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

• Better-than-expected earnings from VMware Inc (VMW)...
• Earnings from Yahoo Inc (YHOO)...
• An upbeat earnings report from Broadcom Corp (BRCM) that has its shares up 10%...
• A report from United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) that said the company sees "no signs of economic strengthening"...
• An order for FuelCell Energy (FCEL) that has the stock up 10% this morning...[note - I expressed some concern about the volatility of FCEL shares yesterday...]
• Better-than-expected earnings from General Dynamics (GD)...
• A better-than-expected earnings report and outlook from Illumina Inc (ILMN)...
• Claims that "analysts' advice is biased and misleading for individual investors"...[Note - this is a must read article...]
• A battle between eBay (EBAY) and Craigslist that suggests a "hostile takeover" might be brewing...
• Earnings from EMC Corp (EMC)...
• Earnings from Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB)...
• Skepticism on broadcasting and cable TV stocks...companies mentioned include CBS (CBS), Comcast (CMCSA), Clear Channel Communications (CCU), and DirecTV (DTV)...

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

• Spider plague closes Australian hospital - "A tiny Australian hospital is closing temporarily because of an infestation of poisonous spiders..."
• Robotic vigilante: Homemade 'Bum Bot' patrols in Atlanta - "a 300-pound, waist-high robot marked 'SECURITY'...its bright red lights and even brighter spotlight blazing, infrared video camera filming and water cannon at the ready in the spinning turret on top..."

So...spider plagues...so called robotic vigilante Bum Bots...yeah, no good can come of any of this...on the bright side though it seems that science is at last focusing on the big problems - Japan to send cherry seeds into space...

Meanwhile, my colleague Mark Fightmaster just sent me this article...

• Brazil priest flying party balloons lost at sea - "A Brazilian priest is missing after he drifted out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons..."