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Grumpy Old Geeks — News
Grumpy Old Geeks

We dissect the tech news train wrecks of the week, calling out what went wrong and who’s to blame. Think of this podcast as if Kurt Cobain threw down with Tom from MySpace, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg in a back alley brawl. No mercy, no filter—if tech had a walk of shame, this would be it.

Copyright: © Grumpy Old Geeks LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Latest Episodes:

688: Why, Combinator? Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Pi Day gets its due; Y Combinator marks 20 years of “disruption”; Americans lose $12.5B to scams thanks to AI and social media; Deliveroo posts a profit but still tanks on Wall Street; Twitter’s security remains a joke; Pinterest steals user content for AI; and a rogue developer gets busted for a kill switch scheme. Severance Season 2 costs $20M per episode; Ted Lasso returns despite ending; Waymo’s driverless taxis rack up parking tickets; and Apple plans to turn AirPods into live translators. Meanwhile, the FCC launches a National Security Council, the U.S. housing agency flirts with crypto, and hermit crabs show better teamwork than Big Tech.

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The Man Behind The American Oligarchy

IN THE NEWS

Deliveroo turns first annual profit

FTC says Americans lost $12.5B to scams last year

Consumer Reports finds popular voice cloning tools lack safeguards

The FCC is creating a new Council for National Security within the agency

DOGE axes CISA ‘red team’ staffers amid ongoing federal cuts

Judge Calls DOGE Firings a ‘Sham,

20 Plagues Y Combinator Unleashed on the World Over the Last 20 Years

‘We Are Witnessing a New Brain Drain’ as Scientists Flee America for France

Elon Musk claims bad actors in Ukraine are behind “massive“ X cyberattack

The Real Reason Twitter Went Down

Developer convicted for “kill switch” code

Pinterest to Train AI Models on User Content

U.S. Housing Agency Considers Launching Crypto Experiment

Waymo was slapped with nearly 600 parking tickets

Are We Inside a Black Hole?

MEDIA CANDY

Severance is laughing at you

Somehow, Severance season 2 cost an enormous $20 million per episode

Eddy Cue and Ben Stiller interview each other about Severance

The White Lotus

Black Mirror: Season 7 | Official Trailer

Ted Lasso Returning for Season 4

Apple Music Classical expands to the web

Aphex Twin Curates a Massive 191-Song Playlist

Playlist - Music selected by Aphex Twin for Supreme.

Matt Pinfield Comes Out of a Coma After Suffering Massive Stroke

APPS & DOODADS

AudioShake Launches Breakthrough AI Model to Separate Overlapping Voices

Zoom PodTrak P2

Apple reportedly plans to add a live-translation feature to AirPods

'Don't let your kids be on Roblox', Roblox CEO tells parents

AT THE LIBRARY

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Meta is trying to silence a former executive

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

Baiting A Romance Fraudster

Hermit Crabs: Conga Line Cooperation

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687: Uncanny Spaceballs Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

Techdirt has finally accepted the inevitable and gone full democracy blog—because let’s face it, politics and tech are now the same dumpster fire. Google rolled out AI Mode for Search, proving once again that the internet is just Clippy with better branding. Meanwhile, Billy McFarland insists Fyre Festival 2 is totally happening, despite Mexican officials pointing out that his coordinates literally lead to the ocean. Speaking of fraud, Tesla sales are in freefall thanks to Elon’s alt-right cosplay, and people are setting Teslas on fire in protest. And in rich-guy disconnect news, Google’s Sergey Brin thinks engineers should work 60-hour weeks to build the AI that will replace them. That’s some late-stage capitalism poetry right there.

Elsewhere, Trump Media paid Don Jr. nearly a quarter of its revenue to show up twice, while indie musicians can’t afford to tour, proving once again that grifting is more profitable than making art. Technicolor shut down overnight, stranding 10,000 workers because Hollywood’s financial planning is apparently as stable as a Starship rocket launch. Oh yeah, SpaceX exploded another one.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s attempt to upscale A Different World turned it into a Lovecraftian horror show. A quarter of Y Combinator startups now run on “vibe coding,” meaning their software is basically a Ouija board with extra steps. The AI takeover continues as OpenAI plans to charge $20,000 monthly for specialized AI "agents," proving once again that the revolution will be monetized. Meanwhile, Moscow's Pravda network has been poisoning Western AI chatbots with Russian propaganda, because if you can't convince humans, just brainwash the robots that humans increasingly trust.

On the bright side, hackers brought the Humane AI Pin back to life after it was bricked, transforming an overpriced paperweight into... a slightly less useless overpriced paperweight. ChatGPT can now directly edit code in macOS development tools, making it easier for AI to introduce bugs you never would have thought of yourself. Over At the Library, check out "The Tempest" by Peter Cawdron for your first contact fix, and if you're worried about where society is heading (and who isn't?), Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny" offers a survival guide for our slow-motion constitutional collapse. Finally, in "everything is fine" news, 82% of indie artists can't afford to tour anymore.

