Answers I Really Wanna Know: What is the Market's Poison Pill?

• Where is a socially liberal fiscal conservative to turn?
  
  
• Is everyone watching crude $110 a level of lore for Texas Tea enthusiasts?
  
  
• Was Monday’s downside reversal the official shift from "lower crude is equity positive" to "lower crude is endemic of slowing global growth?"
  
  
• As per Bennet's salient observation regarding China?
  
  

• Talk about Oil of Oy Vey, eh?
  
  
• Be that as it may—and I continue to foresee lower crude on the horizon—was it inconsistent for me to buy USO calls on Tuesday’s opening (and, after paring into Tuesday’s close, double down yesterday morning) with an eye towards the forming storms in the Atlantic?
  
  
• Or am I just trading in the vein of “hit it to quit it” and an eye towards taking the trade?
  
  
• Required reading for policy makers?
  
  
• Is the single biggest disconnect in world financial markets the muted level of equity volatility vs. the treacherous state of the credit markets?
  
  
• I mean, sweetie, baby, darling—the VXO is 23?
  
  
• Through that lens—and as we foresee some wicked volatility—is “long gamma, delta neutral” trading the best way to approach this incredibly important stretch?
  
  
• Have credit concerns taking the baton of "what matters now?"
  
  
• For instance, have you noticed that American Internal Group (AIG) Credit Default Swaps widened 30 bips this morning and are now north of 400?
  
  
• Have you taken your 2 week FREE trial to our Buzz & Banter?  If not, you're missing great real-time market insight from the best and brightest on Wall Street.
  
  
• What did we need to see from the RNC last night?
  
  
• Who gets a pimple on their nose at the age of 39?
  
  
• After getting hurt on the long side in Baidu (BIDU) last week—and reversing course to ride a short lower Tuesday and yesterday, can you blame me for covering this pup into the close (despite the break we pointed to)?
  
  
• And isn’t a retest of a breakdown (or breakout)—in this case, Baidu $300—the textbook time to initiate a position anyway?
  
  
• Was yesterday’s underlying bid in financials a function of short covering by funds that are forced to unwind bets?
  
  
• You know, that “long energy, short financial” bet that every hedge fund in the Street seemed to be in?
  
  
• Does anyone else get a distinct sense that something is afoot at Mother Merrill (MER)?
  
  
• Even if financial institutions can find a way to finance $871 billion into year-end, won't it likely be dilutive at some level?
  
  
• Or is that sector too crowded a bet right now, particularly with Washington Offensive Coordinator Hank Paulson calling the plays?
  
  
• In that vein, shouldn’t we expect some announcements from Hank and Ben soon?
  
  
• Do you think Ben Bernanke thanks his lucky stars every night that Hank came along to steal the spotlight?
  
  
• Are sweet potatoes the most underappreciated starch of all time?
  
  
• But are they shooting at ghosts?
  
  
• Are you ready for some football?
  
  
• Have you seen the NFL power rankings?
  
  
• Fan... or masochist?
  
  
• Do you see that dandruff forming in the SOX Statue?
  
  
• Which will trigger with a break below SOX 330?
  
  
• Is RWR (REIT Spider) a better vehicle than Simon Property Group (SPG)?
  
  
• Has anyone else picked up “credible” chatter that foreign buyers are piling into ETF’s?
  
  
• Has the question of "too big to fail" morphed into the dilemma of "too small to save?"
  
  
• Ambac (ABK) is quietly up 300% since the beginning of August?
  
  
• Is it every a bad time to listen to Stevie Ray?
  
  
• Are you thinking positive with the mindset that profitability begins within?
  
  
• Did you know the doors to Festivus 2008 are officially open? Have you yet locked your spot for the critter trot as last year's soiree sold out? (This is our annual event to commingle our professors, partners and Minyans while chowing down and listening to live music. The very best part? It's for the kids in the good name of my grandfather.)
  
  

R.P.