A better-than-expected durable goods report showing a surge of 1.3% in July set the tone for a positive day on Wall Street. The Dow closed up 89 points, the Nasdaq gained 20, and the S&P 500 added 10. Volume was light with 26 of the Dow 30 components gaining ground, and advancers outpaced decliners by three to one on the NYSE and by two to one on the Nasdaq. An unexpected drop in crude oil inventories, a larger-than-expected drop in gasoline supplies, and the threat of Tropical Storm Gustav barreling through the Gulf of Mexico's oil production locations helped to move oil prices higher to close at $118.15 a barrel. The price of gold futures also rose to $834 an ounce.

The Commerce Department reported that orders for durable goods were up 1.3% in July, surprising analysts who expected no change from the month prior. Durable goods are items like cars, electronics, appliances, home furnishings, or other items that are meant to last more than three years. A rise in orders can signify strength in the economy, but some warn that much of the gains came from overseas buyers of U.S. products which could decline as the U.S. dollar strengthens.

In Earnings News

- Dollar Tree, the discount retailer selling most items for one dollar, reported a higher profit with second-quarter net income of 42 cents a share, up from 33 cents a year ago. The company cautioned investors however, claiming higher diesel fuel costs and low-margin product demand could impact margins. Shares of Dollar Tree (DLTR) fell 3% today.

- Women's apparel retailer Talbots announced that its second-quarter loss expanded, but the cost of closing some businesses would be less than expected. The company's second-quarter loss of 47 cents a share (34 cents excluding close-down costs) met analysts' expectations. Shares of Talbots (TLB) rose 28% on the reports.

In Other Business News

- ConocoPhillips is planning to sell the remainder of its 600 company-owned gas stations to PetroSun Fuel for $800 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and shares of the company (COP) rose 1%.

- The Hope Now coalition, an alliance of mortgage servicers, counselors, and investors, announced that the organization has helped more than 2 million troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure over the last 13 months. In July alone, 192,000 problem loans were fixed representing a 6% increase over last month.

- Mattel was awarded $100 million in a copyright infringement case against MGA, the makers of Bratz dolls, after the jury found the creator of the dolls worked for Mattel during the time he developed the concept. Shares of Mattel (MAT) ended down 2%.

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What superhero power would you want to have? That's the most-recent question posed to me by my son who is a big fan of superheroes and the "powers" they possess. I wasn't really sure how to answer that question. There seem to be pros and cons to many of them. The ability to fly would interest me, but wouldn't it be frigid that high above the ground? What if I slammed face-first into a goose? Not good. How about x-ray vision? Sounds promising but after looking at a lot of x-rays lately as I face back surgery, I've found that they really aren't that interesting. How about breathing under water? Neat to look at things and find some sunken treasure ships, but sharks don't care whether you can breathe or not when you invade their "home," just whether they are hungry.

Invisibility - now we are getting somewhere. The opportunity to go where you want undetected - umm, for completely altruistic purposes of course. In fact, researchers have been working on making that one a reality for years. According to Nature and Science, scientists from the University of California, Berkeley are now able to redirect light around 3-D objects (like humans) rendering them invisible. They are using a new mix of materials with "negative refractive" properties that prevent light from bouncing off the item (or person) but allow the eye to see the item behind the object. Cool. But as with any "superpower" there is often a "kryptonite" to thwart the advantage it gives you.

A separate set of researchers has flipped traditional neuroscience upside down with the discovery that the visual receptors of our eyes can actually help us "hear" and our hearing helps us to "see." The study published in BMC Neuroscience showed that researchers could train monkeys to locate something visually even if it was dimmed to nearly un-viewable as long as it was accompanied by sound.

So take that, invisibility scientists. Unless you can make the person wearing your invisible suit be completely silent as well, we'll still be able to see him. Then again, a recording device placed in a room wrapped in invisibility-ness may be trouble for me unless I can hear the whir of the tape. I'm going to keep my eyes (or ears) open as advancements continue.

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