The Last 2006 TGIF!

• Well, I'm not one to get too sappy over the past.  But 2006 has been a great year for investing.  It was a little choppy in the middle and has been a little flat overall since November, but no complaints here. 
• Last year I did "the year in review," but I'm going to pass on that effort this year.  I'll go over my major trades and portfolio moves this weekend.
• I have Kentucky +10 against Clemson.
• The market has edged down a bit.  It's a 4-day weekend for the market, and it'll be interesting to see how we deal with the crosscurrents come next week.
• Adam on Apple.  You know, I was watching CNBC this morning and it was just goofy how the "visionary" Steve Jobs was seemingly given a pass on this options stuff.  It was entirely strange.  The stock seems to react to any Jobs-related news with anxiety, perhaps rightly so.
• Howard's no wimp on Apple, as he's been on the AAPL roller coaster with both arms raised high in the air.  "... I started out down 5 percent and am now up 4 percent three days later..."  Wheeee!  I hope you were smiling when that "hidden" camera snapped your pick on the drop down!
• Housing Bottoming? from Barry Ritholtz.  "it may be a bit premature to declare that housing has bottomed just yet. In addition to so many bottom pickers (the sheer number all but gurantees they will be wrong), the historical data simply doesn't support so early an end to the downturn."  I agree with BR.  Housing cycles are a bit longer than 1-year.  The housing market seems to have peaked in early 2005.  We are in our 2nd-year, and it wouldn't surprise me to see this drag out 5-7 years.  In addition, my thoughts are that the stock market and economy have been on a nice 4-year run, and we're due for something more severe than a slowdown.  That may be a catalyst for more heartache in real estate.  But I do hope I'm wrong about this.  I hope folks are paying down debts and have some rainy-day money ready just in case.
• The Trading Goddess normally opens up with pics of hot chicks, but an interesting entry up on Setting Goals and Staying on Course.  "Money can't buy you love, as The Beatles pointed out, but it can buy you opportunity."  Then open up the rest of the blog for the pics.  Woot.
• Shocker!  Microsoft admits to Vista flaw! 
• Nintendo's Wii wins the pre-Christmas sales wars on next-gen video game sales.  My thoughts... Wii is less expensive and the new controller brings something new and exciting to video games.