RockGeek Fact of the Day #926
Happy 67th Birthday to John Kay – frontman for Steppenwolf. Their biggest hit, “Born to Be Wild” was originally written as a ballad. Steppenwolf’s sped-up 1967 arrangement was the one that became a hit and helped…
Why Wikipedia Rocks
I love random facts. And I couldn’t pass this one up …. so random, so weird, and so damn cool! On this day in 1963, Fleetwood Lindley died. At the time of his death, Fleetwood Lindley…
Legacy
A few hours ago, Debbie Friedman passed away. For those who knew her, she was a unique person with an absolute gift. But for most Jewish kids, she was the creator of countless songs that are indelibly linked to our days in youth group.
Timbuk2: A love story
Too many folks today feel compelled to tell you how shitty their experience was with any retailer. It seems that bad news is far more interesting to share than the good kind. After a while, you…
Social Media Marketing: 5 Reasons Why It’s NOT For You
This post was written by David Ginsburg of Hector Solutions… Over the weekend, (weekend is a vague term in the 24/7 world of social media) I was speaking with a colleague handling the PR for a…
Republicans make better marketers.
I don’t like discussing politics. Usually it’s because I’m totally right, and the other person is an absolute moron. But seriously folks… The more I watch the news, I see all these ridiculous Repubican-type “Tea Partiers”…
Now and not quite forever?
On this day in 2000, the musical “Cats” (finally) closed on Broadway after 7,485 performances spanning nearly 18 years. Snooty theater people say it happened 7,484 performances too late.
Under the Meadowlands?
35 years ago on this day, Jimmy Hoffa went to a lunch meeting at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in suburban Detroit. He was never seen again. Coincidentally, on that same day, at roughly the same…
Coincidence? Could it be?
Today would’ve been Totie Field’s 80th birthday. She was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, CT and got her start in Boston clubs. Not that I see any resemblance to anyone in my family, but it does…
Pickled Herring
Reprinted with permission by Bob Lefsetz. Read more at www.lefsetz.com Every Sunday morning my father went to Sam’s. Well, first it was Max’s, then he and his partner had a fight and it became Sam’s. What…
The party of no…
I spent last week at SXSW. And with all the chaos going on in Austin, I wasn’t able to pay attention to the political wrangling going on in DC. It was nice to be disconnected from…
What in the wide wide world of …
Also an apparent golfer, North Korean state media reports that Kim routinely shoots three or four holes-in-one per round…
MLK Day 2010: I Have a Dream
“It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment…”
Happy New Year (from Abba)
First broadcast on Swedish TV back on 12/31/80, it’s still played every New Year’s Eve all over Sweden…
Happy Festivus!
Frank Costanza: “Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there…
Happy Birthday to Spike Jones
No, not that guy. The other, older one. Born on this day in 1911, Spike would’ve been 98 years old today. An original comic and rebel, Spike is the credited with the original recording of (the…
Banned Words and Phrases, vol. 1
Words are powerful; they connote feelings, opinions, and facts. The right word, at the right time, can do so much. Unfortuntely, there are multiple phrases which have become far too ubiquitous in our daily discourse, and…
Happy Halloween from Mr. Paul Lynde (!!!)
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde whose first (and only) broadcast was October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest stars Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the…
BCN/9-25
In retrospect, not working for WBCN is a huge regret. That’s not to say I turned down the opportunity (who would?), but a variety of twists and turns, ended up with me starting at WZLX 3…
See that little button up there?
Here’s the deal – short and sweet. The Hector Fund is shooting for a panel at SXSW. You can vote for us! All’s you gotta do is click the little button, give ’em your email address*,…
Technical Difficulties: Please stand by …
We’re moving the blog and site toward a new, snazzy design. ‘Til then, things’ll look a little odd… Hang in there, all will be well soon. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming already…
But what do you do?
Last night, I was watching the Red Sox lose to the Texas Rangers. Sad, really. In fact, I’d go as far as to call it tragic. I’m a massive Sox fan. I’ve been going to games…
Access. That’s all. Nothing else.
Normally, I don’t like to spotlight my own projects on here. In a way, tooting my own horn seems to obliterate any sense of credibility gained. That being said, I watched The Hector Fund in action….
Happy Birthday to …
Jerry Garcia – Born 8/1/42 …
Happy Birthday Sir Mick!
66 years old today … That’s right, 66.
Tales from the Naked City – A cautionary tale…
I keep tabs on former consulting clients. It’s always valuable to know what folks’re up to, how they’re doing, and if there’s the possibility for future advice or work. In a previous entry, “The Good Guy…
Bye bye Karl: A small diversion…
Karl Malden died. He was 97. Capping a string of celebrity and “celebrity” deaths, his probably won’t go as noticed as others. But he reminded me, in an instant, of a catchphrase which has become totally…
Thought for the Day #6
“The two saddest words in the English language are: “What party?” –Carrie Fisher
Cuba si!
Every now and then you see a brilliant piece of marketing. It gives one pause, and makes you wonder – why didn’t I think of that!? Here is such a piece… Now that we’ve elected Barack…
Thought for the Day #5
“My thing is I always make a couple of bucks less than whomever the highest-paid guys is. You can’t eat the whole pie. If you eat all the pie, you’ll get fat, choke, and die. If…
What about the money?!!?
Time and again, I get clients who feel that they need to have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Further, they explain, they need viral marketing in order to be successful. What amazes me, continually,…
It’s All Too Much …?
I love my iPhone. I really do. As a piece of design, it’s flawless. Technologically speaking, it’s light years ahead of my (former) Blackberry, and it’s just plain fun to use. Not since I was about…
Hail Caesar!
Dom Deluise – 1933-2009
Lady Godiva was a freedom rider …
Bea Arthur 1922 – 2009 From Maude… From Mame… From The Golden Girls… From History of the World, Part I
Thought for the Day #4
“I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means ‘put down’…” –Bob Newhart
Happy Birthday to…
Tom Lehrer! Born 4/9/28 … The Vatican Rag The Masochism Tango I Got It From Agnes
And then…
As a general rule, I try to keep this blog on post, relevant, and focused. But every now and then something so utterly unexpected happens that it jars you out of your normal routine and makes…
Thought for the Day #3
“There are three kinds of pianists: Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists” –Vladimir Horowitz
Happy Birthday to …
…Elton John. Born 62 years ago today! Bennie and the Jets – Edinburgh, 1976 Border Song – London, 1970 This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore – London, 2001
Real Stimulus. The kind that helps …
As many have noted, the economy sucks. Money’s tight, and people can’t afford the simple luxuries in life, let alone the not-so-simple ones. It’s a fairly shiteous time for a great portion of America, and even…
Thought for the Day #2
Client: What time is it? Consultant: What time do you want it to be?
Thought for the Day #1
“If you’re at a party, and you see Michael Phelps smoking a bong, and your first thought isn’t ‘wow, I get to party with Michael Phelps’, and instead you take a picture and sell it to…
Happy 25th Birthday Mac!
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the original Macintosh, the first personal computer to draw masses, introduce the mouse and incorporate a graphical user interface, relying on images instead of text. The Apple Inc. watershed product…
Happy Birthday to …
Elvis Presley – Born 1/8/35 David Bowie – Born 1/8/47
RIP Mitch Mitchell
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s drummer Mitch Mitchell was found dead in a downtown Portland hotel Wednesday. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s office said 62-year-old Mitch Mitchell likely died of natural causes. His body…
Liberace and the election
Most of what I blog about pertains to the music industry, and how I interact with it. Over the last few days, with the election at the forefront of everything, I started to realize that where…
Recharge the batteries!
After realizing that I hadn’t taken a “real” vacation of any sort in over 2 years, I thought it was time to get away — even just for a weekend. An invitation from a relative to…