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Samade
The Best Article Ever About The Best Record Ever
~13.8 mins read
Stevie Wonder performs at the Rainbow Theatre, London, January 28, 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images).

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Stevie Wonder is heading out on a short tour that will bring him to Madison Square Garden on November 6, performing his landmark classic album, Songs in the Key of Life, from start to finish.

The album is an emotional juggernaut, an immensely generous gift from the heart of a genius, and a masterpiece by almost any measure. Mr. Wonder set forth to cover the breadth suggested by the album’s title, nothing less than the “key of life.” And if he did not quite hit it all, his aim was true. It was the culmination of a four-album run (astonishingly released in just a 39-month timeframe) of sustained excellence unmatched aside from the Mt. Rushmore of 1960s-1970s giants of popular music—the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and maybe Van Morrison. Over the course of the sprawling record, two full-length LPs and a four-song 7-inch EP, he makes nary a misstep. From the musical compositions, to the lyrics, astonishing performances and sterling production, it has to be counted as one of the greatest records of all time. If simply judged as an album of vocal performances, I can think of none better. Here is one of the greatest singers of the 20th and 21st centuries at the prime of his abilities, commanding our attention for 22 songs spread over three slabs on vinyl.

Retailing for $13.98 in 1976, it was a gargantuan hit record, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It spent 13 weeks at No. 1 and 35 weeks in the Top 10, yielding four Billboard Top 40 singles, two of which went to No. 1. It was the first album released under Mr. Wonder’s staggering new seven-year, $37 million contract with Motown Records.

I was 10 when it came out and after being swept away by the unrelenting groove of the single, “I Wish,” I marched right down to the record store and plopped down my allowance money. It was the first album I bought on my own. I knew Stevie Wonder’s music already from the radio. Funky singles like “Superstition,” “Higher Ground” and “Boogie on Reggae Women” were all big hits. As the oldest kid in my Long Island family, AM radio was my main exposure to music in the early 1970s. I had already amassed a collection of Top 40 singles I had purchased, plus some key LPs and ’60s singles I had inherited from neighbors. But “I Wish,” a song by a 26-year-old man waxing nostalgic for the time when he was the age I was right then, propelled me to commit to my first significant musical investment. I wanted that record like most of my friends coveted a 10-speed bike.

I think if I had been my adult self and bought the record on the basis of the hard R&B heard on “I Wish,” I would be initially let down by how the album opens, enigmatically on a kind of mellow note. As a kid, though, my mind was open. In fact, while I loved those funk-infused singles, I was also a big fan of Stevie’s smooth ballads. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “My Cherie Amour,” also spoke to me. That chorus change of “My Cherie Amour” (“Oh Cherie Amour, pretty little one that I adore…”) in particular buckled my knees.

Here are some of my personal faves, the songs that are the most representative of the album and those I most look forward to hearing performed live:

Love’s in Need of Love Today

Songs in the Key of Life opens with a rich a cappella ensemble of male voices introducing “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” which could be all layered overdubs from Stevie. It’s hard to tell. While the album came with a 24-page booklet with lyrics and liner notes, with an extensive personnel list—and a gratitude page that nods to everyone from Kareem Abdul Jabaar, to David Bowie, on down to Frank Zappa—the credits listing who does what on each song is as haphazard as the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. Mr. Wonder, though, plays much of the instrumentation on the album himself, including drums, and is surrounded by a core band that forms the backbone of the album. The stellar bass player, Nathan Watts, is a standout among an impressive group, and remains a steady sideman with Mr. Wonder to this day.

You don’t want it to end. It takes you by surprise. You thought the guy was just warming up. He is already out-singing anyone you have ever heard.
Mr. Wonder enters softly, “Good morn or evening friends/Here’s your friendly announcer.” All at once, we get a glimpse of some of the strengths and perhaps one of the few faults in the record. We get the warmth and a bit of the humor that remain themes throughout the record. But we also have a bit of the clumsy syntax that peppers the text of the songs. Stevie is one of those songwriters who will make an end run—at times, more like a flea-flicker double reverse—to complete a rhyme. In that regard, he is less like Cole Porter and more like Bob Dylan and who can complain about that? Like Mr. Dylan, the words are submissive to the master rhythm. So consistently does Mr. Wonder reimagine syllabic accents and leave us hanging on rhymes, that it appears to be by design and has become a lovable trademark of sorts.

The song’s message is simple. The Beatles sang that “all you need is love.” Ten years later, here is a dire warning that love itself is in need of love. In the voice of a broadcast news anchor, it serves as a perfect introduction to the album, which in addition to intimate moments, offers a wide-lens view of the state of the world during the mid-1970s, subject matter as broadly ambitious as the extensive scope of musical styles it contains.

The sonics, the warmth of the track itself, draws you in. You surrender yourself to the overall sound, rich and with a crisp presence. But then you also get all this ear candy put together like Brian Wilson’s layered work for the Beach Boys. It’s a classic headphone record, with perfectly placed percussion and thoughtful overdubs.

The song stays fairly restrained for the bulk of the arrangement. But as with many songs on the album, Mr. Wonder adds an improvised vamp over a repeated chorus ad-libbing with a call-and-response gospel style. His vocal starts to climb up in octaves. The slow-burn arrangement takes on a new layer of excitement, then another. Before you know it, you are completely swept up in it. The trust you showed in Stevie Wonder when you went and plopped down $14 on the LP based on “I Wish” turned out to be well placed.

“Love’s in Need of Love Today” goes on for over seven minutes. And you don’t want it to end. It takes you by surprise. You thought the guy was just warming up. He is already out-singing anyone you have ever heard. Inspired singing. Technically brilliant singing.

