Goodbye to the Rodeo Prison: "The Wildest Show Behind Bars"

The Mad Cow Scramble at the Texas Prison Rodeo

The Texas Prison Rodeo started in 1931 at the Huntsville State Prison.  In addition to the standard rodeo events, the Prison Rodeo included wild cow milking and bull dogging.  One of the most popular events was "Hard Money."  A sack of money was tied to the horns of a wild (and angry) bull.  Forty inmates were then placed in the ring with the bull and told "go get it."

The Texas Prison Rodeo ended in 1986.  With the demolition of the arena last week, story of the Texas Prison Rodeo has ended.

Happy Birthday "Texas" Guinan

Mary "Texas" Guinan"

Mary Louise Cecilia Guinan was born January 12, 1884 in Waco, Texas.  She became an actress and, later, the proprietor of the "300 Club" in New York City.  The prohibition era speakeasy was the hot spot for socialites and actors.   Entertainment included fan dancers and impromptu performances by George Gershwin.  Texas Guinan, as she was known, died in 1933 while traveling in Vancouver, Canada.  Learn more about Texas at Jazzbabies.  Texas scandals.  Raid on the 300 Club.

Success in Sin: St. Augustine's Confessions and the Son of Sam Law (Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of NY State Crime Victims Bd., 1991)

St. Augustine, Michael Pacher (1483)

Thou shalt not profit from your sin, especially serial killing.  The Son of Sam Law was passed in 1977 in New York with the purpose of preventing criminals from capitalizing on their crimes.  This asset forfeiture law specified that monies earned from autobiographies of criminals shall first be made available to the victims of the crimes.  The notorious Son of Sam (David Berkowitz) murdered 6 people and wounded 7 others in New York City.  Because of speculation that book publishers were offering Berkowitz large sums of money to publish his story, the New York Legislature quickly drafted and passed the Son of Sam Law to prevent a seeming injustice that Berkowitz could become rich from the retelling the story of his crimes.

The law New York passed (many states passed similar laws) defined "criminal" very, very broadly.  That definition was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court case Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of NY State Crime Victims Bd., 502 US 105, (1991).  The law defined "criminal" as follows:
[a] person convicted of a crime" to include "any person convicted of a crime in this state either by entry of a plea of guilty or by conviction after trial and any person who has voluntarily and intelligently admitted the commission of a crime for which such person is not prosecuted.

The definition includes anyone who has confessed to a crime, yet was not prosecuted for that crime.  As Justice O'Connor noted, such a broad definition would include Henry David Thoreau, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King,  and St. Augustine.  "[The law] would have escrowed payment for such works as... the Confessions of Saint Augustine, in which the author laments 'my past foulness and the carnal corruptions of my soul,' one instance of which involved the theft of pears from a neighboring vineyard."  Simon & Schuster, 502 U.S. at 121. 

For this reason, the Supreme Court reversed the lower court, ruling that the New York Son of Sam Law encroached on speech protected under the First Amendment.  The law was not narrowly tailored to advance the legitimate government interest in compensating victims from financial fruits of the crime. Simon & Schuster, 502 U.S. at 123.

The image is from an altar panel by Michael Pacher, a Northern Renaissance painter, and depicts an apocryphal scene in which St. Augustine met a young boy playing with water and a spoon.  St. Augustine, perplexed by this meaningless form of play, asked the boy what he was doing.  The boy replied, "My game is as pointless as your efforts to understand the Holy Trinity with a rational mind."  As St. Augustine acknowledged in his Confessions, "We are too weak to discover Truth by reason alone." (Bk. IV, Chap. 5)

Voina: Noze Brothers of the Russian Art World

"Beyond Art" police car burning.

Voina, without the Nozes.

