October 17th, 2026
Saturday night…I’m very frustrated right now. I’ve been having problems with the tablet all night long. All I will say is Smart Communications SUCKS. A billion-dollar company that takes advantage of inmates and their families, practically rapes them, screws them up the butt without any Vaseline, and then when someone calls to report a problem they insinuate that the inmate is just making it up. As if we really don’t want to talk to our loved ones. It’s freaking ridiculous that these companies can get away with this. But when county jails and prisons are allowed to get mutually exclusive contracts and essentially run a monopoly without any competition, this is what we get. Nothing like good ol’ crony capitalism.
That being said, up until the tablet problems the day had been going pretty good. Had a great visit with my wife today. We learned this evening that Theo had been picked up by a rescue at Dallas Animal Services. We were really worried because he had been on the euthanasia list, and so while it was no fault of ours, we did hold some incredible guilt in the situation that Theo found himself in. But now, we can breathe a sigh of relief.
Fall is finally here in Dallas. We had our first really cool day yesterday and today was much the same. I love going to rec when it’s nice, crisp, and cool.
Today’s scary movie selection is a movie I watched when I was about 10 or 11 years old called The Gate. It was the movie that got me hooked on horror movies. I was afraid to watch it at first because I was banned at my home from watching scary movies, but one day I was over at a friend’s house and they were about to watch the movie when I said, “I’m not allowed to watch scary movies.” I went outside into the front yard as they began to watch it, felt so stupid, and went right back inside to watch it.
Be kind...
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
October 15th, 2026
Not much going on today. Just wanted to share this important information from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on a book policy change: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/news/TDCJ_to_Launch_Online_Book_Portal.html
Today’s scary movie is No One Gets Out Alive.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
October 14th, 2026
Wednesday night. It’s been a long day. I had a court hearing this morning. In the past couple of days, I only had the equivalency of about 5 hours of sleep due to a new neighbor that is the kid on steroids. I was getting absolutely zero sleep when last night I tried an experiment blocking my vent completely up with cardboard, successfully muffling the noise around me and I made a pair of earplugs out of an old pair of earbuds. I was able to finally go to sleep. I had intended on getting out of bed as early as possible to get ready for court but my body demanded otherwise, and I ended up sleeping past 8 AM when the intercom system in my cell came to life and the woman in the control center told me to get ready for court; the SRTs were on their way. I jumped out of bed, washed my face and brushed my teeth—no time for a shower—and off I went. The court hearing itself was non-eventful, and basically both parties stated that nothing else was necessary for the rest of this year. The prosecution of my case would fall into the hands of a new district attorney administration in January. My next court date is January 27th. Oh boy. We will have to see what happens. Came back to my cell a little before 11 AM. I have been spending the rest of the day with my wife. Tonight’s scary movie selection is the classic horror movie Carrie.
Be kind…
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
October 11th, 2026
Oh boy. The past few days have been a doozy. Everything started Thursday night. The day had been a bit difficult because we were facing some difficult decisions in what would be best for my wife in both helping her feel more settled in Dallas and would allow her to be most productive in her own career as well as what would be best for our marriage. The last thing either of us wanted was anything to get in between the extreme closeness we share. So, some difficult decisions would have to be made...One of those decisions kind of fell through in the afternoon and so we just went about the evening trying to figure out how to navigate that. I didn't feel it was anything of severe importance and told her we'll take things one day at a time and figure it out. We had just finished watching the last episode of Lioness Season 2 when our dog, Theo, was showing some signs of restlessness so my wife asked me if we should take him out for a walk and to go potty. It was a bit earlier than normal, but I thought it was a good idea. It seemed like 9 pm would be a time where there weren’t any distractions for Theo as he tends to get really worked up when there are other people, other dogs and the stray cats wandering about in the apartment courtyard. He had never shown any signs of real aggression towards anyone or anything, nothing more than maybe a protective warning growl if someone walked too close to them but that's about it.
My wife harnessed him up and off we went. One thing about things like this that I enjoy is going along and listening. I get to hear the dog pant and sniff. I hear birds or cats, people and cars. It makes me feel like I'm there with them. Theo had been acting normal, doing his thing when my wife took him to the small, enclosed dog park the apartment has. The dog park allows the dog to be unleashed but she normally leaves it on anyways because the gate is broken and she doesn't want him to break free and bolt for the gate. Theo found a spot to poop and when she went to clean it up he wouldn't budge. This wasn’t uncommon because he really doesn't like to be near his own poop. My wife tried to get him closer so she could bag it up but still he wouldn't budge. So, she unleashed him for a second to clean the mess up and that's when all hell broke loose.
Just as she did that a young woman with a small dog entered the dog park. The next thing I heard was barking and then screaming from the woman followed with the piercing cries of the other dog. The screaming continued and I heard my wife yelling, “Are you okay? Are you okay?” I didn't know what had happened, but my adrenaline spiked and I began yelling on the phone, “Call 911! I’m hanging up. Call 911 right now!”
