Random Blog Post #1

What's up lil readers, today I am going to teach you about one of my favorite hobbies - using Elliot Wave Theory to predict the future prices of stocks/cryptocurrencies.

Elliot Wave Theory is a form of technical analysis invented by Ralph Nelson Elliot in the 1930's. The premise of this theory is the belief that stock markets are traded in repetitive patterns, not in a random chaotic manner. By analyzing impulse waves - same direction as the overall trend - and corrective waves - opposite direction of the overall trend - one can predict a stock's future price. Elliot wave theory states that impulse waves have 5 total waves, while corrective waves have only 3 total waves.



There are a lot of rules, but here are the most important ones:
Rule 1 - If wave 2 retraces a lot, then wave 4 will only retrace a lil (vice-versa)
Rule 2 - Wave 4 cannot retrace into wave 1 territory
Rule 3 - Wave 3 is often the longest and never the shortest wave up

If any of these rules are broken then your hypothesis is incorrect. For example, maybe you thought you were analyzing an impulse wave up, but it was actually just part B of a corrective wave - the only rising part of a downtrend. These 3 rules give you a lot of information on the best time to short/long an option or just enter a position in general.

In order to calculate the impulse and corrective waves you have to use Fibonacci Retracements and Extensions, without them it is impossible to use Elliot Wave Theory accurately. Maybe I will attempt to explain Fib Extensions and Retracements in my next random blog post, but they are pretty complicated. Below is a before/after of one of my favorite trades :)

Entered position at bottom of Wave 4

Closed position at top of Wave 5 

Expert Article Final

A Pocket Guide to Cannabis

Different Strains, Different Uses, Different Effects

All our lives, we have been taught to stay away from “pot” because it will make you dumb, lazy, and will lead you to harder drugs. When I was a kid, I remember commercials cracking an egg on a sizzling pan saying, “this is your brain on drugs.” I also remember drawing anti-marijuana posters in middle school. Now it is 2019 and society’s perception of cannabis has flipped 180 degrees. Medical marijuana is legal in 47 states and recreational use is legal in 10 states. Recreational use relieved cannabis from its past stigmas.

As cannabis continues to grow in social acceptance and use, I believe it will join the same level of approval that alcohol and tobacco have. This means that your chances of being around cannabis in the future are very high. Now, I don’t want anyone out there to be uncertain, intimated, or awkward when you first encounter cannabis so I have written a pocket guide for you. This guide will explain the history of cannabis, the different cannabis strains, and the different ways to use cannabis.

Cannabis – It’s Been Around for Awhile

Cannabis plants are among the world’s oldest cultivated crops with the history of its use dating back over 12,000 years. Burial grounds of ancient Chinese Emperors have been found with burned cannabis seeds and mummified marijuana strains. Ancient Indians revered cannabis as a sacred supplement that relived humans from anxiety. And the Vikings used the herb to relieve pain during childbirth and even for a little toothache (Blaszczak-Boxe). Cannabis first showed up in the United States from immigrants escaping the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Because the majority of early US lawmakers were racists, they outlawed cannabis – simply because of who it was associated with. They even outlawed the nonpsychoactive form of cannabis – hemp – a very useful crop that aides in the production of clothing, paper, building supplies, plastic, food, beverages, and fuel (Willis).

The reason why its history is important is because I want you to understand that it wasn’t until the 20^th century that marijuana became seen as an evil drug, instead of an accepted part of society. My goal is for you to step back and realize that all the stigmas you have about cannabis are because you grew up in a time period that happened to despise cannabis because of prejudice lawmakers.

Strains – Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid

All types of cannabis are derived from two primary strains;

(1)  Indica – the nighttime strain.

(2) Sativa – the daytime strain.

A strain is defined as either sativa or indica based on the percentage of myrcene it contains. If a strain has more than 0.5% myrcene it is an indica. If it has less than 0.5% myrcene it is a sativa (Indica vs Sativa). Myrcene is the most common terpene in cannabis (wait… you probably have no clue what a terpene is so let me explain that first).