Enjoy the dystopia, kids – at least we still have our sense of humor.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/687

FOLLOW UP

Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)

Google announces ‘AI Mode’ as a new way to use Search, testing starts today

Government Officials for Announced Fyre Festival 2 Location Say Event “Does Not Exist”

‘I’m selling the Nazi mobile’: Tesla owners offload cars after Musk’s fascist-style salutes

Tesla Just Got Even More Bad News

Tesla Just Got News About Its Sales in Germany, and It Shows That Elon Musk Has Seriously Messed Up

Arsonists Set Fire to a Dozen Teslas, Charging Stations Amid "Anti-Capitalist Coordination to Target Tesla"

Google’s Sergey Brin Says Engineers Should Work 60-Hour Weeks in Office to Build AI That Could Replace Them

Ex-Amazon VP explains why rich a-holes with helicopters and personal assistants don't get why you hate your commute

Trump Media Paid Donald Trump Jr. Nearly A Quarter Of Its Annual Revenue. He Attended Just Two Board Meetings

IN THE NEWS

Cinema Giant Technicolor's Abrupt Shutdown Affects 10,000 Workers Worldwide

US employers cut more jobs last month than any February since 2009

No part of Amazon is 'unaffected' by AI, says its head of AGI

ChatGPT doubled its weekly active users in under 6 months, thanks to new releases

Hugging Face's chief science officer worries AI is becoming 'yes-men on servers'

A well-funded Moscow-based global ‘news’ network has infected Western artificial intelligence tools worldwide with Russian propaganda

OnlyFans Model Amouranth Held at Gunpoint for Her Crypto in Home Invasion

Crypto Soars Then Plunges Following Trump’s Post About a Strategic Reserve

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile

Trump creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve one day ahead of White House crypto summit

CFPB drops Zelle lawsuit in latest reversal under Trump administration

Canadian Municpalities and the Canadian Supreme Court to stop using twitter.

Ontario once again promises to nix $100 million Starlink deal over Trump tariffs

OpenAI reportedly plans to charge up to $20,000 a month for specialized AI 'agents'

Kevin Rose, Alexis Ohanian acquire Digg

Does the World Even Want Digg in 2025?

Scrolling Through Social Media Has a Unique Effect on Your Body

SpaceX's latest Starship test flight ends with another explosion

A second Intuitive Machines spacecraft just landed on the moon — and probably tipped over

Touch down on the moon with private Blue Ghost lander in this amazing video

MEDIA CANDY

How Many Episodes Should You Watch Before Quitting a TV Show? A Statistical Analysis

Netflix Is Using AI to Upscale a 1980s Sitcom and the Results Are Borderline Horrific

Daredevil: Born Again

David Duchovny to Explore Real-Life X-Files for History Channel

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

Ancient Mysteries

In Search Of...

82% of indie artists can’t afford to tour anymore

APPS & DOODADS

The Humane Ai Pin Has Already Been Brought Back to Life

ChatGPT on macOS can now directly edit code

A quarter of startups in YC's current cohort have codebases that are almost entirely AI-generated

The Vanishing Middle Class of Tech

Will the future of software development run on vibes?

Hallucinations in code are the least dangerous form of LLM mistakes

AT THE LIBRARY

The Tempest (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron

On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

Warning - Domestic

Is Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act? Signs are pointing that way

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686: Not All Heroes Vibe Code Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

This week, the U.S. government takes another L in court as a judge rules that handing out personal data like free candy to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is, in fact, a privacy violation. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani’s dreams of walking free are crushed as a judge upholds their fraud convictions and massive fines. Sorry, no Silicon Valley redemption arc for you. Over in crypto, Bitcoin took a wild nosedive, sending traders into full panic mode before bouncing back. Trump Coin also rode the rollercoaster but, let’s be honest, it’s still circling the drain.

In corporate chaos, Warner Bros. Discovery slashed its gaming division, Google axed more employees while crying about AI costs, and an AI-generated video of Trump sucking on Musk’s toes somehow took over HUD office TVs. Speaking of Musk, federal tech staffers are resigning en masse rather than work for DOGE, and the FAA is cozying up to SpaceX while pretending it’s totally not a conflict of interest. Over in Big Tech, Chegg is suing Google for stealing their content, and Meta can’t stop Instagram from flooding users’ feeds with violent and NSFW Reels. Also, Grok 3, Musk’s AI pet project, handed out chemical weapon blueprints like a particularly unhinged WikiHow before xAI scrambled to cover their tracks.

On the media front, Andor is coming back with a binge-friendly release schedule, Kathleen Kennedy is finally exiting Lucasfilm, and Daredevil: Born Again is getting early buzz. YouTube now claims a billion monthly podcast viewers, Fyre Festival 2 is happening because we clearly learned nothing from the first one, and Jeff Bezos has decided The Washington Post will now be his personal capitalism fan club. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s AI Copilot is helpfully explaining how to pirate Windows, Skype is getting sent to the great app graveyard in the sky, and Google is making it slightly less impossible to remove your personal info from search results. All that, plus Paramount+ is giving us 50 classic MTV Unplugged episodes because nostalgia is the only safe investment these days. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.

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FOLLOW UP

Judge: US gov’t violated privacy law by disclosing personal data to DOGE

Holmes and Balwani's appeal falls flat as court upholds fraud convictions

IN THE NEWS

Bitcoin's slide continues as traders eye further big falls ahead

Warner Bros Discovery slashes gaming business, closing three studios

Google announces layoffs in its HR, cloud units as part of ongoing cost cuts

AI Video of Trump Sucking Musk's Toes Blasted on Government Office TVs

IRS Employees Told They Must Respond to Musk’s Bizarre Email by Midnight

Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE

Amid a Musk-led overhaul, the FAA starts doing business with SpaceX

Educational tech company Chegg sues Google over AI Overviews

Grok blocked results saying Musk and Trump ‘spread misinformation’

Elon's Grok 3 AI Provides "Hundreds of Pages of Detailed Instructions" on Creating Chemical Weapons

Anthropic reportedly ups its next funding round to $3.5B

There’s Something Very Weird About This $30 Billion AI Startup by a Man Who Said Neural Networks May Already Be Conscious

North Korea Stole $1.4 Billion in Largest Crypto Heist Ever, Researchers Say

Fyre Festival 2 is coming, and it already sounds bananas (and not in a good way)

The SEC is dropping an investigation into Robinhood

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance on Thursday saying it does not view most meme coins, which are crypto tokens that originated from

Jeff Bezos Announces That Washington Post Opinions Will Now Exclusively Celebrate the Glories of Capitalism

MEDIA CANDY

The White Lotus

Andor | Season 2 Trailer | Streaming April 22 on Disney+

Andor Season 2 Will Drop in 3-Episode Weekly ‘Chapters’

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to Retire, Ushering in a New Era for Star Wars

Marvel's new Disney+ series 'Daredevil: Born Again' is drawing glowing first reactions by members of the press.

