WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:09.000 Monster House Presents. 2 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:17.160 It's actually quite unlike anything we've ever seen before. 3 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:21.679 A giant, very creature party part. 4 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.280 In Luckness, a twenty four a mile long bottomless lake 5 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:27.480 in the Highlands of Scotland. 6 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:29.960 It's a creature known as the Luckness Monster. 7 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:53.280 Monster Talk. 8 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:58.320 Welcome to Monster Talk, the science show about monsters. 9 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.000 I'm Blake Smith. 10 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:01.200 And I'm Karen Stolsner. 11 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.159 This week, Kieren and I are just catching up our 12 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:07.239 respective lives have been super busy, and you'll hear about why. 13 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:10.159 Plus we'll hint at some upcoming episode topics. 14 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:11.640 We don't do this kind. 15 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:14.480 Of conversational episode very often, but this was a much 16 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:16.879 needed chat and we really appreciate being able to share 17 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:17.400 it with you. 18 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:22.599 More instrtal All right, Hey Karen, how's it going? 19 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.879 Hey? Ups and downs? Yeah, I think the same thing 20 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:27.599 for you. 21 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:30.719 Yeah, this has been a strange year. It has been 22 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.719 a strange year. I thought we should maybe use this episode. 23 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.359 We've got a lot of stuff coming up, and because 24 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.719 of some personal stuff in my life, which I'm going 25 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:42.920 to hint at without giving too many details. You know, 26 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:46.400 we didn't really have anything new, specifically monster related, but 27 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:48.840 I thought, you know what, occasionally it's nice to just 28 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.239 have a chat, talk about our mission, talk about what 29 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:51.719 we're up to. 30 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:53.719 Yeah. 31 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:56.079 So yeah, twenty twenty five has been kind of rough 32 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:59.680 on me, as you know, as listeners know, our friend 33 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:02.719 of the show and longtime colleague and mentor, Joe Nichol 34 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:06.680 passed away this year. My dog passed away this year, 35 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:12.360 And sadly, it seems like my mother is going to 36 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.280 not survive twenty twenty five. And I'm not sure when 37 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.639 she's going to be leaving us, but it is almost 38 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:21.199 certainly going to be pretty soon. 39 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:22.919 And that's that's been kind of hard. 40 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:25.560 And now I'm so sorry, thank you. 41 00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:28.280 And you know, this is not one of those you know, 42 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.919 please send me your condulences or anything like that. 43 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.919 This My mom is hat a full life. 44 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:37.120 She's in her eighties and we have a wonderful relationship, 45 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:42.479 and it's just that, you know, mortality is inevitable and 46 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.759 she's coming to the end. 47 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.919 So I empathize with you because my father passed in 48 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.439 twenty twenty of the same condition. 49 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:53.719 Sir. Yeah, it's a. 50 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:59.039 Common disorder and prevalence is on the increase too, So yeah, 51 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:04.400 it's suh yeah, uh, it's leaves you speechless. 52 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.159 It does, and then you know, I'm sitting here thinking, 53 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.039 oh no, my mother is going to pass away. And 54 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:11.639 then I almost passed away this week. That's been exciting. 55 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:15.080 Uh yeah, I don't know if you want to talk 56 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:15.680 about it or not. 57 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:18.919 I don't know, but I have I have. 58 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:23.080 I have a very unusual medical condition. Is it's very 59 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.000 you know what. Let me just let me give a 60 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.479 side brand. I love science, and I love medicine. I 61 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:31.960 love evidence based medicine, and I think maybe one of 62 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:36.280 the most disappointing things as a science enthusiast is to 63 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:39.319 come to the realization that as cool as science is 64 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:42.319 and as cool as medicine is, it doesn't have the 65 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.319 answers for everything. There are lots and lots and lots 66 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.919 of conditions that there's no there's no solution for you 67 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.800 at And one of the scariest words you can hear 68 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:52.000 is idiopathic. 69 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:53.680 I was thinking of that too. 70 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:59.000 Yeah, I have an idiopathic condition that can take me out. 71 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.120 And I had not had any issues in a long time. 72 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:06.080 Mine is an allergic situation and I used to carry 73 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:10.560 an EpiPen and I didn't have my EpiPen because I 74 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.800 haven't had a problem in many years, and then suddenly 75 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.399 I did, and so it was really weird. 76 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.439 You know, we had this show scheduled for today and 77 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.839 I've got a sudden flurry of texts and have an 78 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.399 ambulance there, and it was like, oh shit, what's happened? 79 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:31.199 And I didn't know all of the details, and it 80 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:35.160 was very worried about you. But I think, yeah, it's 81 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.480 you know, we talk about alternative medicine, and I think 82 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:42.800 that idiopathic conditions it's one of the reasons why alternative 83 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:44.800 medicine exists because there are so many. 84 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.519 Yeah, you want you want something to do, you want 85 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:51.720 something that you can prevent or you know, to cure 86 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:55.879 or to you know what. It's it's very frustrating for 87 00:04:55.959 --> 00:05:00.600 a person who's you know, I am a habitual problem 88 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.160 solve right, I'm addicted to solving mysteries and. 89 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:06.040 That sort of thing, and so me too. And I'm 90 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:08.000 also pretty analytical most of the time. 91 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.839 I mean, I mean, I look, I I don't want to, 92 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:14.160 you know, present myself as being smarter than I am. 93 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:18.839 I am no genius, but I I do tend to 94 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:22.079 think about things in pretty systematic ways and try to 95 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.600 figure out what's going on, and so you know, this is, 96 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:27.040 like I said, this maybe the third time in my 97 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:29.800 life I've I've been pretty sure, you know, with a 98 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.160 lot of certitude that if things didn't turn around, I 99 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:35.279 was going to die. And what's cool about it? Well, 100 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:36.839 that's what I was gonna say. The cool part is 101 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:39.680 it is I mean, I don't want to die. But 102 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.439 you know a lot of people are like, well, you know, atheists, 103 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:44.639 you know there's you know on the deathbed. You know 104 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:49.079 you you you turn around, you you you look for God. Well, 105 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.959 let me tell you, folks, I've faced death at least 106 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:55.519 three times. And what I did was thought, does my 107 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:57.519 wife have this under control? Yeah, she's got this. I'll 108 00:05:57.560 --> 00:05:59.240 be okay, you know, I mean, I'm going to die. 109 00:05:59.480 --> 00:06:01.680 What can I do? You know, I'm not afraid. 110 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:04.519 I don't like pain, but I don't And this is 111 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:06.279 not a brag. This is just how my brain works. 112 00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:10.399 I just happened to know that I don't tend to 113 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:11.519 panic in these situations. 114 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.000 I just I'm calmly counting, I'm looking at the clock. 115 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:15.959 I'm thinking about here are my symptoms. I can tell 116 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:18.319 I'm going into shock. I could tell how my throat's 117 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:21.680 closing up, I'm like, okay, I probably have about fifteen minutes. Yeah, 118 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:23.360 and then you know, and I know it was terrifying 119 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.199 for my wife, but I was just thinking, Okay, the 120 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:29.000 ambulance people there probably in the fire department, they're about 121 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:32.279 five to seven minutes away. I probably have about fifteen minutes. 122 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:34.759 Unless something goes horribly wrong, they're gonna get here, give 123 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:36.480 me an epipinch shot, and I'm gonna be okay. 124 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:37.319 Probably. 125 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:41.279 Wow, there's some clarity of thought. And yeah, no near 126 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.439 death experiences, huh. Just perspective. 127 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:44.759 Yeah, just perspective. 128 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:48.639 And it's like, you know, when I recovered and it 129 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:51.079 takes a while to recover from both the epipinch shot 130 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:55.040 and you know all the Bina droll I took, it 131 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.879 was like, yeah, I need to I mean, there's some 132 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.240 things I need to get in better order. But yeah, yeah, 133 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.759 I mean I'm pretty happy with my situation mentally, Like 134 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:07.600 I I'm not afraid of death, which is sad because 135 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:10.839 many people I know who tell me I need to 136 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:14.319 be worried about what comes next, are far more afraid 137 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:14.839 of death. 