Category Archive : Arts Entertainments

Combat Conditioning was the first book to introduce me to bodyweight exercises for functional strength and endurance. I was the kind of kid in high school sports who was the proverbial “talentless clown.” What I mean by this is that I was very strong, but the natural talent escaped me. I always swore that there are people who are much more talented, but I would never be out of work. Growing up in the exercise craze from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Pumping Iron” led me to weight lifting with all my friends. Now when you’re young and you just lift weights to see how strong you are, bad things end up happening. When I had a physical exam before the start of the college football season, the doctor looked at me and politely said, “Hey idiot, have you ever heard of stretching?” Needless to say, the search began to search for a better way to exercise and gain functional strength. Attorney’s note: I hate them, but they are important. With any exercise routine, check with your doctor to make sure you can perform these routines.

Why is this important to me?

This book will help you gain knowledge of bodyweight exercises that will help you in three areas: strength, endurance, and flexibility. If these three things are not important to you, save yourself 5 minutes and turn off the video. Otherwise, continue with me.

Have you ever seen any of the following: great MMA fighters, cirque du soleil, or a gymnastics competition? All of these phenomenal athletes have functional strength. This means that they can do things with their bodies that 90 percent of the population cannot. The good news is that 90 percent can do these things by changing their exercise routines. Another book you should refer to is Convict Conditioning. This focused more on the strength of the muscles, joints, and tendons. The benefit of that is that you can maintain that strength well into your seventies.

Don’t get me wrong, any type of exercise is better than none. If you’re not doing anything and you start lifting weights, keep doing it. But if you want an inexpensive way to exercise with compound results, this book is for you. A big problem with lifting weights itself is that it uses muscle isolation. This means that if you curl, you isolate the movement of the biceps muscle. This does nothing to create functional strength for your tendons or joints. The human body was designed to work together, so why not shorten your work out and do compound exercises to maximize your results? If you did a simple pull up, you still work your biceps, but you also engage your back, forearms, shoulders, and core along with building functional strength.

Matt describes his Holy Grail of exercise that he coined at the Royal Court. I will explain each exercise.

The Indian squat is an excellent exercise. When you start out, you can do a half squat like with your arms in front of you parallel to the ground, but as you progress and build strength in your knees, you’ll want to do a full squat with the back of your thighs touching the back of your legs calves.

Strong legs are good for the body. When you work your legs, you engage your entire body and burn calories all day, even after exercise. Legs are made up of the largest muscles in your body and it shows the next day when they are sore.

When doing Indian squats, work your way up to three sets of 100. Doing the actual cut in 3 sets cycles is a great exercise that doesn’t take much time. If you are traveling then this is a perfect routine because it doesn’t take long.

The Hindu push-up is different than a normal push-up. Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and your butt in the air. Push in an arcing motion (similar to downward facing dog in Yoga). Try to work up to 3 sets of 50 reps. If you’ve never done this before and can only do a couple, don’t be discouraged. Like everything new, it takes practice to develop it.

This exercise will help you with strength, back flexibility, and endurance. Enjoy!

The rear axle gets a lot of bad press. People think that it is harmful to the back and neck. Like anything else, do what is most comfortable for you.

You can join three shapes. Think of this as an exercise and NOT a stretch. You will feel your body warm up when doing this exercise.

You can start with a training ball if you can’t do the neck bridge. Then as you go you can move to the neck bridge (on the head) and then to the gymnastic bridge (with the arms and without the head).

Keep in mind that if you’ve never done them before, they will seem difficult at first. Don’t be frustrated. Before starting to bridge, I had terrible neck and back pain. Imagine because I was just lifting heavy weights with squats and bench presses. Anyway, when I started doing the bridge, all the pain was gone.

The back and neck stretch feels great and the results will speak for themselves. Note: DO NOT force this exercise. Take your time and do it.

Combat Conditioning is a great book to introduce you to bodyweight exercises for functional strength, endurance, and flexibility. I was watching a discovery show where they were making a martial arts video game. They showed a man doing a unique exercise.

