Boomer Highlight: Steve Jobs

I'm starting a new series of blogs. These are on Baby Boomers we can be proud of. These are members of our generation who have not only succeeded but have also contributed to our society and have set an example for all of us to follow.

Today: Steve Jobs, Inventor, Entrepreneur and Artist

He was our generation's Henry Ford with a touch of Thomas Edison and Pablo Picasso thrown in.

Steve Jobs didn't just start Apple computers. He didn't just revolutionize the home computer. He created a whole new work environment. He opened up new worlds for the everyday citizens and provided them with an electronic universe they could tap into from an ordinary desk in a modest den in their home.

Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955, smack in the middle of the Baby Boom. He was given up for adoption and raised by his adoptive parents in what would later be known as Silicon Valley.

He spent only one semester in college, although he dropped in on classes for another 18 months at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. One of those courses was calligraphy, which would play a role in his business life.

Jobs worked at low-level positions at Hewlett Packard and Atari. His life at age 20 was not really the stuff of legends.

When he was 21, he co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak. By the time Jobs died of cancer earlier this month, Apple had surpassed ExxonMobil as the world's most valuable company.

Jobs was not an easy person to work for. He could be demanding, relentless and unsympathetic.

But he had qualities that put him far above almost everybody in his generation. Qualities that led him to be a transformative figure during his relatively short life.

Jobs was certainly an inventor. Much like Edison, he saw things differently than most people. He could think beyond the obvious and imagine what most others couldn't fathom.

Jobs was confident in his vision. He didn't need input and he didn't seek it. His view of what was to come was never watered down by consultants or committees.

That would have been great enough, but Jobs was more than an inventor. He also had an entrepreneurial side much akin to Ford. The automaker's greatest gift was his utilization of the assembly line in the early 20th century, so cars could become affordable to everyday Americans.

Jobs did much the same with the home computer. He made the boxy, complicated machines of the 1970s easy to understand and fun to use. The Apple II in 1977 was just the start. The MacIntosh, introduced in 1984, was the beginning of a revolution.

Jobs had great instincts. He knew the original Mac had flaws, so while the rest of the world was racing to catch up, he plowed ahead. He kept improving his machines and he did something unusual, and somewhat risky, for the computer world. He didn't allow his Apples to interface with other computers.

He created a separate world from the "p-c's." If you had an Apple, you had to use Apple software and Apple products. This closed-circuit world worked. He created a community that wasn't infected by the outside world.

This pattern continued until his death. You see it in the iPhone and with iTunes. Same with the iMacs. You even see it at Pixar, the company he developed when he was persona non gratis at Apple.

Cutting edge. User friendly. Highly functioning. Those characteristics are found in all his products.

However, there was one more element that led to Jobs' success. One that is sometimes overlooked.

Steve Jobs was also an artist. His products not only work well. They are beautiful.

Hold up an iPhone, open up an iMac laptop or turn on an iPad and people go "oooooh." They are cool and they are sleek.

Jobs added streamlining to computers. He splashed in color. He even used that calligraphy class on his computer's fonts and their keyboards.

You can go on and on. How Jobs revolutionized the music industry with the iPod. How he turned the mobile device world on its ear with the iPhone.

Steve Jobs allowed people to carry all the entertainment and information they need in the palm of their hand. He changed the way we work and live.

When you watch a movie on a hand-held device, you can thank Steve Jobs. When your bosses allow you to work from home, you can thank Steve Jobs.

It is sad that he died at the age of 56. He had so much more to offer, so much more to bring us.

He was a blazing star in our generation and we won't see the likes of him again in our lifetime.

Boomer Highlight: Tom Hanks

I'm starting a new series of blogs. These are on Baby Boomers we can be proud of. These are members of our generation who have not only succeeded but have also contributed to our society and have set an example for all of us to follow.

Today: Tom Hanks, Oscar-winning actor

Have you ever read about Tom Hanks being arrested? Driving drunk? Cheating on his wife? Throwing a fit on the set of a film?

No, you haven't.

Granted nobody should do any of those things, but in this day of oversized egos and bad public behavior, it's refreshing to find an actor of Tom Hanks' stature who actually hasn't.

Hanks is the model of what we would like to see in a Hollywood star.

He's modest. He's understated. He's funny. He's good at what he does. And he lives a life with high standards.

Tom Hanks was born in 1956 in Concord, California -- a middle-income suburb east of San Francisco. His parents divorced when he was 5 and Hanks, along with his brother and sister, was raised by his father, who worked as a chef. The family moved around before settling in Oakland.

That's where Hanks attended Skyline High. After graduating in 1974, he went to a community college in nearby Hayward before transferring to the theater program at Sacramento State.

He spent the next three summers acting in various productions of Shakespeare plays, according to biography.com. In 1978, he won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Proteus in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona."

Hanks dropped out of college in 1980 and with his modest training moved to New York. He landed a small role in the slasher film, "He Knows You're Alone."

Then came his big break. He was spotted by an ABC talent scout and cast in the television comedy, "Bosom Buddies." The show itself was forgettable, but Hanks' acting abilities weren't.

