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The handshake game is something that lives in my head as a reminder of how small the world is and how we're all connected within the brief time we're on it together.

What you do is try to work out how many handshakes you are away from someone. So you pick someone, like King Charles, and then work out how many shakes you are away from them.
 
For example, I met people at Valve, but never met Gabe. It's safe to assume that they've shaken Gabe's hand, and Gabe has shaken Bill Gates, Bill Gates has met Charles - so 3 shakes away. Let's not worry too much about where the Prince Andrew shake takes us.

Hello Neighbour

But wait. I can maybe do better. Before we moved house, my next door neighbour was a nice old guy, he was a retired saddle maker. Years later I saw him in a book about Walsall history - meeting Princess Anne. 
I have shaken his hand - so if he shook Anne's, and we assume that she has shaken her brother's hand at some point - that gets me 2 away. I don't know if handshaking is protocol though, so I always put a question mark on this one.


Either way that gets me an easy route to most people since you can find them shaking hands with pretty much anyone. Maybe Gabe has met Charles, but it's not documented anywhere.

But two or three shakes from the actual King though, pretty good for an introverted nerd who doesn't like going places or meeting people. Can't be mad, and I was prepared to die happy with that.

Game Ruined

This week Adele visited the Facepunch office, which rendered all the previous working out completely useless..
So now only one shake from Charles. 

Laurel and Hardy

This gets more interesting when you think about more historic people. For example, I'm a big Laurel and Hardy fan. So how many handshakes am I away from them?

A quick google reveals they did a tour of England in the late 40s. One of the shows was attended by King George IV and his daughter (the Queen). Now I can't find any evidence that they met, but I'm going to assume. I also can't find any evidence that Adele met the Queen.. but I'm going to assume.

So based on that I reckon I'm two handshakes from Laurel and Hardy. That's funny to think about when you consider that they were both born in the late 1800s and they died about 20 years before I was born.

Charlie Chaplin

Same logic. Laurel and Hardy definitely met Chaplin. So we have a 3.

But Chaplin didn't die until the late 70s, and was knighted by the Queen. So a possible 2.

Winston Churchill

Same logic, 2 shakes. Charles (and the Queen) met Churchill.

And so on

If I was smarter I'd try to do proper history. History before TV existed, like Shakespeare or something. But this is as much as I've got. I'd like to do Elvis too but haven't come up with a decent link yet.

What are your numbers? 
question_answer
Sul Eks
Sunday, July 7, 2024
You have never met Gabe!
Max Pelosi
Monday, July 8, 2024
I'm one handshake away from the president of FIFA

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