October 14, 2024 • 37 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
In wake of Hurricane Helene Best Friends Animal Society Launches Free Mobile Veterinary Clinic to Support North Carolina Communities Impacted – Ongoing Efforts to help animals in impact communities. Sharon Hawa, Senior Manager - Emergency Response, Best Friends Animal Society joined Dan.
Is it healthy to quit social media? This Doc. limited social media and quickly saw health benefits! Dr. Trisha Pasricha - Ask a Doctor columnist for The Washington Post discusses social media with Dan.
The 2024 Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf Tournament is this Tuesday at the Owl’s Nest Resort in Thornton. Mark Ericson – Multimedia Manager for Special Olympics NH checked in.
Thanks to Drake Maye, there’s finally a reason to watch these Patriots says Dan Shaughnessy – Boston Globe Sportswriter.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
In wake of Hurricane Helene Best Friends Animal Society Launches Free Mobile Veterinary Clinic to Support North Carolina Communities Impacted – Ongoing Efforts to help animals in impact communities. Sharon Hawa, Senior Manager - Emergency Response, Best Friends Animal Society joined Dan.
Is it healthy to quit social media? This Doc. limited social media and quickly saw health benefits! Dr. Trisha Pasricha - Ask a Doctor columnist for The Washington Post discusses social media with Dan.
The 2024 Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf Tournament is this Tuesday at the Owl’s Nest Resort in Thornton. Mark Ericson – Multimedia Manager for Special Olympics NH checked in.
Thanks to Drake Maye, there’s finally a reason to watch these Patriots says Dan Shaughnessy – Boston Globe Sportswriter.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night side with Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Wait a second, Nicole, what a holiday are we talking
about here? You and I are both working today.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Just because it's not a holiday for us doesn't mean
it's not a holiday for somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
But well, yeah, there's probably like holiday every day around
the world.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
That's the case National Girl Cheese Day. I'm requesting that off.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
No, but this is probably like a holiday in Tanzania
that we don't celebrate. But it's not a holiday for us,
and it's I don't know. We're going to talk about
that at nine o'clock. Okay, we're going to ask if
people did celebrate today and what holiday did they celebrate
all of a sudden, And then how about these pesky panthers, Nicole?
I know, I mean, you know, this is ruining my
(00:45):
winter and it's pretty early.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I was gonna say, started you don't let this get
you die.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Early in that, but this is this is scary, This
is scary. I was convinced this was the year.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Well let's not, you know, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We feel like I have to say that for every
New England sport early in the first couple months, like,
let's not get ahead of ourselves. Then it comes to playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And then we can panic. Do me a faye. Well,
when it's when it's time to panic, will you let me.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Know as soon as I found as soon as I
find out.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
As soon as you just let me know, because I
don't want to like appeer to panic.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, you know, we can enter panic all we want,
it's just we don't want to scare everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Good good goods. Okay, that's a good that. That's a
prudent position to take, thank you against these pesky panthers.
Panthers very illiterative there the position. Yes, thanks Nicole, have
a good show, right, Thanks, good evening everyone, And I
hope you had a good holiday, whatever holiday you celebrated.
We'll talk about that at nine o'clock tonight, and then
(01:45):
later on tonight we're going to talk about the hotel
workers strike here in the in the Greater Boston area.
I think it's going to be very interesting to understand, uh,
because all the stories I've read have not specified what
is at stake. I mean, obviously the workers on and
strike more pay and better pension and all of that,
but I'd love to know what situations they find themselves
(02:07):
in and let's get some of this out on the table,
because I suspect that the more information we have, the
better off we will be. But first, first, let me
introduce myself. I'm Dan Ray. I'm the host of ninth
Side right here on WBC entitled Nightside with Dan Ray,
very appropriately entitled. And this is a program that is
(02:27):
on a holiday, but it's not a holiday special, so
let's make that clear. Rob Brooks is also not on holiday.
Rob is working today, so Rob, my condolences that you
have to work on a holiday, even though it's really
not a holiday, it should be a holiday in some
form of fashion. We'll talk about that at nine. We're
going to start off with our first hour tonight, which
there were no phone calls in the first hour. I
(02:49):
remind you of that. I need not remind regular listeners
of that. And we are going to go down south
and we're going to talk with Sharon Hawa. She's the
senior manager of the Emergency Response a Best Friends Animal Society.
And there has been a two major hurricanes, Hurricane Helene
(03:14):
and then Hurricane Milton, and not only a people impact,
but people's pets are impacted. So Sharon, welcome to Night's
side tell us Best Friends Animal Society, you folks are located.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Where yes, hi, thank you for having me. We are
located in kannap Utah. But we've got Center's Pet resource
centers across the country and our staff is widespread across
the country. The work that we do is nationally focused
or a national organization that focuses on getting this country
(03:47):
to a no kill status with America Shelters by the
end of twenty twenty five. So we've been doing a
lot of work for the hurricanes right now.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, but that's the problem that is from and Center
at this point. So what can people here in New
England do? Obviously, in New England we do a lot
of pet adoption from some of the southern states, and
I think that you know, there have been vans coming
(04:18):
up here in New England. A lot of my friends
have adopted pets, animals, dogs, cats. What can we in
New England do? I think I saw one story about
a group in Rhode Island that actually sent a group
of workers down to to I believe North Carolina to
(04:39):
try to help out, just as we send electrical crews
from different parts of the country. What can we do
here in New England.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. I think. You know,
one of the things that really does help with life
saving four pets is to foster and adopt from your
local shelters, because what that ends up doing is enabling
that shelter to raise their hands and say, hey, we've
got space. We can take some of those impacted animals
from those hurricane ravaged states. And that's where you see
(05:10):
the vans coming up with the animals because a group,
a rescue organization or a shelter organization was able to
make space. And that is largely in part due to
the public raising their hand and saying I can foster
or adopt to make that space. So when people foster
and adopt, they really are saving two lives, the animal's
life that they're bringing home, and they're also making space
(05:31):
for a new animal to come in from an area
where they may not be able to survive because of
hurricanes and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah. I'm very proud to say that my daughter a
year ago adopted from an animal shelter here in the
Greater Boston area Situate Animal Shelter, a beautiful, quirky dog
named Mustard, and all of my closest personal friends. I mean,
I count my five best friends on my right hand,
and Mustard's right there along with Willi the dog, which
(06:00):
is another family member. So we we love dogs and
shelter dogs. And I suspect that there's going to be
a lot of pets, you know, all sorts of pets
coming up from the South, particularly after I mean, when
this storm hit, it had to have tremendous impact not
only on families, but also in the family pets, which
(06:21):
is members of the family. Anyone who has a dog
understands what I'm talking about. If you don't have a dog,
get a dog, so you can understand that that canine
becomes a member of your family. Not a member of
your extended family, but a member of your family. Are
there ways that folks can help out your organization or
(06:41):
is there any sort of a fund that is intended
to help out pets in North Carolina? We support here
on Nightside of a program called Shadow the Shadow Fund, the
Shadow Fund in even Northeast, which is an incredible program
that provides veterinary care for peoples pets up here when
the owner does not have sufficient funds to provide vetinary cures.
(07:06):
A lot of people up here who have to make
tough decisions between rent, food or or vegetan treatment for
their pets. So you're you're in a pet friendly territory here.
What more can we do to help? Let us know,
share and tell us what can you do?
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Yeah, I mean, we do have a fund set up
and all the money that we raise goes to supporting
this disaster and future disasters because we are in the
height of hurricane season. So this certainly isn't going to
be the only hurricane. I hope so, but this isn't
going to be the only one left. But yeah, I mean,
(07:40):
if you go to best Runds dot org, you can
follow the work that we're doing with Hurricane Helene and
Hurricane Milton on our web page and there's some links
to go donate if you're interested. There are a lot
of people that are displaced right now with their pets.
