The Best One Yet - 🚽 “The Toilet Bowl” — The Super Bowl’s bathroom strategy. McDonald’s $18 Big Mac. Arm’s Shakespearean computer chip.

Episode Date: February 9, 2024

The stadium hosting the Super Bowl has 1,400 toilets and urinals — But those drains aren’t for your bladder, they’re for your wallet.McDonald’s CEO was forced to address the viral $18 Big Mac combo meal — That $18 Big Mac is both an economic story… and a psychology story.And the stock of Arm computer chips surged 50% yesterday — Because it’s the William Shakespeare of chips.$MCD $ARM $SPYSubscribe to our newsletter: tboypod.com/newsletterWant merch, a shoutout, or got TheBestFactYet? Go to: www.tboypod.comFollow The Best One Yet on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok: @tboypodAnd now watch us on Youtube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Friday, the real Friday. February 9th. And today's pod, it is the best one yet. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. Jack, I'm looking down the street in San Francisco is popping right now. Everybody's got Super Bowl fever over there.

They haven't won since 1995. Jack, everyone is freaking out. I walked through the grocery store yesterday, and the guy just gave me a hummus for free. That can't be true. No, he said the Niners are in the Super Bowl. Have a free hummus. I'm not kidding. I took it. When I was a kid, I was a Steve Young fan, so I do hope the Niners went, even though I'm pro Taylor. And hopefully we all win some hummus. Jack, first story for today's show. What do we got, man? For our first story, the most financially significant part of this Sunday Super Bowl, it isn't the commercials, it's the toilets. Because the toilets don't drain your bladder. They drain your wallet. For our second story, the computer chip company ARR just had one of the best days in stock market history.

Because Arm is the Shakespeare of computer chips. And our third and final story, McDonald's. McDonald's CEO finally addressed the viral $18 Big Mac. Because the way Jack and I see it, inflation isn't an economic story. Inflation is a psychology story. But Yeties, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. I mean, that is how you're going to a weekend, man. What a mix of stories, Jack.

This weekend, Nick, you might be watching the biggest TV show on Earth. Yeties this weekend will set a record for the most watched event in TV history. And that TV show this weekend is not the Super Bowl. No, because Yeti's the most watched event on our planet, it's China's Lunar New Year TV show. The Chinese New Year gala show. It's a four-year epic variety performance on Lunar New Year. You said four-year. That is epic.

It is epic. It's the Chinese New Year. New Year gala show. It's a four-hour epic variety performance on Lunar New Year. This Saturday, it's got singing, it's got dancing. It's got comedy and it's got drama. It's kind of like American Idol meets the World Cup final, meets Dick Clark, all rolled into one. Meets the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, which was incredible. This Lunar New Year TV show holds the Guinness World Record for most viewers ever. What kind of numbers are we talking, Jack? Well, Nick, 90% of Chinese citizens tune in to this TV program.

Add all up, over one billion humans are going to watch this TV show, Jack. Can you sprinkle on some context for us, please? That's 10 times more viewers than America's Super Bowl. That's 60 times more viewers than America's Oscars. And that's 15 times more viewers than New York's series finale of Seinfeld. Newman. Nick and I checked it out on YouTube. It's actually 270 minutes of entertainment and joy.

With some subtle tones of propaganda. Yeah, because the biggest TV show on Earth, it's hosted, by China's state-owned media channel. But Jack and I should point out, propaganda aside, we admire the lunar calendar, don't we, Jack? The lunar calendar is consistent. It makes sense. Meanwhile, our calendar is completely random.

According to the lunar calendar, every time the moon circles the Earth, that is a month. 29.5 days, every month. On the other hand, our calendar says a month is 28 days, 30 days, or 31 days. Besties, the lunar calendar. It's like the metric system. It makes universal sense. Our Roman calendar, it's like Fahrenheit and miles and pounds. You're 35 years old, you're still Googling them.

So Yeti's happy Lunar New Year to everyone celebrating. This weekend, enjoy the world's biggest television show ever. If you know, you know, Jack, let's hit our three stories. 15 years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is a norm. Jack Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice.

50% that's a fat tip. Tea Boy City on your at list. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show. For our first story, the biggest cost at this year's Super Bowl, it's the toilets. We're looking at the toilet opportunity cost of live entertainment.

Yeah, he's wild story, Jack and I saw the other day about bathrooms and toilets and basketball. What was that one again, Jack? The new LA Clippers Arena in North L.A. has a thousand toilets. A thousand toilets. But yet, that's the L.A. Clippers basketball team. We are here to talk about the football Super Bowl in Las Vegas at the brand new Allegiance Stadium. That's also a pretty new stadium. It's three years old. It looks like a gigantic Rumba and it's hosting the Super Bowl this Sunday. But Jack and I noticed that the highlight of this brand new football stadium isn't the tech features? It isn't the huge screens and it? It isn't the luxury food. What is it, Jack?

