Gary,

Why do you feel alienated? Also, is a 100 ticks in CL something you really are striving for? If so, it is a good question to ask, because it seems like targets like that should not be the goal.

David

For some reason tonight, I feel somewhat alienated from futures.io (formerly BMT).

Alienated, I don't know. I type freely here quite often, it was a feeling. Who knows. I go back and re-read, and maybe it will make sense later. Last night I said I felt "off", then may have discovered why tonight.

The 100 tick goal, that is different. Crude moves $1 a day easy. I don't know the current ATR, not part of my workspace tonight, but $2 - $2.5, is almost expected.

The reason I do not go for it, I have found, is that I watch a 6-range chart. The average expectancy of a single swing on a 6-range has a lower probability above 50-60 ticks, and the pullback can be dramatic in relation, say 30% to 90% even with continuation, or even BE, or a loss. But, if I watched a 12-range, that might be completely different, because crude eats 100 ticks like it was nothing on a regualr basis. Just not as common in the way I have chosen to interpret it.

I am several chapters into "Trading in the Zone", and every so many pages thinking, "wait, I said that here", but just not with the same level of authority. The book presents it as an explanation, I ask a lot of it as a question, but really weird to me to read so much of what I think in so few pages.

On the flight today, reading about the negative ions with tears and the release from past issues, which as boys/men we are expected to be denied, that was one that helped me see something different.

The next topic was responsibility, something I was just commenting on last night before that.

The belief that trading occurs in the mind...check.

I started dozing off around page 60, barely into the book so far. But so far it is less of an education and more of a confirmation to me. @researcher247 told me I would probably like it better than The Disciplined Trader, and so far I do, a lot. If nothing else, the reading just flows better.

I am not setting up my monitors tonight, and so will most likely not trade tomorrow. I am setting up a somewhat high-tech project tomorrow, and in a room for one night then moving to a condo for the duration, maybe 6 weeks. I'll fly back and forth probably, so will have to repack at some point, but tonight the unpacking, setup, etc, is not worth it. Monitors still in the rental car trunk tonight.

I had to change bags and start from scratch to finally get something carry-on legal that would protect twin monitors, and it felt somewhat cartoonish as I made my way through the airport today, this little wheeled suitcase with a giant garment bag strapped to the top. I flew Southwest, no seat assigned, and heard over the loudspeaker that the flight was completely full, so I paid another $91 to get in the "A2" boarding. $200 roughly from having disposable monitors...

Even without the hectic travel schedule, I have fantasized about a life where I could travel from city to city, or country to country, and have a job lined up when I got there. Trading. I told my wife a few years ago I would do a reality show, "Trading Places". Get to some new area, check it out, and then the goal was to make enough trading to get to the next place. Not her dream life apparently... But trading while traveling is something that may come in handy. I noticed it even makes a difference when I change screen resolution, things look so big and distorted on low-res TVs. If I can travel with what looks the same as being at home, everything should feel the same.

I loved the idea of the dual-screen laptop. Had an idea for something similar myself, but lacked the technical skills, and/or the tenacity, to design it.

Lenovo has a high-end laptop that comes equipped with 2 monitors, could be ideal for traders like you who travel a lot.

Any thread that isn't full of indicators and red-to-green trading signals, but instead focuses on discretionary trading and trading psychology, risk, trade management, etc, will always be far less "popular" and less active simply because there are far fewer traders who have made it far enough to know what is important and what isn't.

Popularity is overrated Don't let it stop you.

Mike

I agree, but that is not what it was. If I wanted popularity there are better things to talk about, for sure.

More that I felt less motivated to explain to the world what I am doing, maybe?

I don't know Mike. I am tired, for one. It is nothing against futures.io (formerly BMT), maybe journal burnout. Maybe temporary. Getting into an interesting groove as far as my thoughts go.

Lenovo has a high-end laptop that comes equipped with 2 monitors, could be ideal for traders like you who travel a lot.

I use a dual screen laptop. All you need to get is the Lenovo LT1421 USB powered portable monitor. I like it better than others, because it comes with a sturdy cover for traveling. No need for an external power source, because it runs off USB power. This monitor will work with any computer because it is just plug and play.

Gary,

Why do you feel alienated? Also, is a 100 ticks in CL something you really are striving for? If so, it is a good question to ask, because it seems like targets like that should not be the goal.

David