Ingot54

The Australian band "Skyhooks" features today. The lead singer, Graeme "Shirley" Strachan died prematurely in a tragic helicopter accident, in August 2001. Not known in the rest of the world - they had a number of #1 hits here. One comment on Skyhooks was: they were "just 5 Aussie blokes having a good time" and that probably sums it up well. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UduuxKdPt9Q&feature=related]YouTube - Skyhooks - Ego Is Not A Dirty Word (1975)[/ame] and this one was really big here: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTdrHzBwLwU]YouTube - SKYHOOKS - ALL MY FRIENDS ARE GETTING MARRIED 1975[/ame]

At least I won't be in danger of coming in 15th place!

Ahimsa - In Australia we have watched for years as things happen here about 15 years later than they do in the USA. Things like porn videos, kids bringing guns and knives to schools, litigation because a kid falls off a swing at McDonalds, bullying at school, dumbing-down of our kids because rote learning is denigrated in favor of less effective and more "politically-correct" methods that don't work, corruption in our politicians, laws preventing parents from disciplining children, stupid workplace changes because of some shoddy research that has granted some idiot a PhD, the popularity of the sport of scorning those with spiritual beliefs, the decline of spiritual values in the community, the love of money ... and on and on ... all the negative things in our society have been imported from the USA via the Movie Industry as a general vector. On the other hand, we have the USA to thank for many of the good things our societies enjoy - the myriad inventions spun off the United States Space programme, the inventions of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, the Internet ... and so on. But there is no authority recognised any more to prevent abuse, manipulation, slander and libel; there is no respect for anything any more. Society has been tipped into a perverse situation where the greedy, the detractor and the liar is almost worshiped as a hero for his ability to manipulate and profit, hurt and destroy, as if he is somehow "The Terminator" and bringing down good things is seen as some kind of victory. This is the lament of someone who WAS brought up with virtue and a knowledge of ethics. "The Golden Rule" still is a very big part of the motivation for what I do, and I hope it always will have a high place in my activities. But there are even higher reasons for doing what I do, and although I don't claim to "own" any patch of high ground anywhere, I have no hesitation in saying that I have never turned away a person in need - even if I have nothing left to share - I can always find an encouraging word. There have been times that I have lashed out like a feral cat having its teeth pulled, when I see on Internet forums the work of good people trashed by trolls and forum bullies. But no more - that only feeds them and encourages even more of the same. Such is the social network we call "forums" and so on - essentially a bear-pit and the unwary better beware. This is the kind of destructive stuff promoted in the violent movies spewing out of the USA like sewage onto a white carpet. You don't take kids to the movies like you did in my day - we all went as a family when I was young. Sorry to have to paint that picture - just my sad view of things. The recompense the USA is getting today is only the reward for destroying the true social fabric in their society. "In God We Trust." ... really? See if that is true in Wall Street or Main Street; see if the home-owner who has been evicted believes that, or the employee who can't find a job believes that; see if the man who has been unable to afford to pay for justice through the courts believes that; even the Pastor who burned the Koran ... does he believe that? Thanks for your kind words about the area I live in - it really is a beautiful part of the world, I agree. Secure, prosperous, friendly and relaxing. I have work and opportunity, and it is a good place to raise children. You can Google " Hervey Bay Queensland " and see the Satellite view of where I live - if you add "Torquay Terrace" to your search, you can see my street, and see that I am only about 400 yards from the beach. Because of the many estuaries, and the deep and shallow waters, we have the most abundant fishing grounds possibly on the whole east coast of Australia. And while the presence of Fraser Island offshore has sheltered our coastline from having surfing conditions, the gentle waves that do grace our shoreline provide safe swimming conditions for kids. We have shark-nets and baited lines to prevent sharks coming in close to shore, and there is a sailing boat club, and a great marina here for International visitors. The region is a family holiday destination for Australians - accommodation is booked out for 3 or 4 months during our summer - November through February - and we have an absence of the night-clubbing set, and alcohol-fueled problems associated with the club life. We have air-ambulance services to the State capital as a 24 hr service, in the form of Chopper and King Air fixed wing. We have a pier that is over 800 metres long out into the deep waters, and although no longer used commercially, it has been preserved for recreational use by fitness walkers, and fishermen alike! We have bus and train links to the capital City (about 3 hours) and jet-air services, though not International. All this, and still with a population of around 61,000. Hervey Bay, Queensland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia So while we may have an enviable piece of dirt over here, and can easily place ourselves in judgement over the United States in its demise - I am acutely aware of the need to be vigilant, and to fight where I can, any further degradation of the virtues and values that made Australia a lovely place, and which also, by the way, made the USA an equally great place. Leonard H. Courtney said: "The price of peace is eternal vigilance", but the USA has opted for "peace at any price ... even if the price is the violation of human rights and liberty. And they have opted for prosperity at any price, even the financial raping of their own citizens, whom they condemn to poverty, so that they might be prosperous, is the price. I found a quote, made by one who well understood the evil and corruption that comes when men are given power: "Free government is founded in jealousy, not confidence. It is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind those we are obliged to trust with power.... In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in men, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." -- Thomas Jeffferson, 1799 Recently we have seen an abandonment of the Constitution of the USA, in favour of "Government by Executive Decree." The rest of the world can see that the Congress of the United Staes of America has abrogated its responsibility to its people, and capitulated to the demands and whims of the wealthy and the powerful, so that the wealthy become more so, and the powerful become more so, but the people perish. Rise up, Americans, and re-take your country from the Despots, the Tyrants and the Dictators... before they lock you out from your own Constitution. Make unequivocal demands of your politicians, and boot them out when they vote against your wishes. Stop accepting second best - take back your freedom and your rights, before both are gone. Force your leaders to represent YOU, do not meekly accept THEIR dictates. They all nodded, and went back to their reading, their TV "Law and Order" clone-programs, and their pipe and slippers. Meanwhile the wealthy went back to their vulturous activities, making a fortune through investing in U.S. Property Tax Lien Certificates! (Google might help you.) And somewhere a new-born baby cried. And its mother cried. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ! PS - Don't try to understand. If you don't understand instantly, then it might be you are only trying to rationalise something that is beyond that. This has been a long post - but what the heck ... no one is reading. Here is a poem I learned as a child. (Did YOU learn poetry as a child?) ABOU BEN ADHEM Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, And saw, within the moonlight in his room, Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom, An angel writing in a book of gold:— Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, And to the Presence in the room he said "What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head, And with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered "The names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, But cheerly still, and said "I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow men." The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night It came again with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. .......................... James Leigh Hunt (1784–1859)

"Good judgement comes from experience; Experience comes from bad judgement" ~ Barry Lepatner

Ahimsa - I understand what you are saying. It does seem that for as long as people want to do good, and continue doing good things, there will be evil people who will exploit their goodness. I mentioned earlier that what is required is a spiritual awakening - not a religious one. Religion is a dead pursuit - ritual and chants never achieved anything. It is in the depth of the human mind and soul that change has to occur - in the regeneration of the spirit and the conscience. We need a new image of ourselves and our status in the world. And we need new role models worth looking up to. We need new heroes. Human beings have degraded themselves for so long, that they believe that's all there is - there is nothing higher to aspire to. Some believe all we are here for is to enjoy what we can and then wither like a flower, and be blown away by the wind. Yet the highest satisfaction in life has always come from helping people to higher levels of achievement, and helping to ease the burden of fellow travelers. Those whose only goal is to become wealthy, no matter what the cost, or what it takes, are destined to be amongst the least satisfied with their lives. All I can say to you is to never let go of your values. You might get scorned for them, or derided for taking a stand on an issue of integrity or ethics. But neither you, not I have the high ground on ethics, morality and integrity. This is a community consciousness, and it is this that we all need to have an awareness of our values and our worth. Communities are made up of individuals, families and neighborhoods. So the work does indeed begin in the mirror each morning, as you "rub your face." Unfortunately, that is what is largely missing now. And equally unfortunately, this is not being taught to kids anywhere much, so there is a decreasing number of people who even understand norms and mores. And very few follow their conscience. The world pressures people in many ways - but fortunate indeed is the man who knows himself.

That document is 120 pages - it will be next Tuesday before I get that read! I urge you to take a look at the USD Index over the past three years. Very telling, n'est ce pas? http://quotes.ino.com/chart/index.html?s=NYBOT_dx&t=&a=&w=&v=d6 No wonder other nations are becoming nervous about the treasuries they hold. The USD will remain the Reserve Currency of the world for only as long as those who allowed that to happen, continue to support it that way. Public outcry will eventually prevail - we haven't seen that yet. The currency composition of Foreign Exchange Reserves in USD, peaked in 1999 at 70.9%. Since then it has been steadily weakening and falling each year, with the exception of a couple of years, until in 2008, it had fallen to its lowest ever rate - 64.1%. There was a slight rise to 62.1% in 2009, but the decline continued in 2010 to 61.4%. Ref: Reserve currency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I am unsure what the 2011 figure is going to come out at, but for a Reserve Currency, the USD outlook is quite bleak ... and weakening. The world at large is unhappy about the behaviour of the USA in handling the responsibility of having the Reserve Currency. There are calls from the BRIC countries to replace the USD with SDR - Special Drawing Rights. Further, many countries are going outside the USD in doing business now - recently New Zealand signed an agreement with China to do a currency swap worth 25 billion yuan - $3.8 billion NZD. China and New Zealand reach currency swap agreement worth 25 billion yuan - English pravda.ru Other countries already have these agreements with China, Russia, Brazil and India. It will not be long before this becomes the norm, and the USD gets spurned, if it keeps losing its value as a determined US Government policy. The problem is that the weaker the USD becomes, the cheaper their exports become, and the more their trading partners have to pay for US goods - effectively damaging the balance of Trade these countries have with the USA. I have no doubt that behind closed doors, there are some very heated arguments indeed, and it is just these kinds of issues that eventually lead to violent conflict (war). The USA has never backed away from a violent conflict - indeed they have initiated most of the posts WW2 conflicts, in my view. Vietnam was about the Dunlop Rubber Company's interests in Sth VN, and Iraq was about Oil. Afghanistan is about its untapped mineral wealth - maybe oil and rare earths, and who knows what else. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html The problem the USA faces is similar to what destroyed ancient Rome: They had the role of unofficial Policeman of the world - a role the USA hardly needs politically and economically right now; and it has a domestic problem with internal corruption and moral breakdown, failing law and order, over-regulation and shrinking personal freedom. Clearly the situation can not be sustained. The current "single reserve currency" situation is becoming more unpopular with the USA the single beneficiary of a falling USD. The bit that sucks is that for every dollar the US admin prints, someone else in the world gets a little bit hungrier, as the prices of food and commodities gets that little bit further out of reach. And the number of people hurt by rising commodity prices is not equal to the number who benefit. Gross unfairness again. In India already, the lower classes are spending 70% of income just on food. Is that fair, while Goldman Sachs keeps hoovering up the taxpayer money, with the blessing of their friends in government? And why? Just to pay themselves larger bonuses. Yep - this will not go on for much longer - and to be honest, if the American people can't see it and do something themselves, then I'll have absolutely NO sympathy for them when it all unravels. If I were a citizen of the USA, I would be out in the streets every day with my placard, urging the government to get their financial house in order. But guess what - very few Americans know or care what their gov't is up to, it seems. The people are like frogs in a cooking pot, aren't they?* * The boiling frog story is a widespread anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually. Maybe this applies to us all.