It's the toilets. Yeah, it's the toilets. Because this new stadium has 1,430 toilets. Jack, what is that on like a per butt basis? Nick, that is one toilet per 45 butts. One toilet per 45 seats. Jack, how is that? Is that enough?

What are we thinking? I mean, in my house, I have, I think, three or four toilets and we have four butts. So it doesn't sound like that many. Basically, what we're saying here is that the Super Bowl, it is one giant toilet bowl. many beer taps, so many commercial breaks where you're going to run to the bathroom. Jack and I jumped in T-boy style and we discovered that 8,000 gallons of urine plus one million gallons of wastewater will be flushed at this year's Super Bowl. So we got to ask, are they prepared for that epic stress test of their pipes? Well, Jack, I'm so glad you asked because the city of Las Vegas just

pulled off the ultimate toilet test. True story. They flushed all the toilets in the stadium at same time to make sure it could handle the loan. They did like a super flush. And how did it turn out, Jack? It survived. There was no cracks. So the NFL and the city of Las Vegas is probably relieved that all those 1,430 toilets and urinals do work. They can all be flushed at the same time and the city won't explode.

But here's the key question, yeties. Those toilets work. But is it enough toilets? This toilet mathematics is actually a complex supply chain operation, the likes of which we have never seen. The first challenge is with time, because people don't use the toilets evenly throughout the game. There's peaks and there's surges. For example, half time. So stadiums have to be prepared all the time for that one time of maximum use. For that one super flush. The second issue is in time, it's gender. Gender attendance at sporting games in America is not balanced. There's typically more

men than women at NFL games. However, state law in Nevada requires that more restrooms for women be available than men at a sports stadium. In fact, they require twice as many. But plot twist. According to a CNN study, women take twice as long in a bathroom, on average, as men do. So add it all up, and there will be more bathrooms for women at the Super Bowl who will be spending more time in those bathrooms, but there are going to be more men at the actual game. It feels like highly advanced mathematics, so many variables. It feels like we're trying to approach potty, parity, and we haven't quite approached it, man. The limit does not exist. But if you're not sure how many toilets to build for your new business. We recommend you err on the side of more toilets because

toilets may be the best investment a stadium or a business institution can make. Sit down, stand up, and put the seat down when they're done. So Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies who are anyone running a business? Those drains aren't for your bladder. They're for your wallet. Yadis, fans have an obvious incentive to get to the bathroom and back as quickly as possible. Since the average Super Bowl ticket this year cost $10,000. 15 minutes of waiting in line cost fans $600 in lost time value. But here's the funny thing. Businesses have a financial incentive too to get you out of that bathroom.

Because those 15 minutes you might spend in line at the game, you could have been buying souvenirs. You could have been buying a chili dog. You could have been placing a bet on one of their like stadium bet kiosks they probably have. You could have been buying another giant phone finger for your buddy Timmy because he keeps texting you about it. He won't stop. crunch the numbers, they're easy. If each fan

could have spent 20 bucks instead of waiting in line for 15 minutes, that's over a million dollars in new revenue for the stadium. So the way we see it, if a stadium puts an extra toilets, it's not to drain your blood. The extra toilets are to drain your wallet. For our second story,

one stock searched 50% yesterday, and that stock is Arm. Arm is a computer chip company that has become the William Shakespeare of chip making. What's Dothin this company Arm. Yeti's, in September, we covered the IPO of Arm.

Here was our takeaway. Arm is so hot right now because its computer chips are so cool. Literally. Because Yeti's Arm developed the most energy-efficient computer chip on planet Earth. Those techies found a way to use 150th the amount of energy that other computer chips need. So the chip literally stays cool. And that is why Arm's computer chips are in get this. 99% of the world's smartphones.

99% Apple just signed a 20 year deal to make sure they have arms chips for 20 years worth of iPhones. Yetis, you're listening to this podcast on a phone that is using an arm computer chip. It's basically guaranteed, yeah. Which leads to the huge news.

Yesterday, the stock of Arm jumped 50% because Arm apparently isn't just for smartphones anymore. Because Yetis, the early winners of artificial intelligence are these two chip companies, Nvidia and Arm. In fact, Arm's CEO boasted yesterday that artificial intelligence is huge for Arm because Arm has the most fundamental pervasive computing platform in the history of digital design. What exactly does that mean, Jack?

