Five Things — January 2021
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Dear friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and safe. Wishing you all a great 2021.
If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
Thank you for your time,
Alex
#1 Valentine’s Day suggestion:
When was the last time you had a deep conversation with your significant other?
Our Moments Couples (Amazon.co.uk, ~25€ with shipping)
As routine settles in relationships (which is great!), I believe we need to work actively on finding and planning new and exciting things to do, share and talk about.
The Our Moments Couples cards allow you to do this in a fun and easy way. The deck has 100 cards with thought-provoking questions that are usually great conversation starters. You will talk about the past, present, and future of your relationship, with a question like these ones:
- What do you place first in your life?
- What’s the best thing you learned from your mother?
- If you could choose your life obstacles, would you keep the ones you have?
By the way, it is a great gift for Valentine’s Day together with an exclusive necklace from Portugal Jewels. 😃
There are other Our Moments editions, such as Families, Generations and Kids.
#2 How did ancient Greek and Roman statues look like?
The white lie we’ve been told about Roman statues (YouTube, 5 min)
Based on the latest scientific findings, we are certain that most Greek and Roman statues were actually full of colors. These colorful scenarios would also be present in most buildings, as witnessed in the latest frescos discovered in Pompei.
However, after the fall of Rome, ancient sculptures and buildings were left out in the open air or buried for hundreds of years.
By the time the Renaissance began in the 1300s, most of their paint had faded away. As a result, the Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects were inspired by these pieces and created a completely new aesthetic of plain white marble sculptures, that never existed in ancient Greece and Rome.
Also as a side note, the statue of King José I of Portugal in Praça do Comércio is also believed to be golden, although the tarnishing led to the dark green color.
#3 “Democracy is a Miracle” by Ronald Reagan
President Reagan 1981 Inaugural Address — Video (YouTube, 20 min)
President Reagan 1981 Inaugural Address — Transcript (Yale)
Joe Biden’s inauguration speech was lackluster, to say the least.
And it left me looking for the best US Presidential Inaugural Addresses. Ronald Reagan’s speech in 1981 is considered one of the best and, although it happened during the Cold War, its keys messages feel fresh and relevant in today’s world.
If you don’t have time, at least watch the first few minutes — it is worth it.
“To a few of us here today, this is a solemn and most momentous occasion; and yet, in the history of our Nation, it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-4-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.”
Bonus: This collection of clips of Ronald Reagan telling Soviets jokes is hilarious.
#4 Nathan for You: Best comedy show you have not heard of
Season 3, Episode 3: Nathan for You — The Movement (YouTube, 10min)
Other clips (YouTube)
If you are into entrepreneurship, innovation, or consulting, you will love Nathan for You.
It is one of the funniest comedies I have seen. It follows Nathan Fielder, as he helps struggling companies by offering them outlandish strategies, parodying the methods of marketing and management consultants. It is a reality-comedy show, meaning that most of the people in these episodes are not actors.
If you want to give it a try, watch the episode The Movement, where Nathan convinces a furniture moving company to market themselves as an original fitness routine called “The Movement,” which emphasizes the lifting of household objects as exercise and allowing them to access free labor. “The Movement” even reached US news networks.
#5 My 3 favorite YouTube channels to keep fit at home
How have you been working out at home? There are dozens of free options online, so you have to find a good excuse to not work out.
Here are my favorite YouTube channels — they have dozens of free videos ranging from 15–60 minute workouts, and low to high-intensity workouts. If you have other favorites, please share them with me.
Cardio/Fitness (Solinca) https://www.youtube.com/c/SolincaFitnessChannel/videos
Stretching/Yoga (CPYoga) https://www.youtube.com/c/Cpyoga/videos
Padel (Padel School) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejt12FnsaCo
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend who might also like it. Just send her/him this website www.alexnewsletter.com
