Michael Archer wrote, in Forex Trading Startegies:

"It is mystery why some people excel at some tasks and others, with equal or superior intelligence, fail. Consider the game of chess. I've played for almost 40 years, and although I have attained a lower degree of competence-an "Expert" rating-it is abundantly clear, despite hundreds of hours of study, I will never succeed at the game in any big way.

In chess, the theory is that your brain is either wired for the tasks it demands, primarily visualizations skills, or it is not. If you are wired correctly, you play good chess, study or not. This explains the existence of child prodigies such as Capablanca and Rechevsky. World chhampion Garry Kasparov refers to it as "chess geometry" ability.

Trading may have a similar paradigm. There is proubly a neural wiring, or at least a set of inate traits or propensities, determining success or failure in the markets.

I have seen some very smart people try very hard, work extremely diligently, and still go bust in short order. I've also seen, less frequently, people take to trading as if were as natural as talking. What those traits or propensities are, I do not know. But without them, long term success may be difficult to acheive.

It is possible to develop those traits, to a degree; I have tried to assist you with that in this book. But, without the wiring, only so much may be possible. An acorn becomes an oak tree, not a blueberry bush."

Just typed this while hanging around till after the DOE report.

Based on that.. I guess I should give up my dream of playing in the NBA since I am an old, short guy that can't jump...

Perhaps thats true, but if you love the sport and you want to be around it, you could buy yourself a team, like Mark Cuban and the Mavs.

Does it have to be the NBA? How about a semi pro team?

I have an aquaintance that owned a Ontario Hockey League team for a few years. Its junior, but its a stepping stone to the NHL...a future stars league. He couldnt play the game, but he loved being around it, at least for a little while.

Only cost him a couple million, which he got most of it back when he sold the team. kind of an ego thing anyway.

Does it have to be the NBA? How about a semi pro team?

Ego? Surely traders don't have ego's ...

Last night I am setting up some new charts with Rancho Dinero on my Ninja Trader platform. I am slowly incorporating market Profile concepts into my trading over the past few weeks, and the early returns indicate it is helpful to me. Market Profile appeals to my logical statistical right brain side personality. But rancho Dinero is extremely elaborate. Reminds me of Microsft Word in that there are likely 20,000 different functions in Microsft word, but I am likely hardpressed if I use 100 different ones. But it is very cool software, if a little expensive.

Today I am finished after 2 trades.

Trade 1 -13

Trade 2 +126 Yes, thats not a typo. Heres the story.

Price reached the 106.46 on the 1st. Yesterday was a balance day. And a news days, so TTRD. For this morning, near the open, 105.00 level is an important number, based on my 30 minute. An S/R level.

I went long , got stopped right at the opening. (had a 15 ticks SL, but I cut it short because I saw sell pressure on the DOM) When the level 105 broke, I shorted. From then on, it was a matter of managng the trade. Was in the trade for an hour. +126 ticks.

Its great to have a trade like that, but, at the same time, its a little unerving. Its really because it is a semi outilier event as the market went farther than i expect it would on that time frame, and though , as a trader, one should always anticipate the unexpected, when it does occur, I feel like I have to take time to digest what just happened. its not that crude cannot move like that, but when i benefit, I am a little stunned, despite the fact that this is the evnt that I want to happen.

In some ways, getting my stop hit is easier, mainly because it is more familiar. I have losses most every day. And they dont ussually take as long. (yesterday was a very rare exception)

Nothing wrong with taking the rest of the day off. If it wasnt pouring rain outside, I would hit the golf course.

A couipleof my new composite studies on the CL.

30 minute and 5 minute.

Still trying to figure out what it all means, but they are pretty cool to look at, if nothing else.