As it is a classic in the action movie department I had to see it. The jokes are terribly 90’s – I even thought for a while that it was an 80’s movie. At the time Will Smith was not such a star and MArtin Lawrence was. The wheel of life…and all that sort of things. Nice explosions. No real surprise. My boys will love it.
“I want Candy”
For once a funny movie that shows a bit of imagination. Two students in movies – one wants to be a director, the other a producer- get involve into porn cinema. Although completely unrealistic, the humour is light, the characters sweet and the ending is errr…optimistic. Not sure about that one. Anyway, two hours to relax and forget your prejudices. Porn is depicted in a very rosy way. Do not expect hard core sex. But you’ll see bits and bobs.
Funny and forgetable.
“Die hard” 1, 2 & 3
Nope, haven’t seen number 4 so far. You have quite a good spectrum of the changes in special effects through the 90’s up to today. Mr Willis gets dirtier and dirtier, physiacally, and balder and balder. His cating hasn’t changed much though. Once again you have an action movie that doesn’t let you down. Villains deserve to be kill and stunts are a little bit more realistic than, say, Casino Royale.
A boys movie.
“The Bourne identity” & “The Bourne Ultimatum”
I have put these 2 movies together as they are quite similar and are part of a trilogy. I couldn’t watch ” The Bourne supremacy” as we had just lended it to a friend. I will definitely watch it.
So we’re talking here action movies, thrillers, Matt Damon and loss of memory of a very special agent. Worth every penny of it as you don’t have the time to think and it is packed with action. A classic of the genre – although no real twist throughout the whole serie.
I am not a fan of Mr Damon, although I reckon that he was good in Goodwill Hunting and in Syriana.
Enjoy.
It is raining…again
So I am in England at the moment and my friends and family are calling me to find out if I have to swim between my living-room and my kitchen or if it is all a media ‘s cry wolf.
I read this morning that meteorology researchers are now giving interviews about the future of humanity and asked if we are now enetering already the era of the climate change that we all fear. Nobody seems to care that more than a thousand Chinese people have already succumbed this weekend to the floodings. We are more concerned about the potential 7000 casualties we may see over here. Now the men ‘s answers are quite straightforward. 2 years ago, when Katrina did her damage, we could have said that this was an isolated phenomenon and that we had seen in the past such natural catastrophy- about 50 or more years ago. But now they have to reckon that having such close brutal changes can not be considered as an simple abnomaly. We had floodings here in 2000 – I was there and boy do I remember- and they are now repeating themselves in a much more worrying pace. Although the estimations seem to be exagerated ( in some places, it is much worse than anticipated when in others, well, it just rains), it is now pretty obvious that we are in trouble. Why are we waking up so late? Because the economical side of it is now astronomical. We are not just talking insurances costs here, but also crops that are devastated ( first they weer overcooked in April, now they are rottening in the fileds), people who are losing their homes, water that can’t be drunk, workers who cannot attend their jobs, police and army forces being immobilized by the emergency calls and the rescue operations. The list is probably much longer and I feel so sorry for all the poor souls who are losing everything in front of an indifferent world who just watches TV thinking that it is only rain. Hey, God got us this way a long time ago, and that did have some long time lasting damage as far as I know. Only kidding, but between the ones here who will not go on holiday and the ones there who simply have no chances of survival, I believe it is time for us to become conscious that the golden era is now over.
We see here supermarkets asking their customers to get their own bags for their groceries. We have advertisement about switching light bulbs to more economical models or switching electricity companies to more ethical ones. We are being told that petrol is a curse and I see more and more people using their bicycle to go to work. We eat organic and we are more and more to do so. We turn off our Tv/ computers/ appliances at night- not because of money savings but because of energy savings. And we of course all watch America in denial, using without any shame more than 30 to 40 % of all our resources and blaming China for expanding too fast and developping new cities and new means every. Let’s show them a correct way of doing things, then maybe we could give them advice. Not the other way round. Who said that we are the masters of the world? Aren’t we telling our kids that they should share all the time? Since when have nations become so self centered and selfish?
I don’t think that the end is near, but I have days when it feels hopeless. Individuals seems to be leading the way in this instance and governments still don’t get the message. People are angry and in the City the predictions on America’s downfall are stronger and stronger. The problems of the subprime remortgage sector is just the tip of an iceberg. The general sentiment is that America has lost the lead. It is insidious, but this primal rejection of the American dream is surging- fast.
I am just a woman with a lovely husband and 5 kids. The only reason I am doing anything and everything I do is because my children are my future. What world am I giving them ?
So the holidays have begun. My youngest child is having nightmares when he thinks of the future wars we will have to have water. The odds are that Engalnd will be in one of them within the next 20 years. The scenarii are all scary whatever the outcome. We of course don’t know what is true. Our ministers are sending out confusing messages. The medias are pouring hot & cold – depending of the degree of indifference shown by the public. I keep recycling otherwise I will be fined. The reality is schizophrenic.
So we take one step at a time.
“The illusionist” with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti & Jessica Biel
I actually don’t like Giamatti and when I saw him in ” Sideways” I found the whole thing- him, his character, the story- to be a huge waste of time. But in ” The illusionist” the director has been able to take the best out of him and give him a role where he has to show the difficulty for a man to be trapped between his duty and his sympathy. Brilliant. And he wasn’t the main character- so this is my way of telling you that there was more in the illusionist that met the eye. HA ha.
Edward Norton , once again, has the best role. He is a famous illusionist who wants to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart. But she is part of the aristocracy and they live in very dangerous times. The love interest is almost engaged to the future emperor of Austria- and he’s not kidding when his plans are being contradicted. So now you are prepared for plenty of twists, no explanation of any of the tricks you will see and you can readily enjoy the show. I watched this with my family, and they all liked it. Although I thought the story was not that simple, even kids understand fully the details of the plot.
Entertaining, charming and Miss Biel teeth are doing the trick.
I must stretch that my husband did notice her bum, actually, and was quite indifferent to her horse’s mouth.
Good movie.
“The heiress” with Olivia De Havilland & Montgomery Clift
If you know me, you know for sure that I like old movies. I am able to talk about Anne Baxter, Greer Carson and so on, which usually baffle most of my friends and acquaintances. Of course if you were born before 1920 I may rejoice you- if you still can remember anything.
Anyway, ” The heiress” came out and I just had to see it. I find Montgomery Clift quite insignificant at his best, but this time, he played beautifully and with a complex humanity that he didn’t very often displayed. Ms De Havilland was great and able to give to her character a slow transformation that left plenty of room to a big range of contradictory feelings that leave you just breathless. If you have read Malcom Gladwell, you know laready that it is only human to mould our representation of our other human fellows as black and white, with very little room for reality, which is that ( for example) a woman who a perfect bitch with her husband could be the most supportive, cheerful and loyal of your friends. In other words, we like to categorize our entourage because it is easier and because our brains have problems being that discerning. SO what I liked in this particular movie is that the characters were showing this reality in a very logical way that made you go through a large fan of different interpretations.
The story was unusual and must have been pretty subversive for the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it still shocks today. A spinster lives with her father, a famous and very wealthy doctor, who’s lost his beloved and very much idealized wife. She meets a young penniless suitor, but is he after her money?. From a simple story unfolds the extreme of human nature- and in this story, you have more than one to discover. It is a scary tale and a very interesting one: the awakening of an intelligence.
If you like suttleness and strong women portrait, this one is for you.
Ms De Havilland knew how to choose her roles.
“Tell no one” with Francois Cluzet
The movie is a French adaptation of a Harlan Coben best-seller. It is a thriller- probably the best one Coben has written so far. A doctor and his wife are once assaulted while bathing in a lake. The wife dies, the doctor tires to get on with his life. 8 years later, he receives an email, that shows him a video of his wife still alive and walking. The suspense starts there. Is it possible? Is it true? What happened- and what happens next?
Guillaume Canet who directed the movie has created a small miracle. He made a French movie with a French cast that doesn’t look French art all. In fact, it could take place anywhere. The actors are very sober throughout the whole play, but it keeps you riveted in your chair. The twists are not always fully convincing but you enjoy nonetheless what is with no doubt a great thriller. You have enough holes and clues to make you feel clever in front of the mystery without being fully capable of resolving the mystery. Women characters are very solid and present. Guillaume Canet makes a cameo appearance in very clever way.
I wish this film has a long carreer. It was very good. Mr Canet, I salute you.
the risks of trading
Although most of traders know what risks are involved with trading money wise, it turns out that most of them don’t talk much about the side effects of trading full time. Of course I already mentioned the social side of it and the fact that when you are a trader, people automatically associate you with the worst of capitalism, accuse you of taking advantage of the poor workers shamelessly, insinuate that you are just a greedy bastard and all in all end up asking you for tips on the stock market or on the future of it as if you were Madame Irma ( i.e. , a clairvoyant). No, I want to talk now about the fact that when you are trading, other forces are at work to. I will skip the part of the mental states we go through every day, which allows us to become pretty emotionnally relaxed in front of any misfortune that might cross our path- as, at best, we are finding life pretty easy or at worst, we are too tired to have the slightlest bounce of energy in front of adversity.
I am talking about health. The most well known of problems are sleepless nights- when you’re losing too much money-, depression ( probably for the same reason, adding to that, generally that your family and/ or friends start resenting your moods), stomach aches ( you need solid nerves when you see the markets going against you), back aches ( no chair will ever be comfortable enough when you spend 8 hours on it), joint pains ( lack of exercise), headaches ( abuse of computer ) and finally eyesight problems. Although I have been hit but all of the above ( except the stomach ache- yet), I just have been experiencing the yesight related problems. To cut a long story short, the fact that I am a contact lenses wearer who trades 10 hours a day and spends about an hour training on computer games has simply burnt my cornea. In both eyes. Which potentially could lead to blindness if not remedied quickly. Step one: no more contact lenses. My vanity here is suffering big time as my eyes are definitively my best assets. Step two: no more trading, for at least 10 days ( until the doctor makes a first assessment of the situation). Here, I feel panicky. I need to earn money quite badly – holidays start next week for us- and I feel guilty when I don’t trade. Step three: relaxation is compulsory. What? Are you kidding me? We are leaving in 6 days now, and I have the boys clothes to wash, the house to clean, the packing to do and a few bits and bobs to sort out before we all go away ( like sunscreens, trampoline to pack and so on and so forth).