Those are his words. And what was he talking about? Arms V9. V9 is basically a blueprint for how to make the most advanced chips in the world, which is what AI needs to compute. So add it up yet. And Invidia, the. Huge computer chip company is now worth $1.7 trillion because their chips are critical for AI.

Well, yesterday, Wall Street realized the arm is just like in VDIA. Their chips are crucial for AI too. But Jack, funny thing we should tell the Yetis, um, we haven't even gotten to the wildest part yet, have we? That V9 architecture reminds us of a midsummer night's dream. Now doth protest too much. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies over at Arm? Arm is the William Shakespeare of Chips. It wrote the play, but it lets others perform it.

If there's a theater performance happening in your town, there's a good chance that Billy Shakespeare wrote that play. But for 500 years, others have been doing the work to produce Shakespeare's plays. Well, the way, Jack and I see it, that's Arm. Because get this, Arm doesn't actually make any computer chips. Arm crafts the script to computer chips like a playwright, but it doesn't actually make them. But unlike William Shakespeare, Arm patented those blueprints. So every tech company pays Arm to make their own chips based on their blueprint.

And that is why Arm has a shocking 96% gross profit margin. Arm's so profitable because it doesn't manufacture anything. Arm's costs are as low as a playwright, basically a paper, a pen, and some ideas. And Arm is such a good playwright that 70% of the world's population uses arm-based chips. Just like 70% of the world's population knows William Shakespeare's plays. For our third and final story, an $18 Big Mac has gone viral, and the McDonald's CEO just addressed it for the first time. The $18 Big Mac actually explains America's entire economic situation right now.

And it explains our entire mindset, doesn't it, Jack? Over the summer, Yeties, a tweet about McDonald's went viral. It was a picture of a menu at a McDonald's. Donald's in Dary Ann, Connecticut. Dary in Connecticut, go Blue Wave. Home of the Blue Wave. But the picture of the menu showed a Big Mac combo meal, and the price was $18. $18.

Jack, if someone asked you how much a Big Mac cost, what would you say, man? Not $18. I'd say like $5. $18, I assume that's coming with some kind of wag you bacon. So it was a shocker, and it caused a whole bunch of like angry emoji replies. That a Big Mac with fries and sodas was $18. Oh, and it wasn't just the burger. That cost 18 bucks.

The McChryspie sandwich combo is 18 bucks. The 10-piece chicken McNuggets cost 18 bucks. The filet of fish combo, 1659. Prices were so high at this McDonald. The filet of fish. Oh, no, not the filet of fish. Now, Connecticut is not reflective of the rest of the United States. Connecticut's got high wages, high taxes, high prices,

and a whole lot of high-wasted khakis. This was also the most viral thing to come out of Connecticut since that new vineyard vines lacrosse lobster tie. You know the one I'm talking about? I borrowed one from one of my Middlebury classmates. I know exactly what you're talking about. They're still talking about it in Dary. Nonetheless, the McDonald's CEO addressed the uncomfortable virality yesterday in their earnings call.

And for the first time, McDonald said these $18 burgers you're seeing, that's a major problem for them. He said that for 2024, the focus at McDonald's is affordability. But yet he's, here's what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. This isn't really about the food. This isn't really about the burgers. and this isn't really about Ronald. This story is the entire American psyche right now. Because data shows that the economy, it is living its best life right now.

The stock market is at an all-time high. The unemployment rate is close to an all-time level. The economy grew more in 2023 than in the five years leading up to the pandemic. Inflation is pretty much back under control around 3.4%. And yet, despite that fantastic economic data, the data also shows that consumer confidence is near a historical law. Now, part of the reason for this contradiction is our hyper-polarized politics.

Yeah, in any given year, with any given administration, half the country is going to say the economy's bad no matter what because they don't support the president. But there's an economic explanation, too, and we think the $18 Big Mac explains it. Oh, it explains a lot. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are everyone in this economy?

When it comes to inflation, we're not getting hit by boulders anymore, but the pebbles still annoy us. Yet is overall, inflation has actually come down. Like, it was at 9% at its peak in 2022, and it's down to just 3% now. The main reason inflation is down is that the costs of big expensive things are down. Rent and cars and furniture, those big expensive things we buy infrequently. The cost of those are down.

Those big items are like big inflation boulders. They were pounding us in 2022, but they're not anymore because their prices stopped rising. On the other hand, candy bars, chicken nuggets, big macs, those are smaller. They're like pebbles and their prices are still rising. The big boulder products that we buy occasionally, their prices have stopped rising. But the small pebble products we buy frequently, their prices are still rising. This explains how the inflation situation has improved, but our perception of it has not. Now, if we were all rational, we'd realize that overall inflation is down thanks to fewer boulders.

