Scream

A fantastic story by Lauren Steussy at nypost.com reveals new info on one of the most recognizable paintings ever, Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893). It contains a phrase of previously unknown origin. Whether it was from the artist or a vandal, no one knew — until now. The pencil inscription reads: “Can only have been painted by a madman.” Using infra-red photography, researchers have compared the handwriting to Munch’s. He created the work just after his sister was committed to an asylum. He was worried about his own mental health, and suffered a breakdown in 1908.

Last night someone on Facebook posted a picture of a can of Coke that had an unusual message on it. I figured it was a prankster or a disgruntled ex-employee. Here’s a headline headline in the same vein from newsmax.com: “Coke Conducting Employee Seminars ‘To Be Less White.’” I’m tempted to sell my stock in the company. Imagine if a firm had seminars on being less Black, Muslim or Chinese. If an apology is not issued soon I will never buy the product again. The phrase makes me want to be more, not less white — if I only knew how. It makes me want to scream.

This is a scream, as in laugh. A woman forgot to lower her mask while being photographed for license renewal. She took another but was sent the first. She is scheduled to take one more. Supply your own DMV punchline. Photo from foxnews.com:

And another fun scream. Last night I caught an episode of Star Trek Next Generation I’d never seen. It was one its holodeck gone haywire storylines. 1930's criminal characters from a novel by a mystery writer gain the power to kill. And who played the head gangster — Hollywood bad boy Lawrence Tierney! Many might not recognize the name. In one of the most ingenious bits of casting ever, he played Elaine’s dad, the famous writer, on that memorable episode of Seinfeld where he scares the bejesus out of Jerry and George. Here he is in character on STNG:

More weather frustration for the floating book shop. I somehow stifled the urge to scream.

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