Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: Share & Tell & Forget with Spencer Hall and Katie Nolan

Date: June 27, 2024
Guests: Spencer Hall, Katie Nolan

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pablo Torre welcomes friends Spencer Hall and Katie Nolan for a classic “Share & Tell” session—an open, thoughtful, and hilarious exploration of memory, experience, and obsession, inspired by recent journeys abroad and a thought-provoking piece about rememberers vs. forgetters. The conversation ranges from the French automotive world to jetlag logistics, from the psychology of memory to video game completionism, always filtered through the trio’s unique blend of cutting wit and warm camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Michelin: Tires and Stars (00:28–02:12)

• Pablo admits only recently connecting that Michelin, the tire company, and Michelin, the famed restaurant reviewer, are one and the same.
• Katie: “Tires and star. Same. Same. Michelin are different.” (01:48)
• Spencer draws comparisons to Yamaha, noting its peculiar breadth across wildly different product lines.

  “Yamaha's name is on the dirtiest dirt bike...and it's also on the finest concert piano you've ever seen” (01:03)

Memorable moment:
The gang riffs on how such incongruent business branches happen, leading to the conclusion: “Tire’s gotta take you somewhere...might want a bite to eat.” (02:00)

2. Cannes, France, and the Culture of International Travel (02:41–05:12)

• Pablo & Spencer recount recent work trips to France; Katie went to London.
• Pablo witnesses Carmelo Anthony greeting Elon Musk at “Sport Beach”:

  “Carmelo Anthony, while holding a glass of wine, said, 'yo, what up, Elon?' from the stage.” (04:25)

• Spencer talks about attending Le Mans, gives a brief (and grisly) history of endurance racing, and highlights the carnivalesque, irrepressible spirit of the event despite past tragedies.
• Katie asks: “How long was the panel you had to do in order to justify this?”
  Pablo: “It was 30 minutes. ... With Alex Honnold, who is awesome.” (03:43–03:46)

3. The 24-Hour Race at Le Mans (05:12–12:12)

• Spencer details the endurance, tradition, and international flavor of Le Mans; from grueling driver shifts to national stereotypes:
  • French: best food, strict on time (yet not really), love baguettes.
  • Italians: strong espresso and post-coffee smokes.
  • British: “ogres...absolute orcs when they're abroad...handing beers out left and right.” (11:06)
  • Italians: camping with a Lambo next to the tent.
  • Ferrari in racing: “Hyper organized...against character.” (11:59)
• The group discusses French, Italian, and British stereotypes as they manifest in the racing world.

4. Travel Logistics: Jetlag, CPAPs, and Sleep (12:12–16:13)

• Katie laments her jetlag in London;

  “I had the worst time with the jetlag. This is the worst I've ever dealt with jetlag.” (13:24)

• Pablo extols the glory of traveling with his CPAP machine:

  “I was carrying in my lap, it would appear to be a very uncool laptop bag. My CPAP machine.” (14:18)

• The struggle of sleep cycles and call times in travel-intensive careers.
• Spencer reveals next adventure: “Mongolia. I wanted to write a story about their festival...” (16:28), highlighting Mongolia’s summer sporting festival, the “three manly arts: wrestling, archery, horse racing.” (16:54–17:06)

5. Memory: Rememberers vs. Forgetters (18:38–34:14)

Catalyst:
Katie brings an article: “I Have a Terrible Memory. Am I Better Off This Way?” (The Cut)

Key Themes:

• Types of Memory:
  • Rememberers: “people who have really strong memories when it comes to, like, autobiographical information”
  • Forgetters: “who feel lacking in that department.”
• Katie identifies as a forgetter:

  “I am a forgetter 1000%, and I feel bad about it every single day.” (20:31)

  • Elaborates on fear that forgetting appears to others as not caring.

Psychological Science:

• Terms:
  • SDAM: Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory
  • HSAM: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory
• Pablo: “The people who actually remember more seem more miserable. ... Forgetting also seems to be a key to...presence.” (22:18)
• Spencer links memory to quarterback mentality, envying Dan Marino’s “see guy, throw ball” clarity (22:52).
• Sports metaphors:
  • Pablo: “My memory, I feel like, is comically bad in some spots and comically precise in others.”
  • Katie: “The thing I always remember is the way I feel about something...”
  • Spencer: “I believe I am closer to the high detail memory, but that memory is never useful or informative. ... I might remember the exact way that the fake suede plush seats on my grandfather's old 88 felt...” (24:47)

Memorable Quotes:

