Poor Sportsmanship in the Ancient World

Evidently John McEnroe did not invent the childish tirade during a sporting contest...and Mike Tyson's ear nibbling seems tame considering this Classical era jerk seemingly killed a bunch of innocent kids because he lost a boxing match:

Cleomedes of Astypalaea, 492 BC. A strange story about this athlete who went crazy after a decision by the chief judges of the Games. At the Festival previous to this it is said that Cleomedes of Astypalaea killed Iccus of Epidaurus during a boxing-match. On being convicted by the umpires of foul play and being deprived of the prize he became incensed and returned to Astypalaea. He attacked a school there pulling down the pillars which held up the roof. This fell upon the 60 children in attendance.
Cleomedes,was pelted with stones by the citizens and took refuge in the sanctuary of Athena. He hid in a chest in the sanctuary. The Astypalaeans toiled in vain to open the chest. At last, however, they broke open the hiding place, but found no Cleomedes. So townspeople sent envoys to Delphi to ask what had happened to Cleomedes. The response given by the Pythian priestess was reportedly as follows: "Last of heroes is Cleomedes of Astypalaea; Honour him with sacrifices as being no longer a mortal."
Some hero...this is what you get when you take advice from a supposed fortune teller who pokes around in the entrails of dead birds with a pointed stick to make her predictions.

A bizaare incident in Ancient Sports...a boxer kills his opponent,is disqualified, and his response is to cause a cave-in on some school kids in his home town...nice work you Greek wanker.

From Warrior (Letter 13)

Warrior - Serving 14 years for kidnapping and aggravated assault. Half Hispanic and Scottish-Irish with family still in Mexico. Brought up by a family steeped in drug commerce. He writes some of the best prison-fight stories on the Internet.

Shaun,

Keep doing your thing, bro. You mentioned in your letter about someone asking you why you do what you do. Because it’s the right thing to do. How many people can say with honesty in their hearts that they do the right thing and it changes lives? Who can say that they truly live by what they believe and are not just saying words to look good, attract a mate, or hold onto a job? Very few, bro. Next time someone asks you why you do what you do tell them it’s because you understand what it means to be a human being and act like one. I’d give up riches to live in poverty if I’m fortunate enough to change lives for the better. That is what life is about, allowing and aiding every soul to become the best possible version of itself.

Much Love, bro,

Warrior

Click here for Letter 12

Click here for Warrior's blog about an undiscovered dead body of a prisoner.

Links to more prison stories by Warrior:
Warrior v Big E.
Rapist on the Yard
Bucket of Blood
Central Unit 

Shaun Attwood

My brother, the Brit in a US jail (by Karen Attwood)
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My sister Karen recently had this article published. Click here for the original on page 4 of The Record. Click here for Karen's ebook, English Shaun.  

My family’s ordeal began in May 2002, with a phone call from my Aunt Ann, who lived in Arizona, usa. She called to tell my mother that my older brother, shaun, had been arrested. Shaun and I come from an ordinary, loving home in Cheshire. But at the age of 21, Shaun was eager to spread his wings and he followed other members of the family by emigrating to the states. For many years he enjoyed a successful career as a stockbroker and our parents had been proud of his achievements. But he had been living a double life.

He had been involved in organizing drugs sales at the raves he ran around Phoenix. His criminal activity finally caught up with him and led to a swat team knocking down his door in a dawn raid. After his arrest Shaun spent two years on remand in some of the toughest jails in America. This was a horrendous time for my family stuck on the other side of the Atlantic. At first my parents didn’t tell any of their friends as, despite the fact they had brought Shaun up well, my mother was consumed with guilt and they both felt deeply ashamed. My parents used up their life savings to get Shaun a lawyer and we flew several times a year to visit him in jail. We are used to hearing stories of life 

Inside prisons but rarely do we hear what it is like for the families. Yet family members and loved ones serve the sentence alongside the prisoner and the impact of an arrest is devastating for everyone. After a local Phoenix newspaper ran a sensational article painting shaun as a vampire-like gangster, my mother had a nervous breakdown. My father started to have panic attacks. I was full of conflicting emotions. I was angry with my brother for being so stupid and selfish but I also loved him and wanted him to be safe. I had nightmares of terrible things happening to him while inside. Eventually we told all our friends and neighbours and everyone was incredibly supportive, many writing letters to the judge about Shaun’s previous good character. In 2004, two dozen friends and family members gathered in an Arizonan court room where Shaun was to be sentenced after pleading guilty to drugs offences. Both of my parents, my two aunts and I, all spoke in mitigation, pleading with the judge to be lenient. This was the most stressful day of all of our lives. Shaun was sentenced to almost 10 years but he came out after five and three quarter years. My parents and I were there once more to welcome him back to the uk where he has - slowly but surely - rebuilt his life. 

Karen Attwood is a freelance journalist and has written a book about her experience, details of which can be found on the english shaun Facebook page. Shaun’s book Hard Time is also out now.

