Monthly Archives: July 2017

07/19/17

Policy v Personality Trump

Policy v personality? Huh, Big Red Car?

Big Red Car here in the dark awaiting the sun’s rising. Going to be a great day in the ATX — on Earth as it is in Texas, y’all!

So, the other day, the Big Red Car is reading a blog, CONTINUATIONS, which asks the question — “I am genuinely curious whether there is anyone attempting a cogent defense of the record so far.”

The author of that statement is one Albert Wenger. He is a partner of Union Square Ventures, an experienced venture capitalist, and a successful entrepreneur in his own right.

He is also a Trump hater and a Manhattan liberal. Still, he is smart as Hell and broad minded enough to have asked the question. A poorly educated chap (Harvard College econ and computer science degrees plus MIT PhD in liberal info tech — just kidding about the “liberal” part), he cannot get beyond the Manhattan elitist Trump syndrome, so I am here to assist him.

Today, the Big Red car will provide that defense — a cogent defense of the Trump record.

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07/17/17

Blue Apron — Stormy Waters Ahead

Big Red Car here with his Blue Apron on. Haha, that’s a joke y’all, just like everything else about Blue Apron.

If you don’t know about Blue Apron, a meal kit delivery company which just went public, let the Big Red Car ‘splain it to y’all.

Blue Apron went public on the NYSE recently at $10/share having been “underwritten” by Goldman Sachs, Citigrope (haha), Morgan Stanley, and Barclays as the leads. It sold 30MM share and raised $300MM.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Amazon (recent offerer for Whole Foods) registered the trademark: “We do the prep. You be the chef.”

The filing said that Amazon would be preparing food kits for cooking and assembly as a meal. OK, so you recognize that, right? That’s Food Aprons core competency.

The Illuminati read this to mean Amazon/Whole Foods is going after Blue Apron and others in the meal kit delivery business. Just to be clear Blue Apron is the largest in the business followed by HelloFresh (German company). But, Amazon/Whole Foods has an incredible installed base, complete command of the order/delivery business, and an incredibly well focused existing customer base. Plus, Whole Paycheck is already a huge volume buyer of … wait for it … FOOD.

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07/17/17

Rent A Ranger.COM — A Gender Norming Startup

Big Red Car here on a very bright Monday morning with a very bright new idea — Rent A Ranger.

So, the Big Red Car is a libertine of sorts. On the other hand, the Big Red Car thinks this sexual predatory climate in Silicon Valley/Alley/Gulch/Plains/Mountains, etc. is out of control.

The solution — which the Big Red Car has been all over since the start — is for an afflicted woman to send their big brother to “reason” with the transgressor. The transgressor wants this service to get him back on the straight and narrow. [OK, maybe not.]

But, Big Red Car, how about if a lady doesn’t have a Big Brother? What then?

Ahhhh, dear reader, you have identified the pain point which the Big Red Car seeks to relieve — voila — Rent A Ranger.COM at your service, mademoiselle.

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07/13/17

Melania Trump — Superstar First Lady

Melania Trump is the reigning First Lady and America is the better for it.

Big Red Car here on a grayish Texas day, waiting for the sun to burn the clouds out and to make it a pool day, y’all.

So, our President, Donald J Trump, and his First Lady, Melania Trump, are in Paris at the invite of the French President Macron to celebrate Bastille Day. Bravo!

When they arrive, they arrive in style.

First Lady Melania Trump arriving in Paris with some familiar looking guy who is always good for a ride. Well played, First Lady.

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07/11/17

Retail Tsunami v Amazon

Retail, Big Red Car? You going shopping?

No, the Big Red Car doesn’t shop, y’all. The Big Red Car does Amazon and the BRC is part of the problem. The problem being the wholesale remaking of the face of retail in the United States, particularly brick & mortar retail.

Let me ‘splain it to y’all.

First, there are a lot of stores closing.

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07/11/17

Veterans Administration Changes — Culture

The toxic culture at the Veterans Administration is finally getting some overdue attention. Bravo!

Big Red Car here on an incredibly beautiful Texas day. Will be hot, sunny, and Texas. On Earth as it is in Texas, y’all!

So, big things going on over at the Veterans Administration. Finally!

In late June, the President signed the Veterans Administration Accountability bill codifying some simple commonsense changes to an organization with a toxic culture which falsified records resulting in veterans not receiving timely care and employees receiving performance related bonuses based on bogus information. Not a good thing. One would that fraud in most instances, financial fraud. The kind of fraud folks go to jail for, but not at the VA.

The Union — can you believe that government employees at the VA are union members? — says it is a wholesale assault on Federal workers to which the Big Red Car says, “Bravo! About time!”

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07/5/17

Volvo v Tesla v Jaguar

In a few minutes, we talk about Volvo, Tesla, Jaguar, but now, let’s talk about a Big Red Car.

Big Red Car here on a post 4th of July let down. Ahhh, the Fourth was great!

Big Red Car chatting up the flag on the 4th of July. Quiet car time for all!

So, comes now Volvo with the announcement that the internal combustion engine is dead and it is going to phase them out completely by 2019 whereafter every Volvo will be either a hyrbid or an electric car.

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07/3/17

Creeps — Misogyny in Tech

Big Red Car, a manly but gentlemanly 1966 Impala Supersport convertible, talking creeps and misogyny in tech.

So, if you’ve been paying attention to what’s going on in the tech space — 90% male dominated tech space — you’ve seen a raft of stories about men behaving badly.  Creeps.

These guys are creeps. These guys are not gentlemen. These guys are giving all guys a bad name.

They are venture capitalists and other breeds of invertebrates who control pots of OPM (other people’s money) who think the funding process requires a woman to flirt or to have sex with them.

“How is this possible, Big Red Car?” you ask.

Let me ‘splain it to y’all. Pay attention.

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