Dovi's Digest Volume 217
Your presence is a present 🎁👀
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 217 of Dovi’s Digest.
It was my birthday at the beginning of the week, and I had a lovely day. My family spoiled me, I ate my favourite food, and topped it off with a whisky tasting in the evening.
The best thing about it though was that everyone was present throughout. Not that they were there in person, but they were focussed on the company. The only time phones came out was to take photos, or in my case to take calls from loved ones elsewhere in the world.
Too often these days you’ll see a family sitting at a restaurant, with each person hunched over a screen. It’s the same on public transport (not to say you should engage strangers in conversation like a psychopath, but talk to the person you’re with at a respectful volume) or even in queues at the shops. I will be the first to say that I am guilty in all of these circumstances, but as mentioned at the beginning of the year, I’ve got better and spend less time on my phone, and I’m particular about this when I’m with my family and friends.
This week’s headline article is one of the reasons I’m more careful these days, and try to be more mindful when doing activities. It’s made a difference to my relationships, and being more present has helped me to not only get better at my hobbies, but I enjoy them more too. I hope you also get as much out of it as I did.
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
In this week’s added extras:
An online game in which the player must escape increasingly complex traps using only a grappling hook. It’s addictive.
New hobby: Pairing random lids and cups in the kitchen.
How to prevent your candles from forming those annoying wax memory rings.
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 was ONE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, well done to Chaim E!! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
If You Care About Someone, Show Them – And Put Away Your Phone
It takes time and attention to look after other people – and ourselves. And there are so many distractions to overcome.
Spending an Afternoon In a Nuclear Power Station Control-Room Simulator
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to tag along on a trip to the Operations Training Simulator at Sizewell B Nuclear power station.
What the 3.2 Million-Year-Old Lucy Fossil Reveals About Nudity and Shame
The way Lucy has been depicted in newspapers, textbooks and museums shows how today’s cultural norms influence perceptions of the past.
The Keeper Of The Vatican’s Secrets Is Retiring. Here’s What He Wants You To Know
The Vatican has been trying for years to debunk the idea that its vaunted secret archives are all that secret, but a certain aura of myth and mystery has persisted — until now.
Priscila, Queen of the Rideshare Mafia
She came to the US with a dream. Using platforms like Uber, Instacart, and DoorDash, she built a business empire up from nothing. There was just one problem.
I Drove A Cybertruck Around SF Because I Am A Smart, Cool Alpha Male
Columnist Drew Magary drove the (in)famous Tesla vehicle around the city and lived to tell the tale.
The Kidnapping I Can’t Escape
Fifty years ago, my father’s friend was taken at gunpoint on Long Island. Then he went on with his life — and that’s the part that haunts me.
Quote of the Week:
You do get to a certain point in life where you have to realistically, I think, understand that the days are getting shorter and you can't put things off, thinking you'll get to them someday. If you really want to do them, you better do them....
So, I'm very much a believer in knowing what it is that you love doing so that you can do a great deal of it. – Nora Ephron
Word of the Week:
(Courtesy of Matt J)
Rapturous
rap·chuh·ruhs/ˈraptʃ(ə)rəs/
Adjective
characterised by, feeling, or expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm.
"He was greeted with rapturous applause."
Facts of the Week:
William Shatner had a kidney stone removed and sold it for $25,000.
Some people can produce goosebumps on demand.
7% of Americans have bashful bladder syndrome, which means they can't pee if they can see or hear another person.
80% of women hover over public toilets.
Bacteria can penetrate 6 layers of toilet paper.
Rats can tread water for three days and survive being flushed down the lavatory.
Funnel web spiders can live in water for 30 hours.
Coconut crabs grow as big as dogs.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Identify the one letter that completes the following series:
“Using” is E
“Desist” is I
“Visits” is E
“Design” is ???
Last week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
You might want to grab a pencil and paper for this one...
With one straight cut you can slice a pie into two pieces. A second cut that crosses the first one will produce four pieces, and a third cut can produce up to seven pieces.
What is the largest number of pieces that you can get with six cuts?
Answer: