Dear jbozman,
Hmmmm.... you seems to be a wrong man in paradise :D
Well your feelings ... your thoughts are good... I appreciate...
but... a 2c question to you...
have you ever tried ...? Obviously you will say NO.
Then how come you write that... my dear first try ... try to apply those concepts and then say.....
see as you said about Bollinger or MA's... but before they were publicized ppl like you might have criticized those concepts...
Somewhere I came across an article... Leonardo Da Vinci... a great painter... painted a picture, some 400-500 year ago (might need some tolerance as I was and am poor in history ;) ) which was very much similar to helicopter. Now in those days and if this story is true then, that time those who might have seen that painting would have thought that he is a dumb.. (If the story is true ... then you are on the dumb side... ;)) Ppl thought that how can a man-made machine fly and like on... But now we do fly in helicopters...
So my dear, to criticize, doesnt need much efforts.. much knowledge... but to prove it needs guts...
So your grand grand (or grand ) son/daughter might call you a dumb. ;)
I might have hurt your feelings... but what i want to tell you is that... be ready to explore anything... as you dont know what will come to rescue you in this field... some 5 yrs ago I was on your side :)
Be open minded...broad minded... by NOT accepting various ideas you are hindering your progress.. this not only implies to astro stuff but from your post i found that you are not open minded...broad minded ... :D
Have a nice day
JBest