Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 714: "Crossfade This"

Date: September 19, 2025 | Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister, joined by Dave Bittner

Episode Overview

In this riotously irreverent episode, Jason and Brian—later joined by Dave Bittner—tear into the week’s tech and pop culture disasters: from botched AI pivots and laughable product launches, to regulatory fiascos and corporate betrayals. Think black comedy with a kernel of truth—a “tech walk of shame” where nobody gets off easy. The Geeks vent, mock, and dissect news about AI layoffs, privacy regulation, Elon Musk’s latest debacles, nostalgia cycles, and even the plight of Florida nudists versus SpaceX. The show is a cathartic, no-holds-barred check-in on the many ways our digital world (continues to) lose the plot.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of the Union... (and the Basement Flood)

• The episode starts with sharp political and social commentary: the US is compared to a “meth lab” downstairs, with Canada upstairs just hoping nothing explodes.
• Brian and Jason riff about the difficulty of emigrating to Canada (“it’s easier if you’re a healthcare professional!,” [01:31]) and muse on the collapse of centrist views in America ([02:01]).
• Humor about memes and social malaise: “Being a centrist in the United States was the scene with the guy... in Pirates of the Caribbean where his ship’s getting bombarded on both sides...” —Jason ([02:01])

2. TikTok, Tech Deals & Mystery Buyers

• The US and China reach a "framework deal" on TikTok, but nobody seems to know the details—speculation swirls about which companies are involved, with mentions of Oracle and Cisco ([03:26]).
• Memorable Moment: “If you ever think that money does not buy many, many things, go take a look at a picture of Larry Ellison right now... The motherfucker’s 81 years old!” —Jason ([03:36])
• Revelations that LimeWire, now an NFT marketplace, bought the Fyre Fest brand. The hosts joke about viral “returns” and failed tech nostalgia:
  • “So you’re going to get a virus somehow—one way or another.” —Brian ([04:04])

3. AI Layoffs and the “AI-First” Corporate Spin

• Multiple layoffs hit the tech sector as companies “pivot to AI”: Fiverr lays off 250 employees ([06:39]), X.ai dumps 500 data annotators, Google axes 200+ contractors ([07:53–09:08]).
• Hosts lambaste these moves as corporate newspeak:
  • “Returning to startup mode” just really means “firing everyone.”
  • “So everybody that got fired can now work for Fiverr. And Fiverr will be hiring people off Fiverr to do their jobs?” —Brian ([07:34])

4. OpenAI, ChatGPT Usage, and Ethics Hokey-Pokey

• OpenAI releases a study (which it self-analyzed with AI!) about ChatGPT’s usage:
  • 80% of use is practical guidance, searching information, or writing (not programming as much as expected).
  • The gender gap is closing among frequent users.
  • Work use is declining, personal/creative use increasing ([09:50–12:47]).
  • Skepticism: “This is OpenAI talking about their own data that they looked at themselves with their own AI. Yeah, this is like Marlboro says, smoking isn’t bad for you.”—Brian ([11:32])
• OpenAI plans new safeguards after a lawsuit blames ChatGPT for contributing to a teen suicide ([12:53]).

5. Regulatory Mayhem: Age-Verification and Privacy Bills

• California passes a bill for OS/App Store age verification ([15:11–16:09])—joked as a dropdown menu parents won’t set up (“it’s the kids who set up the devices for the parents!”—Jason [15:49]).
• New York passes the SAFE for Kids Act to regulate addictive feeds and late-night notifications for minors ([16:11]).
  • “I will figure out a way to make sure that I seem under 18 because I would like them not to show me algorithmically curated feeds…” —Brian ([17:03])

6. SpaceX, Tesla, Musk & Public Sentiment

• Florida nudists protest SpaceX launches closing Playa Linda beach ([17:17]).
  • “They seem to have a limp case.” —Brian ([18:31])
• Musk’s reputation nosedives:
  • Tesla engineer Giorgio Ballesteri resigns, accusing Musk of abandoning Tesla’s green mission and damaging democracy ([20:11–21:18]).
  • NHTSA investigating Tesla’s doors—flush handles fail when battery dies, trapping drivers ([21:22–22:32]).
  • “Cars aren’t iPhones. And sleekness can take a backseat to safety in the auto space.” —Brian ([21:56])
• Even Tesla’s design chief “wonders why they didn’t combine electric and manual releases from the start” ([22:39–23:08]).

7. Media Candy: Shows, Nostalgia, and the Power of Visuals

• Discursive, fun review segments spanning several shows:
  • “Wednesday” praised as well-acted but lamented for its long production waits ([26:31]).
  • Heated debate over the “Foundation” sci-fi adaptation—the hosts like the show in isolation but protest the way TV ‘rewrites’ the imagination from beloved books ([27:02–31:28]).
    • “It replaces everything that was in your imagination from the books, it takes it over.” —Brian ([28:44])
  • “Gen V,” “Alien Earth,” “Slow Horses,” “The Witcher,” and the upcoming Lilith Fair documentary all get shoutouts ([35:53–39:39]).
  • Extended, hilarious tangents about LA memory porn in Freaky Friday ([32:51–34:06]).

8. Apps, Apple Updates, & Meta’s Dystopian Vision

• iOS 26 is out—minor complaints about visual tweaks and multitasking. Some good, some “get off my lawn” ([40:15–41:31]).
• Meta’s botched smart glasses demo compared to the infamous Cybertruck window fail ([41:56]).
  • “Meta’s most dystopian product yet... We all know that this is just basically surveillance apparatus number 727 from Facebook.” —Jason ([43:26])
• Meditation, mindfulness, and binaural beats—Jason swears by the Brain Wave app for better sleep ([44:11–45:21]).

9. Return of the Indie Web & Nostalgia for “Ugly” Homepages

• Heartfelt recommendation for Maragoul’s “Rise of the Indie Web” YouTube video ([46:31–47:52]).
• The hosts reminisce about GeoCities, old-school HTML, and personalized homepages—a rare bright spot of the episode’s mood.

10. At the Library & Book Picks

• Audio and print reading recommendations, including sci-fi (Dennis E. Taylor’s “Flybot”), neuroscience (“Proof”), stand-up comedy, and legal self-help ([49:49–53:53]).
• Webtoon’s Disney/Marvel comics partnership—tempered enthusiasm due to Disney’s current controversial status ([53:53–54:47]).

11. Special Segment with Dave Bittner (The Dark Side)

• Discussion of the Muppet Show’s upcoming Disney+ special; lament for missing original voices like Frank Oz ([55:03–59:07]).
• Deep nerd talk about weather apps (Carrot, backyard weather stations), musical numbers in apps, and the collapse of Publishers Clearinghouse’s “forever” payments ([60:02–68:54]).
• Reflections on tech, updates, and Apple’s new crossfade feature—a segment so aptly titled it inspired the episode name ([72:37–77:44]):
  • “You fade to the next song in the middle of the previous song.” —Dave ([73:34])
  • Hosts walk through the (somewhat hidden) settings that ‘fix’ the issue.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Emigration & Collapse:
  "We're like the people renting upstairs in a house and downstairs they're running a meth lab. We're all just kind of looking down." – Brian ([00:57])

• On Corporate 'AI-first' Announcements:
  “Returning to startup mode” just means “firing everyone.” ([07:34])

• On OpenAI’s Study:
  "This is OpenAI talking about their own data that they looked at themselves with their own AI. Yeah, this is like Marlboro says, smoking isn’t bad for you." – Brian ([11:32])

• On Regulatory Moves:
  “...the parents aren’t the ones that know how to set up a fucking device. It’s the kids that set up the devices for the parents.” – Jason ([15:49])

• On Tesla’s 'Cool' Design:
  “Cars aren’t iPhones. And sleekness can take a backseat to safety in the auto space.” – Brian ([21:56])

• On Media Adaptation:
  "It replaces everything that was in your imagination from the books, it takes it over." – Brian ([28:44])

• On Meta’s AR Glasses:
  "Meta’s most dystopian product yet... We all know that this is just basically surveillance apparatus number 727 from Facebook." – Jason ([43:26])

• On the Indie Web:
  "Everybody's ugly ass websites. The little blocky 88 by 33 buttons... It was just such a trip down memory lane." – Jason ([47:52])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02–02:01: Political & societal opening riffs
• 03:26–06:23: TikTok, LimeWire buys Fyre Fest, quirky news
• 06:39–09:20: AI layoffs, “AI-first” pivots
• 09:20–12:47: OpenAI study & use cases; skepticism
• 12:53–14:39: OpenAI, lawsuits, teen safety, and privacy
• 15:11–17:17: Legislation on age verification and privacy
• 17:17–22:34: SpaceX vs. nudists, Tesla complaints, Musk dragging Tesla down
• 26:31–35:53: TV/streaming reviews; Foundation, Witcher, nostalgia
• 40:15–44:11: iOS 26 and app updates
• 41:56–43:33: Meta glasses disaster
• 44:11–45:21: Meditation, mindfulness, binaural beats
• 46:31–47:52: Indie web nostalgia segment
• 49:49–53:53: Book/library recommendations
• 55:03–68:54: Dave Bittner segment—Muppets, Carrot Weather App, musical analysis, Publisher’s Clearinghouse collapse
• 72:37–77:44: Apple Music crossfade “saga”
• 78:05–81:28: AI, tech imports, Born Standing Up, book recommendations

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Grumpy Old Geeks 714 lives up to its premise: acerbic, skeptical, and savagely funny, but beneath the snark is a genuine concern for technology’s social impacts. Amid all the swipes at Silicon Valley hubris, AI’s empty promises, and regulatory theater, the hosts advocate for transparency, healthy skepticism, and old-school DIY spirit. Also: never trust a “forever” prize payment!

For First-Time Listeners: Why Listen to GOG?

If you crave sharp-witted, unfiltered tech and culture analysis with a punk edge (and a healthy skepticism of digital hype), this episode’s for you. The Geeks rant and riff, but also deliver context and experience no press release could match. And, occasionally, they prescribe binaural beats for your digital malaise...

For more info, references, and the full show, visit gog.show/714.