Work-life balance

Somewhat Damaged

by Bill Brenner April 26, 2010 Mental disorders

Sometimes the author lives in overdrive. The result is pain. Mood music for this post: “Somewhat Damaged” by Nine Inch Nails: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY0NEQd3_co&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Some of you might have read my post from yesterday about enjoying life in the parental and professional fast lane. Well, this morning I’m paying for it. My back aches. My head is numb and coffee isn’t doing much about that. I got a dull knifing sensation in the gut. And I’m ready…  [Read More]

Parental Overload: No Big Deal

by Bill Brenner April 25, 2010 Children's issues

Nothing like a week of screaming kids to realize OCD aint what it used to be. Mood music for this post: “Mama Weer all Crazee Now” by The Runaways: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0nKcHaQowY&hl=en_US&fs=1&] A week like the one I’ve just had would have been impossible just a couple years ago. The kids were on school vacation, the same week as Sean’s 9th birthday and some very big security events in Boston. I did a lot of speeding back…  [Read More]

Newsroom Nightmare: A Sequel

by Bill Brenner April 23, 2010 Mental disorders

Another Facebook flashback strikes the author on his dirty newsroom side of the brain. Mood music for this post: “Mean Street” from Van Halen: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2R2KXNQR1M&hl=en_US&fs=1&] I thought I was done writing about my newsroom experiences with “The Crazy-Ass Guy in the Newsroom.” But Facebook has put me back in touch with another blast from my past, so here I go again. Meet Steve Lambert, editor of The Eagle-Tribune a decade ago. He hired me as…  [Read More]

Random Madness

by Bill Brenner April 17, 2010 Gratitude

It’s Saturday morning, and me and the kids are engaging in our weekly ritual. In a few hours, we go to Salem, Mass., home of former Skeptic Slang guitarist Chris Casey, his wife, Nancy and their kids, Mark and Melissa. I’m going to help them get some old photos online and start a blog for Nancy’s writing. I’m going to look his kids in the eye and tell them that I’m a little bit responsible…  [Read More]

An OCD Diaries Primer

by Bill Brenner March 20, 2010 Addiction

A collection of posts that form the back story of this blog. Mood music: [spotify:track:19n9s9SfnLtwPEODqk8KCT] The Long History of OCD An OCD Christmas. The first entry, where I give an overview of how I got to crazy and found my way to sane. The Bad Pill Kept Me from the Good Pill. How the drug Prednisone brought me to the brink, and how Prozac was part of my salvation. The Crazy-Ass Guy in the Newsroom….  [Read More]

What Kind of Day It Has Been

by Bill Brenner February 16, 2010 Addiction

The author’s day has not gone as planned. He’s OK with that, though he wasn’t always. Mood music for this post: “Adrift And At Peace” from NIN: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMnv8zrmAyU&hl=en_US&fs=1&] This day has not gone as planned. I wanted to be in the office today plowing through some work. But another winter storm forced me to work from home. Some would say it’s great I can do that, and it is. But when there’s a lot on…  [Read More]

Headed Home

by Bill Brenner February 7, 2010 Fear and anxiety

The Shmoobus is slowly rolling northward, away from Washington DC, the snow and #ShmooCon. It was an excellent security conference, and a productive one. Six pieces of content written and produced in three days: 1 opinion column, three articles and two podcasts. I just wrote and posted the column from the RV. Because I could. Everyone is settled in with their Blackberries, iPhones, laptops and hand-held games. Thanks to the blizzard and the inability of…  [Read More]

The Engine in Hyperdrive

by Bill Brenner February 7, 2010 Adventures in writing

It’s Sunday and I’m wrapping up my visit to the #ShmooCon security conference in Washington D.C. My compulsive tendencies are humming along at full throttle, which isn’t as bad as it seems. True, the goal is to minimize the OCD overdrive as much as possible. Especially when it comes to giving in to one’s addictions. But sometimes it’s good to have that extra drive. I’ve produced three articles and two podcasts from #ShmooCon, which is…  [Read More]

When Sick is Good

by Bill Brenner January 18, 2010 Family

This was one of those weekends where sickness ran through the house. Duncan threw up all over the place Friday night and was down for the count most of Saturday, as was I. Sunday it was Sean’s turn. During a birthday party at a friend’s house, he threw up all over their living room floor. Luckily, the living room isn’t carpeted, so clean-up was easier than it otherwise would have been. The point of mentioning…  [Read More]

OCD DIARIES 12-30: The Break

by Bill Brenner December 30, 2009 Addiction

The author tries to take a break from writing, but chaos in the form of his two sons reminds him of another lesson worth sharing. Sean and Duncan have the audacity to fight over video games at this early hour, my usual writing window. Back before I found control over the OCD, this normal childhood behavior would send me over the edge. Fighting children equals chaos. People like me don’t do chaos well. I am,…  [Read More]

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