Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

What happens when you give 3,000 Magic the Gathering nerds billions in capital, a dream, and a poorly regulated options market? Crime. This episode is about Jane Street. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Why Jane Street, a US trading giant, is in trouble in India https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0zgrevl1o Jane Street invested in start-up turning China’s noodle shop sales into securities https://www-ft-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/content/112bd653-35c0-4d12-b9af-2c1d38d0e90d Jane Street Strategy and Product Internship, May-August https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/position/7828490002/ How the hell did Jane Street alumni end up creating FTX? https://www.ft.com/content/679d0fa9-8491-44f5-8336-f390d6c877fe Jane Street: the top Wall Street firm ‘no one’s heard of’ https://www.ft.com/content/81811f27-4a8f-4941-99b3-2762cae76542 Jane Street is big. Like, really, really big https://www.ft.com/content/54671865-4c7f-4692-a879-867ef68f0bde Wealthy Wall Street recluse claims he was duped by Harvard fellow into funding weapons for alleged coup in South Sudan https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/south-sudan-coup-peter-ajak-b2777162.html

Content warning: This episode contains a couple brief sections discussing sexual assault and rape, so listener discretion is advised. As you stand in the 100 degree heat, finishing the last sip of your $28 water bottle, covered in mud and suffering from trench foot, the music of Limp Bizkit echoes in the distance. "Am I in hell?" You ask yourself. No, you're at Woodstock '99. And the chaos is just getting started. Today we'll explore the insane history behind one of the most infamous music festivals of all time. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

In a world where hot dogs are harder to buy, and brands drown in the muck of online retail, a hero rises from the ashes to offer predatory unsecured loans through an app. That hero's name? Klarna. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: 1) https://www.expressen.se/ekonomi/klarna-miljardaren-berattar-om-de-skakande-anklagelserna/ 2) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/technology-startup100/8428669/Start-Up-100-A-Z.html 3) https://owp.klarna.com/legacy/assets/sites/15/2021/05/28054804/Financial-Update-Q1-2021.pdf https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/04/as-buy-now-pay-later-startups-keep-raising-capital-a-dive-into-klarna-afterpay-and-affirms-earnings/ 4) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/11/klarna-sees-its-value-slashed-by-85-in-latest-round-of-fundraising https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/klarnas-valuation-slumps-67-bln-with-800-mln-raise-2022-07-11/ 5) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/04/klarna-to-start-reporting-uk-customer-debts-to-credit-agencies 6) https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/17/klarna-buy-now-pay-later-system-that-is-seducing-millennials 7) https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/klarna-used-an-ai-avatar-of-its-ceo-to-deliver-earnings-it-said/ 8) https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/klarna-used-an-ai-avatar-of-its-ceo-to-deliver-earnings-it-said/ 9 ) https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/cfpb-buy-now-pay-later-bnpl-use-debt-research-report/737285/

His grease stains menaced warehouse shelves from Brazil to Calcutta. He was elusive man, an oil man, whose mob ties were debated in hushed tones in New York country clubs. This is how Anthony "Tino" De Angelis swindled America to the brink of recession. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/ixvnrcSZ JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and racism. Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing. Today we explore the strange and often controversial history of Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, better known as Katy Perry, and examine her legacy both on earth and beyond. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/TfTXt8UD JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

Genius economist and con artist, or genius economist con artist? The legacy of John Law is the invention of modern financial policy, for better and for worse. Join us as we go historical, to the birth of paper money itself. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/kpUKLZgU JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

For decades, Silicon Valley has used pizza as a testing ground for new business models. Pizzerias were the first brick-and-mortar businesses to use Bitcoin. So why hasn't big tech captured the business of pizza-making itself? Well they tried, and this is the story of how they failed. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/XnK6BYG4 JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

