There’s no shortage of Apple news lately.  The annual Macworld show starts tomorrow, but this one will be without Steve Jobs.  The news of his planned absence set off wicked speculation on his health.  Today, amidst heavy pressure, he issued a statement on his health directly on the Apple website:

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis…

Apple earnings come out later this month and there is bound to be increased volatility in the shares of Apple between now and then.  Apple closed today’s session at $94.58, rebounding from the $85 level in just 2 trading days.  If Apple is going to test the $80 support level, it will need a negative catalyst to do so – either disappointment in Macworld that starts tomorrow, or in the earnings report shortly after.

I’m staying away from the Apple trade, but if I had to pick a direction, it would be down.  Apple is a great company, and has zero debt.  But the valuation is still to high in my opinion, especially in light of very high expectations, and debt ridden, tapped out consumers.

For those that can’t wait until Macworld, here’s a funny video on the latest rumored (sarcasm) Macbook wheel.