I hung up and then immediately called my wife's parents and told them something just happened. I was trying not to panic. They live in another state so there was little they could do, but her father had gotten ahold of my wife, and I could hear her on the speaker phone. She had said that Theo attacked the little Dog and there was blood everywhere. She told the young woman to take the dog to emergency vet hospital, gave her and her sister her contact information so that she could pay for it. I asked where was the police? She said they weren't coming. I was incredulous. She was trapped in a dog park with a dog that had just attacked another dog. I was terrified for her so tried talking to a Dallas Sheriff's Deputy here in the jail to see if he could get help. No one would help! She had to call Dallas Animal Services to get Theo but they wouldn't come until 2 am in the morning. The whole thing was terrible, and I was so scared for my wife.
They took Theo away and we're still processing it.
The little dog that was attacked is going to be okay and in the process my wife made some new friends which I was grateful for and grateful that they didn't fault her or hate her. They invited her over to their apartment yesterday to chat and everything seems okay now but sadly, Theo is no longer a part of our family. A sad turn of events. We believe he was just trying to protect my wife, but we can't risk that happening again in the apartment complex.
Yesterday was a bit less stressful and we did manage a really good visit...We had a really good evening together. We watched Tombstone, and then we listened to some music for the rest of the night.
On another note, I was reading in the newspaper about how the Dallas minister Rev. Robert Jeffress had stated that public executions were Biblically commanded, and then he went on to quote a passage in Genesis and something from Leviticus. I thought, huh, if he’s going to start cherry-picking Bible passages to support not just executions, but public executions, then surely he won’t have a problem if we as a society start enforcing executions for adulterers and disobedient children as the Bible commands. Not to mention executions for other things as well. I find it incredibly convenient that people pick out and weaponize the Bible passages that support their own bigotries and hatreds. It’s kind of what’s at the heart at the screenplay I’m currently writing.
Looking forward to spending the rest of the day with my wife. Today’s scary movie selection is Insidious.
Be kind…
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace…
Listen to Randy’s Halloween Special, a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
October 8th, 2026
Thursday. I can't believe that this week has been zipping about so quickly. I'm doing the best that I can. I wouldn't say my week has been great, but it hasn't been bad. The biggest issue is the lack of sleep. I've tried talking to these young guys around me and they just don't seem to care. There was a time in prison and/or jail that even the wildest of inmates would show a bit of respect to those around them. Especially those older than them but this new generation gives zero respect. I was told last night, “You know this is jail not the Hilton, right?” That's the mentality. Prison is a little bit different in that someone can really get hurt by showing disrespect, but even in recent years the young generation doesn't care and most of them love fighting because it’s something to pass the time. Its crazy how much change I've seen in the generations over the years incarcerated. Social media has kind of sped up those changes from year to year, I think.
I've got to admit that these recent executions have got me down a bit as well. I knew these guys. Lived with them, spent years with them and to see so many happen in the last year and a half of being in Dallas takes a toll...couple that with survivors guilt and it guts me. Yesterday's execution of Jamaal Howard was a tough one because he really wasn't a bad guy. He was probably 18 or 19 at the time of his crime. He was on death row all of his adult life dealing with both mental illness and intellectual disabilities. He could hold a conversation, but you weren't going to be talking about the intricacies of politics or have discussions about books or philosophy. He was very teenage-minded. But he was also incredibly kind and reserved. If he robbed and killed someone as a teen it could only be because he was in a place in his life that he felt that it was the only option he had. That doesn't excuse the action. But it does give the incident context. I'm sick and tired of these keyboard warriors posting their sensationalist views and their comments about how a “rope doesn't fail” or “Hey Tennessee... Texas will show you how to get it done” garbage. Its not clever. Its not original. Its not even cute. No. Its cruel and heartless. No human should want to see another human being die. Period. It doesn't matter what that person did. It doesn't matter how much you hate that person. The Bible is clear: Hate The Sin Not The Sinner... This black and white, narrow minded Good vs. Evil thinking is why we continue to have many of the problems we have in society. The rejection of critical thinking or the inability to see the complexity or nuances and the huge swath of grey that lies in between black and white doesn't help our society or species. We wandered around with our thumbs up our butts for millennia because we couldn't seem to grow beyond our lizard brains. I was telling my wife just yesterday that for all of the potential that having knowledge and information at our fingertips at the press of a button can have on the internet, all it has really seemed to do is drive us back to the Dark Ages again. These people are the same kind of people that brought about the Inquisition or Salem Witch Trials. (Want to know how these people think? Read the excellent play by Arthur Miller called The Crucible.)
Sorry, but I just get fed up with the amount of willful ignorance that exists in our world today.
Saw the nurse today about an ongoing cough I've been having and they don't know why it is, could just be allergies or the dirt and dust in the air, but she asked if I wanted my flu shot today and so I went ahead and got that for the season. Its crazy to see so many inmates turn down vaccinations but I never do if its offered. Actually, I need to check and see when my next tetanus shot is due because I feel like its been over a decade since my last one.
My screenplay is coming along really well, but we realized last night that I needed a better cold opening. I did have a really creepy original opening but I kept feeling like it made no sense and didn't work, so I stumbled upon a new idea talking it out with my wife last night and what I came up with is much better. I can just move that one creepy scene to another spot in the script and it will still work.
