I am writing this so that people know what it is like to be a professional gamer. I started playing very young. When I was 20 years old, I was playing with professional musicians. People like Cliff Bruner, Murphy McDowell, Deacon Anderson, Troy Passmore, Billy Carter, and Johnny Holland. There were more professional escorts, but these are the ones I learned from. He was a very good singer and that’s what got me into these guys. Then they taught me more about paper. For several years Murphy, Johnny, Bugs Riley, Deacon and I worked together as a band. (a very good band). All but Bugs were at least 10 years older than me. Most of these guys have passed away now. Although I can still hear Cliff telling me “learn to play the melody before trying to improvise”, and Murphy saying “ok go pee and come back, we have a 30 minute break, I’ll show you some more chords,” and Deacon saying learn your scales, all of them, “and Johnny telling me:” Get there on time, I’m going to throw you a drumstick every time you get off. “So you see that they took care of me.

Over the years I have had many experiences that I would like to share with you. Like the time I was invited to be on the show with Jim Reeves, Ernest Tubb, Willie Nelson, and Bennie Barnes. I had this new record and had never been on stage with spotlights. When they announced that I entered from the side, the spotlight hit me, I looked at it and that was a big mistake. I couldn’t see anything but a big red spot. I knew he was walking towards the microphone, but I didn’t know how far he was from me. So I slowed down in hopes that I could regain my vision. But no, it didn’t happen. I hit the mic and it made a big boom.

They all laughed, they thought he was drunk. So I said to myself, “You better sing well,” and I did, I brought down the house. I got out on Ernest’s bus and we were talking, he told me not to worry about it, everyone has.

That was the first time I met Willie Nelson. I got to know him through the years. He already knew Bennie, he was on the RCA records and he was from Beaumont. He lived in Port Arthur. I married a girl from Port Arthur when I was 20 years old. She and I have been married for 51 years. Her name was Mary Grace Brown until I changed her last name to Bridges. Grace became a great bass player and a very good songwriter. A friend of ours told us about Jack Rhodes, writer and promoter. So we went to Wood County to see Jack. He wanted to hear me sing, so I sang. He said he had great potential and that he would work with me. Then he found out that Grace was a writer and then he really liked us. Jack wrote: Satisfied mind, silver threads and gold needles, angels’ waltz, woman’s love, beautiful lies, and much more. Well, we worked on new stuff for months and then a guy came from Nashville and asked me to sign a contract with Capitol Record, a road contract to travel with Ray Price 273 days a year, and a management contract with him. It was really on fire, so Jack said “we’ll let you know tomorrow Al”. I did not know what was happening. So after Al left, Jack sat me down and talked to me until 4am telling me why he didn’t want to do that. He said I would lose my family and my children. Then I would destroy myself. He said that after working with me, he learned to like him a lot and that he didn’t want that to happen. So he offered Grace and me a study and writing job. He said that that way he didn’t have to travel. I didn’t know what to think at the time, but now I’m glad that he convinced me not to.

When Jack passed away, I went to work with Bennie Barnes playing guitar and leading the band. And I had a band for years playing locally and backing out stars coming out. In these stories that I am writing about, the dates are not in order as they happened. Most of the time they will be in whatever order comes to mind as I write.

In one of those stories, Grace and I were playing games and George Jones used to come where we played. I was sitting down and someone wanted me to sing “walk through this world with me.” He sang a line and turned to Grace and said, “Do you know the lyrics to this damn song? Grace looked at him and said,” I’ve never heard that song in my whole life. “Of course. It was number 1 at the time. But George didn’t know what to say after that Grace is smart, quick and honest, don’t ask if you have tender feelings.

Another with George. I was playing with Eddy Stevens and Pearl. George came and sat with us. He had just posted, “blue is the color of blue.” On the back of the disk was the Eskimo cake. Two girls came up and wanted George to sing the Eskimo Pie song. He turned to me and said, “I never liked that damn song, I’m not going to sing it. The two girls looked at each other and walked away. George didn’t really know the words.

ok, here’s a fun one. I was playing with Murphy McDowell. He sang a song, people danced. Suddenly Murphy doubled over with laughter. He could also hear Johnny and Bugs laugh. I thought I had done something wrong. I looked at Murphy, he pointed to the dance floor, I looked and there were a couple of people dancing, the lady’s pants had fallen off her feet. Neither of them knew. Everyone around him was laughing and looking, then the man realized what was happening. Then the lady grabbed his pants, pulled them up, and ran out the back door with the man right behind her. Of course, some wise cracks were made.

Another: Troy Passmore and I were like brothers. Grace and I had known Troy for several years. To say a little about Troy’s talent. Troy had the fastest picking hand in the entire United States and probably the world. Anyone who knew him will tell you. He was a musical genius. He was playing on the road with a band when he was 12 years old. When I was 16, I was playing guitar for America’s best dance band. He had played in 50 states and 5 countries.

Troy showed up one day and we had a long visit, he had been playing in and around Austin. He had tried to get a day job. He was telling Grace and me about applying for this job to change washer and dryer money in Austin. Troy said they gave him a lie detector test and he answered everything honestly. He said they didn’t hire him and he didn’t know why. Grace asked him what they had asked him. Troy said “they asked me my name, then several other things, have you ever smoked marijuana?” Troy said about this crowded room. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Of course, Troy didn’t think it was that funny. Troy passed away in 1979. I am proud to say that he gave his life to Jesus a year before he died.

On another note, we were backing Jimmy Newman. He had several number one songs at the time. He was going to sing “a fallen star.” He turned to me and said to touch him naturally. I had never played in B natural in my life. He did another in natural B, “crocodile man.” That was the first time for me and I still remember it. I worked with Jimmy several times after that. He’s a good boy. The first time I met Johnny Gimble was when he was recording in Nashville. Pete Drake was the producer and Johnny participated in the session. In fact, it was two weeks before my session. Pete had invited me down to hear another session. Either way, they took a break and Johnny came out and introduced himself and said, “I heard you’re from Beaumont.”

I told him yes. Then he asked me if I had seen Cliff Brunner lately. I told him that it had probably been a year since I had seen Cliff. He told me that Cliff was his idol, that he loved to play the violin. Anyway, I left Nashville that night and went back to the Beaumont, Port Arthur area. The next day, Cliff stopped by to see me. I told him what Johnny had said and tried to get him back with me. I could see that he really wanted to do it, but he didn’t.

Troy Passmore had been playing in Columbus Georgia and the band had recorded a tape from the band stand. Johnny and he were friends and Troy sent him a copy. Johnny recorded the other side of the tape at home and sent it back. Troy came to the house and asked me if I had a tape player, I did. We played both sides and when Troy was leaving I said to him “you forgot your tape. No you can have it, I don’t have a player. After Troy passed away and many years later, I saw Jerry Gimble at a jam session. I told him about the tape. He told me that Johnny and Johnny called me and said he wanted a copy, so I mailed him one.

Then there was a time when I was helping a friend change his car’s starter. The car was in the garage and there was no light in the garage. So we decided to get the car out. We forgot the hood was up and when it hit the top of the garage door it collapsed with both of my hands. I lost 6 nail for that little mistake. So all I did was sing until my fingers healed. We were playing and I was singing, I stepped back from the mic and someone had nailed a 2-by-4 to the ground to prevent their drum from slipping. My drummer was further back. I hung my heel on the 2-by-4 and fell back right into my drummer’s lap. No, he was not drinking. Of course everyone laughed!

Playing music is a fun and satisfying way to earn a living, but if you’re just a sideman, you don’t earn much. As a colleague said: “I am earning 52.50 a week.” Yes, 52 hamburgers and 50 cents. Well, I was just kidding, of course. But you never got rich playing music. Although you have good memories that will live with you until you die. In addition, music opens many doors for you and always establishes new friendships.

I was telling a friend of mine, I don’t remember the songs we played, but I do remember the people and the things that happened while we were playing.

Now, at the age of 71, I only play jam sessions with other players who have retired from playing for the night. I was very lucky to find some ex-professionals in this area.

I grew up on the ranch where I live now. But I left home at 18 and moved back at 45. This is a wonderful place to live and enjoy life. I have a ten acre lake behind our house, with lots of bass and catfish. We raise cattle. Guitar shows and recordings are something I wanted to do to help people learn to play. I am also helping some players in this area.

My good friend Veral Vance has moved to the outskirts of Dallas and now we have to talk on the phone. We used to get together and play. Veral is a great guitarist. I really miss playing with him. Maybe we can get back together in no time. Well, I have many more stories to tell. “later”

Let’s talk about something that seems to be very common in the network marketing industry, but is rarely talked about.

Are You Cheating On Your Spouse With Network Marketing?

Network marketing can put a lot of stress and strain on a marriage. It can be the root of a lot of resentment and unspoken tension, sometimes leading to the ultimate demise of a relationship. Here are some personal tips and advice on how to grow a successful network marketing business while maintaining the integrity of your marriage and family.

Here’s an actual note my husband wrote to me three months after I joined my new company.

Dre

Your abandoned husband!

As network marketers, we may be ruining our relationships with our wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, or other important people and not even realizing it. When I first read your letter, I thought “What the hell are you talking about? This is my job, I’m trying to earn money for our family so that we (you and I) can have the flexibility to do what we want when we want. And are you complaining? – you had a problem when I was working more than 50 hours a week as my corporate job. So where does all this come from? “

After having a serious conversation with my husband, I realized that although I thought I was doing something good for our family, I was neglecting what made us happy as husband and wife and as best friends.

Where does the tension come from?

What I saw as tireless passion and a focused determination to learn my business and build a successful empire, I saw as obsessive insanity. I became that spouse that you had to beg to go to bed, that you had to pry the computer or bribe to be able to do anything that was not related to building my business.

Not that I wanted to spend more time on my computer researching and reading about what top earners were doing, trying to find the magic formula that would take my business to the next level. Not that I loved prospecting more than I loved talking to my husband. Not that I wanted to hang out with my clients or prospects instead of going on a date night and hugging the man I loved. I was doing what I was doing because I was Sick and tired of being sick and tired and MLM was my way of getting where I wanted my family to be. MLM would put us FREE!

So with my husband’s feelings heard, it was time to speak heart to heart and in an effort to communicate and resolve our “issues”, here are some suggestions that I recommend that you implement immediately if you want your marriage to return to the love. to train.

1. Agree – You and your spouse must be in tune with your reasons for joining and the vision you have for your business and your family. It is of the utmost importance to determine with your spouse a common vision of what you want to achieve and to fully agree on the direction you want to take as a family. Signing up against your spouse’s knowledge is an absolute no-no and seems selfish and inconsiderate. If your spouse is not supportive, you may be fighting an uphill battle that will make it difficult for you to succeed. Give your spouse a clear understanding of why you signed up so that you have the full story and all the facts in order to make a proper and justified decision in support of your business.

