Refrsh Content Eraser, Session H5–9228 By Tom Coombe
The following excerpt appeared in Forbes, August 17, 2017: 30 Under 30: The Disrupters Ty Glennon | Refrsh| 29 Refrsh’s “content eraser” service, which allows users to re-experience movies, books, TV shows and other media, just topped 3 million customers. *** From TIME, November 9, 2018 CLEAN SLATE How Refrsh Changed the Human Brain
Casey Rodriguez, a college student in Boston, has seen Ned Stark lose his head three times. Dennis Brandt, an attorney from Cincinnati, listens to The Beatles’ Abbey Road every Saturday morning. Wanda Hopkins, a retired teacher in Atlanta, just finished her fifth reading of To Kill a Mockingbird. And every time Rodriguez makes her way through Game of Thrones, or Brandt hears the opening of “Here Comes the Sun” or Hopkins meets Boo Radley, it’s a new experience. Welcome to Refrsh Country. Rodriguez, Brandt and Hopkins are among the millions of members of Refrsh, the so-called “content eraser” that allows users to erase their memories of movies, music, TV shows, books so they can experience them again.
Say that Refrsh has altered the entertainment industry and you’re only grasping part of the issue. Say there’s some debate about founder Ty Glennon’s service and you’re guilty of understatement. Say that Refrsh has changed the human brain, and thus humanity itself, and then…then you’re on the right track. Only don’t say any of this to Glennon. “I’m not some mad scientist,” he says, although his decor suggests he’s a fan of mad science: posters for the movies Altered States and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the television series Fringe line the walls of his San Francisco office. “We’re giving people something they’ve dreamed of ever since, well, people could dream.” But Glennon’s “We’re giving people what they want” argument rings hollow with his critics. Last month, 100 of the nation’s leading neurosurgeons called on the federal government for a “comprehensive audit” into Refrsh’s practices. And renown ethicist Theo Krandall worries about the larger implications of Refrsh’s technology. “Bad enough that we are cheerfully marching to erase parts of ourselves, even if it was two hours spent in the dark of the cinema,” Krandall wrote in a New York Times op-ed in September. “Worse still is the notion that the next iteration of Refrsh will be used to erase deeds from our memory, and by doing so, erase our accountability.” But concerns such as these don’t seem to faze Refrsh users like Rodriguez, a selfdescribed “Game of Thrones obsessive.” After the popular HBO drama aired its final episode earlier this year, Rodriguez decided she wanted to start the series from the beginning. There was only one problem. “It’s still a great show,” she says. “But I knew everything that was going to happen. With Refrsh, it’s always surprising…”
From Entertainment Weekly, November 21, 2018 What to Watch Sunday — Finnegan’s Wake (Series Finale): With the police closing in, Charles uncovers the terrible truth about The Night Agency. From PR Newswire, June 4, 2019 REFRSH MARKS 10 MILLION USERS Content Eraser Service Opens New Centers in Philadelphia, Atlanta From Reuters, November 15, 2019 FDA APPROVES SALE OF REFRSH “HOME KIT” *** Email, April 2, 2020 From: tyglennon@refrsh.com To: marketing@refrsh.com Hey guys, Thank you for turning around the ad copy so quickly. I think this is a very good start, but we need to emphasize a couple of points: 1. It’s not just that people have more time on their hands during this crisis. People are running out of things to watch. Movie releases are being postponed; new seasons of TV are on hold. It’s the perfect time to remind that our service can make old content new again. 2. Please eschew terms like “pandemic” or “virus” and instead say things like “During this challenging time…” In the case of: Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. TRANSCRIPT OF THE TESTIMONY OF RACHEL DANNING September 4, 2020 MS. MCDONALD: We’re here in the matter of Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. This is Maya McDonald, attorney for plaintiff Rachel Danning. I’m going to ask everyone
here to introduce themselves for the record. Let’s just go around the table starting to my right. MR. PINE: Dennis Pine, representing Refrsh on behalf of the firm of Braden and Manchester. MS. UHLER: Kelly Uhler, also with Braden and Manchester. MS. DANNING: Rachel Danning. MM: Great. And we’re also joined by court reporter Susan McLuhan and videographer Lamar Patterson, of Patterson Video. Rachel, I’d like to start by just getting you to state your full name and where you live. MD: Sure, it’s Rachel Marie Danning, that’s D-A-N-N-I-N-G, 2403 Apple Tree Way, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. MM: And how long have you lived there? RD: It will be 11 years in May. MM: Who do you reside with? RD: My wife, Nancy Heil, our daughter Aubrey and our son Michael. And a few cats. [laughter] MM: And how long have you and Nancy been married? RD: Six years, but we’ve been together for 21. MM: I’d like to focus on your fifth wedding anniversary. What did you get Nancy as a gift? RD: I got her a Refrsh session. MM: And by Refrsh, you mean the Refrsh Content Eraser service? RD: Yes. MS. UHLER: I think we can save time by stipulating that Ms. Danning used our client. MM: Very well. Now Rachel, is Refrsh something Nancy had expressed interest in?
RD: It is. We…well…I…I wasn’t a fan of Refrsh. I’m not crazy about someone, you know…messing with my brain. KU: I don’t think — MM: You don’t get to object here. I’m sorry Rachel. But I want to focus on how Nancy felt about Refrsh. RD: She loved the idea. If I was reading a book that she had really liked, she’d say something like “I envy you being able to read this for the first time.” MM: So it’s fair to say the session is something she wanted. RD: Absolutely. She was thrilled. MM: I’m going to show you one of Refrsh’s brochures, listing a few of their session options. Can you point out which one you purchased for Nancy? RD: This one, the “Binge Watch.” MM: And what did that allow you to do? RD: It would erase her memory of one TV show. She picked Finnegan’s Wake. MM: Can you describe what Finnegan’s Wake is about? RD: You know, it’s funny. Before all this, I wouldn’t have known. Nancy liked so many different shows…and to me they were all the same: a guy living in the suburbs, with a wife and kids, hiding some dark secret. But in this case, Finnegan is an undertaker who doubles as an assassin for the CIA. It was all very mysterious, and very suspenseful. By the end of every episode, Nancy would be frozen. I’d be leaned against her on the couch and I’d feel her heart pounding. MM: So this was a show she’d want to revisit? RD: Definitely. It was her first pick. MM: Do you remember the date of her session? RD: Of course. It was September 3, 2019. We drove to Philadelphia, had lunch, and then we went to Refrsh’s office for her session.
MM: Can you walk us through that afternoon? RD: I can’t tell you that much. We got there at 2:15. Her session was at 2:30 but there was paperwork. But once they brought her back, I didn’t see her. They said the session wouldn’t be that long, maybe 20 minutes, so I waited. It was pretty much like every other waiting room I’d been in, except their wi-fi was much better. So I got caught up on work on my tablet and half an hour went by. I didn’t really notice. Then it was 45 minutes. I figured it was like a doctor’s office: you wait in the waiting room, you go back into the examination room, and you wait some more. Then it was an hour, and I got a little nervous. Then I heard a lot of doors opening and closing, and whispered conversations, and I got scared. MM: Do you need a break? RD: No…no, thank you. No. MM: What happened next? RD: I asked the receptionist what had happened. She told me a manager would be out to see me shortly. Shortly turned out to be another half hour. Finally, this manager, this KID…came out. He told me there’d been a problem during the treatment, but it was something normal, and that the side effects should wear off by the time we got home. MM: And what kind of side effects could you observe? RD: Nancy was just really woozy. It was almost like she’d been under anesthesia. On the outside, everything was the same. There was a little triangle of red dots on her forehead, which they said was from the treatment. I took her home, got her to bed and she slept for 14 hours. Then she woke up, and I could tell that the session had…had changed her. MM: How had it changed her? MR. PINE: I’m going to object here. This question calls for your witness to speculate about the Refrsh procedure.
