Tom Lehrer: The Satirical Genius

This chapter explores the early comedic influences on personal tastes, focusing on the satirical work of Tom Lehrer. The speakers share nostalgic anecdotes about Lehrer's clever songwriting, his legacy in musical humor, and their personal connections to his music. They reflect on Lehrer's impact in both the comedy and educational realms while comparing his wit to contemporary satirists.

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While Brian frolics somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Jason brings in cyber-sleuth Dave Bittner for a jam-packed episode covering everything from Gen X’s slow descent into obscurity to furries, feds, and face-scanning your way into porn. The guys start with a salute to the late, great Tom Lehrer—a math nerd with a piano and zero tolerance for BS—before diving into the avalanche of cyber screwups plaguing today’s digital circus.

The biggest spill? The so-called “safe” dating app Tea just doxxed its entire user base—because who needs privacy when you’ve got bad Firebase settings from 2017? Meanwhile, teens are befriending chatbots, Microsoft is issuing pink slips via PowerPoint, and Meta might be training its AI on stolen porn. Add in farmers installing turnstiles in the Dolomites to keep influencers off their grass, age verification laws that Norman Reedus can bypass with a JPEG, and Tesla diners turning into 24/7 neighbor hellscapes, and yeah—it’s just another week on the internet.

If you’re a Gen Xer feeling invisible, underpaid, and over it, congrats—you’re not alone. This episode is a full buffet of schadenfreude, digital paranoia, and good old-fashioned grump. Pour a cup of whatever’s not boiling, and tune in for the roast. Tom Lehrer would’ve approved.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/708

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