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Hello all! Welcome to Volume 147 of Dovi’s Digest.
I once heard a crazy statistic. 40% of the world’s gold is/was under Johannesburg. South Africa used to be the biggest goldminer in the world, producing up to 2/3 of the annual worldwide haul, all centred on the city that I have called home for most of my life. All over Joburg you’ll see mine dumps, towering mesas, each over 100 metres high and covering many hectares of land, the detritus of 130 years of the biggest gold rush ever. The deepest gold mines in the world are in this area, some going as deep as 3kms! But the deeper they go, the more costly it is, meaning many mines have gone under (heh) in the last thirty years. But there is still gold to be found for those driven or desperate enough.
In this week’s headline article, we read about the world of the “zama-zamas” – the illegal gold miners working disused shafts and tunnels. They can spend months underground at a time, totally reliant on other minions to bring them food, water, and news of the outside world. Mining is a dangerous job at the best of times, with temperatures exceeding 40°C and humidity close to 100%. Operating illegally, without safety equipment or ventilation makes it downright deadly. Just the opening visuals depicted in the first paragraph were enough to make shudder and drew me into the article, which covers the whole gamut of voices and stories, from security guards to zama-zamas, to people close to the top of these syndicates, which can make tens of millions of dollars a year.
This article was also close to home emotionally as every day I drive through some of the more active areas and often see zama-zamas on their way to or from work. I sit in my airconditioned car, listen to a podcast on my Airpods, and bitch about traffic and my hour commute while these men work in near total darkness, desperate enough to brave bullets (or worse) just to earn enough money to buy bread. My heart breaks for them, and it reminds me daily just how damn lucky I am.
I also want to say a thank you to all the people who messaged to say hi and ask how I was after I mentioned I had a tough week in the last edition, it made me feel so loved and warm and fuzzy. I appreciate you all.
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There were SIX correct answer to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Ariel Subotzky, Chaim Ehrlich, Josh Hazan, Ayelet Garber, Ryan Subotzky, and Hazel Levine! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
There is more to learn if the deep dark chasms of the underworld make you shudder. Read about Superman’s humble beginnings in the minds of two young boys from Ohio, why it’s important (and healthy!) to have more fun, the origins of the Rainbow Bridge, a poem about the loss of a pet, the two teammates from a soccer club who took very different paths once WWII hit, why they are more dangerous than just rising sea levels, and what it’s REALLY like to work at an iPhone factory.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The Dystopian Underworld of South Africa’s Illegal Gold Mines
(Courtesy of Josh Hovsha)
When the country’s mining industry collapsed, a criminal economy grew in its place, with thousands of men climbing into some of the deepest shafts in the world, searching for leftover gold.
How Two Jewish Kids in 1930s Cleveland Altered the Course of American Pop Culture
On Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and the Birth of Superman.
Here's Why You Should Make A Habit Of Having More Fun
When was the last time you flew too high on a swing and lost your stomach, or busted out laughing so hard that you started crying? If it's been a while since you've had this kind of fun, you're not alone.
The ‘Rainbow Bridge’ Has Comforted Millions Of Pet Parents. Who Wrote It?
More than a dozen people claimed ownership of the beloved poem, but the real author had no idea what a global sensation it became.
Asbjorn Halvorsen And Otto Harder - The Story Of Two Team-Mates And A War
Hamburg train station, September 1933 - the scene for a farewell between two long-time team-mates who achieved so much together.
The Secret Life of the North Pole
A universe of microbes is melting with Arctic ice—with consequences for us all.
‘iPhones Are Made In Hell’: 3 Months Inside China’s iPhone City
Workers describe a peak production season marred by labour protests and Covid-19 chaos, right as Apple reconsiders its China supply chain.
Quote of the Week:
“It is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realise just how much you love them.” – Agatha Christie
Facts of the Week:
The Night Vision camera released by Sony in 1998 had to be recalled because they could see through people’s clothes.
The first Sony Walkman had two headphone jacks in case it was thought to be antisocial.
The 2014 version of the Walkman was sold inside a bottle of water to prove it was waterproof.
Queen Victoria owned a bulletproof umbrella.
Canon was originally spelt “Kwanon”, after the 1000-armed Buddhist goddess of mercy.
Photocopying was banned in Tibet in 2010.
The first person to photocopy a body part was Andy Warhol.
Wilhelm Röntgen took the very first X-ray of his wife Anna Bertha’s hand. Seeing her skeleton made her gasp, “I have seen my death!”
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
What completes the following sequence?
Important info: The same consonants are represented by numbers 0–9, and all vowels are represented by *.
7**3*6
*41*2*
03**
25**4
9*33*8
*5*42*
?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
The blanks in the following sentences can be filled in with three different homonyms (words that are spelled differently but sound alike) to make coherent sentences. Can you fill in the blanks?
1. The cut on his _____ won’t _____ in time for the race, so _____ have to drop out.
2. The man was so upset about being _____ that he regularly _____ himself up on the bed and _____ his eyes out.
3. I couldn’t _____ any of the _____ in the flower shop, because for some strange reason I had 50 _____ crammed up my nose.
4. A bloodthirsty pirate will wander the _____ and essentially _____ everything he _____.
Answer:
1. The cut on his HEEL won’t HEAL in time for the race, so HE’LL have to drop out.
2. The man was so upset about being BALD that he regularly BALLED himself up on the bed and BAWLED his eyes out.
3. I couldn’t SENSE any of the SCENTS in the flower shop, because for some strange reason I had 50 CENTScrammed up my nose.
4. A bloodthirsty pirate will wander the SEAS and essentially SEIZE everything he SEES.