Pretty Penny

Pennytentiary

There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity. - Douglas MacArthur

Pennytentiary by Eric Fuller

As humans, we all yearn to be free from confinement, whether in mind, body or spirit; the very notion of being locked up threatens our soul and psyche, so that the act of imprisonment is a devastating punishment which can be levied over varying lengths of severity; in a jail, for example, confinement will be less than a year, as opposed to a penitentiary, where sentences are much longer, just like this one. From the Latin paenitentia, meaning repentance, “penitentiary” can also be an adjective used for a symbol of penance, like Hester Pryn’s penitentiary scarlet A, or a title for a Roman Catholic priest who will hear your confession, and administer the sacrament. Father Fuller, who has listened to your confessions of the desire to be punished, provides, with a penny placed in puzzle prison. Wear your Cubic Dissection sticker prominently on your garment and repent.

You are remembered for the rules you break. - Douglas MacArthur

captive audience

Eric Fuller has produced a delightfully devious coin release, and the first of many, apparently. Appropriately this one begins with a penny, and is coined with the perfect name for a penny prison, Pennytentiary. Oddly enough, Eric has chosen to imprison a British penny, which is infuriatingly out of reach due to a set of frustratingly fluid steel bars. There is a central secret inside this prison cell, which utilizes a remarkably unique property not present in most coin puzzles. Suffice it to say, the essential concept at play here is brilliantly exploited by a master of misdirection. Eric had it in mind to use this concept for a long time, and finally brought it to fruition. Like most great ideas, it evolved over time, as the puzzle took shape. One of the earliest ideas for the puzzle remains, but is enacted in a very different way from what he had originally envisioned. He couldn’t get that idea to work easily, and in redesigning things came up with so much more. Eric loves to create and then take advantage of assumptions in a puzzle, and anyone who sits down with Pennytentiary will surely follow his lead and attempt the inevitable, only to discover things will not be so simple.

We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction. - Douglas MacArthur

coin a phrase

In fact, the diminutive puzzle is exceedingly difficult, packed with all manner of surprises and challenges. The correct initial steps have eluded many for a while, but once discovered lead to a truly challenging section which has consistently stumped the masses. There is at least one major surprise hiding here as well, so it’s wise to expect the unexpected. Eric intended to elevate the format for laser cut wood puzzles, and you will notice the attention to detail here, with exotic wood accents and acrylic layers which add style and allow glimpses which hint at internal aspects of the puzzle. There is far more going on here than meets the eye, with many steps packed into this small wonder. Eric plans to make a whole series of coin release puzzles featuring different coins – penny, dime, nickel, quarter, half dollar. He also plans to move everything into metalwork in the future, a much more stable and scalable medium. Wood work is too expensive. Metal allows for mass production at low cost, which is better for business. His goal remains to produce high quality puzzles at high volume with a low price point. As a consumer, it all sounds quite … captivating.

Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul. - Douglas MacArthur

MacArthur cocktail by Oscar Hairo

Our toast to the Pennytentiary takes us back in time to New York City, at the Hotel Pierre where maître d’ “bar” and celebrated showman Oscar Haimo mixed drinks for celebrities and guests.  Haimo apprenticed in Paris at The Ritz hotel in the thirties before settling in New York, where he championed the post-prohibition cocktail era, formed the International Bar Manager’s Association, and penned one of the “bartender’s bibles” of the times, his Cocktail and Wine Digest compendium, first published in 1943.

The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself. - Douglas MacArthur

allied forces

Haimo’s cocktail claim to fame was a drink he invented during the war which he named the “General MacArthur”. His drink was quite popular at the time thanks to his stature and clever marketing. The mixture of Bacardi rum, Jamaican rum, Triple Sec (or Cointreau), lime and egg white is a familiarly delicious formula reminiscent of a margarita or daiquiri, and it’s not hard to understand why it was a hit. Period gossip columnist Walter Winchell described the MacArthur "as zingy as its name", which may be the first time I have imagined Douglas MacArthur as “zingy”. The innovative and brilliant commander of the Pacific during World War II helped liberate the world from oppression and tyranny. I’ll drink to that. Cheers!

captivating pair

MacArthur by Oscar Haimo c. 1943

1 ½ oz Bacardi rum

3 dashes Jamaican rum

¾ oz Triple Sec or Cointreau

Juice of half lime

1 dash egg white

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Prison bars lime wheel garnish, optional.

explore more: