Greatest

The Sublime

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The Sublime

Throughout history tragedy has been an instrument that has shaped how we have lived our lives. It was tragedy that communicated how fragile our lives were actually are. It was tragedy that undressed our deepest anxieties, namely the fear of death. Tragedies said that we are confined in our mortal decaying bodies. It was a useful analogy. The Greeks were articulate at expressing this point – they would stage this in a form of dramas and people from all parts of life would come dressed in their best outfits to witness this spectacle on stage, mortality and death were dramatized. Fast forward a couple of years later and we have the news. The news are food for the amygdala! They are fear driven and they are effective because of that regard. They keep us glued to our screens, feeding us with our daily doses of chaos, destruction and deaths in a form of statistics. Stalin once stated one death is a tragedy but a million deaths a statistic, useful and thought-provoking sentiment in the context of the news. Are we sick for being so addicted to the news and all the anxieties and stress they bring? Partly, human beings are not perfect – in fact, we are extremely flawed. However, news are effective, the have a purpose, granted they are food for the amygdala but they connect us to our primitive sides – the will to survive. They remind us of the volatile nature of the world – the fact that nothing is guaranteed. The news are a home for human nature. The news are tragic! Because life is suffering, we need to be reminded of the tragic on a constant so that our internal structure and method of being is hardened. So that we don’t have passive minds and attempt to try the new every opportunity we get. Life is a gift, a celebration of some sort and we should live by embracing our talents. We get a limited time to do it and that’s suffering aspect of it but if we are true to ourselves, it can become an eternity. We shouldn’t be divorced from death, death is the catalyst, the driving force that should in actuality push us to the life we desire. Death is good, death is wonderful and as such we should be connected with it every time, remind ourselves of our mortality and strive to make the best of the limited time we have.

Death is the sublime! The consciousness that everything fades and everything is a lapse in time that will cease to exist. It is the realization that even the Universe is at the mercy of something bigger, that it too will be extinct like the dinosaurs and in the near future – like human beings. Death is the problem solver. Mothernatures way of refreshing things and keeping them moving. Death is inspiring, it is driven, motivated, determined, irrational, strong-willed and businesslike. Death is bigger than all of us. Death should be worshipped. Meditating on death or keeping ornaments that remind us of death every day will make our lives better. Our lives will be structured and we will be goal-orientated individuals. Our self-perceptions of ourselves will be higher resulting in high self-esteem and confidence that will enable us to live. We will be fulfilled individuals with the will to impose ourselves to the world. We will nurture the Universes’ soul with the happiness that we will bring to the world. Death is an intellectual concept we could use to better ourselves to create more, be more – to self-actualize! Death is not the only thing we could use. The sublime is something bigger than you, bigger than life! Time fits the category; there was a time before me and you and there will be a time after me and you. By elevating your perspective and using time strategically, you can have a meaningful life. It can be structured, calculated and custom made. By making time an ally, you can make your wildest dreams come true.

In 2003, Manchester United were having one of their pre-season games against Sporting Lisbon. The team for the upcoming season was strengthened and Manchester United were once again one of the favorites along with Arsenal to land the big premier league trophy. Against Sporting Lisbon, Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a strong side to test the boys against Lisbon. Lisbon were impressive. They played good, free-flowing football. It was fast and direct. At the heart of their offensive play was young Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo dawning the number 28 jersey number on the left flank. At times, he was unplayable. He had a charisma in his play. He was quick, deceptive, had good passing range, his decision making was superb, he was a showman and dazzled the crowd with his skills, he could shoot with both legs, was a good crosser of the ball and he was only 17 years old. At the end of the game, the Manchester United players went to their manager and told him to sign the young Portuguese, the manager concurred – it was a no brainer, this boy was destined to be a star! It didn’t take long for Manchester United to get their man and before the season commenced he was officially a Manchester United player dawning the iconic number 7 jersey worn by Eric Cantona and David Beckham. The young Cristiano Ronaldo would serve his apprenticeship phase under the tutelage of the greatest manager in the world at the best club in the world. Expectations were high and he seemed geared up and ready to take over the world.

A couple of years later and he was one the exciting and best young players in the league. He had developed into a supreme, elite football star. He was a better dribbler, picked the best moments to showboat, he was one of the best crossers of the league, he was a fantastic header of the ball, his shots were on target more and he had become a deadly dead ball specialist scoring free-kick goals for fun. He regularly scored more than 20 goals in the league ensuring Manchester United’s dominance in the league. It wasn’t a fluke too. The young Portuguese worked hard. Carlos Tevez his teammate 2007-2009 once told reporters about Ronaldo’s will to be the best. He stated “I wanted to work on my shooting so I came in an hour earlier before the training session and he (Ronaldo) was already there training. So the next day, I came in two hours earlier and although he (Ronaldo) was a bit tired he was already there training.” Cristiano Ronaldo was always the first person on the training pitch and he was always the last one to leave. He was there 2 hours before everyone and stayed on 2 hours after everyone had left. He embarked on what we call “Deliberate Practice”: For 4 hours every day he would work on shooting drills, free-kicks and other soccer related things. He did it every day, even when the tasks would become passive, boring and repetitive. He learned to discipline his mind and work hard consistently. He was obsessed with being the best player in the world. In 2008, he was named the PFA’s Player of the year and PFA’s players’ player of the year. In addition to that he was named UEFA’s best player of the year for leading Manchester United to the trophy. He was also named FIFA player of the year and won the Ballon D’Or Award – an award given for individual performance. It was a clean sweep of all the awards. It was warranted too, he impressively lead Manchester United to the treble (Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League) scoring a whopping 42 goals in all competitions in which 31 were in the league – A record that stood for 9 years. Amongst those goals is one of the greatest goals in the history of the premier league, a stunning free-kick that will never be replicated no matter how many times you practice.

