Military Innovation and the Punk Revolution
Who in the world is Mr Mojo Risin
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet. Following The Doors' explosive rise to fame in 1967, Morrison developed a severe alcohol and drug dependency that culminated in his death at the age of 27 in Paris. He is presumed to have died from a heroin …
Punk Rock Leadership: Simple & Authentic
By J. William DeMarco I hate to admit this, but the other day I was in the gym and a song by Katy Perry came on..."The One that Got Away.” Now, I am NOT a fan (it was forced on me...I was in the gym), but there is a line in the song...”...us against the …
Innovation with The Byrds: Eight Miles High, IDEO and David Kelley—neo-DeMarcoian Banter
The Byrds were an iconic band when I was growing up, although they were well before my time, the music is in a sense timeless. The song Eight Miles High was always one where there seemed there was this confluence of a million things all happening at once and as I did some “research” I …
Bootleg Innovation in the Military–or what happens when Punk Rock goes Mainstream
The massive military bureaucracy is daunting to any junior or mid level solider, marine, airman, sailor dare we say—any person working in a bureaucracy—giving way to an entirely different form of innovation. If an Airman on a flight-line has a problem or a solider in field finds or discovers a new tool—it can take years …
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We didn’t start the fire… The History Lesson
This has been one of those songs we have loved since day one. It did an incredible job of capturing not only the issues of the day, but also drew an awesome linage of how we got there. Its lyrics are made of rapid-fire brief allusions to over one hundred headline events between March …
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Nothing Changes on New Year’s Day…
It is probably just me...but ever since 1983--I seem to hear Bono's words...every single New Year's Day...and does anything really change...on New Year's Day? "New Year's Day" is a song by rock band U2. It is on their 1983 album War and it was released as the album's lead single in January 1983. Written about the Polish Solidarity movement, "New Year's Day" is driven …
This is Your Life… Are you who you want to be? AND the UFFE ELBAEK Model–DeMarco Banter
Another great song..."This Is Your Life." It was a popular song by the alternative rock/Christian band Switchfoot, and their third single. "This Is Your Life" first appeared on the group's 2003 album The Beautiful Letdown and peaked at #30 on the US Modern Rock charts. The single also hit the U.S. Top 40 peaking at No. 31 ...but as I …
Walt Grace and The Power of a Dream–DeMarco Banter
A while ago, while at Catalyst East in Atlanta, Jon Acuff mentioned John Mayer's song "Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967" in reference to dreams, the power of vision, and tenacity. Of course, I don't recall Mr Acuff's exact words--but that's what I walked away with. So a few months later... I Googled the song...and …
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Ray Charles, Self-Leadership, Resilience, Preparedness, and Talent–DeMarco Banter
In 1946, the late, great, legendary Ray Charles heard "Lucky" Millinder’s band was coming to town. Charles worked miracles to arrange an audition, and he was sure this was his chance to get noticed--if he could connect and play with Millinder, that would almost guarantee a ticket to the big time. When his opportunity came, the …
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