And welcome everybody to overtime here on YouTube. I
Think I made it
Kyle are you here?
Yeah
Technically I can hear the the fan from Robin Gilow out there in Queens
Yes, yes our fan made it and so did we we have a fan too. You know, we turned ours off
We have an AC and it is keeping us sentient at the moment. Uh-huh
All right. Well, you know
Comfort is important. I
guess
No, we have so few listeners. Why is that? Did we drive everybody away with the
The constant pitching asking people to support the radio say I hope not because supporting the radio station is super important
I think they're all signing up for their WB AI buddy
Program. Oh, maybe yeah, maybe they're all on the phone. That's it. They're picking out. Thank you gifts
Well
All right, does anyone have anything they'd like to add to what they were saying on the radio station
Just this this has been such a ride to be part of both as a listener and as a producer I
You know, I could tell my story
I was a listener to the station for long before I I met you guys or or anyone else involved with it
Listen to off-the-hook listen to lots of other shows my old analog boombox radio that I had which was not very good had its
Round, you know analog tuning knob and antenna pointed just perfectly so it could get BAI in and I didn't often
move either of those things because just there was so much to listen to on BAI and
I also around the turn of the millennium had a job running an arcade in a shopping mall out on Long Island
Which no longer really exists and I drove past it the other day
It's called Adventureland, isn't it?
No, it's it was a bit smaller than that
It was the arcade in the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, which is a dead mall nowadays
completely dead but I
Ran the arcade. I I was the manager there and I had you know, nothing else to do sitting around doing job stuff
But also I had a radio in there and every Wednesday I and the rest of the arcade was listening to off-the-hook
I think I called in once or twice from there
but also just people would wander in, you know play video games like you do in an arcade and
Some of them would hang out and listen along to the show and ask me what is this?
They're talking about this stuff on the radio. This is hacker stuff
are they allowed to do that and it was it was it was a fun ride and
You know eventually when I when I did started when I did start getting involved with
The conference and other stuff and eventually with this program. It was just you know
It was such a fun ride and I met so many great people you guys included
But you know others at the station people who worked with us people who worked behind the scenes in front of the scenes on the mics
Comes to mind Robert Knight very well
With us was such a great guy to just hang out with and speak to in the lobby before a show time
And he was usually there introducing Robert Knight to Julian Assange when Julian came to our radio show
And it was just what a conversation they had
It was kind of magical place when I was talking about, you know, how his most interesting room in the in the city
I wasn't kidding
There were so many interesting people that that wandered through just in the course of the day
Absolutely, and just those those those friendships behind the scenes and and on the mic have been some of the greatest of my life
And I'm eternally grateful for the station as you know for all that
it's held for all the position that it's held in my personal life, but also just as a source of
Radio as a source of information as as a source for community and organization
Very true very I'd imagine, you know other places, too
Where radio is just you know, not every frequency is filled. There's a lot of empty space
I dare say
You'd be hard-pressed to find
a place where you can just sit and listen to the radio and just listen to the music and just listen to the
music and listen to the music and listen to the music and listen to the music and listen to the music and
Empty space
um, I dare say
You'll be hard-pressed to find
Any kind of non-commercial radio representation simply because there aren't a lot of people
And you know for that I think the internet is a godsend because you can simply tune to
Another station, you know, we were listening, uh to the radio station over at burning man
Uh in the last few days because they have a radio station
I guess they got a frequency or something 94.5
And they're you know, we can hear the whole crisis
unfolding right there on the radio, but on the internet
And um, it's fascinating to listen to that's something that we didn't have the ability to do a couple of decades ago
but now we can reach out and hear the more interesting voices or
Things that go along with with monumental events and I hope people are doing that with wbai. I hope people are
Tuning in from all around the world
um
If I could just drop in a note from
YouTube, uh, thank you to listener mk
Who shares with us that uh e you need to turn your mic up a little bit?
Because you're harder to hear than any of the rest of us
I don't know how I can go any louder if I go louder i'll be distorting. Uh, there's something with youtube I think right?
Is it just me because I will check that according to the levels i'm looking at my levels are the same as everyone else's boy
You know sometimes radio is is is too much. Was there an issue kyle?
Everything looks about normal. Mm-hmm
Um, it may be that in some cases it's a directional thing
Some sometimes we're reading things sometimes. Uh, we'll we'll take a look at the talking directly into the microphone configuration. Yeah
Can't get anyone directing this I just checked in on what we sound like on youtube and you do sound. Um, excuse me
You do sound a little uh a little lower in volume than the rest of us, but you you are still hearable
Well, then i'm gonna push through the tape that kyle put on the uh, on the on the you're blaming my tape
And now i'm even louder. Does that help totally disrespect the tape? No, somehow you got lower turn it down
That's you're breaking. No
See, this is what happens. This is what happens
Who do we who do we believe who do we listen to I don't know
We're doing the best we can okay, i'm, sorry we're doing the best we can
Any any other listener feedback literally how much was that microphone
Um
So now that we're not on air, um, I will say
That one thing that's been amazing is looking through the archive
When
After we mentioned the april fool's show, you know
Rob looked it up and then I started looking and it is amazing the time capsule
That we have and remembering
Things that happened. I came on the show. I started on air
after the shutdown
Mm-hmm. We got the station back and all of a sudden the show was back and
And I was on it and that was really the time that it happened. And
And then seeing you know, what was our last show before?
COVID
And I looked it up. Do you guys remember?
Uh, yeah, well, I mean it depends what you mean by that because
I know I went in for a show where virtually nobody out kyle and I were both there
I don't think anybody else was there right, but the last show with all of us
turned out to be
when we were talking with guests about
You remember the guys who put together the program where they put together every possible configuration of music? Oh, yes, they could like
The copyright protections around music and like sam smith and tom petty and all of that. Uh-huh
So it was half about that and half about wow guys this coven thing sounds really scary. They turned they like
Canceled the st. Patrick's day parade
Yeah
And what we figured out also
Recently is that the last time that we were all together in the studio and jim was there too
And kyle helped me put my hair up
Yes, I tried to put my hair up with a pen
Yes, I tried to put my hair up with a pen
Yes, which which ended up being the last photo we had uh taken of jim in the studio and we shared that uh when he passed
Yeah
so it's this amazing
amazing time capsule and
It's been fantastic. I'd also like to mention that our um, oh
Okay
We have more feedback not feedback
But more listener commentary that says to my ears everyone is lower than gila and rob and gila is slightly lower than rob
But louder than everyone else. Okay. Well, they are a little bit hot. All right now now try talking gila
Uh, how am I doing now? You're much lower
Is that what people want but it's probably even
That's a super low now
Well, it is low. Okay, I would say it's about being even you want every single mic to be somewhere in the ballpark of the
Of the next one so that it's balanced. I have them at what we call unity
That's what i'm told is best. Oh, we're using we're using lingo. We're gonna get in the look or jargon. Uh,
Can I can I just ask um people giving feedback?
Is this does this apply to the radio part of the show as well or is it just when we're on youtube?
That's very important because if it's different then we know where to look but if it's if if if these are
If this is how we sound, you know throughout the radio show as well
Uh, then it's on our end
And also, you know the archive how does it sound on the archive you people listening in the future to the archive?
Let us know
I will confess in between shows. I I move them down. Uh-huh. I I put everything down. Oh, that's nice
Thank you for that. That just makes my job a little harder. I know I I like a challenge. Thank you very much
Uh rob, you have your hand up. Go ahead
Yeah
now we're being told on youtube that uh gila is harder to hear and I
Because I turned her down because someone said she was too loud
But uh, also, uh, eugene tells us it's just happening on youtube. All right, um, which uh, I just happening on youtube
Then it's youtube's problem
well, I I should point out that our signal to the station after the station gets us from skype and uh,
And everything else from lucy and all the stuff we're using
Um, it then goes through a further compressor
Before it goes on the air like everything that gets put out on the air
So it will be changed when uh from the virtual studio from one to the other another magic of radio
We don't benefit from the expertise of wbai. We've done the best we can
We're on the goddamn internet for the internet
But the internet is fussy in ways that you see how the internet just gets people aggravated the professionalism of of a radio station
like wbai is uh
Excelling. Uh-huh. Yeah, i'm angry. Are you angry? I'm i'm livid and not only am I livid i'm sweating because it's
95 degrees in here. So yeah, i'm i'm fit to be tied right now
I have a hooded sweatshirt just to be more angry. I should also point out
We don't have someone named lucy running around helping us
That's that's actually software that rob referred to just now thinking that everybody's gonna know what he's talking about
You might maybe want to explain who lucy is
Our pal lucy who uh who never who never says a thing but uh works very hard. Um
no, uh, we're we're we're being told this is just on youtube, but um
It you know, this does lead into something else. That's great about wbai you were mentioning before how it offers
A chance for voices from uh from folks who might not otherwise get on the radio in a strictly like commercial sphere
Um, obviously the station has been putting us on the air this program for for all this, uh for all this time
But also just so many voices from the community voices from underrepresented
communities
um black indigenous people of color the lgbtq plus community
Um voices that would not have gotten on the air on a commercial station
And uh people who would have not gotten on the air on a commercial station
I mean I I learned I started learning audio and broadcast engineering through my involvement with the station
I went on to do that for work and uh, you know, I
I do it for this program and I also do it, uh other places
And it's uh, it's a great
It's a great pleasure for me to be able to develop in that skill without having to have gone to school for it instead
I just got uh thrown into the deep end at a radio station that allows people to grow and develop and succeed
and uh and
And share basically these voices which would not be presented. I think
Any other way over the broadcast airwaves in this city?
And uh, so yeah, I will once again tell people to go to give to wbai.org or call
1-212-209-2950
And become a bai buddy have to be the only show that continues pitching even after they're off the air
That's incredible. Wow, and and it's important. I was not gonna know we're doing this because they're not listening to us right now
Oh that might not be true
There are people at bai that enjoy listening to us
But you think they're they're listening to this show on the internet rather than the station that they are currently at they can time shift
Yeah, maybe they catch up somehow. All right, it's possible. I guess it's not I don't advise. It's not a requirement
They have important things to do exactly
Yeah, but you know
So any any time of the day you can you can donate and choose off the hook as your favorite show and the station will?
Get that message. That's true. That's true
We want to have a lot of people do that, but you know rob what you were saying about representation and all that
You know i've seen society change so much over the past decade or two
and I think bai was in the lead because we've been providing voices for the underrepresented for so long and
Now we're starting to see recognition of that in uh mainstream not nearly enough but
Definitely more than it was and I think you know if you listen to bai
You might be listening to the future. You might be listening to how
things are are
represented in days to come how people
Um are are voicing their opinions and and telling their stories. I think we're hearing that more in in various places
Oh, that is so incredibly true, uh, especially
Retrospectively with some of the archives that we've been referencing
But going forward there's so many things that i've heard here on this
uh first on off off the hook, but wbai and on the radio in general that
you couldn't get information about in ordinary outlets that you'd pay money for like a newspaper or
Traditional like a cable or television satellite that kind of stuff
Uh, even uh satellite radio, I guess emerges as a place where people spend a lot of time consuming information
but um
it it is, uh
It's totally uh unique in that way. So I don't know I
lost the train of thought but I I just was
so um
I don't know
so captivated by the
by that sound and and um
I don't know the accessibility of it. Mm-hmm
Should we give out the phone number? I guess we should add another element to the uh magic. Yeah, I was doing that
I I have the phone here
It's on but no calls of that's because we haven't given out the phone number
And and sometimes people wait until the phone number is given out before calling unlike some other people that don't
All right. Yeah, if someone calls we'll be we'll be able to pick up the phone number is eight zero two
Two
Three wait eight zero two three two one, right? Am I am I correct? Okay. I'm, sorry
I think the heat's finally getting the heat is getting to me. Uh, eight. Oh eight. Oh two three
Two one four two two five eight. Oh two three two one hack
Is our phone number you can call us with your opinions voice?
Uh any anything you have to say and and uh, we'll we'll uh, we'll listen for a little while anyway before we
I'm saying something about satellite and it just totally uh-huh. Uh-huh
Rob are you there? How's that air conditioning? Oh, it's it's quite nice actually. That's what's wonderful to hear
This room doesn't actually have air conditioning has a fan that pumps in the air conditioning, but the fan is very loud
That's why the fan is off right now. And that's why the room is very hot
Did I did I mention my respect for audio as a medium and my enthusiasm
For uh putting out the best sound we can over the air
Um that is humanly possible
No, you didn't
Eight zero two three two one four two two five is our phone number and we're just going to wait a little while
uh for a phone call if we don't get a phone call we're going to just exchange pleasantries and
call it a night and uh
Dump water over our heads or something
When is this going to stop by the way, when when is this heat going away?
I understand summer is over labor day, you know all that the understanding is that's when summer ends. So what the hell?
Um, I mean my question is if it's still 90 degrees, does this mean we're still allowed to wear white shoes?
after labor day, um
Dear lord, I think it's gonna break this weekend. Um
Ish
I'm looking forward to hurricane lee. I I heard that lee is forming
In the atlantic and I looked at the path and it looks like something that could actually make a turn and hit us dead on
Actually make a turn and hit us dead on and you might say emmanuel. Why are you wishing for a hurricane?
I don't know. I just like to spice it up a bit, you know
I don't want anybody to get hurt. I don't want anybody to lose their homes or anything like that
but I do like a good storm whipping around, you know with rain and and uh
All kinds of uh school closures and things like that. So, uh, you know just a little bit of variety in life
What's wrong with that?
Uh batten down the hatches and all and um, i'm sure we'll get through it. But yeah hurricane lee that might be something we're talking about
Then two weeks when we're on next because uh, we'll probably
There'll be the aftermath of it then because if it hits us, it'll be between now and then I was talking about the future
Oh, you're trying to remember. That's what it was
Wow, okay. Tommy chong. What do you got to say to us? Wow
All right. We don't have a call so I guess I can finish before I forget again
Yeah, the the ringing of the bell is gonna it's gonna throw you off for sure. I'll totally get lost
Yeah, and and we lost him again. Okay, what?
Kyle just basically drifts in and out and um, um
next time he's he's
In oh, yeah, you hear ideas
That you don't hear on on uh on other entities. That's what it is
We did hear that idea though because we mentioned that a few times but yeah, that's that's true
Uh, gila, it looks like you have something. Yes. So while the listenership
Viewership the number of people who are joining us, uh live on youtube right now has grown exponentially
Since the top of the hour, um
Everybody's a little quiet tonight
However, johnny fusion does very politely point out that to look on the bright side
This is going to be the coldest year going forward. So thanks for that
Bright thought johnny fusion. How is this going to be the coldest year going forward?
It's been the warmest year on record, but it's going to continue getting warmer
So, how does that make it the coldest year on record?