Last year, advertisements began appearing online for a strange Willy Wonka-inspired popup exhibit in Glasgow. They promised a magical experience for the whole family, full of whimsical sights, sounds, and treats. But what families got when they arrived was... not what they expected. Join us as we dive into the strange history of Willy's Chocolate Experience. Edited by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.vulture.com/article/glasgow-sad-oompa-loompa-interview.html https://web.archive.org/web/20240301025857mp_/https://willyschocolateexperience.com/#faqs https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/willy-wonka-inspired-chocolate-experience-outrage-rcna140726 https://www.ign.com/articles/willy-wonka-experience-promoted-using-suspected-ai-art-was-so-bad-that-customers-called-the-police https://ew.com/chocolate-fyre-festival-willy-wonka-event-infuriates-guests-8601369 ​​https://www.thecut.com/article/willy-wonka-experience-glasgow-fyre-fest.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/world/europe/willy-wonka-experience-glasgow.html https://www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/event/131453-willy-wonka-experience/ https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/willys-chocolate-experience-nightmare-what-went-wrong https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-68431728 https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/willy-wonka-event-glasgow-billy-coull-ai-vaccine-conspiracy-books-1234976876/

On this episode of DAOC, the gang goes back in time. Join us as we venture to the invention of speculation markets itself to explore one of history's first desperate acts of capitalism: The South Sea Bubble. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Great Bubbles, Ross B Emmett, The Secret History of the South Sea Bubble by Malcom Balen, The South Sea Bubble by Helen J Paul

Sabotage. Intimidation. Disinformation and junk mail campaigns. These were the four horsemen of John H. Patterson, the mad king of Dayton, Ohio. As founder of the National Cash Register Company in 1884, he contributed little to the design of the world's first cash registers. As a marketer and ruthless monopolist, he revolutionized sales practices in the United States, building a sprawling empire that went out of its way to gobble up even the most marginal competitors. In time, his monomania and eccentricities led to his own demise, but his legacy as an industrialist was nothing if not complex. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: John H. Patterson–John Patterson rang up success with the incorruptible cashier By Mark Bernstein https://www.daytoninnovationlegacy.org/patterson.html John H. Patterson and the early sales practices of NCR By Jon M. Hawes https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349697991_John_H_Patterson_and_the_early_sales_practices_of_NCR Successful Monopolization Through Predation: The National Cash Register Company By Kenneth Brevoort and Howard P. Marvel https://ideas.repec.org/h/eme/rlwezz/s0193-5895(04)21003-x.html 6 things you didn’t know about NCR’s John Patterson By Allegra Czerwinski https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/things-you-didn-know-about-ncr-john-patterson/K65i9ONHk46rKchxEUN2BN/

Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of abuse, injuries, and deaths. Disney theme parks are beloved by countless people around the world. But as Evan found out when he was a child, they contain a dark history of tragic, horrifying, and bizarre incidents within their walls. Today we'll explore that history, and discover an unsettling pattern that reveals how much Disney really values their guests. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Koenig, David (1994). Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure Press. pp. 172–173. ISBN 978-0964060562. https://web.archive.org/web/20041011200218/http://www.local6.com/news/2971289/detail.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070111190916/http://www.local6.com/news/3752684/detail.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070109011729/http://www.local6.com/news/10685989/detail.html https://www.kron4.com/news/california/naked-guy-spotted-on-iconic-disneyland-ride/ https://web.archive.org/web/20070321005056/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-disney0407mar04%2C0%2C4407309.story?coll=orl-business-headlines-tourism https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2004/02/12/disney-worker-killed-in-parade/ https://www.foxnews.com/story/disney-world-stuntman-dies-rehearsing-for-show-in-theme-parks-third-fatal-accident https://web.archive.org/web/20121104092943/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/orlandosentinel/access/1834837141.html?FMT=ABS https://web.archive.org/web/20071202134048/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-metcfbriefs29x_0207nov29%2C0%2C7938238.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout https://web.archive.org/web/20080528122159/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2008/05/osha-cites-fine.html https://www.ocregister.com/2008/05/05/authorities-id-man-who-jumped-from-disney-hotel/ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-08-me-22171-story.html https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/us/florida-disney-death/index.html https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/disney-amusement-park-accidents-and-deaths-a-complete-history/ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-08-me-32412-story.html https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/disneyland-deaths/ https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/us/alligator-child-florida-orlando-disney.html https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-alligator-child-idUSKCN0Z10I4/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/2-olds-death-disney-world-214000363.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALKerRqVJIPGLTQFQm3UpJEHIaVUOvRua9B5Pn_ypk1BXzE2Y294jq6KV7kQ6JFSZ9IUk1imAiWk_N8dBJ54OvjBecRyM2YDjIorc0t9pyskoDizN7yDujW0t7kRIbVAR5fS9JmMXUK7xSs22AySD_R-a-YMrIlKH48DvObE2BrD https://web.archive.org/web/20221202091228/https://www.today.com/news/disney-world-unveils-lighthouse-sculpture-honor-2-year-old-boy-t114804 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930225916/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/61252422.html?dids=61252422:61252422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+28,+2000&author=MEG+JAMES&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=9&desc=Police+Say+Boy+Fell+From+Open+Side+of+Disney+Car "Disneyland Changes its 911 Policy". Daily News (Danielle Herubin and Tony Saavedra). October 21, 2000. Retrieved May 4, 2007. https://pantagraph.com/news/article_9e3a0050-3141-5e82-acce-6f226fb5c07e.html https://www.ocregister.com/articles/changes-disneyland-orange-2291262-suffered-zucker https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/disney-world-food-allergy-death-lawsuit-long-island-doctor/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/14/nyregion/disney-wrongful-death-lawsuit-arbitration.html https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/borders-on-the-absurd-dead-womans-estate-rejects-disneys-claim-that-widowers-disney-membership-means-wrongful-death-lawsuit-must-be-arbitrated/

