Ashton Kutcher recently shared a video of himself setting fire to a piece of notebook paper on which he had drawn a collection of cartoon eyeballs and a one-stroke star.

The reason? To show that this artworkand were playing extremely fast and loose with that term here will still live on forever thanks to a new blockchain art marketplace, Cryptograph. And the digital copy, made after Kutcher took a low-res camera-phone photo of his creation, is now up for auction with a current bid of 9.8 Ethereumor over $4,000.

Now, youre probably thinking: Am I being Punkd?

Reader, I wish that were the case. I wish we could all go back to that time in our lives before we knew that this God-awful doodle, created by the guy responsible for the trucker hat revival of the early 2000s, lived on in the ether, literally unable to be destroyed.

Alas, here we are.

Founded in 2018, Cryptograph is a blockchain technology that converts drawings into unique digital artworks. The appeal for prospective collectors, according to the company, is that the artworks cant be copied, stolen, or destroyed.

Kutchers doodle, titled The Eye of the Beholder, is a particularly meta take on this idea.

Ashton here is probably playing on the idea that all art is subjective and that art wholly exists in the eye of its beholder, the works description reads. His idea here is to show that his physical creation is fully transcending into the digital realm, where its authenticity and immortality is absolute. This action is deeply symbolic and provokes one to think more on how the physical and digital realms can be combined in new and interesting ways.

A drawing by Seth Green. Courtesy of Cryptograph.

And Kutcher isnt the only doodler to offer up his genius. On the platform, you can bid on artworks by what can only be described as a murderers row of celebrities: Skeet Ulrich, David Arquette, Paris Hilton, that guy from the Princess Bride. You can buy a digital illustration of a fireman rescuing a koala by Seth Green, a Matissian picture of a bunny by Erika Christensen, or a downright disturbing drawing of a man being burned alive on a beach by Ryan Phillippe.

A portion of all sales will be donated to charities of the artists choice. Kutchers proceeds, for instance, will go toward the Global Wildlife Conservation and Oxygen Seven.

The actor has put money toward multiple crypto-tech companies via his two investment firms, A-Grade Investments and Sound Ventures. He is not financially involved with Cryptograph, the company confirmed.

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Ashton Kutcher Burned an Original Artwork to Promote a New Blockchain Marketplace Where Art Can (Kind of) Live Forever - artnet News

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

The Goddesses

Freyja

Freyja is the Goddess of Fertility and is associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war and gold.

She rules over the heavenly field, Flkvangr, where she receives half of those who die in battle.

The other half go to Odins hall in Valhalla.

In Vikings, Freydis (Alica Agnesson) is named after the Viking God Freyja, which impresses her soon to be husband, Ivar the Boneless.

Frigga

Frigga is Odins wife and the Queen of Asgard.

In Norse mythology, she is associated with foresight and wisdom.

The English weekday name, Friday is named after Frigga, previously meaning Friggs Day.

Sif

Sif if Thors wife and a goddess associated with Earth.

Sif is also associated with fertility, family and wedlock.

She is known for her golden hair, which has been associated with golden wheat from the Earth.

Idun

Idun of the keeper of the Apples of Youth and is associated with spring.

In Norse mythology, Idun is believed to be the keeper of the magic apples of immortality, which the gods must eat to preserve their youth.

Vikings is streaming on Amazon Prime now

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Vikings: Who are the Vikings Gods? From Odin to Thor - Express

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

The Rise of Skywalker revealed a clone of Palpatine hiding on Exegol, but what had the Sith Lord been up to since his defeat on the Death Star II?

Emperor Palpatine returns inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but neither Rey nor Kylo Ren fully learn what he has been doingin the thirty years since his death. Released intermittently over the course of 42 years, the Skywalker saga's storyline spans 67 years in-universe, covering the lives of three generations of the Skywalker family. However, the widerStar Wars universe is vast, and much of its history takes place on the order of tens of thousands of years, especially in theformerly-officialStar Wars Legends continuity. Emperor Palpatine, in spanning the film franchise and channeling eons of Sith legacy, bridges these two timescales.

The first two films of the sequel trilogy present Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren as the primary antagonists, but after Snoke's death inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, a power vacuum opens in the First Order that Ren looks poised to fill. However, it is then revealed byThe Rise of Skywalker in 2019 that, in spite of his apparent death at the Battle of Endor, a revived Darth Sidious had been controlling the workings of the First Order for decades, although his specific actions aren't elaborated upon in the film.

