driving your own trade

Having lived in Himachal for some decades now, I am used to driving on the snaky blind hillside roads. very early I realized that driving on mountain roads is quite different from the rash brash driving of the plains where the view is unhindered versus the blind turns on mountains after every few meters.

One of the firm points I made to myself was that I will never overtake a car or bus, truck etc at the blind turn just because the driver of that vehicle is giving me indication (through indicator or waiving of hand) to overtake. out of fear or pure prudence, I decided not to blindly trust that person in the vehicle ahead. that I will check for myself and overtake when I find it safe. overtaking will be my decision and not that based on someone's else's understanding from his/her view.

and am I glad about that decision? you bet!

So many times, I was whizzed pass a truck bus or car from the opposite side which the driver ahead had missed or misjudged while waiving me to overtake.

Same thing I do in trading where the roads are much more treacherous as well as blind viewed. I overtake the market action only when I myself am sure (at least in my mind as per the system). the decision is purely mine and I stand by the consequences.


Js

casino royale - II

[10:30 AM, 2/14/2017]

lot of options premium to be eaten by operators. they needing range IMO                      

what better proof required than this being the 9th day within 8700-8800 nifty spot range.                      
it's a premium eating and computers controlled casino royale...

in casino, players play to win or lose, casino operators exist to erode by letting everyone come and play

they manage stocks to manage nifty. nifty in itself is nothing but a derived Mirage                      

and they have cleverly devised instruments like nifty futures and options to trade even that Mirage.... hats off                      

trading fundamentally strong stocks with signals from nifty is the only non premium losing game positional traders can play..,

4 types of learning paths

there are 4 types of learning paths for new traders:

1. large seed money (which they bring and use for trading while learning), (and stay) in the market for large enough period of time

= this category is invalid, doesn't happen like this unless u a genious / prodigy

2. large seed money, in the market for small period of time

= obviously, u would have been badly hit and out of the market, more or less (with a wounded ego and torn pocket)

3. small seed money, in the market for small period of time

= u are wasting time by being too shy/nervous/unsure/fearful/playing it safe. u probably don't have a method or the one which is too primitive or a mere-eyewash or not sticking to it. u may still be surviving, returning to (horse) trade occasionally but u don't have a great trading future ahead. u are likely to burn out / pissed off soon. no future in the market for the cowardly / overtly cautious / timid / indecisive traders. u are sure to fall in the gap between the two hills if u don't leap decisively from the first one towards the one ahead with some above-threshold energy/momentum.

"playing for a draw is the surest way to lose" - anatoly karpov

4. small seed money, in the market for long time

= u r destined to be successful. ponder seriously if u still haven't.

since u have been in the trading arena since long despite not betting large amounts (and hence having patience and remaining satisfied with small profits as well as small 'non-fatal' losses "till u have cracked the code"), it is enough hint that u have been through the journey awake and cautious. it is strongly indicative that u were deliberately up to something. serious observation, experimentation and learning is strongly evident.

after the 4th step, u should (rather, u would be, automatically) increasing the seed money and will be in the market practically forever, assured of a place in the "hall of non-famous but totally satisfied very successful traders"

losing the easiest gamble

how about a gamble/lottery with your 50% chance of winning?

welcome to trading....

but if u r still losing
the fault doesn't lie with your chances of winning.....
the trouble is...

1. lack of a method (any fixed method will do.....and I can prove it)

2. risk management.(an adverse trade shouldn't unsettle or financial position)

3. changing directions to much....mixing intraday and positional trades
too much

4. inability to stick to system.inability to be the odd man out

5. letting fear and boredom create havoc in the head leading to trade suicide

6. playing ass to be the jack who hits jackpot every time
man in a hurry to be a millionaire immediately to overcome all other ills and misfortunes of life

7. fear and inability to take the difficult trade (profitable trade is mostly equivalent to biting the bullet, uncomfortable, seemingly stupid, against the masses."how can the masses be wrong and me right"fallacy. sheepish approval seeking behavior.

8. expecting and demanding guarantee before entering the trade that the trade will be profitable. peer and masses consensus give the illusion of that false guarantee with obvious results.

9. hoping endlessly but not accepting the cause and effect reality.keep gambling but refusing to change the trades and process behind them.

the safest gambling in the world

js 

: if you have 500 points worth of dollars and you take 5 shots of options worth 100 each (ofcourse using some head), Atleast one of them is going to click and make 500 for you. and imagine 2 clicking.....3,4,5!!! that's the magical safety of naked options trading.....self talk

jeneel

: 3 out of 5make a good.money

js

: the problem is we don't bet one by one....like James Bond we bet all in one go and get screwed.....

jeneel

: I agree.  I m one of.them.  sab kuch subah ka.breakfast mai kha lena hai.    Lunch dinner ki toh baat hi nai karni ya sochna

js

: trading is the safest gambling in the world.....

ashok

: Best and Safest business

js

: when I was trading,I was losing.....when I started gambling,I started winning.....
: besides, I gamble, not bet
: trading is probabilistic, not deterministic
: if you have 500 points worth of dollars and you take 5 shots of options worth 100 each (ofcourse using some head), Atleast one of them is going to click and make 500 for you. and imagine 2 clicking.....3,4,5!!! that's the magical safety of naked options trading.....self talk
: lemme explain this....
: suppose i have 12500/- rs with me.......
: and i am expecting market to go down.....and i want to play
: i will buy (say) one lot of 8300pe worth 100 points (example). that will cost me 100x25=2500/- bucks
: i can bet 5 times such a bet worth 2500/- in the 12500/- i have
: 12500 dovided by 25 (nifty lot size) = 500 points......2500/- x 5 = 100points x 5 chances
: if my 8300pe trade goes really right, it has potential to zoom to 500 in around 550-600 point zoom/rally
: if it goes wrong, the next 100 point bet can zoom..... or the next one.....or the next one....
: even if one of the 2500/- bet clicks, my 12500/- are safe......
: imagine more than 1 bet going right!!!
: imagine buying multiple lots....
: hope i have explained right...

stop worrying, start winning

Have u ever gambled?

Have u ever got the privilege to go to a casino?

Yes! Great!

So, here’s my question....

Will u ever go to a casino without money? Will u be allowed inside without bucks in ur wallet?

Well, even if u dare to go there bare pocket and even if they do allow u in, i don’t think they will allow u to sit on the table empty handed......even if they are gracious enough not to throw u out....

So? What do i want to say?

Simple....

If u don’t expect urself to go to a casino without money, how do gather the guts to go to the mother of all casinos, the stock market, without money?!!

U probably would shout at me that i am wrong and that u do go trading with money....but i will not agree to that. Lemme prove that....

When u go to the casino, u take money out of ur pocket, buy the tokens, sit at the table and put them at the stake. Then, u play hard and good, trying to win the tokens put on the table by others also....

While the game is going on, for all those minutes and hours, everyone’s money is fully exposed to everyone present there.....everyone has the equal opportunity to snatch all the money for himself!!!

But what do u do in trading?

U enter the trade pit, take out ur money, buy the lot tokens, put them on the “table” but never leave ur hands from them.....you are always touching your money....ever so eager to take it back at the slightest hint of danger of losing it......

Result?

U r so scared of losing the money that u never start to even think of winning anyone else’s money......u r there just with a false and fake wishful self-appeasement that u have come to “make” money....whereas in-effect u r there just for the thrill of “gambling”....

So, what’s my point?

To win, others’ money, u have to lose focus of “your” money and focus on “others” money. Only then u can win. And like in a casino, when u win others’ money, u also get back all of your’s also.

Those who are too scared of losing rarely win......and never consistently.....

Trade with money u can afford to lose......but never before u have the method in place.....

And make sure u don’t trade with more than 1/20^th part of ur trading capital.....even if u lose the first portion despite method, take it as just a probability outcome and nothing too serious. Take out the next portion and go for the next trade as per the system.....and so on.....you have to stop worrying about losing to win!!!

Best gambling in the world

: Never trade like the Pandavas.....self talk

: Never behave like the kauravas....self talk

: If operators were bearish, they would have liked to accumulate shorts/distribute stocks at higher levels.......they aren't doing that....self talk

: at times, even when traders win 50% trades, they still lose v heavily in monitory terms. reason? = they cut profit too early, and cut loss too late

: 50% chance of winning always there......traders still lose more than 50% (even 90% or more) because they vibrate a lot......self talk

: it might seem paradoxical when u hear stories that a trader who had heard the above lines tried to cut profit late ended up losing all of un-booked profit, and another trader, who didn't cut loss early despite knowing the above wisdom, ended up recovering all un-booked loss!!!

