as days such as this give us pause to reflect, drink in the words of poet e.e. cummings as you contemplate the year ahead.

here is little Effie's head
whose brains are made of gingerbread
when judgment day comes
God will find six crumbs
stooping by the coffinlid
waiting for something to rise
as the other somethings did-
you imagine his surprise
bellowing through the general noise
Where is Effie who was dead?
-to God in a tiny voice,
i am may the first crumb said
whereupon its fellow five
crumbs chuckled as if they were alive
and number two took up the song
might i'm called and did no wrong
cried the third crumb, i am should
and this is my little sister could
with our big brother who is would
don't punish us for we were good;
and the last crumb with some shame
whispered unto God, my name
is must and with the others i've
been Effie who isn't alive
just imagine it I say
God amid a monstrous din
watch your step and follow me
stooping by Effie's little, in
(want a match or can you see?)
which the six subjective crumbs
twitch like mutilated thumbs;
picture His peering biggest whey
coloured face on which a frown
puzzles, but I know the way-
(nervously Whose eyes approve
the blessed while His ears are crammed
with the strenuous music of
the innumerable capering damned)
-staring wildly up and down
the here we are now judgment day
cross the threshold have no dread
lift the sheet back in this way
here is little Effie's head
whose brains are made of gingerbread

First off, if you didn't see my wrap-up video for 2009, please check out the prior post. This is also on YouTube.

A few days ago I tilted bullish in the energy direction, and so far, those are working out OK. I am very aware that prior bullish setups have withered away, but – – eventually something is going to "take."

As for the S&P…..I am – once again – long the ES. I have been getting smacked badly the past couple of days, losing a couple thousand here, a couple thousand there, and before you know it, about $20k is gone. It has been a beastly thing to trade, and there's no guarantee this time will be any different. My hope, obviously, is that my long-standing assertion that January will bring a rise to the market comes true. This Friday is going to be pretty important, and Monday even moreso. How will 2009 start? That's what we're all dying to know.

I'll say this – – the number 920 is incredibly important. If the S&P pushes above 920, watch out…..things are really going to start pushing higher. Having 36 puts and 72 shorts in just one account alone makes it an awkward prediction, but each of my positions is carefully-chosen. If we start moving higher, I'm moving more and more money into a smaller number of large positions.

My IRA, which has been "all bullish" since the start of December, continues to do well. I imagine it will be spectacular if January zooms higher. We bears really, really need a robust rally. It's going to continue to be an agonizing grind without out.

See ya in the morning.

I imagine the rest of the week is going to be a slog, so bear with me (and the market). Here's one stock for your consideration – symbol DCM, with a stop at 18.25; I like the saucer and the volume.