They've been displaced since Selene, so Melton was just the
double whammy that kept them displaced. And you know, right now,
(08:01):
it's just about what kind of long term recovery it's
a state going to make available to them, and is
that recovery going to be inclusive of their pets? Because
oftentimes it doesn't always include their pets, whatever housing they
go to. So it's really about advocating as well for
these individuals so they have somewhere to go with their
(08:21):
animals and they aren't separated because they are family members.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
They absolutely are. Hopefully. The one good thing about these
hurricanes is that as bad as it was in Florida,
and it was really bad, the second hurricane was not
as bad as had been predicted. I mean, the first
hurricane was horrible, and they were suggesting it was going
to be worse. And also I don't think North Carolina
(08:47):
get hit with this. Well, Milton just went across the
state of Florida and exited into the Atlantic Ocean, which
was also you know, a blessing. So hopefully, well, I
guess icond say it could have been worse and if
Milton followed the path of Helene. But nonetheless, there was
a lot of damage done to a lot of states, Georgia,
(09:10):
South Carolina and Florida, obviously North Carolina and even Tennessee.
So whatever people could do, Bestfriends dot Org, Sharon, I
appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us tonight
to highlight the need and the program that will help
satisfy that need.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Okay, thank you so much, and thanks to everybody in
New England for always stepping up for their animals.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
We love animals. We love pets here in New England
family pets. Thanks Sharon, appreciate it. When we return, we're
going to talk ask the question, the age old question,
is it healthy to quit social media? Well, since social
media has only been around about thirty years or whatever
it is is, it's a thirty year question. We have
a doctor who says that if you limit your social
(09:55):
media you're quickly going to see some health benefits. That doctor,
doctor Tricia pas Richa, will join us. Pas Richa will
join us right after this break.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now back to Dan ray Line from The Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So how much social media are you on? I'm on
way too much, But I use as an excuse and
it's actually a legitimate excuse. My job. That's what I do.
I have to know what people want to talk about
with me, is doctor Tricia pas Richa. She is the
Ask a Doctor columnist for the Washington Post, but she's
(10:35):
Boston based. You have the best of all worlds here
good afternoon or good evening. I should say, doctor pas Richa, how.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Are you, hi, Dan, It's great to be back, great
to be.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Back on the show again, and I thank you very much.
So I can't understand why I spend so much time
on social media, part of which is my job. But
I can't wait when I retire, I'm getting off social
media completely. How how healthy is it to get off
social media, or to put it in another way, how
(11:07):
unhealthy is it to spend half your life on social media?
Speaker 6 (11:10):
Well it's a great question, you know, there's not a
straightforward answer, and I think the data, you know, in
a global sense is a little bit mixed, and part
of that is just because of how the studies they're done.
But I think intuitive where we all, all of us
feel like we're on social media too often. And there
have been some studies, one that came out of the
(11:32):
University of Pennsylvania that looked at what happens if we
randomize people to just using social media as often as
they like, which which as we all know, can drag
on into hours and hours of our day, versus limiting
social media, for example, to ten minutes per day on
any given platform and in that study, for example, people sound.
The researchers found that within three weeks of limiting your
(11:52):
social media use, people's depression and loneliness core is dramatically improved.
And that's you know what. One example of a small
study that I think really gets to the heart of
the problem of social media is that it's supposed to
be social. It's supposed to provide as this connection to
other people, and yet it can play a huge role
in just aggravating our own sense of loneliness. And so
(12:14):
when people say should I get off social media? I
really tell them, well, how does social media make you feel?
And if it doesn't make you feel better, so you
feel that you're not using your time the way you
want to, then yes you should get off and see
what happens if you do.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I believe that social media is really the equivalent of
douging yourself, gouging your body with junk food. There's very
little on social media that is has any social redeeming value.
How far off do you think I am on that? Well?
Speaker 6 (12:48):
I think this is why it's a little bit hard
for doctors like myself to say on social media it's
totally bad. Everybody should absolutely get off. I think there
are some areas, and there have been some studies to
support this. Certainly some areas and some groups of people
that really do find a benefit in social media. So
that would be people who find forgeable social support groups
(13:08):
that you can really only get on social media, where
they might have difficulty finding those kinds of communities in
real life. So here have been some studies about support
groups that you can find on social media for breastfeeding women,
for example, and how kind of affirming that can be
to talk to other women who are going through the
same kind of struggles that you are, and or for example,
for LGBTQ plus youth who may have trouble connecting to
(13:31):
people in their immedia community, but they really find a
sense of validation and community online And so in those scenarios,
I think there can be a lot of benefit to it.
But sometimes it can be hard to know are the
benefits that you're getting outweighing the risks and the potential
damages to your health. And if it's hard to tell,
I usually tell my patients this is something I've done myself.
(13:54):
Just do an experiment where you take a break, you
pretend to quit for two weeks, set that at the
beginning the bullet the beginnings is just going to be
two weeks, go off entirely, and at the end of
the two weeks, just pause and say how do I feel?
Do I feel better? Do I feel worse? Do I
feel the same. And I think you'd be surprised how
many people I've told this too, and once again I've
(14:15):
done it to myself, that you actually just feel so
much better after two weeks that you don't want to
go back on afterwards.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I sort of analogize it. And I'm not a doctor,
nor do I play one of the radio. But you
have to see those concials. People who are walking around
on the beach and they have these, I don't know,
magnet finders or whatever, and they're looking for diamond rings
and rare coins and they're walking up and down the beach.
They're getting a little bit of exercise, but it's not
too often that they come up with a really big find.
(14:45):
You know, they'll find like a beer can buried under
the sand or something like that. I would think that
with all the social media that exists, that if there
were people who were looking just for the good stuff,
you know, groups, if you're an LGBTQ teenager, or if
(15:06):
you're a mom, as you said, you know, breastfeeding, looking
for a support group. But it's the other stuff. I
just don't know. I don't know how you separate the
wheat from the chaff, because once you get sucked in.
I'm you know, I'm a big sports guy. So if
I see something, you know, some I don't know, some
funny baseball play, you know, with the guy's running the
bases the wrong way or whatever, or someone hit a
(15:26):
home run and the guy caught it in his beer
and his beer a mug, whatever, then you just you
get seduced. What's the next one? Oh, the next one
is the guy who caught a ball and fell over
the fence, you know, and all of a sudden you say,
what have I been doing for an hour and a half.
Speaker 6 (15:46):
I think you're exactly right. I had a conversation with
the US Surgeon General, doctor Vivic Morphy about this because,
as you might know, what, this is something that he
feels very passionate about and is one of his big
initiatives to try to add burning and Beck and.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I chat about that all the time, only kidding the
search in General's name on me go ahead, I'm ahead.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
But he and he, yeah, he's wonderful, he and he
feels very rightfully passionate about this. And and you know,
one of the things he said to your point is
that he made this comparison which I thought was was
really appropriate, which was that social media can be like
trying to separate mold out of yogurt. Like you might
just want to eat a bold of yogurt, but if
it's covered in mold, you might say, let me just
(16:31):
get the mold out and I'll eat with the underneath there.
Speaker 7 (16:33):
But the problem is, I'm going to go find a
new new uh yogurt my refrigerator in the store.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
If you find out I had molded it, you would
just throw it out. You wouldn't just try to eat
the good stuff. And I think it's the same with
social media. And that's it, and that's his analogy, not mine,
but I think it's it's totally appropriate that it's it's hard.
A lot of people leave social media feeling more upset
and affirmed, and that's the problem. And you know, not
only that it takes away from people's sleep, it takes
(17:06):
away from meaningful in person interaction or your work or
your learning time, and so all of those things that
up and you're doing it for hours and hours every day.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I mean, I'm sure that when every new invention came along,
people said all the cards and that automobile thing's never
gonna last. I'm sticking with my horse and buggy, you know,
by good old Steed. Get to talk to him in
the morning before we roll into town. But I just
don't see the value. You talk about all the sex
(17:37):
trafficking that now goes on there. You know, whatever you
want to find, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. You know,
I have a dictionary here. It's actually a dictionary, and
it's amazing and has all these words in it that
you can look up. I don't have to go to
social media to look up words in a dictionary. Seriously.
