Prison Journal: November 2017

Wed, 1 Nov 2017

Reading Phi, the Golden Ratio. Also started reading Dune Messiah. I actually read the prologue a week ago and it seemed boring, but tonight I made it through a couple chapters and it’s good just as the original was. Nurse (PA-C) Cheryl Lin replied “Noted.”

Thu, 2 Nov 2017

AB, AS, R, N, C… AB told me at his “Cookie Caper” hearing that he accused his accuser (Lt. Gridner) of retaliation because AB rejected his advances on Adam4adam.com. HA! Place seems a little empty today. —–FIRE DRILL—– Clearly they don’t see any irony in prison officers breaking rules of the fire marshal.

First jailhouse burrito.

Called mom and dad. Added B, H, and Jeremy to phone.

Fri, 3 Nov 2017

Note back from nurse – we have to tell them when to refill our permanent prescriptions. Pop machine filled after empty two weeks. New floor corporal Dinoff – seems nice/funny. Finished ‘Phi’ book today. Had finished “Dune Messiah” yesterday. All out of reading material. Had first room search today – got an “excellent” rating – I’m so proud.

Sat, 4 Nov 2017

Ravenhorst/Batz. If I climb the fence in the yard, I wonder if they’ll shoot me? Wrote letters to JH and mom. Idea: write letter to judge? Why? makes no sense. why “worse” that I “didn’t need to sell”? Illogical as it is untrue in the first place. Ask Jeremy. I wonder if the clothing is an intentional part of the punishment or just an artifact of how cheap and cruel the state is. The underwear seems to be unreasonably painful – they have teeth in the waste band that digs in when you sit or recline or sleep.

Speaking of which, the shower I just got out of may also be engineering for maximum punitive output. The showers reek of shit and decomposition and there is a colony of some insect on the ceiling in the corner on the shower head corner of the upstairs shower. It seems like they might have attempted to the to cure the infestation in the past simply by painting over the bugs there before, but as any dunce might have calculated, that didn’t solve anything and they have an even grosser situation. –Emergency Response Team Alarm — @ 18:30ish. It was something about somebody who thinks he is a god causing an issue. Wonder if it was Dozer. Tried to call DP, but no answer. Fish burritos chez room 13.

Sun, 5 Nov 2017

I’m writing to provide you some input into your second headquarters’ placement decision. Instead of writing about where you should locate it, though, I’m recommending where you should not place it – anywhere in Nebraska.

AL told me the story last night about this old man we had on the pod last week. This old man looking exactly like Homer Simpson’s boss. He hardly said anything and was gone in two days. Anyway, AL said Ravenhorst was telling a group of guys at yard that he was a chronic masturbator and had been kicked off Unit 1 (the “chimo” unit) for jerking off and finishing on a guys head that shared his cell. The guy had to sit there and wait while they went and got a camera to take pictures.

I decided today at yard that I’m going to write a letter to Amazon to make a case for not choosing any Nebraska city in their second headquarters search. Ideas for that: populated by Germans, Nazis, racists, and homophobes; difficult to attract and retain skilled engineers and other professionals in a state that violates civil liberties, in law and spirit (epileptic guy in jail for a seizure, people in jail for weed, people in for DUIs, one for 10years; deceitful and duplicitous in the tax policy; corrupt officials; ACLU lawsuits, corrupt legal process; use de Toqueville quote; poor public transport; no entertainment/arts; completely soulless people; screensavers that say “respect the taxpayer”.

Ordered commissary. Out of interview forms for requesting law library. Gossip: apparently Ms. Starks was looking at and talking to T (hottie) as he showered. At least the whore has good taste. I’m convinced she got this job to find a man.

Mon, 6 Nov 2017

RT (“Chicken”) and JL left today. Finished reading “The Book of Saints” by Nico Ricci (0-312-13441-??). Drafted letter to Amazon. Called DP.

Tue, 7 Nov 2017

Great, we got Ilse Koch (Mason) for a CO today. She’s sadistically violent guard. First time I saw her on our unit she kicked me in the back of the knee rather than say “I’m behind you and need to get by”. I guess cause she’s black she didn’t qualify for the Third Reich so she’s making up for lost time. Today she made me throw away my cough drops before gym.

