@JosephMeyer@c.im
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

JosephMeyer

@JosephMeyer@c.im

Humanist. Retired. Interests: #Biology, #Chemistry, #Genetics, #Neuroscience, #Statistics, #Criminology, #Psychology, #Psychiatry, #Policy, #Music, #Hiking, #Caregiving, #Advocacy. Credo: Healthcare and law should see psychiatric illnesses as medical issues; behaviors are symptoms; treatment not punishment is the moral response; serious illness should be a priority; first-responders should be clinicians not police; family caregivers are stakeholders.

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JosephMeyer, to animals
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

Doggy Library seen on a morning walk in Austin, Texas.

#DogsOfMastodon
#Dogs
#Texas

mekkaokereke, (edited ) to random
@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io avatar

Some of my friends that are convicted felons are 100% innocent of what they were accused and convicted of. Some of my friends that are convicted felons are guilty, and absolutely did what they were accused of. I don't make fun of people for being convicted felons, and I don't ostracize them. Instead, I don't let bad people around me. My definition of bad focuses on the choices that a person made in the past, and the choices that they make now. Some of the worst people, will never be felons.

1/N

JosephMeyer,
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

@deirdresm @thepoliticalcat @mekkaokereke
Trevor Noah’s book, Born A Crime, provides a lot of insight into what one can justify doing to get by while living in abject poverty.

JosephMeyer, to random
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

#MemorialDay

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

It’s been a lovely day, two great meals, amazing play, good conversation. I have felt quite normal most of the time. Ready for bed now

JosephMeyer,
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

@purplepadma
It's great to read this. Thanks for sharing the happy news.

JosephMeyer, to random
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar


on

https://youtu.be/Qip5oXYcZcY?si=RcxelNRiJBGnQO9C

JosephMeyer, to animals
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

I had to carry Guapo on my shoulders for the last mile of our 4-mile hike a few days ago, because he got too hot. As a consequence, Beth Meyer took him for a summer cut by a groomer today. He does not appear happy with the experience.

JosephMeyer, to random
@JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

A concise and well-written article, 'The End of Civic Compassion: On education in a fascist America' by Jason Stanley, the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University as published by The New Republic. As one who worked in higher education for 32 years before retiring almost four years ago, I noticed that faculty members seemed more circumspect in their words and actions in the latter part of my career. I think that came in response to gradually more oversight or what some might call meddling in higher education by state lawmakers. I am about halfway through a dystopian novel, Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. It is an unpleasant read that some have compared to Orwell's 1984. It feels more prescient to me than 1984 did when I read it in high school 50 years ago. Is that because I am more politically aware or "woke" today, or are we much closer to the edge of a precipice than we were back then?

#HigherEducation
#Democracy
#Fascism

https://newrepublic.com/article/181274/end-civic-compassion

amyfou, to Safeway
@amyfou@lingo.lol avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @amyfou
    Wow. I see many of these bottles on the sides of the road when I go for walks. A sign of the times, I suppose--people drinking every day at all hours to numb themselves to their life situations. I guess Safeway decided, why should the gas stations and convenience stores make all the profits?

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @amyfou
    Yes.

    "So get back to work and sweat some more. The sun will sink and we'll get out the door. It's no good for man to work in cages. Hits the town, he drinks his wages." - The Magnificent Seven by The Clash

    JosephMeyer, to random
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    Here's wishing I had a landline phone and no mobile phone, so nobody could reach me when I'm not home.

    NatureMC, to random
    @NatureMC@mastodon.online avatar

    🧵 I wish the platform #Doctolib boils on its backside right now. I've been on the phone since yesterday: I urgently need a referral for an echography. Yesterday they sent all the information to my doctor completely wrong. Today they promised to send it correctly, but didn't inform me that it was his day off. Now the next secretary has the wrong information from her colleague. Tomorrow morning another attempt to at least speak to the doctor in person.
    My pain caused me to snap in a quite

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @NatureMC “Makes people more aggressive” is a notable feature of many poorly designed software products. Some people probably made a lot of money by selling Doctolib. That’s the main goal of software companies, of course: Marketing a product that buyers would not know they need without a skilled team of consultants and salespersons to convince them of the wonderful things their software will do while minimizing its shortcomings.

