On the first of this month, it was snowing and I was stuck inside, so I cooked up a storm. It looks like spring is finally here -- just in the last week or so. Hooray!
As for my goal, I made partial progress. As a reminder, I was going to:
- Do my mending;
- Tidy up my craft area;
- Use the newly-cleaned space to make patterns for the curtains we will need in our camper;
- Compile a materials list for said curtains.
I accomplished the first two, but not the latter two. To be fair (and to justify my lack of progress), we haven't installed the big side window in the camper yet, so I can't get proper measurements. It's still packed in its delivery box.
What the lack of installation does not excuse is my failure to make patterns or do any planning for the windows that are already installed -- the windshield and two front door windows.
I did, however, get most of my gardens planted this past weekend, cut the grass, clean the siding on part of the house (how adult of me), and get in a nice bike ride to the farmer's market. So, hooray for all that!
Monday, April 30, 2018
Friday, April 27, 2018
What I'm Reading Now -- Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
I love Neil deGrasse Tyson. He is smart and funny and not stuck in the all-too-stuffy world of academicians who are more impressed with themselves than they are interested in sharing their hard-earned knowledge.Imagine my delight when E sent S and me a little light reading: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. I'm still very near the beginning, but so far it is real science shared in bite-sized pieces. Just like it promised to be.
Unrelated fun fact: NdGT and I have the same waffle maker!
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Angola Prison Rodeo
Angola is the only maximum-security prison in the Louisiana State Penitentiary system, and is the largest maximum-security facility in the country. The prisoners there are the worst in the state - in terms of the crimes they committed and the time they have to serve. It's a working prison, situated on 18,000 acres in the long part of the state's "L" - south of the border with Mississippi (as opposed to Arkansas).
The inmates maintain the prison facilities, work the fields with no mechanized tools (including growing all of the produce fed to the men housed there), tend to the animals (including the free-range cattle which are sold at the end of the season to make money for the prison, having been deemed too high-quality for the prisoners to eat), and generally keep the place running.
All of which creates an interesting intellectual dichotomy in the abstract, that becomes much more strange and real when you find yourself on prison grounds, interacting with actual prisoners, and realizing how many more of them than there are of you - even on rodeo day. They primarily maintain and operate the very place that holds them captive. They keep it running, so that it can keep them locked up. But if they did not, they would not have food or water. So they have to.
But six days each year - one weekend in April, and every Sunday in October - the routine falls away, and it's time for the Rodeo and Hobby Fair.
In their free time, the prisoners can work at crafts - painting, woodworking, leatherworking, metalworking, gardening - and they have the opportunity to sell their wares to rodeo-goers. In some cases, you get to meet the prisoners who did the work. If they have a record of at least 10 years with no disciplinary incidents, they are allowed to stand at their booth and sell, just like any artist at any art show anywhere. If they do not meet that requirement, they have to stay in "the cage," which is a fenced enclosure surrounding some of the fair buildings. You can talk to them, but they are not allowed to roam about freely. Friends of theirs who have the requisite clean record work the booths for them. Presumably some artists are not even allowed in the cage.
If you find an item you want to buy, you let the artist or booth worker know. He writes you a ticket which you take to the cashier for payment. The prisoners, even the ones working the food tents, are not allowed to have any involvement in the payment process. (Each food tent, run by different interest groups inside the prison, has at least one non-prisoner to handle the payments.) Once you've paid for your item at the cashier, you return to the booth with your receipt to collect your purchase. For all the people (and there are a lot of them) who buy hand-crafted furniture, there are a couple of loading areas. You go get your car, and the prisoners will carry the furniture to the loading area for you. It's not clear (nor did I ask) what percentage of each purchase goes to the prisoner's commissary account and what percentage goes towards prison operations.
Oh, and the bands. Angola has some pretty great bands, and they get to play for a real crowd on rodeo day.
Then the rodeo starts. There are introductions, a performance by the Angola Rough Riders, and some opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, the sound system left a little something to be desired, and S and I felt like we were listening to Charlie Brown's teacher for most of it. We missed much of what the emcee said and the jokes of the rodeo clowns (who are professionals, not prisoners).
The prisoners, though, were where the interesting stuff was. There was traditional bull riding, bareback horses, and the like. Not many made it the full eight seconds, although one managed to stay on his horse for 17 seconds. One also dislocated his shoulder, and (surprisingly) only one had to get carried off the arena floor on a backboard. The only female participants, besides the woman who carried the flag during the national anthem, were the barrel racers, since that requires actual talent and not just testosterone and a total lack of anything more interesting to do.
