His behavior probably won't show any progress until most of the physical problems are resolved. Don't draw a fine distinction too early between what's physical and what's mental. You can't figure out what's what without a lot of experimentation.

The narcolepsy, though, is clearly physical. That's needs to be fixed.

Don't expect quick changes. Don't even expect him to be too interested in the beginning. You probably need to work on his self-esteem... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 12:42 AM on July 6, 2008

I like the Kirk vs Picard comparison. There definitely is a sad, obsessive-fan-geek quality to religious belief. At least the Trekkies aren't killing us and each other over their fantasies. Give it a few decades, though.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 11:54 PM on July 5, 2008

I wear a diaper at work. But I'm an astronaut.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 10:32 PM on July 5, 2008

When I was a kid, milk wasn't so easy to come by. Mom would have to get pregnant and then lactate into a glass. Uphill. Both ways.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 10:22 PM on July 5, 2008

I add a lot of chocolate. Straight coffee is nasty.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 5:50 PM on June 22, 2008

The subtlest poisons are the best. We sip a little at a time, thinking "something's off" but never questioning it enough. Some even come to savor that bitter taste. Some think they're better off because of it.

In the end, we'll all be dead or close enough.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 3:56 PM on May 26, 2008

We kill people in foreign countries and then we fear the outraged survivors.

Who among you is too stupid to see the connection?
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 5:23 PM on May 26, 2008

As someone who was a tad misled about (and a tad overeager to take) prescription drugs, I give this three slightly blurry but furiously barking thumbs up.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 4:24 PM on May 26, 2008

To prevent uneven wear, keyboards need to be rotated just like mattresses.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 3:16 PM on May 26, 2008

How big are the bacteria? Can they handle a plunger or a drain snake?
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 5:26 PM on May 18, 2008

Clothing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 4:51 PM on April 12, 2008

You're definitely depressed. It's not the end. I'm on antidepressants and that shit still happens occassionally.

Depression is just a symptom. The problem is self-worth. I'm not going to tell you get over it or think good thoughts or not to care what anyone thinks about you. That's bullshit advice. You know it is. If you're not a moron, you can't just convince yourself that you're worth something. You have to prove it to yourself.

That's why you... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 6:21 PM on April 10, 2008

My favorite is in the beginning when he played the part of his wife.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 5:51 PM on April 8, 2008

The Economist, by the way, is the 9th top (for the day? week?) podcast in iTunes. A podcast comes out every 2 days or so and is about 15 minutes each.

The Guardian Weekly podcast does a great job of summarizing important items for that week. They're around 30 minutes each.

The big news outlets in the US aren't a complete waste, but they do often have big gaps in coverage.

To combat... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 7:29 PM on March 31, 2008

The forums at the Immortality Institute are for people wishing to self-experiment with the intention of improving oneself.

A product called DopaBean is the only legal way I know of to increase dopamine. The active ingredient is the velvet bean, which Wikipedia says contains high levels of a dopamine precusor.

For sharpening your focus, the two things that work best for me are caffeine and Provigil. I'm often sleepy and easily distracted. These... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 4:55 PM on March 26, 2008

Provigil also gives me a more positive mood. And it makes me better at first person shooters. And that's important.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 5:05 PM on March 26, 2008

I've used Paxil and now Effexor. Paxil had some side-effects I didn't like. But placebo-effect or not, they both have made a pronounced, positive change in my mood. When I don't take them, everyone can tell, sometimes before I can.

I would bet that a large number of people prescribed antidepressants have short-term depression (or anger or anxiety). These people don't need to be on antidepressants. If any drug, maybe Xanax or maybe a glass of wine. Most people are... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 12:25 PM on February 26, 2008

For most people, depression goes away on it's own: the situation improves or you learn to live with the situation. If the problem isn't permanently screwed up brain chemistry, focusing on the brain chemistry might be counterproductive for these people. I'm glad this is being made public.

I'm probably belaboring this, so I'll shut up now.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 12:34 PM on February 26, 2008

Mind Hacks has a nice summary of this topic.

BTW, the Mind Hacks book is also great, as is the site.
posted to MetaFilter by muzzlecough at 1:49 PM on February 26, 2008

Status Anxiety

Intelligent book on "keeping up with the Joneses".
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 1:00 PM on February 26, 2008

I get satisfaction from jogging, but I never have a post-coital high.

Intense, 30-sec sprints, on the other hand, especially the first couple, do make me feel what might be the runner's high.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 11:46 AM on February 26, 2008

Take mirtazapine (generic Remeron). It's classified as an antidepressant, but it's used most often for sleep problems. I have sleep issues without alcohol. Remeron is known to increase the amount of REM sleep. For me, it seems to put me into REM sleep immediately and I stay there all night. Since I like dreaming this is usually good. And it doesn't leave me groggy the next day like Benadryl does. With insurance, a bottle of 30 generic pills costs me $5.00.
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 8:39 PM on February 24, 2008 marked best answer

Zippy: I recommend caution when using any drug, prescribed or not. My personal policy is informed experimentation.

For me, mirtazapine works within an hour. No need to build up. I don't take it every night. Often I take half a 15 mg pill. The next morning, the only sign that I've taken it is a restful sleep with a lot of dreams. No mood changes at all.

Drug warnings aren't indicative of a normal (?) person's experience. Think about the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 12:52 PM on February 25, 2008

I think it's decay. I had two sets of grandparents, one rich and one poor. The rich set didn't keep much old crap. The poor set did. Guess which set smelled like a thrift store?
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 8:59 PM on February 24, 2008

.Net can be intimidating at first. It's friggin huge and powerful. I came from the old VB world. The stuff I can now do in .Net would have been unthinkable in old VB.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the size of the framework. There's so much stuff in there. How do you find what you need? .Net is so wide-spread that you can find examples of anything you want to do with just a quick Google. Microsoft's own help is decent. But the internet is packed with good practical info.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 8:17 PM on February 24, 2008

I'm also a programmer. I was convicted of a non-violent felony in 1993. I've never disclosed my past. My current employer knows about my past because the owner is a long-time friend of the family. A new client of the employer required criminal and credit background checks. The results of mine were negative. The employer was told that a 7 year check is common but that background checks further in the past than 7 years are uncommon because the cost goes up a lot.

My... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by muzzlecough at 7:41 PM on February 24, 2008