The Distractible podcast explores diverse topics from business practices to health concerns and nostalgic pop culture. The hosts delve into Wendy's implementation of surge pricing, debating whether it manipulates customer behavior or improves service. They also examine how energy drink formulations, particularly vitamin B12 levels, impact consumer experiences and symptoms like lack of focus.
The episode touches on the relationship between vitamin deficiencies and conditions like ADHD, emphasizing caution with supplements. Discussions of nostalgic crazes like Beanie Babies and retro Pokémon cards from the 90s highlight how enduring brands and collectibles shape cultural memories.
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Wendy's plans to implement surge pricing, offering discounts during slower times to offset higher prices during peak hours. Wade Barnes mentions Wendy's claims this will not raise overall prices. However, Bob Muyskens sees it as manipulating customer behavior for profit rather than serving customers. Mark Fischbach suggests the motivation is maximizing profits without hiring more staff. Critics argue surge pricing unfairly penalizes customers with inflexible schedules.
Mark Fischbach and Bob Muyskens discuss how higher vitamin B12 in some energy drinks like Monster Ultra Zero provides a more effective energy boost. Before his ADHD diagnosis, Mark gravitated towards caffeine and B12-rich energy drinks, suggesting a possible link between B12 and focus. Companies also experiment with unique flavors to stand out in the market.
Mark Fischbach recounts self-medicating ADHD-like symptoms in college by consuming excessive caffeine and vitamin B12 from energy drinks before his diagnosis. While deficiencies may contribute to such issues, he advocates addressing root causes over relying on stimulants.
Mark emphasizes the dangers of exceeding recommended doses of vitamins like B12, including kidney stones. He and Wade Barnes stress consulting professionals and using supplements cautiously for managing conditions like ADHD.
Wade Barnes shares nostalgic memories meticulously collecting Beanie Babies as a child. Mark notes rare variants listed at inflated prices on eBay, though actual sales differ.
Wade mentions a promotion offering an $11,000 pack of likely original 1990s Pokémon cards, expressing regret over not keeping his childhood collection.
The hosts fondly recall impactful promotions like McDonald's Beanie Baby and Pokémon toy giveaways, creating cherished childhood memories around collectibles.
1-Page Summary
Analysis of Wendy's plan to implement surge pricing and the effects of energy drink formulations reflect evolving business strategies and consumer experiences.
Wendy's has been a topic of discussion lately with their plans to implement surge pricing in the coming year.
Wade Barnes mentions that Wendy's has expressed they will not raise prices during peak hours but instead offer discounts during slower times. However, the hosts are skeptical about the intention behind this strategy.
Bob Muyskens sees surge pricing as a tactic to manipulate customer timings by making food more expensive during busy hours and less expensive during off-peak hours. Mark Fischbach suggests Wendy's is looking at surge pricing as a means of making extra money instead of hiring more workers. The conversation suggests a primary motivation for surge pricing might be profit maximization rather than customer service.
Bob Muyskens expresses that if Wendy's were to implement surge pricing, he would no longer patronize them, denoting the perception that surge pricing is unfair to customers. Wade Barnes adds that surge pricing is a "very dick move," because it penalizes customers, particularly those with inflexible schedules. The hosts imply that this strategy could unfairly impact those who can only visit the restaurant during busier, full-priced times.
The hosts discuss the impact of energy drink ingredients on consumer preference and experience.
Mark Fischbach and Bob Muyskens note the varying B12 contents in the energy drinks they’ve consumed. Bob mentions that the Monster Ultra Zero he prefers contains 18 micrograms of vitamin B12, suggesting that the higher ...
Business and consumer trends
Exploring the complex relationship between vitamins and mental health, public figures like Mark Fischbach underline both the potential therapeutic benefits and risks associated with self-medicating using supplements such as vitamin B12.
Mark Fischbach discusses his personal experience with the link between vitamin B12 deficiency and symptoms that resemble ADHD.
Mark recalls his college days when he was undiagnosed with ADHD and consumed a high quantity of energy drinks and 5-hour energy shots, which contain significant amounts of vitamin B12. Initially, he believed caffeine was aiding his study sessions. However, he later discovered that caffeine doesn't affect him as much as it affects others—a trait not uncommon in individuals with ADHD. Mark realized that, prior to his ADHD diagnosis, he had naturally gravitated towards energy drinks as a form of self-medication to alleviate his focus issues.
Furthermore, Mark acknowledges the excessive amount of vitamin B12 present in products like 5-hour energy shots—one shot contains a staggering 500 micrograms, equating to 20,000% of the daily recommended value. He points out that while there is evidence linking vitamin deficiencies to conditions such as ADHD, any supplementation should not involve excessive dosages. Mark advocates for the potential benefits of addressing underlying vitamin deficiencies instead of over-relying on stimulants.
When self-treating with vitamins like B12, it's crucial to consider appropriate intake levels and potential health risks.
Health and wellness
Nostalgia plays a significant role in the realm of popular culture, with collectibles from past decades finding renewed interest and anchoring cherished memories for many individuals. This is evident when recalling the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s and the enduring allure of Pokémon.
Wade Barnes shares memories from his childhood of avidly collecting Beanie Babies, including Teenie Beanies from McDonald's. He recalls taking great care to protect his collection and even used a pricing guide to assess the value of each stuffed toy.
Mark Fischbach explores the current market for Beanie Babies on eBay, where he finds listings with remarkably high asking prices, including the Princess Diana Beanie Babies with rates that soar up to a million dollars. The hosts discuss the discrepancy between these high listings and actual sales, pointing out Beanie Babies such as those starting at a $20 bid without any bids yet.
Wade discusses a contemporary promotion involving the giveaway of an expensive pack of Pokémon cards, worth around $11,000, likely from the original series of the 1990s.
With the rising value of vintage collectibles, Barnes expresses regret over not having saved his Pokémon cards from childhood, given that these could have been a significant financial asset today.
Nostalgia and popular culture
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