Category: Torg Stories podcast

Christmas Playlists 2025 on the Torg Stories Podcast

Spotify Christmas Playlist Waitresses Wham Ed Sheeran Elton John The Pogues NSYNC Drummer Boy Bieber Band Aid Ramones Paul McCartney

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast! On this episode, Anne and I each selected eight holiday Christmas songs to share. We’re going to play you a little sample, share some of what we like, know or learned about the song, and then play a bit more before moving on to the next song. Anne, I really enjoyed putting this list together. What was your process? What was it like to put this list together?

Christmas Playlists Discussion Above and Spotify Playlist Below

Before we get going sharing our lists, are you listening to much Christmas music?

  1. For Watauga HS women’s basketball practices, we play it leading up to practice and through our initial skill work.
  2. To and from driving back and forth to Boone.
  3. Lifting weights.
  4. Megan plays it a lot in the kitchen when she’s cooking and cleaning. She plays it while decorating the house and wrapping presents.

Bill and Anne’s Combined Spotify Christmas Playlists 

  1. Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses 
  • Why? Tells a story about the start of a couple who see each other Christmas eve at the grocery store. 
  • Lyric: When what to my wondering eyes should appear, In the line is that guy I’ve been chasing all year. ‘Spending this one alone, ‘ he said. ‘Need a break, this year’s been crazy’. I said ‘Me too, but why are you. You mean you forgot cranberries too?’
  • Artist: Waitresses were a new wave post punk band from Akron, OH. Also sang “I know what Boys Like.” 
  • This song came out in 1981. 
  1. “Last Christmas” by Wham (Anne ) 
  1. Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
  • Lyric: They’ve got cars big as bars, they’ve got rivers of gold. But the wind goes right through you, it’s no place for the old.
  • The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a duet, with the Pogues’ singer MacGowan taking the role of the male character and MacColl playing the female character. It was originally released as a single on November 23, 1987. 
  • In the UK, “Fairytale of New York” is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century.
  • The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King’s Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse”—the band fused Irish traditional music with punk rock influences.
  • Kirsty MacColl was killed in Cozemuel when she was diving and pushed her son out of the way of an oncoming speedboat. 
  1.  “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever” by Sufjan Stevens (Anne # 2) 
  1. Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Elton John 
  • Lyric: So just keep kissing me under the mistletoe. Pour out the wine, let’s toast and pray for December snow. I know there’s been pain this year, but it’s time to let it go. Next year, you never know. But for now, Merry Christmas
  • Sheeran revealed that John asked him to do a song with him the previous year after the success of “Step into Christmas”. He also recalled writing the chorus of the song the same day he was asked by John.
  • Sheeran a 34 year old from Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. 
  • Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in Pinner, England is 78. 
  1.  “Christmas Time is Here” by Vince Guaraldi Trio (Anne ) 
  1. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays NSYNCH 
  • Lyric: (not a lyrically driven song – We’ve been waiting All year for this night And the snow is glistening on the trees outside. 
  • NSYNCH included Gary Coleman as an elf in the video, which Martin described as “a little tricky” to secure on board.[2] The classic sitcom Diff’rent Strokes is referenced when NSYNC ask “Whatchu talkin’ about, Gary?”, based on Coleman’s catchphrase; “Whatchu talkin’ about, Willis?”
  • NSYNCH, which had Justin Timberlake as a members, has a website where you can buy Home For Christmas merch including snow sweatpants, 25th anniversary stocking, and a t shirt. Click here. 
  • Timberlake from Memphis, TN.
  1. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love (Anne ) 
  1. Drummer Boy by Justin Bieber and Busta Rhymes 
  • Lyric: Yo, at the table with the family, havin’ dinner. BlackBerry on our hip and then it gave a little flicker. Then I took a look to see before it activates the ringer. Came to realize my homie Bieber hit me on the Twitter
  • “Drummer Boy” was met with polarization and mystification from reviewers upon its release; critics called it a “a goofy modernized spin”, “confusing”, weird, and “as awkward as it sounds, but at least it’s different.”
  1. “Do They Know it’s Christmas” by Band Aid (Anne ) 
  1. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones 
  • Lyric: Where is Santa? At his sleigh? Tell me why is it always this way? Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby? Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas
  • The Ramones[a] were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974.
  • All members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname Ramone, although none were biologically related; they were inspired by Paul McCartney, who would check into hotels under the alias Paul Ramon.
  1. “Wonderful CHristmas Time” by Paul McCartney (Anne )  
  1. “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” the SNL version as performed by Tracey Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sands, and Chris Kattan 
  • I used to think this was written by Cheap Trick but they just covered it after Horatio Sands wrote it for SNL. 
  • Fallon said, “I’ve always had a keyboard from the ’80s in the office and had some pre-recorded drum beats and loops that you can play with different chords. So we were pretending ‘What if we were writing a really, a great pop song but dumb lyrics and that’s what we ended up doing. It was just a keyboard and that little guitar, and he (Horatio Sands) wrote all the lyrics.”
  • Click here for article in American Songwriter about the song. 
  1. “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by PLastic Ono Band / John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Anne )  
  1. Father Christmas by The Kinks
  • The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1962 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife.
  • Guitarist Dave Davies commented on the song, “I love the humor of it, and the aggression and bitterness. I could see the faces of my parents when Christmas came around. They had to struggle to make ends meet. We kind of got what we needed, but there was something fake about the holiday.” In live performances, singer Ray Davies would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.
  • Father Christmas, give us some money. Don’t mess around with those silly toys. We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over. We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed. Give all the toys to the little rich boys
  1. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” by Elmo and Patsy (Anne ) 
  • Bill recommend’s the Reel Big Fish version. 

