Strength and Weakness

• Charts are a great way to predict the past. I know of none better.  Sometimes it looks so obvious, doesn't it?  Notice the double-top in oil.  There was a double-top in mid-summer, that's easier to spot on this chart than on the one to the right..  Notice the declining volume, MACD, and RSI on the second trip up.  Now there's a stutterin' double-top booyah for ya.
• Two weeks into the NFL, so we should have a better idea of teams' strengths and weaknesses.  I've learned that the Oakland Raiders' weakness is called "the game of football."
• Barry Ritholz goes over the Fed release with a fine tooth comb, and also has some insight on info in the FOMC minutes that aren't released to the public.
• Funny search results... Somebody found The Learning curve by a Google search for "Erin Burnett dress size."  Kind of strange.
• The market is like a hot craps table at the moment. The enthusiasm and excitement is building and extremely contagious. Everyone wants to get their cash in on the 6 and 8. Press it!  The Don't players are elbowed out of the way for the "serious" traders. Roll 'em, shooter.
• Just when the party starts to gather a crowd, it's not very popular to be the guy who notices that there may be a leak in the beer keg.   David at The Shark Report on Smelly Socks.
• Random Real Estate Thoughts from Larry at Millionaire Now.  In thought #4, Larry asks (paraphrasing) that if you're trying to time the housing market and sold too early while the housing market raced off without you, WHEN WOULD YOU GO BACK IN?  Easy answer for me, Larry...  When I got tired of sleeping on the streets! 
• OK, that's not a serious answer.  My thoughts on real estate is that a home is a place to live.  I'd rather invest in something that has a better long-term investment return.  Yes, the stock market.  Plus, you never have to worry about destructive tenants or termites when you own the SP500.  (I think there's an Enron joke somewhere in that last sentence.)