The Old Men
The Old Men—formerly the Old Men Who Yell at Clouds—is a podcast where we ramble, debate, and occasionally make sense of music, health, technology, and whatever is happening in local or global news.
The Old Men
Episode 067: NHL Playoffs, Vaccine Certificates, and Concerts
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
It’s the Victoria Day long weekend! Adam’s job training continues. The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is in full swing. We discuss the John Tavares injury and the Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals series. Plus, I reveal my most hated NHL teams for 2021. Which teams would make your list? COVID-19 vaccine certificates, and how they might impact concerts & travel. And more music talk, including Chris Cornell, some new tunes from Monster Magnet, Hippie Death Cult, KK’s Priest, and more. We finish with some tech and flagship phones.
Recorded on Saturday, May 22, 2021.
If you have children or in the area where you can't have anything vulgar said, turn this off right now. These guys are dumb. The bald one with the beard likes to swear a lot and they both have no idea what they're talking about. So it's safe to say it's NSFW for children. Fair warning. Don't sue them or me for that matter. So just sit back, put some oat milk in your coffee, and enjoy.
SPEAKER_04Uh we are what, 67 today? 67. Ow.
SPEAKER_03Licking your freezer clean might be more productive than this, but at least they both love heavy metal. Here are the old men, Adam and Steven.
SPEAKER_04Yes, welcome out to it. Another episode of Old Men Who Yell at Clouds. Uh, we're actually recording on a Saturday today, because I'm busy as balls, but we'll get into that. So it's Saturday, May the 22nd, and I can't talk to myself. And uh, so that means I'm joined by my bearded co-host Steven. Hello, Steven.
SPEAKER_02Hi, Adam. You're happy Victoria Day long weekend. It's a long, nice long weekend.
SPEAKER_04I was just so I have my notes open, so all I see is this beard moving around. That is a lovely beard. How long has it been taken to grow that bad boy?
SPEAKER_02Well, I've had trims along the way, of course. So it's other otherwise, otherwise it'd be it'd be long. It'd be really long. But uh I I think I started growing this before the pandemic. I think it was the summer of 2019. Yeah. I mean I've always had a goatee, but I've never really had tried growing a faux beard before. So it's been it's been all going on two years. Yeah. So it's um yeah, I I like it a little bit, I like it longer, and um it does get a little out of control sometimes, so that's what I got I gotta get some trims every now and then. But it but it's even looking more out of control, I think, this morning, because uh I went for a skate already today and I haven't had a shower yet. And uh so it's just it's kind of all over the place.
SPEAKER_04So um your usual skate route? Did you do anything different today?
SPEAKER_02Uh no, no. So I've got my route nailed down where I go uh I use I use um Hornby Street to get to the seawall by the convention center.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02And then and then the way back is kind of I zigzag a little bit after I get to Sunset Beach, I kind of zigzag a little bit. I have a couple big hills to go up. Uh and I'm fucking bagged by that already, but I uh I still work my ass off to get up those hills and kind of it's kind of get back to Hornby Street and and head back home here. So uh it's a pretty good route. I think it's uh uh I don't have my phone here. I think it's fifteen K. Wow. 15. Um is it close? It's over 15 for sure. I don't know if it's close to 16, but I do it in about 57 minutes, which is um uh I think my uh average is about three minutes and forty seconds per kilometer, which is not too bad since I'm so out of fucking shape again after doing nothing for a year of lockdown.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um but that those hills really slow me down. Like it would be a better time normally if I didn't have those hills at the end to deal with. So but hey, it's whatever, it's a good workout. I'm enjoying it, and the weather's awesome today again, so it was a good skate today.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you're moving your ass like that. You're making some good time. That's what 14 degrees around.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, yeah, 50 14, 15 degrees. Um Yeah, I I you know I I I fly out there. I think I do fly pretty good, and um you know, I I've gotta be careful of the cyclists. Uh, but I pass most people on the on the actual pathway. There's bikes on the roadways and stuff like that. And there's those guys are just flying. Those are the hardcore guys, so yeah. Um, yeah, so but it but it's fun. It's uh I enjoy it.
SPEAKER_04Fuck yeah.
SPEAKER_02Nice to be out there again.
SPEAKER_04It's nice to get out some fresh air, get some exercise. Always those are the two best things you can do for yourself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure. And I need it.
SPEAKER_04Oh shit. Uh, what the hell happened to me this week? Uh this was my last week of learning new stuff for my new job. So we I've had a few 10-hour days, I've had a few eight-hour days, plus my own study sessions at night time. So it's been pretty intense. So the next week, uh next Monday and Tuesday for me are review days, and then or sorry, next Tuesday, Wednesday review days, because Monday's Victoria Day, so it's a long weekend for us here in uh British Columbia. Uh, and then uh Thursday, Friday are test days. So I have to pass all these tests in order for me to move forward. So uh we are recording a little earlier than normal, so I can hunker down and study for most of the weekend.
SPEAKER_02Sounds like they've been working your ass off. Oh fuck.
SPEAKER_04Uh so I did a little bit of studying last night. I'm giving myself a little bit of a break today. Uh and then tomorrow I'll do a little bit of studying, and then Monday, just I'm teaming up with uh my classmates and different classmates at different times, so we're just gonna run through a bunch of shit. So yeah, Monday's a full-on study day, then Tuesday review, Wednesday, or sorry, yeah, Tuesday review, Wednesday review, and then testing testing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So are there um sorry, are there is there a practical part of the test? Uh or is it all just kind of oral and written or whatever? So it is some practical stuff.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's uh and I don't know what it's gonna be yet. We've learned 14 things. Uh we've been tested already on we have tests daily. I failed a few of the tests, I've then I've retaken them and passed them. Uh we all have, it's just it's so much information that we're being that's being j rammed, jammed down our throats. So it's uh but it it's for the greater good, and I understand why they do it. And everything builds on each other, so the thing we learned on a Monday builds further on a Tuesday, so it really cements that thing you learned on a Monday and it just kind of rebuilds. So it's uh it's pretty intense, but in a good way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Oh good. Sounds good. I'm sure you'll do fine. Oh yeah. Uh I I think most people, myself included, are are quite sub I I'm surprised that it's so thorough. Like most people would think, okay, well not I'm I'm not trying to say the job is easy or or or anything like that at all, because it's it's not, and you have to deal with the public and you have to deal with some you know different circumstances. Um But I think most people probably wouldn't have thought that the training would not have been would be so intense. So um but that's okay. It's uh sounds like it's uh it's a necessary thing.
SPEAKER_04So I wish I could tell people what it was, but I don't want to get sued. But uh it's a it's dealing with public and public machines and stuff, and um the goal is to do it as fast and thorough as possible so you don't uh piss anyone off and you keep service going as as quick as possible. So it's um it's fun, it's uh a lot of work, but there's a lot of safety critical is what they're pounding in our heads. So there's a lot of safety critical steps for not only for me, but as the passengers or whatever or customers are that we have to deal with on a regular basis. So it's it's just that. So the big thing that we're they're drilling in their heads is safety critical for us and the public. So that's that's a lot of the stuff. Then how all the gear works is the next realm. Yeah, and that's a different science on itself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. The safety stuff, obviously, that that you're right, that is it, that's probably most important. So uh safety for yourself, safety for all your customers and and the public and stuff like that. So that definitely that's key. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Cool. Uh anything exciting to happen to you this week? You had a couple extra days off, right?
SPEAKER_02Uh, did I have a couple extra? I can't even fucking remember uh what did I do? I was pretty busy at work. Uh I have an extra long weekend. Like I'm off on Tuesday here, so so it's four days off for me. I don't know that I really had anything different going on, anything special. Uh there's a couple projects ramping up at work again that are gonna keep me busy for a couple months, and that's uh a typical thing for me this time of year. Um yeah, there's I don't know. It's it's going well. There's something always going on. I still have a job. That's the main thing. Yeah. And um, no, I don't, you know, I just I'm watching hockey and uh it's playoffs, man. I I'm just loving this time of year. I'm watching as many games as I can. It's it's great. I actually watched a little bit of a Bruins game yesterday. I I saw that. Holy shit. You sent me a photo on Twitter and it was like my jaw dropped. Like, what are where are you and what are you doing? And are you okay? That's the most that's the big one there. Are you okay? Go Bruins.
SPEAKER_04Wait, what? Um so I um I have three hours of physio on every Friday night because I get heat padded, then I get soft tissue massage, then we work my foot, I get more heats, then I get like the zap therapy to help do a bunch of shit. But it's a three-hour session. So for the three hours, I'm one of the half the hour I was on the um watched, and the this game was on. So I'm like, holy shit, I can actually watch a Bruins game. So watched the Bruins game, watched that first goal by uh who scored the first goal for the Bruins game.
SPEAKER_02Marshawn scored the first goal here on the power play.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I saw that in its live action, then I was out in the field doing a bunch of stretching and a bunch of ball playing. Uh yeah, that's what I was watching. I'm like, oh, I should I can mess with Steven. There we go. Look what I'm watching. And then uh it looks like the Bruins went on to win that game. What, 4-2, 5-1? It was 4-1. 4-1, there it is.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, pretty, pretty good hockey game. They dominated for for basically the entire game. Uh the one goal against was was kind of fluky. Uh it was on the power play, I think. Washington was on the power play, but it was a fluky goal. Yeah. Um Boston kicked their ass. It was a it was a pretty dominant performance for the entire game. Boston has been getting better and better with each game. They sucked the first game and lost. They won the second game in overtime, even though I thought they sucked, but they were getting better. You could see some improvements there. Third game went to overtime too.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's that's the thing. The first three games all went to overtime. Second, the third game went to double overtime. Overtime, yeah. Yeah, and they ended up coming up on top. But uh game four yesterday, they just fucking kicked their ass. And I just love it so much because I I fucking hate Washington. I really do. It's uh they've become one of my most hated teams in the league now. So even worse than the Canucks? Oh yeah, oh yeah, for sure. You know what, you know what, the Canucks thing was was uh you know, there's there's no rivalry there. They met in the playoffs, and it was sure it was the Stanley Cup final, and there were some pretty heated moments, and it went to game seven, and Boston came out on top, and uh, and of course, you know, Vancouver lost, and teams obviously then their fans, they don't like losing, regardless of who it is. So I think that but the but the Canucks and the and their fans were kind of sore for a couple years, and you know, it's just yeah, it was easy to it was easy to hate the team uh and the fans because of that. So but it's I'm over it. I don't think some Canucks fans are over it, even though it's been ten years. But um yeah, there's there's more hated teams and more and bigger rivalries for Boston uh in the league right now than the Vancouver Canucks. So uh actually you know what? I mean I don't I don't even mind the Canucks. They they've got a they they suck this year, and uh they had they had the COVID problem which really fucking kicked their ass. But uh, you know, they've got some good young talent there, and they're they're some of the games are actually exciting to watch. And uh they re-signed their coach yesterday, I saw, for a couple years. They're extended um you know Travis Green, I think. Travis Green, yeah. And uh we'll see what happens. So um yeah, so Canucks, Canucks are no issue for me, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_04Well not now. Wait till they come back and dominate next year.
SPEAKER_02Well, maybe not next year, but hey, they've again they've again they've got some young talent as as they develop um they're going to improve and who knows where they who knows where they might go. So um uh so yeah. Uh but back to the playoffs, what was I gonna say? Oh, back to Washington, Boston. I think they set an NH I think they set an NHL record. Uh I think twelve, was it twelve or thirteen consecutive playoff games against each other were uh one goal games. So so they were they were that close. And I think out of those, at least half went to overtime. Like so that's how that's how closely matched these two teams are and and how um that's that's just playoff hockey. How close the the the competition is and it's just it's fun to watch. And obviously sometimes you just don't know which way the game's gonna go. But um nice to see Boston on top. They dominated again in game four, they're up three games to one. They could close them out tomorrow tomorrow, uh tomorrow afternoon. It's an afternoon game tomorrow. Jesus. So uh yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh what do you think about what happened with the Leafs? So uh the Leafs uh was a clean was it so it looked like a clean hit, but he got kneed in the head by accident by uh so Leafs are playing, I want to say the Washington, but they're not it's uh Leafs Leafs are playing Montreal.
SPEAKER_02Montreal.
