Dovi’s Digest Volume 76
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Happy spooky season fellow humans! Welcome to Volume 76 of Dovi’s Digest.
It could just be that it’s never really been a thing here in SA (I guess cos kids don’t go out on their own maybe?), but I didn’t really understand people’s fascination with Halloween growing up. “Yay! I dressed up as a politician and got low grade sweets!” As I aged, I began to realise that it’s not really about the dressing up or the candy. It’s more about who we are as humans. It’s fun to pretend to be someone else for a night, not to have to worry about the things piling up at home or work, and to just go out with no strings attached. Anything that happened the previous night we can blame on our “other selves” and make like there are no consequences to our actions.
Once I’d left university and had become less of a pompous, faux-deep ass, I saw Halloween for what it is and what it means to all of us as adults. A lovely pas de deux of our past and present. The child inside us, and the adult trying to reign it in. But mostly, it’s about the alcohol.
In the Halloween spirit, please send me pics of your costume if you’re dressing up! You won’t win anything, but it will probably make me smile.
Once again, I’m going to mention fat bear week, and in particular the winner, Otis. Despite his impressive gainz, it appears he’s still going strong and getting even fatter. He’s one of the last bears to go into hibernation it seems. Here’s a bonus article describing why he’s so successful, and his mastery of energy economics.
There were ZERO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. I’ve put up a new riddle; however, I’ve left the answer for last week’s blank.
Although it is Halloween this weekend, none of the articles are themed towards it. We have, amongst others, a piece about the power of unlucky charms, a top notch photo essay about amazon tribes, how sleep can affect depression, an amazing article about why we don’t use chemical weapons anymore, and my pick of the week, an article about the world’s greatest freediver, and how he’s pushing the limits of what we thought the human body was capable. Enjoy!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
Have a great week,
Dovi
PS: I find it weird that people dress up as skeletons. We all have bones of our own, why buy new ones? Just put yours on display instead.
And now, the articles:
The Secrets of The World’s Greatest Freediver
With only a single breath, Alexey Molchanov, history’s most daring freediver, is reaching improbable depths—and discovering a new kind of enlightenment as he conquers one of the world’s wildest sports.
Rare access captures dances and feasts of Amazonian chief’s funeral ritual
When a big chief dies on the Xingu indigenous reservation, its tribes gather for a unique funeral ritual called the Kuarup. Wearing body paint and bird feathers, they join in ceremonial dances, combat and feasts to celebrate life, death and rebirth.
The Strange Power of Unlucky Charms
It’s all in our minds. Kind of.
Sleep and Depression: Why a One Hour Change Can Make a Difference
New research points to a simple strategy for reducing depression risk.
“A United Nations of Crime”: How Marbella Became a Magnet for Gangsters
The new international crime organisations have made Marbella their centre of operations. And as violence rises, the police lag far behind.
The non-Jewish Jewishness of Schitt’s Creek
Where “Jews Of No Religion,” Facing Exile, Find Redemption.
Why Don’t We Use Chemical Weapons Anymore?
(Courtesy of Yisroel Greenberg)
It’s not because we’re too civilised.
Quote of the Week:
“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
— Elinor Smith
Facts of the Week:
The population of Bangladesh is 114% of the size of Russia's, crammed into an area 115 times smaller.
In 1926, Poland gave the US a 150th birthday card, signed by 20% of the population.
Inappropriate behaviour on the Queen's Official Birthday caused a goat to that had reached the rank of Lance Corporal in the British Army to be demoted.
James Cook’s goat was the first known female to have circumnavigated the globe.
Goats produced more milk when listening to “All I want for Christmas is you”.
Th first Glastonbury tickets cost £1 and came with a free bottle of milk.
The Vatican uses milk from the Pope's cows to paint its buildings.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweets of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
I don’t often makes notes here, but at no point did the next word be the one I expected.
Brainteaser of the Week:
Two vehicles set off from the same point, at the same time, to travel the same 90 kilometre journey.
One vehicle travels at 52 kph and the other travels at 40 kph.
How many minutes will there be between the arrival times of the two vehicles?
Last week’s Brainteaser and answer:
What letter should come next in this sequence?
O T F S N E ?
Answer:
?