This is the book. It's called Webster's Dictionary. And I,
(18:01):
you know, I don't it's it's a losing battle. I
think it's just a losing battle, and I think a
lot of people get lost in it. It's like it's
a morass. I guess it's it's like a it's like
a real life it's like what a corn maze is
can get in a corn maze. Even if you get
(18:21):
lost in the corn maze, you can call the main
number and they'll come and find you. We have calling
con mazes in New England, you know what I mean
by that. But if you get lost in social media,
who do you call? Well?
Speaker 6 (18:34):
You know, I think we're all living this big if
you will, social experiment right now as we are gathering
more data and with data, and we're learning as we go.
I think we don't know yet exactly what is the
best way to use social media. Who are the people
who will benefit the most? And I think you're right that,
you know, like, we're probably never going back as a country,
(18:56):
as a world to what it was like before social media.
But I don't think that means that we won't reach
a place where we do harness the ways to really
extract more of that benefit and less as a harm.
But we're just not there yet because we haven't studied
it long enough. And you might say, okay, well, social media,
it's been around, you know, Nick, you mentioned thirty years.
Facebook came out in two thousand and four. But the
fact of the matter is we haven't been collecting data
(19:17):
as long as we should If you look at the
studies out there, they're small. Most of the social media
companies Meta x, onmly, Twitter, they haven't released all of
the health outcomes and data that they actually have and
they've been keeping over the years. That's one of the
things that the Surgeon General has been really calling for
is to try to use that data to understand how
we can make it better. And once we know that,
(19:39):
we can kind of enforce the right kinds of regulations.
But that's going to take time, and it's going to
take a little bit of lobbying of the companies in
order to get some access to that.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah, and then then gets it into another dangerous area
where all of a sudden, the government is regulating social media.
I don't want them regulating radio stations they are regularly,
but newspapers. I mean, I think of social media sort
of as a newspaper. I think they should take that
(20:09):
protection that social media has gotten from Congress as a gift,
so they can't be they can't be sued for imperfect
information or bad information that they circulate. They have that exemption.
It's almost like an anti trust exemption. I think that
should be taken away, and I think maybe a lot,
then the junk that's on social media would disappear. Doctor.
(20:33):
I very much appreciate you taking the time, and I
didn't realize you were based here in Boston. By congratulations
on that, and we'll talk with you soon. I really
enjoy our conversation, doctor Tricia hush Richa, thanks.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Again, thanks so much for having me. Take care of me.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
When we get back. When we talk about the twenty
twenty four Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf Tournament coming up,
I guess tomorrow at the Owls Nest Resort in Thornton,
New Hampshire. We're going to talk with Mark Eric right
after this. This will be a great one coming up.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Well, I think everyone who listens to this program is
a big fan of Special Olympics, and I believe it's tomorrow.
The twenty twenty four Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf
Tournament takes place at Owl's Nest Resort in Thornton, New Hampshire,
with us Mark Erickson, he's the multi media manager for
Special Olympics New Hampshire. Tell us about this event. This
(21:31):
is not the first year. As I understand that you've
done this golf tournament, tell us about it, Mark, who's eligible?
Who plays? And I hope the weather forecast is good
for you up there tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Good evening, Dan, thanks for having us on. And right
now the weather forecast is looking to be pretty pretty
decent for Thornton for tomorrow. It is our state golf
tournament the Owls Nest Resort. And I'll I'll clarify this
upfront and tell you I'm not a golfer, but I
am the guy that goes and takes a video and
pictures and things. It is just an absolute beautiful, beautiful
(22:03):
golf facility in Thornton, New Hampshire. And we will have
one hundred and eighteen golfers on the links there tomorrow
all day long. And these are Special Olympics athletes and
in some cases unified partners. We pair up individuals with
and without intellectual disabilities in the school systems and they
(22:24):
partner up and they compete and play and hang out
and enjoy each other's company. So we'll have one hundred
and eighteen golfers at the state golf Tournament at Owl's
Nest tomorrow Harlan Electric is our is our big presenting sponsor,
and we thank them so much for that, and we're
hoping for an absolute great day of golf.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
That's like thirty foursomes. If I'm not mistaken, I'm doing
the math there. I think it would be thirty foursomes.
If you that's a lot of golfers. That's a lot
of golfers.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Get all through.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
What time do you start, how early do you start
and when do you finish out?
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Well, we'll start to write it around eight am. And
the way that the day is going to be set
up is we've got unified alternate shot team play in
five hole, nine hole, and eighteen holes, and then we
have some eighteen hole games as well. Part of what
makes this go, the biggest part of what makes this go, honestly,
(23:23):
is our wonderful group of volunteers. They come from all
corners of the state and they organize all the chaos
and into something that is cohesive and competitive and the
level of competition that our athletes really deserve.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Now refresh my recollection. I think I know where Thornton,
New Hampshire is, but I'm not exactly sure. Can you
locate it for me precisely for our audience in case
someone wants to come and I assume you can't just
show up and participate by the people who come and
support it and maybe make a contribution right there or
of the watch some of the golf.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I assume, well, sure, we would love to have you
cheering our athletes on. Uh Forrton is it's north? It's
a it's a bit of a hike. Uh, it's in
It's in Grafton County, New Hampshire, if that if that
helps you out, Uh sort of is.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It a let me ask you? This is my Is
it above the Mount Washington Hotel going north?
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, would be how far from the Canadian border?
Speaker 5 (24:31):
It's you know what it's Uh, it's uh, it's ahead
of the Woodstock and Lincoln however, so it's between Plymouth
and Woodstock.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Okay, Plymouth, you're and it's.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Ninety three you get you there?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, No, that's well, that's exactly what I was using
to get over to Mount Washington. Got hook a right
at some point and that swing over what's the age
range tomorrow? How young and how old?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
Is?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
This is obviously uh a tournament that's going to involve
a wide variety of people. I assume, I assume with
the various talents and and abilities.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Well, Special Olympics athletes start with the regular Special Olympics
program at age eight, and then there is no upper
age limit. We have athletes that are in their forties
and fifties and even a couple in their sixties that
have been with this program for years and years and
years prior to age eight. We have what's called a
Young Athlete program, and that's for youngsters between the ages
(25:24):
of two and seven, and that sort of gets them
prepared for Special Olympics at age eight with just some
life skills and people's skills and having fun and getting
to know one another.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And how many years have you been running this event?
This is not your first rodeo? Isome? Right?
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Oh no, no, no, the State Golf Tournament's been around,
you know, the history of it predates me, but I've
got to believe it's been twelve or fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Well that's great. And what does the day include? Obviously
all the golf activity, and is there some sort of
an awards event at the cost?
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Oh yeah, well we'll have awards. Well, we'll have lunch
for everyone, and in between and for down times, we'll
we'll have a few other activities going on. But yeah,
before we wrap up the day, there'll be many gold
and silver and bronze medals handed out to our athletes
and their unified partners, and we're looking forward to a great,
(26:27):
great day tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So you see, they go for the gold eighteen holes,
nine holes, five holes, and then individual skills competition. I'm
sorry you must have this sounds like always a great
day for anyone who's a golfer. But I assume you
got some putting competitions and things like that where everybody
(26:50):
can participate. They don't have to be hitting the ball
three hundred and ten yards off the first tee.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
No, no, no, nothing, nothing like that. We are all
about being inclusive all the way around, and we make
sure that everyone has, as we like to say, the
competition and the day that our athletes deserve. And again
we have our wonderful volunteers to thank for that.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
That's great. Well, look, Mark, I really appreciate you joining
us tonight. I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow
and they fulfill the dreams. This has to be a
special day for a very special program, special Olympics of
New Hampshire in Thoughton, New Hampshire at the Owls Nest Resort.
Wish you all the best of luck tomorrow and I
(27:37):
hope everyone has a memorable day. I'm sure there'll be
plenty of camaraderie and a lot of fun for everyone,
the participants and also I'm sure family members will be
there to cheer them on, and oh yeah, a few
speculators as well. It's going to be just a great day.
Thanks very much. Is there a way people can get
more information on Special Olympics New Hampshire. I see you
(28:00):
have a pretty simple website special so for Special Olympics
NH dot org. Is that the best way?
