What's worse? Owning a Yeti hand or Stealing a Yeti hand?

replica of YFB

At a distant time (1950s) and in a far away monastery perched precariously in the Himalayas, Peter Byrne discovered a secret stash of Yeti (abominable snowman) bones.  Because Byrne was on an expedition to root out the snowman, he decided to "borrow" one of the fingers as proof the the monster's existence.  Needing confirmation of the authenticity of the bone, Byrne raced to Calcutta to meet up with Jimmy Stewart, an expert in giant invisible rabbits (and, perhaps, snowmenpeople).  Gloria, Jimmy's wife, had a better idea.  "Let's hide this Yeti Finger Bone in my lingerie and smuggle it to England where researchers at Oxford can study it," she said, perhaps.  So they hid the YFB ("Yeti Finger Bone") in her lingerie and took it to England where an Oxford professor said, "I don't know what this nasty thing is, but it may be a YFB." To make up for the theft of a sacred artifact, a replica of the YFB and hand have been returned to the monastery.

Stewart and Harvey

The Royal What? Really?

Watching the ramp-up to the Royal Wedding from the Edge, there are many strange sites to see.  Of particular interest are the outlandish commemorative souvenirs.  Here are a few that I found.

• Royal fingernails
• Will and Kate Pez dispensers
• Royal Gnomes
• "Crown Jewel" commemorative condoms
• Refrigerator with WIll and Kate on it
• Toilet seats
• Royal Finger Puppets

Pope JP II Benifits from Firing Devil's Advocate

There are some jobs children grow up desiring: astronaut, scientist, president.  Seldom, if ever, did the position of Promoter of the Faith make the list.  Promoter of the Faith, more commonly known as "dvocatus diaboli" (Devil's Advocate), was an ecclesiastical advocate appointed to oppose the canonization of a person, making sure that the person truly deserved sainthood.  Pope Sixtus V created the position in 1587.  Four hundred years later, in 1983, Pope John Paul II terminated the Devil's Advocate.  The move opened the sainthood floodgates.  During his reign from 1978-2005, Pope John Paul II canonized 500 saints.  By comparison, Sixtus V only canonized one person (St. Didacus) and, prior to John Paul II, only 98 persons had been saint-ified. The fast-track for sainthood may help John Paul II in the current round of canonization.

Painted Bunting Excitement

There are few more beautiful native birds than the painted bunting.  Tonight, one visited the backyard to tease the cats.

feasting

chill'n with the cardinal

now you see him

now you (barely) don't

Waco Renaissance - What would you change?

Inspired by Oil & Water Law Guy's suggestion that Waco needs a good chop house, I decided that this List Day Topic shall be:

What does Waco need?

Sheriff Joe and the M.O.D. (Mug Shot of the Day)

Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, has launched a new contest for residents of greater metropolitan Phoenix: Mug Shot of the Day.  Odd, bewildering, unsettling, yet amusing.  Sheriff Joe has a vision for life in Arizona, and now, so does the world.  You can search the mug shots sorted by crime or by popularity.  But, Sheriff Joe reminds us, in BOLD letters at the bottom, that "PRE-TRIAL INMATES ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY!" 
Here are the leaders:

From the Maricopa County website.

New Ferry In Port Aransas

If you have been grousing about the long ferry lines to and from Port A, anticipate a slight reprieve this summer.  The Charles W. Heald, a 28 car ferry, arrived in port this week.  It will take about 30 days of training before the new ferry will be put into regular service.  All of the ferry landing staff have to be trained on the boat.  The Heald is the first of two new ferries to be added to the fleet, costing $6.4 million a piece. The older ferries carry 20 cars a piece, a significant boost from the 9 car ferries that were in service in the 70's and 80's.

So you did not make it on the Forbes most wealthy list...

Like universities ("Baylor Rewards Freshmen Who Retake SAT") who try to nudge their US News rankings, you too might be able to tweak your "Most Wealthy" ranking.  Explaining how they came up with the $2.7 billion number for Donald Trump, Forbes said that they contact one's "employees, rivals, attorneys, ex-spouses and securities analysts."  If you don't have any of these, you may be a long, long way from making the List.

