Transcript
Why? From your CEO's. ESG kitten emergency. Oh, that doesn't sound good. Not the kitty. It's yet another manic Monday edition of business pants joined by extra special guest stars Ari the data Queen and Jesse the money Whisperer. Your? Oh, okay sure why not? Yeah, okay, kind of a muted Applause. I don't really like you today. Um, Stepping in for the analyst whole mattress. Cardi who was literally off on a cat emergency, right? That's what I hear. Ya, but don't worry the cats gonna be. I'm not, no worries, just a kitty. Brand new kid today's moldy teabag called October 20th, 2023. We are filtering the ESG news through a bunch of stupid games. This is a new game and we can, I don't know because I don't know Ari because all right, shut up audience. I had, you know, when I when the guests changed, I kind of have to Pivot the content. I had to create some quick good content that YouTube could react to without any prep. All right, that's what I came up with and I try to be a little bit more trying to be a little bit more lighthearted to start the week. I, I found. Welcome change. Yeah, I try to find an articles that not didn't necessarily make me giggle, but they just, I don't know. They just didn't, they were all doomsday. They're not all like Tech Bros or you know what I mean? So, here's how you ready to play this game. Yeah. Yeah. Ready. All right. I'm gonna play a sin. I'm ready to win. Okay, here we go. Sounds. Here, I call this the react to the ESG business news. Headline game, what a amazingly creative title that awful? And this is an honor of last week's story that we covered, which was Citibank wins case, after sacking Banker over two sandwich, lunch claim. Do you guys remember the story that were you here for the story? You hear about this? No just this is right up your alley, the story. So there was a worker at Citibank who claimed two sandwiches two coffees you know two bags of chips, whatever on their lunch, on a trip to Amsterdam, right? As it turns out, the Clays were actually under the $100 a day limit for the, for the per diem. Right. So, technically, it was all legal that the company Citibank asked the employee. Like what what's the deal here? And the employer said the employee said, you know, I was just a little hungry that day, the sandwiches were small. There are it's for me, but it turns out that he was lying and his partner was on the trip and the worker You know, build for both sandwiches. So they this Citibank fired the banker. Okay. Wow. So this is like one of these ethical gray areas. Right? I mean do you think Citibank should have fired this worker? Yeah because he lied. Okay. But I think technically strike policy. Yeah. Come on. Three strikes fired the worker. It's a bit harsh. I mean yeah there should have been some kind of penalty some kind of public shame. Oh, so there's a dumb employee. So yeah, fire. This, I dumb fire him. Because if you're gonna split meals with your significant other, you buy a footlong, you get a big chest, you don't buy two chips, wasn't it? They have subways and they don't have Americanized portions. All right? I like what you're saying though, just get just ask the waiter. Just just like bring me a double portion. Like a really all those three things. YouTube, acts chips two drinks, you can be. Wow, I do think while I do, think you should have fess up. I have also seen a lot crazier things. Be expensed on car Corporation. Sure. That people were like, what do you mean? I can't like this is these strippers were not for me. They were for our clients. It was entered, it was we talked business the whole time, it's a business expense. Ah, so that in order of that headline, that's what this game is, it really? I'm just gonna read the headline. Maybe, give you a little bit of background and then just rate it from one to ten just on your gut feelings, just how you feel about the story. Like, so we're playing the good game know we're playing the hot like just give me a number game just like did are you happy about it? Are you sad about it? You angry, do you not care? Happy or what time doesn't have to be happy? 10 can be angry, 10 can be like, I it triggered me reactionary scale. You can't actually win. I can't actually be in this game. You just have to feel more, which I think I feel the most know you can win. I'm gonna add up the score. There's gonna be a winner in a loser. All right ready? Let's do it. Here we go. First story. Remember these are all stories that I picked over the last few days. All I mean, I think most of them covering public corporations. All companies that we cover in our database, so I'm not just making weird stuff up and being a dope. I mean, maybe I'm being a dope but I'm not making anything up. Here we go. First story. Guy. Who stole billions in Bitcoin lived, a sad life, a Bitcoin Original Gangster. He's called who stole cryptocurrency from the original Silk Road a decade ago spent lavishly but lived what sounded like a sad and lonely life before he was caught. Wow. I don't even know where to start. Yeah. How do I just want to know how you? I just, this is from reporting at CNBC. I and I just thought the whole thing was ridiculous. I got, like, halfway through the article. I just want to know how you guys would react to this. You care what? Bitcoin, and sad life, right? Yeah, had a satellite. That's why he did this still billions billions of Bitcoin are. Wow, surprise that. Yeah, that takes. Yeah, yeah, that takes a lot. I'm gonna give this story a six, you know. He even though he had