Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Playwright and journalist Victor Wishna loves a lot of things, but agreed to sit down and talk about "Weird Al" Yankovic this week. We also talk about how Leah's Facebook post about getting a Torah from Iowa to Paraguay inspired him to write a two act play - Tree of Life -  which is now competing in the Jewish Plays Project.  Follow Victor Wishna on twitter and vote for Tree of Life. Show Links Missouri and Kansas history Torah scroll makes its way from Iowa to Paraguay Tree of Life play Weird Al.com Weird Al setlist from 1996 at the Filmore Theater Weird Al in Glen Ellyn Picasso at the Lapin Agile Has Weird Al been to Israel? Weird Al and Lin Manuel  Behind the Music - Weird Al The Compleat Al

James Ziegenfus loves riding his bike, baseball, music, travel and ice cream and he's kept a meticulous spreadsheet of data on many of his favorites things. On this episode, Leah and James dive into the decades of data that James has kept about baseball games, live concerts, plane travel and his physical music collection. He shares tips on how to keep quantitative data, using apps to supplement his notes and his new notebook on international ice cream recommendations. You can follow James on Twitter and Instagram Bands we talked about Wren I Fight Dragon Wilco The Fold Beach House My Morning Jacket Orville Peck The National Links Primavera Sound festival  Menards Candy Aisle Everything Steven Soderbergh watched and read in 2021 Setlist.fm FlightRadar24 SeatGuru Six Flags over Texas Tableau    

Author, attorney and costume designer - Angelique Pesce love of reading is at the center of everything we talk about on this episode. Her first novel, American Pastime, is available for pre-order and ships on June 7, 2022. Follow Angelique on Twitter,  Facebook, and IMDB Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Show Notes Cost of standing vs sitting in Rome The Time Machine by H.G. Wells  Perfume Story by Patrick Suskind Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann Edward Scissorhands Finnegans Wake (the book with creative language) About American Pastime Adam is a writer having a conversation with God at a baseball stadium in the Bronx. God chooses Adam because his stream of consciousness since childhood has been heavy on commentary about American life connected to love. God narrates on Adam’s baseball field of life. Rounding first, second, third, and then heading for home, we watch Adam’s life: past, present, and future unfold. God is always in on things as he sees and hears everything, but now they sit side-by-side at a baseball game ear-to-ear, no longer separated by space. Their conversation is heavy on capitalism, culture, violence, religion, art, science, and hope. The art of conversation is in danger of being lost, but now more than ever we need to use our American pastimes to bring it back, ear-to-ear, device-to-device, and ask “What is love?” And, even further reaching, “If you knew how your life affected humankind, what would you do differently?” Slow down and think about the world and love yourself enough to change it. Will Adam find love as life stands in the way?   transcript follows

This week author and retired teacher Anita K. Newman sat down with Leah to talk about her new children's book Clark the Colorblind Chameleon, illustrated by Asha Hossein. We also talk about her love of teaching kids through music, taking voice lessons as a lifelong learner, and finding time to get two additional degrees while teaching! Clark the Colorblind Chameleon will be published on May 24, 2022.

Where are you leaving? EgyptWhere are you going? JerusalemWhat are you carrying? The bread of freedom Pesach (Passover) starts on Friday 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 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      

Deborah Greenhut, author of The Hoarder's Wife, joined Leah on Finding Favorites to discuss her debut novel, baking challah, and the music of Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro.  Deborah's debut novel is available on April 5, 2022, in print and digital. DeborahGreenhut.com The Hoarder's Wife Woodhall Press Children's travel books by Deborah Gentle Art Swedish Death Cleaning The Settlement Cookbook Joni Mitchell's mysterious illness Laura Nyro Gershwin Plays Gershwin Transcript follows

Shai Korman, host of Friday Night Movie Podcast, joins the Finding Favorites team this week as guest host. He's talking to Katie Jones about her love of Reality TV. Show notes will be updated with links ASAP.

Host Leah Jones is the guest this week - talking about all of her favorite podcasts, TV shows, movies and other random stuff that kept her comfortable during primary cancer treatment. She rang the gong after her final radiation treatment on March 18, 2022, so this is a recap of just some of the stuff that she liked since her diagnosis. Podcasts Doughboys HDTGM Arm Cherries Everything Nicole Byer - WWYDM, Best Friends, Newcomers High mighty, Dork Forest Blank Check with Griffin and David Friday Night Movie Podcast and the Korman trio The Bagel Report Jackie and Laurie Show Deep Dive - Jessica St Claire My own podcasts - Candy Chat Chicago, Finding Favorites and guesting on podcasts TV Love is BLind season 2 The Circle season 2 (or was it 3?) Chocolate School Ghosts (CBS and BBC) Murdoch Mysteries  Grand Crew Minx - very excited   Movies Steroid Saturdays - brunch, movie Action - big budget movies Dune x 2 Spiderman Homecoming Jackass x 2 The King’s Man Fast 9 Apps Tik Tok Match 3 games with generous infinite lives Caring Bridge Anticipating trips The return (and rescheduled) live shows Kyle Kinane at Thalia Hall Hadestown and Frozen Lyric Opera HDTGM in LA Doughboys in Boston, Chicago Letter Kenny Live Israel in July Recommending Wallys on 1-55 in Pontiac   Random Cancer recommendations Ice socks and ice mittens for neuropathy A medical recliner for recovering from major surgery Rock that Treatment gift boxes Israeli Gift Box A great dress - Fringe and Co Grubhub, Amazon gift cards Single serving food deliveries Aquaphor Cozy clothes - sunday sleeper pants from old navy Being as private or public as you want Making silly swag for my helpers Accepting help (wheelchairs, garbage, meals)

Steve Higgins, an award-winning English professor at Lewis and Clark and your favorite poetry professor on Tik Tok, has loved The Nightmare Before Christmas for 30 years. We talk about merchandise, music and lessons for aliens in the Tim Burton classic. Follow Steve on Twitter and Tik Tok where he does one minute poetry lessons. Links Peacemaker Righteous Gemstones Ghosts - CBS and BBC Beforeigners The Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride Burger King Watches Original Trailer Sally's Song How to light hanukkah candles Donate to HIAS or JDC

California-based author Jayne Martin's favorite place is Paris, France, and we settled in to talk about the bread, the Eiffel Tower and people watching. Jayne's newest book, The Daddy Chronicles, is available for pre-order and will launch on March 15, 2022. Follow Jayne Martin online and pre-order The Daddy Chronicles The Daddy Chronicles: Memoir of a fatherless daughter  Jayne Martin's website  Facebook  Twitter @Jayne_Martin  Instagram @jayne.martin.writer Show Notes Jennifer Weiner advice for writers Tik Tok Horse Rescue Meg Pokrass (flash fiction retreats) Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris Alelie filming locations Picasso Museum in Paris MBMBAM Amelie bit Paris Pet Cemetary Health benefits of cobblestone streets Revolution and throwing cobblestones Immaculate Conception in Italy Kingston Trio sings MTA (Boston Song)