The Best Movie Of All TIme

If you don't see this movie, don't call me for a long time!

U2 - Wave of Sorrow

One thing to definitely add to your holiday wish lists this year is U2's The Joshua Tree (Remastered Deluxe Edition). Certain albums were meant to be listened to in the highest quality humanly possible. This is one of them.

And one of the new B-sides that they never finished until just recently is "Wave of Sorrow" and is on Disc 2. This is definitely my kind of U2 song - deep, carefully constructed, and rich with meaning.

Check it out...

Back Again

Back by popular demand (of 1 that I know of), I am continuing my blogging.

It was only a 6 month layoff....

Here is a video of Arcade Fire performing Neon Bible in an elevator.



These guys are so eclectic that one of them played a magazine! Now how many magazine players do you know? Thought so. ;)

Best of 2007, Part 2: Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

First off, if you don't know who the Arcade Fire are, check out this link. This is a band you need to know about. One of Canada's most amazing exports, the Arcade Fire continues to impress even the best musicians in the industry. In fact, U2 used AF's Wake Up as the opener for the Vertigo tour.

At first, I was skeptical of Neon Bible, because I usually view this type of music as self-indulgent art-house eccentricity. But I gave it a chance, and I was wrong. This album is destined to become a classic. When I am driving by myself on the empty roads and highways of the midwest, this album is an amazing companion - you just get lost in the layered sound and lyrics. Neon Bible has an undeniable broad and fearless ambition to convey its messages about religion and life. I would describe it as massive, hypnotic, melodic folk rock - a subtle symphonic masterpiece, sometimes a bit Springsteen, other times a bit U2, Bowie, and Radiohead, but really their own.

I really think this album is best enjoyed in its entirety, from first track to last. With that said, my favorite tracks from Neon Bible are: Intervention (listen to that organ!), Black Mirror, Neon Bible, Antichrist Television Blues, Keep the Car Running, and No Cars Go (a very catchy tune). You can find these tracks on the Young Bands playlist I set up below.

I can't think of a relatively mainstream band with more musicians. And how's this for an instrument list: guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, hurdy gurdy (what the hell is that?) and harp (the word eclectic wouldn't do them justice).

They performed on Saturday Night Live a few months back. You can check out that performance here.

Buy Neon Bible. You will not regret it - I give it 4.5/5, at least....

Release the Hounds! Best New Music of 2007

Wow. I am floored. In a span of just weeks, there are 3 great new albums coming out from each of my favorite young and underrated bands. Here is the rundown of each band's new album release. I have included some helpful links for you to get to know these bands and what these new LP's sound like.

(And please realize that I don't just wake up one day and find these bands by accident. I listen to a lot of stuff, talk to friends, and screen out all the crap. You are getting the best of the best here folks!)

Band: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Official Band Web Site
Album: Baby81
Release Date: May 1, 2007

Band: The Bravery
Official Band Web Site
Album: The Sun and the Moon
Release Date: May 22, 2007

Band: Interpol
Official Band Web Site
Album: Our Love to Admire
Release Date: July 10, 2007

And don't forget my favorite album of 2006:

Band: Muse
Official Band Web Site
Album: Black Holes and Revelations
Released: July 3, 2006

Last, I did not include the Arctic Monkeys on this list because, quite frankly, I just cannot get into their stuff. They still need a couple of great singles to be mentioned in the same conversation as the bands listed above. Honorable mentions go out to Snow Patrol, as well as Razorlight.

Here is my up and coming band playlist:

Collaboration: R.E.M. & Coldplay

Check out this rare and little heard live collaboration between Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Coldplay. The name of the song is "In The Sun". I am a big fan of collaborations like this - good soul music. Plus, it was made to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Virginia Tech Tragedy: Lessons and Hope for the Future

First and foremost, I cannot begin to express my deepest condolences and sympathies to anyone who lost a family member, friend, or classmate in the awful massacre at Virginia Tech. The precious lives lost are absolutely irreplaceable and I feel nothing but profound sadness for the families.

In the somber aftermath of this event, I hope that Americans take some lessons away from it, so that this type of carnage can somehow be avoided in the future. If society does not learn from its errors, find out exactly what caused or contributed to this nightmare, and take action, then what good is all this extensive media coverage of the disturbed individual who did this? What will prevent or stop this from happening again? The answer, in short: nothing.

