text:
Dexy's Midnight Runners posted with Svabdos
Rock, Electronic
Folk Rock, Pop Rock ,New Wave ,Synth-pop ,Soul
KEVIN ROWLAND/BILLY ADAMS(1980-)/JIMMY PATTERSON(1978-84)/SAB SHELTON(1980-84)/HELEN O'HARA (1982-)/STEVEN BRENNAN (1982-84)/GIORGIO KILKENNY (1980-84)/MICKY BILLINGHAM (1980-84)/BRIAN MAURICE (1980-84)/PAUL SPEARE (1980-84)/GROWCOTT ANDY (1978-80)/AL ARCHER (1978-80)/MICK TALBOT (1978-80) later appeared in The Style Council /BLYTHE JEFF (1978-80)/PETER SAUNDERS(1978-80)/STEVE SPOONER(1978-80)/PETE WILLIAMS(1978-80)
Tracklist :
01 Burn It Down
02 Tell Me When My Light Turns Green
03 The Teams That Meet In Caffs
04 I'm Just Looking
05 Geno
06 Seven Days Too Long
07 I Couldn't Help If I Tried
08 Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply
09 Keep It
10 Love Part One
11 There, There, My Dear
Link to download :
http://rapidshare.com/files/9396896/-_searching_for.rar.html 192 kbs
"Dexy's, in their earlier days, were quite the sonic performers. This album does not contain any of that "Come On Irene" stuff we all saw on MTV back in the early 80s. Nope. This effort shows the true, working-class, blue beat aficianados who could put out a wall of sound and rock the local football supporters into a frenzy with pulsing, frenetic songs. This is the good stuff, for sure. Truly, you won't believe that this band is the same one that donned those queer, matching railroad coveralls and bandanas, and skipped around like a bunch of Kansas City faggots on the telly, chanting "Too Rye Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeee." If you can forgive them that transgression (and I know it'll be difficult), it's well worth your time to check out "Searching ... ." Solid goodness."
"'Searching for the young soul rebels' begins with someone fiddling with a radio finding only mindless fuzz (including, cheekily, 'Anarchy in the UK'), before Kevin Rowland switches it off, bluntly ordering 'For God's sake, burn it down', answered by a gang's call to arms, and the pounding opening song. It is a frightening moment, demanding a leap of faith and unswerving devotion from the listener, a demand that our heart and soul is purified from all the numbing cultrual rubbish that surrounds us, made new and true, worthy to look on the New Soul Vision, evangelised by a uniformed gang of street toughs.
It's such a brilliant idea - melding the sound and emotional depth of Stax and Northern Soul to the aggression and rigour of punk - you wonder why no-one else had thought of it, and why few have done it since.
'Rebels' is one of the great proletarian albums, one that records and celebrates working class life, its cameraderie and energy, and polemicises that its soul need not be the diminished concrete-dimmed bleakness Mike Leigh and Ken Loach would have us believe, but bursts of brass exploding from rigid confines (of course, behind the scenes, the reality was less romantic!). Pulp have done something similar with disco, and the origin of Jarvis' obsessive monologues, where the tawdry everyday is elevated to the intensely dramatic can be found in songs like 'Seven days too long', 'Keep it' and 'Love part one'. Chris Roberts said Dexy's made the greatest album in the world twice. Here's the first."
Accordion, Piano, Organ - Micky Billingham /Artwork By [Cover Design] - Peter Barrett Artwork By [Painting] - Andrew Ratcliffe/ Banjo, Guitar - Billy Adams/Bass - Giorgio Kilkenny/ Drums - Seb Shelton/ Flute, Whistle [Tin], Saxophone - Brian Maurice/ Mastered By - Arun*/ Photography - Kim Knott/ Producer [Directed By] - Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley , Kevin Rowland/ Trombone - Big Jimmy Patterson/ Violin [Fiddle] - Emerald Express, The , Helen O'Hara , Steve Brennan/ Vocals [Extra Singing] - Carol Kenyon , Katie Kissoon , Samantha Brown , Sisters Of Scarlet, The/ Vocals [Singing] - Kevin Rowland
Tracklist :
01 The Celtic Soul Brothers (3:08)
02 Let's Make This Precious (4:03)
03 All In All (4:07)
04 Jackie Wilson Said (3:05)
05 Old (5:35)
06 Plan B (5:04)
07 I'll Show You (2:41)
08 Liars A To E (4:11)
09 Until I Believe In My Soul (6:59)
10 Come On Eileen (4:32)
11 The Celtic Soul Brothers (US Mix) (3:05)
12 Jackie Wilson Said (Live) (2:48)
13 Come On Eileen (Live) (7:16)
14 Marguerita Time (4:50)
15 Respect (Live) (7:45)
16 Dubious (2:38)
17 Love Part 2 (1:43)
Link to download :
Digitally remastered 1996 reissue on Mercury of their 1983 album for the label featuring the #1 smash 'Come On Eileen' and eight bonus tracks: 'The Celtic Souls Brothers' (US Mix), 'Marguerita Time', 'Dubious', 'T.S.O.P.', 'Love Part 2' and live versions of 'Come On Eileen', 'Jackie Wilson Said' & 'Respect'. 18 tracks total. Total playing time of 77:15.
"There is something haunting about Dexy's Midnight Runners beyond "Come on Eileen" which is perhaps one of the greatest pop songs of all time (in my top ten for sure), but the youthfulness and confidence of a brash and innocent sound stirs something inside of me and perhaps you too? Kevin Rowland has one of the best voices I have ever heard a true talent. Ska, soul, pop it is all here and I am so glad I finally got this CD. I very much recomend it. It is a shame they did not do more, they were really good"
"While most people don't even remember the name Dexy's Midnight Runners past the song Come On Eileen, anyone brave enough to listen to the whole album will be shocked and amazed. In a a good way. The songs on the album flow into one another, and create an amazing soundscape straddling everything from rock to soul, to ska. In fact, this is probably the earliest example of what was to become ska I have heard, since I think this album pre-dates or at least laps most of Madness's releases. British Ska maybe? UK soul with flavors of old time rhythm and blues? All of the above. Be impressed, MR & DMR is where it's at."
"This remastered Dexy's Midnight Runners is a must own. The new version is a much more clearer and enhanced sound than the original. Still the same good, fun lyrics by Kevin Rowlands the headman of British Alternative group. They made the 80s so much fun. It was the time of the British invasion with all those long and forgotten, like- the Police, Madness, Chris DeBurgh making a sweep of memorable hits that kept the airwaves jumping. If only they could turn back the time when music meant something before the downslide. Oh, dream on, dream on.
If you can only remember Dexy's Midnight Runner for only 'Come on Eileen' then you're missing the real talent of this group. This is better than their original because it has added tracks with some of their best songs. So if you're deciding on which one this is it. I believe there had been a bit of confusion because of the name is the same on both. The original is the IMPORT version with only 10 tracks. Just look for ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED for the best listening enjoyment. The group is a little Brit soul with some rhythm and blues mixed in. The lyrics are fun and whimsical like that of Madness. Something of British Ska. It's reflected in 'The Celtic Soul Brothers.' Do I sense a bit of Commodore-mania there in 'Jackie Wilson Said.' The lyrics in 'Let's Make This Precious' and 'Until I Believe in My Soul' are romantically beautiful. I do believe the music industry has been missing something here. If you can still get this album while you still can. Getting good songs could be the thing of the past. Dexy's Midnight Runners is just one fo those groups that deserve billing like the Beatles or the Commodores. Their music you won't be disappointed"
Artwork By [Cover] - Peter Barrett/ Bass - John Edwards /Drums - Tim Dancy/ Guitar [Lead, Rhythm], Backing Vocals - Billy Adams/ Guitar [Steel] - Tommy Evans /Mandolin - Julian Littman /Mastered By - Arun Chakraverty/Mixed By - Pete Schwier/Organ, Synthesizer - Robert Noble/Photography - Kim Knott/Piano - Vincent Crane/Producer - Kevin Rowland/ Recorded By - Alan Winstanley/Saxophone, Backing Vocals - Nicky Gatfield/Trombone - Jimmy Paterson/Violin, Backing Vocals - Helen O'Hara/Vocals - Kevin Rowland
Traccklist :
01 The Occasional Flicker (5:49)
02 This Is What She's Like (12:25)
03 Knowledge Of Beauty (7:03)
Bass - Randy Taylor
04 One Of These Things (6:00)
05 Reminisce Part Two (3:31)
06 Listen To This (3:20)
Drums - Crusher Green
07 The Waltz (8:33)
Drums - Mick Woodmansey/Piano - Mick Boulton
08 This Is What She's Like (Instrumental) (10:12)
Links to download :
http://www.mytempdir.com/1141827 track 01
"Kevin Rowland ruined his career twice through poor sartorial choices. (This one is the first, see "My Beauty," his solo record for the second) Doffing the rags and overalls, Dexy's this time opts for Brooks Brothers. This was not a completely arbitrary choice, as the music itself is more sophisticated on this record. Rowland is still a soul revivalist first and foremost, but this time he can actually afford to recreate the sounds in his head. Many people who's opinions I respect think this is one of the greatest records ever made. I doubt that you will get that impression on the first spin, but there is definitely something to this record, and it's revival is well-earned since it was criminally overlooked on first release. Kevin Rowland thinks it's the greatest record he made."
"Kevin Rowland ruined his career twice through poor sartorial choices. (This one is the first, see "My Beauty," his solo record for the second) Doffing the rags and overalls, Dexy's this time opts for Brooks Brothers. This was not a completely arbitrary choice, as the music itself is more sophisticated on this record. Rowland is still a soul revivalist first and foremost, but this time he can actually afford to recreate the sounds in his head. Many people who's opinions I respect think this is one of the greatest records ever made. I doubt that you will get that impression on the first spin, but there is definitely something to this record, and it's revival is well-earned since it was criminally overlooked on first release. Kevin Rowland thinks it's the greatest record he made."
