• I am signing off for the day.

But before I do let me describe MY fun-filled day that started with a 4:30 drive from East Hampton into New York City.

To begin with, the Internet was working poorly on the trip, so my posts were brief this morning and at midday I had a mindmelt.

I did accomplish a few things today.

1. I wrote what I thought was a nice tribute to Jim Cramer.
2. I had a cystogram at New York Presbyterian Hospital. A lot of fun.
3. I met with industry contacts for over two hours regarding, hopefully, my "Next ASPS" in Manhattan.
4. I decided to reduce my net long exposure (fortunately) and I explained why (though several subscribers didn't understand why I implemented a lower invested position).
5. Right before the close I had a catheter removed at NY Presbyterian Hospital (that's after spending all weekend in the hospital because of complications from my cancer surgery).
6. I explained why trading often runs counter to investing themes.
7. I explained to three subscribers in the comments section why I used the words "repeating for emphasis" in a trading move I made last week (which proved profitable) and why quick trading moves are necessary in almost any market. As I explained to them, being critical of a three-word phrase I used a week ago within the context of the thousands of words I write seemed, well, a bit unfair. But I was respectful.

And how was your day, sir?

Man, would I like a cocktail (but can't for health reasons!)

Have a nice evening. I will see you back on Friday morning when I will catch up on the columns I promised early this morning.

• This is what works for me.

It is disturbing to me that many in the comments section see my trading moves as "doubletalk" or inconsistent with a certain view I have developed.

Let me again emphasize that I build a portfolio principally based on investing. But I trade actively in order to hopefully produce a cash-register effect.

Trading is part instinctive, part catalyst-impacted and part based on logic of argument.

I have emphasized that we are not in an eating-sardine market, rather we are in a trading-sardine market that mandates a higher reliance on opportunistic trading over investing.

As I have written, you will see active trading of stocks and indices from me in the recent past and in the months ahead.

I try as hard as humanly possible to explain my motivation in renting SPY, QQQ and individual equities.

If you are out for a few days and miss my intraday activity and my perspective, I am sorry you are confused. But I try to be not only transparent in trading (and investing), but I am explicit in my entry and exit prices.

Remember, often trades are counter to a main theme I have endorsed. That is what makes it confusing. But I am here to deliver good returns for my investors and this works for me.

• Digesting the afternoon market action.

Will be back.

• I am reducing my net long exposure to 30% by selling out-of-the-money calls against my QQQ long.

• I am in between meetings. With my recent buys I moved over 50% net long.

I feel uncomfortable at that level, so I have sold some SPDRs at $145.15 to move back to slightly under 40% net long.

While I am respectful of the market's internals (good breadth over the last few weeks) and absolute strength, I don't want to lose sight of how far we have moved in a reasonably brief period.

Increasingly over this time frame, the fiscal cliff compromise that I have expected is being, to some degree, discounted and incorporated in prices.

• Breadth at 11:35 a.m.

- S&P 500: 245 advancers to 247 decliners

- NYSE Comp: 1045 advancers to 774 decliners

- Nasdaq: 1076 advancers to 1035 decliners

- Russell 2000: 981 advancers to 874 decliners

Volume is 10% HIGHER than past 10-day average, 9% HIGHER than past 30-day average and 10% LOWER than yesterday for this time of day.

Again, considering the extent of the market ramp recently,- a respectable showing.

• I am going into lunch mindmelt with my possible next ASPS now.

Be back in 90 minutes.

• I offer up Oaktree (OAK) as an example.

In response to a number of e-mails, I am holding onto my OAK long.

• With obligatory pop culture reference.

I gotta tell ya, I feel as hopeless with my computer issues as The Voice winner Cassadee Pope's boyfriend will feel shortly. That said, the market, for the time being, acts like four bulls.

Mr. Market has every excuse to sell off and experience some profit taking. 

Staying long.

• Given my technical problems today's posts will be short and to the point.

Unfortunately, I will reserve my discussion of The Next ASPS and an udpdate of my short bond position for Friday, as it is next to impossible to access my supproting charts and tables today .

• Digging into the data.

Here is a quick update of today's actual economic data and the expectations by the consensus for the releases later in the week.

Economic Calendar

Source: Bloomberg

View Chart »View in New Window »

• But I will try my best today.

Please note that my ambitious schedule of posts is being thwarted by technical/Internet problems.

But I will try my best throughout the day.

• I suspect I'll be able to buy it back more cheaply in the coming days.

As I mentioned on Columnist Conversation, the government has purchased 200 million shares of General Motors (GM) $27.50, so I've used this announcement as an opportunity to scale out of most of my long position at a price higher than the government's purchase price.

I suspect I will have a chance to buy it back more cheaply in the days ahead.

• As another year passes, it's time to revisit the annual tribute to Cramer's vision.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling; how could it be so?