138 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:15.120 Than I am. 139 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.439 And that but and again this is not me bragging. 140 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:21.439 This is just it's like, I'm very optimistic. I don't 141 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:23.639 tell people here's how you can think like me, because 142 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:24.240 I don't think. 143 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:25.720 That's why I think this way. I think it's just 144 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:26.319 my nature. 145 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:32.360 You know, everything's going to handle these situations differently. 146 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.439 Yeah, and so yeah, and I you know, maybe I 147 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:37.439 should be afraid. I don't know, you know, I mean, 148 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:39.199 I we'll all find out one day. 149 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.480 Right, So it's probably healthy to have the attitude that 150 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:45.240 you have. And I've had my health conditions too. I 151 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:48.639 have a number of autoimmune conditions, and yeah, I don't 152 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:50.480 know how much we want to delve into just how 153 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:55.680 old we're becoming. People say that when you develop one 154 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:59.560 autoimmune condition, you start collecting them, and that's the case 155 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:03.680 for me. And so nothing that's very serious. I had 156 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:07.839 fears of multiple sclerosis at one point, so nothing quite 157 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:10.360 as severe as that. But certainly a number of very 158 00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:13.480 uncomfortable conditions that I've dealt with, and I have a 159 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:16.399 number of them in check. But the latest one to 160 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:20.360 happen to me is pretty monstrous. So the show's about monsters, right, 161 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:23.279 but a lot of conditions it is certainly monstrous. So 162 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:25.439 I've had a real ordeal since last year and I've 163 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:28.160 kind of told you bits and pieces of this, But 164 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.480 I had a little fall last year and it was 165 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.759 nothing serious. I was just going for a walk with 166 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.120 my son and it was twilight, so it was getting 167 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:40.279 dark and I just tripped. So I lost my footing 168 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:45.159 and fell and my shoulder took the branch of the fall. 169 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:47.799 But when you fall, you tend to go into a 170 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.440 little bit of shock, so I didn't really know exactly 171 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:54.519 where I hit myself and what was happening and anyway, 172 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:56.440 so I developed some pain and it was difficult to 173 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:59.600 sleep on that side, and I thought I'd better go 174 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:01.519 and get an X ray. So I went and saw. 175 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.559 I went to a clinic and saw a nurse, had 176 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:07.600 some X rays. Everything was fine. It started to abate 177 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:10.320 and I thought, okay, all's good. And then maybe a 178 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:13.679 couple of weeks later, I started the pain came back again. 179 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:19.240 And then I started developing this kind of stiffness and 180 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.000 a lot of pain trying to sleep on that side 181 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.799 at night, and I thought, look, I better pursue this further. 182 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.399 I went back to the nurse that I saw, and 183 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:32.519 she referred me to an orthopedic clinic, and they were concerned. Initially, 184 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:35.600 that it was a rotator cuff tear and because of 185 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.519 the amount of pain that I was in and my 186 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:41.799 range of motion was very limited and just a lot 187 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:45.519 of stiffness. And so anyway, I had to have an 188 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:49.279 MRI because the X rays didn't tell us enough and 189 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.279 they discovered that I have what is called the frozen shoulder. 190 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:58.279 I heard of that, so the technical name is adhesive capsulitis. 191 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.360 And oh my god, it is so painful and it's 192 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:05.799 another one of those idiopathic kind of mysterious conditions. It's 193 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:09.200 often linked to diabetes and thiery disorders, which is something 194 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.679 that I have. I'm in the age group, I'm in 195 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:14.440 the gender that tends to suffer from this as well. 196 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:16.919 But I wanted to mention this because I wanted to 197 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.360 raise a bit of awareness about this condition, because to 198 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:24.919 maximize recovery, you need to get this diagnosed early, and 199 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.120 I have. I've had a cortisone shot just a couple 200 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.600 of days ago, and I'm having to use cold packs 201 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:35.240 and take iberprofen. But I want to urge anyone out 202 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:37.720 there because I've talked to so many people about this 203 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:39.720 already and they've said, you know, I'm getting similar pain 204 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:42.840 and I want people who are feeling any kind of 205 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:47.240 stiffness or soreness that is chronic to get it looked at, 206 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:52.879 because this is a surprisingly common disorder and it's really debilitating. 