The In-Between Game: Recent Episodes

Kris Rivenburgh

Reality and perception are misaligned. It's not that misalignment exists that's the problem - it's the degree to which it exists. The In-Between Game points out gaps, coincidences, inefficiencies, and circumstances that are often overlooked or passed by, but are worthy of closer scrutiny.

The In-Between Game features commentary on business, sports, society, and daily life with a contrarian theme.

Artificial intelligence can already replicate and seamlessly transform all that is digital and it's only getting better. Now and even more so in the near future, authenticated channels for all participants in the digital world will be necessary to verify what's real and what's artificial or synthetic.Authenticated channels are especially important for digital content creators and brands so that their audience knows where to reliably get the genuine, original, and possibly human-made content.The 5 reasons why authenticated channels are essential covered are:0:55 Differentiate between AI Generated Content vs. Original Content1:08 Prevent Deepfakes from being mistaken as real1:55 Prevent Copyright Infringement and Mistattribution2:08 Ensure Communication is real2:24 Prevent Impersonation Accounts from being mistaken as genuine

The San Antonio Spurs have been tanking all season long, but it's becoming difficult for Gregg Popovich to hold the team back from winning games. This ramps up the tension on the tension for the Spurs as the Charlotte Hornets only have two more wins with 17 games left in the season.The bottom of the NBA standings are:1. Washington Wizards (11-53)2. Detroit Pistons (11-53)3. San Antonio Spurs (14-51)4. Charlotte Hornets (16-49)5. Portland Trailblazers (18-46)View the odds of landing the top picks for each lottery team:https://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

The mainstream sports media is saying Victor Wembanyama is putting pressure on the Spurs to force trades so they can contend right now. I think if Victor Wembanyama is applying pressure, the message is to stop with the arbitrary minutes restrictions and rest games, start playing the best players together, stop trying to lose on purpose.Victor Wembanyama's rookie year has been wasted. Gregg Popovich never gave this team a chance to make the playoffs because the plan was to tank again.Here is the ESPN segment where Brian Windhorst talks about Victor Wembanyama not being thrilled:Previewing Chet vs. Wemby Part III 🍿 ...

Random ranking factor is an SEO concept whereby some websites rank better than others for no other reason than randomness. Of course, if a website organically ranks well with less effort, it's a tremendous windfall for the website owner. However, if a website ranks average or worse, it's a significant obstacle.The term random ranking factor is coined by Terry Kyle of WPX.net hosting, hosting that I personally use and love.Read more on random ranking factor from SEO expert Matt Diggity:https://diggitymarketing.com/seo-test...Randomness plays a large role in our lives. This is a prime example of how something as simple as how Google receives our website - outside of what optimization we do to our website - can make all the difference.

It's been 2 weeks since Kevin Garnett said that Lebron James is on steroids / PEDs. And yet the biggest sports media outlets remain mouse quiet on the topic - despite having the perfect opportunity to do so once Lebron hit 40,000 points.It's completely reasonable to question whether Lebron using performance enhancing drugs while he is achieving records and milestones no one else has and still playing at a high level in his 21st NBA season at age 39.Here is the timestamped clip in question from the KG Certified edition of the All the Smoke podcast:LeBron's Future, All-Star Game Issues... "You seen his dad? His dad on that Balco, he on that new juice…"Who still hasn't mentioned the topic:- ESPN- Fox Sports- CBS Sports- NBC Sports- The Athletic- Bleacher Report- Sports Illustrated- Yahoo Sports- TMZ Sports- Bill Simmons / The Ringer- Stephen A. Smith- Gil's Arena- Reddit r/NBA- NBA on TNTWho has:- Jason Whitlock- Deadspin- YardBarker- BlackSportsOnline- HoopsHype- FoxNews- FoxSportsRadio- MSN- Reddit r/BostonCelticsNote that many other smaller websites and channels have covered the KG - Lebron Steroids story including Skap Attack.Here is the Gil's Arena segment on Lebron reaching 40,000 points:https://www.youtube.com/live/ff-fm7Vn...Here is the Bill Simmons' Grantland article that discusses not ignoring the PEDs in sports elephant in the room:https://grantland.com/features/daring...

