In a not-so-long-ago era, my recent experience at The Vitamin Shoppe in Santa Monica would not have been a blog-worthy experience. Once upon a time it was common to walk into a retail store and engage with someone who was well versed in the company’s products and cared enough to…
It speaks volumes about the corporate media that to better understand antisemitism, growing wage disparity and labor unrest, and the declining state of the global automotive industry, I’m increasingly drawn to the World Socialist Web Site. The corporate media covers politics and business through the prism of its business owners—that’s…
You can’t make this stuff up! Ford CEO Jim Farley last October made headlines prognosticating that “artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.” He opined that “AI will leave a lot of white-collar people behind.” Given that Farley’s mistaken embrace of electric…
GM CEO Mary Barra’s ability to reinvent herself rivals that of a career politician switching platforms on the campaign trail. First there was “No More Crappy Cars Mary,” a promise she made on CNBC when she oversaw the automaker’s new product development. Then there was “Mechanic Mary,” a moniker she…
Uber’s business model—which I feared from the get-go would morph into a platform engineered to exploit drivers and riders—has always been personal to me. As I’ve noted several times on this blog, I drove a Toronto taxi when I was in college, and it was a very lucrative gig. In…
I’ve warned for some time about America’s rigged economy fueling a dangerous level of wealth inequality that has mutated into a direct threat to our national security. Until the other day, I mistakenly thought I was a choir of one. Turns out, people far better credentialed than me agree. I’m…
It is disheartening that truly thoughtful journalism, the kind that takes considerable smarts and experience to produce, is rarely noticed or appreciated by the corporate media, even at the publications where it appears. A case in point is this column by Greg Ip, the Wall Street Journal’s economics columnist. Ip’s…
It’s hard to imagine a company with a more uninspiring name, disjointed branding, and muddled messaging than Amsterdam-based Stellantis, parent of more than a dozen auto brands ranging from moribund Chrysler to Maserati. Perhaps in Europe the name Stellantis evokes some passion, but it strikes me as some dreaded STD,…
JPMorgan’s $4.25 million defeat over a $642.50 deli platter is understandably generating plenty of yuks on social media. Here’s why the award is no laughing matter and another indictment of Jamie Dimon’s leadership.
Why I hope Fidelity Investments is poised to clean Morgan Stanley’s clock.