Glass can be notoriously difficult to identify. Signatures, if there are any, can be faked, molds can be reused, and glassmakers often imitated one another’s decorations. Stiegel-type glass is an excellent example.


Sometimes we just don’t want to face the truth, so we ignore it as long as we can. But eventually it becomes clear: We need to downsize.



Snakes and snake shapes often show up in decorative arts. They are among the oldest, most common symbols in history, standing for concepts like wisdom, healing and renewal.


The top five items tonight on my local news channel were automobile crashes caused by slick road surfaces. And these weren’t just little fender benders, although there was one of those that happened in a store parking lot.



Medicare card scams are on the rise. During one calendar year, Medicare had over $100 billion in fraudulent claims, and the damage cost goes up when identity theft and stolen financial information are added in.