After the show was cancelled two years later, Hanks got guest roles on shows such as "Happy Days," "Taxi" and "Family Ties." Ron Howard noticed Hanks and cast him in the lead male role of the movie, "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah as a mermaid.

Hanks starred in several widely panned movies, including "Bachelor Party," before being cast by director Penny Marshall in her comedy, "Big." That movie charmed audiences and critics and brought Hanks his first Academy Award nomination for best actor.

Hanks still had to work hard, though. Over the next few years, he starred in modestly accomplished movies such as "Joe Versus The Volcano" and "Bonfire of the Vanities."

In 1993, he had the lead roles in two huge hits, "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Philadelphia." The latter role garnered him the best actor Oscar.

The following year, he starred in "Forrest Gump" and snagged another Oscar.

Since then, he has had a string of hits, including "Apollo 13," "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Da Vinci Code." He also had done the voice of "Woody" in the "Toy Story" movies. His films have earned an estimated $4 billion in the U.S. market alone.

However, Hanks' accomplishments go beyond his acting roles. He has produced and directed. He also has taken on projects and causes.

After "Apollo 13," he got interested in space travel and produced and directed the HBO mini-series, "From The Earth To The Moon." He's also a member of the National Space Society and has an asteroid named after him.

The well-known actor also has paid tribute on numerous occasions to the so-called "Greatest Generation" that pulled itself out of the Great Depression and battled on two fronts in "World War Two."

Hanks has had relatively little bad publicity by Hollywood standards. He and his first wife did divorce in 1987 after nine years of marriage and two children. In a 2006 interview, Hanks admitted to having an affair with current wife, Rita Wilson, while he was still married to his first wife. He called the affair "nothing to celebrate."

Hanks has been married to Wilson since 1988. They also have two children.

In public appearances, Hanks is likable, self-effacing and kind. He has stated in interviews that his acting in his early career wasn't all that good and he worked hard to improve. He has also blamed what he called his poor decision making for some of the movie flops he's been involved in.

Refreshing. Somebody as well known as Hanks actually admitting shortcomings and not blaming others for failures.

Hanks hasn't been afraid to speak his mind, although it's mostly done in a positive way. He has supported Democratic candidates, including President Obama. He also owns an electric car and is a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage.

Hanks is sort of like the nation's class president. He's a popular, nice big guy on campus.

Someone worth emulating and certainly a Baby Boomer to be proud of.

Boomer Highlight: Mike Mullen

I'm starting a new series of blogs. These are on Baby Boomers we can be proud of. These are members of our generation who have not only succeeded but have also contributed to our society and have set an example for all of us to follow.

Today: Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

It's not often a Navy admiral will appear on a comedy-based talk show.

But there was Mike Mullen the other night, chatting away with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart.

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is certainly intelligent. No surprise there.

But he also proved to be funny, humble, conversational and insightful. At least that's what I picked up from the interview.

Admiral Mullen was born in 1947. His parents were in the entertainment business. His father was a successful Hollywood publicist.

In 1964, at the age of 17, Mullen told his parents he was joining the Navy. The admiral told Stewart his parents supported that decision and off he went.

Mullen's accomplishments, as listed on the joint chiefs' website, is impressive.

After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, he was stationed aboard the USS Collett. The ensign was assigned as an anti-submarine officer. His ship patrolled the Western Pacific and participated in combat operations off the coast of Vietnam.

Mullen served on six other warships over the years, three as a commanding officer. As an admiral, he commanded the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group and U.S. Second Fleet.

He eventually rose to chief of naval operations with a chair on the joint chiefs. In 2007, he was appointed chairman of that group.

His duties now include advising the president, the secretary of defense, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. All this during a time when the United States is withdrawing soldiers from Iraq and increasing its number of troops in Afghanistan.

Mullen also has a master of sciences degree in operation research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. He also graduated from the advanced management program at Harvard Business School.

Yet, on the Stewart show, he seemed like a guy you'd like to chat with at a barbecue.

Stewart recalled how on a goodwill trip to Afghanistan he noticed how much the soldiers there liked to talk with Mullen. The admiral responded by talking about how awesome today's soldiers are.

Stewart joked about the soldiers supposedly carrying Mullen around and throwing rose petals at his feet. Mullen responded, "That usually only happens once a trip."

The admiral retires at the end of this month. He and Deborah, his wife of 41 years, plan to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Yes, successful and influential. Yet, civil with a proper perspective, too.

Mike Mullen. A Baby Boomer we can be proud of.

The Heavy Anchor

Baby Boomers... I'm afraid we've become a drag on society. Literally.

As we age and slide into retirement, we are like a cast iron anchor that is dragging along the ocean floor, slowing up our ship of state.

It's bad enough our age group is taking slings and arrows for what we've done in the past. For how we've steered the country when we had our hands on the wheel.

Some critics are calling us the worst generation in modern history. They point to the 2008 financial meltdown. The divisive presidencies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The way our corporations have been managed.

In short, things are not good right now in the United States of America and some are laying the blame at our feet.

Whether that is true or not is a subjective matter of opinion.

