Classy Little Podcast

Hi everyone, This is Emily from the Classy Little Podcast. I wanted to apologize for ending the podcast so abruptly after a very long hiatus. Thank you to all our listeners and supporters -- it was really an amazing year of podcasting we’ll never forget. Anyway, you can still catch James on the Unskippable podcast with my husband Mark, where they review one new album every episode and make each other listen to an old favorite without skipping it. You can find information at UnskippablePod.com And you can find me on my new podcast called The Story Behind, which is similar to the Classy Little Podcast, as far as finding out information about a new topic every week, but it’s much more specific. The format is much shorter than Classy Little Podcast -- these are bites-sized episodes that can fill the 5-10 minutes here and there, or save them up and binge-listen as you please. There’s no wine and cheese, unfortunately -- but, then again, one of the reasons Classy Little Podcast is no more is that I haven’t been able to enjoy wine or certain cheeses for about four months now, and I have another five months to go with no wine. But, despite what other podcasters may say, babies aren’t podcast killers. But doing shorter episodes means I’ll have less editing and production work, as well as a chance to put out two episodes every week. So, I can leave you here with a final farewell from the Classy Little Podcast and you can skip ahead to your next podcast, or you can keep listening for the first episode of my new show, The Story Behind The Theremin. If you like what you hear, please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app. And find more information at TheStoryBehindPodcast.com. Cheers!

For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Gazela Vinho Verde from Portugal This episode's cheese: Marco Polo Peppercorn Cheese For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/48.   Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast Nick from the Epic Film Guys Jim from TheAverageGuy.TV Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

We're celebrating P.T. Barnum's birthday this week in an episode featuring the history (and name) of the infamous circus theme music, a history of P.T. Barnum, the Hartford Circus Fire, stories of elephants in the circus, and circus lingo. For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Michael David Winery 2013 Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon This episode's cheese: Jalapeño Havarti & Basil and Herb Cheese If you've ever wondered about the name of the theme song most associated with circuses, you probably would never guess it's called Entry of the Gladiators or, even more grandiose, Thunder and Blazes! P.T. Barnum, as it turns out, was not only an incredibly devious businessman, but also astonishingly brilliant. Even though he never actually said, "There's a sucker born every minute," he might as well have. We went a little Connecticut-heavy in this episode. Emily talks about the Hartford Circus Fire, and if you follow us on Snapchat, you might have seen the pictures and videos taken from her field trip. Learn more: Stuff You Missed in History Class episode Hartford Courant Retrospective Circus Fire 1944 website We find out just how awesome elephants are, and how they apparently like to get a bit tipsy. And, if you ever hear "Stars and Stripes Forever," it means there's an emergency. Learn this and other circus lingo in this episode. Thanks to Bryon from Everyone Has a Podcast for sending us some audio feedback, breaking down Benford's Law, which we talked about in Cheers to Numbers! For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/47. Featured promos: The Countdown: Movie & TV Reviews -- Thanks to Epic Film Guy Nick for doing this promo! Afterburn 739 Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast Nick from the Epic Film Guys Jim from TheAverageGuy.TV Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Happy one-year anniversary to us! If you've been there since the beginning -- when we were using Rock Band mics and didn't know what we were doing, or if you're new to the show, cheers to YOU! Thank you, dear listeners, for a fantastic year! We're celebrating by talking about the traditional gift of paper this week. For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Burlass Prosecco, Italy This episode's cheese: Havarti Want to attract cats? Try putting a piece of paper down! Emily finds out why cats seem to be drawn to paper, and we try out this phenomenon on Little Man! Emily is slowly becoming Angela from "The Office." Speaking of "The Office," James talks about the show we both love so much, which if you've never seen it, is about a paper company ... except for the German version, as we find out. If you've ever wanted to destroy the world, James tells us just how much paper it would take to print the internet. Next time you're in the bathroom, you can thank Northern toilet paper for pushing "splinter-free" paper towel. And, Emily finally puts the over/under controversy to rest about how toilet paper should be positioned. (Letters can be addressed to contact@classylittlepodcast.com.) We also both know why paper cuts hurt so much, but Emily lets James give the answer. But, we do all know how badly they hurt! If you think origami was just a hobby, that's just scratching the surface. Find out why the crane is one of the most popular origami shapes and how origami folding techniques have been used in technology, science and medicine. James finishes our episode correcting an Oops! moment from our last episode, thanks to Aven who let us know via Twitter. Visit the show notes for this episode. Featured promos: Debt Shepherd Mat Talk Online Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

It's summer, and we don't know about you, but we feel there's nothing like a nice, cold ice cream on a hot summer day! We raise our glasses (and spoons) to this amazing treat. We even had to pause recording to eat the decadent delicacy! For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Fleur de Nina Brut Rose This episode's cheese: Double Cream Brie This episode's ice cream: Graeter's Cheese Crown Ice Cream Think you know the history of ice cream? Think again! James and Emily even find out conflicting information about who invented ice cream! Emily tells James about Turkish ice cream and the street vendors who make a show out of selling it. Watch the video! James talks about the history of frozen desserts and how ice cream became increasingly popular. And, if you've ever wanted to know the history and the secrets of Carvel, look no further. Emily shares details about her five year working as an ice cream server, including how those delicious Crunchies are made. And, if you want to get the most cookie dough-to-ice cream ratio, James tells us how Ben & Jerry's has the most cookie dough. And, speaking of Ben & Jerry's, Emily quizzes James on Ben & Jerry's flavors. Can you figure out which ones are actual flavors and which ones are just fun puns? For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/44.   Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd, Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast & Nick from the Epic Film Guys Podcast. Thanks to Nick from the Epic Film Guys Podcast and Greg from Debt Shepherd for our awesome promos in this episode! Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Stop right there if you have a delicate stomach. We're talking about creepy, crawly insects this week. And, despite looking for the positive traits of them, we can say with certainty -- nope, some of them can be downright jerks! For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Tremo 2014 Rioja Tempranillo This episode's cheese: Smoked Gouda For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/44. Even though we're marked as an explicit podcast because sometimes we drop a few F-bombs here and there, listeners should be warned about the awful conduct of the insects we talk about this week. Want your own I ADULTED TODAY sticker? Listen to the episode to find out how to get your very own -- even if your version of Adulting is putting wine in a wine glass (as opposed to a coffee mug). James teases Emily with talk of kittens ... but, unfortunately, nothing we talk about is as cute as a kitten. Find out about some of the collective names of insects, like a Kaleidoscope of Butterflies or an Intrusion of Cockroaches. Remember all the funny sounds of enthusiasm Emily made in Cheers to Cats? She makes just as many grossed-out sounds in this episode. James shows his weird fascination with ants. He also starts getting some lessons in puns -- because that's what the world needs more of. And James somehow talks about our ANT-cestors! Get it? Get it? Learn about honeypot ants. Seriously, these things are just gross. (If you really want a look at these things, here's a picture.) Emily's only defense against getting grossed out are puns! Emily talks about bees(?), Cards Against Humanity, and how she started researching bees and it became an internet rabbit hole for her. Find out about the superstitions and old wives' tales about bees, including rituals for telling bees about major life events. Would you eat blue or green honey if you knew it came from M&Ms? We would love to try it. France, send it over to us to try! And, despite humans' fear of bees, the decline of honeybees actually affects us and the food we eat. Emily gives us some tips to help out our little busy bee-friends. But, if you've ever wondered why a bee dies when it stings you, put down whatever you're eating when Emily tells you why. Also, Internet, be ashamed of yourself! You know why! James talks more about ants and how they enslave other ants, and how some ants are revolting against this slavery! And, if you haven't learned about about insects to give you nightmares, Emily tells us about two of the most nightmare-inducing insects in existence, the Mantidfly and the Perisceptis Carnivora. After that, we ended the episode by talking about sex! But, don't get excited -- insects even turn that into a terrible thing. Bedbugs are especially violent when it comes to procreation. We would love to hear from you about what you call fireflies or lightning bugs! Let us know! Email classypodcast@gmail.com or Tweet at us! By the way, the play that Emily talks about is called "Time Flies," and it's a really great one-act play. Although, you may not want to take Emily's advice on entertainment, since she clearly hates Woody Allen. Sweet dreams! Featured promos: Unskippable (iTunes/URL) Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd; PodUnderground; Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast; and Nick from Epic Film Guys! Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

  Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/43. Build your knowledge with this episode celebrating architecture in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday! Learn why blueprints used to be blue, why "Star-chitechs" are divas, and prepare to have some favorite sitcoms ruined by nitpicking the structural flaws of TV houses. This episode's wine: Blue Vin Riesling from Mosel, Germany This episode's cheese: Sartori MontAmore We start out the episode talking about aperitifs and their traits of stimulating the appetite. James realizes how Emily's mind for puns works. He also talks about Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy, including the gas station he designed. He may not have been the most modest architect, but he definitely left an impact on the landscape of modern architecture. Find out how origins of blueprints contributed to invisible ink during Wold War II and the Crayola-retired color Prussian Blue. James tells us about Star-citechs, and we make sure you'll always remember the name of the inventor of movable type, Gutenberg, which we learned in our episode, Cheers to Marijuana. Somehow, Emily finds a way to relate James' research to The Breakfast Club. Some of the best architecture stories can be found in New York City, and Emily talks about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, including the three chief architects who worked on it. Find out why the Manhattan side of the bridge is built onto a sand bed instead of bedroom, and the recently-discovered Cold War-era bunker found in the masonry. And, before anyone takes this idea, this episode will be our evidence that we came up with the movie idea based on George C. Parker, who sold the bridge twice per week for 30 years. Find out about some of the biggest architecture failures, and never underestimate Emily's talent for fooling James into thinking she's listening to him when she's actually using the time to come up with a tortured pun. (Be sure to check out the 99% Invisible episode talking more about the Citigroup Building.) Get ready to have your childhood rerun memories ruined when Emily talks about architects in pop culture and how they might not have been that great at their careers, but they are great leading characters. Mike Brady, Elyse Keaton and even Art Vandelay find their way into our episode. James also asks an very important question regarding the bathroom habits of talking horses. If you have 20 minutes to spare to learn about the impossible architecture of Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" and Stanley Kubrick's genius direction, check out these YouTube videos! Video 1 and Video 2. Featured promos: The Ultra Podcast (iTunes/URL) Epic Film Guys (iTunes/URL)  Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Thanks to Lisa for featuring us as Lisa's Choice Podcast Award winner for the Indie Podcast Category! And check out Emily on Podcasters' Roundtable talking about Work/Life/Podcasting Balance. Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

For episode 42, we had to do something related to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," but since neither of us had read the book, we decided to raise our glasses to numbers, instead! Aside from 42 being the ultimate answer, we also look at the number 3 in religions, how 30 percent of data begins with the number 1, and why 13 is really just the Jan Brady of numbers. This episode's wine: Bell'Aggio Rosso Dolce This episode's cheese: Trader Joe's Cheddar with Caramelized Onions For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook We adored the Bell'Aggio Rosso Dolce, which we were sent a bottle of to review. It's a light, effervescent red that tastes great chilled. And we would absolutely drink this with any of the recommended pairings and more! Even Kitty -- our friend who didn't even like wine adored this! Even thought James and Emily haven't read Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," we decided to do something special for Episode 42. So we chose numbers to raise our glasses to this week. Aside from just Douglas Adams who used 42 in his writings, Lewis Carroll was also known for using that number in his works. Emily also points out some of the other instances in literature and pop culture 42 appears. James talks about Benford's Law, which is the frequency of the No. 1 as the first digit of a lot of data sets. Don't believe us? Think of your electricity bill or some street addresses you may know. We realized, also, if you try to commit fraud, make sure the first number is 1. Despite learning how the periodic table was filled in even before many elements were known, Emily gets to complain about the shape of the Periodic Table. And Emily's husband's pure hatred of 87 because of the Pittsburgh Penguins player, Sidney Crosby. And, if you haven't caught Cheers to Guys Night, in which Mark and James talk about the Trifecta of Beauty, check it out here! James talks about some of the Chinese superstitions about numbers and why the phone number 888-8888 sold for $280,000. Apparently, if you're doing business with China, throw in some 8s, since it's a sign of prosperity, but don't use 4s, since they're considered unlucky. Emily tells us another way our mind plays tricks on us, as far as prices are concerned. So, when you see the 99 cents at the end of the price, your brain probably doesn't register it, so it's just the first one or two numbers of a price that tricks your mind. Emily talks about the number 3, including why sometimes you'll see it with a flat top. And Emily blows Kitty's mind when she talks about how to find out if number is divisible by three. We also get into how the number 3 has been important in a number of different religions, including the creator gods of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda. Emily also goes into the history of the Rule of Three and how storytellers, comedians, advertisers, and public speakers use this Rule of Three as a way to their advantage. Next time you're looking at slogans or hearing a joke or listening to a speech, see if you can pick out the rule of three in use. James talks about unlucky 13 and how it's a global belief. Judas, Loki and the wicked fairy in the Grimms' version of "Sleeping Beauty." But, in reality, 13 is just the Jan Brady to the Marcia Brady No. 12. We also talk about the "bad" luck of those with 13 letters in their name -- and Emily makes quite an interesting sound when Christian Bale is mentioned. Also, we may be looking into joining The 13 Club, who tests the boundaries of the superstition surrounding the No. 13. However, the United States of America LOVES 13, and looking at a dollar bill, you will see evidence of that. And, the Queen makes an appearance to read lyrics to popular songs with numbers in the title for a music quiz for James and the ever-present-but-seldom-vocal Kitty to guess. How well do you do on our quiz? Let us know! Congratulations to Richard, Amy and Jen for winning copies of Scrimish in our giveaway! For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/42. Featured promos: Unskippable Three is Comedy Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Find out how you can support the Classy Little Podcast by visiting classylittlepodcast.com/support. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! Our Audible recommendation for this episode: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

