California: Here We Come! THE O.C. – the primetime soap opera created by Josh Schwartz about a troubled kid from Chino, adopted by a wealthy Newport Beach family – aired for only four seasons (2003-2007) on FOX. Yet, in practically no time, the TV-viewing public latched on and made THE O.C. an inescapable pop culture property.

Jordan is joined by Ariel, an OG O.C. fan from back when the show originally aired. Together, they cover THE O.C.’s popularity, the show’s immediate influence on the 2000’s TV landscape, the show’s commentary on 2000’s politics, and its genius integration of music in its episodes.

COMING VERY SOON - A bonus episode where Jordan and Ariel cover THE O.C.’s unforgettable TV moments. A must-listen for super-fans!

Email [email protected] to share your 21st-century memories and if you’d like to be on the show.

EPISODE NOTES:

TV Guide Article on THE O.C.’s Influence

Show’s That Wouldn’t Exist Without THE O.C.

METRO’s O.C. Retrospective

How THE O.C. Changed Soundtracks

FULL version of THE DUBS by Tom Cohen (The team's no longer in Oakland, but they're the best and we're not jokin'!)

THE O.C. Musical

The Church of Scientology presents itself as a humanitarian organization with the answers to life and a membership of 8 million people. 

Yet, CoS likely has less than 30,000 members (with more leaving) and the Average Joe stopped taking them seriously the second they heard the Xenu story from SOUTH PARK.

Since the mid-2000s, we’ve seen the media cover accusations against the Church of Scientology and leader, David Miscavige, that range from abuse, false imprisonment, slave labor, forced abortions, separation of families, and harassment of enemies. Can the increase in this type of reporting be attributed to one very famous movie star, who also is a devoted Scientologist?

Jordan and Dylan interview journalist, Tony Ortega, to find out and also discuss the history of the Church (from the L. Ron Hubbard days to now), what it’s like to be a Church member, and the current state of Scientology journalism.

Our interview was recorded via Skype. Pardon the choppy sound and background noise. We assure you you’ll still enjoy this conversation.

NOTES:

1. Thank you so much to Tony Ortega for coming on the show. Please check out his blog, The Underground Bunker to get the latest news on Scientology.

2. See here for a history of press coverage on CoS (including the 1991 Time Magazine story)

3. GOING CLEAR is on YouTube for the time being. This documentary will answer any lingering questions you have after listening to this podcast.

4.   The LA Times' “incurious” nature towards CoS 

5. Leah Remini is my hero! Her podcast is "Fair Game"

6. Cracked article describing “Snow White”

7. MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE HERE: THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE MODERN DAY SCIENTOLOGY REPORTING

8. How did Tom join the Church? 

9. Info on the “Tom Cruise black turtleneck” video.

10. Ever wonder why Tom and Nicole broke up and what CoS may have had to do with it?

11. Tom Cruise and tough questions the press doesn’t ask him

12. Tom Cruise and “girlfriend auditions”.

13. Troublesome tabloid reporting. Also see here.

14. Dax and his celeb pals

“Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, how can I ever forget them…” These were the final words from PEANUTS creator Charles M. Schulz (aka “Sparky”) in his last comic strip ever. As it so happened, the strip, announcing Sparky’s retirement, appeared in papers less than 24 hours after he passed away.

Jordan is joined by friend and PEANUTS aficionado, Cody, to discuss the final year of the PEANUTS comic strip, the universal appeal of Charlie Brown and the gang, and the many emotional memories the franchise provided the world. GOOD GRIEF!

See https://anchor.fm/year2000fix if you have trouble viewing the links below. Email [email protected] to share your memories and if you’d like to be on the podcast.

· The Final PEANUTS Strip EVER

· The “Peggy Jean” Strip Referenced in the 18-minute mark – My FAVORITE STRIP

· Info on Rerun and his role in Peanuts

· Backstory on Charlie Brown’s gf, Peggy Jean

· ABC Nightline on Peanuts – This special aired the night before Sparky’s death (not the night of as mistakenly stated in this episode).

· The Legacy of PEANUTS reviewed by Vox’s Emily VanDerWerff

· The Peanuts Licensing Deal with MetLife

· Details on the end of Peanuts

· Legacy Overview and Criticisms of Peanuts from Kotaku’s Kevin Wong

· Peanuts and American Culture

· Charles M. Schulz Museum Website

· Strip Cody Mentions (sorry it’s so small)

· Anyone want to buy me one of these paintings?