a sad life, He clearly had some skills. Good thing about these. These rankings is you don't have to, I mean, I like the reasoning why you gave us a number, you don't even have to because it doesn't really mean anything in the end. So I just throw out a number. Yeah. Tell Jesse, you're the one I'm most interested on this one because all right, I I'm curious. Are you happy? He was said because he stole so much or just not care because it's like so much money. You should have done something else. Roasted like where do you land on this? I like The Narrative of this because I think people typically are like, okay, billions of dollars it's by partying and buying yachts and doing this, and that, and he may have been however, you know what happened, I are happiness. So this just goes to prove the age-old saying, money can't buy happiness. I love that. Oh my God. Okay, you know what? You're actually right, Jesse, a lot of the article featured. This, this kind of like, sad nerd. He lived in the I guess, Athens Georgia University of Georgia and they're a lot of pictures of him taking out young women that looked kind of like cheerleaders doing like yachty things but of course they very much looked like he inside. Yeah, they very much looked like young women who would never be hanging out with this guy if he didn't have money. So anyway, that's the first story. Second Story. And what was your number Jesse? What was your number? That's a 10 for me? Oh 10. I don't know what's going on. So I have to tell you what, 10 means the sadness scale, go ahead. Give me a quick, tell me why it's done. Well, it's a 10 because it's reinforcing what we know to be true. But perfect example. Next story. Amazon drivers, Amazon drivers urine. Remember this old story package as energy drink and sold on Amazon. So Amazon sold these bottles of urine marker did as an energy drink part of a new documentary meant to expose how easy it is to sell dangerous items to children on Amazon. This makes me kind of want to like gag a little bit. The new documentary called the Great Amazon Heist created by uba Butler. Uber Butler have chosen any anything else to? Oh no. I think that's brilliant of the documentary. Wonderful. Well it's kind of it's a meta. I mean luckily none of us are buying energy drinks on Amazon, but imagine we were the type of people that would do that. What if you drink pee? Oh, he is not, doesn't kill you. I don't Might actually be refreshing and I hope it's spoiled like in transit. I'm giving this a 4. It just feel weird? I don't know. Yeah, I think Aries, right? Watch this documentary are the Bell there. The documentary is airing today on Channel 4 in the UK, but I imagine that there'll be some way in the internet to get it. Will figure it out. I'll figure it out for you are. Yes, you can stream the P documentary, speaking of P. And it really was these two piece stories that made me kind of put these all these stories together today. Speaking of pee video shows Chinese beer worker urinating into tank. Chinese authorities are investigating after a while. Video appear to show a worker from Sing Tao urinating into a tank believed to contain ingredients for its popular beer. So oh my God. I'm so scared for that guy. You know what? Yeah what I don't know how it is in China but here you're allowed like very increments. gross stuff like bugs and Plastic and gross out there in food. So like maybe in if the tank was big enough, it was just unsure you ten. It's a massive tank. Nasty is a massive company, nasty. But like it probably would he'd get away. Like, no one would notice in America with our Well, they are, I don't know, rules and regulations, they would notice if there was a video taken on the event and then posted online sipping or eating. See, I think the funny thing is how different my reactions were. It was on selling P. Oh, my God. Who did this? Chinese worker piece into tank. Oh my God, he's dead. Yeah, so we give this a 10 on this year. Double ten for the piece stories. I love, I guess. He's great and headline. Well, you have a young child, so he is part of your world big party world. He's feeding my face and his face right in the beer tank. Jesse, what's your score in the store? That's open beer. Can I just giving this a five because like I don't know what to do with it, can I? Well make you happy Jessie. If I told you that's our last year in story for the day. Yeah. All right. How about this headline? Nvidia? CEO and co-founder Jensen Wong says nobody in their right mind, would start a company and he would opt out if he could go back in time I just what? Yeah, I exactly, I wanted to just see like, first of a do you believe it like in video one of the biggest companies in the world but he sounds like he's gone through like a slightly Soul crushing experience. Here's his quote building. Nvidia. Turned out to have been a million times harder than I expected to be. If we realized the pain and suffering involved and just how vulnerable You're going to feel the challengers you're going to endure the embarrassment and the shame. I don't think anybody would start a company nobody in their right mind would do it. So, At the company. Yes, yes, again, one of the most successful companies in the world, still at the company. One of Them, lots of controversy. And not great headlines. No, no Nvidia. Does I wouldn't say that they're big on the AI push? But we don't see a lot of negativity coming out of Nvidia. Frankly, I am I wrong are always reported on video Dear really I don't remember. I just