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Why do they do that -- or why do we translators despise it?
My theory as to why they do it is that character based languages like Japanese and Chinese involve are organized by putting the characters each in the center of their boxes, instead of lining them up along a single base line as with Western type. So, there is at tendency to think in boxes and to organize blocks of text in tables.
And if you like tables, then Excel is a heck of a lot more powerful than Word.
Now the real question is why use Excel in place of Powerpoint. I still lack the insight into that one. Maybe it's like the people who somehow use Illustrator in place of Photoshop. I don't understand that either.
SMCJB
Houston TX
Legendary Market Wizard
Experience: Advanced
Platform: TT and Stellar
Broker: Advantage Futures
Trading: Primarily Energy but also a little Equities, Fixed Income, Metals and Crypto.
Frequency: Many times daily
Duration: Never
Posts: 5,049 since Dec 2013
Thanks Given: 4,388
Thanks Received: 10,207
If your saying this whole journal is "Tongue in Cheek" that would make a lot of sense.
suko
Kyoto, Japan
Market Wizard
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: TW TOS LiveVol
Broker: TD, TW, IB, Saxo
Trading: VXX, VIX, SPY
Posts: 1,326 since Oct 2013
Thanks Given: 844
Thanks Received: 1,416
USLV has been a very good failure for me.
It has forced me to stop trading and go back and start over and get honest with myself.
I am not ready to trade yet.
suko
Kyoto, Japan
Market Wizard
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: TW TOS LiveVol
Broker: TD, TW, IB, Saxo
Trading: VXX, VIX, SPY
Posts: 1,326 since Oct 2013
Thanks Given: 844
Thanks Received: 1,416
If you asked me, "What did you learn between capitulating on your APPL trade in 2003 and the moment you took that USLV trade in 2013?"
I would have to answer "Absolutely nothing."
Painful admission.
SMCJB
Houston TX
Legendary Market Wizard
Experience: Advanced
Platform: TT and Stellar
Broker: Advantage Futures
Trading: Primarily Energy but also a little Equities, Fixed Income, Metals and Crypto.
Frequency: Many times daily
Duration: Never
Posts: 5,049 since Dec 2013
Thanks Given: 4,388
Thanks Received: 10,207
So assuming this is a serious conversation, I would ask again; do you still have the USLV position?
If yes, it's clear that you still have not learnt anything.
If no, this journal is incomplete without an explanation of your capitulation.
suko
Kyoto, Japan
Market Wizard
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: TW TOS LiveVol
Broker: TD, TW, IB, Saxo
Trading: VXX, VIX, SPY
Posts: 1,326 since Oct 2013
Thanks Given: 844
Thanks Received: 1,416
Yes, I still have it and it's eating at me.
suko
Kyoto, Japan
Market Wizard
Experience: Intermediate
Platform: TW TOS LiveVol
Broker: TD, TW, IB, Saxo
Trading: VXX, VIX, SPY
Posts: 1,326 since Oct 2013
Thanks Given: 844
Thanks Received: 1,416
I have been asking myself lately if I learned absolutely nothing during the 10 years from 2003 when I capitulated on AAPL and my 2013 USLV trade.
And if not, why not?
During that 10 years I certainly spent a lot of time reading and studying, all this market-related infotainment we are exposed to on a daily basis. But did I learn anything of value about trading? Nope.
In 2003, I thought I had learned lessons like "do not trade" or "I am an idiot."
But looking back on it, I wasted that opportunity in 2003, which was truly a "teachable moment." If I had taken the opportunity that presented itself for some very serious introspection and focus, like I have been doing in this journal, then I might have learned something.
But instead I took the easy way out with an intellectually lazy-ass conclusion like "do not trade" or "I am an idiot." WTF, that's just a sort of reductio ad absurdum. The message is not "do not trade" it's "learn to trade, dammit."
Hi Suko, I don't think you should underestimate your ability to forget what you learn. 10 years is a long time and if you're not doing it all the time, then your mind will offload the information. It's not like riding a bicycle - or at least not for me.
You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
SMCJB
Houston TX
Legendary Market Wizard
Experience: Advanced
Platform: TT and Stellar
Broker: Advantage Futures
Trading: Primarily Energy but also a little Equities, Fixed Income, Metals and Crypto.
Frequency: Many times daily
Duration: Never
Posts: 5,049 since Dec 2013
Thanks Given: 4,388
Thanks Received: 10,207
Learning to trade (entries, exits, etc) is only one part of being a successful trader. You also need to learn discipline and have the right psychological make up. I think as many people fail at trading because of the latter as the former.