Some Events To Look Forward To In 2016

As the calendar winds down on 2015, there are a few major events it keep an eye on for 2016.  As the media would say, even-numbered years are better than odd-numbered ones, partly due to all of the advertising dollars spent for the Olympics and political campaigns along with the soccer World and Euro Cups.

Here are some of the major events which will be very hard to miss


SUPER BOWL 50

The Super Bowl is the a huge sporting event and is often the most-watched television program of the year.  Super Bowl XLIX drew more than 114 million viewers who tuned in to watch Tom Brady lead the New England Patriots to victory.  Super Bowl 50 is expected to top 120 million viewers and television commercials are costing $5 million for 30 seconds!

This year's game will feature the Denver Broncos versus the Carolina Panthers.  Will Peyton Manning finally win his second Super Bowl ring or will Cam Newton be victorious?

Super Bowl 50 is being played in San Francisco and will most likely be the most successful one in history.  Silicon Valley is obviously in the area and companies such as Apple and Google raised money for the city's bid committee for the game.  Look for Super Bowl 50 to be the most tech-friendly version of all time, especially with social media. "This will be the most technologically advanced Super Bowl ever," says Keith Bruce, CEO of the Super Bowl Host Committee (this committee includes Google, Apple, Intel, Yahoo and Verizon).

The NFL chose to call it Super Bowl 50 as opposed to Super Bowl L.  This was to emphasize the 50th anniversary and, possibly, to counteract any confusion for people wondering the 'L' means!

IOWA CAUCUS - U.S. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

Thanks to Donald Trump, the Presidential Primaries have dominated the news for much of 2015 and will continue to do so as 2016 rolls around.  The results of the Iowa caucus in Februray , as well as other ones in the same month such as New Hampshire, will undoubtedly attract worldwide attention.

Had Donald Trump not been involved, the Republican race would have been much more subdued.  The question will be how much support he can maintain until February.  As the date approaches, it will be very hard to avoid the hoopla.


QUEEN ELIZABETH TURNS 90

Any milestone for Queen |Elizabeth, such as the 60th anniversary of her monarchy, always attracts international headlines along with the corresponding pomp and circumstance.  Her 90th birthday on April 21 will have huge celebrations in her honour as well as wall-to-wall coverage.

There will also be speculation as to whether she will step down on her birthday and allow her son Charles to become King.  This would be a drastic change as people under 60 haven't known any other British Monarch besides her.  It would also be different having King Charles on the pound note!


EURO 2016

The 2016 UEFA European Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 or simply Euro 2016, take place in France this year starting in June.  There will be 24 teams this year, up from the previous 16 team format.

Taking place in France, security will be very tight and the eyes of the world will be watching  the matches and hoping that everything runs without any incident.  The event won't be quite as large as the World Cup but Europeans are very passionate about their sport and a championship for France would probably be the ultimate feel-good story of the year.



SUMMER OLYMPICS - RIO DE JANEIRO

Rio de Janeiro is well known for its annual Carnival celebrations and the 2016 Summer Olympics will certainly have the same joyous spirit.  Brazil has a population of over 200 million people and many people will think that they are all attending the Games. 

It's going to be a interesting Games with veteran athletes such as Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps coming back yet again for gold medal glory.  People will also keep an eye out for any problems as there have been a few media reports about preparation issues leading up to the event, such as heavily polluted water where some sports are to take place.  However, like other Olympics, it will be a full-blown spectacle on TV and there will be a lot of amazing highlights, especially with the Opening Ceremonies.  Mais rápido, mais alto, mais forte!


U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

This is touted to be one of the most important elections in recent history as an electoral divide seems to have been created in the United States between the right and left leaning elements with very little common ground in the middle.  Hillary Clinton is expected to win the Democratic nomination but the Republican race is very much up in the air.

The 'x' factor is Donald Trump.  If he wins the Republican nomination, it could be a very divisive election.  If he doesn't gain the nomination, it's possible that he may run as a third-party candidate, which is seen as favouring the Democrats.  Whichever the case, there will be a lot of mud-slinging and the winner will have many fences to mend.

The G-20 Summit will take place in September 2016 and will be held in China for the first time.  This will be Barack Obama's last such event after 8 years of being President.  Who will be his successor the next time the world leaders get together?  The world will be watching and anticipating.

There will obviously be many other major events and anniversaries taking place in 2016 but the ones mentioned above will be dominating headlines for much of the year.  Be sure to keep informed!

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Memorizing The Forbes Top 10 Most Powerful People

Memorizing the World's Top 10 Most Powerful People, According To Forbes

It's very useful to know who the world's most powerful people are and it's very useful to constantly exercise your mind, as the brain is also a muscle.  You can combine the two by memorizing the world's top 10 powerful people.  With this fun method, you'll know the list forward and backward and also be able to name any person's position.  Yes, it's fun!

The Top 10

First, here are the links to the numbers.  They rhyme for easier recall and a couple follow the childhood song "One, two, buckle my shoe..."

They are:

1. sun
2. shoe
3. tree
4. door
5. hive
6. sticks
7. heaven
8. skate
9. wine
10. pen


Now, we'll take a look at  the World's Top 10 Most Powerful People, according to Forbes Magazine.

They are:

1. Vladimir Putin, Russian President
2. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor
3. Barack Obama, United States President
4. Pope Francis
5. Xi Jinping, President of China
6. Bill Gates, Microsoft Chairman
7. Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chair
8. David Cameron, British Prime Minister
9. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
10. Larry Page, Google Co-Founder


Now, let's link the country with the memory aid for each number.

1. Vladimir Putin/sun - Imagine Vladimir Putin enjoying the SUN at the beach

2. Angela Merkel/shoe - Imagine Angela Merkel holding a pair of shoes

3. Barack Obama/tree - Imagine Barack Obama planting a TREE

4. Pope Francis/door - Imagine Pope Francis by a huge DOOR

5. Xi Jinping/hive - Imagine Xi Jinping holding up a picture of a Bee HIVE 

6. Bill Gates/stick - Imagine Bill Gates taking a picture with a selfie STICK

7. Janet Yellen/heaven - Imagine Fed Chair Janet Yellen in HEAVEN

8. David Cameron/skate - Imagine David Cameron on skates

9. Narendra Modi/wine - Imagine Norendra Modi with a glass of WINE

10. Larry Page/pen - Imagine Larry Page signing an autograph with a Google PEN

After you create these images, you'll find it very easy to recite the list from the top or bottom and to instantly recall any number. Quick, what's number 3?  Tree - Barack Obama

With the links, you can substitute other words for the numbers, such as one-gun or eight-gate but any word will do.  Have fun with the exercise and use it for any top 10 list that you can find useful!

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Adele: Lessons On Achieving Success

On October 15, 2021, Adele's new single 'Easy on Me' became Spotify's most-streamed song in a single day.  Releasing her first song in six years, Adele has shown that her star shines brightly as ever.

Adele's album 25 achieved diamond status - 10 million copies sold.  This is a remarkable achievement in an era where many consider the album format to be almost extinct as people purchase or stream songs instead.  Many albums take years to go platinum 10 times but Adele did it in less than a year.  What was the last album to reach diamond status?  It was Adele's own 21 with 14 million copies sold.  Expect her new album to match these heights.

 Unlike other singers, she uses her band, her voice and a cup of tea as a backdrop.  It definitely shows how you don't always need fancy lights and a cast of thousands when you let you talent shine through.

What Lessons Can Be Learned?

1) Be Yourself And Let Your Talent Speak For Itself

Adele began singing at age four and hasn't looked back since.  For her, it was about the music and the performance and not the glitz or glamour.  She sings without back-up dancers or an overwhelming display of pyrotechnics.  She can easily sell out arenas without needing an elaborate stage show or a dozen costume changes.

Adele simply needs to be honest and to be herself.  She doesn't feel the need to maintain a perfect body image or to do anything outrageous.  Nobody believes that she needs to do those things and as she remarked, "That’s my worst fear: people not believing me,”.

She definitely doesn't need any props or to sing on a horse.  That's not to see that every singer should have the same minimal approach but make sure that you have the basic talent to have success in your field.  Make sure there is steak along with the sizzle.

Katy Perry has an elaborate stage show but she also has the talent to go along with it.  If you wish to be a successful singer or artist or even a successful business person, make sure you have the training and the talent.  This will take some hard work but there has to be a solid foundation to anyone's success.

2) Sometimes Less Exposure is More

Her last album '21' sold 30 million copies worldwide but she only released 3 singles and two videos. After the success of the album, she stayed out of the limelight and only came out to record and sing the James Bond song 'Skyfall'.  Even then, she did not appear in the video although she did perform at the Oscar ceremony.  Her interview this past week with i-D Magazine was her first in 3 years.  In these days of countless talk shows and numerous online entertainment sites, that's quite an accomplishment.

In this age of social media, there's a fine line between being overexposed and leaving the pubic wanting more.  Kim Kardashian does not leave people wanting more but there is still an insatiable demand for her and her family, for the time being.  How long will it last until it burns out?  Nobody knows.

Adele, with her talent, has set herself up for a truly long career.  It wouldn't be surprising if she's still this popular when she's in her seventies, like a Barbra Streisand.  We can all definitely enjoy her singing but we can also learn some lessons in success from her remarkable and inspiring story!

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Lessons in Success from James Bond and the 007 Franchise

"Bond...James Bond"

The iconic phrase was first uttered by the late Sean Connery in the 1962 film Dr. No, where he portrayed a character introduced 9 years earlier in the novel Casino Royale.  Author Ian Fleming based the novel on his own wartime experiences in Naval Intelligence during the Second World War and got the name James Bond from the author of the book 'Birds of the West Indies'.

With the October release of No Time To Die, Bond is as big as ever in 2021.  Daniel Craig will be retiring from the role after this film and the quest for his successor will ensure that the franchise will stay in the headlines for years to come.

