Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

I’ve been incarcerated 17 months at a federal prison. With each passing month, I escape quite frequently by recalling so many wonderful memories and simultaneously muse on how swiftly time has passed since those memorable moments. As I have continually stressed, being away from loved ones and missing important life/death events makes prison a prison.…

A Total Eclipse! What an interesting phenomenon. I guess only aligned locations were able to enjoy its full splendor throughout the northern hemisphere. Despite issuing guidance on how to properly enjoy the eclipse, the Morgantown campus closed two hours during the celestial display. Disappointingly, I was unable to be outside and enjoy the heavenly event.…

This week was a welcomed lull from the past few weeks preparing for the prison accreditation inspection. The weather has been a bit colder and rainy. The small creek that runs through the property crested almost to the road. All the duck and geese nests washed away – the nests had been laid by the…

Today is a rarity – Easter in March! It’s an early Easter, but unlike the early blooms of the Cherry Blossom trees, Easter will continue to follow a routine lunar schedule and be back to mid-April in the upcoming years. I hope had a celebratory Easter day surrounded by loved ones in celebration of the…

Earlier this week, the Cherry Blossom trees that surround the DC’s tidal basin were in full, pink bloom for St. Patrick’s Day! Having moved to DC in 2008, I first experienced the tourist hype of the Cherry Blossoms, which further delayed my daily commute by about an hour. The trees had their full bloom around…

Thankfully, the past 16 months have quickly passed for me. I am awed by all the positivity, prayers, support, and encouragement that so many of you have shown me throughout these past many months! All of it has made this experience tolerable, so I am very grateful! After these many months, I still receive many…

The weather has been unseasonably spectacular. I guess winter decided to have mercy on us here, just a few flurries and that was about it. I’ve been outside enjoying this beautiful weather…and getting a slight tan. This is the first tan (albeit a farmer’s one) that I’ve had without going to Florida in February/March.  Overall,…

I often comment about the weather, not due to any lack of content, but at its oddity. This past February must have been the warmest one that I experienced, despite a day or two of a cold, wintery burst. If the wild life here is any indication of an earlier spring, several geese and ducks…

Mostly, I sleep really well in my cozy cell. The air temperature is cool. The section of the wing where I reside is pin-drop quiet. On a rare occasion, I might hear someone talking in their sleep or maybe a cough or sneeze. I am very happy that no one snores around me. One night…

This week marks the fifteenth month of my incarceration. As I have noted previously, I believe first-time offenders learn their lesson within 3 to 4 months of incarceration, since prison is not a place for anyone not knowing what it really entails as a punishment. Using this logic, I have learned my lesson at least…