathy, or nerve damage, or nerve pain during treatment from from the chemotherapy. And I don't anymore, but that was a great that probably took about two years for that to really go well. Even even the significant scarring I have from surgeries. I was amazed that the the nerves in my skin eventually reconnected and healed. You know, my, my abdomen where the major surgeries were, was cut was pretty much numb for probably about two years. Yeah. And now, you know, they feel just my skin feels just like it used to, you know, yeah, it's amazing. It is amazing. And, and if you're, if you're privileged enough or lucky enough to still be around, it does give you a real sense of amazement and gratitude and astonishment. You know, you can direct that in all kinds of directions, whether it's towards modern medicine, or the healing power of the body or just feeling lucky in the cosmic sense, but yeah, so I'm glad to hear that you're that you pitcher, you know, coming back to normal. Leah Jones 15:02 Yeah, it was a huge relief on this trip to just literally sometimes look. And I'm like, oh, last year, I had to sit on that bench and that bench. And for the most part, my I just left my cane in my hotel room this time, which was just great. It's huge. It's huge. It was a, it's been this trip really brought home to me that things are better than they were. Dan O'Brien 15:27 When did you How long has it been since you finished treatment? Leah Jones 15:31 Um, I was diagnosed in June of 21. So it was like, and then chemo was October to January. So it was October of 22 is when I finished immunotherapy. Okay, yeah. So not quite a year out from finishing treatment. Dan O'Brien 15:53 Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it really did. I think it was around the two year mark. But that's, you know, that's somewhat arbitrary. But that's when I really did feel like it's hard to explain, I even this is why I think it's good to write poetry about this sort of thing, because it's hard to be too literal about it. You know, it feels like, obviously a psychological if not even a spiritual journey, in many ways. But, you know, it felt like there was almost like a veil between my eyes and the world for about two years. And I don't mean like a veil of depression or something. But I was just I was seeing everything in his in a different way. Maybe there's just the perspective of trauma, you know, and somewhere around the two year mark, that did seem to dissipate and disappear, you know? Leah Jones 16:42 Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. It is I went to a I had an MRI on Friday. And the friend who took me because I was on, you know, take Lorazepam I don't go sober to those anymore. I don't try to white knuckle it. Dan O'Brien 17:00 No reason why I do that. Leah Jones 17:03 So it turns out, like now going for an MRI can be like, a fun afternoon with a friend who just says like, you're gonna be silly, and you're gonna be ridiculous. And you're going to try and tell me stories. And I'm going to fail miserably. And to be at a point now where I didn't cry. I didn't like panicked. And it was just like, like, weirdly, a fun afternoon with my best friend. Dan O'Brien 17:25 That's great. Yeah. Yeah, there's a poem at the at the end of survivor's notebook, which was about going for a scan. And, you know, people who aren't familiar with this, there's a term for it, scan xiety, which I think is fun, but it under sells, just how terrifying it can be. Because it's really more of an existential confrontation, you know, with your mortality. And within your past, Leah Jones 17:50 you know, that grows as the date of the scan gets, it's just, once you notice it, you like flip the calendar, and you're like, Oh, the scan is it's eminent. It's like static. Dan O'Brien 18:03 Yeah. And so in this poem, it you know, there was one scan, I think, near the end of that two year period, where an older woman was leaving just had had had her scan. And she just turned to the waiting room. And she sort of, you know, wished everybody a sort of happy holiday or whatever. And she turned to it, she was just beaming really, with optimism. And she said, to the person in charge of the waiting room, you know, see you next year, and I just loved that, you know, is this idea that, okay, she's got to come back every year, but you get the sense that she wasn't in the thick of it. And that, you know, her, her outlook obviously seemed to be really good. And I don't know, it just seemed like a moment where I saw somebody who was a survivor. In a way, this is cliche, but that idea of, you know, survive to thrive or something, you know, to think of survivorship is not simply surviving in the sense of like, I don't know, desperately clinging to life. But arriving at a place that is, kind of awakens, you know, to a lot of positive aspects of your life. So, yeah, I mean, I felt a lot of that doesn't mean I don't feel a lot of the same, you know, negative or fearful aspects of survivorship. I certainly do. But I will say it gets, you know, obviously, it gets better with time. If that's any help, too. I mean, part of that two year thing was, and I can see it in increments. You know, I feel differently than I did a year ago. Now. It's been almost seven years since I finished treatment. Wow. Which is shocking to me. Leah Jones 19:43 In the five year mark is like that's the big first one, right? Is it the same for colon cancer? Dan O'Brien 19:49 It is. Yeah, it I mean, it's. It's hard to tell. Yeah, I mean, I'm very almost superstitious about that sort of thing. because as you know, I don't want to take anything for granted either. But yeah, it you know, the first especially the first two years with colon cancer is very, you know, the recurrence rate is very high. But certainly, yeah, after five years, and usually I think most cancers, they say, if you can make it to 10 year mark, they'll often considered permanent remission. You know, or even some people will use the word cure. Yeah. So, you know, but again, I just tried to focus on, you know, the present moment as much as I can, which is, again, really helpful. As a writer. Yeah, especially I think poetry. Leah Jones 20:40 Can. Sorry, go ahead. No, go ahead. Can I ask you about your writing process? Because he said, our cancers was written? During the experience? Are you do you have a daily writing practice? And is it poetry? Or is it like how to? I mean, you've got three books coming out this fall? So I suspect you have a daily writing practice? Dan O'Brien 21:05 Yeah. I do. I mean, I should say that, you know, it's just random, really, that the three books are coming out at the same time. In that, you know, you write and then you put things to the side, and then you revise, and then you hope to find a publisher and, and that all takes off in years. And so, you know, this memoir that I have coming out, I probably started nine years ago, okay. And then wrote, I wrote a lot of it during treatment, again, in a kind of rough draft form. So the memoir does have, it's about my childhood, which was a fairly traumatic childhood. But it's written from the perspective of where I was, you know, when I was in treatment, with that sense of urgency, you know, trying to tell that story, just in case, I didn't have much time. Yeah, do you know, and then I revised it for some years. And so it's just coming out now, just as luck, luck would have it. And the third book is a trilogy of plays that that were written over the course of, you know, 10 years or so. And with the most last plan, the trilogy was written during treatment, so all three books to some degree, you know, deal with my cancer experience, and also to some degree deal with my childhood. So they kind of overlap in a lot of ways. And in terms of a process, you know, maybe the fact that I have three books in three genres that kind of overlap in terms of subject and theme might cue somebody into the fact that I'm fairly compulsive. As a person. You know, I, I have obsessive compulsive disorder, it's fairly fairly mild, and it's managed, but I do channel it into my writing I always have. So I, you know, I tend to write every day I'm not, I'm not a maniac, you know, if I'm traveling, or if I don't feel well, or if I have a family event or something I don't write. But otherwise, I do try to write, you know, every every day. And it's more of a, it's more of a kind of a lifestyle, habit or choice, you know, then then Archie then then some kind of work like, endeavor, you know, there's certainly aspects of the writers career, they feel like work. But the actual writing is just something I've always, you know, it was a survival mechanism. As a kid in a dysfunctional family, I found specifically that time poetry, but then I started writing short stories and eventually plays, and, you know, it was a way to, to, to understand what was happening to feel like I was in control, to find to find some sort of meaning, and maybe even some kind of beauty in trauma. And, and it's always helped me I mean, when Jessica, my wife was diagnosed, and I when I was diagnosed, even at that time, I felt so lucky that I could write about it. I didn't know if anyone would want to read it. I didn't know you know, I didn't know if it would be good quote unquote, good writing. But it was a way for me to, to survive it. Yeah. So yeah, so I tend to write a lot. But it's not not for any admirable reason. And I don't and I don't publish a lot. I mean, it's not like you know, I also revise a lot so it's not like unnecessarily you know, writing so many specific different things. You know, a lot of it is I probably sometimes I think I revise too much. You know, in that kind of obsessive compulsive way to try to be perfect even though of course, I know there's no such thing as a perfect work of art. Yeah, so the short answer is OCD. Yeah. Leah Jones 25:01 That's OCD and trauma. Dan O'Brien 25:03 Yeah. Exact finding a way that makes a writer that makes it a writer. Yeah. Do you are you a writer Do you write? Leah Jones 25:12 I have times in my life when I write Yes. I just I actually just applied for a workshop with Megan steel Sandra, who's an essayist in Chicago. She does a an essay collection in a year at the story studio in Chicago. And I just applied Dan O'Brien 25:33 for it for this year. Great. Well, fingers crossed, thank Leah Jones 25:36 you. I was a blogger for from like 2003 to 2013 or 15, like, like blogging from the earliest days of blogging, and I've done live lit performance, and I've done stand up comedy. So I find a lot of ways to get things out there. But yeah, so I think now, on the I took some I applied with two live lit pieces that I had done. Okay, great. Yeah. And I was just like, you know, you don't have to have a big idea yet. And, you know, I've I did a comic. It's an anthology called menopause, a comic treatment. And it was about menopause. So I had a hysterectomy when I was 40. So mine was about going to mikvah, which was a Jewish ritual bath before to mark my last period before I had my hysterectomy. Okay, so I did a comic about that. So so I kind of think like, I don't know, if the world needs another graphic memoir about breast cancer, there are many, but kind of want to do that. Dan O'Brien 26:53 Well do it. I mean, I know that feel I know that feeling of does the world need another one? But I, you know, I think the world does, you know, obviously, yeah, you know, one thing anytime you go through trauma, especially if you're an artist, but baby, everybody feels this way. You know, to some degree, you realize how everybody has experiences like this, maybe even this specific case of cancer, just how common cancer is. So whether or not somebody has, has had cancer themselves, you know, they've had loved ones or friends who've experienced it. And, you know, sure, sometimes that can get if you're an artist, you can feel like well, you know, is this just another book about that, but then I think, you know, there's no shortage of books and plays and movies about infidelity, or, you know, it's, it's, this is part of the human experience and, and if it's meaningful to you to write it, you know, somebody's going to connect and engage with it. And also, Leah Jones 27:50 the more you talk about it, the more people get an early diagnosis, you know, I only got my mammogram, so that I could go to a friend's funeral with a clean bill of health. Wow, cuz she had died of breast cancer during COVID. So I was like, All right, Lucy, I'm gonna, for you, I'll, I'll go and I'll get my mammogram. And I got diagnosed the day before her funeral, and then showed up and was obviously a disaster, right, my crying at a level that didn't match our friendship. And so then I had to tell people at her funeral, because I was like, I don't want people to think I'm like, this is like Stolen Valor that I'm overreacting to our, to the loss of someone who was just, you know, a dear friend, but not someone I was close to at the time of her death. So it was like, really? It was messy. But everybody in house was very kind. Dan O'Brien 28:45 Yeah, and how, you know, I hate to use the word but how, you know, wonderful that something is awful as your friends passing. You saved your life. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, that's, that's the other reason why, you know, I have friends, I'm sure you do, too, who choose to keep cancer or any physical illness, private and that I think that's, that's great. I don't judge them whatsoever. But Jessica and I, we both felt like, one reason why we wanted to be open about it was because why not? We felt like why not? Perhaps if it gets somebody to get tested earlier, you know, than they would have otherwise. And I know friends of mine, you know, who were about my age where you know, at the time when I was 42 when I was diagnosed had no family history. I don't have any of the genetic known genetic markers. And so it was a complete surprise or friends of mine, you know, went and got colonoscopies and none of my close friends that I know of were diagnosed but they did have you know, precancerous, polyps removed and things like that, and averaged out to say they were they were I'm thankful that I was being public about it, you know, because it made them made them want to get checked out. So Leah Jones 30:07 the same a lot of my a lot of my friends, it pushed them to get their first mammograms. And, to my knowledge, only one person was diagnosed with breast cancer. So Dan O'Brien 30:21 that's Yeah, but you're done. That's great. And you're all you've got the podcast. So who knows who's listening to the podcast to you know, seeing Jessica, you know, she because of her podcast, and she's heard from lots of people, you know, who've who've been diagnosed, because they were spurred on to get to get a mammogram or, or just to be more aware of possible symptoms. You know, so yeah, I think I think that's a really great reason. I even feel like, you know, the books, our cancers and survivors notebook, like they could be triggering for many people to read. But I also write them because I feel like for some people, they could be, you know, somewhat helpful to read to feel like, you know, here's somebody who's gone through something similar. He's writing about a feeling I've had, or I'm having now, you know, that sort of thing. So I don't think I'm changing the world at all. But I do feel like it's a mode, it's a motivating factor to me to feel like, you know that I want to that I want to try to be helpful. Yeah. Leah Jones 31:30 Well, I also think that's powerful. I mean, I wish, obviously, that you guys had not had back to back cancers. With the first half of the book, written from a caretakers point of view, it was a solid year, it was only like, this summer or spring that I even came to and realize that the people who took care of me were upset, or were, and they're, it's sort of like, helpful for me to think about what people went through supporting me because everybody was so good about not bringing me their shit in it. You know, it's right. So I think it's a really powerful, I think, for people who have had cancer, who, to the caretaker point of view, I think, is also really important. Dan O'Brien 32:24 Yeah, you know, I mean, anytime you're close to somebody, like you would be with a partner, or a very, very good friend or a family member, like, Yeah, I mean, I think it's wonderful that you were able to have people surrounding you were burdening you with what they were going through in relation to your your treatment. But yeah, you know, you can't help but as a caregiver, you know, feel a high degree of empathy, obviously, for what, and in many ways, even though your life may not be threatened in the same way, your life still is threatened because you could lose your spouse or you could lose a parent or a sibling or what have you, or child even so. Yeah, so I thought I was reading one book, and then it turned into another. Yeah. And we both Jessica and I both got the experience each other's experience with a year and a half. You know, and it's, and I still think I still think I had it better off in the sense that, because she went first, when I was in treatment, she could be like a coach to me, you know, in a way that I, you know, I was trying to be as helpful as it could to her when she was in treatment. Right. But I hadn't been through it yet. But but to have her say, Okay, I felt this way to write in very specific ways. Or even to have her say, you know, there's no guarantee about everything. But look, I'm, I'm done with treatment. Yeah, you will be to this feels interminable. But in two months, three months, four months, you're gonna be done. Yep. And we're gonna be healthy and happy again, you know, all the things you need to hear, but to have somebody who had just gone through it, right, you know, was really a gift as hard as it was. For her I'm sure to, I mean, she felt like, you know, she had her recovery, her time to recuperate was spent taking care of me, right. So yeah, it was a real, it was a real challenge. But, you know, like I said, in the context of, you know, bad news and extreme challenges, we had a lot of and have had a lot of good luck. And, and I do count the fact that that she was able to coach me through it as as good fortune for me for sure. Leah Jones 34:47 Survivors notebook, from scar sale, and true story, a trilogy. I will link to a link to everything people should be able to preorder through your publishers or can they preorder now through like bookshop at work and local Indians, yeah, Dan O'Brien 35:03 they can, they can preorder it, you know, all the usual places, if they go direct with the publisher. The pre ordered books go out earlier like the the poetry book, I think is going out this week, even though it doesn't publish officially till September 15. So that's if you go through the publisher, which is Aker books, but it's distributed by University of Chicago Press. So Leah Jones 35:26 I'm just gonna drive down there and get my copy. Okay. Pick it up. You're that close? That close? Yeah. Like eight miles away? Maybe. Oh, great. Yeah. Leah Jones 35:48 Well, Dan, I don't think cancer is either of our favorite things. Even though it's what brought us together to talk today. Yeah. What is one of your favorite things that you'd like to talk about? Dan O'Brien 36:01 Well, I mean, you know, I'm kind of happy that my initial thought of you sir, my, my favorite thing to talk about is something related to comedy. Just because, you know, talking about cancer can be a little bit upsetting. I mean, the connection. So my favorite thing, what I wanted to talk about was British comedy, TV comedy. Oh, okay. And, you know, to some degree, some of these comedians and different TV shows, I loved before the cancer experience, but many of them were really helpful to me, not just during treatment, but I would say, especially during that year to over recovery, sort of coming back to life. Leah Jones 36:43 So when we're talking like young ones, and Monty Python, and like, 70s 80s, British comedy, are we talking like modern talk shows and tasks? Like, what, what type of British comedy are we talking about? Dan O'Brien 36:57 It's mostly I mean, I've sort of made a list, I probably didn't, two of the shows that that I just love and I rewatch over and over again, and, you know, can recite the whole lines of dialogue. And they're really they're, they're, they're recent, you know, they're within the last 1015 years. Or maybe the last 20 with some of the shows, so they're not they're not sort of I know, there's sort of classic, you know, Monty Python in 70s 80s, British comedy. I grew up with Monty Python, you know, like every 14 year old boy. In my high school, I could recite most Monty Python sketches, you know. And, and my father grew up watching the Benny Hill show, which is, I think, pretty terrible, but it Well, it did not all our members, it's like Benny Hill slapping a little bald man's head and running around like chasing women in their underwear around the park. You know? Yeah, it's it's certainly it's problematic as they would say. So the I but I wouldn't, I wouldn't. Benny hills, not on my list. The one I thought to start with is about 20 years old. It's called Garth and aranguiz. dark place. Leah Jones 38:12 Okay. I've never heard of it. Oh, it's so Dan O'Brien 38:15 good. You can watch it all on YouTube. It's they only made six, six episodes one season, you know, British TV off in a season or as they say a series might be six or eight or 10 episodes, Leah Jones 38:29 because there's only 20 actors. And Right, exactly. Dan O'Brien 38:33 Yeah. And this was so this was based on a stage show, which I think you can tell Garth Miranda's dark place. And it was I think it grew out of the Cambridge Footlights, which is sort of their car, their Cambridge University comedy troupe and a bunch of the actors who put together this Edinburgh Fringe show yeah, called Garth Miranda's dark place. And it was like the big head of the festival and they parlayed that into a BBC Four TV series. That must be the definition of a cult hit, because I don't think anybody watched it at the time. And it's, but it's I think it's pretty hilarious. It's got some pretty well known the four main actors are Matthew wholeness. Richard IOD who's very well known and British, or British TV probably for the IT Crowd is gonna be his most his biggest show, Matt Berry is on who was on it. Alice Lowe. The four of them were really the main characters. And it's kind of it's this it's like a so Garth Moran. Gay is like a Stephen King, character, British Stephen King. And he says these wonderful things like he says it writers who write with subtext are cowards. Just he has all these like pronouncements about writing, which are hilarious. So there's certainly an element of that that I've found interesting. And so each episode basically, the conceit is he's a Stephen King like writer who's written who writes a novel every other month, you know, horrible horror novel. But in the 80s, the conceit is that he wrote, starred in and directed this, like horror TV show about like a haunted hospital. Okay. And it's just, so that's what so you get a little intro from him before each episode. You see the episode from the 80s, purportedly from the 80s. Okay, so it's very self referential and meta in sort of satirizing 80s. TV and a lot. So it's Leah Jones 40:49 sort of a, like Masterpiece Theater where there's like the upfront and then you watch. Dan O'Brien 40:55 Yes. Okay. Yeah. And he explains that he because then they're also they cut back to sort of interviews with the actors in the modern day, present day. And he explains why they do that, because he didn't know anything about TV shows. So when they first made this series, you know, that he didn't realize they had to be 27 minutes long, or whatever. So they're filling it out with these little interviews. And but anyway, I think it's a little hilarious show. It's very, you know, it does spoof a lot of sort of, you know, a cult storylines. And, you know, there's, there's one episode involving, I think the idea is that there's like a portal to Hell underneath the hospital. So all kinds of strange things happen. There's is a great episode where ghosts of Scottish Highlanders come back to terrorize our main characters. And it's got this amazing, like, hilarious anti Scottish sentiment among the English characters, which of course, is not to be taken seriously. Anyway, so that that show was an early favorite of mine. And I think I first heard about it because Jessica, no, this must have been how so Jessica, my wife was in a pilot that was an American remake of The IT Crowd. And it never made it to air. And but Richard IOA de who is in Garth registar place was also and was also in the British it crowd was in the American IT Crowd as well. Okay. So, one day, 20 years ago, Jessica said, Hey, we should watch this Garth Marang these thing. And it blew my mind. And since then, it's only I mean, it's there is a huge, you know, following now, if you go on YouTube, you know, huge viewer viewing count for the show. And only I'm, like I said, are yours? Exactly, exactly. And you know, all of them. All of these actors and writers have gone on to some other great shows. Yeah. On my list as well. Leah Jones 43:06 Do you when you come back to rewatch a show? Is it? Do you have a favorite episode you'll throw on? Or is it it's an easy watch to, to watch the whole series and you'll watch the whole series again? Dan O'Brien 43:22 Yeah, it's an easy watch. I mean, the other one that I watch all the time, also stars Matt Berry, who was in North America, his dark place, and that's called toast of London. And it was on Netflix for a while. I think now you have to either buy it or stream it on like britbox or something. Yeah. But that's another one, which I will watch any episode of. I don't think I really have a favorite. They're, they're, they're kind of they're all amazing. I mean, now that I talked about it, I see. So toast of London is about an actor in London, who just kind of, you know, a washed up, you know, or not even washed up and never was, I guess, but he doesn't really know it. Who's named Steven toast. And it's just about him and his life and his agent who's this amazing actor, comedian and his rival of whose name is Ray purchase who's played by Oh god, what's his name? Harry Peacock, by the way, is married to the female lead in the British. It crowd so as you said, there are only 20 or so actors in the UK. And they're either married to somebody who's been in another show or right but no, I don't really I don't really have favorites of those two series. I'm trying to think Leah Jones 44:48 you know that I find them I have to have a favorite episode. I was just I don't know I I find Dan O'Brien 44:53 them this. This must be what happens with everybody who watches because I don't do this a lot. I don't have a lot of shows that I will watch obsessively. But you get to a point where you know the episodes so well, that it's almost just that it's comforting. It's not even that you're necessarily like, enjoying it the way you did originally. Right? You're sort of just relaxing into the, you know, the familiarity of it. Yeah. My daughter's that way, actually with Bob's Burgers. She loves Bob's Burgers. And so do I show. And she's, I mean, God, she doesn't even watch a lot of TV, but she will watch she has watched probably every episode, you know, 20 times at this point. Yeah. And some of them her mother's mother's on which is kind of fun. That's to have just because voice pop up on Bob's Burgers. Yeah. I Leah Jones 45:47 think Bob's Burgers isn't that is one that I'll, I'll just let run. Because it's never so complex, a plot that I can't get back into it. Right. If I leave, if I leave the room, they get distracted and leave the room for a while. I don't know. I that is I think a really lovely show. Dan O'Brien 46:07 It's a great I mean, yeah, exactly. It's