Our favorite stories of the past 12 months:

Some 20,000-year-old cave paintings found in France held much interest for collectors, anthropologists and historians alike. Most interesting were drawings that depicted French waiters being rude to American tourists. After a show in Washington, D.C. in April, I mentioned to a friend that I was spending more and more time in our nation’s capital, and I thought about buying a house. My pal concurred. “I know just what you mean,” he said, “I just bought the senate.” While visiting Los Angeles in early October where unemployment in the city hit 20%, we noticed the homeless were carrying placards that some genius was using for endorsements. Example: “NEED MONEY FOR FOOD. (This plea for dollars brought to you by McDonald’s).” Best product of 2009 – the new all-in-one phone, clock, radio, wireless computer, blu-ray, foot massaging toilet with continuous-roll toilet-paper/printer! And according to our latest poll here at Taylor Mason Headquarters, 50% of all people in the United States are average; and 33% of all cows are shorthorn (at least those we POLLED – please email  me if you get that joke!).   HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE ROAD IN 2010!!