Oct 27, 2023 · 29 min
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News
The Omaha Bugle-Global News Network
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A thought-provoking look at the news--offering entertaining insights into politics, economics, and popular culture--which are occasionally grounded in actual facts.
- 155 episodes
- Updated June 25
Episodes155
- TOOct 22, 2023 · 33 min
The Wild World of Real Estate: Evaluating Your Property and Getting a Loan
Send us Fan Mail In yet another thought-provoking discussion about the do's and don't of investing in commercial real estate, Adam and Jeff talk about how a buyer who has put a property under contract may not wish to trust the seller's assurances that the property is "fabulous!" but instead bring in some professionals to evaluate the property. There are a number of companies that will help prospective buyers figure out whether the property is "fabulous!" or has one or more problems such as an unmarketable title or a stew of hazardous wastes on it that render it worthless even though it glows with many colors at night. Jeff points out that a buyer will want to have an inspection company look at the property and the building to see if there are any subtle concerns such as a missing roof or a floor that has disappeared into a sinkhole. A surveyor will determine if anything is encroaching on the boundaries of the property or, indeed, if the property has actual boundaries. Hazardous waste inspections will looks for signs that the seller may have dumped some volatile chemicals in the back to save on his waste disposal fees. Finally, the title company will comb the public records and determine if the property has been adversely impacted by prior owners in such a way that it cannot be used for the purposes intended by the buyer. Assuming that everything goes well with the inspections, then the purchaser can approach the bank and beg for enough money to help close the deal. Adam points out that banks are always happy to lend a helping hand except when you actually need a helping hand.
- TOOct 21, 2023 · 52 min
Part One: Adam Von Romer Announces his 2028 Bid to Become Benevolent Dictator of the United States
Send us Fan Mail In a move that has shocked both the political world and the corporate board of the Omaha Bugle, Adam announced the start of his 2028 campaign to become benevolent dictator of the United States. Because the word "dictator" can have unpleasant connotations due to misunderstood historical figures such as Hitler, Stalin and Mao-- who were collectively responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people--Adam outlines some of the policies that he will immediately adopt once he is swept into office on a wave of public adoration and idolatry. With an eye toward making America number one in all things that matter, he proposes to fire the Congress, dismantle the federal bureaucracy, merge the different military branches into a single force with non-duplicative weapons systems, eliminate the IRS and replace it with a 10% national sales tax, and get rid of all preferences in hiring throughout society. In the interim, he will also beef up his personal security detail to thwart any efforts to derail his march to absolute (but friendly) power.
- TOOct 11, 2023 · 29 min
Should the Fed Set Up A Digital Currency? . . . Could A Digital Currency Lead to A Chinese-Styled Social Credit System?
Send us Fan Mail Adam and Jeff demonstrate their intellectual versatility by venturing into the Orwellian world of digital currencies. More specifically, they wonder what good can possibly come from the government, discontinuing actual, tangible dollars in favor of a digital currency that is controlled by the Federal Reserve. They argue that digital currencies may be a solution in search for a problem because most people are fearful that the government could shut down the cash economy and then be able to control every transaction engaged in by every citizen. Jeff declares that he is not a fan of this sort of financial voyeurism and worries that it is merely a pretext to seize control of every citizen’s bank account and thereby strongly encourage or discourage particular political activities.
- TOOct 11, 2023 · 30 min
Uncle Sam Wants Your Gas Appliances!
Send us Fan Mail The Omaha Bugle‘s senior correspondents, Adam and Jeff, examine the wisdom of the government’s latest efforts to convince people to give up their comparatively efficient gas appliances in favor of electrical appliances in order to save the world from a global climate catastrophe. Or at least make them feel more socially virtuous for a while. The use of efficiency mandates promulgated by untouchable government bureaucrats is a basic strategy of the new green theology. Adam and Jeff wonder if any of these green theocrats have ever thought about the consequences of their actions in terms of costs and benefits, or if it is all simply a good, old-fashioned power grab. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be do not seem to understand that their attempts to make everything electric merely overloads an already-creaky grid that is still powered largely by fossil fuels.
