Episodes

  • 0105 // The Kids Are Getting Smarter // Part 1

    0105 // The Kids Are Getting Smarter // Part 1
    Aug 3 2021
    Hugh Jackman plays the New York superintendent who ran one of the biggest scams in the history of US public schooling in 2019’s “Bad Education.” Real-life Frank Tassone of Roslyn school district was busted in 2004 for stealing millions from the school, alongside his CFO, Pam Gluckin. We tell the real story, complete with 100% of your USDA daily recommended servings of gossip and drama, like only a high school can deliver. FURTHER READING https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/nyregion/on-top-of-the-news-at-roslyn-high.html (On Top of the News at Roslyn High (Published 2004)) https://nymag.com/nymetro/urban/features/9908/ (The Bad Superintendent) https://slate.com/culture/2020/04/bad-education-accuracy-fact-fiction-hbo-movie-roslyn.html (Bad Education accuracy: Fact vs. fiction in HBO's new movie about the Roslyn schools scandal.) https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/15/nyregion/auditor-admits-he-falsified-roslyn-records.html (Auditor Admits He Falsified Roslyn Records) https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/06/nyregion/a-suspicious-clerk-and-a-school-scandal.html (A Suspicious Clerk and a School Scandal) https://www.scribd.com/document/52495747/Roslyn-Audit (Roslyn Audit | Internal Control | Board Of Directors) https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/amp32268352/bad-education-hbo-true-story-frank-tassone-now/ (Bad Education HBO True Story) https://gothamist.com/news/convicted-ex-school-official-still-gets-state-pension (Convicted Ex-School Official Still Gets State Pension) https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/09/hugh-jackman-movie-bad-education-scandal (The Unbelievable New York School Scandal That Inspired Hugh Jackman’s New Movie) https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/01/nyregion/high-schools-mandating-community-service-for-graduation.html?searchResultPosition=92 (High Schools Mandating Community Service for Graduation) https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/17/nyregion/l-teachers-are-underpaid-and-underappreciated-971847.html (Teachers Are Underpaid And Underappreciated) https://theislandnow.com/news-98/7-north-shore-schools-top-u-s-news-state-rankings/ (7 North Shore schools top US News state rankings) https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/nyregion/27mbrfs-008.html?searchResultPosition=1 (Mineola: School Clerk Sentenced) https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/nyregion/missing-documents-hamper-roslyn-schools-investigation.html?searchResultPosition=7 (Missing Documents Hamper Roslyn Schools Investigation) https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/nyregion/in-free-spending-roslyn-schools-missing-money-isn-t-easy-to-find.html?searchResultPosition=91 (In Free-Spending Roslyn Schools, Missing Money Isn't Easy to Find (Published 2004)) https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/22/nyregion/22rosyln.html (Probation for Embezzler's Son in Theft From Roslyn Schools (Published 2006)) https://gothamist.com/news/convicted-ex-school-official-still-gets-state-pension (Convicted Ex-School Official Still Gets State Pension) https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/opinion/nyregionopinions/dr-tassone-for-the-record-5-letters.html?searchResultPosition=7 (Dr. Tassone: For the Record (5 Letters)) https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-should-school-boards-be-expelled.html (Should School Boards be Expelled?) https://www.heritage.org/education/commentary/bad-education-why-shocking-public-school-corruption-remains-hidden (Bad Education: Why Shocking Public School Corruption Remains Hidden) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-30-mn-643-story.html (School Board Corruption Scandal Rocks New York) https://www.nola.com/news/education/article_88121342-5381-57d3-a8d6-3d8a13c0d288.html ('Will this ever stop?' New Orleans school corruption charge distresses readers) https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/school-board-leader-sentenced-corruption-scheme (School board leader sentenced in corruption scheme | USAO-SDTX)... Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 3

    0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 3
    Jul 19 2021
    In Part 3 of the story of Sir Alfred Mehran, we finally attempt to answer the key question: Why did a man spend 18 years at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris? The answer takes us to the dawn of the Century of Oil, to an underground prison controlled by the Iranian secret police, and back again. FURTHER READING Short documentary - “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngNP8ZNutNY (Sir Alfred of Charles de Gaulle)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efrGE7HQcK0 (Interview with Sir Alfred), AP “https://vimeo.com/84123555 (Here to Where),” feature mockumentary starring Sir Alfred “https://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Man-Alfred-Merhan/dp/0552152749 (The Terminal Man),” the most comprehensive source (by far) on Sir Alfred’s story, much of it firsthand, and the only book written about him as far as I know. It’s hard to find. I had to buy my battered, dogeared copy for $57 on Ebay. “https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/sep/06/features.features11 (The Man Who Lost His Past)” - Paul Berczeller, The Guardian (written by the filmmaker behind “Here to Where,” which is linked above) “https://www.gq.com/story/merhan-nasseri-charles-de-gaulle-stuck (The 15-Year Layover)” - Michael Paterniti, GQ Support this podcast
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    1 hr
  • 0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 2