YouTube passes 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers

Paramount+ adds 50 classic MTV Unplugged episodes

Max reverses course, won't charge extra for live sports and news

FCC Launches Probe Into iHeartMedia’s Alleged Payola Practices

APPS & DOODADS

Silicon Valley's next act: bringing 'vibe coding' to the world

Meta confirms Instagram issue that's flooding users with violent and sexual Reels

PSA: Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Your Personal Information From Search Results

iPhones are briefly changing 'racist' to 'Trump' due to an iOS dictation issue

Microsoft's AI offers help with pirating Windows

Copilot exposes private GitHub pages, some removed by Microsoft

Microsoft brings an official Copilot app to macOS for the first time

Skype will take its final curtain (and video) call May 5

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685: Bezos, Jeff Bezos Feb 22, 2025

Show notes

Jason and Brian dive into a whirlwind of tech chaos, cultural absurdities, and dystopian developments. They kick things off with a nostalgic nod to the internet's past, highlighting the 88x31 GIF collection and quirky single-use websites like "Trump Golf Track" and "Are We Doomed Yet?" The asteroid 2024 YR4 briefly raises existential dread as NASA’s odds of a 2032 Earth impact fluctuate wildly, but relief follows as updated calculations show a near-zero chance of collision. Meanwhile, Elon Musk dominates the headlines with his bizarre CPAC appearance brandishing a chainsaw, Tesla’s anti-theft dye measures for Supercharger cables, and mounting protests against his political entanglements and government layoffs under DOGE.

The episode also covers corporate drama and AI controversies. The New York Times introduces newsroom AI tools amidst its legal battles with OpenAI, while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella urges the industry to temper AI hype. Uber sues DoorDash over alleged anti-competitive practices, and Meta unveils plans for the world’s longest undersea cable alongside LlamaCon, its first generative AI conference. Meanwhile, Humane abruptly discontinues its AI Pins following an HP acquisition, leaving users scrambling. The hosts also explore Musk’s meddling with X’s Community Notes and blocking Signal links, further eroding trust in the platform.

On the media front, Jason and Brian discuss upcoming releases like Daredevil: Born Again, The Last of Us Season 2, Apple’s Murderbot series, and Judd Apatow’s Norm Macdonald documentary. They wrap up with listener feedback, shout-outs to Patreon supporters, and a hilarious anecdote about a Tesla showroom protest featuring an employee’s cheeky “We Hate Him Too” sign. As always, the duo blends sharp insights with biting humor to dissect the week’s madness.

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The 88x31 GIF Collection

Trump Golf Track

Are We Doomed Yet?

Odds of Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032 Climb Again as Impact Probability Hits New Peak

NASA Makes Big Update to Asteroid Potentially on Collision Course With Earth in 2032

IN THE NEWS

I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was. So here’s a literal transcript instead.

Tesla Installing Countermeasures as People Are Hacking the Cables Off Superchargers

Protesters demonstrate outside Tesla showrooms in US

Sign That Says “We Hate Him Too” Appears in Window of Tesla Dealership

The New York Times has greenlit AI tools for product and edit staff

USDA Scrambles to Rehire Bird Flu Experts After DOGE Laid Them Off

DOGE Reportedly Cuts FDA Employees Investigating Neuralink

DOGE employee cuts fall heavily on agency that regulates Musk’s Tesla

Elon Musk wants to 'fix' Community Notes on X

Trump Media says it lost more than $400 million last year while revenue dropped 12%

Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Trump's Truth Social, site just announced it lost $400.9 million last year.

Trump Administration Wants to Help Get Professional Misogynist Andrew Tate out of Romania

Here’s Why Trump May View Andrew Tate As An Ally—As He Reportedly Pressures Romania To Lift His Travel Restrictions

Nextdoor’s Nirav Tolia thinks he can turn things around with AI; he has a lot riding on it

X blocks users from sharing links to Signal

Uber accuses DoorDash of anti-competitive practices in a lawsuit

Meta Will Build the World’s Longest Undersea Cable

Meta announces LlamaCon, its first generative AI dev conference

Meta Connect 2025

Zuckerberg's New Metaverse Ad Is So Bad That the People Who Created It Must Be Secretly Trying to Humiliate Him

Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Pumps the Breaks on AI Hype

Helix: A Vision-Language-Action Model for Generalist Humanoid Control

New Polling Shows Americans Increasingly Disgusted With Elon Musk

MEDIA CANDY

SNL50: The Anniversary Special

Norm Macdonald Documentary in the Works from Judd Apatow

Amazon Gains Creative Control of James Bond Franchise

The White Lotus

Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

Reacher Season 3

Marvel Is Exploring Bringing Back Other Defenders From Netflix

Now We Know Exactly When The Last of Us Season 2 Is Coming

Apple’s Murderbot series starts streaming in May

Apple says Severance has become its most popular show ever, overtaking Ted Lasso

Why Do We Do That? Podcast

AMC STUBS A-List

APPS & DOODADS

Ink Console is a portable e-ink gamebook console

Impulse - Brain Training

All of Humane's AI pins will stop working in 10 days

Horbäach Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 3500mg | 300 Count | Non-GMO and Gluten Free Supplement

