All I can say is that 8/10 are losers is highly improbable. Given no other information, if you enter a trade there is a 50/50 chance that the next tick is going to be up or down. But notice I said given no other information, there is much more information from the behavior of the charts. If you are a small player the charts will help you be right more than 50% of the time. The rest is how your algorithms and trading methodology take advantage of the information.
10K is too little. Statistically speaking, a small draw down can wipe out your acount. Most professionals have stop losses to limited their loss to 1-2% of their account. Google "trading money-management". You probably want to paper trade for a while before risking real money. If you are really interested in markets you can follow it as a hobby while working as a programmer. I used Interactive Brokers for trading futures, fx, options and stocks. They are low-cost and provides an API for automation. I write java code for my own personal "proprietary desk trading".
Father of Information Theory is a little-known character ? I think not. His master thesis is the "most significant masters thesis in the 20th century".
The article wants to portray Paulson as a likable guy. However, I will never forget that he help his old firm Goldman Sachs steal trillions from the pockets of the American people. For this is what he should be remembered in the history books.
Doesn't seem like a hired gun to me. Seems he's very ethical and loyal to whoever happens to be his employer and is not driven solely by financial reward.
Cisco does build things. Lots of switches and routers, they are all built in China by Foxconn. I think what you mean to say is that Microsoft is a software company while Cisco is a hardware company. Two different ways of doing business.
Microsoft's present is Cisco's future. Cash rich but without any innovation. Just copying whatever the new kid on the block is doing. It's just one paradigm-shift away from obsolescence.
http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/6.828/2009/