Starbucks has been struggling as of late. On this episode, we explore what could give one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world a run for its money. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.joc.com/article/starbucks-coffee-co-sold-5642744 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4NL6evnD0 https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/a-grande-deal-for-starbucks-1112460.php https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-sep-15-fi-diedrich15-story.html https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/lbs-case-study/story/how-starbucks-survived-the-financial-meltdown-of-2008-136126-2014-09-22 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/mar/24/netbytes.starbucks https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/07/31/starbucks-what-went-wrong.html https://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=5288740&page=1 https://www.thestar.com/business/starbucks-to-cut-1-000-jobs/article_41108cfa-acc6-55da-9849-fdfeaca69f28.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160104212729/http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/coffee/2009/03/03/no_more_layoffs_at_starbucks_s.html https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/26/mobile-payment-at-u-s-starbucks-locations-crosses-10-as-more-stores-get-wireless-charging/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/its-almost-comical-starbucks-is-blatantly-trying-to-crush-its-union/ https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60312013

The social internet could have been Myspace. Modular, user-centered, infinitely customizable. Like so many sites on the early internet, it was more accident than design, ballooning to enormous size and popularity much faster than its scam artist founders could keep up with. Join us as we find out how Myspace failed its way into success, and finally into catastrophe. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Intelligencer https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2009/11/myspace_is.html Financial Times - The rise and fall of MySpace https://www.ft.com/content/fd9ffd9c-dee5-11de-adff-00144feab49a MySpace: We'll Crush YouTube https://mashable.com/archive/myspace-well-crush-youtube The Atlantic - Why We’re Nostalgic for MySpace https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2023/08/top-eight-how-myspace-changed-music-book-review/675096/ Stealing Myspace by Julia Angwin https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-MySpace-Control-Popular-Website/dp/1400066948

