Here I will talk to you about music, movies, books, history, art…and other stuff. Hello everybody, hope you’re doing great today, be welcome to my new post, the first of this August and the eighth of this 2024. Step inside. You gonna like this post.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s been three years already since I started on this platform, it’s been quite a journey, I have learned a lot, but haven’t written a post like this one.
Two weeks ago, I was reading an interview with a random musician, and the thing was like a quick questionary about different topics, and it gave me the idea of writing some something like that and see where it would take me.
All my favorite topics I usually cover are here: books, art, film, music, and some more you will find out about.
So, without further ado, let’s begin:
12 - What Do You Do Every Morning? How Do You Start Your Day?
I usually get up before 7:00 am, drink a glass of water, open the window and breathe the fresh air. Then I do a strict set of exercises, which include lifting weights, push-ups, burpees, and squats. After finishing that, I pray and give thanks for a brand new day. Then, follows all the usual: shower, breakfast, getting ready. I get out of the house at about 8:30 am.
Check now three things every man must do every morning right here:
@thereadingman/3-things-every-man-must
11 - What Are Your Plans For The Future?
Continue on this journey called life, make more money, write more posts, continue learning French, read more of the good books, learn new skills, learn more about art and music, and spend more time in nature.
Now check 50 quotes from 50 different celebrities right here:
@thereadingman/50-great-quotes-from-50
10 - Who Is The Man From History You Admire The Most?
That would be Thomas Jefferson. Born in 1743, he was the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. A lawyer, an architect, a wealthy Virginian planter, he was also the first secretary of state, and as a president he oversaw The Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the United States territory. A very well-read and learned man, he had a variety of interests ranging from science, architecture and arts; he could also speak at least four languages including French, Latin, and Italian. In his later years he founded the University of Virginia, and dedicated most of his time to this endeavor. Too bad he only wrote one book. He died in 1826.
Since you're there, check 20 pearls of wisdom from Thomas Jefferson right here:
@thereadingman/20-great-pearls-of-wisdom
9 - What’s Your Favorite Painting of All Time?
I don’t really have just one favorite painting, there are too many to choose from. But I can tell you that my favorite paintings are the ones about people at windows and balconies; I don’t know exactly why, it must be because they inspire some sort of escapism and freedom while at the same time remaining in your own place. The image above was painted by the very underrated and great French artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894), who despite having died at age 46 left an impressive work of more than 400 paintings, yet he’s practically never mentioned anywhere; the only movie where I heard a mention about him was Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011). Along with other French painters of the 19th century, Caillebotte is a painter that deserve your attention.
Now check a post I published in 2022 about paintings of windows and balconies right here:
@thereadingman/50-beautiful-paintings-of-people
8 - What’s a Cool Fact You Learned This Year?
That toilet paper was first invented in 1857. Yep! You got that right. It took until 1857 for the Western world to get its first mass-produced toilet paper. That’s the year inventor Joseph Gayetty (1827 – 1895) introduced J.C. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper for the Water Closet in an attempt to ease American behinds from the ravages of newspaper, corn cobs and other improvised toilet items, including the Sears mail-order catalog. Gayetty’s toilet paper remained only one of the few commercial toilet papers from 1857 to 1890 until the invention of splinter-free toilet paper in 1935 by the Northern Tissue Company.
Now check 3 things I learned to do during lockdown right here:
@thereadingman/3-things-i-learned-to
7 - What’s An Underrated Book You Recommend Us to Read?
That would be Burmese Days by George Orwell. This cool underrated book was Orwell’s first novel and his second published book. The story captures life in Burma, then part of the British Empire during the 1920s, and deals with themes of colonialism, exploitation, prostitution, alcoholism, and political intrigues. It follows the life of a melancholic man who seems to have a nice life but drowns his sorrows in alcohol; hunting, parties, mutinies, and even romance, are all parts of this story. Together with The Hobbit and Brave New World, Burmese Days is one of the greatest novels of the decade of the 1930s, and I wish more people would talk about it like they talk everyday about 1984.
Check the review I wrote in 2023 about this hidden gem right here:
@thereadingman/burmese-days-the-best-george
6 - What’s the Last Book You Read?
That was I, Claudius by Robert Graves, published in 1934. It tells the story of Rome’s fourth Emperor, Claudius, starting from his young age and finishing when he becomes emperor after the Praetorian Guard killed the infamous Caligula. In this novel you will find great characters like Emperor Augustus and Claudius’ older brother Germanicus, but it is mostly comprised of sinister people like Claudius’ evil grandmother Livia Drusilla, the cruel and bitter Emperor Tiberius, and the corrupt Sejanus. It also focuses on battles with the Germanic tribes, mutinies within the Roman army, political intrigues in the Senate, and other events of the time you have never heard about. This is the best historical novel I have ever read, and I have read quite a few.
