Ghangsta Culture and Sowing the Seeds of Racism in School

Posted inCurrent Affairs1 Comment on Ghangsta Culture and Sowing the Seeds of Racism in School

Bob Herbert’s column yesterday (TimesSelect only) is not new. Black intellectuals from time to time issue their regular condemnation of the state of ghetto culture. The rap music! The basketball shoes! The drugs and sex!

They’re right, though. In my experience, my black high school friends who are fans of the ghetto culture truly dig it, and my white high school friends also dig it, but for different reasons. My white friends think it’s cool and hip now, but know deep down that they’ll soon outgrow it and start listening to rock n roll. This dynamic sows the seeds of racism, as the whites think they’ll soon graduate to something more sophisticated, while blacks continue to revel in such "a dirty culture." This – along with affirmative action, which surrounds white kids in my private school with minority students who struggle way more academically, therefore affirming unborn stereotypes of innate academic inferiority – is why we still have racist adults.

It starts when you’re in school.

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Book Reviews: Money Makes the World Go Around and The Untied States of America

Posted inBooks1 Comment on Book Reviews: Money Makes the World Go Around and The Untied States of America

Books, books, books, books, books….

1. Money Makes the World Go Around by Barbara Garson. This is the story of "one investor tracking her cash through the global economy." She makes a deposit in a local bank, and then "follows" that capital as it travels the globe. She goes all over the world and interviews people who are impacted. The prose is vivid and jargon free. She’s not gung ho about globalization or laizze faire capitalism. Indeed, a main goal for her in this book is to humanize the capital flow. The whole world financial system is infinitely interesting (and complicated). Hard money doesn’t even really exist. "Offshore" bank accounts are really simply a ledger entry on a computer in the U.S.

2. The Untied States of America by Juan Enriquez. This was sent to me by Debra Bradley (thanks!). It’s uniquely formatted – different fonts, typesets, margins, etc. His overarching point – if there is one – is that he United States may disintegrate into independent states. It’s not as alarmist as it sounds, mostly because it’s not a serious, scholarly work. Rather, it’s chock-full of facts, data, quotes, and other staccato political points that makes for entertaining reading. If you’re a fun facts politically-inclined guy, you’ll like it. But don’t expect serious intellectual discourse.

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Job Candidates: Young Salesperson, Consumer Internet CEO, and London Job Opps

Posted inEntrepreneurship1 Comment on Job Candidates: Young Salesperson, Consumer Internet CEO, and London Job Opps

On the hiring front….

1. Email me if you know of a young, energetic person (maybe just out of college) who is interested in doing a lot of tele-sales for a fast-growing software company. Should be in the Bay Area (maybe SoCal).

2. My friend Auren Hoffman asked me to post this ad from KarmaOne – a consumer internet company in Bay Area is looking for a CEO. Details here.

3. My brother wants to work in London next year after graduating from Middlebury College this spring. He’s an English major, econ minor, and pretty savvy with technology. Open to opps in law, creative arts, tech, etc. Email me if you know anyone out there who would be good to hook him up with.

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Children Mutilate, Burn, and Torture Barbies

Posted inRandom4 Comments on Children Mutilate, Burn, and Torture Barbies

This is disturbing. It appears Barbie is "out" as a doll and in fact is so hated children routinely torture them. Why? Perhaps out of envy (Barbie is so perfect!), perhaps it reminds prepubecent girls of an adulthood they want to avoid. The researchers conclude that it really isn’t that bad. After all, the girls are just being imaginative in disposing an excessive commodity, like one crushes cans for recycling.

For some reason I wouldn’t place crushing cans for recycling in the same category as burning and torturing a barbie doll.

Link: Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times – Times Online.

BARBIE, that plastic icon of girlhood fantasy play, is routinely tortured by children, research has found.

The methods of mutilation are varied and creative, ranging from scalping to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving, according to academics from the University of Bath.

The findings were revealed as part of an in-depth look by psychologists and management academics into the role of brands among 7 to 11-year-old schoolchildren.

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When Barry Diller Calls, You Don't Say No

Posted inBusiness1 Comment on When Barry Diller Calls, You Don't Say No

I was just speaking with an extremely successful entrepreneur friend. Barry Diller‘s assistant called the other day and said Mr. Diller wants to see him on Thursday in New York about his latest internet venture.

"Well, New York wasn’t exactly on the calendar, but when Diller calls, you don’t say no!"

Indeed.

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