WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:04.440 Hudson River Radio dot com. It beats listening to nothing. 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:10.240 Oh my goodness, being Frank, where the only way to 3 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:15.839 be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome to being Frank. 4 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:20.039 We're the only way to be is Frank. I'm your host, Franklebono. 5 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.359 What I'd like to thank you for once again joining 6 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:26.600 us on what we like to call the Intelligent Conversation Podcast, 7 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:29.920 where no conversations out of bounds, in all points of 8 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.000 view are welcome. We're going live to tape on the 9 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:37.000 twenty seventh of December, So I want to wish everybody 10 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:41.240 at Merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a happy Kwanza, whatever 11 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:45.240 holiday you choose to celebrate, have a great one. You know, 12 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:48.280 the passage of some birthdays is more significant than others, 13 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.640 like reaching those involving certain significant milestones, such as the 14 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:56.000 age of consent or getting the right to vote. Others 15 00:00:56.119 --> 00:01:00.320 take on a personal sentimental importance simply because of the 16 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:04.319 significance of the number, like turning thirty, fifty or seventy, 17 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.480 or perhaps there was a significant event in your life 18 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.799 that made the year particularly important and memorable. Well, I 19 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.680 feel the same way about the passage of calendar years too. 20 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:17.040 The events that occurred in any given year often defined 21 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:21.680 the significance of that time itself. Certainly, every calendar year 22 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.480 provides changes that affect our daily lives, both in the 23 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:28.560 present and future. But to what extent well, With the 24 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:31.760 end of twenty twenty four rapidly approaching, it's that time 25 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:34.959 again to feature the top stories for the year and 26 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:38.000 the impact they may or may not have had on 27 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:41.799 our lives. And who better to provide the expert analysis 28 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:46.920 than Fordham University Professor of Mass Media Studies, frequent contributor 29 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.319 Being Frank, and a man I'm proud to call colleague 30 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:52.840 and friend, doctor Paul Levinson. Paul, thank you for once 31 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.640 again joining us here on Being Frank. You're always welcome, 32 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:56.239 as you well know. 33 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.640 Well, thanks again for inviting me. It wouldn't seem like 34 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.040 a holiday season, or it wouldn't seem like a time 35 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.120 to celebrate if I wasn't a guest on your show, 36 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:08.439 So thank you again. 37 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:12.159 I always take the plugs, you know, I'm shameless that way. 38 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:14.800 Somebody's got to do it, so I appreciate it. And 39 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:16.759 you've had a very eventful year. Also, we're going to 40 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.199 talk a little bit more about that after the break too, 41 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.840 I want you to share some of the accomplishments that 42 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:24.080 you've had this year too, which I know has been 43 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:27.039 a very special year for you. But let's talk about 44 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:30.639 twenty twenty four and some of the more impactful stories. 45 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:33.520 You gave me a list of eight. I'm going to 46 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:36.560 add three more at the end, and we'll go in 47 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:41.000 reverse order from relative importance. But they were all important 48 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:44.639 in one way or another. So let's dissect the list. 49 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.719 And I said, we'll start with number eight. And I 50 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.520 find it very interesting that you chose a movie as 51 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:56.000 a significant event in twenty twenty four, the just released 52 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.719 I believe it was released on Christmas Day, the Bob 53 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:02.919 Dylan bio pick a Complete Unknown, and you call it 54 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.840 the best biopic ever made. Talk a little bit about 55 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:09.159 why you feel that way and why it has significance 56 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:11.080 beyond the fact of just a movie. 57 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.759 Well, my wife Tina and I did see that movie 58 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:19.879 on Christmas Day, and by the way, that's a tradition 59 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:23.120 that Jewish people tend to do. We either eat in 60 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.840 Chinese restaurants or go to the movies, So we were 61 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:33.240 up holding that tradition. But the movie was really amazing 62 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:35.280 and let me just say as a sort of brief 63 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:38.400 preface to this that you know, a lot of people 64 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.759 have a good time pointing out how the movie was 65 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:47.280 not completely accurate, and I have news for everyone. Not 66 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.639 only are biopics never completely accurate, even flat out documentaries 67 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:58.120 aren't completely accurate because obviously the filmmaker, the