Dovi’s Digest Volume 60
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual and physical needs
Hello loyal readers! Welcome to Volume 60 of Dovi’s Digest.
“It’s coming home” is a phrase that I’m sure many of us have heard way too often in the last few weeks. For those of you who don’t follow sport (or read the BBC), I am of course referring to the EURO 2020 football tournament, and more specifically, the belief of English fans that team will finally win something.
The phrase of “it’s coming home” is from a song (which is quite catchy) written by the comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner for Euro 1996. Needless to say, it didn’t come off, but it has now had a resurgence, to the extent that the song was re-recorded a couple years ago for the World Cup. Whether it’s being shouted from the rooftops, repeated ad nauseum by anchors and pundits, or even being tweeted by the royal family (the guy just standing and holding the cymbal is goals, but I’m not sure why), the phrase has become the rallying point for English supporters everywhere.
On Sunday evening, the POMs (prisoners of Mother England) take on the Italians in the finals of the Euros. It will be an intriguing match, with the pace of the England attack pitted against the almost implacable and seemingly unflappable wall of the Italian defence. Although I do like the English, purely for the banter I’d really like Italy to win. They’re a great team, not having lost since the last euros in 2016 (for which they didn’t qualify, which was a massive shock). Their team is very much a team, as opposed to a collection of individuals, and they seem to love playing football for the game, not for the accolades. Plus, their kit is awesome. So, I can only hope that on Sunday night, football will be coming Rome.
In this week’s edition, we have, among others, why being hot is a currency, how Finland ostensibly doesn’t exist, origami that keeps things secret, and how the Beebs (who I used to hate, but now begrudgingly respect) has pulled himself out of the hole of child stardom and into the role of a normal, functioning adult.
There were THREE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, well done to Bradley Mervis (who definitely didn’t take 8 seconds), Cheryl Geliebter, and Steven Kaplan!!! The answer and this week’s riddle are below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The Funniest Jew on Earth
(Courtesy of Steven Kaplan)
On Mel Brooks’ 95th birthday, a celebration of the man whose humour faced down death and made generations of Jews feel seen.
The Secret Economics of a VIP Party
There’s an invisible system behind every £100,000 bar tab and its currency is pretty women.
IQ Tests Can’t Measure It, But “Cognitive Flexibility” Is Key To Learning And Creativity
We’ve always focussed on IQ as a marker for potential, but is it possible that adaptability is more important?
This Dude Accidentally Convinced the Internet That Finland Doesn't Exist
(Courtesy of Josh Hovsha)
The theory weaves in Japanese fishing routes, Nokia phones, and the Trans-Siberian Railway to prove that Finland isn't real.
The Clever Folds That Kept Letters Secret
Hundreds of years ago, people developed ingenious methods to secure their letters from prying eyes – and they did it with only paper, adhesive and folds.
“They Were Conned”: How Reckless Loans Devastated a Generation of Taxi Drivers
“I don’t think I could concoct a more predatory scheme if I tried, this was modern-day indentured servitude.”
The Redemption of Justin Bieber
He made every mistake a child star can make, including the ones that nearly destroyed him. Now—fortified by God, marriage, and a new album, Justice—Justin Bieber is putting his life back together, one positive, deliberate step at a time.
Quote of the Week:
“Every Friday I like to high five myself for getting through the week on little more than caffeine, willpower, and inappropriate humour.” – Nanea Hoffman
Facts of the Week:
In Honolulu, it's illegal to cross the street using a mobile phone.
An Apple iPhone contains more than half the elements in the periodic table.
Shoppers being absorbed in their phones at the checkout have resulted in a 15% fall in chewing gum sales.
Polyisobutylene is the main ingredient of chewing gum and the inner tubes of bicycle tyres.
A British designer has created a chewing gum recycling bin made of recycled chewing gum.
Chocolate in the 16th century was prescribed to treat angina, constipation, dysentery, indigestion, haemorrhoids, flatulence, and gout.
An 18th century remedy for headaches was to comb the hair upwards, stroking it with nutmeg and vinegar.
19th century doctors advised growing a beard to ward off illness.
15% of Americans get sick from eating food every year.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
A sundial has the fewest moving parts of any timepiece. Which has the most?
Last week’s Brainteaser and answer:
Find the six-digit number in which the first digit is the square of the second; the third and fourth are the sum of the first and second; and the fifth and sixth are the sum of the preceding 4 digits. The sum of all the digits is 21.
Answer:
931 215.