It came without ribbons. It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

-- Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas; YouTube link

Another year is about to pass.

Remarkably, next month will mark my 12th year as a regular on these pages. That's a lot of words, ideas and investment observations. I actually started out writing on TheStreet.com back in the late 1990s, when I penned the column "The Contrarian." At that time, the site was a relatively new concept and a real-time experiment that struggled in its infancy, but it began to flourish even as the economy and markets suffered in 2001.

Since I started writing for Jim Cramer, we have not only dealt with the market's ups and downs, but we have shared some of life's experiences together -- through visits, emails, telephone conversations and other personal correspondences. I have defendedJimmy, I have written a piece called "On Jim Being Cramer" and have transformed myself at times into the Anti-Cramer. I have agreed and disagreed with him -- all the while with maximum respect for Jim as a businessman, an investor, a friend, an author, a media figure and, most important, as a dad.

Happily, over more than a decade, I have met numerous other new friends -- both virtually and in person -- from my experience as a member of the community at The Street.

We have all experienced some terribly emotional times -- most notably the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, and the loss of contributor Bill "Budman" Meehan and many of our friends. We mourned together. However, as painful as that period was over time we recovered and life went on.

We have now recently concluded the celebration of Hanukkah, we're preparing for Christmas and the New Year will be shortly upon us, so it's time to revisit my annual tribute to Jim "El Capitan" Cramer's vision.

This year's version of my tribute to Jim has more meaning to me than the others - as I recently and successfully conquered cancer. It is life experiences of this type that makes one even more thankful.

As I mention annually, a few paragraphs could not possibly communicate the warm feelings I have about many of my acquired relationships -- with subscribers, with contributors, with editors, with the management of The Street and, of course, with Jim, who lies at the middle of it all.

Several years ago, I initiated something different in order to express my sincere thanks and to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season in my own special way. This morning, as I now do on an annual basis, I offer you the following (updated) parody of Dr. Seuss's McElligot's Pool (Amazon link)

This is my holiday present to all of you, but it's especially in honor of someone who has had another remarkable encore performance in 2012, Jim "El Capitan" Cramer.

This year we saw Cramerica reach not only millions more television viewers, but many universities as well. Jim hit it out of the park when he followed up his past MVP season. His books all represent a unique body of work, as well: Jim Cramer's Getting Back to Even, Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer), Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich, Jim Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World, Confessions of a Street Addict and You Got Screwed! Why Wall Street Tanked and How You Can Prosper.

Jim is the lifeblood and at the epicenter of The Street and its sister sites, Real Money and Real Money Pro.

Over the past few years, the man who doesn't want to make friends, but does want to make you money, has introduced the words "skidaddy" and "boo-yah" and made them part of the investment world's vernacular. He has graced the cover of national magazines and has become an iconic figure. As such, he stands out, night after night, with non-stop enthusiasm and hard work , giving his best shot in dispelling advice in a reasoned and well-researched manner -- both absolutely and relative to others in the media.

Being such a public persona with strong opinions, he is often the target of criticism. I admire the way he accepts that criticism like a man and the manner in which he fights back with facts and figures, and with such an immense and rich reservoir of financial history and knowledge.

Over the past several years, in numerous emails, telephone calls and one-on-one meetings (on and off the set), I have learned to appreciate Jim as an investment professional -- and, more important, as a man and as a dad. His drive for perfection has resulted in huge sacrifices. But you wouldn't know it, because he doesn't say it. Jim could easily be reaping the benefits of managing a multibillion dollar hedge fund today, earning an annual salary of tens of millions, and maybe more. Instead, he strives to educate the individual investor.

How many of us would choose the route that Jim has traveled?

I remember fondly when I first wrote "Jim Cramer's Pool," and Jim told me that he read this poem to his two daughters at bedtime. It made me very happy, and made my gig on TheStreet was made even more worthwhile, because I know how central they are to his life.

If you look hard and Jimmy -- at the twinkle in his eye -- it's all about his daughters and their importance and influence in his life.

To turn Gertrude Stein's words around, in Jimmy, there is a lot of there there. Trust me, I know -- Jim is complicated. It is that what makes Jim the unique person he is.

So, from the Anti-Cramer to the one and only real Cramer, this Bud's for you, Jimmy. Thanks for being my pal.

But before I deliver this year's version of "Jim Cramer's Pool," I wanted to close by wishing our subscribers, editors, technicians, management and fellow contributors a healthy and prosperous New Year. I especially wanted to thank you all for granting me the wonderful platform to present my ideas and logic in my Diary -- as goofy, distorted and wrong-footed as my words might seem at times.

Now to "Jim Cramer's Pool!"

It all started in June 1996

In a building on Wall Street ... far, far away.

"Young man," exclaimed the analyst,

"You're sort of a fright!

