699: TACO 2025
Grumpy Old Geeks
Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave Bittner
4.8 • 6.1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2025
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this week’s “we told you so” edition, we kick things off with the latest AI faceplant—go ahead, Google “Is it 2025?” and try not to spit coffee on your keyboard. Meanwhile, over at Meta, Zuckerberg’s brilliant idea to loosen content moderation has, shocker, led to more harassment and violent content. Elsewhere in tech dystopia: Texas is trying to ground all minors off social media, Germany wants to slap a 10% tax on Silicon Valley, and Anthropic is handing out free search powers and a board seat to Netflix’s Reed Hastings. Because nothing says “trusted AI governance” like a guy who greenlit Love Is Blind.
But wait, crypto bros are having their own John Wick arc: a luxury townhouse, a missing wallet, and possibly an NYPD detective tangled in a real-life “crypto millionaire torture” flick. As if that isn’t enough, Trump Media is fundraising to buy $2.5B in Bitcoin—and DJT stock promptly nosedived. Also feuding this week: Marjorie Taylor Greene vs. Grok, because nothing screams Christian values like rageposting at Elon’s AI. And speaking of Elon, he’s now in bed with Telegram to the tune of $300 million, which we’re sure won’t be a disinformation factory.
MEDIA CANDY is stacked: from the Murderbot diaries to a My Dinner with Andre rewatch, and yes, the Wheel of Time got axed after 3 seasons. Apps? Opera Neon is a UI fever dream, Starling Home Hub adds more smarts to your house, and WhatsApp finally arrives on iPad—welcome to 2016. In THE DARK SIDE, Dave Bittner brings the latest digital dirt, including the CIA’s bonkers Star Wars fan site op. And if you’re hitting the library, grab The AI Con or something more romantic—like Love, Sex and the Alien Apocalypse. Just be careful if you read that on public transit.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/699
FOLLOW UP
Don't Google "Is it 2025?" unless you want to laugh at the state of AI
IN THE NEWS
Facebook sees rise in violent content and harassment after policy changes
What we know about the NYC crypto kidnapping and torture case
Manhattan Crypto Kidnapping and Torture Case: What We Know
NYPD detective on Adams' security detail may be tied to crypto millionaire torture case: Sources
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
Trump Media Raises Money to Buy $2.5 Billion in Bitcoin
Trump administration ramps up push as crypto ally
DJT shares drop after Trump Media announces bitcoin raise - CNBC
Texas is getting ready to ban social media for anyone under 18
Texas enacts age-verification law for app stores
Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants
EU regulators are investigating Pornhub and three other sites
Anthropic brings web search to free Claude users
Reed Hastings appointed to Anthropic's board of directors
Anthropic appoints Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings to board - CNBC
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic's board | TechCrunch
RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report Cites Fake Studies
Marjorie Taylor Greene feuds with AI bot over her Christian cred
Telegram CEO announces $300 million partnership with Elon Musk's xAI and Grok
MEDIA CANDY
‘The Wheel Of Time’ Canceled By Prime Video After 3 Seasons
Billy Joel Cancels Concerts Due to Brain Disorder
Grumpy Old Geeks Information on RocketReach
Schmactors with James Marsters, Mark Devine, and Jason DeFillippo
APPS & DOODADS
Apple Reportedly Says ‘Screw It’ and Jumps From iOS 19 to iOS 26
WhatsApp finally launches an official version for iPads
AT THE LIBRARY
Good Omens TV Companion Misprint
Love, Sex and the Alien Apocalypse (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
The CIA Secretly Ran a Star Wars Fan Site
LIVE: Kermit the Frog gives commencement speech at University of Maryland
Billy Joel - I've Loved These Days (Audio)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Grumpy old geeks, a weekly talk show hosted by Brian Schulmeister and Jason DeFilippo discussing the finer points of what went wrong on the internet and who's to blame. |
| 0:16.3 | Welcome to Grumpy Old Geeks. I'm Jason DeFilippo. And And I'm Brian Schoemeyer. What a fucking week, Brian. |
| 0:21.6 | They all are these days. I just wanted to say thank you for doing the heavy they do, it'll be very last minute. So I try to fill things out for you, Jason. I appreciate it. Yeah, here's a quick rundown of the week. |
| 0:40.9 | Lost my biggest client, moving out of my old office, which means they want all the monies. Oh, |
| 0:46.9 | and get this, spectrum. I canceled my spectrum internet yesterday, and this is how great of a company they are they're like oh well you're halfway through |
| 0:55.1 | your billing cycle and since california is not a pro rated state we're going to have to charge |
| 1:00.0 | you the whole the whole amount i'm like well no technically you don't have to you could be a good |
| 1:05.7 | company and just charge me what i actually use but no since they're not legally obligated to, they're going to fuck you. |
| 1:13.4 | Yeah, and they kind of have a basic monopoly. |
| 1:16.0 | So, you know. |
| 1:16.6 | And so we got the business side of things. |
| 1:18.8 | Yeah, just in the shitter. |
| 1:19.9 | That's lovely. |
| 1:21.0 | Oh, and yeah, some of our advertisers dried up for the show. |
| 1:23.8 | So, yep, got that too. |
| 1:25.5 | Then 96-year-old mother of my best friend, breast cancer. |
| 1:29.9 | Two people I know in recovery, brain cancer. One other person I know in recovery, died of an |
| 1:35.5 | overdose. And my other best friend is getting a stint in his heart today. So that sums up this |
| 1:40.7 | week. What do you got, Brian? Weather's been kind of bad. |
| 1:47.8 | Sorry, man. GoG. |
| 1:49.3 | Show slash donate. It's just been a fun one. |
| 1:51.8 | Again, thank you for doing the heavy lifting this week. I did put in the news of the week |
... |
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