News and Grooves
Unique news and my original AI music, blended together for an enjoyable and entertaining Podcast! Kickback! Listen to some unique news and very good original music! New episode Every Wednesday morning!
News and Grooves
News and Grooves April 30th
What happens when a simple four-letter surname crashes entire computer systems? Or when a $65 Facebook Marketplace purchase yields a vintage Gucci watch worth thousands? These are the unexpected intersections of human experience and technology explored in our latest musical journey.
We begin with "Bridge Too Far," an original composition about lovers separated by circumstances beyond their control, setting the emotional foundation for the stories that follow. Then we meet Olivia Gilshare, a Michigan college student whose thrifting adventure turned extraordinary when she discovered a rare 1980s Gucci timepiece among eight pounds of secondhand jewelry. Despite being her "dream piece," she ultimately sold it after deciding it was "a sign" when the watch fit too tightly on her wrist.
The digital world creates even stranger problems for those with the unfortunate surname "Null." Nantra Null nearly missed an Indian wedding when her last name crashed the embassy's visa system. Meteorologist Jan Null can't make online hotel reservations without creative workarounds. And Joseph Tartaro's vanity license plate reading "NULL" resulted in him receiving hundreds of traffic violations meant for other drivers. These glitches stem from computer scientist Tony Hoare's creation of the "null" value, something he later called a "billion-dollar mistake."
Throughout the episode, original musical performances including "Dance Through The Night" and "Walk My Way To You" provide artistic interludes that remind us how creativity thrives even as technology sometimes fails us in the most unexpected ways. Ready to explore these fascinating intersections of music, technology, and human experience? Subscribe now and share your own tech mishap stories with us online!
You're listening to the News and Grooves Podcast.
Speaker 2:Exclusive original music continually featured on the News and Grooves podcast.
Speaker 3:There's a story in the shadows Of a town without a name, where the river runs in sorrow and the nights are just the same. He walked away from her Under a moonlit, starless sky, trudged that dusty road With teardrops in his eyes. She stood on the bridge where they first fell in love, thinking of the promises whispered, soft and snug. But dreams unweave like thread when you're living in the past and love sometimes ends up as a shadow that's been cast. A bridge too far. Their hearts couldn't span A love that was tangled in a master plan. They built that bridge with hope and dreams, but time took its toll, tore it, scene by scene by scene.
Speaker 3:He met her by the willow where the wildflowers grow, tried to mend the pieces Of a broken undertow, but every step they took Just led them farther apart, to wandering souls Bridged by broken hearts. She'd listen to the whippoorwill Sing a lonesome tune, praying for sunrise. But she found another moon and he just chased the wind Across an endless dark, knowing he'd lost her On a bridge too far. A bridge too far. A bridge too far. Their hearts couldn't span A love that was tangled in a master plan. They built that bridge with hope and dreams, but time took its toll, tore it scene by scene by scene. A bridge too far. Their hearts couldn't span, a love that was tangled in a master plan. They built that bridge with hope and dreams. But time took its toll, tore it scene by scene.
Speaker 2:By scene by scene.
Speaker 4:She went from Facebook to fortune. A Michigan college student who bought a mystery bundle on Facebook for cheap was astonished after it contained a luxury Gucci watch possibly worth nearly $3,000. At first I didn't believe it was real. Olivia Gilshare told JamPress while recounting her incredible score. She discovered the precious bauble after buying a Facebook Marketplace package sold as a random grab bag of items like Ibiza roulette. Gilcher's haul entailed eight pounds of old jewelry for a bargain-worthy $65, which made it all the more surprising when she found a real diamond in the junk.
Speaker 4:Upon opening the package, the jewel collector discovered a super-rare collector's item a vintage Gucci Change bezel 1100L watch from the 1980s with a gold bangle and green finish. Thanks to her experience working at a luxury watch company, the stunned collector was able to identify the special timepiece. I examined the engraved logo, sku number and overall construction, and everything checked out recalled Goucher. Even then I still couldn't believe it, so I opened the back of the watch to check the movement, and that confirmed its authenticity. Go figure, this ritzy wristwatch is allegedly worth a pretty penny. The retail price in the late 1980s was between $500 and $1,000,. That would be equivalent to approximately $1,493 to $2,985 in 2025, adjusted for inflation, postulated Gelscher.
