SBMS Blogging Hiatus

Dear readers,

I may be posting fewer articles over the next several months...due to a temporary minor health issue.

That should be resolved by late spring...or sooner.

In the meantime, best of luck in your trading! 😊

REMINDER: Changes To My Blog E-mail Subscription Service Begin in July

N.B. To my Blog readers who receive my new posts via e-mail, please be advised that Google's E-mail FeedBurner Subscription service will cease to be provided and you will no longer receive them via email, beginning in July.

Instead, feel free to bookmark my Blog address and check in daily to read any new articles that I may have posted, as well as any updates I may have added to previous ones.

My appologies for any inconvenience in this regard. Your loyalty over the years is appreciated. 😊

N.B. To the editors of those websites who publish my articles on their sites, you will continue to automatically receive them via FeedBurner Subscription, as usual.

Many thanks to all who've supported my Blog over the years, in one way or another. 😊

Candy Matheson

Strawberry Blonde's Market Summary

Strawberry Blonde's Market Summary: A Decade of Posts 🎂

April 18, 2011 marked the birth of my Blog. 

Thank you to all who've visited my site and for your kind E-mails since then...they've been great!

As well, many thanks to the editors of the following sites who've generously published my articles over the years...(and to the creators of many other sites who provide a link to mine)...

• Investing.com
• TalkMarkets.com
• McVerryReport.com
• SlopeofHope.com

I'll see if I can keep it going for another decade...cheers and good trading! 🍹😊

 © Strawberry Blonde's Market Summary

Changes Coming To My Blog E-mail Subscriptions

N.B. To my Blog readers who receive my new posts via e-mail, please be advised that Google's E-mail FeedBurner Subscription service will cease to be provided and you will no longer receive them via email, beginning in July.

Instead, feel free to bookmark my Blog address and check in daily to read any new articles that I may have posted, as well as any updates I may have added to previous ones.

My appologies for any inconvenience in this regard. Your loyalty over the years is appreciated. 😊

N.B. To the editors of those websites who publish my articles on their sites, you will continue to automatically receive them via FeedBurner Subscription, as usual.

Many thanks to all who've supported my Blog over the years, in one way or another. 😊

Candy Matheson

Strawberry Blonde's Market Summary

9 Years Ago Today...iBlogged

Since writing this post after one year of Blogging, I'm happy to report that I'm still at it...9 years from 'day one.'

Hope to see you again next year! 😊


And, I'd like to thank the hosts of the following websites who kindly publish my articles...

• Investing.com
• SlopeofHope.com
• TalkMarkets.com
• McVerryReport.com

The Bubble No One Talks About

What is it?  The MEDIA BUBBLE!

Seriously, who has time to check out all available sources of news these days? And, where do you start? Who do you trust for fair and accurate information?

Middle-class working folks are too busy trying to earn a living and create a healthy and balanced life for their families to worry about who is saying what and try to figure out who's relaying true facts.

Reality tells me that the only ones who wade through endless scores of tabloid stories are those who work in the media industry.

Like the Baby Boomers who are busy downsizing and simplifying their lives to determine what really matters, it's time the media did the same.

As a boomer myself, I've learned that, with age, comes a realization that focusing on what's truly important to me, in the short term (today) and longer term (the big picture), and trusting my own instincts, helps me ensure that decisions I make are in alignment with my intentions and values and how well I'm actually honouring those values. And, to help me downsize (physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically), it's been very important to accept, appreciate, learn from, and let go of the past, and then move forward with faith in my abilities to handle what's in front of me...that's where my energies are optimally and most valuably utilized.

By the way, this approach can be very helpful in trading the markets, as well...successfully and confidently moving from one completed trade to the next new one.

Admittedly, there are, however, some bubbles that are rather enjoyable...






* UPDATE July 29, 2019...

It looks like the liberal media has not moved on from, or even accepted, the results of the 2016 Presidential election. The two most overused words since then have been "racist" and "impeachment"...referring, of course, to President Trump.

And, it hasn't changed since the recent finalization of the Special Counsel investigation into Russian meddling and purported Trump-Russia collusion, which showed the absence of any crime by Trump or anyone associated with his campaign. In fact, the media has stepped up their attacks on the President and have increased their use of those two words since then, and you'd think he had committed a crime(s).

Aren't Americans getting tired of such inflammatory, patently biased and divisive rhetoric? When will the media (journalists) return to simply reporting facts and actual news, without delivering it with a politically-biased slant or interjecting their own views and demands? They sound more like lobbyists and activists instead of self-proclaimed journalists.

* UPDATE Aug. 22, 2022...

Perhaps liberal media outlets like CNN are finally getting the message...we'll see...

Source: ZeroHedge

Overlooked, again...

No Pulitzer prize for me, once again, this year, although I'm still available for nomination in the "Special Awards and Citations" category seen at this link.   ;-)

Happy 4th Year of Blogging!

Thanks for stopping by and helping me to celebrate!

My Blog is 4 years old today...this is my 1103rd article...it's been fun...now for some cake...

...and maybe some strawberries...

...and maybe some ice cream...

This is my Last Post

This will be my last post...I've stopped trading (after 10 years at this game) and blogging (for a number of personal reasons).

However, I'll leave my Blog up (at least for awhile) since it contains a lot of useful reference material.

I'd like to thank all who've visited my Blog over the past couple of years and those who've kindly e-mailed me. And, I wish to give a hearty 'thank-you' to all websites that are either linked to my Blog or have published my articles...the creators of these sites have been most generous and I'm very grateful for the exposure. :-)

Take care and best of luck to all.

Cheers,
SB

Celebratory Post No. 1001

A good reason to celebrate passing my 1000-post milestone with this little tidbit (since I'm partly Scottish)...

Congratulations, Andy Murray, for your 2013 Wimbledon win!

My Blog is 2 Years Old Today!

Happy 2nd Birthday, dear Blog! I posted my first article on April 18, 2011. This one will be my 927th article.

What to write about??? That's always the question when I sit down to write a new post. Hmmmm.....

(Taps fingers on mouse pad...looks around for inspiration...)

Since I'm (uncharacteristically) at a loss for words, I'm logging off, will briefly enjoy the view ;-) and will be searching for the biggest piece of chocolate cake I can find...here's to another year!

P.S. Thanks to all for visiting and helping to give my Blog a purpose. And to those kind readers who've taken the time to e-mail me, I've enjoyed the friendly conversations that we've shared...I've learned many important things about life (and myself), as a result...and that's a great gift from each of you that I will forever treasure.

As well, I'd like to take this time to thank the gracious hosts who also publish my articles at these websites (each site offers many valuable resources and a ton of information...well worth repeated visits):

• www.SlopeofHope.com
• www.SharePlanner.com
• www.Investing.com 

I wish everyone the best of times for the next year! :-)

A Trading Hazard of Being in a State of "Before-My-Time"

Today's BC comic strip reminded me of a trading hazard...one of being in a state of "Before-My-Time." As a daytrader, being able to foresee setups and trading them prematurely without confirmation of high probability of success can, more often than not, lead me to a trading failure.

That has been, and continues to be, one of my challenges which I'm constantly working on to refine and perfect...the challenge of interpreting data in real-time action (includes news-related data) and trading it without being too early (or too late)...so I continue the search for the "solid middle-ground entry" (the "optimal level in between too early and too late").

The structure around such a middle-ground entry has to be built on:

1. my method
2. my real-time observations
3. my forecast
4. my upside and downside probabilities of success (minimum ratio of 2x +'s to -'s for each)
5. my risk vs. reward assessment (minimum ratio of 1:2 to tie in with #4)
6. my trading platform and order method used to enter a trade to achieve the best entry price
7. my entry execution (my level of commitment and confidence ratio needs to match #4 & 5) 
8. my trade management skills in real-time assessment of the trade's progress to target (includes monitoring or adjusting, but never increasing, my stop-loss)
9. my recording of the trade in my Trading Journal, which includes my reasons for entry, what went right or wrong, what I could have done differently,  my net profit/loss, etc.
10. my enjoyment of the rewards! (the best part of all!)

Without the benefit of this solid structure being in place on every trade I enter, my potential profits, and, worse still, my capital, are in jeopardy, along with my ability to effectively monitor such a poor trade because of an increase in anxiety.

Since every price point contains a success probability, it's up to me to figure out whether it fits in with my trading plan. As world-renowned Psychologist, Dr. Robert Anthony, has said, "It's not that you'll believe it when you see it...it's that you'll see it when you believe it." When I'm "in flow" with myself, generally, I can then be more comfortable with being "in flow" with the markets and am more open to a correct interpretation of what they're telling me. Each one of us has the ability to know what we need to know at any given time and if I don't believe that of myself, I'll miss the signals that are given freely to me and the answers that I'm looking for. If I keep getting the same results in my trading, it's because I keep making low-probability-of-success trades...it's my job to figure out where and when it's a high(er) probability and also when it becomes a lower probability because of time decay. Like a trend in trading (up, down, or sideways), all things age and begin to sag, wear out, and lose their appeal...once that's been recognized and begins to accelerate (with some sort of confirmation), this seems to be the optimal time for entry. It's still possible, however, to trade before then, but I have to be prepared to accept the consequences, less favourable as they may be, and consider the costs to me in the process.

As an aside, and going off topic for a moment, I've discovered that one of the perks of growing older has been the discovery and accumulation of knowledge along the way...the trick is, trying to remember it! (The truth is, that's the main reason I've kept a Trading Journal, and then started Blogging, as well. I'm happy to add that other unanticipated benefits of Journaling and Blogging have popped up along the way!)

The quest continues...the prospect of the rewards (in whatever form they, ultimately, appear) keeps me going...

