The Invention of the Zipper
At some time, someone, matched up small pieces of metal, aligned them horizontally, attached a lever, and made the first zipper. Click here to read the whole story.
Yet Another Finding That “Short Bursts of Activity Lower Your Risk of Early Death”
Just after I finished writing the above essay, a friend sent me the results of a new study – another one showing that exercising the way I do produces better results than longer sessions of low-to-moderate intensity. Read the details here.
(My friend’s business, by the way, is Naturecast Products. If you’d like to know more about it, and receive their free newsletter, you can check it out here.)
Fauci Is Still on the Couchi
Children, like their taller counterparts, enjoy bright and funny stories. And when they like something – any form of entertainment – they want to experience it over and over again. This is how Homo sapiens learn. So, one has to be sensitive to what sort of entertainment one exposes them to.
Three years ago, I saw a video that was produced for the Jimmy Kimmel TV show. A lighthearted send-up of Anthony Fauci. (This was when the doctor was loved and trusted by nearly everyone.) I thought it was funny in a sort of sweet and gentle way. I also thought my grandkids might like it. But there was one scene I was concerned about – a scene where a child gets laser-demolished. I thought, “I should let their parents take a look at this and decide.” But I didn’t do that. I went ahead and showed it to them while their parents were out Christmas shopping.
And like the violence in Home Alone (see “Worth Watching,” above), it didn’t bother them at all. Since then, whenever they see “Daddo,” they ask for “Fauci on a Couchi.” Not just once, but at least two or three times a day. I’m sure my daughters-in-law are worried that I might be damaging their children’s brains. I hope I’m not. At least, not permanently.
By the way, “Fauci on a Couchi” has many fans. It might be the highest viewed YouTube video ever. It garnered 14 billion views in 2020, and billions more since then. And there’s a whole mess of “Fauci on a Couchi” paraphernalia that you can buy on Etsy. Click here.
In case you haven’t seen the video, you can watch it here.
And when you’re done watching it, quiz yourself: Can you count how many times Fauci gave bad advice in the clip? (Hint: It’s more than three.)
Good news, bad news: Package delivery time has improved by 47% year-over-year. Unfortunately, package theft is up 87% this month compared to last year. Click here for details.
Spotify’s “Billions Club”
Spotify was launched 14 years ago and came into the US in 2011. Since then, the Stockholm-based company has become the world’s most popular audio-streaming service, with 456 million users across 183 markets.
In July 2021, Spotify created the Billions Club, a playlist comprising every song that has been streamed more than a billion times. Of the more than 300 songs on the list, nine of the top 10 are by men. The exception is Ariana Grande’s at #5. (That hierarchy again!) Most of the artists/groups are relatively new to fame. (I recognized only five of the artists/groups and only two of the songs.)
You can read about it here.
Everything is more expensive this Christmas – even a partridge in a pear tree! Click here for the alarming details.
And click here for the extra cost of putting up holiday lights this year, state by state.
The “Magic 8 Ball” – the top-selling Christmas stocking stuffer in 1950, the year I was born…
The original Magic 8 Ball was created by Albert Carter, the son of a professional psychic. Along with his brother-in-law, Abe Bookman, Carter unsuccessfully marketed several incarnations of the “Syco-Seer” before passing away in 1948. Bookman then redesigned it to look like the one sold today.
To find out what the top-selling stocking stuffer was in your birth year, click here.
The Future Looks… Connected
According to Peter Diamandis, by 2032, “every person on earth will have access to the web with speeds and capabilities far beyond what heads of nations and Fortune 500 CEOs had just a few decades ago. This revolution in connectivity will ignite a renaissance of innovation, and once again transform our planet.” Read more here.
Mental Telepathy Is Coming Soon
Elon Musk is amazing. Rockets. Electric Cars. And now Neuralink, which will connect human thought to computers. Click here for details.
In the Nov. 4 issue, I told you what I think of kale… the latest trend in Hollywood style eating. BJ, a golf buddy, agrees. He sent this handy tip for the next time you have kale for dinner.
About Medical Tourism…
Some say that the US has the best health care system in the world. And there’s no doubt that in terms of medical technology, we are among the most sophisticated.
But most of our needs are not the kind that require advanced technology. At least 90% of them can be handled – and are handled – perfectly well with the kind of treatment you can get anywhere. Even in poorer countries like Nicaragua.
Health care in the US is expensive. And it gets crazy expensive if it takes place in a hospital. That’s why so many people with dual nationalities return to their home countries for things like eye surgery, dental work, and so much more.
Click here to read about one person’s experience in Mexico.