Bill Brenner

Infosec’s Mental Health Role Models

by Bill Brenner December 2, 2013 Depression

This weekend some friends asked about the reaction this blog has had in my industry. Truth is, I was unprepared for what followed the blog’s launch four years ago. In hindsight it makes perfect sense. Mood music: Friends asked if my information security colleagues were weirded out by the blog and whether it had an adverse effect on my ability to interview people. In fact, the opposite happened. By the time I was done baring…  [Read More]

Take Your ‘War On Christmas’ Talk And Shove It

by Bill Brenner November 30, 2013 Communication Skills

I’ve written a lot about how my mental ticks give me the holiday blues. But let’s face it: Sometimes the mood is sparked by the hypocrisy I see in capitalism, religion and government. Mood music: Every year in church I hear someone talking about the so-called war on Christmas, where Godless people apparently do everything possible to tear the Christ out of Christmas, from the public schools banning Christmas decorations to people saying “Happy Holidays”…  [Read More]

The Ego OCD Built

by Bill Brenner November 26, 2013 Lessons from the past

The author has an ego that sometimes swells beyond acceptable levels. OCD fuels the fire. Written in December, 2009 and just as real now as it was then. Mood music: Last night I got on here to explain that sometimes OCD is good for me, in the sense that it provides fuel for my professional ambitions. Some might look at the post and think I was letting vanity take over. Truth is, I was. And…  [Read More]

Find Yourself a Real Doctor

by Bill Brenner November 26, 2013 Addiction

Written in June, 2010. Here’s the thing: Asking me for medical advice is like asking Charles Manson how to be a pacifist. Mood music: [spotify:track:79DVDD46pdqwjYucn91fny] In the months since I started this blog, I’ve noticed something expected but weird nonetheless: People are coming to me for medical advice. Several people who saw my post on living with Crohn’s Disease sent me their phone numbers and asked me to call them. I always do, and the…  [Read More]

Not Broken, Just Breaking

by Bill Brenner November 25, 2013 Uncategorized

When a few days go by without a new post from me, I frequently get emails from readers asking if I’m OK. That’s the thing about writing a blog about one’s struggle against the demons. Go away for a while and people start worrying that you’re in the throes of depression or any number of physical illnesses. Mood music: Truth be told, the concern makes me grateful. But the well-being checks aren’t necessary. When I…  [Read More]

To the Asshole Who Wrote “5 Reasons to Date a Girl with an Eating Disorder”

by Bill Brenner November 21, 2013 Compulsive behaviors

The Internet has made it possible for all sorts of assholes to have a forum. Although this is common knowledge, some people still manage to shock me. The latest example is an article someone calling himself Tuthmosis wrote called “5 Reasons to Date a Girl with an Eating Disorder.” Mood music: I always try to see the best in humanity. For all the bad seeds out there, I do believe we’ve come a long way…  [Read More]

Mental Disorders on Sesame Street

by Bill Brenner November 20, 2013 Lighthearted

The image below is a brilliant exercise in humor, an important coping tool for getting through all life’s difficulties. I’ve always believed the folks behind Sesame Street should be doing more to educate children on mental health, starting with some hard but necessary lessons in disorder. I share this meme for their benefit. Class is in session. Source: fodrizzle

Is the Point of Pines of My Generation Cursed?

by Bill Brenner November 19, 2013 The stormy past

A friend from my old neighborhood opined a couple years ago that our generation of Revere kids lived under a curse. “The more time moves on, I think we may be lucky for just getting out of the city,” he told me in an email. “Revere was just eating people up back then. It’s like we lost a generation.” Mood music: The death tally boggles the mind: Stefanie Santarpio died last week at age 36…  [Read More]

Another Point of Pines Tragedy

by Bill Brenner November 18, 2013 The stormy past

For the second time since October 1, something terrible has happened to people that were part of my childhood orbit. Last month, my old friend TJ committed suicide, hours before his father died of leukemia. This past week, the sister and mother of another childhood friend both died within a couple days of each other: The sister died from complications with pneumonia. and then the mother suffered a fatal aneurysm. Mood music: The latter case is…  [Read More]

Attention Lovers and Narcissists Are Not the Same

by Bill Brenner November 14, 2013 Uncategorized

My post about narcissism the other day was meant to be lighthearted, poking fun at myself and others who tend to have big egos. But some readers took it very seriously. I’m glad they did, because the resulting discussion pointed to another truth: There’s a big difference between those who enjoy attention and true narcissists. Mood music: Fellow writer Laurel Hermanson noted the difference quite clearly: I think there is an important distinction between occasional…  [Read More]

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