Real Madrid Starts New Tradition

Seconds before the 35 year old silver
Copa Del Rey goes under the bus.

Ending an 18 year span of not winning the Spanish national soccer championship, Copa Del Rey, the Madrid team celebrated the momentous occasion by throwing the enormous trophy into the street and driving over it with a large white bus.  "Barcelona, that'll be you next year," shouted an unidentified (and perhaps non-existent) Real Madrid fan.

A Return to Meta-Listing

Having considered and rejected possible List-Day topics such as Best 80's Songs and Childhood Fears, I realized the well had run dry.  It is time for a real Meta-Listing List Day.  What are your suggestions for List-Day topics?

Today's List Day topic: What should future List-Day topics be?  

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.

Here are my suggestions:

• Names not to give to a child you love.
• If I had a desktop mini-cannon, I would ______. (fill in the blank)
• Alternate titles for Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour.

Freaky Fossils: If you Fear It, Study It

15 cm very dead spider.  from BBC.

Although worth a List-Day Topic, irrational fears are best ignored.  That said, spiders top my list for unfounded phobias.  As a child, I believed that if I tried to kill a spider and failed, the spider would report this misdeed to the spider Mafia and I would be attacked in the night as I slept.  Thus, when I saw a spider, I would ignore it unless I could execute a clean kill without being observed by its many eyed brethren. My approach to this phobia radically changed when a Baylor colleague introduced me to arachnology: if you fear it, study it. With that background, I was actually excited by the recent discovery of the largest fossilized spider.  (Fossilzed spiders are better than live spiders.)  Paul Selden, the Gulf-Hedberg Distinguished Professor of Invertebrate Paleontology at the University of Kansas, explains that the fossil is a 165 million year old female Nephila, an ancestor of the Golden Orb Weaver.  I am not clear how he knows it is a female. 

Is that your miniature Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, or are you just happy to see me?

David Kucer's mini-Thompson gun

Small things have a cute factor, even when they are weapons of mass destruction.  Take for example the miniature desk-top cannon: innocuous in size, destructive in performance.  (see video here)  Likewise, the miniature crossbow would be a great source of Friday-afternoon-still-at-work entertainment, but the landlord would not be happy with the small holes in duct work and doors.  (see video here) Some, such as David Kucer, have taken miniaturization of weaponry to the level of fine art.  The beautiful 1/3 size versions of the Thompson machine gun and Mauser leave you wondering... "Where's the ammo?  The gnomes are chewing my ankles again."

Mini-Cannon

Mini-crossbow

Running at the Edge

If you are looking for a little International recognition as a long distance runner, you might have to step up your game.  Competitors at the 2011 Virgin London Marathon set a number of new World records.  Here are a few:

• Fastest marathon in an animal costume
• Fastest marathon dressed as a book character
• Fastest marathon dressed as a fairy (male & female)
• Fastest marathon dressed as a nun
• Fastest marathon wearing a gas mask
• Most rubik's cubes solved while running a marathon

Tax Day Again, This is Just Cruel

The real deadline for taxes this year is today.  Friday, apparently, was just a warm-up.

Texas, Lake Kiowa

Brazil, Ilha do Japao

If you have a sizable return coming, or you primarily bank offshore, you might consider buying as island to cheer yourself up.  In Texas, you can pick up a private island in Lake Kiowa for about $350,000.00.  The benefit of lake islands is that you don't have to worry about rising ocean levels as the polar caps melt.  But, for the traditionalist island purchaser on a budget, there are a handful of islands under $70k.  You can pick up a .7 acre island off Panama for $30k.  If you want trees and a house in place, you can buy Ilha do Japao, off the coast of Brazil for a cool $4 mil.  On the 9 acre island are 5 houses, a garage (? no ferries to the island ?) and a ranch (? of tapir ?).

Panama

The Days Get their Day at Pallant House Gallery

Robin Day's Polyprop Chair

What would an idealized reminiscence about the 1950's be without atomic prints and stacking chairs?

Both Lucienne Day and her husband Robin died last year. The Pallant House Gallery has put together a show of their work. The textile prints of Lucienne Day defined the Mid-Centrury Modern aesthetic. Robin Day's ubiquitous stacking chairs shaped the derrières of the world.

