The World's Hottest Pepper, Planet Earth III, NASA's Longest-Serving Extraterrestrial, etc.
In which I'm wide awake, it's morning.
🏀 Because this is newsletter #32…
🥅 A visualization of how big the goal has to get for some comically off-the-mark-strikes. The goal gets bigger, it gets funnier.
🌶 Guinness has crowned a new pepper as the world’s hottest. The Onion thinks that’s “great news for all white guys everywhere with something to prove.” Wonder how it compares to the Guatemalan Insanity Pepper.
🥪 Also from The Onion: Mom Gives Grand Tour Of Snacks In Pantry To 37-Year-Old Son Back For Weekend.
💉 An inexpensive malaria vaccine has been recommended by the World Health Organization, with agreements already made to manufacture over 100 million doses per year. “Malaria kills mostly babies and infants, and has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity.”
💊 New clinical-trial data suggests “that an antiviral pill called ensitrelvir shortens the duration of two unpleasant symptoms of COVID-19: loss of smell and taste.” It is one of few COVID-19 drugs currently available to those “not at high risk of grave illness.”
🌎 Trailer for Planet Earth III. Can’t wait. I remember watching the second installment at my buddy Trav’s, cheering like we were watching a sporting event.
💪 Speaking of Trav, Insider did a piece on his Year of the Opposite. “One day in March 2022, inspired by an episode of ‘Seinfeld,’ he decided simply to start doing the opposite of what he normally would for a year, in the hope of feeling better. By the end of that year, Stoliker had lost 43 pounds, was taken off all medication, and felt better than ever, and is now sharing his story in the hope of inspiring others.”
📺 And speaking of Seinfeld, there are rumors going around…
🏬 Something I never expected: Netflix is opening a brick and mortar.
🧑🚀 Profile on Frank Rubio, NASA’s longest-serving extraterrestrial. “When he kissed his family goodbye in September 2022 and set off for work, he had no idea that he was about to spend a year in space. But when the vehicle for his ride home from the International Space Station sprang a leak, the Nasa astronaut’s fate was sealed. Now readjusting to gravity after 371 days in orbit, he admits that life away from planet Earth was not easy.”
🦖 Because I like dinosaurs, meet Zhao Chaung, one of world’s best dinosaur artists.
🚽 The dawn of the bathroom. “The bathroom didn’t become a thing until the nineteenth century, and most working-class US homes added plumbed-in amenities in piecemeal fashion over time.”
🎸 The Rolling Stone has issued their list of the 250 greatest guitarists. “In making the list, we tended to value heaviness over tastiness, feel over polish, invention over refinement, risk-takers and originators more than technicians. We also tended to give an edge to artists who channeled whatever gifts god gave them into great songs and game-changing albums, not just impressive playing.” Some wild choices and I’m only surprised Prince didn’t land at #2 given his growing legacy the last few years.\
🎼 Let’s end this one with some Bright Eyes. “Well I could have been a famous singer, if I had someone else’s voice. But failure’s always sounded better. Let’s fuck it up boys, make some noise!”
❤️ Until next time, remember to always keep the Hoping Machine running.
Love,
Luke
