This may be mostly boring - so if you have nothing better to do - read on. However, if computer solitaire beckons - you're excused.

In case you came to this page while googling some profound research project - could happen - rather than accessing it from my Home Page (see top of sidebar) - allow me to introduce myself. I'm an artist & sometime writer living in Central New York State.

The Fine Art of Being a Reverse Snob

This is part of who I am - and it happened quite without any effort on my part. One day I awoke to the fact that - if everybody else has it or wants it - I don't.  It's not good or bad or a conscious thing  - it's just me. For instance - back in the Neantherthal 50's, I became enamored of Southwestern Indian jewelry. There was a fine shop called Brate's in the Adirondacks. The owners spent their winters in Arizona and brought back work by Zuni & Navaho Indians. The genuine article - and the prices were about the same as those of good costume jewelry. 

In the 70's Indian jewelry became all the rage and the price zoomed. I lost interest - it was everywhere. I stopped wearing it - though it attracted considerable attention when I did wear it (price tag, you know). This is but one example - I'm sure you get the picture. I am an outcast from our 'must-have' society - every merchandiser's worst nightmare - a mutant. Many of my views on that 'must have' society are reflected in the Lemming Column at right.

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 People who pay a monthly fee to rent designer handbags on line must be desperate - housewives or not.

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Has it ever occurred to you that the people who create decorating trends DO NOT DO THEIR OWN CLEANING - that they must have live-in help - because no 'occasional' cleaning lady could cope with: kitchen cabinets without doors - dust & - eeew - greasy residue if they're near a stove; dark colored counter tops - we once rented a cottage in Maine on the ocean and were soon writing our names in the dust on the forest green formica - and we were on vacation; clear glass shower doors - you'd have to shower with a squeegee! Oh - and I must mention the photos of tables laden with shining silver vessels of various sizes. I don't know about you but mine would soon resemble bronze!

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 Our local Syracuse NY paper now charges for obituaries. One inch is free but after that - they sell death by the inch. You can bet the funeral homes are 'folding' that into the fees, too. Some of those suckers are running about a foot long - really

On the pro side - some are really interesting & have some historical relevance. Another plus - the size of the obit no longer depends on prominence or social standing - but there are those that make me flinch. One woman went to sit at God's side in order to help him - they didn't state what God's reaction was - extreme unease, I'm guessing.

My all-time favorite was a recent one - probably written by the deceasee himself. It started with this: "On February __, John Doe kicked the bucket". I'm not kidding. I just wish I had known him! He had probably read a few too many of these creative obits and was up to his gizzard with them....

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 Have you ever wondered why... people decorate their bathrooms with a seaside decor? For instance, our bathroom shower curtain has a pattern of seashells; the shelf over the toilet (or commode if that suits your sensibilities) holds an assortment of seashells, a couple of small shorebirds, etc. The artwork on the walls (what - you don't have artwork - what kind of bathroom is that) - includes 2 embossed prints of shells, a photo of the ocean and a reproduction of one my drawings - of a lighthouse. The colors are ocean shades of green/green-blue & lavender with a sand colored vanity.

So why do we use shore decor in the bathroom?  Is it the fact that - when there's a high wind - the water in the toilet bowl sloshes gently - like the tide coming in? Does the flush sound like a breaking wave? And - face it - sometimes the ocean smells bad........

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Speaking of Decor - let me tell you about our living room. I'm sure you've heard the term 'eclectic'? Ours is 'ecch-lectic'. A circular tour of our living room yields the following inventory: contemporary lamp on Craftsman style end table; traditional couch fronted by Craftsman style coffee table; 'Danish' modern end table topped by modern lamp; Danish chair fronted by antique (c. 1860) footstool; Danish chair; 'Catolog cheap' magazine table; Danish chair; pseudo-art deco TV stand topped by 'the gorilla in the living room' TV (CRT); genuine art deco cedar chest topped by ageless plants that usually need water.

There you have it. Oh - one more thing. Contemporary art in contemporary frames exist 'cheek by jowl' with traditional art in traditional frames. So - I'm available if you need an interior designer...

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Paul McCartney seems a decent chap and all - but when I read that in the divorce proceedings, he may lose a quarter if his Giga-million dollar assets - my question is - would he notice?...........

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"Sony launches PlayStation 3 amid frenzy"

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands camped outside of stores on Friday to be among the first U.S. buyers of Sony Corp.'s new PlayStation 3 video game machine, but violence marred the debut when one man was shot outside a Connecticut store." 

This is actually a 'stand alone' item in terms of DUMB. It needs no comment here. Remember that this  misbegotten 'game' costs several hundred dollars.... words fail me......