SPEAKER_04So uh good old, two old good Canadian teams. Um you probably set this up better than I did. So the captain Jonathan Tavares.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_04He was skating, it was a clean hit, open ice, nothing happened, but uh Montreal skater was just kind of in the way and tried to dodge him after he fell and just kind of clipped his head, kneed him in the head by accident.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was kind of a double-edged sword there. And uh really, you know what, I I wasn't watching that game live. I I saw everything, I think, after that first intermission. Uh so after it happened, of course, that there were highlights everywhere on Twitter and on SportsNets and and it was all over the place, so you could quickly find out what happened. Really scary situation, too. And and and again, like you said, it was completely incidental. There was nothing malicious about it, there was no intent involved at all. Uh, what happened was Tavares collided with uh, I think it was Ben Charat of Montreal, and um though both of those players went down, but then along comes Cory Perry from Montreal, and and he just he was just he couldn't avoid the collision. He be he basically ran into uh Tavares as he was kind of still going to the ice, I think, and and uh his head, of course, got was was was hit pretty good. Um scary situation. Uh it looked like initially that Tavares was in some big distress. Um fortunately I think he's okay. It's he had to be stretchered off, they went to hospital, they did all the tests, he stayed overnight for observation. Uh reports I've read today are that he's given he was given a kind of a at least as far as head, neck, and and and back, we're all given a clean bill of health, so there's no injuries there. I think he did suffer a a knee injury, uh obviously probably a concussion, but but no, you know, no significant head injuries otherwise. So that's all really good news. Um hockey's a fast sport, man. Yeah. And uh these things uh sadly are gonna happen. I don't know that you can really take away or prevent anything like this from happening. Uh you you hope it doesn't happen. You hope you don't want to see players get hurt, that's for sure. No at all, no. And uh yeah, it was it was a scary situation. Uh it looks like it's going to kind of fortunately turn out okay, and hopefully he's gonna make at least a full recovery. He's out of action for at least a couple weeks anyway, so um anyway. Anyway, it pr pretty scary. Uh it kind of it's it just you know, it goes just goes to show that it's just a game. There's other things that are more important, and of course that's uh somebody's health. So yeah. Hopefully he's gonna be uh uh make a full recovery and we'll we'll see him playing uh hockey again soon. Yeah, uh but but but but but but regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs, yeah, they are another one of my fucking hated teams, and I'm glad that that injury aside, that incident aside, I'm fucking happy. So happy that they lost that first game. Oh you know, uh you know, okay, so I I guess I'm gonna go on with this. Uh I'm gonna talk about some some teams that I hate being a Boston Greens fan, especially. Yeah. Well, no, this yeah, okay, it might be a rant. Okay, Boston and Montreal have been bitter rivals for so many years. It's probably one of the biggest rivals in all of Pro Sports. So obviously I hate Montreal. And right now, Montreal and Toronto are playing. Uh so one would think that I would probably probably be cheering for Toronto, but this year, no. Uh in recent years, that Boston-Montreal rivalry just really hasn't been there. Um you know, they've had some they've had some good games. I think they did meet in the playoffs in 2014, maybe. I think Montreal actually won that that series in the playoffs. But since then, yeah, even even during the regular season, you know, they just the the games have been, you know, whatever, just like any other team, really. So the rivalry has kind of simmered uh simmered down a little bit. Uh but that Boston Toronto series over the years, that rivalry in the playoffs especially uh has really ramped up. And I fucking hate the Leafs. I hate the Leafs, I hate their fucking fans. Uh I hate the media b you know I I hate the Leafs because of the media too, because the media is just you know, especially oh no, I I shouldn't never mind. I won't I won't go down that road. Uh but but let me that let me just say that uh when it comes to hockey, people really do believe that Toronto is the center of the universe, and uh and uh that just rubs me the wrong way. I just really hate that. So uh so hey, it's easy to hate the Maple Leafs. And that's why I'm happy they lost that first game. I hope they lose the series. I I really do. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh well my hopes and dreams have been shattered with the Canox not making the playoffs, so I don't give a shit about playoff hockey right now. But it's you know the cool thing about hockey and their fans and everything else is that everyone is so passionate about it because it's the one of the longest running sports in the world, I would assume. Uh so with like the the rivalries and all the games and the data and the backup and every everything about it is super cool. And you can watch it. Uh you were talking about the Leafs. Um a friend of the podcast, Gigga Garth Richardson, is a huge Leafs fan. Yes, he is, yeah. And uh Devin Townsend's recording his new album with Garth. And obviously, they're watching the playoff games outside on the projection TV, whatever it is. And there's um Garth posts a photo of Devin, recruited a new Leafs fan. Devin's wearing this Leafs jersey with a of course a Devin Townsend face, so you don't really know what he's thinking. And uh he tweets a little later on, he goes, um Oh yelling for or yelling with yelling for the team that's in blue. I don't know what I'm doing, but he's yelling for the team that's in blue, which I thought was pretty good. So it's just like even a casual fan or someone who doesn't watch hockey at all, you can obviously cheer. Who are we cheering for? Pick a jersey color, black for the Bruins, cheering for the guys in black, let's you know, watch them kick some ass. So it's cool that anyone can just pick that up and go. No real storylines, no real anything. The hardcore fans will know about the rivalries and stuff, but for the most part, you can just watch any game and cheer for a team and and and have a pretty good time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure. And that and that's the key, is that you know, just like just have fun. And sure you can be passionate, sure you can you can hate the other teams and you can hate out certain players and stuff like that. But that's that's part of the game, that's part of sport. Uh it's when things get personal that um I think that you know people people take it too far sometimes, right? And and and it gets personal and it's just a fucking game, man. It's entertainment. It's like these guys are making millions of bucks, they're putting on a show for us. Uh so just have some fun. Enjoy yourself, watch the game. Yeah, sometimes your team's gonna lose. Yes, sometimes my team uh loses lots. Uh you know, so um it's it's it that's just the way it is. So just you know what? Um you know, ha have have some fun with the competition and the rivalries, and and and just remember it's just a game. So um, but let me finish off with two more teams that I hate since we're talking about since we're talking about being passionate and hating it, hating some other teams in competition. So I've mentioned Washington, I've mentioned Toronto, I've uh mentioned Montreal. That one's just a natural, of course. That's that's they've got to be in there being a Bruins fan. Uh I hate also the uh Tampa Bay Lightning. They're they're the defending champs. Yep. Um they're actually winning uh their series right now. 2 1. They're up this game, too. Uh I don't know. There's they're playing a game right now against Florida. I think they were winning 3 1. They've got a bit of a rivalry between the Bruins here now, too. And it just, you know, I just I don't always like the champions. Hey, you you know, they they earned the Stanley Cup last year. Good for them. Uh, it's their second cup overall. Uh, they've got some pretty good players there. And uh but I still hate them. I still hate him. And number five, number five, uh this may surprise some people. The Edmonton Oilers. Um I hate the Edmonton Oilers right now. I just I don't know what it is. Connor McDavid is such a good hockey player. Um but yeah, he's he's not everything. Sure, he's won some individual awards, but until that team really does anything, Edmonton is just another team right now. And um I I just hate all the talk. Connor this, Connor that, and just like fuck. And I don't know. And they're fans, I think, too, just think that the team and the players should be treated a little bit differently just because he's a a superstar and arguably maybe the best player in the in the game right now. I don't know. But uh yeah, anyway, those are those are the five teams I think uh uh in no particular order, those are the five teams that I'm kind of hating on right now. So uh oh Oilers are down uh 2-0 to Winnipeg in their series right now. So fuck I'm happy. Like the Leafs are losing, the Leafs are losing, um Edmonton is losing, uh Washington is losing, so fuck. It's and the ball and Boston's winning. So fuck. It's it's it's it's it's a good time right now.
SPEAKER_04You should go buy a lottery ticket for the and celebrate this performance location. It's Saturday, 6 49.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yep. I'm gonna do that as soon as we're done here today.
SPEAKER_04What's the uh uh how's are you all finally unpacked from your move? Is everything all good to go?
SPEAKER_02Uh I would like to say yes. Um, but yeah, that means that means the answer is no. Uh we are settled for the most part. Um and I think we're all set up kind of the way we want things to be. There's a couple things still that I've got to sort through. I've got a probably a half dozen boxes uh kicking around and kind of hiding that I really need to get at and probably just end up throwing out a whole bunch of stuff. So uh plus plus we've got that storage locker rented still. I I would really like to kind of there's some stuff down there that I've got to go through eventually too, because hey, if it's stuff that we're not gonna need, then why put it in storage and pay for money, pay you know month a monthly fee for it, right? So pay for stuff that is junk. That's just stupid. So yeah. So hey, we're we're we're kind of feeling at home though, so that's the most important thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's yeah, it's a good place. So uh we like it here.
SPEAKER_04Um I want to touch on concerts and the vaccine. Good old vaccine. So, first off, if you do get your vaccine, you don't need to post on social media saying you got the jab and hold up your fucking card. Yes, we get it. Thank you for doing your part and being a decent human being. Don't announce it to the world. Go fuck yourself. Um, I hate that shit. Look what I got, and then I I hope it gets jacked, and I hope your fucking your code gets taken away and you can't get the second jab. Don't post your card. Just tell everyone you did it. That's cool. Thank you for being a good human being and move on with your life.
