No one ever painted Americana with more accuracy and charm than did Norman Rockwell. Some of us who are older than most of us can remember his classic paintings which adorned the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. One of them focused on the buying of the Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey is lying on the scales and the butcher is standing back of the counter, apron pulled tight over his fat stomach, a pencil tucked behind his ear. The customer, a lovely lady of about sixty, is watching the weighing-in.

Each of them has a pleased look as if each knows a secret joke. Norman Rockwell lets us in on the joke by showing us their hands. The butcher is pushing down on the scales with a big fat thumb. The woman is pushing up on them with a dainty forefinger. Neither is aware of what the other is do…