Update for Everyone VII: Insert Something Philosophical Sounding Here

[Antonio the Sixth]

Welcome aboard, comrade!

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm taking a break from the forum until I have something worthwhile to show for my 50,000th post.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Currently completing an online training about muh cybersecurity. Said training includes highlights such as a whole rambling paragraph about the metaphysical significance of the number three (as a way of introducing the stupid gimmicky outline of the presentation) and a call for the viewers to become "human firewalls". Where is OC when you need him?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Currently completing an online training about muh cybersecurity. Said training includes highlights such as a whole rambling paragraph about the metaphysical significance of the number three (as a way of introducing the stupid gimmicky outline of the presentation) and a call for the viewers to become "human firewalls". Where is OC when you need him?

You mean it wouldn’t let you just skip through the presentation and then complete the quiz using basic common sense? Barbaric.

That's the worst part, yeah... It was a series of 40some short videos and you can't skip to the next until they finish. And none of them was actually necessary to complete the quiz.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Currently completing an online training about muh cybersecurity. Said training includes highlights such as a whole rambling paragraph about the metaphysical significance of the number three (as a way of introducing the stupid gimmicky outline of the presentation) and a call for the viewers to become "human firewalls". Where is OC when you need him?

You mean it wouldn’t let you just skip through the presentation and then complete the quiz using basic common sense? Barbaric.

That's the worst part, yeah... It was a series of 40some short videos and you can't skip to the next until they finish. And none of them was actually necessary to complete the quiz.

Just use inspect element and speed it up/skip it to 10 times, I did that for some assault course for my school.

That sure would be one way to demonstrate my cybersecurity skills.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Some good news: I got off the phone with my psychiatrist recently.  He's increasing my Lyrica dosage and prescribing me Lithium, which I haven't tried before.  That should help with the depression as well as my ADD.  I'll be able to pick both up tomorrow.

For now I'll be researching medical centers in my area that give patients TMS, but it takes a long time to be considered as a candidate and it's also very expensive, so hopefully we'll find a place that accepts my Medicaid plan.

I wish you all the best, Scott. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I know you deserve much better, and I hope you can get all the help you need. Please stay strong.

[Antonio the Sixth]

It's been 5 years since I submitted by Master's Thesis. Gotta say, it feels like I've been stuck in academic limbo ever since.

[Antonio the Sixth]

It's been 5 years since I submitted by Master's Thesis. Gotta say, it feels like I've been stuck in academic limbo ever since.

May I humbly suggest that, with your prudishness, knowledge of history, and quant skills, you could drop out and join the security services?

The sunk cost fallacy is too powerful a motivator. After I finally get that scrap of paper I've been working for, all bets are off.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Medicaid won't cover my TMS.  I had my psychologist make an appeal and she was turned down, so my psychiatrist is writing a letter that will be ready Tuesday.

If this doesn't work, this might be my time to go.  I refuse to go through 60+ years of endless suffering and pain whenever I am conscious.

No matter what happens, I love (most of) you guys and the community this forum has brought to me.  Many of you have been very supportive of me throughout all of this.

But I don't want to be in pain anymore.  We (rightly) put suffering animals out of their misery.  It is egregious that we don't afford the same option to humans that are suffering.

For the last few years my original plan has been to off myself after my mother passes, so that she wouldn't have to bury her only child.  I know that even if I do that I will probably be leaving a lot of people behind.  And I live with the guilt of that every day.  There are no good options here.  But I have to do something to end the pain.  Talk therapy is no longer working and I will probably be dropping my psychologist next week.  All the pills no longer help either.

If my psychiatrist's appeal fails, that will be my signal to go.

I'm sorry.

How much will this procedure cost? Is there any way we can send you money to help pay for treatment?

According to this the average cost is around $400-$500/session, or $15,000 total.

We have a hundred of posters here, some pretty wealthy. If 100 of us were willing to give 150 bucks on average, that would cover most of the costs. I'd be happy to do my part. And I'm sure Scott has other friends and family who would pitch in as well.

Scott, if worse comes to worst, please do consider starting a GoFundMe or something like that. While it's abhorrent that we live in a society where that's even necessary, anecdotal evidence does show that it can work.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This seems like a good time to take a break. I'll probably be back at some point in September. Stay well, folks.