The John Batchelor Show

Friday 25 January 2019

Air Date: 
January 25, 2019

Photo:   Stratachache screens —here, small; elsewhere, blocklong or filling an arena.
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Hour One
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 1, Block A: Devin Nunes, House Intelligence Committee, Fresno, California; and podcast: devinnunes.podbean.com, in re:
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 1, Block B:  Gene Marks, Small Business, The Guardian & the Philadelphia Inquirer, in re:  The shutdown has damaged small craft-beer brewers, who can't get approval for new labels, without which the fresh beers can't be sold.  Meanwhile, small-business owners have had troubles keeping enough cash without SBA-approved owns, although major banks have been offering very low-interest loans to tide them over.
THE SCALA REPORT
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 1, Block C: Chris Riegel, Scala.com, in re: All competitive businesses need to be in China in some way –can’t be a successful global strategy without in some fashion engaging the Chinese consumer, the consumer middle class.  In 201840% of Apple Store apps downloaded went to China. Youngest and most desirable consumers are there. They use their iPhones much more aggressively for WePay and others. This will filter out to Malaysia, India, and other peoples. 
One of the ways Apple has talked about shifting is into the Indian market with Foxconn: younger than China, bigger than china, and a longer buying curve demographically.  While Apple was 35-40% of smartphone market, it captured 90$ % f the dollars spent.
India will overtake China; and outside the import tariff, making you more competitive. Is multiple-country sourcing a new trend?  If you’re a supply chain mgr, never have all your eggs in one basket.  Apparel mfrg now moving to Laos and Malaysia – more value-added, esp in electronics.
India used to be a Soviet client, now is a challenge for retailers and wholesalers to solve. You need to understand what it takes to be successful in India – a Walmart or Carrefour needs to adapt. Retail juggernauts like the Reliance Group – 20,000 stores and more, learned from Carrefour how to streamline but make it suitable to the Indian market.
Scala force-multiplies retailers’s [marketing].
India’s cost of labor may be 30% of California’s, but streamlining is needed – it’s a very aspirational population.  The greatest skill set and export of India are brain power and people power.
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 1, Block D: Gwen Goodmanlowe, California State University Long Beach, Biology Dept, with Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch, in re:  California Dept of Fish and wildlife sent shark jaws to Dr Goodmanlowe to determine which had been endangered before being killed. All the arriving boxes were labeled “bullshark,” not a CIDES species.
Twenty-seven boxes arrived, but the number ended up at 4,625 jaws.  Although each box was the same size, the number of jaws within varied according to size – some held 16, some held 540 jaws of juveniles.  Depressing.  Commercial fishing these days is ruthless.
Enlisted students as volunteers.  As we looked at the teeth on the jaws, we had to find Mark Harris in Florida, an expert in determining what species each jaw is from.  The undergrad, Lisa Williams, was most helpful.  Small jaws meant a great deal about [overfishing]. 
Sharks feed on whatever’s at hand, have no interest in biting people.  Used to call the grey whale “devil fish,” but now we know them to be gentle, and expeditions sail out to let guests pet the whales.
Sharks are at the top of the food chain, control injured and sick animals. Indicate the state of the ocean, because if they’re doing well, it indicates that the levels below sharks are faring well.
 
Hour Two
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 2, Block A:  Civil Wars: A History in Ideas, by David Armitage.  (1 of 4)  Over the centuries, people have used any phrase but “civil war.” Greece, Rome. Empires.  Sulla in 88 BC, alliance with Pompey and Crassus. 
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 2, Block B:  Civil Wars: A History in Ideas, by David Armitage.  (2 of 4)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 2, Block C:  Civil Wars: A History in Ideas, by David Armitage.  (3 of 4)  
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 2, Block D:  Civil Wars: A History in Ideas, by David Armitage.  (4 of 4)  
Hour Three
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 3, Block A:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (1 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 3, Block B: King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (2 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 3, Block C:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (3 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 3, Block D:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (4 of 8)
Hour Four
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 4, Block A:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (5 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 4, Block B:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (6 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 4, Block C:  King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (7 of 8)
Friday 25 January 2019 / Hour 4, Block D:   King John: Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta,  by Marc Morris (8 of 8)