UWM Trade 10/30 (Fri) - Buy Order

UWM 10min

Likely to hold over the weekend.

Trades (6B & UWM) 10/30 (Fri)

6B 4hr

I sat and watched the above from 9am to 6pm (my time), leaving my desk only to feed my cats and take 2 nic breaks. Reason: I have no idea how IB's bracket order works. D laughed, and promised to show me exactly how to do it over the weekend.

I wasn't at all thrilled that I was on the wrong side of the market, but it was interesting to watch that intense match between GBP and USD (the rest were falling hopelessly behind, except the yen of course). So yes, I had enjoyed that 9 hours in front of my screen.

Bad bet number 2:

UWM 10min

Total: - USD 212.19

Haven't really much to talk about. Yes, the entries were bad, but I make bad entries more often than I take lunch, and most of them didn't turn out too bad after all...so I'm not going to kill myself this time.

I actually had a really good day. Met up with my cell (NOT prison cell) group mates (the last time I saw them was almost 2 years ago!) for dinner, and they still feel like family, and they still make me laugh.

I've been spending a lot of time putting together a trading plan. It's going to be a 30-page thesis. I think. And I have a separate annex for my 13 setups complete with descriptions and grading frameworks and am in the process of going over ALL the trades I've ever taken so that I can put them in their respective categories and GRADE them. Yes, something like reverse engineering (I never really knew why I took the trades I took until I realized I recognized patterns without being aware of it).

By the time I'm done, I should be able to convince at least myself that SETUPS work for me.

I owe J an apology. I've been a very bad chat buddy. SORRY, J!!!

Trades 10/29 (Thurs) - Wrap Up

UWM (Ultra Russell 2000)

Just too darn agonizing. I'm tired of having to hold another trade for hours. And I'm needing sleep BADLY.

Total: +USD 110

Update: 6B & FX (CHF/JPY) Trades 10/29 (Thurs)

Update on CHF/JPY trade:

There, my technical exit - a gigantic candle:

Total : +82 pips

From earlier today:

CHF/JPY 15min

Holding trade for now. Using technical exit - whatever that means (will be moving stop up to trail...Oanda has no trailing feature, which is great for me, coz I've never really learned how to set trailing stops. Finally a platform that doesn't make me feel stupid).

6B 15min

I quit 6B's 89-tick chart for now. It's so noisy I can't read my candles properly. 15min is good. Hourly is even better. But I haven't the patience....


D's going to love this: all blues on index futures and all red on DX and treasuries and bonds! He's holding bull ETFs....

Am watching CHF and JPY and really wanting to see the latter turn red again (6J has completed a "V" shape bull reversal on the 4-hourly).

Mark: Always had EEM on my watchlist, and added EDZ and EDC. Thanks! :-)

Trades 10/28 (Wed) - Wrap Up

DIG 10min

Decided to take my DIG loss. Not ready to turn daytrades into investments. D, on the other hand, is starting to accumulate toxic assets again...

Was hedging my DIG position with a long in SKF (Ultra Short Financials) before I finally let DIG go. Held on to SKF until it made another new high. Was tempted to hold it to its previous peak of around 26.6, but was really not feeling so good about the chops from 10:30am ET onwards. I've had a long day, and really wanted to wrap up.

SKF 133-Ticks

Nov has been a relatively stress-free month (The period spanning last Dec and this Sept was simply hellish). Moving forward, I'll be focusing more on spots forex and ETFs, and less on futures.

PnL (Net): + USD 53.81

FX Trade (EUR/AUD) 10/28 (Wed)

EUR/AUD 15min

Entered on Bullish Harami. Exited at target (a resistance on the 4-hourly chart - see chart near the end of this post).

Total: +95 pips

Not accustomed to a 5 pip spread, and was staring hard at Oanda's platform, wondering if bid was ever going to hit my target as it hovered around 2 to 3 pips below. Was about to close my trade at market when price shot up to hit my target. As always, I'm happy I got what I wanted, and am not going to return to look at EUR/AUD for the rest of the day. Looking back always (well, not always, just LATELY) makes me feel like an idiot for getting out too soon.

Target was based on EUR/AUD's 4-hourly chart (not a timeframe that I can trade for now):

This is my 2nd day back on Oanda's platform.

