Well, here we are at the end of yet another week when the "change" to which I so frequently allude has moved just that little bit closer in its tortoise - like fashion.

On this side of the pond, according to the ONS (Office for National Statistics) "Retail sales are slipping but prices are rising" and the Bank of England "hints at further rate rises", while across the water, US banks are still sinking at an ever - increasing speed under the burden of falling house prices. My spies there tell me that among those in the know, a full - blown recession is now considered inevitable - nonetheless, the stock market still has a little upside energy left in my view.

Gordon's new man (or lady?) at No. 11 may regret accepting the job as Chancellor once the dour one has moved next door though. He or she will get the blame for the coming mess, that is certain - just as Bernanke will be blamed for Greenspan's incredible bubble - blowing ability.

I note with some regret that 2500 post offices are to be axed in the UK - times are indeed getting hard. Even the Inland Revenue must be feeling the cold draught when they're about to target those who 'trade' on EBay. How pathetic. Just wait till times REALLY get hard!

I reckon dear Tony might be squirming just a little now that the Swiss authorities have decided to open their own investigation into the BAE affair - I'm sure he thought he had buried that one pretty effectively the other month on behalf of the board. Ah well, it will be interesting indeed to see what crawls out of that particularly rotten bit of woodwork. I don't imagine for a moment of course that the offer of a non executive directorship of an arms company was ever made to a soon to be ex PM - perish the thought.

Washing my mouth out and moving rapidly on, I note that 'Big Business' still defines the word 'ethics' rather differently to the way you or I might consider reasonable. Tesco seems to be trying to keep certain uncomfortable questions well away from being aired at its AGM, and although British Airways appears to "deeply regret" its recent wee price - fixing escapade, you can't help getting the impression from subsequent events that what its chief executive truly "deeply regrets" is having been found out. Remarkably for the BA balance sheet, they seem to have 'found' £400m from the pension fund to offset the £350m provision for the likely fines.....

I see the Germans have finally sold Chrysler to private equity. Bought ten years ago for £21bn, sold the other week for £3.75bn - you win a few, you lose a few....but methinks Cerberus (the PE company) still paid way too much. Doubtless they'll slice it and dice it then relaunch it on the Stock Market to tempt the mugs (oops - the investors) to buy its shares again. But this time it seems to me that their timing is way out - we shall see.

Still on scams, Home Information Packs would appear to fit that description would they not? And MPs ensuring that 'Freedom of Information' doesn't apply to them? Amazing.

The other thing I noticed during the week was that the London Assembly (whatever exactly that might be) is suggesting to those who would listen, that "London should not expect an 'Olympics boom'. Promises of 50000 new jobs and affordable housing will prove difficult to honour....." Gosh, really?

Anyway, onward to some charts, and today we'll look again at Tate & Lyle (last featured here on 25th March) because it could well still have some upside strength. Then we'll re - examine Serco (from 11th March) just to see how DMA management might have been applied to a trade, and finally we'll see if there might be a trade looming on the chart of British Energy.

That's all for this weekend then - and many thanks to all those of you who have already let me know they want to continue to suffer these ramblings. If the access password has been changed before your standing order has been received and processed, please let me know because I'll happily send you the new one in advance of the paperwork, as it were. I might be an old cynic about many things, but I have no problem trusting you folks! My 'snail mail' frequently takes a fair time to catch up with me - which reminds me - I'm off on a fishing trip next Thursday and Friday, sans laptop, so there will be no response to mentoring emails between Wednesday evening and Saturday morning.

With best wishes and happy trading till next weekend,

Ian.