Okay, so scary movie suggestion for today...I'm going to suggest the movie Dark Skies...this one is really weird and has some great creepy moments.
Oh and early voting starts soon so get out and VOTE!!!
Be kind...
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
October 7th, 2026
Wednesday night. Just heard the news that Jamaal Howard has been executed. I knew Jamaal for many years while on Death Row. He was intellectually disabled and suffered schizophrenia, although for the most part he was very quiet, even-tempered, and kept to himself. He would engage with people if they talked to him, but you were definitely not going to have an intellectual conversation. I have a mutual friend with him, just a really good human being who wanted to offer a bit of comfort to him while he was on Death Row. Because he has no family support, she came to Texas to be there for him in his last days. This is the mark of a true mensch. I don’t understand how any human being on this planet can call themselves a person of G-d and celebrate the death of someone mentally disabled, or the death of anyone, for that matter. And I don’t want to hear all of that “eye for an eye” bullcrap. In Judaism, in arguing what the various laws of Moses actually meant and how they were to be implemented, most scholars and rabbis agreed that when meeting the requirements that lead to execution, the bar is set so high that it’s practically impossible to lawfully execute anyone. However, many people not only misappropriate the Biblical passage that calls for an eye for an eye, they wrongfully interpret it. To go a little further in the New Testament, Jesus clearly states there is no more eye for an eye because he fulfills the law of Moses.
The day has been okay. Was able to get outside for recreation this morning and even though I was exhausted from lack of sleep the night before I still managed to jog and do some strength exercises. Came back in and have been spending the day with my wife. And that’s pretty much been it. Tonight’s scary movie suggestion is one that is not for the squeamish. It is over the top…it is gory…but surprisingly it carries an environmental message. I present to you Green Inferno.
Be kind…
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
October 5th, 2026
Monday afternoon. Been an okay day. Made it to rec. Earlier today. After three days of rain it was beautiful! No heat. No humidity...just lovely. I've had next to no sleep the past three days. Friday night the young guys were pretty wired up most of the night and they were picking on a mentally ill guy for laughs, so this kept me up until about 3am...Saturday night was worse because the air went out so while it has been cooler in Dallas the past few days due to a ton of rain (we went three months without rain and then suddenly were dumped with inches since Thursday!) the humidity has been other worldly and so the jail began to get quite uncomfortable. This irritated everyone, and once again it was chaos well past breakfast. Every time I think things have settled in this place and feel like it has leveled out something else happens. It is really beginning to take a toll on me. I just want this legal nightmare to end. 26 years of this roller coaster...
Speaking of legal things... I am still scheduled for a court hearing on October 14th. So maybe I'll hear something then? I feel strongly that if anything is to happen in a way that this can be resolved without a trial or before the new district attorney takes over (Amber Givens was the DA elect but then a Republican write-in candidate stepped forward which put the race back on. Interestingly enough, the editorial board of the Dallas Morning News is not endorsing either candidate.) it will have to be before November because Judge Mays had scheduled jury selection to begin in November. I find it hard to believe that that will remain the schedule, but until I hear otherwise I've been mentally preparing myself for that. These months are moving by so fast and January will be here before we know it, so I'm anxious and nervous to see what happens either with a resolution or new administration.
I think everyone on the planet has heard about the horrible, botched execution of Christa Pike? Unbelievable. It's crazy that we can live in a country that doesn't seem to think its all that big of a deal. It’s just been a slew of bad news in the world of the death penalty. The Texas court of criminal appeals recently rejected Melissa Lucio's appeal in which both the district attorney and her judge declared her innocent. It makes me wonder how the same court overturned my conviction? The next scheduled execution in Texas, Jamaal Howard, is equally shameful. He is both intellectually disabled and mentally ill, but what does the State or country care these days?
I can't believe that the midterm elections are almost upon on us. I am both excited and nervous. Ken Paxton is such a horrible campaigner and candidate it makes me wonder how he even has a shot at being a U.S. senator, but that's the world of politics these days. Both parties are pumping money into Texas. I read an article yesterday that reported that Don Henley of the Eagles has poured millions of his own money to support Democratic candidates here in Texas. That was pretty nice to read.
Haven't really been up to much else except spending time with my wife and working on my screenplay. I think I mentioned writing a horror movie that focuses on religious trauma stemming from my experiences at boarding school in Kentucky. It's coming together quite well, and having my wife's professionalism in writing has helped me a lot as well. She's making sure that every scene serves a purpose and that the script is tight. I'm really excited with what I have so far.
Today's scary movie choice is the cult classic Killer Klowns From Outer Space...this movie is bonkers! I first watched it when I was 13 years old. Honestly, it wasn't scary...funny and at times weird but not scary but hey, it is Halloween!!!
Be Kind..
October 1st, 2026
It’s a brand new month. I really can’t believe it’s October. At times, it feels like the months have been going by at breakneck speed. It can be overwhelming, but I don’t mind because I want to get to a resolution sooner than later. Being trapped in Dallas has me feeling a bit off kilter at times. I think it’s because just about every inmate around me comes and goes. I don’t know how many times my cell neighbors have switched out over the past year and a half, and here I am stuck in the exact same place. The exact same cell. No radio. No books. A newspaper that gives me days old news. Maybe that sounds like whining. It probably is, but I’m just ready to move forward. The only bit of joy that I do have is the joy that having someone to love brings. I was miserable for some time before my wife came into my life. I have some old journals from last year that I wrote that haven’t been posted yet (They will be soon. We’re just swimming neck-deep in other obligations and projects.) and you can clearly see how miserable I was at the time. Even in the feelings of wanting to get out of Dallas, the happiness that I find in the love that I share with my wife keeps me afloat. Otherwise, I would be drowning right now. I really hope October brings about some good news and change.
Keeping in the mood of Halloween, my movie selections this month will all be scary movies. Today’s movie selection, however, is not necessarily scary, but I think fits. And so, I recommend Joker.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
P.S. - Just learned that Polunsky Unit’s 106.5 The Tank is still airing one of my favorite music shows, The Classic Lounge, which focuses on classic rock music and its history. Would like to share a link to a clip from the show. So happy to see my boys are still doing it. Keep up the good work.
September 30th, 2026
Wednesday night. Just finished listening to episode 7 of season 2 Lioness with my wife, who was watching it as I listened. It’s been a nice day. Went to rec earlier today. Exercised and jogged a little, then in the afternoon Dallas finally got some rain after three months without. Apparently, our dog Theo was very excited by this, as he first stood out on the patio, letting the rain splash up against him, followed by excitedly bouncing and running around the apartment. We’re really trying to keep his activity low because of his heartworm treatment, but it’s difficult to tell a big ass dog to calm down.
Can’t believe that this is the last day of September. We are only a month away from the midterm elections. Speaking of, I came across a really good opinion piece in the newspaper today that gave a roadmap to how Democrats can win in November. I believe it was spot on, so I would like to share a link to it here.
What should Democrats’ strategy look like in November?
Here’s to hoping October brings some good news. October is one of my favorite months, because not only is it fall, my favorite season, but I get caught up in all things Halloween. And I get to close the month out with both my wife’s birthday, and a tradition that I started last year in watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, although this year I’m gonna have to listen to it because Smart Communications tablets don’t have it and they suck.
Tonight’s movie selection, to kick off the Halloween festivities, is from the movie It.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 29th, 2026
Tuesday…Another day in this dump. It’s fairly early, and I’m up waiting on laundry. They do it once a week in Dallas County Jail, which is kinda gross. That means I have to wash my socks, underwear, and clothes throughout the week. Kinda sucks.
Today is the birthday of one of my friends on Death Row, Big Will, so a big happy birthday to him.
Yesterday was a nice day. I went outside around 9:30 AM and it was the first time in a couple of months that I didn’t come back in sweating. Maybe fall in Texas is finally arriving. Our dog, Theo, made us really proud because he hasn’t peed in the apartment for quite some time. He has no problem going potty outside, but there were a couple of times he decided to let loose in the apartment, which wasn’t pleasant for my wife. After some time researching a solution that didn’t result in punishing a dog for being a dog, (Punishment/fear-based training isn’t the right way to train a dog. Does it get results? I guess it does, but it also traumatizes the animal.) we decided to try this company out of California that sells pads of grass that one can put out on the patio that you can routinely encourage the dog to go pee or poop on. Theo took to it immediately, and it has eliminated his accidents inside the apartment. When he goes on the grass pad, my wife gives him lots of praise and a treat, which gets him really excited and happy. We’re learning that Theo is very emotionally attuned and responds well to praise and playfulness, though we can’t allow him to get too excited because he’s going through heartworm treatment.
Our other dog, James, is currently going through training in a home with other dogs to help him with his trauma. Rescue dogs/shelter dogs require a lot of patience, love, time, and energy. It can be completely exhausting. But the love gained from it makes the difficult parts worth it. But that’s easy for me to say. I’m sitting in a cell while my wife has to do it alone. I know at times it takes a toll on her, but I’m incredibly proud of how well she is learning and adapting to the dog’s needs. I’m learning a lot about rescue animals through these adoptions of James and Theo. We’ll add some new photos at the end of this post. Oh, Theo has a thing now that he does when he goes out on walks. He refuses to go back inside until he has checked the parking lot for cats. I think it’s cute, but he drags my wife to where cars are parked, sniffs around under the cars, and whether he sees one or not I think he feels like it’s a job well done, and says, “Okay, I’m good.” He’s not aggressive towards cats, just very curious.
Last night I had a great visit. That was the day. Not much else to report here. Today’s movie suggestion is another 80s classic with the late, great John Candy. The movie—and one of my family’s favorite movies, I must’ve watched this movie with my family a hundred times—Summer Rental.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 26th, 2026
Saturday night, technically Sunday morning. Midnight. Sitting here with my wife as I listen to her munch on pretzels. Our dog Theo is lying down next to her chair, eating little pieces of pretzels along with her. We spent the night on the phone listening to music, one of our favorite things to do. And every once in a while, Theo would interrupt, demanding his scratches and belly rubs. Let me tell ya, that dog is very demanding. If he doesn’t get enough scratches and belly rubs, he will leap himself on her, he will gently put her hand in his mouth and guide her to where he wants to be pet. And he does not take no for an answer. He’s such a beautiful, loving dog. We’re still trying to figure out a schedule that works for both him and her, because he does demand so much of her time. But I think we’ll figure it out.
Had a great visit earlier today. Saturdays seem to be the best day to have a visit because we always get extra time. Just love sitting across from her, and showing each other how much we feel for one another. I don’t expect people to understand how a relationship like this is possible or can work. But where so many people put an importance on proximity, and I’m not saying it’s not important, but for the two of us, a genuine emotional connection outweighs anything else. I think she and I know one another better than anyone who shares a relationship based on proximity.
I’m gonna wind down for the night. Tonight’s movie suggestion is another favorite, Big with Tom Hanks.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 24th, 2026
Thursday. This month is flying by. I can’t believe that it’s almost October. I slept okay last night. Definitely better than the night before. The thing is I didn’t even have the opportunity to sleep in because the SRTs woke me up at 6:20 AM to go to recreation. I guess they thought if they came that early I wouldn’t want to go, but as I’ve said a thousand times before, rain, sleet, or snow, I’m getting out of this cell for recreation. I don’t care if they show up at three in the morning. I’m still going.
Well, I was up for the rest of the day and spent a bit of time consoling one of my young neighbors whose grandmother died. That was sad to hear. He said his grandmother pretty much raised him. And when he said, “I disappointed her so many times, the last place I wanted her to see me in was here,” it broke my heart a little. A little bit later that evening, I learned that Ker’sean Ramey, or as we called him, “Little Tex,” was executed. That was tough to hear. I knew him well. Another guy executed from the faith-based class. Sometimes it makes me wonder what’s the point of having these classes offered that deal rehabilitation and victims’ reconciliation, only for the State to completely ignore the fact that one can be rehabilitated. It feels a little bit like spitting in the wind. He was a quiet, reflective, and kind guy. He will be missed on the Row.
I closed the night out with my wife listening to the latest Kiki Rockwell album. It was really good. I’d like to put a pink here for people to listen to it. I highly recommend it.
Plagued By Visions - Kiki Rockwell
So, today is another day to get through. We shall see what it brings. Today’s movie suggestion is Forest Gump.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope n’ faith.
Peace.
September 22nd, 2026
Tuesday night. Been an interesting day. One of my neighbors had a toilet that wouldn’t stop flushing. It had been flushing from the time I came back from visit last night at 9 PM (another wonderful visit). We had thought that maintenance was going to fix his toilet last night, but they never showed up, and today the officers working kept giving the poor guy the runaround. His toilet kept going on into the afternoon. Let me tell you, when a prison or jail toilet breaks or the flush valve doesn’t close, the sound that it makes is like that of a CAT 4 hurricane. You can’t hear yourself think. You can’t hear what people are trying to say to you. People can’t hear what you’re trying to say to them. I had the very same thing happen in the spring with my toilet here. I remember being on the phone with my wife, before she was my wife. She got to experience it firsthand. They finally fixed his toilet around 5:30 PM, but only after he allowed to toilet to overflow, flooding his cell. The water ran out to where the officers were and lo and behold, someone finally decided to call maintenance. It’s sad that someone has to go to extremes to just get something so basic taken care of.
In other news, we heard on the news today that a federal judge ordered all Texas prisons to have air conditioning installed by 2029. Barring any more challenges from TDCJ, it appears that change is finally coming to Texas prisons. This will improve the quality of living for inmates and the work environment for corrections officers. There are those people out there that ignorantly say inmates don’t deserve air conditioning, but in those words they are also saying that corrections officers don’t deserve air conditioning, because corrections officers have to work in those same buildings. I don’t know anyone who wants to have to work in an environment that’s over 130 degrees for 12 hours a day. I figure it’ll probably take longer than till 2029 to install a/c, but the important thing is it’s finally a reality.
Tonight’s movie selection is Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope. Faith.
Peace.
September 20th, 2026
Sunday morning. Sleep was so-so. I went to bed shortly after 2 AM because I ended up talking to one of the guys around me. He was 20 years old when he was arrested for the crime that he is being accused of. He has been in Dallas County Jail for almost three years and is potentially facing the rest of his life in prison unless he testifies against his co-defendant, who is the shooter in his crime. This is just another example of the problem with the Law of Parties in Texas, and a reason why prosecutors fight so hard against any legislation to abolish the Law of Parties. For prosecutors, it is a tool to get co-defendants in some cases to turn on one another by using the fear of execution or life without parole. It’s a pretty effective tool. It should, however, raise many ethical questions because if you weren’t the primary actor in the crime, should there be equal culpability? The law says there should be. I guess one has to be gifted with ESP and anticipate the actions of another person. Prosecutors usually know who the main actor of a crime is. But they want that guaranteed conviction. They need that notch on their belt. They need the win. And to ensure that win, they will threaten the person who they know didn’t kill anyone with an equal or greater punishment unless they agree to cooperate and testify. It’s kind of sick of immoral, if you ask me. Even on Death Row, there are guys who are sitting there who didn’t kill anyone, and instead of cooperating, they were convicted and sentenced to death under the Law of Parties by some random jury. Meanwhile, their co-defendant, who is the killer, was spared the death penalty by another random jury. How is this justice?
But I digress. The young guy asked me what he should do, because apparently they will drop the capital murder charge on him, instead giving him a lesser included offense if he testifies against his co-defendant. That means he will avoid serving life without parole, and one day could go free. I told him to take the deal because the only alternative is spending the rest of his life in prison. I told him at least this way he has a chance of returning to his children and his family. I told him to forget about pride or what people label him as, because the reality of the situation is that 99.9% of any criminals in his situation facing life without parole would make the same deal. If they say otherwise, they’re not being honest with themselves. It’s a sucky situation to be in, but the fact remains he isn’t the killer. His co-defendant is. In a truly just system, prosecutors wouldn’t threaten to take away the rest of his life knowing this fact.
Today’s movie suggestion is Pulp Fiction, one of my top 10 favorite movies.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 19th, 2026
Saturday night. The day is winding down. We had settled in for the evening to watch the movie Barbarian. Because I’ve been working on my horror screenplay, I thought it would be a good idea to listen to a horror movie just to get an idea for pace and structure, although I feel we’re doing a pretty good job without too much guidance. The week has flown by. Kinda got caught up in offering some love, encouragement, and moral support to my wife. It’s been a little bit of a rough week, but we managed to get through it.
They moved yet another mentally ill guy into the cell next to me. He likes to kick on his door throughout the night, so sleep has been on the rough side, but last night he was quiet. I got fairly decent sleep. Although, this afternoon he was screaming about space monkeys taking over planet Earth and replacing everyone with clones, so that we aren’t really who we think we are, we are actually clones and our actual selves are in a different universe. The space monkeys are planning to decimate Earth before the November elections and then return our bodies back afterwards. I guess where my concern is, if I am destroyed before the November elections, and my other self is restored to his original place on Earth, does that mean I’ll still be in jail, or does my other self operate like none of the craziness of my life ever happened? Do I share the same consciousness as him? Man, space monkeys. Who would’ve thought?
I had a great visit today with my wife. Once again, the jail was very kind in giving us a little bit of extra time. I’m always appreciative of that. Can’t believe there’s only a week and a half left of the month. Time is flying by.
Tonight’s movie suggestion is the horror movie we were watching tonight, Barbarian.
Also want to suggest a song. Tonight I’m feeling like Hard To Tell You by Warpaint.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 14th, 2026
Monday morning, and as the youngsters say, it looks like I was slimed out of recreation. Apparently, whoever was doing recreation today came through at 6:20 AM. I woke up a little after 6:30 AM. No one has been around since, and only one person made it to recreation because they were already awake. I’m not too happy about this situation. I’m still hoping that maybe the SRTs show up. Maybe I can talk to them, and they'll allow me to go to rec. The thing is I’m not a person who ever refuses recreation, short of being very sick. Rain, sleet, or snow, I’m gonna go. It’s my only opportunity outside of a visit or court date that I can get out of the cell. I don’t like being cooped up in here for long periods of time.
Well, in light of that happening, I decided to go ahead and exercise and knock out a crossword puzzle. I received my tablet a few minutes ago, and now I am killing some time before I call my wife to tell her good morning. She’s a professional writer, and is often up late, so I like to give her a little time to sleep in. I, on the other hand, am an early bird. I keep an old man’s schedule. That’s probably our biggest difference. Everything else about us is pretty much the same.
I had a good birthday yesterday. A good birthday visit, and I loved listening to our dog get excited when my wife came home. He was whimpering and making excited noises and running around the apartment. Sooooooo damn cute. I love our other dog, James, but this dog Theo, he has completely won over my heart. He’s so kind, gentle, very loving, and very polite. Though he does seem to have a thing for stealing shoes and slippers, which is quite adorable if I’m honest. We’ll post some new photos of him at the end of this entry.
So, I’m 49 years old. I can’t believe that I’m at the doorstep of 50. I’ve been incarcerated for 30 years, and I’ve taken decent care of myself, so outside of putting on a few pounds and losing all of my hair I feel like I’m faring pretty well. My mind still feels young. I’m still a kid at heart and have what my wife calls a boyish charm about myself. And yet I am also intellectually mature. I do feel fortunate.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what the future might look for me should I survive this legal mess and not have to return to Death Row. I can’t explain the feeling that I’m having, but I feel like this chapter is winding down for me. Whatever that means, or however that might look. I told my friends, and regularly tell my wife, that all I want is a chance to do some good. I think a lot about legacy, especially after watching a documentary called The Legacy of Big White, which I highly recommend. His legacy was the impact he had on the lives of the men on Texas Death Row, as well as his reconciliation with his son. People remember him in the fondest of ways.