• Spencer: “There is only like the camera. That is how my memory works.” (28:42)
• Katie: “I'll watch a movie and...I'm not gonna really be able to remember a lot of what happened.” (24:29)
• Pablo: “You’re the raccoon holding cotton candy...that’s like so much of what I think my profession entails.” (27:00)

Memory Triggers:

• The blending of actual lived memories with those from photos or stories:
  • Pablo: “I remember like being at Sea World... Do I remember that or is that just a photo I keep revisiting?” (30:29)
  • Katie: “I don’t know that I can separate mine from photos...or from stories even.” (31:29)
• Earliest Memories:
  • Spencer: “There was a piece of drywall...and one of my parents playfully putting their foot through...and I remember being horrified.”
    • (Leads to the running joke of the “foot glory hole” at 33:07)

6. Video Games: Playing, Watching, Obsessing (34:40–47:13)

The Allure of Watching Others Play

• Pablo confesses to watching, rather than playing, Elden Ring’s new DLC.
• Spencer describes Elden Ring:

  “Decaying, medieval, otherworldly environment inhabited by a series of increasingly powerful ass-kicking monsters...” (35:21)

• Katie admits getting lost in puzzle-solving and logic games, prefers challenge with ultimate solution payoff—likes to “get to the good part.”

Notable Excerpts:

• Katie on God of War: “...as soon as she yells that annoying phrase, what that means is she's coming on your right and you're going to have to step to your left...” (38:00)
• Pablo: “I'm the Leroy Jenkins...I will watch you develop a plan; when I'm in there, I'm mashing these buttons.” (39:20)
• Spencer: “There's no right or wrong way to play.” (41:02)
• On being completionists vs. explorers: Katie “completionist,” Spencer “hunter-seeker obsessed with specific things only.”

On Watching Game Streams:

• Spencer: “My kids turn me on to a lot of games because they’ll watch these videos...I think I could enjoy, but honestly simply do not have the time.” (41:58)
• Elaborate on “My Summer Car,” a game so realistic and tedious it's better watched than played (42:48).

The Value of Guides:

• Spencer advocates:

  “Guides are good and you should use guides and it will increase your enjoyment of the game if you use a help guide.” (46:16)

• Katie: “You're not a bad person. You're here for per. You don't have to be perfect all the time.” (46:45)

Timestamps to Notable Moments

• Michelin revelation: 00:28–02:12
• Cannes/France adventures & Elon Musk sighting: 02:41–04:32
• Le Mans & National Stereotypes: 07:40–12:12
• Katie on jetlag & travel: 13:24–14:42
• Spencer reveals Mongolia travel: 16:28–17:48
• Memory types discussion: 18:38–22:21
• Sports analogies & memory: 22:52–29:56
• Earliest memories & “foot glory hole”: 32:25–34:14
• Elden Ring & game-watching confessions: 34:40–41:58
• My Summer Car and rationale for watching streams: 41:58–43:32
• Video game guides are virtuous: 46:16–47:13
• Rapid-fire: what did we learn: 47:39–end

Highlighted Quotes

• “Tires and star. Same. Michelin are different.” — Katie Nolan (01:48)
• “Carmelo Anthony, while holding a glass of wine, said, 'yo, what up, Elon?' from the stage.” — Pablo Torre (04:25)
• “I am a forgetter 1000%, and I feel bad about it every single day.” — Katie Nolan (20:31)
• “We all talk about quarterbacks like this, right? ... Dan Marino, that dude...what was going on behind his eyes? Nothing. ... See guy, throw ball.” — Spencer Hall (22:52)
• “Guides are good and you should use guides and it will increase your enjoyment of the game if you use a help guide.” — Spencer Hall (46:16)
• “I'm the Leroy Jenkins.” — Pablo Torre (39:20)
• “A glory hole. A foot. Glory hole.” — Katie Nolan (33:07)

Tone and Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and honest, driven by self-deprecating humor and riotous banter.
• Willingness to get philosophical—about memory, self-perception, or video games—without losing sight of the absurdity and playfulness that defines friendship pod moments.

Conclusion — What Did We Find Out? (47:39–End)

• Michelin tires and the restaurant guide are the same company—a fact that is easily forgotten, fitting the memory theme.
• Katie may be happier as a forgetter; presence sometimes beats persistent remembrance.
• Life and enjoyment—whether in gaming, travel, or personal history—often reside in accepting imperfection, using guides, and not dwelling on unimportant errors.
• Ultimately: it’s good (and healthy) to forget; it's fine to seek shortcuts in games and in life; and, yes, you can be both an orc and a “hunter-seeker” in whatever virtual (or real) world you inhabit.

For fans of friendly, unfiltered banter and big, sticky ideas—this episode delivers.