2. Create a time for business and a time for family – There should always be a well-defined schedule for business time and family time. Together determine blocks of time that are appropriate for work-related activities and blocks of time for family activities, romance, church, etc. Once you’ve agreed to the schedule, stick to it and if an adjustment is necessary, discuss it and get your spouse’s approval first before you commit to doing something that isn’t in line with the schedule so there are no surprises. Nothing is more important than your family, not your business, not your sponsor, not your upline, not a storefront, nothing! Learn to say “no” or “I’m not available at the moment, can we reschedule?” Make sure to turn off your phone during family time too, it won’t kill you if you get a call on voicemail. I promise!

3. Set “Office time” – No one needs to be recruiting, prospecting, holding meetings or sitting in front of the computer all hours of the day and night. Again, agree on how many hours a week are acceptable to put into your business.

4. Prioritize your day – Know the night before what you have to do for the next day. It will help you focus on what is important and you will move efficiently and productively through your tasks. Establish a marketing plan and routine, outlining your activities, so that you are not working mindlessly all day, and find that you really didn’t accomplish much because you weren’t organized and focused. If you have a set time to make calls, prospecting, training, personal development, etc, etc. Marked on your calendar, you will find that your day will pass much more smoothly and you will not feel exhausted at the end of the day or, better yet, when it is time for family.

5. Communicate your failures and your successes. – Many times, the best ideas come from our spouses. Whether they totally agree or not, share your trials and triumphs with them. Communicating with them lets them know that you care about what they think and value their opinions and suggestions. By including your spouse in your business, you will not only gain a better understanding of the industry, but you will begin to realize how hard and committed you are to achieving success.

Do everything you can to have your spouse on your side. We hope these simple tips help you, your spouse, and your business stay together so that not only will your financial freedom flourish, but so will your marriage and family.

What I did not share with you was my husband’s PD in his letter. He said:

Dre –

“Never give up on your dreams” Your passion is what I love about you … just make sure you share it with me a little more often!

My husband is my best friend and my greatest support. So with that being said, husbands, support the passions, visions and dreams of your peers and MLMers never forget your first love. Success is nothing if you have no one to share it with!

If you’re already enjoying sending your lover some dirty little text messages, here’s how to pull off all the stops.

Sexting: bring out your sexuality, starting

Hotter Texting To Make It Sizzle

It is the middle of a warm and sunny afternoon, the workday is almost over, when your lover comes to mind. You start to fantasize about your evening. You start to crave a kiss on the neck, her hot body draws closer and you come across a fiery masterpiece of Naughty in your mind.

As you take numerous deep breaths to try to find some relief for your vibrant, intensely active, fully throbbing body, when you realize that you are, in this fiery, fiery sexual moment in which you are totally alone – your lover miles away. distance. You are hot, heated to the core both inside and out, and you are consumed by the thoughts of creating the same hot, intense and wanting appetite in him.

Now what?

Scolding Between The Sheets Hot Texting

Sexting your wild side to your lover!

Want to learn some secrets on how to master the art of sexting so that you can have him immersed intensely in thinking about you all day?

Imagine what the alluring tangle of the moment would be like when he magnificently and boldly approaches you, then suddenly stops and stares at you so intensely standing there, with just your cell phone in the palm of your hands, sending him one. more final “Over the Top”, Where has this girl been all my life ?, oh so naughty: My God, this is not my girl, full of dirt – “what I have dreamed of doing all day” the message hottest text of the day.

Imagine what you would be doing next.

I dare to ask you are brave enough.

Sending Steamy Sexting Texting!

How to let your wild sexual self get loose in your text messages.

How would you like to discover some fundamentals to unleash the passion for a new sexual adventure, more than stimulating?

• Well, at first, pretend you’re a bit shy, so text, but don’t be naughty, not yet. Wait, you will know when it is time to turn up the temperature.
• Then start simple to see how you react to the “naughty” in you.
• Answered? If not, don’t worry about it, but don’t keep sexting it either. Remember, it may be too hot for him to handle.
• Keep it easy but keep increasing the seductive appeal that you are, the rage that lies deep within who you are in your crudest moments: remember the old saying: too much of a good thing; keep going but watch the beat.
• While you’re “fantasizing” about what to text, put yourself on the receiving end of the text and ask, “Will my relationship hold this hot?” If so, go ahead.

In case you don’t know, the fact is, guys love it talk dirty. The coolest part of this is that now you don’t have to be in the same room to heat the fire.

You have the ultimate power ability to sexually arouse him, ignite all his flames of passion, overhead, from anywhere you want – just start Sexting.

Discover yourself and do it “STEAMY N HOT”. You can make them as long as you like, but make sure they are very detailed and extremely descriptive.

To get the ultimate response from your lover, send text messages that create extremely vivid images of what you want “2 do it 2”. The most seductive, attractive, I can’t wait to put you in my hands, the secret here is to make EVERYTHING about them. This is where “if you know what he likes,” tell him in a text message.

Well, sending those Sizzling Hot Sex messages via text has become so popular, that now it has become a “Buzz” word.

Sexting – Discover The Art Of Sending “Scorching Between The Sheets – The Hottest Texting Ever.

Here are some naughty little text examples to get you started, but I didn’t think I should get lost with the X-rated so I kept it very simple. If you need the hottest ones, go to our site: lovesmax

That’s right, believe it or not, the ultimate power to make your relationship grow beyond your wildest dreams is entirely in your hands and the resulting benefits will amaze you.

Even if you’ve been a bit shy in the past, this is your chance to shine. Now is your time to reveal that “Steamy Hot” YOU have been waiting to get loose.

Remember, I can’t stress this enough, the secret here to get everything from your sex life that you’ve always dreamed of, even in your deepest sleep that you would never think of telling anyone, it’s simple, just remember to do it all. about them and send it in a text message. You can be brave, just do it.

A few more secrets to steam sexting HOT

• The more explicit the better
• Discover your ingenuity and be adventurous and creative.
• Make him dream of the impossible
• Unleash your sexual Audacity and let it loose in your Sexting
• Be seductive, but charming and to the point, tell her!
• Use seductive and fantasizing sexual adjectives and be profusely descriptive
• Take the familiar, the ordinary and set it on fire. Tell him what it feels like to wash the dishes, warm and wet from the moisture between your fingers and your hands, and all the time, just thinking about him. Make it come alive for him.
• Just tell him, once and for all, exactly what you’ve always dreamed of doing to him. Unravel and unleash the wild side, the one you’ve always kept hidden from others.

Here’s some Heat to get you started, although by now I think you’ve got enough on your mind that you really don’t need any more help from me.

Beware: the tempting tigress of sexting is in the house.

We are about to get rid of the rules !!

Take out the Dare, get naked, and let him know that you have absolutely nothing but him.

• Thinking of you
• I want you in me
• touching me … thinking of you
• Want you to know
• Think of your mouth / hands / body on me
• Text him a picture of you in BED with a teddy bear or nothing: Are you here yet?
• Waiting, willing n wet
• You make me sooo hot
• I can’t wait to FEEL you
• You make me wet
• Baby bring a can of that whipped cream with you, I have a very special dessert
• Your touch makes me shiver everywhere
• I love to feel your shoulders hard and hard when you put your arms around me.
• I know you’re on your way, which teddy bear do you like the most?
• I have the leopard teddy on, to match the animal in you
• Today I am going to buy new and sexy panties. red or pink?
• I’m hot wet and waiting
• I am naked and restless
• I only had to change my panties after thinking about what I’m going to do 2 U
• I want U 2 C where I want 2 to touch me (include image)
• I’m so wet thinking of all I can do 2 u
• Tonight when I met you at the door, kisses won’t be enough, so you better start undressing now.
• I know what turns you on, and that’s all I can think of
• I read this article on Sexting and I’m about to try it, ON YOU!
• It may be hot outside, but it will only get hotter when you get here.
• Bring home the whip? the tiger gets lost in the bedroom? To help!

No matter where you are right now, your mood or your life, Sexting will brighten your day.

Sexting is exhilarating arousal, sensual and sexual fun, amazing life with a sinful taste, and it will undoubtedly have the biggest benefits in your love life.

Imagine, you just sent your first Naughty message during your lunch break, while you were with your friends. As you read it, a hint of a smile, my God, just crosses the corners of your lower lips, your eyebrow lifts, your posture becomes a little more seductive and upright, but says nothing so as not to reveal your sudden arousal as every one of his. thoughts turn to you.

What a great excitement!

Sexting can and will provide the maximum improvement in your sex life. So stop fantasizing about better sex and discover the exciting world of Sexting.

In the early 1950s, four Detroit high school students performed at a local birthday party. After that, these four students stayed together as one of the biggest R&B groups for more than four decades.

Levi Stubbs (brother of Joe Stubbs from The Falcon and cousin of Jackie Wilson), Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton called themselves The Four Goals.

The Four Aims signed with Chess Records in 1956 and changed their name to The Four Tops, so that they would not be confused with the family pop group, The Ames Brothers.

Recording with four different and unsuccessful record labels, The Four Tops caught the attention of Motown Records executive Berry Gordy Jr. In 1963, they signed with Motown and initially did backup work for other Motown artists. They can be heard on “Run, Run, Run” by The Supremes.

In 1964, the Holland-Dozier-Holland team of composers came up with a melody perfectly suited to the quartet. “Baby I Need Your Loving” became the first of many Billboard top 20 hits.

On the charts, The Four Tops had twenty-five Top 40 hits, two reaching number one. Here’s a look at The Four Tops’ top twenty hits, according to Billboard’s Top 40 charts:

1. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – 1965 – Her biggest single went to number one for two weeks and has been covered by The Supremes, Donnie Elbert (who took it to # 22) and Dolly Parton . It was also used in Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Duncan Hines brownie mix commercials.

2. Reach Out, I’ll Be There – 1966 – His only other number one song was also song number 3 of the year 1966.

3. Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got) – 1973 – In 1972, The Four Tops left Motown, when the label moved to Los Angeles, and signed with the ABC / Dunhill label. This song, originally recorded by Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds, would be Four Tops’ biggest single after leaving Motown. It was included on their album “Keeper of the Castle”.

4. Bernadette – 1967 – From the album “Reach Out” this song was included in the soundtrack of “Zodiac”. In the CBS-TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” the character Howard Wolowitz uses the song as a ringtone for his girlfriend.

5. It’s The Same Old Song – 1965 – The continuation of “I Can’t Help Myself” features the same chords. It has been covered by Jonathan King, KC and the Sunshine Band and The Tops appeared in a Velveeta commercial singing “It’s The Same Old Side”.