Village Ghetto Land

The Beatles are as much an influence on the album as Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. And not just in scope and ambition, but musically speaking as well. Indeed, “Sir Duke” sounds like it could have been written by Paul McCartney, and the Hare Krishnas who sing on the song “Pastime Paradise” is an idea out of the George Harrison playbook. “Village Ghetto Land” is a sort of 1970s synth “Eleanor Rigby.”

Herbie Hancock, who played on the song “As,” says he admired Stevie’s “orchestral use of synthesizers … Stevie doesn’t fall into the trap that I do” in trying to duplicate the sounds of acoustic strings. “Stevie lets the synths be what they are, something that’s not acoustic.” These parts, from an ARP synthesizer, sound just enough like strings to let you know the faux minuet vibe is satirical, a tip-toe tour across the typical 1970s American urban ghetto. The lyric was written by Gary Byrd, who spent months on it only to have Wonder call him during the recording with the urgent need for a new verse, which Mr. Byrd provided in about 20 minutes. The song is directed at out-of-touch, and presumably white, fellow citizens who look the other way or even disparage the poor. “Some folks say we should be glad for what we have.’” Meanwhile, families eat dog food while “politicians laugh and drink, drunk to all demands.”

Mr. Wonder takes us off the course set by the first two songs. “Loves in Need of Love Today” contains a warning but is ultimately a hopeful message that we can turn around “the force of evil plans.” The groovy slow funk song, “Have a Talk with God,” offers one source of that hope via devotional faith. “Village Ghetto Land” has a bite, though. It is not a Dylan-esque finger-pointing personal indictment; Mr. Wonder and Mr. Byrd merely offer a realistic litany of what life is like in America’s urban ghettos during a particularly low ebb for the country’s cities. It asks simply, if not naively, “Tell me, would you be happy in Village Ghetto Land?”

Sir Duke

The track that leads into “Sir Duke,” the fusion workout “Contusion,” was about the new direction jazz was taking in the 1970s. “Sir Duke,” though, is a direct tribute to the “pioneers that time will not allow us to forget.” Mr. Wonder had started the album around the time of Duke Ellington’s 1974 death. The song was the second single off the album and a second No. 1 smash.

A blast of brass opens the song with the riff that serves as the first of three main hooks. As a pop-jazz number, it reaches back to the early days of the big band era, with a jaunty 1930s-era hot jazz rhythm, something along the lines of “Diminuendo in Blue,” rather than the sexy languid swing heard on, say, “Jeep’s Blues,” both of which can be heard on Ellington’s big comeback record, Live at Newport 1956. The throwback vibe and the soaring melody of the chorus line “you can feel it all over” (the second hook) has Paul “Your Mother Should Know” McCartney written all over it. But the third hook of the song, which comes with the breakdown and syncopated bass, brass, keyboard and guitar lines also tips to the modern influence Earth, Wind & Fire was having on Mr. Wonder. At the time of the recording, that band was reaching its zenith with effervescent horn-driven pop-flavored R&B recordings like this one. “Sir Duke” is a remarkable ensemble arrangement, which makes it even more astounding to notice how Nathan Watts stands out with a staggering bass part. If you think you’ve heard the song enough, try listening one more time with your headphones while concentrating on the bass.

We also get more than a small bit of Stevie’s color-blind philosophy. This is not some pedantic lesson in the significance of African-Americans’ contributions to American music meant to induce guilt (as maybe “Village Ghetto Land” is); it is a celebration of all—white, jewish, black, male and female—who have helped build that quintessentially American art form of jazz.

I Wish

Eric Clapton said in 1974 that Stevie Wonder is “the greatest drummer of our time.” As music journalist Eric Sandler rightly points out, this was “hefty praise coming from a man who played with Ginger Baker.” A true musical prodigy, Stevie had become proficient on drums, piano and harmonica by the age of 9. By his late teens, he was not only a pop star himself, but he was writing and producing for others, including “It’s a Shame” for the Spinners, on which he plays the delicious drum groove himself. (Here is the backing track without vocals.)

“I Wish” is unmistakably a Stevie Wonder drum pattern. Aside from having an innate sense of groove, there is a musical inventiveness that might stem from being a well-rounded multi-instrumentalist, as opposed to someone who strictly defines themselves as a drummer. There is a consistent thread that runs from that Spinners track, through “Superstition,” and can be heard yet again on “I Wish”; a trademark Wonder bouncy beat. It has something to do with the way Mr. Wonder works the hi-hat cymbals. On “I Wish,” for example, notice how on the doo-wop-influenced post-chorus breakdown, he opens and closes the hi-hat in a wholly unexpected and unorthodox way, creating a rhythmic hook under the actual melodic hook. And that hi-hat gloss is there right from the top of the track. While the kick and snare drum beat asserts itself as the backbone of the track, the flossy triplets and accents he plays on the hi-hat, so prominent in the mix, is the excited heartbeat that makes our own pulses race.

Which brings us to that groove, one of the most famous in funk. As a musical colloquialism, “groove” is hard to define but we know it when we hear it. A groove is achieved when a drummer lays back in a rhythmic pocket and keeps the band from letting excitement mess with the tempo that was set at the top of the track. It provides a comfortable and predictable spot for the ensemble, knowing they can lean into the beat, or back away from it as musical choice, as in the jazz-coined term, “swing.”