There were telephone polls on the ground at different heights in two rows. He jumped from one to the other and landed on one leg. I would jump to the other and do a full one leg squat with the other leg fully extended in a kicking position. This is a true test of functional strength and flexibility. Oh by the way, this man was 75 years old. Results that last a lifetime are something I am always striving for.

I hope this short summary has been helpful to you. The key to any new idea is to incorporate it into your daily routine until it becomes a habit. Habits are formed in just 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is the royal court. Try it as part of your exercise routine for a month and record your progress. I think the results will pleasantly surprise you.

As the aunt of a preschooler and aspiring voice actress (I knew all those hours of watching Bugs Bunny would come in handy), I know every kid’s show, as well as every kid’s DVD out there.

In my opinion, there is no better way for celebrities to win back their outrageous salaries than to entertain and sometimes educate children. And They Might Be Giants gets a “cooler than Elvis” vote for singing the title track of one of Playhouse Disney’s newest hits, “Higglytown Heroes,” which is also on their children’s CD / DVD, “Here Come the A B C s”.

For those of you who are not familiar with all things Higgly (an adjective that is used both as “Smurf” but not, thanks to Higgles, as a verb), the series focuses on a small town and four children named Eubie, Kip and brothers Wayne and Twinkle. Think “South Park” with better art and no bad language. The loudest language is “Aw, pickles”, usually uttered by Twinkle (pinker than Trista Rehn Sutter!) After his fantastic ideas for solving children’s dilemmas are drilled gently by Fran, a friendly squirrel with the voice by Edie McClurg.

In each two half-hour episode show, the Higgly Kids experience common and innocent childhood events, such as finding a caterpillar, throwing a TV party for the Happy Hairy Higgly Monster Primetime Special, losing a tooth, Kip’s grandfather locked in the bathroom. or taking care of an unhappy bird. Children try to solve their problems, guided by Fran, who is the voice of reason, helped by their loving families and the ever-enthusiastic Bill and Ted-ish Pizza Guy … plus someone special. Then comes the inevitable song …

“Someone special, who could it be?

This job is too big for you and me.

We need help!

But never fear

Looks like a job for a … Hero of Higglytown!

A Hero of Higglytown! “

Some of the heroes are natural choices, especially after 9/11: policewoman, firefighter, etc. But how many of us think of sanitation workers, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, postmen (voiced by Kathie Lee Gifford), and farmers as heroes? Or a telephone operator (with the voice of Cyndi Lauper)? Although heroes have celebrity voices, the Higgly Kids discover that the real stars around them are the people who solve problems every day.

Some of the dilemmas get a bit ridiculous from an adult perspective. For example, when Kip climbs a tree to save a beloved neighborhood cat and her kittens, his friends help him. Why, when you get stuck, can’t they help you back up? Ahem … when was the last time you tripped and panicked? You need help in your own life every day without thinking about it.

The beauty of “Higglytown Heroes” is that it celebrates working together, “having fun together,” and the Higgly Kids, as well as their families, never take the Heroes in their lives for granted. The electrician (Lance Bass) is invited to participate in the “Higgly Monsters” TV party after repairing the circuits at Kip’s house. The firefighter (Donald Faison) who pulls Kip out of the tree shares a birthday party for the neighborhood cat. How many of us make an effort to thank the people who make our lives easier? Sometimes we forget to see them as people with needs and feelings.

We even forget to see our own families as heroes. Kip’s grandmother (voiced by “Golden Girl” Betty White, with Rose Nylund hairdo) knits the boys’ sweaters. Kip’s real estate agent Mom Bitty acts like the lifeblood of 1950s domestic life, but is rewarded when Kip and his friends gift her a card to get her back on track. Wayne’s mom Plunkie shows the kids a caterpillar and takes them to the beach, while Wayne and Twinkle’s Uncle Lemmo cook breakfast for them in their restaurant and, in the Christmas special, she takes Wayne and Twinkle. on his sleigh.

Interestingly, Higgly’s families aren’t always nuclear families, something Disney portrays as normal without drawing attention to it. Kip’s family is the proverbial nuclear family, with twin sisters, a little sister, a mom and dad, Fripp (who operates a hot dog cart), and two grandparents who live in or constantly visit Kip’s big house. Twinkle and Wayne’s mother appears to be a single dad (although they are all African American, no one has yelled racism yet), and Eubie is apparently being raised by her Aunt Mellie and Uncle Zooter with a southern accent, with visits from her southern accent. Grandpop Crank (a farmer).

