Marvelous Night For a Moondance

Although we had a lunar eclipse three years ago, the Christmas Lunar Eclipse of December 20th-21st, 2010 is the first one to occur on the Winter Solstice since 1638, exactly 372 years ago. This is a light volume week, where folks are beginning their travels to be with loved ones during this most outstanding time of year. Performances have been locked in; ETF’s have been shorted, and swaps created.

Instead of talking “freak”, let’s talk about music that is related to the moon and/or eclipses. Bonnie Tyler had her Total Eclipse of The Heart, which she sang after smoking three packs of Camels. The Police liked Walking On the Moon, while CCR felt that there was a Bad Moon Rising. To Ella Fitzgerald, it was Only A Paper Moon. Dean Martin, Bobby Vinton, Bob Dylan, ShaNaNa, The Chairman of the Board, and Chris Isaak all felt it was a Blue Moon. Bob Seger blamed it on midnight, and said Shame on the Moon. An inlet near Savannah, GA is named Moon River, in honor of local-boy-done-good Johnny Mercer, and his famous song. Hank Williams was often Howlin’ at the Moon, and Sinatra wanted to fly there (Fly Me to the Moon). Dolly Parton was often Slow Dancing with the Moon, and Neko Case wishes she was the moon (I Wish I was the Moon). Old Neil sang of a Harvest Moon, Duran Duran sang of a New Moon on Monday, and Ozzie would frequently Bark at the Moon. Tom Waits was simply just Drunk on the Moon.

I will stop with my favorite song about the moon, and one that was frequently the last song I heard before I would fall asleep at night as a teen: Eclipse by Pink Floyd, which is the last track on the album Dark Side of The Moon. I leave you with the lyrics (which perhaps contain some sentiment about high freaks after all):

All that you touch

All that you see

All that you taste

All you feel.

All that you love

All that you hate

All you distrust

All you save.

All that you give

All that you deal

All that you buy,

beg, borrow or steal.

All you create

All you destroy

All that you do

All that you say.

All that you eat

And everyone you meet

All that you slight

And everyone you fight.

All that is now

All that is gone

All that’s to come

and everything under the sun is in tune

but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

 

“There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark.”

 

 

Where we left off 4:00pm EST:

 

INDU              11,478.13                                -13.78

SPX                 1,247.08                                  +3.17

CCMP             2,649.56                                  +6.59

 

Futures now at 7:30am EST:

 

DJA                 +34.0

SPA                 +4.0

NDA                +5.0

 

 

Key Data out today:

 

05:00:              ABC Consumer Confidence.

 

Since the prior close, some key stories:

 

–       BOJapan leaves rate unchanged; stands ready to provide liquidity.

–       European investment banking fees at 6year low; that’s ok because it is replaced with HFT prop revenue.

–       Moody’s may cut Portugal. Really?

–       India can’t find laborers to build enough roads.

–       Staffing Industry hiring surges, even as permanent jobs harder to find. This is normal.

–       Snow in Europe disrupts travel for a 4th day.

–       Pimco feels the Euro crisis ain’t over.

–       SEC investigating Mark Hurd’s exit from HP.

–       China’s biggest developer surged the maximum allowed 10% today, as property prices rose.

–       Ford thinks next year’s auto sales could be 13 million.

–       Hedge Funds To Escape Fed Scrutiny.

–       S&P disagrees with the woman who will put them out of business (Meredith) regarding Muni ratings.

–       DSM offers to buy MATK.

–       JBL, ADBE, PAYX beat the street.

Earnings:

 

Pre-Market:    KMX, CCL, CMC, CAG

After the Close:  CTAS, FINL, FSII, HOV, NAV, NKE, PRGS, RHT, NCTY, TIBX

 

 

Significant Movers This Morning:

MATK + 34%, ADBE + 7%, JBL +6%, RMBS -14%, SKX -5%, DRI-3%