Who needs Michael Jordan, Ed McMahon or even Wilford Brimley? Now you too can endorse a product for Facebook. Of course you won't be paid as handsomely as those celebrities. Actually you won't be paid at all, but you'll be doing your part to provide product information to the ever-growing social network...
Facebook with 50 million users in the last month is visited by 25 million users every day which is slightly more viewers than MPR has...in 50 million lifetimes. The social network website displays 65 billion pages where ads can be displayed every month. One of the most viewed features of Facebook is the news feed, where members see a list of what their friends are doing. Presumably this is valuable information if you are still young enough to face parental discipline but old enough to rebel. The news feeds can be linked so users can tell friends about what they are auctioning on eBay or something far worse. According to Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, "Nothing influences a person more than the recommendation of a trusted friend." You have trusted friends at that age???
Here comes the scary part. Facebook will allow advertisers to tap into the vast stores of data that its users provide. The initial roster of advertisers include Conde Nast, Coca-Cola, Travelocity, Verizon and Blockbuster. Can't you just see it now? 'Johnny Fatusi of Hoboken makes his spitballs exclusively out of rolled up Blockbuster circulars, shouldn't you?' I shudder to think about what products I would endorse. It even embarrasses me to think about it...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1874] Election Day Memories: The Republican Party is symbolized as an elephant for the first time in a cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly...1944] Franklin D. Roosevelt wins an unprecedented 4th term as president by defeating Thomas E. Dewey...1962] Richard M. Nixon who fails in his bid to become Governor of California, tells reporters: "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore." 1967] Carl Stokes becomes the 1st black mayor of a major city (Cleveland). He also was a news anchor at channel 4 in NYC, something his daughter now is on channel 7...1972] Richard Nixon is re-elected president in a landslide win over George McGovern...1989] David N. Dinkins is elected New York City's 1st black mayor...1989] L. Douglas Wilder becomes the 1st elected black Governor of Virginia...2000] George W. Bush is elected president over incumbent VP Al Gore...2000] Hillary Rodham Clinton becomes the 1st 'first lady' to win public office by winning a Senate seat from NY...
- 1929] The birth of MOMA: The Museum of Modern Art opens in Manhattan...
- 1959] Superstar matchup: Bill Russell & Wilt Chamberlain play against each other for the 1st time in the NBA as the Celtics beat Philadelphia 115-106 at Boston Garden. Chamberlain outscores Russell (30-22) but Russell pulls down 35 rebounds to Chamberlain's 30. Here's a highlight video of both players in action: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7ab6Tex4H1Y ...
- 1962] "Happy Trails": Former 'first lady' Eleanor Roosevelt dies of bone marrow tuberculosis at 78...1980] Steve McQueen dies at 50 from a heart attack following cancer surgery and here's the classic "Bullitt" car chase scene as McQueen flies over the streets of San Francisco: http://youtube.com/watch?v=36MFh4of6lE ...
- 1963] MVP...MVP...MVP: Elston Howard of the Yankees becomes the 1st black player in the American League to win MVP honors...
- 1965] Premiered on this date: The Pillsbury Dough Boy, seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2B2TUiuLo8 ...
- 1967] PBS is born: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs a bill establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and here are all the logos of PBS on video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=M7ey1Sl5Wk8 ...
- 1975] Blockbuster trade: Two-time Boston MVP Phil Esposito is traded to the rival Rangers for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and 2 others in a trade that shakes Beantown...
- 1982] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Liz Taylor chalks up divorce number 7. John Warner is the victim...2000] Garth Brooks files for divorce from wife Sandy. The divorce becomes final in 2001, in 2005 he marries Trisha Yearwood...
- 1989] Guilty as charged: Richard Ramirez, California's "Night Stalker" is sentenced to death...1991] Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman pleads 'no contest' of indecent exposure in Sarasota (FL). Here's Pee Wee in happier times, on the "Gong Show" with an unidentified partner: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_X-qLGHgY ...
Music Memories:
- 1961] Number One on this date: "Big Bad John" - Jimmy Dean...1972] "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash...
- 1995] Marriage renewal on this date: The Captain and Tennille renew wedding vows on their 20th anniversary...
Commentary:
Thanks to Paul Power for bringing this to my attention...You may not know the name of Thomas W. Dawes but you will remember his claim to fame. Dawes died last month following a stroke at 64 but he will be remembered for being a musician, an All-American diver at Lafayette college in Pennsylvania, writer of famous ("plop, plop fizz fizz, the Uncola song, etc.) jingles and also for forming the local PA band, Rhondells (not the Rhondels of Bill Deal and the, fame). Beatles manager Brian Epstein saw the Rhondells perform (Wikipedia says it was assistant Nat Weiss) and it was John Lennon who changed the name of the band to The Cyrkle. In addition to later opening for the Beatles had two major hits, "Red Rubber Ball" (written by Simon & Garfunkel) and "Turn Down Day". Here they are in a rare video clip, doing their first hit: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Cxx2fvcpWE ...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Keith Lockhart (48), Joni Mitchell (64): "Both Sides Now": http://youtube.com/watch?v=bcrEqIpi6sg , Johnny Rivers (65), Barry Newman (69), Jim Kaat (69), Joan Sutherland (81) and Reverend Billy Graham (89)...
Timeline Countdown: 16 days until Thanksgiving, 28 days until Hanukah, 45 days until winter and 48 days until Christmas...
