Swan Song

Editor's Note -- The rapid decline in the Decoy market may realize a turnaround this weekend at the National Antique Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show, according to the Wall Street Journal. 


Guyette & Schmidt Inc. of Maryland will conduct the show's auctions, as usual. "Over the years, we have sold about $125 million of decoys," says Gary Guyette, president. "We used to have $14-million years, but now we have $6-million years." 

Glory days no more:  This rare red-breasted merganser hen decoy sold for $856,000 in 2007, breaking the world auction record for an American waterfowl decoy.  Photo courtesy of Christie's Images Ltd.

Going, going, gone: There are only a handful of surviving Birch swans. This one is in original paint

Mr. Guyette promises many auction lots that are "fresh to the market," including a swan made in the 1930s by Virginia boat-builder and fisherman Charles Birch. The piece is expected to sell for between $125,000 and $140,000.


Editor's note --  Flippantly Florida hopes WSJ realizes Guyette must sell a whole bunch of ducks this weekend to make up for $8 million in lost revenue.

WSJAE Arts+Entertainment 

 by KarenAGardner

Decoy Market, After Decline, Tests Its Wings http://on.wsj.com/hczq53

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A recipe for failure

 Editor's Note -- The Economist newspaper is confused again. The global market for rabbit meat has nothing to do with the Easter Bunny or the Lunar Year of the Rabbit. 

So what if China has the most rabbit production in the world?  Oh, and by the way, rabbits do their own producing quite well. Just ask the Australians. 

2011 Year of the Rabbit celebration -- Beijing, China

Editor's note -- Here is a recipe for rabbit meat which The Economist failed to include with its Daily Chart.


Chinese Sweet and Sour Rabbit.

KarenAGardner k. a. gardner 

The rabbit market: What became of the Easter Bunny? | The Economist 
economist.com/blogs/dailycha… via @theeconomist


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Clown characters

Editor's note -- This is a picture of a clown inspired by the superhero movie Batman. Apparently some guy named Usman Aziz doesn't know the Joker is not a clown character. 

"These are amongst the most weird and disturbing clown faces inspired from the clown character in the popular Batman series. Really creeps me out!"

 Jack Nicholson as the Joker copy-cat clown 

KarenAGardner k. a. gardner 

10 Scary and Weird Clown Faces http://bit.ly/fp5wU2

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Dust

Editor's note -- Wherein Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert explains why the meaninglessness of the Universe consoles him:

A message from light years away would probably miss me in my box of space and time, but I find that Art can shout to me across a few years or centuries, and it carries the same message: "Yes, I exist, and you are not alone."

What is this quintessence of dust? 

Editor's note --- And who is Art ?!?

ebertchicago Roger Ebert 

 by KarenAGardner

Why the meaninglessness of the Universe consoles me. My new blog entry, just posted. http://bit.ly/eXWyPf

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Success Story

Editor's note -- Wherein Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert finds the process of evolution compelling.

On this dot of space and in this instant of time, the human mind is a great success story, and I am fortunate to possess one. No, even that's not true, because a goldfish isn't unfortunate to lack one. It's just that knowing what I know, I would rather be a human than a goldfish.

 

ebertchicago Roger Ebert 

 by KarenAGardner

Why the meaninglessness of the Universe consoles me. My new blog entry, just posted. http://bit.ly/eXWyPf

Editor's note -- Part One of a Two-Part Series

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China syndrome

Editor's note --  The below performance index indicates China is an annoying 

over-achiever. The Editor is in complete agreement with the commenter.

shibakoen wrote:

I'm sorry, but as a Southerner, I think our porch-swinging performance figures are being held artificially low by those amateurs up North. I venture to say their porch swings are purely ornamental.

KarenAGardner k. a. gardner 

United States and China: Overtaking 

The Economist economist.com/blogs/dailycha… 

via @theeconomist 

-- Performance Index: Competitive Lawn-Mowing

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