television producer, 68 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:02.159 the director makes it acision to leave certain things out 69 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:06.240 because you can't cover everything, even a straight up in 70 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:11.400 a straight up documentary. So granted that a complete unknown 71 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:16.879 has a fair number of scenes in which words weren't 72 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:21.959 actually said in real life, or the scenes themselves didn't happen, 73 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:27.360 But here is what is good, better than good about 74 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:33.639 the movie and really ranked true with me. First of all, 75 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:40.839 there were two performances Edward Norton as Pete Seeger and 76 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:46.439 Timothy Challamet as Bob Dylan, that were really at the 77 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:50.000 top of just about any performance I've ever seen in 78 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:56.079 any biopic. And obviously that's a situation which biopicks are vulnerable, 79 00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:59.439 because if you have an actor who doesn't have the 80 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.639 right tone in a voice, who doesn't have the right gestures, 81 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:06.120 obviously they're not going to have exactly the same face 82 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:11.120 but that does take away from the biopic. And both 83 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:17.160 of those gentlemen, Challa met Norton not only talk the part, 84 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:20.480 but they also sang the parts. There was a lot 85 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:25.800 of vocal performances in the movie, and I would say, 86 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:28.360 you know, Norton, maybe he wasn't quite as good as 87 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.480 Pete Seeger, but he was pretty close to Pete Seeger, 88 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:35.160 and he had every gesture that Pete had. Yes. And 89 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:39.600 you know, our kids went to the Fieldston School in 90 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:44.240 the Bronx, and Pete Seeger was often a guest at 91 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:48.680 that school. So I got to see Pete Seeger in person. 92 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:52.519 And if you see the movie, and then you want 93 00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:54.519 to know what the real peat Seeger was like. There 94 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:58.079 were dozens of videos of him. Just check those out. 95 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.480 And you know, Elemet was a pretty good Dylan. Look, 96 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:07.279 it's a hard part to do. Dylan was a real character. 97 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:10.639 I didn't know. I don't know Dylan in person, but 98 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:17.040 I was convinced by Chalamet's performance and the Joan Baez part, 99 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.120 which was also a central part of the movie. Joan 100 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:24.240 Biez has I think a matchless voice. You know, no 101 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:28.199 one that I know has the depth that Mollifluous quality 102 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:31.399 that Joan Biez have. And she has a great range too, 103 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:34.680 hitting really high notes and low notes everything in between. 104 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:43.000 And the actress Barbara was really outstanding in the singing. 105 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.079 She wasn't quite hitting the notes of the way Joan 106 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:50.079 Baez did, but she was pretty good and pretty close. 107 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:55.279 So all in all, I thought that was a great movie, 108 00:06:55.560 --> 00:06:58.839 and it is frankly the best bio pick I've seen 109 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:04.160 because it hit so many true notes. 110 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:08.600 You know, Paul, it is interesting Terry Thal, who wrote 111 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:12.279 it was Dylan's first manager in New York, and you 112 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:15.680 mentioned there were certain elements that are missing, and I 113 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.439 read a great Rolling Stone article and it said, unfortunately 114 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:23.319 Terry Thal's part is missing as his first manager because 115 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.199 of time, etc. As you mentioned, they can't be entirely accurate. 116 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:29.360 But she's been a guest on the show as she 117 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:31.720 wrote a great book Mike Greenwich Village, Dave Bobb and 118 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.399 Me about her marriage to Dave Van Ronk and the 119 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:38.439 fact that Dylan, who couchsurfed, And that's also from what 120 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:43.319 I understand, a little bit missing in the biopic that 121 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:45.800 you know, he relied on the kindness of strangers, if 122 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:49.319 you will, and that include CouchSurfing, and he often did 123 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:53.519 on Terry Thal's and Dave Van Ronk's couch, So it 124 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.480 would be interesting to bring her back on after hopefully 125 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.000 she sees the movie as well, to get her impression, 126 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:02.480 to see how accurate everything was too, because she was literally. 