Brian Gongol Show on WHO Radio - May 15, 2016
Please note: These show notes may be in various stages of completion -- ranging from brainstormed notes through to well-polished monologues. Please excuse anything that may seem rough around the edges, as it may only be a first draft of a thought and not be fully representative of what was said on the air.
This week
Used aircraft are now economical
They may be old and less fuel-efficient than newer jets, but fuel costs so little that they may still be economical to fly
How Facebook picks trending news to feature
Mostly a human process, mostly dependent upon what's being covered by a handful of widely-known sources
This is what it's come to for newspapers
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is being "harvested" for parts
Hedge fund managers and their obscene pay
2-and-20: 2% of assets every year, plus 20% of returns year-over-year. That's a huge cut being taken by people who on average are not delivering excess performance.
But first...
Airport operators now tell TSA that long security lines are at a "breaking point"
If security becomes impossibly slow, it makes air travel less and less useful
Tin Foil Hat Award
A major-party Presidential candidate who is all but certain to carry his party's nomination into the general election seems neither to understand the consequences of inflation nor the devastation that would result from a failure to keep the central bank independent. An independent authority over the money supply is a non-negotiable condition for a large, stable economy within a free political system.
Yay Capitalism Prize
Drone footage of a live tornado
A fantastic use of UAV technology. Why should people place themselves in harm's way if the machines can go there for us and get a better view?
Quote of the Week
"[I]f you are to help those who need help -- the weaker or older members of the community -- you must encourage those who are able to make money to do so. Otherwise, where is the money coming from to help those who, through no fault of their own, are unable to help themselves?" - Margaret Thatcher
Listen on-demand
- Podcast of this episode - segment 1 (Security shortcomings at the TSA have real costs to the economy)
- Podcast of this episode - segment 2 (Facebook's potential news bias is probably going to be self-correcting)
- Podcast of this episode - segment 3 (Private equity, hedge funds, and "harvesting" companies for parts)
- Podcast of this episode - segment 4 (An independent central bank is a non-negotiable)
- Official station page for this episode