6. Standing In The Shadows Of Love – 1967 – Also from the album “Reach Out”. In 1990, Aerosmith used a riff on their single “The Other Side” that sounded similar to this song. Aerosmith’s lawyers, in an attempt to avoid a lawsuit, credited Holland-Dozier-Holland for Aerosmith’s single.

7. Keeper of the Castle – 1972 – His first single after leaving Motown went to # 10 on the weekly charts. It’s from the album of the same name.

8. When She Was My Girl – 1981 – It had been eight years since the group had a hit in the top 40 and after signing with Casablanca Records they did. It would also be his last top 40 hit in seven more years.

9. Baby I Need Your Loving – 1964 – His first hit peaked at # 11 on the weekly charts. The cover versions have been many, including those of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Gene Pitney and Johnny Rivers, who took their cover to number 3 on the weekly charts.

10. Still Water (Love) – 1970 – Written by Smokey Robinson and Frank Wilson, this silky tune is a departure from the hard rock songs the Tops had been making. From the album “Still Waters Run Deep”, this single featured Marv Tarplin of the Miracles on guitar.

11. River Deep – Mountain High – 1971 – Written by Phil Spector for Ike & Tina Turner in 1966, then covered by Eric Burdon and the Animals in 1968. The most successful version was The Four Tops, when they teamed up with The Supremes, without Diana Ross, and took the Top 20.

12. 7 Rooms Of Gloom – 1967 – Also covered by Blondie and Pat Benetar, the Four Tops didn’t like this song and never played it in concert. Side B, “I’ll Turn to Stone” was also released, but only reached # 76 on the charts.

13. Walk Away Renee – 1968 – Originally recorded by The Left Banke in 1966 and peaking at # 5, The Four Tops has the most successful version of this song. Renee had a crush on Left Banke keyboardist Michael Brown, who wrote the song about bassist Tom Finn’s girlfriend.

14. Are you man enough? – 1973 – This song appeared on the album’s soundtrack and in the movie “Shaft In Africa” ​​starring Richard Roundtree.

15. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) – 1966 – Poor Levi Stubbs can’t believe his wife is leaving him for another man. But it does, in this top 20 that has also been covered by Barbra Streisand, The Supremes, and Shaun Cassidy.

16. Something About You – 1965 – His follow-up to “It’s The Same Old Song”, this song barely made the top 20. Not to be confused with the Level 42 song of the same name.

17. You Keep Running Away – 1967 – From their “Greatest Hits” album, this song, like most of their singles, had backing vocals from The Adantes, who did backing work for many Motown artists.

18. If I Were A Carpenter – 1968 – Written by Tim Hardin and originally recorded by Bobby Darin in 1966, The Four Tops covered it in 1968 and reached the top 20 with it.

19. It’s All In The Game – 1970 – Another version of a great standard, originally recorded by Tommy Edwards in 1958, the soulful sound of Four Tops stands out in this top 30 for them.

20. Ask The Lonely – 1965 – His third single for Motown was written by veteran staff member Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter.

The last Four Tops Top 40 hit was “Indestructible” in 1988.

The quartet also did some film work singing a song in the 1982 film, “Grease 2”. Levi Stubbs provided the voice of the ravenous greenery, Audrey II, in the 1986 musical film, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Arriving late from a recording session in December 1988, the group missed the flight home from their European tour. It turned out to be Pan Am Flight 103, which crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland, when a terrorist bomb was detonated on board.

In 1997, after 44 years without changing staff, Lawrence Payton died of lung cancer. “Obie” Benson also died of lung cancer eight years later. Lead singer Levi Stubbs died at his home in Detroit in 2008. “Duke” Fakir is the only surviving original member, still performing with three other members as The Four Tops.

The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 2009, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

His song, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

It took a lot of practice and training, but I have mastered riding my road bike on paved trails with my Weimaraner. I’d like to share my insight on how I did just that. I will first start by admitting that I understand that all dogs, especially Weimaraners, have very different personalities and how they respond to activities. For example, my four year old weimaraner listens and responds when I call him outside and / or on the trails, but when we’re at the dog park it’s all about playing, not much to respond to my directions. Another thing about my four-legged friend that is different from other dogs I have had, is that when I enter the house, even if I have only been gone for ten minutes, his strong and nervous personality comes out because of the fact that he howls. and jumps so it is very difficult to calm down for at least five minutes. And finally, before training, he got really nervous the first time I took my bike out of the year and rode it down the driveway around him. It seemed like he was always running in front of the tire. It got to the point where I had to stop or slow down. Getting him to pay attention and listen to instructions was impossible while on the bike. With a lot of determination, I can hang onto his leash while he races alongside my bike.

I started slowly, walked with the bike to one side of me, my left hand holding the bike upright and its three-foot strap in my right hand, with him walking on my right side. We walked together for forty-five minutes three non-consecutive days a week. Within that same week, two of the other days I would do intervals with him of walking for two minutes and running for two minutes for an hour. For the last two non-consecutive days I took him to the dog park to work on getting back to my side when directed. The dog park is supposed to be a fun place, so I still let him run and play for five-minute intervals, causing him to go back to walking the path next to me for the next five minutes, then running again and play for another five minutes. , all this with a duration of one hour. My dog ​​responded well to this training and did not fear being so close to the bicycle or did not get in front of it on our walks; therefore, I was not getting off balance. I was consistent with this training routine for two weeks.

