Perhaps Gary Arseneau has never lived in a far-flung place like Hawaii.

The Florida artist has complained that the Honolulu Museum of Art’s exhibit of the sculptures of the French master Auguste Rodin comprised a set of “forgeries.”

The pieces on display, including his classic “The Thinker,” are bronzes, most of them cast after Rodin’s death. Arseneau has raised the issue at every stop of the touring exhibit.

Most Hawaii kids — or adults, for that matter — will never get a chance to see works signed by the master himself, so we’re happy to see the posthumous casts, along with the explanations of their pedigree. Bring on the so-called “forgeries.”

Hemp might have bright future here

The best way to protect agricultural land from future development is to cultivate needed crops on the acreage.

So we sure hope that state Rep. Cynthia Thielen is right about hemp.

The Windward Oahu Republican has been promoting industrial hemp for years, helping overcome numerous hurdles to farming it, hurdles related to its controversial cousin, marijuana.

Now that University of Hawaii researchers are harvesting their first industrial hemp crop in Waimanalo, the potential of the versatile, fast-growing plant as an agricultural mainstay seems wide open.

The plant has thousands of uses, including in health products, as a fuel source and in the building material “hempcrete.”