On “I Wish,” as demonstrated in the Classic Albums documentary about the album, Stevie started the recording on the Fender Rhodes electric piano, which is the instrument on which he started almost all the songs on the album. His left hand played the continuous walking bass line, which was later doubled and embellished with growling slides by bass guitarist Nathan Watts. Then Mr. Wonder went in and laid down that drum track, followed shortly by what sounds like pizzicato chicken-scratching guitar parts, which are actually two competing synth parts playing countermelodies.

It’s an infectious, badass track that’s made even badder by a hard-hitting brass attack. Mr. Wonder spins a nostalgic lyric that’s at once witty and poignant. Can we still laugh at a line like “Trying your best to bring the water to your eyes/Thinking it might stop her from whooping your behind/I wish those days could come back once more/Why did those days ever have to go?” If not, we can still smile at the famous “Smoking cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall,” followed by Mr. Wonder’s own sister, Renee Hardaway’s admonishing answer “You nasty boy!” And many of us recall the same reply we made to younger siblings who claimed they were going to tell on us: “Just don’t tell I’ll give you anything you want in this whole wide world.”

Mr. Wonder recorded the song the day after a Motown picnic. The label and studio served as a sort of middle school and high school for the boy genius, which might partially explain the wistful look back at his childhood.

Pastime Paradise

Mr. Wonder built this track up from a prototype polyphonic (ability to play multiple keys/notes simultaneously) Yamaha synthesizer, which he dubbed “the Dream Machine.” Gary Olazabal, who was one of the main engineers on the record told SoundonSound.com that Mr. Wonder was interested in using equipment that nobody else had. “Stevie’s still trying to get the next new thing,” he says. “He’s just like a kid that way.”

It is important to understand that this was still the very early days of synthesizers. Analog synthesizer sounds, pioneered by the Moog company, were first starting to be heard on popular records around the time of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” But the technology that enabled fairly reasonable facsimiles of acoustic sounds like strings was still in its nascent stage. Digital technology would revolutionize it even further, but that was years away. With tracks like “Pastime Paradise,” Mr. Wonder was blowing our minds as we strapped on Radio Shack headphones in our parents’ living rooms in the same way the Beatles did a decade earlier for slightly older music fans.

It is easy to take a track like “Pastime Paradise” for granted now, when any kid with Garage Band can quickly dial up a wide variety of sonic textures. And yet rapper Coolio lifted the whole track as a sample to form his own variation of the song with the hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” in 1995, long after the digital tools were available to easily create new sounds. In 1975, to even achieve something as simple as the reverse gong sound that opens the track meant cueing up a reel of tape, turning it over, and meticulously locating just the right spot—just as Mr. Wonder starts to sing the first line—to drop the sound into what would make up the final master. A few years later, the same trick would literally be a push of a button.

In the Classic Albums documentary, Mr. Wonder points to “the whole Earth, Wind & Fire groove that was happening back then,” as an influence. He illustrates it by tapping out a rhythm that sounds like the band’s “Can’t Hide Love” from 1975, the year Mr. Wonder was in the thick of recording the album. The tension of the “Pastime Paradise,” ratcheted up by Afro-Cuban percussion and Hare Krishna bells, reaches an apotheosis when a chanting Krishna chorus, literally brought in off the streets, meshes with a gospel choir singing “We Shall Overcome.”

The title is a play on words about being trapped in false nostalgia and not facing the harsh realities of the present. While one might reasonably ask if that is not what Mr. Wonder himself does with “I Wish” and “Sir Duke” from the same album—after all, wasn’t he “living in some pastime paradise” in the amber of nostalgia, where even “whoopin’ [his] behind” was recalled wistfully?—it is a matter of application.

Sure, we all enjoy looking back. But a few years before the election of President Ronald “It’s Morning Again in America” Reagan, “Pasttime Paradise” warns of political manipulation of such sentimentality. “Glorifying days long gone behind/They’ve been wasting most their days in remembrance of ignorance…” While Southerners looking fondly back at the time of segregation are one target here, Mr. Wonder also takes a swipe at those who are so faithful that they accept living in poor conditions with some future promise of salvation.

Though the song takes on some hefty subjects in its lyric, Mr. Wonder gets a bit bogged down in the litany of “-tion” words, as Bono would a decade later. “I remember, when he was writing that song in the studio, he was struggling to come up with all of those ‘-tion’ words like ‘dissipation,’ ‘segregation,’ ‘exploitation,’ ” engineer Mr. Olazabal said. “He was trying to come up with enough of those lyrics that would actually mean something and make sense.”

Ordinary Pain

The next song, “Summer Soft,” serves as a breezy antidote to “Pastime Paradise” and the light mood continues into the next song of the album, “Ordinary Pain.” But it is a short-lived respite. This Al Green-flavored song starts with the voice of Stevie-as-naif, continuing the “Songs of Innocence” thread of the album, which can be divided along the lines of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The melancholy tune that forms the first part of the two-part “Ordinary Pain” suite is not without its humor. The truly Wonderously phrased “Tell her you’re glad/It’s over in fact/Can she take with her the pain she brought back” is perhaps his most gymnastic maneuver to finish a rhyme.
Communications and Entertainment
4 Tips For A Successful Marriage And Lifelong Marital Bliss

ClevermanCleverman     4 yrs     649
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Cleverman
4 Tips For A Successful Marriage And Lifelong Marital Bliss
~16.2 mins read

In This Article Take time to become the best you Look at the good sides Discover Your Love Language Nurture the Intimacy

Have you been diligently combing the Internet for marriage advice, only to find platitudes like “Learn how to compromise” and “Enjoy one another’s company.”

If you find yourself wanting to shout “I’m trying!” I don’t blame you.

Or how about this one: “Set aside thirty minutes per day to talk about your relationship .”