: what the above maxim/trading wisdom actually means is that

: also, booking profit is different from skimming profit.....or taking some profit (money) off the table......for example.....if cmp=8845, and u r holding 8500ce (with 350+ points), no harm in booking it and replacing it with 8700ce (worth 145+ approx).....this way u have smartly taken 200 points (and equivalent money, therefore) off the table so that u don't lose those 200 points in case the sky falls unforeseen......and all this, while having no effect on the earning capacity of ur position as u r in-the-money.....(this is just an example)

: 1) we find out the trend, 2) take the trade, 3)and let the profit or loss run TILL STOP LOSS decided by some logic, and not decided by fear or greed....if the method says hang book the profit, then for heavens sake....book.....same is true for the reverse scenario......

difference between stock gambling and stock speculation

both are risky.
both are loaded with money.
the difference lies
in the probability.

when you gamble
i.e. when u take a blind plunge
there is still 50% chance
you will win.

if you play equally big and long gambles repeatedly
and you have sufficient funds and guts
you will end up in
no-profit-no-loss.

but when you speculate
i.e. when u take trades
after good, patient and shrewd homework
and if you take equally big and long trades
without giving a damn to operator tricks
you will end up in
pretty handsome profit.

there is nothing called
jackpot
without being closely followed by
kick of the jack
and the pot smashed on the head!

patient pileup of the reward
from speculation
is the only way
to attract
big sustainable riches.

--

pity
we call gambling - speculation

speculation is the guts of a seasoned trader.

gambling and trading are so different!

gambling

and

trading

are so different!


in gambling

the winner

is not allowed

by the losing gang

to leave for the day

till he loses back everything!


and in trading

the lucky winner

refuses to go away for the day

till he loses back everything

to the unaware gang!

did you fall in trade?

how do we choose our life partner?

we fall in love with somebody

we decide to marry

and when parents come into picture

we start looking for reasons

find some good ones!

but the fact is

we are always decided much before

we start thinking!

(probably, that is the reason they call it

FALLING in love!)

--

just like the sales maxim

"customers decide emotionally and justify logically!"

--

similarly,

how do we invest or trade?

we like a stock or situation

we decide to marry (i.e.trade)

and when parents (i.e. logic, left brain) come into picture

we start looking for reasons

and indicators,

find some good ones!

but the fact is

we are always decided much before

we start thinking!

(probably, we should start calling it

FALLING in trade!)

The real horses in the race!

A horse came into the stable and went straight to his buddy horse!

"I am very angry with you!"

"Why, dear?"

"The Mayor in the party was telling his friend that he is going to bet on you in the Sunday race on the tip of your jockey! Your jockey is a dishonest man!"

"But the jockey is bluffing!"

"Why?"

"Because I never told him that I am gonna win on Sunday!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't know it myself! And even if I knew about my fate, i don't know the fate of you fellow friends who will race with me! And even if I knew that, I don't know human language and my jockey doesn't know mine!"

"Oh, I see! But then why is your jockey lying?"

"Well, he says the same thing - that I am going to win the next Sunday race - to every new customer every week! He knows that someday I will. Either that will happen by law of averages, or I will have to do it lest I be shot! The client, on the other hand, is always dying to believe some story just before the race, courtesy his warm pocket!"

"But doesn't your jockey lose face whenever you don't win?"

"Well, the jockey blames it all on me. And the client can't say anything to me as I never gave the tip to him that I am going to win!"

"Wao!!"

"And that is not all. All jockeys are saying the same things to their clients. No horse minds that. The horses are getting good stuff to eat, jockeys are getting paid, brokers are making money......."

"Poor clients! These fat betters have got the bucks and want to throw them. We just give them a nice joyous way! They are the real horses in the race whom the brokers are betting big on!"

"Cheers! Neigh......Neighhhh..........."

"Cheers! Neigh......Neigh.....Neighhhh..........."

Why do we Gamble - I

Trading is not Gambling.......

But it's first cousin!

