Comments on: Time Warp

By: francine hardaway

francine hardaway — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:00:18 +0000

Very perceptive, Jeremy. As conflicted as they come. I wanted equality for myself in business, even though it meant looking past the racism and prejudice. Luckily (or karmicly), they wouldn’t let me back in and I had to do it on my own. Things always happen the way they should. I probably would have been a bigger asshole had I been allowed to stay :-)

By: Jeremy Pepper

Jeremy Pepper — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:33:08 +0000

It’s interesting, though. You bemoan the well-known fact that there were and are no minorities allowed, but you wanted to go for the pool.

Post-children, though, and you still want to belong to the club for business.

Where’s the line, though? You hold your nose at prejudice and racism for the luxury of business connects?

By: francine hardaway

francine hardaway — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:22:40 +0000

Sure! Let’s go to lunch at the “Club.” I’d love to meet you and I’m sure I have the drag to ‘pass.”I’m up there for Venture Summit West next week, and then the week of Christmas/New Year’s.

By: dave davison

dave davison — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:54:57 +0000

Francine – found your comments on Scobleizer’s critical trashing of the Kindle. since Robert mentioned you in his video diatribe, i thought I would find out about you.

and what to my wondering eyes should appear but your great polemic on the country club and its old boy culture and how it affected yuur life.

I was raised in a country club environment as a kid, and from that point of view had a very negative concept of “club life” – so when my wife cajoled me into joining the Sharon Heights Country Club on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park about 15 years ago, I was immmediately reminded of Groucho Marx comment: ” I wouldn’t want to join a club that would have me as a member!”

But, rather than stay on the sidelines, I chose instead to get involved on the Board in order to push for the changes to the oldboy culture you mentioned, which were adopted over about a 15 year period after lots of heated arguments with the old boys –Result, women board members, women proprietary memberships, family-oriented values – all of which have been pushed through over almost continuous objection by the old guard.

One of my pet peeves is the dress code rules – which still apply today – for example, I invited Robert Scoble to lunch with me at the club some time ago, and he came dressed in his usual geek outfit and he was asked to leave the clubhouse ( embarassing for me and him) so we compromised that day to have a table outside on the patio where no one could see us – really stupid.

The next times Robert and I have had our pleasant lunch or coffee get togethers, it has NOT been at the club.

So I am really in synch with your post, and perhaps when you are here in the Valley next, we could have lunch in the Mixed Grill at Sharon Heights (a facility specifically designed to serve both men and women) and arguably the best feature of our newly rebuilt facility.

Just don’t wear your levis!

By: lux

lux — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:50:43 +0000

Over in the Connecticut ‘Gold Coast’ of Fairfield county, there are still clubs that won’t accept Jews. It disgusts me, but it’s a fact of life.

By: francine hardaway

francine hardaway — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:07:00 +0000

I thought these by-laws must be illegal thirty years ago, but apparently the must be made illegal.

By: Thomas Han

Thomas Han — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:23:47 +0000

Hi Francine,

First time commenter.

I am just disgusted by these types of “clubs” that still have by-laws like this. Come on, it’s 2007! do they segregate their parking lot too? urgh!