Too Venal for Words category archive
How Stuff Works, Dominance and Desire Dept. 0
I must say that, in none of the places I’ve worked–and by that I mean my own little corner of the company, not the company as a whole–have I heard of, let along witnessed, predatory sexual behavior such as that recently in the news.
Nonetheless, the recent news stories in no way surprise me.
I know that such conduct went on in parts of at least one company I worked for. It was early in my career, which started just as the Mad Men days were coming to a close. As one of my co-workers told me at the time, “No woman wants to be in the elevator with [Vice President X]. He thinks every woman in [Department Y] is a member of his harem.” I also recall that, when an accomplished and diligent woman in my department received a promotion, it was accompanied by a whispering campaign that she had “slept her way” into it (she didn’t).
Historiann argues that there much more going on workplaces which tolerate such behavior than sexual hanky-panky. Here’s a bit of her piece; follow the link for the rest.
Trumpling Weinstein 0
At the Boston Review, Bonnie Honig sees both similarities and differences between Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein. The similarities she perceives are not surprising, but the differences are chilling.
Here’s a bit:
(snip)
. . . Trump has changed the rules of the game. Trump would never offer to get treatment to save his job. He would never ask for a second chance. If you are emailing your friends asking for support, if you say you will seek treatment, if you are hoping for another chance, you are already—in Trump’s grade school terms—a loser: reality’s victim, not its maker. The game is over.
Follow the link for the rest; it is quite worth your consideration.
The Snaring Economy 0
You’re on the air at your AirBnB:
Sure enough, when the couple got a closer look, what appeared to be a smoke detector was actually a camera pointing directly at the bed, according to ABC Action News.
Details at the link.
The Lesson of Lolita 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Michael Karson turns our attention to Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita and the lessons it has for us.
Many years ago, I read Lolita.
It is without question the most chilling novel I have ever read. Next to it, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a Daffy Duck comic. I have no desire to read it again.*
In his narration, Humbert Humbert convinces himself and almost (but not quite–that’s the majesty of Nabokov’s writing) convinces the reader that Lolita welcomes, even yearns for, his violation of her.
An excerpt from Karson’s piece:
Nabokov confronts us with the elegant stories we tell ourselves to excuse our selfishness.
Self-delusion and evil often walk hand-in-hand.
Look around: You will see many Humbert Humberts in the political sphere, industriously convincing themselves and their dupes, symps, and fellow travelers to violate the common good and rape the general wellfare.
___________________
*It has been said that any book worth reading once is worth reading twice. I’ll make an exception for Lolita.
Contempt for Court 2
Prior to the event, Noah Feldman wrote of the implications of Donald Trump’s (then rumored) pardoning racist bigot-panderer Joe Arpaio. A snippet (emphasis added):
Such a pardon would reflect outright contempt for the judiciary, which convicted Arpaio for his resistance to its authority.
Every day of Trumpery ups the volume of vile and further erodes the rule of law.
DudeBros 0
Well, there is some good news.
Prosecutors had accused Shkreli of repeatedly misleading investors about what he was doing with their money. Mostly, he was blowing it with horrible stock picks, forcing him to cook up a scheme to recover millions in losses, they said.
Much more at the link. The story does not mention a sentencing date.
The Snaring Economy, Dude-Bro Dept. 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Charles Johnson considers the culture of Uber (and many other Silicon Valley outfits). A snippet:
Bro culture fosters an environment where companies are run much like a fraternity house. It’s perfectly laid out in its infamous 14 core cultural values, which includes super-pumpedness, meritocracy/toe-stepping, and always be hustlin’.
A web search tells me that there is a lack of clarity as to what Uber’s “14 core values” may actually be. The clearest list(s) I was able to find are–er–somewhat less than coherent, as could be expected from a bunch of dude-bros with a morning-after hangover.
Afterthought:
On a radio show I heard recently, the host asked a caller, “What do you do for a living?” The caller responded, “I”m a Lyft driver.”
For Pete’s shake, if you do it for a living, it’s not sharing, it’s employment, and should be regulated accordingly.
The whole “sharing economy” thing is a con and a scam to avoid both obeying labor laws and treating employees like employees.
Legacy: From Nixon to Trump 0
Thom and Lamar Waldron follow the bread crumbs from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump. (Note: Some of Waldron’s assertions wander into rather screwy territory, so have a few grains of salt ready, but it’s still worth a listen).
Part One:
More of the interview is below the fold.
Jonesing the Idiocracy 0
Tony Norman tries to make sense of Megan Kelly’s decision to have Alex Jones on her NBC television snow job show.
Remember, NBC is the network that gave you Donald Trump’s various Apprentices and is arguably responsible for the creating the myth that he knows what the hell he is doing.
(Spoiler Alert: Norman can’t make sense of it, because there’s no sense to be made.)