A lot of folks rely on they. The mighty they seem to know everything about everything but manage to remain nameless. They say you should pee on a jellyfish sting to stop the pain and reduce swelling. They say that latinos tend to vote Democrat, but Adam Lambert lost Idol ‘cuz the Midwest found him too flamboyant. In marketing, they is a powerful force. Not only do they shape public opinion...
Gilbert O’Sullivanomics
The other day I watched a couple Berklee students perform an impressive cover of “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. Gilbert is essentially a 3-hit wonder (that’s 2 more than most!) from the early ’70s. “Alone Again (Naturally)” was a monster hit that got covered by everyone from Nina Simone to Sarah Vaughn to Donny Osmond. The mind shudders...
Brilliant at the Basics…
A few years ago, I worked with a program director named Buzz Knight. Buzz and I never really saw eye to eye on much, but I was always impressed with the results his team managed to generate. He was quite fond of catchphrases, and most of ’em bordered on silly, but one stuck with me: be brilliant at the basics. This message has been dispensed in various forms, but lately it’s reminding...
Do you (really) know what you’re talking about?
I spent nearly 2 weeks writing this post. At every turn, I questioned the wiseness, propriety, and basic common sense in putting forth these thoughts. But the more I read, DM’ed toward, or otherwise got pointed to, I notice that so many “experts” simply are not. Despite their experience (which is at best occasionally applicable), few people are either blogging their own ideas...
A Withdrawal from the Favor Bank?
The other day, I made a slightly expensive purchase. For the princely sum of $202.74 (including a supposed “convenience” charge), I now have a seat to see Elton John and Billy Joel at Gillette Stadium on July 18th. For those keeping score at home, July 18th is a mere twelve days before my birthday. But I digress… In daze of old, when I worked in radio, concert tickets were...
But was your face blown out … ?
The big news in Boston was the opening of the brand-new, super-duper House of Blues on Landsdowne St. Rising from the ashes of Avalon (formerly Venus de Milo which was formerly Metro which was formerly Citi which … you get the idea), was this already legendary musical phoenix. Kicking off this massive hoop-dee-do, was a performance by the J. Geils Band. First, naturally, they looked at the...
Free your iPod !!!
iPod might be the greatest thing to happen to music since ears. But my personal listening habits (and many others who I scientifically polled…), seem to evolve around listening to the same bunch of songs. Granted it’s the same 200 or so songs, but there’s an extreme amount of repetition. Wondering who was being imprisoned in the virtual Siberia of my personal music device, I...
Find it here, but listen to it … there!?
Back in ye olde days, I had a pretty sweet system. Bose speakers, Denon receiver and cd player, and the oh-so-pricey gold Monster Cables connecting everything together. I was a sophomore in high school, and I saved up (Jewish) confirmation gift money, went to Tweeter’s “Scratch ‘n’ Dent” sale, and lugged it all home on the T — from Harvard Square to Oak Grove...
The Fine Art of Pissing People Off
It has always amazed me that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease.” And while there are quieter, more deserving people in need of help or praise, there may in fact be more to gain by squeaking your wheel. That being said, I wonder if pissing people off is actually the better vehicle for success. I once worked with a CEO whom everyone (without exception!) despised. In virtually every...
It’s 2009 and boy are my arms tired …
Now that we’re into a new year, and most people have already made and/or broken their resolutions, I wanted to address a l’il issue that bugs me. For those who know me, this isn’t the following: 1. People who put butter on their bagels. Wrong for SO many reasons. 2. Grown adults who type/text like 12-year old girls. Srsly. IDK, it’s just retarded. 3. I don’t care...