Speaker 5 (28:09):
So O nh dot org has all things Special Olympics
New Hampshire. And we'll also let everyone know that we've
just unleashed a new fundraiser online and say pick your prize,
rapple the grand prize and that is a three passenger
c do jet ski. So if you want an information
about fundraisers or the state golf tournament or anything else,
(28:30):
it's so O n H dot org.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Perfect, just perfect. You hit it perfectly for us. Hit
him straight tomorrow too, Mark, Thanks very much. I appreciate
your time tonight. Thanks thanks so much.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
Thanks Dan, have a great night.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
You bet your best. I look to all the participants
in these New Hampshire Special Olympics twenty twenty four State
golf tournament. We get back. We're going to talk about
another athlete new to Boston, but he made quite a debut,
well really a starting debut yesterday. Drake May the new
star quarterback for the New England Patriots. They were dressed
(29:03):
out in their throwback garb. Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe sports writer,
will weigh in with us right after this break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
With us now Boston Globe sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy, great friend
and certainly a participant in this program periodically. Hey Dan,
thanks very much for joining us tonight. You had a
a one story that began in the Boston Globe today
thanks to Drake May, there's finally a reason to watch
these Patriots. Not a bad performance by the quarterback yesterday.
The defense left a little bit little to be desired,
(29:43):
a little bit to be desired. How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (29:46):
I'm Okay, Dan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Doing it well? As always? You know, his numbers last
night were yesterday afternoon, we're pretty good. I mean, he
got sacked four times, which unfortunately is a problem any
Patriots quarterback would face. Give mcgrade for his first time out.
You've seen more than a few of these Patriots games,
(30:10):
and I'm sure that you were there for Mac Jones'
opening performance and maybe Tom Brady's opening performance back in
the day.
Speaker 8 (30:19):
He I mean, you know, he put twenty one points
on the board, the most they've had all season. He
had three touchdown passes. They only had two in the
first five games, so those things are certainly in his favor.
But you know, on the other side, he turned the
ball over the team did four times, three of them
were on him, two interceptions and a fumble of his.
You know, one of the picks was deflected. The first
(30:41):
one was a bad throw high over the middle, which
you can't do in the NFL. So it was uneven.
But again for the first start in the NFL against
a pretty good defensive team and you know, five and
one team Houston Texans, I thought it was it was good.
It's weird to come out of a twenty point loss.
Feeling good, But the way the Patriots are at this
(31:03):
juncture of their situation, I think you have to say
that they're not going to be competitive, they're not going
to be a contender, they're not going to be in
a playoff hunt. So you look for what you can
and yesterday's game was far more entertaining, more fun to watch,
and it indicated that they might have found a guy
who can lead them into the future. So I thought
(31:24):
those were all pluses.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
I think he looked better to me yesterday as a quarterback.
And you're a closer observer. I've watched a lot of
quarterbacks for the Patriots, going back to Budsong and Babe
Perilli back in the day, all the way all the
way up through you know Mac Jones. Mac Jones, he
looked much more comfortable than any quarterback recently. A lot
(31:48):
of the other guys have kind of that happy feet
thing going on. I didn't feel he had that at all.
I thought he'd looked like a veteran quarterback for his
pois again not necessarily a Hall of Fame rating, as
your article points out today, How did he look compared
to other folks who you saw.
Speaker 8 (32:05):
There first time, Well yeah, I think, you know, he's
twenty two years old. And then you know, going back
over the time, I mean I was in high school
and Jim Plunkett came in from Stanford, a Brose Bowl
winner and number one overall pick in the draft. And
Pluckett won his first game twenty to six over the Raiders.
But he had a very tough four years here. He
took a beating and it got worse and worse, and
(32:27):
they eventually traded them and he went on to Okland
and won two Super Bowls with the Raiders and was
MVP the Super Bowl with the Raiders. So that was,
you know, a long time ago. It's fifty years ago.
More recent, well not really recent, Drew, but so I
was at his first game. He was in Buffalo in
nineteen ninety three. Parcels was the new coach and he
was the number one overall pick. He was only twenty one,
(32:50):
and he was clearly ready to start playing in the NFL.
But that team went one and eleven out of the gate,
so he lost his open in Buffalo. But he was
clearly a Pro Bowl bound passer, and he had him
in the Super Bowl in four years, so that's pretty good,
and that was Drew Budsoe. So Mac Jones the most
recent he was first round pick number fifteen.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Overall, had a.
Speaker 8 (33:12):
Pretty good first game and probably a little better than
what our guy had yesterday. But I think that I
don't feel he showed quite as much pocket presence, ability
to do things with his feet, you know, kind of
avoid the rush. I thought that that may kind of
really showed those things that you look forward to down
(33:33):
the road. I thought it was a good showing overall.
Like I say, unusual to come away from a twenty
point loss feeling okay, but I kind of did yesterday.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Well, I was watching earlier in the morning. I'm sure
you probably were as well, the Jacksonville Bears game and
the Bears and Caleb Williams just running away with Jacksonville.
You know, Jacksonville looks like a team the Patriots might
be able to beat. But Matt Jones came in to
to clean up after Trevor Lawrence was done for the day,
(34:05):
and I just thought, I think the last pass that
I had seen Jones throw on television was that that
horrible interception in Germany, and you know, he came out
through one pass was got a completion. I think he
got sacked or you know it just obviously the Patriots are,
I think, are much better shape with Drake May than
(34:26):
they would have been if they hung on another year
with Mac Jones.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
I think so.
Speaker 8 (34:30):
I mean, things are a lot of issues with the
offensive line. They didn't have stevenson Esay running the ball
out of the backfield, and you know, turned though over
four times, You're not going to win that game. You're
playing a really good team, a team that it's very
very staunched defensively. So that was a lot to ask,
But I thought overall it was it was a good showing.
And I think Jones, I don't know, he did take
(34:52):
them to the playoffs. I mean, it wasn't a disaster,
but it got a little bit worse each year, and
a lot of that was on them and the coaching
that he had over him and the chaos that was
going on in those final years under Belichick, and he
didn't have a lot of weapons to deal with and
needed as this guy. So you got issues all over
the place. But I think that in a excuse me,
(35:12):
a NFL of twenty twenty four with the rebuild and
you know, their position to do that now, and I
mean I kind of you put them up against Jacksonville.
They're playing them London nine thirty on Sunday morning. I
like them a little bit more than Jacksonville that that's
a winnable game, as I think last week at home
with Miami would have been a winnable game if they
(35:33):
if they had had Drake may plan.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Yeah, I think the schedule only gets tougher from here.
I think I read the opening of the early line
on the London game as Jacksonville I think was a
six point favorite, which seemed to me to be a
little generous, but maybe.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
Pretty good for one in five.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Yeah, but I think they're thinking that Lawrence has to
come up with a big game pretty quickly. Yeah, a
lot of pressure I think on the coach Peterson. I
think might have to fly home alone if they don't
win at Webley Stadium next Saturday, next Sunday morning. But
it's going to be an interesting game to watch, that's
the one thing. Yesterday was interesting, and as long as
(36:08):
the Patriots keep it interesting, they'll keep our attention for
the ballast of this season. I just don't want to
see him get blown out by some of the really
good teams. That's what yeah.
Speaker 8 (36:16):
I mean, it's been a tough watch. And like you said,
the interesting part of it to me is even in
the twenty point loss, it was more fun to watch.
He just saw some stuff. I mean the first half,
you know, the end of the first half and he
throws the forty yarder into the bucket and that was
the best play they've had all year, and it was
just electric. Cut the lead to fourteen to seven. At
the half, they're getting the ball. Second half, you're thinking, hey,
(36:38):
they could win this game. So those were good signs.
And that was a good moment in the game. And
he was able to do things with his legs and
throwing the run, throw across his body, and you know,
there was some unfortunate things. It was uneven, but I
think overall it's a win in terms of looking at
the big picture, which is what they're doing right now
down there.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Okay, so here's the big question. Do you get to
go to London next week for the game? Are you
gonna be watching?
Speaker 8 (37:02):
I opted not to. I would get to go if
I chose to it. No, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
A wise decision, trust me, A wise decision. Dan Shaughnessy
is always thank you, my friend. Always great to have
you on Nightside.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Thanks so much, Dan, Thanks Dan, take care all right.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
When we get back today. It was a holiday, it
was a federal holiday, it was a state holiday. But
I'm working. Rob is working. We're going to find out
if you celebrated a holiday today and which one did
you celebrate. We're going to be talking with the state
representative from Winthrop, our state representative, Jeff Turco, and we'll
open those phone lines up right after the nine o'clock news.
(37:37):
My name's Dan Ray. This is Night Side on a
Monday night, a holiday, Monday night.
It's night side with Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Wait a second, Nicole, what a holiday are we talking
about here? You and I are both working today.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Just because it's not a holiday for us doesn't mean
it's not a holiday for somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
But well, yeah, there's probably like holiday every day around
the world.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
That's the case National Girl Cheese Day. I'm requesting that off.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
No, but this is probably like a holiday in Tanzania
that we don't celebrate. But it's not a holiday for us,
and it's I don't know. We're going to talk about
that at nine o'clock. Okay, we're going to ask if
people did celebrate today and what holiday did they celebrate
all of a sudden, And then how about these pesky panthers, Nicole?
I know, I mean, you know, this is ruining my
(00:45):
winter and it's pretty early.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I was gonna say, started you don't let this get
you die.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Early in that, but this is this is scary, This
is scary. I was convinced this was the year.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Well let's not, you know, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We feel like I have to say that for every
New England sport early in the first couple months, like,
let's not get ahead of ourselves. Then it comes to playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And then we can panic. Do me a faye. Well,
when it's when it's time to panic, will you let me.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Know as soon as I found as soon as I
find out.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
As soon as you just let me know, because I
don't want to like appeer to panic.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, you know, we can enter panic all we want,
it's just we don't want to scare everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Good good goods. Okay, that's a good that. That's a
prudent position to take, thank you against these pesky panthers.
Panthers very illiterative there the position. Yes, thanks Nicole, have
a good show, right, Thanks, good evening everyone, And I
hope you had a good holiday, whatever holiday you celebrated.
We'll talk about that at nine o'clock tonight, and then
(01:45):
later on tonight we're going to talk about the hotel
workers strike here in the in the Greater Boston area.
I think it's going to be very interesting to understand, uh,
because all the stories I've read have not specified what
is at stake. I mean, obviously the workers on and
strike more pay and better pension and all of that,
but I'd love to know what situations they find themselves
(02:07):
in and let's get some of this out on the table,
because I suspect that the more information we have, the
better off we will be. But first, first, let me
introduce myself. I'm Dan Ray. I'm the host of ninth
Side right here on WBC entitled Nightside with Dan Ray,
very appropriately entitled. And this is a program that is
(02:27):
on a holiday, but it's not a holiday special, so
let's make that clear. Rob Brooks is also not on holiday.
Rob is working today, so Rob, my condolences that you
have to work on a holiday, even though it's really
not a holiday, it should be a holiday in some
form of fashion. We'll talk about that at nine. We're
going to start off with our first hour tonight, which
there were no phone calls in the first hour. I
(02:49):
remind you of that. I need not remind regular listeners
of that. And we are going to go down south
and we're going to talk with Sharon Hawa. She's the
senior manager of the Emergency Response a Best Friends Animal Society.
And there has been a two major hurricanes, Hurricane Helene
(03:14):
and then Hurricane Milton, and not only a people impact,
but people's pets are impacted. So Sharon, welcome to Night's
side tell us Best Friends Animal Society, you folks are located.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Where yes, hi, thank you for having me. We are
located in kannap Utah. But we've got Center's Pet resource
centers across the country and our staff is widespread across
the country. The work that we do is nationally focused
or a national organization that focuses on getting this country
(03:47):
to a no kill status with America Shelters by the
end of twenty twenty five. So we've been doing a
lot of work for the hurricanes right now.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, but that's the problem that is from and Center
at this point. So what can people here in New
England do? Obviously, in New England we do a lot
of pet adoption from some of the southern states, and
I think that you know, there have been vans coming
(04:18):
up here in New England. A lot of my friends
have adopted pets, animals, dogs, cats. What can we in
New England do? I think I saw one story about
a group in Rhode Island that actually sent a group
of workers down to to I believe North Carolina to
(04:39):
try to help out, just as we send electrical crews
from different parts of the country. What can we do
here in New England.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. I think. You know,
one of the things that really does help with life
saving four pets is to foster and adopt from your
local shelters, because what that ends up doing is enabling
that shelter to raise their hands and say, hey, we've
got space. We can take some of those impacted animals
from those hurricane ravaged states. And that's where you see
(05:10):
the vans coming up with the animals because a group,
a rescue organization or a shelter organization was able to
make space. And that is largely in part due to
the public raising their hand and saying I can foster
or adopt to make that space. So when people foster
and adopt, they really are saving two lives, the animal's
life that they're bringing home, and they're also making space
(05:31):
for a new animal to come in from an area
where they may not be able to survive because of
hurricanes and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah. I'm very proud to say that my daughter a
year ago adopted from an animal shelter here in the
Greater Boston area Situate Animal Shelter, a beautiful, quirky dog
named Mustard, and all of my closest personal friends. I mean,
I count my five best friends on my right hand,
and Mustard's right there along with Willi the dog, which
(06:00):
is another family member. So we we love dogs and
shelter dogs. And I suspect that there's going to be
a lot of pets, you know, all sorts of pets
coming up from the South, particularly after I mean, when
this storm hit, it had to have tremendous impact not
only on families, but also in the family pets, which
(06:21):
is members of the family. Anyone who has a dog
understands what I'm talking about. If you don't have a dog,
get a dog, so you can understand that that canine
becomes a member of your family. Not a member of
your extended family, but a member of your family. Are
there ways that folks can help out your organization or
(06:41):
is there any sort of a fund that is intended
to help out pets in North Carolina? We support here
on Nightside of a program called Shadow the Shadow Fund, the
Shadow Fund in even Northeast, which is an incredible program
that provides veterinary care for peoples pets up here when
the owner does not have sufficient funds to provide vetinary cures.
(07:06):
A lot of people up here who have to make
tough decisions between rent, food or or vegetan treatment for
their pets. So you're you're in a pet friendly territory here.
What more can we do to help? Let us know,
share and tell us what can you do?
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Yeah, I mean, we do have a fund set up
and all the money that we raise goes to supporting
this disaster and future disasters because we are in the
height of hurricane season. So this certainly isn't going to
be the only hurricane. I hope so, but this isn't
going to be the only one left. But yeah, I mean,
(07:40):
if you go to best Runds dot org, you can
follow the work that we're doing with Hurricane Helene and
Hurricane Milton on our web page and there's some links
to go donate if you're interested. There are a lot
of people that are displaced right now with their pets.
They've been displaced since Selene, so Melton was just the
double whammy that kept them displaced. And you know, right now,
(08:01):
it's just about what kind of long term recovery it's
a state going to make available to them, and is
that recovery going to be inclusive of their pets? Because
oftentimes it doesn't always include their pets, whatever housing they
go to. So it's really about advocating as well for
these individuals so they have somewhere to go with their
(08:21):
animals and they aren't separated because they are family members.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
They absolutely are. Hopefully. The one good thing about these
hurricanes is that as bad as it was in Florida,
and it was really bad, the second hurricane was not
as bad as had been predicted. I mean, the first
hurricane was horrible, and they were suggesting it was going
to be worse. And also I don't think North Carolina
(08:47):
get hit with this. Well, Milton just went across the
state of Florida and exited into the Atlantic Ocean, which
was also you know, a blessing. So hopefully, well, I
guess icond say it could have been worse and if
Milton followed the path of Helene. But nonetheless, there was
a lot of damage done to a lot of states, Georgia,
(09:10):
South Carolina and Florida, obviously North Carolina and even Tennessee.