LIVE - 12.Rockpalast Rocknacht 17.-18.April 1983
Kevin Rowland - Voc/Guit/Helen O'Hara - Fiddle/Steve Brennan - Fiddle/Simon Walker - Fiddle/Andy Hamilton - Sax/Nick Gatfield - Sax/Spike Edney - Voc/Tromb/Billy Adams - Voc/Guit/banjo/John Edwards - Voc/Bass/Seb Shelton - drums/Bob Noble - Voc/Keyb
Tracklist :
01 Geno (4'00'')
02 The Celtic Soul Brothers (2'54'')
03 Let's Get This Straight From The Heart (4'13'')
04 Plan B (4'30'')
05 Let's Make This Precious (4'36'')
06 There There My Dear (7'10'')
07 Come On Eileen (5'22'')
08 All In All (6'00'')
09 Jackie Wilson Said (2'45'')
10 Tell Me When My Light Turns Green (4'58'')
11 Until I Believe In My Soul (12'10'')
12 Respect (10'15'')
13 Kevin Rowland's 13th Crime (3'25'')
14 Keep It Pt 2 (4'26'')
Links to download :
info: http://www.rockpalastarchiv.de/rn12_e.html
Biography :
Kevin Rowland (vocals, guitar) and Kevin "Al" Archer (vocals, guitar) founded the band in 1978 in Birmingham, England, naming the band after Dexedrine, a brand of dextroamphetamine popularly used as a recreational drug amongst Northern Soul fans at the time. The midnight runners referred to the energy the Dexedrine gave, enabling one to run into the midnight hours.Their second song "Geno" – about Geno Washington, was a British Number One in 1980.
The band members were disappointed with their share of the profits, and soon stole the master tapes of Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, their debut LP, in order to renegotiate the deal. The album was released later in 1980 and became a massive success. After the next single "There There My Dear" was a hit, Rowland insisted on choosing the uncommercial "Keep It, Part Two" for the following single. It was a failure, and most of the band members quit, angered over continual personality problems with Rowland. Archer eventually formed The Blue Ox Babes, while Blythe, Spooner, Williams, Stoker and Mick Talbot (ex-Merton Parkas, who had recently joined on keyboards) left to form The Bureau. Paterson stayed with Rowland, who added Billy Adams (guitar/banjo), Seb Shelton (drums, formerly of Secret Affair), Micky Billingham (keyboard), Brian Maurice (alto saxophone), Paul Speare (tenor saxophone) and Steve Wynne (bass), releasing "Plan B", "Show Me" (this line-up's only Top 40 hit) and "Liars A to E" in 1981 without much success.
Too-Rye-Ay (1982)
Rowland then recruited fiddle players Helen O'Hara (from Archer's new group, the Blue Ox Babes), Steve Brennan and Roger MacDuff, known collectively as "The Emerald Express". With the addition of new bass player, Giorgio Kilkenny, this line-up recorded Too-Rye-Ay in 1982, a Celtic folk and soul hybrid. The first single, "The Celtic Soul Brothers", was mildly successful but "Come on Eileen" soon followed, and became a Number One hit in both the UK and the United States. Feeling that their role in the group had diminished following the arrival of the fiddles, the brass section of Paterson, Speare and Maurice left to form The TKO Horns and recorded an album in 1985 with Howard Jones, while Kilkenny was replaced by Johnny Edwards on bass and Billingham left to join General Public. With the singles "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" (a Van Morrison cover) and "Let's Get This Straight (From The Start)" maintaining their popularity, the group continued to tour until 1983 with a nucleus of Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Shelton augmented by other musicians.
After a two-year break, Dexys returned in 1985 with the critically panned album, Don't Stand Me Down, featuring Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Nicky Gatfield together with various seasoned performers including Vincent Crane (ex-Atomic Rooster), Julian Littman and Tim Dancy (who had been Al Green's drummer). Rowland at first refused to issue any singles from the defiantly uncommercial album, and by the time "This Is What She's Like" was released, it was too late to save the album from commercial failure. The group disbanded the following year after a brief return to the charts with the single "Because Of You" (which was used as the theme tune to a British sitcom, Brush Strokes), and Rowland became a solo artist with the release of 1988's poorly-received album, The Wanderer. Despite spending much of the 1990s suffering from financial problems and drug addiction, Rowland made plans to reform Dexys together with Big Jim Paterson, although these resulted in no more than a solitary TV performance in 1993. Returning once more as a solo performer, Rowland signed to Creation Records, releasing an album of cover versions called My Beauty in 1999, which sold poorly; some sources quote a figure of fewer than 500 copies sold. This was followed by a disastrous appearance at the Reading festival where Rowland was bottled off by a hostile crowd after introducing 2 strippers to accompany him. The demise of Creation meant that the planned follow-up album which would, once again, have featured Dexys Midnight Runners was never made.
However, in April 2003 the group announced that they would be reforming for a tour. A new greatest hits album Let's Make This Precious: The Best of was released in September 2003, and a successful tour took place in October and November 2003. Two newly recorded songs, "Manhood" and "My Life in England", appeared on the album and were touted as new singles. However, despite airplay on national radio, neither was released as a commercial single. In June 2005 Kevin Rowland announced during an interview on BBC Radio 2 that Dexys were "back in the studio" and seeking a record deal for a new album.
More info :
http://dexys1.tripod.com/dexys/index.html Unofficial site
Thank you Svabdos!!
broken heart---http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=67ac49dafe120532ec05736e682fdcba
Count to three---http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=17a4839bc19edaef9e652e3cdda6c7a5
OMD-2 tribute albums (http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2006/09/some-omd.html)
Pretending to see the future - a tribute to OMD (2001)---http://rapidshare.com/files/9248259/_pretending.rar.html
Messages :modern synthpop artist cover OMD (2001)---http://rapidshare.com/files/9258364/modern_synthpop.rar.html
VIKTER DUPLAIX (http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2006/05/vikter-duplaix-international-affairs.html)
International Affairs---http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=fba43ff1b23c67fd883f79acc5628bba
RE FLEX (http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2006/06/re-flex-for-ray.html)
the politics of dancing (1983) ---http://rapidshare.com/files/9269656/re_flex_1983.rar.html
humanication (1985)---http://rapidshare.com/files/9279115/re-flex_-humanication.rar.html
the casablanca story (http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2006/04/casablanca-story-4-cd.html)
vol 1----http://rapidshare.com/files/9310549/cd1_a.rar.html
vol 2----http://rapidshare.com/files/9425170/cd2_a.rar.html
vol3 & 4 next time with other requested albums....


text:
A 40-Year-Old Office Block by Lam Wai Ming
Lam Wai Ming Shares The 780 Tianshan Road, Shanghai a 40-year-old Office Block
Lam Wai Ming, the creative mind behind the award winning work a 40-year-old office block by Lam Wai Ming points out, In this 40-year-old building, original elements like window frames and staircase handles are kept and repainted to let the pale traces of time quietly tell the story. The client specializes in underground utility detection services. The company philosophy is "seeing the invisible", so a modern and minimal central corridor is specially designed to neatly conceal the rooms yet subtly reveal their doors. Throughout the building, you can see nostalgic ambience, modern functionality and China chic coming into play to preserve as well as revitalize this historical site..
A 40-Year-Old Office Block by Lam Wai Ming Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to For Design Magazine homepage.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hyderabad, May 22, 2010
FROM film : Godavari
Legendary Telugu film lyricist and national award winner Veturi Sundararama Murthy died of cardiac arrest here late tonight.
He was 74.
He was ailing for sometime now and was rushed to a corporate hospital in the night after he complained of chest pain.
He died of cardiac arrest in the hospital, sources close to his family said.
Born at Peda Kallepalli village in Krishna district on January 29, 1936, Veturi began his career as a journalist in Andhra Prabha and Andhra Patrika Telugu dailies.
He was a disciple of famous Telugu writer Viswanadha Satyanarayana.
Legendary Telugu actor N T Rama Rao was the first to recognise Veturi's writing talent and introduced him to the film industry.
He penned the songs for NTR's blockbuster movie 'Adavi Ramudu' and shot into fame instantly. Prior to joining the film industry, Veturi penned many short stories, ballets and poems for All India Radio.
Veturi's songs in films like 'Sankarabharanam' and 'Sagara Sangamam' by ace director K Viswanadh won him national acclaim.
He won the National award for best song for 'Raalipoyye Puvva Neeku Raagalenduke' from 'Matrudevobhava'. He won eight Nandi awards, instituted by the state government, as best lyricist.
Veturi also essayed brief roles in a few films. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Praja Rajyam Party and actor K Chiranjeevi were among those who condoled his death.
HYDERABAD: Noted Telugu film lyricist Veturi Sundararama Murthy (74) died of cardiac arrest in a corporate hospital at Banjara Hills on Saturday night.
His family members admitted him to the hospital two days ago after he complained of chest pain. His condition got deteriorated on Saturday night and he died while undergoing treatment.
With his death, Telugu film industry lost a great personality who was known for his dexterity in using nuances of Telugu language in penning the songs.
Veturi ruled the Telugu filmdom and earned the distinction of being a writer who could write a song within 15 minutes, once the sequence was explained to him.
Music director M.M. Keeravani, dialogue writer Paruchuri Venkateswara Rao, director S.S. Rajamouli and others from Telugu film industry came to the hospital and paid tributes to the famous lyricist.
Hailing from Peda Kallepally in Krishna district, Veturi started writing lyrics with the film 'Oh Sita Katha'. He penned lyrics for the recently released movie -- 'Varudu'. He penned a variety of songs ranging from classic poetry to the folk and mass ones. He worked as journalist for Andhra Prabha and Andhra Patrika, before taking up the avocation of being a lyricist.
Amazing capabilities
Veturi, with his inimitable style of writing songs, left an indelible impression on the film industry with his amazing capabilities. Known for his abilities to turn meaningless words into most meaningful ones, Veturi got acclaims from the masses as well as literary persons.
