Here is a good indicator of how the recession is impacting the world.  Porsche stated 2008 sales will fall below 2007 levels and now news comes out that Porsche, VW, Audi and BMW will halt production from one day to three weeks (depending on the company).  

Why is this a good indicator?  Take into account that Porsche and BMW are experts in supply chain management, a production cut shows how quickly sales in the luxury market has slowed.  Essentially the companies had predicted, based off of market indicators, a certain level of sales but the economy changed so drastically in such a short period the companies need to hold production in order to level expectations and consumer demand.

Tomorrow will be interesting as initial “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” information will be released.

My last post discussing depression (It’s not about you) really generated a fair amount of feedback which was evenly split between two camps: the “I understand what you mean…” and the “But that is just selfish…” group.  

I want to address the second group. Yes, you are right.  

A number of feelings a depressed individual holds, a few of which were reflected in the previous post, truly are highly selfish.  What people who are not deal with depression, who have no significant point of reference, do not understand is that when a depressed person has a depressive episode they need to go into a “self preservation” mode where they need to focus on only themselves.

This action is taken for their survival, as their entire life is in question.  It may not appear that way to the observer but trust me, it is.

Every thought and emotion facing the person who is having an episode is focused on simply managing through what they are experiencing at that moment. Very little to nothing else matters when they enter such a state.  I do not mean to be dramatic but things that may seem like common sense to you (like paying the bills, going to work, caring how someone else feels, making sure they have eaten, other people) all have the ability to become a very distant second really quickly for someone who is dealing with depression.

The person is not attempting to be self destructive or cold.  They are not attempting to be seen as rude or self-centered by those they love and care for, they simply go into a mode where they need to protect themselves. Unfortunately, that may very well mean block everyone and everything else out until they have the ability to manage once again.

So, yes, it is selfish and there is nothing wrong with that, as it is one of the only ways a person who is having a depressive episode can survive.

It was bound to happen – a developer manages to run Linux on Apple’s iPhone.  

The press and development community point to the potential of Google’s Android operating system eventually running on the iPhone as well.  Doing so would provide developers an open platform while utilizing a sexier, and arguably superior, piece of hardware.  Ultimately, though… so what?

The desire run an operating system on hardware that it was never intended for is the holy grail of hackers and hardcore developers.  In many ways simply accomplishing the task is about a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment.  To say you can do it and you managed to be the first to do it.   Another aspect is the “scientific” knowledge one can obtain from attempting such a task.  This knowledge can then be applied to other tasks and goals.

Apple is fiercely protective of their hardware and will never allow another OS on the device that ensures a lock solid foothold in the mobile device market and music distribution space, so this will not be a commercial adventure.  From a practical perspective, I cannot see how this will move beyond a small core set of individuals who can impress their friends with Linux on the iPhone.

Maybe that is what this is about – bragging rights.

Here we have an outstanding live mix from the legend himself, Paul Oakenfold…

Paul Oakenfold on Tour

Just to point out, found via Google…

I’m not giving up on the new Prodigy album just yet.  My initial reaction of the first track, which goes by the same name as the album, was extreme disappointment.  I felt as if there was a lot of hype but little substance to the track.  Overall, it seemed “thin” and uninspired.

Truth be told, I didn’t much care for “Firestarter” when it was first released either.  I enjoy it now, but initially, it didn’t rock my world.  I still believe Firestarter doesn’t fit with the overall feel of “Fat of the Land”, and that is why I am not giving up on The Prodigy’s new album.

Well, there is some new information coming out about the album.  Let’s start with the track listing:

“Invaders Must Die”

1. Invaders Must Die
2. Omen
3. Thunder
4. Colours
5. Take Me To The Hospital
6. Warrior’s Dance
7. Run With The Wolves
8. Omen’s Reprise
9. World’s On Fire
10. Piranha
11. Stand Up

But what I find even more interesting is that Dave Grohl, of Foo Fighters fame, is providing some drum backing.  That will be very, very interesting to hear…

Finally, you can take a listen to the Prodigy’s Keith Flint talk about the new album. As with the other press going around, Flint points to the Prodigy of old:

It’s been written, Liam’s written a lot of this album. It’s buzzing, high energy and how The Prodigy used to write, and that’s got a sound about it.

We’ll see if the hype is actually worth it…If the first track is any sign, we may simply be victims to the hype.