As the rodeo progressed, the more unusual events began.
There's calf wrestling (not to be confused with the traditional calf roping). In calf wrestling, two prisoners are given the task of wrestling a calf off its feet. About 20 pairs of prisoners gave it a go, and a third or so were successful.
There are the chariot races, where a prisoner rides what is essentially a flattened cardboard box, and he's towed behind one of the rodeo cowboys who runs his horse the length of the arena, circles a barrel, and runs back. It's like riding an inner tube being towed behind a speedboat, except the prisoners are being towed through mud and all manner of animal excrement, trying to stay on their "chariot" while holding a pitcher full of water in one hand. It appeared that the objective was two-fold: (1) stay on, and (2) if you succeeded at #1, have more water left in your pitcher than the other few guys who also stayed on.
There was the milking contest, where three guys get teamed up, with the goal being, as it sounds, to extract some milk into a cup, from an immensely uncooperative animal. About eight teams gave it a try - one succeeded. And I just have to say, the one that did only managed it because one of the biggest dudes I have ever seen just walked up to the cow (apparently not caring at all that the cow was bucking and tossing its head around), wrapped his arms around the cow's neck, clasping his hands in front of the cow's chest, and drove the cow's face down into the mud. It was impressive.
There was convict poker. A table and four chairs are set up outside the chute. A prisoner sits in each chair, as though playing poker. A bull is released from the chute. After that, it's pretty simple: the last man with his butt in the plastic chair wins. They did this twice at our rodeo. The first go-around, the bull charged straight out and mowed down three of the poker players, so the other guy won by default. After getting all the cowboys out there to clean up the pieces of table and chair, they reset with new furniture. The second bull was not quite so tidy about everything, and did a lot of dancing and prancing, knocking over each player in turn, but revisiting each of them to toss them out of the way. The winner was the guy who, despite being knocked down, tossed, and stepped on, held tight to the seat of his plastic chair after everyone else had let go.
There's prisoner pinball, which was a favorite of both of ours. The cowboys scatter hula hoops around the arena. A prisoner stands in each one, and a bull is released from the chute. The last man still standing in his hula hoop wins.
The final and craziest game was Guts and Glory. A poker chip has a hole drilled in the middle of it, and it is put on a cord which is tied between a very angry bull's horns. All the prisoners are released into the arena, and the bull follows. Whichever prisoner manages to grab the poker chip from between the bull's eyes wins. No one did.
After the conclusion of the rodeo, the food stalls and booths are open for another hour or so, for additional purchases and pickup of purchased items, and then everyone begins the long trip home. (Having said that, though, I also have to say that it's clear this is not the prison's first rodeo - so to speak. Their traffic management is excellent, and most concert venues could take a page out of their book.)
By this point, you're probably wondering why there are no pictures of this craziness. Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, no cell phones, cameras, or other recording equipment are allowed on the rodeo grounds - everything has to be locked in your car. However, there are professional photographers/videographers there, so there are videos available on YouTube (search "Angola Prison Rodeo"), which are well worth watching. If you have some more time, there is a documentary called The Farm, available in its entirety, which gives more of the story of the prison itself. (There are also some episodes of a show on Animal Planet -- really? yes, really -- and all kinds of other stuff about Angola that are available online.) Long story short, though, I'm sorry I don't have any pictures for you, aside from a snap of a souvenir:
One strange observation: the Angola Prison Rodeo is the only place on the planet where you will find that many rednecks - that many boots and that much camouflage - and nary a Bud or Coors Light in sight.
The inmates maintain the prison facilities, work the fields with no mechanized tools (including growing all of the produce fed to the men housed there), tend to the animals (including the free-range cattle which are sold at the end of the season to make money for the prison, having been deemed too high-quality for the prisoners to eat), and generally keep the place running.
All of which creates an interesting intellectual dichotomy in the abstract, that becomes much more strange and real when you find yourself on prison grounds, interacting with actual prisoners, and realizing how many more of them than there are of you - even on rodeo day. They primarily maintain and operate the very place that holds them captive. They keep it running, so that it can keep them locked up. But if they did not, they would not have food or water. So they have to.
But six days each year - one weekend in April, and every Sunday in October - the routine falls away, and it's time for the Rodeo and Hobby Fair.
In their free time, the prisoners can work at crafts - painting, woodworking, leatherworking, metalworking, gardening - and they have the opportunity to sell their wares to rodeo-goers. In some cases, you get to meet the prisoners who did the work. If they have a record of at least 10 years with no disciplinary incidents, they are allowed to stand at their booth and sell, just like any artist at any art show anywhere. If they do not meet that requirement, they have to stay in "the cage," which is a fenced enclosure surrounding some of the fair buildings. You can talk to them, but they are not allowed to roam about freely. Friends of theirs who have the requisite clean record work the booths for them. Presumably some artists are not even allowed in the cage.
If you find an item you want to buy, you let the artist or booth worker know. He writes you a ticket which you take to the cashier for payment. The prisoners, even the ones working the food tents, are not allowed to have any involvement in the payment process. (Each food tent, run by different interest groups inside the prison, has at least one non-prisoner to handle the payments.) Once you've paid for your item at the cashier, you return to the booth with your receipt to collect your purchase. For all the people (and there are a lot of them) who buy hand-crafted furniture, there are a couple of loading areas. You go get your car, and the prisoners will carry the furniture to the loading area for you. It's not clear (nor did I ask) what percentage of each purchase goes to the prisoner's commissary account and what percentage goes towards prison operations.
Oh, and the bands. Angola has some pretty great bands, and they get to play for a real crowd on rodeo day.
Then the rodeo starts. There are introductions, a performance by the Angola Rough Riders, and some opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, the sound system left a little something to be desired, and S and I felt like we were listening to Charlie Brown's teacher for most of it. We missed much of what the emcee said and the jokes of the rodeo clowns (who are professionals, not prisoners).
The prisoners, though, were where the interesting stuff was. There was traditional bull riding, bareback horses, and the like. Not many made it the full eight seconds, although one managed to stay on his horse for 17 seconds. One also dislocated his shoulder, and (surprisingly) only one had to get carried off the arena floor on a backboard. The only female participants, besides the woman who carried the flag during the national anthem, were the barrel racers, since that requires actual talent and not just testosterone and a total lack of anything more interesting to do.
As the rodeo progressed, the more unusual events began.
There's calf wrestling (not to be confused with the traditional calf roping). In calf wrestling, two prisoners are given the task of wrestling a calf off its feet. About 20 pairs of prisoners gave it a go, and a third or so were successful.
There are the chariot races, where a prisoner rides what is essentially a flattened cardboard box, and he's towed behind one of the rodeo cowboys who runs his horse the length of the arena, circles a barrel, and runs back. It's like riding an inner tube being towed behind a speedboat, except the prisoners are being towed through mud and all manner of animal excrement, trying to stay on their "chariot" while holding a pitcher full of water in one hand. It appeared that the objective was two-fold: (1) stay on, and (2) if you succeeded at #1, have more water left in your pitcher than the other few guys who also stayed on.
There was the milking contest, where three guys get teamed up, with the goal being, as it sounds, to extract some milk into a cup, from an immensely uncooperative animal. About eight teams gave it a try - one succeeded. And I just have to say, the one that did only managed it because one of the biggest dudes I have ever seen just walked up to the cow (apparently not caring at all that the cow was bucking and tossing its head around), wrapped his arms around the cow's neck, clasping his hands in front of the cow's chest, and drove the cow's face down into the mud. It was impressive.
There was convict poker. A table and four chairs are set up outside the chute. A prisoner sits in each chair, as though playing poker. A bull is released from the chute. After that, it's pretty simple: the last man with his butt in the plastic chair wins. They did this twice at our rodeo. The first go-around, the bull charged straight out and mowed down three of the poker players, so the other guy won by default. After getting all the cowboys out there to clean up the pieces of table and chair, they reset with new furniture. The second bull was not quite so tidy about everything, and did a lot of dancing and prancing, knocking over each player in turn, but revisiting each of them to toss them out of the way. The winner was the guy who, despite being knocked down, tossed, and stepped on, held tight to the seat of his plastic chair after everyone else had let go.
There's prisoner pinball, which was a favorite of both of ours. The cowboys scatter hula hoops around the arena. A prisoner stands in each one, and a bull is released from the chute. The last man still standing in his hula hoop wins.
The final and craziest game was Guts and Glory. A poker chip has a hole drilled in the middle of it, and it is put on a cord which is tied between a very angry bull's horns. All the prisoners are released into the arena, and the bull follows. Whichever prisoner manages to grab the poker chip from between the bull's eyes wins. No one did.
After the conclusion of the rodeo, the food stalls and booths are open for another hour or so, for additional purchases and pickup of purchased items, and then everyone begins the long trip home. (Having said that, though, I also have to say that it's clear this is not the prison's first rodeo - so to speak. Their traffic management is excellent, and most concert venues could take a page out of their book.)