It's like it's gonna get uh, well you just said this makes it the coldest year on maybe i'm not understanding no just like
Starting now, this is going to be the coldest year
Going forward because it's going to be warmer every year from now and in 30 years. We're going to look back
Because next year when it was only 90 right next year is going to be utter hell
So the fact that we're just in junior hell right now
Means that it's not so bad. I like that that way of thinking. Yeah, you could pretty much get through anything that way
Wow, that could be like me saying
Okay, trump is the president but you know, eventually we're gonna get somebody even worse. So this isn't so bad
You know, you know what? It doesn't work. It doesn't work for me
No
So no one ever said to you if you kiss a toad first thing in the morning your day can only get better
You live a strange life. I know uh, definitely definitely had not had that thought crossed my mind
To uh, no i'm getting out that new york city phone number, uh, 802-321-422-5802-321-hack is our phone number
If anyone out there has anything they'd like to share with us
Please call now because uh, we're rapidly losing patience with the oxygen situation here
Tell us boast about becoming a a buddy a wbi buddy. We want to hear about your experience
Or maybe they're all ashamed that they didn't become a bi buddy. How about this become a bi buddy then call us
And yes light fifteen dollars
But uh, you know what you won't feel that I don't think I really don't because like I said, that's two cups of coffee at starbucks
Or you could tell us your your bai story if you're if you're a listener
Um to be a I tell us what grabbed you what pulled you into bai what grabbed your interest?
Uh, what keeps you coming back?
Or why you hate bai and why you will never pledge a penny to that rotten place
You know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know
Or why you hate bai and why you will never pledge a penny to that rotten place, you know
We want to hear that story, too
either way
I mean that that's fine, but it's what it takes. I mean
You have a lot of different
sorts of models changing around
different media organizations
they're changing those more subscriber based things or
Testing out new new ways to to attract people and it's no different
So we we we try to be innovative try to uh move with the times a little bit
um
I think we can still take
Does the sms system still work? I mean, there's there's so much. Uh, we've tried over the years, but um
it's really really important to
Support this model because it's it's a different a different way than all the stuff that is ad based and I don't know
I i've been subscribing to more things that i'm i'm interested in so that they stay around
And I think that is the subtext with our fundraising episode
You know and and that's a that's a good point because like we're now in a
Time in sort of the media environment in which people are going back to having to subscribe to each and every little thing
separately
Um, you you've got your different streaming services
Uh, so many independent artists out there using things like patreon or or other uh crowdfunded ongoing support platforms
um to to
to help them develop into some sort of uh, uh
Continuing income stream and here we are. We've been keeping we've been keeping the station on the air
um for 63 years not
um
Not we specifically
Um, we haven't been here that long but bai has been keeping itself on the air for 63 years
with just asking for help and
So we continue to do that and if we can can we continue to do that and have it work?
We really hope so we would like it to work
And uh, you can make that happen
That's true. That's true
But we're not on bai now. We're on the internet. We're on youtube and youtube doesn't need your donation
Don't send them money. They're bastards. No, they are bastards. I'm, sorry
But you know all the advertising on youtube really
Gets me, you know
The ultimate is is is you have live broadcasts now where they break things up with ads
Like, you know, they have meditation live, you know, or eight hour videos
Where you know, you're supposed to be calmed down, you know that get uh,
Get nice and and comfortable and buy this
Yeah
That's what happens
How do you feel you know?
That is what google is doing. They've broken youtube completely. I'm, i'm sorry. I blasted you out of your headphones just now
It's a dynamic microphone. I was impressed by the sound. I'm really sorry about that
Yeah, literally fell over
It's funny because I was looking I have a compressor. I just don't know how to hook it up
Anybody else who's hurt by my outbursts, please, uh, but write us and what do you say?
If I just store this compressor that I haven't hooked up right over your
Are you are you threatening violence? Is that the one with the loose screw right? Uh-huh over
All right. We do have a call. I've got a laptop and i'm not afraid to use it
Do we have a call? Are they on are they are they connected? Yeah. Okay, because you're walking out of the room
Um, all right. Let's see a good evening. You're on off the cover time. Go ahead
Hi, emmanuel. This is this is johnny huge and I felt bad that no one was calling so I called
Well, we appreciate uh your pity. Um
And it's good to hear your voice
Yeah
Um, I ended up in the hospital this week. Oh, no, so i'm calling from the hospital room. Oh, that's terrible
I'm, or at least you're in a place where you can you know
Get fixed or whatnot
Yeah. Yeah, I just I got I got
Um, I got a little infection in my blood
and so
And on ivy antibiotics for a few days, okay, well that'll help
Yeah, and i'm getting my
Port removed tomorrow. I have a port
In my chest, uh where I used to get medications when I was a lot sicker. You call it a port
It's called a port
Like a usb port
Well, it's more like an ivy, okay. All right, but the idea is pretty much the same
Wow, it's a little piece of cybernetic. Yeah, you're like a cyborg
That's a little little techno technological enhancement because
when I was sick and the uh
Progression of my illness like it got harder and harder to start ivy
And so we got this so it would be really easy
To start ivy because it's just this little
piece of
Surgical plastic under my skin with a tube that goes to my heart and just
