re: Shorts
A small interjection here to consider when you're divining short activity.
To the extent that shares are available to borrow, then there can be a constant interjection of new short investors as others cover in order to lick their wounds or to take long walks over short parapets. The overall short interest numbers, then, not only may not provide the whole picture but, more importantly, can ease the Big Picture short situation, in that earlier Short X may have covered his loss and is out, only to be replaced by eager new Short Y who comes in at some higher stock price number....
And as you lather, rinse and repeat the frustrating new situation looks the same to those on the sidelines: "Why in tarnation don't they all roll over and go away?"
The answer is because, on an individual level, they are. But the whack-a-mole continues.