After starting this blog, many people have asked me about Forex and if I would be willing to help them get into this exciting market.
Let me tell you, now is the time to start trading Forex. When unheard of volatility in the markets today, HUGE profits are being made in the Foreign Exchange market.
If you are interested in getting into Forex to make some extra money for college, or maybe to actually earn an income, I can help.
I can help you: -Set up a practice account -Give you resources to get educated and comfortable with the market and software you'll be using -Make the jump into trading a Live Account -Purchase and start using an Expert Advisor -Give you my personally tested settings for the EA -Even help you set up VPS service to run the EA full time on
Please Email me at Mtravis100 @ gmail.com with the subject Mike's Blog: Forex.
A few days ago I started renting a Virtual Private Server (VPS) to host my Forex Expert Advisor on. This allows me to run the Robot on my Metatrader 4 live account 24/7 with (virtually) no down time. Virtual servers are the best way to make sure you are getting the most out of your EAs. I am in the process of switching brokers because i didn't like the fluctuations in spread sizes with my last broker, so within about 3 days (the amount of time required to process an eCheck) I will have a significant amount of money in a live Forex account, being profitably traded 24/7 without any interaction on my part aside from changing settings as I see fit.
With even conservative settings this robot can profit about 5-10% a week. It has been reported that some accounts have even doubled in a weeks time. That's 100% profit in 7 days. Not a bad return.
Anyway, I should be trading live on the VPS server within a few days. Ill be sure to post my progress.
Since several people have asked me about starting to trade Forex, I thought I would post some important ideas involved in this exciting market.
But first, before anything else, you need to understand that the making money in the Forex market is NOT as easy as many sites/brokerages want you to think. Foreign Exchange trading involves many considerable risks that other types of trading do not. I'm going to list a few key things to keep in mind when beginning to trade Forex.
Forex Scam
Although Forex Scams have all but completely cleared up in recent years, it is still important to do some research before choosing a broker. Check that they are registered with the appropriate government agencies. If you are trading through a US broker, they should be registered with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or be a member of the National Futures Association (NFA).
Basic Exchange Rate Risk
When trading Forex, it is important to remember that you are literally trading one currency for another. Think of it this way: if you traded your entire USA $ life savings for an equivalent amount in the Yen and the next day, the Chinese stock market crumbles having a drastic depreciating effect on the Yen. You're beat. Now obviously this example was exaggerated but you get the idea. Mid trade a country may cut/raise a key interest rate and have a horrifying effect on your account. Also, this effect is multiplied as you will read next.
Leverage
Leverage is the double edged sword that lures people into the Forex market. Leverage is the ability to manipulate a whole lot of money, with just a little money. Mini and Micro accounts will sometimes offer up to 400:1 leverage. This means that with $100 you can trade $40,000 worth of currency. A little scary right? Brokerages use leverage because, unless you are trading very large amounts of currency, the fluctuations in the Forex market are negligible. Remember, in Forex, currency pairs fluctuate by Pips (usually 1/100 of a cent). Leverage multiplies both your Profits and your Losses, so be cautious!
Foreign Interest Rates
Another thing to keep in mind is foreign interest rates. Sometimes, when a trade is not closed during normal market hours, the currency you sold may increase in value slightly due to that country's interest rate. This will have a negative effect on your profits. This risk, however, is easy to avoid by closing all trades during the respective markets open hours. Note: Interest Rates can also have positive effects on your trade as well.
Stop-Loss Orders
Stop-Loss orders are a very important way to limit your losses when trading Forex. A Stop-Loss order is one that will close an open trade on a currency pair at a specified magnitude of loss. These types of orders are used in conjunction with Limit orders that will close a trade at a specified level of profit. Both are used very frequently in trading systems. Stop Losses are important in avoiding the dreaded Margin Call.
Margin Call
A Margin call occurs when an open trade moves so far against you that a broker must close the position out because you have exceeded the balance of your account in the loss. In other words, your trade sucked so bad that it wiped out your entire account balance. This is every traders worst nightmare, but easy to avoid by monitoring personally or by using a stop loss.
