Rube's Notes: This series has given the Rube a chance to spend Quality Time with Art, which for him translates as actually going up to it, and looking at it from all around.

Here he noticed that one of the circles is copper, one is silver, and that up close (2-jpg), the markings look like on a thick piece of wood that has been cut by a band saw. Finger-tapping confirmed it is metal.

Looking at 1-jpg, the Rube is impressed that the two large circles are balanced on just the two points. 3-jpg shows it looking more stable.

It is signed "Arthur Carter", whom a Google search revealed was a investment banker and now the owner of the New York Observer. The Rube only bought the New York Observer once, as it is more expensive and a lot thinner then the New York Times. And there's no sports OR comics.

On the other hand, it is printed on pink paper, the same as used on their website, and has an unusually entertaining Engagements section, "Countdown to Bliss", written by Anna Jane Grossman. A typical notice follows.

Andrew Gorlin and Lisa Tolin
Met: Jan. 9, 1999
Engaged: March 15, 2002
Projected Wedding Date: June 14, 2003

Lisa Tolin, 27, an editor on the national news desk of Associated Press, is marrying Andrew Gorlin, 29, a resident in emergency medicine at King's County Hospital, at Banchet Flowers, a West Village florist. A reception will follow at "91", an event space on Horatio Street. When groom was asked to describe bride on the phone, he said: "She's beautiful, with long, curly brown hair and big brown eyes and a very womanly, curvy body. But that's not a euphemism for 'heavy'she's actually thin. She's not heavy, O.K.? I want to make sure that comes across." (No, reader, he did not provide her bodyfat percentage.)

This piece continues on for nine more paragraphs about how they first met, the progression of their relationship, how he proposed, specs on the ring ... the kind of stuff the Rube really likes reading about.