207 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.559 So I'm just hoping that anyone who's out there and 208 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:00.360 experiencing something similar do something about it, because as soon 209 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:03.360 as you get it addressed, the better. Yeah. 210 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:06.679 I just I'm you know, our mission here is to 211 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.320 prote critical thinking and scientific thinking, and we use monsters 212 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.679 as a framework for that. And it's like, right now, 213 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:18.039 it feels to me, you know, like the academic world 214 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:21.159 is under attack here in America and the science based 215 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.120 medicine is under attack, and it's like it's really frustrating, 216 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.360 and you know, I think the work we do here 217 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:30.360 is very important, you know, raising awareness and trying to 218 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:33.159 keep that and you know, in our own lives, you know, 219 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:36.039 I can certainly feel the temptation when you want there 220 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:40.720 to be an instant fix or reliable fix and there's nothing. 221 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:44.720 It's so disappointing, and it's like, you know, it's it's 222 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:47.159 just a struggle. But maybe you know, some things don't 223 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.039 have an answer. But you're right, every every every modality 224 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:52.759 that we try to. 225 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:55.039 Use to mitigate these things. 226 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:59.480 You know, we're trusting that the system itself is based 227 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.519 on hardway evidence, and sometimes it isn't. 228 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.000 That's that's very disappointing too. It's weird. 229 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:08.279 Oh and to go back to alternative medicine and alternative therapies. 230 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:11.000 I've just had a number of people recommend chiropractice and 231 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:17.200 going to local health food stores or supermarkets and just 232 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.679 asking what do you have in the way of topical 233 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:23.919 pain relief, and they direct me to homeopathic medicine in 234 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:29.799 quoty fingers and ah, you know, all kinds of arnica 235 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.639 stuff like that. That is it seems to work for 236 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:38.639 some people, but I think that's really a placebo effect. 237 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.159 Well exactly, and that gets so complicated, you know. So 238 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:45.000 for the entire time we've done this show, that there's 239 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:47.799 you know, we're we kind of emerged out of that 240 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:53.879 sort of mid two thousands, you know, online skeptical world. 241 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.519 Oh the heyday salad days. 242 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:01.120 There was so much optimism then, but so many of 243 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:05.559 the shows and blogs and all the sort of content 244 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:10.080 that was coming out was focused on medicine because there's 245 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:13.840 so much harm and alternative medicine and I sometimes I 246 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:16.600 felt a little guilty, you know that, like, well, there's 247 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:19.840 so much real harm and Bigfoot hardly hurts anybody. 248 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:22.200 That's not true if you read the novels. 249 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:22.639 Well, that's true too. 250 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:28.120 Everything everything we face, you know, we have to we 251 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.440 have to approach it with some framework of you know, 252 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:34.080 and we don't always have the cognitive time or energy 253 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.600 to evaluate stuff, and so we look to experts, and 254 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:40.679 we look to trusted sources. And that's that's a really 255 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:43.440 it's a really normal heuristic. 256 00:13:43.159 --> 00:13:45.440 Which is difficult right now, right now, if. 257 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.639 You can't trust those sources, having good critical thinking skills 258 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.799 gives you a pathway to at least figure out if 259 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.919 you can't do the research yourself scientifically, you can at 260 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:59.840 least figure out which sources might be trustworthy, what experts. 261 00:13:59.240 --> 00:13:59.879 Can you trust? 262 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.440 Way to look for exactly. 263 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:05.159 You know, and it a YouTube and Instagram and TikTok. 264 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.080 That's not where you find good information, is not, So 265 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:11.279 you have to try a little harder, dig a little. 