We celebrate James' birthday by raising our glasses to James' favorite meal: scraps! But, instead of leftover food, we decided to go back and use some of our research from past episodes we never got to talk about. This episode's wine: Longitude 2015 White Wine This episode's cheese: Trader Joe's Red Leicester with Chili and Red Bell Pepper For wine deals through our affiliate, wine.com, visit classylittlepodcast.com/wine. Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music, and find out more at classylittlepodcast.com/subscribe. Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook Find out about the clear cola that pre-dated Crystal Pepsi, why Sinead O'Connor ripped a picture of the pope on Saturday Night Live, the history of Farkle, how gambling addiction works, some thoughts on the Oscars with Epic Film Guy Nick, and famous cats on ships! For extras, including bonus content, visit the show notes for this episode at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/41. Past Episodes Referenced: Cheers to Soft Drinks (iTunes/Website) Cheers to Comedy with Everyone Has a Podcast (iTunes/Website) Cheers to Tabletop Games (iTunes/Website) Cheers to March Madness (iTunes/Website) Cheers to Back to the Future (iTunes/Website) Cheers to the Oscars with The Epic Film Guys (iTunes/Website) Cheers to Cats (iTunes/Website) Featured promos: Epic Film Guys (iTunes/Website) Ultra Podcast (iTunes/Website) Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! We got to be guests on Home Gadget Geeks talking about wine gadgets! Check it out!   Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Greg from Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

In honor of our appearance on Home Gadget Geeks on Thursday, we're raising out glasses to gadgets. We learn about patent trolls; some fun facts about everyone's favorite syndicated cartoon, "Inspector Gadget;" and Emily finds out that Planned Obsolescence isn't just a conspiracy theory. This episode's wine: Da Vinci Chianti, 2014 This episode's cheese: Colby Jack Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook In honor of Home Gadget Geeks, which we will be on Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Standard Time, we're talking about gadgets! Emily starts off talking about the polymath Leonardo da Vinci's "gadgets," including his Robotic Knight and his three-wheeled cart. James even goes so far as to "out" him! James talks about how old iPods are worth a lot of money, and how Emily would like her stolen iPod back, terrible music and all. He also talks about the Newton and how "The Simpsons" helped Apple push for better technology. James tells us about some crazy patents, including a mechanical man with a mustache and a top hat ringing a bell on a train to scare off cows. Emily is incredibly excited about a new version of childbirth for her future child.  Emily gets into some of the trivia about Inspector Gadget, including some of the precursors to current technology. Want to see the guy playing the theme from "Inspector Gadget on beer bottles? Check this out! Emily also learns about planned obsolescence as she researched Inspector Gadget. She thought it was a conspiracy theory, but she ended up finding out how it actually plays out, including in gadgets like iPhones, and even nylon stockings. And she also requests a version of "Boom, Boom Dollar" on a Playstation 4 version of Dance Dance Revolution. Is that so much to ask. James tells us about patent trolls and how the Obama administration has fought this. How dare someone try to patent toast?! And, if you have any incites about how to program our own robot, James, to understand emotions, let us know! Featured promo:  Unskippable Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Don't be ashamed you tuned in this week to hear about our adventure on The Jerry Springer Show (as audience members, not guests), the reason guilt-free foods don't taste as good, or how awful Japanese television can be. And, go ahead, you can do the Jerry chant right along with us! Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: 19 Crimes 2015 Red Wine, South Eastern Australia This episode's cheese: Cheddar with Sauteed Onions from Trader Joe's Our wine leads us to realize why the Bangles would have been sentences to Transportation way back when, then we talk about our Classy Little Field Trip to The Jerry Springer Show taping. We told our bosses we had "Jerry Duty," and we completely indulged ourselves in this adventure. The particular episode we went to was the big reveal of Bear Grillz' face -- an EDM DJ who performs in a bear costume. No, really. This is a thing. Of course, we saw cheating, fighting, and lots of name-calling. We do love Jerry Springer, especially his Dad jokes. And he knows his show is a guilty pleasure. Emily found out about the science behind guilty pleasures, and how it's applied to marketing and advertising, including why ads inducing guilt has the opposite effect. A very big thank you to Greg at Debt Shepherd radio for our amazing promo! Now, we're not sure if he would, but unfortunately Jerry Springer cannot run for president. Find out how he went from being on the city council, to stepping down after being involved in a prostitution scandal, to becoming the mayor of Cincinnati and, finally, the host of The Jerry Springer Show for 25 years. And, if he wasn't awesome enough, he has a podcast! We found out some of our listeners' musical guilty pleasures, including finding out who Stryper is -- none of which should be considered a guilty pleasure, according to us. In fact, it's really difficult to find our guilty pleasures since we don't have guilt about liking things like disco, Barry Manilow, and Flavor of Love -- Season 2 is the best because of Becky Buckwild! And, despite the over-dramatic theater people, Emily admits musical theater is one of her guilty pleasures -- and, although her admitting she hates "Rent," nothing will piss off theater people more than James' butchering of "Seasons of Love." We talk about why certain things can be considered guilty pleasures, while other areas of entertainment, like music, might not apply. And James tries to sing, again! He also talks about the term "guilty pleasure" and its use in history, and how it might have more relevant in modern times. Emily finds the top guilty pleasures of zodiac signs, and James goes from skeptical to a believer when Kitty walks down the stairs with Wendy's right as Emily tells James how Capricorns' guilty pleasure is fast food. And find out why the newspaper Emily worked for always had great horoscopes of Tauruses, and why the obituaries were arranged in order or hotness. James talks about reality television, and we find out about Emily's time with the WWE -- not as a wrestler, although she would be Brian Kendrick's valet wherever his future endeavors may have taken him. Emily is shocked to hear about some of the reality television shows around the world, including Susunu! Denpa Shonen -- a show where a man spent a year naked entering magazine sweepstakes. And, for our listeners in Norway, please tell us about (and send DVDs!) of your Slow TV! James and Emily get into a weird conversation about Catholic guilt vs. Protestant "not-much-guilt." Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Even if you consider yourself anti-social, you can get all the socializing you need in this episode all about the magic of friendship -- and, yes, we talk about MLP:FIM.   This episode's wine: Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc 2014, New Zealand This episode's cheese: Cotswold This episode was inspired from a request on Twitter from one of our listeners, Hilary, who asked how James and I met and became friends! The basic answer is we worked together years ago and got along well because we were both snarky and sarcastic. James and Emily start off this episode joking around -- probably because of the amazing cheese and wine -- before delving into this week's topic: friendship! Find out the history of James' and Emily's friendship, including James becoming a wine person. Find out some fan theories about the show "Friends," including calling attention to how unlikable Ross was and how this show was the beginning of the fall of civilization. James enlightens Emily about how guys' friendships work, including a particularly strange game they play that involves punching someone for looking at an "OK-symbol" made with the hands below the waist. Have you played this game? Is there a name for this? Let us know! If anyone wants to start a mild version of Fight Club with James, get in touch with us. We'll make that happen. Find out why all this play fighting is actually a good thing, and how male friendships, although more "violent" can actually be healthier than friendships among girls. Emily talks about the book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and how she uses the book to help identify bad marketers and psychopaths. We also find out that James has been trying to read the book since hearing how Charles Manson used the skills from the book, which he learned from the podcast, "You Must Remember This." Emily points out how the automatic DMs on Twitter are sometimes so transparent about using Dale Carnegie's 6 techniques to getting people to like you, but how awful it is when they use those techniques in a clumsy way, resulting in the exact opposite effect. We also realize we're pretty much terrible people because we're terrible at remembering names, and Emily makes a case for name tags. Emily talks about trying to explain to her 5-year-old why The Little Mermaid is a terrible role model for women because she changes herself for a guy she has a crush on. As much as she doesn't like Disney Princesses, she isn't all evil; in fact, she may just be a Brony or Pegasister. Oh yes, that's right -- we're talking "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" in this episode, including why it's an awesome show for young children, as well as adults. Believe it or not, Emily has watched the two documentaries about Bronies (Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans Of My Little Pony and A Brony Tale, and gained more respect for Brony culture. But, then again, there's always Rule 34. James talks about how intimate friendship was in the past, including talking about some awkward friend photos. But, if you think Bromances are a new trend, you're wrong! And, we finally decide what we'll do should we ever invent a time machine. Emily also finds out what Log Cabin Republicans are. Emily talks about the two of the most famous sets of frenemies: Taylor Swift vs. Katy Perry and Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Edison. We find out how these sets of once-friends became rivals -- and Emily even learns some science for the show! Featured promos: Epic Film Guys Everyone Has a Podcast Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Game on! Blow on those dice, spend 30 minutes setting up that elaborate game board, and get ready to raise your glasses to Tabletop games -- either a great way to socialize, or the way to end friendships, as we discover in this episode. All in honor of International Tabletop Day, which is April 30th. Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook! This episode's wine: 2014 Jigsaw Pinot Noir, Oregon This episode's cheese: Aged Reserve White Cheddar Find out a little bit of history behind International Tabletop Day,  from GeekandSundry.com, which is also the home of Wil Wheaton's show "Tabletop." Emily talks about the benefits of playing games for children and adults, and why she and her friends are no longer allowed to play Monopoly. Despite the popularity of video games, board games continue to rise in popularity. One reason games continue to be popular is the rise in crowdfunding games, such as one of our favorites, Scrimish, which you can win a copy of by going to classylittlepodcast.com/giveaway. Want to find out more about Scrimish? Check out inventor Danny Zondervan's video explaining game play over on the Kickstarter page. (Emily and her husband, Mark, are proud to say they helped Kickstart this campaign!) James, despite hating the game, talks about some of the history of Monopoly, including the real story behind the invention of it. Fun Fact: You cannot use the game board as a map around Atlantic City. We also want to go to the landfill to find buried copies of Anti-Monopoly. Also, what were some of your house rules you had while playing Monopoly? Let us know! Although James says Monopoly takes too long to play, Emily tells him how it's possible to play the game in 21 seconds. We also talk about the updates made to game, including changing cash to credit cards. Even though Monopoly may be responsible for the loss of friendship, the game was responsible for helping British prisoners of war escape during World War II. Emily freaks herself out researching Ouija boards, and she finds out the history, some precursors, and why mediums were more upset about Ouija boards at first than the church. Find out the reason for the Ouija board's name, how it was awarded a patent, and some of the other talking boards in existence. So, what makes the Ouija board work? It seems plausible that it could be spirits ... until you blindfold users. Watch on YouTube. We find out James' poo story, and you can hear more about poop stories from Off in the Weeds.  James gives us a game, Board Game or Racehorse? This is a tough, tough game, by the way! Emily even calls on Kitty to help her out. She even just starts guessing categories other than game or racehorse for a few of them. Because of this game, we decide we want to play Hey, That's My Fish! Find out what porn and polio has to do with Candyland. And we finally found a topic in which James really couldn't find any large corporations to judge this week! By the way, the Drunk History episode James refers to can be watched on CC.com. But James does talk a bit about Milton Bradley and some of the innovations he brought to America. And get the inside info on why we're an Explicit podcast. (It's James' fault. Clearly.) Apparently, we'll be planning a field trip to Springfield, Mass. Emily gives a few fun facts about Scrabble, including a terrible French/Spanish/Gibberish pronunciation of the International Federation of Scrabble! Thanks for your patience while Emily was feeling under the weather this week -- we tried to get this episode out as soon as possible. Actually, a HUGE thank you to her husband, Mark, who did a majority of editing for her while she had fever dreams that her cat was telepathically sending her a ideas for a book he wants to write. (Seriously. This happened.) Featured promos: Three is Comedy This Freakin' Show Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Get an exclusive episode-inspired shirt for a limited time only for only $14. Even though we aren't getting high in this episode, we're still celebrating 420! Sit back, toke up, and let us be your spirit guide through the origins of 420, the science behind marijuana, CBD-rich hemp oil, some famous potheads, and the propaganda surrounding "Reefer Madness." Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook This episode's wine: Dansk Mjod Viking Blod Hibiscus and Honey Mead, Denmark This episode's cheese: Garden Vegetable andSweet BasilWe also tried Brown Ale made with hemp from Humbold Brewing Company We bring back the Chambong for this episode, if you remember it from our Cheers to Back to the Future episode. With 19 percent alcohol in the mead, this may be the last we hear from Emily as she shoots it back! Find out how you can help us out by nominating us for the 2016 Podcast Awards by going to classylittlepodcast.com/podcastawards. Emily tried a method of getting all her puns out in the very beginning of the show in a segment called “Oops!” Thanks to Jen (from our Cheers to Glam Rock) episode who pointed out Emily’s mistake of confusing Gutenberg with Guggenheim.  Find out what the origins of 420 is — and we talk about some of the false origins we’ve all heard. It is not, for example, the police code for “marijuana in progress” or the number of chemical compounds in cannabis. We even have a callback to Cheers to Mistakes when Albert Hoffman’s infamous LSD trip comes back in this episode!  We hear sirens going off while recording and our browser history from researching this topic probably put us on some watchlists, by the way. Emily tries to sing the truth away as James tells her how alcohol is actually worse for one’s health than marijuana. However, James does talk about how, although marijuana is used for medicinal uses, it can still negatively affect minors with developing brains. Just to be clear, we’re not high — we’re old and lame. But, we do love potheads.  Emily talks about CBD, one of the other chemicals in cannabis, and how it’s legal and the benefits of it, as opposed to THC. And she also gets to talk a little about “The Breakfast Club” again! Emily got to try some CBD products this past two weeks: MedusaCBD Hemp Oil Vape JuiceRestorative Botanicals Restore CALM Spice Flavored Hemp Oil Extract BlendRestorative Botanicals CBD Hemp Oil Extract Balm “It seems that only about 10 % of America has even heard about CBD rich hemp extracts and the products that are now made from this wonderful plant. Of those who have learned about it, many confuse it with hemp seed oil and most still wonder if it is really legal. The active ingredients in our products are not hemp seed oils and since all our products are made from northern Europe hemp extract, imported under U.S. Customs tariff codes, they most certainly are legal.” Bernie PerryRestorative Botanicals James talks about historical figures who have been known to smoke weed in their lifetimes, including an appearance by a queen! And, if you’re familiar with George Washington’s weed habit mentioned in “Dazed and Confused,” you’ll be happy to know the character of Slater wasn’t that far off. If you great up in the ‘90s, you know George isn’t the only president who may or may not have smoked! Emily found herself in a rabbit hole after looking up fun facts about the cult classic “Reefer Madness,” including one of the stories the movie was based on, and how the film was part of a huge national propaganda campaign to demonize marijuana. The film, though, wasn’t the worst instance of anti-marijuana propaganda — you’ll hear about Harry Anslinger and his over-the-top tactics to illegalize the drug. And find out how marijuana relates to Harry Potter, in a tiny way! And James talks about the impact of the areas in the U.S. where recreational marijuana has been made legal. Featured promos: Pre-Recorded Live Afterburn 739 Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. We're also EXTREMELY excited to have been featured as part of "The Best of the Rest" in the post Top Productivity Podcasts on The Delightful Planner! Thanks, Ruth! Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! This week's Audible audiobook recommendation: Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana -- Medical, Recreation, and Scientific by Martin A. Lee

Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook Visit classylittlepodcast.com for more! In honor of Record Store Day (and a belated Rex Manning Day), we're talking about vinyl in this episode! You know, those things your parents had in milk crates that now you see hipsters walking around with. Emily also talks to James and her husband about their new podcast, Unskippable! This episode's wine: The Art of the Vintage Rotation 2011 Merlot, Napa, California This episode's cheese: Havarti  If you're wondering what Record Store Day is, don't worry, we explain it, and Emily talks about her experience standing in line waiting for the record store would open, which is a pretty fun experience. We talk about the joys of reading liner notes and lyrics in albums. If you're celebrating Record Store Day this year, let us know! We'd love to see your pictures! Send them to classypodcast@gmail.com or tweet at us at @classy_podcast. James talks about the history of recording sound, but Emily steers him onto other tangents, like the game Timeline and parrots. Also, you'll find out what Emily thought Clair de Lune was about, and how wrong she really was. James also tells us about Charles Cross, who had two great ideas ... and one really questionable one. If you'd like to see the picture of James wearing his backward clothes, we need 50 requests, apparently! Getting more into the crazy history of recording, James talks about George Washington Johnson, one of the first recording artists, and his incredibly racist, self-mocking hit song. But we love the story of his life and we raise our glasses to him in this episode. Emily's "natural" transition to her segment from George Washington Johnson to "Empire Records" is pretty great. However, it was considered a flop and Emily has some behind-the-scenes trivia about the movie that was a staple at high school slumber parties, and probably one of her favorite soundtracks. She also comes up with a great name for her next cat, Rex Manning. James tells us about the Voyager gold record, and get ready for four -- count 'em, FOUR! -- "Star Wars" puns from Emily. We also talk about the plot of an episode of "Martin" and alien smut. Even though James brings up a funny SNL skit from Steve Martin, he still won't admit that his King Tut song is funny -- listen to our Cheers to Comedy episode to hear more. Emily gives some tips about properly maintaining your record collection while James takes notes. And, find out where the word "pun" comes from! Plus, Emily confronts her husband, Mark, and James about their new podcast, "Unskippable." Find out James' rap name, the merits of hate-listening and why James sneaks into Emily's house late at night. You can find them at unskippablepod.com and on Twitter at @unskippablepod. Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win the Ulla -- Smart Hydration Reminder. Giveaway ends April 25. Featured promos: Epic Film Guys Little Geek Lost Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook We love our wine and all, but we can't always bring it with us everywhere we go (although, we've tried). This week, we're looking at that other popular beverage of choice, water! Plus, we have a special giveaway for the ULLA - Smart Hydration Reminder! This episode's wine: 90+ Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lot 53 This episode's cheese: Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar Did you know it's actually considered uncouth to drink wine by itself without some water? Emily and James, although skeptical, try adding water to their wine to test the theory that the aroma and taste is better in the beginning. This is not, however, an indication for restaurants to do this. We also have a very special giveaway we're doing for you to win your very own ULLA, the smart hydration reminder we talked about on the episode. CLICK HERE TO ENTER. And, if you've already noticed we pronounce "water" weirdly, don't worry -- we're not the only ones. We set out on a quest to find the different pronunciations of water around the English-speaking world, featuring clips from: Ro from The World of Ro Gareth from Gareth's Random Ramblings Lee from This is Rammy Jason from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast Bryan from the Engaging Missions Show John from the Off in the Weeds Podcast Paul from The Countdown Movie and TV Reviews Chris from Faces and Aces Las Vegas Tom from The Drunken Dork Podcast Nick from The Epic Film Guys Podcast Thanks to our friends from Podcasters' Society and #PodernFamily for submitting your clips! We talk about how bottled water isn't a new fad, but it may eclipse soda as the No. 1 beverage by 2017. Find out what Emily really thinks of the coconut water fad, and how Whole Foods screwed up the recipe of ... asparagus water. Apparently, there are water tasting competitions. Watch for us to try to sign up and cleanse our palettes with wine in between tastings. We got to review the ULLA, the smart hydration reminder, this week for the show, and we absolutely love it! We both feel better, we drank more water, and, for being so simple, it is surprisingly effective. We also love that it's silent and we didn't have to download any Apps or software. Emily originally bought it for Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast and Podcasters' Society as a thank you for all his help in helping her learn about podcasting, and now she gets to see him use it while recording his podcast live Mondays at 2 p.m. EDT. There are some great benefits of drinking more water, including reducing headaches, helping with digestion and metabolism, keeping us focused, and a general feeling of well-being. However, there are a few myths about water. How many glasses per day we really need? (Hint: it's not eight!) James tells us about some super-villains in the water industry who may be trying to monopolize what many consider a basic human right, including Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who is no longer with the company. (See Nestlé's explanation video here.) Emily compares Mad Max: Fury Road to Waterworld -- and, as she writes these show notes, she stands by that comparison! James also tries to goad Emily into a deep discussion when he talks about why some people are against adding fluoride to water in 2/3 of the United States. But, don't worry, she doesn't take James' click-bait -- so he goes back to talking about Dr. Strangelove. Emily goes through a quick history of water, including early civilization, the Industrial Revolution, and modern-day laws to help prevent water pollution. Plus, find out how Portland, Ore., is using state-of-the-art turbines to produce energy for the city. Following a very special story about summer camp, you may think twice before drinking a certain bottled water brand again ... At the end of the episode, we threw in some extra "water" clips sent in by Nick from The Epic Film Guys Podcast! Thanks for all your love and support, Nick! (If you want more of Nick and Emily, and you're a podcaster, we're starting a Blab-generated podcast called Podcasters' Happy Hour this coming Monday, April 11, at 8 p.m.) Featured promos: Quadcast The Rock Show with Gully and Joe Find more great podcasts by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online and the Short Time Wrestling podcast. Thanks to Howard Jacobson, host of the Plant Yourself Podcast and part of Podcasters' Society with me, for his help in getting a lot of the information about the benefits of drinking water for this episode! Thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Find us at classylittlepodcast.com | Twitter | Facebook Extras, including tons of extras from this episode, can be found at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/33 No, your podcast-listening device isn't broken. Our cold opening clip will make sense later in the episode. We're joined by Adam and Bryon from Everyone Has a Podcast this week, helping us talk all about comedy. This week's wine: Poggionotte Nero d'Avola from Sicily This week's cheese: Colby Jack We love learning about different cultures ... like Canadians! We'll be inviting ourselves Bryon's grandfather to try his wine ... and have awkward moments with parking meters. Find out some fun facts about Saturday Night Live, including which cast member was the first to welcome everyone with "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" and which comedians were rejected after auditioning. We also talk a lot about different comedians, including Louis CK, Chevy Chase, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogan, David Spade, Don Rickles, Mitch Hedberg, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and more! James and Adam start a bromance talking about comedians who aren't funny anymore and we all get nostalgically nostalgic about nostalgia. We also talk about aging comedians who still have what it takes to make us laugh, and comedians from the past who have pushed the envelope of social commentary. Emily talks to Adam and Bryon about comedians from Canada (and how the U.S. steals them for ourselves), and we get into a conversation about comedians from Boston. We also talk about comedians who just ... lose us. We also talk about the biological and physical reasons for laughing and why we need it for social situations, but laughter can also come at the wrong time, whether we want it or not. Also, you didn't ask for it, but we all do our best Cosby impressions -- and Adam clearly wins! Our show takes a very dark turn when we start talking about funeral laughs and how Bryon will have the last laugh when he dies because he's too tall to be buried easily, and Adam may enlist Emily (and her Thriller dance) to help him out at his funeral. Also, laughing at offensive or jokes about tragedy may mean you're actually more intelligent than those who are offended. Find out what made James so excited he knocks over a bottle of wine. (Thank goodness it was empty!) And, think you can pass Emily's Twisted Comedy quiz? Expect plenty of word play for the clues. And thanks to Epic Film Guy Nick who was my go-to to make sure the quiz was passable. We also talk about our fake laughs and how laughter is the best medicine, an adage that Adam came up with, in case you didn't know. And Emily talks about her paranoia about Epic Film Guy Justin not liking her when she isolated his laugh in our crossover episode with them. Where to find Everyone Has a Podcast: On their website On Twitter On Facebook Through Email Be sure to subscribe to them on YouTube to find out more about CHANL See the Chanl Teaser Video Links/People we refer to: Comedian FYFCast Epic Film Guys EHAP's podcast with comedian Ian Bagg List of people who have died of laughter Cold opening for Saturday Theresa Crout The Big Bang Theory without the laugh track Featured promos: FYFCast Everyone Has a Podcast Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

