Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Briana Haas, co-host of the podcast Jobs Blow, loves New York City. No, really, love at first sight, 5th floor Upper East Side walk-up, Balthazar scones, L-O-V-E New York City. We talk about our surprising shared history of stand-up comedy, working together and getting laid off from the same marketing agency, and how she knew that New York was her one and only city. New! Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram and Twitter Subscribe to Jobs Blow podcast and follow on Instagram and Twitter. Show notes Comic Strip in NYC Balthazar Cindy Gallop on Jobs Blow S.E. Hinton on Twitter Legendary Talk Magazine launch party and how it was seen 10 years later Liz Smith obituary Lizzie Grubman crash

Jen Kling loves New Kids on the Block. Jen takes me through her teenage crush on Joey and becoming a fan all over again when the band reunited in 2008. Concerts, meet & greets, and cruises - Jen loves all of it and hopes that one of these days she can sit down with Joey for coffee. Follow Jen on Twitter Peloton Links Wilpers Bike Fitting Peloton Christmas Ad Ryan Reynold's response Ad NKOTB Links NKOTB website Jay Leno Sixth Sense Parody NKOTB on Today Show 2008 NKOTB on Kimmel 2010 NKOTB Cruise 2020 Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Jen 0:00 Hi, I'm Jennifer Klang. And I love New Kids on the Block (NKOTB). Announcer 0:05 Welcome to the Finding Favorites podcast, where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:16 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites -- it is actually still Saturday, but you'll be hearing this on Sunday. I recorded this episode today, and we'll get it posted before I go to bed because Sunday is vaccine number two day for me. I'll be driving back down to Springfield, Illinois, for my second Pfizer shot. I'd originally thought when I went down to state for the shot, that I would be one and done with Johnson and Johnson. That wasn't the case, and so I am heading back down state for shot number two. I'm very excited, because then everyone in my generation in my family and above will be vaccinated. I feel like it'll be a little bit safer to spend some time together this summer. And I'm very excited for that. ----more---- Leah Jones 1:10 Today's episode is one that I *thought* was just going to be about '80s and '90s nostalgia, but learned quickly that New Kids on the Block have a really vibrant career. And so I talk with Jen Kling all about New Kids on the Block. She is someone that I got to know when I was freelancing. And I was working for SAP for their CX [customer experience] group -- worked on a couple events in Barcelona and Orlando, and met Jen at those, and when I put the call out for people ready to come and talk about their favorite things or things they love, and she was volunteered by our mutual friend Amy, who you'll remember from the Disney episode. Leah Jones 1:52 So, this is just really fun. And after talking to Jen, I'm ready to go on a cruise. Can't believe we're at the point in the pandemic where I am thinking cruises sound like a good idea again. I think anything with a lot of people just having fun and loving the same thing, just sounds really good to me right now. So I'll keep this short -- I need to go to bed and rest up for my long drive tomorrow. So wear your mask, wash your hands, stay safe. Leah Jones 2:37 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we get recommendations and find out about people's favorite things without using an algorithm. Today, I am joined by Jen Kling. Jen and I met each other for the first time in Barcelona, when I was working on events for SAP. It was called CX Live, and it was one of the nicest convention centers I've ever traveled to. So Jen, how are you doing today? Jen 3:08 I'm doing good. And Wow, it's so funny to talk about doing live, in-person events ... "In the old days ... " Leah Jones 3:18 "In the before time ..." Jen 3:19 "... in the before times when we would travel and see people in person." Leah Jones 3:24 When we would wear like our business clothes with tennis shoes to walk miles and miles across that convention center. Remember the day when we all got up and the rain was coming *through* the convention center? It was like a day before? Jen 3:41 Yes. Oh my goodness, that was crazy -- that was also like we had to -- there was no way -- I think you and I were at the same hotel. There was no way to get to the convention center without walking for a long time outside. Like there wasn't-- even if you did get an Uber for a minute and a half drive, you still had to walk five minutes outside. And so when it was raining, it was not a wonderful experience. But then, you went inside and it was raining. Yeah. Yeah, that was crazy. It was quite a week. Leah Jones 4:20 That was one where I looked at that. And I was like, "Oh, I'm glad I'm just in charge of the speakers and the presentations. That is not a problem I have to solve. But that was so stressful. Jen 4:33 Yeah. It was good times though. I miss that. Leah Jones 4:38 I miss in-person events. One of the things I loved about being on the CX team for those two events because I did Barcelona and then the first CX Live and well, probably the last one because it was actually like October 2019, right? And we were in Orlando, and that was just a few short months before COVID started. Leah Jones 5:02 But, I loved being on a big team working towards a singular goal, getting together in person, making it happen. It was so stressful. But the feeling of pulling that off and getting to do that twice with your team -- I loved. I loved