In many ways, Higglytown is idealized. Nobody seems to care about work, money, or status. People go to the library, and a librarian is a Higglytown hero! Kids “work really hard” and take responsibility (gasp) by thinking of ways to help themselves and their families, and in each episode there are little moral lessons and tips (take care of your pets, don’t use too much electricity, make them smile someone) to show children how they can become … Heroes of Higglytown!

Cynics and naysayers will scoff at this like a childish pablum. I call it a refreshing dose of reality and a tribute to the heroes around us. Disney animators are Higglytown Heroes for creating this show.

Author’s Note: After this review originally went online, actor Rory Thost, who voices “Kip,” was kind enough to be a “Higglytown hero” and brighten my day by telling me how much he and the cast I liked the review. For all those who think our children are real troublemakers, Young Master Rory Thost is thirteen years old: http://imdb.com/name/nm1191277/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfbH9yef9ye. His career in show business is already longer than mine! More importantly, in a world where celebrity misbehavior is sadly the norm, this young man remains polite, mature, well-mannered, and well-grounded.

Author’s Note II: This series just keeps getting better. The continuity is on par with most primetime shows. Kip has adopted a dog named “Shadow” who makes guest appearances; we meet Fran’s parents after seeing them at the Christmas special; Eubie’s grandfather becomes a Higglytown hero; Flappy, Eubie’s bird, makes appearances from time to time. The fireman is back. The electrician proposes to the teacher, and Pizza Guy and Fran become Higglytown heroes!

Author’s Note III: Disney has created Higglytown Heroes Toys. This series has legs!

For those in the film industry, costume refers to the costume or outfit that an actor, performer, or extra wears while on a television or movie set. These outfits can be everyday clothes to store costumes or those costumes made from scratch.

When an actor auditions for a role, they will fill out and fill out a casting form with their personal information, body sizes, and measurements. Once the actor reserves the role, this information is sent to the wardrobe office / department and / or an immediate phone call is made to the actor to review or collect his data, including measurements. The actor should have this information available even if they have performed at the audition / callback. All actors or those who are going to attend the main auditions need a measurement sheet.

After the costume designer / assistant has spoken with the actor (parent of child actors) on the phone and noted their information, they will purchase the actor’s costume sizes at a local mall if everyday attractions are to be used for the shoot or schedule a tryout for the actor to come and try on different outfits or stock pieces. If attendees have purchased the stores in the mall, the actor will be called back, but this time to schedule a costume fitting in the costume department’s production office.

The costume fitting scheduled by the costume assistant will be for a day and time that is convenient for both parties. The actor will arrive 15 minutes early for the audition and will bring whatever clothing the costume assistant has requested. This usually happens with accessories for commercials. An actor may be asked to bring a pair of dress shoes or running shoes, belt, vest, etc. If the costumes are used in the commercial, the production will pay a fee to rent that garment to the actor. This action generally rewards the actor with an additional payment. Clothing and / or special equipment is rented for around $ 25.

As payment progresses, actors are paid to participate in costume fittings. They get paid for a 2 hour call, but it usually takes less than an hour to complete. Sometimes an actor will have to participate in multiple costume fittings, especially if the costume is to be made. As the actor tries on different outfits, different outfit combinations, or ideas for original pieces, a photo will be taken of the actor in each outfit. These photos are then sent to the director and / or producer (s) for final approval. The director can select an outfit or outfits from these photos or ask the designer to come up with other options or suggestions.

Extras are background performers who fill the areas around the actors. Extras must bring or provide their own complete head-to-toe changeover wardrobe including accessories. At the extras celebration, the performers show the costume assistants their costume choices. Then attendees will approve an outfit from the additional options or suggest a new outfit by putting together different items. Once approved, the extra is good to step on the set. Sometimes extras have special requirements and will be reserved in a production because they own a particular outfit, such as a tuxedo, floor length dress, Halloween costume, sports uniform, etc. The extra job depends on the closet that an extra has in their closet. Extras provide their own wardrobe because it is less complicated for production. It’s quick, easy, all clothing fit first time, and minimal cost to production.

Costume movie pre-production can begin about six weeks before shooting. The director and / or producers are shown artist designs drawn, colored and with small costume pieces for each character. These samples offer an idea of ​​what will be the costumes / costumes proposed by the actors. Instructions are given on the cut and fit of the suits, modifications to the existing stock, etc. Costumes built or made from scratch usually involve a costume designer. The designer researches the era or time period, purchases the materials, designs the ideas / concepts, and assembles the pieces for the wardrobe. Designer designed costumes are mainly historical or vintage pieces, fantasy pieces and / or modern / futuristic.

The Academy Awards honor designers. Best Costume Design is the category for costume designers and spans from 1948 to the present day. For this category, the designer makes or creates the costumes for all the characters / actors in the film. The designer’s team may consist of tailors, seamstresses, applicators, dyers, cutters, breakers (make garments look worn), shoemakers, hatters, jewelers, etc. The winner of the 82nd Academy Awards for Costume Design was Sandy Powell for Young Victoria.

Productions give the costume designer / costume department a budget. For everyday wear purchased in stores, but not selected by the director for artists, it will be returned to the various stores for reimbursement. The wardrobe warehouses stock row upon row to the ceiling of ready-to-rent suits for specific period pieces. Costume stocks are pulled from their shelves and racks ready to dress the actors. These warehouses also have boxes and boxes and accessory boxes. From all different types and sizes of footwear, hats, gloves, jewelry to masks, hats, underwear or other rare specialty items like military uniforms, peasant rags or zombie rags, etc.

On the set of a movie there is always a costume trailer as part of the circus. However, the actor’s or interpreter’s costumes are hanging in their trailer before they arrive for the filming days. All pieces are given to the artist together with the underwear, especially if the weather is cold. The actors place warm compresses on their shoes, pockets, and / or around their body and are given a jacket to cover them. The jacket serves to disguise the costumes, keep the actor warm, and protect the costume from the elements.

On set, there are costume assistants who take care of the actors. They make sure that the entire wardrobe is placed correctly, that there are no problems of tampering or missing parts, and they make sure that everything is in its right place and used in the right way. Each outfit worn by the actor will be photographed for continuity purposes. Once an actor has changed costumes, they will go to the costume trailer for approval before heading to the set.

In short, costumes are an important piece of the giant movie puzzle. The costumes bring the actor’s character to life. They help the actor to transform into his role. For the extras, they may be in the background, but in disguise they feel connected to television or the cinema. And the audience, we can sit down and take it all in.

From Bill Gates at the end of the last century to John D. Rockefeller at the end of the previous century; from Rick Scott, founder of Columbia Health Care, to AT&T; from Richard Branson and British Airlines to Dan Peña and The Financial Times; from government, banking, insurance and any other facet of world trade: to grow geometrically and sustain itself, litigation must be used and mastered (wisely).

As briefly as possible, I will recall the highlights of the use of litigation as a business tool.

Now, before we start, I want the record to be recorded, about 50% of my 30-year litigation history has had nothing to do with making money, that is, many lawsuits have been based on principles, some were to correct an error as egregious as slanderous comments made about me; and some were because an entity only needed a good payment and no one else would carry the flag into battle.

I, like Don Quixote, have fought more than one windmill.

As you have heard me speak and write, in creating your ‘Dream Team’, you want accountants from the Big Five and a great national or international law firm, the best representation you cannot afford!

Unlike the success-oriented fees that I advise you to use when facilitating transactions, no law firm will initially litigate on this basis.

Perhaps if your case is especially strong, they will do so on a contingent basis. Unfortunately, you will use litigation as a positioning tool from time to time and your case may not be something you can seriously take advantage of.

A year or two ago, being left with a pig in a punch, I had to litigate a case with misleading data at best to support the desired outcome. Fortunately, our (my) apparent lust to litigate was stronger than his desire to fight a tough battle, so a reasonably good settlement was finally reached.

