Got this from news of the weird -- clear evidence that art is the stuff of the mind:

Inmate Donny Johnson, serving three life terms in solitary confinement at the Pelican Bay State Prison in California, was the beneficiary of a showing of his acclaimed paintings at a gallery in the Mexican tourist village of San Miguel de Allende, according to a July New York Times report. Because of Johnson's isolation, his only "brush" is made from strands of his own hair; his "canvases" consist of blank postcards; and his medium is colors from decomposed M&M candies. Nonetheless, at least six of the paintings, which the Times reporter called "powerful," have sold for $500 each. [New York Times, 7-21-06]


And I post this, reminding us all that, every thirty seconds, one child dies of hunger somewhere in the world:


Boutique wigmaker Ruth Regina of Miami is readying a line of hairpieces for "teacup" dogs and other over-pampered canines, at prices that range into the hundreds of dollars. Most promising include the "Yappy Hour" (a fluff of curls) and the "Peek a Bow Wow," which (according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in August) "fall(s) down over part of a dog's face, giving a glamorous look reminiscent of 1940s movie star Veronica Lake." (It's for dogs that feel sexy, said Regina. "There (are) some dogs that have the come-hither look.") [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 8-9-06]