NEW YORK (Fortune) -- How far are we from Dow 12,000? Less than 150 points away. When will we hit it? Ah, that's a much more difficult question. I say THIS YEAR.

RIMM: As in Research in Motion (Charts). Remember how just a few short months ago they said this company was going out of business because of that lawsuit by that vile Internet troll? Well that was then and this is now. Of course the Blackberry continues to be wildly successful. Stock just hit an all-time high of $113 - doubling from this summer. There is real excitement over the Pearl, Blackberry's new retail offering. Analysts are upgrading the stock as the Pearl gets closer...saying it will goose RIMM's prospects into 2008.

GAMESTOP: This video game retailer will now begin accepting orders for Sony's PlayStation Trois.You have to put a $100 deposit down and then there's no guarantee that you will even get one! Which means GameStop (Charts) makes out, because if you don't get the PS 3, 9 out of 10 people will buy something else. Win, win, win. Veni Vidi Vici. (Jen Westhoven signs off on the spelling.) Everyone thought GameStop would get killed by online games etc. It hasn't. Instead it's done great. So if Sony's in the tank, this is a way to play the PlayStation.

CVS: As in drugstores. "Thank you for shopping at CVS." The company is boosting its outlook, and the stock is higher in the premarket. My take: I travel around this great country of ours and ladies and gentlemen I can tell you without equivocation that seeing a CVS (Charts) is often times a breath of fresh air. Sure I like the old indigenous soda counter shoppe, but how many of those are left? Not many. And in comparison to NYC's biggest chain, Duane (Greed) Reade, CVS is like Saks Fifth Avenue.

LOOSE CHANGE: Marijuana in hamburgers in New Mexico? Works well with habeneros!.....So far Mr. Moneyball over there with Oakland As hasn't won anything. Now's time to step up....Here's to Hervey Tessier, the greatest sommelier in the state of Maine. RIP Tess.

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E-mail Andy Serwer at serwer@fortunemail.com and see him on CNN's "In the Money" and "American Morning."

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