Note: I made a rookie mistake with copyright infringement the first time around and the clips of the Boss I used weren't short enough for fair use according to Apple and YouTube. This is a Bruce-free version of the episode, while still being 100% Bruce. Kevin T. Porter, host of the Good Christian Fun, Gilmore Guys and Inside Voices, makes podcasts about things he's interested in, but he loves Bruce Springsteen. We talk about how he experienced love at first note watching a PBS pledge drive, the kindness of fellow Bruce fans, and how there is a Bruce for every season. And yes, we also talk about the Jeep commercial. Follow Kevin T. Porter on Instagram Twitter KevinBakin cookies for LA County folks Show Links (there are so many) The mindmap and blog post that I talk about Kevin on Don't Get Me Started talking about Bruce Out in the Street - Kevin's love at first sight video Seeger Sessions playlist Rolling Stone top 500 - Born to Run is #21 Roy Orbison and Friends playlist New York Serenade Open All Night Jamie Loftus on Andy' Richter's 3 Questions talking about her Lolita Podcast The Queerness of Bruce Springsteen Trouble in the Heartland - the concert after Reagan's election 141 Kevin T Porter 0:00 Hi, my name is Kevin T. Porter, and my favorite thing is Bruce Springsteen. He's a singer-songwriter. He's kind of old now, but he has some good songs, and I like him a lot. Announcer 0:14 Welcome to the Finding Favorites podcast, where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. transcript follows ----more---- Leah Jones 0:24 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. This is a very special Valentine's Day edition of Finding Favorites. I don't know, every couple months that I've been doing this podcast, I make a big swing, make a big ask. And right before New Year's, I got very brave, and I sent an email to Kevin T. Porter, who's the host of "Good Christian Fun," and "Gilmore Guys." I asked him if he would come on Finding Favorites, and he said yes. If you remember the mind map that I posted to Twitter that became the origin story of this podcast, Gilmore Guys is central to my finding every podcast I listen to now. Leah Jones 0:25 I listened to "West Wing Weekly," the "Gilmore Girls" reboot was announced, and then I'd heard, "Oh, there's this podcast where these two guys are rewatching the Gilmore Girls, you should listen to it." So, I started listening to the Gilmore Guys. Through that, I was introduced to Jason Mantzoukas. I listened to a couple episodes of his -- I found out about "How Did This Get Made?" I found out about Nicole Byer; about John Gabrus; about "The Doughboys." Gilmore Guys truly opened the door to all of my podcast friends. So, when Kevin agreed to come on Finding Favorites, and talk about something that wasn't Gilmore Girls or Christian pop culture or baking, I was so excited. And you will hear that in this interview -- I am nervous; I am keyed up; I am high on adrenaline. I was high on adrenaline for a solid 24 hours after this interview. So, I literally shout at him. Leah Jones 1:20 "Yeah, right. Oh, my God. Cool! Yeah, love it!" approximately 8,000 times during this interview, and I tried to take out probably 70% of my random exclamations of adrenaline, but it's okay. We're all learning together. And I don't work in PR anymore, so I feel like it's okay to be excited about a guest. And Kevin is someone that I have a parasocial relationship with -- which means it's a one-way relationship -- because I have listened to hundreds of hours of his podcasts, and thousands of hours of other podcasts that I got to through that door, that hobby door, of listening to his podcast, and I was excited. And he was as nice, as kind, as interesting, as I hoped he would be based on the time I've spent with him in my ears, especially during quarantine. Leah Jones 2:22 So, we talk about Bruce Springsteen. And during the edit of this, I went and found a bunch of YouTube clips of Bruce. So the show notes for this one are chock-full of Bruce Springsteen clips, and I'm going to use a couple instead of my normal music bumpers. I use a couple clips from different Bruce songs, short enough clips, that I don't get dinged by the copyright police. I hope wherever you are celebrating Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day with your pals, or Presidents Day, that you continue to stay safe. So stay safe, stay home just a little bit longer, wear a mask, and wash your hands. And enjoy this conversation about Bruce Springsteen. Leah Jones 4:23 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we talk to people about their favorite things and we get recommendations without using an algorithm. To say I'm excited this week is an understatement. So, we're gonna jump into it. In my interview with Jason Mathis, we talked about this mind map -- this thing that I posted to Twitter. I was tracing the podcast I listened to

Pam Rose, an amateur puppeteer in Rhode Island, and I share a love of the podcast How Did This Get Made and improv comedy's favorite bearded fellow, Jason Mantzoukas. Lucky for Pam, she's engaged to Jason, "because of some Greek thing." We know each other through the fandom and spent a couple hours on Zoom talking about HDTGM, the fan group we're in, movie watch parties and the joy in picking a "so bad it's good" bad movie to watch with friends. Find Pam online: @sockgirlie The Dating Game on Thursdays with Rob and Paul (Pam is Burger King and Leah is the cat) Friendzone (Paul Scheer's Twitch channel) Hanging with Paul Scheer (Discord) HDTGM Discord Largo in LA Greg Sestero (The Room) What is Happening for Dummies t-shirt The Baby The Pit Pam and Hanson for On Milwaukee Listen to Sassy

Seth Yavit, a DC-area therapist and artist, joined me on Finding Favorites to sketch out his path from Second City to becoming an art therapist. Seth and Leah met in writing classes with Kim Clark, founder of The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks Michigan. Show Links Seth Yavit Paintings New York Stories Interpol Longwave Palette 22 The Sacred and the Profane Learn more about Art Therapy

Veronica Arreola, a professional feminist and host of the Feminist Agenda, joined me in February to talk about professional women's soccer, pay equity and supporting the things we want to see in the world. We also talk about Wandavision a lot, so jump to 29:00 to skip to the Soccer Talk with Leah and Veronica. Subscribe to The Feminist Agenda Follow Veronica on Instagram and Twitter Las Ganas at UIC Wandavision Spoilers: Pietro Easter Eggs Season tickets to the Chicago Red Stars Women's World Cup Final 1999 Mia Hamm and Michael Jordan US Soccer HQ Alex Morgan Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs Women's Sports Foundation Asian Americans Advancing Justice - fundraising for Atlanta victims Asian Americans Advancing Justice - bystander training

Kristal Milazzo, a designer, writer and improviser based in Dallas, Texas, loves the Mary Tyler Moore universe of TV shows. She traces her love of all things MTM Enterprises to noticing Mimsie the Cat in the closing credits of WKRP and then again on Newhart. We talk about the impact of MTM Enterprises on NBC, comedy tropes and how she portrayed working, child-free women to America. Find Kristal online Dallas Comedy Links Dallas Comedy House shuts down for good Four Day Weekend Stomping Ground Comedy Theater Other Comedy and Podcast Links Ron Funches wants you to make a vision board Classes at Annoyance Theater Jackie and Laurie Show Blank Check with Griffin and David - This is my life How Did This Get Made Lucille Ball and Star Trek Mary Tyler Moore Enterprises Closing scene of St. Elsewhere Mary Tyler Moore Show (Chuckles the Clown Funeral) Rhoda Phyllis Lou Grant WKRP in Cincinnati St. Elsewhere Hill Street Blues The Bob Newhart Show Newhart

Evonne Marzouk, an author and environmentalist in the DC suburbs, joined me this week to talk about how she wrote her first novel The Prophetess. Her novel was an example of "having an idea and bringing it into the world," which is one of her favorite things. Show Links Follow Evonne and The Prophetess online Evonne on Twitter and Instagram The Prophetess on Facebook Buy a copy of the book Additional Links Canfei Nesharim Living Inspired by Akiva Tatz When I Die, Take My Panties by Jennifer Coken Study with Brandy Agerbeck ROI Community David Jerger

Maria Carson, a Jewish scholar in Pittsburgh, takes us on an exploration of Terry Pratchett's fantasy series known as Discworld. More specifically, Maria shares why she loves the character Cheery Littlebottom more than anyone else in the expansive universe. Show Links and Notes Terry Pratchett's Discworld Cheery Littlebottom bio Guards Guards Wyrd Sisters Going Postal Feet of Clay Thud The Fifth Elephant The Watch on BBC (an explainer) Jasper Fforde and the Thursday Next series Cairo Geniza The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Kevin T. Porter, host of the Good Christian Fun, Gilmore Guys and Inside Voices, makes podcasts about things he's interested in, but he loves Bruce Springsteen. We talk about how he experienced love at first note watching a PBS pledge drive, the kindness of fellow Bruce fans, and how there is a Bruce for every season. And yes, we also talk about the Jeep commercial. Follow Kevin T. Porter on Instagram Twitter KevinBakin cookies for LA County folks Show Links (there are so many) The mindmap and blog post that I talk about Kevin on Don't Get Me Started talking about Bruce Out in the Street - Kevin's love at first sight video Seeger Sessions playlist Rolling Stone top 500 - Born to Run is #21 Roy Orbison and Friends playlist New York Serenade Open All Night Jamie Loftus on Andy' Richter's 3 Questions talking about her Lolita Podcast The Queerness of Bruce Springsteen Trouble in the Heartland - the concert after Reagan's election 141 - removed music from episode and republished Kevin T Porter 0:00 Hi, my name is Kevin T. Porter, and my favorite thing is Bruce Springsteen. He's a singer-songwriter. He's kind of old now, but he has some good songs, and I like him a lot. Announcer 0:14 Welcome to the Finding Favorites podcast, where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. transcript follows ----more---- Leah Jones 0:24 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. This is a very special Valentine's Day edition of Finding Favorites. I don't know, every couple months that I've been doing this podcast, I make a big swing, make a big ask. And right before New Year's, I got very brave, and I sent an email to Kevin T. Porter, who's the host of "Good Christian Fun," and "Gilmore Guys." I asked him if he would come on Finding Favorites, and he said yes. If you remember the mind map that I posted to Twitter that became the origin story of this podcast, Gilmore Guys is central to my finding every podcast I listen to now. Leah Jones 0:25 I listened to "West Wing Weekly," the "Gilmore Girls" reboot was announced, and then I'd heard, "Oh, there's this podcast where these two guys are rewatching the Gilmore Girls, you should listen to it." So, I started listening to the Gilmore Guys. Through that, I was introduced to Jason Mantzoukas. I listened to a couple episodes of his -- I found out about "How Did This Get Made?" I found out about Nicole Byer; about John Gabrus; about "The Doughboys." Gilmore Guys truly opened the door to all of my podcast friends. So, when Kevin agreed to come on Finding Favorites, and talk about something that wasn't Gilmore Girls or Christian pop culture or baking, I was so excited. And you will hear that in this interview -- I am nervous; I am keyed up; I am high on adrenaline. I was high on adrenaline for a solid 24 hours after this interview. So, I literally shout at him. Leah Jones 1:20 "Yeah, right. Oh, my God. Cool! Yeah, love it!" approximately 8,000 times during this interview, and I tried to take out probably 70% of my random exclamations of adrenaline, but it's okay. We're all learning together. And I don't work in PR anymore, so I feel like it's okay to be excited about a guest. And Kevin is someone that I have a parasocial relationship with -- which means it's a one-way relationship -- because I have listened to hundreds of hours of his podcasts, and thousands of hours of other podcasts that I got to through that door, that hobby door, of listening to his podcast, and I was excited. And he was as nice, as kind, as interesting, as I hoped he would be based on the time I've spent with him in my ears, especially during quarantine. Leah Jones 2:22 So, we talk about Bruce Springsteen. And during the edit of this, I went and found a bunch of YouTube clips of Bruce. So the show notes for this one are chock-full of Bruce Springsteen clips, and I'm going to use a couple instead of my normal music bumpers. I use a couple clips from different Bruce songs, short enough clips, that I don't get dinged by the copyright police. I hope wherever you are celebrating Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day with your pals, or Presidents Day, that you continue to stay safe. So stay safe, stay home just a little bit longer, wear a mask, and wash your hands. And enjoy this conversation about Bruce Springsteen. Leah Jones 4:23 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. And this is the podcast where we talk to people about their favorite things and we get recommendations without using an algorithm. To say I'm excited this week is an understatement. So, we're gonna jump into it. In my interview with Jason Mathis, we talked about this mind map -- this thing that I posted to Twitter. I was tracing the podcast I listened to and trying to understand the comedy I listen to today, and the relationships I have with podcasts. And the first stop was "West Wing Weekly." The second stop was "Gilmore Guys," and then from Gilmore Guys came