By this point, you're probably wondering why there are no pictures of this craziness. Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, no cell phones, cameras, or other recording equipment are allowed on the rodeo grounds - everything has to be locked in your car. However, there are professional photographers/videographers there, so there are videos available on YouTube (search "Angola Prison Rodeo"), which are well worth watching. If you have some more time, there is a documentary called The Farm, available in its entirety, which gives more of the story of the prison itself. (There are also some episodes of a show on Animal Planet -- really? yes, really -- and all kinds of other stuff about Angola that are available online.) Long story short, though, I'm sorry I don't have any pictures for you, aside from a snap of a souvenir:
One strange observation: the Angola Prison Rodeo is the only place on the planet where you will find that many rednecks - that many boots and that much camouflage - and nary a Bud or Coors Light in sight.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Quote of the Day
"Against the wind, I'm still running against the wind. I'm older now, but still running against the wind."
-- Bob Seger, Against the Wind
-- Bob Seger, Against the Wind
Saturday, April 21, 2018
What I Watched -- Date Night
Date Night is good for some cheap rom-com laughs, but it's a pretty ridiculous story that really only two actors as gifted as Steve Carell and Tina Fey could pull off with any actual humor. In the hands of lesser comedians, it would have been a waste of time.The real winner, in my opinion, is Mark Wahlberg's character -- and that's not just because he doesn't wear a shirt at any point in the movie. It's because he's funny, and he plays exactly the character you think he would play. He's perfectly cast.
Bottom line: if you like these two and are looking to kill time, you may entertain yourself for a bit.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Banff Centre Film Festival
Note: I've linked to trailers and full films where I can find them. Some of the films were edited for the Banff traveling show, so the link may not be exactly the same version we saw, but hopefully the feel for the movie is the same.
Day One
Where the Wild Things Play (trailer) (full film):
Loved by All: the Story of Apa Sherpa (trailer):
Johanna (trailer) (full film):
Into Twin Galaxies (trailer) (full film):
DreamRide 2 (trailer) (full film):
2.5 Million (trailer) (full film):
Edges (trailer) (full film):
Stumped (trailer):
Day Two
Surf the Line (trailer) (full film):
Tsirku (trailer) (full film):
Planet Earth II -- Nubian Ibex (partial film):
La Casita Wip (trailer):
Dugout (trailer):
Imagination: Tom Wallish (trailer) (full film):
Above the Sea (trailer):
There was one other movie to close out the night, but I fell asleep! It was late, I was sick, excuses, excuses!
If you want to see a nearly-complete listing of all the Banff films, they're here.
This was a great way to spend two evenings, and really made me want to go see some of the crazy things in this world!
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
What I Read -- The Unspeakable
One thing they do seem is removed. Daum has an almost eerie ability to review and explain either her own life or the imaginary life of some made-up character, in words that, though not simple, make so much sense. They make all the strange emotions she explains seem so obvious and natural.
Taken as a whole, this is a good collection. Though a lot of the subject matter is tough, it is readable. I got through it quickly, although I would have been happy to spend more time with it than I did. I may go back and check out her earlier collection, My Misspent Youth, when I feel the need for some more essays.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
SLSO - Shows #7 and 8
S and I attended our last two symphonies of the season. The second-to-last was a strange combination of pieces that I still haven't quite sorted out. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on them:
First up was the Benjamin Britten piece, Sinfonia da Requim, op. 20. It was an unusual piece, with military musicality, but lacking the celebratory fanfare of most such pieces. The history of the piece explains a little bit of the mood; it was composed in 1940, on the eve of America's entry into World War II. Britten had moved to America the year prior, after accepting a commission from an unknown government to honor "the reigning dynasty of a foreign power." Only later did he learn that he was celebrating the 2,600th anniversary of the Japanese dynasty. He had made the piece as anti-war as he felt it was possible for music to be, and it was rejected by the Japanese government (although he was allowed to keep the commission). (Source for this info: the SLSO program.)
Second we heard Camille Saint-Saëns's Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, op. 61. It was a complete departure from the first and third pieces, but made for a lovely and melodic interlude. I enjoy pieces that make use of the less popular instruments, and this one featured the bassoon, flute, and oboe (in addition to the obvious violin soloist).
The final piece was Ralph Vaughn Williams's Symphony No. 4 in F. Minor. Like the first piece, it had military overtones, with lots of horn and percussion. The tempo and of the piece felt even more anti-war than the Britten piece -- so much so that the bass clarinetist had to take apart his instrument and clean it midway through -- although it was apparently never intended to be an anti-war piece at all.
The final show, and possibly my last experience seeing David Robertson conducting, was a wonderful performance, although unfortunately we were five minutes late due to the crazy traffic as a consequence of the confluence of Hamilton, Circus Flora, and the Symphony all having performances at the same time. As a consequence, we missed the first short piece, which was Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man.
The second piece was a stellar piano performance by Simon Trpčeski. It was the three-movement Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, op. 18, composed by Serge Rachmaninoff. It was a beautiful performance, capped off with an encore between Trpčeski and my favorite principal cellist, Daniel Lee.
After intermission, the final piece of the season was Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2, op. 30. It builds to an upbeat finale over the course of its three movements. A lovely way to end the season, although it makes me quite sad that David Robertson will not be with us next year. He has such an easy personality, that even the most traditional pieces seem accessible when conducted by his capable baton.
First up was the Benjamin Britten piece, Sinfonia da Requim, op. 20. It was an unusual piece, with military musicality, but lacking the celebratory fanfare of most such pieces. The history of the piece explains a little bit of the mood; it was composed in 1940, on the eve of America's entry into World War II. Britten had moved to America the year prior, after accepting a commission from an unknown government to honor "the reigning dynasty of a foreign power." Only later did he learn that he was celebrating the 2,600th anniversary of the Japanese dynasty. He had made the piece as anti-war as he felt it was possible for music to be, and it was rejected by the Japanese government (although he was allowed to keep the commission). (Source for this info: the SLSO program.)
Second we heard Camille Saint-Saëns's Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, op. 61. It was a complete departure from the first and third pieces, but made for a lovely and melodic interlude. I enjoy pieces that make use of the less popular instruments, and this one featured the bassoon, flute, and oboe (in addition to the obvious violin soloist).
The final piece was Ralph Vaughn Williams's Symphony No. 4 in F. Minor. Like the first piece, it had military overtones, with lots of horn and percussion. The tempo and of the piece felt even more anti-war than the Britten piece -- so much so that the bass clarinetist had to take apart his instrument and clean it midway through -- although it was apparently never intended to be an anti-war piece at all.
The final show, and possibly my last experience seeing David Robertson conducting, was a wonderful performance, although unfortunately we were five minutes late due to the crazy traffic as a consequence of the confluence of Hamilton, Circus Flora, and the Symphony all having performances at the same time. As a consequence, we missed the first short piece, which was Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man.
The second piece was a stellar piano performance by Simon Trpčeski. It was the three-movement Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, op. 18, composed by Serge Rachmaninoff. It was a beautiful performance, capped off with an encore between Trpčeski and my favorite principal cellist, Daniel Lee.
After intermission, the final piece of the season was Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2, op. 30. It builds to an upbeat finale over the course of its three movements. A lovely way to end the season, although it makes me quite sad that David Robertson will not be with us next year. He has such an easy personality, that even the most traditional pieces seem accessible when conducted by his capable baton.
Friday, April 13, 2018
How Can That Be?
I recently heard Richard Blumenthal being interviewed on
Morning Edition. The subject was the
Facebook/Cambridge Analytica “scandal” (which I put in quotation marks because
no one should be surprised about what happened). Steve Inskeep asked the Senator if the Senate
was considering any comprehensive digital privacy regulation. Blumenthal touted his own proposed measures,
and then commented that “Europe is ahead of us on protecting privacy. How can that be?”
How can that be?
Well, Senator, here’s how: we are not the only first-world
country on this planet. The horror! It’s true.
We would probably all do well to at least consider the possibility that other countries and governments just
might be able to do one or two things better than we do.
Upon realizing that, let us act like successful businessmen
for a moment. Instead of “deny, deny,
deny,” we might try to spend a little time figuring out what they’re doing
better than we are, and then stealing that idea and putting it to work for
us. We will all be a little bit improved
if we do that.
That is all. Good
day, Senator.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
What I Watched -- Pitch Perfect
I have been wanting to see Pitch Perfect for some time, and S indulged me and we watched it a week ago.This may be a thing you don't know about me, but I love a cappella. How did I go so many years without seeing this movie? Another thing I love besides a cappella? Anna Kendrick. She's hilarious; I find her Twitter feed particularly amusing. This movie was pretty much made for me.
It's a better version of Glee, about collegiate a cappella competition instead of high schoolers. You can pretty much guess how it goes.
Bottom line: if it's in your wheelhouse, it's excellent. If not, you will hate it.
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