25 July - The Knowledge

In the headlines

Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets after the country’s parliament passed a law preventing the Supreme Court from overruling “unreasonable” government actions. Demonstrators blocked motorways in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with police using water cannon to disperse them. Some 30,000 Britons face having their summer holidays cancelled after resorts on wildfire-struck Rhodes confirmed that they may remain closed for weeks. More than 270 firefighters are trying to control 82 blazes across Greece; officials say that strong winds and 40C temperatures mean they expect more fires to break out. Aldi is recruiting an Official Beer Taster to help supermarket bosses choose what to stock. The successful applicant will need “a love of lager, passion for ale and hop-timistic attitude”. Apply here.

Shopping

This summer, “tomato season is a lifestyle”, says Architectural Digest. Interior designers are selling a host of furnishings inspired by the fruit, from Malin + Goetz’s tomato-scented candle, to Bordallo Pinheiro’s carefully crafted “tomato tureen”. For a more subtle take on the trend, start with homeware that incorporates the “juicy red colour” without necessarily being moulded into the relevant shape. You don’t even need to splash out on any new items: Pantone 18-1660 is the perfect “Tomato” shade for sprucing up slightly worn-out storage units.

Staying young

New research into “superagers” – anyone aged 70 to 85 who still enjoys the cognitive abilities of someone around 25 years younger – has found that alongside keeping active and being richer, two of the best things you can do are play music and get a divorce. While the Spanish brain boffins responsible for the study theorised that music practice may constitute a kind of cognitive workout, they were stumped on the benefits of being separated.

Quirk of history

In the 1940s and 1950s, says QI on Twitter, the Ford Motor Company wouldn’t allow TV programmes it sponsored to feature any shots of the New York skyline, to avoid showing the Chrysler Building (pictured). Its arch rival was similarly petty: Chrysler forbade characters in the shows it sponsored from saying they would “ford” a river.

Beauty

TikTokers are going mad for “latte-inspired beauty”, says Karina Hoshikawa in Bustle: cosmetics in “warm, softly smoky neutral” tones similar to a milky coffee. Make-up wise, it involves using a “cornucopia of smouldering tans and browns” around the eyes and a glossy matte brown lipstick to finish the look. For nails, try a “java-inspired shade” with a slightly lighter tip for contrast, to replicate the frothy top of a café con leché. Delicious 💅☕️

Noted

British people have become slower at crossing the road. Traffic lights currently leave 6.1 seconds for pedestrians to traverse both lanes of a typical road, which assumes a walking pace of 1.2 metres per second. But with the population getting older and fatter, the Department for Transport is now recommending that lights allow 7.3 seconds, to allow for the fact that the average Brit shuffles along at only 1 metre per second.

Snapshot

It’s a World War Two bunker, long considered one of Hamburg’s greatest eyesores, which is being spruced up with trees and shrubs to attract tourists. The €60m conversion of Flakturm IV – which served as a wartime air-raid shelter for 25,000 people – includes a 134-room hotel, a concert hall, a museum and a rooftop bar with sweeping views of the city. Some 4,700 trees and 16,000 perennials have been planted, all chosen to withstand their exposed position on the wind-lashed tower.

Quoted

Quoted 25.07.23

“As you get older, three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.”

Norman Wisdom