I had a conversation with the young guy back here. He’s facing a potential life without parole sentence, and I asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. He told me he didn’t want to be known for his crime. He didn’t want his children to know him for his crime. I told him it wasn’t too late to change and begin to shape the legacy that he would like to leave for his family and for himself. I shared with him a story of a guy that was executed on Texas Death Row named Patrick Knight. We all called him “Mangy Dog.”
Up to around the early 2000s, TDCJ used to allow porn magazines. For one reason or the other, around 2005 or 2006, they were banned. My friend Jeff Prible and I were sharing a copy of a magazine that had one of my favorite porn stars (Hey, I was in my 20s and my ex left me. What was I to do?), Tera Patrick. We would swap for extended periods of time, and while it was in my possession I had moved away from Jeff to another pod. Mangy Dog asked me if I had any porn to look at. I sent him the magazine, and then unexpectedly I was moved again. I told Mangy Dog to hold it until I returned because it belonged to both Jeff and I. He said he would return it when I got back to the pod. I had no reason to think that it wasn’t in good hands. About a month later, Mangy Dog received an execution date and was moved to Death Watch on A-pod. Jeff happened to live on A-pod, and so I told Jeff that Mangy Dog had his magazine. Jeff got word back to me that Mangy Dog had said that I still had it. I was thinking to myself, what? Why would he say that?
One day, I was moved to C-pod near my close friend Clinton Young, and on this particular day I was feeling quite horny. I asked Clinton if he had any porn that I could look at. He sent me a magazine that had a bunch of cut out pages, but what caught my eye was Tera Patrick on the cover. As I flipped through the remaining pages, I realized it was the magazine that I let Mangy Dog borrow. I asked Clinton, “Hey, dude. How did you get this? This is mine.”
“Yours? It’s not yours. I bought it from Mangy Dog,” Clinton replied.
“Yeah. And Mangy Dog borrowed it from me.”
Needless to say, I was pissed. Clinton felt bad and said I could have it back. But I knew when Jeff saw the condition it was in, he’d be mad as well. After all, porn was a scarce commodity at this point. A week later I was moved back to A-pod and told Jeff what had happened. Jeff confronted Mangy Dog about it, and the guy told Jeff that I was lying, that he gave the magazine back to me. I decided to send Mangy Dog a note and asked him bluntly what he wanted his legacy to be. I said, “You may be leaving this world in a matter of weeks. What do you want your legacy to be? Do you want the guys here on Death Row to remember you as a liar and a thief, or do you want to be remembered in a positive way? The choice is yours, but as of now, you are Mangy Dog the Thief to me. I don’t want to remember you in that way. Tell Jeff the truth, make it right. It’s not too late.” The next day Mangy Dog sent me an apology, and he paid Jeff and I for the loss of the magazine. Jeff and I forgave him.
I guess the point I was trying to make to the youngster is that it’s never too late for any of us to right our wrongs, to replace the negative views of us with positive ones. I want my legacy to be like the legacy of Big White. A legacy of integrity, reconciliation, kindness, and compassion. Maybe the media will always refer to me as a so-called “member of the Texas 7.” But for the people who know and love me, for the men I’ve helped on Death Row, or the men I may help in the future as a Life Coach or Field Minister, they’ll hopefully remember me as something else.
It’s later now. The night is coming to an end. I made it to rec after all, thanks to an SRT who asked me if I still wanted to go. I was grateful for that. Enjoying the rest of the night with my wife.
Today’s movie suggestion is one of my favorite childhood movies, the Disney classic Flight of the Navigator.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 12th, 2026
Late Saturday night. About 30 minutes away from midnight, and my birthday. Actually, I don’t know what time of birth I was born on, but my birthday is the 13th, so woohoo. I’ll be 49. Can’t believe I’m still on this planet. But I’m grateful. Had a good day today. Had a great visit with my wife. Had a good time listening to my wife take care of Theo today. In fact, we just got in from taking him outside to potty just a few minutes ago. He got a little excited when he saw the stray cat, and I heard him bark for the first time. He’s a pretty chill dog, so hearing the bark was a bit of a surprise.
On another note, read a really good article about my friend Jeff Prible from Death Row. He is innocent, and after 2+ decades the proof of that is finally coming to light. I highly recommend reading the article:
e-Crime Star’s Lurid Claims Sent a Man to Die. Her Key Witness Just Recanted. If you would like to read the appeal from his legal team (the same legal team that saved my life), you can see it for yourself at https://texaspoliticalprisoner.com. You can decide for yourself.
Tonight’s movie suggestion is Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 9th, 2026
Wednesday night. Just finished listening to an episode of Lioness from season 2 with my wife. It’s been a pretty good week thus far though Satan and his minions are a few blocks away from now at the American Airlines Center. I went to rec earlier today, and when I was out at the gym I could see all the surrounding hotels and buildings. I noticed what appeared to be some kind of surveillance teams stationed on several roofs. I don’t know if they were snipers or just surveillance, but it was interesting to see. Apparently, the Lord of Darkness—rather, The Lord of Doofus—himself arrived in Dallas sometime this afternoon. But the exciting thing today was we welcomed another new addition to the family. A beautiful, marshmallowy Anatolian Shephard rescue from Dallas Animal Services. The shelter had named him Summer, but we decided to call him Theo. He’s literally crawling into my wife’s lap as she’s typing this journal entry. Thing is, he weighs 66 lbs., and the big guy thinks he’s a lap dog. Can’t believe he was in the shelter for 63 days and no one wanted him. We will put some photos at the end of this journal to share. Looks like James has a little brother. We’ll attach some pictures at the end of this entry.
