Blues Brothers Band members, ranked

Since I am on the way to Chicago for the HR Technology Conference this week, I thought it would be fun (and be a needed short diversion), to run a Chicago-themed Ranked post.

And what says Chicago more than the Blues Brothers Band? Well, I suppose plenty of other things are more 'Chicago' than the Blues Brothers, but this was the first idea that came to mind. That, coupled with I only want to spend 10 minutes writing this sealed the deal.

Quick clarification on the criteria for inclusion - the list is limited to the original lineup of the Blues Brothers Band and who appeared in the first Blues Brothers movie.

As always the rankings on the blog are unresearched, unscientific, completely subjective, and 100% accurate.

Here goes:

10. Murphy 'Murph' Dunne (keyboards) - His role in the movie was meant to be Paul Shaffer's

9. Donald 'Duck' Dunn (bass) - What are the chances two guys named 'Dunn(e)' would be in the same band? Weird.

8. Tom 'Bones' Malone (trombone) - How many successful, mainstream bands have actually had a trombone player? Can't be more than 10 in the last 4,000 years.

7. Willie 'Too Big' Hall (drums) - Played with the Bar-Kays for a while. (that is all I have for Wille Hall trivia)

6. 'Blue' Lou Marini (saxophone) - Was for a time a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Which seems pretty cool.

5. Matt 'Guitar' Murphy (guitar) - Pros - Doesn't let Aretha Franklin boss him around, Cons - boring nickname

4. Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper (guitar) - Doesn't every 'military rank' nickname sound awesome? I want to be called 'The Colonel' or 'The General'

3. 'Joliet' Jake Blues (lead vocals) - Probably should be #2. 

2. Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin (trumpet) - Vaults way up the list due to his fantastic nickname

1. Elwood Blues (harmonica) - Takes #1 because the harmonica is cool. And has the single best line in the movie with the 'It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses' bit

There you have it.

Of course you can disagree with the list, but of course you would be wrong.

Happy Sunday and if you are out at HR Tech this week be sure to say hello.

Upgrades, ranked

It's been a while since I ran a solid 'ranked' post on the blog, and since it's the middle of a 'hard to get anything done since everyone I need to get in contact with seems to be out on vacation' week, let's take a break from the normal highbrow content and break off the definitive, unscientific, unresearched, subjective, incomplete, and 100% accurate rundown of Upgrades, ranked.

And as always, you can disagree with anything on this list, but of course you would be wrong.

Here goes:

10. Windows 10 up from Windows 7 - Windows 10 may or may not be better. It doesn't matter. Windows 10 is the PRESENT. Don't be that guy stuck in the past, clinging to a technology just because it's familiar. You label yourself a Luddite. Do you still have a Blackberry? (Don't answer that one Canadian readers).

9. 'Mid-size' up from 'Compact' - Let's face it, all the rental car companies need a serious lesson in what actually constitutes 'mid-size'

8. The 'Junior suite' instead of the standard room - Who doesn't love an uncomfortable, non-reclining arm chair?

7. 'Jelly Bean' up from 'Ice Cream Sandwich' - you can have your Apple nonsense. Who want to use an operating system called '6.2' - give me a fun name anytime.

6. 'Beach view' up from 'Resort view' - You will want to tell yourself that you won't be looking out of the window all that much. You will be wrong.

5. Gran Patron Platinum up from Jose Cuervo Especial - If you are going for flavor vs. volume. If you are going for volume, then none of this matters.

4. Oracle E-Business Suite Version 11i up from 10.7 (you have to be a major ERP geek to appreciate this, but trust me, it was BIG)

3. Courtside up from Section 307 - You'll remember courtside forever. Section 307 is just another game.

2. Bose QC 25 headphones (over the ear) up from your crappy earbuds - I bought these for myself as a birthday present a few years ago, and about 200 flights later have not regretted it for a second.

