"Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations begin for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year."

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with Jigar Talati and Denny Chan.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan interviews comedian Pat Barker who'll be representing Philadelphia in the Coast to Coast Roast.

My Summer Lair Chapter #154: What If You Roasted Cities Instead Of Humans?

Recorded: Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm (EST)

For more show notes visit MySummerLair.com.

Bonus Fun?

Sign up for my newsletter because the F in FOMO doesn't stand for Fun.

Stress free pop culture (TV shows! Books! Movies! Music! So Many Recommendations!!) tastefully harvested for your divine delight.

Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Magic or Science? You decide.

 

 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com

"Entering the 1997-98 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had won 5 championships in the previous 7 years. But as they sought their second three-peat, the future of the dynasty was in doubt. As preparations begin for the 1997-98 season, Jordan and the Bulls granted unprecedented access to a film crew for the entire year."

As Jordan was preparing to conclude his time with the Bulls: 3 friends in Toronto were about to graduate from University. This is their story as seen through the ESPN/Netflix docu-series The Last Dance.

My Summer Lair host Sammy Younan hangs out with Jigar Talati and Denny Chan.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com

So: Have you finished Netflix yet?

As we’re all under house arrest as a coronavirus courtesy it’s now possible to reach the end of Netflix or even the end of the internet itself like a cyberspace astronaut. Surreal.

Currently...I feel like Tom Hanks in 1988.

When I made my Zoltar wish for a pantsless society I didn’t expect it...all of us...to end up like...this.

Zoltar always wins Big!

Thankfully being pantsless means being comfortable which means it’s time to get to work.

3 Is The Magic Number: 3 Morning Tea Links

When a magician performs a spectacular trick he’s instantly asked: “how did you do that?!” Similarly, the success of the NY Times podcast The Daily is attributed to Host Michael Barbaro which creates a fascinating tension since it is a producer-driven and created show. Observe: The Voice of a Generation.

As we hurtle towards the November election the typical debates of what do with tech companies will play out. This is why I found the following data fascinating because facts and patterns emerge.

"Tech workers lean left, but their companies' PACs play both sides" is Tea Link #2. This makes sense. Companies don't know who'll win and gotta cover their bases.The more interesting insight is that co-workers don't echo the concerns of their corporation. If your company goes away you're out of a job, right? That's a compelling mindset. Founders and employees see obsolescence (a core principle of how often have you upgraded software or your phone) totally differently.

Like Oakland and Stockton in Cali Ontario was recently running a Basic Income pilot. However, it was canceled and then this virus hit. Instantly putting lots of people in economic jeopardy. Here’s the results of the Ontario basic income: it was (no surprise!) working; more it echoes the findings in Oakland and Stockton. There’s a comforting pattern here.

You’d think a dude from Oakland would be radically different from a dude from Ontario (one of these things is not like the other!!) and yet that wasn’t really true. Amazing, huh? Will we see Basic Income again and in what form?

