Episodes

Episode 195; David Lynch / Emphysema
195
Jan. 30, 2025

Episode 195; David Lynch / Emphysema

Groundbreaking director David Lynch passed away recently, so today Asif and Ali review his career (4:17). They review his classic movies and television shows including Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and Twin Peaks: the Return. They discuss his legacy as well as the tributes that poured in after his death. They discuss his battle with emphysema and in the second half, Ali asks Asif about this disease (39:37). Asif talks ...
Episode 194: ‘Severance’ / Memory
194
Jan. 23, 2025

Episode 194: ‘Severance’ / Memory

Today, in anticipation of its second season, Asif and Ali discuss the hit Apple TV+ show ‘Severance’ (1:49). They discuss the development of the show, creator Dan Erickson and producer/director Ben Stiller. After several tangents the guys go over the cast, including Adam Scott, the plot and the production design of the show. They give their overall thoughts on season 1 and then Asif discusses the first episode of season 2. Then Ali asks Asif about memory (34:35). Asif talks about how memory is o...
Episode 193: Nikki Glaser, New Year’s Eve and Norovirus
193
Jan. 16, 2025

Episode 193: Nikki Glaser, New Year’s Eve and Norovirus

Today Asif and Ali catchup on news from the first few weeks of January. They start off by discussing Nikki Glaser and her Golden Globes performance (2:38). They discuss a recent New York Times article about her process and how she practiced her set in front of comedy club crowds over 90 times. They also discuss Conan O’Brien’s thoughts on Nikki Glaser’s work ethic. Then Asif asks Ali about Ali being the host of Canada’s New Year’s Eve Celebration on the CBC with Ian Hanomansing, Adrienne Arsenau...
Episode 192: Jamie Foxx / Brain Hemorrhages
192
Jan. 9, 2025

Episode 192: Jamie Foxx / Brain Hemorrhages

Happy New Year!! Today the guys discuss the career of actor and comedian Jamie Foxx (1:10). The guys discuss his early life and start in stand up comedy. They then discuss his breakout in ‘In Living Color’ and subsequent movie roles including in ‘Any Given Sunday’, ‘Collateral’, ‘Ali’ and ‘Ray’ and his TV show ‘The Jamie Foxx Show’. They then discuss his recent health issues which are discussed in his new special ‘...What Had Happened Was’. They guys recap the special, Jamie’s brain bleed and st...
Episode 191: Favourite Entertainment from 2024
191
Dec. 19, 2024

Episode 191: Favourite Entertainment from 2024

NB: We will be off on Dec 27 and Jan 3 and will return with new episodes on Jan 10, 2025. Today, Ali and Asif review their favourite entertainment from 2024. They discuss the best movies, TV shows, movies and books from the year. Listen to hear what they thought about ‘The Fall Guy’, ‘Ricky Stanicky’, ‘La Cochina’, ‘Past Lives’, ‘Inside Out 2’, ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, ‘Hacks’, ‘The Regime’, ‘Somebody Somewhere’, ‘The Penguin’, ‘A Man on the Inside’, ‘X-Men ‘97’, ‘Curb Yo...
Episode 190: Norm MacDonald / Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants
190
Dec. 12, 2024

Episode 190: Norm MacDonald / Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the career of the late great Norm MacDonald. They start off by talking about his early life, his start in comedy and his breakthrough on ‘Saturday Night Live’. They discuss his other projects and then Asif asks Ali about Norm’s comedy style and Ali’s thoughts on MacDonald’s last Netflix comedy special ‘Nothing Special’. After a brief discussion of Norm’s gambling issues, they then discuss how he kept his diagnosis of multiple myeloma a secret for years and what event...
Episode 189: ‘Saturday Night’/ Fluoride
189
Dec. 4, 2024

Episode 189: ‘Saturday Night’/ Fluoride

Today, Ali and Asif continue their discussion about the 50th season of Saturday Night Live by discussing the recent movie “Saturday Night” (3:21). They discuss the fast paced format of the movie, which takes place in real time in the 90 minutes before the SNL premiere on Oct 11, 1975. They also chat about the spectacular cast and what is and what is not true in the movie. They guys then watch and give their opinions on the actual first episode of SNL. Then, because Robert F Kennedy Jr. has been ...
Episode 188: Top 1994 Movies
188
Nov. 28, 2024

Episode 188: Top 1994 Movies

Some say that 1994 was the best year for movies EVER. As a result, today, Asif and Ali discuss their favorite movies from that year (no medical topic today). Listen to hear what made their list, what didn’t and what overlap, if they had. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and ...
Episode 187: 50 years of SNL / West Nile Virus
187
Nov. 21, 2024

Episode 187: 50 years of SNL / West Nile Virus

This year marks the 50th season of Saturday night live, so today the guys go over their favourite SNL moments from the past half decade (2:37). The guys review their top hosts, top monologues, Top Weekend update anchors, top weekend update correspondents and top 5 SNL skits EVER. Then the guys discuss how West Nile Virus has been in the news as of late because of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent battle with this disease (33:44). Ali asks Asif about what exactly it is and how common it is. Asif goes o...
Episode 186: Hasan Minhaj’s “Off With His Head” / Deep Brain Stimulation
186
Nov. 14, 2024

Episode 186: Hasan Minhaj’s “Off With His Head” / Deep Brain Stimulation

Today, the guys discuss Hasan Minhaj’s new comedy special “Off With His Head” (despite Asif’s hesitation) (2:18). The guys start off by recapping Hasan’s background and the controversy that swirled around him in 2023, associated with a New Yorker article which resulted in Minhaj losing the hosting role of “The Daily Show”. Then they give their thoughts on the good and bad aspects of his new special and his non-apology in the show. Then, Ali asks Asif about his sabbatical where he is learning abo...
Episode 185:  Interview with Sterling Scott (Canada’s Got Talent, Netflix is a Joke)
185
Nov. 7, 2024

Episode 185: Interview with Sterling Scott (Canada’s Got Talent, Netflix is a Joke)

Today, Ali and Asif interview the sensational comedian Sterling Scott. Sterling made history as the first ever BIPOC comedian to win the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition, one of only two Canadian comedians selected for the Netflix is a Joke Comedy Festival earlier this year, and was the first comedian to ever be given the Golden Buzzer as a finalist on the most recent season of Canada’s Got Talent . Scott has also made regular appearances on Just For Laughs , CBC’s Deb...
Episode 184: Tony Hinchcliffe / Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
184
Oct. 31, 2024

Episode 184: Tony Hinchcliffe / Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

NB: This episode was recorded BEFORE Tony Hinchcliffe appeared at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Stay tuned to the end of the episode for Ali’s and Asif’s takes on Tony Hinchcliffe’s jokes from the rally. Today, the discuss Tony Hinchcliffe and his podcast ‘Kill Tony’ (5:43). They discuss Tony Hinchcliffe’s background, his start in comedy and the influence of Jeff Ross and Joe Rogan. Ali then describes the premise of ‘Kill Tony’ and the concept of one-minute sets. Then Ali asks Asif ...
Episode 183: 30 years of Pulp Fiction / Rabies
183
Oct. 24, 2024

Episode 183: 30 years of Pulp Fiction / Rabies

Today, the guys discuss the 30th anniversary of ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1:23). The guys chat about when they first saw it and their thoughts about their recent rewatch. They discuss the writing in the movie, its development and its stellar cast. They then chat about the classic soundtrack and the legacy of the film. Then, after the recent death of a child in Ontario from rabies from a bat, Ali asks Asif about this disease (29:45). Asif discusses how common it is, what causes it and how it is transmitted...
Episode 182 Top Albums of 1994 / Hospital Parking
182
Oct. 17, 2024

Episode 182 Top Albums of 1994 / Hospital Parking

Today, Ali and Asif debate their top albums of 1994 (1:30) and spoiler… there is not a lot of overlap! Then Ali, based on his personal experiences, asks Asif about hospital parking (38:38). Asif talks about the situation in Canada and how parking contributes a large amount to the financial bottom line of hospitals. He then contrasts it to the situation in the US and in the UK. He then discusses cancer patients specifically and how parking costs contribute to “financial toxicity” in these patient...
Episode 181: 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon / Raynaud’s phenomenon
181
Oct. 10, 2024

Episode 181: 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon / Raynaud’s phenomenon

Today the guys discuss the career of actor Kevin Bacon (2:41). They discuss when they were first exposed to him and his early career. Then then discuss his breakout role in ‘Footloose’ and how afterwards he pivoted to become more of a character actor. After discussing his hit movies, then they chat about the party game ‘6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon’. They discuss the origin of the game, what a “Bacon Number” is and eventually determine how many degrees away Ali is from Kevin bacon! Then they discuss...
Episode 180: ‘No Dress Rehearsal’, Top 5 Tragically Hip Songs and Glioblastoma
180
Oct. 3, 2024

Episode 180: ‘No Dress Rehearsal’, Top 5 Tragically Hip Songs and Glioblastoma

Today, the guys discuss the new documentary on the quintessential Canadian band, The Tragically Hip (3:45). They discuss how the docuseries was directed by the brother of Gord Downine (the late front man for the Tragically Hip), Mike Downie. They talk about the numerous talking heads in the doc, the story behind some songs and the lack of success of the Hip in the USA. They also talk about strife in the band in the 2000’s as well as Downie’s cancer diagnosis. Then the guys list their top 5 Tragi...
Episode 179: James Earl Jones / Stuttering
179
Sept. 26, 2024

