I haven't been on social media lately because I've been trying to preserve mental health, and joy.
I've been messing with my plants and crocheting. I even made a beanie that can fit with my hair!
#mentalhealth
Remote
Jay Miller
@kjaymiller@mastodon.social
mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Podcaster, Dev Advocate, Tryer of things that don’t scale well
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30 Posts
Joined December 31, 2017
📝: Flamethrowers Shouldn't be controlled by those with mental health issues - https://kjaymiller.com/blog/flamethrowers-shouldnt-be-controlled-by-those-with-mental-health-issues.html
I'm reaching out to my friends. Black Python Devs is looking for some companies to be our corporate sponsors to help us pay for software and travel to events.
This will allow us to support more events in person while not funding that travel from individual donors.
(A)I redesigned my website to have a home/away/city connect design that matches my favorite baseball team.
🔗 https://kjaymiller.com/microblog/my-website-redesign-baseball-team.html
So… I started this Discord community called Black Python Devs. We are doing our first meetup. This isn't an invite thread as the event is for Black Python Devs to feel they have a space where they can relax and learn and connect and grow. I kinda wanted to show off that we're here and if folks like me want to be a part of something like that hit me up.
Also Photos courtesy of DjangoCon and the amazing - @rod_penn (IG) and Bartek Pawlik
I hope folks in the US remember this #MemorialDay, Since 9/11 - more service members and veterans die by suicide than combat every year.
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1009846329/military-suicides-deaths-mental-health-crisis
I'm a veteran and I struggle with depression and PTSD. I lost one of my brothers-in-arms and groomsmen to drug abuse and suicide. There isn't a week that goes by where I don't think of him; today I write this through ... https://kjaymiller.com/microblog/202405272047.html
I want to try something for July.
For the month of July, each day, can I get 7 donations of $7 to Black Python Devs every day. I'll start with a week donation.
Success would be over $1500 donated. That covers 1-2 events in South America or Africa.
https://kjaymiller.com/microblog/7-7-31.html
📝: 7 Rules for Authentic Networking - https://kjaymiller.com/blog/7-rules-for-authentic-networking.html
So excited to see the Mets finally remembered that they were a baseball team and should probably play baseball....
I'm sure Erin Mikail Staples is happy...
https://kjaymiller.com/microblog/mets-baseball-return-lol.html
We are only $𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗵𝘆 of hitting $𝟭𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 raised this year!
If you value our mission of elevating Black Pythonistas, now is the perfect time to chip in.
𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘁 $𝟭𝟱𝗸: BlackPythonDevs.com
New on Conduit: There is No One True Anything with Merlin Mann
Jay is gone again, so Kathy brings back Merlin Mann to discuss productivity porn as well as a ton of other topics of import.
📝: State of Black Python Devs H2 2025 - https://kjaymiller.com/blog/state-of-bpd-end-2025.html
So updating some statuses to include the original link because webmentions requires it... I hope I'm not spamming.
Wouldn't be the first time.
I always find it intriguing when artists reveal the depth of acting and persona that comes with things like content creation. I think this is why being in devrel has been strange for me because, I'm playing a role, but the role itself is also a part of me. #KnowWhatIMean
📝: 5 Years of Jaysies (2025) and Jaysies.com - https://kjaymiller.com/blog/jaysies-2025.html
New on Conduit: I’m a Failing Nuclear Power Plant with James Thomson
James joins Kathy again to give an update on the past years since he's last been on Conduit, and it's a lot. Warning: there is a lot of talk about serious medical conditions, death, dying, and burnout. It's okay to skip if you can't handle that.
I was out of town but wanted but wanted to make sure I mentioned that @blackpythondevs@mastodon.social is officially 1-year old! We have some big announcements coming soon and we will be celebrating our birthday at PyCon US!!
New on Conduit: The Art of Giving Feedback
Jay and Kathy tackle how to give constructive feedback at work and interviews and peer reviews. They discussed assuming positive intent, cultural dynamics, power dynamics, and making criticism actionable.
New on Conduit: The "Jerk-Free" Guide to Networking
"Networking" is a dirty word. Jay and Kathy break down how to build professional relationships without feeling slimy. From Jay’s strict rules to Kathy’s "vibes-based" approach, learn how to be authentic, add value, and network without being a jerk.
New on Conduit: Precision and Pruning
This week, Jay and Kathy explore the power of scaling down, from mini watering cans and finding your own pond, they discuss why narrowing your scope and your tools can help you find better focus in the moment.
Replying to
@glyph yeah I've been doing this work on a CMS (for my static site generator) and there were some bugs in the webmention stuff... apparently a mix of "urls not formed correctly" and "not having a solid understanding of how webmentions work"
It seems like 5 posts were bad but like 80 posts were not being picked up for reasons that still confuse me since I have "u-syndication" links but who knows
In about 2.5 hours I'll be building a conference talk mentorship website live on the Aiven channel with Andres Pineda and Abigail Mesrenyame Dogbe.
https://youtube.com/live/dwcPh8CGqz0
New on Conduit: Systems Check Spring 2026
Permission to get out of bed denied! Kathy talks about how gym life has got her feeling confident and energized. Jay has declared bankruptcy and is letting AI do more and more.
Also: Live Show Info Announced!
We just crossed 1/3 of our drive to send #75 Nigerian students to #PyConNigeria. Share this initiative so we can start building the next global community of pythonistas.
(P.S. - we ain’t done yet!)
@blackpythondevs@mastodon.social
New on Conduit: A Tie-Dye of Work Being Done
Conduit is two people that AREN’T productivity pros giving you messy real world advice for messy real world lives. We haven’t spent much time talk about what we ACTUALLY DO! This episode is about Jay, the Staff Developer Advocate.
New on Conduit: Sometimes, you're not ready for me. 💅🏻
Conduit is two people that AREN’T productivity pros giving you messy real world advice for messy real world lives. We haven’t spent much time talk about what we ACTUALLY DO! This episode is about Kathy, your business unicorn!
@afimaame@mastodon.social has been doing an amazing job with this program and this is one that I really looking forward to!! @blackpythondevs@fosstodon.org
New on Conduit: System Checks 2025
It’s the last episode of the year (an the first of 2026), and Jay and Kathy are wrapping up 2025 with their annual Systems Check. The hosts review a year defined by "Environmental Hacking", looking back at how their tools and habits evolved.
I'm happy to begin sharing some of the perspectives of some folks that I interviewed at #DjangoConUS.
Let's start with the Django Software Foundation President Chaim Kirby who has a fantastic announcement about his plans for next year!! Check it out on the #PythonCommunityNews Youtube Channel!
New York! I'll be your MC for Open Source Data Infrastructure meetup where our featured speaker is MySQL Community MVP Gabriela Ferrara.
📣 RSVP Here: https://www.meetup.com/new-york-open-source-data-infrastructure-meetup/events/299469036/
Here are some reasons that you should hang out with us!
- You're looking for community around Data Infrastucture, Data, and Open Source
- You're looking for a new role to use your data infrastructure skills
- You're hiring for a data infrastructure role and want someone with a passion for open source and community.