SPEAKER_02You can post once Gee I'm glad I I'm glad I didn't post my photo.
SPEAKER_04And once you're done, once you're done everything, then you can post your card, then you can have a good time. But your first jab means nothing. Yes, you're doing a good part. Yes, you're on the road to recovery, yes, you're a good human being. But please, please, please stop posting your photos. Nobody gives a fuck. Thank you for being a decent human being. Good, good job.
SPEAKER_02You're such a downer, man. You just ruin everything.
SPEAKER_04Yep. I just hate it. Everybody. Everybody.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I know. I know it became, well, it still is very popular, and I know a lot of people are doing it. Yeah. And you're and you're right. It's it's uh it's people do need to be congratulated for jumping on board and doing it, because it's a necessary thing. So but it's still a long process. You still need to get that second shot. Uh you still need to mask uh and uh distance yourself between the two shots and probably even after getting your second shot. So nothing's changed. Um just keep doing what you're doing, and I don't know, maybe later in the summer this will This will be hopefully be good, yeah. Yeah, it'll be interesting on like Tuesday is kind of the uh I won't say deadline, but it's kind of the date that uh was set for this latest round of restrictions. Is that correct? Yep. Do you know do you know what's gonna happen?
SPEAKER_04Um so after the long weekend, which is this Tuesday, they're gonna announce a bunch of new stuff. So what they're f theorizing is that restaurants are gonna open up to a 25% capacity for a month. And it's just gonna keep growing. So it'll give restaurants and businesses a chance to catch up, hire a new staff who they've had to unfortunately let go, and everything will um just kind of start up again that way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Shit, I wish I was more prepared. I had an awesome video that I found, but I can't find it about getting the vaccine. Um, and that's just me being a dumbass and uh not being prepared for this. So I don't know where it is. I don't know if it was on Twitter or Instagram or there's so many stupid th stuff to waste your time with now, but it was uh yeah, it was uh it was a pretty good, pretty good little rant which I was gonna play, but I can't do that because we're unprepared and there's just too much stuff, and it's uh it's just one of those things. But that's okay. I am h oh, here we go! Yes, found it!
SPEAKER_00Oh I'm not gonna get the vaccine. Then die. What do we do? Are you with you? I'm not gonna get the disease.
SPEAKER_04You see, I'm all for getting the vaccine, but don't post it, people. Um so with that being said, with the vaccine and everyone's life kind of restarting and getting back to normal, the festival lineup this year's nuts. Um there's been a festival that's been announced in Daytona, Daytona Beach, which is in Florida, which is obviously the hotspot for thing. But the festival goes as this it's a four-night festival. Uh so the Thursday night, the headliners are Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Cypress Hill, and Stone Tumple Pilots. Wow. Uh the Friday night, the headliners are Metallica, Rob Zombie, Social Distortion, Chavelle, and Pennywise, among others.
SPEAKER_02Shit.
SPEAKER_04The Saturday nights is the headliners are Disturbed, The Offspring, Stained, Lamb of God, and the original members of Danzig. And then the Sunday nights are Metallica, Leonard Skinnard, Mudvain, Mastodon, Anthrax, and that's it. So four nights of pretty big, huge names, and five of those bands, they're my favorite bands of all time. I like I love all that shit. So if I were to get a if I still haven't made up my mind about going to concerts and or traveling yet, and or going to a thing, but that might make me do it. Because if they figure out a way to have everything regulated, because everything's starting to boot up again. Uh I don't know how to do it.
SPEAKER_02At least in the States, yeah, and and Europe. Uh yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So that so this opens up a whole big thing on the vaccine passports and what they're going to do. When you brought something to my attention, what did they what are they rocking over in let you say London?
SPEAKER_02Well, it's over in it's over in uh the EU. So all of the European countries are it sounds like they've all gotten together on and decided on a what they're going to be calling a vaccine certificate. Because we've we've been people have been calling them uh a bunch of different things, including a vaccine passport. They probably don't like the word passport, so certificate seems to make more sense. Now, this is a digital a digital certificate. Obviously, so there's going to be an app of some sort on your phone. Uh I don't I know very little details about uh who is making the app, uh what's happening with all of the data, is it's being stored locally, is there some database? Uh I think all of that is probably still up in the air, too. They haven't figured everything out, but they have announced that July 1st, I think, is the rollout for this in the European countries. So travel between those countries, I think it sounds like you are going to require a digital vaccine certificate, which indicates uh that either you've been tested negative um or that you have had the vaccine. Uh, I think there's some stipulations or conditions or parameters or surrounding all that, and I don't know those details. But uh so that's what's happening over there. Um and I'll have to I'll have to read or investigate a little bit more of that. But again, it just goes back to our previous discussions about all this stuff. Like, yeah, you know, it's just how it is is the government involved in this, or is it some third party who is creating uh the app and and storing all the data and all that kind of stuff? If it's if it's in fact being stored in the cloud or or whatever it is. And um, you know, who's gonna have access to that to all that data? Are they going to delete it at when all when this pandemic ends? Like all of this stuff is still unanswered, and it's just it just sounds so rushed. I mean, I know people want to get back to normal, yeah. And some sort of certificate or passport is is probably going to be necessary, but it needs to be done right. Yeah. And uh it everything is so rushed all the time, and people just want to get back to doing what they like doing, and and sometimes it means they take shortcuts or or things are not answered or uh or addressed correctly. And uh that's just wrong. It's just especially when it comes to personal health data. And um you know, I just I just hope that you know I guess how how is that going to affect us as Canadians? You know, are we going to have to download their app and load our data on it? Uh, where is that data again, where's that data going? Who controls it? Uh, and then are we going to have to have our own app here in Canada? Like are like are we gonna have to have if we travel lots, are we gonna have to have 20 different apps on our phone uh with with 20 or more um uh governments or organizations controlling or in control of our health data? Like that just doesn't make sense, right? So um I don't know that they've thought all of this through correctly, and that's the thing that's the big thing that concerns me. So we'll have to see what happens. You mentioned Canada might be using a an app that's uh what did you call it again? Uh you gave me I forgot it already.
SPEAKER_04Um it's called ArriveCan.