Afterall,

Money won is twice as sweet as money earned! (from the movie "The Color of Money")

According to Thomas Zentall, professor of psychology at University of Kentucky in Lexington

"....there may be a fundamental biological reason for gambling rather than..........the idea that gambling is practiced because it is enjoyable and entertaining."

We don't know those "biological" reasons but are relieved to know that there exist some!

We can therefore, continue trading without feeling guilty (or atleast without being conscious) that we are doing something which tastes like gambling but has a different and better name!

---

But the interesting question is why do we gamble (or trade)?

Basically, those who gamble (less or more) broadly fall into six types.

1) First types are those who "know" they have been "left behind in life" and it hurts!

So, they want to "get it all" back......fast!

Such traders are hardworking restless traders who lose faster and are think seriously only while dressing their wounds!

("In a bet there is a fool and a thief. - Proverb")

2) Second types are those who "think" they have been left behind in life and it hurts but not that much!

So, they try hard and more

but not outright gamble!

Such traders have casual approach towards trading!

Occasionally they win, quite a few times they lose, but majority times they stay out due to fear!

3) Third types are those who "feel" that they have been "probably" left "out" in life

but it "doesn't seem to be hurting" them.

So, they keep doing their own sweet thing!

These are the people who irritate amateur traders by outperforming them thru mutual funds or long-term seemingly-dumb but highly profitable investments

despite not knowing anything beyond ABC of trading!

These third types tease the first two types to try harder and hence.............lose even more!

4) There is a strange fourth type who don't bother whether they have been "left behind" or "moved ahead".

They don't even acknowledge that any race is taking place!

They simply stay out of "everything".

Do they become extinct?

No.

Do they become out-dated?

Yes.

---

5 & 6) If you think only the left-behinds gamble, then hold your thoughts.

Even those who have "zoomed ahead" also gamble

(whereas even a laid-back approach would have rained them enough money to use it even as fuel for their chimneys!)

These fifth ones gamble to get entertainment.

And the sixth ones gamble due to bouts of carelessness!

The examples of the sixth ones are the Tatas who bought Land Rover - Jaguar as well as Chorus at ridiculous price!

or the L&T which bought big chunks of the crumbling Satyam like a child in a hurry!

They remind me of a famous saying by VP Pappy

"If you ain't just a little scared when you enter a casino, you are either very rich or you haven't studied the games enough."

---

Moral of the story?

If you can't avoid it, atleast understand it!

If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time. - Chinese Proverb

Prepaid Trading - IV

Life, they say, is the art of possibilities!

If that is so,

Trading with options is nothing less than the dance of possibilities!

And when you know that buying an option guarantees

"unlimited profit, limited loss"

then why not dance this dance!

My friend Rishant is real good at this!

In his words

"In life as well as trading, it is not what 'IS' that is exciting!

What's really thrilling is the thought of what 'CAN' be!"

Every month he sets aside a few thousand bucks for this "thrilling gamble".

He doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, he is not a spendthrift either.....

but he does spare some money for this!

He calls it "lottery in the dalaal street"

Every month he buys this "lottery ticket"

He buys a cheap stock option for the next month series

of a good-stock-in-the-pit

(on the basis of technical analyses of 1 year chart)

of a strike value "what CAN be" instead of "what is"!!!

He bets for the seemingly impossible!

He bets for the opposite!!

Amazingly, more often than not, the opposite is what that has been happening

(albeit to different degrees!)

and over the months, he has surely become the artist of possibilities!!!

Trading stocks in a Casino?

Day trading (or extremely short term trading) is less of trading and more of casino poker - the grand bluff game!

Various versions of poker are there but the general rule is to bet on the basis of cards you get. A player may get good cards or bad cards in the deal. He may continue to play or fold depending upon his mood, the cards he has got, the expressions and body language of his opponents or as part of a strategy.

If it were as simple as folding when you have bad cards and staying put if you have good cards, poker would be a dumb boring game. Fortunately, it is not! In reality, a good player with bad cards can play the bluff game well and win while a bad player with good cards can spoil the pot with his tactless expose' and win peanuts or even lose!

Everyone on the table is bluffing. So much so that for the onlookers, nobody seems to be bluffing. Bluff seems to be the reality! Sometimes even the tactless straight play is also a bluff!

Such poker play can be seen everywhere in the stock market everyday!