    0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 2
    Jul 12 2021
    In Part 2 of the story of Sir Alfred Mehran, we probe deeper into WHY a man came to live at Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years, and explore his strange relationship with a young filmmaker, who claims he wants to help. FURTHER READING Short documentary - “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngNP8ZNutNY (Sir Alfred of Charles de Gaulle)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efrGE7HQcK0 (Interview with Sir Alfred), AP “https://vimeo.com/84123555 (Here to Where),” feature mockumentary starring Sir Alfred “https://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Man-Alfred-Merhan/dp/0552152749 (The Terminal Man),” the most comprehensive source (by far) on Sir Alfred’s story, much of it firsthand, and the only book written about him as far as I know. It’s hard to find. I had to buy my battered, dogeared copy for $57 on Ebay. “https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/sep/06/features.features11 (The Man Who Lost His Past)” - Paul Berczeller, The Guardian (written by the filmmaker behind “Here to Where,” which is linked above) “https://www.gq.com/story/merhan-nasseri-charles-de-gaulle-stuck (The 15-Year Layover)” - Michael Paterniti, GQ Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 1

    0104 // Soon I Will Be Gone // Part 1
    Jul 5 2021
    In “The Terminal,” Tom Hanks spends nine months stranded at JFK Airport in New York. The story is based on the life of Sir Alfred Mehran, an Iranian refugee who was stranded at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Unlike Hanks’ character, Sir Alfred didn’t spend nine months living in an airport terminal. Sir Alfred lived at Charles de Gaulle for eighteen years, from 1988 until 2006. To find out why, we’ll have to dive into the deepest rabbithole we’ve ventured down yet (by far). FURTHER READING Short documentary - “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngNP8ZNutNY (Sir Alfred of Charles de Gaulle)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efrGE7HQcK0 (Interview with Sir Alfred), AP “https://vimeo.com/84123555 (Here to Where),” feature mockumentary starring Sir Alfred “https://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Man-Alfred-Merhan/dp/0552152749 (The Terminal Man),” the most comprehensive source (by far) on Sir Alfred’s story, much of it firsthand, and the only book written about him as far as I know. It’s hard to find. I had to buy my battered, dogeared copy for $57 on Ebay. “https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/sep/06/features.features11 (The Man Who Lost His Past)” - Paul Berczeller, The Guardian (written by the filmmaker behind “Here to Where,” which is linked above) “https://www.gq.com/story/merhan-nasseri-charles-de-gaulle-stuck (The 15-Year Layover)” - Michael Paterniti, GQ Support this podcast
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    53 mins
  • 0103 // Fantastic Comes in Plastic

    0103 // Fantastic Comes in Plastic
    Jun 21 2021
    In Hustlers, Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu lure wealthy Wall Streeters into the private rooms at a Manhattan strip club, drug them, ring up six-figure charges on their credit cards, and leave them to wake up the next morning wondering what happened. We tell the real story. FURTHER READING “https://roselynkeo.com/products/roselyn-keo-the-sophisticated-hustler (The Sophisticated Hustler)” - Roselyn Keo “https://time.com/5671735/hustlers-movie-true-story/ (The True Story Behind the Movie Hustlers)” - Rachel E Greenspan “https://pagesix.com/2019/09/02/j-los-real-life-hustlers-character-samantha-barbash-tells-all/ (J.Lo’s real life ‘Hustlers’ character, Samantha Barbas, tells all)” - Emily Smith “https://nypost.com/2019/09/13/cardiologist-victim-behind-jennifer-lopezs-hustlers-breaks-silence/ (Cardiologist victim behind Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Hustlers’ breaks silence)” - Laura Italiano https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/doctor-swindled-100000-dates-woman-part-65605764 (Interview with Dr. Zyad Younan: ABC) “https://www.thecut.com/2015/12/hustlers-the-real-story-behind-the-movie.html (The Hustlers at Scores)” - Jessica Pressler “https://www.huffpost.com/entry/16-facts-about-sexual-ass_b_8711720 (17 Facts About Sexual Violence and Sex Work)” - Katherine Koster “https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/sex-work-is-real-work-and-its-time-to-treat-it-that-way/ (Sex Work is Real Work, and It’s Time to Treat it That Way)” - Layla B Houston- Zannell “https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/07/why-sex-work-should-be-decriminalized# (Why Sex Work Should Be Decriminalized)” - Human Rights Watch “https://www.vox.com/2019/8/2/20692327/sex-work-decriminalization-prostitution-new-york-dc (The Movement to Decriminalize Sex Work, Explained)” - Anna North “https://www.amsterdamredlightdistricttour.com/news/amsterdam-prostitution-menu/ (Amsterdam Prostitution Menu: Prices & Services)” “https://www.vice.com/en/article/xd5w5n/what-its-really-like-to-be-an-amsterdam-prostitute (What It’s Really Like to Be an Amsterdam Prostitute)” - Alex Pichaloff “https://www.vice.com/en/article/dp3ewy/amsterdam-prostitute-diary (What’s it Really Like to Have Sex with an Amsterdam Prostitue?)” - Daniel Dylan Wray Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 0102 // The Monkeys Are Dying