He was considered as the best poet in the film industry by his competitors too. He got "National Film Award" for the song 'Raalipoye puvva neeku raagalenduke' in 'Matrudevobhava' film. He got Nandi award for best lyricist from the State government a number of times. He received Nandi awards for some songs "Shankara…." (Sankarabharanam), "Ee duryodhana dussaasana durvineeta lokamlo…" (Prathighatana) and "Uppongele Godavari…" (Godavari).
"We worked with Veturi from 1983, while shooting Abilasha. He is a yogi," said popular novelist Yandamoori Veerendranth.


text:
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Apple's control obsession may be getting a little out of hand. The tech giant is now blocking emails with objectionable content, says Valleywag.
Cult of Mac sent a message from their me.com web interface to three non-Apple accounts, and it was blocked each time.
The email in question read:
U.S. & World
The authoritarian Governments in Syria, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Yemen continue to oppress and massacre their own citizens. Their manipulative and combative attempts at controlling the media and their citizens are unethical and illegal. They continue to oppress its own citizens through beatings, harassment, jailing and killings. Stop the oppression of innocent Arab People!!! Take a stand against Authoritarian Oppressive Regimes! Equal Rights to all people!
Someone at Macintouch forums apparently got in touch with an Apple customer service rep who said:
"I understand the wish to see some feedback from our servers regarding messages which are blocked, however doing so isn't something I imagine will happen soon. Providing a bounce back for messages we block as spam provides an essential feedback loop for spaMobileMeers. By not providing one, we keep them in the dark a little bit more."
So OK, maybe Apple isn't specifically stopping your emails on purpose. It could very well just be part of the spam filtering system. Although, it would be nice to at least get a notification just in case you're one of those people who writes legit emails that look like what Apple considers spam.


text:
Acer has announced a new midrange Android smartphone called the Liquid E1. And despite not being at the top end, it comes with Android Jelly Bean.
The Liquid E1 has a 4.5-inch screen with a 960 x 540-pixel resolution, which is nowhere near as sharp as the Galaxy S3 or iPhone 5. Inside is a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of storage.
On the imaging side, there's a 5-megapixel camera and a 0.3-megapixel front-facer. So while the specs are solid, it's very much a midrange affair.
A rival to the Nexus 4?
Which makes Android Jelly Bean all the more welcome. The latest version of Google's operating system is only on 10 per cent of all Android handsets so far, so the more it can reach the better.
With these specs, we'd expect the E1 to be quite affordable, but Acer hasn't revealed a price yet. No doubt we'll see more of it at Mobile World Congress at the end of next month.
Seeing as the Google Nexus 4 is still out of stock on Google Play, this could be a decent rival for anyone looking for Jelly Bean on a budget. The Nexus 4 is available from networks, but costs much more than buying direct from Google.
Via PhoneArena


text:
I hope you all got what you wanted for Christmas. Or if you didn't I hope you threw a hissy fit in front of your family about it. Either way I hope you had a splendid day.
Have I made any INXS jokes yet for the movie "The Devil Inside"? Let's pretend I haven't for a moment. Because I got some really hilarious quips about the twist at the end being that the demon that's possessed the girl in the film is actually Michael Hutchence. I just can't remember any of them right now. But here's a new red band trailer for the film, which honestly is going to give me nightmares. And not the normal ones I always have about INXS either.
Do yourself a favor, leave your leftover cranberry sauce on the counter for the next three days. Then eat the entire thing and watch the trailer for "Door Number 8", a new film from Telugu film, which is apparently a language. I'm not going to bother trying to explain what the movie is about. I think it's got something to do with a haunted house. Maybe not though. All I know is the trailer is insane and made me feel like I was back at Woodstock. Not the hippy one, the one where Limp Bizkit made people burn other people.
This can't be good news for "Wolf Creek 2". According to a recent report the film's major investor, Geoffrey Edelsten, is filing a suit against the films makers. He claims he never would have put up his cash if he had known he was going to be the biggest and single private investor on the project. I guess he's quickly realizing he's not going to see "Avatar" money any time soon. Silly man.
And finally here's the news you've all been waiting for. The first single from "The Hunger Games" by the one and only Taylor Swift is online and ready for you to enjoy. You're welcome, world!
You ever sit next to your significant other on the couch while she's on the laptop and think, "if she goes on Facebook one more time I swear to god I'm going to shoot her". No, me either, but this guy Pennsylvania does, and he did. Fortunately for her he's a terrible shot.
Waking up to a man beating my wife and I with a tiki torch is nowhere close to getting on my bucket list. Hopefully it was on this couple's from Oregon's list though. Or else they were probably really pissed.


text:
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Number Theory
Number Theory
by William Dunham
Number theory, branch of mathematics concerned with properties of the positive integers (1, 2, 3, …). Sometimes called "higher arithmetic," it is among the oldest and most natural of mathematical pursuits.
Number theory has always fascinated amateurs as well as professional mathematicians. In contrast to other branches of mathematics, many of the problems and theorems of number theory can be understood by laypersons, although solutions to the problems and proofs of the theorems often require a sophisticated mathematical background.
Until the mid-20th century, number theory was considered the purest branch of mathematics, with no direct applications to the real world. The advent of digital computers and digital communications revealed that number theory could provide unexpected answers to real-world problems. At the same time, improvements in computer technology enabled number theorists to make remarkable advances in factoring large numbers, determining primes, testing conjectures, and solving numerical problems once considered out of reach.
Modern number theory is a broad subject that is classified into subheadings such as elementary number theory, algebraic number theory, analytic number theory, geometric number theory, and probabilistic number theory. These categories reflect the methods used to address problems concerning the integers.
From prehistory through Classical Greece
The ability to count dates back to prehistoric times. This is evident from archaeological artifacts, such as a 10,000-year-old bone from the Congo region of Africa with tally marks scratched upon it—signs of an unknown ancestor counting something. Very near the dawn of civilization, people had grasped the idea of "multiplicity" and thereby had taken the first steps toward a study of numbers.
It is certain that an understanding of numbers existed in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and India, for tablets, papyri, and temple carvings from these early cultures have survived. A Babylonian tablet known as Plimpton 322 (c. 1700 bc) is a case in point. In modern notation, it displays number triples x, y, and z with the property that x2 + y2 = z2. One such triple is 2,291, 2,700, and 3,541, where 2,2912 + 2,7002 = 3,5412. This certainly reveals a degree of number theoretic sophistication in ancient Babylon.
Despite such isolated results, a general theory of numbers was nonexistent. For this—as with so much of theoretical mathematics—one must look to the Classical Greeks, whose groundbreaking achievements displayed an odd fusion of the mystical tendencies of the Pythagoreans and the severe logic of Euclid's Elements (c. 300 bc).
According to tradition, Pythagoras (c. 580–500 bc) worked in southern Italy amid devoted followers. His philosophy enshrined number as the unifying concept necessary for understanding everything from planetary motion to musical harmony. Given this viewpoint, it is not surprising that the Pythagoreans attributed quasi-rational properties to certain numbers.
For instance, they attached significance to perfect numbers—i.e., those that equal the sum of their proper divisors. Examples are 6 (whose proper divisors 1, 2, and 3 sum to 6) and 28 (1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14). The Greek philosopher Nicomachus of Gerasa (flourished c. ad 100), writing centuries after Pythagoras but clearly in his philosophical debt, stated that perfect numbers represented "virtues, wealth, moderation, propriety, and beauty." (Some modern writers label such nonsense numerical theology.)
In a similar vein, the Greeks called a pair of integers amicable ("friendly") if each was the sum of the proper divisors of the other. They knew only a single amicable pair: 220 and 284. One can easily check that the sum of the proper divisors of 284 is 1 + 2 + 4 + 71 + 142 = 220 and the sum of the proper divisors of 220 is 1 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 10 + 11 + 20 + 22 + 44 + 55 + 110 = 284. For those prone to number mysticism, such a phenomenon must have seemed like magic.
By contrast, Euclid presented number theory without the flourishes. He began Book VII of his Elements by defining a number as "a multitude composed of units." The plural here excluded 1; for Euclid, 2 was the smallest "number." He later defined a prime as a number "measured by a unit alone" (i.e., whose only proper divisor is 1), a composite as a number that is not prime, and a perfect number as one that equals the sum of its "parts" (i.e., its proper divisors).
From there, Euclid proved a sequence of theorems that marks the beginning of number theory as a mathematical (as opposed to a numerological) enterprise. Four Euclidean propositions deserve special mention.
The first, Proposition 2 of Book VII, is a procedure for finding the greatest common divisor of two whole numbers. This fundamental result is now called the Euclidean algorithm in his honour.
Second, Euclid gave a version of what is known as the unique factorization theorem or the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. This says that any whole number can be factored into the product of primes in one and only one way. For example, 1,960 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 × 7 × 7 is a decomposition into prime factors, and no other such decomposition exists. Euclid's discussion of unique factorization is not satisfactory by modern standards, but its essence can be found in Proposition 32 of Book VII and Proposition 14 of Book IX.
Third, Euclid showed that no finite collection of primes contains them all. His argument, Proposition 20 of Book IX, remains one of the most elegant proofs in all of mathematics. Beginning with any finite collection of primes—say, a, b, c, …, n—Euclid considered the number formed by adding one to their product: N = (abc⋯n) + 1. He then examined the two alternatives:
(1) If N is prime, then it is a new prime not among a, b, c, …, n because it is larger than all of these. For example, if the original primes were 2, 3, and 7, then N = (2 × 3 × 7) + 1 = 43 is a larger prime. (2) Alternately, if N is composite, it must have a prime factor which, as Euclid demonstrated, cannot be one of the originals. To illustrate, begin with primes 2, 7, and 11, so that N = (2 × 7 × 11) + 1 = 155. This is composite, but its prime factors 5 and 31 do not appear among the originals. Either way, a finite set of primes can always be augmented. It follows, by this beautiful piece of logic, that the collection of primes is infinite.
