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@Peter123 , my heart goes out to you. I came from a very dysfunctional "family" myself, and had no choice but to leave home at 16 or face life-threatening consequences. If you really look around what is happening around the world today (eg, Syria), you will always find people (and animals) that are worse off than you are. This can help put your life into some perspective, and take away some of that pain.

@Marc Schinkel , I think that you may be confusing me for the lovely girl in my profile pic.

Trading news with millisecond-response algorithms is big business in the trading world. It's a very crowded specialized field in finance, and profit margins are razor-thin for the big funds who have the resources (500,000+ man hours/year, Google-scale server farms, low-latency laser networks) and deep pockets. In contrast, my humble 100x100 array of dumb bots look for an edge in any short-term pattern that may develop.

Cuddling is an art form.

Related - I have one of these on my desk: Note that this bill was the equivalent of something like a Septillion, after Zimbabwe removed 12 or so zeroes from their failed currency.

This is the melody that plays in my head, in that silent moment when I first meet with long-lost friends.

It's well worth listening to the two full podcasts - absolutely fascinating... Downloads: podcast1 podcast2 Origins of Mind pdf Who would've thunk it, that the brain has at least 13 intermeshed non-delineated organs (ie, without clear physical boundaries), each of which matures and affects us at different times throughout our lives? And the explanation for 5-MeO DMT's surgical-like action resulting in true "ego death"... the way it unlocks the door to a non-dual experience through it's narrow selectivity (whereas something like LSD is akin to using a sledgehammer to open it) - that is priceless. The level of experience and amazing resources brought into this forum never ceases to amaze me... A big thank you to all who contribute so much here, from the top of my mind and bottom of my heart!

@Callum A on his way to work:

Very interesting, @zikzak - thanks! Related info: List and mechanisms of known Serotonin (5-HT) receptors

Eerie coincidence #11-33-55-77: The Bollywood actor in the above pic is Shah Rukh Khan, who happens to be obsessed with numbers.

This:

This works for me:

Someone ought to explain the broken window fallacy to this troubled boy... @marlette, my guess is that the kid is seeking attention - perhaps he is infatuated with you. In the meantime, would a fly screen help to protect the window? Ask not what is wrong with the boy, but what ails the window.

Help! I'm attached to this forum...

dat be like... a professional castronator?

This guy definitely loves his job:

Confirmation Bias. Hmmm... yes, it could be some cognitive bias at work. But as the threads of materialism in Western culture begin to unravel, it just feels like humankind is rejecting that for a more spiritual path. And who knows... maybe roles will reverse in the future, and the East will look towards the West for spiritual guidance.

I'm sorry about your painful injury. But if this accident has allowed you to pause and reflect on your life, then it's been a blessing in disguise.

@PureExp ,I was just thinking about this last night, and you've beat me to the punch with your post. There is indeed a very palpable and extraordinary paradigm shift happening on so many fronts. And this forum of like-minded souls is part of the leading edge of humankind's revolutionary phenomenon. The Singularity is indeed coming, but perhaps not just in the traditional technological sense.

@jdeugarte , your English is just fine. And there is nothing embarrassing about opening up in this forum - if anything, it shows your courage.

@Akeberg , try this small role-switching exercise sometime - perhaps see it as part of your actor's training: Walk to a busy mid-town street crossing, and wait there until you see someone who is struggling to cross the intersection in time, someone who truly needs help. Then walk briskly (and safely) towards him/her, and help her across the busy intersection. Just walking by her side is enough - against a seemingly hostile environment, your support is all they need in this moment. Don't give a fuck about what other people think, or any blasting car horns - just concentrate on getting this poor soul across to safety, it's the only thing that matters in this precious moment. And don't give a fuck if you get a jaywalking ticket - deep down you know you've done the right thing. By this time you'll begin to realize this: not giving a fuck is key. And when the person is finally safely across the street, leave before they have a chance to thank you. Because in reality, you are the one that needs to thank them for the opportunity to bring out the true hero lurking within you. Level 10 bravery: try this in super-busy Bangkok.