No trades and adapting.

And now I'm adapting nearer to CL.

I found that in choppy situations, its ideal to use candlestick.

For trend , its better to use bars.

I open a new chart tab for candlesticks and choose which tab to use.

In war, if you fight the enemy long enough, the enemy will adapt.

About previous post of Money managemnt

Thinking over the post , and based on my experience,
if you have a good MM - later you'll find that you're losing slowly, as you cut loss fast. Money management - to use an anlogy of soccer.. is a kind like defense players and goalkeeper.
So, this MM is a defensive part and it's only 50% of full equation
Another 50%, in soccer..is like midfield and striker players. Miedlfield is overall environmnet and striker is the actual trade trigger -- In trading, its call, an edge. The offensive side.
Both MM and edge are important. Defensive and offensive.
Myself  - has good MM but my edge is mediocre or weak at this moment.
And Funny, my brain cracking an offensive tool on my chart while i'am thinking about this.
Thank you to the writer.

http://www.elitetrader.com/et/index.php?members/chubbly.488786/

To think later on this post at Elite Trader
****************************

I posted these thoughts in an unrelated thread but they would have been more appropriate here.

Money Management is the most important thing you can do because you have 100% control of it. You have 0% control if a stock/currency/derivative goes up or down. Sit and think about that for a long time.
MM is 1000x more important than doing T.A. I actually never look at charts. T.A is for fools who think they can predict the future. They will claim they that predicted moves. Guess what a price can only do 2 things, go up or go down. There is no third dimension it can go into!
So someone doing TA should be right at least 50% of the time. People remember the times they were right and suppress the memories of when they were wrong which skews their thoughts.

If you use TA and are wrong 50% or more of the time and losing money sit and think about that for a very, very long time. I would suggest not trading again till you have come up with an answer.
Draw enough lines on a chart and you will see price react to them

Think about this. With absolutely no TA I could enter 1000 total random positions, 500 would immediately become winners. As I said if you do TA and lose more than 50% of the time there is something seriously wrong with your understanding of trading and MM

Here is a good exercise that I used to do with forex to sharpen my skills. Take the 32 main pairs. Randomly buy and sell so you are 16 buys/16 sells.
Now manage the trades as you see fit, do whatever it takes but NEVER EVER look at the charts!! only look at the total P/L
Do this over and over and over and over until you realize that you can become profitable using only MM. Remember you will be immediately profitable on 50% of the positions by doing absolutely nothing.
The first few times are hard. But you have to bend your mind and think differently.
NEVER look at the charts, human brains are wired to look for patterns. 
The results will be enlightening and profitable for those who are willing to take on the endeavour.

One more thing for the TA people. Consider this, Steve Nisson is considered to be the father of candlestick analysis having brought them to N.A from Japan and written many books about it.

Yet he does not trade..... 

You would think the man who is the master of candlestick patterns would be able to use his knowledge and use the markets like he is raiding a piggy bank

Yet he does not trade.....

If the Master of chart analysis does not trade what hope do you have?

This was one of the critical pieces of information that I learned and I stopped using charts and then I became profitable.
The only thing I look at are option chains

http://www.elitetrader.com/et/index.php?members/chubbly.488786/

Traders common problem - (Brain - trading plan - chart settings - execution)

Brain fatigue will spoil a well laid out good trading plan.
Thats why some traders need automation.

Good trading plan need to be presented in chart, thus brain memory should be used purely for execution.

Another problem is to choose correct tools and correct settings to use on charts that closely resemble the trading plan.

Once traders solved these interlink problems, their trading plan execution might improve.

-11 tick.

Again, exactly opposite of the other side...
Despite that  I'm more confident to trade, therefore I bought Malkolm chair from Ikea,
This chair is quite hot after an hour but comfortable.
Another model is better..Markus that has mesh string at the back but the price is double and I'm a cheapskate at this moment.

+ 3 and the wife

My Wife came to the trading room again and discussed something internal matters.
Of course I got distraced as I cant divide the attention...I missed that 2nd chance of 25tick move, once in blue moon nowdays.
The pattern so predictable, so next time I will proceed the button no matter what if I get the signals.

Ugly Chart

An Ugly chart - and no signals ..
abandon ship

Choppy

Post Presidents Day and New contract coming made choppy movement.
Waited at the screen with my mouth gaping open waiting for That Trigger that finally never came.
Will try again on Wed as EIA will be on Thu this week

Some confusion on my part but managed to get +8t

+ 3 ticks

Early run, scratch the tail

Fence sitters

No clear cut signal that lead to the top in my 2 regular charts
But after I saw the my biggest timeframe chart, it is too late to catch the jump.
( I should looked the biggest 1st)
One interesting note that I was  looking at DOM, nearly 10x orders sell stop before the jump - one Even number. (forgot)
Before, I'm I am one of them - the fence sitters
Now, I take no position at the wrong side.
Anybody that catched that big jump is a skilled trader.
Hopefully, in the future, I will at the right side of the force.

-14

Add 1 feature that not passed the live test -removed it back
Look for 2wave or 2nd break - more reliable

+4 ticks in Friday madness

Took 3 hours to get 4ticks as missed an early entry

+7 on Wed

Long at breakout but then had big MAE nearing my stoploss. Stay in position because I sticked to my biggest rule (that been broken 2 times before this) . Turnout the breakout is faked as it failed to proceed quickly. This time i decided to follow POP rule and took in the fishes. Followed both tech and mental rule . So I deserved my reward 7t and close PC.
No trade tomorrow Thu - EIA

post trade - price down

Lost opportunity

Distracted as I was teaching my son for his exam.
Next

Live - No trade

The chart is  like crocs.
The devil is in the details.
After reading the details...too risky. So c u next week Tuesday.

--14 ticks

Ohh yeah...back to bottom lines

--11 ticks

Took a weak signal in the compression zone, and my position is compressed -11 ticks.
Plenty of better places later but already close pc.
Its all in the mind.
Hunting mind to be developed, not foot soldiers.

Live - no trade

Price trapped at the bottom pit...and shrinking volume.
Off pc.

ps..after session: price narrowing for another 1 hour after pc close and then moving south again.

Listen - Shiela Hamzah from Malaysia @ China competition

See Saw...

Market want to go up..

Different condition called for different trigger tactic

but remain the same for general long term strategy
in SIM mode testing it.

Hello AGain....Dec Statement..

Low liquidity and no trades meaning cost is higher.

Cold CL

I found that CL behaves as cold as snow in December.
Like past years.. (refer to right side column - blue fonts).
I think its better to wait January...thats a long wait and probably my skills became rusted then..
Better find something better to do...

Opening 9am magic

Opening 9 am for CL trading seems has a magic of its own.
9am could be a starting point of a trend.
9am also could be a end point of a trend.
Its like a S R line.
eg. Monday 7 Dec -

No trade

Low price + December.

This  will be a difficult month to produce money.

+ve November Statement ..kipidap

1 dec trade : -15 ticks

Mistakes: Too much emphasis given to big frame chart.
Big and small frame must agree :: to be reliable.
Its already in the rules but trading mind no warming up.

3 ticks - choppy

long wait to get 3 ticks..
next week

Choppy - no trade

Charting problem - No hunting today