Eyal Halamish, host of The Future City podcast, loves a lot of things, but ultimately we decided to talk about running. He's run marathons, completed triathlons and has some remorse for bullying the runners when he was on his high school soccer team. I also deliver the eulogy that I wrote for my Uncle Jimmy who was buried yesterday. Follow Eyal on Instagram Facebook for The Future City podcast Show Links BimBam Yitro commentary Subscription Compost in Chicago Magic Candle Company Tough Mudder Runner's Laugh Mask Recommendations Rothy's Tom Bihn Sublime Seal Face (Hello Tokyo)

Jasmine Davila, host of Miss Spoken and writer, is my go to cat sitter and the go to cat sitter of most of my friends. We sat down to talk about "other people's pets" that she loves. Cats and dogs. Dogs and cats. I happen to know she also loves otters, but we didn't talk about them. Follow Jasmine on Twitter and Instagram #MeowyPoppins is a good way to meet a lot of Jasmine's favorite cats Follow these pets on Instagram The Dogist Simon Sits Shadow Millie the Wunder Dog Haddie the Pirate Dog Mr. Willis the Cat Popeye the Foodie Shout out to Mike Murphy on YouTube. I went looking for an Audition tutorial tonight and his video was very helpful. About 10 seconds in, his voice unlocked some dusty memories. He was the bartender at the restaurant in Durango, Colorado, where I got my cat Spidey.

Vicki Webb, a senior civil servant in London, has always loved to garden. We talk about gardens in literature, cooking tomatoes in pots and growing fruit trees in London. Follow Vicki on Instagram From A Hackney Garden Show Notes Busy Lizzie flowers Square Foot Gardening Positive East (UK HIV Charity) Wild Persimmons are purple Persimmon seeds predict the winter Chelsea Physics Garden Weapons of Math Destruction Gilbert Wilson Murals A Moby Dick illustrated by Gilbert Wilson

Ezra Butler, a systems architect and artist based in Chicago, loves Andy Warhol for his art, philosophy and the life he lead. We sat down at my kitchen table to talk about all things Warhol and why it was so hard for Ezra to select just one favorite thing to talk about. Follow Ezra Butler online @EzraButler on Twitter, Instagram @EzraButlerArt on Instagram Atomic Einstein Ezra Butler Art Ezra Butler Consulting Other Show Links MashBash Tel Aviv 2008 video and the nametag that Ahuva made for us Andy Warhol Retrospective at The Whitney Campbell's Soup t-shirt Andy Warhol shoes Andy Warhol and the Jewish Museum

Shai Korman, host of Friday Night Podcast and Goldnerds, is back on the podcast for a very silly episode about cereal. Top ten favorites, honorable mentions, discontinued cereal and more. Follow Shai online, he's Pancake4Table on Twitter and Instagram Show Links Obituary for Lucy Shair Cap'n Crunch Controversy on CNN and the follow-up with Chrissy Teigen on TMZ Frosted Mini Wheat Commercial Rocky Road Commercial Roaring Fork in Austin Monster Cereals A Tam Tams Stuffing recipe Cotton Candy Twist from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream (have it shipped to you) The Dating Game segment on Thursdays with Huebel and Scheer Drawsome - online Pictionary

Lucas Cao, president of Squid Industries, got so into flipping balisong knives (AKA butterfly knives) that he turned his hobby into a manufacturing company. Lucas walks me through the skills-based hobby of flipping and how his search for an affordable, quality knife turned into opening his own company to make the knives and trainers he wanted to see in the world. Show Links Squid Industries on Instagram and #balisongtrainer for videos 2017 Bali Buyers Guide with Ben Petersen and Lucas Cao Speed Solving How I Built This with Guy Raz BladeHQ.com Bladeshow Trade Shows Balisong SubReddit That one post on Reddit with a Squidtrainer Deanza Community College Vertical CNC Mill Knives Benchmade 51 Morpho Bradley Kimura Bradley Kimura XI Full Squid Industries line-up of trainers, knives and accessories

Jocelyn Geboy, owner of Three Left Productions and concierge services in Chicago, loves the Avett Brothers. She tagged along to her first concert and now travels to three-night runs with other fans of the North Carolina-based band. (The uncut version of this interview is two full hours, so my apologies for the stories that got left on the floor of the podcast studio) The first four albums to track down are Live Volume 3, Emotionalism, Mignonette, and Four Thieves Gone Show Links Follow Jocelyn on Twitter and Instagram Hire Jocelyn at Three Left Productions YouTube Playlist of songs and scenes from different Avett Brothers' concerts A Custom of the Sea by Neil Hanson May it Last: A portrait of the Avett Brothers Press On Fund St. Jude Children's Hospital Spend NYE with the Avett Brothers Crossover episode: Avett Brothers on Armchair Expert

