Showdown in Richmond

If it's Saturday, it must be ... Richmond. Yep, today I'm in Richmond, watching the

Coca-Cola Invitational

, otherwise known as swim meet No. 3 of the season. Numero two was last weekend, where young Diana finally cracked the 40-second mark in the 50 Breast. (Yes, that's fast for a 9-year-old. Come to think of it, it'd be fast for an aging 41-year-old.)

Anyway, regular readers will know exactly who she squares off against today in the 50 Breast. Will she win? Nah, she's probably not quite there yet. But, boy, I'd love to see them swimming right next to each other.

OK, still reading? Boy, you must be a swim nut, 'cause everyone else is already on the charts by now. But, here's the reward for persevering: Use the code phrase, BEAT YOU-KNOW-WHO, and you have at least a 50% shot at seeing your question in print. Entries are received at

technicalforum@thestreet.com and must include your full name.

POWI a Power Move

Gary, I am new to TA. What do you think of Power Integrations (POWI) - Get Report? It is a small integrated circuit manufacturer with promising technology. After the first quarter of 1999, POWI's post-earnings behavior is different than after the fourth quarter of 1998. There have been many arguments for POWI shorts and longs on a different board. Could you please comment on POWI's TA? -- Azeez Al-Omar

BigBlue.com

Gary, There is a lot of speculation lately that IBM (IBM) - Get Report is going to start trading like a .com, especially after Gerstner let everybody know that 25% of its revenue is now generated by e-commerce activities. Does the recent breakout on its chart support this view? -- William King

Listen to Herb

Gary, How about Lernout & Hauspie (LHSP) ? Herb Greenberg seems to be always showing negative fundamental info. What's the chart say? -- Sam Ginsberg

Trouble @Home

Gary, I'm having a problem figuring the next step with RealNetworks (RNWK) - Get Report and @Home (ATHM) - Get Report. America Online (AOL) tested its lows twice but neither of these did. RealNetworks could still drop once more to 123. As I see it, there must be some kind of support level at 120 for @Home. -- Bruce Kaufman

Bruce,

Let's tackle @Home, as I haven't looked at that in awhile. RealNetworks is a few letters down.

Watch Out, Mister Softee

Gary, Could you look at Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Report and explain the technical damage that has occurred? The stock seems to be putting in a trouble bottom, but breaking Microsoft's 50-day moving average concerns me. -- Drew Thurman

Shedding Light on Brightpoint

Gary, I want to get your read on Brightpoint (CELL) . It was highly recommended earlier in the year but bottomed out after some bad earnings. It is now trading around 6, down from a high this year around 20. Is there any hope for a rebound? -- Nick Lagemann

Extreme Sports and RealNetworks

Gary, I just got into a fairly large RealNetworks position, around what I thought was a great price (93 1/2). However, one week later the stock is down 4%. Sony (SNE) - Get Report is now playing its music with Microsoft. Did RealNetworks take some time off to do some bungee jumping? Please let me know if you are a bungee fan or more of a skydiver. -- Oliver Ruehr

Monday Was the Day

Gary, I would welcome your sage advice regarding a software stock. Compuware (CPWR) seems to basing here. I'm averaged in at about 22. What is the breakout point? -- Gary Hoch

Morning in America

Gary, I have been following Sun Microsystems (SUNW) - Get Report, and there seems to be some resistance around the 66 or 67 level over the past month. Where else is there resistance? I am wondering where Sun really needs to break through to rise high again. -- Ira Stevens

Gary B. Smith is a freelance writer who trades for his own account from his Maryland home using technical analysis. At time of publication he had no positions in the stocks mentioned, although holdings can change at any time. Under no circumstances does the information in this column represent a recommendation to buy or sell stocks. Smith writes five technical analysis columns for TheStreet.com each week, including Technician's Take, Charted Territory and TSC Technical Forum. While he cannot provide investment advice or recommendations, he welcomes your feedback at

gbsmith@ibm.net.