Tanya’s Two cents/Tanya’s Tidbits
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs.
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 2 of Tanya’s Two Cents. Or Tanya’s Tidbits. I’m still working on the name, and still taking suggestions.
Last time I featured here on The Digest was because Dovi had taken ill, but this time was because I have something to talk about, and Dovi has graciously lent me his soapbox.
I was reading an article the other day (Gen Z translation: I saw a TikTok) and the guy in the video perfectly put into words something that I have been struggling to articulate. He explains how he thinks one of the hardest parts about being a person is how quickly we get used to things. Imagine you finally get a higher paying job or buy your dream car, which initially boosts your happiness. Over time, the happiness begins to fade. Your expenses become greater, or the new car that you bought doesn’t seem as fun. This human tendency of returning to baseline happiness is called ‘The Hedonic Treadmill’. We’re bound to revert back, and we find ourselves desiring something new. We try to hold onto the novelty of these things, but regardless, it often slips away. We don’t want to take these things for granted, but yet we find ourselves still back to that baseline happiness. Each time we achieve something, there’s the fear of having a temporary moment of excitement, and then reverting back to neutral.
So he poses the question: ‘what do you think? Is there a way out of this, or is this just how humans will always be?’
I’m not sure there’s a way out of it. Is this our perpetual fate??? We adapt so swiftly to change. So what can we do?
Someone told me a story the other day of a family friend of theirs who when asked how they’re doing, they always answered ‘Amazing!’. Now let’s be real, there is no way that this man was always ‘Amazing!’. But voicing the positive energy, speaking positivity adds an element of reality to what we say. It helps our words not become meaningless.
The first article linked speaks about how to savour life like astronauts (lame, I know), and methods to appreciating the mundane, and avoiding that ‘base neutral’.
Anyway, I have followed the format (somewhat) and I have included all (some) of the elements of the Digest (and added my own section) . I hope you enjoy it.
All my love,
Tanya
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
In this week’s added extras:
The article (TikTok) that Tanya read.
I didn’t know competitive bed-making was a thing (the way he put the duvet together is a thing of beauty).
Scientists strapped cameras to a bunch of polar bears. The footage is breathtaking — and alarming.
Remember the graphic designer who trolled photoshop requests? He’s back!
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 MANY correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, Well done to (in no particular order) Bianca Shulman, Tanya Perel, Josh Hazan, Yona Kesler, Chaim Ehrlich, Ariel Subotzky, and quite a few anonymouses! The answer and this week’s puzzle, as well as the answer to Volume 197’s riddle, are below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
How to Savour Life Like an Astronaut
You don’t have to leave Earth to appreciate being alive. There are simple ways to cherish each day.
How to Savour Life Like an Astronaut
You don’t have to leave Earth to appreciate being alive. There are simple ways to cherish each day.
I Know What You Did on the Playground
Inside the chaos that often ensues after a parent posts about a “bad nanny” on Facebook.
Mystery in the Aspens
How did a running dynasty take root in Flagstaff?
‘I’m Not Trying to Cause a Scene. I Just Want to Get Off This Plane.’
A former senior Boeing employee on why he still won’t fly on a MAX plane.
'The Story of a Weird World I Was Warned Never to Tell'
Pauline Dakin's childhood in Canada in the 1970s was full of secrets, disruption, and unpleasant surprises. She wasn't allowed to talk about her family life with anyone - and it wasn't until she was 23 that she was told why.
Why Your Cat Thinks You're a Huge, Unpredictable Ape
Tony Buffington is a cat expert who wants to help you harmonize your relationship with your favourite feline.
How a Nuclear Weapons Lab Helped Crack a Serial-Killer Case
A prominent forensic science centre played a crucial role in helping to solve a notorious 1990s murder case.
Quote of the Week:
“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse.
I am not a muse.
I am the somebody.” – Daisy Jones (Daisy Jones & The Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid)
Word of the Week:
(Courtesy of Ayelet G)
Morgenmuffel
noun
/ˈmɔrɡənmʊfəl/mor-gen-moo-fell
A person who is grumpy in the mornings and does not like to wake up early, a morning grouch, not a morning person.
In terms of the word’s origins, it consists of the two German words Morgen and Muffel. Morgen translates to ‘morning’, while Muffel refers to a grouchy, disinterested person and originates from the verb muffeln (‘chewing with your mouth full’).
Facts of the Week:
All galaxies, regardless of size, rotate once every billion years.
There are galaxies called the Cartwheel, the Tadpole, the Cigar, the Sunflower, and the Sombrero.
Cash Point, Bubble Wrap, Jet Ski, Ping Pong, and Memory Stick are all brand names.
In 2017, a peacock caused £3000 worth of damage to a new Range Rover after seeing its reflection in the paintwork and mistaking it for a rival.
In 2018, an emotional support peacock named Dexter was denied access to an American Airlines flight, despite having a ticket and his own seat.
There is no evidence that peahens choose their partner because of his plumage.
Peacock spider species include Skeletorus and Sparklemuffin.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Comment of the Week:
“I saw Chicago The Musical without any context” - D.K.
“The only thing I know about Chicago is that it’s set in New York” - A.G.
Brainteaser of the Week:
In a small villageIn a small village, 90% of people drink tea, 80% coffee, 70% whiskey, 60% gin. Nobody drinks all four. What percentage of people drink alcohol?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Think of a country name that is contained verbatim within another country’s name. There are at least eight possible answers. How many of them can you get? (I was sent nine)
Answer:
Dominican Republic, Dominica
Equatorial Guinea, Guinea
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea
Nigeria, Niger
Papua New Guinea, Guinea
Romania, Oman
Somalia, Mali
South Sudan, Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
Volume 197 brainteaser and answer:
A list of WWE personnel
Donald Trump
Jesus
ATP Tour records
George W. Bush
A list of current UFC fighters
United States
What do these things have in common?
Answer:
They’re all among the top 10 most-edited Wikipedia articles.
Thanks for reading Dovi’s Digest!