The Ali and Macara Show

“Iron Mike” and Year End Review, Sunday, Dec 28, 2025

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Show Reflection and Growth:
  • Ali and Macara reflected on the final regular show of 2025, noting how fast the year went and emphasizing the enjoyment derived from their conversations.
  • They highlighted the ability to conduct the show on their own terms.
  • They discussed the brand’s growth, which now includes the creation of four different sites.
    • Favorite Books of 2025:
    • Ali’s favorites were “Burk’s Law” (all-time favorite) and Kadri’s book (number two), discussing its NHL fandom aspects and insights into the intense, competitive, and at times violent territory within the dressing room.
    • Macara’s favorites included “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, which was seen as a surprising and necessary addition to The Hunger Games series, exploring themes of implicit submission and government power. They also named “The Radical Lives of Helen Keller” by Kim E. Nielsen, the first book read for the show, as a significant favorite.
      • Discussion on Mike Keenan’s Book (Iron Mike), and Hockey Intensity:
      • They began discussing Mike Keenan’s book, noting that his path to hockey and coaching was different from players like Burke or Kadri, with Keenan having a background in teaching and studies.
      • The conversation covered the high intensity of professional hockey, the historical debate over banning fighting, and the job instability and high likelihood of being fired for NHL coaches.
        • Reading Habits, Consistency, and Goals:
        • They shared challenges with reading consistency. Ali mentioned a workaround of having books play in the background or at night to “get through more books,” adopted to maintain consistency and finish books.
        • They also briefly touched upon how intense environments in professional sports can negatively affect personal well-being despite financial success.
        • Reading Challenge Updates: Ali announced he surpassed his 25 or 30-book goal, reading over 30, and set a new goal of 35 for next year. Macara was “agonizingly close” to her 25-book goal, currently at 22, and planned to update listeners the following week. Both encouraged listeners to follow their progress on Goodreads.
          • Upcoming Shows and Content
          • Bonus Episode (Monday, December 29th, 2025): Featuring Steve Barkley from Canadian Assistive Technologies to discuss technology and braille displays.
          • The Ali Moosa Show (Tuesday, December 30th, 2025): Featuring Claude Fay to discuss the Maple Leafs’ recent coaching dismissal and team issues.
          • Regular Show for The Ali and Macara Show (Sunday, January 4th, 2026): The
          • Regular Show for The Ali and Macara Show (Sunday, January 4th, 2026):hosts will continue their discussion of the “Iron Mike” book and whatever else they have been reading.
          • Books Panel (Friday, January 30th, 2026): Scheduled to discuss the book “Anatomy of a con artist.”

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            The Ali and Macara ShowBy Ali Moosa and Macara