Ed's FAQ Sep 01-31, 2021

Contributors Say

Ed Says

Sep 30, 2021

Diet

Dear Ed,

Hope you are doing great

Referring to the August 6, 2021 post: Journey to 185 Pounds:

Please I need to follow up on this post. I am 38 years young and my cholesterol is off the charts, testosterone is non existant, libido and energy is not existant too. Wife is very insulting and frustrated.

I gave up grains and processed foods six years ago and shifted to Paleo diet. Ever since doing that, my Testosterone, energy completely fell to 0. In this state I am so tired that I cant even go back to my previous grain and legumre included diet because now I became more allergic to those former foods than I was before the diet change.

Please could you explain what foods are allowed in this diet you currently on. How do you get your 2500-3000 calories per day?

Any good article to read up on

Regards,

Thank you for raising this issue.

I have a history of forcing myself to follow an Atkins / Low-Carb / Peleo system. For decades, I struggle to lose weight, then develop severe leg cramps and then put the weight back on very quickly.

On April 1, 2021, I switch to Plant-Base nutritiion plan and notice, after a 3-week intestinal re-adjustment period, almost effortless weight loss and health improvement.

The food plan I currently follow:

1. Nothing that comes out of a mother: no meat, poultry, fish, insects, milk, cheese, etc.

2. No coffee or sugar.

3. Mostly beans and rice and vegetables.

4. Supplement with olive oil, to maintain energy and motivation.

5. Eat until full and don't count calories.

Results: down about 25 pounds, all chemistry panel metrics in range, except testosterone now well above the range.

I do not recommend for you to follow or not to follow this plan.

If you'd like to learn more about it, you might consider watching the following movies: The Game Changers and Forks over Knives.

Per your realtionship with your wife, you might consider listening to her feelings, without judgment, and following her advice.

Sep 30, 2021

Framework

Dear Mr. Seykota,

I am not sure if you even check this mail box, so I apologize for the brevity of this note. I am writing to Thank You, for all the work you have done. Some of the concepts you have explored, I have been grappling with from my time as an engineering and math student in college, to markets and countries and even medicine (which I studied later).

Your books (I have read both and any interview of yours I could find), and the framework you have provided for thinking through the world around us, is truly one of my greatest findings! I wanted you to know what an impact your work and your thinking has had on me; it has also made me feel not so alone and continue to go for the best feeling I know: freedom of the mind!

Yours,

Thank you for acknowledging me and the work and for caring to promote freedom for youself and others.

Sep 28, 2021

Blessing

Dear Ed,

Thank you for the deeply spiritual meaning of your work. May Almighty bless and watch over you, free you from all delusion and lead you to His shores of fulfillment ♥️

Best regards,

Thank you for sending me your blessing.

Sep 25, 2021

Avoiding Intense Pain

Dear Ed,

The pain is so strong, so huge, that I feel that experiencing it will destroy me.

I am doing what I oftentimes observe during my work with patients: they do everything to avoid experiencing a feeling.

I remember not understanding their stance and telling them "it is just a feeling, it cannot harm you!"

In my case, I cannot imagine the positive Intention of this feeling. Hence, I try to escape from it, what means escaping from the reality. I sleep 12 to 14 hours a day, spend the wake hours watching TV.

I am scared like s--t and do not know who might Dear Mr. Seykota,

I am not sure if you even check this mail box, so I apologize for the brevity of this note. I am writing to Thank You, for all the work you have done. Some of the concepts you have explored, I have been grappling with from my time as an engineering and math student in college, to markets and countries and even medicine (which I studied later) .

Your books (I have read both and any interview of yours I could find), and the framework you have provided for thinking through the world around us, is truly one of my greatest findings! I wanted you to know what an impact your work and your thinking has had on me; it has also made me feel not so alone and continue to go for the best feeling I know: freedom of the mind!

Yours,
Norahelp me to experience this feeling (our Tribe is not active). In the meantime I ask her to minimize the contact and not to send me pictures of the children, for it hurts me.

I wonder about my reaction when we meet again (sometime in October, she says), and if I still want to be with her.

Thank you for being there and for listening, in the times I like and I dislike.

A hug!

Thank you for sharing your process.

Sep 21, 2021

Supply and Demand

Dear ED,

Here is a question ...

You mentioned "risk control" and trade timing for Dear Mr. Seykota,

I am not sure if you even check this mail box, so I apologize for the brevity of this note. I am writing to Thank You, for all the work you have done. Some of the concepts you have explored, I have been grappling with from my time as an engineering and math student in college, to markets and countries and even medicine (which I studied later) .

Your books (I have read both and any interview of yours I could find), and the framework you have provided for thinking through the world around us, is truly one of my greatest findings! I wanted you to know what an impact your work and your thinking has had on me; it has also made me feel not so alone and continue to go for the best feeling I know: freedom of the mind!

Yours,
Noraboth entries and exits. In future trading, when there is more demand, the supply will be decreased. Does it apply to the stock trading: when there are more shares, the price will be lowered?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Thank you for raising this issue.

I wonder what you mean by: "when there is more demand, the supply will be decreased."

Specifically: state how do you define supply and demand including their units of measure.

You might consider taking your feeling about <wanting to understand the economy> to Tribe as an entry point.

Sep 12, 2021

Experiencing Stage Fright

Hi Ed,

To better experience my fear of stage fright, I volunteer to play Ashokan Farewell for a guest family.

I’m more familiar with my new violin and new busking system now and I perform well. I add my own rendition of the song with my own feelings and understandings.

I notice I start to feel my hands shaking after I am done playing.

The guests ask one question, “Have you played violin for a while? I thought you just started.”

I am thinking of starting to make recordings. Ashokan Farewell is the first song I reach stage performing level quality and proficiency. And I continue polishing it. And I have couple more in pipeline in both Bluegrass and Classic.

I start to get to know myself better by looking at my practice and performing habits. And start to see the connections of this pattern to my patterns of trading. Now I start to focus on making simple, clear, and assertive moves in practice.

I want to place my passions on a firm, disciplined foundation.

Cheers,

Thank you for sharing your process.

Sep 9, 2021

Selling After X Amount of Gains

Hi Ed,

Long time reader and fan. First time communicator with you and your website.

I am in the process is switching from a day trader to a swing trader.

Do you have any insight about selling ones initial investment after x amount of gains? Is this a rule of yours? It’s not in The Whipsaw Song…

Being new to this style of trading I would love to hear any insights you have.

Best regards,

Thank you for raising this issue.

I wonder if you can tell me how long you figure you ought to stay in a good marriage.

You might consider taking your feelings about <getting a perfect score> to Tribe as an entry point.

Sep 8, 2021

Stops

If I initially put in a stop loss after I enter a trade, and then I purposely cancel the stop loss (because I don’t want to get stopped out) – what do you think my problem is?

Thank You,

Thank you for raising this issue.

A problem expresses the difference between what you do / what you would rather do.

What you do: enter stops and then cancel them.
What you would rather do: no indication.

If you can define what you would rather do, let me know so I can have some thoughts about your problem.

Sep 6, 2021

Govopoly - Book Report

Hey Ed,

We sold our first copy of Govopoly a few weeks ago ... I asked the buyer to send me his thoughts. See below.

Hello ...

You may not remember me, but my family and I stopped off at your Food For Thought restaurant on the way back from a weekend at Virginia Beach. We've always enjoyed stopping off at your restaurant for good food, the quotes in the wall and the interesting items you have for sale in the lobby. This last time I was intrigued by the book Govopoly that was on display and when I inquired if any copies were still available for sale, you brought a copy out and we chatted before we headed on our way. I'm very glad to have met you and you had requested I provide feedback on the book, as you knew the author, Ed Seykota. The bottom line is that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

The analogy that Ed makes about Duckweed, the logarithmic growth it has and that this is similar to the growth of Government was insightful. I see many parallels and the only thing that prevents Government from doing to the country what Duckweed does, is the ineptitude of our politicians. However, the trend is clear and while the date is TBD, the ever encroaching power and span of control by the Gov to everyone and everything is of high-certainty

That the Government was growing out of control wasn't as big of an eye opener to me as the clearly articulated scale of the rise of Government co opting the private sector, such that the companies that aligned themselves with the Government have an extreme advantage over their peers. This is especially to the detriment for those private companies who are oblivious to the Govopoly. Dear Mr. Seykota,

I am not sure if you even check this mail box, so I apologize for the brevity of this note. I am writing to Thank You, for all the work you have done. Some of the concepts you have explored, I have been grappling with from my time as an engineering and math student in college, to markets and countries and even medicine (which I studied later) .

Your books (I have read both and any interview of yours I could find), and the framework you have provided for thinking through the world around us, is truly one of my greatest findings! I wanted you to know what an impact your work and your thinking has had on me; it has also made me feel not so alone and continue to go for the best feeling I know: freedom of the mind!

Yours,
NoraMany companies that have been ignorant of the Govopoly Industrial Complex have suffered greatly due to the disadvantages, and they never saw it coming. Be it the Global War On Terror, COVID, refugees/migration, Green initiatives / Climate Change, and the list goes on and on...

There are other great points too, but the bottom line Ed gets to is, "What are we to do about it?". He lays out his impossible plan for the Fed which was well, good and impossible, but It's was interesting none the less. The Fed and other entities came into being through questionable actions and have succeeded in making themselves so intertwined such that it's near impossible to remove them without 'killing the patient'. The Government Industrial Complex and the Fed are the reality, so the key is to realize that and from an individual standpoint invest accordingly.

I'm still digesting how this impacts my investment strategy going forward. Thinking...

In closing, I want to truly express my appreciation of Ed's wisdom, book and your restaurant that brought it to my attention.

Thank you and I'm curious about your thoughts.

Thank you for sending me the feedback.

For additional information about some of the events in Govopoly, see this link.

Sep 6, 2021

Talking Turkey

Dear Master Ed SEYKOTA;

I am a trader candidate from Turkey who try to learn your method. I would be very happy if your books were translated into Turkish. With my best and sincere regards.

Thank you for raising this issue.

I wonder if you might like to do the translation.

September 3, 2021

Fiation

Greetings, Ed—

A year ago you coined the term “Fiation”—inundation with fiat currency. (FAQs—August 1, 2020—“Govopoly Model Confirmation”)

The two attached images show Fiation continues unabated—

(1) Bank of America (via zero hedge) reports $834 million of Central Bank buying every hour—resulting in $780 million of FAANG stocks appreciation every hour. (When the Fed buys assets, the seller gets Dollars that are created the moment the Fed trader presses the Enter key on the trade—Fiation)

(2) Yardeni.com reports Central Banks assets have swelled from $20T to $30T during the pandemic.

I agree with your assessment last year: “We now have Humpty-Dumpty quivering on the roof top; on one side he rolls into debt implosion; on the other he rolls into fiat inflation…”

—All the best,

Fiation

Source: BofA Global Research; Haver Analytics

Thank you sharing your insights.

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