Here are some of the contenders for today's biggest...news...of...the...day...

• Earnings from Marvell Technology Group Ltd (MRVL)...
• A lowered outlook from Research in Motion Ltd (RIMM)...
• A pay raise for Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)...
• Word that shares of Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (TMA) "have been suspended from trade on the New York Stock Exchange" due to listing requirements...
• Reports that say Total SA abandoned it plans to take over Nexen Inc. (NXY)...
• Word that Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER) "plans to cut year- end bonuses in half..." [note - does anyone else find it surprising that they are still paying any bonuses?]
• Upbeat comment on The Procter & Gamble Co (PG)...
• Concerns for Apple Inc's (APPL) iPod sales as it is argued "the days of explosive growth are over..."
• Output cuts and a suspended dividend from Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (FCX)...
• Concerns about what both Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) will report...
• A drop in the ISM index...

While those are all stories worth watching, I think it is obviously clear that the biggest news is this set of stories -

• Man wielding candy cane lawn ornament subdues attacker - "A man using a candy cane lawn ornament fended off a knife-wielding neighbor who had been attacking holiday guests..."
• Man jumps into cab of moving pickup to stop theft - "...saw his pickup truck being stolen jumped into the bed of the moving vehicle, kicked out the back window and crawled into the cab to stop the thief...the woman who stole the truck then jumped out and hopped into her boyfriend's car, which the truck owner chased until officers intervened..."
• Egypt police in dark after 400 lamp posts stolen - "...trying to track down hundreds of street lamps worth almost a million dollars after they were stolen from a road..."

So...we start the set with a couple of stories that show people fighting back. I am not sure I would have the moxie to show up to a knife fight with a candy cane lawn ornament but clearly this man did - good for him! The second story is a bit less heroic as the man did leave his truck running at a store. However, you have to give him credit for persistence. Not only did he leap onto a moving vehicle and kick out a window to gain control, he then used the truck to chase their car. I just checked and it doesn't look like Bud Light has offered a Real Men of Genius salute to "Mr. Stolen Truck Chaser Down Guy" but I think they should. And it goes without saying that we should also have a "Mr. Candy Cane Lawn Ornament Fighting Off a Knife Attacker Guy" too.

And while I don't want to promote crime, a small part of me does feel that if you can actually get away with stealing 400 lamp posts you should get to keep them. It's not a gold bathtub but still...