Spread
During a normal day of trading, a currency pairs Spread may vary from 1-2 pips all the way to 10 pips, depending on the pair. Just keep in mind that it is much harder to profit from a trade when spreads are excessively high.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me just give you a few reasons TO trade Forex.
The Forex Market is the most liquid in the world.
Execution rates are very high because of this liquidity
No Middle Men.
Leverage is extremely powerful when used correctly.
No Commissions, just the Spread. Overcome the spread, and the rest is all your own profit.
24 hour market. Trade 6 days a week, all day.
Mini and Micro trading accounts are great for beginners.
Charts, analysis, and software are abundantly plentiful, making analysis easy and fun.
If you're intrigued by the Forex market, the BEST advice i can give you is to get a free practice account and start teaching yourself. No one instantly understands this market, it takes time and patience. Once you are trading a practice account profitably for 4-6 months, throw down some of your own money, but only put down what you can afford to lose. BabyPips
"This is the site i use to trade stocks. They offer extremely cheap trading at only $4.50 a trade. Compare that to Etrades $17 trades and other sites take commission on each trade. Check out zecco for competitively priced stock trading."
Invest the smart way with Zecco Trading. Stock trades cost just $4.50. Get 10 free trades per month with a $25,000 balance or 25 trades/month. No account minimums or inactivity fees. Member FINRA/SIPC.
Lets be honest here, have you ever blacked out while drinking?
Well, lets just say your not alone. According to a study in Australia, 39 percent of women and 52 percent of men black out every year. But then again, the people in the study could drink legally and are therefore less influenced by binge drinking habits of underage drinkers.
High School and College drinking habits are arguably as abusive of the substance as those of hardcore alcoholics. All the drinking games and rituals associated with underage drinking are specifically designed to encourage teens to get drunk as quickly as possible.
Let me start by defining the term Blackout. A Blackout is a type of amnesia caused by the intake of excessive amounts of Alcohol. More specifically, a high Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) can hinder the brain in the process of transferring short term memories into long term memories.
Research has shown that there are two types of blackouts.
Fragmentary or Partial Blackout
Fragmentary Blackouts are the most common form of drunken amnesia. This type of blackout is characterized by an ability to recall only certain events or situations during the the period of intoxication. The blackout might not be apparent to the person until they are later made aware of events or situations they were involved in that they do not remember. At times, identifying a person who is partially blacked out can be difficult as the person may still be coherent and holding conversation or even performing challenging tasks. The blackout may not become apparent until the next morning when the "gaps" in memory are discovered.
Complete or En Bloc Blackouts
En Bloc Blackouts are less common and more dangerous than fragmentary ones. These are characterized by an inability to later recall any memories from the intoxicated period. A person Completely blacked out is usually able to easily remember everything that has happened within the past 2-5 minutes, however, anything beyond that was never committed to long term memory. Like fragmentary blackouts, Complete blackouts can sometimes be hard to identify as the person may be involved in conversation, behaving as any fairly intoxicated person might. Often, however, a complete blackout is largely apparent to others as the person may be acting out of control or very unlike their sober selves. En bloc blackouts usually are realized the next morning as the period of intoxication usually does not end before the person falls asleep.
Causes of Blackouts
Blackouts occur most frequently when alcohol is consumed rapidly and excessively. In other words, rapid escalation of ones BAC is the usual mandate for any kind of blackout. The consumption of alcohol affects the way the brain processes information in many ways. First the alcohol affects the Prosencephalon or the forebrain. The forebrain controls motor skills and coordination as well as decision making. Soon after ones motor coordination and decision making abilities are impaired, the alcohol begins to affect the mid brain and the hippocampus. This is where memory formation is disrupted. As a drinker consumes more and more alcohol, the hippocampus is less and less active. It has been shown that at high BAC levels, hippocampal cell activity almost completely ceases. So next time you're getting tanked, think about your hippocampus; who knows maybe you'll remember what you did that night!
FYI:
Alcohol has been shown to particularly effect a person's ability to form explicit memories like facts (ie names, phone numbers, etc) and events. This is where your hippocampus comes in.
Research has shown that blacking out could be influenced by genetic factors. I guess I'll have to warn my kids when the time comes...
Fun Facts!
The worlds oldest known recipe is for beer. Awesome!
A BAC of .35 is equivalent to a surgical anesthetic.
“The Star Spangled Banner,” was written to the tune of a drinking song.
The first recruiting station of the U.S. Marines was a bar.
It is illegal to feed alcohol to Moose in Alaska and fish in Ohio.
A friend of mine recently wrote a post in his blog about how to do a handstand. Being less interested with fitness and more interested in Beer, i thought i would write my own version of his post.
First, read Luke's how to do a handstand post. The art of the keg stand requires similar skills and coordination as a hand stand (not really). There are several important aspects to a keg stand.
First, make sure that the keg is flowing correctly. Too much foam can ruin even a professional kegstander's attempt. If the keg is foaming excessively, this might not be the best time to show everyone your skills.
Once you have a nice cold keg serving up straight beer you can make your move. In order to perform this great feat, you will need 2 or 3 friends to assist.
Grab the keg by the handles directly across from each other. Hold on tight and use your upper body to hold you up as your friends raise the rest of your body by your ankles. Depending on your weight, either one or two people will have to hold you up. The ideal keg stand angle is approximately 50 degrees, however, the angle of your stand depends on the strength and level of intoxication of your friends.
Once you are in the air, your other friend will gladly insert the tap's nozzle into your mouth holding it open and occaisionally pumping the keg allowing you to guzzle down as much cheap beer as possible. As part of the keg stand ritual, onlookers chant the number of seconds the person has been chugging for. Sometimes, but not always, the person(s) holding the ankles may pump the kegstander's legs to the chant.
The involvement of the onlookers as the instigators allows for a sufficient level of peer pressure so as to make the kegstander chug as much as they possibly can and, consequently, get as intoxicated as they possibly can.
The stand is ended by the kegstander shaking one of their legs or giving a nod of the head. At this point, the newly drunk is lowered down to their feet and usually unleashes an impressive burp releasing the built up CO2 gas from the massive quantity of delicious carbonated beverage they have just consumed.
Advanced Techniques:
As you train and study these magnificent art, you may advance beyond they basic Kegstand on to more and more advanced techniques.
The Two Person Stand
This type of kegstand can actually be performed in an unlimited number of ways. This type of stand requires the person doing the keg stand to be able to support their lower body without the assistance of friends. The person can still have a friend holding the tap in their mouth to free both hands for upper body support.
The Unassisted Stand
The Unassisted Keg stand is more advanced still than the two person. This requires not only the kegstander to support their lower body and upper body as well as hold the tap open in their mouth for the duration of the chug.
The Keg Handstand
This is one of the most advanced Keg Stand Technique known to man. This involves supporting your whole body using just your upper body strength on the handles of the keg and using only your mouth to handle the tap. This is extremely challenging for several reasons. First of all, i can't do a handstand to begin with, second of all, alcohol, especially in abusive consumption situations like college parties, affects ones balance severely. I have only seen this done by a couple of people that take their partying very professionally.
Notes:
When Keg Standing competitively, the flow rate of the keg is very important and must be agreed upon prior to the stand.
Girls. Beware, horny boys will look up your skirt if you choose to Keg Stand in a skirt.
With the 4th of July just past and one of the worst hangovers of the summer, I thought I would post something exciting for all you party animals. The kegerator, in my humble opinion, is one of the greatest inventions this country has every seen. Arguably better than Alexander Bell's stolen idea for the telephone, the kegerator combines convenience, practicality, and beauty.
In order to build your own kegerator, you are going to need a lot of supplies. When listing these supplies I'm going to give you two options, one for the poor college students I know most of you are, and one for the ballers out there that don't care how much they spend and just want to make something awesome.
Materials:
1. Fridge.
Now there are several ways you can go about making a kegerator. The way you choose is largely dependent upon the type of refrigeration you decide to use.
College: Basically any refrigerator you can find that stays cold and can fit a keg. A full keg (or a half keg) is approximately 23.5 inches tall (about 2 feet) and about 16 inches in diameter. When picking out your refrigerator, make sure that you can fit these dimensions with at least a few inches to spare horizontally, and about 5 inches vertically. Otherwise, you could do a lot of work to find out that your keg coupler wont fit inside the fridge. Cost: $0-$100
Ballers: Now, for the ballers, this is largely dependent on how balling you want to be. I would recommend the chest freezer conversion. Though this is slightly more complicated as it involves changing the thermostat inside the freezer to allow it to refrigerate, it is worth it. Changing the thermostat is fairly straight forward. All a thermostat does is short two connection wires together when it needs to cool. You could do this two ways, taking a thermostat out of a refrigerator to replace it or buying an external thermostat ($50). With this set up, you could have two full kegs on tap and the possibility of another 1-2 soda kegs if that tickles your fancy. Cost: $300-$700 (thermostat included)
2. Hardware.
Once again there are a couple of ways to go about purchasing the hardware for your kegerator. The easy way is to buy a kit that includes everything you need. The other way is to go on down to the hardware store and pick it out yourself.
College: Tubes: You'll need about 5-6 feet of thin clear tubing (3/16"); if you can spare the extra $0.50 per foot on the food grade stuff, do it. It will make your beer foam significantly less, but don't ask me why. Cost: $5-10
CO2 Tank: Buy the 10lb tank. This will last you about 10 full kegs. Cost: $60-80 (refills $5-10)
Regulator: Yes you need a regulator unless you want your kegerator to explode, foam indefinitely or just suck in general. The dual gauge regulator will tell you the pressure (PSI) in the keg as well as how full the CO2 canister is. Cost:$50-70
Keg Coupler: This is used to connect the line from the CO2 tank to the keg. The coupler allows CO2 into the keg and beer out. Buy one with a pressure relief valve. It helps when initially tapping and trying to get the right pressure. More importantly, it is safer; it allows excess gas out of the keg if the pressure exceeds a certain threshold (about 50 PSI). Lets be honest here, you have no idea what your doing, so safety precautions are always good. Cost:$30-50
Shank: This is the piece that actually goes through the door. Buy a decent one with a nipple hose to prevent leaking. This piece connects the actual beer hose from the keg to the faucet. Cost: $10-20
Faucet: This is what is actually dispensing the heavenly liquid into your cup. Stainless steel is always good and a ball washer allows for smooth, repeated operation. Cost: $20-30
Ballers:
The set up for a more sophisticatedkegerator is almost identical in schematics. The Ballers will still need everything listed above however there is some leeway in the quality of products they can purchase. Below i will list some materials that will go nicely with the chest freezer conversion kegerator.
Beer Draft Tower: A Draft Tower will allow you to dispense both of your kegs from parallel taps. Cost:$100-200 CO2 Mounting Bracket: This will enable you to neatly mount your CO2 tank(s) to the back or sides of your kegerator. Cost:$20-60
Dip Tray and Drain: This will drain out all the excess beer that doesn't quite make it to your mug. Cost: $30 for tray; $50 for drainage
The Dual keg, chest conversion will also require 2 CO2 Tanks (trust me its easier this way), 2 regulators, 2 keg couplers, and twice the amount of tubing. (duh...)
The rest isn't as complicated as you might think. Ill try to make it as straight forward as possible.
1. Drill a hole in the front of the fridge where you want your faucet to go. This hole should be just large enough for the shank to fit. Be Careful! Use caulk or some other sealant to prevent cold air from leaking out if necessary 2. Connect about 2-3 feet of tubing to the keg coupler. 3. Connect the regulator to the CO2 tank, tightly! 4. Connect the naked end of the tubing to the nozzle of the regulator. Tighten.
If you have enough room, you can simply leave the CO2 tank in the fridge with the keg.
5. Connect another 2 feet of tubing to the out terminal of the keg coupler. Tighten well, leakage is bad! 6. Connect the out tube from the keg coupler to the shank. 7. Assemble and connect your faucet. 8. And voila, Tap your keg!
Notes:
Make sure everything (fridge door, keg coupler, CO2 Regulator, etc.) is sealed very tightly. Wasting energy on the fridge is expensive and same with the CO2.
Set the regulator on about 12 PSI. Feel free to mess with this to get your optimal flow rate. The pressure at the faucet will depend on how much beer is in the keg, what PSI is in the keg and how much tubing is used. Mess with the regulator until you find a good flow rate and leave it at that.
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