Fourth, Euclid ended Book IX with a blockbuster: if the series 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 2k sums to a prime, then the number N = 2k(1 + 2 + 4 + … + 2k) must be perfect. For example, 1 + 2 + 4 = 7, a prime, so 4(1 + 2 + 4) = 28 is perfect. Euclid's "recipe" for perfect numbers was a most impressive achievement for its day.
Of later Greek mathematicians, especially noteworthy is Diophantus of Alexandria (flourished c. 250), author of Arithmetica. This book features a host of problems, the most significant of which have come to be called Diophantine equations. These are equations whose solutions must be whole numbers. For example, Diophantus asked for two numbers, one a square and the other a cube, such that the sum of their squares is itself a square. In modern symbols, he sought integers x, y, and z such that (x2)2 + (y3)2 = z2. It is easy to find real numbers satisfying this relationship (e.g., x = √2, y = 1, and z = √5), but the requirement that solutions be integers makes the problem more difficult. (One answer is x = 6, y = 3, and z = 45.) Diophantus's work strongly influenced later mathematics.
Number theory in the East
The millennium following the decline of Rome saw no significant European advances, but Chinese and Indian scholars were making their own contributions to the theory of numbers. Motivated by questions of astronomy and the calendar, the Chinese mathematician Sun Zi (Sun Tzu; flourished c. ad 250) tackled multiple Diophantine equations. As one example, he asked for a whole number that when divided by 3 leaves a remainder of 2, when divided by 5 leaves a remainder of 3, and when divided by 7 leaves a remainder of 2 (his answer: 23). Almost a thousand years later, Qin Jiushao (1202–61) gave a general procedure, now known as the Chinese remainder theorem, for solving problems of this sort.
Meanwhile, Indian mathematicians were hard at work. In the 7th century Brahmagupta took up what is now (erroneously) called the Pell equation. He posed the challenge to find a perfect square that, when multiplied by 92 and increased by 1, yields another perfect square. That is, he sought whole numbers x and y such that 92x2 + 1 = y2—a Diophantine equation with quadratic terms. Brahmagupta suggested that anyone who could solve this problem within a year earned the right to be called a mathematician. His solution was x = 120 and y = 1,151.
In addition, Indian scholars developed the so-called Hindu-Arabic numerals—the base-10 notation subsequently adopted by the world's mathematical and civil communities (see numerals and numeral systems). Although more number representation than number theory, these numerals have prevailed due to their simplicity and ease of use. The Indians employed this system—including the zero—as early as ad 800.
At about this time, the Islamic world became a mathematical powerhouse. Situated on trade routes between East and West, Islamic scholars absorbed the works of other civilizations and augmented these with homegrown achievements. For example, Thabit ibn Qurrah (active in Baghdad in the 9th century) returned to the Greek problem of amicable numbers and discovered a second pair: 17,296 and 18,416.
Modern number theory
As mathematics filtered from the Islamic world to Renaissance Europe, number theory received little serious attention. The period from 1400 to 1650 saw important advances in geometry, algebra, and probability, not to mention the discovery of both logarithms and analytic geometry. But number theory was regarded as a minor subject, largely of recreational interest.
Pierre de Fermat
Credit for changing this perception goes to Pierre de Fermat (1601–65), a French magistrate with time on his hands and a passion for numbers. Although he published little, Fermat posed the questions and identified the issues that have shaped number theory ever since. Here are a few examples:
- In 1640 he stated what is known as Fermat's little theorem—namely, that if p is prime and a is any whole number, then p divides evenly into ap − a. Thus, if p = 7 and a = 12, the far-from-obvious conclusion is that 7 is a divisor of 127 − 12 = 35,831,796. This theorem is one of the great tools of modern number theory.
- Fermat investigated the two types of odd primes: those that are one more than a multiple of 4 and those that are one less. These are designated as the 4k + 1 primes and the 4k − 1 primes, respectively. Among the former are 5 = 4 × 1 + 1 and 97 = 4 × 24 + 1; among the latter are 3 = 4 × 1 − 1 and 79 = 4 × 20 − 1. Fermat asserted that any prime of the form 4k + 1 can be written as the sum of two squares in one and only one way, whereas a prime of the form 4k − 1 cannot be written as the sum of two squares in any manner whatever. Thus, 5 = 22 + 12 and 97 = 92 + 42, and these have no alternative decompositions into sums of squares. On the other hand, 3 and 79 cannot be so decomposed. This dichotomy among primes ranks as one of the landmarks of number theory.
- In 1638 Fermat asserted that every whole number can be expressed as the sum of four or fewer squares. He claimed to have a proof but did not share it.
- Fermat stated that there cannot be a right triangle with sides of integer length whose area is a perfect square. This amounts to saying that there do not exist integers x, y, z, and w such that x2 + y2 = z2 (the Pythagorean relationship) and that w2 = 1/2(base) (height) = xy/2.
Uncharacteristically, Fermat provided a proof of this last result. He used a technique called infinite descent that was ideal for demonstrating impossibility. The logical strategy assumes that there are whole numbers satisfying the condition in question and then generates smaller whole numbers satisfying it as well. Reapplying the argument over and over, Fermat produced an endless sequence of decreasing whole numbers. But this is impossible, for any set of positive integers must contain a smallest member. By this contradiction, Fermat concluded that no such numbers can exist in the first place.
Two other assertions of Fermat should be mentioned. One was that any number of the form 22n + 1 must be prime. He was correct if n = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, for the formula yields primes 220 + 1 = 3, 221 + 1 = 5, 222 + 1 = 17, 223 + 1 = 257, and 224 + 1 = 65,537. These are now called Fermat primes. Unfortunately for his reputation, the next such number 225 + 1 = 232 + 1 = 4,294,967,297 is not a prime (more about that later). Even Fermat was not invincible.
The second assertion is one of the most famous statements from the history of mathematics. While reading Diophantus's Arithmetica, Fermat wrote in the book's margin: "To divide a cube into two cubes, a fourth power, or in general any power whatever into two powers of the same denomination above the second is impossible." He added that "I have assuredly found an admirable proof of this, but the margin is too narrow to contain it."
In symbols, he was claiming that if n > 2, there are no whole numbers x, y, z such that xn + yn = zn, a statement that came to be known as Fermat's last theorem. For three and a half centuries, it defeated all who attacked it, earning a reputation as the most famous unsolved problem in mathematics.
Despite Fermat's genius, number theory still was relatively neglected. His reluctance to supply proofs was partly to blame, but perhaps more detrimental was the appearance of the calculus in the last decades of the 17th century. Calculus is the most useful mathematical tool of all, and scholars eagerly applied its ideas to a range of real-world problems. By contrast, number theory seemed too "pure," too divorced from the concerns of physicists, astronomers, and engineers.
Number theory in the 18th century
Credit for bringing number theory into the mainstream, for finally realizing Fermat's dream, is due to the 18th century's dominant mathematical figure, the Swiss Leonhard Euler (1707–83). Euler was the most prolific mathematician ever—and one of the most influential—and when he turned his attention to number theory, the subject could no longer be ignored.
Initially, Euler shared the widespread indifference of his colleagues, but he was in correspondence with Christian Goldbach (1690–1764), a number theory enthusiast acquainted with Fermat's work. Like an insistent salesman, Goldbach tried to interest Euler in the theory of numbers, and eventually his insistence paid off.
It was a letter of December 1, 1729, in which Goldbach asked Euler, "Is Fermat's observation known to you, that all numbers 22n + 1 are primes?" This caught Euler's attention. Indeed, he showed that Fermat's assertion was wrong by splitting the number 225 + 1 into the product of 641 and 6,700,417.
Through the next five decades, Euler published over a thousand pages of research on number theory, much of it furnishing proofs of Fermat's assertions. In 1736 he proved Fermat's little theorem (cited above). By midcentury he had established Fermat's theorem that primes of the form 4k + 1 can be uniquely expressed as the sum of two squares. He later took up the matter of perfect numbers, demonstrating that any even perfect number must assume the form discovered by Euclid 20 centuries earlier (see above). And when he turned his attention to amicable numbers—of which, by this time, only three pairs were known—Euler vastly increased the world's supply by finding 58 new ones!
Of course, even Euler could not solve every problem. He gave proofs, or near-proofs, of Fermat's last theorem for exponents n = 3 and n = 4 but despaired of finding a general solution. And he was completely stumped by Goldbach's assertion that any even number greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two primes. Euler endorsed the result—today known as the Goldbach conjecture—but acknowledged his inability to prove it.
Euler gave number theory a mathematical legitimacy, and thereafter progress was rapid. In 1770, for instance, Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736–1813) proved Fermat's assertion that every whole number can be written as the sum of four or fewer squares. Soon thereafter, he established a beautiful result known as Wilson's theorem: p is prime if and only if p divides evenly into
[(p−1) × (p−2) × ⋯ × 3 × 2 × 1] + 1.
Number theory in the 19th century
Disquisitiones Arithmeticae
Of immense significance was the 1801 publication of Disquisitiones Arithmeticae by Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855). This became, in a sense, the holy writ of number theory. In it Gauss organized and summarized much of the work of his predecessors before moving boldly to the frontier of research. Observing that the problem of resolving composite numbers into prime factors is "one of the most important and useful in arithmetic," Gauss provided the first modern proof of the unique factorization theorem. He also gave the first proof of the law of quadratic reciprocity, a deep result previously glimpsed by Euler. To expedite his work, Gauss introduced the idea of congruence among numbers—i.e., he defined a and b to be congruent modulo m (written a ≡ b mod m) if m divides evenly into the difference a − b. For instance, 39 ≡ 4 mod 7. This innovation, when combined with results like Fermat's little theorem, has become an indispensable fixture of number theory.
