Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about an amazing, selfless woman who heads Soldiers Angels Germany. Her name of Mary Ann Phillips and she is a force of nature. Her mission, “to support patients medevaced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Mary Ann’s work is so extraordinary she was one of 13 Americas, out of 6,000 nominated, to be awarded by President Obama the Presidential Citizens Award, the 2nd highest civilian award our country has to offer.
This is recognition that is truly deserved. Mary Ann is a special, special human being. From her citation,
MaryAnn Phillips, Star Valley Ranch, WY
Caring for America’s injured service members, MaryAnn Phillips embodies strength and grace. An American citizen living in Germany, Phillips volunteers with Soldiers Angels at Landstuhl Air Force Base. She spends countless hours at the bedsides of our wounded warriors and their families, caring for them, encouraging them, and grieving with them. Phillips receives the Citizens Medal for putting her patriotism into action on behalf of our troops and our nation.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
As I told author Sally Pipes last night, Massachusetts residents are the canary in the coal mine for Obamacare. We’re living with the mini-me of this impending national disaster everyday in the form of Romneycare.
Even though we’ve seen this movie already in Massachusetts, the fact is, it should scare the hell out of every taxpayer in the country.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Whether you are talking about TV (CNBC), magazines (The Atlantic) or books (Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History), lots of people are talking about the business and marketing lessons to be learned from the Grateful Dead.
Just remember where you read it first! As the Grateful Dead would say, this one is From The Vault, August 9, 2009…
The best example I could find explaining what Jerry Garcia meant to Deadheads comes from legendary venture capitalist Roger McNamee, of all people. From the New York Times on the day Garcia died, August 9, 1995,
“I feel like a member of my family died,” said Roger McNamee, a general partner at Integral Capital Partners in Palo Alto. He also said that the day was one of emotional contrast for him. As a technology investor, he had been elated by the early success of Netscape Inc., a hot new Internet company that had its first public stock offering. But when he learned that Mr. Garcia had died, he felt devastated, he said.
Just how big of a deal was that hot new Internet company?
FORTUNE Magazine
Remembering Netscape: The Birth Of The WebIt was the spark that touched off the Internet boom. On Wednesday, Aug. 9, 1995, a 16-month-old Silicon Valley startup called Netscape tried to go public, but demand for the shares was so high that for almost two hours that morning, trading couldn’t open. The stock, which had been priced at $28 a share, zoomed as high as $75 that day and closed at $58.
And he felt devatstated.
Garcia understood the connection. In today speak, Garcia and the Grateful Dead launched multiple, synergistic initiatives to leverage their installed base. He was a visionary leader who understood social networks, marketing and monetization. I’m making him sound like a dot-com CEO! Have I completely lost my marbles? I don’t think so and here’s why…
P2P File Sharing, 1965
Fifteen years before Shawn Fanning was born and 33 years before Napster was invented, Jerry Garcia launched a P2P file sharing network. The files of the day were cassette tapes and the people sharing them were Deadheads who were free to record and trade the music. Over time, so many people wanted to record each concert, the band established a “tapers section” that allowed for great recordings and minimal interruption to the audience. Last month Forbes, of all places, actually published an article on this topic titled, Grateful to the Dead,
Like the Grateful Dead, Phish and Widespread Panic are notorious for their open recording policies, encouraging fans to record their shows for free. “Music once spread through word of mouth. Now it happens on the Internet–very quickly,” says John Bell, the lead singer of WSP. While Internet downloads bite into record sales, it’s plausible that if these bands had enforced their copyright, they never would have achieved such popularity.
Self Publishing, 1973
After several less than satisfying experiences working for “the man”, Garcia and the Dead decided to bypass record companies and start their own label. They self-published. Just like bloggers, tweeters and Facebook friends.
Built social network, 1973
From Sandy Troy’s 1994 biography of Garcia,
Part of the band’s confidence in starting their own label was rooted in the Dead Freaks Unite campaign initiated by Garcia on the inside of Grateful Dead (album), which had the following notice, “DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? Send us your name and address and we’ll keep you informed.”