266 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:13.639 Further, fortunately and unfortunately. 267 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:18.399 But I'll tell you one thing, if you know, facing mortality, 268 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:21.559 facing all these things, one thing that keeps me optimistic 269 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:23.200 is looking forward. 270 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:24.320 Working on projects. 271 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:25.960 You know that I think are going to make, you know, 272 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.919 leave a mark, hopefully leave something out there for people 273 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:33.039 to to listen to, to help guide them, you know, 274 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:36.679 in some way. And so you know, this show is 275 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:41.000 it is, and it keeps me happy. It keeps me 276 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:44.399 optimistic about the future. We we can't from just this 277 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:49.840 show fix the world, but individuals, maybe we'll learn something 278 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:53.360 here about one or two things and it will help 279 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:55.480 them along the way, and it maybe entertained. 280 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:58.559 And sometimes people just feel better for having listened to us. 281 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.240 They've some people like our ps my pints, I should 282 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.360 be let me me make your puns. 283 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:08.000 Yeah, no, and I think I think we try to 284 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:13.600 make a difference. And certainly our listeners do reach out 285 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:16.519 to us on occasion and say that we helped them 286 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.000 to get through a dark time, or to get through 287 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:24.960 the pandemic, or I mean they're equally helping us to 288 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:25.799 get through our own. 289 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.519 Yeah, to twist a phrase, you know, think global but 290 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:30.159 act vocal. 291 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:31.639 That's a podcasting. 292 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.639 Tricky for sure. 293 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:34.200 Yeah. 294 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:38.000 Well, we do have lots of things going on, I 295 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:41.960 guess work wise and Bobby wise as well. True enough, 296 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:44.279 tell me a little bit about what you've been working on. 297 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.480 Well, sure, Well, first of all, I've been working on 298 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.600 my computer situation, and I don't want to go into 299 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:54.440 a great, big technical thing, but basically, the audio software 300 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:57.039 that I use is Audacity, and it's free and open source, 301 00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:00.720 which I really like. But recent up dates have made 302 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:03.200 it so that the file sizes get really enormous. 303 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:05.639 And even on my Mac it was. 304 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.279 Which was super fast when I first got it, Uh, 305 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:10.080 it just became untenable. 306 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:10.639 I couldn't. 307 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.200 It would sometimes take five or six minutes to save 308 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.559 a file. I tried lots of things to fix that, 309 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:17.799 but that's too slow when you're trying to edit. 310 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:20.639 And every time I make a change, yeah, yeah, well. 311 00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:22.440 I'd make an edit and it might take me two 312 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:24.679 or three minutes before the edit would show up on screen. 313 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:28.039 So you know, and Windows that already given me so 314 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:31.639 much trouble. So I rolled over to make my one 315 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:33.840 of my boxes into a LINEX workstation and I've been 316 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.360 using that. The only problem is I'm trying to use 317 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:40.159 vintage hardware and it's it's a little bit underwhelming in 318 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.879 the memory department. But I bought some new memory chips 319 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:44.279 and it turns out they have to be the same 320 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.320 speed as the one that's throwing on the board, and 321 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:49.519 so anyway this week I will find out if that's 322 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.000 going to work. If it doesn't, I'm going to probably 323 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:52.759 have to drive five or six drop five or six 324 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.279 hundred bucks on a new system board. But I'm trying 325 00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:00.519 to get by with what I got, so unfortunately it is, 326 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:03.759 but I'm loving honestly, I've been using I am a 327 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:06.079 i don't know what you call it, a generalist. I 328 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:10.640 know how to use several operating systems, Unix based opportunity. 329 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:14.160 So I just like technology, and so I'm really enjoying 330 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:16.319 getting back into Linux more hardcore. 331 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:17.759 It's so much fun. 332 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:20.640 I really hate the way the world's switching to subscription 333 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:23.599 based software for everything, so using free and open source 334 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:25.039 is so much better. 