Tag: favorite-books

Torg Favorite Books, Movies, Musical Artists and Shows

It’s TORG FAVORITE BOOKS, MOVIES, MUSICAL ARTISTS and TELEVISION SHOWS on this edition of the Torg Stories Podcast. 

BOOKS OR ESSAYS: Bill’s  Favorite Books or Essays of All Time…

(Anne’s lists appear further down on the page.)

  1. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby – came to this book through the film with John Cusack. Book set in London, Rob works in a record shop and visits ex girlfriends as a way to figure out his current relationship. Lots of lists! 
  2. Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. Rob writes about music and the mix tapes he finds as a way to write about the passing of his wife. 
  3. Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion writes about the year that follows after the passing of her husband. 
  4. “A & P” by John Updike – first time I realized stories could reflect my life
  5. “The Planet Trillaphon as it Stands in Relation to the Bad Thing” by David Foster Wallace as my favorite of a whole bunch of essays by Wallace that I like. 
  • Honorable mention: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut, Wonderboys by Michael Chabon, Illusions by Richard Bach, “The Ecstasy of Influence” essay (not the collection) by Jonathathan Lethem, Missoula by Jon Krakauer, My Losing Season by Pat Conroy, On Writing by Stephen King, Mortality by Christopher Hitchens, Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon, The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov, Moneyball by Michael Lewis, Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

MOVIES: Bill’s 5 Favorite Movies of All Time…

  1. Pulp Fiction – non linear story with some of my favorite actors including Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta, let’s check out LA! Capture the way a certain person talks with language that I don’t hear. Picked this over Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. 
  2. No Country for Old Men – the force of evil and human beings inability to stop it but to try anyway, beautiful landscape, Tommy Lee Jones fan 
  3. High Fidelity (directed by Stephen Frears) – a more grown up and mature romantic comedy that comes after the 80s, lots of lists by the characters who work in the record store 
  4. Good Will Hunting – Robin Williams to Matt Damon: It’s not your fault! Genius movies are fun. 
  5. Moneyball – a sports story where someone (Billy Beane / Brad Pitt) has the courage to try something different and compete
  • Honorable mention: Say Anything, The Fugitive, Silence of the Lambs, The Green Mile, Secret Garden, The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Nodding Hill, Air, The Bourne Ultimatum 

MUSICAL ARTISTS OR GROUPS: Bill’s Favorite Musical Artists or Groups of All Time…

  1. The Killers – Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, When We Were Young, Human. I saw them at Mohegan Sun in CT. 
  2. Noah Kahan – Mess, Homesick, Dial Drunk, She Calls Me Back, the collaborations, saw him in Nashville
  3. REO Speedwagon – Keep on Loving You, Take it on the Run, Time for Me to Fly, 
  4. Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill, Old Phone, Galway Girl 
  5. Def Leppard – cassette getting turned over and over, Hysteria album, Women, Rocket, Animal, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar, Hysteria
  • Honorable mention: Luke Combs, The Outfield, Bare Naked Ladies, Rolling Stones, Prince, Liz Phair, Chappell Roan, Jackson Browne, Bob Seeger, Journey, ABBA  

SHOWS: Bill’s Favorite Shows of All Time…

  1. Ted Lasso – positive vibes with lots of 80s sports pop culture allusions that are funny and thought provoking 
  2. PTI – writing background of Tony and Wilbon, their chemistry as friends, the rundown 
  3. Daily Show with Jon Stewart – news with some funny commentary
  4. Saturday Night Live – live sketch comedy, Will Ferrell, Colin and Che, Marcello
  5. Seinfeld – the group of friends, uniqueness of George and Kramer 
  • Honorable Mention: Landman, Family Ties, Penguin, 

Anne’s BOOKS OR ESSAYS: Anne’s Favorite Books or Essays of All Time…

  1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  2. Dune by Frank Herbert
  3. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
  4. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  5. The Once and Future King, by TH White
  • Honorable mention: Demons by Fyodor Doestoevsky, Harry Potter series, Game of Thrones series, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

MOVIES: Anne’s 5 Favorite Movies of All Time…

  1. The English Patient
  2. 2001: A Space Odyssey 
  3. Terminator
  4. The Princess Bride
  5. Spy
  • Honorable mention: The Silence of the Lambs, Titanic, Return of the Jedi, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Thin Red Line, Heat, My Name is Ivan, Dirty Dancing, The Sixth Sense, Gattaca, Goodfellas

MUSICAL ARTISTS OR GROUPS: Anne’s Favorite Musical Artists or Groups of All Time…

  1. Fleetwood Mac
  2. Bon Iver
  3. Bad Bunny
  4. Abba
  5. New Order
  • Honorable mention: The National, War on Drugs, Radiohead, The Antlers, Shelby Lynne, Silversun Pickups, Local Natives

SHOWS: Anne’s Favorite Shows of All Time…

  1. Chuck
  2. Game of Thrones
  3. Alias
  4. X-Files
  5. Wonderfalls
  • Honorable Mention: Sopranos, Remington Steele, Lost, Friends, Arrested Development, Bojack Horseman, The Americans

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

Trophies for Winning Nothing: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 2

We’re using the TV show Ted Lasso to spark conversation. This week we discuss if it’s ever time to give up on a player, heavy is the head that wears the visor, our favorite books, and I tell my Pat Conroy story.

Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 2 summary with observations and discussion questions. The episode was titled “Lavender.”

