Dovi’s Digest Volume 57
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual and physical needs
Hi all! Welcome to Volume 57 of Dovi’s Digest.
When I was growing up, my family didn’t watch much TV. And if we were watching, it was one of three subjects: news, sport (very seldom), and documentaries. As a kid, I adored nature films, from the savannahs of Africa to the Amazon rainforest, to the seemingly endless dunes of the Gobi Desert. I couldn’t get enough of it. So much so that for my sixth birthday I requested (and received) a full set of TIME/LIFE’s Predators of the Wild VHS tapes, and for my eighth I asked for (and again received) one of my favourite presents; a subscription to National Geographic. In fact, when I was asked what I’d like to be when I grew up, instead of the more mundane fireman, policeman, or astronaut, I wanted to be a NatGeo photographer. To this day I harbour the feeling that one day maybe I’ll still get there.
This segues very clunkily into this week’s leading article, the person many people see as the undisputed queen of daytime TV. Judge Judy’s 25-year run is coming to an end next month. Much is made about how many dollars Judith Sheindlin (the Judge’s real name) rakes in per year. Her contract is worth a reported $47 million per year (which works out to about $900 000 a day seeing as she shoots 52 days per year). I say reported, because according to Forbes, in 2017 she earned $147 million pre-tax. However, in many people’s minds, when they think of Judge Judy, they don’t think of the cash, they think of a hard ass, someone who takes no prisoners, and who is tough but fair. In Judy’s words, her enduring legacy has been how many people her show has helped, not only those people whose cases she presided over, but the women and girls watching at home whom she inspired, helping them take the next step. I’ll leave you with one of her wonderful quotes (of which she has many) “…to me, there are constants: Take care of the children that you bring into this world. Don’t steal other people’s property. Respect the community where you live.”
In this week’s edition, among others, we have an elephant on the run, why pi is blasé, and one man’s mission to map his home country.
There were ZERO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, well done to ME! I’m going to leave it up another week. Good luck!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The Improbable True Story of Judge Judy and the Reporter Who Made Her a Star
After 25 years and 12 500 episodes, the Judge is hanging up her robe.
The Elephant Vanishes: How A Circus Family Went on The Run
Dumba has spent her life performing in circuses around Europe, but in recent years animal rights activists have been campaigning to rescue her. When it looked like they might succeed, Dumba and her owners disappeared.
Zimbabwe Was Not on Google Maps Until a Photographer Volunteered to Capture the Street View
One man’s quest to capture his country via car, foot, helicopter, and ATV.
I Went to the Westminster Dog Show and All I Got Was This Lousy Positive View of Humanity
Through their dogs, hardcore dog people can teach us how to treat each other.
The Most Irrational Number
The golden ratio is even more astonishing than Dan Brown and Pepsi thought.
The Indian Megacity Digging a Million Wells
One of Asia’s fastest-growing cities has no major river and its deep groundwater is running out, but an age-old practice could help the city find water.
How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously
For decades, flying saucers were a punch line. Then the U.S. government got over the taboo.
Quote of the Week:
“I put my shoes on the wrong feet, and now I don’t know who’s wearing them.” – Denzil de Cristo
Facts of the Week:
British trains arriving up to nine minutes late are counted as being on time.
Japanese trains arriving more than 30 seconds behind schedule are counted as being late.
In 2017, the Japanese rail company apologized after one of its trains departed 20 seconds early.
590,000 Britons turn up late for work each day, costing the economy £9 billion a year.
In Qin dynasty China, the penalty for lateness was death.
Mail theft in the U.S. was a capital offense until 1872.
Until 1971, the U.S. postmaster general was last in the line of succession to the presidency.
Donald Trump was the first U.S. president in 168 years not to have a pet in the White House.
U.S. President Zachary Taylor had never voted in a presidential election before he voted for himself.
U.S. President William McKinley could shake hands 50 times a minute.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
(Courtesy of Ori Tobias)
Brainteaser of the Week:
Six and a half boys can eat six and a half pizzas in an hour and a half. How many pizzas could three boys eat in seven and a half hours?
Last week’s Brainteaser and answer:
Take the word “stepparents.” Rearrange the letters to spell two words that are opposites. What are they?
Answer:
Past and present. I know they’re not really opposites, so I apologise.