You'll never catch winners

On Jim Cramer's site!

"The site is too small.

And you might as well know it,

When brokers sell junk,

Here's the place that they throw it.

"But listen, young man.

If you sat 50 years

With your worms and your wishes

You'd grow a long beard

Long before you'd catch winners!"

"Hmmm...," answered Cramer,

"It may be you're right.

I've written for hours

Without one single bite.

There might be no winners.

But, again, well, there might!

"'Cause you never can tell

What goes on over time!

This site might be bigger

Than you or I find!

"This might be a site, like I've read of in textbooks,

Connected to one of those underground brooks!

An underground river that starts here and flows

Right under 14 Wall! And then ... well, who knows?

"It might keep going along, down where no one can see,

Right under the State Highway Two-Thousand-and-Three!

Right under the buildings! Right under the toes

Of a honcho named Sozzi, who's hanging out his clothes!

"It might keep on flowing ... perhaps, who can tell?

Right under the people in Elisabeth DeMarse's hotel!

Right under Brown Brothers, where they're playing croquet!

Then under the mountains and far, far away!

"This might be a river, Now mightn't it be,

Connecting Jim Cramer's site with the sea!

Then maybe some winners might be swimming toward me.

(If such things could be, They certainly would be!)

"Some very smart strategists might point out the way

To the site where I'm fishing. And that's why I say

If you wait long enough; if you're patient and bright,

Who knows what you'll catch on Jim Cramer's site?!

"You might catch a Missing Link (that's my pal Stephanie by name!)

You might catch a 'K-Squared' (that's managing editor Kim Khan!)

You might catch a Widlitz

A long, long drawn-out fish!

"You might even catch an (Insider) Monkey named Krishnamsetty

A Norman or Laudani!

You even might catch a Shrev(i)e from the movie Diner,

A Redler and an Arms

Two superb technical scribers!

"Any kind! Any shape! Any color or size!

You might catch some winners that would open your eyes!

I won't be surprised if a Lien appears!

Complete with a collar and long floppy ears!

Whoofing along! And perhaps we might chase

A whole lot of right straight to this place!

"You might catch a Price -- yeah that Price is usually right (!)

Or an 'I Got The' Balas

With a precision-like tail!

You might get hot with a 'Burn Baby' Byrne

Who makes portfolios sail!

You might catch some Ironfire's Eric (not Bo!) Jackson

Who's a high-stepping winner.

You might catch a Danny, that's Red Sox fan and Stone's new dad, my editor!

"You might catch a Gad (Zooks!)

With that incredible pen

For producing the models

That winners portend.

You might catch a sensible Gayed

An Arnold or a Lang

Or even a Collins (not Phil but a Tim!)

Who is really sporty!

"You might catch a Morrow, a Moreno or a Melvin

Now mightn't you, now!?!

You might catch a Stalter

Whose ideas pay for my chow.

Some fish from London.

Like Real Money -- so hot,

Might decide to sign up!

Well they might, might they not?

"Or racing up north for a chance to get right,

Full steam ahead for Jim Cramer's site

Some lucrative winners

Like my 'fav, 'The Divine Ms. M.'

From beyond Hudson Bay

Might decide to swim down,

Might be headed Jim's way! It's a pretty long trip,

But they might, and they may.

"You might catch a Versace (not the designer, it's Chris!)

A Graff or a Jackson

"Or even travel 'Downtown' with Josh Brown

Well, you might. It depends.

A long-twisting CNBC chatting Fitzpatrick

With a lot of strange bends

And, oddly enough,

With a pen on both ends!

"One doesn't catch this kind of winner as a rule,

But the chances are fine in Jim Cramer's pool!

"You might find a Ponsi 'Scheme'

An observer with muscle,

Might grab at your bait,

Then would you have a tussle!

"To land one so valuable might take two or three hours,

But the next might be easy,

Like Melvin, who likes flowers

Or you might catch a winner

From a stranger place yet!

Like Graff, from the world's highest river,

In far-off Tibet.

"You might catch a Katz

And a biggie named Dicker

Both spouting their spouts

And all earning a bounty.

"You'll probably catch many more writers

Like Schiller and Peltier

And, oh by the way,

Did I mention an 'Ask Noah?'

"Then you'll stop for the day

'Cause there's nothing that's bigger

Than Jim's site, so they say.

"Still, of course, it might be

That there is something bigger!

Someone like Rev Shark

A Thing-A-Ma-Jigger!

Rev's a technician so big, if you know what I mean,

That he makes a whale look like a tiny sardine!

"Oh, the site is full of a number of oldies,

Like Woodard, Williams and Milandrino,

Schwartz, Smith and Shove

And Hughes and Maragioglio.

If a subscriber is patient,

He might get many more winners!

"And that's why I think

That we all get really bright

As we sit here and read

On Jim Cramer's site!"