In celebration of New Years, the Russian street art group Voina burned a police car.  The group acknowledges that their performances are not "ART" per se.  Instead, they argue, their work is "beyond art."  The "Beyond Art" school of "Art" is problematic.  When you do not know where "art" is in the first place, it is hard to say when you have passed it; when you have gone "beyond art."  The other problem with "beyond art" is that if you approach "art from the opposite direction," what was once "beyond art" is now "not quite to art."  Perhaps the semantic solution for this dilemma is to say that the performances of Voina are "near art."  But in order to find out just how "near" or "far away" one is from "art," we will have to wait for the iPhone app.

Hang Your Own Artwork in a Museum, Banksy Style

Sobeipan at the National Museum in Poland

Why wait for the "art world" to discover you, go to it, but bring your own hammer and nail.  Following in the footsteps of Banksy, a Polish art student by the name of Sobiepan took his artwork to the National Museum in Poland, found a blank spot on the wall, and hung his painting.  

In 2005, Banksy "self-exhibited" his work in the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History.  

The fun with this style of performance art is seeing how long it takes the museum to recognize that there is something amiss.

"Lady in Gas mask," Banksy 2005

Banksy at the Metropolitan

Mysteries of La Belle: Roman Coin, Figa, and French ownership

La Belle hull in situ.

La Belle was a small French ship that sank off the coast of Texas in 1687.  The location of the wreck was mapped by the Spanish in 1689.  The ship sank in Matagorda Bay, just North of the barrier island protecting the bay.  For the next 300 years, the ship lay undisturbed in the sandy bed of the bay.  In 1995, archaeologists with the Texas Historic Commission located La Belle and began the arduous task of excavating the sunken and silted wreck.  (link to an Internet tour of the La Belle)

Intermixed with the detritus of the 17th century wreck was a Roman denarius dating to 69 A.D.  Hmm.  Strange.  If not evidence of time travelers or Atlantis, this odd artifact shows that humans have always been fascinated with history.  A sailor must travel light, thus a small silver coin tucked in one's pocket might be a perfect memory of home.  Perhaps the forgotten sailor picked the coin as a child working the fields of his childhood home France.  The discovery of the coin may have been a longed for omen telling him to leave the hills of France and seek work in the dockyards.

1689 Spanish Map.

Another talisman discovered in the wreck was a glass figa.  Such an object might have been carried as a protective charm, warding off evil.

Glass figa.

Despite resting in the territorial waters of Texas (U.S.) since the beginning of its nationhood, the French government immediately claimed ownership of La Belle and the ship's content.  An agreement was reached that the U.S. would have the right of possession of the ship and all within, but the French government would be recognized as the owner.  Despite this arrangement (or because of it), the skeleton of a crew member discovered in the forward hold was buried in Austin.

What do George Santayana and Tax Court Have In Common?

Daniel M. Cory and the publication of Persons and Places, the autobiography of George Santayana.  Cory v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 23 T.C. 775 (1955).

Cover of Time, Feb. 3 1936, George Santayana

Mr. Cory, a philosopher in his own right, was a close friend and assistant to George Santayana.  In an effort to provide some compensation for the services of Cory, Santayana bequeathed unto Cory the publishing rights for his autobiography, Persons and Places.  The autobiography was published in 1944, eight years before his death.  At the time of his death, Santayana was an internationally admired figure in the field of philosophy.  So, rights to the royalties were of significant value.

The issue raised by the IRS was how to classify the income from the publication.  Cory reported the payments from the publisher as long term capital gains from the sale of the book.  The IRS objected, arguing that the income should be treated as ordinary income, thus taxed at a higher rate.  For tax attorneys, the intrigue in the case comes from two issues.  First, was the gift of the license completed before the publication of the book and, second, are proceeds from the publishing contract treated as ordinary income or capital gains?

Waco Farmer's Market - Downtown Renaissance

A cold, but beautiful morning... A fabulous day for a visit to the Waco Downtown Farmers Market.

This market is a great example of the positive change occurring in Waco.  The market is behind the Waco Fire Department on University Parks Drive, next to the Waco Drill Tower.  

Richardson Farms

Mill-King Dairy

Diary Meadow Soaps

How Much Is Your Tuna Worth? $736,000?

