I’m fortunate enough to have a strong support system in the world to hold me down, and I’ve an even wider circle sending me books, so I dont need to hustle to live comfortably. Not that I couldn’t, but hustling in prison requires you to open lines of credit to accomodate the biweekly store schedule.…More
Monthly Archives: January 2021
How to Play Pinochle: Rules, Procedures, Cheat Sheets
The most commonly played variant is known as double-deck pinochle. A pinochle deck is almost twice the size of a normal deck, coming to a total of 80 cards (96 if you play with 9s). Only 5 card values make up the deck: Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack (in that order, highest to lowest). There’s…More
“A Prison Pastime: Pinochle”
Except for, maybe, the smudged or faded black ink characteristic of prison tattoos, a person knowing how to play pinochle is the most obvious clue that he’s an ex-con. Elsewhere, I’ve only ever heard of old men generations ago knowing how to play pinochle. It’s a complicated game requiring an agile memory and card-counting ability.…More
jPay Message #212
For the past few weeks, I’ve made a habit of setting aside 10-15 minutes each day to meditate, or at least try to. I’ve yet to achieve nirvana, but I’ve at least become more conscious about how I do, feel, and think about things. I’m starting to see the things that cause an unconscious reaction.…More
Prison Glossary
What I’ve done here is compile a list of prison vernacular in addition to some common idiomatic expressions. This list is by no means exhaustive or definitive, and I’ll periodically update it as I recall terms and sayings. I’ve tried to send some version of this post multiple times, but the prison admin has censored…More