Leave it to Mr. Market -- the guy who just can't stay on track for more than a day. Monday, he knocked 240 points off the Dow. Yesterday, he decided to pile on 266.

Let's take a dispassionate look at the numbers:

Yes, we had a strong session yesterday. In fact, we got the best day for upside volume since the latest rally began July 16. On the NYSE, the number of shares traded in advancing stocks amounted to nearly 83% of the total shares traded in advancing or declining stocks. Then again today the market sent us on a small roller coaster ride to a current 104 on the Dow with just a half an hour left before market close.

Still, that's not the overwhelming vote of confidence it may seem. In the first two weeks after the market's bottom in August 2007, for example, we had two sessions in which upside volume hit 90% of the total.

Around the November 2007 low, we also got two 90% upside days, one just before the bottom and one after.

After the January 2008 low, Mr. Market never gave us a 90% day, but we had three sessions in the first two weeks with stronger upside volume than yesterday's high.

Then, within two weeks of the March 2008 low, we again saw two 90% up days.

In short, the market is tipping its hand, ever so subtly. Could the advance continue a while longer? Sure it could. Chances are, though, the blue chip indexes will slip back a few weeks from now to "test" their July lows (around 1200 on the Standard & Poor's 500 index).