Hello dear readers.
This issue is dedicated to some of my philosophies, lessons, advice, favorite things and more. 50 nuggets of wisdom, coming right up. Also, I am now 50 years old đČ.
By the numbers
Fifty is the smallest number that is the sum of two non-zero square numbers in two distinct ways: 50 = 12 + 72 = 52 + 52. It is also the sum of three squares, 50 = 32 + 42 + 52, and the sum of four squares, 50 = 62 + 32 + 22 + 12. It is a Harshad number. (from Wikipedia).
50 years is over 18,000 days. Thatâs a lot of cases of the Mondayâs.
â. October 23 to November 21. Famous Scorpios: Ryan Reynolds, Drake and Marie Antoinette.
âThe number 50 is all about new beginnings. This is a time for you to celebrate all that you have accomplished in your life and embark on a new journey.â (source).
Surrealism: 50 Works of Art You Should Know - you think I wasnât going to plug Surrealism?
The Four Agreements, +1 of mine
Be impeccable with your word.
Always do your best.
Do not make assumptions.
Do not take it personally.
*Be kind.
Five books worth reading
The Four Agreements - see above
Siddhartha. Whenever I need a reset, I read this book.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The perfect book to read while backpacking through Europe in your 20âs.
The Sirens of Titan. I could go on and on about Kurt Vonnegut.
The Alchemist. This book hits my heart every time.
Five of my favorite quotes
16.
âHello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies- God damn it, you've got to be kind.â - Kurt Vonnegut.
17.
âBe so good they can't ignore you.â - Steve Martin.
18.
âThe man who cannot visualize a horse galloping on a tomato is an idiot.â - AndrĂ© Breton.
19.
"Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." - Mark Twain
20.
âBe kind whenever possible. It is always possible.â âThe 14th Dalai Lama.Â
Five of my fave Surrealist works of art.
Son of Man which I featured in Issue #7.
The Treachery of Images (or this is not a pipe)- René Magritte.
Un Chien Andalou - Salvador Dalà and André Breton. Featured in Issue #9.
Lobster Telephone - Salvador DalĂ.
Object - Meret Oppenheim.
From MoMA:
It began with a joke over lunch. In 1936, Meret Oppenheim was at a Paris cafĂ© with Dora Maar and Pablo Picasso, who noticed the fur-lined, polished metal bracelet she was wearing and joked that anything could be covered with fur. âEven this cup and saucer,â Oppenheim replied and, carrying the merriment further, called out, âWaiter, a little more fur!â Her devilish imagination duly sparked, the artist went to a department store not long after this meal, bought a white teacup, saucer, and spoon, wrapped them in the speckled tan fur of a Chinese gazelle, and titled this ensemble Object.
Five movies I think you should see
The Godfather. One of the best movies ever made.
The Natural. I have a tattoo inspired by this movie.
âCome on Hobbs, knock the cover off the ball!â
Step Brothers. I own two pairs of Stance Step Brothers socks and a Prestige Worldwide mug. And a Catalina Wine Mixers face mask.
âYou and your mom are hillbillies. This is a house of learned doctors.â
Kung Fu Hustle. Stephen Chow is a genius. Please watch all of his films.
Shawshank Redemption. I get sucked into this anytime itâs on.
âI guess it comes down to a simple choice, really: Get busy living, or get busy dying.â
My 5 favorite shows of all time
Atlanta. This show receives many a mention in this newsletter.
The Wire. I remember many a trip to Blockbuster to rent DVDs.
âA man must have a code.â
Breaking Bad. At first I didnât get the hype and then I watched it and it all made sense.
The Sopranos. I waited to watch this years after it was done and somehow avoided any spoilers.
Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I love the Gang.
Dayman (ah-ah-ah) Fighter of the Nightman (ah-ah-ah) Champion of the Sun (ah-ah-ah) You're a Master of Karate And friendship For Everyone
My 5 favorite rappers.
Kelvin Mercer, aks Posdnous, Plug or Plug One from De La Soul.
My favorite rapper of all time. He has such a seemingly-effortless and confident delivery, backed by excellent writing. Iâm mesmerized by his flow and his word choice forces me to think beyond the song.
Breakadawn (below) kicks off with PosâŠtake a listen.
Big Daddy Kane. The smoothest of all. Ainât no half steppinâ.
Q-Tip. After De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest is up there for me. Q-Tipâs such a creative and intellectual rapper.
Rakim. I love Pos, but Rakim might be the best rapper of all time. His book âSweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Geniusâ is superb.
Kendrick Lamar. There is not a day that goes by that I canât listen to him. The pen is mightier than the sword. Such a strong lyricist.
The final countdown
June 4, 2010 was my last gulp of alcohol. It was beer or tequila. Or both. I am grateful to be free from alcohol and I wanted to highlight some benefits.
