The Off Topic Topic

[Josquius]

Speaking of dumb old music. This made me laugh for some reason.

[Admiral Yi]

That was my brief experience with French pop music.  Songs were dopey as hell but they always gave you eye candy.

[Syt]

It's not like the French had a monopoly on that. Here's 16 BIT's "Where are you?"

Weirdly, there exists another video for this, tonally very different:

[Syt]

Another song from the same album is slightly more well known, and its video may be of interest of fans of the Commodore Amiga:

The band only released one album, with a name that just rolls off the tongue: Inaxycvgtgb

[Duque de Bragança]

For me, as far as 8-bit computer music goes, this one is my favourite:

Later used in an ad:

[celedhring]

I don't know, I thought that French synth song was cute.

One of my favorite pieces of 1980s synth whimsy is the end credits of Buckaroo Banzai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgnTREVCXk&ab_channel=ManticoreEscapee

[viper37]

Another first time band is Slipknot. I admit I wouldn't mind seeing them live.  

They're pretty good live.

[viper37]

I like that one!

[viper37]

since suicidal people with guns are far more likely to die than suicidal people without guns.

I'm not so sure about that.  Suicidal people take whatever is available for them.  They use guns in the US because there's so many of them and they're easy to access.

[DGuller]

since suicidal people with guns are far more likely to die than suicidal people without guns.

I'm not so sure about that.  Suicidal people take whatever is available for them.  They use guns in the US because there's so many of them and they're easy to access.

People generally stop trying to commit suicide after the first attempt.  If their first attempt is with guns, then usually they're not around to try again.  If their first attempt is with something less deadly, they often realize that there is more to life than ending it and stop trying.  This is why I said that suicidal people with guns are more likely to die.

[Eddie Teach]

I think if you considered holding the gun in your hand willing yourself to pull the trigger as an attempt, it'll probably be in line with other methods.

[Jacob]

I think if you considered holding the gun in your hand willing yourself to pull the trigger as an attempt, it'll probably be in line with other methods.

I believe you are wrong, based on what I've read.

There are folks who never "pull the trigger", whatever method they end up trying. In those cases, there's potentially little difference between guns and other ways of attempting.

Then there are folks who do "pull the trigger." From what I've read, for many of the folks who've done that - say jumped off a bridge, filled their pockets with rocks and walked into a lake, taken a bunch of pills, hanged themselves, et. al. - but somehow survived, they often describe a realization that "oh shit, I don't want to die" after they've taken the last seemingly irrevocable step. And when they survive (because obviously those who didn't survive aren't around to describe what happened), that sentiment of "I don't want to die" persists. With attempted suicide by gun, there's a much lower chance of survival.

Additionally, if suicide requires a number of steps to pull off - and a protracted period of time - there's a higher chance of second thoughts and/ or outside intervention to provide life-saving help.

[Malthus]

There is also this: suicidal thoughts often come to those with depression. Another symptom of depression is apathy (the 'so depressed I can't get out of bed' feeling). So it is often the case that those who are depressed have suicidal thoughts, but are too apathetic to take very active efforts to actually commit suicide.

A gun, though, is so easy to use, if you have one in hand ...

Interestingly, I have heard that some antidepressants may 'cause' suicides - for a reason that is associated with this effect. The way it works is this. Some antidepressants work on different symptoms at different rates - so someone who is depressed, and has suicidal thoughts and is apathetic, may have the *apathy* ameliorated first - however, they may still have suicidal thoughts. Whereas before they were suicidal but apathetic (and so didn't act on their suicidal thoughts), now they are suicidal but filed with vim and vigour - and so act on that impulse. (Presumably, if they just waited, the antidepressants would alleviate the suicidal thoughts as well).

[Eddie Teach]

If it requires a number of steps, the initial steps are easier to make.

[Josquius]

If it requires a number of steps, the initial steps are easier to make.

Sure. They're easy. But on the walk to the bridge there's a chance you'll change your mind.
Less so if you've a gun in your drawer.