Friday, June 24, 2011

The Birth of Swooon

            Before I post a single idea, thesis, analysis, or any of that sort, my deepest thanks goes to @StockCats , @Tr8r_x  ,  and  @TradeWithRage for giving me the confidence, as well as the name, for this blog. My twitter name is @swooon, and I was helping with some technical analysis, and, brilliantly, they came up with the term, Swoonalysis. Thank you guys.

                      I am a fairly inexperienced trader, recently blessed with receiving a position at a trading desk in New York City, and I am looking to bring my scientific passion for;  technical analysis, crowd psychology, perceived value, volume manipulation, supply and demand, and, most significantly, individual psychology , to the next level. Every Day. I will have completed my stock market education when I will have completed my life, or I decide to commit financial and emotional suicide. 
               I am 22 years old, am married, and cannot begin to explain how wonderful of angel my wife is. I wish all who read this, as well as those who do not, a wife as supportive, beautiful, understanding, smart, and did i mention supportive? As she. You see, I am in the midst of recovering from a severe serious of brain surgeries. I was diagnosed at age 17 with fatal hydrocephalus. This is ( believe me, if I didn't have it, I would have never heard of it either) when a significantly large tumor is blocking the ventricle which serves as the exit points for cerebral, and all brain fluids. In other words, the mass of fluids that are entering and exiting your brain every second, enter through one ventricle, and exit through another. My tumor was 7 times larger than "normal", and was completely obstructing the exit ventricle. This cause deadly buildup of fluids, causing my brain to swell drastically. As it cannot be detected physically, this was going on for many years without my knowing. I will start from the beginning.  
    When I was in the seventh grade, there was a day that I could not attend school due to abnormal head/neck pains. Dismissing it as a normal headache, I stayed home. I was watching a segment on ESPN that day about a basketball player from Duke who had hydrocephalus, and had severe brain swelling, and after making a miraculous recovery, was now beginning to re learn to play again. He described his symptoms as having very painful, headaches lasting the day, blurry vision, nausea, and sensitivity to bright lights. I shut the TV.
                       I am now 17 years old. It is summertime. I was in a traveling camp in the Israel, and I was pretty much on my own. It was a very active camp, consisting of a stay and experience  in every corner of Israel in a matter of 6 weeks. I, however, had no strength to do anything. Every stop consisted of me sleeping or vomiting, or both, on the bus or in the room of an inn. My friends all made fun of me, calling me a party pooper. I experienced severe headaches, extreme blurry vision, nausea, fatigue, and sensitivity to bright lights. I attributed it to homesickness, middle eastern heat waves, and my obsession with drums and sports. 
                        I came home to New York, and everything got worse. I had endured headaches that made my whole body scream, and the blurry vision, wow. You know how if you don't get a haircut for a bit, and a hair from your bangs gets in your eyes? Well, I kept trying to brush it away. But it was not a hair. Finally, one day, I remembered what I saw on TV, I felt the pain. I went over very calmly to my mother and said, " mom, please take me to a doctor, I am dying". She thought I was crazy, but she took me. At the doctor, my eyes were checked thoroughly, as they are the windows to the brain, and nothing was found. He asked me my symptoms, and I told him everything. He as well attributed it to the heat, my drumming, and my activities in sports. My hand was on the doorknob and I received a call from my mother. She asked me if I told the doctor about the blurry vision. Ok, everything except for that. I went back and told him. He at once said I must go for an MRI. Being as it was Labor Day weekend, I was not able to secure an MRI appointment that day, so I  made on for a week later. 5 minutes later, the neurologist phoned me explaining if I rush over, he will come in to the office for me. I went. I was diagnosed with a 30%  chance to live. The top neurosurgeon  in NY was on vacation, so we scheduled the surgery for 3 days later. I would stay in the hospital. 
However, the fluids were now dripping into my line of vision, and I was no longer capable of seeing. Another surgeon evaluated me again, and came to the conclusion that it was either death or emergency surgery that morning. 
               To make a really really long story not as long, I was explained after a successful surgery that I had exactly one day to live. So many things fell into place magically. Yes, there were more surgeries, and  many many and still are severe changes to my life and complications, but here I am, alive and well. 
                         I was given a new life, and this is what I want to devote a lot of it to. My passion is the workings of the stock market, price,volume,technical analysis. Why? This is what I love? 
Yes. Because it all boils down to simplicity. It is one of the most complex organisms  in the world, but it is driven by one simple thing: 
                  Emotion. Fear, greed,desires,hopes and dreams. This is all what is price action. technical analysis. Volume analysis. This is my first post. I hope to bring you all I have got, and more. So many on twitter and in books and on blogs, sites, and networks. are so skilled, so classy, so generous in sharing knowledge, that it is my duty to do my part for you.
              I devour every tidbit of education I can get, every book,article,video,and thesis, on the stock market I can get my hands on. Particularly the mysterious subject of tape reading/volume,price action. I have so much to learn, and when I am surrounded by such traders as these, i can not wait to take on the next challenge:  @kunal00, @urbanryno, @sangluccitrades, @zortrades,  @traderstewie  @Szaman @Stop_Hunter  @IMBIDHITTER @gtotoy @paulwoll @Elricadon @chessNwine  @The_Real_Fly @SPYder_Crusher @TraderFlorida @FibLine  @TradeWithRage @Tr8r_x @StockCats , @1nvestor @idrinkchai @SPEEROTHEKID @chicagosean @Elricadon  and many more I will post a list of all the greats .

