Andy: Hello everyone, I'm Andy. Mark: Morning, I'm Mark. Andy: And this is speaking shite. Mark: Now talking about speaking shite, are you trying to save on the laundry at the moment for the listeners who can't see you on the video? You're wearing the same clothes as you were on Thursday of last week. Andy: Hmm. Mark: Yes. Andy: I'm not sure it's Thursday, but you realise this is like a pyjama thing. Mark: Keep. Andy: This is something you wear around the house. It's just like a dressing Mark: Alright. Andy: gown type. Mark: You don't wear those in bed, do you? A minions onesie in bed? Andy: No, I sleep naked, of course, the way God intended. But this is easy to throw on in the morning. It's warm, it's comfortable, and it just zips up, so... Mark: But it's a pain in the ass to wash, or don't you ever do laundry. Andy: I do do laundry and it's not a pain in the arse to wash, you just throw it in with everything else. Mark: What do you have? Do you have a laundry room in your apartment? Andy: Now I have a tweet to do in the next door Mark: Exactly. Andy: block. Mark: Yeah. I think they're fantastic because you have industrial Andy: What the hell? Mark: size washing machines. Andy: Yeah, you can throw your quilt in there and your pillows and everything. It's very useful. Mark: Very good. Very good. Well I don't think we need to talk about your laundry habits, though it was me that raised the question. Andy: Exactly. Mark: So so what is it with Talking Sense? Is that why why didn't you speaking sense would have been a far more appropriate title to this podcast? Andy: It would have been a complete fucking lie though, wouldn't I mean, the last thing you're going to listen to us for is any kind of sense. Talking of which though, I was, I had some kind of, data breach with some of my passwords. I got an alert from Google. Mark: Okay. Andy: It wasn't Google itself, but it was, I don't know, it was brought to our attention. Anyway, one of my email addresses. was compromised so I had to change the password and of course Mark: Yes. Andy: that immediately logged me out of so many things and it took me Mark: Yes. Yep. Andy: ages to get back into the YouTube channel for instance. Mark: Yes. No, you're absolutely right. And that in fact I mean it you are tech savvy, sort of. I'm absolutely hopeless. So you can imagine the anxiety involved in me changing a password. I had it I didn't have a security issue with my email, but for some reason Microsoft what is it, Outlook? Is that the mail thing on Microsoft? Andy: Yeah. Mark: they wouldn't let me into my normal mailbox. Andy: Quite right. Mark: And so I do a new thing me bob a new password for my email but then everything that you're logged into that uses that email suddenly stops working so my iPhone emails stop working everything stops working and so it really does induce quite a lot of anxiety with things like passwords Andy: Yeah, I mean, in this day and age, honestly, why we're still using passwords with 80 characters, four special characters and nine numbers, I just don't have a Mark: No and you're right. Andy: clue. Mark: You know, it used to be six digits, one capital and one number, and now it's sometimes it's bloody twelve digits. Andy: Yeah. Mark: It's it's just ridiculous. Andy: I mean, there's no need for them. You know, I mean, we've got bank ID. Integrate it. Mark: Yeah, I don't think they have that in other countries though. I don't think such a thing exists in the UK. Andy: No, but for our country, why not? Mark: No, you're right, and you know, I think it's absolute madness. I know you were against it, this digital ID thing in the UK. Andy: No, we won't have that. Mark: But what's the difference between bank ID? Th that we have in Sweden. Andy: Well, because a digital ID links all your things, like your bank, and it reports all that to one place. It's like a government fucking monitoring system of everything you do in your life. Mark: I don't think that was what No, I don't think that was what the I think what you were arguing was that they had the potential to do that. Andy: No, that's actually what they were going to do. Everything would be linked to your digital ID. Mark: was it? Yeah. Andy: One stop shop. Mark: No, because I think this bank ID, I don't know if the listeners know what it is, but basically it's just an app you have on your phone. It's initially set up by your bank, so it's only your bank that can authorize the use of the app. and it's actually it is linked to your personal number, your ID number. Andy: Yes. Mark: but if you once you've done it, everything you have access to you just log in using mobile bank ID. So anything and everything. It's fantastic. It's completely secure. It's it's a great system. Andy: Yeah and here we are still doing what was the name of your first pet. Mark: Yeah, do you remember that? That's right. That's right. Andy: And do you know what? Mark: What was your first car? Andy: Yeah, and your mother's maiden name. How the fuck would I know? Jesus. Mark: Yeah. Andy: Anyway, the point of this was when I finally got back into our YouTube channel, Mark: Yes. Andy: I noticed there were a few comments that I'd missed, hadn't seen them. One of them was from three weeks ago, and it was someone saying... Mark: How handsome I am. Ha ha ha. Andy: It was someone saying, I would love to go for a beer with Mark and Andy. Love this pot. Yeah, Mark: really? well that's very nice. Andy: unfortunately I can't remember the name and when I went back to try and track that down, I couldn't find it again. So maybe I just hallucinated it. Mark: really? Maybe it was a figment of your imagination when you were high Andy: Yeah. Mark: on nothing. Andy: on life. So I mean if that was you I appreciate the comment but let me tell you even I wouldn't go for a beer with Mark. Mark: What do you mean you used to? You used to go for a beer. We Andy: Hmm Mark: used to go to lunch every week, every Friday, for years. Andy: Yeah, I know, but there was no beer involved. Mark: No, you're right. Well I can't drink beer 'cause of my sensitive tummy. I could have a cider. Anyway. So there's that going on. What else was there? there's a lot going there's a lot of shit going on in the world. Did I tell you when I was in France, we we were in a rel it's not a village, it's