Taktiq

I wasn't sure where to post this... Being a former practicing Buddhist, I used to meditate regularly. We all know the regular benefits of meditation such as better circulation and respiration along with lowering stress, etc. But, I read once a very long time ago (don't recall where or I'd read it again) that, deep meditation, in some instances is just as good as a short nap. Has anyone ever heard of this and is there any validity to it?

I agree. In fact, I find it ironic how staunchly anti-smoking I was for years and then became a heavy smoker by the time I left the Navy in 95. I'm planning on attempting to quit (again...lol) while my girlfriend is away visiting her family in Liechtenstein. I take her to the airport tomorrow morning and I'm intending for my last cigarette to be the one I smoke with her before she leaves so, wish me luck...

I got a friend in security that's trying to find some info (articles/books/presentations/etc) for an upcoming course. Here's the info he sent me: "I'm interested in sociopathic and other aberrant behaviors in the workplace, either by employees or visitors, especially early behavioral signals or warnings of impending criminal or terrorist behavior. The audience is security personnel and department managers, and it's an "awareness" level 4-hour training course. We're not trying to develop profiling experts. The specific driver for the course request from this client is that analysis of a workplace incident has shown that in retrospect there were clues, going back from when the employee was hired and even before that, that were not picked up. You could say that this is one of those "due diligence/due care" training classes." Any help in finding information regarding this would be much appreciated.

Since I'm planning on going back to school fairly soon, I was wondering, what are the basic requirements for gaining an anthropology degree? Like basic general education courses and such.

Good point and I did say if I was wrong...I'm wrong. I'm man enough to admit it. I was never sure if there was any solid data either way in regards to both of my queries, that's why I came to you guys.

While I do understand what you all are getting at, the person I was having a discussion with challenged me to back up my belief that in some instances the adolescent was the aggressor and that adolescents may be maturing earlier in our society with actual data. The person I'm talking to won't accept me telling him, "well so and so on this forum told me or said...". Though I do enjoy and am quite fascinated by the speculation and such, I don't want this thread to get so sidetracked it misses my original purpose and devolves into a heated discussion and gets locked much like the "pedophilia" thread. So please just limit your responses to any possible studies you can offer or point me in the right direction to where I can search on my own.

Hey thanks, that's a start. I'll read over it when I get back from work.

I see what you're saying. As far as articles or studies on maturation, if you ever run across any, could you send 'em my way? I've been searching everywhere and I don't think I'm finding anything because I don't know how to go about doing it with any real accuracy.

There was a discussion started about those "Catch A Predator" shows on NBC. I have a feeling that due to adolescents maturing earlier, that in some instances the juvenile may have IN SOME very small instances have initiated the contact as opposed to what's stated by those shows (and not including the 14yr olds who work with the police). Also, are there studies which show juveniles today are maturing physiologically and psychologically earlier? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong...but if there are cases out there, could someone point them out? If there are none, just delete, lock, etc this thread so it doesn't descend into lunacy like many others.

Not to start another thread about pedophiles and such but I was having a discussion with another officer and was wondering, among all the cases of internet based sexual solicitations between adolescents and adults are there any cases someone here can point me to that shows where in a small percentage of the cases (and I know it will be a very small percentage) the adolescent was the aggressor?

I don't buy it and I'm standing by my last statement and going with my gut.

I'm curious what you, Lance, are getting out of this discussion. It seems you came here, asked for opinions regarding a subject, received them and then dismissed them because they don't mesh with your so-called statistics. My gut is telling me you're doing nothing more than what I like to do in real life......start a discussion that's emotionally charged just to see what happens and where it will go. My gut also tells me you don't really care about what you're arguing about either and are again just arguing to see what will happen. Much like what I like to do. In my profession, whether it's the juvenile field or law enforcement and security, you learn to go with your gut and mine, with all due respect, is telling me you're full of s***.

