Bonus Bananas April 4, 2014
1) Energy Future Plan Said to Almost Wipe Out Owners KKR to TPG (Bloomberg) - It's not often you see titans like KKR and Goldman Sachs take one in the seat, so I imagine there are some pretty uncomfortable conversations happening right now over this boondoggle. But you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, amirite?
2) Eich resignation as Mozilla CEO as messy as his appointment (C/NET) - The tech world has basically been ablaze for the past week over the appointment and almost-immediate resignation of Brendan Eich as CEO of Mozilla. Three prominent board members resigned in protest to his appointment, and it eventually led to his demise. What's the beef? He donated $1,000 to support Proposition 8 back in 2008.
3) 9 Behaviors Cultivated by the Ultra-Charismatic (Inc.) - Unless you're already Swaggy McSwaggerton, it might be a good idea to check these out. A little charisma can carry you a long way, I'm living proof of it.
4) We Aren’t the World (Pacific Standard) - A little porn for my econ nerds (Holla!). If you think all human beings respond to incentives in roughly the same way, this might come as a shock to you. Turns out all the studies you've based everything on your whole career in economics suffer from a massive confirmation bias.
5) What Happens To Your Brain When You Get Black-Out Drunk? (Gizmodo) - Good to know. Especially if you're like that kid who blacked out and then came to on an airplane where his buddies had taken him skydiving. That's no way to wake up.
6) Washington, D.C., Decriminalizes Marijuana (Business Insider) - How's that for irony? Pot is now legal in the belly of the beast. Well, not legal exactly, but if you're caught with it you get a ticket for $25. Yet there are more marijuana prosecutions under Obama than any other President in history. Murica.
7) U.S. confirms warrantless searches of Americans (USA Today) - Anyone wanna call time of death on the US Constitution? Warrantless searches and secret courts? Yeah, we're that guy now.
8) Life inside the densest place on earth: Remembering Kowloon Walled City (CNN) - Jeeeesus. And this, boys and girls, is why we have building codes.
9) How I Met Your Mother's Kids: We Filmed the Finale 9 Years Ago! (People) - CGI be damned, here's a clever way to reverse age people on TV.
10) SEX, SNOW, AND CO***NE: MY LIFE AS A SKI RESORT 'CHALET BITCH' (VICE) - I know Spring has basically sprung, but I thought I'd get this salacious tidbit in under the wire. I'd make an awesome ski bum if I didn't hate the cold so much.
Video of the Week:
This looks like a pretty cool flick. Almost like Limitless meets Spiderman or some shit. Plus it's probably the last time to see Scarlet Johansson before she totaled her chassis by getting knocked up. She plays a drug mule who has bags of drugs sewn into her stomach and the bags bust a leak. I'll let you watch the trailer to see what happens then. Looks pretty intense. Enjoy:
That's it for this week, monkeys. Have a fantabulous weekend and let me know what you think about this week's Bananas in the comments!
I don't know if its just me, but the video doesn't work.
While I (and almost everyone I talked to who watches HIMYM) disliked the ending, I gotta give them props for keeping that footage under wraps for nine years, especially in today's spoiler-driven world. I almost hoped they would have cut to the kids as they are now, all grown up, with some snide comment like, "Short? You've been telling this story for nine years!" But whatever, Game of Thrones starts Saturday.
4 For some reason we Americans want to believe that everything in this world is fair and equitable and that those who disrupt this status quo are somehow evil and should be punished. This is entirely my own speculation but I think this comes from the "American dream" that everyone is born with the same potential for greatness, a notion which isn't universally accepted as truth.
Thought Eddie was joking about the skydiving incident till I read this: http://www.dailykicker.net/video-poor-guy-gets-drunk-blacks-wakes-skydi…
My favorite thread of the week. Always some great gems.
Great article - with clever links. SB'ed : )
Apparently HSTC is not a recognized family name in brooklyn. Who knew ?
2 - While I don't agree with his views he shouldn't have had to leave his job because of a personal viewpoint. I've worked with many people that I respect professionally while simultaneously not agreeing with any of their personal activities or views.
I'm right there with you. I think that this CEO should be applauded. His position of what a corporation should be (blind to social opinion on such an issue) and keeping his own beliefs separate should be cheered. Why do so many think that when you don't believe what they do about a social issue that you are a bigot? I have many gay friends, and actually have my career only because two of my gay friends got me the job that I currently have. They aren't treated in any way different than hetero employees at my company. I believe that they should have the same rights as employees that I do, and the benefits should extend to their partners, and the benefits do. However, I have my own separate belief about what a state or a federal government is allowed to do from a Constitutional standpoint with this issue. So because I have my beliefs about what the Constitution does, does not, or how it should be interpreted by way of this social issue, I am somehow a bigot? I just figured that I was a conservative Constitutionalist. Guess I didn't get the memo label that is being applied to folks that don't agree with the left. Oh yeah, I think that our President is reckless, sidesteps Constitutional law, and is extremely irresponsible with his attempts at sound fiscal and economic policy. Guess I should be called a racist, too, right? (Apply it equally though, since I believed the same about GWB. I must be an "equal opportunity" racist.) It's sad when you can lose talented employees because their beliefs don't fit the social norm. I know it's a stretch, but there is a country that had some pretty strong social beliefs that became facts (in their eyes) and started a little war in the 1930s...