This isn't just about basketball, although if you've made a bracket, you'll be happy to know you're probably doing better than Emily, who picked her winning team based on a comfy T-shirt. This episode's wine: Hess Select 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa County, California This episode's cheese: Farmhouse English cheddar with Italian truffles (not chocolate truffles) and Wensleydale English Cheese Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook Extras, including bloopers and extras from this episode, can be found at classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/32 While our main focus for this episode is about the NCAA, we make sure to throw a few segments in for those who are subjected to hearing office workers talk about scores, brackets, seeds, etc., without a care about what's going on. James gives us some of the history and explains rankings used in determining what colleges get into the coveted championships. Find out the likelihood (or lack thereof) you'll pick a perfect bracket. Hint: You have a better chance of winning Mega Millions and an even better chance of getting struck by lightning. Emily gives us a drinking game that we highly encourage you not to play before operating heavy machinery or driving. In fact, just sit back, watch a few games with a glass of wine, and let the college students (who should be in class!) do the game playing. To get completely away from basketball, Emily talks about actual March Madness, including the madness associated with March Hares, and goes off on a tangent about the history of Mad Hatters from her birthplace of Danbury, Conn. Lots of fun facts to take to your next tea party in Wonderland. As customary for James, controversies surrounding the NCAA make their way onto the show, and Emily devises a plan for a VA-type establishment for college basketball players. (Emily for President 2016, perhaps?) Also, big shout out to Danbury, Conn., where Emily grew up, and she couldn't help going on a tangent to talk about the history of the city and how it relates to March Madness, in a very divergent way. Why do we get so obsessed with March Madness and rankings? Simply because, as James will tell you, ranking and judging things is fun! For another type of March Madness, a guitar shop in Maryland is currently having a competition, ranking the greatest guitar riffs of all time.  Emily finds some fun facts about brackets, in general, including the fact Slate.com has brackets to rank marital spats, ad slogans and movie deaths, for example. Even if you're bracket has already been crushed when you listen to this, there's always next year -- especially for Emily, who finally knows what a Seed number means. Featured promos: Pure Orgasmic Love Afterburn 739 Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily! And, check out Emily's appearances on The Geek Yogurt Podcast and the World of Ro podcast last week! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd, PodUnderground & Jason Bryant. Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

Humans are prone to mistakes, but as Bob Ross says, "There are no mistakes, just happy accidents!" Well, unless you count some of the biggest mistakes in history, which we talk about. But we also talk about why making mistakes is actually a good thing, plus we throw in some of our many bloopers you've never heard before. And, thanks to special guests Paul and Wayne from The Countdown: Movies and TV Reviews podcast for giving us the top mistakes made in movies! This episode's wine: 90+ Cellars Big Red Blend, Lot 113 from California, 2014 This episode's cheese: Goat Cheese: Plain, Herb and 4-Pepper Find us at classylittlepodcast.com | Twitter | Facebook We start our show off with a special segment from our #PodernFamily friends Paul and Wayne from The Countdown: Movies and TV Reviews podcast giving us a list of the biggest mistakes in movies. And, if you're into talking about movies and television, old and new, and sexy Australian accents, these are the guys to listen to, so check them out! You can also follow them on Twitter.) James talks about some great inventions that were created accidentally. Alexander Fleming, thanks for seeing that mold in a petri dish and deciding not to throw it out or put it in the fridge for someone else to worry about. Emily also points out a mistake made in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" about the origins of Post-Its. Ever wonder just what erasers are and how they work? Emily goes through the history of these fantastic life-savers, including the fun fact that having them on top of pencils is common in America, as opposed to Europe where they never make any mistakes. (We'll confirm with Rick and Paul from Rick and Paul Heal the World about that one.) Find out the origin or correction fluid and Control-Z, as well! And, Emily predicts the future, in a way, but here's the story she refers to she never ended up telling James after the show.   James gives us some of the biggest blunders made in history, some of which led to events that have changed the world as we know it. Despite this, we discuss how mistakes are actually necessary tools for humans to learn and grow from. Featured Promos The Countdown: Movies and TV Reviews Epic Film Guys Emily was recently on Laura McClellan's podcast, The Productive Woman, talking about Productivity & ADHD, and it was a lot of fun. Check it out! James and Emily were featured on a recent episode of Faces and Aces: Las Vegas with a mini-segment called, "Cheers to Chinese New Year"! Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd & PodUnderground Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!  

Excited about the total solar eclipse this week? We are. In fact, we're turning this #WineWednesday into SUN-day, if you get our drift. This episode is all about that big ball of gas we know and love: The Sun! This episode's wine: La Maialina 2014 Chianti, Italy This episode's cheese: Port Wine Cheddar   The sun isn't just for putting inspirational quotes over in Instagram photos. We talk about eclipses to celebrate the total solar eclipse on the other side of the world as this episode is coming out. Find out how eclipses work (and thanks to Emily's teacher-friend Lenny for helping her find out the explanation in 8-year-old terms), and James tells us myths and legends from the past surrounding eclipses. We're on the look-out for a professional frog imitator to show James to how properly croak like a frog. Learn about the woman who owns the sun, and a potential money-making scheme to sue her for sunburns! Emily tries to correct James to be politically correct, but then finds out she wasn't as right as she thought she was. James gives us some fun sun facts and tells us why we can't go to the sun -- not even if it's winter or nighttime.  Make sure you stick around to find out the best way to see a solar eclipse. Despite what James says, we do NOT advise you to look directly at it! And, you won't want to miss Emily's music quiz all about songs with "Sun" in the titles, as read by a (sub-par) Queen Elizabeth robot-impersonator. Thanks to Good Job, Brain! for the idea -- they have EL.V.I.S., but we have "Queen Elizabeth." Featured promos: Three is Comedy Geek Yogurt Podcast Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd & Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! Find show notes + extras for our show at classylittlepodcast.com Follow us on social media On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram On Snapchat

Even though Emily and James can't seem to keep a collection of wine before drinking it all, they decided to talk about people who can collect things! Plus, we hear about some of our listeners' collections! This episode's wine: Root:1 Heritage RedThis episode's cheese: Sharp white cheddar  Even though it seems everyone has a collection of something, James tells us how collecting came from the rich. And how they kept their collections in these things called "cabinets," in case you were unfamiliar with the word ... Got some old toys or Hot Wheels laying around? They may be worth money! But, your Beanie Babies ... um, not so much. Emily also calls out her middle school crush who dropped her original Quackers in a mud puddle. While talking about some of the theories why we collect things, Emily gets on a tangent about state quarters and how they're like Pokemon. And, we find another reason Freud makes Emily roll her eyes. We also talk about collectors vs. hoarders, and Emily gives you some warning signs to look out for. And we talk about our personal collections we've had, and how Emily came to appreciate Al Gore's lock box idea. Thanks to Shane from Now That I'm Older, Ro from The World of Ro, and Jen from Rebeat Magazine (and our Cheers to Glam Rock episode), who sent in their collections for us to talk about!  Want to test your Greek, Latin, Harry Potter and made-up words trivia? James puts Emily on the spot with these terms, but, luckily, you won't be quizzed. Whoever came up with these names really should have consulted us. Emily talks about some unusual collections, including the collections of Graham Barker, who has collected his belly button lint since 1984. And James tells us about celebrity collectors -- no, not the people who collect celebrities. Also, we discuss our plan to entice Tom Hanks to come on our show. (Crowdfunding campaign coming soon!) Highlights 22:50 - Emily gives her tip for avoiding piles of tissues! 37:57 - James says those three magic words: "You're pretty smart." 44:11:49 - The best way to play Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon. Featured promos: The Something Something Cast Debt Shepherd Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd & PodUnderground Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! Visit our website for more: classylittlepodcast.com

We're joined by Nick and Justin from The Epic Film Guys Podcast for this episode to celebrate the 88th Academy Awards. We talk about Oscar trivia, picks for the winners, how to win an Oscar pool, and more! This episode's wine: Veuve Clicquot, Martini & Rossi Asti, Chateau Frank Célèbre, Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Mango Astronaut Ale  This episode's cheese: Domestic Muenster, Montchevré Goat Cheese (again!), President Brie, Aged White Cheddar No need to worry about what you're going to wear -- settle in for some wine, beer and cheese with us as we celebrate the Academy Awards with the Epic Film Guys. We start off talking about some Oscar trivia and fun facts, including why you may want to practice giving your acceptance speech while holding a human head. Nick and Justin lead us into a talk about this year's nominees, plus their picks for the winners! Emily gives us tips for winning an Oscar pool, even if you didn't see any of the movies nominated. And James lists some Oscar winners who may have peaked and faded. And, if you're new to the Epic Film Guys, you're in for a treat with the infamous Nick's Rant and Justin's Lisp! And, don't miss a very special rendition on "Unchained Melody." Just wait until you hear them -- there's a reason they're known as "Epic." Don't forget to check out the Epic Film Guys Academy Awards page, listing the nominees and their picks for the winners! Thanks again to Epic Film Guy Nick and Epic Film Guy Justin for combining our shows for a giant mash-up! You can listen to their episode with us on, which comes out Thursday, February 25.  The 88th Academy Awards airs Sunday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. on ABC. Where to find the Epic Film Guys On their website On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram On YouTube Featured promos: The Countdown: Movie and TV Reviews The Passers-By Podcast   Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd & PodUnderground Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! Visit our website at classylittlepodcast.com

Put on your jammies and turn out the lights because this week, we're raising our glasses to the second best thing you can do in bed (the first being drinking wine, of course). We talk about the science of sleep, some historic sleepers, and those who dare to dream in this week's episode. This episode's wine: 2012 Oak Ridge Winery Zinfandel Ancient Vine Reserve, California This episode's cheese: Capricho de Cabra & Bucheron (Montchevré) We get worried that James is no longer allowed to buy wine, but he does find cheese from a region we think is 'Murica at first. And, if you're part of the goat cheese industry, Emily has quite the tagline for you! We find out how our ancestors probably slept, despite not having white noise machines or special mattresses. We also wonder what people actually do with fresh air.  James talks about inventors, scientists and pop culture figures who have made advances in their fields because of their dreams. Also, feel free to watch the .GIF that fascinated Emily for about 20 minutes. She also comes up with three puns in a row! Possibly a personal best. We talk etymology, Greek and Roman deities of sleep, and Michael Stipe, of course. And we get into theological discussions about dreams from the bible. Emily also goes into her Broadway knowledge, somehow.  After 26 episodes, Emily finally introduces us to her hatred of Disney. (Thank you to Music for Makers for the rant music!) Needless to say, we may never have a Cheers to Disney. Sorry. James changes gears to talk about theories of why we sleep, and why pulling an all-nighter is actually worse for studying than getting some sleep.  Do you have any of the most common nightmares? Do you agree with James' skepticism about analyzing what these dreams mean? We'd love to hear from you! Emily shares a tip for getting yourself out of a nightmare. And, lucky for you, we cut out a lot of our conversations about dreams we've had, since there are many out there who do not care about hearing the dreams of others. We find out about what our brain is doing when we're dreaming, including going into the mode of "fighting or flighting," according to James. We also share some tips for falling asleep (hint, it doesn't involve counting sheep). Featured promos: Trivia Geeks Geek Yogurt Podcast Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to our classy sponsors on Patreon: Debt Shepherd & PodUnderground Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers! Visit our website at classylittlepodcast.com for more information!