127 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.360 There, absolutely right. I mean, the problem again is if 128 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:10.079 somebody has more than one manager. It's very, very hard 129 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:12.759 as it is, the movie is two and a half 130 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:16.240 hours long to give both managers any role, and so 131 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:21.360 this is a traditional thing. They combine wherever possible characters 132 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:25.319 into the most salient character. By the way, David Brown 133 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.680 of Rolling Stone, he didn't write that article, but he 134 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:31.439 wrote a great book about the Greenwich village scene. So 135 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:35.200 I recommend that to everyone. Last name is Brown, ends 136 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.200 with an E. David is his first name. 137 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:40.279 Great, well, let's return to our list. So it was 138 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:44.399 number eight. Let's go to number seven. Really interesting. Kennedy 139 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.759 returns to power. Okay, RFK Junior Robert Francis Kennedy Junior 140 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:55.519 has been appointed, not approved, but has been appointed as 141 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:58.519 Secretary of Health and Human Services. I believe is the 142 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:03.360 whole title. Why is that significant? I guess from the 143 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:06.519 standpoint of a it's a Kennedy and b he's a 144 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:10.840 little on the different side. But why is this significant 145 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:12.159 in twenty twenty four. 146 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:16.639 Well, first of all, personally, like many other people, I've 147 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:21.279 always yearned for Kennedy to return to power. I was 148 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:27.120 disappointed when Joe Kennedy, Bobby's oldest son, who was a 149 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:31.759 congressman for a few years, basically left politics. I was 150 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:37.200 disappointed when a younger Kennedy, who also from Massachusetts, was 151 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.399 I think in the House of Representatives for at least 152 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.919 one or two terms when he dropped out. I was 153 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:47.159 really disappointed when Caroline Kennedy at one point she was 154 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.799 thinking of running here in New York State and Kristin 155 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:55.399 Jillibrand beat her out of the I guess in the primary. 156 00:09:55.879 --> 00:10:01.399 And I've definitely voted for Caroline Kennedy. So look, I'm 157 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.840 someone who never got over the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 158 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:09.519 and I think that family has a very special place 159 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:16.200 in American history. It is unfortunate, though, that the return 160 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.879 to power, and this is why I put it in there. 161 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:23.519 As you know, in that top list is somebody who 162 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:27.840 is as off the track about so many things as 163 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:33.679 Robert F. Kennedy Junior. Health is and increasingly it's always important, 164 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:37.679 but ever since COVID it's been much more understandably on 165 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:41.960 people's minds. You know, you reach something every day that's frightening. 166 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:46.360 The bird flu seems to be taking week in the South, 167 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.480 I mean, so, you know, we have a lot of 168 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:53.120 very serious life and death health problems. By the way, 169 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:56.840 I'll mentioned that this year a lot of people from 170 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:02.279 science fiction, George of Browsekeep, Barry Maulsburg, a guy by 171 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:11.039 the name of t Tom Jackson. They all Tom Jackson King. 172 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:16.200 I left off his last name. So you know, I 173 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:21.519 am extremely concerned and actually not at all happy that 174 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:25.039 this Kennedy has returned to power. And we're going to 175 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:28.000 talk more about this in this hour because this is 176 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:34.759 just one of many of frankly insane appointments that Trump 177 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.480 is making. And you know, I saw a tweet the 178 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:42.000 other that really captured it, saying something to the effect of, 179 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:44.919 I know this is old hat, but I have to 180 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:49.039 tell you Trump is out of his mind. And unfortunately, 181 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:53.279 the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Junior to the most 182 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:59.480 powerful position in the cabinet that is responsible for the 183 00:11:59.559 --> 00:12:03.919 health of Americans appointing someone like Robert F. Kennedy Junior. 184 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:05.559 I think it's crazy. 185 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:09.080 All right, let's move to number six on the list. 186 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:12.159 And I find very interesting the way you worded it. Okay, 187 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:16.879 UFOs over New Jersey. Some might choose the word drones 188 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.080 over New Jersey, but when you think about it, they 189 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:25.240 are unidentified flying objects. We don't know for sure that 190 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:28.960 they're drones, but anybody who's lived in the Northeast, and 191 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.000 not only New Jersey. I actually my partner Amanda and 192 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:35.080 I went out a couple of times to look over 193 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.240 the Hudson River and we saw something. And I guess 194 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:44.440 that's why it goes under UFOs. But this is potentially 195 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:48.799 a big thing because it could be so many things. 196 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:52.279 So why is this such a big story in your mind? Book? 197 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:55.200 Well, it reminded me of that line in John Lennon's 198 00:12:55.200 --> 00:13:01.360 song there are UFOs over New York and I too surprise. Anyway, 199 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.679 I got the melody slightly wrong, But you know, you're right. 