“Nothing like a little judicious levity.”-- Robert Louis Stevenson

A few weeks back, when word hit Wall Street that the Cyprus government planned to impose an across-the-board tax on the depositors of its two biggest banks, the major indices fell sharply and quickly. Read more about ETF Periscope: Warning Bells On Cypress Continue to Toll for Investors

“You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think.” -- Milton Berle

If you are either an investor or trader looking for a good place to put a bet down for 2013, you may not need to look much further than the eurozone.

The first question you may ask is: But in which direction? Read more about ETF Periscope: Last Word on the New Year: Eurozone Remains a Downward Opportunity

“When you are thwarted, it is your own attitude that is out of order.”   -- Meister Eckhart

While the U.S. equity market was having something of a party over the course of the holiday-shortened week, the European Union (EU) was entrenched in yet another series of issues that would seem to indicate just how tenuous the region’s alliance might be.  Read more about ETF Periscope: Britain Adds More Drama to the EU Circus

“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” -- Douglas Adams

Last Friday’s sharp sell-off could easily be viewed as a result of the lack of commitment investors currently hold towards the equity market. The bad news is that sentiment might be amplified in the coming week if several factors play out towards the negative side of things. Read more about ETF Periscope: Watch Out Below If Earnings Disappoint This Week

“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.” -- Steven Wright 

Wall Street was in a festive mood on Friday, as the leaders of the European Union (EU) announced a plan of action that actually seemed to address some of the immediate Eurozone issues that have contributed to the general downtrend which the global equity markets find themselves in. Read more about ETF Periscope: Drop in China Manufacturing Suggests Hard Landing May Remain in the Cards

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The leaders of the European Union will be gathering in Brussels later this week to address the continued downward spiral of the Eurozone. Judging by the high spikes in volatility levels that have played across the global markets this week, it would be safe to say that investors are largely unsure which direction those talks will take. Read more about ETF Periscope: Upcoming EU Summit Will Set Tone for Wall Street’s Summer

“Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.“ -- Langston Hughes Read more about ETF Periscope: Wall Street Looks to the Fed for Shelter From Eurozone Reverberations

“I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up.” -- Mark Twain

After a rather traumatic month of May that saw investors refocus on the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis with a vengeance, there now seems to be emerging a shift in the winds in terms of sentiment concerning the monetary union’s chances of survival. Read more about ETF Periscope: USO Offers Opportunity for a Slick Oil Play

“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” -- Carl Sagan

Read more about ETF Periscope: More Signs of an Orderly Greek Default

“Be a terror to the butchers, that they may be fair in their weight; and keep hucksters and fraudulent dealers in awe, for the same reason.” -- Miguel de Cervantes

European politics are certain to dominate the conversation among investors this week and should, more than likely, continue to be the focus of attention for the remainder of the month, either directly or indirectly. Read more about ETF Periscope: Eurozone Elections Both a Wake Up Call and a Trading Opportunity