Stuff I Read Today
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2013-04-06
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2013-04-01
Why I almost defriended everyone who had an HRC logo as their profile photo this week
It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that, though I didn’t think about this at the time, I probably started a blog because I need somewhere to vent my boundless rage that is not random people’s Facebook walls. I mean, one thing among the many thousands of things that are guaranteed to raise my blood pressure is when folks get all “the internet isn’t real, and it’s not a viable platform for communication,” but also like, Facebook fights are dumb, I’m supposed to be an adult now.
So here’s the thing that got me all het up this week: gay marriage.
Specifically, these goddamn things:
Source: agnesgalore
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2013-03-29
Lena Dunham’s Audition for “Zero Dark Thirty”.
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The Rebellion Contained: The Empire Strikes Back
For a few minutes last night, it was possible to see what the Black revolution, what the Black vanguard might look like. Ultimately what last night was about was the following: for FAITH, Jumannee Williams, and Shamar Thomas it was about containing the insurgency and channeling it into reformist circles; for the revolutionary left, it was about seeing how they can interact with the Black militants to foment a healthy rebellion and collaboration. Many times the crowd moved in the direction of the Black militants through the streets. Where they went, the rest of the crowd had to go. There was no choice. It was clear who the potential leadership was.
Understanding the situation we face is crucial. Since The LA Rebellion of 1992, countless rebellions have occurred across the United States. Virtually all of them led by Black or Latino militants, but occasionally including Asians and whites as well. What is important to understand is why these cycles of rebellions have not regenerated a new revolutionary Black left or left in general. This is in contrast to the rebellions of the 1960s, which radicalized Black militants and were directly tied to the formation of the Black Panther Party, League of Revolutionary Black Workers, and many other groups. What explains the lack of a Black revolutionary left in this day and age?
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2013-03-28
Girl Geeks and Boy Kings
More than blurring boundaries between public life and private life, Facebook re-institutionalized “second shift” work—only instead of performing child care and housework, we are caught up in the “not work” of self-surveillance and personal brand-building that are the hallmarks of social media.
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What Your Culture Really Says
We don’t have managers and the company is managed with no hierarchy
What your culture might actually be saying is… Management decisions are siloed at the very top layers of management, kept so close to the chest they appear not to exist at all. The lack of visibility into investor demands, financial affairs, HR issues, etc. provides an abstraction layer between employees and real management, which we pretend doesn’t exist. We don’t have an explicit power structure, which makes it easier for the unspoken power dynamics in the company to play out without investigation or criticism.
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We need to know the answer, because suddenly we are the cool kids. They’re making movies about us. We’re “rock stars.” Holy shit, the rest of the world is finally realizing how awesome we are. The geek has inherited the earth. And now that we’re the powerful ones, we need to remember: with great power comes great responsibility. It’s irresponsible to continue to act as though we are victims.
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