200 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:08.440 This could be the biggest thing of all. This could 201 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:13.080 basically exceed number one if it is really something that 202 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:17.080 in some way has anything to do with intelligence that 203 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:23.039 originated off this planet. And look it probably isn't. And 204 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.480 just the fact that it's not identified is a combination 205 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.720 of maybe there are military secrets involved, maybe some other 206 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:36.480 country figured out a way of disguising its identity as 207 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:41.840 the country that sent those UFOs, those drones over the 208 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:45.759 northeast here. But it is a very exciting thing to 209 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:47.639 think about it. And you know, again, as you know, 210 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.679 I'm a science fiction writer. Well, I'm a sucker for 211 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:51.159 these things. 212 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:54.320 You can really run with this one, Paul, Someday I 213 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:56.360 smell a story coming up here somewhere. 214 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.600 Yeah. Absolutely, And you know there is you know, the 215 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:02.679 Fermi paradox. I'm sure maybe some of your listeners have 216 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:05.759 heard of that. This is Enrico Fermi. He tried to 217 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:12.080 answer the question of if there are intelligent civilizations off 218 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:16.320 this planet and other solar systems and other galaxies, surely 219 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:21.000 some of them would be older than the human species, 220 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:24.519 that is around, longer than we have been, and therefore 221 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:28.080 they should be more advanced than us, and therefore they 222 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.720 should have interstellar travel, and therefore why they're not here 223 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:36.720 And FORMI put out a whole bunch of reasons to 224 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:39.120 explain why this is the case, and people have had 225 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:42.519 a field day with us. You know, the aliens are 226 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:45.720 so smart. They don't want to disturb our civilization. They 227 00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:49.360 don't want to cause a trauma. But many people know 228 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:53.320 I think I'm pretty close to it, are close to 229 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.200 now thinking that, you know what, we need help from somewhere, 230 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:01.600 the way this world is going, and this country in particular. 231 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:04.919 So you know, I'm leaving the door open. 232 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:07.759 Well, we're lucky if they don't show up and turn 233 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.720 around and say later. For this place, it's messed up. 234 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:16.200 But that's a conversation for another day, Paul. Here's interesting 235 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:21.919 and somewhat related also AI artificial intelligence. We've discussed it, 236 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:27.000 the good, the bad, and the ugly, and you have 237 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:30.960 this as one of the top stories, particularly as many 238 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.639 people are afraid of A and I. And I know 239 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:37.879 you are cautious, but fear is a word that you 240 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:41.759 wouldn't use to describe your thoughts towards A and I. Well, 241 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:43.919 why is this such a big story in your mind? 242 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:49.320 Well, first of all, I find myself lately not wanting 243 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:54.480 to agree with Jeff Bezos in any way because, as 244 00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:59.360 you and some of our listeners may recall, Bezos presented 245 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:05.240 vented the Washington Post from running an op ed, which 246 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.679 would have endor us Kamala Harris. So I don't know 247 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.200 if that had any effect, but I think that that 248 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.080 was really a cowardly thing for a newspaper to do, 249 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.559 or the owner of a newspaper in this day and age. 250 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:23.200 But nonetheless, even a broken clock is right twice every day, 251 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:28.039 you know, when it's stuck on one time. And I 252 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.960 read somewhere that Jeff Bezos said something which I think 253 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.480 is a savvy appraisal of AI. He said, It's going 254 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:39.120 to become like electricity. It doesn't matter whether we like 255 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:43.000 it or not. It's going to be in everything pretty 256 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.799 much that we do. And you know, there were people 257 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:49.519 back in Edison's day, Thomas Edison's day, you know, in 258 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:53.679 the eighteen eighties, eighteen nineties, who concerned about electricity. They 259 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.440 were afraid people were going to get electrocuted, you know, 260 00:16:56.480 --> 00:17:00.200 there were concerns about that. In every generation, anytime i'm 261 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:04.079 anything new is introduced. So people are using gas lamps, 262 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:08.480 electricity is introduced, which is actually far more safer than 263 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:12.160 gas lamps because you can easily have a fire with, 264 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.519 you know, with something that's burning, whether it's on gas 265 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:20.480 or anything else. And electricity pretty much got beyond that, 266 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:24.279 and I think that that is what AI is, and 267 00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:28.559 