Found out today that someone in here got 3-5 years for manslaughter. Ending someone’s life is apparently not as bad as possessing drugs in this ridiculous shithole of a state. Called Mom.

Beware the Scriptwriter! Ha 🙂

Sent letter to Amazon.

Dear Amazon,

First I should disclose my bias. I was a software engineer for K for 24 years and U for 1 year. Last winter as I travelled across country from my home in X to my parents in Y for Thanksgiving, I had the misfortune of entering into this God-forsaken prison trap. I was stopped on the way through Lincoln, NE. The purpose of the stop was to give a seatbelt safety lesson (a checkpoint). Having seen that me and my passenger were wearing our seatbelts, they not only did not thank us for the good job, they proceeded to harass my friend, who is black by flicking his seatbelt in a demeaning way and asking more questions and eventually asking for our identification. On the way back, the cop tossed my license at me so it would fall and give him an opportunity to stick his torso and flashlight into my car. At this point he saw my friend’s paraphernalia and in the subsequent search he found more. We had our seatbelts on, were not speeding or violating any traffic laws, but we were searched and arrested nonetheless.

Their legal process here is just as duplicitous and deceitful. I got an expensive lawyer and his first official advice was “don’t tell me anything. wait until I ask a question and don’t tell too much.” Nebraska has a reciprocal discovery process, which means no one zealously represents the defendant. The prosecutor, the attorney, and the judge all work for the prosecution. They offered a lowered charge that had a chance of no jail time (probation-only) if I plead to it. Little did I know, that is just a part of the schtick. 100% of the people I met in my subsequent imprisonment say they got the same shakedown. An offer of a lesser charge and the likely sentence of probation if only they gave up their right to a trial. Then bam… the judge sweeps in and give you a crazy long sentence and some pithy insults.

I was a solid performer for Fortune 100 companies for 26 years, a history of volunteerism, no criminal history save a reckless operation of a vehicle in my 20s and I had started and was still in an outpatient drug treatment program when I was sentenced. None of that mattered. This hateful state needed a pound of flesh.

Don’t take my work alone about this situation. The ACLUE is currently suing Nebraska for overcrowding over draconian sentencing on crimes that could be adjudicated more appropriately with fines and probation.

I wanted to warn you about this place where people with rotted souls call home so you didn’t subject your own employees to the tyranny of life here. One two many drinks, a joint of marijuana, jaywalking, … and they could be spending their golden years in a Nebraska concentration camp no matter how much minor the “crime”, the value they provide the nation, or how much effort they put into the defense.

Also have a look at the their history of investment in infrastructure and cultural life. They average Nebraskan would sell their own mother into slavery for a two-year tax break. Do you think they will invest in building public transportation or having cultural activities besides corn-shucking, goose-stepping hoe-downs, or cross-burnings? Hint: they won’t.

Good luck with your selection process!

M

[Editor’s Note: I asked if he received a response from this letter to Amazon and he said he did not. 🙂 ]

Wed, 8 Nov 2017

Apparently I missed the library sign-up sheet thanks to that lazy dyke Mason. Filled out a kite to get added by tribal wisdom says it won’t get me on the list. She (Jane) is a horrid person – she fits right in.

Talked to Dad and Mom. Lots of rain has slowed progress on the start of the garage. They’re going to drive up and bring B and J back to KY this weekend.

Sent kites to Med Support for a bottom bunk pass, request for a doctor visit, and law library. Can’t remember what the other were.

Started book “Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War”

Thu, 9 Nov 2017

Called H. Got a letter from AH. She said she was being stalked. Having back pain is not a criterion for a lower bunk pass says Nurse Mengele (Cheryl Flinn). The medical section here is like an episode of the Medieval Barber from Saturday Night Live.

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 38/687

Nothing ????. Too cold for yard today (low 30s). 687 days to go. Chili macaroni for the third time in 38 days. New AM CO was a douche-bag and looked a little bit like a clown with a little chest and a huge ass and legs. Sent hot Latino guy to the hole for being in J’s room.

