Thursday Things: Don't Get Lost Edition
9 July 2020. Vol 2 No 28 By Dan McGirt. #48
Welcome to Thursday Things! Wherever you may roam, sooner or later you’ll want to know where you are. And how to get where you want to be. Let’s wander into this week’s edition!
“Gosh, I hope there are no wolves around here!” Photo by Šárka Jonášová on Unsplash
Thursday Things goes out each week to scores of Happy Subscribers on — well, not every continent. But several continents! So we try to keep our international readership in mind, with items that could be of interest anywhere. Still, Your Humble Editor hails from the great state of Georgia, so we sometimes go local. If you’re a Georgian whose plans for international or cross-country travel this year have been dashed, you might consider visiting some of the many awesome sites in the Peach State. Like our waterfalls!
The Ultimate Georgia Waterfalls Road Trip Is Here—And Anyone Can Do It
Georgia is known for having some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the entire country. We’re talking truly breathtaking cascades. Some people will flock all the way from out-of-state just to hike those gorgeous Georgia trails and wind up at a majestic waterfall. But did you know there’s a way to see a majority of the most alluring waterfalls in Georgia in just one trip?
This article maps out (with a map!) a weekend waterfall road trip that will take you to not one, not two, but TEN spectacular Georgia waterfalls: “we’ve found 10 of the most stunning waterfalls in all of Georgia and made a comprehensive road trip for you to use as your guide. Get this; the trip is less than 200 miles and clocks in at just above five hours travel time.”
Eat your heart out, Niagara!
Meanwhile, in California … This Hotel Has a Robot Named Rosé That Will Deliver Wine to Your Room Without Human Contact.
Rosé the Robot is an innovative robotic butler that offers a touchless experience when delivering wine to your room. The helpful robot can effortlessly glide onto elevators and find rooms, without human interference, while flashing a digital message, “I’m on a guest delivery.”
Cute name, but I would call it Winebot 3000.
WARNING! This next item is creepy. I’m including it because a thawed out 40,000 year old giant wolf head from Siberia is the sort of cool, weird thing Thursday Things is about. But the picture at the top of the article is pretty gruesome — even though the giant wolf has been dead for millennia, it is remarkably well-preserved and may give you nightmares. NOT KIDDING!
Okay, you’ve been warned. Click at your own risk: This Giant Severed Wolf Head From 40,000 Years Ago Was Unearthed in Siberia
Just glad my house is not made of straw or sticks.
The Last Night Watchmen of Europe
The rituals of Night Watchmen across Europe have changed little since they were first introduced. Hundreds of years ago, beginning as far back as the 9th Century, city mayors and civic leaders from London to Prague to Salzburg demanded greater levels of overnight protection. From policing dark streets to watching for fires, foes and extremities of wind and weather, such sharp-eyed night owls became medieval timekeepers and crime busters, rousing sleeping citizens in the event of emergencies.
Today, there are only a handful of cities that cling to such antiquated traditions.
I assume their real job is to be on the lookout for vampires. And giant wolves.
How to find your way in nature, illustrated with helpful cartoons: An Animated Guide to Nature’s Best Wayfinding Secrets - Learn to navigate with the moon, stars, trees, and more. For example:
1. You can use the crescent moon to find south (or north)
The next time you see a crescent moon, draw a line that joins the horns together in a tangent, and then extend that line until it touches the horizon. In the northern parts of the world, at the bottom of the line, you’ll be looking roughly south.
This method isn’t perfect, but it gives you a very fast, rough-and-ready measure.
Click for more. Any or all of these tips could save your life if you are lost in the wilderness. Especially you are being pursued by a giant Siberian wolf that has been thawed out after 40,000 years on ice and wants to eat you.
I love maps. And I love trains. So here are some interactive maps of U.S. freight railroads. If you’re planning to become a hobo and ride the rails, these could be useful. So long as you have an internet signal. And don’t get eaten by a wolf.
“Actually, we prefer to eat caribou and bunnies. Not people. Yuck!” Photo by Brianna Reak on Unsplash
Thank you for reading Thursday Things! See you next Thursday!