a a town, a relatively small town in France. And we were driving somewhere and it was absolute bloody traffic chaos in this town. I couldn't understand, how can there be so much traffic? We're miles away from anywhere. And it was the students revolting. Andy: and our over voting students. Mark: And I'll tell you what, I think that was the first day when they st when it started. And now it really is kicking off. Andy: he's escalated now. Mark: It really is. The French really know how to demonstrate, or riot, depending on how you look at it. I mean they were setting houses, they set an enormous town hall on fire for Christ's sake. Andy: Yeah, they burned down a 180 year old church steeple, which I don't agree with. I don't like to see that sort of stuff going on. Mark: I don't know why it well no, of course not. No why I say no one does, but you know Yes. Well it was quite Andy: I agree with the protests, mean absolutely 100%, but the thing is it's not so much about student protests anymore, they've diversified. Mark: They've joined forces. Well they've joined forces. What is that high vis jacket in French called? Something there's a Andy: the yellow jacket thing. Mark: yellow jacket, whatever that is in French. which have been demonstrating for a very long time actually, a number of years, about the cost of living crisis for mo for a lot of French families. Andy: Yes, that's very much what they're bringing it around to now is the cost of living. And they're quite right. They're Mark: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Andy: quite right. Burn things, break things, not the old things though. Burn down the fucking supermarkets. It's just an idea. Mark: What so people can't know Andy. I mean I've s I've said it before, but I will say it again because it is so annoying. I was filling up the car with diesel yesterday and it was a thousand krona Andy: What? Mark: eighty quid to fill up the car with diesel. Andy: How is this? Mark: Yeah my my Land Rover. Andy: well, was it 24 gallons or something? Mark: No, I mean i you know, it was just a norm normally, I say normally, I think three months ago before f six months ago before they invite before they invaded Iran, it was normally about six fifty, seven hundred. So it's gone up a good thirty percent basically. Forty per cent. Andy: It's more than doubled in America. Mark: And I've said it before, but I was filling up and I was actually feeling anger towards Trump. That bastard is costing me money. That complete idiot is costing me money. Andy: That moron. Mark: Hello? Andy: Yes, yes he is definitely costing everyone money. Mark: So anyway, as you say, I completely support not necessarily the methods, but the French demonstrations, why not? You know, they they need peop people need to do things. And the thing that needs to be done is for everybody to gang together and say, Trump, it's time, mate, you're out. Andy: Well, what's incredible as well is this was quite amusing. His new press secretary has lasted five days. No, we haven't spoken since then. Mark: god. Have we not talked about that? my god. Because I actually saw not live, I'm not that sad, but I did see the 14 minute press conference that she held and she was absolutely hopeless. Andy: I mean, she was out of her depth, obviously. But they sort of said, you know what? It's all because that she claimed she was a lawyer, but she actually Mark: An attorney. Andy: wasn't. mean, what kind of screening has ever gone on in her life that she got to be a Fox News presenter without anyone ever checking her fucking references? Mark: It's what I find quite amusing about this whole relationship with Fox News, normally and I say normally, there's nothing normal about the world we live in, but normally you'd have a career as a politician and you'd make a name for yourself as a politician, and then you would end up as a Fox News presenter because you've established some sort of track record or you could even say credibility. In this world that we now live in, you do absolute bollocks, you end up as a Fox News presenter, and then you become a politician. It's all R so it's a upside down. Andy: Well, in fact it's worse than that because now you leave school and immediately become a politician without any experience of anything whatsoever. And that is even worse. Mark: I there's a I don't know actually, it's a very good question. you're right. You're right to some extent, but if you listen to I was listening to a programme the other day with what they describe as young MPs, they're under twenty-five. There are about five or six, you know, young MPs who basically didn't have careers. Certainly not careers, they obviously had jobs at some stage before. Went straight into politics and the thing that the thing that struck me was that they were all very positive. They were very motivated. They were Andy: Yeah, because they haven't got their first million yet. They've only just Mark: No, but what what do you Andy: put their noses in the trough. Mark: No, but you can't can't argue that, Andy. That's no. so you're saying it's only millionaires that should be MPs? Of course not. Andy: No, I'm saying that the idea of becoming an MP these days is so they can just fucking grab a slice of that pie. They don't do it Mark: No, no, no, no, no. Andy: for, don't, they might pretend to do it for benevolent reasons because they want to help shape the country. The country's sunk. You can't shape a sinking ship. All you can do is rescue as much of the cargo as possible. Get off with as much of the booty as you can. And that's what they're doing. Mark: No, but that was what w No, but that was what was refreshing about these young people. They were a little bit idealistic, a little Andy: What their naivety? Mark: bit naive, but that's what we need. We need more women, we need more young people as MPs in every country. Sweden Andy: Well, I mean, I know that we're approaching this, but I think at 70 people should be shot. Mark: I think you should be shot at seventy N. Andy: It's not even just don't let them become politicians or certainly not presidents, but at 70 just shoot them. That way the government can stop raising the pension age, put it down to 60. So you've got 10 years at least to enjoy your retirement before the D-Day or the B-Day. And