It is 2009, and I have not posted in a while!

That is an understatement.

I know a few blogs still link here. I wanted to post a quick note to anyone who might stumble across the blog.

I have been talking with Trader-X more and more, and I am [once again] going to start contributing to his blog. Nothing major - just a post every week or so. My life is just too busy to maintain a separate blog, but I still have the desire to post and communicate with everyone. So look for a few posts there in February!

Also, X made a post about "Five Rules For Life". I spent some time on the site this weekend, and I have to say it is truly amazing and motivating. You owe it to yourself to read what your neighbors here on Earth are writing. Go check it out.

Where in the world is Tom C?

Greetings. I have been noticeably absent, and appreciate the emails from several of you asking about my well-being.

One of my two best friends had a tragic accident/health issue, and it has been touch-and-go. The prognosis is improving, and I am guardedly optimistic about the future. The upcoming weeks still hold many trials and a lot of rehabilitation, but I am thinking only positive thoughts.

I have had this best friend since 1997, and she has stood by my side through thick and thin. She has always been there to put a smile on my face, and always looked at me through eyes that saw me as a better person than I really am.

So days have been hectic, and will continue to be. I hope to start posting again in the future, but when I don't know. Maybe a few weeks. Keep checking back and I would appreciate any good thoughts you can spare for my friend.

A few photos from the Pacific Northwest

Mt. Hood from somewhere in Central Oregon



Snoqualmie Falls



Mt. Bachelor



Smith Rock



Oregon Coast

Finding my groove...

Many thanks to those of you who read, comment, and send me emails. My posting is not very consistent, but I hope to spend more time on the blog after June. I have a lot going on now - trading, a new motorcycle, family health issues, Xbox, world peace. All of that takes time, and posting on the blog ranks low on the list. But I intend to keep moving forward, and the second half on 2008 should see a higher frequency of posts.

In the meantime, I will continue to post a chart or two a week as well as some random thoughts.

Next week I am headed to the Pacific Northwest for vacation. I am flying into Seattle, and will eventually make my way down to Oregon and visit Bend and Portland. I hope to get in some good outdoor activities - climbing, hiking, et cetera. I will not be trading, so I wish everyone a profitable week.

Some answers...

Here are some of the most oft asked questions of me since I began blogging:

Q.) How many trades do you make a day?
A.) Usually 4-6.

Q.) Do you go in with a bias every day (if it will be up/down)?
A.) Absolutely not. I rarely look at the overall market...I just take the setups that appear daily whether they are short or long.

Q.) How do you prepare your watchlist?
A.) I don't want to re-create the wheel. See Trader-X's posts here.

Q.) What are your favorite Xbox games?
A.) Right now I am really into Halo, Call of Duty 4, Mortal Kombat, and Beautiful Katamari.

BitTorrent-mania

In 2008, I started experimenting with the whole BitTorrent thing. First I had to grapple with the ethical concerns - do I really feel bad about downloading movies and music without paying? Sure, there are laws...but in my opinion, they are ridiculous. However the ethical question still remains - am I stealing? In my mind, I don't think I am. Look, I pay Netflix less than $20/month and get all the movies I want to watch, and then some...so how much am I really taking out of the pockets of the movie people?

I am also someone who likes to own movies - if I really like it I will buy it. That goes for what I watch via BitTorrent - if I like it, I will buy it for my library. I downloaded "Charlie Wilson's War" and thought it was brilliant - when it is released on DVD, I will buy a copy.

So I come down on the side of not feeling guilty about downloading. You may differ, and I respect your opinion. But there is also a part of me that gets that rush like George being a bootlegger in that episode of Seinfeld.

So I have my newly acquired Xbox, and I am downloading movies and converting them to .MP4s, transferring them to a memory stick, and plugging that into the USB port. It is an excellent setup, and I am really enjoying the Xbox for more than just games.

There is no real meaning to this post - I am just kind of ranting. Feel free to comment on the legality, ethics, or just your own setup for downloading and watching...as well as any tips, tricks, et cetera.

Welcome to 2008!

The New Year officially begins today - for me at least.

The past few weeks have been a flurry of movies, Xbox, and family. Stay tuned for some charts and [hopefully] good conversation.

PS - check out Charlie Wilson's War - brilliant!

The Dark Knight

I am looking forward to the next installment of Batman with Christian Bale. And I can't wait to see The [new] Joker!

I should start posting charts and notes on my methodology next week. Or maybe this weekend if I can break away from the Holiday shopping.

OK - "next week" was a little aggressive. I should have said before the end of the year. Please check back, or subscribe to the feed!

So it begins...

I spent my last six months retired from the Blogging world when Trader-X pulled the plug on what was - in my opinion - the best trading blog on the Internet. I was just a part-timer, contributing a chart or two every now and again. I always toyed with the idea of starting my own Blog, and decided now was as good a time as any.

The question is, will I keep at it? Will I enjoy the longevity of Trader-X or even - dare I say - Trader Mike? Or go the way of Victoria and others with grand aspirations but no time or desire to follow through?

I enjoy writing, and I think I have a lot to give back in the way of trading. So, I hope for the former.

Stay tuned as I build out the Blog and follow in the example of my mentor.