- TOSep 16, 2023 · 36 min
The Wild World of Real Estate: Should You Invest Your Children's College Fund in Apartments, Office Buildings, Warehouses or Lottery Tickets?
Send us Fan Mail Always eager to show off their knowledge of all things related to real estate, Adam and Jeff continue discussing basic considerations for investors anxious to buy income-generating property. They point out that it is dangerous to make sweeping statements about real estate investing because there are numerous markets throughout the country and various product types (multi-family apartments, office buildings, industrial properties, shopping malls, etc.) that can be a good investment in one market and a financial weapon of mass destruction (for the owner) in another market. Banks like multifamily apartments because of the many tenants and the incentives they have to pay their rent so that they do not get tossed out by their heartless landlords. Industrial properties are also a flavor of the day because they are simple to operate and do not typically require a lot of tenant improvement expenditures. Jeff cautions that if you are planning to invest in a real estate project with others, that you should take any projections about the project with a grain of salt because no projection has ever been correct in recorded history. Adam talks about his dislike for hotels as an investment because they, like restaurants, are very time-intensive and can become an all-consuming enterprise that still may not make much money.
- TOSep 16, 2023 · 38 min
The Wild World of Real Estate: The Eternal Search for Idiotic Sellers and Stupid Buyers
Send us Fan Mail In continuing their Award-winning series on commercial real estate as recently recognized by the Azerbaijan Academy of Arts and Sciences, Adam and Jeff discuss the sad fact that there are not very many sellers who seriously underprice their properties. Unfortunately, there is also an acute shortage of stupid rich buyers who will happily overpay for any nondescript piece of real estate. Because both sides tend to arm themselves with financial and legal advisors and other buzz-killers, the parties to any commercial real estate transaction have to be willing to be realistic about the value of the property they are trying to exchange. Jeff points out that real estate--unlike stocks or bonds--is a tangible asset that will not typically lose half its value in a single day. But real estate is also illiquid and cannot be easily hidden from the view of nosey revenue agents. Adam and Jeff also point out that they type of real estate you want to own depends on your own risk tolerance and your need for higher income. The lower the risk, the lower the return.
- TOSep 5, 2023 · 40 min
The Wild World of Real Estate: Learning About Your Property Before You Take the Plunge
Send us Fan Mail Adam and Jeff, who pride themselves on knowing almost everything about everything, turn to the wonderful world of commercial real estate and take their listeners on a gripping, scintillating trip through the due diligence process buyers use to investigate prospective acquisitions. Adam points out that sometimes sellers exaggerate or even outright lie about the features and characteristics of their property but Jeff points out that mere puffery ("This is the best property on the block") is not a quantitative statement of fact. Buyers of commercial real estate conduct physical inspections of the property to make sure that it has a floor, walls and a roof as well as plumbing and electricity. Environmental companies are usually hired to see if there are any signs of contamination on the property itself or any nearby properties. Adam and Jeff point out that you should never love a building so much that you skip the inspections because such a drastic move will almost invariably bite you in the rear end. Jeff also points out that kind-hearted bankers willing to finance your purchase will make you promise to indemnify them forever for any environmental contamination on the property--and forever is a long time.
- TOAug 26, 2023 · 33 min
Is China's Economy Shrinking? . . . Is China the Latest Ten Foot Tall Illusion?