In no way is my blog popular.  I usually have roughly 1000 people a day dropping in to see what I am thinking, or what I have found on the net.  I mean, really, how interesting could my thoughts on life be? Regardless of how much traffic my site receives, I want to provide the best possible user experience.

Suddenly it seem as if my Wordpress theme is not fitting my needs in terms of flexibility.  Mind you, this is not a bad layout, it is actually one of the best I have seen, my needs have simply changed.

The ultimate desire is to have a site that provides a clean user experience but addresses all of the needs I have as a blogger.  I do not want to have a cluttered user interface, overwhelming the reader with information.  At the same time I want to provide all the information I see as useful to potential visitors.

So, a few things may be changing in the near future.  No user functionality will be lost, no data will be removed, just a simply change in appearance. I just hope I do not need to create my own theme.

If you are emotionally connected to someone who is dealing with depression or anxiety, you need to understand something – it’s not about you.  

I don’t care if you are a close friend, a lover, or a mother… It’s not about you.

It seems that people who freely select to deal with an individual with depression, at one point or another, personalize/internalize the entire experience in an attempt to rationalize what is going on in their life.  

Why is their friend, their partner or child unhappy with life? Why are they unhappy with me around?  What actions did I take, or not take, that would cause this reaction in the one I love or care for? 

You didn’t do anything – it’s not about you.

Your reaction, trying to look at yourself for a potential cause as to why someone you care for is depressed, is completely natural.  I would even say taking such a point of view is healthy.  What isn’t healthy, however, is not recognizing that this other individual needs more than you than what you can offer… they need themselves first.  

I know it’s painful to hear, but it’s true.  

If someone cannot love himself or herself, if someone cannot care and support themselves or their own life, they cannot accept you for who you are. Furthermore, they will not be able to give you what you need in life. 

But, remember, it’s not about you.

Eventually your attempt to rationalize the experience will turn into frustration when it dawns on you that your counterpart isn’t responding to your needs, isn’t support you even thought you are supporting them in what seems to be the hardest of times.  Such frustration will turn into anger and you will want to talk about this anger with your friend or partner, but you may not be able to. 

This other person may not be able to… not because they don’t want to communicate with you, or because they are trying to cut you out of their life, they are simply emotionally unable to express their emotions. They may not be able to handle the stress, real or imagined.  Panic or anxiety may prevent them from accessing the emotions that are critical to allowing open communication.

It’s not about you. 

Depression is hell for everyone involved, no matter what side of the equation you are on.  If you have the misfortune of the being “other half” in some relationship that is influenced by depression just remember that it’s not about you.

“The whole idea of an ending as something being its source of meaning is something I find problematic,” says David Milch, creator/writer/director of the critically acclaimed HBO series “Deadwood”

The end of the Deadwood series caught everyone off guard – including Milch – and that is the problem.  One day the brain trust at HBO called David into their corporate offices and informed his the series was being canned.  Not because of poor ratings, no, but due to the costs surrounding the production series.  Each episode cost approximately $10 million, mainly due to the realistic sets and large numbers of extras used.

As of the fan of the show I was devastated when I found out Deadwood was no longer going to be a fixture on Sunday evenings, not because the show was gone, but because loyal viewers were left without any sense of closure, and that is why I believe Milch wrong. 

I’m not trying to argue the point with David; he has infinitely more experience in life and writing than I do, but the lack of closure impacts everyone, especially the viewers, the individuals who ended up emotionally invested in the story and characters.  These are the people who wanted to see an end because they were suffering from a break-up, one that wasn’t expected, and that took a small emotional toll.

While no closure can be expected any longer, the days of the promised 2 two-hour “Deadwood” movies are long since past, it is still sad to face the fact that one of the best TV dramas ever produced was cut with little to no warning and the fans are the ones left to suffer.

Just goes to show the HBO is a business and is not necessarily concerned with the people who view their products. It makes me ask why even bother get involved with other HBO shows?

Holy god!  Erasure is really pulling out the stops for their next release.  Check out the track listing for “Total Pop! Deluxe“.  Discs 3 & 4 really get my attention…

Can’t wait!

Here are three live DJ sets…

• Matt Darey - Nocturnal Radio Session 164
• Paul Van Dyk - Vonyc Sessions 11-27-2008
• Armin Van Buuren - A State of Trace 377

As always, I have no connection to these mix sets. They were all found via Google.