A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello everybody! Welcome to Volume 157 of Dovi’s Digest.
This past Sunday was Mother’s Day for most of the world. (The brits do it in March, and its history is actually not about mothers, but visiting one’s “mother church” and becoming a child of the church. It originated in the 16th century, predating our Mother’s Day by far. Our one was started by Anna Jarvis in 1907 in honour of her own mother. The podcast Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford [which I highly recommend] did a great episode titled The Dark Money Behind Mother’s Day and goes deeper into the rather controversial history. But I digress).
As many people do, I have a strong connection to my mom (as in, they have to their own mothers, not mine). We are lucky to get along well, have similar interests (German, gummy sweets), and she appreciates my humour (for the most part). The voice notes, the messages, the meals, all of it adds up and I’m immensely grateful for it. I understand how privileged I am to have her in my life, and hopefully will for many more years.
She also writes me notes every now and again, and I cherish each one. They’re full of wisdom, encouragement, hope, and comfort. I have a folder full of notes from my mom, my dad, my siblings, things that I save for when I’m feeling down.
Today’s headline article is about just that: notes from a mother. But ones that kept arriving even after she was gone.
One of last week’s facts was that there are more than 4,000 pubs called the Red Lion in the UK. Turns out there’s a reason for that. You can read about it here.
Your added extra this week, with pics of the world’s most beautiful castles will make you want to be the princess of Genovia all over again. You can also watch this insane ten second video of lightening striking the World Trade Centre.
The Dovi’s Digest Facebook and Twitter pages will keep you sated between editions, with all new content. Check it out at the links below (or scan the insta code):
Do you enjoy the Digest? Would you like it to get better? Then please consider sharing it, as the more articles I’m sent, the better it is. It only takes a few seconds, and all you need to do is click here 👇. Thank you!
There were THREE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Chaim Ehrlich, Josh Hazan, and Ayelet Garber! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
There’s even more for you to peruse this week. We all know the formula for coke is secret, but there’s another secret in every can, and someone tried to steal it. Also read about how much a drip, a pinch, and a smidgen really are, the unknown costs of dying, the corporate training videos that have a cult following, where the baseball cap really came from, and how the hit on one mafioso changed the face of the Chicago mob forever. Enjoy!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
Mom, in Touch
My mom’s handwritten notes were an abiding feature of my childhood. They offered wisdom, encouragement, and comfort—and they continued to arrive long after her death.
How Much Is a Smidgen?
The history of measuring a dollop or a pinch.
The Plot to Steal the Other Secret Inside a Can of Coca-Cola
Shannon You was a good chemist, a bad colleague—and a thief. When she tried to use the $120 million technology she stole, she got played.
The Photos That Chronicle the Cost of Dying
The cost of dying for those already facing financial pressure is the subject of a new photo exhibition.
Microsoft Employees Are Hooked on the Company’s Training Videos
Instead of a finger-wagging snoozer about corporate misbehaviour, ‘Trust Code’ has flawed characters, dramatic cliffhangers, and fans worldwide.
The Long, Strange History Of The Baseball Cap
You could be forgiven for thinking the baseball cap was always there, perched upon humanity’s head from the very first day we walked on the Earth, as eternal as the tallest trees or the deepest ocean. But, of course, that’s not true.
The Last Gamble of Tokyo Joe
Ken Eto rose through the ranks of the Chicago mob, and then it tried to kill him. The underworld would never be the same.
Quote of the Week:
“Don’t get so busy making a living you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton
Facts of the Week:
King's holly, a Tasmanian shrub, is at least 43,000 years old, but has never been seen to flower.
There's an eighth continent called Zealandia, but 94% of it is under the sea.
500 times as much uranium is dissolved in the sea as is under the ground.
Plutonium remains toxic for at least 100,000 years.
Amazon owns more than 100,000 robots.
In 2018, the University of Miami appointed the US's first professor of Atheism.
The inventor of the barcode first drew it in sand on Miami Beach.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
This town has seven bridges (shown in red), and your task is to devise a route that crosses each of those bridges once and only once.
Can you do it?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
The letters below may seem incoherent, but each line contains two six-letter words that are antonyms of each other. The letters that form each of these individual antonyms appear from left to right.
Example: Given CLLUOOTSCEHN, the answer would be CLUTCH and LOOSEN. Can you find the antonyms in the clues below?
1. DEARPRAIRVET
2. AVAPNPISEAHR
3. RAECCFEUPTSE
4. DSUEMPAPNLDY
5. SDANAFGEETRY
Answer:
1. ARRIVE and DEPART
2. APPEAR and VANISH
3. ACCEPT and REFUSE
4. DEMAND and SUPPLY
5. DANGER and SAFETY