I'll Save Cannibalism for Another Day

Of Monday topics, New World Cannibalism and Ann Richards have been put on the back burner in order to ask an important question?  

Have you purchased Tuscan Milk from Amazon?  Or, downloaded the novel/biography Hgiyiyi?  Or, the reference book by Rand, A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates?

Sample Reviews:

Tuscan Milk

"First of all, I must say 'Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz' is a great product, and other reviews will verify that. However, I was able to buy the same product, slightly used, on Craigslist for only $84.99. I haven't received it yet, but I warn anybody buying 'Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz' on Amazon is probably getting ripped off."

A Million Random Digits

"Such a terrific reference work! But with so many terrific random digits, it's a shame they didn't sort them, to make it easier to find the one you're looking for."

These are just a few of items sold on Amazon to receive the full brunt of satire that the best of the internet can deliver.  Pouge at the NYT gives a rundown of the most popular spoof reviews.  My next question, do you know of other products that have received such treatment?

Oldest Map of Texas

1519 map of the Gulf of Mexico by Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda

The "of Texas" may be a misnomer, but this Spanish map from 1519 is considered, by trusted authorities (Wikipedia see earlier post), to be the oldest map of Texas.  In 1519, Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda led an expedition to find a sea passage from the gulf of Mexico to the Bay of Asia (also called the Pacific Ocean).  The academic legacy of de Pineda has been a series of papers arguing over what rivers he visited.  The problem is not with the rivers, but the fact that each explorer who would pass the river would give it a new name in the glory of God and the patrons who funded their explorations.  The re-naming problem is made worse by the lousy maps drawn de Pineda and his cohorts.  For example, is "Espiritu Santo" the Mississippi or the Alabama River?  Is "Rio de las Palmas," to which he referred in his journal, actually the Rio Grande (aka Rio soto la Marina, aka Rio Bravo del Norte, aka Rio Bravo) or the Rio Panuco?  Ultimately, modern scholars (should) have concluded that he really did not know where he was, because he was relying on directions from native Americans and his main competition, Hernan Cortes.  And, we all know what a trickster that Cortez guy was... all except the Aztecs and de Pineda.

Texas Edge -- Maps

Texas Maps at the Baylor University Texas Collection

1836

There are few places more aptly described as "the edge of the law" than Texas during the frontier days.  For those of you with a map fetish, I highly recommend the exhibit of early Texas (Mexico) maps at the Texas Collection.  

Philosopher Monkey and the Squirrel Revolt

"True knowledge exists in knowing you do not know."  
                                            -- Socrates

A recent report tells us that monkeys feel uncertainty and self-doubt. Once I thought about that conclusion, this animal-insight did not seem so surprising.  Self-doubt and uncertainty have to be key traits for survival. And, a little more self-doubt would benefit certain urban species such as squirrels, armadillos, and raccoons. When they reach the edge of a road, it would be great if they took an extra second to seriously ask themselves if they have what it takes to cross the road on this day, at this moment. Deer, on the other hand, need less self-doubt and a little more hutzpah. On the other hand, a common white-tail deer gives up too easily when it sees a car careening towards it. Laugh you holy white-tail, and jump out of the way.

Back to those monkeys... After the tests revealed monkey-hubris, the scientist commented,  "They seem to know when they don't know."  Philosopher monkeys indeed.

FLASH: Robot Marathon Has Begun

This Care-Bot is designed to pick up the elderly who have
fallen and can't get up.

Owners of the robots (that won't always be the case) are allowed to change batteries, but if the bot falls over, it has to get up on its own, or with the help of another bot.

Waco: Cloudy with chance of Apocalypse

Concerned about whether it would rain today, I checked Waco's weather at Weather Underground.  According to their meteorologists, the Apocalypse is nigh: they have issued the following alert "Fire Weather Warning."  Wear something cool, preferably flame retardant.

What lawyers, and clients, can learn from Socrates

This is Part 1 of a series that may, or may not, have additional parts.

Plato telling Socrates what to write... hmm.

When on trial for undermining the gods and corrupting the youth, Socrates defended himself, pro se.  From my brief observations in the courtroom, it is never a good idea to defend yourself.  And when you have the humility and good sense to accept a court appointed lawyer, listen to the advice of your lawyer, especially when she says, "I strongly advise you NOT to take the stand to testify against yourself."

Socrates was not offered state appointed representation, but Euthyphro, a "good" lawyer-friend of his, offered to help Socrates after he finished prosecuting his own father for murder.

So, Socrates went at it alone.  His first defense was not that unusual for a criminal trial: "They [the police and judges] are out to get me."  That was the defense offered by one guy I observed in court who ignored the advice of his lawyer and testified that the police have always been jealous of how good he was with the ladies.  The subsequent cross-examination on statutory rape was brutal.

Good Eats on the Valley

At the Edge, Wednesday will "List-Day Wednesday."  As with any group project, a few rules are needed.  There will be a topic.  As far as the length of the list, I have given this some thought.  A list of One, is not a list.  Two to a list is too harsh: only first and last place.  The minimum entries shall be Three, and Three it shall be.  For the sake of brevity, Five will be the max.

List-Day Wednesday topic:  
What are your favorite restaurants on Valley Mills Drive in Waco, Texas?  

Here is my list.  I was tempted to just list my favorite restaurants that no longer exist, but that would not be helpful.

1) Taqueria #9 - If you buy the tacos individually, you can get a great lunch for less than $4.00.  I recommend the nopales taco on a flour tortilla

2) Baris - Especially on Calzone Tuesday (includes a salad with their great house dressing)

3) Schmaltz's Sandwich Shop - I have been living on the Blue Plate Special since high school

Medieval Style, continued

Keeping with the theme of doing it Medieval style, I could tell you about my research on Medieval consumer protection laws or I could discuss recent activity of the Texas Legislature.  ... hmm...

The Texas Legislature it shall be.  

The big news from the Texas Legislature thus far in the session is that it is NOT the Wisconsin Legislature, although the tactics of the Senate Democrats seems very familiar.  If I were on the (political) lam, I would rather spend the time in Chicago than Ardmore.  The other news out of Austin is that no less than 5 bills have been introduced seeking to make it legal to carry a concealed handgun onto a university campus.  The enthusiasm for this legislation makes it seem like Texas college students are currently under siege by hoodlums and crazed colleagues.  At Baylor, I have not personally seen any need to be packing heat.  I wonder if being armed or knowing that a student is armed would significantly change the classroom dynamic.  No longer will I wake a sleeping student by dropping a large book on his desk.

Construction Contracts, Medieval Style

1340 Contract for reconstruction of
the Sansedoni Palace in Siena.

This Friday will be my first time to lecture on Romanesque and Gothic architecture after completing a degree in law.  Reviewing my lecture from a couple of years ago, I thought it would be interesting to research what a medieval construction contract looks like.  The oldest contract I have found concerns the a Gothic renovation of the Sansedoni Palace in Siena.  The contract is dated 1340.  The most intriguing aspect of the contract is that over half of the .5m x 1.2m document is an illustration of the proposed façade.  The text of the contract is not dissimilar from modern contracts.  The first paragraph identifies the parties and purpose of the contract.  The second paragraph describes what will be constructed.  The following paragraphs address the financial terms and period for construction.  The contract includes a description of the funds placed in escrow and is signed by the parties and third party sureties.  

Sansedoni Palace today.

For more information, see Toker, Franklin, "Gothic Architecture by Remote Control: An Illustrated Building Contract of 1340.  The Art Bulletin.  Vol. 67, No. 1 (March 1985).  pp 67-95. 

Fears of Chrislam

Since we are on the topic of Islam, why not address whether Chrislam is a religion of peace or not.  Well, I am not certain that Chrislam is a recognized religion yet, but it is the rallying cry of those afraid of what happens when Muslims perform services at Christian churches.  For more information about Christians and Muslims sharing religious space, check out this new article at Fox.  The ideal setting for Chrislam would be the Great Mosque at Cordoba which has a Gothic Cathedral stuck right in the middle, thanks to Charles V. 

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

This weekend, the Spanish Medievalist, myself, and the rest of the intrepid faculty of World Cultures II, a class in the BIC at Baylor, took our students to Dallas to visit the Dallas Museum of Art and the Islamic Association of North Texas.  For 99% of the students, this was their first visit to a mosque.  The community at IANT has always been kind and generous to us and this year was even better.  After observing the 4pm prayer and a short Q&A, we were treated to snacks and drinks.  

Jesus Minaret at the Great of
Mosque in Damascus.  It is said that this
Minaret marks the location of the
second coming of Jesus.

The Q&A is always the most interesting part of the visit.  This year, our leader was an American convert to Islam.  That got the attention of our 90 students from the world's largest Baptist institution.  Some questions arise every year.  Why are you a muslim?  What is the significance of the afterlife?  Is it hard to live within the dietary restrictions of Islam?  This year we had some challenging questions.  Prior to going to the mosque, the students read parts of the Qur'an translated into English.  A couple of questions arose about whether Islam is a religion of peace or violence.  The translation of the Qur'an says that it is okay for a man to hit his wife.  Another section referenced by the students says  to kill non-believers.  As with any religion or religious text, there are "difficult passages" which, as our host astutely noted, requires "great scholars" to explain.  You can find what you want in any text, but what then is the true text, or in this matter, the true religion?

For an excellent, lively discussion of whether Islam is a religion of peace, check out the Intelligence Squared US debate.  (http://intelligencesquaredus.org/index.php/past-debates/islam/)

DMA Cocktail Plate

Dallas Museum of Art

It was a quick trip to the DMA today with our BIC students. No cocktail shakers, but there is this cool cocktail plate I have not seen before.

Electric Babies

I have to admit that I am a little jealous of the technological vision of Japan.  When it comes to integrating robots into our daily lives, the Japanese (and Chinese) are light years ahead of us in Waco, Texas (if not all of the US).  From the very first toy robots to the emotionally expressive robots, there is a passion for robots that Americans lack.  Currently, Japan is preparing to send a "human-like" robot into space.  Vstone of Japan put together the first ever robot marathon race called "Robo Mara Full."  Roboticist (a new word for me) Minoru Asada has created a table top robot baby head which imitates realistic human baby expressions. Having had a real child for a number of years, I am not certain that this is something I would ask for for Christmas, but it is pretty cool none the less. All of this is wonderfully weird and it tells me that when a Japanese student takes time to dream of the future, she sees a very different world than I do.  I have not dreamed of a world where machines are human.  

What's Trump?

Donald Duck Trump for President.

I missed the scuttlebutt on Donald Trump's most recent announcement that he may, perhaps, definitely, seriously consider running for president.  Actually, the Trump describes his indecision better than I can.  "So I’m seriously thinking about doing it. I may do it. I very well may do it."  (from an interview with Karen Blankfeld at Forbes) Fortunately, a colleague sent me this entertaining article on Donald Trump (and Dyrdek and Snooki) from former Waco newsman John Young.  I have to admit that "my pop-culture" is a little rusty.  "Dyrdek" sounds like treated lumber and "Snooki," well, that sounds like something very un-Baylor.  

I did take a little time to research these issues.  Here is what I found. 

-  Donald Trump is officially going to think about running for president.  Why?  Because this country is not respected any longer.  

-  Dyrdek is not lumber used for building decks.  In fact, Dyrdek is a brand of body spray that is "uniquely designed to attract the ladies."

- Snooki is actually a respected literary author with a book for sale on Amazon.  

Sun Explodes - again

image from NASA

As if I did not already have enough to worry about, "Sun Eruptions" will soon reach the Earth.  These massive solar flares have caused significant disruptions in the past by knocking out long distance phone services and electric service in parts of Canada.  Unfortunately, this explosion of the sun does not explain the intermittent internet service I was experiencing the day before yesterday.  

Revisiting HJR 93

I feared that I dismissed HJR 93 too quickly.  To say that a proposed constitutional amendment is a dead in the water requires knowing what has to be achieved to change document.  Thus I spent some quality research time with "Wiki Answer" or some similar website.  This does bring flashbacks to the day in law school when a fellow student was caught redhanded using Wikipedia to introduce a case.  the horror, the horror.  The prof. was right to yell, scream, and kick the student out.  A judge may take judicial notice of  Wikipedia, but it is not yet binding precedent in Texas law.  Yesterday while researching the Miller Act, I briefly paused on the Wiki entry.  I learned from the mistakes I observed in school.  I closed the door to my office to make sure no one was watching. 

Back to changing the constitution.  The amendment process set forth in Article 17 of the Texas Constitution is a good alternative to violent revolution or writing your own, personal constitution (like my great-uncle Nalle).  The proposed amendment must be raised as a Joint Resolution.  HJR 93 is off to a good start assuming that there was companion resolution in the Senate.  Next, both the House and Senate must approve the submission of the amendment by a 2/3 majority.  Then, the amendment is submitted to the voters of Texas where is must receive a simple majority of the votes to become part of the Texas Constitution.

Texas on the Edge

Speaking of lists, the Texas on the Brink report came out on the 13th of this month.  The report lists how Texas ranks among all 50 states on a number of socio-economic topics.  For example:

Percent of population 25 and older with a high school diploma. = 50th
Birth rate. = 2nd
Teenage birth rate. = 7th (I am amazed that anyone was born as a teenager, but numbers do not lie.)
Percent of uninsured children. = 1st
Percent of children living in poverty. = 4th
Percent of population uninsured. = 1st
Per capita spending on mental health. = 50th
Average credit score. = 49th
Workers compensation coverage. = 50th
Executions. = 1st
Violent crime rate. = 16th

Meta-Listing

In honor and deference to the blogging guru Mark Osler over at Osler's Razor, I am going to dedicate a day of the week to an interactive blog post.  Osler, from the beginning, has tapped the creative energies of overworked law students by challenging them to write a haiku each Friday.  "In the good ol' days" Osler, or a distinguished guest judge, would pick the best entry and present an award.  Like Pavlov's dogs (Boy, Zolotisty, Druzhok, Sultan, Zhuchka, Tygan and Druzhok), a click is all loyal Razorites need today.  


At the Edge, Wednesday will "List-Day Wednesday."  As with any group project, a few rules are needed.  There will be a topic.  As far as the length of the list, I have given this some thought.  A list of One, is not a list.  Two to a list is too harsh: only first and last place.  The minimum entries shall be Three, and Three it shall be.  For the sake of brevity, Five will be the max.


The inaugural topic shall be meta-listing:  
What topics should List-Day Wednesday use in the future?  


1) Best yard ornaments
2) Favorite art movements
3) Political slogans to avoid
4) Worst job interview questions

Moving Fast

Of the many activities of the Texas Legislature today, House Bill 1353 was introduced.  HB "High Speed" proposes to change the highway speed limit from 70 to 75.  The best part is that there would no longer be a day/night speed distinction.  Whether driving to work or driving home after the bars close, drive 75.  Despite my mocking of this, I actually like the idea of removing a distinction between day and night speeds.  Doing so would solve the mystery of what speed to drive at dusk and dawn.

On the slower side of things, House Joint Resolution 93 will unlikely make another move.  HJR "Reduce Gov. Spending" proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to exempt residential property from ad valorem taxation.  A great idea except for that funding of schools-firedepartments-hospitaldistricts thing.

I watch the Daily Show for my comedy-fix, but I am learning that the Texas Legislature Daily Report can be equally entertaining.

It is all in your HEADline

More often than not, the best part of a news story is its headline.  With the sophistication of contemporary marketers, that is not surprising.  For example, checkout-line tabloids are only headlines.  After "President Obama's illegitimate child has the head of a lizard," what else do you want to know?  What else is there to know about the topic of lizard babies?  Even "reputable" rags have innocently delved into headline-mania.  Today on the BBC News website are the following HEADlines:

German Trucker Incest Trial Opens

Why Is Alcohol Consumption Falling?  (good question)

'Nuclear Virus' Targets Found

The Meaning of 'Bunga Bunga'

Soul v. Winner = Valentine's Peace

As a sign of love to the world, a group of antiwar protestors (or peace promotors) joined together to form an all-human, all-nude peace symbol on Valentine's Day, 2003.  The spectacle was unspectacular.  Despite the local law prohibiting nudity in the park (minimum requirement of thong and, for women, a bikini top), the police allowed the display, but only behind opaque barriers.  The audacious protestors did leave a mark at the courthouse on, of all things, attorney's fees.  Check out the Supreme Court case of Sole v. Wyner, 127 S. Ct. 2188.

 "But the display was set up outside the barrier, and participants, once disassembled from the peace symbol formation, went into the water in the nude."  Sole v. Wyner, 127 S. Ct. 2188, 2193 (2007).

Reflections of Valentine's Day

In our daily routine, we become too comfortable with the small gripes about our relationships.  If not for any other reason, Valentine's Day should remind you to acknowledge and appreciate the good found in one's life.  For example, there are two liquor stores, three pay-day loan shops, and one bail bondsman along the two mile drive to my son's school.  My tendency to complain has caused me to overlook the sites of inspiration along the way.  Today, this is what I saw instead: a revival, a church of hope, a commitment to being better.

Occupied

Test Post with Old News - Urinals

Urinals, although not a common feature of homes, are very useful and regularly found in museums.  Some urinals are important enough, for some inexplicable reason, to be displayed on a podium in the exhibit hall.  Duchamp, in 1917 converted an everyday object into art by submitting it to a museum to be displayed as his sculpture.  Does the urinal then cease to be a urinal?  Not in the mind of performance artist Pinoncelli who put the urinal to use 1993.  It seems to me that by urinating in the urinal, Pinoncelli transformed an everyday art object back into an everyday plumbing fixture.  Needless to say, the Pompidou did not appreciate his contribution to the exhibit and subsequent abuse of the object d'art with a hammer.