Looking for a date this Valentine's Day? We're here for you! We offer you wine, cheese, and no obligation to call us the next day. So, stick us in your earbuds and let us whisper sweet nothings into your ears as we serenade you with the history of Valentine's Day, Tinder tips, first-date etiquette and why John Cusack standing outside your house at 5 a.m. is actually kind of creepy. This episode's wine: Weibel Family Peach Flavored Sparkling WineThis episode's cheese: St. Angel Triple Cream Brie and Mascarpone (the Vermont pronunciation) Emily is particularly punchy in this episode, in case you can't tell! It may have been the sparkling peach wine or her questioning her decisions that led to her going to Whole Foods on a Saturday for fancy cheese. For our listeners, we cut out about 10 minutes of orgasm sounds we had while eating from our amazing Valentine's Day spread. You're welcome! Emily talks about the history of Valentine's Day, including our favorite theme of Christians taking over Pagan holidays. Aside from the Roman version of "Seven Minutes in Heaven," let's just be happy we're living in modern times. James does his best to try a little Tinder-ness by talking about one of the most popular dating Apps of the moment. By the way, if you're looking for James on Tinder, he is the guy with the profile picture of pie! We also put out a call to action for listeners to send us pictures of their romantic nights listening to our podcast! DO IT! James and Emily also discuss some first-date etiquette ... or, at least the fake etiquette you should attempt. James gets some questions answered about what women really want on a date. Emily gets up on her feminist soapbox, but then gets right back down if the option of eating bon-bons in flattering skirts comes up. Emily gives some tips from the book, "He's Just Not That Into You." James doesn't quite understand why women need a book for this, but that's exactly why women need this book! If a guy isn't into you, don't waste your time. James talks about the benefits of remaining single, some ignoring Emily professing her love for pineapple and mascarpone. And the Coke vs. Pepsi fight continues! Emily gets to vent about her hatred of Disney princess movies! She also talks about things in romantic movies that are actually really creepy in real life, including the idea of Woody Allen as attractive. If a guy shows up to your house with a boom box ... be careful! Red flag! No woman actually wants the kinds of romantic gestures shown in movies. In James' words, "Just be cool, man." Featured promos: Pat and Jason Have a Podcast The Just John Podcast Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

James is joined by Emily's husband, Mark, to celebrate Guys Night, and pump us all up for the Super Bowl this weekend. The guys talk about beer, football, video games, and a mysterious triangle. Plus, find out how the man who walked on the fucking moon also became part of one of the greatest bands of all time (according to James). In this episode, we review FREY: Detergent for Men. Get 20 percent off your order at FreyForMen.com by using the coupon code CLASSY20 at checkout! This week's beer: Harpoon Brewery UFO White, Bronx Brewery American Pale AleThis week's cheese: Bleu cheese on the side of Buffalo Wings from Joey C's Roadhouse In honor of the biggest game of the year, Emily gives up the mic to her husband, Mark, and he and James talk about their Super Bowl picks. Discuss the commercials and how they seemed better when we were younger. James tells us about some of the worst choices for Super Bowl halftime performers, including answering the eternal question of whether you'd rather listen to the Black Eyed Peas or Nickelback for the rest of your life. Find out about the controversial group Up with People, who performed in five halftime shows. James takes this opportunity without Emily to bring us all down earlier than usual this week! Mark and James give praise to Frey laundry detergent, which not only smells like oak and musk, but it also takes tough stains out. To keep with the football theme of the episode, Mark talks about football video games. If you want to challenge Mark at NFL Blitz (he will win), contact us. He also talks about the controversy surrounding Madden NFL games. Also, does God have a bookie?  James lists the three most bad-ass manly men in history. We feel like little bitches after learning the stories of these guys' awesomeness. Find out which one ate peanuts and smoked a cigar while having sex, which one gave a two-hour speech instead of going to the hospital after getting shot, and which one walked on the fucking moon! Plus, learn why you should never tell Buzz Aldrin he didn't land on the moon. Mark shares his Hot-Cute-Beautiful Triangle theory with the world. (See the picture on our website, classylittlepodcast.com.) The guys then decide to see how the theory plays out by looking at a list of celebrities, all in the name of science. Do you agree with James' and Mark's rankings? (And will Emily allow Mark and James to podcast together again?) Emily comes on to quiz the guys on female terms to hear their best guesses. While James makes educated guesses, Mark assumes everything is a tampon ... and he is wrong every time. James also can't hear a word that contains "gonad" without laughing like a 12-year-old. Hope you enjoy the punk-rock version of our theme song, made specially for this episode. Featured promos: FYFCast Passers-by Podcast Cheers!

If you can't tell from the squeals of delight, Emily is super excited to finally focus an entire episode on her love for cats! Since we did an episode raising our glasses to dogs last year, we found it only appropriate to give our feline friends some equal love and attention (even if they don't appreciate it). This episode's wine: Casillero del Diablo 2012 Pinot Grigio, Chile This episode's cheese: Roasted Garlic with Tomato & Basil cheese Visit our website, classylittlepodcast.com for more info! Clearly, this is all about the musical, "Cats." No, not really, but we do talk about Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical based on T. S. Eliot's book, "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." Emily's cats tend to distract us for this episode ... although, they distract us from most other episodes, but we didn't edit it out this week. Lots of "dawwws" and sighs over cats throughout this episode. We call dogs "whorish" a few times in this episode just because cats are so particular about who they show affection to. James tells us about the numerous historical figures who love cats, almost as much as Emily does. And, be prepared for Emily to go crazy-cat-lady with the puns in this episode. Some of those mentioned are Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Sir Isaac Newton and Freddie Mercury! No Google search would be complete without finding some cats on the Internet, including Bonsai Kittens, the Kitty Cat Dance, Simon's Cat, Nyan Cat, the eHarmony Cat Lady (and the Songify remix video), Grumpy Cat, and more! Why are cats so popular on the internet? We find a few theories about this phenomenon.  James talks about heroic cats who have made the news, and how they've captured our hearts. Emily drops her mic following her diatribe about the idiocy of Timmy getting stuck in the well all the time. We also find out people can volunteer their time playing with cats at local shelters! And, we implore Christian Bale to come on our podcast, yet again! Want to watch some heroic cats? Watch the videos in our show notes! We discuss some fun facts about cats, including why cats are known for getting stuck up trees and why you should stop scaring your cats with cucumbers. And, Emily has a new cat-related obsession: Putting YouTube Videos on that are specifically for cats. We finally found a way to keep cats' attention! Featured promos: Afterburn739 Now That I'm Older Find more great podcasts on Twitter by searching the hashtag #PodernFamily on Twitter! Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

James and Emily pay tribute to the passing of Glam Rock icon and innovator David Bowie in this episode. We find out about the fashion, the trends, the culture and society during the Glam Rock era. Plus, we talk to Jen Cunningham from Rebeat magazine about the movie, "Velvet Goldmine." This episode's wine: Cocobon Wines 2013 Red Blend from California This episode's cheese: Havarti Flashback to the early '70s when Glam Rock emerged in the U.K., and we take a look at that small part of music history that still impacts us today. We talk about the trends associated with Glam Rock with the stage personas and theatrics associated with it. And, if you look up T. Rex songs on Google, you may find songs about dinosaurs, but don't be fooled! We find out about Glam Rock's inception with Marc Bolan, followed by David Bowie and more. No Glam Rock conversation would be complete without at least mentioning the outrageous styles in fashion and accessories, and how some styles remained current throughout the '80s, and even show up today. There's even a connection between Glam Rock and Hair Metal we explore. Not to mention how rockers could wear make-up, like Guy-liner and Man-scara, despite how bad-ass these guys are. Emily fawns over Bret Michaels, The Monkees, Ewan McGregor, and, of course, Christian Bale in this episode. Sigh! We even mention the Queen (the British monarch, not the band), watching androgynous teens walking down the street, confused as to whether they're girls or boys. Emily also makes the connection between Glam Rock style and some of the wrestling personas of the '80s. James thanks glam rock for bringing us rock bands with strong front men, who put on incredible shows and act larger than life when they're performing. We also got to talk to Jen from Rebeat digital blog/magazine all about the movie "Velvet Goldmine," which the director calls a "love letter to Glam Rock." Jen and Emily warn British men who are 69 to go get checked out, because we can only take so many deaths of beloved Brits in one year. Want to read more from Rebeat? Check out "Remembering the Life of David Bowie (1947-2016)." We can't have a Glam Rock episode without talking about Bowie. James gives us a quick history of his impact on music, including changing himself and trying new styles of music, and finally becoming a legend. James even compares Bowie to his ultimate hero: Shaq. (We're pretty sure he listens!) Although he's made his very few mistakes, like BowieNet and his poor name choices before settling on David Bowie, he's still one of the greatest musicians in our lifetime, and he continues to influence not only music, but culture and even acceptance. Emily talks about Glam Rock influenced-bands and musicians today, including Kesha and Lady Gaga. James gets to tell us about his cousin's Gary Glitter cover band, Terry Tinsel. And we spend maybe a little too long looking at pictures of Gary Glitter on Google, trying to understand the star quality of his "dystopian Elvis" look. James realizes there's no redeeming Gary Glitter, no matter how hard he tries. Featured promos: The Highly Recommended Show The Nickscast Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing," which inspires us to try new wine and cheese pairings in every episode! Cheers!

A HUGE thank you to Adam from EHAP - Everyone Has a Podcast for designing our new cover art! Little Man has never looked classier!  No matter what you call it, soda, pop or Coke is a favorite beverage with a fascinating history. From pharmacist "dudes" to Billy Joel, soft drinks have become ubiquitous in American culture and around the world. This episode's wine: Mouton Noir's O.P.P. This episode's cheese: Delice de Bourgogne We start off this week's show doing our own Pepsi Challenge, administered by Kitty, and James and Emily prove they are definite Coke heads (Coca-Cola, not cocaine)! But, we shout out to the ONE person we could find who actually prefers Pepsi: John of The Just John Podcast! Find out why the Pepsi Challenge is actually flawed and how the Challenge led to one of the biggest mistakes of the '80s: New Coke. Find out more about New Coke in this Snopes.com article. James gives us the history of the inventor of Coca-Cola and the rise of the most iconic soda in the world. And we talk about the different names around the United States for what we Connecticutians call "soda." (We also prove throughout the episode that our state is just filled with condescending jerks -- or, at least two who host a podcast.) Explore the different flavors of soda from around the world, and, lucky us, we get to hear Emily's Peggy Hill-Spanish accent. And, if you're eating or drinking anything, we suggest you finish it or put it down before Emily gets to the last flavor on the list. All of these make Emily's preference for Diet Mountain Dew sound delicious! Dr Pepper, despite Emily's mom telling her it was carbonated prune juice, is pretty hard to pinpoint the origin or even the flavors in it. We also require our sodas to have a PhD! And we discuss potentially trying Hot Dr Pepper. Emily goes on a little rant about how terrible root beer is. So, of course, she decided to research it. And, lo and behold, after looking up the original flavors, she now hates it more than she originally did. Even though James promised us he wouldn't make us feel bad about consumerism, he finds a way to do it! (But, we can always make James feel bad about his pronunciation.) He doesn't stop at soda, we also give you some guilt about rum and maybe rainbows! Featured promos: Everyone Has A Podcast The Countdown Podcast The Prime Podcast See show notes and extras at our website, www.classylittlepodcast.com.