MM: Very well. I’ll rephrase it: Rachel, how did Nancy seem different when she woke up? RD: She… [10 second pause] She wasn’t Nancy anymore. [crying sounds] MM: Do you need to take a break? OK, the witness has indicated that she wants to take a break. In the case of: Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. TRANSCRIPT OF THE TESTIMONY OF NANCY HEIL September 6, 2020 MS. MCDONALD: We’re here in the matter of Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. This is Maya McDonald, attorney for plaintiff Rachel Danning. I’m going to ask everyone here to introduce themselves for the record. Let’s just go around the table starting to my right. MR. PINE: Dennis Pine, I’m an attorney representing Refrsh on behalf of the firm of Braden and Manchester. MS. UHLER: Attorney Kelly Uhler, also with Braden and Manchester. DR. LEWIS: Dr. Avery Lewis, Chester Behavior Health. MS. HEIL: Charles Finnegan. MM: And again, we’re joined by court reporter Susan McLuhan and videographer Lamar Patterson, of Patterson Video. Now…Charles, can you please state your full name and tell us where you live. NH: Charles Harlow Finnegan, 564 James St., Mentira, California. I don’t understand why I’m here, why I was in a mental asylum, why everyone seems to think I’m someone named “Nancy.” MM: You aren’t Nancy Heil? NH: No. I’m Charles Finnegan. I’m…I own a mortuary in California. I have a wife, I have a son and a daughter. I’m a member of the chamber of commer — wait… are…are you from the Night Agency?
MM: I’m an attorney. I wanted to ask you about Refrsh. AL: I’m not a lawyer, but I want to object to this. I was concerned this wouldn’t be helpful to Nancy. I would be happy to testify about her condition but… NH: I…I’m here. It’s me. It’s Nancy. MM: Hello, Nancy. Can — NH: No. No questions. I…I don’t think I have time now. I can…I can…I can feel him in my brain…Charles Finnegan, I mean. AL: I think we should stop. MM: No, I’d like to just — [shuffling noise] MM: I…I want the record to reflect that Ms. Heil is rocking backing and forth in her seat. NH: Nancy Heil Nancy Heil Nancy Heil Nancy Heil Nancy Heil…I am Nancy Heil. Nancy Heil Nancy Heil Nancy Heil Nancy Heil. MM: OK, we’ll stop. Let’s stop. In the case of: Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. TRANSCRIPT OF THE TESTIMONY OF DANE BUCCO September 7, 2020 MS. MCDONALD: We’re here in the matter of Danning vs. Refrsh Corp. This is Maya McDonald, attorney for plaintiff Rachel Danning. Just like before, I’m going to ask everyone to go around and introduce themselves for the record. MR. PINE: Dennis Pine, I’m an attorney representing Refrsh on behalf of the firm of Braden and Manchester. MS. UHLER: Attorney Kelly Uhler, also with Braden and Manchester. MR. BUCCO: Dane Bucco, with Refrsh.