If you read most articles on Walmart's acquisition of Jet.com for $3.3 billion, you're led to believe that the retail giant came away with a win out of their deal with Marc Lore and company. After all, Walmart.com's sales growth has grown significantly since the deal was made. But when you closely examine the details and circumstances surrounding the deal and Lore's tenure as CEO of Walmart US Ecommerce, the deal looks horrible.Sources:Walmart Agrees to Acquire Jet.com, One of the Fastest Growing e-Commerce Companies in the U.S.https://corporate.walmart.com/news/20... Walmart CEO Doug McMillon: Jet.com acquisition was worthwhile Walmart CEO Doug McMillon: Jet.com ac... With Marc Lore, Walmart went from a nascent to aggressive e-commerce playerhttps://www.modernretail.co/retailers...Inside the conflict at Walmart that’s threatening its high-stakes race with Amazonhttps://www.vox.com/recode/2019/7/3/1...Walmart's Acquisition of Jet: The Winners and Losershttps://digiday.com/marketing/walmart...Wal-Mart buys Jet for record-breaking $3bhttps://www.retaildive.com/news/wal-m...Walmart regrets everything it ever purchased https://www.retaildive.com/news/skud-...Jet.com: The $3B Hair PlugsJet.com: The $3B Hair PlugsWalmart Rewrites Its E-Commerce Strategy With $3.3 Billion Deal for Jet.comhttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/09/bu...Will Jet.com's 'Smart Cart' Disrupt eCommerce?https://www.forbes.com/sites/joeharpa...Why Walmart's Recent Acquisition Of Art.com Is Puzzlinghttps://www.forbes.com/sites/walterlo...Walmart shuts down its experimental personal shopping service, Jet blackhttps://techcrunch.com/2020/02/13/wal...Walmart keeps selling, as retail M&A picks uphttps://www.axios.com/2023/04/24/walm...Walmart Merges Jet.com Into Its Ecommerce Business, President Moves Onhttps://multichannelmerchant.com/ecom...Walmart sells intimates site Bare Necessities to Israeli companyhttps://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/...Wiki Jet.comhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet.comArt.com Fact Sheethttps://web.archive.org/web/202104181...‘Not a core competency:’ Why Moosejaw no longer fits in Walmart’s portfoliohttps://www.modernretail.co/operation...#Business #Acquisitions #Ecommerce

Scams are highly profitable and, as they progress, seek out credibility to legitimize the operation through any number of means so that the profitable scam can continue.Scams seek out credibility through any number of ways including: ranking high in Google (SEO), marketing, paid press and media, advertising campaigns, building connections and ties to institutions, associations, authorities, and professionals, endorsements (from influencers like celebrities and athletes) reviews and testimonials (paid or fake), philanthropy and social causes, and more. Scams desperately need credibility so they try to get it from any number of means.Scams come in the form of investment scams, ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, products with false and deceptive claims, unethical business practices, and many multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes.#Scams #Fraud #MLM

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/how-scams-become-legitimate

We know the Denver Broncos trade for Russell Wilson has turned out horribly, but what is it a horrible trade at the time it was made? Also, what about stacking on the massive $245 million, 5-year contract extension before the 2022 season even started?TheFantasyFootballers.com was especially helpful in providing information and analysis on best year ranges and years of decline for quarterbacks. I used the following article to help in this discussion: https://www.thefantasyfootballers.com/articles/the-lifecycle-of-a-dynasty-quarterback-dynasty-football/Russell Wilson trade report (Adam Schefter):https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33454258/sources-seattle-seahawks-trade-qb-russell-wilson-denver-broncos"The Broncos have agreed to trade quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 -- No. 9 overall -- and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 -- No. 40 overall -- and 2023) and a 2022 fifth-round selection to the Seahawks for Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick, sources said."Russell Wilson contract extension information:https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34500536/russell-wilson-denver-broncos-agree-5-year-extension-worth-245-million-including-165-million-guaranteed-sources-sayRunning QB statistics Wikipedia page:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dual-threat_quarterback_recordsRussell Wilson fantasy statistics by season:https://fantasydata.com/nfl/russell-wilson-fantasy/14536

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/broncos-russell-wilson-trade-contract-extension/

Hiring a consultant can make all the difference in the world. One consulting session can not only prevent significant downside and but present real upside.A consultant can act as preventative insurance which is much better than the conventional home, auto, and health insurance that we typically think of. This insurance is reactionary and only goes into effect after a bad event happens.#Consultant #Insurance #Consulting

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/consultant-preventative-insurance/

Consumers continually gravitate towards a preferred product or service until one day they begin to realize that product or service has fundamentally changed; the quality has degraded to such a degree that the original product or service is no longer recognizable.This is because companies and businesses can't resist lowering quality to increase profit margins. They hope the difference isn't noticeable, but as the quality continues to go downhill, more and more consumers become aware that the product or service is not as good and adjust their buying habits.#LowerQuality #Worse #Quality

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/watering-down-orange-juice-gradual-decline-quality/

The NBA is experiencing many problems including load management which includes the unnecessarily reduction of player minutes and/or sitting out games. While it may benefit individual players or teams for players to sit out games or coaches reduce minutes, the NBA as a whole is being devastated.The cumulative effect of load management will soon reach a tipping point of no return where the NBA cannot recover its fan base and ability to generate the necessary viewership to perpetuate its revenue cycle.The NBA must incentive players, coaches, and ownership to play more minutes and play more games. In the video, I provide the solution.#NBA #LoadManagement #NBAPlayers

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/nba-load-management-problem/

Before UFC 298, I said that Alexander Volkanovski (-130) should be a bigger favorite over Ilia Topuria (+110). Volk ended up losing his second fight in a row via knockout. I analyze the original thinking that went into me saying Volk should have been a -350 favorite headed into UFC 298.Watch the first video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv4KRyroOG4#Topuria #Volk #Volkanovski

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/reviewing-volkanovski-vs-topuria-value-bet/

Alexander Volkanovski is only a slight -130 favorite vs. Ilia Topuria being a +110 underdog at UFC 298. Volk should be favored by more and thus represents a great value for gamblers looking for value betting on the UFC 298 Main Event.In this Volkanovski vs. Topuria preview, I breakdown why I think there's an inefficiency in the MMA odds and gamblers can get great value betting Alex.Edit: I made a miscalculation on the EV. It should be $37.62 per $100 bet.The only factor that I can see significantly factoring in is the vicious leg kick knockout to the head from Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. That knockout occurred on October 21 which was 119 days go. Oddsmakers might think it's too soon for Volkanovski to return and are lowering his odds because of it.However, I think the odds are too close to even. Ilia Topuria's last two fights are vs. #5 Josh Emmett and #9 Bryce Mitchell, neither of whom are anywhere close to the same skill and talent level of Alexander Volkanovski.

