An updated take on the Crude futures... if $42.40 marked the Wave 3 low and we're looking at a simple ABC retracement for Wave 4, then there's a possibility to catch the final impulse wave down. We're keeping an eye on it; if it doesn't set up perfectly, then we'll give it a pass. There are a lot of fish in the sea.

CL, 15-min. Chart

Interesting when your old school friends grow up to be rock stars.

(You're a star to me, Sasha.)

The coil scanner picked up EMC. Yet another "box" to keep an eye on.

EMC, 30-min. Chart

The depth of the order book for the Bush as Presidential Election Winner contract:

Astonishingly he's still the odds-on favorite. You just have to shake your head in disgust and recall the great Mencken quote: "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

It should be noted that the L.A. Confidential soundtrack disc (recommended by the Chairman) is missing both "Mele Kalikimaka" performed by Bing Crosby, and "At Last" performed by Chet Baker.

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully - in Ten Minutes, by Stephen King:

1. Be talented
2. Be neat
3. Be self-critical
4. Remove every extraneous word
5. Never look at a reference book while doing a first draft
6. Know the markets
7. Write to entertain
8. Ask yourself frequently, "Am I having fun?"
9. How to evaluate criticism
10. Observe all rules for proper submission
11. An agent? Forget it. For now
12. If it's bad, kill it

Mr. Craigslist, Master of the Nerdiverse, by Josh McHugh:

(I can't stand the tone of Wired magazine. They try so hard to be cool, but just come across as obnoxious pricks.)

Funny, the wife and I were discussing this just the other night: the need to population-adjust the Olympic medal count. Here's the table, compliments of the Australian taxpayer.