From classical to analytic number theory
Inspired by Gauss, other 19th-century mathematicians took up the challenge. Sophie Germain (1776–1831), who once stated, "I have never ceased thinking about the theory of numbers," made important contributions to Fermat's last theorem, and Adrien-Marie Legendre (1752–1833) and Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (1805–59) confirmed the theorem for n = 5—i.e., they showed that the sum of two fifth powers cannot be a fifth power. In 1847 Ernst Kummer (1810–93) went further, demonstrating that Fermat's last theorem was true for a large class of exponents; unfortunately, he could not rule out the possibility that it was false for a large class of exponents, so the problem remained unresolved.
The same Dirichlet (who reportedly kept a copy of Gauss's Disquisitiones Arithmeticae by his bedside for evening reading) made a profound contribution by proving that, if a and b have no common factor, then the arithmetic progression a, a + b, a + 2b, a + 3b, … must contain infinitely many primes. Among other things, this established that there are infinitely many 4k + 1 primes and infinitely many 4k − 1 primes as well. But what made this theorem so exceptional was Dirichlet's method of proof: he employed the techniques of calculus to establish a result in number theory. This surprising but ingenious strategy marked the beginning of a new branch of the subject: analytic number theory.
Prime number theorem
One of the supreme achievements of 19th-century mathematics was the prime number theorem, and it is worth a brief digression. To begin, designate the number of primes less than or equal to n by π(n). Thus π(10) = 4 because 2, 3, 5, and 7 are the four primes not exceeding 10. Similarly π(25) = 9 and π(100) = 25. Next, consider the proportion of numbers less than or equal to n that are prime—i.e., π(n)/n. Clearly π(10)/10 = 0.40, meaning that 40 percent of the numbers not exceeding 10 are prime. Other proportions are shown in the table.
A pattern is anything but clear, but the prime number theorem identifies one, at least approximately, and thereby provides a rule for the distribution of primes among the whole numbers. The theorem says that, for large n, the proportion π(n)/n is roughly 1/log n, where log n is the natural logarithm of n. This link between primes and logs is nothing short of extraordinary.
One of the first to perceive this was the young Gauss, whose examination of log tables and prime numbers suggested it to his fertile mind. Following Dirichlet's exploitation of analytic techniques in number theory, Bernhard Riemann (1826–66) and Pafnuty Chebyshev (1821–94) made substantial progress before the prime number theorem was proved in 1896 by Jacques Hadamard (1865–1963) and Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin (1866–1962). This brought the 19th century to a triumphant close.
Number theory in the 20th century
The next century saw an explosion in number theoretic research. Along with classical and analytic number theory, scholars now explored specialized subfields such as algebraic number theory, geometric number theory, and combinatorial number theory. The concepts became more abstract and the techniques more sophisticated. Unquestionably, the subject had grown beyond Fermat's wildest dreams.
One of the great contributors from early in the 20th century was the incandescent genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920). Ramanujan, whose formal training was as limited as his life was short, burst upon the mathematical scene with a series of brilliant discoveries. Analytic number theory was among his specialties, and his publications carried titles such as "Highly composite numbers" and "Proof that almost all numbers n are composed of about log(log n) prime factors."
A legendary figure in 20th-century number theory was Paul Erdös (1913–96), a Hungarian genius known for his deep insights, his vast circle of collaborators, and his personal eccentricities. At age 18, Erdös published a much-simplified proof of a theorem of Chebyshev stating that, if n ≥ 2, then there must be a prime between n and 2n. This was the first in a string of number theoretic results that would span most of the century. In the process, Erdös—who also worked in combinatorics, graph theory, and dimension theory—published over 1,500 papers with more than 500 collaborators from around the world. He achieved this astonishing output while living more or less out of a suitcase, traveling constantly from one university to another in pursuit of new mathematics. It was not uncommon for him to arrive, unannounced, with the declaration that "My brain is open" and then to plunge into the latest problem with gusto.
Two later developments deserve mention. One was the invention of the electronic computer, whose speed has been advantageously applied to number theoretic questions. As an example, Euler once speculated that at least four fourth powers must be added together for the sum to be a fourth power. But in 1988, using a combination of mathematical insight and computer muscle, the American Noam Elkies discovered that 2,682,4404 + 15,365,6394 + 18,796,7604 = 20,615,6734—a stupendous counterexample that destroyed Euler's conjecture. (The number on the right contains 30 digits, so there is little wonder that Euler missed it.)
Second, number theory acquired an applied flavour, for it became instrumental in designing encryption schemes widely used in government and business. These rely upon the factorization of gigantic numbers into primes—a factorization that the code's user knows and the potential code-breaker does not. This application runs counter to the long-held perception of number theory as beautiful but essentially useless. (See cryptology: Cryptography.)
Twentieth-century number theory reached a much-publicized climax in 1995, when Fermat's last theorem was proved by the Englishman Andrew Wiles, with timely assistance from his British colleague Richard Taylor. Wiles succeeded where so many had failed with a 130-page proof of incredible complexity, one that certainly would not fit into any margin.
Unsolved problems
This triumph notwithstanding, number theory remains the source of many unsolved problems, some of the most perplexing of which sound innocent enough. For example:
- Do any odd perfect numbers exist?
- Are there infinitely many primes of the form n2 + 1 (i.e., one more than a perfect square)?
- Are there infinitely many pairs of twin primes (i.e., primes that differ by 2, like 5 and 7 or 41 and 43)?
- Is Goldbach's conjecture true? (Euler failed to prove it; so has everyone since.)
Although there has been no lack of effort, these questions remain open. Perhaps, like Fermat's last theorem, they will eventually be resolved. Or perhaps they will remain as challenges into the indefinite future. In order to spur research efforts across a wide range of mathematical disciplines, the privately funded Clay Mathematics Institute of Cambridge, Massachusetts, named seven "Millennium Prize Problems" in 2000, each with a million-dollar award for a correct solution. In any case, these mysteries justify Eric Temple Bell's characterization of number theory as "the last great uncivilized continent of mathematics."
The theory of numbers, then, is a vast and challenging subject as old as mathematics and as fresh as today's news. Its problems retain their fascination because of an apparent (often deceptive) simplicity and an irresistible beauty. With such a rich and colorful history, number theory surely deserves to be called, in the famous words of Gauss, "the queen of mathematics."


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Race Promoters - Short Track Racing, Part 2
Can Promoters Live Up To Today's Challenges?
We started the ball rolling last issue with the thoughts of a trio of promoters, and they have more thoughts on more issues. The complete picture required more than the 3,000 words that were written last month (May 2006).
Our promoters represent a dirt track, a paved track, and a track operator who is also a series promoter. Their views are their own, relating their experiences and their opinions. Their suggestions may not work for a paved track in Washington or a dirt track in New Mexico. That decision would rest with that particular promoter and his or her interpretation of what it takes to keep the gates open. The problems facing short-track racing are the same, only different. There may be a common concern, but there is not a common solution.
While promoters have the responsibility of providing a place for the racers to compete and fans to watch, the success of short-track racing rests with anyone who chooses to be involved. Drivers play a very critical role.
At Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, some of the drivers seem to get the message. "We hear about our drivers telling people about the races, about what they did on the weekend, and we see some of these people in the grandstands," says Pam Henricks. "We've had drivers come up and buy tickets for their family, their friends, and their sponsors."
It's a mixed bag at Dixie Motor Speedway (near Flint, Michigan) when it comes to driver help. "Some are very good, and some don't care or don't think about it," says Mike Kern. "There's a handful who are true ambassadors for Dixie. You'll find a lot of enthusiasm from guys who are new to it. They realize how good it is, and they want to help spread the word.
"You'll see it when you have a class that's growing. Someone is telling the new racers about the opportunity. If they experience and like it, you've got that momentum from the drivers. The quality of the product is very important. If you get someone into the stands because a driver talked to them about it, you better have the quality of product they expect. You might be able to buffalo somebody once, but not twice. Even some of the touring drivers have been very supportive, talking to the series organizers about bringing a show to us."
With his 30 years in the business, Tom Curley has seen quite a bit when it comes to racing. As promoter of the Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont, Curley runs Thursday night programs for a weekly operation. He also oversees the competition of the American Canadian Tour and has been hailed as a forward-thinking force in racing. He knows you can't do it yourself and sees drivers as a way to help the sport grow. He just doesn't get the cooperation he would like.
"It's sad," he says. "The greatest missionaries are our drivers. They can be icons in the community, but in the last 15 years, the drivers have been too busy with their own agendas to worry about it. It's really sad how few are cognizant that they need the track to be successful if they want to be successful. When tracks start to close, maybe that's when they'll start to realize it.
"People are on the go all the time these days. The series used to schedule 33 races, then down to 24. This year, we're looking at 12 races because the drivers don't want to travel. You have to look for the positive. Where is the pony in the pile? We can't dilute the product. We have to worry about quality and not quantity in this case."
There's another aspect of the driver role that seems to be missing, and it may hold a key to some of the struggles faced by the sport. The world has changed. There are no service stations on the corner with the local mechanic keeping his race car beside the shop for the world to see. If there are heroes in the sport, they're the ones who are racing on Sunday afternoons (and Saturday nights) on television. It's not the guys at the local track anymore.
"The heroes on Sunday have replaced the local and regional heroes," says Curley. "Today, when you're a driver at a short track, your immediate aspiration is to get good enough to move to North Carolina and become a hero. The reality is that the margin is so thin for that to happen. You have a better chance of winning the lottery. If you have a young kid who wants to go to that level, he could go south and become mediocre. There are thousands who can drive, but it takes more than that at that level. It's pretty much internal, based on who you know. There are a lot of racers who have that dream, and the dream doesn't include being a local or regional hero. Not long ago, everyone knew of the regional heroes. I knew about Mike Eddy, Dick Anderson, and guys like that, even though I was living in New England. Every region had its stars. Stafford [Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut] was a place that gave the regional guys a chance to race each other. Television has taken over, and there is no need for regional competition. We're working hard to create those regional heroes again. They will draw people to the special events. There's still an attraction for the regional hero to race against the local hero.
"Without the heroes, all we have to sell is a product. We have no names to draw people. If the product is no good, there's nothing to sell. Promoters have to accept that if they don't have the names, they have to make the product the best it can be with exciting racing and everything that makes the experience positive for the customer."
As we found in our comparison of the National Speedway Directory from 25 years ago, there are actually more tracks today than there were in 1980. It is not inconceivable that some of the growth came about when someone thought they could build a better mousetrap (i.e., a track that was better than the one 20 miles away). That idea seldom works. It results in more tracks, but not necessarily more racers. If the number of racers stays the same, the size of the class is basically cut in half, which seriously dilutes the product. Promoters have to take a realistic look at the racetracks in the region. It's not always competition.
"We work the best we can with the other tracks in the area," says Kern. "They are competitors. We're offering a similar product, and we're targeting the same audience. There are cases where we can work together for rules and work hand in hand. The problems often come when a track gets new owners. The new owners have new ideas, and those may not be consistent with yours. The best thing we can do is have similar rules to give the drivers a chance to compete, and we can share cars. With the economy the way it is and family obligations, a guy may only race once a week or even less. There has to be some balance. If a guy is going to race once a week, I'd like to have him here.
"We address common issues. The Michigan Speedway Promoters Association helps tracks in the state to address their concerns. Next year, Krista and I will be going into our 11th season. We're not the new kids. A new kid is one who comes in and upsets the delicate balance. In the old days, if you didn't have 20 years experience, you weren't a veteran. Now, the turnover makes it more of a challenge."
Oakshade Raceway is close to Michigan International Speedway, which hosts two Nextel Cup races and a number of other major-league events. It can be a blessing and a curse to have "Big Brother" so close.
"Before 2005, we could tell when they were racing," says Henricks. "It had an effect on the number of people we were seeing in the stands. This year, it didn't have much of an impact. Some of the people who were here said that our racing is better than NASCAR's.
"We still have some who aren't here because they are camping up there. Because it's so close, some don't go until Sunday morning and they still come to the races on Saturday night. The IROC race hurts us more it seems. The June [Nextel Cup] race didn't hurt us at all."
The big track is not the only racing attraction. Less than 100 miles downstate, there's a track called Eldora Speedway, which draws short-track fans galore. "A race at Eldora doesn't just take fans, it takes cars," Henricks continues. "Anytime we lose one car, it hurts because it takes the fans of that car, too. We'll have that when the ALMS (American Late Model Series) runs at Attica and we have a couple of our drivers go there. You'll notice they're gone. For the ALMS race in Canada, we lost five of our top Late Models. Aaron Scott was high in the track points, but he had to go to protect his series points. We rained out anyway, so it worked out."
Ah, yes, rainouts. While we would like to stay on aspects of promoting that can be controlled, let's deviate for just a minute. Even the best-planned show with the highest car count and a world-record payout can be wiped out by the weather. No one in racing wins when the rains come in. You know weather is going to be a factor, you just don't know when. Still, you can plan that it will happen.
"We sometimes use weather as an excuse," says Curley. "It's very easy to blame it if you're not on top of your game. You have to blame something. It's a blessing if you didn't have your work done.
"We factor in a 20 percent loss for the weather when we plan at the start of the year. We know we'll have it, but to blame it is making it a scapegoat. We have a policy that we will race if we can. If we get beaten up on the crowd because of the weather, it's a risk we have to take because it will pay off in the long run. The people know we're going to try to get a show in, so we know people won't be gun-shy and they'll support us. It has paid off over the long term."
"We all have to deal with it," says Kern. "In the last year, we had three rainouts, but we had many shows affected by it. We lost 11 shows in 1997 to the weather. It's a tough deal, but we just have to deal with it."
Let's get back to that which is under the control of the promoters. Last month, we talked about the ideal length in terms of time, but what about the number of classes? Some places offer as many as six classes in a night while another might have as few as three. Can both sides be right?
"With our car count, we couldn't run more than three classes," says Henricks. "We averaged 60 Bombers, 40 Late Models, and 25 Sportsman. There's no interest in a four-cylinder class. We tried a truck class, and it didn't work because we didn't get enough to put on a show. We're fine with three classes."
"Three is perfect-four can be done in a tight show," says Curley. "If you've got a class that only has seven cars, it makes your show stink. You need to run your classes every week. I'm against letting them off for a week. If you have a great product, put it in front of the people. For example, you can't leave the Street Stocks off in a late season special. That's like taking a team of 25 players to the World Series and telling them that only 20 can play. If promoters pay attention to the lower divisions, and I hate to call them lower divisions, they'll find them to be an important part of a business plan. They have a certain amount of loyalty, and promoters can lose sight of that."
Many tracks have grasped the promotional opportunities available with the Internet. "Computers make a big difference," says Henricks. "We have a forum on our Web site. People want to know now, and they're going to ask to find out. Our Web site is very important to us. We want it to be the place where the drivers and fans can find out what's going on, where they can get the results if they want to know what they missed. People used to call the track to find out what they wanted to know. Now, they can get it from the Web site, so it's easier for everyone."
"Our Web site is critical," agrees Kern. "I post schedules, rules, purses-everything so the drivers don't have to wonder. We use our Web site to educate, and it has such a broad reach. You can read about us from anywhere. When people come to the area, they can find out about us and hopefully they can include us in their plans."
The promoters have challenges, but they have tools to combat those challenges. The time to step up the battle may be right now.
We're in a renaissance," says Curley. "[Nextel] Cup has plateaued. We have to take our destiny into our own hands now. We're the last of the American cowboys. We're the final bastion of affordable family entertainment. We offer a $140 season ticket for 20 events. Our gate is $9. You pay $8 for a 90-minute movie. As promoters, we have lots of ways to succeed. We have to be more positive. We were overshadowed. We need to come out of that shadow. We are not the bastard children of racing. We need to steward the sport better. We need to get it healthy. We need to teach the young the right way, or that way will die off. It's not about asset value-because the land may be more valuable as a shopping mall or development-not if you're trying to steward the sport. You have to be positive. That's the only way it's going to make sense."


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Ameriprise Financial Fined, Censured for Prospectus Delivery Failures
FINRA censured Ameriprise Financial and fined the firm $525,000 after it determined that Ameriprise failed to satisfy the requirement that it deliver prospectuses to mutual fund customers within three days of a purchase transaction. The firm neither admitted nor denied the findings but consented to the sanctions.
Ameriprise used third-party providers to deliver prospectuses for the mutual funds it sold. While it provided electronic information to the firms that were contracted to furnish the prospectuses, it did not check that they did so and had no processes or procedures in place to do so on a daily or weekly basis.
Ameriprise did have a requirement for a monthly review of a sample of transactions, but the requirement failed to describe specifically what the reviewer was required to look for, or which actions the reviewer must take if deficiencies in prospectus delivery were found.
While the main reason for the delivery failures was found to be a failure on the part of the mutual fund companies to have on hand adequate paper copies of their prospectuses, which meant that when the third-party providers requested copies there were none to be had to meet the three-day deadline.
Ameriprise never acted to make sure that prospectuses were delivered on time, either. Its main service provider offered print-on-demand (POD) capability to its clients, which would allow the needed copies to be printed and delivered in time. But Ameriprise never used the service until later on. As a result, many customers never received the prospectuses or the disclosures they contained by the settlement date.
Ameriprise executed more than 15 million transactions that required delivery of a prospectus or summary prospectus, and was therefore required to have in place procedures to monitor prospectus delivery to ensure that customers received them in a timely manner. Instead it relied on its third-party providers to do the job, without adequately supervising them or the process or taking action to correct failures.
Credit Suisse Censured, Fined in Three Separate Actions
FINRA censured Credit Suisse and fined the firm $250,000 after it found that the firm failed to supervise and monitor trading activity on its proprietary electronic trading systems so that it could prevent exchange-level crosses. Two proprietary electronic trading systems generated exchange-level crosses of orders, and Credit Suisse's supervisory system failed to alert the proper individuals on how often this happened and how many times it occurred. The firm was also found to have failed to provide adequate documentary evidence of supervisory reviews conducted on the trading activity generated by the proprietary electronic trading systems.
In the second action, Credit Suisse was censured and fined $92,500 for failure to report the correct contraparty's identifier for transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE); failure to report to TRACE transactions in TRACE-eligible securities it was required to report; and reporting to TRACE transactions in TRACE-eligible securities it was not required to report.
Credit Suisse was also found to have failed to report transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to TRACE within 15 minutes of the execution time; failed to report the correct trade execution time for transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to TRACE; and to have double-reported some transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to TRACE. It also failed to accept or decline transactions in reportable securities in the FINRA/NASDAQ Trade Reporting Facility (FNTRF) or the Over-the-Counter Reporting Facility (OTCRF) within 20 minutes after execution when it had an obligation to do so.
In the third action, the firm was censured and fined $70,000 on findings of multiple failures in Order Audit Trail System (OATS) reporting that included failure to report ROEs in a timely manner; transmission of new order reports and subsequent related reports that carried a timestamp earlier than the timestamp on the new order reports they were related to; sending of reports that had inaccurate, missing or incorrectly formatted information; and failure to report to the FNTRF last sale reports of transactions in designated securities executed during normal market hours.
In each case, Credit Suisse neither admitted nor denied the findings, but consented to FINRA's actions.


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THE GOLF BOOKS HAVE BEEN piling up beside my armchair, as well as in my email inbox. So let's run through some of them.
WONDER GIRL: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias
By Don Van Natta Jr.