funny, but it's it's also, you know, kind of heartfelt I mean, we were we are sort of Jessica and I and our daughter BB. We're kind of obsessed with you how, like any show, because it's been on what, like 13 years or so. It's been around a while. And you can see the progression. It took a few years before it really found its heart. And I think that's really what makes it special. So it's always been funny. Yeah, but it found a certain kind of, I don't know emotional warmth, you know, without being dramatic. That really, I think makes it makes it special. Leah Jones 46:46 Yeah. Well, that the conflict in the house isn't hatred. Right. They all love each other. Linda and Bob adore each other. And you don't always get adoring, married couples in adult cartoons, right? Yeah, that's true. And there's just a lot of Yeah. And the siblings, when they fight with each other, it's over, like, dumb kid stuff. But it's never hatred. It's never Yeah, they're never really mean to each other. They're just like, fed up with being in each other's space. Dan O'Brien 47:22 Right. Right. Yeah. And in the end, they're always there for each other. They'll always have each other's back. Yep. If the if the other one needs it, you know? And yeah, so that's a big ingredient. I don't know if that's true. In the case of the shows I just listed. Leah Jones 47:41 Well, but British comedy. The British never want you to be too full of yourself or have too much. Yes. Dan O'Brien 47:47 Yeah. That's true. Yes, there. There's always was it's kind of their self deprecating, but they're also self deprecating towards others. Or they're just deprecating to others. They'll deprecate you. But, and that reminds me a little bit of if I can throw on another show, you know, our watch anything with Steve Coogan, especially Alan Partridge, Partridge character and the various shows that he's been a part of. And yeah, there's a you can see that with that character, too. I mean, like, character, I think is very, you know, like, with any performer, you have to wonder how much of that character is Steve Coogan and how much is an invention? I'm sure it's just an exaggeration of certain aspects of his character. But if it is, you know, somewhat autobiographical, he's certainly making fun of himself. Yeah. And, and I just really connect to that. I also think, I mean, maybe it's, I'm being an anglophile but I think a lot of British comedy is just smarter. You know, I think I think it expects more of the audience. Now I've got I have friends, English, British friends who say that's just because I'm only looking at maybe the best of their TV shows struggling to come over here. And they feel the same about the best of American TV shows that pop up in the UK. So that's probably true. But I do think you know, what, even comparing, you know, another show, it's not on my list, but But obviously, a great show is the British office. Right? And comparing the American office to the British office is pretty fascinating. You know, the British office is a lot darker, more. Doesn't coddle the audience. It's certainly not as emotionally warm. Yeah. But it's incredibly specific, and, you know, nuanced and yeah, so I guess I do enjoy a certain amount of darkness in my comedy. Leah Jones 49:56 I mean, I think one of the other things that's nice It's about British comedy or British TV in general. And you mentioned it with the Garth, what was his name? Garth, Dan O'Brien 50:06 Garth Marang de ma, r e n g. H. I. Leah Jones 50:11 M. Is that the they will also in the show when that should be ended like they want? Because the office the UK offices, what three seasons? Dan O'Brien 50:23 Yeah, I think it's even I think it's two and a Christmas special or special Yeah. Leah Jones 50:30 That they get in and get out of the joke faster than American. Yeah. TV. Right. Dan O'Brien 50:37 Right. So you can feel like it has more of a coherent story. Whereas Yeah, you know, especially network TV in the US, at least historically, the longer seasons. And, you know, there isn't necessarily much of a narrative arc, you know, of course of seasons, whereas you watch the original office, and you feel like you're watching a kind of riveting mini series in a way. Because I think the second season was even shorter than the first season. So something I want to say it was, like, 10 episodes and six episodes, and then a special or something like similar to that. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, I don't know how there must have been, what hundreds of episodes how many hundreds of episodes of the American office? Yeah. So it is kind of a totally different thing. And many people prefer the American office and I I'm just I didn't really watch it. So I don't want I'm not casting judgment on that. But yeah, I was I was certainly drawn to the, to the more I mean, I write you know, my plays are dramas. So I'm probably drawn to some of the more dramatic elements that said, there's a lot of British comedy that's very silly to that, and the elements of Alan Partridge and Garth Baranggay, which are just a toast of London that are all just absurd and silly. Leah Jones 51:51 So as toast of London, so you said it's a it's not a down and out actor. It's a it's an actor who has not made it, but doesn't realize they haven't made it. Dan O'Brien 52:03 Yeah, he's like he's working like one episode is about how he's never worked at the Globe. He's never been in Shakespeare's Globe. And he's kind of ridiculed for that by other actors. And so he finally gets a chance to be in sort of a trendy, new by sort of a hotshot, you know, young director, a new Shakespeare, that is going to the, the conceit behind this Shakespeare production is that it's going to be played by dogs entirely by dogs, except for Steven toast, and his other Australian backpacker who were cast because they look like dogs, dog like faces. So you know, like he works. And he's often in a play. That's, that's getting terrible reviews and like a cab driver would recognize him from that play, and like, try to beat him up. And you know, he's kind of or like he's in there's one episode where he's in. Do you know the Agatha Christie play that's been running for, what? 50 years? And on the west end of mouse trap, it's called trap. Yes. And so there's an episode of toasted London where he's been cast in the moose trap. And he goes on a morning talk show, and he let slip that the chauffeur did it. And so the whole idea is like, you know, how everybody this whole life goes to goes to pieces, because he's, he's destroyed this show that's been running for decades, you know? So why did I get going on in that direction with that? Leah Jones 53:35 Just that exists example of how his his Oh, life goes in his episodes. Yeah. Dan O'Brien 53:42 So he's acting. Yeah. So he's just kind of but you know, he has a roommate he's still in. He's probably one other thing that's interesting is like, he's clearly like, you know, the actor is probably I don't know, 40 or so. But there are there are references to his life and career that would place him as being a young man like in the late 60s, early 70s. So like, it's very confused chronology, like there's an episode where he happens to stumble in a pawn shop, the the filming of of a faked of the fake Moon Landing with, you know, what's his face? Who's the who's the famous director, the shining and Dr. Strangelove Kubrick? Kubrick? Yeah, of course. Yeah. So in this episode, he claims that when he was a young actor, he stumbled upon Kubrick filming, filming the Moon Moon Landing, which of course would not work if he was 40. Unknown Speaker 54:38 Right today, right? Dan O'Brien 54:40 So there's a kind of weird, you know, time sequence there. His his roommate is played by Robert bathra. Bat her stunning, as I say his last name, who you would recognize if you google him. He's been on you know, he's on Downton Downton Abbey. He's one of these British actors that usually in dramas Yeah, but is such a well known character actor. As Ken he's he's so hilarious as his roommate, which is just great to see this guy who's known for dramas in this comic or comedic role. And but again, there's Leah Jones 55:12 no I do recognize them. Yeah, Dan O'Brien 55:15 they're middle aged men who are still roommates because they don't neither one of them is really working enough to to afford anything better. And then the the show Matt Berry is also a musician. He records and releases albums that are kind of like Africa when he calls them like psychedelic folk, or something. So sometimes, so the theme song of toasted London is his music and him singing. And then each episode is usually Musical interlude of his own music. It's often quite bizarre. It's not even like sometimes they're not even really like fully formed songs. Yeah. So it's like, it's the sort of kind of adventures thing that you would never see on American TV. Yeah. But was not only toasted London was a huge hit in the UK. And they actually just think a year or two ago did another season called toasts of toast of Hollywood, I think or toasts of LA. Leah Jones 56:11 And it's a bit they bring him. Yeah, Dan O'Brien 56:14 it's what what's kind of amazing to watch is they still filmed it in London. They found a way to kind of fake it, and they brought it a certain number of American actors like Fred Armisen, isn't it? And a few others, Maya Rudolph, I think, isn't it? And yeah, but they did film it in London. So once you know that, you can see how they're, they're using green screen and and things like that to to fake it. Yeah. But it's you know, it's Leah Jones 56:44 Tencel town Dan O'Brien 56:45 toast of Tinseltown. That's what it is. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, it was it was a big hit, as opposed to Garth Marang. Keys, which was, is now a cult favorite, but was overlooked at the time. And then just to quickly throw out a few more, because some of them are sketch shows that I have really loved. The fast show is one of them. The Mitchell and Webb look, it's called the Peter Serafina. Which show which you can watch out again, a lot of these you can watch on YouTube, you can watch episodes on YouTube, the Armstrong and Miller Show, the Harry and Paul show. And these are all in the last 1015 years. And these are all sketch shows. So they're, you know, individual scenes and some recurring characters. Some more more successful than others. I think the Peter Serafina Woods show only lasted about six episodes again, but I think I would I've watched them countless times. And I mean of you need really drives home the subjectivity of art for me, in a lot of ways. Because of course, their shows the billions of people have watched that don't make me laugh personally. And I'll watch a show that only lasted six episodes, you know, 15 years ago, but I'll watch it countless times because it speaks directly to me. You know, Leah Jones 58:11 it's interesting that there's so many. There's so much more sketch on British TV. Right? Like, we just have SNL black woman's sketch show, which is I think it's been canceled. Right? Right. Like, it's just it's so rare that there's like a sketch show. That's a going concern on TV here. And you just rattled off like, five. Dan O'Brien 58:37 That's true. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the only the only other one I can think of maybe he's like Key and Peele. Oh, yeah. But, but you're right. That's the main that's not very many that are easy to call the mind. And so many of them, it seems like don't really take off. Right. You know, they don't they don't really find their audience. But then you have Yeah, you're right. Then you have something like SNL, which is been around for what? 50 years? Yeah. And you wonder if that can work. You know, I guess mad TV was around for for a good amount of time. Yeah, I mean, they're the thing I think about what those British shows is that they're often Duo's. Which is like, you know, I know another favorite thing, especially when I was a younger playwright, I was obsessed with the vaudeville and sort of in the vaudeville coming from, you know, from British music hall and a lot of ways Yeah, the musical tradition so you know, maybe British TV is just simply more still connected to the sketch comedy and do Oh, comedy. Leah Jones 59:58 I spent a while Winter in London. I was a hall director of a of a dorm with 300 international students in London. It was I don't suggest it if you want to make someone love London don't send them from November to March which is when I lived. Oh no miserable Dan O'Brien 1:00:18 that's the Dark Side of the Moon. Leah Jones 1:00:20 Yeah, like it was there were days when I didn't literally didn't see the sun. No, cuz it was only up for like seven hours. Dan O'Brien 1:00:29 And the opposite if you can go between March and like October Yeah, April and October it you can feel it, you know, London and England and Great Britain could feel like the best place on earth. But yeah, winters. Winters are rough. Leah Jones 1:00:43 But one of the things we did that winter was we went to a, I think it's a British pantomime, like a Smith show. What I do think you once you see that I did feel like it sort of unlocked a lot of British TV I'd grown up on was seeing right, because there's cross dressing. There's the big characters, there's like we went to like a high school, or a community Christmas pantomime. It was, you know, the students were setting abroad. So they needed British culture. And that was one of the things that they did. Dan O'Brien 1:01:20 Right. Right. So yeah, but people it's very, very interactive, right? The performance really speak to the audience, essentially, or for the audience. And the audience is often encouraged to, to respond right to rowdy, rowdy performance in a way that I think would shock a lot of Americans you probably feel like their experience of theater is much more uptight, you know, or certainly conservative. Er, I mean, that's changing, I'm sure. And it depends on the type of player seeing, but yeah, pantomime or panto is a specific to that culture and, you know, to Ireland to and that, that that whole area. Yeah. And it's, and I'm sure, yeah, it must be, you know, I mean, when I was writing a lot about vaudeville, 1520 years ago, you know, it was it was interesting to me. How, of course, the vaudeville didn't go anywhere, it just became TV. And, of course, we have in this country, a tradition of variety shows for a long time. Right. And it's kind of interesting, that doesn't really exist anymore. on American Leah Jones 1:02:33 TV, right. There's no variety Dan O'Brien 1:02:36 shows right now. The trend in my Rudolph have won, like, maybe five years ago, which was kind of fascinating, because it was on like, NBC or something. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:02:46 And they announced Conan O'Brien was going to do one, but he wasn't Oh, right. Okay, interesting. He left TBS, they announced he was going to do a variety show. And it wasn't in the plans. Dan O'Brien 1:02:57 Right. Yeah. I mean, I think what I heard around the time when Maya had her show was, you know, that networks are constantly thinking, like, how can we bring it back? Because I think it's actually quite cost effective. Like I think it's a pretty cheap show to produce. I mean, maybe the I guess we have that in the form of reality, like America's Got Talent or the the masked singer or whatever, right? Maybe that's, that's what we have now is that version, because those shows are relatively cheap compared to right, you know, an original comedy or drama. Yeah. Yeah, that's interesting. It but it does seem again, I don't know, you know, because these these shows, I'm sort of cherry picking, you know, from 20 years of British TV, so I wonder how you know, I would if we had a British person on right now, if they would say, Oh, well, you know, it's still hard to get those shows on or it's hard to for those shows to catch on. But it does seem like there's a different tradition, and a different appreciation. Leah Jones 1:04:01 Do any of those comedy sketch duo shows come down from the Edinburgh Fringe? Dan O'Brien 1:04:08 Yes, I think I think a lot of them do. I mean, definitely Garth Moran gese. Started dark play started there. I went to another show I love it's called the Mighty Boosh and I think that started as a stage show. Or Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Do you know about Mortimer by any chance? No. Okay, do yourself a favor. So he's Reeves and Mortimer were a duo they don't really perform together anymore. Bob Mortimer he's a frequent guest on this panel show British panel show called would I lie to you? And if you just search on YouTube, Bob Mortimer what I lied to you his his segments are just are some of the best TV I think. He just taught that the concept of the show is As they, you know, they the the panelists, they tell you a story about their lives and the other panelists have to decide if it's a lie or not. Yeah. And he has these stories about his life that are just amazing. Most of them are true, but even the ones that he makes up are pretty hilarious as well. And he and he started, you know, he started performing with Vic Reeves on stage and on a little stage above a pub. I think that was the same with with same sort of situation with the Mighty Boosh and Noel Fielding and Julian, Julian Barrett. And so I'm sure some of them also a part of the Edinburgh Fringe at some point. Leah Jones 1:05:39 Yeah, you can tell that Bob Mortimore tell some wild stories because, right. It's like people also ask, does Bob Mortimer really do his own dentistry? Dan O'Brien 1:05:50 I was just about to give that example. Yeah. That's one of his lies, that that's not a lie. It's the truth. He does his own dentistry. I mean, you sort of find out that of course, if he has a serious problem, he does go to a dentist. But you have to watch that clip, because he describes the way he does it as he puts a chair on his dining room table, so that he can be close to the light, the light source, uh huh. And then he uses like a mirror, and he's bought his own tools. And I think he does his own fillings. Leah Jones 1:06:22 That's what it says, Yeah. He has some tooth cement. And, yeah. Dan O'Brien 1:06:28 And he's got a great show with Paul Whitehouse, who was he Paul White House is another great sketch comedian from the fast show, and many other shows. And, but this show with Paul Whitehouse, and Bob Mortimer is just the two of them go fishing around in different parts of Great Britain. Nice. And it's kind of this amazing, it's very, it's very funny, but it's also very gentle. And it's really lovingly photographed. And it's very, a very relaxing show in a certain way. And it's heartwarming in the sense that the whole concept of the show is about Mortimer and had a really life threatening heart attack, like five or six years ago, and was having trouble kind of leaving the house like Trustaff again. And Paul, uh, you know, now they're both Men of a Certain Age, Paul, kind of, you know, helped him get back into life and into nature and society. And so that show has this real undercurrent of people talking about mortality to some degree. But it's also really funny. And the two of them are clearly good friends. So you talked about a show with heart? Yeah. It's similar to go fishing. Oh, it's called Gone Fishing Mortimer, Mortimer and Whitehouse gone fishing. So that wasn't on my list, but it should be. It's a great yeah. Leah Jones 1:07:48 And then how do you? Do you have britbox? Do you let the YouTube algorithm help you find? How are you? How do you discover new to you shows? Dan O'Brien 1:08:01 Yeah, I mean, a little bit of both are a little bit of all a lot of things. I've certainly had, I think I've lived my britbox membership lapse. Because I think I felt like I'd seen most of the shows I want to see and I don't know, but I kind of you know, I sign up for it again once in a while. And, you know, a lot of it was just starting with the show like Garth, Randy's dark place, thinking to myself, well, what are these actors up to now? Because they wrote it themselves, too. So you know, and one show has led me to another over the years. And, you know, Alan Partridge, for example. He's been working for a while with comedian named Tim key, who plays his sidekick on his re on Alan Partridge, his radio show and on the TV show as well. So that's led me to some Tim keys comedy where, you know, he, he's he claims he says he's a poet, and he reads poetry, but it's often quite funny. And he had a new show recently, which was a historical comedy where he played like a witch hunter and Puritan England. Which I have to give it a chance. I didn't I haven't really gone deep into it yet. But yeah, it's that sort of thing of thinking, Well, what else have they done? And it's kind of, it's kind of great to discover not being British, right to discover a different culture. I mean, I've worked to some degree as a playwright in the UK, and I publish poetry in the UK, and I've spent some time living there. So I have a little bit of familiarity with the culture. And I, you know, it's kind of fascinating to have this pair, you know, it's still the English language. So it's, yeah, I can understand it. But of course, I'm fascinated by all the subtle differences. And, and I think also, you know, having my wife who works in comedy, in the US, for the most part Um, you know, we watch American comedies, but that can often feel like work. Do you know what I mean? It can feel Yeah, we're aware of the business side of it. So I think on some level, Leah Jones 1:10:09 and she may have auditioned or friends auditioned, and they did, what would you have done differently? Dan O'Brien 1:10:16 Right? Yeah, right. Or she'll let me know, oh, that person, you know, he or she's very funny. But they're a terrible person or something like that, you know, and then when we can watch the show, and so yeah, it can feel kind of sort of freeing and relaxing to have this, you know, other world of comedy that I don't really know anything about and don't have any baggage about? Yeah. And yeah, so, and Jessica, you know, she likes some of these shows, Sunday shows she doesn't quite, she doesn't quite get it. You know, I grew up in a very repressed family. And this is probably gonna offend any British people listening. But I feel like that helps me understand a certain amount of British culture. Yes. You know, even again, in the sense of the absurdity in the way comedy comes out of repression in that culture, right. I know, as a playwright, when I teach playwriting, I often, you know, if the subject of farce comes up, you know, people will talk about why is farce seemingly such a British genre, English genre. And at least this desex farce is probably just because as a culture, it's very rapid. They're very repressed about that sort of thing. America has to but in a much more schizophrenic way, I think. And so anyway, I don't know if that's partly why I connect to British comedy in a way that Jessica doesn't always. She loves toast of London. And she loves Garth Moran keys dark place doesn't always quite get the sketch comedy. Leah Jones 1:11:53 Yeah. Yeah, I was just going deep on Matt Smith. IMDB to remember. He was in a show called party animals. I don't know if you watched? No, I don't know that one. 2007. It's, like young adults who are working in Parliament. So it's like interns, early career people in Parliament short series. And I will run, I watched that, and that was how I was like, and then he was Doctor Who? And I was like, Oh, well, I liked him in that show about parliament. I guess I'll try to let's see how that goes. But there was this party animals. And then there was a show about a hospital called Green, something that was so bizarre and funny and weird. Dan O'Brien 1:12:48 Yeah, tell me about it. Because I find speaking of how I find my shows, I have felt lately, like, I've hit a bit of a brick wall, you know, like, and I would love to keep finding more British comedy that I connect to. Leah Jones 1:13:05 Okay, so it was all I saw. I searched like green hospital British comedy. It's called the Green Dan O'Brien 1:13:11 Green Wing. The Green Wing. Okay, a funky Leah Jones 1:13:15 hospital based sketch comedy drama type show. Okay. Sally Breton, Oliver Chris, Olivia Coleman. Dan O'Brien 1:13:25 Coleman, she, she was I was gonna mention she was one of the, you know, lead players in the Mitchell and Webb look, which was a show. And it's been fascinating to see how she's become, you know, an Oscar winning dramatic actor. Leah Jones 1:13:39 Um, Michelle Gomez, who is just amazing. She's in it. Yeah, Dan O'Brien 1:13:48 the green and Stephen Stephen Mangan, right? Leah Jones 1:13:53 There was there's the scene and they actually it's one of the photos that they have featured. That I was before you could like easily make a GIF that I sent. I asked a friend to like make a GIF of me because he's in an exercise room, and somebody throws an exercise ball at his face. And it's just this huge slapstick moment that I needed to be able to use and I sent it to a friend. I'm like, You're good at computers. Can you make me a gift of the moment? But it's a it's a fun? It's a fun one. Dan O'Brien 1:14:29 Oh, that's good. I will I will look I will watch it. Yeah, Leah Jones 1:14:33 I think party animals leaned drama like Dan O'Brien 1:14:37 Right. Yeah, like I said, I love I mean, you know, some of these obviously sketches, but I do love you know, dark comedies and definitely watch a lot of dramas too. But in terms of something I'm fairly obsessive about, who you know, would be these. And I guess I you know, I thought it'd be interesting to just Because I really did become obsessive about these shows, during during treatment and yeah to afterwards, you know, where you spend a lot of time. I don't know how you felt, but especially during treatment, I couldn't really read very much. I couldn't, you know, I really didn't need pretty light comedy for the most. Leah Jones 1:15:22 Oh, I did not read I. I remember going to LA after I'd finished like primary treatment, and being at a hotel, having breakfast and then took a book by an author, I interviewed with me down to the breakfast at the hotel, and I was like, Oh, my gosh, I just read, like, for the first time and since I got sick, and I powered through that book until I got to the cancer chapter. And I'm like, Well, I'm out. Yeah, I'm out. No, I couldn't. I couldn't read. I listened to a lot of podcasts. I watched Yes. I don't know if you got steroids during chemo days. Yeah, for sure. So I did steroid Saturdays because my chemo infusions were on Fridays. So on steroids, Saturdays, my best friend and I would go see a movie, like a matinee of something that had been out for two or three weeks. So we'd find essentially a private showing. And we'd go to like, a Burger King that nobody was going to cut so I could take off my mask and have a meal inside and then we would go to be often the only two people and like a 1pm Saturday showing. So I saw a lot of movies. I went to the theater a lot. It was fun. Dan O'Brien 1:16:47 Oh, that's good. Yeah, I mean, you need you need and that's why I don't you know, I tend to write pretty I don't know heavy or dramatic things. But I don't at all denigrate, you know, storytelling, that's that's meant to lift you up or help you feel a sense of escape. Because I know firsthand. We all need that. And, you know, and I'm the same way if you know I have to I have to be in the mood to see something heavy or dark. Yeah. And yeah, so no, but these these were shows that did the opposite of that. For me. They were probably my version of I don't think I didn't really go to it. I'm not sure why I didn't go to many movies during treatment. But I certainly you know, use the use the heck out of my breadbox. Yeah. britbox account. Also, I was pretty obsessed during that time with like British murder mysteries, too. Even