Finding Favorites explores how people found their favorite things. Primarily focused on media and art including bands, podcasts, actors, authors or artists, Leah explores the non-algorithm journey to and from favorites with her guests.
Listeners of Finding Favorites with Leah Jones that love the show mention: leah, favorites.
The Finding Favorites with Leah Jones podcast is an absolute gem in the world of discovering new shows, books, and hobbies. Hosted by the charismatic and passionate Leah Jones, this podcast offers a refreshing alternative to the algorithm-driven recommendations we often encounter on platforms like Netflix. With her enthusiasm and excitement, Leah leaves no stone unturned in her quest to introduce her listeners to new favorites.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the genuine enthusiasm exuded by both Leah and her guests. Their passion for their favorite things is infectious and creates a truly enjoyable listening experience. Whether they are discussing TV shows, books, or obscure hobbies, the joy in their voices is palpable and makes you want to immediately dive into whatever they're recommending. These conversations feel like intimate chats between friends, allowing listeners to feel connected to both Leah and her guests.
Another great aspect of The Finding Favorites with Leah Jones is the variety of interests explored by her friends who appear as guests on the show. From knitting enthusiasts to true crime fanatics, there seems to be no limit to the range of topics covered. This diversity ensures that there is something for everyone, making it easy for listeners to stumble upon new passions they may have never considered before.
However, one potential downside of this podcast could be that some episodes may not resonate with every listener. Given the wide range of interests discussed, there may be episodes where the topic simply isn't one's cup of tea. However, this can also be seen as a positive aspect as it encourages listeners to step out of their comfort zones and explore new fields.
In conclusion, The Finding Favorites with Leah Jones podcast is a wonderful show that brings together a host who sparkles with energy and passion alongside guests who share fascinating interests. It provides an excellent platform for discovering new shows, books, hobbies while offering a break from algorithm-driven recommendations. Whether you're tired of scrolling through Netflix or simply looking for engaging conversations, this podcast is a must-listen. Leah Jones and her guests truly rock!
Author Lee Upton joined Leah to talk about her newest book Wrongful, available for pre-order now for May 1 delivery, and about how she became a bunny person. PSA: Bunnies are exotic pets and not responsible Easter presents. Stick to chocolate and toy bunnies today! Where was the podcast? Leah had emergency gall bladder surgery which meant hitting eject from her life for about a month. So happy to be back on the mic and to welcome back engineer-extraordinaire Rob Abrazado. Keep up with Lee online Wrongful is available for pre-order now and releases May 1, 2025: https://www.saggingmeniscus.com/catalog/wrongful/ Lee's website: https://www.leeupton.com/ Show Notes Sagging Meniscus Press: https://www.saggingmeniscus.com/ Tabitha, Get Up: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tabitha-get-up-lee-upton/21257767 Kate Racculia: https://www.kateracculia.com/ Agatha Christie: https://www.agathachristie.com/ The Withers (coming in 2026 from Regal House Publishing): https://regalhousepublishing.com/forthcoming-publications/ Book & Puppet Co.: https://www.bookandpuppet.com/ Ghostlit: https://bookshop.org/p/books/ghostlit-poems/121f3a980b2b881e On the Rocks: https://www.theodoraziolkowski.com/books Asterism: https://asterismbooks.com/ I Am a Bunny: https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-am-a-bunny-ole-risom/8547916 Michael Sowa: https://michaelsowa-art.de/ Esterhazy: The Rabbit Prince: https://www.amazon.com/Esterhazy-Rabbit-Prince-Irene-Dische/dp/0152009213 Instant Relief Therapy: https://www.wikiart.org/en/michael-sowa/instant-relief-therapy Bunny by Mona Awad: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bunny-mona-awad/12087549 Alice in Wonderland: https://bookshop.org/p/books/alice-in-wonderland-illustrated-lewis-carroll/7841425 Rabbit, Run (the first book in John Updike's Rabbit series): https://bookshop.org/p/books/rabbit-run-john-updike/11076364 The Velveteen Rabbit: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-velveteen-rabbit-margery-williams-bianco/19005883 Donnie Darko: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/ Harvey: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042546/ Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (the first book of the Bunnicula series): https://bookshop.org/p/books/bunnicula-a-rabbit-tale-of-mystery-deborah-howe/286233 Bunnicula (TV series): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5444412/ Watership Down: https://bookshop.org/p/books/watership-down-richard-adams/286191 The House Rabbit Society: https://houserabbit.org/ POP Cats: https://popcats.co/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Detroit-based Brandon Klein sat down with Leah to talk about his love of interviewing - AKA non-fiction storytelling. Brandon has been a meditation coach, lived "van life" in the national parks, and is the creator and host of Humanize the Human Eyes. Keep up with Brandon on YouTube and Instagram https://www.youtube.com/@brandonmklein/videos https://www.instagram.com/brand0nklein/ Show Notes https://www.descript.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanseisen/ https://goodnightoscar.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_gGwOlIb9k https://blackwing602.com/collections/pencils https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/lucas-balisong-knives/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression Fact check: It was Jack Paar and not Dick Cavett that hosted Oscar Levant, sorry for so confidently talking about the wrong late night host. Second fact check: Rob Abrazado will return to editing the podcast on the next episode. The last few weeks have been rough in the Jones house, but I recently closed on a condo sale and have returned to the land of the living.
Christine Marie Eberle returns to Finding Favorites to discuss her new book and the pilgrimage that inspired her to write it. Her new book Finding God Along the Way: Wisdom from the Ignatian Camino for Life at Home is available now. We have an in depth conversation about the logistics, prayer and intentions of going on this pilgrimage in the fall of 2022. Christine-Marie-Eberle.com Finding God Along the Way Show Notes The Way on IMDB Camino del Santiago (the other pilgrimage in Spain) Camino Ignacio Ignatian Volunteer Corps Ignatius of Loyola Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Every year, we start by looking back at 2024. We asked friends and past guests to send in voice memos highlighting their favorite things of 2024. In this episode you'll hear from Shai Korman – Friday Night Movie Podcast Jesse Dukes – Upper Middle Brow Liz Nord Laura and Annie – BFF Sticker Club Chris Bagg – Upper Middle Brow Pam Mandel – Canned Mike Maddaloni Amy Guth – Canned Rocco Cataldo - Some stuff from Rocco Jason Mathes Steve Higgins Rabbi Michael Zedek Leah's recommendations for the year include Live comedy performances Jackie Kashian Laurie Kilmartin Kyle Kinane Paul Scheer book launch with Adam Pally Dinosaur Improv at the Den Michelle Collins at City Winery Live theater Illinoise at Chicago Shakes Some Like it Hot Death Becomes Her Great Comet at Writer's Theater An Enemy of the People Here There Are Blueberries Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
It's a crossover episode of Finding Favorites and Upper Middle Brow - Leah Jones, Jesse Dukes and Chris Bagg are talking about robot friends and enemies. We start with M3GAN and go on a winding conversation from there. Subscribe to Upper Middle Brow and rate them 5 stars: https://uppermiddlebrow.com/ Recommendations from this show: Ted Chiang's Exhalation Alien: Romulus Duncan Jones Moon Honorable Mentions: Robocop The Terminator/Terminator 2 Short Circuit M3gan Robot Visions Doctor Who Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Curtis Smith, author of Deaf Heaven (available May 2025) and The Lost and The Blind, is a professor who loves 70s Hollywood. Leah and Curt talk about his new book, favorite movies and directors. Build your own 70s To Watch list from this episode. Leah is still collecting voice memos for the best of 2024 episode slated for January 12th. There's still time to send in a 1-5 minute clip highlighting some of the things you found and loved in 2024. Follow Curtis online Short stories collections: https://www.press53.com/curtis-smith Curtis on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/contributors/curtis-smith-4ddf66b4-7838-4c5b-a813-010b2772f1a7 Deaf Heaven: https://bookshop.org/p/books/deaf-heaven-curtis-smith/22029558?ean=9781960018786 The Magpie's Return: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-magpie-s-return-curtis-smith/17051877?ean=9781947041615 The Lost and the Blind: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lost-and-the-blind-curtis-smith/19735398?ean=9781955062619 Show Notes Jen Michalski: https://bookshop.org/contributors/jen-michalski JMWW: https://jmwwblog.wordpress.com/ Ben Tanzer: https://www.tanzerben.com/ This Podcast Will Change Your Life: https://tbwcylinc.libsyn.com/ Flannery O'Conner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O%27Connor The Graduate: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/ The Twilight Zone: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052520/ Vivian Maier: https://www.vivianmaier.com/ Mary Ellen Mark: https://www.maryellenmark.com/ The Center for Creative Leadership: https://www.ccl.org/ Running Wild Press: https://runningwildpublishing.com/ To Sir, with Love: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062376/ The Godfather: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/ The Conversation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071360/ Dog Day Afternoon: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072890/ Nashville: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073440/ Robert Altman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000265/ McCabe & Mrs. Miller: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067411/ The Long Goodbye: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070334/ Francis Ford Coppola: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/ Apocalypse Now: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/ Martin Scorsese: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/ Mean Streets: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070379/ Taxi Driver: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/ Raging Bull: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/ Brian De Palma: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/ Blow Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082085/ Sisters: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070698/ Terrence Malick: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/ Days of Heaven: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077405/ Badlands: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069762/ The Candidate: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068334/ Robert Redford: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/ The Parallax View: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071970/ Warren Beatty: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000886/ John Cassavetes: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001023/ A Woman Under the Influence: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072417/ Regal Unlimited: https://www.regmovies.com/unlimited The Substance: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/ Demi Moore: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000193/ The Exorcist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/ Gene Hackman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/ Dustin Hoffman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/ Three Days of the Condor: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/ Shampoo: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073692/ Reds: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082979/ Faye Dunaway: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001159/ Robert De Niro: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000134/ Al Pacino: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/ Woody Allen: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/ John Travolta: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000237/ Urban Cowboy: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081696/ Tree of Life: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/ Gosford Park: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/ The Player: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105151/ Megalopolis: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10128846/ 2001: A Space Odyssey: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/ Lawrence of Arabia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/ RRR: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8178634/ The Jungle Book: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061852/ Bonnie and Clyde: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061418/ Bette Midler: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000541/ Ruthless People: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091877/ Poltergeist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/ The Wizard of Oz: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/ "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) Goodfellas: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Jeph Wilkinson, host of Big Campaign Podcast, loves table top role playing games (AKA TTRPGs) and joined Leah to talk about how he found Dungeons & Dragon, the joy of running TTRPGs campaigns with friends, and storytelling. Jeph is an independent podcaster! Follow Jeph online The World of Big Campaign Stories: https://www.bigcampaign.com/ Big Campaign Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/big_campaign_stories Big Campaign Podcast on X: https://x.com/BigCampaignPod Big Campaign Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/big_campaign_podcast Show Notes Upper Middlebrow: https://uppermiddlebrow.com/ Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson: https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-crash-neal-stephenson/7327954?ean=9780553380958 Dungeons & Dragons: https://dndstore.wizards.com/ Dune by Frank Herbert: https://bookshop.org/p/books/dune-frank-herbert/7502701?ean=9780441172719 Vampire: the Masquerade: https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/world-of-darkness/discover-world-of-darkness/vampire-the-masquerade The Golden Bachelorette: https://abc.com/show/4175a1c6-1594-4c90-9895-02008e6f0550 Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka: https://zubrowka-vodka.com/ Epic Level Handbook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Level_Handbook Finding Favorites "Chris Bagg loves Table Top Roleplaying Games": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/chris-bagg-dnd-ttrpg/ Newcomers: https://headgum.com/newcomers Pathfinder: https://paizo.com/pathfinder Wizards of the Coast: https://company.wizards.com/ High and Mighty: https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty Magic: The Gathering: https://magic.wizards.com/ Clash of Krits: https://linktr.ee/clashofkrits Rainbow Dice Club: https://linktr.ee/rainbowdiceclub How Did This Get Made?: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Doughboys: https://headgum.com/doughboys Armchair Expert: https://armchairexpertpod.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Rabbi Michael Zedek, the rabbi emeritus of Emanuel Congregation in Chicago, joined Leah for a very fun and meandering conversation about lots of his favorite things. His book, Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality, is going into a second printing and he's available for all of your events - Jewish or not, in person or virtual, to discuss the book. As a congregant of 20 years, Leah used the podcast to get the full stories of how Rabbi Zedek became a rabbi (where are you Elijah from Syracuse?), how he met his wife Karen, and how he came to Emanuel after retiring from the pulpit once already. Keep up with Rabbi Zedek online Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality RabbiMichaelZedek.com Show Notes "The Day I Read a Book" by Jimmy Durante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PweWTvZVKk I and Thou by Martin Buber: https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-and-thou-martin-buber/52758?ean=9780684717258 Emanuel Congregation: https://www.emanuelcong.org/ Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis (PARR): https://www.parrabbis.org/ National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis (NAORRR): https://naorrr.com/ Religion on the Line website: https://religionontheline.com/ Religion on the Line podcast: https://sites.libsyn.com/414662 High and Mighty with John Gabrus: https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty When Harry Met Sally...: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Harry_Met_Sally… The Godfather: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather Casablanca: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film) Ein Gedi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Ibex and shofar Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ Young Presidents' Organization: https://www.ypo.org/ Helen Suzman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Suzman Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies: https://www.schusterman.org/ Brown Lighthouse Tel Aviv: https://brownhotels.com/lighthouse Abraham Joshua Heschel: https://bookshop.org/contributors/abraham-joshua-heschel-9a2a2d93-0aa6-43c8-b4df-b0b18533fce5 Hebrew Union College (HUC): https://huc.edu/ Interfaith Park: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/interfaith-park Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Ashlie, host of Advice from The Cheerbrarian, LOVES books and loves to prescribe books to friends, listeners and strangers based on a few questions. We talk about breaking up with your phone, the benefits of parallel reading multiple books at the same time, and book discovery. Keep up with Ashlie online Advice from the Cheerbrarian: https://open.spotify.com/show/77y9HmJHzKhZZ8wyspnCqb Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ardaigle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheerbrarian/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@cheerbrarian TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cheerbrarian Advice from the Cheerbrarian website: https://www.cheerbrarian.com/ Unrequired Reading: https://www.cheerbrarian.com/unrequired-reading Show Notes Star Trek: The Next Generation: https://www.startrek.com/series/star-trek-the-next-generation Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Your Brain is a Dirty Dirty Liar (Your Brain Part 1)": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Your-Brain-is-a-Dirty-Dirty-Liar-Your-Brain---Part-1-e2gle2k My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "YOU'RE REJECTED. Now what?": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/YOURE-REJECTED--Now-what-e2if0cq The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Gallup Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "The Power of Yes (Part 1)": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/The-Power-of-Yes-Part-1---Say-Yes-to-Being-the-Best-at-Being-the-Worst-e2pm271 Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder: https://littlehousebooks.com/ Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?11710 Stuart Little by E.B. White Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1984 by George Orwell Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Beartown by Fredrik Backman: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman The Power of Fun by Catherine Price Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris 10% Happier by Dan Harris How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman: https://www.goodreads.com/series/299267-thursday-murder-club Murder, She Wrote on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder,_She_Wrote Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French: https://www.goodreads.com/series/51639-dublin-murder-squad Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: https://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit In the Woods by Tana French: https://bookshop.org/p/books/in-the-woods-tana-french/11716028?ean=9780143113492 Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde: https://www.goodreads.com/series/43680-thursday-next Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Yes Please by Amy Poehler The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays by Casey Rose Wilson Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer Finding Favorites - "Paul Scheer loves the L.A. Clippers": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/paul-scheer-hdtgm-la-clippers/ Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck Craft Sequence series by Max Gladstone: https://www.goodreads.com/series/91029-craft-sequence Finding Favorites bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/FindingFavoritesPodcast House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Good Morning America Book Club: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/bookclub Happiness Falls by Angie Kim: Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Cheerbrarian Presents - Author Angie Kim": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Cheerbrarian-Presents---Author-Angie-Kim-e2jbg6p Reese's Book Club: https://reesesbookclub.com/ Advice from the Cheerbrarian - "Six Tips to (try to) Read More Books": https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ardaigle/episodes/Six-Tips-to-try-to-Read-More-Books-e2jto9s Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Nancy House-Bluhm, author of Whispers for Terra and The Nickel Loop, loves clear communication. The midwesterner spent 25 years in Colorado before returning to Michigan. She talks with Leah about communication skills, trains and The Artist's Way. Keep up with Nancy online Whispers for Terra The Nickel Loop Nancy's website Nancy's email Instagram @jnbpine Nancy on Facebook Tik Tok @nancyhouserbluhmauthor Show Notes Hotel Denver (now Hotel Maxwell Anderson) in Glenwood Springs, CO: https://maxwellandersonhotel.com/ Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum: https://www.durangotrain.com/ Beforeigners: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332130/ How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-dale-carnegie/7496534?ean=9780671027032 Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/ Phatic communication: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-artist-s-way-30th-anniversary-edition-julia-cameron/6665657?ean=9780143129257 Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard: https://bookshop.org/p/books/finding-the-mother-tree-discovering-the-wisdom-of-the-forest-suzanne-simard/17806466?ean=9780525565994 Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Orphans' Project: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/projects/orphans Finding Favorites episode "Author Joan Schweighardt loves serendipity": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/joan-schweighardt-serendipity/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Elana Silber is the CEO of Sharsheret, the Jewish breast and ovarian cancer organization that Leah supports, and totally obsessed with Orangetheory. Nothing interrupts her daily workouts and she might get you Orange-curious by the end of the episode. Elana has dedicated her career to supporting people with breast and ovarian cancers through her work at Sharsheret. We talk a lot about what you should be doing to understand your breast cancer risks and specifically about how this organization helps people in the US and Israel. Host Leah Jones was honored by Sharsheret in May 2024. Here is her speech. Leah will be giving a d'var torah at Emanuel Congregation on October 25, 2024 for Pink Shabbat at 6:30pm Keep up with Elana and Sharsheret Sharsheret Sharsheret toll-free phone number: 866-474-2774 Sharsheret on Instagram Sharsheret on Facebook Show Notes Orangetheory Fitness Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Theresa Goodrich, aka The Local Tourist, has always loved to write. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided not to let anything stop her from writing fiction and she has written FIVE mysteries featuring travel writer Alex Paige. Theresa is one of the first people I met on Twitter and this was a great chance to catch up with each other. Since it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both new episodes will feature interviews with a heavy focus on breast cancer. Please, shedule your mammogram, colonoscopy, and dermatology screenings. Early detection really does save lives. Keep up with Theresa online Theresa's Books: https://theresasbooks.com/ Peril on the Peninsula (free e-book): https://theresasbooks.com/products/peril-on-the-peninsula The Local Tourist: https://thelocaltourist.com/ Show Notes The Two Lane Gems series: https://twolanegems.com/ Living Landmarks of Chicago: https://livinglandmarksofchicago.com/ Planning Your Perfect Road Trip: https://theresasbooks.com/products/planning-your-perfect-road-trip Show Me Shipshewana: https://theresasbooks.com/products/show-me-shipshewana Midwest Road Trip Adventures: https://theresasbooks.com/products/midwest-road-trip-adventures Midwest State Park Adventures: https://theresasbooks.com/products/midwest-state-park-adventures Alex Paige travel mystery series: https://theresasbooks.com/products/alex-paige-travel-mysteries-bundle Keith Lee on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keith_lee125 G.P. Gottlieb: https://www.gpgottlieb.com/ "Kathy Giorgio loves Writing": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/kathie-giorgio-loves-writing/ NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ St. Clare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_of_Assisi The Enneagram: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/ CliftonStrengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253676/how-cliftonstrengths-works.aspx Amy Güth: https://www.amyguth.com/ Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ De Beers: https://www.debeers.com/en-us/home The Rhodes Scholarship: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship/ Book Brush: https://bookbrush.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Summer hiatus is over with a banger of an episode! Abbas Jaffary, a mathematician and roller derby referee, joined Leah to talk about The Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby League and his love of math. Leah and Abbas also share a love of How Did This Get Made, the podcast that brings all people together. Follow Abbas online Mathematics for Misfits: https://linktr.ee/mathematicsformisfits Accessible Mathematics:https://www.accessiblemath.info/ Chicago Knockouts and Chicago Knockouts on Tik Tok. Show Notes How Did This Get Made?: https://hdtgm.com/ Live Lit: https://bookriot.com/what-is-live-lit-and-how-can-i-read-it/ Dinosaur: https://www.paulscheer.com/dinosaur Rock 'N' America: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27N%27_America Chicago Shred Union on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagoshred/ Chicago Outfit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagooutfit/ The Crimson Vixen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thecrimsonvixen_/ SteMartaen: https://stemartaen.com/ Plant-Based Skate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantbasedskate/ The Village of Homewood: https://www.village.homewood.il.us/ RollerCon: https://rollercon.com/ Improv Olympic (IO): https://ioimprov.com/ CFA Institute: https://www.cfainstitute.org/ College of DuPage: https://www.cod.edu/ Hyperspace by Michio Kaku: https://bookshop.org/p/books/hyperspace-a-scientific-odyssey-through-parallel-universes-time-warps-and-the-10th-dimens-ion-michio-kaku/8648999?ean=9780385477055 University of Illinois Chicago (UIC): https://www.uic.edu/ Georg Cantor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Cantor The p-adic numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-adic_number P-adic Numbers: An Introduction by Fernando Q. Gouvêa: https://bookshop.org/p/books/p-adic-numbers-an-introduction-fernando-q-gouvea/14521230?ean=9783030472948 P-adic Numbers, p-adic Analysis, and Zeta-Functions by Neal Koblitz: https://bookshop.org/p/books/p-adic-numbers-p-adic-analysis-and-zeta-functions-neal-koblitz/8668219?ean=9780387960173 Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/ Dr. Louis H. Kauffman: https://homepages.math.uic.edu/~kauffman/ Edward Witten: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Witten Qiskit: https://www.ibm.com/quantum/qiskit PsiQuantum: https://www.psiquantum.com/ MathJax: https://www.mathjax.org/ MathML: https://www.w3.org/Math/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Chuck Gay, a musician, writer and actor, joins Leah to introduce her to Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Chuck can be seen in Elvis of the Yukon (as Elvis) written by guest Pam Mandel and produced by Amy Guth. Keep up with Chuck online Instagram @charlespgay Facebook @chuckgaymusic ChuckGayMusic.com Show Notes Elvis of the Yukon: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30797208/ Buck Owens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens The Buckaroos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buckaroos Hee Haw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hee_Haw Carnegie Hall Concert: https://open.spotify.com/album/37k1QgDqGNemtteDpQ2jcU Don Rich: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rich Buck Owens and Don Rich singing "Tiger by the Tail": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u63NdYPMxrw Dwight Yoakam: https://www.dwightyoakam.com/ "Streets of Bakersfield" performed by Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens: https://open.spotify.com/track/7bKqtOF02nEDUImWZqq5nH Bumbershoot music festival: https://bumbershoot.com/ Buck Owens performs "The Streets of Laredo" live at Carnegie Hall (1966): https://open.spotify.com/track/0MjHswdGtDI1msQ49fWDYa John Prine: https://www.johnprine.com/ "I've got a Tiger by the Tail": https://open.spotify.com/track/464fUpkgSEPH1onUGoW8Kt "Love's Gonna Live Here": https://open.spotify.com/track/722NCABmmKoHNQaX2VHoX3 "Together Again": https://open.spotify.com/track/5uGMzzZW2XxHvSziwt9T3y "Cryin' Time": https://open.spotify.com/track/4UCCm4l4YTTeEYuaAzUdOs "Second Fiddle": https://open.spotify.com/track/3JO1cq3Ex5DbfQSnMf7Y3i An episode of The Buck Owens Ranch Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCy-9z6BXJc Buck Owens' Crystal Palace: https://www.buckowens.com/ Blackwing pencils: https://blackwing602.com/ Isernio's chicken breakfast sausage: https://isernio.com/product/chicken-breakfast/ Philadelphia jalapeño cream cheese: https://www.kraftheinz.com/philadelphia/products/00021000007325-spicy-jalapeno-cream-cheese-spread Frank's RedHot hot sauce: https://www.franksredhot.com/en-us/products/franks-redhot-original-cayenne-pepper-sauce Le Creuset cast-iron skillet: https://www.lecreuset.com/signature-skillet-10-1-4-in-chambray/20182026434001.html Heinz Simply ketchup: https://www.heinz.com/products/00013000626095-simply-tomato-ketchup-with-no-artificial-sweeteners Durango Bagel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgo_bagel/ Dave's Way: A New Approach to Old-Fashioned Success: https://www.amazon.com/Daves-Way-Approach-Old-Fashioned-1991-09-01/dp/B019TLFO7Y Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Author Darrin Doyle returns to celebrate a new book and his love of horror movies. Keep up with Darrin online Darrin's website: https://www.darrindoyle.com/ Darrin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarrinDoyle Darrin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrindoylewriter/ Let Gravity Seize the Dead pre-order: https://regal-house-publishing.mybigcommerce.com/let-gravity-seize-the-dead/ Show Notes Intergenerational trauma: https://dictionary.apa.org/intergenerational-trauma Wilderness State Park: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=509&type=SPRK Bird by Noy Holland: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bird-noy-holland/17314873?ean=9781619028272 Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy: https://bookshop.org/p/books/outer-dark-cormac-mccarthy/6724632?ean=9780679728733 The Beast in Aisle 34 by Darrin Doyle: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-beast-in-aisle-34-darrin-doyle/15921939?ean=9781948954570 Horror Movies to watch Get Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448/ Abigail: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27489557/ I Saw the TV Glow: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15574270/ Rosemary's Baby: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/ Dark Night of the Scarecrow: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082235/ Prom Night: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081383/ Children of the Corn: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050/ The Evil Dead: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083907/ Fangoria magazine: https://www.fangoria.com/ American Werewolf in London: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/ It (1990): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099864/ The Thing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/ Friday the 13th: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/ Maniac (1980): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081114/ Pieces: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082748/ Sleepaway Camp: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086320/ Tourist Trap: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080040/ The Burning: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082118/ Sam Raimi: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000600/ John Landis: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000484/ David Cronenberg: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/ Tobe Hooper: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001361/ Roman Polanski: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000591/ Evil Dead II: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/ Blank Check with Griffin & David podcast: https://www.blankcheckpod.com/ Spider-Man: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/ Darkman: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099365/ Boy Kills World: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13923084/ Regal Unlimited: https://www.regmovies.com/unlimited Drag Me to Hell: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/ Ari Aster: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4170048/ Hereditary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/ Midsommar: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772262/ Jordan Peele: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1443502/ Oz Perkins: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0674020/ The Witch: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4263482/ The Lighthouse: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/ Nosferatu (2024): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5040012/ The Strangers: Chapter 1: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22050754/ The Strangers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482606/ The Strangers: Prey at Night: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285009/ Renny Harlin: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001317/ Cutthroat Island: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112760/ The Innkeepers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594562/ The Autopsy of Jane Doe: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3289956/ Under the Skin: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441395/ The Zone of Interest: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7160372/ Civil War: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17279496/ Alex Garland: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0307497/ Ex Machina: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/ Annihilation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2798920/ The Northman: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11138512/ Robert Eggers: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3211470/ Dead Alive: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103873/ Peter Jackson: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/ Bad Taste: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092610/ The Frighteners: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116365/ Five Nights at Freddy's: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4589218/ Beau Is Afraid: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13521006/ Jennifer Kent: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448768/ The Babadook: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2321549/ Stranger Things: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/ The Coffee Table (2022): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21874760/ In a Violent Nature: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30321146/ Creep (2014): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2428170/ The Blackening: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11703244/ Scream: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/ Ringu: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/