A HUGE thank you to Adam from EHAP - Everyone Has a Podcast for designing our new cover art! Little Man has never looked classier! We forgot to mention this in the episode, but we'll make up for it in the next one! New year, new you? Or new year, new you ... until mid-February? We take a look at the history of setting New Year's Resolutions, most popular goals, why they don't work and how to make them stick. We also celebrate the new year with a new and improved theme song! This episode's wine: Blanc de Bleu sparkling Chardonnay with blueberry This episode's cheese: Aged sharp white cheddar We turn 21 in this episode! Our podcast is finally old enough to drink, we guess! Aside from getting so excited over blue bubbly, we're stoked to be back! And we dive right in with our episode celebrating the promises we make (and break) to ourselves every year! Congratulations to our listener Hilary who won our "Tasting Wine & Cheese" giveaway! Emily lists the top New Year's Resolutions and breaks them down by gender, geography, and generation. She also takes this time to vent her frustrations at stereotypical young millennials, and lists the most broken resolutions and why they don't work. By the way, our drinking game for this episode is the phrase "YOLO" because we say it quite frequently, but always with a deep hatred for it. If you'd like some better words, check out our episode, Cheers to Words and Phrases! Why do we make resolutions? Clearly to torture ourselves! James gives us the actual history behind the tradition and gets into the science behind why resolutions are broken so often. We also come up with James' new pick-up line: giving a woman his numbers, as well as a pie. Look for him on Tinder -- he'll be the one with a picture of a pie. Why did Emily read the Wikipedia article about Star Wars: The Force Awakens before going to see the movie? She'll justify it -- go ahead and send us your gripes! She also gives a quick tip for saving some money over the year. And we get into another discussion about vaping (Check out our Cheers to Vaping episode!) James gives us some tips and tricks for accomplishing your goals. Emily's advice is if you don't try, you won't fail! And, you people on Facebook, you know who you are, posting about your gym experience right now -- talk to us in March! See the marshmallow test he talks about in our show notes! And, James tells us why "Bridget Jones's Diary" is a better movie than he expected. And now the world knows! Emily talks about the trend of picking a word or a few words to focus on for the year instead of making a resolution. You can find out more information about this idea by listening to episode 31 of The Productive Woman podcast. James debunks the myth that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. We talk about our resolutions, and we'd love to hear yours! And we give shout-outs to You Must Remember This and the Epic Film Guys, two great podcasts to check out. And speaking of podcasts, Emily talks about the Twitter hashtag #PodernFamily. Check it out, and find even more great shows to listen to! Promos in this episode: Now That I'm Older & The Earth Collective

We made this extra long, so grab a box of wine and a bulk-sized cheese plate and settle in for a long winter's podcast, featuring gift recommendations, an interview with Adam Centamore, and our usual fun facts, history and etiquette, along with wine and cheese, of course! This episode's wine: 2012 Parducci Small Lot Blend Pinot Noir, California This episode's cheese: Goat Gouda Emily gets to interview Adam Centamore about his book we reference in most of our episodes! We get to hear about his training, how the book came to be, plus some great wine tips from the book! Don't forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win Adam Centamore's "Tasting Wine & Cheese" book, which we use frequently for the inspiration for our wine and cheese pairings on the show! Giveaway ends Dec. 11! And you get to hear Emily interview him in Boston about how he got to be such an expert on wine and cheese and some helpful wine and cheese tips! You can find pictures and ordering information for all the gifts we feature on this episode HERE. Emily's Gift #1 -- Cask Jewelry James' Gift #1 -- GoPro Fetch Emily goes through the history of gift-giving around the holidays, where we reference Family Guy, and we realize we will probably never be on a first name basis with any of the Queens. We're trying to find the picture of Emily in 4th grade, when her mother teased her hair against her will. And we discuss what will be on our Christmas cards this year! James' Gift #2 -- Nessie Ladle Emily's Gift #2 -- Rewined Candles If anyone knows the gender of the Loch Ness Monster, please let us know! James talks about famous gifts received by presidents and dignitaries. And James has a Grinch moment of a certain appendage growing three-times as big when thinking about the president. And, if you liked our episode Cheers to Back to the Future, you'll understand our love of the idea of President Calvin Coolidge's cowboy outfit, which may also have resembled the pajamas that look like Woody from Toy Story. And, what might be the gift we're the most jealous of, a giant wheel of cheese given to Thomas Jefferson. And James gets to give his favorite gift, his judgement, to gifts given to the president. James' Gift #3 -- Polaroid Social-Matic Emily's Gift #3 -- Reid's Wood Crafts Cheese Slicers We talk about the etiquette behind regifting from the Emily Post Institute, plus some of the most common regifted presents. We'll basically take all those gifts, by the way. Is fruitcake as bad as everyone thinks it is? Emily's Gift #4 -- Maggie and Maddy: Adventures in Napa Valley and Colors of the Wine Country, both by Kyle and Amy Goleno James' Gift #4 -- The Hungover Cookbook by Milton Crawford We talk about the best and worst presents we've ever gotten or given. And we talk about ear-piercing stories, and James never misses and opportunity to bring up Kazaam! And Emily talks about her parents' worst Christmas when they got her a Michael Jackson tape, a Walkman, and a microphone. Emily reveals the worst thing she's ever done to an ex-boyfriend for getting her a present she didn't like. Men, if your girlfriend tells you not to buy jewelry, listen to her! And James tells the story of probably the most famous gift given to America, the Statue of Liberty. And, if all the plans for her panned out, she would have been a talking, gold statue with laser beams! Why is this not actually happening?! Come on! James' Gift #5 -- Baseball bat bottle openers Emily's Gift #5 -- The Tile If you're looking for more gifts for wine and cheese lovers, you can check out our Amazon store HERE. We'll be taking a break until the new year, so we'll have plenty of time to detox our livers and come back refreshed, ready to bring you fun facts, trivia, history, etiquette and more! If you have recommendations for a topic you'd like us to cover, you can submit it HERE. Special Thanks A big thank you to our Patreon supporters, Greg from Debt Shepherd and iMorpheus from Death by Horror! We really appreciate your help in supporting the hosting and behind-the-scenes expenses of the show! Please show them some love and check them out! Thanks to @JosephPaulSilva from the Baller on a Budget Podcast and @WhatJeffTweets from the What Jeff Says Podcast for featuring Emily on their shows, and it was awesome to be able to talk to other podcasters! And shout-outs to the hosts of the Wikishuffle podcast, and we are starstruck over the fact that they are listening to us! If you're going through withdrawal while we're away, check out one of the many podcasts on Twitter using the hashtag: #PodernFamily, including our friends The Epic Film Guyswho do The Reel Rundown podcast! Cheers!

We celebrate the belated birthday of Mark Twain, which was Nov. 30, in this episode all about one of the most beloved and controversial writers, who just happens to have connections to our home state of Connecticut. This episode's wine: Michel Gassier Syrah (Can you taste the bacon? We could!) This episode's cheese: Edam Don't forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win Adam Centamore's "Tasting Wine & Cheese" book, which we use frequently for the inspiration for our wine and cheese pairings on the show! In this episode, we found out the difference between Syrah and Shiraz! James talks about how Samuel Clemens cycled through pen names before settling on Mark Twain. (And we find out a little bit about Kitty's sex life!) Need an inspirational quote for when life on the Mississippi gets you down? Just remember Emily's need to make puns whenever she can, no matter how stretched they may be: "When life hands you Clemens, make Clemenade!" James gives us a quick bio of Clemens/Twain, including the surprising fact he left school in fifth grade, and his dream of being a riverboat captain. If there were such a thing as a hobo apprenticeship, James would be learning him (yes, "learning him") how to tie a bindle as we speak! Side note: Can you catch the "Arrested Development" reference we make? Did Mark Twain find his wife through old-timey Tinder? And Emily talks about looking for crazy signs when it came to her childhood crushes. Even though Emily scolds Hollywood for sequels, we give the Epic Film Guys from The Reel Rundown a shout-out later in the episode for making a damn good case for Hollywood sequels! And "Kazaam" comes up, yet again! (James' favorite movie to talk about while drinking.) We hope we can get to the age when we can say whatever we want with no repercussions. Apparently, that's why we have a podcast! We also make a connection to The Queen! And James does the absolute worst imitation of the Queen. Emily finally finds a word she won't say on the podcast while talking about the controversy over "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Flippant, irreverent and trashy — think we're talking about "Jersey Shore"? Nope! Those words were once used to describe Huck Finn! James tries to examine the book, and break down its acclaim as the Greatest American Novel. And, despite wanting to be more true to himself, Emily wonders if the real reason Huckleberry Finn doesn't want to return to civilized life was because of porn in the woods. We may have found a bigger cat person than Emily! Twain even went so far as to rent cats when he traveled! James gives the rundown of quotes falsely attributed to Twain and actual quotes by him. And we make a connection between Mark Twain and John Lennon and Yoko Ono, believe it or not. Special Thanks Thanks to the Epic Film Guys for giving us shout-outs on The Reel Rundown! Plus, Emily got to Live-Tweet with EFG Nick as she watched "Batman" for the first time! Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing" Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we use for our wine and cheese pairing inspiration! Cheers!

Sorry to our international listeners, but we raise our glasses to good ol' American turkey, cranberry sauce and pie in this episode. We also find out some myths surrounding the holiday, including why those pictures you colored in kindergarten were full of lies! This episode's wine: Marquis de la Tour BrutThis episode's cheese: Goat Cheese with Cranberries and Cinnamon (can be eaten right off the knife!) Although James doesn't remember what Brut means, he does a pretty good imitation of the French language when introducing the wine! Find out how you can win your own copy of Adam Centamore's book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we use on a regular basis as the inspiration for our wine and cheese pairings for the podcast. This would make the perfect gift for any wine and cheese lover, or keep it for yourself! Emily dispells some myths about the first Thanksgiving, including the fact that pilgrims did not, in fact, wear buckles, despite what you may have drawn in kindergarten. We talk about "Alice's Restaurant," Arlo Guthrie's 18-minute semi-autobiographical song. And James dispels the myths about Tryptophan in turkey making us tired and how it's not quite the roofie of the poultry world people perceive it to be. The fact that you have to be around family is more exhausting than the turkey. And, we tell you why waiting for the plastic thermometer to pop up is not the best indicator that your turkey's done. Also, please don't try top fry your turkey indoors! Emily finds what might be the greatest method to cooking turkey called spatchcocking -- one of the best words in the world, and we can't stop saying spatchcock! If any of our listeners have spatchcocked their turkey, please send us pictures! And tell us how delicious it was! And our immature minds can't even deal with the word spatchcock, as you can tell! Does your family have any Thanksgiving foods others don't have, like sauerkraut or crab? And we question where the cranberry sauce came from to go with Thanksgiving dinner. And Emily suggests ways to use the leftover cranberry sauce. And we are obsessed with Little Man's obsession with his new bag, if you couldn't tell! Emily gets to rant about how stupid turkeys are and how great they are to eat. We can all agree how ugly and scary turkeys are, right? And how Charles Dickens made turkey a Christmas tradition, as well. (Plus, how Scrooge in the movies makes quite a Dick-ens move!) We also discuss the inalienable rights of truth, liberty and the pursuit of pie. Find out about Sarah Josepha Buell Hale and how awesome she was for giving us Thanksgiving, as well as "Mary Had A Little Lamb." We also want Bank Holidays like Europe! We just want days off without people on Facebook making us feel guilty. And we talk about what we're thankful for, including YOU! And also Mark and Kitty, our helpful friends who make the podcast possible! And, especially wine and cheese, and Adam Centamore's book! We're also thankful for cats who wear bow ties!  Check out Adam Centamore's recommendations for wine and cheese for Thanksgiving! Special Thanks Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing" Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we'll be using for our wine and cheese pairing for the next few episodes!

This week we put away our party hats and social butterfly personalities and tip our glasses to that often-misunderstood and maligned tribe who represents about one third of all people … introverts! This episode's wine: Big House Pinot Evil Pinot Noir from CaliforniaThis episode's cheese: Colby Jack   Emily and James explore how taking a bag of wine from a box of wine is like giving birth to a baby calf. Emily tells us all about the Myers Briggs personality, the four characterizations within and profile and her self-diagnosis as an introverted, intuitive, thinking judgmental person — we’re totally shocked to learn Emily is judgmental!!  James questions the validity of the test—ever the cynic—and Emily praises the other INTJs — in fiction, most of who happen to by psychopathic murderous geniuses, which doesn’t really dissuade Emily from admiring them. James talks about how introverts are demonized a bit, and the idea that intorverts are energized by solitary creative pursuits, and strained by social encounters and extroverts are energized by social encounters. We learn about introverts need to sit quietly and process information and think and learn, and the exhausting exercise of socializing on introverts. Emily’s surprised her daugheter doesn’t appear to be an introvert aften spending so many hours staring up at the ceiling fan, without interest in any other subject. Children have the instinct for extroversion, until the world sets upon them and teacher them to fear other people’s judgments. Emily tells us about ambiverts, who are estimated to be up to 2/3 of all people. They fall on the spectrum between introverts and extraverts, and they flip back and forth between the two worlds. But not Donald Trump, who we perceive as 100 percent extrovert. Wine discounts everything we’ve said about the introvert. Emily lets us know about the origins of ther maiden name, Peck, who liked to live on the peak of mountains and avoid socializing for several millennia, other than for procreating. James goes off an a tangent about his love of Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep and how, the mispercetions people have because of his affinity for those fine actresses and their drunkenss—Katharine, not Meryl. Also, we love You Must Remember This! Can you be heterosexual and love Katharine Hepburn and the Jets? James tells us about Susan Cain and her book and TED talk about the strength and value of introverts and society tries to subvert their instincts and their thoughtfulness. Intorverts, she said, often give in to society’s pressure to be overly social and allow their instincts to be overruled. And all the great religious figures have found great wisdom in introversion and solitude. We talk about the dangers of open office spaces — one of the many pitfall of gearing a world toward extroverts, and the perks of being an introvert, despite the push of the value extroverts. Resting bitch face sucks if you're also an introvert. But marketers and advertisers are trying to get into our psyche to get to introverts, especially when ads invade our personal spaces. Next time you see an ad on the door of a bathroom stall, know it's geared toward introverts. Also, the majority of us take our phones into the bathroom. Marketers, leave us alone! Another perk of being an introvert is having a close-knit group of friends, as opposed to a huge number of friends. Also, small talk sucks. Just, stop talking to introverts about the weather! And, James wants to end on himself by talking about narcissistic introverts. He also wants to be eaten by Hannibal Lecter, who is a loveable evil genius, in a way. James' fan fiction would be about Hannibal Lecter and Clarice turning into hobos. Also, fava beans and Chianti would not be a good combination for someone like Hannibal Lecter. Just sayin'. Visit our website at www.classylittlepodcast.com for show notes and extras! Cheers!

Get your controversial red Starbucks cups, dump out the PSL, and fill it up with wine as we delve into the history, science and fun facts about java, joe, dirt, mud, wakey juice, morning jolt or C8H10NN4O2!   This episode's wine: Veijo Feo 2012 Carménère from Baeza Family Cellars in ChileThis episode's cheese: Tallegio James was especially excited about this topic, but not as excited as some fanatics. It's hard to believe there are people out there crazier than James, who grinds his own beans and uses a French press.   We also question if we're actually old enough to drink coffee. James gives us some of the theories about its origin, in addition to a tour of coffee throughout the ages, from the penguins of Yemen to the Incest commercial in 2009.   And, despite being ubiquitous in the '90s, as well as featured in "Friends," "Seinfeld" and "Frasier," coffeehouses were even more popular in 17th century Europe and were the hotbeds for news, philosophy and revolutions.   And, even though we recorded this episode before the red cup "controversy" became the big news this week, we still made sure Starbucks and the Pumpkin Spice Latte were mentioned ... along with some grumbles from Emily. And, if you listen to Good Job, Brain!, one of our favorite trivia podcasts, you would already know the two-tailed mermaid on the coffee cup is called a Melusine.   James somehow holds himself back from his usual rant about how our consumer-driven lives are the worst thing to happen to humanity. But, he doesn't hold back when it comes to criticizing 1950s commercials, in which wives are chastised by their husbands for making bad coffee.   And, for those who like reading too much into the acting in commercials, James walks us through the questionable incestuous relationship depicted in this 2009 Folgers commercial.   We don't want you to think all we talk about on this podcast is incest, even though we mentioned it before in our Cheers to Back to the Future episode. But it's weird how it keeps coming up. (Although Emily doesn't remember much about that episode -- Thanks, Chambong!)   But, just remember these parting words from James: "Not all coffee is incestuous."Go ahead, Tweet that quote so others wonder what you're listning to!Special Thanks   Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we used for this episode and we'll be using for our wine and cheese pairings for the next few episodes!   Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, Overcast. Visit our website at www.classylittlepodcast.com for show notes and extras!   Cheers!

All aboard for an episode of trainspotting, hobos and lamenting the loss of the bar car. James and Emily raise their glasses to one of the greatest marvels of transportation and, dare we say it, a highlight of our daily commute. This episode's wine: Double Dog Dare Cabernet (We're still in shock it was only $3)This episode's cheese: Cabot white cheddar In this episode, James professes his child-like love for train travel and gives reasons why commuting by train is the best, including being environmentally friendly without being pretentious, plus learn about his tips to avoid paying the fare.   Emily complains about Ryan Gosling's ticket-taker doppelganger, who is drunk on his own power, then we get sidetracked talking about how Brad Pitt has Prosopagnosia (face blindness), so more girls should just go up to him and convince him they're Angelina Jolie.   We drop our podcast voices to showcase our actual Connecticut accents to talk about Metro North, and we lament the last bar car in the United States.   Emily gives James the job of catching a fly since he hasn't read any of the Harry Potter books (shame mail for James can be sent to classypodcast@gmail.com) and Harry Potter fans can geek out with her as she talks about Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. We talk about A queen of England, but not THE queen, unfortunately. We also sympathize with those who have to commute daily from King's Cross, especially if their trains are on Platforms 9 or 10.   While we don't get into the book or movie, "Trainspotting," we do talk about those who trainspot as a hobby, known as railfans. We dive into the different types, from those who record different trains, to those who ride a particular train route, to those who explore abandoned train stations. We also look at the connection between children with autism and the fascination with trains.   James talks about the psychology of train etiquette and the dynamic of ignoring the same people you see every day. (We didn't even acknowledge the fact that this may even be a Northeastern thing, because once you leave this area of the country, people are much friendlier.)   James decides to throw a party for his anonymous train friends and talks about the social dynamics of train seating. He also benefits from the remnants of racism still prevalent in Connecticut, and Emily tells the story of the one time James embarrassed her on the train and why they don't take the train together anymore.   James also scolds Emily for succumbing to click bait and forbids her from the Internet. But, then again, he never gives up the chance to talk about his penis. Yes, somehow we work this tangent into train research.   Emily gets the songs "Cocaine" and "Casey Jones" confused as James tells the story of the real Casey Jones -- not the be confused with Stacy Jones from the original "Shining Time Station."   Emily talks about Ticket to Ride, Wil Wheaton's Tabletop web show, and James asks for FDA-approved hookers when we talk about how John Lennon may or may not have lovingly called the street women of Hamburg Tickets to Ride.   Emily talks about Ticket to Ride, Wil Wheaton's Tabletop web show, and James asks for FDA-approved hookers when we talk about how John Lennon may or may not have lovingly called the street women of Hamburg Tickets to Ride.   Somehow, we get on the subject of the evolution of the poop train and the old Pace salsa commercials. For more information, check out RadioLab's episode all about the Poop Train.   Finally, James gets a chance to expound upon his love of hobos, and we introduce you to one of our favorite time-passing games we used to play when we worked together, "What's in Your Bindle?" James also gets a dreamy look in his eyes as he talks about his desire to ride in a freight train with his legs dangling over the side, exploring the country. Special Thanks Lots of shout-outs this week! Thanks, everyone!   Cheers to Matt from Arrested DevOps for including us as one of his picks of the week, Bum Wine Bob from Bumming with Bobcat for featuring our Classy Sangria recipe, and Rob & Elsie from Libsyn's "The Feed" for playing our promo!   Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing" Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we'll be using for our wine and cheese pairing for the next few episodes!   You can follow Adam on Twitter @100loves and ask him for wine pairing suggestions, and we've loved all the help he's given us!   Check out our full show notes at www.classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/015   Cheers!

This episode stays crunchy in milk and is part of a balanced breakfast! Grab your spoons and dig in to our celebration of breakfast cereal! Included in this episode are fun facts about mascots, the history and original purpose of corn flakes, and much more! It's grrrr-eat! This episode's wine: Maison Nicolas 2014 Chardonnay from FranceThis episode's cheese: Goat cheese and pumpkin goat cheese (because James can't even!)We should have started this episode with a Mail Chimp or Mail Kimp commercial since this show is all about cereal! (The joke works better when it's said outloud, trust us, but we couldn't resist at least one Serial joke! I think the hashtag #sorrynotsorry applies.) James and Emily focus this week's episode on breakfast cereal, despite neither of them quite loving it now, nor were they spoiled with sugary cereals in their childhoods. Topics include the "oops, we fucked up" version of Lucky Charms, which Emily made anyway as a kid; our love of Cap'n Crunch (plus, his anatomically incorrect eyebrows); and how we're fans of Good Job, Brain! For more fun cereal facts, check out their Breakfast episode! We talk about cereals that aren't around anymore, including cereals with direct tie-ins to TV shows and characters, including Mr. T cereal, which was featured in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." It's cool! You might also remember the strawberry and banana cereal based on Urkel (not a hipster, just a nerd) from Family Matters, another show where going a little too far with obsession over a woman was OK back in the day, but now seems "rapey." Emily and Carlton from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" are both broken-hearted over the Trix rabbit never getting some damn cereal, despite being a talking rabbit! If that wasn't bad enough, he's being replaced! Trix Rabbit, you are more than welcome to come and live with either one of us! We don't want to see you follow the path of other washed-up celebrities. James got a chance to talk about his other favorite celebrity: Shaq. And he asks the immortal question, "Do you even know the plot of 'Kazaam?'" We talk about how John Harvey Kellogg devoted his life to deterring people from masturbating, which included inventing Corn Flakes. He was also a fan of enemas! Always a fun time at the Battle Creek Sanitarium! Also, never go to Taco Bell with James. Trust us on this. Emily introduces you to Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice of Tony the Tiger, but his voice has been featured in tons of animated movies, including being the uncredited singer of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." And she gets to talk about "Mary Poppins," which always makes her happy! And James reminisces about the time he thought a girl liked him, but it turned out she was a lesbian who enjoyed quoting the Frosted Flakes slogan. James finds possibly the most racist cereal mascot, which you can always hold over your grandparents' heads when they say your generation is terrible. No matter how many dirty looks Emily gives him, James cannot say "debut." Please feel free to write in and correct him. (Go ahead, it's fun to correct James!) Also, good job, Cheerios for celebrating different lifestyles in their commercials! We raise our glasses to you! Also, check out where the eyes of mascots are looking next time you're going down the cereal aisle. James considers dropping Emily as his friend when he finds out she doesn't drink the cereal milk, until she promises to save her leftover milk to give to him. (Gift idea for James: leftover cereal milk!) Emily realizes that fiber cereal in yogurt makes her an adult. But then she disproves this when she fights with James over why Cap'n Crunch is perfectly qualified to be in a high-ranking position. And, because we love you, our lovely listeners, we did not eat cereal while recording this episode. But, to find cereal and wine combinations, check out our blog post in which Adam Centamore gives us his pairing recommendations! And, we forgot to mention it in the show, but Kellogg's is the official supplier of breakfast cereal to the Queen! Special Thanks A big thanks to iMorpheus from Death by Horror and Greg from Debt Shepherd for supporting us on our Patreon page! Also, thanks to Laura McClellan from The Productive Woman for giving us a shoutout on her show, and for giving Emily productivity tips so she has more time for wine and cheese! Special thanks to Adam Centamore for his book, "Tasting Wine & Cheese," which we used for this episode and we'll be using for our wine and cheese pairings for the next few episodes! Cheers!  

