I have found the volatility too hard to ignore and have been trading. I am chronicling the entries and exits on Twitter – Apple, Amazon, SKF, FXP, GS, AXP, FNM (short). My timing has been pretty good of late , but volatility generally helps. A clear mind is essential.

Last Sunday MORNING this blog got a great conversation going. I posted a ‘Smart’ poll with 4 questions . They all turned out to be important immediately. Luckily, I got them all right and made a few bucks as well. There was way too much negativity and that was before the news Sunday night.

This blog is far from pertfect. I absolutely blew Bear Stearns at $4.80 saying that was a mistake, but did NOT recommend shorting it and still believe that’s gambling. If you nailed that one (liars), kudos.

Last Monday I posted on being optmistic and what could go right .

This afternoon, I Twittered that I need a DONT CHASE POST (we are up over 900 points from that post). Fly nails it with humor:

Instead of buying stocks up here, go play with small sticks of dynamite or hand grenades. Take the pins out, wait 3 seconds, then put them back in. It’s fun and nerve racking, at the same time. Just be sure to powder your hands up, prior to taking on this endeavor.

Look, buying up here is equal to declaring the Dow and S&P will be down, less than 5% for the year. Stranger things have happened, but in my book that’s plain ol’ chicanery.

When shit is running, the rookie move is to jump in at the top and end up getting your fucking legs and arms blown off, by a failed “pin reentry,” via slippery hands.

It feels good to buy stocks today, but that’s usually wrong, especially in a real bear market. Be happy you are still alive if you held through that abyss last Monday.

Fly is right about one thing…it seems almost impossible that the averages can end the year down just 5 percent based on the wounds inflicted. I am not making any long-term bets on the market, but he makes a good point, especially after a 1000 point run.

I have been doing more, but as of today, I will start doing less again…immediately.