Radiant Things: Prison, work, songs
This weekend I heard a presentation of work songs from the prison farms of the early 20th-century south. Pain, sadness, humor, anger — al...| jdwise.blogspot.com
In looking for written materials on mental health for my clients, I keep finding that the materials out there are not well suited to jail. For example, every written piece of advice on how to cope with PTSD advises people to take soothing baths, go for walks, pet their dog, call a friend, etc. . . . not exactly going to happen when you're in jail.| Radiant Things
This weekend I heard a presentation of work songs from the prison farms of the early 20th-century south. Pain, sadness, humor, anger — all were intense in this music.| Radiant Things
On Christmas Eve, one of my relatives had a re-commitment ceremony. She and her boyfriend had gotten legally married last year, but none of their family was present, and they wanted to have a ceremony with us.| Radiant Things
In the car on the way to the family Christmas gathering, Jeff read to us about a series of studies on placebos. For some conditions, placebos can give significant relief. There's still an effect even when subjects are told "You are taking an inert pill" and given a bottle marked "Placebo." Placebos given by providers who spend more time schmoozing with patients create more relief. (Note that I haven't found the actual studies concerned, so I don't know the effect sizes, etc.)| Radiant Things
My sister shared this video of one of her second-grade students reuniting with her mother, who's been stationed in Afghanistan for the last year. It's a lovely moment: the moment of realization, then the silence, the rightness of being near each other after too long apart. | Radiant Things
I've been an agnostic for most of my life now, but I still love Advent.| Radiant Things
After Chinatown buses had several highly publicized accidents, Jeff wrote an argument on why we shouldn't make buses safer. In short, buses are much safer than cars. Anything that raises the price of riding the bus will mean more cars on the roads and more accidents.| Radiant Things
Since high school I've gotten menstrual cramps bad enough to occasionally send my body into shock: nausea, cold sweat, feeling like I'm going to pass out. This week it happened at work (and let me tell you, it's awkward to tell your boss in the middle of a staff meeting that you need to go lie down on her office floor before you fall out of your chair). But I was pleased that my body gave out long before my mind did - I used to be terrified of the pain, but now I can handle it a lot better.| Radiant Things
Last week I started a new job as a mental health clinician at a jail. I hadn't really thought about working in that setting, but I decided to give it a try.| Radiant Things
People my parents' age are hard to get presents for. They've had lots of time to obtain the cheap things they want, and if they can't afford something they want, I probably can't afford it either. Some ideas:| Radiant Things
A couple of years I came across a book on "parenting with depression" in the library. I opened it eagerly, hoping for assurance that I wouldn't necessarily be a terrible parent.| Radiant Things
In the social justice scene, you're supposed to recognize patterns of oppression. You're supposed to know that women earn less than men, and that black men are disproportionately likely to be imprisoned.| Radiant Things
Yesterday I redid the header for this blog. I considered scrapping the title entirely. It seemed kind of pretentious to call your blog after a quote, especially the kind of 19th-century quote that capitalizes important nouns.| Radiant Things
Jeff and I recently watched the Beatles movie Help!, which was way better than I remembered. It doesn't make much attempt at a plot: the band tries to evade a band of deranged foreigners who want to make Ringo a human sacrifice, with lots of breaks for music and horseplay.| Radiant Things
I just read something that cast new light on my previous question of whether stigma against single parenting would be good for kids. Scott's summary of a point from Judith Rich Harris's The Nurture Assumption:| Radiant Things
I've been an agnostic for most of my life now, but I still love Advent. I usually make paper Advent calendars for my family, but this year...| jdwise.blogspot.com
There are lots of kids' things I realize I won't have time to make when I'm actually a parent. So I'm making them now. The latest project:...| jdwise.blogspot.com
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This weekend I heard a presentation of work songs from the prison farms of the early 20th-century south. Pain, sadness, humor, anger — al...| jdwise.blogspot.com
Last week I started a new job as a mental health clinician at a jail. I hadn't really thought about working in that setting, but I decided ...| jdwise.blogspot.com
In the social justice scene, you're supposed to recognize patterns of oppression. You're supposed to know that women earn less than men, an...| jdwise.blogspot.com
I was interested to read ethicist Julian Savulescu saying that parents should have the option of screening their embryos for potential prob...| jdwise.blogspot.com
After a busy life of activism and entrepreneurship, and facing possible jail time for downloading academic articles, Aaron Swartz killed h...| jdwise.blogspot.com
I've decided I'd rather not be blogging under my full name. I'll keep writing the same kinds of things, but in a new place.| Radiant Things
Re-employment after doing time in jail is no joke. Some people are going home to supportive families, but some are leaving to a homeless shelter with only the clothes they're wearing. Then you have a criminal record, which makes any kind of legitimate work difficult to come by.| Radiant Things
Want a valentine? Email me and I'll send you one.| Radiant Things
Last week I complained about a problem. I've been thinking about what the solution might be.| Radiant Things
My aunt has lived in Brooklyn for decades and never been mugged. She attributes it to her attitude. I'm not sure exactly what her method is, but for years I've tried to copy it. When I transitioned from the suburbs to the city, I decided that this meant not interacting with strange men. | Radiant Things
Today I heard we are going to a 1920s themed cocktail party. I made a hat.| Radiant Things
