This should be read by everyone regardless of whether they know someone suffering from depression or not. Practically everyone will feel depressed at sometime in their lives and it's well-meaning friends that can do the most damage by trying too hard to help. Depression needs understanding and support but needs to be handled very subtly. Ham-fisted efforts can only send someone further in.

[Listening to: Mercury Rev - Opus 40 - Mercury Rev - Kiss This [UK] (05:08)]

Guarded by the Minotaur, who snarls in fury, and encircled within the river Phlegethon, filled with boiling blood, is the Seventh Level of Hell. The violent, the assasins, the tyrants, and the war-mongers lament their pitiless mischiefs in the river, while centaurs armed with bows and arrows shoot those who try to escape their punishment. The stench here is overpowering. This level is also home to the wood of the suicides- stunted and gnarled trees with twisting branches and poisoned fruit. At the time of final judgement, their bodies will hang from their branches. In those branches the Harpies, foul birdlike creatures with human faces, make their nests. Beyond the wood is scorching sand where those who committed violence against God and nature are showered with flakes of fire that rain down against their naked bodies. Blasphemers and sodomites writhe in pain, their tongues more loosed to lamentation, and out of their eyes gushes forth their woe. Usurers, who followed neither nature nor art, also share company in the Seventh Level.

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Seventh Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Extreme
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very High
Level 7 (Violent)	Extreme
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Extreme
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	High

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

[Listening to: People That Are Going To Hell - The Vandals]

"I died in the Food Riots in 2157. I died. I died."

[Listening to: Fred Jones, Part 2 - Ben Folds]

At last. The official history of The Internet.

Okay so I said that The Cooper Temple Clause were bloody brilliant but tonight's gig surpassed even that. Electric Six were even better, surpassing all levels of the Ryan Rating System and bring about a new grade of gig coolness. They were Fuckin' Deadly. They rocked pretty much with the stuff that I hadn't heard, but once GayBar came on I found myself sucked into a pit of moshing joy from whence I didn't emerge for an hour.

A mix of disco, heavy rock, punk, and a stage presence to rival Sir Lawrence Olivier made for the perfect gig to bounce around to like a mad thing and bounce around I did. I imagine I'll be unable to walk in the morning but it was very much worth it. Especially with their well-timed monarch dissing, and the slightly ironic timing of their cover version of Radio Ga Ga, which confused the younger members of the audience.

I'm in post gig afterglow here,
Ahhhhhh
Damo.

So, yes it's that time again. I've just been to another gig and it was bloody brilliant. Those of you acquainted with the Ryan rating system will know that a rating of bloody brilliant is equivalent to several Brit awards, a Grammy, and an Oscar. This week's gig was The The Cooper Temple Clause who absolutely harpooned bottom.

We missed the first support band, Medium 21, but according to the very enthusiastic badge giver at the door, they were very good. We did see The Rain Band who are also on Temptation Records. This Manc foursome seem to have The Music's sound down pat while not being quite so polished. They were good bit have a ways to go before they headline.

The Cooper Temple Clause, as mentioned before, harpooned arse and rocked several people's testicles off. A great thing for population control, but probably better for musical causes. They were a very heavy rock band, pretty much in the Isle of White Hendrix stylee. Lots of kicking bass, hard drums, growling guitar, and sycophantic synths. Check them out, please. They really are very very good live and better than a lot of new music out there.

Indeed another five shamrock night,
Damo

Why is it that whenever a character on television or in film is called Damien they're either strange and have unhuman powers or are evil like the son of the devil? For instance, I've just watched possibly the best episode of a television programme ever and even the `I notice things about people that no-one else can' character named Damien couldn't detract. Of course the series is Jeremiah written by J. Michael Straczynski of Twilight Zone and Babylon 5 fame. The episode in question was Tripwire and is what has now become to be known as an arc episode of the series. An episode that turns all your expectations on their head and makes you realise that you're not watching some crap like Sex in the City or Pop Idols.

All I can say is, "more"
Damo

I say we bury him in bunny ears. Make it easier to find him in hell so we can kick his ass clear across the afterlife. [...] Pink bunny ears, with bells on them. --Kurdy-- .