Stock Contest Signup

IMPORTANT: If you already have a Wall Street Survivor account, you need to sign up for a new one! After your name please put _cpcontest so that I know you have a new account.

Trading begins on Monday. Prizes are explained here. As mentioned before, the more people, the better the prizes.

Sign up by clicking here. (put _cpcontest after your name!--for those of you who didn't read the first part of this post...)

If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section.

Good luck!

Reader Email: Backtesting Software

I figure that posting the email conversations I have with readers may help other traders out there. I know that websites and blogs don't always answer all the questions you may have. While I don't have a fraction of all the answers to each question out there, I'll do my best to give whatever of my experience I think may help. Feel free to send emails or post comments. Grab my contact info here.

(Note: If I post something you send that you'd rather not have posted, let me know, and I'll remove it. Also, if you'd rather not have a question posted, give me the heads up in the email itself.)


Flip

Hi,

My name is Flip, I'm going to compete with you in the trading competition
you're setting up.

I'm interested in backtesting some strategies in both (single) equities and
in index futures. Do you recommend any good (and cheap) software for this.
I got some of my data from Bloomberg and used Matlab to program, but the
major problem I have is:

- programming is matlab is not the quickest way to get things done!
- if I want to make a backtest on the S&P 500 stocks I have to take into
account all the changes made to the index over time (thus avoiding
survivorship bias). I have tried doing this using Bloomberg but it is
extremely time consuming to fetch the companies that went bankrupt or
merged...

Looking forward for the competition!

Regards

Flip

Reply:

Hey Flip,

I've used Ninja Trader (http://ninjatrader.com) to do backtesting.
It's free to use for backtesting historical information (it costs
money if you want to use a strategy in the open market). From what I
remember it will actually download whatever historical information you
ask it to from Yahoo Financial (daily historical information only).

I know Dogwood uses Stock Fetcher
(http://www.stockfetcher.com/ui2/index.php) for some of his
backtesting. For free they let you test out some of the features. For
a reasonable price they give you access to many more features. I know
he's also started testing out Wealth-Lab
(http://www.wealth-lab.com/Home/Default.aspx) and I think there's a
way to get a free demo. Otherwise I think the software costs quite a
bit.

Good luck to you in the contest! =D

-CP

PS:

I have also used MetaTrader 4 and your standard programming languages (C++ and Python mostly) to do backtesting. I wouldn't recommend those to the beginner because of the extra effort and programming required, but they are also an option.

Reader Email: Setting Up a Forex Account

I figure that posting the email conversations I have with readers may help other traders out there. I know that websites and blogs don't always answer all the questions you may have. While I don't have a fraction of all the answers to each question out there, I'll do my best to give whatever of my experience I think may help. Feel free to send emails or post comments. Grab my contact info here.

(Note: If I post something you send that you'd rather not have posted, let me know, and I'll remove it. Also, if you'd rather not have a question posted, give me the heads up in the email itself.)

Martin:
First, thanks for blogging. I came across your site from Jules. Great stuff, both of you.

Anyways, I read that you're also into Forex, and I'm also just getting started in Forex. I was just wondering, what service do you use, like FXCM or OANDA, or if you have any good recommendations. Thanks.

My Reply:

I've only been trading forex for about 3 months or so, but I've enjoyed using FXCM's platform. I have a micro account. You can open one for $25 and trade using their software, which isn't bad software at all. I prefer it over any of the web browser based platforms. For the micro world, I'd definitely suggest FXCM (although they do charge $10 if you want them to send you a check) because it's a good place to start; they also offer paper trading accounts, which are good if you'd like to get your feet wet. I know there are many, many options though. I'm thinking about trying FxClub because they offer spreadless trading. Instead of profiting from the spread, they make money by commission only if you profit from your trade. They charge $0.40 for each profitable trade.

Jules has been doing this much longer than me, so she may have some good suggestions. Thank you for reading the blog and I'm glad you like it. If I can help you with anything else, just send me an email.

Take care,

Ryan

Martin:

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for your answer. I have a few more questions if you don't mind. Can you explain the difference between a micro account and a standard account. Is the platform in FXCM the same for both account. And finally, do you know of any hidden fees from FXCM besides the one you've mentioned ($10 charge for check). I really appreciate your answer because sometimes, as you know, these companies don't tell the facts. Thanks.

Martin

My Reply

Martin,

You're welcome. I haven't opened a standard account with FXCM yet, but if I understand correctly they both use the same platform. The main difference between the two is that with a micro account you're trading much smaller lots ($1000 lots) while with a standard account you're trading ($10k or 100k lots). Obviously you don't need that much in you're account because of leverage. I think that the standard accounts get slightly better deals on the spread because you're trading a larger amount and the company doesn't have to skim as much to make a nice commission. I guess that would be another hidden fee. I don't know how much you've learned about forex trading but while there's no commission you're going to be paying a small amount called the "spread." FXCM has low spreads compared to some I have seen, but their advertised spread of 1.8 or whatever it is for the EUR/USD pair averages something around 2.8pips or so. I've seen it as low as .5 but it can frequent the 2.5-3.8 range quite a bit. Other than that, I can't really think of any hidden fees.

If you've read this far (heh, hope I haven't written too much) then you should click the following link (http://www.forexmicrolot.com/cnbc.jsp). Sign up through that form and you should be able to get a free $25 micro account through FXCM. When I did it I didn't even have a CNBC whatever account, and it wasn't that long ago. Hope it works if you try it.

Take care and feel free to email me again,

Ryan

Martin:

Hi Ryan,

Thanks once again.

I'm actually pretty new to FOREX as well, and I only understand the basics. I'm currently deciding which account I should sign up for, the micro or the regular. I'm planning to trade the same lot size and even leverage. The micro would be nice, because it requires less deposit and I can deposit more if I want to. Since I'm new to Forex, I don't want to just put $2,500 (min requirement) for the regular account. You did brought up a good point saying that the standard accounts might slightly get better deals on spread. I will take a look into this. Anyways, thanks for your help. Btw, if you don't mind me asking, are you also new to investing, or just in Forex?


Martin

Martin:

I just chatted with a representative at FXCM. I just learned more about the difference between a micro and a regular account. Just in case you are also wondering,

M: Hi, for micro accounts, can I also trade in 10k lot size?
Deric: yes, you can
Deric: you can type in the lot size in the amount K window
M: so, if my lot size can be adjusted as well as leverage, what is the main difference between a micro and a standard account?
Deric: no customization for Micro accounts since it's a discount account set up
Deric: biggest difference is no restrictions on setting stops and limits, 24/7 live client services, phone in trading
M: what is customization?
Deric: all of the above is for Standard (10k) clients
Deric: standard (10k) accounts can customise the leverage for the account
M: you mean, in a micro account, i cannot adjust the leverage?
Deric: no
M: and what kind of restrictions are you referring to?
Deric: such as stop and limit
Deric: Standard accounts you can place those close to your entry price and you can place trades within the spread
M: but can you still set stops and limits in micro even if they are not close to the spreads?
Deric: no, there are restrictions on the Micro account

So I guess, you can't make stops and limits in micro accounts? Can you confirm this? Thanks.

My Reply:

I'm fairly new to both. Been following the US stock market on and off
since March 2008 and more extensively since I started my site. I've
been doing forex for about three months.

As for your question on stops and limits, you are definitely allowed
to use them on micro accounts. The thing is the program won't let you
put them too close to your entry price. So, say you want to limit your
losses and you put in a stop, you won't be able to put it closer than
~7.5pips (or $0.75) away. Though, you can always trade in and out at
any time manually.

Personally, if you're a little unsure, I'd recommend giving their
demo/papertrading account a try. You won't have to risk any money and
you can see how things work by paper trading. It's the safest way to
learn the ins and outs of the forex market and after that you can
decide how much you want to begin with.

Take care.

Stock Contest Update

I wrote a lot below, hope that didn't deter you from joining the contest. Here is the jist of it:

- The contest is free.
- The more people, the better the prizes (see below for the list of prizes).
- We'll be using Wall Street Survivor's group contest thingy.
- I'm thinking Feburary 2nd will be a good day to start. I'll post registration info on that day.

Here's who has signed up so far:

• Rob
  
• fiandola
  
• Charlie G (sorry if I misinterpreted your comment)
  
• Flip
  
• Chuck
  

Including me, that's 6 people, meaning we'll definitely have a contest for the book and if we get four more people we'll have some money prizes.

If you'd like to compete (and I think there's a good distribution of the prize money) then please leave a message below. Any ideas are welcomed.

PS: Many thanks to Trader-X. Not only does he publish a kick ass blog, but he's sent quite a bit of traffic. If we do make the 10 people, remember to thank him for the traffic. I'd also like to thank Rob for, not only his promotion of the contest (which is much appreciated), but for being the first to sign up.

Thank you.

Stock Trading Contest!

A few days ago I received an email from Wall Street Suvivor. They are offering group sign-ups that allow traders and investors to compete in contests. The cool thing is WSS will pay the group to sign up. The group gets $50 if it has 10 members, $100 if it has 25, and $200 if it has 50.

Now, I don't want the money. Instead, it is going to be part of this contest. The more people who sign up, the bigger the prizes. I haven't decided exactly what the prizes are going to be yet, and would appreciate some input. While I won't be competing for the prizes, I will be competing--more on that below. Also, if you would like to participate, please leave a message in the comments. We need at least 10 people in order to take advantage of the $50 offer. If there are fewer than 10 people, and it still makes sense to have a contest, I'll put up a copy of Liar's Poker for the winner.

Here are some prize ideas:

Less than 10 people:

1st place - Liar's Poker
Anyone who beats me - Linkage, plus a review of your site posted to my main page. (I'm trying to think of something equivalent for those who do not have blogs)

If we have 10-24 people:

1st place - $20
2nd place - $10
3rd and 4th place - $5
Anyone who beats me - Your choice of either an entry into a randomized 'lotto' for Liar's Poker or a review of your site posted on my main page.

If we have 25 - 49 people:

1st place - $35
2nd place - $20
3rd place - $15
4th and 5th place - $10
6th and 7th place - $5
Anyone who beats me - Your choice of either an entry into a randomized 'lotto' for Liar's Poker or a review of your site posted to my main page.

If we have 50+ people:

1st place - $50
2nd place - $35
3rd place - $25
4th - $20
5th and 6th place - $15
7th, 8th and 9th place - $10
10th and 11th place - $5
Anyone who beats me - Your choice of either an entry into a randomized 'lotto' for Liar's Poker and Beating the Market (by Charles Kirkpatrick) or a review of your site posted to my main page.

Again, I am not competing for the money and am competing merely to reduce the amount of front page reviews I will have to write (or whatever prize we happen to think of). That means that all of the money is for you (well, you in its plural form).

There are a few rules that Wall Street Survivor requires everyone to follow:

- Each of the participants must make at least 10 trades in order to count towards the money.
- You will not be able to spend more than 25% on any one stock.
- You get 100% margin.
- I think they have delayed prices, so please use Google Finance or some other real-time service to get your quotes.

My own rules:

- No resets! (Not sure if it will be turned on or not. But you will not be able to do it without making me, and the other contestants, very angry!)
- One account per trader! (I don't want the same person winning all of the prizes; any extreme similarities between account trading styles will be investigated, and I'm definitely not dumb enough to send two cash prizes to the same paypal account).
- PayPal charges and shipping costs will be covered by me. After I receive the check from WSS I will deposit it and send you the money through paypal (or some equivalent service). You'll receive all of your prize with nothing subtracted by the paypal monster.
- I may insert more rules before we start. Please help me out here. I want this game to be fair and fun.

Last, but not least: If you have any ideas or think that the prize ratios should be restructured, let me know. Comment, comment, comment. And, of course, let me know if you want to participate. I'm not going to start the competition by myself.

For Your Enjoyment

Two sexy pandas.

not much

I don't feel like posting much tonight, although I did began writing a candlestick reversal pattern article today. In the trading world, my stubbornness has gotten me in trouble; I'm down quite a bit on a trade that I have yet to close. Stubbornness is something that I definitely need to work on.

I did make my own resolutions chart, as the Happiness Project suggests. All six of the goals are nothing too complicated--I just want to be able to do each one every day for at least 30 days. Two focus on physical well-being. Two focus on relationships. And the last two focus on trading.

Trading Advice from Michael Marcus

Q:Having been through the whole trading experience from failure to extreme success, what basic advice could you give a beginning trader or a losing trader?

A:The first thing I would say is always bet less than 5 percent of your money on any one idea. That way you can be wrong more than twenty times; it will take you a long time to lose your money. I would emphasize that the 5 percent applies to one idea. If you take a long position in two different related grain markets, that is still one idea.

The next thing I would advise is to always use stops. I mean actually put them in, because that commits you to get out at a certain point.

Q:What other advice would you give the novice trader?

A:Perhaps the most important rule is to hold on to your winners and cut your losers. Both are equally important. If you don't stay with your winners, you are not going to be able to pay for the losers.

You also have to follow your own light. Because I have so many friends who are talented traders, I often have to remind myself that if I try to trade their way, or on their ideas, I am going to lose. Every trader has strengths and weaknesses. Some are good holders of winners, but may hold their losers a little too long. Others may cut their winners a little short, but are quick to take their losses. As long as you stick to your own style, you get the good and bad in your own approach. When you try to incorporate someone else's style, you often wind up with the worst of both styles. I've done that a lot.

- Both excerpts from the first chapter of Jack Schwager's Market Wizards. Remember to check out DT's site on Tuesday to discuss. The book is elucidating, entertaining and enlightening. (And there's your weekly alliteration fix).

Kurt Vonnegut on the Stock Market

"The name of the book was The Big Board. . . . It was about an Earth-ling man and woman who were kidnapped by extraterrestrials. They were put on display in a zoo on a planet called Zircon-212.

These fictitious people in the zoo had a big board supposedly showing stock market quotations and commodity prices along one wall of their habitat, and a news ticker, and a telephone that was supposedly connected to a brokerage on Earth. The creatures on Zircon-212 told their captives that they had invested a million dollars for them back on Earth, and that it was up to the captives to manage it so that they would be fabulously wealthy when they were returned to Earth.

The telephone and the big board and the ticker were all fakes, of course. They were simply stimulants to make the Earthlings perform vividly for the crowds at the zoo—to make them jump up and down and cheer, or gloat, or sulk, or tear their hair, to be scared shitless or to feel as contented as babies in their mothers' arms.

The Earthlings did very well on paper. That was part of the rigging, of course. And religion got mixed up in it, too. The news ticker reminded them that the President of the United States had declared National Prayer Week, and that everybody should pray. The Earthlings had had a bad week on the market before that. They had lost a small fortune in olive oil futures. So they gave praying a whirl. It worked. Olive oil went up."

—Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Slaughterhouse Five

This was quoted in The Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager and the reason I am posting this--besides the fact I love Kurt Vonnegut--is because DT is hosting a book club next Tuesday, and he chose The Market Wizards for the first book. I just started reading it (d/led it) and am enjoying it immensely. I'm sure DT wouldn't mind if I invited you to join, so please feel free to click here or on any other links to his site, check it out, and begin reading.

On a side note, somewhat related, I suggest you also check out The American Ruling Class, a movie/documentary with an appearance by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows two ivy league graduates who seek advice on how to live their lives. Anyway, read more about it here or watch it here. I strongly recommend it.

The Correlation of Happiness and Success

Someone posted a link to my site on the Google Finance message boards over the weekend. I guess quite a few people found the image below fairly humorous, which makes me happy (while many may not appreciate the XKCD humor, if you have ever had an interest in math, science, or computers, it may be just for you). Actually, every time I find Google has directed someone to my site because of something I wrote or posted I feel fairly good about myself. While this tends to lead to an anxiety about whether I can continue to provide content in an interesting manner and a consistent basis, I will push myself to get over it and test and play with ideas. Failure isn't failure unless you let it be.

And I suppose that is partly where I intend to go with this post. Last night, a friend who is living in Spain for the next six months or so sent me a link to check out. She said it was kind of corny, but when I got to the site, it was anything but. With sites dedicated to the attitude aspect of trading (there are many, because it contributes a large portion to being a successful trader, but I am mainly thinking of Attitude Trader), I thought it might be beneficial to post the link she sent: Happiness-Project.

While the entire site is full of useful information for maintaining a good attitude and alleviating stress and escaping feelings of failure, a link to one article struck me as particularly important in the realm of trading (and the economy, for that matter): Does Money Buy Happiness? The conclusion is that many wealthy countries self-define as less happy than certain poorer countries. The reason for this is because happiness is not defined by money, despite what popular culture may have us believe, but instead by success and perceptions of success. The article delves into many reasons why this is, but for the most part it has to do with feeling valuable. Yes, being in a job that makes you money can make you feel valuable, but if you do not participate in other social or intellectual pursuits that may not directly make you money, you lose out on certain value components that will weigh on any feelings of success you may derive from work.

Even instances of failure can be used as stepping stones to success. Embrace the failure and the possible loss of money (whether real or imagined) and proceed. It takes more than two steps to get from wherever you are to the top of the world. Learn to treat each step as a success, whether you find yourself retracing or tripping, climbing or falling.

Stumbling Around

I'm still here. Been somewhat bummed by the rally (I should've listened to myself; I posted some comments in my COST puts post). It may not hold, but I definitely would not be surprised to see it do so. Quantifiable Edges has a post on how 1st weeks after a terrible year tend to do well.

I have some charts on my other computer that I will post and comment on later. For the moment, I thought I would post this lovely picture. Ever since Dinosaur Trader brought StumbleUpon to my attention, I have been completely addicted. It offers much better content than any social internet program or site I have seen. I used it back in 05 or so, and it has definitely improved--not that this picture represents its best content =).

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

- Francis Pharcellus Church (Originally Unsigned), 1897

WSJ for Free

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly. There is an easy, completely legal way to get the Wall Street Journal for free. Although you won't get the journal delivered to you every morning in its paper form, you can read all the online articles for free with these few easy steps:

1) Go to WSJ.com

2) Choose the article you want to read (any article).

3) If it is a subscriber only article, go to the bar right below "To continue reading, subscribe now." Look for the "share" section and go to the icon directly in the middle (at least it is at this time), the icon with a little guy and a shovel. Click it and it will direct you to the website digg.com.

4) A window should open to Digg's site. Click on the link with the title of the article you wanted to read.

5) Wah-Lah! It is as though you are now a subscriber! (i.e. you can read the complete article)

There are some sites out there that discuss the ethics of using this go-around, but I am not going to link any of them. The few that I have read are poorly written and have directions on how to perform the above that will definitely confuse you (much too convoluted and overly technical; stick to the easy five steps above). Furthermore, the paper wants people to be able to access their articles from websites such as Digg and Google News. They do this on purpose. There are plenty of other things that a subscriber gets besides the articles anyway. If you want MarketWatch, for instance, you will have to pay. The same goes for making and reading comments.

Enjoy.

Wall Street Journal and Insipid Editorials

I have been reading the Wall Street Journal lately. I find it rather informative compared to the local newspaper's business section (my grandparents get the San Diego Union Tribune and another county paper--thus, I get them as well). Of course, that is to be expected. What is also to be expected is a much more right leaning perspective, albeit the San Diego Union Tribune is one of the only major Republican leaning newspapers in California. But I am amazed at how right leaning some of the articles can be. For instance, this article on how "the treatment of Bush has been a disgrace."

I find it entertaining that the first evidence of disrespect Mr. Shapiro points out is an offense by 12,000 people in San Francisco. That is one of the most liberal, if not the most liberal cities in the entire country. Of course most people who live there are going to dislike a President who not only seems to shrug off their economic difficulties, most likely prolonging them, but who also stands in direct opposition to what many of them believe in (i.e. social self-determinism).

But, furthermore, Mr. Shapiro seems to think that quoting several comments from George W. Bush's speeches gives insight into Bush's true political sentiments. President Bush does not write those speeches himself. Many politicians, especially Presidents, have professional speech writers. I am guessing those Americans who dislike Bush do not do so because of the speeches he gave encouraging prosperity and unity. I think they may dislike the dismantling of the public military in favor of funneling that money into the private sector. I am presuming those Americans dislike the egregious abuse of prisoners in, oftentimes, recalcitrant prisons. They probably do not appreciate Cheney's connections to Haliburton, and his belief in being part of both the executive and legislative branches. There is much more including, but definitely not limited to, his handling of New Orleans during Katrina, his assurances that Iraq had connections to al Queda and WMDs, his blubbering incoherence and disdain for intellectualism, etc, etc, etc.

I do not mean to put down the entire paper. I enjoy it immensely. Actually, there are plenty of opinion pieces in the paper that I agree with almost entirely (such as Just Say No to Detroit). I just do not understand the sometimes extremely right leaning editorials. I am all for the fiscally conservative (something I am guessing most of the readers here would agree was not a strong suit during Bush's presidency), but when it comes to socially destructive ideas (whether on the left or the right), I just cannot bite. I do not see how writing an editorial on how disgraceful the American people have been contributes to the understanding of the current predicament. Perhaps an editorial searching for the reason the American people are upset would have been better.

My mother told me not to stare into the sun...

Maybe patterns are, to a large extent, merely figments of our imagination.

(Clip from the 1998 Sundance Film winner, Pi. A well done movie about a mathematician searching for patterns in the stock market. What he ends up finding is God--or something like that, which explains the drill to the head.)

Election is in the bag, but what about gay marriage?

I live in California, and, while others across the country are interested in the ban on gay marriage amendment in California, I have voted on the proposition and have been following it on and off over the last few hours here. I voted against the addition to the CA constitution. I do not feel that allowing two gay men or women to marry infringes on anyone's rights. However, I do think that not allowing gay marriage fosters feelings of invalidation in certain people.

Also, I am probably a little hostile towards a certain portion of Christians, a portion who may find gay marriage extremely aggravating. I love all (to my knowledge) of the Christians who come here and know many extremely pleasant Christians (my grandparents, mother, quite a few acquaintances) and do not intend to direct any anger or hostility towards you.

I am feeling as though this post will lead to the end of the election crap on this site. I have some feelings of good riddance.

Based on the futures, it looks like tomorrow will be a slightly positive day. Though, I would not be surprised if the market exhibited signs of uncertainty. We now have a Democrat as President--and likely what many may consider a sharp turn from the previous administration (personally, I am not sure if we will experience as much "change" as the candidate proposes and the country hopes for). On the other hand, I would not be surprised if the markets already factored into the price a good portion of the election results. I mean, the outcome wasn't a complete mystery.

More, hopefully, tomorrow.

PS: SOL is doing extremeley well (and it should outperform earnings estimates on November 18). If you want some other solar ideas take a look at SolarEarnings.com.

Intrade Election Futures

According to Intrade's election tracking page, Obama has a very good chance of obliterating McCain. Also, if you're interested, Forbes has an interesting article on Intrade's prediction markets. It has some info on how much money Intrade has made on the election contracts and what they are trying to do to improve their legal situation.

Good trading

Don't Vote

Our Imaginations Falter

Thanks to The Deipnosophist for this clip. Again, I don't think either candidate has all the answers (that's what their advisors are for, yeah?), but I do believe the collective IQ of the United States is slowly falling below 100.

Take care, good trading.

Greater Respect

Not that I would want her as VP of the US, but my respect for her has increased.