A fresh, engaging biography of the greatest female athlete of all time who also was one of the original founders of the LPGA. Babe's game and star power gave the women's tour a fighting chance in the early days and later assured its place in golf. I have a personal connection with the author and will write more about this fine book in the coming days. More
GOLF LIST MANIA! The Most Authoritative and Opinionated Ranking of the Best and Worst of the Game
By Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman
Foreword by Jim Nantz. An entertaining and informative book of original golf lists about the players, events and moments that have shaped the game. Shapiro and Sherman are veteran sportswriters. More
Let There Be Pebble: A Middle-Handicapper's year in America's Garden of Golf
By Zachary Michael Jack
The author's personal quest to experience all things Pebble Beach. Jack is a former newspaper sports editor who teaches literary sportswriting at an Illinois college. More
Freddie & Me: Life Lessons from Freddie Bennett, Augusta National's Legendary Caddie Master
By Tripp Bowden
(Now in paperback.) A former Augusta National caddie recounts the invaluable life lessons he learned from the late Freddie Bennett, the fabled club's legendary caddie master. More
How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt
By Bobby Rusher
A humorous guide to the game of golf. Also billed as 42 ways to improve your golf game without taking a lesson. More
THE ART OF THE SWING: Short Game Swing Sequencing Secrets That Will Improve Your Total Game in 30 Days
By Stan Utley
Short-game guru Stan Utley introduces groundbreaking new instructional methods. More
PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW: Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills
By Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson
A holistic coaching method offered as a refreshing alternative to today's other coaching methods. More
The Caddie Who Won The Masters
By John Coyne
A 49-year-old amateur's "Field of Dreams" quest in the modern-day Masters Tournament at famed Augusta National. Review / Excerpt
−The Armchair Golfer


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Unemployment benefits to end Monday for thousands in Wisconsin
Federal funding hasn't been renewed
Job centers around Milwaukee have been getting steadily busier as the cold reality sinks in that nearly 40 percent of everyone on unemployment benefits in Wisconsin lose those benefits Monday.
Federal funding extending benefits beyond 26 weeks is expiring and hasn't been renewed.
The computer terminals at the Wisconsin Job Center in Milwaukee are full at times as the unemployed try to find a job, such as bookkeeper Mary Smith, who admits to being worried.
"Yes, I am. I am. I need to be secure. I need to feed myself and house myself. It is a big concern," Smith said.
State unemployment benefits max out after 26 weeks, so as of Monday, anyone beyond that will lose their unemployment checks, which have been funded with federal dollars that have dried up.
Carol Burgett runs a job center in Milwaukee.
"I think some have been caught off-guard. We have workshops we offer for customers on those extended benefits, and I think some are just finding out when they come to the workshop, and they're pretty shocked by the situation," Burgett said.
Susan Rubner has been out of work since April.
I'm just looking for a job that has a livable wage, something that I can be able to pay my bills with. I'm finding like $8, $8.50, $9 an hour," Rubner said.
Smith said the important thing is somehow trying to stay positive, even as her benefits run out.
"But you're not giving up?" WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr asked.
"No, I know I'm employable. I know I am," Smith said.
Some had hoped that Congress would extend the federal funding in the "fiscal cliff" negotiations.
Right now, there's nothing to indicate that will happen, even if there's a deal.
There are 10 Wisconsin Job Centers in southeast Wisconsin. To see where they are or get other information, go to http://wisconsinjobcenter.org.


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What writing rule do I break? But I don't break rules. I follow them or at least I try. I know there are several unwritten romance rules that I break often.
There is one rule that drives me crazy, Write What You Know. Really? How restrictive is that? Oh sure if you are a real cop or news reporter, you write what you know and your characters can be cops or news reporters. I write mysteries. I don't go around killing people and write what I know! I'm also a stay at home mom who lives in KS. There's a turn pager for you.
I read an author years ago, I wish I could remember who wrote it, but she or he said, "Don't write what you know. Write what you WANT to know." This makes perfect sense. I write stories set in WW2. I didn't live during that time, but others did. Research. Books. The Library. People. The Internet (be careful with that one). It's all there for you to learn. My current manuscript is about a fourteen year old boy who wants to fly during WW2. I'm not a boy, not a pilot (how I want to be though!), but I can learn from other who do know.
I can understand the theory behind Write What You Know. Writing takes a lot of research and reading. I guess I do Write What I Know since I rock World War Two questions now in trivia games.


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The ORIGINAL gathering place for a merry band of Three Percenters. (As denounced by Bill Clinton on CNN!)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
11 comments:
Oh Damn Mike,
You don´t think that maybe They LIED to US AGAIN. NO That Can´t be It...Sarcasm off.
- July 14, 2010 at 9:34 PM
It's only an abortion. It's not like someone is going to die.
- July 14, 2010 at 11:25 PM
- Taylor Harbin said...
God forgive us for what we've allowed.
- July 14, 2010 at 11:42 PM
When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.
Frederic Bastiat
- July 14, 2010 at 11:54 PM
Why does all this obama bullshit keep making me think of a certain garden and an apple?
WE didn't buy the obama lie but some did and just like that first lie, we are all paying for it.
- July 15, 2010 at 7:53 AM
And now for my most brutal comment ever.
"Think of it as evolution in action"
The world may, in the long run, be better off with these folks eating their own young.
Not nice at all, but my honest opinion.
-Bubba Man
- July 15, 2010 at 8:35 AM
In this country today the least safe place for a baby is in their mother's womb. If a child can survive to be born their chances to survive skyrocket.
I wish I was better with math. I suspect (but cannot demonstrate mathematically) that we have already consigned several Michael DeBakeys and Christian Barnards to the midden heap. I am convinced that we have also killed before birth several Beethovens, Bachs, Brahms and an odd Johnny Mercer or John Williams or two. I suspect we may have already killed the engineer who would have given us a working star drive. If we haven't yet we probably will soon.
And now you and I are paying for it and we can do nothing about it.
Is our nation even WORTH saving now? Is it even possible to do so?
Bad Cyborg
- July 15, 2010 at 11:12 AM
- Sean said...
Since we've stood around, and tempted G*d's fury, by letting 40 million plus children be murdered, while we yawned and switched channels, I see no reason to get excited by this latest blood-drenched news. We must continue to do nothing. So what if our enemies laugh at us while we do nothing? We've still got Ft. Sumter.
- July 15, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Oh Damn! I'm sooooooo surprised the lying sonofabitch lied.
- July 15, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Taylor, man, we didn't allow anything. We fought by screaming yelling and voting, and will probably end up fight again, differently. God above knows the hearts of all, and the ass kickin' will be real.
You can't afford to give in. Keep the fire hot, man. When the day of reckoning comes, you want to be ready. When the orders are read, you want to be willing. When called to do what others won't, you want to be able. God knows. God remembers. God won't always be quiet.
....and when the worthless scum yell, "God save us!", the reply they will get back is "your God doesn't exist.... save yourself..."
- July 16, 2010 at 1:11 AM
Oh just what I did not want. To be a forced accomplice in a premeditated murder of an innocent. A murder carried out for the convenience of the person that is at least partially responsible for her inconvenience.
If someone tried to force me into such an act on the street.
1.What would I legally be allowed to do to stop them? 2.What morally am I required to do to stop them? 3.What morally am I absolved for doing to them?
Please keep the Progressive propagandist abortion, incest, war, and Government comments to yourselves.
We all know that is not what this is about!
Lie to your self all you want.
Just have the courtesy not to bullS#!t me!
- July 17, 2010 at 1:44 PM


text:
I ran out of labels so I ordered a new bunch from Twill Tape Guy.
These were my old labels. I had 4 colour choices: yellow, grey, pink/purple, and plain. I also had them on white and natural twill.
I prefer the white twill. It's much sharper looking than the natural.
My new set includes: yellow, grey, 2 types of black, green and blue. So much better than trying to print my own twill labels.
I bought a lot of these. It's nice to have extra!
If you would like some too, just go onto Twill Guy's site and click on "Custom Printed Twill Tape". Choose the size (0.5" - 1.5"), choose your colour, mail in your graphic (thanks hubby!), and place your order. My labels are approx 1" plus 0.25" per side = 24 labels per yard. Twill guy will send you a picture of your order before he prints it. So easy!


text:
The cart is empty
WOLFGANG INTERNATIONAL is not, in any way, licensed, sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Volkswagen and the parts herein offered for sale are not Genuine Volkswagen parts. All prices quoted are in US Dollars and are subject to change without notice.
Entire Site Copyright © 2020 Wolfgang International | Site Design By: 1027 Design


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15 Things Successful Bodybuilders And Successful Entrepreneurs Have In Common
February 25, 2010 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Which You Should Adapt Too!
(I'm changing my routine again stayfitbuggers (Just for one day 😉 )
I'm not a big fan of 'labels' when it comes to certain job roles, as being labeled something is usually just a glorified word to make an unglamorous role sound sexy. But if I look at the things I have been doing with my life, then I have been or still am both of these. A body builder and entrepreneur. And when talking about unglamorous yet sexy named roles, this would definitely be the case with the word 'entrepreneur'. Look how sexy that word sounds. Throw in a French accent and I'd love to be called that everyday. But most entrepreneurial experiences are far from glamorous. They are often gritty, gut wrenching painful experiences. But on the other side of it however, is pure glamour. It just takes a lot of swimming through shit to get there. But over time, I have come to realize the many similarities that bodybuilders and entrepreneurs have in common. Having stepped in the shoes of both 'roles', I'd say I'm pretty qualified to compile such a list. Here goes.
#1 They Have Uber Schtick
What this means is that these guys will find creative ways to get the attention of the masses. In often wild and sometimes risky and humorous ways. But when it does work, the masses will often show love back. Both bodybuilders and entrepreneurs do this. While bodybuilders tend to get people watching them in awe while they pump weights, entrepreneurs will be out making noise and attracting all types of media coverage.
#2 They Are All Crazy
It has been noted quite a few times that Shaun Sinclair is officially 'nuts' but hey, I've been that way since birth, and I'm not faking sanity for anyone anytime soon. Learn to like and deal with it… or take the road to the high way, just not 'my' way. That's me. But one thing I have noticed with both of these types of people is that they are all loopy, they have lost the plot. In fact, that is with anyone that has been uber successful. Michael Jackson is the best example of that. (R.I.P)
My loopy examples are…
Bodybuilder – Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator for governor)
Entrepreneur – I'd probably say Steve Jobs
#3 They Don't Understand The Phrase 'Give Up'
While everyone else worries, focusing on what everyone else thinks about him or her. These guys are busy pushing forward and innovating. Now they probably have had the 'give up' mentality at some point. But then this magical thought enters their brain and says to them 'give up and do what?' It is at this point they just continue to push forward, which leads to some super eccentric thinking, and like magic, they create something that becomes fantastic. For entrepreneurs it's a business and for bodybuilders – a body that you will probably never develop.
The bottom line is this: Surround yourself with the best. Only the 'best' think this way, regardless if they have become uber successful or not, because they will become uber in some way or another. It's just a matter of time. Those who don't think like this tend to adapt the give up mentality, and it is that energy which they naturally decide to force on to others. When you see this happening, take your wings out like the bug, buzz off and fly away.
Oh, and they don't give a shit about what these folks have to say, unless it's in the form of some praise or feedback of course.
#4 They Could Probably Steal Your Girl Off Of You, And There Will Be Nothing You Can Do About It.
Unless your lady is really special and really loves you dearly, then these guys could probably sweep your girl right off of her feet.
- Women are attracted to men that are dynamic, courageous, passionate, spontaneous and adventurous. Bodybuilders and entrepreneurs rank high in all of these personal traits. Quite simply, women don't want wimps. They want a man that can stand his ground and be 'the man' in a relationship. Are you a wimp? If so then you better stay on stayfitbug.com… if you don't, it might just be me that takes your girl. 😉
- Every woman loves a man that looks good. Yea, she might not always get that, but you can be damn sure that it's something she thinks about on a regular basis. Bodybuilders look good! And yes, your lady will stare and make him aware of it. If he's a good guy, he'll just laugh it off. But if he's a bad guy (Like most with the above traits are) then he'll take her number right in front of you, and there will be nothing you can do about it.
#5 They Naturally Think Like 5%ers
Apparently that figure has dropped to 2%. I guess the world has become a scarier place overtime… who knows? But both of these types of individuals tend to adopt the mindset of a 5%er. Naturally, most entrepreneurs would think this way, but not everyone will have the balls to 'go at it' quit there jobs and be a 'true' 5%er. But hey, I am only talking about uber successful ones here.
Maybe their similar way of thinking comes from encouraging super productivity. Or maybe just the fact that they know in order to be their best, they have to give it their best shot, and let nothing else get in there way. If that is the case, then they probably were never taught to be a 5%er. They just happen to think this way due to circumstance.
#6 They Plan Everything
Sometimes you can get away without having a plan, but if you look deep into whatever situation you are currently in, you probably ended up there because it was some part of your original plan.
But planning everything is something both uber successful entrepreneurs and bodybuilders do. Sure, plans can change, and in the famous words of the Joker from the movie The Dark Knight…
'You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan." But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!'
Source: www.imdb.com
Planning is key. Luck can play its part too… sure. But no bodybuilder developed near perfect looking muscles by relying on luck.
#7 They Love What They Do And Do What They Love
You could also call it, sticking to what they know. They just became so good that they simply could not be ignored by the masses. Both bodybuilding and entrepreneurship can have their dull moments, and since starting stayfitbug.com I have always tried to enlighten you all. But more importantly, I just love this bodybuilding game… I just make it fun, and I hope you read and perceived it that way too. Bodybuilders and Entrepreneurs (especially technology and internet ones) both tend to become.
1) Obsessed with tweaking and testing
2) May often put their love for 'the role' before anyone else, including loved ones.
3) Could probably admit that they've stepped into the shoes of a manic depressive (from the brutal ups and downs that they face)
But hey, it's all in the name of love. After all, love really does conquer all.
#8 They Take Their Selves Seriously
Not too seriously though. You will become a person that just plain SUCKS if you are serious 24/7. It's just not human. Nevertheless both Bodybuilders and entrepreneurs take what they do seriously and believe fully in what they are doing.
Some common crowd responses to this.
1) The Bodybuilder – 'Oh, you doing the whole bodybuilding 'thing' again today? Ah it's all baloney, stop being so tense and ease up. You're probably only doing it to attract the ladies anyway'
2) The Entrepreneur – ' Hey, long time no see. You still doing the whole Internet business thing?
… Thing?
That is almost an insult to ones being. These types of questions can come from all types of people, depending on your relationship with them. But uber successful people pretty much tend to block these reactions out and follow through with the plan. They just are that serious. But by the time they become uber successful, they are on a speed train that is going too fast for anyone to slow down.
#9 They Present Themselves 'Oh… So Positively'
And it doesn't seem to be taught either, it just comes with the territory of the personality (Talking from experience here :)). And they both tend to have a positive presence and image when meeting those they wish to do business with, or with those they wish to accept into their network. Now one may argue that this could be seen as being fake, being positive ALL of the time. But I don't think it is. I just think that,
- They know that most people may generally have negative mindsets
- They know ups and downs happen (For some it's a public affair)
If so, why would you keep looking 'down'? With bodybuilding or entrepreneurial hurdles, you rise by pushing forward by being positive. Besides, who wants to meet and aspire to be like a bodybuilder who looks and sounds like he's in the dumps when you meet him?
#10 They Both Know What It Means To 'Take A Break'
The rewards at the end of the tunnel for both bodybuilding and entrepreneurship can be great. I've had relatively good times wearing both of those shoes. But if there is one thing I have learned, which I know without a doubt that uber successful bodybuilders and entrepreneurs know, it is the importance of taking a break. Of course, when the times demand it, you will have to give it your all. But this is usually just a moment in time.
Success is never overnight, and is quite often thrust upon the individual in a surprising manor, and more often then not; it won't be a never-ending success story. It will most probably be like a milestone accomplishment, and for many, may cause even more problems in life and introduce a whole new batch of responsibilities. Because of that, these guys know that they need to pace their selves, not take themselves too seriously and live a little. It is within that time of taking a break where they can recharge their batteries.
1) Bodybuilders – Give there bodies a break. Draft and plan the future action. Then execute.
2) Entrepreneurs – Let the mind relax. Take up activities such as yoga (or even bodybuilding). Reanalyze and confirm their current direction. It is at this time where the best decisions start to get made.
#11 They Design Their Workspace For Success
I can bet money that if you were to walk into the room where an uber successful bodybuilder or entrepreneur spends most of their time, that it won't be the norm.
For the Bodybuilder, you will see…
- Workout routine journals and drafts
- Daily plans
- Posters of Famous Bodybuilding moguls
- Maybe some home gym equipment
- Space (Let the mind and body breathe)
- A door that locks (For 'me' time)
- A decent bed to sleep on (They need proper rest)
For the Entrepreneur
- A Whiteboard with monthly/ yearly plans
- Extra notes stuck on the wall surrounding the whiteboard
- Daily plan
- Entrepreneurial gadgets – Digi cam, lap top, dual monitor display, business cards, iphone
- Specifically well-lit room
- A door that locks
- Space
There probably are a whole lot more. But these are the ones I know these guys will have placed in their personal structure in some way or another. All of this will happen regardless if these folks plan it this way or not. Because you will attract and become what you think about the most.
#12 They Always Look For Ways To Improve
If you speak to the biggest guy in the room, Entrepreneur or Bodybuilder, you may find that they are also the most humble people in the room. I think it's a case of the big guy not needing to prove that he has power, but if the little guy does cross the line, he will beat him down and remind him who the daddy is. Think about it…. think of one of the biggest companies out there 'Google'. And take your pick from any monster-sized bodybuilder you have met. Ok Google might not be exactly humble, but when your hear the CEO speak, it is never in a perfectionist tone.
But it's probably the fact that they know how many mistakes it took to get to where they are and the improvements that they had to make along the way. So always looking for ways to improve has become a default characteristic of their being.
This is the exact same mind frame that I know you too are adapting to your weightlifting routine. You wouldn't have ended up reading this post if you hadn't been. 🙂
#13 They Think Big
Now I could turn around and tell you that thinking big is the wrong thing to do. That thinking big will probably make you fall down and fail. Which is true. But if you want major change and major results, then you will have to think big. All you have to do is break down the plan into smaller steps. Just know that with each step you will have to learn to break out of your comfort zone and step your game up a notch. This surely is easier said than done. But the more you do this, the more natural it will seem when you do it. This applies to bodybuilding and entrepreneurship, and it's what the uber guys have applied to their strategy in some way or another.
#14 They Are Always Open To Try New Things
I will start this with a famous quote
"The way to succeed is to double your failure rate. Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
– Henry Ford
Uber successful bodybuilders and entrepreneurs know this all too well. Which is why they aren't scared to try new things. The word 'new' is what has allowed the world to be how you see it today, and you can be sure that the aftermath is a result of that quote above. Sure, the way in which bodybuilders and entrepreneurs execute this may be slightly different. But the underlying rule is still the same.
Hail to new and innovative bodybuilding products and equipment!
Hail to even more technological breakthroughs!
#15 They Ooze Confidence
Earlier I mentioned that these folks may come across very humble regarding their knew renowned status. But just know that behind that humble being is a very confident person. They have to have been, otherwise no one out there would have believed in them if they didn't believe in themselves.
Maybe they might have started out as a wimp. It is possible. But the process of building a great body and the process of reaching success in business is a painful one. Enduring pain at any high level is sure to turn the wimpiest of beings into untamed confident beasts.
Before I end this, I'll leave you with 10 traits of a confident bodybuilder. But quite frankly, like the rest of this article, I think the similarities are present once again when comparing a bodybuilder to an entrepreneur.
1) Walks in a slow and controlled rhythm
2) Always operates on his OWN timetable when walking
3) Walking strides are long—not short and choppy
4) Torso is always straight up
5) Shoulders are upright, back, and relaxed
6) Neck is strong and powerful—yet loose—and is stretched as high as possible
7) Head is always held high
8) Head will always following the eyes. Eyes are level or higher (never looking down)
9) Head points straight ahead—and is never swiveling around
10) Eyes are looking forward and are focused on the destination (and are never darting around) and chin is always 'up'.
See you in the comments.
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