Recent Comments

marykatherineplank@gmail.com Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
My Dino,
On November 3,2019 was a wonderful and great day for me. The wonderful time that was spent with you and OUR daughter was a blessing.
There was so many things I wanted to say but didn't, so here it goes.
My Bucket List!
Things we never did, but want to do.....

Dance.
Going out to dinner.
Going to see a movie.
Travel to a far and great place's.
Grown old together.
I could on for ever.... I think you understand where I'm coming with. With love Katherine...

Julia Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Hello Harlan,
now I am busted again, as a Russian troll. Yes please tell me how you knew...
MAGAinmate should have been KAGinmates. My bad. KAG being Keep America Great. You mentioned that Trump does not have many support inside prisons, so there are not many KAGinmates...
At the moment I do not follow politics too much. I was horrified at what Trump did in Norther Syria, or what he facilitated by concentrating the troops just around the oil fields. No friends but the mountains, as the Kurds proverbial say.
Elizabeth Warren released her health care plan and that was the financial headline afterwards: Health-Insurance Stocks Rise as Elizabeth Warren Details Plan for Medicare for All. Same article: When Bernie Sanders introduced the Medicare for All bill in the Senate in April, the S&P 500 Managed Health Care index dropped 13.5% in a week. I guess one of the two is more a threat to the status quo.
Concerning the media reporting of Bernie Sanders, the onion had the following headline: MSNBC Poll Finds Support For Bernie Sanders Has Plummeted 2 Points Up.
It's sad one gets so fed up with some issues even though they are quite of importance, like Brexit, how long is that already going on? And now again, prolongation till January 31.
Meanwhile Beto dropped out, Harris kind of gave up New Hampshire and Buttigieg thinks it's between him and Warren.
So long,
have a good day,
Julia

Posted on Wikileaks - The Julian Assange Controversy by Harlan Richards Wikileaks - The Julian Assange Controversy
Cavak Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Thanks for writing! I finished the transcription for your post.

I'm enjoying the cool weather too! :) Autumn is my favorite season. With global warming blasting the Earth, it feels like it's getting shorter and shorter. I miss the foggy mornings we'd used to get at this time of year.

About the military style conduct: I remember reading a book that interviewed wardens around the states about it, and their rationale for implementing it varied. Common underlining thoughts were "keeps their minds and bodies active," "teaches them discipline with a daily routine," and (the most dreaded to me) "helps build character they didn't have before with a clean and efficient system."

Retired U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven made this sentiment famous on the Internet by sharing valuable life lessons he learned from his time in the Navy Seals. It goes like this:

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. You’ll have accomplished the first task of the day.

... Making my bed correctly was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task."

While I agree that a daily morning routine may encourage positive qualities throughout the day, military style discipline hampers if it's without the accompanying mentoring, support, and companionship found in actual troops. It's how it can be tolerable at all. I question where the confidence building expressed by McRaven can begin in a solitary confinement setting.

And if there's anxiety ridden or severely depressed people in there, it's close to torture enforcing it on them. It might be too hard for them to get out of bed, let alone stick to a routine. Just like in the "free world," they're in their own world of isolation that can kill them if they can't get out of it.

But that's just what I think.

Humane methods would be preferred. Maybe it's too difficult for wardens to manage over the entire facility? Hmm...

Posted on Dear Reader.......10-13-19 by Douglas Blaine Matthews Dear Reader.......10-13-19
mdileonardo@peteygreene.org Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Happy Birthday, from Philadelphia!

Posted on It's My Birthday! by Nathaniel Lindell It's My Birthday!
mdileonardo@peteygreene.org Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Hang in there. The justice system is complicated and messy. You are strong and will persevere. Thanks for writing.

Posted on Dear Reader.....10-24-19 by Douglas Blaine Matthews Dear Reader.....10-24-19
mdileonardo@peteygreene.org Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
This is wonderful. Your progress is truly inspiring. You don't know me, but my name is Marie, and I am a non-profit manager who works in Philadelphia prisons and jails, providing GED tutoring support for incarcerated learners. People from around the country are able to keep up with your journey through this platform, thank you to the organizers who make this possible. Continue spreading your positivity and empowerment. :)