Have you ever been watching a movie, and desperately wanted to SMELL the action? Like literally SMELL what was going on in the film? Well, turns out, Hollywood has tried to make that a reality several times. Today we'll examine the bizarre and complicated history of attempting to add scents to the silver screen. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: "Another Early 'Smellie'". Variety. January 6, 1960. p. 35.  Gilbert, Avery N. (2008). "Hollywood Psychophysics". What the Nose Knows. Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4000-8234-6.  "'Smellies' Back in 1916?". Variety. November 27, 1940. p. 21. Retrieved 2021-01-04 – via Internet Archive.  Fowler, Albert E. (January 13, 1960). "Fragrance of Long Ago". Variety. p. 6. https://www.latimes.com/business/la-tm-oops6feb05-story.html  "Swiss Inventors' 'Smellie' Adjunct To Pix; Other N.Y. Airport Items". Variety. September 11, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-04 – via Internet Archive. Robertson, Patrick (1993). The Guinness Book of Movie Facts & Feats (5th ed.). Abbeville Press. p. 168. ISBN 1558596976. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/10/17/archives/todd-smell-film-may-be-scooped-reade-rushes-own-picture-to-beat.html  Hift, Fred (October 14, 1959). "War of Rival Film 'Smellies'". Variety. Vol. 216, no. 7. p. 1. Kirsner, Scott (May 15, 2008). Inventing the Movies. Createspace. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-4382-0999-9. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/12/10/archives/smells-of-china-behind-great-wall-uses-aromarama.html  Sragow, Michael (November 17, 2006). "Be forewarned: It's 'Waters' World'". Baltimore Sun Times. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-06.  https://web.archive.org/web/20201021044003/https://www.ntt.com/release_e/news06/0004/0411.html  https://www.firstshowing.net/2011/spy-kids-4-hitting-theaters-with-an-all-new-form-of-smell-o-vision/  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8077455/Smell-O-Vision-TV-developed-by-Japanese-scientists.html  https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729105-900-smell-o-vision-screens-let-you-really-smell-the-coffee/

Movies: Are they good or are they bad? It's impossible to say. But what about the folks who make 'em? Hollywood makes plenty of flops and failures, but on this episode of Desperate Acts of Capitalism, we cover the golden age of Hollywood, and how it all came crashing down. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/hollywood-strike-history-sag/  https://www.amazon.com/Inquisition-Hollywood-Politics-Community-1930-60/dp/0252071417  https://archive.org/details/forbiddenanimati0000cohe/page/n9/mode/2up  https://filmstarfacts.com/2017/09/26/studio-system-collapsed/  https://www.history.com/news/how-tv-killed-hollywoods-golden-age  https://retrospectjournal.com/2020/11/29/raising-the-curtain-hollywood-and-american-politics-1920-60/  https://books.google.com/books?id=Nz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q&f=false

First they were weird. Then they were fun. Now, they are tired, played out, and full of catfish. In this episode of Desperate Acts of Capitalism we wade into the sordid world of modern dating apps, exploring how one of the most defining elements of modern dating culture got so bad. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Tinder: CEO Renate Nyborg to leave dating app after one year https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62402874?utm_id=8562679&orgid=128&utm_att1= How to date right: Romance is in the air with a former Trump aide’s new app for conservatives https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/magazine-features/2977090/how-to-date-right-romance-is-in-the-air-with-a-former-trump-aides-new-app-for-conservatives/ The Right Stuff users claim they were contacted by FBI after using the conservative dating app https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/conservative-dating-app-right-stuff-fbi-b2195668.html Dating Apps Have Hit a Wall. Can They Turn Things Around? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/business/dating-apps-tinder-bumble.html Bumble’s Anti-Celibacy Campaign Is Not Going Over Well https://www.thecut.com/article/the-controversy-around-bumbles-anti-celibacy-billboards.html Forbes Health Survey: 79% Of Gen Z Report Dating App Burnout https://www.forbes.com/health/dating/dating-app-fatigue/

In the mid to late 2000s, we gathered around our television sets to watch a heartwarming reality show where struggling families got their homes renovated into much nicer, bigger homes. A much nicer, bigger home couldn't possibly have any unintended consequences down the line, right? Right?? How did the lizards get into the duct tape room??? Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/abcs-extreme-exploitation https://www.thelist.com/35201/untold-truth-extreme-makeover-home-edition/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7ffFtPvdhs&ab_channel=PatrickCc%3A  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/05/26/extreme-makeover-home-foreclosure/346131001/  https://www.thewrap.com/ty-pennington-extreme-makeover-home-edition-backlash/  https://web.archive.org/web/20101105124200/http://defamer.gawker.com/163321/the-extreme-makeover-home-edition-tragedy-wishlist

