Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

I owe a lot to Brian Tunney. He’s an amazing dude. He rides Flatland BMX, lives in New Jersey, runs the BMX section for ESPN’s website, writes the blog Assblasters, and once got attacked by a Canada goose. He let me live my dream and shoot photos for a Dig BMX magazine, which introduced me to amazing people in LA, and we love the same music.

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Tunney: I’m currently working on being much more mindful of everything I’m doing and trying to block out the distractions of using more than 1 or 2 senses at a time. I tripped the other day walking down the street in Murray Hill. Not because I forgot how to walk, but because I was listening to Botch on my iPod, composing a text message on my phone and sipping from a cup of coffee at the same time. So engaged was I in the dispersion of my five senses that I became unaware of my surroundings, tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and felt like an idiot. Like Yoda once said, “Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing.” So that’s what I’m currently working on, and it’s a lot harder than it sounds. As far as real life going ons, I just started a new job at ESPN. As far as bike riding goes, I’ve got a bunch of new stuff I’m working on that I’ll probably wait till it’s warmer out to film, and as far as writing goes, I have been over analyzing Star Wars symbolism, mythology and religion way too much. Damn, two Star Wars references in one answer. Rubin 1, Tunney zero.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Tunney: Recently, I haven’t been anywhere but Jersey City to Manhattan and back on a daily basis. For a really long time, my work involved getting out of bed, sitting down at the kitchen table and wondering how it got to be 10 pm. I can recall a few times where I didn’t leave the house for like 3 or 4 days because of deadlines. The new job, I don’t have to be there every day, but I enjoy the process of having a beginning, middle and end to the day. You don’t get that when you’re obsessive and working from home. So yeah, not exotic travel destinations lately; just 30 minutes on the Path train a day.

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Tunney: A few times a year, my brain inexplicably just wants quiet, and today is one of those times. There’s a few new things I like though. A Richmond band called Antlers, the song ‘Fucking Viva’ by Trap Them, ‘Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children’s Head Against A Rock‘ by Dalek and I really liked that last Don Caballero album too.

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Tunney: In my neighborhood, there’s a full-on Mexican menu at the Chinese take out place, so it’s probably not the best place to come for culinary delights. My girlfriend took me to Counter NYC last night though, and that was really great. I’m pretty easy to please otherwise. Give me a grapefruit, a baguette, a 4-pack of Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA and I’m happy.

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Tunney: Just a thanks to the guy you’d find listed next to Van Wilder in the Guinness Book of World Records under ‘Raddest Fucking Dude Alive,’ Matt Rubin.