Lucienne Day

Is It April 15th!?... #@*!!*!@*!!

Happy Birthday Leonardo! You would
have loved the 21st century.

It is Leonardo da Vinci's birthday (1452) today and I forgot to send a card.

• It is also the birthday of the golden arches of McDonald's in 1955.
• It is DNA Day over at the National Human Genome Research Institute where they have a live chatroom discussion of DNA all day today.
• April 15 is Rubber Eraser Day, the yearly celebration of Sir Joseph Priestly's invention on this day in 1770.   As a side note, Priestly also invented a process for carbonating water in 1767.
• And, today is Pay Your !@#$@#@@ Taxes Day in the U.S.
• That is one reason this is also National That Sucks Day... along with the fact that this is the day Abraham Lincoln died (1865) and the Titanic sank (1912).

Time for a Career Change? Try Goblin Law

The legal market is not what it used to be, but how do you know when it is time to expand your practice into other areas... such as Goblin Law.  According to Professor Pulsinelli at the University of Tennessee intellectual property law and Goblin Law have much in common.  In the Muggle world, if you buy a car, you own it.  For Goblins, the key question is "Who made the car?"  If the answer is "Ragnuk the Goblin," you might be careful when lending your keys.  Property rights for Goblins begin and end with the creator.  A buyer of the object only has possessory rights that, at best, last for one's life.

For more insight into the legal complexities of the Goblin Law, check out "The Law & Harry Potter."

"Plonk?" You may not know the difference

Can you tell the difference between an expensive bottle of wine and "Plonk?"  At the 2011 Edinburgh Science Fair, participants in a blind taste test selected the cheap bottle of wine 50% of the time.  What does this really tell us? If you are a Scottish scientist, you may be paying too much for your wine.  The real question is whether they can tell the difference between an 18 year-old Glenlivet and Jim Beam's 8-Star.

Worst Movies List

Sometimes, true wisdom is knowing what not to do.


This List-Day Wednesday Topic: 
What movies should you avoid like the plague?

The embarrassing thing about a "worst movie list" is that you have to admit you saw, at least part, of the movie.

Here is my list:
1) "Grown Ups" - my excuse, I was trapped on a transatlantic flight
2) "Ishtar" - I don't even remember what it was about, but Isabelle Adjani was in it.
3) "King Kong" (2005) - I am embarrassed to say that I made it to the scene where Kong battled the dinosaurs.
 4) Any of the recent Star Wars movies.

Peace & Love at Fat Ho

Today, the Edge can officially recommend the burgers at Fat Ho.  For lunch I had the Feisty Fat Ho a.k.a. Hot Ho burger with jalapeños and fries.  Very tasty.  The ambiance is straight forward.  There is a counter where you order your food and places to sit... very simple.  The staff was friendly, attentive, and busy. 

Smoke on the Brazos

Over the Edge - Huffington & O'Rourke

Is our government ungovernable?  

Or something like that was the topic in a recent Intelligence Squared Debate.  The topic was less important and interesting than the contestants.  On one side, arguing that the US government is ungovernable, was Arianna Huffington (yes, the Huffington Post Huffington).  On the other side was P. J. O'Rourke, the guy who said "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys" and wrote such books as "Eat the Rich" and "Don't Vote, It Just Encourages the Bastards."

The best line from the debate:

Arianna Huffington, "Well, the idea that it’s dumb kids that are the problem is just charming P.J. I mean, whatever P.J. says, he's charming because he's funny. But it's not true."

You can relive the debate.  You may learning nothing new about American politics, but you will be well entertained.

Tower of Lego Babel in Brazil

Thousands of industrious Brazilian children have come together to break the record for the largest Lego tower.  102 feet tall.  500,000 Lego bricks.  And, they built it without using the pictures on the box or the packaged instructions.

Digital-Life Resources

Don't forget your local library as your life becomes more dependent on electron based entrainment & information.  Although most libraries (not all) are keeping those things called books, your local library is probably ahead of the curve in providing digital content for your i-devices.  Waco-McLennan County has numerous online databases including NetLibrary.  Why is this so cool?  NetLibrary lets you check out e-books and digital audiobooks wherever you have an internet connection.  Recently, the Waco Library has joined many other libraries across the nation in using Overdrive, a digital media delivery service that integrates with your iPhone, making access to the digital content even easier.