Posted on Catching Everyone Up On My Doing..... by Robert Russell Catching Everyone Up On My Doing.....
Tenzin Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Part two of two
I think some people become lazy when they get successful. I know I’ll get flack for saying this, Jay Z got dull!! Dave Chappell said this quote, which I agree with, ‘Success can take you, where character cannot sustain you.’
Ergo: Tekashi 69 or Daniel Hernandez. Are you familiar with him? His notoriety is now as being a snitch, but he was refreshing in the rap game. Sounded anarchic, new, brought a much needed new flavour. It will be interesting to see what kind of sentence he gets, and how the music world treats him when he gets out. People tend to be more accepting of people who can stand on their wallets. Money talks and all that.
As an older person I still find music interesting. Even though I’m too grey and too old to dance anymore, (arthritic hips and back)
You should definately write down your dreams the moment you wake, Jung used to keep a notepad under his pillow for that very purpose. Dreams are bizarre, you can have the most incredible dream, wake up, and be in awe of it and then moments later it dissolves like sugar in hot water and you can forget it instantly, yet still feel it’s remnants on you. I have a lot of ‘missing trains’ and ‘late for exams’ dreams. Dreams are weird, have you ever watched a dog asleep who is dreaming? Their feet twitching as they chase dream cats! Dreams must serve a purpose or are they just nocturnal entertainment?
So happy to have received a reply from you.
T

Posted on Dear Reader.......9/22/19 by Douglas Blaine Matthews Dear Reader.......9/22/19
Tenzin Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Part one of two,
Hello Douglas.
I hope you are well.
Regarding blogging, or vlogging on YouTube. I got to tell you there are several ex inmate channels on YouTube that are fascinating to watch. There’s a black bloke called ‘Big Herc’, I think his name is Marcus Timmons he has a channel called Fresh Out the Penitentiary. Another white guy called Wes Watson he is more into building muscle and personal character, and some other guys too, but the two I named have the most interesting content. Big Herc even had a prison cooking segment showing how in jail inmates cook with ramen noodle, making burritos and other jail delicacies! Most clips are like 15 minutes long, but others they stream live and get donations, so there is a living to be made there.
Wes Watson told quite a troubling story about how prison yards are segregated into colour race and gangs. We don’t have that here in the U.K. yet, but maybe it’s coming. He talks a lot about building muscle in jail doing ‘burpees’ and stuff like that.
I’ve recently read the Kerry Max Cook book, Chasjng Justice. He spent 22 years on death row for a rape murder he was totally innocent of. Came within 11 days of execution. Texas cops lawyers, you name them, they all screwed him. Trouble is when they have your nuts in their hands, you can’t do much when they start squeezing them. In your country the level of justice you get depends on how much you are willing to pay to get a good lawyer. Texas especially seem very eager to execute people, the Rodney Reed case is disturbing, he is definately innocent and has sat in a jail for decades. People on the outside interpret silence and inactivity for guilt. But these cases are like quicksand, the more you move the worse it gets. I’ve tried to write to governors of Texas in a vain attempt to intervene, but nothing yet. They won’t listen to me anyway, why would they, I’m not even American? Years ago when I was 16 I met some Texans on a train, they were the first Americans outside of my dads brother, that I had ever met. They were from Austin. They told me, back then, that Texans were a different kind of American, that they were more persistent and unlikely to bend to others will. Which is great when you are building a state, but treacherous when confronted with a mistake you won’t acknowledge. I’m terrified for Rodney and his family. Hopefully someone will see some sliver of humanity and stay the order.
I’m unfamiliar with your case. UK internet servers won’t allow me to download your case, and it’s expensive too. Unfortunately I’m a poor person!!
Music wise I am rather fond of rap. Early stuff Wu tang, Busta Rhymes, Salt and Pepa Faith Evans, Beyonce Biggie Smalls. Stevie Wonder Red Hot Chili Peppers, quite eclectic really. I despise modern rap, trap music, anything that is ‘over produced’ collaborations bore me, all that Justin Beiber DJ Khalid stuff is dire boring and repetitive.

Posted on Dear Reader.......9/22/19 by Douglas Blaine Matthews Dear Reader.......9/22/19
RansomingTheCaptive Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Greetings in the might name of Jesus to you as well! I am well but am very sorry for the delayed reply. I'm glad that you've been experiencing grounded spiritual joy. Congrats on the job, and I hope you've continued to make progress toward being a tutor since you last wrote! God bless.

Posted on i am we wednesday by Antoine Murphy i am we wednesday
Pristine Posted 5 years, 5 months ago.   Favorite
Great post, Mr. Collins!

Thank you for reminding me to slow down in life and appreciate the small things. It makes me feel guilty that I can enjoy those small luxuries and you cannot. I feel even worse knowing that most of the time I loathe going to the grocery store. >.<

Posted on King For A Day by James Collins King For A Day
More comments:

Subscribe

Get notifications when new letters or replies are posted!

Featured posts: RSS email me
All Between the Bars posts: RSS