Author and film maker Pam Mandel is here to convince us all to add an ebike to our garage for local errands and more freedom of movement. Her debut short film Elvis of the Yukon debuted in New York and has just been selected for the Seattle Film Festival. We will be visiting with her collaborators throughout the summer as we celebrate road trips. Keep up with Pam Mandel online Pam's Links Nerd's Eye View website and blog: https://www.nerdseyeview.com/ @nerdseyeview on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nerdseyeview @nerdseyeview on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdseyeview Show Notes Amy Guth: https://www.amyguth.com/ The Same River Twice: A Memoir of Dirtbag Backpackers, Bomb Shelters, and Bad Travel: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-same-river-twice-a-memoir-of-dirtbag-backpackers-bomb-shelters-and-bad-travel-pam-mandel/14361463?ean=9781510760059 Potenza Productions: https://www.potenza-productions.com/ Elvis of the Yukon IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30797208/ Moustache Bikes: https://moustachebikes.com/us/en/ Jamelle Bouie: https://jamellebouie.net/ Divvy Bikes: https://divvybikes.com/ Citi Bike: https://citibikenyc.com/ Dandelion Bikes: https://www.dandelion.bike/ Gazelle Bikes: https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Monica Reida, a Chicago-based artist and writer, loves coffee. Like... LOVES coffee. Affogato, espresso, drip coffee, percolated coffee, different roasts, decaf and so much more. Keep up with Monica online Monica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicareida/ Monica's portfolio: https://monicareida.myportfolio.com/ Monica's blog, Notes from a Sentient Cabbage: https://sentientcabbage2.wordpress.com/ Show Notes Murdoch Mysteries "Terrence Gant loves Prog Rock and Twitter" on Finding Favorites "Scott Smith loves Mission Impossible movies" on Finding Favorites Dollop Coffee Espresso Royale Colectivo Hudson's Bay Bodum Red Brazil model French press: Aeropress Pumpkin orange Escali Primo Fellow Prismo AeroPress attachment Hario V60 Cermaic Pour Over Coffee Set Hario V60 "LoveDrip" Paper Filters: https://www.hario-usa.com/products/v60-lovedrip-paper-filter-02 Oxo Conical Burr Coffee Grinder: https://www.oxo.com/conical-burr-coffee-grinder.html Fellow Stagg EKG: https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-over-kettle Bialetti Moka Express: https://www.bialetti.com/ee_en/moka-express.html La Marzoco Linea Mini: https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/product/linea-mini/ Some Origami Drippers (via Dark Matter Coffee): https://www.darkmattercoffee.com/products/origami-pour-over NadaMoo! dairy-free ice cream: https://nadamoo.com/ Dark Matter Coffee: https://www.darkmattercoffee.com/ Discourse Coffee Workshop: https://www.discourse.coffee/ Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: https://jenis.com/ Wonderstate Coffee Icebreaker blend: https://wonderstate.com/collections/icebreaker BOSS Coffee: https://www.bosscoffeeusa.com/ Yakuza: Like a Dragon: https://likeadragon.sega.com/ Intelligentsia Coffee: https://www.intelligentsia.com/ L' Cafecito Jumping Bean: https://www.facebook.com/pinklinedamen Metropolis Coffee Company: https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/ The Daly Bagel: https://thedalybagel.com/ Go Get Em Tiger: https://gget.com/ Stone Creek Coffee: https://www.stonecreekcoffee.com/ Joe Coffee Company: https://joecoffeecompany.com/ Black & White Coffee Roasters: https://www.blackwhiteroasters.com/ Big Shoulders Coffee: https://www.bigshoulderscoffee.com/ Perkolater: https://perkolatorcoffee.com/ Nguyen Coffee Supply: https://nguyencoffeesupply.com/ James Hoffmann's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jameshoffmann (the "Makita Coffee Machine" episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOEIpbxM4w) Welcome to Night Vale: https://www.welcometonightvale.com/ Ember Mug: https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2 Sprudge: https://sprudge.com/ (the cat shirt: https://sprudge.myshopify.com/collections/sprudge-tees/products/black-aeropress-cat-tee) Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. The New Rules of Coffee: A Modern Guide for Everyone But First, Coffee: A Guide to Brewing from the Kitchen to the Bar
We are one week out from Passover seders, so what better time to revisit Caroline's advice about preparing for the Spring holiday? New Haggadah alert - The Promise of Liberty by Stuart Halpern & Jacob Kupietzky Where are you leaving? Egypt Where are you going? Jerusalem What are you carrying? The bread of freedom Pesach (Passover) starts on Monday night and Caroline Musin Berkowitz joined Leah to talk about how she gets organized for the holiday. We talk about recipes, family traditions, finding the right haggadah, additions to the seder plate, and how to give gift to your future self with a good spreadsheet. Follow Caroline on Instagram and Twitter Keep up with Hashtag Daf Yomi on Instagram Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Bread Machine Challah II Chicken Marbella Matzah Toffee CRC Pesach Guide 2022 A Slob Comes Clean Fly Lady Graphic Novel Haggadah Matza Pajamas Caroline's Legendary Passover Spreadsheet Haggadot.com Sunflower addition
Scott Smith, aka Our Man In Chicago, returns to Finding Favorites to talk about the Mission Impossible movies - why he loves them, how he watches them and where to start with the series. Scott first joined Leah to talk about The West Wing. Keep up with Scott online Our Man in Chicago Instagram @ourmaninchicago The Frunchroom Facebook @thefrunchroom Show Notes Regal Unlimited The Mission: Impossible film series on Wikipedia Get Smart on Wikipedia OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies on Wikipedia Music Box Films: Music Box Films Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop. Want to sponsor an episode or run ads on Finding Favorites? Email Leah
Blaise Miller, an actor/director/writer based in LA, joined Leah to talk about his new web series "Hi, Blaise Miller" and his love of sweatpants. "Hi, Blaise Miller" is a six episode series exploring life for actors in Hollywood today - the world of self tapes and self doubt. The series is distributed by Crafty and new episodes are available every Friday. Leah and Blaise have been friends for 20 years and are celebrating their birthday on March 23 - so we're celebrating with an early drop! Follow Blaise online Hi, Blaise Miller on YouTube Crafty Short Films 2Blazes.com @2blazes on Tik Tok Show Notes The Vacationeers on YouTube It's a Disaster on Peacock Chicago's Pizza Smashburger.com DMK Au Cheval Auntie Anne's Wetzel's Pretzels Fat Chris Chubbies Shorts Home Run Inn https://www.vons.com/ Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Author Joyce Miller joins Leah to talk about her new book Joe Harris, The Moon, her love of greyhounds and her love of dancing with dogs. Keep up with Joyce online Look! You're Dancing: A Memoir of Dogs, Dance and Devotion Joe Harris, The Moon JoyceAMiller.com Follow Joyce on Instagram @joyceamillerwriter Show Notes Joe Harris Greyhounds "rooing" Greyhounds Reach the Beach The Grapehound Wine Tour Greyhound zoomies Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Alabama based author Bradley Sides joined Leah to talk about his new collection Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood and his favorite band, The National. Keep up with Bradley online Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood Bradley Sides on Facebook Bradley's website: Bradley-Sides.com Show Notes Those Fantastic Lives by Bradley Sides LeVar Burton Reads Calhoun Community College Common Read U.S. Space & Rocket Center One City, One Book The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui Alabama Center for the Arts Gabriel García Márquez Big Fish by Daniel Wallace The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: Karen Russell Kelly Link Rocket City Reading Fest at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL Finding Favorites on bookshop.org The National Alligator Homecoming 2023 "Secret Meeting": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/secret-meeting "The Geese of Beverly Road": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/the-geese-of-beverly-road "Mr. November": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/mr-november Trouble Will Find Me: https://thenational.bandcamp.com/album/trouble-will-find-me "Sea of Love": https://thenational.bandcamp.com/track/sea-of-love A Conversation Between Matt Berninger and David Letterman Cherry Tree, The National fan club: https://www.americanmary.com/cherry-tree Soundtrack to Garden State: https://open.spotify.com/album/24mCiOTIF5Ob1uwluRFERv Patti Smith: https://www.pattismith.net Bartees Strange: https://www.barteesstrange.com/ "Paul Scheer loves the L.A. Clippers": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/paul-scheer-hdtgm-la-clippers/ Tyler Childers: https://tylerchildersmusic.com/ "Universal Sound": https://soundcloud.com/tylerchilders/universal-sound "Universal Sound" art print on Soundwaves: https://soundwavesartfoundation.com/products/tyler-childers-universal-sound-originals Fleet Foxes: https://www.fleetfoxes.co/ Shore: https://fleetfoxes.bandcamp.com/album/shore My Morning Jacket: https://www.mymorningjacket.com/ Jason Isbell: https://www.jasonisbell.com/ Brandi Carlile: https://www.brandicarlile.com/ Weezer: https://weezer.com/ Soundwaves Art Foundation: https://soundwavesartfoundation.com/ Sewanee: https://new.sewanee.edu/ The Caverns: https://www.thecaverns.com/ Cave Jam: https://www.thecaverns.com/featured/cavejam Watchhouse: https://watchhouseband.com/ S-Town: https://stownpodcast.org/ How Did This Get Made?: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Doughboys: https://headgum.com/doughboys High and Mighty: https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty Nicole Byer: https://www.nicolebyerwastaken.com/ Rovos Rail: https://rovos.com/ Nailed It!: https://www.netflixreality.com/shows/nailed-it/ The String Cheese Incident: https://www.stringcheeseincident.com/ Red Rocks Amphitheatre: https://www.redrocksonline.com/ Jay Pritzker Pavilion: https://www.jaypritzkerpavilion.com/ The Pavilion at Ravinia: https://www.ravinia.org/Pavilion Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Ben Tanzer, a Chicago-based author and consultant, joined Leah to celebrate the launch of his new novel The Missing (available on March 21, 2024) and his love of the book The Basketball Diaries. This conversation is a trip down memory lane, because Leah and Ben have been friends for 15+ years. We briefly discuss the suicide of a mutual colleague. Follow Ben online The Missing release date March 21, 2024 The Missing book tour Ben Tanzer on Bookshop This Podcast Will Change Your Life TanzerBen.com twitter @BenTanzer Instagram @tanzerben/ Facebook @BenTanzer Show Notes Amy Güth Jen Michalski on Finding Favorites The Missing on Kirkus Reviews This American Life: This American Life Exile in Bookville: Exile in Bookville Lee Matthew Goldberg: Lee Matthew Goldberg The Book Cellar: Book Cellar Finding Favorites bookshop.org shop: Finding Favorites bookshop page Michael Keren: Michael Keren When Words Count: When Words Count Retreat Elizabeth Splaine: Elizabeth Splaine The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll Adam Lawrence Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty John Edgar Wideman Hendrick's Gin: https://www.hendricksgin.com/ Bombay Sapphire: https://www.bombaysapphire.com/us/en/ Tanqueray: https://www.tanqueray.com/en-us Death's Door: https://www.dancinggoat.com/deaths-door-gin Empress Gin: https://empressgin.com/ Alan Heathcock:https://alanheathcock.com/ Matilda: https://www.matilda-babyatlas.com/ David Masciotra: https://davidmasciotra.com/ Sunday Salon: https://sundaysalon-chicago.com/ P&T Knitwear: https://www.ptknitwear.com/ A Novel Idea: https://anovelideaphilly.com/ Village Well: https://villagewell.com/ Eric Spitznagel: https://www.ericspitznagel.com/ Megan Stielstra: https://www.meganstielstra.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Paul Scheer, an LA-based actor, writer, comedian, and podcaster, grew up in New York Knicks territory, but now loves the L.A. Clippers. He joined Leah to talk about his memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma (available for pre-order now, shipping on May 21, 2024), picking the right sports team for your family, and the inherent drama of NBA basketball. Keep up with Paul Scheer online How Did This Get Made Unspooled The Friendzone on Twitch Follow Paul Scheer on Substack Pre-order Joyful Recollections of Trauma (and Paul will send you a postcard) @paulscheer on Instagram (Are you impressed by how calm, cool and collected I've been so far? Paul is one of the hosts of my favorite podcast and he's on MY podcast and that is very cool and I am not collected. I'm so uncollected, that I'm releasing this episode a week early! After the show notes, I'll link to a few episodes that include some links to related episodes of Finding Favorites). Show Notes “Hook” by Blues Traveler Hamilton Tour Miguel Cervantes on Saying Good-Bye to Hamilton After 2,013 Performances The Book of Mormon Tour The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers by Mick Minas and Jim Lynam 30 for 30: 30 for 30 on ESPN HDTGM adjacent episodes of Finding Favorites Kevin Alves loves Letterkenny and Pirates - solid 20 minute tangent about the Halloween HDTGM in Chicago that I wore a 6 foot vinyl banner movie poster as a costume Pam Rose loves Jason Mantzoukas, HDTGM and very bad movies (Pam is a second opinion super star and friend from the HDTGM fan community) Poet Dan O'Brien loves British comedies (Dan is Jessica St. Claire's husband, fair warning - lots of cancer talk between the two of us) Matt Zoller Seitz and The Deadwood Bible Kevin T Porter loves Bruce Springsteen - Kevin's podcast Gilmore Guys was how I got to HDTGM Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
Author Esther Goldenberg visits Finding Favorites to share her loves of pour painting and drumming (djembe, not snare). She's also celebrating the publication of her first novel The Scrolls of Deborah. The Scrolls of Deborah is available for pre-order and will ship on February 20, 2024. EstherGoldenberg.com Follow Esther on Facebook and Instagram Show Notes Storahtelling This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide to Mind, Body, and Soul by Geneen Roth The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Cyanotype (blue sun printing) Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess: Nowhere Bookshop, Jenny Lawson's book store Kulu Sadira in Durango, Colorado Leah's Shabbat Shirah d'var torah based on Esther's comments about Miriam A few days after I published Kathie Giorgio's interview, her beloved husband Michael was hit by a car while walking to the bus and suffered a traumatic brain injury. I've been following along on Facebook and am praying for Michael's full and complete recovery. Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
Kathie Giorgio, a Wisconsin-based writer and founder of The All Writers Workshop, joined Leah to talk about her lifelong love of writing and her genre-agnostic publishing career. Kathie published her first short story as a teenager, her first book at 50, and will publish her 14th book in 2024. Content Warning: Kathie and Leah are both breast cancer survivors and discuss the illness, as well as bullying, death by suicide, and political violence throughout the episode. Keep up with Kathie online KathieGiorgio.org Facebook @KathieGiorgioAuthor Twitter @kathiegiorgio Instagram: Instagram @kathiegio1 Don't Let Me Keep You due for release October 3rd. Today's Moment of Happiness Despite the News: A Year of Spontaneous Essays Find Kathie on Bookshop.org Show Notes Hope Always Rises All Writers' Workplace & Workshop, LLC Maria Bamford's memoir Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere This Week's Moment of Happiness Despite the News, the blog the preceded the book Poet Kelly Cherry Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books Brian Mazzaferri/I Fight Dragons The E Myth Revisited Oddities & Endings Chicago Jewish Book Festival Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
Some of your favorite guests are back for the Best of 2023 Call-In Show! Leah asked guests and friends to send in a voice memo with their favorite discoveries of 2023. It's important to find moments of joy during difficult times and that's what each of our callers found! Best of 2023 Show Notes Carolyn Musin Berkowitz Snack hack! Monica Reida Prince Freya The Gilded Age on HBO Marked Safe Podcast Coaster radio Cameron McKenzie An introduction to Mezcal Paloma cocktail recipe Blindness by Jose Saragamo Roanoke, VA Vanessa Ricci-Thode Monarch butterflies Redwoods Dogs Doctor Who 60th Specials World Running Down by Al Hess The Murderbot Diaries Shai Korman, Friday Night Movie podcast Barbie Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Jesse Dukes, Upper Middle Brow Catch a Fire by timothy white Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Thea Lux The Wheel - https://www.thealux.com/wheel Amy Guth If you can't fix it, feature it https://amyguth.substack.com/ Rocco Cotaldo Adventure, seeing the country https://rocco.substack.com/ Jo McCawley Saltburn Mitski Sufjan Stephens Pam Rose Surface on Apple TV Loki Squidgame The Challenge Peacock - The Traders (US, UK, Australia) Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tate McRae HDTGM Films To Be Buried With - Brett Goldstein Barbie Oppenheimer Phil Mottaz The Hives https://www.thehives.com/ Women's Soccer https://www.angelcity.com/ Chris Bagg Joe Haldeman, The Forever War Upper Middlebrow episode 1 about Forever War Steve Higgins Hadestown Barbie Doctor Who 60th Anniversary
Chuck Zagorski was declared the King of Christmas by his family and joined Leah to talk about his favorite holiday. Chuck listens to Christmas music all year, but limits his seven trees and 100+ nutcrackers to a window between November 1 and Three Kings Day. Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Get news on new Christmas songs from Chuck on Facebook. November 1: First Official Day of Christmas Music Show Links Add to Cart The Deep Dive Funko Pops Polish Christmas Mushroom Soup Some of the music we cover Dee's Rock N Roll Christmas Tale A Very Special Christmas (all of the albums) Doris Day Frank Sinatra Kelly Clarkson Mariah Carey Winter Wonderland by Eurythmics Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify.