then on the appointed date, you turn up with your own bullet, save money, and they just put you to sleep. Mark: Solent Green. Andy: Soylent green. But that wasn't that film. No. No, that was the Mark: Do remember that? Yes it was. When when that was voluntary euthanasia? Andy: runners when they hit 30 and they... Mark: you're right. You're right, I had the wrong movie. That was Jenny Agatha, wasn't it? Andy: Yes, and Michael... what was his name? Mark: Fox. Andy: No, he was the very posh... And I remember we've spoken about this because I watched it after the last time we spoke about it and I was just... I just couldn't believe the accents on the cast. It was so unbelievable. It was BBC Mark: Yeah, English public school. Andy: English. I say, I almost shot him. You should have shot him. He was a dreadful chap. You Mark: I don't think that's gonna happen. I mean what is bizarre is that it's not bizarre, it's sad, that the retirement age is soon going to be 70 if it's not already at 70 767 Andy: 67 I think in England. Mark: and how much can you enjoy after you're 70? Andy: You can't. You can't. I'm... There's not many 70 year olds who can, even with the Viagra, have a damn good night out with some strippers and a bag of Charlie. Mark: It's probably 'cause they choose not to, Andy, I have to say. I have no appetite for what did you say? A couple of strippers and a bag of chai Andy: It's only because you haven't tried it. Don't knock it. Mark: No, you're right. Yeah, yeah actually you're right. I've never tried that. Maybe I should. No, but anyway, Macron is in trouble, actually. Though in fact I think he's out next year anyway. I think he Andy: Well, I think for the first time, I'm going to have to say that my money is on Le Pen for the next prime minister of France. You Mark: please don't. Andy: know, I told you it was going to be Trump, and I'm telling you now it's going to be Le Pen. Mark: What was her father called? Andy: Mr. Le Pen. Mark: I remember, and I'm going back many, many years, like 30 years or something, the the father, Marie Le Pen's father, who was also the leader of the fascist right wing party in in France, his ex-wife was so disgusted with him and his politics Andy: Sounds like a normal Swedish marriage. Mark: that she and I you'll have to fact check me on this one, but she appeared in Playboy magazine Andy: with our boobs out. Mark: just to piss off her husb her ex-husband. Andy: Yeah, that's that's projection. is like she'd Mark: Boy. Andy: always wanted to be in Playboy and she knew she didn't quite make the grade. But once she was married to the boss of the fascist party, of course they're to put her in Playboy. So it was dream come true for her. Nothing to do with disgusted by her husband. She probably did it as a bit of a shocker for him because she was fed up with him reading Playboy in bed. Mark: Could have been. Andy: And she thought, right, I'll just do this and say nothing. And then while he's ripping the head off one day, he'll turn the page and it'll be me and my tired old tits staring back at him. Mark: I'm gonna check it out. no, I don't wanna search for that. Can you search for Marie Le Pen's father? Andy: Fuck no, I'm not doing your dirty pervy work. Mark: I'm not talking about the mother's playboy. I'm talking about what was the name of the father. But Andy: you Mark: they are actually doing very well in the polls. Andy: Yeah, I know. Yes, and it's not surprising. Anyway, we'll go on to some lighter news because I did find a nice couple of stories. Mark: Amelia Rarehart. Andy: I'm surprised you said Amelia Earhart because she is one of them. I wasn't going to start with her, but now I will. A research team backed by Purdue reportedly reached Nicomaruru. Mark: Yeah, the island. Andy: which is the remote Pacific Island involved in one of the leading theories about her disappearance. And they plan to investigate an intriguing anomaly in a lagoon. The key question is whether Mark: Yes, but yeah. Andy: the feature is actually connected to a missing aircraft. It remains a lead to investigate and not a confirmed discovery. I'm looking at the picture now. Mark: But it have you seen the picture? If you what has that got to do with an aircraft? Andy: It looks like an underwater mosquito. Mark: It looks like a a long box with a pole sticking out of it. It's completely Andy: Yeah, it doesn't look like much. Mark: unrelated to an aircraft. Andy: I have to say, but you know, know, Amelia Earhart still makes the news and I mean, which is proven simply because you even you have heard about it. I'll tell you what you haven't heard about, A robot in Germany dressed in sunglasses, a gold chain and a false mustache is now in police custody. Mark: Rubbed. What did he do? Andy: It's not actually that funny when the story goes on. German police began investigating after a humanoid robot allegedly touched a 16 year old girl inappropriately outside a fast food restaurant. No, it's absolutely Mark: This is a wind up handy. Andy: true. Two young men were accused of operating and filming the incident and police seized the robot and their phones. The suspects had not been charged at the time of this report. Mark: But what what what have you got a picture of the robot? Andy: I have. Mark: And Andy: He's definitely wearing a big pimp gold chain and pair of sunglasses and a false mustache. Mark: But is it when you say humanoid, he's got two legs and two arms? Andy: yes, it's one of those ones that they use to do the YouTube videos of dancing and stuff. Mark: And more he go Andy: Weep, weep. Weep, weep. Weep, weep. Mark: How terrible. So is that Andy: I mean, it's not funny because there was a 16 year old girl involved, but it's fucking hilarious apart from that. Mark: I was gonna say. so is that the first is that the first robot arrest? Andy: I don't think the robot itself was arrested, I think the operators were arrested. Mark: What is the world coming to? In fact, there was another article about I think it was anthropic. They were sort of not not bragging, they were sort of warning that they were saying that their AI program had elements of consciousness as they described it. Andy: The thing is with AI is it develops so quickly now. I was checking out a site earlier, possibly yesterday. My timeframe is a bit