So whatever people could do, Bestfriends dot Org, Sharon, I
appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us tonight
to highlight the need and the program that will help
satisfy that need.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Okay, thank you so much, and thanks to everybody in
New England for always stepping up for their animals.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
We love animals. We love pets here in New England
family pets. Thanks Sharon, appreciate it. When we return, we're
going to talk ask the question, the age old question,
is it healthy to quit social media? Well, since social
media has only been around about thirty years or whatever
it is is, it's a thirty year question. We have
a doctor who says that if you limit your social
(09:55):
media you're quickly going to see some health benefits. That doctor,
doctor Tricia pas Richa, will join us. Pas Richa will
join us right after this break.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now back to Dan ray Line from The Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So how much social media are you on? I'm on
way too much, But I use as an excuse and
it's actually a legitimate excuse. My job. That's what I do.
I have to know what people want to talk about
with me, is doctor Tricia pas Richa. She is the
Ask a Doctor columnist for the Washington Post, but she's
(10:35):
Boston based. You have the best of all worlds here
good afternoon or good evening. I should say, doctor pas Richa, how.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Are you, hi, Dan, It's great to be back, great
to be.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Back on the show again, and I thank you very much.
So I can't understand why I spend so much time
on social media, part of which is my job. But
I can't wait when I retire, I'm getting off social
media completely. How how healthy is it to get off
social media, or to put it in another way, how
(11:07):
unhealthy is it to spend half your life on social media?
Speaker 6 (11:10):
Well it's a great question, you know, there's not a
straightforward answer, and I think the data, you know, in
a global sense is a little bit mixed, and part
of that is just because of how the studies they're done.
But I think intuitive where we all, all of us
feel like we're on social media too often. And there
have been some studies, one that came out of the
(11:32):
University of Pennsylvania that looked at what happens if we
randomize people to just using social media as often as
they like, which which as we all know, can drag
on into hours and hours of our day, versus limiting
social media, for example, to ten minutes per day on
any given platform and in that study, for example, people sound.
The researchers found that within three weeks of limiting your
(11:52):
social media use, people's depression and loneliness core is dramatically improved.
And that's you know what. One example of a small
study that I think really gets to the heart of
the problem of social media is that it's supposed to
be social. It's supposed to provide as this connection to
other people, and yet it can play a huge role
in just aggravating our own sense of loneliness. And so
(12:14):
when people say should I get off social media? I
really tell them, well, how does social media make you feel?
And if it doesn't make you feel better, so you
feel that you're not using your time the way you
want to, then yes you should get off and see
what happens if you do.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I believe that social media is really the equivalent of
douging yourself, gouging your body with junk food. There's very
little on social media that is has any social redeeming value.
How far off do you think I am on that? Well?
Speaker 6 (12:48):
I think this is why it's a little bit hard
for doctors like myself to say on social media it's
totally bad. Everybody should absolutely get off. I think there
are some areas, and there have been some studies to
support this. Certainly some areas and some groups of people
that really do find a benefit in social media. So
that would be people who find forgeable social support groups
(13:08):
that you can really only get on social media, where
they might have difficulty finding those kinds of communities in
real life. So here have been some studies about support
groups that you can find on social media for breastfeeding women,
for example, and how kind of affirming that can be
to talk to other women who are going through the
same kind of struggles that you are, and or for example,
for LGBTQ plus youth who may have trouble connecting to
(13:31):
people in their immedia community, but they really find a
sense of validation and community online And so in those scenarios,
I think there can be a lot of benefit to it.
But sometimes it can be hard to know are the
benefits that you're getting outweighing the risks and the potential
damages to your health. And if it's hard to tell,
I usually tell my patients this is something I've done myself.
(13:54):
Just do an experiment where you take a break, you
pretend to quit for two weeks, set that at the
beginning the bullet the beginnings is just going to be
two weeks, go off entirely, and at the end of
the two weeks, just pause and say how do I feel?
Do I feel better? Do I feel worse? Do I
feel the same. And I think you'd be surprised how
many people I've told this too, and once again I've
(14:15):
done it to myself, that you actually just feel so
much better after two weeks that you don't want to
go back on afterwards.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I sort of analogize it. And I'm not a doctor,
nor do I play one of the radio. But you
have to see those concials. People who are walking around
on the beach and they have these, I don't know,
magnet finders or whatever, and they're looking for diamond rings
and rare coins and they're walking up and down the beach.
They're getting a little bit of exercise, but it's not
too often that they come up with a really big find.
(14:45):
You know, they'll find like a beer can buried under
the sand or something like that. I would think that
with all the social media that exists, that if there
were people who were looking just for the good stuff,
you know, groups, if you're an LGBTQ teenager, or if
(15:06):
you're a mom, as you said, you know, breastfeeding, looking
for a support group. But it's the other stuff. I
just don't know. I don't know how you separate the
wheat from the chaff, because once you get sucked in.
I'm you know, I'm a big sports guy. So if
I see something, you know, some I don't know, some
funny baseball play, you know, with the guy's running the
bases the wrong way or whatever, or someone hit a
(15:26):
home run and the guy caught it in his beer
and his beer a mug, whatever, then you just you
get seduced. What's the next one? Oh, the next one
is the guy who caught a ball and fell over
the fence, you know, and all of a sudden you say,
what have I been doing for an hour and a half.
Speaker 6 (15:46):
I think you're exactly right. I had a conversation with
the US Surgeon General, doctor Vivic Morphy about this because,
as you might know, what, this is something that he
feels very passionate about and is one of his big
initiatives to try to add burning and Beck and.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I chat about that all the time, only kidding the
search in General's name on me go ahead, I'm ahead.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
But he and he, yeah, he's wonderful, he and he
feels very rightfully passionate about this. And and you know,
one of the things he said to your point is
that he made this comparison which I thought was was
really appropriate, which was that social media can be like
trying to separate mold out of yogurt. Like you might
just want to eat a bold of yogurt, but if
it's covered in mold, you might say, let me just
(16:31):
get the mold out and I'll eat with the underneath there.
Speaker 7 (16:33):
But the problem is, I'm going to go find a
new new uh yogurt my refrigerator in the store.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
If you find out I had molded it, you would
just throw it out. You wouldn't just try to eat
the good stuff. And I think it's the same with
social media. And that's it, and that's his analogy, not mine,
but I think it's it's totally appropriate that it's it's hard.
A lot of people leave social media feeling more upset
and affirmed, and that's the problem. And you know, not
only that it takes away from people's sleep, it takes
(17:06):
away from meaningful in person interaction or your work or
your learning time, and so all of those things that
up and you're doing it for hours and hours every day.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I mean, I'm sure that when every new invention came along,
people said all the cards and that automobile thing's never
gonna last. I'm sticking with my horse and buggy, you know,
by good old Steed. Get to talk to him in
the morning before we roll into town. But I just
don't see the value. You talk about all the sex
(17:37):
trafficking that now goes on there. You know, whatever you
want to find, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. You know,
I have a dictionary here. It's actually a dictionary, and
it's amazing and has all these words in it that
you can look up. I don't have to go to
social media to look up words in a dictionary. Seriously.
This is the book. It's called Webster's Dictionary. And I,
(18:01):
you know, I don't it's it's a losing battle. I
think it's just a losing battle, and I think a
lot of people get lost in it. It's like it's
a morass. I guess it's it's like a it's like
a real life it's like what a corn maze is
can get in a corn maze. Even if you get
(18:21):
lost in the corn maze, you can call the main
number and they'll come and find you. We have calling
con mazes in New England, you know what I mean
by that. But if you get lost in social media,
who do you call? Well?
Speaker 6 (18:34):
You know, I think we're all living this big if
you will, social experiment right now as we are gathering
more data and with data, and we're learning as we go.
I think we don't know yet exactly what is the
best way to use social media. Who are the people
who will benefit the most? And I think you're right that,
you know, like, we're probably never going back as a country,
(18:56):
as a world to what it was like before social media.
