Org theory loyalist w social innov tendencies, concern for nascent mkts, systembuilding/unbuilding. U Oxford, Wolfson College; former Stanford, Northwestern

Oxford UK & Mountain View CA
Joined November 2007
Marc Ventresca retweeted
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
Stood in line at Airport at 5:45 AM. Walked up to a refrigerated reach-in cooler. Grabbed a 16oz bottle of SmartWater myself. Carried it to the register myself. The clerk didn't look up from her phone. She reached out one hand, scanned the barcode without breaking eye contact with TikTok, and swiped the terminal around. Total: 6.25. Screen prompt: 20% (1.25) 25% (1.56) 30% (1.88) To hit “No Tip,” you had to locate a microscopic, light-gray “Custom / Other” button at the very bottom corner, manually enter $0.00, and press confirm. As soon as I tapped 0, she gave a loud, theatrical suck of her teeth, snatched the receipt, and slammed the water bottle down on the counter. We went from tipping 15-20% for full table service, hot food, and refilled drinks, to getting glared at by someone for refusing to tip 25% on a self-service plastic bottle of water in a hallway. Modern tipping isn't about rewarding great service anymore. It’s retail guilt extortion engineered by software companies that take a percentage cut of every processing fee.
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100 years ago, thirteen black men put together their savings and founded Safe Bus Company, making it the largest black owned bus company at that time. It was formed in Winston-Salem to serve the black neighborhoods due to segregation and operated till 1972. Thirteen Black men pooled their life savings to purchase $100,000 in stock, forming Safe Bus Co., Inc. on May 26, 1926. The company quickly grew into the largest African American–owned bus company in the nation. Safe Bus expanded rapidly and was once described as the largest Black-owned transportation company in the world. By 1955, the company grossed $825,000. At its peak, it carried approximately 15,000 passengers per day, earned $18,000 weekly, and employed 75 people. Early fares began at five cents and increased as the company expanded. The fleet grew from 35 to 42 buses, serving roughly 20 percent of the city. Black bus drivers earned between $1.60 and $2.50 per hour—wages that exceeded those of many schoolteachers at the time. By 1968, Safe Bus provided transportation across the entire city. However, following integration, the company experienced a sharp decline in ridership. Changing social attitudes and increased competition led to significant financial losses. In 1972, stockholders voted to sell Safe Bus to the city. The Winston-Salem Transit Authority then assumed responsibility for public transportation, marking the end of one of the most successful Black-owned transit companies in American history.
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
Happy birthday to my amazing wife @KamalaHarris!! Love our life together very much, Dougie ❤️❤️
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🚨 BREAKING: Billionaire Sir Richard Branson launches a SCATHING attack on Trump and his disturbing relationship with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This is EXACTLY the kind of criticism that gets under Trump's skin. “I never thought I would have to say this in my lifetime, but this is 2026, and sadly, nothing is as it used to be,” Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, wrote on LinkedIn. “The Trump administration has become an enabler of autocrats and dictators, putting their personal whims above the interests of the American people and the free world. What is it about Putin that makes President Trump humiliate himself before him?” “How can America's allies ever trust this administration again when it is now turning against them in a time of war and suffering?” he asked. Trump has repeatedly betrayed our Ukrainian allies in recent days. First, he announced a shocking deal with Putin to allow millions of barrels of Russian diesel onto global markets — a move that would directly funnel money into Russia's war effort. Then he launched a coordinated smear campaign against President Zelenskyy, claiming that Putin was “easier to deal with.” The betrayals escalated when Washington reportedly failed to provide Kyiv with its usual early warning of an imminent Russian ballistic missile attack. Now it appears that the White House ordered a temporary suspension of Starshield, the military version of Elon Musk's Starlink, on which Ukrainian forces depend. “The restrictions on Starlink/Starshield and the inexplicable failure to provide warnings of Russian missile launches have already resulted in needless deaths of Ukrainian civilians,” Branson wrote. “How much worse can this get?” “If one thing is clear, it is that European leaders must overcome their initial shock at Trump's recent actions and step up. This is about Europe's freedom as much as Ukraine's sovereignty. Both are worth fighting for,” he continued. “Every option must now be on the table — from transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to supplying advanced weapons systems such as Germany's Taurus missiles.” “Why, oh why, is this happening? We cannot allow the free world to be dismantled before our eyes,” Branson concluded. We couldn't agree more. Trump is an enemy of Ukraine, an enemy of democracy, and an enemy of the American people. When Democrats return to power, we will have an enormous task ahead of us. Every trace of this dreadful man's legacy must be erased.
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
Millions of years captured in one photo...
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All of Donald Trump's HATE of Canada and Mexico and look who shows up when our country is burning to help us?
Canada and Mexico sent water dropping aircraft to help fight fires raging in California. Our bordering friends coming to our rescue despite Trump’s attempt to vilify them. Thank you Canada and Mexico. 🇨🇦🇲🇽
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
WSJ Editorial Board: “Congress is preoccupied with the Nov. 3 election, but Mr. Trump may not appreciate the anger he’s courting if he keeps aiding Mr. Putin. When the election is over there needs to be a bipartisan reckoning for Mr. Trump’s budding alliance with the Kremlin against Ukraine, Europe and American interests.” Amen.
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Built for multi-generational living: private bedroom wing, laundry, and a 400 sq ft deck.

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The richest people should not pay a lower tax rate than working people. Let's close this loophole and protect Social Security.
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CONFIRMED: None of the protesters at the No Kings rally in Washington, DC yesterday tried to break into the U.S. Capitol Building or tried to overthrow the government or smear shit on the walls.
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
Give every day the chance to be the most beautiful day of your life. Mark Twain
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A billionaire can write off a private jet as a business expense, but a teacher can't write off the crayons she bought for her classroom. A CEO can deduct a $500 steak dinner, but a nurse can't deduct the scrubs she's required to wear.
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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” —Martin Luther King
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FLASHBACK: Ten years ago tonight, Hillary Clinton said that Donald Trump would operate as a puppet of Vladimir Putin. Hillary was right about everything.
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Remember how confident we were when Kamala was having her wonderful rallies? The same thing applies now. Don't rest and get comfortable because it looks so good. VOTE‼️💙
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Marc Ventresca retweeted
Thank you Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson for protecting Utah voters! 🇺🇸
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If California billionaires can burn through $340 MILLION to run ads against paying a billionaire tax, then they can definitely afford to pay a billionaire tax.
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