My next step was to be a little more aggressive. I started riding my bike with his strap in my right hand for five minute intervals. For the next five minutes I got off the bike and walked like we did with the first set of workouts. This type of interval training was also carried out for five non-consecutive days over the next two weeks. The other two days I took him to the dog park and continued his run and play training for five minutes and came back to my side for the next five minutes to walk on a leash, which lasted again for an hour.

My last step, which was the most aggressive tactic, was riding my bike for ten minutes with his strap on my right hand, getting off, and having the bike on my side while walking with him on my right side. The bike would be between me and my weimaraner for five non-consecutive days. The other two days would be our training again at the dog park, where I could get instructions for playing and walking, all in one hour. Breaking through training but being consistent, I think, kept him focused and assertive. Keeping his mind and body busy and thinking was also the way she could keep him interested and excited about doing the workout. I have learned from others that weimaraners need to be challenged most of the time. This was my challenge for him.

My Weimaraner is excellent with consistency, but needs to be strengthened at the same time. I admit it was very hard work and I didn’t really keep my mind and body in our routine every day. The progress we’ve made together is definitely about training. It’s amazing how wonderful it is to have my four year old Weimaraner burn off energy and enjoy our time together. There are still times when he’s eager to get over the speed I’m riding on the bike, but I’m just referring to him and his smooth ride.

Now he gets excited about putting the bike in the bike rack and getting in the vehicle, knowing that we are going down a trail to burn off some energy and have fun. I have been able to enjoy another physical activity with my favorite four-legged friend.

Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that swept the market in 1932?

Of course not. Chux He saw his product as a luxury item and happily kept his little throwaway business to himself for almost forty years. Then Pampers appeared in the 1960s, backed by a huge mass consumer vision with persistence to match, and blew Chux out of the market transformative breeding forever.

And everyone knows the legend of the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, who invented the personal computer in someone’s garage. Only they didn’t. The Altair MITS hit the market much earlier, in 1975. It’s just that Steve Jobs had the gigantic vision of a computer on every desk; and Apple II became the first PC hit.

I just finished reading a brilliant book titled Will and vision: how newcomers grow to dominate the markets, by Grard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder.

This book takes the concept of vision and makes it concrete, demonstrating sixty-six cases in which an enormous vision of value for a market combined with persistence and indomitable will, made the ingredients for box office success. Along the way, the authors bury the concept of first-mover advantage. They offer numerous examples of companies that came second, third, or later, and went on to dominate their markets.

So what does he do Will and Vision What are the key elements of success?

The authors, research-based academics, not star-eyed growth consultants like yours, carefully reviewed the historical record: Vision was item number one.

That’s how it is. Great vision backed by persistence, will, and relentless innovation.

Today’s world offers many options. People who lack vision tend to drift onto the next attractive project as soon as things don’t go as planned. They lack the perseverance to achieve something important.

Will and Vision offers us a different world. (Of course I am biased. I have been screaming about vision and commitment for years.) We are not talking about a “vision” that is sloganized, embellished, and pasted onto a plaque. We mean the kind of vision that highlights the importance and value of a product or service for many people and ultimately points the way to a new future. And, of course, it requires a 100% commitment to make it happen.

More high-tech, low-tech, massive value vision examples: Dell computers, not IBM or IMSAI; Sony video recorders, not Ampex, which gave up a ten-year lead; Microsoft Internet Explorer: not Netscape or its predecessor, Links; Ray Kroc of McDonalds, not the McDonald brothers; Gillette, not Wilkenson Sword.

Mass market + high profit = great vision.

See what no one else can see. Have a new vision of the world.

The leaders of each of these companies had a vision that extended more than any of their predecessors.

And that expansive vision allowed these people to gain access and leverage resources (Key # 4), maintain persistence to bring the vision to life (Key # 2), and maintain relentless creativity and innovations (Key # 3), over a period of time. years.

Here are some points about a successful insight taken from the research:

• The vision must be unique. Not the uniqueness of the product itself, but the way your product serves the world;
• The vision should be simple and easy to grasp;
• The seeds of vision usually exist in some form in other products or services; (Thank goodness we don’t all have to be original inventors or visionaries!)

The new vision may be of something for which there is no market yet. (This last part is enlightening for any of us who are caught up in market research.)

And some important points regarding the will:

• Getting to your vision can take a long time. Vision without will will not get you there. Only a big commitment can do it;
• A mistaken belief in luck or other invisible forces hampers our ability to persevere. We will find evidence that such luck does not exist and use it as an excuse to quit smoking.
• And this big idea: persistence can manifest itself as a series of minor fixes and, conversely, complacency in small successes can be a barrier to forward-thinking innovation.

Some additional tips for long-term success:

• Maintain a continuous feedback loop and solicit the opinions of others regarding your performance;
• Be aware of market changes and be ready to respond quickly;
• And as Andrew Grove suggests, paranoia drives innovation. A healthy fear of competitors sneaking up on you can keep your product or service fresh;

So how big is YOUR vision?

Is your vision big enough to drive the kind of success you seek? Is your vision big enough to hold? Is it important enough to mobilize the resources necessary for its realization? Is it inspiring enough for partners, employees, customers and investors, and all the other people you need to be successful?

If you think it is not big enough, it may be time to have your eyes checked.

—

© Copyright 2004 Quantum Growth Coaching. All rights reserved

Special Requirements for Reprint: We only ask that you include Paul’s name and resource box, and keep all hyperlinks as hot links.

“If we want to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted children, then we, as parents, must lead happy, healthy, and well-adjusted lives.” Years ago, I authored that saying, and the message certainly lends itself to the fundamentals of parenting, that if we want to raise our children correctly, then we have to demonstrate acceptable behavior ourselves. In short, we must lead our offspring with a positive example.

Our children are entitled to a solid foundation from which to leap into adulthood. It is our responsibility as parents and society in that sense to guide them and demonstrate the behaviors that are acceptable to raise them properly. Sadly, some parents just don’t understand that concept and continue to exhibit their own misdirection.

They continue to believe that if their children are not listening to what they are saying, they certainly should not be looking at what they are doing either; Could not be farther from the truth. Frankly, if you don’t have the self-control to set the tone, then you’re allowing your kids to self-destruct.

For example, do you really think you are being a good role model when one Saturday morning, while driving your daughter to soccer practice, you start a conversation about smoking? It explains the health problems it can cause, especially lung cancer. It makes clear how expensive smoking is, outlines the smelly side effects, nicotine addiction, and spells out the millions of other problems the habit can cause as you fire up the last twenty on a pack of Marlboro yourself.

Are you really being a positive influence in your child’s life when, after drinking a 12-pack during a Sunday afternoon watching soccer, you decide this would be a great teaching moment for little Johnny? So, with slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the smell of stale beer wafting from your breath, you tell him that alcohol is acceptable under two conditions. One must be of legal drinking age and two must drink responsibly.

However, during halftime, with your eyes open and half in the bag, you find that you’ve exhausted your supply of Bud Light. So as Johnny watches, do you walk up to the car, get behind the wheel, and make your way to the corner store to buy another shelf?

However, professionally speaking, I have thousands of examples of parents demonstrating poor leadership skills; this sticks out in my mind.

A few years ago, a young man injected his girlfriend with an overdose of heroin and was convicted of her death. After a long road, the jury came back with a guilty verdict and sentenced him to 10 years to life in New Hampshire State Prison.

Unbelievably, during one visit, his mother tried to smuggle marijuana into the prison for him and was arrested herself.

Thinking back to the days when I was a police officer in Newton, New Hampshire, I dealt with this person’s mother on numerous occasions, so it was not surprising that the poor decisions she was making at the time came back to haunt her.

Unsurprisingly, his lack of discretion manifested itself in poor parenting skills that allowed his own son to walk the same path that led to his own self-destruction through drugs and alcohol, inevitably leading to his imprisonment.

Decades of research on children at risk and poor parenting has shown that parents who empower their children and do not lead by positive example are products of the same environment in which they place their own children, it is a hapless cycle for which there is no easy solutions. . However, to fix the child, you must fix the parents. Here are some suggestions.

1. Take a parenting class. Local high schools and colleges always offer parenting classes at reduced costs; They cover the basics, but give you information, tips, and resources to help you deal with issues, especially teen issues.

2. Plug. Connect to the things that will help you develop your own self-esteem and confidence. Read positive books, listen to self-help tapes and positive music, and surround yourself with your own group of positive peers.

3. Follow the positive and successful example of others. Join PTA or other groups and get involved with parents who are successful in raising their children, learn from them what works and what doesn’t.

Taking the first step in breaking bad habits that can lead to poor parenting can be difficult. However, if you want to lead your children to a better life you have to make sacrifices because it is not about you.

So get started right now and show your kids that you are willing to show them the way. Throw away your Marlboros, put the beer on ice for another time, let your kids accept the consequences of their actions and whatever you do, don’t try to smuggle marijuana into a state prison, it’s really not happiness, health, Health. tight thing to do.

She is not afraid to show her more feminine side. His mother has a tattoo that says “son.” He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis XX.

Do you want to exude virility like the Dos Equis Guy? I was so inspired by this old man with the two hot girls by his side that I ran to my car and headed to the nearest beer store. I asked the store clerk for a six pack of Manly Two XX Asap.

When I got home, I grabbed a bottle opener, popped the lid, and poured the manly juice down my throat. Then I took off my shirt to see if the manly beer had given me some chest hair. I will reveal the results, keep reading to my friends.

The secret shhhh. To complete your metamorphosis from Man Boy To Manly Man, you need to develop your character as a brand. A brand is your trademark, this is what makes you stand out from the crowd, your uniqueness.

Take full ownership and grow your character (brand) to unlimited limits. As a brand, you must maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Identify the positive qualities that you like the most about yourself and make them grow. Also, identify negative qualities about yourself and try to get rid of them.

Positive character traits

Courage

Loyalty

Honesty

Confidence

Self-esteem

Optimism

Enthusiasm

Adaptability

Responsibility

Patience

Modesty

Decision

Self control

Teamwork

Consistency

Negative character traits (vices)

Go to

Arrogance

Swagger

Cowardice

Disloyalty

Envy

Greed

Lack of trust

Imprudence

Impatience

laziness

Injustice

vanity

Weakness

What your network of friends and co-workers says about you and your contributions, both online and offline, will determine the value of your brand.

As a Modern Gentleman, you must focus on what you do that adds value and be an expert on your brand (YOU). Project your manhood and be the most interesting man in your world.

Dos XX is a good beer but too weak for my taste, I like dark beer. Black cold model is excellent with a burrito.

