6 - March Madness

Well, I took a little time off to start 2018 and recover from UGA's National Championship loss to Alabama. Then the Winter Olympics were a distraction. Now it is March Madness but I had UVA winning it all, so my bracket is done - I have few distractions now...back to the newsletter.

In other news, my buddy Chris stumbled across this superiorly named beer from Johnson City, TN. Pick some up if you are in the area.

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I hope everyone is enjoying their spring. As always, if you know anyone that would like to subscribe, please send them to YeeHaw.io.

Taylor

[The Good Stuff]

SNACKS - When I get hungry during the day, I want tasty and filling, but also reasonably healthy. Here are a few of my favorite snacks:

  • RX Bars (Link) - These run $26 for a 12-pack and come in a large variety of flavors. Ingredients are very simple (egg whites, nuts, dates) and they taste great. I've had every flavor and all are good, but the chocolate varieties are the best, in my opinion. Each bar is 220 calories, 10g fat, 22g carbs, 12g protein, and 12g sugars. You can find these online in many places including Amazon and at many grocery stores
  • EPIC Bars (Link) - These run $30 for a 12-pack and come in a variety of meats and flavors. EPIC Bars are like thick jerky or bacon. I like the Bison Uncured Bacon-Cranberry bar the most, though others are also very good. Each bar is 130 calories, 8g fat, 8g carbs, 7g protein, and 6g sugars. You can find these online in many places including Amazon and at many grocery stores
  • EXO Bars (Link) - These run $36 for a 12-pack. EXO uses cricket (yes, cricket) protein to make their bars. Crickets require significantly fewer resources to harvest and contain a much higher amount of protein per volume when compared to about any other protein source. Plus, these bars taste great - seriously. I like Cocoa Nut and Blueberry flavors, though PBJ and Banana Bread are also good. Each bar is 310 calories, 20g fat, 23g carbs, 10g protein, and 13g sugars. I haven't seen these in a grocery store but they are available online including Amazon

THE BEST TASTING VODKA (Article, Podcast) - The article is a 5-minute read that traces the recent history of vodka in the US and explains how in the past 50 years the spirit went from relatively unknown and largely disliked in the US to the highest selling spirit in the country. The podcast is from Planet Money (NPR). In this 20-minute episode, they cover how vodka is made and fill you in on the secrets of quality and taste between vodka brands. In short, you are paying for the brand with expensive vodkas.

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BETTER GYM SHORTS (Link) - About two years ago I found Birddogs and wasn't sure they were for me with their preppy finance bro marketing. But their lead designer was previously at Lululemon and after giving them a try they immediately won me over. Birddogs are now my gym short of choice for a few reasons:

  • They have a boxer-brief liner and therefore are super comfortable
  • Pockets have zippers in the back and fit perfectly for your phone and wallet. These back pockets are on the side so you don't actually sit on the contents
  • Each color combo comes in 3 lengths to choose from, so folk like me that like a shorter short have that option
  • At $55, these things are not too expensive. I have had a few pairs for over a year now and all are still in great shape
  • The exterior of many styles are made from cotton and are acceptable as casual shorts outside of the gym

Birddogs are ideal for weightlifting and cross training. They could be used as running shorts, but are not ideal given the extra weight they carry due to the pockets and thicker fabrics. Only for dudes as of now.

CYBERPUNK TV SHOW (Link) - I really enjoy cyberpunk dystopian settings (like Bladerunner) in movies and TV and Netflix released a newer 10-episode show call Altered Carbon fitting that bill. The show gives an interesting take on what the future may look like about a prisoner brought back to life in a different body to solve a murder mystery. I don't want to give much away but definitely worth checking out. WARNING - this show is very graphic in terms of nudity and violence.

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THE TRUTH ABOUT CRYONICS (Article) - Speaking of being brought back to life, ever wondered what the deal is with being cryogenically frozen? How much does it cost? Who provides this service? Lucky for you, this article explains all of those details. It's a long but interesting read. And being frozen is way cheaper than I expected at $35,000. This article is a how-to guide, a history lesson, and a philosophical read.

THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VIDEO (Video) - This short video shows footage of the disastrous 1902 Ziegler polar expedition and is the first time National Geographic started to shoot documentaries in the field. In this expedition, the team was attempting to become the first to reach the North Pole. I enjoy seeing the sled dogs and the team roughhouse and mess around with each other. In that sense, not much has changed. (2:32)

HOW CARNIVALS SCAM YOU (Video) - We all know carnival games are stacked against us, but I was never sure how all the games are rigged. This video explains how some of the most popular games are presented to deceive you. (11.36)

WEIRD PHOTOS FROM THE ATLANTIC'S ARCHIVE (Article) - The Atlantic's Alan Taylor shares some of the gems found in the archives. These photos are a hodgepodge of historic images depicting space travel, filmmaking, horseplay, and more. (34 photos)

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MUSIC - I have a number of recommendation this time. These first two albums are both very good and I had a hard time listing a reasonable number of songs, so if you like what you hear you should check out the whole album.

A band with a fun and unique sound is The Go! Team (Wikipedia Link). They are from the UK and are classified as indie-pop but their sound resembles a cheer squad or high school band. They have been around since 2004 and each of their five albums is great. Their fifth, Semicircle (Spotify Link), was released in January and is a lot of fun. Some of my favorite songs include:

A band I recently discovered is The Jungle Giants (Wikipedia Link). They are from Australia and remind me a lot of Miike Snow, although one song sounds just like Television's (the band) Marquee Moon. Their third album, Quiet Ferocity (Spotify Link), was released last summer. Check out these songs:

After last YeeHaw's synthwave suggestions, my buddy Louis recommended a playlist called Synthwave from Space (Spotify Link). It is very good, so if you like that stuff you should check it out.

Lastly, this past week I came across a unique music collection from Scott Bradlee. He, with a large group of contributors, created an album of pop-song covers in the spirit of doo-wop, big band, classic country, jass or other classic genres. The album is titled Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox - Twist is the New Twerk (Spotify Link). The videos are fun because the musicians perform in character of the genre. Plus they have posted 20 more songs on Youtube (YouTube Channel Link). Some of my favorites are:

  • We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus in 1950's Doo-Wop (YouTube Link) - 4:04
  • Just Dance - Lady Gaga in 1940's Jazz with Tap-Dancing (YouTube Link) - 4:09
  • Gentlemen - PSY in 1920's Gatsby (YouTube Link) - 3:45
  • Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke in Bluegrass Country (YouTube Link) - 3:31

MEMES -