Poke a huber needle through a membrane and i'm hooked up
Easy peasy. Wow
What they've done in technology and and health these days is simply incredible
Really is yeah, but it's yeah, but it's gotten infected and so it needs to come out tomorrow. Uh-huh
well
The important thing is that you were able to recognize a problem and you went to the right place
And you're getting it dealt with
Indeed indeed
but you know, there's
A lot of hacking opportunities in the hospital if I was a little more dangerous like in my youth
Because there's so much tech around
You know, they leave a computer
In my room that that the nurses and the nurses assistants
use
But
I haven't I haven't shoulder surfed to catch a password or anything
Yeah, and you know, I'm not sure what you would do if you did catch a password because you well
You're gonna hack your own care
It's not a good idea places like that
Uh, you know, it's a good idea to notice the security issues and and maybe tell the right people
This isn't a good idea. Don't do that
Uh, but as far as messing around with things, that's one place. You definitely don't want to be doing that
Right because like other stuff is you know, because there's so much tech in the room because everything is tech now
Like a little machine that reads my oxygen levels and temperature and blood pressure
The IV pump and they're all computerized
So they're I mean
And i've talked to nurses
And um
Some nurses have trouble with the tech
portion of the job like they just want to do
You know help
patients
Right, but to be a nurse today you need to have
All this skill in tech
True
Okay, I guess we've all run out of things to say then
um
Is somebody do you mean like they're taking on too much? They're
Well, it's just some like, uh
After my transplant I had this, uh
nerve block right and it had this little
computer that they had to register the medicine and
And it would disperse it at a certain rate
And stuff like that. You actually had to program this thing and the nurses were the ones
Doing the program and it took two of them because it had opiates
So I had to co-sign
And it was so interesting because one would coach the other or they muddle through and figure it out
Themselves because it was it was it was fairly complicated
And um
You know just like hacking some people have an aptitude and some people just are non-technical
And a lot of these nurses they've been nurses for a long time
And the tech marches on and they never had this in nursing school and they have to learn on the job
Yeah, that that's a great point because ongoing training is something that is so
neglected in so many companies and businesses and firms all over the place, but
you know being prepared on one level and then new products new things come through that are
really flashy or they're absorbed and and
Become standard and different institutions that are trying to move ahead and benefit their patients and they sort of leave
no room for people that are on the clock to
Really absorb what it actually means to use that product
Yeah, I mean related I used to date this teacher
Like it was our first year teaching high school
and she would
End up in tears with her technical difficulties because like she was a brilliant teacher
Was a great writer
But computers
Just stammied her
it was it was like
2015 before she got a smartphone
Like she resisted it for so long and then because she didn't know anything about smartphones she got a windows phone
And you know and had no apps and so and then she got I
I forget what either an iphone or an android
you know, but
If she would volunteer at these places and they and they would say oh you need this app on your phone
She's like I do not have a phone
And then she showed up once i'm sure I have this phone
And they're like that's the wrong kind of phone
But the but she would have to do grading
And
Attendance and everything on using computer programs
and it just
Stamming her and I had to even though I wasn't familiar with the specific software. I had to coach her
through
Using tech in the classroom
Um
It's very interesting i'm i'm thinking of like I know computers i'm comfortable with you know computers smartphones internet stuff, whatever
But like I don't know much about cars
And if I applied for a job where I was taking care of people
And you know doing medical stuff that I had training for
But in the middle of that job one day they showed up and said oh and by the way
You have to know how to put a car up on a lift and change the oil
Um, I would be pretty stymied too
and
Yeah, the way the way technology has
Um become such a part of our lives and also a part of our medical care
In in cases like yours and in cases where people have implanted devices that themselves have like some kind of smart functionality
Um, we've had uh, we've had people come to the hope conference and give talks on on things like this and medical technology and the security issues
inherent in
even having
Things like this and how much that's not even considered by like
um, so many of the people who depend on them or who use them in their work or in their lives and
So, you know you you having a port that needs maintenance
Um, you know port security is very important any it person will tell you that
and uh, you don't want to you don't want to end up leaving a port open that uh, that is uh,
That will lead to some sort of vulnerability
But uh, we're glad that you're that you're there and that you're able to get hold of the
The care you need to take care of this for you
Yeah, I mean and I was doing so well last week when I called, you know, yeah, it sounded great
Well, but but it just took one little like being around one person who had a cold and it just snowballed
Isn't that always the way it is still suppressed. Yeah
But
You know good that you're getting what you need to get taken care of
taken care of
And can continue
I don't know kicking ass and taking names. Is that fair to say? Yeah
Yeah, i'll be i'll be recovered in no time
It's a very minor surgery. It's a very minor surgery to have it installed
You know implanted I guess but um
But um
So, I don't I don't expect surgery will take long
and uh
a couple days of more
IV antibiotics and
Be right as rain
Very cool. Uh, do you think uh in two weeks two weeks you should be okay, right?