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

Andy Stochansky on IG

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684: Don’t Be a Dick Feb 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks, Jason and Brian dive headfirst into the latest tech absurdities, financial scandals, and Elon Musk's ongoing chaos. We start with the annual frustration of unsubscribing from an email list that just won’t quit before jumping into the latest gem from Musk himself: "Some of the things that I say will be incorrect." Meanwhile, British IT worker James Howells is back with his ongoing quest to unearth his lost Bitcoin fortune—this time with a plan to buy the entire landfill where he thinks it’s buried. And despite all the corporate posturing about a return to office, remote work remains steady, much to the chagrin of commercial real estate moguls still waiting for the workforce to return.

The Trump Coin debacle takes center stage, where early traders made a quick $109 million, but over 800,000 investors got wrecked to $2 billion. Adding to the dystopian financial landscape, Microsoft’s latest study finds that AI reliance makes people dumber, leading to cognitive atrophy as workers place too much trust in generative AI. Meanwhile, Thomson Reuters lands a major AI copyright win in the courts, striking a blow against legal AI startups. Over at Meta, the latest round of layoffs blindsided workers supposedly meeting performance expectations, proving that job security in tech is about as stable as Musk’s grasp on reality. A man in Alabama pleaded guilty to hacking the SEC’s X account to falsely announce Bitcoin ETF approvals, sending crypto markets on a rollercoaster ride.

On the media front, Mythic Quest Season 4 is out, and we’re cautiously optimistic despite needing a breather after Season 2. The White Lotus returns, but can it survive without Stifler’s mom? Meanwhile, Karl Urban's role as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II is a big win. Walmart’s acquisition of the Dawn of the Dead mall seems hilariously on-brand, while Netflix’s attempt at podcasting smells like another cost-cutting maneuver. Finally, in "good news," the odds of a newly discovered asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 are rising. At least it would mean an end to Jeep’s infuriating full-screen stoplight ads. Tune in for all this and more on Grumpy Old Geeks!

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Man in Search of Lost Bitcoin Fortune Wants to Buy the Landfill Where He Swears It’s Buried

There Hasn’t Been Much if Any Reduction in WFH in over Two Years, Despite the Hype about RTO

Early Crypto Traders Had Speedy Profit on Trump Coin as Others Suffered Losses

IN THE NEWS

Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared”

The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers

Meta's job cuts surprised some employees who said they weren't low performers

Silicon Valley Software Engineers Horrified as They Can't Easily Find Jobs Anymore

Man from Alabama pleads guilty over SEC's fake bitcoin post on X

Kanye West’s X Account Deactivated After He Declared “IM A NAZI” In Deluge Of Antisemitism

Shopify took down Kanye's swastika t-shirt shop, but another antisemitic storefront still operates

Shopify says risk of fraud, not Nazi swastika, was reason for Kanye West store takedown

Scarlett Johansson Calls for New AI Laws After Fake Video of Her Goes Viral

Google will use machine learning to try and tell if a user is under 18

UK drops 'safety' from its AI body, now called AI Security Institute, inks MOU with Anthropic

Buzzfeed is launching their own social network

Apple Maps plans to show 'Gulf of America,' following Google

Gov. Pritzker Says Lake Michigan Is Now Called Lake Illinois

Court orders the CDC and FDA to restore deleted web pages related to gender identity

EFF sues Elon Musk and DOGE to block their access to federal employee data

14 states sue DOGE, blasting Musk's 'unprecedented' power as unconstitutional

USAID workers sue Musk and DOGE over ‘unconstitutional power grab’ that left agency in chaos

US aid freeze claims first victims as oxygen supplies cut off

Elon Musk's Waste.gov Is Just a WordPress Theme Placeholder Page

Fucking DOGE.gov...

Robert Garcia drops a dick pic

Well, he is a dick

Anderson Cooper Snaps At Trump-Defending Chris Sununu On Live TV: ‘Don’t Be A Dick’

The Odds of a Newly Discovered Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032 Keep Rising

MEDIA CANDY

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary

The White Lotus

Our First Look at Mortal Kombat II Is Exactly the One You Wanted

Walmart Bought the Mall From Dawn of the Dead, Because Subtext Is for Cowards

YouTube Surprise: CEO Says TV Overtakes Mobile as “Primary Device” for Viewing

APPS & DOODADS

Apple patches iPhone exploit that allowed for ‘extremely sophisticated' attack

Apple ordered to open encrypted user accounts globally to UK spying

Apple finally lets you move your digital purchases to another account

TikTok is back on the App Store and the Play Store in the U.S.

This is the First-Ever AI Image to Be Granted Copyright Protection

Apple Magic Trackpad

Better Touch Tool

Jeep Owners Furious Over Ads That Appear Everytime Their Car Stops

AT THE LIBRARY

Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty-Nine Tiny Mistakes That Changed the World Forever (Revised Edition) (Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters Series) by Jared Knott

Barnes & Noble opening 60 bookstores this year

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse Book 1) by Dennis Taylor

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

Disney Parks’ Most Infamous Earworm Is Getting Its First Extended Cut

End of the penny? Trump tells Treasury to stop minting the coin

Are pennies worth it? Trump's plan to scrap them didn't come out of nowhere

They talked about this twenty years ago on The West Wing.

