Transcript
Live from the other half of a half-eaten Bagel. It's a bucket sized bucket of Biz nuggets. Join, as always, by Emma. Still here, lurking. And Matt still on vacation in mascardi. I'm the variable X. How long is Matt on vacation forever? Oh week A weak. In today's multi-colored. Pope resented laptop bag. Called January 25th. 2022. Google good and Google bad. Spotify, good and Spotify funny. Well, in some stuff, we usually obsess over Amazon dollar stores nfts. All that stuff celebrities here we go ready? Yep. So Google Google good Google bad. Well I think it's good but I don't know what's wrong with me. First story, Google hires its first head of Tech and Society Google taped James, Monica, the head of McKinsey, Global Institute to be the company's first A senior vice president of technology and Society, the position will report directly to Sundar pichai, which means it's a powerful position and focuses on how Tech affects Society. Specifically, the new role will work on shaping and sharing the companies view on the way Tech affects Society, the economy and the planet, his areas of focus include the future of work, sustainability in the impact of AI. Sundar purchase said I'm thrilled that James Monica will be joining. Google's leadership team. No, Sundar. I'm thrilled because this is about me. Oh, here we go. Yeah, it is. It's always about me. We got lots of things here. That adult like me can get excited about. Here's my list ready, okay? First the obvious and executive role focusing in on how Tech affects Society. I mean, Jesus what took them so long but still I don't know. I'm gonna celebrate it. I know I know celebrate it too because I feel like did party in this way, so I'm invested and and okay, let's talk about James, a powerful black man in Tech James is from Zimbabwe, say no more. I mean, I don't have to go into details here. I don't want to because embarrassing, but but there aren't powerful black men in Tech and to have this role. And this guy is extremely qualified for this role. So I'm excited. Number three. James has never served in a corporate board. I don't know. There's something. So like sweetly innocent about that. I love that before he gets swept up by every other board that needs. Yeah, let me pretend to be happy, okay? Four, he's married to a writer. He's married to a novelis. Come on. Oh, And this one's for me. Once for me, she attended the University of Bordeaux which means that we probably been to some of the same Escape rooms come on. That's fun. You've done an escape room in Bordeaux. So many of them. I love it. Come on. That's I'll take you'll do it. It's great number five. I learned that alphabets website for investors is abc dot x y z. That's not real, are you serious? Yeah, it's real. Number six. Why am I so optimistically triggered by this new higher. I don't know, I don't know why I'm loving this so much. It's not and it's not any. One of the things it's not just because he's black, or he's married to a writer. It's just like this weird combination of things. I just love. So, there you go, I'll take it. So, Good this next story. Google badge should help to alleviate some of that my misguided optimism. Here we go. This is the one that MMA made me do. Google sued by DC and States. Other states over tracking despite opt-out to group of State Attorneys. Generals said they were suing alphabets Google over. What they alleged are deceptive tactic tactics designed to trick consumers into disclosing location data. To more accurately Target advertising. Even when consumers turn off location tracking on their phones, Google continues to track their movements. The Attorneys General said the claims amount to yet another legal challenge to Google's information gathering which is come under intense scrutiny from regulators and consumer Advocates, claiming it is more invasive to Consumers, want or realize the companies already facing questions about whether it continues to track web browsers who believe it's an incognito mode, close right identity. And whether users can affectively block its activity, tracking cookies, okay, I'm sorry, I made you do that headline but I am more than mildly concerned about me. Checking the box of please don't follow me and then following me. Anyway, so I fell, I felt that. Yeah, I will say that another one of these cases that's brought against like a weird. Combination of States. It's not just like liberal states or conservative States. It's DC which is extremely liberal but it's also like Texas and Indiana. You know I know you know it's a no one likes being tracked. All Right? Moving On. Today in ridiculous, internet nonsense. The Beatles and John Lennon memorabilia to be sold as nfts. It was only a matter of time, and we have finally arrived at that moment. John Lennon's son, Julian is selling nfts of beetles paraphernalia, like a coat. Worn by his father in, help a coat worn by him, on the Magical Mystery Tour, and a handwritten note from Paul McCartney. I don't know why. There were so many coats involved, but I mean, don't care how cool coats. Yeah, he has this cool Afghan coach. I'd love that app game, but of course, no one will actually receive the Afghan coach because Julian is keeping all of the actual artifacts in, they will just be receiving blockchain in some personalized voice, memos from Julian's health. So I guess if that's what you want, that's what you want. Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to Julian's, non-profit, the white feather foundation, and what does the white feather Foundation? Do you? Might ask here, just a few of their causes, this is not all of the ones that are on the website, just to feel. Okay. Clean drinking water, protecting indigenous, populations beautifying, hospitals, environmental preservation and emergency services and developing nations. Whoa, that's a lot. It's, it's a little frenetic. It's a little good luck with that. I understand frenetic. Yeah, and as, but just my humble opinion as the founder and chief Visionary officer, that is his real title. Julian might need to streamline just a little bit. I feel, I can't make furniture in your minds me of myself. I think we have the same problems. I would Maybe you and Julian should have a chat but in your bonus ridiculous internet headline of the day celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Paris. Hilton are diving into the metaverse before it has even materialized for the masses. Good. So the metaverse barely exists. You can't no one really has much access to the metaverse which is why this is ridiculous. But all you need to know is that Paris. Hilton has a virtual Island on Roblox and Snoop Dogg is launching Snoop verse on Sandbox. If you don't know what either of those two things are, I barely do either. So, maybe you can tell me. But if you want to spend 450,000 dollars for a plot of landed snoopers, I can't condone it. But that is an option. You now have if you so choose, seriously seriously, 150,000 dollars and nft collector spent 450,000 dollars on a plot of land in snoopers. Oh, my God. Yeah, okay. That is real. I did I will say this From that same article that they quoted Reese Witherspoon, who tweeted that every person will have a parallel digital identity. In the near future race. I like many of the movies and TV shows you put out but Just know. Well, I will say this. I kind of it helps me understand the metaverse now for the first time like, yeah, that was great. No, it's just that. That we're gonna have our, our doppelganger's are gonna exist in this. We're gonna have two versions of us. That's what she's like. Well, I never really thought of it that way. I'm already making me understand it managing my this one version of myself. I do not need a second to babysit. Yeah, that's too hard with the one. Well, maybe you can. Maybe you can make the second version the the better version. And then, what do I do with the first version now, just a subpar version that I put her, put her on a couch. Put her put her on the two trying to All right, here we go. Okay, it's time for some updates, and some of our favorite stories. That never quit. Here's part one. I got two parts here. But, uh, actually got like four or five parts. Amazon warehouse workers says, the e-commerce. Giant tried to discipline him for talking about forming a union with co-workers, Amazon accused David, Azalea, Isaiah Thomas of soliciting on behalf of the Union during work hours workers at Amazon's best summer. Alabama, facility are set for another vote, February 4th. I just told you all that. Just to remind you that this boat is coming up. It's important. Yeah. Hopefully we need either next Billionaire, Leon black. We've covered this dude many many times. Accuses Joss Harris of trying to destroy him. That's the headline. Okay. Disgraced idiot, Leon black, who tried to play Mr? Innocent, and keep his job as CEO at Apollo Global Management. Last year, despite paying his buddy and convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein 158 million dollars per tax advice. That's some expensive advice. Yeah, I mean, how do you cover up? That story has escalated his fight against his former business partner, Josh Harris. That's the co-founder of Apollo in the co-owner of the Philadelphia, 76ers, naming him. As a defendant, in a lawsuit that lays Bare The Bitter battle for control of Apollo Global. Are you with me so far? I am I have no love for the 76ers. So this is all good by me so far. Okay, the new claim portrays the drama at Apollo as a Shakespearean tragedy, accusing Harris of organism organizing a coup to overthrow black. Although I mean, you know drama 158 million dollars to Jeffrey Epstein, do you really need to organize much to get rid? I mean yeah. Come on. Anyway. Here's what Black's legal team wrote of Harris in the filing. Quote like Shakespeare's Yago in Rage by being passed over for promotion, he turned his wrath on his mentor in leader and quote, our first pompous Shakespearean reference and from a true Dirtbag. He gotta love it. This is a first for us, how dare he invoke a fellow. Here's the headline. Neil Young threatens to delete Spotify catalog over, like this one Rogan vaccine misinformation. Yeah, I like this one too. because Neil Young has earned himself some gen Z, respect that I apparently am giving him on behalf of all gen Z because that is a power I have For writing an amazing letter to Spotify. Requesting that his music be removed from Spotify. If they don't remove Joe Rogan from their platform, he said this is a direct quote from the letter. I want you to let Spotify know immediately today all caps that I want, all my music off their platform, they can have Rogen or young, not both that, that's like it. That's great. However, Spotify has removed, I want Young, by the way, it's up to me, I want young. I'm also taking young for the record, okay? I'm