Posts tagged America
Tech Star Brad Feld ends up In Boulder ER with blood clot: Jann Scotts Journal
Dec 13th
Blood clots are very dangerous and often not caught. They can make their way to either the heart or the brain or clog a blood vessel someplace and cause catastrophic damage. They lead to strokes and heart attacks
They are often fatal. This is a near miss for Feld who is reportedly resting at home taking blood thinners.
Last year Feld wrote about depression and how he was dealing with it. Then this year he’s finally struck with a blood clot. 2 years ago Feld wrote a book with David Cohen called Do More Faster a manual for entrepreneurs on how to burn the candle at both ends. When I saw the title I shuttered and thought ” Oh my God this guy has no clue”
But the do more faster lifestyle philosophy is not exactly the Boulder way. it is more the New York City Way or The Wall Street Way. Feld who is known for working incredible amounts of hours, getting little sleep and running marathons is Boulders startup Guru. But one has to question this startup genius. Does he plan on publicly working himself to death at an early age? He is well on his way.
Boulder has had many gurus over the years who all seem to have the answer to life. There was Trungpa Rinpoche who dragged a lot of people down the road buddhism and alcoholism and aids through unprotected sex. A lot of people died following that guy.
Feld is leading people into workaholism. He and Tech Stars have a nationwide following. Unfortunately we are getting to watch him implode along the way. He should be used as a good bad example on how not to lead your work life. Maybe he’ll smarten up. After all Boulder is a place where people come to live an alternative lifestyle of peace, prosperity, health,wellness at a sane pace. I like Brad Feld and I’d like to see him live and not go the way of Janis, Jim, or Mama Cass.
Jann Scott
from the workaholic capital of America
Jann Scotts Journal is a column on American culture seen through the eyes of this Boulder sage since 1999.
Boulder Colorado
WE AMERICANS ARE RACIST: Jann Scotts Journal
Dec 9th
WE AMERICANS ARE RACIST
If you find a company in Boulder or Denver and there are no people of color working there, you can be assured that racism exists in that company .
Let’s take a police department in the given city. Now the police department should represent the percentage of the same people of color in the department so if its like 80 percent white than the department should be 80% white.
The other 20% be people of color. I don’t know if that’s the case in Boulder or Denver. I would think that it was. Probably not. Most companies in Boulder or Denver certainly have more whites than blacks. Now, why is that? Because the company is racist. Now why is that? Because the population is racist. Now why is that? well let’s say you’re in the service business in a mostly white community and you hire people of color to work for waiting on customers .
Customers will not come to your business because you have blacks. They will go someplace else. That’s true here in Boulder. First of all boulder does not have any black people….. White people are so used to seeing only white people, that black people really stand out. The exception would be if you are a really in shape beautiful black person….. Cause everybody here is beautiful… first and foremost. So like if you are a fat obese person… forget it.. You are not getting a job in Boulder. If you are Denzel Washington you are going to get a job here.
Then there’s the whole attitudinal thing between whites and blacks on the job. They can’t get along over racism.
Some companies feel that if they hire black or Mexican employees, that the black and Mexicans will steal from them more than the whites employees. why is that? Most white employees I have interviewed say that black and mexican employees are always the ones involved in employee theft. Why? Cause they feel the white man has been ripping them off for years and it is payup time.
Oh Yeh, America is racist. Boulder is Racist….
Jann Scott
Boulder, Colorado
Hands Up Don’t Shoot: How to Survive a Police Stop by Jann Scott
Aug 21st
That means if you frighten them them they can and will shoot to kill you. They do not have much of an in between.
So I always approach cops with this in mind. I am not stupid. I don’t ever do things to antagonize them. I never fight with them or argue with then.
They have the gun on their holster. They have the badge of authority and the entire police department, district attorneys office and local government behind them.
Cops are the wrong people to fuck with always. Many of them are stressed and overworked. They spend much of the day dealing with scumbag wife beaters, child abusers, drug addicts and alcoholics, thieves etc.
So when they run up on you in a traffic stop just know you have a wilkd lion coming up to your car and you don’t want to piss him or her off.
What to do in a traffic stop.
1. Pull over to the right immediately and stop.
2. Don’t get out of the car.
3. Put your hands up on the steering wheel and keep them there.
4. If it is night , turn your overhead light on so the officer can see your hands.
5. Don’t go fishing around for your license or registration in the glove box.
6. Sit still and wait for the cop to come to your window and wait for instructions.
7. Cops get nervous when you go to the glove box or start fishing around. They worry that you might have a gun or someone in the car has a gun .
8. Be polite. Yes sir no sir goes a long way. Don’t argue with him.
9 I have found that being polite to a police officer always helps….. If I have done something wrong in the vehicle I just admit it or say i didn’t realize and apologize. That approach will get you less point on a ticket or a warning. I almost never get stopped and when I do it is usually with a warning.
10. I am serious. I could have driven over the guys mother and he’ll give me a warning. Why. because I pose no threat.
12. Now of course I am white, middle aged and look like Rush Limbaugh so that helps… a lot. I am usually well dressed and well spoken. I don’t give off attitude.
13 I have no idea what to say to those of you who are black, Latino, or wear gangster clothes. I would take my hat off and do your best Eddie Murphy impression.
14. when I was a long haired hippie and on drugs and wearing weird clothes… believe it or not I was the guy who was cool calm and collected around cops. I was often the spokesperson. ” Yes sir. No problem here sir. thank you sir . no sir yes sir. did you want to fuck one of the girls sir cause that one there thinks your cute.” I mean , I will do anything to keep the heat off and make sure the cops are feeling non threatened. I just try to be nice to them. Cause nobody else has been all day and they appreciate it.. And that means they will go find somebody else to eat.
15. If you have somebody with you who is being agro toward the cops, you tell that person to “shut the fuck up” in no uncertain terms. You tell the cop .. “You will have no problem with us sir, I am sorry for my disrespectful friend he was smoking crack before you so caringly stopped us ” and then you make sure a friend sits on that guy or girl.
16. Now you people of color, try to dress as white as you can. And talk as white as you can. Wear Kakis and a blue oxford shirt and a red and blue stripped tie. Talk about how you love the police and hope to be a police officer next year. Smile like Chris Rock and mention church.
sorry that is how it goes. This is a white mans world. White businessmen do rule…Next come our white women and our white children. If you are rich like me and live in a rich white city like Boulder you get treated like a Lord by the cops. Then again I don’t fuck up. I am not out dealing drugs, shooting people, robbing, stealing rapping or walking the streets. I am scared shitless. But I get more points than you.
If you are black, Latino or homeless you will always be stopped by the cops in rich white Boulder or any affluent white neighborhood in America.
So how you carry yourself, what you wear and how you speak in the presence of law enforcement officers will make the difference of whether you live or die tonight.
Jann Scott has covered the police for over 20 years
by Jann Scott
Jann Scott’s Journal
from White Boulder