Of course, during this process my good lawyers advised us, advising that our case should be much stronger, etc. Even with great lawyers, it’s their job to inform you of downside risks. Again, what happens is that you are often afraid to move forward with your case.

Good lawyers win regular lawsuits. Great attorneys can win lawsuits where you have little or no chance of winning.

Three of my favorite litigators over the years are Steve Susman and Cyrus Marter IV of Susman Godfrey in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle and Tim Harris of Charleston Revich & Williams in Los Angeles. All three have pulled me out of some pretty big black holes.

I have taken care of them for 10 and 20 years respectively. They are worth every penny they charge!

Our judicial system works, but we grow up fearing it. It is outside our comfort zone, so we exclude ourselves from benefiting from it. Normally, the cost associated with it prevents us from using it.

In fact, I am currently involved in litigation in which the auxiliary parties to the litigation have rights that are being seriously violated. A large group of people could exert great pressure, but they are afraid due to previous bad experiences. They may get what they deserve, but they are not pursuing your best interests.

There are lawyers who take cases for humanitarian reasons, if the case warrants it, also in the business field, that is, large corporations that take advantage of the system only because of its size.

Why do you want to sue so that you are the plaintiff? As a plaintiff, you choose where and when the lawsuit is fought and will likely eventually be resolved.

This can be a great advantage. And second, the plaintiff is allowed two closing arguments, which means that you (your attorney) can address the judge and / or jury again and again after the defendants’ final argument. This can also be very important.

26 unbreakable litigation rules

# 1 CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

# 2 CHOOSE THE PLACE

# 3 BE THE PLAINTIFF

# 4 HAVE THE BEST REPRESENTATION

# 5 LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

# 6 DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR SICK STOMACH WHEN YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

# 7 DON’T LISTEN TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, ET AL

# 8 LISTEN TO EXPERIENCED LITIGANTS – LIKE ME!

# 9 SPEAKING IN GENERAL, DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE COST (THIS IS VERY HARD)

# 10 BIG DEMANDS ARE BETTER THAN SMALL

# 11 CHOSEN JURY TRIALS, OPPOSED ONLY TO ONE JUDGE

# 12 PREPARATION (YOURS) IS EVERYTHING – KNOW THE FACTS

# 13 PRACTICAL DEPOSITIONS AND TESTS

# 14 IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT A BETTER STRATEGY, GET A NEW LAWYER (NOT TRUE IN MY CASE)

# 15 NEVER GIVE UP

# 16 DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE PROCESS

# 17 USE FALSE EVIDENCE (FAKE TRIALS YOU MAKE IN FRONT OF A HIRED JURY)

# 18 DRESS SIMPLE AND CONSERVATIVE IN COURT – NO JEWELRY EXCEPT A WEDDING BAND; WHITE SHIRT, PLAIN TIE AND DARK SUIT FOR MEN AND EQUIVALENT FOR WOMEN; CARE HAIR FOR SHORT MEN

# 19 DON’T LOSE YOUR TEMPERATURE IN COURT – IT’S OK TO CRY IF IT’S REAL

# 20 HAVE YOUR SPOUSE IN THE FIRST ROW EVERY DAY. CHILDREN ALSO IF POSSIBLE. OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE SECOND ROW IS OK

# 21 THERE ARE NO PRESS QUOTES THAT ARE NOT “WE BELIEVE IN OUR CASE AND THAT IS WHY WE WENT TO COURT.” YOUR WORDS CAN TURN EASILY.

# 22 WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR LUNCH OR RECREATION, REMEMBER TO NEVER SPEAK IN PUBLIC ABOUT THE CASE – YOU NEVER KNOW WHO COULD LISTEN

# 23 WHEN YOU FIND A WINNING LEGAL TEAM, STAY WITH THEM

# 24 ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH, NO MATTER WHAT. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

# 25 DURING VIDEO-RECORDED DEPOSITIONS AND IN COURT, WATCH THE CAMERA AND JURY. MAKE EYE CONTACT.

# 26 WHEN TESTIFYING IN A DEPOSITION / TRIAL, IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER, SAY YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER

It is a closed world of the best litigants. Virtually all large law firms have good to super good attorneys. Not all great law firms have great litigants. You don’t always need a great lawyer, but at some point, if you grow geometrically, you will.

Like any other project management, litigation must be managed. Unfortunately, just like giving speeches, you become a great litigator by going through a learning curve.

I don’t mean that you have to get involved in wasting your efforts (like making bad speeches so that after a while you make good speeches) to be in a position to win in court. Large law firms will allow you to get ahead of the learning curve.

The Quantum Leap methodology talks endlessly about how to follow your dreams. Life without dreams is like a bird with a broken wing: it cannot fly. I wrote this newsletter because sometimes you will need litigation to follow your dream.

Get out there and kick some ass, and don’t let conventional wisdom stop you from achieving your dream.

Conventional wisdom says don’t litigate.

All the high performers and great organizations of the last hundred years litigated and litigated as I write this letter.

Don’t litigate frivolously, but don’t be afraid either.

At its quantum leap,

Daniel S. Peña, Sr.

I would like to tell you a little secret of my success in losing weight so fast. First, you must make a decision. The decision is that you are going to do this. You are going to follow the training plan and you are going to change the food that you put in your mouth. You’re going to hit play on your DVD player no matter what time of day and what you have left to do during the day. To get this burning desire, you need to find out why you want to do this.

This can be different for many people. For me it was my self-esteem, my son and my job. For you it might be that beach vacation you’re taking, a wedding, an army training or a marathon, or because your health is deteriorating. Next, you must decide what your fitness goal will be. Are you going to lose 5 pounds, 15 pounds, or 50 pounds? or more? How many inches would you like to lose from your waist? What size do you want to fit? How fast do you want your mile run to be?

Then WRITE IT OUT! Write your goals on a piece of paper and place it next to your bed. Read it before you go to sleep and when you get up in the morning. This will remind you of your goals and has been shown to increase motivation. Then choose your exercise program based on your physical ability. Beachbody has several different exercise programs to choose from. Do you want fun music and cardio? Try Turbofire. Do you want a total body transformation? P90X test. Do you have arthritis or a knee problem? Try Power 90. Whatever the choice, remember to read the manuals and follow the nutrition plans. Also ask your coach, they are very knowledgeable about a plan that will work for you.

It has also been shown that if you join a training group for support and motivation, you are much more likely to finish the program and reach your goals than someone who follows it. This is why challenge groups are so effective and why my team, Team Hustle, was created. It is to help others eat healthy and achieve their weight loss goals.

So start tonight with your goals. Write them down and add them as you go about your day. Just make sure they are big enough to motivate you to act!

Still wondering if Tupac Shakur is still alive? If you are like so many other fans, you have come to the right place. In this article you will find some of the most shocking theories that have plagued 2pac’s death since 1996. I have gathered a great deal of information that has been on the internet and compiled it in this article. I did this so that you could finally answer the question for yourself and find out if, in fact, 2pac is still alive.

After 2pac was released from prison in early 1996, he went to work with Death Row Records. As soon as he got off the plane, he was in the studio making his debut album “All Eyez on Me”. The album went diamond and is one of the best-selling hip hop albums of all time. This was a very impressive achievement and if you listened to this album you would notice some very interesting things.

Let’s start with song 13 from the first album titled “I ain’t Mad at Cha”. In the music video for this song, you’ll notice that 2pac is actually rapping about his own funeral and even shows 2pac as an angel in heaven. This is quite strange considering that the video was released only a few days after he was pronounced dead on Friday, September 13, 1996. Yes, you read it correctly on Friday the 13th, as if this day did not have any conspiracy in itself.

Moving on to the CD, if you notice song number 12 on disc 2, there is a song titled “Ain’t Hard 2 Find”. In this song, 2pac says the following: “I heard rumors that I died, murdered in cold blood, traumatized pictures of me in my final states, you know that mom cried, but that was fiction, a coward made the story go wrong.” Perhaps he was predicting the future? The album was released on February 13, 1996 exactly 7 months before he was shot.

