There is, according to one Berkeley economist, a five percent chance that the U.S. will experience a “depression-causing shock.” We’d be interested to see the breakdown in his math. [Seattle Times]

Want to know the alleged (and disturbing) connection between flu shots, mercury and autism? Enlighten yourself at a Nov. 21 symposium at the UC Berkeley Art Museum Theater. Oh, except it’s 60 bucks. So maybe just Google Dr. Andy Wakefield. [PRLog]

And, in conclusion, a pithy affirmation of all your chronic concerns. [http://iscaliforniaonfire.com]

A weird foursome: could it be that teenagers prone to depression sleep less and use the internet more, resulting in worse depression and tossing them into a real nasty sleep minimizing, internet and depression maximizing situation? Of course we, sound and sturdy early twenty-somethings that we are, are far beyond silly adolescent things like all-nighters, depression and the internet. But hey, how ’bout our soft minded kid brothers and sisters? Yet another psych study gets underway:

Thirteen- to 19-year-olds are being recruited by UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Psychological Disorders Laboratory, which, in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente, Oregon, will study their sleep and psychological disorders. A connection between a good night’s rest and mental soundness has been established in adults, but this has yet to be confirmed in adolescents. Of course, we’d be slightly surprised if the reverse turned out to be.

In 1988, a survey of 10th and 12th graders revealed that about 45 percent of them regularly went to bed after midnight on school nights. The UC Berkeley study will provide modern numbers on this account, the expectation being that the internet has stretched kids’ waking hours more than a little. All remains to be seen …

Image Source: angeluzzo under Creative Commons.
Study to explore if more sleep will help teens shake off depression [News Center]

In other depressing news: The Berkeley City Council just raised parking fines $5 in order to help relieve California’s budget crisis. Fines on game days more than doubled. Why can’t those pesky meter people pick on someone their own speed—like golf cart drivers, or people in wheel chairs? [Daily Planet]

Charging campus groups for bringing controversial speakers to lecture to students? Although we realize this would alleviate some tensions surrounding certain touchy subjects, don’t we kind of have a reputation for free speech here? Anyone? [SF Gate]

For all of you who cynically remarked that turning off your lights for an hour isn’t gonna help save the environment, now you can volunteer for three whole days in SF as part of the Green Apple Festival. And you get a free concert in return. That’s the best kind of charity work. [SF Gate]

Earlier: Speaking of Cupcakes …

Sunday Shout-Out picks out the week’s stories that simply slipped our minds.

* Oh, BTW, we can totally make solar panels cheaper … in five to 20 years. [Daily Cal]

* Stop bugging your GSIs. Chances are, they’re depressed. [Chronicle of Higher Education]

* They’re probably depressed they’re not as wanted as our Boalt professors. Sad face. [Contra Costa Times]

* Say goodbye to Healthy Heavenly Foods in the Bear’s Lair? But what of our cheap sandwiches and banana eggrolls?! [UCB LJ]

Image Source: Shannon Hamilton, Daily Cal
Earlier: The Crazies and the Crazed

We’re a little desensitized to the whole buzz-killing, “What are you gonna do when you graduate?” question, and the attack on our future domicile is just absurd (We mean, we’ll be couch surfing or in a nice sleeping bag along the sidewalk, at least), but being compared—topped, rather—by the transportation industry’s equivalent of orthopedic shoes is just too much.

Besides being the butt of numerous jokes and often having our areas of study disregarded as “real subjects” by math and science elitists, humanities majors have another reason to be seen at a cafe looking dejected: budget cuts to the arts departments. Practice of Art course offerings have already seen an almost 10 percent decrease in the past year, there’s been a drop in the number of acting classes and productions each semester, the Consortium for the Arts has disbanded, and after 45 years of students developing their own photos, the Wurster Hall Darkroom will close at the semester’s end.

Looks like the poverty is hitting us even before we graduate. Excuse us while we go write some morbid poetry and play a blues riff on our harmonica. Sigh.

Image Source: yorokobi under Creative Commons
Budget Cuts Take Toll on Arts Departments [Daily Cal]
Philosophy Is No Joke [Daily Campus]

So if you’re feeling the gray hairs growing out, the worry wrinkles settling in or the blood pressure climbing off the charts, drop in on the Tang Center and find a peer or professional–whatever you’re into. Apparently, taking care of your mental health is the cool thing to do nowadays.

On a more serious note, if you need help, talk to someone. Anyone. It’ll be worth your time.

Image Source: Hamed Saber under Creative Commons
Tang Center Increases On-Campus Presence of Counseling Services [Daily Cal]