The movie could be worth checking out (despite it being a summer flick) since it's directed by Luc Besson, who made Leon The Professional (very good film, and one that launched Natalie Portman's career when she was like 12).
Ha. Almost shed a tear at the end. Love when movies hit you hard.
I am surprised the skydiving company allowed him to go up... ive only been a few times, but from what I heard no cabin pressure makes one "more drunk" (fill in the actual science here).
Maybe not seriously ill, but the liability or insurance needs of running that kind of business in the first place must be very high. Seems like an unnecessary risk for the company.
Re #2, can we please legalize gay marriage so people will just shut the fuck up about this issue and move on?
Haha! I did hear a comedian say once (may have been Wanda Sikes...) that if you are opposed to gay marriage, just don't get married to a gay person. Problem solved!
Classy broad in #10.
The craziest part is that this guy created CREATED JavaScript. What's next, some guy cures testicular cancer then gets pushed out of his company because he pays $500 towards Paul Ryan's campaign? These people are nuts. If I was a shareholder I would be demanding better board members. Corporations shouldn't be taking heavy views on social issues (this is also directed at you Starbucks CEO...). It almost never creates shareholder value. Focus on giving me a return on my investment. Your job isn't to create equality in the world. Shareholders need to demand some serious reform in this company come next annual meeting. What a freaking joke. The craziest thing about all of these libs is that liberal schools like Berkeley fought in the 60's for First Amendment rights, but they fight like hell now to squash any First Amendment protected speech that doesn't jive with their mantra. And I'm sorry, but these folks need to stop comparing the struggles that gay people have to "civil rights". I grew up in Alabama. Ask a 90 year old black man if he thinks that the struggles gay people have had in the US come close to what he went through...
7 - Leave it to Barack Obama (and GWB) to create a situation that could unite the ACLU and the most right wing politicians...
Shocking that a CEO can't hold any political views other than the status quo, but from reading the article sounds like part of the problem was the way he handled the situation and not entirely his views on gay marriage
I'm compelled to wonder whether this might be the evolution of the market. It makes sense that it would start with tech, which basically leads everything "new". Perhaps the market is signalling that it is less concerned with financial results quarter to quarter than it is with how the business is conducted overall. You mention Howard Schultz, and he was unequivocal when it came to Starbucks stance on the issue: if you don't agree, sell your stock - we don't want you. It's a potentially dangerous attitude to be sure, but I for one am willing to back companies who are willing to take a stand.
As if on cue, Honey Maid graham crackers put out the following video in response to the dipshits who protested their recent TV ad about the composition of families. Rather than run from the controversy, they did the right thing and called out the bigoted shitheads who protested their ad. I'm not saying Brendan Eich is bigot, and I do think his ouster is over the top, but these people (the idiots who believe something other than all men are created equal) need to be called to account and publicly humiliated:
2 is actually pretty scary. Now we're not allowed to have unpopular opinions? The guy didn't even make a blatant show of anything. He's singlehandedly done more to advance the human race than most people ever will and the guy gets sacked for a $1000 donation almost a decade ago.
This.
Putting it into perspective. Creates JavaScript, sacked for 1k. +1 SB
And for the record, I don't care if you are all about gay marriage or you are against it. If you have truly weird views, like the Putin attitude of "If you gay folks come to Sochi, don't go near the kids..." (WTF???) you don't belong in a leadership position. But if you take a social issue i.e.- gay marriage, abortion, etc. and have a view that is reasonably held by a large part of Americans (say 30% or more), it should be pointed out that YOU are the one being discriminated against if you are fired for it. It's an extremely slippery slope. Especially since (as I pointed out before) some people aren't against gay marriage for religious reasons only. Some (like me) only factor in the Constitutional component. It seems that too many people in our country want laws based on what they "feel" or "believe" as opposed to addressing issues from a Constitutional component. Just my two cents...
The issue here really isn't about the grand he donated in 2008. The issue here is that he assumed the CEO position of a company whose express mission is equality for all and he refused to back off that position. It would be like the the head of the NRA donating to a gun control cause and then giving the excuse that "my personal beliefs don't disqualify my from leading this organization."
