I was certain that the VIX went over 50 during the drops in 2002 when the long term bottom (then) was forming.  If I go back through historical data, it isn't so.  So I'm putting this up for my own purposes.

The second thing on my mind today is market moves.  Sure, that's something I think about every day, but it can have a profound impact on my holdings.  The short puts that are in play are XLF (16 strike) and GE (20 strike).  Both, given the current volatility, are really a market day away from being back out of the money or deeply in the money.  As I mentioned, I'm actually torn on the GE assignment.  I like the idea of premium in my pocket but I also really like the idea of owning GE at 20 (or 19.40 after premium is factored in).  I think that's a long term slam dunk.  Can GE go to 0?  Sure, but I like the prospects.  The other item is XLF which I'm also torn over.  The financials have admittedly been worse than I anticipated.  I still think I can continue to write premium against C for awhile and continue to lower my cost basis, but truth be told, the market for financials seems like an abyss.  Obviously, that makes one nervous, but it also feels like a great time to buy (when fear is high).

Today is pivotal.