Snap of Synapse

When I was a kid, my maternal grandfather usually spent about 6 months of the year at our house. I have posted about him before with some old photos of his sporting pursuits....and the passing of sportsman's wisdom from him to me.
What brings him to mind today is a recent mental flash I had just before Christmas. I recently purchased a pair of Bean Boots as pictured above...the zip front model with a wool liner. They are "vintage" but in excellent shape. After cleaning the liner, I went to wear them and the zipper on both boots was a bit sluggish and stuck.
I went to the dining room and grabbed a candle nub from one of the candlesticks...then proceeded to rub the candle-bottom on both zippers. The zippers now operate as if brand new and whiz up and down with a effortless pull.
I then stopped and reflected...where the Hell did this trick come from...and immediately had an image of Granddad showing me to use a candle nub to make the zipper on some snow boots work properly one morning as I dressed to go sledding. That shred of information was lurking deep in the cranial archives and just surfaced when the time was appropriate.
I had a similar synaptic surfacing several years ago when fly-fishing in the Adirondacks. My buddy Glenn and I were in a Guideboat on Lake Colby at the evening rise. I was just out of Law-School and had not had time to fly-fish in several years.When I took the rod from it's case....I rubbed the metal tipped bottom of the top half of the rod in my scalp before connecting the two pieces. Glenn asked what the Hell that manoeuvre was all about and I really was not conscious of having done it. Then I remembered fishing with my Grandfather in Pacanac lake and his instruction that each time you put your rod together you first rub the one end in your scalp so a bit of oil will lube the piece and prevent the rod sticking together when you break down for casing.
Grandad taught me many things about hunting and fishing...obviously some that I remember clearly and some,like candle-nubs and scalp oil, that only percolate to cognition when the circumstances dictate.

T-Bone is Free!

T-Bone was released on Dec 30th. The pic shows him in his "prison blues" - release clothes. He has finished his sentence and has no parole. If you want to send him a greeting, please post it in the comments below.

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society 

T-Bone's Kindle ebook. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. All proceeds going to help T-Bone.

Shaun Attwood

Ritz Carlton-Cancun,Mexico

When you have a 20th Anniversary you owe it to each other to celebrate it correctly. For the Wife and I, this meant a trip to the Ritz in Cancun. This was an ideal destination as the plane ride is not too long and in early September it is off-season so there are no hordes of idiot college kids puking Cuervo in the street.
Furthermore, I have a client who used to manage 3 Ritz properties in Florida...he owed me a favor and was thrilled about a result I got for him at trial...so a few phone calls from him garnered my wife and I a luxurious suite on the ocean with 3 balconies at a rate cheaper than a Holiday Inn at the Philly Airport. Plus, the juice from this guy got us the "Sinatra treatment" the entire time we were there.
The trip was fantastic...but the coup de grace was the anniversary dinner. My wife did not know that I had planned and schemed to have our dear friends come and meet us 3 days into the trip. They arrived and brought my evening clothes with them. I left my wife in the room and went to the hotel gym...telling her to meet me at the bar for drinks before dinner. I suited up in my off white dinner jacket in the locker room after a nice work-out, steam,sauna and shave. Bonnie and Glenn met me at the bar so we were waiting in black tie for my wife. I had told her the place we were dining was extremely fancy so she should dress accordingly...thus she was not left feeling under-dressed.
Bonnie and Glenn were both in our wedding and are our closest friends...we Summer in the Adirondacks together and in fact they spent some time in Stowe with us this Christmas and last. They have been featured in many pictures posts over the past year or so.
I had also arranged a private dining room in the Hotel restaurant:Fantino. Imagine my Wife's astonishment when she walked into the hotel bar to see the 3 of us in black tie ready to celebrate the 20th anniversary. She was almost literally floored. The evening that ensued was simply beyond description with the food and service and setting.
Last, for you menswear blogger types...here is the rig:
Joseph Banks Shawl Collar off-white dinner jacket
Brooks Brothers flat front formal trousers.
Brooks Brothers unpleated formal shirt w/ gold knot studs.Shotgun shell cufflinks
Ferragamo patent leather formal slippers.


It was a memorable evening and truly enhanced by the evening wear. Other hotel guests thought we had just gotten married. When I stated we were celebrating an anniversary...you could see the jealousy in the wive's eyes and the frustration in the men's...that suddenly the bar had been set so high.

From Warrior (Letter 12)

Warrior - Serving 14 years for kidnapping and aggravated assault. Half Hispanic and Scottish-Irish with family still in Mexico. Brought up by a family steeped in drug commerce. He writes some of the best prison-fight stories on the Internet.

I’m on a Level 3 yard now, dorms and stuff. It’s fast-paced, always fights popping off, reminds me of my old neighborhood. The irony I find is that the lower the custody level, the more freedom, but the pace is faster as though we are preparing for freedom.

I’ve realized two major realities: you learn who really cares about you when you are in prison or sick. There’s no rest in prison for the weary, old or sick. In here, predators are constantly looking for prey, and those who were once prey are trying to become predators. Given that I’m ill and have lost weight, I’m in a weaker spot than I’m accustomed to. Fortunately, even though I lack strength and size now, I’ve got skills and technique to put a predator on his ass. I already had to knock two predators down, and I had to do it quick, too. Can’t let the rest of the predators smell or recognise the wounded or ill in me.

Clickhere for letter 11 from Warrior

Click here for Warrior's previous blog about an undiscovered dead body of a prisoner.

Links to more prison stories by Warrior:
Warrior v Big E.
Rapist on the Yard
Bucket of Blood
Central Unit 

Shaun Attwood