“Terpenes are created from the same glands that produce THC and CBD, they are aromatic oils that color cannabis with distinctive flavors like citrus, berry, mint, and pine” (Rahn). Terpenes in cannabis cause the strain to either smell and taste fruity or smell and taste earthy. Just like other strong-smelling plants, the development of terpenes began for adaptive purposes – to attract pollinators and to deter predators. Myrcene, the most common terpene in cannabis, is known to make people sleepy. And that’s why marijuana is classified as either indica or sativa based on its myrcene percentage level. Now that you know how strains are determined, let’s talk about the differences between the two.

Sativa strains furnish an uplifting and energetic cerebral high, that can complement physical exercise, creative activities, and social events. Sativas are usually light green in color with highlights of orange, and they are fluffy in appearance. On the other hand, indica strains furnish a mellow and relaxed body high that is perfect for laying in your bed and binge-watching Netflix. Indicas are usually dark green in color with highlights of purple, and they are dense in appearance. Most of the strains out nowadays are hybrids, which are new strains that are bred from an indica parent and a sativa parent. Hyrbids possess many traits from both parents so they furnish a combination of mind and body effects. Hybrids can be more indica dominate or more sativa dominate – the strain would be labeled with a sativa/indica ratio of 60/40 or 30/70.  

Grand Daddy Purp (Indica)                      Headband (Sativa)

Main Ways to Use Cannabis

Today’s cannabis culture offers a wide variety of tools and methods. I will not be covering all the available options, but I will go over the popular ones – joint, blunt, bong, and vaporizer. All four of these methods require a different technique and they all result in a different high.

    (1)  Joint – This is the most common way that people smoke. Imagine a cigarette, but instead of tobacco it is twisted up with sweet marijuana. Rolling a J is not something you learn overnight. It takes hours of practice, steady hands, and a perfect tuck of the paper to seal her off. While smoking, if the joint starts to canoe – burn quicker down one side – you rolled the J too loose. Like I said, it takes time, but once you master rolling a J, people will notice, and they will appreciate you. There are only two rules you need to know if you are ever around a joint and choose to try it out. Rule #1 – puff, puff, pass – that means 2 rips and then let someone else benefit. Rule #2 – always pass to the left.

    (2) Blunt – This is what you hear rappers talking about. Now instead of cigarette rolling papers, a blunt uses the tobacco-leaf wrapping of a cigar. Compared to joints, blunts are much larger, burn much slower, and are meant to be passed around to the homies. The smoking rules for a blunt are the same as the rules above for a joint.

    (3) Bong – This is not for beginners. A bong is filled with water which cools and filters the smoke before it hits your lungs. Bongs are stronger than joints/blunts because the user is immediately inhaling all the smoke in one breath. This is different than joints/blunts, which split the cannabis consumption into smaller rips over an extended period of time. A fun fact is that bong owners almost always name their bong, so if you are ever around one, don’t be shy and ask what her name is.

 (4) Vaporizer – This is my personal favorite. Vaping heats up cannabis to the point of combustion without actually burning it, so unlike all the other methods, vaping does not have any of the toxic smoke carcinogens (Havelka). For your reference, a butane lighter burns at 3,578°F while all weed combusts around 315°F (Libal). When you smoke a joint/blunt you basically set it on fire and inhale everything that is burning. Vaping ensures that every rip you take is only filled with purest THC rather than a combination of THC and harmful carcinogens. In addition to the health benefits, the cerebral high from vaping is a much different experience than any smoking method. It is a much lighter, cleaner, sophisticated high. You won’t believe me unless you try it for yourself.

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Works Cited

Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata. “Marijuana's History: How One Plant Spread Through the World.” LiveScience, Purch, 17 Oct. 2014, www.livescience.com/48337-marijuana-history-how-cannabis-travelled-world.html

Havelka, Jacqueline. “Is Vaping Safe? The Differences Between Vaping vs. Smoking Cannabis.” Leafly, 14 Mar. 2018, www.leafly.com/news/health/vaping-vs-smoking-marijuana-safety.

“Indica vs Sativa.” Cresco Labs, Catherine Stewart, www.crescolabs.com/indica-vs-sativa/.

