kurtster wrote: 
wtf is wrong with you, kurt?

 kurtster wrote: 
that's not funny.

 ScottN wrote:I wondered about that; it doesn't seem like a sensible knife choice. 

 Proclivities wrote:

 ptooey wrote: 

"Might it follow then that we shouldn’t aspire to live always by sensible choices? That what is good for us in the short term is not always the 'best' way? To live always by what's right now in front of our faces and the imperatives of keeping things running smoothly for me and mine, good business, no problems — that’s the kind of shopkeeper mentality that got the world into a whole lot of shit back in the day. So, maybe, just maybe, fuck sensible." 

 ptooey wrote: 
indeed rare and what will be missed most by me.

Anthony Bourdain

he probably ran out of new food to try and got depressed

or

the only thing left was cannibalism and ...  

 islander wrote: 
And he wasn't afraid to be smart. There wasn't any pandering feel to his delivery - he gave his audience credit for their intelligence, throwing out literary and mythological and philosophical references without thinking we were too dumb to get it. That alone is getting to be a real rarity in our entertainment choices.

 black321 wrote: 





The only thing I would say about that supposition is that I am going to assume that anyone who goes to the length of taking their life probably has bigger issues than whether there is a stigma associated with the act or not. I mean if they really cared about what others think, it would seem to me their concern would be more so with their loved ones that must suffer because they removed themselves from their lives. If they are hurting bad enough to do that to their loved ones seems like what strangers think would be quite irrelevant. But then again, who knows? Now for physical cases such as neurological or other health issues that decapacitate to the point of being a burden on your loved ones, I totally get that and there is even some nobility in that imo.

 black321 wrote: 
I got what you meant: have things really become that much more hopeless in the last 25 years?  It doesn't seem like it.  For me, the early 1990s were probably the most challenging time of my adult life, but that's of a personal level, not because of external factors really.  Maybe society's views have changed to some extent, especially for situations like physician-assisted suicide or "death-with-dignity" issues for people with terminal illnesses (Jerzy Kosinski or Robim Williams).  I know little about Kate Spade (but apparently she and her husband had recently separated) but I'm aware that Bourdain definitely had a number of demons.

 Proclivities wrote: 
so, are things that much worse than they were 20 y.a.?  I guess the 90s were a bit of a high point given the peace dividend (russia's fall) which is now blown, and general economic growth....which combined may have eased the pressure on relationships...but the underlying issues seem to be personal.  So, back to my point, has society's view of suicide changed?  I'm referring to high profile cases where the individual was tired of struggling or didnt want to face eroding health issues, and took the decision when to leave upon themselves...is this "empowering?"  Not sure of the exact reasons behind bourdain/spade.  

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
Damn. I didn't always agree with the guy, but I did always respect his approach and his passion. He was genuine. 

 sirdroseph wrote: 
According to the CDC study which was mentioned in that article the leading cause/factor is still "Relationship Problems":

Many factors contribute to suicide among those with and without mental health conditions

Relationship problem (42%)

Problematic substance use (28%)

Crisis in the past or upcoming two weeks (29%)

Criminal legal problem (9%)

Physical health problem (22%)

Loss of housing (4%)

Job/Financial problem (16%) 

Note: Persons who died by suicide may have had multiple circumstances. Data on mental health conditions and other factors are from coroner/medical examiner and law enforcement reports. It is possible that mental health conditions or other circumstances could have been present and not diagnosed, known, or reported. SOURCE: CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System, data from 27 states participating in 2015.

 black321 wrote: 




I think it is a combination of life, society and people in general sucking more than they used to as our modern society keeps getting more modern and we lose touch with our humanity and nature in combination with lack of parental or any elder guidance for our young ones on how to cope with life for generations now. There are other factors involved of course but I thought I would mention these because it is doubtful anyone else here will. Now you can hear about all of the reasons from others.

Read suicide rates are up by about 25% last couple decades.   Is suicide somehow being perceived as empowering, giving the individual control over when to leave this place?  Is the social stigma/taboo of suicide diminishing? 

 Red_Dragon wrote: 

 meower wrote: 
The demons within finally prevail...Sad.

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
Two celebrity suicides this week.

Anthony Bourdain

 miamizsun wrote: 
Wow I didn't know he was still living up to this point. Just watched him on the retro channel yesterday. He can now just mosey into the final sunset.