Traders are by nature independent-minded people... we trade so that we can make a great living whilst being answerable to no-one but ourselves... we are free of the shackles of corporate bureacracy... we are the purest of capitalists who wish to interact, in the purest way, with the machinery of capitalism, devoid of internal politics, nepotism and managerial structure.... Given the free spirit propensity that it would be safe to say defines the majority of us, I was wondering what other activities we partake in, which break away from the conventions of the mainstream... Let me kick this off... I have a real buzz for moderate (but not excessive) physical risk, which I feel is an extension of my desire to risk financial capital... combine this with my intellectual predilection for geopolitics, and holidays in current war zones (or recent war zones) is what you come up with... I like, if possible, to meet both sides... for example, when I was in the West Bank I met both Israeli soldiers (who gave me a tour of a hotspot in their jeep)... after the tour, I simply walked right into the midst of Palestinians and talked with them too... I am currently looking into the logistics of a trip to Chechnya, to meet both Russians and the rebels they are fighting, and to gain insight into local culture and food of course!... another area of interest is the oil-rich East Timor, where the Christian East Timorese, with the help of the US and Australian militaries, recently gained independence from Muslim Indonesia, on condition that East Timor gave up effective control of its oil reserves to the USA and Australia... So what do you guys get up to, when not trading, that breaks away from mainstream activities? How related do you feel this is to trading? My feeling is that we are, on average, a more eccentric bunch than society at large... it would be interesting to gain some insight into the extracurricular activities of our Elitetrader fraternity, with perhaps some elaboration on the shared psychological basis for such activities and trading...
i read cosmo http://magazines.ivillage.com/cosmopolitan/experts/agony/qas/0,12750,276462_286149,00.html
Brother Candle, I too feel compelled as you do toward the geopolitical, but I do not take it to the penultimate stage that you have. I have done a little bit of rock climbing, but my currently terribly out of shape and I feel it would be stupid to risk certain enjury. I also think I would enjoy jumping out of an airplane... My more mundane life outside of trading, is playing tournament bridge at the highest levels. I also enjoy going to both the harness and thoroughbred races. nitro
in addition to living overseas in Asia/ Southeast Asia off and on during my life, but wouldn't want to bore you with all that. Now on the Big Island, as close as one could get to being in a third world country, but within the safety of our borders. Living in Hawaii is certainly not for everyone, as just day-to-day living is quite a challenge... but "extreme" sports we do have...pretty wild! My next "vacation" is to take my son with me to India to study with a famous yoga guru this summer...that is, if it is still safe to travel. I remember when the US was feared & respected when I was in a foreign country.... when I told them I was from California (California of the 60's & 70's), it would produce reactions of awe, excitement and curiosity... Recently, someone commented "say you are Canadian" when you travel, that way they would leave you alone...lie about being American? Sorry, I never will.... Would love to go back to Indonesia, and always thought I could, but now, may have to wait and see....
I love to hunt down and kill defenseless animals of all shapes and sizes, anything from rabbits to Cape Buffalo. Although I have hunted with a bow, rifle, black powder arms and even a spear. I find myself drawn to using a pistol more and more theses days. To help me remember the joy that these trips have brought me I like to cut their heads off and mount them on my wall or stuff their entire lifeless carcass for my viewing pleasure. A great side benefit is that I get to dine on their tasty flesh. Its low in fat, cholesterol and contains no added chemical or pharmaceuticals. Just like Ted Nugent used to say: Whack-em & stack-em.
I don't live in the NWT anymore, but I was considered a little off-center even by northern standards, and my old isp still keeps the site on their homepage. But I have no access to it, so can't fix the dead links. Kinda hokey, but some neat pics. Sleeping in a snowcave at -30 just for the fun of it definitely raises eyebrows. http://www.theedge.ca/lescor/ Corey