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/volkanovski-odds-topuria-betting-value/#UFC298 #Volkanovski #Topuria

Lebron James met Rich Paul when he was selling sports jerseys out of the back of his car. As the relationship grew, so did Rich Paul's success and now Rich Paul is the CEO of a booming sports agency, Klutch Sports Group. But does Lebron have an inappropriate influence over Klutch Sports because of his ties to Rich Paul? Or is Lebron completely isolated from the agency's activities?In this two part episode, I use publicly available information to answer these questions. The question now becomes, will Adam Silver and the NBA do anything about this ongoing concern.Part 1:https://youtu.be/o9QFFySKk5IResources cited:⁠NBA Constitution and By-Laws, Article 35 Misconduct, Section (e)⁠⁠NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, 36.3 Prohibition on Players as Agents⁠⁠Conflict of interest on Wikipedia⁠⁠ESPN NBA analyst Amin Elhassan talking about Lebron James⁠, "You know his influence on the agency and who they represent."⁠NBA fines Anthony Davis citing comments made by Paul⁠ as "an intentional effort to undermine the contractual relationship between Davis and the Pelicans."⁠Unavailable Brian Windhorst podcast from July 25, 2017⁠ where Windhorst reports, "LeBron doesn't have any ownership in Klutch Sports. The NBA investigated it and said LeBron doesn't have ownership." This after the NBA reportedly investigated whether or not James owned shares in the Klutch Sports Group agency.⁠NBC article with quote⁠⁠Sports Illustrated article⁠ that reads:Windhorst called it "laughable" to think James would be trying to get a cut of agent commissions, which cannot be more than four percent of a player's contract, and went on to explain that Klutch Sorts does not present James certain deals worth between $5 million to $10 million.⁠Bleacher Report article where Lebron's advisor⁠, Adam Mendelson is quoted as saying, "He (Lebron) refers to Klutch as 'us' because Klutch is his family.":⁠Bleacher Report article with the headline⁠:"Pelicans' Anthony Davis Signs with LeBron James' Klutch Sports Agency"⁠Lebron James makes comments about playing with Anthony Davis⁠:"That would be amazing," James told ESPN. "That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible."⁠Smug Lebron clip where he downplays his commenting on Anthony Davis⁠ playing for the Lakers:⁠ESPN article on the smug Lebron scrum⁠:"Come on, guys, this is not rocket science. These are great players. Absolutely. I would love to play with a lot of great players. That is just who I am."⁠Brian Windhorst "Hoop Collective" podcast (at 34:44)⁠ where "This particular situation, he was outside the scrum and he told Dave McMenamin he wanted it on the record. I can just tell you from knowing Lebron, he knew exactly what he was doing."⁠June 15, 2019, less than one year after signing with Klutch, Anthony Davis is traded to the Lakers⁠⁠60 Minutes interview: Rich Paul states⁠, "When it was someone that didn't look like me, it was genius, it was why you get a power agent but when it's me, I'm destroying the league? I mean, those things are absurd."⁠Chris Broussard article⁠:"If I don't have on that jersey, we don't have a conversation," Rich Paul says."There's no specific training to be an agent... Is Rich sophisticated enough? Well, he's sophisticated enough that he has LeBron."#KlutchSports #RichPaul #LebronJames

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/lebron-james-influence-klutch-rich-paul-conflict-interest-2/

Lebron James met Rich Paul when he was selling sports jerseys out of the back of his car. As the relationship grew, so did Rich Paul's success and now Rich Paul is the CEO of a booming sports agency, Klutch Sports Group. But does Lebron have an inappropriate influence over Klutch Sports because of his ties to Rich Paul? Or is Lebron completely isolated from the agency's activities?In this two part episode, I use publicly available information to answer these questions. The question now becomes, will Adam Silver and the NBA do anything about this ongoing concern.Part 2:https://youtu.be/ZCgOr9DP5-IResources cited:NBA Constitution and By-Laws, Article 35 Misconduct, Section (e)NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, 36.3 Prohibition on Players as AgentsConflict of interest on WikipediaESPN NBA analyst Amin Elhassan talking about Lebron James, "You know his influence on the agency and who they represent."NBA fines Anthony Davis citing comments made by Paul as "an intentional effort to undermine the contractual relationship between Davis and the Pelicans."Unavailable Brian Windhorst podcast from July 25, 2017 where Windhorst reports, "LeBron doesn't have any ownership in Klutch Sports. The NBA investigated it and said LeBron doesn't have ownership." This after the NBA reportedly investigated whether or not James owned shares in the Klutch Sports Group agency.NBC article with quoteSports Illustrated article that reads:Windhorst called it "laughable" to think James would be trying to get a cut of agent commissions, which cannot be more than four percent of a player's contract, and went on to explain that Klutch Sorts does not present James certain deals worth between $5 million to $10 million.Bleacher Report article where Lebron's advisor, Adam Mendelson is quoted as saying, "He (Lebron) refers to Klutch as 'us' because Klutch is his family.":Bleacher Report article with the headline:"Pelicans' Anthony Davis Signs with LeBron James' Klutch Sports Agency"Lebron James makes comments about playing with Anthony Davis:"That would be amazing," James told ESPN. "That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible."Smug Lebron clip where he downplays his commenting on Anthony Davis playing for the Lakers:ESPN article on the smug Lebron scrum:"Come on, guys, this is not rocket science. These are great players. Absolutely. I would love to play with a lot of great players. That is just who I am."Brian Windhorst "Hoop Collective" podcast (at 34:44) where "This particular situation, he was outside the scrum and he told Dave McMenamin he wanted it on the record. I can just tell you from knowing Lebron, he knew exactly what he was doing."June 15, 2019, less than one year after signing with Klutch, Anthony Davis is traded to the Lakers60 Minutes interview: Rich Paul states, "When it was someone that didn't look like me, it was genius, it was why you get a power agent but when it's me, I'm destroying the league? I mean, those things are absurd."Chris Broussard article:"If I don't have on that jersey, we don't have a conversation," Rich Paul says."There's no specific training to be an agent... Is Rich sophisticated enough? Well, he's sophisticated enough that he has LeBron."#KlutchSports #RichPaul #LebronJamesTranscript:

https://inbetweengame.com/lebron-james-influence-klutch-rich-paul-conflict-interest-1/

Major corporations are making a habit out of massive layoffs in 2023. This means tens of thousands of people will be out of work which negatively impacts everyone. These same companies reaped millions and billions of dollars in profits with the help of these employees so it's completely unfair to ditch these same employees as soon as profits or down or the economy slows.While corporations may say this is only a business decision, consumers need to band together and make another business decision: stop buying from companies who are making layoffs in 2023.The people also need to remind companies about their social responsibility vows and how "family" and "community" not only applies to token donations but also not firing people when things get tough.We need to support our fellow workers by directing money away from companies who are engaging in rounds of layoffs and make these companies rethink their "business decisions."Oh, and let's not forget about CEO and executive bonuses. Why are millions paid out to executives if companies are so concerned about profits?#Layoffs #Layoffs2023 #MassiveLayoffsTranscript:

https://inbetweengame.com/massive-layoffs-boycotts/

There's a reason people purchase books as new: they want their book in new condition. And yet, for many, books arrive damaged with smashed or wrinkled pages, bent covers or corners, marks, etc.Amazon will exchange or refund books that arrived damaged, but that only extends the problem into a different one: repackaging the book and mailing it back. Most times the cost of the book doesn't justify the effort in returning it.And customers shouldn't have to. New books should arrive in new condition because that was the bargained for exchange. Amazon clearly has lower prices for used books with wear and tear, but when a customer pays for new, they should get new and they shouldn't have to spend extra time and effort to get a replacement on damaged books.#BuyingBooks #BookCondition #DamagedBookTranscript:

https://inbetweengame.com/new-books-arriving-damaged/

While researching information for my generic donut stores episode, I realized that Google Bard completely made up survey results and then cited to a made up source, the "Donut Hole Marketing Association". When I asked for a link, Bard even provided the fake URL:donutholemarketingassociation.org/surveyBard had also made up survey results from the imaginary National Association of Donut Retailers (NADR) to answer how many donut stores used the generic brand name of "donuts".Here is the donut shop episode:https://youtu.be/ys2nfnjQm7kI've heard about AI, including ChatGPT, making up information before, but this particular example was especially bad because Bard not only made up the survey results but then doubled down with a fake URL.#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GoogleBard

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/ai-making-up-information-google-bard/

Despite his outstanding play, Victor Wembanyama's teammates aren't passing him the ball. Spurs guards Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham as well as forwards Keldon Johnson and Cedi Osman frequently bypass Wemby in transition as well as in the half court offense.Rather than selfishly seeking their own shots, Spurs teammates should err towards throwing the ball to Victor as much as possible. Victor not only commands attention and will create open space but Victor makes the right play and is a willing passer.However, in the Pacers game, Victor did take multiple ill-advised shots after being left out of the offense for several possessions in a row. Seven games into the regular season, it's time for Pop to address the selfish play and redirect the offensive flow to Victor.Watch my prediction on the Spurs over/under win total for Victor's rookie season:https://youtu.be/d0CPliylvbU#Wemby #VictorWembanyama #Spurs

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/not-passing-to-victor-wembanyama-ignoring/

A common practice among local doughnut shops is to generically brand as only "donuts". For some small business owners, this may be viewed as an easy way to get started without worrying about any potential trademark claims. It may also be more affordable to get a generic "donuts" sign in plain red letters vs. creating custom signage.However, with no unique name to differentiate from other donut shops, small business owners are losing out on many associated benefits to branding (including customer connection) as well as the increased value of their asset if they were to have a trademarked name.#DonutShop #DonutBusiness #DonutStores

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/generically-named-doughnut-shops/

