Wed Dec 15 2021 to Mon Jan 3 2022, dark... but may your Christmas be bright....

Tues Dec 14 2021

20211214
 
Short 3 MNQ 15987.25, 15987.25, 15987.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Short 3 MNQ 15989.75, 15989.75, 15989.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Short 3 M2K 2181.8, 2181.8, 2181.8, -1.5, -1.5, -1.5, 
Short 3 M2K 2188.3, 2188.3, 2188.3,+7.5, +7.5, +7.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 15904.75, 15904.75, 15904.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15891.5, 15891.5, 15891.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15887.0, 15887.0, 15887.0, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15884.75, 15884.75, 15884.75, -2.25, -2.25, -2.25, 
 
Total MNQ -72.0
Total M2K +18.0
 
'Tis the season, so I want to wish all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to come...  In general, I have found this period of trading futures to be much like that of the circumstances our Great Country, the USA, finds itself in--very trying.    On that front, I find myself very unhappy with the direction the country has taken, and ask myself, did we really need to stoop so deep into the muck of Orwellian deception to recognize it as such and still have time to pull up and out and back to our blessed roots?    I pray it's not too late...   I do humbly pray....   

 

Mon Dec 13 2021 Trade Signal Summary

20211213
 
Long 3 MES 4684.25, 4684.25, 4684.25, -2.75, -2.75, -2.75, 
Short 3 MNQ 16285.5, 16285.5, 16285.5, +18.25, +18.25, +18.25, 
Short 3 MNQ 16301.25, 16301.25, 16301.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25,
Short 3 MNQ 16306.5, 16306.5, 16306.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16245.75, 16245.75, 16245.75,  -1.25, -1.25, -1.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16244.75, 16244.75, 16244.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16198.0, 16198.0, 16198.0, -1.25, -1.25, -1.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16199.5,  16199.5, 16199.5, -1.5, -1.5, -1.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 16193.25, 16193.25, 16193.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16160.5, 16160.5, 16160.5, -1.25, -1.25, -1.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 16159.75, 16159.75, 16159.75, -0.5, -0.5, -0.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 16154.25, 16154.25, 16154.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
 
Total MES -8.25
Total MNQ -37.5
 


Fri Dec 10 Trade Signal Summary

20211210

Long 3 M2K 2251.2, 2251.2, 2251.2, -1.5, -1.5, -1.5, 
Long 3 M2K 2248.1, 2248.1, 2248.1, -1.5, -1.5, -1.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 16208.25, 16208.25, 16208.25, -2.5, -2.5, -2.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 16207.5, 16207.5, 16207.5, -0.5, -0.5, -0.5, 
Long 3 MNQ 16205.5,  16205.5, 16205.5, +44.75, +44.75, +44.75, 
 
Total MNQ  +125.25
Total M2K -9.0



Thur Dec 9 Trade Signal Summary

20211209 
 
Short 3 MNQ 16408.25, 16408.25, 16408.25,+22.25, +22.25, +22.25, 
Short 3 MNQ 16410.5, 16410.5, 16410.5, +14.75, +14.75, +14.75, 
Long 3 MNQ 16323.75, 16323.75, 16323.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
 
Total MNQ +95.25

Wed Dec 8 2021 Trade Signal Summary

20211208
 
Short 3 MNQ 16290.5, 16290.5, 16290.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25,
Short 3 MNQ 16335.75, 16335.75, 16335.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25,
Short 3 MNQ 16344.25, 16344.2516344.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
 
Total MNQ -47.25

Tues Dec 7 Trade Signals & Journal

20211207

Short 3 MNQ 16185.5, 16185.5, 16185.5, -3.5, -3.5, -3.5, 
Short 3 MNQ 16229.75, 16229.75, 16229.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
 
Total MNQ -27.25
 
It's not that I prefer fighting the trend, it's just that when Persistent Trend formations are all you are offered, with shallow pullbacks, and repeated stretches past the Serial Sequent algorithm and the TrueTrend Momentum Indicator, opportunities for position entry are scant, and since I only trade the 1st Frame now, it's either I find some signals in that hour and half of the day's initial trading, or I close up empty handed altogether.   
 
But today, I knew better than to repeatedly throw money after weak reversal signals almost from the get go: I failed to take the first in-trend buy signal to participate in this Persistent bull in the very early going of the session.   I Goldie-Locked the call by demanding a few more points in the pullback, (as if the porridge wasn't already hot enough already) and instead of capturing a set of Longs to ride the trip up to new highs and beyond, I was left empty handed and felt compelled to take the only signals being subsequently offered.... weak short signals against a strong bull Persistent Trend.   I tried twice in these fading levels, and then decided to hold onto the nice profits I had made the previous day in the larger NQ contract, albeit by accident, and closed shop up for the day.  

 

Mon Dec 6 2021 Trade Signals and Journal

20211206
 
Short 3 MES 4551.5, 4551.5, 4551.5, -2.75, -2.75, -2.75, 
Short 3 MES 4561.75, 4561.75, 4561.75, -2.75, -2.75, -2.75, 
Short 3 NQ 15674.5, 15674.5, 15674.5, +21.75, +21.75, +21.75,
 
Total MES -16.5 
Total NQ +65.25

On three different trading days have I used the 10x larger NQ contract for my Nasdaq index signals instead of the Micro MNQ's.   On all three of those days, that proved to be a huge boon to daily profits...      but quite contrary to what this bit of false 'intelligence' might imply, there's the real shame in it.    I did it by accident.   I keep the NQ and MNQ in the same window, but separated into overlapping panes by the Tab allotment device of NinjaTrader 8.   ...a great feature, to be sure.   But the background colors of those two contracts are not set distinct enough, apparently, because I have grabbed the larger NQ contract with my mouse when taking signals without initially even noticing it on three different days.     
 
I try not to look at the dollar figure that prints into the Ninjatrader Control Window.   And with the 1ClickChartDOM, my trading app of choice, I set the P&L to show points only.  
 
And so, I have to count some blessings, it seems, on these three occasions, as at those particular times, I was not already digging myself into a losing hole with successive trade signals.    
  
Actually, in the days that have followed, the volatility has even gotten worse (or better, depending on your point of view), and I'm actually considering lowering my position size in the Micro's from 3 units to just 2.  .... that's how quickly losses can pile up.   
 
In your Trade Plan, adjustments to default position stop-loss amounts should be changed only after serious considerations, as the habit and tendency to change them on the fly can be great during the pressure of trying not to lose.    But perhaps it's time I take a look at going from 5pts for the Nasdaq to 7 or even 10, and adjust the position size in Micro contracts accordingly.   



Fri Dec 4 2021 Trade Signals and Journal

20211204
 
Long 3 MNQ 15914.75, 15914.75, 15914.75, -2.25, -2.25, -2.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15909.5,  15909.5, 15909.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15895.75, 15895.75, 15895.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15877.25, 15877.25, 15877.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15863.5, 15863.5, 15863.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 9 MNQ 15841.5, 15841.5, 15841.5, 15844.0, 15844.0, 15844.0, 15839.75, 15839.75, 15839.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -7.5, -7.5, -7.5,  -8.0, -8.0, -8.0, 
Long 6 MNQ 15833.25, 15833.25, 15833.25, 15836.5, 15836.5, 15836.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 6 MNQ 15747.5, 15747.5, 15747.5, 15747.5, 15747.5, 15747.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 9 MNQ 15732.25, 15732.25, 15732.25, 15732.25, 15732.25, 15732.25, 15736.5, 15736.5, 15736.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, +10.0, +10.0, +10.0, 
Long 6 MNQ 15666.75, 15666.75, 15666.75, 15668.5, 15668.5, 15668.5, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 6 MNQ 15672.5, 15672.5, 15672.5, 15670.0, 15670.0, 15670.0, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 6 MNQ 15673.75, 15673.75, 15673.75, 15675.25, 15675.25, 15675.25, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -2.25, -2.25, -2.25, 
Long 3 MNQ 15650.0, 15650.0, 15650.0, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 6 MNQ 15642.0, 15642.0, 15642.0, 15644.75, 15644.75, 15644.75, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, -6.75, -6.75, -6.75,
 
Total MNQ -318.0
 
Having a successful week with several days of surprising profits tends to affect your psyche, and not usually to the better.  You just can't believe that the signals and trades you take on a following day won't have the same success and the same general results.    Granted, a Persistence in trend is difficult to trade, but nothing new to me.   And yet, I just couldn't believe that none of the signals I was taking wouldn't start the recovery rally.  
 
The whole time that self destructive thought about it being ok to keep throwing the weeks profits into each new losing trade kept creeping into my head...   and on and on did I trade disastrously.    
 
But it gets worse.  Nothing is more damaging mentally than giving back the profits of a successful entry.   But when you're digging yourself into a hole, you begin to justify over-staying your position past a normal development in structure with clearly adequate profits because now you really need the full trend reversal in order to make up for losses...     ...and in the vain hope that somehow a full retest of your entry will survive to get that complete reversal trend started, you give back the whole thing.    Thus, on two occasions during this day's trading did I let 40 point swing profits get stopped out at losses looking for just this kind of full trend reversal.
 
Have a Trade Plan.  Each day of that Plan should stand on its own.   On any given day, you don't break your trading frequency or loss allotment, no matter how well you did the day before or were doing the week of.    Pull in your purse, get up from the desk, and do something else with the rest of your day.  


Thur Dec 2 2021 Trade Signal Summary

20211203

Short 3 MNQ 15950.25, 15950.25, 15950.25, -1.5, -1.5, -1.5, 
Short 3 MNQ 15972.5,  15972.5, 15972.5, +32.75, +32.75, +32.75, 
Short 3 MNQ 15998.75, 15998.75, 15998.75, +27.0, +27.0, +27.0, 
Short 3 MNQ 16010.0, 16010.0, 16010.0, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Short 3 MNQ 16021.25,  16021.25, 16021.25, +42.5, +42.5, +42.5, 
 
Total MNQ +280.5
 

Wed Dec 1 2021 Trade Signal Summary

20211201
 
Short 3 NQ 16320.0, 16320.0, 16320.0, -5.25, -5.25, -5.25, 
Long 3 NQ 16323.25,  16323.25, 16323.25, +31.5, +31.5, +31.5, 
 
Total NQ +78.75

Tues Nov 30 Trade Signal Summary

20211130

Short 3 MNQ 13670.25, 13670.25, 13670.25, -1.75, -1.75, -1.75, 
Short 3 MNQ 16372.50, 16372.50, 16372.50, +18.75, +18.75, +18.75, 
Short 3 MNQ 16445.75, 16445.75, 16445. +11.00, +11.00, +11.00, 
 
Total MNQ +84.0