Vintage blue fin tuna caught off Nova Scotia

Mr. Kimura grinning over his 3/4 million dollar fish.

Un-canned tuna fish (guaranteed dolphin free) can be very, very expensive.  A new record price has been reached for blue fin tuna.  At the Tsukiji fish market's auction yesterday, Kiyoshi Kimura purchased the 593 lb. fish for $736,000.00.  Mr. Kimura is the president of Sushi-Zanmai, a popular chain of sushi restaurants.  A single piece of sushi from the best part of a blue fin tuna can cost up to $24.00.  Mr. Kimura sold pieces of his record fish for $5.45 a piece.  That is quite a deal considering that at cost, each bite sized serving would cost $96.00. 

David Hockney: Title, "No." Fancy necklace, "Yes."

Order of Merit

In 1990, David Hockney was offered an Order of Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.  Following a tradition of a-noble intellectuals and artists, Hockney turned down the title of "Sir."  Alan Bennett, David Bowie, Michael Faraday, Stephen Hawkins, and George B. Shaw are a few who declined an offer to be an English Knight.

But, David Hockney has accepted an appointment to the Order of Merit, a more selective honor bestowed on a citizen of the commonwealth by the monarch.  There can only be 24 living OM recipients at any given time.  No title goes with the appointment, but the recipient receives a cool red and blue medal and the right to say "OMmmm" after being addressed.

Self-portrait, 1999.  David Hockney, OMmmm 

Check out David Hockney, OMmm's self portraits at Poul Webb's art blog.

In 2012 Dockwise Vanguard will displace MV Blue Marlin

MV Blue Marlin carrying the USS Cole from Yemen

2012 promises to be a BIG year.

The largest heavy lift ship is the MV Blue Marlin, famous for carrying the damage USS Cole from Yemen to the US for repairs.  2012 looks forward to the launch of the Dockwise Vanguard which will have  a deck area 12,000 sq. m. larger than the MV Blue Marlin.  (Dockwise Vanguard website) These giant transports partially submerge allowing it to float under the cargo.  Once the cargo is in place, the ballast is pumped out, thereby raising the cargo out of water.

Rendition of Dockwise Vanguard.

New Year's Eve Cocktail

The Champagne Cocktail is the classic mixed beverage for ringing in the New Year.  Here are a couple of recipes worth trying.

Champagne Cocktail (classic version)

• 1 sugar cube
• 1 dash of Angostura bitters
• twist of lemon of lemon peel
• 3 oz champagne
• Place the sugar cube in the bottom of the glass and drop one dash of Angostura bitters on the cube.   Twist the lemon peel over the cube and drop into bottom of glass.  Pour champagne over the cube.

Champagne Cocktail (stout)

• 1 oz brandy
• 4 oz champagne
• 1 orange peel
• Combine the brandy and champagne in a glass.  Twist orange peel over glass and discard peel.

Champagne Julep

• 3 mint leaves
• 1 sugar cube
• twist of lemon peel
• 3 oz of champagne
• Muddle mint in bottom of glass.  Add cube.  Twist lemon peel over cube.  Add champagne.

A votre santé! Let go of your old habits so to make room for new ones.

How to Celebrate New Year's Eve in...

New Year's Postcard, Nengajo

Japan:  Holiday is known as Omisoka.  Send a postcard so it arrives on January 1st.
Mexico: Año Nuevo.  Eat twelve grapes at midnight.
Greece: Protohronia (New Year's Day, also St. Basil's Day).  Invite the most lucky person you know to be the first to enter your house: "Pothariko."
Russia: Decorate the New Year's tree, the Novogodnyaya Yolka, with candy.  Await the coming of Ded Moroz, Father Frost, and Snegurochka, the snow girl, on New Year's Day.