Emily Drake, host of the podcast Who's Missing, loves a cozy game. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Cozy Cafe and more! We talk about parallel play, building relationships and so much more. Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Follow Emily online Instagram @emdrake Who's Missing Podcast Show Links Stardew Valley Cozy Grove Animal Crossing Triple Match 3D Merge Mansion Get Played episode "Now That's What I Call Video Game Music: Cozy Edition" Finding Favorites episode "Keidra Chaney loves #KPopDollstagram" The Deep Dive Doughboys How Did This Get Made Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Thank you to Chris and Jesse at Upper Middlebrow for the shoutout!
It's a thanksgiving interlude with a few updates of what Leah's been up to and the trailer for season 2 of Upper Middlebrow Podcast. Stand Up Comedy Nicole Byer Kyle Kinane Samantha Bee Broadway Stuff Beetlejuice What a Wonderful World Here We Are The Lehman Trilogy Company Podcast Stuff How Did This Get Made live shows Welcome to Rob Abrazado Upper Middlebrow trailer Send your "Best of 2023" audio clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Bring Them Home: Stories of hostages from October 7
Evonne Marzouk returned to the podcast to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her debut novel The Prophetess. We talk about the process of finding an audience, her lifelong love of writing, and processing difficult times through writing. We talk about donations for pre-orders, but her publisher has extended the donations through the end of the war, G-d willing, soon. Donations are being made to Leket. Keep up with Evonne online: Substack Evonne on Substack Instagram @heroinewhisperer Facebook @HeroineWhisperer Order The Prophetess in paperback EvonneMarzouk.com Uplifting People and Planet: Eighteen Essential Jewish Lessons on the Environment Special thank you to Rob Abrazado who joined the Finding Favorites team as an editor and sound mixer.
Pensylvania-based author and professor Holly M. Wendt joined Leah to talk about their love of all things cycling - from professional races to riding long distances, Holly loves all things two-wheeled. Their debut novel Heading North will be available on November 8th and you can order it today. HollyMWendt.com Instagram @hmwendt Twitter @hmwendt Heading North Show Notes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash End Papers The Art of Fielding The Cactus League The Desert Sky Before Us Indian Horse Tour de Fleece Seagull Century Bike Rally (Toronto to Montreal) Wild Horses Sepp Kuss (Durango, Colorado) Domestique Tim Declercq Farm to Fork
Bee Vargas, AKA the reigning Ms. Illinois, loves power lifting and joined Leah to talk about her journey to embracing her larger body in and out of the gym. Whether its rooftop yoga, crushing dead lifts or representing Illinois at the national level, Bee is a delight. Follow Bee online https://www.instagram.com/thatbeeword/ https://www.instagram.com/allbodiesaregymbodies/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thatbeeword Show Notes https://www.swipefatpodcast.com/ https://www.instagram.com/well_rounded.wellness/ https://blog.nasm.org/powerlifting-for-women https://lipsticklifters.com/articles/female-powerlifters/ https://www.socalpowerlifting.net/post/how-do-powerlifting-meets-work https://www.northamericabeautypageant.com/divisions/ https://www.thewrpf.com/
Donate to American Friends of Magen David Adom Jerusalem-based tour guide Joel Haber joined Leah to talk about Shabbat Stews ahead of the release of his ebook Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food. There is so much more to Chulent than beans and meat! Follow Joel on Instagram and his blog Taste of Jew. Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Show links The Red Lady Free Shabbat Stew Cookbook by Joel Haber Machne Yehuda market Gil Marks obituary Ishtabach in Jerusalem Shamburak Birateinu Beermiscuous in Chicago Cardoon Come for Cholent Come for Cholent Again
Taylore Nicholl and Michael Lester, a pair of independent filmmakers from Texas, joined Leah to talk about their love of film, making films, and dream projects. Follow the pair online Support Taylore and Michael on Patreon Carry On (Taylore's first movie) @taylorenicholl on Instagram What We Become Tik Tok @mediocre_michael Show Notes Duo of Greenville filmmakers Jackass The Disney Vault Ira Glass, The Gap Danny McBride on Armchair Expert Perks of Being a Wallflower Little Miss Sunshine 500 Days of Summer Garden State Lost in Translation Away We Go Leah Jones - Piper Cub pilot Hello, My Baby Pretty Like Me
Jesse Dukes, co-host of Upper Middlebrow, returns to Finding Favorites to wrestle with Jimmy Buffett's legacy. We talk about internal rhymes, lifestyle brands, and songs with more meaning on the tenth listen than on the first. Keep up with Jesse online Upper Middlebrow Podcast JesseDukes.com Show Notes Neuromancer Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow The Space Between Worlds Jimmy Buffet - Songs you don't know by heart JimmyBuffett.com MBMBAM and Jimmy Buffett Escape to Margaritaville Red Headed Stranger Internal rhyme Best rhymes in Hamilton The melancholy of margaritaville Eater review of Margaritaville in NYC NY Times Jimmy Buffett does not live the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle Steve O interview Delaney Buffett Go Cubs Go Cowboy in the Jungle
Josh Mohr, Seattle-based author of Model Citizen, joined Leah to discuss his new novel Farsickness which he wrote this summer and is illustrated by his daughter Ava. We talk about teachers that change your life, collaborating with your children, making art during the pandemic, and grappling with PTSD. Buy a copy of Farsickness today Silly Gooses with Josh Mohr and Ava Mohr at Valencia 826 (look for more workshops this year) (complete show notes coming soon)
Ronnie Raviv joined Leah to try and figure out if he has any favorite things. We talk about cocktails, cocktail bars, books, TV, great meals and our friendship origin story. For someone who claims to have no favorite things, there was no lacking in conversation. Like my beloved Zouks, Ronnie is not on twitter. Show Notes Second City Conservatory Quipfire Improv Sally Albright Chicken Pot Pie origin story Mexican Mule Journeyman White Whiskey Jasper Fforde OCD TLV Taizu Fantastic TLV Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde Blind Barber Duck Duck Goat Aviary Rosemary Tango Sur Bar Roma Frasca Monte Verde Dear Margaret Yom Tov Deli (Tel Aviv) Harry's Epic Israel Food Tours Transcript follows Ronnie Raviv 0:00 Hello, my name is Ronnie Raviv. And I don't think I really have favorite things, but I have a lot of things that I like a lot, and you can hear all about them. In this week's finding favorites. ----more---- Announcer 0:10 Welcome to the findings favorites Podcast where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:23 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. It's Sunday, August 27. Really a beautiful, perfect day in Chicago after that brutal heatwave earlier in the week. Nice to have the windows open and to eat dinner outside today. Not too much to report other than my shoulder MRI shows a what seems to be a completely boring, small rotator rotator cuff tear. So hopefully, I will have some resolution to my shoulder pain soon. The orthopedist I saw last week said shit your shoulder is jacked. Which I think is sports for let's take this injury seriously. This week on the podcast I am talking with my one of my very dear friends Ronnie Raviv. You have heard about him on the podcast for years because he kept me company during a lot of chemo therapies and steroid Saturdays. We went to Israel on overlapping trips recently, so we just had that fabulous dinner in Tel Aviv. We talked about that a little bit. So I twisted his arm and said, Come be on a podcast. Now he does not listen to podcasts. He's not a he's not into the audio medium of podcasting. So I don't know if he will ever listen to this. But we have a fun conversation. Just sitting around bullshitting on the couch for an hour or so. And hit record. So without further ado, wear your mask. Wash your hands. Get your booster. I know a new booster is coming out soon. So I guess, wear your mask more diligently while you wait for the new booster to be available. And keep enjoying your favorite things. Leah Jones 2:43 Hello, and welcome to finding favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we learn about people's favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Today I'm joined a rare in person interview for finding favorites. With my own personal algorithm. You do all the research that wire cutter doesn't do for me. So I don't have to do it. Yeah. What do we just found out recently? You didn't know what wire cutter Ronnie Raviv 3:08 was? No, I had no idea. You introduced me to wire cutter. Leah Jones 3:11 Right. So wire cutter is consumer a modern consumer reports. Yeah, basically. And then anytime I need a new phone. You are my Consumer Reports. Ronnie Raviv 3:23 Yeah, I would just from like the one article that I read or the one article with all the links to the other articles that I read. It it I wouldn't describe it necessarily as the modern consumer reports. I would describe it as the less nerdy Consumer Reports. So let's let's charts and figures and more. Recommendations. Leah Jones 3:49 Yes. Ronnie Raviv 3:50 It's a curated fair Consumer Reports. Leah Jones 3:57 I'm fine with him doing all the research for me. Sure. Because I am too lazy. Yeah, I would rather buy it. It'd be the wrong thing. Never return it and buy another thing. I wouldn't rather that but that's more likely how my life goes, Ronnie Raviv 4:10 right? Yeah, no, I'd much rather would buy the right thing to begin with. Leah Jones 4:14 Yes. Right. Which is why every two years when I'm a Verizon, it's time to buy a new phone. I call you with no warning. And I'm like, What phone am I buying today? Right. I've done that for 15 years, at least. Once I went away from my Blackberry, Ronnie Raviv 4:29 which I think we're all happy for. Leah Jones 4:31 Yeah. So Ronnie, usually, this is when so this is like the time of the podcast where people get to know the guest. And often we're I'm getting to know the guests because usually they are a complete stranger. Right? And you're not No, Ronnie Raviv 4:48 no, we've known each other for I was trying to do the math. I feel like 21 or 22 years we've known each other. Yeah. And we've known each other well, for maybe 18 years. Yeah, we know each other very well for 15 years. Yeah, maybe that's I think Leah Jones 5:06 that's about right. I moved here in Memorial Day 2002. Okay. And started going to open mics immediately. Yeah. And very quickly. Got to the tequila Roadhouse. RIP, RIP tequila Roadhouse and Ronnie Raviv 5:25 their crack fries. Yeah, they were surprised that were I don't know what they put on. There were so bad. Leah Jones 5:33 Well, there was my cousin's Friend's Boyfriend maybe wasn't conservatory with you? I don't remember. Okay. I think he was Greek. Okay, or he had a friend and I don't remember. Somehow I want to but one of your conservatory shows Ronnie Raviv 5:55 site. Yes. Second City conservatory Right. Leah Jones 6:00 Which quickly led to tequila Roadhouse. Yes. Ronnie Raviv 6:03 Because my many of the people I would go into group and that improv group, not only did stuff but also held an open mic. First tequila Roadhouse, then they went to Weiss fools. Yep. Neither of which are around because this is over 20 years ago. Leah Jones 6:19 Yeah. So it was a mixed bag. Open Mic. Yes. Very. So I did stand up comedy. And you were reading your as of yet unfinished novel Ronnie Raviv 6:31 as of still yet unfinished novel? Yes. And you would read a chapter a week? Yes, that was probably the most productive time because I had the actual deadline to like, do the chapter, right. But the way I write I don't outline or plan ahead, I sorta have to get into the, into the fugue state, which means that every time I sit down and write I don't necessarily remember what it was that I wrote, because I'm in a bit of a fugue state, right. And that's generally how I read books as well. I don't remember things after I just sort of get the good feeling. Yeah. And so I, so now it's just become this daunting mountain, because as the chapters pile up, every time I sit down, I have to read the whole thing to get into that flow. And it's just like, you know, if I have an hour to write, that's all well and good, but it'll take me like three or four hours just to read the thing to like, get into the meat into you know, and I don't have three or four. Let's be honest, I probably do. I just don't have the, Leah Jones 7:28 you don't have it set aside. You haven't scheduled in, right. Reread the novel, Ronnie Raviv 7:33 right? Before I read a new chapter, right? You know, so I'll like read, I like spend three hours rereading it to the right, a few pages. And then the next day, I have to like, reread a bunch to get into, this doesn't really happen. Maybe one of these days, I'll outline what I actually want to have happen. And that will help spur me on to like, Oh, now I need to read. Now I need to write this thing that happens. But I don't even know what will happen. It just sort of happens as it happens. Yeah. That's why I always wrote short stories when I was in college. Yeah, Leah Jones 8:06 I was gonna say maybe your short story guy. Ronnie Raviv 8:08 I am. But I don't like I want to write a novel. Yeah. I like I'm better suited for short stories. It's the same. It's the same thing with improv. Like, I did improv in college and we did short form improv improv games. And then and that's what I was good at, because I'm like, I'm good at that kind of quick joke thing. And then I went through the conservatory program at Second City, after many different things like twists and turns of my life and then ended up there. And I appreciate improv long form. Improv is an art form. And I sort of denigrate short form improv is just gimmicky, right? And so I don't like the short form improv as much. But that's the thing I'm better at I'm not good at the long form. So now I can't really do improv because the thing that I like, I'm not as good at writing that I I'm better at I don't like as much right. Leah Jones 9:01 But do you have? When's the last time you I don't I've never I don't think I've ever seen you do short form improv. I've seen you do sketch. Yeah. No, you haven't because I don't even know if I've ever seen you do long form improv. You have. Ronnie Raviv 9:13 I think, Okay, what if you? Well, I guess no, because it's because the seconds are the conservatory shows were more your sketch. They were born they were born out of improv to do with the improv in the class. And there was, there was a certain amount of improv, improvising on the stage. Like we make beats, we didn't have anything written out. Right. Sketches weren't, weren't scripted. But we sort of knew what was going to happen. A little more like, Curb Your Enthusiasm type. Leah Jones 9:37 I remember I guess I mostly remember your musical numbers. Yeah. White people brown line. Yes. Ronnie Raviv 9:43 I did not write that one. No, Leah Jones 9:45 but somebody asked you that you look at your watch. And somebody asks you the time and you were like, I don't know what time it is. And you put your hand down. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 9:54 You have more memory than I do. Leah Jones 9:56 I think because of the time I lived on the brow, I took the brown line about Each and every time I get on the Brown Line, I would think about the song. Yeah. So Ronnie Raviv 10:04 yeah, no white people brown line. That was that was a brilliant piece of work. I did a song that was a parody of modern gender. Yeah. That was a mouthful. It was like a victim of the new new economy or something, which at this point is like, three economies ago. Because this was in the early aughts. Yeah. It's been awhile. It's been a lifetime. It's been so long. So yeah, so the last time I did improv, I think is when my undergrad improv group. This is pre pandemic came through Chicago, they would come through Chicago, New York or LA. So every three years it comes to Chicago. And then they, they they did a little show to basically no audience is just really for us. Yeah. And then they called on the alums to come. And I thought they were gonna just kind of, we were just gonna do a quick little scene, like what we would do at reunion is like a world's worst. I like my women or men, like I like my blank or whatever. Yeah. But no, they then said, Okay, now you're going to do now, all the alarms now you're going to do a long form improv. Which, so when I was going through that group, it's called quickfire? Yeah. When I was going through it, we only did short form improv, right? Leah Jones 11:21 Because it was before UCB. It was before the Herald had New York. Ronnie Raviv 11:25 Yeah, this was this was in the mid in the early mid 90s. So we only did short form improv. And so the only reason I even knew like, luckily for me, I had gone through the second city experience. So I had had experience with long form, right. But so this was in I think, 2017. Okay. And my last experience with long form improv was in 2002. Yeah. So, and I was by far the oldest alarm there. The next oldest alarm was from the class of 2009. Okay, so the next oldest alarm was sort of complaining that they hadn't done improv in a while. had done it at like at that point. quickfire had done long form improv when they were in school. And so they had last done in 2009. You know, I had last done it before they were even in school. Leah Jones 12:22 Right before they were in grade school. Ronnie Raviv 12:25 Not quite that far, but they weren't probably Junior High. Last time I did long form improv, right. And that only by like luck, because previous to Second City, I'd only done short form improv. So I was like, I felt like it was a fish out of water, but somehow didn't. Didn't crap the bed too bad, I guess. I don't know. We did. Okay. It was only for us. So it didn't really matter, right. low stakes, no stakes, stakes improv. Leah Jones 12:50 I did. Eventually I gave in and I did the five classes at annoyance when I was managing the ice cream parlor, right? Because so many lifetimes ago, many, many lifetimes ago. Because I was so tired of people asking me if I did improv, I was like, I do stand up comedy. Sometimes, Ronnie Raviv 13:12 ironically, because literally everybody who does improv their families all assumed that their stand up comedian, right, right. Oh, do some do some stand up comedian comedy Ford's like, that's not what I do. I do improv. Okay. Well then do improv. Right? No, it's a group thing. Right. Stand up here and do improv. Leah Jones 13:27 I know. But you did have me come out once and do stand up comedy. For your parents friends. For Param. Yes, I remember that. Ronnie Raviv 13:37 I wasn't, I don't think you would not have gone without No, I wouldn't you did it. And you were brave. They were they were they were welcoming audience. Leah Jones 13:48 They were welcoming audience. You had Ronnie Raviv 13:52 you had my favorite joke, my favorite Lea joke. But it will have been we don't necessarily have to. Leah Jones 13:58 Was it about the date with a little person? No, I remember that one being Ronnie Raviv 14:02 No, it was the learning Hebrew. Oh, yeah. That you the needle pointed for me. And I still haven't hung but I will in a minute. Yeah. Leah Jones 14:10 Right. So Ronnie helped me. When I was learning the alphabet, the Hebrew alphabet. We would like go to Jack's for chicken potpie. And sometimes I would drag out these giant workbooks and make them help me with Hebrew. And when I had finally gotten really confident that I could like, kind of like know the alphabet in order. I was like, Ronnie, I have learned everything from Alif to Zion, Ronnie Raviv 14:37 which you know, translated from A to Z except it's really more like if you're familiar with the Greek alphabet from alpha to zeta, and that's like the seventh letter. Right? But Leah Jones 14:48 you know, yeah. So I for Ronnie's 40th birthday, I cross stitched him something that said met LF Ronnie Raviv 14:57 Zion Yeah, from A to zeta Right. So essentially, Leah Jones 15:00 right, I've learned everything from A to F. Yeah. Which honestly appropriate. Yeah. Because I had not learned Hebrew from A to Z like, No, probably not. I can. I can't even function anymore. I used to use my Hebrew used to be better, but everybody in English, everybody in Israel's English got way better. And also technology got way better. Ronnie Raviv 15:23 Yes. Not as important anymore. No. But I remember that crowd really liked that joke, right because it was a crowd of Hebrew speakers. Right. So they, they were all right there they that was the that was the crowd. That Leah Jones 15:36 was the only crowd I didn't have to explain the punchline to Yeah, yeah, like we just did here. Right. Ronnie Raviv 15:43 But you know, jokes are always better when you have to explain the punchline. Leah Jones 15:46 Yeah. Right. So I did improv it annoyance. But I've never performed it outside of a class. Ronnie Raviv 15:57 So that's alright. That's fine Leah Jones 15:58 with me. Yeah, it's okay. I understand it. And I understand I don't want to do it. Ronnie Raviv 16:04 Yeah. Yeah, I'm sort of I'm sure I'm right there with you. It took me longer time to understand that. Leah Jones 16:10 Yeah. That you didn't want to do it anymore. Or that or to understand it? Ronnie Raviv 16:15 Both, I guess. Yeah. Because I was in a more because they started with the short form, right, which is like the games and the, the joke Enos right. Leah Jones 16:23 The Whose Line Is It Anyway, who's that's exactly boarded for puns and jokes and dad jokes and quick thinking, right. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 16:30 Which is what we were, which is what I was really good Leah Jones 16:33 at. Yeah. So you're still really good at? Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 16:36 I think so. I'm okay that for sure. Yeah. But you know, when it comes to like, improvising long scenes where you have to like, react and have emotions and whatever, I'm not as good as that. Leah Jones 16:51 Till we met, and then comedy ended, comedy didn't really end I got transferred to London. So I was like, and you finish conservatory. And I think by the time I was back from London, I think the tequila Roadhouse might have been closed. Ronnie Raviv 17:09 I think it was around for maybe a little longer than that. But we were but they were no longer doing the open mic. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:15 Yeah. And we ran into each other at a board game. It's a bar on Addison started with a G threes. threes. Ronnie Raviv 17:23 I have no recollection of this. You know, me. I'm, you know, me. I sort of have no recollection of things. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:30 I remember it clearly, somewhat clearly. And then I recently searched my blog to see if I had when it happened. Okay. And I reference people that I'm like, I referenced someone named Jamie. And I'm like, Who the fuck is Jamie? Jamie Allen? Probably no, no. Like I was there with my friend Jeff from high school. Were Jeff from college. Jamie might have been his girlfriend at the time. Ronnie Raviv 17:52 Oh, girl. Okay. Yeah. Leah Jones 17:55 I don't know. Like, I don't know the description of the people that I say I walked in with Oh, okay. And then you watch because I moved to London and quit comedy. And we figured out like, Oh, hey, what's up? Sell your number. And so then we went for chicken Popeye. Nice. Shortly thereafter, Ronnie Raviv 18:14 yeah. Chicken. Popeye was so good. Yeah. Last, Leah Jones 18:19 so rip jacks. Yeah. And long before they were closed. Rip the chicken pot pie. Ronnie Raviv 18:23 Right. Rip that chicken pot pie. More so than jacks. Yeah. And then the Diag. Yeah, it's Leah Jones 18:28 rip. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 18:31 Yeah. But yeah, the chicken pot pie was gone long before that. And that was really the big tragedy of the whole thing. Leah Jones 18:39 Was the chicken potpie gone before your ability to process? Dairy? Ronnie Raviv 18:45 No, it was worth it. Ya know, my ability. My inability to process dairy disappeared before the dream pop. I did. But it was worth it. Leah Jones 18:53 Yeah. That's another conversation locked in my brain because it was so insane. Because you picked me up from the 14th station. And you pretended like I had any choice about where we were going to dinner. Right? Which was nice of you to pretend. Right? And then you said, Leah, you know, the type of chicken Popeye that you dream of? And I was like, I do not dream of chicken pie. I Ronnie Raviv 19:14 see. You remember this as dream of I feel like I wouldn't have put it that way. Maybe I did at that point. But I sort of always see it as you know, when you have a hankering for chicken, Popeye. And you sort of have in your mind's eye. What? You're sort of picturing like, Oh, I could go for that. Right? And then you order it. And it's like, oh, well, that's not really what I was picturing. Chicken Popeye, but it's not the chicken coop I had in my brain. Yes. This place had that chicken. Leah Jones 19:45 Yeah. And I was very skeptical. Of course, Ronnie Raviv 19:49 as was everybody I told this story to right there. Leah Jones 19:53 And you were of course correct because they they baked it an individual that you had a cross pinched on To the top of your bowl. Ronnie Raviv 20:01 Yeah. But it was just it wasn't it was beyond that it was I think it was like the way the sauce that like Allah King sauce or whatever it is. It's like the like just the chicken, the combination of vegetables, the proportions, the sauce, the flavor, the cross, like all of it. It was like the platonic ideal of a chicken about pie, right. And I had many a convert to that chicken. Popeye was good. It was great. And then the chef left and they could not recreate it. No. And then it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And then they closed and it became a sports bar. Leah Jones 20:38 Yeah. And then somehow that was the last time we went I think was probably my 40th Ronnie Raviv 20:45 Yeah, I don't know what's been called for a while. Leah Jones 20:47 Yeah. But we went that's where we went after. That was where the after party was okay? Was Diag. Okay, because it was walking distance. So, according according to the pictures I have. Yeah, I don't I don't recall that either. No, I don't have a lot of memories. Right that night. Ronnie Raviv 21:07 Yeah, no, that and that was a bit of a blur. Yeah. Yeah. Leah Jones 21:12 Um, yeah. So that's the origin story. Yeah. Is comedy. And then happened to happen? Chance happenstance, happenstance. Yeah. Yeah. And people were listened to the podcast have heard about you, Matthew. David brozik. One of your good one of your best friends from college has been a guest. And people have certainly heard about you on steroids. Sunday. Steroid Saturday's one of my Mayo Clinic. Road trip buddies. Yeah, the OG hospital host the OG hospital husband. Yes. And you still probably wear your pen. That was that was really sweet. Leah Jones 22:02 So one of the things when we talked about favorite things, like what would you talk about? As favorite things first, you're like immediately I don't have anything. Ronnie Raviv 22:12 No, I still I've been racking my brains. And I have. I have no favorite things. I have a lot of things I dabble in and things I like, right. Like a lot of things. Yeah. I'm a fairly easygoing, sometimes guy. Usually going in a sort of very high maintenance way. Leah Jones 22:31 I joke last night about you being Sally Albright. But you are Sally Albright from When Harry Met Sally. I mean, I'm you are easy going in the way that Sally Albright is easygoing. Ronnie Raviv 22:42 I think maybe not quite that heightened. But yeah, there's just there's no, there's certainly some truth to that for sure. No, I'm, I like a lot of things. Yeah. I also hate a lot of things. But I like a lot of things. And I'm sort of, you know, generally fairly open to whatever. Is there a certain way Leah Jones 23:01 you'll eat almost anywhere as long as you can order around the menu. Which is true. Ronnie Raviv 23:06 Yeah. Because you're a lot of picky eater. Bit of a super taster. Yeah, not an adventurous Well, no, that's not true. I Leah Jones 23:14 don't think that's fair. Ronnie Raviv 23:15 You know, I'm an I'm adventurous. I just picky. Leah Jones 23:18 You are adventurous. If you trust the chef. Yeah, that's true. Because we could just talk about, we can even just talk about great meals we've had together. Yeah, we've had some good ones. Yeah. Because Thai zoo and Tel Aviv last year. Yep. And OCD. Yep. Are both to where it was where? You would? I mean, they both places where they took our tastes seriously? Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 23:49 Yeah. We said what we liked and didn't like whatever and pointed them in a direction, right? And they said, Okay, trust us, and they delivered. Leah Jones 24:00 Yeah. So I think if the chef can't deliver at that level, you are less adventuresome. Right, for sure. Or you will amend the menu to make something better than they have on them. And yeah, Ronnie Raviv 24:13 well, I mean, I try not to be as annoying about it as Sally. I try to, I generally try to say, just eliminate these one or two things that I don't like. And also like if there's like a thing that I have to eliminate five things. I'm not going to get that thing, right. I'm gonna just get the thing like okay, I can have this like just take out the raw onions and avocado and I'm good. Yeah, you know, just like the things I don't like. I don't try to like have them do a concoction. Except for if there's mac and cheese on the menu and there's chili on the menu. That's a thing where things have to be put together. Yeah, because that's amazing. Chili Mac is the best thing ever. And I don't know why any restaurant that has chili and then has mac and cheese does not have Have a chili Mac. Yeah, option. It's silly. Leah Jones 25:03 Yes. I do think we have to get the purchase doesn't have Mac and mac and cheese right? Ronnie Raviv 25:09 I don't believe so they have an amazing chili. Chili was so good. Chili was so good, but I did not see mac and cheese. Yeah. Leah Jones 25:16 So we'll have to get it to go and then take and then go to the mac and cheese. Max. Yeah, yeah. Be like don't worry. We have purse chilly Ronnie Raviv 25:28 we got chilly to go. Leah Jones 25:30 Yeah. Um, I don't know, do you wanna talk about with CD? We could. Or something? Ronnie Raviv 25:37 Oh, no, I could. I could. I could throw this back on you. Okay. I mean, the name of the podcast is finding favorite. Yes. So find my favorite. What's my favorite? Leah Jones 25:51 Well, your favorite liquor right now is Mezcal. True? That is? Yes. It's Mezcal number is affirm. Number one. This Ronnie Raviv 26:01 girl is affirmed. Number one, but with a huge caveat. Like the bartender was mixologist. Whatever has to be Mezcal is pickier. It's harder to blend. Okay, well, so if I don't trust the bartender, I will fall back on tequila, which is easier to deal with. But if the bartender is really good in Moscow, they can do a better job. Leah Jones 26:29 Right. So the the Mezcal meal has been your go to cocktail this summer? Ronnie Raviv 26:37 Yes. If I again, if you trust them, trust them. Otherwise, I'll go with Mexico meal because that's a lot more right. Reliable, Leah Jones 26:46 yeah. But I don't know when that because not you were never really you're not really a Gen drinker? Because that's a little too aromatic. Yeah. But for a long time, it was like vodka or rum, but like tequila, I feel like is new on