Honorable Mention: 

  • Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen, Muntra Musikanter 
  • Christmas in Hollis by Run-DMC
  • “Holiday Road” the Zac Brown Band version 

Discussion at the end:

  1. Did I bring any new songs to you?
  2. What is your favorite of the ones I shared?
  3. Listeners, what would you have on your list?

Thanks for checking out this episode of our Spotify Christmas Playlists!

Santaland Diaries, Our Elf Names, the Inspiration for Ferrell Elf movie, and Christmas in NYC

Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, Our Elf Names, the Inspiration for the Ferrell Elf movie, and Christmas in NYC

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast! On this episode we discuss David Sedaris’s account of working as a Macy’s elf in what the store called Santaland. The story is David Sedaris’s account of two Christmas seasons he spent working as an elf at Macy’s Department Store in New York City.

Anne, have you been to New York or Macy’s for Christmas? I’m guessing you haven’t been to see Santa?

Sections to Read for Discussion:

  1. Read page 5 about Sedaris’s move to NYC. Anne, what were your expectations for the move to LA?
  2. p. 13 about Sedaris Elf name: his was Crumpet. Remember the SNL elves skit Alec Baldwin was Winter’s Breath. Anne, I had you as Sour Patch. It’s candy. Yay! It’s sour, a little like your enthusiasm for projects or outlook on a situation. For example, sour on motivational sayings or the Colts prospects. Megan said Dribbles for me, because of basketball, and I thought that worked.
  3. Keep reading the rest of p. 13 for an interaction with a customer.
  4. P. 21 pretty funny SatanLand section.
  5. P. 30. Some short diary snippets to read. LET’S TALK ABOUT A 7 DAY DIARY for next week’s podcast. Maybe we will suck at it but an interesting challenge. Fever Pitch was a fan diary. How many words can we manage? We can give ourselves one day where we fail to do it.
  6. Is p. 39 the only heart warming part of the story?
We Torgs have been to Macy’s SantaLand in NYC

Sedaris line that sparked my own memories:

  1. Everything about the cash register intimidates me. p. 7. I never got it right at the Queens golf course.

Information in the story:

  1. On a busy day, Twenty-two thousand people come to visit Santa. Looks like these days you need a reservation. Click here.
  2. Macy’s has two jail cells on the balcony floor and it apprehends three thousand shoplifters a year. p. 10. Here is a 2003 New York Times article about the jail cells.

What work stories could you write?

  1. I did write a Russell’s Old Trading Post story that appears in my collection Horseshoe.
  2. I did write a Queens Golf Course Story, and I can’t even remember if it was published. Racial tension. Police wanting free golf. Me messing up the register. Listening to Yankee games and eating take out.
  3. Tree trimming story – guy catching his chest hair and t shirt on fire in the tree, to a lesser degree going out to the house and having a big meal of deer
  4. Indiana Beach – the almost wreck, the water skiers and their groupies story
  5. Winamac Town Pool – romantic relationships, Michael Tank riding a bike off the diving board, Jim Price and I sent to scrub the diving boards in the rain while everyone else hung out in the concession stand.

Observations about people from Sedaris:

  1. All of us take pride and pleasure in the fact that we are unique, but I’m afraid that when all is said and done the police are right: it all comes down to fingerprints. (p. 33).
  2. Standing in a two-hour line makes people worry that they’re not living in a democratic nation. (p. 33). Atlantic article about how self checkout lines are longer than the regular lines.
Santaland Diaries, Holidays on Ice David Sedaris New York City Christmas
Sedaris’s story Santaland Diaries was included in the collection Holidays on Ice

Is Sedaris saying anything about the holiday or people?

  1. Pretty dark on parenting. The over engineering of the photos and the kids not even getting to talk. p. 31
  2. p. 43 Maybe reading the ending from last paragraph on p. 43 to the end.