A stock which "should" go up generally goes down and stock which "should" go down generally goes up. Obvious thing never happens till it is not so obvious. The point is to bluff in a way that the big pockets trap the maximum possible numbers of small pockets. Had this been not so, there would be almost no money in short-term trading!

But ultimately even the big pockets know that they would be fools to drive a stock too much away from the fair value. Even the fair value is highly subjective and subject to perception manipulation, thus giving enough space for the poker play!

Day-traders or short-term traders who think they are trading are sadly mistaken. In effect, they are playing poker with trading rules and hence highly disadvantaged against those who are trading with poker rules.

So it is not important how well you can judge the oversold or overbought position of a stock or the market. What's really important is how well you can judge the poker bluff being played on the stock or the market.

If you are nimble professional you can go with the bluff otherwise you should wait till the bluff has gone too far and then bet for the collapse of the bluff.

However, if you are a medium to long term player no need to worry about the bluff. Bluff missiles don't have that much range. Contrary to the popular belief, it is easier to predict the market in the long term than in the very near future.

Basic Mathematics of Trading

1) You + 0 = You

If you bet too small, you practically don't go far enough howsoever good you may be in trading.

Whatever small distance you cover doesn't take you far enough into the green territory to make you in the position to absorb any potential setback.

2) You x 0 = 0

If you bet too big or too recklessly then you are trying to multiply your present worth with zero which is sure to land you on the right side of the above mentioned equation!

3) You x 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.2 = 2U

If you bet neither small nor too big and with a method and with consistency, you have power of multiplied compounding on your side!

4) U/1.2 = 0.8U;

0.8U/1.2 = 0.69U

If you don't bet too big but have weak discipline or without method then you will keep slipping down. Power of division is working against you.

What do you do when....?

What do you do when you win an unexpected but handsome profit?

If you pack-up and leave to enjoy the booty then nothing wrong with you

but

If you dare to bet it all or most of it on the next trade

ADVISED by the method

and supported by the just-won profit

then you have in you what makes a professional trader!

On the other hand,

What do you do when you lose unexpected and rather big?

If you fight back instead of surrendering then nothing wrong with you

but

If you dare to accept the unexpected adverse situation and decide to stay away till you regain your sense of understanding of the winds

then you again have in you what makes a professional trader!

In the words of Pat Holland in his dazzling book

"The 35 rules of Gambling that all investors should know"

Rule 4 : Never chase your losses!

Rule 6: Gamble your early winnings!

Taking us all for a ride?

The market car was running non-stop since last 800 kms!

The tyres said

"We are tired, we should stop!"

The steering said

"I can't steer straight any more! Shouldn't we stop!"

The headlights said

"We can't see the road ahead clearly. Better we stop!"

The radiator said

"Its not cool anymore! Its getting overheated! We should stop!"

The clutch said

"I am sliping. I may fail, I warn you. We must stop!"

The gear box said

"I am tired. Desperately want to go neutral!"

The door said

"Pl stop! I want to open out!"

The stereo said

"Stop mind numbing loud music! Its getting on my nerves now!"

The seats said

"Why don't you take a breather! and let us breathe too !"

The brakes too wanted to stop but couldn't muster the courage!

But as the criticism of all parts of the car mounted

the brakes blamed the engine!

"Why don't you ask him to stop? He is the one dragging us!"

The engine was furious!

He, inturn, blamed the fuel !!

"Why don't you ask the fuel to stop pumping in? How can I stop till he doesn't?"

The fuel was listening to all this

He smiled and whispered

"Why don't you ask the banks to stop giving interest-free easy loans to my master who keeps my tank full and take us all for a ride!!!

Bidding for Diana!

Mulla Nasruddin went to a mela.

He saw a crowd in a corner.

"50000 Dinars!"

"55000"

"65000 dinars!"

"66000!!!"

He was perplexed to hear the loud voices.

It didn't take his inquisitive mind long to figure out that traders were participating in an auction.

"70000 dinars!"

"72000"

"75000 dinars!"

"What is the auction for?" Mulla asked!

"I don't know exactly" replies an onlooker.

Mulla went to the person who was one of the traders putting the bids.

"What is the thing being auctioned?"

"Probably it has got something to do with a horse!" the trader replied.

"You are bidding and you don't even know that?" Mulla ridiculed the trader!

