Ramblin' & Amblin' (2026-10-15): Hello

• UGtastic Archive

Ramblin' & Amblin' (2026-10-15): Hello

Loading this player connects your browser to Youtube.

Full Transcript Available
LIVE CC UGtastic Archive

Press play or click any turn in the transcript to start real-time synchronized playback...

Ramblin' & Amblin' Field Notes with Mike Hall (Staff Software Engineer) Recorded on the move: engineering observations, systems architecture, and software craftsmanship reflections.
The Interviewer

Mike Hall

Host, ramblin-amblin

The Presentation


Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Hello. Okay, so I grew up in the Midwest in the 1970s through 80s outside of a little town, not even a town, a place called Homer Township. It was a, uh, it was a really tiny, um, farm community nest led between, uh, Lockport and Orland Park, uh, as the broch ures would say. Uh, and, uh, it was, it was a, it was a, it was a, it was a farmland with forests and, um, I have old pictures of when my parents first moved out there.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
It was in the 19, I was born in 75, and they had already had the place, it was already built, so I'd say 72, I think it was built, something like that. And, uh, my father built the garage on the, uh, on the unit , and the old pictures would, would show just farm, just flat, everything flat around us, except for the, uh, little teeny tiny pine trees that were behind the house, um, and then a, uh, at the time unused lot. All of this stuff is built out now. None of it exists.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And I remember Bankston Farms from when Bankston Farms was a general store type place, and, um, and it just had a cute little, um, um, hay, uh, hay, hay bale maze, uh, in the back, and, and, and , and, and a, and a tractor out into the, uh, pumpkin patch, um, long, long time ago. Um, it's very different now. And, uh, anyway, I'm, I'm trying to paint a picture there of, of the environment I grew up, you know, my, my mom would stay at home. I had an older sibling from, uh, um, she was much, much older than me, and, uh, so I was that kind of baby.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, uh, my, uh, dad was working for CW Transport in the, uh, in Bridgeview, Bridgeport, I always forget. Uh, it doesn't matter. Uh, so he'd drive out there. We had so many cars.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He was always buying, uh, his cars would just appear. It was a good deal. He fixed it up, and I presume he sold them. I don't know.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, uh, uh, I was very little when, when all of this happened. This was happening. But, uh, it was also part of, and before I, I start here, I 'm just, this is just what I recall, okay? Is, uh, Reader's Digest being the cell phone of the day for , for being in, in, in the potty.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
That's, that's what you read. And there was, there was always this, um, oh, I forgot what they call, it was called, but there was always this comic section. And, uh, and I would read those, and I would laugh. Uh, but, uh, and then sometimes I'd find little articles, and I would, would read them in the Reader's Digest, because, uh, you know what else we're going to do.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, uh, it didn't occur to me to think, to do anything else. So, I read them. And, uh, there was, you know, a focus on the family kind of thing. And there was a, uh, a lot of, um, uh, articles by Rush Lim baugh.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Okay? You may have heard of him, Rush Limbaugh. Uh, uh, he had a little radio station, uh, small following that ultimately included me. I identified as a ditto head, uh, stupid idiot, uh, for, uh , a long time because of identity.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
You know, that's when in computer science they had a term that we learned, why education is important, is that, uh, I learned in fourth, fifth grade, or something like that, the, uh, oh no, no, fifth or sixth, sixth, gig-o, g-i-g-o, garbage in, garbage out. I was in the fanciest dumpster of thought and aspirational writing that one could, uh, hope to find themselves in. Uh, this is a person who, uh, for me, was, was just exuded wisdom. You know, like, listen to this person.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
This person, um, is, is aware of what it takes and, you know, he's saying the same kind of things your dad says about hard work and all of that. And that really, it's just the pourers that are jealous. And I remember, I live out in Eden, uh, for a young kid back then. I could just run around everywhere.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I didn't know anything. And, uh, you know, I had some experiences in the Homer school system. And I'll talk about it in another video someday. But, um, in, uh, in this time, I'm, just everything is, he 's this voice that exists.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And then eventually it's a TV show. Okay. And everybody's mad on the TV show all the time. And he's chomping his cigar.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He's, he's so cartoonish. But I'm a kid, again, I'm a young teenager now. And, uh, he's really funny. He's really funny.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He's funny. I'm, you know, kind of a little bit of a jerk. So, you know, I think he's funny. Ha ha.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
What? That's not, I mean, I mean, that is me, actually. But, um, uh, but, uh, the, um, and, and Morton Downey Jr. Morton Downey Jr., I think he was, um, oh my God, he had the mouth.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And he was, he was like, rah, rah, rah, rah, rah, and these were all, like, always wanted to have, like, tough-looking guys on, on the show. And, and they always tried to, like, be uber-masculine. And if you're a young, one of the smallest kids in your class, and, uh, you've got this stew of, of reminders of, of your, um, inadequacies. And, um, in this, you could have more, look what you would have, if only these others.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And then it starts to build this grievance, um, and resentment. Uh, because, of course, things would be better here if, if those guys weren't doing, you know, whatever, you know, stuff. And, um, you know, whatever. It was always like that, you know.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, and he would drop little, you know, jokes. And you'd, and you'd think he's joking and, and, and, and being a smartass. And he's, now you're starting to get a little bit older. And now you're in high school, you know, and you're, now you've got black friends.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And you've got, um, kids that are going through experiences . And you're getting to see, um, and I, when I say black friends. I don't mean, like, we went to class together. I meant we hung out at each other's house.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Run some movies together. We went, we went and did all the things that friends do. Got in fights about girls. And, you know, just play, yeah, yeah, played basketball.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, uh, and, uh, I was actually one of the better runners. And we were all pretty physical and liked to exercise. It was a, it was a good, it was a good, uh, I've got some people here come up the trail. I'll, uh, give them a wide berth.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
So that way they can just enjoy their time out here. But, um, I'm not saying this as a self-congratulatory thing . I'm saying this as, again, trying to paint a picture of a very confused young man. Who's got people talking about race on, on one side of the, uh, on one side of the world.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And then a resentment against people. And then my actual lived experience. I didn't know those words at the time. But, you know, I say it now.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Lived experience with, with these people. And, um, realizing that some of the things that I've been told aren't actually the truth. And, um, that's a tough thing to, you know, to face is that . But it's, it's still confusing.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
It's going to be confusing for a little while longer. Uh, anywho. Yeah. Rush Limbaugh.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
You know, he's on the radio. And I'm listening to him. And I, every day. I also listen to, later, Man Cowl.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, that's another conversation. Uh, you know, I, I also want to, again, paint, again, that it isn't just Rush. I've also got Dr. Laura Schlesinger.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I got Dobbs, whatever, focused on the family. Basically, I listen to Carmen. Um, if you remember that song where he, he fights, uh, Jesus fights, uh, the devil. And it's, uh, freaking epic.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And I suggest you listen to it because it's amazing. And then, if you wonder about the goofy, goober shit you're seeing right now, understand, that's where it's coming from . Okay, that's where it's coming from. It's always been here.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
They just wanted to have a cage match so friggin' bad on the White House lawn. But, uh, listening to Rush, you know, I'm still ditto head. I think I called into the show once or twice, even. Um, around this time.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I'm in, uh, I think I'm out of high school now. And I'm listening to the AM radio now because, here's the thing, I, uh, had a little bit of a falling out of a rush. But I was still looking for that fix, but I had a little falling out of a rush. Now I'm getting into my 20s here, and this is in the early 2000s.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, uh, he's, uh, he's losing his hearing. Oh, this is tragic. I'm, I'm, I'm feeling bad for the guy. I'm like, oh my god.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, what a, what a, uh, symmetry. What a, what a poetry. Uh, I'm, I'm, I'm really corny, you know, like that. And, uh, you know, he's losing his hearing.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He's, he's lived his entire, he's, he's had this amazing career, built this media empire. Um, and, and he's losing his hearing. Now he can't talk. And then, it comes out.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, he's losing his hearing because he's been addicted to oxycodone. And, I'm thinking, oh my gosh, you know, like, wow, you know, like there were things that I thought I didn't like. Because remember, back to that paradox of, of me and, and why I know that, um, cognitive dissonance is real. Is it, it's actually, if you're a little bit smarter, you 're actually, I think, a little bit better at doing it sometimes.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
So don't feel bad if you do when it's, and you're facing this too right now. But, um, I would listen to punk music, I was in skateboard ing. I had friends of all different ethnicities and, and, and, um, gender identities. That was still a new thing that, I, I'm still getting my head around that too.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, I mean, it was, I was getting exposed to people in, in a way, um, just because I loved nerd stuff and skateboard ing and, and going to, uh, Magic the Gathering tournaments and, and comic book conventions and things like that. I got to see a lot of different types of people, I got out there and, um, you know, I, I, I'm listening to punk music and I'm hearing and I'm reading stuff and it's just, uh, like, um, um, online. You know, like, of course it's, it's a lot of it is online by this point, but, uh, everything, you know, is wrong kind of stuff. And, uh, but at the same time, I'm, I'm listening to this guy who's, who's saying, um, libtard and, and, um, and, uh, all kinds of other horrible stuff.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But it was always like, I, I, like, barely remember that stuff for that, like, I do know that I just would always kind of justify it. I would just, oh, he's like edgy extremist. No, no, I didn't realize he meant it because, you know, we talked about killing people that were addicted and you've never had to see somebody deal with addiction. And, you know, by this time I've seen a young man who is friends with a family member and, uh, one day we're out skateboarding and, uh, he's out of recovery and out of rehab and he's feeling bad.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, uh, you know, I'm trying to, um, amp him up a little bit with the skateboarding, you know, just vibe. And, um, he, uh, later learns that, you know, he unfortunately met up with his, his, his dealer after, after everybody went out to the obligatory Denny's, um, and then he overdosed and, and passed away. Um, like, I know he wasn't a bad guy. He was a kid who was in a lot of pain and I didn't know much about it, but I knew he was a lot of pain through the people I knew.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, and that I knew when we were out skateboarding that he was out of rehab and he needed to pick me up, you know, and he wanted to go skating. So we went to the park. There was not parks back then or not what parks are now, but, you know, it was still, um, a park. And, um, he was beating himself up because he wasn't as good.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He, he was, felt like he had wasted his life. And, um, like, you're not even, are you even 21? You know, like, seriously, guy. Um, but I was only a little bit older than that myself.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, so when, when he's talking about, uh, executing people, um, who've been addicted or have addiction, however, you know, the appropriate phrasing is, just, if I say something wrong, please work with me here. Um, is that he was still always in my ear and, and telling me the things I, I, I wanted to hear about my resentment about, like, yeah, you're driving a Cadillac. And, you know, by this time I thought it was a big shot. I was now a programmer and I bought myself a used BMW and I 'm thinking I'm hot shit.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I'm, you know, seriously guy. This is early 2000s and now Rush Limbaugh's losing his hearing and I'm thinking, okay, he's going, this is maybe the chance for an awakening. Maybe this guy I've been listening to for so long because I don't even know why. I just do it now.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
It's just on the radio. It's programmed into my, my, uh, my radio. And, um, I'm with the detachable face. Um, and, uh, I, I, I just listened to him and it's just this, like, affirmation after affirmation that you could be so much more if only for, but, and it was always whoever he didn't like was the if or for, but, um, and, and then he, he just continued on and, uh, nothing changed.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, and I was like, hmm, I don't know. I'm starting to get a little annoyed with him and, uh, but I'm still listening. Um, and, uh, so anyway, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm listening to him as he's, he's rationalized this. I'm remembering the case breaking and it being, like, really hard to, to deal with.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, so I started to listen to more of, uh, um, I was already listening to, uh, Hannity, uh, at this time, but I also listened to Jay Marvin and Elaine, I can remember, um, on the, um, on the, um, AM radio in Chicago. And this is before he pushed everybody out, before Hannity pushed everybody out. And, uh, and Jay Marvin was a legend, um, and Elaine, I believe she tried to hold the line and maintain civility, but, uh, Hannity just had too much power and I ultimately did meet him. But, uh, that was a weird experience.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