The 7 months are quite interesting too because if you look at the first album released by Makaveli aka 2pac after his death, the title is “The Don Killuminati The 7 Day Theory”. Tupac had changed his name to Makaveli similar to the 16th century philosopher Machiavelli who faked his own death. Machiavelli had written a few books, but the most famous were “The Prince” and “The Art of War.” “The Prince” is a book on how to fake death. The second book, “The Art of War,” has the same title as the Bone Thugs N Harmony double-disc CD. On this album, 2pac makes a guest appearance on one of their songs titled “Thug Luv”. An interesting point about this album is that it wasn’t released until 1998.

Did you know that when 2pac released the album “Better Dayz”, they had released more albums than any other musician alive with seven? The point is, there have been even more since then. There have been “Loyal to the Game”, “Resurrection” and “The Life of Pac” just to name a few.

Could Tupac Shakur have faked his own death? Everyone knows that when Snoop Dogg was convicted of murder charges, his album sales skyrocketed. Maybe this was just a plan to get rich. Take a look at these lyrics to his song “Made Niggaz”, here’s what he says: “Fuck everyone who doesn’t understand my plan to get rich. Outlaw to the grave, I have a plan to get rich. Make me one. Photo “.

What do you think?

A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans

By: W. Bruce Cameron

Publisher: Forge Books

Publication date: December 2016

ISBN: 978-0765388117

Dog lovers have always known that dogs are intelligent, loving, and deeply devoted to “their humans.” Author W. Bruce Cameron has taken this knowledge and added a unique twist that builds on it: a novel that imagines a dog, who lives several dog lives, and remembers each life and the lessons learned in that life.

The purpose of a dog begins with a puppy describing his life. It soon becomes clear that the cub, along with his three brothers and his mother, are wild. Finally, the cub, along with his mother and brother, are captured by a rescue dog. They are placed in a backyard with many other dogs and while the puppy, soon to be named Toby, adjusts well, his mother cannot handle human interaction and manages to escape. Toby grows up, makes friends, and finally reunites with his sister. But problems arise when authorities close the rescue site for having too many dogs. Toby soon finds himself in a bad situation …

When Toby’s life comes to an end, he is reincarnated as a beautiful Golden Retriever. Now the puppy is part of a healthy litter, kept with a breeder. When he sees that other puppies, from other litters, are adopted and disappear into the great beyond outside the yard, he wants to leave. He remembers seeing his mother from his first life open the door handle, and works to copy it. It works and he runs away from the breeder and wanders until picked up by a kind man who takes him for a ride in his car. Unfortunately, the man stops at a bar and leaves the puppy in his hot car. Once again the puppy is rescued, this time by a woman who smashes the car window just in time before heatstroke kills the dog. You bring the puppy home to your young son, and this is where most of the story is: between “Bailey” the dog and “Boy.”

After “Boy”, Bailey returns a few more times, once as a K-9 search and rescue German Shepherd and again as a Black Lab. His final reincarnation as a laboratory puts a complete twist on him with a very satisfying conclusion to the story.

Told from a dog’s point of view, A Dog’s Purpose is a delightful story that immediately appealed to me and kept me reading until I turned the last page. The author has the true gift of capturing a dog’s thoughts and it really felt like the dog was sharing his life with me. Toby / Bailey / Ellie / Buddy was a loving dog who knew that his purpose was to do what his human wanted / needed him to do, be it saving a child from drowning or taking a car ride to make a child happy. Like all dogs, this dog learned words: “kennel”, “bed”, “sleep”, etc. and basic concepts like “Merry Christmas” which for him meant people who came to the house. He would sit at the feet of his owner and listen to a word from the humans who spoke, for example, his name, and he would get excited, not knowing what the rest of the conversation was about. The author included a minimal amount of dialogue from humans to give readers a clue as to what was going on, but even without that help, it wasn’t difficult to follow. Much of what the dog did was pick up on the emotions of the people around him, feeling joy, fear, pain, and reacting accordingly. The writing style definitely worked quite well, and I’m looking forward to diving into the sequel, A Dog’s Journey.

Quill Says: There’s a reason Hollywood came to call and made a movie based on this book! If you love dogs, do yourself a favor and read The Purpose of a Dog.