Domino, a game played with a set of dominoes that have alternating pips on one side and blanks on the other, is a great way to exercise your brain and build problem-solving skills. It can also be used as an artistic medium. For example, Hevesh, a domino artist who has more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, creates elaborate domino installations for movies and events. She has even helped to set a Guinness record with a circular domino setup that took several nail-biting minutes to fall.
The first domino sets were made from bone or ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with black pips on one face and white pips on the other. These were later replaced by a variety of synthetic materials, such as plastic and resin. More recently, manufacturers have begun to produce sets in other natural materials, including marble, granite and soapstone; dark hardwoods; metals such as brass or pewter; frosted glass; and ceramic clay. These sets often have a more unique appearance and are typically much more expensive than the plastic versions.
While the earliest domino games involved blocking opponents from playing by placing dominoes between them, most games today involve scoring points. To do so, players must place a domino at the end of an exposed row, with the two ends of that domino touching one another (i.e., one’s touch ones and two’s touch twos). Then each player must play a domino at right angles to the line on which the first double was played, counting the exposed dots on both ends of that domino. Some games, such as bergen and muggins, also require players to match the total number of pips on the exposed ends of their own dominoes.
Although the Domino Theory’s prediction of a wave of communist revolutions was ultimately flawed, some historians have argued that it played an important role in U.S. foreign policy in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, the theory provided an incentive for Eisenhower to increase U.S. support of Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime in South Vietnam, despite strong domestic opposition to this policy.
In the early days of Domino’s, company founder Tom Monaghan relied on a simple strategy to fuel growth. He prioritized opening locations near college campuses, knowing that young people were their most likely customers. This strategy paid off, allowing Domino’s to grow from a single store in Ypsilanti to more than 200 locations by 1978. Domino’s success has been fueled by leadership and management strategies that focus on making employees feel like valued members of the team. In addition, the company emphasizes customer service to reinforce its branding message. These strategies have led to impressive business results and a steady stream of profits. This makes Domino’s an attractive option for investors. But despite the company’s positive financial outlook, there are some things that investors should keep in mind.