Why We Fight and Joyeux Noel : Two quick honest reviews
Why We Fight and Joyeaux Noel – 2 quick reviews Why We Fight is a powerful look at the military industrial complex and the imperialism of the United States since Eisenhower. Definitely one sided, but really, there only is one side to what has happened to the United States...
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown- an short honest review In terms of keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next, this movie gets a perfect score. It was amusing, well scripted, and pleasantly captured the sense of nervous tension...
Thoughts on Films – a number of short reviewish things
Some thoughts on some films by Chris Damitio The Seventh Seal(1958) This was interesting. Essentially a medieval peasant western with a lot of very sharp philosophy and criticism all steeped in religious overtones and an almost overpowering existential neurosis. Essentially, the questions boil down to ‘What is it for...
State of the Antique Business (in Hawaii)
For the past score of years, I’ve made antiques and collectibles a significant part of how I pay for my family’s right to live. Obviously, if we don’t pay, we become homeless, we suffer disease and the elements, and we die – so, like almost all Americans not endowed...
Bravo! A Spectacular Performance by Hannah Roemhild – Operatic Virtuoso by Oscar Wallace
We would love to congratulate Hannah Roemhild on a spectacular operatic performance yesterday at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida (There is a marker on the Iwahai Map at Mar a Lago where you can hear a bit about this property). Ms. Roemhild showed great courage and a remarkable resilience...
The Hidden Dangers of the POTUS
The POTUS is easy to make light of. It’s easy to not take just how dangerous he is as he gives a buffoonish speech to 40,000 boy scouts in which he touts an ultra-nationalist agenda, demonstrates to young people that it is okay to be an a-hole, and uses...
Perceived Value versus Real Value versus Potential Value
I deal with this every day. I’d like to think that it has made me more realistic about the real value of the things I possess. Here is what I see almost daily. A person walks into my shop with an item that they perceive as having a substantial...
The Science of Change in the Antiques and Collectibles Business
It’s no secret that what is collectible and valuable today, may well be worthless and unwanted tomorrow – but it is the other side of that coin which makes or breaks an antique dealer. I’ve written it before but it bears saying again – you don’t make money selling,...
The World is Filled with Worthless Stuff
I bought a new blender the other day. I was excited about it. It made me happy. I looked at different models, read reviews, read the specs, and ordered it for the best price I could find online. It arrived and I removed it from the box, washed it,...
Turkish Copperwork from the Ottoman Empire
These Ottoman Empire copper pieces were hand hammered by skilled craftsmen to tell stories and evoke emotion. Large and ornamental but made for use, this ewer, pitcher, and urn have stories to tell and speak loudly when you enter a room. ...
Marshland Meadow by L. Regalski – Oil on Canvas
This painting is both compelling and detailed and transports the viewer to the destination when one looks at it. This painting is masterful and relatively modern by L. Regalski. ...
Oil on Canvas Painting of Mill by R. Popping – 1942
This painting was done at the height of the Nazi regime during World War II, it’s stark industrial lines are in sharp contrast to the earth tones and pastoral imagery, and yet, when one looks at the long shadows of the trees and the orderly progression of the painting...
William Tell’s Dilemma by Gustav Hauser
Gustav Hauser was a little known artist and political conspirator in Switzerland who worked hard with the socialist party to bring about constitutional change and end the proto-fascist rule of the Radical Party in the 1870s and the obstructionist tearing apart of Swiss democracy prior to 1891. This painting,...
Buy My Art!
This is your chance to own an original oil painting by me. Chances are that I will never be a famous artist or famous anything else – but maybe you like my style, maybe you like my art. These are available for sale. One of my goals this year...
Pair of Tribal Totem/Tiki Statues (probably from Solomon Islands)
I bought this pair of tiki totems which stand approx 25″ and 28″ from the Estate of Jean Fish (iconic Hollywood model and fashion designer) and actress Edna Skinner who was most famous for her role as the neighbor on the TV show Mr. Ed. Both women lived in...
L’Exposition Universelle 1889 Heliogravure
I found this in a box at the Flea Market – unfortunately, I wasn’t the first to go through the box and many of the engravings were missing. Still, it turns out that the Smithsonian only has 31 of the engravings and the truly rare part – is the...
Almost 8-Foot Tall Primitive Statue – Probably Sulawesi
I bought this 7′ 9″ carved statue from a hillside estate in Eugene, Oregon. The house was filled with treasure but my car was nearly full, but somehow I found room for this. The deceased had traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, and Oceania in the 1950s and 1960s. Their...
Selling My Special Finds Here
It’s funny that it’s taken me this long to come to this decision – but finally, here it is. I’ve decided to start selling those things I consider special finds – here – on my personal website. I’ve had an antique shop for years now and been selling on...
Archaeologists Find Rare Bronze Mask of Pan | Archaeology | Sci-News.com
Israeli archaeologists from the University of Haifa have uncovered an enormous bronze mask of Pan (Faunus, Satyr) – the Greek/Roman god of the woods, shepherds, and fertility – at the archaeological site of Hippos-Sussita, located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Archaeologists Find Rare Bronze Mask of...
Creation, Thoughts, and Ideas from a Creator
Without a doubt, the greatest impediment to innovation or creation is not inspiration, but procrastination – most specifically , waiting for the right time, right materials, right circumstance, or right something – if Leonardo or Michelangelo had waited the world would be a poorer place – if Steve Jobs...