    JosephMeyer, to mentalhealth
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    I think this NPR story comes close to getting everything right about the dilemmas of involuntary treatment of psychiatric illnesses. I highly recommend it.

    https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/04/17/ethical-dilemma-involuntary-mental-health-treatment

    #MentalHealth
    #MentalIllness
    #Coercion
    #Involuntary
    #Treatment
    #Psychiatry
    #CivilRights
    #CivilLiberties

    JosephMeyer, to Texas
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    The idea of selling my home in Texas and moving elsewhere is unappealing at sixty-something years of age. I was born in the northeastern US and lived there until moving to Texas with my parents when I was just 5 years old. I have always had mixed feelings about that move. But 30+ years ago Texas conservatism was more about economics than race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Way back when, many Texas conservatives seemed to hold a live-and-let-live attitude that I could tolerate even as a lifelong liberal. But either they have changed or Texas conservatives are simply being more open about their bigotry than before. Texas conservatives no longer have qualms about interfering in the personal lives of others when doing so aligns with their own biases. Maybe Trump has enabled that, or Republicans have gradually enabled more of that since Ronald Reagan was president. As the father of an adult transgender daughter with special needs who relies on me for support, I understand why she feels not only unwelcome but outright unsafe in Texas. The results of the 2024 presidential election may determine whether I merely feel the need to move to a blue state or leave the country entirely. This decision is really weighing on me. But my ancestors immigrated to the USA from Europe and my parents relocated to Texas from the northeast. Maybe it is time for my family to move someplace where we would be happier.






    purplepadma, to random
    @purplepadma@beige.party avatar

    Last boost: while I sometimes feel sad that my grownup children don’t live closer and I can’t see them as much as I would like because of pesky things like jobs, my kids and I are in contact really often. We don’t talk on the phone unless it’s something really complicated - I hate the phone - but my daughter and I text daily and the longest my son and I go without texting is a week, and that’s rare. Maybe I’m just super lucky?

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @purplepadma Well today is Mother’s Day in the USA. So happy Mother’s Day from across the pond. It seems like your children stay in touch because you are a loving mother to them—they’re lucky!

    GottaLaff, to random
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    Fun Fact: The USPS doesn't forward mail to Canada.

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @GottaLaff
    That strikes me as a funless fact.

    Catlynn, to random
    @Catlynn@nerdculture.de avatar

    I have a weird fascination with HOA’s, they seem like such a weird thing to me. I have never lived anywhere where there is an HOA and never would but I enjoy hearing stories about them. Are you guys pro or anti HOA’s? Or no opinion? Any good stories?

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @jake4480 @Catlynn
    My impression is similar to Jake's. It is presumptuous of me to write that based on my experiences with people in other volunteer organizations, my guess is that most HOA officers are more motivated by a feeling of power and authority than by a genuine wish to serve. My HOA spent many thousands of dollars in legal fees to go after a homeowner who violated HOA rules by running a daycare out of their home, but lost the case. They seem to also spend money on the trivial pet projects of individual officers--statues, memorials, landscaping. They are supposed to help maintain property values by enforcing architectural standards, but most homeowners seem to ignore those standards with no consequences. And a former manager of the HOA and his bookkeeper girlfriend stole several thousand dollars from the association before being found out by an auditor's report. It being an older neighborhood with aging residents, some of whom are having a hard time making financial ends meet, there are homes falling into general disrepair that are seemingly ignored until a real estate speculator offers a rock bottom price for the property, fixes it up, and resells to the highest bidder. On the positive side, I have on a couple occasions gotten in the mail a photograph of my trash bin that I left out by the curb overnight, a violation of HOA rules. :bd06:

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @doctormo @jake4480 @Catlynn
    Martin put it so much better than I did, LOL! Brilliant!!!

    GottaLaff, to random
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    Barron named delegate for Florida at Republican National Convention - UPI.com https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/05/09/Barron-Trump-delegate-Florida-Republicans/7221715257682/

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @GottaLaff
    Perhaps he has always been a MAGA Republican at heart. Or maybe the Trump machine has educated, inculcated, indoctrinated, or brainwashed him to ensure loyalty. I don't know; ask Mary Trump.

    purplepadma, to random
    @purplepadma@beige.party avatar

    I saw many farm animals of interesting colours on our drive today. My favourite was an enormous ginger pig

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @purplepadma How enormous? When I was living in Senegal, I was told of an enormous pig that I should really go see in a small town in a remote part of the country. I did eventually visit the town and the pig, which growled at me. It was easily the size of a large refrigerator.

