Notices by Joseph Meyer (josephmeyer@c.im)

I have been browsing photos on this Silent Sunday morning and viewing the ALT text that most of you are including for those who are visually impaired or blind. One might even call that text artistic prose, when it is done wIth great attention to detail. Reading it enhances photographs even for me, a sighted person, by calling my attention to details I might have otherwise not appreciated. So, thank you to those photographers who take the time to do a nice job with ALT text.

"Prose is art. The way a writer uses language to tell a story. It lacks formality yet requires attention to detail. Writers manipulate the structure of sentences to elicit an emotional response from their readers. When a writer tells a story in ordinary, everyday language they are giving you their best in prose."
Source: CreativeWritingEDU.org

I am also imagining a photo without ALT text from the perspective of a person who cannot see it, like a black box or empty space. By reading the good work of others, I am trying to get inspired to do better with ALT text descriptions when I share my own photos: Writing prose, painting a picture with words, creating an emotional response.

#Photography
#Writing
#SilentSunday

I am feeling happy that other members of the Fediverse (aka Mastodon) who I don't even follow provided good reasons for not joining BlueSky, mostly because I did not really want the hassle of switching to another platform. The main reason that persuaded me to not go there is that BlueSky is a corporation like most other social media platforms.

#Fedi
#Fediverse
#Mastodon
#BlueSky

I came across two electric scooters, parked side-by-side on a public sidewalk near my daughter’s apartment building, where there are residents who use wheelchairs. The sidewalk was completely blocked, so anyone traveling by wheelchair would have to go into the street to get around them. I gently moved them off the sidewalk and onto a rock garden next to it when what I really wanted to do was roughly chunk them into a nearby dumpster. Yet the scooters both had the nerve to scream at me for gently relocating them. I am a grumpy curmudgeon who is easily annoyed. And, I already despise those scooter companies and riders who too often terrorize pedestrians with their speedy and reckless driving on sidewalks. So, if you use these things, please have the courtesy to ride them and park them in a way that does not obstruct sidewalks or endanger others.

#Scooters
#Sidewalks
#Pedestrians
#Disability
#Access
#Kindness
#Courtesy
#Mobility
#Wheelchairs

@aral That seems like a smart aphorism, though I will have to ponder it more before deciding whether I entirely agree. Let’s see if Tesla remains in business.

@jeffowski
I think the fediverse is not a representative sample of the US population. 🙂

@jeffowski
Wow. I do all of those. I guess I'll follow you.

Some paintings of Donald Trump in a neighborhood front yard.

#Trump
#Art
#Politics

@georgetakei
“Probably weird for Republicans to see kids who are that proud of their dad. Tim Walz's kids probably spend holidays with him and everything.” - Evan Hurst at Wonkette.

“Remember that a rattlesnake narrowly missed by a pitchfork is not a hero. It’s still a rattlesnake.” - Jose Martin Concha.

#Politics

5. Seek community. Find people you trust to share your thoughts, feelings and concerns. Make sure they are people who will listen without judgment. Rely on friends, family or community groups who can help you laugh or find distractions during stressful times.

(5/5)

4. Live your values. One way to impact politics and decrease stress is to make sure our daily lives are closely aligned with our values. Values are fundamental beliefs that guide behaviors. With a clear sense of our own values, it is easier to maintain focus on what we find important and what we can control.

(4/5)

3. Focus on what you can control…. And on your personal wellbeing by engaging in things you enjoy such as hobbies, exercise and time with friends. If you enjoy being politically active, find one or two meaningful causes to which you can donate your time or money.

(3/5)

2. Take a social media break. Like the 24-hour news cycle, social media is designed to stimulate strong (mostly negative) emotional reactions.

(2/5)

A friend shared this today on another social media platform.

Five Steps to Cope with Political Stress:

1. Limit your news consumption. The 24-hour news coverage is designed to keep you on high alert. Pay attention to your mood and physical reactions while consuming the news; if you feel anxious, agitated or angry, these are cues to turn it off.

#News
#Politics
#Stress
#Health
#MentalHealth

(1/5)

https://hr.harvard.edu/files/humanresources/files/coping_with_political_stress.pdf

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.

#Conservatism
#Texas
#Politics
#Trans
#Disability
#Emigration