Shows›Matenaer on Air›Staying Engaged In The Conversation (Hour 2)›Transcript

Transcript

Staying Engaged In The Conversation (Hour 2)

Matenaer on Air · Tue Dec 23, 2025

You're listening to Civic Media.

You can tune into any of our live shows on any radio station across the state with the Civic Media app.

Find us in your phone's app store and listen anytime, anywhere.

Good, good morning.

Welcome back to Matt and Air on Air.

My name is Greg Mock.

I am your host and you are listening to us on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Always get in touch with us by calling or texting you.

The same as 8-5-7-5-2.

You can leave a comment on the live stream, which is right now on Facebook, YouTube, and the platform that we in this house still call Twitter.

If you want to also get in contact with us, you can also use the Civic Media app, download it right now, get it on your device, you can call, you can text, you can leave a voice note, as I've said before.

Even if you don't like me, trust me, I have voice notes of people who don't like me, but that option is available on the free Civic Media app, and I'd love to hear from you regardless.

We're going to keep the show moving on.

Uh, after the 10 30 news, we're going to be talking about, uh, what are we doing for the holidays?

Audio, sorbet style, you kick him back.

Are you traveling?

If you're traveling, may God be with you because it cannot be an easy task.

And then this shouldn't be a thing.

Oh, holy freaking night edition.

That one is going to be fun.

And this is as a, as I mentioned before, is our last live show of the week.

We will have a curated best of, which is a walk down memory lane of the retirement jaunt for.

Jane McNair, the namesake of the show who retired on the 12th of December.

Great interviews, great discussions.

Stick around for that tomorrow if you'd like.

We'd love to have you hear it.

And then Christmas music on Thursday and Friday, but we will be back on Monday for live shows and hopefully a little bit more satiated with turkey and or whatever holiday item you like to eat, I myself in particular, too.

So point is, we wish you a merry Christmas, a happy holiday, but we want to keep the conversation going.

And I want to talk about something that I'm going to admit that I had not really known much about, particularly with this sort of surveillance.

I know that the, the discussions of privacy in this country are big.

We hear a lot about people like Peter teal and Palantir, but this is something that hits closer to home as well.

I want to talk about

the flock system.

It's a surveillance technology and our local police departments have been using it.

And to do that, I want to talk to someone who has written extensively for it.

He is a journalist and videographer.

He is a lifelong resident of Milwaukee.

He is written for the Wisconsin Examiner, but also urban Milwaukee, Ismith, Milwaukee stories, Milwaukee neighborhood news services, Pontiac Tribune, the progressive service, progressive magazine, Al Jazeera and other outlets.

His name is Isaiah Holmes, and I want to welcome him to the show.

Isaiah, good morning.

Welcome to Matt and Aaron here.

How are you today?

Wonderful.

I really appreciate it.

Really appreciate you being here.

That is a very long list of credits.

That is amazing.

That's wonderful.

And I'm looking forward to having this discussion.

It's one that I wanted to admit that I don't know a lot about with regard to this particular system of surveillance.

So let's start there.

Can you tell us about

the Flock system.

And what brought this story to you?

Where were your first experiences with what this is?

I mean, reading about it, it is overwhelmingly across the country.

It is a huge corporation.

And I would say, if you probably asked 10 people, I wouldn't say all of them would know what this is.

They would know about surveillance, but they wouldn't know, because this is a brand name.

And what brought this story to you?

Where did you first become exposed with the Flock system?

Of course I have, sir.

Of course I have.

For everyone else who doesn't know, why don't you tell them?

Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

If you're just joining us right now, Matt Narenare, we are speaking with Isaiah Holmes, who is a writer, journalist, works for the Wisconsin Examiner, as well as written for many other outlets.

And we're talking about the Flock system, which is a surveillance system, a brand name of cameras that is used by police departments nationwide and quite a few in Wisconsin.

And I feel like when you talk about this kind of surveillance, people might say, I don't know.

I mean, I feel like the high tech,

or we have it all, people will say, well, that's Madison in Milwaukee, and that's gotta be really expensive.

There's over 220, there's 221 departments here in Wisconsin that utilize it.

And you said something that was very important, I'm gonna come back to that, is that you can, you have to just type in a code or type in a reason to use it.

And in your stories, you have written that a majority of it is just the word investigation, which provides no transparency, no real,

useful reason of why they are where utilizing technology, just saying, just type in investigation and then access whatever they want.

And they, I mean, we're talking thousands upon thousands of hits in a year's time.

This isn't even like, this is like a year's time.

And so for me, there's a lot of questions.

There's a lot of things that make me go, this does not feel right.

But I think the lack of transparency from how they can access it to what you just said as far as

trying to get information from them is also something that is very concerning.

Yeah.

Well, and that's the thing too is when you bring up the fact that you know when when you asked about what you know Beyond investigation those other words they use when you asked comment on that because it's open investigation It'll compromise the integrity and really when it comes down to what it's about making it as difficult for us to understand what they're using it for which also in I Can't remember if it was I believe it was your story where it said it doesn't also guarantee results there are there are examples of

of officers and deputies' technology to falsely accuse in the matter of Denver.

And then in Kansas City, a gentleman was tracking his ex-girlfriend.

So I don't like it enough, but I want to know why it's happening and what he's trying to find out with that oversight, that accountability transparency.

And

I want to talk more about Milwaukee too, because you also wrote another story just recently in the past few, on the 10th of December about the sheriff's

the Milwaukee Sheriff's Department pushing for facial recognition technology.

And I want to talk about where that's going and also just basically how people can get involved, looking at those agenda items and making sure they're familiar with what's being discussed.

But we're going to be speaking more with Isaiah Holmes from the Wisconsin Examiner.

If you have questions, comments, leave them on the live stream, call in.

We'd love to hear from you.

But we're going to be taking a small break.

We're going to come back.

Don't go anywhere.

Stay hydrated.

Stay amazing.

You're listening to Matt Narenare on the Civic Media Radio Network.

You're listening to Civic Media.

Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.

Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get started.

Good morning.

Welcome back to Matt and Air on Air.

My name is Greg Box, sitting in, I'm not sitting for, oh my gosh Calvin, it's been two weeks.

I'm not sitting in, I am the host.

I am your host here on Civic Media.

You can get in touch with us.

give a call, give a text, eight, five, five, seven, five, two, four, eight, four, two, eight, five, five, seven, five, civic.

Leave a comment on that live stream.

Again, we are on Facebook, YouTube and the platform that we still call Twitter.

Calvin, start with you.

Oh, by the way, I mentioned this before really quick.

This, we were talking about MATC, Madison and Milwaukee area.

technical colleges.

I think that's how you say the plural.

Milwaukee, yeah.

They are the Wolfie.

So I take it the MATC Medicine Wolves and Wolfie is their mascot.

I'm pretty sure that MATC Milwaukee is the thunder.

So I think maybe we are thunders.

That's our mascot.

That's just a thunder.

Calvin, it can't be anything.

A thunder isn't a thing.

It's a

sound.

NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Their mascot is a bison.

Well, I mean, that makes sense.

It's Oklahoma City.

I'm gonna look this up right now.

MATC mascot Milwaukee.

That is, hopefully it's not, it is, oh, okay.

Oh, no, this, well, all right.

I was wrong.

MATC is the Stormers.

I thought it was the Thunder's.

It's not.

It is the Stormers.

And the mascot is the powerful Greek god Zeus who wields wait for it lightning.

So as long as you don't have to change it because someone gets upset, I'm fine with that.

So we are go stormers, go Panthers, go.

Well, my high school is a little fine.

Point is.

Thank you for getting in touch with us PJ on the live stream.

We're really having a lot of fun.

Love having you around too.

Want to know what you guys are up for for Christmas?

Is it starting today?

Is it starting tomorrow?

Do you go to town?

Is it different every year?

And John, right?

Let's start off with John on the line.

She's working today and Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas day, lots of food and drink and family time, which may or may not increase the need for drink.

Understood, John.

Thank you very much for getting in touch on that one.

Calvin, what do you do?

Is it different every year?

Do you do a certain thing with your family or what are your plans when you walk out of here?

What's the first thing you're doing?

Okay, well, okay, everyone strap in not to go down a rabbit hole But the first thing I'll be doing when I leave today is probably trying to find a little bit of an extra gift for my brother and his girlfriend because I spent

$60 to $70 on my mom, my dad and my sister and my brother and his girlfriend.

So I feel a little bad that they have a joint gift.

So I'm going to try to make it a better joint gift.

Well, why don't you get, like you have, the joint gift is a thing.

And I want to, I don't want to say it's, by the way, I'm sorry, Tucker.

It's Legersky.

He said that to me a long time ago and I forgot and I'm a terrible person.

Tucker Legersky.

He is our senior broadcasting permit user.

Why don't you, Calvin, you've got them a joint gift, right?

Correct.

Why not get them two smaller gifts, one for each of them?

Now, it doesn't have to be a lot, just something, you know, here's one for you, one for you, and then something here's for both of you.

That way it's, you know, it cuts back on the possible, like, I mean, then they're getting two joint gifts and it's like.

I would do that, if not for two reasons.

One.

Reason one.

Reason one my brother is extremely hard to shop for he's not he doesn't have This is gonna sound like I'm digging on him, but it's I don't mean it that way.

All right.

He doesn't really have interests or hobbies Like out like he he's a teacher.

Yeah.

Yes, and he Comes home and watches TV and hangs out with his girlfriend.

Okay.

I mean so

But it doesn't have to be a gift that

promotes

a hobby.

I understand

well I

don't like getting cosmetics or Clothes for people because that's really he likes clothes.

I guess um I don't know his girlfriend well enough to get something personal Then text your

brother and say hey, what's uh, we're gonna call her Anna.

What is Anna like and

um I think what I'm going to do

is I'm just going to add a gift card that they can use together.

And honestly, there's nothing wrong with that.

If you can give them a gift card that will allow them to shop at a place that they enjoy, that is a fantastic gift.

I will not sit here and allow people to slag off gift cards or even just a pocket of cash.

You're like, here, buy yourself something nice, because then you get to do that.

I understand the point of saying, I want to buy them something nice.

And that's fine, you can do that.

But also,

Give me a gift card to stew mac.

I want to buy some guitar stuff.

That's what I want But you know do both or give me a small little gift from the heart My sister does this every year.

My sister is one of the best personal gift givers on the planet She always makes either me my wife my mother all three of us cry with a present because it's always so personal and so thoughtful that We are my best day would never have come up with it.

So I think that

That's fine.

You can do that, but you can also say here's a gift card to you know Coles by yourself.

I know you want some jeans.

I know you want something That's that's perfect.

I think that's cool and and Jenny on the live stream points out Joint gifts are great when the gifts encourage them to enjoy their holiday time together, especially if their parents I don't I know that they're not parents, correct?

They aren't.

And so that, so I got the, the initial gift was a board game that I think we'll probably all play as a family.

So it was a little bit of a selfish gift.

So my other idea is I'll probably get them, I don't know, maybe see if I can find a fan dango gift card.

Maybe they can go see a movie

together.

Okay.

So that's, okay.

So that, so I'll give you a scenario too.

And so this is what I was going to suggest as well.

My sister.

texted me and said, you know, my wife has very utilitarian needs when it comes to her gift lists.

It's very much it's gift cards.

It's things she needs to use them for to live her life and enjoy some things.

So it's gift cards to restaurants or a salon that she really enjoys.

And my wife was saying something the effect of what else is there that I can give her that isn't a gift card.

And I said, honestly, present to her like on a piece of paper, print it out.

and experience.

And what I mean by that is say, this is good for me and you getting a Mani Petty, a massage, going to see a movie and lunch, present to her an experience that she can use down the road.

And that in and of itself, it's not just a gift card, but you're saying, I'm spending time with you.

I want to spend time with you.

So I think Calvin, my point that I started three years ago, you got them the board game.

That's for them.

Then buy them something that encourages like,

like going out and say like this is your date night present like I want you to use this for a date night play the game go to dinner go to a movie that way they can plan something and then you are the impetus of them having a good time unless they get into a fight and I hope they don't but my point is is I feel like you can really put this into a way that shows them you're thinking about them which you are

but also make them excited to spend time together.

As Jenny points out, you know, like those, those joint presents, sometimes it can be like, Hey, we got your joint present.

Well, and you really got that present for them.

I'll be fine.

But like, if you get something that's like board game, gift card to a movie, gift card to a restaurant, that's a date night present.

And that's amazing.

Jenny also goes on to say, take care of a chore for someone too.

Part of the gift is taken away the time it takes to plan something.

And he's get that's also true.

Like.

Hey, I'll come over and help you clean your garage or something like that It's I think those are great ways of doing it too, especially as we get older There's a tendency to say I don't need a lot and that's that may or may not be true But if you say something the effect of like hey, I'll do this for you or with you that can go miles and miles ahead and really make them feel special and that's really what we're trying to do and and adults as much as we try to say it's about the kids

We still want to feel special and looked after.

And John gets the last word on this one.

My side of the family used to hand each other gift cards, which seemed dumb.

Now we do a Secret Santa and a separate white elephant style exchange.

Made it more fun.

Yeah, exactly.

And I hope you have the funnest of fun times, everybody.

I hope you absolutely get everything you would like, including gifts and just time with family.

When we come back, it is time for this shouldn't be a thing.

Oh, holy freaking night edition.

Don't go anywhere.

One last segment before we take a break.

You're listening to Matt in There on Air on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Stay tuned.

Stay close.

You're listening to Civic Media.

Find the latest news, information and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website, civicmedia.us.

Good, good morning.

Welcome back to Matt and air on air.

My name is Greg Bach.

I am your host and you are listening to us on the civic media radio network.

We are currently broadcasting all across the network live and in person.

If you want to join us, you can always call 855-752-484-2855 75 civic.

You can also leave a comment on the live stream.

We are always not always, but when the show is on, we're on Facebook.

YouTube and the platform that we still call Twitter Don't go anywhere folks after us.

We've got Tom Hartman from 11 to 2 John and Gordy from 2 to 5 and Pete Schwabba from 5 to 8 Pete Schwabba with nightlife night light There's still plenty of programming happening and just because we're pre-recorded to point us and listen to a great overview of the retirement journey of one Jane Matten there

our fearless leader.

She's always our fearless leader here.

She is the namesake of the show and Christmas music Thursday and Friday and then back live on Monday, getting ready for 2026 because, Hey, can't wait for a new year.

Calvin, are you excited about the new year?

You excited?

I suppose it's kind of like your birthday in the sense that that was depressing.

I feel no, no, I didn't mean it in a depressing way.

I meant it in the that nothing really actually just or feels different.

It's just a matter of oh No, cuz that didn't sound

depressing at all.

That was a tool, you know, yeah birthdays and I didn't mean

I meant it I Don't know in your terms of I don't know

you

don't like this.

That's what Calvin hates

birthday

as a new year.

It's not that I don't like either of them.

It's that you

I feel like it's a holiday

that follows Christmas.

It's like, that's fine.

Well, and it's just like, it's what you make of it.

Exactly.

Just because it's a new year doesn't mean anything is going to change.

You have to take the action to make it change.

Time doesn't change you.

You change you.

Well, if time actually changes you as far as your physical body and whatnot, because my body is slowly caving in on itself, but that's on the point.

The point is, yeah.

If you're a part of your New Year's must be a blast.

For me, it's about staying in and absolutely just hunkering down because I like the quiet, but we'll talk more about that next week with regard to New Year's.

We're going to keep it rolling now with a segment that you are all waiting for.

I know I was it's time for another element of this shouldn't be a thing.

anything that should not be, you can send it into Calvin and me at Jane said.us.

That email is still good.

Jane says at civic media.us.

Send us your thoughts, tisbats, guest ideas, topics.

We'll take a look at them.

We might use them on the show.

We've done it before.

We could, that's how you can, right?

Take this tis all the way to the New York at bastion of journalistic integrity, winner of I think half of a Pulitzer.

This headline comes from Philippa Gaspar.

Man breaks old records singing Christmas songs for wait for it 42 hours straight Boo a man has broken a Guinness World Record because he broken it.

He didn't set it.

There was one before hold

my eggnog.

I'm going to sing for 42 hours straight without losing his voice.

His name is Dave Purchase.

He spent almost two days singing Christmas classics from Mariah Carey to Wham.

I hopefully think he sang Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney because that is my favorite.

I don't know why I'm saying modern, but you know, there's she loves you and I want to hold your hand, blah, blah, blah, whatever, you know, Wonderful Christmas Time right up there.

But he sang these classics for nearly two days straight.

Despite feeling like he was hallucinating and being close to quitting at hour 32, he did not give up.

This 63 year old man, Calvin, I once pulled my back stretching in bed and this man is 63.

And if you saw the picture, I'll put it on the live show.

So excited.

He's a 63 year old man who sang for 42 hours straight and Christmas music.

I feel very insulted because I feel like as a 48 year old man, I would get three songs in and I'd be like, that's good.

Don't even I'm only 27 and I don't know When the last time I even stayed awake for 42 hours was

Hopefully not at all

man

That's what happens when you have a very bad lifestyle choice system, or you're just very sick I mean that's you should never be awake for that long, but he started the challenge on December the 10th

and finished it on December the 12th, 684 songs helping Dave get through the sing-a-thon at Gloshers Docs were a dementia choir?

I don't know what that is.

I've never heard a dementia choir?

Never heard of that.

Speaking after the challenge, Dave said, kill me.

I'm just kidding.

He said it was not just a vocal challenge.

but also a physical one.

Exactly.

You're putting a lot of, I mean, it's not just your vocals, it's your diaphragm, it's your body.

It's standing up and looks like he also sat down.

I nearly gave up at four o'clock in the morning on Friday.

I could, I felt as I couldn't carry on because I was hallucinating with the lack of sleep and I was falling, I was falling to sleep singing the songs.

Yeah, I can imagine that.

Exactly.

That didn't stop him though.

He did it.

684 songs, 42 hours later, 42 hours later.

And I gotta say,

I would be hallucinating, too, if I was just someone who was watching it, because I would be like, wasn't that guy just still, wasn't he here yesterday singing?

Am I going crazy?

He's still here, right?

I'm not the one who's insane, right?

But, hey, Dave Purchase of England, Glossiter, Glossiter, I usually know how to say these names.

Gloster, Gloster, it's Gloster.

New world record holder for singing for 42 hours straight, Christmas music.

Good job, Dave, you didn't give up, you.

you kept and carried on in the British tradition.

And that is the end of yet another edition of this shouldn't be a thing.

Thank you much to Calvin.

Thank you so much to Tucker.

Thank you so much to traffic to engineering to everyone who makes this show happen.

If it wasn't for you, I'd be a guy talking to a mic that was not working.

And I want to thank everyone for

Calling in, texting in, listening, and giving us your time.

We appreciate you.

I want you to have a happy, safe, warm, awesome holiday.

Enjoy.

Enjoy yourself.

You should absolutely do it because you deserve it.

We'll talk to you on Monday, pre-recorded tomorrow, Christmas music Thursday, Friday.

Stick around, Tom Hartman, after the news.

You're listening to Matt and Air on Air on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Stay tuned.

Stay close.

Happy holidays.

Ho, ho, ho.

The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.

Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.

With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.

Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.