It’s hard now for me to think that there was actually a time when you were unreachable when you left home or the office — you were gone as in no one was able to contact you. There were no cell phones, pagers or even voice mail. If someone called the office and no one… Continue reading While You Were Out
Category: The Last Half Century
The Cows Shared Our Swimming Pool
Who needs a swimming pool when you have a cow tank? That’s what we thought when I was a kid. But we never told our mom — until now.
The Non-Linear Career Path
I’ve always liked cars. I remember when I was a kid I used to like looking at the Hot Rod magazines my brothers had stacked in their room. In my teenage years I subscribed to Motor Trend. Every month I read each issue cover to cover. It fueled my interest in being a car designer… Continue reading The Non-Linear Career Path
You Call That a Truck?
I recently read a review of a truck in a newspaper. When I looked at a picture of the cab interior I felt like I was looking at a living room in Architectural Digest complete with leather recliners, end tables with cup holders and a big screen television. This wasn’t even close to the trucks… Continue reading You Call That a Truck?
When Rudolph Challenged the Wild Wild West
It was like one of those great standoffs in those old Western movies. The dusty Main Street with tumble weeds blowing across and a whirlwind whipping up a cloud of dust. Spurs clink as two tough gunslingers take their positions opposite each other; steely eyes staring each other down as they position their hand over… Continue reading When Rudolph Challenged the Wild Wild West
The Balancing Act of Presenting the News
In the early 1980s I earned a degree in Journalism and went on to graduate school and a teaching assistant position in the Journalism department of my alma mater. I think it’s safe to say that the field of journalism is radically different now than it was nearly 40 years ago. When I graduated from… Continue reading The Balancing Act of Presenting the News
Assumed Identity
Few people know this, but there was a brief moment in my life when I lived under an assumed identity. I wasn’t myself, but someone else. It started innocently enough, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I was in over my head. Let me explain. When I was in high school in… Continue reading Assumed Identity
Reading the Road
In the age of GPS and smart phones, I can’t help but wonder if paper map reading is a lost art. I have to admit I can’t remember the last time I used a paper map to help me locate a destination. It’s much easier to put the destination into the map ap on my… Continue reading Reading the Road
Phone Calls Ain’t What They Used To Be
As I talked on the phone the other night with my granddaughter, I thought about how natural it is for her to have a video call. Even more amazing to me is that we were talking while I was out for a walk. She was able to share the sights around me. The availability of… Continue reading Phone Calls Ain’t What They Used To Be
The Never-ending Popularity of Buzzphrases
While cleaning out old files from nearly 40 years of work history, I ran across the gem pictured below from Lang’s Creative Services. Even though it’s from the 1980s, the Buzzphrase Construction Matrix (BCM) creates some phrases that still sound impressive today. How about “Quantitative Marketing Management” or “Diversified Data Parameters” for starters. Both could… Continue reading The Never-ending Popularity of Buzzphrases
The Next Half Century 