"Politics, Lucifer is back and my Hair"

I saw John McCain on TV the other day bashing Trump…I isn’t defending Trump, just think McCain needs to get over the fact that he lost the same election Trump won. About that election from a few years back, I always kind of liked Sarah Palin. With her I guess I just wanted to see a woman President or Vice President at some point in time, but now that time has went by and I’ve had a chance to hear her talk in depth, I have to admit that, Miss Sara, ain’t the sharpest pencil in the box! McCain on the other hand is a complete idiot! Damn glad they didn’t get elected.

Trump went to Saudi Arabia, Isra-el and Rome last month. I get it, he’s trying to do what he can to convince the Arabs to help battle terrorism. But I don’t get, or approve of him going to Rome and kissing up to the Poop (sorry misspelled that) Pope. I have nothing against Catholicism but this Pope, I don’t like him, and I don’t think that he has the best interest of the U.S.A. in his agenda, or Western man for that fact. I don’t like him or his politics. And for a sitting American President to go over there and ask him for a meeting, in my opinion, is demeaning! Far as I’m concerned, this Pope can kiss my ring! if you get my meaning. Yeah, Trump, what the hell are you doing kissing up to this guy, he hates you and me!

“Lucifer, is back”

We have roaches here! Yuk, I can’t stand roaches, and these are the big long ones too! Anyway, there’s this one roach that keeps coming in the shower that I use – sometimes when I’m in it! Let me back up.

We have shower stalls. These stalls are about six feet deep and three foot wide with swinging doors, the kind an old saloon would have. The front part of the showers at floor level but the back half of the stall is about four inches higher – so when I’m actually under the showerhead I’m kind of up and away from the main floor. Get the picture? Well, whenever I go to the shower I always turn the light on, look around to make sure that he, Lucifer, as I call him, is not in there, if he is, I turn around and take my shower some other time. All is well. However, two out of the last three days Lucifer has been breaking our agreement and coming into the shower-stall while I’m IN it! So there I am trying to shower while watching him to make sure he don’t, for some reason only roaches would understand, jump on me. And when I finish my shower, because he’s between me and my towel, I’m trapped standing there until he leaves.

Every now and then I see a big roach tits-up on the floor and think that its him, but it obviously ain’t him. This monster has been terrorizing me for like three years now, but like I said we had been able to maintain an uneasy existence because we had an agreement, if he was in the shower I wouldn’t go in, and if I was in the shower he wouldn’t go in…and for the most part he’s honored that agreement, but now, for some reason, he’s violating my space.

Why am I telling you all this, again! Because, I’m trying to be a good Buddhist/Hindu/Christian/New Age/Spiritualistic person. I don’t want to kill anything, not even him. But I’m confessing it to you here and now. If he comes in that shower tomorrow, while I’m in it…I’m gonna put the boots to him…well, I’m too much of a coward to do it myself, but I’ll pay someone to do it… to stomp him out. Please forgive me here, but this is really creeping me out, it’s like he can sense my fear and has started pushing my buttons.

“Hair”

For the last few years I’ve been cutting my hair really short, it’s easier to take care of. Recently I looked at some pictures I’d taken and realized I looked bald! So I’m letting it grow out a little bit; long enough to cover the thin spots 🙂 Yeah, hair is one of the worlds big deals, it ain’t no different here.

I actually once went three years without a haircut, when I first came inside. I liked it but my hair, once it gets about two inches long, is real curly, so when my hair is long I look like a Puerto Rican, Cuban, African, Jew – yeah, I look cool as hell! But this is prison, and guys are better off with short hair; I’ll let you fill in the blanks.

It probably surprises you that a gentleman like me would grow his hair, in prison, like some San Francisco Hippie from 1969…so I’ll tell you my crazy story.

When I first arrived at USP Florence in 2000 I had a cell-mate I really liked, he was like a father figure to me, taught me allot about how to survive in the Gladiator School that was USP Florence…his name was Talkin’ Dave…yeah, he talked all the time. Well, I had a great deal of respect for Dave as a person…but Dave was also THE white barber, remember, I told you that in here everything is racial, anyway Dave was the white barber, and he was a great person, but a terrible barber…terrible!!! Now I didn’t know that when I first hit the yard, nor did I wonder why all the white guys buzzed their hair off, so I took Dave up on his offer to cut my hair. Now I ain’t never been accused of being dumb, in fact I’m a quick learner, so it only took me one haircut to realize that I only had three choices. One) I could buzz my hair, like all the other guys, Two) I could tell Dave that he did a lousy job on my hair, or Three) I could grow it out. So I took option three and went three years without a haircut. Fortunately for me, Dave, Dave transferred to another prison…the new barber cut my hair, and it was all good. But, like I said, somewhere along the way short became bald and so here I am letting it grow out a little, like I used to wear it in the Mayor’s Office…and I look pretty good, handsome even – well that according to the gay guy in my cellblock – just kidding! but someone did tell me I was still very handsome…alright, my niece told me that…four years ago…but lets get something straight, I’m gonna hang on to that no matter how pathetic it is! So get used to hearing it, ’cause I AIN’T gonna let it go. FYI: Talkin’ Dave died a few years back, while in prison.

Well that’s all for this week, and I’ll let you know about Lucifer…and maybe, just maybe I’ll tell you why I’m so repulsed by roaches…but I have to warn you, it ain’t a pretty story.

Thank you all for readin’ this mess and please pass it along to you own friends.

Peace be with you. Mark

Three Rivers, 6-20-17