want to, there are a few things that come to my mind. A does this, make this guy Ultra believable and B? Should we be frightened that? He's basically saying only Maniacs. Run these big companies, right? Like, should we be frightened by that? Just you don't look like you care at all just or maybe you know this guy just I'm trying to see their controversy score thicker skin. oh, comparatively, I got give me a quick score. We can move on from this one. Gives us a two, okay, I just think that he could have opted out at any point in time. True. That's true dressing him out. He could have elected someone else? That's true. It makes me think he's a little bit of a narcissist. I like this. He didn't do it. Nobody could have looked like what you're saying. So, um, I'm gonna skip, I'm gonna give this one a 10 on the North. Whoa, scale. You guys are just like intentionally playing the office of each other. All right, next headline, Chevron boss, although I'm getting I, I continually go I'm growing weary of these business news headline writers. You can say the names of these people, right? You wouldn't say Laker player, you'd say LeBron James, I mean, come on, just stop it. So his name is Mike Wirth and he's the CEO. Here's the headline. Chevron boss. Says, his company has changed the quality of life on Earth for the better. He said where he said, quote we are not selling a product that is evil not selling a product that is evil. he also said, That invent, what did they invent stuff there? Did you just so like we have oil, right? They're not the only Oil Company in the world, right? He described the company as grounded, in integrity and a deep belief in doing the right thing. You know why I feel strongly about this, considering the movie, I just watched last night. What's that was a three and a half? Three and a half hour movie called The Killers of the Wildflower? Moon. I think it's a 3.5 minute. Yeah, you watched a three and a half hour movie at the theater. I didn't. We didn't do our research. And it's about the Osage Indian Community Native, American community, that discovered oil and they were the richest people that lived. And then the whole story was about how their white people coming in to like marry them but also trick that murder them to get the right. So I feel strongly about this because oil is definitely not That was not on the land of white people or blah blah, blah, Benny is like this, so worth congest. not just don't you can just Not. Okay, I like it and like nobody's saying, nobody's saying that oil is evil and always has been, but we're evolving to acclimate to the status of our environment and the climate crisis. So it requires some change. So get on board. Oh I have this. Also in the news and a story, we're not covering Chevron announcing. A 55 billion dollar deal. I believe all in cash to buy oil, rival, Hess. So there's a lot of activity in the oil is more oil. Exactly. So what so joking. I'm not joking. What's your score? Jessie? Hit a lot to say I'm gonna get this is a high score. I'm just trying to figure out what my metric on what scale is for this. So I like this game. This pisses me off, I'm gonna give it a 10. Yeah, that's the right answer, I find this so cynical. It is unbelievable like Chevron CEO saying this shit. Okay. Thank you. Thank you now. Can you please get out of the way of progress as we try to, you know, not kill the Earth further. So, I'm gonna give this a six. I love this. I love the randomness of like six. Shut up. Oh, our audience. Speaking of oil, I know they're irritating. Me today is because they, they took the last good coffee, and I have to drink instant coffee. So I'm just mad. Speaking of oil, thousands of people, I did not know about this. Thousands of people are cutting off their hair, and donating it to help soak up an oil spill in Venezuela that is so large, it can be seen from space, so I guess environmentalist. They weave nests out of hair, not only from people, but from their dogs. And so it's a way of stopping oil. Slicks from spreading. I did not know about this, but so this is what's going on in Venezuela as Mike Wirth his talking about how, you know, How good he is and how could this story is a 10 for creativity and rage? 10 for me, for Ingenuity, my goodness. That is, I don't know how people come out together but in a raging manner, I hope. Yeah. It's kind of, its kind of hopeful and depressing at the same time possible. Yeah. It is a 10 on the hopeful and depressing. Yeah. All right. This next story I like I was just impressed by the amount of different important things and now and subjects and I just blew my mind, there's a headline, here's another. Here's the headline, Scottish water. It admits solar Farms could use part linked to China's forced labor camps. How about that for cramming in Scottish water is the main water company over there and in Scotland over there in the UK I just pressed with the amount of different. I'm gonna read it again so you can hear it again. Just the amount of different things turning here, the amount of different gears spinning, Scottish water, admits solar Farms could use Parts linked to China's forced labor camps. I mean, I just, I was just blown away by this just blown away by this. It's valid seems probable actually he admit that could have maybe used Parts from labor camp. I think they're speculating. I think this is speculation. I just speculating on and also is water against solar now. Like I thought that I guess, right? I was thinking that too know that I think that that