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Hello all! Welcome to Volume 167 of Dovi’s Digest.
I’ve never met a fisherman who doesn’t have “that” story. The one that got away. No matter where they’re from, if they’re commercial or recreational, woman or man, everyone has hooked a massive fish which subsequently unhooked itself or broke the line, breaking hearts along the way.
Some of my happiest memories are from when I went fishing with my dad. I’d get him up early (in hindsight, schlepping him out of bed at 5am on a Sunday was one of the cruellest things I’ve done in my life), we’d drive an hour to the river and set our lines. We’d drink coffee with condensed milk, have a braai for lunch, play pool, swim, and then head back after sunset. It was idyllic. I cherish those times I spent with dad and my siblings – the photos of us with big fish and bigger smiles can attest to that. My mom would sometimes come too, but to be honest I’m sure having the house to herself was the real break.
We of course have “the” story. We have a few of them. The one that stands out is when we hooked a massive (for us) catfish. We spent nearly an hour reeling it in, tiring it out, and as we brought it to shore it thrashed one last time, escaped the net, dislodged the hook in its mouth, and disappeared into the murk. In hindsight I guess it was character building, although at the time that wasn’t my priority.
What is less common is the story of the fish that was actually caught. The denizen of the deep that fought valiantly, yet ultimately lost the battle. This week’s headline article is about one fisherman’s Old Man and the Sea moment: he had the catch of a lifetime, but the prize money and prestige got away.
X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) killed off its logo this week. Since Elon Musk bought it last year, its worth has dropped from $44bn to $20bn, and analysts think this “rebrand” knocked another $4bn off. The iconic blue bird has been around in its current iteration since 2012. This article (sent to me by editor Tanya Perel) written by one of the original designers goes through the evolution of the logo, how much work went into it, and what we’ll lose when it finally goes dark.
There is also a new section this week: Album of the Month. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way.
If you think Barbie’s mansion wasn’t pink enough(and it was VERY pink, so much so that there was a worldwide shortage of pink paint), take a look at these prettiest pink places that are real life destinations. If you’re tired of hearing about Barbie (I’m not. But you might be) then watch this video sent in by Yisroel Greenberg of an animated stick figure physically recreating modern mathematics around themselves, and fighting a vicious, running battle with a homicidal e^i[pi] as they go.
The Dovi’s Digest Facebook, Twitter (I don’t want to call it X), and Instagram 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 TWO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Josh Hazan and Chaim Ehrlich! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
You can also drink in the story of braving the most intense mosquitoes in the world for a wedding, swim through the reasons we’re finding more shark species than ever before, chew on the secrets behind competitive eating champions, sing the praises of a life changing music video, learn why IMAX still runs on 20 year old tech (and also how absolutely huuge Oppenheimer is as film. It weighs nearly 300kg and is more than 16km long!), and read the harrowing story of a missing kid that led to cults, murder, and more. Enjoy!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
They Caught the Fish, but the $3.5 Million Prize Got Away
The guys aboard Sensation celebrated like lottery winners when they boated a monster marlin in the last hours of the fishing tournament. The party ended when they got back to shore.
How I Survived a Wedding in a Jungle That Tried to Eat Me Alive
Nothing says “I do” like a small blood sacrifice.
The New Shark Species Emerging from The Deep
More and more new species of sharks are being discovered as humanity peers deeper into the oceans.
Everything You Never Knew About Competitive Eating
Mary Bowers and "Megabyte" Ronnie on the delights and downsides of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
I Was an Extra in Oasis's Strangest Music Video. It Changed My Life.
The "Acquiesce" video swapped Noel and Liam for an all-Asian version of the band, with legions of screaming fans—and I was one of them.
Here’s Why the Best IMAX Movies Still Need a Palm Pilot to Work
(Courtesy of Dovi Joel)
Oppenheimer is 600 pounds of 70mm IMAX film, and it wouldn’t work so well on-screen if it weren’t for a 21-year-old PDA.
Who Walks Always Beside You?
In 2001, Benjamin Hale’s young cousin went missing in the Ozarks. The search for her led his family down unexpected paths—to a cult, a murder, and possibly a ghost.
Quotes of the Week:
“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.” – Thomas Aquinas
Facts of the Week:
Genoa airport has relaxed its rules on carrying liquids, but only for pesto.
A single queue at an airport makes passengers more relaxed because they don't worry that other queues are moving faster.
Useless information travels faster than light.
For each gallon of fuel, the QE2 can only travel the length of a Greyhound bus.
Poodles at dog shows are regularly checked for illegal hairspray.
Most hairspray isn't vegan.
There's a tanning salon in St Andrews called Sun Tan Drews.
There's a tanning salon in Lytham St Annes called the Lytham St Tanz.
Album of the Month:
The Good Witch – Maisie Peters
Coming after 2021’s You Signed Up for This, Maisie’s sophomore album brings her song-writing skills to the forefront. Coming out of a big break-up, she writes about the slow and careful process of piecing herself together again. The album follows the same arc, and showcases Peters’ radical candour. You can expect songs about crushing insecurity (Body Better), missing someone even though they’ve hurt you (Want You Back), and wishing you could go back to before any of this happened (Two Weeks Ago). But there are also clear-sky moments, as Peters slowly moves on (There it Goes, a poignant reminder of the healing power of time passing), and realises she’s better off without.
The music is infectious and often synth-led pop, interlaced with tender ballads and sassy anthems. Be prepared to bop your head and cry (sometimes in the same song).
Favourite song: Lost the Breakup – a show-ender for an arena concert. The whole place shouting the chorus, Maisie holding the mic up to the crowd. Absolutely killer.
Honourable mentions: Run and You’re Just a Boy (and I’m Kinda the Man).
Album rating: 7/10. Is the whole album in my library? No. Are some of the songs going to be in my Spotify Wrapped? Almost definitely.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
A customer service centre received this letter. Can you figure out what the problem is?
Da S /Madam,
’d lk cmlan ab h f m kbad.
hs ls a n kng ccl.
As ma b abl ll, hs ls a mssng fm hs dcmn.
’d b xml gafl f cld fx hs blm.
Knd gads,
Mchal
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Eight sheets of identically sized paper are placed on a table. Their edges form the following pattern, with only one sheet, marked 1, completely visible:
Can you number the other sheets from top to bottom where 2 is the second layer, 3 is the third layer, and so on?
Answer:
The sheet directly underneath 1 can only be the sheet in the top left corner. And so on as the sheets spiral anticlockwise:
Thanks for reading Dovi’s Digest!