23 chapters across the catalog
John C. Dvorak provides the "Tip of the Day," recommending the DreamSky Alarm Clock Radio as a reliable and affordable device. The $18 clock features an FM radio, temperature gauge, and battery backup, making it a practical alternative to using a smartphone as an alarm. The hosts suggest it as an ideal holiday stocking stuffer.
Vitali Klitschko, The "Illusion of Peace" in Kyiv
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the current peaceful atmosphere in the city as an "illusion" because Russian missile strikes could occur at any moment. Despite the threat, many residents have returned to their normal lives, frequenting outdoor cafes and bars. The hosts interpret this reporting as a way to position the war as nearly over while maintaining a sense of imminent danger.
Media Style Guides, Climate Emergency vs. Crisis
The BBC's interview style with Mark Carney highlighted a shift in media language, where reporters now prompt subjects to use more alarmist terms like "climate emergency" instead of "climate change." This linguistic shift is seen as a coordinated effort to increase public anxiety and force political action on environmental regulations.
A technical tangent ensues regarding ham radio equipment and emergency communication. One host critiques the use of D-Star, calling it a "phony" product that real amateur radio operators dislike. They also discuss the reliability of battery-powered analog alarm clocks during power failures.
A review of past societal panics includes the hole in the ozone layer, the 1970s global cooling scare, and the Y2K bug. Critics argue that these events follow a pattern of predicted catastrophe that fails to materialize, suggesting that current climate change messaging may be causing unnecessary trauma for children.
San Francisco and the Bay Area recorded unusually high temperatures of 75 degrees, leading to jokes about being the center of global warming. One of the hosts reports an upcoming fire alarm inspection in their building, floors 14 through 38, which may involve audible classical music and potential interruptions to the broadcast.
The FCC issued a report on the Hawaii false missile alert, blaming an employee who allegedly mistook a drill for a real event. The hosts find the explanation suspicious, noting that the recorded drill message reportedly contained the phrase "this is not a drill" and that the employee's account differs from Governor David Ige's initial "wrong button" explanation.
Hawaii Missile Alert Update, Oregon False Alarm
The FCC reported that the Hawaii Emergency Management employee responsible for the false ballistic missile alert is not cooperating with investigators. Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Transportation accidentally issued a false alert regarding an aircraft crash on I-5 due to a technician's error during a system test. The hosts speculated whether these frequent false alarms are unintentional mistakes or psychological tests of public reaction.
Nuclear Plant False Alarm, North Carolina Sirens
Emergency sirens near the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in North Carolina were accidentally activated, causing a panic in the surrounding counties. Duke Energy later confirmed the event was a malfunction, following a trend of recent false alarms in other regions.
Hawaii Missile Alert, False Alarm and Emergency Management Response
A false ballistic missile alert was transmitted to cell phones, televisions, and radios across Hawaii on January 13, 2018. Governor David Ige and Emergency Management Administrator Vern Miyagi attributed the error to a mistake made by an employee during a routine shift change. The alert, which stated "this is not a drill," caused widespread panic for 38 minutes before a formal cancellation was issued via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
A series of false alarms and panics have struck major U.S. airports, including a high-profile incident at LAX involving a man dressed as Zorro. Reports of gunfire, which later proved to be unfounded, led to mass evacuations and several minor injuries as travelers fled onto the tarmac. These events, occurring shortly before the anniversary of 9/11, suggest a heightened state of public anxiety and potential "security theater" testing by authorities.
Darrell Issa Encryption Theory, Non-Volatile Memory
Congressman Darrell Issa, drawing on his background with Viper car alarms, questioned Director Comey on why the FBI cannot simply clone the iPhone's non-volatile memory to perform infinite brute-force attacks. Comey appeared unprepared for the technical specifics of the inquiry.
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open the session by discussing the end of Daylight Saving Time and the process of resetting clocks. Dvorak describes a sentimental alarm clock he uses that is modeled after an original orange iMac. The conversation touches on the mechanical nature of old "flippy" clocks and the automatic updates of modern digital devices.
Paris Climate Summit, Anti-Meat Public Relations Stunt
The timing of the WHO meat report is linked to the upcoming Paris Climate Summit (COP21), with the hosts suggesting it is a "shameful public relations stunt" to prepare the public for meat restrictions. They criticize the mainstream media for uncritically repeating the "meat kills" meme without examining the underlying data or activist motivations.
CNN 3D Studio, Super Typhoon Scenarios and Media Fearmongering
CNN's Erin Burnett and Tom Foreman use a 3D virtual studio to simulate what would happen if a storm like Typhoon Haiyan hit Florida. The segment predicts 11 million displaced Americans and total economic wreckage. The hosts criticize this as "needless bullcrap" and compare it to hypothetical disaster reporting during the Chernobyl crisis.
The hosts discuss the background of Congressman Daryl Issa, noting he made his fortune from the "Viper" car alarm system. Issa is currently issuing subpoenas to the State Department to gain access to Benghazi witnesses. The hosts remain skeptical of the political theater, suggesting the investigation is being used primarily for fundraising and PR.
NBC News experienced a technical failure during a live broadcast where a fire alarm continued to ring throughout the news segment. Correspondent Tom Costello and anchor Brian Williams attempted to "press on" with a report titled "The War Next Door" despite the loud, repetitive alarm. The hosts mock the network for failing to cut to a commercial to resolve the audio issue.
The hosts criticize the alarmist tone of mainstream media coverage regarding the Japanese nuclear crisis, specifically targeting Joy Behar, Bill Nye, and Anderson Cooper. They note that real-time radiation monitors do not show the spikes suggested by sensationalist headlines.
One of the hosts recounts a morning mishap where an old-school alarm clock failed to go off due to a manual AM/PM setting error. The anecdote describes the physical sensation of waking up late and the subsequent rush to prepare for the show. The hosts joke about "balanced colons" and the reliability of modern versus legacy technology.
A software bug in the Apple iPhone caused alarms to fail globally on January 1st, 2011, with some devices not self-correcting until January 5th. Tech journalists are criticized for failing to perform a technical analysis of the clock synchronization error, instead relying on official corporate statements. The incident raises concerns about Apple's ability to perform silent over-the-air updates without user notification.