335 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:25.960 It's great. 336 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:28.160 You know, I just need to get a box that 337 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:30.359 is all right. I need to get this box up to. 338 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:31.839 Speed with the memory, or. 339 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:33.880 I'm gonna have to buy a new system board. I'm 340 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:36.839 not too happy about that, but it's okay. We're doing 341 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.160 okay this year. This year, things seem to be headed 342 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.079 in the right direction in some way, so I'm happy about. 343 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:44.960 Yeah, that's something. 344 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:47.240 So a lot of I lost a lot of time 345 00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:51.079 with heart computer issues. But but so that's that's been challenging. 346 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:54.599 But other than that, you know, I had big plans. 347 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:56.160 I was going to really try to get my first 348 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.160 draft of my my technology book out in April, and 349 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.400 thenmultiple deaths and medical issues made that laughably impossible. 350 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:06.640 It is, It is difficult. 351 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:11.160 Yeah, but we've got good stuff coming up for this show, 352 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.480 which I'm very excited about. 353 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:15.839 We're gonna first of all, I read a book called High. 354 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.680 Weirdness by Eric Davis, and it's about the nineteen seventies 355 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:27.160 Terence mckinna and Robert Anton Wilson and Philip K. Dick 356 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:31.680 and the way there's sort of lives and creativity overlapped 357 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.759 and impacted the way the whole world thinks about hallucina, 358 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:41.640 gens and oh interesting alternate AI and all kinds of things. 359 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:42.839 It's really fascinating. 360 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:44.839 I really I think that'd be a great interview. 361 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.119 It's a really terrific book. 362 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:50.519 Yeah, looking forward to that, hoping I can fit it 363 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:52.200 in before we chat with him. 364 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:55.480 Yeah, it is a fantastic reed. But if you can't, 365 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:57.920 I'll get you up to speed. But we also have 366 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.680 a friend of the show, Jerry Drakes, to be coming back. 367 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:02.400 He's been working on a book for a while now, 368 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:03.480 you got to talk about that. 369 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:06.440 He has. So, Hazel was a good girl. So this 370 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:11.000 is the story that inspired the Twin Peaks series, a 371 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:16.640 tale of a true crime, So the murder of a 372 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:20.400 young lady by the name of Hazel Drew. And So 373 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:23.960 I have not finished the book yet, but it is riveting. 374 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.720 I've really been enjoying it. And so he has a 375 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:33.640 new theory about who done it, and surprisingly he has 376 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:37.160 a ghost story to tell that's part of his research, 377 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:41.400 part of his investigation. So I really found that very surprising. 378 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.319 I saw him or one of his friends hint at 379 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:47.400 that on Facebook and I found it very astonishing. So 380 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:49.839 I'm looking forward to bringing him on the show and 381 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:54.039 hearing more about this strange, paranormal like experience that he 382 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:56.559 had that led to him to write this book. 383 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:03.440 Yeah, Jerry's a really fascinating guy. 384 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:05.480 I've always enjoyed talking with him. 385 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.119 And he's one of the people we've met through the 386 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:08.720 show that I've actually had the chance to meet in 387 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:09.160 real life. 388 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:10.319 And he was a delight. 389 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:12.160 Oh I haven't yet, I had so. 390 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.759 Yeah, So I really hope to get that red before 391 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:17.440 we talk to him as well. I know he's been 392 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:21.440 working a long time so and he's been with you know, 393 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:22.640 our magic series too. 394 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:27.200 Oh yeah. He gets a hyper focus on something and 395 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:30.359 works on it and comes up with answers. So I 396 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.160 really can't wait to see what his conclusions are. 397 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.640 I won't say anything about his day job, but he's 398 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:37.039 he's in an interesting place. 399 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:37.880 It's really cool. 400 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:40.559 Off the record, he works for the government, so we 401 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:41.240