weird at the moment. you know, kids don't use AI generated essays to hand into their professors because their professors now run it through an AI checker. Mark: Yes. Andy: and it says 90 % or 100 % AI. There is now an AI humaniser available where you can throw your AI generated essay in and it will humanise it. And when it's thrown through the same AI checker, it comes back at 4%. not AI. So AI is fixing itself to pass as human. against other AIs. That's kind of scary. Mark: I'm I'm a bit I don't know, I'm on the wall at the moment because I have to say that I don't use ChatGBT or anything. But if you just put a Google search of the most obscure question, like in a 1984 Porsche 928, what fuse number controls the electric windows? And It thinks about it for about three seconds and it comes back. It's fuse number twenty-three and that is incorporated with the interior lighting, and it's just you can ask it literally anything. Now I'm not Andy: Yes. Mark: saying the answers are correct, but they actually give you, which is the important thing, the references of where they found the information. But you can it's not just searching, it's much, much better than just searching for information. It's you know, it is actually quite impressive. Andy: yeah. I mean, you've seen the AI videos, you've seen the AI photographs, you've seen anything you can imagine now, you can turn into reality with AI. Mark: I was saying the other day that I reckon I reckon probably half of the sort of video clips and stuff that we see on what do I use? Facebook and Instagram are AI generated now. I reckon half. And I'm getting better at check at seeing them. Andy: Probably, There's also another, there's also, mean, cause I've been looking into a lot of these websites. There's another website where you can upload a photograph using AI. It will turn that photograph into a 3D model and send you back the STL file you need to 3D print it. Mark: What do you mean? So you could have a little Really? Andy: Anything you want to take a picture of you can 3D print. Yeah, there's no need for a scanner, no need for anything except a camera and a couple of websites. Mark: Well even parts for machines and things. Andy: Yes, well parts for machines obviously need to be a little bit more specific. I'm talking about like a Star Mark: General. Andy: Wars figurine or something. Mark: All right. Andy: know anything like that. If you want to print a part for a car you obviously need specifications. Mark: Have you ever thought of not obviously buying one, you've got no need for it. But have you ever done anything with three D printers? Do they have them at your place? Andy: You know I have a 3D printer. Mark: No. Andy: I've had one for years and also I used to work with 3D printing at North... Mark: I didn't know that. Andy: You did. I had a remote screen here so that I could check that they were still running and also check how much material they had left and if anything needed to be done over the weekend. So I could just go in and maintain the machines to keep them running over the weekend. Mark: So you know about this stuff. Andy: We had about nine printers and one of them was the size of the Terminator and it printed in metal. Mark: So have you got a working 3D printer at home? Andy: Well, it's in my foraward at the moment. haven't got room for it to set it up here. Mark: And is it I assume it's quite an old one. You must have bought it years ago. Andy: Well it's fairly old, I mean I bought it a couple of years ago, I bought it from someone at Northvolt who just upgraded. Mark: How big is it? How big a thing can it print? Andy: it's quite small, just normal home printer. Mark: So twelve by twelve inches, something like that. Andy: Yeah, I know very big. Mark: Interesting Andy. I might have to maybe make use of your skills at some stage in the future. Andy: Mmm, skills might be stretching it. Mark: So if I sent you a file, you would Andy: Hmm. Mark: be able to three D print it. Andy: Yeah, in three different colours, no less. Mark: that's good to know. Andy: In one piece, I mean I can mix the colours in one piece. Mark: Anyway, as I say, I can't I can't decide whether AI is going to be the downfall of humanity. Or not the downfall of humanity, but Andy: In one way or another it definitely is. If it doesn't destroy Mark: I think it's Andy: us outright, it's going to make us all unemployed. Mark: No, but that's exactly what I was going to say. I think AI is likely to accelerate the inequality in wealth. And you are literally, as you've talked about before, there is going to be a proletariat and there's going to be an elite class, which is exactly what is happening in America as we speak. What are you doing? You Andy: So I was running over my cable with my chair. Mark: So yes, I think that is the downside of AI. Andy: Yeah, now I had an interesting experience with AI this week or last week. I was applying for a job. Mark: What were you doing, Andy? yeah. Andy: I won't say what the job was, but it necessitated that I had a certification in English, like a European certification. It's called a CERF Mark: Yeah. Andy: or CEFR, which is Mark: Yeah, whatever. Andy: Cambridge English whatever. and it was going to give me the test and I thought well before I take this test I'll Google around and see what's involved because the classification was C1 and the grading goes from A1 which is illiterate up to C2 which is Mark: Fluent. Andy: more or less fluent. So I found a couple of places that offered certification. It costs money, about 30 quid, whatever, but they allow you to do a free test Mark: Yeah. Andy: just to see what the test is like. So I did the free test on one and it took about 30 minutes, I guess. And my result was not revealed because I hadn't paid. So Mark: No, fair enough. Andy: I looked around again, I found another one and it was very similar for the same certification. And this one again, 30 minutes, 15 minutes on reading and 15 minutes on listening. Mark: Okay. Andy: And then you had to answer questions on the text you've listened to. So I did that. And that one actually gave me a result and I scored 100 on the reading and 95 or 90 on the listening. I got one question wrong. Mark: Okay. Andy: But then I then got an email from the first place saying, look, you