Episode 322 - Rise of the Machines

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HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reporterAlison Fraser (King)

Show notes

From the Facebook post

Are we out of a job? With artificial intelligence taking over much of our lives, just how long is it until this very podcast is hosted by Hal and Deep Blue?

At least one more week, we believe. So until then, join us to hear about Mel's visit to Calembeen (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Olly's... well, Olly. We hear from Alison at Russell Park (opens in a new tab) parkrun while Tracey shares a video from Chermside (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

So whether you're an adventurous spirit or just looking to add a little excitement to your parkrun routine, this podcast is for you!

Disclaimer: some of this description may have been written by a computer.

From the podcast feed

Are we out of a job? With artificial intelligence taking over much of our lives, just how long is it until this very podcast is hosted by Hal and Deep Blue? At least one more week, we believe. So until then, join us to hear about Mel's visit to Calembeen (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Olly's... well, Olly. We hear from Alison at Russell Park (opens in a new tab) parkrun, NZ, while Tracey shares a video from Chermside (opens in a new tab) parkrun. So whether you're an adventurous spirit or just looking to add a little excitement to your parkrun routine, this podcast is for you! Disclaimer: some of this description may have been written by a computer.

Roving reports

1Russell Park2Chermside

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:24

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, surnames dropped for the night, sorting out the mystery of Facebook shirt emojis showing in different colours before announcing the first Adventurers shirts and singlets, with Julian's new logo, business at the front and party at the back, sky blue, orders closing midnight 17 February to be ready for palm in April. Ollie ran Shellharbour and found a new parkrun buddy on the hills; Mel drove her newly returned green parkrun mobile to Calembeen parkrun at Creswick on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, a three-lap out and back around the lake where she found Derek and Linda Allen, Rachel Axton, Philip Caldwell and Larry April, then coffee at Smokytown Cafe. Tracey in a Tutu invited them to Ipswich for their I; Mel's research turned up new homegrown 500 clubbers Colin Chow, Ken Stewart and Carolyn Vandermeer, Michael Schultz's 500th due 4 March at Kedron, and a count of 2022's new events by state.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 16:50

  Mel throws to the roving reports "Time to throw to our roving reports. So let's have a listen to Alison." Alison Fraser reports from Russell Park parkrun, Waipukurau, Central Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, a NENDY she had been saving since April. She interviews Run Director Florrie Kerr (a Scot, originally from near Loch Leven, who came to parkrun in 2018 after a marriage breakup) and UK tourist David Capel of Ashton Court parkrun, Bristol, on an 11-week trip and approaching 450 parkruns. She signs off from the car with an amendment: Florrie meant Lochore Meadows, not Loch Leven. 53 finishers on the day. Hosts thank her.

• Dazza's starts at 26:17

  Ollie: "But, Mel, I think it's time for Dazza's [Dazza's]". This week's prompt was ice cream for breakfast day, check in with your parkrun morning and your favourite ice cream flavour. Posts read out from Martine Barrot (Euroa parkrun back after its flood pause, with Andrew Crouch), Richard (Michael Gentle's half-cow at Avondale University College), Thomas Martin (Western Wanderers challenge at Altona Beach), Karen Hamilton (capitalist status at Umbagong District parkrun, with John Graham, Will Barlow, Brendan Peel and Jodie Maisie), Bill from Goulburn (capitalist at Tuggeranong), Heather Hunter (aparkrun up Diamond Head Crater, Hawaii), Michael Sharp (The Beaches, prompting a callback to Peter Pohlman's "3, 2, 1, parkrun" start call), Christine Imbert (snow and Zumba in Krakow, Poland), Helen Rutter (a Bailey celebration in North Wales), Dennis Peden (the Tough Dadders at The Ponds for Jeff Robinson's 250), Graham Wilkinson (Strathclyde and Stirling junior) and Stephen Jackson (Wentworth Common with the Sydney Striders).

• the Obi Award — Martine Barrett starts at 38:26

  Mel cues the envelope "Ollie, you must have that envelope to announce our Dazza's winner." Ollie: "So our winner at Dazza's this week of the Obi [Obi] is ... Martine Barrot. Congratulations." Awarded for posting in and bringing the news that Euroa parkrun is back after its flood pause. Mel adds that Martine is the final recipient of the Office Lady's "classy challenge card" stickers, the giveaway ending this week, with thanks to the anonymous benefactor who supplied them for five weeks.

• Emails starts at 40:24

  Three emails. (1) Erica Leota proposes an "Adventurers at Large Challenge", collect 10 parkruns near giant roadside things (Stanthorpe's big apple, the big watermelon at Charleys Creek in Chinchilla, Roma's big rig, Coffs' banana); she credits Lyndell from the news crew with the challenge name, and Mel adds Bega's big ram. (2) Patrick ("Patti") shares an OpenGPT/ChatGPT essay on parkrun podcasts that ranks parkrun adventurers third behind The parkrun Show and a wholly fabricated "Global parkrun Report", the AI hallucination that gives the episode its title, with Mel objecting that With Me Now was omitted and that juniors were ignored. (3) Eman reports on Nightcliff parkrun in Darwin with RD Karen Strong, with Christine and baby Juno.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 50:58

  For Saturday 4 February 2023: of 383 members, 314 took part at 169 locations, 15 in the UK, three in South Africa, two each in the USA and Poland, one in Eswatini; locally 39 events in Victoria, 34 NSW, 29 Queensland, 12 WA, 11 SA, eight Tasmania, six ACT, five North Island, one each South Island and Northern Territory.

• the Frond starts at 51:49

  Read inside the Consolidated Club Report: "The largest frond this week was at the ponds with nine adventurers", Jeff Robinson, Dennis Peden, Penny Prosser, Sonja and Peter Pohlman, Jarena Gearan, Lisa Spencer, Mary DeLuna and Rio Lambino.

• Sign-off starts at 55:26

  Saying it had been a very long section, Mel suggested wrapping up and asked where Ollie would be next week: he was being coy, with no plans set but looking north if he could, and would be run directing the week after at their World Pride event. Mel was heading to Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve parkrun for her second visit, meeting Brendan Peel and Jodie Maisie there and picking up Chris Fraser in the city as a travel buddy, which Ollie welcomed as Chris had been a wonderful local support. Mel said that wrapped them up, gave the Facebook, email, Instagram and Twitter contacts and said that was it for another week.