Pardon my constant discussion of things like "company fundamentals" and "business outlook". I do realize all the stock market is about is predicting the current algorithmic assumptions over the next 1/400th of a second, cross referenced by the action in the U.S. dollar. Everything else is just details. But I persist - as I'm apparently a dinosaur of another era; I once thought stocks were in some way, shape, or form a reflection of an underlying business. Thankfully those who just begin learning about the casino stock market today don't have to bother learning all the things we used to... getting up to speed with that Etrade account is much quicker now. Just stare at a chart of the U.S. dollar minute by minute and place all your bets accordingly. Anyhow, to amuse myself I still read earning reports. Meritage Homes ( NYSE: MTH ), our one [domestic] home builder reported yesterday and it was a solid showing, considering where they were a year ago.