Self-Indulgence Page

[Last Updated: October 11, 2024]

Below you’ll find a list of things I like. That’s it–absolute self-indulgence! I get no payment or benefits from these companies. I simply love their products. So now you all know what to send me for my birthday (April 11th . . . I mean, in case you were wondering).

Everton

When the English Premier League started to be consistently televised in the States about a decade ago, I had to choose a team to support. I didn’t want to throw my support toward one of the bigger clubs and seem like a bandwagon fan. Then again, I didn’t want the team I hitched my loyalty to, to be summarily relegated. History showed that Everton should fit nicely in that middle ground. Tim Howard as Everton‘s starting goalkeeper was the cherry on top. I’ve hardly missed watching a match since then, despite year after year of disappointing results. Thanks a lot, Tim! #UTFT

Top-10 Bourbon List

  1. Buffalo Trace KSBW [$28—A solid bourbon, especially for the price.  Unfortunately, at such a great price, it can be a bit hard to find.]
  2. 1792 Small Batch KSBW [$31—I don’t have the greatest palate in the world, so I can’t break down exactly what each bourbon tastes like. I do, though, know I really enjoy this one.] 
  3. Four Roses Single Barrel KSBW [$50—For my taste, it’s superior to its big brother, the $60 Four Roses Small Batch Select KSBW. But you really can’t go wrong with either.
  4. Heaven’s Door Tennessee SBW [$50—Had this one a few years ago. I don’t remember exactly what it was about it that I loved. Guess that means it’s time for another bottle!] 
  5. Angel’s Envy KSBW [$50—Finished in Port Wine Barrels for a distinctive taste.] 
  6. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch KSBW [$43 at the Buffalo Trace distillery—Unfortunately, it’s hard to find. You’re even limited to how much you can buy at the distillery.] 
  7. Yellowstone Select KSBW [$40—The prices seem to vary widely for this bourbon (MSRP is $50), so make sure to shop around.] 
  8. Michter’s Small Batch KSBW [$45—If nothing else, there’s something about the label of this bourbon that dares you not to enjoy a triple.] 
  9. Black Ridge KSBW [$37—Another solid bourbon for a decent price.] 
  10. J.T.S. Brown KSBW [$9—That’s not a misprint.  You can find this for under $10.00!!  Shopping at Total Wine & More in Kentucky, I asked the bourbon expert what his go-to daily drink was.  This was his answer.] 

YETI

Do you hate drinking cold coffee? I sure do. I’d find myself rushing to finish a cup before it became more of an iced brew than hot coffee. Then, since my cup was empty, I’d have to refill it. So, yeah, I was drinking far too much java! Problem solved with YETI drinkware. They’ll keep liquids hot or cold for longer than you’d imagine possible. Since my coffee now stays hot for so long, I’m no longer perpetually overcaffeinated. Each purchase comes with a YETI sticker. Once you register your product to start your warranty, they’ll send you 5 more stickers of various colors. (What can I say; I’m a fan of stickers.)

Podcasts

What follows is a list of the podcasts I listen to. It’s not all-encompassing, as I partake in some that are a bit too embarrassing to admit publicly. In [brackets] I included some general, or quite specific, comments. If you’re looking to add a podcast or two to your playlist, you could do a lot worse than this lot.

General Knowledge/Trivia

  • BrainStuff [Answers of 10 minutes or less to virtually any question you can imagine. Sorry, though, no meaning of life revealed.]
  • Part-Time Genius [You can’t know everything, all the time. But these guys will help you know the sillier aspects of just enough stuff so you can be the smartest one in the room … part of the time.]
  • Something You Should Know [Interviews with experts in nearly any field you can imagine offer advice you can use. You probably won’t . . . but you could.]
  • Stuff You Should Know [If you know anything about podcasts, you probably know about Josh and Chuck. They should get meta and do an episode about themselves.]
  • The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week [Popular Science writers share the normalest weirdest facts they learned this month week.]
  • What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law [The Constitutional Law version of 99% Invisible. Q: “Can Trump really do that?” A: “No idea. It’s never happened before!”]

History

Miscellaneous

Other “Stuff”

  • Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know [You wouldn’t believe how many conspiracies and unexplained events there are out there.]
  • Stuff To Blow Your Mind [Their own description says it best: “examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels, and our transhuman future.”]
  • Tech Stuff [Of all the “Stuff” podcast hosts, Jonathan Strickland tops my list of hosts I’d like to meet. Sorry Josh & Chuck. Ohh, yeah, the podcast is about tech.]

Poker

  • Thinking Poker [A mix of high-level poker strategy, and interviews with a wide array of guests across the poker landscape.]

Science

  • Air Space [A podcast from the National Air and Space Museum. It’s more exciting than that might sound.]
  • Ask a Spaceman! [We’re on a mission for “Complete Knowledge of Time and Space.” We’ll never get there, but no harm in trying.]
  • Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe [A particle physicist and a parasitologist walk into a recording studio … this is no joke, they really do explore the science of our extraordinary Universe.]
  • Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman [A brainiac neuroscientist uses his brain to interpret how the human brain interprets the world. Far less meta, but much more interesting than I just made it sound.]
  • NASA’s Curious Universe [Curious about the Universe? No better place than an official NASA podcast featuring astronauts, scientists, and engineers to learn all about space … space … space.]
  • Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine [She’s a doctor. He’s—he’s most certainly not. The couple explores the craziness of old-timey medicine.]
  • Science Friday [Covers a wide range of current science topics . . . oddly enough, though, 5 days per week.]
  • Science Quickly [Science blasts of around 10-20 minutes for those of us looking for their science information fast quickly.]
  • Sean Carroll’s Mindscape [A smart guy interviewing even smarter people about topics you’ve never contemplated. Every guest will make you feel like you’ve done nothing with your life—but in a good way.]
  • This Podcast Will Kill You [Everything you never wanted to know about diseases you hope you never get. Not for hypochondriacs!]

Soccer

  • American Toffee Podcast [The best English language Everton FC podcast I could find. Some Scouse ones may technically be better, but that dialect barely qualifies as English.
  • Men In Blazers [They have a TV show. Horrible. Two bald guys wearing tweed. Can’t even see their jackets on the podcast. Just horrible.]
  • Men In Blazers: Early Kick Off [A 10-minute catch-up on everything of importance in yesterday’s world of footie.]
  • Soccer 101 [A great explainer of all things soccer. As beneficial for those just becoming enamored with the sport, as for those with a 35-year love affair with the beautiful game.]
  • The Backheeled Show [A 10-minute or less take on the important soccer news from sea to shining sea.]
  • The Women’s Game [A Men In Blazers podcast without any of the men. Former and current USWNT players focus exclusively on … just re-read the title.]
  • Total Soccer Show [Covering USMNT, USWNT, MLS, Premier League, Champions League, etc. If in-depth analysis and knowledge—with just the right amount of humor—is what you seek, look no further than TSS.]

Strictly Entertainment

  • Penn’s Sunday School [An atheist’s version of Sunday School—preaching love via humor. No Teller on the pod, though . . . that we know of.]

Writing

  • Ditch Diggers [Writing isn’t easy. It’s hard work. Maybe not the same kind of hard as digging ditches, but you get the metaphor. Anyway, the pod’s about the business side of writing.]
  • Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing [“Your friendly guide to the English language—writing, history, rules, and other cool stuff.”]
  • I Should Be Writing [“The podcast for wanna-be fiction writers.” Hey, that’s me!]
  • Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day [This is a podcast where two dead guys somehow still define a word every day. They also use it in a sentence. And give the derivation.]
  • Writing Excuses [The tagline of this educational podcast for writers is, “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.” Sure, if you listen at 1.8x speed. But I’m patient. And they’re smart.]

2 thoughts on “Self-Indulgence Page”

    • Good to hear from you Spencer! I’ll work on it. But you know me and my unSOPHIEsticated palate. (See what I did there?)

      Reply

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