For those of you who have decided to eschew TAS, while I completely understand and struggle with the implications at every renewal, here is why I have continued to subscribe. Like life itself in order to prevent vertigo we need perspective. If having resonable discussions in forums like this one provides a grounding, then rags like TAS provide a starry eyed perspective of what might not be practical in all cases, but perhaps what is possible in a dream. Besides Mikey Fremer is now writing there and I do like to keep track of his musings.
With respect to the $350 brush all I have to say is: Oy Veh!