If you’ve tried that, you already know there’s no better way to make him want to go running for the hills. When what you’re really wanting is for him to want to talk to you, right?

I know that much “expert” advice is easier said than done.

I know because I even paid for such successful marriage tips and advice, only to have the couples counselor advise me to “Quit being so controlling.”

Duh. But how?

That was a big question I never could seem to find the answer to.

Once marital counseling put the nail in the coffin of my marriage, I was desperate and stubborn enough to finally uncover the answer to lasting peace and playfulness in my healthy marriage .

So if you are looking for happy and successful marriage tips that you can start practicing today, you’re in the right place!

Whether you’re newlywed or already hitting some snags (or both), here are successful marriage tips that actually work.

Read on these 4 successful marriage tips below that you can apply to improve intimacy in marriage.

1. Take time to become the best you

Having worked with thousands of women as a relationship coach and provided successful marriage tips and advice, I hear the same story again and again.

First comes love then comes marriage, then comes getting so caught up with the busy-ness of life happening that you forget who you are and lose sight of the person who attracted your man in the first place.

Good for you for doing your homework so you don’t have to fall into that all-too-common trap.

The indispensable first step to intimacy probably isn’t what you think. It’s not making your husband’s favorite lasagna or giving him a foot massage every night, finding the right wrinkle cream, or losing your baby weight.

It’s going rollerblading with your BFFs or taking the Zumba class that makes you smile like an idiot while tripping over your own feet–whatever helps you feel like you’re not an afterthought on your list of priorities.

That’s right, the first thing on our checklist is to practice three self-care activities per day.

Be the best version of you

Exercise, take a nap, get your nails done, or join an online marriage support group–whatever helps you feel like a million bucks. That self-love makes you a more patient and accepting person. Suddenly your husband’s chewing or compulsive channel surfing becomes much less irritating. Maybe even kinda cute.

Treating yourself with such self-esteem teaches him to treat you. Becoming pleasing as a result of your self-care makes him want to please you even more.

But if you’re already overwhelmed, the last thing you want to do is add one more thing to your list, much less three.

How can you make the space to put your self-care first?

It may mean you need help. A common pitfall for brides is thinking you’re supposed to be Superwoman.

You are an independent, capable woman. No one is questioning that you could work all day then make dinner, clean the kitchen, do the laundry, help the kids with their homework, and get them to bed.

If a healthy marriage is what you want, how does it serve you to try to do it all?

For me, trying to be Super Wife only made me exhausted, depleted, overwhelmed, and resentful. Then all that mess came out sideways, aimed at the one person I wanted a connection with more than anyone.

I ended up in a very lonely place.

Turns out unhappy people don’t have happy marriages.

I learnt one of the successful marriage tips is that honoring my need for self-care–as well as my own limitations–increased my magnetism. Instead of wanting more quality time with the TV, my husband wanted to be by my side.

Speaking of becoming irresistible, here’s a little experiment for you, which will become a lot easier now that you’re putting yourself first:

Go on a smile campaign.

Flash those pearly whites when he walks in the door. Even if he’s had an exhausting day, somehow he won’t be able to keep his hands off you.

2. Look at the good sides

Do you know who once said,

“Men marry women with the hope they will never change. Women marry men with the hope they will change. Invariably they are both disappointed.”

Albert Einstein.

That guy must have been pretty smart.

He knew that a man is a person, not a project. That he probably won’t check every box on your list–and that’s okay.

Actually, it can be a good thing. Aren’t your man’s flaws part of why you fell for him in the first place? When you were dating, maybe you adored his quirky wardrobe choices and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

As the awful adage puts it, however, “familiarity breeds contempt.”

The same shortcomings and even attributes that were cute in the honeymoon phase can become glaring defects. His charm starts to look more like a flirtation with the waitress. Him being the strong, silent type starts to feel more like you’re talking to yourself.

But does familiarity have to breed contempt?

Not if you focus on his strengths. And this is one of the most important tips for a successful marriage.

Say he forgets to pick up the zucchini even though there were only three items on your grocery list. Grr, it sure is tempting to ask what the bleep he was thinking.

But what if, instead of focusing on the one thing wrong, you chose to focus on something he got right? He did go out of his way to find organic mushrooms and he surprised you with your favorite chocolate that he somehow knew you wanted even though it wasn’t even on your list.

Come to think of it, the mushrooms will do nicely for your stir-fry instead, and you’ll enjoy it even more with a side of intimacy since you chose to skip the criticism.

You always have a choice: intimacy or control. It’s the choice you make in these little moments that add up to cumulative connection or eventual breakdown.

It can be hard to relinquish control of the little things though. Will he really change the AC filter on time? Hmm, maybe you should remind him. Doesn’t he know that those boxes need to be broken down for the recycling bin? Maybe you should point out the error of his ways.

Isn’t that what a good wife does– be helpful to her man?

Actually, did you know that “helpful” in wife language translates to “controlling” in husband language?

I didn’t.

So I kept trying to “help” my husband as his mom would have. I gave helpful reminders to pay the bills on time and tips on how to peel an onion the best way.

I couldn’t figure out why our intimacy was suffering, including in the bedroom. Apparently, that wasn’t the right decision!

3. Discover Your Love Language

If criticism is on the tip of your tongue, what if you not only bit your tongue but expressed gratitude instead?

What would happen if you said something like, “Thank you for the chocolate! That makes me feel loved. You are so thoughtful.”

“And the organic mushrooms! It’s so sweet that you go out of your way to please me.”

Well, Anna didn’t like that idea so much, and she was vocal about why: “What, am I supposed to kiss his butt for things he’s supposed to do anyway?” Such objections are natural, especially when she was doing so much herself, and no one was thanking her!