Now check 5 great books for your classical education here:
@thereadingman/5-great-books-you-have
5 - What’s An Underrated Movie You Recommend Us to Watch?
A movie I didn’t even know it existed until 2018, when I discovered it by chance. One lazy Saturday afternoon I was changing channels to see what was on, and this movie was just beginning; the cinematography, the desert landscape, and the narration grabbed me immediately. Released in 1954, The Egyptian tells the life of Sinuhe, a young physician during the times of pharaoh Akhenaten, the tenth ruler of the great 18th Dynasty. It follows Sinuhe through his Moses-like infancy, his youth, his studies to become a physician, his failed loves, his exile, and his eventual return to Egypt. The Egyptian was based on the best-selling historical novel of the same name by Finnish author Mika Waltari and directed by Michael Curtiz, director of the acclaimed Casablanca (1942). Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this one, you will love it.
Check trailer here:
The Egyptian (1954)
4 - What’s the Last Movie You Saw in a Movie Theater?
Base on real life events, The Bikeriders tells the story of a motorcycle gang in the 1960s told from the perspective of a woman who was in a tumultuous relationship with one of them. Between rides, fights, picnics, and troubles with the law, the gang go on about their lives until things start to get increasingly violent at the end of the decade. The always excellent Tom Hardy plays the enigmatic Johnny, the leader of the gang; Austin Butler does an ok job as the troublesome Benny, but it is the character of Kathy, played by British Jodie Comer, the true heart of this story. While it wasn’t precisely what I expected, I really liked this movie a lot and I’m glad to have been there to watch it on the big screen. Director Jeff Nichols did a nice job bringing this crime drama to life, based upon the book of the same name by photographer Danny Lyon. What I liked the more about The Bikeriders was listening to I Feel Free by Cream, a great song I had completely forgotten about and discovered for the first time on the soundtrack of The Sopranos in the early 2000s. So, watch this cool movie as soon as you can.
Check trailer here:
THE BIKERIDERS - Official Trailer
3 - What’s the First CD You Ever Bought?
It must have been November or December of 1992, and a year had passed since the great Freddie Mercury’s death, when I finally bought my first CD: the Greatest Hits II album by Queen. It contains 17 songs from 5 different albums ranging from 1981 until 1991. The booklet inside is a very cool one and contains a brief description of each of the songs with covers of the singles and photos of the band. Greatest Hits II has sold approximately 4 million copies since being released in 1991, and is the tenth biggest-selling album in the UK. A CD I still have in my collection and it isn’t going anywhere.
Check now the first track of this great compilation and one of my favorite songs there:
Queen - A Kind of Magic (Official Video Remastered)
2 - What’s An Underrated Song You Recommend Us to listen to?
Miracle Drug, the second track from the cool album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb of 2004 (a CD I still proudly own, by the way). Written by Bono, the lyrics are about an Irish poet who was paralyzed from birth but through a medical breakthrough learned to communicate via a pointer attached to his forehead. The name of this poet was Christopher Nolan (yeah, you read that right), he was born Ireland in 1965, wrote several books and died in 2009. I love the guitar break in the middle of the song, very 21st century’s rock, followed by a few lines sang by The Edge. Too bad this great song was never released as a single.
Listen to it here:
U2 - Miracle Drug
1 - What’s a Song You’re Loving Right Now?
That would be Too Sweet by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. I discovered this one a couple of months ago, I think, while I was one evening sitting on the couch, changing channels, as I always do at the end of the day. I have heard about this guy before but never really paid attention to him until the lyrics video of this song appeared on my screen. It was written by himself with other six guys, and released on March of 2024. The song has been a huge success, it is the first number one of this guy, and was also number one in seven countries. It’s a simple song with just a few notes that repeat over and over, but its tone and lyrics makes you want to sing aloud. Probably the best song about the “it’s not you, it’s me” excuse ever written.
Check it here and sing aloud:
Hozier - Too Sweet (Official Lyric Video)
Conclusion
Guys, I really enjoyed writing this post, it was something different from what I’m used to do and I liked to talk about a variety of my favorite subjects, instead of just one thing. I hope you’ve learned something new with this one. We should never stop learning.
Now, I want to hear from you, what do you think about this post? What’s the last book you read? What underrated movie do you recommend us to watch? What’s a song you’re loving right now? Let me know in the comment section.
Now check the 10 best books I read in 2022 right here:
@thereadingman/here-they-are-the-10-f77fe61040ec9
And be sure to follow my blog for more content like this one.
(Image at the beginning via pixabay.com)
Have a great weekend!
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Until next time
Take care
Orlando Caine