Attack Ads! The Podcast

Dive into the hidden dangers of a cashless society, where major credit card companies wield power over small businesses and consumers. Explore the depths of societal understanding through a quirky childhood memory of nail clippers and a critical view of economic forces at play. Reflect on the urgent issue of homelessness, urging wealthy property owners to take responsibility. With a mix of storytelling and current news updates, the podcast paints a vivid picture of today's financial landscape.

We humans are funny critters, with loves and hatreds and outright loathings that too often bear no real resemblance to any cogent rationality.  Yet it's all we've got.  I explore this in Episode 255: Reasoning & Irrationality. Find the Show Notes at: http://attackadspodcast.blogspot.com/2024/12/episode-255-reasoning-irrationality.html

Explore the chilling insights of Dorothy Thompson on the rise of fascism and its historical connections to America. Discover the parallels between early 20th-century Italy and current societal fears exploited for power. Delve into the legacy of Major General Smedley Butler and the bizarre coup conspiracy against FDR. Examine how wealthy elites influenced political narratives and reflect on the ominous similarities between past regimes and today's political landscape. Brace yourself for a thought-provoking journey through history and its echoes in modern times.

Dive into the unexpected world of subscription models and discover how they trap consumers in frustrating Software as a Service experiences. Explore the decline of SaaS spending and learn about the challenges of outdated pricing strategies. Get insights on monopolistic practices inflating consumer prices and hear personal anecdotes that illustrate current trends. Plus, uncover clever parallels between the razor industry and SaaS marketing tactics, showcasing how businesses innovate while keeping consumers dependent.

When something is new, its very introduction can cause friction, even havoc.  People always wonder how good or bad things could get.  In this Episode 252, I offer a bit disjointed ranting on the business end of Large Language Models, or Stupid ASOLs. Find the Show Notes at: https://attackadspodcast.blogspot.com/2024/10/episode-252-stupid-asols.html

Explore the journey of artificial lighting from fire to modern electric systems and its impact on society. Delve into the influential 1971 memorandum that shaped views on government and free markets. Discover the consolidation of power companies into monopolies and how they affected urban and rural electricity access. Uncover the rise of small wind turbines on farms and the repercussions of the Rural Electrification Act. Finally, question the narratives surrounding corporate monopolies and the hidden costs of competition in the electricity sector.

In business, simply maintaining the same level of profitability every year is regarded as failing; one must grow to thrive. But what if the product design is clearly dangerous to use? I explore this reality in Episode 250: Addiction Through Engagement.  Find the Show Notes at: https://attackadspodcast.blogspot.com/2024/09/episode-250-addiction-through-engagement.html

We see slim and slender people all the time, every day… even when none walk among us. This screws with our brains in ways most of us never consider for a second. The bottom line for this phenomenon is the title of Episode 249: Advertising Makes You Fat.  Find the Show Notes at: https://attackadspodcast.blogspot.com/2024/09/episode-249-advertising-makes-you-fat.html  

In this engaging discussion, Matt Stoller, a commentator on industry machinations, delves into the hidden forces behind rising real estate prices. He highlights how large investors and potential collusion are reshaping the rental market. Stoller uncovers major profits made by home builders despite a stagnant housing growth and examines the troubling trend of builders becoming middlemen, exacerbating the housing shortage. This conversation offers crucial insights into the monopolization impacting everyday lives and escalating homelessness.

How communities deal with bad behavior should be an ongoing debate.  Private companies, though, today use “community standards” to steal both platforms and the cash they deliver.  Hence, Episode 247: Swinging the Hammer of Demonetization.  Find the Show Notes at: https://attackadspodcast.blogspot.com/2024/07/episode-247-swinging-hammer-of.html