(Image courtesy of Krishna De, from Flickr)Children are less likely to lose touch with their friends because they’re connected by social networking sites from the moment they begin school. This was not the case with my parents’ generation. I recently reconnected on Facebook with a friend from middle school. Within two days, five of my other middle school classmates had reconnected with me. There was something exciting about looking at their profiles to see who they’ve become, how their faces have changed and how their personalities haven’t.When today’s kids grow up, their entire social network will age with them. They will decide who to remove from their networks and how much access to grant those who remain, rather than seeking out old friends. How will this affect their sense of who they are, who they were and whom they consider to be their people?

I love this lil’ email from Daily Candy. It’s personal, engaging and perfectly sassy. The signature is brilliant: “We look forward to working with you.” It welcomes me as a member of a team and creates the expectation that they want to help.

American Public Media’s Marketplace, a national radio show, has a great interview with E&J Gallo Winery CEO Joe Gallo called “Growing up in the wine industry.” A few highlights:

“There are two big decisions to make in life: What you do and who you marry. And a lot of people get one right and not the other.”

“I’ve been guided by my dad’s philosophy on what it takes to be successful in business:
-Stay independent
-Hire good people
-Strive for perfection
-Never be satisfied
-Don’t plan too far ahead
-Have a sense of urgency
-Work like hell
-Be lucky

Listen to the entire podcast here:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/16/growing_up_in_the_wine_industry/

Do we want choice, or just the perception of choice?
I believe we are most persuaded by marketing that simplifies the act of choosing.

Here’s why:

1. At a movie, baseball game or restaurant, she spontaneously sighs and says, “I seriously love my car.”
2. When another Mini driver stops to check out her car, she says, “That’s such a Mini-owner thing to do.” “What?” I ask. “You wouldn’t understand.”
3. She spent over an hour reviewing the care pack Mini sent her – and smiled as she lovingly turned every page.
4. Every time she makes a U-turn, I get to hear the speech about how superior her Mini is (to my car) and how my car could never do what her car can do so smoothly.
5. Ditto parking, turning, stopping or packing luggage.
6. She actually waves at other Mini owners. And they actually wave back. Even in New York. I am not making this up.
7. If she brakes hard and says, “Are you OK?” I know not to respond. She’s talking to her car.
8. She wants to attend Mini-related events and regularly Googles them.
9. Yesterday, after borrowing my car for the day, she said, “Your car is over-sized and clumsy. I feel at one with my car. I know how it moves, and how it responds to the rain.”
10. When asked what she likes about her car, she says – without rehearsal – “Its awesome design; it feels cool, trendy and compact; it has great handling; it makes super-safe turns; its width-to-height proportion, like a bulldog’s stance; the huge trunk space; it’s easy to drive; it has a vintage design, but I know it’s a BMW; I feel safe in it; if anything happens, Mini roadside assistance will come pick me up.