She was afraid he’d get the idea that those tasks were optional and quit doing them.

If you’re having such fears, imagine when, on the contrary, he starts doing even more to please you. And expresses his appreciation for you like never before. That’s what I see again and again when women, including Anna, decide to conduct the next experiment with the most powerful skill of all:

Express at least three gratitudes a day to your man.

You can create more opportunities for gratitude by practicing the art of receiving graciously. This one is pretty simple: Start saying “yes.” (And “thank you,” of course.)

Not “No, that’s okay–you don’t have to” if he offers to get you a glass of wine, but “Thank you, that sounds wonderful.”

That experiment might not be too much of a stretch with a glass of wine, but what if he’s been wanting to drive you cross country and it seems more hassle than it’s worth?

Or he wants to buy you both a jacuzzi, but you’d rather spend the money on the long list of things you actually need?

Again, you always have a choice: intimacy or control. Is the money you’d save really worth the intimacy it will cost when he doesn’t get to be your hero and do something to delight you?

The alternative is to reject his gift, and soon the gifts dry up.

4. Nurture the Intimacy

As you look for ways to recreate or prolong your courtship, I know what you’re probably thinking…

Date night !

Actually, instituting a date night is offender #1 on my list of successful marriage tips that will destroy your marriage.

Here’s one of the keys to a successful marriage.

Why not nix the compulsory date night in favor of treating any old outing like a date? Put on some lipstick to go on a grocery run with him. Maybe stop along the way for coffee.

If you’re anything like I was, I used to try to make that happen by saying something like, “Do you want a coffee” or “Why don’t we stop at the coffee shop?”

The words “you” and “we” are red flags that I was way over on his side of the street, a symptom of my inappropriate control.

These days, I express my desires in a way that inspires: “I would love a latte.”

Here’s the catch: When I can say that with no expectations that my husband will do it, he somehow goes on high alert to make it happen.

It can be a lot easier to know what you don’t want than what you do want. When Candy went on a complaining diet, she was appalled to find that she was silent because so much of what would normally have come out of her mouth was complaining.

When you find a complaint rearing its unattractive head, what’s the desire hidden beneath your complaint?

Maybe “I’m freezing” translates to “I’d love a jacket.”

Or “Do we have to get pizza again ?” to “I’d love Mexican!”

Desire is the north star of your relationship, the vital information your man needs so he knows how to please you.

In the video below, Esther Perel discusses intentional and willful spontaneity in the relationship. She argues that marriage is an institution and the crisis of desire is the crisis of imagination. Learn the relationship between love and desire below:

As you experiment with expressing your desires in a way that inspires, be prepared to be surprised at his eagerness to please you.

He can’t help it when his hero gene gets reignited.

Now that you’re equipped with the successful marriage tips, which experiment will you try first?

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Lily1486
BENEFITS OF CHARCOAL
~3.0 mins read
BENEFITS OF CHARCOAL.

Charcoal is one of the most disregarded products at home.
However, if you really need first aid, charcoal is something you need to have on you all the time. You might not know this but it is one of the most medicinal products you can have at home due to its poison extraction ability.
In case you never gave it much attention, this is the time to do so. Here are some benefits of charcoal you never thought about.

1. Preventing_Odour*.
Does your shoe smell bad? Just get some charcoal & put it in them. Do you have any bad smell in your room? Drop some charcoal where you suspect the smell could be coming from. Does your fridge or freezer smell? Put a piece of charcoal in it. Do you have strong body odour? Just make a powder out of charcoal & use.
Charcoal is very good at getting rid of bad smell. Ever wondered why your parents always scooped out the ash from the coal pot to pour in the hen coop or toilet before sweeping? That was to get rid of the odour.

2. Keeping_Food_Fresh*.
If you want your vegetables to be fresh all the time, just make a solution out of charcoal & leave your vegetables in them.

3. Removing_Toxins_From_Food*.
These days, people complain about the use of fertilizers on plants & vegetables, making them unwholesome & poisonous. If you have charcoal, you don’t need to worry about this. All you need to do is leave the vegetables in a charcoal solution overnight & it’ll take care of the toxins. If you suspect any food contains too many chemicals, just drop them in a charcoal solution for some hours & you’re good to go.

4. For_Teeth_Whitening*.
If you want to whiten your teeth, pay no attention to all these adverts on whitening chemicals & technology. Just get yourself some charcoal & grab hold of a plantain stalk. Make a powder out of the charcoal, mash the tip of the plantain stalk, dip it into the charcoal powder & brush your teeth with it for a week.

5. Restoring_Soup_That_Went_Bad*.
Did your groundnut soup or palm nut soup go bad? No need to worry about pouring it all away. Just put it back on fire & drop a piece of charcoal in it. This will extract all the bad taste & smell & restore the soup to its fresh state.

7. Neutralizing_Alcohol*.
If you mistakenly did some wild mixing & feel it can knock you out, just add some charcoal to the mixture & your problem is solved. 

8. Healing_Wounds*.
Do you have a situation where someone’s wound has become so infected to the state doctors are saying they have to cut the affected area? Don’t stress over it, get a large amount of charcoal powder & pour it on the wound. This will extract all the poison from the wound & also help it heal faster. If you have a cut & you want to treat it fast, just get some powdered charcoal & pour on it.

9. Water_Filtration*.
Do you feel your water is contaminated? You don’t need all these products on the market. Charcoal can do better, just drop some amount of it in it. Don’t worry about the colour, it is safe, you can even chew on charcoal.

