How’s everyone’s weekend going? Thanks for spending a portion of it with the Six.
I had the good fortune of attending a shark tank-inspired “Pitch Night” at an area high school Friday night. I was invited by one of the student’s doing the pitching (part of a group developing an athlete’s recovery drink).
What struck me about the event was how compelling it was due to the ‘live’ element. In front of an audience of hundreds of spectators (including potential investors), there was a palpable tension in the room. The students gave their "pitch” and were judged based on that performance. There were winners (secured funding for their product) and for others, an opportunity to raise awareness for their business idea and ideally, more funding.
The competition aspect of it made it feel like a sporting event. The performative aspect, like a concert. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Three-dimensional experiences are something we all should seek – and fight for, if there are obstacles – this spring and summer as the weather thaws.
In short, embrace all things ‘live.’
Let’s proceed with the Six.
As someone who always has a computer browser open to Twitter throughout the day, I’ve noticed a predictable trend of late. More stories on the latest ‘deadly variant’ of Covid or ‘concerns’ over re-infection rate. Eventually, we will get to a point where, just like the flu, we don’t need to know if someone has Covid. Don’t feel good? Stay home, rest and hydrate. This won’t happen until we get over our addiction to testing and reading fear-porn content cranked out by corporate media incentivized to publish said content. This is a peer-reviewed article from a retired neurosurgeon and published in the National Library of Medicine: “The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most manipulated infectious disease events in history, characterized by official lies in an unending stream lead by government bureaucracies, medical associations, medical boards, the media, and international agencies.” That’s the first sentence. You had me at hello. (h/t to Six reader PK Wilson for the article referral).
How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church.
There are only a few legacy media outlets that still do magazine-style writing with embedded reporters. One of those outlets is The Atlantic. Regardless of the worldview of the writing and editing (left of center would be accurate), I try and read these types of stories with an objective eye and enjoy the ones that can combine culture, sociology and of course, politics, into a compelling narrative. This first-person piece from The Atlantic is the story of two Michigan churches and a community at war with itself – a community the writer knows deeply.
The Movie E.T. Never Would Have Existed Without Harrison Ford.
So I’m old enough to remember when the movie “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” came out. I recall sitting in class in grade school when other kids would walk in late wearing “I Watched E.T.” pins on their shirts (why was I not cool enough to ditch school for this alien movie?). Released in May of 1982, the film became a worldwide phenomenon and four decades later, still holds up quite well. This article from Entertainment Weekly reports on the connection between movie star Harrison Ford and E.T. and how the film never would have come together if not for Indiana Jones (I didn’t know that Ford filmed a cameo in E.T. that later got cut from the movie).
So You Want to Be a Bootlegger.
In the early 1920’s, Prohibition was a thing in this country. As has occurred throughout our nation’s long history, when something is deemed illegal by the government, a thriving underground market emerges. This article from Saturday Evening Post examines a piece originally published in 1922 – the piece includes tips for starting a Prohibition-era liquor distribution business. The risks were great but the potential profits were enormous, especially during the days of "the medicinal whiskey racket.” Other options included driving or sailing the booze down from Canada, while dodging hijackers. Apparently two years in, customers forgot what real whiskey tasted like so it could be freely watered down. A fun read and look back at a infamous time in U.S. history.
Predicting the Future of Food.
A pair of smart glimpses at the future of food: first, Aldi, a century-old discount grocery store, is one of a kind: “There’s no music; patrons have to ‘rent’ their carts by depositing a quarter; and the store’s limited selection... means that there’s much less variety.” TASTE explains how Aldi has quietly become the third-largest supermarket chain in the United States with a devout cult following. Then Bon Appétit looks into a crystal ball to tell us what food will look like in the immediate and far-off future.
Topless Mom Rescues Pet Goose From Bad Eagle.
We like weird combinations of people, places and things on the Six. When I saw “mom” “goose” and “bald eagle” trending together earlier this week, I immediately closed the browser I was in to take a peek. Turns out the mom in the video was breast-feeding her child (thus topless) while “Frankie” the goose got accosted by the hungry bald eagle. The above link is from the NY Post article. If you want first-person commentary on the incident, which happened in Canada, click the link to Frankie’s TikTok page with reaction from mama bear. Yes, Frankie the Goose has his own TikTok.
Thanks for reading everybody and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Have a suggestion for The Sunday Six? Send email to jonjkerr@gmail.com.