I am not surprised, but I'm not happy to see 268 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:33.480 the number of people, especially in our academic world, who 269 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.000 have piled on over and over again this past year 270 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.079 and again. As you and I discussed on a previous show, 271 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.000 you would think they were talking about the terminator. You 272 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.640 know that this AI is going to come and kill us, 273 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:47.519 It is going to take over the world. You know, 274 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:51.319 a group of AI scientists, as you know, sign something 275 00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:55.599 saying they were so concerned about this anyway, So I 276 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.680 think that we need to wake up. And I'm not 277 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:03.359 saying we should blindly accept everything that is AI, but 278 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:07.759 take it easy. By and large, it saves people's lives 279 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:11.839 even now. Yes, it does create problems, you know, if 280 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:15.839 you have someone plagarizing somebody else who are creating a 281 00:18:15.880 --> 00:18:19.400 fake video that looks and sounds like the person. But 282 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:23.359 I think that those problems, when you weigh them against 283 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:27.759 the benefits of AI, pretty much fall by the wayside. 284 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.039 Just to develop it for a few more minutes of Paul, 285 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:33.240 because I think it's an interesting thing, and I have 286 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:36.240 a lot of journalist's friends who still work in newsrooms 287 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:40.359 and you could they are free because many newsrooms have 288 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:42.960 been turned over to AI. There was something in the 289 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:46.720 Los Angeles Times, I believe you mentioned that, but also 290 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:51.039 recently where they're relying more and more on artificial intelligence 291 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:57.000 to pick stories, to edit stories, to check for accuracy, 292 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:02.359 and there have been mistakes made because it lacks the 293 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:06.079 human element that is so important in journalism, which is 294 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:10.960 to determine beyond the surface what's right and what's not. 295 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.599 So you know your feelings on that, and that's kind 296 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.279 of the downside, And I didn't want to play over 297 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.640 that too much because specially as you and I media 298 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:21.960 people and journalists, there is a concern there. 299 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:25.119 Yeah, well, look, we have to be more careful in 300 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:29.119 that regard. But on the other hand, just giving an 301 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:33.480 example that how I've used AI, and it's been very 302 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:36.759 helpful to me. As you know and many of your 303 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:40.359 listeners know, I review a lot of things or aview 304 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:43.680 television shows and so on. So if I've just watched 305 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:47.640 an episode of Outlander, and by the way, the second 306 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.720 half of the seventh seventh season that's now on is excellent. 307 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:54.880 It's one of the best Outlander seasons. And I'm writing 308 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:58.000 a review and I want to know the name of 309 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:00.599 an actress what I used to have. It's not the 310 00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:02.480 end of the world, but I have to go on 311 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:06.720 to IMDb do a search, you know, and sometimes it 312 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:09.559 can you know, the actress's name might not be in 313 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.119 the top names that are there, so that I have 314 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:15.160 to go to the full cast page. Again, not the 315 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:18.960 end of the world. Now, with AI as a reviewer, 316 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.359 I just say, who's the name of the actress who 317 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:25.079 played such and such a part in Outlander episode seven 318 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:29.359 point one two, and boom, it gives me the answer, 319 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.519 and so far it hasn't been wrong. So look, I'm 320 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:39.119 an author. I don't want AI taking away my profession, 321 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:42.920 either as a scholarly writer or a science fiction writer. 322 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:47.960 So I'm not unsympathetic to those concerns. But I am 323 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.720 also aware of how valuable my time is, and AI 324 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:54.640 has saved me an enormous amount of time already. 325 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:57.359 You know, It's interesting because as I was writing my 326 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:02.279 intro today and I noticed how AI was taking over 327 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:05.759 anticipating what I was writing. And I mentioned it to 328 00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:08.000 Amanda and I said, you know, in ninety percent of 329 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.720 the time, it's right, it's where I want to go, 330 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:14.160 and it's all spelled out for me. I'm a terrible speller, 331 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.920 so in that sense it does help. So very interesting. 