Speaker 4:Nonetheless, the digital treasure hunter was a bit conflicted over what to do with the accessory. Thrifter bought a pristine plate for just $5. She said that on one hand it was a dream piece that she'd wanted for years, but on the other she always needed extra income as a college student. The answer came to her while donning the priceless timepiece. I tried it on and it was a little tight. That felt like my sign that I should let it go, said Gilsher. She sold the piece for $550, which seemed fairly charitable considering her estimated retail value. The Motor City gal reportedly initially started collecting mystery bundles after spying them at a local thrift shop and now resells any showstoppers she finds. Despite sweet scores like this one, she doesn't actually make much of a profit from selling jewelry. Gilcher said it's more of a passion project and a way to promote sustainability by giving these pieces a second life. She explained Over time I've collected way too much jewelry so I started reselling mystery jewelry bags to share the experience with others. Music Gonna dance, oh, through the night Dance through the night.
Speaker 3:Dance, dance through the night. Oh, come on, groove, groove. It feels so right. Yeah, all right. Spin, hold me tight. Let's keep dancing through the night. Watch the disco ball, take a ride, feel the beat it's deep inside. Let's make this for our paradise. Dance, dance through the night, Shake it to groove. It feels so right. Don't stop. Spin, spin, hold me tight. Let's keep dancing through the night. Let's keep dancing through the night. Hands up high, reach for the air. Oh la la, we keep moving. Take us there, let's go, lose yourself without a care. The music's calling everywhere. Dance, dance through the night through groove and feel so right. All right, spin, hold me tight.
Speaker 1:Let's keep dancing through the night. Thank you, through the night. The Beach Boys. Formed in California in 1961, this iconic American rock band is known for their distinctive harmonies and innovative blend of surf rock, pop and psychedelia that would define their signature sound. Led by their talented frontman, who was both a gifted songwriter and producer, they crafted numerous hit songs that showcased their ability to create infectious melodies and complex vocal arrangements. Their lasting impact on popular music can be heard in countless bands. You are listening to the News and Grooves Podcast. Your smiles are sparking a dark town. I'm not shy.
Speaker 5:I won't back down.
Speaker 6:Misty. Streetlights feed the mood. Moons are witness bright and true. My heart beats like a pounding drum. Every step brings a nearer song. Every step brings a sneer or some. Do walk my way to you, dancing the whole night through Our laughter's melody. So true, do walk my way to you In the alleyways we're swaying. Every moment's worth replaying. Your eyes whisper secrets wide. I'm here with you. There's no divide. City sounds blend in our tune. Hearts in sync under the moon. There's no divide. City sounds blend in our tune. Hearts in sync under the moon. Wish the song would never end. Do I dance my love defend? Do I walk my way to you, dancing the whole night through Our laughter's melody. So true, to walk my way to you. Do Do all my way to you, dancing the whole night through All after this melody. So true, do all my way to you.
Speaker 5:Despite what the smart gadget and artificial intelligence gurus would have you believe, computers and computer programs are so particular that they border on being complete idiots. A single wrong word in the wrong place can grind their processes to a glitchy halt. A single word like someone's last name Everybody meet all the people in the world whose last name is Null. They carry what may be one of the most unfortunate names possible in the current society. Despite what the smart gadget and artificial intelligence gurus would have you believe, computers and computer programs are so particular that they border on being complete idiots. A single wrong word in the wrong place can grind their processes to a glitchy halt. A single word like someone's last name Everybody. Meet all the people in the world whose last name is Null. They carry what may be one of the most unfortunate names possible in the current society. First off, we have Nantra Null from Burbank, california. While still dating her now husband, the 41-year-old couldn't wait to get hitched and take his simple four-letter last name. After all, her maiden name is Yantraprezert. Simple four-letter last name. After all, her maiden name is Yantraprezit. While a fine name in itself, you can probably see why she was tired of people mispronouncing and spelling the name In 2014, after she had become a null, she was invited to attend a friend's wedding in India.