After that amazing season, Europe’s heavyweights started knocking on Manchester United’s door. Showing strong intent to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo were Real Madrid who were prepared to shutter the world transfer record to bring the star to the Santiago Bernabou. Cristiano Ronaldo was interested, citing that it was a dream to play for Real Madrid. However, Manchester United weren’t keen on letting their superstar go. So, a compromise was reached. Sir Alex Ferguson convinced Cristiano Ronaldo to play one more season at Old Trafford and after that he is free to leave for Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo obliged. It was another great season for Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United once again won the league and were in the finals of the UEFA Champions League. Manchester United were hoping to defend their crown and with Cristiano Ronaldo on their side who had scored the best goal of the competition (A 40 yard shot that hit the top corner against Porto) they had a chance. Their opponents in the final of the Champions League were FC Barcelona who had won the league with an impressive 99 points. They had also won the Spanish Cup and were hoping to make it a treble. It was a going to be a magnificent final and the stage was epic, Rome was all geared up! It was a fantastic start for Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United as they had FC Barcelona in comprising positions. A noteworthy highlight was Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal bound free-kick saved by Victor Valdes. FC Barcelona however got their noses in front and it stayed that way for the duration of the game. They played extremely well and introduced a new brand of football to the world. The football of shot passes, diagonal passes, passing into space, running into space and triangle formations. Xavi Hernandez made the midfield his and bossed Manchester United alongside Andreas Iniesta. Sergio Busquets was deployed as a CDM and Yaya Toure was a CB. FC Barcelona wanted to retain possession with the type of tactics they deployed in that game. Later in the second half of the game, a new star was introduced to the world namely Lionel Messi who scored an amazing header from a Xavi Hernandez cross to take the game away from Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United. The game finished 2-0 in favor of FC Barcelona and they had done it – they had successfully completed the treble! Later that year it was Lionel Messi who had a clean sweep of the awards and dethroned Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world. It was only the beginning of the rivalry between these great players.

In 2009 Real Madrid announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. It was a world record fee of 100 Million. They also bought 2007 Ballon D’Or winner Ricardo Kaka who was in his prime. To add to their attack they completed the signing of Karim Benzema who was branded the next best thing from Lyon. The signings provided real intent to topple FC Barcelona’s dominance and reign in Spain. Earlier in the year FC Barcelona had humiliated Real Madrid 6-2 at the Santiago Bernabou. A drastic change was needed. Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid also brought in Manuel Pellegrini to be at the helm of the team. There was optimism in the air. Throughout the season, Real Madrid were strong contenders for the league battling it out until the last day of the season. Real Madrid however came out short and ended the season with 96 points to FC Barcelona’s 98 points. There were positives though. In his first season at Real Madrid, their star man Cristiano Ronaldo scored an awesome 26 goals in the league. Real Madrid however did get knocked out of the UEFA Champions League last 16 phase and did nothing of note in the Spanish Cup. While Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona were headlining the tournament. In a game against Arsenal at the Camp Nou – a game in which FC Barcelona were trailing Arsenal 1 to 0, Lionel Messi scored an awesome 4 goals! He was untouchable! He was unstoppable! In a post-match interview, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger proclaimed that he was the greatest player in the history of the game. It wasn’t just him, football pundits exploded with praise for the young Argentine star. Once again, Cristiano Ronaldo witnessed Lionel Messi take all the awards and the acclaimed that came with it.

Writing-off the previous season as a disaster, Real Madrid decided to go with a manager who would match their lofty ambitions. They identified Jose Mourinho as the guy who would dethrone FC Barcelona and retain Real Madrid’s status as one of the best teams in the world. Jose Mourinho had just won the treble with Italian Side Inter Milan. It was Mourinho’s Milan side who had knocked out FC Barcelona on the Champions League Semi-finals. At San Siro, they managed to beat FC Barcelona 3-1 playing swift and deadly counter-attacking football that was too much for the Catalan outfit. They lost 1-0 at the Camp Nou but won on aggregate 3-2 and that result was enough for them to progress through to the finals of the Champions League against Bayern Munich. A final they triumphed courtesy of two Diego Milito goals. It was Jose Mourinho who would bring glory to Real Madrid. To aid Jose Mourinho in his quest Real Madrid bought two of the best talents exhibited in the World Cup in South Africa namely Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Xabi Alonzo was brought in from Liverpool and his compatriot Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea. Having come so close last season, now the team that could challenge FC Barcelona this season was complete. FC Barcelona lost their opening game against Hercules 2-0 and it gave Real Madrid an open window to capitalize, a chance they didn’t pass up on. Both teams would have to meet up in the run in. Leading up to the big El Classico game, both teams were red hot playing exquisite football. They were thrilling the fans and scoring a lot of goals. Cristiano Ronaldo was Real Madrid’s talisman while Lionel Messi was FC Barcelona’s talisman. The big day at the Camp Nou came and everyone was buzzing. Although, Real Madrid hadn’t beaten FC Barcelona in 5 competitive games – this time was different, they were at the helm of the log and were not planning on relinquishing their top spot. They had the right players to challenge FC Barcelona and the best manager in the world at the time. Despite all those positives, the game finished 5-0 in favor of FC Barcelona. Once again, FC Barcelona had humiliated Real Madrid in front of a global audience of over 600 million viewers. FC Barcelona were better in every department. Somehow, it looked like they were faster. Real Madrid were like unfit amateurs. They couldn’t get the ball of FC Barcelona. They chased and chased in vain with nothing to show for it. Xavi Hernandez, Andreas Iniesta and Lionel Messi were wonderful. Lionel Messi was deployed as a false number nine, so he could assist in midfield and create space for David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez on the flanks. Real Madrid didn’t know how to counter this formation. It was strange and unorthodox. Lionel Messi provided two wonderful assists that were dispatched by David Villa. The world had never seen football played like that.

A couple of months later, FC Barcelona were comfortably at the helm of the table. They were in the Spanish Cup final and their opponents were Real Madrid. Coincidentally, they also drew Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the champion’s league. The Spanish Cup finals went into extra-time, an occasion that needed a hero. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and scored a wonderful header that won Real Madrid the cup. Finally, a change of momentum, a change of fortune, Real Madrid were elated with the result and Cristiano Ronaldo who had been great all season had led them to the promise land. The focus shifted from the Spanish Cup to the Champions League. The first leg was at the Santiago Bernabou and the Madrid hopefuls were optimistic. Real Madrid had a real change of eliminating FC Barcelona, of winning the Champions League. Paul the Octopus who had predicted the success of Spain in the World Cup finals against Holland was brought in and he predicted a Real Madrid win. Everything seemed to be in Real Madrid’s favor – even luck, Jose Mourinho had transformed Real Madrid. Lionel Messi however had other plans. In the last 15 minutes of the games, he passed Ibrahim Affaley on the left flank who in turn crossed it the box for an incoming Messi who dispatched it with a fantastic finish. 5 minutes later, he was fouled in the center of the pitch. He took a quick free-kick and passed Sergio Busquets who in turn passed it back and Messi dribbled past 5 Real Madrid players and scored. It was a classic goal. The Santiago Bernabou didn’t believe what it had just witnessed. Some fans started leaving after that goal despite there being 10 minutes left, it was over. FC Barcelona won 2-0 away and looked poised to play in the finals. The result of the second leg was 1-1 which meant that FC Barcelona would play the final against Manchester United at the Wembley Stadium. FC Barcelona ended up winning the final 3-1. They also won the league. The Spanish Cup proved to be a consolation prize as FC Barcelona won all the big honors. Cristiano Ronaldo however scored an amazing 40 league goals breaking a record that was held by Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez for more than 40 years. He scored an impressive 54 goals in all competitions and won the European Golden Boot. Lionel Messi scored an impressive 53 goals in all competitions and managed to score 31 league goals. For the third time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo watched Lionel Messi take all the awards that were available. At this point in his career, he was the undisputed best player of 3 years.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo was not winning individual awards, he was playing exceptional well. He and Messi had raised the bar so high. Ronaldo however thought that this season would be the year that Real Madrid eclipsed FC Barcelona. Everyone was working hard and they all understood their roles. For this season, the plan was to win the league. European Champions FC Barcelona had a long schedule and Real Madrid understood that fatigue would be a factor for FC Barcelona, what they needed to do on their side was to stay perfect and win games. They started off well and carried on winning. FC Barcelona followed suite but were struggling. FC Barcelona had key members of the squad like David Villa and Carles Puyol injured early on. They labored on some games and drew a couple. Real Madrid just kept on winning. The big game came El Classico and was contested at the Santiago Bernabou. The game started off great for the home side Real Madrid who got a goal in the opening 5 minutes through Karim Benzema. However, FC Barcelona equalized through Alexis Sanchez. Xavi Hernandez scored the second and Cesc Fabregas scored a third goal to take the game away from Real Madrid. The score finished 3-1 in favor of FC Barcelona. That result however did not dethrone Real Madrid at the helm, it merely reduced the deficit to 1 point. Real Madrid carried on winning games while the games piled up for FC Barcelona and the injury list kept on getting bigger. In the process FC Barcelona won the UEFA Super Cup, The Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup. When they returned to playing league football, they were fatigued and labored through results. While Real Madrid were playing the best football in Europe. Jose Mourinho’s side were irresistible! They played the best counter-attacking football the world has ever seen. It was one touch football, it was direct, concise and devastating. Teams didn’t know how to cope with it. Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were phenomenal! They would win 9-0 or 8-0 or 7-1. Mesut Ozil racked up an impressive number of assists. He had 20 more assists than second placed Lionel Messi in Europe across all competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo was scoring goals for fun. After a couple of months Real Madrid and FC Barcelona met at the Camp Nou for the second leg of their league encounter. Real Madrid were at the helm of the log leading FC Barcelona with 4 points. FC Barcelona had to win if they were to have any chance at defending their title. It was a tight encounter and at half time the score was 1-1. The second half commenced and the game required a hero. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and finished a swift counter-attacking move. After scoring he celebrated and popularized his iconic “calma” celebration. The Camp Nou was deaf quiet. The match finished 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid. Real Madrid lost on penalties against Bayern Munich on the Champions League semi-finals. However, it was still a successful year. They had achieved what they wanted to do. They had dethroned FC Barcelona and won the league with a staggering 100 points! A feat only achieved by Italian Champions Juventus under Conte. They achieved it playing great football and scoring plenty of goals in the process. Cristiano Ronaldo scored an impressive 46 league goals beating his own record that he achieved last season of 40 goals. He managed to score 60 goals in all competitions. Lionel Messi however scored an unbelievable 50 league goals that season. He was the Champions League top goal scorer with 12 and finished the season with 73 goals in all competitions. He also broke Gerrald Mullers record of 85 goals in a calendar year – scoring an unbelievable 91 goals in a year! For the fourth time in his career, Ronaldo watched as Lionel Messi took all the awards.

In 2013, the general consensus was that Cristiano Ronaldo would always be second best to Lionel Messi – that nothing he did was enough. To be fair, it was partly true. In another time, another period Cristiano Ronaldo’s stats would be enough to make him one of the greatest players of all time. However Messi’s presence was hindering him a place in the stars, a chance at immortality –to be a true great of the game. Football pundits were sympathetic while Cristiano Ronaldo was pragmatic. All that mattered to him was getting better. The season commenced and Lionel Messi was at his usual best. He led a rampant FC Barcelona who wanted the league back. They were ruthless and unforgiving. Lionel Messi made history by becoming the first player to score against all the teams of the league consecutively – simply put he scored every game. It put FC Barcelona way ahead of the pack in log. However fate smiled at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi got an injury in the last 2 months of the season. It was unfortunate for Lionel Messi but great for Ronaldo. Messi’s injury didn’t hurt FC Barcelona as they matched Real Madrid 100 points of the previous season. While Real Madrid finished 18 points behind. Lionel Messi scored an unbelievable 46 league goals and won the European Golden Boot that season. However the Ballon D’Or ceremony would be in January and it merits work done in a calendar year. With Lionel Messi’s injury Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance. Lionel Messi aggravated his injury and that prolonged his stay on the sidelines for an additional 3 months. Something that seemed to motivate Cristiano Ronaldo. In the month of September he scored 3 hatricks in a space of 2 weeks while playing for both club and country. With Messi on the sideline, he had the stage on his own and he was rejuvenated. He scored a wonderful 63 goals in the calendar year and despite not winning any honors for Real Madrid he was announced as the best player at the Ballon D’Or Awards. Cristiano Ronaldo was emotional on the stage as he cried. All these years, he had been number two when his efforts merited number one was hard for him. It was a release. It was well deserved.