Yeah, are you off next week? We're off next week. Otherwise we'd say call next week
Uh, but in two weeks call us and uh, and i'm sure it'll be it'll be much better
Yeah, I missed I missed the 2600 meeting this past friday because I was too sick and I ended up in the er
I really wanted to go
But I wasn't in the car. So maybe next month. Yeah, fortunately we have them. We have them every month
Yeah, it's san francisco the one that you would go to
Yeah
Cool it's right. It's right off of bart stop. That's really easy to get to
Because I live right near bart
Near bart station. I don't even have to change trains or anything
I take it I take the yellow line all the way to embarcadero
And then walk a couple blocks. Yeah, mass transit is amazing. I wish there were more of it
I agree but you know henry ford
Is dead
Okay, but you know what henry ford has been dead a long time it's about time we moved on
I agree but I mean
our country
Is
Is engineered around automobiles?
that's that's the technology that
We literally engineered our cities and lands and transport systems
Around
And um, like I used to live in amsterdam that's not a car city
It's it's car hustle. That's a that's a bike city. Yeah
Yeah, if you want to get anywhere you go on a bike and uh, there's uh, definitely uh moves in new york to uh,
To do more of that, you know to have the congestion charge like they have in london
This is something you'll see more of uh, people will complain of course, but um, hey, you know what?
We're complaining right now. We're complaining about air pollution. We're complaining about
uh hazardous, uh
Ways of getting around the city for pedestrians and bicyclists
it's it's time that our complaints are heard and that the um, the planet is uh,
Is is brought into a more healthy place?
Yeah, it's basically the world against the capitalists
I mean do they want to continue burning fossil fuels because they have all this money invested in fossil fuels
Or are we going to
Take our planet back. I mean, this is a global
problem
that capitalism is
That created and is continuing
Very true very true
All right. Listen, you uh, you become healthy healthier and um, and and be observant in the hospital there and and
you know
Tell us about the technology without uh without messing with the technology
Right. All right
It was good talking to you, all right you two get well, bye-bye. Bye-bye
Wow
Sorry guys, I had to turn you off because your fan was so damn loud
Sorry about that. Yeah, but uh
Yeah, I think I think uh, maybe we can turn it off for you can just mute yourselves when you're not talking that would work
But we will we will get better about that have a mute button so yes, yes
I'm sorry. I I turned you off too. Kyle. What is with everybody? I'm turning everybody off. What am I? I'm turning my
I turn myself. I'm trying to participate is ringing. Is anybody gonna pick that up abuse my microphone? Yeah, it's ringing
You want me to pick it up? No, I want you to rip it off the wall
No, this is off the hook
All right, good evening you're on off the hook over time go ahead
It's good, I like to establish my position first and just say okay cactus cactus cactus
but
I I've been kind of going insane with the modern world of technology as it once was whereas it is now
I
It it
Very, you know, the the usual cliches very orwellian. What have you?
And it's remarkable how
You own nothing yet all the devices you own supposedly all this
on you non-stop and it's
More than just your phone, which is a terrifying thing
And i'm
I I like the last advanced thing I did was build a red box. So it's been a minute
So i've been in the game as it were
Red boxes. Oh that brings back memories
Red boxes blue boxes. Ah, you know the good stuff. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. So it's been a while relevant and I just
I don't understand how
Any of this became what it is
And it's kind of maddening when a grand scale. Yeah, I hear that fact that if you see
No, I I I hear what you're saying. It's uh, it's definitely maddening
Yeah, I just it'd be kind of nice to own the stuff that I you know purchase but you don't anymore it's it's all
Rented and everything. Yeah, it's a lease. It's like you're agreeing to uh, you know, the the software which changes
Or you have to pay a monthly fee. It's
It's it's insane and people have been warning about this for quite some time and we seem to be in the in the in the
Place now where it becomes a reality and it's really hard to actually
Buy physical media or physical hardware even sometimes
Well, I'd like physical media is this physical media
Exists in the fact that it's physical but even one of you like like this video games, for example, cool
You can buy a video game all you want on this
But there's only two gigs of information of the disc for 98 gig games. Yeah. Yeah, so you need the internet
You need the internet. Well, you know what I like to do is tell people I don't have internet access
You know, I live in a place where I have no access whatsoever
What do I do? How do you help me? And either they they have to admit that it's completely useless
Their product is completely useless without a net connection or there's some other alternative
Oh, absolutely, I've earned it
Like so what one of the things I because I only recently within the last two years fell into the windows 10
Hellhole as it were
Hellhole as it were
Yes, and I'm picking it screaming from windows 7 to windows 7 like fine. I'm forced to update this, you know
I I understand exactly what you're saying because windows 7 did not constantly reboot like windows 10 does is that one of your complaints?
Oh, no, actually not at all. Like I believe it or not. I don't care about the rebooting doesn't happen very often
But what drives me insane is that window I have devices that I need very specific drivers for
And for whatever reason windows is not happy with that. Oh, well your drivers are six years out of date
I'm going to update them no matter what you tell me to do
I have gone over windows 10 at least six or seven times to try and turn off auto updates
And you can't turn off the auto update no matter how much you try. I know I know
That's part of the complaint. I was I was
Basically, yeah that they they auto update they know better than you you're just a consumer
Looks like hey, yeah that hardware you bought even though like it's a capture card and unfortunately for me
I capture retro consoles which requires a 240p signal
And 240p is out of the norm. It's not it's not crucial as it were
And the capture card I have even though it can capture a 240p signal it only does it with a certain driver
version
But windows will force the latest driver version every single time no matter what I do
And that'll break something else and uh, it just it never ends
You know, I I have a lot of respect for people who continue to run older systems
If they're able to keep them running themselves, they shouldn't be forced into upgrades they don't want or need
uh, and uh, I think we need to become less disposable as far as
Always throwing out our our phone when a new version comes out and getting something new
Sometimes something old is better
You know sometimes sometimes it suits you better to constantly be told you have to do this. You have to do that new software
Okay, the new software only runs on new hardware and now you need new hardware with that new hardware. Hey, there's even newer software
It's just you're caught in this spiral of planned obsolescence
I
I am referred to as a dinosaur. I I still have a crt. I I believe in the glory of the 4-3 resolution
I have a modern tv and I hate it with every ounce of my being. Uh-huh
Did you miss analog tv signals as well? Because I do
Oh very much very much
Wow, well you you you ever you're in the right place because we we all understand what you're saying
So I have all this
Quote-unquote ancient technology. I'm like, yeah cool this tv maybe 25 years old
But this tv will outlive me and outlive you that's right. That's right
My modern tv i've had it taken apart two or three times to fix minor issues and popped up and i'm like
I I paid $500 for this thing and i'm repairing it every other year
What the hell I I have an old tv, you know this year i'm talking about kyle. It's it's it's uh, you know small tv
uh, my grandmother used to have it
1986 I think is where it's from or maybe maybe the early 80s
Even it still works to this day. The only problem is there's no tv stations anymore
It outlived tv tv set outlived analog tv. So it's it's kind of useless, but it still works
Oh, yeah, I I have a small portable handheld tvs, you know
Back in the day when I was the greatest thing in the world and I I still think they're relatively cool
and
If I want to I can jerry-rig my nintendo my original nes
So it'll broadcast and I could pick that up on the little handheld tv
Wow, okay, that's cool. That's very cool. Whatever you do. Don't throw out any of this stuff because it's all pretty awesome to have
Oh, yeah
And there's more and more like uh support for repairing stuff
I think the you're absolutely right like the guilt
is due I think on some of the
uh providers of the software and hardware
Because they're building in the costs that are essentially their problems
That they're making you pay for them over the lifetimes of the lifetime of the product
I know exactly what you're talking about with flat screens like power supplies things go and there's no
Parts to repair it. Um, they'll just consider it disposable. It's not worth the time because it's uh,
the life cycle is so short so
uh doing like
Board level repairs is just unheard of everyone thinks you're insane and that's the thing, you know
I I I saw a forum recently where somebody was complaining about this very thing where
They wanted to hold on to windows 7 and not be forced to upgrade to windows 10
And they were asking a particular question as to how they could make something else work without being forced to do that
Did they get any help? No, they got universally shamed. Why do you want to run windows 7?
don't you know that by running windows 7 you're going to be opening yourself up to all kinds of security holes and
Nobody took their request seriously. Nobody was helpful. They just were shaming
Yeah, and the irony is that in many cases an older operating system is more secure than something brand new that everybody's using
And that the um, the security holes have not all been found yet
That might be a problem. But you know what let the person make the decision for themselves
That that's a very big issue I because I I am massive on the rights repair
I think it's asinine and insulting that i'll spend two thousand dollars on a phone. I'm like, oh the screen cracked
Well, if I gotta spend another two thousand dollars instead of you know
50 bucks for a new screen, right, right
Your phone costs two thousand dollars. Wow, that must be a good. Oh god. No. No, I I
This phone the phone i'm talking to it's like 120 bucks. I think I spent uh-huh. Uh-huh. I am relatively
broke
Well, you know we still but we still use rotary dial phones
Literally to talk to people sometimes because they sound good, you know, they're from the 1950s, but they really sound good
Hey a pair of twisted copper geese through our life, that's true. Uh, rob, you got something go ahead
Yeah talking about those old tvs those old crt tvs
Um, johnny fusion points out in the youtube chat that people still use them for retro gaming
Um for using those old nintendos and other things because you can hook them up to an lcd flat panel
But there are subtle differences not only does everything look different
Um, but because the things were meant the graphics were created to look their best on a crt television
But there are timing issues and things like competitive gaming the game smash brothers in particular
Like it makes a huge difference if if you're on a genuine tv of the time versus uh versus the modern equivalent
um, but also like those things are so
coveted because
Crts no one's making those picture tubes anymore. There's a finite amount in the world and uh, you know more blow out every day
So yes, if you've got an old tv somewhere
Don't get rid of it because if it works there is uh, you know
There are things you can do with it or there is probably someone who would very much like to buy it from you somewhere
um, and uh, yeah, the the uh,
the
and the fact that uh
Talking about the magic of radio again, you know
You could still turn on a radio from 1960 that was receiving the original wbai signal from when it first went on the air
And it will still tune us in today
Yeah, but there are people who want to change that they want to you know
Change, uh the radio frequencies or there's a move to get rid of am radio now, you know not have it in cars
You know why because electric cars interfere with the radio. Well, you know, that means you haven't quite developed electric cars
To the point where they're compatible with things that we need am radio being one of them
It's remarkable how quick everybody is i'll throw it all throw it all out i'm like stop hold on
I have stuff from the 80s that still works better than most, you know things built today
And what i'm gonna do is gonna go in replace a few capacitors and it's just like brand new
That's right, that's right and
And I I don't understand why or when everybody decided to let's just throw away by nil
because my my living basically comes from
Getting broken game consoles
Taking the two or three hours to get them off running again and selling them. Wow. Okay
There's a demand for that and everybody's going
You know, this ps2 doesn't work and i'm like i'll buy it off you for 10 bucks and then you know
Fifteen dollars and two hours later running just like now. Uh-huh
And then you're able to sell it but
Yeah, yeah
but
Even even during the days of the ps2 when it was new
Sony was very much if you repair this we're gonna slap you in the mouth because how dare you
Because every company now really enjoys ignoring these magnets and mallsack
For whatever reason I guess if you have more money than god what what the law is better to you, right?
