I've been in the grip of a particularly bad bout of depression

It's been bad for several weeks, if not longer, and it got incredibly bad over the weekend. And this morning -- well, when I'm depressed, I often just sit in front of the computer instead of doing useful things, but today, it was a genuine challenge to even get over here to sit in front of the computer.

And then I got an email, from Julian Murphy, who was one of my students:

hi ian, julian here!
i would like you to know that my soccer team beat our division so we went to
the cup and won it against the hardest teams we ever faced!

i miss you!

I'm still really depressed, but that email's given me enough of a boost that I think I'll be able to get a couple things done today, anyway. Thanks, Jules. I love that kid. Okay, I love all the kids.

What kinds of inanimate objects have souls?

For whatever definition of "soul" you use. solipsistnation just posted about how he's going to miss his old all-but-junker of a car. Which makes sense to me. Cars are one of the types of nonliving objects that have, or can develop, souls.

Other things in this category include weapons of all sorts, pool cues, musical instruments, stuffed animals, and virtually anything that someone uses ritually. Anything which you'd give a name to.

Anything else? What other sorts of things have souls?

(no subject)

It's just before midnight, and a thunderstorm just started. The windows are open, which is fine, because there's no wind blowing so water's not getting in. It's just a wonderful sound, and I think I should got to bed, because it makes me sleepy.