Speaker 5:Excited, she applied for a visa and started packing her bags, but she didn't receive her visa by the reported deadline. When she asked the Indian embassy about the status of her application, she got a bizarre answer. According to the embassy, they were unable to process her visa because her last name crashed their system. With every attempt, I had to mentally come to terms with not being able to go, mrs Null told Wall Street Journal. Fortunately, she finally received her visa a day before her non-refundable flight. Someone at the embassy must have checked their computer out the window and filled the paperwork by hand. That's not the only time Mrs Null has struggled with her husband's last name, and she has devised workarounds. Sometimes she fills in her name as Yantra Praised Null, which does kind of defeat her whole reason for changing her name.
Speaker 5:Next we have Jan Null. The 75-year meteorologist from Half Moon Bay, california, must be sick and tired of filling online hotel reservations. His first strange computer event happened years ago, when he was attempting to reserve a hotel room online. He'd fill out his personal details on the reservation website and hit submit, only to get bounced back to an empty reservation form website and hit submit, only to get bounced back to an empty reservation form. This happened again and again. Obviously, mr Null assumed the system was just broken, so he called the hotel to make his reservation. Much to his surprise, the employee on the phone ran into the same issue. Null's last name reset the reservation system with every attempt. Finally, null managed to make his reservation after the hotel agent suggested they misspell his name on purpose and add an explanatory note to the reservation, and so Mr Null got his hotel room reserved. These days he tends to add his first initial to the last name. Hotels probably assume he's an old man who doesn't quite understand how to fill online forms, when in reality he's tech-savvy enough to fool their dumb systems into working correctly. You don't always have to be named Null Yourself to run into issues.
Speaker 5:Joseph Tartaro found that out after he got a vanity plate for his car a decade back. His license plate reads Null. For his car a decade back, his license plate reads null. Tartaro thought it'd be funny to have an empty license plate. Jokingly, he figured that he might weasel his way out of tickets if a license value of null crashed the cop's system. Yet the exact opposite happened.
Speaker 5:After paying of one small traffic violations in 2018, tartaro received hundreds of tickets in his name for incidents that had happened to strangers in completely different cities. The null that had been entered into the traffic control system caused it to go haywire and start assigning information from other tickets to fill what the computers thought was a lacking data entry. Just recently, an insurance agent wanted to come inspect his vehicle after Tartaro was reported as having had two serious accidents within 48 hours. Tartaro told his insurance company the car hadn't moved from his driveway in a month. My wife gets super pissed off about it and she hates that I still have the license plate, tartaro admitted.
Speaker 5:So why does this all happen? Well, we can put all blame on Tony Hoare, a Turing, award-winning British computer scientist. He invented and developed Null to give computers a way to represent an empty value, because sometimes it's necessary. And, to be fair, hoare could have never foreseen what issues his invention could cause for people named Null. Yet her regrets creating Null and has called it a billion-dollar mistake. That's not just because of the hassle it has caused to all the Nulls. It's because the Null can introduce serious vulnerabilities in computer systems that cyber criminals can abuse that and it can fatally crash systems, as anyone named Null has found out.
Speaker 2:Your mama says I'm trouble. She don't understand. She thinks I'm just a rebel without a master plan. Every time I come around she gives me that stare, the one that says, boy, you best beware. She's got her way with words, a tone made of steel. I try to keep it cool, but, man, I feel Every cut and remark, every little slight, can't shake this feeling. I'm in for a fight.
Speaker 2:Your mama's giving me a bad time, but I keep on standing in line For a love that's so sublime, even when the stars don't align. She thinks I'm nothing but A heartache in the making, but I've got dreams that won't be breaking. Every night I pray she'll see. I'm true, but her judgment's as tough as chewing through a shoe guitar solo. One day I'll win her over with a smile, though it might take me a while. I'll sing this song till the sun does shine, cause your love, baby, is worth the climb. Your mama's giving me a bad time, but I keep on standing in line For a love that's so sublime, even when the stars don't align. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 1:We appreciate it very much. Stay safe and we'll be back.