SPEAKER_02ArriveCan, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Okay, so what I think it's for is it's for um your declaration form. So when you uh leave if you're on a vacation, you come back, you gotta fill out that form. Whatever it is, are you bringing shit back? How much money do you spend? Where do you live? Are you bringing back animals or fruits or whatever the hell it is? Yeah, but it sounds like they're gonna roll in our quote unquote vaccine passport with this app. Not confirmed yet, it's just the rumors online, it's the kids with their tinfoil hats. But if you think about it, that makes sense because it's already an arrival app, so it's already a travel quote unquote app because you need to have it for when you sell it. Obviously, you don't need it, you can still do it on paper, but this will expedite your process when you do arrive back at home and or back in Canada on Canadian soil and have to do it because it's been a process for hundreds of thousands of years, whatever it's been. So so that's okay. So maybe they'll use that for us, but again, there's no word on it, but they need to regulate it or something, or yeah. But the the hugest thing about it is that, and this goes back to day one of COVID, is that COVID is such a awesome virus, and I'm still not saying that it kills you, I'm not saying it, but it adapts, and you have all these new variants, and you have all this new stuff. So if you are, and what kind of still gets me, like if I do go to hit one of these festivals or see a show or whatever it is, I'm still wearing a mask. Um because it's just the vi getting the uh vaccine, you fucking the stupid virus, the um you get the vaccine, it if you do get a variant, it's not gonna kill you, but you're still gonna get super sick. Yeah. And that's that's the thing that still worries about me, especially if you're in a festival or uh like one of those big fet like the festival I just talked about, um, or anything with a bunch of people. If one person has the the variant, and again, COVID is such an awesome virus that they might not show symptoms, so they might not know they had it, but if one person gets it, it's just gonna spread like a wildfire. So, you know, you go into that scenario with um when this was first coming out and they did a research project out in Germany when they were in a in an arena testing the possible return of shows, and um it showed that e even the one guy in the arena was able to s share it and spread it, and you know, everyone else is bought. It's just it's a very scary thing, and I just don't know I just don't know how to uh how I feel about that. I haven't really processed that part in my head so much. Yeah. Um and these variants are scary, man. All these variants are popping up. There was another new variant uh announced last week that's now made found its way into uh BC here, so that's not good. Alberta's still doing the shits. Uh Toronto sounds like they're opening up again, but we'll see how long that lasts. Because they opened up for a little bit and now they're closed. So it's um, and then another opening up again. So open close, open, close. Nobody knows what's going on. Uh experts say we should still remain closed till July. Just keep everything closed because numbers are yes, it's yes, it's shitty, but numbers are slowly going down. So what they're doing right now is working. So let's just follow that routine. Um and people expect you all you get the vaccine, uh life's gonna flip back to normal. Well, yeah, it's going to be like that, but you still have to uh you know, especially here in Canada. I don't know what the hell they're doing in the States. Are for any of the hockey games that you watch, do they have live people there? Have you seen any of these?
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, for sure for sure. They've opened up their stadiums to to fans quite a quite a you know, uh a couple, would it be a couple months ago? Yeah, probably. Uh I mean I think some of these some of these places now I think have up to 50% capacity. Like the games just recently, these playoff games, some of the fans there, like there's over 9,000 fans there. That's all right. And and if you look at uh you know, if you look dur at the game, at the fans during the game, like they're all like they're all close together, like to like I wouldn't feel comfortable myself. Yeah, it's weird. Um they are saying uh I'm a Dodgers fan. Um so uh of course I pay attention to what's happening uh down in Los Angeles. They are saying, and I forget the date, but it's coming up fairly soon. It may even be I don't know if it's the end of the month or if it's sometime in June. They are expecting to um be at full capacity in the in the very near future. So that's that's 40 some thousand fans at Dodger Stadium, Dodger Stadium in in Los Angeles. So um they're they're they're they're quickly opening everything up, and it sounds like they're gonna carry on, like like everything is over, and that's scary. That really sized, yeah. I I I as much as I would hey if I live down there, as much a big a fan I am, I would love to go see a game or something like that. And yeah, there's just no way. Like 40,000 people in a stadium, forget it. Yep. Yeah, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_04It's very, very interesting.
SPEAKER_02So so back to that music festival. It sounds really cool. Like that's a really that's an awesome lineup, and that would be a lot of fun. When when is that festival?
SPEAKER_04Uh I think it's I think it's coming up. It is where the hell is it? I have so much stuff. I have so you have a lot of tabs open on your thing? On your website. I have a lot of apps open. That's okay. That's where I get going. But it is uh when are the dates? When are the dates? When are the dates? Uh it is uh Daytona Beach, Florida, November 11th. So remember it's stay a long weekend. So it's a little bit of waste. Um and obviously because everyone's getting vaccinated and stuff, the chances are getting better that you won't catch any cool variants of uh the Rona, but it's still the opportunity for you to catch it is greatly increased sitting at a festival like this, especially with these anti-maskers and all these still anti-mask rallies going on. I don't know if you saw in the news that there was the head anti-masker lady for Vancouver got COVID. No way. Yeah, so she got it and spread it to uh spread it to her whole family and stuff, and now she can't. She's she's in isolated 14-day quarantine. And because she's known to be an anti-masker, they're really keeping tabs on her, so she's been bitching about it and bitching about it. Uh so I think that's that's pretty funny. But it's it's a sweet, sweet justice. Yes, it is. Yes, indeed. That's good. One person who is now a believer of the Rona because she actually physically got it.
SPEAKER_02So well, hopefully she's changed her tune, at least anyway. Some of these people, again, it's uh they've got that fucking short circuit in their brain, so who knows? I don't I don't know if COVID, catching COVID is gonna fucking fix that. So I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. Especially if she doesn't get very sick, she'll probably come out of this and carry on like like like she was before. Unfortunately, that's the way some people are. So I don't know. Hey, one more question about the festival. You mentioned Dan Danzig and the original lineup. Does that include Chuck Biscuit?
SPEAKER_04Uh the drummer, right?
SPEAKER_02Chuck, Chuck, yeah, Chuck, yeah. Um I don't know. Because because he basically dropped off the planet. Um like he didn't drop off the planet, but he basically was has not been involved in music for such a long period of time now. Yeah. And there are many stories about whatever happened to him and where he landed. And I heard the story that he ended up in Seattle working at a Costco.
SPEAKER_05Oh shit.
SPEAKER_02Um I don't know if that's uh I think I think that part is true, but that was quite a few years ago too. So I don't know. Um because after Danzig, he what did he do after Danzig? He played uh with Social Distortion for a year. He was on one of their albums and and did that subsequent tour. Uh like that was 1996 or something like that. So, like it, but since then, like so it's been like how many years is that? That's 25 years. Yeah. I don't I don't think he's been involved in music in 25 years. So uh hey, if he's back, then that's awesome because he's one of the greatest punk rock drummers out there. Yep. Um anyways, it just you mentioned you mentioned the original lineup. He he was part of that original uh like he was on at least the he was on the first four albums, anyways, for Dan's sake. So um yeah, it'll be interesting to see. Overall, that lineup sounds good though, like the for the festival. Um I'm gonna check that out. Not that we can go, but uh not that I'm gonna go, at least anyway.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, I don't know. I'm on the fence because I do uh uh I don't even know uh how I'm gonna get I don't even know what my new job's time off is gonna I I have no idea. I have I know nothing. But uh we'll see we'll kind of see what happens. Um speaking of music, we have uh had an awesome well not awesome, but a couple anniversaries this past week. Uh Chris Crunell passed four years ago on Tuesday, which is still a pretty big loss for the music community. Yeah. Uh I am uh I was always a big Soundgarden guy. They're one of my favorite Grunge bands. I was Soundgarden and Alison Change, my boys. Um and now that Chris is gone, I've we uh working at Seafox, we had the opportunity to hang out with Chris a couple times. Were you ever there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I've met him uh I met him a couple times. Uh he was in into chat. Um got our photo taken with him. Really cool. He's a very he's a very quiet and soft spoken individual. Yep. Uh he's he's almost shy. And um I I think some people may find that to be um they may be surprised to hear that, I I guess. But uh but yeah, he he seemed uh very, very nice, very kind, uh very well spoken and great interviews. Nice to meet him for sure. Uh and it sucks that he's gone.