scored outstanding. You scored like 95%. Mark: Yeah. Andy: Pay now to get your certificate, et cetera. So went, no, I'm not going to pay that. But anyway, yeah, I had no problems and my grading was C1 stroke C2, which is Mark: Okay. Andy: basically university level Mark: Yeah. Andy: reading comprehension. So I went ahead and started the test on this site that I was applying to and I scored 28%. Mark: What? Andy: Yeah, it was incredibly fucking hard. It was ridiculously hard. Mark: What? Andy: no idea where the disparity comes in or what that says about the different training from different branches or the different certifications. It's like, I mean, I'm not an idiot when it comes to the English language, but 28%, that's, I couldn't believe it. And the thing Mark: Well it must have. Andy: is, once you've taken this test you can't retake it so it basically said not high enough to continue with the application Mark: But what would the nature of the question? Andy: And if I can't pass it, Mark: I was going to say Andy: what fucking hope have the kids of today got? Who can't even spell I am going to the shops without using numbers and losing Mark: What Andy: all the vowels. Mark: was it multiple choice questions? Andy: yes. Mark: And could you have got y a stagger, so you were answering the wrong question? Andy: No, but the answers were very ambiguous. They were so close together, the answers. Mark: Okay. Andy: Say for instance, I can't remember the question, but you had to insert a word in the middle of a sentence and you had to look at Mark: Yes. Andy: the preposition and the supposition and Mark: Yeah. Andy: then decide. what was the right word and you'd then be given a choice between like dichotomy, anomaly, words that mean very much the same thing, almost. Mark: Yeah. Andy: And you get four of them. Mark: Yeah. Andy: Honestly, it was fucking hard. But I don't believe that very many people could actually pass that. Mark: It's interesting. I mean it's bizarre because even I would give you credit for your language skills or your English language skills. And Andy: Yeah. Mark: and so that is just completely bizarre. That's why I thought it might have been a technical glitch or something. Andy: I was completely devastated. I looked at all my books in my bookcase and I thought, what a waste of life. Anyway, Mark: Yeah, clearly what waste of time. Really. Andy: it's a shame because it was a nice remote type job. It is what it is. In fact, I'm sort of disappointed that I didn't go on to the next bit because the next bit was analyzing video footage. detailed. So it would have been interesting to see how impossible that was. Mark: And this was some sort of online application. You you didn't actually speak to a person. Andy: no, you don't get to speak to a person until you've gone through all this. There's about two hours of testing before you get to human being. Mark: Maybe I should take this test Andy. Andy: Well, mean, even if you just press random buttons, you've got a chance of beating me. Mark: Well, if it's multiple choice it is. I mean twenty five percent is the the random outcome. Andy: I mean, basically it was just a couple of paragraphs. was one piece of work, a few paragraphs that you had to decipher, comprehend. And at the end, you had to answer a question about what do you think the writer meant by this, this and this, and you've got between 50 and 200 words to say what you think. and then qualify why you think what you think. And it felt like I was doing a master's degree. And I just can't Mark: Strange. Andy: believe that more than 2 % of applicants would get anywhere close to passing. Mark: So basically you surprised yourself at your own ignorance is what you're is what you're saying. Andy: Yes, it's the first time that I thought perhaps I'm not quite the genius I thought I was. Mark: Well, I might have a better insight into your intellectual level than you do yourself in that. Let me explain. Andy: Anyway, that was... Mark: I'll tell you what, I am so lucky that I say I left the job market when I did because obviously I know people, I I know normal people who apply for jobs, and the number of these bloody psychometric testing they do, handwriting Andy: I know it. Mark: testing, intelligence testing, it's just Andy: It's ridiculous. And it doesn't help because you cannot beat a face-to-face chat with someone who's sizing you up. Because if you are a good judge of character, you're a good interviewer. You don't need psychometric testing. You don't need handwriting stuff. You just need to be able to tell if someone is going to nick the silver if they're working on their own or if they're to turn up on time. Mark: No, but it's nothing to do with that, Andy. It's nothing to do with choosing the right candidate for the job. It's solely that it gives them a line of defence should you choose to be a complete arse. So they can say, Well, he he scored very highly on all the tests and that's like a defence for them for having made a bad decision. No, exactly. Andy: Yeah, so it can't be my fault. Can't be my fault. Mark: nothing to do with me, he scored really well on all the tests. It's like a lot of jobs these days, and I sort of understand it. There is a defense of this, but they employ employment agencies to do the first or second or third level of screening. and it means that the decision maker within the company has a fallback o well th th this he did very well at the the the manpower or whoever these people are called these days. Andy: See we've spoken about this as well because I told you I refused to apply to a place that required too much information of me and wanted me to have basically an AI interview and I just refused to apply. Mark: Yeah. Yeah. Andy: Because no, if you can't be bothered to fucking talk to me, why the hell would I be bothered talking to you? Mark: No, you're right, but the thing is that I I completely agree with you, absolutely. I w I wouldn't but it depends on one's circumstances, of course, and unfortunately that's the way it's going. So Andy: people should turn around and say no. Mark: No, no, no, no. But do you think there's enough of you to actually influence the way that these processes work? Because you know, Andy: No, because unfortunately people who are new to the job market don't know