In the last few days we have seen the VIX hit near 3 year lows, bounce almost 30% and fall back right to where it started.

Trade selection using volatility as the primary criteria. Different trades for different volatility opportunities.

This week we have an eclectic mix of option trading ideas from searching our database of 3008 underlying stocks, indices and ETFs.

As someone who watches SPX volatility and VIX movement probably as closely as any blogger/educator this side of Bill Luby, I have to say I have been impressed by the ability of the VIX futures to hold up so well relative to the cash VIX.

I was reviewing the SPX yesterday, noticing how while ATM IV has been falling; the SKEW of the SPX has not been decreasing in the same respect.

My opiton mentoring students are often asking me to analyze stocks into earnings. I thought today I could give an example of what I might look at when analyzing a stock like GOOG.

Trade selection using volatility as the primary criteria. Different trades for different volatility opportunities.

On February 23, 2011, The CBOE started publishing their Skew Index, measuring what is called "tail risk" or "black swan" risk in the US equity markets.

There are a couple of reasons why the VIX is such a good hedging product. The main reason is that when the market goes down the VIX goes up.

As I have told many of my option mentoring students, now is not a great time to be trading income spreads in the major indexes (SPX, RUT, NDX, etc).

Trade selection using volatility as the primary criteria. Different trades for different volatility opportunities.

In just over two weeks the emerging markets as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index has risen almost 12% despite talk of rising interest rates in Europe, China and Brazil.