10. Skin_Cleansing*.
Do you have pimples, acne or any skin disease you really want to get rid of or do you want a very smooth face or skin? All you need is charcoal. Make a thick solution out of it & smear it on your body & leave it on for some hours before taking your bath. It will leave your skin smooth & fresh.

11. Stain_Removal*.
Do you have some stubborn stain in your kitchen, washroom or on your tiles? You actually need charcoal to get rid of it. I know you’re imagining how this black stainy product can actually remove stains right? Just try it, it works like magic.
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E PLUS The Storyteller
BE THAT LEADER, WHO CELEBRATES THE GOOD IN OTHERS... By E PLUS The Storyteller
~2.4 mins read

So, it's one of those days where I am going through various articles, as I brainstorm alongside, then something  catches my attention, something quite profound on the media page- A C.E.O celebrating a staff in her conglomerate!

Hmm!!! While this is not usually the norm, this is also very commendable, especially in times where this gesture is seen as a 'Luxury' 

Then I ponder:

If as a leader you have your goals and objectives laid down for your staff to follow, and you demand their undivided loyalty as they handle their jobs and position with utmost sense of commitment and dedication, is it too much to ask that these same people be commended once in a while?

Would that stop the work from progressing?

How do you see those that work with you?

How do you evaluate and assess them?

Are they your 'auto-run' robots?

Are these employees or followers, your ATM machines?

Are they just means to end?

What about seeing them as humans with dreams, ambitions, and set values, also see them as people who have prospects and opportunities in the future. 

How do you motivate those you lead- Mind you, it's not only about money.

Encourage those you lead with words of commendation, as this would constantly serve as a reminder that you appreciate and value them, even at their low moments.

These words build their confidence, and for those who do not have the confidence, they begin to develop one.

Invest in their prospects as this would advance their course, becoming even more invaluable- get rid of the *SIT-TIGHT-TISM* Leadership syndrome.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in having a one-on-one chat with your staff, or those you lead occasionally- this helps to eliminate any 'air'.

Adapt a reward system (nothing is insignificant), it's all about the heart of appreciation behind the gesture.

Do not hesitate to find out more about their fears, limitations and concerns- this is an indication that you mean well.

In the area of self development, encourage your staff or those you lead to be go-getters through self development programmes that can build them up, further.

These are life-time investments that put them on a padestal, and prepare them for more challenges and responsibilities ahead.

Commitment and dedication are mutual, when it's one sided, it could be exhausting, and before long the window to compromise is opened.

Be, that leader who constantly fuels the passion of those you lead- the best example you can set, is being the example yourself.

As you become more involved in the welfare of those you lead- trust me, God will raise an altar of everlasting and divine protection over you, and your entire Household.

Remember, everything in life is a seed, how you plant would determine the harvest.
 
The best form of investment, are in the lives of people, not structures, build men, and they will build lives.

Be an epitome of exemplary Leadership, both in words and deeds.

Be that leader, who sees  and celebrate the good in others.

.... A piece by E PLUS The Storyteller.

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Samade
How To Start Grasscutter Farming In Nigeria
~6.0 mins read
Grasscutter farming is gaining popularity in Africa for good reasons. Greater Cane Rat popularly known as Grasscutter belongs to the rodent family and is very closely related to the porcupine, almost look alike except that porcupine is bigger. The spiny fur on the back and rounded nose distinguish Grasscutter from true rats. It reaches a length of about 720 mm when fully matured. Grasscutter farming can make you at least N3million per year if you take it serious.
Grasscutter is one of the animal that is extremely suitable for commercial rearing.

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After reading this article, you need between 6 – 12 months to make at least one million naira in this business. If not, then something is wrong with you somewhere. So, let’s get down to business and see how Grasscutter farming works.

Grasscutter farming is highly profitable, more profitable than you imagined. The meat is widely consumed allover the West Africa region and beyond, making it one of the top 10 animals whose meat is in highest demand in the market. A market ready Grasscutter is sold between N4,000 to N5,500. Five hundred Grasscuters in a year could earn you between N2 Million to N2.75 Million.

The animal reproduces very quickly and in good numbers. A fully grown female Grasscutter after gestation, carries the pregnancy for 140 – 150 days and deliver about twice a year. Each pregnancy produces average of four to seven young ones. Sometimes up to ten, that means one female Grasscutter could produce 8 – 20 other Grasscutters in a year.

It grows big and very fast too. Grasscutter is one of the biggest rodent in Africa. A fully mature female or male that is ready for market weighs between 3.5kg for the female and 4.5kg for the male. While measuring 45cm to 60cm in body length. The standing height is between 25 to 30cm. The body size of a fully grown male is about the size of a nine inches block..

A good number of Grasscutter is consumed yearly but most of them still comes from the wild through hunters who goes into the bush to hunt for them but usually not easy to catch, making the animal meat very scarce in the market.

GETTING STARTED IN GRASSCUTTER FARMING

Colony â€“ Grasscutter lives in colony, two mature male doesn’t live together. Therefore, start with a male and few females together. A colony should consists of one male and three to four females. Your capacity determine how many colony you wants to start with. A small farmer may start with one or two colony, with the arrangement of one male and 3 females in each colony.

Breeding â€“ Grasscutter is kept 100% for the meat, it has to grow well and healthy in other to be profitable. To achieve this, a new farmer must lay emphasis on the choice of breeding stock. Each colony must have a very health male. The male is the engine of reproduction, a healthy male makes a healthy stock. While selecting the male, pay attention on the well being, good weight gain in male animals is a very important factors that determine how healthy it is.

