For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Ezgi Sertaç from Ankara, Turkey.
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In New York, I'm Deepa Fernandes.
And you're listening to WBAI Radio in New York.
Time for Off The Hook.
The telephone keeps ringing, so I ripped it off the wall.
I cut myself while shaving, now I can't make a call.
We couldn't get much worse.
But if they could, they would.
Bon dilly bon for the best, expect the worst.
I hope that's understood.
Bon dilly bon!
I hope that's understood.
talking about, I think you're still up to date with the technology.
As long as I'm not off the chain, that's all.
Yeah, I'm on it.
All right, good.
Now, Trump, what are we calling about?
Because I'm really concerned, because I didn't get to sell you a phone yet, but I've been
looking or yet examined what, you know, the things dealing with selling phones.
You just talked about a thing a while ago about the phone exploding.
You know more about that, in more detail?
Well, just what we read, as far as the lithium battery apparently got either shorted or overheated
or something like that, I guess it's something that can happen to any device that has a battery
of that sort in it.
Now, was that person, did they have the plug in the ear, or did they have it just laying
down on the seat itself, or what?
They claim the phone was just on the seat, minding its own business, not even in use,
not even being charged.
Yeah.
It's, you know, admittedly, it's a pretty rare thing.
It's...
But, you know, I'm just concerned.
I'm just saying, because some people do care to sell their phone, you know, in the cars,
and they may put it down on the dashing board or things like that.
I would avoid putting your phone in a hot car that, you know, leaving it unattended,
like you would a dog.
Say it.
No, no, wait a minute.
That came out totally wrong.
No, me know what you're saying.
Me know what you're saying.
There's no problem.
I mean, y'all are always...
It's always jovial.
Me understand where you're coming from.
Right.
Say it.
Now, another thing also, how do I want to get in contact with y'all?
Because I've got to come down to the station there.
You talk so fast, in terms of the email and all that stuff, it's hard to get all that
stuff done.
I can talk slower.
I mean, you have email access, right?
I want...
Well, me have an email, but right now, we don't have a computer.
Let me just listen to it, and I'm going to go to my friends, eh?
Okay, well, I'll give the email address anyway, and I'm sure you can figure out how to get
sent through the ether.
OTH, which stands for off the hook, at 2600-2600.com.
Two zero zero?
Two six zero zero.
Two six zero zero.
Dot com.
Dot com.
And that's it.
Yeah, man.
Why y'all don't have it with org?
What, what?
Oh, you can do that, too.
Dot org works.
We just grabbed everything, so that somebody else wouldn't grab it.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, like me saying before, y'all...
You know, when I was a kid, I used to go to my friends.
Well, thanks so much for your call.
Yeah, man.
All right.
Blessed to the crew there.
All right.
Take care.
Yeah, man.
All right.
Up to date.
Maybe we should call our show Up to Date.
I think that might be a better name for it.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Yeah, man.
I just want to say, uh, from my Jimmy Gantz...
You're not fooling anybody, Ramon.
You're just wasting your vocal chords.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
That's better thought out.
You're on the air.
You're on the air.
You're on the air.
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You're on the air.
One party I know, the person actually spoke and cursed them out for using their phone.
Now, this party has taken the telephone company to court, they're in court now in regards
to they feel that someone is on the line.
Now, I know it's possible, but have you had anyone voice their dissatisfaction with services,
with I guess the various telephone companies, maybe perhaps those who are there manding
the lines, they have access to your line when it's not being used by yourself and may either
connect someone that they know so that they'll be able to use your line?
Well, one thing that we have seen over the years is various phone company people who
are able to tap into your phone line.
For instance, if they're working on a line down the street, they're on the telephone
pole, they're able to just attach their little set to the wire, and they do this all the
time.
They make phone calls on other people's lines.
Usually, it's local calls or calls to a toll-free number or something like that.
I've gotten calls, in fact, at my house and I see the number is coming from one of my
neighbors.
It's not my neighbor calling me, it's the phone guy calling me asking if I'm home because
he wants to come to my house next and do something there.
So, it's possible.
I mean, if you think your phone is being used in a way that you don't want it to be used,
that someone is simply tapping in and doing something like that.
In fact, that can happen.
That can happen with anybody because phone wires are exposed in so many different places.
I've known people who live in apartment buildings where inside their closet is basically...
You, Jim?
That was our old apartment where we had, I think it was 300 apartments worth of telephone
lines in our closet.
In your closet.
So, you could just basically tap into anyone's phone line.
I won't say what happened, but it was interesting.
I wasn't implying that.
Now, I'm beginning to wonder.
Okay, but you could basically say, theoretically call 900 numbers, make obscene phone calls,
harass people, do all kinds of things like that are certainly possible.
Phone systems are notoriously insecure.
So, it's important that people realize that.
They're just simply wires.
Anybody can just have those wires.
Thanks for that call and for provoking that interesting discussion.
Good evening.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You're supposed to press the button.
Okay, good evening.
You're on the air.
Oh, hi.
Turn the radio down.
Yes.
Hi.
Do you have a way or know about tracking the emissions from cell phones?
Help me choose the safest phone.
Do you know what I'm talking about?
I'm pretty sure there are websites that do that kind of a thing.
I used to subscribe to a newsletter called Microwave News that talked about that kind
of thing.
Do you have anything, Mike?
Mike, you look like you know something.
Sorry.
If you read the specifications for the cell phones, a lot of times it is hidden in there.
So, you just pick out a model and it will list the emissions rate?
Often, yes.
The other thing you can do, too, is just use a hands-free set and you're not putting the
thing next to your head, which is a lot safer.
So, any hands-free set makes it much, much safer?
I would.
I've heard that in Europe they care about this and that the phones don't have high emissions.
Well, they certainly use phones a lot more than we do, wireless phones.
They use them a lot more over there.
I don't know.
They also smoke a lot.
It's kind of hard to say if they really, you know, care about that kind of thing.
Leo, you're from Europe, so tell us.
Well, I left before they had cell phones, but you can just call the company up and ask,
the cell phone company, and ask about which ones, which phones, which models released
the least amount of radiation.
Do you really think they'll be honest?
No, but it's worth a try.
Yeah, if you want to laugh about what they tell you.
But, yeah, look on the Internet, too.
You know, plug it into a search engine and I'm sure you'll find sites that talk about
this kind of thing.
Okay.
All right, good luck.
Thank you.
212-209-2900.
Jeff, you pick this one.
All right.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Go ahead.
Hi.
Yes.
Two things.
One in response to the last call and one in response to the call before it.
The one before it, the woman about some, you know, when they hang up the phone getting
the rings.
In the little brochure that we get with our bills, I think you told us last week it's
called Extra, maybe?
Yes.
Anyway, this one we just got or the one before it, it was like a reminder.
They were saying to us, the patrons, when you hang up your phone, do not make a call
right away.
Let it wait, I think, three seconds or ten seconds.
I don't really remember.
Because it interferes with their three-way calling.
Well, that's an interesting thing because what Verizon has done repeatedly in many places
is given people three-way against their will.
And then they charge these people for using the three-way function on a call-by-call basis.
So you basically get charged, I think, 75 cents every time you use three-way if you
don't already subscribe to it.
And they stick it on your line without you asking for it.
So it's really annoying.
It's really frustrating.
And you have to ask them to take it off your line and refuse to pay any charges that result
from them putting it on your line.
And that happens.
If you hang up your phone and pick it up quickly, yes, you'll hear the pulsating dial tone,
which means that you've gotten three-way.
Even if the other person hangs up, it still counts as a three-way call because you didn't
wait three seconds.
It's ridiculous.
Wow.
That's amazing.
It's a real scam.
Yeah.
And the other thing I wanted to say in regard to this last big call about the cellular phone,
Kathy Davis and Bob Lederer, I forgot the name, Health Styles, whatever their show is.
Maybe the woman has heard the show.
And they've done a lot of shows about cellular phones.
That's right.
Of course, they're totally against using them.
And I, myself, don't have one.
I never have.
But I just thought I'd bring that up.
Because from Kathy and Bob, perhaps they have some kind of way of getting the information
she's looking for.
Yes.
Look to this radio station, too.
I don't know the exact day and time that show is on, but look at our website, WBAI.org,
and find out.
And I'm sure they would have a lot more information on those specifics.
Okay.
Thanks, Emmanuel.
Okay.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
And let's take another phone call.
212-209-2900.
And who says that women don't get represented on our show?
That was the last three calls.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
I am wondering, I've heard a lot about something called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
What is that?
That's nothing but trouble.
It's legislation that was passed a few years ago.
Well, that person, I guess, didn't stick around.
Five years ago.
Five years ago.
Its anniversary is coming up.
Well, we'll have to do something special, won't we?
Yes, something that will result in litigation, for sure.
Yeah, it basically prevents you from doing all kinds of things with technology, using
it in ways that it was not intended, or reverse engineering, or figuring things out.
It's awful.
It's something that needs to be taken back.
And it's a very bad piece of legislation.
It came from the Clinton administration, didn't it?
Passed unanimously, overnight, by Congress.
Here's a letter from somebody, Jeff from Manhattan.
This...
Okay.
Well, we have two Jeffs in the room.
I'm wondering...
You're not from Manhattan.
I do not want three-way calling on my phone.
I am in Brooklyn.
Well, it says right there, Jeff from Manhattan.
So, okay.
I am in Brooklyn.
Maybe he's from Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn.
Well, it's a two-line letter, and he's already confused me.
I am in Brooklyn.
When I called Verizon, they said there's no way for us to turn it off.
I thought that was an extra feature.
Do you know anything about this?
I'm Jeff from Manhattan.
Well, Jeff, wherever you are, what we just discussed now, they are putting this on phone
lines, I imagine, in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
And, of course, they can turn it off.
They can absolutely turn it off.
And they're keeping it on so they can charge you every time you accidentally use it.
Another letter that we got from David from Arlington, Virginia.
I tried to call in, but I keep getting cut off, maybe because I'm calling from Virginia
and I'm using long distance.
It happens.
Just keep trying.
What I wanted to comment on was that when I was in New York City recently, I was crossing
a bridge called the White Stone.
Some of you may have heard of this bridge.
Yes.
It's real.
I've seen it.
I noticed a sign that said, Use of cameras prohibited.
Strictly enforced.
I was on a bus crossing this bridge, and I was wondering how they can enforce this if,
one, you're on a bus, or two, if you're using a cell phone that has a camera on it.
One can just be talking on the phone and really taking a picture.
Is the bridge copyrighted?
On one of your shows, you said some city skylines are copyrighted.
I live in Arlington, Virginia.
There was a sign at the Pentagon with a camera and a red slash through it.
I saw many people talking on cell phones there.
Signed David from Arlington.
Well, you know, one thing that really annoys me when they come up with such regulations
like this, saying you're not allowed to take pictures of something that's part of the public
landscape, I would call on as many people as possible to take pictures of all the bridges
around here and send them to us.
And you know what?
We'll make a website just of pictures of the Whitestone Bridge, the Throgs Neck Bridge.
Should we include the Queensborough Bridge?
I don't know.
Would that be a public service?
All right.
And, of course, the Verrazano Bridge, because that's a nice bridge.
Only Manhattan bridges?
Well, we're local, you know.
We have Spanish bridges all over the world.
We want to have those signs on it.
How about that?
A bridge that has a sign saying, you cannot take a picture of this bridge.
We want pictures of that bridge.
Having formerly worked for a major semi-governmental agency, in the New York City subways, you're
not allowed to take pictures.
But the reason is that, yes, it is copyrighted.
You cannot use the design elements.
You cannot make money off of it.
If you want to take it for your own private use, that's fine.
But how do they tell the difference?
Well, essentially, they have people, like, find stuff in magazines and whatever and discover
if they've asked for a permit to take the photo.
Really?
Because we've taken pictures in the subway system.
Have you used it for commercial purposes?
Well, one of our covers was from a subway station.
Remember that?
That's a maybe.
When the subway sign got hacked?
That's a maybe.
I guess they were so upset about that that they forgot about the picture.
That was news, actually.
I would say that's news.
Yes, Leo?
Before we sign off, I want to ask if next week we're going to have a show, because it's
fundraising, isn't it?
Why don't you ask me that after the show?
Because if we're not, we should announce it now.
No, we always announce when we're not on the air.
And we announce that here on the radio show.
We do it live when we're not on the air.
212-209-2900.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Go ahead.
That was not a good choice, Jeff.
I think you're losing your touch.
It was a rebel.
It could have been.
