Mass Misconceptions

Trading

The main reason why most investors and traders lose money instead of securing stable and considerable profits (which they expect) is lack of trading skills, knowledge and the awareness that such elements are necessary to generate income. All the trading services you may find on the web have one objective : to get money from those who lost money, need trading confidence or any real guidance. Of course, the subscribers get eventually fleeced.
The publishers and writers are scibomaniacs who often do not trade at all - have you ever thought : when do they do trading, posting so many newsletters, sometimes daily?
They are detached from the real price action thus they beam with perma-bull or perma-bear confidence, which although attractive by nature reduces the portfolios to a state beyond recovery. Browsing the Internet, a potential market participant will find all kind of fundamental bullshit, sometimes very sophisticated - using comparisons and blend of facts very appealing to one's imagination. Yes, fundamental long-term investors do make money. So, some are right at least for a period of time. This in no way detracts from the general points made above.
To make money one has to study the charts and acquire trading methods which bring consistent gains on daily, weekly or long-term basis. The throughout knowledge of technical analysis is an absolute must. Then the study of morphology of waves which helps to identify trend and choose adequate strategy. It may take years before the student becomes a successful trader who makes money whichever chart he or she gaze upon. Personally, I do not care about what media or 'experts' have to say. I do not rely on fundamentals at all. I often do follow news for fun or to spot some contrary indicators.

Great Train Robber

Biggs was part of the 15-strong gang who stole £2.6 million from a mail train in Buckinghamshire in 1963. Driver Jack Mills was struck over the head during the raid and never fully recovered before his death seven years later.
Biggs was jailed for 30 years for his part in the robbery but escaped after just 15 months of his sentence and fled to South America.
He handed himself into the authorities after 35 years on the run and is currently on remand in the hospital wing of Norwich Prison but his son has been campaigning for his relief because of his deteriorating health.
Bigg's solicitor Giovanni di Stefano said his client was "ecstatic" at the decision. "He knows about this and he's very pleased and his release is now just a few days away. It's a brand new home that he will be going to and his son will be only a half a mile away and will be able to visit every day."
Telegraph

The British taxpayers (except for some merciful unreasonable souls) don't agree to pay for this criminal's health care. Mr Biggs is an outlaw and should be treated as such. The British justice system has gone a long way and now it became a national service for "social inadequates". If I were Justice, I would give him a 'light tap' with an iron bar despite his condition, I would sentence his bred-with-stolen-money son to a prison-labor camp for life and cut off the tongue of his vicious solicitor.