Jen Usellis is a Chicago-based performer known online and in Star Trek circles as the Klingon Pop Warrior. With lifetime membership in the Klingon Language Institute, Jen translates and records covers/interpretations of pop songs. She went "moderately" viral last year with her performance of Let It Go from the movie Frozen. We talk about how singing in a Twin Cities cover opened the door to performing in Klingon. Do we talk about Klingon music theory? Yes, yes we do. Klingon Pop Warrior's third Kickstarter campaign for her COVID-produced EP launches on January 1, 2021 and you can find it here. Follow Jen online Twitter and Instagram KlingonPopWarrior.com Bandcamp and Twitch Show Links Commedia Beauregard Klingon Christmas Carol Warrior Song and lyrics to Warrior Song Improvised Star Trek: Today A Good Day to Cry Klingon Language Institute Jen's second Kickstarter Marc Okrand (creator of Klingon language) Extralife Fundraising - Chicago Guild

David Simmer II, known to old school bloggers as Blogography, is a photographer and traveler based in Washington. We hopped on Zoom on Thanksgiving to talk about all aspects of his world travels including trips with his mom, falafel in Israel, returning to Spain and his photography expedition to Antarctica. Show Links Blogography Posts about David's trip to Antarctica Posts about his travels to Barcelona I love you around the world and back (traveling with his mom) Philosophy Shampoo Ted Lasso preview Adventures by Disney Photography Will Burrard Lucas The Little Insurgent in Warsaw CADIC in Ushuaia First night Hanukah candle with Hanukah on Miller Drive Sound effects by Freesound.org users Klankbeeld and trouby

Lauren Cerand, currently based in New York City, is a freelancer and jewelry student. In 2019, she gave up her apartment, sold most of her belongings and moved to Italy to learn how to make jewelry at the Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School in Florence. We trace her path from a class at the 92Y to Pratt School of Design and finally to Italy. Follow Lauren on Instagram or her project Shop Cerand. Links Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School 92Y Jewelry programs Brooklyn Metal Works Pratt Arts & Design Jewelry Arts in NYC Ponte Vechio in Florence Shibuichi metal Civilization on PBS: Light and Color The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Based in Denver, Colorado, Marni tells us why she picked up a deck of Tarot cards in 2016 and how she fell madly, deeply in love with all things Tarot. You will want to pick up a history book before you are halfway through the podcast and buy a beautiful deck by the end. Follow @mystic.marni on Instagram Show Links Rider Waite Smith Deck Mamluk Card Decks Triomphe (Trump) Visconti Sforza Deck Tarot of Marsailles Il Meneghello (Italian historical decks) Crowley Thoth Deck Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Holly Simple Deck Dark Star Tarot on YouTube Slow Holler

Scott Weston is a Chicago-based Drupal developer who would like to move to Schitt's Creek. In this episode we talk about the Moira costume party that opened the door of the Canadian sitcom to him, debate which characters had the most personal growth and we talk about our cats. CW: We discuss a death by suicide that happens in Season 1 during our discussion about Bob. Hop from 1:10:00 to 1:12:00 to skip The only link you need from this episode is: Fold In The Cheese

Aimee Giese is a Denver-based graphic designer and concert photographer. We talked about how organizing a fundraiser at her son's school opened the door for her to become an accomplished concert photographer. She explained to me the rules of shooting concerts, declares Red Rocks the best venue in the world (fair) and introduced me to a dozen new bands and photographers over the course of our conversation. Links Follow Aimee Giese, aka Greeblehaus, on Twitter Instagram Pinterest Reading her blog, start here U2 Concert Photos Halloqueen with Ghost in the Jukebox Denver and Colorado Concert Photographers on Instagram Additional links #SaveOurStages Jim Marshall Lynn Goldsmith Mary Ellen Matthews, SNL Mik Rock Bluebird District Mission Ballroom Prelude Press

Caroline Dorn and Ellie Klein Goldman are the women between @RogueShul. Until this week, the account was anonymous, but that didn't stop it from being at the center of many delightful conversations for people active in the Reform movement (and beyond). The account was from the POV of imaginary synagogue staff dedicated to the mission and the people, but a little exasperated from time to time. Ellie and I are from the same hometown in Indiana (aka The Crossroads of America), her bestie from Camp GUCI is my Rabbi's daughter, and her younger brother was in my class at Woodrow Wilson Junior High. In 2021, Ellie and Caroline are launching the Real Time Strategy Group to help synagogues and teams with trainings, workshops and professional development. Links Follow Caroline on Twitter and Instagram Buy some RogueShul merch Buy a copy of my self-published children's book Hanukkah on Miller Drive on Snapfish Terre Haute, Indiana, the Crossroads of America

Sean Ellis is a co-founder of the Los Angeles Historical European Martial Arts Society and an avid participant in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) aka sword stuff. If you were ever obsessed with the sword fight in Princess Bride, this episode will teach you what the dialogue really means and Sean will find a way to get you psyched about picking up a sword this year. Link Round-Up LAHMAS on Facebook SoCal Swordfight Forteza Fitness in Chicago Academy of Arms in Burbank Hero's Journey LA Directory of online HEMA classes for COVID times Sharp swords live stream (not from Poland, no blood) Fastest forgotten archery Hans Talhoffer Manuscript project on IndieGoGo Hans Talhoffer Wikipedia Manuscript I 33 Steve Martin in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid A Christmas Story Vigo County is no longer a bellweather county Field Band 101 Hi Josh Cheney

Thea Lux, an LA-based actor, writer, comic and voice-over artist, jumped on Zoom with me to talk about knitting - specifically all the sweaters she's been knitting during COVID. We talk about patterns, finding errors and deciding when to start over. Did you vote yet? Show Links Follow Thea on Twitter and Instagram Hot Dog City, USA on Etsy Like Mother on Audible Support Geeky Teas in LA Thea was Comic of the Week on The Jackie and Laurie Show (on my birthday) Hollywood Fringe Festival 22

