jPay Message #701

My peer recovery group takes place every Friday night in room 9 of the East School Building. During the week, this room hosts "Thinking For A Change," a parole-board mandated program. Makeshift posters cover the walls. Written in Sharpie, and in all caps, these "Thinking Reports" are testaments of lower-class decision making. Here's an example: … Continue reading jPay Message #701 →

“Looks aren’t everything, but they’re a lot”

There's no one to impress but yourself. There's no "not showering because you're depressed." Someone will fight you. Or, at least, excoriate you mercilessly. You're bullied into good hygiene. You're not allowed to publicly wallow. You have to brush your teeth or be ostracized. In my unit, there are a few guys with shitty breath … Continue reading “Looks aren’t everything, but they’re a lot” →

Books I Read This Month (August 2024)

Virtual Heaven - Taylor KoleDopesick - Beth Macy In my creative writing class, the facilitator mentioned that he wrote and self-published several novels. He complained that he couldn't get an agent to read the manuscript. I'm thinking, yeah, right, it probably sucks. I was skeptical any self-published novel could be good. But as I got … Continue reading Books I Read This Month (August 2024) →

jPay Message #623

**(idk if this is actually a worthwhile post or if i was just bitching about people and it isnt actually entertaining or interesting at all. sit on it for awhile) Despite giving lip service to loving everyone, it's human nature to need someone to hate. You don't even hate someone personally, but in the abstract. … Continue reading jPay Message #623 →

Books I Read This Month (May2024)

Outliers - Malcolm GladwellAbsolute Swamp Thing - Alan Moore et al.The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom WolfeGoing Infinite - Michael Lewis For what he lacks in intellectual heft, Malcolm Gladwell more than makes up for it with riveting storytelling and clear prose. Subtitled "The Story of Success," Outliers examines the lives of famous figures … Continue reading Books I Read This Month (May2024) →