  • We open with the dating reality show called Lust Conquers All during which former Richmond player and boyfriend to Keeley is kicked off the show. We cut to a talk show in the vein of the Today Show during Jamie is being interviewed. He is called a loser on the show and is also informed that his old team Manchester City doesn’t want him back. Question: Do you watch these dating shows?
  • Cut to the Richmond coaches offices where Beard has spent the night after his girlfriend thew his keys in the river. Ted runs out of the office. Later, we find out that he has gone to ride the lawn mower. Nate goes off on the kit manager, whose name I think is Will Kitman!!!, for adding a lavender smell to the team’s laundry. Question: everyone is picking up on Nate? No one challenging him yet?
Ted rides lawn mower to help with his Sciatica
  • Keeley arrives to the Richmond practice facility with Roy. Is that a G Wagon? I think those start at $148k. Roy barrels out of the parking lot before anyone can speak to him. Question: any trouble adjusting to the time when sports were over for you?
  • Doc-tor Sharon has been hired for the rest of the season to work with the team and sports psychology. There’s a funny bit with Ted and Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins. Check in with me. You don’t have to check in with me.
  • Cut to Jamie at his agency. Almost no one wants him for anything. He seems to have an offer for a reality television show where he’d take ecstasy everyday. Question: any reality show watching for you? I watched last season of American Idol. Does that count?
  • Ted barges into Doc-tor Sharon’s office with biscuits and is scolded. Ted refers to Santa Monica as a godless place, in part because there are people there who don’t eat sugar. Ted does a bit about video games where he was depriving himself of something that just makes him happy. Question: what makes you happy?
  • Ted goes to see the owner Rebecca and he gives her her biscuits that he actually just tried to give to Sharon. Rebecca notices the bite out of the biscuit but eats it anyway. Rebecca doesn’t sound like she is on board with not eating sugar. They ask each other if they have anything to get off their chest.
  • “Isn’t that why we have friends? To burden them with our insecurities and anxieties?” – Rebecca
  • Jamie follows Keeley for her whole lunch hour because he wants to talk. He’s deleted her number. He tells her he wants to come back to Richmond to play for the team.
  • We’re back with Roy and his girls youth football team. One of the girl’s moms has bought participation trophies. The girls are really excited. Roy says, “It must be nice to just burn through cash,” and “Enjoy your trophies for winning nothing.”
  • Roy returns home from his game to find Keeley laying in bed and watching his retirement speech. Keeley pushes Roy again to become a pundit. She says he’s different now that he’s not around the game. I hear the word “oi” again and take the time to look it up. It’s a harsh exclamation to get someone’s attention.
Jamie and Ted meeting shared on social media
  • Jamie meets Ted in the pub. He has saved the little plastic toy soldier Ted gave him a long time ago. He tells Ted the soldier is named Ted and after pausing adds that he named him after Ted Danson in the TV show Cheers. The pub owner Mae seems to be in favor of Jamie’s return and she tells off the fans who stare from the other end of the bar. “Old people are so wise,” Jamie says, “they’re like tall Yodas.” We get a fair amount of Star Wars references in this show. Ted tells Jamie it’s not a good idea to rejoin the team.
  • Did you know Sudeikis / Ted is the nephew of George Wendt, Norm on Cheers? (son of Wendt’s sister) George 76 and still alive.
  • At practice the next day, Sharon observes. The training is especially chippy. The players have seen a picture of Ted and Jamie at the bar and assume he is returning to the team. Sam goes off on Ted. Ted admits everyone on the team is better than him at everything unless anyone wants to play finish that Jimmy Buffet lyric. Sam retreats to the locker room. They have a long talk about the team which includes Sam having a good dad. Turns out Leslie Higgins has heard the whole thing as he moves his work area all over the clubhouse. Bring Jamie back? What are the challenges?
  • It’s in the show that Ted knows there is a Twitter account for his mustaches. Click here to connect to that.
This Twitter account for Coach’s mustache got a mention in the show
  • Roy tries being a pundit. He needs reassurance from Keeley before he goes on. He walks out to “Anarchy in the U.K.” by the Sex Pistols. He’s blunt and bold on air including saying players showed “abject terror, like children waiting in line for the handsy Father Christmas.” He makes a splash. Anne, how does that life look, somebody like Terry Bradshaw or Stephen A. Smith?
  • Ted calls the staff of men the Diamond Dogs. This is not so unlike my college “Brothers in Pursuit.” They discuss bringing Jamie back. Ted notes we talk in sports a lot about never giving up. He asks shouldn’t this include people too? Beard notes Jamie is like “poop in the punchbowl.”
  • Ted comes across Sharon leaving the practice facility. It is after dark. Here we see both have worked long days. Sharon tells Ted what a good job he is doing but challenges him on all of the matches without a win. She says Ted can call her Doc. She tells him that her favorite book is the Prince of Tides. She also says, “Heavy is the head that wears the visor.”
Jamie Makes Return to Richmond Club to play for Coach Lasso
  • Last scene of the episode: Sharon, Keeley, Rebecca, and Leslie are talking in the owner’s office. Leslie is distracted by something he sees on the field. It is snowing outside. Heavy metal music plays. Cut to Jamie walking down the tunnel and out on to the field in the snow to Queen’s song “Tear it Up.” Jamie has returned to play for Richmond.

What are your favorite books? Ted’s was The Fountainhead. Doc’s was Prince of Tides. A few of mine…

  1. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
  2. Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
  3. Wonderboys by Michael Chabon
  4. The Death of the Great Santini by Pat Conroy (also A Losing Season)
  5. The Sportswriter by Richard Ford

Finish that Jimmy Buffet lyric:

  1. But at night I’d have these wonderful dreams, some kind of sensuous treat, not zucchini fettucini or bulgar wheat…but a big warm bun and a huge chunk of meat
  2. You got fins to the left, fins to the right and… you’re the only girl (or bait) in town.
  3. Nibblin’ on sponge cake, watchin’ the sun bake…all of you Parrotheads covered with oil.
  4. This morning, I shot six holes in my freezer, I think…I’ve got cabin fever. (Boat Drinks)