It could have been worse.
It could have left.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Go ahead.
Hello?
Yes.
Good afternoon.
Good night.
Whatever.
It's night somewhere.
Go ahead.
I want to install Linux.
I initially installed it onto a new computer.
And when I tried to plug in the drivers for the monitor,
the monitor went monochrome.
This sounds like a question for the Personal Computer Show,
which comes on right after us.
Do you want to call them and get more specific information?
I'm sorry.
I thought you would have pushed me.
No, no.
We're the Hacker Show.
Oh.
Okay.
But at 8 o'clock, the Personal Computer Show comes on.
They have all kinds of information like that,
so I suggest listening.
That sounds good.
Thank you very much.
212-209-2900.
Actually, I guess we don't have time to take new calls,
but let's take some of the ones we have here.
All right.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Hey, everybody says that hackers are bad,
and I'm wondering why it is you guys think that hackers are good.
You know, this is the same person I called about the DMCA, isn't it?
It is.
Yeah.
You're asking a lot of simple questions tonight, aren't you?
Yeah, because I'm afraid your audience doesn't understand some of these things.
Well, hackers are basically explorers.
They're people that ask a lot of questions and play with technology.
And unlike the articles that we've read from
and the definitions from Merriam-Webster,
they're not people that engage in destruction or criminal behavior.
If you come to one of our meetings,
you'll see that they're basically a lot of curious people
that just want to share information and learn things.
Oh, that's great.
We like to think.
When you were younger, did you build models?
Absolutely.
Did you follow the instructions?
Oh, I did.
No, I never.
Okay.
Well, you're a hacker.
You hacked the model.
That's right.
And you probably violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act too in doing so.
Thanks for your call.
Let's see if we can get another one in.
Okay.
And good evening.
You're on the air.
Go ahead.
Oh, yeah.
I had a question about VOIP, Voice Over Internet Protocol.
Okay.
Have any of you experienced or used that particular service?
I think a lot of us wind up using it without knowing we're using it.
Sometimes you connect to things and you're actually going over the net
instead of through wires and things like that.
It's technology that's gotten a lot better in recent years.
I'll tell you that.
And that sort of enables phone calls to become incredibly cheap,
like a penny or two pennies a minute.
Oh, because I have recently subscribed to Vonage.
Yeah.
Now, we're looking for reviews about Vonage because a lot of people are using that.
That's the service where you can get area codes from different cities.
Like you could have a California phone number here in New York City,
which is kind of neat, I guess.
I don't know what happens when you call the police, what you get,
but I guess we'll figure that out.
But have you ever used it?
I mean, how long have you been using it for?
Oh, just like a week, actually.
But in using the service, there's like a four-second delay, actually.
Four-second delay?
Yeah.
Eesh.
Like a four-second delay.
If I were to say your name, Emanuel, four seconds you would, like, hear it, actually.
That must make conversations a little bit difficult.
Are you using it now?
No, not at the moment, no.
I wish you were, actually.
I'd like to experiment with that.
That might be a rarity because you really can't sell any kind of phone service
based on four-second delays.
It is like a delay, actually, like an echo, like using a cell phone.
Well, there's always a delay on cell phones because the processing isn't fast enough.
Hopefully that will go away someday.
But on satellites, unless we break the speed of light,
I don't see how using a satellite you'll be able to go any faster,
and that's a significant delay.
Where were you calling to at the time?
A local number, actually.
It was local? I don't know.
I'd need to use the service a little bit and play around with it.
And I was on the Internet as well, and it slows down your bandwidth, actually,
if you're on the phone and using the net as well.
Interesting.
Yeah, because you do have to have a net connection in order to use this.
You need a DSL connection.
Or a cable modem or something like that.
Well, we'll definitely talk about this more in weeks to come.
So thanks for the info.
If anyone there is using Vonage, please let us know
because we'd certainly like to know more about it.
That's it for us tonight.
We're out of time.
Boy, time sure goes fast, doesn't it?
And we will be back next week.
Leo will be here.
If we're not here, we'll let you know.
And you can write to us, oth2600.com, or tune in next week.
See you later. Good night.
For over half a million young people every weekend,
a good night out is Breaking the Law.
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Outsider, you see me, you hear me, got our millions, Outsider, Outsider
The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 34th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
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