In any case, both the male and female stock you are selecting for breeding purpose must be healthy. While a healthy, strong, agile male animal should be selected for breeding programs, if the female is not genetically healthy too, it will also affect the breeding stocks. To ensure that you achieve the best possible result, both has to be healthy.

Grasscutter Pen â€“ Grasscutter don’t like sleeping where they eat! If you are providing them house you must put this factor into consideration – either cage or house, you must provide steeping place and dinning and playing place.

They can be breed either in a properly build cages or in a house specially designed for them. Grasscutter is sensitive to good habitat, for a colony (1 male and 3 females) the dimension of the cage should be 180cm in length, 60cm in width and 45cm in height. Build your cage that way, separate for each colony.

If you are using walled pen or house, make sure you build it in such way that the place they eat must be separate from where they sleep. Also the production building must be designed to protect the animals from excess temperature and humidity.

The biggest enemies for Grasscutter are Snakes and Soldier Ants. Make sure their house are built is a safe place and you must also be wary of human thieves. To protect them from the invasion of soldier ants, you may pour black engine oil around their houses, especially at night during raining season mostly.

The floor should be overlay with dry soft grasses to protect their feet from being hurt and to provide them soft cushy play ground condition.

FEEDING THE GRASSCUTTERS

Grasscutter is a herbivorous animals meaning their source of food is basically from the bush, that’s why they are more comfortable in the bush where their foods could easily be found. Their major food is Elephant or Napier grass. They also love Sugar cane and most farmers use sugar cane mainly for their feeding, Guinea grass, Gamba grass, Congo grass.

According to experience farmers, Hygiene and good feeding are the most important factors for successful, profitably Grasscutter farming. You can also fatten the male with broiler’s finisher or broiler starter’s feed to help attain market weight within short period of time.

The animal also like Gliricidia sepium, herbaceous legumes like Stylo (Stylosanthes gracilis) and Pueraria phaseoloides. The root and pitch of oil and coconut palms, bark of the anacardium and fruits such as half ripen pawpaw, plantain, pineapple, mango etc are their delight. Food crops such as groundnut, rice, maize, grain legume, tubers like cassava, sweet potato e.t.c also make part of their food.

They take their water mostly from the field and go to the river during the dry season only. But when domesticated, you can give them water by adding some attractant to it. Cane rate it should be noted does not dig a hole and cannot climb a tree either, he further stressed.

Grasscutters can also be fed with formulated concentrates like pellet as well as other processing by-products like wheat bran, corn bran, groundnut, soya, oilseed, cotton seed cakes, brewer yeast, grain legume pods, brewers’ grains, maize shucks and cobs, brewer’s yeast etc as feed supplements.

Grasscutter don’t like cold environment.  The rooms or cages where you keep them must neither be too cold nor too hot. Environment that is suitable for human is considered suitable for Grasscutters.

Weaning time â€“ With good, adequate feeding, the grasscutter kids can be weaned between four to eight weeks. But as a family, they can be with the mother for four months. The kids can be separated from the mother between five to seven months and place with a male to mate with them.

The weaned animals can be mated at the age of between seven to eight months from birth. Indefinite mating is expected to have taken place when the weaned male Grasscutter is seven months old and the female is eight months. The indefinite mating period is 140days. But if after 160 days of separation from the male, there is still no sign of pregnancy , then it should be taken back to the male for proper mating. Usually there should also be an extra male that can serve the same purpose.

THE MARKET FOR GRASSCUTTER

The market like I stated earlier is very big. Grasscutter meat or bush meat is probably the most desirable animal meet in the market. Everyone loves it and it sells very fast. Big restaurants uses it to prepare high priced delicacies. Full meat of a mature Grasscutter goes for N4,500 in the market and the market women who trade on it are always in demand of it.

Most people in the city couldn’t buy the meat because it’s very scarce, so no amount of Grasscutter you produced that can’t be sold within days. It will take combined efforts of thousands of farmers to fill the need for bush meat in the market in Africa right now.

Grasscutter is a fast reproducing animal and starts mating with 7 months after birth. It gives birth twice yearly and produce 4-7 at a time. That means, if you have 100 females that gives birth twice in a year, you would be having 900 to 1,500 in your farm within just a year! Such number will bring you nothing less than N5 Million when they are matured for marketing.

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Divine12
Sweet Sex 32
~5.8 mins read

Xiong swore under her breath, wriggling in my grip. Lynn hooked her fingers into the thong and pulled them down slowly, totally exposing her plaything. Tossing the thong aside, she kissed her way back up Xiong's legs, nipping at the skin before arriving back at her slick, warm mound. She smiled up at us wickedly and then pressed her mouth against Xiong's pussylips, kissing it softly. 

No word of a lie, Xiong shuddered and groaned loudly, cumming. She writhed in my grip and Lynn pressed her mouth against Xiong harder, sighing as the taste of cum slathered her tongue. She surged to her feet, cupping Xiong's cheeks in her hand, their faces scant inches apart as Lynn gazed into her eyes with a ferocious lust, her teeth visible as she breathed heavily. She jammed her mouth against Xiong's kissing her savagely and the Thai girl melted into it. Their tongues tangled and dueled wetly, even while Lynn began deftly removing her own clothing. Within seconds, she was naked, her breasts squashed to Xiong's while they kissed feverishly. 

Lynn pulled Xiong down to her knees, and they continued to kiss in front of me, my cock swelling at the sight of the two beauties making out. Hands roamed and groped, exploring without hesitation. Soon, though, one of Lynn's hands snaked up my leg and found my cock. She began stroking it while still kissing Xiong. The raven-haired girl joined her in pumping my cock with her tiny fist. The two hands felt wonderful on my shaft, and my own hands moved to the back of their heads, caressing and kneading, tugging at their hair. 