The response was overwhelming and the band quickly built up a list of twenty-five thousand names. With this direct mail list and a newsletter to communicate information, the band had an effective link with their fans, now known as Dead Heads.”
Garcia and the Dead didn’t just build a social network, they monetized it. Out of that list grew a business empire that eventually included music, a full line of merchandise, even ice cream, designer neckware and art. Ten years after his death, in 2005, the New York Times wrote,
The Jerry Garcia company and Grateful Dead Productions are separate businesses each generating millions of dollars of revenue a year. Just how many millions is not publicly known. But consumers still buy more than a million J. Garcia-brand neckties each year, and Cherry Garcia is often the top-selling brand of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, each pint generating royalties for the Garcia heirs.
He helped to build a durable, thriving band brand and he did it by harvesting and building on the community of Deadheads by using innovative means of communication and information sharing.
Like I said, the Godfather of Social Networking.
Since this is a Jerry Garcia post, I think we need a little music as well.
Franklin’s Tower from Radio City Music Hall, 10-31-80
When I read this story in the Salem News, I could hardly believe it. Simply beyond words.
Man tracks down pilot who saved his life in Vietnam
Rick Lindsey was lying on the ground, blood pouring out of the severed femoral artery in his right thigh, his femur bone shattered, when he saw a beautiful sight.
It was a U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky UH-34D medical evacuation helicopter, swooping in to Hill 55 in Vietnam amid intense fire, its machine guns firing back.
“It was about 100 meters away, and I’m thinking, “Boy, I’d sure like to be on that,”; Lindsey said.
Lindsey, with the help of a cooperative Viet Cong soldier he had captured that morning, made it to the helicopter, as did two other injured Marines. As the helicopter roared away from the chaos below, Lindsay waved goodbye to the Viet Cong prisoner, whose finger Lindsay had shot off that morning. The POW waved back with his bandaged hand.
The Marines were flown to a hospital in Da Nang. All three survived. And Lindsay, who would go on to serve 24 years in the Marines before retiring as a lieutenant colonel, vowed that he would one day find out the identity of the man who daringly piloted that helicopter on May 13, 1967.
Lindsey’s search culminated on Saturday, when he flew from his home in Virginia to meet Leland McDonough of Beverly, the man who saved his life.
Here are Leland McDonough (l) and Rick Lindsay (R)
I knew it was the kind of story that our good friend Bruce McQuain would really enjoy. Bruce, a Vietnam Vet himself, is the man who brings us the Someone You Should Know stories every Sunday night. For once, I had the opportunity to tell Bruce about Someone He Should Know.
This was a great honor to be able to tell the story of Leland McDonough and Rick Lindsey. I can’t thank Leland enough for joining us and sharing it with us.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Lance Corporal Aaron C. Austin.
From his Silver Star citation,
After ensuring his wounded platoon members received medical treatment, he rallied the few remaining members of his platoon and rushed to the critical rooftop defensive position. Braving withering enemy machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire, he reached the rooftop and prepared to throw a hand grenade. As he moved into a position from which to throw his grenade, enemy machine gun fire struck Lance Corporal Austin multiple times in the chest. Undaunted by his injuries and with heroic effort, Lance Corporal Austin threw his grenade, which exploded amidst the enemy, halting their furious attack. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Austin reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
This was a great thrill for me to welcome to Pundit Review Radio the best friend the long suffering taxpayers of this state have ever had, Barbara Anderson of Citizens for Limited Taxation.
We talked about the end of the legislative session this weekend, the gambling bill, their attempt to do away with the Initiative Petition process, as well as the race for governor and a certain someone from New Jersey.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Michael Fumento is someone we’ve long admired for his investigative reporting, whether covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or more recently, the Swine Flu “pandemic” and Toyota’s “sudden acceleration” scandal that engulfed the company in a PR disaster for most of this year.
Michael has been all over the Toyota story from day one, providing much needed skepticism and a fresh perspective. He’s written some great articles for Forbes and others and it was a great pleasure to speak with him. He’s a raconteur, an iconoclast and a true original.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.