they are operating the solar Farms so, They're yielding their own secrets. Free there. They they don't want to use these parts. Yeah, they've discovered this post haste. I believe, I it look. Here's what I love, I love what the water. I love the Scottish water. I love that they're a Farms, but they're solar Farms. I love that there's forced labor, but not just regular Force laborers, from China, just come on. This is just a geopolitical Wonderland. Yeah, it's got everything, it's got everything for me, he's an eighth. Oh, I was gonna give it an eight. You both. Give it a. All Right, Moving On. Oh, this one's right up both of your ally. Here's the headline. A good cruise is one that does not come. And it's based on this little sad tidbit, this is not a Europe, This is the out of the Guardian. I believe the 200 and 18 cruise ships operating in Europe last year. Emitted more than four times four times more sulfur oxides than all of the continents cars combined, that's just nuts nuts. Just nuts to me. Wow. Yeah there's a wow. Is it not we hate weed? I don't like cruises. Yeah, I mean remember, when I picked the good least of the crews that was up. Oh yeah. Three years. Yep. And you you know, You pooped all over it. I'm gonna go. Can you read the exact headline? So I can figure out my good Crews is one that does not come. Yeah, the right the right. We have the t-shirts that say that we had this, a lot of ports cities have this ongoing debate, right? Like we have this all the time up here in Portland, we had these massive cruise liners that come specially at the end of summer and fall. And the debate always is well, you know, these people are getting off and they're spending into our economy. So it's a great thing. And this article covers the reality that really, for the most part people are getting off, they're kind of walking around and then they're getting back on the ship because all their meals are paid for their and spending any money. I mean, why would you spell it? Yeah. Anyway okay, so we got two two tens, all right. Next story. This is just a, I don't know. I just picked this one because first of all this industry, these stories are always, they're always doing horrible things and this one just caught me off guard. Dollar General, took back job offers from applicants with high blood pressure and pour our eyesight. This is part of a lawsuit filed by the equal employment opportunity commission. They said that the metal the medical examination were extensive. And often. Highly invasive, including taking vital signs, a drug test, a vision test, a review of current medications, and a physical examination, including in some instances, genital examination of job applications. I did just I don't understand how this industry perceives. I'm amazed Dollar General, or like to sign up for the United States Army. Yeah, right. There is there is no job at the Dollar General, that could require this amount. Just I just don't get how this I don't get like, why Regulators? Just don't come in and padlocked the whole thing. It just it's I've never heard of more abuses towards stakeholders towards customers and employees, more than this industry. It's just that, was that a zero or ten? I can't wait to follow this lawsuit. This definitely illegal, right? It's got to be right. I'm gonna give this a 0. Yeah. See. Now again I love that. I can't follow the logic of this stupid game because they could have just as easily been a 10 for outrage. Okay. This is a very simple headline. It doesn't, it doesn't really affect a public corporation but it's something we do talk about the anti-esg anti-wolf words, all the time here but very simple headline out of Florida. Don't say gay Florida lawmaker sentenced to federal prison. Wanted this guy, they'll let the former legislator who wrote this formed ass, who wrote this bill, he stole money through through. The he stole covid-19 relief money. He stole over 150,000 dollars by making up a bunch of nonsense so he's got sent to prison for wire fraud narcissus like yeah, he made up a bunch of nonsense on these forms. To get the relief fund. Yeah. And he got busted. He all of the disclaimers when you applied for any of the loans that are like, you have to prove x amount of like x amount of this loan. Goes to your operating expenses or? No. No, he it was worse than that. Just it wasn't like a you're making it sound like he made a mistake on the forums. He created he committed, absolute fraud. I mean he wow he made up. Yes, do fraud. Yes. Yeah right. Where does he? What is his moral compass? Well, I guess it's totally confused. Yeah, but how the world? How about the karma of the world though? I mean, the guy who wrote dates, yeah, he had gone to jail for the don't say gay thing. I regardless of this attend. Yeah. This is a 10 on my narcissism scale, and I don't know, just Served and finally in our big headlines quiz for October 23rd 2023, I will stay tuned because we have a quick little pop quiz at the end, just to just to make Ari and Jesse a little uncomfortable. Yeah, our last headline actors, you know, there's a, there's a big strike going on in Hollywood, the actors are still on strike, they've been on strike for over 100 days. The writers settled their strike the union, but I don't know what a couple weeks ago a month ago. But here's the headline. Actors have been warned. That by their own Union that wearing a 2023 is popular. Halloween, costumes, would violate the strike. So there they are telling their union members not to wear costumes from things, like the Barbie movie or Marvel movies, because they say it would violate the strict. When you think about this one, I think they have bigger problems. I'm just seemed like peanuts to really focus on Okay, just let him have fun on. It is a heads up, like, hey, by the way, we don't want you to get in trouble. Well, the problem is that, that wearing a Barbie or Ken mask, it kind of weighs into the territory of publicity or promotional activity. And, you know, it's again, it's against the Union against the Striking rules. Yeah, I'll give this a six for bringing attention to it. I see it could have been overlooked. I can't argue with your score Ari, but I just think it's amazing that we're covering a story where people are being told what to wear for Halloween. I just think it's incredible. Yeah. Jesse, what do you think? She doesn't care about this one. Clearly obvious, I don't five is the independently and I was like, I don't get it. What is the big deal for the game maker at this company? Five is always the the stab in the heart. It means you just don't care about my stupid game. All right, thank you. That was the I don't know what that was the rate. The headline, how do you feel headline games, blah, blah? The winner is. How do I decide the winner of this game? I'm gonna I'm gonna pick who had the most tens. And that would be re 60 by 6 to 5. You had the most tens. Are you the winner? Okay. Quick. Corpse jargon Pop Quiz game. All right, and I'm gonna let you guys, I'm gonna be nice. I have eight eight or eight corporate buzzwords phrases blah, blah. I'm gonna let you guys play together on this so that you guys don't feel stupid. You don't struggle for the answers. I don't have multiple choice. I'm just gonna throw out the term and these are a very specific. These are very specific terms because these are the ones that gen Z hate the most. Oh, okay. Okay, examples of corporate jargon and phrases that weird out gen Z. They hate these phrases. Okay. And I'm actually amazed because a lot of these I haven't even heard of the first one Blue Sky Thinking what does Blue Sky Thinking mean and you do I have heard this. Have you heard this? I have thinking damn. Know. I don't know, just see. I'll give you a, I'll give you a correct answer and re for that sad. I don't know. I'm gonna give you Minus one because I'm like, wait a minute, I have heard this bottle know, we're encourages its to describe a form of creative brainstorming, encouraging people to think without being limited by existing beliefs or ideas. Okay. They hate that one. I was right. Moving on, boiling the ocean, what does boiling the ocean mean? All right. Well obviously don't know what? So the salts of water boils differently. And then you're left with salt. You can't blow the salt. Well it's a start of a delicious pasta dish though. Yeah. Okay. The. Kim boil the ocean, don't do it all. Yes. That's basically, I'm gonna kind of give you the right answer there. It's basically business speak for taking on an impossible or unnecessarily. Difficult task, right? You can't boil the ocean, right? All right. Moving on. What is a quick flag? Another one. Never heard of a quick flag. Like bring your attention to. Yeah. All right, I'm gonna give you the right answer on that one. Like they want to raise something important. That's potentially an issue. A quick flag? Okay. Ducks in a row. I feel like we know this one ducks in a row. To get your stuff together. Herding cats. Impossible task. Yeah, low hanging fruit. This is one of my least favorite ones low? Hanging fruit Daisy test. Yes. No not easy. It's more. It's more nuanced. The grabble the ones that you can knock off quick. Yeah you're all right. All right, the tasks that are easiest to accomplish. I didn't even know that's what it meant. I just hate. I always hate the. I always look the other way. It's like I think it means like you have all these problems already. Like we have like 800 things. So let's just at least get through some of the easy ones. Let's just go to the low hanging fruit. I have you ever been apple picking now that you have a nice? Beautiful child. Are you can go apple picking with the child and you'll you'll notice that when you have a baby in the crook of your arm, it's often easier to get the low-hanging fruit and get on the ladder, right? And get those juicy Pink Ladies up on a, you know what? I'm trying to say like, okay, two more terms. What about singing from the same? Hymn sheet? This is weird. Yeah, what is that? What did you say on the same page on the same page, okay? I'm gonna say Refers to people having the same understanding of something, or saying the same thing often publicly is that what you? Okay. About that. It's okay. And finally move the needle. Oh, to make progress. FX change. Oh, sure, whatever. I don't care anymore. I apologize. That was business pants for October 23rd 2023. I want to thank the great data, Queen and money Whisperer. For joining me on late notice, I want to remind the audience to our show. Today was sponsored by free flow analytics. The only ESG data plate for platform to measure real board influence as free flow analytics. Join us. Wednesday, Matt's gonna go over the directors at Exxon the engine number one. Put into place, you can have it go to a deep dive there. We'll cover a bunch of other stuff. That's it. That's all I got. You got anything. Any final famous last words from our two game show contestants. Go look up. Dollar General on our platform. Yeah, I like it. Thank you both and get back to work.