Xiong moaned in pleasure as I pulled at her dark locks. She broke the kiss and turned her head to slide her lips over the throbbing head of my manhood, humming and then starting to bob back and forth, taking more of my length into her mouth with each movement. Lynn watched in delight as her friend sucked my cock, her free hand caressing the Thai girl's luscious breasts. 

Lynn move her face close to Xiong's and the two of them kissed sensually around my cockhead, slithering their tongues before Lynn took over and push my prick inside her mouth. Her tongue swirled around my shaft as she moved along its length and Xiong kissed and bit at her neck. Her hands fondled Lynn's breasts, which became a barely-restrained groping. Lynn whimpered and squirmed under her touch. Finally, she pulled her mouth off me and looked up, her eyes fairly flashing with lust. 

"Michael, you need to fuck Xiong," she breathed. "Fuck her while I lick her pussy, lover. I want to taste her on you..." 

I nodded and gripped the back of Xiong's head firmly, and she shuddered and moaned while I pulled her to her feet. She looked up at me sideways, her eyes glassy, wondering what I had planned. Without a word, I turned her to face out from me, then reached down and scooped her up by her thighs, lifting her off the ground. Xiong couldn't have weighed much more than a hundred pounds, most of which was in those magnificent tits and her shapely ass. I leaned her back to my chest as I supported her, pulling her legs wide. She trembled and put her arms back around my neck for support. 

Lynn eagerly knelt between my legs, her hand reaching for my raging hard cock, stroking it while she brought her face close to Xiong's smooth pussy. She smiled as she blew on the Thai girl's clit, making her shiver, then planted a gentle kiss before sliding her tongue up and down the glistening pussylips. Xiong whimpered and I could feel her fingers gripping my traps. 

My beloved Lynn now teased my engorged cockhead up and down Xiong's slit, a wicked smile on her beautiful face. Seconds later, she pushed the knob up inside her friend, penetrating. Xiong shuddered and drew in a breath. Then Lynn put her hands under mine and helped me control my motions, lowering Xiong so that she sank slowly onto my cock. Her tongue slid along the underside of my shaft and over Xiong's netherlips while she took me inside. 

"Gnnnnnnn, fuck!" Xiong rasped as I bottomed out inside her, her nails digging into my skin. "You're ripping me apart! Ai shia!" 

"Just enjoy it, Xiong, my love." Lynn purred as she slithered her tongue over her friend's clit. Her hands still held mine and she used them to control my movements up and down, slowly beginning to slide my cock into Xiong. Fuck, she was tight! 

Xiong was almost wheezing, and her head leaned back against my chest and shoulder. Her eyes were rolled up in her head. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was having a type of seizure. She shook as she fought to control herself, biting her lip and closing her eyes. 

"Fffffffffuuuuuuuuck..." she groaned as Lynn tongued her clit and my cock as it slid in and out of her. Smiling evilly, Lynn also trailed her fingers along the split lips, thrilling at how gooey and pliant they were under her touch. 

"Mmmm, just wait until you feel all his cum in you, darling," Lynn purred, swirling her tongue around that throbbing clit, occasionally sucking on it. "You'll think you've gone to Heaven." 

"You're trying to kill me," Xiong panted, her body already glistening with sweat as she churned on my pulsing rod. "You're fucking gonna kill me!" 

"Try to squeeze in time with his thrusts," cooed Lynn, enjoying our new lover's erotic torture. She was groping Xiong's breasts again with one hand, pinching and pulling on the nipples while she caressed my cock. "You know what to do, baby." 

Xiong clenched her teeth and was squeezing now as I pushed inside her, determined to give as good as she got. Her molten pussy rippled around me as I fucked her. God, she had strong muscles, and she was incredibly wet, so the ride was still slippery smooth, but tight. Lynn made her groan loudly by using her hands to spread her thighs wider apart, snaking her tongue around Xiong's throbbing button again. We squirmed and churned against one another, Xiong panting and her fingernails gripping me more tightly with each passing moment. 

"Mmmmm, I can't wait to suck his cum out of you," Lynn breathed, no longer able to deny herself, her right hand snaking down to massage her own pussy while she lashed Xiong's with her tongue. "I'll make you scream, baby." Xiong was gasping in response, clearly beyond words. 

My fingers gripped the bottom of her thighs while I thrust up inside her. That wonderful, singular tingling was building inside me, deep in my loins, drawn closer with each squeeze of her wanton pussy. I could feel myself throbbing within those slick confines, the rings of muscle working their magic on me. Xiong's stomach muscles were tightening and her whole body trembled. Lynn lashed her clit mercilessly, driving her to the very brink of endurance. 

Then she wailed and was wracked with unreal pleasure, her body contorting on me as she came. I dropped my grip, spiking her even further down on my cock and I snarled in her ear as I began pumping my pearly cum deep in her greedy pussy. Lynn sighed in delight as she ground on her hand, still sucking on Xiong's nub as she joined us in orgasm. Xiong turned her head and jammed her lips against mine, kissing me hungrily. Our tongues tangled as she milked every last drop of cum from my cock. 

Then she sagged in my arms, breathing heavily. Lynn hummed as she continued to slowly kiss and caress her friend's pussy now, whispering things against her netherlips. Once she was certain I was done cumming, she took hold of the base of my cock and slowly pulled me out of Xiong. She smiled lovingly at my glistening member, taking it into her mouth and sliding up and down its length, moaning in pleasure as she tasted Xiong's cum and mine mingled on me. 

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