Here is the link to the Overdrive site where you can get the software you need.

Also, don't forget to support your local library by joining the supporting your Friends of the Library organization.

Recent Rodent News

In case you were lamenting the absence of high speed public transport in central Texas, you can at least be thankful that you do not have to travel with rodents.  This is good for you and the rats, according to a 1976 study conducted by the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy.  "Rats with high blood pressure should not ride the subways too often or too long: the stress of noise, vibration, and crowding may kill some of them before their time." (I have not yet found the study, but many enthusiastically quote the study.)  Other studies have found that subway rats live in the walls of the subway, not the subway itself; that a rat can survive a 40' fall and keep running; and that they can jump 2' from a running start.  Such insights have led the former director of NY's Pest Control Services to conclude: "We’re no match for them, as far as I’m concerned. Man does not stand no chance.”
In other Rodent News, the $5 million restoration of the DC Superior Court building did all except rid the place of rats.  Hmm.

Obscure Sport Day: Ulama

The sport of Ulama, played in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, is the oldest, continuously played sport using a rubber ball.  Ulama traces its roots back to the ancient ballgame sport and ritual played by the Olmec.  "Olmec" loosely translates to "the rubber people'" referring to the technology they developed for making balls used in the ballgame.  One of the earliest ballgame courts is found at Paso de la Amada.  About 20 of the balls used in the game have been found near the Olmec site of San Lorenzo.

Rubber Ball found at El Manatí

How was the ancient ballgame played?  That is unclear.  Perhaps we can use the modern example of Ulama as a clue.  The objective is to keep the ball in play.  You strike the ball with your hips (although there are variations where you use your arms).  The scoring is rather complex, but the simple story is that the first to eight wins.  A game can last as long as eight days or as short as a few minutes.

Consumer Protection, Medieval Style

Cuck Stool aka "Baker's Baptism"

Apparently, Medieval bakers were real scoundrels.  Numerous Medieval communities adopted strict ordinances regulating the size and quality of bread produced by the local baker.  If caught violating the ordinance, the baker could expect anything from a fine to a plunge into the river on a "cuck stool."

In England, The Coventry Leet Book sets pricing and quality regulations for retail baked goods. Overcharging or not using the "best quality flour" could results in a series of punishments.  The city ordinance imposed a fine of 13 shillings for the first offense.   After the third offense, the baker was sent to the pillory; a fourth offense and the baker was banished for 1 year.

In Germany, the punishment for a baker who overcharged was a "baker's baptism."  The baker would be strapped to a "cuck stool" and plunged into the river.  The number of "baptisms" depended on the amount overcharged.  

Distraction in the Classroom

A university professor was arrested last week for closing the laptop of a student (on her fingers) who was checking Facebook and twitter during his lecture.  Students using their phone or computer to surf the net during class is a problem I have witnessed at Baylor.  Apparently, professors should not assault students who are engaged in social-media during class.  But, how should the professor respond? Is this even a problem the professor should worry about? 

For this List-Day Wednesday, the topic is:

How should a teacher respond to students who use their computer/phone for entertainment during class?

Here is my list.

• Prohibit the use of laptops and phones during class.
• Ask the student, during class, to not use their device for Facebook.
• Count the student as absent for that day.

Why was your Professor arrested?

At Valdosta State University, Frank Rybicki was arrested for shutting a student's laptop on her fingers.  According to Rybicki, the student was using the laptop non-class related entertainment.  Students commenting on the article published on the Spectator's website tend to side with the professor, saying that using your computer for social media during class should not be tolerated.

In high school, we had out headmaster arrested... but it was part of a fundraiser.  Money collected for his bail was donated to a good cause.

Here are some other reasons a university professor might be arrested:

In Florida, a professor was arrested for carrying a suspicious bagel onto a plane.
In Georgia, a professor was arrested for stripping naked in front of his class.
In Massachusetts, a black professor was arrested as a possible burglar when he entered his own home.

Art on the Edge in China

Over the weekend, contemporary art in China made two headlines.

