Pullbox Issue 2

Listen:

The Paley Center sessions are truly a nerd out session for TV shows. Caught up on the Broad Series talk that Seth Rogan moderated. There’s plenty of others to check out, including Seinfeld’s chat with Letterman. Next up on the queue, Community cast doing a table read.

Eclair Fifi had a terrific Fact Mag mix, and I had no idea, she’s part of the LuckyMe family. The label had a great mixtape series, and for the all 114 episodes, bring up the backlog on iTunes.

Read:

Encountering a string of so-so books, so not much to recommend, but Corman McCarthy’s No Country for Oldman and Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time are on the nightstand.

Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor is brilliant.

Watch:

"Gay hasn’t even gotten to Indiana, yet. There have been rumors in Ohio." Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Season 1, Episode 5. Hilarious. All the lines about the Hoosier state hit the spot since I live in Notre Dame’s backyard. Will probably backlog all the jabs.

Follow:

You can follow me on Twitter @ntorquiano or Instagram @ntorq. For even more random distractions, bookmark NTORQ Tumblr.

Pullbox Issue 1

Introduction: Starting up a bi-weekly and possibly weekly list of things that I’m digging.

Listening:

Conan on Howard Stern (youtube search): Conan hinted at life after a late night talk show, possibly a “travel” show. Some of his best bits are his live-remotes where he gets to be a “fish out of water.” Instant classics bits: Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, along with the Cuba episode. Plus, his clueless gamer segment did what no other NFL reporter did all season, get Marshawn Lynch to talk.

Sofie from Boiler Room TV has her own spin-off series and it’s delightful for the beat/psych/weirdos. Also, great long read behind the scenes of BRTV by I-D Magazine.

Beat Junkies website re-launch should be bookmarked for hip-hop heads. The mixtape recommendations are always worth checking: J Dilla and Rhettmattic’s J DILLA tribute. Also, Rhett’s Wedding Mixer Vol. 2, 80s freestyle back alive!

Brian Koppelman’s The Moment - how did I not know about this podcast? One of the writer’s of Rounders, which is one of my favorite movies, gets to sit down and share knowledge jewels with interesting people.

Reading:

The Monopolists is a quick, great read about how great ideas get stolen and turned into profit.

Mary Roach’s books are always hilariously insightful. Spook and Packing for Mars are the most oddball of the bunch.
Gillian Flynn’s books are page-turners that will keep you up at night. Only 3 books so far, but so addicting. Might have messed up by watching Gone Girl before reading it, but she did write the screenplay, so maybe there will be twisted switch-a-roos.

Watch:

House of Cards Season 3: went on a binge while getting over a cold. It’s a good thing that Underwood has less 4th dimension breaks, but now that’s he’s top dog, it’s less dramatic. Basically, the goal of all presidents after WW2: don’t blow up the world.

The Jinx on HBO: my previous tweet thought: People comparing the show with Serial podcast should tell people there is an audio version for the TV show and a TV show for the podcast.

Grief used to be a process

“Don’t tweet RIP or RT, please do some good and help your fellow human being, plus smile and laugh more, life feels better that way.”

That’s my only tweet draft on my phone. I’m not sure who died to prompt that pending thought, but it’s something I think about every time I see any RIP tweets.

I accept and use social media like most people, but some things make you really scratch your head. The RIP hashtag? Is human life only worth a maximum of 140 characters?

It’s still a work in progress. The message not quite a swan song. But how could a tweet ever be? Sure, you could comment with some link to famous last tweets, yet that’s missing the point. Without context, it’s just something clever in the infinite abyss.

To sound antiquated, grief used to be a process. Shock, acceptance or rage or denial, and healing. A reaction. Not a moment you can find on your timeline.

Sure this is how we live these days, but only because we chose to live this way.

It’s too easy, too convenient. Grief used to be a process. You had to call a family member, a friend - you had make contact. Plans had to be made. It still does, but only for those in the inner circle.

Grief used to be a process. Bake a cake. Pour a 40oz. Do something that person never did do. Cry. Love. Talk.

We grieve and cope in our own ways. But PLEASE, do more than tweet.

Vinyl Hunt

A state trooper’s lights come on and I change lanes to give him the right of way. When he trails behind me, I know those lights were meant for the guy who’s way too eager to spend his days off digging in the crates.

No ticket this time, only a warning. He gives back the Alaska license and says slow down. More time to listen to podcasts. It’s the new age talk radio, custom made for whatever topic you’re feeling. The vinyl destination will still be there.

This is how I’m getting to know America. One record store at a time. Each spot has character and something to offer, and if not, at least the drive was worth it alone. Streets and roads turn into highways and then into towns and cities - you begin to appreciate how connected we are and want to see more of it.

One great resource to check out is Vinyl Hunt. There are other sites, but I haven’t spent the time to cross check the locations. If possible, check the store hours. It’s a buzzkill to drive for x amount of time, and turn right back around. Also, charge your phone ahead of time if you’re using Google Maps. You don’t want to be stuck in a coffee shop to power up.

We live in a digital age, but there’s something romantic about records. You have to hold it, place it on a turntable, and connect the needle to the groove. I’m not advocating for either side, digital or analog, but hunting down vinyl is a lot more fun. Crossing state lines or staring at obscure websites? No question, let’s fill up that gas tank.