For decades, the label of "Made in the USA" has instilled confidence in the origins of produce, meat, ingredients, and food products. But after numerous train derailments in 2023 with hazardous spills affecting several states, the question now becomes: what state is this food sourced from?The February 3 East Palestine tragedy not only affected Ohio but other nearby states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia.The June 24th derailment that caused 500,000 lbs. of asphalt to spill into the Yellowstone River directly affected Montana.The March 8th derailment occurred in Calhoun County, Alabama.The March 22nd derailment was in Van Buren Township, Michigan.And the August 12 derailment was in Springfield, Ohio.Vinyl chloride and ethylene glycol were named as chemicals the trains were carrying in the East Palestine, Springfield, and Calhoun County spills. Vinyl Chloride was also named in the Van Buren Township derailment.Of course, toxic materials in the environment can not only affect human food but pet food and pet treats as well.#MadeInUSA #OhioFood #FoodQuality

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/food-made-in-usa-what-state/

When companies hire for a position, there can be multiple rounds of interviews during the job interview process - sometimes 2-4, but 5-6 is not unheard of. And with only one person getting the job, that means all other applicants have spent several hours of time (as well as devoted significant energy and effort) on the interview process for nothing in return.I propose a legal mandate that companies must pay job applicants at least 2.5x the hourly rate (for the high range of salary) during the interview process. This will appropriately value you the tremendous amount of time and effort that job applicants are investing into the company and disincentivize the company / HR staff from wasting people's times with interviews where they know the applicant will not get the job.Companies need to show they're serious about hiring and truly value people's time and effort by compensating them during the lengthy and disjointed interview process.Job applicants are making a significant effort on their end by taking off work, interviewing during lunch, making kid and pet accommodations, rehearsing answers, researching the company, dressing for the occasion, etc. So it's only right that companies pay them for interviews.It's completely unfair that the existing way of doing things is for people to pour themselves into multiple rounds of interviews only to receive a decline or rejection email.See my previous video on how many companies are disingenuous with their job openings which harms millions of job seekers:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ieNUdUkcJs&t=0s

JobInterview #JobSeekers #JobSeeker

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/rounds-job-interviews-wasting-time-applicants-paid/

Google made a subtle but significant (and annoying) change to their local listing results in 2022 or 2023. When you search for a specific business, no reviews will show in the local listings that return. You will see information such as website and directions but no reviews for the different locations of that business.However, if you search for a broad local category, then you will get listings with reviews. For example, if you search for "storage facilities Dallas", then you will get reviews for various businesses within listings. But if you search for "Public Storage Dallas", you will get listings for all of the Public Storage locations in the area, but you will not get the reviews for those different locations.This, of course, is annoying because now you can't quickly look up the reviews for the different locations of a local business. Rather, you have to search for the general niche of the business plus the city or area it's located in.#GoogleReviews #GoogleLocal #LocalReviews

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/google-not-showing-reviews-local-business/

Years ago, Airbnb started off hot as guests were happy to book rentals at very affordable rates. However, in years since Airbnb has continually increased service fees and hosts taken advantage of cleaning fees to the point where booking a stay at a nearby 3 star hotel is the more attractive option.With hotels, there is consistency and a standard that is usually met. With Airbnbs, it's not uncommon for frequent travelers to have at least one bad experience. Given the negligible price difference, the momentum has swung back in favor of just booking a hotel.#Airbnb #AirbnbFees #AirbnbProblems

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/airbnb-greed-high-service-fees-kill-value/

Many YouTubers now use exaggerated or stupid faces in their thumbnails for more views, but this is a clickbait technique that can erode trust over time and cause the channel brand to lose credibility.As more channels make more thumbnails with stupid faces, these thumbnails lose the shock value and don't stand out, becoming a part of the crowd. Also, more people looking for videos are aware of the tactic and starting to take these videos less seriously.#Thumbnails #Thumbnail #StupidFaces

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/stupid-faces-thumbnails-work-short-term-clicks/

Debris and objects falling out of trucks and trailers on the highway can not only cause significant damage but create extremely hazardous conditions for drivers. Police must enforce the transportation code strictly when it comes to unsecured or negligently packed loads or loose materials. Increased penalties are also necessary as a deterrent.It is not uncommon to see overloaded trucks with furniture stacked on other furniture or dump trucks with loose gravel falling out. This can easily caused cracked windshields or dangerous conditions on the highway.Chapter 725 of the Texas Transportation Code (Transportation of Loose Materials), Section 725.003 only calls for a fine of $25 to $500 for a violation. This is not nearly enough of a deterrent, especially given how difficult it can be to prove liability on the part of the driver of a vehicle with loose materials.The best precaution for drivers is to install a webcam. This way it is easier to provide fault on the vehicle with falling debris.#HighwayDriving #Driving #Transportation

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/obects-debris-falling-out-trucks-highway/

LGs are one of the most popular smart TVs along with Samsung and Sony. And yet you cannot download the ESPN+ (Plus) app from the LG app store. When I first attempted to download ESPN+ so I could watch a UFC PPV, I thought I was missing something because I didn't think there was any way a brand new $2,300 smart TV wouldn't be able to download one of the most popular apps, but there is a way.Incredibly, neither LG or ESPN (Disney) officially address this which opens speculation that that there may be licensing or rights gamesmanship afoot.Also, a statement from Vizio could contribute to this theory. Here are two selections:"VIZIO today announced that the ESPN App, including ESPN+, the No. 1 U.S. sports streaming platform, is now available to millions of VIZIO users just in time for the 2023 football season. With the ESPN App and ESPN+, fans can experience over 27,000 live sports events, replays, original shows, and exclusive content across ESPN platforms – all on VIZIO Smart TVs.""With our expanded relationship with Disney, VIZIO audiences can now enjoy the ESPN app, ESPN+, and the Disney Bundle Trio, offering a wide selection of live sports and entertainment," said Chris Tanquary, Senior Director of Business Development at VIZIO. “https://platformplus.vizio.com/news/e...Of course, this could just mean that Disney created a native app for Vizio TVs, but it could also mean that an agreement had to be reached before Vizio could make the ESPN+ app available in its app store. Note the word relationship - this sounds like much more than ensuring the technical side of the app is good to go.#LGTV #ESPNPlus #ESPN+

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/why-espn-plus-app-unavailable-lg-smart-tvs/

Shark Tank has brought Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Hart, Maria Sharapova, and Alex Rodriguez to the tank but these celebrities and athletes aren't true entrepreneurs. Rather, their success originated from sports, movies, and comedy, not business.Shark Tank attempts to portray these celebrities and athletes as having business acumen but their success in investing and startups only comes after they made their money in the entertainment industry.#SharkTank #Entrepreneurship #Entrepreneurs

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/celebrities-athletes-arent-entrepreneurs-shark-tank/

Most subscriptions wait to revoke access until the end of the billing cycle (since you pay upfront for the entire month), but a few subscription plans cancel access immediately - even if you have more time remaining on your subscription.The reason why is they're hoping you wait to cancel and end up renewing again. But this is a horrible business practice and should be banned because customers have already paid for the full month.Bubble (no code app builder platform) and SweetGreen's SweetPass (discount loyalty rewards program) all use this tactic. But, of course, many more companies engage in this behavior.#CancelSubscriptions #MonthlySubscriptions #Subscriptions

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/subscriptions-end-access-immediately-cancellation/

Meals, car washes, software, razors, exercise videos, games, coffee, dog toys - almost all products and services are now available as a subscription.More and more, companies offer ongoing subscriptions so they can have recurring revenue rather than a one-time purchase. Sometimes subscriptions offer value to consumers and make sense. Other times subscriptions really only benefit the business and this is when complaints about subscriptions getting out of hand or out of control come in.The monthly or annual subscription model really started around 2005 and has taken over daily commerce since. Examples of subscription offerings include The New York Times, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club, Peleton, Calm App, PlayStation Now, Bark Box, Trade Coffee, Microsoft Office and literally thousands of others.#Subscriptions #Subscription #SubscriptionBusiness

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/everything-subscription-now/

He's the richest man in the world and he's made a lot of glaring mistakes with his newest toy, Twitter (now rebranded as X). From wasting years of incredible branding to losing views by closing the X ecosystem to creating confusion with blue checkmarks for $8/month, Elon has made his presence felt.However, will any of these changes lead to growth lasting success? I don't think so. I think Elon has halted the super momentum and growth that Twitter had. Elon may indeed succeed inspite of himself but he's undone a lot of the good that previous Twitter ownership had in place.Here's a quick outline of changes made to the platform as discussed in this episode:- Twitter, tweet, bird logo branding is thrown out for X- X will be everything app for messaging, payments, banking- Blue checkmark available for purchase for $8/month in U.S.- Login now required or restrictions in place- Twitter profiles show most popular tweets, not most recent- Twitter comments cannot be read, only original tweet#ElonMusk #ElonTwitter #ElonX

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/elon-musk-bad-moves-twitter-branding/

Billionaire sports team owners think they're entitled to public financing for new stadiums and arenas, but taxpayers need to tell them no and insist public money go back into the community.The common pitch by billionaires like Jerry Jones is that the new stadium will spur economic activity and create jobs that balance out the public funding but this has been proven false time and time again.The NFL's Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans just coerced nearly $2 billion total from the public, but there are many more teams seeking public financing including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Calgary Flames, Arizona Coyotes, and Oklahoma City Thunder.The key is to call their bluff and let them leave.

https://deadspin.com/don-t-bill-ieve-it-1848656679

https://deadspin.com/what-can-we-learn-from-four-stadium-deals-that-dont-suc-1829659467

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/billionaires-demand-taxpayers-pay-new-stadiums/

According to sportsbook odds, Victor Webanyama is only projected to add +9 wins to the San Antonio Spurs season win total (which is now up to 30.5). There's no way a never-seen-before, generational talent like Victor who has already stated his goal is to "qualify for the playoffs" is only going to add 9 wins to the Spurs win total of 22 wins from 2022-2023.I contend that this marks a major oversight by sportsbooks and this inefficiency provides tremendous opportunity for value. My guess/projection is 45 wins.Victor has already shown a large preview of how he will change the game in the preseason and that's going to continue with domination in the regulation season.The above selection was posted on 5:14 pm CST on October 24, 2023 shortly before NBA season tipoff. Any edits to this description will be made below.#Wemby #VictorWembanyama #Victor

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/victor-wembanyama-dominate-nba-spurs-30-5-under-over-low/

Traditional restaurants don't serve organic food, nor do they offer organic substitutes. Why not? People buy organic food at the grocery store so it stands to reason that they would also pay more for the healthier option when eating out.

