10.09.24 | Shop Talk this week comes from Inc. Magazine. 80% of CEOs surveyed predict remote work will be dead in three years. Caught My Eye looks at two LA documentarians that are trying to contact the Pasadena Piss Bandit. Also, clean-up could soon begin on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—after $7.5 billion is raised for the five-year effort. Brian Lamb, the founder of CSPAN, is our Business Birthday. The answers to the movie clips from Criterion Month are revealed. Thanks to all who played “Pick That Flick!”

10.08.24 | A Pennsylvania school district thought it was a good idea to install viewing windows from the hallway into the trans/non-binary bathroom. The reason was supposedly to crack down on drug use, but many saw it as another anti-LGBTQ+ trope. Then, Wallet Hub released their list of the Happiest States in America. Listen to see who made the top ten. Finally, a Picasso worth about $7 million dollars has been hanging around a junk dealer’s house in Italy for over 50 years. Now that it is authenticated the family will send the Picasso to auction.

10.02.24 | Shop Talk reveals Fortune Magazine’s list of the world’s most influential LGBTQ+ business leaders. Caught My Eye looks at an original copy of the US Constitution that was found in a file folder in North Carolina. Also, airlines are imposing a zero-tolerance policy with heavy fines for disruptive passengers. Marcus Urann, the Father of Ocean Spray and the canned cranberry log, is our Business Birthday. Next week John will announce the answers to the movie clips as we close-out Criterion Month thanks to our friends at Deep Discount. Thanks to all who played “Pick That Flick!”

10.01.24 | A lesbian firefighter and paramedic may be awarded over $1 million for the constant bullying she endured while employed at the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Dept. Ageism and her female gender also played a part in the harassment. Then, it appears that the former first lady Melania Trump, won’t speak anywhere during campaign season without getting paid. Melania received over $250K to speak at a recent Log Cabin Fundraising Event. Finally, egg prices are on the rise again but not because of inflation. The bird flu is the culprit this time so expect to pay about 30% more for eggs in the next few months.

09.25.24 | Shop Talk covers the recent response from the HRC to recent anti-DEI pushback. Listener Bill from California sends us a sheet of $2 dollar bills. Caught My Eye looks at golf ball pollution, and the iconic voice of James Earl Jones being recreated using AI. Melville Bissell, inventor of the carpet sweeper, is our Business Birthday. Remember, September is Criterion Collection month. Thanks to our partner Deep Discount you have a chance to win one of the great movies from Criterion on “John says, Pick That Flick.”

09.24.24 | President Joe Biden has made history twice in the last month by being the first President to sit for an interview with an LGBTQ publication and appointing more Federal Judges than any other administration in US history. Thank you, Joe! Then, while the introduction of touch screen kiosks was supposed to take jobs away, the exact opposite has happened. Finally, social media has mainstreamed the idea of fridgescaping—where you decorate the interior of your ice box. Picture frames, crystal vases, and lighting are just some of the trends. September is Criterion Month thanks to our partner at Critics’ Choice Video. Listen in to play along on John says, Pick that Flick!

09.18.24 | Shop Talk looks at the possibility that widespread shoplifting over the last few years at places like Target may have been overstated. Also, The Campbells Soup Company proposes a name change. Caught My Eye looks at a full-sized LEGO model of a McLarenP1 supercar that is drivable. Also, a mom dies in Wales while trying to win a marshmallow eating contest for her son’s rugby team. Cassius Coolidge, the artist credited with what we would now call American Kitsch, is our Business Birthday. Coolidge created a series of Dogs Playing Poker art to promote the cigar industry. Remember, September is Criterion Collection month. Thanks to our partner Deep Discount, you have a chance to win one of the great movies from Criterion on “John says, Pick That Flick.” 

09.17.24 | After 30 years and millions of dollars raised to fight HIV/AIDS, the AIDS Lifecycle 2025 will be the last year of the 500 mile plus ride. While the mission is still important the financials are becoming a challenge. But first, an anti-LGBTQ Christian Pastor, Jeffrey Smith, is arrested for groping a man in public at a North Carolina Walmart. Then, conspiracy hound and Trump confidant Laura Loomer, lashes out at Senator Lindsey Graham telling him to “come out of the closet already, we all know you’re gay.” September is Criterion Month thanks to our partner at Critics’ Choice Video. Listen in to play along on “John says, Pick that Flick!”

09.11.24 | Shop Talk looks at the habit of DOOM—didn’t organize, only move—piles. Keeping them around may be a sign of depression or ADHD. Caught My Eye looks at the death of a Russian spy whale in Norway named Hvaldimir. Also, an aggrieved couple is spending over $400K to try to get reinstated in Disney’s “exclusive” Club33. Steve Ells, founder and CEO of Chipotle, is our Business Birthday. Remember, September is Criterion Collection month. Thanks to our partner Deep Discount you have a chance to win one of the great movies from Criterion on “John says, Pick That Flick.”