Forever Lasting Love, Zhang Ziaogang

First, a 1988 painting by Zhang Ziaogang set a new record at Sotheby's by selling for $10,180,000.00.  The painting is entitled Forever Lasting Love. 

Second, Ai Weiwei, China's most famous contemporary artist, has been detained by Chinese authorities at the Beijing airport. Because of his public criticism of China for continued violations of human rights, Ai Weiwei has frequently been the target of government crackdowns. Ai Weiwei is best known for his work in helping design the Bird's Nest stadium at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  This past year, his 100,000,000 sunflower seeds have been on display at the Tate Modern in London.

UPDATE ON Ai Weiwei: Despite the fact that China has not acknowledged detaining artist Ai Weiwei, France and Germany have called for his release.

Ai Weiwei at the Tate Modern.

Sheen Saga Continues

The Edge is a late-comer to the community of Charlie Sheen gawkers. Last night's show in Detroit, entitled "Violent Torpedo of Truth: Defeat is Not an Option," derailed after one hour.  The audience booed Mr. Sheen off the stage and he did not return.  Some lines from the event may provide insight into the dark, too dark to see, light is not on, mind of Mr. Sheen.

Opening line: something about training the Vatican assassin in each one of us.

Self-description of his mind: "napalm dripping brain"; a leaking bag of mayhem.

Response to the jeering crowd: "I already got your money, dude."

I like irreverent drug fiends, the late Hunter S. Thompson in particular. But, Charlie Sheen makes me sad. That he did this in Detroit... well, I will let native Detroiters, such as Osler at the Razor, speak to that dimension of the Sheen Tragedy.

The Saxon Mirror Illuminated

I owe thanks to the German Medievalist (Dr. Ann McGlashan) who introduced me to a book on the history of Germanic Law, in particular the Heidelberg Illuminated Manuscript of the Sachsenspiegel.  Sachsenspiegel  means "the Saxon Mirror."  The Sachsenspiegel is an important and interesting text written around 1225 by Eike von Repgow.  Eike was tasked with compiling into a single German book the current Saxon common law, feudal law, and legal procedure.  Although the Sachsenspiegel was meant for private use, Eike inadvertently created statutory law for the Germanic region.  The text was copied and widely distributed as the authoritative compilation of the law of the king or emperor.

The Heidelberg Illumination of the Sachsenspiegel (c. 1330), marks an intriguing intersection between law and art.  As an aid to those how cannot read (or, perhaps, following the principal that a picture is worth a 1000 words) the "statutes" are illustrated.

The illustration below is for the lawyers and judges at the Edge.  The illumination depicts the Statute of Limitations.  A case is barred after the expiration of one year and a day from the ensuing event.  This illustration shows the judge dismissing the case without testimony from the defendant.  The plaintiff waited one year (LII) and six weeks (VI) to bring is claim to his brother's(?) estate.  As a result, the pregnant woman does not have to relinquish possession of the marital home to the heir of her deceased husband.

Sexism in Advertising

I showed the Preakness ads to a colleague at Baylor who writes on feminism and pop-culture.  She said that she found a university summer session ad worse than "I get my Preak on with my Sorority Sisters."  The universty's ad features an attractive woman lying in the grass, without books, with the caption "Do it in the grass."  I have not been able to find a copy of the ad, but in my search I have found some other questionable ad campaigns.

An ad for Mr. Leggs slacks.  This ad fails on many levels.
But, Leggs for men was doomed at the drawing board.

• Sin City, a Queensland night club, is self-promoting with a contest in which the winner will receive breast enlargement surgery, valued at $10,000.00.  For the lawyers at the Edge, Sin City has crossed the line on a law that prohibits offering plastic surgery as a prize.
• Wayfinder GPS's ad in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (and other publications?) has the following copy: "Men would rather get lost than ask for directions; Women, well, they get lost even if they ask."
• Going vintage: Hoover "Christmas morning she'll be happier with a Hoover."; Chef Mixer "The Chef does everything but cook -- that's what wives are for!"; Del Monte ketchup "You mean a woman can open it?"
• QSOL.COM   print ad for their computer servers has a close up of a woman's face and the conciliatory statement, "Don't feel bad, our servers won't go down on you either."
• And, for those in Waco, Fat Ho Burger.