I think we need some sobering up here. I mean it is well known that we share the water with other creatures. And traders share the markets with other creatures. Here are a few of Goldman Sachs' executives escaping from the SEC investigation into their activities during the sinking of the good ship :Wall Street" in mid 2008. Notice how they maintain their integrity and true character right to the end! Cowabunga, Dude! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nzd0R_OeOc&feature=related]YouTube - Shark Attack 3: Megalodon[/ame]

I was struggling with the decision about putting this one in "Song of the Day." The Song: "Isolate" by Bender But the video was too good to let that thread have it: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Pw7vKtqpo]YouTube - Laird Hamilton - The greatest big wave surfer to have lived?[/ame] I like one of the comments: "You have to be kidding me. His balls must have their own zip code." 'nuff said!

And for, supposedly the biggest wave ever surfed: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nS_aR8XX_U&feature=related]YouTube - Worlds biggest wave ever surfed[/ame]

David Scard at Cloudbreak (David is a Queenslander from Caloundr on the Sunshine Coast, here riding at Cloudbreak, Fiji. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwWM6V_1RWg&feature=related]YouTube - David Scard at Cloudbreak - Ride of the Year entry in Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards 2011[/ame]

btw - No one knows what is ahead. In 2006 we were told we were entering a "Golden Age of Prosperity" ... a "Commodities Super Cycle" that would rid the world of poverty and oppression, driven by the wealth created by the requirements of emerging nations. What wasn't reckoned on, was the greed of Goldman Sachs and their ilk. But while that process did begin, there was intervention that found a way to syphon off the profits to the wealthy, not the deserving poor of the world. Now, starting in North Africa, and spreading like a plague all over the Middle Eastern countries, until the very House Of Saud itself is at risk, the oppressed are demanding justice and their rights. You can only push people so far, and you can only expect them to swallow lies for so long. This is what is happening in the USA - the T-R-U-T-H is finally coming out all over the world. This youtube was posted only today - a few hours ago. This is happening in only ONE country? You would be kidding to say you believe that! It is happening in EVERY country - those who are informed are running for safety, and taking YOUR money with them. Note: That is an assumption based on the wikileaks video - I have no personal evidence of this. Any wonder the USDCHF hit .8670 overnight! The fall of Wall Street was a good thing. The bailing-out of Wall Street was the error that is perpetuating the collapse. QE3 is inevitable, because Bernanke will be forced to continue to prop up the markets. All the QE2 money didnot go to stimulate the US economy - look at the employment figures if you want evidence of that - NO PRODUCTION = NO JOBS. The QE2 money went into Commodities, where it exported US inflation all over the world, creating extreme hardship in developing countries, and causing the unrest we are seeing in the North African economies. And the QE2 money went into the stock markets, where it will then go into the pockets of Goldman Sachs and Co, when THEY decide they will once again crash the markets. They will get out at the top - if they are not already feeding in their stealth "sell" orders. The rich are not fleeing to the USD as a safe haven any more. They are going to the CHF ... and the AUD ... and the CAD ... and Gold ... and Silver. (Buy on the dips) But the AUD will also collapse, as soon as China and India collapse through inflation, and as soon as the US Bond market collapses. Laugh if you will - can't hurt to have a chuckle. When the Bond market cracks, there may be something of a spectacle not witnessed before. Take your seats, make sure you have some Gold and Silver, and some popcorn. But never forget there is a bigger battle going on behind the scenes. About 100 men control the world. Whose interests do you think they are manipulating events for? Who has YOUR interests in mind? I think both answers will become clear shortly. In the meantime, assume nothing - no one knows, and no one CAN know. Above all, keep your head.

Such a negative picture, guys. Doesn't anyone have any hope for a better future? Don't you think there is a simpler way to overcome the greed and corruption that is the termite in every national government? Is this what it has come down to - the "smart" age, technology everywhere guiding and controlling? Even the bombs are "smart" today. We have the brightest minds in history, all co-ordinated and working together with the help of computer memory to refer to, to speed up processes, discoveries and inventions; speed up calculations and formulations; advance medicine; allow ordinary people to trade in financial markets - previously the province of the higher privileged classes, bankers and institutions ... yet we can not overcome the simplest of International problems. Somehow I think we have already been fore-warned this this was coming ... but it was ridiculed and scorned as baseless fairy-tale stuff. Even now, people refuse to believe this is the end of the age. Maybe it is ... maybe not. I don't know, but I have some clues on it. People always require "proof". No one wants to take anyone's word for anything, trust no one. Maybe Googling "Mystery Babylon" will shed light on what is happening. But whatever you do, don't believe it ... there is no proof! It'll be alright in the morning ... won't it?

Hi Coogee - and welcome to the forum. Is there any benefit in digging up the original writings etc of Charles Drummond? I haven't Googled his work yet, it would be interested in what you have to add about his work. Quite often these guys had a lot more peripheral information to share, that adds much more depth to the approach. But it is possible that much is lost by those who promote their work or translate it, through trying to popularise the best concepts. We get the icing, but there is more to the cake than the topping. Thanks for postin Edit: I found the Canadian link to the site - it looks reasonable

Agree, Stpips - Nial Fuller continues to produce quality content. I don't know how he continues to maintain his personal involvement with his clients the way he does. He personally answers emails and posts market updates daily for his members. There is a large difference between TL and LTTTM - the two sites are chalk and cheese, and I don't see a conflict. Both cater for totally different trading tastes. I would like to see more PA discussion here, though the reality is there is only a very small number of traders switched on to it. So sites like LTTTM will always command the centre stage there - being already-specialised. One of the misconceptions people have of him (NF), is that you can get all you need for free, without joining or paying for his Price Action course. That is only partly true, as you know. What you don't get by being a lurker, is the full market commentary that members get. And you don't get access to "members only" site content. And you don't get the personal assistance and guidance from the forum, and the man himself. And you don't get the email updates, member-only articles and so on. Nial Fuller is my idea of a good coach and mentor - he is there ALL the time, and will go to any lengths to ensure his members are understanding the PA trading principles. Nial treats non-members with the same respect as he does his members though. He replies to all enquiries, regardless of membership status. We have the same kind of thing happening on this forum, if you know where to look, and who to ask. You only have to to do a bit of research yourself. The difference is that trader commentary on this site is not specifically focused on price action. In fact I think there is only one dedicated PA thread: http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/f104/trading-pa-no-indicators-3492.html The good thing about PA trading is that the trade is either there or it isn't. And you get to take the best of the best, knowing that when you get it right, the pips will be there. Nial told me that ideally, traders should only need to trade about 8 to 12 times a year! Can't see anything wrong with that idea. But I guess most people want to be "doing more" in an active way to be earning their living ... I suffer from that!

My apologies Joshdance - and thanks for being gracious about it. I noticed your reply was unbiased generally. I over-reacted to the "without the blessing of Jim" bit! Cheers

Rather than repeat the words of others, why not simply email Nial, or ring him, and discuss this issue with him as I have. Should Nial require the blessing of Jim? What would you like Nial to do? Invent Price Action himself? He never claimed he did. Nor did Jim. Nor did Martin Pring. Nor did Austin Passamonte. Nor did Todd Mitchell. Nor did Steve Nison. No one did. It was a process of recognition, evolving amongst traders as time went by, until it has become what it has today. As you said: "Nothing new under the sun." PA has been around for many many years. The issue comes down to the "brand" of PA that is being taught. There are always going to be similarities, but it is the teacher and the philosophy behind it (approach) that creates the brand. There is certainly enough of a distinction in that. Nial initiated the "Fakey" setup - that was a fairly original concept. I think he can fairly claim to be the originator of that. Nial Fuller will go ten miles to help you after you buy his course - I know - I bought it. And if you find out that there is another ten miles to go to reach the next goal. Guess what ... Nial will say: "C'mon mate. Let's go. This is the next step." Get in touch with Nial Fuller, and ASK HIM THE SAME QUESTIONS face to face. The man is open and humble. How many coaches do you know who put this information on the Internet? Contact Us - Learn To Trade The Market But please think about who you are hurting when you post stuff you have no personal experience of. I hope my post is simply an over-reaction. Regarding whose course is the best - I can only speak from experience. I had a guest look at J16 inner forum. It is good - no doubt about that. However there are volumes of stuff to trawl through. The Nial Fuller course is cheaper, more accessible, more compact and more specific about the setups. I can not comment about the support, because I didn't join J16. I have a friend who did, and paid a monthly for a year, to continue to get access to the trading course. Please note - I am going purely on the experiences of a friend, who no longer trades, as he is heading up a franchising business interest overseas. (Google: popcake ) After that, you get life-time access to J16. Current prices - I just looked - are USD$129/month. That takes USD$1548 to get to life-time membership status. With NF you get life-time access after just one payment! Current life-time price - I just looked - USD$337. J16 is 4.5 times more expensive. I can't offer more than that. To me the choice is fairly clear - the people who write the testimonials regarding their experiences at both places are probably right. They look through their own colored glasses - both groups have their devotees. My choice is for the NF group. That's just me though. YOU will need to make the assessment yourself if you are going down the PA route.

Steve - this is one of your best summaries of how to approach trading - I can only applaud your words and the man behind them for sharing it. As a starting point for trading, the things you have written need to be printed out and glued to the screen of every aspiring trader. Apologies for adding the extra bullet points You nailed it in one. Thanks

Hey! Some great stuff coming up now. I have never heard these last few groups - thx heaps for posting. Just wanted to "sober" you all up again with this one from Gordon Lightfoot. The song we all know. Enjoy! Skip the extra links if you like - just a bit of history, but good to know the background. ... if you are Ingot54, that is! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw]YouTube - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald[/ame] . What caused the wreck? read on - some of these boat captains are not aware in the conditions, that their ships are taking on water. What caused "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?"

I attempted to look at all of them on the "Home" page of TL, and then clicked on the "VIDEOS" link just above the list, to see the full library. The problem is identical in all of them. All require many seconds of buffering - the counter gets up to "100" and then about 5 seconds of video will play. Then it's back to buffering. If it works ok on your computer, then it must be a problem with mine. Seems a shame to have some good stuff on the site and not be able to look at it, that's all. Never mind ... there is good stuff on youtube as well. btw - I had no probs with Rob Booker's interview when connecting via the forum link. But I do have a problem when trying to access it from the library link. It is probably one of the worst to play - took almost 70 seconds just now to get to about 27 on the buffering scale ... (0 to 100) See attachments Cheers Ivan

Here are two indicators that may be of use. You will not find these commonly around - they are part of the work of John Ehlers, who first introduced his brilliance to the public in his book: "Rocket Science for Traders". The indicators below have been written for MT4 platforms, and I have also attached the .pdf for an explanation of their use. I have the eBook if anyone would like a copy, but it is a bit large to upload here. Ehlers Fisher transform histo.mq4 Ehlers Fisher transform.mq4 Inverse Fisher Transform of RSI.mq4 The Inverse Fisher Transform.pdf

One of the great contempories ... discovered! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM]YouTube - Susan Boyle (BEST quality) - Britains Got Talent[/ame] ... and then there was this! Where do some of these judges get off ... we are looking at talent, but what did this judge say? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fstFjD1lmio&feature=relmfu]YouTube - America's Got Talent YouTube Special - Maestro Alexander Bui[/ame]

Hi The Dude You are spot on with your comments. However, many newbies - I was one once - do exactly what you said - for a reason. That reason is: writing and posting and reading about the topic tends to FOCUS the person on what they are learning. Putting things into print exposes traders to the critique of others, and although it seemingly (to others) is BS, the "fake-it-till-you-make-it" thingy works. I have done this for many years. I know it was largely the regurgitation of what others posted, and stuff from my own readings of about 100 books, 35 of which I owned, and the rest borrowed from the libraries. At the time it was hollow, because I was not a successful trader. My income statement says I am something else - it does NOT say "Ingot54 ... Forex Trader" ... so I have still not arrived. But I no longer make nett losses. I have built up about 3 years salary in claimable losses, so I can effectively trade for a living without having to pay taxes, if I get to making larger chunks than currently is the case. I would be interested in your own journey. Did you post on forums as a learner-trader? Did you ask questions? Did you post encouragement to others? Did you post your findings when trying out new strategies and methods? These are not smart-arsed questions by any means - I have no time for such rubbish - I left T2W because of that, and have no desire to see it surface on this great forum. I have not read any of your 180 posts, but I will - it sounds like you understand what it takes to get a handle on trading. If people would only post the truth about what they are finding with their trading, then I am certain threads like this would read: "Why Do More Than 68% of Traders Lose?" or something better than "90%." I suppose better questions would be: Did you use the services of a mentor? Did you take a structured trading course? Did you work with a trader who already had the knack of nailing his trades? What made the difference in your own trading experience? Thanks for your input - appreciated ... in the interests of scrubbing out the BS. Best wishes Ivan

Hi Folks - Just a notification of a problem I am having with the Videos posted on the Home page of TL. I have attempted to watch several of these, and the problem continues ... excessive buffering ... then re-buffering after 2 seconds ... then more re-buffering .... etc. The videos (to me) are not worth the space they occupy on the very front page - the landing page - of a great forum. I have never watched more than 5 seconds of any of them - simply gave up - have more to do with my time than take 40 minutes to wait for a 3 minute video to load and play!! Maybe others don't have this problem. Maybe others don't bother either? Either I have been spoiled by the very rapid loading and playing of youtube videos, or there is something radically amiss with the formatting and replay of these videos. I think the latter. I wonder if anyone has actually played them? Maybe it is just my computer? Could someone in the control tower take a peek at this please? Cheers

Jaaks - a brilliant post, and well worth taking on board the principles you have outlined - thank you. I am unsure about this first bit though (quoted above). Once again I am hearing about the "primitive brain" and it grates. Why complicate simple things? Surely the psychological world can do much better than this, in this day and age? Everything science and academia come up with seems to be dragging the human being down to the level of the cave-man or the ape. Can't we come up with something that actually encourages and elevates the human being, with an explanation that more accurately deals with the truth? And at the same time deals instantly with the problem. My "truth" is that the kind of behaviour blamed on the "primitive brain" is actually PRIDE and GREED - nothing to do with swinging through the trees in self-preservation behaviour, while a sabre-toothed feline stalks you from the jungle floor! That kind of analogy is wrong, imv, and actually misleads traders, because they can NOT deal with their problems at this level, despite the expensive psychological counselors' claims that it CAN "help" ... while at the same time perpetuating the myth in a cyclical and chronic way. Psychology at best, can only make you less uncomfortable with your condition - it can NOT ... and I emphatically state again it can NOT ... deal with concepts and conditions that (to steal one of their favorite catch-word-cliches) "are hard-wired" into the belief system. The very best that modern psychiatry can do, is medicate the problem. The very best that modern psychology can do, is jaw-bone the grief-and-loss. It is when traders are suffering this "grief-and-loss" that they turn around looking for help and support - and they readily find it in the form of psychology. The real crime is, that this papers-over the true problem, and the trader is subjected to all sorts of immolation and flagellation, but never the truth. It is the truth that sets traders free ... or the application of it. Psychology can NOT help. And that is because the problem is a spiritual one. I know straight away many are thinking: "Oooh ... religious nutter." But if you put aside your personal views on spirituality for just a few minutes, you might just discover there is truth in what I am saying. PRIDE actually goes deeply into the spirit of man. It is pride that won't allow him to admit he is wrong. I would say learn to be humble - deal with your pride. Learn to be gracious about your mistakes, and move on to the next trade. GREED is another spiritual quality entrenched in the human spirit. We saw this here in Australia during the recent Queensland (and other states) floods. Within 3 hours of the announcement that the major highways to the north and south were cut, the supermarket shelves were beginning to empty. By closing time, you couldn't even purchase canned fruit - only dried spaghetti. Even flour and sugar and dried peas were snapped up! I have never before seen this. Yet the bakers had enough flour to bake bread every day, and the choppers continued to bring in essentials. No one went without. But many were inconvenienced because of the greed of a few. We all have the potential for this. Deal with pride and greed, and you deal with the problem. You can do this in 30 minutes, then put it into practice. Once you remove pride, you remove the fear of taking a loss, and you remove the stigma of leaving money on the table. These qualities can be practiced until they are "owned" by the trader. Removing greed also reinforces to benefits of leaving money on the table - you close the door to retracement and loss automatically, through the generosity of spirit demonstrated by leaving money on the table for others. The way to over come both pride and greed in your/my trading, is to simply take a pragmatic approach. By taking every trade setup that presents, and by being willing to accept the small losses that come along quickly, and move to the next setup, we remove the need to be "right" and the fear of being seen to be "wrong." We remove all introspective guilt and blame, and no longer have to show that we are wonderful traders ... no need for this kind of pride any more. Instead, we become followers-of-process, and the process is: * Enter at strategy signal * Did it work? * .....................Yes ... load up a little * ......................No ... cull the trade quickly * Close at strategy signal See ... no primitive brain required - just facing the truth of the human condition. And it recognises the human being as a spiritual entity - helped by recognising the ailments that interfere with internal thinking, internal processes, and ultimately peace and satisfaction. Beats the heck out of struggling with the "primitive brain" concept, n'est ce pas? And did anyone see anything "religious" in examining something spiritual here? No. So much goodness is tossed out because "it is religious" that the truth of the spiritual concept is lost. I am in NO WAY religious, so please don't post back on this. This issue goes far more deeply that mere religion. Maybe this has something to do with "Why more than 90% of traders lose" ... no knowledge of the basis of the problem in the first place, and no "professional" assistance available with the wisdom and insight to understand it. I commend the rest of your post - great insights, and I hope you continue to share.