though they're not comedies. I think it's a similar type of purely escapist, you know, experience. And they of course, that's that's a cottage industry over there. Leah Jones 1:18:02 Have you watched? It's a British? No, it's not British. It's Canadian. The Murdoch Mysteries. It's been on for like, 15 years. Dan O'Brien 1:18:15 I must have it sounds. So Leah Jones 1:18:17 it takes place in the late 1800s. Toronto. Okay. And he's a science obsessed detective. So like, late 1800s. Scientists come through Toronto, and they get involved in the cases. Dan O'Brien 1:18:30 Right? Yeah, I've heard about it. But I don't think I've actually watched it. Yes. 16 seasons. Wow. Leah Jones 1:18:36 Yeah. So if you ever need a cozy mystery or cozy procedural with it's just fun. Because I think like Tesla comes through in the first episode. That's great. Like, because he's going he's on tour in Canada getting support for electricity. Right. It's great. So Dan O'Brien 1:18:59 yeah, I mean, my that the show for me was the murder mystery that I watched a ton of, and it's been on was on forever, was called Midsomer Murders. And it's it's kind of like it reminds me of, you know, I lived in New York for many years, and I had lots of friends who were stage actors. And anytime I watched any of the law and orders, I'll see a lot of my old friends, you know, pop up sometimes just as a dead body or something. And it's the same on Midsomer Murders where, you know, it's like every actor has been on that show at some point, especially younger actors, some of whom are now quite famous. They did, you know, had a guest spot on that show. Right. And it's kind of it also reminds me of murder. She wrote in the sense of, you know, midsummer is supposed to be a county in England. But, you know, the amount of murders that take place in this county is just off the charts. I mean, it would be like hurled famous as the most murderous County in England, right. But it's very comforting because you know, it's it's it's handsomely shot, and there's a satisfying little mystery every episode. And that's about all I could handle for this nine months of treatment. So yeah, the comp, you know, I would say the sketch shows, I kind of I think I got more into them after treatment. Yeah. And for whatever reason I can, it's connected in my head to that idea, again, that those first two years of really, you know, starting to trust life again, you know, and these shows, certainly helped me with my anxiety. And, yeah, and a few of them I've probably memorized line by line by this point ethic. Leah Jones 1:20:51 Dan, this has been a delight. Thank you so much for joining me. Oh, good. Thank Dan O'Brien 1:20:55 you. Thank you for having me. Leah Jones 1:20:58 Do you want people to follow you online? Dan O'Brien 1:21:02 Sure. Yeah. I mean, you know, got social media is so messed up now. But I'm still on. What I will still call Twitter. I'm still on Twitter. At by Dan O'Brien. On Instagram. No, I'm sorry. Twitter is Dan O'Brien writer. Instagram is at by Dan O'Brien. and my website is Dan O'Brien dot org. I'm an org. I'm a nonprofit. And yeah, so David, if people want to follow me, that'd be great. Leah Jones 1:21:32 Great, and people can preorder the books through all the usual channels. I will link to I have a link. I try to link through bookshop.org so it supports indie, indie bookstores, so that it'll all be linked in the show notes. You can follow finding favorites, finding faves pod on Instagram and Twitter. Please rate and review on Apple podcasts or good pods, because those are the two places that you can actually leave reviews. So thank you so much. Dan O'Brien 1:22:03 Thank you again, this was a lot of fun. Announcer 1:22:06 Thank you for listening to finding favorites with Leah Jones. Please make sure to subscribe and drop us a five star review on iTunes. Now go out and enjoy your favorite things. Transcribed by https://otter.ai…
Bindy Bitterman, a Chicago-based author, published her first book Skiddly Diddly Skat at the age of 90 and joined Leah at the inaugural Chicago Jewish Book Fest for a storytime and live podcast interview. We talk about limericks, the Catskills, art collections and saying yes to all adventures. Keep up with Bindy online Show Notes Society of the Fifth Line Nautical Embroidery Bindy on PBS Jewish valentines? Maquette Elsa Wachs…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Illustrator Rachel Duggan loves BUTTS! 1:02:16
1:02:16 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:02:16
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedRachel Duggan, a Milwaukee-based illustrator, loves butts, foxes, and pretty rocks. We sat down to talk about her book All Butts are Good Butts, how she became the wedding butt illustrator and how much she loves finding things in her natural environment. Follow Rachel online RADIllustrates.com Instagram @radillustrates Tik Tok @radillustrates All Butts are Good Butts Show Notes Lion's Tooth bookstore What is fool's gold? Finding Beach Glass in Milwaukee Dune Stinkhorn Bob's Burger episode about fungus Picture Mushroom app Merlin birdsong app ----more---- Rachel Duggan 0:00 Hello, my name is Rachel Duggan and my favorite thing is bots. Announcer 0:07 Welcome to the finding favorites Podcast where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:19 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. It's Monday, July 17. I had such good intentions of getting this to you on Sunday. But I spent the weekend living at the Palmer House Hilton and officiating the wedding of one of my very best friends Dahlia to her now husband, Josh, so I was celebrating and officiating and dancing all weekend. Last summer, I went to a wedding in Ohio, and I was so happy for the couple, but really sad for myself because it's when I was had to use my cane for every step of the day. And I couldn't dance at their wedding. I danced like briefly one song with my friend Brian at that wedding. And it was it was a bummer and this year to be a year later to be able to stand for 30 minutes through the whole ceremony. And then to dance. A number of songs I didn't I couldn't didn't dance the whole night. Can't still safely dance the horror. But to be able to dance to groove is in the heart with my friends and celebrate a wonderful union was really great. Next weekend, July 2021 and 22 in Chicago, the inaugural Chicago Jewish Book Festival, Stacy Agder and who you've met on the pat pat on the podcast is coming up to Chicago to talk about joyfully Jewish romance books making space for that she'll also be going Friday night down to love sweet arrow. So if you are Chicago land romance fan. Stacey Agron is in town doing two events. We're very excited for that. Jonathan Eigg is our keynote on Saturday night. He has a new biography out about MLK. I'll be interviewing bindi Bitterman for a live episode of finding favorites. So I hope that people in Chicago can come and join us. If you're not in Chicago, join us next year for the second annual Chicago Jewish Book fest. And then a couple days after that I leave for Israel. So I will not promise any episodes while I'm gone. But I can come up with one to get out there. If I'm able to edit quickly. My Live episode next weekend. You'll have one more before I go on vacation. But otherwise, I'm gonna let myself take the break and we'll be back to you in August. When I come back from Israel. I'm interviewing I've got three interviews lined up Dan O'Brien, he's a poet and playwright is I'll be jetlag but I'm interviewing him on August 7, so he'll be one of my first interviews back and then a couple more people are on the schedule as well. In this episode once again I tell the my sister and I eating mushrooms that weren't I tell the poisonous mushroom story again on this episode. Mom fact check me last time and said that she did indeed call poison control. And that's how she knew to go get syrup of it. Epic hack for us. She does not believe me that it was cinnamon gummy bear. She thinks we're eating goldfish and goldfish crackers. She double fact check me were invented in 1953. But I really remember those red gummy bears going down and coming back up. So with all that said, a wonderful interview this week with Illustrator Rachel Dugan. She's the author of the book. All butts are good butts. And we have a fun and wide ranging conversation about finding beautiful things out in the world. So without further ado, get your boosters wash your hands, wear your mask and keep enjoying your favorite things. Leah Jones 4:42 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites, the podcast where we learn about people's favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. I am here today with Illustrator Rachel Dugan. Rachel is the author of the new book all butts are good butts which launched last Last month and is available on all of your favorite book retailers. We'll link to it in the show notes. She is an illustrator based in Milwaukee, you can hire her to come to your wedding and draw booty portraits, which I cannot wait to learn more about Rachel, how are you doing this morning? Rachel Duggan 5:19 I'm doing pretty good. I'm doing pretty good. How are you? Leah Jones 5:23 I'm good. I'm good. We had a little bit of cowboy my cat infused drama, at the kickoff where he always comes to visit during a podcast. And this time he knocked my water over onto my work computer, but all seems dry. So that was like equivalent to five cups of coffee. So your book, all bets are good buts came out I think was it earlier in June or in May? Rachel Duggan 5:49 It was in early May, in early May. Leah Jones 5:52 How did I'm I assume you have been interviewed about this every time. But how did you come to be the booty portrait illustrator? Rachel Duggan 6:03 That's I mean, it's a good question. Because even when asked I, it's hard to remember. It's hard to think back to that pivotal moment where things changed. And that became my thing. But many, many years ago, probably close to 10 years ago, I was living in Chicago and I had a full time job, but I really loved drawing and I went to art school for drawing and I started just telling people, I could do things. And that did Hey, can I pop up in your space and draw people and I did. I did like paranormal portraits where I drew people as aliens. Sorry, my dog just scratched her eyeball and I'm like no, because Oh no, she's had a cornea issue. And I'm like, for the love of God dog. Something's wrong. Something's going on with the pets today. I think Leah Jones 7:04 I'll check the astrology when we hang up something is certainly in the air. So yes, Rachel Duggan 7:09 going back. Many years ago, I just pitched myself to do weird things, including drawing bots. Like at the time, I was like, drawing my friends and family pet bots, that sort of thing. And I would post them online and through people. I mean, this is like early days Instagram people. Yeah, like, I love this or this is a fun idea, or would you do me? How would this work? So then I started going out into the wild and doing it at events and the response was so positive that I felt like Okay, I think I'm onto something here. I think people people like this so I should continue to do it and get better at it. And so then fast forward to now that's yeah, what I what people mostly know me as an i I'm more than a butt but I do love butts so it works out well. Leah Jones 8:10 And all bets are good butts. Celebrate your derriere with booty, affirmations, astrology, tushy, trivia and much more. Embrace your behind flaws, farts, and all with historical high knees, celebrity cabooses self care and more fun facts. And this little book of booty body acceptance. How is the reception been? Rachel Duggan 8:36 It's been really good. It's gone. I mean, I'll say this is the first time I've ever made a book or published book. So for me just having it happen. Like, the whole time I was pinching myself kind of like, oh, this might not work out or might they might not actually print the book. You never know. Yeah. So the fact that it is real, and it has come full circle to where books are for sale, wherever. And I've been able to physically, you know, hold my books and go to a bookshop and see my book. It's it's just such a cool feeling. It's a surreal feeling. And most, most of the response that I've seen is positive. I've had a few people who were like, this isn't for kids. And I'm like, it's it's a book that I drew with a few swear words in there. So Right. But then other people are like, my kids love it. So yeah, yeah, yeah, it's been it's been an interesting ride, that's for sure. Leah Jones 9:43 Nice. Were you able to have any, any in person book launches or Zoom like virtual book launches to celebrate the launch? Yes, yeah. Rachel Duggan 9:54 I had a local party in here in Milwaukee at a an indie bookshop called Lion's tooth bookstore. And they're awesome. It's like a great comics bookstore. It's owned by two women. And I didn't know what to expect with that either having done so many events, but never doing anything book related, but it was so much fun. It was awesome. It was so cool to see people show up and want to pick up a copy of the book. We did a quick q&a, which was nice. And family and friends came out from Chicago and Madison. And yeah, it was just an awesome way to kind of close the chapter not close it, but it kind of the cherry on top and then the book will just continue on in in the world. However it will. Leah Jones 10:55 Yeah. How long did it from initial concept and pitching to publication? Was that like, a two year or five year? What was that process for you? Rachel Duggan 11:13 I am still shocked by how it all came together. So I actually did not have a pitch for this book. I didn't have anything drafted. I was approached by a publisher, because they saw someone else's tick tock about me. I did Wow. Yeah, the power of the internet, you know, like, I like to dog on the internet quite a bit. But there have been some really magical