The Silicon Valley Tech Industry is taking over the new millennium…with a loquacious sock puppet dog? Jordan is joined by Dylan to go over Pets.com, their infamous mascot, and the Dot-Com Bubble. Together, they ponder Pets.com’s marketing, business plan, the bizarre lawsuit against Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and whether the company was actually ahead of its time.

Email [email protected] to share your 21st-century memories and if you’d like to be on the show.

SOURCES:

· Former Pets CEO Julie Wainwright defending company in 2011

· Pets.Com’s History

· WIRED article assessing Pets.Com’s legacy

· TED Article on the legacy of Dot-Com companies

· BarNone Ad with Sock Puppet

· 2000 Article on Pets’ Demise

· Pets.Com in “10 Big Dot.Com Flops”

· Pets.Com’s Quarter Earnings Profile

· Pets.Com / Triumph Lawsuit on Conan

· PETS.COM Ads

· Me by Me is a real book

· What Went Wrong?

· PETS Super Bowl Ad

· More Downfall Info

· Textbook Example of a Failure. Also see here

Ignominious presidential candidates, voter disenfranchisement, ignored laws, news media failure, tarnished principles of American Democracy - it all leads to the wrong guy ending up in the White House.

Are Jordan and George (@instageorgious) talking about the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election or the upcoming one in 2020? Well, frankly, they’re not so sure themselves.

Picking up from Part I, Part II covers the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case, the dismantling of voting rights in the 21st century, what kind of hell to prepare for in November 2020, and why the Nancy Pelosis of the world can’t save us.

Go to https://anchor.fm/year2000fix if you can't view the links below. 

WORKS CITED:

In the very first episode of Year 2000 Fix, Jordan and actor-writer-poet George (@instageorgious), discuss the unpredictable event that was the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election. 

We uncover the Al Gore and George W. Bush campaigns (with a little Nader too!), the media scrambling, the Florida Vote Recount, and the drastically different strategies both candidates used in their attempt to claim the presidency. 

Social media coming soon! 

Email [email protected] to share your thoughts and be part of the show.

SOURCES USED: 

1. The Florida Recount Of 2000: A Nightmare That Goes On Haunting by Ron Elving – NPR  

2. The Brookings Institute Study on the 2000 Election by Thomas E. Mann 

3. So, Who Really Won? What the Bush V. Gore Studies Showed by Wade Payson-Denney - CNN (Article summarizes the results of four Florida recount strategies, with a handy glossary). 

4. CNN Special Report: The Endless Election (2015) – Doc featuring those who lived the events of the 2000 Election. (This is where you’ll find that Joe Liberman story about “Bush’s little brother”). 

5. Maddow & Scarborough: Two Views Of The 'Brooks Brothers Riot' Of 2000 – MSNBC (Host Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough discuss the  Brooks Brothers Riot and the fate of the rioters). 

6. Dispelling the Myth of the Election 2000: Did Nader Cost Gore the Election? - By Irene Dieter of the CA Green Party debunking the myth that Ralph Nader “stole” votes from Gore and cost him the election.

7. Please see here for corroborating information on why Nader did NOT cost Gore the election. 

8. Reconsidering Ralph (Feat. Ralph Nader) - Rumble with Michael Moore Episode 10 (Host Michael Moore and Ralph Nader discuss specifics of Nader’s 2000 campaign) 9. 

9. DEMOCRATS SHOULD REMEMBER AL GORE WON FLORIDA IN 2000 — BUT LOST THE PRESIDENCY WITH A PRE-EMPTIVE SURRENDER by Jon Schwarz – The Intercept (November 10, 2018 – Jon Schwarz discusses the failure of Gore’s campaign to convince the public he was the victor of the election. He cites the 2012 book of activist and author, Jane McAlevey, entitled RAISING HELL (AND RAISING EXPECTATIONS). 

10. BUSH’S COUSIN CALLED THE ELECTION IN HIS FAVOR 

11. FIASCO – The first season of Leon Neyfakh’s multiple-part Luminary podcast series covering the 2000 Election.