Finding great stories, so you don't have to
Merry Christmas, friend! Welcome to new subscribers, many of whom arrived after reading my latest contribution to Formats Unpacked. This time, it's about Cracking The Cryptic – a guilty pleasure of mine and one of the many ways I use to 'escape'.
This will be the last Content-ment of the year, given that it's smack bang in the middle of the festive period in two weeks. Although, I've ignored the plethora of 'end-of-year' lists, there are a couple of Yuletide-related links in this newsletter – hard to ignore, let's face it!
One final thing before the rest of the links: if you fancy a fiendish Christmas quiz to share with the family this year, you could do worse than this one I did, as part of my day job. Please donate if you like it.
Now, on with the final Content-ment of 2021...
The science of mind-reading
This won't help you become the next Derren Brown – assuming that's a life goal – but it is a deeply interesting piece about what we can and can't tell from brain scans.
"In 1973 I invented a 'girly drink' called Bailey's"
A fair few of you will likely put away the odd Bailey's this Christmas – so this feels very relevant. It's a long read, but I found it genuinely fascinating. You can't imagine (as the author admits) any new drink coming to market like this in 2021. But, back in the 70s, things were very different.
BOOK OF THE FORTNIGHT
The Ten Prime Ministers We Never Had by Steve Richards
If you're at all interested in modern British politics, this is a cracking and accessible read. Starting with Rab Butler and coming right up to Jeremy Corbyn, political journalist Steve Richards looks at those politicans who could rightfully have been expected to enter No.10, but somehow never made it. Would make a great Christmas gift if you have a (probably male!) relative who's notoriously hard to buy for.
Buy links*: UK Bookshop | Hive | Amazon
Why dialogue on screen has become more difficult to understand
Good 'insider's' guide to the problem facing modern sound engineers and why actors are so hard to hear – and, yes, Tom Hardy inevitably gets a mention!
The musical instrument made from spinning bowls
Ever heard of a glass armonica? Nor had I till a week or so ago – but this video is mad. The instrument was invented by Benjamin Franklin in the 1760s. Imagine the musical 'wine glass' and dial it up about 300 notches.
"We eat at the worst Michelin starred restaurant ever"
The ultimate one-star TripAdvisor review – complete with photos and intricate descriptions of the 'courses'. Can't help thinking bookings are likely to sky-rocket as a result of this.
Why millions of followers don't translate to sales
The subtitle to this is: why being an influencer doesn't mean you can sell a book! Examples of 'crap sales' include Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake and Piers Morgan (although maybe the last one isn't such a surprise!).
How everyone is getting in on the Christmas music act – and why
For all the talk of Spotify streaming royalties being a pittance for most artists, it's clear that the festive music market is the exception to the rule. It won't surprise you to learn that Mariah Carey makes a cool $10m annually from 'All I Want For Christmas...'
How the olive oil market is on the brink of changing forever
95% of the world's olive oil still comes from the Mediterranean and is the only global farm product that never industrialised – but that's under threat.
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