All about me

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is."

~Bob Dylan

Goodness gracious, another birthday behind me.  Good times, glad tidings and all that crap.  Seriously, though .... why do we make such a major event of birthday's to begin with?  

Starting with our first birthday ... who is it really for?  Not the child who is given birthday cake without mom or dad feeding it to them with a spoon.  What else would you expect other than the child scooping it up with their hands to help themselves.  That's the beauty of being so young, if you want it, you simply help yourself.   Our memory probably serves to remind us that we were always taught and used our manners:

Those first birthday photos really are taken by and for the parents, not the child.  Who wants to be humiliated in their teens, 40th birthday or wedding day when they appear in a slideshow back drop for a big event!

I'm lucky.  I was the third of four children.  I would imagine my parents were just thankful assemble us all to celebrate!  Yeppers, that was the 60s.  Now it's about who can take the the best photo and load first on Facebook.



I do have to admit that I did get a resounding 27 messages from Linked In sending birthday wishes my way -- I like how Linked In provides its users with innovative ways to keep in touch, like birthday wishes, new jobs, new photos.  Responsible me, I personally wrote and thanked every single person who did.  Even the ones that just used the feature, it was the thought that count.  (Hint:  at least drop the last name before you send so it doesn't look so impersonal).  It was in responding I asked others why bother celebrating birthdays once you pass a "certain" age?  I decided then and there, it should be all about celebrating life!


I admit I was born in the 1960s because it was a cool time to be born.   It was time when humanity was breaking out of conformity, taking a stand on just about anything and many traditions seemed old.   Maybe that is why I adored Mad Men.   Not only is there a fixation and fascination with the 60s culture, those of us born in the era were given a gift of insight on the times and what was going on in the background.  Most likely,  I was starting to think of myself as an individual and not an extension of my parents, siblings, or teachers.  

"Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine."

~Elvis Presley

My parents were born in the 1930s, post depression. They may have been guided by needs that were more often a struggle to be met.  Then came along the 60s, when it turned around to being about wants. Many believed that the 60s was the dawn of a golden era: the future promised peace, comfort and prosperity.  Couples had larger families, drove larger cars and just about anything bigger was acceptable back then.  

The 1960s has often been defined as the "Me" generation.  I suppose it stemmed from our parents wanting to have and give us everything.  We were expected to have manners, treat elders with respect and do well in school so we went to university or college without questioning how it would be done.   We really didn't seem to have to worry about cancer, gun violence, abortion, foreclosure, unemployment and becoming pregnant before marriage was scandalized.  Even our politicians seemed to be honest --  on January 20, 1961, the handsome and charismatic John F. Kennedy became president of the United States.

"Don't compromise yourself.  You are all you've got."

 ~Janis Joplin

Women started leaving the home in droves to work and earn their own pay cheque.  Our moms wanted her children of the 60s to embrace and go beyond the opportunities they could never dream of.  Not really a wonder so many of us turned out to be perfectionists driven to succeed at all costs - our health, marriages, family relationships.  

Janis Joplin's 1965 Porsche 356 Cabriolet

Historians have said described the 60s as being the ten years having the most significant changes in history. By the end of the 60s humanity had entered the spaceage by putting a man on the moon. The 60s were influenced by the youth of the post-war baby boom - a generation with a fondness for change and "far-out gadgets".  

Let's take a stroll and  highlight inventions of the decade:

• Valium (1961)
• Nondairy creamer (1961)
• Audio cassette (1962)
• Fiber-tip pen (1962)
• The first computer video game Spacewar (1962)
• Dow Corp invents silicone breast implants (1962)
• The video disk (1963)
• Acrylic paint (1964)
• Permanent-press fabric (1964)
• BASIC (an early computer language)  by John George Kemeny and Tom Kurtz (1964)
• Astroturf (1965)
• Soft contact lenses (1965)
• NutraSweet (1965)
• The compact disk by James Russell (1965)
• Kevlar  by Stephanie Louise Kwolek (1965)
• Electronic Fuel injection for cars (1966)
• The first handheld calculator (1967)
• The computer mouse  by Douglas Engelbart (1968)
• The first computer with integrated circuits made (1968)
•  RAM (random access memory) by Robert Dennard (1968)
• The arpanet (first internet) (1969)
• The artificial heart (1969)
• The ATM Automated Teller Machine (1969)
• The bar-code scanner (1969)

There were several other major gains made in the 1960s that impact us today.  1960-64 transcended the Civil Rights movement.   Feminism and women liberation became significant.  

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

Musically, the 60s had some of the most influential artists and music of all time.  Think back and reflect on some of our greatest discoveries:

• Aretha Franklin "Respect" (1971)
• Beach Boys "I Get Around" (1964)
• Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1964)
• Ben E. King "Stand by Me" (1961)
• Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965)
• Chubby Checker "The Twist" (1960)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival "Bad Moon Rising" (1969)
• Diana Ross and The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go" (1964)
• Doors "Light My Fire" (1967)
• Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (1960)
• Janis Joplin "Piece of my Heart" (1967)
• Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower" (1968)
• Led Zepplin "Communications Breakdown" (1969)
• Marvin Gaye "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (1968)
• Ray Charles "Georgia on my Mind" (1960)
• Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965)
• Roy Orbison "Crying" (1961)
• Sam Cooke "(What A) Wonderful World" (1960)
• Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1969)
• Stevie Wonder "Fingertips Pt. 2" (1963)
• Tina Turner "River Deep, Mountain High" (1966)
• The Who "I Can See For Miles" (1967)

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to reflect, research and write this post that is personal.  I have to congratulate myself -- I was able to steer clear of any whining about getting older.  I am thankful that I came from the golden generation of the 60s decade.  

