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Watch this Architecture Alphabet Animation.
Anima is Latin for 'the breathe of life'. Animation is a series of drawings that when seen in rapid order and succession, convey the concept of motion. The human eye can start to see fluid motion at 24 images per second, or 1440 images per minute. If an action takes one second to occur, then the action can be seen with 24 slightly different images of that action drawn out. There are three basic types of animation: cell animation, object manipulation, and computer-generated animation. Hand-drawn animation, or cells, can be put together in a bound flipbook, or photographed onto film or digital video to create an animated film. The first animation of hand-drawn images dates back to the 1890's, with significant development coming from the Walt Disney Studios in the 20th century. Digital technology allows for the computer-generated animations of the 21st century that we see today from firms like Pixar.
Animate the inanimate!
Activity 1 – Flip Book
Start with 60 blank 3x5 cards. Then think of an activity or motion graphic that you would like to create. Plan ahead to assure that the motion can occur as you flip through the cards from one end to another while holding one edge firmly. It is best to start with a simple motion graphic: bounce a ball, throw a dart, walk a figure, open a door, or pop a balloon. Still image by still image make slight changes in each subsequent image, moving the image across the screen of your 3 x 5 card. See flipbook links to get started.
Activity 2 – Time Lapse Animation
Locate a digital camera and tripod. Plan another series of movements but this time use real 3-D objects. Animate them by taking one picture with the camera, then changing the position of the object, taking a second picture, a third and so on. Then print the series and flip through the images as you did in Activity 1.
Activity 3 – Storyboard an Animated Film
To begin an animated film, generate ideas and concepts. Bring ideas together into a story line. Explore the story line through step-by-step or frame-by-frame drawings. You can arrange or rearrange the drawings to change the story line. You're making a storyboard. A storyboard is a visual reference in the development of an animated film. It can set the scene, introduce characters, show actions. Storyboards can also be used to study scene moods, timing of a film, point of view of the camera and audience, and choreography. In this activity, come up with an idea and draw at least 8 frames. Change perspective or point of view and scale in the frames to see how this changes the visual experience.
Once a concept or script is written for a film or animation, the next step is to make a storyboard. A storyboard visually tells the story of an animation, panel by panel, kind of like a comic book.
Your storyboard should convey some of the following information:
What characters are in the frame, and how are they moving?
What are the characters saying to each other, if anything?
How much time has passed between the last frame of the storyboard and the current one?
Where is the "camera" in the scene? Close or far away? Is the camera moving?
Activity 4 – Combine Stills with Live Action
Under Construction
still frames
live animation
Activity 5 – Combine Stills with Live Action, 2D and 3D animation
Under Construction
- Animation can be done using:
- Frames per second is:
- Humans begin to see fluid motion at:
- Flipbooks consist of still images.
- Animation can be hand-drawn, object manipulation, or computer-generated.
- 3 Second Flipbook
- Adobe Animate a Caterpillar Walk Cycle (free sign up)
- American Museum of the Moving Image
- App Chatterpix: Make talking pictures
- App Earth's Surface Puzzling Plates 2.99
- App LEGO Movie Maker
- App Tellagami
- Autodesk SketchBook Pro
- Canva Storyboard Maker
- Common Craft Animation Explanations
- Fast Ah! and Slow Ah! VIdeo by Tomohiro Oka
- Feral Trailer by Daniel Sousa
- FILM History
- FILM: Pre/Post Production
- Flipbooks
- Fliptomania
- Gensler Meeting Work's Potential
- History of Animation
- How to Make a Flipbook
- iMovie
- Khan/Pixar Intro to Animation
- Luftwerk Intersection Between Light and Surface
- Make a Zoetrope Instructables
- Motion Painting Machine (requires Flash)
- Museum of Moving Image
- Optical Toys
- PBS Animation Collection of Lesson pLans, Videos & More!
- Powtoon Free Digital Animation Drag&Drop
- Spirit of Space
- SquareSpace (Web Animation)
- Step by Step 3D Drawing
- Storyboards
- Suginami Japanese Animation Museum
- TEDed Animation Basics
- TEDed Animation Basics: Art of timing and Spacing
- TEDed A Poetic Experiment: Walt Whitman Interpretations
- TEDed The MAth Behind Pixar Animaiton
- The Science Behind Pixar PDF
- Video Amiens Cathedral
- Video Amiens Cathedral Part II
- Video Animating Slam Poetry TEDed Video
- Video AQUA
- Video Bicycle Animation
- Video Caketrope of Burton's Team Video: Hommage a Chocolate a Tim Burton
- Video History of Animation 1
- Video History of Animation 2
- Video History of Animation 3
- Video MATCHES Study & Stop motion by Tomohiro Okazaki
- Video Pixar
- Video The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics
- Video Toontastic App
- Video We Cut Corners' "It's a Pirate's Life for Me!"
- Walt Disney
- Windows to the Universe


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Website Security – WordPress infected website cleanup
Website Security should be a priority in any organization, but is seen in many cases overlooked. Hackers continue to focus on web-based applications – web shops, forms, login pages, dynamic content etc. Web applications are accessible 24/7 and contain valuable data.
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Most people secure their home, business, computer … but forget to secure their website. Having a secure website is essential for an organization. Daily there are thousands of websites hacked. It is important to secure your website properly. It happens daily that hackers attempt to hack websites. If there is a leak in the security of this website, it's easy for criminals to get in your website.
Through a penetration test of your website we bring the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the Website.
The penetration test picks up where the general security scanning stops. Every page and function of your website is extensively tested for errors. There is a difference between a penetration test and an audit or security control, no attempt is made with a penetration test in order to break in, it only serves to identify risks.
Security Taskforce for a secure website
Leave the security of your website to an expert. We can perform a security audit of your website, this audit reveals a systematic evaluation of the safety of your website. We are specialists in the field of secure web applications and also do security audits for companies and institutions, we report on the security status and provide clear practical for improvement. Our specializations also extend beyond site protection.
Infected WordPress Website Cleanup
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subset: commoncrawl


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Who doesn't love bubbles?
Make bath time a little more fun with Tub Time Bubble Maker! This super fun bath time toy includes a bottle of tear-free bubble solution.
It also comes equipped with a suction cup so you can securely adhere the bubble maker to the wall next to the bathtub. Just turn the bubble maker on and watch as your bathtub becomes surrounded by beautiful bubbles.
Perfect for keeping little ones entertained during tub time!


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Last week we revealed here that the Department of Justice … the FBI … the CIA and NSA … have all been conducting a silent, behind-the-scenes coup d'etat to remove President Trump from office.
We told you that contrary to what the biased progressive media says, this is NOT a conspiracy theory … It's a conspiracy FACT.
We listed the first 6 of the 12 shocking and disturbing facts about the Deep State's efforts to destroy the Trump presidency and remove him from office before the end of his first term. Here are the final 6 facts about the presidential coup you need to know:
- The Department of Justice considered recruiting Vice President Mike Pence to lead the 25th Amendment coup against President Trump.
The 25th Amendment provides for the succession of power from the President to the Vice President if the President becomes physically incapacitated such that he is unable to carry out his day-to-day duties.
It's meant to be invoked in case the president has a stroke or heart attack … or is shot in an assassination attempt and must undergo surgery followed by a recovery period. It is NOT intended to be used as a substitute for impeachment … or to be used because certain high-ranking government officials disagree with the president's policies.
However, Section 4 of the amendment – which was passed in 1965 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy … and ratified by the states in 1967 – does allow for the president to be involuntarily deposed by the Vice President and a majority of cabinet secretaries.
- At least 2 cabinet members were "ready to support" invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office.
FBI lawyer James Baker – in testimonies to the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee – revealed that both Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and FBI Lawyer Lisa Page had told him that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein "had at least two members of the president's Cabinet who were ready to support… an action under the 25th Amendment.
The names of the two Cabinet members were not disclosed in Baker's testimony … and have not been revealed by Rod Rosenstein.
Two Cabinet members is far short of the 8 members required to invoke a 25th Amendment coup of a sitting president … but it's still disturbing to think that two of President Trump's hand-picked Cabinet appointees would turn on him and want him removed from office.
- The FBI and the Department of Justice committed subversion and sedition against the President of the United States.
Since July 5th 2016 – when FBI Director James Comey illegally exonerated Hillary Clinton of criminal wrongdoing in her destruction of subpoenaed emails … and lying multiple times to the House oversight committee – it has been obvious that the Obama FBI and Department of Justice were corrupt.
Many high-level Obama appointees in the FBI, CIA NS DOJ were left in their positions when Trump took office … and those that still remain continue to subvert the president and thwart his efforts to improve the U.S. economy and to put the U.S. first internationally.
To attempt to apply Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to a healthy, active, high-functioning president simply because they disapprove of his leadership style and his criticism of his political opponents … is a clear act of subversion and sedition against a duly-elected president.
- There were 3 different investigations launched against Donald Trump.
First was the FBI investigation begun in July 2016 by Peter Strzok. It was billed as an investigation into Russian attempts to interfere in U.S. democratic elections … but in reality, it was an investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
The documentation launching this investigation – written by Peter Strzok himself – proves this through his use of the term "Trump campaign."
Second was the counterintelligence investigation of whether President Trump was acting as an agent of the Russian government when he fired FBI Director James Comey – launched by acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe in May 2017.
Third was a criminal investigation of obstruction of justice by President Trump – also launched by Andrew McCabe in May 2017 – seeking to prove that the firing of James Comey was to stop the probe into collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign.
There was never any hard evidence or factual basis for conducting any of these investigations.
- The "insurance policy" referred to by Peter Strzok in text messages to Lisa Page was the phony Russia collusion investigation.
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, FBI lawyers James Baker and Lisa Page, and lead FBI investigator Peter Strzok all hoped the Christopher Steele dossier alleging ties between Donald Trump and Russia operatives close to Vladimir Putin would:
- Prevent Trump from being elected president
- If elected, would prompt an investigation that would lead to his removal from office.
One of the reasons for wanting to remove Trump from office was that these people were desperate to prevent the public from ever knowing that:
- They had illegally exonerated Hillary Clinton
- They had filed false FISA secret court surveillance applications
- They had unmasked people involved in the Trump campaign and his transition team
- They had leaked unmasked names and private phone conversations to the press
- The presence and actions of Trump haters within the DOJ and FBI have severely damaged the reputations of those federal law enforcement agencies.
The animosity and hatred of President Trump by the former and acting heads and high-level deputies of these agencies is now being openly exposed – to the shock of the American public.
Senator Lindsey Graham – chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee – has stated he plans to investigate Andrew McCabe, Rod Rosenstein, James Baker and others who were involved in trying to take down President Trump.
It may take years for these agencies to regain the respect and trust of the American people as unbiased enforcers of law and administers of "justice for all."
4 Actions to Take:
1. If you haven't already purchased my book, The Deep State: 15 Surprising Dangers You Should Know, click here to order an autographed copy at a 20% discount.
Or, you can buy it on Amazon in either hardback or Kindle version. Click here.
2. Watch this 9-minute video regarding high-level talks about removing President Trump from office using the 25th
3. Watch this 6-minute video of former Congressman Trey Gowdy reacting to Andrew McCabe's astonishing 60-minutes
4. Watch this 5-minute video of Senator Lindsey Graham explaining how he wants to get to the bottom of the attempted coup against President Trump.
What do you think? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Here are the rest of this week's articles:
- Shocking: Congress Votes to Allow Killing of Living Babies After Birth [Video]
- 2020 Presidential Election Poll: Vote to Make Your Voice Heard
- Franklin Graham Outsmarts Biased MSNBC News Commentator [Video]
- You Really CAN Make a Difference in this Critical Turning Point in American History
- Did You Miss My Free Midterm Election Webinar? Watch the Replay Now


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playground bugs [part 2]
Dear BUGMAN,
Thank you for writing back to us! WE LOVE YOUR SITE!!!!!
We are sending two medium sized photos of our Caddisfly [we thought the other photo we sent might be too small to be seen on the site]. We hope they help others! We also included our favorite stag beetle photo and praying mantis photo [it stayed on the wall next to our classroom door for days! We think it was listening in!] Thank you again for your help!
Always looking for bugs, Fours and fives in PA
Dear Fours and Fives in PA,
Thank you for the additonal photos. We are posting them immediately. Your Stag Beetle is Pseudoleucanus capreolus, a male.


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Not much happening today other than I have been working on my quilt and doing some ironing getting ready for my nephew Trevor's wedding. It is going to be an outdoor wedding. I will have some pictures to share I'm sure.
I went outside to water my flowers and this bee kept following me around. At least it was nice enough to pose for pictures!
Have a Beeeutiful evening!


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Certain factors consistent across the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts act as bonding agents for the state's denizens. The mercilessly frigid weather that dominates from mid-September until early April has tempered Massachusettsians into a state of perpetual hardiness. Residents pride themselves on being able to withstand whatever the world can throw at them, whether that's a cumulative total nearing 10 full feet of snow in a single winter, or one of a handful of terrorist bombings to have taken place on domestic soil. The interstate Napoleonic complex resulting from year after year of not being New York perverts this unifying spirit from its natural course—warm, Midwestern friendliness—and vulcanizes it into a ferociously tribal insularity.
Massachusetts residents instinctually trust one another over any and all outsiders because it's hard living your whole life in the Bay State. If your hometown team flubbed hard this season, take those tears home, because the faithful stood by for 86 Octobers while the Red Sox contrived new and creative ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. (Chicagoans, those poor bastards, get a pass on that one.) Massachusettsians hold an inexplicable fondness for the coastline's ice cold beaches, bust balls frequently and with great relish, and wear the "Masshole" epithet like a badge of honor. Nothing encapsulates the state mentality more succinctly than the devout belief in the rightness of the regional accent; it's not that locals pronounce hahd ah's in a wicked queeah fashion, it's just that every single person in the rest of the country is wrong.
A trio of new films in this fall capture the closed-rank mentality of life in Massachusetts with uncommon fidelity. Scott Cooper's new gangster flick Black Mass was billed by its own advertising as a paint-by-numbers Whitey Bulger biopic with a latex-faced Johnny Depp angling for a return to actorly respectability. In actuality, Cooper's interests lay slightly elsewhere; Bulger's only one half of the equation. Joel Edgerton gives a nicely conflicted performance as FBI Agent John Connolly, Bulger's childhood friend who brought the notorious gangster on as a confidential informant, and his ambiguous motivations for doing so betray the occasionally self-destructive Massachusetts solidarity.
For an informant, Bulger's not an especially deep well of information, but then, Connolly's not that interested in drawing from him. The CI label enables Connolly to keep Bulger away from trouble and out of prison. Some counterintuitive force within Connolly compels him to protect Bulger, convincing him that his old pal from the neighborhood can't possibly be as bad for the town as the no-good "eye-talians" in the North End. In a turn that smacks of slight phoniness, the script ascribes Connolly's faithfulness to a childhood incident in which Bulger saved his future handler's life, but viewers can find a much more satisfying answer in the film's regional-sociology dimension. As a born-and-bred Bostonian, Connolly doesn't see cops and criminals, he sees us and them. Connolly's more than willing to overlook Bulger's robustly expanding criminal empire; his real enemies are the Mafia affiliates reporting from the North End to their higher-ups in New York, and the aggressive new DA who's come from Jersey to clean up the FBI's activities in Boston. If someone's got to run Beantown's criminal underworld, in Connolly's estimation, it might as well be someone who gets how the city works.
It's not that Connolly wants to give Bulger wholesale permission to do as he pleases, however it might violate the law. It's more that he believes that his lifelong Boston heritage gives him the unique insight to handle a situation that slips out of his control in short order. This same fatally flawed reasoning created the environment that allowed for the abuse scandal at the heart of Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, which hits theaters on November 6. The trenchant investigative unit at The Boston Globe encounter a surprising amount of pushback from regular townspeople when unearthing the culture of institutionalized sexual misconduct in the Catholic church. The meat-and-potatoes types in South Boston and Dorchester took none too kindly to reporters nosing around their neighborhoods and asking pesky questions. One of the most shocking revelations in the Globe's Pulitzer-winning exposé was the willingness of locals outside of the church to keep quiet about abuse of which they were fully aware. As the various sources tell it, families were simply mindful of which priests, coaches, or teachers shouldn't be left alone with a child. Nobody felt the need to bring the police into it—this was a private matter, to be handled internally within the communities it ultimately tore apart.
Even Spotlight team editor Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton) is guilty of this behavior, though not nearly on an equal scale. He bristles at his new superior Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), a Jew and new transplant to Boston after an extended stint in Florida. Walter jokes with Marty about how he's already got two strikes on him as far as most of the locals will care, but Walter's still unsure of this outsider as well. Part of this can be traced back to professional defensiveness—the Globe's a special, complicated creature, and so it's only natural for Walter to fret over tinkering from a newbie. But the distance between them goes deeper, too. Walter knows things that Marty will never understand, things that can only come from an upbringing in the area. He knows where to get coffee, which clothes to wear in which neighborhood, who's willing to talk and who's not. The cultural outlay of the city is mapped in his DNA.
Robert Eggers' upcoming debut feature The Witch doesn't speak to a modern Boston, and yet it still exemplifies the vital importance that Massachusettsians place on community. The colonial vision of horror follows a family cast out of their village after being accused of affliction by malevolent energies. Far from the safe bosom of their fellows, the family's susceptible to a horrifying litany of devilish tricks. As Matthew Crowley noted in his excellent essay earlier this summer, the hysteria over dark magics targeted "the strange and discomfiting figures on the nightmare margins of society." Eggers' film takes place a few decades before the clusterfuck in Salem that closed out the 17th century, but it does mirror the spirit of distrust that motivated both calamities. Seven summers spent as staff at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead and then another at the Salem Witch Museum ground one simple principle into this writer as a surly, insubordinate teen: The first ones to go when fingers started a-pointing were the fringe figures. It's no coincidence that children swept up in their own twisted games singled out the creepy old ladies too infirm to attend the weekly church meetings. The harsh Puritan judgment that precipitated the kangaroo trials that got innocent townsfolk hanged has only changed forms over time, not eroded.
The Witch, then, illustrates the perils of withdrawing from the fold in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Seeking refuge within the crowd was the only way to ensure that the mob wouldn't turn on an unfortunate soul, and in severing the family from their own, Eggers literalizes that fear. The film's eponymous consort of Satan preys upon the children of the family when they're beyond their parents' watchful eyes. Just as the madness in Salem fell apart when the colony's governor got involved following his wife's accusation, the witch surrenders her tricks once the parents learn the true nature of their kids' strange behaviors. Of course, things settled back to relative normalcy in Salem following the trials, whereas the witch of The Witch drops her front only to return in an all-out spectral assault, but that's what makes it a horror movie. The larger point here is that since time immemorial, Massachusettsians have drawn strength from the simpatico figures in their own communities.
None of this, it bears mentioning, is intended as a drag on the Bay State. All three films display the deleterious effects of closing ranks in Massachusetts, but Spotlight in particular also shows the fortification this mindset can provide. When the truth did finally come out, the outpouring of support for the survivors with the bravery to tell their stories was as inspiring as the scandal was dispiriting. (My memories of the shockwaves rippling out from the article have not faded in the decade or so since it ran.) For better or worse, Massachusetts residents tend to take care of their own. Everyone else can go fuck right off, and we mean that in the nicest possible way.


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Perhaps the biggest 'scoop' tasty fanzine got was when my friend Aline managed to interview Stuart Murdoch during a lift he gave her to a Belle and Sebastian gig in London in 2002. The interview was picked up on by a Japanese music mag, and they reprinted it. Which is perhaps the closest any of us involved in the fanzine will come to fickle fame.
Here's Aline's interview, anyway.
It is a sunny Saturday and I take the train to meet Stuart Murdoch, Belle and Sebastian's front man, who is on his way to London (sort of), where the band is recording their new album. I invite you now to be the passenger on this journey, which involved a trip to the seaside, a wedding, playing bowls ('top leisure'), some fish and chips on the pier, and of course, a very nice, relaxed chat with him. While he was driving, he managed to answer some of my questions.
I was holding the map. We were heading towards south now; the sun was still up. He put on his sunglasses…
Aline -As I said, I hope you don't find this a drag…
Stuart - No, no, you can ask whatever you want.
Which would you say is Belle and Sebastian's greatest album? Why?
Well… my favourite album is probably 'Tigermilk', although I'm fond of 'Fold your hands…' because we put so much effort into it and had a hard time finishing it… that it's almost like a piece of you… and although maybe people didn't like it so much, we learned a lot during the making of that record. We learned so much because we had to scrap it, start again, because people were disinterested, the core of the group just wanted to get on with it, but we became quite strong.
You know how some of your songs tell a story, have characters in them… to what extent are they related to real people, people you know and other people in the band know?
Well, I think personally as a songwriter, it's changed over the years. Some of the songs are quite open, you know, homage to a person, although veiled. In a lot of them, the characters certainly become fictional because they're composite of people and they might be my ideas, or ideas of friends, or somebody you just glance in the street. Sometimes you can see somebody and in an instant you get a feel of what they're like or what they happen to be going through at the moment. Sometimes this might inspire you more than knowing somebody all your life.
What about 'Put the Book Back on the Shelf'? Any stories with that one?
S- That was a long time ago… it's a bit of an unfortunate recording, that was, I hardly ever listen to it because we made some recordings that were quite ragged and that was one of them…
We'd like to play it, we played it live in Canada a couple times… Well, it features Sebastian. I'll have to remember it… (starts singing… 'Sebastian you are in a mess/you had a dream they called you king of all the hipsters/ is it true are you still the queen/). It's an absolute bulk standard B&S song… what I mean by that is ... It's pretty straightforward…it's about feeling isolated, in a group of people but feeling isolated. Being in a club and… not feeling part of the situation at all uh… being bored with what other people are doing, looking for a way out, feeling depressed, looking for anything that will cheer him up
Can you tell us a bit about the new album? I heard some of the new songs at the Glasgow Concert hall and it seems that the band is expanding? It was great to see you, Sarah and Stevie singing together as in 'Roy Walker' …
That is a feature we've been trying in the last couple of years; we can make a more powerful sound with everybody singing. And Sarah's got a really good ear for harmony so the three of us have really enjoyed working a harmony. It is a pity… I enjoyed singing with Isobel as well. I almost feel that the four of us were a good number… but… the three of us are pretty good. There are quite a few numbers on the record that features that eventual combination.
It sounds really good! Anything else about the new album… is it coming out in October?
Well, it's funny. That's about all you can say about when is an album coming out. We don't even know that, as usual is going to be 12 weeks after it's finished. But I think it's funny because it's a crunched time right now: we're going back to the studio tomorrow. In fact when I get to London tonight there'll be already some mix; it's going to be interesting to see what has been done.
If the band would invite any musician to participate in a recording of an album, who do you think it'd be?
I think there would be a difference between the group supporting an artist or somebody coming in like Monica for instance, to sing with the group. So if you ask every member of B&S they will tell you a different thing, they'd have different preferences and maybe for that reason we don't often collaborate in records. I've always wanted to do a record with Liz Cocteau, from the Cocteau Twins.
So, if it were up to you, you would maybe like to work with her?
Yeah, maybe produce a record for her.
Do you think there are any advantages or disadvantages of being in a band with so many members?
Advantages is that if you have an idea, and everybody likes it, or if at least everybody approves it, then it's bound to be okay. We've had disadvantages in the past… we've been crippled by indecision…We've been crippled by people not wanting to do the same things…and stuff like that… and logistical stuff about people wanting to work at other things and not wanting to go into… but that's all become easier.
Do you ever feel limited in B&S?
Well, if I did feel limited then I could honestly, I could look at the group and sit down and say 'I want to do this', 'I don't see why we can't do this.' Usually, the group should be able to accommodate your ideas. I didn't get the group together to go off and demand things… I want to do things with the group, that's what it is about, collaboration and stuff. Instead of feeling limited what I like to say 'how can we do this', 'let's get help'.
There's a lot of sharing of ideas, then, between the group?
Yeah, absolutely, I think we've all become comfortable, just the way that the group has evolved. I don't think anyone would feel shy about bringing anything forward. In the past we spent a long while getting comfortable with each other, because I used to write all the songs, people would be nervous to bring new ones. Now when we start, we start from scratch and we pull our ideas together and we try to develop songs between us.
What do you think is the band's main source of inspiration? You mentioned that sometimes it comes from people you see in the streets… is it the same for other band members, you think?
Yeah, everything and anything…ideas-wise I'd say, you can get a spark from anything. If I told you what's the inspiration behind certain songs, you either wouldn't believe it or you wouldn't be able to understand how I can get that from that. But that's the process, that's the way it happens. And also by the time seven people throwing their ideas together it sounds just like a mixture.
So life and music are definitely not separated?
No, no. But it must be said that pure music, melody and harmony don't come from life; that comes from inspiration. When you wake up in the morning with a tune, you know, you dreamt the tune, it comes from somewhere else. You gotta wake up write it down; you gotta note it down. It might be in a dream when you listen to this music; the trick is you have to wake up and get it down on tape. That's your idea and you can develop it later, make that dream real. That's abstract but certainly a lot of other ideas come from life.
What was the best gig you played so far?
I've got quite a few favourites. It's difficult to say what's my favourite one .there's a few in the old days and a few in the modern times. I really loved the one we did in Coachella, in Palm Springs, in the States. It was the first time, I think, that we played outdoors and we were liberated with being outdoors and everybody was in a good mood, and the sunset and the palm trees, it was just great. We had a nice time, a good laugh. And as I mentioned before, I loved the two seaside ones we did in the British tour, Scarborough and Bournemouth. Also, there are some personal moments. For instance, the second time we played in Philadelphia. We were really relaxed and I was thinking about Rocky, cause Rocky is from Philadelphia and so. I dressed up as him: I got some boxing shorts.
And you did you do the Rocky steps?
Oh yeah, cause when I was jogging, I ran into those stairs and I realised where I was and I heard the music in my head and thought 'that's how we're going to open the show tonight!' (Sings the 'Rocky' theme song). So the string players picked it up straight away and they played that and I came on, with my trainers, it was actually Mark's trainers, he fixes the keyboards. it was just funny.
I bet!
I loved it. Because I don't think the kids would have thought anything like that . I think sometimes they expect you to come on with a walking stick and walk up to the piano and sit down and start wheezing and ' fox in the snow.' (starts singing) .It's kind of
funny, you look at the kids faces cause I still had my gloves on when we were playing 'sleep the clock around', with my guitar it must have looked like I didn't have any clothes on, you know, and I'm sweating.the kids are like ' What!!?'
That must have been really good. And how was the experience of playing in the Concert Hall in Glasgow?
Yeah, it was pretty good, it just enhanced our appetite, to speak the truth. It's almost like you're half way being a caterpillar and a butterfly. We're doing the record; we're not primed to play live, we haven't really done our new set. It was a little bit polite, but it was pretty good.
What do you think of all these new bands, that you see on NME, for example. and some that are not that new, for example. The Strokes, The White Stripes? The new 'scene' or whatever you call it.
I must admit I'm the last person you want to ask. I don't think the Strokes have done anything amazing, they're not a great new thing, but I really like them, you play that in a club they get you dancing. I think I like them more than the White Stripes. I quite like The Moldy Peaches, but they're not so hip like other bands. I haven't heard much of other bands, but I heard The Vines at Glastonbury and I didn't think they were very good.
What are your favourite, top five albums of all times?
S- Well, I'm not going to be able to tell us because I'd have to think about it. I could tell you my top fifty films because I sat and worked it out before. I won't get it right. but how about. 'Poem of the river', by Felt, 'You can't hide your love forever', by Orange Juice, 'The Queen is Dead', by The Smiths. Give me a minute so that I can think about it.
Ok. are there any new bands that you appreciate?
If you asked me 10-15 years ago, I listened to a lot of music. It's funny, because I fill my head with music all day and all night. It's a protracted excuse but when I got free time to listen to music, I tend to go back to music I know I'm going to like. I don't have an appetite to listen to new music. When I was younger I used to eat it up, constantly getting new records. I really like seeing bands live in Glasgow, though. There's a band called Franz Ferdinand, for example, I was really impressed by them.
About the DVD that the band is going to release: will there be any new videos featuring in it?
I think a lot of stuff will be new to a lot of people. There are videos for every single, apart from ' I'm waking up to us'. We included a lot of stuff and we composed a kind of a video for 'The state I am in', which is new. We used a lot of footage and stuff. There's 'Waking up to us' from Jools Holland, there is 'Wondering Alone', from Jo Soares, ' I could be dreaming' from ICV, Scottish Television, from 1997, which is quite good because it's a LA documentary of the group. 'Dylan in the Movies', from New York.
Could you describe your way of dancing? Has anyone ever made any comments about it?
Somebody said they liked my dancing once. Sometimes you can really get into it. I know it's corny but if you're dancing and it's a great tune, if you know it so well, you know what the bass line is doing. Like a Stevie Wonder or a Jackson Five tune, it's almost like you want every part of your body to be playing a different instrument. There's no way to describe it, though, cause I think you dance the way you feel it.
What's the nicest B&S song to dance to?
S- I'd like to say the next one. It's an ambition of Stevie and I to make records that people can really dance to. There's one in the new record called 'If she wants me' that has got a good rhythm. It's pretty slow but kind of funky. If we get it right that might be okay.
Ping- Pong: whatever the word/idea brings into your
mind, just say it.
- Favourite cartoon: Top Cat
- Source of support: Religion, friends and family, not in this exact order.
- Meaning of life: this is a tricky one. I look around and I do think there is more to life than you can see. And if you keep thinking that then you start to think some interesting things. Why, what, that kind of stuff. Being lucky enough to have a backdrop of spirituality, it's great, it just gives another dimension to life.
- Favourite place: Glasgow
- Fans: I really like the fans. I want to put them to work. You know sometimes I feel a little bit of responsibility; you're in a little bit of a position of power. But it's the kind of power like having people around to your house, being a host. You can give people a good time, if you're a good host, and I want to be a good host. But at the same time if you have people around to your house, being able to help out and be part of the household amuses them. So I'd really like them to be part of the household as well, in the sense that you can get involved with stuff, things like treasure hunts.
- Woody Allen: I'd say genius but that's such a clichéd word. Woody Allen, for all his faults. you know, we were talking about meaning of life. if I'd name one hundred things on top of my head, he'd be one of the reasons why life is so great. he's just very, very talented.
- Favourite Book: the Bible
- Favourite food: I always love breakfast! When you're really in the mood for it, there's nothing like really good crispy fresh bread and a nice boiled egg and butter. with a good cup of tea! (But I wouldn't say no to a mission burrito, in San Francisco)
- Love: you're going to get a paragraph.
Go on.
When I used to study physics at university they used to be looking for a force, that they called a unified force. Modern physics is looking for a unified equation, to bring all these forces together, to explain how the universe works, to a simple reduction. I don't think they're ever gonna get there, the smaller they look, the more complex the problems are gonna get. I like that, because as more spirituality enters your life you want the mystery. If there was going to be unified forces. it sounds corny, but you could take a little step sideways, you might think that love is a universal force. I'm actually talking in physical terms here, if you believe in a God that created everything, you know I'm talking in abstract terms, but that's what I feel, that love is this unifying force.
Romantic love, is it 'ever' complicated?
Yes, and you wouldn't do it without it. When you get to a certain age, you got a little bit of wisdom; you got a little bit of experience. It could be a bad thing, cause you're never gonna get lots in the naivety so much, like you used to. But it's nice to sit back and see how things work between people and anticipate that kind of feeling going to happen all over again or be sad about that . if you're right in the middle of it, it could be hellish obviously but you couldn't do without it.


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As a couples' therapist in Denver, I spend a lot of time talking with people about their sex lives.
What we know from research, is about 75% of couples are dissatisfied with their sex lives and this is one of the most common reasons that couples seek counseling.
It often takes years of arguing, feeling hurt, being resentful and feeling rejected before a couple finds that they are willing to ask for help. It is vital for you to know, that sexual "problems" in relationships are normal and expected. Sexual problems offer us a chance to go deeper in our relationship, to expand our understanding of ourselves and our partner, and can be a guidepost to a MORE fulfilling, rich marriage or committed partnership
#1 Tip to Improve Your Sex Life: Medical
Get a complete and thorough physical. Before proceeding with revitalizing your sex life, it is imperative that you meet with your physician to rule out any organic cause to what is happening intimately with your partner.
If you are taking medications, talk about potential side effects with your doctor to learn if this can be contributing to your sexual problems. If you are a regular drinker, smoker, or drug user, ask your doctor how these activities might be contributing to the issues in the bedroom as well.
#2 Tip to Improve Your Sex Life: Be Fair
This as a process of discovery. Many couples want to hold on to the problem being one partners or the others. If there is a medical contributing factor, you might want to name this as the sole culprit when the truth is that the physical and always connected to the emotional.
Think about it, if you had a diagnosis of cancer, this is not purely physical — as a feeling human being, you would likely have a strong emotional response to the diagnosis which would shape your behaviors. It is the same with sexual problems that are physical…there will be an emotional response to the physical issue. The emotions that you have will organize your experience of sex, desire, and arousal.
#3 Tip to Improve Your Sex Life: Get Healthy
Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, high levels of stress, inactivity, self-hatred, and marital discord can all lead to problems in the bedroom. Take an inventory of the foundational components of your life and how they are lining up to support a vibrant and healthy sex life…or how they are not.
Ask yourself these simple questions:
- Do you get enough sleep?
- Do you get enough physical exercise?
- Are you eating a healthy and varied diet of nutrient-rich foods?
- Would you describe your level of stress as low, moderate, or high?
- Are you self-critical? Do you hate your body? Are you hard on yourself?
- How would you describe the relationship with your spouse? Healthy and vibrant? Tense and argumentative? Boring with moments of excitement?
If you have a number of life components that do not support a healthy sex life, start there and start making some changes. Ask for help if you need to or talk with a therapist about how to begin healing these aspects of your life.
#4 Tip to Improve Your Sex Life: Don't Make Assumptions About Connection During Sex
Most couples say that they feel more connected emotionally when they are having sex, however sometimes the way that they describe their intimacy often tells a different story. Ask yourself these questions:
- During sex do you feeling emotionally connected to your partner?
- If yes, how do you emotionally connect during sex?
- If no, when do you emotionally connect with your partner?
- During sex, what do you do when you lose emotional connection with your partner? What feelings arise and what do you do?
- Do you find yourself pretending that you are present during sex when you are actually thinking about other things or people? How often do you do that?
- Have you ever talked with your partner about what sex is like for you? Have you been able to hear about their experience with you in sex? If so, what did you learn from that?
#5 Tip to Improve Your Sex Life: Do More of What Works
Many couples who have issues with their sex lives spend WAY too much time focusing on having more intercourse, rather than scaling things down and starting with what works first. If you are having sex with your partner that ends in arguments, resentment and rejection, it would be wise to stop focusing on needing to have more sex "to meet your need" (or your partner's need) and let yourself be successful in other parts of intimacy like kissing or holding hands first.
Start by asking yourself the questions listed about in #5 around, for example, kissing…Are you emotionally connected to your partner while you kiss? Are you checked out while kiss? What are you thinking about? Are you feeling your partner during kissing, or are you thinking about getting to the sex part?
If you are not connected and are feeling checked out while kissing, chances are that this is also true when you are in the bedroom. Now is the time to find places that "work" in your intimate landscape and get curious about what you partner likes and doesn't like.
Bonus Tip #6: Be On The Same Team
This sounds crazy, I know, but it is imperative that you practice not taking the feedback from your partner too personally. When you come to your sex problems as a united front rather than a battleground, you will get much more traction and see meaningful and powerful change. This means creating a relationship that is more collaborative, enjoyable, and supportive…in and out of the bedroom.
If you and your partner are having a hard time being a team when it comes to sex, it is a good time to see a licensed professional or someone experienced in working with couples, relationships, and sex. Call today, 720.457.3342, or schedule a free 20 minute consultation online so see how we can help support you in having the relationship and sex life that you desire.


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Group Warns of Dangerous Toys
The Pennsylvania Public Interest Group (PennPIRG) says that lead and choking hazards continue to be among the most prevalent problems when it comes to unsafe toys. The group released its annual "Trouble in Toyland" report just in time for the official start of the holiday shopping season on Friday.
The group stresses that, despite reforms to what is allowed in manufactured toys, there are still plenty of hazardous toys on stores' shelves.
"This year, our investigators found two toys whose lead levels exceeded the current 300ppm standard set by the CPSIA, and one additional toy that exceeded its prospective 100ppm standard. We found four additional toys that exceeded the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that lead levels in toys should not exceed 40ppm," said Program Associate Alana Miller. One of those high-lead toys was a book intended for toddlers.
PennPIRG also warned against purchasing toys that contain phthalates, a chemical found in plastic that makes it flexible. Though studies of the substance are inconclusive, Miller said that it is better to be safe and stay away from potentially hazardous substances.
Fighting The Same Fight
Every year, toys that present choking hazards make the list, and this year is no different. "Choking on small toy parts, on small balls, on marbles and balloons continues to be the major cause of toy-related deaths and injuries. Between 1990 and 2010, over 200 children died from a choking incident," said Miller.
Many parents are surprised to learn that noisy toys also make the list. PennPIRG's report notes that research has shown a third of Americans with hearing loss can attribute it in part to noise. "We found one toy on store shelves that exceeded the recommended continuous exposure to 85-decibel limit, and two close-to-the-ear toys that exceeded the 65-decibel limit when measured with a digital sound level meter," said Miller.
PennPIRG has made several recommendations to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other policy makers. Among them is more funding for the regulating agencies, better reporting laws for manufacturers, and lower parts per million (ppm) standards for lead and phthalates.
PennPIRG has made a press release and the full report [PDF] available on their website. You can also see a list of the toys that PennPIRG has issued warnings for in a separate PDF.


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text:
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Also, how cute is this sunny tote from Deux Lux?! It's on sale now! And look for a giveaway coming next week on one of their fabulous backpacks!
Blouse – c/o Blush and Brûlée; Shorts – American Eagle (old); Shoes – Blush and Brûlée; Necklace – c/o Made by Mary with Love; Bag – c/o Deux Lux (now on sale!); Ring – Gorjana; Earrings – Madewell
Photos: Jordan Zobrist
Shop This Post:


text:
Ridiculously Good Olive Oil Dip
This easy and group-friendly olive oil dip comes together quickly and it never fails. I mean, who doesn't want to dip bread into an herby, garlicky, parmesan cheese infused olive oil? Jump to the Ridiculously Good Olive Oil Dip Recipe
How to Make a Dipping Oil Everyone Will Love
I'd like to say that we're good at entertaining, but it doesn't feel that way. Even though we have a whole bunch of appetizer recipes right here on this very blog, when we've got friends coming over, we find ourselves stuck on what to serve. That's where this extra easy olive oil dip comes in. It's a life saver. It comes together in 5 minutes and everyone loves it.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to roast garlic in the oven — swapping raw garlic for mashed roasted garlic in this olive oil dip would be amazing.
One of my favorite things about this is that I can swap ingredients based on what I have in the kitchen or based on who's coming. My go-to combination of flavors is something salty like capers and parmesan cheese, herbs like rosemary and lots of garlic.
I've also been known to make it spicy with some crushed red chili flakes and if I have it in the fridge a mashed up anchovy or a small squeeze of anchovy paste is delicious. If you want to add a little sweetness to the dip, add a small splash of high-quality balsamic vinegar.
Think of it as a total flavor bomb that when mixed with olive oil and bread is just the right amount of flavor to make you keep coming back for more. On that note, you might want to make a double batch. This stuff goes fast.
Chop everything into tiny bits then use a spoon to smoosh them together into a loose paste. Spoon it onto a plate then pour extra-virgin olive oil on top. Easy!
More easy appetizer ideas: check out our Creamy Tzatziki Sauce with Feta, our Ridiculously Easy Roasted Shrimp Cocktail and our popular Homemade Hummus Recipe.
Ridiculously Good Olive Oil Dip
This garlic and herb mixture is a flavor bomb. When topped with olive oil, it turns into a delicious dip for bread. Keep extra olive oil close by, you can always top up the plate with more.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 garlic cloves, or more depending on how garlicky you want it
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
Pinch sea salt, if you have it try truffle salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional to make it spicy
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Crusty bread, cubed
Finely mince the garlic and capers. Add to a bowl along with the oregano, rosemary, thyme and cheese. Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Use the back of a spoon to smoosh the herbs into the garlic and capers.
Make one or two mounds of the garlic-herb mixture on a rimmed plate. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Serve with cubes of bread.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead: Prepare the garlic-herb mixture a day or two in advance and store, covered tightly, in the refrigerator. The fresh herbs may loose some color. When ready to serve, add the mixture to a plate and top with olive oil.
- Capers: We love the saltiness capers add to the dip, but if you do not have them in your kitchen, leave them out. The dip still tastes great without them.
- Dried herbs vs. fresh: We do prefer fresh rosemary and thyme for this, but you can use dried rosemary and thyme instead of fresh. Crush the dried herbs a little in the palm of your hand before adding them into the mix. You will also want to use a little less — about 1/2 teaspoon.
- Use high-quality olive oil — we really love Partanna olive oil in the red can. It tastes great and isn't as expensive as some of the other high-quality olive oils.
- Adding a small splash of balsamic vinegar is never a bad idea.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values. We did not include bread in the calculations.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Don't Miss Our Latest Recipes
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How to Make Tender Juicy Meatballs
Our Favorite Chocolate Cupcakes (Naturally Vegan)
Ridiculously Easy Bean Salad
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Tour Our New Kitchen
Our New Kitchen
November 28, 2020, 2:16 am
Made this for Thanksgiving to go with a cheesy garlic monkey bread. It was such a big hit. OMG, I kept hearing This is ridiculously good!.I'm the type of cook that throws everything in a recipe. I added roasted almond slivers, sesame seeds and few drops of sesame oil. This recipe is killer. Dip the bread? Heck no we were all adding a teaspoon on top of our bread. Thanks so much for sharing.
November 28, 2020, 2:17 am
Forgot to give it 5 stars!
January 19, 2021, 5:48 am
Can I use normal olive instead of the extra virgin olive oil?
- January 19, 2021, 5:48 am
- November 28, 2020, 2:17 am
July 25, 2020, 10:18 pm
Love, love, love this. I need more bread! Yum!
May 30, 2020, 4:29 am
Hi! This looks delicious! I'm planning to bottle this as wedding favours but wanted to check if I can add in the olive oil the night before?
February 19, 2020, 4:20 am
this sounds amazing! found this while looking for a hummus recipe, which led me to your site, and it is being saved to my "to make" list. going to try this without the Parmesan cheese because i'm lactose intolerant. still think it will be delicious!!
February 4, 2020, 11:46 am
So easy… So good! Great with a glass of wine.
October 18, 2019, 8:48 pm
I love your recipes
July 8, 2019, 4:39 am
Wow what a fantastic find ??thank you for your sharing love it
May 20, 2019, 6:53 pm
OMG is this ever good! Made a small batch to check it out and could not stop the taste test until it was completely gone! I had never tried capers before. They are a perfect addition to oil dip. Would love to show a pic, but it's ALL GONE.
February 26, 2019, 4:16 pm
i made this last night and forgot to put the Oregano in it but OMG! I couldn't stop eating it! So delicious! Although we love garlic, i'll put one clove instead of two.
February 20, 2019, 7:56 pm
This recipe was so good! I found that romano cheese also works well, and the dip tastes delicious on toast too! I'm definitely going to be making this often!
January 4, 2019, 3:09 am
Only have dried herbs but still so good! Also help relieves my migraine so I start my morning with this 🙂
December 22, 2018, 11:55 am
I made this at Thanksgiving. It turned out wonderful and I was asked several times to share the recipe-of course I did!
December 19, 2018, 7:49 pm
Simple, yet delicious! I made it on a whim and only had dried herbs… will definitely be making this on the regular! Thank you!
November 14, 2018, 2:07 pm
Just plain delish ! Thanks for the recipe my friends all loved it.
October 29, 2018, 4:46 pm
Can you freeze this? If so, what method would you use?


text:
Ed Seykota, 2003 - 2004 ... Write for permission to reprint.
Asked Questions
Tribe Home Page ··· FAQ
Home Page & Ground Rules
Directory - How to Join ... TTP
- The Trading Tribe Process
Management ... Fractals &
Borderlines ... Subject
1-10, 2004
from Ed in Red)
Tue, 10 Feb 2004
Thoughts on
Ultimate Puropse
see: Role
of Speculators, Jan 31, 2004
From reading the
January 31st post on the trader's role, I offer the following:
The question
'what is the ultimate purpose of trading?' is basically another way of
asking "why".
The writer is
looking for a cosmic answer, looking for Truth with a capital 'T'. A noble
question, but one which, like all 'why' questions, ultimately does
not resolve within the 'why … because' loop.
memory-programmed part of the mind which asks "why" is not capable
of understanding the ultimate answer, but only capable of asking more
follow-up 'why' questions, likes kids do on long car trips, linking the
memories of answers together.
Every 'why'
question really boils down to "why am I in this situation?" but
takes many forms: "why (a) did that stock go down (b) didn't my system
work (c) am I here (d) ... etc." 'Why' is essentially always a
cry for liberation from one form of ignorance or another. As a vaccine
for the burning feeling of 'why', one might ask oneself 'why ask why?'
These deeper questions about life might be better addressed if some of
humanity's basic intentions are unbundled. A straightforward way with
ancient precedence is to declare four root intentions of human life: love,
wealth, duty, and truth. So unbundled, answers become apparent:
Love: We don't trade to experience love. The market is not your girlfriend,
wife, or mother, unless you had a very twisted mean mother. Fulfill this
goal somewhere else.
Wealth: We trade for wealth The market is a place to fulfill this one goal.
That's it. For wealth we can chop wood, carry water, make trades.
Duty: Each intends to fulfill societal duties. Each is in some situation
where duties arise. One can also agree to additional duties. Duties to one's
tribe, country, town, family, oneself. Not much to do with trading per se,
except that fulfillment of the goal of wealth makes one able to then fulfill
other duties in a grander way, and fulfilling duties keeps one's mind
clear enough and free of guilt so as to make better trading decisions. Right
livelihood can be a part of duty, following our calling, or having a talent
for one's work, motivated from a deep vision of how one's duty fits in
with the world.
Truth: Finally, the goal of experiencing Truth is most seriously pursued by
turning away from the marketplace which is always changing, looking for and
finding That which is unchanging. Many express this search for ultimate
truth by researching smaller truths: A trader, for example, looks for a holy
grail system. A scientist, for example, manifests this human intention to
find truth by looking for it in his science. He may discover many useful
truths about his subject along the way, experience temporary fulfillment, on
his way to the ultimate search and recovery of the truth about himself.
The FAQ writer is feeling the need to fulfill these other human goals in
life, and is trying to see if that can be done through trading. Essentially,
trading is one of the more fascinating ways to acquire wealth. Not love. Not
duty. Not truth.
Parsing one's basic human urges and fulfilling each brings contentment, and
undoes that mental frustration which arises when mismatching
expectations, attempting to fulfill one intention through the means of
For example, another big confusion is when one seeks truth in love. That
creates mismatched expectations too. Enjoy love in love. Love is warm and
fuzzy. Truth is elsewhere.
Celebrate trading for what it is, a means of gathering wealth, an honorable
goal, then get on with fulfilling other life goals.
Debugging and
recompiling one's personal operating system in this manner may lead to
smoother multi-tasking threads of life's experiential data flow, and
provide a concluding return( ); of the 'why' mental loop. This is my
Trading for many is introspective, one-to-one with the screen, almost like a
meditative monk in a cave.
A part of your
genius, Ed, is your realization that many drawn to trading also have a
strongly developed intention to find truth. You've developed psychological
technology which yields tangible results. A fulfilling confluence of two of
mankind's basic intentions which you've brilliantly integrated with TTP.
from intentions = results,
Your intention
for trading is accumulating wealth, so your result of trading is
accumulating wealth.
Your intention
for trading is accumulating wealth, so your result of trading is
accumulating wealth.
are Whys Guys.
see your four, maybe more.
of a Kind
two pair
Clip: http://www.earlyfishing.com/
Google Search on TT Site
Chief Ed,
Can you please consider implementing Google site-specific search on the TT
I find Google site-specific search extremely useful and convenient when
implemented on a single site such as TT. I suspect many others do also.