The Christmas movie Elf with Will Ferrell partly inspired (re)writer and Director Jon Favreau. The elf name Crumpet appears in the Sedaris story and Favreau’s film. David’s sister Amy was also in the movie Elf. Click here to read more about it in Rolling Stone.

Tweetsie Railroad Christmas Boone Blowing Rock North Carolina
Tweetsie Railroad is located on 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock North Carolina

Thanks for checking out this edition of the Torg Stories Podcast!

Panthers Upset Rams, Colts Lose a Big One, and Lane Kiffin goes to LSU

Panthers Upset Rams, Colts Lose a Big One, and Lane Kiffin goes to LSU

NFL Week 13: Panthers Upset Rams, Colts Lose a Big One, and Lane Kiffin Goes to LSU

Click the player above to listen to the episode. Thanks so much for checking out the Torg Stories Podcast!

Performance Strategies to be a Blue Head Under Pressure

Performance Strategies to be a Blue Head Under Pressure

On this episode, Anne and I discuss strategies that can be used for handling pressure, especially during athletic competitions. We use Chapter Nine titled “Pressure” from James Kerr’s book titled Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business of Life.

Performance Strategies to be a Blue Head Under Pressure

Here are some of the things Anne and I discuss on this episode:

  1. What does it mean to control your attention? Do we really get to pick what we think about?
  2. When do we feel pressure in our everyday lives? How do we handle it?
  3. There is a story of a blown lead for New Zealand’s National Rugby Team. It’s a team that won the 1987, 2011, and 2015 World Cups and has a 76% winning percentage. The team is often mentioned as one of the greatest teams of any sport.
  4. Can you think of any big sports chokes? Can you remember any times you have choked?
  5. What do we think are the most pressurized moments in sports?

Be a Blue Head and Not a Red Head under pressure:

  • Red Head: Tight, inhibited, results-oriented, anxious, aggressive, over-compensating, desperate.
  • Blue Head: Loose, expressive, in the moment, calm, clear, accurate, on task.

The Trigger Section:

  • Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic triggers
  • What do they mean, anchor?
  • Maps such as a schematic (diagram), words, phrases, or mantras
  • The Rule of Three for example Assess, Adjust, Act or Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.
  • Clear Thought, Clear Talk, Clear Task

Two books you might want to check out: (I am not an affiliate)

Thanks for checking out the podcast!

Grace, Jesus, and Parenting in Flannery O’Conner’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Flannery O’Connor’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” has a family road trip, a supremely annoying grandmother, and a terrifying encounter with the philosophical serial killer, The Misfit.

Did you think The Misfit was literally the Grandmother’s son? Does it matter? We would love to hear from you on that one.

Flannery O’Connor’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” has a family road trip, a supremely annoying grandmother, and a terrifying encounter with the philosophical serial killer, The Misfit. If you’ve ever been haunted by the final pages or wondered what O’Connor was really trying to say about faith and family, this episode is for you.

What We Tangle With in This Episode

  • Christianity and the The Story’s Climax: Is this story trying to tell us something essential about Christianity? We look closely at the fates of the Grandmother and The Misfit and ask: what do their terrifying final moments suggest about O’Connor’s views on grace and redemption?
  • The Misfit’s Proclamation: We try to unpack arguably the story’s most quoted and disturbing line: what does The Misfit mean when he says the Grandmother “would have been a good woman… if there had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”?
  • Defining Southern Gothic: We explore how O’Connor uses the grotesque, the religious, and the darkly comedic to define this unique regional style.
  • The Significance of Names: Anne and I dig into the names, especially the bratty, unforgettable children: June Star, and the heavily symbolic John Wesley (named after the founder of Methodism).
  • The Grandmother, Ourselves, and Parenting: We break down the Grandmother’s character—her superficiality, her nostalgia, and her capacity for a fleeting moment of true grace. This led us to a discussion of our own grandmothers, and the difficult topic of parenting in the face of the children’s behavior in the story.

Literary Context

  • The Misfit and Anton Chigurh: We drew a parallel between The Misfit and other cold, philosophical villains, notably Anton Chigurh from Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men.
  • Sufjan Stevens’s Song: Did you know musician Sufjan Stevens wrote a song titled “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” for his album Seven Swans? We discuss how it’s told from the villain’s perspective, further showing the Misfit’s cultural grip.
  • O’Connor’s Background: We touched on the life of Flannery O’Connor, a Southern Catholic who died young at 39 from lupus (like her father). Knowing her intense faith informs the brutal spiritual clarity she brings to the page.

Come ride along with us as we discuss the ultimately deadly back roads of Flannery O’Connor’s dark genius.

Thanks for checking out this episode!