He's a tiny little man. Um, and that's again, where I'm breaking down my, uh, idols . Maybe they say you should never meet your, your idols. And in this case, I, I look back and if I could go back in time and find myself the moment I was about to walk in and shake hands with that treacherous, vile, traitor, who I believed at the time loved America like a good, good spider .
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Somebody hiding in the trail who's waiting for a dupe that 's gonna buy into his post-9-11 insanity nonsense. And, um, I would, I would find myself and I would, I would be at the moment that I'm about to shake hands with Sean Hannity and I would punch myself in the face so hard and I'd say, what are you doing, man? Who are you talking to? These people are liars.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
They are liars. They are fake. They are soft as four plies. They are, oh my god, I want to go get an episode of Shorter C and just get every list of where, talk about how many plies of soft these people are.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I'm not a big guy. But I, I palmed him, you know, like, I was like, I wore a suit. Like, what the fuck was I doing? And, um, I, I, my poor wife has had to deal with this absolute lunatic for so long.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, you know, I am still listening to these people at this time and I'm still hearing them. But then, here's where I couldn't do it anymore. And that was when, um, I'd already debated with a colleague one time about investment in libraries. And then, you know, he made logical sense and then I realized I'm just an idiot.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, um, so, he's been wrong about stuff, but he's been very right about other things, um, this person. But, uh, I'll talk in other future conversations about those times. But, um, I, uh, I was listening to Rush post the, now, I, I don't remember all the dates and times and all the stuff. But, uh, you can go look this up.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, uh, he, uh, Obama has won. Okay. And this is, this is, like, like, all the timeline isn't, isn't perfectly clear. But I just know that I'm driving back from, I believe, a client or something like that.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
There's a wild turkey up in front of me. And, uh, and I'm listening, or I'm driving back from work. And I'm listening to the radio and he's doing a broadcast. He's talking about how he wants to see America fail.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
To learn a lesson about these liberal policies, leftist policies, social, whatever. I don't remember whatever the buzzword at the time was. But, um, he was ranting. And then I remembered something.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, I'm not a traitor. And, and the only person who would wish for the failure of, uh, the United States is a traitor. And I've been good and bad in my life. And I've been wrong on things.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But I commit to the bit is my little thing I like to say. And, uh, there are certain lines. I don't care. The whole point is let him, yeah, you think he's going to fail.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Because of course you thought he was going to fail. Oh no, the country's in a lot of trouble. Blah. But to say I hope it fails so it learns a lesson is the ant ithesis of the love it or leave it.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I don't know. It's hard to say. But, um, the fact that he would wish harm on the United States because his guy didn't win. And that was the end.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
That was the end. I, I, I had to face that I, uh, was wrong. I supported somebody who I don't fully understand why or what it was yet. Um, but this isn't what I thought it was.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And it is disorientating. Um, dissociating. It is very uncomfortable. Um, it's still uncomfortable.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Because you always wonder then what was it that you fell for. And I like to think I, I've deprogrammed myself a bit. And, um, you know, it's, when you're doing that kind of stuff, um, you're going to make a lot of mistakes still. And, um, it can make you angry and confused.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, um, but, uh, you know, it's like you break a bone. I've broken bones. I've busted myself up. Real good.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I've been knocked out. And I've punched in the face. And I've been punched in the face. But I'm going to tell you right now that this hurts.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
A lot. And, and it, you're just like dealing with, with, with a, with a bruise. Or, or, you know, I, I dropped in once on a, on my first vert ramp. And, um, I had to walk home.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And I had a bruise the size of my entire left thigh and hip all the way up into my pelvis. Because I didn't fully commit. I was young and I didn't know what I was doing. You know, maybe that's where some of that comes from.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
You have to commit. Um, and, uh, the healing itches. It hurts. It's ugly.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