SPEAKER_04I have uh my Chris Cornell's story is he released a solo album with uh hip hop producer Timbaland. And I fucking love that album. And uh I had the opportunity to interview him at the Commodore after one of the shows. And so uh our good buddy Dale hooked that up for me, so I went backstage and interviewed him, and he just came off the stage, so he just got out of the shower and his hair's up in a bun, whatever it is. So I I sit down and talk to him for uh a good ten minutes, and the first thing I said to him, I fucking love your new album. And he's just he lit up. He's like, Yes! I'm like, I thought it's great. I still I still listen to it like monthly. It's still on my high rotation, like it's just in one of my favorite playlists, but each song comes up, it just And plus it pounds in my car, so that helps. But um so we talked about his new album and I touched on Audio Slave and I touched on um of course Soundgarden, the bread and butter, and that's some dis songwriting process. I wish I could find the interview because I'd post that. I don't know where it is, but uh this songwriting process between his solo stuff, Soundgarden, and Audio Slave. And um Yeah, it was just a really great interview. And then I go to get my photo taken, and I'm like, uh, hey man, um I want you to tell people how you really feel about them not liking a new album. And he goes, I'm like, do you mind if I he's like, Do you mind if I flip them off? I'm like, you're fucking Chris Cornell. You can do whatever the fuck you want. So he makes his big mud fakes and he's flipping off the camera. So um I'll send you the photo and you can post it on oldmen who yellowclouds.com. But that's uh yeah, I remember that. It was that was a pretty special night. And then yeah, obviously he passed away, and I was still on the air with the O'Neill show then. And uh that was a big morning for us because not only like us, we've but a lot of people have had the chance to meet Chris Cornell and have their own soundgarden stories and audio slave stories and the solo stuff stories, so it was a pretty cool day. Well not a cool day, but it was cool to celebrate the life in such a positive way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Cool. Yeah, send the photo. Uh uh I don't you may have posted it on Instagram or something like that in the past. I'm sure you did, but I can't I can't remember that. So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_04Uh and speaking of anniversaries, it's um Tools Lateral Alice turned twenty this week. And for me, that's one of my favorite albums of all time. It's just uh the album is just uh it just changed music. Again, Tool has always been around for they're known for their long ish songs, whatever it is. But this album came out after Enema, and it was such a different approach for them, but it was still the same. And it was just it's super cool just to see the band grow like that. I just thought it was I just think that album's just fantastic. And not only Tool has turned 25, but there's a bunch or 20. There's a bunch of albums getting old. Like we're getting old. Do you know Shrek turned 20 this year?
SPEAKER_02Really? Wow, no, I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_04So that's that's just nuts.
SPEAKER_02But uh What's your favorite uh song on the on Lateralis?
SPEAKER_04Lateralis, the title track Nine Minutes of Awesome.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_04And I also like Parabol and Parabola.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh whatever the hell they're called. Uh those are great. Schism, obviously.
SPEAKER_02Schism was Schism was the first single, I think, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_04Uh the opening track off that, The Grudge, is fantastic. Yeah. I I think Third Eye is on that. Uh is I don't know. Third Eye is right in two. I get it all mixed up. But yeah, those I know Latinos, it's The Grudge and Schism for sure, and Perobla Palablubla, whatever the fuck they're called, are on that album as well. So that's uh yeah, that's pretty good. Uh right on. Have you been rocking out to any new music lately?
SPEAKER_02Uh the uh the new Monster Magnet album is out. It's uh it's uh uh we may have talked about it briefly uh in the past. It's a covers album. So he uh basically the band covers a whole bunch of 70s, uh early 70s psychedelic uh you know hard rock bands. Uh I've I I know I mentioned one of those bands. Oh, we talked to um um who did we talk to about that? Uh I forget now. Anyways, um I so I anyways, I've listened to they do a song by From Dust that is really awesome. I haven't listened to the whole album yet, but it's it's really cool. It's it's you know, it's Monster Magnet. That's kind of you know, their music kind of was really influenced by all of those artists back then, and that's why they wanted to pay tribute to them. So um uh so it's really good. Another um another band I've been listening to is uh I think uh they're called Hippie Death Cult. Is that the name of them, I think? Uh uh Hippie Death Cult. They're a doom metal band from Portland. Cool. They've just they've just released a new album. It's uh of just getting into that. It's really cool, good stuff. Yeah, uh I like it. So those are kind of the two things that kind of uh uh hit me here, caught my eye here off the bat, at least anyway.
SPEAKER_04So there is um kind of a new super group warning.
SPEAKER_02Uh oh, yes, thanks for yeah, okay. Go ahead, carry on, go ahead.
SPEAKER_04Uh they're called LA Rats. It has uh Rob Zombie, Nikki Six, John Five, and drummer uh Tommy Clifflos, Clifflos, yeah, uh who's currently Ozzy's drummer and Black Sabbath's drummer for that matter. But uh they covered an old school song called I've Been Everywhere. Yeah. Uh that song just rips. It it's super cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was it's an old country song. Uh you know what? I haven't listened to it yet. I just read the story about it last night, and I've been meaning to get to it today, and I just haven't had time. It's an old country song. I forget who originally did it. Um but they were really the the the the artist who it's so it's been covered by lots of artists since the artist who they who really got them wanting to do the song themselves is Johnny Cash. Yep. Um yeah, so okay, after we're done here, I'm gonna post or I'm gonna listen to that too, and we'll post it too in case you haven't heard it yourself yet. So uh I read that last night. Yeah, that's that's cool stuff. I don't know if there's a more more stuff coming from them or not, uh, because it's for a soundtrack, I think, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's a new Nissan movie or something like that.
SPEAKER_02That that's right. So is it kind of a one-off for that or are they gonna be doing some more stuff here along the way?
SPEAKER_04I hope they do more stuff.
SPEAKER_02I mean kind of interesting.
SPEAKER_04John 5 and Zombie obviously play and tour together. Uh Nikki Six is just kind of everywhere. I think Nikki Six and John Five are pretty good friends in real life. Yeah. Uh so that they're always posting on the gram and Twitter that they're hanging out together. And um I don't know how Tommy fell in the mix, but he's a fantastic drummer. We of course saw him playing for Black Sabbath. Oh shit, that was like ten years ago.
SPEAKER_02It seems like that long ago. I don't think it was that long, but it's yeah, it's anyways, it's been a while.
SPEAKER_04You know what came up in my Facebook memories today is um Metallica played this year uh in Vancouver about a it was nine year or nine years ago on the uh St. Anger Tour. Uh or St. Anger Tour, Death Magnetic Tour, one of the tours, and you were taking photos of it, and I was at the front row by me, and I was with my buddy Chris and uh uh friend at the time, and he took this awesome photo of us, and that popped up on my Facebook feed. It was a Christmas show.
SPEAKER_02So I think that was the Death Magnetic Tour, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that was funny. I'm in the pit taking photos, or actually, I think the show hadn't started yet, or had it.
SPEAKER_04Uh no, it hadn't started yet.
