Here is an intersting email sent to a group of speculators by a very influential trader and friend. These are important questions for the months ahead that we all will be trading. I know he would not mind if I post on this site as he likes to "enlighten" those around him. "..... and filling in the international area, and many countries interests are involved, and many checks and balances seem to be in place vis a vis the interests of all these other countries, the desire in particulalr to maintain a balance with Syria, and the desire to keep Iran in check. Sort of like a simultaneous team chess game with attacks and defenses on all sides and consultation allowed with new grandmasters from many different countries ready to enter, and take the place if the score gets inappropriate, or a team tag match in professional wrestling, or perhaps Johnny on a pony when we played street games as kids where we all pile on but not too hard less the pony get knocked over or we fall off. At times likes these the question emerges if counting really helps. After all , we can point to 100 specific news announcemnets during the day about this or that incrrease in hot tension that sends the market roller coasting down or up. And yet, most of us who count find that the times when it works the best is when tension is the greatest and no rudder seems appropriate . With this in mind I propose the following 15 counting questions. 1 What happens after 3 down days in a row. 2 What happens after stocks are at a 20 day minimum on a Friday. 3. What happens after bonds close at a 20 day max. 4. What happens after a down week of more than 2%. 5. After two down weeks? 6. What is the likely impact of Humphrey Hawkins testimony when the market has been down more than 30 points in the week leading up to the meeting. 7. How do stocks perform in the week of options expirations? 8. What is the performance of stocks in the m iddle of earnings announcement season? 9. Is the influence of crude positive or negative in such situations as this? 10 gold is at a 8 week high. Bullish or bearish ? 11 bunds up more than 100 in last 2 days with stocks down both days. Anything predictive? 12 Naz at a 21 month low last missed by september 2004. anything predictive. 13 G 7 Meeting. good or bad for stocks when down inpreceding. 14.Many companies beating forecasts but going down on earnings releases. Goor or bad. 15 VIX UP 50% in the last week. Bullish or bearish. If the answers to these questions get too easy, perhaps a combination of them 2 or 3 at a time will prove more illuminating or perhaps the changing cycles within each of the realtions should be considered ? ....