More music

I just heard U2's Vertigo song, and find it funny how he starts the song..

U2 Vertigo Lyrics
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Unos, dos, tres, catorce - (it's funny he sings one, two, three and then jumps to 14 - anyone have a clue why?

.
.
.
.

Hello, Hello
Hola! (Spanish for Hello)
I'm at a place called vertigo (¿Dónde está?) (Where is it?]
It's everything I wish I didn't know
Except you give me something I can feel
Feel

The night is full of holes
Those bullets rip the sky
Of ink with gold
They twinkle as the boys play rock and roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know

I can sell the beat
I'm askin' for the cheque
Girl with crimson nails
Has Jesus 'round the neck
Swinging to the music
Swinging to the music
Woooao


Anyone have an idea the significance of the Spanish epiteths?

Humor Around the World!

I was sitting tonight with some friends at SnowShoe Mountain http://www.snowshoemtn.com/ after we got back from dinner, and humor is one of those inevitable items that occur when a bunch of witty people get together. So today one of my friends was unbelievable and typed out a list of jokes he found from around the world. I thought I post it to my blog.

Here are some of the top jokes in different countries:

Top joke in UK

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”

Top joke in USA

A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.” The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.”

Top joke in Canada

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C. The Russians used a pencil.

Top joke in Australia

This woman rushed to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out. She rattles off: “Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were bloodshot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's WRONG with me, Doctor!?”
The doctor looks her over for a couple of minutes, then calmly says: “Well, I can tell you that there ain't nothing wrong with your eyesight....”

Top joke in Belgium

Why do ducks have webbed feet?
To stamp out fires.
Why do elephants have flat feet?
To stamp out burning ducks.

Top joke in Germany

A general noticed one of his soldiers behaving oddly. The soldier would pick up any piece of paper he found, frown and say: “That's not it” and put it down again. This went on for some time, until the general arranged to have the soldier psychologically tested. The psychologist concluded that the soldier was deranged, and wrote out his discharge from the army. The soldier picked it up, smiled and said: “That's it.”

Music and more Music

It's 2 am, and I listening to one of my favorite songs by Sarah Brightman. It's called HAREM. I really http://www.sarah-brightman.com/frame.html. There is a particularly interesting interview depicting how this CD was made. It's a very mysterious piece, HAREM, and it's very enthralling. I first heard of Sarah Brightman through her years with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber - yup he is a "sir" because he is a 'knight.: He is the creator of some of the most spectacular musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, EVITA, Phantom of the Opera and so many more.. http://www.westegg.com/unmaintained/alw/ The link to Sarah Brightman is not only through his music, but also through a marriage. They were married in 1984 but divorced in 1991.

If you get a chance to hear HAREM it will totally transform you.

Comments, kudos, sermons..

This blog entry is a synthesis of what a dear friend wrote me answering the battle of the "Street Smarts" vs. "Book Smarts."

Pilar,The Apprentice? Really? Really!Anyway, I’m glad if you enjoy it. I have a genuine disinterest in this nonsense, however. Frankly, I’m surprised that the world takes any advice from a guy who made his money the old fashioned way (inheritance), taken on too much debt by leveraging it up to the eyeballs (and almost lost everything), and has failed SPECTACULARLY at his only two divesting ventures (airline and casinos). What he has done, however, is cash in on his name. He is, after all, a total marketing phenomenon. I mean, who else could write books about his business acumen and then preside over not one, but two, failed business ventures. However, distasteful he is to me (and I know people who have dealt with him...he’s a total nightmare as a person), I understand you might be more interested in the participants who are seeking their 15 minutes. Maybe lessons are to be learned, but remember that this is “made for TV”. What you see are caricatures and characters. However, if you’re looking for a prediction, I’m not sure I can give you one. Of course, I’m biased, but it depends on what criteria you’re using for success, I guess. Owning a restaurant is not like running a multinational corporation. Maybe it is on a smaller scale, but don’t let that fool you. You still need the basic skills. Now, as you know there’s nothing you can’t learn in the public realm taught in business school. Same, for the most part, in Law School. And, by virtue of selecting lesser educated, BUT nevertheless successful street smarts, you’ve narrowed the gap. What if they chose unsuccessful street smarts? The bottom line is YOU know the answer and don’t need anyone’s help in figuring this out. Oh, well, enough sermon. ;-)