That's how they act
It's yeah, I mean, oh cool you find them 105 million dollars that's nice they made 22 billion
I don't think they noticed no
Definitely not
Wow, okay. Well, uh, this has been uh eliminating anything else before we go
Uh, yeah maintain your vhs case keep your dvds nice and clean
Good advice. I have a huge vhs collection. I've digitized it so I can I can look at it, but i'm keeping the tapes
Perfect. All right. Thanks for your call. Hi. Take care
What a great call wow
That was uh, that's pretty awesome and speaks to a lot that we talk about in a very elegant way
yeah, uh so many things that
uh, I I could just delve into it's uh,
Just a conversation, but it's an important one on so many levels. So i'm i'm happy to
hear about what what that caller was, uh
Was uh moved by and and and what what gets them excited? You're made to feel like you're crazy, you know
Like you just don't get it if you want to hold on to something that's old or keep doing things
You know the way, uh, you've always done them sure be open to to new things, but don't throw out the old things
You know, maybe you're using a word processor. That's 20 years old, you know, maybe it works better for you
Maybe you're comfortable with it. Maybe it's compatible with all the files you've made and something else wouldn't be
so, uh, let's support that person instead of shaming them into uh, moving to something they're not that comfortable with
I I think it's especially
Um sinister when you're putting the blame on
Entities, you have no idea how they operate. You don't know what kinds of things that machine is responsible for
and because of
the design life cycle of the software they they want people to they want to kind of
uh force this on on the consumer that
It may be their whole business that gets ruined or or they have to
Needlessly or in an unexpected way
re redo an entire process or
um and and hope that you know, everything works out as far as
Uh sales or their their just ability to adapt
Uh, that that is a terrible cost and it's part all part of the conversation. Uh, whether whatever
Avenue we take and I mean there are benefits like there are not benefits, but just weird
um
Things that we we take for granted like yeah, there's hundred dollar phones. I have a hundred dollar phone. I never use I just got
I mean that I think a lot of people. Um
also see the like the economies that like the scale and the way, um
that
produces
just uh an abundance of stuff but
Here in we're talking about stuff that we can't repair. We can't truly own because it's locked down by like, uh
Intellectual property and all sorts of licenses yet
We're going to trust all of our data all of our we're going to put all of our communications everything about our lives
uh, and and um if we want to
Like a certified repair it's going to cost double what we paid for in the first place and you can't live without it
You know, I mean give up that's the deal that that we're supposed to love
It feels like a lot of people have given up and that they're just basically succumbing to uh, you know this uh
This need to always have the latest and if you don't have the latest then there's something wrong with you and you're vulnerable and
uh, you have to keep up and throw out the old stuff and uh,
yeah, it's
It's insecurity and I don't think it's uh, it's very wise
No, it really
damages
people's regular operations their regular lives
and so much that
They originally were counting on being there for them when when they put their trust in whatever mega
company or uh
Entity there that is, you know taking control over their books and and and all the sort of ways they interact interact with technology
We got to keep talking about it. So
Please update us share what you see out there
Rob gila anything else? I think we're going to close it up in a bit because we're about to hit 100 degrees in here
Yeah, we we turned off our fan and uh, we turned off our ac rather and uh, it's
Rapidly rising in here too. So I think uh, this would be a good note to end it all on right to repair is important
um
You know old stuff isn't bad just because it's old
And uh, we can keep tinkering with the things we want to tinker with and no one should be able to tell us we can't
And question the uh, the kinds of the ways you're you're being encouraged to use products and so forth and
Beware the conspicuous consumption
because that's uh
That's driving a lot of these these entities as well
Good words to end on write to us. Oth at 2600.com if you forgot to become a vai buddy
Despite our many pleas you still can do. So give to wbai.org give the number to wbai.org
and
Become a bai buddy fifteen dollars a month or more and uh, you'll be doing amazing things for a radio station that
Is truly unique and so valuable
We will see you again in two weeks until then
Stay cool and uh, we'll see you next time
And um
Let us know if you uh, see any interesting technology or um abuses of privacy or the other various things. We we always are interested in
And uh
Use the telephone a little more. Yeah, call somebody. Yeah, give a call
I mean you can call somebody at random I guess but uh call somebody, you know, they'll be surprised
But maybe you'll have a conversation who knows that's what phones are for
All right
Good night, everyone