But I don't think that means that we won't reach
a place where we do harness the ways to really
extract more of that benefit and less as a harm.
But we're just not there yet because we haven't studied
it long enough. And you might say, okay, well, social media,
it's been around, you know, Nick, you mentioned thirty years.
Facebook came out in two thousand and four. But the
fact of the matter is we haven't been collecting data
(19:17):
as long as we should If you look at the
studies out there, they're small. Most of the social media
companies Meta x, onmly, Twitter, they haven't released all of
the health outcomes and data that they actually have and
they've been keeping over the years. That's one of the
things that the Surgeon General has been really calling for
is to try to use that data to understand how
we can make it better. And once we know that,
(19:39):
we can kind of enforce the right kinds of regulations.
But that's going to take time, and it's going to
take a little bit of lobbying of the companies in
order to get some access to that.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah, and then then gets it into another dangerous area
where all of a sudden, the government is regulating social media.
I don't want them regulating radio stations they are regularly,
but newspapers. I mean, I think of social media sort
of as a newspaper. I think they should take that
(20:09):
protection that social media has gotten from Congress as a gift,
so they can't be they can't be sued for imperfect
information or bad information that they circulate. They have that exemption.
It's almost like an anti trust exemption. I think that
should be taken away, and I think maybe a lot,
then the junk that's on social media would disappear. Doctor.
(20:33):
I very much appreciate you taking the time, and I
didn't realize you were based here in Boston. By congratulations
on that, and we'll talk with you soon. I really
enjoy our conversation, doctor Tricia hush Richa, thanks.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Again, thanks so much for having me. Take care of me.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
When we get back. When we talk about the twenty
twenty four Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf Tournament coming up,
I guess tomorrow at the Owls Nest Resort in Thornton,
New Hampshire. We're going to talk with Mark Eric right
after this. This will be a great one coming up.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Well, I think everyone who listens to this program is
a big fan of Special Olympics, and I believe it's tomorrow.
The twenty twenty four Special Olympics New Hampshire State Golf
Tournament takes place at Owl's Nest Resort in Thornton, New Hampshire,
with us Mark Erickson, he's the multi media manager for
Special Olympics New Hampshire. Tell us about this event. This
(21:31):
is not the first year. As I understand that you've
done this golf tournament, tell us about it, Mark, who's eligible?
Who plays? And I hope the weather forecast is good
for you up there tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Good evening, Dan, thanks for having us on. And right
now the weather forecast is looking to be pretty pretty
decent for Thornton for tomorrow. It is our state golf
tournament the Owls Nest Resort. And I'll I'll clarify this
upfront and tell you I'm not a golfer, but I
am the guy that goes and takes a video and
pictures and things. It is just an absolute beautiful, beautiful
(22:03):
golf facility in Thornton, New Hampshire. And we will have
one hundred and eighteen golfers on the links there tomorrow
all day long. And these are Special Olympics athletes and
in some cases unified partners. We pair up individuals with
and without intellectual disabilities in the school systems and they
(22:24):
partner up and they compete and play and hang out
and enjoy each other's company. So we'll have one hundred
and eighteen golfers at the state golf Tournament at Owl's
Nest tomorrow Harlan Electric is our is our big presenting sponsor,
and we thank them so much for that, and we're
hoping for an absolute great day of golf.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
That's like thirty foursomes. If I'm not mistaken, I'm doing
the math there. I think it would be thirty foursomes.
If you that's a lot of golfers. That's a lot
of golfers.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Get all through.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
What time do you start, how early do you start
and when do you finish out?
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Well, we'll start to write it around eight am. And
the way that the day is going to be set
up is we've got unified alternate shot team play in
five hole, nine hole, and eighteen holes, and then we
have some eighteen hole games as well. Part of what
makes this go, the biggest part of what makes this go, honestly,
(23:23):
is our wonderful group of volunteers. They come from all
corners of the state and they organize all the chaos
and into something that is cohesive and competitive and the
level of competition that our athletes really deserve.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Now refresh my recollection. I think I know where Thornton,
New Hampshire is, but I'm not exactly sure. Can you
locate it for me precisely for our audience in case
someone wants to come and I assume you can't just
show up and participate by the people who come and
support it and maybe make a contribution right there or
of the watch some of the golf.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I assume, well, sure, we would love to have you
cheering our athletes on. Uh Forrton is it's north? It's
a it's a bit of a hike. Uh, it's in
It's in Grafton County, New Hampshire, if that if that
helps you out, Uh sort of is.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It a let me ask you? This is my Is
it above the Mount Washington Hotel going north?
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, would be how far from the Canadian border?
Speaker 5 (24:31):
It's you know what it's Uh, it's uh, it's ahead
of the Woodstock and Lincoln however, so it's between Plymouth
and Woodstock.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Okay, Plymouth, you're and it's.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Ninety three you get you there?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, No, that's well, that's exactly what I was using
to get over to Mount Washington. Got hook a right
at some point and that swing over what's the age
range tomorrow? How young and how old?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
Is?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
This is obviously uh a tournament that's going to involve
a wide variety of people. I assume, I assume with
the various talents and and abilities.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Well, Special Olympics athletes start with the regular Special Olympics
program at age eight, and then there is no upper
age limit. We have athletes that are in their forties
and fifties and even a couple in their sixties that
have been with this program for years and years and
years prior to age eight. We have what's called a
Young Athlete program, and that's for youngsters between the ages
(25:24):
of two and seven, and that sort of gets them
prepared for Special Olympics at age eight with just some
life skills and people's skills and having fun and getting
to know one another.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And how many years have you been running this event?
This is not your first rodeo? Isome? Right?
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Oh no, no, no, the State Golf Tournament's been around,
you know, the history of it predates me, but I've
got to believe it's been twelve or fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Well that's great. And what does the day include? Obviously
all the golf activity, and is there some sort of
an awards event at the cost?
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Oh yeah, well we'll have awards. Well, we'll have lunch
for everyone, and in between and for down times, we'll
we'll have a few other activities going on. But yeah,
before we wrap up the day, there'll be many gold
and silver and bronze medals handed out to our athletes
and their unified partners, and we're looking forward to a great,
(26:27):
great day tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So you see, they go for the gold eighteen holes,
nine holes, five holes, and then individual skills competition. I'm
sorry you must have this sounds like always a great
day for anyone who's a golfer. But I assume you
got some putting competitions and things like that where everybody
(26:50):
can participate. They don't have to be hitting the ball
three hundred and ten yards off the first tee.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
No, no, no, nothing, nothing like that. We are all
about being inclusive all the way around, and we make
sure that everyone has, as we like to say, the
competition and the day that our athletes deserve. And again
we have our wonderful volunteers to thank for that.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
That's great. Well, look, Mark, I really appreciate you joining
us tonight. I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow
and they fulfill the dreams. This has to be a
special day for a very special program, special Olympics of
New Hampshire in Thoughton, New Hampshire at the Owls Nest Resort.
Wish you all the best of luck tomorrow and I
(27:37):
hope everyone has a memorable day. I'm sure there'll be
plenty of camaraderie and a lot of fun for everyone,
the participants and also I'm sure family members will be
there to cheer them on, and oh yeah, a few
speculators as well. It's going to be just a great day.
Thanks very much. Is there a way people can get
more information on Special Olympics New Hampshire. I see you
(28:00):
have a pretty simple website special so for Special Olympics
NH dot org. Is that the best way?
Speaker 5 (28:09):
So O nh dot org has all things Special Olympics
New Hampshire. And we'll also let everyone know that we've
just unleashed a new fundraiser online and say pick your prize,
rapple the grand prize and that is a three passenger
c do jet ski. So if you want an information
about fundraisers or the state golf tournament or anything else,
(28:30):
it's so O n H dot org.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Perfect, just perfect. You hit it perfectly for us. Hit
him straight tomorrow too, Mark, Thanks very much. I appreciate
your time tonight. Thanks thanks so much.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
Thanks Dan, have a great night.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
You bet your best. I look to all the participants
in these New Hampshire Special Olympics twenty twenty four State
golf tournament. We get back. We're going to talk about
another athlete new to Boston, but he made quite a debut,
well really a starting debut yesterday. Drake May the new
star quarterback for the New England Patriots. They were dressed
(29:03):
out in their throwback garb. Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe sports writer,
will weigh in with us right after this break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
With us now Boston Globe sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy, great friend
and certainly a participant in this program periodically. Hey Dan,
thanks very much for joining us tonight. You had a
a one story that began in the Boston Globe today
thanks to Drake May, there's finally a reason to watch
these Patriots. Not a bad performance by the quarterback yesterday.