any different. They think this is the norm. You have to pass AI Mark: No, you're right. You're right. Andy: interviews to get to a human. Well, no, you shouldn't have to pass AI interviews. How the f... my God. You can just speak nonsense in an AI interview. Someone did it as an experiment for a laugh, just to write an article in the newspaper, and they sat down for an AI interview. And every time the AI spoke, it would smile and chat and then ask a question. And the person would just answer nonsense words until, the AI would sort of frown and not get it. after about six of these questions said, you haven't successfully answered any of my questions, this interview is terminated. It's just, it's just so wrong. Mark: I mean I you know, I I don't need to reminisce, but I can tell you that I think the I say the biggest job, you know, I had a reasonably good job and to get that job it was literally you met your boss, he interviewed you, and you met two or three other members of the team And they said, yeah, we like him, bring him on board. I don't Andy: Yeah, it was... Mark: remember even well in fact I can tell you that the personnel department didn't even get involved in the hiring process until the decision had been made to hire me. I mean that's Andy: And that was just to get your national insurance number. Mark: and that was to get my national insurance number, where do you want your salary paid to? That sort of thing. I mean I know that was a very long time ago and I was very lucky to have got in into the the the industry when I did, but even my last job, there was none of this frigging testing. Nothing. Andy: I mean, I had to jump through a few hoops to start, well, not to start with North Fault, but once they'd offered me the job, they then sent me all these tests. just for the sake of appearances basically so they could show that they'd followed the procedure and I had to do yeah, Mark: They were checking you weren't a psychopath. Andy: I had to do those and My boss said to me Do you sort of favor? Look them up online and do a couple of practice tests so you know what they're talking about It's a good job. I did because they Mark: Yeah. Andy: are kind of But they're quite easy as well Mark: Well, that'd be weird for you because psychometric testing is basically testing what type of character you are and you definitely don't want anybody to know what type of character you Andy: Absolutely not. Mark: are. Andy: well in further news... Mark: yeah, sorry, we've got sidetracked. Yeah. Andy: Yeah, going into biotechnology. Mark: Biotech Andy: Yeah, a company reckons it's making progress towards recreating birds like the dodo. Mark: Papa, why would a company choose to make something that ended up getting extinct all by itself? Andy: Well it didn't get extinct all by itself, it got extinct because sailors ate them. Yes, Mark: No Andy: the dodo became extinct because it was particularly tasty and they were only on one island. And the sailors who Mark: Well so Andy: were on this island ate every last single one of them. Do you not know the story? Mark: So what what are we talking about? Is are they going to farm Dodo's? Andy: Can you imagine the size of the chicken drumsticks? Mark: Will there be a dodo drumstick? Andy: Yeah but my god Kentucky Fried Dodo, KFD, yes please. Mark: Ha ha. Andy: So Colossal Biosciences is the company, they announced progress on its dodo project saying it had completed around 95 % of its genome and identified genetic targets associated with the birds distinctive facial features. Not really a big problem if they don't get that right because we're not going to be in the face. Its plan involves editing cells from the Nicobar pigeon, a living relative of Dododo, to finish off the creation. Mark: Why do people spend time doing this? What's the what's the end game? Andy: Well, do you know, I can understand on one hand why they're doing it because we are making species extinct at the rate of about a thousand a day. You know, we've spoken about tigers, how there's more in captivity than there are in the wild. So if you can create tigers... Mark: Yeah, but you're gonna create tigers to be Tyson's pet. You're not gonna create tigers to put them back into the bloody forests. Andy: No, you create real, why not? They did it in Jurassic Park with dinosaurs. Mark: And look what happened there, it was a bloody disaster. Andy: There's a lesson to be learned there, but as we know, whenever anyone Mark: Exactly. Andy: says there's a lesson to be learned, it's never bloody learned. Mark: Is it true that if no it can't those genetically created clone sheep Andy: Dolly. Mark: Dolly the sheep, were they able to have babies? Andy: Erm, I'm not sure. It depends where they were cloned, if it was in Wales they wouldn't even get to see a ram, isn't it? Look you. Mark: because what I was thinking was Andy: Whose girlfriend is that cheap there? Mark: what was the film? Blade Runner. Andy: Yes. Mark: Blade Runner they weren't able to to procreate. Andy: but they did, didn't they? That was the whole point of the second film, the remake. Mark: She was the daughter of someone, no. Andy: No, was Harrison Ford, impregnated. can't remember, was it Rachel, his girlfriend, his AI girlfriend? But anyway, she ended up having a baby. Mark: All right. Andy: And that was going to be the game changer because the replicants could then do away with the human race who needed them. Mark: Okay. Andy: That was the only differential between them and the human race was that they couldn't procreate, but now they could. Mark: Gwynneth Paltrow No it wasn't Gwynneth Paltrow. Andy: No. Mark: Who was the one in the original Blade Runner, the tall girl? Blonde, Andy: Oof. Mark: long blonde, tall girl. She was also in splash. Hannah Andy: Daryl Hannah. Mark: Daryl Hannah. Andy: She was hot in her day. Mark: Sure she's a very attractive woman now. I wonder how old she is. She's probably our age actually. Andy: Yeah. Mark: Potential. Andy: Yeah. Mark: Anyway, sorry, what were we talking about? I've lost track. Andy: biotechs and dodos. Okay, now the dodo Mark: AI. Yeah, exactly, this Dodo thing. What a ridiculous story. Andy: actually disappeared. It was on Mauritius, it was native to, largely as a result Mark: really? Andy: of human activity and other introduced animals, like the tiger, no doubt. Mark: They don't have bloody tigers on Mauritius. Andy: No, but might have had one on board the ship, you see. Yeah, why Mark: What a tiger. Andy: not? If Mike Tyson can, why can't Captain fucking Bly? Mark: It may surprise you to know I know Mauritius quite well. They have bloody great big tortoises on there. Enormous tortoises. Hmm. Andy: They used to have bloody great big birds, but not anymore. Mark: It's a nice place actually. It's one of the few places in the world where you have a complete mix of religions. Hindus, Christians, Muslims, all living in complete harmony. No no problems at all. Andy: Probably because they didn't have social media and TV. Mark: They I mean it was it is a very poor country, but most of the people there seem very happy and content. Haven't been there in thirty years but used to go. It's a fantastic food culture. 