SPEAKER_02It was just yeah, but I didn't know that you were kind of front row there, right in the mix, right up front, and I walked by, so yeah, of course I took that shot. And I got some really cool photos of that uh from that show. Um yeah, it was it's uh one of the highlights for sure. Of uh I've got lots of photos. I had a good opportunity there uh working for for chorus to to to do some shows, and uh I think a lot of people, including myself, even you know what? I'll be honest, even even myself, I probably haven't gone through all of the different photos that I've taken over the years. You know me, I suck when it takes the photos. It takes me a while. It takes me a while to get to them, and uh yeah, post-processing can be a long process if you've got 500 photos to sort through. Um but I yeah, I've taken some a lot of photos of different concerts, and I just probably I forget some of the shows I probably did, and I think a lot of times I dumped them from my camera onto my computer, and I haven't looked at them since, you know. So I should probably get to that someday.
SPEAKER_04One day.
SPEAKER_02One day. Um last song that I want to touch on is uh a single by KK's Priest. Oh that that is the name of uh KK Downing's band. It's KK's Priest. Okay. Uh I think he's still hurting that he got dumped by Judas Priest, but anyway, it's a pretty cool song. I don't know who the rest of the band is, and I'm not sure who's who's singing, but it's a pretty cool track. It's it's heavy metal. Yeah. Um you know, you you you probably you could you could probably see how it would land on a Judas Priest album if he was still part of the band. Um but it's a pretty cool track. It's called Hellfire Thunderbolt. Awesome. I'll check that one. Uh yeah, so check that out as well. So that that popped into my release radar this week.
SPEAKER_04Fuck yeah. Release radar is back on your side this week, is it?
SPEAKER_02It is. It was actually pretty good this time. So hopefully all that old shit is kind of uh getting sifted out, and uh I had some pretty cool stuff in there. Some a new Mastodon track is in there. Um Fu Man Chu has uh reissued their early album Return to Earth, so there's a song in there. Yep. Um yeah, one of the like I said, one of the Monster Magnet tracks is in there. Black Keys have released a covers album, so one of their songs is in there. Uh pretty cool track, actually. Yeah. Uh so overall, um I wouldn't say it's back to normal yet, but we're getting there. There's some there's some cool music uh that showed up and that I've listened to uh in the last couple days. So were you ever a hip fan? Not really, not really, no. Uh I just yeah, you know what? I I just cake some good tunes, some good tunes. Um I've seen them in concert once. Um we met um Gord in the studio once, or at least I did. So that was really cool. But yeah, I'm uh I'm not a fan. They released an EP, I think, right? Is that is that why you brought that up yet?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so they it's uh a bunch of sessions or a bunch of lost tracks off of Road Apples, so which came out in '91-ish. So it's like it's new, but it's vintage. So they've remastered it, and uh the leadoff single is called Ouch. And I'm a big fan of this song. It's it's super cool. Okay. It's like it's the quote vintage hip. The first three hip albums, Road Apples fully completely, and um I forget the other one, but all those albums are front to cover, pretty have some pretty good bangers on it, and this is one of them. So yeah, I'm a big uh big fan of this. I actually haven't listened to the full album yet. They only or the full EP. It's six songs, I'm halfway through, and because it sounds like Road Apples and the older stuff like that, I'm a big fan automatically. Okay. And you know what's really cool is all the hip stuff is actually produced really well. Like it just pounds. So I'm a big fan of that too, because being a huge audiophile that helps. Oh shit, here's some tech news. Let's get the tech news. Did you see what Apple's done? Both their music stuff?
SPEAKER_02Um I might have, but uh remind me, talk about it.
SPEAKER_04So we have the big main three uh streaming platforms are Apple Music, Spotify, Title, and I guess you can say uh Amazon Music if you use that. But what Apple's doing is they're incorporating Hi-Fi and streaming with their regular process. So Title, you have to pay $20 a month for the surplus uh because of the data stuff. I know Spotify has announced Spotify Hi-Fi. There's no release date on it yet, but now, and I think you're gonna have to pay a premium for that as well. But Apple Music's just going, hey, fuck, we could we'll just include it with our service. So that might make me jump to Apple Music now because I have a Hi-Fi system in my car. So I'll just go through that. So we we've talked about this in the past, but there's um most streaming services stream at about 320 kilobytes-ish a second, or a minute, or bitrate a second, whatever it is. But the Apple Music stuff or the any of the hi-fi stuff will stream at 124 or 1024 or higher. So it'll just make the sound so much better. So uh that's pretty big news in the audio world, because it it's you know, for them to include it, so it's gonna put title out of business right away, because they're gonna have they have the same artists. Uh so unless title does something or joins forces, or Apple probably will be end up buying title. But title was founded by um a couple rappers. I forget who now. Uh I think it was I don't know if it was Dre. I don't think it was Dre because Apple bought beats by Dre. Yeah, I could have been Jay-Z. Jay-Z and Puffy founded title. I'm not too sure. But for them to do that, start off like that, that's pretty cool. But uh, so that's big in the tech. That's what shook up the tech rub this week, and I'm actually pretty excited by it.
SPEAKER_02But uh Yeah, it it's it like you said, if if they're able to do that without increasing their monthly subscription, then I'm that is massive, yeah, for sure. Uh, but you do need a pretty good sound system in order to take advantage of that for sure. And I know you've got that in your vehicle, and that's great. Myself, I I don't know that I would like it's it's not enough, even though it's included with the regular subscription, it's for me, it's not enough to jump ship, that's for sure. I I wouldn't be jumping Spotify. Uh of course I'm not a an Apple kind of guy in the in the first place, so I've got no reason to to go to Apple. I want nothing to do with iTunes because it's a piece of shit. So um so yeah, for me there's no reason, but hey, if if you're already a subscriber and you have a great sound system to take advantage of that uh high quality audio, then great. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Well you have a you rock a sonos bar at home, don't you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. We've got uh I've got the the smaller beam and I've got a couple of uh small ones which are used as surround speakers. Yeah. Uh so it does kind of simulate a 5-1 system. Well, no, I don't have a sub, so it's not a 5-1 system, but uh yeah, still probably pounds, and you take advantage of it. Yeah, maybe so, but I I don't know how often I could crank it up to really Oh take full advantage? Take full advantage of it, yeah. That's that's that's the thing. So we're in an apartment, uh, we can't crank it up too loud here, that's for sure. And um yeah, so I I don't know. Uh I love listening to high quality music, but is it worth the yeah, is it is it is it something that I'll really be able to to notice um with my current system here, at least in my current environment. So I don't know. Well not yet with that attitude, but you'll get it. That's that's right, that's right. I've gotta fucking change my shitty attitude.