Sat, 11 Nov 2017 39/686

Creepy guy came into unit last night. He introduced himself to me in the gym, but he immediately creeped me out. I couldn’t tell why, but I didn’t like him. He tried to talk again at yard and I was terse and anyone with normal social skills should have figured out that I didn’t like him. He argued with me about buying someone’s radio or borrowing it. I old him to order his own because the guards would confiscate it if it wasn’t purchased by him through the commissary. Then he started getting way too detailed about his drug use, music likes, wanting to fuck Mariah Carey. I sped up and lost him. I told AL later after yard that he was trouble and had some big problems. He said yeah, that he’d heard similar from others.

Before dinner the guy wouldn’t “lock down” and was re-wiping down tables (he’s not even a cleaning porter) and bouncing around the unit. He tried to get AL to give him an extra hamburger at dinner (thinking AL was a food porter), to which AL told him he wouldn’t “help him out” that way even if he was a food porter.

At dinner M got a burger with a big hair on it and went up to the food counter and the CO gave him a new one. The creepy guy follows him around there and tries to get the other burger. The CO says “no it’s bad”, but I couldn’t see if he eventually got it or not.

Then way after dinner (maybe 630ish), all hell breaks loose on the first floor. I couldn’t see it, but I heard the peanut gallery chanting and the CO hollering and the other officers gathering at the door. They were let in and started yelling “get down on the floor” multiple times. Apparently creepy guy had threatened F, who did not back down and the creepy guy had a razor in his fist. He bit F three times and he was now gushing blood from the forehead. F punched creepy guy once and he was down on the floor when the officers arrived. F, creepy guy, some mouthy who was not involved, but was sarcastic to the guard about getting on the floor, and later JT were taken out of the unit. F came back 20 minutes later, but was taken out again shortly after for a different unit.

Oh, got a letter from JH yesterday. No mail today apparently.

Another room search. Found nothing; room “good”. Guard = Borges.

Sun, 12 Nov 2017 40/685

Finished “Tour of Duty”. Started an old 1973 Time-Life book on Evolution. So far it’s terrible and hard to read. Also got an old textbook on electronics; interesting but poorly written.

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 41/684

Nothing exciting. We had a new CO (Gardner). “Officer Gardner” that killed 100% of our after-dinner time by individually handing items out from the canteen bag. Hot guys ( 2) added to the unit; total of 5 people came in yesterday. They had to get more mattresses for the cot group. Even farther over the capacity and more fire-code violations.

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 42/683

Morning started crazy. L gave a spastic lecture to the cot group and CO Bearcat about something showering before breakfast (apparently its in the rulebook to not shower before breakfast). She left the unit and a total asshole Sgt Milliken took over. He’s the worst person I’ve seen yet- morbidly overweight and the low self-esteem and anger to match it. L wanted things done by the rule book and now he has it.

Gym ended early. W was egging L on about his morning outburst that left us with Sgt Porky and they ended up having a word-fest and some light pushing. They were both taken out in cuffs and gym was cut short. Seems like there is a correlation between the overcrowding and having a Nazi CO and fighting. L removed from our pod (went to Unit 6). JZ went to NSP. JW removed from the unit also.

Apparently while I was taking a nap, I also “refused” to go to a “reentry” preparation meeting. Similarly I refused to help an old lady across the Champs Elysee because I didn’t know she existed and I am on another continent. These morons clearly around familiar with the English language or they’re just very comfortable lying.

Submitted requests for: mail readers – where are my Oct 31 letters, librarian: do they have a notary service and Med Support: flu shot.

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 43/682

For the first time something didn’t have a large number of unnecessary hurdles – got POA notarized with no bitching, pissing, moaning, or fees. Resubmitted kite to mail readers because it didn’t include my first name (though that should have been easily discernable to them). CO Dinoff says the lack of Amazon mail coming in and the last five outbound letters is probably not someone deliberately messing with my mail. We’ll see, I guess.

Someone (J, I think) was mentioning in gym today that university classes or trade courses were possible. That’s exciting, if true. Would like to finish my masters in computer science or maybe a new bachelors in something else or maybe an electronics trade class?

