BTW, I had a good idea what those two commodity contract symbols meant, but I wanted you to confirm it for me. Of course, with that information you can get to the extra cost of ethanol much faster. Like I said, I'm not a commodity trader, but I still understand the basics of financial analysis in the oil industry.
Stick to what you know. You sound more or less like Cheryl Strauss Tinhorn regarding futures mkts.
Actually, an old Byrd's song, derived from Ecclesiastes if I'm not mistaken, defines markets best:
'To everything, there is a season.'
Now, try solving -- even approximately -- the problem of profiting in mkts in ANY season. Some can, some can't. Some have, some haven't.
Just a query -- what was the last time you profited from a short sale, in ANY mkt? Why is it that I somehow feel constrained to suppose that your answer would be 'Never', assuming an honest response.
As noted previously: good luck to you. You'll be needing it, regarding trading.