Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’
Slavoj Zizek Says Your Office Ping-Pong Table Is Oppressing You
One of the last prominent Marxists, Slavoj Zizek offers a unique take on contemporary labor issues.
The Slovenian philosopher is dismissive of progressive corporate culture—e.g. free snacks and Ping-Pong tables—which he says serves to disarm the workers.
Here’s a passage on Zizek from an article about exploitative work at architecture firms by architect Andrew Maynard:
Arguably the most pervasive element enabling exploitative office culture is the postmodern trickery of the contemporary working environment. Slavoj Žižek argues that modern employment tactics create the illusion that our employer is our friend. This fabrication empowers the employer while denying the employed the right to vocalize and protest dissatisfaction of their working conditions. “You’re not going to stick around and help out? I thought we were a team? I thought we were friends?”
Žižek suggests that the environment of the workplace has been twisted, using architectural devices, to manipulate employees. Kitchens, ‘break-out spaces’, lounges, free food, free coffee – he postulates that this is a postmodern sleight of hand designed to manipulate and disarm staff. By fabricating the illusion of employer as friend, the employed is denied the opportunity to protest, argue, fight, be adversarial and demand more of their working conditions. These informal spaces are political spaces of control, surveillance and manipulation.
Business Insider has a Ping-Pong table and a friendly office environment like all the cool tech companies. We also, as you may have read in the NYT profile of our deputy editor Joe Weisenthal, work long hours.
Don’t miss: 14 Signs That Americans Are Ridiculously Overworked >
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CHART OF THE DAY: The Japanification Of European Stocks Has Been Underway For 3 Years
Does the experience of Japan foreshadow where Europe is headed? So far, it looks pretty spot on, according to SocGen:
After the bursting of the bubble, the Japanese equity market became highly cyclical. This contrasts with the 1980s, when it was impervious to swings in the cycle. We believe this change in market behaviour is a result of deleveraging in the Japanese economy. The same pattern has been observable in the European market since the Lehman bankruptcy in 2008 (see next chart).
Given increasingly uncertain political situation in Europe and consensus building around necessary policy measures going forward, it looks like perhaps the ECB could be just in time to step in and send those equities on their next leg upward.
Here’s a look at the Euro Stoxx 600 and Japan’s Nikkei:
GET READY: This Is What Happens If Greece Exits The Euro >
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John Madden Just Relisted His NYC Apartment At $1 Million Loss
Sports legend, John Madden, just relisted his apartment in the legendary Dakota for $3.9 million.
Madden originally listed the place for $4.9 million last April, and then took it off the market when it wasn’t selling.
Madden bought the apartment from comedian Gilda Radner in 1985 for about $625,000. Radner bought the apartment in 1979 for only $150,000, when the NYC real estate market was in a deep slump.
Madden is selling, because he and his family don’t get to NYC as much as they used to. They spend most of their time on the west coast, where Madden appears on a daily radio show in San Francisco.
The apartment has just under 2,000 square feet
Here’s the living room with a fireplace
Large entrance hall
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Congress Is Getting Dumber And Dumber
Here’s a fun chart that details how Congress’ speaking level has declined over the past 10 years to a 10th-grade level this year, according to a study performed by the Sunlight Foundation.
There’s a peak of about 11.5 in 2002. It’s around a 10.6 this year. Now make all your jokes about Democrats speaking at a higher level than Republicans.
The Sunlight Foundation analyzes that it’s partly the result of more junior members coming in, and partly a result of senior members simplifying their speech over time:
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the decline. Perhaps it reflects lawmakers speaking more in talking points, and increasingly packaging their floor speeches for YouTube. Gone, perhaps, are the golden days when legislators spoke to persuade each other, thoughtfully wrestled with complex policy trade-offs, and regularly quoted Shakespeare.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks at the lowest grade level, registering just less than an eighth-grade level. Rep. Dan Lungren, a Republican from California, speaks at the highest level — about a 16th-grade level.
Here are some notables: Rand Paul is among the lowest 20 members of Congress, at just above an eighth-grade level. Nancy Pelosi speaks around the average of an 11.5 level. House Speaker John Boehner is 12.6, Marco Rubio is a 9.4, and Rob Portman is at an 11th-grade level. Finally, Harry Reid is at about a 9.75 grade level.
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This Safeway Employee Was Suspended For Protecting A Pregnant Woman From Assault
Customers are rallying around Safeway meat clerk who was suspended without pay for intervening when he saw a man attacking a pregnant woman.
The employee, Ryan Young of Del Rey Oaks, California, asked the man to stop when he saw the conflict in the parking lot. When the man refused and began pushing and even kicking his girlfriend, Young pushed him away.
This account has been confirmed by local police, according to Fox 35.
A petition on change.org asking that Young’s position be reinstated and compensated has garnered 162,000 signatures, with local patrons calling for a boycott.
One woman who says she’s a Safeway employee says she spends $200/week at the store but now plans to avoid it until the situation is resolved. Others that he “shouldn’t be punished for doing the right thing,” and that Safeway is “condoning the abuse.”
So far there’s been no response from Safeway.
Don’t miss: 14 ways to get fired from McDonald’s >
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