Stars, Stripes & Bottom Lines—No BS Business News From the Houseboat

This is Right About Now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast Network production. We are the number one business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month. Taking the BS out of business for over six years and over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping necks and caching checks? Well, it starts right about now. What's up guys, welcome to Right About Now. It is our 4th of July special edition here on July 4th, 2025. You captains of capital. Welcome aboard my floating house boat. Studio here on the lovely Lake Kiwi, the beautiful Kiwi Marina coming to you live. For me, recording this. Where the only swamp we deal with is this lake, not Washington. And it's not swampy here. Let me tell you, the most beautiful lakes in the country in South Carolina come to visit. Don't stay though. Don't stay. Kidding. Come stay if you want. While you're testing grill temps this weekend, the US economy is testing its own heat index. 72 million Americans are hitting the highway. Triple A calls it the biggest 4th of July. Get away ever. The gas stations make more profit than my neighbors selling fake lake front NFTs. Maybe. Could be a thing. I see you off. I know you're I know your game. NFTs is just like being there. Just like it. Back on shore, 92 bucks is the average grocery tab for burgers and brews speaking of which. Got mine right here. Ultra. It's hot here in South Carolina. It's things leaking all over me. 92 bucks. Geez. Get fireworks. Kiriffs. Keep the booming business pricier than these boat slip fees. Let me tell you. They ain't cheap. Those fireworks are cheap either. I wouldn't try to get some. Other news. The S&P 500 is on the rocket ride. It was the best May through June since 1990. Everyone's talking about how bad the economy is. Somehow the S&P's done better since 1990. But remember, every rocket comes back to Earth. And Silicon Valley just slash the price of AI tokens by 80%. That's like chartering this entire vessel for the cost of a kayak. It ain't happened. Today we're mixing charter boat life vibes with bottom line clarity. Life jackets on. Egos off. Let's fire it up right about now. First up today. Look, if you're not watching the YouTube, you need to be watching this. Got the fourth of July garb on. Let's not forget the men and women who serve. That fight for our independence every day. We appreciate you and right about now salutes you. We know the reason for these seasons. And we support you. Ultimately, it's the great getaway. At 5.8 million in the air this weekend, 72 million travelers on July 4. Lake Marina's report of 15% rate increase. I know. Mine was at least that. So let me tell you, I think consumer confidence is okay. I think it's a micro indicator. Ultimately, holiday travel is the real time stress test for discretionary spending. And I'd say it's pretty good if you got 6 million people in the air. Barbecue economics, $92.44 is the food spend on the 4th of July. Beef Packer margins are plus 13%. Patriotic packaging plus 4%. These ribs cost more than my first Apple share. Keep plus hunger equals pricing power for FMCG. At least this weekend, fireworks and tariffs book 99% of fireworks are still made in China. Why is that? Why are they all made in China? Why don't we make some here? We need some firework factories. Imports worn of 20, 25 shortages leaking into next year. What's that mean? I don't know if they get old, but you better put them on the shelf for next year. Otherwise, I don't know if we're going to have as many. They've already cut back here on the lake. Enjoy the show now. Next year's kaboom might be on your budget. All right, folks, it's hot here in South Kaka Laki. This will be called at South Carolina. 93, no wind. You see any wind here? I don't. Let me tell you, there is heat advisories for 150 million people. Stay cool people, stay indoors. And look, extreme heat has graduated from weather note to the PNL line because it costs more if run those air conditioners and run everything else. A lot of people stay home and don't spend the money. The heat wave and the griff are hot, hot, hot. We talked about this last week. We got an AI fire cell going on. O3 API is now $2 in and $8 out with the tokens. The new cost curve turns nine month AI ROI into a 90 day payback for SMEs. What's that mean? It means it's cheaper than my docking fee and twice as smart. But models are cheap fireworks for proprietary data is the dynamite. Don't forget it. Lock up that data, folks. They need that to make these models smart. Models easy, data hard, creativity ideas, content that creates the ideas generates it is where it's at, protect it, hide it, keep it. Lock it up, folks. They're coming for your data. The SP500 has had the best three month periods since 1990. Lots of data, but I'm not buying it long term. Don't know what's driving all of that. Hey, maybe buy some lake property or some meme stocks. Hedge your bets a little bit. Tarts can't defy gravity forever. Better have a parachute. I do have my baseball cards here in front of me. It is one of the great American bass times and that is baseball, but then the hobby. The hobby is here. I've got some big announcements coming related to the hobby and a new show that I will be doing with my good friends that I won't name yet. Coming. It's coming, though. And it's big. Real big. Just like Judge and Otani Big, they are both locked in all star spots. Yours truly might be there for the home run Derby. There's lots of spikes in merchandise for these guys. And look, you know, their pop culture news Taylor Swift bought a 13,000 giant friendship bracelet float in Boston Harbor. Hmm. I don't know about that. 13 grand for friendship float. I think I'll stick to my jet skis and my star float on the back if I want to float that big. That just invites people over here taking over my dock space. Gotta have my room. Get my frisbe on. Got all my patriotic stuff here on the fourth. Fun fact, 1.3 miles of thread for a three by five, three feet by five feet, not these small miniature ones, banner flag, 1.3 miles of thread. I had no idea. Fun fact of the day. Ultimately, pop culture drives search traffic, search drives sales, even on the lake. It's the 4th of July short, sweet to the point, stocks up, economies up, sentiments up, fireworks up. My I'm now folks and look, love each other, give a hug, get a hug, remember is the 4th of July. We have a lot to celebrate as this country no matter what the news tries to tell you. We're taking the BS out of it every day, right here. Celebrate free to safeguard capital and keep the BS overboard. And here's the bottom line on right about now. Freedom and business run on the same fuel, energy, curiosity and a healthy dose of risk. Whether you're piloting a 4 to 500 or just mastering your first side hustle, take this holiday to celebrate the liberty you have to build by break and build again. I've done it all. So fire up the grill, keep your margin sizzling, remember tariffs may raise, the price of your firecrackers, but they can't tax your American imagination. From the deck of the houseboat here, the lovely Lake QE, every patio porch and boardroom tuning in have a safe profit packed 4th of July. Do the politics on shore, keep the BS overboard and enjoy the freedom to chase whatever rocket you've been stashing in the garage. Let's get after it. Right about now. This is the story of the one. As head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the HVAC is humming, and his facility shines. With Granger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces, plus 24-7 customer support, his venue never misses a beat. Call quickgranger.com or just.by. Granger for the ones who get it done.