                    This community of traders is like no other in the world. No other profession is connected by shear instinct, gut, uniqueness,healthy skepticism, individuality, and, most importantly, attitude. For many not so subtle reasons, that is our bond. And I intend to work my ass off to strengthen in every day.  
                       Thanks, 
                                              Jason

4 comments:

  1. I’m white1h from Stewie’s chat room. I read your medical history glued to every word. Nursing (acute care psychiatry) was my 1st career and we admitted patients for observation and detailed investigations. Your story is riveting and inspirational.

    We are worlds apart in age yet similar in two areas of experience. I’m my late 30s I developed Parkinson’s disease and have had brain surgery twice within the last two years. I have right and left stimulators 6 cms deep in the brain and have two small computers implanted in my chest (to cancel out the tremors of PD).

    Like you I am hungry to learn everything as quickly as possible. My father died a few years ago from a heart attack and my Grandmother’s portfolio became my responsibility. Royal Bank Dominion Securities lost an average of $12,000.00 annually the last 3 years that her file was in their care. She had $50,000.00 in Nortel which was nearing bankruptcy at the time. Many elderly people’s port folios are left to rot in this irresponsible way. I thought I could do a better job with her account myself. My 1st few years were as abysmal as RBDS’s though I gradually stopped loosing money and my gains improved. I sold a farmhouse that I had restored and pooled the resources for my venture as a full-time trader. I was isolated on Prince Edwards Island and now in Halifax Nova Scotia. You’re lucky to be in New York. I’ve gone from Cramer’s fundamentals, to 90% charts, price, volume, and 10% honing in on the catalyst of the moment. I still make lots of mistakes, but I am getting better at knowing when not to trade. The traders that are on Stock Twits 24/7 give me more tools for my arsenal though I never follow more than 50 b/c last I checked, God only created a 24 hr day. I blathered on much more than I intended. Some days my typing is better than others so don’t be offended if you ask me something and my response is delayed. My most honest response is “I don’t know.” I fully admire your chutzpah. Regards, Guy aka white1h

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  2. Thank you so much bid hitter. the experience, knowledge, wisdom, and expertise that you and your site posses is truly a gem and I strive to become as efficient and expert a trader as your self

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  3. Wow Guy thank you so much. I am familiar with your work on the art of trading and I must say that your abilities as a trader are rare. And now after hearing you share this with me, I am touched and I feel a very special bond. ( I took the liberty, it's a natural feeling) The world of traders is close knitted and small as it is, but this story of yours just comes to show how no matter how alone one feels or how small a world, you are never alone. I am honored and humbled by your support and your generous audience. If you ever want to chat or anything, my email is yitzibrach@gamil.com and my twitter naame is @swooon. thanks so much Guy

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  4. Wow Jason your story is amazing and I pray your continued health and financial success will be a kiddush Hashem

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