Ok, that's what I thought. From what I've seen so far, the facility is very impersonal in how it treats the juveniles and that's majorly different than every other juvenile center I've worked at. I'll try and give a basic rundown of how the facility works and see what you think. The facility has three units...1) court ordered juvies w/mild retardation, 2) a unit where the family pays for their stay (outpatient?), 3) a sex offender unit. Most of the residents are there for approximately 7 mos based on how they adapt and move through the program. The residents are taught to be reintegrated into society and have their behavior changed through learning impulse control. In effect, if a resident acts out, the behavior is first brought to their attention. The resident is only able to respond with "thank you sir/ma'am" and cannot ask questions why, nor are staff to explain why the behavior was wrong or even how they should be going about to correct it. Allegedly, the reason behind not explaining or asking about problems is to allow the resident to deal with frustrations better. I have a problem with this because, most juveniles need justification which is part of their natural learning process. I feel cutting them off from that justification only creates more frustration with an individual already having problems with impulse control which in turn would make them more likely to act out further. Anyway, if a resident continues to act out, he's told he is "leaking his feelings" and needs to "get a grip" and again must respond with a simple "thank you sir/ma'am". Again, no guidance or explanation is to be given from the staff to help the resident get a grip on their feelings. In essence it seems like it's the equivalent of telling a 3 year old in a tantrum to just "suck it up" and then walking away. I've attempted to, after correcting a resident's behavior, take them to one side and explain what they did wrong and how to correct it. The residents will look at me like I'm nuts saying, "Mr. ****, you can't do it that way." Meaning, as direct staff, I cannot provide guidance by explaining, giving examples, etc. On top of all this, the residents are allowed to "pull up", meaning to redirect behavior, the staff if they cause an infraction such as when I was absentmindedly leaning against a door frame. I know the staff lead by example but, that's rediculous. Please, someone in psychology/psychiatry give me your thoughts on all of this. After 5 years in this field, I've never come across anything like it and frankly, it's insane.

I took a second job at a juvenile facility and the program works on something called "directive therapy". Now, in the 5 years prior I'd worked in this field, I have never come across this. Has anyone else heard of it? Opinions about it vs. other forms of therapy?

My cat likes ska.

Nope...if I fully intend on putting a round through you if you don't comply is NOT a threat. Again, much like with suicidal behavior, it comes down to intent. If I draw my sidearm, it's not to scare you into submission, it's not to wave it around all willy-nilly, it's because I intend to put a .45 caliber, 230 grain bullet through you and put you down that way because all other options have been exhausted and you are now a danger to myself and others. On top of that Kiwi, if my sidearm needs to be drawn, the potential to escalate the situation has already gone as high as it can go. In LE/Security, if you pull your firearm first, then you're doing it wrong. We're trained in a force continuum you know. We don't go shooting people or pulling out OC just because someone says, "F*** off, rent-a-cop!". Mr. Septik, As stated previously, I have a wealth of FIRST HAND experience in the mental health field, LE/Security and have dealt with suicide personally due to my own personal issues in the past. You claim that gun control works? How so? All you have to go on is a handful of statistics. Do you even understand how this country of mine works? I'll answer that for you...NO. You claim that just having a gun in the home allows one to be more successful. What about the guns that are responsibly locked away in those homes? Do your statistics account for that? Other than reading a few bits and pieces of this or that, do you have any real world experience with firearms or suicide in general? Ever worked in an ER? We have pretty stringent gun-control laws already, how do guns still get into people's hands? No statistics please because they're just tiring 100% of the time. Just answer straight-up.

THAT's why I was never successful!!! I own a cat...

"I continue to be assailed by non logic!" That's the price to pay for asking for other people's opinions. "Other suicide methods are not relevant to the discussion." Not true. When discussing suicide, whether by handgun or other method, all methods, reasons, pathologies, societal influences and whatnot ARE relevant. Suicide is not, nor will it ever be, simply reduced to "what contributing factor" or "is it Mommy's fault?", etc. "Is the ready availability of firearms a substantial contributor to the incidence of successful suicide?" No! I don't know how many times this has to be beaten into your head. The single most contributing factor to the success of a suicide attempt is not what type of weapon...it's the person's intent and desire to follow through that contributes more than any other thing. Case closed. "How can anyone try to deny that availability of firearms adds very substantially to probability of successful suicide?" First hand experience, my friend. I'm not proud to admit this but I have a history of clinical depression and have had several suicide attempts. I ALSO OWN A HANDGUN! Strangely enough, despite what your statistics say...I never once tried to use it in the course of my attempts. Why? This is going to sound hokey but, despite severe depression, I always believed my weapon was meant to defend the lives of myself and others not to take it away (if I ever had to discharge my weapon at a criminal it would be in defense of myself or others) and unless you've been in my line of work, you will never understand that. The only reason I was never successful is because deep down I wanted to live. That meant my intent and desire to die was not strong enough...I could've had 50 handguns, 3 shotguns, a SMAW, some claymores, a box of razor blades, 100yds of rope, gallons of cyanide, and been standing on a cliff but, if I didn't want it bad enough, I would never have been successful no matter what device I used (except by sheer dumb (bad) luck). You can back up anything you say with all the statistics you wish but, until you've been in that hole and have stared down your own mortality, your argument is moot.