Less dumb shit. My decision making is much better. No more waking up the next morning filled with regret because of my actions.
Healthier. Iâm sure my liver is happier, but so are so many other areas of my body and mental health.
Cost savings! Letâs do some math. For this exercise, letâs assume I spent $100 a week on alcohol (whisper: it was more). $100 x 52 weeks in a year = $5200. Multiply that by 12 years = $62,400. Thatâs a lot of Cement Mixers.
Awaking with clarity. Mornings are not spent with a headache, guilt, nausea, dodgy tummy, brain fog and more.
There is a rule often talked about by addicts and it is this: Ongoing addiction leads to one of 3 things: jail, hospital or an institution. Iâm free.
I work in software where a lot of activities feature alcohol. I am proud to be sober showing others another path.
Modern Elder Academy. I have been following this organization with a keen eye. What do they do?
Our 40s, 50s and 60s are rich with potential. Weâve grown enough wisdom to know whatâs important and begun to get comfy in our own skin â just as it starts to sag. Yes, our sense of humor, humility, and emotional intelligence grows with age, too. MEA is here to turn your midlife crisis into a calling.
My goal is to make my last third? of life, my best one yet. In terms of keeping me accountable, that includes:
Kindness. This is everything to me.
Fitness. Thereâs no reason I canât reach my best level in my fifties.
Entrepreneurship. I will regret not trying something.
Learning. I have so much more to learn.
Family & Friends. How can I build a life where I can spend more time with them?
Ikigai. Living a life with more purpose.
*GIVEAWAY* Each Christmas I make an incredibly delicious trifle. I have my own approach, but it all started with a recipe from the 1985 Harrods Cookery Book.
Instead of violating copyright and listing the recipe, I am giving away one copy of this cookery classic. Respond to this email and let me know why you want this book. Iâll pick the best reason for the season.
Art and tattoos. I wanted to get a tattoo related to my birthday but also my (3) sons, so I went a couple of routes. I contacted this artist on Etsy to commission the boys full birthdates. She created these really cool number combinations:
But since I was in New Orleans as part of an early birthday celebration, I decided to ask this tattoo artist to develop something around the #3. Amber nailed it, and I love the nod to New Orleans with the fleur-de-lis inclusion.
I love it.
Dream car. The Citroën DS. Not picky on the year if you are looking for gift ideas.
Dream motorcycle. 1962 Triumph TR6 650 Special - which is the bike Steve McQueen used in The Great Escape.
<Insert cute photo here>
From young âun photo above to a fancy new portrait from one of my best friends, Dan Wonderly. Here are his words in creating this piece, remotely:
Captured the screen of the laptop Zoom with a medium format instant film camera and back. Then captured those "polaroids" with a digital camera and brought those files into photoshop. Layer and blended and filtered in PS and utilized some analog camera filters to maintain a film quality. Also incorporated a negative scan from an old portrait taken of Daniel for the Bunuel-eye. From 1s and 0s to a tangible film state back to a digital matrix-something happens in that process that is fascinating and produces interesting results.
Thanks Dan, I McLove it.
My friend Jenn, who runs Sapphire Strategy, is also an aspiring numerologist who kindly offered to do an interpretation for me. This was my first time experiencing this, so I am going to share my Life Path, Destiny Number and Soul Number.
My Life Path is 1, the adventurer. A very strong, independent character. A natural leader who is typically self-aware, self-confident, self-motivated, and self-assured. Someone who is not afraid to express their opinion, even if different from everyone elseâs. Number 1âs tend to prefer to be in charge and often work in position of authority or are self-employed. They are not afraid to be unique or stand alone. Often drawn to innovative or creative fields.
My Destiny Number is is 9, the Compassionate Person. Typically drawn to a life of service. 9s often place the needs and feelings of others first without expecting anything in return. They are natural givers (either of time, love, energy, or financial resources) and tend to have a well-developed sense of patience, understanding, and compassion. Happiness tends to be derived from selfless acts of service. They thrive on gift-giving and in acts of kindness.
My Soul Number is 2, the Diplomat. Very easy to get along with. Someone who is empathetic and able to comfort and counsel others. A natural peacemaker who seeks to avoid conflict and argument. Generally very likeable and cooperative. Often willing to sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others. Thrive in groups and tend to be good team players. 2âs may avoid taking the lead. They tend to prefer not to work or live alone.
I will hold my opinion and instead utilize a poll.
Advice. Assume for a minute that I am capable of some wisdom. If I had give any advice, it would be around kindness. Kindness is everything. It is what I aspire to embody and without question, the world I want for my loved oneâs. Be kind and letâs see what kind of chain reaction occurs.
If you have made it this far, wow! Great job.
Thank you for reading, subscribing and being a part of my life.
Hereâs to all of our next chapters.
Much love, Daniel
What a gift and joy to know you, Daniel! Happy, happy birthday!