moments that have occurred that were Yeah, totally out of my hands because I happen to be at an event where an influencer from DC was in town and then shot videos of me drawing and I had no idea at the time like that they were going to post it or what Sure. And and it on Tik Tok ended up going viral like 4 million views. I woke up with like, my phone on fire. Just I was just like, whoa, who is this person? I didn't see anything like what's happening and a bunch of sales on my my shop, which was so cool. And then yeah, publisher contacted me. And I thought, this is spam. This is a fake email, right? But they were like, we want to have a meeting with you and like, talk to you about, like any ideas you could have or would have for a book. And so I took the meeting and they were like, we loved what we saw of what you do on tick tock, would you be willing to do a book about bots? And I was like, Sure. And so fortunately, I have such a long history of drawing bots and like, but related content. So yeah, I was able to very easily pull from that and like, have an idea from where to start. How to like, you know, go through different sections of the book and like new drawings, old drawings, just kind of piecing it together. So I only had five, like five and a half months to complete the book. Leah Jones 13:20 Oh, yes. Yeah. Rachel Duggan 13:23 And Leah Jones 13:26 so it was an adrenaline. Rachel Duggan 13:28 Yes, yes. Especially because I already had like, a ton of weddings booked. I had my summer events booked. I had workshops. I didn't, it wasn't like, oh, in the future. I'm going to do this. So I'm going to block off time. Like I had already committed to a lot of stuff. So right. I did, I created the book while being incredibly busy at work, which I do not recommend. I definitely had plenty of nervous breakdowns just feeling overwhelmed by commitments. It's a good learning lesson of just like, what the opportunity came and I wasn't going to say no. So it was all worth it in the end. But it was it was a roller coaster creating that in a small amount of time. Leah Jones 14:16 Yeah. Yeah, I can imagine how draining it is because your workshops and pop ups and weddings are you're not sitting behind a table selling your your merchandise you're actively drawing or teaching or leading. Yeah, it's it's you're in a much more active role for for everything you sell, right? You're not You're not at a craft. You're not. You're not selling postcards at a craft show. Rachel Duggan 14:49 Yes, thank you for saying that because I sometimes I feel like Wow, man, what's wrong with me? Why can I handle this better? Why can't it but it is like that where you know I have in the past before I started doing live drawing, I would just have my merchandise laid out and I would sit back and doodle to myself. And if someone wanted to buy something, run the transaction and right. But it's a totally different ballgame where I'm performing it feels very performative. I'm also an introvert. So I have to really put on like, my act, not acting, it sounds bad to say acting, but you know, I have to really like, psych myself out. Yeah, to feel comfortable. Being on for so long and making sure people are feeling like, good and excited and noticed and keep the train moving forward. Yeah, it's it's a it's a big undertaking for me, mentally and physically. Yeah. And that's why I typically do it for like short amounts of time. Because it's like such a burst of energy. Leah Jones 16:04 Yeah, I am also an introvert who had a facilitation business. Okay, so I would go in and I'd facilitate a workshop or for one or two days, and then I would need to lay on the couch for one or two days. You know, yes. Because you're like, synthesize, you're taking in all this information from people you're synthesizing you're like moving everybody along. And I enjoy facilitation because I'm, but I'm good at it. But also, I like being in a group where I have a defined role. So I think being the person who draws butts at a party, fantastic. Like you have your your conversation has already started. You don't have to do small talk. You don't like the introduction? Is there? The reason is there. Yeah. But I can just imagine the end of the night. I would just want to lie on my couch and scroll tick tock for two hours or seven. Rachel Duggan 17:04 Yeah, totally. You get it? You so yeah, yeah, it's it is just like that. Or I'm like, I just can't talk for a few hours or next day. I can't be around people. I just need to really decompress. Leah Jones 17:20 Yeah. So I'm curious, when somebody hires you for a wedding? Are you like clipboard and hand mingling, or to people? Are you at a station and people come to you and you draw and pass out the the the post the illustrations? Rachel Duggan 17:37 Yeah, I, I'm in a station, I basically have my spot. I have a very minimal display, but I have signage, and sometimes guests know that I'm going to be there. And other times people have no idea and are just like, Wait, what is happening? But either way, people get really excited because it's unexpected. And I'm essentially like a photo booth. But I'm a human person who raise drawing on the spot. It's very instant gratification while still being custom. And yeah, like handmade like something. Yeah, like something that's handmade. And because my drawing style is so simple. And I've been drawing bots for so many years, that only takes a couple of minutes per but and depending on what people are wearing. It's kind of fun to get some of those details in there as well. But at weddings, especially. It's like a feeding frenzy where people are like, Oh my God, you know, and it's just like storming the zone. And then there's a big line and it's back. It's like the work is like start to finish. There's no breaks basically. Yeah, I'd say it's a busy, busy business for me, but I'm there. Leah Jones 19:07 How fun and then people just they take them home, right? Like yeah, yeah, Rachel Duggan 19:11 they take them home and enjoy them right away. They don't have to wait for anything. So that's that's cool too for me because I don't have to scan them or digitize anything. It's like it's a piece of paper. It's like it's yours. Now. You can trim it. You could put it on the fridge. You can do whatever you want with it. Leah Jones 19:30 Yeah, that is it's cuz I've done. I've hired like the photo magnet guy, right? Like takes photographs. And then there's the magnet board on the way out. That's a very, like Jewish summer camp. Hire I think. And I'm going to a wedding. I'm officiating a wedding in a couple of weeks where they hired a magician. Oh, that's cool, close up magic and work the reception doing close up magic, which I'm very excited for too. So I just, I think you You have such a fun and different offering. That's it's nice. It's different than a REIT, like photo booths start to feel like very same, you know? And so Rachel Duggan 20:13 yeah, and once you go to once people start getting married a lot, and you go to all your friends wedding, most of them have a photo booth or they did for I mean, I feel like when I went to weddings, like pre COVID, I feel like every single one I went to, yeah, there was a photo booth. And now I feel like there's just been more variety, which is kind of cool, different experiences. But it feels it feels cool to be able to offer something that is unique. And regardless of the guests, like the type of guests you have, I've had people who are older generations, I've had kids, I've had everybody in between and for even people who were like scared and watching from afar with, you know, like, uncertain yeah, by the end of the night, they're in line and they're like, Oh, I saw the other ones you drew and it made me feel better that of what you were up to. So I really want to participate. So it's kind of cool to see different types of people react to it and and knowing that it's all about like, feeling good and having it be consensual I'm not like drawing people's butts without permission. Like if you want to come over if you're not feeling it, I totally get it Leah Jones 21:25 but and you're not a caricature artists who finds like your finds and exaggerates your your biggest insecurity, like that's also not what you're doing. Totally, totally. Rachel Duggan 21:38 And you know, like, when people see someone doing live drawing their minds often go there because they think oh, you're making a joke, or you're exaggerating features and no, yeah, it's not me I'm I'm thinking for me to want to go up in front of a stranger and turn around and have your butt facing them, like having them stare and draw like it's a it's a very vulnerable position to be in and I think it I take a big it's a big responsibility for me, because I don't want anyone to feel like I'm laughing or I'm roasting them or Yeah, like trying to make anyone feel worse than they already do. Just I say that because we're all human and we all are so hard on ourselves regardless of what we look like. And so I don't want to I don't I really don't want to contribute to people's health perceptions. I want to contribute in a good way. Not a bad way. Leah Jones 22:45 Huh? Outstanding so the book all bets are good buts available now. We'll link to it a link to the bookshop link. But people in Milwaukee go to lions to bookstore were ordered from them online or anywhere else you can get the book online if people order from lions tooth, or do they have signed copies? Rachel Duggan 23:09 Um, they they did I don't know if they have any more. But I'm always I told them I'll I'll come in at any point and sign more books before you ship them out. Or if people want to buy in from there, but But yeah, or better yet, request it with your local indie bookshop. Let them know Yes, buy my book and then they'll get a copy or two and maybe other local people wherever you are will pick it up in Yeah. Yeah. In my Leah Jones 23:39 neighborhood that is either the bookseller or women and children's first. Yeah, I'm equal distance to two great. Actually three unabridged, I think is an inner Seville to so many indie bookstores on the north side these days yeah. Leah Jones 24:08 So Rachel, your book is what gave us the reason to meet. But you're also here to talk about your your favorite thing, which is probably the closest to the title of this podcast I've ever come, which is finding things. Rachel Duggan 24:22 Yes. Yeah. Leah Jones 24:25 So you you'd sent me a list. That was rocks, fossils, beach class, foraging mushrooms, finding animals. And and you said Well, the thing really what they all have in common is is that you're finding things out in the world. Yes, yeah. I'm curious. If you time traveled to being a little Rachel, were you a kid who was always bringing treasures and from like the yard Rachel Duggan 24:59 Yeah, Ah, yeah, especially rocks, rocks were have always kind of been my thing where I would find ones that I thought were interesting or unique and bring them inside. And then later realizing maybe they're just rocks. Or maybe I'm like, maybe I should pick a favorite and not be, you know, bringing in all of these rocks and having jars and boxes of them like a hoarder. I've gotten better. I've gotten more specific as I've grown older. Yeah, I have always been kind of like, searching, searching on the ground is I go looking up in the sky, like trying to find things in my environment, like, I'm definitely an observer. Wherever I go, Leah Jones 25:51 yeah. And with a dog, you're, you know, I'm a cat person. So cats, man, I never have to leave my house. But a dog does mean you have to leave your house and go on walks. And yes, and I feel like gets you into your environment a little bit more. Rachel Duggan 26:09 It's so true. It's such a nice excuse to go explore. Because it's obviously beneficial for her. But it's great. It's great for me to to get out of the house, especially working from home and being so isolated as like an employee have one on my own boss, like, I don't have any co workers. So um, yeah, I look forward to my time outdoors. And whether it's like an early morning stroll, or mid day or later on, there's just always, always new things going on. And I pride myself in paying attention to some of those things where I think people have different types of personalities. And some people, you know, are totally oblivious, like a really, like a hawk could swoop down in front of somebody, and they wouldn't even notice. And then I'm like, oh my god, I can see, you know, that really excites me to be able to pick up on things that are going on. Nice. Leah Jones 27:26 So I'm just I'm gonna, let's Well, let's start with rocks. You said you've gotten better about not keeping all of them? I feel like once I got to Chicago, and I had a year where I moved three times in a year I I feel like that's when some of those for me, those collections that I started say like, Okay, do I need what am I doing? But I'm curious about your rock collection today? Or? Or what are what are things you look for? And rocks? Are there? Are you like, collecting all of a particular shape? Is there a type of stone you like? Do you now like limited only to vacation rocks? What's your rock status? Rachel Duggan 28:16 Good question. I It's funny, because I've been releasing old rocks back into the wild. I'm at that stage where I'm like, Does this bring me joy anymore? You know, like, but what does excite me and what I still do collect are fossils. I find fossils all the time. It's kind of like one of those things where once you find one, it becomes very addictive. And you start noticing patterns on on rocks and stones that you're like, Well, you did that, you know, Coral Castle, or Honeycomb, coral or? Yeah, all sorts of like crinoids are really common in around like Michigan. And so yeah, and in recent years, the only the only stuff I'll take home is if I find a cool bottle and I even throw some fossils back. And I'm like, it's not that big of a chunk or it's not that impressive. I have other ones at home