But we're not rational. We're emotional. We notice the tiny pebbles every day. Jack, can you whip up the takeaways for us for the Real Friday? The stadium that the Super Bowl is happening in has 1,400 toilets and urinals. Because drains aren't for your bladder. The drains are for your wallet. For our second start, Arm stock jumped a shocking 50% on Thursday as it joined the AI hype wave. Arm, it is the William Shakespeare of chips. It writeth them chips, but lefteth others to do the performing. Except Arm patented their work. William Shakespeare, he needs some trademark lawyers.

And our third and final story is the $18 Big Mac. It explains Americans' feelings about inflation. We're not getting hit by big boulders anymore, but we are seeing the pebbles every single day. And those higher-priced pebbles really annoy us. But Yeties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, Apple is reportedly working on foldable phones. Apple plans to launch two. two foldable phones before they launch the iCAR. It's not the iPhone 16. It's the iFold one.

And second, there will be two Super Bowl broadcast this year. One is going to be on NBC. The other will be on Nickelodeon. Spongebob is running a Super Bowl simulcast. Guess what? Commercials? There are only $100,000 on that Nickelodeon version. Watch out for the GAC.

And finally, the most expensive home in American history just got put on the market for a cool $295 million bucks. They're asking for $295 million for this compound, nine acres in Naples, Florida, right on the water. And Jack, what's the previous record for most expensive homes? The penthouse towering over Central Park in New York City that was previously owned by Ken Griffin. $238 million.

Now, time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by a couple of legendary Yeties, Millie Milhouser and Sarah Cichel from lovely New York City. Here's the trivia question. Who holds the record? for longest national anthem sang at the Super Bowl. I'm going to go with Celine Dion because of the French connection and like, you know, I feel like she would take a time on that octave.

Well, the average national anthem at the Super Bowl takes one minute and 50 seconds to complete. Okay, but Jack, who sang the Super Bowl national anthem the longest? Alicia Keys. She took two minutes and 35 seconds. She's singing twice? Is that what she was doing over there? Even Wilder, the shortest national anthem.

Are you ready for this? Talk to me. Neil Diamond only took 62 seconds. Oh my God. That's almost a third as long as Alicia Keys took. Neil Diamond probably cut out of course and was like, I'm getting out of here, man. I watched it on YouTube. It looked like he was in a rush to get out of the stadium.

Neil Diamond, he had to go to the bathroom. Oh, say, can you see? And the home of the brave. Good luck out there, Reba. Good luck. Yeties, you looked fantastic all week, especially if you were wearing one of those vineyard vines ties. Jack, we got a lot of wins to celebrate, man. You just planned your next trip out here.

I'm coming out at the end of February and I'm coming out at the end of April. Oh, we've got so much stuff in store for the Yetis, don't we, man? We've got some bonus episodes. We've got a lot of fun. We've got some stunts. Okay. We're going to post them on the gram and post them on the pod, RSSB too.

There's no precedent, baby. Yetis, if you haven't yet, click to follow us so you get the best one yet every day. Nick and I are going to press publish, and we hope you're there for it. Celebrate the wins this weekend, and Jack and I will see you Monday. Go Niners. But again, I'm pro Taylor as well. And eat some hummus. Before we go, after five years of long distance, Will and Caitlin are finally moving in together in New York City.

Will has been in the military serving his country overseas. Welcome home. We're so glad Caitlin is there to greet you. We're pumped for you. And Patrick Covino down the street in San Francisco is heading to Puerto Rico for some fantastic vacation. The plantains. Oh, the Mufongo. And H.O. and K.O. are heading to Mexico City to celebrate their best anniversary yet. Happy birthday to Keith Curling, who's turning 15 with a driver's permit in Ulaan Batar, Mongolia.

And Michael Terry's turning 31 years old. Happy birthday in San Antonio, Texas. Happy 35th to Tyler Wendell in Rale, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tyler, it's a great age. And happy birthday to Sean Joyce, who's celebrating in Burlington, New Jersey. And happy birthday to Zachary, a legendary Yeti from O HIO. And Max Schur from the Upper East Side, happy birthday. And happy birthday to Erica W.

Warner in New York City. She started the queer basketball league called the Fruit Hoops. The Fruit Hoops. And a happy birthday to Ruby the Wiener Dog who's turning 10 down in Dallas. You know, in German, someone from Vienna, Austria is called a weiner. So if you call someone a weiner dog, they're kind of like, why are you saying that? And a happy Lunar New Year to everyone else. This is Jack.

I own stock of Apple. So does Nick. I think we go. I just go right there. Okay. Yeah, we can just let that. I thought it's like, they say it, dude it, but you eat more of it.