Episode 179: James Earl Jones / Stuttering

Today, after a brief quiz, Asif and Ali discuss the career of the late James Earl Jones. Ali goes over Jones’ accolades and the fact that he is one of the few people who have one an EGOT(Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). They discuss his early life and how some major life events may have contributed to him developing a stutter. They discuss his early Broadway and theater career and then his movie career, particularly as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in the Lion King. They then discu...
Episode 178: ‘Chimp Crazy’ / Monkey Bites
178
Sept. 19, 2024

Episode 178: ‘Chimp Crazy’ / Monkey Bites

Today the guys discuss the extremely popular HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy (1:39). The guys discuss the background of the series and director Eric Good (Tiger King) developed the series. They then discuss how the series main subject, Tonia Haddix, got involved with keeping primates as pets in addition to discussing the involvement of actor Alan Cumming in the docuseries. Asif then asks Ali about an interview he did with journalist Sam Adams about the controversy behind the making of ‘Chimp Crazy’ ...
Episode 177: Top 5 ‘Friends’ Episodes / Ketamine
177
Sept. 12, 2024

Episode 177: Top 5 ‘Friends’ Episodes / Ketamine

Today, the guys discuss their top 5 episodes of the classic sitcom ‘Friends’. But they switch things up by doing the medical topic first by discussing Ketamine and its role in Matthew Perry’s death (3:53). Ali starts out by asking Asif about how exactly ketamine was involved in Matthew Perry’s drowning death. Asif then goes over the history of ketamine, how it works and how it is mainly used as anesthesia. Ali then asks him about how it has been increasingly used in depression and Asif goes over...
Episode 176: Summer 2024 Entertainment / ‘The Yips’
176
Sept. 5, 2024

Episode 176: Summer 2024 Entertainment / ‘The Yips’

Today, the guys discuss entertainment they consumed in the summer of 2024 (2:31). Asif goes first by discussing his disappointment with season 3 of ‘The Bear’, and similarities to ‘House of the Dragon’, ‘The Boys’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3. He then discusses ‘Time Bandits’, ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ and ‘Love Lies Bleeding’. Asif concludes by discussing a news article about a recent apology from MMA star Ronda Roussey. Ali talks about what he watched when recovering from hernia surgery including ‘...
Episode 175: Steve Martin / Tinnitus (Part 2)
175
Aug. 29, 2024

Episode 175: Steve Martin / Tinnitus (Part 2)

Today on the second of a two-part episode, the guys continue their discussion of Steve Martin (1:43). They start off the episode by going through Steve Martin’s filmography, including the Jerk, All of Me, Three Amigos, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Father of the Bride, Roxanne, L.A. Story, Bowfinger, The Pink Panther, amongst others. They then discuss Martin’s other works including his dramatic and musical plays. They also discuss his banjo playing and his musical albums. Finally, they discuss...
Episode 174: Steve Martin / Tinnitus (Part 1)
174
Aug. 22, 2024

Episode 174: Steve Martin / Tinnitus (Part 1)

Today on a two-part episode, the guys discuss the career of legendary comedian Steve Martin. The guys start off the episode by discussing the recent documentary Steve! By Morgan Neville, which was actually released on Apple TV + as two different documentaries (Ali also gives a quick personal anecdote about Morgan Neville). At 7:50 Ali talks about Steve Martin’s accolades and then the guys discuss Steve Martin’s early interest in magic. They speak about Martin’s comedy process and how he uses log...
Episode 173: Hernia’s redux
173
Aug. 15, 2024

Episode 173: Hernia’s redux

Today on a special episode, Ali discusses his recent hernia surgery (5:06). He talks about how our hernia episode from last year prompted him to go for this procedure as well as what tests were done beforehand. He then talks about his consultation with the surgeon and his decision whether or not to do laparoscopic surgery. Asif asks Ali about what prep Ali needed to do for the surgery as well as what the day of the surgery was like. Ali then provides an update on how he is doing in the recovery ...
Episode 172:  Bob Newhart / Polycythemia
172
Aug. 8, 2024

Episode 172: Bob Newhart / Polycythemia

Today Ali and Asif (who is battling a cold) discuss the career of the late Bob Newhart (1:47). They discuss his early life and how he got started in comedy. They then discuss his phenomenal success with his debut album “The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart”. They discuss his comedy style and why it has been so hard for others to duplicate it. They also go over a bit of trivia, namely how Bob Newhart at the first pay-per-view television special. They then go over his class television shows ‘ The B...