I am not talking about the pain of course, the constant feeling that i am going to cry mixed with the sensation of having sand under my eyelids. The fact also that my usually green eyes now look like an albino rabbit’s. I am allowed 10 minutes per day of computer, 1 hour of reading ( book or newspapers) and tv is okay ( who would have guessed that? I am told that TV actually relaxes your eyes).
So Here I am. I wait. Patiently. Patience is the first virtue of traders- with discipline. Am I obsessive?
mother and trading AT THE SAME TIME
I have been trading for the last – almost- 2 years while my children were running around me, asking for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner/ snacks/ going to the toilet/ and a few other things. I realized that I was studying any new techniques better if I was 1) away from home or 2) while the kids were asleep. Being mother develops some form of resilience because despite the fact that I keep juggling with houseworks, kids care, work, administrative work and a few other things ( still unpacking…), I was – and still am- able to learn after 8 pm.
So, against all good advice from my fellow traders, I have started about 6 weeks ago to study the techniques of candlesticks. The theories of John Carter and Hubert Senters, as their newsletter, taught me a lot , and to be honest, still teach me a lot. It gave me an edge and brought some reflection. For example, I did notice that Carter and Senters sometimes disagreed on what would happen next on certain market. Both their arguments were actually valid. I wasn’t confused, as I had enough experience to have notice that any outlook about facts and life can differ according to the person you’re talking to, but I found interesting that these two guys, who work together all the time, could have such different opinion sometimes. I realized that the know-it-all mentors I could have were not as good as I thought. Carter & Senters had the honesty of accepting other people’s view. Most of my mentors over here didn’t have such humility. But it didn’t mean they were always right, far from it. I came to the conclusion that I should drop mentors and examples and start doing my own research and use what suited me best, whatever people said.
So here I am reading Nison and Bigalow and testing like mad everything I am learning. I use daily time frame, hourly time frame, 30, 15, 5, 3, 2 and 1 minute time frames. I test everything. I read trin, put call ratio, tick, ADX, MACD, RSI, volume and test all these indicators against my ideas. I use Fibonacci levels, pivots ( daily,weekly, monthly), EMAs. I takes me ages and I spend a bit of time in the weekend to print charts of different time frames to compare if my findings are making sense. So far I have tested almost exclusively the DOW, but I am turning now to the FTSE, the DAX, the Nikkei and the big stocks. From an early stage experience it seems that my own personnal technique works best on indices.
My fellow traders tell me I am mad. Some of them have decided to follow my lead – as I am obtaining good results- and they have bought some of the books or dvds. Most of them have already commented that the matter is dry. My answer is that I don’t give a damn as long as it works. I actually find that this is fun. You have a theory, you wait for the right set up, you jump in, you jump out, you make money. It can be fun – if you keep an open mind. You have to stop being pessimistic. I read somewhere that a pessimist is someone who prefers to be right, even if the outcome is failure. I don’t want to be a pessimist. I want my life to be good – and that’s what I am aiming for.
Now I am of course constantly under pressure. My husband is working too, and he’s quite busy at the moment setting up his practice and creating cds to help people stop smoking/ lose weight and accomplish a lot more little miracles. If I didn’t have the children I’d be a workoholic. SO would my beloved. We probably are- despite the kids. But I always took the back seat when my husband was at work and this started to get the best of me. Although it was not intentionnal, I started to have the impression that what I was doing was not as valuable as what he was. It felt like if my job was actually a sort of hobby. I gradually became more and more frustrated and felt completely incompetent. Taking the back seat means you don’t count. Gradually it creeps you under your skin- if you don’t count, what you do is crap. So you make it crap. Everything matches. I was not getting results – or I was very irregular- and my frustration was gently but firmly covering the rest of my life.
Now my husband is a great guy. I retain his ex girl-friends as complete morons to have let such a gem slip through their fingers. Mind you, some of them keep calling him back! And the great good thing about him is that I can actually be myself with him, all the time. I was not giving him the best of me, and I was starting to be unhappy, so it was time for a talk. I am not sure I presented that as well as I could have but I am quite sure that I made my point clear. We had to find a way to cope with our both demanding jobs- and the children. And the housework. We had to set down rules – and keep them. So we did.
We are still juggling of course and these are early days. Progress are made and my confidence is returning. My results show this – although of course I am not as rich as I’d like for now! But I am having a good time. I am enjoying my work. I am happy with my life. I love and adore my husband.
And I am knackered, so I don’t suffer from insomnia. Can anyone be happier?
Sacha Jenkyn 