like, in the last five years has gone up your list? Ronnie Raviv 27:11 Well, I think it probably was, realistically, it was there longer than that. Maybe afraid. Like I figured, because I'm like, I don't love the taste of alcohol, like vodka is my thing. And I like you know, and if you go to a bar that doesn't have anything, like you go to a like, an event, right? And all you know, they had the most basic stuff, then I'll get a vodka cranberry, right, you know, splash soda and some wine. Ronnie Raviv 27:40 But if there's a place that and then for a while, I was like, oh, but if you have ginger beer, I'll do a Moscow Mule. Yeah. And then I discovered the Mexico mule. And that is so much better than the Moscow Mule. Right. And then I was also like, at that point, I was like, But wait, but also if there's a margarita, I will go for a margarita. Yeah. And it's like, well, maybe, you know, really the only vodka drink I like is the vodka cranberry. And I like the Mexico mule as my fallback, right? You know, my my go to and I like the the the margarita, right? Maybe, maybe tequila is my favorite. And so then I'm like, You know what, maybe I want to kill a guy and I didn't know and then like, and then I discovered the Moscow Mule. And I'm like, wow, that elevates the, the Mexico mule to a whole new level. But you go to a bar that doesn't know what they're doing a Moscow Mule is gonna be hit or miss. Yeah. Leah Jones 28:33 I also I mean, mezcal has come into its own in America in the last few years. So Ronnie Raviv 28:38 it's more popular. You it was there, there were times where you there are a lot of bars that still don't have it. Yeah. Leah Jones 28:44 And they also suspect as you and your friends as like all of our paychecks have changed. And our base level to Keela has changed in our houses. Like in the I think there's like grote, we're older. We're middle age now. So we're not getting like the cheapest tequila and none of your friends have the cheapest tequila in their house and and so like I also think there's something to be said for like access to better quality. Yeah, I Yeah, that's a killer you were introduced to at 21 You probably want to drink today. Ronnie Raviv 29:25 Maybe or maybe it's about the mixers the quality of the mix. Like ginger beer just really solves a lot of problems. Yeah, alcohols in general. But also think that vodka is a much, much more consistent thing. So you know, there's bad gin and bad tequila and certainly bad Moscow. Yeah, vodka. It might be mediocre you know, but But by the same ticket there's excellent tequila is an excellent Moscow's right and excellent gins. And there's not really an excellent vodka. Maybe there's a few I have a very Leah Jones 30:00 nice vodka right now. Ronnie Raviv 30:02 Exactly a very nice vodka. Leah Jones 30:04 It's a Polish. It's the buffalograss. Polish vodka. Ronnie Raviv 30:08 Very nice vodka. It's not an excellent vibe. But it can't be excellent because there's just not enough complexity there. Right? It's like the best vodkas are the ones that taste least like anything. Right? Like the bad vodkas are the ones that like tastes a little bit like gasoline and the ones that the excellent bikers are the ones that taste less like gasoline fare, whereas tequila has the complexity of the brown liquors that I don't like right without being the brown occurs and I don't like Leah Jones 30:34 right, because the brown look, error is not on my favorites. No. Ronnie Raviv 30:40 But it's not just a bitter there's it's just that gasoline, turpentine sort of alcohol it tastes Yeah. And I don't know there's the peatiness I don't know there's something the barrel. Yeah. Because I because journeyman, we're plugging so many should get. You should get all sorts of free stuff. Leah Jones 30:57 Oh, I don't link to all of it. And they they give me nothing. Yeah. But Ronnie Raviv 31:02 journeyman, in three oaks, Michigan. They have a white whiskey Leah Jones 31:10 that's aged in glass, Ronnie Raviv 31:13 or it's not aged. They distill the whiskey but then they don't agent in the barrel, maybe a moonshine? No, it's whiskey, right? But it just doesn't have that PD. Yeah. Woody, barely taste or whatever it is that I don't like about it. That makes an excellent mule. And they also have this drink called OCG. The old country goodness, it's like an apple cinnamon, nice cider that they do either straight up or is a frozen slushy. And it's really, really good. It's good. Yeah. So with a white whiskey, that's the only whiskey to drink. Unless it's like a really, really cool, complicated, right drink where the whiskey sort of really balanced out by other stuff. Like get at the aviary. Yeah, plug plug plug. Leah Jones 32:05 Right so that the aviary and like less so the violet hour or what's the one on Damon? Ronnie Raviv 32:16 Violet hours on Damon? Oh, what's Leah Jones 32:18 the other one on Damon? closer to me? Damon on LinkedIn. Victor or Victor Victor bar? Ronnie Raviv 32:24 Yeah. Just like the sticks. Used to be Yeah. Leah Jones 32:28 So you do you also have I would say also a favorite thing of yours is a well crafted complex, very Ronnie Raviv 32:35 well crafted. Interesting cocktail. Yes, I do like that. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Well crafted, interesting cocktail or fantastic. In Israel. Yeah. Or bellboy? Right? In Israel in Tel Aviv, Leah Jones 32:53 Imperial. Ronnie Raviv 32:55 Imperial was good. Like Ultra. Yep. also has very good cocktails. Leah Jones 33:04 Yeah, I do Ronnie Raviv 33:05 have one Barber has good cocktails. Yep. There's another place that has had really good cocktails. I can't remember. There's a lot of places with good cocktails. Yeah. Leah Jones 33:17 So I think that is I think, like if you're in a new city, not that you go to new cities often, right? No, I don't if you are returning to a city. So like my friend Dave. He uses hardrock cafes as like, an excuse to go to a city. He collects going to them just because it gives him a reason to put a city on his itinerary. Ronnie Raviv 33:41 In and of itself, that's a terrible excuse. But if it gets you to a new city, it gets you there. But it's terrible underlying excuses. Leah Jones 33:49 Check off boxes. Yeah, right. There's a list you can check out against the list. Okay. So that is not, you know, not implying it is. So if you are returning to a city you've been to before Tel Aviv, New York. Chicago, I think you will seek out a new interest. Like you will seek out a cocktail bar. Yeah. Something to do. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 34:16 I'm usually if I'm if I'm there on my own. No, that's not true. I'm usually there with somebody. Visiting somebody seeing somebody. Yeah. So I will get from them. What's the good? What's the good cocktail, right? So I went to business. I went on business to Copenhagen. And so I made sure that our business contacts told me where the good cocktail bar Leah Jones 34:39 right was. Yeah, yeah. So all right, so there I've already found Mezcal and fancy pants cocktail bar, Ronnie Raviv 34:51 Fancy Pants cocktail. Yes, girly drinks, girly, girly drinks. Leah Jones 34:56 I was just reading an article this morning about how sometimes men to freak out when they're served something in stemware and will like make the bartender put it in a rocks glass. Oh, my Ronnie Raviv 35:08 friend Bob hates coupe glass. Really? I don't like martini glasses because martini glasses are stupid. Because they spill everywhere. Right? But a coupe glass that doesn't spill as much as a little bit because it's up to the rim. Yeah, but no, my friend Bob hates Kool Aid. He like will reject cocktails if they come in. Like he's not if they come to him that he won't reject them. But he was like, sometimes if you if you remember his he'll say, Is that coming to coupe? Like, oh, and then I want it? Leah Jones 35:33 Yeah. I mean, I will sometimes say like, is it up or on the rocks? And I will often ask for something that's served up to be served on the rocks. Yeah. But that's because I love ice. Right? Yeah, that's a whole different thing. And not because I hate Well, it's I love ice. I will drink it way too fast and a coupe. Like if there's not ice in it. It's just might as well just be a shot. Right? So Ronnie Raviv 35:57 I don't know why I feel myself to ice. I do a good job of sipping when it's in the coupe glass. Yeah. Something about the coupe glass. Not that I love it or hate it and anything else but something about it always. Like if it's in a tall glass. I will down that like nobody's okay. Yeah, I'll go and like down. Yeah. Whereas in the coupe glass that's like, oh, it's like I can see the whole thing. And I can sort of take little, little dainty sips and none of Leah Jones 36:25 its hiding behind the ice. Right. Exactly. Exactly. And they're not served with a straw. Ronnie Raviv 36:30 Which I never use. I very rarely use. Yeah. Only if it's like, really, really like impossible. Like it's piled high with ice and other things like, like sticking out of the rim. Leah Jones 36:43 Like the so we had a drink at fantastique in Tel Aviv with Ronnie Raviv 36:48 Chuck flowers, electric flowers, look them up on Google, which are Leah Jones 36:53 I have smuggled them home. They're in my purse. Ronnie Raviv 36:57 They're crazy. Yeah. It's just this little. It's like It's like almost I don't know how to describe it. It's Leah Jones 37:07 not quite a thistle. Yeah, because it doesn't. It doesn't poke you hurt, right? It's kind of like Ronnie Raviv 37:15 it's like the dandelions like the inside of the puffball. Dandelion. Yeah, before it's opened. No, after after it's open. When you've blown all the puffs off. It's like the round ball. It's a little bit bigger. And it's a little bit fuzzy, Leah Jones 37:28 right? Oh, you know, it's kind of like a pussy willow. Like the Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 37:34 but yellow. Yeah. And you bite into it just a teeny tiny little, tiniest, tiniest amount. It's bitter, and it's not great. And it doesn't taste good. But you just the tiniest amount just a little tiny nibble, like Alison Wonderland noodling on, nibbling on it and mushroom, just the tiniest little nibble. And then for the next, depending on how big the nibble was. 1015 minutes. Your tongue feels like it's constantly licking a nine volt battery. And as you drink something, it enhances that. Yes. And it's really, really interesting and cool and different and bizarre. Yeah. And unpleasant and pleasant at the same time. Leah Jones 38:18 I think you have been telling me about it for like four years. Ronnie Raviv 38:21 Yeah. And you and you still didn't quite picture it in your head. Leah Jones 38:25 No. Even in my mouth. I did not. It was so in SAM. It was you are as giddy right now as you were in the moment. So wonderful Ronnie Raviv 38:35 to see. For the look of a horror and shock on your face of like, what is this? What am I done? What is happening to my insides in my face right now? It was so awesome. Leah Jones 38:49 It was so weird. Yeah. And then it was right like a tequila based drink with a lot of ice. Yeah, a lot of drama. Oh, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 38:57 There was a plan sticking thorns. I'm all sorts of stuff. It was. Yeah. I think the drink was called like, dangerous. Something deep something like danger in the world in the name, Leah Jones 39:06 right. But it was very, it was it was very fun. Ronnie Raviv 39:12 Yeah, yeah. It was really, really tasty drink, too. Yeah. Leah Jones 39:18 I think that was the I think you did a better job or I got whatever. Oh, might have a good and plenty, isn't it? Ronnie Raviv 39:25 Well, yeah. Because you wanted something that tasted like licorice. Leah Jones 39:29 Yeah, but it was such a literal interpretation of tastes like licorice. It was was good. And plenty is melting in the bottom of a whiskey drink Ronnie Raviv 39:37 with some bitters that you could inject with? Yeah, syringe? Yeah. Leah Jones 39:42 It was dramatic and creative, but not delicious, right. I mean, it was fine. Yeah, it was but I'll never order it again. Ronnie Raviv 39:50 No. My drink was better. But honestly, the best drink was the one that we went with the electric flower. Yeah. Leah Jones 39:59 Was very funny. It Ronnie Raviv 40:00 was just for the gimmick would be fine. But it was not just a gimmick. It was a really, really good drink. Right. Really well balanced with the gimmick. Yes. Leah Jones 40:06 Yeah. So that was that's That was great. And I had gone to loutra earlier in the weekend in Tel Aviv and had some very nice cocktails to I don't remember what they were. Because it was all tequila. Yeah. And Ronnie Raviv 40:24 very few Mexican restaurants in Israel. Yeah. A little surprising. Yeah, but I mean, just from like, the palate like you would think like spicy foods and right. Cilantro. Yeah. It's like all these things. Oh, yeah, it's all rice. You'd think that it would be really popular in Israel and for some reason. There aren't that many of them Leah Jones 40:50 for many years. When I would like check a huge bag instead of checking a small bag or three Ronnie Raviv 40:57 small bag, three medium sized. Leah Jones 41:01 Um, and I would take like my friend David, when a trash bags like Benji and tall Tali both wanted like, El Paso taco seasoning. Like my friends were like, bring me like envelopes of taco seasoning. And American trash bags. And American toothpaste. And aspirin. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 41:24 And then what would you bring back? Israeli ketchup? And my friend who is a modern Orthodox would ask me for Doritos, because Oh, because they're kosher isn't Israel. They're kosher. Leah Jones 41:39 I I remember, early trip bringing you back like olives. Ronnie Raviv 41:44 Yes, you brought? Yeah, but now you can get them. Yeah. I still have those olives and pickles because they were the wrong ones. They're the cracked olives that are bitter, as opposed to the sort of the more the Arabic olives that are bitter as opposed to the kibbutz olives that I like, and it was the the cucumbers in vinegar instead of in Brian. Leah Jones 42:11 I still I still have entries been at minimum 10 years that I gave you those possibly longer Ronnie Raviv 42:20 I think more like eight but yes, it's been a while. During the probably not. They're not. I'm moving in six weeks or so. Leah Jones 42:28 Yeah, I will sneak in and take them and throw them out for you. You're not moving them? Ronnie Raviv 42:36 Probably not. But it's against my religion to throw food away. Leah Jones 42:40 I understand. I understand that. Ronnie Raviv 42:42 I know. I know. It's possible I gave the olives to my mom because she does like those correct olives. Yeah, but none of us like the pickles and vinegar. Brian, Leah Jones 42:52 it's also sweet of you to wait eight years to tell me that I brought you the wrong thing. Ronnie Raviv 42:57 No. It was like it was so sweet of a gesture I'm not gonna I didn't have the heart to tell you know, beggars can be choosers I don't like the free thing you got me. Leah Jones 43:09 Um, when my nephews were of a certain age, which is much younger than they are now I would bring back I would go to the shuk and Jerusalem and buy like all of the fake Kinder eggs like I would go to the Kinder Egg store that had like all the off brand unlicensed Kinder eggs Ronnie Raviv 43:30 because they were legal here for a while. They're still Leah Jones 43:31 illegal here. Ronnie Raviv 43:32 I thought they weren't I thought they just thought they figured out how to because now you can buy it now they just buy them but they suck. Right because they don't have because they they've been protected for the litigious American mark. Yes. Leah Jones 43:43 So there were times when I would like have an entire layer of Kinder eggs and bootleg Kinder eggs for the kids of Leroy, Illinois, for the O'Briens and the DeVivo is to have like a Kinder Egg Unboxing party at my sister's house. Nice. Yeah. Leah