It would have been one thing if he came out and said, "I was wrong and I've reconsidered my position." But he didn't. And in a company whose charter include equality for all that just doesn't fly. On the plus side, he's probably on the short list for CEO of WalMart.
Totally agree that he's done more for humanity than almost anyone on the planet. Inventing Javascript? Unreal. Where would we be without him? Plus he co-founded Mozilla. There's no doubt the guy's a stud. The whole situation is unfortunate.
Eddie, does it really make sense if we all just stop doing business with others because we don't agree with their political opinions? That's a very slippery slope indeed. It's contrary to the free-market spirit that led to the founding of New Amsterdam by the Dutch. Everybody's money is still money.
If there is evidence that his views about marriage impede his ability as an executive, programmer and an entrepreneur, I'd like to see it.
Let's also point out something obvious--if the board canned him for contributing AGAINST Prop 8, Mozilla would be finished in 24 hours.
What exactly does that prove, though? That the Mozilla board doesn't want to be on the wrong side of history?
Honest dissent shouldn't be stifled, is all. He should be chosen based on his competence and the quality of his work. If you disagree with his viewpoint, prove him wrong in an honest debate. Don't have him punished by the thought police for having an unpopular opinion; that's ridiculous. (That's "you" in a general sense, not you personally).
What if someone has you removed from the board because they don't like your support of Ron Paul?
3). "A good seductive glance is similarly made not with the eyes but through them. It penetrates the seen and the seer." Is there a way to work on that ?
Eddie,
I wrote something far more anger inducing, but after having reread it, I opted against posting it because I realized I can some up my points pretty simply. Having worked for an employer who is born again has given me a little bit of insight. My boss is misogynistic, homophobic (having made it very clear that he has 0 interest in having his kids educated in any other manner than according to what the bible says so "the gays don't rot their minds and try to convert his children to their nefarious causes and ideals", I don't even know what would happen if he had a gay employee work for him), intolerant of other religions (he's made it pretty clear that I should read my bible and consider teaching myself about the work of Christ because Christ is the one true Messiah and all of the prophecy of the Old Testament speaks to Christ's coming) and of others viewpoints if they aren't in line with his ultra-conservative right wing ideology, believes he is entirely right and refuses to listen to anyone that has any opinion that differs from his. It creates a very difficult environment to work in at times when I just want to turn around and smack him upside the head because his views of the world create a very toxic environment to work in at times. What employee wants to be told that he should find Christ and be born again in order to save his soul on a somewhat regular basis or hear that "If I wasn't Christian and born again, having found Christ, I'd be Jewish, because I love the Jews and I love the State of Israel." 2-3 times a week? No one. Who wants to hear their boss outright say that Homosexuality is a sin and a crime that should be punished to the fullest extent of the law? Not me. The problem is that my boss doesn't know or care to really give a damn that things like that are inappropriate to say in the workplace. If Eich supports Prop 8 and does it in his free time, then by all means, go right ahead but if he turns his workplace into a toxic environment where his views are being pushed down peoples throats and his doing so causes a conflict with Mozilla's core ideology of inclusion then he needs to go. Until then, everyone should lay off and realize that this is a major case of the Paradox of Tolerance.
What hasn't been said here is that it's become way too common for groups who preach Tolerance to be bigoted against those who are intolerant, and therefore are failing in their mission to gain acceptance on the grounds of peace and tolerance. The LGBTQ community is guilty of doing this when a person or a company does something that they don't agree with. They aren't alone though; you can pick any group (such as the Jews, the Muslims and the Christians... well, pretty much any religious group that has a strong identity that pushes a message of this is the only way we can be tolerant, the NAACP, the Anti-Smoking crusaders, PETA) and see their message of Tolerance is often times accompanied by some form of intolerance for those who don't support them and their views. This is why, I honestly think that EVERYBODY needs a trip to The Death Camp... ER... uh... The Museum of Tolerance.
Jesus, dude, that sounds awful. Somehow a copy of this book needs to "magically" appear on his desk:
Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
Eddie,
Religious nutjobs are just that. Speaking of which, I haven't even scratched the surface of his Bullshit (or his disingenuous laughter at saying "Blame the Jew" when something goes wrong). That said, it wasn't meant to be a pity post but a comparison of when bullshit over and ruins things.
Also, no love for Lemmiwinks? Seriously? Maybe you need a trip to the "Museum" of Tolerance for that one.
Speaking of the bible, saw Noah this weekend and thought it was very good. If the bible is anything like that I might give it a quick read. I especially liked the giant rock monsters.
@Frieds : Museum of Tolerance is a thing? Thought that was an urban legend...and yes, an awful lot of hypocrisy when people (of any political stripe) talk about tolerance but don't practice it.
@"Going Concern" : Haven't seen that yet, but might have to just for the fact that the movie has managed to piss off both the far left AND the far right in equal measure. Just like Avatar...
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