Did I forget a fond 1960s memory or one of your favorite artists?   We can fix that:  go ahead and comment, have your say!

Keep calm and color on

This blog was originally written about Business, Sales, Leadership, Social Media  optioneerJM since May 2010.  As I was critiquing myself, I recognized that I strayed from its main purposes with reflections on matters that are unbusiness-related. 

 I have since branched out to Meanderings because there are many issues I want to write about that don't fall under business.  I hope you will visit, follow, share and help me there.  It is your support that inspires me to write.  If you have an idea or question you would like me to write about on optioneerJM or Meanderings, drop me a line and let me know optioneerJM@gmail.com.

INFORMATION overload or PRIVACY invasion? A new era of advertising.

“I have a theory about the human mind. A brain is a lot like a computer. It will only take so many facts, and then it will go on overload and blow up.”

~Erma Bombeck

We're all bombarded by information overload with "BUY ME" screaming at us everywhere.  It doesn't matter if you're on a solo drive to work or on transit, relaxing at home -- we ARE surrounded by advertisements:  the radio, billboards, bus ads, vehicle wraps. We log on to our computers at home to check our email or check our social media to see what family or friends are up to and even that is surrounded with banner ads.  

Certainly, information is getting more personalized.  Some folks even go so far as to say that too much trust is innocently being handed over to the big engines who monitor our clicks to tailor what we see.  Oh, boy.  Sure sounds like "Big Brother" has arrived doesn't it?  Of course.  There it is: the popular TV show where you can watch people hang out all day and night, get into fights, delve into relationships, intimate or lead others. That's entertainment!

There are plenty of people that are opposed to signing up to social media platforms, holding out and not caving in to what seemingly everyone is doing.  There are definitely good reason for many.  Except, if you think you are avoiding anything, you're being snowed.  Those individuals may see it as a waste of time, perceive narcissism, or simply state that they don't want to broadcast what they're thinking, watching, reading.   Privacy right? 

I'll admit, sometimes when I'm driving I may happen to notice a billboard or transit ad on the back of the bus I'm behind.  Usually the image first catches my eye and if I'm stopped at a stop light,  I might even notice the caption or tag line ... and then .... yes, there it is - the ULTIMATE:  the website.  OK, I ask myself, where is the address?  What about a phone number?  I'm expected to remember the website so then I can go look it up?  Geezwhiz.

Oh, wait a minute, where is that pen/paper or my soft phone to capture a photo of the moving ad to write the website down while I'm DRIVING! That seems pretty dumb, almost hilarious to me.  At least laughing out loud would be safer than juggling steering wheel, feet on the pedal, while keeping your eyes on the road.  Oh right, they want to take your eyes off the road so that you will pay attention to the ad, and memorize the website.  We're not burnt out from work, our eyes are not tired.  We want to jump up and say -- I wanna look that up by golly! 

Forget kissing your spouse, asking your kids how their day went, or walking the dog.  First thing you will do is fire up the computer, log on to the computer to go to the website before you turn on the television or pick up the paper .... all which are tempting you with alternative offers to distract you so you forget about it until you are cleaning up the car you find the rumpled piece of paper or looking for what to delete off your phone to free up space.  By then, you probably won't even remember why you had it to begin with or your budget is already blown. Come to think of it, somebody else is spending  pretty big budgets to tell us to go to a website?

What about when the television is flipped on to relax.  Yeah right!  Who can watch anything these days without being irritated by so many television ads?  Flip on over to Netflix, AMC or HBO special programs and notice if there aren't any product placements with brand logos?  Not too often.

Have I made my point:  Someone is making a lot of dough justifying unsafe habits or invading your privacy so that you will only go to their WEBSITE. 

“There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant” 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Advertising Boxes Out Social Media

According to an article on Media Post:  "Social networking now accounts for one of every five minutes spent online, making it the most popular online activity worldwide, according to a comprehensive new report from comScore. What’s more, it leads all content categories in the number of display ads delivered, accounting for more than 1 in 4 U.S. display ad impressions (28%). " 

My Commentary:

After spending over 10 years working with magazines, including launching a national inflight magazine for a major airline, my take why social media is a distant cousin in advertising spend is because the actual people who allocate advertising budgets are simply not involved in Social Media themselves.  

Social Media is relatively new, limited by few metrics, sceptics abound  and partial resources to quantify ROI.  From my days in magazines, justifying budget expenditures were and still are compared by readership, reach, audience, demographics and so on.  It tended to lean still towards coupons or call to action ads.   It is far easier to rationalize after someone walks in or inquires after newspaper or radios generate the response.  Marketers have had years to validate traditional advertising.