Lighthearted

People Who Talk About Themselves and Those They Torture

by Bill Brenner December 14, 2012 Lighthearted

I admit I haven’t always been the best listener. God knows I try, but sometimes my dysfunctional brain shuts down after more than 15 minutes of someone telling me about everything happening in their lives. I look like I’m listening, but I’m only quiet and staring at you because I’m numb. Mood video: I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into changing that. I took a class about ways to stay in the present…  [Read More]

The Dumbest OCD Gag Gifts Ever

by Bill Brenner November 27, 2012 Lighthearted

Those who know me understand that I’m not bothered by humor that pokes fun at OCD. As long as there’s plenty of education available for people to manage the more insidious parts of the disorder, I’m fine with having fun with the quirks. My only requirement is that the jokes be clever. Some time ago, I wrote about clever OCD gag gifts. These gifts, though, I never want to find in my Christmas stocking. Not…  [Read More]

WebMD’s Symptom Checker: Crack for OCD Heads

by Bill Brenner November 16, 2012 Lighthearted

WebMD has a fantastic thing called the Symptom Checker. Have a headache and numbness in the toes? Just punch it into the symptom checker and get a diagnosis. Mood music: [spotify:track:79DVDD46pdqwjYucn91fny] In the hands of an OCD patient, this thing can provide hours of obsessive-compulsive fun, as you pinpoint every ache and pain in your body and have the Symptom Checker tell you what’s the matter. The first thing you do is point to parts…  [Read More]

I Was Tricked Into Yoga

by Bill Brenner October 18, 2012 Lighthearted

I’ve long balked at the idea of doing yoga. Frankly, it always looked boring to me. It didn’t fit the tough-guy image I have of myself, either. Tough guys don’t do a bunch of poses. They lift heavy things. Yet here I am, doing yoga. Thing is, I’m starting to appreciate and respect it. Mood music: [spotify:track:3b04Qs9AoBRBIFu9aDQfqI] How did I reach this strange place? My therapist tricked me. For years, he’s been trying to push…  [Read More]

Me and My Dysfunctional Twitter Family

by Bill Brenner May 1, 2012 Communication Skills

It feels like Twitter has been with us forever. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a relatively new toy we’re learning to use.  I see it as my second dysfunctional family. Mood music: [spotify:track:2eedJzR1h4Nxk7pGhhoJlb] My Twitter house has 3,262 people crammed into it; many from the information security profession. Some of the smartest people I know sit around the kitchen table every day, bantering without ever getting tired. As it is with…  [Read More]

Sumo Wrestler With An Itch For Life

by Bill Brenner March 11, 2012 Lighthearted

This is one of many photos I took for a slideshow during the recent RSA Conference. For obvious reasons, I didn’t put it in the final slide deck. But this is a personal blog, so what the hell… I actually liked this guy. He always had that smile on whenever I passed his booth. A smile like that is contagious. The slideshow, for CSO, was of the more interesting scenes from the RSA exhibit floor. You…  [Read More]

Depressed? Try These Remedies (Or Don’t)

by Bill Brenner March 7, 2012 Depression

I noticed on Facebook this morning that one of my friends is still fighting a persistent bout of depression. She said something about staring at her clenched fist for nearly ten minutes. Mood music: We’ve compared notes on our depressed moments in the past, and since I dealt with a lot of depression in December and January (give or take a month. Winter’s a bitch) I thought I’d share some observations. –The extra darkness of…  [Read More]

Airport Observations

by Bill Brenner March 1, 2012 For travelers

When traveling, I enjoy people watching — especially in airports. Some observations from the Virgin America terminal in San Francisco… Mood music: –The TSA lady who frisked the young woman with two kids in tow seemed to be enjoying herself a bit much. The mom stared stoically into space while her kids got a first-class education on freedom and privacy in America. –The line at the Peet’s Coffee stand is about a quarter mile, and…  [Read More]

Things Kids Say, February Vacation Edition

by Bill Brenner February 24, 2012 Children's issues

The children and their friends have been giving me an earful this week. Silly little buggers always forget that I take notes. Mood music: “I demand my rights as an American!” Duncan, after being told he can’t watch TV before school (in this case, the Friday before vacation) “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.” Sean, wishing one of Erin’s friends well in an important business venture “Who do you think I am, Rosa Parks?” Sean’s…  [Read More]

Chain Smoking In Bickford’s Was The Best

by Bill Brenner February 17, 2012 Addiction

Though I no longer smoke or eat the kind of food they served, I’m feeling nostalgic about the days of old when you could sit in any of the dim, dank coffee shops in the local Bickford’s chain for hours, hanging out, chain smoking and drinking those awful, bottomless cups of black coffee. I blame The Doors for this trip down memory lane. I’ve been listening to their first album this morning and when “Soul…  [Read More]

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