"Why should I bother? I came here to make money. I saw people bidding so competitively. I am sure it must be something precious they all are after!" the trader justified.

Another trader standing nearby heard the two's conversation and said

"I just came here. Somebody told me that the auction was related to the famous racing horse Diana! When I saw so many merchants so feverishly putting the bids I was sure that Diana must be precious!" replied the trader.

"Where is the Diana?" Mulla asked further.

"Don't know? Haven't seen!" the trader replied, visibly upset at the disturbing Mulla.

Mulla too wanted to bid for Diana.

He had a small bag full of gold coins he had won as prize from the sheikh in the previous town.

But he wanted to have a look at the Diana first.

He asked other traders but nobody had even a clue about Diana!

Then finally one trader said "Diana is probably hidden in that tent!"

Mulla saw a guarded tent at a distance.

He stealthily went to the rear of the tent and peeped inside.

He saw a goat inside!

A guard caught Mulla peeping inside.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked.

"I am looking for Diana!" Mulla asked.

"Diana is not here!" the guard shot back.

"But the trader there said the auction was related to Diana-the racing horse!"

"Yeah! It is!" the guard nodded.

"But this is a goat!"

"This famous goat's milk is supplied by my master Sheikh Abdul for the consumption of Diana! My master hired the royal agents to auction the goat!"

"Holy Gambling"

I met Rishant after a long time. (Those who read my earlier posts might remember him as the one who had perfected the art of BTST!)

He came to my office in a gleaming brand new Ford Icon!

And after the initial exchange of pleasantries I was struck with awe to know that he had just bought this car in cash (no loan) from the returns entirely from the "holy gambling"!

"Holy gambling" is the code word we had given to "gambling" he used to do with options once every month.

Once every month he used to buy "deep out of money" 2-3 months away call or put options of a stock which his technical analysis predicted was set for drastically shooting up or down!

He typically used to put at stake 2500 bucks per game per month.

This money he used to "spare and forget" out of his monthly fat salary.

"I assume that I have blown this much less or saved this much extra during the month!" he used to share with me.

"This gives me tremendous entertainment besides often resulting in 5 to 20 times returns in a month depending upon market conditions and my technical extrapolation."

"This is not gambling in real sense. it is the ultimate testing of my technical abilities. Calling it Holy Gambling is just a fun way of branding this low-risk high-returns trade."

Stunt Trading

Disclaimer & Warning : This article is just to share a concept and experience and not a recommendation to do stunt trading or gambling. Gambling is illegal in many countries. It can be highly dangerous and potentially financially disasterous to gamble or trade big without professional guidance and without developing highest level of trading competence. This article is purely meant for education and discussion purpose for adult and professional traders only! Readers descrition is solicited. Author doesn't accept any responsibility for any loss or profit arising out of the discussion below!)

=================

Professional gambling is not gambling in true sense.

It is placing extraordinarily high stakes

on the extraordinarily favourable odds!

(Only those who understand the literal meaning of the above two lines can truely grasp what I mean, otherwise there is a real danger of getting me wrong and should not read more of this!)

The result is extraoridnarily high returns!!

I remember, in an interview telecasted in a program in Discovery Channel, a highly successful stuntman from Hollywood said "All our unbelievable stunts are totally secure! All these are scientifically pre-tested and calculated acts of seemingly extreme bravery! Anyone doing an unsafe stunt is a fool!"

Professional Gambling in stock market is nothing less than Professional Stuntmanship.

Anyone doing an unsafe stunt trading is a fool!

I do get a chance to do stunt trading atleast once every fortnight!

But I have certain immutable rules for it.

I never do stunt trading on the short side.

I always do these on the long side.

I always do these with index and not stocks.

And I always do these with options.

I typically buy upto 10 or even more index option lots when I am 99.9% sure of being successful.

I never hold these for more than a few hours.

And when do I do this?

Well, out of 10 times my indicator tells me to buy, I find the best 1 trading opportunity out of those 10 buy-calls which I consider safest for stunt trading!

It gives me decent money in a flash, a super kick and professional satisfaction.

As a double-safety measure

I call off the trade the moment I feel I am excited and not cool, or when there is a slighest of doubt!!!

Last, but not the least, I experience high adrenalin levels even when I have zero doubts!

(Having goose bumps even while I write this!)