contidrift

You found out your old life isn't fulfilling anymore - and that's great! Better to face it than hide from it.

Well, you have money and time so it should be easy to go find what it is that truly moves you! It won't be stuff you already know. Also, it helps to do things differently... don't be trapped in the "old you" persona. That's just something we make up to make reality feel more solid. Define yourself based on what's going on right now, and not based on old notions of you.

Your spirit (if you will) is begging you change the way you live so just go along with it.

My evidence is what I saw with my own eyes. Specifically, I used a pack of canderel, if anyone would like to repeat the experiment.

If aspartame was't invented as an ant-killer, it certainly works as one! Dust some ants with it and see what happens.

>But I think someone could make the case that the 80’s have just become the permanent retro decade, and that everything since 2000 has been subsumed into a sort of “infinite present”.

As if we lived in the Matrix.

It was my layman's understanding that R&D or building a new factory would count as "business expense" so thanks for clarifying that.

I thought profits meant "the amount of income that remains after accounting for all expenses, debts, additional income streams, and operating costs."

Clunky sure, but cheap plastic? Old thinkpads can take a beating and keep going.

I guess different people just have different needs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In Amsterdam I once met an Eastern European career criminal who followed people driving home after work hours and waited for them to get into the shower. Then he'd pick their front door lock and take the keys.

Unrelated, he also had a room in his apartment set up to grow weed, with some serious climate control and artificial lighting. He was dealing this pot. He had no papers or permit to stay... what crazy folk.

That's great! You might enjoy Ernest Hancock's work at freedomsphoenix.com and pirateswithoutborders.com I think starting small is fine, the main thing is to do it!

Looks like it was temporarily slowed to a crawl by HNers. Will try again later.

Weird, just about every bank here in Portugal allows for that. The virtual "visa" card creation/management is handled through SIBS, the company that does all national card transactions.

I assumed due to convenience and safety that virtual cards were more widespread in Europe, not least because of the requirements such as 3DS for card payments.

At least fintech companies like Revolut and N26 should be available for most Europeans and they offer virtual cards, though with other limitations/costs.

On top of all that, most banks here allow you to create an unlimited number of free virtual credit cards which draw funds from your real credit card or a debit account.

Cards can be created to suit most cases such as one-time transactions, monthly subscriptions and "pre-paid" type cards with a defined total which are tied to one merchant. All multiple use cards are valid for a max of 12 months.