Author Joanna QL and I talked about Writing the Rails, I Fight Dragons and what it was like to mix social media and music business in the late aughts. Links Writing the Rails I Fight Dragons A Seasonal Table: Winter

Joanna QL, author of The Seasonal Table: Winter, loves all forms of making and crafting. Whether it's cooking, sewing, wood burning or massive home projects - she's your go to person! We talk about her Ayurvedic training, a new cookbook and then dive deep on where her love of making comes from. She also has a warning for people running Zooms with kids - watch out for the Motion Sickness Opera and advises that we adults laugh it off when it happens. Episode Links The Seasonal Table: Winter Seasonable Table Merch (including spice packs and tea towels) Follow Joanna on Twitter to learn about Zoom cook-alongs Go deep in the archives for Writing the Rails videos with David Kav Proof that Amtrak caught up to us with a Writing the Rails fellowship for authors Become a citizen scientist with Sci Starter Martin Atkins from Pigface is a professor at my alma mater

Shai and I went down a winding path during our CATS episode about close-up magic, movies about magic and the Magic Castle in LA. Somebody invite us both when all of this is over, please. Chicago Magic Lounge Magic Castle David Copperfield disappeared the Statue of Liberty

Shai Korman, from Friday Night Movie Podcast and the Goldnerds, joined me to talk about his devotion to the musical CATS. We do talk about the How Did This Get Made livestream show about CATS a fair amount, but I think we limited the inside baseball to a low roar. Show Links Follow Shai on Twitter and Instagram Femmebot PhD: CATS One Person Show - CAT The Amazing Alexander - "it was better than Cats, I will see it again and again." Beautiful Ghosts lost to Shallow by Lady Gaga in the 2019 Oscars (but not being submitted to compete at all) Everyday Sunshine: The story of Fishbone Mantzoukas-Fest on Friday Night Movie Pod

Adrienne Ciskey, aka @solarpowerspork, has been playing Sims for 20 years and is only recently willing to talk about her love of the game in public. She walked me through the different types of players, things that The Sims is famous for, what she hopes for the future of the gaming franchise and how The Sims can teach us to build a more equitable world. Links Lift Every Voice and Sing arranged by Jarrett Johnson (fellow Millikin grad) Hey Harrie is on Patreon and YouTube with custom builds and mods Jim Pickins on YouTube is The Sims + Comedy Freezer Bunny is an architect Plum Bella livestreams on Twitch and YouTube Devon Bumpkin has a very nice Twitch community Electronic Arts statement on #BlackLivesMatter

As the saying goes, "teach a girl to propagate a cactus and she'll eat fish for a lifetime." That's not the saying, but Whitney Wasson, who makes jokes for a living, joined me from her plant-filled Uptown apartment to talk about what it takes to keep all sorts of plants thriving during a quarantine. We also talk about the business of stand-up comedy, sobriety and the theory of dumbbell maps. Just this week she released a Sober Rabbit coloring book that you can grab in her Big Cartel shop. Link round-up! Whitney on Twitter Sober Rabbit - on Instagram, Big Cartel, Patreon and Threadless Rachel Lynett Theater Company Adams and Sons in Chicago Jackie and Laurie Show How to care for your moss balls

Show and tells don't always translate to podcasts, so here is the tour that Whitney Wasson gave me of her houseplants - which includes Shamrocks, bunny cactus and scallions. Follow Whitney everywhere!

In the full length episode of my interview with Keidra Chaney, I deleted a 10-minute segment of us oohing and aahing while we looked at Instagram. It was some of the most fun we had during our interview and so here's the clip. Hit up #KPopDollstagram on Instagram and scroll for cuteness. Here are some of the specific dolls that we adored during our chat. Knitted French and English overalls Going to school in tiny backpacks Danity as a dinosaur A "side by side"

Keidra Chaney, known to most of us as @kdc, is the co-founder of The Learned Fangirl and the person who introduced me to KPop music as I followed her trips to Japan to see a band called Shinee. In this episode we talk about KPop fandom as a whole, but then do a deep dive on #KPopDollstagram - the Instagram hashtag you are going to love before the episodes ends. Episode Links Fan Studies Network Nami Amuro The 'K-pop fans will save us' narrative misses the bigger social justice picture Shinee's big hats KeidraDChaney.com @KDC on Twitter

Adam Phelps, owner of Ghostwood Farms and an instructor at Lee's Martial Arts, loves Hapkido and martial arts. He was also the college radio DJ that Leah listened to every Sunday night in high school. This episode is mostly about martial arts and coming to martial arts as an adult, but also about music, COVID and farming. Related Links Lee's Martial Arts Bloomington (for Wednesday classes with Adam) Ghostwood Farm Neko Case on 3 Questions with Andy Richter Neko Case on NPR Tiny Desk Concert Billie Eilish on Carpool Karaoke Adaptive ballroom dance with Vital Zinger

Steve Higgins is an award-winning English professor at Lewis and Clark who loves all things Doctor Who. We had a lovely conversation about how he first found the Doctor on two local PBS stations near St. Louis and rediscovered the Doctor in a clearance bin at a record shop. Follow Steve on Twitter and Tik Tok where he does one minute poetry lessons. Related Links BroaDWcast.org David Steel: The Power of 3 Podcast Ink and Drink Comics Comic Nurse: Taking Turns and Menopause Pluto TV Classic Doctor Who Station Party Animals on BBC Thank you to fellow Millikin alumna Denise Meyerkord for introducing Steve and I for this conversation!

