Jack Barnes, A Modern Day Conqueror

Varun Jaitly  

ENglish 1S/T

Brian Lewis

Interviewing Jack Barnes

An everyday Conqueror

How does someone interview a man that was picked to be Forbes number one amateur Stock picker? Simply by starting with the basics and building from there. In the Interview Jack and I discuss his upbringing, his time spent in the city, and his coming of age experience. JAck Barnes is one of those individuals who grew up in a time where independence was key, and well taught through handing kids responsibilities despite age. Now he is the successful “Benevolent DIctator” of a website competing with major Financial news sites and runs multiple side operation, for both business, pleasure, and a sense of drive that makes him as unique an individual as they come.

Jack Barnes grew up on a Farm, like many his age during the late 60’s. He worked with his parents and family on this farm during a time in American History when there was genuine uncertainty and it worked in his favor. Mr. Barnes grew up taking on responsibilities that wouldn't even be considered to be given to a child today, and that lack of childproofing helped mature him along. Even when he moved from the small farm to the big city he took on responsibilities that were unorthodox for his age, for instance when he describes handling business for his parents Property management company. “I was sub 12 and I would answer the door and collect rent, and then I would go to the bank and deposit 12,000 dollars, you can’t let a 12 year old do that now.”

This independent and entrepreneurial drive was clearly prevalent at a young age and really displayed the effect that 70’s america had on Kids. A time where kids could do anything parents needed them to and not childproof everything, it was all about toughening your kids up for the realities of life. Also since many people had lived through the dust bowl and other hard economic times, and watched as America struggled to fight a war that was hurting its troops and its economy. Now things are different and parents have developed a self-consciousness for their kids that outweighs their need to build them up and I believe this is a dangerous thing.

As we move along, Mr. Barnes tells us of how he wasn’t the average College student, most college kids had a part time job at a food joint. Even I have a job at a pizza place! Mr. Barnes had a job as a firefighter and used this job to put himself through college. He also wasn't the kind of guy that simply went to school with a goal, a dream job and a desire to simply pass through the school system and out the other end. Mr. Barnes had a need to learn, he was determined to gain knowledge that would help him build something later on, maybe a company or a business, but all he knew was he wanted to learn, to further his knowledge.

Mr. Barnes approach to college is something different than what is observed today by students, he went to college for the sole purpose to expand his knowledge. Not simply to be given a number of qualifications that would get him a job. Today kids would have to come from a very high socioeconomic background to be able to pull that off. That and most kids these days dont think of college as a temple of knowledge as much as a place where they have to endure and overcome hard courses and teachers. To achieve the necessary requirements for a job in a decent field. This thinking is flawed and is why jack barnes did so well later on, he simply wanted to learn and move forward, not to conform and look for a place to stagnate. This idea I think is an older way of thinking that we as teens dont respect. It is, beyond anything a respect for knowledge.

Later on in his life jack realized that he needed a job and that he can not be a firefighter forever, so he worked as a tech guy for E trade, an investment company that worked with retail investments for Amateur traders. he eventually was able to get some money together and started his own Hedge fund that invested in what forbes called “The riskiest parts of the market.” This meant that Jack was battling with the best of them, he wasn’t learning for fun anymore he was lining his pockets with cash, he was able to achieve a ridiculous amount of returns every year. He did this for many years but in the end the inevitable happened, Jack Barnes faced an issue most pro’s can't handle, and thats eventually burning out. You can only be in the ring for so long until you get so worn out and bruised from fighting that you can’t fight anymore. Despite this he ended up coming back to the financial world and starting another project that again, fell more towards the social side of things, he decided to build a website where professional traders could give the regular guys some advice and also trade with them side by side.  

Like in the beginning when I mentioned that entrepreneurial drive, he still continues to push forward today, moving forward and continues to grow. There is something to be said about that, since I have noticed that many of my elder relatives have a need to continue working despite their old age, but my younger relatives are not looking to expand as much. I believe this is an aspect of the American dream lost in an older time that isn't reflected in todays society and is lost in todays youth. Whereas we just want to enjoy our current state, the older generation was always looking forward to what is next.

This is one of the things I most enjoyed about interviewing jack barnes, he consistently showed me ways in which his socialization had helped him develop and grow in ways that I knew would be much different than my own in my own time. Right off the back he started off the interview saying how he played pong, then packman, and so on. I believe that there is something intrinsically right about talking to someone older and vastly more different than you. There is something to gain, and something to simply understand, such as how I understand that I will never understand the kind of life Jack lived when he was younger because it is so alien and so foreign to my own upbringing. Yet it is also the key, to the individual, where you can see this forward driven individual and his rots, and me, a regular intern in his larger machine.

The Trader: Balls Of Steel

Varun Jaitly

10/22/13

Brian Lewis

Word count: 1,498

   Balls of Steel: The Trader

The pace of the financial markets is nothing less than an all out sprint, you start the day waiting, thinking, watching. Like a sniper on a cold morning stalking his prey you watch your prefered stock or asset class. You wait for CNBC to put out news or for a report to fall through the treasury and start moving your markets. Then when markets open you hear the bell ring and like an all day boxing match the boards light up with buyers and sellers. Real people with real opinions and its your word against theirs. As you analyze and move quickly through the charts to find something to trade the markets are moving and people are screaming at the top of their lungs. While brokers try to fill orders you are scrambling to look for a quick play in your prefered asset class. This Desk Job is like no other, there are no boring pauses, or water cooler breaks. There are no early or late days, every day you come in with your analysis, your opinions and a fresh face to throw into the markets to get bloodied. This is the Financial Markets, a place where men come to test their worth, few people can walk in and do what these monsters do without breaking down and wanting out. To some its an art, to others its a struggle that has its own kick. To me its an addiction brought on by passion and fueled by instant rewards.

The Human mind is susceptible to all sorts of stresses, Home, Family, Work, School. However when you have a job or steady source of income, you feel secure, you feel as though there is always going to be an anchor in your life you can rely on that will be there to support you when you need it. You go to work, file your reports, and do what you need to do.Then every 2 weeks you get paid. However, there is a group of like minded individuals who after a certain period of time decided they would take on a challenge that literally throws your net worth, your property, and your capacity of stress into a the ring. The Financial Markets and the Fearless traders who trade day in and day out are part of an ingenious sub-culture that puts an individual’s life in the balance for untold riches. The Trading Sub Culture is one surrounded by preconceived notions of ivy league brats and elitist kids who are messing with their trust fund money; however, there is a whole group of individuals who seek financial freedom and have created a culture to go with it, one of intense thought, higher order understanding, and a lifestyle that not many can deny but few can truly attain.

The Eyes Behind the chart

What I describe earlier, however, was the scene of a trading pit, a dying arena where old men screamed their hearts out day in and day out.  obviously the Chart is only half the story but its the one half that all traders understand and can agree upon. Chart analysis is one of the many schools of thought that are constantly growing in the Financial Markets. Some people believe charts are like scripture and when read properly lead the way to untold riches, while others feel as if it is only part of the picture and that people should not rely so heavily on them. Now trading is a bit more refined, and many schools of thought rely on things outside of the Auction system and basic analysis. I myself am a currencies trader. I am very technical and I use what is probably considered half the story of trading. I use the Chart. Stocks, or currency charts will make anyone who sees it say “Oh you trade stocks”!, even if you don't touch stocks people instantly recognize the chart and know what it means even if they can't specify its origin or its true purpose. In trading there is a saying, “all charts are the same”, Obviously that is a little misleading yet at the same time it describes what connects traders. When a technically savvy trader pulls up a chart, he or she can instantly see things that may be of importance to the approach they may take towards trading that asset. This goes for any and every chart,

The Life of a Trader

This job pushes the mental limits of a man, driven insane by economic happiness and fulfillment and thrown into a world where you watch your paycheck, you life savings, or your college fund multiply, or disappear before your eyes. Through my own field study and interactions with different traders I have found that we are an amazingly scary basket case for sociologists. We have Financial Freedom and a job with intense social interactions and constant use of the flight or fight response, coupled with high stress high reward atmosphere and a job that literally is a mind game as long as you are working, and for some thats all the time. This idea that day in and day out, you can time, and play the markets like a constantly changing puzzle where the rules are different every morning. Throw in all the responsibilities of your regular life, this job has made mincemeat out of men because it is a meat grinder. In the end you have a diverse group of individuals who have a higher order of thinking and are usually very apt sociologists and theoretical thinkers. It is an intoxicating environment to be in, in my own research I have found that they appreciate hard work and love to see someone with drive who is pushing the boundaries all the time. That is what goes in the world of trading, not sitting back and relaxing and smoking a cigar like everyone thinks.

The group mentality of most traders is similar to boxers, many think they are all crazy bald guys who have no off button. However the reality is very much different, traders are usually extremely calm individuals, which makes sense since they manage so much stress on a regular basis they tend to use the time not being stressed out to relax. We are very open and free thinkers, in our down time we enjoy discussing things ranging from politics to sports, to the hottest cars. For those who have taken it on as a profession its a fast life and is usually filled with a privileges not available to the average person.  

A dying Subculture

Despite my interest and the sense of fulfilment I attain from working with traders and in the trading environment, I know that this culture of traders is a dying breed. They are being minimized due to the introduction of Automated Algorithms, which are run not by professional money managers but by Computer Science engineers and financial Engineers. This new age of technology is taking out the gun slinging cowboy that was the trader, just like computers and computerized trading charts killed off the great trading pits of Chicago and New York. In front of my eyes I can see what I want to become get wiped out and making it harder for me to become one. For many this is a tough blow, and for some an opportunity but I will be the first to admit, I wish it was like the old days where guys like PAUL TUDOR JONES could swing 2 million dollars in a single crazy day. There are still those who can pull in that kind of weight, but it requires knowledge and balls of steel to be able to take on massive positions and hold steady through insanity.

In the conclusion, todays society is filled with many jobs and individuals who enjoy living a fast life. However there is no faster life than that of a trader, however its not all about the money, or the privileged lifestyle it is about this ability to take something that people hold so dear- Money, and use it in such a way where you can easily lose it all. For most people cannot relate because they have security which is lacking in the lives of everyday traders. This lack of security, this high stress environment and the ability to control it and harness ones mind. That level of constraint and control is what is lacking in most of society, the lifestyle that is taken on by most traders is one of clarity, they can see the reality of what is happening to society better than most people can and they can go on to quantify it. It is an amazing subculture of individuals who go beyond themselves and disconnect so much from their own emotions, that it is not surprising that the outcome is an interesting person...

Opening Eyes: Education and Sociology

Varun Jaitly

English 1S/242A

Lewis, Brian

Due: 10/3/2013

Sociology has been around for a long enough time that we can make conclusive statements about the topic. However this amazing topic that has the ability to take a normal individual and throw that individual into the deepest parts of his unexplored mind and extract understanding that makes that person more eloquent in understanding their own as well as everything around them. So why the hell have we not brought this into the classroom? why do we allow our students to continue writing shallow, skin deep essays with meaningless observations that cater to the whims of whatever teacher wrote their objective. Yet Sociology has the ability to aid in the expansion of an individual's understanding and ability to reach deeper into places that would allow them to become more accepting and open. Sociology through writing, reading, and understanding the Social Imagination can further the mind of our brightest and help our weakest tap into areas that will help them further themselves.

Taking that into consideration, sociological Imagination still seems like a contradictory statement,  but in reality it really is not. There is an Individual and then there is History. Not time which most people think is the same as history, I mean literal History. As individuals we do not look back and talk about the past by citing the exact date and time. We start with a memory, a nuance, and a moment that marks that point on a line that we refer to as history. History is not the past or the backwards revision of time  but the moments that collided together to make what we have as something to look back at. When we think of the 60’s most people do not know exact dates, but they remember the “Red Scare”. Or the threat of utter annihilation, they remember huge tv sets with tiny screens. When we think about the 40’s we do not say “remember 41? that was fun” we instead say “remember when Sterling Moss got that victory for Aston Martin in 41? Man was that a defining moment for those guys”. History is made of moments and actions that changed the world little by little, and at the roots of those actions are Individuals. The Red Scare was not just one government or a community. it was the overwhelming belief shared between individuals that communists were out to destroy our way of life. During World War 2, people were untied like never before against a common enemy. people left their professions and their normal lives to make guns, planes, and bullets. Everyone was together but it was the individual chains that really made the difference. The Sociological Imagination is the ability to see the painting and at the same time be able to admire the subtle brush strokes that make the painting work as a piece that moved someone so much that they called it a masterpiece.