'Cause it was French for a long time. So you got this Indo Fren Franco Indo Franco Indian food culture. It's very good. It's good. Good. Andy: Okay, let's go to another silly story. A Halloween decoration. A giant inflatable bumpkin reportedly escaped from a front garden and bounded down a road forcing motorists to swerve to avoid it. It was one of several seasonal oddities featured in a roundup of this week's Weird News. Mark: That's not much of a story though, is it, really? Andy: I don't know, if you're driving down the street, just come from your mate's house, you've microdosed with a bit of LSD, and all of a sudden there's a fucking giant pumpkin Mark: And you see a large inflatable Andy: bouncing up the road towards you. You're either gonna think one of two things. That was some good Mark: Really? Andy: shit. what the fuck is that? Mark: When is Halloween? Is that the end of October? And Andy: 31st. Mark: is that trick or treat I've got to get bags of sweets in? Andy: yeah, that reminds me, yes. Yes, now, I'm at a bit of a loss here because if I don't buy any, they knock on the door. If I do buy some, I end up eating two kilos of candy by myself. Mark: That's that's a very good point actually. I never buy no, I never buy bags of sweets. I d I I don't eat sweets, chocolate meat. Andy: No, but you know, mean pick a mix, whatever. Mark: Exactly. That's a good point. Andy: But I've never ever had them knock on the door and me go, there you go. It's always been either, where were you last year? Or. Mark: I hope you don't answer the door in that minion's outfit. Andy: No, I always answer naked. It's Halloween, I expect a fright. Mark: Ha ha ha. Andy: damn we're all gonna give him one. Mark: dear, do you have many kids in the area? Andy: That's not the kind of question I'm going to answer on a public forum. I don't know. I mean, there's kids, Mark: No, but I mean, are there families around? Do you live in an area where there are families? Andy: I live opposite a school for God's sake. Outside Mark: No. Andy: the 50 meters that's prescribed by law. Mark: I was going to say What? You live next door to a school. Andy: He's across the road. Mark: Do you still have that camera with a telephoto weren't you into photography at some stage? You had quite an expensive camera. Andy: Yeah, let's change the subject. I still have that camera. Mark: god. And a drone. You had a camera with a telephoto lens and a bloody drone. Andy: Nothing suspicious to see here. Mark: Clearly. God dear. What was Halloween? We used Andy: Would you Mark: to do a Halloween episode, didn't we? Andy: We will do again. Do remember we spoke about Idaho? I asked you what Idaho was famous for. Mark: Not much. Andy: Potatoes was the answer. Mark: That's right, isn't that where McDonald's buy their potatoes? Andy: Well I'm sure they buy them from more places than just Idaho but residents of Idaho reportedly found rats devouring carved pumpkins and using decorative straw bales as shelter. Mark: What so why is that newsworthy? It's just completely not that's what rats do. Andy: Because it's Halloween man. Yes but carved pumpkins? mean that's even better isn't it? You put a carved pumpkin outside and a family of rats move in. Mark: Do you honestly believe that the rats choose the carved pumpkins because they're carved? It's a pumpkin. Andy: It's like a house with windows. Mark: I mean that is such a non-story. Is this the state of the world that they report that rats are eating pumpkins and using straw bales as shelter? What do they think rats do most of the time? Tell me the name of that publication and we'll ban it from all future items. Andy: Well, this was covered by Coast to Coast AM, so it's an American radio station. Mark: Ban it. I think that press secretary could get a job there. That's about her level of reporting. Andy: yeah, well, she's looking for a job. Mark: What what's going on sorry to talk about staff and things at in the Trump administration? What what was the story with that Greek ambassador who was Donny Don Junior's ex-fiance? Have you not read this? Andy: Alright. Mark: Well so Trump, for some bizarre reason, appoints this woman as the ambassador to Greece Andy: Right. Mark: And she was Don Junior's ex-fiance, because you know he got married recently to the new one, paid for paid for by the Russian. Anyway, this Greek one, she basically runs up hundred thousand dollars on American Express and then asks Trump supporter donors to cover her expenses bill. And Andy: What do you mean, literally asks on Twitter or something? Mark: Well well say he hey, can you wire me a hundred thousand? I need to cover my Amex bill. Literally. And amazingly, she's obviously upset the wrong people or the right people, 'cause Donnie actually sacked her. Andy: Hmm? Mark: So she is no longer the American ambassador in the in Greece. As a result of her inappropriate behaviour. Andy: choosing beggar behavior. Mark: I mean Andy: I've bought too many Louis Vuitton handbags. Somebody needs to pay for this. Mark: Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And without and I think she might have had a little bit of plastic surgery as well. Andy: Well, that's part of the qualifications for working in the White House anyway. Mark: It is. It's it's probably the first question. What level of plastic surgery? Andy: How much work have you done? Mark: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, are we talking just Botox or have you actually been under the knife? Andy: You realize if you want to work for us you're gonna have to look like a fucking freak. Mark: Do you think that that is actually orchestrated to the extent that the Steve Millers of this world and even the Donald Trumps want to degrade women to such an extent that they believe you have to have plastic surgery to work within the White House? Andy: yeah. Mark: Is it sort of an overall attitude towards women that not only do they need to stay in the kitchen, but you need to have plastic surgery to keep us happy? Andy: Yeah, and you have to look like what we expect a good looking woman looks like, not what you expect a good looking woman. I mean, they've Mark: Yeah. Yeah. Andy: ruined some perfectly beautiful women. Mark: No, they literally quite literally they have. I I don't know, I think it it might literally be that bad that they're trying to demean women to such an extent that you've you've we've gotta have plastic surgery if you want to work with us. Andy: Yeah, you can't look like that. Mark: You can't look natural and pretty. You have to look like a caricature of Weinstein or whatever her name was. Andy: Bride of Wildenstein. Mark: Wildenstein. Anyway, so no that was a particularly thin story, Andy. You need to come up with more interesting stories than rats eating pumpkins. Andy: Which one? Which one? that one! Mark: That was ridiculous. I mean seriously. Andy: Okay, well I've got an equally thin one. Mark: Just j just to wind me up. Andy: Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel, that's spelled with a P, a P F, is famous, no P F, Mark: PH PH All right. Andy: is famous for its alleged paranormal activity and visiting baseball players have long shared stories about strange experiences there. This very week, this is why we're talking about it, because it's in the news. The hotel's reputation resurfaced as the LA Dodgers visited Milwaukee for playoff basketball. And it's a good example of how ghost stories become part of a location's identity, even when the supernatural claims remain unverified. And even though absolutely nothing happened, this was reported on iHeartRadio. Mark: So nothing happened. Andy: No, there's no reason for them to talk about the paranormal activity because they didn't have any paranormal activity, but they thought, well, it's a strange stuff podcast news day, so we'll just throw some some garbage in to fill up the time, it looks like. Mark: I mean, do you think that the editors of these news stations literally have to occasionally invent any old bollocks basically just to have something to fill up the space in the newspaper? Andy: I think there's definitely a column inches thing going on in some places. I'm just going to Google this hotel. Mark: But it's obviously fake because we did an episode about haunted hotels and it certainly didn't feature. So it's clearly nonsense. Andy: I see a lot of websites advertising it but not... here we go, the legend of the Pfister Hotel ghost. Now, it's one of Milwaukee's most historic and luxurious places to stay. It's been around for nearly 130 years and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also supposedly haunted. Mark: By who? Babe Ruth. Andy: Lofista opened in 1893 and was known as the Grand Hotel of the West. It's decorated throughout in pure Trump style with gold trim and grand chandeliers. Anna Lardinois is a former Feister narrator and the owner of Gothic Milwaukee, which is known for walking ghost tours. She spent a lot of time researching the history of the hotel and she said it started as a dream of Guido Feister. He wanted to have the best hotel and he dreamed up the Feister Hotel. Now unfortunately he died before the hotel was finished but his son Charles seamlessly steps in and completes the hotel. So when did the ghost stories begin? Charles, known at the time as the first white boy born in Milwaukee, was interviewed throughout his life by local newspapers to reminisce about Milwaukee's past. In Lardinois' research, he found an article published in 1893 that quotes... He was talking about a time in the past when he lived in a log cabin that was on the land that now holds the Pfizer hotel. And he reminisced it was also a private burying ground. They were breaking ground for it. He went to the property to look for the bones of some of these people and he couldn't find them. So that is, I think, where the legend began. That this hotel was built on land that had once been graves. So again, that's pretty thin. Mark: It is pretty thin. Is this a competition this week to see the thinnest non actual story? Andy: I mean, you know, it's kind of difficult to find strange stories with any substance. Mark: Well yeah, you're right, we've been struggling for the last five years to be honest. Andy: For me? Mark: Struggling to find stories with any substance. Andy: It feels like we're doing a podcast version of That's Life. And here's a carrot that looks a little bit like penis. Mark: To be honest, Andy, I think quite a few people would prefer the carrot variety. Anyway, you can't Andy: Well, I could show you a penis that looks a little bit like a carrot. Mark: that would be that would be more exciting. Anyway, you were knocking Esther Ranson the other day, so we shouldn't use her as any guide to what constitutes entertainment these days. Andy: No, I think we should quit while we're ahead, frankly. Well, we're not going to get any further Mark: You call this ahead, do you? I think we're Andy: ahead. Mark: we probably didn't even get off the starting blocks for Christ's sake. Andy: I think we covered a fair range of topics. Mark: We did. We certainly cover a few topics, that's for sure. Alright, very good. Andy: Yeah, so thanks for listening everyone. Hope you enjoyed this week's episode of Speaking Shite. Episode 9, I believe. Mark: Yeah. Andy: Join us again next week when we'll speak more shite. Don't forget if you join us tomorrow you will find an episode of Murdery Bits. If join us on Sunday, you will find Strange Stuff podcast and murdery bits. And again, next Wednesday, you will find us here again. So plenty of stuff to choose from. Have yourselves a great week. We'll see you tomorrow, frankly. Bye for now. Mark: Yep. Cheerio for now.