1. First class on the red eye flight from Vegas to JFK

Disagree with anything on the list? Think I left something out? Too bad, get your own blog.

Have a great Wednesday! I mean that.

Pies, ranked

In collaboration with my HR Happy Hour Show Co-host, Trish McFarlane, we present the authoritative, unscientific, unresearched, subjective, and 100% accurate ranking of pies.

10. Boston Cream - (Trish says there is some controversy if this is 'pie'. It is.)

9. Banana Cream - A good way to introduce the fruit to an unwilling eater.

8. Vinegar - this is a Trish pick - it involves custard not so much vinegar. It's a midwest thing.

7. Apple - more for the nostalgia than the tasteVinegar pie

6. Cherry - Cool drink of water.

5. Lemon Meringue - How come there are not more 'meringue' pie types?

4. Peach - Very underrated pie.

3. Pecan - is 'Pe-can' or 'Pe-Kahn'? Doesn't matter.

2. Pumpkin - deserves to be eaten more than once a year

1. Key lime - 'I could eat this all day' - Trish

As always, you can disagree with these rankings, but of course, you would be wrong.

Easter candy, ranked

In preparation for the imminent arrival of everyone's favorite Bunny, your entirely unscientific, unresearched, incomplete, and 100% accurate ranking of Easter basket candies:

398 - Spiced jelly beans

397 - 11 - <big list of forgettable candies>

10. Solid chocolate bunny

9. Lindt Chocolate Carrots

8. Peeps

7. Milk Chocolate Peeps

6. Mini Robin Eggs

5. Reese's Peanut Butter Egg

4. Hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny (the best part is the hard candy bunny eyeball)

3. Cadbury Creme Egg

2. Russell Stover Marshmallow Egg

1. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

As always, you can disagree with these rankings but of course you would be wrong. 

Have a great, long weekend, hope your basket is filled with whatever it is you love.

Movie Batmans, Ranked

This very subject was discussed in a recent conversation with four or five extremely successful business people, all of whom I would hazard to guess consider themselves very smart persons. Which just proves the world needs to know, Which movie Batman is the best movie Batman? 

So without delay I present the unscientific, unresearched, completely subjective, and yet 100% accurate list of Movie Batmans, Ranked.

6. Ben Affleck Batman - "Batman vs. Superman", 2016

Hard to say for sure until the movie comes out. But if Affleck thinks Batman is a match for Superman then he is insane. Which he is. Batman I mean. Possibly. Also, Affleck was TERRIBLE as Daredevil.

5. Val Kilmer Batman - "Batman Forever", 1995

Should have held out for a "Top Gun" remake instead of donning the cape and cowl.

4. George Clooney Batman - "Batman & Robin", 1997

Possibly the worst overall movie on this list. Clooney just never seemed to fit the role. Batman shouldn't be so perfectly handsome I think.

3. Adam West Batman - "Batman: The Movie", 1966

For a generation, Adam West was Batman. This was before Batman became the Dark Knight of course. West's Batman was more like the Chubby Knight. But is deadpan delivery of some of the most absurd dialogue in the character's history places him in the Top 3.

2. Christian Bale Batman - "Batman Begins", 2005; "The Dark Knight", 2008;, "The Dark Knight Rises", 2012

Probably the best overall actor on this list, Bale was just about perfect as the 'modern', darker Batman. Bale's Batman was intense, brooding, and violent. Which is exactly what the best Batman stories were all about. 

1. Michael Keaton Batman - "Batman", 1989; "Batman Returns", 1992

Back in 1989, Keaton seemed an unlikely choice to play a vigilante superhero. Better known for comic roles in movies like "Night Shift" and "Mr. Mom", somehow Keaton nailed the Batman role with a mix of dark and witty. His "I'm Batman" line sums it up the best - Keaton was Batman.

There you have it. Glad to settle an argument you possibly didn't know you were having.

You can let me know if the comments if you disagree with these rankings, but as I mentioned, you would be wrong.

Have a great weekend!