Racing, Racers, and Marketing

I decided to take a little time and write about something that is growing in popularity. I am very attracted to those who enjoy "speed," I do not mean the drug, but rather the velocity of an automobile, boat, motorcycle or any type of mechanical device. As such, I like being around people who like velocity as well, and who have a need for speed. This addiction is being taken to a level that the average Joe would not take it, and as such the growth of car racing. Let's take 2 people I know very well, Alex* races Ferraris, and Diego races BMWs. This is a sport that seems to be growing at tremendous speeds. (no pun intended :-) I see how obsessive this sport can be, and I started to think .. why? It intrigues me from a marketing perspective. My experience of racing is as I see it through my friends.. as an outsider I see them with their "babies" or "race-cars."

The way I see it, owning and riding a race-car can be a double-sided visceral experience. It goes beyond the freedom of zooming untethered along a windy stretch of open road. And for many, the race-car itself evokes fascination and rapture. After all, it's hard to find another product category where customers tattoo their bodies with the name of their car, where racers personify their cars and refer to them as "she," "my baby" and other loving terms.

This intense level of loyalty is at the heart of racing. I wonder why there has not been an accelerated marketing efforts to boost this small but passionate share of the U.S. amateur racing scene. Renowned for its exciting feeling of freedom and danger there's a critical opportunity to initiate a new member into the tribe known as "Racer" and keep him or her happy there for many years and miles to come. :-) So when I look at Alex and Diego and I start to think, what defines a racer? and I came up with the following, "It's a person who has a strong passion to differentiate himself and to partake in a unique culture of individuals." Is this a bit like being an "entrepreneur?" ;-)

From a marketing standpoint I see the "emotional connection" to be the most important. Clubs across the country organize their own series, and create racing seasons, as well as rallies. As I see it with my brief encounter with some of the racers I have witnessed - these guys (it's interesting to see that females are pretty much non-existent in this world) race cars largely for four reasons -- either pride of ownership and personal challenge, controllable risk and danger, insatiable competitive streak, or social companionship. But of course, since I am not a member of the racing 'tribe' or at least yet, I see this as an outsider looking in.

Entrepreneurialism

Tonight I started thinking about the meaning of the word "entrepreneur." I know that the first thought that comes to mind when one thinks of this word is an individual who has an idea, and sets out to create a profitable enterprise that adds value in some manner to society. It's an idea that fulfills a need, a want, solves something, or is better than the existing alternative. However, this definition seems a bit dry in my opinion. I look at myself, and I know that for me, being an entrepreneur is more a visceral feeling. Something I simply have.. I do think you either "got it" or "you don't." entrepreneurship is very difficult to 'fake' or 'copy.' You have to really thrive on the idea of making your "baby" work.. The notion of growing it, taking care of it, fertilizing it is what is thrilling.. I look at the word "entrepreneurial" and I decided to break the work down into two components. Entre and Neurialism. According to Merriam-Websters, "entre" is a variation of "enter"... and the definition is as follows:

enter-Variant(s): or entre entero-Function: combining formEtymology: Greek, from enteron -- more at INTER-: intestine

INTERNAL - intestine.. that to me is the KEY.

neu·ral Pronunciation: 'nur-&l, 'nyur-Function: adjective1 : of, relating to, or affecting a nerve or the nervous system2 : situated in the region of or on the same side of the body as the brain and spinal cord : DORSAL

The second part of the word - "neurialism" is derived from "neural." Once again, it is an internal sensation. It is so strong it affects the neural or nervous system ..

I would be interested to hear some thoughts about other "entrepreneurs."