The Dow ended up 37 points on heavy volume again. Advance/declines were positive. We were up over 100 but couldn't hold it in the last hour. I still get the feeling that we are heading lower here soon but I could be wrong. No trades in the OEX here and not much time left for the September option cycle. Gold was hammered down again today, off $30. It continues lower in the aftermarket. However the XAU rose 5 1/4. ABX, GG and NEM were all higher on heavy volume. That is a change from the carnage we've seen lately in the gold shares. This is most likely the bottom for the gold issues. I know I've said that before and been terribly wrong. But when the metal itself is tanking and the stocks are moving higher, you've got to take notice. We'll see what happens. GE lost a touch on good volume. Mentally I'm doing OK. Although I think we are heading lower, there really isn't a clear signal yet. I'll need to be careful since I am already stuck in the losing GG trades. Those trades will not be coming back and it's a cut the loss mode at this point. The Gold/XAU ratio is still out of whack, so I'd like to wait for that to find a reasonable level before closing out the GG trades. So we'll see. There will be opportunities in the OEX though. I'll keep my eyes open but have to be mindful of the risks with only a few days left in the option cycle. Speed will be important. Paying attention will be paramount. Trade numbers and unemployment claims tomorrow. Inflation data on Friday. It should be volatile.