People make fun of you for being so stupid to do that stupid thing. And then your mom's like, oh, you know, your dad's like, I knew you were an idiot. But, um, but it's, it's what you got to go through. And, um, it's not going to be easy for the people around you.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Because you're going to be cranky. And you're going to be mad. And there's going to be times where you, uh, maybe feel defensive. Because you don't want to be identified with that person anymore.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
So, if somebody says you look or sound or act like that group that you no longer identify with, it's, it's hard to explain that. I never really identified with anything. I had some fantasy mad. I don't know what I, I was.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I didn't know what I, I just didn't want to be a traitor. I, I knew that this is a good place. And, uh, I was an Eagle Scout. I did serve in the military, even though, you know, that was, didn't work out exactly the way I wanted it to either.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But, man, my life has been defined by failures. And it has been fantastic. Um, so, yeah, just, uh, know where you hold your line. And, uh, even if you've been listening to these people since forever, since your daddy, since your daddy taught you.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
No, I mean, seriously. It's, um. It's important to remember that, um, these people make a lot of money off of us. And, uh, if they don't get their way, they want to see us fail.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
We've heard about narcissists and narcissists implosion and all that stuff now on YouTube. I presume everybody's heard that. But I know that we all get a curated, customized view of reality. But, um.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
That, uh. That, um. You know, that the influence that Hannity has is, sorry, I 'm, I'm, I know I was starting to, to go in a direction. But I just want to say that I'm trying to wrap this up.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
It's that, uh, we hear these things and we've been taught them. We, we had people we trust. You know, I didn't, I didn't put the Reader's Digest in the bathroom. I didn't subscribe to it.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Um, my parents did. Why? Because that's what everybody did. And it's just what everybody did because there wasn't anything else to do.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, um, now we watch YouTube because everybody watches YouTube. We all got a phone because everybody's got a phone. Like, we're not better or worse. Just different day.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Different. Stack. Um. But the same message of resentment.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And, uh. It's always packaged in something nice. Reader's Digest always looked so nice. It looked homey.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
It looked like the Farmer's Almanac. It was Reader's Digest. You can trust the Reader's Digest. But in there, I don't know if the Reader's Digest was the web for the spider.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Or if it was truly like an invasive spider that comes in and it burrows and it hides. And it, it, it's, it's not part of the scenery. It inserted itself. I don't know.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I don't know if, if Rush Limbaugh was the spider in, in a web that was designed for spiders. And it was always there for, to catch us. Or whether it was, um, him going into a legitimate surface and, and, and, I mean, something that was wholesome. And starting to plant those seeds that later became the problems that we're facing right now.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And if you listen to what, you know, he said and how cruel he was to Chelsea Clinton, to Monica Winski, and anybody that was suffering that he could punch down on. Was that there all along? Was that there when he was in Reader's Digest? I don't, I don't know.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But I do remember, again, reading an article about him driving a Cadillac and everybody being jealous of him. And it was, because they just didn't work as hard as he did . Yeah, I work hard. Yeah.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
I'd have a Cadillac too, if it was. And for them, them, they, the most dangerous word in the English language, it's just so damn divisive. And that's the whole point of it. It's they, it's the other, it's exclusive.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
And that's why I think using they as a neutral pronoun is challenging. But if you, it's hard not to correct. But anyway, yeah. Just as I'm walking this trail, thinking about that there are spiders in here that are natural and in the trees and in the brush as part of the ecosystem.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
But how many times have I walked by a spider of a different type just waiting for the opportunity to jump out and take me? And what am I carrying in my head right now that's, um, is informed by people that are spiders? And, uh, yeah. All right.
Mike Hall Host, ramblin-amblin ▶ Speaking
Thanks. Bye.