Send us Fan Mail Adam and Jeff, who are both known for their fondness for Chinese cuisine, wander into the debate over whether China is fudging its economic statistics to puff up its presence on the global scene. They discuss how the media and the government have sounded the alarm about a series of ten-foot-tall adversaries beginning with the Soviet Union in the 1950s, Japan in the 1980s and China in the 2000s to prove that the United States is going down the tubes. The fact that China reports steady growth year after year, decade after decade is questioned and compared to the above-market financial returns that were claimed by Bernie Madoff for nearly a generation. They cite studies by economists showing that China's real growth is probably at least 2% per year less than that claimed by the CCP, thus indicating China's economy may be much smaller than it has previously claimed. Adam and Jeff also talk about China's dropping its youth unemployment statistics because they exceeded 20% and point out that it is nothing new for governments to bend the truth with the selective use of statistics.
- TOAug 25, 2023 · 30 min
Who Wants to be a Victim? . . . DEI vs. ERG--Which is Better or Worse? . . . How to Destroy Your Customer Base
Send us Fan Mail Noted social activists and corporate apologists Adam and Jeff talk about the prevalence of identity politics and the way in which it has caused certain groups to overreach and thus alienate much of the general population. They discuss the Bud Lite fiasco where the company's marketing geniuses essentially ignored their core audience by hiring a trans spokesperson to try to reach a younger, wine-sipping audience that has no real interest in beer. The assault on women's athletics by biological male competitors is also considered with Jeff attributing the blame to the sanctioning authorities who allow male athletes to compete in women's events. Although the American public is generally sympathetic and fair-minded, Adam and Jeff point out that there is only so much in the way of preferential treatment that they will tolerate. Adam declares that his benevolent dictatorship will not give any preferences to any cronies but will hire only those persons who are the best and the brightest--thus disappointing Jeff who was hoping to be named the Viceroy of Montana.
- TOAug 19, 2023 · 36 min
Adam and Jeff Talk About Their Favorite Cars and Trucks. . . . Taylor Swift Holds Out for More Money
Send us Fan Mail In a departure from the usual hard news format at the Omaha Bugle news desk, Adam and Jeff talk about some of their favorite cars and trucks over the years. Adam gets misty-eyed talking about several of the pick-up trucks that he enjoyed in his earlier, carefree years, before having to shoulder the burden of media superstardom. Jeff also talks about some of his favorite and not-so-favorite vehicles including one car that had a clairvoyant electrical system that would invariably shut down on interstate highways and another car that featured a lovely peeling silver exterior with an elegant red velvet interior. Jeff also recalls the time one of his cars was recalled due to leaky glass ceiling panels (which it did not have beforehand) only to find after leaving the dealership that the unnecessary repairs had been made so that the ceiling did in fact now leak. As a result, he was able to enjoy being drenched in a rainshower while driving his car with the windows up. Adam and Jeff also revisit the unanswered offer made by the Omaha Bugle to Taylor Swift to hire her to rewrite the opening overture of the show and wonder if she might be able to bolster her career by teaming up with another goody-two shoe performer such as Ted Nugent or Ozzy Osborne.
- TOAug 14, 2023 · 31 min
Is the Real Estate Market About to Collapse? . . . Can A Developer Avoid the Business Cycle?
Send us Fan Mail Always ready to pass their wisdom onto the millions of listeners who hang onto their every word, Adam and Jeff discuss how the the real estate market and, indeed, the economy as whole, goes through 7-10 year business cycles over and over again. Jeff points out that lower interest rates do not necessarily lead to better deals because crafty buyers simply raise the prices of their real estate properties accordingly. The problem with the proliferation of new apartment buildings throughout the country is that they are so expensive to build that the average family has no hope of affording the monthly rents. Adam and Jeff suggest that this overbuilding is no different than overbuilding in the past because major real estate projects take so many years to design, permit, and construct. Adam points out that developers have resorted to requiring condo buyers to put half of the purchase price down ahead of time because the banks do not want to finance real estate construction any more. As a result, the builders are able to use buyer deposits to construct the buildings. If things go bad, then the prospective condo buyers--not the banks--will be the ones who suffer the loss.