Getting rid of the penny introduces a new problem: nickels

Deport Elon - Red

#DeportElon Subtle

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

Bestselling novelist Tom Robbins dies at 92

Jitterbug Perfume

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683: There IS a Spoon! Feb 08, 2025

Show notes

This week, Jason and Brian dive into the chaos surrounding Elon Musk’s growing influence in government tech, with young engineers playing key roles in his takeover. DOGE employees are being ordered off Slack, USAID is crumbling, and Musk’s war with U.S. officials rages on. Meanwhile, AI takes center stage with the EU banning high-risk systems, DeepSeek’s security concerns, and Amazon throwing down $100 billion on AI advancements. Big Tech moves are equally absurd—Google is now open to AI-powered weapons, Meta might scrap risky AI models, and Tesla is struggling in Europe thanks to Elon’s latest blunders. Meanwhile, states are rushing to pour taxpayer money into so-called “strategic cryptocurrency reserves.”

In entertainment, The Devil May Cry anime’s ridiculous theme song is a standout, Mythic Quest returns, and Beast Games looks promising. AI controversially helped The Beatles score a Grammy, and Denis Villeneuve is making Dune 3 because, well, fans demanded it. Over in reboot land, Sarah Michelle Gellar may return for a Buffy revival on Hulu with Chloé Zhao at the helm, while Neil Gaiman finds himself in serious legal trouble. Gadget fans get a look at the Anker Zolo charger, a Google search trick to dodge AI summaries, and Apple’s latest social feature. Also, say goodbye to Apple’s AR glasses before they even had a chance to shine.

Dave Bittner joins The Dark Side segment with updates on cybersecurity, including a wave of ransomware payment refusals and the Andersons’ infamous eviction from Disneyland’s most exclusive club. Pirates in China, Disney park music, and tracking yourself via in-app ads round out the discussion. Closing out the show, a shout-out to Snap’s CEO for supporting LA wildfire recovery and a nod to SoberOutfitters for keeping things clean. Buckle up—it’s another wild ride with the Grumpy Old Geeks!

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Show notes at https://gog.show/683

IN THE NEWS

The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover

Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff

One of Elon Musk's DOGE Kids Just Had an Explosive Screaming Tantrum

DOGE Engineer Resigns After Being Linked to Extremely Racist Tweets

Government Tech Workers Forced to Defend Projects to Random Elon Musk Bros

U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal

DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to Records System That Is Not Subject to FOIA

Elon Musk’s Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink’s Contracts in Ukraine

USAID Workforce Slashed From 10,000 to Under 300 as Elon Musk’s DOGE Decimates Agency

Government agency removes spoon emoji from work platform amid protests

Deadline for Trump's federal worker buyout proposal temporarily blocked by judge

US judge blocks Trump buyout program as 60,000 sign up to quit

States Are Racing to Throw Taxpayers' Money Into "Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserves"

Police Use of Facial Recognition Backfires Spectacularly When It Renders Them Unable to Convict Alleged Murderer

AI systems with 'unacceptable risk' are now banned in the EU

DeepSeek iOS app sends data unencrypted to ByteDance-controlled servers

Researchers created an open rival to OpenAI’s o1 ‘reasoning’ model for under $50

Amazon doubles down on AI with a massive $100B spending plan for 2025

Workday lays off 1,750 employees, citing demand for AI

Lyft uses Anthropic's Claude chatbot to handle user complaints

Tesla Sales in Europe Plummet Amidst Elon’s Stupid Meddling

Tesla sees German car sales plunge in January

Volkswagen is unveiling a $21,000 entry-level EV in March

Volkswagon - The 2025 ID. Buzz electric bus

One of Big Tech’s Angriest Critics Explains the Problem

Google Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Using AI for Weapons and Surveillance

Meta says it may stop development of AI systems it deems too risky

Sonos lays off 200 ahead of rumored set-top box release

Andreessen Horowitz Defends Hiring Subway Vigilante Who Became Right-Wing Hero

MEDIA CANDY

The Devil May Cry Show’s Intro Song Is So Stupidly Glorious

AI won The Beatles a Grammy 55 years after they broke up

Denis Villeneuve Is Making Dune 3 Next Because You Want It

‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Nears Hulu Pilot Order With Chloé Zhao Directing

Neil Gaiman Hit With Rape & Human Trafficking Suits After Months Of Allegations; Estranged Spouse Amanda Palmer Also Named In Multi-State Filings

APPS & DOODADS

Anker Zolo Portable Charger, 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank with Built-in Lanyard USB-C Cable for Travel, Fast Charging Battery Pack for iPhone 16/15 Series, MacBook, Galaxy, iPad, and More

Add F*cking to Your Google Searches to Neutralize AI Summaries

Apple reportedly gives up on its AR video glasses project

Apple Invites Is a New Way to Remind Friends to Celebrate You

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

50 Mission Crush

A Lot of People Just Refused to Make Ransomware Payments in 2024: Report

The Andersons were kicked out of Disneyland’s most exclusive club. They would not go willingly.

Pirates in China

Disney Plus: Behind the Attraction

DIsneyland: Music Around the Parks

Disneyland Music

DIsneyland Park Music

I Don't Have Spotify

Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

Snap CEO helps launch LA wildfire recovery program

SoberOutfitters

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682: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Luigi Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Brian and Jason kick things off with a look at why Gen Z grads are getting fired just months after landing jobs and a curiously viral declassified CIA sabotage guide. Speaking of sabotage, U.S. students are struggling with their lowest reading scores in decades, raising questions about the future workforce. Meanwhile, Google Maps’ controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users has sparked some amusing geopolitical tit-for-tats. In the AI wars, OpenAI is fuming over claims that DeepSeek trained its models using OpenAI’s own stolen data—ironic, given OpenAI’s history of scraping the internet. As if that weren’t enough, California’s Attorney General warns AI companies that nearly everything they’re doing might be illegal, while the Copyright Office suggests AI copyright issues were settled way back in 1965. Oh, and OpenAI is now in the nuclear weapons game. What could possibly go wrong?