MM: And with us again are court reporter Susan McLuhan and videographer Lamar Patterson, of Patterson Video. Now, Mr. Bucco. Can you please give us your full name, and tell us where you live? DB: Sure, it’s Dane Bucco, B-U-C-C-O, and I live at 1311 Washington Street in Philadelphia. MM: And when you introduced yourself, you said you were with Refrsh. What do you do for them? DB: I’m in their marketing department in New York, but I can work from home so it’s pretty sweet. Before that, I was stationed here in Philly. MM: And what did you do then? DB: My job title was “Technology Supervisor,” but, like, essentially, I ran the whole office. MM: And you were running the office on September 3 of last year? DB: I was. MM: And on that day, did you work with a customer named Nancy Heil? DB: We did. MM: Why did Nancy request your services? DB: She basically wanted the standard “Binge Watch” package, which lets us erase an entire TV series. It was a gift from her, like, wife, but it’s something we do 30 times a week, easily. MM: So why was there a problem with this session? DB: Dude, I wish I could tell you. We did everything right. She’d filled out all the psych paperwork in advance. She’d passed every medical screening. Our equipment passed every inspection. Even those Army guys couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Then she wakes up and tells us her name is Charles Finnegan, which is the guy — MM: Wait a minute. What “Army guys”? DB: I…should I…
MM: Don’t look at them, answer the question. DB: Look, I don’t know. They were just guys from the Army. Corporate had them come in and look at the equipment. They came in after Ms. Heil left, and like, looked around for a little bit, and said they’d come back the next day. MM: What happened the next day? DB: I don’t know. MM: You don’t know what happened when some “guys from the Army,” as you put it, came into your office? DB: I don’t remember. MM: You were at work that day, weren’t you? DB: I don’t remember. MM: The next day? DB: I don’t remember. MM: When did you transfer to the marketing department? DB: Uhh…two weeks ago? MM: That’s an unusual shift, isn’t it, to go from a technical position to marketing? DP: Objection. Mr. Bucco can’t speak to how Refrsh makes staffing decisions. MM: Mr. Bucco, were you surprised to find yourself transferred? DB: I guess, but it’s not a bad job. Pay’s about the same, but I have less to worry about. MM: Mr. Bucco, what’s on your forehead? DB: What do you mean? MM: The record will reflect that Mr. Bucco has three red marks on his forehead. Mr. Bucco, I’m going to take my phone’s camera and show you these marks. Can you see them? DB: Yeah.
MM: Is it fair to say these are the same marks you saw in your job, after customers had their session? DB: I guess so. MM: Did you have a Refrsh session before coming here to testify? DB: I don’t know. MM: You don’t know, or you don’t remember? DB: I…I don’t remember. MM: What did you do to him? KU: I’m going to object to that. Whatever Mr. Bucco did or didn’t do prior to coming here today has nothing to do with defense counsel, and it’s inappropriate to suggest otherwise. MM: Mr. Bucco, can you remember anything about the time in between when Ms. Heil left your office, and when you were transferred from the Refrsh Philadelphia office? DB: [no reply] MM: Mr Bucco? DB: No. MM: I think you need to speak louder for the camera. DB: I said “No,” OK? It’s gone. It’s like a whole year just gone. MM: Do you think your employer may have erased that memory? DB: I don’t know. From The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 3, 2020 REFRSH CLOSES PHILADELPHIA OFFICE Company denies connection to FBI probe From The Associated Press, January 14, 2021 REFRSH OFFICIAL INDICTED
Content erasure company CTO accused of witness tampering From Craigslist, posted March 23, 2021 Beautiful Bethlehem Home For Sale 2403 Apple Tree Way. An absolute must see! We are anxious to sell… From Fast Company, April 4, 2021 REFRSH’S CLEAN SLATE After Philadelphia scandal, founder Ty Glennon looks to rebuild From The New York Times, October 2, 2021 SENTINEL TO ACQUIRE REFRSH FOR $8.3 BILLION New York — Sentinel Co. announced Friday the purchase of Refrsh, the popular-ifcontroversial content eraser service and media platform. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, numerous sources close to negotiation said Sentinel would pay $8.3 billion for Refrsh. “This has been an incredible day,” said Refrsh founder and CEO Ty Glennon. “Five years after we signed our first member, we’ve reached an arrangement that allows us to bring Refrsh to a truly global audience.” Based in Houston, Sentinel is primarily an energy company, but also has interests in construction, engineering and defense. Sentinel CEO Warren Givens said the acquisition allows his company to reach new areas of the marketplace. “We are thrilled to welcome Team Refrsh to the Sentinel family,” Givens said in a news release. “With their technology and our vision, there’s no telling what we can accomplish.”