In 2014 Cristiano Ronaldo carried off were he had left off last year. A new coach in Carlo Ancelotti was appointed and the future seemed bright. Carlo Ancelotti was an experienced manager who had won titles all over the world. He had previously lead AC Milan to two European titles and with the current crop of players – he would be the one to bring La Decima to Real Madrid and Florentino Perez. Real Madrid were playing well with their Carlo Ancelotti inspired 4-3-3 formation. The players were rejuvenated after the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Cristiano Ronaldo had found a second release. He had a swagger. He was in the moment. He owned the title of being the world’s best! Real Madrid were exciting and played a brand of football that got them plenty of goals. Everyone was chipping in with goals as players like Karim Benzema rediscovered their form. Gareth Bale who had been just signed from Spurs for a world record fee joined in the party and found his stay at Real Madrid to be a pleasant one. For their efforts Real Madrid were in the finals of the Spanish Cup against their fierce rivals FC Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended for the final because of disciplinary reasons but they still beat FC Barcelona to win the cup 2-1 courtesy of a Bale solo goal that was worthy to be a match winner. Real Madrid’s city rivals Atletico Madrid won the league on the last day against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou courtesy of a Diego Godin equalizer. Had FC Barcelona won the match, they would have won the league. However, it wasn’t meant to be. Real Madrid were in the finals of the UEFA Champions League against city rival Atletico Madrid. A final they won 4-1 after extra time. Cristiano Ronaldo had scored a staggering 17 goals in 11 games in the competition. This led to him being named as UEFA’s best player of the year. He was once again named the best player in the world at the Ballon D’Or awards. Now he had 3 Ballon D’Ors to Messi’s 4.

2015 saw drastic overhaul in the FC Barcelona camp. For the first time in years they had failed to win a trophy. They needed a change of scenery. For this they sacked Head coach Gerardo Martino and brought in Luis Enrique. FC Barcelona bought PFA’s Player of the year Luis Suarez from Liverpool who despite a 10 match ban scored an incredible 31 goals in the league. FC Barcelona also bought the best midfielder in La Liga at the time Ivan Rakitic who played his football at Seville. Claudio Bravo was brought in from Real Sociedad and Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Germany. The result lead to FC Barcelona’s dominance in the league again as they managed to secure another treble of the league, the Spanish and Champions League. Lionel Messi was once again at the helm of football. He dethroned Cristiano Ronaldo after two years and won his 5th Ballon D’Or award. Cristiano Ronaldo was once again relegated to second place.

2016 saw the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the head coach of Real Madrid and that immediately brought in changes. Despite FC Barcelona’s domestic dominance having won both the League and the Spanish Cup. Real Madrid were in the finals of the Champions League against city rivals Atletico Madrid. A repeat of the 2014 final. Real Madrid won the final courtesy of a penalty shoot-out and Cristiano Ronaldo won the best player of the tournament award having 16 goals in 11 games. He was also the top goal-scorer of the tournament. 2016 also marked the year of the European Championships that were happening in France. Portugal relied on their captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to inspire them to the finals. Entering the tournament, Portugal were overwhelming underdogs. Making it past their group would be quite a remarkable feat. They drew all their group stage matches and ended the first round with 3 points. They qualified to the next round as one of the best number 3’s of the tournament. Amazingly they made it all the way to the finals against host nations France. Cristiano Ronaldo was vital in their bid to stay alive in the tournament. He scored important goals that helped the team progress. His leadership was evident as the team fought for one another. The team was highly spirited and motivated. They were hungry. They played like David and you had the feeling they were going to slay Goliath with every game they played. Their approach in the group stage was pragmatic but no matter, it had lead them to the Finals of the European Championships. The last time they had gotten this far was when they were hosting the games in 2004 when Greece beat them 1-0 in front of their fans. This time, it was different. There were no expectations attached to their name. France where the team under pressure to win as the host nation. The game commenced and before the half hour mark, Cristiano Ronaldo got an injury and had to be subbed off. It was a big blow for Portugal and their chances to win the match. However, they stayed strong and compact. They were stable and cemented. They fought for every ball and for one another. They frustrated France and the fans started to be restless. On the sideline Cristiano Ronaldo was cheering the boys on. He was motivating them and instilling belief in them. He did all this while on his crushes with his leg heavily bandaged. At 90 minutes, the game was still 0-0 and the Portuguese players started to believe. Before the game commenced for extra-time, Cristiano Ronaldo and the coach had encouraging words to impart on the players. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted this so badly, because he was a winner. Because his spirit was contagious, it got to the players and they also wanted to win it not only for their injured captain but for themselves. They played extra-time and at the second half of extra time Eder came in as a substitute and scored a goal for the Portuguese side. Cristiano Ronaldo became more animated on the sidelines after the goal, he began shouting out instructions to his teammates on the ground. Telling them to be compact and strong. He was passionate and in the moment! France threw the kitchen sink at Portugal but failed to score. And just like how Portugal had failed to win in front of their home fans in 2004 – France failed to win in 2016. It was a great triumph for the Portuguese side and Cristiano Ronaldo proudly lifted the trophy. It was a great moment in his career. He had won two European Competitions with both his club and country. He was a certified great, a football immortal and one of the best to ever do it! He was named the world’s best player once again taking the crown from Lionel Messi after one year. Now he had 4 Ballon D’Or awards to Messi’s 5.

The next season under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid won the league and retained the Champions League beating Juventus 4-1 in a final Cristiano Ronaldo dominated. He scored an impressive 16 goals and was named player of the tournament once again. He was named the best player in the world for a record 5 times equaling Lionel Messi’s record of 5 Ballon D’Or awards. Now there was no doubt. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. His childhood dream had been realized, his hardwork had paid off.