Jen Myers, a Chicago-based technologist, writer and podcaster, loves the movie-watch-along show Mystery Science Theater 3000. We talk about her earliest fandom to how she's trying to figure out how to take a life size Tom Servo along with her to Comic Cons. Related Links Mystery Science Theater 3000 IMDB Follow Jen on Twitter and check out her website for news about projects. Quiet Little Horrors podcast Riff Trax Shout Factory The Flophouse Podcast Thank you to sound engineer Nancy Caddigan who cleans up my zoomy audio! Stay home, stay safe. (Fresh file with music instead of dead air breaks, plus 19)

Jason Diamond is a Brooklyn-based writer who loves the weird American suburb, so much so that he wrote the book on them. The Sprawl: Reconsidering the Weird American Suburb is available today and is Jason's exploration of the art and culture that is born of suburbs. We talk about so many of his favorite things, starting with a conversation about music and the Chicago live-music scene in the 90s, Romantic Comedies, independent bookstores, and great Chicago meals. Links! Follow Jason Diamond on Twitter and Instagram Join Jason virtually at Volumes Bookstore on September 9th Buy The Sprawl from an independent bookstore or his first book Searching for John Hughes Leah's profile in the 2010 Big Jewcy list Jason drove all around Lake Michigan in November And the Mother-In-Law sandwich is real

Scotty Iseri, the host of The Imagine Neighborhood, loves open mic nights (and probably open mic afternoons, too). He learned plenty of life lessons trying to make strangers look up from their laptops and pay attention to him. Links The Imagine Neighborhood The Digits Scotty Got an Office Job Emily Heller - writing retreats Tumblr acquired by Yahoo, David Karp founder Thea Lux runs a Zoom open mic Find Leah on other podcasts Friday Night Movies - Mantzoukas-Fest: Just talking about Jason Mantzoukas for an hour with friends The Blank Slate with Sam Tanios

Robert Loerzel was once voted Chicago's best person to follow on Twitter and he still is. He also loves the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and all of the assorted books, comic books, and music associated with it. Robert almost picked David Lynch, so we don't leave him out of the conversation. Leah recorded an extra-long introduction about the Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, which is available on Play per View until August 20, 2020. Links Follow @RobertLoerzel on Twitter and Instagram Buy his new book Walking Chicago Buy his first book Alchemy of Bones 2001: A Space Odyssey (the novel) by Arthur C Clarke How Uptown became an entertainment hub on Curious City 2001: A Space Odyssey. What it means and how it was made, The New Yorker Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece Our beloved Music Box Theater Bonus Links Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Play Per View available until August 20, 2020

Amy Hatch, a content consultant and CEO of her own business, loves all things Disney. The parks, the properties, the cruises and the movies. She takes us through her journey of melting her Gen-X cynicism with the power of Disney. Links The Imagineering Story Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Follow Amy on Twitter

In this episode, I flipped the script and interviewed one of my favorites - Andy Slavitt. You can find him on Twitter at @aslavitt or on almost any given news channel on a daily basis. He is a tireless advocate for improving healthcare access in the United States and is currently focused on stopping the public mismanagement of COVID-19. The episode ends with a pep talk for people planning High Holy Day services at synagogues. Links In the Bubble - the podcast he and his son started during the lockdown Laurie Kilmartin's tweets about her mother's death and a Washington Post article about the same subject Paul Smith is the co-founder and CTO of Ad Hoc Northwestern's Health Communication MS program Get health insurance on the exchange

William Pacholski, the owner and founder of the Portland Psychic School, talks with me about Dave Malloy's musical Natasha and Pierre and the Great Comet of 1912. The Great Comet ran on Broadway for nearly a year, closing on September 3, 2017, but as you'll hear - it was performed in a variety of venues for a few years as Dave Malloy developed the show. Additional Links The One That Got Away videos are all on Vimeo. Here's Eric Himan performing Both Hands as a taste of the show. The cast recording of The Great Comet is available on Spotify and lots of other places. The Assassins Dave Malloy - the artistic genius Millikin University

