A stunning turnaround
I'm starting to like what I see in TASER Systems (NASDAQ:TASR) these days. The stun-gun giant has had a pretty rocky run since being recommended to subscribers of the Rule Breakers newsletter service. Now it seems as if the stock is ready to turn the corner.

That's how Tim Beyers felt when he cracked open the company's quarterly results on Wednesday. The company wound up earning as much this past quarter as it has over the past six quarters combined!

However, what I really like in TASER is that it's aggressively attacking critics who believe stun guns are unsafe. It's pumping out press releases every time a TASER-armed police force breaks up a crime that could have ended badly if firearms had been the weapon of choice.

TASER's products aren't perfect. Ask any litigant. However, what it offers is still a much better policing tool than many of the more lethal alternatives (as long as that power is not abused, of course). Let's see whether TASER can keep the refreshing black ink flowing.

Go, ho, ho
We're still weeks away from the holidays, but you are already beginning to see a pretty upbeat scenario. Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), the same company that has been launching new stores recently, such as its auto-parts section, has been seeing its sales growth rate accelerate every quarter this year. That has all of the makings of a fine dot-com holiday shopping season for the Stock Advisor selection.

Then you have the PC industry, which many, including myself, figured would be in for a lump of coal in the stocking. When Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) delayed the retail release of its Windows Vista operating system until January, it seemed as if the leading box makers like Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ), Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), and Gateway (NYSE:GTW) were doomed.

Not so fast. Starting now, many of the leading PC makers will be including vouchers with all new purchases that include free upgrades to Windows Vista. Now that is one window worth opening.

In the market for a new system? You no longer have an excuse to wait.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz

Amazon.com and Dell are Stock Advisor selections. Dell and Microsoft are Inside Value picks. All of our investing newsletter services come with a free, 30-day trial.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield wiper fluid when trying to look back. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy.