688: Why, Combinator?

Summary

Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 688: Why, Combinator?

Hosts: Jason DeFilippo & Brian Schulmeister
Guest: Dave Bittner
Release Date: March 14, 2025

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1. Opening Anecdotes: Canadian Road Trip and Political Sentiments

Jason and Brian kick off the episode by sharing stories from Brian's recent Canadian road trip during March break. Brian describes traveling through Ottawa, Quebec City, and Montreal, highlighting Canada's natural beauty and the palpable anti-Elon Musk sentiment he encountered. He recounts seeing "punch Nazis" with "Fuck Elon" spray-painted on Tesla cars, culminating in Brian quipping, "Fuck Elon. Spray painted all over the place" [00:26].

Jason humorously probes whether such graffiti requires bilingual (English and French) inscriptions to avoid tickets in Quebec, to which Brian responds, "Well, they would probably get a ticket in Quebec. Actually, it's French first" [01:16].

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2. Celebrating PI Day and Misremembered Origins

The conversation shifts to PI Day, celebrated on March 14th. Brian and Jason delve into the origins of the celebration, debating its inception date. Jason mentions, "A huge chunk of Pinterest content is already in copyright violation because users regularly pin images they don't own" [04:20], leading to a humorous disagreement about the accurate historical timeline of PI Day festivities.

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3. Financial News: Deliveroo's Profit Turnaround and Market Reactions

Jason discusses Deliveroo's first-ever annual profit, reporting a net gain of £2.9 million compared to a £31.8 million loss the previous year. Deliveroo attributes this turnaround to increased customer spending and strategic retail partnerships. However, the announcement was met with skepticism as "Deliveroo again. CEO Will Shue warned that weak customer sentiment was dragging on growth" [08:48]. The hosts critique Deliveroo's accounting practices, noting the suspiciously optimistic financial reporting that failed to impress investors, resulting in an 8% drop in shares [09:47].

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4. Surge in Scams: AI and Cryptocurrency Exploits

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the alarming rise in scams in the US, with Americans losing $12.5 billion in 2024—a fivefold increase from the previous year. Brian remarks, "Everybody's like having a cow" [10:03], emphasizing the widespread panic. They discuss various scam tactics, including imposters posing as family members and advanced methods like AI-driven deepfake voice cloning. Jason highlights Consumer Reports' findings: "Only Descript and Resemble AI had any real measures in place to combat misuse" [12:18], criticizing the lack of robust safeguards in most AI voice cloning tools.

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5. Government Turmoil: FCC's New Council and CISA Layoffs

The hosts examine the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to bolster national security amid ongoing layoffs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Jason outlines the FCC's three-part agenda focused on reducing dependencies on foreign adversaries and mitigating cyber vulnerabilities [13:03]. They express concern over the abrupt firing of CISA employees, which Jason describes as a threat to national security: "These cuts could weaken the government's ability to detect and respond to cyber threats" [18:25]. Brian adds, "Judge William Alsop... called the initiative a sham" [15:05], highlighting judicial pushback against the administration's actions.

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6. Critique of Y Combinator's Influence on Tech

Jason fervently criticizes Y Combinator (YC), a prominent startup accelerator, for its role in fostering disruptive and often problematic companies. He lists notable YC-backed entities like DoorDash, Airbnb, Twitch, and OpenAI, asserting, "For every YC innovation that improves life, another erodes it" [22:39]. Jason argues that YC has significantly impacted industries by making services more app-dependent and fueling privacy concerns, encapsulating his disdain with, "They're making basic tasks require an app, a login and your personal data" [23:17].

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7. Academic Exodus: American Scientists Flee to Europe

The discussion turns to a concerning trend of American scientists relocating to Europe, particularly France, due to diminishing support and restrictive regulations in the US. Brian mentions, "Marseille University in France has said that 40 US scientists have answered the call it put out earlier this month offering safe harbor to fleeing Americans" [24:14]. Jason sarcastically comments, "Offering safe harbor to fleeing Americans is not something that you'd hear because they're not fleeing from like Mozambique embassies" [25:17], emphasizing the gravity of the situation and its implications for US scientific research.

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8. Elon Musk and Cyber Attacks on X (Formerly Twitter)

Jason highlights Elon Musk's recent claim that Ukraine was behind a significant cyber attack on X, which experts dispute. He notes, "A pro Palestinian hacking group called Dark Storm Team has claimed responsibility and Musk still says no, it was Ukraine" [26:14]. The hosts criticize Musk's unfounded accusations and point out the security oversights that facilitated the attack, such as lack of Cloudflare protection: "Security analysts found that several X servers weren't even protected by Cloudflare" [27:11].

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9. Tech Saboteur: Davis Liu's Downfall

The hosts nominate Davis Liu, a software developer convicted of sabotaging Eaton Corp’s IT infrastructure, as the episode’s "Tech Genius of the Year." Jason narrates Liu’s vendetta against the company, describing his actions: "deleting user profiles, causing endless system crashes, and basically turning Eaton's IT department into a scene from Office Space" [28:48]. They discuss the severity of his crimes and his plans to appeal, with Brian humorously suggesting, "He may get a pardon and a new job at Doge" [29:08].

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10. Pinterest's AI Training Controversy

Jason criticizes Pinterest's decision to update its Privacy Policy to utilize all user-generated content for training AI models. He argues that this move exacerbates existing copyright violations, stating, "Pinterest is leveraging user generated content without direct consent, but it's also feeding AI with a massive pool of stolen work" [31:14]. The hosts debate the ethical implications, with Brian agreeing emphatically, "Potentially, 100%" [31:18].

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11. HUD's Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Plans

Brian voices skepticism over the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) proposal to use blockchain and stablecoins for tracking grant spending. He notes the criticism from within HUD, comparing the initiative to "monopoly money" [32:11]. Jason echoes concerns about financial instability, adding, "Skeptics warn this could introduce financial instability into housing programs" [32:25].

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12. Waymo's Autonomous Taxis and Parking Fines

The hosts discuss Waymo’s fleet of over 300 driverless taxis in San Francisco, which accumulated 589 parking tickets in 2023, costing the company over $65,000 in fines. Jason humorously laments, "A self-driving car. It should know the rules" [32:30]. They critique the lack of intelligent parking algorithms, comparing the behavior to human drivers ignoring street cleaning rules.

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13. Media and Entertainment Critiques: Severance, Black Mirror, and More

Jason and Brian express their disdain for the TV show Severance, dubbing it an "insult and a scam," and criticize its high production costs. They also discuss upcoming shows like Paradise on Hulu and Black Mirror Season Seven, highlighting their generally negative outlook on current media trends. Jason sarcastically remarks on his dislike for Severance's plot continuity, while Brian anticipates backlash from fans [34:53].

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14. Podcasting Gear and Technology Tips

Jason shares his frustration with expensive podcasting equipment and introduces the Zoom PodTrack P2 as a budget-friendly alternative at $99. He explains its functionality, allowing two USB mics to record both locally and as a computer interface, although he notes limitations with his Electro Voice RE20 mic [45:06]. The hosts humorously debate the merits and drawbacks of various podcasting tools, emphasizing the importance of accessible technology for aspiring podcasters.

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15. Disney World Adventures: Dining and Rides

Brian and Jason recount their recent Disney World trip, detailing their experiences with various themed restaurants and attractions. They praise establishments like The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen and Roundup Rodeo Barbecue for their immersive environments, despite humorous complaints about periodic interruptions mimicking Toy Story characters [64:39]. They also discuss rides such as Tron and the revamped Splash Mountain (now Tiana's Bayou Adventure), sharing both positive experiences and logistical challenges faced during the trip.

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16. Hermit Crabs: A Nature Documentary Surprise

Dave Bittner joins briefly to discuss a fascinating discovery involving hermit crabs forming conga lines and swapping shells in unison. Brian and Jason express mixed reactions, with Jason finding the behavior "disturbing" [81:03], while Brian appreciates the natural spectacle. They link this intriguing behavior to broader themes of animal social structures and the unexpected complexities of seemingly simple creatures [75:27].

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17. Listener Engagement and Shoutouts

The episode concludes with shoutouts to Patreon supporters and listeners who contributed to the show. Jason and Brian express gratitude for their audience's support, encouraging more donations to keep the show running. They also address listener feedback and humorous critiques, maintaining their signature grumpy yet engaging rapport [82:08].

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Notable Quotes:

• Brian on anti-Elon sentiment in Canada: "Fuck Elon. Spray painted all over the place" [00:26]
• Jason on PI Day origins: "I was very shocked. The celebration started in 1988 when a physicist at San Francisco's Exploratorium noticed the date matched the first digits of PI" [04:20]
• Jason on Deliveroo's financial reporting: "Always beware when those companies start doing stock buybacks Always, always. Beware" [09:57]
• Jason critiquing Y Combinator: "They're making basic tasks require an app, a login and your personal data." [23:17]
• Brian on CISA layoffs: "This marks the third wave of CISA job cuts since January 20, with over 130 employees already let go earlier this year." [18:23]
• Jason on Pinterest's AI misuse: "Pinterest is leveraging user generated content without direct consent, but it's also feeding AI with a massive pool of stolen work." [31:14]
• Brian on Rollout of Virtual Concerts: "My problem with this is there better be an on and off switch for this shit, because I don't want it just leaping in doing it no matter what." [48:29]

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Conclusion: In Episode 688, Jason DeFilippo and Brian Schulmeister offer their trademark grumpy yet insightful take on a myriad of tech-related topics, from financial missteps and cybersecurity concerns to critiques of influential tech accelerators and media productions. Their candid discussions, peppered with humor and notable quotes, provide listeners with a comprehensive overview of current tech woes and societal issues, all delivered with no filter and unwavering honesty.

Transcript

[Jason DeFilippo]

Grumpy Old Geeks, a weekly talk show hosted by Brian Schulmeister and Jason DeFilippo discussing the finer points of what went wrong on the Internet and who's to blame. Welcome to Grumpy Old geeks. I'm Jason DiFilippo.

[Brian Schulmeister]

And I'm Brian Schulmeister. Jason, I am back from my Canadian adventure.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay, I thought that was every day since you live in Canada.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, I do live in Toronto. Yes. But we had a March break and we decided to go on a Canadian trip.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Trip?

[Brian Schulmeister]

A road trip. Went. Drove up to Ottawa, capital of Canada, and then went up to Quebec City, capital of Quebec, one of the provinces soon to be 51st state. Then drove down to Montreal, also in Quebec, and then came home. And I'm only relaying this information because, A, it was fun. B, Canada's beautiful. C, absolutely does not want to be a state, nor really pissed off at the president. Not just the president. Also Elon. Yeah, and just kind of the general zeitgeist. I saw punch Nazis spray painted all over places. Fuck Elon. Spray painted all over the place. Quite a few people have Teslas. Snowballs were being thrown at them.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay, now here's. Here's a question. Yes, this is. This is a legitimate question. When they spray paint Fuck Elon, do they have to spray paint it in English and French at the same time or do they get a ticket?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, they would probably get a ticket in Quebec. Actually, it's French first. So if they did not do it French first, they would be in trouble.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yes, Quebecois.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, Quebecois. It was wonderful, actually. It was a beautiful city. That was definitely the highlight of my trip. But anyways, I'm tired. I haven't driven like that since Pre Covid. When we took a. Took a big old trip out to Phoenix from Los Angeles.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's not a big old trip.

[Brian Schulmeister]

That's a five hour drive. Dude, it's five hours, man.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's the same as going to Vegas. Come on.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah. I didn't drive to Vegas. I flew. What are you talking about?

[Jason DeFilippo]

I'm glad you made it. And you weren't killed by any mooses on the road?

[Brian Schulmeister]

No, but they had signs everywhere. We saw some deer on the side of the road. Never saw a moose. Which I guess is a good thing because once you see one, you're screwed.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, it's like a tiger. You don't want to see it. If you see it, it's too close. Well, you said you went on a road trip to Arizona. Pre Covid. Because Happy birthday, Covid, it's been five years since they announced.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Five years since we hoarded toilet paper.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Remember the mountains of White Claw that I had in my garage? Literally the great pyramid of White Claw in my garage.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Now we're hoarding eggs.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Ah, well, here's a trick here. At least in Los Angeles, go to Trader Joe's first thing in the morning. They're only five bucks a dozen. Only one per family, though. Not one egg. One dozen per family. If it gets down to one egg per family, then we're really fucked.

[Brian Schulmeister]

O. Oh, that was. The other really funny thing is, we do not have any egg issues here. And, boy, are they advertising the hell out of that.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Come to Tim Hortons and get as many eggs as you want on your. Sammy.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yes. Would you like double egg? No problem. No charge.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Well, how's your pie up there? Because it's PI Day.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, actually, funnily enough, there is a roadside attraction between Toronto and Ottawa which is called the Big Apple. Okay, there's a Big Apple that you take pictures with, but they also make pies on premises. And apple blossoms and apple tarts and everything. And we brought home a pie, and we will be digging into it today.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay, well, yes, it is March 14th as we record this 3. 14. I do remember going to House of Pies here in Los Angeles and then walking over to see Danzig's house and the pile of bricks in his yard. I think there were more than 3.14 bricks, and it wasn't a square, actually a cube, so I guess it wouldn't really matter that much. But yes, Happy PI Day. And tomorrow, the Ides of March.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So beware.

[Jason DeFilippo]

March?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Who's supposed to beware? Oh, the leaders. That's right.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yes. That's when Brutus and his clan, they dressed up in pink and stood around Caesar to protest his evil doings.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, actually, I was just reading through your show notes here for PI Day. What I find hard to believe. And this could be a Berenstain Bear moment. This didn't start until 1988.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I was going to get to that. Yes, I was very shocked. The celebration started in 1988 when a physicist at San Francisco's Exploratorium noticed the date matched the first digits of PI. Now, people worldwide mark the occasion with trivia, math challenges, and, of course, eating pie. 1988.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Now, I have memories of this much younger.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I have to say that that sentence was not written by me. So that could be. That could be a rounding error from the AI that ScienceAlert.com uses to actually do it here? Yeah, because they are saying that Larry Shaw was the staff on his staff retreat. He came up with the PI Day. Well, I did go back and ask ChatGPT and it said that Larry Shaw gets credit for it. And in 2009, the U.S. house of Representatives officially recognized March 14 as National PI Day. All right, so I don't know if the oracle of Chat GPT say it's so. I guess that's what we have to take as fact nowadays.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I mean, we're all getting older at this point. Our memories are starting to fade, but I could have sworn I'm much younger.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Anyways, whatever. Wrong timeline, Brian. Wrong.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well. Well, we did get shifted about what, five years ago?

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, that's about it. I did learn a new term this week, though. Godel.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Is that something like perhaps Brazilian announcers do during the World Cup? Godle. No.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No. It's apparently taken from people who like to hodl their cryptocurrencies now that they've moved to gold as the world is falling part they're. They're all buying gold and screwing everything up.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, those gold bars will be very useful to throw at the people that are coming at your house.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, that's about it. Because you can't wipe your ass with them. We learned that in Covid too.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, I mean, there's been. I've seen the panic. There's a little bit going on in our discord as well. And certainly online people are freaking out because, you know, bad policies are making the stock market crash. Shocking there, I know, but everybody's like having a cow. And I'm just like, you know what? At the end of the day, if everything crashes, we've got bigger problems than gold bricks.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Teepee eggs. Eggs. But the thing. The thing is you can use physical money to wipe your ass with pretty soon.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Those gold bars hurt.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, they do. They. They're not very absorbent, I've heard.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Good way to. Good way to keep them, though, brown bars. Ain't nobody stealing those.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Ain't nobody stealing that. Nope, nope. That's a feature, not a bug, my friend. That's a feature, not a bug. And a hat. Tip over to Retox on Discord. Who sent me this or sent. Not me personally. I know, I know it was meant for me personally, because that's the way Discord is. You all write to me personally and then talk amongst yourselves when I leave the room. But he posted a video called the man behind the American Oligarchy.

[C]

Good.

[Brian Schulmeister]

We could make fun of him.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Seriously, the man behind the American oligarchy. The rise of Peter Thiel and his step into political life. Now, for a long, long time, I kept telling everybody, I'm like, Peter Thiel is the scary one. He's the one to watch out for.

[Brian Schulmeister]

He's the puppet master.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Has been, always has been. Because he's the smart one of the group. If you haven't been able to tell by what's happening. Yeah, no, he's one of the PayPal mafia. But this is a great video that kind of describes the history of the Teals, going back to his grandfather, who was an actual fucking Nazi who left Germany to go to South Africa with the rest of the fucking Nazis. He started a uranium mine on slave labor. And it just gets better from there. So if you've ever heard me talk about Peter Thiel and why I think he's the actual Antichrist, go watch the video because it does a really good job of breaking down where all of his tendrils are, are eking into our society, period. It's everywhere.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Great.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Even in Hulk Hogan's pants.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, it's fun to laugh into the void.

[Jason DeFilippo]

It really is. And they can hear you too now, so I don't. Did you watch the little bit in there about the. The new surveillance system that they're building?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, yeah, saw that. Yeah. Yeah, it's great.

[Jason DeFilippo]

In the Deliveroo, Brian is in the news. Deliveroo has posted its first ever annual profit, reporting a net gain of 2.9 million pounds compared to a 31.8 million pounds loss of last year. Deliveroo credited increased customer spending in a stronger push into grocery and retail partnerships with brands like Screw Fix. Sounds fake. And the Perfume Shop. It also announced a 100 million dollar pound share buyb. Thanks to Adam D over on Blue sky for pointing this one out to me, but I got this. Deliveroo again. CEO Will Shue warned that weak customer sentiment was dragging on growth and the company pushed back its 2026 earnings margin target and now says it will hit its 4% goal in the medium term. Investors weren't pleased and shares dropped as much as 8%. On the news.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Doing a bit of an Uber there. One profitable year, that's about it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

The accountant from Uber got let go and just moved over the pond to deliver Roo so they could get one good year.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Let's shuffle these numbers around a bit so we can actually have a positive year and try to get more people to invest. Whoop. Didn't work.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Always beware when those companies start doing stock buybacks Always, always. Beware.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Somebody's planning to exit stage left.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No, no, Brian is Brexit stage left.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, Brexit. Sorry, my bad. Pounds. Yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Americans back across the pond lost a staggering $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Wait, they're still around?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Drop in the bucket. Compared to what you all lost in your retirement accounts.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yep. That's a five fold increase from 2023. About 2.6 million people reported fraud, with social media, AI and cryptocurrency scams leading the charge. Surprise, surprise, surprise. The most common scams involved imposters posing as family members, romantic partners, government officials, or tech support. Hmm. Tech support and government officials. Haven't I seen a guy wearing a tech support T shirt on the news who pretends to be a.

[Brian Schulmeister]

What were those letters again? Something like that.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Some frauds reached absurd levels. Like a French woman losing $800,000 to a fake Brad Pitt.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I wonder what Edward Norton's doing with that $800,000. If you get it, you get it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Even financially savvy victims can get caught off guard. Like a journalist who handed $50,000 in cash to a stranger in a shoebox. Surprisingly, younger people 20 to 29 reported scams more often than seniors, though older victims lost more money. And seniors can't figure out how to report a scam, which is why they don't report it. They're also embarrassed they have more money.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Than people 20 to 29 these days.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Oh, shit and eggs and eggs. The biggest money drain are bank transfers at $2 billion. But crypto wasn't far behind, of course, with $1.4 billion. And thanks to AI. Deep fake tech Voice cloning scams are meaning that distressed calls from your grandson may be a bot trying to rob you. Speaking of AI, DeepFace Voice cloning tech Consumer Reports has found that most popular voice cloning tools on the market lack meaningful safeguards to prevent fraud and abuse.

[Brian Schulmeister]

They didn't even have to say voice cloning tools. They could have just said. Most things on the Internet lack meaningful safeguards to prevent fraud and abuse.

[Jason DeFilippo]

True that. True that. In a new study, consumer reports examined six AI voice cloning services. Descript, 11 labs, Lovo, Playht, resemble AI and Speechify, and found that only Descript and resemble AI had any real measures in place to combat misuse. Of course, the one that I pay for the most has the most safeguards and makes it the hardest to use. Thanks. For the other four, users only had to check a box or make a simple self attestation claiming they had the right to clone a voice. No actual verification required. And I will definitely back that up because 11 labs. I have made many a celebrity voice on 11 labs and they're so much fun.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Are you a criminal? No, no, no, I am not.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Who is Kaiser? So say this means that bad actors could easily create AI generated voice defects with little effort. It takes a little. It takes some effort. A little. Little more than a little. But only that's because you have to go find the clips. That's the only effort that it takes. Consumer Reports policy analyst Grace Getty warns that without stronger protections, voice cloning could supercharge impersonation scams, making it easier than ever to deceive the phone or online. Yeah, that's already happened. Horses left the barn.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, too late.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Too late.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, the FCC said yesterday that it's creating a new Council for National Security within the agency. This announcement doesn't go into much detail, much like most announcements coming out of this administration about what the group will do. But it does list its broader goals, focusing on US Competition with China, including in AI and other tech sectors. There is a three part agenda. Reduce the American technology and telecommunications sector's trade and supply chain dependencies on foreign adversaries. Mitigate America's vulnerabilities, cyber attacks, espionage and surveillance by foreign adversaries. And there's supposed to be 3, but I only see 2 problem with the article.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Perhaps the person got fired who's writing in mid got fired.

[Brian Schulmeister]

The council will include representatives from eight bureaus and offices within the fcc, an arrangement the agency says will foster cross agency collaboration and information sharing. No word on how many people have been fired from all these bureaus and agencies, but probably not that many. The current FCC chair car is has been aggressive, controversial and aligned with President Donald Trump's goals. Not surprising given he wrote the Project 2025 chapter on the agency first. Not even full two months of the administration have included investigating media outlets, notably not foreign adversaries probing Comcast, also not a foreign adversary, over its DEI practices and seeking public opinion on which regulations the agency should delete, delete, delete.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, I don't know if you've read the 2025 playbook. Oh, spoiler alert.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Why read it? It's unfolding in real time.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's what I'm saying. It's just spoiler alerts is all it is. Yeah, you know, they should have just called it spoiler alert 2025 spoiler alerts.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Rare case where the book is not better than the movie they both suck. Foreign.

[Jason DeFilippo]

This episode is brought to you by Delete Me hi everyone. I want to talk to you about something important. Delete me DeleteMe makes it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online at a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. You know, as someone with an active online presence, privacy is really important to me. I've seen firsthand how exposed our information can be, and it's honestly unsettling to think about how many unknown companies are collecting and selling our personal details without our knowledge. You've heard it here on the show a million times. They're out there and they're hungry for all your datas. What I love about DeleteMe is that they do all the hard work for you. They take on the tedious task of wiping your and your family's personal information from data broker websites so you don't have to f figure it out yourself. And this isn't just a one time service. DeleteMe is always working for you, constantly monitoring and removing the personal information you don't want on the Internet. They'll even send you regular personalized privacy reports showing exactly what info they found, where they found it, and what they removed. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me Now. It is special discount for our listeners. Get 20 off your delete me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com gog and use promo code GOG at checkout. The only way to get 20 off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com GOG and enter code GOG at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com gog code goggle the Department of Government Efficiency has fired more than 100 employees from US cybersecurity agency CISA. So the FCC is trying to pick up where CIS is being fired?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

And just for those who don't know who CISA is, CISA stands for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency. It's a U.S. federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for protecting the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber threats and other security risks, including key Red Team staffers got fired who test government networks for security vulnerabilities. The layoffs happened without warning in late February and early March, with affected employees losing network access immediately. Among those let go were members of CISA Cyber Incident Response Team, responsible for penetration testing and monitoring federal government networks. Of course, because they would get in the way of the DOGE people messing around with the federal government networks. This marks the third wave of CISA job cuts since January 20, with over 130 employees already let go earlier this year. And some of those previously affected worked on election security and were placed on leave.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Huh.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Yep.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Interesting.

[C]

Yeah.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Wonder why they'd get rid of those people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I wonder why the people who. Yeah, let's just not go down that road. It's too early and I've got too many, too many tendrils in that one right now. One laid off employee described Doge's approach as a ballistic missile with no guidance systems. Why does this matter, Brian? Because these cuts could weaken the government's ability to detect and respond to cyber threats, making US Networks more vulnerable to Putin. I mean, Trump's friend. I mean, attacks within the cybersecurity with his. Fucking Christ, I can't even talk this morning because it's such a mess. With cybersecurity risks at an all time high, firing those responsible for protecting critical infrastructure raises serious national security concerns. No shit, Sherlock. Well, that's the, that's the new. That's the new department, the nss. We're going to call it that.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, we'll see how many of these people remain out of a job because we do have the pushback that is continuing. On Thursday, Judge William Alsop of San Francisco said that the firing of tens of thousands of federal probationary workers had been based on a lie and that the government had conducted the expulsions illegally, further calling the initiative a sham. This man is a national hero. Also ordered that the workers be reinstated immediately. Government executive reports that some 24,000 employees would regain their jobs as a result of the judge's decision. The government's firing of the employees was illegitimate because the agencies impacted by the cuts were directed by the Office of Personnel Management to do so. They do not have the authority to make such orders, as those orders can only be made by the agencies themselves. The judge concluded also, who is a Clinton employee, had harsh words for the Trump's administration's conduct, claiming that the attorneys working for the government had attempted to mislead him. The government, I believe, has tried to frustrate the judge's ability to get at the truth of what happened here and then set forth sham declarations. He said that's not the way it works in the U.S. district Court outlets report that he became visibly upset with Trump Justice Department lawyers at various points throughout the hearing. Come on, that's a sham. Go ahead. It upsets me. I want you to know that I've been practicing or serving in this court for over 50 years, and I know how we get at the truth, alip said. And you're not helping me get at the truth. You're giving me press releases and sham documents. It's a sad, sad day, he continued. Our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that's a lie, he continued. This should not have been done in our country. It was a sham order in order to try to avoid statutory requirements. He also ordered discovery and deposition in the case to provide greater transparency about the government's activities. He further dissuaded the government from trying to paint him as some sort of leftist radical, which is what immediately everybody thinks when they see San Francisco and Clinton. The words that I give you today should not be taken as some kind of wild and crazy. Judge in San Francisco has said that the administration cannot engage in a reduction in force. I'm not saying that at all, alp said. He noted that the government could not break the law or violate the Constitution while working on such an agenda. Of course, if it does, it has to comply with the statutory requirements, the Reduction in Force act, the Civil Service act, the Constitution, maybe other statutes, alip said. Good. Push back.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Some heroes wear robes. Did it do anything? Has everybody been rehired yet?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, that's going to be the question, right? We'll see. Are they just going to ignore the judges in the courts? We'll see.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Speaking of San Francisco, Brian this week marks 20 years of Y Combinator. Why yes, they put the Y and Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that's given us some of the most innovative and frankly frustrating companies of the modern age. From turning food delivery into a financial and logistical nightmare with DoorDash to making housing scarcer with Airbnb, YC has disrupted industry in ways we all have to live with whether we like it or not. Then there's Twitch, where Internet personalities grind themselves into burnout for an algorithm. And Sam Altman, who left YC to lead OpenAI, ensuring we all get to hear about AI's world changing potential every fucking day while it mostly writes lazy PowerPoint slides and helps kids cheat on.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Homework and let's us not forget give us wrong information.

[Jason DeFilippo]

YC has also fueled the apification of life, Brian, making basic tasks require an app, a login and your personal data. And let's not forget Reddit, a YC backed platform that birthed both useful discussions and some of the most painfully online people you'll ever meet. Oh, remember NFTs OpenSea, a YC bagged company, helped that dumpster fire burn even brighter before the market collapsed. Even more troubling though, Brian, YC has played a role in military tech backing Ares Industries, a startup building low cost cruise missiles. Just. Just what you want. Low cost cruise missiles.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You know the problem with cruise missiles, Jason? The average person just can't afford.

[Jason DeFilippo]

You can't get eggs and a cruise missile. Come on, you gotta pick one or the other. Oh, and optify AI, which promises to bring AI powered worker surveillance to factories. Because what factory jobs really needed was more Big Brother. Oh, the hits just keep on coming with yc. Because for every YC innovation that improves life, another erodes it, whether by making things more expensive, removing human jobs, or fueling tech's growing hostility toward regulation and accountability. In the next 20 years, expect YC to keep making waves. Just don't expect all of them to be good ones, Brian, because they're not going to be.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, hopefully some of the scientists that have been over there helping apify our entire lives and making them worse won't be there in the future. Scientists in the US under the Trump regime are facing a sudden loss of funding and stricter regulations on speech in areas of research. Enter the French.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Avant garde.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Marseille University in France has said that 40 US scientists have answered the call it put out earlier this month offering safe harbor to fleeing Americans. Jesus fucking Christ, Jason.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Safe harbor to fleeing Americans is not something that should be in the fucking news.

[Brian Schulmeister]

In a press release about its Safe Space for Science initiative, the University announced that 40 US scientists, including people from Stanford, Yale, NASA, the national airport, Institute for Health, and George Washington University are moving over to France. Jason. Because they can ply their trades there in a non stupid way.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Moving on, lit up.

[Brian Schulmeister]

We are witnessing a new brain drain. Brenton said on March 12. We will do everything possible to help as many scientists as possible continue their research, but we cannot meet all their requests alone. He then called on the French and European governments for help. Yes, the French and European governments will be helping American scientists continue their important work. Because you can't do it in America anymore.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Just be careful of gdpr, guys. Since you can't do LGBTQ over here, you got to do GDPR over there. Yes, offering safe harbor to fleeing Americans, not really something that you'd here because they're not fleeing from like Mozambique embassies where they're being overrun. No, they're fleeing. They're fleeing from American universities.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's fucked up.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Not the only place too. I know. Canada. I Don't have a link in the show notes for this, but it's all over the news here as well. We are fast tracking applications for doctors, nurses, etc. Because there's been not enough here because the US pays better. But now that everything is going on, awful lot of doctors and nurses are moving here.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Can you please get like talk to somebody up there and have podcasters added to that list?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Jesus fucking Christ, there's too many fucking podcasters already.

[Jason DeFilippo]

There's just one that matters.

[C]

Me.

[Jason DeFilippo]

God damn it.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, you know French first man, we can get you up to Quebec. Get on that Duolingo. Did that come out of yc? I hope not.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Elon Musk is blaming Ukraine for the latest cyber attack that repeatedly took down.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Of course he fucking is.

[Jason DeFilippo]

But experts aren't buying it. In an interview with Fox News, Musk claims that IP addresses behind the attack traced back to Ukraine. However, security experts told Wired that IP data alone doesn't prove the identity or intent of the attackers. No shit. One researcher even said that Ukraine wasn't even in the top 20 sources of the attack. Now here's the real funny part. A pro Palestinian hacking group called Dark Storm Team has claimed responsibility and Musk still says no, it was Ukraine. Of course it was. And to make matters worse, the attack was made embarrassingly easy. Security analysts found that several X servers weren't even protected by Cloudflare, the basic tool for mitigating these kinds of DDoS attacks, which everybody knows about.

[Brian Schulmeister]

It's the best people, Jason. It's the best people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

A botnet of hacked security cameras and DVRs overwhelmed X's unsecured infrastructure, exposing a major oversight in the platform's security.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I hope Cat Turd's okay.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Despite Musk's claims of a state sponsored attack, experts say the crude, highly visible nature of this hack makes it unlikely to have been carried out by an intelligence agency, because cybersecurity analysts told the AP that state actors usually prefer stealthier operations. No shit.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I think we just need to rebrand our fucking show to no shit.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I'm telling you, NSS baby. No shit, Sherlock. Today's Tech Genius of the Year award goes to Davis Liu, a 55 year old software developer who just got convicted for throwing the ultimate IT temper tantrum. After more than a decade at power management company Eaton Corp, Lou got his ego bruised when a 2018 corporate reshuffle put him in the digital corner. Instead of updating his LinkedIn like a normal person, he decided to go full villain. Over the next year, he sprinkled sabotage throughout the company's network, deleting user profiles, causing endless system crashes, and basically turning Eaton's IT department into a scene from Office Space. The cherry on top, A kill switch designed to nuke the system the second he got the boot. And because subtlety isn't his strong suit, he named it after himself. Is DL enabled in AD is the name of the program? Is Davis Liu still in the system? Well, Davis, you're definitely in the system now. The prison system. He's facing up to 10 years in jail for what the DOJ calls intentional damage to protected computers. He plans to appeal, but something tells me the court isn't going to reboot this decision.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, but he may get a pardon and a new job at Doge.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, he just might. He just might. This is something that I had thought about so many times.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I can't believe you didn't get busted for at some point.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Oh, there was. There was there. I don't know if they're still out there. There were several companies and several websites that I worked on. If you just did slash butthead or. No, I'm sorry, not slash butt, head, slash cornholio in the URLs. It would just pull up a picture of Cornholio saying, I am Cornholyo. I need TP for my bunghole. That was my. That was. That was as far as I went with my subversion.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I'm impressed, actually, at your lack of your total restraint. That's pretty good. I know you're not going to jail for that. You're just getting a few chuckles.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, no, I. I'm not going to jail for TP and for my bunghole, but courtholio was always my back door. No pun intended. Nice. Now, coffee. Literally. Brian Blew out my nose when I saw the headline here. Pinterest to Train AI Models on User Content.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Which isn't actually even their content, their content.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Pinterest is updating its Privacy Policy on April 30, 2025, allowing the Company to use all past and future user content to train its AI models. While users can opt out in their settings, the change formalizes what Pinterest was already doing. Now, it's ironic, because Pinterest built its platform by encouraging users to share and curate visual content, often emphasizing creativity, inspiration, and originality. Now it's using that same user generated content without explicit prior permission to train AI models, potentially undermining the very creators who made Pinterest valuable in the first place. Now, as you and I, Brian, know, and we've talked about about for decades now it seems hundreds of years, thousands of eons we've talked about this. A huge chunk of Pinterest content is already in copyright violation because users regularly pin images they don't own, often without credit or permission. And now Pinterest is taking that already dubious content and using it to train AI models, potentially embedding copyright violations into more machine learning systems.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Potentially.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Potentially. Yes, I know.

[C]

Potentially.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Definitely. Should we just say definitely?

[Brian Schulmeister]

100%. Yeah.

[Jason DeFilippo]

So not only is Pinterest leveraging user generated content without direct consent, but it's also feeding AI with a massive pool of stolen work.

[Brian Schulmeister]

They put possibly in the article by the way. Fuck you.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I know, I know. I just, I'm not, I'm not going down to possibly wrote anymore. Let's just call a fucking spade a spade. And then to top it off it's adding AI generated content labels. This somehow fixes the problem. The perfect storm of hypocrisy in the AI era. Ryan. Oh God, I'm telling like I fucking coffee out my nose like Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Also in are you kidding Me News, the U.S. department of Housing and Urban Development is considering using blockchain and possibly stablecoins to track grant spending. Critics within the HUD are calling it a reckless move with one official comparing it to monopoly money. But the push is reportedly coming from. Wait for it. Trump aligned officials, including a former Ernst and Young executive in aligns with the administration's broader crypto friendly stance. Skeptics warn this could introduce financial instability into housing programs.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Right.

[Jason DeFilippo]

And again, possibly.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Possibly. Yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah.

[Brian Schulmeister]

God damn it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

The fuck. Now Here's a fun one. Waymo's fleet of over 300 driverless taxis in San Francisco may follow traffic laws, but they sure as shit can't park. According to city records, these autonomous Rides racked up 589 parking tickets in 2023 alone, costing the company over $65,000 in fines. The violations ranged from blocking traffic to ignoring street cleaning rules and parking in restricted zones.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I had a girlfriend like that once.

[Jason DeFilippo]

She ignored the street cleaning rules.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh. Just. I mean I had never seen so many parking tickets. I think half her salary went to fucking parking parking tickets.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Seriously? Oh man.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I'm like read the sign.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Waymo says it's working on the issue. But in a city that handed out 1.2 million tickets last year. Good luck with that. The real issue, these self driving cars park like humans stopping in loading zones, waiting between rides. Except there's no driver to argue with the meter maid San Francisco is a to park. And I've. I, I think I had like 300 tickets at some point because the. They make the little letters so small in the street cleaning. That was the thing. It's like if you're not up there every morning. It was the shuffle. Everybody would move their car from one side of the street to the other, like in synchrony. It was like that scene in Edward Scissorhands where everybody's getting up in the morning and getting in their car to go to work. Everybody just runs out in their bathrobes with their coffee in their hands to move their car to the other side of the street. It's a self driving car. It should know the rules. That's kind of the funny part, I guess.

[Brian Schulmeister]

But I agree. Yeah, I agree. Well, I've got a bit of good news. Since we. Since we unfortunately lost the chance of the asteroid coming and saving us all from this ridiculous shit show that we're all stuck in right now, one researcher's analysis of the Webb Space Telescope images could indicate that we're all stuck in a black hole, according to research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. I can't talk either. Okay, Too much Quebec. But we're all in a black hole. No Sherlock.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Media candy. Bjorn writes in you are way too soft on Severance. The New Statesman calls the show an insult and a scam. I hope your democracy kicks into gear soon. Greetings from Denmark.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I thought this died down. Now it's all going to come back. We're going to have so many people yelling at us about not watching Severance again now. Thanks.

[Jason DeFilippo]

The article is titled Severance is laughing at you. And then I saw this one. Somehow severance season two cost an enormous $20 million per episode. What?

[Brian Schulmeister]

A million dollars for every boring second.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's more than the most expensive Game of Thrones episodes. Which doesn't surprise me because they forgot to pay the writers and get a script on that one.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Also a few episodes forgot the lighting.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. And they left the Starbucks coffees in.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Starbucks coffee. Oh, yeah. Also the story at the end.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Oh, that too.

[Brian Schulmeister]

That too.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's another. There's a link in here to an Eddie Q and Ben Stiller interview. If you give a shit about Severance anymore. I talked to my friend John Sylvain the other day and he's like, yeah, you should go back and watch the first season before you watch the second season. He said, it's good.

[Brian Schulmeister]

And I'm like, as you do with Most shows.

[Jason DeFilippo]

But, but then he said, then he said, now don't worry about it because if you're not clicking, don't watch it. I'm like, okay, thank you. That's the best thing I've heard all day. Life's too short.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Here comes the hate mail.

[Jason DeFilippo]

It's coming, it's coming. Paradise on Hulu. Eight part miniseries. There's definitely going to be a season two starring Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden. I loved it. See, this is, it was, it's, it's another eight part doom and gloom. It's basically silo, you know, the old trapped in a post apocalyptic bunker scenario type of thing. But I thought it was a good one. I thought it was, I thought it was very well written, moved very, very quickly. There was no, there was no being stuck in a office building for six episodes before you got to any semblance of a plot. Yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually stayed up last night to finish it so I could comment on it on the show, which is why I'm stuttering to finish my sentences.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah. When I got in from my road trip last night, I watched the White Lotus because I thought we might be talking about that. But I'll just mention I'm caught up. I'm caught up. So I just wanted to mention if you've ever wanted to see Lucius Malfoy's penis, you're in luck.

[Jason DeFilippo]

You're in luck. There you go. See, that's the thing. Everybody's Johnson at the beginning of every episode or every season of White Lotus.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah. There's always a penis.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. We went back to, we started to rewatch 1 and 2 because we completely forgot everything that was in them to see if we could pick up all the clues in season three. And of course, yes, first scene, there's a set of balls and it's like an Easter egg. It is two Easter eggs actually, in season one. I don't know why they feel like they need to do that, but they do.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Hey, Turnabout's fair play. We get boobs.

[Jason DeFilippo]

The trailer dropped for Black Mirror season seven.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh. One of those other shows we apparently hate, according to one of our listeners.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I love this so much. I can't wait for this. It looks so great and evil. I need it right now. I need it. I need something more evil than the news that we have to trail through every day to write this show. So please, please get here sooner. April 10th is only going to take six more years.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, and the nice thing about Black Mirror is I Don't have to go back and watch the rest of the seasons in order because I am woefully behind due to my aversion to. To watching Black Mirror when the world is Black Mirror.

[Jason DeFilippo]

But there's one episode, though, that you're gonna. You're probably gonna want to go back and check out because it is. There is a continuance.

[Brian Schulmeister]

The Star Trek thing. No, I've seen that. Black Mirror. It's great.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay. Okay. Yeah, yeah, there's gonna be a follow up to that one because that was apparently the most. The most highly rated one of all time.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Right. Well, unfortunately, another show seems to be returning and I have a very bad feeling about this one. Jason.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Ted Lasso is officially returning for season four, despite previous claims that the third season of Ted Lasso would be the last, in the fact that they wrapped up the story incredibly nicely. Apple TV plus has confirmed reports that they claim sports comedy will return for season four. Jason Sudeikis is set to reprise his role as the American football coach struggling to make sense of the sport he originally knew as soccer. Apple TV has yet to confirm who, aside from Sudeikis, may be returning from the original cast. And Sudeikis himself offered a possible clue of what's to come during an appearance on the podcast New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelsey revealing. See, there's too many podcasters. Jason revealing that Ted is coaching a woman's team in the new season.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay, that's. That's kind of what we heard before.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I think this is going to land with a thud.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I really like that conspiracy theory that Ted's plane went down when he was going home and that was just all like an afterlife death sequence.

[Brian Schulmeister]

They're losting.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, that was. You know, I thought that was like the best. The best possible ending for the series. So. Okay. Guess not.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Nope.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Well, we talked about Apple Music classical before and how. How fantastic it is and why it. Why the hell is it a separate app, and then how difficult it is to classify everything and why Shazam. Does not work with the classical music. Anyway. They now have a web view, so you can play it in your browser at work. That's cool.

[Brian Schulmeister]

That's nice.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Yeah. So there you go. But I didn't even realize. I have to go check because it didn't come out on CarPlay when it originally came out, but it is apparently out in CarPlay now. I never scroll that far in the menus, so I never found it. I have to go. I have to go scroll a little bit more. I've got Overcast, which I unfortunately had to go back to and audible in my first page, so I never get to see anything else.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So. Right.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Check it out. Out.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, I've got news from one of my favorite artists, the Apex Twin, who has written some of the best electronic music out there and particularly some of the best ambient electronica music out there. I love his ambient music. He has teamed up with supreme for a new merchandise line in classic fashion for the now this is why I put this in. In the show notes in particular, there's 12 hours and 40 minutes of a great playlist of different artists ranging from Herbie Hancock to synth pioneers and classical composers. It's a pretty cool playlist. I have not made it through the 12 hours. I've skipped around a little bit. Link is in the show notes, but here's what the article says over A consequence in classic fashion for the acclaimed rap producer.

[Jason DeFilippo]

What?

[Brian Schulmeister]

What?

[Jason DeFilippo]

Huh?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah. He's marked the occasion by creating a dense playlist of nearly 200 songs. He is not a rap producer.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah.

[Brian Schulmeister]

At all. Ever, in any way, shape or form.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Okay. Anyways, in other news, former MTV host.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Which AI wrote that would.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I wonder, I suppose if you put in what kind of music does Aphex Twin into Google you'll Google AI will come back. He's a rap artist.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Actually, the Google AI probably would because it is so terrible. Yes, it is so beyond. I've been doing. I've been doing comparisons between all four of them this week between ChatGPT, Claude, perplexity in Gemini, and every time you put something into all four, you get four wildly different fucking answers, almost all of them wrong.

[Brian Schulmeister]

We'll just have to wait for Pinterest General Generative AI to come out.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Jason, that's it. Once Pinterest comes to the rescue, maybe we'll. Maybe we'll get something new.

[Brian Schulmeister]

All right, well, a little bit of news about somebody who absolutely knows that Apex Twin is not a rap artist. Artist. Former MTV host Matt Pinfield has come out of a coma after suffering a massive stroke back in January. Hosted MTV's influential alternative rock program 120 Minutes back in the 90s. And I watched basically every week and again during revival in the early 2010s when I did not. Has been in a coma for roughly two months. He has been released from ICU and is currently rehabbing at a facility in Los Angeles. So hope for the best for him. So.

[Jason DeFilippo]

So, yeah, no, I didn't know. I did not know that he had. That's bad.

[Brian Schulmeister]

He's kind of dropped out of, you know, the public eye. He hosts a few radio programs and things of that nature. So he's still out there. He's one of the most knowledgeable people about music that you will ever hear in your life.

[Jason DeFilippo]

So, yeah, I just never liked him as the host.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Me either. But, you know, we were snotty back then. Like, why are they. Who's this old telling us about the alternative music we like?

[Jason DeFilippo]

He's probably three years older than us.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Probably.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That's why I'm lucky. I see massive stroke and coma. You know, I get triggered. So, yeah, I hope he recovers soon.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Me too.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Apps and doodads. Here's a fun one. Brian Audioshake, the leader in AI sound separation, has launched Multi Speaker, a cutting edge model that isolates an unlimited number of voices into individual audio tracks. This breakthrough tackles one of audio's toughest problems, overlapping speech, making it a game changer for podcasts, film, tv and voice AI applications.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I'll finally be able to split up Bohemian Rhapsody into separate tracks.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Exactly. I watched some of the demos and it's kind of okay, except for the parts, I don't know, where they talk over each other and the AI fills it in gibberish.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You mean the one thing that they claim they can do?

[Jason DeFilippo]

Exactly.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, okay.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Just check. Exactly. I just. I put the. I didn't know if you've heard of these guys because apparently they're really big into, you know, splitting into stem. Like, you know, splitting music into stems. That's their bread and butter. Right. And I always. I always.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You know how you actually get music split into stems?

[Jason DeFilippo]

Go to the studio with the recording artist and get them from the studio.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Ask the artist and you get permission. That's how you do it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, that's kind of how you do it. Although I have to say I've been working with my friend Andy, who's going through all of his old stuff from back. Back when he was like, you know, in his 20s. And it's thoroughly helping him recreate those old songs. Because they don't have those original tracks.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah. And you had to. There's only so many, you know, tracks that you had that to work with, so you had to bounce things down. That's the reason that it took so long for the Beatles stuff, because John Lennon's voice was tracked over piano and they had to separate the two and blah, blah, blah.

[Jason DeFilippo]

So there are legitimate uses, but there's also a lot of illegitimate uses. Why we have 125,000 songs a day. Being released to Spotify.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, I'm sure they're making their beans off. Legit uses it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I saw a new piece of gear this week, and I'm putting it in here because this is one of those things that, man, I wish I'd have had when I started this fucking racket. The Zoom Pod Track P2 podcast recorder.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, I thought you were going to say a million dollars, because that helps too.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That would have been nice. Yeah, that would have been really nice. Cost about that and shit that I had to buy so far. This is a $99 device from Zoom where you can plug in two mics in a room. It's just a. It's a. You know, it's a remote recorder, a field recorder. Like, I've got. I've got half a dozen of them in the other room. Some of them cost like $1500. And this one is $99. Here's the thing about this one, which is why I'm putting it in here, because I've gotten some people who are interested in getting into podcasting. Dear God, why? Lately. And do you like to lose money? Yeah. How much money would you like to lose today?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Do you think everybody needs to hear your opinions about everything? Do you hate severance? Start a podcast.

[Jason DeFilippo]

You hate severance. Don't podcast about severance, for fuck's sake. The interesting thing about this is most field recorders, you have to have an XLR microphone to plug in, which is the expensive mics like the ones we're talking on, actually, that I'm talking about. You're talking on a usb, actually, you're talking on a hybrid mic. You have an MV7, correct?

[Brian Schulmeister]

I do, yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

You're on an MV7, which is a hybrid mic, XLR and USB. I'm on an Electro Voice RE20, which is an XLR only mic, which won't work with the Zoom PodTrack, because the PodTrack P2 is for USB only.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Mics can always get an adapter.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No, here's the problem, Brian. Well, I did get that adapter and it ruined my tracks when I was recording schmactors. And I have to go back and retrack all my schmacks because that little $200 Shure device, the bitrate on it sucked and everything came out crackly.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So I'm sure Audio Shake can't fix that.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, I won't do that. I didn't talk over myself. So. But this lets you plug in two cheaper USB mics and go out in the field with it, and it can record to an SD card, but it also works as a computer interface too. So if you wanted to do use it as a, you know, plug in and then use something like Riverside that we use to record this show with two people in one room and somebody remote, you can do something like that too. It's $99. That is a rounding error for most podcasting gear. So it's like go check it out. I mean, in Zoom makes decent stuff. There's zoom. The, the H4N was like a staple of ours for a long time. The 6. The H6 people still use it sounds okay. It's not the best. The thing about Zoom is you can fix everything in post now. So if you get a. If you have a subscription to Adobe's Creative Suite, you can use their podcast tools to zhuzh up any track nowadays. Or you can spend thousands of dollars like I did like a big dummy on Izotope software and plugins for logic and all sorts of stuff.

[C]

Stuff.

[Jason DeFilippo]

But nowadays, yeah, it's cheap. But this thing just caught my eye because it's dual usb, which I think is actually really cool.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Very cool. Well, Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is going to be adding a Live Translate feature to AirPods later this year as part of an upcoming software update. The feature sounds like it would work in a similar way to the translation feature on the Pixel Buds, only without the need to ask Google Assistant or in this case, Siri to start listening for a specific language first. Apple's feature would reportedly automatically detect that something other than your native language is being spoken and start converting what you're hearing into a language you understand. We're veering into Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy territory here. My problem with this is there better be an on and off switch for this shit, because I don't want it just leaping in doing it no matter what.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I'm sure it's Apple, you just turn it off. But this will rapidly accelerate my move to Quebecois. So I just want. I just hope it does Gen Z so I can know what the kids are speaking nowadays. That would be nice.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I don't think they can translate that yet.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Skibidoo okay.

[Brian Schulmeister]

And speaking about the kids, I've gone off at great length about the lack of protection on most of these multiplayer games that are out there for kids and various all the technology for kids. And we've talked a lot about how people who create this technology absolutely refuse to let their kids use it. I just want to read this headline line. Don't let your kids be on Roblox. Roblox CEO tells parents before comparing himself to Walt Disney and declaring the platform the future of communication Wait, what?

[Jason DeFilippo]

Would you please break that down for me? Because my I know it's early, I haven't had enough coffee, but that just didn't make any sense.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Okay. Roblox Corporation co founder and CEO Dave Bazewski has said that if parents are worried about their kids using Roblox, they have a fairly simple option open to them them. My first message would be if you're not comfortable, don't let your kids be on Roblox. Which makes sense to me because they don't police the damn thing.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I guess that makes sense.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, yeah, this message is a bit of a get out, said Ellie Gibson of Scummy Mummies. It's much easier said than done, especially when all their friends are playing it. Things get slightly crazy later in the interview as he compares the experience of building Roblox to how Walt Disney must have felt when building Disney into what it is. The job is a little like having the opportunity he had a long time ago when he was designing the Magic Kingdom. And if that isn't grandiose enough for you, he is asked he when asked to describe Roblox in three words, he goes for four. The future of communication okay buddy, back to egos on these people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

At the library. New book came out this week, Brian Careless People, A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynne Williams. Now, Sarah Wynne Williams, she served as Facebook's vice president of public policy from 2011 to 2018. And this is a book about she's basically whistleblowing from what it was like behind the scenes for those seven years. Yeah, I'm fairly well into it at this point. And the most interesting thing is her story about getting attacked by a shark when she was a kid and almost dying. That was fascinating and quite gripping. The rest of it so far, moving into the rest of the story is kind of textbook. Yeah, we know Mark Zuckerberg's a shithead. We know Sheryl Sandberg's an asshole. We know everybody that worked there are just garbage humans. And you wanted to save the world, of course.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, except for those years 2011 to 2018 when she didn't seem to care about the fact that they were horrible people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No, she did, she tried, but you know, whatever. So meta of course said yeah, these are bad optics for us, so we don't want her to talk about this. So they're citing a non disparagement Agreement that she signed on her way out the door and then basically got an injunction against her to not be able to talk about the book. So I don't know if anybody has ever heard of the Streisand syndrome over at Meta, but by calling out the fact that she shouldn't talk about this, everybody wants to buy it and read it now.

[Brian Schulmeister]

And everybody's talking about it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Everybody's talking about it. Yeah. If you don't know some of the inside stories of Facebook back in the day, check it out. It's fairly well written. She reads the audio version of it and she's pretty good at it. And yeah, it's not a bad book. It's not a bad book. Unfortunately for people like us who have been nuts deep in this for so goddamn long is there's nothing new here that really is shocking or surprising. It's kind of par for the course. They're horrible people. They did horrible things. They're kids who got too much money and too much power and didn't really care and it just continues on into adulthood. So just read the news if you want to see how the story ends. Because, yeah, that's about it. But yeah, it's a worthwhile book to pick up if you want to hear more from the inside of horrible people telling their story at Facebook.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Not enough of that in the news.

[Jason DeFilippo]

The Dark side.

[Brian Schulmeister]

With Dave.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Welcome to the Dark side with Dave. Podcast super host Dave Bittner decodes all things cyber on the Cyberwire every day. Exposes deception with Joe Kerrigan on hacking humans, occasionally dives deep into privacy with Ben Yellen on Caveat every now and again. And breaks down industrial cybersecurity on Control Loop when he damn well feels like it. And even brings the laughs on only malware in the building once a month. Hello, Dave.

[C]

Hi.

[Brian Schulmeister]

He only brings one laugh a month.

[C]

Yeah, if I'm lucky. And I have two co hosts to pick up the slack, so, you know, you just never know.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Low expectations, baby.

[C]

Right.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I just want to say first off, of course it's good to have you back, Dave. We have missed you.

[Jason DeFilippo]

We have missed you.

[C]

Thank you. Yes.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I wanted to thank you for your recommendation that you gave me before you. Before you left. Actually a little bit before for the show Gravity Falls which is on Disney. Since we last spoke, my son has watched the entire two seasons three times as eight year old boys are want to do. We are constantly playing these soundtracks around the house when not watching right over the three watches. I have now seen every single episode, at least almost all of it. It is truly a wonderful show.

[C]

It is great fun. And your son is exactly the same age that my son was the first time he made his way through it. Right. I'm curious, has he done any of the decoding of things, like their little codes at the end of episodes and things? Has he gotten into any of that?

[Brian Schulmeister]

That, yes. By. By the second run through, it was like, can I please see my iPad? I want to Google something.

[C]

Ah.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So he's trying to. To figure all the bits out and make sure he's not missed anything, Right? Yeah, it was a blast. I was a little sad that it was only two seasons long. There are. I don't know if you were aware of this. There are a series of shorts, like two to three minutes. There's probably about 15 of them. Of course, we've seen all of those about 200 million times. And, man, just about everybody in the world has played a voice character on that show as well. So it was a lot of fun for me as an adult going, who is that?

[C]

Yeah, I had one of those. Because we're making our way through it, and we're. I don't know, probably three quarters of the way through season one right now. And there's one where I went, wait, is that John Oliver? That is John Oliver.

[Brian Schulmeister]

It is, you know, weird, right?

[C]

How did that come to pass? Yeah, there also, there's. Coming up soon, there's an episode of another show where they're doing a segment with Mabel, and it's called like a Dream Date with Mabel.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Right.

[C]

So they're making new content, short form, and it's. I think it's just going to focus on Mabel, but we'll definitely be checking that out. Does your son have any of the books?

[Brian Schulmeister]

No. Oh, great. Guess what I'm doing this weekend.

[C]

So you can get the. The. The book. You know, the Journal, I guess it's called. You can get the Journal.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Okay.

[C]

And. Yeah. And my son has the Journal now at the time. I don't know how it's played out now, but at the time, there were two versions of the Journal. There was the barGain price, probably $50 version of the Journal. Right?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Bargain price. Yes. Yeah.

[C]

Well, it's very nice. It's a very nice book, and it's true to the show. But then there's the $200 deluxe version of the Journal that I think glows in the dark and has. We did not go that way.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Right, Exactly.

[C]

We do not have that.

[Brian Schulmeister]

This show will be forgotten about within six months when something else comes Along, I do believe, Believe that, you know, Ninjago, this new season comes out next month. So by that point, I think the $50 one will have to cover it. If not a library version, if I can find one.

[C]

Ah, there you go. Even better.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, you gotta save all that money for the Harry Potter Legos next season, right?

[C]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it's a genuinely delightful show for a lot of different reasons. And so I'm happy that we were able to spread it around and that you and your son are enjoying it together. It doesn't get much better than that.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That.

[Brian Schulmeister]

No, it really doesn't. So, again, thank you.

[C]

You're welcome. So I, as you mentioned, I have been away for a few weeks. I was traveling one week for work and then traveled for about a week and a half, took a family vacation that crossed over two of our usual recording days. So I missed a couple weeks there. And it was a big Disney vacation year this year. So it was. My wife and I and our two sons went down to the House of Mouse. Spent like, say about nine, nine days down there. But we did have a very good time, you know, going that time of year. The crowds aren't that bad, weather is typically good, but kind of hit or miss. Like you may or may not be able to go to a water park, right? On this trip, we did not go to a water park because it was in the mid-70s all week. And. And I'm sure the water in the water parks was in the 60s at best. But we had a lot of fun. And one of the things that we focused on was restaurants this time around, which is something we had never really done before. And I was curious if either of you guys had had any deliberate experiences enjoying any of the higher level restaurants at any of these types of theme parks.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Medieval Times.

[C]

I said high end.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Hey, when I went there, that was high end. We were poor. And that was literally the highlight of our trip.

[C]

I believe.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I believe you. Always, always vote for the Green Knight. Always, always root for the Green Knight.

[C]

Yeah. As I mentioned to you all, we have a Medieval Times spitting distance from where I live of. So I have had the pleasure of taking not one, but two school field trips to Medieval Times.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I've been to medieval times over 20 times.

[C]

Wow. Okay.

[Jason DeFilippo]

We have one in Chicago, too. I've been to the one in Kissimmee. I've been to the one in Chicago, and I've been to the one here in Southern California, the Buena park one.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Which I too have been to yes, yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I've been to the Buena park one four times.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Once was another to.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I've been to Kissimmee once. I still have my cup. I have my pewter cup that I got from the first trip there. I still. My goblet still have that. They don't. They don't sell those anymore, I think, because you could probably kill another patron with it.

[C]

Oh, you could clunk somebody over the head.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's actually more dangerous than the fake swords that they sell. So.

[C]

Because it's real, throw it at a horse.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. And for every birthday for myself and my brother, I think up until he was like 17, we always went to Medieval Times in Chicago because three dudes going and getting their turkey leg on was just too much fun.

[C]

Yeah, I loved it.

[Brian Schulmeister]

It's a good trick.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Continue. I'm sorry to interrupt your Michelin tour of my big fat Disney credit card adventure. Go ahead.

[C]

But you know, I'm curious though. You said turkey leg, because the times that I went with the school groups, they were chicken.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, it was like the. It was kind of like. Yeah, it was just chicken legs, I think, or they kind of. I think they were. They might have said they were Cornish game hens, but they were just little tiny chickens.

[C]

Right.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Cheap.

[Jason DeFilippo]

They're very cheap.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Let me transition back to Disneyland then, because you can get a full on turkey leg at Disneyland and it is delicious. I would not consider it high end dining. So I have not been to Disney World since I was quite young. So I have to only go off kind of Disneyland and California Adventure and all of that. I ate at the Blue Bayou once, the original kind of high end restaurant in Disneyland and kind of the only one in Disneyland in terms of, like, high end food. I have not ate at any. I think there's like one or two kind of higher end restaurant type places in California Adventure. They have San Fransokyo Square in Disney. California Adventure, which is not high end, but the food is unbelievably excellent. Like, fantastic Asian food. And.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay, I was gonna say San Fransokyo, like San Francisco Water park or Asian fusion.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Asian fusion, yes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay. Based on Soaked while you ate from.

[Brian Schulmeister]

The movie Big Her. That's kind of what it came from.

[C]

Okay, got it. It does sound like a water park.

[Jason DeFilippo]

If it's not, it should be.

[C]

It sounds like a water park on an episode of the Simpsons.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah. Or Black Mirror, where you just go to San Francisco and the homeless people pee on you as you go down the street on The Ashbury.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Most of the nicer restaurants are in Downtown Disney, which is the out outside of either park. You can just go there, there walking district that's part of the area. So we've ate at some of those, which is very nice. But for me, for me, the, the, the fun in eating at, at the parks, either California Adventure or Disneyland is kind of more the, the lower end with lower end but incredibly expensive stuff. Like, I swear to God, Disneyland has the best corn dog in the entire world. It's stunningly good. I love the turkey.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Back you up on that. That I'll back you up on the corn dog. Absolutely back you.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You will never get a better corn dog ever.

[Jason DeFilippo]

You want? It will ruin you for corn dog. You will never go to a state fair again.

[C]

Honestly.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, so. And foods are that, you know, I, I, I can't go without getting a churro. I need the dole whip.

[C]

Right? Yeah, Churro. Absolutely.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Dole whip.

[C]

I did that.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Y, yeah, all that sort of stuff. So that the sourdough bowl clam chowder that they do at Disneyland is wonderful. So. Yeah, I just like the crappy food.

[C]

Yeah, that's fair.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I did eat in the castle when they, when you could do that. And we had, we had steak one. And this is the, In Disney World on that same trip, we, we did eat in the castle, and it was a very expensive steak. That was the best steak I've ever had. But I was 18, so it might not have been that good, but I remember.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So it was a little bit better than Sizzler.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, it was. Could have been, could have been a little less.

[C]

Little less gristle.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, but that's where the flavor is, Dave.

[C]

Right. Well, I mean, you get your money's worth just because it takes so long to chew.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, that's kind of it. Kind of it. Yeah. They did make us wear pants.

[Brian Schulmeister]

God damn it.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I remember that. Really? Yeah.

[C]

You mean instead of shorts? Not just in general, no.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, because you had to dress up. You had to wear a collared shirt and pants.

[C]

Okay.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Because it was the middle of summer in Florida.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yes. And normally I'm running around the park in my underwear.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Well, yeah, I'm trying to make my way to San Fransokyo to cool off.

[C]

It's good enough for Donald Duck. Why not? So we did. There were four restaurants that we visited that were all new to us this time. And some of them, I had no idea they even existed. So the first one was called The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Say that 10 times fast.

[C]

Yeah. And that is, as you would expect, right near the Jungle Cruise. And it just. I like. It's this nondescript little entryway with a little awning. And you think, what could be back there? But back there is a really nice restaurant themed after Jungle Cruise. Delightfully so upscale, delicious food. So we had lunch there one day. The next one we did was the Roundup Rodeo Barbecue at the Hollywood Studios, which is a Toy Story themed family style barbecue restaurant. So they basically just bring you a crap ton of barbecue food. It's like comfort food, you know, so cornbread, beans. Cornbread, yeah, Potatoes. I mean, and it's wonderful. It's decorated with all sorts of Toy Story kind of things. The gag about this place is that once or twice, I don't know, every 15 minutes or so, an announcement comes over the loudspeaker system in the voice of one of the Toy Story characters that here comes Andy. So everybody in the restaurant freezes. Everybody freezes until Andy leaves. And then you continue eating. And I don't know why that's fun, but it is.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You know, I am generally all in on all things Disney, but I think that would annoy the hell out of me.

[C]

You'd think it would, but I'm just telling you, when you're there and everyone else is doing it, the peer pressure is pretty strong. And, you know, and you also don't want to ruin it for the kids sitting at the table next to you.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Don't go with Jason then.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Shut up, Dick.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Come on, Jason. You would totally be like this.

[C]

I'm.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Well, I wouldn't.

[C]

I'm picturing Jason.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Get into it. I. I am. I am subject to peer pressure just like everyone else.

[Brian Schulmeister]

That's true. Proven by your love of Medieval Times. I can. I can see that now.

[C]

Yeah.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Don't be dicking around with Medieval Times, bro. I'll take you out back.

[C]

I'm picturing Jason cosplaying as one of the Blues Brothers and being like, how.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Much for the girl? Could be. Yep, could be.

[C]

Let's see, the other two restaurants we went to, we went to Ohana, which is in the Polynesian Resort. And that was character.

[Brian Schulmeister]

That place is excellent.

[C]

It was a character brunch. I guess by the time we got there, it was no longer breakfast, but it was breakfast food again, family style. So they just bring you just a crap ton of. Of waffles and eggs and sausage and bacon and juice and all that kind of stuff. And the highlight of that is that characters come around. And I will tell you that my 26 and 18 year old boys were giddy when Stitch came around to have Stitches picture taken with them. They were once again, you know, nine years old, both of them. So that was delightful. And then the last one, and probably the fanciest and best one was the I'm going to butcher this Le Cellier Steakhouse, which is in Canada at Epcot. Very nice steakhouse inside the castle in Canada. Delicious. And yeah, yeah. So all of these were quite pricey, but I look.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Corn dogs, 12 bucks.

[C]

Yeah, right, right, yeah. Enjoy your $8 churro. Yes, I'll say. On the other end though, I think our other go to really fun place that we like to have a meal is Cosmic Rays Cafe, where there's like an animatronic lounge singer who's like an alien from another planet and he just. It's probably a two hour loop of him doing classic, like Sinatra style songs, but they're full of puns and he tells jokes and it's just stupid funny. And again, my youngest son, Jack, just loves Cosmic Ray's Cafe. It's over in Tomorrowland. I guess it's not in Disneyland, it's just in Disney World World, right?

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, just Disney World.

[C]

Yeah. So that was our dining experience. The other thing that I think is worth sharing is that we had one member of our party who was handicapped while we were there. So my wife broke her ankle a couple months ago on some. Just slipped on some ice and broke her ankle. It wasn't a serious break, no surgery required, but by the time we got to Disney World, she was just in a boot. No more cast, just in a boot.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You took one for the team, so you got easy access to everything.

[C]

Well, this is where I'm going. We didn't know what to expect. We rented a scooter, you know, a little mobility scooter, which was fun. You go, when you go to Florida, you call up one of the scooter companies and they deliver the scooter to your hotel or your resort and they break down into a bunch of little pieces and you put them in the back of the car and you get where you're going. And because we had a handicap parking tag, you just pull right up to the front of the park, which is great. And then my wife very quickly got accustomed to the scooter, but I'd say probably half of the rides. There is a distinct advantage of having a member of your party be on a scooter or have some kind of handicap. Like there were rides where we probably saved 20 minutes of wait time. Because there's part of the line that you just skip. They're like, oh, come right this way. Take this elevator and it'll. And. Or we're going to take you in the back door and no fuss, no muss. They just take you around and you're on the ride quicker than you otherwise would have been fantastic. Yeah, some of them, there's no difference. But on. On many of them, there are. So of course, this led us to the. To the question, you know, which one of us is going to wear the boot each time we go? Do we rotate or. Yeah, actually not going to do that, but. Because we're not horrible people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

But.

[Brian Schulmeister]

But plenty of people do, unfortunately.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think also it works with a party of four because that's manageable. You know, when you go in with a party of 10 and one person is in a wheelchair, I think they give you a little more side eye than they would otherwise. But no, we had a really good time. New rides this time were the Tron ride, which was a lot of fun, but I thought too short. Have you ridden Tron?

[Brian Schulmeister]

That's only at Disney World. They don't have it at Disneyland, so no.

[C]

Oh, okay. Okay. Well, it'll come there eventually.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, eventually we'll get it.

[C]

Yeah. The thing about Tron is it's kind of like Space Mountain 2.0. But when it came to the part the end where you kind of pull into the station, my initial thought was, oh, it's time for the second launch and the second half of the ride. No, that was the end.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Gtfo motherfuckers.

[C]

Yeah. So it's a lot of fun. It's really cool. But I. My opinion is too short. We rode the new Tiana ride, which is the rebranded Splash Mountain, which was excellent. It was a lot of fun to see it completely refurbed and new and all the lights working and shiny and colorful. And I thought it was great. I thought they did a great job with it. It was a lot of fun. The music was great. I don't know the Tiana movie the same way. I know all the stuff from Song of the south, but.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah, because you're a racist.

[C]

Pretty much. Yeah. And. But it was a lot of fun. It was. It was a lot of fun.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I'm looking forward to that one. It was, unfortunately had just opened, so they were still having all kinds of problems with it. So it was broken down the day we were there, but I'm hoping to get on it this summer.

[C]

Right. And then the. The last one that I'll note, is sort of the opposite of the Tron ride was the Hagrid's motorbike ride at Universal, which gave you way more than you expected it to.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Oh, yeah, that was fun. They have that at our Universal in California as well. I had a blast on that ride.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, it's just fun.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Just.

[C]

Just really fun. So, yeah, it was a great trip and felt recharged, but also physically tired when I got home because we just go and go and go. But, you know, it's just nice to be able to do it and because you just never know how many of these you're going to get with your kids. And, you know, that window is closing for us.

[Brian Schulmeister]

So that's a constant discussion with my wife because she's always like, I don't. I don't. We can't do Disneyland again. And I was like. I remind her, like, we've got like, maybe five more summers before we will not want to do this with us ever again.

[C]

Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. And they go fast, so. So. All right. A couple other things I wanted to just touch on. There's an article called My Scammer Girlfriend Baiting a Romance Fraudster. We don't have time to go into all the details, but the thing about this article is there are a lot of details.

[Brian Schulmeister]

It just keeps scrolling, man.

[C]

It does.

[Jason DeFilippo]

It's a big one.

[C]

It is, but it's fascinating because this person really dug in and basically did AB testing against romance scammers to try to figure out how it works. What's the cadence? How often did things happen? What are the psychological tricks that they're trying to use on you? I thought it was a fascinating long read. As someone who knows a good bit about these scams, this was the first time, I think I'd seen someone really do this kind of depth on a romance scammer. And again, the AB testing, I thought was fascinating. Fascinating. So we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Interesting read. And then, last but not least, one of my colleagues shared with me the thing I did not know existed. And now I'm just so happy to learn that it does. And that is that. Hermit crabs. Before I get to this either, you guys ever had a pet hermit crab?

[Jason DeFilippo]

I did. My mother thought it was creepy, and one day when I was at school let it go into the woods, saying that it escaped.

[C]

Oh.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Someday we'll get a really happy story from Jason.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Not from my childhood, he won't.

[C]

Oh, man. She didn't even say it went to a farm upstate. It's just not. Threw it in the woods.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No, there was a. It was in the tank with the. The. With a stack of books on top. And she said that it overpowered it and gotten away and ran away.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Ferocious readers. Hermit crabs. Not. Yeah, not well known.

[Jason DeFilippo]

And the strength of 10 men. Because there was a lot of books on top of that thing because she was creeped out that it would escape. So I put a stack like about a foot tall, stack of very thick books on top of it and she said that it had overpowered it and gotten out.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Well, sorry.

[C]

What led to this realization that we're gonna get to was a conversation I had in a meeting with some of my colleagues because last night, as we're recording this was a lunar eclipse.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I saw part of that. Taking the dog out to pee at 2 in the morning. Thanks, Dino.

[C]

So here on the east coast, it was a full lunar eclipse. So you basically have a red moon, a dim red moon. And I described this to my co workers as the second most disappointing thing I ever stayed up late to do. I just set up something for that, didn't I? Well, when I was in high school, I stayed up late one night to see a lunar eclipse and I just. It didn't impress me. Okay, that's cool. But a shadow goes across the moon. Okay.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, it's not very exciting.

[C]

No, not like a solar eclipse. But the most disappointing was I had a pet hermit crab and he was in his little 10 gallon tank and I had a handful of spare shells in there. And I noticed over the course of a day or two that this crab had been trying on new shells. And I thought to myself, here's my chance to see a naked hermit crab. Now you got to remember, I like.

[Brian Schulmeister]

To spend my nights differently.

[C]

It's an acquired taste. I mean, everybody has their kink. So this was before the Internet, when you could just Google naked hermit crab and, you know, be very careful, see as many naked hermit crabs as you wanted to see. I don't recommend you do that on a work computer, but so I sat.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Up and then it's fine.

[C]

That's right. So I sat up, I said, I set up a comfy chair next to the tank and I sat up waiting because I was going to see this hermit crab change shells. And sure enough, the hermit crab came out and started walking around and was going to different shells and kind of feeling them out with his little crabby claws. And then all of a sudden he went, boop, boop. That was it. Out of one.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Did he made the noise boop, boop.

[C]

Well, in my head he did for sure.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Okay.

[C]

But that was like. It was, it was so quick. And I was like, oh, I'm going to bed. Because it was not. Totally not worth it. Totally not worth it.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Quick and straight to bed. Now that does sound a bit more Right.

[C]

And people's responses being that was totally not worth it. Ye.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I also went, boop, boop.

[C]

Yeah, that's right. Sounds like my wedding night. So one of my co workers informed me that when you don't have a lone hermit crab, when you have a bunch of hermit crabs, that they will congregate and they will arrange themselves in order of size based on their shells and a conga line and all at once they will swap shells.

[Brian Schulmeister]

This is the kind of stupid shit that's always in my brain. Like, I knew this.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I don't know.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I don't know where I knew it from. I think it came out of like my kids watched Wild Kratz for a while. I don't know if your kids.

[C]

Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I think it came from one of those episodes. But this has been. I. I have been aware of this and it is pretty awesome.

[C]

So when. When my, My co worker sent me this link and I was looking through it and I saw there was a video, what I was saying in my head was, please let it be David Attenborough. Please let it be. Let it be David Attenborough. And it was, it was. It's David Attenborough. It's perfect. This is nature documentary perfection because it is something delightful that I never would have guessed was possible. And it is beautifully shot and beautifully narrated and just fun. And you're rooting for these hermit crabs to do something you didn't imagine they were capable of doing. But of course they can do this. So we'll have a link in the show notes. It is.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I just watched this while you guys were talking about it and I've never seen a naked hermit crab. And this was my first, my first experience watching a naked hermit crab. It is disturbing. Seeing the naked hermit crab is actually quite disturbing.

[C]

It's not for everybody.

[Jason DeFilippo]

It's not. It's not for everybody. No, no.

[Brian Schulmeister]

You obviously have never been to a real Chinese restaurant. Walk past the tanks.

[Jason DeFilippo]

No, look, I'm all good with. It's just not what I expected. Not what I expected at all.

[C]

It's like a little shrimp tail, basically.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yeah, it's kind of gross.

[C]

Yeah, it is.

[Brian Schulmeister]

But it's making Me kind of hungry.

[C]

But the conga line is worth the price of admission, so I think I.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Need it with David Attenborough. Yeah, I gotta. I gotta go re watch.

[C]

And definitely, definitely a palate. I need it with the garlic classes.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Not a lot of meat on those hermit crabs. A lot.

[Brian Schulmeister]

It makes the. It makes the meat sweeter.

[Jason DeFilippo]

It's like chicken feet.

[C]

Oh, boy. All right, gents. Well, I think that's a good place to wrap things.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Good to have you back, Dave.

[C]

Yeah, we had a lot of.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Of insane.

[C]

We had a lot of pent up things to talk about, didn't we? There was a lot of pent up energy, so got it out of our systems. And I'll see you guys next time.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Closing shout out. Over at Patreon, we've got Graham. Welcome, Graham. And Graham Wright's been listening for a while now and hope everyone who enjoys your shows can chip in to keep the lights on. Really appreciate your insight, humor, and consistently grumpy outlook. Well, we hope everyone can and chip in too. So thanks, Graham. Appreciate that. And we got a note from Count Squeakula. Lol. When you guys responded to the criticism of your entertainment preferences, I laughed because for a split second I thought you guys would take a gentle approach. How foolish I was, gentlemen.

[Brian Schulmeister]

I felt that was gentle for us.

[Jason DeFilippo]

That was gentle. We really appreciated the email and we just made a few notes because we do like corrections. I do love black mirror, you know.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Yeah.

[Jason DeFilippo]

And yeah, I mean, the goats are a macguffin. What are you gonna say? Jesus. And Jody writes, and y'all were extra grumpy this week. Haha. I know Brian Noche is night. And I looked it up and I'm like, you did say no. You said noche de Cristal.

[Brian Schulmeister]

See, I tell you, people have completely different memories of what we actually say on the show.

[Jason DeFilippo]

I think it's. They're on a different timeline.

[Brian Schulmeister]

We're just Berenstain, Berenstain, Berenstein.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Steen, stein, stein stain stein steen.

[Brian Schulmeister]

When Berenstein's mine. Money.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Yep.

[Brian Schulmeister]

Over at PayPal, we've got Ralph Miles, Shari, Natalie, Arcadio, William with a big 50 donation. And Anthony, who gave us 120 bucks. That gets you exactly 10 churros.

[Jason DeFilippo]

All right, Anthony, thank you. And William, thank you. And everybody else, thank you. And over at the tip jar, we've got Theodore. The Theodore stands alone. The Theodore stands alone. Over at the merch table, we've got Roger, Tony, and Jeffrey. So don't forget, three bucks a month, I'm sorry. As little as three bucks a month. We don't want to cap that in any way, shape or form. We'll get you the show early ad free and in high definition. Just go to patreon.com gog and there'll be other ways to donate in a second and oh yeah, go ahead Brian. What do we got?

[Brian Schulmeister]

We got a five star review. The title is Pleasant Find and obviously this is somebody who's into hermit crabs. It's from Oxygen. For those of us who are tired of the unbridled ambitions of the Magnificent Seven, hoping to fleece billions of dollars in capital for garbage products and the unmitigated disaster that is the existence of Gen AI, Let it all burn. Get Grumpy people.

[Jason DeFilippo]

Thank you people. Until next time, I'm Jason DeFilippo.

[Brian Schulmeister]

And I'm Brian Schoenmeister. Thanks for listening to Grumpy old Geeks. Get all the links and goodies from Today's episode at GOG Show. 688. Want to keep the grumpiness alive? Toss a few bucks our way at GOG Show. Donate Every penny helps keep the show on the air. Love the show. Share it. Use the Share button in your podcast player. Use it to spread the grumpiness to friends, foes and everyone in between. We'll love you for it. Swing by GOG show to join our discord and chat with us and other show fans and tell us how we're wrong about severance. Got thoughts? Feedback? Cool links? Hit us up at GOG Show Contact and hey, don't forget to leave a five star review at GOG Show Review and we'll read it on the show. And guess what? We've got. Merch. Snag your grumpy gear now at Shop GOG Show. Stay grumpy.