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HI,
LOVED
IT THEN .... LAST FEB OR SO,
LOVE IT NOW. CONGRATULATIONS. |
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| Just
as there are too few women in science, there are too few
cats in contemporary art. |
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| My
last name is Somerville, and I now wear it with an extra
sense of pride. |
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|
Marcel
Duchamp for the new century! He used a urinal, you
used a litterbox. He painted a mustache on the Mona
Lisa, you turned a living, breathing sculpture into a
Matchbox set! Amazing!
|
|
| Ars
brevis, taila longa. |
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| There
is only one other "Gates" more artistic than
yours, and that is "The Gates of Hell" by Auguste
Rodin. |
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| This
is an amazing example of the left/right brain anomaly.
I'm sitting here in my law office, foregoing $300/hour, and
the time couldn't be better spent. |
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| First
the Red Sox, now this. I can't believe I moved from Boston
to New York City. <smacks forehead> |
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| Ah,
the pride I feel from seeing greatness in my own hometown... |
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| We
don't have anything like the Somerville Gates here in New
Mexico. |
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| A
night light in the dark WC of modern art. |
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| Your
Gates are truly "un événement sociologique". |
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|
Central
Park is Christo's playground, but the whole wide world is
Hargo's web!
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| It
takes a genius to say so much with so very, very little and this
is really, really little. |
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| Ergo:
Hargo! |
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| This
is a major work, occurring as it does, in the early
years of this millennium. It surely sets the tone
for the art of the 21st Century! |
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|
Your
gates are very creative and I can see why CNN did a story on
them – but honestly, you have way too much time on your
hands. - E.F., Executive Secretary, Division of
Psychological Services
|
|
| Call
us on : l8OO 0rder N0W or visit: http://www.vaigra.net |
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| Gates
for the cat, hurdles for mankind. |
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| Where
is Somerville? |
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| After
visiting "the Gates" in New York, and viewing
yours on line, I found yours to be much less epic and
festive. |
|
| Graeme,
your car will meet you at 4:30. Confirmation number is
283503. |
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| You
have too much time on your hands. |
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| You
do not have too much time on your hands. |
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| Thank
you for being the voice of reason in an unreasonable age. |
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| What
Christo is to the gigantic-sized art of Diego Rivera, Hargo
is to the tiny-sized art of Frida Kahlo. |
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| The
Somerville Gates are a veritable 'tour de force', similar in
their empathy with the human condition to Michelangelo's
Sistine Chapel ceiling and Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.
Hargo is THE artist as genius and messenger from God. |
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|
Would
it be possible to arrange a similar installation in scenic
West Cornwall, CT? Assuming we can get the approval
of the zoning Board, compensation for your effort could be
lunch at the Wandering Moose Cafe.
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|
| Sublime.
Truly. |
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| You
forgot the Water Gates. [This was sent about 400 times. -
Hargo] |
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| Dear
Hargo and Edie - Your art is brilliant! We love you! |
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|
Your
sense of true and High art is excellent. Perhaps you
should apply for a National Endowment to the Arts
Fellowship Grant. Of course you probably don't have the
right connections or an impressive exhibition list
acceptable to the taste makers of ART.
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|
| Edie
plays croquet, doesn't she? |
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|
Can
you please come to Washington State?
We
need you desperately.
|
|
| How
did you choose the color?
|
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| The
Somerville Gates - the new black. |
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| This
website should be the basis for a revolution. |
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| Realism
through Comparative Analysis is really your forte, as well
as your sophisticated approach to art. |
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| I
am fretting about the war in Iraq. Homophobia in the United
States worries me deeply. I am tired of national columnists
making fun of the little city where I live, Berkeley, CA.
The article about your project, however, and the subsequent
visit to your website made me laugh so hard that the tears
ran down my face. Thank you Hargo! |
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| Thank
you sooooo much. Want to get married? |
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| You
have restored my faith in art, lunacy and the American
nation. Until now I had assumed that only the Brits got it. |
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| Has
there been an estimate of how much economic value to
Somerville the gates have brought? I am sure if you asked
Bloomberg could make up a number. |
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|
A
perfect statement about how we Americans view ourselves
and how we are viewed by other nations around the world...
Your work is Brilliant !!
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| You
gates made me smile. I am a native New Yorker,
actually a Brooklynite, which is even more severe. |
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| Maybe
I'm just really dense, but I really don't get it, I really,
really, don't. |
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|
Dear
Hargo,
Are
you related to Ringo, or Bob the Tomato? And I like
your gates.
Maya,
age 10
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| When
one gate opens, so does another.
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|
| Your
art brings tears to my eyes. I used to be British and this
helps a lot.
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|
| "Children
how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for
a cat to go through The Somerville Gates than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew
19:23) |
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| Christo,
Hargo's great emulatee, lives on a deeper (broader?
loftier?) plane. His vision is the fusion of art and life
itself, interwoven in a seamless melding of plastic objects
with nature. The artist, as always, finds such seeming
contradictions the essence of the soul, and not an
expression of Angst or Geist or Hubris. For her part, Edie
is likely to resume her career of eating, sleeping, and
pooping, whenever she feels like it, and Hargo will continue
to create meaningless abstractions oblivious of his critics
-- for it's only the latter that suffer the angst and hubris
that art brings. Or, as Micheangelo put it: Art's simple,
it's the filthy critics who screw it up. |
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| As
a Californian for the last 35 years, I have watched until
now in vain for a noteworthy event from the Somerville of my
childhood. I wait no longer. You GO, Hargo!!! |
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| Somerville:
Paris of the '90's, New York of the uh-oh's. |
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| The
"Somerville Gates" are a good example of Post
Modern Minimalism. |
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| I
saw the future of installation art and his name is Hargo. |
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| The
notion of "high-brow" vs "low-brow" art
has been erradicated - art is art is art. |
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| Better
than "Cats." |
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| I
can’t find the catalog on Amazon. Can you send me a
swatch?
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|
|
You
know it was Al Gore who really invented The Gates concept.
|
|
| Bush
was NOT elected the first time! Oh, and uh, loved the gates. |
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| I
think you have safely arrived inside the world of quantum
physics. And we share the same warped sense of humor.
Shall we meet? I'm only 80 years old, have original
teeth and other vital accessories. |
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| The
evenly spaced gates mimic the grid of city blocks that
surround the loft, and the serpentine nature of the way Edie
walks by -- creating a river of color along the paths. |
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| A
sweet & fine reminder of the importance of hype in this
culture of ours. |
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|
This
installation is simply breathtaking in its profound
subtlety. I'm so proud to live in Somerville!
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|
| This
kept me laughing all morning, which is a big achievement as
my job currently sucks. A little advice... never work for a
crazy Russian. |
|
tiny
orange gates
kitty peregrination
I was happy once |
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|
At
last an artist for our times who spans not only space time
continuums but the archaic human animal divide and
presents a postmodern perspective interrogated by the
feline.
|
|
| This
is one of the most important works to come out of the
post-2000 Somerville Movement in years! This work is on a
level with the seminal book "Dancing with Cats",
another work which places its lingual apparatus firmly in
its cheek. |
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| Hargo
"Gates" have a pristine austerity that leaves one
in awe. Are you Finnish? |
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| I
am a fan of Christo's "The Gates" Central Park,
New York, NY, USA. I am also a fan of Hargo's "The
Somerville Gates" Village Street, Somerville, MA, USA. |
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| Cleaning
lady shmeaning lady - Hargo's Gates are forever! |
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| Thanks
for the expose and the striking photos. The unfairness of
the comparison is clear -- the differences do outweigh the
similarities. The sheer scale of your undertaking, the
variegated terrain, should not be underestimated. You have
grappled with space and texture and wrestled them to a draw.
No matter what the media says -- you have triumphed! |
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| There
is a very fine line between "hobby" and
"mental illness." |
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| I
recently moved from Somerville to New York City because I
thought that I would find the most compelling and
provocative art here. You've proven that I may be spending
too much money on rent for nothing. |
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| Your
bold use of orange, in front of a feline audience that only
has color vision in the blue/green range, is an irony that
speaks volumes about deforestation and American involvement
in Iraq. |
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| As
a dog lover, I found the images of the Somerville Gates
deeply disturbing, as well as elitist and exclusionary. The
artist's subject lives a life of debauchery- and yet is
elevated to near god-like status. The work culminates in
"The Stairway Gates". The cat, placed high above
the viewers direct line of vision, has ascended to some sort
of royal status. I, for one, will not bow before her. |
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| What
gives? |
|
The
Somerville touch is deeply poetic,
The confluence of gates and terrain profound.
I think you've defined a new aesthetic;
I'll have to send the link around.
Jasper
Johns might be jealous;
Andy Warhol would be cowed.
I don't want to sound too overzealous,
But Christo himself is going to be wowed.
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|
We
love you
Massachusetts
!!! Regards,
California
|
|
| The
strong diagonal lines of the gates, combined with the
juxtaposition of canine image and feline reality, was truly
powerful, and spoke to the human condition. We are all
animals, are we not? |
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| As
I viewed your photos, I felt a sense of community as well as
a warmness which can only be found when gazing at the color
I like to call saffron but you may call it tangerine. At
once, I laughed and cried and felt rejuvenated and inspired,
some might say reborn, even though I don't recall the
feeling of being born initially. |
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| Even
my mother (94 years of age and with iffy eyesight) had some
good laughs out of this. |
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| The
artists message comes across with such dignity and
conviction. You went forth boldly with abandon yet quiet
focus. |
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| Having
grown up in Somerville and seeing it through it's awkward
years ie. "The All-American City" and "Slumerville",
I am finally able to dig my old cheerleading jacket out of
mothballs and proudly tell the world that yes, I am a
product of THAT Somerville, the one with "The
Gates". I feel reborn! |
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| Size
does not matter. |
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| Simply
brilliant, you totally smoked the crackers, and they live in
NYC. My wife lived in Somerville, are you that crazy artist
guy she used to date in college? |
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|
Thank
you for giving the planet the Somerville Gates!
|
|
| Completely
and totally irrational.
Absolutely no point whatsoever. |
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| I
found the gates to be far too Edie-centric. It's as if Edie
is consciously stealing focus, undermining the sheer power
of the work. A true pity. |
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| RE:
From a fan of "Gates". I'm 24. r u single? Thx. :) |
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| The
cat is an archetypal symbol for cunning (OK, so we’re
mixing Freud and Jung here but at this point, who cares?)
and the suggestively concealed litter box represents…
well… Sorry, our time is up. We have to
stop now.
|
|
| I
have been waiting 2,000 years for you and finally the
Internet, created by me to facilitate my search for you, has
brought you to my cognizance. |
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| Thanks
for the best laugh I've had in...well, since Bush was
elected the first time. |
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| The
Somerville Gates rival only the most profound works of art
that man has created, and is sure to withstand the brutal
test of time as one of the most important installations of
the third millenium. Bravissimo! |
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| O,
thank thee and thy helpers for your gates! They elicit
laughter and mirth, and admiration for thy fertile, funny
mind and nimble hands. |
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|
Derivative.
A true artist could have come up with a different hue.
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|
|
Peace
begins at home... and in the poopatorium.
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|
| My
cat Opie, a native of Venice, CA enjoyed the exhibit
very much. |
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| I
was on the installation crew for the Gates project in
Central Park last week. It was great fun. And so is your
site. We've already passed the link around our
entire crew and its' getting great responses. Thanks! |
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| As
a former artist and current (multiple) cat owner (or, is
that cat-owned?) I really, really, really appreciate what
you've done - for art lover's, cat lover's (cat-loved) and,
those of us trapped in frozen-tundra land who have 0 chance
of vising the Maxi-gates in Central Park. |
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|
Is
this perspective? Or decompensation? A metaphor for the
sound of one hand clapping? Or shall we say, flapping?
Appreciation is, as always, in the eye of the beholder.
|
|
| Sanity
is relative. |
|
| I
love you for this. You are my hero! |
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| I
noticed that you have the same stove that I do. We saw the
Central Park Gates this past weekend, and there wasn't a
stove there. So that makes your Gates even more special. |
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| My
stomach hurts from laughing. Thank you. |
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| A
profound expression of the challenges surrounding feline
existence. |
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|
You're
a Moron! I can't believe I wasted my time looking at this
total computer-nerd humor!
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|
| When
I tell my friends that my son is a graduate student in the
Earth and Planetary Science Dept. at MIT and they give me a
vapid look. Now, when I tell them that he lives in
Somerville, I can watch their mouths drop in envy. You have
not only turned the art world upside down, you've given this
mother cachet with her friends. |
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| You
are brilliant! My cat and I are huge fans of your work. |
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| On
behalf of Pet Rescue-NY I want to express my appreciation
for this most spectacular work that is sensitive to the
needs of animals and the environment. We wonder if you might
be interested in wrapping our new shelter in silver fabric
(whenever we get it). |
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| We
see the NYC version next week. I hope they don’t
come with a proportionately sized cat. |
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| You
have taught me to say "poopatorium" with pride. |
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|
We
haven't chuckled this much at an art work since Bruce
McLean's 1970 "I'd Give a Million Smiles For One of
Your Miles" Walter de Mario piece. That's a
long time without a chuckle.
|
|
|
Tomorrow
I will start my art history course with a comparison
between Christo and Somerville Gates. Thanks a lot. Best,
ADP, Università di Udine
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|
|
Is
Edie your Yoko?
|
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| Did
you consult much with the cat on placement or environmental
issues? Keep up
the good work. Thank you for sharing your vision!
|
|
| Amazing.
There is just something about this that touches the inner
me. It gives one a feeling of hope and of harmony. I look
forward to your next installation. |
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| I
am deeply moved. Deeply. |
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| Laughter
is the best medicine and the greatest measure of genius. The
MacArthur Genius Award should be arriving any minute. |
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| I
was transported to a catatonic state of tiny installations.
I would gladly drape myself over your cat and abode. I too
am proud of Somerville, and of having resided there during
my 4 years at Tufts. Perhaps a miniature museum will invite
you to display the Somerville Gates; may they wave proudly. |
|
| Is
it my imagination, or is the cat eating a gate? |
|
| I
have not laughed this hard since I saw the hunchbacked
profile of our illustrious leader during the Presidential
debates. A true triumph for the feline species, which
is, of course, superior to our own. Thanks for making
my day! |
|
| I
hope you don't mind my saying, you are much cuter than
Christo! |
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|
I
have an upcoming date and I was racking my brain on
what sophisticated cultural event I could take my
date to prior to attempting to get her in bed. Is
there an open house of any sorts planned for the
Somerville Gates?
|
|
| I'm
looking forward to the photograph of the First Lady
touring The Somerville Gates in a pants suit. |
|
| My
4 cats and I enjoyed looking at your installation on the web
here at our home in Beijing. Is there any chance your
exhibit will travel to China? |
|
|
Run
for President. Or Something. Viva la Anti-Christo!
|
|
| Somerville
is monumental & incomparable. |
|
| Isn't
it wonderful that the Central Park Gates and the Hargo Gates
have caused so many people to communicate, laugh, tut tut,
be astounded, appalled, enjoy, and smile, and, did I
mention, talk to each other? |
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| This
is exactly what I need in my life. Thank you, Hargo. |
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| Last
update: August 12, 2005 05:00
|
