Archive | Mental Health

COVID-19 By the Numbers: Part 2 – Hope

To have hope in dealing with COVID-19, one must have perspective. Perspective comes from knowing other numbers. For example, the flu kills 100 people a day in the U.S. (more or less, depending on source). Most people are unaware of the rate at which other diseases kill. Here is a sample (based on numbers from […]

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David has created some interesting charts designed to give the readers of this blog some hope for the future when we resume our lives.  Although I, like everyone else, hope we will return to “normal” soon, I believe normal will be different from what normal used to be, in the good old days before COVID-19 […]

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COVID-19 was Only One of Many Distractions

How I wish for a workplace free of distractions! On March 12, 2020, when the U.S.A. was still a relatively “normal” place, Magnus conducted a relatively large series of mock trials for a client. Conducting mock jury research requires many days of report writing for me, which necessitates highly concentrated efforts and high level thought […]

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It often amazes me how much work Melissa and I have to do that has nothing to do with being a trial consultant, things which are not productive, and don’t create any revenue.  On this fateful Monday, I found myself seeking out the property manager to report the plumbing problem, then working with him to […]

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COVID Brain

As I write this, the world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, this is my first post related to this universal experience. I have noticed a phenomenon soon after restrictions were placed on movement, gathering, socializing, etc., which seems to be a form of shell shock. As the gravity of the […]

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In times like these, mindless behavior is, unfortunately, the norm.  Many people are suffering from duress due to lost employment, inability to pay bills, and worry about their future.  Forced to stay at home, we are realizing that, maybe, going to work every day is something we used to take for granted.  Many of us […]

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Twilight Zone

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 16, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Psychology, Work-Life

“Help, I’m steppin’ into the twilight zone” go the lyrics of the 1982 song by Golden Earring. The twilight zone, where things are not as they seem, was envisioned, and brought to the small and big screen, by the imagination of Rod Serling. I hear this song in my head each time I enter the […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 16, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Psychology, Work-Life

Dementia is a strange disease that plays strange tricks on the minds of those who suffer from it, and sometimes, on the minds of those who interact with dementia patients.  Based on my education as a psychologist, as well as my experience with family members and friends who suffer from dementia and mental illness, I […]

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Judges are People: Some are nice and others, not so nice

Judges are people, just like the rest of us. There are many types of judges, young, old, women, men, smart, not so smart, nice, and not nice. In my years of working as a jury/trial consultant, I have encountered many judges. I have met judges during hundreds of jury selections; I have made presentations with […]

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I’m sure in most professions there are good and bad.  I can’t think of any profession without such outliers at the extremes.  I don’t get to observe many judges in action, I’ve met plenty, but seeing them in action is in Melissa’s bailiwick, not mine.  Most judges I know are courteous and professional, but I […]

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The Mini – wacky experiences

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 28, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Work-Life

It happened again. Today, as I was filling my Mini Cooper S Roadster with petrol (after all, British cars use petrol, not gas!), a woman whom I do not know walked up to me and exclaimed, “That’s the cutest car I have ever seen!”. I thanked her and continued what I was doing. She began […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 28, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Work-Life

Melissa has always had fun, fast, cars since we met.  When we met, she drove a bright red Camaro – with a manual transmission that took me sometime to learn, though never master.  Next was a black Corvette which she drove for 25 years – keeping the Vette mechanic happy along the way.  Jumping to […]

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False Equivalents

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 23, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Mental Health, Psychology

Melissa and I do our best to keep politics out of these posts, as well as our professional lives. So, this is the disclaimer, this post is not about specific politics, politicians, or even impeachment, though the topic arises from various political battles of the day. Unfortunately, I need to set the stage for my […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 23, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Mental Health, Psychology

Well, David has opened the proverbial can of worms with his choice of a topic for our blog.  I will begin my part with a quote that my late Mother used to repeat, relatively often: “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”  Mom was on to something.  This phrase is widely known in both rhetorical and […]

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Whistleblowing isn’t easy

Much has been in the news lately about people blowing whistles on allegations of corruption and abuse. Without discussing these specific situations, I want to address the act of sounding an alarm, or blowing a whistle. I have written something on this previously, but it warrants revisiting. I will start by saying that, if you […]

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To the uninitiated, whistle blower means the same thing as tattletale.  In fact, dictionary definitions of both terms list them as synonyms, along with others, such as betrayer, informant, nark, rat fink, and snitch.  In my view, there are different circumstances that lead to the characterization of people who “tell on” others.  For example, in […]

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No one hires me for a happy event

Just as none of Magnus’ clients retain us for easy cases, none of our clients retain us for anything remotely happy. In order for Magnus to become involved with an attorney and his/her client, something terrible has happened. We have worked on cases involving tragic deaths, including murder and multiple fatalities in accidents; horrific burns; […]

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My mother once asked why I didn’t make a calendar of nice things instead of courthouses (which I did for 20 years).  She said she thinks only bad things happen in courthouses.  We then had a discussion about the good things that happen there such as weddings, and, most importantly, people seeking and getting justice.  […]

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If someone isn’t nice to me, they won’t see me again, ever.

My time is valuable. It is valuable to me, if not to anyone else. (In that Magnus’ clients compensate my company, and thus, me, in relatively high amounts of money, I would argue that my time is perceived as valuable to someone other than me. But, I digress.) Because I value my time and my […]

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Fortunately, as we wrote in the prior related post, our clients are usually nice, professional, even kind and friendly.  We all know we’re working together for a common goal and egos usually stay in check.  But, there are exceptions. I used the example of a particularly toxic client we once had who, with our help, […]

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