Ok lets continue the thread while leaving the dummy (Apesll) out.

BIGBLOCK

7/15/08  LONG 1000shrs at 5.19 and  100 contracts LEAPs LXFMA JAN 2010 - 5 PUTS at 1.35

100% protection until 2010 or earlier (you have to see the worst not the best)

Closed trade on 8/15/08 at 6.40 and sold 100 contracts back at 1.25 (ah! sweet time)

Profit = $1210 - $31(3+5+.75) - $100 = $1104

Did it really matter what the indicators said?

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JAS0501

One can throw darts and the financial section and then report the winners too... 

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WINFIELDH

I'm curious...what led you to that trade? The price action looks very similar to 5/12 with a prior breakdown and struggling stochastics. Was this a 'hail mary' shot to see if it would recover with disregard for indicators?

Regardless of reason.... once in this trade with the downside protection of the puts, what would your stoploss be for the common if it had gone the other way?

I'm also curious about your arithmatic.... $1210 - $31(3+5+.75) - $100 = $1104 doesn't add up. Please confirm what you're doing here.

Thanks, W

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BIGBLOCK

Dear Jassi, I do not throw any darts or report any financial section's winners.  The point of this topic wasn't to brag about the trade or any other trade in particular.  The point was to display how you can remove your fear and greed from any particular trade by accepting the realities of trading.
I do plenty of trades daily of which I could brag about, but prefer not to.  Just no enough time for chatting.
You can take the input as it is and try to learn, or you can continue to do whatever it is you do.
It is all up to you.   I must agree that dragons are a lot more fun - just not sure if more profitable.
In an up market we all make money - even dragons

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BIGBLOCK

On 7/14/2008 The system issue a buy signal for the first time since Oct of 2007.  Stochastics were above 20 for the first time since then.  Information which I cannot discuss here was served to me with prospect target way above my selling point.  I trust the system, and I trust the information, I just don't trust my money to the market - hence insured.  The price of the LEAP was a no brainer.
I could had held it until the end of my LEAP - do you think it will it higher before them - I think so.  My selling had nothing to do with the prospects.  I had different reasons and needed the profits so I closed.
Remember closing a trade has nothing to do many times with the trade - some folks need the money to buy a car, a boat, or a new gold pen.  Some think the indicator is telling them it is time to sell.  Whatever it is - usually it is not what you think it is.

You ask for stop loss?? NO stop loss.  Why would I want to give my competition a breaking down point?
By purchasing the PUT I tell them I do not give a rep about what they decide to do until the end of my contract.  Like in this case that contract can be a long long contract.  They do what they do, and so I do what I do.  It is my market, I call my shots - not them.

Don't worry about the arithmatic - substract $25 from the total and you are all set. 
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NOW WE CAN CONTINUE THE THREAD