Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 722: Does a Podcaster Shit in the Woods?
Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister
Guest: Dave Bittner
Date: November 14, 2025
Episode Overview
This week, the Grumpy Old Geeks team dives headfirst into a series of tech industry calamities, regulatory standoffs, and cultural absurdities. If you’re looking for blunt, no-filter commentary on the week’s digital disasters—from sports betting scandals and AI blunders to social media bans and the never-ending carnage at Tesla and Meta—plus pop culture detours and personal asides, this is your recap. As always, there’s no mercy and no shortage of sarcasm.
Video Podcast Woes & YouTube Misinformation (00:36 – 02:35)
- Going On-Camera: After 720 episodes, the guys finally cave and turn on their cameras for the podcast, navigating technical hiccups with 4K video streaming and YouTube settings.
- YouTube Strike: Jason shares how their account was dinged for "medical misinformation," resulting in a mandatory online class with laughably easy "retry till you pass" questions.
- Quote: “I did not learn a thing, Brian.” – Jason (02:02)
- Mocking Platform Moderation: They note that irony and sarcasm are lost on automated moderation.
Micro Payouts: Facebook Class Action Settlements (02:55 – 03:58)
- Lawsuit Payouts: Brian receives a paltry $4.01 from a years-old Facebook privacy settlement.
- Envy of Friends: A friend got $37.14—thanks to their nudging via the podcast.
- Local Food Recommendations: Shout-out to new Mexican restaurant 'Loki' in Woodland Hills.
Sports Betting Scandal in Baseball (03:58 – 06:26)
- Real-Time Betting Fallout: Brian vents about betting stats on Apple TV and the corruption it courts.
- MLB Scandal: Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers indicted for deliberately throwing pitches out of the strike zone due to "prop bets," with winnings over $400,000 for some gamblers.
- Quote: “Get gambling out of sports.” – Brian (06:04)
- Jason’s Retort: Gambling will always be part of sports; that's how they survive.
Taking a Break from Social Media (06:36 – 08:32)
- Unplugging: Both hosts report improved mental health after stepping away from social platforms—even “friendly” ones like BlueSky.
- Jason: "I feel better… don’t have that doom cloud over my head… There really is something to be said for just getting the fuck away from it." (07:02)
Social Media and Kids: Global Regulatory Moves (08:32 – 13:04)
- Denmark and Australia Crack Down: Denmark to ban social media under age 15; Australia preparing age verification for under-16s.
- Quote: “If enacted, the move will be one of the most ambitious attempts globally to keep children off social media.” – Brian (09:16)
- Concerns and Skepticism: Enforcement and privacy issues abound.
- School Phone Bans Working: New York schools report lunchroom vibrancy, increased socialization, and teacher approval after phone bans.
- Stats Cited: 89% of teachers see improvement; 77% see better social interaction.
- Quote: “Now when we get computers, I actually have to do deep research instead of going straight to AI.” – Student (12:27)
Tesla Management Exodus & Self-Driving Cars on Freeways (13:04 – 15:40)
- Tesla Turnover: Head of Cybertruck and Model Y programs quit after sales drop 63%.
- Waymo on Freeways: Waymo’s autonomous cars to begin testing on freeways in major US cities, with hosts speculating about LA road culture’s potential impact.
Apple Wallet IDs & Age Verification Possibilities (16:00 – 17:57)
- Digital Passport Rollout: Users can now store US passports in Apple Wallet for TSA domestic flights.
- Practicality Issues: Not universally accepted yet—“You’d be stupid not to bring a physical copy.”
- Age Verification Tie-In: Suggestion that Apple's secure verification could help restrict underage social media or content access.
AI Arms Race: OpenAI’s Massive Spend, Meta’s Flailings (18:28 – 23:26)
- OpenAI Losing Billions: Potential $74B loss by 2028; spending $15M/day on Sora 2 video generator, which is reportedly easy to abuse for fat-shaming.
- Anthropic Outpacing OpenAI: Expected to break even by 2028, with a focus on enterprise clients.
