Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

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67: The Mississippi Company May 23, 2025

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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

66: Zume Pizza Apr 25, 2025

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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

65: Willy's Chocolate Experience Mar 28, 2025

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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/

64: The South Sea Company Feb 28, 2025

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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

63: John Henry Patterson Jan 30, 2025

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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/

62: Disney Injuries Jan 03, 2025

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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/

61: Starbucks Dec 02, 2024

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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

60: MYSPACE Oct 31, 2024

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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

59: SMELL-O-VISION Oct 11, 2024

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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/

58: Hollywood Studio Collapse Sep 13, 2024

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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

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