Esther Kustanowitz is an LA based writer and journalist who loves most things Star Wars. Join us as we talk about how she found Star Wars, what she loves about it and her special appreciation for Carrie Fisher. She explains what the Machete Order is and recommends some novels that fill in Princess Leia's life story. You can subscribe to Esther's podcast The Bagel Report, follow her on Twitter where she is @EstherK, or follow her TV Gone Jewy Facebook page for the latest in Jewish representation on TV. Related Links Bloodline by Claudia Gray Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray Newcomers podcast with Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus Bibi's Bakery in LA Esther's essay on Star Wars and grieving Transcript follows ----more---- Esther 0:00 Hi, I'm Esther Kustanowitz and my favorite thing is Star Wars. Announcer 0:04 Welcome to the Finding Favorites podcast where we explore your favorite things without using an algorithm. Here's your host, Leah Jones. Leah Jones 0:14 Hello, good evening. If it's evening where you are, this is Leah Jones and the host of Finding Favorites. This week on the podcast -- today is Sunday, July 26th. And we're going to be diving into a conversation I had on June 30th, with Esther Cusano. Esther is a writer and journalist based in Los Angeles, and we've been friends going back to the earliest days of Jewish blogging, so we probably met online in 2004, 2005; met in-person soon after that, at a blogging event, that I got to organize for One Voice, which was a peace-seeking organization. An Israel, Palestine, two-state solution organization. Back in the day, I got to organize an event for One Voice with Arianna Huffington and Craig Newmark, at a little cool space in Manhattan, and Esther was on the list. And that was the very first time we met in-person. We've been friends ever since. Leah Jones 0:23 We see each other sometimes, when we're traveling on the Jewish conference circuit. And if I'm ever in L.A., and she's ever in Chicago, then we make a point to have a meal or more together. Esther, like I said, she's a writer and journalist. You can catch her at Limud, which is a Jewish Learning Conference. She does a lot of classes called "TV Gone Jew-y," where she explores the increase in Jewish representation in TV and movies and media in the last few years. So, that's a lot of what you can find her talking about at conferences and virtual conferences online, in her podcast called "The Bagel Report." So, when I asked her to join me for this podcast to talk about favorite things -- I've been in her house, I've seen her BB-8 collection, and I had a suspicion "Star Wars" would be the thing that we talked about. Leah Jones 2:24 It's nice to have an excuse to get on the phone with a dear friend and talk to them for an hour or more. This was probably 90 minutes that I cut down to an hour for this podcast. So, know that Esther had a lot more to say. And I'm trying to respect the format of a one hour podcast, so there were really wonderful extra commentary about -- we talked about the hero's journey, origin stories, but there wasn't room for everything in this conversation about Star Wars. I hope that everyone is still able to stay home and stay safe. Keep washing your hands, keep wearing masks, and keep those indoor hobbies going. Have a great week. Leah Jones 3:19 Hello, and welcome to Finding Favorites. I'm your host, Leah Jones. This is the podcast where we talk about people's favorite things, and we get recommendations without an algorithm. Today I am joined by my dear friend, Esther Kustanowitz. Hi Esther. I'm now going to embarrass Esther by reading her bio in front of her, but it's not embarrassing because she's amazing, and she knows it. Leah Jones 3:45 Esther Kustanowitz is a writer, editor and consultant. She is a regular contributor at the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. And at the J, which is the Jewish weekly of Northern California. You can find her on iTunes and Stitcher and all those good podcast apps, where she is a co-host of "The Bagel Report," which is a podcast about Jews and entertainment. And she is a casual scholar of hashtag "TV Gone Jew-y." You can find her at Limud both online and offline around the world. Helping us talk about the best moments and the increase of Jewish content on TV. She was the founding editor of Grok Nation and has written all across the internet. You can find more about her at estherk.com or on Twitter where she is known as EstherK. So hello, Esther. How are ya? Esther 4:35 Hi. It's so good to be here with you. This is so long overdue. You're starting a podcast. Leah Jones 4:40 It took me a while to land on a topic, but yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited to join the world of the podcast hosts. Esther 4:44 It is a glamorous world. I hope you're ready. Leah Jones 4:54 It is glamorous indeed. How are things out in L.A.? How are you getting through these quarantined times? Esther 5:03 This time, it's like nobody's really okay, but among the people who are not o

Jill Alexander Essbaum is a poet, author and professor based in Austin, Texas. Her favorite thing is old time radio - specifically thriller radio programs. We talk about Suspense (CBS Radio from 1940 to 1962), how Jill found the first set of CDs that turned her on to Old Time Radio, and just how many hours of recordings she keeps on her iPod. Her new book of poetry, Would-Land, is available from Cooper Dillon and her first novel, Hausfrau, has been translated into over 20 languages. Chances are good there is a copy available in your preferred language. Other helpful links from our conversation RUSC.com USA Today article which covers Old Time Radio and many online archives Libri Vox - the home of free public domain audiobooks

Brad Manilla, AKA DJ Sparklebomb, is a user experience designer and recovering entrepreneur who joined me to talk about how he became a DJ. In this episode, Brad describes his chill summer mix tape Infinity Pool, which I suggest you listen to before diving into our full conversation. Fakin' the Funk is his new mixtape that brings you a lot of underground hip hop that we talk about. Learn more about Scribble Jam - a hip hop music festival in Cincinnati, Ohio that ran from 1996 to 2009. This video shows the graffiti walls that we talk about. Follow Brad on Twitter and sign up for his emails for occasional mix tape drops.

Brandy Agerbeck, who writes on and teaches visual thinking, loves Harold and Maude. In this episode she describes being drawn to the movie because of the distinct graphic design and how it led her to Rocky Horror Picture Show. Find her classes, books and swag at Loosetooth.com Recommendations Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders Straight Up All of Nicole Byer's podcasts OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies Zardoz Danny Peary on Cult Movies

Scott Smith, known to the internet as Our Man In Chicago, is living his best Josh Lyman life as Chief Communications Officer for the Cook County Assessor’s Office. He is a writer and former journalist who produces The Frunchroom - a reading series that features five stories about the South Side of Chicago, often from South Siders, but also from those throughout Chicago who’ve experienced all that this part of the city has to offer. You can find the Cook County Assessor's Office on Twitter - keep an eye out for quotes from The West Wing. You can find the podcast that got me into podcasts at The West Wing Weekly.

Saul Colt is an experiential and word-of-mouth marketer based on Toronto (available for you to hire at The Idea Integration Co) who loved David Letterman. In this conversation, not only does Saul sing praises for the premise of Finding Favorites, he walks us through the bands, movies and comics that he found through David Letterman. Late Night with David Letterman started on NBC in 1982 and lasted 10 years. He moved from NBC to CBS in 1992 when Leno took over The Tonight Show. He stayed at CBS until his retirement in 2015. You can now find David Letterman on Netflix with a long-form interview show called My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. We talk a bit about Larry Bud Melman, so here's a classic clip of Larry Bud Melman at Port Authority. And for good measure, here are The Lemonheads singing It's a Shame about Ray instead of Mrs. Robinson. Follow Saul on social media and subscribe to his podcast: We Now Join The Program Already in Progress Twitter: @saulcolt Instagram @saulcolt