The Experimental Archeology of Hairdressing

The concept 'experimental archaeology' conceptually sits uneasily; but the Wall Street Journal reported that a beautician in Baltimore did, through trial and error, determine a possible way in which ancient Roman women could have gotten those elaborate coiffures seen in murals and statues.

No, they did not use wigs; they sewed them together.

Her findings were published in an archaeological journal.  I'm pleased that the editor accepted an article from a nonprofessional archaeologist.  Also, I'm glad that an occasional person is enterprising enough to contribute to the sum total of knowledge.

Now maybe one of her customers will ask her to give her an ancient Roman 'do.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324900204578286272195339456

Creationism

Baby, Still One More Time!

I felt that a take-off on Britney Spears' 1999 song applied here.

Kalmykia a country within the Russian Federation, issued a pane of stamps featuring eight female rockers.  I assume the 5.00 refers to five Rubles; but it can be five sweet potatoes, five Bud Lights, or whatever.

For those who prefer, there's the Mariah Carey stamp.  And some others.

The world of postage stamps is an odd one.  First, there are some places that get a lot of revenue from postage stamp collectors, like Pitcairn Island.  (Or the island's 50-60 residents have really humonguous letter writing  habits.)

Then there are some out-and-out fake places issuing postage stamps, like the notorious ones issued by the National Socialist Croatian government in exile:

But these are totally fake, so you need not look for them in your mail.

But Kalmykia is a real place; the only part of European Russia that is largely Buddhist.  These may be locally issued stamps, or they might be fakes.

It's nice to know that other places have their priorities set right.

Troy Abbott Art

 More art from the Celebrity Silhouette.  These images of birds in cages spares the real thing from confinement..

 

Medical Afflictions of the Cartoon World

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Plane Landing at Sint Maarten

When transoceanic flights land at Sint Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport, they fly low over the beach.  It's part of the attraction there.  I'm sure some bathers even moon the plane as it goes by:

Air France landing.