The common misconception about sociology is that those that study the topic know something the normal individual does not know. Of course that for the most part is not true, everyone perceives things through their own lense. however as Peter Berger so eloquently states it  “It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is this-Things are not what they seem. This too is a deceptively simple statement”. He is right most things are not what they seem, to me they seem orange but to the reader they seem purple. the point here is that sociology is not the study of how to change someone to think like every other sociologist, there are no schools of thought. Sociology teaches the individual to hone their abilities to look within themselves and the world around them through a more analytical aspect. No sociologist has the same opinion as another, the whole point is to question and that is a real issue in classrooms. Kids rarely ask questions, despite the fact that most english classes in America actually cover a broad range of brilliant topics that relate to the world they live in. The analysis that can be done in catch 22, or Fahrenheit 451 is astounding but students look at it as something beyond their realm of need to know. Due to the social media movement everything in the youth society has become a “need to know” level of understanding. That makes for a horribly boring human being, that also makes for a human that fails to be a very good human. For instance, someone with the ability to analyze a situation can go deeper into ones own feelings and experiences to help them empathize with other individuals. If people are only capable of looking at the facts and regurgitating them or being messengers rather than contemplators then there is a massive movement towards mediocrity. Sociology in its truest form helps people peel away layers of concepts and allows them the rare opportunity to change these concepts over time as they delve deeper into themselves and deeper into this concept. If all a person knows how to do is read a statement and then regurgitate it to their friend then what use is that person? The practice of analysis and forward movement through understanding is something that my generation desperately needs, past the screens, and the emoticons, there are individuals with feelings and brains and capabilities that can in some way better society. However if we leave them be than these individuals will face moments where their inner feelings, and their emotions will come out and they will have to face these emotions in the face without being able to analyze them or fully understand them. A lack of Empathy is equated to many social disorders, some that can easily be avoided if the individual was given the attention but was also aided in the maturing process through means of utilizing sociology.

In America's education system we have set a standard for how we teach students, we explain it, we drill it in like a hammer on a nail, and then we quiz it till its a stone etched process. With something as important as writing, regardless of creative, or informative we need to change this method. Writing cannot be taught the same way since writing like sociology is not an exact level plain of thought, in fact its a dynamic method of communicating your thoughts, and when done right can not only present but invoke ones feelings and emotions. That may sound like something reserved for a fictional or creative piece but in fact the main objective for a persuasive document is to do exactly that, invoke an inner understanding of the authors feelings and their opinions. Human are capable of empathizing but its easy to understand someones logical points but its difficult to feel the emotional connection someone else has to an issue or topic. Fictional writers fill us with intense emotions with their novels, yet we arent able to teach teenagers or professional adults to do the same with their persuasive arguments and documents. For instance the debate on gun control is a very heated topic and both sides have very good points to offer, however neither can level with the other on an emotional level. I have yet to see a publication from either side that can successfully help me level emotionally with either ones arguments. Why do AMericans have such a deep connection with their guns? Why do some AMericans want to take away something that is legally allowed in a country? these are very easily debatable yet there is clearly emotion behind it, unfortunately no one can clearly communicate that. If we had taught the most involved individuals how to write such eloquent and deep hitting texts maybe their debates would be better understood or their points. To a regular individual the people who are fighting gun control sound absolutely insane, however they are standing up for something that they feel so strongly about, maybe if we could empathize better through publications and being good receivers of emotions we could iron this situation out a lot easier. That is why the need to teach more dynamic and eloquent writing styles is so necessary, how else will strongly opinionated individuals get their point across? In the 40’s Ghandi was able to go on long fasts, nearly killing himself, that was his method of communicating how strongly he felt about his cause. Now we have such a well connected world that getting someones word out is not hard. however it seems individuals are losing the ability to convey deeper more intimate connections through text. Also the ability to understand or absorb such emotion is also lost, what is the point of an eloquent writer if the reader is shallow and narrow minded. That is why there is such an obvious need to mature our method of teaching young adults how to convey messages through text. No matter what it is, fact, fiction, editorial, persuasive essay, them and their peers need to be able to eloquently be able to communicate their point as well as have the ability to be open minded and receive and understand what is written. As stated by Loiuse M. Rosenblatt ““Moreover, every reading and writing act can be understood as falling somewhere on the efferent/aesthetic continuum, as being predominantly one or the other.” (Writing and the Transactional Theory). Rosenblatt quantifies in her essay how the intimate relationship between the writer and the reader allows for both to grow from the cross fertilization and understanding they share between the text.

Education aside, the average teenager that spends most of his or her day in front of a screen, these screens can’t display emotions. These screens take away from the lessons taught by human interaction, the same interactions that help us mature. For instance “Antidepressants were the third most common prescription drug taken by Americans of all ages in 2005–2008 and the most frequently used by persons aged 18–44 years” (CDC.gov) I am not going to blame education for this or for the rising rate of Psychiatric outreach by teenagers. However when teenagers are not out socializing or succmbing to their feelings and facing them or questioning them, they are being hurt. Eventually ones emotions will come out and fight then and what happens if you aren’t used to dealing with your emotions, that leads to a very stressful and harsh way to live. sociology is the understanding of ones place, if anything it is a method of self discovery that can lead to answering the hardest questions in life. If teenagers grow up in an environment that promotes shallow understanding and a failure to empathize then the youth as a whole are headed for dangerous waters. Society puts so many burdens and stress on the shoulder of children, yet we dont give them the tools to fight for themselves and achieve a greater understanding of the world they enjoy. We allow shallow existence and failure to comprehend deep subject matter. What we don’t do is prepare for an ever changing world where only the creative ones have any shot at changing the world, where those individuals who questioned everything and found the answer buried deep, can be successful. The ideas taught in school can be expanded on and better understood if taught from a standpoint that promotes analytical thinking and questioning. Problem solving skills, something we hold so high on the spectrum of developmental milestones, these can become  much stronger, and reinforced in ways and at ages that allow for a healthier adulthood.

Finally one considers, what happened? when did readers go from Alistar Mclain, and Jules Verne, to those writers that fail to use not just the english language but powerful emotions to convey the point of a story. There are plenty of good books out there from this generation but its hard for them to rival the stories that personally moved me. For instance, my favorite novel is 20,000 Leagues by Jules Verne. At the tender age of 10 I read that book cover to cover twice, and it changed me in ways I could not comprehend. I instantly connected with Nemo the Infuriating Sea Captain whose anger seems out of place till you realize how the painful origins shaped him and the true meaning behind his whole purpose.  since then, there has not been a single book that shook me to my core like that did, and from there I too began to question everything. Yet no teacher was able to satisfy this ability to question continuously, and most school systems and educational institutions like high schools dont promote this constant battering of oneself. Unfortunately it is natural for humans to question everything and when the time comes for teenagers to face their emotions, whether personally or professionally, they are going to need that methodical mind that comes with a sociological education.

My name is Varun Jaitly my story is simple, I was born in India and my parents moved here to get their slice of the America dream pie. I immigrated when I was 4 years old and spent some time on the East Coast and later Moved to California for the rest of my youth. Since moving here I have enjoyed myself and have been fully Immersed in the American Culture, I am a huge advocate for reinvention of the everyday human, I think people my age need more zen and peace in their life. I say this cause I was a hyper active little turd who's mouth and mind moved a mile a minute and was told I have ADHD, however I never really harnessed myself and that later hurt me in my academic endeavors.

So now as I have matured I get the value in slowing down and taking a step back from the in'n'out, the iphone, and the need to socialize 24/7. I love learning about history, economics, and how the world works. I believe people my age should be more in tune with the world around them and not just whats happening in our own social sphere, there are people who live lives so different compared to how we live our lives yet we dont realize it because we are all so self consumed 24/7. 

I love the art of Comedy thanks to comedians like Louis Ck, Bill Bur, and similar comedians who like to poke fun at their audiences lives with the audience roaring with laughter with not the slightest of clues they are the subject of the joke. I believe in forgive and forget but I also believe in living life by enjoying the little things we take for granted. 

I made the mistake of not putting in the effort to be successful in high school so that I can go to college. So now I am in Community College trying to make up for that small fallacy. I hope to go to an Above average 4 year and to later become successful in the field of Investment banking and asset trading, I love the corporate lifestyle but I hope that one day I can do more than just make money. 

I believe this blog is a way for me  to showcase my ability to understand literature and in the same way express my ideas and thoughts in a way that the viewer can enjoy and absorb my thoughts, whether they agree or not.