SPEAKER_04Uh so speaking about Apple and phones and stuff, yeah, I hear you're in the market for a new phone.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. So looking around, um we're not under contract anymore because we've had our phone for over two years. Uh we I'm with TELUS. We're with TELUS. And our phone, you know what? We still I I have the S9 Plus. It's still a great phone. The battery still seems kind of pretty good. I mean, for us in the past, the battery has always been the biggest issue to upgrade the phones because uh the battery sucks. Sometimes it's just not worth to upgrade you you or to replace it. You might as well just upgrade your phone. So totally but I've been looking at the S21s. So the Samsung S21 Ultra is kind of what I'm looking at. The prices have dropped at TELUS significantly. Um I I was online, I added it to my cart, and I was right about to push the buy button or order now button, and I stopped. I don't know, I don't know why. I don't know. It's just I I just do I really need to do this. Yes, yes, you do. Um it's it means signing another two-year contract with TELUS. It means see here's here's the thing. These these telecom companies have changed the way they do business because because of course the the federal government a few years ago uh changed the way they do their business and that they had to cut their subscriptions uh from three years down to two years. Yep. And of course they bitched and complained about how much money they were gonna lose and all that kind of stuff, and it's it's a big fucking joke, of course. So they they do they do things differently now. So they they and even their phones, like they we used to get our phones because I've I've been a customer of TELUS for over 20 years, um our phones are always in excellent condition after our uh after our period ends or two years ends. So we always used to be able to trade in our phones, get a great promotion from TELUS. Uh basically our phones would almost be free. Like maybe maybe we we would pay a couple hundred bucks or something like that. But we would always get their flagship phones uh for a very low cost. Sure, we would have to tie uh sign a two-year subscription again, but the phone is basically free. Yeah. Well, they've changed it now so that's uh no, they don't take trade-ins anymore, and if they do, it's it's very little. Um, and you are paying, unless you can like yourself afford two thousand bucks to buy the phone outright. Well, I say uh well I know I know that, but it still costs you two thousand bucks in in a shot or whatever that iPhone 12 cost. Yeah. Um the monthly payments now based basically you're you you are they still give you a bit of a discount, but you're still basically paying over a thousand bucks for a flagship phone.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And um it's so it doesn't matter about the trading anymore, it doesn't matter that you've been a customer for 20 years. They'll give you other promotions and some other discounts off your monthly bill, yeah. But you're you're still paying a lot more money than you used to. And um so they're always changing their their setup or their model. Um you know, and they're always finding a way to fuck the customers. Oh, yeah. Because uh, you know, not only the high data rates that we get soaked for every single month, because Canada is the worst in the world for that, but um, you know, they're they're finding ways to steal this money from our pockets, and uh, you know, it's it it turns me off and it's I guess it's kind of a kind of a reason why I I don't know. You know what? I still may end up doing it, but it's it's I'm I I'm hesitant at the same time. Like, should I be doing this or not? Do I really need another phone right now? Yes. I don't know. Probably about that. So um I don't know. Like I said, working from home. I'm not going out. I it's not like I need more data, that's for sure, because I'm not utilizing anywhere near what we've got right now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, shit.
SPEAKER_02Um I'm not using my phone, so do I need to do I need to buy a new phone? That's really what it comes down to here. So I don't know. Well, see, so that's the thing, because it's uh it's a they've got a good promotion on a plan right now. They've got uh like I said, the prices of the phones have dropped significantly. Our monthly payments would be uh would be quite a bit lower than they were even a month ago. Um so I don't know. Do we do we just take advantage of that now? Or I don't know if they'll drop any more than this. By the time they drop, a new phone will come out anyways, in in the fall time or next spring or whatever their schedule is. But so it's kind of a vicious cycle when it comes to phones. It's something that we s depend on so much now, and um and they're not cheap. They're like they're like a small computer and they cost just as much as a small computer now. So so I don't know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04Very interesting. I just did a quick uh Google search and looked at this Galaxy S21 Ultra. It's uh it's a badass phone, and uh so I then I of course I did a Samsung 21 or S Ultra versus iPhone 12 Pro Max. Yeah, and uh they're neck and neck. Yeah, uh everything's neck and neck, so it is their flagship phone because I got the flagship phone. Um so this reviewer was a little more Apple biased. Uh he got an 87 for the iPhone 12 and uh 85 for the Samsung Ultra Galaxy S. But where the Galaxy S went beat them was for their 5G uh connectivity and their charging and software. So it's uh it's pretty neck and neck. I mean their flagship phones, they cost about the same, they do their thing. But if you spend the money for a flagship phone, you're getting the flagship models and they're just gonna kick ass. Regardless of it's Samsung, Apple, LG, Qualcomm, fucking Motorola, whatever it is you get. It's uh it's still good. But you do bring up an interesting point. The um the big three care or big two or four carriers in Canada here. Uh rumors have it that Mint Mobile is going to switch up here in the to get to uh Canada, because that is good old Canadian boys uh Ryan Reynolds is company. Uh he's gonna come into the uh Canada market and that's gonna shake everything up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that will be interesting. I mean if he's if he is completely independent from the big three, then yeah, that's that's big news because right now it's uh well yeah, there's there's only three. So, you know, especially since uh Rogers bought or they're in the process of buying Shaw, right? So Shaw Shaw was a fourth yeah uh in the telecom world here in Canada, but yeah, it's back down to three again. So if we get can get some other competition here and and and they have a quality product, then uh that'll be good news for everybody. Yep, totally. So we'll see what happens. Uh see the thing that one one last thing about all of this though is that technology is really slowed down when it comes to to mobile phones. Um they're they're sure they get seem to get faster and faster all the time, but we don't notice that speed really. They pump, they put more memory, memory is probably the biggest thing. You could you add more RAM and it can help speed the phone up, especially if you're a gamer, that sort of thing. But um, but but but it's really that the difference noticing the difference in these changes recently in recent years is very minimal. You don't see um it's not that significant, right? So that's why you you really don't need to upgrade your phone every couple years. There's no reason for it.
SPEAKER_04So um well, I'd be happy with my old phone. Uh I had an 8 Pro or 8 Plus Max. Um was the bigger phone, whatever it is, but my battery was just a shit. I'd have to charge it every two, four hours before it would just die. And that's just general, like when I'd be chilling in the old work truck, just swiping on uh you know, swiping up and down on on Tinder or not Tinder uh Twitter and on TikTok and shit, just watching the videos, it would just kill all the battery life so quick.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Now I can go for three days with this new phone. So it does, you know, there are little improvements, but you're right. Like if you still have a phone f two years ago and it's still alright, then you know, if you it's use it, wait for the next one, give it another year. Um fortunately for me, I knew my phone was dying, and um, so it's it was just time. I'm like, it's on the uh list of upgrades. Like we said, we use them every day. You leave your house now, it's keys, wallet, phone, mask before you leave your house. So it's part of the big four when you're walking out. So yeah, you gotta use it. So they're literally.
SPEAKER_02So anyway, I'll think about it some more. We'll see, we'll see how it goes. So they're they're nice phones. Um I just have to decide whether it's something I want to spend some money on right now or not. Easy. Easy, easy breezy. All right. My vote, buy the new phone. Treat yourself. I know, I know. There's always something though, right? If I if not that, there'll be something else.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I do want to be before we leave, you guys, uh, there's been an update to my Philips Hue system. Uh we called it the Sex Dungeon, whatever it is, but uh my good buddy Ron said you now have the best fab cave. A fab? A fab. A fab cave.
SPEAKER_05Alright.
SPEAKER_04So there we go. Uh we'll leave you on that. Um perfect. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, Black Lives Matter, Fuck Cancer, Arrest Donald Trump, Science is Real, and of course, don't be an ass, wear a mask. No more questions, right? None. If you like this podcast, make sure to hit that subscribe button on whatever platform it is you're listening on. And if you didn't like this podcast, who cares? We'll talk to you in a week. Thank you for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe. We'll talk to you soon. See ya. Bye.
SPEAKER_01Find everything you need at oldmenhooyell at clouds.com.
People on this episode
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
