The first time you hear Rory Phillips as a member of The Stereo, he’s talking about being a young adult, getting woken up in the middle of the night by a girl he’s (unrequitedly, at that moment) in love with, and how she wants to go bowling. Teenage luck. To a poppy punk soundtrack. From … Continue reading Sunday Music: “Three Hundred” By The Stereo
Tag: communication
Podcast Of The Week: The Stereo, The Kings of No Hope, And The Therapy Of Getting Older
I’m fascinated by the in-between bands. The ones who were a few years early and a few years too late all at once. The Stereo is one of those bands. I could almost forget they were there. But then you hear a song, from 4 years before or 4 years after, and you say, “Oh … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: The Stereo, The Kings of No Hope, And The Therapy Of Getting Older
The Story Behind “I’ll Have What She’s Having”
Before Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron had ordered lunch at the Russian Tea Room, she’d already shot down an idea he had for a movie script. It didn’t ruin the lunch. But it was kind of the point of the lunch. So they talked more. And that conversation inspired a movie script. Or at least … Continue reading The Story Behind “I’ll Have What She’s Having”
Steamboat Operator (Hedberg + Birbiglia Edition)
Sometimes, the people we are closest to can’t understand why we’re doing something in the moment. It’s more than a communication thing. Especially for the overly excited and creatively delusional amongst us (no judgment, I am one of you, this is a safe space). It’s just that, the people we end up closest with, in … Continue reading Steamboat Operator (Hedberg + Birbiglia Edition)
Anti Get Rich Quick Bro, But Also…
It’s easy to be anti “get-rich-quick” bros. Their techniques feel gross and grifty. Two minutes of thinking usually leads you to realize they’re also “get-poor-quick” bros. So get-rich-quick schemes should be relatively easy to ignore. But there are other schemes that are harder to ignore. Which leads me to the biggest one I’m seeing everywhere … Continue reading Anti Get Rich Quick Bro, But Also…
Don’t Be A Dick (Tracy)?
Dick Tracy was a household hit if you were a kid in the ‘90s. Your parents wanted to see it because it had Al Pacino and Madonna. You wanted to see it because Tracy had a watch/phone, guns, and enough gangster-bad guys to plug the Batman (‘89)-sized hole in your cravings. Everybody was going to … Continue reading Don’t Be A Dick (Tracy)?
Sunday Music: Brittany Howard’s “Samson”
Brittany Howard is back with an incredible feeling, sounding, and thought-provoking record, What Now. She’s been going through some stuff since she started working on this in 2020. The title track and video will get you moving, thinking, and feeling (I’ll post it below), but the song “Samson” is the one I’ve been most gripped … Continue reading Sunday Music: Brittany Howard’s “Samson”
Podcast Of The Week: Outputs > Outcomes (Chris Distefano Edition)
Mike Birbiglia asked a comedy club manager for an example of a comedian who wasn’t funny at all when they started, but now is famous for being funny. She answered quickly and without hesitation, “Chris Distefano.” She said he wasn’t funny at all when he started, but now is funny “times a million.” When he … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Outputs > Outcomes (Chris Distefano Edition)
What A $5 Shake Can Teach You About Coaching
Empathy is asking “What’s going on beneath the surface with this person?” Not answering it. Just asking it. Being open to finding the answer. Letting that be the starting point. In Pulp Fiction, when Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) pull up to to Jack Rabbit Slims, it’s on the grounds that … Continue reading What A $5 Shake Can Teach You About Coaching
My Favorite Movie Quote (A Gut Reaction That Surprised Me)
I was doing an interview that had a set of rapid-fire questions at the end. I had a list of questions to prepare with. I just didn’t realize they were examples and not the real questions. Oops. Nothing like panic-pressure in the moment to unlock the deepest recesses of your brain. Amidst “favorite food” and … Continue reading My Favorite Movie Quote (A Gut Reaction That Surprised Me)