Cristiano Ronaldo relied on the Sublime namely time, because he was doing all he could every day. He understood that it would reflect on to the world. He refused to take anything for granted and kept playing at a very high level. He was able to motivate himself. He was confident of his abilities and despite what everyone said he knew it was only a matter of time. With deliberate practice he had attained mastery in a short number of years. Being immersed in something bigger than yourself – a god, death, destiny, the universe, will give your life purpose, it will help you in the times were you are most vulnerable, it will drive you and it will propel you to greatness. For Cristiano Ronaldo it was his destiny to be the greatest and he needed time to help him get there. Surround yourself with the sublime!

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Quentin Tarantino

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Quentin Tarantino

I have been a Quentin Tarantino fan all my life. From “Reservoir Dogs” all the way to “Once upon a time in Hollywood”. Admittedly, my first Quentin Tarantino film was “Kill Bill” in 2005. I remember the day like it were yesterday. It was on a Friday and it was playing on M-Net. The next Friday, M-Net would play “Kill Bill: Volume 2”. I watched both of them and my life was changed forever. It was film-making I had not seen before. The visuals blew me away, they were exceptionally great. They had a tendency to linger in your mind long after you had watched the movie. So clearly, I always remembered the “Pussy Wagon” and that epic yellow Bruce Lee jumpsuit that the bride was fighting in. That yellow jumpsuit is so iconic, it is memorable, it is imprinted and permanently engraved in the fabric of film – it is amazing creativity and vision from Quentin Tarantino. The fight on the snow between “Cotton-mouth” and “The Bride”; the atmosphere was so smooth and quiet – it was full of serenity and “Cotton-mouth” was in all-white complimenting the snow. The contrast in that fighting scene is amazing because it ends in blood and death. The anime scene on is something that hasn’t been done in film before. It is so epic! He incorporated Japanese taste and culture into the film. The film is surreal. It is a blend of different traditions and cultures infused into this one craft about revenge. The music, the Samari sword fights, the characters, the gore violence, the awesome dialogues, the authentic creativity and the underlying chaos that manifests itself when you least expect it – Quentin Tarantino knocked “Kill Bill” out the park. “Kill Bill” is cinematic excellence. It is an experience you will never forget. It is supremely entertaining!

What I love most about Quentin Tarantino movies is the professionalism. The characters are usually professionals that need to do a job and as such “morality” is exempted in the equation. Every action is justified. Quentin Tarantino doesn’t want you to morally judge his characters. There is no hero in a Quentin Tarantino movie instead he shows you different perspectives of different characters. To communicate this he uses nonlinear storylines and gives the characters in his movies more or less the same screen time. In this way there is neutrality for the professionals who serve as characters in his films. The story on “Reservoir Dogs” follows professional criminals who plan a heist, among them is a police officer who is undercover. The duality of the character of the professional criminal/police officer is the underlying chaos that gives the story its texture and the unpredictability and uncertainty of the plot – it is a texture that gives the story a feeling of “anything can happen”. We also see this type of double-agent play on “Jackie Brown” when a middle-aged flight attendant woman serves as a mole for his criminal boss and also as an informant for the police so that they can apprehend this criminal boss. Jackie Brown strategically plays both parties and in the end, walks away with a lot of money. The duality in the characters of Quentin Tarantino is a common feature in all his films. Again, we see Butch, a promising boxer on the highly acclaimed sophomore movie “Pulp Fiction” win a boxing match despite the fact that he was paid big money to lose. The match was rigged and Butch makes more money from bets. Something that makes his boss big Marcellus Wallace go on a manhunt to catch Butch and kill him. We also see this duality on “Inglorious Basterds”, Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight”. These characters are not what they say they are.

Further what makes a Quentin Tarantino movie unpredictable is it’s historical inaccuracies. Quentin Tarantino has a knack for changing historical events and telling his side instead. On “Inglorious Basterds”, the basterds kill Adolf Hitler in the premier of “Nation’s Pride” to end WWII. He over-stimulates the plot and adds his homemade spices. This he does for the sake of the viewer, to entertain and create an experience. He doesn’t mind letting the viewer know that we are watching a movie with characters in it. He is over the top and believes violence creates a better cinematic experience. So, in his movies more often you will see violence just for the sake of violence. Violence with no relevance or use to the plot of the story. A perfect example of this mindless yet entertaining violence can be seen on “Kill Bill” and “Django Unchained”. However, the thing that makes a Quentin Tarantino movie is the dialogue. The dialogues of his characters are unconventional in the sphere of film-making. They are often long, free-flowing and have nothing to do with the plot of the movie. They are entertaining, funny and reference a lot of popular culture as seen on “Pulp Fiction” when we are introduced to Jules and Vincent for the first time in that iconic “Royale with Cheese” dialogue. The opening scene of “Reservoir Dogs” when the professional criminals talk about “Like a virgin” and “Tipping” is the best thing you will ever experience on a movie. In his dialogues, Quentin Tarantino explores social conventions and ideologies – he is provocative, philosophical, engaging, thought-provoking and humorous. At heart, Quentin Tarantino is really a fan of films and movies. He approaches a film with the intent to dazzle and blow you away. He is a genius who can spin anything. This is seen on “Django Unchained” when the slave, flips the script around and becomes the hero who kills evil white men for money. Django also rescues his enslaved wife and literally blows-up the plantation. “Django Unchained” is a perspective we hadn’t seen when it comes to the subject of slavery. It was fresh, daring and exquisite. It was a different narrative, a perspective that was out of the box – it was a typical Quentin Tarantino movie. The characters were all professionals of their trades; a bounty hunter, a seasoned slaver and the house nigga. “Django Unchained” was grand and bold. It incorporated everything Tarantino, it had a Western theme, professionals, double agents, unpredictable and underlying chaos, gore violence, great dialogues and awesome soundtracks.

Quentin Tarantino draws his inspiration from other movies. He states that he copy’s from other movies. From camera angles and techniques to Western stand-offs. To movie sets in other movies to the costumes. His genius comes from the fact that he is obsessed with movies and the subject of film-making. Being obsessed, he incorporates what he loves from other movies to his to elevate them to greatness. All his films generate a cult-like following because of the fresh air they bring to the world. He always seems to resuscitate the film world with every release. The release of “Once upon a time in Hollywood” makes me sad because it’s almost time for him to close the curtains. His next movie will be his last. It’s hard saying goodbye to a legend, to a genius. The world is not ready, I am not ready. I wish we had more time. But it’s fine, at least I have all your movies. They have brought me so much happiness in the past and because they are classics, I have no doubt that they will carry on doing the same in the future. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything Quentin. Thank you for sharing yourself and your genius with the world. Thank you for giving us classics. Thank you for making me love movies. You started everything for me. I know creativity because I saw a Quentin Tarantino movie when I was 9.

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Martin Scorsese

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Martin Scorsese

No one is better than Martin Scorsese. His films are just wonderful. They are bliss. He has this ability of making you identify with the bad side of the hero. The undesirable, repulsive, murderous, greedy side of the hero. His films dive deep into human psychology, they challenge morality, they make you see the other side – they make you think, what if? You feel a Martin Scorsese film. It is in your senses. His camera shots are amazing. Remember the 360 view on “The Wolf of Wall Street”? It drove me crazy! I felt like I was in the offices of Stratton Oakmont. My mind couldn’t understand what was going on or how he had accomplished that. What was the thought process? That 360 view was an attempt to make the viewer experience the madness first hand, to get lost in the chaos. On “Goodfellas” he uses a continuous shot that illustrates the hero’s powers to seduce. Henry takes his girlfriend Karen on a date at this underground spot and the camera follows from behind. To get to this restaurant they navigate through a lot of chaos and make a lot of turns – turns that make Karen dizzy. Henry pays someone $20 just to open the door to Karen’s amazement and when they finally get in, a waiter organizes a table just for them. The place is a full house, filled to the brim with esteemed people. It makes Karen feel so important and she is induced with this euphoria that takes her to heaven. That scene is the ultimate definition of seduction. Martin Scorsese uses a lot of camera techniques in his movies to make them legendary. He uses a lot of freeze frame shots to illustrate the importance of a scene and slow motion to freeze time. He has that ability – to freeze time, imagine that! What about his insecure masculine heroes who always chase these beautiful, ungraspable blondes? The blondes have become a theme in his movies that the hero always projects on. We see the use of slow motion to communicate how time slows down when these heroes meet or see these blondes. These blondes are mystical and perfect. On the “Wolf of Wall Street” one of Jordon’s friends states “I’d let her give me AIDS” upon seeing the blonde who would go on to being Jordon’s wife for the first time. On “Casino”, Ace’s world slows down when she sees Ginger – the blonde she would later marry for the first time. The heroes have self-destructive tendencies that ruin the lives of these beautiful blondes and they always leave the hero alone and dejected. The heroes have jealous streaks, they are control freaks, they are violent and they are driven by their impulses. Martin Scorsese forces us to see the bad and evil in ourselves. The violence in his movies is so explicit, so real, and so horrendous. On “Casino” we see a man senselessly beaten with baseball bats before he is stripped off his clothes and buried alive. In his movies, he makes you feel like “the man” through the hero and then strips you off all that power, leaving you with nothing. On the “The Wolf of Wall Street” he perpetuates all the greed, the drug use and random sex of the hero before taking it away. Jordon Belfort, loses everything – the money, his estate and his hot blonde wife. He also goes to jail and is banned from his profession, Investing. On “Goodfellas” Henry loses the lifestyle, respect and acclaim that comes with being a gangster. He also gets arrested and lives out the rest of his life at a Police Protection detention system. “Cape Fear” is about a guy who has moral justifications for ruining the life of the lawyer who didn’t fight for him in court when he was trailed for rape. Max Cady, the convicted rapist goes on a psychopathic rampage – he targets, stalks, kidnaps and torments the lawyer’s family. It is Robert De Niro at his most frightening and sadistic, he is sick but you understand him. Your understanding comes from the experience of also being wronged. Just like how you understand Jordon Belfort’s greed. If you were granted everything you have ever wanted, wouldn’t you go a little overboard? Martin Scorsese explores the human condition. He challenges the viewer to really think. There are also these rich and authentic dialogues that his characters always engage in. The dialogues are so entertaining. The dialogues are always in “real time”, it doesn’t feel like they are exchanging cues – they feel natural and flow. And what would a Martin Scorsese movie be without the narrator, the voice over that propels the story to greater heights. I love it – the narrator is the hero and he always speaks in the first person, so you can understand his mind and thought patterns; so you can hear the heroes insecurities and dreams. It is so powerful. It links you to the hero whether you like it or not, it is done at a subconscious level. Now to hate the hero means to hate yourself and the ego won’t allow that. So you watch the movie with complete objectivity. Martin Scorsese bewitches your mind first and then strings it along. The soundtracks on a Martin Scorsese movie are just awesome. Those rock n roll songs, they are iconic and signal a change in the plot or a characters plan of action. I see a lot of technique in Martin Scorsese’s movies. I see his passion through his movies. I see the mathematic equations, he just takes me straight to movie heaven. I love that guy. I love his creativity. I love the subjects in his movies. I love his impartiality. I love how he explores human nature and flips the script of the hero. The best flip of the script of the hero can be seen on “Silence” where the hero is reduced to suffering until death. He is forced to abandon his belief system and values and he is indoctrinated into foreign systems. I appreciate Martin Scorsese’s’ vision. In my humble opinion he is the greatest film-maker of all time.

