Action figures of Emma Peel and John Steed

(too obscure?)

Boy, do those two have a life time of humorous anecdotes to look forward to.

The wit and discernment of this work of merit stands in stark contrast to it's obvious metaphoric statement of disallusionment with the current democratic administration and it's policies. One must surmise those who keep "skunks" as pets and (dare I say) "celebrate" their birthdays share with us all the nation's frustations and crushed expectations: the boomer's generational shortcomings coming home to roost, and at times trancedending the political mire spawned of it.

Cupcakes indeed!

this is great!!
Be sure to release 20 or 30,000 of these new fish straight into the general population so we can get started without having to wait for boring testing to see what the side effects are. And it very comforting that the genius professor heading this project knows these are "happy" fish- why wouldn't they be in those lovely plastic bucket tanks?
God help us all.

Natey;

You sir are hoisted on your own petard:

"Okay, that fruit tree analogy needs to be dropped. It implies physical encroachment or other inconvenience upon the neighbor who doesn't have internet. That is simply not the case. Nor do you "own" the radio waves constantly being broadcast through your home."

No sir, and neither do you. You own the "waves" being downloaded via the cable, but when you decide to generously spread them around the neighborhood without encryption, there is neither legal nor moral constraint for me not to help myself.

What really gets to the wifi owners is that they can't beat this argument, and can't figure out a way to prevent others from helping themselves. I'd relax, or encrypt.

/f.y.i., Ipay for my internet, have a modem, have no problem people helping themselves

I'm an opera singer. I stand on my porch and belt out arias at very high volume.If you can hear me, and you haven't paid my required fee to listen, you are stealing by listening to my proformance without paying for it!! In fact, if your house is blocking my volume for those who wish to listen, you owe me whether you listen or not. Take that.

Nobody has requested that these wireless networks be BROAD CAST into my airspace over my property. In fact, I have half a mind to charge YOU for sending your wireless transmission into my "space", my home or residence, without my permission. If you're so bloody worried about theft, encript it. If not, shut up.

One day wireless "radiation" (because that's exactly what it is) may be shown to be harmful in ways we do not yet imagine. I wonder how willing all these whiners with a modem will be to standing up and assuming legal liability.

B.M. obviously has no children, hence her does not feel the intense sense of protection germain to this situation. I sense his comments are best directed at him(or her)self.

Dear Jake.w.B. -
I appreciate your desire to "root for the little guy" and to believe anything's possible. I suppose Jackson Pollack might still be living in a cave, having faked his death, and is churning out canvases as we speak. It's POSSIBLE!!

But what has been used (for authentification) for at least the last century has been the scholarship and experiance of those who have spent a lifetime studying the technique of any of these artists, and "knowing them", if you will, to a degree that they become the leading arbiters in the field. Carbon dating, thermoluminesce, finger printing (and I repeat I know of NOT ONE case where that has been used successfully to prove an attribution) are basically an American approach to scientifically quantify connoisseurship, to make up in instant numbers and tests what experts have spent their entire life developing. And at times they are needed and valid. But for autheticity of art work? If I'm not mistaken, the Pollack still has yet to be sold as well, no?

And I do not subscribe to the belief that this is simply elitism from the artmarket preventing "ordinary" people from reaping their just rewards. Lots of people from all walks of life make hits of varying sizes in the art market- dealers are primarily interested in making money, not maintaining class boundries. But every now and then an idiot thinks that they have made a huge hit and when they are not accepted by the experts, by the museums, by the auction houses (who will gladly attempt to sell items for you) they then turn to the media who loves to write these things up. The people who actually buy smaller items and re-sell them for significant profits keep their mouths shut for a variety of reasons, least of all, nobody likes to give somebody else 10,000% profit! You can believe what hype you read, but when you are in it day to day, this sort of self-promotional approach seen here is recognized by the trade as the "last refuge of scoundrels" (to mis-quote Johnson).

my last post on the subject- Good day.

I'm a professional in this field, and in my (and many other's) opinion this is complete nonsense. Kemp's reputation (the only world class "expert" to get behind this attribution) has been the subject of much discussion of late. He is well read and very learned, but no connoisseur, backing numerous DaVinci's most realize are by significant but different hands. Watch his latest contribution on the Discovery channel- it's sad and laughable.
Please consider in the annuals of art history how many paintings have been successfully attributed by way of "finger print"- zero to my knowledge. Note also the absence of any of the leading museums (The Met, the National Gallery either in Washington or London, to cite a few) who are offering to vouche or exhibit this work. Those who have seen it with whom I've spoken agree that it is period, and beautiful, and heavily and extensively restored. No other colored drawings, no other works on vellum, no other stark profile portraits exist by DaVinci. While hope springs eternal, the bottom line is Silvermann has been hawking this thing around for a few years now, DaVinci paintings are arguably the most desirable art object on the planet- yet this remains unsold. There have been a few paintings by various artists sold in the $100,000,000+ range in the last few years; so far buyers who do their homework end up with serious doubts regarding the full attribution of this one.

I do love Neatorama, however.

if they're so darned concerned about piracy, why not go after the chinese, who manufacture fake cd's, dvd's, luxury goods, etc by the factory load.

Why, because they'd be told to shove it up their sunshine tubes!

The music industry (and movie industry) has had it's way with the american public for years, making money hand over fist. Now that the "technological tables" have turned and we possess the power to make copies ad infinitum, they cry poor mouth and invoke nazi tactics.
Zero sympathy. And if a couple of Beverly Hills fat cats miss a few house payments and the only music I could listen to came from U-Tube, so be it.

a device attached to dogs during "bear baiting"
looks very cuddly indeed

this is pure politics, with Swedes injecting themselves into the American presidential race in an attempt to influence our position in the Middle East and the Republican agenda. It isn't lost on them that Gore symbolizes Clinton and his wife serving as a stand-in for his campaign for a third term Presidency (or didn't you realize that?).
The theory that preventing global warming (if that is even possible) will somehow prevent certain wars of the future is specious at best.

"There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states.” Tell you what- I won't declare war on Russia, you give me the Peace prize next year. This has only diminished thwe prestige of those winners of the past who truly deserved it, a very sad result.

it is twelve sided, so possibly not a calendar, not a single month sun dial, but a sun dial with a different face for each respective month? (I'm not sure about the bottom, which appears to be now mounted, but possibly two months in the year have identical solar what evers?