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 44/681

Forgot to mention yesterday that multiple people saw Dozer in the hallway with cuffs on. Apparently he had been in a fight and got the ever-loving shit beat out of him – bloody face, lip ripped open and eye tore up. Hate to hear that, but I have no trouble believing he earned it.

Had “classification” today. I will go either to NSP or OCC to take a six-month drug class and then work release. He added that I wanted to be paroled to K. Said I had no preference for Lincoln or Omaha. Might have to do some stint in a county, which I’ll have to decide if I refuse or not. Case manager (Mike Chilifuru?) also thought that I was “hit pretty hard” sentence-wise given the police report.

Funny that some of their staff do “good cop” with dignity-preserving behaviors (shake hands and use civilized names) and others are “bad cops” with dignity-denying behaviors (barking, childing rule enforcement, nonsensical rules).

Cute guy left yesterday – aww. C leaving for LCC (mental health outlet). Gross mystery meat and imitation pumpkin pie for lunch. Wrote letters to AH and JH. Got my medication refill today. Mailroom says “be patient. US mail isn’t considered lost until 21 days”.

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 45/680

BW left for NSP. BBQ chicken breast-sponge for lunch and usual extra-boiled broccoli-slop. At least it’s not the rotten-smelling spinach-slop. Salad for supper. 40% of the lettuce was rotten or freezer-burnt.

Still not books from Amazon that were delivered early last week and no magazines (though no idea if they arrived yet). J is going to work release. We’re at 52-54 on the unit again. About the third time we’ve been over the rated capacity. It’s really hot in here and feels like I have to breath twice as fast to get enough oxygen.

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 46/679

Had a “random” UA today after breakfast. Missed lunch because of a nap attack; oh well, it was chili macaroni. AL found out that “Johnny” (DZ) has a first-degree sexual assault on a minor. The blood is already in the water. Tired to talk him out of doing anything crazy. A waste of time apparently. After dinner (probably 7pm-ish) some fight broken out. I couldn’t see what happened except after the response team came in and hauled out AL, “Johnny” and a fat kind who had been engaged in the stupidity. They sprayed mace in the day area and everyone out there is coughing for dear life. No surprise that this happens again when we’re at max (past max) capacity. It is also abundantly clear that the officers have no interest or capability of preventing these outbursts. Someone yelled Johnny into his room 20 minutes earlier with changes of “chimo”. Not sure why Johnny foolishly came back out, but even a chimpanzee (referring to the officer) could have seen that this was going to happen.

Some good news – 2 of my books arrived: “Merchant of Venice” and “New Kind of Science”. Called mom and dad also – thankfully done and back in my room before the fight broken out.

They came and cleared out ALs stuff around 9:30pm. When they left they said “don’t paint the walls”. Ha. If was Borges and someone I didn’t recognize.

Sun, 19 Nov 2017 47/678

Should get a new roommate today. Yard was cancelled – yah! Got to sleep in. Fried chicken steak and the blandest of mashed potatoes and gravy – literally the blandest possible. When I say bland, I mean totally devoid of any taste whatsoever. It’s like they went out of their way to remove even the hint of the basic test of even the water that went into the rehydration of the raw ingredients. Garcia is morning CO and Borges at night. No new roommate today. I guess they’re waiting for Monday crew. Made canteen order – limited to $20 because of the holiday week.

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 48/677

Medical first thing after breakfast. It was supposed to be Tuesday, so I hadn’t fasted as the doctor specified: they don’t care if we get good healthcare. I asked the lab guy twice if we should do it and he said it would be ok like this. Before lunch had to go to medical again for influenza and and TDAP vaccines. Got a new roommate today, SX, but it may not be for long. Two people came back from medical CPAP machines and apparently this room (12) and 4 are the only two with electrical outlets. Cardboard hamburgers with no ketchup for lunch. Strange old man for CO – Bruce this morning – bizarrely precise with his timeframes: “Gym in 28 minutes”. BM and M went to work release this morning. First meal with flavor so far – enchiladas minus the shell. Borges again. Roomie has 4 kids. Has some domestic charges. Trying to clean/fix himself up and get back to them. He was reclassified today to WECC, which is about what he wanted. WECC is apparently way hell-and-gone in Western Nebraskabama.