Tonight’s movie suggestion is Glory, my favorite Civil War movie.
The Night Before The Battle, The Soldiers Sing | Glory
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 5th, 2026
Saturday night. The day is winding down. Had a great day today. Great visit, and I’ve been very reflective, as today marks 30 years of being incarcerated and the completion of my original 30-year sentence. I was 18 going on 19 at the time that I was arrested. I can still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I was a broken young man during that period of my life. I had essentially been abandoned by my family. I had been abandoned by my school—a school that professed the teachings of Christ. I had been homeless, and the people that did offer me a home and support were the wrong influences. I went to my parents for help. They rejected me and refused to help. The prior year of confusion, abandonment, and chaos that had been bottled up and pushed deep down into the depths of my soul came exploding out of me one horrible night on LSD. I’m not making excuses. I’m not blame-shifting. I have the utmost remorse and regret. I had never been a violent person in my life. Those are just the facts. I have spent the last 30 years trying to figure out how that horrible night could happen. Sometimes I still don’t have an explanation, but I have done my best to live my life over the past couple of decades ensuring that nothing like that or some of the bad choices I’ve made a couple of years after would ever happen again. Hopefully, through all of this, there is still a path to forgiveness.
Today’s suggested movie is The Martian. The reason why I picked this clip is to show that with the right people in your corner, anyone can be saved. I just didn’t have those people back then. I have those people now.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 3rd, 2026
Don’t have a lot to say today. Another night of almost no sleep. I don’t think I’ve felt more exhausted in my life. Maybe when they pick up my tablet for an afternoon charge I can get in a nap. Just depends on how quiet the place is. Wanted to take a second to recommend a book with contributors from Texas Death Row. It’s titled A quick guide to death row: Allan B. Polunsky Unit (Texas). One of the contributors is a good friend of mine, Irving Davis. If you wanna know what life is like on Polunsky Unit, this is a good guide.
Hmmmm…. what’s a movie pick for today? I think I’m going to go with the sci-fi movie Edge Of Tomorrow. I love Bill Paxton’s role as the drill sergeant. Rest in peace Bill. Gotta shout out my Texas brother. I’d also like to suggest a song that my wife introduced to me last night. Here’s hoping I can get some sleep tonight.
"Edge of Tomorrow" movie: battle is the great redeemer
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.
September 2nd, 2026
Wednesday morning. I can’t believe that September is already here. The summer has gone by in a breeze. As I write this, I’m waiting to go outside, but honestly I’m feeling quite tired. Everything was fine last night. I was in bed and asleep shortly after midnight. Breakfast comes at 3 AM and so I woke up and ate my muffins. I love these things. People in the jail call them “monkey nuts” for some odd reason, but when they’re hot, they’re delicious. After eating breakfast I crawled back into bed, falling back to sleep quickly, but shortly after that my eyes shot back open because the young white guy in 80 cell began screaming, “Everyone wake up! It’s time to PAAAAAAAAARRRRTY!!!” And then he began to sing at the top of his lungs. This went on for the next three hours. By the time the morning shift was here there was no point in trying to go back to sleep because I had to get scheduled for recreation. I cannot catch a break in this place. One crazy person leaves, another crazy person comes in. One disruptive person leaves, another disruptive person comes in. All the while I’m stuck here waiting on a trial that may or may not happen in April of 2027.
I had a legal visit yesterday afternoon. Actually, it was more of a social visit. They were just stopping in to check on me. But those visits mean a lot to me because it shows that they care. I didn’t get any of that in the early 2000s as I prepared for my first trial. Heck, I might have talked to my attorneys between 2001 and 2003 a total of a few hours. Yes, a few hours. That’s depressing to think about. I have been fortunate in that my last two legal teams have been far more personal and engaged. I am grateful.
Over the past week, I managed to re-energize my creativity, and with the help of my wife we’ve finally begun what I hope is the first of many screenplays. I have several really good ideas, and I’ve decided to begin with a horror movie. It’s titled “Goose Creek.” You read it here first, folks. I’m going to attempt to tackle themes of teenage trauma and religious abuse. Yes, religious abuse is a very real thing. We’ve started out strong and I’m very excited. It’s been a dream of mine to make a movie since I was a kid, and I am determined to fulfill that dream. We’re having a lot of fun writing the script.
Welp, gonna get the day moving along, but before I close, today’s movie clip is from the 80s and the movie Pretty In Pink.
Pretty in Pink (1986) - Confrontations
Also, a song suggestion: “Pain” by The War on Drugs.
Be kind.
Courage. Strength. Hope and faith.
Peace.