The song "Shambala" by Three Dog Night that plays in the Dharma Initiative van was also playing in the flashback to Hurley's childhood when his father is working on the car. The song refers to an ancient mythical kingdom of Shambhala that was part of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The Kingdom of Shambhala is seen as a paradise whose reality is spiritual as much as it is geographic, which gives it many parallels with LOST. The lyrics to "Shambala" refer to a situation where kindness and cooperation are universal, joy and good fortune abound, and psychological burdens are lifted, a goal (but not the reality) of the Dharma Initiative.
The reporter, Tricia Tanaka, is similar to the recurring character "Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa," from the animated show Family Guy (1999).
One of Sawyer's nicknames in this episode is "Oliver Twist" for Charlie. As a school boy, Dominic Monaghan first got his start acting in school plays, including "Oliver Twist."
Tricia Tanaka works for Channel 8. 8 is one of the mysterious numbers.
The hood ornament on the van is the Dharma logo