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 49/676

Not sure I will make another 676 days. No one left today, but three new people. Turns out they might not be moving us to accommodate the guys who need CPAP machines. CO Bearcat told SX that they usually have to wait for a space to clear on its own. Seems a little crazy for a medical need.

Thank you mom and dad – my Newsweek subscription started today!! Hallelujah! Hot dogs for lunch and “beef stroganoff” for dinner. Lawrence and Borges for COs. Solved some algebra problem for A and cute guy. Got a letter and a $20 check from JH. The NDCS refused the letter, though, because the envelope had a sticker on it. My God – J – is such a rebel – a f#(*ing sticker. Send out the FBI or Interpol.

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 50/675

Hughes – morning CO. a too-small pasta dish and a banana that I am allergic too for lunch. Got moved to the upper bunk and SX moved out of the room. Borges and trainee Voris (aka “Hitler Youth”) for COs tonight. Crappy prison version of teriyaki chicken and egg roles for dinner. Stared the calcium pill yesterday that the doctor prescribed. Oh, saw Cruella De Ville this week. That old bitch needs help with her make-up bad! A couple of new people today. T left for a county program. I heard that Johnny was taken to protective custody/the hole again after the fight. I’m definitely not going to make two years. Going to try an ACLU letter and, if not, start thinking of how to implement plan D. Maybe someone at NSP would do a quick neck snap for a lunch tray or some canteen. Started reading “A New Kind of Science,” the premise of which is that much of the universe can be modeled by simple computer programs better than comprehensive math statements. It was difficult to get past all the ream of pages of the author self-declaring himself the greatest gift to science since Isaac Newton over and over again.

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 51/674

Thanksgiving. Thanks Columbus, you bumbling idiot. Thanks Puritans, you religious nut-job, native-murdering sociopaths. Thanks Nebraskans, you Nazi-related corrupt prison state. May you burn in Hell – for that I’ll give thanks.

Hughes for AM CO and some other guy I don’t know for afternoon CO. Afternoon guy did a search – found 2 rubber bands and a mayo packet. Guess he needed something for his sandwich. Lunch was good. The meat was actually recognizable as having come from an animal – a turkey. The stuffing and green bean casserole actually had a flavor and fresh rolls that were, well, fresh.

Weird geri-curl guy keeps getting weirder every day. At the gum today he was doing some weird Mr. Roboto dance with himself in the gym. Then he walked around in the lunch room with his plastic dishes and a ??? on a chain by himself in the corner before he went into his usual weird signature move of simultaneously shoveling food into his hole at break-neck speed while also conducting an auction of seemingly insignificant food trades for other food, tokens, or promises of future food. [Note: do a YouTube video reproduction of this feat.] For example: “I’ve got a gob of butter for a salt packet.”; “I’ve got a slice of break for 3 peaches.”; “I’ve got someone else’s slice of break for a plastic spool.”; “I’ve got a hot dog for next Thursday’s breakfast entrée.” It’s too crazy to make up.

Actually I edit the actual auctioning language to make it complete sentences. There’s actually a shorthand notation that’s used “X or Y”. X is what you have for sale and Y is what you want. The order is very important; for example: “ass for pop token” vs. “pop token for ass”. See the difference? In one case you’re offering your ass for a soda and int he other you’re overring a soda to commit a prison rape act violation.

Spoke too soon about the good job of the kitchen staff with lunch. Dinner was back to the usual abysmal shit: dishwater soup (literally nothing in it but broth) and a bologna sandwich. AM opened his mayo packet and bit of mayo came out but also something a slightly darker color and resembling an aborted fetus chunked out.

Watched the middle of “The Godfather”. It was actually pretty good – can’t believe I resisted watching it for so long. Of course, now that I can’t finish it because of lockdown. Burn in Hell, Susan Strong.

Remembering the first day. The auction has another modified form of shorthand when applied to new inmate on the unit. This modified form is given as “X”, where X is the bidder’s offer; for example: “2 tokens” or “tomorrow’s breakfast tray” and the assumed “for Y was the new inmate’s ass. At least in this unit, it was a joke. It was part of the ritual initiation along with other things like “Is that the guy” and “he’s got a purty mouth”. For repeat visitors, the cacophony of questions, bids, and “compliments” usually just made them laugh or sometimes they tried to match voices to faces in the event they need to make a response later. For new people, it was a bit intimidating. If your only knowledge of prison is TV, you kind of assume it’s real and want to run back to the entrance and ask to have your mom come and pick you up right now, “puuuuuhleeeeeeeese, I’ll be good from now on”. Unfortunately my cognition overcame my impulse at that point and I just kept walking forward with a look on my face: unpleasant and saying “I could cut a bitch, if I needed to”.

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 52/673

Hughes for morning CO. Waiting for lunch now – supposedly hamburgers – no, not beef hamburgers – mystery animal burgers or MABs. Was thinking at the gym about how much of jail discourse centered around nature’s safety deposit box, also known as the “jail purse”. I wondered what might be the source of preoccupation and its probably a result of excess anxiety over having one’s jail purpose exposed for all the world to see – most specifically, Bubba from the next cell. In George W Bush’s time at the helm of these United States, he oversaw the passage of the “No Child Left Behind Act” and also the lesser known “No Behind Left Behind Act,” officially monikered “The Prison Rape Elimination Act”. It’s now a pretty serious offense to engage in sex acts in prison. As far as my experience, it doesn’t really happen but I’ve only been here for 52 days. Most days it smells like the Elephant House at a zoo in here – I can’t imagine anything more of a turn-off.

Last week at my classification “hearing” the case manager Mike Chilifuru asked if I has a “homosexual” and when I said “yes” he said “well that’s OK. I’m OK with that and I taught my kids to be OK with it too.” I said “well that’s good.” But wanted to “oh, how enlightened of you!” I thought the weird exchange was over but then he said “but there’s no such thing as consensual sex in prison. It’s always rape.” I just nodded. He asked if I had taken the PREA training, which I had not and I replied as such. He said “Well you will” and made a note on my “permanent record”. He was a nice guy, considering the place and was helpful with other questions I had. But that “homosexual” thing was odd and funny, I thought.

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 53/672

Garcia morning CO. The train wreck/Geri-curl guy’s name is MM or something like that. Gave up “Secrets of the Iraq War” as it was too boring. Made it about 150 pages in, but that’s enough. Borrowed “Misery” from cellmate. Also got “The Jungle” from the Saturday book cart. There are some stupid bastards in here – I don’t know how their fetuses were even viable. A dab of beef stew for lunch and a nice nap. Now “Hitler Youth” is CO. E Coli for dinner — again.

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 54/671

New CO this morning – Skeletor-ette.

Watched half of the Guardians of the Galaxy II before we had to go for yard-torture. Finished off my spine damage after lunch. There was a puddle of water on the floor between the tables (one nearest the phones and the one at the corner of the staircase). I hit my knee, wrenched my already messed up back and slammed my wrist onto the floor. After that they put up a wet floor sign.

Cellmate A says after year-1, the good time tickets off at 3-1 instead of 2-1. Wonder if that could be true. Seems weird no one would have mentioned it before this.

Borges again – he’s such a dick. He called the pod altogether for dinner so some of us had to walk around with our trays. I ended up just eating the coleslaw while walking ,grabbing the chicken-grease sponge, and dumped the tray. Guess calling room numbers was too difficult a challenge for him.

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 55/670

Skeletorette again this morning and Borges in the evening. Some weird mystery meat, like that described by Upton Sinclair, was presented to us at noon meal as if it was human food. Chili mac and E. coli for dinner. No non-locked time today as canteen took it all up. Good news – freakshow/Geri-curl/MM was removed from the unit. Supposedly he was moved to Unit 6. Apparently he had been hiding/throwing away his shoes (which displayed his inmate # to everyone) and today new shoes were delivered to him during gym and upon returning, he tried to scrub off the # off of his boots. He was trying hard to be sure no one could look up his convictions on the website, which means he was a chimo or some deviant sexual crime. I knew it – he was a weirdo.

Roommate was having trouble with Nurse Mengele (Cheryl Flinn PA-C) too. She won’t put him back on this Seraquil; she says he must stay on their suggested Risperdome.

