What did we talk about this week on The Slade and Mayson Show?

This week moves quickly between real-life frustrations, seasonal hazards, and a growing dependence on technology.

We start with Dan’s Corolla and a lesson in “you get what you pay for.” A dirt-cheap alternator seemed like a win, until it wasn’t, proving once again that sometimes the bargain ends up costing more in the long run.

Spring makes its presence known in the worst way possible, as Dan describes trying to walk the dog while breathing in heavy pollen, jokingly comparing it to inhaling airborne plant “contributions,” with predictable results.

Technology continues to behave unpredictably, including stories of self-driving cars treating train tracks as viable routes, a reminder that autonomy isn’t always the same as intelligence.

JD checks in with a doctor regarding his prosthetic leg, while also imagining what would happen if 50 sheep wandered into a shopping center.

With 420 Day around the corner, we talk about how drivers in Virginia handle mixing cannabis with driving, and how that doesn’t tend to go well.

The strange news keeps rolling. We cover a California suspect accused of stealing Lego sets in a unique way, ongoing scams involving staged “bear attacks” on luxury cars, and a mysterious golden toilet appearing in Culpeper.

Hollywood and AI collide as we discuss the late Val Kilmer appearing in a new film through AI-assisted techniques, raising questions about what it means to be an “actor” after death.

We also touch on a New York cemetery dealing with an infestation problem, not the usual kind, and an MIT researcher experimenting with giving an AI companion a physical form.

Space travel gets a reality check as we talk about one of the earliest problems on a lunar mission: the toilet not working, proving that even the most advanced technology still struggles with the basics.

Customer service takes another strange turn as a government phone system routes callers to “press 2 for Spanish,” only to connect them to an AI agent with a Spanish accent.

We revisit the now-infamous 13-ton Kit Kat theft, and take a look at how millions of Americans are beginning to rely on AI for personal health advice, a trend that may or may not end well.

We also mention Sam Altman and the return of his “orb” concept, a new approach to identity verification that aims to replace CAPTCHAs.

As always, the episode wraps with music tied to the day, this time celebrating National Amaretto Day, and Dan continues his ongoing experiment of releasing each episode into the wild on a single-track CD.

Cheap parts, bad pollen, questionable decisions, AI everywhere, and a world that keeps getting just a little stranger.

All that and more on Episode 461 of The Slade and Mayson Show.

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Music: Courtesy of Dano https://danosongs.com/

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