Category Archives: Andrew Hales

Andrew Discusses Depression

This week’s post, as well as the next several Thursday posts are going to talk about something that I know is a frequent problem throughout the geek community: I’m specifically referring to depression.

While not a “geek specific” topic, depression has always struck me as something our community tends toward more than many other social groups. I say this from experience. From late high school right up through the present, I have had intermittent bouts of depression. I have not specifically been medicated for depression, but I have taken anti-depressants at various times (specifically Zoloft, prescribed to help with Tourette’s syndrome). At the moment, things are going quite well, but that has not always been the case. Parts of college were particularly awful. My sophomore year was the worst and when my depression combined with insomnia, cluster headaches and horrific nightmares, I was very nearly at the point of suicide. I saw no end to everything that was hurting me and I didn’t know what to do. That’s not to say that suicide ever struck me as a good idea, but I was nearly out of other ideas. The only thing that kept me from pursuing that option further was the fact that I had a solid group of friends. Continue reading

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Review: The Martian

I’ve always hated when people say that the book is better than the movie. It doesn’t seem to matter how good the movie actually is, people always find some reason to complain. Maybe they left something out, or perhaps a scene was changed or god only know what else. Never mind the fact that they managed to work anywhere from thirty to twelve hundred pages into a roughly two hour movie. Please, feel free to ignore that crucial little detail. Having said all of that, I can’t think of any movie that is a better adaptation of a book than The Martian.

MartianPoster1 Continue reading

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Being More than “Just” a Geek

A geek is often described as one who is passionate about their hobbies or fandoms, and when it comes right down to it, this is a pretty accurate description of what we are. Passion is a wonderful thing and we geeks have it in abundance. Sometimes, however, passion (at least for just one thing) is not enough.

I feel rather strongly that in order to lead a truly full life, humans must have as diverse an experience as possible. As is so often the case with geeks, I sometimes tend to find out little niches and stay there, rarely venturing out into the rest of the world. Being an introvert, I can understand how this is both easy and comfortable for others as well. It’s hard to come out from under our little shelters and interact with the world as a whole. We are not the best at social interactions and it is often frustrating and emotionally exhausting. This does not mean that in the end doing so isn’t worth it. Take my job for instance. I am not by nature an outgoing person who likes to get up in front of people and speak. My choice of career however requires that I do exactly that, at times on a daily basis and for hours at a time. I often come home completely exhausted only to have to do it all again the next day. Having said all of that, my job is one of the most rewarding things in my life. I love what I do, and so I take the good with the bad. Had I refused to do something that makes me uncomfortable, I wouldn’t have this amazing job. Continue reading

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Relaunch: The New Norm

I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on the inner workings of the comic book industry. While a loyal fan, I am not privy to what goes on “behind the cover” so to speak. Having said this, I am really starting to wonder what exactly is going on at the Big Two when it comes to the nearly continuous reboots and rebranding that have occurred in my relatively short tenure as a comic fan. Continue reading

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