Thank you for sharing that Jason - quite inspiring, your story of belief and persistence. Well done. You might already have been down this path, but ... have you considered allowing a trading coach to run their brain over your figures? The reason I say that is because a few years ago, I went to one and he was able to turn my trading around. Not by 180 degrees as I hoped (and paid for), but by more than 90 degrees ... and that was a start. A good coach will not promote the psychological BS that goes with financial engineering these days. What he will do, is show you where you could cut a loss or two consistently and allow an outlying winner to run a bit further ... that kind of coaching. Real Coaching! You already show you have the discipline and the strategy - and you are willing to "tweak and hone" to nail this thing. Sometimes another set of eyes can see things that you may have overlooked. The coach I went to looked at a run of 100 results, about equal winners and losers, with about 5% outlying big winners and 5% big losers. He first showed me how to cut the losers down to 10%, and how to scale into the outlying winners to maximise the opportunity. The next thing we worked on was reducing the losses down to 5% and finally 2%. I thought this would also affect the number of winners, but the way he did it was really enlightening - an "aha!" moment, and something I never forgot. To put it in simple terms for this forum, it would be like cutting trades that didn't work, quickly. Then move on to the next setup. The idea was to take EVERY setup the strategy produced - mechanically and without question. Markets are illogical beasts, and so we do not attempt to apply logic to them. Given the set of figures we had to work with, it was great to see the loser's influence over my account shrink. It did not reduce the number of losers - just the draw-down for that strategy. It would work the same for most strategies I imagine. Then, concerning winners - the idea was to recognise when the trade was working, and scale up progressively, greatly boosting their influence over the account. Suddenly I was looking through the window into a whole new trading world. It is not possible to illustrate the kinds of things involved with this, in this thread. I posted it to show you that there are more ways to improve your strategy than you might have the resources at present, to recognise. You have been nursing this baby for a few years, and it is time it got weaned from you and learned to walk. You have to allow it to be influenced by "outside" forces, in the form of those who can make the tweaks you seem to be looking for. I am not a coach, so relax. But I do know the value of talking to a good one. Ask around - the good ones are available, but you won't find them on a forum, where all they are doing is displaying their academic learning, and touting for business amongst the frustrated. Look for one who trades his own account, and has down-and-dirty hands-on trading experience - someone who truly knows what he is talking about - with insight.