The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 40 degrees and overcast with some light here in Upstate NY. We are having a few warmer days, and one suspects that this is the 'new' winter in these parts. We will probably get some serious cold in January but the winters in general are warmer. If you get a chance, check out this article from the Guardian UK - London 'LidoLine' could allow commuters to swim to work. Progressive architects are imagining ecologically friendly designs that transport people from point A to point B. I'm all for this. The highway system needs to be rethought as car congestion, road rage, anxiety, and isolation seem to be the present hallmarks of it.

  At 8:00 a.m. futures are slightly up, the dollar is mostly down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is down per barrel. The market is poised to open in the flat area, give or take. After that, who knows.

  For investors the bottom line continues to be the "fiscal cliff" negotiations between the White House and the GOP dominated Congress. Quickly reading this morning's headlines we see that the White House has rejected the latest Boehner offer. Allegedly the negotiations do not get serious till the middle of December and until then it's possible the market may continue to sputter along.

CNN: Stocks: Fiscal cliff on the brain

...the talks in Washington appear set to take center stage for investors again on Tuesday.