In my mind, there are 4 key lessons that Americans should take away from this tragedy:

1. Tighten gun control standards or get rid of guns altogether: This is perhaps the most controversial and debatable of all my suggestions. I firmly believe that all handguns should be banned from sale and use. If people need to hunt or protect themselves, why use a gun with the capacity for killing so many people? What good can possibly come from a handgun ? The gun lobby's opposition argument revolves around the fact that normal citizens need to protect themselves from *evil-doers*.

But let's consider the implications of having a society of armed individuals walking around - each of us like John Wayne in the old west, ready to take out anyone who threatens our freedom or rights. Would you trust normal everyday people to use firearms responsibly, with perfect accuracy, only in the truly necessary situations, and avoiding collateral damage to the innocent? The fact of the matter is that trained, professional soldiers cannot even live up to this high standard (just look at Iraq's collateral damage) so what would make you think that Johnny Hothead on the street will do any better? Given the choice between an armed society and a disarmed one, it should be clear that an armed citizenry is too risky, dangerous, and chaotic to become a practical reality.

If compromise on this issue is absolutely necessary (and it usually is), then at most allow sale of hunting rifles or other guns where a reload is a time-consuming process. Can you imagine if Hui had to constantly reload? There are no guarantees, but the number of deaths would have likely been much lower. And make required, extensive, probing, and downright annoying background checks on both state and federal levels to get the firearm in the first place.

2. Improve Emergency Response Measures: As we have all heard, there was a 2-hour window between the shootings at the dorm and the classroom. It was enough time for the perpetrator to mail out a package to NBC News.

Hindsight is, of course, 20/20. Anyone can play Monday-morning quarterback. I fully understand that and I am not assigning blame. However, the fact that an RA (resident advisor) was one of the first 2 people killed should have been a huge warning sign to the authorities that more danger could be imminent. Finding one person shot to death in a college dorm is bad enough, but then finding an RA also? Come on, most people know that an RA is generally a first responder in a dorm. In my opinion, finding an RA shot and killed was the critical moment when law enforcement should have gone on a heightened state of alert and stepped up police presence in every dorm and classroom building on that campus. How many police would it take to put 1 officer in every vicinity of the campus for the rest of that day? That would have been a small price to pay for the benefit of a much quicker response when the perpetrator resumed his killing spree later that morning.

3. Teach young people not to taunt or bully others. Teach the golden rule. Teach respect for others. If you remember Columbine, you will recall that Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were taunted, perhaps cruelly, by their peers at school. They were isolated from others and this fueled anger and resentment within them. Parents must teach kids from a very early age about the hurt caused by intolerance of others who may be different from them. Hui, the Virginia Tech shooter, was also taunted for being different. He was probably very quiet and introverted. In many high schools and colleges, this type of personality is isolated. How else could he have developed a "me vs. the world" type of mentality?

4. Improve treatment for individuals identified as mentally ill. It is not enough to merely identify someone who is having mental issues and put them "through the system". The system is not working. There has to be follow-up. I am not saying that these individuals should be treated like criminals, but I am saying that they should be required to meet with someone on a regular basis to assess their mental state and overall progress. Does society truly believe that mental illnesses are as serious and urgent as any other human illness? My impression is that they don't.

Even if all the suggestions above were implemented, there are no guarantees that this tragedy could have been prevented. But the steps above would definitely have reduced the chances. Ultimately, that's all I am saying.

I am certainly open to hearing other ideas on these issues, so feel free to sound off, agree, or disagree with my points above.

Best Air Jordan Ads Ever

So thanks to the power of YouTube, I am able to watch my favorite Air Jordan commercials from over the years.

Many of them were brilliantly done and captured the essence and intensity of an athlete that transcended sports.

Here they are, in no particular order. Let me know which ones (if any) strike a chord or bring back memories.

What Is Love

Failure

Frozen Moment

Tell Me

Let Your Game Speak

MAD Money Boo-yah!

So, after two MBA classes where I gave presentations, I made the trek over to Assembly Hall, the legendary arena where the Indiana Hoosiers play basketball.