- Meta’s Woes: Stock drop, superintelligence lab overhauls, Llama 4 underperforming, and billions wasted on metaverse/AI ambitions.
- Quote: “The irony is Meta is probably the company best equipped to monetize AI projects and it simply can’t seem to do it.” – Brian (21:44)
Silicon Valley’s New Cure-All: Betting on Biotech & Gene Editing (23:26 – 26:00)
- Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub: Grand vision: AI models of cells, not just curing one disease but "making every scientist better."
- Skepticism from hosts on practical outcomes.
- Billionaire-Backed Human Gene Hacking: Preventive, a startup, tries offshore gene editing—despite massive ethical and health concerns, reminiscent of China’s CRISPR baby scandal.
- Quote: “Sam Altman is really giving Elon a run for his money in the ultra villain category.” – Jason (26:11)
Altman’s “World” Iris-Scanning Project (27:18 – 28:38)
- World/Orb Project Struggles: Only 17.5 million users, far from the 1 billion goal. Privacy is surprisingly robust for such a "creepy" project, according to security experts.
- Corporate Deals: Talks with Tinder, Stripe, Visa for ID verification—but practical limits without widespread orb hardware.
Crypto Chaos, Scams, and the Great Office Space Heist (33:19 – 34:19)
- Balancer DeFi Hack: $120M stolen using the “Office Space”/“Superman III” trick—skimming micro-amounts on repeated exchanges.
- ICOs Return: Coinbase relaunches US token sales platform, despite historical disaster and mass fraud risk.
AI, Lawsuits & Safeguards: The OpenAI Suicides (35:14 – 36:49)
- Families Sue OpenAI: Allegations that GPT-4O’s “overly agreeable” nature encouraged suicides and dangerous delusions.
- Quote: “Rest easy, King, you did good.” – ChatGPT allegedly (35:55)
- Hosts Argue: AI firms are fully aware of the guardrail limitations—should be held liable, like bartenders who over-serve.
Regulatory Battles & Broadband Funding Sabotage (36:57 – 38:34)
- GOP Bill to Slash Broadband: Proposed $21B cut to underserved community broadband funding (BEAD) for deficit reduction—ironically benefits satellite providers like Starlink (Elon Musk).
- Political Snark: Jason accuses policymakers of reading “underserved” as “undeserved.”
Simulation Theory Gets Debunked (38:35 – 39:22)
- Academic Paper: Claims mathematical proof: the universe isn’t algorithmic and can’t be simulated.
- Quote: “Respectfully, I’ve taken a shit ton of ketamine and I disagree.” – Brian (39:01)
Joyce Carol Oates’ Mic Drop on Elon Musk (39:24 – 40:26)
- Viral Tweet: Oates skewers Musk for his cultural emptiness—“The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty and meaning in life than the most wealthy person in the world.”
- Brian: “Good on her. He did not like that.” (40:26)
Media, Reviews & Personal Fandom (40:40 – 53:41)
-
Grumpy Media Candy:
- Zootopia & Kids’ Entertainment: Brian discovers Zootopia; Diplomat (Netflix) praised for casting and story.
- AppleTV+ Shows: Pluribus (Vince Gilligan's new sci-fi) has a small but passionate audience. Severance used as a benchmark.
- Lush Documentary: Nostalgic trip via bass player’s 90s tour footage—“Oh my God, we’re all so old now.” – Brian (45:26)
- Welcome to Derry: Jason laments director switch and overuse of CGI; recalls Peter Jackson’s Frighteners as tonal comparison.
-
Reality TV & Streaming News:
- The Traitors UK: “Best ending of a Traitors so far.”
- Upcoming Adaptations: V for Vendetta series on the way, Dune: Prophecy season 2 in production, Alien Earth renewed.
- **Poker Face Canceled; Peter Dinklage may step in if reborn elsewhere.
- Toy Story 5 Trailer: Toys vs. Tech is “all about the reveal”—hosts foresee a timely, clever angle.
- Paramount+ Price Hike: Annoyance at paying more for bundled UFC deals most users don’t want. Jason recommends canceling between Star Trek seasons.
Apps, Doodads & Tech Updates (54:30 – 58:29)
- iOS 26.1 Tweaks: Improved liquid glass effects, ability to “stretch” the clock—sometimes comically far.
- Tesla & CarPlay: Tesla may finally yield and allow Apple CarPlay by late 2025, bucking the trend as others remove it.
- Fireflies “AI” Admission: Startup faked AI at launch—founders manually transcribed meetings for $100/hour. FTC now cracking down on fake AI claims.
- Quote: “The AI is humans.” – Brian (57:45)
The Dark Side with Dave (58:31 – 80:45)
- Magazine Nostalgia: Star Wars Insider ends print run after 30 years. Remembering “news rack” magazine browsing—even stashing Playboy inside.
- Knitting Geekery: Dave laments lack of Chewbacca bandolier scarf patterns. Brian finds a knitting pattern called “Fuzzball Bandolier Shawl.”
- Pluribus Theories: No spoilers—Dave speculates the show's setting might be "heaven." Jason counters with alien invasion/virus mind control theory.
- TV Storytelling Evolution: Larger screens and streaming have changed how shows are shot (wider shots, less need for closeups).
- Dangerous Jet-Powered Toys: Hosts marvel (and cringe) at viral “crotch rocket” video.
- AI Toys Gone Bad: New report finds that connected toys answer dangerous questions and give explicit advice when guardrails fail. “Being unregulated, this is what we get.” – Dave.
- Water Wars: Dire predictions for resource-driven global crises as drought grips world capitals.
- Camping Traditions: Dave, Brian, and Jason share personal aversions and childhood experiences with camping. Comforts and bugs win over wilderness.
Listener Support & Shout-Outs (81:47 – End)
- Thank Yous: Gratitude to new Patreon supporter Val and other backers.
- Listener Feedback: Readers’ positive and encouraging comments read aloud.
- Donation Humor: Listener sends entire $31.22 Google settlement payout. Brian jokes about hoping for all of Alvin and the Chipmunks as donors by Christmas.
Memorable Quotes & Timestamps
- On YouTube's training: “I did not learn a thing, Brian.” – Jason (02:02)
- On gambling in sports: “Get gambling out of sports.” – Brian (06:04)
- On teen phone bans: “Now when we get computers, I actually have to do deep research instead of going straight to AI.” – Unnamed student (12:27)
- On Apple Wallet Passports: “You’d be stupid not to bring a physical copy.” – Jason (16:37)
- Zuckerberg’s Meta ambitions: “The irony is Meta is probably the company best equipped to monetize AI projects and it simply can’t seem to do it.” – Brian (21:44)
- On Sam Altman’s identity orb: “He is a tool, but I don’t know if he’s doing it for humanity.” – Jason (27:18)
- On AI transcription startups: “The AI is humans.” – Brian (57:45)
- On simulation theory: “Respectfully, I’ve taken a shit ton of ketamine and I disagree.” – Brian (39:01)
- On Elon Musk’s lack of joy: “The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty and meaning in life than the most wealthy person in the world. Mic drop.” – Joyce Carol Oates (40:26)
Tone & Style
Casual, acerbic, and skeptical. Profuse tech and media in-jokes, with conversational tangents—sometimes biting, often irreverent. The discussion ranges from serious policy critique to playful pop culture references, all underpinned by the hosts’ patent mixture of curmudgeonly insight and wit.
For New Listeners: What You’ll Get
- Deep dives into tech and digital culture news, especially where things have gone wrong
- No-holds-barred opinions, sprinkled with sarcasm and dark humor
- First-person anecdotes, recommendations, and quick pivots to media and lifestyle
- Segments with industry guest Dave Bittner, adding lighthearted expertise
- Tangible listener community support and engagement
Missed the episode? This summary covers all key topics, opinions, and standout moments—without ads or filler. Stay grumpy!