I am eager to search many study-specific words and phrases (quickly) on the
TT site.
Thanks for maintaining and building up the extremely thought-provoking TT
right, and timely, too. I wonder if you could study this, and suggest
how to do it, what options to elect and how it can benefit FAQ readers.
More Kelly
see: Kelly,
January 28, 2004
Hi Ed,
Let's try the coin flip example using my Kelly formula.
If heads, win $2.
If tails, lose $1.
Kelly = Average Trade / Average Win.
The average win is $2.
The average loss is $1.
The average trade is a win of $2 followed by a loss of $1 in 2 trades. So I
gain a total of $1 every 2 trades. Therefore my average trade is $0.50.
I may need to average a lot of trades to learn this.
$0.50 / $2 = 0.25 Kelly bet size.
You used $1 for average trade, but that is the average loss, not the average
I get the same answer with variable bet size.
If heads win 2x the bet. If tails lose the bet.
Average trade is 0.5 times the bet. 0.5/2=0.25.
statement, that the average trade is $.50, is ambiguous.
trade is a transaction involving a series of steps. Fifty cents is an amount
of money. They can't be equal.
ambiguity resolves with, for example, The Average Payoff of the trade
is $.50. The Bet of the trade is $1.00.
that the Kelly solution, a 25% bet size, is far larger than industry
you factor in the organic part of your trading system, you might come up
with a much lower, more palatable solution.
Sure The Additional Risk
Clip: http://www.maertens2.com/
Radial Momentum FAQ
Dear Ed,
although I'm neither physicist nor mathematician or engineer, I really find
your theory of "Radial Momentum Accounting for Lift" very
interesting. That said, I think the e-mail from June 17th, 2003 from "A
University Physicist" is exceptionally repelling.
(See: http://www.seykota.com/
(Quote) "I am not saying that the small effect is non-existent. I am
just saying that, being small, it is not very interesting, and this is why
nobody cares ... You may think that this tendency to idealization and
neglect of small features of the reality in the favor of clarity and
simplicity is just my personal trait. First of all, this is indeed my trait,
and I am happy about that. Second, this is the very essence of science. The
scientist who can do this idealization and abstraction from non-essential
features the best - is the best scientist (the same in trading). This is not
just my personal view, but, rather, I would think, view of scientific
community ... "
For me this viewpoint suspiciously smells like Karl Popper's Immunizing
Stratagem at work: The Bernoulli Principle applied to the accounting for
lift doesn't quite work. So you just neglect "small features of reality
in the favor of clarity" and alas, the theory becomes immune to
refutation. As it now cannot be refuted, it proves valid, right? Now how's
that for a scientific approach?
I also think the writer's reference to trading is quite telling and this
coincides with an observation I often make with clients who have an academic
The more thorough
(or better) it is, the more difficult it sometimes seems to be to transport
even the most simplest principles (such as trend following?).
Instead they like
to retort to fundamental analysis (which has it's merits, stocks have to be
priced and sold to be available on the market in the first place, but that's
another story) and a great number of other complex strategies.
The greater the
number of unknowns and variables, the more difficult it obviously becomes to
refute or falsify a strategy, thereby creating the illusion of it becoming
valid. "Small features of reality" are again "neglected in
the favor of clarity". I just love it.
Fortunately, a
whole industry caters to people with the tendency to see the world like
that, which undoubtedly has other economical merits. So it has a good side
as well, after all.
Thank you, Mr. Seykota for your work and inspiration and for sharing it so
Best regards
Following and Radial Momentum Theory both hold that things in motion tend to
stay in motion.
Momentum Theory confronts the physics of lift that appears in most
high school and college physics texts, and on the FAA exam.
wisdom uses Bernoulli's Principle to explain lift; I claim it just does not
holds only for air that is non-compressible, as do tractable versions of
Navier-Stokes Equation.
Momentum Theory claims that compressibility is at the very heart of the lift
of the persistence of Bernoulli in lift physics is that there is, until now,
no replacement theory for it. Another part is political inertia.
Science (the deep core stuff) changes very slowly. I
suppose that in about 30 years - enough time for young scientists to
replace the establishment - Radial Momentum Theory may find a place in the
beliefs and myths give flavor and charm to a society.
must become the change
wish to see in the world.
Clip: http://www.abundantworld.com/
Celebrating Losing
Dear Sir,
When you wrote:
Also, you might wonder if you like the markets running your personal life -
as you can only do fun things, like snorkeling, when the markets are up.
It resonates with me. All of a sudden, it all makes sense. Accepting,
embracing, celebrating losses make sense. In fact, that night, I watch a
Poker tournament on TV. Since we can actually see what the cards the players
are holding, there is that one memorable hand where I am saying in my mind
to the player (on second thought, I may be saying this to myself),
"Fold ... fold ... fold ... it's a trap ... fold ... don't call ... the
only way you can win is to fold."
That's when it strikes me - the only way you can win is to fold. That is the
first time I feel complete celebration with losses. You win by folding.
However, after the "Aha", I become confused. I think I am moving
to the
other extreme: If I celebrate losing, enjoy losing, embrace losing, will
I just end up losing, by mere self-fulfilling prophecy? If I love losing
so much, wouldn't I, one way or the other, get myself to losing so that I
win? That isn't what I want though.
Would you please kindly clarify? Thanks.
intention to win in the long run might include the willingness to take small
losses in the short run.
to loss can lead to:
holding on to
loss (in hopes of repair)
holding on to
memory of loss (rather than getting back in the saddle)
loss (and seeing its positive intentions) can be part of the process of
minimizing loss, in both your trading account and your psyche.
Loss in Song
are my Sunshine,
only sunshine
make me happy
skies are grey ...
and now you've left me
found another
have shattered all my dreams.
Clip: http://skywise.critter.net/
Mon, 9 Feb 2004
Hi Ed,
My trading is improving day by day with my hard work and the help of my
Trading Tribe. My awareness of feelings (both mine and others) is
strengthening and I notice some interesting personal characteristics. I
judge less and listen better. I communicate clearer. I enjoy the learning
Thank you for the laugh on "The
Younger Days" post on 30 Jan 2004.
Yours truly,
Primate Programming
Chief Ed,
It appears you have a very immediate, well-developed sense of humor.
Accordingly I think you might enjoy my little web project.
your company succeeds in displacing humanoid programmers with
primates, you might expect strong lobbying efforts to protect the
status quo.
might appear in typical political disguise.
for an Animals Rights to Fair Wages initiative.
System Designers
how to get the bugs out
TTP and Trend Following
Chief Ed,
I believe it is likely true that a very highly skilled TTP Receiver is also
likely to be a very highly skilled Trend Follower, and vice versa. Is this
I believe it is likely true that Trend Following is truly excellent practice
for developing great TTP Receiving skills, and vice versa. Is this correct?
is a Trend Following approach to communication.
is incidental to TTP.
Sun, 8 Feb 2004
TTP & Parenting
It seems in parenting that I seek to experience my repressed feelings by
recreating them in my children.
I am not certain
if that is a significant distinction, or if it even matters.
I recall times in
the past when I spanked my children and felt satisfaction as I witnessed
their fear and sadness.
A fear and sadness
common in my childhood. I am beginning to see how efficient I am at enabling
in them the behaviors and feelings which I judge very negatively.
Awareness always seem to be the first step. Experiencing and accepting the
feelings is next. To the extent I feel trepidation in doing so is the extent
to which I hold them in judgment.
on your willingness to see this, to experience it and to disappear it.
it disappears, you and your family stand to gain greatly.
get Handed Down
Generation to Generation.
experiencing spanking
one way to break the cycle.
Clip: http://www.angelfire.com/comics/
What markets do you trade?
Ed Says: ...what do you propose to measure to
determine your own stick-to-it-iv-ness.
Throughout your site you emphasize how important it is sticking to the
system. I notice this same theme among other seasoned traders. So, most
important factors in a trading system are likely in this order:
Risk Management
Going with trend (this entails cutting losses short)
Yet it seems that I am doing the reverse path: started out with fundamental
analysis, shifted to and still apply myself quite a lot to technical
analysis, and now I am starting to implement risk management ... So, I
guess I am almost there, not there now though. :(
might consider taking the feeling of "not there now" into the
process as a starting point.
Sat, 7 Feb 2004
Dear Ed,
The more I practice TTP, the less I have to say.
Consistent with your self pro-claimed intention, TTP itself might one day
dissolve into just another of my passing AHA's - providing yet another proof
of results = intentions.
Hoo-Woo: Celebrating a Homer
Woo-Hoo: A Homer Celebrating
to the extent you mirror the substance, tone and texture of FAQ, you help
create it's disappearance.
the Dot
notice the haze vanish
Too Much to be
be a good trader, you have to be good at doing nothing."
"Reveal enough to make it interesting, not enough
to make it boring."
You're revealing too much about trading to make it interesting, Chief.
interesting !
trading interesting, or not, is incidental to FAQ.
Sat, 07 Feb 2004
and Awareness
Sometimes we are sitting on top of great opportunities in commodities and we
aren't even aware of it.
Texas toilet starts gushing oil
returns to crude-covered home
for flushing out the facts on this one.
there's no match for it, or it could become a real hot seat.
TTP in
I have made a translation for the Process, into Portuguese, at [URL].
It's a bona fide
free translation, including the proclamations "I like to be free, the
Free Enterprise System and Capitalism; I like to profit, to save money and I
do not get into debt."
I wish to run a similar site like yours and progressively translate other
contents, like risk management, and also keep a running FAQ. Please let me
know the guidelines about copyright permission, disclosures and
certification as applicable.
am unable to locate your site.