Jones 44:12 Okay, other favorite things of yours. You consume a lot of TV for someone who is not a TV critic. Ronnie Raviv 44:21 Right? I do. I used to consume a lot more admittedly. I consume less nowadays. Yeah, still consume a lot. Leah Jones 44:28 Right? For sure. When we met you had three VCRs. Correct. Ronnie Raviv 44:32 And then you worked on a client on the TiVo account and the TiVo account. And so I got a TiVo that can record six things at once. Yeah. Which I still have. Yeah. Actually, no, between those I had a DVR I had like a I had a Windows Media DVR that could record four things at once. Yeah, but the hard drives kept going out. Yeah. And then I got the TiVo. I have that to this day. But now I'm not going to have cable in my new place. Right? So I'm gonna have to figure out what's going on with that whole new era. It's a whole new era. Yeah. Because YouTube TV isn't going to quite do it for me, but I'm not sure that ATT DirecTV is going to do it for me, but like, I can get you like I can get internet for sort of free because the building has internet, but I don't know if it's reliable enough, and it won't have the 18 T. Like, I'd have to pay extra. So do I want to pay the extra it's a whole big thing that I have to Leah Jones 45:30 sort of figure out it's, it's going to be a major lifestyle, it is going to be a major lifestyle change. But how what is your origin story with TV? Like, how did you become? When did you go from one to two to three visa like when I've only ever known you as someone with a huge queue of TV to watch, but I don't know why you watch so much TV. Ronnie Raviv 45:56 I don't either. Um, because it's good escapism, I always like watching TV. Like I had a TV, I got it, I got a small little TV. Like, I don't know, like a 13 inch TV or something for my Bar Mitzvah that I had in my room. So I'd watch TV there sometimes. And then I took that to college, and then we would watch Whose Line Is It Anyway, like we'd all crammed right, and we didn't have cable, freshman and sophomore year. So I would like take speaker wire and toss them out the window, click attach to the rabbit ears in hopes of getting a decent signal on. Because that's how old we are Lea. And so yeah, so I was watched that and then and then I guess maybe after college I started recording things on on the VCR so I wouldn't like because, you know, I'm I have friends who will not have plans because they want to go do something they want to watch TV or something. So I would like record whatever because why not? And so maybe a little bit after college that started but then it really was in earnest it during business school. That's when I collected sort of like a second and maybe even my third DVR. VCR. Yeah. In business school. So I could record things but not miss out on social occasion. Right. And also, there's an additional advantage of that is because if there's an hour long show that you record, you can zip through the commercials and watch it in 45 minutes very efficient. So yeah, so I think it's, I'm all about if you if I had to pick a favorite thing would be efficiency. That's which is really the polite way of saying lazy. But yeah, so it was really the efficient thing to do. Leah Jones 47:50 Right. And when and when, like comedy so much of it wasn't right. Yeah. I mean, classes might have been during the day, but like so much of comedy was Yeah, evenings and yeah, Ronnie Raviv 48:01 so I wouldn't be never home but I wouldn't want to I wouldn't want to miss out on things. Like you know, I'm, I'm a very much a homebody, right and need an inordinate amount of me time, right? I don't like having plans day after night after night after night after night after night. Right? Even if I'm enjoying all those plans it just like I get stir crazy. I need my time. But I don't want to be the kind of person who misses out on plans with friends. Because Oh, no, I have to watch this at home. Right? That's I feel like, you know, that's You can be addicted to the thing, but not make it ruin your life. Right. So, yeah, so I just like started recording anything that was vaguely interesting. And I would watch it. Yeah. And my bar for vaguely interesting is pretty low. Right? Leah Jones 48:51 It's not reality. No, I Ronnie Raviv 48:52 don't I don't do reality TV. And I don't like shows about unpleasant people making bad decisions. Leah Jones 49:02 It's a madman. Ronnie Raviv 49:03 Yeah. Madman Breaking Bad. I watched a few episodes and like, succession. Haven't you watched that? Yes. Like at this point, I kind of know, oh, this is a show about shitty people making bad decisions, right? I'm not gonna like it. Because if it's a good person making bad decisions, okay, if it's a shitty person making good decisions, like an antihero kind of a thing. You know, like a Dexter or whatever, fine. But if it's like a crappy person who's making bad decisions and gets in trouble for their bad decisions, like I'm not gonna root for them to get out of trouble. Like you just you do this yourself. Yeah. Why do I care if you get out of it? Leah Jones 49:38 That's how I felt. I feel like I watched the pilot of girls. The TV show it was on HBO. Lena Dunham. Yeah. Adam Driver. Yeah. And I think I watched the pilot and I was like, Oh, I agree with the parents. This show is not for me because I think the parents should be kind Putting her off. And then I think that was like one of like five episodes of the whole series that I ever watched because I was like, No, I think I think she should be cut off and have to like, figure it out a little bit better. Yeah, I Ronnie Raviv 50:13 think that was on during the years that I didn't have HBO. Yeah. Because I had HBO for many years while I was, you know, when I first moved into my apartment, because for some reason, the cable company screwed up and it wasn't scrambled. Great. So I had free HBO and Showtime and then one day they caught on and they re scramble them and it's not like I could pick up the phone and call them and say Hey, how come he scrambled the free Why am I free cable that I'm not taking away? Yeah, so I you know, watch the first several seasons of sopranos and the first couple seasons of Kirby enthusiasm, and then I lost HBO so then I didn't watch those shows anymore. Well, sopranos Leah Jones 50:51 was on Sunday nights right before the tequila Roadhouse. Open Mic. So sometimes people would watch it at kill Roadhouse in the front and the bar and then go to the back for the open mic. Yeah, maybe I recorded it. Yeah. Right. You're gonna have to find a whole new system. Ronnie Raviv 51:10 Yeah, well now so they all it's streaming DVR, so you could just have hit it, but from what I read, they're not good about time shifting. Yeah, like in my current on the on the TiVo, I can say, okay, record this show, like when it supposed to be but then keep recording for another, you know, three, five minutes, another hour and a half. Like if there's a baseball game on before a football game before? And they're gonna like start it late. I can just keep recording. Yeah. But now with these online, these these streaming DVRs. You have to sort of set to record the show after it because he can't like extend the show. They don't know well enough, and but you might be able to go back and I don't know. It's a whole complicated thing. Yeah. I'm gonna have to figure out yeah. So yeah, TV is sort of a favorite. Yeah. But again, okay. I have a lot of things I like but none of these are my favorites. The the cocktails is probably the closest Yeah, but like people ask me, oh, what's your favorite show? If you watch too much TV? I don't have a favorite show. Just like I watch a lot of shows. Yeah, I don't favorite. Yeah, efficiently. I don't have a favorite though. Yeah. I have a bunch that I like. So I like more or less, where I'd be hard pressed to even say what those are. Yeah. I also like with books, I watch a TV show or a movie or a book. And I get the good feeling of it in the moment. And I appreciate it. I enjoy it in the moment, but then asked me what it was about. Right. When I'll have a tough time. Yeah. I just like it goes out of my head. I'm like, Oh, I remember I liked that book. What's it about? I don't know. What happens and I don't know. I just remember that it came away thinking it was a great book. Leah Jones 52:49 Do you ever come away thinking it's a bad book? Yeah. Okay. Ronnie Raviv 52:54 But I'll still read it. i There's only there's only, I think, two books on my list that I have started and not finished. Which are Moby Dick. And gravity's rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Which is weird, because there was a time period where I was when every book I was really enjoying and reading. Everyone was describing it as pinching ask. And I'm like, well, it's weird that the one book that I didn't finish is by Thomas Pynchon. But all these bitchiness, yes. I liked Leah Jones 53:30 I thought you were gonna say Moby Jack, either because you have told me before or because in the airfare she is sentence to live until she finishes the most boring book in the world. Ronnie Raviv 53:46 Book airfare and I don't remember. I have no, Leah Jones 53:49 not in airfare. It's it's further along in the series. Ronnie Raviv 53:53 I've read the whole series, and I have no recollection of what you're saying. This is what I'm talking about. Right. No recollection of these things? Leah Jones 53:58 Yeah. It is. It's one of my top topics I recommend to people. Ronnie Raviv 54:06 It's a good it's a good series of books. Yeah, sure. Leah Jones 54:08 Especially if people are readers. You're rewarded for being a lifelong reader. Yeah. And in his books, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 54:16 And there's good wordplay. And there's just clever. Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff. Yeah, Jasper Ford is very good. Yeah, I'm very much looking forward to eventually reading the sequel to my favorite book of his the great. The shades of grey shades of grey. Yeah. Not to be confused with 50 Shades of Grey, right. Shades of Grey is an awesome book. Again, don't ask me what it's about because I don't remember. I just remember thinking it was an awesome book. Let me tell you what I know. I know. It's I vaguely know it's like some people can't see certain colors, but some people can see certain colors, but not all of them. But then some people can like the more of the spectrum we can see. I don't remember what it signifies. But I just remember there are people who can like see greens and People can see reds. And there's like, sort of, but I don't really remember anything beyond that. Leah Jones 55:04 The it's the caste system is based on how much how colorblind, you are right with the people with the best cut the best vision at the top, and the most limited vision or at the bottom. Ronnie Raviv 55:18 But even the best limit, even the best vision, it's like, you only see one spectrum of colors, Leah Jones 55:23 right? And it's a coming of age story because of the age 16. You take the test, right? You're allowed to live without a caste until you're 16 or whatever. And then you take the test. And it is is the protagonist, I believe is realizing that if his parents are who his parents are supposed to be, he should not be able to see what he can see. Right. So they his mom stepped out to get his to get the kid better vision of a chance of a better future. You don't remember any of that that Ronnie Raviv 56:06 part? I don't remember. Yeah, no. No, I like read the book I enjoyed in the moment. And then I just come away with a good feeling. Leah Jones 56:14 Yeah. No, I'm excited for the sequel to Yeah, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 56:20 Yeah, it was really? Yeah. Because for a long time, it looked like he wasn't gonna do the sequel because it didn't sell that well, even though it's his best book, like by far. Yeah, the goal is because all of his books are good. But that one is the best book by far. Leah Jones 56:32 I think I've heard about him a lot during this current war in Ukraine. Why is that? Because a detail you don't remember from the era fair, right, is that the Crimea, the Crimean War has been ongoing for 20 years. Okay. Everybody in the UK eventually fights in the Crimean War, and it's unending. Ronnie Raviv 56:54 Yeah. I bet you remember something about the Crimean War? Yeah. Leah Jones 56:58 And so when it when it was annexed ahead of the war, a couple years ago, I was like, this Jasper Ford, like, actually, psychic, because it was like that. There was something wild that happened with Amazon and Kindles and like the deleting of content. And, you know, you don't really own your digital content. And so it was like Crimea, digital content going away, and something else and I was just like, what is Jasper Ford on? Like, how can he, as a futurist, and a science fiction writer have such a clear vision of where things are going, Ronnie Raviv 57:43 especially since it was written in such an almost absurdist fantastical way? Like nothing here is even remotely close to reality, right? Leah Jones 57:52 Yeah, I forget what your airfare is from. Ronnie Raviv 57:59 The 80s? Maybe? Oh, no. Like when it was published, or when published? Oh, like takes place in like, what feels like the 80s? Yeah. But I think it was, yeah, I Leah Jones 58:09 think I'm looking at my early aughts. I'm looking at my bookshelves as if it's there as if I haven't loaned it out for the 50th time, right. I've given it to so many people. Ronnie Raviv 58:19 I mean, I can Oh, takes place in alternative 1985. Right. Publishing 2001 According to Google, July 19 2001. So So pre 911, but Leah Jones 58:34 yeah, a pre Kindle. Ronnie Raviv 58:38 Yeah. You know, yep. Leah Jones 58:42 Amazon was only Amazon existed. But barely, barely. And only for books. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Cocktails, efficient TV watching. chicken potpie. That doesn't exist anymore. Right. Trustworthy chefs. Yeah. So which dinner do you think was better? tysew or OCD, OCD by far? Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 59:09 I mean, he was great. But OCD was amazing. Yeah. OCD was some of the best food I've ever read. Leah Jones 59:13 I was so nervous. I got so anxious that week, leading up to it that we oversold that we had oversold it. Ronnie Raviv 59:22 No, no, no, no, I wasn't nervous about that. I knew no matter what it was going to be good and fun and an experience and interesting. Yeah. And what was all those things, but it also was delicious. Yeah. Leah Jones 59:34 It was it was just a remarkable. Yeah. And every bite with one exception was phenomenal. For me. There was just that one salad. That was a little too sour. The chard? The chard, lettuce, chard greens. Yeah. And like the lemon sauce. Ronnie Raviv 59:55 Oh, yeah. You have you have a thing with sour right now. Leah Jones 59:58 Yeah, yeah. I made a face. I made a face when I tried it and I saw the staff see me make the face. And I was like, Oh, it was like unintentional, right? Because everything had been so perfect. Yeah. And even that one I appreciated but like just my Ronnie Raviv 1:00:16 I'm just off, ya know, just hit your jaw. Yeah, sour in the sour spot. Leah Jones 1:00:20 I mean hard in the sour spot. I still am thinking about the the freeze dried parfait the cloud? Oh, yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:00:30 Which you would think that the top layer of it would be the melty part would be the melt in your mouth part. And the bottom layer would be sort of like the, but it was the opposite for me. Like the bottom layer was the stuff that melted and disappeared in your mouth like candy. Almost. It wasn't. And the top layer was sort of like it crunched down like those like, green plant. You know, the green Styrofoam look really thick. Yeah, Styrofoam stuff. Leah Jones 1:00:57 I know. You're talking about floral, floral Styrofoam. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:01 Yeah, so it was like it's sort of that just got dense. So I would, I was expecting that top layer to just melt away like cotton candy. But it got dense. Yeah, and really good. And the bottom stuff, which was like more ice creamy sort of that. I figured it was going to just be like sort of become liquid and it just sort of disappeared. I don't know how Yeah, that was that was really good. Leah Jones 1:01:22 Yeah. And then like cuz it started with like, that was like a celery. Grenada. Yeah, it was wild. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:30 And the creme brulee that mean made out of potatoes. Yes. With like little potato chips on it like yeah, like shoestring potatoes, but sweet. Yeah, that was and what was the ice cream with that? Leah Jones 1:01:45 It wasn't it was non dairy. I think it was salted like a salted caramel maybe. Ronnie Raviv 1:01:50 I feel like it was also something that was savory. Yeah. Like a savory like some of you would expect to be savory but they made it a sweet Yeah, ice cream. Yeah, potatoes, but like some like not potato ice cream. But like some other kinds of something like turnips. Yeah, like something. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:02:08 And now they've already changed. We were we went for the smoke and fire menu. They're already on a new menu. And it's like, Ronnie Raviv 1:02:22 yeah, we have to we have to go back. Right. So good. It was so good. Leah Jones 1:02:25 I think Thai zoo because it was so I think Thai zoo is what unlocked for us. Like, we can have a nice time if we don't have plans. Yeah. So Thai zoo was like a friend of your cousin's got us a last minute reservation. It's hard. it hard to get reservation but not impossible. Like OCD, right? We went a year ago. And it was they interviewed us at the beginning of the meal. And we were like, Yeah, take it away. Like what they ordered for us. Yeah. And my only the only thing I told them about me was like they serve like whole fish like racinos like whole fish. And I was like, I don't face. I can't deal with a face. I'm already embarrassed thinking about how to eat that in public. Right. So like, I don't want the full fish. But other than that, like, I'll try anything. Yeah. And that was such an amazing dinner because it was just like, didn't know it. We didn't know what we were gonna do. Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 1:03:29 we didn't know what to expect. Yeah. Yeah, we were very good at the sponge. We've had incredible luck with the spontaneous. Yeah. dinners in the last few months. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, like your birthday was awesome. Leah Jones 1:03:44 We couldn't if we had planned if we had made all those reservations, it wouldn't have worked. Ronnie Raviv 1:03:48 No, we couldn't have planned that. Yeah, the one thing we did plan like we did plan Yes. But we just decided to skip it at the last minute. Yeah. And go completely plan LIS Yeah. To like the most the busiest part of town for like restaurants like where you can't get reservations for anything. No. And we just went to four different places all without reservations. And ended up being we just went from place to place to place all within like a block and a half. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:04:21 Because that's all I could do at the time right? Yeah, blind barber for drinks. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:04:28 And then Duck Duck go duck duck go for a last minute dinner right Open Table reservation Yeah, yeah, that Leah Jones 1:04:34 we did make a reservation but then like literally just walked across the street. Two minutes later. Yeah, we looked Ronnie Raviv 1:04:39 looked like oh, look, they have a table. It's 15 it's six. Let's go. Yeah, we put our name down. Yep. Went Leah Jones 1:04:46 and then and before every stop. We've went to aviary and tried to get an aviary Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:04:54 So tried to start the evening at aviary. We were denied because it was closed for private event. Yeah. So We went to get drinks at blind Barber. Yeah. And we went to dinner. Then we tried to go back to a beer. Yeah. And we're denied again. So then we went to to get dessert. Leah Jones 1:05:08 And we said, where would you go for dessert? And they told us about rosemary. This Croatian restaurant. Yeah. It's like what do you have now been for dinner? And I have not been Yeah, Ronnie Raviv 1:05:15 it is. Really good. Yeah. Leah Jones 1:05:20 So then we just like so rosemary, also very hard to get a table at Ronnie Raviv 1:05:24 like I've looked. Yeah. And I might, it's not an easy get. Leah Jones 1:05:28 But we just waltz in. And they Ronnie Raviv 1:05:30 sat us like, at the kitchen. Yeah. Like, at the counter at the kitchen. We were the only ones and yeah, had dessert there. Leah Jones 1:05:38 So we have like three, we ordered two. And they brought us a third because it's my birthday. Yeah. So we had these amazing desserts there. Ronnie Raviv 1:05:45 And as soon as they pop them down, we get a text from the aviary saying okay, you can come over Yeah, so we just download desserts and went wander over the aviary and had a nightcap there. Yes. A really good evening. Leah Jones 1:05:57 It was a fun night. Yeah. Yeah, so we've had good luck and we had good the night before your birthday party. We went to Frasca. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:06 Yeah, fresca, fresca. Braska fresco Frasca? Yeah Leah Jones 1:06:10 oh my god, we ordered so much food we Ronnie Raviv 1:06:12 ordered so much. Leah Jones 1:06:16 Delicious. Got it got a table right before it started to rain again. Right before everybody from the patio had to come inside. Yeah. Tremendous luck. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:28 A few other like one or two other places to that we just lucked out on. Leah Jones 1:06:32 Yeah, like we went to Tango sore after we saw Oh, yeah. Heimer. Yeah. Ronnie Raviv 1:06:35 And that's like, yeah, we're just like, hey, let's walk towards your car, and then maybe go drive somewhere. It's like, oh, or we could go into here, right. Oh, and then. Oh, and a few months before that we had we went to Barbara Roma. Yes. Where my friend is my friend's husband is the headshot. And so we went there and just like got a table there. Also not a particularly easy get that's pretty popular place. Leah Jones 1:07:01 Because it was a day after Ronnie Raviv
Poet and playwright Dan O'Brien joined Leah this week to discuss his three books coming out this fall, before diving into the world of British comedies of the last 10-20 years. (We start talking about comedies at 35 minutes, but first 30 minutes is a lot of cancer talk.... schedule your mammograms and colonoscopies, friends). Follow Dan online Instagram @bydanobrien DanOBrien.org Buy or pre-order Dan's books Our Cancers True Story: A trilogy Survivor's Notebook From Scarsdale Show Notes The Deep Dive podcast Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy Colon Cancer screening info Mammogram guidelines Scanxiety Story Studio Chicago Menopause: A Comic Treatment Lucy Shair Foundation Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Toast of London Alan Partridge The IT Crowd Steve Coogan Matt Berry The Fast Show That Mitchell & Webb Look The Peter Serafinowicz Show Armstrong & Miller Harry and Paul's The Mighty Boosh Bob Mortimer Would I lie to you compilation Tim Key Green Wing Party Animals Midsommer Murders Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts or Good Pods Send questions, comments or guest pitches (pitch yourself and YOUR favorite thing) to findingfavoritespodcast [at] gmail.com
Bindy Bitterman, a Chicago-based author, published her first book Skiddly Diddly Skat at the age of 90 and joined Leah at the inaugural Chicago Jewish Book Fest for a storytime and live podcast interview. We talk about limericks, the Catskills, art collections and saying yes to all adventures. Keep up with Bindy online Show Notes Society of the Fifth Line Nautical Embroidery Bindy on PBS Jewish valentines? Maquette Elsa Wachs
Rachel Duggan, a Milwaukee-based illustrator, loves butts, foxes, and pretty rocks. We sat down to talk about her book All Butts are Good Butts, how she became the wedding butt illustrator and how much she loves finding things in her natural environment. Follow Rachel online RADIllustrates.com Instagram @radillustrates Tik Tok @radillustrates All Butts are Good Butts Show Notes Lion's Tooth bookstore What is fool's gold? Finding Beach Glass in Milwaukee Dune Stinkhorn Bob's Burger episode about fungus Picture Mushroom app Merlin birdsong app
Canadian author Vanessa Ricci-Thode has turned her front yard into an official Monarch butterfly waystation and joined Leah Jones to talk about her love of the migrating butterfly. We talk about the very long commute from Mexico to Canada, simple steps to conservation and their second love of gigantic trees. Vanessa's new book True Flame (Book 2 of the Fireborn series) is available now and books 3 and 4 will be published in the next year. Vanessa Ricci-Thode's website Instagram @vriccithode Blue Sky @vriccithode.bsky.social True Flame Dragon Whisperer Get Vaness's books in Canada Show Notes Journey North Monarch Watch time lapse of a Monarch butterfly transformation Bee balm Climbing Giant Sequoia National Geographic General Sherman Good Company Chicago Upper Middle Brow Chicago Jewish Book Fest 2023
Chad Hancock, host of Wackadoo! A Bluey Podcast for Grown-ups, joined Leah to introduce her to the new blue dog popular with kids and parents alike. Chad shares how he and his family started watching family, why it's an important piece of children's media and some of his favorite episodes. We also compare notes on hosting food podcasts, Chicago vs. San Francisco, and puppets on stage. Follow Chad online Wackadoo: A Bluey Podcast for Grown-Ups You Tried Dat Instagram @napoleon_puli Show Notes Coldest Winter Mark Twain? Bluey.tv Maple Poffertjes at Trader Joe's Caillou Bluey Tour How to play jinx Sleepytime Keepy Uppy Grandad
Author and MFA student Allison Stalberg joins host Leah Jones to talk about niche, independent RPG games, obscure TV and movies from the 80s, the impact of Tumblr and her current writing projects. Follow Allison online Twitter @stalbergwrites Tik Tok @stalbergwrites Sor Anime on Tumblr Show Notes The Candle Wench (page 43) Wander Faerie Tale Theatre YouTube Playlist of Faerie Tale Theater The Polar Bear King Alphonse Mucha The Last Unicorn Ib Chicory Game Get Played podcast Disco Elysium Story of Seasons Selkies
Dana Kaye, a Chicago-based book publicist, loves the creative outlet of stand-up comedy. She also loves a good memoir, so first we compare notes on audio memoirs we've been listening to before diving into how she uses open mics and stand-up comedy as a creative writing outlet. Follow Dana Kaye online https://kayepublicity.com/ Instagram @danakaye23 Show Notes You could make this place beautiful by Maggie Smith Educated: A Memoir The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson I'm Glad My Mom Died https://www.chirpbooks.com/ Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the unmaking of America Mike Nichols: A Life Not my father's son by Alan Cumming Ali Wong: Dear Girls The Greatest Love Story Ever Told The Last Black Unicorn Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan I'm judging you: the do better manual by Luvvie Ajayi Not Funny by Jena Friedman Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Take a Shot Open Mic Second City Brunch Instagram @chicago.openmics Please rate and review five stars on Apple Podcasts or Goodpods today to help more people join in the Finding Favorites fun.
Stacey Agdern, author of B'nai Mitzvah Mistake, joined Leah to talk about the intersection of writing romance, being joyfully Jewish, and her love of hockey. In her fourth romance novel with Jewish characters, Stacey brings together professional hockey and Jewish traditions. Follow Stacey online StaceyAgdern.com Facebook Twitter @nystacey Instagram @sagdern Tule Publishing: B'nai Mitzvah Mistake Bookshop B'nai Mitzvah Mistake Going All In on Bookshop (Vegas night) Chippy Chicks on Youtube Show Notes Twice a Quinceñera Paul Scheer & Hockey Romance Love's Sweet Arrow Linda Cohn - Chance of a lifetime EBUG Zamboni driver as ebug Shane Mcanally Joe Buchanan Bo Burnham Spider The Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon Zach Hymen jersey in Hebrew Zach Hyman speaks up about antisemitism Zach Hyman is going viral over pride night interview Leah performed at Miss Spoken this week. The month's theme was Fangirls Forever, so it was time to share Five Rules for being a fan of HDTGM
Christina Meyer, a musician and practicing physican, joined Leah to talk about her love of NKOTB. We talk NKOTB Cruises, Joey's solo shows, fandom friends and getting ready for BlockCon happening this weekend in Chicago. (In fact, both Christina and Jen - who was on the podcast to talk NKOTB in 2021 - were both at BlockCon this weekend!) Follow Christina online DrMetalMusic.com Instagram @nikkinanametal Twitter @nikkinana Show Notes NKOTB Cruise BlockCon 2023 The Block album Remember Betty NKOTB Funko Pops
Laura and Annie are childhood best friends who both became mental health professionals. During peak COVID lockdown, they created the BFF Sticker Club. It's an online community for adults who love stickers, so we are talking all about stickers and stickies! BFF Sticker Club Instagram @thebffstickerclub Etsy for thebffstickerclub Show Notes Camp GUCI Camp BFF (Sold out for 2023) St. Elmo's steakhouse in Indianapolis Everything Smells Social Distancing All Stars Paper Treat Shop
Phil Gomes joins Leah this week to reminisce about the early days of blogging and his dedication to the Brazilian spirit cachaca. Phil is the CCMO of Bloq and is currently based in Rio de Janeiro with his family. Follow Phil online PhilGomes.com Twitter @philgomes Substack Show Notes Instagram Cachacagora Cachacagora.com Werneck Cachaca apprenticeship Wikipedia Bagaceira September 13 Rabo de Gala LeBlon Novo Fogo Jequitiba wood Please rate and review Finding Favorites on Apple Podcast or your podcast app of choice. Email Leah at findingfavoritespodcast [@] gmail.com
Phillip Mottaz, author of The Psychic Barber mystery series, is on Finding Favorites to talk about CCIW colleges (Go Knox! Go Millikin!), early aughts Chicago improv and The Ramones. Follow Phillip on Twitter and check his website for updates The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air: A Psychic Barber Mystery The Homicidal Hairstyle of the Viral Video Vixen (Book #2): A Psychic Barber Mystery Definition of a cozy mystery Rita Mae Brown Lillian Jackson Braun GP Gottlieb: Whipped & Sipped Ramones of the Day podcast Alphabeatical podcast The Ramones and CBGB Rock and Roll High School Why the Ramones Matter Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone Phil's 70s into Ramones playlist Rocket to Russia Ramones Live Thank you to Jesse and Chris at Upper Middlebrow for the kind shout out this week. Please remember to rate and review Finding Favorites.
Author Nicole Zelniker (she/they) joined Leah to talk about Broadway shows, writing and their love of cats. (Cats the animal, not Cats the musical, but maybe also Cats the musical). Nicole is the EIC of Knee Brace Press and her latest book, Until We Fall, available wherever books are sold. Follow Nicole online Tik Tok @nicolewritesbooks Twitter @nicolezelniker Instagram @nicolezelniker NicoleZelniker.com/ Kneebrace Press TheNasiona.com Mixed Last Dance Letters I'll Never Send Show Notes Wicked Six Hamilton Moulin Rouge Rent: 25th anniversary tour Sweeney Todd Natasha & Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Hadestown Aladdin Sim Kern & the Trans Rights Read-a-thon Fibromyalgia Peachy by Camri Kohler Survivor's Notebook: Poems by Dan O'Brien The Spoon Theory Finding Favorites on Bookshop
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