However, this was not for a basketball event. I was there as an audience member for the Mad Money Back to School Tour. Jim Cramer was hosting his show live here at IU. Before the show, Jenny and I were given an unbelievable seat upgrade to the middle of the 6th row, where we had the opportunity to see Jim and his guest (and IU alum) Mark Cuban discuss the economy and how to succeed in business.

But the best part was sitting right near my friends and classmates as they pitched stocks to Cramer. Jen and I were on TV several times, which was sort of cool. Two days ago, I got Cramer to sign his book for me. Who says nothing interesting happens in Indiana?

Most importantly, this event provided great exposure for the Kelley School of Business here at IU.



I am right above Mark Cuban in this photo!

Now That Is An Advertisement

Check out this cross-promotional ad for Shell and Ferrari.

I wish more ads captured the essence of driving a race car. This one definitely does a great job.

Headphones add to the experience...

Top 25 Moments From "South Park" [from Rolling Stone]

I just had to share this link. Back in the day, I remember seeing the pilot for South Park in undergrad in SUNY Binghamton and I knew this show would be a hit.

10 years later, there have been some classic episodes. And what I love most about South Park is that they are more than willing to take any social issue head on and make fun of it to show people how idiotic and hypocritical society can sometimes be.

Rolling Stone compiled a top 25 list that I mostly agree with. For my money, the Lemmiewinks episode was the funniest one, but I am sure many would disagree, citing classics such as "Woodland Creatures" and "Scientology Explained". I also loved 'roid rage - so wrong but so funny.

Enjoy.

The Master of Public Speaking

So I have not posted in a while, mostly due to laziness and other stuff going on.

Anyway, here is the B man showing you how to give a speech that moves, inspires, and calls people to action.

Even if you dislike Bono and wish he would shut the hell up, you have to admit that the guy can fire people up. And, in case you were wondering, he is genuinely committed to this issue. There is no way he would spend so much time lobbying, speaking, persuading, researching, and giving a damn if he did not actually care how much funding Africans get for drugs, food, and basic care.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - BABY81

Speaking of bands that rock, check out 2 new songs from my favorite underrated band of all time - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The 2 songs are from their new album, BABY81 (coming out May 1st). In my humble opinion, all of their albums have some excellent songs, from their debut LP B.R.M.C. to their sophomore effort, Take Them On, On Your Own. Their last album, Howl, an acoustic departure, was a huge risk but even that rocked out.

Why this band gets no PR is beyond me. All these guys know how to do is play raw guitar and drums ROCK, with scathing vocals and lyrics to go with it. They are the kind of band that can take the stage in a dingy, sh*t bar and rock the hell out of it. I saw them in NYC a few years ago and they cranked out some serious noise.

The new songs that are featured on their web site are "Weapon of Choice" and "666 Conducer" (great rock song titles..).

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Breaking All The Rules

So when you are in a small-town MBA program, you are *supposed* to have this razor sharp focus on job search, classes, and networking. You are *supposed* to have your head buried in books, spreadsheets, financial models, cases, projects, and presentations (and have time for little else!).

That is, unless you are THE CORE. What is THE CORE? (It's kind of like, "What is the matrix?" OK, maybe not...)

Anyway, The Core, aside from the name of an excruciating but rewarding first year b-skool curriculum, is also the name of an MBA student band, formed here at IU, and is surprisingly EXCELLENT. And I have been to my share of concerts in NYC (*thank you very much*) and these guys are talented. My bud Ritesh and I are music connoisseurs (aka, music snobs) but even we enjoy the Core.

These guys don't play for the money, they don't play for the girls (although they could), they don't play for the fame, and they don't play to stroke their egos. Ultimately, they play for fun, entertainment, and the love of great music - which keeps it pure and simple, the way music was meant to be.

They cover the kinds of great songs that keep rock alive and kicking. Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, U2, The Killers, Rage Against the Machine, the Hives, and many others. They even wrote a few songs of their own. Who knows how long they will play together, but man do they stoke the fire here at IU. To my knowledge, no other b-skool has an MBA band (and if one does, they can't rock like this).

In a few months, these guys are gonna be sitting at desks like the rest of us MBAers. But right now, they are living for the moment and doing what they always wanted to do, and you gotta respect that.

Here's to THE CORE, who mix it up every few weeks here at IU just because they can.