Brock Has Left The Banking!

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison, Mar 31, 2006 4:15PM

This investigation is okay, but it's hardly not anything overly sensational, intelligent or amusing. It's not that I'm against it on moral grounds or anything, it's more that this is just the sort of thing I used to write for newspapers when I was fifteen and still trying out journalism/creative writing etc. - by that I mean the limitations on my industry knowledge - in both journalism and the subject I was writing on - showed up lear signs of "scruffy writing/thinking". Yes, it was vaguely entertaining, and sometimes interesting, but it was still very much amateur level material: lightly researched and emotionally driven.

Take for example:

"And although we did not understand how something could converge and diverge at the same time, we believed him.

Now we hear that he has moved over to Lehman's Fund of Funds, and we have to wonder:

Was Brock lying about his love for tech banking all along?

Was it just a change of heart?

Will we ever know?"

Well, maybe Lehman's Fund of Funds was interested in making investments in tech funds, and they needed someone who knew about the market for that? This would hardly constitute Brock "lying about his love for tech banking all along" or any kind of "change of heart", and probably IS what happened: the tech sector, after all, has picked up tremendously recently and funds have been eager to get on the bandwagon.

Maybe Brock had some great ideas for investments in his former role and someone at the Fund said, "hey, give him a shot!" Maybe he was just a talented salesman, and Lehman saw an opportunity for him. I think you also ignore one of the greatest things about investment banking which is that unlike most other industries you CAN move around more and try out different roles - it's fun, and it's kind of educational.

Either way, what's the point of these pieces? Are they supposed to be "exposes"? Are they supposed to be satires of "exposes"? It's not that I don't have a sense of humour, it's just they aren't funny - at least not to an adult audience. I'm sure they would be hilarious in a college paper.

This kind of standard of writing lets the side down a bit.

Posted by Attila, Mar 31, 2006 6:53PM

Daniel...

I think they spell it I-R-O-N-Y...

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison, Mar 31, 2006 8:14PM

Attila:
"Daniel...
I think they spell it I-R-O-N-Y..."

Yes, I'm fully aware of that, read my last post thoroughly though:

"Are they supposed to be satires of "exposes"? It's not that I don't have a sense of humour, it's just they aren't funny"

... and that's what I meant by college level journalism: this irony is just plain unamusing, unentertaining ...

... or did you see something I didn't (genuinely)?

Posted by Christian, Mar 31, 2006 10:35PM

Hey there Danny Boy. You might be overthinking this one.

Just yesterday we saw an achingly earnest profile that Lehman's PR department made poor Brock write. It's intended to make us trust Brock -- and how couldn't we trust someone who gives such a detailed account of his daily activities. We even learn that he starts his day by checking messages at 7 AM and then working out if nothing is urgent. That's more than I know about most of my friends.

But then we discover that Brock isn't even doing what he just got done telling us he was so excited about. This leaves us to wonder if we ever really knew him at all.

What makes the post funny is its overwrought, Drudge-style hand-wringing over what happened, when no one in fact cares.

Posted by Steve, Apr 01, 2006 7:41PM

Daniel, you cant seriously be critiquing these posts, can you? if so, you need to pull your head out of your sphincter and lighten up a bit. its humor, and if its beneath you, go read wsj.com. personally, i found the post to be pretty amusing, which is what i would guess the writer was shooting for when creating it.

its great that you write a serious blog, but i would question your true intellect if you arent able to discern the intent of other blogs which have an obviously less serious tone. unless your comment is in fact in jest also, in which case, i apologize and i will pull my own head out of my own sphincter...but i dont think you are kidding, in which case, back to anal extraction for you.

Posted by Larry Jones, Apr 02, 2006 10:45AM

Wow. Daniel is a real douchebag.

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison, Apr 02, 2006 2:08PM

:-) Fair enough, point proven I guess: this is funny to most people! In all honesty, I agree somewhat first time round, though this follow up was a little weak. Either way, the statements were rhetorical rather than anything, and they were shouted down. Fair play.

Posted by Eliot Spitzer, Apr 03, 2006 9:22AM

Daniel,

You really love to hear yourself talk don't you? You pretentious dweeb. We're all weary of your nonsensical musings.

Snuggles,

Eliot

Posted by B, Apr 13, 2006 2:17PM

I know Brock, and Daniel is no Brock.