that are more impressive than I'm like, Yeah, even maybe someone else will find it or it'll just turn into dust at some point. That's okay. Yeah. But fossils, I do have quite a few. And I just am amazed that they exist in on beaches that are, you know, full of garbage or heavily trafficked. And I meet a lot of people who are like, I've never found one and I'm like, all you got to do is find your first one and you'll find more you just have to identify those characteristics. And if you if you want it, there's plenty more to be On so yeah, Leah Jones 30:00 yeah, I remember the gravel on our playground growing up had fossilized beads in it just like mixed in with the pebbles. And so, or at least we thought they were fossilized beads. Maybe they were a type of an animal too. But yeah, we would sit under the monkey bars and like go through the pebbles on the playground looking for beads looking for fossilized speeds. Rachel Duggan 30:31 That's cool. Yeah, it's awesome. Leah Jones 30:34 Yeah, I don't think playgrounds use pebbles as much anymore for the soft landing. Rachel Duggan 30:43 That's true. Now I think that's like rubber. Right? They do. Weird like melted tire. Leah Jones 30:48 Yeah. Yeah. Now that the decision makers are people with rocks permanently embedded in their knees? Yeah. They must be the switch. Rachel Duggan 30:58 Yeah, yeah. Leah Jones 31:00 And a long side of the fossils. On the beaches in particular is are those the same beaches where you're finding the beach glass? Rachel Duggan 31:10 Yes, yeah. And that that's another area that I'm like, super excited about because one, it's technically trash. So it feels good, like removing it from the environment. And there's a lot of it, there's so much of it. It can be so disguised when it's white, or like, clear, but then because of all the sand tumbling, it almost has like a whitish more opaque look to it. And so it's very gratifying when you find that and you realize though, it's not it's not just like a white pebble or stone it's actually a class or a greens and blues can be really nice. And I've even found like red before Wow, really cool and purple like some weird stuff where I'm like, Oh, is this like was this used to be like a vase or some clear glass but with really pretty color? It's so interesting to like, consider all the possibilities of where something came from and how old it is. And you might just have a tiny shard but it's very gratifying to find and so now I have jars full of so many jars full of beach glass and I want to do something cool with it. I want to look at it all I'm like I should make my coffee table top be all beach glass or do I totally cool Yes, I really I've been I have so much of it that I could really do something exciting like mosaic wise with it I'm just intimidated because I don't want to destroy the beach glass or destroy a table Leah Jones 32:57 right you could test it out with like a coaster. Rachel Duggan 33:02 Yeah, exactly. I should do that because I do have I have like lesser beach glass to write about it in like variations of ones that I can really you know I could really part with and then other nicer specimens that I'm excited about. But what Yeah, it's cool. It's like it's interesting when I look at how much I've collected and it doesn't really I'm like did I collect all this? Geez You know, like I feel like the pandemic I really dialed it up where I was a pockets full of beach glass every day and yeah, collecting a lot so Leah Jones 33:43 what are the typical sizes that you're finding Rachel Duggan 33:48 it really varies and it's honestly dependent on what beach I'm at so some like I live in Bayview and Milwaukee which is on the south side of the city but if you go even further south to cut or hay or South Milwaukee for whatever reason there's beaches there with less people visiting them and especially seasonally I would say spring into a winter into early spring you can find the best beach glass because there's less people out and because of whatever with the waves it just like up more and you yeah I found I've found chunks that are like as big as my hands like swallow some with words on it like Milwaukee I found with like, like it's cool. Milwaukee something I don't even know glass company or and then yeah, a lot lots of smaller ones but I I usually try to just pick up the bigger pieces since the small ones are a bit more annoying to grab Leah Jones 35:00 All right. Yeah. annoying to grab annoying to get out of your pocket. Rachel Duggan 35:04 Yeah, just ends up staying in there and like scratching my iPhone at some point. Leah Jones 35:09 Yeah. Do you have a sense of? How old any of them? Are these are these like, five year old pieces of glass that glass is? Are there ways of aging it? Or is it just it's beautiful. And it is? Rachel Duggan 35:29 Yeah, I don't know. Leah Jones 35:31 I don't know. Rachel Duggan 35:32 I don't I wonder if there is. I definitely I have found pieces of glass that. Like I mentioned with like the writing on it where I like these types of things aren't being made right now? I don't know. Yeah, it has, like, whether it's the font, or, you know, just like knowing that glass isn't as common. Right? products, especially like larger scale things. Everything Yeah, stick now. Or? Yeah, just minimal, minimal new glass in terms of with writing on it and things but but yeah, I'm definitely no expert in rocks, fossils or glass. I'm more of just like, oh, this is cool. I'm gonna Yeah, keep it in look at it. But I thought I thought maybe I would I have books and things that sometimes I'll crack open if I'm trying to identify something. But yeah, it's more for just the fun and like luck of finding it. Yeah. Than studying it. Yeah. That's, that's, Leah Jones 36:46 that's cool. And do you when you're out on the beaches? Do you say to yourself, oh, today's a beach glass day, or today's a rock day or you just find the pretty things you find? And you're ambidextrous, that's the wrong word. Rachel Duggan 37:05 I know what you're saying. Yeah. I usually I'm just like, open to whatever will happen. Because once I, my eyes are like pretty well trained now to just find things. So whatever, shows itself to me. Yeah, you know, I kind of go for that, like, some days are more neat rocks, like, I'll just be in awe of like, wow, today's a really good rock day. I didn't come here looking for rocks necessarily. Same thing with fossils, or the beach glass. But yeah, and then sometimes it's just a little bit of everything. And sometimes it's just like one thing, like, I'll find a hunk of fool's gold and a rock. And I'll just be like, Whoa, this is so cool. And like, that's all I find for the day, but it still feels really special and neat that I found a little bit of treasure. Yeah. Leah Jones 38:04 I haven't thought about fool's gold in a long time. Rachel Duggan 38:07 Yeah, I thought it was real. I found it like three times before. And I lost my mind the first time thinking, right, it was gold. And then yeah, I had posted it and someone's like, you have to do a street test. And I thought, oh, man, I was so convinced this was gold, you know? But then it was cool. It was fun to like, actually do a street test and see that what color the line was, and then I'm like, Okay, it's fool's gold. It's not real. I enjoyed that little moment of thinking I found gold along you know, like Michigan, but the fool's gold honestly, pretty much equally as cool because yeah, it's just neat. It's so Leah Jones 38:48 nice to look at. Rachel Duggan 38:49 Totally and just cool because if you you know, it's not um, it's not like finding like a big gold thing. It's like a rock that's pretty unassuming looking with a little bit of like, gold feature on it. So yeah. So yeah, that's that was really cool. And just like another reminder that I can find things that I don't expect necessarily like that day, I didn't set out looking for it and yet, I found some and then I found more since then. Leah Jones 39:22 Nice. Um, how about foraging mushrooms? Rachel Duggan 39:29 Yeah. Leah Jones 39:32 I'm, so I grew up in Indiana. And so we've certainly had seasons where we've gone out Morel hunting. Okay, cool. So and also, I've told the story on the podcast before. After my sister and I had gone Morel hunting with her dad. We were walking around the block eating cinnamon gummy bears, and found some toadstools that were like, great. They're mushrooms and we sat down, we ate them, and they weren't not for human consumption. Oh no. So our mom got syrup it capac ippa CAC and made sure that it didn't kill us both. Rachel Duggan 40:13 Oh, that's really scary Marsha, it was really scary. Yeah. Leah Jones 40:19 But luckily we had been eating the cinnamon bears. So she knew that she'd gotten everything out because we had just had red gummy bears. Okay, so it was like a clear marker. And then I was I was off mushrooms for probably 15 years but now I love them again. So I'm curious what what is foraging mushrooms like up in Milwaukee? Rachel Duggan 40:46 It's pretty good. I mean, it's hit or miss. However, the first time I found one and then I saw one I mean my fear of mushrooms is very real. I think you have to have a healthy respect and fear for mushrooms before you go eating them because there are so many poisonous mushrooms and there's a lot of look alike species that if you just assume which I've actually found I found morels before but I also have found a dune stink horn I don't know if you've heard of those. No, Leah Jones 41:23 I know it's a really cool demon. Rachel Duggan 41:25 I know dune stink corn is a very similar to Morel looking. I believe that if you were to cut it, it wouldn't be hollow which is like one of your greatest things with a morale you cut it and then you look and it's like a hollow shaft. Okay. But the dune stink horn I was like eyeing it. It was in someone's yard like their front yard. And I thought there's like one Morel there wonder if they know, blah, blah, blah. Then Upon examining it closer, and I have like a mushroom app where I scan, like, I take three different photos like you do a top aside bottom. And you know, the whole app is like don't eat anything you find based on what we say just because they don't want to be liable for someone getting sick. But it is a good app to use when you're out hiking or walking around. And you're like, is that what I think it is? And then I was like, Well, this is a dune stink horn. This is not a morale. Yeah, so that was a good reminder of just don't uh, you know, like, it's easy to get really excited. But there's so much nuance with mushrooming and I've only Well, I guess I've also found chicken of the woods those Yeah. Mushrooms before, and like a huge amount of them on a tree growing off of a tree, which was awesome. Leah Jones 42:56 There's a real episode of Bob's Burgers about chicken of the woods. Oh, Rachel Duggan 43:00 really? Yeah, I should watch. What's Leah Jones 43:03 a really, you know, there's like mobsters involved in it like the Farmers Market mob like via Aha, and they're all out mushroom hunting. And then it's a great episode. Rachel Duggan 43:16 Okay, I'll look it up. Leah Jones 43:17 Yeah. What is the what is the app called your mushroom app? Rachel Duggan 43:23 That's a good question here. Let's take a look. Picture mushroom, that's what I use. It's just called Picture mushroom. Okay, and it's kind of cool too because then I can actually go through and look at all of the mushrooms that I've snapped pictures of Yeah, so it's it's nice because it's all there rather than just in your massive catalog of photos and trying to piece together the mushrooms so yeah, and yeah, there's different wooded areas in Milwaukee that I go to that have higher concentrations of mushrooms but also Yeah, it's again like once you start noticing them like I noticed them in my neighborhood. I've seen them in my alley. They come back You know often in the same area Yeah which is so cool. So it's like once you find them in a certain patch or park then go back the Yeah, their peak time a year and see what's brewing. Leah Jones 44:25 And then when you when you found those chicken chicken of the woods is that what it's called? Rachel Duggan 44:34 Yes, because there's hen of the woods but there's also chicken of the woods and the chickens are more yellowish like gold color. And the hen of the woods. Mushrooms I believe are a little bit more reddish. Leah Jones 44:47 Okay, so when you found them, did you forage and cook with them? Or did you say Haha, I found them I could eat them, but I'm gonna pass Rachel Duggan 45:00 I, I struggled I saw them and I was like, this is such a good find. And I'm so excited because there's so meaty. They're really such an amazing mushroom. Right? So then I did return back with a knife and with a paper bag and I did cut off some I left some on the tree so that way I didn't like completely remove it. Yeah. But this is embarrassing to admit, I was very grossed out by them when they were just chilling in my house. I was like, mushrooms are aliens because the bag started. It got like, like grease. Mm hmm. Because things were happening. Obviously, they're living things and then when they are like releasing their spores, uh huh. And I was just like, I had some regret. I was like, Maybe I shouldn't have picked these. I still ate them. But I don't have like a deep fryer and I didn't like properly cook. Yeah, like the way a restaurant is gonna give you like chicken nuggets. But, um, but they it was it was a weird experience having them because with morels whenever I've found morels, I even if it's like to I'll prepare them right away. I just like, tear them and eat them. I don't just like let them hang out. I had those other ones in my kitchen for a while. And I was pretty weirded out by what was going on. And I'm like Leah Jones 46:43 I you know, next time I say the continued activity of the chicken. Yeah. Rachel Duggan 46:47 So I was like, You know what, I think I might just let these guys continue