Mental Health Check-In

Today, my therapist and I did a symptom review where we ‘sorted’ my current and very recent symptoms into three categories: Anxiety, Depression, and Hypomania. Then we looked at the intersection of these symptoms, this sorting, with my trauma symptoms. I was struggling to distinguish between Anxiety and Hypomania, so she literally created a divide […]

Q&A with Matt Dugan, Candidate for Allegheny County District Attorney

Matt Dugan

It’s important for the justice system to meet people where they are and recognize there are different  concerns/issues/fears for different communities. That’s not something that’s taught in law school, but something I’ve learned over time. Our next post of our 2023 primary election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates can be […]

CUNY Center for Community Media Lacks Regard for Socioeconomic Status, Disability When Planning Bias Events

Recently, The City University of New York Center for Community Media invited me to speak at a summit on hate crimes & media, covering my expenses & a $200 stipend. I booked train, planning on using the stipend to cover my wife’s ticket. I told them I would be doing this. I followed up to […]

Q&A with Todd Hoffman, Candidate for Mt. Lebanon School Board

I firmly believe in the importance of nurturing the whole child, not just their academic achievements. With my experience in educational leadership, I understand that a student’s success is not just measured by test scores, but by their social-emotional well-being, physical health, and personal growth. I will work to ensure that our schools prioritize a […]

Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control Urban Terror Campaign

Pittsburgh Feral Cat Trapping TNR

Pittsburgh has already begun to experience the effects of climate change with harsher winters, hotter summers, record setting precipitation, and increased numbers of invasive species. City of Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan 3.0 If you were worried that the Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control division is subject to an overabundance of oversight or accountability, I am […]

Update

Yesterday I posted about my bout of hypomania. I don’t want anyone to worry so I’m checking in. First, I have a good treatment team and supportive wife. I’m safe, I’m not struggling alone or to get basic needs met. I am, however, struggling and feeling like crap. My mind is full of thoughts I […]

Hypomania is Here

I didn’t know ‘dread’ is a clinical symptom. The difference between anxiety and dread is that anxiety is an unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event while dread is great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror. So my spin through last week took me down a dark path […]

The One Year Anniversary of My Mother’s Death

I’ve written hundreds of memorial profiles. This one is not new news, it is the one year anniversary of my mother’s death. I’ve just cocooned myself here at home. I didn’t post about it anywhere because I don’t want to answer questions or make decisions. I don’t want good intentions to intrude on my careful […]

Here’s How We Recently Helped Three Cats

Helping Cats

I was having a good day yesterday. Lots of little positive things. Then I got word that a cat named Tang had successfully been transferred from his humans to a rescue. That news was the capstone of the day. Two weeks ago, Tangs owners contacted me. A married gay couple, they both had serious, unexpected […]

My Blog Turns 18 Today

18 candles

Jesus, it has been a year. The nonprofit I helped to found, Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities, was in business and hit the ground running in January. My mother died in February. I received my second national #GLAADaward as Outstanding Blog in May. I threw out the first pitch during the Pittsburgh Pirates Pride Night at PNC […]