I was in there yesterday and had put on 8 positions simultaneously (1k each, non-leveraged).

Basically, I was buying EUR, CHF and JPY, and selling GBP, AUD and CAD. That was early in the morning before I put on my 6E and 6B trades.

About an hour into my FX trades, I realized that yen was going to PLUNGE. I had 3 pairs of yen longs and yen looked like it was going to nose-dive! Just perfect. I was going crazy managing 9 trades (8 forex plus 6E), and decided to close all my FX positions at a combined loss of under 30 bucks (my EUR/GBP and EUR/CAD covered part of my loss from buying yen).

So, no more trading more than ONE pair at one go for me. I forgot I have a mind that can only focus on ONE THING AT A TIME.

FX trade today was opened a few hours after I closed my 6B trade from earlier this morning.

I was checking out reviews on Oanda and kept seeing the word "SCAM". On that list with a few dozen brokers, more than 50% are rated as "SCAMS". I'm paranoid now, and am visiting NFA's site for FACTS.

Trades (6E, 6B, DIG) 10/27 (Tues) & 6B Trade 10/28 (Wed)

Oct 27 (Tues):

DIG position opened during US trading session. Stop loss in place - not hit. Profit target not hit either by end of day. Will see what happens today. Might scratch if I have to. Might hold. Likely to hold as risk involved is totally tolerable. I really don't want to turn this into an investment, so am really hoping that I won't lift my stop just coz I think DIG has a great portfolio (not that I like oil companies). I'm essentially a chart reader - if my chart says no go, I'll get out.

DIG 10min

Realized Profit for yesterday: USD 169.85

Oct 28 (Today):

I don't love the 6B in particular, but it's just so resilient compared to the others. I like anything that makes an effort to go up.

6B 89-Ticks

Just a personal observation:

For futures, it doesn't pay to buy after price breaks out from the neck of a "w" formation on most days (except on extremely slow and "tame" days) as a pull back usually tend to want to test the base of the "W" (though I'm ok if the neck to base doesn't cost me more than 2 6B points or 1 6E point). Best to enter on the right side of the pattern on a bullish reversal (bull engulfing, bull Harami - for Haramis, best if the 2nd candle is a hammer or an inside bar).

For ETFs, and stocks trading on high volume, it's better to enter after price has pierced neckline of "w". I personally don't like trading flags (ie. buying a "dip") these days.

Trades (6E & 6B) 10/27 (Tues) & Interactive Brokers

6E 5min

6B 89-Ticks

It's been a long time - that whenever I make ONE point on 6E, I'll see "11" as the first 2 figures on my NET PnL.

My other broker had spoiled me with "12". When things seem too good to be true, they usually are.

I'm very contented with IB now. I've never been calmer in my trades. Even when I was getting in and out of trade chasing that run up on 6B yesterday, there was not a single incident of "fills" issue on IB's BookTrader. I covered my longs either at exactly where market was, or at a price higher than market (ie. my offer was matched with a bid).

D has not received a certain piece of document from IB - it was supposed to have arrived days ago.

Unlike before, we hadn't made a fuss.

No one's perfect. And no company is perfect.

IB is far from perfect of course - terrible charts, substandard service, its TWS MUST die on the dot at 9:30pm ET EVERYDAY and 12am ET (that's my daytime and trading time) - despite all these, it gives me a chance to make it at trading by fairly matching and sending my orders. If ever I make a loss on a trade, it's always due to the fact that I had made a bad judgement call at my end in the first place, NOT coz I had entered at a super lousy price, or couldn't get filled when I'm on the right side of the market (on the wrong side, I DO get filled. Which is why the issue of my internet connection is irrelevant).

The consequence of not getting filled consistently when you are aligned with the market is that you end up taking inferior setups after that, if you were not already sitting on a paper loss after CHASING price up/down after missing your golden WINDOW (and really, how many of such windows do we have in a day - particularly for those who have only a limited time to trade per day?). The opportunity cost is merely the tip of the ice-berg.

Trades (6B, DIG, SKF) 10/27 (Mon) & Wonderful Seabloke

6B 133-Ticks

DIG 10min

SKF (Ultra Short Financials) 10min

PnL (Net): +USD 34.03

I think I'm psychic (I did say bad things WILL happen). First 2 6B trades cost me 3.6 points. Full stop-outs. Took me 8 scalps to recover part of those 3.6 points. Volatile day.

