Devil's Advocate

People say "Just sort yourself out."

People say "If you'd just give it a try, you'd realise it's not that hard."

People say "There's nothing wrong with your life. Most of the planet would kill to live as comfortable as you."

People just don't get it.

If you're not depressed, if you've never been depressed, then you don't and can't understand.

People have this strange idea that we're somehow in charge of our minds, that with just a little willpower we can overcome our problems, get up and go.

Well, maybe some people can - people whose brains are balanced, or who have energy, people who can think straight without fighting through fuzz.

When you're struck down by fear, when you have no control, when your mind won't think straight enough to even understand what the way out might be, you can't just 'pick yourself up' or 'just get things straight'.

Sure, you might make it there eventually, with help and luck and time. But saying "Oh, stop being so pathetic and get on with your life" is about as useful as handing the flight controls to a caveman and telling him "Just land the damn plane, it's easy."

Spooky

This is spooky...

Hold Everything!

Unless I'm struck down by lightning over the next few days I'm going to see The Lion King on IMAX over the weekend.

It's showing at the UGC.

Who's with me, and why did nobody tell me it was on???

Groups

A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy

This is quite heavy going, but if you're interested in group dynamics, communities, societies and the way that they interact together with some insights into the reasons for different internet societies have flourished or collapsed, I highly recommend it.

To keep malaise happy

mistressmalaise is bored. In order to keep her happy...

[Poll #152315]

Oh My Dear Lord

Load this. Say "Whoah"

Alan Moore on War

From Arthur Magazine via AWatson

Here's a joke: What do you call an eight-year-old Iraqi kid with no arms, surviving family members, or unblackened skin below his waist? I don't know. I was shouting at the TV and I didn' t catch his name. Don't worry if you don't get it. We'll no doubt be telling it again in another dozen years or so. And still not getting it. It' s the repetition that grinds us down. All this Groundhog Day shit. The history classes of the twenty-second century, assuming that we can be bothered to hold one, will hate us for doing everything twice and messing up their grades. "So which Bush was Gulf War II again? Was that the wimp or the chimp?"
( more. lots more )