Bonus Tea Link

While we’re all consuming podcasts and Netflix and books don’t forget about photography. And I ain’t talking about IG. Here is a sweet photographer’s blog: Henry VanderSpek aka CultureSnap. Black and White images, Cuba, NYC a variety of styles and locations with lots of wordplay. Great start to the day; if you’ve nowhere to go then get out via the portal of photography.

~~~~

Trial By Trailer

The latest Dolly Part documentary should prove to be more fun than a long weekend at Dollywood: "The Library That Dolly Built" is a feature-length documentary, covering the history, impact and future of Dolly Parton's world-wide book gifting program.” As if that wasn’t all it’s narrated by Winnie Cooper (she did Kevin dirty!!). The book program mails one free book every month to kids from birth to age five. It’s one of those elegant and inspiring solutions that deftly addressed the needs of kids. Great job Dolly. (It was supposed to come out April 2nd but ah...that doesn’t seem possible now. Not sure when it’ll be out.)

As for me…and as we're all under House Arrest thanks to (sing it!) My Corona!! I decided to hit record. Nothing else to do so I may as well work. I thought about the other time we've been cut off from culture. Where everything shut down. This episode of My Pal Sammy is about the early 2000s, 9/11, R.E.M., radio and friendship.

That’s all I gotta say about all that.

Innocent but Under House ArrestSammy Younan-28-

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com

Greetings Good People:

Because that sad Kobe thing happened I sent out that semi-weird newsletter (which actually did really well! Thanks for checking that out.).

So we're gonna get back on track and do a regular newsletter this week to make up for the Kobe thing. (Which still hurts...)

This week’s offering is 2 podcasts: attached is the latest My Summer Lair episode and a CBC podcast:The CBC podcast series Uncover has released their new season called Satanic Panic. It's out now and I cannot wait to get into all of this.

To Listen: it's HERE and of course the usual podcast joints.

This is important because historically for us growing up in the 80s this was our Salem Witch trials. This panic created so much damage (people went to jail!) and we willingly abandoned rational and intelligent critical thinking for unchecked moral superiority.(There's this weird human thing we do where presented with the Bible and then presented with evolution or dinosaur bones we reject the science. What?! Why isn't it possible the Bible is "wrong?" Why is the science "wrong?" Like why does it have to be one or the other...what if both offerings are wrong?! Just because you can buy food at a gas station doesn’t mean it’ll be good. (Unless it’s fried chicken then it’s delicious…))

As for this My Summer Lair episode it is my conversation with Meghan Daum about her book The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars (book is so good! Do check it out.). And as we talk I bring up the Satanic Panic because we've gotten worse with social media. We are causing so much damage and lives are and will be ruined. (Google James Damore, Justine Sacco and Covington Catholic High School for recent and tragic evidence. The unrepentant damage we do is frightening.)

What Meghan says in the book and in this interview is: “identity is not a political position. Identity is not ideology.” YES GUY!! This was a phone conversation but I so wanted to hug her for saying this.

You know it's worse because we've already done this; we've lived through the Satanic Panic: we know how this story goes. The 80s Satanic Panic of course comes after McCarthyism which came after the Salem Witch trials. Like come on people...we're behaving like addicts of bad ideas not enlightened and inspired human beings.

The description of the CBC Satanic Panic podcast series:"Host Lisa Bryn Rundle unravels the history of a moral hysteria that took root across North America. Throughout the 1980s, Satanic cults were widely believed to be preying on children — torturing and terrorizing them as part of dark rituals. Across Canada and the U.S., there were hundreds of false allegations, scores of unjust criminal trials and countless lives torn apart. But never any real proof."

Oh I hope this'll be good. Thanks for reading.

Many Man Hugs:Sammy Younan-28-

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com

I had this whole regular newsletter prepped but then Kobe passed away. And it was―and it is devastating.

Emotions ringing in my head like an unanswered phone I did the only thing I could. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. Then I set up the mic and hit record.

Here’s the link to the My Pal Sammy podcast but it falls short (it’s attached as well…dealer’s choice).

It's why people get so tongue-tied when they randomly meet a celebrity.

It's hard to correctly convey all the complex emotions and the depth of the feelings that somebody's work...their music, their ball skills, their dedication...it’s so damn difficult to transmit every single thing in your heart your museum of emotional experiences when you’ve just been gifted this random encounter. And you know it’ll be brief. But you gotta say something...anything. Just to let em know. On this one moment so much hangs.

Well, Know This.

Kobe’s passing? This has just begun.

This energy and his greatness are gonna transform lives. The NBA: players and the people who cover it will not be the same. The fans oh wow...I cannot wait. Kobe’s passing will spark an astonishing and positive Butterfly Effect: it is going to ripple out. And you will have a choice to make. Join or reject.

This isn’t for everybody. Friends―people you thought were friends―will be left behind. Many will fail to recognize the invitation. Or worse fearfully hesitate to RSVP. Carry on sad and undaunted.

Remember that last line from Back to Future? Dr. Emmett Brown said: “Roads…where we're going we don't need roads.” Then he and Marty McFly blazed into the future.This. This Kobe passing: this has just begun. “Roads…where we're going we don't need roads.”

Let’s blaze into the future, shall we?Sammy Younan-28-

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com