DIG position was opened on Friday before I turned in. Covered 4 10min candles after market opened today. Didn't want to overstay. Volatile day.

SKF position was opened shortly after I closed my DIG trade. Covered way before my target. IT'S A BLOODY CRAZY DAY.

Seabloke's visit was the highlight of my day. She brought me so much food I shall not starve for the entire week! And they are all my favorite! The best has got to be cheesecake flavored yogurt, and a gigantic box of honey nut granola's !!! I LOVE MY BABY SISTER!

The Breathtaking, Stunningly Beautiful SEABLOKE:


Seabloke's favorite (she helped delivered a baby during her latest dive-trip! Don't know if this is the mother...they all look the same to me...):

Simply Psychotic

It's Sunday, 10pm here, and he's still at work in his office. Drills of some kind. When he left his morning, he hadn't told me at what time he would be home, and I didn't ask. I slept through lunch, woke up and continued to work on my charts. Came dinner time and not a word from him. So I text to ask if he was actually having dinner in his office. He called to apologize for forgetting time. I said it was alright and that I would have dinner alone.

It's days like this that bring back all the haunting memories of last year. During last year's drill, he had called her a number of times (it was a 2-day event where he camped out in his office). It's strange how people can somehow find time for those they are truly interested in, no matter how crazily busy they claim to be. And it's amusing how on the same day, I nearly fell down 27 floors trying to save his precious armani jeans. He didn't call me even after I text to tell him I finally found out how people fall to their death retrieving their laundries.

Mum called last night for the umpteenth time, and I finally picked up. We chatted a little about me, but I really wasn't in the mood to discuss my "depression" (she keeps thinking that I am sick, simply coz I stay indoors 24/7, and shun any kind of human contact). When she started talking about gremlins, that was when I got chatty. She had lunch with Seabloke and the girls recently, at a place that the girls called "Yee Yee's haunt" (I bring them there for blueberry pancakes whenever Seabloke's out of town), and asked me if gremlins are indeed very attached to me. I guess. Which surprised Mum. I'm not supposed to like people. She knows that, especially after I told her that the best part about my current job now is that it doesn't involve any face-to-face interaction with human beings. Then she started to talk about how gremlins are exactly like Seabloke and me when we were little kids. Extremely cheeky, hyperactive, hyper naughty, super talkative, extremely charming. Just nothing like their father (except the charming part of course), Mum said. Then we began to talk about how rascally I was when I was their age. I gather it came as a shock to her that I am today the exact opposite of what they expected me to be. Quiet, emotionless, anti-social, and love the dark (they thought I would grow up to be an entertainer, a social butterfly, just someone delightfully sunny).

I guess I died a long time ago. For years I couldn't understand my existence. Now at least I have something that gets me out of bed at 6 every morning - my charts. I'm tired of disappointing people, and having people disappoint me. I don't think about ever finding love, and I don't envy those who can still appreciate the myths and fantasies surrounding the subject. There's just no room for love in my life. It's fully occupied, perhaps by anger, perhaps by bitterness, perhaps by charts. I might never find out.

But it's ok. We have different things that we live for. I'm glad mine is something that can never hurt me, coz it's so darn DEAD.

I have a partner in life. We work towards the same goal - his parents and our retirement. I am his best friend (I'm going to have to just assume that...I mean, being wildly imaginative and naive was what had kept me going for more than 3 decades), he's my best friend, and he can't live a day without the coffee I make (acquired taste).

It's an uncomplicated life, albeit a little sad sometimes. That's why we stay away from Bollywood movies. They are just a tad too happy (what with the chasing each other around coconut trees and running into each other's arms on the beach...jeez....) for our liking.

Seabloke's visiting tomorrow! I'm happy! As long as she's not serious about DURIANS for lunch!

There's a very small chance that I might not trade tomorrow. Whenever lady facebook comes to mind, bad things happen. My neighbours' cute looking, seemingly harmless poodle poos right at my gate, my pc crashes, my mobile stops receiving messages, and my trades go awry.

I had a good day today. I spent most of it sleeping, and going over FX Madness' archive. He has amazing clean charts and a clear head. Recommended read.

Trades (DXD & DIG) 10/23 (Fri), My Watchlist & Profit Target Table

On D's advice, I let go of half of my DIG holding at yesterday's high 2 hours before market opened (I had wanted to either release ALL or not do anything until market opened). For remaining half, I had moved stop to level indicated on chart below, which was hit when market started plunging.

DIG 133- Ticks

After market opened, I thought of buying Ultra Short S&P again initially, but thought DOW would be a better gauge for now. So I bought the Ultra Short Dow instead. Was watching DOW more than I was watching DXD the whole time and each time DOW broke new low, I would defer covering, until DOW hit new low for the 3rd time.

DXD (Utra Short Dow) 133-Ticks

PnL (Net): +USD 131.25

It's not a lot. But it's been EXTREMELY stress-free. D thought I would buy at least 200 shares of DXD. I didn't coz I've never touched DXD before, and really, this is only the 6th day that I've traded non-leveraged products for my own account. I'm not used to paying for things in full yet. Ha Ha.

D is the best. He created this (all formulas configured so all I need to do is to fill in my actual results, and change the targets as and when I feel I'm ready) for me so I can take a look at it everyday while I record my daily results (starting Nov 1 2009), and be really motivated to TAKE IT SLOW:

Updated List of instruments & tickers I'm watching now:

Futures

ETFs

ETFs (Ultra Shorts & other Bear Market ETFs)

Forex

Where The Wild Things Are

Been nursing Al for most part of the day. He's been throwing up and not eating much. He doesn't wait for me at the gate when I'm out for smoke breaks, and he's lethargic.

Al loves basking in the sun right by the floor-to-ceiling window in my bedroom. That's the platform for my bed. Each day, he'll spend sometime right in the middle of my bed, and sometime at the foot of the bed where the window is.

He's not been on my bed today. Whenever I put him on it, he will quickly get back down onto the platform. It dawned on me later that he didn't want to throw up on my bed.

So I laid out a huge towel for him on the platform, and placed his water next to him. I stroked him for a long time and he didn't purr. He usually purrs like a mini engine. I fell asleep right next to him, and about 2 hours later, I woke up and saw him staring at me, stretching himself at the same time. Next he looked at his water, and then at me. And then at the water again, and then at me again, with his typical "How about some food??" expression.

I gave him his favorite kidney diet (prescribed diet for felines with a not too perfect kidney). Al loves the canned version which I try to limit him to just ONE can per day, and make him take the dry version so that he will DRINK. The dry version is also good for his teeth. He's already had dental surgery twice, and I think I will get a heart attack if he has to go for a 3rd. My heart sinks everytime I know they are giving him anesthesia.

So after feeding Al, and after giving him a short massage by the window, I took a look at my charts for the first time in about 8 hours and saw this:

6B 5min

That death drop of 28 points started at 3:50am ET and is still going strong now (5:45am ET). UK's 4:30 news must have triggered it.

It's drastic moves like this that remind me that hard stops are good for me, since I frequently/constantly lose track of time.

Haven't put on a single trade for the day. Took a look at IB's TWS, and saw that my DIG position wasn't looking so good (down to 121 from 185). Some guy just put in an order to sell it at 90 BUCKS per share (closing price was about 38.80 if I remember correctly). Perhaps I can sell mine at 89??

Trades (SDS & DIG) 10/22 (Thurs)

I had some time to trade the ETF yesterday after US market opened. Bought the Ultra Short S&P (SDS) shortly after the session began. SDS is really good for me coz it runs at turbo speed. 8 mins after I entered, price hit my target and I was out with a USD 33 gain.

SDS (Ultra Short S&P500) 133-Ticks

When market started recovering, I went long on DIG at around the price that I bought it the day before:

DIG (Ultra Oil & Gas) 133-Ticks

Position is still open. Will be closing it today, depending on what happens after market opens:I'll likely not have the time to trade the pre-market session today, and will be looking at trading the ETFs tonight (morning in N.Y.).

Funds have reached Oanda since yesterday, and I will be spending a little more time on Forex moving forward.

Mother has been calling too regularly, and asking to visit too often, and it's driving me NUTS. I don't think she will ever get it. That it's NOT personal. I just don't enjoy chatting with anyone on a regular basis, and I don't like visitors (except SEABLOKE, GREMLINS & PILOT)!!!