Don't forget toilet paper! That's pretty dangerous too. Example: One night while working a shift on a pod (jail housing unit), we had a fellow on suicide watch. We were to check him every 15 minutes. The whole time I went past his cell, he appeared to be sleeping with his back to the cell door. Apparently, sometime during the overnight hours this inmate had taken TP, wet it down and crammed it down his throat and in his nostrils eventually causing suffocation. Not even his cell mate heard or saw anything (or so he claimed). Oh and it's a good thing pay phones aren't around anymore either because during our orientation tour of the detention center as sheriff's office cadets, we were taken up to the SP level (special protection/psych). It seems one inmate tried to commit suicide by slamming himself, face-first, onto the phone where the handset it placed. The man received a large gash to his throat and died of massive bloodloss not long after reaching the infirmery. I guess we should just ban everything because as my instructors taught us, anything and anyone can kill you. No matter whether it's a 4 year old little girl or an elderly person in a wheelchair (true...I've worked geriatric psych wards as well). To put it bluntly...after 5 years in the juvenile system, 7 years in Law Enforcement/Security and 1 year on psych wards, guns are not the problem! I'm not some Pro-NRA gun nut, but I'm so sick of the blanket blame placed on inanimate objects with alleged "statistics" these people use to back their points. IMHO, most people who are anti-gun in regards to suicide are either A) aping what they've heard in the media and have no idea of the realities of suicidal/parasuicidal persons, B) do not understand the mechanics and thought process of suicidal individuals (I've been suicidal), C) have lost a loved one or have considered suicide by handgun (or other means) themselves and do not want to accept the fact that the choice was theirs or the deceased and try to place blame on something else instead to avoid the feelings of self-inflicted guilt (I've lost three friends including a fellow officer to suicide), or D) all of the above. The funny thing here from experience is...not ALL people find the same guns threatening. I've pulled my sidearm (never fired) several times on various properties as a security officer and have had people completely disregard the fact there was a loaded Glock handgun pointed at them...BUT rack the slide on a shotgun and...well, people pay attention to that. I would like to add that when i was trained to use my sidearm, it was considered a no-no to "threaten". If you pull your weapon, you're INTENDING on using it. There's no threat. You either go prone or you get shot. Note that there's lots of little things in those situations that complicate matters and I am not saying that if you immediately refuse a lawful order verbally you'll get shot, but I figure you're a grown-up and can understand what I'm saying. Not true....AJ Reed.

Hmmm, most painful...in no particular order: - Getting OC'd. I've been pepper-sprayed 3 times. Once during training for the Sheriff's Office, once during my security officer training and then once accidentally while fighting with a subject. The first two times were intentional for training purposes. The last happened because I happened to move into the stream as my partner sprayed, catching me directly across the face while I was trying to detain someone. Some people say you can get used to it but, I don't want to get used to it. AND I have asthma so that makes it all that much worse. - Stab wound to the leg with scissors...let's just say it got my attention. - Been hit twice in the head with shovels. The first time I was 5yrs old and stood behind someone who was digging, not realizing I was there and took the business end to my forehead. Then I did it to myself like a dumb*** when I was in 5th grade, knocking icicles off my roof. I still have the dents in my skull from both incidents. - Skateboarding. Most guys will say slamming ur nuts hurts the worst but, IMO, while doing boardslides and whatnot, I've learned the hard way that hitting the upper part of ur inner thigh hurts even worse. Consequently, during my sheriff's office custody and control training, we were taught to kick the inner thigh to disable a subject during a fight so..hmm. - Gout sucks too. I got that in my right foot a few years back and would rather be pepper-sprayed again if I had a choice.

I figured this would be the best place to post this considering we are talking about languages. So, my girlfriend is heading back to visit her parents in Liechtenstein at the end of this month and posted a bulletin about it on Myspace. The message was written in the Alemannic dialect (a mish mash of german-swiss-austrian) she speaks and was directed at her friends over there. But so many of her friends here have been puzzled by what it says, so she jokingly challenged everyone to try and translate it insisting no one would be able to. I know the gist of the message is about her upcoming flight but, what the message literally says, I've just started working on. So, I wondered if there was anyone here who could give me a hand...her only rule was I couldn't contact any of her friends from Liechtenstein. Here's the text: "July flueg i do ab unf land z Zuerich am erschta!!!!! I hoff d Begrueassigs-party isch scho voll in Vorbereitungs-mode I glob mer konnds d Abschieds-party fo 2006 no toppa, ha?!"

You know, I understand where you're coming from here. Though, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that there's something "wrong" with me, I do keep in mind that, despite my careful research on my own regarding personality disorders and such, I could very well be susceptible to being influenced by what I've been diagnosed with and have researched. It's a fine line.

Yeah that's what I've been doing. I found this site and I figured "COOL, people I can converse with!"...but now I'm finding I'm as lost as when people listen to me rattle on about security work.

Interesting theory...how'd it come about?

Simple....destroy it and start it all over again.