At Least He's Honest

The BBC reports that a big cheese in Silicon Valley has resigned after a series sexual of harassment complaints by female employees.

Now if you ask me, Dave McClure did the right thing and at least he's honest by owning up and stating publicly that "I'm a creep".

Compare Dave McClure's behaviour to the ghastly old groper Donald Trump who tried to dismiss his own 'pussy grabbing' advice as locker room banter and now shows increasing signs of being completely off his rocker. 

  

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40493518

‘I’m a creep’: Tech boss Dave McClure resigns after harassment claims

By Zoe Kleinman - BBC News


Image copyright - GETTY IMAGES Image caption - Dave McClure co-founded investment firm 500 Startups

The founder of Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist firm 500 Startups has resigned following sexual harassment claims by several women.

Dave McClure announced his resignation in a blog entitled: "I'm a creep. I'm sorry."

Entrepreneur Sarah Kunst had claimed in the New York Times that Mr McClure sent inappropriate messages after discussing a potential job offer with her.

Mr McClure apologised directly to her for his behaviour in his post.

He also admitted that he had behaved inappropriately towards other women.


"I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate," wrote Mr McClure.

"I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behaviour was inexcusable and wrong."


Image copyright - SARAH KUNST Image caption - Sarah Kunst claimed Dave McClure said in a message he didn't know whether to "hire her or hit on her" according to the New York Times

After the article, tech entrepreneur Cheryl Yeoh also published claims of an assault in her apartment and claimed there were "dozens" of women who had been sexually harassed by him.

She said she had invited Mr McClure and some other investors back to her home to brainstorm new ideas in 2014. He was the last to leave.

"He pushed himself on to me to the point where I was backed into a corner, made contact to kiss me, and said something along the lines of, 'Just one night, please just this one time,'" she wrote.

Ms Yeoh said she had already told Mr McClure that she had a boyfriend, and that he knew him.

"The fact that I had to say no multiple times, and that he had pushed himself on to me and kissed me without my consent was way more than crossing the line of inappropriateness," she wrote.


Image copyright - TED Image caption - Cheryl Yeoh gave a Ted talk in 2013

In his blog Mr McClure apologised directly to Sarah Kunst and "the women I have hurt or offended" but did not mention Ms Yeoh by name.

He has not commented on her claims.
A plea for 'decency' in shaken Silicon Valley
Uber: The scandals that drove Kalanick out

500 Startup co-founder Christine Tsai has now taken on the role of chief executive.

"As much as we want to be part of the solution, we clearly have also been part of the problem," she wrote.

"Undoubtedly there are ways I could have done more or acted sooner."

Dave McClure is undergoing counselling "to work on changing his perspectives", she added.
Silicon Valley sexism

Silicon Valley has been rocked by sexism scandals in recent months.

Several senior executives at Uber, including founder Travis Kalanick, resigned after a damning report into the organisational culture within the firm which included sexual discrimination.

Last month, Binary Capital co-founders Justin Caldbeck and Jonathan Teo both resigned from the tech investment firm following accusations of harassment carried out by Mr Caldbeck.

In a statement to The Information (which has a paywall) Mr Caldbeck said he was "deeply disturbed" by the allegations.

"There's no denying this is an issue in the venture community, and I hate that my behaviour has contributed to it," he said.

At last week's Female Founders conference, attendees said they were pleased to see action was being taken.

"People are being held accountable - they're not sweeping it under the carpet," Jessica Livingston, co-creator of start-up investment programme Y Combinator, told the BBC.

Locker-Room Banter? (18/01/17)

Speaking at a press conference in the Kremlin the other day, Russian President Vladimir Putin had this to say about the incoming American President Donald Trump:

"This is an adult (Donald Trump) and, moreover, a man who for many years has organised beauty contests. He socialised with the most beautiful women in the world. I can hardly imagine he rushed to the hotel to meet our girls of lower social responsibility - even though they are the best in the world, of course."

Now you might put this kind of nonsense down as juvenile 'locker-room' banter, as Donald Trump has done himself, of course.

But if you ask me, President Putin's comments about Russian prostitutes being of "lower social responsibility" are hugely demeaning, particularly as he goes on to boast that "our girls......are the best in the world."

By the way it's worth remembering that while Donald Trump claims to be far too smart to be caught out by sophisticated spying equipment during his stay in Moscow, he was exposed for his "Grab 'em by the pussy" comments while wearing a lapel microphone while doing a TV show with the NBC presenter Billy Bush.

  

Sexual Predator (10/10/16)

"Grab them by the pussy" is locker-room banter according to Donald Trump, but it's not the kind of foul language or ugly mindset that you'd expect from a professional person never mind someone aspiring to become President of the United States.

So the race for the White House has been dragged into the world of sexual predators by the unguarded comments of the Republican nominee while his 'partner in crime', a TV presenter named Billy Bush, has been suspended by the NBC Today programme.

NBC has said there is "simply no excuse for Billy's behaviour and language on that tape", yet Trump carries on after issuing a perfunctory apology which completely ingress the fact that he was in a professional setting at the time and nowhere near a locker-room.

To their credit most of the Bush family have said they will not be voting for this buffoon and while Trump's poll ratings are taking a well-deserved hit, especially among women voters, I suspect there's much more to come in the days ahead.   

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37605883

Billy Bush suspended by NBC after Trump tape emerges

BBC - Entertainment & Arts

Image copyright AP Image caption - Billy Bush has said that he is "very sorry" for the 2005 remarks

US TV host Billy Bush has been suspended from NBC's Today show after a video tape emerged in which he and Donald Trump made lewd comments.

Today executive Noah Oppenheim wrote in a memo to the morning show's staff that there is "simply no excuse for Billy's language and behaviour on that tape".

Mr Bush has said he was "embarrassed and ashamed" at the remarks.

US presidential candidate Mr Trump has also apologised for the obscene comments made in the 2005 tape.

In the video, Mr Trump was on a bus talking to Mr Bush - then host of NBC's Access Hollywood - ahead of a segment they were about to record.

Mr Trump says "you can do anything" to women "when you're a star" and also brags about trying to grope and kiss women.

Mr Bush tells Mr Trump at one point "the Donald has scored" and also comments on a woman's "good legs".

Image copyrightAPImage caption - Mr Trump has said the words "don't reflect" who he is

The presenter, who is the first cousin of former President George W Bush, has since said: "It's no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago - I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry."

Top Republicans have condemned Mr Trump for the comments. His election rival Hillary Clinton called them "horrific".

The Republican party nominee has said "these words don't reflect who I am... I apologise".

Bush joined the Today team in August, having been anchor of Access Hollywood since 2009 and co-host of Access Hollywood Live since 2010.

Mr Oppenheim said that there would be a "further review" of the matter and did not say how long Mr Bush would be suspended for.