    0102 // The Monkeys Are Dying
    Jun 7 2021
    SUMMARY Corruption, collusion, lies, spin, shredded documents, billions of dollars, titans of industry, and bodies falling everywhere. In Dark Waters, Mark Ruffalo plays a lawyer who confronts DuPont on behalf of a West Virginia farmer, only to discover that the poison in his creek can also be found in the blood of every human on earth. We go deeper, probing corruption at the highest levels of regulatory government and exposing the hollow legislation that permits toxins to invade our bodies every day.  NOTES “https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exposure/Robert-Bilott/9781501172823 (Exposure)” by Rob Bilott “https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html (The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare)” - Nathaniel Rich The https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/superfund/ (history) of Superfund The Cattle Team’s https://cdn.toxicdocs.org/3Q/3QLmJm4yR82NZZ2ZnkxG3dBQJ/3QLmJm4yR82NZZ2ZnkxG3dBQJ.pdf (bullshit report) https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/2000/05/19/329975.html?pageNumber=39 (The EPA, 3M, and Scotchguard) Rich Purdy’s resignation https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Cases/3M/docs/PTX/PTX1001.pdf (letter) (hilarious and sad); his wife's https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Cases/3M/docs/PTX/PTX1571.pdf (response) WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB989965775767302559 (Some Lawyers Promise Not to Sue in Exchange for Cash) “In the biggest case to come to light, DuPont Co. paid a now-defunct Miami plaintiffs' firm a $6.4 million side payment five years ago to settle a batch of crop-damage suits brought by 48 commercial growers who used its Benlate fungicide.” https://news.kochind.com/feature-stories/force-of-nature (Sheryl Corrigan at Koch Industries) (eyeroll) https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2005/11/paging-dr-ross/ (Dr. Gilbert Ross) - a “scientist” who goes around spreading bullshit for anybody who can pay. Tobacco, big chemical, etc. An https://healthland.time.com/2012/08/29/toxic-chemicals-in-kids-school-supplies-how-real-is-the-threat/ (article) that published Dr. Ross as a source without critically examining his history shilling for big tobacco. That shit ^ happened in 2012. Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 0101 // Jodie Made a Friend

    0101 // Jodie Made a Friend
    Jun 7 2021
    SUMMARY The Lutz family spent just 28 days at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville. Those weeks spawned the 1979 film "The Amityville Horror," but the true story is even darker. NOTES https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Amityville-Horror/Jay-Anson/9781982138264 (The Amityville Horror) by Jay Anson https://www.fancypantshomes.com/movie-homes/the-real-story-of-the-amityville-house/ (Behind the Evil Eyes: The (Real) Story of the Amityville House) by Iona Neamt https://nypost.com/article/amityville-horror-house-real-story/ (The Real story behind the infamous Amityville Horror House) by Tamar Lapin https://pix11.com/news/local-news/long-island/i-am-the-demon-a-look-at-letters-amityville-horror-killer-ronald-defeo-sent-to-pix11s-marvin-scott/ (A look at letters Amityville Horror killer Ronald DeFeo sent to PIX11’s Marvin Scott) by Marvin Scott https://amityvillemurders.com/the-haunting/the-true-story-of-112-ocean-avenue.html (The True Story of 112 Ocean Avenue) - amityvillemurders.com Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • 0100 // Trailer 01

    0100 // Trailer 01
    May 30 2021
    Welcome to Like It's Hot, where every other week we dig into the strange, unsettling true history behind movies based in real life. Dive in with us. Support this podcast
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    1 min