Saint Patrick isn't the only saint who is celebrated on March 17th. As usual, my first drink of today will be for Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron of gardeners, cats, and people suffering from mental illness.

#ICYMI: A transgender prisoner held in solitary confinement reports on the growing usage of Tasers against the most vulnerable of the incarcerated in #Texas. https://www.texasobserver.org/an-inside-look-at-taser-use-in-texas-prison/

Another good talk I went to at #TechShowLondon was about https://www.sway.ly/
This is a service that uses "AI"/LLMs to flag (rather than block) social media posts for families.

It is most successful when parents use it as well as their kids, and there's some gamification involved so that kids are more likely to use it rather than bypass the service, and includes an amount of trust as it doesn't snitch on the family members.

It's still in beta at the moment, but is in interesting use of automated systems that flag social media harms without being overly censorious.

You've Heard Of FOMO, But What Is 'FOBO'? Here's How To Spot This Damaging Issue. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/youve-heard-of-fomo-but-what-is-fobo-heres-how-to-spot-this-damaging-issue-goog_l_67b7891ae4b04144c748cb3c?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_content=user%2Fhuffingtonpost&utm_medium=mastodon #MentalHealth

The greatest battles are won
By peace of love in our spirit .

The greatest battles are won in the heart, not field. Winston Churchill

Pleae help disabled #Indigenous #Latina family; #homeless & sheltering in a hotel

$91 needed IMMEDIATELY to avoid overdraft fees!! There's currently a negative balance!!

Altogether, $1141 needed by Tuesday 11AM ET

Sabi is multidisciplinary #artist; #disability & #mentalhealth #advocate; sole caretaker for elderly mom & ESA bun

Ko-fi.com/SabiLewSounds
PayPal.me/SabiLewSounds

Even when you mess up, you’re still right. Find out why in this week’s Three Minute Reset (bonus brain health stuff too!):

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transforming-mistakes-triumphs-molly-cantrell-kraig-oii5c/

That's the dadgum truth, right there.

#disabled #disability #disabilityawareness #spoonie #accessibility #mentalhealth

Since this got so much attention, I'd like to use this moment of sunshine to invite you all to read with us next week:

https://inkican.com/gsbcw

My adult daughter wants to turn herself back into a teenager https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/16/my-adult-daughter-wants-to-turn-herself-back-into-a-teenager #Parentsandparenting #Lifeandstyle #Mentalhealth #Socialmedia #Psychology #Family

The Atlantic recently published a feature about the loneliness epidemic that many Americans have fallen victim to — by our own doing in many cases. But what if there was a way back in to a healthier social life, one where the phone takes a back seat to meaningful friendships and experiences? There may be, Blair Braverman writes, in “Can Outdoor Friendships Solve the Loneliness Epidemic?” for @outside:

https://flip.it/Xyc53r

Dispatch from the inside: A prisoner in solitary watches as guards use Tasers on a naked, mentally-ill woman in a shower, and reflects on their increasingly brutal use in the #Texas correctional system. https://www.texasobserver.org/an-inside-look-at-taser-use-in-texas-prison/

Today is one of those Saturdays where I chose to ignore my alarms, sleep in despite that making my migraine worse, and then order Indian comfort food for breakfast at 3pm.

Living proof you can have a semi-successful career and still be a dysfunctional being on your off days. We are all human

From: blenderdumbass . org

I don't think you think of Science Fiction often when thinking about Lars Von Trier. Yet, his 2011 masterpiece Melancholia is one of, if not the best, science fiction film(s) ever.

Read: https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/melancholia_is_the_best_science_fiction_film_ever

“In solitary confinement, many prisoners suffer from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar, and psychosis that are exacerbated by prolonged isolation. Those suffering from schizophrenia and other mental diseases are target practice for the Tasers on a daily basis.” https://www.texasobserver.org/an-inside-look-at-taser-use-in-texas-prison/

From: blenderdumbass . org

I remember sitting at the entrance to a local cinema near me, shivering from a new kind of depression. I was waiting to enter the screening of Avatar: The Way Of Water, which was released in cinema just after The Fabelmans. The previous film I have seen in that very cinema, may...

Read or listen: https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/how_the_fabelmans_traumatized_me

#SocialMedia #MentalHealth #HumanBehavior

'A study, published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that social media use is correlated with higher rates of irritability among a broad swath of U.S. adults.'

https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/03/12/social-media-mood-irritable/

From: blenderdumbass . org

It is estimated that by 2030 the child-surveillance industry will grow to $500 billion. An industry that capitalizes on bogus fears and causes anxiety in parents and children ( for different reasons ). And an industry that is both directly and indirectly causing the privacy nightmare that we are experiencing. On many levels...

Read or listen: https://blenderdumbass.org/articles/_500_billion_industry_that_causes_not_only_the_loss_of_freedom_but_also_increases_anxiety