Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Sweet Sixteen

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There is a terrifically cool dude by the name of Barry Goss who, upon reading my post about psychedelics and spiritual healers, sent me the following. I found it hilarious (and spot-on), so Barry kindly gave me permission to share it:

SPIRITUAL RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR (AND THEIR MEANINGS):

1: To ‘hold space’ for someone = To sit and stare at someone with emotional issues for an uncomfortable amount of time, then pat yourself on the back for basically doing nothing while your homie has a breakdown.

2: I’m in transition = I’m unemployed and totally fucking lost, so I have created an identity out of being an opportunist. Maybe you have some work for me or food? Or a trade? I do crystal readings!

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Long, Long Wicks

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In the parlance of candlestick charting, a “wick” is the skinny line protruding either above or below the color rectangle (known as the “body”), and long wick typically denote volatility and uncertainty. The year 2020 was certainly chockablock with wicks, and below are eleven charts, constructed with annual bars, with some comments in each captioned area.

slopechart VIX
The only graph that consistently has long wicks is, understandably, volatility itself. This year was remarkable in the sheer length of the upper wick and the fact that its peak matched that of the global financial crisis in late 2008.
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