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

• Disappointing news from Cell Genesys, Inc. (CEGE) that has the stock down 75%...
• Disappointing news from Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMLN) that has the stock down 13%...
• Earnings from Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (SOLF)...l
• The move by Starbucks Corp (SBUX) to corner the market on a "one-cup-at-a-time brewing system..."
• A $100-million win for Mattel Inc (MAT)...
• Earnings from China Mobile Ltd (CHL)...
• Upbeat comments on Incyte Corp (INCY)...
• Earnings from PetroChina Co Ltd (PTR)...
• Data on mobile phone sales...
• An acquisition for Cisco Systems (CSCO)...
• Word of personal details being sold on eBay (EBAY)...
• The backlash against exchange-traded funds (ETF)...
• Skepticism on travel stocks...companies mentioned include Carnival Corp. (CCL), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts (HOT)...
• Word of a Fidelity Investments/Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS) probe...
• "Surprisingly strong" durable goods orders...
• A report that says the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) "might have to borrow money from the Treasury Department..."

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

• No nuns on catwalk, priest stops "beauty contest" - "An Italian priest who had planned an online 'pageant' for nuns has suspended the project"
• No buyers for Wis. man's million-mile Chevy yet - "...failed to fetch the premium price that he had hoped for..."
• Monkeys experience joy of giving, too, study finds - "They seem to care for the welfare of those they know..."

So...it seems that the "Miss Sister 2008 contest" discussed yesterday may have been an ill-conceived idea. Shocker...

And speaking of ill-conceived ideas, an automobile should sell for a premium because it has a lot of miles on it? What!?!?!

I know I tend to be cynical and mocking in these posts so I thought the last article was a nice heart-warming change of pace. It is good to share. (In no way am I implying that one way to prepare for the looming animal uprising is to suck up to a monkey in the hopes it will remember you when the animals rule...)