by Travis Mateer
Yesterday’s post about the progeny of two well-known (and well-financed) rich kids all grown up and aiming to build the MOST IMPORTANT crypto farm in the world omitted a fascinating article from August 15th, 1999, about ‘wild kid’ Rick Tabish and the antics in Las Vegas that left one dude dead.
Here is the article’s framing of Tabish’s ‘wild kid’ persona:
The straight-on mug shot appears ordinary enough. Rick Tabish, then 21, stares dully at the camera lens, a small sign dangling around his neck that notes the date of his arrest on a misdemeanor assault charge.
It’s in the second photo from Dec. 7, 1986, the one of Tabish in profile, that something is different. The smirk.
In those days Tabish was a regular at the Missoula County Jail, hauled into custody on numerous occasions for drinking too much, driving too fast and brawling too often. Most of the time, Tabish, the son of a wealthy Missoula businessman, got off lightly for his offenses — a chronic lack of consequences he knew how to exploit all too well, according to authorities.
“Basically, it was a case of a wild kid with more money than sense,” said Detective Rick Newlon of the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department. “With his last name, he knew he could push it.”
Now, 23 years after this article was written, a more mature Tabish is pictured on the front page of our local paper talking to the Governor of North Dakota about his crypto scheme.
Tabish is a great example of the fact that having money is its own form of public rehabilitation because money-hungry assets like a failing newspaper company will happily plaster your face in a beneficial manner to further that aroma of money.
Now, to contrast this media rehabilitation job, Gomer Kidston made a cute little reference to someone who isn’t wealthy like Rick Tabish; someone who used to show up to City Council chambers to read about the strategies of Communists.
Here’s the reference from a piece saying adios to outgoing Council critters, like Bryan Von Rocket Scientist and Julie WGM Merritt:
Through readings of the Soviet Art of Brainwashing, a pandemic and a shift in how the city addresses key issues, members of the Missoula City Council this week said their fond farewells and praised their outgoing colleagues for their service, even amid their differences.
The bold part is the mockery, directed by Gomer Kidston, toward a woman who once used her 3 minutes as she saw fit. Maybe the elites in Missoula think this is something worthy of making fun of, but I don’t.
It’s deeply ironic–considering Gomer is mentioned in the documentary Engen’s Missoula–that this woman who he ridicules called me a few weeks ago to congratulate me on such a well made film. Not only did she thank me, she also asked where she could send a donation, and this week I received her check and thank you note.
I was thinking about haves and have-nots as I walked briskly to get pizza in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning. It’s 2:30am as I write this–after I conducted a $20 dollar business deal with a homeless man–but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I stopped on my way (in 14 degree weather made colder by the wind) to speak with Harley, who I interviewed two days before Christmas. I asked Harley why he was sleeping outside and he said, in cruder terms than I’ll write here, that the shelters are full of sex offenders. Then he boasted about the money he makes panhandling and even consented to me taking a pic.
Harley mentioned that he’ll be turning 72 at the end of next month. And he’s sleeping outside, in Montana, in a bone-chilling cold I can barely stand walking 4 blocks in.
But Harley is not the man I made the $20 dollar deal with.
No, that was the Native man getting ready to pass out for the night next to Harley. He perked up when Harley turned down my deal to hand out magic tickets (while supplies last) to anyone kind enough to give him money.
Here’s what the magic ticket looks like:
Yep, these are the cards I had printed for the Roxy showing that was NOT to be. My deal with the homeless man is $20 bucks to pass out these cards, one at a time, to the kind marks of his panhandling.
I think it’s a pretty good deal, and possibly a sign of creative marketing schemes to come.
Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!