14 July 07

Raging Heat

Desert prisons during summertime provide plenty to write home about. Deaths here are up to two now. The murder of the Indian was followed by the death of an old-timer from pneumonia. TooTall had a heart attack. A life-support team took him to hospital. 105 to 112 degree temperatures have caused countless cases of heatstroke, including an old-timer who was extracted from the outdoor cage at the commissary station on a stretcher. A Chicano collapsed and was hospitalised.

The raging heat has served to increase the sadistic gleam in Iron Man’s eyes as he pushes us through outdoor workouts to our maximum endurance levels. He waited for the dog days of July to implement a week of “Torture Olympics”. Various timed strength and fitness events, during which I managed to do two hundred pushups in five minutes. A few of my neighbours said I’m getting "cut," and one said, “You’re not getting big, but you’re looking sexy.” You know you’ve been in prison for too long when you start appreciating men telling you you look sexy.

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Copyright © 2006-2007 Shaun P. Attwood
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep it up Jon. YOu don't have to be all yoked out and buff to be in great shape. A lanky dude like you can have a good ahape with repeated calisthetics (sic). -Jose in San Diego

7:56 AM
Anonymous said...

There's plenty of ways to beat the heat in a practical fashion with little means, particularly in the dry desert climate you're in. "Swamp coolers" work out there simply because especially in a dry climate, the process of evaporation is very cooling. If you guys have access to fans in your cell, fix it so it blows across a bowl of cold water, wet rag/sheet.

I'm always surprised and fascinated by the incredibly creative and innovative ways prisoners and those with limited resources have to combat problems. Necessity truly is the mother of invention and it's fascinating how quickly we humans are able to adapt to our environment. It really is a testament to the resilience and perseverance of the human soul.

Perhaps that's an interesting topic for a future post. Let's hear about all the interesting unique everyday methods you guys use to make your environment more comfortable. All the different intricacies like constructing tattoo machines, pruno, heating water, etc. It's a topic ripe with potential, I imagine.

Cheers,
Alex in Rochester

5:28 PM
Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog for a while, it's definitely given me a
different perspective on how things are on the 'inside'. One place i was
so terrified of being in which luckily never happened.

Stay strong, i hope your release comes through hitchfree.

All the best.

D.

2:49 PM

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