But there seems to be little doubt the Baby Boom generation, by its sheer numbers, is exacting a heavy toll on society.

At the moment, we are clogging up the labor force. Not that we should necessarily be criticized for wanting to work, but the fact that 40 percent of Boomers over the age of 55 are still employed is a major factor on our economy. We are still sitting in jobs that younger and/or unemployed people want to have.

One factor is a lot of Boomers can't retire now due to their financial status. Part of that is our own fault. We have not saved our money well and many of our 401k plans are not what they should be, partly because we didn't handle our nation's economy with the long term in mind.

It also appears we won't be leaving much for the younger generations. In a recent survey by U.S. Trust, 49 percent of "Baby Boomer millionaires" said they don't plan to leave an inheritance for their kids. Part of the sentiment from those surveyed was "we've done enough for our children's generation." Seriously?

Our financial status is also having a negative effect on the stock markets. Analysts say we are the age group that is expected to invest most heavily in the markets. However, we are putting less money into the Dow Jones, Nasdaq and other entities. That is helping pull those institutions down.

We are also starting to drag down our nation's health care system. As our 78 million member generation ages, we are in more and more need of medical attention.

The health care industry has grown the past four years, according to Forbes magazine. It expanded 7 percent the past year, despite the overall economy growing hardly at all.

In the short term, that's good for people who work in the medical field. However, as Boomers start to develop cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases, we will be in danger of bankrupting the nation's health care system.

Social Security is another institution trying to hold up under the weight of our generation. The oldest of the Baby Boomers started to collect Social Security checks three years ago. Now, with the front of our generation turning 65 this year, more and more Boomers are grabbing their share of the pension pie.

We can argue that we paid into the system and should get our money. That is true. However, we might want to think of the rest of the nation before we start grabbing our "fair share."

The numbers simply don't add up. There are too many of us and not enough younger people paying into the system for Social Security to stay solvent.

My suggestion in my book, "10,000 Days," is for Baby Boomers to delay cashing in their Social Security checks. Wait until you're 70 or older. Perhaps, as a generation, we should insist of changing the program's formula and accept less money.

The one bright economic note might be the housing market. As Boomers get older and "downsize" their living accommodations, they are moving out of their single-family homes and purchasing condos and other smaller quarters. That is providing some turnover in the housing market.

So, Boomers... it appears we can help our nation by putting our homes on the markets, taking care of our health and delaying our Social Security checks.

It'd be nice if we did something for the country as a whole instead of thinking of only ourselves.

Boomers: Kennedy Calls, Is It Our Last Chance For Greatness?

It was 60 years ago this month that President John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most stirring inauguration speeches in our nation's history.

His line, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," was just one of many eloquent calls in that speech for the United States to embark on a new frontier.

Now, six decades later, as Baby Boomers enter retirement age, we must ask themselves... Did we do what we set out to do for this country?

I'm afraid the answer at the point is a resounding no. In fact, our generation is on the verge of being a disappointing failure. Some pundits are even starting to call us "The Worst Generation."

To be certain, we started out quickly. In the 1960s and 1970s, we led the civil rights movement and the battle for women's equality. We blazed the environmental trail and revolutionized music. We stopped a war and ended the military draft. We even got the voting age reduced to 18.

No small accomplishments. That's for sure.

However, something happened after President Richard Nixon resigned and Baby Boomers entered the work force and began raising families.

We turned inward. We became self-centered. We stopped thinking about what was good for society and focused on what was good for us. The zeal we engineered for worthy causes became passion for making money and looking out for ourselves.

We remain strident. Of that, there is no doubt. The righteous approach we had protesting the Vietnam War and fighting for equal rights has manifested itself into the divisive political debate that permeates our nation. No matter what side of the fence you're on, anyone who disagrees with you is someone worth hating.

The 16 years that our two Boomer presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, ruled the executive branch were an incredibly divisive decade and a half. Our country hasn't been this violently split since 1968.

We were at the helm when the worst financial crisis in 80 years hit our nation in 2008. Before that, we were spending money we didn't have and making profits by doing nothing more than shuffling papers between corporations.

We can't even see past the mirror when it comes to Social Security. There are 78 million of us. The oldest of our generation are turning 65 this year. There simply aren't enough younger working people to finance our retirement even if take our full share as soon as we're eligible.

For the sake of the nation, Baby Boomers should agree to smaller Social Security payments and take them at a later age, perhaps 70.

However, I see no evidence that is happening. Boomers have already eagerly starting cashing in when they turned 62. We are on course to crush Social Security as well as the Medicare system.

We are at a precipice, Boomers. If we continue down this path, we drag down the ravine a country we have already seriously steered off the proper course.

In my book, "10,000 Days," I laid out what I believe is a change of attitude and a route Baby Boomers can follow the next 30 years to redeem our generation and sail our ship of state into waters that are navigable for the generations behind us.

Alas, in the two years since that book was self-published, I see no sign of change. No groundswell to return to our activist roots. No hint we are changing our ways.

The hour is late, Baby Boomers, but we still have time. We can heed President Kennedy's call and see what we can do for our country.