The land of strikes and protests is at it again - that is, was at it again about 15 years ago. With the Recession in full swing, the French adopted an... original method to obtain better deals from their bosses: sequestration. How is this possible? What are the police even doing? Are the bosses being tortured?? Why are people selling razors to CEOs now??? All this and more from the author of this episode, Noah the Editor. Editing and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.europe1.fr/economie/Sequestre-plusieurs-fois-un-patron-raconte-610324 https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/sequestration-a-la-poste-amende-avec-sursis-pour-besancenot-et-dix-postiers-05-09-2011-1370052_23.php https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/04/23/bossnapping-wave-sweeps-france/ https://www.lexpress.fr/societe/justice/sequestration-de-patrons-une-methode-de-negociation-risquee-en-theorie_1311966.html https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/syndicats/avant-air-france-d-autres-histoires-de-patrons-sequestres-4521859 https://atlantico.fr/article/decryptage/sequestre-par-vos-salaries--petit-kit-de-survie-pour-patrons-en-detresse-xavier-tedeschi- https://www.liberation.fr/futurs/2009/04/01/la-sequestration-de-patrons-est-typiquement-francaise_550280/ https://web.archive.org/web/20090411043129/http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2009/04/sarkozys_bossna.html

You've probably noticed it: flying on commercial airlines has gotten a lot worse. Covid didn't help, but if we're being honest it wasn't great before covid either. In fact, didn't flying used to be really fun back in the 60's and '70's? What happened to piano bars in planes, good food, and decent legroom? In this episode we will get into how airlines got so bad, and how what we see of the airline industry is the tip of an iceberg of rot and deregulation. Editing and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Ryanair abandons controversial Afrikaans test for South African travelers https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ryanair-drops-controversial-test-for-south-african-travelers/index.html Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary accused of racism for saying terrorists are 'generally Muslim men' https://news.sky.com/story/ryanair-boss-michael-oleary-accused-of-racism-for-saying-terrorists-are-generally-muslim-men-11940064 US airline passengers are getting increasingly frustrated. Here’s why https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/jd-power-2023-north-american-airline-satisfaction-survey-results/index.html Summer air travel could be expensive and chaotic. Here's how to avoid trouble https://www.npr.org/2022/06/14/1104820079/summer-air-travel-could-be-expensive-and-chaotic-heres-how-to-avoid-trouble Why is air travel so miserable? - Transcript https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/why-is-air-travel-so-miserable-transcript-1.7140847 Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It https://www.amazon.com/Why-Flying-Miserable-How-Fix/dp/B0BW661PMJ How United Became The World's Most Hated Airline In One Day https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviatemin/2017/04/11/how-united-became-the-worlds-most-hated-airline-in-one-day/?sh=66e70e3561f2 Spirit Airlines to Charge New Fee for Carry-On Luggage https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/spirit-airlines-charge-fee-carryon-luggage-bag-surcharge/story?id=10298802 The Ballsy History Of Extremely Crude Ads For Spirit Airlines https://www.businessinsider.com/spirit-airlines-ads-2011-6?op=1 The facts and figures behind Michael O'Leary's horse racing empire https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/horse-racing/facts-figures-behind-michael-olearys-23354749 Hard Ryanair landing https://youtube.com/shorts/ltkIWkUz0dk?si=iGfpgFlZAgLpbGse Pilot Destroys Plane Wing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tur3-W6-q6o

MoviePass is back, and it's better than ever. In our first SEQUEL episode, Evan gives us an update on what the ol' MoviePass company has been up to in the last 5 years. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/moviepass-will-shut-down-for-good-on-sept-14.html https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/moviepass-gets-takeover-offer-1240275/ https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/13/moviepass-resurrection-will-face-old-problems-and-new-rivals.html https://www.businessinsider.com/moviepass-relaunching-details-how-to-sign-up-2022-8 https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/moviepass-relaunch-waitlist-tiered-pricing-1234754345/ https://www.businessinsider.com/moviepass-relaunching-details-how-many-movies-per-month-2022-9 https://www.moviepass.com/