Writing Really Is Theraputic

Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli is a study published at the National Institute of Health which determined writing down your feelings really does help manage negative feelings. 

Abstract

Putting feelings into words (affect labeling) has long been thought to help manage negative emotional experiences; however, the mechanisms by which affect labeling produces this benefit remain largely unknown. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest a possible neurocognitive pathway for this process, but methodological limitations of previous studies have prevented strong inferences from being drawn. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of affect labeling was conducted to remedy these limitations. The results indicated that affect labeling, relative to other forms of encoding, diminished the response of the amygdala and other limbic regions to negative emotional images. Additionally, affect labeling produced increased activity in a single brain region, right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (RVLPFC). Finally, RVLPFC and amygdala activity during affect labeling were inversely correlated, a relationship that was mediated by activity in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). These results suggest that affect labeling may diminish emotional reactivity along a pathway from RVLPFC to MPFC to the amygdala.

I have often thought this site is for me therapeutic. It helps me cope, although I am sure others would tell me I should just move on. Just let it go. Just accept. 

I still sometimes get a sinking feeling in my gut due to the money I have lost, lost due to criminal fraud not just by my ex-wife but more significantly the lawyers and justice system. I am even more upset by the open corruption prevalent within our legal system. 

It is not, however, just about me and the money I lost and the harm done to my kids. It is about the continuing harm done to others which I have no doubt has caused and continues to generate violence, crime, self-destructive actions, and misery to many innocent victims. 

Moving on is meaningless unless there is an end to the trauma. Although the acute trauma has ended for me, it continues for others which is in fact a type of trauma for me as well. Not only is it an obligation for me to speak up but it is good therapy for me as well.    

Trump Administration Proposes Making Department Of Justice Lawyers Immune From Independent Ethics Investigations.

As if legal violations of legal ethics isn't a big enough problem already the Trump administration has proposed a new rule that aims to shield Department of Justice lawyers from independent ethics investigations.

Why you might well ask. Apparently because so many lawyers have quite the justice and it has becoem very difficult to recruit new ones. 

That was then. Now, under pressure to ignore a range of ethics rules, a large number of Department of Justice lawyers have quit, opting to lose their jobs but save their careers. Between these departures and a purge of legal staff members seen as insufficiently loyal to the president’s agenda, the department has lost thousands of lawyers. It shows: Briefs are riddled with errors. Lawyers come to court grossly unprepared. Worst, court orders stand violated — in some cases, it seems, because there weren’t enough lawyers available to ensure they were carried out.

To fill those empty seats, the department has begun an increasingly desperate effort to recruit hires. (“Don’t be scared off by the transcript requirement,” a conservative law school reportedly told its students. “G.P.A. is not a strong factor.”) Even so, it seems too few lawyers are willing to take the chance. So the Trump administration last week offered up a different solution: a proposed rule that aims to shield Department of Justice lawyers from independent ethics investigations.

An administration so corrupt even lawyers don't want to work for them. 

ICE Branching Out Into Family Court Corruption

In a story that would be comical if it was not so indicative of the deep corruption within the Trump Administration, One of Trump’s Friends Reportedly Asked ICE to Arrest the Mother of His Child in Custody Battle Gambit.

Paolo Zampolli, the man who introduced President Donald Trump to his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, and is currently serving as U.S. special representative for global partnerships at Trump’s behest, asked ICE to arrest the mother of his child last June, according to The New York Times.

After learning that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend with whom he had a son, Amanda Ungaro, had been arrested on fraud charges in Florida, Zampolli allegedly “saw an opportunity” to land a potentially killing blow in his custody battle with her.

To make the matter even more surreal:

In 2016, the Times reported that Zampolli “secured Ms. Trump’s visa to the United States and introduced her to her future husband at a 1998 party he hosted at the Kit Kat Club,” and ” flew with Mr. Trump on his jet to attend the mogul’s wedding at Mar-a-Lago.”

This is the way - of Trump. 

Erika Kirk Comments

I was never a fan of Charlie Kirk, nor his organization Turning Point USA, nor his wife Erika Kirk. Their politics and values are, in my opinion, antithetical to fundamental American values and human morality. 

But, I do not agree with the outrage over Ericka Kirk's recent comment which, quoting, was, 

"Don't let anyone disenfranchise you because you're a young man, especially a young white male man. Don't ever let anyone talk down to you. We need strong men out there, strong men who are convicted that will be good leaders, good husbands, good fathers." 

Maybe the "especially a young white male man" is a bit much but would anyone be outraged it was "especially a young black male man." I think not. The issue is that people need to recognize discrimination and injustice wherever it occurs and to whomever it happens to. 

Now no doubt my experience of losing several million dollars due to fraud and other crimes by my ex-wife, her lawyer and others in the legal system play a large part of that. But clearly I would have lost nothing if I had been male. Indeed my ex-spouse would have paid me money and could very well have  gone to jail if our genders had been reversed.  That is just the truth. It does not negate the fact that women are often the victims of discrimination but to only recognize discrimination as against some groups and not others is a form of discrimination itself. 

Dirty Divorce Tricks

A few weeks ago I posted a video of the top 10 dirty tricks in a divorce. Here is another take on dirty tricks people use. It is sad to see how hate and especially money drive people to do truly awful things. 

