Spotting Forgeries, Pyramid Theories, Snake Oil, etc.

In which what goes around, comes around, but never exactly the same way, ya know?

🙏 Rest in peace to Val Kilmer, who “brought a wonderfully weird sensibility to every role.” “Even his choice of parts could be eccentric. In the end, he’s best thought of as a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body.”

📓 From Kurt Cobain’s journal, gone 31 year today:

1. Don’t rape

2. Don’t be prejudiced

3. Don’t be sexist

4. Love your children

5. Love your neighbor

6. Love yourself

Don’t let your opinions obstruct the aforementioned list.

🎧 (12/50) Nirvana, Unplugged in New York: Cobain's vulnerability comes through every note, offering a poignant glimpse into a troubled soul. It’s not just a concert; it’s a farewell letter, as sad and beautiful and haunting as one that’s ever been written.

🎡 Full line-ups for Coachella have been announced.

🌈 Looks like The Wizard of Oz is coming to the Sphere in a fully-immersive experience.

🖼️ Rembrandt to Picasso: five ways to spot a fake masterpiece. People dog on NFTs, but I think their most practical and best use would as secondary authentication of actual physical products, art included. Could eradicate forgery.

🍺 The “Irish Pub” has become one of the Emerald Isle’s greatest exports. “The Dublin-based Irish Pub Company has designed upwards of 2,000 pubs in more than 100 countries around the globe.” Some of the photos look like dead ringers for Dublin Square, just down the street from my office here in downtown East Lansing.

👽 Who built the pyramids? While there’s been plenty of alien conspiracies and assumptions of slavery, at least the latter is starting to get questioned. These videos on how they were built are interesting. “These were cadres of elite construction workers who were well-fed and housed during their stint.” Whether they were forced to or not, who knows. Different form of slavery, maybe?

🐍 Apparently snake oil wasn’t always a scam. “Modern research has shown this particular Chinese snake oil may indeed have health benefits. It’s packed with more omega-3 fatty acid than salmon, and may help with improving cognitive function, reducing blood pressure, and lessening inflammation. Genuine rattlesnake oil, on the other hand, is, well, snake oil — in every sense.”

📖 Just finished Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice. Next up: Vineland. Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation is easily the film I am most looking the most forward to this year.

“What goes around may come around, but it never ends up exactly the same place, you ever notice? Like a record on a turntable, all it takes is one groove's difference and the universe can be on into a whole 'nother song.”

✌️ Keep that Hoping Machine running.

Love,

Luke