just, I'm just putting up their Spotify has removed 20,000 podcast episodes in an effort to mitigate covid misinformation, including 40 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience. But this that isn't good enough for my guy, Neil. And I think I love him for it and in your bonus Spotify headline. Today, there are a lot of bonuses today Spotify takes Meghan, Markle and Prince Harry's podcast into its own hands after a couple produced, no content for a year. Poor Spotify like daily, why can't they? What's wrong with them? That's 30 million, they got 30 million dollar contract, no content for a year. Hey in Harry and Megan's defense, it is very time-consuming to leave one of the longest standing monarchies in the world. When you're uncle is being investigated for having sex with minors, there in there, have a lot on their back to it all it all ties in. Look, Harry and Meghan. We do that. We have to create content for this daily. I understand, it's a grind. It's like, it's not, it's, it's not, I get it, it's not that easy, but grow up, come on. They have produced one episode. I feel like that's important to share. All right, what go to school or something? I don't know. Just like they're busy yourself. Just get get better at stuff. Here we go. Let's wrap it up. Finally, a few more updates and some of our favorite stories that never quit. Okay, back to Family Dollar the human. Here's the headline. The human caught, this is a doozy the headline. The human cost of Family Dollars, low prices, its workers, describe 80, hour weeks, sleeping in chairs, and snakes in the stockroom snakes like real. Yes, that's right. Yeah, another story on Family Dollar. Dollar Tree Dollar, General. They just don't quit and yes, yours are working on. I said snakes, here we go. Man just told Business Insider they worked 80-hour weeks, slept in chairs, found snakes and stock rooms worked in unsafe and unsanitary conditions were held up by gunpoint and didn't even get overtime. Geez, I mean, at least pay them overtime for the friggin snake's a good automatic clause. The may be good news here is that workers are fighting back bringing thousands of individual arbitration cases against Family Dollar are all at once in a new practice, known as mass arbitration, okay? I don't understand what that is. I kinda sounds exciting. I reached out to the author of that story for an interview. So so, hopefully, the dude writes us back because I want to know more about this. This sounds exciting, Mass arbitration. Yeah. I like fighting back. I, unfortunately, it sounds a lot, like, forced arbitration, which is a bad thing. So, my brain is But I think what is back, dude. Yeah, let's talk about it. And finally, lastly here's the headline, a lot of good headlines today. Jon Stewart, once told Jeff Bezos at a dinner with the Obama's that workers wanted fulfillment, not jobs, running errands for rich people. That's a recipe for revolution. Okay. Discussion to be had about wanting fulfillment. I think I just like want to not be totally miserable and I'll, I'll take it. Okay, here's the story Stewart, said that Uncle Jefe and he there were, they discussed what he saw as the economy of the future one, that would rely on service workers to perform tasks. I mean, can you believe this guy Bezos? I mean, even if you thought that to say that at a dinner to other, like, reasonably intelligent people, where I assume they're being served if it's being hosted by the Obama, by the way? Yeah, it makes me ill. Stewart said, he told Bezos, he disagreed. Adding that people wanted to feel proud of their work and like they were contributing to society, not just running errands for people that have more than you. Stuart said, I think he views everybody as like a part of a fulfillment center and so I said, I think that's a recipe for revolution. And then like kind of a hush Falls over. And then you hear Obama from across the couch. Go. I agree with John well, and since, and since this is about me and not about Obama, let me say, I also agree with John. and as Damian Jr, I also agree with John And by the way, I want to, I want to point out something about Business Insider describing John Stewart in your article as merely a comedian. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it belittles his position in this battle. I'm just saying, I agree. I don't know, I just it just rubbed me the wrong way to call Jon Stewart to just label them as a comedian. This is more to the man than that. Okay? Stewart has testified in front of Congress, he changed the landscape of land night teeth. Late night TV, come on. There's a writer director. I mean, there's a lot more going on. Producers a lot more. That just a comedian. Don't belittle this art. I think it's a great. I actually think this is a wonderful. Anecdote. It's a great little moment here. So yeah, come on. I know. You weren't trying to belittle him but it bothered me. All right. That's all I. Wow, that's it. The show has turned into in defense of Jon Stewart. But why not? Why not, why not? We both like Jon Stewart. This is great. Cheers. Damian and I are gonna go drink some more coffee. Now, that was business pants. I am Emma Larkin. That was Damian Wallace, and Matt isn't here to spew bulshit about how much you suck at following us and listening. So I'm not gonna do that because you're an adult, you can make your own choices. We're just awesome. See you tomorrow. Bye.