Organic #OrganicFood #OrganicRestaurants

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/why-dont-restaurants-serve-organic-food/

The spectacular gains possible in crypto speculation have never been seen in history, ever. Several coins and tokens including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin have made astronomical theoretical returns, making many early buyers millionaires.Of course, there have been many more projects that have zeroed out after being shown to be scams. And even with successful projects that have boomed, we have seen drastic pullbacks. And, of course, it's impossible to time the market.But that's not the point. The point is crypto gives people hope of getting "rich" and possibly becoming a millionaire.#CryptoInvesting #CryptoMillionaire #CryptocurrencyInvesting

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/asymmetry-crypto-investing/

Multi-level marketing (MLM) scams have been hurting people emotionally and financially for decades. Originally participants are sold on the dream and how great things will be once they have their own business. But MLMs gloss over the harsh realities of starting expenses, monthly inventory purchases, and constant pressure to sell more and recruit more to meet quotas and get bonuses.In the end, 99% of people lose money (cite: FTC). And not only is money lost, but all the time and effort that went into the MLM along with the relationships that deteriorate along the way.#MLM #MultiLevelMarketing #MLMBusiness

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/mlm-business-scheme-example-multi-level-marketing/

With more platforms for social media and content creators, it has become increasingly difficult to secure usernames. Sometimes this is understandable - someone with a legitimate use just beat you to it, but other times the absolute perfect username for your brand is going unused.And what's worse is many platforms are horrible when it comes to helping entities (including celebrities, companies, franchises, etc.) get their brand name.Usernames are extremely valuable across many platforms including Patreon, SnapChat, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitch, Reddit, Spotify, Etsy, Medium, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.Many key figures, brands, publishing outlets, and major companies including Taylor Swift, the Nelk Boys, Prime Sports Drink, The Ringer, Ferrari, Costco, Tesla, and Better Homes and Gardens are missing key virtual real estate.*domain name should be username at 7:25

username #usernames #handles

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/username-taken-unavailable-handles/

In 2012, Facebook changed its algorithm so that brand pages increasingly had less and less organic reach. By February 2014, Social@Ogilvy found that Facebook’s organic reach is just 6%, with large pages over 500,000 followers seeing just 2% reach (Source: Wordstream.com).This, of course, came after brands had pushed their traffic, fans, subscribers, and followers to the Facebook platform and encouraged users to engage with their pages. Thus, Facebook not only reaped the rewards of tens of thousands of entities driving traffic to Facebook but then turned around and monetized the brands' own audience to the brand."Facebook began restricting the organic reach of Page content in 2012 and has since seemingly given up on telling marketers they aren’t going to have to pay to play. In fact, Ogilvy cites anonymous “Facebook sources” as telling community managers they can expect Facebook organic reach to plunge to absolutely nothing in the foreseeable future."https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/03/12/facebook-organic-reach#FacebookBusinessPractices #FacebookEthics #Facebook

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/in-2012-facebook-crushed-organic-reach-for-brands-after-reaping-billions-in-free-advertising/

Substack became quite popular despite charging a 10% cut on all publisher gross revenue. Many known journalists and prominent figures signed up and even advertised for Substack, using a subdomain (e.g., writer.substack.com) to drive their subscribers / followers to the platform.This 10% is in addition to credit card fees:"A credit card fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee) and a Billing fee for recurring subscriptions (0.5% for recurring payments)."https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost-Although Substack does allow newsletter creators a way to quickly monetize their content, a 10% cut is way too much. I believe more people will migrate away from Substack as better market options (such as BeeHiiv) emerge with reasonable fixed monthly fees.https://www.beehiiv.com/*Should be x.substack.com#Substack #SubstackCost #NewsletterPlatforms

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/substack-takes-10-percent-revenue/

Chain restaurants are unhealthy, inauthentic, not fresh, and cost just as much / are more expensive than local eateries so why eat a national or multi-state chain at all?Chain restaurants:- Buy in bulk quantities- Use frozen food- Reheat food- Add sugar, fat, and salt#ChainRestaurants #Restaurant #Restaurants

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/why-eat-at-chain-restaurants/

You may be startled to learn that your landlord has right of entry into your rental without advance notice in Texas. In general, a landlord can enter your apartment without notice so long as the lease provides for entry. A landlord may also enter in the event of an "emergency".Most states require at least 24 hours notice but Texas does not.The standard lease agreement for many apartments in Texas is the Texas Apartment Association (TAA) form, which according to the sample version on their website, TAA.org, provides entry for numerous people without advance notice.Paragraph 14 reads:"When We May Enter. If you or any other resident, guest or occupantis present, then repair or service persons, contractors, law officers,government representatives, lenders, appraisers, prospective resi-dents or buyers, insurance agents, persons authorized to enter underyour rental application, or our representatives may peacefully enterthe apartment at reasonable times for reasonable business purposes.If nobody is in the apartment, then any such person may enter peace-fully and at reasonable times (by breaking a window or other meanswhen necessary) for reasonable business purposes if written notice ofthe entry is left in a conspicuous place in the apartment immediatelyafter the entry. We are under no obligation to enter only when youare present, and we may, but are not obligated to, give prior notice ormake appointments."In my research, I did not see a section in the Texas Property Code directly addresses advance notice and a landlord's right to enter a rental apartment/house/home.Resources:https://www.taa.org/renters/lease-agreement/

https://texaslawhelp.org/article/tenant-privacy

https://legalbeagle.com/6758403-landlord-rights-entry-texas.html

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm#TexasRightofEntry #TexasAdvanceNotice #TexasRenters