Libal, Angela. “What Temperatures Do Lighters Burn At?” Sciencing.com, Sciencing, 10 Jan. 2019, www.sciencing.com/temperatures-do-lighters-burn-8475271.html

Rahn, Bailey. “What Are Cannabis Terpenes and What Do They Do?” Leafly, 16 Jan. 2019, www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/terpenes-the-flavors-of-cannabis-aromatherapy.

Willis, Amy. “History of Weed and How the Plant Spread across the World.” Metro, Metro.co.uk, 21 Apr. 2016, www.metro.co.uk/2016/04/20/happy-420-history-of-marijuana-and-how-the-plant-spread-across-the-world-5829086/.

How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan Post #2

How to Change Your Mind is about expanding one's view of the world by getting to an ego-free state of consciousness. Yes, this book is about mushrooms and LSD, but if you take a step back and forget about the negative stigma, you are able to see how useful these drugs are in helping humans learn more about themselves and their connection with the world.

The first half of the book was about the history and all the necessary research Michael Pollan conducted before trying psilocybin (active ingredient in mushrooms) and LSD. He spoke about every person who made an impact in the psychedelic community over the last 50 years, and had interviews with several of them, my favorite being Bob Jesse. Bob Jesse was an engineer that worked for AT&T and then Oracle. But if you asked him what he is the proudest of, he would say it was when he established the Council of Spiritual Practices – which explores the potential of psychedelics contributing to "the betterment of well people." Bob Jesse believed that psychedelics could do wonders for normal healthy people, and that the drugs shouldn’t only be used for people who are drying, depressed, or addicted. Stating that a mystical experience seems to offer a graduate education in the obvious. Bob Jesse teamed up with Bill Richards, who has led hundreds if not thousands of psychedelic journeys. All Bill Richard’s experience with psychedelics lead him to three conclusions:  1) that the experience on high doses of LSD/Psilocybin are real 2) that these types of experiences are the primal basis of religion and 3) consciousness is the property of the universe, not of brains.

The final point really stuck out to me and made me think. What if consciousness was everywhere and inherit in our universe, what if consciousness isn’t created by our brain. What if our everyday walking consciousness, our default state, was just one of the many conscious states humans have. If consciousness was universal, then the human brain only gives us access to one of the many stations available. And who is to say that our everyday conscience is the best way to live? This question of universal consciousness is a huge reason why Michael Pollan decided to try psychedelics himself. He didn’t want to prematurely close the door to other aspects of reality.  

After Michael Pollan did all his research, we move onto the second part of the book – his personal journeys. He interviewed 15 spiritual guiders and wound up working with 5 of them. Michael Pollan first tried 100 micrograms of LSD but didn’t get the mystical experience he was looking for. He then tried psilocybin and took a dose that equaled double the amount he did for the LSD. Pollan’s guide coached him on challenges he might face - paranoia, spooky places, feelings of losing one’s mind or even dying. "It's like when you see a mountain lion...If you run it will chase you. So you must stand your ground.” This time Pollan was trippin very hard. He had connections with his grandpa, aunt, wife, and he even watched his own ego disappear. Saying he was watching his familiar “self” start to fall away, that he saw himself “as a thin smear spread over the landscape like paint or butter, coating the world with a substance he recognized as himself.” After learning so much about himself from this trip, he decided to try one other psychedelic – the Toad which contains 5-MeO-DMT. Pollan spoke about his trip but reiterated that words cannot do it justice. He said he experienced the big bang of the universe in reverse, then the universe began to reassembly itself, then he experienced giving birth to his son. After the trip Pollan vowed to do less "doing" and more "being". To savor the moment, without trying to change it or even describe it. Pollan than states that “perhaps spiritual experience is simply what happens in the space that opens up in the mind when egotism vanishes.”

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I usually don’t get much pleasure from reading, but this one is special. The book allowed me to think deeply and question everything about human consciousness. But, the most incredible part, is that everyone Michael Pollan interviewed were intelligent people who went to universities like Harvard, NYU, and John Hopkins. Which makes me wonder the role psychedelics may have in our futures?