Related: Why Star Wars Recast The Original Palpatine After Empire Strikes Back

As he hurtled toward the core of the Death Star II at the close ofReturn of the Jedi, Palpatine used his formidable control of the Force to throw his spirit across the galaxy to Exegol, where his followers in the Sith Eternal had prepared a cloned body for him to inhabit. The scheming paranoia necessary to take such a precaution is characteristic of the Sith mindset, but the laboratory on Exegol was more of a backup plan than anything, so Sidious didn't immediately take any further steps following Darth Vader's betrayal. Hedid, however, become preoccupied with the faults of his new form, which began to deteriorate under the weight of his evil.

In seekinga way to stabilize their master's condition, the Sith Eternal produced many more failed clone bodies over the course of years, but in doing so, accidentally created a functional, but non-Force-sensitive, one. This "son" would go on tofatherRey, whom Palpatine would come to view as the key to achieving immortality. Inert copies of Snoke, who had been created by Palpatine decades before, were also stored in the facility, showing the Supreme Leader's importance to Palpatine's plan. It was alongside Snoke's more direct influence that Sidious remotely pushed Kylo Ren to the dark side.

See the rest here:
Star Wars: How Long Palpatine Was On Exegol Before Rise of Skywalker - Screen Rant

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Paloma Faith is a singer, songwriter, actor and presenter, recently taking on an acting role in the Batman prequel series Pennyworth.

Here, Faith explores the best loved books of her life, which she would line up on her Fantasy Bookshelf. The performer discusses the novel which has changed the way she thinks, shares the villain shed love to voice most and reveals the book she has a whole pile of in her living room.

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl. I remember loving the Little Red Riding one in particular because I thought it wasso funny when it said she pulled the pistol from her knickers. I would ask my dad to read that line over and over again.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and Horse by Charlie Mackesy. I bought six copies and now any kid who has a birthday, I just give it to them because Ive got a pile of them in my living room.

Thats what all kids, to save the world, need to read because its about kindness. The first page is like, Whats the bravest thing you could do? and then it says, Ask for help. If you want to bring up a solid kid, read them that every night.

I would love to be Cruella de Ville in 101 Dalmatians.

I think the biggest life changing book that I ever read, that really shifted the way that I think and my perspective on life, was Immortality by Milan Kundera. Its all about existence.

I remember reading that and then it being a pivotal point in my coming of age. I was about 20 and I think I became more adult after reading it.

I just read Giovannis Room by James Baldwin. I loved it. Ive never read such a beautiful description of love before.I found that really moving.If I was still courting, Id give it to someone.

Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes in DCs Pennyworth Warner Bros

I was always cast as a sort of publicly perceived version of myself. A giggly, bit jokey and slightly eccentric character. And then with Bet Sykes, [who Faith plays in the DC series, Pennyworth] I feel like Ive had to delve into some darker corners of my past experiences to find that character.

I think thats something thats particularly changing in writing for women. For years most female roles were very one dimensional and a little bit boring. And I still today feel a bit jealous of male characters, not in this job, but I often read a script and I would prefer to play one of the men because I feel like it speaks to me more. Not because Im manly per se, but because those characters often have more layers.

Im a big fan of Miranda July and Id love to play the female lead in The First Bad Man, which is a quite hilarious character. Its about this woman who is single, living alone and she believes that she has a spiritual connection with a baby.

I just love her writing. Its so awkward and uncomfortable and I thrive in that. Its everything I want, its comedy, existentialism, fallibility, all very uncomfortable. I think thats the perfect role for me.

My best recommendation ever is The Master and the Margarita byMikhail Bulgakov, a very good book.

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave. Its a book about a family who go on holiday and they meet somebody and they frivolously say, if you come to England, then you should call us. Then this person comes to England seeking asylum.

Its a really brilliant, well observed, eye opening story about the disparity between the privilege of the Western world and what makes somebody become a refugee or an immigrant. Its probably one of five books that Ive really poured with tears reading.

Next on my list is Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. Its meant to be absolutely amazing.

Pennyworth: The Complete First Season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD check out what else is on with our TV Guide

Read Paloma Faiths Fantasy Bookshelf

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My Fantasy Bookshelf: Paloma Faith shares the books which influenced her life and career - RadioTimes

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith