And so we've veered a little to the left. The realities we've experienced with Gatsby and those we will live through in Of Mice and Men are far removed from the surrealistic worlds of Mark Ryden (left), the Cocteau Twins, the psychedelic Beatles (Paul was the Walrus), or even the whimsy of Dr. Seuss (Happy 100th!). The music that is driving you crazy (an endless loop for an Eastern Garden; dispose of no cigarettes here) is Aphex Twin, a part of that avant-garde mystical dance trance that no one really listens to, but continues in its critical acclaim. The left side of art is inaccessible by nature. It's not easy to listen to, to look at, to understand or to appreciate. But we try. We expose ourselves to more. They used to call VanGogh garish and Manet obscene; they died penniless, Vincent insane (turpentine poisoning, known as Xanthopia, where everything one sees is yellow), but now we sell their paintings for $40 million. Time is the test of worthiness. The insipid will fade and Beatles will last. Prompt: Take a look around at our pop culture: the fads, the variables, the TV shows, the theme parks, the fashions, the cell phones, design, business, marketing, Target, Abercrombie, video games... What is it that will last? What music will we give to our children? What culture? What will be our icons in 50 years? In Steven Spielburg's futuristic vision in AI, it was the GAP and Lexus. Was he right? Off base? Opinions. Is my favorite artist, Mr. Ryden, really any good, or just a glorified cartoonist? Ask yourself, is this monkey really art? But keep in mind that for more than 50 years now we've been asking Was Jackon Pollack any good? (You'll have to look it up.)