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Messi winning Copa America

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Messi winning Copa America

Argentina winning Copa America is literally the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I don’t want to live in a world where Messi doesn’t have a domestic title. That world is not fair, it doesn’t make sense. Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player there ever lived and he has done everything he can to win. When he contemplated about quitting the national team in 2016, I felt his pain. He led them to the finals only to fail at the final hurdle. It wasn’t even his fault, he can’t assist and finish the move himself, that’s not possible. The final product was often bitterly disappointing. Higuain didn’t do justice to Messi and Aguero is an after thought at national level. The only player who attempted to match Messi’s level was Angel Di Maria, his performances were always good but never enough for the illusive trophy. Losing 4 finals and 3 back-to-back is heartbreaking, especially if you’re Messi because he was named the MVP for 3 out of those 4 tournaments. The Argentina in the 2014 World Cup was a great Argentina, the golden generation; it had Romero, Zabaleta, Macherano, Otamendi, Demichelis, Di Maria, Aguero, Higuain and the great man himself. Managed by Alejandro Sabella whose tactics were spot-on. They were excellent throughout the tournament. There was nothing Argentina could have done in that final against Germany though, the better team won. However the two finals lost on penalties against Chile were brutal. In fact, in the final in 2016, Messi made a mess of his penalty and sent the ball to the heavens. Another almost. I was overwhelmed with sadness, he deserved more and time was up for most of the players in the golden generation. Thank God he didn’t give up, an ordinary man would have but we are talking about the world’s greatest soccer player here. He is a natural born winner. He has a strong mentality. He is God’s gift to the world and God doesn’t make mistakes – the failures were a part of the process to greatness. Now with a brand spanking new team of hungry, young Argentines who are eager to deliver titles for Messi and for all of Argentina, the future is so good. World Cup triumph is next.

Messi winning Copa America is so great for me personally because I project a lot of emotions on Messi. When he wins, I win. When he loses, I lose. This holds true for both FC Barcelona & Argentina. He has the unique ability of making or breaking my day. It’s personal. It is subconscious even unconscious. In my mind Lionel Messi shouldn’t lose games. I have been with Messi ever since he was 18 years old scoring his first ever hatrick against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. He has been the best player ever since. When that isn’t reflected on a national level, I feel a big injustice within the substructure of my being. I feel like God and the Universe are cheating me. I really can’t live in a world where Messi is number 2, because whose number 1 if not Messi? I have been with Lionel Messi throughout his whole career. I have been watching like Christof. He has brought me and billions around the world so much joy and happiness, it’s not even quantifiable. He is the most consistent player in the history of the game. He has won everything and he is impossible to stop. He deserves to be on top, it shouldn’t even be a debate. Don’t tell me about Pele, he won the World Cup when 8 teams participated, today we call that “The confederations cup”. Winning a tournament of 8 teams is not special. Messi is owed by the Universe and if Universal laws are scientific, precise, concrete and objective then he deserves to be World Champion, he deserves this based on causality.

Messi winning Copa America feels like a liberation. It’s so typical that I talk of myself but I referenced earlier in the text that I project a lot of myself onto Messi. I too have been working so hard on my entrepreneurial endovours and for my efforts usually I’ve gotten a silver medal. For so long I have been in sync with Messi. I know what it’s like to lose over and over again through no fault of your own. To lose having given it your absolute best. To build and prepare for a lose. To have people doubt your greatness. To endure the disrespect of fools. Messi winning Copa America feels like destiny, like nobody can stop me now. I feel stronger and strengthened. I am motivated and also lighter on my feet. My loses have made me better and my skin is thicker. I know what I want, I am focused and I am still getting better. Messi winning Copa America is God telling me to prepare myself. All I have ever wanted is already granted, the trials and tribulations were a part of my apprenticeship – just like Messi. He too suffered like you did but now good times are here. It’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Messi winning Copa America reminds me of the fact that I am still the best, the greatest.

As a side note, I would like to take the opportunity to profusely thank God and the Universe for this gift. Well done to Lionel Scaloni for the great job. I extend my congratulations to Angel Di Maria, Otamendi & Sergio Aguero who like Messi have suffered immensely with a flurry of second place finishes. Also Emi Martinez for winning goalkeeper of the tournament, I feel his the best goalkeeper Argentina have had for a while. Truth be told I wrote this before the final because it felt right this time. I have a lot of faith in this team. I am impressed by Lutaro Martinez and the squad of young Argentines surrounding Messi. It also helps to have the wizardry of Di Maria & the deadly finishing instincts of Aguero as supporting cast members. They play with a lot of spirit and they really want this. When I saw the penalty shoot-out against Colombia, I cried. Emi Martinez (The goalkeeper) did exceptionally well saving three penalties. Argentina scored all their penalties, led by Messi. After the shoot-out and Argentina won, everyone celebrated with the goalkeeper. It was the greatest moment in the tournament. Messi went up to the Emi Martinez and hugged him. That’s when I leaked like a pipe. Finally, the Universe is helping the world’s greatest player. After that semi-final match against Columbia, I knew Argentina would win Copa America. It didn’t require a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure out that every cosmic force was with Messi. Things are finally coming full circle.

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Haters III: New and better haters

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Haters III: New and better haters

I need new haters, the ones I have now love me. WTF?! That is not in the contract but I didn’t check the fine print. What am I going to do? I can’t cope without my haters. I need haters, they are my reflection of the world and they help gauge my perceived greatness. They are usually the first people to see my flaws, they help me get better. I am honestly worried. Am I falling off? Don’t I make them insecure anymore? Aren’t they intimidated anymore? What happened to the passive aggressive behavior and narcissistic tendencies? What happened to the smear campaigns? What happened to the constant plotting of my downfall? Whose going to dissuade me from going after my dreams? Whose going to spread rumors and assassinate my character? Is this what it feels like to be on top? I can’t live like this. I need to expose myself to new people and broader horizons, that will help me get more haters. I have been too complacent. My current haters are too weak. Maybe time has diluted their spirit. Maybe they just can’t keep up anymore. Regardless, I am not impressed. I need haters of a better quality. Haters that will keep me awake at night. My current haters are bitterly disappointing, I’ve got nothing to write home about. They now praise and compliment me and it’s not even sly, it’s overt and sincere. I hear from the grapevine that I inspire them, that they admire me. They love me. What am I going to do with haters who love me? Mxm, what a shame. Maybe they loved me from the start. I don’t know what to believe anymore. How am I going to get better without proper haters? I am not doing enough and hence the quality and quantity of my haters. The Universe is sending me a message, I am not working hard enough. I am comfortable.

