Hey there,

I have been to visit Rob this weekend. He is looking at possibly getting a new job pretty soon. The inmate who usually has the job as orderly for the recreation trailer is leaving soon. Rob and one other inmate are trying for the job. The other inmate went about applying for the job by asking the guy who does it now about it. Rob went through the "proper" channels. He asked his current supervisor if he can leave the job he has now, and talked to the CO in charge of the other job. Being that things do not always seem to go the way we think they "should", it will be interesting to see whose method wins them this coveted position! :) If Rob gets this job, he will not have to work off site anymore and will not have set hours anymore. He (thinks!) he will just have to stroll in there for about an hour a day and mop and vacuum. We shall see!!

Oh, you probably want to know about this new WSJ article, right? Well I will worn you, it's not pretty! John Malcolm, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, was not very tickled by Lee Gomes's latest portrayal of Rob as a "political prisoner". It is interesting to see both sides of the argument. However, I have to say the Mr. Malcolm takes an exaggerated stand on side of the "opposition". He never mentions that lobbyists, who were funded by software development companies, were largely responsible for the NET act laws which are now putting people in prison for this stuff. No one from the government can come up with any good reason why Rob is serving 18 months in prison (many drug dealers walk away with far less!) other than that they want to set a precedence to discourage others from involvement in software piracy activities. If Rob is not a "political prisoner", what is he? The way I see it, Rob is not only being punished for his crime, but for the potential future crimes of others.

Sometimes it becomes clear to me that we have not evolved much as humans. Remember witch trials? Remember prohibition? How ridiculous do those things seem now? Have we forgotten what we've learned? ...Sorry, I'm getting carried away I suppose. I will stop now. :)

Anyway....Remember that guy Chris I told you all about in my last message? Well I have learned that he and Rob will not being going to the halfway house together after all. Chris has told Rob he will be released in 6 months to home confinement for an additional 6 months. Oh well "lucky" Chris! :)


That's all I have for you today (I know, it was more than enough! ;))

Thanks!
Shannon
www.freerobrothberg.com <http://www.freerobrothberg.com/>