Frozen River

My book club, which has two men and eight women, recently read Frozen River. which is based on the real-life diary of Martha Ballard, a late 1700s midwife who journaled her activities, including over 800 births. I liked the book but, as many historical fiction books do, the author put her modern self into the historical character. It just did not feel realistic. Also, as one woman pointed out Martha's husband was a total female fantasy of a man. It was laughable. 

The strangest thing for me was in our discussion where many woman relished a scene where Martha cut off and burned the penis of an unarguably bad and violent man. 

I do wonder, and did point out to the group, how they would feel of a male character cut off and burned the breasts of a bad woman. I'll bet they would have all hated the book and many would have read no further. 

Yet Another Protest Song

I have a feeling I could post about a new Minnesota ICE protest song every day and never catch up. 

This one is a bit different. It was created by a guy named Jimmy in Sweden using AI and then put into a video by Marc Skjervem, an Assistant Dean at the University of Minnesota. It is way better than you would think. It sent a chill down my spine. I'm very proud to be a Minnesotan. 

One More Protest Song

Yesterday I posted songs from Bruce Springsteen and U2 protesting ICE in Minnesota. As I was driving this morning I head another protest song, this time from The Roe Family Singers. It's pretty good. I do love the creativity in people. It give me hope. 

ICE In Minnesota

We have had a lot of ice in Minnesota this year. Both kinds. One we are used to, the other not so much. I recently got back from a trip to Asia which included time in Vietnam and Cambodia. Both places felt ridiculously safe. I don't believe I saw any military forces and police presence was minimal. At home we now have volunteer watchers outside of daycare centers, schools and small business to warn of ICE presence. Cambodia, pretty much a dictatorship, and Vietnam, a single party state, felt safe but at home citizens are protecting other citizens from the government. Surreal.

And yes they are protecting non-citizens, most of which are here legally, but also many citizens as ICE is harassing and even murdering law abiding citizens. 

One of the most ironic aspects of ICE activity is they are targeting citizens who are protesting their actions. Possibly even more than the illegal immigrants they are supposedly looking for. Our country was literally founded by people who protested their government's unethical and immoral actions. We call such people patriots. 

Seeing all the citizens protesting, watching, delivering food to those afraid to go out, supporting small business as well as all the anti-ICE signs (many humorous) makes me prouder to be a Minnesotan than ever.  Carry on!

And a big thank you from all Minnesotans to Bruce Springsteen and U2! 

Top 5 Secrets Your Wife Does Not Want You to Know About Divorce

The title of this post as well as the video below is a little too gender biased. Watch the video understanding the genders can are are sometimes reversed. Although that is not to say things like false accusations of abuse are more commonly made by women than men. 

The Financial Impact Of Divorce

Most people do not understand the potential financial impact of divorce until they go through it.

Is Divorce Harder On Men or Women

James Sexton discusses divorce, infidelity, and gender. It's worth a watch. 

Attractivness

One of the biases which often goes unnoticed is attractiveness, Pretty women and good looking men have a huge advantage in life pure and simple. 

Bastian Jaeger and colleagues were motivated by a puzzling gap in both research and public discourse: despite strong evidence that physically attractive individuals receive systematic advantages in domains like hiring, pay, and legal outcomes, “lookism” attracts far less moral outrage than race- or gender-based discrimination. The authors asked whether this apparent tolerance reflects genuine acceptance of attractiveness-based bias, or whether people simply fail to notice it in the first place.

Personally I have always thought this is obvious. As do many others from this discussion. It is the reason women, and some men, get plastic surgery. Men will even go to great lengths (slight pun) to increase their height. 

Top 10 Dirty Tricks

Below are the top 10 dirty tricks used in divorce. At least according to a random guy on YouTube. 

Sliding Backwards

The Trump administration appears set to ban women from combat positions in the military. No doubt they would prefer women's role in the military be restricted to being military wives. 

The Pentagon is mounting a six-month review of women in ground combat jobs, to ensure what it calls the military "effectiveness" of having several thousand female soldiers and Marines in infantry, armor and artillery, according to a memo obtained by NPR.

Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed women in ground combat units while he was a Fox News host and author. "I'm straight up saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated."

So much for gender equality. How anyone thinks that banning over half the population from being in combat will increase the effectiveness of  the force is beyond me. 

Complaint Against Federal Judge Sarah Merriam

The Legal Accountability Project filed a formal complaint against Sarah Merriam, a federal appeals judge on the 2nd Circuit.

A nonprofit group that advocates for law clerks is alleging a judge, Sarah Merriam, bullies and mistreats clerks. 

Filing a formal complaint is very rare. Only a few of them are filed every year even though there are hundreds of federal judges. Law clerks are wary because they fear retaliation. They really can't report bullying or abusive conduct without that getting back to the judge, and that could destroy their legal careers. Federal judges have so much power, especially over clerks. And people who work in the federal courts don't have the same employment protections other Americans do.

And that's worth emphasizing. The federal courts are exempt from Title VII antidiscrimination laws. So people who work there generally cannot sue over mistreatment on the job. They have to use the court's internal process to complain and try to seek justice. And our NPR investigation this year found problems with that process.

Without controls, without transparency, abuse and corruption will flourish. It is that simple. 

If this judge abuses clerks in such a manner imagine what she does to litigants.