| wdswan@erols.com I can't recall ever hearing a greater exaggeration
than that in this tale. In the late 80's I went to an estate sale in
Northwest DC which had advertised oriental rugs. One could sense that
there wouldn't be much good there and the only handmade rug was an
undistinguished Hamadan from the 1930's or 40's. While I was looking at
it, a large man who was either its owner or related to the seller and
dressed entirely in black (vaguely reminiscent of Orson Welles)
approached. "That rug is 2,000 years old," he offered. "Two THOUSAND years
old? That would place it among the oldest known rugs." "That's what it
is." "Do you really have any idea of what this is? It's a ... "
(interrupted) (Enter Diane, the Merry Wife of Wendel) Whisper: "Wendel,
there's no point in arguing with him. He's obviously loony." I shut up and
left. I should have done that more often. Wendel |