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/advance-notice-required-enter-apartment-texas/

All types of entities now demand your social security number (or last four of your social) as a means of identification or verification. This needs to stop. There are viable alternative means to verify and identify.Also, consumers have already provided too much information in the form of phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, emails, dates of birth, etc. Companies have this information and can already easily identify customers through all of the data they have collected.This is abusive, especially in light of how much harm customers face in the event a bad actor gets a hold of their SSN. Further, when you add in that it is proven that even the largest corporations can't keep sensitive customer information safe from hackers, social security numbers should never be collected.#SocialSecurityNumber #SSN #AskingForSocialSecurityNumber

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/stop-asking-social-security-numbers-identify-verify/

Buc-ee's is an uber popular gas station that is exploding in the South, with 46 locations and 34 in Texas. There is a legion of loyal fanatics in the Lone Star State that fill the stores and buy everything from branded merchandise, food, household items, and more.In this video, we discuss what makes Buc-ee's special and dominate the convenience store marketshare along the Texas highways.#Bucees #GasStations #GasStation

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/gas-stations-buc-ees-mania-south/

Fiverr reviews W-9s from freelancers and the W-9 must be approved before a freelancer's gig can be published. But why would a W-9 review ever take two weeks?

Update: After 3 weeks, the W-9 was finally approved and my friend could publish a gig.

Fiverr #FiverrSellers #FiverrW9

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/freelancer-waiting-w-9-approval-fiverr/

The NBA, NFL, and MLB can't be blamed for dwindling attention spans and the rise of content alternatives, but they did take their fans for granted. Now sports leagues are trying to rekindle the in-game viewership and it's too late.Fans are still interested in their favorite players and teams but now they prefer highlights to live games. This means ratings are down and trending worse.#SportsViewership #SportsRatingsDecline #SportsRatings

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/fants-arent-watching-games-sports-viewership-decline/

In the last decade plus, the onus has shifted to users / customers to opt-out of subscriptions, tracking, and bad data policies. This has resulted in tremendous gains for companies but horrible results for customers.

Consumers are now unwittingly waive their legal rights or are signed up or subscribed to services and products they never had any intention of purchasing.

OptIn #OptOut #Consumers

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/subtle-shift-opt-in-opt-out-devastating/

Anecdotal evidence points to job openings being basically fake. Qualified applicants aren't being hired and it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with companies being disingenuous.Sure, service industry hourly jobs are available but professional or career salary positions aren't available, despite what the career boards show.Receiving no response or getting rejected after pouring in hours of time and energy is having a significant negative impact on job seekers.

JobSearch #JobSeekers #Jobs

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/why-cant-get-hired-companies-arent-hiring-real-jobs/

Inflation is ever present in the marketplace and the rate of inflation is unknown and constantly changing. This is why it is imperative that everyone, but especially, payees (receivers of money) write inflation adjustment clauses in their contracts.

But it's not enough to adjust for inflation, you must adjust for true inflation and not acquiesce to traditional terms such as a low fixed percentage or a CPI formula. Further, both parties to a contract must take practical considerations into account.

As a payee, you are attempting to maintain the value of your contract at the time it was entered into, but there is a slight window for gain. As a payor, you stand to gain, generally, but there is real potential for a breach of contract.

In this episode, I cover key concepts and considerations both in law and finance:

Consumer Price Index (CPI)
calculating inflation
time value of money
force majeur
unconciounability

Tags: adjusted for inflation, adjusting for inflation

Jake Paul is doing something nobody else has done and most boxing and MMA onlookers are too mad to notice what he's doing.

Marketers never stop and it's led to a barrage of requests at nearly ever stop in the shopping experience. Now, sellers aren't satisfied with the sale. They want:

email subscriptions
text subscriptions
reviews and testimonials
social media follows
contest votes
donations to charity
credit card sign ups

In the aggregate, this abusive marketing is leading to buyer fatigue - and, of course, sellers don't offer an equivalent return on the value extracted. However, this presents an opportunity for contrarian businesses who disengage from the onslaught of marketing "best practices".

In this episode, I scrutinize the storyline provided for the rampant flight cancellations and delays. The mainstream media explains flight problems stem from four things:

· Bad weather

· A surge in demand

· Staff shortages (specifically pilot shortages)

· COVID-19 outbreaks among airline personnel

I reject these explanations as the real reason behind ongoing flight delays and cancellations. While each of these bullet points may all be logical and potentially even true contributors, I don't think they're the real reason.

Transcript:

https://inbetweengame.com/why-flights-being-delayed-cancelled/

Resources:

LA Times - July 22, 2022

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-07-22/flight-delays-cancelations-summer-2022

Forbes - July 19, 2022

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/07/19/why-delayed-flights-not-going-away-soon/?sh=4f7c78b57271

CBSNews.com – August 8, 2022

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flight-delay-canceled-weather-pilot-shortage/

CNET – September 1, 2022

https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/traveling-over-labor-day-weekend-heres-what-to-do-if-your-flight-is-delayed-or-canceled/

https://www.zippia.com/advice/airline-industry-statistics/