on in the woods or on their tree and just leave it leave it for nature or somebody else who's gonna enjoy them more? Leah Jones 46:58 Yeah. That's really interesting. Yeah, I mean, at some level mushrooms are sort of like the octopus of the plant Rachel Duggan 47:07 world. Right? Yes. Yeah. They really are incredibly smart, sophisticated, mysterious things. And yeah, the more I've learned about them and how they like, communicate and work with tree networks and decomposition and their spores, yeah, it's there's like, there's some weirdness going on there that I'm like, it's not as appetizing in some ways, yeah. Leah Jones 47:53 And then, then you also have finding animals? Rachel Duggan 47:58 I do. Yes. Well, I'm so excited because I have a family of foxes living behind me right now. And I see them every single day. I feel so beyond lucky. I'm trying to savor this time period, because I know it's not going to last right? But I have close encounters with foxes every single day and I'm just in awe of how beautiful and wild they are. But then they've adapted I mean, they've forcibly adapted to urban environments, right? But I mean it's it's three pups and a mom and I've had two pups while I'm walking my dog two pups run right by us playing the mom stop and look at me and my dog approach us slightly not in a scary way but in a serious way. I I've seen the foxes on the roofs of my neighbor's garage garages that I'm just like in the kitchen making coffee and I look out the window and I see foxes on roofs I'm just like, This is so cool. I feel like I have to pinch myself because in the prior to this period of time where they decided to make a den behind my house. I I once saw Fox I saw a fox once in western far western Illinois on cabin friend trip once and we're all losing our minds looking out the window just like I can't believe we can see a fox right now. It's so rare to see a fox. Yeah. And I kind of thought that I would never see one again unless I was Staying in like a very wooded area similar to what had happened before. So having this completely different, like very close, common sighting? Yeah. It's, it's so cool. It's so cool. And I'm just all the time watching out for them and that they're different times a day. They're different activities paying attention to other animals that are interacting with them. Yeah. And also, you know, seeing how like my dog is like, watching or barking or like looking at these wild animals. It's, it's super cool. Leah Jones 50:39 Oh, that is so neat. And you're getting to watch the pups grow up over the summer. Rachel Duggan 50:46 I am and I get I mean, it's like, I'm so attached because I'm constantly worrying about the pups like, yeah, are the pups or are they okay? Are they eating? Okay? Are they like, you know, cuz there's, there's so much on the line, it's so hard, right? Luckily, there are a lot of small critters around here that they're able to survive and thrive. But, um, you know, there's a lot of cars like there's every night I think, oh my gosh, they're crossing really busy streets and people drive. And they're not looking for any, they're not like watching for wild animals or thinking about, yeah, driving cautiously. I feel like people in general just don't really drive cautiously anymore. So just the concern of that, or even someone calling it in to, you know, the city or having them relocated or rereleased somewhere else? And Leah Jones 51:47 yeah. Rachel Duggan 51:48 You know, it hasn't come to that. Yeah, I've talked with many of the neighbors, they're all aware of what's going on, people are being very aware with their cats and their pets and things. And, you know, there's just like an acknowledgment that we've pushed out our wildlife because of us taking over a lot of their land and that they have to adapt and they have and even if it's a sliver of green grass and trees that they're like this, this is going to work for now. So Leah Jones 52:20 yeah, so do they burrow like do they do? Rachel Duggan 52:25 Yeah, they have a den they have a den and it's it's really funny because there's just like, one day there was a mound of dirt outside of this kind of sloped, wooded area behind our house. And we didn't we're like, oh, maybe the people who live next to that are going to do something they're doing landscaping things. And then it was like every day that the the dirt was changing. And then there was a really deep hole that we were like, Ah, I don't think that's a raccoon or I don't think that's a pom pom it just started evolving and then we would start having sightings where the fox or multiple boxes would be standing above the hole and digging or bringing things there there would be lots of carnage lots of blood and stink and you know, carcasses things going on to where we were like holy crap, there's, there's like, we need like a game camera. I really want to I wish I could see what they were up to all the time. Because it's like a nature show hands. Yeah, behind us. But yeah, little by little, we started noticing things and kind of picking up on what was going on. Or even crows like the neighborhood crows, right? So angry at the foxes that during like between the 5am to six an hour, the crows will just come and squawk at their den and I think it's because they're mad that they don't have any stuff to eat these days. Because the crows used to pick up anything that was like dead or Uh huh, small stuff and the crows we'll just call those there'll be right outside there and just wow, it just like the inner workings of things going on where before I heard that I just be like, Oh, what are the crows doing blah, blah, blah, but it's like no, there's like territorial stuff going on here. And these foxes have efficiently taken over this whole area that you know, other animals were depending on small critters and or even just like trash or things that you know end up being out that animals do, right. These foxes are cleaning up the neighborhoods so yeah. Leah Jones 54:54 That's I'm sad for the crows but happy for you. Rachel Duggan 54:58 I know it's hard It is hard because it really highlights how brutal nature is, in every sense, because even in our backyard, I have had so many like, I don't even know if it's called litters of bunnies. So many bunnies call our yard a home. And luckily we have like a very fenced off yard. So the foxes have found a way to come in yet. But, you know, we find dead bodies all the time by the den. And it's heartbreaking because I love my baby bunnies. And I just Yeah, buddy to like live in happiness together. But I realized that that's just not how it works. Leah Jones 55:45 Yeah, yeah, we've had a lot of I live across the street from a big park. And so bunnies on this side of the this neighborhood in Chicago are everywhere. And last night, I was just sitting or a couple nights ago, sitting in the in the lawn and watching this rabbit just, it just jumped out from from its den, or wherever it typically lives. And it was looking at me and it was like, Oh, am I scared of you or not. And I would run up the gangway and then run back and then run into the bushes and then run back out in the yard. And just like couldn't quite decide where like where it wanted to hang out. But it's real active. And so I only I'll take my cat out. He'll come and hang out in the yard with me for some enrichment time. But he's not a hunter. He's always been an indoor cat who just, you know, likes to smell the garden. And then he'll see if he when he sees a rabbit or a rat Hill, you know, instinct kicks in, but he doesn't know what to do with the instinct. So he'll just like he's never caught anything, thank God. Or gotten even close, because he just he thinks it's going to be a toy. So when it keeps moving, he's very confused. Rachel Duggan 57:11 That's, that's really cute. It's kind of with my dog. She likes to chase. But she's Yeah, she's like a collie mix. So it's more about the herding aspect than it is about actually catching and she's never, she loses interest pretty quick. She's like, like into it. And then she just is like, even from the fox. Sometimes we'll see the fox in the morning. She'll look. And then she'll just be like, hey, I want to sniff over here. And I'm like, Fox right here. It's amazing. And she's like, data yesterday. It's fine. It's not scared of us. Leah Jones 57:47 It's not stealing your dog's food. So your dog is yeah, he was Rachel Duggan 57:50 like, whatever. It's fine. Leah Jones 57:53 Yeah. Get I've been really in the last couple years, I guess it's probably since the pandemic when people had to find new hobbies. A lot of my friends kind of in line with the memes got into birdwatching. Oh, Rachel Duggan 58:12 yes. Yeah. And I. Leah Jones 58:16 So far, I'm really enjoying the like, the Instagram feeds of my friends who are into birdwatching. Because I haven't quite entered that era of my late 40s yet, but I can tell him close. Yeah, it's coming. Yeah, it's on its way. Rachel Duggan 58:33 Yeah, that's so funny, because my brother during the pandemic got really into bird watching. And I have a couple of friends too. And I'm like, that's totally within my scope of things that I'm interested in. I just haven't gotten there yet. Yeah, sometimes we'll see a bird that I'm like, Whoa, what is that? Or I'll just hear their song and think, Oh, that's a different bird. I should look that up. But I haven't gone into full birder mode. But yeah, there's always time. We've got time. Leah Jones 59:03 Yeah. There's an app. I think it's called Merlin. That is like Shazam for bird calls. Oh, cool. So you can record you can, you can record it, and it will help you identify the bird based on the call. Rachel Duggan 59:19 That's awesome. Yeah, because it is hard when you're like, how do I Google? Yeah, like a bird. Yeah. Leah Jones 59:30 Amazing. Well, Rachel, it's been so fun getting to spend this morning with you talking about finding treasures and your new book. Is there anything I haven't asked you about? Finding things out in the world or buts that you want to make sure to mention? Rachel Duggan 59:50 I don't think so. Yeah, I feel like kind of just what we talked about earlier where I think the only thing I can say was that I'm a While I'm I'm an observer, I'm also just people watcher. And so maybe that's where my drawing butts really came because I was like, it's fun to look at puppets and draw them but yeah, the, the, it's just there's so much treasure to be found whether it's just visually taking something in or actually finding a specimen or an object that feels really good, but I think it really adds to my life when I'm able to take in what's happening around me. And so it's, it's yeah, it's been really fun to talk about all those different, different things. Leah Jones 1:00:44 Awesome. Where can people find you on the internet? Rachel Duggan 1:00:48 Yes, I am on Instagram and I'm on Tik Tok. My Pages are just under RAD illustrates. And I also have an online store which has other information about what events I'm going to be doing and the book. And that's read illustrates.com Leah Jones 1:01:09 Outstanding. People can find finding favorites on Instagram, and Twitter finding faves pod. You can send me an email if you want. It's still a new email address and I haven't memorized it. So let me find what that is. Send me an email with feedback about episodes or guests that you would like to hit here on finding favorites podcast@gmail.com. And please rate and review on Apple podcasts or good pods. Those are the two places that actually take reviews. So please leave a five star review. recommend this to your friends. That's how we'll keep it keep the podcast growing. So Rachel, thank you so much. This has been wonderful. Rachel Duggan 1:01:59 Yeah, thank you very much. I had a great time. Announcer 1:02:02 Thank you for listening to finding favorites with Leah Jones. Please make sure to subscribe and drop us a five star review on iTunes. Now go out and enjoy your favorite things. Transcribed by https://otter.ai…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Vanessa Ricci-Thode loves Monarch butterflies 1:18:12
1:18:12 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:18:12
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedCanadian author Vanessa Ricci-Thode has turned her front yard into an official Monarch butterfly waystation and joined Leah Jones to talk about her love of the migrating butterfly. We talk about the very long commute from Mexico to Canada, simple steps to conservation and their second love of gigantic trees. Vanessa's new book True Flame (Book 2 of the Fireborn series) is available now and books 3 and 4 will be published in the next year. Vanessa Ricci-Thode's website Instagram @vriccithode Blue Sky @vriccithode.bsky.social True Flame Dragon Whisperer Get Vaness's books in Canada Show Notes Journey North Monarch Watch time lapse of a Monarch butterfly transformation Bee balm Climbing Giant Sequoia National Geographic General Sherman Good Company Chicago Upper Middle Brow Chicago Jewish Book Fest 2023…
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Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
1 Chad Hancock loves Bluey 1:17:07
1:17:07 Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir Geliked1:17:07
Später Spielen Später Spielen Listen Gefällt mir GelikedChad Hancock, host of Wackadoo! A Bluey Podcast for Grown-ups, joined Leah to introduce her to the new blue dog popular with kids and parents alike. Chad shares how he and his family started watching family, why it's an important piece of children's media and some of his favorite episodes. We also compare notes on hosting food podcasts, Chicago vs. San Francisco, and puppets on stage. Follow Chad online Wackadoo: A Bluey Podcast for Grown-Ups You Tried Dat Instagram @napoleon_puli Show Notes Coldest Winter Mark Twain? Bluey.tv Maple Poffertjes at Trader Joe's Caillou Bluey Tour How to play jinx Sleepytime Keepy Uppy Grandad…
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