Fri, 6 Feb 2004
Amygdala, TTP and
Non-Verbal Studies
Mr. Seykota / Chief Ed,
I thought you might be pleased to see this intriguing web site I found as a
result of searching just one word on the TT site, the word is
It's a very interesting page:
... is under, and leads to: The Center For Non Verbal Studies (overall) Home
Thanks for the TT site: the content is extremely interesting and useful to
New Haven
Mr. Seykota,
Also could you please update the New Haven tribe listing with [our new
Thanks Again,
Date: Fri, 6 Feb
Dear Mr. Seykota,
I was reading over the FAQ and saw a mention on the 1/30 section of a guy in
New Haven looking for a tribe to join.
I'm interested in getting one going. I let the old email expire (listed on
the TT web for the New Haven tribe) and have since created this new one to
handle TT related stuff. Could you please get that fellow in touch with me?
Pass his email along please? I'll check this mail once a week from now on to
make sure I do not miss anyone.
to FAQ are anonymous. I do not release their names or forward mail to them.
Contributor Profile:
Clip: http://www.doppelpunkt-pe.de/
Why Get
Dear Mr. Seykota,
Why be a trend follower when "followers" in general get
I hardly believe
in the instinct of a player and I strongly disagree with what some people
say about being given the key to inspect the market by someone who already
has it, like for instance the "turtles." (a couple of clones
who inherited a wizard's secrets).
Do you really
believe that someone may learn how to be a trader without having the
instinct in him?
I am only 20 years old, I still study in college and pay my tuition, I have
traded for about 2 years now and I have spent hundreds of hours analyzing
the weaknesses and the strengths of the market (parallel and opposite
indicators, reverse effects etc.) but what troubles me is the fact that I
feel like I haven't shaped any solid boundaries yet because I don't know how
to shape them.
Mr. Seykota, what
should I do in order to become more technical and critical in terms of
speculating and choosing stocks? I have made some very interesting picks
during my trading carrier but I still fell like a hog who might get
slaughtered any time.
What should I do,
where should I begin? What I want is to be able to spectate the system
(market) without being part of it like just another sheep that throws darts
on a board.
Thank You
avoids use of the "Why's Guy's" word, why.
don't post any evidence for your premise that followers get slaughtered.
might take your anxiety about following and getting slaughtered into TTP, as
a starting point.
/ Slaughter House
unknown, c1872)
Clip: http://www.virtualvermont.com/
Tales from the
DIM Process
(D-o I-t M-yself,
without a Tribe)
I find no happy judge Doing It Myself. I locate feelings and judge them to
be uncomfortable.
I accept the
discomfort and attempt to focus on the physical properties of the feeling. I
find it very difficult. I frequently drift off into memories and visual
images that seem to accompany the experience.
These memories and
images often point me to episodes, whether real or imagined, that alert me
to my moral weakness. That is, the feelings I judge to be 'bad'
seem to be ones in which I give in to pride, vanity, deceit, coveted ness.
It seems that the
positive intention of some of my feelings is to keep me on the path of moral
I've managed to open up a big can of worms with the DIM Process. I am
quite Judgmental.
I cannot tell whether I am making my situation worse in the absence of a
tribe or adding to my drama. I am committed to experiencing my feelings, yet
I acknowledge how much limitation there is utilizing the DIM Process.
Perhaps my drama
is attempting to accomplish an unrealistic endeavor. Hmmm, I wonder if my
trading performance expectations are a part of this drama. It would
certainly explain my propensity towards high risk.
I commit to attending the next workshop.
trying to do it all by yourself may layer-on more judgment.
Tribe can encourage you, validate your feelings, and help you find positive
intentions for the feelings you don't like.
and Your Other Feelings
have Positive Intentions
Clip: http://www.barnsley-bs.co.uk/
ref: System
"Core Equity goes from 20,000,000 to 120,000,000
in one day"
Sounds about right. It's linked to the drama of being poor one day and
wanting to be rich the next.
"your Sharpe Ratio is zero"
Commented out. Waste of time.
your approach to programming, you might be able to hire on professionally.
See: Primate Programming, above.
Feeling Void
and Empty
Hello Ed,
I have a tribe member who when I start TTP describes his feelings as being
void and empty inside. I am finding it somewhat difficult to amplify his
feelings and have him fully experience them. Would you have a suggestion how
to work with this person?
Typically when I work with TTP, a person will describe a feeling as physical
manifestation in his body, for example a knot in the pit of the stomach or
tension in left shoulder. So I ask him to amplify the feeling of tension in
his stomach, I parse it for texture, temperature, color etc help him further
develop it.
Here is a typical exchange in a hardball session with this person feeling
Receiver: X what stands between you and Y (goal)?
Sender: I am feeling void, empty inside
R: I am not feeling void or empty, could you show me how to feel void and
S: I feel nothing inside
R: how do you do that, what does nothing feel like
S: I just feel void, no feeling, no sensations
R: what does void feel like, what is the color, is it warm or cold
S; No color, no temperature, just feeling blank
R: If I were to feel blank how would I do that
S: there is just nothing, total silence, feeling void ...
Thanks for your help.
insistence that "void" have a color or temperature may indicate
unwillingness on your part to go to "void" with the sender.
might try these:
be there, endlessly, with void, for an indeterminately long moment of now.
That's kind of how "void" is.
validate, with: "Great, keep coming up with more ways to avoid going
into your feelings."
ask the sender if he is willing to experience "void." If he
says yes, encourage him to act out the experience of "void." If he
says no, ask him to locate the judge (feeling) that holds that
stuck sender indicates a stuck receiver, and an opportunity for both to work
through the issue.
tribes with several members, others can step in and receive the stuck-ness
from both the sender and receiver.
escape the Void
void dance.
Clip: www.kurthalsey.com/drawings/void.jpg
Thu, 5 Feb 2004
Mr. Seykota,
My friend ... and I sit in a 10 x 15 office all trading hours long. We
break for the golf course after this.
We are probably acting more like gamblers than traders. We do not like that
about ourselves.
We live in Naples, Florida and would make the pilgrimage to Nevada. Do you
offer seminars?
We'll await your response.
and Gamblers have a place, especially in Nevada.
hear a question to Pilgrims
uneasy feelings,
directions to Nevada
things to do,
am now planning to deliver another seminar, sometime this year. If you
can't wait until then, you can take your feelings of impatience into TTP -
or see about Private Consulting at the bottom of the FAQ Home Page.
Clip: http://www.wavsource.com/
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches,
but to reveal to him his own. - Benjamin Disraeli
I read this quote this morning in my Innerworth letter ... and I thought of
you. Thanks for everything ...
Support of Chartists
Corn Laws
Clip: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/
Thu, 21 Aug 2003
Ed Says:
general, over the life of a winning trade, long positions increase in
volatility while short positions decrease in volatility.
So, for equal price moves, the long trade has a higher signal-to-noise ratio
at inception."
Does the above hold true for equities as well as commodities? Collectively,
Fear is the primary motivator for long positions in commodities; Hope is the
primary motivator for long positions in stocks .. and vise-versa. Which
asset does the above comment refer to?
don't know of any study about a fear / hope : commodities / stocks model.
comment derives from volatility being proportional to price.
Dynamic Indicator
I am looking for algorithms that can dynamically calculate the optimal bet
size (I'm using fixed fraction) depending on the recent upside volatility. I
envisage that as the upside volatility increases, then so will the bet size.
Also, with high upside volatility the ATR stop could be reduced slightly.
Ideally, I'd like to end up with a table, something like this:
Upside Volatility - where 1 denotes that all movement is on the upside.
Upside Volatility = 0.5 - 0.59; Optimal betsize = 2%; Stop ATR = 2 ATR
Upside Volatility = 0.6 - 0.69; Optimal betsize = 3%; Stop ATR = 1 3/4 ATR
Upside Volatility = 0.7 - 0.79; Optimal betsize = 4%; Stop ATR = 1 1/2 ATR
Etc etc.
Could you point me in the right direction?
is a function of the rest of your trading system.
can get some indications of what is right for you by simulations.
Thu, 05 Feb 2004
Fort Lauderdale
Lauderdale !
Tribe Directory
is a Beach
Wed, 4 Feb 2004
The Rules For
Being Human
Hi Ed !
On seeing this I think of TTP
The Rules For Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours
for the entire period of this time around.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school
called Life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn
lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Growth is a process of trial and error: Experimentation. The
"failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the
experiment that ultimately "works."
4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in
various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can
then go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not
contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6. "There" is no better than "here." When your
"there" has become "here," you will simply obtain
another "there" that will again look better than "here."
7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about
another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you.
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up
to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to Life's questions lie inside
you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.
about adding a # 6. b: There
is no other time than now.
Risk - Another
Hi Ed !
I was particularly attracted to the first sentence of the last paragraph of
the article on LIVING
One of the trickiest problems in dealing with an uncertain future is
people's seemingly irrational response to it.
is incidental to Trend Following.
Wed, 4 Feb
Overtrading ...
I trade intraday breakouts, a real simple system: trade 55 periods breakouts
on 5 min charts, take a stop (test it) and get out just before the close
... it works on a lot of futures, so I am satisfied with it.
When you follow a system sometimes you get bored ... 4 or 5 years ago
I traded only discretionarily and was a "break-even" trader, with
a lot of "concentration" stress.
You watch the system do its work, and you get bored, so you think: well I
see an (arbitrageur) opportunity and enter the market with a stop.
Then you lose, again, you lose again, again and again, you don't accept the
loss and you keep on seeing new chances to make money.
In the meanwhile your (my) system took only one trade with a profit. But
because I was overtrading it didn't help. My system made 7% last month, and
my result
was -8%.
I think it is the best that you lose in those circumstances, because than
you will not become overconfident and you realize quickly to return to your
(boring, but profitable) systems ... It takes perhaps 3 months to get on the
same level as 1 January ... that is difficult too.
I hope I help some of your readers Ed.