The defense left a little bit little to be desired,
(29:43):
a little bit to be desired. How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (29:46):
I'm Okay, Dan, how are you.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Doing it well? As always? You know, his numbers last
night were yesterday afternoon, we're pretty good. I mean, he
got sacked four times, which unfortunately is a problem any
Patriots quarterback would face. Give mcgrade for his first time out.
You've seen more than a few of these Patriots games,
(30:10):
and I'm sure that you were there for Mac Jones'
opening performance and maybe Tom Brady's opening performance back in
the day.
Speaker 8 (30:19):
He I mean, you know, he put twenty one points
on the board, the most they've had all season. He
had three touchdown passes. They only had two in the
first five games, so those things are certainly in his favor.
But you know, on the other side, he turned the
ball over the team did four times, three of them
were on him, two interceptions and a fumble of his.
You know, one of the picks was deflected. The first
(30:41):
one was a bad throw high over the middle, which
you can't do in the NFL. So it was uneven.
But again for the first start in the NFL against
a pretty good defensive team and you know, five and
one team Houston Texans, I thought it was it was good.
It's weird to come out of a twenty point loss.
Feeling good, But the way the Patriots are at this
(31:03):
juncture of their situation, I think you have to say
that they're not going to be competitive, they're not going
to be a contender, they're not going to be in
a playoff hunt. So you look for what you can
and yesterday's game was far more entertaining, more fun to watch,
and it indicated that they might have found a guy
who can lead them into the future. So I thought
(31:24):
those were all pluses.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
I think he looked better to me yesterday as a quarterback.
And you're a closer observer. I've watched a lot of
quarterbacks for the Patriots, going back to Budsong and Babe
Perilli back in the day, all the way all the
way up through you know Mac Jones. Mac Jones, he
looked much more comfortable than any quarterback recently. A lot
(31:48):
of the other guys have kind of that happy feet
thing going on. I didn't feel he had that at all.
I thought he'd looked like a veteran quarterback for his
pois again not necessarily a Hall of Fame rating, as
your article points out today, How did he look compared
to other folks who you saw.
Speaker 8 (32:05):
There first time, Well yeah, I think, you know, he's
twenty two years old. And then you know, going back
over the time, I mean I was in high school
and Jim Plunkett came in from Stanford, a Brose Bowl
winner and number one overall pick in the draft. And
Pluckett won his first game twenty to six over the Raiders.
But he had a very tough four years here. He
took a beating and it got worse and worse, and
(32:27):
they eventually traded them and he went on to Okland
and won two Super Bowls with the Raiders and was
MVP the Super Bowl with the Raiders. So that was,
you know, a long time ago. It's fifty years ago.
More recent, well not really recent, Drew, but so I
was at his first game. He was in Buffalo in
nineteen ninety three. Parcels was the new coach and he
was the number one overall pick. He was only twenty one,
(32:50):
and he was clearly ready to start playing in the NFL.
But that team went one and eleven out of the gate,
so he lost his open in Buffalo. But he was
clearly a Pro Bowl bound passer, and he had him
in the Super Bowl in four years, so that's pretty good,
and that was Drew Budsoe. So Mac Jones the most
recent he was first round pick number fifteen.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Overall, had a.
Speaker 8 (33:12):
Pretty good first game and probably a little better than
what our guy had yesterday. But I think that I
don't feel he showed quite as much pocket presence, ability
to do things with his feet, you know, kind of
avoid the rush. I thought that that may kind of
really showed those things that you look forward to down
(33:33):
the road. I thought it was a good showing overall.
Like I say, unusual to come away from a twenty
point loss feeling okay, but I kind of did yesterday.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Well, I was watching earlier in the morning. I'm sure
you probably were as well, the Jacksonville Bears game and
the Bears and Caleb Williams just running away with Jacksonville.
You know, Jacksonville looks like a team the Patriots might
be able to beat. But Matt Jones came in to
to clean up after Trevor Lawrence was done for the day,
(34:05):
and I just thought, I think the last pass that
I had seen Jones throw on television was that that
horrible interception in Germany, and you know, he came out
through one pass was got a completion. I think he
got sacked or you know it just obviously the Patriots are,
I think, are much better shape with Drake May than
(34:26):
they would have been if they hung on another year
with Mac Jones.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
I think so.
Speaker 8 (34:30):
I mean, things are a lot of issues with the
offensive line. They didn't have stevenson Esay running the ball
out of the backfield, and you know, turned though over
four times, You're not going to win that game. You're
playing a really good team, a team that it's very
very staunched defensively. So that was a lot to ask,
But I thought overall it was it was a good showing.
And I think Jones, I don't know, he did take
(34:52):
them to the playoffs. I mean, it wasn't a disaster,
but it got a little bit worse each year, and
a lot of that was on them and the coaching
that he had over him and the chaos that was
going on in those final years under Belichick, and he
didn't have a lot of weapons to deal with and
needed as this guy. So you got issues all over
the place. But I think that in a excuse me,
(35:12):
a NFL of twenty twenty four with the rebuild and
you know, their position to do that now, and I
mean I kind of you put them up against Jacksonville.
They're playing them London nine thirty on Sunday morning. I
like them a little bit more than Jacksonville that that's
a winnable game, as I think last week at home
with Miami would have been a winnable game if they
(35:33):
if they had had Drake may plan.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Yeah, I think the schedule only gets tougher from here.
I think I read the opening of the early line
on the London game as Jacksonville I think was a
six point favorite, which seemed to me to be a
little generous, but maybe.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
Pretty good for one in five.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Yeah, but I think they're thinking that Lawrence has to
come up with a big game pretty quickly. Yeah, a
lot of pressure I think on the coach Peterson. I
think might have to fly home alone if they don't
win at Webley Stadium next Saturday, next Sunday morning. But
it's going to be an interesting game to watch, that's
the one thing. Yesterday was interesting, and as long as
(36:08):
the Patriots keep it interesting, they'll keep our attention for
the ballast of this season. I just don't want to
see him get blown out by some of the really
good teams. That's what yeah.
Speaker 8 (36:16):
I mean, it's been a tough watch. And like you said,
the interesting part of it to me is even in
the twenty point loss, it was more fun to watch.
He just saw some stuff. I mean the first half,
you know, the end of the first half and he
throws the forty yarder into the bucket and that was
the best play they've had all year, and it was
just electric. Cut the lead to fourteen to seven. At
the half, they're getting the ball. Second half, you're thinking, hey,
(36:38):
they could win this game. So those were good signs.
And that was a good moment in the game. And
he was able to do things with his legs and
throwing the run, throw across his body, and you know,
there was some unfortunate things. It was uneven, but I
think overall it's a win in terms of looking at
the big picture, which is what they're doing right now
down there.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Okay, so here's the big question. Do you get to
go to London next week for the game? Are you
gonna be watching?
Speaker 8 (37:02):
I opted not to. I would get to go if
I chose to it. No, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
A wise decision, trust me, A wise decision. Dan Shaughnessy
is always thank you, my friend. Always great to have
you on Nightside.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Thanks so much, Dan, Thanks Dan, take care all right.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
When we get back today. It was a holiday, it
was a federal holiday, it was a state holiday. But
I'm working. Rob is working. We're going to find out
if you celebrated a holiday today and which one did
you celebrate. We're going to be talking with the state
representative from Winthrop, our state representative, Jeff Turco, and we'll
open those phone lines up right after the nine o'clock news.
(37:37):
My name's Dan Ray. This is Night Side on a
Monday night, a holiday, Monday night.
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