3/27/2013: I watched a friend max-out & go home yesterday. I hope he stays there. Sometimes I wonder if this will ever be possible for lifers in this state. If you haven't signed on to support parole for deserving lifers, please do. There are so many human beings who deserve a 2nd chance. Not everyone agrees, & I can understand that more than most people. I watch the news & see a 17 year old wanna be gang member from Georgia shoot & murder a 1 year old baby in order to rob the mother. The future might be scary but it is what we make it. Today we have headlining the news is the topic of same sex marriages. As a Catholic, I am 100% against it. I can understand & sympathize about not wanting to be alone, I will be alone forever. But I am not sure of the need to be married. Why is it is so important for the gays to be married? I just don't know. But is it our business what others do? To an extent, yes. Television is our only escape from prison so sadly I admit that we all watch a lot of TV. Now you tell me, who in America pays $240 for a 19" TV? I don't think anyone does. Our basic cable bill is fairly cheap at $16.50 a month but when you are being paid 19 cents per hour to work, it's impossible to make a living in here. That's why so many prisoners rely so heavily on family & friends. I know I wouldn't be able to survive without them. My brother JJ is one of the few people who has always been there for me. & on April 16th, I will be celebrating your birthday with you. I'm very proud of you & very happy for you, JJ. Happy birthday, little brother. In prison birthdays go unnoticed. No one likes it when they are forgotten but in here, we are forgotten. Holidays & birthdays just don't mean the same. So there's so much misery & hate in prison, Christmas is just another day in here. But you can walk around the yard on any given day & some of the artists are selling their artwork for guys to send to their families. Some of these jailhouse artists amaze me with their talent. My buddy Markey, the guy who did all of my tattoos, he can draw or paint anything. Wish I had some of the talent he has. I've been calling my mom every other day since her hip replacement surgery. So far she is good. I had jelly beans today for the first time in probably 20 years. There was a story on the news yesterday too many stray dogs & cats in an area here in Central PA. Someone has been poisoning them & killing them. It's sad when we cannot even take care of our own pets. My friend BJ, she went & adopted her dog, Dixon, from a shelter. She saved this adorable little puppy from being killed. I read of a site in the USA Today newspaper a few years ago. & I ask anyone who is interested in getting a pet, check out this site.

www.dogsdeathrow.org (or .com, it's been so long). This is a site that shows you dogs all over the country who are being prepared for euthanization, just an easy way to say be killed. & what's sad is they don't understand what's going on. One minute they're in a cage because no one wants them, the next, they're on a table being injected with a drug that will stop their heart & kill them. So if anyone is looking to get a pet, check out your local shelters first. What do you think about euthanising animals? Over 4 million dogs are killed by this every year. Well, that's all for now. I hope that someone goes & saves 1 dog from reading this. It would be worth it for me. If someone does, I would like to hear about it. Someone threw away their 2 kittens. Thank God they wandered in my mom's back yard, now they have a home. In Italy, Lisa has Roxy. And that's her baby. Pets have a way of lighting up our lives, and making us feel better, less alone. They're just like us, they just want to be loved & taken care of. So if you're an animal lover, go out & save a life. Thanx for reading & I hope I've inspired someone to save a life. More next week. Ciao.