James Bond was definitely a focal point for Amazon's purchase of MGM.  Jeff Bezos undoubtedly had the agent in mind when his company purchased the studio for $8.45 billion in 2021.  

There are obvious reason for the interest. Movies starring James Bond have grossed almost $5 Billion  and the latest Bond film 'No Time To Die' will add much more in worldwide revenue.  Declared dead more than once over the past decades, the Bond franchise is as popular as ever more than 50 years after Dr. No's release. As one theme song put it, nobody does it better.

What are some lessons that can be learned from this success?

1)  Stick With What Works

James Bond works with the British Secret Service with a license to kill.  He basically beats up the bad guys, gets the girl, saves the world and looks suave throughout.  James Bond was introduced during the Cold War and his adversaries were usually Russian agents, the international crime organization Spectre or mega-villains like Goldfinger.

When the Iron Curtain came down, the villains may have changed but James Bond remained the same.  The audience still wanted Bond to wear his tuxedoes, enjoy his drinks and vanquish the bad guys, usually with a quip.  The later films had some characters make remarks about Bond being a Cold War relic or a misogynist but he always remained the quintessential Bond that everyone grew up with.

You may tweak a product or an idea but it's always best to keep the essential aspects that made it popular in the first place.


2) Change Will Happen But Make It Work To Your Advantage

Sean Connery was the perfect James Bond for many but he wasn't going to play the character forever.  By the time Goldfinger came out, he was tired from the overwhelming public pressure and the negative effect he felt playing an icon was having on his acting career.

What happened next?  The producers decided on Roger Moore after a strange interlude where George Lazenby was hired, fired and Sean Connery was brought back only to quit again after one film (more on Mr. Lazenby later).

Roger Moore was not Sean Connery Part 2.  His Bond was more suave, had a lighter touch and less prone to use his fists.  The franchised was re-energized and had massive success with films such as The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy.  At times, the Roger Moore films went a bit far for Bond purists, especially with the sexual innuendo, but the franchise was as popular as ever and survived the absence of Sean Connery in the title role.

When Roger Moore retired, the James Bond movies kept rolling by using actors who brought different facets to the character but kept the essence.  Whether more suave or more brutal, the franchise kept itself fresh by not recycling the same exact Bond character all the time.

Some older fans may never have accepted any Bond after Sean Connery but younger fans definitely don't have the same stubborn loyalties.  They are entertained by the tried-and-true formula of the James Bond movies and perhaps have never seen any of the movies starring Connery or Moore.

3) Keep Up With The Times

James Bond is old-fashioned but he can't be a fossil.  Like a business product or idea, the Bond franchise has to keep up with the times.  When the Cold War ended, Bond found other villains.  When the Shuttle made space travel easier in the 70's, Bond went into orbit. When technology changed, Bond adapted (even Q become a tech wizard in Spectre as opposed to the gadget wizard in the older films).

Customers and clients may sometimes say to leave things as they are, but it's a fast-changing world and nostalgia can't always play a major role.  As stated before, adapt but keep the essence.  A 2015 Ford Mustang is different in many ways from a 60's version but's still a Mustang.

4) Dream Insanely Big And You Just May Reach That Goal!

George Lazenby was 22 when he saw Dr. No on a date in 1962.  Seven years later, he was the new James Bond.  How did that happen?  He was from Australa, not England.  He had no acting experience.  He was the son of a railway worker, certainly a far cry from the suave British gentleman spy.  How did such an unknown take over such an iconic role that had unprecedented world-wide popularity?

According to the interview, Lazenby got the part because he wanted it, wanted it more than anyone else.  When he saw Dr. No, the date didn't quite work out as planned but he now had the goal of becoming the next James Bond.  Watch the video (it's just over 2 minutes) to see how a seemingly impossible goal can be reached simply through desire and perseverance.

If an unknown non-actor could replace an icon like Sean Connery to become the next James, then anything is certainly possible for anyone, if you want it.

Spectre was released in November 2015 and turned out to be one of the most successful films of that year.  The James Bond franchise has maintained its popularity ever since the first film in 1962.  There have been peaks and valleys and rumors of its demise over the years but following the simple rules of success have allowed it to thrive and likely be a viable force for another 50 years.

Bring on James Bond 25!

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Quotes From Famous Athletes About Achieving Success

Success in life has many paths and it usually involves hard work and some sacrifice.  Successful athletes embody these principles and more.  Like in business, getting to the top isn't easy but it's very possible as long as you put in the effort and set your goals high enough.

There is no athlete who achieved success who said it was easy or a piece of cake. It is the same with life.  If someone sets a goal high enough, they will reach a greater level of achievement.  Nobody ever won a championship or created a successful business by setting a goal of just showing up.

Hard work and passion can lead to great things.  Put in the time and effort, and, most importantly, believe in yourself. The results will be well worth it.

Like Hank Aaron said, keep swinging.




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