My friends are thirsty.

Guys these days go bald on average at a much younger age than before, many (including me) start going bald at 19 or even earlier. That said, it is often difficult for men to accept the fact that they are losing their hair, especially when they are young and have no other bald members in their family. No one in my family is bald but me and it started at a tender age, so here are some facts that I did my best to ignore until it was too obvious to run away:

Hair on the pillow

While it’s normal for men to have a few strands of hair on their pillows in the morning (or a sheet if you’re like me and sleep without a pillow), anything over 10 strands is an early warning sign. You certainly may not be going bald if you take a good look at your pillow for the first time and notice a lot of strands, but that’s only because the strands have built up for days. If you clean your tuft pillow every day and you still notice more than 10 strands when you wake up in the morning, that’s the number 1 sign.

Hair in the shower and on your towels

Relative to number 1, hair loss in the shower is generally 10 times greater than on the pillow if you are balding. If you decide to shampoo your hair and find your hand almost covered in hair, don’t give yourself an excuse like “oh that’s just because I didn’t wash in a week” that will keep you in denial. If there is hair on your hand and visible hair on the shower floor without you having to make an effort to find it, you are probably on your way to becoming a handsome bald man. Speaking of excuses, here’s a great post on 10 reasons why men’s ‘hope’ is causing your baldness.

Hair ruffled clumsily in the wind

The fact is, you don’t become noticeably bald until you’ve lost more than 50% of the density of your hair. This means that you can be in denial for more than 2 to 3 years (on average). Even when you are in denial and no one notices or points out that you are losing your hair, the wind will make it much more difficult for you to hide the fact. Often when a light wind passes, it is not all the hair that is lifted, but mainly the parts that are less dense. Because the locks are so thin and have not formed a dense mass like when you have a full head of hair, the slightest gain will make these locks stand up and that’s not the look you want to have.

For example, Donald Trump shows a perfect example of what this would look like. It’s something I started to notice when I looked at my reflection when I was outside and saw some strands awkwardly moving over no one’s head but my own.

Grand Strand total is over 100-150

At the end of the day, 100-150 strands should parachute from a healthy head of hair. If you see hair down the drain, on your pillow, on your girlfriend’s face too often, the grand total of strands for the day is probably well over 150. As obvious as it is, sometimes it’s hard to accept, but Think about it rationally and it should be clear that it is time to buy your new razor.

The blatantly obvious signs

To be completely open and honest, I couldn’t accept the fact that I was going bald even though I had gone through most of the common stages of baldness. Even as the hairline started to recede, I looked at friends and celebrities with slightly taller hair lines than I used to and was convinced that I was ‘maturing early’. I can say from experience that when the bald patches become visible and the hairline starts to recede, it’s time to buzz or shave our heads and embrace it like a champ.

It is not easy to accept that you are going bald, especially if you are young and your first instinct is probably to seek medication. The fact is (and you can find out the hard way if you want), NO COMPLETE CURE for MPB has been invented yet and anything out there on the market can have damaging side effects and make things worse. As difficult as it may be, it’s best to gradually embrace it and use support forums like SlyBaldGuys (a large supportive community of proud bald, owners of life) to help you make the transition.

Either way, you can only deny it for a while until you have to deal with it like a man and shave it off!

So if you are sure that you are going bald, do not hide it. At least dare to try shaving it!

Basic Hindi phrases are a must in your repertoire if you are visiting India, be it for a few months or on vacation. Going to a country where your mother tongue is not your primary language can be intimidating and a bit scary. Don’t worry, these are some of the most common Hindi phrases with their basic pronunciations, executed in a more user-friendly way than those lousy phonetic markings found in most dictionaries.

Namastey, aap kaise hain. (na-mas-thay, Aap kai-say hey?) Hello, how are you? In India, we often greet people by saying Namastey with folded hands.

Main theek hoon, dhanyevaad (Mai teek hu, dhun-ye-vaad) I’m fine, thank you.

Aapka naam Kya hai? (Aap-ka naam kya, huh?) What’s your name? Generally, it is a casual question to ask your name.

Mera naam ….. hai (May-ra naam …. hey) My name is …. This is an answer to the previous question.

Aapko Hindi aati hai? (Aap-ko hindi aati hey) This question will be asked by many people, unless you have already tried, and then they will just smile and be very sweet to you.

Mujhe angrezy nahi aati hai (Mu-jay un-grazy n-he aati hey) I don’t speak English. This may be an answer if you don’t know English.

Kitney ka hai? (Kit-ne ka, huh?) How much does this cost?

Mujhe samjh nahi aaya (Mu-jay sum-jh n-he aa-ya) I don’t understand.

Bahut mehangaa hai. (bo-hu-thh may-heng-ga hey) it’s too expensive.

Mujhe chahiye (muj-he chah-iye). This verb means “I want”. It is a very useful word since it is used in many day-to-day situations. Like when ordering coffee in a restaurant, you will say mujhe ka-fee chahiye.

Khana (kha-na) means food.

Paani (pa-ni) means water.

Haan (ha) means yes.

Nahi (n-he) means no

Aapse milke bahut aacha laga (Aap-say mil-ke bah-ut a-cha laga) nice to meet you.

Don’t forget to say “namastey” (na-mas-thay) which means “goodbye” when you leave, usually said with your hands together.

Hope these basic words get you started. Hindi is one of the most fun languages ​​to learn, so don’t stop here!