I-80 Clogged,Fred Couples Shocked

While I-80 was clogged with holiday skiers seeking the powder snow falling on California's Sierra Nevada range,Fred Couples,51,was smoothly leading a PGA Tour event he has done well at over the past decade,with several top ten finishes to his name.Couples finished the second round of the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades with an eight under 66.Two other Americans,Spencer Levin and J.B. Holmes,shared second with Australian John Senden at -6.
Couples,who plays on the Champions Tour as well,said he was shocked to be in first place,but thought his familiarity with the course gave him an edge.A fan favorite,he's been playing there for several decades now.
The stock market cruised along as well this week,unruffled by spreading unrest in the Arab world,scoring its third straight weekly gain.The S&P closed up 1.04 for the week,while the Dow rose 0.96 and the NASDAQ edged up 0.87.
Next week will see a number of retailers reporting their Q4 earnings.The S&P futures were hopeful about that,gaining 4.60 on Friday evening.The ten year Treasury futures were slightly down in price.

Bethlehem In Carol Fashion

The West Bank town of Bethlehem,homeland of all Christians,is truly peaceful this year.Palestinian choirs are able to travel there again,as Israel has lifted the roadblocks that troubled them previously.Boy Scouts paraded with bagpipes and kilts to the delight of the 90,000 pilgrims-up from 70,000 last year.Hotels are sold out,aiding the Palestinian economy greatly.The weather was spectacular Christmas Eve at 70 degrees F and sunny.It is a postcard Christmas,thanks be to God.
A very different postcard depicts Bishop Pass,California in the Sierra Nevada range.The alpine area is currently under 16.5 feet of snow.At 11,960 feet altitude-or 3645.4 meters-Bishop Pass is a popular hiking destination on Inyo National Forest,for those who don't mind the rocky conditions.
The NBA is gearing up for a smooth Christmas Day of many games,which ESPN and ABC will broadcast.
The stock market is resting at an S&P futures mark of -1.50,while the 10-year Treasury futures are flat.

More Snow For Sierra Nevada,Charlotte Bobcats Warm

The Sierra Nevada range is looking for more snow this weekend.Up to a foot more will add to the several feet of snow pack already received recently.Snow will also sweep across Idaho and into Western Montana and Northwestern Wyoming,while the Great Lakes will register up to a foot of lake effect snow.
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were mainly clear and cold Friday night,with the lowest nighttime temperatures of the season expected in some areas.
The Charlotte Bobcats were warmed up Friday night by their 99-89 victory over the Houston Rockets,who were playing without their legendary big man,Yao Ming.Yao is injured and will probably be out for at least a few more weeks.
Chase Budinger led the Rockets with 19 points and 18 rebounds;the Bobcats were carried by Gerald Wallace with his 21 points and 14 rebounds,as well as Boris Diaw and his 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bobcats,6-10,shucked a 2-game losing streak,but the Rockets,4-11,have dropped 5 of the last 6 now.
The market was mixed this week as it fretted over European debt and Korean tension,while feeling more confident in consumer spending.The Dow fell 111.55 for the week,and the S&P stumbled 10.33.The tech-rich NASDAQ climbed 16.44.
The stock futures were uniformly negative Friday evening,given the geopolitical uncertainty,with substantial drops in all three index futures,and bond futures responded with a move upward.