J got MM’s room.

Went to law library and spent $9.30 on copies of a bankruptcy application packet. Looks very extensive.

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 56/669

Skeletorette again. Got meningitis and pneumovax vaccines this morning. Almost had a PREA incident at the yard this morning. T and hot guy were doing some crotch-to-ass exercises that could have easily turned porno, but also, they didn’t

The CO just asked “does anyone want to guess what I’m waiting for?” A reasonable person might assume the answer is “for people to get locked-down”. Someone yelled “an extra heavy-flow tampon”.

Had some weird concoction for lunch. It’s the second time we’ve had it. It is a heavy fried bread with a hollow center and some shredded mystery meat and taco sauce. Then some refried beans and a corn soup. I’m certain it was intended to more than the sum of the parts as they were slopped on the tray, but no one could help me figure out what that was.

Sent mom and dad a birthday card. Sent a kite to Reentry to f/u with a reschedule and also a kite to sign-up for law library next week.

Funny story from my first week here: “The Shit Humiliation Ritual”. There were only two toilets for 52 people to share (except for room people when they are in their rooms). Both toilets are right out in the open, center stage. For the first couple of days, I was holding it in (“prairie-dogging it as AL called it). When I couldn’t delay the humiliation anymore, I grabbed a chair to sit in between me and the audience and started to let it out. In the meantime, AB came around and pointed and yelled across the pod, “Look, Martin’s taking a shit,” at which everyone started looking, laughing, and making their own comments and greetings. Apparently this is a ritual for anyone who looks embarrassed about the idea of being forced to shit in public to get used to it – an immersion therapy, if you will

My arm hurts like a mofo. It feels swollen and my roomie says it looks red and blotchy. If I don’t make it through the night, it was the vaccine they put in my right shoulder – I think that was the pneumovax and the left shoulder was the meningitis one, but the nurse (black lady) would have to say for sure.

I might work on an allegory similar to “Animal Farm” but about the cesspool of a criminal justice system that we have. Wrote up some notes today, but need a lot more thought.

Borges here tonight – his usual performance. Hot dogs for dinner – grade D mystery animals died for those abominations.

A new Newsweek arrived today – hallelujah! Talked to mom and dad. Garage should be up in two weeks and temporary electric in place. Road was messed up a bit by the cement truck driver – they have to make them come out and repair it at their expense.

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 57/668

I lived through the night. My shoulder had swelled up to twice the size and hurt like a bitch. Borges and night nurse Summer said to wait and let them know if I stopped breathing. Seriously. had a low fever halfway through the night, but woke up again to tell the tale. CO Kurt in the morning and Borges once again. Slept through lunch. C left this morning for NSP. My roommate is plunging the hell out of our sink and the room smells like the elephant house. Last night mom said she sent two books from Amazon: “Democracy in America” (de Tocqueville) and “The Prince” (Machiavelli). She said the Poe book had only just shipped. Tonight she added “Head First Statistics” and “How the Right Lost Its Mind”. Said I would call again on Friday and Saturday.

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 58/667

New CO this morning seems decent so far. DZ left for WEC today. Hot Latino guy (ST) got his room 7. New kid came in late last night – looks exactly like hacker Kevin Mitnick from the 80s. A has started going after creepy JM now that they got rid of Johnny 5 and MM. Strange “snow” fall today. It wasn’t snow – I think Nebraska may be burning Jews, or gypsies, or gays or liberals out behind the building. It was like ash falling on us for the whole of yard time.

Apparently two of the “gang” guys are gone. One went to his prison this morning when DZ left. The other gang guy left last night in cuffs (somehow I missed this dramatic event) and PC’d up. A new guy just came in too – a tall black guy.

Breakfast burritos for dinner. I successfully slept from lunch to dinner. Started reading “Everything’s Eventual” (Stephen King). It’s a book of short stories. So far I like it. I love Stephen King, the liberal, but wasn’t much into horror genre, but he’s a good writer and this isn’t really horror at all.

Got a letter from JH with a funny cartoon about the Hulk trying to be patient for indictments of the Trump administration to be issued.