[Free-sklyarov-uk] Corrupt CD's - Time for another protest/leafleting session?

[Julian T J Midgley]

On Thu, 6 Dec 2001, Edward Welbourne wrote:

> > Ack, good to know you're okay now... what is it with geeks and depression?

Intelligence and susceptibility to depression seem fairly positively
linked.

In the interests of accuracy and education, I will point out that manic
depression is not a severe form of depression.  The "mania"  referred to
in its name is the complete antithesis of depression - in milder stages
one can be extremely productive, survive for some time on very little
sleep with no obvious side-effects, associate ideas more rapidly than
usual, and often be quite creative.  Unfortunately, as you get higher, too
many neurons start firing at once, you become extremely talkative, often
quite paranoid, and eventually unable to think usefully at all as far too
many thoughts crowd into your head at once.  At earlier stages in the
process you tend to have really bright ideas that involve spending too
much money ("that [actually rather dull] book is deeply profound [it's not
at all - the mania causes you to see all sorts of connections that don't
actually exist, which makes it appear profound] - I'll buy twenty copies
for my friends").  The milder stages of mania are not only great fun but
extremely addictive - it's not until somewhat later that one loses the
plot altogether (shortly after which, sans lithium, one tends to crash
into depression, as you realise that all the really amazing ideas you
thought you'd had whilst manic are in fact not the answer to the world's
problems but merely the crazy products of temporary insanity).

Fortunately, if you catch the mania before it gets too bad, the lithium
can bring you back down to normal without much in the way of consequent
depression.  And once you've been through it a few times you stop worrying
about it - you can almost detach and say to yourself - "ah yes, slowly
going mad again - must go and see a doctor", without tying your brain in
knots pointless trying to work out what caused it all.  It was mania, not
depression, that I experienced recently, and aside from a couple of low
moments, seem to have avoided the depression for now (touch wood).

> > A Christmas single? Good lord!
>
> > We should include the DeCSS song ;)
>
> > <singin'>"This function is void / It takes two args"

I believe it may already be on the track list - Martin - let us know what
we're in for...

Julian

-- 
Julian T. J. Midgley                      http://www.xenoclast.org/
Cambridge, England.                          PGP Key ID: 0xBCC7863F