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stars and dogs

Archie, a Chinese Crested, is seen here prior to winning World's Ugliest Dog competition at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. in 2006.

A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week



Google









Remember when you didn't buy Google back in 2004 because the $85 (U.S.) IPO price seemed outrageously high? Nice call, genius. Shares of the world's most popular search engine topped $600, as Google's quarterly results got a big boost from Internet display and mobile advertising. Oh well, it was only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

















Canadian Dollar









Reasons to celebrate now that the loonie is trading near parity: 1) Taking the kids to Disney World will cost just $4,950 instead of $5,000; 2) Homeless people in Buffalo will no longer refuse your Canadian dollar bills; 3) No more taunts of "your currency sucks, eh!" from American friends. Unfortunately, every time the loonie comes close to parity, it gets scared of heights.



















Gymboree









Everyone knows kids can't keep a secret. And judging by the stock market action in children's wear retailer Gymboree , neither can adults. The stock had been rising for weeks amid rumours about a potential takeover, and it leaped again when Bain Capital's $1.8-billion (U.S.) offer arrived. Psst. Don't tell anyone, but shareholders just made a killing.





















Fastenal











Fastenal is the largest U.S. retailer of bolts, nails and other fasteners. So it's only fitting that shareholders are feeling screwed. Even though Fastenal posted higher third-quarter sales and earnings and beat analyst estimates, the stock sank after the company warned that economic weakness could delay its store sales goals. Nuts!



















Corn









Corn comes in many varieties: Creamed corn. Corn on the cob. Popcorn. Corn starch. Those unsightly corns on your feet. But what's really nifty about corn is this: Its price has soared 71 per cent from its 2010 lows, lifted by rising demand from feed mills and ethanol producers and a weak U.S. harvest. Investors would like another helping of corn, please.



















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