    JosephMeyer, to worms
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    I've had ear worms, but no brain worms as far as I know.



    GottaLaff, to legal
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    #TrumpTrial #Trump #legal 🧵starts HERE.

    REMEMBER: I can’t/won’t reply while live-posting. Please use NFL (Not For Laffy) so I can skip your reply, but NO hashtag on that. Thx.

    1/…

    Tyler McBrien::

    Necheles rises to renew Trump's objection to Daniels testifying about any "sexual details," which she says has no relevance and is prejudicial.
    By details, Merchan asks, more than just "we had sex"? Yes, Necheles says.

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @GottaLaff Thank you for your excellent commentary! I always look forward to reading it.

    purplepadma, to random
    @purplepadma@beige.party avatar

    I didn’t garden. I went back to bed where I felt much safer. I dozed fitfully, depressed dreams. Missed lunch, missed the best of the weather. Came outside to find Tom and Miss Cinnamon pottering about sorting things on the patio. I just feel useless, an onlooker

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @purplepadma
    It’s okay. You’re doing what you need to do while they do what they need to do. As always, I wish you the best.

    purplepadma, to random
    @purplepadma@beige.party avatar

    CPN just called to say she’s running late and on her way. No worries, I’ll just sit here quietly trying not to throw up from nerves

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @purplepadma Hugs. I’m thinking of you and sending my best wishes.

    gratefuldread, to Tennessee
    @gratefuldread@gratefuldread.masto.host avatar

    Program pairing police officers with mental health clinicians will now cover entire Davidson County https://wpln.org/post/program-pairing-police-officers-with-mental-health-clinicians-will-now-cover-entire-davidson-county/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #tennessee #publicradio

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @gratefuldread
    This program is surely better than what we have in my home city of Austin, Texas where it is police officers who typically respond to mental health crisis calls. I imagine that police officers are involved in the Davidson County response team because persons at meetings to design the Davidson County program expressed worries about the danger to unarmed social workers responding by themselves. On the other hand, some of the same people who express such worries will parrot the popular anti-stigma line that persons in a mental health crisis are typically non-violent. So which one is it? If they present a serious risk of violence then we should acknowledge it and police should be involved. If they rarely pose such a risk, then why are police involved?

    In reality, social workers go into all kinds of situations that involve some risk and they decide whether or not to ask for police support. They go into private homes to investigate child and elder abuse; they go to homeless encampments. The first-responders for the CAHOOTS program in Eugene, Oregon respond without police officers and they call for police officers only if they decide they are needed. But they only rarely ask for police to respond. And, a CAHOOTS representative told me during a phone call a few years ago that in the 30 years their program has existed none of their responders have been seriously injured.

    Why not include police? Because it increases the risk of bad outcomes due to confrontation with an authority figure who will take over from a clinician if they perceive danger. Specific risks include arrest, incarceration, injury, or death including suicide by cop. In the words of Seth Stoughton, author of a book on police use of force, when police respond at least one gun is introduced to a situation where one may not have previously been present. He goes on to explain that when a gun is unholstered, one hand is occupied with it and unavailable for wrestling with a combative subject. He also explains that one of an officer's greatest fears is having a gun taken away. And he notes that putting a gun back in a holster is difficult in the midst of a crisis.

    The news article notes a 25% arrest rate. That seems high to me. Perhaps it happens when a person in a mental health crisis punches or scratches a police officer. Maybe it is because they spit on an officer. Those are reasons why persons in a mental health crisis have been arrested and jailed in Austin, Texas. Perhaps the same is true in Davidson County. I think we can do better. Fathers like me and other family caregivers for persons with serious mental illnesses have been scratched, punched, or spit on during crises. But most of us do not want our children with mental illnesses to be arrested and jailed for actions related to the symptoms of illness. We want them to receive treatment, not become entangled in the criminal justice system.

    alexwild, to random
    @alexwild@mastodon.online avatar

    Biology faculty at UT are meeting today to talk about a hiring plan. I really don't envy their job of trying to make a department located in Texas attractive.

    We're in the middle of an ongoing purge of black staff, the adminstration just called in the state police to beat and jail students, and no one in their right mind would want to risk pregnancy to have a family here. It's bleak.

    JosephMeyer,
    @JosephMeyer@c.im avatar

    @alexwild
    Job announcements might note that faculty and students can carry guns on campus. It might appeal to biology faculty and graduate students who wish to collect specimens by shooting them. 😉

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