I need new haters, the ones I have now love me. WTF?! Truthfully speaking, I am disappointed.

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I scare people

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I scare people

I scare people, everyone is just so repressed and conventional. Everyone does the same things. Everyone wants the same things. Everyone is stuck in comfortable known. Everyone is trapped in their little corners. Everyone is scared of being who they truly are. And here comes this kid with black and red dreadlocks that you just can’t understand. It makes people uncomfortable. They just can’t quite pin me down. It’s dogma, we are programmed to be afraid of the unknown. I am their repressions manifested, everything outlawed, I am dangerous. I am the chosen one. I scare people, I am the guy who just won’t conform. The guy who lives by his own rules, the guy who doesn’t mind being ridiculed. Trust me it’s all love, my haters are usually my biggest fans. I scare people, I am out the box, different and nothing you have seen before. I am an anomaly, the one. The best, the greatest. I scare people, they don’t know what I am going to do next and it unnerves them. Rightly labeled a misfit and a rebel, I am that square peg in a circular environment. I just don’t give a shit. I scare people, I am a threat to the system and all their regulations. They want me to stay in a straight line and be a good little boy. Every time we give up our will to somebody else, a part of us dies. Why would I follow your rules? They want me to commit, to stay grounded but I am floating about the air like Tinkerbel. Life is too crazy to think logically. Dogma is for those who don’t have the courage to live life. Why be limited when God gave you everything?

People scare me, why postpone life like a task to do later? Why spite the world by not being the best version of yourself? What makes you think tomorrow is a given? Memento mori my friend, remember, you are going to die. Are you proud of yourself and the life you have led thus far?

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Perseverance

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Perseverance

Perseverance is the ability to go through hell and make it to the other side. Perseverance is to keep going no matter what. It is the skill most necessary for success. This is because to succeed you need to be able to complete tasks. You need to be recurring and consistent. You need to be able to pick your battles and engage in those you are certain to win. Because we are aiming creatures and we are always aiming at what is better, perseverance helps us stay engaged with the goal we are aiming at. Perseverance is the process of the goal, it is what you do presently, it is being itself. Charles Darwin made the term “survival of the fittest” popular and it is exactly what perseverance is because you are always fighting metaphorically to survive in this jungle called earth. Death is always at the corner and Mothernature is always plotting – you persevere everyday, you are lucky to be alive with each day, the present is really a gift. To persevere is to have a long-term plan and see it through. To give everything to the process even though you might not be successful. Those who persevere force success. To persevere is to have a “why” and see it through no matter what.

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Beyonce

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Beyonce

When Beyonce has you, you are not going anywhere. She has her claws deep in my spirit, she’s incredible, I love her. I was always a JAY-Z guy, sure Beyonce was there and doing great but I never really listened to her music. I am a boy and boys don’t listen to Beyonce, they listen to JAY-Z. I did listen to “Lemonade” when it was released though, I thought it was incredible, undoubtedly the best album when it came out. I loved it, it was raw, inspired, honest, revealing, vulnerable and emotional. It was a journey into Beyonces pysche, her soul was in it. It felt personal and heartfelt. I felt her personality, I felt the words and emotions, her content was grounded in reality. Still, I shyed away from it because I identified with JAY-Z. So when “4:44” dropped, I deleted “Lemonade” and went with JAY-Zs narrative. That “Lemonade” album is the most dangerous thing I have ever heard, worse than “Ether”, JAY-Z was in real danger, cheating on Beyonce is like cheating on the whole world. And so JAY-Z had to explain himself to the world and the album needed to be a classic. Going to No ID for the production of the album was a great idea. “4:44” diffused the situation, JAY-Z had to apologize, a lot could have gone wrong, he almost lost a great appreciating asset there, but praise God, he did the right thing, I was happy and satisfied with “4:44”. I always knew Beyonce was talented beyond words but I never really gave her an audience. This changed a couple of months ago when I finally got the “4” album. The “4” album had “Love on top” and I always loved that song but somehow I never got the album. I didn’t have the confidence to go the music store and purchase a Beyonce album. Years later I finally get the album and the first track of the album is “Love on top”, my brainwaves spiked, it was like I was overdosing on dopamine. The whole album was great and certainly worth the wait. I wanted some more so I got “Lemonade” again. Listening to “Lemonade” this time was like discovering Kanye West for the first time, in the sense that I fell in love again. I had this feeling that I couldn’t explain but I knew it was greatness. It was like a new reality was opening up to me. I felt renewed. My subconscious mind knew the lyrics to the songs so I was pretty much in free flow, I enjoyed my experience. After listening to “Lemonade” that day, I was pretty much hooked, I couldn’t believe a woman like Beyonce existed, I was smitten and hypnotized by her aura, artistry and energy. I got the self-titled album, also a classic, I’ve been in love and obsessed ever since. I love the subjects she covers in her songs, she is the embodiment of femininity, she empowers and she inspires. I saw the Super Bowl performance she did with Bruno Mars and Coldplay in 2016 and it’s the most epic performance ever. In the performance she battles Bruno Mars with the crowd cheering in the background. Bruno Mars is the only person in the world that could rival her greatness and he did it. She’s impossible to beat on an ordinary day with no stakes but this time around she had a point to prove, she was performing for her legacy. She had on an outfit that was inspired by Michael Jackson in the 1993 Super Bowl. While performing she misses a step and almost falls on her ass but she recovers so quickly that her mistake can’t even be seen and continues performing at a high level. The recovery is so quick that you can see it with the naked eye, but I saw it, and yet the narrative is that it was one of the greatest performances in Super Bowl history. She’s so professional and amazing. Damn, I was blown away by that performance, it was excellence, a master operating at the peak of her powers. Beyonce can make you go crazy.

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