This is heavy, Doc! We took our show to Blab for a live recording of our show, in which we focused on this momentous day: Today, on Oct. 21, 2015, Doc, Marty and Jennifer arrive from 1985: Back to the Future Day! This episode's wine: Segura Viudas 2013 CavaThis episode's cheese: Gruyere Reserve Wheel (which we mention twice -- blame it on the Chambong!) Grab a Chambong of sparkling wine or even Pepsi Perfect, and stick us in your earbuds as you cruise on that Hoverboard we've all been waiting for! Unsure of what a Chambong is? We'll review it on the show, and hopefully convey why this needs to be in everyone's life! We'd like to thank our fellow-podcast friends for recording segments for us to play in this show! Nok from the Geek Yogurt Podcast, iMorpheus from Death by Horror and Nick from Epic Film Guys! We really appreciated hearing from them! Check them out! We recorded this episode using the super futuristic Blab.im, which, if you haven't checked it out yet, is an amazing platform for watching up to four people live or watching the replays. And it's free. All you need is a Twitter account to comment and give "props"

Cue the "Type-A" Tetris music! Get your controllers ready and join us in our adventure into wine, cheese and those addicting time-sucks known as video games! Plus, we start getting some real wine and cheese pairing ideas from Adam Centamore's "Tasting Wine & Cheese" book! Our wine for this episode: 90+ Cellars 2013 Iron Side RedOur cheese for this episode: Pecorino romano James and Emily have recently been known to play Rocket League for hours, so a video game-themed episode seemed appropriate. We talk about why video games are so addictive, and James talks about the fantastic failure of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. We also make a shoutout to one of our favorite podcasts, "Good Job, Brain!" which has talked about this story at length. If you're looking for a more family-friendly version of this story, check them out. (If you'rd rather a podcast where we drink, swear, and make sex noises while enjoying cheese, then stick with us.) In Adam Centamore's book, "Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing " we find out the cheese that loves the red blend we have, plus a fun fact about the movie "Sideways." Emily reminisces about the best part of computer class in the 1980s: playing The Oregon Trail, the game that does not come with a participation award. Instead, it is basically a way for you to find out the way your friends and family will die in the 1800s. You can play The Oregon Trail exactly as you did in the '80s here! She also gets on her soapbox about why tomatoes should be optional on burgers while James talks about some of the worst (best) video game fails. James takes a detour to make fun of Emily's Pronunciation of NORAD, and he gets to talk at length about Shaq's awesome rap music, as well as profess his love for "Kazaam," the greatest movie he's never seen. Emily expounds upon the internet's conspiracy theories about drug references in the Mario Bros. games, and James brings us all down talking about how Microsoft is a terrible company. And, as we're getting ready to wrap up the episode, James mistakes his microphone's pop filter for a sneeze guard, so prepare for your ear drums to be blown just a bit. Check out "The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the World" and get this audiobook FREE by going to www.audibletrial.com/CLASSY Check us out at www.classylittlepodcast.com. Cheers!

This episode's wine: Sangre de Toro 2013 GarnachaThis episode's cheese: Tomato and Basil Cheddar This episode was a special request from @QuizWitz on Twitter, who also sent us a great quiz all about chocolate! Check it out! In this episode, we learn about how chocolate is made; how sex sells chocolate; some of the drug-like chemicals found in chocolate; health benefits of chocolate; James' segment called, "Bitches Love Chocolate ... Or Do They?"; strange things dipped in chocolate; and the evil Hershey's corporation. But, don't let that get you down; we have plenty of tangents for you to enjoy. You get to hear Emily's sad attempt at Spanish when pronouncing the wine; James' addictions to sex, pizza, beer, wine and chocolate; how women are great at hunting rabbits ... chocolate rabbits; Emily's brilliant marketing idea of putting Midol next to chocolate in the drug store; the special time in a man's life when he finds porn in the woods; the correct pronunciation of "balk," plus Emily's love of Fairuza Balk; why dipping Wendy's fries in a Wendy's Frosty is a rite of passage everyone must go through; and the many benefits of butt wipes.  

For our 10th episode, James and Emily leave the Classy Little Basement to head out to the Downtown Milford Business Association's seventh annual Wine Trail, sponsored by Wines and More! Somehow, we fit more wines than usual into a shorter episode! We find out different terms regarding wine, like "clippings," "master somm," and "oak-aged." We also get confirmation on a theory we already have: Pinot Noir is a good starter wine (and also the most awesome red, in our opinion). In addition, we learn about a new wine we had never heard of, Verdejo. James also finds some tips for the optimal conditions for wine tasting ... you know, when you actually want to appreciate the wine, not just drink it after a hard day at work. He also discusses his future plans to age jailhouse wine, and Emily talks about the latitude where wine thrives the best. Who knew that 8 a.m. geography class she was half-asleep for in college would come in handy?! Shoutout to @wineesquire on twitter, who we've discussed trying to find a good Oregon wine. Also, if you're from Oregon, we've tried pronouncing your state, but we always feel we get it wrong. Please feel free to let us know the correct way. OR-reh-gon? OR-gahn? OR-gan? We also recommend you find a great wine store in your area so you can learn more about wine -- not just from us, who depend heavily on Google. And, we hope you catch our reference to "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" at the end! Tune in every #WineWednesday for a new episode! Cheers! The wines featured on this episode: Entwine Pinot Grigio Wente Sauvignon Blanc O.P.P. Estancia Chardonnay Estancia Pinot Noir Bodegas Shaya Verdejo  

This week, James is off doing James-Things, whatever that is. Kitty stepped up and is co-hosting with Emily on this very special episode dedicated to Ladies' Night.Our wine for this episode: Gato Negro 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Chile (Boxed Wine!)Our cheese for this episode: Somerdale Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese We discuss the health benefits of having ladies' nights and friends, despite the fact we're both proud introverts. We also go into a rendition of "The Golden Girls" theme song, and talk about how great the show is, sprinkling some fun facts about this ageless sitcom. And, we learn about Adam's (as in Adam and Eve) first wife, Lilith, who was quite the sassy broad!  No episode is complete without a mention of the Queen! Plus, Kitty gives us the TOE-tal measurement of the Statue of Liberty's shoe, which we're sure she lies about anyway. We get into why Ladies' Night In is infinitely better than Ladies' Night Out. And, as women do when people are out of the room, we talk about James behind his back! And why you should NEVER share a Coke with James! And, we give a shout-out to Joanna Wilson Phillips (come on, can that last name be any cooler?!) from MenucationKitchen.com, who left us a 5-star review on iTunes, and whom we talk with on Periscope and Twitter! Her website is full of amazing recipes, plus she lives in Vermont, so you know she's awesome! Join us as we do what we usually do when we hang out, plus find out about a GOOD boxed wine, paired with a cheese that comes with a wine recommendation! Visit us at www.classylittlepodcast.com! Cheers!

We get a little controversial with our topic for this week: Vaping. Both James and Emily have switched from those awful cancer sticks to e-cigarettes, and couldn't be happier. Our wine for this episode: Gooseneck Wines 2013 Pinot Grigio (Pinot Grigi-A?), ItalyOur cheese for this episode: Gouda (our go-to cheese, apparently) We turn our attention in this episode to the growing popularity of quitting smoking by switching to e-cigarettes. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but we attempt to dispell some of the common misconceptions about vaping and the vaping subculture. We admit, as vapers, we definitely have a bias, but since vaping has benefited us, we feel it's justified. Topics include the 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes to the four (yes, FOUR) in e-juice; some of the recent studies that have favored vaping as a safer alternative to smoking; pairing vape flavors and wine; listing our qualms with the inconsiderate vapers who are creating a negative stereotype; plus we list celebrities who vape, including many of Emily's loves: John Cusack, Leonardo DiCaprio and, oh yes, Barry Manilow. (Proud to be a Fanilow!) Note: After taping this episode, we found a picture of Dave Grohl vaping! You know something's awesome if Dave Grohl gets behind it! We even stretched ourselves to find some way to mention Queen Elizabeth II in this episode. Tune in every #WineWednesday for a new episode! Cheers!

The gist of our polo experience: It's a four-hour long tailgate that's a few levels up from beer and grilling in a parking lot at a football game. There's wine, cheese, dates, dresses, floppy hats, pastel shorts, Polo shirts and, oh yeah, horses! We find out the history of the "Sport of Kings" and how the game works, how Argentina plays a major role in polo, the fashion aspect of a polo match, the perks of being a polo club owner, and the origin of the Polo shirt. While we drink our wine, eat our cheese and discuss what we Googled before attending the posh event, we also make terrible (read: fantastic) puns,  Emily has an idea for a "better" mallet, our intense knowledge of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," "Pretty Woman," qualities of a horse to look for in a relationship, Babe Ruth's STDs, the breeding of WASPs to walk in the grass in high heels, a Periscope suggestion of cloning Louie Anderson for polo purposes, James' curiosity about floppy hats, James' finally learns what pastels are, and the birth of a new word: "Afazing." We also Periscoped stomping the divots and checking out the fashions. Tune in every other #WineWednesday for a new episode! Cheers!

From the Reese's Pieces in "E.T." to trying to determine if the music video you're watching is entertainment or an infomercial, product placement rears its ugly, ubiquitous head in most forms of media consumed by the general public (including, indirectly, this podcast). What we thought would be a narrow topic to research turned into a fascinating discussion on different techniques marketers and advertisers have used to get their brands noticed in popular television, movies, music, and even books. We get into the history and usage of this technique today, since we're constantly bombarded with seemingly innocent ads. Even though we mention quite a few celebrities, like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, we failed to mention Queen Elizabeth II in this episode! We'll have to make a point to mention her twice in our next one. Tune in every other #WineWednesday for a new episode! Cheers!

Stalking your ex has never been easier since the widespread use of social media makes it possible to easily connect with almost anyone in the world. In this episode, we focus on the pros and cons of our modern-day communications, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and even a little bit about Instagram. We find out the companies' mission statements, list some Tweets that were better off unposted, and discuss the numerous studies done on how social media use affects us. We also introduce you to our newest social media obsession, Periscope. Emily also tried Zaca Recovery Chewable Tablets which claim to reduce the effects of a hangover.We also try out a Zork! Of course, no discussion of ours would be complete with tangents, which include: Remembering when we had to type "the" before Facebook; why you should "crack your egg" on Periscope; why it's so hard to unplug sometimes; references to two more of our favorite podcasts, Serial and Comedy Bang Bang; rants about portraying the perfect life on Facebook or, the opposite, posting too many vague, mopey statuses seeking attention; food porn; "Friends"; and, because we can't do an episode without mentioning her, Queen Elizabeth II makes another appearance! Shoutouts to Wine Esquire blog for hanging out with us on Periscope and mentioning us. Also, Kelly and Jess from the Winesday podcast, who we'll be collaborating soon with for a special project!  For more information, visit their site,zacalife.com.

Surprise! Emily recaps her trip to Fort Worth Texas for Podcast Movement 2015, where she got to see Pat Flynn, Roman Mars, Lou Mongello, Aisha Tyler, John Lee Dumas, Marc Maron and Sarah Koenig! It's a shorter, mini-episode to tide you over until our next episode coming out next Wine Wednesday. Visit our website at classylittlepodcast.com Cheers!

This episode has gone to the dogs, as we discuss man's best friend. We're unofficially celebrating National Hot Dog Month in July, and Emily has some exciting news about her whereabouts this coming weekend! Our wine for this episode: Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011 Pinot Noir & Earthshaker Wines 2014 Rose de Pinot Noir Our cheese for this episode: Aged cheddar and a chili cheese dip (made with Cheez Whiz!) We also have Trader Joe's Parmesan Pastry Pups, which are the fanciest pigs in blankets we've ever seen!  Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook Additional Show Notes and Extras can be found at http://www.classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/04

We cordially invite you to listen to our episode all about weddings as we celebrate wedding season and the recent Supreme Court of the United States to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states! Our wine for this episode: Freixenet Sparkling Cordon Negro Brut Cava and La Marca Prosecco Our cheese for this episode: Brie & Taleggio Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook   Additional Show Notes and Extras can be found at http://www.classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/03

Say what?! We delve into the past to uncover and, hopefully, bring back some forgotten words and phrases we love! Our wine for this episode: Humberto Canale Estate 2013 Pinot Noir from Patagonia, Argentina, and Line 39 2013 Petite Sirah from California Our cheese for this episode: Asiago and Edam (EEE-dam or eh-DAM?) Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook   Additional Show Notes and Extras can be found at http://www.classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/02

We kick off our adventure into the fancy and elite with two of our favorite things: wine and cheese! Our wine for this episode: Robert Mondavi 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (BIG Bottle!) Our cheese for this episode: New York Aged White Cheddar  Listen/subscribe/leave a review on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Overcast, or podcatcher of choice! Find us on Snapchat | Twitter | Facebook Additional Show Notes and Extras can be found at http://www.classylittlepodcast.com/show-notes/sp-01