this just in...

Hey Dingo!

It's Shawn from the east. I've been held prisoner here for some time now. The guards (the po po's) are ruthless, the landscape barren and my fellow inmates unresponsive. When I go out at night the guards heckle and harass me. I've even been on and off of a probationary period and been made to labor for 20 hours to "repay my debt to society." When I was sentenced to labor the judge asked me if I was an eco-terrorist. I was taken back by the crudeness of men of the law, though it should have come as no surprise.
Making fun is difficult here, with friends and comrades so far and few between. I tried to make too much fun, and instead made mishap and misfortune. You see, we where working with fire, fire breathing and fire juggling, and I got caught up in the excitement and ended up lighting my entire upper body on fire. I singed off my beard, part of my hair, and had 1st, 2nd and third degree burns on my chest, back, neck, shoulders and arms. It hurt like hell. I was flown to a hospital two hours from where I sleep because no other hospital could treat burns as severe as mine. I stayed three days in the hospital, and was useless still for the next two weeks. I could not shower on my own, bring food to my mouth, sit down, give hugs or even lay down comfortably. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have a beautiful companion take brilliant care of me. She changed my bandages every day, bathed me, made me meals that nourished my broken body and offered support for a depression that came out of my temporary immobility. I couldn't ask for a better friend and companion.
Because of the excellent care she took of me, a healthy diet and the will to not be bored and depressed all day, the doctors said that I healed faster than anyone they've ever seen before. Now all I have are the scars.
Not all is bad here. The inmates are making some progress. We had our first two critical masses ever on the last friday of the past two months, we now have a radical clown troupe for demonstrations and protests, and the kids are getting organized.
But I am gathering materials for an escape. My companion and I acquired a diesel truck for living in and traveling once we've escaped. Right now it's running on both straight vegetable oil and bio diesel. No making deals with devils. Soon we will have broken the chains that keep us here, and will flee back to the west.

Report back with your position and conditions.

Signing off,
subcomandante cupcake.


P.S.
How's my banjo and the faerie collection?