In tech and business news, CVS is making customers jump through app hoops to unlock cabinets, Uber claims it’s the victim of an elaborate fake crash scheme, and Tesla promises a robotaxi business and humanoid robots in 2025—though Musk admits current Teslas will need new hardware to achieve full self-driving. Whole Foods workers have formed their first union since Amazon took over, and MoviePass is considering a pivot to crypto, because of course it is. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s ventures keep making headlines, and Waymo’s driverless taxis are facing vandalism in Southern California. Law enforcement in California is also in hot water, having misused state databases over 7,000 times last year.

For media lovers, Star Trek: Section 31 is on the horizon, while The Expanse‘s first three seasons are vanishing from Amazon soon. Behind the Music is back, and Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music offers a deep dive into the show’s musical legacy. On the gaming front, classic titles like Spaceship Warlock and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are getting attention alongside newly accessible archives of 1,500 classic gaming magazines. The Night Agent Season 2 is here and it sucks, and Amazon is hiking the price of its Music Unlimited subscriptions. Finally, the episode wraps with a nod to Marianne Faithfull’s passing and China’s new “magic beans” shaking up American markets—because, in this chaotic world, even the beans are making headlines because AI wrote this terrible summary.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/682

FOLLOW UP

Bosses are firing Gen Z grads just months after hiring them—here’s what they say needs to change

Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral

Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States. Office of Strategic Services

U.S. Students Post Lowest Reading Scores in Decades

IN THE NEWS

Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, but only for US users

Google Maps Adopted ‘Gulf of America’ Name, and Now Mexico Has Some Suggestions

David Sacks claims there's 'substantial evidence' that DeepSeek used OpenAI's models to train its own

OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us

OpenAI suddenly thinks intellectual property theft is not cool, actually, amid DeepSeek’s rise

Exposed DeepSeek Database Revealed Chat Prompts and Internal Data

The Knives Are Coming Out for DeepSeek AI

California’s AG Tells AI Companies Practically Everything They’re Doing Might Be Illegal

Copyright Office suggests AI copyright debate was settled in 1965

OpenAI will offer its tech to US national labs for nuclear weapons research

How one YouTuber is trying to poison the AI bots stealing her content

'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio

MoviePass might pivot to crypto

Whole Foods workers form first union since Amazon acquisition

CVS tries to juice app signups with cabinet unlocking feature

Uber Claims It’s the Victim of an Elaborate Fake Car Crash Scheme

Tesla says it will begin robotaxi business and Optimus "pilot" production in 2025

Elon Musk admits Teslas will need new hardware for FSD

Vandals in Southern California attack Waymo driverless taxi

California Law Enforcement Misused State Databases More Than 7,000 Times in 2023

MEDIA CANDY

Star Trek: Section 31

The Expanse‘s First 3 Seasons Are Leaving Amazon Very Soon

Behind the Music

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

FRONT 242 - The Final Show Live at AB - Ancienne Belgique

Panic - The Smiths

Amazon hikes prices for its Music Unlimited subscriptions

The Night Agent Season 2

APPS & DOODADS

iOS 18.3 is here, with clearly labeled Apple Intelligence notification summaries

Stimulation Clicker

X’s payments app will be available later this year

Google's 'Ask for Me' feature calls businesses on your behalf to inquire about services, pricing

AT THE LIBRARY

Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté & Daniel Maté

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

Star Wars: The Acolyte Was the Second Most Watched Show on Disney+ Last Year

VGHF opens free online access to 1,500 classic game mags, 30K historic files

Spaceship Warlock

Bad Day on the Midway

The Lost Dutchman’s Gold (1979)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)

Star Wars: TIE Fighter

Bladerunner 2049 Auction

There's a Horse In The Hospital | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

China’s new and cheaper magic beans shock America’s unprepared magic bean salesmen

Marianne Faithfull, English Singer, Dead at 78

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681: Trough of Disillusionment Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Brian and Jason kick things off by highlighting the troubling state of the gaming industry, with 11% of developers laid off in 2024, according to a GDC survey. Meanwhile, Elon Musk finds a new way to perplex us all by admitting he pays people to play video games for him.

They then unpack a whirlwind of news, including Trump’s controversial pardon of Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht and his ongoing crusade against perceived social media bias. Elon Musk’s antics take center stage as he mocks America’s tech elite, clashes with Trump over the flashy “Stargate” AI project, and battles AI cost concerns as hype begins to wane. On the corporate front, Amazon halts drone deliveries after crashes, Instagram blocks political hashtags, and Neko, a body-scanning startup co-founded by Daniel Ek, secures a whopping $260M at a $1.8B valuation.

In media candy, the hosts revisit the charming chaos of the Lilo & Stitch franchise and dive into music documentaries like Yacht Rock and Echo in the Canyon. And let’s not forget Netflix’s price hikes and yet another mediocre Star Trek installment with Section 31. Dave wraps things up with The Dark Side, covering Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, ham radio tools, and even a shoutout to Morse code. Packed with biting commentary, this episode is a mix of tech absurdity, media nostalgia, and the trademark Grumpy Old Geeks snark!

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Show notes at https://gog.show/681

FOLLOW UP

Eleven percent of game developers were laid off in 2024, according to GDC survey

Elon Musk Admits to Paying People to Play Video Games for Him

IN THE NEWS

Joe Rogan, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos: Tech Titans, Celebs at Inauguration

Trump Orders Government to Stop ‘Trampling’ Conservatives on Social Media

Silk Road Mastermind Ross Ulbricht Seen Leaving Prison Holding a Small Plant

President Trump Pardons Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht After 11 Years in Prison

Elon Musk Plays DOGE Ball—and Hits America’s Geek Squad

Instagram blocked searches for #democrats and other political hashtags

Why You May Automatically Be Following Trump and Vance Now

AI-Generated Junk Science Is a Big Problem on Google Scholar, Research Suggests

What is the ‘Stargate’ AI project?

Trump's $500 Billion AI Deal Includes Funding by UAE Royal Family Linked to Astonishing Number of Scandals, Including Human Torture

Trump Showing Love to Sam Altman Is Clearly Driving Elon Musk Into a Jealous Fury

Satya Nadella says he’s ’good for $80 billion’ after Elon Musk claims Stargate Project doesn’t have the cash

Trump staff ‘furious’ after Musk trashes AI project

AI Hype Is Dropping Off a Cliff While Costs Soar, Experts Warn

Amazon puts its drone deliveries on hold following two crash incidents

‘Neo-Nazi Madness’: Meta’s Top AI Lawyer on Why He Fired the Company

Apple must face suit over alleged policy of underpaying female workers

Amazon to close Quebec facilities, but says it's not because of that new union

Neko, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, snaps up $260M at a $1.8B valuation

MEDIA CANDY

Lilo & Stitch 2 - Stitch Has a Glitch

Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary

The Wrecking Crew!

Echo in the Canyon

Lolla: The Story of Lollapalloza

Netflix plans now cost between $8 and $25 after yet another subscription price hike

Everything to Remember Before Star Trek: Section 31

Section 31 Is a Mediocre Action Movie, and an Even Worse Star Trek One

Fail Better with David Duchovny - Catching Up with Gillian Anderson

James Cameron: Special Video Message at the SCSP AI+Robotics Summit

APPS & DOODADS

Introducing Operator

Developer Creates Infinite Maze That Traps AI Training Bots

Best Cooking Equipment for Meal Kits (2025), Tested and Reviewed

Trump Executive Order Generator

AT THE LIBRARY

The Breakthrough Effect by Douglas E. Richards

Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Morse Code - I Love You

Parks on the Air ® (POTA)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

680: Failed Up Jan 18, 2025

Show notes

This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, Jason and Brian dissect the latest tech and cultural news, starting with a TikTok tempest. The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law potentially banning the app in the U.S. leaves the ball in Trump’s court, while TikTok’s CEO plans to attend his inauguration. As users flock to alternative Chinese apps and RedNote scrambles to hire English-speaking moderators, it seems the tech world is in chaos. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg faces lawsuits over using pirated materials to train AI and continues to delete links to competitors like Pixelfed. Over in Europe, Elon Musk’s X is under scrutiny for its algorithm transparency, while celebs like Mark Ruffalo advocate for a fully open social media ecosystem. Add in news of Bluesky’s new photo-sharing app, Mastodon’s founder stepping back, and yet another study revealing rampant fakery in online job postings, and it’s a wild ride.

In Media Candy, the geeks dive into the gritty charm of Silo, the Broadway movie hit Wicked, and the nostalgia of Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action. They also discuss Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 3 and reminisce about Blue Thunder and its TV adaptation. On the music front, dream pop enthusiasts will love their take on The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums, while Marvel fans get the scoop on the Daredevil: Born Again trailer. Plus, a nod to Real Coffee with Scott Adams and the real tea on Neil Gaiman.

Finally, in Apps & Doodads, they break down the fallout from Sonos’ disastrous app launch and the FTC’s decision to ban General Motors from selling driving data. Musk’s antics make an appearance again with a bizarre spat involving leaked DMs and a revoked checkmark, and a curious gadget called the Gaming Pillow. Closing shout-outs honor legendary Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker and visionary filmmaker David Lynch, both gone but never forgotten.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/680

IN THE NEWS

Supreme Court upholds law that could ban TikTok in the U.S., leaving the matter to Trump

TikTok C.E.O. Plans to Attend Trump Inauguration

TikTok Users Are Flocking to Another Chinese Social Media App as U.S. Ban Looms

RedNote Scrambles to Hire English-Speaking Content Moderators

Donald Trump Has Mark Zuckerberg By the Balls

Lawsuit says Mark Zuckerberg approved Meta's use of pirated materials to train Llama AI

Meta admits it deleted links to decentralized Instagram competitor Pixelfed

Europe orders Elon Musk’s X to submit documents on its recommendation algorithms

Celebs and tech luminaries including Mark Ruffalo want to create a fully open social media ecosystem

Bluesky is getting its own photo-sharing app, Flashes

Mastodon’s founder cedes control, refuses to become next Musk or Zuckerberg

1 in 5 Online Job Postings Are Either Fake or Never Filled, Study Finds

Zuckerberg Announces Plans to Automate Facebook Coding Jobs With AI

Meta to Cut Roughly 5% of Staff, Targeting Lowest Performers

AI Will Spew Gas Fumes for Years Before the Nuclear Revolution Takes Off

Study Links Frequent AI Use With Lower Critical Thinking Abilities

Walgreens Regrets Replacing Fridge Doors With Smart Screens, Creating Techno-Dystopia Vibes

Longevity-Obsessed Tech Millionaire Discontinues De-Aging Drug Out of Concerns That It Aged Him

Judge Ends One Man’s 11-Year Quest to Recover $765 Million in Bitcoin by Digging Up a Landfill

Policy Proposal for Trump’s Bitcoin Stockpile Leaks

MEDIA CANDY

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 3

Blue Thunder: The Series

The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums

Real Coffee with Scott Adams

There Is No Safe Word

Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again | Official Trailer | Disney+

APPS & DOODADS

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence falls on his sword after horrible app launch

FTC bans General Motors from selling driving data without permission

Elon Musk Throws Tantrum After Being Exposed by Gamers, Leaks YouTuber's DMs and Seemingly Takes Away His Checkmark

Gaming Pillow - Caffeine for your arms

Mob Control for iOS

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

Beloved Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker dies at age 90

David Lynch, 'Blue Velvet' Director, Dead at 78

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

679: Set Sanity to Zero Jan 11, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 679 of Grumpy Old Geeks, titled "Set Sanity to Zero," Brian and Jason discuss the latest developments in tech, culture, and innovation. The episode opens with a look at Watch Duty, a wildfire-tracking app that has surpassed ChatGPT to take the top spot on the App Store amid California’s wildfire crisis. They also cover local news, including the arrest of an arson suspect in Woodland Hills, CA, and tech entrepreneur Kevin Rose’s home in the Palisades that is making headlines.

The hosts delve into major tech stories that are dominating the news cycle. Former MoviePass CEO Ted Farnsworth pleads guilty to defrauding investors, marking the latest chapter in the infamous saga of the subscription service. Meanwhile, the UK takes bold action with new legislation criminalizing the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes. Meta finds itself at the center of multiple controversies, from appointing UFC CEO Dana White to its board to removing fact-checkers in favor of community-driven moderation, a decision that sparks backlash and leads to significant user departures from Facebook and Instagram. The darker side of tech is also examined, with reports of Meta Smart Glasses being used in a terror attack and generative AI contributing to a Tesla Cybertruck explosion.

The podcast also explores groundbreaking applications of AI and its potential. An innovative method from a Reddit user for automating 1,000 job applications while asleep catches attention, along with discussions about the Getty Images and Shutterstock merger aimed at addressing AI’s disruption in the stock photography industry. E-commerce trends take center stage, with Salesforce data indicating AI-driven sales growth during the holiday season, despite increasing return rates. The episode also discusses Tesla’s “Actual Smart Summon” crashes currently under federal investigation and OpenAI’s rapid response to a developer creating AI-powered gun turrets.

In conclusion, Brian and Jason provide entertainment and tech recommendations. Their streaming choices include "Silo," "The Traitors UK" Season 3, and "Shrinking," while gaming highlights showcase the Nintendo Switch and "Super Mario Bros. Wonder." They also feature apps like ChowNow and TiVo’s comeback as an OS on Sharp TVs. For book enthusiasts, the "At the Library" segment presents a variety of daily meditations and sci-fi titles. With its rich mix of tech insights, current events, and cultural commentary, Episode 679 is essential listening for anyone interested in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Sponsors:

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Show notes at https://gog.show/679

FOLLOW UP

Watch Duty surpasses ChatGPT as top free app on App Store as California fires spread

Kevin Rose Palisades House

Arson suspect arrested in Woodland Hills near Kenneth Fire

IN THE NEWS

MoviePass Ex-CEO Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors

New UK law would criminalize creating sexually explicit deepfakes

Meta adds UFC CEO and Trump booster Dana White to its board

Meta Cracks Down on Internal Dissent Against Appointment of UFC’s Dana White to Board

Meta Smart Glasses First Big Cultural Moment Is a Terror Attack

Man who exploded Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI, police say

Man Applies To 1,000 Jobs Using AI While Asleep, Wakes To Surprising Outcomes

Facebook Caught Hosting AI-Powered Hitler

Mark Zuckerberg tells Fox News that Meta will "get rid of fact checkers" in latest appeal to Trump

Google searches for deleting Facebook, Instagram explode after Meta ends fact-checking

Meta’s Fact-Checking Partners Say They Were ‘Blindsided’ by Decision to Axe Them

Feds investigate Tesla’s ‘Actual Smart Summon’ after several crashes

OpenAI Shuts Down Developer Who Made AI-Powered Gun Turret

Getty Images, Shutterstock gear up for AI challenge with $3.7 billion merger

AI-influenced shopping boosts online holiday sales, Salesforce data shows

MEDIA CANDY

The Traitors UK S3

Dexter Original Sin

The Mayfair Witches

Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain

APPS & DOODADS

Apple promises software update to address Apple Intelligence notification summary complaints

TiVo OS is coming to the US on Sharp TVs

Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros Wonder

AT THE LIBRARY

3zekiel by Peter Cawdron

The Daily Pressfield: A Teaching a Day from the Author of the War of Art by Steven Pressfield

A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul by Leo Tolstoy

The Daily Laws: 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature by Robert Greene

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

365 Tao: Daily Meditations

The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker

Around the Year with Emmet Fox: A Book of Daily Readings by Emmet Fox

The Maxwell Daily Reader: 365 Days of Insight to Develop the Leader Within You and Influence Those Around You by John C. Maxwell

The Elements of Humor: The Tools of Comedy that Make You Funnier, Happier, and Better Looking by Scott Dikkers

A Conventional Boy: A Laundry Files Novel (Laundry Files, 13)

The Laundry Files: an updated chronology

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Only Malware in the Building

Game of Thrones Star Reportedly Set to Replace Ray Stevenson in Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2

Siri “unintentionally” recorded private convos; Apple agrees to pay $95M

Flexible Flyer Metal Runner Sled. Steel & Wood Steering Snow Slider

Dave Bittner shares his President Carter story

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