- TOAug 11, 2023 · 26 min
Is the United States Becoming A Banana Republic? . . . Indictments are Available for the Taking
Send us Fan Mail In the wake of the third set of criminal indictments being issued against Donald Trump for his actions contesting the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, Adam and Jeff put on their thinking caps to discuss whether the American justice system has become irretrievably broken. They also talk about how the grand jury system works and the ease with which an indictment can be secured. Grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret and orchestrated by the prosecutor. Jeff points out that there are also fewer limits on the types of evidence that can be heard by the grand jury as compared to a traditional court case. He also wonders why prosecutors are spending so much of their limited budgets on such weak cases. Adam asks whether these lawsuits are motivated by the prosecutors' own post-office ambitions.
- TOAug 9, 2023 · 27 min
Another Day, Another Indictment. . . . Whatever Happened to the First Amendment?
Send us Fan Mail Noted constitutional scholars Adam and Jeff discuss the latest twists and turns in the on-going series of indictments being filed against Donald Trump. Jeff points out the inconvenient fact that a losing candidate can seek to overturn an election through legal means without being indicted for "attempting to defraud the United States." They both wonder if these indictments against Trump are nothing more than an on-going war of attrition being waged by the Biden Administration against its leading political nemesis. They also see the danger of legitimate rights of protest being criminalized in all spheres of everyday life. Adam points out the curious timing between ominous news being released about the Biden family's financial dealings and yet another indictment being issued against Trump. Adam also mentions that it is not a crime to be a "sore loser" in a political campaign even though Hillary Clinton would probably being a leading candidate to be prosecuted under any new "sore loser" laws.
- TOAug 9, 2023 · 29 min
The Continuing Saga of the Trump Indictments. . . . Is It Un-American to Contest an Election?
Send us Fan Mail In their exhaustive efforts to find clarity amidst the muddiness of the various Trump indictments, Adam and Jeff suggest that the legal salvos being fired by both the New York State Attorney General's Office and the Department of Justice are less about actual legal claims against Trump and more about exhausting his re-election campaign--at least in a financial sense. Indeed, the indictments seem to represent an effort by the government to criminalize the conduct of anyone complaining about the outcome of an election. For many people, free speech seems to be a quaint idea from a simpler time that has somehow become little more than a historical curiosity. But our commentators believe that these short-term efforts to get Trump could ultimately backfire because it will further tarnish the reputation of the Department of Justice as an impartial institution. It will also hasten the day when the karmic wheel rolls the other way and the Democrats find themselves being targeted by government investigators.
- TOJul 31, 2023 · 26 min
Etiquette Classes for America's Employees. . . . Why do People Need to Learn Manners? . . . You can now work in a Barbie Pink Office!
Send us Fan Mail Noted etiquette experts and taxidermy hobbyists, Adam and Jeff, discuss the vast profusion of etiquette courses for "couth-challenged" employees in corporate America. Employees are being taught how to make polite conversation and write professional (e.g., coherent) emails because they apparently missed those lessons at school. Jeff believes that many younger workers are ill-mannered due to their isolation growing up when they spent most of their time by themselves gaming and writing political manifestos on the internet. Sadly, they did not learn valuable social skills by playing games in their frontyards with the neighborhood kids because such activities are now apparently illegal throughout the country. Although Jeff is concerned that his words will be seen as "micro-aggressions" due to his membership in the "patriarchy," he believes that these problems stem from our society becoming one in which mere participation is rewarded with 5 foot tall trophies and slavish praise. Adam is pleased to announce to Barbie fans that they can rent a "Barbie office" in Miami that is completely decorated in Barbie pink. Indeed, Jeff acknowledges the advertising juggernaut that is the recently-released Barbie movie and notifies program listeners that the wife of the chairman of the Omaha Bugle has decorated the newsroom in Barbie pink and required Adam and Jeff to wear Barbie pink suits.
- TOJul 28, 2023 · 28 min
Has U.S. Industrial Production Been Flat For the Past 15 Years? . . . Does Massive Deficit Spending Result in More Stuff or Simply Higher Prices?
Send us Fan Mail The Omaha Bugle's famed economic commentators, Adam and Jeff, discuss a recent article by David Stockman, former head of the Office of Management and Budget under the Reagan Administration, that industrial production has essentially been flat for the past 15 years. Jeff points out that the Industrial Production Index, known by the snappy acronym "IPI," has not changed at all since the end of 2007. This result suggests that the industrial sector of the economy has not grown at all during this time. Unfortunately, the government's propensity to overspend continued unabated during this same time period, increasing the national debt from $10 trillion in 2007 to the lofty $32 trillion that it totals today. Despite this massive fiscal and monetary stimulus, Americans have little in the way of material wealth to show for this massive spending spree. Jeff suggests that we can get out of this predicament by following the advice of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and requiring every one of the nation's 22 million millionaires to "pay their fair share" of the national debt which would only cost about $1.5 million each. However, neither Adam nor Jeff are confident that wiping out the national debt would deter our freewheeling government spendthrifts from simply firing up the printing presses once again and continuing on as they have before.
- TOJul 20, 2023 · 32 min
The Big Mac Index: The International Measure of Purchasing Power. . . Could Big Macs Be A Viable Asset-Backed Currency?
Send us Fan Mail Adam and Jeff talk about the Big Mac Index which was first introduced by The Economist to compare consumer purchasing power in different countries. This vaunted measure shows how expensive a single Big Mac is in over a hundred countries around the world to help Big Mac enthusiasts find the best deals for Big Macs and thereby hone their travel plans. Although Big Macs tend to be more expensive in wealthier countries such as Switzerland, this index is not a foolproof guide for making all lifetime business decisions. Jeff points out that Big Macs could serve as an asset-backed currency that could replace today's fiat currencies that are backed by nothing more than crossed fingers and fervent prayers. However, the disadvantages of carrying a Big Mac around in a billfold or trying to shove it into a vending machine would weigh against its widespread adoption as a global currency.
- TOJul 20, 2023 · 31 min
Yes, Virginia, There is Cocaine in the White House. . . . The Omaha Bugle Offers to Investigate the Cocaine Incident
Send us Fan Mail The recent discovery of a baggy of cocaine in the White House is analyzed by Adam and Jeff. They are concerned about the apparent lack of concern expressed by the Secret Service which has declined to interview the nearly 500 person list of suspects . Because the amount of cocaine is such that it would only constitute a misdemeanor, the Secret Service does not seem to feel the need to carry out a full-scale investigation. Adam and Jeff offer their services to pick up the slack and conduct a full-scale investigation of the cocaine incident, pointing out that they, as private citizens, are not constrained by the Geneva Convention, and can thus use wires, car batteries, hot irons and dental tools as they see fit in order to secure a confession. Jeff also announces that the chairman of the board of the Omaha Bugle has recently purchased a highly coveted Hunter Biden fingerpainting which will be hung with pride in the lobby of the broadcast center just as soon as it dries.
- TOJul 11, 2023 · 37 min
Does Anyone Other Than Cows and Chickens Think Lab-Grown Meat is a Good Idea?
Send us Fan Mail After enjoying a fine meal at the local steak house, Adam and Jeff discuss the newest craze in the food industry--meat grown in laboratories. They consider the pros and cons of lab-grown meat and are unsure whether children will fight over the six drumsticks of a Thanksgiving turkey grown in a metal tank. They also wonder if lab-grown meat is another form of virtue-signaling whereby people who profess to love animals and hate meat can enjoy these products without all of the attendant guilt. The costs of lab-grown meat are compared to those of traditional livestock. Jeff is concerned that the fact that a 1 lb. steak can be grown in a lab in eight weeks as compared to the roughly 3 1/2 years that it takes a beef cow to reach maturity may create some unforeseen gastrointestinal issues for consumers.