Ded Moroz and Snegurochka

Ice Church: ideal home for the "Frozen Chosen"

God's Igloo

A chilling monument to religion has been constructed in Mitterfirmiansreut.  The tradition of the Ice Church goes back to 1911 when local villagers constructed a church of snow as a worship site because they did not have a permanent church in the area.  The most recent manifestation of winter worship was intended to be completed in time for Christmas, but global warming dampened construction efforts.  "God's Igloo," as it is known locally, is a Catholic place of worship, but a sanctuary of ice seems equally appropriate for Presbyterians, aka "the Frozen Chosen."

Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader: a Diplomatic Cheat Sheet

These are "facts" cobbled together about the enigmatic new Leader of the North Korea.  The reliability of this information is questionable; as Kim Jong-un puts it, "you should not expect any change from us."

Shamans performing rituals over image of Kim Jong-un

• Birth: Kim Jong-un was born, we don't know when.
• January 8, 1984 (from unidentified intelligence sources)
• January 1, 1982, according to North Korea, because it is numerologically consistent with the birth of his father, 1942, and his grandfather, 1912.
• Father: Kim Jong-un's father was Kim Jong-il, prior Supreme Leader of North Korea
• Born in the Soviet Union in 1941, but officially born on Mont Paektu, the mythic place of origin of the Korean people, in 1942 (the number thing again)
• Mother: Ko Young-hee (third wife of Kim Jong-il)
• Born in Osaka, Japan on June 16, 1953
• Died on August 27, 2004 of breast cancer in Paris where she was receiving treatment. 
• Moved to N. Korea in 1961
• Started dancing with the Mansudae Art Troupe in 1971.  
• Siblings (of the same mother):
• Kim Jong-chol (1981- ) - brother
• Likes Eric Clapton
• Rejected as leader for being "too feminine in character" because of his lavish lifestyle.
• Kim Yo-jong (1987 - ) - sister
• Education:
• 1998 International School of Bern, Switzerland
• Pseudonym of Pak Chol , as a child of embassy servants.
• Graduated from North Korea Military Academy
• Marital Status: believed to be married, unconfirmed.
• Favorite PlayStation Game: NBA Basketball
• Favorite Cocktail: unknown, but it is said he is a "big drinker" who does not stop
• his father liked French wines and Johnny Walker
• Favorite Beer: Taedonggang beer, the top beer produced in N. Korea. 
• Favorite Basketball Player: Toni Kukoc 
• Favorite shoes: Nikes
• Looks most like: Kim Il-sung, thanks to plastic surgery.
• Hairstyle: called the "Ambition."

9831 Miles South of Svalbard: Puerto Williams, Chile

Puerto Williams, Chile

Puerto Williams claims the title of Southern most town in the world.  As Arctic adventurers travel to Longyearbyen, Antarctic tourists visit Puerto Williams before setting off to Cape Horn and the Antarctic.  Puerto Williams is also a popular way-point for sailors.  The annual Glorias Navales Regata attracts 300 participants from all over the world.

The town of PW is located on the South bank of the Beagle Channel.  The Beagle Channel, named for the HMS Beagle, was established as the border between Argentina and Chile after the Boundary Treaty of 1881.

As with many an international border, tensions remained between the two nations even in this remote location.  Why?  The waters off Cape Horn ("The Sea of Fear") have claimed the lives of many a sailor.  Charles Darwin wrote in The Voyage of the Beagle that "One sight of such a coast is enough to make a landsman dream for a week about shipwrecks, peril, and death; and with this sight we bade farewell for ever to Tierra del Fuego."  Until the Panama Canal, all ship traffic from the Atlantic to the Pacific sides of South America had to pass through the fjords and channels of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. The country in control of these routes received the passage fees.

The "Beagle Conflict" began in 1904 when Argentina claimed control of some islands traditionally under Chilean control.  Litigation arose as to the interpretation of 1881 treaty, in particular the Islands Clause aka Article III.  The Islands Clause established the Beagle Channel as the border, but added the clause that "to Chile shall belong all the islands to the south of Beagle Channel up to Cape Horn, and those there may be to the west of Tierra del Fuego."  Argentina received the islands "of the eastern coast of Patagonia."  Well, this seems straight forward, until you look at a map which shows that Tierra del Fuego is east of Patagonia and Patagonia is west of Tierra del Fuego. Thus litigation arose as to the meaning of "Patagonia" and "Tierra del Fuego." 

1884

The Beagle Conflict simmered and stewed through three quarters of the 20th century until January 25, 1978 when Argentina sent a naval squadron to the Beagle Channel in an effort to claim full control of the channel.  Chile responded in kind and the two nations prepared for war.  Pope John Paul II intervened, sending letter to both presidents.  The Vatican conducted a series of meditations which staved off military conflict, but tensions remained high.  On May 2, 1985, the Nations signed a treaty at the Vatican acknowledging Chile's ownership of the islands and Argentina's right to maritime passage (perhaps control) of some Chilean waters.

Commercial Freedom Abounds in Svalbard

Longyearbyen Valley

Thanks to the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920, citizens of the US, along with all of the signatories, may enjoy free access to the Northern paradise of Svalbard.  Svalbard, home to the Northern most town in the world, was first discovered in the 11th century by the Norse.   The Medieval Icelandic book Landnamabok (The Book of Settlment) makes the first mention of "Cold Shores," Svalbard.  Curiously, the prologue to the Landnamabok begins with a reference to the De Temporum Ratione by Venerable Bede in which an island where the sun does not set in the summer is identified as Tili (Iceland). 

Landnamabok

Since the first discovery of Svalbard,  no one has wanted to claim the islands as their own.  The Spitsbergen Treaty gave full ownership of the island to Norway, but allowed any signatory of the treaty the right to become a resident and reap the commercial bounty of the archipelago.  Before moving there, you should become acquainted with Norwegian law which governs criminal, civil and commercial disputes. 

Although over 500 miles from the nearest city, Longyearbyen has modest accommodations for the arctic adventure tourist.  There is a nightclub, a cinema, and a variety of restaurants.  If you decide to explore the surrounding countryside, make sure that you are armed, it is the law.  Whenever leaving the settlement, you must carry a firearm.  Don't worry if you left your Browning at home, the local bakery rents guns. Why must you carry a weapon?  Polar bears.  You will need a gun to protect yourself from polar bears wandering the valley.  But, keep in mind that it is illegal to shoot a polar bear.  Happy Travels!

Shipping Delay: TSA Airport Security Playset

Christmas is a time of miracles, but not all miracles.  Sadly, the TSA Airport Security set did not make it through Customs at LAX in time for Christmas morning.  Apparently, x-rays of x-rays create an intellectual paradox for security protocol.  Does a full body scan of a full body scan put your clothing back on, thus hiding the Norwegian fruit cake you hoped to eat on the plane that no longer provides food? 

When the package arrived today (opened and missing the wand and zip-cuffs), frankly, I was disappointed; if I had only read the reviews on Amazon.  Shoes do not come off, suitcase does not open, only one person waiting in line...

For a birthday present, I have ordered the Interrogation Room with poseable drug-dog.

Robots We Should Fear

Robots of today, although more functional, lack the terrifying intrigue of their mid-century tin counterparts. The Lilliput, a classic wobbling robot, evokes the image of restless authority that the blank faced ASIMO or EVA lack.  Perhaps its pointy teeth imply a self-destructive craving for human flesh and kittens.  Even more fearsome is the Smoking Robot.  As the name implies, this robots "exhales" smoke.  Why?  Perhaps it emits greenhouse gases, plotting to slowly destroy the world through global warming.  Robots don't care about time or solar radiation.

Smoking Robot

Today, you can purchase a desk top robot tank.  Resembling a Smart car, the "Desk Pet" hardly evokes the science fiction horror of yesteryear. Where is the fake laser, sparking maw, and claws?  Lilliput maybe slow, but once it starts gnawing Desk Pet's "supplied dongle," order will be restored to un-nature.

ASIMO

Desk Pet Tankbot