332 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:20.880 All right, let's move down. Well, let's move up to 333 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:24.000 the top four, and it will relatively relate it because 334 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:27.640 they're political, okay, And when we talk politics, we have 335 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.680 to talk Biden, we have to talk Trump, obviously, the 336 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:36.279 huge contest in twenty twenty four. Okay, so number four 337 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:40.839 in terms of your importance here Trump almost assassinated. And 338 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:45.079 then you qualify it with the question or was he explained? 339 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:50.480 Well, listen, I don't know. And again I hate to, 340 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:54.960 you know, even imply any humor here because it is 341 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:58.680 a very very serious thing. But I grew up, as 342 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:04.799 you did, world in which tragically political leaders were assassinated. 343 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:09.039 Not only political leaders, you know, great one of the 344 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:14.119 world's most brilliant songwriters in human history is assassinated, you know, 345 00:22:14.440 --> 00:22:17.599 et cetera, et cetera. And one of the things that 346 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:21.279 we've all come to know when these tragedies happen is 347 00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:26.839 almost immediately there are medical people who are being interviewed 348 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:30.920 by the media and they explain, as best as they 349 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:34.519 know it what happened. Sometimes they don't do a very 350 00:22:34.599 --> 00:22:37.200 good job of it. That's why, to this very day 351 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:42.240 there are still questions about who killed JFK. But there 352 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:48.559 was extensive coverage of the assassination of JFK. And there 353 00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:54.680 is almost always extensive coverage of attempted assassinations. So the 354 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:59.200 attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan got an enormous amount of coverage. 355 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.599 You see him being willed into the hospital, you know, 356 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:05.440 interview with doctors. Well, we can't tell you everything, but 357 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:08.960 he's doing okay. It's a little more serious than it seems, 358 00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:12.559 et cetera, et cetera. So i'd be interested. Can anyone 359 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:15.920 tell me? Maybe I missed it? Where was that coverage 360 00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:20.039 in the aftermath of the assassination attempt? And I put 361 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:24.119 a question mark after that because of this. Where is 362 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:27.839 the media coverage of the aftermath of that? Where are 363 00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:32.799 the doctors telling us exactly what happened, how serious it was? 364 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:39.039 In fact? Where are the FBI people commenting? Anytime FBI 365 00:23:39.079 --> 00:23:41.680 people were into They don't know anything. They're not working 366 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:44.920 on this case. The Secret Service had nothing to say, 367 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:48.440 they were working on the case. All we know is 368 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:51.559 what was like a week or two later, Trump appears 369 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:54.640 at the convention. I don't know even his ear. It 370 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.160 was like a little bandaged up. It didn't look like 371 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:59.839 a bullet had ripped off a part of his ear. 372 00:23:59.880 --> 00:24:02.319 But what do I know. I'm not a doctor, so 373 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:07.279 I don't know. That's what I'm saying. There's something strange there, 374 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.480 and if I were an investigative reporter, I would investigate that. 375 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:16.200 You know, it's also interesting. We know so much about 376 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:20.640 other assassins and murderers. We know very little about that 377 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:25.759 young man who was eventually killed by the Secret Service. 378 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.079 There's been very little follow up about his motivation, etc. 379 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:30.960 You really don't hear much about that. 380 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:34.039 That's interesting too, Yeah, it is, And you know, there 381 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:35.960 are all kinds of other little things. Trump didn't make 382 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:40.680 any appearances for about two weeks prior to that appearance. 383 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:45.799 If you want to be you know, I don't think 384 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:49.640 not paranoid. And it's an understandable question. Maybe Trump was 385 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:55.400 training for this. Look. It certainly boosted his polls. I'm 386 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:58.839 not saying that I think that actually happened, but I 387 00:24:59.400 --> 00:25:02.519 think a mark is a legitimate thing to put after 388 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:03.440 that whole event. 389 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:06.920 Okay, let's move on to the top three. Okay, and 390 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:08.680 I'm going to change your order a little bit for 391 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:13.200 between two and three, just for ease of conversation. And 392 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:16.759 let's talk a little bit about the Joe Biden Donald 393 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:20.480 Trump debate, in which Biden did dismally and that's putting 394 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:26.720 it mildly. It really changed the whole face literally and 395 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:30.240 that's the next one, literally changed the face of the election. 396 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.960 But let's talk about the debate and how important was 397 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.759 and how that really changed the conversation within around the 398 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:39.799 presidential debate. 399 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:43.200 Well, listen, I, my wife and I were up on 400 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:46.119 Cape cod but we obviously had a television. We saw 401 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:52.000