From: qqqq@7600.net   
      
   Jeff nor Lisa wrote:   
   > Knight Ridder had an article about the heroic efforts of   
   > California prison inmates who are out fighting the woodlands   
   > fires.   
      
   Not to be a bad sport, and thank you for the fair and   
   generous tribute to inmate efforts, but fire camp is   
   a highly coveted and sought-after assignment.  It is   
   minimum security, out in the woods, and the food is   
   apparently excellent - high protein, and lots of it.   
   I've heard steak is even served there.  Of course this   
   assignment is even more primo for support staff inmates -   
   cooks, cleaning crew, etc. - who eat the same food, live   
   under the same conditions, but don't have to fight the   
   fires.  Still, for those inmates physically fit enough,   
   and with the inbred bravery to face this kind of work,   
   the incentives actually more than make up for the   
   disadvantages, relative to what else is available to   
   prison inmates.   
      
   Of course, there is genuine danger too.  A few years ago   
   a burning tree fell on the middle inmate of three chained   
   together on the fire line, killing him and pinning the   
   men on either side of him.  They remained that way, for   
   hours, before rescue arrived.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)