Best Regards,
don't know how to test a stop without executing it.
you are willing to experience boredom, it passes through.
you are unwilling to experience boredom, Fred finds ways to make your life
to Fred
Clip: http://www.football-crazy.de/
Tue, 3 Feb 2004
Visit to NYC - All Day Session
Hi Ed,
The New York City tribes had an all day TTP / Hardball session this past
Saturday. I have been in email correspondence with ... the Chief of one of
the NYC intentional communities, and he graciously invited me to come up
from Austin for the session. Since the Austin group is new and rather
inexperienced I thought there would be a lot of value, both personally and
for the Austin tribe, in interacting with a more established group. I did
attend, and I am writing to report to you and FAQ the experiences of that
It is 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, a cold clear New York day. We gather in a
studio space provided by one of the tribe leaders. We make our introductions
and begin to get to know one another while waiting for all the participants
to arrive. Once everyone is gathered we proceed to check in and then divide
into smaller groups and work on our dream snapshots.
Dream Work is invigorating as we, in turn, send and receive to help one
another clarify the core feelings, sensations, and visualizations that the
dream embodies. I feel that I now have a clear vision and feeling of my
"dream state". I have a name for my dream, and I can experience it
presently just by recalling that "label". It is as if I have it on
file and can experience the feeling of having my dream by simply pulling the
file and opening it up. I am working toward having that particular file
constantly open in the background of my experience at all times. Amazing.
After the dream work we break for lunch. When we come back in the afternoon
it is time to play Hardball. We again break into a few groups (different
ones from the morning groups) and begin the Hardball Process. This is really
an eye opening experience. I think I got as much from receiving others as I
did being on the hot seat myself. I thought I had worked out my goal very
clearly in advance, and I would breeze through the session without much
alteration to my goal. Through the process I realized that my
"goal" is merely a safe harbor and distraction from what stands
between me and my real goal. I thought that I wanted to accomplish one
thing. In retrospect, I have really accomplished that already, so it felt
very comfortable to have that as a goal. There is another set of feelings
standing between me and my actual goal. Through the Hardball Process I
experience those feelings and now I am free to focus my intention on my
I give a big thanks to every NYC Tribe member. The experience was more than
I expected and it is great to know you all. I have much to experience with
my Tribe here in Austin thanks to you. What a wonderful
thing this is.
Tribe has its own way.
between Tribes is a good way to share methods and extend the work.
Clip: www.nestbox.com/
Wed, 04 Feb 2004
More Questons
see: Questions
Jan 16, 04
Dear Mr. Seykota,
Ed Says: 3. The
market conditions are: up; down; sideways. The appropriate
corresponding trading postures are: long; short; out.
How can you catch the trend being out of the market? I hope you are well. As
always: thank you for FAQ.
the trend is already in progress, one way to get on board is to enter a stop
order just outside the recent trading range.
a trend is not currently in process, you can enter a stop order outside the
long-term trading range.
on penetration of resistance,
on penetration of support
ignore targets.
Clip: www.incrediblecharts.com
Useful Gauge
Hi Ed !
Here's a useful gauge for trading dashboards if there is no more precise
measurement available.
popular feeling meters are the neck, the forehead and the gut.
Experience Storage Sites
Clip: www.ozone8.com/
TT Phoenix
The Arizona Trading Tribe is currently a tribe of two. [Name] and I met for
the first time yesterday and discussed our understanding of TTP. We will be
holding our first TT meeting on 2/13/04.
If you are able to include this information in your next FAQ that would be
great. Additionally, if you have any words of wisdom for us they would be
on getting a Tribe up and running.
words of wisdom and stimulating questions, see contributions on the left
side of the FAQ pages.
Two Silly Observations
1) FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions is passive tense as it masks the persons
who are asking the questions
2) TTP is also a stock (Titan Pharmaceuticals) traded on the AMEX. It rose
from $1.5 in Jan 03 to a high around $4.5 in Jan 04.
The S in SVO-p refers to the subject of the sentence, not the name of the
I find no quotes for symbol, FAQ.
Mon, 2 Feb 2004
Man or Machine
Dear Mr. Seykota,
First, I would like to thank you for all that you are doing! I just recently
joined the Salem, Oregon Tribe and we just had our first "hot
seat" meeting last Saturday. I have two questions:
Do you have or are there materials available that will help us to be
proper receivers and senders? I want to get the most out of it and would
appreciate any guidance or additional direction.
Secondly - once a person has put Fred into place, are a lot of the systems
out there sufficient or are only a small number of them actually successful
over the long haul.
I would hate to
get Fred in his place and then trade on a flawed system or indicator. I like
support and resistance lines, EMA's, Bollinger Bands, that sort of thing.
Please advise -
Thanks again and may you find what you seek.
can find a lot of material on this site. I am now working on a book
about TTP, for publication later this year.
of the best ways to master receiving is to keep trading roles, sending and
receiving, in your tribe meetings.
place in which you might put Fred is in close communion with CM.
people use their systems to deliver what they really want.
An AHA about AHA's
Dear Mr. Seykota,
I am here to happily report my very sore muscles, thanks to Hardball / TTP.
Even though it is so sore that I just want to be nothing but a couch-potato.
I am excited about the experience. I feel that this is an important step
towards celebrating all my feelings, "good" or "bad."
I am wondering, however, is there an "Aha"? Hmmm, I can't think of
any. I am guessing that TTP is not just about Aha, perhaps it is the process
that counts? Just like sex, it is not only about orgasm, but more
importantly enjoying the process? (Sorry, I can't think of other examples)
Is this already an aha?
Fred and CM connect, you may experience a momentary AHA and a flash of
Mon, 02 Feb 2004
2004 Proclamations Update -
and typo
I wish to correct several typos in my previous submission. As there are
several, I will resubmit the entire letter below.
I will also take
into consideration your yet to be made suggestion of examining my
feelings concerning thoroughness and taking the time to do things
Dear Ed,
As always, I give my permission to publish all, some, or none of the
following: I am writing in to give an update to my 2004 proclamation.
Similar to my equity curve, my commitment to my proclamation experiences
some drawdowns, but overall the trend is UP.
I am one of the tribal chiefs who are waiting for a tribe to appear, so I
am not yet able to enjoy the process in a group setting. My
understanding of the Tribe and the process comes from reading FAQ. Before I
started my tribe, I had feelings of nervousness and trepidation about what
would happen / what if no one shows up? (Tightness around the chest &
tingling like little needles across the back of my neck, skin tightening
along my forearms.)
I believe intentions = results.
So I start my tribe and almost instantaneously find my answer.
I am a part of tribe, currently a tribe on one. I am a part of another
tribe, my family. I am also a subset of a larger tribe, the community I live
in. In this way I am also part of the tribe that is FAQ.
Allowing myself to feel the fear of being a tribe of one, (by taking the
action and directly experiencing the feeling) also has allowed me to
experience the joy of being a tribe of one.
I don't mean to sound trite about this; but it has been profound for me. As
soon as I allow myself to feel the feeling (hit ENTER to send email) I move
on to the next emotion. I feel I am a tribe of one. I am a trader, and I
follow trends. All of these feelings feel good to me. The tingling in my
neck, arms and chest pass, and is replaced by a feeling of lightness. Less
gravity is the best I can say it. I could go on but I think I have made my
point. I offer this to the community in that it may help someone else who is
on the verge of declaring their tribal affiliation. I have received many
insights from reading FAQ and I wish to contribute.
On a related note: Since I resolve the drama of wanting to be part of a
tribe, I am moving on to new feelings. Being a good receiver is something
I practice now continually. I originally think I need to be a good
receiver so I will recognize my tribe when we meet. The unintended
consequence is so much more wonderful! My tribe is still out there in the
non-existent future. I am here receiving what is in front of me in the
present. And as Maxwell Smart used to say, "and loving it".
There have been many small AHA's from receiving my family and community.
There is great joy for me in noting how easy this is, once I stand aside
and let it happen. I also notice that the people I encounter seem much
happier to be received.
Lastly, I offer up the example of the traffic lights. Specifically,
the cross-walk indicators. Another of my proclamations is to be true to my
system and follow signals.
Upon deciding to
receive my surroundings in their entirety, I discover that the cross-walks
are talking to me. As we are all aware, they talk to everyone but most
people don't listen - they just cross when they see and perceive an
opportunity. I believe this is how most people trade. But I have a system
and sticking to the signals is a big part of it. So I resolve to pay
attention to the signals and follow them. So easy to say, so hard to do.
Until it isn't.
In the beginning I
stare at the signal, waiting for it to turn green. As you would expect,
people all around me jump the signal and start to cross. One goes, then two
more, then five. It is herd mentality at work. I feel the crowd working on
me, urging me to violate my signals. To me it feels like being at the beach
in the water facing the shore, and a wave comes along behind pushing me
along with the crowd.
By experiencing
the signal, I feel the crowd. I let myself feel the pressure on the back of
my legs. I practice. I look forward to signals for a chance to practice my
"signal - patience".
I celebrate the
pressure on the back of my legs. It becomes easier, and the tension passes.
I like waiting for signals now. I still feel the pressure on the back of my
legs when the crowd starts to move, but
it is not as intense, and I feel lighter while I wait. " Less
gravity," again.
I feel this particular exercise has directly helped my trading. I think so
because my equity curve says so. All of this without attending a single
tribe meeting! I can only imagine what is to be gained from a tribe to share
the process with.
As always, thank you for the work you put into FAQ.
Warmest regards,
you can practice receiving, just in the process of life itself.
another tribe for a while and attending a workshop are other ways to get the
hang of the process.
Sun, 1 Feb 2004
Family Tribe
Says: When you release having to control others, you set yourself free.
Ed, yesterday we made our eighth meeting and feelings started to flow. As I
grant complete freedom to others I start to find freedom for myself. Thanks.
Your remark is quite punctual as I happen to be involved in a long-standing
recurring power struggle drama with someone else.
We have very
strong views, opinions and sheer determination for a quite balanced and tied
might consider what is standing between you and converting your power
struggle (pushing against someone) into personal power (pushing with
of Power
you work together
Clip: www.pighealth.com/