Strange USD/CHF spread spikes

 

Comment Closer EA released - tool for manual traders

The comment closer EA is an automated Expert Advisor that monitors your MT4 account for manual trades placed with comments. This is a tool for manual traders who want an automated means of closing orders entered manually.

To use the EA, when a manual order is entered, enter a value in the comment field such as “889”. Then, load Comment Closer onto any chart, and enter the corresponding comment value into the “Comment to Close” parameter field. Be sure the EA is switched on - and it will close orders with comments “889” based on criteria specified in later parameters (Close based on stop loss or profit target, a percentage of the trade, or a percentage of the account)

For EESFX Subscribers only

To read more, visit: http://eesfx.com/wiki/docs:comment_closer

Radiation enters US through Airports and Plume

Radiation Found At DFW, O'Hare Airports...
Brought over by airline passengers...
Detectors installed at LAX... 
Radiation Spurs Fears Around Food...
Japan a robot power -- everywhere except at nuke plant...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/science/17plume.html  A United Nations forecast of the possible movement of the radioactive plume coming from crippled Japanese reactors shows it churning across the Pacific, and touching the Aleutian Islands on Thursday before hitting Southern California late Friday.

Japan Worst Case Scenarios explained

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/03/worst_case_scenarios_at_the_fu.html

In the absence of a clear picture from the Japanese government of what is happening at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a number of experts have stepped in to offer their take on what is currently unfolding and the worst-case scenarios that might occur. Tennessee State University's Dr. Michael Allen spent his early career at Sandia National Labs performing simulations of the world's worst nuclear-reactor accidents, including what happens when nuclear fuel is no longer submerged in water. (Yesterday, U.S. authorities in Japan said the pools of water in Unit 4 containing spent fuel rods, which are different from the reactor cores, had boiled dry.) Allen told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he's unsure whether a full-scale meltdown is inevitable, but he explained how it might occur.

Elite Expert Trader pre-release

Elite Expert Trader

Record Earthquake rocks Japan

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/11/3162153.htm

A massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake rocked northeast Japan late on Friday afternoon, setting a nuclear plant ablaze and unleashing a 10-metre tsunami that tossed ships inland and left at least 88 people dead.

the corporation

The WSJ Foreign Exchange Report

http://online.wsj.com/public/page/foreign-exchange-03022011.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576073441458771246.html  Forex gone wild

Oanda releases MT4

http://fxtrade.oanda.com/trade-forex/metatrader/trade-account-setup

 

You use MetaTrader 4 for its graphs, algorithms, and customization features. OANDA on MT4 gives you everything you like about MetaTrader, plus the benefits of trading forex with us.

 

The OANDA Advantage, on MetaTrader 4

 

OANDA’s fxTrade trading platform uses sophisticated algorithms to source real-time rates and render them as ultra-tight tradable OANDA Spreads. Clients appreciate our consistently competitive prices—and many other features that set OANDA apart from other forex dealers:

 

Our spreads are not negotiable. Everyone gets exactly the same spread, regardless of account size, trade size, customer type, or trading platform.

 

No-hassle demo account. We offer a free practice trading account that never expires.

 

Transparency and fairness. Our reputation means you can bank on our benchmark standards. OANDA provides full access to MetaTrader 4 tools, while maintaining our quality fxTrade execution. (OANDA's MetaTrader 4 does not include the MT4 Virtual Dealer plug-in.)

 

OANDA fxTrade bridges directly to MetaTrader using custom-built technology, so we don’t need to inflate our spreads to cover any third-party fees for linking our trading engine with the MT4 user interface.
MetaTrader 4 offers popular features for algorithmic forex trading:

 

• Programmed trading strategies
• Tools for customizing trade indicators
• Automated trading alarms and signal messages
• Community-sourced indicators and expert advisors
• Trading in 17 languages

 

 

R Project and R For MT4

https://sites.google.com/site/prof7bit/r-for-metatrader-4 mt4R.dll will give you the ability to start the R engine and call R functions directly from your MQL4 scripts, indicators and EAs. Its a thin wrapper/frontend around Rterm.exe with an easy and intuitive MQL4 API. All you need is a working installation of R (http://www.r-project.org/) on your trading PC and the two files (mt4R.dll and mt4R.mqh) installed in their appropriate MT4 folders.

There is documentation inside mt4R.mqh that should get you started without problems, the idea is quite simple, if you already know R you will intuitively understand what you can do with this library. Please read it before you ask any questions. The API reference is also available for browsing it online. Finally also the code of Trend-O-Mat and Arb-O-Mat may serve as an example how this API is meant to be used. 

http://www.r-project.org/ 

Introduction to R

R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. It is a GNU project which is similar to the S language and environment which was developed at Bell Laboratories (formerly AT&T, now Lucent Technologies) by John Chambers and colleagues. R can be considered as a different implementation of S. There are some important differences, but much code written for S runs unaltered under R.

R provides a wide variety of statistical (linear and nonlinear modelling, classical statistical tests, time-series analysis, classification, clustering, ...) and graphical techniques, and is highly extensible. The S language is often the vehicle of choice for research in statistical methodology, and R provides an Open Source route to participation in that activity.

One of R's strengths is the ease with which well-designed publication-quality plots can be produced, including mathematical symbols and formulae where needed. Great care has been taken over the defaults for the minor design choices in graphics, but the user retains full control.

R is available as Free Software under the terms of the Free Software Foundation's GNU General Public License in source code form. It compiles and runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms and similar systems (including FreeBSD and Linux), Windows and MacOS.

Internet Kill Switch

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2011-02-15-kill-switch_N.htm
SAN FRANCISCO — A raging debate over new legislation, and its impact on the Internet, has tongues wagging and fingers pointing from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C.

Just as the Egyptian government recently forced the Internet to go dark, U.S. officials could flip the switch if the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset legislation becomes law, say its critics.
Proponents of the bill, which is expected to be reintroduced in the current session of Congress, dismiss the detractors as ill-informed — even naive.
The ominously nicknamed Kill Switch bill is sure to be a flashpoint of discussion at the RSA Conference, the nation's largest gathering of computer-security experts that takes place here this week.
The bill — crafted by Sens. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Tom Carper, D-Del. — aims to defend the economic infrastructure from a cyberterrorist attack. But it has free-speech advocates and privacy experts howling over the prospect of a government agency quelling the communication of hundreds of millions of people.

WSJ: Big Banks Face Fines on Role of Servicers

* 17 Feb 11: 02:45(SGA) - FX NOW! USD/CHF, USD/JPY Flows - WSJ: Big Banks Face Fines on Role of Servicers

USD/JPY finding some buying from Japanese mega-city banks, possibly importers and corporates, now at 83.55-60. USD/CHF at 0.9580-85, weighed by geopolitical M.E. concerns and EUR/CHF sales, now 1.3020-25. Some focus on US banks. WSJ: A review of mortgage-servicing practices by US regulators found serious problems with internal controls and staffing levels, likely to result in formal enforcement action against more than a dozen major financial institutions. The penalties against BoA., JP Morgan, Wells Fargo + 11 other home-loan servicers being investigated since last fall over breakdowns in procedures for payment collection, loan modifications and foreclosures could include fines and changes in how the companies operate. On FX, good to watch any impact on US banks stocks. Dow futures now -0.1%.USD/JPY offers ahead of 84 options. USD/CHF eye break of 0.9400, offers 0.9600-10. WL

* 17 Feb 11: 02:02(SGA) - FX NOW! GBP/USD, EUR/USD Flows - FT : Germany seeks deal on global imbalances/ G20

Some players are getting a touch bullish for EUR, AUD, GBP and bearish USD - some seeing a "break up" day for EUR, AUD, GBP today. More on G20: FT: The German govt expects G20 to agree on specific indicators to monitor the causes of global imbalances but does not see them setting quantifiable targets for individual countries, a senior unnamed German official said. A deal, which could be reached this weekend, would seek to reconcile the divergent views of the US, which has the world's largest trade deficit, with those of China and Germany, boasting two of the largest surpluses The German official said agreement was close on five indicators of the "causes of imbalances": c/a imbalances, real FX rates, public sector debt and deficits, currency reserves, and private sector savings rates. On FX, EUR/USD at 1.3595-97, offers 1.3600-20/ 50. Bids 1.3540-50. GBP/USD at 1.6108-10. offers 1.6130-50/ 1.6200. WL

Wikirebels: A Documentary about Information Brokerage

Sustainable family outside LA

List of Windows Services that can be safely set to manual

Here is a list of services that can be safely set to MANUAL:

Application Experience
Computer Browser (If your computer is not connected to any network)
Desktop Window Manager Session Manager (If you don't use Aero theme)
Diagnostic Policy Service
Distributed Link Tracking Client
IP Helper
Offline Files
Portable Device Enumerator Service
Print Spooler (If you don't have Printer)
Protected Storage
Remote Registry (Always disable it for Security purposes)
Secondary Logon
Security Center
Server (If your computer is not connected to any network)
Tablet PC Input Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Themes ( If you use Windows Classic theme)
Windows Error Reporting Service
Windows Media Center Service Launcher
Windows Search (If you don't use Windows Search feature frequently)
Windows Time (If you don't want to update system tray clock time using Internet)
PS: You can see the details of each service to determine whether you should disable it or not.