One Year Ago Today...iBlogged

I'm happy to report that I'm still blogging after deciding one year ago to take the plunge. I've found that it helps me get a clearer picture of where the markets are at, particularly on a broader scale. From that, I can then zoom in and focus on my daytrading each day...sometimes knowing where things generally stand helps me make sense of what happens intraday (although it doesn't take care of unexpected and unusual news events as they unfold throughout the day).

Hopefully, I'll still be here one year from today. A huge 'thank you' to all who have visited my site...I hope it was worth the trip and your time!

Blogging is weird...

Blogging is weird...for me, it evokes a whole host of emotions during the process of creating a new post...everything from fear to instant gratification.

Since I started blogging in April of 2011, it has challenged me in many ways. It has forced me to be as precise as I'm able to in that moment while trying to convey my thoughts in a way that end up making sense to me.

First of all, I have to be inspired about something, and then fertilize it with supporting ingredients. Part of those ingredients has to be a structure that supports my end creation. To this structure I then need to add the "tasty bits" which, when combined and shaped around the structure, produce a "fab-solute creation for the senses."

Fortunately, a perk of growing older each day is that I get to live another day with the opportunity to explore my abilities (which are really just the "tasty bits of life waiting to be discovered and fashioned into something rather delicious").

Embrace your writings in your blog...

...for they are your truth in that moment.

Blogs...each one a "stand-alone newspaper company"

It's kind of amazing to think that each blog in the "blogosphere" actually functions as an entire newspaper company now run entirely by one person...eliminating everyone from reporters to newspaper delivery personnel, together with all the hard assets that go along with that type of business...that must have had some effect on jobs lost over the years...an era that is becoming smaller thanks to technology...without it, I wouldn't be publishing mine (at no cost to me). It's a good thing that my computer also serves as my way to generate income for me in my field of daytrading...otherwise, it would just be an expensive toy...in other words, it pays its way.

Speaking of paying, it looks like some banks are faced with a lawsuit filed by FHFA...see today's Wall Street Journal article:

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/09/02/fannie-mae-regulator-sues-the-world/?mod=e2tw 

Three of the banks mentioned are on the Weekly chartgrid below of GS, C, XLF & JPM. GS, XLF & JPM are "riding on the edge" of the -2 deviation level of an uptrending regression channel that started at their lows after the major market correction in 2008/09, while C has fallen below and is "clinging to the edge" by its fingernails. What happens in the coming weeks will be of great interest to me relative to this channel.

Below are 2 Weekly charts...one of EUR/CHF & one of EUR/USD...as can be seen, the Euro is in a longer-term downtrend against these two currencies, albeit at different levels of weakness. I'll be watching to see how the correlation between these two charts plays out in the coming days and weeks and if the Euro continues its decline.

The Weekly chart below of Gold shows that price found support at a Fibonacci confluence level of 1700ish and resistance at another of 1900ish. Where it goes from here relative to the above currency pairs and the financials will also be of interest.

Oil is trading in between several Fibonacci confluence levels of 90.00ish and 80.00ish as shown on the Weekly chart below...a breakout in either direction may correlate to what happens in the above currency and financial markets.

EEM has fallen below its "mean" of its uptrending regression channel (which began in October 2007) on the Weekly chart below after testing it twice in the past couple of weeks. Near-term support is the flat-to-falling 200sma, which appears to be a critical level since July 2009...another one I'll be watching over the next few weeks relative to the charts above.

Below is a Weekly chartgrid of YM, ES, NQ & TF. This week, the candle formed a bear harami shooting star on the YM, ES & TF, and a gravestone on the NQ. Price closed just below the -1 deviation level on the YM & ES, below on the TF, and just above on the NQ. Price is currently in the bottom portion of the upper one-third of the range from the lows in March 2009 and their highs of this year on the YM & ES, in the upper portion of the middle one-third on the TF, and is just below the middle of the upper one-third of the NQ. For a closer look at where price is relative to this year's highs on these 4 e-minis, I've put up a final chart below this one.

Below is a 4-hourly chartgrid of the YM, ES, NQ & TF. Overlayed on each chart are 2 regression channels. The longer downtrending channel runs from the beginning of May of this year for the YM, ES & TF and began in late July for the NQ. The shorter uptrending channel began on August 8. I made reference to this chart in yesterday's post. Today, price closed below the "mean" on the longer channel for the YM, ES & TF, and is still holding above the "mean" on the NQ. However, price is now below the "mean" of the shorter channel on all 4 e-minis. Furthermore, price has now closed in the lower one-third of the range taken from this year's high to low on the YM & ES, is well within the lower one-third on the TF, and is in the lower portion of the middle one-third on the NQ...all in all, a bearish end to the week as price has closed below the top of the initial bounce that was made after August 8.

These are some of the charts that I'll be watching next week and in the days and weeks to come to see whether the equities markets continue their decline, along with the Euro, the financials, EEM and Oil, while money continues to flow into Gold, the US$ and the Swiss Franc.

No doubt, future news events will be just as conflicting as they have been of late...

So, buckle up...

And watch out for the surprise that lurks below...